Photo by Jan Carlo Arcillas. Palladium AVX opens Thursday, May 16. Open house will be held Wednesday, May 15. Free and open to the public.

Just in time for Friday’s opening of Star Trek Into Darkness, the future of movie theaters opens in Fort Bend County with Santikos Theaters’ Palladium AVX.

“I hope people show up in costumes,” said Chris Prichard, Director of Marketing for Santikos Theaters. “This much anticipated film will generate a lot of excitement and we will be the only theatre in Houston to offer it on an 85 Foot AVX MAX screens and be the only theatre in Houston where you can hear it in Dolby Atmos sound.”

The Greek-themed theater complex is located on Grand Parkway, one mile south of the Westpark Tollway near Long Meadow Farms.

The Palladium AVX will officially open on Thursday, but Prichard says the weekend will
be the true grand opening.

“It will be the grandest theatre ever in our 101-year history, with every detail selected to deliver the greatest experience possible for all of our guests,” Prichard said. “The Palladium will be the premiere entertainment destination for Houston and Fort Bend County and will be one of the finest facilities in the country.”

With 22 movie screens, Palladium is the largest multiplex in the Santikos chain.

Each auditorium has stadium seating and Santikos’ own AVX projection, which features oversized, wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling screens, state-of-the-art sound systems and the latest in projection technology.

Six of the auditoriums, designated AVX MAX, will feature the newly released Dolby Atmos sound system and enormous 80-foot screens – giving the Palladium more giant screens than any other theatre in Texas.

Additionally, two of the auditoriums will feature double rows of D-BOX motion seats that move in perfect synchronization with on-screen action, creating an unmatched “live” experience.

“Seeing a movie here will be a unique experience that other theatres cannot match,” Prichard said. ” Tickets to the AVX MAX screens do not cost any more than our other auditoriums. We do not charge a premium ticket price for our AVX MAX screens.”

The complex will have multiple beverage and dining options, a bowling center with 16 full lanes, an arcade room, a specialty M&M candy store and a movie-themed retail store with T-shirts, film cells and other memorabilia.

Santikos currently has seven multiplex theatres in San Antonio. The new Palladium theater complex is the second to open in the Houston area. There is a Silverado IMAX in Tomball.

Palladium AVX welcomes community to open house

Santikos will be hosting a open house the night before the grand opening of the Palladium AVX to allow the local community to get a first look at the luxury entertainment destination.

The open house will be held Wednesday, May 15, 6-9pm, 7301 Grand Parkway.

The event is open to the public

Photo by Max Wolf

Some days it just doesn’t pay to get out of bed. A truck caught on fire on Mothers Day  on Highway 59, between Hwy. 6 and Williams Trace. This photo was taken as a Sugar Land fireman was putting out the blaze. Cause of fire was undetermined and no injuries reported.

Kyle Dawson, Skeeters Sr. Director Community Development, Evelyn Traylor, Event Coordinator and SFC Celso Pacheco (Center) join the 72nd BSTB National Guard Unit to discuss plans for the May 28 Legacy of Freedom-Saluting Our Heroes event.

Plans are underway for Fort Bend County citizens, county and city officials and civic organizations to come together in a countywide event to honor those who have given their lives for our country, our veterans as well as those who will be entering the Armed Forces in 2013.

The event, “ Legacy of Freedom-Saluting Our Heroes”, will be held in conjunction with the Skeeters home game on Tuesday, May 28 at Constellation Field in Sugar Land with pre-game ceremonies beginning at 5:45 pm.

Officials from the city, county and state will be presenting proclamations to honor the men and women of our Armed Forces.  As part of the event, the 72nd BSTB National Guard Unit and other first responders will be on hand to show off their latest equipment and technology.

Make plans to join us.  For ticket information and those wishing to sponsor a ticket for a veteran and/or new enlistee, please contact the Skeeters Box Office at (281) 240-HITS or www.sugarlandskeeters.com. The ticket price will be $8 Field Box seats (regular price $12).

Shown left to right:  Lynette McQueen, Carrie Sample, Tour Chairman-Cheryl Swanson, Sue Jordan, Rose Ann Acosta, Beverly Todd, Vicki Fordyce and last, but missing, Diana Miller.

“The Secret Gardens of Sugar Lakes” is the theme for this year’s Sugar Land Garden Club’s 14th annual Spring Garden Tour. On Saturday, May 18 from 9 am to 3 pm, the public is invited to tour nine unique private gardens in the Sugar Lakes subdivision.

