F ORT B END FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE. Phone: 281-980-6745 ww ww w.fbindependent.com .fbindependent.com P.O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2011 VOL 4 No. 23 Official newspaper of Fort Bend County, Missouri City & Sugar Land 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. The June Quail Valley Yard of the Month is the Jorge and Kara Quirch family home at 3411 La Costa. The Quirch’s received a certificate from the Quail Valley Garden Club and a flat of annu- als and garden consultation from The Garden Guy, Todd Farber. The Quirch’s have taken full advantage of a corner lot with diagonal placement of the home with a circular drive-way. Using many varieties of scrubs and trees that wrap gracefully around the home, the garden furthers interest with red Begonias, blooming Society Garlic, rock, as well as several varieties of lilies and ferns to create texture, variety and curb appeal. Drive by the home, or you can view it at http:// traction.typepad.com/qvgc/yard-of-the-month.html . Quail Valley’s Yard of the month “Families form formidable foundations of success,” is the theme of this year’s Juneteenth celebration. The theme will be the center of attention during the Missouri City Juneteenth Celebration Foundation’s 2011 commemo- ration events. The 9th Annual observance will also feature free, cultural and educational programs on history, health and community. “Strong family units are re- sponsible for the strength of our past and for the promise of our future,” said Councilman Don Smith, who is founder and chairman of MCJCF. “We are excited about cel- ebrating these pillars of society this year.” Festivities include: *Annual Golf Tournament on June 13 at Quail Valley Golf Course. Shotgun start at 9 a.m.; games will run until 3 p.m. *Annual Community Ser- vice Awards Gala on June 16 at the Sugar Land Marriott Town Square from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Visionary Pastor Byron C. Ste- venson, who shepherds The Fort Bend Church on Eldridge Road will be the guest speaker. Stevenson, whose congre- gation numbers thousands, founded the church upon five pillars: trust, faith, kindness, compassion and liberal giving. Missouri City’s Juneteenth festivities will have family focus “You can’t build a case on hate. You should build it on facts.” --Dr. Aafia Siddiqui (Trial Testimony, January 28, 2010) By SESHADRI KUMAR Silence is golden, most of the times, but in politics it may be due to cold, political calculations. In the Sugar Land City Council District 4 race, candidate Farha Ahmed has chosen to remain silent or being cryptic in her comments regarding her alleged link to a controversial and high-profile convict, Dr. Aafia Siddiqui. The fact is that Ahmed is not legally representing Siddiqui, though Siddiqui says so. Siddiqui has written a letter to the court firing her lawyers and naming Ahmed as her attorney. Siddiqui has spoken to Ahmed, as a “family friend,” after she was brought to New York in August 2008. Ahmed visited New York to meet with Siddiqui in August 2008, but Siddiqui declined the visit because she did not want to be strip-searched each time she made a call or met someone visiting her in the jail. Ahmed may not represent Siddiqui in criminal matters, but as a community activist, she may have offered help in finding the then-missing children of Siddiqui. Critics of Ahmed see her as “guilty by association.” Supporters of Ahmed look upon those who raise questions about Ahmed’s alleged links as “hate mongers.” Elizabeth M. Fink, the Criminal Justice Act Attorney on duty in the U.S. Federal Magistrate’s Court in New York on Aug. 5, 2008 was first appointed to represent Siddiqui. She was arrested in Afghanistan on Aug. 4, 2008 and brought to the U.S. On Sept. 4, 2008, Fink filed a letter with the U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman, in advance of his appearance in this case the following day. An excerpt from that letter reads: Dr. Siddiqui is completely isolated from counsel, psychological help, and her family. She is permitted one telephone call to her family every 30 days and one legal telephone call every two weeks, though MDC (Metropolitan Detention Center) Legal Department has facilitated weekly legal phone calls thus far. Arrangements have been made for Dr. Siddiqui to speak weekly with a family friend and attorney, Farha Ahmed. Ms. Ahmed is a Texas attorney and does not practice criminal law. The week before last, Ms. Ahmed traveled from Texas to visit with Dr. Siddiqui at MDC. Consistent with her refusal to be strip-searched, Dr. Siddiqui refused the visit…. I have heard from Ms. Ahmed that Dr. Siddiqui does not understand the charges against her…” Plenty of other evidence exists suggesting the connection, but there is more than one side to the story. If one knows the other face of Siddiqui, one may see Ahmed’s link with Siddiqui as benign. Ahmed could have played that card instead of trying to play a victim of smear campaign. International Justice Foundation, IJN, is a non-profit human rights organization that provides legal assistance to survivors of human rights abuses and their families. IJN says it serves as the Siddiqui family’s attorneys in the U.S., and previously assisted them with the repatriation of Siddiqui’s two eldest children. The son, who was repatriated in 2008, and daughter, repatriated in 2010, both currently reside with their maternal grandmother and aunt in Karachi, Pakistan. According to IJN, “At trial, Dr. Siddiqui testified under oath that she never reached for or picked up the gun, much less fired any shots. Her version of events is supported by all forensic evidence presented in the case. … Despite the overwhelming weight of the physical evidence that demonstrated that Dr. Siddiqui never touched or fired a weapon, she was convicted of all of the charges brought against her, and was sentenced to 86 years in prison. Her court-appointed lawyers -- who she attempted to fire several times throughout the course of the trial, and still does not recognize as her legal representatives -- have filed an appeal.” In the meantime, Siddiqui continues to be imprisoned in a maximum-security federal prison on a Naval base (FMC Carswell) in Fort Worth, TX. In a published report last week, Ahmed has been quoted as saying that the connection to Siddiqui could have been made through work she did a few years ago to help locate two missing American children who were believed to have been kidnapped overseas. “Because of my pro bono work with missing and abused children as well as my contacts in the Bush State Department, they believed I could be of help,” according to Ahmed. If Ahmed had given this response to the Express-Herald reporter in April, the lingering speculation may have been minimized. Or she could have explained it before the mailer surfaced because the issue has been making rounds on the Internet, like Act! for America blog and its Facebook page. Benign link earns sinister look See LINK, Page 3 By BARBARA FULENWIDER & SESHADRI KUMAR State District Judge Thomas Culver in Fort Bend County last week reduced the jury’s award of $1 million in punitive damages against the Fort Bend Star newspaper and the news- paper is obligated to pay a little more $350,000, including ac- tual damages and attorney fees. In lieu of a bond, the Fort Bend Star newspaper on Fri- day posted a deposit of “a lit- tle over $14,000” with the Fort Bend County district clerk’s office, according to John Ed- wards, attorney for the Star. The Star posted bond a month after a jury returned a guilty verdict against it in a defamation lawsuit filed by Wade Brady, son of Fort Bend County Sheriff Chief Deputy Craig Brady. A jury in the 240th District Court awarded the plaintiff damages exceeding $1 million. The $14,000 deposited was calculated as half of the net worth of the defendant, which in this case was the Star, Ed- wards said. “Part of the rules for being able to post a deposit in lieu of a bond is you have to qualify. Sometimes bonds require col- lateral that’s worth the amount of the damage award, and sometimes that can be chal- lenging for someone to come up with,” the attorney said. A deposit is allowed so people of all means can appeal a judg- ment. Edwards filed an appeal to reduce the damages after the judge entered the final judg- ment. Judge Thomas Culver reduced the jury’s award of $1 million for damages to $200,000, which is the current highest amount the law allows for punitive damages. The total bill owed by the Star and co-defendant LeaAnne Klentzman, a Star reporter/ writer, is “about $350,000,” and includes $48,000 for a pri- or appeal the defendants lost in 2009, according to Edwards. “Right now we’re in a hold- ing pattern until we file our motion for a new trial by the end of the month. If that is overruled, we’ll file an appeal that would either be heard in the First Court of Appeals or the 14th Court of Appeals in Houston. Whoever loses there will likely appeal to the Texas Supreme Court. It could be years before this could be re- solved,” Edwards said. Brady’s attorney, Kinan Romman of the law firm Ahmed, Zavitsanos & Anaipa- kos, PC, said “We are con- testing their right to post bond without hard assets/money. They are simply trying to avoid paying. They have done this at every juncture in this case, and they will continue to attempt to evade their obligations under the law. This will not end until we beat them on appeal.” Romman said this past Thursday, the judge entered and formalized the $350,000 + obligation to plaintiff. The punitive damages por- tion was reduced to $230,000 from $1.03 million, Romman said. With the actual damages ($50,000), interest ($20,000), and attorney fees ($50,000), the total judgment is over $350,000. When some court costs are included it will likely make this figure around $360,000. A Fort Bend County jury on May 6 returned a guilty verdict against West Fort Bend Star dba Carter Publications and its reporter, LeaAnne Klentzman. The gist of the impugned article was that Wade was us- ing his father to suppress the judicial process but, the ar- ticle didn’t reference the part of the audiotape that directly contradicted the article’s “gist” asserting that Chief Deputy Brady was trying to “suppress” evidence for Wade’s benefit. Wade alleged that the Star published a story that injured his reputation by omitting ma- terial facts, thereby creating a misleading presentation of the factual circumstances regard- ing both his trial and the unre- lated stop by the DPS trooper. Punitive damages in libel lawsuit reduced Newspaper posts $14,000 against $350,000 demand Hundreds of people came out to last year’s Community Health Awareness Exhibit to receive free screenings and ad- vice. *Second Annual Commu- nity Health & Wellness Fair on June 18 at Covenant Glen United Methodist Church, 401 Present St., from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The popular “One Mile of Smiles” Parade is set to wind down Texas Parkway once again. *Annual “One Mile of Smiles” Parade on June 18 along Texas Parkway starts at 6 p.m. To accommodate the pa- rade, a portion of the roadway from Buffalo Run to Court Road will close at 5 p.m. *Willowridge High School Alumni Flag Football and Bas- ketball Tournaments on June 18 in Hunters Glen Park from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. *Festival Under the Stars concludes the week on June 18 in Hunters Glen Park from dusk to midnight. “MCJCF is so proud and thankful for support from the City of Missouri City, the citi- zens and area companies, who have contributed to our accom- plishments over the past nine years,” Councilman Smith said. “I encourage everyone to come and enjoy one of the largest celebrations of its kind in the United States.”
