The St. Vincent de Paul girl’s varsity team won the GHCAA division 1 basketball championship this past Saturday, defeating St. Anthony of Padua.

The team has remained undefeated in all their district games from 6th, 7^th and 8th grade.

The varsity team is coached by George Walker.

Players, from left to right, are Meagan Grigsby, Maddie Bambace, Meghan Doyle, Hunter Eriksson, Catherine Schell, Emma Hansen, Marissa Barnes, Christina George and Carly Cone.

The local price compares with a national average that increased 3 cents per gallon in the last week to $3.43, according to gasoline price website HoustonGasPrices.com.

“The national average has continued on its upward trend as we move closer to spring and EPA-mandated cleaner burning gasoline,” said GasBuddy.com Senior Petroleum Analyst Patrick DeHaan. “The smaller movements in gasoline prices as of late in areas of the country will certainly not hold much longer. Gasoline prices tend to start moving significantly higher towards the end of February and into mid-March, so motorists should be preparing for higher prices.”

Including the change in gas prices in Bellaire during the past week, prices yesterday were 45.2 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago and 21.6 cents per gallon higher than a month ago.

The national average has increased 10.2 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 31.9 cents per gallon higher than this day one year ago.

Areas of dense fog are expected to form throughout the Bellaire and greater Houston areas and could cause hazardous driving conditions.

The fog should begin to dissipate around 9 a.m., but may linger in areas near the coast.

Visibilities of less than ¼ mile may occur.

Motorists are encouraged to use their low-beam headlights, slow down and increase the distance between vehicles on the roadway.

Several Strake Jesuit College Preparatory athletes today signed letters of intent to play college sports.

The following students signed letters during National Signing Day.

-          Chance Griffin, Track, Columbia University

-          Nick Pielech, Football, University of Chicago

-          Pace Murphy, Football, Northwestern State University

-          Kyle Ruck, Soccer, St. Edwards University

-          Jordan Underwood, Football, Benedictine College

Rasheed Sulaimon and John Gillon signed letters of intent in the fall. Sulaimon will be playing basketball at Duke and Gillion will be playing basketball at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Max N. Bowman

HC recently joined the Southwest Preparatory Conference, which consists of 19 of the finest college preparatory schools located in Texas and Oklahoma.

Bowman was special teams’ coordinator at Boston College, also coaching offensive line in 1980 when he recruited and signed a young quarterback named Doug Flutie, who went on to win the Heisman Trophy®.

His career also included four years as an assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Texas at El Paso; seven years as head coach at Greenville College; and four years as assistant head coach at the University at Buffalo.

In Buffalo, he garnered the opportunity to work under Head Coach Wade Phillips as Assistant to Head Coach/Tight Ends Coach for the National Football League Buffalo Bills organization.

“Max has coached at every level and won everywhere. I don’t know a finer Christian man; he is a great representative for Houston Christian,” Phillips said.

In 2005-2006 Bowman served as the Football Chief of Staff and Assistant Athletic Director at Rutgers University. There he partnered with Head Coach Greg Schiano, newly named Head Coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in assessing program needs, coaching the coaches, and developing a winning mind-set. During that year the team completed its first winning season in 13 years and its first bowl appearance in 27 years.

Most recently, Bowman has served as Assistant Head Football Coach at Houston’s Westfield High School, where he focused primarily on their offensive success. Last fall, Westfield reached the final round of eight in the Texas High School Division 5A playoffs.

First meeting Westfield Head Coach Corby Meekins through Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Bowman led a weekly Bible study for Meekins’ coaching staff before leaving Houston to join Schiano.

“When he returned from Rutgers, I had the opportunity to offer him a position on my coaching staff. He became my right arm,” Meekins said. Bowman developed a strong leadership program for football players that he expanded to include the entire student body.

With a career spanning 30 years, Bowman brings a depth of experience not only in football, but also in leadership development.

“I’ve known Max a long time,” said Bum Phillips, former Houston Oilers Head Coach. “He is an outstanding coach, great with people and really great with kids. They will respect him, and he will give them so much in return.”

“As HC begins a new chapter in the SPC, the school is confident in Bowman’s keen understanding of how athletics can be a tool to build champions, leaders, and Godly men. Coach Bowman is a strong Christian leader and member of Champion Forest Baptist Church where he and his wife co-teach an adult Sunday school class together. His background as a program director, Christian mentor, and catalyst makes him an ideal fit for the HC athletics,” said Dr. Livingston. Mentoring young players to improve and work so that they rise from one level to the next, even to the professional level, Max Bowman knows the intricacies of competing in football.”

