F ORT B END FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE. Phone: 281-980-6745 ww ww w.fbindependent.com .fbindependent.com P.O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623 WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2011 VOL 4 No. 28 Official newspaper of Fort Bend County, Missouri City & Sugar Land Seshadri Kumar Publisher & Editor 10701 Corporate Drive, #282, Stafford, TX 77477 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, TX 77487 www.fbindependent.com 281-980-6745 Fort Bend Independent, (USPS 025-572) is published every Wednesday (for a subscription rate of $20 per year) by Fort Bend Independent, LLC., 10701 Corporate Dr., #282, Stafford, Texas 77477. Periodicals Postage Paid at Stafford, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Fort Bend Independent, P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, Tx 77487. 281-240-0377 Satish Rao’s New Dining Concept Introducing Flavors of the Spice Coast, Featuring North Indian & South Indian Cuisine $6.99 3559 Hwy 6 South, Sugar Land TX 77478 Lunch Specials Starts &up Members of the 26th Class of the Gus George Law En- forcement Academy gradu- ated July 1 at Foster High School in Richmond. Class members and their instruc- tors include, front row, from left, Taylor Snell, Gustavo Pelayo, Brittany Moreno, Angie Brewer, Jennifer Landers, Jerrick Jovellanos and Justin Hammers. Sec- ond row, Sgt. Darlene Pyka, Sgt. Mike Lorenz,Staff mem- ber Cindi Villemaire, Eric Guerrero, Johnny Sampson, Daniel Tondera, Cody Parch- man, Osvaldo Orozco, Rus- sell Dittrich, Eliseo Flores, Klint Landry, Dottie Zum- walt, Sgt. Carlos Castillo and Sgt. Angie Womble. Third row, Lt. Matt Carter, Steven Hart, Nicholas Ibanez, Adri- an Lopez, Ismael Velarde, Matthew Dickinson, Philip McGuigan, Brandon Mose- ley, Khourey Hilliard, Ian Haydel, Richard Solberg, Shawn Briere and Capt. Mike Patton. The Carolina Wren is a welcomed bird in many ways. They busily glean insects from the ground and foliage and protect our plants from insect infestations. They are fun to watch even like nest- ing in your wreaths or hanging baskets often better than on plants. Their side entry nests are intricate, but don’t disturb or mom will fly at you. And wow, can the males sing! They pack an amazing volume for their size. This little fledgling will grow to about 4 ¾”— and have the char- acteristic upturned tail. For more photos and to see the characteristic upturned tails, visit http:// traction.typepad.com/birds. Photo by Margaret Sloan. Birds of Fort Bend: Carolina Wren By BARBARA FULENWIDER The split vote which marked the hiring of Staf- ford Municipal School Dis- trict’s new superintendent Lance Hindt in May, con- tinued in the election of the school board president as well. The new board president, Ettienne Zak, won 4-3, after three trustees supported him and three others opposed his appointment. Zak had the support of Trustees Rodney Butler and ShaMekka Pratt-Simmons, and he needed one vote to prevail. Ed Castillo cast his vote for Zak. The SMSD board is cur- rently made up of two His- panics, two Anglos and three African-Americans. Zak has served on the Stafford Municipal School Board since 1998, and while he was elected vice president of the board twice, he has never before now been elect- ed president. New board officers are elected every year after the May election of members is held. The same divide showed at the SMSD board’s May 2 special called meeting held to select a superintendent. Castillo made a motion that the board declare Hindt as the finalist for the superin- tendent’s job. His motion was seconded by Greg Holsapple, and then Zak read a statement that said community members wanted the current assistant superintendent, Marva Ras- berry, named interim super- intendent, and noted that two of the three candidates the board interviewed were mi- norities. Castillo’s motion to name Hindt superintendent passed SMSD split on election of president Zak by a 5-2 vote with Butler and Pratt-Sim- mons voting no. At SMSD’s May 24 spe- cial called meeting held to elect new board officers, Cindy Hoel- scher, Holsapple and Virginia Rosas cast no votes for Zak being president. Holsapple said his vote was one of no confidence and Ro- sas said a whole lot more. According to board min- utes, Rosas pointed out that every board member needs to be highly ethical and show integrity and she insisted that all board members rise to that expected level. The recorded minutes also said she could not support Zak because he bullied and intimidated and used school vehicles and a district cell phone for personal gain. She also said “she cannot support a candidate who re- leases information discussed in closed session and has caused a racial divide.” Rosas then discussed state- ments made by Zak that “have initiated negative public reac- tion” and said she was “not voting for anyone who would pressure her vote to be one way or another.” She also said whomever is elected board president should earn the job “just as we expect students to earn their achievements.” Rosas said board officers should be held to the highest standards and “should give back and not take for personal gain.” After Rosas’ comments, Zak made a motion that the board approve Pratt-Sim- mons as secretary. Holsapple then nominated Rosas for secretary but she declined the nomination and Pratt-Simmons was unani- mously approved as secretary. When minutes of the board were posted on SMSD’s web site the morning of July 1, they were signed by Zak, as the law says they must be by the board president. But he included a note below his title, which said, “I abstained from voting on the minutes and disagree with Ms. Rosas’ statement in (agenda item) VIII A.” Pratt-Simmons likewise signed off on the minutes also as board secretary but also added a note. Hers said, “As discussed in closed session, I don’t agree with the statement made by Ms. Rosas under VIII A.” She also added a cor- rection “under VIII B” from “Mr. Pratt-Simmons to Ms. Pratt-Simmons.” After the meeting, a board member who requested ano- nymity, said there are reasons why Zak had never before been elected president. “He’s always had an in- ability to get along with every board president elected going back to Azalia Tennis. It’s like no one can do anything right.” The person also said that “over the past two election cycles Zak worked to get oth- ers to run against board mem- bers so he could become pres- ident. When that didn’t work this past election cycle Zak fell back to Plan B, which was that he deserved it because of his tenure and not to consider all the bad relationships he’s had with other board mem- bers over the years. “Now things are not run- ning as smoothly as they need to run. There should be no controversy, grandstanding and the oneupmanship that’s going on right now.” By SESHADRI KUMAR Fort Bend ISD board of trustees on Monday night ac- cepted the resignation of Posi- tion 7 Trustee Jim Babb. Babb cited health reasons for his resignation. He was elected to the Board of Trust- ees in 2010. He is a 20-year veteran of the Houston Police Department and former U.S. Marine. The school board will ap- point someone to Babb’s posi- tion until May 2012 election, board president Susan Hohn- baum said. The person who is elected in 2012 will serve for the remain- ing one-year term in Position 7. The trustees will nominate one or more candidates and will vote on the appointment at the next board meeting on Aug. 8. The selected candidate will be from the east side of the dis- trict. The board may appoint a former board member but may be reluctant to appoint some- one who lost in the school board election. In the past, when a vacancy arose on the school board, a former trustee, who did not seek re-election, was appoint- ed to that position. Earlier, during the audi- ence comments period, one of the audience members paid rich compliments to Babb for his “willingness to ask tough questions and challenge the administration and other board members.” Babb in his brief remarks said he would “miss being up here.” He learned that it was easy for someone to be outside the board and criticize, but once elected he realized the complex laws, regulations and tech- nicalities involved in school board operation. Babb said he had differ- ences with other trustees, but he “sincerely respected each member.” A few months after his elec- tion last year, Babb announced that he may resign due to health reasons. In his Facebook page, Babb reported that he faced a major health issue that could affect his performance as a school trustee. Last year, in an abridged post on Facebook, Babb said: “I am currently experiencing several serious medical issues that had caused me to consider the possibility of having to step down from the BOT. How- ever, I believe it is important to have as much community representation on this board as possible,... Hence, as long as I am able, I will remain on the BOT.” Babb set a new trend by keeping his Facebook page ac- tive even after his election. Babb’s perception of open communication with his con- stituents was in conflict with the FBISD’s policy of keeping a tight rein on communication from the school district. Only the board president and the superintendent are au- thorized to speak to the media. This policy, however, does not prevent any board member from speaking his or her own mind. Consequently, the school board included in its board policy a provision that “Board members will use a disclaimer designed by the board’s attor- ney for use on all-social net- working sites the member may own or operate.” In other actions, the board adopted some revisions to its operating procedures. Trustee Bruce Albright sought to amend the provision regarding placing an item on the agenda. The current policy is that at least two members should ask for an item to be placed on the agenda, while the authority rests with the board president. Albright suggested that even one member can request to place an item on the agenda. His motion failed 2 to 5. Only Babb voted with him on this is- sue. Albright also wanted to amend the requirement for the election of board officers like the president and vice-presi- dent. Currently, the require- ment is that a member should have been on the board for at least two years. Albright want- ed to change it to one-year re- quirement, but got no support. School board accepts Babb’s resignation Babb Law enforcement academy cadets graduate
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.
281-240-0377
Satish Rao’s New Dining Concept
Introducing Flavors of the Spice Coast,
Featuring North Indian & South Indian Cuisine$6.99
3559 Hwy 6 South, Sugar Land TX 77478Lunch SpecialsStarts
&up
Members of the 26th Class of the Gus George Law En-forcement Academy gradu-ated July 1 at Foster High School in Richmond. Class members and their instruc-tors include, front row, from left, Taylor Snell, Gustavo Pelayo, Brittany Moreno, Angie Brewer, Jennifer Landers, Jerrick Jovellanos and Justin Hammers. Sec-ond row, Sgt. Darlene Pyka, Sgt. Mike Lorenz,Staff mem-ber Cindi Villemaire, Eric Guerrero, Johnny Sampson, Daniel Tondera, Cody Parch-man, Osvaldo Orozco, Rus-sell Dittrich, Eliseo Flores, Klint Landry, Dottie Zum-walt, Sgt. Carlos Castillo and Sgt. Angie Womble. Third row, Lt. Matt Carter, Steven Hart, Nicholas Ibanez, Adri-an Lopez, Ismael Velarde, Matthew Dickinson, Philip McGuigan, Brandon Mose-ley, Khourey Hilliard, Ian Haydel, Richard Solberg, Shawn Briere and Capt. Mike Patton.
The Carolina Wren is a welcomed bird in many ways. They busily glean insects from the ground and foliage and protect our plants from insect infestations. They are fun to watch even like nest-ing in your wreaths or hanging baskets often better than on plants. Their side entry nests are intricate, but don’t disturb or mom will fl y at you. And wow, can the males sing! They pack an amazing volume for their size. This little fl edgling will grow to about 4 ¾”— and have the char-acteristic upturned tail. For more photos and to see the characteristic upturned tails, visit http://traction.typepad.com/birds. Photo by Margaret Sloan.