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.
The June Quail Valley Yard of the Month is the Jorge and Kara Quirch family home at 3411 La Costa. The Quirch’s received a certifi cate from the Quail Valley Garden Club and a fl at of annu-als and garden consultation from The Garden Guy, Todd Farber. The Quirch’s have taken full advantage of a corner lot with diagonal placement of the home with a circular drive-way. Using many varieties of scrubs and trees that wrap gracefully around the home, the garden furthers interest with red Begonias, blooming Society Garlic, rock, as well as several varieties of lilies and ferns to create texture, variety and curb appeal. Drive by the home, or you can view it at http://traction.typepad.com/qvgc/yard-of-the-month.html .
Quail Valley’s Yard of the month
“Families form formidable foundations of success,” is the theme of this year’s Juneteenth celebration.
The theme will be the center of attention during the Missouri City Juneteenth Celebration Foundation’s 2011 commemo-ration events.
The 9th Annual observance will also feature free, cultural and educational programs on history, health and community.
“Strong family units are re-sponsible for the strength of our past and for the promise of our future,” said Councilman Don Smith, who is founder and chairman of MCJCF.
“We are excited about cel-ebrating these pillars of society this year.”
Festivities include:*Annual Golf Tournament
on June 13 at Quail Valley Golf Course. Shotgun start at 9 a.m.; games will run until 3 p.m.
*Annual Community Ser-vice Awards Gala on June 16 at the Sugar Land Marriott Town Square from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Visionary Pastor Byron C. Ste-venson, who shepherds The Fort Bend Church on Eldridge Road will be the guest speaker.
Stevenson, whose congre-gation numbers thousands, founded the church upon fi ve pillars: trust, faith, kindness, compassion and liberal giving.
Missouri City’s Juneteenth festivities will have family focus
“You can’t build a case on hate. You should build it on facts.”--Dr. Aafia Siddiqui (Trial Testimony, January 28, 2010)
By SESHADRI KUMARSilence is golden, most of
the times, but in politics it may be due to cold, political calculations.
In the Sugar Land City Council District 4 race, candidate Farha Ahmed has chosen to remain silent or being cryptic in her comments regarding her alleged link to a controversial and high-profi le convict, Dr. Aafi a Siddiqui.
The fact is that Ahmed is not legally representing Siddiqui, though Siddiqui says so. Siddiqui has written a letter to the court fi ring her lawyers and naming Ahmed as her attorney.
Siddiqui has spoken to Ahmed, as a “family friend,” after she was brought to New York in August 2008.
Ahmed visited New York to meet with Siddiqui in August 2008, but Siddiqui declined the visit because she did not want to be strip-searched each time she made a call or met someone visiting her in the jail.
Ahmed may not represent Siddiqui in criminal matters, but as a community activist, she may have offered help in finding the then-missing children of Siddiqui.
Critics of Ahmed see her as “guilty by association.” Supporters of Ahmed look upon those who raise questions about Ahmed’s alleged links as “hate mongers.”
Elizabeth M. Fink, the Criminal Justice Act Attorney on duty in the U.S. Federal Magistrate’s Court in New York on Aug. 5, 2008 was first appointed to represent Siddiqui. She was arrested in Afghanistan on Aug. 4, 2008 and brought to the U.S.
On Sept. 4, 2008, Fink fi led
a letter with the U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman, in advance of his appearance in this case the following day.
An excerpt f rom that letter reads: Dr. Siddiqui is completely isolated from counse l , p sycho log i ca l help, and her family. She is permitted one telephone call to her family every 30 days and one legal telephone call every two weeks, though MDC (Metropolitan Detention Center) Legal Department has facilitated weekly legal phone calls thus far. Arrangements have been made for Dr. Siddiqui to speak weekly with a family friend and attorney, Farha Ahmed. Ms. Ahmed is a Texas attorney and does not practice criminal law. The week before last, Ms. Ahmed traveled from Texas to visit with Dr. Siddiqui at MDC. Consistent with her refusal to be strip-searched, Dr. Siddiqui refused the visit…. I have heard from Ms. Ahmed that Dr. Siddiqui does not understand the charges against her…”
Plenty of other evidence e x i s t s s u g g e s t i n g t h e connection, but there is more than one side to the story. If one knows the other face of Siddiqui, one may see Ahmed’s link with Siddiqui as benign.
Ahmed could have played that card instead of trying to play a victim of smear campaign.
I n t e r n a t i o n a l J u s t i c e Foundation, IJN, is a non-profi t human rights organization that provides legal assistance to survivors of human rights abuses and their families.
IJN says it serves as the Siddiqui family’s attorneys in the U.S., and previously ass i s t ed them wi th the repatriation of Siddiqui’s two eldest children.
T h e s o n , w h o w a s repatriated in 2008, and daughter, repatriated in 2010,
both currently reside with their maternal grandmother and aunt in Karachi, Pakistan.
According to IJN, “At trial, Dr. Siddiqui testified under oath that she never reached for or picked up the gun, much less fi red any shots. Her version of events is supported by all forensic evidence presented in the case. … Despite the overwhelming weight of the physical evidence that demonstrated that Dr. Siddiqui never touched or fired a weapon, she was convicted of all of the charges brought against her, and was sentenced to 86 years in prison. Her court-appointed lawyers -- who she attempted to fire several times throughout the course of the trial, and still does not recognize as her legal representatives -- have fi led an appeal.”
In the meantime, Siddiqui continues to be imprisoned in a maximum-security federal prison on a Naval base (FMC Carswell) in Fort Worth, TX.
In a published report last week, Ahmed has been quoted as saying that the connection to Siddiqui could have been made through work she did a few years ago to help locate two missing American children who were believed to have been kidnapped overseas.
“Because of my pro bono work with missing and abused children as well as my contacts in the Bush State Department, they believed I could be of help,” according to Ahmed.
If Ahmed had given this response to the Express-Herald reporter in April, the lingering speculation may have been minimized. Or she could have explained it before the mailer surfaced because the issue has been making rounds on the Internet, like Act! for America blog and its Facebook page.
Benign link earns sinister look
See LINK, Page 3
By BARBARA FULENWIDER & SESHADRI KUMAR
State District Judge Thomas Culver in Fort Bend County last week reduced the jury’s award of $1 million in punitive damages against the Fort Bend Star newspaper and the news-paper is obligated to pay a little more $350,000, including ac-tual damages and attorney fees.
In lieu of a bond, the Fort Bend Star newspaper on Fri-day posted a deposit of “a lit-tle over $14,000” with the Fort Bend County district clerk’s offi ce, according to John Ed-wards, attorney for the Star.
The Star posted bond a month after a jury returned a guilty verdict against it in a defamation lawsuit fi led by Wade Brady, son of Fort Bend County Sheriff Chief Deputy Craig Brady.
A jury in the 240th District Court awarded the plaintiff damages exceeding $1 million.
The $14,000 deposited was calculated as half of the net worth of the defendant, which in this case was the Star, Ed-wards said.
“Part of the rules for being able to post a deposit in lieu of a bond is you have to qualify. Sometimes bonds require col-lateral that’s worth the amount of the damage award, and sometimes that can be chal-lenging for someone to come up with,” the attorney said. A
deposit is allowed so people of all means can appeal a judg-ment.
Edwards fi led an appeal to reduce the damages after the judge entered the fi nal judg-ment. Judge Thomas Culver reduced the jury’s award of $1 million for damages to $200,000, which is the current highest amount the law allows for punitive damages.
The total bill owed by the Star and co-defendant LeaAnne Klentzman, a Star reporter/writer, is “about $350,000,” and includes $48,000 for a pri-or appeal the defendants lost in 2009, according to Edwards.
“Right now we’re in a hold-ing pattern until we fi le our motion for a new trial by the end of the month. If that is overruled, we’ll fi le an appeal that would either be heard in the First Court of Appeals or the 14th Court of Appeals in Houston. Whoever loses there will likely appeal to the Texas Supreme Court. It could be years before this could be re-solved,” Edwards said.
Brady’s attorney, Kinan Romman of the law fi rm Ahmed, Zavitsanos & Anaipa-kos, PC, said “We are con-testing their right to post bond without hard assets/money. They are simply trying to avoid paying. They have done this at every juncture in this case, and they will continue to attempt to
evade their obligations under the law. This will not end until we beat them on appeal.”
Romman said this past Thursday, the judge entered and formalized the $350,000 + obligation to plaintiff.
The punitive damages por-tion was reduced to $230,000 from $1.03 million, Romman said.
With the actual damages ($50,000), interest ($20,000), and attorney fees ($50,000), the total judgment is over $350,000.
When some court costs are included it will likely make this fi gure around $360,000.
A Fort Bend County jury on May 6 returned a guilty verdict against West Fort Bend Star dba Carter Publications and its reporter, LeaAnne Klentzman.
The gist of the impugned article was that Wade was us-ing his father to suppress the judicial process but, the ar-ticle didn’t reference the part of the audiotape that directly contradicted the article’s “gist” asserting that Chief Deputy Brady was trying to “suppress” evidence for Wade’s benefi t.
Wade alleged that the Star published a story that injured his reputation by omitting ma-terial facts, thereby creating a misleading presentation of the factual circumstances regard-ing both his trial and the unre-lated stop by the DPS trooper.
Punitive damages in libel lawsuit reduced
Newspaper posts $14,000 against $350,000 demand
Hundreds of people came out to last year’s Community Health Awareness Exhibit to receive free screenings and ad-vice.
*Second Annual Commu-nity Health & Wellness Fair on June 18 at Covenant Glen United Methodist Church, 401 Present St., from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The popular “One Mile of Smiles” Parade is set to wind down Texas Parkway once again.
*Annual “One Mile of Smiles” Parade on June 18 along Texas Parkway starts at 6 p.m. To accommodate the pa-rade, a portion of the roadway from Buffalo Run to Court Road will close at 5 p.m.
*Willowridge High School Alumni Flag Football and Bas-ketball Tournaments on June 18 in Hunters Glen Park from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
*Festival Under the Stars concludes the week on June 18 in Hunters Glen Park from dusk to midnight.
