The Fort Bend / Southwest STAR Volume XXXII • No. 13 !!! Wednesday, November 11, 2009 Remember the guy last week on the motorcycle that ran out of options ? Well, imagine this ... he is pur- ported to be involved in several other offenses. Seems after he got through repeatedly trolling back and forth in front of a bur- glary scene on his loudmouthed motor scooter and got the undi- vided attention of officers on the scene, he ran when they tried to stop him. Thus the traf- fic offenses piled up. Then later as video was being reviewed .. he was identified as a possible burglary suspect. Talk about running out of options! Back to TDC for the umpteenth time. Wonder if they leave the light on for him? By LeaAnne Klentzman Sam Houston Area Council, Boy Scouts of America 713-918-4681 Glenn Witt By Cheryl Skinner Fort Bend County, the Sheriff’s Department, and Deputy Keith Pikett are being sued for the third time over allegations by another three men who claim the scent evidence in three unrelated police cases led to wrongful arrests, felo- ny charges and duress. Two other men previously sued Pickett over the same allegations, and those cases are pending in court. The latest cases were filed last week in federal court and named Fort Bend County Sheriff Milton Wright, Fort Bend County and the Houston Police Department, as well as Pickett and “unnamed Sheriff’s department personnel” as defendants. The lawsuit takes aim at Sheriff Milton Wright, claiming he was aware of Defendant Pikett’s mis- conduct. He knew that Defendant Pikett’s lineups were a fraud but nonetheless let Defendant Pikett continue to employ them to help the Fort Bend County Sheriff and other municipal police depart- ments “solve” crimes. Randy Morse, the assistant county attorney representing Fort Bend County, Sheriff Milton Wright, and Pikett, has said that defense attorneys can sue for any- thing but the county is confident it can prevail in court. He is unable to discuss the specific allegations because the cases are still pend- ing. Ronald Curtis, 40, Cedric Johnson, 41, and Curvis Bickham, 50, claim they were “all wrong- fully arrested and charged with serious felonies, including capital murder, on the basis of knowing- ly contrived dog scent lineups” developed by Pikett, the lawsuit alleges. A Houston attorney filed the lawsuit on their behalf. The lawsuits allege that “in an attempt to ensure that plain- tiffs were convicted despite their innocence, defendants fabricated evidence — including coerced false testimony that incriminated the plaintiffs — to corroborate the sham findings of the dog scent lineups. Ultimately, the criminal cases against the plaintiffs fell apart, just as the dog scent lineups have been exposed as a fraud. As a result, each of the plaintiffs has been released from custody, but not before being wrongfully incarcerated as accused murder- ers and robbers for crimes they did not commit. This action seeks redress for their injuries.” The lawsuit lists each of the plaintiffs individually and details what crimes they were alleged to have committed. Curtis was charged in a June 2007 burglary of a T-Mobile store. He was re- indicted in January 2008 for two other T-Mobile store burglaries that occurred in June/July 2007. Eventually the charges on the three cases were dismissed but he spent months behind bars before the dismissals, the law- suit alleges. See INCARCERATED, page 10 By LeaAnne Klentzman In a quiet, rural neighbor- hood located near the center of a triangle between Pleak Village, Needville and Beasley, Jolie Zulkowski and her fam- ily were drinking their morning coffee when a skunk was spot- ted wandering in their pasture. Immediately they were con- cerned as they have encountered rabid skunks before. Now, for the Zulkowski’s, it wasn’t their first rodeo. When they had dis- covered a skunk on their prop- erty in the past, according to Zulkowski, no one wanted to help them, but their phone rang off the wall when the test results were positive for rabies. So the Zulkowski’s knew the drill. They called Fort Bend Animal Control. Since it was after hours and on a weekend, Animal Control was not avail- able. The phones rang instead to the Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff’s dispatchers suggested she call Texas Parks and Wildlife and gave her the number. When she called the Houston district office, they explained there were no Game Wardens available as it was opening day of deer season. Finally a call came from Fort Bend Animal Control, but the representative was short and not accommodating. She was told to put the skunk out for trash pick up. Thoroughly disgusted, Ms . Zulkowski loaded the terminated skunk, which was packaged for disposal, into the back of her truck and headed off for Sheriff Milton Wright’s house. See SKUNK, page 10 Local attorney Joseph Hammond of Missouri City pulled two women from car just seconds before a train hit the car. The accident happened on Tuesday night November 3, at 7:00 p.m., at the intersection of South Kirkwood and South Main in Stafford. Hammond had been involved in a fender bender with the other car that was occupied by the two women. No one noticed at first that the other car’s back end was hanging over the east- bound train tracks and that the car could not be moved. What started out as a minor auto accident soon escalated into much more when a train came into the area headed east approaching the stranded car. Hammond yelled at the two women to get out of their car, but they didn’t move and sat there frozen. He immediately went into action and yanked open the driver’s door and pulled the first woman out of her car, and then he quickly ran around to the other side and pulled the pas- senger out. Next he pulled both women by their arms to safety away from the train tracks just seconds before the train struck their car. Stafford police and fireman responded to the scene shortly after the train hit the car but for- tunately no one was hurt due to Hammond’s cool headed and quick rescue. This was the second major accident he has helped out on and pulled someone to safety. He says that he is very grateful to God that he was present and it frightens him to think about what would have happened had he not been standing right where he was. By Cheryl Skinner Fort Bend Independent School District officials confirmed Monday that an undetermined amount of money had turned up missing from a recent fund-raiser at Kempner High School and the case is now under investigation by FBISD police. According to Nancy Porter, spokesperson for the district, the funds came from a fund-raiser held by the athletic department of KHS. Porter said Mary Ann Simpson spoke with the school’s police department and they informed her that FBISD police report, case # 200901601, was filed by KHS campus officer Vincent Simple. Porter said Simple is currently conducting an investigation and no details were immediately available. By Cheryl Skinner Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1, Place 1, Gary Geick suffered a stroke Sunday but was resting comfortably and undergoing tests at Oak Bend Hospital Monday, his wife Sue said. She said Geick is under the care of one of the best stroke doctors and despite the malady does seem to be in good spir- its. “He has all his senses and is talking. In fact he told his daughter to bring him some money so he could take a cab and get out of there, so his sense of humor is still very good,” said Sue Geick. She said her husband had some apparent damage to the left side of his body, but the tests had not determined what an impact the stroke had on his system. “This really makes you think. God has a way of making you stop and rest when he thinks it is time. All, in all, it is much better than it could have been and we are very hopeful he will fully recover,” she added. By Cheryl Skinner Two weeks ago Fort Bend County Commissioners spent an inordinate amount of time discussing a new ethics ruling that could have had an impact on the county’s existing travel policy. Last week, a new travel policy was approved without any discussion, but officials said a number of changes will simplify the former operation. Commissioners voted to See TRAVEL, page 17 By Cheryl Skinner The long drawn out lawsuit involving Fort Bend County and the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company will go to court ordered media- tion this Friday, says Precinct 1 Commissioner Richard Morrison. “It would be a nice early Christmas present if this case is resolved,” Morrison said Monday. Last week during closed ses- sion, commissioners discussed the forthcoming action. It was one of many, many discussions over the past 10 years that has focused on the litigation. Morrison and the county hosted meeting several months ago with the residents of the beleaguered Royal Lakes resi- dents who are caught in the legal battle. Residents of the upscale subdivision had allegedly been strong armed by railroad repre- sentatives who reportedly said the lawsuit was over and the railroad had won. The railroad, residents said, indicated they would close down the only access to the subdivision soon. See SUBDIVISION, page 10 Remember their sacrifice on Veteran’s Day Wednesday, November 11
Transcript
The Fort Bend / Southwest
STARVolume XXXII • No. 13 !!! Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Remember the guy last week on the motorcycle that ran out of options ?
Well, imagine this ... he is pur-ported to be involved in several other offenses. Seems after he got through repeatedly trolling back and forth in front of a bur-glary scene on his loudmouthed motor scooter and got the undi-vided attention of officers on the scene, he ran when they tried to stop him. Thus the traf-fic offenses piled up. Then later as video was being reviewed .. he was identified as a possible burglary suspect.
Talk about running out of options! Back to TDC for the umpteenth time.
Wonder if they leave the light on for him?
By LeaAnne Klentzman
Sam Houston Area Council,
Boy Scouts of America
713-918-4681
Glenn Witt
By Cheryl SkinnerFort Bend County, the Sheriff’s
Department, and Deputy Keith Pikett are being sued for the third time over allegations by another three men who claim the scent evidence in three unrelated police cases led to wrongful arrests, felo-ny charges and duress. Two other men previously sued Pickett over the same allegations, and those cases are pending in court.
The latest cases were filed last week in federal court and named Fort Bend County Sheriff Milton Wright, Fort Bend County and the Houston Police Department, as well as Pickett and “unnamed Sheriff’s department personnel” as defendants.
The lawsuit takes aim at Sheriff Milton Wright, claiming he was aware of Defendant Pikett’s mis-conduct. He knew that Defendant Pikett’s lineups were a fraud but
nonetheless let Defendant Pikett continue to employ them to help the Fort Bend County Sheriff and other municipal police depart-ments “solve” crimes.
Randy Morse, the assistant county attorney representing Fort Bend County, Sheriff Milton Wright, and Pikett, has said that defense attorneys can sue for any-thing but the county is confident it can prevail in court. He is unable to discuss the specific allegations because the cases are still pend-ing.
Ronald Curtis, 40, Cedric Johnson, 41, and Curvis Bickham, 50, claim they were “all wrong-fully arrested and charged with serious felonies, including capital murder, on the basis of knowing-ly contrived dog scent lineups” developed by Pikett, the lawsuit alleges. A Houston attorney filed the lawsuit on their behalf.
The lawsuits allege that “in an attempt to ensure that plain-tiffs were convicted despite their innocence, defendants fabricated evidence — including coerced false testimony that incriminated the plaintiffs — to corroborate the sham findings of the dog scent lineups. Ultimately, the criminal cases against the plaintiffs fell apart, just as the dog scent lineups have been exposed as a fraud. As a result, each of the plaintiffs has been released from custody, but not before being wrongfully incarcerated as accused murder-ers and robbers for crimes they did not commit. This action seeks redress for their injuries.”
