By SESHADRI KUMAR Community groups, Yoga centers and students of all ages will participate in the “Health for Humanity Yogathon” campaign from Jan. 14 to Jan. 29 in Hous- ton and in other parts of the U.S. The highlight of this year’s program is a special event at Sugar Land Town Square. “A Yogathon is planned on Saturday, Jan. 28 from 10 a.m. to 11.30 a.m at the town square. “This campaign encourages persons from all parts of the country regardless of age, gen- der, ethnicity, faith, nationality etc. to participate and achieve personal goals of a healthy life style,” says program coordinator Manoj Rathi of Sugar Land. “One of the best things about Surya Namaskar is how flexible and versatile a form of exercise it is for most fitness levels. As a yoga instructor, I highly rec- ommend that everyone who is able, try to learn the sequence and discover for themselves the wealth of improved health from a regular practice,” says Roslyn Earle of Yoga For Peace, Inc., a non-profit educational organiza- tion dedicated to promoting Yo- gic Principles, Philosophy and Practice. Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA launched the “Health for Humanity Yogathon,” also known as Surya Namaskar Ya- jna (SNY), as an annual event in 2007, to create awareness about yoga and its advantages in achieving a healthy body, mind, and spirit. The Sun salutation yoga routine integrates simple postures of well-balanced move- ments in ten steps with an easy breathing technique to provide health benefits for everyone from beginners to yoga enthusiasts. Hindus worldwide celebrate Jan. 14 as Makar Sankranti – a day that marks the change of season as the sun enters the sign of Capricorn or Makar. Makar Sankranti ushers in longer days; hence, the festivity symbolizes sunshine in life. Sun salutation is a form of Yoga, performed to revere and celebrate this sunshine that is vital for life on our planet. To introduce Yoga to the youth, an event will be held on Saturday, Jan. 14 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at India House, 8888 W. Bellfort, Houston, TX 77031. The program aims at reducing obesity through yoga. Call Tejas Dave at 832-620-0427 or email [email protected] for infor- mation on this event. Sun Salutations according to the Vedic system will be held from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Kes- hav Smruthi, 4018 Westhollow Parkway, Houston TX 77082 on Jan. 14. To learn more about Yo- gathon, visit www.hssus.org/sny or email at [email protected]. For more information call Manoj Rathi at 713-732-8233. Phone: 281-980-6745 ww ww w.fbindependent.com .fbindependent.com P.O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012 VOL 5 No. 2 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. Official newspaper of Fort Bend County, Missouri City & Sugar Land Tax Return Preparation— Electronic Filing We are ready to help you with a broad range of tax needs including * Form 1040— Personal Tax Return * Business Returns —Corporate & Partnership * Tax Planning & Projections * Complimentary Electronic Filing for School Teachers, Peace Officers and Firefighters Sandersen Knox & Company, LLP 130 Industrial Blvd, Suite 130 Sugar Land, TX 77478 (281)242-3232 www.sktx.com; [email protected]Yogathon at Town Square Salutation to the sun in progress at George Bush Park in Houston. File picture. The Republican Women’s Clubs of Fort Bend County will host a candidate forum for candidates seeking the office of Fort Bend County Sheriff. The event will be held at the Fort Bend County Chamber of Commerce, 445 Commerce Green. Meet and greet begins at 11 a.m. fol- lowed by the forum at 11:30. No RSVP is required. The public is encouraged to at- tend. For additional informa- tion contact Linda Hancock at 281-467-8039. The candidates are Craig Brady, Troy Ne- hls, John Minchew and Billy Frank Teague. The Greater Fort Bend County Tea Party hosts a Sheriff Candidates Forum onThursday Jan. 19, at Sugar Creek Baptist Church - Chapel Room at 6 p.m. By BARBARA FULENWIDER Construction of a second railroad track along the one that runs beside U.S. 90A is expected to begin sometime in March, ac- cording to a spokeswoman for Union Pacific’s southern region. Raquel Espinoza, UP corporate relations and media director, said bids for the project are due on Feb. 1 and “we anticipate selecting a contractor within four to six weeks. If all goes well, construction for the first phase from Post Oak Road to the east side of Cravens Road will begin in March. The project is ex- pected to take nine to 12 months to complete.” She also said that the second phase, from just east of Cra- vens Road through Stafford and Sugar Land, “could begin in July 2012. That part of the project should take 15 to 18 months.” Stafford Mayor Leonard Scarcella said city lawyers “are look- ing at it but from both federal and state law it doesn’t look like there’s a lot we can do to stop it. So far Olson and Olson, city lawyers, “haven’t come up with any silver bullet to stop it.” Espinoza said the second track will help UP “get its trains through the area a lot more efficiently. The U.S. 90A track is used by four railroads including Amtrak. A second track will help us get our trains through the area much faster.” She compared the double tracking to adding lanes to a street to get more cars to their destination quicker. She also said, “I don’t think this will impact any local plans for commuter rail, since the track will be built entirely on rail- road right-of-way.” Union Pacific to build second railroad track By SESHADRI KUMAR Fort Bend County Com- missioners Court on Jan. 3 ap- proved a federal grant payment of $36,410 to the Fred & Ma- bel R. Parks Youth Ranch, Inc., to operate a youth shelter for homeless and at-risk youth in Fairchilds. Pct. 1 Commissioner Rich- ard Morrison voted against the grant. An impassioned plea from neighbors, a school superin- dent, a school board member and Morrison failed to per- suade the commissioners court to deny the funding. When the youth shelter opened more than a year ago, there were similar protests and Morrison opposed it as his con- stituents were opposed to the project. Two weeks ago, when the emergency shelter grant came up for approval, Morrison said the original claim of the youth shelter was to accommodate Fort Bend County youth. But, the shelter provides home to a majority of youth from outside the county, he said. Neighbors to the youth ranch spoke about the youth running away from the shelter, lack of proper fencing around the shel- ter and the nuisance caused by them. Needville ISd Superinten- dent Curtis Rhodes told com- missioners court that only three or four Fort Bend youth were in the shelter, which provides home to 20 at any given time. These children attend Need- ville ISD and Neeedville tax- payers have to pay for their education. Also, when the chil- dren from the shelter drop out, the school district suffers fund- ing consequences. A Needville ISD trustee sim- ilarly asked why Needville and Fort Bend taxpayers should pay for educating children from outside the county. Linda Shultz, executive director, of the youth ranch, explained that referrals come from Texas Department of Family and Protective Servic- es, County Juvenile Probation or the community. Before the youth ranch was set up in Fort Bend, local homeless youth were housed in centers elsewhere. Parks Youth Ranch was es- tablished to address an identi- fied gap in services for abused, at risk and homeless youth in Fort Bend County. In February 2011 the 90-day emergency youth shelter and counseling center opened and is serving youth between the ages of 13 to 17 years of age. The ranch houses three facilities: The George Counseling Center, a temporary shelter and a new recreation center. Under federal law, the local school district has to offer edu- cation and the youth ranch has limitations on how it can spend the grant money, Shultz said. Commissioner James Pat- terson asked the youth ranch to address the concerns of resi- dents regarding fencing and security. To reduce the burden on the local school district, he County approves grant to youth ranch despite opposition suggested the idea of having a charter school to provide on site education. Sheriff candidates
Transcript
By SESHADRI KUMARCommunity groups, Yoga
centers and students of all ages will participate in the “Health for Humanity Yogathon” campaign from Jan. 14 to Jan. 29 in Hous-ton and in other parts of the U.S.
The highlight of this year’s program is a special event at Sugar Land Town Square.
“A Yogathon is planned on Saturday, Jan. 28 from 10 a.m. to 11.30 a.m at the town square.
“This campaign encourages persons from all parts of the country regardless of age, gen-der, ethnicity, faith, nationality etc. to participate and achieve personal goals of a healthy life
style,” says program coordinator Manoj Rathi of Sugar Land.
“One of the best things about Surya Namaskar is how fl exible and versatile a form of exercise it is for most fi tness levels. As a yoga instructor, I highly rec-ommend that everyone who is able, try to learn the sequence and discover for themselves the wealth of improved health from a regular practice,” says Roslyn Earle of Yoga For Peace, Inc., a non-profi t educational organiza-tion dedicated to promoting Yo-gic Principles, Philosophy and Practice.
Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA launched the “Health
for Humanity Yogathon,” also known as Surya Namaskar Ya-jna (SNY), as an annual event in 2007, to create awareness about yoga and its advantages in achieving a healthy body, mind, and spirit. The Sun salutation yoga routine integrates simple postures of well-balanced move-ments in ten steps with an easy breathing technique to provide health benefi ts for everyone from beginners to yoga enthusiasts.
Hindus worldwide celebrate Jan. 14 as Makar Sankranti – a day that marks the change of season as the sun enters the sign of Capricorn or Makar. Makar Sankranti ushers in longer days;
hence, the festivity symbolizes sunshine in life.
Sun salutation is a form of Yoga, performed to revere and celebrate this sunshine that is vital for life on our planet. To introduce Yoga to the youth, an event will be held on Saturday, Jan. 14 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at India House, 8888 W. Bellfort, Houston, TX 77031.
The program aims at reducing obesity through yoga. Call Tejas Dave at 832-620-0427 or email [email protected] for infor-mation on this event.
Sun Salutations according to the Vedic system will be held from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Kes-
hav Smruthi, 4018 Westhollow Parkway, Houston TX 77082 on Jan. 14. To learn more about Yo-gathon, visit www.hssus.org/sny
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.
Offi cial newspaper of Fort Bend County, Missouri City & Sugar Land
Tax Return Preparation— Electronic FilingWe are ready to help you with a broad range of tax needs including* Form 1040— Personal Tax Return* Business Returns —Corporate & Partnership* Tax Planning & Projections* Complimentary Electronic Filing for School Teachers, Peace Offi cers and Firefi ghters
Sandersen Knox & Company, LLP130 Industrial Blvd, Suite 130
Salutation to the sun in progress at George Bush Park in Houston. File picture.
The Republican Women’s Clubs of Fort Bend County will host a candidate forum for candidates seeking the offi ce of Fort Bend County Sheriff. The event will be held at the Fort Bend County Chamber of Commerce, 445 Commerce Green. Meet and greet begins at 11 a.m. fol-lowed by the forum at 11:30. No RSVP is required. The public is encouraged to at-tend. For additional informa-tion contact Linda Hancock at 281-467-8039. The candidates are Craig Brady, Troy Ne-hls, John Minchew and Billy Frank Teague. The Greater Fort Bend County Tea Party hosts a Sheriff Candidates Forum onThursday Jan. 19, at Sugar Creek Baptist Church - Chapel Room at 6 p.m.
By BARBARA FULENWIDERConstruction of a second railroad track along the one that runs
beside U.S. 90A is expected to begin sometime in March, ac-cording to a spokeswoman for Union Pacifi c’s southern region.
