Preliminary results of a study focusing on environ- mental impacts from a pro- posed minor league baseball stadium were recently pre- sented to Sugar Land City Council. The initial findings from an analysis of Federal Avia- tion Administration clearance issues related to the nearby Sugar Land Regional Airport and soil and water studies are not expected to delay a pos- sible stadium opening for the 2012 baseball season. A “Quality of Life” impact analysis of noise, lighting, traffic and public safety is ex- pected to be presented to City Council on Sept. 7. The stadium’s proposed location northeast of State Highway 6 and U.S. Highway 90A is more than half a mile from the nearest residence. The complete report will be available on Sept. 8 at www. sugarlandtx.gov for public re- view and comment. Public input will be pre- sented to City Council prior to any action being taken on the final site selection. “The City is committed to selecting a site that minimizes and/or eliminates any adverse impact to residents,” said City Manager Allen Bogard. HOA’s, service organiza- tions and other interested groups may also schedule a speaker and presentation by contacting the Sugar Land Communications Department at 281- 275-2216 or by e-mail at [email protected]. On May 18, Sugar Land City Council approved an agreement with Opening Day Partners, LLC to bring profes- sional minor league baseball to Sugar Land. ODP – an experienced community-focused operator that emphasizes year-round community events and activi- ties at their stadiums – will own and operate Sugar Land’s baseball team. ODP will be the owner of the Atlantic League expan- sion team that will take to Sugar Land’s new field for its expected Opening Day in April 2012. The $30 million stadium will be funded with a portion of sales tax revenues that may only be used for economic de- velopment purposes. No gen- eral fund tax dollars will be spent on the stadium. In addition to the stadi- um serving as a community amenity, a conservative cost- benefit analysis performed by Conventions, Sports & Lei- sure International shows the project will provide an annual benefit to the community of conservatively $7.7 million, or a return of $169 million over 30 years, according to city officials. F ORT B END FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE. ww ww w.fbindependent.com .fbindependent.com P.O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2010 VOL 3 No. 36 Seshadri Kumar Publisher & Editor 10701 Corporate Drive, #282, Stafford, TX 77477 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, TX 77487 www.fbindependent.com 281-980-6745 Fort Bend Independent, (USPS 025-572) is published every Wednesday (for a subscription rate of $20 per year) by Fort Bend Independent, LLC., 10701 Corporate Dr., #282, Stafford, Texas 77477. Periodicals Postage Paid at Stafford, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Fort Bend Independent, P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, Tx 77487. Phone: 281-980-6745 New Homes Summer Special !! Hurry !! … Call Chinese Cowboy - Paul Official newspaper of Fort Bend County & Sugar Land The art of internationally acclaimed Tracy Lee Stum transports visitors to a world where trains and sharks lunge into the sky and tigers float above the ground on towering totems. In early October, this world of grand illusion arrives in Riverstone. Considered one of the world’s foremost street art- ists, Stum will create a new 3D masterpiece in a newly completed multi-million dol- lar estate by Sterling Classic Homes in Riverstone, a John- son Development master- planned community in Fort Bend County. Stum’s work will launch a 12-day showcase of the home, with visitors able to watch the artist create her illusion from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 6-8. Those not able to see the artist in person can still view the artwork as the showcase continues from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 9-17. Tickets for both time periods are $5 each. Bring your cameras. Visitors to the event are en- couraged to pose with and take pictures of Stum’s Riverstone waterfall and cliff creation. The first 250 people pur- chasing tickets will be able to attend a VIP event, Artful Liv- ing, 7 p.m. on October 8. During the event, fashion and home décor will be added to the artistic mix, with Nei- man Marcus showcasing sam- ples of the latest design trends. Stum will be present to add Tracy Lee Stum’s 3D masterpiece the finishing touches to her art- work and mingle with guests. Guests are encouraged to bring their cameras to take pictures and amaze their friends. Tickets to this special event are $75 and include a copy of Neiman’s treasured ‘Book’. The 3D art showcase and Artful Living party are part of The Grand Soiree, the first-an- nual month-long collection of stylish events hosted through- out Fort Bend and Houston. Introduced to street painting while in Europe studying art at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy, Stum began her foray into the medium in 1998 after attending the Madonnari Ital- ian Street Painting Festival in Santa Barbara, Calif. The Grand Soiree spotlights Houston and Fort Bend’s finest in 10 events hosted from Sept. 25 through Oct. 27. For more information, visit www.TheGrandSoiree.com. Baseball stadium gets preliminary environmental clearance Visit www.namesugar- landsteam.com and find out the final list of the proposed names for the stadium. Join the contest, choose the name and win a prize. By SESHADRI KUMAR Washington does not listen is the most common complaint of people today. “Before making promises, we are trying to get people’s input,” says U.S. Rep. Pete Ol- son, (R-Dist. 22) from Sugar Land. People are concerned about the growth in government and lack of transparency. “If we get a majority in the House, we won’t make prom- ises that we can’t keep,” Olson says. Olson acknowledges that many Republican constituents want the healthcare bill re- pealed, but his response is tem- pered with practical wisdom. To repeal the healthcare bill, Republicans need a two-thirds majority in both the House and the Senate. Otherwise, Presi- dent Obama will veto the bill, he says. “We will have the power of the purse. Let us discuss healthcare and de-fund it,” he adds. Conservatives are not happy with their party leaders because there is no concrete document like the 1992 Contract with America produced by former speaker Newt Gingrich. Olson says such a document is in the works and the GOP will release it shortly. While the specifics of the document are not yet known, Olson believes the message would reinforce fiscal disci- pline and ensure that the gov- ernment spends only what it takes in. An open and transpar- ent administration will be an- other promise. Entitlement programs need to be pruned and they are un- sustainable at current level. Ol- son says he has an open mind on this issue. “We can’t do earmarks any- more. Those days are gone. I have taken a pledge not to ask for earmarks. It is a good, first step. We have to be creative at all levels to face the financial challenges,” Olson says. Olson is passionate about protecting the jobs and space programs at the Johnson Space Center. His subcommittee on space and the Senate committee have repudiated President Obama’s budget and through a bipartisan effort a bill keep- ing as much as $ 9 billion for the “Constellation” project is making its way. On the extension of com- muter rail into Fort Bend County by Houston Metro, be- ing pushed by Olson’s Demo- cratic counterpart, Al Green (D- Dist.9), Olson says he has a good working relationship with Green. Already, Green had sought Olson’s name on a bill seeking funds for space programs just as the administration gave a special favor to Florida to save its space programs. Olson says he has an open mind on commuter rail. “I am talking to the people. If people want it, I will support it,” he says. Referring to the likely in- vestigations to be launched by the Republicans if they win a majority in November, Olson denies the suggestion that it will be a witch hunt. The Obama administration has appointed several “Czars” at cabinet level positions and the inquiries will reveal to the public what their role has been and the extent of their involve- ment in decision-making. This is part of the promised trans- parency in governing, he says. Olson says he has a good relationship with the local Tea Party. “They are good for America. They are ordinary citizens op- posing the out of control debt and spending,” Olson says. As a result of the Tea Party more people will vote and it is healthy for the democracy, he says. The November election has a special challenge for Texas in the governor’s race. Rick Perry needs to be re-elected because Republican control of the state is critical for the upcoming re- districting that will yield four more additional Congressional seats for Texas, Olson says. Perry’s Democratic oppo- nent, former Houston mayor Bill White, is working hard to increase the voter turn out to win the race, Olson says. He needs to turn out voters in large numbers as was done in the last presidential election. If White carries Houston and Harris Country, he may win the governor’s race, Olson says. ‘Won’t make promises we can’t keep,’ says Olson Olson QUILTS BIND BORDERS. The Coastal Prairie Quilt Guild will have its quilt show, “Binding Borders Around the World,” on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 10 and 11 at the Stafford Centre, 10505 Cash Road, Stafford, The show will feature hundreds of quilts by local, national and international artisans. Special exhibits will include works by master quilters, Sharon Schamber and Cynthia England. The show will include on-site workshops and demonstrations. Tickets are $6. For further information, call Karen at 832-693-2512. Above, Barbara Baxter, Carol Bell, Carol Ann Barley, and Carol De Gruy show off the Coastal Prairie quilt that will be raffled off at the upcoming quilt show.
Transcript
Preliminary results of a study focusing on environ-mental impacts from a pro-posed minor league baseball stadium were recently pre-sented to Sugar Land City Council.
The initial fi ndings from an analysis of Federal Avia-tion Administration clearance issues related to the nearby Sugar Land Regional Airport and soil and water studies are not expected to delay a pos-sible stadium opening for the 2012 baseball season.
A “Quality of Life” impact analysis of noise, lighting, traffi c and public safety is ex-pected to be presented to City Council on Sept. 7.
The stadium’s proposed location northeast of State Highway 6 and U.S. Highway 90A is more than half a mile from the nearest residence.
The complete report will be available on Sept. 8 at www.sugarlandtx.gov for public re-view and comment.
Public input will be pre-sented to City Council prior to any action being taken on the fi nal site selection.
“The City is committed to selecting a site that minimizes and/or eliminates any adverse impact to residents,” said City Manager Allen Bogard.
HOA’s, service organiza-tions and other interested groups may also schedule a
speaker and presentation by contacting the Sugar Land Communications Department at 281- 275-2216 or by e-mail at [email protected].
On May 18, Sugar Land City Council approved an agreement with Opening Day Partners, LLC to bring profes-sional minor league baseball to Sugar Land.
ODP – an experienced community-focused operator that emphasizes year-round community events and activi-ties at their stadiums – will own and operate Sugar Land’s baseball team.
ODP will be the owner of the Atlantic League expan-sion team that will take to Sugar Land’s new fi eld for its expected Opening Day in April 2012.
The $30 million stadium will be funded with a portion of sales tax revenues that may
only be used for economic de-velopment purposes. No gen-eral fund tax dollars will be spent on the stadium.
In addition to the stadi-um serving as a community amenity, a conservative cost-benefi t analysis performed by Conventions, Sports & Lei-sure International shows the project will provide an annual benefi t to the community of conservatively $7.7 million, or a return of $169 million over 30 years, according to city offi cials.
FORT BEND
FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE.
wwwww.fbindependent.com.fbindependent.com
P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2010
Fort Bend Independent, (USPS 025-572) is published every Wednesday (for a subscription rate of $20 per year) by Fort Bend Independent, LLC., 10701 Corporate Dr., #282, Stafford, Texas 77477. Periodicals Postage Paid at Stafford, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Fort Bend Independent, P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, Tx 77487.
Phone: 281-980-6745
New Homes Summer Special !!Hurry !! … Call Chinese Cowboy - Paul
Offi cial newspaper of Fort Bend County & Sugar Land
The art of internationally acclaimed Tracy Lee Stum transports visitors to a world where trains and sharks lunge into the sky and tigers fl oat above the ground on towering totems. In early October, this world of grand illusion arrives in Riverstone.
Considered one of the world’s foremost street art-ists, Stum will create a new 3D masterpiece in a newly completed multi-million dol-lar estate by Sterling Classic Homes in Riverstone, a John-son Development master-planned community in Fort Bend County.