The lawsuit lists each of the plaintiffs individually and details what crimes they were alleged to have committed. Curtis was charged in a June 2007 burglary of a T-Mobile store. He was re-indicted in January 2008 for two other T-Mobile store burglaries that occurred in June/July 2007. Eventually the charges on the three cases were dismissed but he spent months behind bars before the dismissals, the law-suit alleges.See INCARCERATED, page 10
By LeaAnne KlentzmanIn a quiet, rural neighbor-
hood located near the center of a triangle between Pleak Village, Needville and Beasley, Jolie Zulkowski and her fam-ily were drinking their morning coffee when a skunk was spot-ted wandering in their pasture. Immediately they were con-
cerned as they have encountered rabid skunks before. Now, for the Zulkowski’s, it wasn’t their first rodeo. When they had dis-covered a skunk on their prop-erty in the past, according to Zulkowski, no one wanted to help them, but their phone rang off the wall when the test results were positive for rabies.
So the Zulkowski’s knew the drill. They called Fort Bend Animal Control. Since it was after hours and on a weekend, Animal Control was not avail-able. The phones rang instead to the Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff’s dispatchers suggested she call Texas Parks and Wildlife and gave her the number. When she called the Houston district office, they explained there were no Game Wardens available as it was opening day of deer season.
Finally a call came from Fort Bend Animal Control, but the representative was short and not accommodating. She was told to put the skunk out for trash pick up. Thoroughly disgusted, Ms . Zulkowski loaded the terminated skunk, which was packaged for disposal, into the back of her truck and headed off for Sheriff Milton Wright’s house.
See SKUNK, page 10
Local attorney Joseph Hammond of Missouri City pulled two women from car just seconds before a train hit the car.
The accident happened on Tuesday night November 3, at 7:00 p.m., at the intersection of South Kirkwood and South Main in Stafford. Hammond had been involved in a fender bender with the other car that was occupied by the two women. No one noticed at first that the other car’s back end was hanging over the east-bound train tracks and that the car could not be moved.
What started out as a minor auto accident soon escalated into much more when a train came into the area headed east approaching the stranded car. Hammond yelled at the two women to get out of their car, but they didn’t move and sat there frozen. He immediately
went into action and yanked open the driver’s door and pulled the first woman out of her car, and then he quickly ran around to the other side and pulled the pas-senger out. Next he pulled both women by their arms to safety away from the train tracks just seconds before the train struck their car.
Stafford police and fireman responded to the scene shortly after the train hit the car but for-tunately no one was hurt due to Hammond’s cool headed and quick rescue.
This was the second major accident he has helped out on and pulled someone to safety. He says that he is very grateful to God that he was present and it frightens him to think about what would have happened had he not been standing right where he was.
By Cheryl SkinnerFort Bend Independent School
District officials confirmed Monday that an undetermined amount of money had turned up missing from a recent fund-raiser at Kempner High School and the case is now under investigation by FBISD police.
According to Nancy Porter, spokesperson for the district, the funds came from a fund-raiser
held by the athletic department of KHS.
Porter said Mary Ann Simpson spoke with the school’s police department and they informed her that FBISD police report, case # 200901601, was filed by KHS campus officer Vincent Simple.
Porter said Simple is currently conducting an investigation and no details were immediately available.
By Cheryl SkinnerJustice of the Peace, Precinct
1, Place 1, Gary Geick suffered a stroke Sunday but was resting comfortably and undergoing tests at Oak Bend Hospital Monday, his wife Sue said.
She said Geick is under the care of one of the best stroke doctors and despite the malady does seem to be in good spir-its. “He has all his senses and is talking. In fact he told his daughter to bring him some money so he could take a cab
and get out of there, so his sense of humor is still very good,” said Sue Geick.
She said her husband had some apparent damage to the left side of his body, but the tests had not determined what an impact the stroke had on his system.
“This really makes you think. God has a way of making you stop and rest when he thinks it is time. All, in all, it is much better than it could have been and we are very hopeful he will fully recover,” she added.
By Cheryl SkinnerTwo weeks ago Fort Bend
County Commissioners spent an inordinate amount of time discussing a new ethics ruling that could have had an impact on the county’s existing travel
policy. Last week, a new travel policy was approved without any discussion, but officials said a number of changes will simplify the former operation.
Commissioners voted toSee TRAVEL, page 17
By Cheryl SkinnerThe long drawn out lawsuit
involving Fort Bend County and the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company will go to court ordered media-tion this Friday, says Precinct 1 Commissioner Richard Morrison. “It would be a nice early Christmas present if this case is resolved,” Morrison said Monday.
Last week during closed ses-sion, commissioners discussed the forthcoming action. It was one of many, many discussions over the past 10 years that has focused on the litigation.
Morrison and the county hosted meeting several months ago with the residents of the beleaguered Royal Lakes resi-dents who are caught in the legal battle.
Residents of the upscale subdivision had allegedly been strong armed by railroad repre-sentatives who reportedly said the lawsuit was over and the railroad had won. The railroad, residents said, indicated they would close down the only access to the subdivision soon.
PAGE 2 ! Wednesday, November 11, 2009 THE STAR See us online www.FortBendStar.com
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Editor's note: Starrings are for non-profit events. Deadline is 12 p.m. every Friday. Please keep wording to a minimum. Answer the "5 W's": Who, What, When, Where, and Why. Fax us: 281-690-4250; e-mail: [email protected] or mail to: Fort Bend Star, 4655 Techniplex Dr., Ste. 300, Stafford, TX 77477.
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?NOVEMBER 11
Survivors Offering Support meets today
SOS, a peer breast cancer support group will meet Wed., Nov. 11, 6:30 p.m., Old Hickory Inn, Missouri City. Guest speaker Shannon Maguadog. Call 281-242-0351 for more informa-tion.
NOVEMBER 12WCJC & UHSSL to hold
joint open houseWharton County Junior College (WCJC) & University of Houston at Sugar Land will host a joint open house & advising night Thursday, November 12, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., 1404 University Blvd., Sugar Land. This event is to provide participants information in regards to admissions, financial aid, entrance exams, career
counseling & academic programs. Free & open to the public. Call 281-275-3300.
NOVEMBER 13Fort Bend Alliance meets
This networking group will meet Friday, Nov. 13, 8:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m., Sugar Land First United Methodist Church, Great Hall, 431 Eldridge, Sugar Land. The Harbor Light Choir will open the meeting. An overview of United Way services provided will be the program.
NOVEMBER 148th annual city
wide garage salesOver 80 individual garage sales will take place in Wallis, Texas Saturday, Nov. 14, rain or shine. Pick up a map in the downtown area for all the listings.
Canned Food Sculpting eventSugar Land Town Square & Fort Bend Co, Youth in Philanthropy to host this event, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2 - 5 p.m., in the Plaza. High school students will build structures out of canned goods to benefit three local food pantries.
Toastmasters to meetSugar Land Toastmasters will meet Saturday, Nov. 14, Sweetwater Country Club, 4400 Palm Royale, Sugar Land, 7:30 a.m. For more info call 832-630-3594.
Partners for Parenting ConferenceThe conference will be held Saturday, Nov. 14, 9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m., Pilgrim Journey Baptist Church, 2022 Williams Way Blvd., (formerly Ransom Road). Call 281-342-3034 for more information,
Arise! Cry Out!Moms in Touch is hosting a world-wide day of prayers for children and schools Saturday, November 14, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Williams Trace Baptist Church, 16755 Southwest Freeway,
Sugar Land. Call 281-265-6306 for info.
History of Sugar Land at librarySugar Land Branch Library, 550 Eldridge, presents a photographic his-tory in celebration of the city’s 50th anniversary, Saturday, Nov. 14, 11 a.m., Meeting Room. Free & open to public. Call 281-277-8934 for more info.
NOVEMBER 16Personality differences
in workplaceMamie George Branch Library, 320 Dulles Ave., Stafford, pres-ents “Understanding Personality Differences: a Key to Success in Life”, Monday, November 16, 7 p.m. Free & open to the public. For more information call 281-341-2677.
NOVEMBER 17Sugar Land Great Books
Group to meetThis adult discussion group will meet Tuesday, Nov. 17, 7:30 p.m.,
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 ! PAGE 3THE STARSee us online www.FortBendStar.com
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Well, bite my tongue.....I was this close to a clean getaway when wham, I got pulled right back in. I’m speaking about my complaint last week of not being able to speak to Congressman Pete Olson - how he would never call me back.
Only minutes after I sent my column to the printer last week, Rep. Olson called me, and we finally connected. I won’t go into our conversation except to say we agreed to disagree.
Rep. Olson did agree that par-tisan rancor was turning many people off politics and politicians. Of course, I think the simplest solution is simply to “Stop it!” Voting the party line 100% of the time (both sides) is certain to con-tinue the poisoned atmosphere in Washington.
Actually, I think there may be some hope for Pete. After all, he cut his teeth with Phil Gramm and wasn’t Gramm one of the legislators who jumped ship to the other side, showing he had been able to see the other side for some time. However, Gramm has been accused of orchestrating the current financial meltdown due to his legislative agenda of deregula-
tion. So, six of one, half dozen of another.
It’s time.....I hear from the Fort Bend courthouse that County Court-at-law Judge Walter McMeans, who recently announced his retirement at the end of his term, has already for all intents and purposes, retired. This is troubling because Judge McMeans’ term does not end until Dec. 31, 2010, over a year from now.
According to the courthouse gossip, Judge McMeans doesn’t hear any juvenile cases anymore, which puts a heavy burden on the other county court-at-law judges. Then he puts a lot of his work onto Associate Judge Harold Kennedy, himself a recent survi-vor of cancer treatment. Many of the cases Judge McMeans trans-ferred to Judge Kennedy are not cases that Judge Kennedy can legally hear, putting the outcome of these cases in potential risk.
It is a shame that Judge McMeans has to ruin a distin-guished career by not knowing when to quit. The conventional wisdom is that Judge McMeans is waiting to retire because he wants his son, Jeff McMeans, to run and
win the job. If Judge McMeans quits
before the end of his term, then Commissioner’s Court will name an interim judge, and if my sourc-es are correct, it won’t be Jeff McMeans.
Judge McMeans doesn’t want someone to run for the same job as his son with the benefit of an incumbency. It’s time for Judge McMeans to realize that we don’t have a patrimony here. Who does he think he is? A Bush?
Meanwhile, we are left with an inefficient judge who puts off his work on other judges who have bulging dockets themselves.
Perhaps the voters will want to take it out on his son, when he does run for the job.