Raquel Espinoza, UP corporate relations and media director, said bids for the project are due on Feb. 1 and “we anticipate selecting a contractor within four to six weeks. If all goes well, construction for the fi rst phase from Post Oak Road to the east side of Cravens Road will begin in March. The project is ex-pected to take nine to 12 months to complete.”
She also said that the second phase, from just east of Cra-vens Road through Stafford and Sugar Land, “could begin in July 2012. That part of the project should take 15 to 18 months.”
Stafford Mayor Leonard Scarcella said city lawyers “are look-ing at it but from both federal and state law it doesn’t look like there’s a lot we can do to stop it. So far Olson and Olson, city lawyers, “haven’t come up with any silver bullet to stop it.”
Espinoza said the second track will help UP “get its trains through the area a lot more effi ciently. The U.S. 90A track is used by four railroads including Amtrak. A second track will help us get our trains through the area much faster.”
She compared the double tracking to adding lanes to a street to get more cars to their destination quicker.
She also said, “I don’t think this will impact any local plans for commuter rail, since the track will be built entirely on rail-road right-of-way.”
Union Pacifi c to build second railroad track By SESHADRI KUMAR
Fort Bend County Com-missioners Court on Jan. 3 ap-proved a federal grant payment of $36,410 to the Fred & Ma-bel R. Parks Youth Ranch, Inc., to operate a youth shelter for homeless and at-risk youth in Fairchilds.
Pct. 1 Commissioner Rich-ard Morrison voted against the grant.
An impassioned plea from neighbors, a school superin-dent, a school board member and Morrison failed to per-suade the commissioners court to deny the funding.
When the youth shelter opened more than a year ago, there were similar protests and Morrison opposed it as his con-stituents were opposed to the project.
Two weeks ago, when the emergency shelter grant came up for approval, Morrison said the original claim of the youth shelter was to accommodate Fort Bend County youth. But, the shelter provides home to a
majority of youth from outside the county, he said.
Neighbors to the youth ranch spoke about the youth running away from the shelter, lack of proper fencing around the shel-ter and the nuisance caused by them.
Needville ISd Superinten-dent Curtis Rhodes told com-missioners court that only three or four Fort Bend youth were in the shelter, which provides home to 20 at any given time.
These children attend Need-ville ISD and Neeedville tax-payers have to pay for their education. Also, when the chil-dren from the shelter drop out, the school district suffers fund-ing consequences.
A Needville ISD trustee sim-ilarly asked why Needville and Fort Bend taxpayers should pay for educating children from outside the county.
Linda Shultz, executive director, of the youth ranch, explained that referrals come from Texas Department of Family and Protective Servic-
es, County Juvenile Probation or the community.
Before the youth ranch was set up in Fort Bend, local homeless youth were housed in centers elsewhere.
Parks Youth Ranch was es-tablished to address an identi-fi ed gap in services for abused, at risk and homeless youth in Fort Bend County. In February 2011 the 90-day emergency youth shelter and counseling center opened and is serving youth between the ages of 13 to 17 years of age. The ranch houses three facilities: The George Counseling Center, a temporary shelter and a new recreation center.
Under federal law, the local school district has to offer edu-cation and the youth ranch has limitations on how it can spend the grant money, Shultz said.
Commissioner James Pat-terson asked the youth ranch to address the concerns of resi-dents regarding fencing and security. To reduce the burden on the local school district, he
County approves grant to youth ranch despite oppositionsuggested the idea of having a charter school to provide on site education.
PERRYHOMES.comPlans, prices and availability are subject to change without notice. (11/10)
V O F B C !Cross Creek Ranch2,200 - 2,900 sq. ft. (281) 633-25552,900 - 3,300 sq. ft. (281) 238-0919 2,900 - 3,700 sq. ft. (281) 238-0919
Westheimer Lakes1,600 - 3,100 sq. ft. (832) 222-2120
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
Riverstone2,200 - 2,900 sq. ft. (281) 778-2100 2,600 - 4,100 sq. ft. (281) 778-3840
Sienna Plantation3,400 - 7,000 sq. ft. (281) 778-7800
Creekmont1,900 - 3,500 sq. ft. (281) 431-8600
Shadow Creek Ranch1,600 - 2,900 sq. ft. (713) 436-87511,900 - 3,300 sq. ft. (713) 436-93702,500 - 3,300 sq. ft. (713) 436-8751
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
102
65
3
10
610
9059
59
906
6
99
1093
1464
1463
723
1WEST PARK
FORT BEND
521288
10
98
74
The scene is set for Missouri City’s annual Dad & Daughter Dance with a special theme: “Princess Ball.” It will be a magical time for fathers and their “princesses” to share precious moments together just like the duos above and right did last year.It’s a chance for princesses to don their fi nest frocks, show off the latest hairstyles and choose the perfect accessories for the 16th annual Dad and Daughter Dance with the theme “Princess Ball.” The big event will be held on Saturday, Feb. 11 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Community Center, 1522 Texas Parkway, in the City Hall complex.“The dance is a special time for Dads and Daughters to share precious memories and time together,” said Parks and Recre-ation Specialist Lauren Carrier. Dads and Daughters will receive a photo and food, with cor-sages available for purchase at the dance. The young ladies will also enjoy a confetti explosion at the conclusion of the exciting evening. Ticket prices are $25 per couple; $15 for each additional daughter. They can be purchased by calling 281-403-8637 or by visiting the Community Center during business hours from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.
Princess Ball: Dad & daughter dance
The popular Founders’ Ball, benefi tting the Sugar Land Cultural Arts Foundation (SLCAF), on Jan. 7 was a resound-ing success as about 375 attendees gathered at the Safari Texas Ranch for an evening of music, food, friends and auctions.
The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Houston, a musical, non-profi t, all-volunteer company delightfully showcased popular Gilbert and Sullivan operas. The pieces were amusing and en-tertaining and it was obvious that all their songs were crowd pleasers. They concluded their performance to a rousing ap-plause.
Friends and colleagues dined on a delicious meal while em-cee Nancy Olson kept the audience abreast of the evening pro-ceedings and explained how the auctions would proceed.
The Founders’ Ball consisted of a silent auction as well as a live auction.
“My wife Farrah and I were privileged to co-chair this year’s Founders’ Ball,” says Himesh Gandhi. “We thoroughly enjoyed working with our sponsors, committee members as well as an array of talented volunteers who were all committed to ensur-ing that we raised well- needed funds to continue enhancing the historic Sugar Land Auditorium. It was a memorable evening.”
SLCAF is a not-for-profi t 501(c)(3) organization that exists to promote the cultural, performing, and visual arts in Sugar Land while preserving, renovating and restoring the historic Sugar Land Auditorium to the thriving cultural arts center it once was in the community.
Founded in 1999, the SLCAF formalized a community grass-roots effort to restore historic Sugar Land Auditorium. Built in 1918 by the Imperial Sugar Company, Sugar Land Auditorium is the oldest public building in Sugar Land. It once served as the site for all important community events, including gradu-ations, plays, church services, dances, recitals, band concerts, and silent movies. The historic building is located adjacent to Lakeview Elementary School, 314 Lakeview Drive, at the intersection of Lakeview Drive and Wood Street.
Founders’ Ball benefi ts SLCAF
Himesh Gandhi, left, with Debra and Craig Henehen.
Chris Breaux of Null Lairson, PC, is fl anked by Founders’ Ball gala chairs, Farrah and Himesh Gandhi.
Levelprohomeservice.com 281-397-2299920 Murphy Rd. Suite C, Staff ord, Tx 77477
Tommy Philips, a longtime resident, business profession-al and community volunteer will seek the Sugar Land City Council At-Large Position #1 in May 2012.
Tom Abraham is term-lim-ited as he is rounding out his fourth term leaving the posi-tion open.
“Mr. Abraham has served the community admirably and will truly be missed. He played a major role in helping the City of Sugar Land run an effi cient and effective gov-ernment and we need a strong leader with the same passion to fi ll his shoes,” Philips said.
“I believe that I have the ed-ucational background, profes-sional experience and history of community involvement to make the most informed decisions for our City. Both professionally and person-ally, I am in a great position to commit to my City and will be the right choice to serve in the open position to represent all residents of Sugar Land,” he said.
“Over the past several years, I have made a point of talking to fellow residents about their concerns. As a fi s-cal conservative, I recognize that the city budget and city policies hold long-term con-sequences for our quality of life.
“I drive our streets every day and am fully aware of the mobility challenges faced by our vibrant city. I have a sincere interest in maintain-ing and repairing aging in-frastructure and continuing strong economic development and redevelopment policies in Sugar Land.
“With safety as a number #1 priority for our residents,
our Police and Fire Depart-ments will continue to have my full support as our city grows and extraterritorial ju-risdictions are incorporated into the City.”
Philips attended Barrington Place Elementary, played football at Sugar Land Middle School and graduated from Kempner High School. He received his Bachelors and Master of Science degrees from Houston Baptist Uni-versity and an MBA from the University of Houston.
Over the past 13 years, Philips has worked for both the federal government and Fortune 500 companies in various strategic roles.
His global experience in-cludes planning, developing, and implementing technical solutions facilitating corpo-rate growth.
Philips said he has led cross-functional teams with diverse backgrounds and geo-graphic locations and is adept at consensus building, crisis management, problem-solv-ing and negotiating.
In addition, he is a partner in a Sugar Land realty com-pany, Impression Realty, and serves as an adjunct-professor
at his Alma Mater, Houston Baptist University School of Business.
“Having managed Exxon-Mobil’s $120 million budget over IT operations in both the United States and South America; I know fi rsthand the tough decisions that have to be made to successfully man-age headcounts, projects and resources while maintaining a balanced budget and level of service to customers. I will transfer this skill set to the City and will work dili-gently to ensure that residents of Sugar Land are provided quality services at the lowest tax rate,” Philips said.
Philips has been appointed to many educational, civic and community boards. He was the inaugural-chair of the MBA Advisory Board at Uni-versity of Houston, a member of the Alumni Board of Direc-tors for Houston Baptist Uni-versity, a graduate of Sugar Land 101 and has served on the Sugar Land Redistricting Committee.
He also serves on the Board of Directors for many of the major non-profi ts in Fort Bend County including the Fort Bend Family YMCA, Fort Bend Regional Council on Substance Abuse and the Fort Bend County Women’s Center.
In 2011, Philips was the co-chair for the Helen Cordes Luncheon honoring Dr. Thomas Randall (LCISD) for his commitment to education and community and the chair for the 8th Annual Gulf Coast Dragon Boat Regatta held in Brooks Lakes raising funds to build a boat house in First Colony.
Over the past few years he has also joined the Exchange Club of Sugar Land and taken a leadership role in organizing events for families receiving services from both the Fort Bend County Women’s Cen-ter and Child Advocates of Fort Bend County.
“My parents moved to Tex-as 40 years ago for better op-portunities, in both education for their children and a safe environment to raise a family. Having grown up and now raising a family of my own in Sugar Land, I have witnessed fi rsthand the impactful deci-sions our past leaders on City Council have made to give the City the grand amenities we all enjoy.