Stum’s work will launch a 12-day showcase of the home, with visitors able to watch the artist create her illusion from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 6-8. Those not able to see the artist in person can still view the artwork as the showcase continues from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 9-17. Tickets for both time periods are $5 each. Bring your cameras.
Visitors to the event are en-couraged to pose with and take pictures of Stum’s Riverstone waterfall and cliff creation.
The fi rst 250 people pur-chasing tickets will be able to attend a VIP event, Artful Liv-ing, 7 p.m. on October 8.
During the event, fashion and home décor will be added to the artistic mix, with Nei-man Marcus showcasing sam-ples of the latest design trends. Stum will be present to add
Tracy Lee Stum’s 3D masterpiece
the fi nishing touches to her art-work and mingle with guests. Guests are encouraged to bring their cameras to take pictures and amaze their friends.
Tickets to this special event are $75 and include a copy of Neiman’s treasured ‘Book’.
The 3D art showcase and Artful Living party are part of The Grand Soiree, the fi rst-an-nual month-long collection of stylish events hosted through-out Fort Bend and Houston.
Introduced to street painting while in Europe studying art at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy, Stum began her foray into the medium in 1998 after attending the Madonnari Ital-ian Street Painting Festival in Santa Barbara, Calif.
The Grand Soiree spotlights Houston and Fort Bend’s fi nest in 10 events hosted from Sept. 25 through Oct. 27.
For more information, visit www.TheGrandSoiree.com.
Visit www.namesugar-landsteam.com and fi nd out the fi nal list of the proposed names for the stadium. Join the contest, choose the name and win a prize.
By SESHADRI KUMARWashington does not listen
is the most common complaint of people today.
“Before making promises, we are trying to get people’s input,” says U.S. Rep. Pete Ol-son, (R-Dist. 22) from Sugar Land.
People are concerned about the growth in government and lack of transparency.
“If we get a majority in the House, we won’t make prom-ises that we can’t keep,” Olson says.
Olson acknowledges that many Republican constituents want the healthcare bill re-pealed, but his response is tem-pered with practical wisdom.
To repeal the healthcare bill, Republicans need a two-thirds majority in both the House and the Senate. Otherwise, Presi-dent Obama will veto the bill, he says.
“We will have the power of the purse. Let us discuss healthcare and de-fund it,” he adds.
Conservatives are not happy with their party leaders because there is no concrete document like the 1992 Contract with America produced by former speaker Newt Gingrich.
Olson says such a document is in the works and the GOP will release it shortly.
While the specifi cs of the document are not yet known, Olson believes the message would reinforce fi scal disci-pline and ensure that the gov-ernment spends only what it takes in. An open and transpar-ent administration will be an-other promise.
Entitlement programs need to be pruned and they are un-sustainable at current level. Ol-
son says he has an open mind on this issue.
“We can’t do earmarks any-more. Those days are gone. I have taken a pledge not to ask for earmarks. It is a good, fi rst step. We have to be creative at all levels to face the fi nancial challenges,” Olson says.
Olson is passionate about protecting the jobs and space programs at the Johnson Space Center.
His subcommittee on space and the Senate committee have repudiated President Obama’s budget and through a bipartisan effort a bill keep-ing as much as $ 9 billion for the “Constellation” project is making its way.
On the extension of com-muter rail into Fort Bend County by Houston Metro, be-ing pushed by Olson’s Demo-cratic counterpart, Al Green (D- Dist.9), Olson says he has a good working relationship with Green.
Already, Green had sought Olson’s name on a bill seeking funds for space programs just as the administration gave a special favor to Florida to save its space programs.
Olson says he has an open mind on commuter rail.
“I am talking to the people. If people want it, I will support it,” he says.
Referring to the likely in-vestigations to be launched by the Republicans if they win a majority in November, Olson denies the suggestion that it will be a witch hunt.
The Obama administration has appointed several “Czars” at cabinet level positions and the inquiries will reveal to the public what their role has been and the extent of their involve-ment in decision-making. This is part of the promised trans-parency in governing, he says.
Olson says he has a good relationship with the local Tea Party.
“They are good for America. They are ordinary citizens op-posing the out of control debt and spending,” Olson says.
As a result of the Tea Party more people will vote and it is healthy for the democracy, he says.
The November election has a special challenge for Texas in the governor’s race. Rick Perry needs to be re-elected because Republican control of the state is critical for the upcoming re-districting that will yield four more additional Congressional seats for Texas, Olson says.
Perry’s Democratic oppo-nent, former Houston mayor Bill White, is working hard to increase the voter turn out to win the race, Olson says. He needs to turn out voters in large numbers as was done in the last presidential election. If White carries Houston and Harris Country, he may win the governor’s race, Olson says.
‘Won’t make promises we can’t keep,’ says Olson
Olson
QUILTS BIND BORDERS. The Coastal Prairie Quilt Guild will have its quilt show, “Binding Borders Around the World,” on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 10 and 11 at the Stafford Centre, 10505 Cash Road, Stafford, The show will feature hundreds of quilts by local, national and international artisans. Special exhibits will include works by master quilters, Sharon Schamber and Cynthia England. The show will include on-site workshops and demonstrations. Tickets are $6. For further information, call Karen at 832-693-2512. Above, Barbara Baxter, Carol Bell, Carol Ann Barley, and Carol De Gruy show off the Coastal Prairie quilt that will be raffl ed off at the upcoming quilt show.
Page 2 • INDEPENDENT • SEPTEMBER 8, 2010
Russell C. Jones
Thelma Holoway Jones
Lewis W. “Chip” Smith IV
AV Rated by Martindale Hubbell Not certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
PROUDLY SERVING FORT BEND SINCE 1981
● Real Estate ● Landlord/Tenant ● ● Banking ● Creditors' Rights ● Collections ● ● Business and Corporate Law ● Immigration ●
● Business Litigation ● Mergers and Acquisitions ● ● Estate Planning ● Probate ●
● Property Owners' Associations ●
In the Sugar Land Industrial Park 407 Julie Rivers Drive, Sugar Land, Tx. 77478
Hear Representative Charlie Howard speak about what you can expect in the Legislative Session that starts January 2011.
There are many issues to be addressed in the upcoming session. As legislators, we need you to be aware and motivated to be interactive during the session.
A few of the topics to be addressed: Balance the Budget without Raising Taxes Limit Federal Intrusion
Improve Election Integrity Cut Taxes & Secure the Border
This forum is FREE and open to the public so bring family, friends and neighbors. For details, map, and online registration (helpful but not required)
http://howardtownhall.eventbrite.comFor more information: [email protected] or
Please copy and distribute this flyer. Political advertising paid for by Charlie Howard Campaign
Methodist Sugar Land Hos-pital has recently partnered with two breast cancer support groups, Survivors Offering Support, and Reconstruction of a Survivor, to offer breast cancer survivors a group sup-port system at Methodist Sug-ar Land Hospital.
The newly formed breast cancer support group, Sur-vivors Offering Support at Methodist Sugar Land Hospi-tal, featuring Reconstruction of a Survivor’s curriculum, “Navigating Life’s Roadmap After Breast Cancer,” will be-gin in October, breast cancer awareness month.
Women from all types of backgrounds, ages, races, and geographic regions, who have been recently diagnosed with breast cancer, are undergoing treatment or have completed
Breast cancer survivors offering support
Seated left - right: Jenny Hrbacek, RN, Reconstruction of a Survivor and Survivors Offering Sup-port; Melanie Frederick, Survivors Offering Support; Dr. Jennie M. Bennett, founder and director of Reconstruction of a Survivor; Rosemary Herron, Survivors Offering Support; Joanna Waits, Survivors Offering Support and Bill Bross, Director of Spiritual Care and Values Integration at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital. Standing left – right: Julia Kerner, Survivors Offering Support; Ann Daniel, Methodist Sugar Land Cancer Center RN and facilitator for Methodist Survivors Offering Support; Karen Platt, Chaplain at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital and facilitator for Methodist Survivors Offering Support; Janet Ely, founder of Survivors Offering Support; Mari-lyn Seiler, Survivors Offering Support and Marsha Yeager, Survivors Offering Support.
treatment are welcome. The support group will help
women diagnosed with breast cancer understand that breast cancer affects them both emo-tionally and spiritually, not just physically. It provides women a belief that they will have a better future after breast cancer—this belief is a part of the healing process. The participants of the breast cancer support group will reach toward their future with hope and realize the divine path to take and move beyond the battle with breast cancer.
Founders of the group, Sur-vivors Offering Support, Ja-net Ely (survivor), Sara Plant (survivor) and Ronda Goodier (this survivor sadly lost her battle with cancer in May of 2005) began the support group 10 years ago out of their homes. These three women vowed that no woman had to face breast cancer alone and thus formed Survivors Offer-ing Support.
“The need for a far reaching support group was apparent, and I thought partnering with Methodist Sugar Land Hos-pital’s Spiritual Care Depart-ment would enable the group to grow even more and pro-vide our current survivors and new members the increased opportunity to learn, meet other survivors, fi nd support and share experiences,” said Marsha Yeager, facilitator for the group.
“Merging these groups is a win-win situation, as we can now provide support for more women living in Fort Bend County.”
The curriculum series, “Navigating Life’s Roadmap After Breast Cancer,” was
written by Dr. Jennie M. Ben-nett, breast cancer survivor of 14 years and founder and di-rector of Reconstruction of a Survivor.
“The mission of Recon-struction of a Survivor is to fi ll the gap to serve all women diagnosed with breast cancer as they fi nd the power within themselves, surround them-selves with similar survivors, feel that nothing has been tak-en from them, and understand that deep down they long to explore all that is purposed for their life,” says Dr. Bennett. Reconstruction of a Survivor uses this curriculum in several locations in the Greater Hous-ton Area.
Bill Bross, Director of Spir-itual Care and Values Integra-tion at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital stated, “The mission of Reconstruction of a Sur-vivor and the local Survivors Offering Support group aligns perfectly with the vision and mission of Methodist Sugar Land Hospital—we promise to cultivate a safe, spiritual, and healing environment. We believe that they can over-come the challenging diag-nosis of breast cancer to have hope, possess healing, and transform their lives for a more fulfi lling life and better future.”
Join Survivors Offering Support at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital on Thursdays, Oct. 14, Nov. 18 and Dec. 9 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.in the Main Pavilion conference room D. For more informa-tion, contact the Spiritual Care Department at 281-274-7164 or visit Reconstruction of a Survivor’s website at www.roasurvivor.org.
The Stafford MSD Education Foundation is now taking registration for their Oct. 30, Gobble Hobble Fun Run and Walk. The certifi ed 5K event will be held at the Stafford Mu-nicipal School District complex. Registration through October 13, 2010, is $20 per adult and from October 14 to race day is $25. Students in grades Kindergarten through 12 may register for $10 per person. Children younger than Kindergarten are free to participate. Registration is available online through EZ-ToRegister.com. To be a sponsor or to register for the fun run, contact Terry Loudenburg at 281-261-9219 or [email protected].
SEPTEMBER 8, 2010 • INDEPENDENT • Page 3
Community news
Directory Directory Directory Directory DirectoryAT Renovations, Inc.
