Opening this week:

“Big Miracle”

Based on the true story of a small-town news reporter and a Greenpeace volunteer who are joined by rival world superpowers to save a family of majestic gray whales trapped by rapidly forming ice in the Arctic Circle.

“Chronicle”

Three high school students make a discovery, leading to their developing uncanny powers beyond their understanding.

“The Woman in Black”

A widowed lawyer is sent to a remote village to sort out the affairs of recently deceased eccentric, and it becomes clear that everyone in the town is keeping a terrible secret.

COMING SOON

“Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” in 3D (Feb. 10)

DVD

“The Thing”

“Paranormal Activity 3″

Feb. 9: Johnny Cooper

Visit grahamcentralstationaustin.com online.

Hanover’s

Feb. 4: Zak Perry Band and The Weathermen @ 9 p.m.

Feb. 10: Carson Alexander Band @ 9 p.m., Bang ATX @ 11:30 p.m.

Visit hanoversaustin.com online.

Red Rooster’s – Pflugerville

Feb. 4: Lou Dog @ 9 p.m.

The fast start to the season is a helpful building block for the Hawks who lost 10 seniors to graduation after earning a district championship in 2011.

“We’re playing with four seniors this year, and the challenge for us is to play consistent, practice consistent and be more intense. We still have a lot of work to do in that regard,” said head coach Frank Hense.

The Hawks attacked the Hippos early and often, putting six shots on goal in the first eight minutes of play. Shot number six came off the foot of Mackinzie Browning and found the back of the net. In the 32nd minute Talia Graves put the second Hawk goal on the board with a long shot that deflected off a Hutto defender and into the goal. Senior center-midfielder Megan Baker tallied her first of two assists in the game in the 36th minute, sending a high-flying ball over the back line for Tyane Ramos to run onto and finish.

The Hawks’ second half dominance mirrored the first. Ramos scored her second goal of the night only 90 seconds into the second period thanks to a well-played ball on the ground from the foot of Browning.

“We don’t play soccer by accident. Everything we do is trying to play to feet and make good runs off the ball,” Hense said when asked about the solid midfield play that regularly sent offensive players through the back line. “We didn’t do as much of that today as we normally would. I thought the midfield played well, but we need to finish a little better.”

Baker sent another player into the scorebook with an assist to Anastasia Bradburn in the 65th minute, and Samantha Hentosh finished the sixth goal of the game on an assist from Amanda Garcia in the 68th minute.

“I thought we played well,” Hense said after the game. “I thought Hutto was much improved too. We can play better, and we need to play with more intensity than we played. The kids know that they can play better than they played.”

The loss put Hutto’s season record at 1-2-3 and 0-1 in District 50-4A play. The Hawks had 18 shots on goal while Hutto managed just one.

Pflugerville’s Rachel Boice advances in the 100 breaststroke. Justin Quarles qualifies in the 100 butterfly and 500 freestyle and Ryan Tramp will move on in the 500 freestyle and 100 backstroke. The Panthers’ girls 200 freestyle relay, comprised of Alyssa Alvarez, Boice, Amanda Gomez and Melanie Stockton, is also going to region. The team of Foster Hooks, Parker Hooks, Quarles and Tramp qualified in the 200 medley and 400 freestyle.

The Panther girls finished seventh as a team. The boys were sixth. The region meet takes place Feb. 10-11 in Conroe.

1. The commercials are going to be good. The simple fact there is a Ferris Bueller commercial makes this year’s game worth watching (at least until that commercial airs). Matthew Broderick may be well past the age he was when he created the iconic role of Bueller (Bueller, Bueller) but that does not mean it will not be fun to revisit Ferris. I also heard about a Jerry Seinfeld commercial which has piqued my interest as well. So, perhaps I won’t be tuning in to watch the game. That doesn’t mean, however, I won’t be watching.

2. Bill Belichick will bore you. I don’t mean with his coaching, I mean with his answers to any sort of question posed to him. Has there ever been a guy who stayed more focused on not divulging a single thing when faced by a barrage of media than the guy in the hoody? I don’t think so, although Giants’ coach Tom Coughlin could be a close second.

3. You’ll wonder exactly why Madonna is ‘entertaining’ you at halftime. Ever since the infamous wardrobe malfunction a few years back the Super Bowl has played it very safe with its halftime entertainment and I’m sure this year will be the same. There was a time, about 20 years ago, that Madonna was controversial. That time, much like my youth, is long gone. So we’ll be forced to listen to her sing her greatest hits all the while wondering just how those songs became hits in the first place.