Another miscarriage of jus-tice.....I covered a murder trial last month that lasted over two weeks. Charlene Hill was tried for kill-ing her husband in self-defense. He had allegedly abused her for years and was 6’5” compared to her diminutive 5’4” stature. Testimony revealed that most thought he would kill her before she killed him.
The sticking point seemed to be that she could have retreated into the bathroom or out the other door to escape him. Testimony also revealed that he liked to sneak up on her in the bathroom and attack her by either raping her or choking her. A bathroom door was no deterrent.
In any event, it was a hung jury but of course our District
Attorney’s office is hot to retry her. A trial date is scheduled for February 12, 2010.
When I listened to the tape made by one of the first officers on the scene, I wondered why the case was ever brought before a grand jury.
Then I remembered. She had a million dollars she turned over to her adult children when she was arrested. She then tried to make her children give it back to her, but they had already spent most of it. She finally got enough back to pay her taxes and other bills. After that, they turned on her. They even filed a wrongful death suit against her, even though they had plotted themselves to kill their abusive father.
I have a sneaking suspicion that her kids and his family, who also entered into the wrongful death suit, might have put some pressure on the district attorney’s office. Wonder who was handling grand jury presentation at the time? Oh yeah, maybe it was that guy fired by DA John Healey.
We hear from people.....I was interviewed by Tru TV (formerly Court TV) about the trial. They flashed a photo of me on the screen and did a live telephone interview. I heard from people from San Antonio to Memphis. I didn’t know that many people watched TV during the day when the trial was on.
Try this. It’s fun......I must admit I got this from Sue Hauenstein. I did it and found it
pretty interesting, in a Facebook sort of way.
Send an email to some of your friends and ask them to email you back their answer. Ask them, “If you saw ME in a police car what would you think I got arrested for?”
You were encouraged to answer to the sender only, but ask your own friends to answer the question about yourself.
One of my good friends said
she would think I was doing a story about the hard job of a policeman. One of my best friends said, “DWI.”
I got some answers ranging from, “Biting a policeman, Hitting a politician, and Considering your history (imao), I’d have to say attempted murder.”
B.K. Carter is the owner/pub-lisher of the Fort Bend/South-west Star. She can be reached at [email protected].
STARRINGS ........................................................................................................................................................................................... from page 2
Conference Room, First Colony Branch Library, 2121 Austin Parkway, Sugar Land. Book to be discussed “The Aspen Papers”. Free & open to the pub-lic. For more information call 281-265-4444.
NOVEMBER 18AARP meets Nov. 18
Sugar Land Chapter AARP will meet Wednesday, Nov. 18, 10 a.m., Sugar Land Senior Center, Matlage Way, Sugar Land. Games at 10 a.m., bring sack lunch. Program will be with Karen Pong with United Healthcare Insurance.
For info at 281-313-4540.Alzheimer’s/Dementia
Support GroupThis support group is for
caregivers & supported by the Alzheimer’s Assoc. They will meet Wednesday, November 18, 1:30 p.m., St. Laurence Catholic Church, 3100 Sweetwater Blvd., Social Concerns Conference Room. For more info call Jane at 281-313-2500 or 281-788-3474.
First Colony Book Group to meet
This book discussion group will meet Wed., November 18,
1:30 p.m., Conference Room, First Colony Branch Library, 2121 Austin Parkway, Sugar Land to discuss “The Middle Place”. Free & open to the pub-lic. Call 281-265-4444 for more info.
NOVEMBER 19Annual Thanksgiving
celebrationSugar Land Aglow will have
this annual event Thursday, Nov. 19, 9:45 a.m., Fellowship of Praise, 4100 Greenbriar, Stafford. For more information call Cathy @ 281-980-2036 or Shirley @ 281-265-4118.
Sugar Creek Garden ClubThis garden club’s monthly
meeting will be held Thursday, November 19, 9:30 a.m. for social hour. Scott Hasly, floral artist, will present the program “Home for the Holidays”. Call Aileen @ 281-242-8488 for more information.
“Thirsty Thursday Networking Social”
The UH Fort Bend Alumni Club will meet Thursday, Nov. 19, 5:30 p.m., Pappasito’s Cantina, 13750 S/W Freeway, Sugar Land. Complimentary appetiz-ers served. For more info [email protected].
Signs of KingdomCelebration Ministry will have
their conference Nov. 19- Nov. 21. Speakers Lora Allison and Cindy Jacobs & other speakers. Register online www.celebrationministries.com. For more info call Irene 281-265-8661.
Afternoon Book BreakGeorge Memorial Library, 1001
Golfview, Richmond, beginning at noon, Room 2D. Bring a sack lunch & enjoy the discussion of “Dark Light”. Free & open to the public. For more information call
281-341-2677.Rose Hybridizing for the
Common GardnerFort Bend Master Gardeners
will hold this on Thursday, Nov. 19, 7 p.m., 1330 Band Road, Rosenberg. Guest speaker Ray Ponton. No reservation required & program free to all. Call 281-341-7068 or www.fbmg.com for more information.
ONGOINGIBM Investment Club meetsThe IBM Investment Club
meets the first Wednesday of every month, 6 p.m., in Stafford. Come join us for a lively investment dis-cussion and some refreshments. RSVP at 281-615-5946 or email [email protected].
PAGE 4 ! Wednesday, November 11, 2009 THE STAR See us online www.FortBendStar.com
!
A Helping Handfrom
Ed’s Pharmacy
HIVES: CAUSES AND TREATMENTS Urticaria, also known as hives, is a common condition of the skin
characterized by a red, itchy rash. There are many different causes. Allergic reactions occur when a trigger, such as a food or insect bite, causes a reaction leading to histamine release. Insects that can cause a reaction leading to hives include hornets and fire ants. Certain foods, such as eggs and nuts, can cause an allergic reaction, typically within 30 minutes. Latex, soaps, and detergents also can lead to hives. Certain medications, including penicillins and sulfa-con-taining medications, can also result in allergic reactions.
Treatment of hives largely involves identifying and avoiding reaction triggers, such as a certain food or type of detergent. Antihistamines are used to control associated itching, which is a result of histamine release. Antihistamines are classified as histamine-1 (H1) receptor blockers and histamine-2 (H2) receptor blockers. Hydroxyzine (Atarax, Vistaril) and diphenhydramine (Benadryl) are first generation H1 receptor blockers, and may cause drowsiness. Second generation H1 receptor blockers are more likely used for persons with hives lasting more than a few days. Loratadine (Claritin) and cetirizine (Zyrtec) are examples of second generation H1 receptor blockers. They tend to be less sedating than the H1 blockers.
Barton House, the premier Alzheimer’s residence in
Sugar Land, is pleased to announce the availability of
Respite Care, as well as long-term placement. If you’re
caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease and need a
break, please call Patty or Carol at 281-313-2500.
3060 Edgewater Drive, Sugar Land, Texas 77478
www.Barton-House.com
Barton House, is an Assisted Living
Facility specializing in Alzheimer’s care
281-313-2500
Select Senior Clinics of Texas celebrates its first year in Meadows Place, focusing on the special health needs of Fort Bend County’s senior population.
The clinic is the first of its kind to incorporate con-cierge-style medical service to patients. Concierge-style medi-cine means that patients will develop a close-knit relation-ship with their physician who is available to them any time they are in need of medical care, including house calls.
Select Senior Clinics limits the number of patients seen by a physician, allowing the
doctor more time with patients. The state-of-the-art facility is equipped with diagnostic and treatment equipment, expand-ing the range of what a tradi-tional medical clinic can offer patients. Select Senior Clinics provides patients with onsite lab work, diagnostic imaging, and screenings for vision and hearing, lung function tests, nutritional counseling, educa-tional workshops and fitness classes.
Select Senior Clinics is locat-ed at 12221 South Kirkwood, Suite 100, in the City of Meadows Place, and occu-pies the first floor of Meadows Place Senior Village, a part of Oasis Medical Campus. Doors are open to all seniors in the Fort Bend community. Clinic hours are 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
To find out how to become a patient of Select Senior Clinics, and the benefits available through SelectCare of Texas,
call the clinic at 713-234-7384 or stop by the clinic for a tour
and visit with the staff and doctor.
The Lamar Consolidated Mustangs wrapped up their reg-ular season with a come from
behind victory over area ranked El Campo in a tough road vic-tory. Consol was coming off
Sports ActivitiesMustang Wrap
two heartbreaking district losses to rivals Foster and Terry. The Ricebirds were looking to close out a perfect district record, end-ing a long drought against the Mustangs.
Early on, it appeared as though El Camp would get their wish. In the first quarter, El Campo took an interception off a Kyle Greer pass to the end zone for a 7 - 0 lead. The Ricebirds would add a field goal to take a 10 - 0 lead into the half. But the Mustangs weren’t about to let this one get away.
In the locker room at half-time, Greer and the Mustangs knew the game was well with-in their reach. “We talked all week about not having three losses in a row. Coach Wilson talked to us about not looking back.... that we needed to get this win to build momentum going into the playoffs”. Senior lineman Chris Maikranz saw a calm locker room and a team ready to get things going. “We knew the defense was playing great, and all we needed was for the offense to start execut-ing. Nobody was panicking. All we wanted was for the second
half to get started.”The Mustang defense would
continue to shine, and it didn’t take long for Greer and the offense to start firing on all cyl-inders. In the third quarter, Greer would hit senior receiver Jamal Williams from midfield for a 34 yard gain. Then it was all up to running back Marcel Threat, who took the ball in for a 15 yard touchdown run to close the score to 10- 7.
A little trickery in the fourth quarter saw Greer throw a swing pass to junior wideout D.D. Goodson, who then threw a pass to Sidney Goodman that put the ball at the El Campo 30 yard line. Once again, it was a big run by Threat to get the ball into the end zone and put the Mustangs up 14 - 10. The Lamar defense would come up big again, hold-ing El Campo on a fourth and one with little time remaining.
However, a miscue by the Consol offense gave the ball back to El Campo with just
under one minute left in the ball game. With no timeouts remain-ing, El Campo attempted to pull this one out and a long pass got the Ricebirds to the Lamar 48 yard line. But on this night, it was all about the Mustang defense and sophomore Lonnie Gray stepped in front of an El
Campo pass to end the game. Next up for the Mustangs will be the opening round of the playoffs against Friendswood, a rematch of last year’s loss for Lamar.
That’s Mustang football.... and that’s a wrap !!!