101 Southwestern Blvd., Suite 230 Sugar Land, TX 77478
www.texansinsure.com (281) 277-7800
Basil Housewright, President
Insurance
Suzette Peoples ABR, GRI , E-Pro, 21 years Professional
Realtor; Owner of Peoples Properties, a Real Estate & Property Management Co.; American Business
Women’s Association.
Mortgage Banker can do loans in less than 30 days! Call Suzette or email: [email protected]
Suzette Peoples Broker /Owner
21 years of experience!
Direct: 281-980-3322 www.peoplesproperties.com
SUGAR CREEK Great 1 story on huge corner lot. 3 bed-rooms & study. Seller has updated carpet, tile paint in and out and roof replaced. Shows great and price already reduced to go fast in the low $200’s.
FIRST COLONY/ SUGAR LAND! Almost 2400sqft. 4 bedrooms 2.5 bath. Study and sitting/gameroom up. Owner spent over $62K on upgrades/improvements. Gourmet kitchen, tile/pergo thru-out no carpet. Priced in $200’s.
REDUCED
Built in 2006. Popular Perry 1 story home. 4 bed-rooms and both formals or study. 16’ tile and hardwood fl oors. Garage/game room. Covered over size patio. Playground & shed stays. Private Levee lot. Priced to go at $195,000.
SUGAR LAND REDUCED
POOL/SPA & WATERFALL! 2 story 4 bedrooms! Master down. All tile/real wood thru-out, no carpet. All located on cul de sac street. Clements high school! Priced to go fast! Reduced $260’s.
FIRST COLONY
REDU
CED
NEW LISTINGFIRST COLONY/SUGAR LAND! Adorable 1-story home on cul de sac street. No neighbors behind you! 3 bedrooms & study or formal living. Open fl oor plan. Detached garage! Priced below market at $210,000.
CUSTOM SHOW CASE HOME! Over 4300sqft 5 bed-rooms 4 baths & 1/2 bath. Study and gameroom. Private culdesac lot. Thousands in upgrades! Designer Decor thru out the home. Gourmet island kitchen & more! Rare fi nd! Hurry priced to go fast under $500K.
FIRST COLONY/SUGAR LAND
Riverstone. Pool, Spa, Waterfall. Built 2003. Trend-maker beauty. Over 4,700 sqft. 5 BR 4.5 baths. 3 car, 2 masters. Rare fi nd on huge oversized cul de sac lot. No neighbors next to you. Upgrades ga-lore. Zoned to Clements. Priced in the $500’s.
NEW LISTING
NEW LISTING/QUAIL VALLEYUpdated 1 story 4 bedrooms 2.5 bath with new roof and carpet July 2010. Interior all repainted and new fi xtures too. Great location on land-scaped reserve. Priced to go $125,000!!
As a continuation of the successful Workforce Sum-mit series initiated by HCC Trustee Neeta Sane, District VII, the next summit will be hosted in joint partnership with the Brays Oaks Man-agement District, the Greater Sharpstown Management District and the International Management District of Alief to bring together industry leaders, emerging business executives, community part-ners and elected offi cials to highlight the growth opportu-nities in Southwest Houston.
The Workforce Summit will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 15 from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at Kim Son Restaurant, 10603 Bellaire Boulevard in Hous-ton. Special guest Andy Ick-en, Chief Development Offi -cer, City of Houston will be a featured speaker at the event.The purpose of the Summit is to continue the innovative
dialogue with the community and business partners to bet-ter align the HCC educational offerings with the regional needs for workforce develop-ment and economic growth.
Summit participants will have the opportunity to pro-vide suggestions on ways that HCC can team up with com-panies to help expand busi-nesses in Southwest Houston through education and train-ing, which ultimately benefi ts the local community and the economy.
“We are committed to meeting the business needs of the community through edu-cation and training, and we look forward to hearing from industry leaders and other stakeholders to help build an even stronger economy in Southwest Houston,” said Neeta Sane, Trustee, District VII, Vice-Chair, HCC Board.
“We are grateful for the
opportunity to collaborate with the area Management Districts as we work togeth-er to strengthen the regional economy through strategic partnerships.”
In today’s economy, ac-cess to post-secondary educa-tion and training is essential for individual career success. Estimates indicate that 80
percent of today’s new jobs require education or train-ing beyond high school and that those jobs represent the fastest-growing and highest-paying segments of the new economy.
The Workforce Summit will be a valuable opportunity to work with stakeholders in the community to collaborate on ways to grow local busi-nesses and help build a stron-ger regional economy.
The Summit will also focus on assisting many fi rst gen-eration immigrants to become aware of HCC’s educational and training opportunities. The Summit is free and open to representatives of busi-nesses in Southwest Houston. Registration is required.
To R.S.V.P. or for more details, call 832-630-9402 or e-mail [email protected].
State Auto’s new Prime of LifeSM Plan provides expanded insurance coverages and substantial premium discounts on auto and homeowners insurance for qualifying customers age 45 and over*! As part of the Prime of Life Plan, you’ll enjoy enhanced coverages for when you travel, anywhere in the U.S.A. or Canada. Call your State Auto agent today for more information.
How about a worry-free insurance plan especially for people age 45 and over?*
*Qualifying age and coverage enhancements/discounts vary by state.
FOR SALE 9105 Main St. Needville 900 sq ft. Store front/offi ce space. Two separate offi ce spaces shared kitchen and restroom. Two pri-vate offi ces on left and one large private offi ce on right. Large lot in back. Reduced $54,000.
FOR SALE 9107 Main St Needville 1600 sq ft Warehouse-large open space currently warehouse and work space for small business or artist. Separate restroom. Load-ing area in back side driveway and large lot. Reduced $54,000.
FOR LEASE 9109 Main St Need-ville 2000 sq ft Store front with living quarters. Live and work here. Large, open, excellent lighting, new kitchen, park-ing on side, excellent for store, offi ce space, gym, or gallery. $1000 month.
Call Rita 832 368 3092
See Ads in ForSaleByOwner.com. Open House
Sept. 18, Sat ., 8 to12; Sept. 19, Sun., 12 to 3
Walk away from Knee PainFree seminar on MAKOPlasty
Recently, Fort Bend Coun-ty Clerk Dianne Wilson contracted the clients at the Texana Learning Center at Sugar Land to assist in prep-ping 195,000 old court cases for shredding. These court cases no longer need to be kept because they are all on the computerized data base.
Before the documents can be shredded, all the paper clips, staples, binder clips and
any other metal objects must be removed.
This daunting task was contracted to the individuals with intellectual and develop-mental disabilities at Texana Center. They went through all 6 pallets, 260 boxes that had about 750 documents per box.
“Not only did they pick up the boxes and perform the work, they also delivered the
boxes to the county shredding facility when complete. It was easy, cost effective and provided employment to the Texana clients” said Wilson.
Contract jobs at the Texana Learning Centers work on a ‘piece rate system’ - a time study determines the rate the contracted work will be charged at. This piece rate system is utilized to ensure that the vendor gets a com-
petitive rate while the Texana client receives adequate com-pensation for the task.
Texana also has a special certifi cation from the U.S. Department of Labor, which is a requirement to offer this type of contract work for your business. For inquiry about contract work for your busi-ness, contact Manuel Lopez or Pete Guerrero at 281-565-6200.
State Rep. Charlie Howard announced last week that he has signed the Pledge with Texans, the legislative agen-da of the Texas Conservative Coalition (TCC), the conser-vative caucus of the Texas Legislature.
Howard, a TCC member, said, “Conservative leader-ship over the past decade has made Texas the most success-ful state in the nation, validat-ing the diffi cult but principled decisions the Legislature has made. We have garnered na-tional recognition and praise for our relatively strong econ-omy from numerous sources, including ABC News, CNN, The Economist, The Atlantic, and The Weekly Standard.”
“Moving forward,” Rep. Howard added, “we must continue to adhere to the prin-ciples of limited government, individual liberty, free enter-prise, and traditional values.”
Howard said, “Our state faces many challenges, and the TCC Pledge with Texans
is our conservative plan of action. Next session, conser-vatives must fi ght to defend and advance our principles as we directly address a revenue shortfall without raising taxes, a federal government that too readily and too frequently in-trudes on our liberty, and the challenge of protecting Tex-ans from increasing violence along the Texas border.”
The TCC Pledge with Tex-ans serves as a road map for the long-term success of the State of Texas by offering conservative solutions to the fi ve most pressing issues that the next Legislature must ad-dress:
•Balance the Budget with-out Raising Taxes
•Limit Federal Intrusion•Improve Election Integ-
rity•Cut Taxes•Secure the Texas BorderTo date, 49 conservative
state legislators, including Rep. Howard, have signed the TCC Pledge with Tex-
Riverstone is hosting the inaugural Heart and Sole 5K Saturday, Sept. 25, benefi ting Second Mile Mission.
The race is open to individ-uals, with team participation planned for next year’s event. Awards will be given to the fi rst-, second- and third-place fi nishers in men, women and youth categories.
Participants will follow a
certifi ed course through Riv-erstone and can enjoy a post-race party.
Second Mile Mission is a Fort Bend-based organization serving those in need. In ad-dition to its food pantry, Sec-ond Mile Mission operates the largest clothing closet in Fort Bend County, provides household items to people trying to re-establish a home,
gives fi nancial assistance to those in crisis situations and offers dental and health care to the uninsured.
For more information on the event, including how to register, contact Melanie Rushé, Riverstone’s lifestyle director, at [email protected] or 281/499-8722.
Riverstone, ranked fi fth
among the 10 top-selling Houston communities by housing consultant Met-rostudy, is located at High-way 6, three miles south of U.S. 59.
Home prices are from the $200,000s to the millions.
For more information on Riverstone, visit www.river-stone.com.
The Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce announced the 3rd Annual State of the Schools luncheon will be held Friday, Sept.10 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Marriott Town Square Hotel in Sugar Land.
The featured speakers will be Dr. Timothy Jenney, Su-perintendent of the Fort Bend Independent School District,
H.D. Chambers – Superinten-dent of the Stafford Municipal School District and Dr. Thom-as Randle, Superintendent of the Lamar Consolidated Inde-pendent School District.
Jim Rice, Vice Chair of the Fort Bend Chamber of Com-merce’s Education Division commented that, “Continued strong attendance from our
community business lead-ers, elected offi cials and our citizens demonstrate that our communities are invested in the success of our local school districts.
“This luncheon is the one event where all three su-perintendents are together commenting on challenges, changes, and the education
community as well as public education in the future. We anticipate this event will at-tract 400 attendees so early reservations are a must.”
Tickets must be purchased in advance from the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce. For more information, contact Keri Schmidt at [email protected] or 281-491-0216.
Fort Bend Chamber presents “State of the Schools”
HCC workforce Summit on Sept. 15
Sane
Riverstone gears up for Sept. 25 Heart and Sole 5K
Fort Bend County contracts work with Texana Clients
State Rep. Charlie Howard signs TCC pledgeans. Rep. Howard concluded, “I am glad to stand with my fellow conservatives to make sure that Texas’ values and principles are upheld as the Legislature tackles the state’s major issues next session.”
Howard represents House District 26 in the Texas House of Representatives and is a member of the Texas Con-servative Coalition, the con-servative caucus of the Texas Legislature.