“MCJCF is so proud and thankful for support from the City of Missouri City, the citi-zens and area companies, who have contributed to our accom-plishments over the past nine years,” Councilman Smith said.
“I encourage everyone to come and enjoy one of the largest celebrations of its kind in the United States.”
Page 2 • INDEPENDENT • JUNE 8, 2011
PERRYHOMESA T T B O 43 Y
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Old Orchard 1,900 - 4,000 sq. ft. (281) 277-18002,600 - 4,400 sq. ft. (281) 265-4555
The Oaks of Rosenberg 2,100 - 3,300 sq. ft. (281) 633-9366
River Park West2,200 - 3,300 sq. ft. (832) 222-2804
Telfair3,800 - 5,400 sq. ft. (281) 778-0050
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Janice Suchyta and Stepha-nie Stigant have joined the Holoway Jones Law Firm. Partners Russell Jones and Thelma Holoway Jones wel-comed the pair at a reception at the fi rm’s Sugar Land of-fi ce last week.
Over 75 clients, communi-ty leaders and friends turned out to meet the newest associ-ates of the fi rm.
Suchyta is Fort Bend County’s leading expert on health care law, aiding hos-pitals, physicians and other medical professionals in un-derstanding the impact of the new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPA-CA). “Whether or not there
are ultimately revisions to the Act as proposed by many who are opposed to the new law, the way health services are delivered will change, and ev-eryone in the health care pro-fessions needs to be preparing for the future,” said Suchyta in addressing the crowd.
A native of Michigan, Suchyta and her husband Tom have lived in Fort Bend County since 1998. They are the parents of two daughters, Haley, 10, and Miranda, 8. Suchyta is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the University of Detroit-Mercy Law School. She is also a guest lecturer at the University of Houston – Vic-
16525 Lexington Blvd., Ste. 250, Sugar Land, TX 77479 Effective 06/06/11. Rate & APR calculated on a 365 day year with normal closing costs & $200,000 loan amount. FHA fixed rate purchase. Must mention ad at time of application. Offer may terminate at any time
without notice, applicants must qualify, other restrictions may apply. NMLS # 214884
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toria/Sugar Land School of Nursing, speaking on health care law and public policy.
Stigant, who has been the fi rm’s business manager for eight years, recently gradu-
ated from the University of Houston Law Center and passed the Texas bar exam in February. Judge Brady Elliott was in attendance and formal-ly administered the attorney’s
Holoway Jones welcomes new attorneys
oath to her.Stigant practices business
and employment law, credi-tor representation and real estate law. “With my experi-ence actually running a busi-ness as well as my legal and fi nancial background, I bring broad expertise to the fi rm,” Stigant said.
A Fort Bend County na-tive, Stigant attended Rice University where she met her husband Dave, a mathemat-ics teacher at the DeBakey School for Health Profes-sions. They are expecting their fi rst child in July.
Russell Jones, left, Thelma Jones, Janice Suchyta and Stephanie Stigant.
Political Av. Paid for by Harish Jajoo Campaign, Kolbe Curtice, Treasurer15999 City Walk #250, Sugar Land, TX 77479
Dear Residents of District 4,
successes that we have enjoyed together. I have thoroughly enjoyed serving the residents of Sugar
However, there is still a lot of work to be done – and many concerns that face us: the economy, our aging infrastructure, major new projects, potential impact of continued population growth and so on.
All of this needs a steady hand at the wheel – a Councilman that will represent all of District 4, be a consensus builder, and a team player. I believe that person is Harish Jajoo and I humbly ask that you join me in supporting and voting for him.
Harish Jajoo truly stands out as a leader who is committed to serving the citizens of the City
who can hit the ground running and continue on in my stead. The results on the May 14
Harish is that candidate.
The run-off election on Saturday 11 June 2011. I strongly urge to go and vote for Harish Jajoo.
Best Regards,
Michael S. Schiff City of Sugar Land, Councilman District 4
TH
4064 - Settlers Way Elementary4084 - Colony Meadows Elementary4102 - Fort Settlement Middle School4119 - Clements High School4129 - Commonwealth Clubhouse4131 - First Colony Conference Center
4064 - Chimneystone, Settlers Grove4084 - Briarwood, Oaks Of Alcorn, Sweetbriar, Woodstream4102 - Avalon, Brazos Landing4119 - Alcorn Bend, Austin Meadow, Colony Creek, Colony Oaks, Colony Woods, Crescents on Green, Cypress Glen, Cypress on Green, Oakland, Sutton Creek, Sweetwater, Sweetwater Estates, Travis Park, Williams Crossing, Williams Glen, Williams Park4129 - Bridgewater, Commonwealth Estates, Commonwealth Park, Oxford, Sutton Forest, Sutton Park
The Fort Bend CORPS an-nounced it is continuing to of-fer its energy effi ciency pro-gram to help county residents lower their energy costs.
The goal of the initiative is to provide comprehensive, whole-house repair and resto-ration to maximize electricity savings for low-income, el-derly and disabled homeown-ers in the Fort Bend County area.
Some of the home repairs include installing attic insula-tion, solar screens, compact fl uorescent lamps, ENERGY STAR room air conditioners, ENERGY STAR ceiling fans and ENERGY STAR refrig-
erators. Other inspections and repairs include air duct effi ciency and air infi ltration.
“Since 2007 we have as-sisted over 550 residents with the Energy Effi ciency pro-gram. We hope to assist sev-eral more residents this year due to drought conditions and summer expecting to reach unbearable temperatures. With electric bills going high-er and higher, we hope people contact us to see if they qual-ify for this valued program. By reaching out to residents it also offers us an opportu-nity to inform residents of other services the CORPS provides,” said Executive Di-
rector Ron Castillo.The program is available
to homeowners year round; the grant provides money for energy effi ciency improve-ments to maximize electricity savings.
In addition to the energy effi ciency program, the Fort Bend CORPS offers four oth-er programs: Hearts & Ham-mers, Roofs Over Fort Bend, an Interior repair program and a neighborhood cleanup program. In existence since 1999 the Fort Bend CORPS exists to initiate and coor-dinate community efforts to revitalize low-income areas in Fort Bend County. The
primary focus is to provide home repair assistance to re-store safe and decent housing for low-income, elderly and disabled homeowners who are physically and fi nancially unable to make needed re-pairs to their homes.
The Fort Bend CORPS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofi t corpo-ration funded by monetary donations, in-kind donations, public grant monies and vol-unteer work crews. All re-pairs are provided free of charge to the home owner. To determine eligibility or for more information about the programs, visit www.fbcorps.org or call 281-617-7416.
Fort Bend County Librar-ies now has downloadable eBooks, through its online digital library collection -- OverDrive.
Library patrons have en-joyed downloading and lis-tening to audiobooks from the OverDrive collection, but now they can also check out eBooks to read on their digital reading devices, such as the NOOK™, Sony eReaders, computers, tablets, and iPads. The eBooks are not currently compatible with the Amazon Kindle, but negotiations for that possibility are underway.
“Our patrons like the ease of use and portability of the downloadable ebooks be-cause they can be download-ed at any time of the day or night,” says Clara Russell, Library Director.
“Libraries today are con-stantly evolving to meet the needs of changing technol-ogy, and we are excited to add eBooks to our collection!”
Library patrons can browse the virtual library shelves by clicking on the OverDrive link on the library’s webpage (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us), and check the list of com-patible eReader devices. The fi rst time patrons download a book, they will be asked to install the free Adobe® Digi-tal Editions software from the left-hand navigation bar of the OverDrive webpage on the library website; sub-sequent downloads do not re-quire software installation.
For more information, call the library’s Public Infor-mation Offi ce at 281-341-2677.
Missouri City City Man-ager Frank Simpson, who has held that position in Missouri City for the past 7 ½ years, has announced his resignation effective June 30 to take the Assistant City Manager posi-tion in College Station. Simp-son will start his new post on July 5.
“College Station is where I earned my undergraduate and master’s degree in public administration, where I began my government career, and my wife and I have family and many friends in that area,” Simpson said. “While it had not been my intention to leave Missouri City any time soon, and I had not been looking for a position, many people know that it has long been my ob-
jective to end up working and eventually retiring in College Station. While I might have preferred a different timing for this opportunity, I think it is the right decision.”
Simpson said he is proud of the great progress Mis-
souri City has made on many fronts, including maintaining a stable fi nancial position in a tough economy, attracting high-profi le businesses to the area, including multiple developments in Lakeview Business Park, and improving the infrastructure citywide.
“I will always be grateful for the opportunity to have served Missouri City and am very appreciative of the Mayor, City Council mem-bers and City Staff that I have worked with in a supportive and cooperative way and in the best interest for the entire city. Missouri City is truly an amazing community that has continued to grow, prosper and improve with each year.
As with most communities, these are challenging times, but Missouri City is address-ing them very well and stra-tegically positioning itself for the even better years still ahead.”
Simpson said he looks for-ward to Missouri City achiev-ing many more milestones in the future. “The success of Missouri City has been and will continue to be its peo-ple – residents, businesses, Mayor, City Council, Boards, Commissions and Commit-tees and last but certainly not least, City Staff.”
City Council shortly will be appointing an interim City Manager and will be deter-mining the next steps in the candidate search process.
Simpson
Missouri City City Manager Frank Simpson resigns
eBooks available at Fort Bend libraries
Fort Bend CORPS offers energy effi ciency program to lower costs
By BARBARA FULENWIDERAn expansion project by
Stafford’s fourth largest em-ployer has been in the works for 10 years and got city council’s approval at their June 1 meeting.
Tyco Valves & Controls LP, a global leader in a $2.5 billion global market with 17 percent of market share, has its largest plant in Stafford and needs to expand opera-tions in order to meet increas-ing demand. So John Ward, plant manager of Tyco, re-quested that council approve the creation of Reinvestment Zone No. 21 at 3950 Green-briar Road in Stafford. With everything to gain and noth-ing to lose, they did so unani-mously.
Ward told council that en-larging the plant that builds pressure management prod-ucts for a number of major industries would create 30 new jobs and be a $16 million
investment in the Stafford fa-cility.
While Tyco makes a “wide range of products,” Ward said the pressure relief valves built in Stafford are the most complex.