Doc Melloy
Methodist Family Medicine Group announced this week that family practice specialist Dr. Tayma Shaya has joined their group.
Dr. Shaya joins Drs. Ana Corteguera, Julie Hung and Yana Finkelshteyn at Methodist Family Medicine Group, which was formally established on the Methodist Sugar Land Hospital Campus earlier this year.
Dr. Shaya is board-certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. She has an exten-sive background in family prac-tice and specializes in preven-tive medicine and works with her patients to optimize their health. With a particular inter-est in metabolic diseases such as diabetes, lipid disorders and thyroid dysfunction, Dr. Shaya is one of a handful of physicians who also specializes in hormonal balancing through bioidentical hormone replacement for men and women.
Dr. Shaya earned her doctor of medicine degree at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and performed her residency at Memorial Family Practice in southwest Houston, where she served as Chief Resident in 2001-2002.
She joins Methodist Family Medicine Group from a former clinic in the Sugar Land area, where she has practiced since 2002.
To schedule an appointment with the Methodist Family Medicine Group, please call 281-275-0800.
Twelve-month scholarships intended for qualified Fort Bend County residents are now avail-able for the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) program at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Nursing.
Ten places are open for sum-mer 2010 admission under a grant provided by The George Foundation. The deadline to apply is Dec. 1, 2009.
Applicants must already have a bachelor’s degree in another field. To be considered for the scholarship, students must have a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.75 or better in the required 60 hours of nursing pre-requisites and a 3.0 GPA or better in the required science prereq-uisites.
“Thanks to the generous sup-port of The George Foundation, these scholarships will result in more nurses with the ability to serve the growing population of Fort Bend County patients over the next two years,” said Amy O. Calvin, Ph.D., R.N., the UT School of Nursing’s faculty liai-son to the Fort Bend County health care community.
Oversight of the new scholar-ship program will be provided by Renae Schumann, Ph.D., R.N., a Fort Bend County resident and B.S.N. program coordinator at the UT School of Nursing, who has successfully directed projects aimed at increasing enrollment and graduation rates.
For more information or to apply, call 1-800-BE-A-UT-RN or e-mail [email protected].
Demise of Sugar Land School on LakeviewAccording to an excerpt from Sugar Land, Texas and The Imperial
Sugar Company by R. M. Armstrong, “... [T]he original semicircular school complex on Lakeview had become impractical (by the mid 1960s.) It was crowded, the central heating systems for the individual buildings had become costly to operate, and all the flat roofs needed replacement. The individual buildings did not lend themselves to the new air conditioning systems.”
Long time Sugar Land resi-dents, Dr. Khalid Razvi, 69, a Geophysicist with Iron Mountain Energy; his brother Mahmood Razvi, 76, an Engineer and his sister inlaw Zakia Razvi, 72, sales Associate, 22 medals in the recent Texas State Senior Games also known as Senior Olympics 2009 held in Houston.
Khalid won medals in Tennis singles, doubles; Badminton singles, doubles & mixed dou-bles; Shuffle Board singles & doubles, Horse Shoe and Washer Throw. His Tennis doubles part-
ner was Wase Ansari, 73, also a Geophysicist and is also origi-nally from Hyderabad.
Mahmood won in Badminton singles, doubles & mixed dou-bles; Shuffle Board singles & doubles; Horse Shoe and Washer Throw.
Zakia won her medals in Badminton singles, doubles & mixed doubles, Shuffle Board singles & doubles, and in Washer Throw.
These games are for 50+ years of Men and Women and are in various age groups.
“Scouting rises within you and inspires you to put forth your best”, said Juliette G. Low, the founder of Girl Scouts USA. This is exactly what the eleven girls from Troop 147 (Rainbow Stars Service Unit – New Territory) did while earning the Girl Scout Silver Award. The 9th graders received the award recently at a ceremony held at Parkway United Methodist Church.
To complete the Silver Award, girls must find a need in the community outside of Girl Scouting and plan and execute a 40 hour project. The following people/organizations benefited by the girl’s efforts: St. Vincent
de Paul, 3rd graders at Walker Station Elementary, CAPs (Citizens Animal Protection), Texas Children’s Hospital, The Ft. Bend Women’s Shelter, the Gabriel Project, Meal-On-Wheels and the TWRC (Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Coalition).
“The Silver Award is the best measure of a young woman’s achievements as a Girl Scout and as a future leader.” said Jane Sullivan, leader of Rainbow Stars Service Unit Troop 147. “Through the goals laid out by the award, our Girls Scouts were able to put together a project and see the happiness it brought to the recipients.”
Mark your calendars for four fun filled evenings when the Kempner High School Drama Department performs the musi-cal “Guys and Dolls” by Frank Loesser and Abe Burrows.
Desperate to find money to pay for his floating crap game, Nathan Detroit bets Sky Masterson a thousand dollars that Sky will not be able to take a local Salvation Army girl, Sarah Brown, to Cuba. While Sky eventually is able to con-vince Sarah to join him, Nathan battles with his fiancé of four-teen years, Adelaide. Meanwhile in Cuba, Sky ends up falling in love with Sarah and tries to reform his gambling ways.
When he returns back to New York, he bets all the members of the floating crap game that if he wins his roll of the dice, they will all have to go to church and repent. If he loses, he will give them each a thousand dollars.
Come find out what hap-pens Nov.11 – 14 at Kempner High School. Showtime 7:00pm. Pre sale tickets are on sale at Kempner High School Commons during lunch through Nov. 13. Pre show advance sale tickets are $6 for students and $8 for adults. Prices at the door are $8 for students with ID and $10 for adults.
For Information call: (281) 634–2355.
On Sunday, November 1, Sugar Land First United Methodist Church celebrated the beginning of construction for a new building and renova-tions to their existing Chapel.
Church leaders, along with representatives from Merriman Holt Architects and Brookstone Construction, officially broke ground, as members of the Congregation responded to a lit-urgy read by Sr. Pastor, Martin
Nicholas. Children also par-ticipated in the groundbreaking by digging in sand with their ceremonial sand shovels.
The new building will pro-vide space for childcare, class-rooms for student ministries, a Prayer Chapel and renovated music rehearsal areas, along with new gathering areas for meetings and fellowship. The project should be complete within a year.
SUGAR LAND - FIRST COLONYWednesday, November 11, 2009 ! PAGE 5See us online www.FortBendStar.com THE STAR !!
CURIOUS?
CALL: ANDI ST. JEAN281-265-0000www.KWSW.com
? Call Keller Williams Realty
Southwest & find out why more Real Estate
agents are signing up with Keller Williams everyday.
AUTOTALK
David & Cindy FauvelleOwners of Auto Central
Car Care Center
By: David and Cindy Fauvelle, Owners
CATALYTIC OR CATACLYSMIC?
A catalytic converter is designed to remove hydrocarbons (HCs) and carbon monoxide (CO) that would otherwise pollute the air. With re-placement costs approaching $1000, this is not a component that vehicle owners want to see fail, and automo-bile owners have every incentive to be sure their catalytic converters do not face any obstacles to their nor-mal operation. All it takes is a dirty sensor to force an untuned engine to run too richly, causing the catalytic converter to overwork and possibly fail. A rich fuel mixture will often produce a “rotten egg” (hydrogen sulfide) odor from the exhaust. A single misfiring spark plug may also increase HC emissions to the point where a converter operates beyond its normal temperature range.
When something is not right, your car sends you a signal that you can feel, hear, or smell. If your ve-hicle emits a “rotten egg” smell, it may be due to a problem with the catalytic converter. Please call AUTO CENTRAL at 281-499-9684 to schedule a maintenance check. One of our ASE Certified Master Technicians can replace parts as needed so that you can extend the life of your vehicle and enjoy a safe ride. We are located at 2526 5th St., Stafford. We honor most extended warranties. Do you have a car care question? Visit our discussion board on Facebook-Auto Central. Autocentralautomotive.com.
Happy Thanksgiving Day!
HINT: Because a fouled cata-lytic converter may not cause any increase in backpressure, other methods must be used to check its operation and health, including its operating temperature.
Houston Community Bank, N.A.
is your
Small Business Solution!
The Bank
That Listens.
Starting a business... Expanding existing business...
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SUGAR LAND... 50 YEARS YOUNG!
1959-2009
Sugar Land’s Roots
Demise of Sugar Land School on LakeviewAccording to an excerpt from Sugar Land, Texas and The Imperial
Sugar Company by R. M. Armstrong, “... [T]he original semicircular school complex on Lakeview had become impractical (by the mid 1960s.) It was crowded, the central heating systems for the individual buildings had become costly to operate, and all the flat roofs needed replacement. The individual buildings did not lend themselves to the new air conditioning systems.”
Long time Sugar Land resi-dents, Dr. Khalid Razvi, 69, a Geophysicist with Iron Mountain Energy; his brother Mahmood Razvi, 76, an Engineer and his sister inlaw Zakia Razvi, 72, sales
Associate, 22 medals in the recent Texas State Senior Games also known as Senior Olympics 2009 held in Houston.
Khalid won medals in Tennis singles, doubles; Badminton singles, doubles & mixed dou-bles; Shuffle Board singles & doubles, Horse Shoe and Washer Throw. His Tennis doubles part-ner was Wase Ansari, 73, also a Geophysicist and is also origi-nally from Hyderabad.
Mahmood won in Badminton singles, doubles & mixed doubles; Shuffle Board singles & doubles; Horse Shoe and Washer Throw.
Zakia won her medals in Badminton singles, doubles & mixed doubles, Shuffle Board singles & doubles, and in Washer Throw.
These games are for 50+ years of Men and Women and are in various age groups.
Let’s get the party started! Clements Class of 2010 has begun plans for their school sponsored graduation party after successfully raising $16,000.00 in their popular car raffle.
The winner, Reena Koshy, of Stafford was thrilled to hear that her name was drawn at halftime of the Clements football game on October 24. She is now the proud owner of a 2010 Ford Mustang from Southern Ford.
Vickie Alleman chaired the ProGrad Car raffle and credits
the success of the fundraiser to the generosity of sponsors and the commitment of the seniors to sell 353 raffle tickets this year.
ProGrad , a tradition at Clements High School since 1977, provides a drug free, alco-hol free all-night lock-in party at school the night of graduation. All fundraising for the event is done by senior students and their families. To learn more about Clements ProGrad, visit www.clementsprogradonline.com
MO CITY - STAFFORD - MEADOWSWednesday, November 11, 2009 ! PAGE 5See us online www.FortBendStar.com THE STAR !!!