Fort Bend Aggie Moms’ Club will be meeting on Monday, Sept. 13 at the Sugar Land Community Center, 226 Matlage Way. Texas A&M Student Body President, Jacob Robinson, will be the guest speaker. There will also be a Q&A session with a panel of Aggie moms who will share their knowledge and ex-perience regarding things you want and need to know about Ag-gie life. Social time, refreshments, and boutique shopping will begin at 7 p.m. The program and business meeting will follow. For more information visit www.fortbendaggiemoms.org.
Fort Bend Lawyers CARE (FBLC) is proud to offer a Walk-In Legal Clinic at Calvary Episcopal Church, 806 Thompson Road, Richmond, Texas 77469, in the school gym, on Sept.11 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Sponsored by FBLC. This walk-in legal clinic is open to all low income residents of Fort Bend County with civil legal questions. Topics include: Divorce/Custody/Visitation/Child Support, Adult Guardianship, Adoption, Kin-care, Real Estate, Bankruptcy, Credit Issues, landlord/tenant, and Wills & Probate. Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m. Call FBLC to pre-qualify. 281-239-0015.
Fort Bend Lawyers CARE
Fort Bend Aggie Moms’ Club
By JAMES IVESThe Tea Party effort in Fort
Bend County is a mirror of the Tea Party Movement na-tionwide-it has come to be a representative of the Peoples’ interests.
While there will always be individuals and groups that differ on this policy or that, this program or the other, there will also be a need for an ele-ment that acts as a watchdog, that sounds the alarm when our Liberty is threatened.
This is the Tea Party.In the fi rst days of the
Movement, we gathered to protest the massive corporate bailouts, the outrageous taxes being proposed, and the bla-tant anti-American tilt of our foreign policy under the new administration.
As this initial fervor ebbed, and we held together despite widespread predictions of dis-solution and collapse, we re-alized that something much more ominous was abroad, something that had not been seen in this land, but was now here, it was everywhere, and this threatened to not only as-sault our traditions and our heritage, but to forever alter the very meaning of the word American.
For an entire generation, groups and individuals had been plotting and working. The organized far Left had been building on an agenda that brought together aspects of European Socialism, a group mentality as opposed to American “rugged individual-ism”, and this world view is set to assail the very pillars of Americanism- Faith, Family and Nation.
Set against this, the Tea Par-ty here in Fort Bend County, as across the nation, is made up of average citizens, but they are the very backbone of the Republic.
Teachers, doctors, sales-men, grandmothers, students, moms and dads, all spending their time and their money, donating their ideas and of-fering their vision to aid in the national struggle.
This movement began with a series of highly visible and emotional rallies, attempts to capture the attention of the elites in power, and to remind them that it is the people that rule, as we are citizens of this land, not subjects. Not Right or Left, neither Republican nor Democrat but Americans all. There is no national body that controls the Tea Party, no Central Committee that issues orders, and no one personality amassing a powerbase.
Our only manifesto is the Constitution... our only agen-
da is Liberty.Accusations of racism and
xenophobic nationalism are hurled at us, but these are nonsense if one spends a sin-gle day at a rally, or one eve-ning at a Tea Party meeting. We hold true to the meaning of the documents that made our land free, created a haven for all of those seeking escape from oppression and fear, wanting the opportunity to succeed and to live as they see fi t. Our Founders risked all to build this Republic, and it is up to us, their heirs, to pass it on to the future intact.
We are now holding a na-tionwide civics course. We hold classes that study the Constitution and the Bill of Rights in detail. We organize voter deputy registrar training courses, set up seminars and Leadership courses in citizen-ship, election law and politi-cal organizing.
We block-walk to turn out the vote, and we bring speak-ers to the people, experts that explain and clarify events and legislation that affect the lives of us all. It is the duty of every citizen to safeguard the liber-ties that are our birthright, to stand ready to defend the legacy of our forefathers and to help our own descendants bathe in the light from Lib-erty’s torch.
The Tea Party is ready to stand this watch, and we urge all citizens of the County to join us at www.fortbendcoun-tyteaparty.com, stand with us and become one among many.
James Ives is the president ofFort Bend County Tea Party.
By THOMAS J. PARR, M.D.American medicine ben-
efi ts greatly by our ability to use some impressive, modern technology.
We can treat conditions with precision that has the potential to limit side effects that were unavoidable in pre-vious days. We can diagnose diseases sooner, giving us the power to intervene early and save lives.
In earlier days, we physi-cians had to fi nd out what was going on in the abdomen during an illness or following trauma by performing “ex-ploratory surgery.”
Let me assure you that no one wants his or her surgeon using a knife to “look around” as part of a blind search for problems.
With today’s modern tech-nology, physicians seldom enter the body or administer a potentially dangerous treat-ment without clear knowledge of the underlying diagnosis and without having planned in advance what the precise surgery will be.
Unfortunately, the easy availability of today’s tech-nology has led to some over-use problems which carry un-necessary risks for the patient, yet do not change the treat-ment or outcome. There are a few basic reasons for this.
A recent AP report from Chicago by Lindsey Tanner explains how physicians, es-pecially Emergency Room physicians, are hesitant to for-go tests that are expensive or involve high radiation doses. It is easier to order a test than to take extra time to explain to a patient why it is not needed. In addition, if there is even a remote chance that additional tests can help prevent a mal-practice suit, the doctor will order it.
After all, he or she is using someone else’s money to pay for the test, and in the case of CT scans, the patient is the only one receiving the radia-tion.
The often overworked ER
doctor does not have the time to establish rapport and trust with each patient, and too fre-quently fi nds it more conve-nient to substitute extra tests.
Fortunately, I do have the time to develop rapport with my patients, and I am blessed with a very bright, proactive patient population.
But, more than once a week, I have to explain to someone that just because he or she is curious and has “good insur-ance” is not a reason to get a CT scan that will not enhance my ability to diagnose or treat the problem.
I recently saw two pa-tients on the same day who had fallen and cracked sev-eral ribs. Unfortunately, both had received CT scans in an ER in order to confi rm their fractures. The exam for a rib fracture is straightforward: make sure there are no other injuries by feeling and listen-ing to the chest and abdomen, take an x-ray if there is any question of the severity of the injury, and then explain what to expect as the ribs heal over the next couple of months.
And of course, give the pa-tient your sympathy and some pain medication!
Most of the time, unless the physical examination in-dicates severe displaced frac-tures or fl uid build up in the lungs, we do not even need to get a chest x-ray!
My point is that, under most circumstances, a CT is not medically needed to im-prove patient care, but it does drive up health care costs.
It is important to understand the differences among the var-ious imaging studies: x-rays, CTs, and MRIs. Because of improved technology, a chest x-ray produces only about twice as much radiation as a fl ight crew receives during a round trip across the country at 30-40 thousand feet.
Unfortunately, a chest CT scan imparts 100 times the radiation required for a chest x-ray and costs 8 to 10 times more.
A CT scan of the abdomen can expose the patient to as much as 400% more radia-tion than a routine abdominal x-ray.
On the other hand, although expensive, an MRI does not involve any radiation.
It is not always appropriate however. It may not provide the needed information, it might not be necessary, or the patient may be unable to have an MRI for a number of pos-sible medical reasons.
We do not know what the lower threshold is for produc-ing cancer by radiation, but we know that radiation is a carcinogen.
A physician reporting in the New England Journal of Medicine recently stated that she and her colleagues had determined that a single CT study could carry as high as a 1 in 80 chance of causing cancer.
CT scans are not evil. They save lives and are a wonderful tool when used properly; but they should not be overused just to “treat the chart.” It is OK to ask me or any other doctor why we are ordering a CT test. Unless you know ex-actly what your doctor plans to do depending upon the re-sults of the CT studies, you probably ought to ask more questions before exposing yourself or a family member to that level of radiation.
Dr. Thomas Parr, an ortho-pedic surgeon in Sugar Land, can be reached at 281-491-7111.Visit www.tomparrmd.net for more information.
By JANICE SCANLANThere’s nothing quite like
sidewalks to fi re up a wide variety of people – and opin-ions. From should we have them to who should take care of them? So today’s column may make you hap-py or sad . . . or it may just refl ect that we seem to have a lot of trouble agreeing.
So when a group at citi-zens’ meeting come to a consensus with people on all sides of the issue, that should tell you some-thing—and this meeting took place April 15, 2008 – just before the May elec-tion. At one table, besides me, were Bob Thompson, Greyling Poats, Skip Belt, David Hamner, the owner of Sunshine Liquor on Cart-wright and Doug Parker. These are individuals with strong opinions. Add that we are 3 weeks away from the election with Mr. Poats running against Allen Owen for Mayor.
We agreed on every issue of substance such as Texas Parkway and Cartwright needed to come under a TIRZ district so that tax money could be used to im-prove them. We agreed Tex-as Pkwy should be fi rst, and it was an important project that demanded immediate attention. Well, immediate doesn’t always happen.
proach, tempers are fl aring and politicians are looking for some-one–anyone–other than them-selves to blame.
The obvious target is the pres-ident. Democrats and Republi-cans alike are pointing the fi nger in the direction of the White House and laying the blame at its doorstep.
The party which is out of power traditionally follows that strategy. As voters become disgruntled with the incumbent chief executive, the opposing party takes advantage of his fl agging support and attempts to paint all members of the presi-dent’s party with his popular dissatisfaction. In the case of Obama, it is particularly easy to do this year.
With the health care debacle clearly out of favor, resentment over the bailouts, and a tremen-dous sense of impropriety in saddling future generations with unprecedented debt, Obama’s popularity has collapsed. Re-publicans, bolstered by Tea Party conservatives, are ready to pounce like a cat on a mouse.
The surprise is that members of his own party are doing the same. In the midst of the incum-bents’ fall from favor, Demo-crats are becoming excessively concerned with guarding against the threat of exposure of the par-ty’s failures. Some campaigns for re-election scarcely mention the candidate’s party, in the hope that voters will forget. Demo-crats are turning down offers from Obama to make personal appearances on their behalf. No one is bragging about having supported Obamacare, except, perhaps, Pelosi and Boxer.
In an off-the-cuff remark in a Labor Day speech to a city ravaged by unemployment, Obama’s defensiveness became
apparent to a crowd of union workers in Milwaukee. “Some powerful interests who have been dominating the agenda in Washington [are] not always happy with me. They talk about me like a dog.” Of course, the most powerful interest in Wash-ington is his own party, which controls the White House and both houses of Congress.
A White House press release in June announced the coming “Recovery Summer.” Obama and Biden both toured the coun-try to brag about the stimulus plan’s foreseen boost to employ-ment. Instead the summer is gone and the recovery is non-existent as shown by last week’s unemployment data.
The August unemployment report showed that the economy shed jobs for a third straight month, losing 54,000. The un-employment rate rose to 9.6%, the 16th straight month above 9%, the longest stretch in a quar-ter-century. Even Obama said the report was “not nearly good enough,” and, of course, blamed Republicans for causing Ameri-ca’s hard economic times.
Wary of the public’s concern over rising defi cits, Obama in-sists a second stimulus plan is not in the works. Maybe not, but on Monday he promised the
unions he would spend another $50 billion on infrastructure. Apparently the $814 billion in last year’s plan did not work. The answer is to spend more.
As the November elections approach, watch for Democrats to argue that Obama’s policies have staved off even worse eco-nomic problems than the coun-try faces today. After all, they can always blame Bush.