He looks forward to dedicating all his faith, energy, and resources to the young men of Houston Christian as they prepare for next fall’s campaign.

Bowman has a MA from NYU in Administration/Physical Education and a BS in Philosophy/Theology from Nyack College in New York.

Prospective campers are urged to register quickly as space is limited.  Early registration will end on Monday, March 19. Late registration will go into effect on Tuesday, March 20 and will cost $20 extra per person per campsite.

Check in will take place from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 24 at the Gazebo in Bellaire Zindler Park. The event will end on Sunday, March 25 at 10 a.m.

Proceeds raised from the event will support the improvement and expansion of Bellaire Town Square- a recreational area in the heart of Bellaire. The Patrons for Bellaire Parks and the City of Bellaire Parks and Recreation Department will be co-hosting this year’s event.

“Patrons is excited and gearing up for more fun at this year’s Tent in Town campout.  Start sending positive thoughts for great weather and a clear night for some great stargazing,” Patrons President Karen Erwin said. “My son and I will camp out for the third year in a row.  I’ll miss this tradition with him, when one day he thinks he’s ‘too old’ for this event, so every year we are working hard to ensure there are plenty of activities for our teen campers.”

On the line-up for this year’s “Ultimate Urban Campout” are activities for kids of all ages, from balloon animals and toy race cars with Honeydew the Clown, to face painting, hula hoop contests, s’mores and ice cream.

Local band “Strange Days” will be returning with a song list of crowd-pleasing favorites. For the older kids, Houston Sports Adventures will have organized kickball & dodge ball games, tug of war and sack races.

Also returning are free family camping photos and four inflatables.  The event will feature a climbing wall and The Nature Discovery Center will join in for fun around the campfire.

The Optimist Club of Bellaire will be grilling food for the event. There will also be opportunities to explore a Bellaire police car, fire truck and an ambulance.

Once the sun goes down participants will gaze at the stars and planets through huge telescopes, courtesy of Houston Astronomical Society.

“Drive to a state park:  a few hours.  Drive to Bellaire Town Square:  a few minutes.  It’s a great way to camp with family and neighbors, while contributing to a great cause,” Event Co-Chair David Onufer said. “I wish there was an event like this when I was little, but I’m sure glad there’s one now for my boys.”

Tickets cost $80 for one adult and one child and include a 12×12 campsite, dinner, s’mores, ice cream, breakfast, concert, all activities and games and event T-shirts.

Register online at the Patrons website, www.BellaireParks.org. Registration and payment by check only is also available at the Bellaire Parks and Recreation Center, located on 7008 Fifth St., Bellaire.

 For more information about the event, contact PATRONS at 713-661-PARK (7275).

The project is expected to be complete at the end of March and includes a new sidewalk, a donor plaza around the gazebo, donor walls, new lighting, new benches and new landscaping.

The project is being funded by Patrons for Bellaire Parks. Council approved a $152,635 donation for the project from Patrons on Jan. 16.

The west entrance to city hall will be closed during the project.

Denise Crawford, coach of the Strake Jesuit Crusader Cheerleaders, and Angie Kensinger, coach of the St. John’s School Girls Lacrosse, are among 50 coaches nationwide to be recognized as finalists.

Crawford and Kensinger are also the only two coaches that are being recognized from the Houston area.

Each finalist will receive a commemorative certificate. The 20 award winners from throughout the U.S., which PCA will announce in mid-February, will receive a trophy, $250 and appearances in PCA’s media campaigns, website and e-mail newsletters.

The PCA is a national nonprofit organization committed to providing all youth and high school athletes a positive, character-building youth sports experience.

The Double-Goal Coach® Awards are presented by Liberty Mutual Insurance.

The local price spike exceeded the national average that increased 4.5 cents per gallon in the last week to $3.39, according to gasoline price website HoustonGasPrices.com.

GasBuddy.com Senior Petroleum Analyst Patrick DeHaan said even higher prices are on the horizon.

“Late last week, we saw wholesale gasoline prices rise dramatically on some refinery issues, which leads me to believe that retail gasoline prices will rise in response,” DeHaan said. “We continue to also watch how Iran responds to EU sanctions – there are some concerns that they may cut oil to the European region before the sanctions are to take effect to cause these countries hardship when they can’t find new sources of oil quickly enough. That in itself could draw crude oil prices higher quickly at a moment’s notice.”