Tickets are $15 and can be purchased the day of the tour at any one of the tour locations, 534 Kingfisher Dr., 403 Kingfisher Dr., 814 Kittiwake Ct., 234 Kingfisher Dr., 819 Oyster Creek @ Teal, 206 Brook Forest Trail, 407 Baybridge Dr., 871 Harbour Place, 1122 Heron Way.

For more information visit:  sugarlandgardenclub.org click on Tour and click on map.

Sam & Diane Livingston are shown in their celebration of life garden. The Quail Valley Garden Club thanks you for record attendance at its April 27 Backyard Tour!

Quail Valley Yard of the Month winners are Sam & Dianne Livingston of 3614 Ridgeview. Not just a sight for those who love roses, it’s a series of free-form beds full of roses, hibiscus, variegated flax, Bulbine, Society Garlic, hawthorne, & Asparagus Fern.

Anchoring the free-form beds and interesting statuary are beds along the house, drive and garage that welcome the visitor with many surprises including two small courtyards on each side of the front door. All use a diversity of well-adapted plants to our region such as Bottlebrush, Aspidistra and Nandina.

Dianne says the garden was her solace when fighting a major disease. In an area known for beautiful gardens, you’ll want to drive-by this garden because of its celebration of life.

The Livingston’s received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Quail Valley Garden Club and a plant from Flowers by Adela. Membership info www.traction.typepad.com/QVGC

Shown is 2013 Corporate Challenge lead sponsor David Young with Union Pacific Railroad.

On May 18, Fort Bend Regional Council on Substance Abuse, Inc. will hold its 9th Annual Fort Bend Corporate Challenge “Born to be Wild” Bowling Tournament.  Once again Union Pacific Railroad Company has stepped up to be the lead sponsor and invites local businesses, organizations and individuals to bring a team and enjoy the fun while supporting this worthy organization.

Funds raised from this event will support the Summer Explosion, Youth Leadership Camp, October’s Red Ribbon Week activities, and many other programs provided by Fort Bend Regional Council.

Since 1976, Fort Bend Regional Council on Substance Abuse, Inc. has challenged the idea that substance abuse is just another part of modern society in Fort Bend County.  Substance abuse disorders are indiscriminate in whom they affect and are the cause of so many problems in our community.  With that in mind, Fort Bend Regional Council comprehensively addresses substance abuse through youth prevention and leadership programs, treatment for individuals and families struggling with addiction, and outreach programs to help families and communities stay safe and drug free.

For more information on how to become a sponsor for this event please contact Mandi Bronsell at 281-207-2409 or mbronsell@fortbendcouncil.org.

Drs. Kenneth Renney, Mark Maffet, Timothy Sitter and David Braunreiter.

Four Methodist Sugar Land Hospital physicians have been selected to serve as medical directors for the upcoming Southland Conference baseball tournament, scheduled for May 22-25 at Constellation Field in Sugar Land.

Drs. Mark Maffet, Timothy Sitter, Kenneth Renney and David Braunreiter of the Methodist Center for Sports Medicine Sugar Land and Methodist Orthopaedic Specialists of Texas will be on hand throughout the tournament, overseeing medical care to players from the eight Southland Conference schools that qualify for the four-day event.  Dr. Maffet and Dr. Sitter will also provide interviews during the tournament’s championship game, which will be broadcast on ESPN3.

“The Methodist Center for Sports Medicine Sugar Land provides care and treatment to a number of local high school, college and professional sports teams, and we are looking forward to serving the Southland Conference and its member schools throughout the tournament,” said Dr. Maffet.

The four selected physicians are fellowship trained in the diagnosis and advanced treatment of sports medicine injuries. Dr. Maffet and Dr. Sitter are orthopedic surgeons who sub-specialize in knee and shoulder surgery and Dr. Braunreiter and Dr. Renney are primary care sports medicine physicians specializing in the medical and orthopedic management of athletes.

“Methodist Center for Sports Medicine has a long history of involvement in sports as the official health care provider for the Houston Texans, Houston Astros, Houston Dynamo, Rice University and Rodeo Houston,” said Dr. Sitter.  “Our participation in the Southland Conference tournament is a natural fit and we are excited about being a part of the event.”

Tickets for the Southland Conference tournament are available for purchase in person at the Constellation Field box office, by phone at 281-240-4487, ext. 300, or online at www.sugarlandskeeters.com.

Pictured are the AHS Playhouse Students.

Sugar Land students from Stephen F. Austin High School were hand selected by the American High School Theatre Festival to perform in Edinburgh, Scotland this summer at the International Fringe Festival, the world’s largest art festival.