“They are the last form of defense in many cases, so there’s no room for quality defects or errors. They are safety devices.”
He said Tyco’s valve busi-ness is 36 percent with the oil and gas industry, 36 percent with the processing industry, 26 percent with the power industry and “a little bit in mining.” Ward told council that Tyco is one of the top 10 companies in Tyco “and there are many of them.”
The plant manager of the Tyco fl agship facility in Staf-ford said it employs 400 peo-ple and has an annual payroll of $20 million.
“We have more than 120 employees who have more
than 20 years experience here. This workforce has a lot of tenure and lives and works in Stafford.”
The creation of Reinvest-ment Zone No. 21 will add 90,000 square feet to the rear of Tyco’s building.
Manoj Gulati, manufac-turing engineer and project manager, explained that the expansion is needed because “we are in the custom product manufacturing business.”
Increased demand ex-pected in the next three years “will constrain our capacity. We need to be able to change from one part to another rap-idly to meet customer de-mand in a timely manner.”
After the Tyco presenta-tion ended, Art Pertile, city attorney with Olson & Ol-son, explained to council that the company is only seeking a tax abatement agreement with the county and that Staf-ford was asked to approve the
reinvestment zone creation because counties cannot cre-ate such.
The basis for city approval, Pertile said, is such a zone must benefi t the city long af-ter it no longer exists.
“That’s the major fi nding you have to make. In creating this zone, will it benefi t the city and help retain jobs in Stafford” after 10 years.
Because Stafford has a zero property tax rate, Tyco did not request a tax abate-ment.
Stafford will defi nitely benefi t because the products Tyco builds cost millions of dollars and are subject to the city’s sales tax, which sup-ports Stafford.
The city’s restaurants and retail shops are also likely to increase their business and sales tax receipts because more employees may live, eat and shop in Stafford.
Tyco Valves expands in Stafford
Ahmed has not categorically denied or clarifi ed her connection to Siddiqui, because “the smear campaign would continue with questions not connected to her platform,” as reported in a section of the press.
Incidentally, Mohammed Siddiqui, said to be the brother of Aafia Siddiqui, and an Austin-based attorney, from the American Civil Liberties Union, who represented Mohammed in 2003 during an FBI inquiry in Houston, have contributed to Ahmed’s city council campaign.
Last week Sugar Land Mayor Jimmy Thompson issued the following statement: “The City of Sugar Land has always prided itself on its diversity and has been recognized with numerous state and national awards, including the Anti-Defamation League as a Community of Respect for the past four years. This honor is refl ective of how we embrace all residents and what makes our community so unique.
“It is unfortunate that some individual(s) have used the election campaign to bring up issues unrelated to the qualifi cations needed to serve on City Council. The focus on who to elect to City Council should be based on who would best serve our community, not religious or ethnic consideration. I encourage residents that are eligible to vote in the run-off elections to take this into consideration when casting their vote.”
In a subsequent TV interview on Channel 13, Thompson said Ahmed should issue a clarifi cation. If such a charge was made against him and if it was not true, he would vigorously deny it, Thompson said.
Harish Jajoo, Ahmed’s opponent in the race, issued a statement on June 3 . “I want to assure you that my campaign had nothing to do with this mailer, and I do not condone this type of tactic. I also believe that the voters deserve to hear from my opponent on this issue as well,” Jajoo said.
LinkFrom Page 1 Students fascinated by the science that unlocks crime se-
crets in the “CSI” TV drama series are invited to jump into a laboratory to learn more about the popular fi eld at an upcom-ing DNA, Genetics & Forensics Camp.
Students ages 10 to 19 are invited to the camp from 1-5 p.m. June 20 to 23 at the UH System at Sugar Land, where UHV offers many of the degree programs. Classes will be held in the biology labs at Brazos Hall, 14004 University Blvd.
“It is true that the CSI series of TV shows has had a major infl uence on how people think about forensic science,” said Richard Gunasekera, UHV director of graduate biology stud-ies and camp director. “This camp will help students realize what is real and what is not from those fi ctional shows, while they still have fun and try to solve a mystery using scientifi c analysis.”
Students will learn how to gather evidence, use lab equip-ment, analyze DNA and other skills. At the end of the camp, students will earn a certifi cate of completion.
“Students will learn quite a bit, starting with DNA and ge-netics, the basic groundwork for all of the life sciences,” said Gunasekera, who has worked as a forensics expert in court cases. “One thing we will do is extract DNA material from hair samples.”
The biology professor said students who study DNA and forensics can enter a variety of industries including medicine, nursing, genetic and biomedical engineering, research science, and lab analysis in forensics, microbiology, environmental and other health-related fi elds.
For registration and payment by credit card, call 361-570-4361 or 866-800-8762.
CSI-style camp in Sugar Land
By RUSSELL JONESOn Saturday Sugar Land
voters will have the opportu-nity to set the direction of the city for years to come. With a new baseball stadium coming on board, plans for a new con-cert venue being developed, a large site for community fes-tival events not far down the road, and one of the most at-tractive corporate relocation destinations in the country, the City will continue to be the Houston area’s premier location not only to live, but to work and play as well.
Last month, voters demon-strated their understanding of the importance of local elec-tions when they returned Don Smithers for another term on the City Council. Bridget Yeung, fresh from her role as Chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission will bring years of experience in assuring appropriate develop-ment in the few areas remain-ing in the City for develop-ment.
With three candidates in both the Districts 3 and 4 rac-es, no majority was received by any one, and Saturday will see runoffs for both positions. Unfortunately, both races have experienced troubling episodes.
Sugar Land’s cultural di-
versity has been a source of pride for many years. The city has won awards for its ability to deal with citizens of all backgrounds.
When this councilman was fi rst elected, then Councilman Daniel Wong and I pushed for Asian representation on the police force. Two years ago, the City Manager created a multicultural council, with representatives from many ethnicities invited to par-ticipate. The city’s staff has received specialized train-ing to deal with the potential for confl ict among cultures. Many other examples exist.
Sometimes, though, unex-pected issues erupt. In the race to replace this member
of the Council, one candi-date has focused his entire campaign on the Asian com-munity, ignoring the majority of the district. His strategy seems to be to run a campaign under the radar, with cam-paign circulars in Chinese. He even has attacked me, and had a supporter contact his opponent to tell her that my endorsement had been the “kiss of death.”
In the District 4 race, things have been even murkier. One candidate has been accused of directing a smear campaign against the other. There is, of course, no evidence of his in-volvement, but that does not seem to stop the rumors.
My goal is this race is nothing more than to assure that new councilmembers will support the programs and policies that have made this city great in recent years. During my term, the Council has worked together with a unifi ed vision for the city. It is regrettable that may end with the election on Saturday.
Jones is a member of the Sugar Land City Council, having been fi rst elected in 2003. He owns a law fi rm and a title insurance com-pany in Sugar Land.
By JANICE SCANLANA day trip or short trip to
Galveston always provides a nice break . . . and it’s been so interesting to watch the island recover from Ike. The latest “full recovery” is the Moody Gardens’ Rain Forest. John and I expected to just see the return of the many species of birds, monkeys and large fi sh.
We did not expect a “trans-formation.”
Last year when I viewed the Rain Forest with Abigail, its saving feature was the thriving plant life. The orchids, brome-liads and other plant life were stunning. Except for a few Macaws, most of the wildlife was missing. There was an interesting large insect dis-play, but the poison dart frogs, Chinese crocodiles, Lemurs, fi sh and other reptiles were at zoos—primarily in Houston and Dallas.
The orchids and plant life were at the same level of beauty as last year. But now, it’s more than a pretty face. The Rain Forest is now an experience to begin to under-stand life in the rain forest. There’s a new entry near the IMAX, with the former entry now being the exit.
And were the new parts of the exhibit a pleasant surprise. Before you enter the Rain For-est Pyramid, you walk through zones that capture sounds of the various kinds of creatures that inhabit the rain forest. Signage is in tune with enough information without being heavy handed. An interesting “rain display” transitions to the second fl oor. The outside area that used to exhibit fl a-mingoes and other interesting
pelicans and birds, is now be-ing prepared for a River Otter exhibit that will actually go in-side the Rain Forest Pyramid itself. You can view it from the ground level or the sec-ond story sky bridge that leads into the pyramid itself. None of the new areas are “small.” Literally the exhibit space of the Rain Forest has increased at least 30% or more.
You now enter the Pyramid up high with a sky bridge view of the rain forest with differ-ing exhibits—and it’s hot. There is an interesting digital display of outdoor and indoor temps in case you don’t no-tice, not likely.
With our current temps, we were delighted and enjoyed lingering in the new cloud display portion that next tran-sitions to the trail levels. It is cooling and life giving as it functions providing rain for the forest. Since the displays have various camoufl aged creatures, the coolness was quite welcome and invited lin-gering to really see that cha-meleon that is hidden in plain sight as well as other hard-to-spot creatures.
Any type of construction in a closed environment like the rain forest pyramid requires a lot of care to keep plants from succumbing to dust. The or-chids and other plants that are growing into the existing ce-ment structures cannot be read-ily moved. While I didn’t ask, I know draping plastic like one does in a home remodel, might create more damage in a plant intensive environment . . . and chemical smells would be a challenge.
The plants have not suffered. Even with the two major “sup-ports” for the sky bridges that are sculpted cement to look like giant tree trunks . . . and should eventually cure to grow more vines, orchids, bromeli-ads and other plants. . . plant life thrives. If you’d like some ideas for tropical plants in your landscape, I was enchanted. More birds are less contained with the Flame Ibis and other species now enjoying fl ying into the higher levels of trees.
So we had a marvelous day. We now have experienced more of the ecosystem of the Rain Forest to understand them better. And I haven’t spoiled all the new surprises.
Runoff elections Saturday BY BRENT GALLOWAY, M.D.The word diabetes is tak-
en from Greek diabaínein, and literally means “passing through.”
This is because one of dia-betes major symptoms is the excessive passage of urina-tion. In 1675, “mellitus” was added to diabetes because of the typical sweet taste of the urine and blood.
The Greek word for honey is ‘mel.’ I am glad things have changed since then. No longer do any doctors have to taste bodily fl uids to come up with a diagnosis.