4. Eli Manning will outplay Tom Brady. The Patriots defense is so bad I cannot see any possible other outcome. Manning shredded the Packers defense (which is also pretty suspect) two games ago, then threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns against a very good 49ers defense. On the other hand Brady put up very pedestrian numbers against the Ravens, not throwing for a touchdown, and was very lucky to see his team leave the Razor with a victory. And it will be because of Eli’s play that …

5. The Giants will win the Super Bowl. In my opinion the Patriots, the greatest football dynasty of the first part of the 21st century are simply lucky to be in the Super Bowl. The best team in the AFC (the Houston Texans) lost their quarterback and thus bowed out of the playoffs early. The Ravens (who defeated the Texans in the second round of the playoffs) may have very well beaten the Pats had it not been for a dropped touchdown pass, then saw their kicker miss a field goal that is made 99 percent of the time. As I said, New England has been lucky. The Giants, on the other hand, are the hot team. They dominated Atlanta, blew out the best team of the year Green Bay, then went to San Francisco and beat the Niners. New York may not have been the best team over the length of the year, but they are the hottest team right now and usually the hottest team is the one that wins the Super Bowl.

Hendrickson High School presents “Hairspray” Feb. 2-5 at the Hendrickson Performing Arts Center. More than 80 performers and dozens more behind the scenes will take part in this theater production. Shows begin at 7 p.m. Feb. 2-4 and at 2 p.m. Feb. 5.

Deutschen Pfest T-shirt art contest

In association with the 37th annual Deutschen Pfest, the Deutschen Pfest Committee is seeking entries for its festival T-shirt artwork contest. The committee seeks two designs: an adult Pfest shirt and a children’s shirt. The children’s design will be used for the Deutschen Pfest coloring contest in the spring.

Committee members will vote on designs and winning artists will receive $200 and a complimentary T-shirt (free admission to Deutschen Pfest).

Art themes could include German history, landmarks or carnival/festival ideas. Participants may submit as many entries as they wish. Each entry should include a black and white copy, plus a full-color copy. No more than six colors, including black, should be included per entry.

All artwork must be received no later than Feb. 10 and may be sent to Deutschen Pfest Committee c/o Pflugerville Parks and Recreation Department, P.O. Box 589, Pflugerville, or delivered to the Pflugerville Recreation Center, 400 Immanuel Road.

Deutschen Pfest, Pflugerville’s annual celebration of German heritage, takes place May 18-20.

AARP offers free tax help

The AARP will offer free tax consultations every Friday at the Pflugerville Community Library from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Feb. 3 through April 13. Registration required.

For more information, call 251-9185.

Pfree Pfebruary Pfridays

The Pflugerville Recreation Center hosts Pfree Pfebruary Pfridays this month. On Feb. 3, enjoy free admission from 5-9 p.m. The Recreation Center is located at 400 Immanuel Road.

Senior benefit at Provident Crossing

Families of wartime veterans and surviving spouses are invited to a free seminar on the benefits available through the Veterans Administration beginning at 3 p.m. Feb. 4 at Provident Crossing Independent Living and Retirement Community, located at 1950 S. A.W. Grimes Blvd. in Round Rock. Learn about the VA’s Aid and Attendance Benefit and how you can become eligible. Wartime veterans may qualify for up to $1,644 monthly and surviving spouses may receive up to $1,056. This session is aimed at assisting participants understand the VA benefits available and the benefit application process. Seating is limited and RSVPs are required.

Attendees may RSVP plus one. To RSVP, call 671-7771.

CSH Jr. Stars Dance Clinic

The Connally High School Stars Dance Team will host a Jr. Stars Dance Clinic for ages 4-14 in the CHS small gym from 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 4. Skills will be taught and snacks will provided. Participants will receive a T-shirt and the chance to perform their routine at the CHS varsity boys basketball game on Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. The $25 participation fee will go toward supporting the Stars on their quest for a national title in March.

For more information, contact Sarah Sanders at sarah.sanders@pflugervilleisd.net or 594-0800.

‘Wizard of Oz’ event at Heritage House

The Heritage House Museum, 901 Old Austin Hutto Road, will host a “Wizard of Oz” event Feb. 5 featuring themed games, puzzles and stories. Story time will take place from 1-2 p.m.; other events will be from 1-4 p.m.