Birds of Fort Bend: Carolina Wren
By BARBARA FULENWIDERThe split vote which
marked the hiring of Staf-ford Municipal School Dis-trict’s new superintendent Lance Hindt in May, con-tinued in the election of the school board president as well.
The new board president, Ettienne Zak, won 4-3, after three trustees supported him and three others opposed his appointment.
Zak had the support of Trustees Rodney Butler and ShaMekka Pratt-Simmons, and he needed one vote to prevail. Ed Castillo cast his vote for Zak.
The SMSD board is cur-rently made up of two His-panics, two Anglos and three African-Americans.
Zak has served on the Stafford Municipal School Board since 1998, and while he was elected vice president of the board twice, he has never before now been elect-ed president.
New board offi cers are elected every year after the May election of members is held.
The same divide showed at the SMSD board’s May 2 special called meeting held to select a superintendent.
Castillo made a motion that the board declare Hindt as the fi nalist for the superin-tendent’s job.
His motion was seconded by Greg Holsapple, and then Zak read a statement that said community members wanted the current assistant superintendent, Marva Ras-berry, named interim super-intendent, and noted that two of the three candidates the board interviewed were mi-norities.
Castillo’s motion to name Hindt superintendent passed
SMSD split on election of president
Zak
by a 5-2 vote with Butler and Pratt-Sim-mons voting no.
At SMSD’s May 24 spe-cial called
meeting held to elect new board offi cers, Cindy Hoel-scher, Holsapple and Virginia Rosas cast no votes for Zak being president.
Holsapple said his vote was one of no confi dence and Ro-sas said a whole lot more.
According to board min-utes, Rosas pointed out that every board member needs to be highly ethical and show integrity and she insisted that all board members rise to that expected level.
The recorded minutes also said she could not support Zak because he bullied and intimidated and used school vehicles and a district cell phone for personal gain.
She also said “she cannot support a candidate who re-leases information discussed in closed session and has caused a racial divide.”
Rosas then discussed state-ments made by Zak that “have initiated negative public reac-tion” and said she was “not voting for anyone who would pressure her vote to be one way or another.”
She also said whomever is elected board president should earn the job “just as we expect students to earn their achievements.”
Rosas said board offi cers should be held to the highest standards and “should give back and not take for personal gain.”
After Rosas’ comments, Zak made a motion that the board approve Pratt-Sim-mons as secretary.
Holsapple then nominated
Rosas for secretary but she declined the nomination and Pratt-Simmons was unani-mously approved as secretary.
When minutes of the board were posted on SMSD’s web site the morning of July 1, they were signed by Zak, as the law says they must be by the board president.
But he included a note below his title, which said, “I abstained from voting on the minutes and disagree with Ms. Rosas’ statement in (agenda item) VIII A.”
Pratt-Simmons likewise signed off on the minutes also as board secretary but also added a note. Hers said, “As discussed in closed session, I don’t agree with the statement made by Ms. Rosas under VIII A.” She also added a cor-rection “under VIII B” from “Mr. Pratt-Simmons to Ms. Pratt-Simmons.”
After the meeting, a board member who requested ano-nymity, said there are reasons why Zak had never before been elected president.
“He’s always had an in-ability to get along with every board president elected going back to Azalia Tennis. It’s like no one can do anything right.”
The person also said that “over the past two election cycles Zak worked to get oth-ers to run against board mem-bers so he could become pres-ident. When that didn’t work this past election cycle Zak fell back to Plan B, which was that he deserved it because of his tenure and not to consider all the bad relationships he’s had with other board mem-bers over the years.
“Now things are not run-ning as smoothly as they need to run. There should be no controversy, grandstanding and the oneupmanship that’s going on right now.”
By SESHADRI KUMARFort Bend ISD board of
trustees on Monday night ac-cepted the resignation of Posi-tion 7 Trustee Jim Babb.
Babb cited health reasons for his resignation. He was elected to the Board of Trust-ees in 2010. He is a 20-year veteran of the Houston Police Department and former U.S. Marine.
The school board will ap-point someone to Babb’s posi-tion until May 2012 election, board president Susan Hohn-baum said.
The person who is elected in 2012 will serve for the remain-ing one-year term in Position 7.
The trustees will nominate one or more candidates and will vote on the appointment at the next board meeting on Aug. 8.
The selected candidate will be from the east side of the dis-trict.
The board may appoint a former board member but may be reluctant to appoint some-one who lost in the school board election.
In the past, when a vacancy arose on the school board, a former trustee, who did not seek re-election, was appoint-ed to that position.
Earlier, during the audi-ence comments period, one of the audience members paid rich compliments to Babb for his “willingness to ask tough questions and challenge the administration and other board members.”
Babb in his brief remarks said he would “miss being up here.”
He learned that it was easy
for someone to be outside the board and criticize, but once elected he realized the complex laws, regulations and tech-nicalities involved in school board operation.
Babb said he had differ-ences with other trustees, but he “sincerely respected each member.”
A few months after his elec-tion last year, Babb announced that he may resign due to health reasons.
In his Facebook page, Babb reported that he faced a major health issue that could affect his performance as a school trustee.
Last year, in an abridged post on Facebook, Babb said: “I am currently experiencing several serious medical issues that had caused me to consider the possibility of having to step down from the BOT. How-ever, I believe it is important to have as much community representation on this board as possible,... Hence, as long as I am able, I will remain on the BOT.”
Babb set a new trend by
keeping his Facebook page ac-tive even after his election.
Babb’s perception of open communication with his con-stituents was in confl ict with the FBISD’s policy of keeping a tight rein on communication from the school district.
Only the board president and the superintendent are au-thorized to speak to the media.
This policy, however, does not prevent any board member from speaking his or her own mind.
Consequently, the school board included in its board policy a provision that “Board members will use a disclaimer designed by the board’s attor-ney for use on all-social net-working sites the member may own or operate.”
In other actions, the board adopted some revisions to its operating procedures.
Trustee Bruce Albright sought to amend the provision regarding placing an item on the agenda. The current policy is that at least two members should ask for an item to be placed on the agenda, while the authority rests with the board president.
Albright suggested that even one member can request to place an item on the agenda. His motion failed 2 to 5. Only Babb voted with him on this is-sue.
Albright also wanted to amend the requirement for the election of board offi cers like the president and vice-presi-dent. Currently, the require-ment is that a member should have been on the board for at least two years. Albright want-ed to change it to one-year re-quirement, but got no support.
School board accepts Babb’s resignation
Babb
Law enforcement academy cadets graduate
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Methodist Sugar Land Hos-pital’s marketing team was honored with a Gold Award for the hospital’s Spine Center campaign. The campaign was ranked amongst the top 5% in the nation.
The Aster Awards, one of the largest national competitions of its kind, is hosted by Mar-keting Healthcare Today Mag-azine and Creative Images, Inc. This elite program recognizes outstanding healthcare profes-sionals for excellence in their advertising/marketing efforts for the calendar year 2010.
The 2011 Aster Awards re-ceived approximately 3,000 entries from across the United States as well as Canada and South America. Participant’s entries competed against simi-lar-sized organizations in their category.
Entries must score at least in the top 16% to receive an award. Judging criteria in-cludes creativity, layout and design, functionality, message effectiveness, production qual-
ity and overall appeal. “It was an honor to have
the number of Healthcare or-ganizations and agencies that participated in the 2011 As-ter Awards Competition. The quality of this year’s entries went well beyond the judges’ expectations,” said Melinda R. Lucas, Aster Awards Program Coordinator.
“As health care marketing professionals, it is crucial we communicate within our com-munities what services are available to them so close to home,” said Leena Taneja, Di-
rector of Physician Relations and Marketing at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital.
“We’re honored to receive this recognition for the hard work and dedication our team puts forth to ensure the con-tinued communication to our community about the Spine Center and other services pro-vided by Methodist Sugar Land Hospital. I would like to per-sonally thank our Spine Center physicians and the Methodist Sugar Land marketing team who made this award happen.”
Awards were issued based
Affi liated Spine Center Physicians
Methodist Sugar Land Hospital recognized for Spine Center Campaign
The Texas City Manage-ment Association (TCMA) recognized Sugar Land City Manager Allen Bogard as Mentor of the Year during TCMA’s annual conference in June.
The award recognizes “the city management professional who has made signifi cant con-tributions in the development of new talent and/or who has designed and implemented outstanding career develop-ment programs for local gov-
ernment employees.”TCMA noted Bogard’s im-
pact on many young profes-sionals throughout his career and especially in Sugar Land. Under his leadership, Sugar Land developed successful internship and management assistant programs intended to proactively recruit and retain new talent in the organization. The programs focused on suc-cession planning and profes-sional development.
Also during Bogard’s
‛Mentor of the Year’
City Manager Allen Bogard, left, receiving the Mentor of the Year award from Richardson City Manager and TCMA Presi-dent Bill Keffl er during the annual conference.
tenure, the City created an Emerging Leader Academy to further invest in the organi-zation’s workforce.
Ten employees are select-ed annually to participate in a year-long self-assessment and learning program under the mentorship of a depart-ment head.
The program was created to develop broad organiza-tional knowledge of munici-pal government and cultivate skills necessary to carry out the City’s mission.
“Sugar Land has one of the most talented work forces in the state because of Allen’s commitment to de-veloping both new and ten-ured employees,” said Mayor James Thompson.
“We are incredibly grate-ful not only for his service to Sugar Land but also for his dedication to ensure that there will be a new generation of professional local govern-ment leaders in the future.”
TCMA is an organization of local government profes-sionals dedicated to promot-ing the highest standards of governance, service, leader-ship, ethics and education.
on the following scores:Gold Awards – Score of 95
to 99 (top 5% in the nation)Silver Awards – Score of 90
to 94 (top 12% in the nation)Bronze Awards – Score of
85 to 89 (top 16% in the nation)All winners are posted on
the Aster Awards website (www.AsterAwards.com), as well as published in Marketing Healthcare Today.
For more information, call 281-313-BACK (2225), email [email protected] or visit www.MethodistSugarLand.com.
OakBend Medical CenterProfessional Building – Conference Center
22003 Southwest FreewayRichmond, TX 77469
Topics We Will Cover:Pregnancy
Labor & DeliveryBaby Care
Breast Feeding
Breakfast and snacks served.
