Beginning Tuesday, March 16, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, will open its doors for special activities, tours and creativity for spring breakers of all ages. Docents and staff will showcase the very best of sketching in the galleries, storytime tours, family tours, creation stations and more.

When: Tuesday, March 16- Sunday, March 21

Where: The museum’s Audrey Jones Beck Building and Caroline Wiess Law Building, 1001 Bissonnet Street.

Activities: Spend your spring break at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston with activities for families and kids of all ages. Become an art detective and uncover works of art from around the world with Gallery Investigations, enjoy interactive tours designed specifically for kids and family, create your own art with creation stations, sketch in the galleries with an MFAH teaching artist, or borrow a Family Pack or Five Paintings to See with Your Little One and enjoy the MFAH at your own pace. Visit Mfah.org for more information. The top activities10 include:

Cypress, TX - Its spring and time to dust off your walking shoes to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Join us for Reach Springfest, a fundraising event to support Reach Unlimited, the most comprehensive provider of support services for people with IDDs in the greater Houston northwest.

Every year, Reach must raise $3,200 per client to fill the gap between funds received and actual costs at the Learning Activity Center. Last year, $40,000 was raised for client programs and services and over 500 people attended.

The fifth annual Reach Springfest will be held on March 27, 2010 from 9:30 am to 12:00 noon at the Reach Learning Activity Center, 11832 Mueller Cemetery Road, Cypress, Texas 77429.

Cheesy Tuna Pie

Whether you're reaching for a can of tuna for Lent or because it's just an economical staple, this dish will make you think you should have tuna more often.

1 cup shredded Kraft 2 Percent Milk Cheddar cheese
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 (6-ounce) can white tuna, packed in water, drained and flaked
1 (2-ounce) jar sliced pimiento, drained
3/4 cup Bisquick Heart Smart Baking Mix
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/2 cup fat-free half & half
2 tablespoons no-fat sour cream
3 eggs or equivalent in egg substitute
2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with butter-flavored cooking spray.
2. In medium bowl, combine Cheddar cheese, peas, tuna and pimiento. Evenly spread mixture into prepared pie plate. In same bowl, combine baking mix, milk, half & half, sour cream and eggs. Mix well using a wire whisk. Stir in onion and parsley flakes, and black pepper. Carefully pour batter over tuna mixture.

Katy Visual & Performing Arts Center’s Books Alive! Program Goes on Tour

Katy, Texas - The peace and quiet of the barnyard is shattered by a horrible noise. Clasping their ears shut, Pig, Cat, Hen and Goose discover Hilda Mae Heifer crying the "boo-hoo moo blues". This hilarious story leaps from the page to the stage as the wailing bovine's friends rally to her rescue by organizing "Barnyard Idol" auditions in KVPAC's 2010 Books Alive! production of Boo-Hoo Moo.

Based on the book by Margie Palatini, the professional musical theatre production is one of an annual program series produced by KVPAC designed to instill a love of books, reading and encourage a desire for lifelong learning in young children.

The Katy Area Chamber of Commerce’s Monthly Membership Luncheon will be held on Wednesday, March 10, at the Club at Falcon Point. The Luncheon speaker will be Andy Kahan, Director, City of Houston Office of the Mayor/Crime Victims Assistance Division. The luncheon is sponsored by Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP.

The luncheon is open to everyone to attend. Reservations must be made and paid for in advance. The cost for the lunch is $30.00 for members and $40.00 for non-members. Corporate tables for 10 are available for $350.00. Corporate tables for 8 are $250.00. Registrations are due by no later than noon Monday, March 8. You may register online at www.katychamber.com.

Andy Kahan currently serves as the Mayor’s Crime Victims Director for the City of Houston, Texas. This one-man office acts as an ombudsman for victims of crime and has been instrumental in enacting victim-related legislation in addition to serving as a resource for victims of crime.