“As your next city council-man, in every decision I make, I will always take into consid-eration the reasons my par-ents and many others moved to Sugar Land; putting safety, quality services and a low tax rate fi rst. I will work diligent-ly to ensure that development does not take priority over the interests of our residents and that we maintain the balance between economic develop-ment and quality of life.”
Philips works for Hewlett-Packard as the Engineering Program Manager over Prod-uct Development.
He lives with his wife, Ros-ily, a Social Worker for Har-ris County Adult Protective Services, and young daughter, Mia Isabel, in Telfair.
Philips and his family are members of St. Theresa Cath-olic Church in Sugar Land.
To learn more about Tom-my Philips, visit www.tom-my4sugarland.com (or email: [email protected]
Tommy Philips announces run for Sugar Land City Council At-large #1
Philips
Veteran law-enforcement offi cer Daryl Smith has of-fi cially declared his candi-dacy for Fort Bend County Constable, Precinct 2 in the Democratic Party primary.
Smith “encourages all constituents to exercise their Constitutional right to vote in this important community election.”
“Cast your ballots for me because it’s time for us to build bridges bringing all of our communities together as one.
“As your Constable for Change, families will al-ways be fi rst! My offi ce will focus on protecting the peo-ple, creating neighborhood networks, keeping kids in school, educating the com-munity through education programs and services and curbing crime,” he said.
“Depend on Daryl to be the best servant for you,”
Daryl Smith runs for Pct. 2 Constable in Democratic Party primary
Smith
Prepare for change in Precinct 2 and partner with me in 2012 as I strive to:
1. Earn your vote and become the Community’s Constable
2. Promote public safety programs3. Build better bridges with constituentsVisit me at darylsmith4constable.com
and join my campaign for change!
Happy New Year, Fort Bend!
Daryl SmithFort Bend County Democratic Party Primary, April 3, 2012
Daryl Smith for Fort Bend County Pct. 2 Constable
Smith said. Smith said he possessed
outstanding law-enforcement qualifi cations and has been honored for his “heroism” in the line of duty on numerous occasions.
He is currently a Sergeant with the City of Missouri City Police Department, where he
has faithfully served the citi-zens for 20 years and he is cer-tifi ed as both a police offi cer and a fi refi ghter.
In addition to his extensive public safety record, Smith said he has been elected Di-rector of the Blue Ridge West Municipal Utility District for 20 years and is a member of
the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Smith said he is committed to being their Constable for Change: “Together, we will make a difference!”
Visit www.darylsmith4con-stable.com or call 832-489-3855, for more information.
To advertise in these pages,
call 281-980-6745
or email sales@
fbindependent.com
By RUSSELL JONESIgnoring the authority of the
Senate to confi rm major ap-pointments, Obama appointed and installed the fi rst chief of the Consumer Financial Pro-tection Bureau, as well as three new left-leaning members of the National Labor Relations Board. Ignoring the Constitu-tion, ignoring long-standing custom, ignoring the citizens represented by members of Congress, Obama displayed, not for the fi rst time, the arro-gance which power has instilled in him.
Long-standing tradition holds that Congress must be in recess for at least 10 days before a recess appointment, i.e. one without Senate approval, can be made. In 2010 the Obama administration argued to the Supreme Court that recess ap-pointments are only permissible if Congress is in recess for more than three days. Last week’s ac-tion even violated his own ad-ministration’s interpretation of the rule.
Although some debate exists over exactly how long a recess must be before the President can exercise his recess appoint-ment power, no one has before suggested that Congress does not have the authority to decide itself when it is in session or in recess or that the President has the authority to make that deter-mination. Yet, that is essentially what Obama has done.
As a senator in 2007 Obama joined Majority Leader Reid in adopting a procedure whereby the Senate stayed in “pro for-ma” session in order to prohibit Bush from making recess ap-pointments. Now Reid is sup-porting Obama’s decision to make an end run around a Sen-ate practice that he pioneered. Since the Constitution provides instructions on determining when Congress is, or is not, in session, it is a signifi cant exten-
sion of presidential power for a president to usurp that power for himself.
But then, this is not the fi rst time Obama has exceeded his Constitutional authority.
OSL falls fl atThree weeks ago this column
challenged the local protest group known as Occupy Sugar Land to justify its published manifesto attempting to describe everything wrong with the city, including “deep inequities” re-sulting from tax abatements and other perceived wrongs coming out of the role of the city’s busi-ness community in local devel-opment. This columnist, having some experience in writing de-velopment plans and acting in an offi cial capacity to approve those plans, pointed out that the unsubstantiated claims of the group were nothing but progres-sive propaganda attempting to demean America’s free enter-prise system.
The only response received to the challenge was an anony-mous letter published in this newspaper last week which pro-vided no factual basis for the claims.
In fact, the letter was written by the leader of OSL and again did nothing but spout false ac-cusations about the area’s most important economic develop-
ment organizations, as well as the city’s efforts to promote economic growth. Instead of citing facts, the letter merely rants about tax rates and throws in criticism of homeowners as-sociations for good measure.
The letter is particularly criti-cal of the city itself, complain-ing about high taxes as being “shocking.” In fact, Sugar Land’s tax rate is the second lowest in the state among cities of comparable size. Again and again, the city has received ac-colades from other communities and national surveys of cities by both private and public organi-zations for its low tax and crime rates. No one claims that the city is perfect, but the unfound-ed rants of Occupy Sugar Land deserve no credit whatsoever.
By the way, the leader of OSL is an individual who does not live in the city, but who has thought well enough of the city to purchase two rental hous-es here. Seems inconsistent, doesn’t it?
Skeeters hold a draftThe Sugar Land Skeeters
held their fi rst draft, of a sort, last week for the benefi t of all of those businesses who have sup-ported bringing minor league baseball to town and building the new Constellation Stadium. About 100 local leaders toured the not-quite-complete stadium to check out the view from each of the 21 suites. They then re-grouped at the Marriott to allo-cate the suites to each sponsor.
The stadium will be fi nished well before opening day in April. Look forward to great family entertainment just a few minutes down the road here in Sugar Land.
Jones served as a member of the Sugar Land City Council from 2003 through June, 2011. He owns a law fi rm and a title insurance company in Sugar Land.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish, but have everlasting
life. (John 3:16)www.
freebibleliterature.com
Opinion
Scanlan
Musings: Getting fi t
The View from Sugar Land
Jones
By JANICE SCANLANNew Year’s Resolutions often
include losing weight. Besides eating sensibly and eating more whole foods, exercise is a must for physical and mental fi tness. We have a new opportunity for fi tness with the completion of the second phase of the Missouri City Oyster Creek Trail from the Fort Bend YMCA on Cartwright. It is mostly complete. Lots of bikers and hikers already on this 1.1 mile leg of Oyster Creek. Missouri City has done a terrifi c job laying out the trail to wind and capture the views. With many birds and large water fowl plus some heritage Pecan trees as well as several large drainage projects that create waterfalls into Oyster Creek, the trail is in-teresting.
Now what’s really special about the trail is it connects Missouri City’s Mosley Park, the Edible Arbor Trees on the Oyster Creek Trail south of the YMCA with Sugar Land’s Oys-ter Creek and Lost Creek Parks across Dulles Avenue on the trail head at Oyster Creek and Dulles. I guesstimate that round trip you have about 15 miles of trail op-portunities on safe trails packed with nature watching.
The connection under the bridge at the YMCA will eventu-ally be completed, but John and I walked under the bridge safely with no problems. However, the drainage and confi guration of the bridge at Dulles Ave does not
lend itself to an under-the-bridge solution. I hope both cities pro-vide directional signage and con-sider painting a cross walk across Dulles.
Getting fi t does not just involve a physical regimen, but an eat-ing and mental fi tness regimen. To both of those ends, landscape designer Renee Brown and I had the pleasure of working with Quail Valley Elementary School over the holiday break and with 4th grade Math and Science Specialist Judy Harper and Counselor Lisa Jones on a grant from Whole Foods Market’s Whole Kids Founda-tion to build a community garden. Don’t let anyone tell you we don’t have dedicated faculty in FBISD. On December 23rd, we were do-ing our second run-through of the garden plan in the rain. We com-pleted the grant application after Christmas and fi led it for the Dec 31 deadline. Renee and I are part of an outreach program devel-oped by Quail Valley Garden Club
chair, Sharon Wright. Quail Val-ley Garden Club will be provid-ing practical gardening expertise to QVE.
What is special about this grant is schools are encouraged to de-velop school cafeteria salad bars and use the food from the garden to acquaint children with healthier eating. We have an obesity prob-lem at the elementary school level. Moreover, research shows how kids relate better to fruits and veg-etables they’ve grown.
Now the mental fi tness is all the science and math kids use fi g-uring out seed count, using sun and shade and combinations for various plants, and dozens of oth-er learning by doing applications. Mrs. Harper took coursework last summer for the Junior Master Gardener program and plans to utilize Urban Harvest resources. She is full of curriculum plans and enthusiasm for this garden. Mrs. Jones will be scheduling QVE students in age appropriate experi-ences. Quail Valley Proud has also pledged $500 to the garden pro-gram. In the summer, the Girl and Boy Scouts have promised time.
Think of what these community programs can do to improve the fi tness of all of us. Get involved yourself! Visit Musings blog for pictures of the trail and more . . .
http://traction.typepad.com/musings
Page 4 • INDEPENDENT • JANUARY 11, 2012
Presidential arrogance
Letter: Golf course should make profi t
By THOMAS J. PARR, M.D.Considering the history
of pointed toe and high heel shoes, as discussed in the last article and as applied to today’s culture, there is no doubt women are not going to suddenly move to “sensible” shoes -- the ones ladies in my offi ce call “ugly” -- no matter how badly their feet hurt. My problem as their orthopedic surgeon, then, is to try to fi nd ways to help them be more aware about what their shoes are doing to their feet and an-kles as they make selections in footwear.
To understand how your shoes affect your feet, you need to understand that the foot has 26 different bones and 33 separate joints, all held together by 107 ligaments, 20 muscles, and many tendons and nerves. These moving parts are designed to work to-gether in a very precise way.
Just as in machinery, if one working part is out of align-ment, bad things eventually can happen. The higher the heel and the more pointed the toe, the more each part of the foot is out of alignment.
It helps when my patients come to understand the dif-ference between “a fashion statement” and “footwear”. Footwear is shoes designed to protect the feet and to improve your performance. Reason-able footwear can be worn all day and not hurt your feet and not put you at risk of injuring yourself.
A fashion statement is something you endure to make a point. “Fashion state-ment” shoes may project a de-sired image, but the price you will pay can be big in terms of future health care bills and of pain -- some immediately from discomfort, and some a lot later from the damaged joints in your feet.
Some of women’s most popular shoes today really should not count as shoes, even though they are sold in shoe stores. Ballet fl ats, which many ladies think are more “sensible shoes” have no arch protection and soles which are too thin. Flip-fl ops provide no protection or sup-port for the foot at all. Except for walking on hot pavement, you might as well be barefoot.