Neeta Sane, Houston Com-munity College trustee for District VII, was honored by the State of Texas House of Representatives in recogni-tion of her service to the com-munity and HCC.
The House acknowl-edged Sane for her efforts to strengthen the college’s ca-pacity to serve as a pathway to higher education and work-force training.
Sane has promoted partner-ships with area businesses and has held a series of regional workforce summits to explore new ways in which HCC can address local workforce needs. These efforts have re-sulted in the establishment of a new Associate in Applied Science degree program in logistics and global supply chain management. Sane has
also focused her energies to-wards developing outreach programs to low-income and underserved communities, on improving support services for minority and economi-cally disadvantaged students and on instituting a diversity
program for the benefi t of stu-dents and staff.
Sane holds an M.S. from the University of Bombay and a master’s degree from the University of Houston Clear Lake. In addition to serving on the HCC Board of Trust-ees, she manages a Stafford-based software development and consulting fi rm, which she established in 2001.
Through her work and her dedication, Sane is making a positive difference in the lives of countless Texas residents. Because of her tireless efforts, the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature honored Neeta Sane for her outstanding contributions in behalf of Houston Commu-nity College and the people of Fort Bend County.
The attorney for Craig Brady, chief deputy at the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s offi ce has sent a letter to Gus Cannon of the Texas Department of Transporta-tion regarding TxDOT’s complaint about Brady’s outdoor advertising sign.
“Our client, Mr. Craig Brady, recently received a letter from your offi ce alleging signs advertis-ing “Vote Brady for Sher-iff” erected in Fort Bend County are in violation of the Texas Transporta-tion Code,” says Todd W. Mensing, attorney with the law fi rm Ahmad, Zavit-sanos and Anaipakos, P.C.
This letter correctly states that these signs do not qualify for exempt status as outlined in Texas Transportation Code Sec-tion 391.005. Since these signs are not exempt, it fol-lows that they are subject to Section 391. However, these signs are not in viola-tion of the statute because they are all located on com-mercial or industrial prop-erty, according to Mensing.
“I understand Mr. Brady discussed Section 391.031(b) of the statute with you and was told that this subsection was not applicable because these signs are political signs. Respectfully, this inter-pretation of the statute is incorrect. Under Section 391.001, “outdoor adver-tising” is broadly defi ned as “an outdoor sign…de-signed, intended, or used to advertise or inform….”
“Further, the Texas Su-preme Court recently inter-preted this statute in Texas Dept. of Transp. v. Barber, stating “the Act allows any type of noncommercial speech (including political and ideological speech) in industrial and commer-cial areas. The Act sim-ply limits noncommercial speech in non-industrial and noncommercial areas to that which relates to an on-premise activity or to an upcoming public election”
“As Mr. Brady’s election signs constitute noncom-mercial speech located on commercial or industrial properties, these signs are not in violation of Section 391.
“We respectfully request that your offi ce notify the Fort Bend County Elec-tions Offi ce that these signs are in compliance with the law,” Mensing said.
First Colony Community Association (FCCA) has ap-pointed Doug Earle as its new executive director.
Earle brings extensive com-munity experience to his new post, as a result of past work as the Executive Director of the Fort Bend Family YMCA, the Vice President of Opera-tions for the YMCA corporate offi ces and the Deputy Direc-tor for the Houston Parks and Recreation Department.
“As I take the helm of First Colony Community Associa-tion, my pledge to you is that I will work very hard for the Members of First Colony and the Board of Directors. I look forward to working with the staff, vendors and community businesses to make our com-munity a fantastic place to live, work and play,” said Earle.
“I welcome any ideas from the First Colony community
that will enhance our beautiful community or add to our qual-ity of life. We have a wonder-ful community; let’s all work together to make it even bet-ter.”
A long-time resident of First Colony, Earle and his wife El-len have raised two daughters in the community. Earle also
currently serves as a Deacon at Southminister Presbyterian Church, on the Board of Direc-tors for the Child Advocates of Fort Bend and as a mentor in the Big Brothers Program.
“The board and staff at FCCA are very pleased to have Mr. Earle on board as the new Executive Director. Mr. Earle brings a reputation of enthusi-asm and leadership to the as-sociation. He comes from an extensive background of cus-tomer service and has been successful in providing a va-riety of amenities and services to the public during his em-ployment with the Fort Bend YMCA and the City of Hous-ton Parks and Recreation De-partment,” said FCCA Board President Myatt Hancock.
For more information about the First Colony Community Association visit www.fi rst-colony.org.
Doug Earle is FCCA executive director
Earle
Texas Legislature honors Neeta Sane
Sane
Letter sent on
“political sign”
By Brent W Galloway, MD“Doc, should I be checked
for high cholesterol?”I hear this question all the
time, and have always be-lieved that it is better to know than not to know. If you are over twenty, then it might not be a bad idea. Howev-er, there are defi nitely risk factors that would prompt testing: having diabetes, or family member(s) with this disease, heart and/or vascu-lar disease, or member(s) of your family that had heart trouble before age 50 in men or 60 in women, using to-bacco products, high blood pressure, or being over-weight and/or obese. So, if it is decided to proceed with the blood test you will fast at least eight hours prior. Water and prescribed medicines are fi ne, but no after-midnight snacks! The easiest way to
High Cholesterol: Quick Facts II
Galloway
do this is to not eat after mid-night and schedule your ap-pointment for the early morn-ing.
Once the results are in, then
what? Well, there are two main types of cholesterol that doc-tors are typically concerned with, LDL, and HDL. HDL is your “good cholesterol” and actually acts like a vacuum cleaner to remove cholesterol from the bloodstream. Isn’t everything ‘HD’ better? The other is called, LDL, or ‘bad cholesterol.’ This is the little devil that leads to deposits in the arteries, which, in turn, leads to other problems. The balance between these two types of cholesterol tells you what your cholesterol level re-ally means.
Stay tuned for more infor-mation on cholesterol. In the meantime, feel free to make an appointment with Dr. Gal-loway at Family Practice of Fort Bend by calling 281-265-3456.
By RUSSELL JONESWhatever else one can say
after months of sitting on the sidelines and allowing his vice president to take the lead in negotiating an increase in the nation’s debt limit of $14.3 trillion, Obama last week met with congressional leaders and offered a one-sid-ed deal involving an immedi-ate increase in the debt limit in exchange for a promise of future negotiations on tax re-form.
The essence of the deal was that Obama would in-clude larger cuts in Medicare and Social Security than pre-viously proposed and give a promise of tax reform some-time in the future. Speaker Boehner would have to agree to let the current tax rates on capital gains, dividends and the top tax brackets expire af-ter 2012.
It took Boehner about 24 hours to realize that he had been hoodwinked and to an-nounce that he would not agree to Obama’s “big bang deal” for resolution of the debt crisis.
But is the issue of the rais-ing of the debt ceiling really a crisis?
According to the Chicken Littles of the left, the sky will fall on August 2 when the federal government no longer has the ability to borrow new funds because it will be un-able to pay off other debt as it matures. The underlying assumption is that the only reason for the borrowing is to pay debt service, an assump-tion which is untrue.
As the division of govern-ment that actually spends money, the executive branch could decide which checks
to issue on any given day. If payments for debt service are truly the highest priority, payments elsewhere could be deferred.
Of course, that would mean that government expenditures for everything from entitle-ments to defense would be shortchanged.
The result would be de-fault on others expenditures, but not on repayment of debt, which is said to be sacred to the international monetary system. No, a deferral of other expenditures would not be good, but it also would not be the end of the American government, at least in the short term.
Obama cannot increase the debt limit without Republican support. Yet Obama is insist-ing that in return for doing him the favor of voting to raise that limit, Republicans must also do him another fa-vor by raising taxes. Most Republicans in the House have pledged not to raise tax-es. Obama seems to be fan-tasizing that Republicans will abandon their commitment to their constituents in order to
give him a boost in his reelec-tion efforts.
What was Obama thinking when he made his proposal? Maybe he had decided that the debt talks were going to fail anyway, and he wanted to make sure that Republicans got the blame. Maybe he was making the Republicans an offer he knew they could not accept.
What was Boehner think-ing during that 24-hour pe-riod when he was considering Obama’s proposal?
As soon as the essence of Obama’s proposal leaked out, Democrats began howling in opposition to any proposed entitlement cuts. Could Boehner have believed that Obama could control future Democrat action on an issue like entitlement cuts if Dem-ocrats would already have what they want when it is time to start discussing their own concessions?
Obama’s proposal came just a day or two after the La-bor Department had released the monthly unemployment statistics.
The unemployment rate had creeped back up to 9.2%, and new jobs for the month totaled only 18,000. It would take at least 200,000 new jobs a month just to move the un-employment rate down to 8% in time for the 2012 election. If elections really do turn on the economy, Republicans don’t need to be doing Obama any favors in the meantime.
Jones served as a mem-
ber 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.
By JANICE SCANLANIn 1994 Missouri City tax-
payers voted city bonds to spend money on parks, trails, kids’ baseball and the like. Phase I/ Buffalo Run Park, improvements of the baseball fi elds at Community and Sta-Mo Parks, and part of the Oys-ter Creek Trail are some of the initiatives of benefi t to a cross section of taxpayers.
By 2008, Missouri City had only expended 8 million of the bonds from 1994, and still had 9.5M earmarked for defi ned, planned parks projects. Those funds were diverted from Parks and Recreation (supposedly for one year) to have the money to remove a bad steward of open space -- Renaissance Golf Course. Not mowing, let-ting lakes go dry, and making threats to do worse were the reasons.
The 2008 Quail Valley Park bond issue included restor-ing El Dorado golf course as well as irrigation and minor improvements to La Quinta course.
All of a sudden, we were building a championship level course at double the price. Many people felt the new lakes and bunkers were overkill, but were delighted to get the grass mowed and progress begun on reclaiming the community. That includes me.
While hiking, biking and “park” issues seemed to take a back seat, most tried to just go with the fl ow. But when the old Executive 9 that was to be a park space, started to
look as bad as when Renais-sance owned it with the lakes going dry and grass not being mowed, protests emerged.
How dying wildlife, mud pits in people’s back yards and high grass increased property values was of real concern to many Missouri City residents who bought the assertion that 11,000 homes values were ad-versely impacted by the condi-tions in Quail Valley and passed the 2008 park bond issue.
Despite building and enlarg-ing lakes on El Dorado course, today we have some lakes on the golf course with suffi cient levels of water, but the drought supposedly impacting others, conveniently mainly only seen by homeowners and golfers.