QUAIL VALLEY PROUD
HOTLINE(281) 438-4714
!
Houston Community Bank, N.A.
is your
Small Business Solution!
The Bank
That Listens.
Starting a business... Expanding existing business...
Working Capital
Large & Small groups treated with the same care and concern
RIDGEVIEW PARK: Next time you are out drive by this little park and see what a good job the CITY Parks Department is doing there.
It is beautiful all the way around the jogging/walking track.
DIRECTIONS TO RIDGEVIEW PARK? It is at the intersection of Glenn Lakes and Ridgeview, one block from intersection of Glenn Lakes and Highway 6. Turn at Lake Olympia Animal Clinic.
LOOKING FOR A FALL FESTIVAL to attend? FUMC Missouri City (FM 1092 @ Lexington) having their 15th annual event. It is scheduled for 10 am until 4 pm on Saturday, November 14th. Activities include Pansies’ Tea Room (homemade chicken casserole & desserts) along with “live” entertainment, Hattie’s home-baked goodies, Outdoor Café’, a carnival midway, silent auc-tion and craft vendors inside, etc. Great family fun!
FYI: Not all “power out-ages” in the last 60 days were due to fault on the system. Instead this work performed when you were without power will minimize the opportuni-ty for outages in the future. Centerpoint’s policy is to notify customers who will be affected
by this maintenance work “in advance”.
FOR EXAMPLE: 9/25 and 9/28 power was off to replace underground primary cable. Then 11/04 they followed up to raise and level transformers on this same location to minimize outage potential in the future.
WHY COULD THEY NOT DO BOTH AT THE SAME TIME? Due to the fact that multiple jobs were being worked by different crews it required two outages to minimize the safety hazard in switching the loop as well as minimizing the number of customers affected by the “planned” outage.
THE PAST: Light company “only” did repairs. NOW, they also do “maintenance” to lessen number of repairs.
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? Email the PROUD HOTLINE at [email protected]. I will “promptly” email you the answers.
FOR “FAQs” http//www.quailvalleyproud.com/faqs.php
D a y m o n d Mayhall, a long time resident of Quail Valley, received the honor of being inducted into the Texas Square Dance Callers’ Hall
of Fame on October 23, 2009. Daymond has been calling in the Houston area over 40 years. He is the club caller for The Brazos Bottom Belles and Beaus
in Sugar Land for 37 years, and Strawberry Squares in Pasadena for 30 years.
Daymond and his wife Jo Ann enjoy square dancing, along with all the many activities that come with taking part in our National Folk Dance. Local, state, and national dances keep them very busy, and on the go with many dancers.
They invite others to join in the fun too by going to www.bbbbhome.com for information about classes.
Have a presence on the web 24/7! Enhance your business reputation! Reach new custom-ers, even outside your immedi-ate area.
These are the topics to be addressed during the next lun-cheon meeting of the Missouri City Business Alliance set for Thursday, November 12, 11: 30 a.m.- 1 p.m. at the Community Center on 1522 Texas Parkway.
Debbie Folks, Owner of Wolf Run Design and Paul Sherland, owner of Rust Reviews, LLC, the featured speakers, call this a must for all business owners. They will also be presenting tips about learning ways to solicit and receive customer feedback.
The speakers have addressed area Chamber of Commerce groups and are affiliated with the University of Houston Business Development Center.
The luncheon will be hosted by Angela Cain’s family operat-ed Southern Hospitality, classic home style cuisine specializing in take out and catering. The meal will be provided at no cost to MCBA members. Guests are welcome to attend the luncheon and presentation at a cost of $5 per person.
RSVPs are recommended, please call 281-403-8697 or email [email protected] for more information or to make a reservation.
Lantern Lane Elementary School is the proud recipient of new AIMS science books thanks to the generous dona-
tion made by the Quail Valley Fund.
Toni Mamula, Quail Valley Fund Trustee, presented
the books to the school on November 3 on behalf of the organization. The books are grade appropriate – covering earth, life, nature and physical science – and will be distrib-uted to all students in grades K-5.
Quail Valley Fund also plans to donate instructional mate-rial to other Quail Valley area schools, including Quail Valley Elementary, Quail Valley Middle School, and Elkins High School in the near future.
Over 200 runners and walk-ers registered for the 2nd annu-al Stafford MSD Education Foundation Gobble Hobble 5K Fun Run that was held October 31, 2009, at the Stafford Municipal School District com-plex. For the second year Jesus Sifuentes was the overall win-ner in the male division. Nancy Deleon was the overall winner in the female division.
First place winners in their age categories were:
Female 14 and under - Elise Lasker; 15-19 - Amanda Rojas; 20-29 - Katherine McCaffrey; 30-39 - Leticia Guzman; 40-
Male 14 and under - Mikey Guzman; 15-19 - Jesse Canell Jr.; 20-29 - Scott Machala; 30-39 - Christopher Freeman; 40-49 - David Popoff; 50-59 - Michael Cropper.
With the support of almost 100 local community members and business, the fun run was an outstandingly successful fund-raiser for the non-profit orga-nization. Proceeds of all fund-raisers are directed to student scholarships and teacher grants.
Hightower High School senior, Mahak Saad, was recently honored by Houston Mayor Bill White in recogni-tion of her academic achieve-ments.
A national honor student, Saad attends Hightower’s Medical Science Academy and has received numerous awards and honors throughout her high school career, including at vari-
ous Health Occupation Students of America and Future Business Leaders of America national and state competitions.
She has also served as a med-ical intern at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the Veterans Hospital, focusing in the area of cardiovascular surgery. She hopes to complete her advanced medical internship rounds at the Texas Heart Institute.
All branches of Fort Bend County Libraries will be closed Thursday, November 26, through Sunday, November 29, in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. Regular library hours will resume on Monday, November 30.
Your online library is always open at www.fortbend.lib.tx.us for searching the cata-log, renewing books or placing holds, downloading e-books, or using the research databases.
For additional information, contact the Public Information Office at 281-341-2677.
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...of pinheads in Congress seizing power that the U.S. Constitution does not grant them. The same liberals that believe the constitution grants a right to a woman’s privacy on abortion believe the federal government has every right to violate my health care privacy.
You see, every liberal Democrat that compares the exe-
cution of a convicted murderer to the voluntary abortion of a six-month-old unborn baby can’t have it both ways. If they believe in the right to privacy of preg-nant women then they cannot be for the 2,000-page monstrosity that puts you in prison if you refuse to have health insurance. If I have health insurance that is really none of the federal govern-
ment’s business - it is private.All those people out there that
don’t have health insurance have the excuse that they can’t afford it. It puzzles me how otherwise ethical people don’t see any prob-lem with forcing me (not asking) to pay for their health insurance. What if I can’t afford it? What if our country can’t afford it? Many of these same people live
in upscale neighborhoods, have a TV in every room, central air con-ditioning, eat out for lunch, extra cars for their teenagers, a new car for themselves every other year, etc., etc. You see, many people (not all) that claim they can’t afford to pay for health insurance just have different priorities.
Many of these same people act like it is my Christian duty to pay for their health insurance. Isn’t it their Christian duty to pay for their family’s health care?
Like I told you in this column (check column archive on our web site for August 19, 2009) this health care reform act has nothing to do with providing health care for the uninsured and everything to do with seizing power and socializing one-sixth of the U. S. economy.
For example, the American Medical Association (a voluntary trade association only interested in its continued existence) came out in support of the recently past House version of Obamacare. A few short years ago their entire budget was $20 million a year and came almost exclusively from dues. Now, their revenue is $300 million per year after they secured some kind of “right” to Medicare codes that all doctors must use called CPT codes. Like I said in my column on August 19, digi-tized medical records will cost us
money and line the pocket of one or two “authorized vendors.”
Another example is the AARP coming out in support (of its con-tinued existence?) of the House Bill, while they will be selling all the supplemental insurance poli-cies for things that Obamacare won’t pay for anymore like Medicare Advantage, etc.
All of these people (and the government) that act like they are doing something for you are real-ly only interested in padding their own pockets (and doing some-thing to you). This government controlled Obamacare is social-ized medicine plain and simple and the government will control your life when they control health
care. And, they will control it. Not you. Not your doctor. Not your health insurance provider. The government. You know, the same federal government that controls Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, Social Security, TARP bailout, the U.S. Postal Service, Medicare and Medicaid.
On Veterans Day, November 11, all of the nearly 2,000 Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar restaurants will honor U.S. veterans and active duty military with a free meal. All guests with proof of current or former U.S. military service will enjoy a free entrée from a selection of six sig-nature favorites.
This special offer will be avail-able lunchtime through the dinner hours for dine-in guests at all Applebee’s restaurants, nation-wide. For complete details visit www.applebees.com/vetsday.
Convoy of Hope, based in Springfield, Missouri, and area businesses, churches, and commu-nity agencies have donated time and resources to host this commu-nity outreach. This all-volunteer outreach includes approximately 700 volunteers who will be on hand to help unload the Convoy of Hope truck, distribute food, and facilitate all outreach programs.
The free carnival-like event that includes distribution of 40,000 pounds of food to provide meals to feed thousands of people through-out the Fort Bend County area.
This event will be held Saturday, November 21, 10:00 a.m., Fort Bend County Fairgrounds, Hwy 36 South, Rosenberg.
Free grocery distribution begins with free refreshments, live enter-tainment, children’s carnival area, medical services including immu-nizations, job placement, clothing distribution, haircuts, and more. The activities will continue, rain or shine, until all the food has been distributed. No identification is needed.
The Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra recaptures the holiday magic as it presents “Deck the Halls” on Sunday, Dec. 6 at 2 p.m. at the Stafford Centre. 10505 Cash Rd. at Murphy Rd.. in Stafford. The program, directed by Héctor Agüero, Jr., features classic, sea-sonal favorites like “Sleigh Ride,” “White Christmas” and “’Twas the Night Before Christmas.”
In addition to the wonderful music, attendees can look forward to a surprise guest and a small Christmas Boutique. The latter features paintings, ornaments and other one-of-a-kind items created by orchestra members that will be available for purchase. All proceeds benefit the FBSO.
This holiday concert is the most popular concert of the year so pur-chase tickets early at http://www.fbso.org or call 281-276-9642. Individual ticket prices for adults range from $10 to $25 per concert. Senior and student prices start at just $5. Children 12 and under are free, but must have a reserved ticket. A discount of 10 percent is available off each ticket when purchased for groups of 10 or more.