Some of the fashion state-
ment shoes are almost guar-anteed to make me money. Risk of injury is directly pro-portional to the height of the platform, which can cause tripping and twisting of an ankle, and the height of the heel, which can cause numer-ous problems, including those related to posture. I long ago lost count of how many times I have heard “I fell off my shoe” in describing how a pa-tient got hurt.
Another problem with high heels is that frequent-to-daily wear can lead to a shortening of the Achilles tendon, which will eventually cause heel problems such as plantar fas-ciitis, and forefoot pain from calluses and pinched nerves in the toes.
Both the American Acad-emy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) recom-mend women never choose a shoe that feels too tight or too short, or that squeezes the toes. Instead, women should choose a shoe that conforms to the shape of their feet, mean-ing a shoe that is wide enough to allow the toes to move and that matches the natural arch of the foot.
Both professional ortho-pedic organizations recom-mend wearing shoes which can provide some cushion to the feet as one moves. Both also strongly state that wom-en should avoid shoes that are too short and too high -- meaning heels that are greater than 2 1/4 inches.
Fortunately, many shoe manufacturers, including Clarks, Dansko, Naturalizer, Capezio, Nine West, Softs-pots, LifeStride, Christin Mi-chaels, Donald Pliner, Calvin Klein, Cole Haan, and Sofft (all names generously provid-ed by my wife) have come to
understand that having a good product line means they need to include shoes which do not damage their customers’ feet.
With a little thought while trying on shoes, women can fi nd appropriate shoes to serve all of their professional needs and most of their social needs.
At least twice a year, have both feet measured by a sales-person while you stand up. Select shoes for your larger, wider foot.
Wriggle your toes inside the shoe, confi rming they are not crowded together. Check the back of the shoe to be sure it will stay snug on your foot, but not too tightly. And shop later in the day when your foot will be a little bigger from natural daytime swelling.
Put both shoes on and walk around the store. If they are not comfortable now, they never will be. Do not count on “breaking them in.”
Select new high heels about 1/2 to 1 inch lower than what you have been wearing to re-duce stress to your foot and to improve your stability when walking.
Alternate the height of your heels from one day to the next, and consider changing your shoes once or twice dur-ing the day to reduce pressure on the various parts of your feet. Switch to a good ath-letic shoe as soon as you get home, and wear athletic shoes on the weekends as much as possible.
When you plan to wear re-ally high heels for a dressy occasion, leave the house in more comfortable shoes and don’t put on your heels until you get to your destination. Change out of your heels as soon as you leave the event and are back in your car.
My fi nal thought is that most ladies organize their shoes by color or by purpose. Try organizing your shoes according to comfort versus pain. It will help you make a more conscious choice about your shoe selection each day and to know what that choice is going to do to your feet.
Dr. Thomas Parr, an ortho-pedic surgeon in Sugar Land, can be reached at 281-491-7111.Visit www.tomparrmd.net for more information.
Parr
But, I look good in these shoes — II
To the Editor:Missouri City government
should manage the Quail Val-ley Golf Course with a clear profi t objective.
Year after year fi nancial re-ports indicate that the Course has broken even with ever increasing rounds played. If the Course is not in the black (making money), why aren’t we charging more for green fees?
Only a small percentage of people playing golf at the Course are Missouri City residents and I believe our ap-proach to the Course should be more detached and objec-tive.
Missouri City residents are given a discount, but shouldn’t the “cheapest golf in the Houston area” take greater efforts to optimize their green fee structure?
I see no substantial ben-efi t to Missouri City residents from subsidizing golf play for non-residents. This is espe-cially unjustifi ed in view of reports that the City is going through rough fi nancial times.
We are, in fact, subsidizing green fees with City funds un-less the City is making a net profi t considering all neces-sary outlays and expenditures related to the Course. All net losses for the Course have to be offset with City funds.
The Course is usually gen-erating a loss due to the ap-proximate $10 million debt load we assumed to purchase and refurbish it.
Since this is a munici-pal course, even when the City announces the Course is breaking even, they aren’t including this debt service (principal and interest pay-
ments), which easily totals several hundred thousand dol-lars of expenditures per year. If green fees were increased, the entire cost of the Course’s operation could be covered including the debt service.
I would personally like to see the City do better fi nan-cially so it could take care of its other responsibilities as a municipality.
Our challenges as a City with a small tax basis further require City management to look at the Course’s operation objectively and to push for whatever measures are neces-sary to make a profi t.
City offi cials justify the Golf Course’s mediocre prof-it picture by saying that the Course is like a park and we shouldn’t expect it to generate profi t.
High-heeled shoe, left; X-ray image of the foot with the shoe.
See GOLF, Page 5
Memorial Hermann has acquired Richmond Bone & Joint Clinic (RBJ) in a move that further strengthens the organization’s orthopedic network and adds additional specialty clinics to its grow-ing roster, as well as builds on the hospital’s groundbreaking clinical integration initiative to bring medical staff physicians together in a common commit-ment to quality care and ac-countability.
“As a hospital system, we are preparing for the onset of healthcare reform,” said Dan Wolterman, President and CEO of Memorial Hermann.
“A critical component of that process is identifying phy-sician groups that align with Memorial Hermann’s culture of emphasizing safety and pro-viding the high quality care that our patients have come to expect.
“Memorial Hermann Medi-cal Group has been strategi-cally leading the way in iden-tifying talented, respected and clinically-integrated physician groups like Richmond Bone & Joint Clinic,” Wolterman con-tinued.
“As a result, MHMG is ex-periencing tremendous growth. We are pleased to have a high-caliber group such as RBJ join the Memorial Hermann fam-ily. It represents a win-win for both Memorial Hermann and our patients.”
RBJ, one of the most highly-regarded orthopedic groups in the Houston region, offers an extensive range of orthopedic specialties such as general or-thopedics and sports medicine, pediatric orthopedics, spine surgery, hand and wrist and
foot and ankle replacement, pain management, and reha-bilitation. The group is com-prised of physicians nationally known for contributing to ad-vances in orthopedic medicine through published articles, re-search studies and innovative new treatments.
“This is a mutually-bene-fi cial partnership,” said Juliet Breeze, M.D., CEO of RBJ. “We will bring our extensive clinical expertise and knowl-edge of orthopedic medicine to Memorial Hermann and help to grow its orthopedic pres-ence, particularly in the south-west region near its Sugar Land and Southwest hospitals. Moreover, we are aligning with one of the most innovative and clinically-integrated health-care systems in the country. Our network of doctors and patients will benefi t greatly be-ing teamed with a system that is so forward-looking when it comes to medicine and quality care.”
More than 15 physicians at the newly named clinics – Richmond Bone & Joint Clinic at Memorial Hermann – will align with other Memo-rial Hermann affi liated physi-cian groups like UTHealth’s Department of Orthopedic Surgery to deliver safe, high-quality and results-driven or-thopedic care to patients living in and around Richmond, Katy and Sugar Land.
“Our patients will receive the same personal and progres-sive care they’ve come to ex-pect from their trusted physi-cians and clinical staff,” added Dr. Breeze.
RBJ is already a member of the Memorial Hermann Infor-
mation Exchange (MHiE), an innovative program that sig-nifi cantly improves transitions of care, safety and quality by putting patient health data at the fi ngertips of authorized caregivers.
MHiE, the fi rst health infor-mation exchange of its kind in Houston, utilizes a secure, en-crypted electronic network to integrate and house patients’ digital medical records so they are easily accessible to its members.
JANUARY 11 , 2012 • INDEPENDENT • Page 5
Community News
Fort Bend County’s fi rst craft brewery will open in early 2012. Fort Bend Brewing Company is proud to announce the planning of its new craft brewery located in Fort Bend. They will brew a variety of handmade, premium quality ales and lagers in their 30 bar-rel brewhouse under close per-sonal attention of their brew-ers. The fi rst kegs and bottles will roll out in late-May, and start showing up shortly after, wherever great beers are sold in the area.
The new brewery is the re-sult of bringing together en-trepreneur Ty Coburn, experi-
enced and passionate brewer Jeff King (formally of Kreuz Creek) and Ray Self, and Bar-ry Beard, who has an extensive background in banking and fi nance. Together, they have contracted Jamie Fulton – a world-class brewmaster and winner of several World Beer Cup/Great American Beer Fes-tival awards – to assist in the brewery planning and start-up, including the development of their fi rst fi ve releases.
Ty, who is general manag-er, says “While I can’t claim to be an excellent long-time brewer like Jeff or Ray, I can claim success in business, but
more importantly, a life-long brew drinker. We get to com-bine the things we love do-ing. We’ve assembled a great team that shares a passion for making and drinking fi ne ales and lagers. We’re putting to-gether a great lineup, and are committed to provide a great product to Fort Bend County and beyond. In our state and local area, there are some great breweries producing some fan-tastic crafts, and believe that our commitment to offering a wide variety of high-quality brews, we’ll add to, and en-hance what is out there today.”.
Fort Bend Brewing Com-
pany will take an active role in the community and partner with local and national chari-ties, specifi cally those that pro-vide need to children, military members and veterans. They also plan to be involved with the local brew clubs, assist-ing where possible, including sponsorship of one in the area.
The Fort Bend Brewing Company will showcase its hand-crafted ales to the public via tours in their facility which is planned to be open to visi-tors starting in May. For more information, email [email protected] or visit www.fortbendbrewing.com
However, unlike any City park, it services mainly non-residents. For that reason, City management should evaluate its performance in an independent and unbiased manner.
Further, the Course’s recur-ring break-even performance as the number of rounds increase is a strong indica-tor that cost controls are not being managed effectively.
Again, these are City funds that are being used to make up for Golf Course losses.
Per recent press releases, Missouri City is doing quite well in increasing its tax base, bringing in more commercial development.
I would like to see the Golf Course’s operation conducted with the same aggressive, hands-on, objective approach that we see in these other ar-eas. Howard MolineMissouri City
The 2011 Sugar Plum Mar-ket presented by the Fort Bend Junior Service League (FBJSL) and Methodist Sugar Land Hospital (MSLH) is proud to announce the proceeds and benefi ciaries of another suc-cessful year in sponsorship and attendance. Total proceeds from this year’s Market are a record-breaking $200,000 and were presented to local Fort Bend County charities on December 14th at an Encore Party held at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital. The following benefi ciaries each received a portion of the event proceeds: American Red Cross, Boys
and Girls Club of Fort Bend, Child Advocates of Fort Bend, Dewalt Heritage Center, East Fort Bend Human Needs Min-istry, Fort Bend Community Partners Rainbow Room, Fort Bend County Women’s Center, Fort Bend Family Health Cen-ter, Fort Bend Family Promise, Fort Bend Habitat for Human-ity, Fort Bend Theatre, Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council, Houston Museum of Natural Science -Sugar Land, Literacy Council of Fort Bend County and Texana Center. FBJSL’s Community Assistance Fund also received a portion of the proceeds.