Including the change in gas prices in Bellaire during the past week, prices yesterday were 43.2 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago and are 26.9 cents per gallon higher than a month ago.

The national average has increased 13.5 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 30.4 cents per gallon higher than this day one year ago.

Orlando Riddick

In Austin, Riddick oversaw 16 high schools serving 15,000 students. Riddick will now guide 67 Houston Independent School District campuses with a combined enrollment of 55,000 students.

HISD Superintendent Terry Grier said Riddick has a history of raising academic achievement levels for students from all backgrounds.

“Mr. Riddick has high expectations for all children and a genuine belief that any student can succeed under the guidance of a quality teacher working in a school led by a great principal,” Grier said. “He is the ideal person to lead our efforts to raise the achievement bar at every HISD high school.”

Riddick began his education career in 1997 as an English literature teacher in Dallas. He later served as an assistant principal on the middle school and high school levels in Fort Worth ISD. At Thomas A. Edison High School in San Antonio, Orlando served as the lead instructional coordinator with duties that included budgeting, data analysis, and staff development.

Riddick was appointed principal of Warren Travis White High School in Dallas ISD in 2007. He led that predominantly Hispanic campus of 2,500 students to produce the district’s largest measurable academic gain in all areas, creating an environment in which 82 percent of students were college bound. Sixty percent of the students enrolled in Warren Travis White High School were taking advanced-level courses when Riddick was hired to oversee high schools in Austin.

“I am excited to join HISD and continue the transformative work that is already under way in Houston’s high schools,” Riddick said. “HISD’s efforts to boost the level of rigor at all campuses through the Advanced Placement program, the Houston Innovative Learning Zone, and other innovative initiatives are setting a high standard for the rest of the nation.”

A U.S. Army veteran, Riddick grew up in El Paso and is proficient in Spanish. He and his wife Yvette have three children, ages 14, 12, and 10.

Riddick will report for duty in HISD after spring break in March.

The new complex will house two regulation Little League baseball fields, and one Little League tee-ball field along with related amenities.  The new complex will feature energy efficient, computer-controlled directional lighting, irrigated fields, permanent restrooms and storage areas, and covered bleachers for spectators.

These new fields will replace former Little League facilities that were located nearby that were repurposed during the recent construction of the new Horn Academy.

The new fields are expected to be ready for play by the fall season, and will be available for use by the students of Horn Academy during the school year and available as a recreational area for the City of Bellaire as governed by the Parks and Recreation Department at other times.

The firm Landscape Arts has been contracted to build the new facility.

Bellaire Little League has launched the Dirt to Diamonds capital campaign to raise $750,000 to complete the construction of the new sports complex.  As part of the campaign, a limited number of naming opportunities for the complex, fields and other amenities are available to major donors.

The first two corporate sponsors to go to bat for Bellaire’s youth include Mitch Beasley and Heritage Texas Properties with a donation of $25,000 for an electronic scoreboard and Deutsch & Deutsch Jewelers who committed $25,000 to sponsor a second electronic scoreboard. Other major sponsorship proposals are pending.

Interested parties may contact Tanya Gee, Campaign Chairperson at info@dirttodiamonds.org for more information.  A public campaign for individual donations will commence on Opening Day of the Bellaire Little League spring season in early March.

“The collaboration between all of the stakeholders has been great with HISD, the City of Bellaire, and Bellaire Little League working together to bring the project to life,”   League President Ronnie Karkowsky said. “And of course, this project couldn’t be done without our corporate partners and individual donors.”

Officials who joined in the groundbreaking ceremony included Bellaire City Manager Bernie Satterwhite, HISD School Board Member Mike Lunceford, Horn Academy Principal Sarah Harrington, Horn PTO Representative Kent Cantrell, and sponsor representatives Robin Mueck, President, Chaille Ralph, SVP, Bill Jones, SVP and Mitch Beasley of Heritage Texas Properties, and Little League players Boomer, Jake and Joe Beasley representing the Minor, Texas and Coach Pitch levels of play.

“As a father with three sons active in the League, I know first-hand about the rewards of participating,” Mitch Beasley said. “Not only have my sons improved their baseball skills, but they are learning the values that Little League stands for: Integrity, Honesty, Respect and Teamwork.”