How does this condition improve our golf or property reputations, much less our be-lief in the City’s stewardship? I can’t imagine that golfers enjoy seeing mud pits any more than homeowners do. Why did we build more lakes if we’re not taking care of existing ones that
will to tax themselves to im-prove property values. How-ever, will the support continue?
Should we work out these lake and environmental stew-ardship issues before we launch into more capital improve-ments?
These are not the “fun” is-sues in any park system. What has changed that we can no lon-ger use effl uent water to fi ll the lakes? What do we need to do to handle change if that has oc-curred?
The effl uent water that ir-rigates and feeds these lakes is being released into Oyster Creek. Some capacity exists.
Are there increased power costs to pump or health depart-ment fees to permit adding ef-fl uent part of the hold up?
Par 3 residents were able to work out a fee structure with Renaissance when their lakes dried. I contributed to that effort to spare wildlife and keep our community beautiful. Could homeowners contribute if in-creased costs are the issue?
The city needs to be more proactive with these environ-mental stewardship issues and fi nd a reasonable solution that truly lives up to her promise of improving property values.
As much as we Texans like to brag about being at the top, being listed as one of the most obese states in America is not much of an accomplishment. We have gone from being the 16th fattest state in 1995 to being the 12th fattest state in 2010. We are going in the wrong direction, folks!
As the Texas Legislature struggled to put together a budget this year, our fatness made their job even harder. Approximately 20% of all our healthcare dollars is spent on illnesses and long-term dis-eases caused by obesity and smoking.
Just think what our legis-lators could have done if the Texas Medicaid budget could have been 20% less! That is us wasting our own money!
You can help yourself, your friends, and your family.
Locate your height and weight on the chart below. [Also available at http://www.tomparrmd.net/height-weight_chart.html ]
What is your classifi ca-tion? What about your fam-ily members? What about your friends and co-workers? Where are they on the chart?
The further to the right of the Normal Weight column you are, the more serious your own personal health problems are going to be.
Just moving yourself one weight column to the left will make a big improvement in how you feel, how much more fun you are able to have, and how much money you can save in long-term healthcare costs.
Is there a full-length mirror in the house where you can see yourself every day?
It will help you as you work on this problem. In our house, we have a mirror in the hall-way between the bedroom and the front door.
There is a reason Colorado came in as the least fat state in 2010.
Our Southern lifestyle is contributing to our weight problems. We don’t have to abandon what we love about being Texans. We just need to learn to be smarter about it.
Texas is hot, so we stay in-side on the couch. We drive to go just a few blocks down the street, when we could have walked or ridden a bicycle -- because we would need another shower once we got there.
It is too hot to cook, so we go out to eat in air conditioned restaurants or grab fast food through the car window. Res-taurants compete with good tasting, chef-style foods rath-er than low-fat, low calorie foods. And their portions are too big.
Ask for your vegetables to be steamed, and get your sal-ad dressing on the side. Eat half of the entree and take the other half home for tomor-row’s lunch.
Electronic communications also has contributed to our weight problems. Ten years ago, we would walk down the hall to give someone a note or to discuss a situation with a co-worker.
Today, we just text, Twit-ter, or send e-mail. The only movement involves our fi n-gers, not our feet.
We can still be in air-con-ditioned comfort, but we also need to be moving our bodies. Your form of exercise needs to match your personality, or you won’t keep doing it. Set
small goals at fi rst and keep a log. Then next week, set your goal to be only a little bit greater.
If you are not an “exercise” person, pick up a pedometer (with a tether) at the drug-store. Put it in your pocket every morning and go about your day.
In the evening, check it to see how far you walked. You may need to do a little more walking before the evening is over.
Remember your grand-mother’s saying “birds of a feather fl ock together”?
If you are surrounded by others who also have weight problems, it is easier to ignore your own condition.
If your fellow overweight co-workers, friends, and fam-ily members won’t join you in this effort, seek out more active friends and co-workers and try to spend some of your time with them each week.
Forget “quick fi xes” or “fl a-vor-of-the-month” fad diets. By slowly making changes in a number of little habits in your daily life during the next six to twelve months, the improvements will become new, more permanent habits, and the pounds you get rid of won’t be as likely to come back.
Dr. Thomas Parr, an ortho-pedic surgeon in Sugar Land, can be reached at 281-491-7111. Dr. Parr and his wife, Joannie, have been a team for well over 40 years. She has a BS Degree in Business and Finance and a Masters De-gree in Federal Tax Law and has worked in the Medical accounting industry for more than 20 years. Visit www.tom-parrmd.net for more informa-tion.
* Data from the Nat'l Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute, of the Nat'l Institute of Health
UNDER NORMAL OVER- OBESE SUPER- MORBIDLY
WEIGHT WEIGHT WEIGHT WEIGHT OBESE OBESE
(BMI less (BMI of (BMI of (BMI of (BMI of (BMI ofthan 18.5) 18.5–24.9) 25.0-29.9) 30-34.9) 35-39.9) 40+ )
Height Pounds Pounds Pounds Pounds Pounds Pounds4' 10" 90 or less 91-118 119-142 143-166 167-190 191+
4' 11" 93 or less 94-123 124-147 148-172 173-197 198+
5' 00" 96 or less 97-127 128-153 153-178 179-203 204+
5' 01" 99 or less 100-131 132-157 158-185 185-210 211+
5' 02" 103 or less 104-135 136-163 164-190 191-217 218+
5' 03" 106 or less 107-140 141-168 169-196 197-224 225+
5' 04" 109 or less 110-144 145-173 174-203 204-231 232+
5' 05" 113 or less 114-149 150-179 180-209 210-239 240+
5' 06" 117 or less 118-154 155-185 186-217 216-246 247+
5' 07" 120 or less 121-158 159-190 191-222 223-254 255+
5' 08" 124 or less 125-163 164-196 197-229 230-261 262+
5' 09" 127 or less 128-168 169-202 203-235 236-269 270+
5' 10" 131 or less 132-173 174-208 209-242 243-277 278+
5' 11" 135 or less 136-178 179-214 215-249 250-285 286+
6' 00" 139 or less 140-183 184-220 221-220 258-293 294+
6' 01" 143 or less 144-188 189-226 227-264 265-301 302+
6' 02" 147 or less 148-193 194-232 233-272 272-310 311+
6' 03" 150 or less 152-199 200-239 240-278 279-318 319+
6' 04" 155 or less 156-204 205-245 246-286 287-327 328+
Where are you on this chart?
Your goal: Move one column left
By LEONARD SCARCELLAIn 1853, the fi rst railroad
track in Texas ended in Staf-ford. More than a century and a half later, Union Pacifi c Railroad is out to stymie the town that rail put on the map.
How do they intend to do this? By congesting the heart of the city with crippling freight rail activity, and simul-taneously depriving it of pas-senger rail along the US 90A corridor, UPRR is attempting to bring this vibrant commu-nity to its knees.
While far less vibrant than east Fort Bend County, pro-posed passenger rail routes around Houston--Hempstead, Navasota/Palestine, and Galveston are being pursued by the Gulf Coast Rail Dis-trict (GCRD) through the as-sistance of federal stimulus funds.
Conversely, the US 90A corridor is receiving no con-sideration or support from the
GCRD. The reason is simple: the unrelenting opposition of UPRR. In fact, so domi-neering is UPRR’s strangle hold on the rail activity in the Houston area, the GCRD re-cently gave UPRR a $700,000 contract to evaluate local pas-senger rail proposals with virtual veto power over any, which would negatively im-pact freight rail vibrancy -- a
classic case of the fox guard-ing the hen house and being paid handsomely to do so.
Why is UPRR so adamant-ly against passenger rail in or along 90A? It wants un-fettered control of this corri-dor for what it considers the prime freight route from the east coast to the west coast of the lower USA. In spite of the fact that the UPRR right of way (r-o-w) is 100 foot wide and can accommodate fi ve, and potentially six tracks, which is more than enough to allow passenger rail to co-exist with freight lines, UPRR is unwilling in any way, shape or form to provide for a shar-ing of the R-O-W with pas-senger rail.
Currently there are 30 to 36 freight trains passing through Stafford each day. UPRR would someday in the fore-seeable future like to see that number increased to 60, 70, or
UPRR out to stymie Stafford
See UPRR, Page 5
Scarcella
better yet for them, substan-tially more on multiple tracks zipping through the city daily. Far fetched? Hardly!
This conclusion is eas-ily extracted from their com-ments made in public before the GCRD since its inception in 2007. UPRR’s assertion that their compelling reason for wanting to double track is to have shorter interruptions to the motoring public at rail-road crossings along US 90A if it were not so seriously mis-leading would be laughable. Their concern for the public
is dubious at best. For them to try to gain public support, in view of their long history of a callous disregard for the public, is diffi cult to swallow. If you doubt this, just ask the motoring public.
The bottom line: What matters to UPRR is their bot-tom line. And their bottom line is greatly enhanced by signifi cantly expanded freight rail activity, and the preclu-sion of passenger rail service, in the US 90A corridor -- all to the detriment of Stafford and its citizens.
Scarcella is Mayor of the- City of Stafford.
JULY 13, 2011 • INDEPENDENT • Page 5
News
To ensure proper recognition in printed materials, please purchase sponsor tables
by July 1 and individual tickets by July 22 by calling 979.532.6442.979.532.6442 or wcjc.edu
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LIVEN CONCERT
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and the
PUBLIC NOTICE
FORT BEND COUNTY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
Substantial Amendment to the 2008 Consolidated Action Plan
For the Community Development Block Grant Program Funding
Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (CDBG-R)
Fort Bend County proposes to amend its approved FY 2008 Consolidated Plan. The Consolidated Plan regulations at 24 CFR 91.505 state that a jurisdiction shall amend its approved plan whenever it makes one of the following decisions:
(1) To make a change in its allocation priorities or a change in the method of distribution of funds;
(2) To carry out an activity, using funds from any program covered by the consolidated plan (including program income), not previously described in the action plan; or
(3) To change the purpose, scope, location, or benefi ciaries of an activity.
In addition, Fort Bend County has identifi ed in its citizen participation plan the criteria it uses for determining what constitutes substantial amendments that are subject to a citizen participation process, in accordance with the County’s citizen participation plan. The defi nitions and/or criteria for what constitutes a substantial change for the purpose of amending the consolidated plan are as follows:
(1) Purpose: The purpose is substantially changed if the overall purpose for which a project is funded changes. Changing a specifi c objective without changing the overall purpose of the project will not be considered a substantial change.