In fact, our understanding of this disease process has come a long way. A quick run-down on what happens in a diabetic is as follows.
The pancreas does not pro-duce enough insulin, and the body does not effectively use that which is produced.
The body uses this hor-mone, insulin, to drive the sugar into the muscles for use as energy. Because of these effects, a person with diabe-tes mellitus has a higher than normal level of sugar in the blood. Over time, this extra sugar in the blood does quite
a bit of damage to the internal workings of the human body.
For good reason, there is a lot of talk about diabetes mel-litus today. It is the number one cause of blindness, kid-ney failure, and losing a limb in the United States today.
Even at the time of diag-nosis, a diabetic has the same risk for heart attack as some-one who has already had a heart attack.
Sadly, more and more Americans are developing this disease at an alarming rate.
In fact, diabetes-related
deaths are likely to increase by more than 50% in the next 10 years without urgent ac-tion.
Without going to see a doc-tor for a checkup, it is almost impossible to tell if you have diabetes.
Some of the more com-mon symptoms are being very thirsty, urinating frequently, and having blurred vision.
What a lot of people tell me is that they just felt quite fa-tigued and they weren’t quite sure why they were feeling bad for such a long time.
I have mentioned a lot of morbid facts about diabetes so far, so let me talk about something more positive. It is controllable with diet and medication! All the bad com-plications I have talked about so far do not have to happen.
In fact, they should not happen with proper control. So, come in for a check-up if you are due for one, or come in sooner if you have any of the above symptoms, or have a family member with diabe-tes.
Ask to see Dr. Galloway at Family Practice of Fort Bend. 281-265-3456.
Galloway
Quick facts: Diabetes Mellitus
Bill and Jared Jameson
By JARED & BILL JAMESONRecently, we’ve had sev-
eral questions from clients regarding the impact of rising interest rates on their bond portfolios. These questions are appropriate, as rates are at historic lows and the Federal Reserve has indicated its de-sire to stoke infl ation and cor-respondingly interest rates.
To address the question, we need to understand some characteristics of bonds. Bonds are essentially loans. They pay a fi xed interest rate and have a fi xed maturity date.
So for example, if you were to loan money to Gen-eral Electric, the company might agree to pay you 5 per-cent per year and return your principal in 5 years. This bond, like any investment, trades at a certain price.
The price of the bond is set by market interest rates for bonds of similar coupon rates (interest paid), credit quality and maturity. When these pa-rameters change, the price of the bond changes.
To address our original question, consider what hap-pens when market interest rates increase.
If interest rates rise, the value of your bond will fall. To understand why this is the case, consider the following example. Going back to our bond issued by General Elec-
tric, which pays 5 percent per year and matures in 5 years, assume that one day after the bond is issued, market inter-est rates rise by 1 percent. GE then issues a new bond at the 6 percent interest rate. Which bonds would you want to own?
Obviously, the bond paying the higher rate of 6 percent. Therefore, the 5 percent bond will fall in value to compen-sate for the fact that interest rates are higher and more at-tractive bonds are available.
The amount it falls depends on the parameters of the bond, but the key is the value of the
bond falls as more attractive bonds are available at higher yields. So to answer the ques-tion, an increase in interest rates will hurt the value of the bonds you currently own. Prices will fall as more attrac-tive bonds are issued. Work with your fi nancial advisor to protect your portfolio from the potential of increasing in-terest rates.
WJ Interests is a fee-only fi nancial planning and in-vestment management fi rm in Sugar Land. For more infor-mation, please contact us at [email protected] or 281-634-9400.
Finance & InvestmentInterest rates and bonds
The George Foundation provides funding for home repair as-sistance to the Fort Bend CORPS. The CORPS has received $100,000 in funding to provide home repair assistance for low income, elderly and disabled homeowners throughout the coun-ty.
“The CORPS is delighted to have the continued fi nancial support from the George Foundation,” stated Ron Castillo, Ex-ecutive Director. “The much needed funding comes at a time where the elderly, disabled and low income residents struggle daily in this economy to provide fundamental necessities and this generous support will allow our agency to improve their homes to see their basic need for safe and decent housing to continue to be met.”
The funds provided will be utilized to make necessary repairs that address life, health and safety concerns as well as incipient code issues with each eligible residence.
The Fort Bend CORPS has (5) separate programs for the owner occupied housing repair agenda: Roofs over Fort Bend, Interior Repair Program, Hearts & Hammers Volunteer Exterior Repair Program, Neighborhood Cleanup and Energy Effi ciency Program.
For more information regarding eligibility, application re-quirements, etc, please contact the Fort Bend CORPS main line: (281) 617-7416 or via email: [email protected].
Applications are available on our website: www.fbcorps.org
George Foundation provides home rehab assistance
Sugar Land is looking for volunteers interested in giving their time, energy and expertise to serve as members on the City’s boards and commissions, groups that provide valuable insight and advice on various issues and events.
Each board and commission exercises a number of advisory and quasi-judicial powers and functions that are essential to the operation of city government. Serving on one of the City boards can be a very rewarding and hands-on experience.
Boards and commissions are created and enabled in different ways. Some are mandated by statute while others are created by City Council. Terms of offi ce vary depending on the type of board, but generally run for one year, Oct. 1 through Sept. 30.
A brief description of the purpose, duties, responsibilities, and time commitment of each board or commission is avail-able on the City’s Web site, www.sugarlandtx.gov, under “City Services and City Government.”
Applications can be downloaded from the website, or call the City Secretary’s offi ce at (281) 275-2730 to have one mailed.
The completed application may be returned by fax at (281) 275-2316, by e-mail to [email protected] or de-livered in person to City Hall, 2700 Town Center Blvd. North, Suite 122. The deadline for receipt of the application for ap-pointment is Aug. 1.
Get “Hands On” experience with your city government
JUNE 8, 2010 • INDEPENDENT • Page 5
In the largest freshman class in decades, Rep. Ron Reynolds (D-Fort Bend County, District 27) was vot-ed “Freshman of the Year” by the House Democratic Cau-cus.
Rep. Reynolds worked tire-lessly on many critical issues facing the state and fought hard to protect the most vul-nerable citizens in Texas.
This session, Rep. Reyn-olds played a key leadership role in many debates includ-ing the state’s budget crisis, funding public education,
fi ghting for teachers and pro-tecting the elderly.
“I was proud to announce that Ron was our Freshman of the Year,” said Jessica Farrar, House Democratic Leader.
“Many members believe that a freshman’s job is to be seen, but not heard. Ron refused to take a back seat during this tough legislative session and his voice was important as we fought for teachers, fi nancial aid for college students, and to keep nursing homes open.”
“I commend Rep. Ron
Reynolds on being named Freshman of the Year by the House Democratic Caucus,” Speaker Joe Straus said.
“He has worked tirelessly on behalf of District 27, and his talents and experience have served the Texas House well.”
Reynolds spoke out vig-orously against the budget, which is scheduled to cut $4 billion from public education, keep 30,000 graduating high school seniors from receiving college fi nancial aid, and will close hundreds of nursing homes in early 2013.
“I am very proud and humbled to receive this rec-ognition from my colleagues and it has been an honor to represent the constituents of House District 27. I am ex-cited about the important leg-islation that I was able to pass during my freshman session,” stated Rep. Reynolds.
“I worked very hard and reached across party lines to get my bills passed, but there is still a lot of work to be done. I look forward to returning to the district after the special session and con-tinuing my hard work in the interim,” said Rep. Reynolds.
For more information, vis-it: www.ronaldreynolds.com.
www.oakbendmedcenter.org
AWARD WINNING CARE
To RSVP, call: (281) 341-3085 or (281) 238-7884.
WILLIAMS WAY CAMPUS
Free Childbirth Class
June 11, 20118:30am – 4:30pm
OakBend Medical CenterProfessional Building – Conference Center
22003 Southwest FreewayRichmond, TX 77469
Topics We Will Cover:Pregnancy
Labor & DeliveryBaby Care
Breast Feeding
Breakfast and snacks served.
NewsState Rep. Ron Reynolds named
“Freshman of the Year”
Speaker Joe Straus presents Rep. Ron Reynolds with “Freshman of the Year” recognition
Hope Endowment is a 501(c)(3) non-profi t organi-zation which fundraises for three specifi c orphanages or group homes for impover-ished children in India.
All children are provided with housing, food, clothing, medical, education and so-cial services as needed. The children that are served are between the ages of 3 to 18. The Hope Endowment cur-rently supports 180 children across the three homes.
Why now and why In-dia? India will soon overtake China as the most populated country in the world.
Currently more than 30% of the world’s births are in India and in total 16 million children are born every year (one child every 2 seconds). These children face a dim fu-ture as 37% of the population is below the poverty line and 40% of the population is illit-erate.
Over 50% of the children are also malnourished. Many of these children are abused, sold into prostitution or ex-posed to drugs.
The children that come to the Hope Endowment spon-sored orphanages are either found abandoned, picked up off the street by local police or come from nearby over-crowded orphanages.
Some are even brought in by parents or relatives too im-poverished to care for another child.
What started as one per-
son’s mission and promise to take care of orphans and impoverished children has blossomed into a full-fl edged non-profi t serving hundreds of children in India.
The work began in 2004, Dr. Niraj Patel, a Sugar Land physician partnered with Molly Philip, an Emergency Room Nurse to provide on-going support for Shepherd Children’s Home in Kerala, India.
The Home, based in a small cottage, housed three young boys and their caretakers. After demand for services in-creased in the community, the Home was expanded to a new two story structure that was completed in 2005 and ser-viced 60 boys and girls, and the planned expansion served 100 children by 2010.
In 2005, Dr. Patel asked Ms. Philip to explore ways to expand the Home’s services outside of Kerala.
In 2006, two facilities were established in Guju-rat: a Home in Rajkot cur-rently serves 20 children and a Home in Dumda near Surat houses 52 children.
The need for these services has outstripped the current facilities and plans are under-way to expand the capacity of both of these homes.
Because of this need, the Hope Endowment was cre-ated as an offi cial 501(c)(3) in the United States and simulta-neously the Hope Endowment Trust, an NGO, was created
in India to better serve these children.