By Cheryl Skinner Community reaching out during holidays
While Fort Bend County has managed to maintain a high standard of living during a time of national economic hardships, there are still many, many families who are facing a bleak holiday season due to job downsizing, layoffs and other challenges.
A large number of chari-table organizations, commu-nity groups, churches and city and county projects are being planned to make life easier and more pleasant for those in need during the normally festive hol-iday season.
Police in Missouri City will host a “Stuff the Squad Car” event this week.
The Missouri City Police Department is asking for help to stuff a squad car with canned food and non-perishable food items. All of the donations will be used locally and will be dis-tributed to local food pantries.
The event will be held from 6 a.m.-noon Nov. 20 in the parking lot of the Missouri City Police Department at 3849 Cartwright Rd in Missouri City.
The city says police will also offer fingerprinting for children
More carnival midway amusements, more food and entertainment choices, more arts and crafts vendors, and a silent auction featuring a beau-tiful, handcrafted quilt are the highlights of “A Country Affair,” the 15th annual Fall Festival at First United Methodist Church Missouri City from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, November 14.
Admission is free to the Fall Festival, which is held on the church campus at the corner of Lexington Boulevard and FM 1092 (Murphy Road) in Missouri City.
This year’s festival midway features five large, inflatable amusements, including a rock wall, bounce house, “ride the
bull,” super slide, and obstacle course. Adults may purchase a $15 wristband at the festival that allows children to “play all day” on the large amusements.
Over 70 arts and crafts ven-dors are scheduled to exhibit at the Fall Festival. Holiday shoppers will find handcrafted jewelry, educational toys, recy-cled vintage accessories – even scroll saw art – on display.
This year, the Fall Festival’s Silent Auction features a hand-crafted quilt donated by the Coastal Prairie Quilt Guild.
For more information about the Festival or to place a bid for the quilt in advance of Fall Festival Silent Auction day, please contact the church office at 281-499-3502, or visit www.fumcmc.org or www.twitter.com/acountryaffair.
and car seat safety inspections/ installations for those stopping by the department during the event.
Go out and help while get-ting to know your police offi-cers.New travel policy a good idea
Fort Bend County Commis-sioners approved a streamlined travel policy that should take the excess out of this line item spending in the future. And, it also promises to reduce the manpower needed to research travel reimbursement expenses and repayment.
Both will ultimately save taxpayers money and provide employees with a more rapid repayment program. Not a bad
deal, for sure.Before a person attending
an out of county or out of state convention or seminar would keep actual expense receipts and would ask for reimburse-ment. Now they will be allocat-ed a certain amount for meals, lodging, and other expenses at a flat rate.
So, it is likely that someone having lunch while out and about will think twice about ordering that succulent rib-eye. They might just head to the caf-eteria for a full plate at less than half what the rib-eye would cost.
In these days of save where you can, it was a good move on the part of the commissioners.
The Fort Bend Junior Service League (FBJSL) was pleased to present a $3,930 Community Assistance Fund (CAF) Grant to the American Red Cross to be used to fund equipment and videos for the Scrubby Bear and Glitterbug educational hand-washing program.
This program teaches chil-dren in Fort Bend public and private schools about disease prevention and the importance
of proper hand washing. FBJSL accepts CAF appli-
cations throughout the year for grant funding up to $5,000 per year. Applicants must be nonprofit organizations serving Fort Bend County with requests
to fund a critical need, pilot program and/or expand a sig-nificant service to the commu-nity. For additional eligibility requirements or to download an application, please visit www.fbjsl.com.
PAGE 8 ! Wednesday, November 11, 2009 THE STAR See us online www.FortBendStar.com
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POINTE SAN LUIS ...............$199,000Reduced! Cul-de-sac lot on the beach! Amenities includ wide beaches, community pool/recreation center, public water/sewer, paved streets. (LOT72)
SUGAR CREEK ......................$296,0005/3.5/2 Tiled front porch. Formals, study & Mas-ter down. Big den with corner FP. Covered pa-tio, Pool. Well planned upstairs layout. (335FB)
SUGAR CREEK ......................$729,000 4/2.5/2 Home overlooking GOLF course. Up-dated Kit w/Dacor App., built-in Kit Aid Fridge. Huge sun rm & 2nd floor balcony. (606SC)
SUGARWOOD .......................$279,000Custom home. Double door entry. Den. Isl kit. Granite. Build-ins. New roof. Master dn gamerm up. Heated pool/spa. Low tax. (1731RP)
THE GROVE ...........................$159,9004 bedroom cul-de-sac new carpet up * fresh paint * updated kitchen with silestone countertops & tumbled stone back splash. (2311WW)
PECAN GROVE .....................................4/3.5/2 Cul-de-sac, formals, gamerm up. Lge isl kit w/updated appliances. Tile in entry, den, break-fast rm. Beautiful pool! (3115PW)
LAKE OLYMPIA ....................$359,900Immaculate inside & out. Open & bright floor plan. Upgrades galore. Butler’s pantry. Gam-eroom. Master bedroom suite. (4203WO)
OXFORD ...................................$309,9004/2.5/2 Hardwoods, French doors in family rm. Isl. Kit w/SS Dishwasher, double ovens. Finger Print door lock. Extended patio. (4207 SI)
SUTTON PARK ......................$369,600 Wood flrs, granite countertops. Cul-de-sac, Hi ceilings, gas range, big pantry, sun rm. Backs to Green Belt. Clement High School. (4702Ca)
PLANTATION BEND ..........$283,330Open Floor plan, high ceilings, 2 story home! 3,259sq. ft., 4 bedrm. Master down. 3 1⁄2 baths. Spacious utility w/sink. Spacious gar. (4922CP)
HUNTWICK FOREST .........$199,900Huntwick home, cul de sac lot! Formals, Den w/built-ins! Master/study/built-ins down three bedrms up - two open to a balcony (5322GR)
CANYON GATE ....................$189,8954/2.5/2 Gated Community. Corner lot. Hi-ceilings in Family w/gas log FP. Master suite down/ga-merm up. Lrg Pantry & walk-in closets. (6359BO)
NEW TERRITORY .................$220,000Gated community. Two bedrm, Great open floor-plan. Spacious den w/built-ins, Lrg isl/kit flrs. Study/Bed rm. Recent paint, tile & roof. (6522PC)
SIENNA POINT .....................$599,990 4-6/3 full baths 2 half baths, 3 car garage. Lrg master w/ Sitting area. Granite Isl. in Kit, formals, study, game rm, Media rm. Covered patio. (9111TL)
WESTHEIMER LAKES .......$149,900 3/2.5/2 + loft. Game rm, study, office upstairs. Ce-ramic Tile. Large laundry rm & Kit. Open floor Concept. (11034DC)
OLD ORCHARD ..................$349,6502 story. 4/2.5/2 Spacious 2 story family home. Fami-ly rm, gourmet Kit!, Big master bed rm down! Me-dia rm! Game rm! Tile floors, formals. (13019CG)
TELFAIR ....................................$539,9004-5/4.5/3 Spacious floorplan . Study w/ french doors. Isl. kit w/ mahogany. Master suite has large sitting area w/ fireplace. (1607BT)
RIVERSTONE .......................$ 254,9004/2/2 Open floor plan with a central kit featuring lots of cabinets, granite countertops, SS appl, isl, under cabinet lighting & gas cooktop. (5202FB)
GALLERIA/TANGLEWOOD ....$ 3,900For rent. 3/3.5/2 Lrg gourmet kit. W/island, gran-ite counters, lots of cabinets & SS appl. High ceil-ings, hardwoods, travertine flooring. (5461DR)
HUNTINGTON VILLAGE ...$ 118,000Beautiful 3/bed 2/bath. Form din. Upgraded car-pet & tile, new paint plenty of light in kit! Break-fast overlooks large covered patio!!! (12306Pl)
TARA ...........................................$ 99,9993/2/2 Nice 3 B/R with hardi siding, double paned windows. tile floors. covered deck in back. (431LE)
SOVEREIGN SHORES ESTATES ...$ 450,000Fabulous 2 acre lot in exclusive gated commu-nity ** rural-type setting with less than one mile access to hwy. 59 ** (0CH)
MEADOWGLEN ......................$ 149,9003/2.5/2 Vaulted ceilings and a 2-sided gas fireplace in the living rm. 2 attics & custom built-ins. Gar has custom work area w/lots of storage. (12207BR)
COMMONWEALTH PARK ...$ 449,9006/3.1/3 Det. Perry hm w/pool. Master down w/hardwoods & fireplace. Covered patio. Kit w/granite countertops & lg. center isle. (19TH)
NEW TERRITORY ...............$ 346,5004/2.5/2 David Weekley home w/countless upgrades. Formal living/dining room. Spacious family/den granite ctops & recent appliances!! (718WI)
SUGAR MILL ..........................$179,9903/2.5/2 nice 2 story, Hi great room with master bedroom down. Gameroom up. Lots of classic Oak Panelling (511GR)
HIGH MEADOWS ...............$ 172,0003/2.5/2 + gameroom. All flooring - carpet, tile, slate/wood laminate installed 07. SS appl, wood blinds, well-maintained home. (230HM)
GRANTS LAKE .....................$ 159,9002/2/1 Townhouse close to mall, freeway, post of-fice, and excellent schools! 1 bedroom & full bath down. Lrg master suite and loft up. (2710GL)
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Wednesday, November 11, 2009 ! PAGE 9THE STARSee us online www.FortBendStar.com
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CYPRESS VALLEY .............$1,585,000Exquisite custom situated on one of the finest golfcrs lots in all of sweetwater!Magnificient views! Exterior splendor abounds! (6CV)
SIENNA PLANTATION ......$600,000Circular stairs & back Kit. Lrg isl & Kit. w/ gran-ite countertops. Spacious master. Up game rm w/computer area, secret rm, media rm! (23WL)
VENETIAN ESTATES ..........$479,9003/2/2 on approx. _ acre. Cul-de-sac lot. Study/office in back of home w/awesome lake views. Sprinkler system. Mature shade trees. Low Tax rate! (115CA)
SUGAR MILL ..........................$274,9004-5 Bedrooms, 3.5 baths, 2 car garage. Master bed-room down, island kitchen, wet bar, zoned air, tiled, great subdivision. (811AU)
GLENN LAKES ......................$155,0004/2.5/2 Recently painted, roof replaced. Both for-mals, master bed rm down. Empty lot on one side. Backyard has plenty of rm for a pool. (2015PC)
RICHMOND ...........................$795,0002.25 acres hrdwd floors built-ins! isl kit ss appl, butler’s, pantry Formals, FP; study/den, game or media rm, outdr kit, pool & spa! (2826PB)
