SHOWING AGGIE LOVE

Following last weekend's performance of Love Letters by actor Robert Pine and his wife, Gwynne Gilford, Aggie Jerry Cooper, class of 1963, presented the couple with some mementos of Aggieland. Gilford's mother, Anne Gwynne, starred in the 1943 movie We've Never Been Licked, which was filmed on the Texas A&M campus.

Cooper presented Gilford and Pine with a DVD copy of the movie and a small version of the movie poster, as well as the book and DVD documentary Texas Aggies Go To War in Service of Their Country. The couple also received a small poster outlining Texas A&M traditions and a poster of the Red, White & Blue Out conducted at Kyle Field on Sept. 22, 2001, in honor of those lost on 9/11.

The show by Pine and Gilford was a fundraiser for St. Michael's Episcopal School in Bryan and was performed at The Theatre Co. in Bryan.

FORMER RESIDENTS

David and Nathan Zellner made their fifth appearance at the Sundance Film Festival this year with their short film Fiddlestixx. Just 200 films from some 9,000 that are submitted each year are shown.

The brothers are graduates of A&M Consolidated High School in College Station, and Nathan Zellner is a 1997 graduate of Texas A&M University.

GRIMES COUNTY

Sgt. Justin Leeth of the Navasota Police Department recently was awarded the 2009 Officer of the Year Award from Grimes County Crime Stoppers.

Each year, Grimes County Crime Stoppers honors officers based on nominations from all of the county's law enforcement agencies.

Also recognized were James Ellis of the sheriff's department as Jailer of the Year; Glen Love, also of the sheriff's department, as Support Person of the Year; Communications Officer of the Year co-winners Stacey Nobles of the sheriff's department and Alexis Bell of Navasota Police; Cori Mooney of the county district attorney's office as Humanitarian of the Year; and Aleida Jarvis of the sheriff's department as Reserve Officer of the Year.

BETA SIGMA PHI

* The Gamma Gamma Master Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi met Feb. 1 at the home of Jo Colby.

President Kay Hamn led the business meeting. Vice President Diana Kratchman reported that all members were in the correct degree. Joyce Meads read from The Book of Beta Sigma Phi concerning legacy membership, which allows any little girl near and dear to a member to be enrolled as a Beta Sigma Phi Legacy. At age 18, she may become a pledge.

Spring social chairs Faye Caldwell, Polly Niles and Glenna Brundidge reminded members of an upcoming birthday luncheon Colby, Hamn and Caldwell.

The program "History of Valentine's Day" was given by Colby. St. Valentine was a sympathetic, heroic and romantic figure. The pope in 498 designated Feb. 14 as Valentine's Day. The oldest known Valentine dates to 1415. In 1840, the first commercial Valentine card was produced. Esther Howland is considered the "Mother of Valentines." One billion cards are sent annually, making Valentine's Day second behind Christmas for number of cards sent.

All chapters of Beta Sigma Phi celebrated Valentine's Day with a luncheon at Pebble Creek Country Club on Feb. 6. Della Nickols, City Council president, served as Mistress of Ceremony. The highlight was the presentation of the Sweethearts from each chapter: Paula Lancaster, Pi Psi; Irene Chambers, Xi Eta Nu; Marianne Gaylord, Laureate Alpha Alpha; Vauette Allen, Epsilon Alpha Beta Master; and Penne Mathews, Gamma Gamma Master.

* Members of Laureate Alpha Alpha met at the Pebble Creek Country Club Feb. 6 for lunch with other local Beta Sigma Phi chapers to announce the new Sweethearts. Mary Ann Gaylord was named the chapter's sweetheart.

On Feb. 7, several members met at Mary Dudek's home to watch the Super Bowl: Margie Billingsley, Teresa Chipman, Marcia Drost, Christy Hendricks, Connie Moss, Rosemary Shaunfield, Mary Smith, Denise Wood, Janet Wood and Sandra Wood. Husbands Gale Wood, Jim Wood, Gary Drost, Bob Hendricks and Connie Dudek were also present.

LIVESTOCK SHOW

Louis Malecheck II, a 4-H member from Bryan, exhibited the Champion Fine Wool Wether Lamb in the Junior Wether Lamb Show at the 2010 Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo last month. There were more than 10,000 Junior show entries.

SCOUTING

* Navasota Boy Scout Troop 361 and Cub Scout Pack 361 collected 3,115 pounds of food for the Scouts Souper Bowl Food Drive on Feb. 6. The food was donated to the Navasota Food Pantry.

Boy Scouts who participated were Kason Bevel, Alejandro Cavazos, Seth Kehlenbeck, Chad Matthews, John Hill Price, William Przybyla, Richard Shirley, Justin Wayland, Anthony Wiley and Timothy Wiley.