The Fire and Ice Gala – presented by Methodist Sugar Land Hospital – is scheduled for Friday, August 26, 2011 at the Marriott Sugar Land Town Center Hotel.
What makes Hope Endow-ment so unique is all private donations will go directly to the children’s care in India.
The founding members of Hope Endowment have pledged to cover all adminis-trative costs.
“We are honored to join Hope Endowment in their mission to empower children in India to transcend poverty by providing a safe, caring, compassionate home and prepare these children with education and social devel-opment,” said Chris Siebena-ler, CEO at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital.
Hope Endowment deeply thanks the Methodist Sugar Land Hospital for being the presenting sponsor for the Fire and Ice Gala. This event would not be possible without their support.
Additional sponsorship op-portunities are still available. To purchase Gala tickets or for more information, contact Minal Vyas at 713-876-5110 or [email protected].
Additional information and to donate online can also be found at www.hopeendow-ment.net.
Top: Left to Right: Chris Siebenaler, CEO; Niraj Patel, MD.; Swapan Dubey, M.D.; Lowell Stanton, CFO; Bottom: Left to Right: Leena Taneja, Director of Physician Relations; Janet Leatherwood, CNO; Molly Philip, RN; Minal Vyas; Nicholas Desai, M.D. and Becky Chalupa, ACNO (Not pictured- Parin Shah, M.D.)
Methodist Sugar Land Hospital presentsFire and Ice gala for Hope Endowment
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
RESIDENTIAL HOUSING STRUCTURES CONSTRUCTION
NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION PROGRAM (NSP)
The Fort Bend CORPS, a local non-profit, is requesting proposals from licensed and insured
contractors for the complete construction of nine (9) residential single-family house structures located throughout Fort Bend County.
The specifics of the construction will be available during the pre-bid conference scheduled for Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 10:00AM.
What: Pre-bid Conference for Residential Construction
Date: Tues. June 14th, 2011
Time: 10:00am
Location: Fort Bend CORPS Office
13330 S. Gessner
Missouri City, TX 77489
(281) 617-7416
Address City Parcel Number 322 Crawford Kendleton, TX
77451 0058-02-820-0000-908
13127 2nd Street Kendleton, TX 77451
0058-02-860-0000-908
4409 Lily Lane Fresno, TX 77545
6400-00-209-0100-907
1314 Avenue C Fresno, TX 77545
3450-00-013-0702-907
4420 Lily Lane Fresno, TX 77545
6400-00-027-1501-907
1630 Staffordshire Stafford, TX 77477
0064-00-000-0953-910
1318 Guadalupe Street Stafford, TX 77477
0064-00-000-5021-907
2715 Deborah Stafford, TX 774777
0064-00-000-0914-907
4730 HWY 36 Rosenberg, TX 77471
5615-00-002-0030-901
*The Pre-bid conference is mandatory for those contractors interested in submitting
requests for proposals.
Please call our office for any questions concerning the NSP Construction Project.
NOTICE OF SPEED LIMIT REGULATIONS
U. S. HIGHWAY 90A
The City of Sugar Land City Council on May 17, 2011 adopted on second
consideration City of Sugar Land Ordinance No. 1817:
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SUGAR LAND, TEXAS, AMENDING CHAPTER
5 (PUBLIC PROPERTY AND SERVICES) OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES BY
AMENDING THE SPEED ZONE OF U.S. HIGHWAY 90A.
Section 5-128(a) of the Code of Ordinances, pertaining to the speed zone of U. S. Highway 90A, is amended to read as follows:
U.S. Highway 90A:
From the west city limits to a point 1,000 feet west of State Highway 6, a distance of approximately 0.559 miles, 55 miles per hour.
From a point 1,000 feet west of State Highway 6 to the eastern city limits, a distance of approximately 3.91 miles, 50 miles per hour.
Any person found guilty of violating this ordinance shall be fi ned not more than $200.00 for each off ense. Said ordinance is available in the offi ce of the City Secretary, City of Sugar Land, 2700 Town Center Boulevard North, Suite 122, Sugar Land, Texas, (281) 275-2730, and may be examined between the hours of 8:00 o’clock a.m. and 5:00 o’clock p.m., Monday through Friday. Glenda Gundermann, TRMC, CMCCity Secretary
Citizens as Partners in City Government
2011 Boards and Commissions
Citizens volunteering time, energy and expertise to serve on City boards and commissions provide valuable insight and advice on various subjects and events. As volunteers you become a member of a select group that is dedicated to mak-ing Sugar Land a livable, prosperous, and exceptional community.
The policy of the City Council is to annually appoint citizens to serve on various boards and commissions. Boards and commissions are created and enabled in diff erent ways. The laws and statutes that govern create some, and others are created by City Council. Terms of offi ce are for one or two years and begin Octo-ber 1st and end September 30th or with the calendar year in January, depending on the type of board.
If you are interested in serving on a board or commission an application can be found on the City Home Page www.sugarlandtx.gov, or you may call the City Secretary Department, 281 275-2730, for an application. A brief description of the purpose, duties and responsibilities, establishment and membership of each committee is available on the City Web site under “City Government / Boards and Commissions.”
The completed application may be returned by fax 281-275-2316, by e-mail to [email protected], or you may deliver the application to City Hall, 2700 Town Center Boulevard North, Suite 122. The deadline for receipt of the
application for appointment is August 01, 2011.
The City would not be what it is today if not for the role of citizen partnership and involvement in the processes of the city and in providing City Council with input and recommended direction on a variety of subjects vital to the City’s future. The Mayor and Members of City Council encourage you to be involved with your city.
NOTICE TO BIDDERS
HWY 59 LANDSCAPE BEAUTIFICATION PHASE III
The City of Sugar Land seeks bids for furnishing all labor, material, and equipment, and performing all work required for the following project in the City:
Plans, specifi cations, and bidding documents may be obtained at the following offi ce location and digitally on a compact disc free of charge
Clark Condon Associates
10401 Stella Link Road
Houston, TX 77025
(713) 871-1414
Sealed bids shall be delivered to the City of Sugar Land City Secretary Offi ce,
2700 Town Center Boulevard North, Suite 122, Sugar Land, Texas, 77479,
on or before 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 16, 2011, at which time bids will be publicly opened and read. Bids received after the opening date and time will not be considered.
A non-mandatory pre-bid meeting for all interested parties will be held 1:00
p.m., Tuesday, June 7, 2011, Brazos Room, 2700 Town Center Boulevard
North, Sugar Land, TX 77479.
The City Council will award the bid to the lowest responsible bidder that complies with all requirements of the Request for Bids. The City of Sugar Land will give notice of the contract award within sixty (60) calendar days after the bid opening date and time.
Glenda Gundermann, TRMC, CMC, AAECity Secretary
LEGAL NOTICE
The City of Missouri City, Texas is now issuing a Request for Statements of Qualifi cation for the following:
Engineering Services – Materials Testing
RSQ # 220-11The City of Missouri City is requesting statements of qualifi cations from qualifi ed fi rms to provide construction materials testing services for the various projects
that will be constructed in Fiscal Year 2012. Statements will be accepted until 2:00 p.m. local time June 20, 2011 and then opened. The statements will be evaluated with the intent of negotiating an agreement with one of the responding fi rms.Interested parties must obtain an RSQ package and provide the required information to the City in order to be considered. The RSQ packages may be obtained beginning June 1st by requesting the document name and number listed above by:•contacting the City Purchasing Offi ce at 1522 Texas Parkway (281) 403-8612•email to [email protected]
Statements must be sealed, marked with the RSQ name and number as listed above and the date of opening. Statements must be delivered to the attention of the Missouri City Purchasing Manager, 1522 Texas Parkway, Missouri City, Texas, 77489, prior to the acceptance deadline. Statements marked improperly and therefore misdirected may be disqualifi ed. Statements are opened in public in the City Hall Council Chambers.
Charles Oberrender, CPPBPurchasing Manager, City of Missouri City, Texas
THE STATE OF TEXASTO: FRANCISCO OVIEDO,
DEFENDANT,GREETING: You (and each of you) are hereby commanded to appear before the Honorable County Court-at-Law 2 of Fort Bend County, Texas, at the Courthouse being located at the William B. Travis Building, in the City of Richmond, Fort Bend County, Texas, by fi ling a written answer at or before 10 o’clock A,M, of the Monday next after the expiration of 42 days from the date of issuance of the citation, same being the 6th day of June 2011 to Plaintiff ’s Petition fi eld in said Court, on the 2nd day of March, 2010, in this cause numbered 10-CCV-041483 on the docket of said Court and styled: Austin Noreiga vs Francisco Oviedo allegations as shown in said petition now on fi le in the Fort Bend County Clerk’s Offi ce.The offi cer executing this Writ shall promptly serve the same, according to requirements of law and the mandates hereof, and make due return as the law directs.ISSUED AND GIVEN UNDER MY HAND SEAL of said Court at offi ce, this the 21st day of April, 2011.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 the next Monday following the expiration of 20 days after you are served this citation and petition, a default judgement may be taken against you.
The name and address of the Plaintiff ’s attorney is:Jackson R. ReedReed & Terry LLP56 D Sugar Creek Center Blvd.Suite 300Sugar land, TX 77479281-491-5000
DIANNE WILSON, COUNTY CLERKFORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS
301 JACKSON STREET, SUITE 101RICHMOND, TX 77469-3108
By Chelsea McDonald, Deputy
THE STATE OF TEXASTO: l JEANETTE TRENT, DEFENDANT, GREETING:YOU (AND EACH OF YOU) ARE HEREBY COMMANDED TO APPEAR before the Honorable County Court at Law 3 of Fort Bend Count Texas at the Courthouse bein located at the William B. Travis Building, in the City of Richmond, Fort Bend County, Texas, by fi ling written answer at or before 10’o Clock A.M. of the Monday next after the expiration of 42 days from the date of issuance of this citation, the same beingg the 6th day of June, 2011, to Plaintiff ’s Petition fi led in said Court, on the 15th day of 0ctober 2010, in this Cause, numbered 10-CCV -043275 on the docket of said Court and styled: Rachel Christie vs Jeanette Trent; allegations as shown in said petition now on fi le in the Fort Bend County Clerk‘s Offi ce.The offi cer executing this Writ shall promptly serve the same, according to requirements of law and the mandates hereof, and make due return as the law directs.ISSUED AND GIVEN UNDER MY HAND AND SEAL of said court at offi ce, this 21st day of April 21.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 a.m. the next Monday following the expiration of 20 days after you are served this citation and petiiton, a default judgement may be taken against you.