QUAIL VALLEY .....................$279,900Corner lot w/pool/spa, Isl kit, SS appl, Tile/wd flrs, Atrium w/koi pond. 3 Full baths, 2-1/2 baths, Gamerm dwn! 3 Car garage+bath (3134SB)
BRIGHTWATER ....................$345,0005-6/3.5/3 Cul-de-sac, Hi ceilings, study/build-ins down, Media/screening rm & game rm up, Huge master suite down + spacious Isl kit. (4210LA)
WATERSIDE ESTATES ........$250,000 4/2/4 Formals. Granite counter tops. Wood and Tile flrs. Flagstone patio w/aluminum cover. Home is perfect for allergy suffers. (4315TB)
THE CROSSING AT RIVERSTONE ......$535,0005/3.5/3 Bright,airy/open concept Media room w/leather chairs, projection TV, surround sound. Heated pool/spa,very private! (4519CO)
HY SCOTT ...............................$139,9001.66 acres near Hwy 59 & Hwy 36, property listed as lot value only – no building value. Property has house & garage that go with land. (2102MA)
AVALON ...................................$549,8884/3.5/3 Custom home, upgrades, high ceilings. For-mals, lrg living rm, gourmet Kit with Granite coun-ter tops. Master down. Lrg living rm. (5226TL)
BRIDLEWOOD ......................$595,000Country living. Screened in heated Pool, Adja-cent 1 bed rm quarters + Lrg storage. RV storage. Slate Flrs, 2 story dining. Game rm up. (7219RO)
SUGAR MILL .........................$322,000Custom 4/3.5/3 home nestled on cul-de-sac lot. Beautiful updates in Master bath and island kitchen. (13810WF)
VILLAGE OF OAK LAKE ............................... 4/2.5/2. Ceramic tile flooring downstairs. Open & spacious family rm & Isl. Kit. Fantastic pool & covered outdoor living area. (15607OA)
GRAND MISSION ESTATES ..$239,9004/3/2 SHORT SALE bargain. Gourmet Kit, gran-ite countertops, SS appliances, Study, Mud sink In utility & garage. Oversized gar. (19919MP)
GRANTS LAKE ......................... $ 1,0003/2 Corner unit, large den w/woodburning fireplace, master bedroom down, the paint and carpet are al-most new. Upgraded washer and dryer. (2611GL)
SPRING SHADOWS ..........$ 220,0004/2/2 New granite counters tops; SS dishwasher & under-mounted sink; fresh paint & carpet throughout; refrigerator stays! (2730TR)
PARKGLEN TOWNHOMES ..$ 124,5003/2.5/2 Beautiful 3 bedroom with both formals - Large floor plan - Cute patio - Updated Kitchen - Shows Great! (11676KI)
WOODBRIDGE ....................$ 359,500 5/3.5/3 Master down, formals, huge rooms, extra huge backyard w/ sparkling pool, swing & bas-ketball ct, gamerm up, 3 car gar, 3 FP. (15323BF)
SIENNA/STEEP BANK ......$ 429,9004/3.5/3. Over 65k in upgrades, featuring a spar-kling pool/spa with cool crete patio on large cor-ner lot. Beautiful island gourmet kit (3711DO)
WILLIAMS GLEN ................$ 369,0004/3.5/2 Cul-dec-sac street. Granite counter tops, new capet. A/C coil, hardwd ‘08, both A/C com-pressos are within 5 years, Roof 2000. (3123SM)
BRIDLEWOOD .....................$ 359,000 Great 4 Bdrm 3 1⁄2 bth, 3 car garage. Screened in pool/patio. All on over an acre. Hardwod floors, recent carpet and paint. (1114MU)
SIENNA ....................................$ 179,9004/2.5/2 Granite counter tops in kit, cherry cabi-nets, upgraded blk ge appliances, 2 inch wood blinds, master down, gamerm up (6023LC)
COVINGTON WEST ...........$125,000 3/2/2 Spacious den/richly stained hardwood flooring. new countertops & SS appl; bathrooms/remodeled; new garage doors. (14022 GR)
COON CREEK .......................$ 289,900 3/2/2 Home on 2.5 gorgeous acres in a quiet 1 lane subdivision. Kit has beautiful granite coun-tertops/SS appl. Refrigerator stays, (3322MA)
Johnson was charged in December 2007 with sever-al counts of capital murder in a November 2007 incident in which three people were found murdered in their home. Bickham was charged as a co-defendant for those murders in October 2008.
“In April 2009, the true mur-derer confessed to the crime,”
the suit said. “On or about May 1, 2009, all charges were dis-missed against Mr. Johnson and Mr. Bickham in a manner indica-tive of their innocence. Both were thereafter released.”
Lawsuits are currently pend-ing against Pikett and Fort Bend County. Neither of those is related to the latest filings. One involves a
Fearing not having a way to get to their own homes, residents held meetings and blogged about the meeting with officials.
Morrison, along with the county’s legal representatives, met with the residents and informed them the litigation was still pending.
The saga began over 11 years ago when the county initiated the condemnation proceedings to acquire some pieces of land for widening a road that con-nected FM 2759 and a county road across the existing rail-road crossing that is owned by Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway (BNSF). The pur-pose of the condemnation was
to construct the entry road to provide access to the Royal Lakes subdivision near Booth.
BNSF filed a federal law-suit in an attempt to stop the condemnation proceedings. The federal court dismissed the suit, without prejudice, because no property had yet been con-demned.
The county later did go forth with condemnation and the action resulted in a jury trial in the court of County Court-at-Law Judge Susan Lowery. The court assessed a compensation fee of a little over $90,000 plus interest that Fort Bend County would pay the railroad for con-demnation, after the jury found
in favor of the county.The county appealed the
assessment and the result was the June 21, 2007 opinion by 14th Court of Appeals Justices J. Harvey Hudson, Leslie Brock, and John S. Anderson.
The appeals panel vacated the local trial court’s judgment thus dismissing the county’s appeal. Officials said the court found that the federal courts had juris-diction in the case.
This week the case will be heard by the Alternate Dispute Resolution mediators and Morrison feels some progress may be made and perhaps the saga will have a positive end-ing.
retired law enforcement officer in Victoria who was picked out of a scent lineup by Pickett’s dogs. He was named publicly as a suspect before another man ultimately confessed to the murder. Michael Buchanek, the former captain, claims his life has been ruined by the stigma of being named as a person of interest in the highly publicized murder case.
Buchanek was not charged in the case and was cleared after another man confessed and plead-ed guilty, the Victoria Advocate reported.
Calvin Miller of Yoakum, was also named a suspect in that town because of scent lineup identifi-cation by Pikett’s dogs. He was under investigation for rape and burglary but was later exonerated by DNA evidence.
The lawsuit alleges that the dog scent lineups, “which were developed by Defendant Pikett, epitomize the worst of “junk sci-ence” – and the defendants knew it. Defendant Pikett developed the dog scent lineups without any training, and has employed them in thousands of criminal cases despite their proven unreliabil-ity.”
The plea goes on to say that “in the early 1990s, Defendant Pikett developed a fraudulent investi-gative technique he coined dog scent lineups. In this technique, the dog is introduced to a scent sample that has been collected from a crime scene or piece of evidence. After getting that scent, the dog is then presented with a series of containers with scents in them. These scents have often been taken directly from a sus-pect and from others matching the general description of the suspect. According to Defendant Pikett, the dog will then communicate to its handler/observer if the scent that it “got” the first time matches a scent in one of the containers.”
The lawsuit alleges that Pikett never tested the dog scent line-ups’ accuracy, nor did he establish a set of standards under which to conduct the lineups. Instead, Defendant Pikett repeatedly lied under oath about his qualifica-tions, his training, and the sup-posed infallibility of his dog iden-tifications.
You see, just weeks prior at a function in Needville, Sheriff Wright told Ms. Zulkowski that new protocols were in place to deal with rabid or suspected rabid animals after her last incident. So, she paid him a personal visit with her aromatic package to let him know....the new protocols were not working out so well.
While she was standing on the Sheriff’s front porch, the sheriff called his people to have Animal Control have their people con-tact him. No return call came so...Ms. Zulkowski left with her aromatic package headed to her Commissioner’s residence.
Lucky for him, Animal Control called Ms. Zulkowski while en route. After much argument, an Animal Control representative was dispatched to meet her and take the skunk for testing.
That representative, Aaron, showed up at the designat-ed meeting place in a County Animal Control truck, took the putrid box from the back of Zulkowski’s truck, threw it into the back of his truck and split. No information was exchanged. However during her conversa-tion with the director of Animal Control Vernon Abschneider, she had already provided her name, address, phone number and all other pertinent information. But concerned at Aaron attitude and demeanor, Ms. Zulkowski fol-lowed him to make sure the skunk was preserved properly so it could be tested.
Mission Statement as listed for Fort Bend Animal Control:
The mission of animal control
is to eradicate the spread of rabies
among the county’s animals, pre-
vent rabies in the human popula-
tion, and control wild, potentially
dangerous animals in areas of
high population density.
Her concerns were heightened when the Animal Control truck wandered through the streets of Rosenberg then pulled into the Bowie Elementary school parking lot on Bamore Road in Rosenberg, not the Animal Control facility on Blume Road.
It appeared that Aaron, the county representative, was try-ing to ditch Ms. Zulkowski. She made a turn and then again fell in behind the county truck which this time wandered thru the streets of Rosenberg travel-ing back east. Across Ave I to Highway 36, then onto the 59 northbound to 99 north and into the New Territory subdivision, he was able to give her the slip at a red light. However, she picked up his trail in the neighborhood when she discovered his truck in
the back of a cul de sac behind a huge RV. As she turned to ask him what was going on, she was stopped by a pair of sheriff’s deputies.
During the traffic stop at the intersection of Adobe and Edenbrook near Homeward Way, Deputy R Castillo told her he knew what was going on. “I loosely suggest you not follow that vehicle,” he said. When she asked why the Sheriff’s depart-ment could not help her earlier in the day, but now could send two cars to tell her what she could not do, he said this is an Animal Control issue.