Houston, TX –  After devoting considerable time, money and land to the effort, Bridgeland is the first developer to introduce New Urbanism to the greater Houston area, with the March launch of Lakeland Heights, a walkable Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) where the tenets of New Urbanism and Main Street-style housing are seamlessly integrated with shops, parks, restaurants and services, all following guidelines meticulously detailed in a pattern book by architectural powerhouse Looney Ricks Kiss. Crucial to the overall design standards and the land plan of Lakeland Heights, the pattern book provides a comprehensive picture of how the TND will look and function.

HOUSTON - The 2nd Annual Be An Angel (BAA) Awards Gala will be held on Friday, April 9, 2010 in The Crystal Ballroom at The Rice Hotel; 909 Texas Ave. (77002). Chairing the evening are Felix and Patsy Rhymes. The event will honor four Houstonians who have made a difference in the lives of children. Beginning at 7:00 PM the evening will include a cocktail reception, silent auction, dinner, live auction and entertainment by Ali Ollie Woodson, formerly the lead singer with The Temptations.

The 2010 Honorees, who have given their time and talents to help children in need, are:

Craig Cordola, CEO Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital

Mark W. Kline, M.D., J.S. Abercrombie Professor & Chairman, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine and Physician-in-Chief,Texas Children’s Hospital

Steve Drake, Senior Vice President, RBC Wealth Management

John Mendelsohn, M.D., President the University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Every Winter Games, I come down with a wonderful case of Olympic fever. My eyes bulge, my heart pounds, my brain sizzles on high-def sensory overload, day and night, big screen-little screen, in bed and even — do not try this yourself at home — during the dinner hour.

These Olympians, these world-class gods and goddesses of the snow and ice, are just astonishing! The very dishy Evan Lysacek, the very sullen Yevgeny Plushenko, and who wouldn't love a gold-medal-winning snowboarder named Torah Bright? I can't get enough. I go around the house humming the Olympic theme, now a brain worm: de-duh-duh, de-duh-duh ...

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) will be conducting a free Hunter Education New Instructor Training Workshop March 27, 2010 in Tyler, Texas. Workshop will begin at 8:00am — 5:00pm at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s East Texas Ecological Center located at 11942 FM 848, Tyler 75707.

We will be training new applicants and currently certified instructors in skills trail, live firing exercises and Home Study procedures. The training puts fun and exciting activities into the learning experience. Students will benefit by going through actual hunting simulations and by making their own decisions regarding responsible actions using "shoot-don’t-shoot" scenarios.

Before you attend this workshop, you must go to the following web site and prepare yourself by going over the Introduction and the first 4 chapters of the instructor training manual.

Closing Credit Accounts Safely

Q: I've had my credit card for many years and always paid on time. Now they've notified me that they'll start charging an annual fee. I'm angry — but afraid to cancel the card because it will hurt my credit score. What should I do?

A: Your concern is understandable, since it seems the credit card companies have all the power these days, in spite of the benefits of the new Card Act, which took effect last Monday. If you make the decision to close your credit card account, assuming your credit is in good standing, it might have a small impact on your credit score. But that might not be enough of an impact to cause you to hang on to the card and pay an annual fee.

There could be two consequences of closing an account. Part of your credit score is based on your length of credit. So if you've had that card for many years, closing it could ding your score about 20 to 30 points, depending on whether you have other long-held cards. Even so, your score is likely to rebound within months.

Attorney General Abbott authored a brief on behalf of 38 state attorneys general that defends law-abiding Americans’ Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms

WASHINGTON, DC – Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott today attended oral argument at the United States Supreme Court, which this morning heard the Second Amendment case, McDonald v. City of Chicago. The landmark case involves a constitutional challenge to the City of Chicago’s prohibitions on handgun possession. Attorney General Abbott led a national effort to protect all Americans’ right to keep and bear arms by forging a 38 state coalition that defended the Second Amendment and argued that Chicago’s handgun ban is unconstitutional.