Name that teamFor weeks residents have
been suggesting names for Sug-ar Land’s new professional base-ball team. Over 7,000 entries were received during the fi rst phase of the naming contest. Consultants for Opening Day Partners, the team owner, have been sorting through hundreds of nominations and narrowing the choices for the next phase of the selection process. Some proposed names are traditional. Some are obvious. Some are unique. Others are bizarre and just plain weird.
The fi nalists were to be pub-lished on Tuesday at www.namesugar lands team.com, and everyone is encouraged to choose his favorite. Only one vote is allowed, so make it a good one. The name with the most votes will become the sym-bol of the city for years to come. One voter will receive the grand prize of lifetime season tickets to the team’s games.
No new taxesAfter months of planning, the
City Council this week passed its annual budget and adopted a tax rate for the coming fi scal year. The tax rate will remain unchanged, and the average tax bill will decrease slightly.
Jones is a member of the Sug-ar Land City Council, having been fi rst elected in 2003. He owns a law fi rm and a title insur-ance company in Sugar Land.
The View from Sugar Land
Jones
Musings: Sidewalks
Parr
Dems on the defense
A tower and kiosk at 90A will ultimately be part of the overall project plan, but it falls under TxDOT. It is ap-proved, but not scheduled. Let’s hope they don’t fi nd more accounting errors that deep-sixed other Missouri City projects in the past.
On the Colonies side of Missouri City, the sidewalk maintenance issue has re-sur-faced. Certainly Councilman Elackatt tackling this prob-lem was desirable. However, it seems that sub-contractors hired to do the repair work have had some residents dis-agree with the repairs.
Public Works moved the crew to their next job so your tax dollars aren’t spent on workers standing around while supervisors argue with residents. Come on folks, you may have a legitimate argument, but sub-contrac-tors are there to do a specifi c job, not re-design it or chat with you.
For those of us who don’t have sidewalks, your issues seem like debating whether the ice cream sundae should have cream and a cherry. Yes, I agree with handicapped ac-cess so don’t get in a twit. The point is to resolve the issue with the proper people. But sidewalks really fi re up emotions.
Pkwy with a sidewalk on the east side from Cartwright to 90A was accepted last week and will be paid for by Mis-souri City TIRZ #1. While I understand part of the project had to be scaled back due to a higher bid than expected, better pedestrian safety at main intersections and better looking intersections are part of the overall work.
This is a welcomed need. Pedestrian accidents and deaths have been part of Texas Parkway for too long. There has been no safe way for kids to walk or bike to Missouri City Middle School, for example. All you have to do is look at the paths that have been created by people walking on the lot next door to Unity Bank to have plain evidence that pedestrians are out there walking.
Viewpoint: Fort Bend County’s Tea Party
Overuse of CT scans adds to cost
Ives
SEPTEMBER 8, 2010 • INDEPENDENT • Page 5
Automobile: Ford Fiesta
FILM REVIEW: The American
The “Oh Happy Day!” lun-cheon kicked off the school year for the Fort Bend/Harris Retired Educators. The fi rst luncheon of the year was held on Monday, Aug. 23 at First United Methodist Church in Sugar Land. New retirees were guests at the luncheon.
New retirees who attended the TRTA kick off luncheon i ncluded the following:
Seated L-R: Mitzi Cestero, Martha Magnus, Sally Stan-er and Pat Deane; 2nd Row
L-R: Leslie Hartman, Shirl Hawes, Rita Brown, Marga-ret Dixon, Rotella Hughes, Carlos Rodriguez and Steve Mathews
Back row L-R: John Sarki-sian, Sandy Reina, Alice Thompson, Kay Slack Beard, Corinne Jones, Peggy Camp-bell, and Rachel Glen
Future meetings for the or-ganization which are open to all retired public education retirees are held the second Thursday of the month from
September to May at the First United Methodist Church 431 Eldridge Road, Sugar Land.
The next meeting will be held at 1p.m. on Thursday, Sept.9.
The organization hosts three luncheons: one to be-gin the year, one in Decem-ber, and one to end the year. Plans for the year include two fi eld trips and good programs planned throughout the year. Visit www.trta.org for more information.
This is a modern-day Spa-ghetti Western circa Clint Eastwood except this time it is pretty boy George Clooney (age 49).
I loved all the 1960’s East-wood/Sergio Leone movies about the stoic cowboy/assas-sin who spoke little and killed many.
I had seen the trailers for “The American” and I was pumped; this movie couldn’t fail. Wrong, Theatre Breath!
I was profoundly disap-pointed. Was the acting bad? No.
Was there something wrong with the cinematography, the music, editing?
No, that’s not the problem either.
Then what’s the problem? Script.
The story sounds wonder-ful and intriguing: Assassin Jack (Clooney) has to pull the trigger of his sissy Walther .380 a few too many times in Sweden so he fl ees to Italy to lay low for awhile in prepara-tion of one last job.
Jack is complicated and if you can know a man by the friends he keeps then Jack is certainly interesting because his “friends” are a hooker, mobster, and a Catholic Priest.
I think I know that joke: so a hooker, a mobster, and a priest walk in a bar... Only this time, it is not a joke al-though maybe it should have been a little more humorous. I think my audience laughed zero times.
My audience was also very old and seemed unengaged and distracted. Clooney and the girls looked pretty sweet. I don’t have a man crush or anything but Clooney’s eye-lashes are impressive.
I’ve known George Cloo-ney was more than just anoth-er pretty face when he played Captain Billy Tyne in “The Perfect Storm” in 2000 which is also the year he starred in “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”
The boy can act and he did a magnifi cent job as the lone-ly, melancholy American in
Italy, but I couldn’t emotion-ally invest in the characters and didn’t care if they lived or died.
Here’s a bright spot, there was a interesting storyline about a lightweight rifl e smuggled and assembled by Jack which was ideal for kill-ing folks.
End of bright spots. I am hereby replacing AMC — Loew’s The Fountains as my Number One Theatre with AMC First Colony.
I will maintain my reserved parking space in the rear of The Fountains (see larryh-moviereviews.com for a pho-to) and trust that you will not park there. Problem: I do not have reserved parking at AMC First Colony; hmmmm.
Is it possible that the man-agement at First Colony does not know who I am? I’ve been having recognition problems lately; what’s up with that? Maybe I need a team jersey.
The Fort Bend Museum will pay tribute to local artist Carmen Willey with a special exhibit opening Sept. 10.
Willey, 92, helped form the fi rst art league in Fort Bend County in 1957 and is recog-nized for her sketches and wa-tercolor paintings of historical sites around the County, many of which are no longer stand-ing.
“This is going to be a won-derful, well-deserved honor,” said Evalyn Moore, who is helping organize the exhibit and an exclusive grand open-ing event. “Carmen has meant so much to us and we want to do our very best to thank her for everything she has done in our community.”
Willey gave private art lessons to many Fort Bend County children throughout the years and was very active in the community, particularly with the Fort Bend Museum and the art department of the Fort Bend County Fair, Moore said.
Willey was born on May 9, 1918, and moved to Rosenberg with her parents and two sib-lings when she was in eighth grade. Her father had previ-ously worked selling refriger-ators in the Houston area, but the family business lost ev-erything during the Great De-pression. He eventually found a job as a salesman with the Houston Lighting and Power Company in Rosenberg.
Willey had enjoyed tak-ing art lessons at her school in Baytown, but the Rosen-berg high school didn’t offer art classes at the time. So she spent the summers with her Aunt Ethel in Houston, where she could take the streetcar to her private art lessons. She also took mostly art courses once she enrolled at Texas State College for Women (now Texas Woman’s Univer-sity) in Denton, Texas.
Willey’s future husband, Harold, moved with his fam-ily to Rosenberg during his tenth grade year.
“Being good-looking and the new boy on the block, all the girls were after him,” Wil-ley said.
“I won out and we married October 18, 1938.” The Wil-leys had three children – Wen-dall, Nita and Carrie – and celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in 2008. Harold died in 2009. As their three
children got older, Willey began driving into Houston to take lessons from several teachers at the Museum of Fine Arts.
“I gleaned everything from my variety of teachers and ar-rived at my own colors and method of painting,” she said. “From then on I have never stopped practicing, practic-ing, practicing.”
In 1957, Willey had a phone conversation with friend Darby Prastik about form-ing an art club where people could get together to paint and learn about various mediums and techniques, including oils, pastels and watercolors. Eventually, a group of 10 friends joined to form the fi rst Fort Bend County art league. Willey began sketching and painting historic homes and sites around the County.
Her fi rst paintings weren’t the greatest, she said, because she lacked formal training. In an effort to refi ne her art-istry, Willey borrowed books from the library, took private lessons and practiced exten-sively. Eventually, she began receiving commissions for her watercolors of the various his-torical sites.
To keep busy after her chil-dren graduated and left home, Willey and her friend Adele Hauger began promoting a new history museum that was under construction: The future Fort Bend Museum.
Willey and Hauger bor-rowed a movie camera from Pickard & Huggins Drug
Store in Rosenberg and pho-tographed area historical sites; they even discovered several out-of-the-way places with historical value during the project. Once they fi n-ished fi lming, they borrowed a projector from Bill Sloan of KFRD radio in Rosenberg and spent the next few months presenting their information to Fort Bend County school-children. Hauger narrated the fi lm live.
Willey and others also worked tirelessly to collect ar-tifacts for the Museum’s gal-lery and collections. On the day of the Museum’s grand opening, Willey and several others were still designing exhibits and connecting elec-tricity right up until opening time.
“We all went into the meet-ing room with sweaty blue jeans on and straggly hair, when all the dignitaries and guests were dressed to the nines,” she said. “I wouldn’t take anything for the experi-ence and the memories.”
“The Art of Carmen Wil-ley” exhibit will be housed in the 1883 historic Moore Home on the grounds of the Fort Bend Museum.
A special invitation-only reception and grand opening event is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 10; the exhibit will re-main up through Nov. 20.
For more information, call Claire Rogers at 281-342-6478. The Museum is at 500 Houston Street in Richmond. Visit www.fortbendmuseum.org.
Museum pays tribute to local artist
Willey
The return to school every year brings together both ritual and release of adrenalin, for it seems that no matter the age or education level, the fi rst day of school brings out every student’s insecurity, no matter how many times the ritual has been experienced.
Speaking of insecurity, there has been heated debate, num-bers of lawsuits and incredible amounts of misunderstanding and misinformation about what Texas students can and can-not do in expressing their re-ligious faith in the classroom, on school grounds or at school events.
Worthy of reporting here, many school districts, leaders, teachers and Principals have been much quicker to crack down on Christians expressing their faith than others.
Well documented cases like the 150 page suit fi led against the Plano ISD in 2004 over nu-merous apparent violations of free speech, including a district ban even on handing out candy canes with a Christian message attached.
All over Texas there were, in the minds of many parents and students, a political hostil-ity shown by districts and even teachers, not just an over em-phasis on political correctness.
There is a long and varied list of issues and instances like this one from around the State. In 2006, the Katy ISD forbade students from handing out Val-entine cards with a Christian
message. Parents and Alliance Defense Fund sued the Dis-trict.