District Academic Advisory Council meeting

Pflugerville ISD will conduct a District Academic Advisory Council meeting on Feb. 7 at 4:30 p.m. in the board room of the district administration building, 1401 W. Pecan.

‘Bed Time Story Time, Pets!’

The Pflugerville Community Library hosts “Bed Time Story Time, Pets!” on Feb. 7, from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. All ages are invited to learn about pets and animals.

Lions Annual Chili Supper

The Pflugerville Lions Annual Chili Supper takes place Feb. 10 at the Pflugerville Lions Hall, 500 N. Railroad. Plates will be served from 5-8 p.m. for $8 a person. Proceeds will benefit local charity projects.

Call 251-3682 for more information.

City Council work session and regular meeting

The Pflugerville City Council meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. The council’s next regular meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 14. A public work session may be scheduled for 6 p.m. directly before the regular meeting. Watch the regular meetings live via streaming video by following the Agendas/Minutes/Videos link on cityofpflugerville.com.

Celebration of black history

Dancin Jazzi Dance Studio and Flava Dance Company present a celebration of black history on Feb. 18 at 6 p.m. at the Manor High School Performing Arts Center, 12700 Gregg Manor Road. The public is invited to witness presentations of gospel, blues, R&B and hip hop. Tickets range from $10-$15 in advance; all tickets will be $15 at the door. For tickets, visit dancinjazzi.com.

Travis County Sheriff’s offer citizen’s academy class

Travis County Sheriff’s office invites residents to a citizens’ academy class where they can meet Sheriff’s office employees and find out what it takes to be a deputy or a corrections officer – from the selection process through training and working on a shift. The free 13-week course meets on Tuesday nights from 6:45-10 p.m. and begins Feb. 21. The class is open to ages 21 and up who and lives or works in Travis County. The Sheriff’s Citizens’ Academy doesn’t certify participants as deputies.

For additional qualifiers, questions or to get an application, contact Senior Deputy Vincente Galloway at vincente.galloway@co.travis.tx.us or call 854-4989.

Bilingual Story Time

The Pflugerville Community Library hosts Bilingual Story Time on Feb. 13, from 11:30 a.m. to noon. “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” will be presented in English and Spanish.

‘Rose Care and Pruning’

The Travis County Master Gardeners present “Rose Care and Pruning,” a free seminar Feb. 16 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Travis County AgriLife Extension Office, 1600 B Smith Road, Austin.

Participants will be taught how to plant a rose, fertilizer requirements, disease identification, general care and pruning. Participants are asked to bring pruning shears.

For more information, call 854-9600.

‘Raising Backyard Chickens’ free seminar

The Travis County Master Gardeners will host “Raising Backyard Chickens,” a free seminar led by Master Gardener Joy Williamson, Feb. 18 from 10 a.m. to noon at Zilker Botanical Garden, 2220 Barton Springs Road, Austin.

Williamson will share tips on the benefits of this garden activity, how to get started, FAQ on coop construction and how to protect feathered friends. Reservations are required; sign-up online at travis-tx.tamu.edu/horticulture. Note, the Zilker Park entrance fee is $2 per adult and $1 per child or senior.

Sheriff’s Office hosts free car seat inspections

Travis County Sheriff’s Office with Austin-Travis County EMS and Texans in Motion at Scott & White, will conduct free child passenger safety seat inspections at 3 p.m. Feb. 21 at the Manor Fire Station (405 W. Parsons, Manor). This event is scheduled from 3–6 p.m. Inspections will be conducted by appointment only.

Call 854-3248 or email kimberly.orts@co.travis.tx.us to schedule an appointment.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports child restraint systems are the most effective way to protect young children involved in motor vehicle crashes, the leading cause of death among children ages 3 to 14.

It is the goal of the Sheriff’s Office and its community partners to educate as many families as possible to ensure each child is properly restrained every time.

For more information on these events or on child passenger safety, contact Deputy Kimberly Orts at 854-3248.

Pflugerville Chamber’s annual awards banquet

The Pflugerville Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual awards banquet from 6-10 p.m. on Feb. 23 in the United Heritage Center at the Dell Diamond. The chamber is currently accepting donations for the night’s silent auction, as well as currently looking for volunteers to help with the event’s set up.

For more information, contact Melissa at pcc5@att.net or call 251-7799.