This year’s Market was a huge success with over 6,000 patrons in attendance and more than 100 vendors.
“We are thrilled with the proceeds raised from the Mar-ket which will allow us to contribute to so many worthy agencies in our community,” said FBJSL President Cathe-rine Kubala. FBJSL is proud to announce that Methodist Sugar Land Hospital will return as the title sponsor for the 2012 Sugar Plum Market.
FBJSL is an organization of women committed to promot-ing volunteerism, to develop-ing the potential of women and
to improving the Fort Bend County community through the effective action and leader-ship of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educa-tional and charitable as well as providing an atmosphere of friendliness, goodwill and camaraderie for all members. Over the past 11 years, FB-JSL, through the League’s many projects and events, has contributed more than $2 mil-lion to various charities in Fort Bend County. For more infor-mation on FBJSL, please visit www.fbjsl.com.
Representatives of the organizations receiving proceeds from the 2011 Sugar Plum Market joined members of FBJSL and rep-resentatives of Methodist Sugar Land Hospital on December 14th to celebrate the Market’s success.
The Sugar Land Skeeters has hired Houston native and former Major League All-Star Britt Burns as the fi rst Pitching Coach in franchise history.
Vic Gutierrez will serve as Coach for the club. The Skeeters – managed by Gary Gaetti – will play its fi rst game at Constella-tion Field on April 26, 2012.
“With his background as a Minor League Pitching Coor-dinator, Britt is the perfect fi t,” said Gary Gaetti, Manager of the Skeeters.
“He will be able to develop the professional talent we ac-quire to compete in the high level of play of the Atlantic League.”
Burns has 18 years of profes-sional coaching and six years as Minor League Pitching Co-ordinator, most recently with the Astros (2008-10). During his Major League career, Burns played eight seasons with the Chicago White Sox (1978-85). He fi nished with a 3.66 ERA, a win-loss record of 70-60 and 734 strikeouts.
Burns was selected in the third round by the Chicago White Sox in the 1978 draft. He attended Huffman High School in Birmingham, Ala. Af-ter making his professional de-but in 1978, he was named the AL Rookie Pitcher of the Year in 1980 and an AL All Star in 1981. In 1985, his last season, Burns was an 18 game winner
with a top 10 fi nish in Cy Young voting.
Burns and his wife make their home in Katy.
Gutierrez, a veteran of 14 professional baseball seasons, 10 with the Atlantic League, joins the club after serving as a Player-Coach for the Road War-riors of the Atlantic League last season. Acquired as an Inter-national Free Agent in 1997 by the Pittsburgh Pirates, Gutier-rez primarily played shortstop throughout his career. He fi n-ished his career in the Atlantic League with a .297 batting aver-age and a .345 on-base percent-age.
Born in Santo Domingo, Dis-trito Nacional, Dominican Re-public, Gutierrez and his wife make their home in Harrisburg, Penn.
The Atlantic League has se-lected a date for the 2012 expan-sion draft. It is set for Feb. 1.
The Sugar Land Skeeters mi-nor league baseball team, led by Manager and former Major League All-Star Gary Gaetti, will play in the Constellation Field, which is being construct-ed by the City of Sugar Land and the Skeeters at the inter-section of State Highway 6 and U.S. Highway 90A.
The Sugar Land Skeeters will play 70 regular season home games annually, starting with the 2012 season which begins on April 26.
The Department of the Army, Offi ce of the Chief, U.S. Army Reserve recently announced the selection of Lieutenant Colonel Trever Nehls to assume command of the 415th Civil Affairs Battal-ion, Portage, Michigan.
Nehls, a 23 year member of the United States Army Na-tional Guard and US Army Reserve returned from Af-ghanistan in July after his sec-ond Afghanistan combat tour.
Nehls is a graduate of the Infantry Offi cer Basic Course, Engineer Offi cer Advanced
Trever Nehls named Battalion Commander
Trever Nehls
Skeeters name coaching staff
Memorial Hermann acquires Richmond Bone & Joint Clinic
GolfFrom Page 4
Course and the resident Com-mand and General Staff Col-lege, Fort Leavenworth, Kan-sas.
Nehls has received numer-ous military awards and deco-rations, most notably, three Bronze Stars.
Nehls received his Bach-elor of Arts degree from Uni-versity of Wisconsin – Plat-teville and earned a Master’s degree from Central Michigan University.
Nehls, his wife Kerri and three children, Madison, Wy-att, and Parker live outside of Sugar Land. In a civilian capacity, Nehls is employed with the Sugar Land Police Department as a Sergeant.
Craft brewery set to open in Fort Bend
Back Row: L to R: Tom Larsen, Eileen McDowell, Annie Watts, Patrick Sexton, Lyle Woodruff, Caryl Woodruff, Connie Harmon, Cee Cee Parker, Carmen Hernandez, Melanie Heathcock & Lisa Matthews. Front row L to R: Eloise Lucas, Franco Albarran and Carlos Hernandez.
Legacy Ford is in full com-mand as the Presenting Spon-sor for the Texana Center’s Reaching for the Stars 2012 Gala to take place on Fri-day, April 13 at Safari Texas Ranch. Franco Albarran is returning for a second year as the Gala Chair. The event will benefi t the Texana Center’s behavioral healthcare and in-tellectual & developmental disabilities services and pro-grams. This year’s Honor-ary Chairs are Commissioner James and Mary Jo Patterson.
Yvonne Washington will entertain guests with a fabu-lous mix of music to dance the night away. Table sponsor-ships are available at $1,500 upwards and individual tick-ets are $100 each For infor-mation about sponsorship or tickets call 281-239-1311 or visit www.texanacenter.com
Reaching for the stars
Legal NoticesPage 6 • INDEPENDENT • JANUARY 11, 2012
LEGAL NOTICEINVITATION TO BIDDERS
Sealed Bids will be received in the Offi ce of Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., County Purchasing Agent, Fort Bend County, Travis Annex, 301 Jackson, Suite 201, Richmond, TX 77469 for the following until THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2012 at 1:30 P.M. (CST). All bids will then be publicly opened and read in the Offi ce of the Purchasing Agent, Travis Annex, 301 Jackson, Suite 201, Richmond, TX 77469. Bids received after the specifi ed time will be returned unopened.BID 12-021 – TRAFFIC SIGNALIZATION PROJECT: FRY ROAD AND GASTON ROAD A pre-bid conference will be conducted on Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 10:00 AM (CST) with site visit to follow. The pre-bid conference will be held at Fort Bend County Purchasing Department located in the Travis Annex at 301 Jackson, Suite 201, Richmond, TX. All bidders are encouraged to attend. Unit 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 NOTICEINVITATION TO BIDDERS
Sealed Bids will be received in the Offi ce of Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., County Purchasing Agent, Fort Bend County, Travis Annex, 301 Jackson, Suite 201, Richmond, TX 77469 for the following until THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2012 at 1:30 P.M. (CST). All bids will then be publicly opened and read in the Offi ce of the Purchasing Agent, Travis Annex, 301 Jackson, Suite 201, Richmond, TX 77469. Bids received after the specifi ed time will be returned unopened.BID 12-025 – 15’ SHREDDERS 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 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, Travis Annex, 301 Jackson, Suite 201, Richmond, TX 77469 for the following until THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2012 at 1:30 P.M. CST). All proposals will then be opened in the Offi ce of the Purchasing Agent, Travis Annex, 301 Jackson, Suite 201, Richmond, TX 77469 and the names of the proposers made public. Proposals received after the specifi ed time will be returned unopened.RFP 12-026 – BULK FUELUnit pricing is 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
24-INCH WATER LINE TO SERVEUNIVERSITY ELEVATED STORAGE TANK
The City of Sugar Land seeks bids, in triplicate, for furnishing all labor, material, and equipment, and performing all work required for the following project in the City:
CIP PROJECT NAME: 24-Inch Water Line to Serve University Elevated Storage Tank
CIP PROJECT NUMBER: WA0503LOCATION OF WORK: East Frontage Road of US 59, west of
University Boulevard.
Plans, specifi cations, and bidding documents may be obtained in an electronic format (CD) at the following offi ce and location with payment of $50.00:
Cobb, Fendley, and Associates, Inc.13430 Northwest Freeway, Suite 1100
Houston, Texas 77040Available for download on CivCast at www.civcastusa.com for no charge.
Sealed bids in triplicate, one (1) original and two (2) copies, shall be delivered to the City of Sugar Land, Offi ce of the City Secretary, 2700 Town Center Boulevard North, Suite 122, Sugar Land, Texas, 77479, on or before 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 2, 2012, 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 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, January 24, 2011, City of Sugar Land City Hall, 2700 Town Center Boulevard North, Cane Room Suite 161, Sugar Land, TX 77479.
The City reserves the right to revise or amend the specifi cations prior to the date set for opening of bids. 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 opening date. The City of Sugar Land reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive informalities in bids received.
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
CITY OF MISSOURI CITY
LEGAL NOTICE
The City of Missouri City, Texas is now issuing an Invitation for Bids for the following:
IFB # 114-12 Electric Generator System
The City of Missouri City intends to award a contract for the furnishing, installation, confi guration, and integration of a diesel electric generator system, automatic transfer switches, and associated peripheral equipment for its recently installed traffi c management system. The traffi c management system consists of video surveillance cameras, changeable message signs, and a traffi c management center (TMC) with a server room and uninterruptable power supply (UPS). The TMC is operational 24/7/365.
The selected contractor must integrate the new generator system into the existing UPS so that in an event of a power failure, the UPS will instantaneously activate while the generator starts. The selected contractor shall provide all peripheral equipment necessary for a complete and operational system including, but not limited to, alternators, relays, contacts, cables, enclosures, and mounting accessories. Items not specifi cally called for in the specifi cations but necessary for a complete and operational system as described herein shall be provided by the contractor for the price bid.
This contract also includes the expansion of the TMC server room to make room for the existing UPS, which currently resides outside of the server room due to space limitations in the room. The contractor must modify the server room as shown in the plans and specifi cations herein and relocate the UPS into the server room.
All construction shall be in conformance with project plans, specifi cations, City of Missouri City standards, ordinances and comply with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. Bid shall include any delivery, fuel surcharge or other miscellaneous charges. The bid shall be lump sum and include the days to completion.
Project Location: This project is located at the City’s Service Center at 1919 Scanlin Road in Missouri City. This address is located directly behind the City Hall complex.
A non-mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held at 10 AM, Thursday, January 19, 2012 in the in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 1522 Texas Parkway, in Missouri City.
Bids will be accepted until 2 PM local time January 30, 2012 and then opened.
The bid packages may be obtained beginning January 11th from Missouri City Purchasing Offi ce at (281) 403-8626 or by email [email protected] is no charge for the bid package.
Bids must be sealed, marked on the outside of the delivery envelope with the IFB name and number as listed above, and the date of opening. Bids must be delivered to the attention of the Sealed Bid Box, City of Missouri City Purchasing Offi ce, 1522 Texas Parkway, Missouri City, Texas, 77489, prior to the acceptance deadline. Bids marked improperly and therefore misdirected may be disqualifi ed. Bids are opened in public in the City Hall Council Chambers.