The name and address of the plaintiff ’s attorney is:Jackson R ReedReed & Terry LLP56 Sugar Creek Center Blvd, Suite 300Sugar Land TX 77478 (281-491-5000)
THE OFFICE OF DIANNE WILSON, COUNTY CLERK
301 JACKSON, SUITE 101RICHMOND TEXAS 77469-3108
By Chlesea McDonaldDeputy
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICEThe Commissioners Court of Fort Bend County, Texas has set a public hearing at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 28, 2011 for replat of Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District No. 25, Lift Station No. 9, being a partial replat of Grand Parkway Baptist Church, Precinct 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 replat. Should you wish to exercise your right, you may be heard at the planned public hearing. You may contact Matt Tucker with West Belt Surveying Inc. at 281-599-8288 for information prior to the hearing.Submitted by,Dianne WilsonFort Bend County Clerk
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, Rosen-berg, TX 77471 for the following un-til THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011 at 1:30 P.M. CST). All proposals will then be opened in the Offi ce of the Purchas-ing Agent, Rosenberg Annex, 4520 Reading Road, Suite A, Rosenberg, TX 77471 and the names of the propos-ers made public. Proposals received after the specifi ed time will be re-turned unopened.RFP 11-071 – CONSTRUCTION OF SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL STRUCTUREA pre-RFP conference with site visits will be conducted on Thursday, June 9, 2011 at 9:00 AM (CST). The con-ference will be held at the Fort Bend County Facility located at 9110 Long Street in Needville, Texas. All contrac-tors are encouraged to attend; no ad-ditional site visits will be conducted. Unit pricing is required; payment will be by check after products/services are rendered. Bonds are not required.Fort Bend County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals.
Signed:Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., Purchasing AgentFort 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, JUNE 16, 2011 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 returned unopened.RFP 11-072 – PROVIDE AND INSTALL VINYL BUS WRAPS ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTAION BUSESUnit pricing is required; payment will be by check after products/services are rendered. Bonds are not required.Fort Bend County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals.Signed:Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., Purchasing AgentFort Bend County, Richmond, Texas
NOTICE TO BIDDERS
ELDRIDGE PARK TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS
The City of Sugar Land seeks bids for furnishing all labor, material, and equipment, and performing all work required for the following project in the City:
CIP PROJECT NAME: Eldridge Park Trail Improvements
CIP PROJECT NUMBER: PK0712
LOCATION OF WORK: Eldridge Park
2511 Eldridge Road
Sugar Land, TX 77478
Plans, specifi cations, and bidding documents may be obtained at the following location for $13.25.
ARC / Ridgeways
6300 Gulfton
Houston, TX 77081
(713) 988-9200
Sealed bids shall be delivered to the City of Sugar Land City Secretary Offi ce,
2700 Town Center Boulevard North, Suite 122, Sugar Land, Texas, 77479, on or before 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 30, 2011, at which time bids will be publicly opened and read. Bids received after the opening date and time will not be considered.
The City Council will award the bid to the lowest responsible bidder that complies with all requirements of the Request for Bids. The City of Sugar Land will give notice of the contract award within sixty (60) calendar days after the bid opening date and time.
Glenda Gundermann, TRMC, CMC, AAECity Secretary
NOTICE TO PROPOSERS
Six (6) sealed proposals, one (1) original and fi ve (5) copies, addressed to the City of Sugar Land, Texas, will be received until 2:00 o’clock p.m., Thursday, June 23,
2011, for:GROUP MEDICAL AND PRESCRIPTION DRUG,
GROUP DENTAL, VOLUNTARY VISION, AND STOP LOSS
Sealed bids shall be appropriately marked as follows:
RFP NO. 2011-16 GROUP MEDICAL AND PRESCRIPTION DRUG,
GROUP DENTAL, VOLUNTARY VISION, AND STOP LOSS
BIDDER’S NAME, ADDRESS, AND DUE DATE.
Bidder shall sign and date the bid. Bids that are not signed and dated will
be rejected.
Signed and sealed proposals shall be delivered to the City Secretary Offi ce, on or before 2:00 o’clock p.m., Thursday, June 23, 2011, City of Sugar Land, City Hall, Suite 122, 2700 Town Center Blvd. North, Sugar Land, Texas, 77479. All proposals received after the appointed time shall be returned to bidder unopened. Notice of the award of contract shall be given by the City within ninety (90) days following the date for the opening of bids.
The City reserves the right to revise or amend the specifi cations prior to the date set for opening of opening date. Such revisions or amendments, if any, will be announced by addenda or addendum to the specifi cations. Copies of such addenda so issued will be furnished to all prospective bidders and may or may not aff ect the bid
The City of Sugar Land reserves the right to reject any and all proposal and to waive informalities in bids received. The award will be made to the lowest responsible bidder based on the evaluation criteria provided in the RFP.
Proposal documents may be secured from City of Sugar Land City Secretary Offi ce, 2700 Town Center Blvd N, Suite 122, Sugar Land, Texas, 77479, or by registering at https://www.bidsync.com. Registration is free. All bid documents, amendments and other information relating to the bid will be posted at this site.
For questions regarding this request for proposal, please contact Dane Thorwaldson, Account Coordinator with Gallagher Benefi t Services, at telephone number (713) 358-7862 or via email at [email protected].
Glenda Gundermann, TRMC, CMC, AAECity Secretary
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, JUNE 23, 2011 at 1:30 P.M. (CST). All bids will then be publicly opened and read in the Offi 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 11-074 – PUBLIC SUPPLY WELLUnit pricing is required; payment will be by check after products/services are rendered. Bonds are required.Fort Bend County reserves the right to reject any or all bids.
Signed: Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., Purchasing AgentFort 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, JUNE 23, 2011 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 returned unopened.1. RFP 11-073 – DRUG TESTING FOR JUVENILE DETENTION;2. RFP 11-075 – SIP TRUNKING FOR PHONE SYSTEM.Unit pricing is required; payment will be by check after products/services are rendered. Bonds are not required.Fort Bend County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals. Signed: Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., Purchasing AgentFort Bend County, Richmond, Texas
Understanding Medica-tion Management will be the topic of discussion on June 28 at the First United Methodist Church in Mis-souri City. The program beginning at 11 a.m. will discuss when and how to use medications to manage behaviors associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The speaker will describe ways to resolve, minimize or pre-vent problems associated with medications. Finally, the program will explore alternative ways to address certain symptoms without medication. RSVP to Chloe Rushing at 713-314-1313.
Small businesses in Texas with fewer than 100 employees may now benefi t from the workforce training initiative Skills for Small Business which provides tuition and fees for employ-ees who participate in an existing course offered by two-year public community or technical colleges, or the Texas Engineer-ing Extension Service (TEEX).
This new program provides up to $1,450 for each newly hired full-time employee trained and up to $725 for each in-cumbent employee. An employee can participate once dur-ing a 12-month period. Businesses apply directly to TWC for training at a local college. TWC will evaluate applications and, upon approval, fund the college for the requested training. For more information, visit the Skills for Small Business website at http://ssb.texasworkforce.org or contact Workforce Business Services Project Development at (877) 463-1777.
Are you a criminal investi-gator, police or parole offi cer? Then don’t miss nationally-renowned criminal investiga-tor Marx Howell presenting “A Look Inside the Criminal Mind.” This 3-day training starts June 13th at Wharton County Junior College’s Sug-ar Land campus. Good seats are still available at less than $85 a day, including lunch. And the course is approved for TCLEOSE (tee-close) and other training credits. To register for this advanced criminal investigative analysis training, call Wharton County Junior College at 979-532-6554.
The Sugar Land Demo-crats Club presents an edu-cational forum on USA Drug Policy. Keynote speakers will be Prof. Bill Martin, Head of Drug Policy for the James A. Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University and Mr. Jerry Epstein, President of Drug Policy Forum of Texas.
The forum will be held on Saturday, June 11, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Sugar Land Branch Library at 550 Eldridge at the corner of 7th Street and 1/2 mile north of Hwy 90A. For more informa-tion, contact, Deron Patterson Co-Chair, Sugar Land Demo-crats Club at 281-841-0829 or [email protected].
Fort Bend Toyota Donor Blood Drive
Fort Bend Toyota will be hosting a donor blood drive benefi ting the Gulf Coast Re-gional Blood Bank on July 15, 2011 from 1:30 - 5:00 p.m. at 20465 Southwest Freeway, Richmond (Hwy 59 & Hwy 99). All donors will receive a patriotic Commit for Life t-shirt from Gulf Coast Region-al Blood Bank.
Page 6 • INDEPENDENT • JUNE 8, 2011
Sugar Land Democrats
Club
Criminal investigator
training
Big News for small business in Texas!
Award-winning Fort Bend Theatre presents A Year with Frog and Toad performing June 7th-26th, Saturdays and Sundays at 3 pm at 2815 N. Main St in Stafford. This de-lightful musical based on Ar-nold Lobel’s beloved char-acters remains true to the classic children’s tales. Fol-low the best of friends, the cheery Frog and the prickly Toad, through a year’s jour-ney of four fun-fi lled sea-sons as they learn about the magic of friendship. Tickets are available online at the FBT website www.fortbend-theatre.com and are only $8. For more information or group sales, call 281-208-3333.
Fort Bend Theatre will be holding auditions for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to be per-formed at the Stafford Cen-tre August 5-7.
Auditions will be held June 19th and 20th, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. at 2815 N. Main Street in Stafford. Visit www.fort-bendtheatre.com and click the upcoming auditions tab or call 281-208-3333.
Medication management
Frog and Toad! at Fort Bend
Theater
Things started off poorly for me. I had been looking forward to seeing the pre-quel to X-Men for awhile as Marvel has had a good run of movies and they certainly have spent some money in the productions. Eric H. has been talking about the movie for weeks.