Later, the Katy ISD again overstepped and blacked out a Bible verse on order forms for fund raising Christmas cards but did not alter or black out religious message on the card forms from Hanukkah or Kwanzaa.
Again, frustrated parents and Alliance Defense Fund sued. Just weeks ago, on July 30th, Federal Court again ruled that Katy ISD had indeed violated the free speech rights of Chris-tian students.
In 2007, the Texas Legis-lature crafted a landmark but common sense bill- “The Tex-as School Children’s Religious Liberty Act” which was indeed signed into Law.
This law clarifi es, defi nes, informs and protects teachers, Principals, Board Members, students and parents from misinformation and misunder-standing.
Today, I want to make sure that parents, students, teach-ers, school board members and Principals are accurately in-formed that the Law in Texas is about the rights that students have in Texas to express their religious faith. In 2007 a key piece of legislation became law.
It was a balanced piece of legislation that lawyers from Liberty Institute helped craft to insure that Constitutional accuracy and boundaries were
followed. State Rep. Charlie Howard sponsored and car-ried the bill, along with a large number of cosponsors. That legislation is now the law of the land in Texas.
Here is a list of the top fi ve Free Speech issues protected by Texas Law.
1. Students have the right to student-led prayer at special events, such as See You at the Pole
2. Students have the right to be a part of student-led Chris-tian clubs, like Good News Club
3. Students have the right to hold student-led Bible studies on the school campus before or after school
4. Students have the right to express their Christian values, like praying at graduation cer-emonies or choosing to write critically on topics such as abortion or evolution
5. Students have the right to share their faith, which can in-clude inviting friends to church and handing out pamphlets if other extracurricular groups are allowed to do so
If you or your children have any issues at school where one of these rights is violated, con-tact Liberty Institute at [email protected].
The full text of the original Bill is here: http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/80R/bill-text/html/HB03678F.HTM
By BARBARA FULENWIDERThe 2011 Ford Fiesta is a fun
car to drive and look at. The design is defi nitely expressive and particularly eye catching when the body is swathed in lime squeeze metallic paint.
On the 2011 Fiesta, Ford says there are 15 different “class-exclusive technologies” offered but the best selling fea-ture the Fiesta offers has got to be an estimated 40 miles to the gallon.
The Fiesta is targeted at buy-ers who want to drive a vehicle that’s versatile, has personality and is adaptable to what they want their car to be. Ford has already sold more than half a million Fiestas to customers in Europe and Asia.
It got its good looks as the result of global customer re-search that showed customers want a car that doesn’t blend in with all the others and they want a small car with world-class quality, convenience, comfort and connectivity.
The Fiesta is powered by a 1.6-liter dual overhead cam I-4 engine that’s mated to a six-speed automatic transmis-sion.
The little engine that can makes 120 horsepower and 112 lbs.-ft. torque. The en-gine features twin indepen-dent variable camshaft timing which allows the motor to be downsized for fuel economy while continuously optimizing camshaft phasing for throttle response, performance and fl exibility.
The Fiesta is available in two body styles: a fi ve-door hatchback or four-door sedan. Up front on both body styles the Fiesta’s face is framed
by elongated headlamps that connect the hood to the front fenders. At the rear of the car the low roofl ine sweeps into a spoiler and taillamps with hon-eycomb detailing are mounted high in the fi ve-door’s cor-ners.
The Fiesta features fi rst row bucket seats with a 60/40 split second row seat. Cloth or leather seating vary by trim levels. Sculpted surfaces, contrasting colors and com-fortable, supportive materials make the interior as individual as the driver. Twenty-fi ve per-cent of the seat fabric inserts are made of recycled content.
Fiesta features a standard fi ve-speed manual transaxle with gear ratios selected to offer spirited off-the-line per-formance for those who like three pedals and a stick shift to maximize the driving experi-ence. For those who prefer an automatic shift it’s available in a six-speed.
Specially tuned front struts, bushings, dampers, stabilizer bars and a rear twist-beam axle give Fiesta sporty driv-ing dynamics while keeping it sure footed and fi rmly planted. The rigid body shell contrib-utes to Fiesta’s road handling and safety.
Fiesta safety features in-clude dual-stage fi rst-row air
bags, driver’s knee air bag, side air bags and side curtain air bags. Electronic stability control is standard on Fiesta along with rear door child safety locks and a safety can-opy system.
Sound absorbent materials made of recycled content keep the ride and drive of the Fiesta quiet. Wind and road noise are not annoying and engine noise is subdued by a hood blanket.
Fiesta offers customers a number of standard and avail-able features that increase con-venience and add connectivity. Among them is a system that integrates a driver’s mobile phone with Fiesta’s onboard, voice-activated communica-tions and entertainment sys-tem, keyless entry and push button start, tilt and telescop-ing steering wheel and adjust-able cup holders. The Fiesta also comes with Ford’s capless fuel fi ller system.
I like the way the Fiesta handles, rides and looks and the retail price is also right at $16,320 for all standard equipment. Heated front seats, chrome belt line molding, keyless entry and start sys-tem, chrome decklid molding, six-speed automatic transmis-sion and leather seats put the MSRP on the test drive Fiesta at $18,900.
Page 6 • INDEPENDENT • SEPTEMBER 8, 2010
No: 1O-DCV-180847TIMOTEO PEREZ
Plaintiff s, V
DANIEL GOODWIN, KENNETH §QUENNEVILLE MD, ZINESH GOLANI,
MALIKE GOLANI, and ANITA MULLER, Defendants
IN THE DISTRICT COURT FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS
240TH JUDICIAL DISTRICTBRIEF FOR SERVICE OF CITATION BY PUBLICATIONTO THE HONORABLE JUDGE OF SAID COURT:COMES NOW, TIMOTEO PEREZ, Plaintiff in the above-entitled and numbered cause, and fi les this Brief for Service of Citation by Publication, pursuant to Rule 109 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure:THE STATE OF TEXAS - COUNTY OF FORT BENDTO: MALIK GOLANI whose residence and whereabouts are unknown. You have been sued. You may employ an attorney. If you or your attorney do not fi le a written answer with the clerk by 10:00 a.m. on the Monday next following the expiration of twenty days after service of this citation and petition, a default judgment may be taken against you. The original petition was fi led on or about May 14, 2010, in the 240th Judicial District Court of Fort Bend County, Texas. This Court has authority in this suit and may enter a judgment which will be binding on you.Issued and given under my hand and seal of said court at Richmond, Texas on this the 19th day of August, 2010.
Honorable Annie Rebecca ElliotFort Bend County District Clerk
301 Jackson StreetRichmond, Texas 77469
No: 1O-DCV-180847TIMOTEO PEREZ
Plaintiff s, V
DANIEL GOODWIN, KENNETH §QUENNEVILLE MD, ZINESH GOLANI,
MALIKE GOLANI, and ANITA MULLER, Defendants
IN THE DISTRICT COURT FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS
240TH JUDICIAL DISTRICTBRIEF FOR SERVICE OF CITATION BY PUBLICATIONTO THE HONORABLE JUDGE OF SAID COURT:COMES NOW, TIMOTEO PEREZ, Plaintiff in the above-entitled and numbered cause, and fi les this Brief for Service of Citation by Publication, pursuant to Rule 109 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure:THE STATE OF TEXAS - COUNTY OF FORT BENDTO: ZINESH GOLANI whose residence and whereabouts are unknown. You have been sued. You may employ an attorney. If you or your attorney do not fi le a written answer with the clerk by 10:00 a.m. on the Monday next following the expiration of twenty days after service of this citation and petition, a default judgment may be taken against you. The original petition was fi led on or about May 14, 2010, in the 240th Judicial District Court of Fort Bend County, Texas. This Court has authority in this suit and may enter a judgment which will be binding on you.Issued and given under my hand and seal of said court at Richmond, Texas on this the 19th day of August, 2010.
Honorable Annie Rebecca ElliotFort Bend County District Clerk
301 Jackson StreetRichmond, Texas 77469
Award-winning Fort Bend Theatre launches its Fall Act-ing classes for ages eight through eighteen. Classes will be held on Saturday mornings beginning Sept. 18, and ending Nov. 13, at 2815 N. Main, Stafford. Each session teaches stage acting techniques, including panto-mime, improvisation, vocal-izations, and characterization and culminates with a perfor-mance for family and friends. The cost is $200, payable by a $50 non-refundable deposit to hold your child’s place, with the remaining balance due by Sept. 12. For more information visit www.fort-bendtheatre.com, or call 281-208-3333.
The University of Hous-ton Fort Bend County Small Business Development Cen-ter will host QuickBooks Pro 2010 workshop in English, on Wednesday, Sept. 8, part 1 and Wednesday, Sept. 15, part 2.
QuickBooks Pro 2010 is an easy to use tool that can simplify your business’s ac-counting system. This work-shop is designed for the nov-ice QuickBooks user.
In this hands-on work-shop, you will defi ne gen-eral accounting terms used in bookkeeping, determine your method of bookkeep-ing; cash or accrual, set up a new company and man-age accounts payables and receivables, discover how to invoice customers and set up a payroll system.
The class will be held at 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. in English at the U of H Fort Bend Coun-ty SBDC, 117 Lane Drive, Rosenberg, Texas. For more information, or to register for the event, contact UH Fort Bend County SBDC at 281-341-5027 (Rosenberg SBDC) or 281-499-9787 (Missouri City SBDC).
The Missouri City Police Offi cers Association invites the public to be a sponsor, donor or participant in the Missouri City Police Offi -
Holy Family Church locat-ed at 1510 Fifth St., Missouri City, will hold its annual Fall Festival on Sunday, Oct. 10, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Raffl e tickets are $2 each or a book of 6 for $10 and you could win one of the 10 exciting prizes. There will be lots of rides and games. A variety of food will be served (breakfast tacos, BBQ, hamburgers, hotdogs, fajitas, Indian food, Filipino food, turkey legs, nachos, corn-on-the-cob, etc). Park-ing is free. For more infor-mation contact Fall Festival Co-Chairs Connie or Ruben Govea at 281-438-2629 or cell - 832-247-7801.