Charles Oberrender, CPPBPurchasing ManagerCity of Missouri City, Texas
LEGAL NOTICE
The Missouri City Recreation and Leisure Corporation is now issuing a Request for Proposals for the following:
RFP #083-12 Catering Services
The Missouri City Recreation and Leisure Corporation (“MCRLC”) is soliciting proposals to provide catering services for its banquet and ballroom facilities at the new Missouri City Community Center. The MCRLC intends to award term contracts with multiple vendors.
A non-mandatory pre-proposal conference will be held at 2 PM, Thursday, January 19, 2012 in the Quail Valley Golf Course Grille located at 2880 La Quinta in Missouri City, Texas.
Proposals will be accepted until 2 PM Local Time, January 30, 2012 and then opened.
The RFP packages may be obtained beginning January 11th by:
•contacting the Purchasing Offi ce at 1522 Texas Parkway (281) 403-8626or •email [email protected]
Proposals must be sealed, marked on the outside of the delivery envelope with the RFP name and number as listed above, and the date of opening. Proposals must be delivered to the attention of the Sealed Bid Box, City of Missouri City Purchasing Offi ce, 1522 Texas Parkway, Missouri City, Texas, 77489, prior to the acceptance deadline. Proposal packages marked improperly and therefore misdirected may be disqualifi ed. Proposals are opened in public in the City Hall Council Chambers.
Charles Oberrender, CPPBPurchasing ManagerCity of Missouri City, Texas
CITATION BY PUBLICATIONSTATE OF TEXAS
To: Edward Allenand to all whom it may concern, Respondent(s), You have been sued. You may employ an attorney. If you or your attorney do (does) not fi le a written answer with the clerk who issued this citation by 10:00 a.m. on the Monday next following the expiration of 20 days after you were served this citation and petition, a default judgment may be taken against you. The petition of GREEN, LA KEISHA MICHELLE, Petitioner, was fi led in the 328TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT of Fort Bend County, Texas on the August 18, 2011against EDWARD ALLEN, Respondent(s), numbered 11-DCV-192343, and entitled IN THE INTEREST OF MALIK OMAR ALLEN, A MINOR CHILD.The suit request SUIT AFFECTING THE PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP as is more fully shown by Petition on fi le in this suit.The date and place of birth of the child(ren) who is/are the subject of the suit:JULY 28, 2008, HOUSTON, TEXASThe Court has authority in this suit to render an order in the child(ren)’s interest which will be binding on you, including the termination of the parent-child relationship, the determination of paternity and the appointment of a conservator with authority to consent to the child(ren)’s adoption.Issued and given under my hand and seal of said Court at Richmond, Texas, on this the 4th day of January, 2012.ATTORNEY FOR PETITIONER OR RESPONDENT:L.A. VAN SLYKEATTORNEY AT LAW500 MORTON STRICHMOND TX 77469-3123281-342-6148
District Clerk Annie Rebecca ElliottFort bend County
Deputy District Clerk Adele Crane281-341-4524
NOTICE OF CONSTABLE SALENOTICE OF LEVYREAL PROPERTY
Under and by virtue of a Writ of Execution and/ or Order of Sale issued on the 10th day of November, 2011 by the 268th District Court of Fort Bend County, Texas in cause # 11-DCV-187383 in favor of the Plaintiff - Fort Bend I.S.D. Plaintiff , for the sum of $2489.24 ++++costs as taxed on said Execution and / or Order of Sale and further the sum of executing the same. Therefore, on the 5th day of January, 2012, I, Constable Rob Cook of Precinct Three Fort Bend County, have levied on and have seized all rights, title, interest, and claim to which the said Defendant(s) - Rogelio Garcia Cayetano, individually, and d/b/a Texas Green Lawn Care had of, in, or to the following described real property, and will off er for sale on the 7th day of February, 2012 at the County Courthouse steps of Fort Bend County, Texas in the city of Richmond, Texas between the hours often o’clock a.m. and four o’clock p.m., any and all rights, title, interests and claims which the above defendant had of, in, or to the following described real property situated in Fort Bend County, Texas; viz:LEGAL DESCRIPTION:BRAZOS VALLEY SEC 2, BLOCK 23, LOT 8-9, AS RECORDED ON THE DEED RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY VOLUME 385 PAGE 521, ALSO KNOWN AS, 36704 COMMANCHE ROAD WALLIS, TEXAS 77485, PROPERTY TAX ID# R54282ADJUDGED/MARKET VALUE: $117,020.00Property is sold with all encumbrances and liens affi xed thereto. All sales are fi nal.
Terms: Cash, Cashier’s Check, or Money OrderSale to be held at orabout 10:00 A.M
ROB COOK, CONSTABLEFort Bend County Precinct 3
S.D. SayersDeputy Constable #1338
NOTICE OF CONSTABLE SALENOTICE OF LEVYREAL PROPERTY
Under and by virtue of a Writ of Execution and I or Order of Sale issued on the 9th day of December, 2011 by the 434th Judicial District Court of Fort Bend County, Texas in cause# 09-DCV-176568 in favor of the Plaintiff - Mission Bend #5 Homeowners Association Inc. Plaintiff , for the sum of $4242.04 ++++costs as taxed on said Execution and I or Order of Sale and further the sum of executing the same. Therefore, on the 21st day of Decemeber, 2011, I, Constable Rob Cook of Precinct Three Fort Bend County, have levied on and have seized all rights, title, interest, and claim to which the said Defendant(s)- Trenton Lewin, Edna Lewin, Petrina Lewin, and Trenton Lewin Jr. had of, in, or to the following described real property, and will off er for sale on the 7th day of February, 2012 at the County Courthouse steps of Fort Bend County, Texas in the city of Richmond, Texas between the hours often o’clock a.m. and four o’clock p.m., any and all rights, title, interests and claims which the above defendant had of, in, or to the following described real property situated in Fort Bend County, Texas; viz:LEGAL DESCRIPTION: LOT ELEVEN (11) IN BLOCK TWENTY-EIGHT (28) OF MISSION BEND, SECTION SIX (6), A SUBDIVISION IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN VOLUME 264, PAGE 97 OF THE MAP RECORDS OF HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS, AND IN VOLUME 21, PAGE 26 OF THE PLAT RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, MORE COMMONLY KNOWN AS 7215 LA GRANADA DRIVE, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77083ADJUDGED/MARKET VALUE: $103,100.00Property is sold with all encumbrances and liens affi xed thereto. All sales are fi nal.
Terms: Cash, Cashier’s Check, or Money Order
ROB COOK, CONSTABLEFort Bend County Precinct 3
S.D. SayersDeputy Constable #1338
NOTICE OF CONSTABLE SALENOTICE OF LEVYREAL PROPERTY
Under and by virtue of a Writ of Execution and / or Order of Sale issued on the 17th day of November, 2011 by the 268th Court of Fort Bend County, Texas in cause # 09-DCV-175548 in favor of the Plaintiff - Waterford Estates Community Association Plaintiff , for the sum of $3432.01 ++++costs as taxed on said Execution and / or Order of Sale and further the sum of executing the same. Therefore, on the 2nd day of December, 2011, I, Constable Rob Cook of Precinct Three Fort Bend County, have levied on and have seized all rights, title, interest, and claim to which the said Defendant(s) - Bertha Lidia Cantarero had of, in, or to the following described real property, and will off er for sale on the 7th day of February, 2012 at the County Courthouse steps of Fort Bend County, Texas in the city of Richmond, Texas between the hours often o’clock a.m. and four o’clock p.m., any and all rights, title, interests and claims which the above defendant had of, in, or to the following described real property situated in Fort Bend County, Texas; viz:LEGAL DESCRIPTION:LOT THIRTY (30), IN BLOCK TWO (2), OF WATERFORD, SECTION ONE (1), A REPLAT OF KINGSBRIDGE, SECTION ONE (1), A SUBDIVISION IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN VOLUME 26, PAGE 16, PLAT RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, COMMONLY KNOWN AS 9819 PENTON DRIVE, SUGAR LAND, TEXAS 77498
ADJUDGED/MARKET VALUE: $217,530.00
Property is sold with all encumbrances and liens affi xed thereto. All sales are fi nal.Terms: Cash, Cashier’s Check, or Money Order
Sale to be held at or about 10:00 A.M.ROB COOK, CONSTABLE
Fort Bend County Precinct 3S.D. Sayers
Deputy Constable #1338
NOT]CE OF CONSTABLES SALETHE STATE OF TEXAS
COUNTY OF FORT BENDBy virtue of an Order of Sale issued out of the Honorable 240TH DISTRICT COURT of FORT BEND County on the 29th day of December, 2011 by the Clerk thereof, in the case of FORT BEND INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DlSTRICT VS. SHEILA A. RANSOM in Cause# 09-DCV-176809 and to me, as CONSTABLE directed and delivered, l will proceed to sell at 10:00 0’ Clock AM on the 7th day of February, 2012, which is the fi rst Tuesday of said month, at the Fort Bend County Justice Center Parking Garage, 1418 Eugene Heimann Circle, Richmond, Texas, Level 1 of the Parking Garage at the South End, West Corner, near Stairway “B” of the Court house of said FORT BEND County, in-the City of RICHMOND, Texas, the following described property, to wit:TRACT 1: GEO: 8100040070260907/ 8100040070260 LOT TWENTY-SIX (26), IN BLOCK SEVEN (7) OF TOWNWEST SECTION FOUR(4) AN ADDITION IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF, RECORDED IN VOLUME 22, PAGE 54, OF THE MAP RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS.Levied on the 5TH day of JANUARY, 2012 as the property of SHEILA A RANSOM to satisfy a judgment amounting to $9,332.24, representing delinquent taxes, penalties, interest, and attorney’s fees through the date of judgment, plus all costs of court, costs of sale, and post judgment penalties and interest recoverable by law in favor of FORT BEND INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT; FORT BEND COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT # 2; FORT BEND COUNTY/ FORT BEND COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICE DISTRICT #5.ALL BIDDERS MUST COMPLY WITH SECTION 34.015 OF THE TEXAS PROPERTY TAX CODE.
GIVEN UNDER MY HAND THIS 5 day of JANUARY, 2012.