HTE dance competition

The Pflugerville High School Lady Panther dance team will host the HTE Spring Dance competition from 7-10 p.m. on Feb. 25. Twenty-five schools from throughout Central Texas will compete for solo and team awards. Admission ranges from free (children ages 6 and under) to $10 (general admission) at the door.

Our Savior daddy/daughter dance

Our Savior Lutheran School, 1513 E. Yager Lane, will host a daddy/daughter dance from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 25. The event will include music, games, carriage rides, a tea party and more. Cost is $5 a person.

Call 825-9686 or email mcparker@austin.rr.com for more information.

Second annual Tiara 5k run and carnival

Grab your running and walking shoes, water bottle, your boa and your tiara for the second annual Tiara 5k Run (formerly known as the Diva 5k). Registration is open now for the run/walk race event that will be held Saturday, March 3, at Hendrickson High School in Pflugerville.

Women of all ages, fitness levels and running experience will benefit from a day of recognition for being a woman.

Partial proceeds will be donated to the Pflugerville Storehouse Food Ministry. To donate, visit the food ministry’s website at thestorehousenetwork.com/donations.

The event kicks off at 2:30 p.m. with a carnival filled with family fun activities including a human gyroscope, GAGA ball, and a mobile gaming theater, as well as other kids’ games, a cake walk, a bouncy house, and food and drink vendors. All proceeds from the carnival go to the Hendrickson High 2012 Senior Celebration (hhsseniorcelebration.org).

Runner packet pick up will be held 7-9 p.m. March 1-2 at the Hendrickson High cafeteria and gym, located at 2905 FM 685 in Pflugerville. The race begins at 4 p.m. March 3. To register, visit tiara5k.com.

Tickets available for Reckless Kelly Softball Jam

Half-price tickets are on sale for the fourth annual Reckless Kelly Softball Jam. The event is scheduled for April 22 at Dell Diamond (3400 E. Palm Valley Road, Round Rock). Order by phone by calling 255-BALL, get tickets at the Dell Diamond box office or purchase them online at roundrockexpress.com or rkcsj.org.

Award-winning roots-rock band Reckless Kelly with Ryan Sanders Entertainment will again produce the family-oriented event that combines a nine-inning softball game with a centerfield concert. Proceeds from the event benefit area youth sports groups.

Musicians, athletes and media personalities who will join Reckless Kelly in the celebrity softball game and/or the six-hour, two-stage centerfield concert include Randy Rogers Band, Wade Bowen, Cody Canada & the Departed, Micky & the Motorcars, Bo Bice, Pauline Reese, Mary Cutrufello, Midnight River Choir, Cat Osterman, Brooks Kieschnick, Kirk Dressendorfer, Richie Sexson, Chris Mosser, Andy Langer, Travis Lofland, Mark Murray, and radio personalities Dudley and Bob.

For more information on the event, see rkcsj.org.

Meet the Constable

McMurtrie Farms Event Venue will host the Meet the Constable event on Tuesday, Feb. 21 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in The Pecan Pavilion. Adan Ballasteros, Constable, Precinct 2, will be present in an informal setting to speak with attendees about any questions or concerns they may have concerning the constable’s office and the upcoming election. Appetizers and beverages will be served at this free event.

Email chelsea@mcmurtriefarms.com for more details.

Community Casino Night Party

“Ship 711, Sea Scouts of Pflugerville,” in partnership with the Rotary Club of Pflugerville, present the 5th Annual Community Casino Party, “At the Movies,” from 6-10 p.m. on March 3 at St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church, 1520 N. Railroad Ave. The public is invited to celebrate movies made in or near Pflugerville and Las Vegas, including “Second Hand Lions,” “Office Space,” and “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.”

Proceeds benefit the Pflugerville Sea Scouts and Rotary scholarships, charities and activities. Tickets range from $50 (one ticket) to $90 (two tickets) and include a barbecue dinner, drinks, a raffle ticket and $5,000 in casino chips.

Dress is casual but prizes will be awarded for the best movie-inspired costumes.

For ticket information, contact Jim Wilkinson at 585-5442 or by email at jim@wilkinson.us.com. For more information, visit pfcasinoparty.com.

Travis County officials on Tuesday noted the amount of rainfall that fell recently contributed to the decision.

County residents are urged to notify their local fire department before conducting any outdoor burning activity.