Acting classes
Workshop on QuickBooks
Golf tournament to aid police
offi cers
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICEThe Commissioners Court of Fort Bend County, Texas has set a public hearing at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 28, 2010 for Riverway Estates Sec. 1, Partial Replat No. 1, Pct. 3. The hearing will be held in the Commissioners Courtroom, William B. Travis Bldg., 309 S. Fourth St., Rm. 700, Richmond, Texas. Under state law, you the owner, have certain rights with respect to the proposed partial replat. Should you wish to exercise your right, you may be heard at the planned public hearing. You may contact Joyce Owens with Owens Management Systems at 713-643-6333 for information prior to the hearing.Submitted by,Dianne WilsonFort Bend County Clerk
THE STATE OF TEXASCITATION BY PUBLICATION
TO: DARRELL FRANCOISNOTICE:You have been sued. You may employ an attorney. If you or your attorney do not fi le a written answer with the clerk who issued this citation by 10:00 a.m. on Monday next following the expiration of forty-two days from the date of issuance of this citation, same being October 11, 2010 a default judgment may be taken against you. Said answer may be fi le d by mailing same to: District Clerk’s Offi ce, 301 Jackson, Richmond, Texas 77469, or by bringing it to the offi ce. Our street address is 401 Jackson Street. We are located on the fi rst fl oor of the courthouse building. The case is presently pending before the 240TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT of Fort Bend County sitting in Richmond, Texas, and was fi led on November 06, 2009. It bears cause number 09-DCV-176281 and is styled: The Bank Of New York Mellon Fka The Bank Of New York As Trustee For The Certifi cate holders Of CWABS 2004-05 V. Robert Francois, Jr., Jacquelyn Francois Lockett And Darrell Francois In Re: 8611 Quail Burg Lane, Missouri City, Texas 77489The name and address of the attorney for PLAINTIFF OR PETITIONER is:MARK G TORABI; J. MICHAEL LYTLEBARRETT DAFFIN FRAPPIER TURNER & ENGEL LLP15000 SURVEYOR BLVD SUITE 100ADDISON TX 75001; ATTORNEY AT LAW2116 THOMPSON HWY STE 116RICHMOND TX 77469972-386-5040; (281) 342-9119The nature of the demands of said PLAINTIFF OR PETITIONER is as follows to-wit:PLAINTIFF THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON FKA THE BANK OF NEW YORK AS TRUSTEE FOR THE CERTIFICATE HOLDERS OF CWABS 2004-05, ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS BY AND THROUGH ITS ATTORNEY OF RECORD, MARK G. TORABI OF BARRETT DAFFIN FRAPPIER TURNER & ENGEL, LLP, 15000 SURVEYOR BLVD., ADDISON, TEXAS 75001, 972-386-5040, BROUGHT SUIT AGAINST DEFENDANTS ROBERT FRANCOIS, JR., JACQUELYN FRANCOIS LOCKETT AND DARRELL FRANCOIS, TO ENFORCE ITS SECURITY INTEREST RESERVED TO PLAINTIFF AS MORTGAGEE IN THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 8611 QUAIL BURG LANE, MISSOURI CITY, TEXAS 77489 AND LEGALLY DESCRIBED AS: LOT THREE (3), IN BLOCK TWO (2), OF QUAIL GLEN, SECTION ONE (1), A SUBDIVISION IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN VOLUME 21, PAGE 16 OF THE PLAT RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS.
If this Citation is not served, it shall be returned unserved. Issued under my hand and seal of said Court, at Richmond, Texas on this the 24th day of August, 2010.
DISTRICT CLERK ANNIE REBECCA ELLIOTT
Fort Bend County, Texas
Deputy District Clerk Sarah Storts
281-633-7635
LEGAL NOTICEINVITATION TO BIDDERS
Sealed Bids will be received in the Offi ce of Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., County Purchasing Agent, Fort Bend County, Rosenberg Annex, 4520 Reading Road, Suite A, Rosenberg, TX 77471 for the following until THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 at 1:30 P.M. (CST). All bids will then be publicly opened and read in the Of-fi ce of the Purchasing Agent, Rosenberg Annex, 4520 Reading Road, Rosenberg, TX 77471. Bids received after the specifi ed time will be returned unopened.BID 10-123 – RANSOM ROAD (PHASE 1) FROM PIL-GRIM TO WILLIAMS WAYA pre-bid conference will be conducted on Thursday, August 9, 2010 at 10:00AM (CST). The pre-bid confer-ence will be held at the Fort Bend County Purchasing Department located in the Rosenberg Annex at 4520 Reading Road, Rosenberg Texas 77471. All vendors are encouraged to attend.Unit pricing is required; payment will be by check after products/services are rendered. Bonds are re-quired. Fort Bend County reserves the right to reject any or all bids.Signed: Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., Purchasing Agent Fort Bend County, Richmond, Texas
LEGAL NOTICEREQUEST FOR SEALED COMPETITIVE PROPOSALSSealed Competitive Proposals will be received in the Offi ce of Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., County Purchasing Agent, Fort Bend County, Rosenberg Annex, 4520 Reading Road, Suite A, Rosenberg, TX 77471 for the following until THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2010 at 1:30 P.M. (CST). All proposals will then be opened in the Offi ce of the Purchasing Agent, Rosenberg Annex, 4520 Reading Road, Suite A, Rosenberg, TX 77471 and the names of the proposers made public. Proposals received after the specifi ed time will be re-turned unopened.
Payment will be by check after products/services are rendered. Bonds are required for 10-122.Fort Bend County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals.Signed:Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., Purchasing AgentFort Bend County, Richmond, Texas
PUBLIC NOTICEFORT BEND COUNTY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
FY 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 CONSOLIDATED ACTION PLAN AMENDMENT
Fort Bend County proposes to amend its approved FY 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 Consolidated Action Plans. The Consolidated Plan regulations at 24 CFR 91.505 state that a jurisdiction shall amend its approved plan whenever it makes one of the following decisions:(1) To make a change in its allocation priorities or a change in the method of distribution of funds;(2) To carry out an activity, using funds from any program covered by the consolidated plan (including program income), not previously described in the action plan; or(3) To change the purpose, scope, location, or benefi ciaries of an activity.
In addition, Fort Bend County has identifi ed in its citizen participation plan the criteria it uses for determining what constitutes substantial amendments that are subject to a citizen participation process, in accordance with the County’s citizen participation plan. The defi nitions and/or criteria for what constitutes a substantial change for the purpose of amending the consolidated plan are as follows:(1) Purpose: The purpose is substantially changed if the overall purpose for which a project is funded changes. Changing a specifi c objective without changing the overall purpose of the project will not be considered a substantial change.(2) Scope: The scope is substantially changed if the original estimated cost of the project is increased by twenty percent or more.(3) Location: The location is substantially changed if the service area of a project changes from the original service area.(4) Benefi ciaries: The benefi ciaries are substantially changed if there is a change in type or the number is increased by twenty percent or more.
The Fort Bend County FY 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 Consolidated Action Plan Amendment is available for public review and comment. The public is encouraged to submit written comments by Monday, October 11, 2010 to Marilynn Kindell, Community Development Director, at 4520 Reading Road, Suite A, Rosenberg, Texas 77471. Comments will be incorporated into the Consolidated Action Plan Amendments, as appropriate.
FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXASCOMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) PROGRAM
Funds are available to be reprogrammed from:FY 2001/2002 Four Corners Street Improvements $1,785.00FY 2004 Housing Rehabilitation $65,776.00FY 2004 FWSD No 2. Four Corners Water Improvements $30,021.00FY 2005 Kendleton Sanitary Sewer Line Replacement $5,134.00FY 2006 Pleak Comprehensive Plan $102.00FY 2007 5th Street Waste Management Program $3,816.00FY 2007 CDBG Program Administration $342.00FY 2007 Housing Rehabilitation Administration $3,024.00FY 2007 Richmond Water Improvements $47,518.00FY 2007 Rosenberg Sewer Improvements $1,144.00FY 2007 FB CORPS Home Minor Repair $3,750.00FY 2007 Arcola Sanitary Sewer Improvements $75,247.00FY 2008 Needville Sanitary Sewer Improvements $7,710.00FY 2008 Housing Rehabilitation Administration $110,000.00FY 2008 MUD No. 19 Sanitary Sewer Improvements $117,561.00FY 2008: CDBG Contingency Funds $15,000.00 Total Available To Be Reprogrammed $488,230.00
Projects to be funded are:FY 2007: Kendleton Wastewater Treatment Plant $100,000.00FY 2008: FBC Parks Department Arcola Community Center $388,230.00 Total Reprogrammed Amount $488,230.00
FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXASEMERGENCY SHELTER GRANT (ESG) PROGRAM
Funds are available to be reprogrammed from:FY 2008 FBC Social Services Department Homeless Prevention $22,215.00 Total Available To Be Reprogrammed $22,215.00
Project to be funded are:FY 2008 Parks Youth Ranch Operations $22,215.00 Total Reprogrammed Amount $22,215.00
PUBLIC NOTICEFORT BEND COUNTY
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENTTEXAS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT
FY 2008 SUPPLEMENTAL DISASTER RECOVERY FUND:HURRICANES DOLLY AND IKE
NON-HOUSING ACTIVITIESROUND 2 – PHASE 1
On November 26, 2008 the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the allocation of $2.1 billion dollars in disaster recovery assistance to 13 States and Puerto Rico. The emergency funding is intended to help address unmet housing, economic and infrastructure needs following the natural disasters of 2008. HUD allocated the majority of the funding ($1.3 billion dollars) to the State of Texas. The emergency funding is provided through HUD’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program and will support the State’s long-term disaster recovery. This is the second allocation of approximately $6.5 billion dollars appropriated by Congress immediately following Hurricane Ike. These funds can be used to address infrastructure damage caused by Hurricane Ike. Fort Bend County expects to receive $473,290 in CDBG Disaster Program funds for non-housing activities.
All eligible activities must have documented proof of an impact by a major natural disaster declared in 2008. There must be a clear and compelling need related to a major natural disaster (Hurricane Ike) declaration, hurricane disaster relief, long-term recovery and/or restoration of infrastructure. All eligible activities will be allowed so long as the activity is directly related to Hurricane IKE through actual damage or a failure to function and is allowed under the State of Texas Plan Amendment No. 1 for Disaster Recovery. The potential project must benefi t low and moderate income citizens. The number of low and moderate income benefi ciaries must exceed 51 percent, according to HUD data, to be considered eligible.
A public meeting will be held on Friday, September 10, 2010, 10:00 a.m., at the Fort Bend County Rosenberg Annex, 4520 Reading Road, Rosenberg, Texas to receive comments from the public regarding the use of these funds and to provide information to potential applicants. The public is encouraged to attend and to submit comments by September 20, 2010 to Marilynn Kindell, Community Development Director, 4520 Reading Road, Suite A, Rosenberg, Texas 77471. Comments will be incorporated into the FY 2008 CDBG application, as appropriate. Persons with vision or hearing impairments or other individuals with disabilities requiring auxiliary aids and services may contact the department at (281) 341-4410 regarding reasonable accommodations for the meeting.
Fort Bend County will use the Texas Community Development Block Grant Program 2008 Supplemental Disaster Recovery Fund: Hurricanes Dolly and Ike, Non-Housing Activities Application Round 2 as the County’s Request for Proposals (RFPs). The application and application guide will be available on Friday, September 3, 2010. These documents also are available on the County website: co.fort-bend.tx.us. Questions from applicants will be answered at the September 10 meeting. Proposals must be submitted by 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2010. Potential applicants are urged to call Carol Borrego at (281) 341-4410 for more information.
Amateur and professional photographers are invited to submit their favorite photos of Sugar Land for the city’s 2011 calendar, the “Best of Sugar Land.”
Photos should celebrate the “best” of Sugar Land from its people to its beautiful parks, schools, businesses and neigh-borhoods. Photographs may include favorite locations, artistic elements or candid shots of people of all ages and backgrounds in scenes refl ect-ing the vibrant community life and diversity that makes Sugar Land such a unique and outstanding city.
The City’s annual calendar is mailed to more than 30,000 residents and businesses dur-ing the fi rst week of Decem-ber, with limited additional quantities available at City Hall. Photos should be sub-mitted in high-resolution for-mat (300 dots per inch with a physical dimension of 8.5 by
11 inches) and refl ect the City today and include:
•the name and contact infor-mation of photographers (ad-dresses, phones and e-mails);
•locations of each photo submitted; and
•approximate dates of when the images were photo-graphed.