ROB COOK, CONSTABLEFort Bend County Precinct 3
Sgt. John MoralesDeputy Constable #1308
NOTICE OF CONSTABLES SALETHE STATE OF TEXAS
COUNTY OF FORT BENDBy virtue of an Order of Sale issued out of the Honorable 400TH DISTRICT COURT of FORT BEND County on the 20th day of NOVEMBER, 2011 by the Clerk thereof, in the case of FORT BEND COUNTY EMERGENCY DISTRICT #2 VS. CAROLYN M. WHITAKER in Cause# 11-DCV-188741 and to me, as CONSTABLE directed and delivered, l will proceed to sell at 10:00 0’ Clock AM on the 7th day of February, 2012, which is the fi rst Tuesday of said month, at the Fort Bend County Justice Center Parking Garage, 1418 Eugene Heimann Circle, Richmond, Texas, Level 1 of the Parking Garage at the South End, West Corner, near Stairway “B” of the Court house of said FORT BEND County, in-the City of RICHMOND, Texas, the following described property, to wit:TRACT 1: GEO: 22691 00020080914LOT 8, BLOCK 2, CINCO RANCH NORTH LAKE VILLAGE, SECTION 10, AN ADDITION IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED IN AN INSTRUMENT FILED IN THE REAL PROPERTY RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS UNDER FORT BEND COUNTY CLERK’S FILE NUMBER 2009107642Levied on the 8TH day of DECEMBER, 2011 as the property of CAROL YN M. WHITAKER to satisfy a judgment amounting to $12,075.58, representing delinquent taxes, penalties, interest, and attorney’s fees through the date of judgment, plus all costs of court, costs of sale, and post judgment penalties and interest recoverable by law in favor of FORT BEND COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICT# 2; CINCO MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT # 2; WILLOW FORK DRAINAGE DISTRICT, FORT BEND COUNTY AND KATY INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.ALL BIDDERS MUST COMPLY WITH SECTION 34.015 OF THE TEXAS PROPERTY TAX CODE.
GIVEN UNDER MY HAND THIS 9TH day of DECEMBER, 2011.
ROB COOK, CONSTABLEFort Bend County Precinct 3
Sergeant John MoralesDeputy Constable #1308
NOTICE OF CONSTABLES SALETHE STATE OF TEXAS
COUNTY OF FORT BENDBy virtue of an Order of Sale issued out of the Honorable 400TH DISTRICT COURT of FORT BEND County on the 5th day of DECEMBER, 2011 by the Clerk thereof, in the case of FORT BEND COUNTY, ET AL VS. MARIETTE R. SHEFFIELD AKA MARIETTE REINE SHEFFIELD, ET AL in Cause# 07-DCV-159315 and to me, as CONSTABLE directed and delivered, l will proceed to sell at 10:00 0’ Clock AM on the 7th day of February, 2012, which is the fi rst Tuesday of said month, at the Fort Bend County Justice Center Parking Garage, 1418 Eugene Heimann Circle, Richmond, Texas, Level 1 of the Parking Garage at the South End, West Corner, near Stairway “B” of the Court house of said FORT BEND County, in-the City of RICHMOND, Texas, the following described property, to wit:TRACT 1: GEO: 6250030094000907LOT 40 IN BLOCK 9 OF REPLAT OF RIDGEMONT, SECTION 3, A SUBDIVISION IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN VOLUME 20, PAGE 2 OF THE MAP RECORDS OF FORT BENDCOUNTY, TEXAS.Levied on the 9TH day of DECEMBER, 2011 as the property of MARIETTE R. SHEFFIELD AIKJ A MARIETTE REINE SHEFFIELD, ELLEN ANN SHEFFIELD, PALISADES COLLECTION, L.L.C. to satisfy a judgment amounting to $10,034.32, representing delinquent taxes, penalties, interest, and attorney’s fees through the date of judgment, plus all costs of court, costs of sale, and post judgment penalties and interest recoverable by law in favor of FORT BEND INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, CITY OF HOUSTON AND FORT BEND COUNTY AND ALL OTHER RELATED ENTITIES.ALL BIDDERS MUST COMPLY WITH SECTION 34.015 OF THE TEXAS PROPERTY TAX CODE.GIVEN UNDER MY HAND THIS 9TH day of DECEMBER, 2011.
ROB COOK, CONSTABLEFort Bend County Precinct 3
Sergeant John MoralesDeputy Constable #1308
NOTICE OF CONSTABLES SALETHE STATE OF TEXAS
COUNTY OF FORT BENDBy virtue of an Order of Sale issued out of the Honorable 268TH DISTRICT COURT of FORT BEND County on the 5th day of DECEMBER, 2011 by the Clerk thereof, in the case of FORT BEND COUNTY VS. JOSE T HERRERA JR in Cause# 08-DCV-166552 and to me, as CONSTABLE directed and delivered, l will proceed to sell at 10:00 0’ Clock AM on the 7th day of February, 2012, which is the fi rst Tuesday of said month, at the Fort Bend County Justice Center Parking Garage, 1418 Eugene Heimann Circle, Richmond, Texas, Level 1 of the Parking Garage at the South End, West Corner, near Stairway “B” of the Court house of said FORT BEND County, in-the City of RICHMOND, Texas, the following described property, to wit:TRACT 1: GEO: 7150000070500907LOT 5 IN BLOCK 7 OF SOUTH MAIN PLAZA, A SUBDIVISION IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN VOLUME 3, PAGE 22 OF THE PLAT RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS.Levied on the 9TH day of DECEMBER, 2011 as the property of JOSE T. HERRERA, JR. to satisfy a judgment amounting to $4,020.30, representing delinquent taxes, penalties, interest, and attorney’s fees through the date of judgment, plus all costs of court, costs of sale, and post judgment penalties and interest recoverable by law in favor of FORT BEND INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, FORT BEND COUNTY AND CITY OF HOUSTON.
ALL BIDDERS MUST COMPLY WITH SECTION 34.015 OF THE TEXAS PROPERTY TAX CODE.
GIVEN UNDER MY HAND THIS 9TH day of DECEMBER, 2011.
ROB COOK, CONSTABLEFort Bend County Precinct 3
Sergeant John MoralesDeputy Constable #1308
NOTICE OF CONSTABLE SALENOTICE OF LEVYREAL PROPERTY
Under and by virtue of a Writ of Execution and / or Order of Sale issued on the 28th day of November,2011 by the 434th District Court of Fort Bend County, Texas in cause # 11-DCV-187195 in favor of the Plaintiff - Fort Bend County Plaintiff , for the sum of $6165.48 ++++costs as taxed on said Execution and / or Order of Sale and further the sum of executing the same. Therefore, on the 8th day of December, 2011, I, Constable Rob Cook of Precinct Three Fort Bend County, have levied on and have seized all rights, title, interest, and claim to which the said Defendant(s) - Katherine Collier Ivy Rattler had of, in, or to the following described real property, and will off er for sale on the 7th day of February, 2011 at the County Courthouse steps of Fort Bend County, Texas in the city of Richmond, Texas between the hours often o’clock a.m. and four o’clock p.m., any and all rights, title, interests and claims which the above defendant had of, in, or to the following described real property situated in Fort Bend County, Texas; viz:LEGAL DESCRIPTION:Tract 1: GEO:0170000006201907 AN UNDIVIDED 0.3814 ACRE INTEREST IN AND TO PARCEL OF LAND CONTAINING 1.263 ACRES, MORE OR LESS, LOCATED IN THE MANUEL ESCALERA SURVEY, ABSTRACT 170 IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS; BEING MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED BY METES AND BOUNDS IN A DEED FROM KATHERINE RATTLER, INDEPENDENT ADMINISTRATRIX OF THE ESTATE OF ROZELlA COLLIER IVY RATTLER DATED JULY 30, 2002 AND RECORDED UNDER CLERK’S FILE NO. 2002085267 IN THE OFFICIAL PUBLIC RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS; AND BEING THE SAME PROPERTY IDENTIFIED ON PLAINTIFF’S TAX ROLL ACCOUNT NO. 0170-00-000-6201-907.ADJUDGED/MARKET VALUE: $108,530.00
Property is sold with all encumbrances and liens affi xed thereto. All sales are fi nal.
Terms: Cash, Cashier’s Check, or Money OrderSale to be held at or about 10:00 A.M.
ROB COOK, CONSTABLEFort Bend County Precinct 3
Deputy S.D. SayersDeputy Constable #1338
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, Travis Annex, 301 Jackson, Suite 201, Richmond, TX 77469 for the following until THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2011 at 1:30 P.M. CST). All proposals will then be opened in the Offi ce of the Purchasing Agent, Travis Annex, 301 Jackson, Suite 201, Richmond, TX 77469 and the names of the proposers made public. Proposals received after the specifi ed time will be returned unopened.RFP 12-020 – GENERAL CONTRACTOR SERVICES-FORT BEND COUNTY SENIOR CENTERA pre-RFP conference will be conducted on Thursday, January 5, 2012 at 9:00 AM (CST). The pre-RFP conference will be held at Fort Bend County Purchasing Department located in the Travis Annex at 301 Jackson, Suite 201, Richmond, TX. All vendors are encouraged to attend. Lump sum pricing is required. Successful vendor is required to provide bonds. Fort Bend County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals.Signed:Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., Purchasing AgentFort Bend County, Richmond, Texas
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICEThe Commissioners Court of Fort Bend County, Texas has set a public hearing at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 for Crystal Lake Estates Subdivision Replat No. 1, Precinct 1. 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 Chris Kalkomey with Charlie Kalkomey Surveying Inc. at 281-342-2033 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, Travis Annex, 301 Jackson, Suite 201, Richmond, TX 77469 for the following until THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2012 at 1:30 P.M. CST). All proposals will then be opened in the Offi ce of the Purchasing Agent, Travis Annex, 301 Jackson, Suite 201, Richmond, TX 77469 and the names of the proposers made public. Proposals received after the specifi ed time will be returned unopened.RFP 12-024 – LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE OF CAMPUS ON EUGENE HEIMANN CIRCLEUnit pricing is required. Fort Bend County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals.Signed:Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., Purchasing Agent Fort Bend County, Richmond, Texas
LEGAL NOTICEINVITATION TO BIDDERS
Sealed Bids will be received in the Offi ce of Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., County Purchasing Agent, Fort Bend County, Travis Annex, 301 Jackson, Suite 201, Richmond, TX 77469 for the following until THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2012 at 1:30 P.M. (CST). All bids will then be publicly opened and read in the Offi ce of the Purchasing Agent, Travis Annex, 301 Jackson, Suite 201, Richmond, TX 77469. Bids received after the specifi ed time will be returned unopened.BID 12-016 – FALCON LANDING BLVD ROAD EXTENSION
A pre-bid conference will be conducted on Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 9:00 AM (CST) with site visit to follow. The pre-bid conference will be held at Fort Bend County Purchasing Department located in the Travis Annex at 301 Jackson, Suite 201, Richmond, TX. All bidders are encouraged to attend. Unit 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, Travis Annex, 301 Jackson, Suite 201, Richmond, TX 77469 for the following until THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012 at 1:30 P.M. CST). All proposals will then be opened in the Offi ce of the Purchasing Agent, Travis Annex, 301 Jackson, Suite 201, Richmond, TX 77469 and the names of the proposers made public. Proposals received after the specifi ed time will be returned unopened.RFP 12-023 – DIGITAL MEDIA EVIDENCE MANAGEMENT AND STORAGE SYSTEMUnit pricing is required. Fort Bend County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals.Signed:Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., Purchasing Agent Fort Bend County, Richmond, Texas
The fi rst demonstration, “Intro-duction to Zumba Fitness,” will take place on Saturday, Jan. 21, beginning at 11 a.m. in First Colony library. Zumba instruc-tor Cyndia Rodriquez will teach the basics of this popular Latin-inspired dance-fi tness program. The programs are free and open to the public. To register visit (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us), or call 281-238-2800.