Austin High School is returning to the Fringe Festival for the second time in the school’s history and will be the only school representing the greater Sugar Land area and FBISD.

Students from the Austin theatre playhouse will perform an adaptation of “Struwwelpeter”, a collection of dark German children’s stories used to teach morals. The cast and crew of 18 students, ranging from 9th grade to 12th, will be performing at the Church Hill Theater in Edinburgh.

To make this trip a reality, these students have worked to fundraise for nearly a full year.  They haven’t reached their goal yet.  Here’s where you can help.  The current fundraiser is “kickstarter.com,” which is a website that allows you make donations, (large or small) towards the trip.  In return, you may receive season passes to the AHS Theatre performances, show t-shirts and more.

To make a donation or to learn more about the cause and mission, please visit our KickStarter Page at the Fort Bend Star website article:

To learn more about the Austin Theatre Students and the Austin Playhouse, please visit us at www.TheAustinPlayhouse.com or call us at (281) – 634-2071.

UIL OAP cast from left: Ryan Siller, Jon Rivenburg, Carissa Cardy, Shea Peterson, Taylor Winks, Andrea Rodriguez and Duane Garcia-Facey.

Travis High School’s (THS) theatre department will perform its UIL one-act play, Unexpected Tenderness, for the community on Friday, May 17, at 7:00 p.m. in the THS auditorium (11111 Harlem Rd., Richmond, 77406). The performance is free to the public, but donations to the theatre department will be accepted. The play has advanced at each level of competition, and the cast and crew will compete at the State contest on May 22 at the Bass Concert Hall in Austin.

Under the direction of Tommy Grubbs and assistant Tiffanie Thomas, the play centers around a dysfunctional Jewish family and its abusive, yet remorseful, father whose demons ultimately drive his family away. Unexpected Tenderness is also a biographical memory play about a son who discusses his decision to end the cycle of abuse. The play, written by Israel Horovitz, is rated PG-13 for its adult themes and situations.

THS will compete against seven other 5A high school theatre groups for the title.  Cast members include Jon Rivenburg, Shea Peterson, Carissa Cardy, Taylor Winks, Andrea Rodriguez, Duane Garcia-Facey and Ryan Siller.  Crew members include Jose Sabillon, Claire Brady, Jules Iradukunda, Kyrah Schoenberger and Andrea Martinez. Reagan Moore, Tiffany Abreu, Rachel McCall, and Micheal Raby are alternates.

Several Travis students have contributed to the success of the show, including Marjorie Cade, Tejal Thakor, Miles Agee, Sydney Moore, Katlyn Gupton, Manny Soto, Jonathan Blair, Quinn Kobrin, Brandon Willis, Marisa Emiliani, Trey Tobias, Ronel Edipokeya, Chris Uhlig, Ashley Blakeman, Courtney Crews  and many others.

The show includes many special and original props made by the technical staff led by Brady and McCall. The lights were designed by Kyrah Schoenberger. Jules Iradukunda worked on selecting vintage costumes and repairing them for stage use, and Andrea Martinez designed the sound. The award-winning technicians are led by outstanding stage manager, Jose Sabillon. THS Principal J.J. Kyle has also been a major contributor to the show’s success.

For more information about the State competition or Travis Theatrical Company news, please visit www.travistheatricalcompany.com.

Pictured from left to right are: (Back Row) Coach Harlan Vossos, Josh Werner, Andre Davis, Zach Zost, Cameron Henry, Coach Ryan Karnowski, Jackson Cormier, Cole Karnowski and Jaydn Whitsitt. (Front Row) Coach Tom Pepe, Nic Pepe, Conner Sauer, Justin Vossos, Peyton Vossos, Kade Baron and Coach Karl Baron. Not pictured are Coach Trace Werner and Coach Willie Davis.

The boys from Spikes baseball continue to roll with an impressive tournament win at the Texas Prospects Classic in Tomball, Texas.

After a 1-1 pool record, the boys came out on Sunday and beat the Banditos White 14-4, Pro-way Colt 45′s 11-3 and avenged their Saturday loss in huge fashion by beating the Texas Royals from Humble 25-7.

This was a complete team effort and the team would like to thank their sponsors again(Gee Eye Care, JP Morgan, Boyar Miller, Title Club Boxing, Parks and Associates, PC, Markham Development LLC, Savelovegive.com and Dr. Schaffer) for all the support. They also welcome the newly added Texas Direct Auto to the Spikes family.