The deadline for submis-sions is Sept. 30, and win-ners will be notifi ed by Oct. 1. There is no monetary award, but photographers will be credited in the calendar for winning images selected and retain all rights to their photos for other uses.
E-mail entries to [email protected] or send prints to the Sugar Land Commu-nications Department, 2700 Town Center Blvd. North, Sugar Land, Texas, 77479. Submissions will not be re-turned.
For more information, call 281-275-2216.
First Colony Community Association (FCCA) recently announced its list of fall 2010 recreational programs for all ages. Each season, FCCA brings a new roster of fun and educational classes to the community.
This fall, youth classes are offered in a variety of areas. Kindermusik, fencing, Span-ish Club, American-style ka-rate and Starz Cheer & Tum-ble will be offered this season. Kids can get exercise while learning energetic Bollywood-style dance moves or explore their creative sides while tak-ing art classes taught by Tex-as-certifi ed art instructor John Rodak. Science Eyes, a sci-ence, math and problem solv-ing class, will also be offered for children ages 8 to 14.
Adults can enroll in Zum-ba, Spanish class, Country & Western dancing, watercolor and swing/jitterbug dance les-sons.
Yoga and meditation class-es will increase well-being by reducing stress and soothing aches and pains.
As always, tennis lessons will be offered to all skill lev-els. FCCA programs are open
The University of Houston Small Business Development Center of Fort Bend County will host, MARKETING: SOCIAL MEDIA, course on Wednesday, Sept. 22. If you own a business or are prepar-ing to start one you cannot af-ford to miss this event. This workshop will address issues involved in Social Media such as:
What is Social Media?What is the hottest Social
Media tool to emerge today?What are the top social me-
dia resources?How will this help my busi-
ness?Where do I start?And much more! If you are trying to grow
your profi ts you must attend this class in Social Media and fi nd out how it will help your business grow!
The event will be held from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the U of H Fort Bend County SBDC, 117 Lane Drive, Suite 31, Rosen-berg, Texas 77471. Lunch will be provided. For more infor-mation or to register for this event, contact UH Fort Bend County SBDC at 281-499-9787.
The annual Membership Brunch for Sugar Creek Garden Club will be held on Thursday, September 16, 2010 at Sugar Creek Coun-try Club. The brunch be-gins at 9:30 a.m. followed by Deanna Roberts who will present a fantastic program “Orchid-Growing Semi- Hydroponically.” There are many opportunities for your involvement, so please join whenever you can for fun and fellowship. No reserva-tions necessary.
Spirit of Freedom Republican
Women’s Club PAC State Senator Joan Huff-
man will be the featured speaker on Sept. 17 at Spring Creek Barbecue, 4895 High-way 6, Missouri City. Meet and Greet 11 a.m. Meeting with Speaker at 11:30 a.m. New members welcome. Hear about the upcoming legislative session, redis-tricting and more. For more informaion contact Tina Gib-son at 281-491-6599
Sugar Land Democrats
Sugar Land Democrats Club will meet Sept. 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the home of Cynthia Ginyard located 11418 Oak Lake Ridge Ct., Sugar Land. Call for direc-tions 832-444-4073. Come anytime you can during this time period.
Band nightFort Bend ISD will pres-
ent an evening of competitive marching exhibitions dur-ing its annual Band Night on Monday, Oct. 4 at Mercer Sta-dium (16403 Lexington Blvd. in Sugar Land) at 6 p.m. and conclude by 8:45 p.m. Seating will be on the home side only. Admission is free and conces-sions will be served. Band Night allows parents and pa-trons to enjoy the outstanding talents of some of FBISD’s fi nest young musicians. Band Night will feature the district’s 11 high school band and dance teams performing their com-petition shows for the upcom-ing University Interscholastic League Marching Contest, which will be held Oct. 14.
Sugar Creek Garden Club
Marketing: Social media
cers Association Annual Golf Tournament, Friday, Sept. 17 at the Quail Valley Golf Course on the renovated El Dorado Course.
All donations and/or spon-sorship will enable them to continue to help feed hungry families, bring toys to area underprivileged children at Christmas, give to local chari-ties, assist offi cers in emer-gencies and continue to sup-port the community-oriented projects throughout the year. Last year they awarded seven $1500 college scholarships in memory and honor of former offi cers Damian Buckner and Andrew Svoboda. They have various sponsorships and hole signs advertising your busi-ness/name.
Registration will start at 9:30 a.m. and lunch will be provided. Shotgun start at 11:00 a.m followed by a buf-fet dinner and auction.
If interested contact Offi -cer Donna Quackenbush #592 President, Missouri City Po-lice Offi cer’s Association @ [email protected] or Floyd Emery @fl [email protected]
The MCPOA is a non profi t 501 (c) (5) organization.
Fall festival
Sugar Land calls for Shutterbugs
FCCA’s fall programsto everyone, not only First Colony residents.
Visit www.fi rstcolony.org under Parks and Recreation for a complete list of fall pro-grams, scheduling and pric-ing. To sign up for classes, call 281- 634-9555.
Hearts of HopeThe Pregnancy Resource
Center of Fort Bend County will hold its annual fund-raising banquet, “Hearts of Hope… Shining Light in the Darkness” on Saturday, Sept. 11 at Pecan Grove Planta-tion Country Club, including a silent auction, dinner and a word from guest speaker, Author, Deanna Wilson. In-dividual tickets are available for $75, sponsorships start at $1,000 and underwriting op-portunities begin at $400. If you would like tickets or more information our website is prcfortbend.com or you may contact Trina Powers at [email protected] or 281-232-2375.
Enjoy your Sport - Decrease your Chances of Getting Hurt
While I enjoy doing surgery, I have always believed the best approach to Sports Medicine is teaching my patients how to take care of themselves so they are less likely to get hurt in the first place. Why have surgery if you can avoid it?
The off-season is the time to prepare, and one size does not fit all. Let me evaluate your current physical conditioning and workout routine to help you develop a personalized training program to maximize your fitness for your sport.
THE TIME IS NOW,THE TIME IS NOW, THE WAIT IS OVERTHE WAIT IS OVER
www.RemaxFine.comHighway 6 & Austin Parkway
We Can Show We Can Show You You
ANY House ANY House Listed!Listed!
281-265-281-265-55335533
Not just oil, Pennzoil
Ladies and gentlemen, rev up your engines and prepare for a morning of classics – from cars to music to men.
Memorial Hermann Sug-ar Land Hospital is hosting “Tune Up for Life” men’s health expo on Saturday, Sept. 11 from 9 a.m. until noon on the hospital grounds located at 17500 West Grand Pkwy.
Come enjoy 50s and 60s music while viewing classic cars and the newest vehicles from Legacy Ford in Rosen-berg. Get fueled up with free food from Otto’s BBQ.
Men will have the oppor-tunity to tune up their bodies with free health checks that parallel their car care regi-men. As part of the event, they can participate in a scheduled maintenance check that in-cludes non-fasting choles-terol and glucose screenings, a PSA screening, heart check and more.
Be sure to pull into these stations during “Tune Up for Life”:
Check Oil for a free blood pressure screening
Chassis Check for an in-spection of joints, knees and back
Gas Emission Check to pick up a free colorectal screening kit to test for colorectal cancer at home
This fun expo addresses the silent crisis in the health and
Rev up your engines with ‘tune up for life’
well-being of men by increas-ing knowledge about men’s health issues. It also provides a convenient opportunity for men to participate in health screenings that are proven to save lives. The health screen-ings are reserved for men, but women are encouraged to bring their husbands and male friends and enjoy the festivi-ties.
Tune Up for Life” is free, but registration is required to make sure enough fuel and supplies are on hand. To regis-ter, please call 713-222-CARE (2273) or email [email protected]. In the event of rain, the expo will be held on Saturday, Oct. 23.
The Stephen F. Austin Marching Band and Angels Dance Team will defend their Bands of America Regional title on Oct. 9 in Conroe.
Last October, Austin was once again crowned the Bands of America Regional Cham-pions in Pearland (a feat they have accomplished fi ve times). They went on to compete at the BOA Super Regional in San Antonio where they won fi rst place in the AAA Divi-sion.
After competing in the BOA Regional Championship this season, Austin High School
will be the only Houston area representative to compete at the BOA Grand Nationals in Indianapolis, Indiana in No-vember.
The BOA Grand National Championships is recognized as the premier marching band event in the nation.
These are opportunities the team is not taking lightly. “The level of focus and dedi-cation by the band and dance team this season has been phe-nomenal,” said Austin Band Director Dustin Winson,
“The alumni and fan support has been fantastic. Everyone
is pulling for these outstand-ing musicians and dancers. If effort is any indication, the team will be in top form and thrilling the crowds this com-petition season.”
Fort Bend ISD will pres-ent an evening of competitive marching exhibitions during its annual Band Night- featur-ing 11 band and dance teams- on Monday, Oct. 4.
If you’d like to support the Stephen F. Austin Marching Band and Angels Dance Team, visit www.austinbulldogband.org
Austin High Marching Band and Angels Dance Team
September Yard of the Month goes to Acie Phillips of 3610 Elms Court. A cer-tifi cate by the Quail Valley Garden Club and a plant from Flowers by Adela have been awarded this lovely garden. Acie continues to honor his late wife Car-rie, who designed the garden, by plant-ing her seasonal fl ower changes and keeping maintenance schedules. They were married 41 years, and starting in 1978, developed the garden together. It is an interesting mix on seasonal annu-als, hollies that are shaped to enhance features of the home design, geometric shaped bushes and large Sago Palms. Take a peek at the website or drive by! h t t p : / / t r a c t i o n . t y p e p a d . c o m /q v g c / y a r d - o f - t h e - m o n t h . h t m l
FAMILY HEART HEALTH FAIR at OakBend Medical Center
AWARD WINNING CARE
www.oakbendmedcenter.org
11:00 - 11:30 Dr. Sangeeta Saikia "Women's Heart Health"
11:45 - 12:15 Dr. Uttam Tripathy "Surgical Interventions for Heart Disease"
12:30 - 1:00 Dr. Mayank Parikh "Heart Disease: Treament and Exams"
screenings available for the entire family; Cholesterol screenings for high risk individuals
County Kids & Cops program
health education and wellness information
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 18TH
10AM - 2PM
1705 Jackson Street
PHYSICIAN EDUCATIONAL FORUMS
Page 8 • INDEPENDENT • SEPTEMBER 8, 2010
NEW 2011 TOYOTA
CAMRY
$16,495Photos for illustration purposes only. Must qualify for all incentives, rebates and discounts to receive sale price.
Rebates from TMS/GST. Plus tax, title and license. Dealer Fees included. See dealer for complete details.
model # 2513 manual transmission.
NEW 2010 TOYOTA
COROLLA
$13,995model # 1831 manual transmission.
Aluminum Cans, Foil, and Food Trays Plastics #1-5, 7
Items not accepted include carbon paper, food waste, pizza boxes, plastic bags, styrofoam, and tissue products. Need an additional recycle bin? Residents can purchase additional recycle bins for $6.00 each. To request an additional bin, please visit the website and complete the Additional Bin Request Form and return with payment.