(2) Scope: The scope is substantially changed if the original estimated cost of the project is increased by twenty percent or more.
(3) Location: The location is substantially changed if the service area of a project changes from the original service area.
(4) Benefi ciaries: The benefi ciaries are substantially changed if there is a change in type or the number is increased by twenty percent or more.
The Fort Bend County FY 2008 Consolidated Plan Amendment is available for public review and comment. The public is encouraged to submit written comments by Friday, July 29, 2011 to Marilynn Kindell, Community Development Director, at 4520 Reading Road, Suite A, Rosenberg, Texas 77471. Comments will be incorporated into the Consolidated Plan Amendments, as appropriate.
FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS
FY 2008 CONSOLIDATED PLAN AMENDMENT
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT RECOVERY (CDBG-R)
Funds are available to be reprogrammed from:FY 2009 CDBG-R Program Administration $14,000.00 Total Available To Be Reprogrammed $14,000.00
Projects to be funded are:FY 2009 Kendleton WWTP $14,000.00 Total Reprogrammed Amount $14,000.00
COMBINED NOTICE OF FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS
July 13, 2011Fort Bend County, Texas4520 Reading RoadRosenberg, Texas 77471281-341-4410
This Notice shall satisfy the above cited two separate but related procedural notifi cation requirements.
REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF FUNDS
On or about July 29, 2011 Fort Bend County will submit a request to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the release of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds under Title 1 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (PL 93-383), as amended to undertake the following:
Project Nature/Scope Project Location Federal Funds
FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT
Fort Bend County has determined that the project will have no signifi cant impact on the human environment. Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) is not required. Additional project information is contained in the Environmental Review Record (ERR) on fi le at the Fort Bend County Community Development Department, 4520 Reading Road, Suite A, Rosenberg, Texas and may be examined or copied weekdays 8 A.M. to 5 P.M.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Any individual, group, or agency disagreeing with this determination or wishing to comment on the project may submit written comments to the Fort Bend County Community Development Department. All comments received by July 28, 2011 will be considered by Fort Bend County prior to authorizing submission of a request for release of funds. Commentors should specify which part of this Notice they are addressing.
RELEASE OF FUNDS
Fort Bend County certifi es to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that Robert E. Hebert in his capacity as Fort Bend County Judge consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfi ed. HUD’s approval of the certifi cation satisfi es its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities, and allows the Fort Bend County to use Program funds.
OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDS
HUD will accept objections to its release of funds and Fort Bend County’s Certifi cation received by August 15, 2011 or a period of fi fteen days from its receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if they are on one of the following bases: (a) the certifi cation was not executed by the Certifying Offi cer or other offi cer of the County of Fort Bend approved by HUD; (b) the County of Fort Bend has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or fi nding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR Part 58; (c) the grant recipient or other participants in the project have committed funds or incurred costs not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of a release of funds by HUD; or (d) another Federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written fi nding that the project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objections must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58) and shall be addressed to HUD, 1301 Fannin, Suite 2200, Houston, Texas 77002. Potential objectors should contact HUD to verify the actual last day of the objection period.
Robert E. HebertFort Bend County Judge
Street Improvements The reconstruction of approximately 1600 linear feet of TB Mitchell Road using crushed concrete and Type D Asphalt. The project will be reconstructed in the existing roadway.
City of Kendleton The project is located in Kendleton, Texas. Kendleton is located in the southwest portion of Fort Bend County near F.M. 2919 and U.S. Highway 59 S.
$42,000 CDBG FY 2007
Expanding the scope of services it offers in Fort Bend County, OakBend Medical Group welcomes Drs. Dale Allen Faulkner and James R. McClamroch. These highly regarded cardiologists bring decades of experience to the Group and add to its already broad range of services avail-able throughout the commu-nity.
With the addition of Drs. Faulkner and McClamroch, OakBend Medical Group will employ 17 highly qualifi ed providers of a broad range of services including fam-ily medicine, cardiology, ear nose and throat, obstetrics and gynecology, infectious disease and geriatrics.
Dr. Faulkner is a fellowship trained interventional cardi-ologist and internal medicine physician, who specializes in primary and secondary pre-vention of cardiovascular dis-ease. He was formerly Chief of Staff at Fort Bend Hospital and Chief of Internal Medi-cine at Memorial Hermann Fort Bend and OakBend Medical Center.
Dr. McClamroch is a board certifi ed, fellowship trained
interventional cardiologist and internal medicine special-ist, who has served as an Oak-Bend Medical Center staff member and an associate of Southwest Cardiology Asso-ciates since 1983. With sub-specialty board certifi cation in cardiovascular disease, he specializes in cardiovascular disease screening and man-agement with special interest in the areas of invasive cardi-ology, congestive heart fail-ure, coronary artery disease and all aspects of general and preventative cardiology.
Both of these highly trained and well respected physicians represent the high quality of care you can expect in Fort Bend County in the
OakBend Medical Group expands cardiology services
McClamroch and Faulkner
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
RFP - 2010-8895
PROFESSIONAL RESIDENTIAL BUILDING INSPECTION SERVICES
HOUSING STRUCTURES- RECONSTRUCTION
NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION PROGRAM (NSP)
The Fort Bend CORPS, a local non-profi t, is requesting proposals from licensed and insured Residential Building Inspectors for the complete
construction phases of eight (8) residential single-family house structures located throughout Fort Bend County.
The specifi cs will be available during the information conferencescheduled for July 19th at 10:00 AM.
What: Information Conference for
Residential Building Inspection Services
Date: Tues. July 19, 2011
Time: 10:00 AM
Location: Fort Bend CORPS Offi ce
13330 S. Gessner
Missouri City, TX 77489
(281) 617-7416
Cardiopulmonary and Coro-nary Care Unit at OakBend Medical Center.
OakBend Medical Group is quickly becoming the primary choice for families throughout West Fort Bend County, pro-viding general and specialized care at conveniently located state-of-the-art facilities.
Services areas: Family Practice, Infectious Disease, OB/GYN, Geriatric Medicine, Cardiology, Otolaryngology Locations: New Territory • Richmond Rosenberg • Sugar Land • Williams Way
Contact: OakBend Medi-cal Group (2781) 238-7870 w w w. O a k B e n d M e d i c a l -Group.com
UPRRFrom Page 4
Page 6 • INDEPENDENT • JULY 13, 2011
LEGAL NOTICEINVITATION TO BIDDERS
Sealed Bids will be received in the Of-fi ce of Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., County Purchasing Agent, Fort Bend County, Rosenberg Annex, 4520 Reading Road, Suite A, Rosenberg, TX 77471 for the following until THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2011 at 1:30 P.M. (CST). All bids will then be publicly opened and read in the Offi ce of the Purchasing Agent, Rosenberg Annex, 4520 Reading Road, Rosenberg, TX 77471. Bids received af-ter the specifi ed time will be returned unopened.BID 11-083 – PUBLIC SUPPLY WATER WELL FOR BARKER PARK Lump sum pricing is required; payment will be by check after products/servic-es are rendered. Bonds are required.Fort Bend County reserves the right to reject any or all bids. Signed: Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., Purchasing Agent Fort Bend County, Richmond, Texas
LEGAL NOTICEINVITATION TO BIDDERS
Sealed Bids will be received in the Of-fi ce of Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., County Purchasing Agent, Fort Bend County, Rosenberg Annex, 4520 Reading Road, Suite A, Rosenberg, TX 77471 for the following until THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2011 at 1:30 P.M. (CST). All bids will then be publicly opened and read in the Offi ce of the Purchasing Agent, Rosenberg Annex, 4520 Reading Road, Rosenberg, TX 77471. Bids received af-ter the specifi ed time will be returned unopened.BID 11-082 – HVAC REPLACEMENT AT JUVENILE A pre-bid conference will be conduct-ed on Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 9:00 AM (CST) with site visit to follow. The pre-bid conference will be held at Fort Bend County Juvenile Offi ce located at 122 Golfview Drive, Richmond, TX. All bidders are encouraged to attend. This is the only opportunity for site visit.Lump sum pricing is required; payment will be by check after products/servic-es are rendered. Bonds are required.Fort Bend County reserves the right to reject any or all bids. Signed:Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., Purchasing Agent Fort Bend County, Richmond, Texas
LEGAL NOTICEREQUEST FOR SEALED
COMPETITIVE PROPOSALSSealed Competitive Proposals will be received in the Offi ce of Gilbert D. Jalo-mo, Jr., County Purchasing Agent, Fort Bend County, Rosenberg Annex, 4520 Reading Road, Suite A, Rosenberg, TX 77471 for the following until THURS-DAY, JULY 28, 2011 at 1:30 P.M. CST). All proposals will then be opened in the Offi ce of the Purchasing Agent, Rosen-berg Annex, 4520 Reading Road, Suite A, Rosenberg, TX 77471 and the names of the proposers made public. Propos-als received after the specifi ed time will be returned unopened.
RFP 11-081 – VIDEO CONFERENCE EQUIPMENTA pre-RFP conference with site visits will be conducted on Thursday, July 21, 2011 at 9:00 AM (CST). The pre-RFP conference will be held at the Fort Bend County Offi ce of Emergen-cy Management located at 307 Fort Street, Richmond, Texas. All contrac-tors are encouraged to attend; no ad-ditional site visits will be conducted. Unit pricing is required; payment will be by check after products/services are rendered. Bonds are 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
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT WORSHIP AND YOUTH SERVICE CENTER
12835 ALSTON ROAD
REQUEST FOR A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT TO EXPAND A RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION ON PROPERTY LOCATED AT 12835 ALSTON ROAD IN THE ZERO LOT LINE SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL (R-1Z) DISTRICT, BEING FURTHER DESCRIBED AS 3.3686 ACRES OUT OF THE GATEWAY SUBDIVISION
PURPOSE: ONE (1) PUBLIC HEARING SHALL BE HELD AT WHICH ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE PROPOSED CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT SHALL BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD.
WHERE: CITY OF SUGAR LAND CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER 2700 TOWN CENTER BOULEVARD NORTH
WHEN: CITY COUNCIL MEETING 6:00 P.M., AUGUST 2, 2011
DETAILS OF THE PROPOSED CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT MAY BE OBTAINED BY CONTACTING THE CITY OF SUGAR LAND PLANNING OFFICE (281) 275-2218 OR EMAIL [email protected]. THE PLANNING OFFICE IS OPEN MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FROM 8:00 O’CLOCK A.M. TO 5:00 O’CLOCK P.M., AND IS LOCATED IN CITY HALL, 2700 TOWN CENTER BOULEVARD NORTH, SUGAR LAND, TEXAS. PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOU WISH TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT TO GO OVER ADDITIONAL DETAILS IN PERSON.