Damage to the Pflugerville ISD Transportation Center last week was caused by high winds estimated at 60 miles per hour, according to the Travis County Office of Emergency Management.
Travis County officials released the data on Jan. 26, a day after damage to the district’s bus barn led to a two-hour delay of some buses and the cancellation of other routes that morning. PISD officials encouraged parents to instead drop students off at schools if possible.
The Travis County Emergency Management office also reported that one home was destroyed and damage along Commercial Park Drive and Walnut Park just south of Highway 290 was caused by a tornado with winds ranging up to 100 miles an hour.

Satterwhite one of composers on ‘Man on a Mission

By Marcial Guajardo

Managing Editor

Austinite Richard Garriott’s documentary about his 2008 flight into space has made its theatrical debut, with Pflugerville resident Brian Satterwhite along for the ride.

Satterwhite, a film composer, wrote the score for Garriott’s movie, “Man on a Mission,” which opened nationwide in limited release on Jan. 13. After screenings in Chicago, Detroit, New York City and Toronto, Satterwhite caught an Alamo Drafthouse screening of the film in Austin on Jan. 20.

A film composer for nearly 15 years, Satterwhite said his experience with “Man on a Mission” will be one he won’t soon forget.

“To have been given the opportunity to compose music for it will forever be a hallmark of my career,” he said in a Facebook message to the Pflag. “How many people can say they’ve scored astronauts walking up to their Soyuz rocket as it awaits them on the launch pad? Or composed music for footage taken from the inside of the Soyuz capsule as its re-entering earth’s atmosphere? I can score films for another fifty years and I don’t know if I’ll have an experience that eclipses ‘Man on a Mission.’”

In March 2010, Satterwhite took in the premiere of the film during the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, along with others involved with the making of the movie. It captured the SXSW Audience Award.

The film tracks Garriott’s real-life adventure, which involved him paying $30 million for the opportunity to fly aboard the Russian Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Center. The son of a former NASA astronaut who flew into space in the ‘70s, Garriott had made millions as one of the early creators of massive online role-playing games.

Diagnosed as near-sighted at age 8, any hopes he may have had to follow his father’s footsteps in the NASA astronaut program were dashed. But instead Garriott took the private route, training in Russia before launching in Kazakhstan.

Satterwhite wrote 52 minutes of the film’s score in two months, which director Mike Woolf and executive producer Brady Dial added in with the music of composer John Constant.

Woolf and Satterwhite, in a March 2010 Pflag article, noted they agreed the film’s score is most brilliant at the moment just before the Soyuz rocket blasts off on a cloudless day from the steppes of Kazakhstan.

“It’s kind of interesting because I scored everything up to the launch, but when the rocket ignites the engine, the music comes out and the whole time that it actually lifts up into the sky there’s actually no music,” Satterwhite said. “We did that to allow a very realistic kind of feel. We didn’t want music to over-color that experience.”

“Man on a Mission” is the first film Satterwhite has scored that has earned theatrical distribution. Sitting in during its Alamo Drafthouse debut last month was a different experience for him, he said.

“When I sat in the theater [Jan. 20] for the opening at the Alamo Drafthouse, I was sitting in the best theater in the world with an audience who paid to get in to see the movie,” he said. “Not only that, but the film was concurrently playing in other cities around the country at the exact same time. That’s a new feeling for me.

“‘Man on a Mission’ was a dream project for me. I’m a huge space buff so every time I see the film I have to pinch myself to make sure that working on it wasn’t just a dream. I fell in the love with the movie six months before I was hired to score it so I’ve been a huge fan of the film from the very beginning.”

“Man on a Mission” plays the Alamo Lake Creek, 13729 Research Blvd, Austin, at 7 p.m. Feb. 9.

Garriott and Satterwhite still have a few more screenings scheduled. It plays the Spokane (Wash.) Film Festival through Feb. 4, the Providence (R.I.) Children’s Film Festival Feb. 16-22 and in Seattle Feb. 17-23.

It’s also available on iTunes, at: itunes.apple.com/us/movie/man-on-mission-richard-garriotts/id494543709

The City Council voted 6-0 in favor of a resolution showing its support for the district’s involvement in the Texas Taxpayer and Student Fairness Coalition. PISD Superintendent Charles Dupre has become president of the coalition, which includes more than one-third of the state’s school districts.

“As we go forward, we can say our city stands with us,” PISD Board President Elva Gladney said during the Jan. 24 City Council meeting.

“We’re glad to walk hand-in-hand with you in service to this community,” PISD Board Vice-President Vernagene Mott added at the meeting.

City Council members said the vote provides verbal backing, but doesn’t include financial support.

– Marcial Guajardo