The sixth grade St. Vincent de Paul Green basketball team was the first place champions at the Corpus Christi basketball tournament this weekend.

The sixth grade Green team had an undefeated season and ended the season with another tournament championship.

They beat Corpus Christi Catholic School 37 – 35 in the finals on Saturday evening.

Presbyterian School 2011-2012 Swim Team

The following swimmers placed in the top three standings for their individual events:

Kyle Zhu - 1st Place in the 50 Yd. Freestyle & 1st Place in the 50 Yd. Butterfly
Henry Reinstein - 1st Place in the 50 Yd. Backstroke
Julian Castro - 3rd Place in the 50 Yd. Backstroke
Will Kallmeyer - 1st Place in the 50 Yd. Breaststroke
Emily Gonsoulin - 2nd Place in the 50 Yd. Breaststroke

Kenzie Parsons (34.89), Lindsay Rogers (33.28), Hunter Reinertsen-Forehand (36.71), and Emily Gonsoulin (28.21) stole 1st Place in the Freestyle Relay, inching ahead of the competition by 4 tenths of a second.

The boys teamed up to take 1st Place in both the Freestyle and Medley Relays.

Presbyterian School 8th grade Academic Prep Bowl students earned the consolation championship title in the 38th Prep Bowl Tournament.

Twenty-three middle schools entered teams in the competition. After winning the Practice Round against St. Ambrose, the Presbyterian School team lost to St. Anthony in Round 1 placing the team in the consolation bracket for the playoffs.

Round 2 was single elimination and Presbyterian remained in the competition with a strong win over St. Michael. With a bye in Round 3 and a win in Round 4, Presbyterian qualified for the consolation championship match and won 235 – 125 over St. Thomas More.

The team was presented with a consolation championship trophy at the awards ceremony. Team members at this event included Kendyl Bree,Alexa Lednicky, Rock Morille, Alena Peters, Hunter Reinertson-Forehand, Joyson Zhang, and Kyle Zhu.

This includes, but is not limited to, athletics events, club activities, and tutorials.  School administrators will decide at a later date whether those events will be cancelled or rescheduled.

HISD schools will conduct dismissal at their regular time today. Teachers and staff will be released once dismissal is completed.

Employees in the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center will be dismissed from work at 4 p.m.

An extensive evaluation of the city’s solid waste/recycling collection services was undertaken in 2011 to ensure that the cost of solid waste/recycling collection could be maintained at a reasonable level for all residents.  Council approved changes to the ordinance in December.

Collection days and frequency of pick up will remain the same. The city will not increase the cost of either the solid waste charge of $17.17 plus tax or the recycling charge of $2.50 plus tax at this time.

Garbage must be set out for collection by 7 a.m. and bags must not weigh more than 25 pounds each.

The city will not accept cardboard or aluminum cans in trash collection. These items need to be included with recycling for curbside pickup on Wednesdays.

There will no longer be an opt-out provision for the city’s curbside recycling program for residents over 65 or the disabled. Residents that have previously opted-out of the curbside recycling program will begin to incur the $2.50 fee per month plus tax for this city wide service, which will appear on the March billing.

For every bag over the four permitted bags per designated pick up day the city will require residents to purchase a sticker for $1 for each additional bag over the four allotted bags. These stickers can be purchased at city hall at 7008 S. Rice Avenue between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday – Friday in the Utility Billing Department located upstairs at city hall.

The city will no longer provide solid waste service to the commercial sector.

To read the ordinance in its entirety, visit www.ci.bellaire.tx.us/solidwaste.

For more information, call 713-662-8150.

Southeast winds with speeds of 20 – 25 mph and gusts up to 35 mph are possible through late morning.

Drivers of vans, campers, trailers and other high-profile vehicles should be alert to the dangers of the winds, especially when driving along east-to-west oriented roads.

The dense fog advisory previously issued for the Bellaire area until 9 a.m. has been cancelled.

In addition to the winds, thunderstorms are expected to move into the area as the morning progresses. Some of the storms may be severe with rainfall totals exceeding 3 inches in some areas.

The chance for rain is 80 percent throughout the day.

The Harris County Flood Control District is urging residents to be proactive and act now to protect their families and property by creating a family preparedness plan and staying put during a flood unless your life is threatened.