The case before the high court today stems from a legal challenge brought by Otis McDonald, a 76-year-old Army veteran who lives in a high-crime area of Chicago. McDonald was denied a handgun registration certificate by the city. As a result, he is prohibited him from legally possessing a handgun – which he wants to protect himself and his wife in their South Chicago home.

Premier House Museums of the MFAH Celebrate the Art of their Gardens with Interactive Activities, Workshops and Tours for Everyone

Houston — The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, will open its premier estates, Bayou Bend and Rienzi, for the second annual Spring House and Gardens Days, Friday, March 12 through Sunday, March 14. The three-day special event follows the annual River Oaks Garden Club’s Azalea Trail held the previous weekend and will showcase the flora and fauna that populate the celebrated gardens of both mansions.

The dual-property event is tailored for visitors of all ages and interests, from exploring children to gardening adults. This year’s line-up of experts, educators and entertainers will surely keep the family busy while enjoying Houston’s mild spring temperatures.

Each estate will provide informal garden and flower demonstrations, workshops and tours with a focus on eco-friendly gardening methods and preservation.

AUSTIN — Almost 200 acres encompassing the iconic bluff, Old Baldy, overlooking the Frio River officially became part of Garner State Park on Wednesday with the signing of real estate documents transferring ownership to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Texas Parks and Wildlife’s purchase of a 177-acre tract, which includes the knobby, 400-foot-high bluff popular with park visitors, increases the size of the Texas Hill Country park near Concan to roughly 1,600 acres. The new tract at the southernmost end of the park includes a hiking trail that climbs the river bluff and an additional 210 feet of riverfront property.

"The acquisition of the Old Baldy tract means that this signature natural feature historically identified with one of Texas’ most popular state parks will be forever protected for future generations of Garner visitors," said TPWD Executive Director Carter Smith.

Starting March 1, 2010, driver license applicants between the ages of 18 and 24 must complete an approved driver education course and a driving skills test to become a licensed driver in Texas. Applicants must submit a certificate proving that they successfully completed a driver education course approved by the Texas Education Agency. Senate Bill 1317, passed by the 81st Texas Legislature in 2009, created this requirement and authorized the development of a six-hour adult driver education course to meet the needs of this group of drivers. Applicants who present proof of successful completion of the approved course will not be required to submit to the written highway signs and traffic laws test required under section 521.161 of the Texas Transportation Code, but must still pass the driving skills examination.

A driving safety course or drug and alcohol driving awareness program are not acceptable as driver education courses for this requirement. A list of approved courses can be found here: http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/drive/activede.html. This change in the law does not affect applicants ages 15 to 17, who are still required to complete a driver education course to be licensed.

Houston, Texas: The Houston Wellness Association hosts its 3rd Annual Salute to Black History Month Luncheon on February 23, 2010 at The Power Center from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm. This year’s honorees are Bernard Harris, MD, First African America Astronaut; Zeb Poindexter, Jr, DDS, First African American graduate of UT Dental Branch; Romanuel Washington, DC, First African American licensed chiropractor in Texas; Karen Jackson, Founder and CEO of Sisters Network, Inc.; Melba Swafford, MD, retired Anesthesiologist and the Late Honorable Congressman Mickey Leland.

Houston, TX - The 2010 Houston Ballet Ball, Surreal Movement will be held on Saturday, February 20st at the Wortham Theater Center, 501 Texas Avenue (77002). The evening will begin at 7:00 PM with a Cocktail Reception, Silent Auction, Dinner and Dancing. Chairmen for this year’s gala are Jana and Richard Fant and Laura and John Spalding. The evening will honor John and Becca Thrash

Auction Chairmen Lara Bell, Kristen J. Cannon and Roseann Rogers have brought to the Ballet several extraordinary items including ? three nights in the Forbes family private London mansion, Old Battersea House! Six people can enjoy a full seated breakfast each day and a black tie dinner the final evening complete with wines from the Forbes cellar plus two Continental Business First Class tickets ? a one-week trip to an amazing private thirteen-bedroom villa in Tuscany complete with a vineyard and olive orchard, pool and spa, chef, drive and butler.