Vicinity Map:
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGFort Bend County, Texas
The Commissioners Court of Fort Bend County, Texas cordially invites the Public to attend public hearings on the topic of county redistricting on the 26th day of July 2011, at 1:00 p.m. in the Fort Bend County Travis Building, 7th Floor, 301 Jack-son St, Richmond TX and a second meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m. at Fort Bend County North Annex, JP Courtroom, 22333 Grand Corner Dr., Katy, TX and a third meeting will be held on the 27th day of July, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. at the Missouri City Annex, JP Courtroom, 303 Texas Parkway, Missouri City, TX.The Commissioners Court is considering one or more alternate plans for the redis-tricting of County Commissioners Court precincts. Changes in the existing bound-aries of each Commissioners Court precinct will also have an impact on election precincts, polling places, and Justice of the Peace/Constable precincts. Maps of the proposed changes may be viewed on the Fort Bend County website at http://www.co.fort-bend.tx.us/,or at the following Fort Bend County Public Libraries: George Memorial – Richmond, Sugar Land Branch-Sugar Land and Cinco Ranch Branch – Katy. Public comment is sincerely solicited.
Submitted byRobert E. HebertFort Bend County Judge
AVISO DE AUDIENCIA PÚBLICACondado de Fort Bend
La Corte de Comisionados del Condado de Fort Bend en Texas cordialmente invita al público a asistir a las audiencias públicas sobre el tema de la redistribución de distritos del condado el día 26 días de julio de 2011, a las 1:00 pm en el Edifi cio de Travis, del Condado de Fort Bend, 7 piso, 301 Jackson Street, Richmond TX y una segunda reunión se llevará a cabo a las 6:00 pm en el Condado de Fort Bend anexo norte, Sala JP, 22333 Grand esquina Dr, Katy, Texas, y una tercera reunión se celebrará el día 27 de julio 2011 a las 6:00 pm en el anexo de Missouri City,sala del tribunal JP, 303 Texas Parkway, Missouri City, TX.La Corte de Comisionados está considerando uno o más planes alternativos para la nueva delimitación de los precintos de la Corte de Comisionados del Condado. Los cambios en los límites actuales de cada precinto de la Corte de Comisionados también afectarán los precintos electorales, lugares de votación, y precintos de los Jueces de Paz y sus Alguaciles. Mapas de los cambios propuestos se pueden ver en el sitio del Condado de Fort Bend en http://www.co.fortbend.tx.us/, o en las siguientes bibliotecas públicas del Condado de Fort Bend: George Memorial - Richmond, Sugar Land Branch - Sugar Land y Cinco Ranch Branch - Katy. La opinión del público será de mucha utilidad.Robert E. HebertJuez del Condado de Fort Bend
FORT BEND COUNTY
EDWARD BYRNE MEMORIAL
FY 2011 JUSTICE ASSISTANCE GRANT
NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING
The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program (42 U.S.C. 3751(a)) is the primary provider of federal criminal justice funding to state and lo-cal jurisdictions. JAG funds support all components of the criminal justice system, from multi-jurisdictional drug and gang task forces to crime prevention and do-mestic violence programs, courts, corrections, treatment, and justice information sharing initiatives. JAG-funded projects may address crime through the provision of services directly to individuals and/or communities and by improving the ef-fectiveness and effi ciency of criminal justice systems, processes and procedures.A public meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 19, 1 p.m., at the Fort Bend County Commissioners Court, 7th fl oor, WM. B. Travis Building, 301 Jackson, Richmond, Texas, to receive comments from the public regarding the allocation of the FY11 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) application for funds in the amount of $87,258. These funds may be used for local initiatives, technical assis-tance, training, personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, and criminal justice information systems for criminal justice that will improve or enhance such areas as: of law enforcement programs, prosecution and court programs, preven-tion and education programs, corrections and community corrections programs, drug treatment and enforcement programs, planning, evaluation and technology improvement programs, crime victim and witness programs. The public is encour-aged to attend and to submit comments to Beth Wolf, Grants Coordinator, at the Fort Bend County Commissioners Court, 7th fl oor, WM. B. Travis Building, 301 Jack-son, Richmond, Texas. Comments will be incorporated into the draft FY 2011 JAG application, as appropriate.A link to the Fort Bend County Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program Narrative and Budget will be available on Tuesday, July 12, 2011 on the county’s website www.co.fort-bend.tx.us in the NEWS section for public review. For more information, please contact Beth Wolf, Grants Coordinator, by phone at 281-344-3950 or by email at [email protected].
NOTICEPolicy of Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Disability
Fort Bend County does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its programs or activities. The County’s ADA Coordinator is the Director of Facilities Management & Planning, located at 1517 Eugene Heimann Circle, Suite 500, in Richmond, Texas, 77469, telephone 281-633-7045. The Director of Facilities Manage-ment & Planning is designated to coordinate compliance with the non-discrimination require-ments in Section 35.107 of the Department of Justice regulations. Information concerning the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the rights provided thereunder, are avail-able from the ADA coordinator
NOTICE OF CONSTABLE SALENOTICE OF LEVYREAL PROPERTY
Under and by virtue of a Writ of Execution and / or Order of Sale issued on the 09th day of May, 2011 by the 268th Judicial District Court of Fort Bend County, Texas in cause # 08-DCV-161827 in favor of the Plaintiff -WATERFORD ESTATES COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, INC. Plaintiff , for the sum of $$1,447.83 ++++costs as taxed on said Execution and / or Order of Sale and further the sum of executing the same. Therefore, on the 26TH day of May, 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) R. JEFFREY DUNNINGTON AND JUNE G. DUNNINGTON had of, in, or to the following described real property, gtnd will off er for sale on the 02ND day of AUGUST, 2011 at the County Courthouse steps of Fort Bend County, Texas in the city of Richmond, Texas between the hours of ten 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 TWENTY-ONE (21), IN BLOCK TWO (2), OF WATERFORD 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 14827 WALBROOK DRIVE, SUGAR LAND, TEXAS 77478.
Property is sold with all encumbrances and liens affi xed thereto. All sales are fi nal.
ADJUDGED/MARKET VALUE: $190,220.00Terms: Cash Sale to be held at or about 10:00 A.M.
ROB COOK, CONSTABLEFort Bend County Precinct 3
SERGEANT J. M. HUTSON Deputy Constable #1310
NOTICE OF CONSTABLE 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 23rd day of June, 2011 by the Clerk thereof, in the case of ELDRIDGE ROAD MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT VS. ALYWIN BURGESS, ET AL in Cause # 09-DCV-170552 and to me, as CONSTABLE directed and delivered, I will proceed to sell, at 10:00 0’ Clock AM on the 2nd day of August, 2011, which is the fi rst Tuesday of said month, at the Offi cial door of the Courthouse of said FORT BEND County, in the City of RICHMOND, Texas, the following described property, to wit:
TRACT 1: GEO:1400020080090/1400020080090907LOT NINE (9), BLOCK EIGHT (8), BARRINGTON PLACE, SECTION TWO (2), A SUBDIVISION IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN SLIDE NO. 595B, OF THE PLAT RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS.
Levied on the 30th day of June, 2011 as the property of AL YWIN BURGESS MARY BURGESS to satisfy a judgment amounting to $19,836.17 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; ELDRIDGE ROAD MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT, 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 30th day of June, 2011.
ROB COOK, CONSTABLEFort Bend County Precinct 3
SERGEANT J. M. HUTSON Deputy Constable #1310
NOTICE OF CONSTABLE 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 24th day of June, 2011 by the Clerk thereof, in the case of FORT BEND INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT VS. ONYEKACHI NWAGERUE, ET AL in Cause # 09-DCV-176630 and to me, as CONSTABLE directed and delivered, I will proceed to sell, at 10:00 0’ Clock AM on the 2nd day of August, 2011, which is the fi rst Tuesday of said month, at the Offi cial door of the Courthouse of said FORT BEND County, in the City of RICHMOND, Texas, the following described property, to wit:
TRACT 1:GEO:7557010010240907/7557010010240 LOT TWENTY-FOUR (24), IN BLOCK ONE (1), OF SUGARFIELD, SECTION ONE (I), AN ADDITION IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN PLAT NO. 20040091, OF THE PLAT RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS.
Levied on the 30th day of June, 2011 as the property of ONYEKACHI NWAGERUE, SUGARFIELD COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, INC. to satisfy a judgment amounting to $16,575.13, 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; RENN ROAD MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT, FORT BEND COUNTY.
ALL BIDDERS MUST COMPLY WITH SECTION 34.015 OF THE TEXAS PROPERTY TAX CODE.
GIVEN UNDER MY HAND THIS 30th day of June, 2011.
ROB COOK, CONSTABLEFort Bend County Precinct 3
SERGEANT J. M. HUTSON Deputy Constable #1310
NOTICE OF CONSTABLE SALENOTICE OF LEVYREAL PROPERTY
Under and by virtue of a Writ of Execution and / or Order of Sale issued on the 09th day of June, 2011 by the 434th Judicial District Court of Fort Bend County, Texas in cause # 1O-DCV-181221 in favor of the Plaintiff -FULBROOK HOMEOWNER’S ASSOCIATION, INC. Plaintiff , for the sum of $6,437.74 ++++costs as taxed on said Execution and / or Order of Sale and further the sum of executing the same. Therefore, on the 20th day of June, 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) ROBERT W. DURST had of, in, or to the following described real property, and will off er for sale on the 02ND day of AUGUST, 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:LOT 5, BLOCK 3, SECTION 2A OF FULBROOK, AN ADDITION IN FULSHEAR, FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, MORE COMMONLY DESCRIBED AS 31803 CHURCHHILL FIELD LANE, FULSHEAR, TEXAS 77441.Property is sold with all encumbrances and liens affi xed thereto. All sales are fi nal.
ADJUDGED/MARKET VALUE: $539,570.00
Terms: Cash Sale to be held at or about 10:00 A.M.