Zumba fi tness
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICEThe Commissioners Court of Fort Bend County, Texas has set a public hearing on Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. for acceptance of the traffi c control plan for Falcon Landing Boulevard at Spring Green Boulevard, Precinct 3.The hearing will be held in the Commissioners Courtroom, 309 South Fourth St., Suite 700, William B. Travis Bldg., Richmond, Texas. You are invited to attendand state your approval or objection on this matter.
Submitted by,Dianne WilsonFort Bend County Clerk
JANUARY 11, 2012 • INDEPENDENT • Page 7
AUTOMOBILE: Camry Hybrid
FILM REVIEW: The Iron Lady
www.REMAXFine.com Highway 6 & Austin Parkway
CALL US TODAY (281) 265-5533
Interest rates are at an ALL TIME LOW.
YOU CAN’T AFFORD NOT TO BUY A HOME!
Buying ٠ Selling ٠ Leasing ٠ Investing
Buying a home can be an intimidating process. Don’t go through it alone, use a Realtor.
$450,000. 8615 Halls Retreat, Missouri City - 4 bedroom/4 bathroom. HUGE STORY 2 STUDY. MASTER RETREAT WITH HIS/HER CLOSETS. MASTER BATH FEATURES JACUZZI TUB & HIS/HER SINKS W/ PREMIER GALAXY GRANITE. LARGE OPEN ISLAND KITCHEN W/ 6 GAS BURNERS. STAINLESS STEEL APPLIANCES, CUSTOM CABINETS & WALK-IN PANTRY.
$900,000. 47 Commanders Cove 5 Bedrooms/5 Full & 2 Half Bath-rooms. Quality abounds in this most magnifi cent Tuscany Stucco! Designed to provide amazing views from every room!
$349,500. Crown Jewel – 3/4 Bedrooms/4.5 Bathrooms. Executive Series. 1 1/2 story with upstairs gameroom on wooded lot. Huge master closet. Gorgeous 3/4 acre lot backing wooded reserve. Covered Patio. Hardwd fl oors. Gourmet Kitchen w/granite
$549,900. 6806 Peatwood Way – 5 Bedrooms/3.5 Baths. Home sits on a large cornelot. Great fl oor plan at an amazing priceHome is in great condition and has beeupdated with wood fl ooring, stainless applances, granite countertops, island kitchen.
$209,500.3006 Lake Estates – 4 Bed-rooms/2.5 Bathrooms. Beautiful David Week-ley. Travertine throughout. Crown Molding. Hi ceilings. Gourmet Island Kitchen updated w/ rare granite, stainless appliances., double ovens, bow-bay window .& built-in micro-wave. Breakfast area w/oversized windows
$162,900. 5819 La Crema – 3 Bedroo2ms/2 Bathrooms. This impeccably maintained home features a great open fl oor plan w/ an extended tile entry, central kitchen w/ Corian counter tops, breakfast bar, large breakfast nook, and a charming front porch. Home has 2’’ blinds throughout.
SOLD
“The Iron Lady” is a little rusty. It’s not Meryl Streep’s fault whose portrayal of the remarkable Margaret Thatch-er was worthy of the Reagan-era British Prime Minister.
It’s almost trite to say that Streep is the best actress of her generation, but if it’s true it ain’t trite and certainly is not inaccurate. Streep deserves a nomination for her perfor-mance because her capture of the Iron Lady is fabulous.
Will she win the Oscar? Probably not because the movie is not very good.
Let’s be fair; the movie is bad and not interesting.
The costumes are fantastic and the editing is skilled but the script and the story is so
basic and biographical that the show was boring. Please don’t bore me.
I didn’t walk out of the theatre because I watched a screener (DVD) at my offi ce which is not the ideal setting (no popcorn) but during the “nomination season” one must resort to screeners in order to keep up with the huge infl ux of movies provided by studios anxious to sell their movies to the various academies and critics.
How good was Streep? Fantastic, incredible, aston-ishing, but I need some enter-tainment.
I know that Meryl Streep is the Queen of the Screen, but Larry H. is in it for himself
and demands some joy and escape. That does not include a methodical description of a historically signifi cant twenti-
eth century fi gure that should have been shown to college history students.
I watch movies for fun and
to be entertained, not to re-ceive a lecture even though I admit that the education pro-cess in a well-done movie can be provocative and stimulat-ing and often entertaining.
Who is to blame? That’s easy; Phyllida “Mama Mia” Lloyd who as director must have had an easy time in con-vincing Mrs. Streep to play Thatcher but forgot the audi-ence.
Lloyd was born in 1957 in Bristol, England, so she grew up watching the Iron Lady be-come one of the most notable and powerful women in the history of the world.
That would be an over-whelming infl uence on the young, impressionable Phyl-
lida. She probably has been dreaming of the time that she could convince her buddy Meryl Streep to play her hero Margaret Thatcher.
I’m just speculating. but the texture and themes of the movie appeared to be the re-sult of hero-worship rather than art and entertainment. I repeat: it is not Streep’s fault but somebody owes me 105 minutes of my life.
Just kidding; I like watch-ing bad movies – it gives me something to write about and I love to whine. Rock ‘n Roll.
Grade 71. Larry H. sugarlaw@larryharrison.
com
Since 1972, the Quail Val-ley Garden Club has been serving Missouri City, Fort Bend County and Texas. This past year the club has given $8725 in total with $4000 in scholarships, $4250 in com-munity appearance and $475 to miscellaneous horticulture and civic groups. QVGC in-vites the public to its Thurs-day, Jan. 12 meeting at 9:30 on Organic Roses, which dramatically reduce the need for chemicals of any kind and use organic fertilizers. No charge for our meeting at 2600 Yorktown, club house, Quail Valley Town Homes. Contact Barbara Thomp-son at 281-835-9888 or visit http://traction.typepad.com/QVGC for more information and a map.
By BARBARA FULENWID-ER
Toyota’s new, seventh-generation Camry, America’s best-selling car for nine years running and 13 of the past 14 years, also comes as a hybrid, which gets 41 miles to the gallon on average.
The all-new, four-door Camry Hybrid sedan debuted a highly revised version of the brand’s Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrain, including a new 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. The 2012 Camry Hybrid LE gets an EPA-estimated 43 mpg city/39 mpg highway/41 mpg combined.
It also yields more than a 30 percent boost in fuel economy in the EPA city and combined driving cycles, compared to the previous generation, thanks largely to the new hy-brid powertrain, lighter ve-hicle weight and optimized aerodynamics.
Through its transaxle, the
Hybrid Synergy Drive sys-tem combines output from the four-cylinder engine with a small high-torque electric motor. The system produces a combined 200 horsepower and varies power between the gas engine and electric motor, or combines both, as needed.
The new 2.5-liter engine, like the 2.4-liter it replaces, uses the Atkinson cycle (de-layed intake-valve closing for an expansion ratio greater than compression ratio) to achieve maximum effi ciency. The Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i) sys-tem on the intake camshaft enhances torque, which is greater than with the previous engine.
Because there are situations in which the gas engine in the Camry Hybrid shuts off, air conditioning and power steering systems are driven electrically. New effi ciency measures in the Hybrid Syn-
ergy Drive system include reducing internal losses in the transaxle, improving motor-voltage control and optimiz-ing the regenerative braking. The nickel-metal-hydride battery in the luggage com-partment behind the rear seats now features enhanced air-cooling. Moving the DC/DC converter to the engine com-partment added 2.1-cubic feet of space to the trunk.
Lighter overall vehicle weight also contributes to better performance and fuel economy. Its 7.6-second zero-to-60 acceleration time places the Camry Hybrid between the four-cylinder and V6 models. Lower rolling resis-tance tires, available for the fi rst time in 17-inch size, also help boost fuel economy.
New for the 2012 Camry Hybrid, an EV Drive mode al-lows the driver to operate the car on the electric motor alone for up to 1.6 miles at lower
Pictured at Golden Fig Tree Dedication to the Missouri City Edible Arbor Trail are l-r. Back row: Sally Richter, Cindy Calender, Lynn Ellis, Donna Hogan. Middle: Bette Kraus, Joanne Mayhall, Sharon Wright, Penny Johnson, MC Forester Paul Wierzbicki, Janice Scanlan, Shir-ley Renfrow, Joyce Smith, Patty McKeever. Kneeling: Rose Ann Acosta and Virginia Moore.
Quail Valley Garden Club
The Kempner High School Theatre Department will present Comic Potential, written by Alan Ayckbourn, beginning on Wednesday, Jan. 11 and running through Saturday, Jan. 14. All performances are at 7 p.m in the Kempner High School Auditorium. Adult tickets are $7 in advance and $8 at the door; student tickets are $5 in advance and $6 at the door. Wednesday’s performance will be sold STUDENT TICKETS BOGO (BUY ONE GET ONE FREE) presale and at the door. Advance tickets are available in the KHS commons from 11:15 a.m.-12:40 p.m. Jan. 9 through 13. Directed by Amy Warren, the play is a hilarious satire of television and a touching ro-mantic comedy. For more information, call 281-634-2355.
Comic Potential
speeds (below approximately 25 mph). The EV indicator il-luminates when the vehicle is being propelled solely by the electric motor.
As on the previous Camry Hybrid, ECO mode optimizes throttle response and air con-ditioning output to prioritize maximum fuel economy. The Hybrid System Indicator helps the driver operate the car as economically as possible.
The car’s information display graphically shows fuel econ-omy in real time and can also show energy fl ow and cruising range information.
Inside, the Camry Hybrid’s exclusive trim is on the instru-ment panel and door switch bases, upper console panels and shift knob. The Hybrid also features its own exclusive seat fabric in ivory or light gray. An exclusive leather and
Ultrasuede is also available. A three-dial Optitron gauge panel with chrome-accented outer rings provides an up-scale look.
The Camry Hybrid is avail-able in LE and XLE grades. All grades now feature a standard 60/40 split folding rear seatback to expand cargo capacity. The seats can be lowered by a remote release from the trunk area. Rear-seat side airbags are standard.
Seamlessly integrated into the Camry are state-of-the-art electronics and enhanced connectivity features.
The Camry Hybrid XLE sedan retails for $27,400. Op-tions on the test drive vehicle included a blind spot moni-tor, a convenience package, premium navigation system, power tilt/slide moonroof and a leather package, which increased the bottom line to $34,547, including the deliv-ery fee.
Page 8 • INDEPENDENT • JANUARY 11, 2012
Republican Primary
April 3, 2012
Thomas J. Parr, M.D.
281-491-7111
Call us first directly from the field!You may be able to save both time & money.