Cub Scouts who participated were Michael Alejandro, Logan Arrington, Chris Ashley, Chace Bartkowiak, Riley Baughman, Zachary Boone, Dakota Giddens, Logan Graves, Tristan Olsen, Thomas Stiner, Gunner Taylor, Jayden Vilanova, Trevor Willis and Raymond Wood.

* The Arrowmoon District of the Sam Houston Area Council of Boy Scouts of America celebrated "100 Years of Scouting in America" at the annual Arrowmoon District Banquet held Jan. 29 at A&M United Methodist Church in College Station.

Three distinguished Scouters were recognized with the District Award of Merit, the highest award that a District can bestow upon a volunteer. District honorees are Jon Bennett, Jay Morgan and Richard Williams.

On Feb. 6, Arrowmoon District Scouts participated in Scouting for Food by collecting bags of food, which were then delivered to the Brazos Food Bank.

DOG SHOW

On Feb. 6, Caelie Rockwell, Sophie Schultz, Kathleen Koenig, Kayla Wallace and Melanie Sera, all members of the Brazos County Paw-fect Pals 4-H Dog Club, competed in a 4-H dog show hosted by Montgomery County. They and their dogs competed in conformation, showmanship, rally, obedience and agility divisions. As a group, they brought home seven first place awards, seven second place, four third place, three fourth place, three fifth place and seven honorable mention citations. The club will host its own dog show April 10. If you want to help with the show or would like to get involved in 4-H, contact the Brazos County Extension office at 823-0129.

BRYAN SCHOOLS

Students in the Bryan High School Criminal Justice Academy traveled to Texas State University San Marcos recently for the Texas Public Service Association Competition in Criminal Justice.

Senior Brittini Pryor and junior Corey Harrison placed third in Criminal Case Analysis. Harrison also placed third in Defensive Tactics. This was the first year that they competed in the Texas Public Service Association Competition.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

Assembly 2041 of the Knights of Columbus has raised more than $10,000 through gun raffles over the past year to support patriotic programs. The Assembly is composed of men from Catholic churches in College Station, Hearne and Franklin, and has almost 100 members.

Most recently, a gun raffle held to support programs in the South Central District of Texas raised more than $3,800. Raffle winners were announced Feb. 9:

* First prize, a 12- or 20-gauge over/under shotgun, was won by Hunter VanEtten of College Station.

* Second prize, a used Russian 7.62 mm rifle and accessories, was won by Robert Tomayo of Round Rock.

* Third prize, a used Russian 7.62 mm rifle and accessories, was won by Alex Sundstrom of Franklin.

* Fourth prize, a gift certificate to Academy, was won by Katie Fitzpatrick of Killeen.

* Fifth prize, a gift certificate to Gander Mountain, was won by James Supak of College Station.

A gun raffle last year garnered $6,600 to help veterans in the Brazos Valley. To date, the funds have been used to purchase 100 toiletry kits for veterans entering the VA Hospital in Temple. Also, a blanket warmer has been provided to the hospital.

Assembly 2041 is also establishing an annual St. Michael the Archangel Award of $500 for a graduating Catholic cadet at Texas A&M University.

AREA AUTHOR

Kay Bradberry Wilton of College Station recently published her book, My Journey Through Life: The Story of My Life. It was originally written for friends and family, but after receiving positive feedback, Wilton had the book professionally published. The book is available on Amazon for $16.

Wilton has lived in College Station since 1967 and has three children and six grandchildren. The book tells of her upbringing in a poor family in Louisiana, and her subsequent marriage and life as she raised her own children.

EDUCATION

Area educator Nancy Johnson, a teacher at Mitchell Elementary School in Bryan, was among the 365 teaching professionals from across the state who gathered in Fort Worth this month to participate in the 2010 Texas Classroom Teachers Association Annual Convention.

Highlights included an open forum with Texas Commissioner of Education Robert Scott and a keynote address by Leslie Latham Milder, an education consultant and co-founder of the Friends of Texas Public Schools.

Official convention meetings were held, where local leaders serving as voting delegates developed association positions on many current education issues and elected the association's 2010-11 statewide officers and district directors.

Participants also attended continuing professional development sessions on such issues as school violence, retirement, teaching strategies, special education and accountability.

HIGHER EDUCATION

Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches recently conducted December commencement exercises. Three local students were among the graduates.

Amanda K. Hollister of Somerville received her bachelor's degree in art. She is a graduate of Brenham High School.

Marissa Ann Ramirez of Somerville received a bachelor's degree in rehabilitation services.

Brandon Keith Garner of Bryan received a master's degree in English.

NEEDS A HOME

Molly is a white Lab and Pyrenees mix, and she's spayed and ready to go home right now. She's about 4 months old and loves everybody. She wants to be as close to people as possible, and if you let her, she'll crawl up in your lap. Who could ask for anything more?

Meet Molly at the Brazos Animal Shelter (www.brazosanimalshelter.org) at 2207 Finfeather Road in Bryan. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.