The Flood Control District has a “Family Flood Preparedness” center at http://www.hcfcd.org/famfloodprepare.html with helpful, printable resources, including:

• A guide on how to create and implement a Family Flood Preparedness Plan and what to do before, during and after a flooding event.
• A Family Emergency Kit checklist that includes information on how to build a first aid kit, how much water to have for family members and pets, tools that could come in handy and a helpful guide on what types of documents to store in a waterproof, portable container.
• A Family Emergency Contact Card printout – fill them out, give one to each family member and keep them close at all times.
• A “Repairing Your Flooded Home” guide by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and American Red Cross that provides vital step-by-step information on how to clean up, rebuild and get help after a flood.
• A “Turn Around, Don’t Drown” brochure by the National Weather Service that advises all residents to stay out of flooded roadways and waterways.

Flood control officials also urge all residents to take out flood insurance, even if their home is not in a known flood zone. Because flooding is at the top of the list of Harris County’s natural threats, the Flood Control District recommends that all property owners in Harris County have flood insurance.

Those wanting more information about flood insurance should contact their insurance agent or visit the National Flood Insurance Program at www.floodsmart.gov or call 1-888-379-9531.

If the weather worsens, it is important for Harris County residents to be aware of conditions near their workplace, schools and homes.  The Flood Control District urges all residents to monitor rainfall and bayou levels on its Flood Warning System website at www.harriscountyfws.org.

The Flood Warning System draws information from a network of 133 gages that measure rainfall data and water levels in bayous and major streams throughout Harris County 24 hours a day and seven days a week.   Real-time information is transmitted to the Flood Control District’s Flood Warning System team, which constantly monitors the information and works during severe weather events to advise the public and local officials of areas that are and could be affected by flooding.

Residents can input an address that will “zoom” the map to the nearest gage station location. The Flood Control District urged all residents to use the website and the information it provides to prepare and take appropriate precautions during periods of heavy rain and flooding.

The forecast calls for a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms tonight, some possibly becoming severe.

Wednesday has an 80 percent chance for thunderstorms.

KARATE AMERICAN Class: The class features techniques in the art, sport, self-defense and self-confidence.  Required uniform can be purchased at first class. The class will be held on Monday nights starting at 7 p.m. Youth class for ages 6-12. Adult class ages 13 and up.  Residents $56; Non-residents $66.

Youth Dance Class: The instructor, Lara Lanphier has over 10 years experience teaching and performing the art of dance. The Youth Dance program offers something for all children ages 2 and up.  These classes are offered monthly with a recital in May. $55 per month for residents and $65 per month for non-residents. No membership fee required.

Zumba Fitness: Are you ready to party yourself into shape? That’s exactly what the Zumba program is all about. It’s an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party™ that’s moving millions of people toward joy and health. Two new classes are being held at the Bellaire Recreation Center. W/F 6:50-7:45 a.m.  Zumba Party Lunch Hour M/W 12:10 p.m. – 12:50 p.m.

For more information about these classes call the Bellaire Parks and Recreation Department at 713-662-8280 or go online www.bellairereg.com.

The varsity football team at Houston Christian was selected as a finalist for the 2012 Sportsmanship Award for the 2011 football season by Houston's Touchdown Club.

The team will be honored at the Seventh Annual Comerica Bank Sportsmanship Award banquet on Jan. 25 at the JW Marriott, 5150 Westheimer.

These finalists are among some of the finest teams in the city, from each school division. A representative of the HC football squad will be seated at the head table during the ceremony, along with his head coach for the season Mike Johnston.

Johnston recently retired at the end of the year after eight successful seasons as HC head football coach.

The Houston football chapter of the Texas Association of Sports Officials will name only one winner in the 3A/Private School division, in which HC is a nominee along with Lutheran South, St. Thomas, Stafford, and West Columbia.

This is the seventh time that the TD Club partnered with the FCA and Comerica Bank to present Sportsmanship awards to area teams based on voting by active officials judging each game on the field and reporting back to the independent accounting firm for the TD Club. Categories include the actions of the coaches, team, support groups (such as band, drill team, and parents), as well as respect for the American flag.

The Touchdown Club of Houston awards thousands of scholarship dollars and has provided weights and fitness equipment for needy schools around Houston. Through its Senior Showcase football combine, and in cooperation with HISD and the Houston Texans of the NFL® the Houston TD Club has helped over 200 students go on to compete at the next level as a student-athlete in college scholarships.