ROB COOK, CONSTABLEFort Bend County Precinct 3
SERGEANT J.M. HUTSON Deputy Constable #1310
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICEThe Commissioners Court of Fort Bend County, Texas has set a public hearingon Monday, July 18, 2011 at 5:30 p.m. at the Fort Bend County Travis Building,309 South 4th St., 7th Floor, Richmond, Texas to receive comments from the public regarding the impact of Section 3.3.2 of Fort Bend County Drainage District Drainage Criteria Manual on the Brazos River Floodplain as adopted by the Drainage District on February 22, 2011. The public is encouraged to attend and to submit written comments to Mark Vogler, Chief Engineer, Drainage District, 1004 Blume Road, Rosenberg TX 77471. The Fort Bend County Drainage Dis-trict Criteria manual is available online at http://www.co.fortbend. tx.us/get-sitepage.asp?sitepage=7531.
Submitted by,Dianne WilsonFort Bend County Clerk
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICEThe Commissioners Court of Fort Bend County, Texas has set a public hearing on Tuesday, August 2, 2011 at 1:00 p.m. for acceptance of the traffi c control plans for Cinco Ranch Boulevard at Cinco Ranch Terrace Drive Street Dedication, 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 attend and state your approval or objection on this matter.Submitted by,Dianne WilsonFort Bend County Clerk
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICEThe Commissioners Court of Fort Bend County, Texas has set a public hearing on Tuesday, August 2, 2011 at 1:00 p.m. for acceptance of the traffi c control plans for Deer Creek Estates, Precinct 1.The hearing will be held in the Commis-sioners Courtroom, 309 South Fourth St., Suite 700, William B. Travis Bldg., Rich-mond, Texas. You are invited to attend and state your approval or objection on this matter.Submitted by,Dianne WilsonFort Bend County Clerk
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICEThe Commissioners Court of Fort Bend County, Texas has set a public hearing on Tuesday, August 2, 2011 at 1:00 p.m. for acceptance of the traffi c control plans for L J Parkway and Lake Riverstone Drive at Riverstone Street Dedication Phase I and L J Parkway and Lake Riverstone Drive at Riverstone Street Dedication Plat Phase II, Precinct 4. 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 attend and state your approval or objection on this matter.Submitted by,Dianne WilsonFort Bend County Clerk
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICEThe Commissioners Court of Fort Bend County, Texas has set a public hearing on Tuesday, August 2, 2011 at 1:00 p.m. for acceptance of the traffi c control plans for Walnut Creek Section 3, Precinct 1.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 attend and state your approval or objection on this matter.
Submitted by,Dianne WilsonFort Bend County Clerk
LEGAL NOTICEREQUEST FOR SEALED
COMPETITIVE PROPOSALSSealed Competitive Proposals will be re-ceived in the Offi ce of Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., County Purchasing Agent, Fort Bend County, Rosenberg Annex, 4520 Reading Road, Suite A, Rosenberg, TX 77471 for the following until THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2011 at 1:30 P.M. CST). All proposals will then be opened in the Offi ce of the Purchasing Agent, Rosenberg Annex, 4520 Reading Road, Suite A, Rosenberg, TX 77471 and the names of the proposers made pub-lic. Proposals received after the specifi ed time will be returned unopened.RFP 12-002 – ONLINE HOMEWORK TUTORUnit pricing is required; payment will be by check after products/services are rendered. Bonds are not required.Fort Bend County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals.Signed:
Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr.,
Purchasing Agent
Fort Bend County, Richmond, Texas
LEGAL NOTICEINVITATION TO BIDDERS
Sealed Bids will be received in the Of-fi ce of Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., County Purchasing Agent, Fort Bend County, Rosenberg Annex, 4520 Reading Road, Suite A, Rosenberg, TX 77471 for the following until THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2011 at 1:30 P.M. (CST). All bids will then be publicly opened and read in the Offi ce of the Purchasing Agent, Rosenberg Annex, 4520 Reading Road, Rosenberg, TX 77471. Bids received af-ter the specifi ed time will be returned unopened.1. BID 12-005 – WEED, BRUSH AND INSECT CONTROL CHEMICALS;2. BID 12-006 – BED LINER SPRAY;3. BID 12-008 – TRAFFIC, SIGNS, POSTS AND SUPPLIES. 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
Free ice cream sundaes for incoming freshmen and current Aggie students of Fort Bend on Sunday, July 17, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the First Colony Conference Center, 3232 Austin Parkway, Sugar Land. Meet the members of the class of 2015 and other Aggies. Moms of New Aggies, will hold fi rst meeting of the 2011-2012 school year on Mon-day, August 15 at 7 p.m. at the Sugar Land Community Center, 226 Matlage Way. For more information contact Stephanie Rammrath at 281-265-9026 or [email protected]
Aggie moms
Sugar Land Town Square is kicking off Red Hot Block Party Weekend with a free concert on Friday, July 22. Local Blues fa-vorite The Mighty Orq will per-form from 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. and there will be a variety of craft beer on hand for sampling. The Red Hot Block Party continues Sat-urday, July 23 from 5:30 – 9:30 p.m. in the Plaza, where visitors can purchase samples of a variety of craft beer and wine, as well as food samplings from Sugar Land Town Square restaurants. There will also be live music and a ven-dor village. Tickets for Saturday’s event are on sale for $15, which includes sliders, fi ve tasting tick-ets, brew knowledge, people watching and fun! Tickets may be purchased online at www.redhot-blockparty.com or at the door.
Red hot block party
Loving friends is a social group for widow and widow-ers in the area. The next meet-ing of the group is on Tues. July 19 at 5 p.m. for social and eating at 5:30 p.m. with entertainment to follow. The entertainment is The Buffalo Nickel Band and the dress is western. Loving friends meets the third Tuesday of the month at Sweetwater Country club in Sugar Land. The dues are $24 a year. The meal is $17 Cash. For more information and a reservation,call Georgia at 281-438-5224 by July 14.
Loving Friends
Brazos Bend Guardian-ship Services is hosting a Guardianship and Alter-natives to Guardianship Information Session on Thursday, July 21, at the George Memorial Library at 1001 Golfview, Rich-mond in Meeting Room 2B on the Second Floor from 6:30 p.m.to 8:30 p.m.
The Information Session is designed for families who need information on obtaining legal guardian-ship of an incapacitated loved one. Alternative to guardianship will also be discussed. An attorney will be present to answer any legal questions related to guardianship and alter-natives to guardianship. RSVP to: Kirk Monroe at 281-207-2320 or by e-mail: [email protected]
Guardianship information
Elected offi cials reception
The Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce and the Cen-tral Fort Bend Chamber Al-liance invite you to attend an Elected Offi cials Recep-tion on Thursday, August 4 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at Sa-fari Texas Ranch, 11627 FM 1464, Richmond.
This reception is a great opportunity to meet the new-ly elected offi cials in Fort Bend County.
Sponsorship for this event has been generously provid-ed by Hrbacek & Associates, PC, Republic Services, Inc., and Safari Texas Ranch.
Keep informed and en-gaged by attending this im-portant and relevant recep-tion. This complimentary event is open to the public. For more information con-tact The Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce at 281-491-0800 or www.fortbendcham-ber.com
NOTICE TO BIDDERS
RIVER PARK WATER WELL NO. 2 AUXILIARY POWER ADDITIONS
The City of Sugar Land seeks bids for furnishing all labor, material, and
equipment, and performing all work required for the following project in the
City:
CIP PROJECT NAME: River Park Water Well No. 2
Auxiliary Power Additions
CIP PROJECT NUMBER: WA1006
LOCATION OF WORK: 5633 East River Park Drive,
Sugar Land, Texas 77479
Plans, specifi cations, and bidding documents may be obtained at the following offi ces and locations with payment of $50:
Jones & Carter
6335 Gulfton Drive
Houston, Texas 77081
(713)-777-5337
Sealed bids shall be delivered to the City of Sugar Land City Secretary Offi ce,
2700 Town Center Boulevard North, Suite 122, Sugar Land, Texas, 77479, on or before 11:00 a.m., Thursday, July 28, 2011, at which time bids will be publicly opened and read. Bids received after the opening date and time will not be considered.
A non-mandatory pre-bid meeting for all interested parties will be held 10:00
a.m., Tuesday, July 19, 2011, Public Works Conference Room , 111 Gillingham
Lane, Sugar Land, Texas, 77478.
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
JULY 13, 2011 • INDEPENDENT • Page 7
FILM REVIEW: Horrible Bosses
THE TIME IS NOW,THE TIME IS NOW, THE WAIT IS OVERTHE WAIT IS OVER
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PROUDLY SERVING FORT BEND SINCE 1981
In the Sugar Land Industrial Park 407 Julie Rivers Drive, Sugar Land, Tx. 77478
● Real Estate ● Health Care Law ● ● Business and Corporate Law ●
● Banking ● Creditors' Rights ● Collections ● ● Business Litigation ● Mergers and Acquisitions ●
● Estate Planning ● Probate ●
RUSSELL C. JONES THELMA HOLOWAY JONES
JANICE SUCHYTA STEPHANIE STIGANT
AUTOMOBILE: Toyota RAV 4
Not just oil, Pennzoil
Kwik Kar Lube & Tune
Family Owned& Operated6171 Hwy 6 (@FM1092)
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A Kwik Kar is a Happy CarMon-Fri: 8 a.m.- 6 p.m.
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Not Just Oil, Pennzoil
The Free Forever IRASM from Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
An IRA here, a Rollover IRA there, and even retirement funds left in plans offered by former employers . . .
Are your retirement assets divided among several accounts at various locations? Consolidating your assets at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney could provide multiple benefits such as a more comprehensive investment strategy, potentially greater investment flexibility, simplified tracking and paperwork, and lower account maintenance costs.
A special offer When you add, transfer and/or roll over at least $50,000 to a Morgan Stanley Smith Barney IRA, we will waive your annual maintenance fee for the life of the account. Please note that this offer is available until July 31, 2011. Call today to take advantage of this limited time offer.
Ramesh P. ShahFirst Vice PresidentFinancial Advisor1600 Highway 6 South Suite 100Sugar Land, TX 77478
By law, some IRAs may not be consolidated. Consult your personal legal advisor. Other product charges (e.g., commissions) continue to apply. Funds must remain in the IRA for one year from the date of deposit to qualify for the Free Forever IRA fee waiver.Tax laws are complex and subject to change. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Financial Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. This material was not intended or written to be used for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer. Individuals are urged to consult their personal tax or legal advisors to understand the tax and related consequences of any actions or investments described herein.
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By BARBARA FULENWIDERI hadn’t test driven a Toyo-
ta RAV4 in a few years until last week and I’m impressed. No wonder I see them all over Houston area streets. It is a sporty looking crossover SUV that stands out from the crowd, has plenty of power and interior space and is an extremely pleasant ride and drive.