I purchased my usual pop-corn and new drink, Sprite, which sounds solid enough, but when I sat down in The-atre 13 at AMC First Colony 24, and took my fi rst drink, I realized that my Sprite was blah and tasted like it had been in the cup waiting for me for about a week.
I hate it when that happens, but Theatre 13 is one of the giant theatres and I couldn’t muster enough indignation to warrant the long trip to the
concession so I just drank it as though it was the best Sprite in Sugar Land.
And then things got really bad; the movie started.
The story dramatically be-gins in a Nazi prison camp
in 1944 when we are intro-duced to then 12-year-old Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto) who is being terrorized by the prison doctor Herr Shaw played by none other than Kevin Bacon himself.
The action quickly switch-es to 1944 New York for the introduction of other young members of the fi rst training class of X-Men.
The premise of this mov-ie is to introduce us to the school started by Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and the team of youngsters who have gifts of superhuman abilities and are trained to fi ght evil.
We already know that Charles and Erik become archenemies, but fi rst things fi rst. McAvoy is playing the part of the younger Xavier which was famously por-trayed by the legendary Pat-rick Stewart in the fi rst three installments.
We are painfully intro-duced to the young charac-ters with their superhuman
JUNE 8, 2011 • INDEPENDENT • Page 7
FILM REVIEW: X-Men- First Class
THE TIME IS NOW,THE TIME IS NOW, THE WAIT IS OVERTHE WAIT IS OVER
www.RemaxFine.comHighway 6 & Austin Parkway
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Soccer Elites, World Cup Players, & International Professionals
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Dr. Tom Parr plays on a recreational, over 30, co-ed soccer team.
Physician Assistant, Ashley Donnell (#25), played defense for the University of Denver on an athletic scholarship.
www.tomparrmd.netwww.FtBendSportsMedicine.com
14090 Southwest Fwy, #130, Sugar Land, TX 77478
We understand athletes.
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JANICE W. SUCHYTA
AV Rated by Martindale Hubbell Not certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
PROUDLY SERVING FORT BEND SINCE 1981
In the Sugar Land Industrial Park 407 Julie Rivers Drive, Sugar Land, Tx. 77478
● Real Estate ● Health Care Law ● ● Business and Corporate Law ●
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AUTOMOBILE: Hyundai Elantra
Not just oil, Pennzoil
Kwik Kar Lube & Tune
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Missouri City
A Kwik Kar is a Happy CarMon-Fri: 8 a.m.- 6 p.m.
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Not Just Oil, Pennzoil
abilities that are believed to be a result of a mutant X-gene. All of you X-Men freaks will love the detail and background revealed in this movie, but I was bored to tears. I was yawning so big that my jaw was hurting.
There was a large crowd for an extremely hot June 3rd early matinee, but I could not fi nd any character that I cared about or could empa-thize with, so I walked.
As I walked out of The-
atre 13 at about the one hour and ten minute mark, I con-sidered mocking the crowd, but they seemed glued to the screen.
To each his own, but if you are not already a hardcore X-Men devotee, choose another movie.
pact sedan that encompasses Hyundai’s Fluidic Sculpture design, advanced safety and fuel effi ciency.
Highlights of the 2011 El-antra include the new 1.8-li-ter engine and in-house six-speed automatic transmission; 40 miles to the gallon on the highway on all models with automatic or manual transmis-sion; best-in-class standard fuel economy and improved fuel effi ciency by up to 18 per-cent over last year’s Elantras.
Other highlights are the in-terior volume; numerous stan-dard safety systems including brake assist and electronic brake force distribution; touch-screen navigation with rear-view camera and iPod®/USB inputs; Bluetooth® hands-free phone system with voice rec-ognition and fi rst heated rear seats in its segment.
The 2011 Elantra exem-plifi es Hyundai’s emotional Fluidic Sculpture design prin-ciples, which considers the interplay of wind with rigid surfaces to create the illusion of constant motion. Successful sedans in the U.S. market all have a distinct silhouette so the lines on the 2011 Elantra fl ow with the addition of a strong undercut feature line starting at the front door. These lines lead to an aerodynamic body.
Hyundai’s signature hex-agonal front grille and detailed
swept-back headlights give the Elantra a compact athletic face. The assertive stance is complimented by 15-, 16- or 17-inch alloy wheels. Option-al fog lights and side repeater mirrors complete the design.
Also new for 2011 Elantras is they deliver more power and fuel economy. The 1.8-liter Nu four-cylinder engine makes 148 horsepower and 131 lb.-ft. of torque and gets an esti-mated 29 miles to the gallon in city driving and 40 on the highway.
The 2011 Elantra can be equipped with a six-speed manual or automatic trans-axle with Shiftronic manual control. The all-new six-speed automatic is 11 pounds lighter than Hyundai’s global fi ve-speed and 17 pounds lighter than the fi ve-speed automatic found in Honda Civic. It is considerably simpler, hav-ing 62 fewer parts, which is
a key to increased durability, lighter weight and lower cost. The 2011 Elantra’s six-speed manual transmission is also all-new.
The Elantra rides on a 106.3-inch wheelbase, which is two-inches longer than the previous generation. Its over-all length has increased by 0.9 inches to 178.3 inches, with the 69.9-inch width remain-ing the same. The height has been lowered by 1.8 inches to 56.5 inches, without affecting headroom.
Elantra’s total interior vol-ume of 110.4 cubic feet beats the 2011 Honda Civic sedan, 2011 Nissan Sentra, 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, 2011 Ford Focus and 2011 Toyota Co-rolla. Surprisingly, it even sur-passes the Acura TSX (107.1 cu. ft.), Nissan Maxima (110.0 cu. ft), and VW Passat CC (109.3 cu. ft.) in total interior volume. Ultimately, the long
wheelbase allows for compact car effi ciency with mid-size car comfort and has the best-in-class front seat legroom.
The all-new Elantra is fi tted with a McPherson strut front suspension, with coil springs and gas shock absorbers. The rear suspension is a coupled torsion beam rear suspension with monotube shock absorb-ers for ride comfort. A front stabilizer bar reduces body roll when cornering.
Elantra is available with two audio systems. The standard is a 172-watt AM/FM/Satellite Radio/CD/MP3 audio system with six-speakers and iPod®/USB/auxiliary input jacks. A 360-watt system with external amplifi er is optional.
Touch-screen navigation is available on GLS and Limited models and includes a high-resolution 7.0-inch screen and voice-activation by headliner-mounted microphone. The XM Satellite Radio interface is also integrated into the navi-gation unit. Elantra owners can also get the optional key with push button start and im-mobilizer, power sunroof, one touch driver’s window and leather seating surfaces.
The all-new Elantra offers modern design and numerous comfort and convenience fea-tures. Prices start at $14,830 and go to $19,980 for the Lim-ited at the top of the model lineup.
Wharton County Junior College is pleased to an-nounce the recent gradua-tion of 31 students from its Associate of Applied Science Degree in Nursing program.
The graduates pictured front row left to right include: Kristy Prihoda of Brazoria, Maria Scholz of Richmond, Xia Liu and Nichole Blair of Sugar Land, Diana Posada of Eagle Lake, Amber Martinez of Ganado, Samantha Yates and Frankie Trevino of Bay City, and Cynthia Wolfe of Pettus.
Graduates pictured middle row left to right include: Lara Schroeder of Richmond, Anna Owings of Sugar Land, Dawn Collins of El Campo, Conda Brown of Needville, Sarah Horak of Katy, Jodi Rugaard of Rosenberg, Jacob Gar-cia of Markham, Catherine
Kingsbury of Sugar Land, Jenna Laurie of Richmond.
Graduates pictured back row left to right include: Julie Nie-meyer of Rosenberg, Shellsea
Machacek of Palacios, Cindy Sharaf of New Ulm, Jennifer Faas of Needville, Brett Orsak of Beasley, Randy Vacek of El Campo, Ashlea Gibson of Whar-
ton, Vanessa Pierce of Fulshear, Patricia Kaiser of Missouri City.
For more information contact WCJC’s associate degree nurs-ing program at (979) 532-6391.
Page 8 • INDEPENDENT • JUNE 8, 2011
Now accepting new patients;
Most major insurance plans accepted
14825 Southwest Freeway, Sugar Land, TX 77478
Robert L. McClendon, M.D.
Brent W. Galloway, M.D.
Family Practice of
Fort BendA TRADITION OF CARING
FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY
281-265-3456
In-home servicefor SENIORS by Seniors
Companionship. Light Housekeeping. House
Maintenance and Small Repairs. Meal Preparation.
Overnight stays. Transportation. Doctor Appointments.
Shopping. Pet Care. Yard Work. Mobility Assistance.
SENIORS Helping SENIORS.... a way to give and to receive.
Several of the NJROTC cadets from William P. Clements High School presented the Ma-rine Mom’s with a donation at the Memorial Day celebration in Memorial Park. The Marine Mom’s collect food items to send to the troops based in Afghanistan. Clements NJROTC is very active in the community. Throughout the school year, cadets have volunteered with the Alzheimer’s Association, Fort Bend Education Foundation and Special Olympics. Pictured left to right are Cadets: Brant Mer-edith, John Collins and Nick Ambrocik.
Gennesis Gon-zalez, a seventh-grade student at Lake Olympia Middle School, recently en-tered a drawing in an art contest spon-sored by Texas A&M University’s Part-nership for Environ-mental Education and Rural Health (PEER) and Sigma Xi. She was among more than 415 stu-dents representing 53 middle schools in Texas to submit car-toon drawings de-picting the relation-ship between a pet and its owner. Gen-nesis’ exceptional drawing of a little girl painting the tail of her dog earned her an honorable mention in the con-test. As a winner, she received a cer-tifi cate, an invitation to attend an awards dinner, and the op-portunity to attend the Texas A&M Uni-versity’s Distin-guished Lecture Se-ries on “Companion Animals” by Dean Eleanor Greene.
Sugar Land Chap-ter 4075 AARP cel-ebrated their 25th anniversary last Wednesday at the Senior Center, with a covered dish lunch and Kempner High students singing. Past Presidents that attended shown above Leon An-hhaiser, Betty Dan-iels Tom Garguilo, Nadine Johnston,
Lake Olympia Middle School student wins Cartoon Art