I drove the fi ve-door Lim-ited 4x2 that came with a 3.5-liter DOHC, 24-valve V6 engine with dual VVT-i. The engine was mated to a fi ve speed automatic transmission and makes 289 horsepower and 246 lb.-ft. of torque. Miles to the gallon are esti-mated at 19 in the city and 27 on the highway.
The Toyota RAV4 comes in three model grades – base, sport and Limited. It has two or three-row versatility and a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine on the base grade.
The smaller engine makes 179 horsepower and 172 lb.-ft. of torque. This engine is partnered with a four-speed automatic transmission and miles to the gallon are esti-mated at 22/city and 28/high-way.
A stiff body structure, four-wheel independent suspen-sion and electronic power steering give the RAV4 agile, sporty handling and comfort-able sedan-like ride.
Along with electronic pow-er steering the RAV4 comes standard with enhanced ve-hicle stability control for han-dling control under adverse road conditions.
The Toyota RAV4 rides on 16-inch steel wheels or the optional 17-inch tires with steel or fi ve-spoke aluminum alloy wheels. The sport model rides on 18-inch alloy wheels and has sport-tuned suspen-sion.
The RAV4’s available automatic on-demand four-wheel-drive system uses an electronically controlled coupling to distribute torque between the front and rear wheels, depending on road conditions and driver input. The system can continuously and seamlessly switch from front-wheel-drive to four-wheel-drive mode, maximiz-ing fuel effi ciency.
In Auto mode, torque dis-tribution to the rear wheels is decreased during low speed cornering for better maneu-verability.
A 4WD manual locking switch maximizes torque dis-tribution to the rear wheels. When vehicle speed reaches 25 mph, the system reverts to Auto mode.
Lock mode also disengages when the brakes are applied,
optimizing ABS and VSC operation. RAV4 4x2 models have a traction control-based automatic limited slip differ-ential (Auto-LSD).
The RAV4, like all Toyota SUVs, comes standard with enhanced vehicle stability control, traction control and anti-lock brake system with electronic brake-force distri-bution and brake assist.
Standard convenience fea-tures on all three grades in-clude air conditioning, a tilt/telescoping steering wheel, AM/FM CD audio system with WM3/WMA playback capability, XM Radio, six speakers, auxiliary audio jack, cruise control, outside tem-perature gauge, remote key-less entry, engine immobilizer, power windows, door locks and power mirrors with fold-ing feature, illuminated entry system and three 12-volt aux-iliary power outlets.
The Limited model adds dual zone climate control, smart key system with push button start, upgraded seat fabric, a six-disc CD changer, interior fl oor lighting, leath-er trimmed steering wheel with audio controls, leather trimmed shift lever and a car-go area tonneau cover.
The Limited grade has a unique front grille with chrome accents, roof racks, color-keyed power heated out-side mirrors with turn-signal indicators and multi-refl ector halogen headlamps with auto
on/off feature. The under-fl oor storage on
models without the third row
seat provides 73-cubic feet of cargo space with all rear seats folded down. The 60/40 split second row seat has reclining seatbacks and slide fore and aft to maximize room for pas-sengers or cargo. The optional 50/50 split and stow third row seat can accommodate two passengers and folds fl at under the rear deck.
With all standard equip-ment, the Toyota RAV4 Lim-ited retails for $26,835. Nu-merous options can be added, which of course, do increase the bottom line. The RAV4 is a fun and functional vehicle with city manner.
I chose this fl ick because it had some really funny people in it in spite of a peculiar plot of killing three bosses that were dreadfully mean and overbearing. But do they de-serve to be killed?
Well, our three goofy em-ployees certainly think their bosses are worthy of being whacked. How do you hire a hit man? Should we do it our-selves?
These are the universal questions confronting Nick (Jason Bateman), Dale (Char-lie Day),and Kurt (Jason Su-deikis).
Their bosses are wonderful-ly cast albeit the choices seem odd. Nick’s (Bateman) hated boss is Kevin Spacey playing a tyrant who constantly be-littles Nick while repeatedly promising him a huge promo-tion.
Jennifer Aniston is magnifi -cent as an over-sexed dentist who sprays water on Dale’s dental assistant’s uniform and explains that she is a “squirt-er.”
Dale is a registered sex of-fender because he urinated in a school playground. Dale (Day) defends himself by de-claring that it was at night, no kids were around and it was next to a bar and that’s “en-trapment.”
Meanwhile, it’s diffi cult for a sex offender to get another job so he endures the sexual harassment from his hot boss. Poor Dale is engaged and wants to get married.
Kurt’s (Sudeikis) horrible boss is Colin Farrell who is a cokehead that inherited his daddy’s (Donald Sutherland) chemical business and hates everyone, especially fat peo-ple and the handicapped.
Ok, enough of this ridicu-lous plot. The actors make this movie work in spite of its believability. One must let one’s practical side take a vacation in order to enjoy this farce and just let these come-dians do their thing. There are parts of this movie that made me laugh big-time even though I struggled with the
basic story.
I was especially happy to see my boy Charlie Day hold his own with some big stars. Day, age 35, is part of the trio-genius of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” where he co-stars, writes, and execu-tive produces one of the truly outstanding comedies cur-rently on TV. If you have not seen “Sunny” then you need to check your local listings - re-runs on Comedy Central
nighttime. The series routine-ly is described as “Seinfeld” on steroids.
That’s fair. My staff wanted to see
this movie but I discouraged them; didn’t want them to get any ideas. This movie is bet-ter than being in the heat and probably better than “Zoo-keeper” so give it a try.
The Sugar Land Skeeters announced on Monday that ‘Coca-Cola’ has become its offi cial pouring rights partner. Among the 10-year agree-ment elements, Coca-Cola products will be the offi cial beverage of the Skeeters and will be served at all events held at StarTex Power Field.
“We’re thrilled to have Coca-Cola come on board as a founding partner,” said Matt O’Brien, President of the Skeeters. “Cheering fans
need something cold to drink and with Coca-Cola’s Minute Maid group based right here in Sugar Land, this worldwide iconic brand feels more lo-cal.”
Rick Kehr, Coca-Cola Re-freshments of Houston Mar-ket Unit Vice President (Sales Operations), said, “Coca-Cola is a global company with Houston roots. We are com-mitted to making a positive difference and are especially grateful for the opportunity
to support the Skeeters dur-ing their inaugural seasons. Coca-Cola’s Live Positively platform aims to promote healthy, active lifestyles in the Houston community-- and the Skeeters provide a platform to do just that.”
This new 10-year agree-ment puts all Coca-Cola family of products, includ-ing Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Dasani Water as well as Min-ute Maid drinks, in the Sugar Land baseball stadium con-
cession stands, luxury suites, picnic pavilion and club-house. Coca-Cola teams with Legends Hospitality, LLC, who last month inked a deal with the Skeeters to handle concessions management, to provide food and beverage for Skeeters fans.
Coca-Cola joins a pres-tigious and growing list of “Founding Partners” that in-cludes StarTex Power, Memo-rial Hermann, Republic Ser-vices, and Texas Direct Auto.
The Central Fort Bend Chamber Alliance has a new President.
The Chamber’s Board Chairperson, Kamal Ariss, announced today that Shanta Kuhl will step into the Presi-dent/CEO role on Tuesday, August 23.
Kuhl is currently President of the Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce, a 700-mem-ber organization in Seguin, Texas. She joined the Seguin Area Chamber in Septem-ber 2007 where she led the Chamber in purchasing, reno-vating and undergoing a capi-tal campaign for a new offi ce building.
As a result, the Seguin Area Chamber received a Texas Downtown Association Award for Best Renovation for a new Chamber building.
Previous to Seguin, Kuhl served as President of the Taylor Chamber of Com-merce for 10 years.
There she worked to create an atmosphere of open com-munication between busi-ness, government and other key community stakeholders, which led to the creation of a wireless community network system, marketing coop-erative and becoming an All America City fi nalist.
A native of Round Rock, Kuhl is a graduate of Texas State University, with a Bach-elor’s Degree in Public Rela-tions & Journalism.
She has also graduated from the Institute for Organi-zation Management, a four-year certifi cation program for Chamber professionals.
Prior to her Chamber ca-reer, Kuhl worked at the Johns Community Hospital in Taylor as the Director of Marketing and Community
Education. She has been mar-ried for 27 years to Duane Kuhl. They have two daugh-ters, Merrideth and Katy.
Kuhl takes over for Angie Sanders, who was appointed Interim President after the resignation and retirement of Gail Parker in early May. Parker served as President/CEO of the Chamber for just over seven years.
Sanders will return to her Development Director posi-tion upon Kuhl’s start date.
For more information call 281-342-5464 or visit www.CFBCA.org.
Page 8 • INDEPENDENT • JULY 13, 2011
Central Fort Bend
Chamber Alliance
hires new president
Kuhl
U.S. Rep. Pete Olson (R-Sugar Land) on July 11 an-nounced the inaugural meet-ing of his newly created Congressional Youth Adviso-ry Council.
The Council consists of high school students from across the 22nd Congressio-nal District in Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston and Harris Counties.
The goal of the advisory council is for the students to advise the Congressman on issues affecting the youth of America.
“I’m especially excited to hear about the concerns and priorities of these talented and committed young people,” Ol-son said.
“The Advisory Council is a great opportunity for me to
learn what issues are impor-tant to our future leaders. It’s also a chance for these stu-dents to engage in the politi-cal process and become more familiar with how government impacts their daily lives. This experience will be a valuable and educational one for both the students and for me.”
Fort Bend County students participating in the Advisory
Olson creates youth advisory council
Council include:Austin High SchoolSiri Soth, Junior Clements High SchoolBailey Arlinghaus, SeniorRohail Dadwani, SeniorVictoria Diggs, SeniorNikhil Iyer, SeniorOluwafi kayo Koyejo, SeniorStephanie Lin, JuniorBrant Meredith, SophmoreBaher Michel, SeniorMah-rukh Muhammad, SeniorSahar Sawani, SeniorBenjamin Segall, JuniorGordon Tsai, JuniorYu-Ting (Joyce) Toh, SeniorMadison Weaver, SeniorElkins High SchoolMilan Doshi, JuniorAbby Kincer, Senior Foster High SchoolStephanie Tsai, Senior Hightower High SchoolMichelle Walton, Senior Kempner High SchoolDrew Liscum, SeniorAllison Mock, Senior
The Fort Bend youth delegation with U.S. Rep. Pete Olson