“You cannot follow him because he does not know who you are and why you are fol-lowing him,” the deputy said, even though the Animal Control officer had earlier taken the skunk from the truck that now he was “scared” of. When she asked what she had done wrong, Castillo told her she had not com-mitted a violation but she could not follow the truck and scare the driver.
While her measures may seem extreme, Ms. Zulkowski may have more concern for public safety from rabid animals than
public safety from those the tax-payers pay.
Commissioner Richard Morrison said on Monday he thought that this kind of prob-lem had been resolved after an incident earlier this year when a west Fort Bend resident was bitten by a rabid skunk, and it took over 12 hours for Animal Control to respond. He assured Ms. Zulkowski her issues would be followed up on.
Inquires were made as to response and protocol for poten-tial rabid animals with the City of Sugar Land Animal Control, Harris County, and Brazoria County. All were forthcoming with information and explained their guidelines were to respond promptly, keep the animal pre-served property for testing. Testing is done on the brainstem of the animal, and it must remain in a cool environment so it does not deteriorate.
At press time calls to Vernon Abschneider, director of animal control, had not been returned.
Which begs the question, if a citizen has to jump through all these hoops to report a rabid animal, just who is getting skunked?
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 ! PAGE 11THE STARSee us online www.FortBendStar.com
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! ! !CITY OF SUGAR LAND
NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bids in triplicate, one (1) original and two (2) copies, ad-dressed to the City of Sugar Land, Texas, will be received until 11:00 o’clock a.m., Thursday, December 3, 2009, for:
PURCHASE OF FLEET VEHICLES
Sealed bids shall be appropriately marked as follows:
ITB NO. 2010-05 PURCHASE OF FLEET VEHICLES BIDDER’S NAME, ADDRESS, AND DUE DATE
Bidder shall sign and date the bid. Bids that are not signed and dated will be rejected.
Signed and sealed bids shall be delivered to the City Secretary Office, on or before 11:00 o’clock a.m., Thursday, December 3, 2009, City of Sugar Land City Hall, Suite 122, 2700 Town Cen-ter Boulevard North, Sugar Land, Texas, 77479. All bids received after the appointed time shall be returned to bidder unopened. Notice of the award of contract shall be given by the City within thirty (30) days following the date for the opening of bids.
The City reserves the right to revise or amend the specifica-tions prior to the date set for opening of bids. Such revisions or amendments, if any, will be announced by addenda or adden-dum to the specifications. Copies of such addenda so issued will be furnished to all prospective bidders and may or may not affect the bid opening date.
The City of Sugar Land reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive informalities in bids received. The award will be made to the lowest responsible bidder.
ITB documents may be secured from City of Sugar Land City Secretary Office, 2700 Town Center Boulevard North, Suite 122, Sugar Land, Texas, 77479, or by registering at https://www.bidsync.com. Registration is free. All bid documents, amendments and other information relating to the bid will be posted on this site.
For questions regarding this bid, please contact Todd Reed, Purchasing Manager, Telephone (281) 275-2734 or email at [email protected].
CITY OF SUGAR LANDNOTICE TO BIDDERS
Sealed bids in duplicate, addressed to the City of Sugar Land, Texas, will be received until 11:00 a.m., Thursday, December 10, 2009, for:
INVITATION TO BID NO. 2009-026CONCRETE PAVEMENT REHABILITATION PROJECT
CIP ST1001
Sealed bids shall be appropriately marked in the upper left-hand corner as follows:
INVITATION TO BID NO. 2009-026CONCRETE PAVEMENT REHABILITATION PROJECT
CIP ST1001
The location of the work is in the CITY OF SUGAR LAND, FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, 77478.
Sealed bids shall be delivered to the City Secretary Office, on or before 11:00 a.m., Thursday, December 10, 2009, City of Sugar Land City Hall, Suite 122, 2700 Town Center Boulevard North, Sugar Land, Texas, 77479. All bids received after the appointed time shall be returned to bidder unopened. Notice of the award of contract shall be given by the City within sixty (60) days following the opening of bids.
A non-mandatory pre-bid meeting for all interested parties will be held 10:00 a.m., Monday, November 23, 2009, City of Sugar Land Fire Administration and Annex Building, CIP Confer-ence Room, 10405 Corporate Drive, Sugar Land, Texas, 77478.
All bids shall be accompanied by a Bid Bond in the amount of five percent (5%) of the bid from a Surety Company as a guarantee that the bidder will enter into a contract and execute Performance and Payment Bond within five (5) days after award by City Council. Bids without Bid Bond will not be considered.
Successful bidder must furnish Performance and Payment Bonds upon approved standard form in the amount of one hundred percent (100%) of the contract price from an approved Surety Company licensed by the Texas Board of Insurance Commissioners.
The City reserves the right to revise or amend the specifications prior to the date set for opening of bids. Such revisions or amendments, if any, will be announced by addenda or addendum to the specifications. Copies of such addenda so issued will be furnished to all prospective bidders and may or may not affect the bid opening date. The City of Sugar Land reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive informalities in bids received. The award will be made to the lowest responsible bidder.
Plans, specifications, and bidding documents may be secured from the City of Sugar Land Fire Administration and Annex Building, 10405 Corporate Drive, Sugar Land, Texas, 77478, Telephone (281) 275-2450, with a non-refundable deposit of $25.00.
Glenda Gundermann, TRMC, CMC, AAECity Secretary
CITY OF MISSOURI CITYNotice of Public Hearing
On Monday, November 16, 2009, there will be held, during the regularly sched-uled City Council meeting beginning at 7:00 p.m., in the Council Chamber, City of Missouri City City Hall, 1522 Texas Park-way, Missouri City, Texas, a public hearing relating to the requested increases to the natural gas rates and charges proposed by CenterPoint Energy Resources Corp., d/b/a CenterPoint Energy Entex and Cen-terPoint Energy Texas Gas. Any interested person is entitled to speak and present evi-dence for or against the designation of re-quested increases to the natural gas rates and charges.
Signed by:
/s/ Patrice Fogarty,City Secretary
Looking for more than just a job?Come experience Silverado, where we give LIFE to those we serve!Looking for great candidates for the following positions:
FT Tray AideFT CNA night shift
PRN CNAPRN LVN
FT HousekeeperPlease apply within at:
Silverado Senior Living-Sugar Land1221 Seventh Street
Sugar Land, TX 77478Fax: 281-277-1020
Seeking Office Managerfor Cardiology Office
Med. office management exp. required
Fax Resume: 281-491-6801
Sienna Montessori SchoolNOW HIRING
Full-TimeTeacher AssistantPlease call or fax resumes
to the following address:
10010 Steep Bank TraceMissouri City, TX 77459Fax (281) 778-2225Phone (281) 778-2223E-mail address:[email protected]
CITY OF SUGAR LANDNOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
ZONING OF 29.943 ACRESTELFAIR SECTION 10
PERMANENT ZONING OF 29.943 ACRES, TELFAIR SECTION 10, NORTH OF NEW TERRITORY BOULEVARD AND EAST OF CHATHAM AVENUE TO STANDARD SINGLE-FAMILY RESI-DENTIAL (R-1) DISTRICT
PURPOSE: ONE (1) PUBLIC HEARING SHALL BE HELD AT WHICH ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE PRO-POSED PERMANENT ZONING 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., DECEMBER 1, 2009
DETAILS OF THE PROPOSED ZONING MAY BE OBTAINED BY CONTACTING THE CITY OF SUGAR LAND PLANNING OFFICE AT (281) 275-2218 OR BY EMAIL AT [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 AT 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:
Manager WantedFor local postage/shipping/printing business in Missouri City. Experi-ence preferred. Must be computer literate and energetic. Professional with great customer skills.
IN SUGAR LANDMust be outgoing and likes being part of a team. Must have 2+years experience, insurance verification, answering incoming calls, checking in patients, and scheduling appointments.
Fax resume - Attn: Steve to
832-201-0901
RECEPTIONIST NEEDEDFOR MEDICAL OFFICE
AT SWEETWATERExperience preferred
Fax resume: 281-242-5952
MYSTERY SHOPPERS - GET PAID TO SHOP! Retail/Dining establish-ments need undercover clients to judge quality/customer service. Earn up to $150 a day. Call 1-800-775-9748**
BODYGUARDS WANT-ED! FREE Training for members. No Experience OK. Excellent $$$. Full & Part Time. Expenses Paid When you Travel. 1-615-228-1701. www.psubody guards.com**
GOVERNMENT JOBS - $12-$48/hr Paid Train-ing, full benefits. Call for information on current hiring positions in Home-land Security, Wildlife, Clerical and profes-sional. 1-800-320-9353 x 2100***
** AWESOME CA-REER** Government Postal Jobs! $17.80 to $59.00 hour Entry Level. No Experience Required / NOW HIR-ING! Green Card O.K. Call 1-800-370-0146 ext. 52***
Earn up to $500 weekly assembling our angel pins in the comfort of your home. No expe-rience required. Call 813-699-4038 or 813-425-4361 or visit www.angelpin.net ***
EARN UP TO $30 PER HOUR. Experience not Required. Undercover shoppers needed to judge retail and dining establishments. Call 800-742-6941***
*BUY FORECLO-SURES* Use our Mon-ey! Split Bit Profits! You Find, We Fund! Free Kit: 800-854-1952 x 81***
WORK AT HOME. Government Jobs, data entry, clerical benefits. $12-$48 hr. FT/PT. Call 1-888-293-7370.*
MYSTERY SHOP-PERS! Earn up to $150 daily. Get paid to shop pt/ft. Call now 800-690-1272.*
MAKE $$$ AS EARLY AS NEXT WEEK!!! WORK FROM HOME - Go to Income40.com, best program - FREE Video. Earn Great $$$ as early as NEXT WEEK! Find out how at www.Income40.com *
Private school in Missouri City is seeking an innovative & certified
PRE-K & 2ND GRADE TEACHER
Please submit your resume and cover letter by fax:
281-208-1426
Agency looking for caring & depend-able CAREGIVERS in Fresno, Arcola, Pearland and Houston areas.Rate: $7.40, $7.75 and $8.56/hr.
Tobi Health Care ServicesCall: 713-953-7680 or 1-866-953-7680
AIRLINE MECHANIC - Train for high paying Aviation Career. FAA approved program. Fi-nancial aid if qualified - Job placement assis-tance. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance 866-854-6156***
* REDUCE YOUR CABLE BILL! * - Get a 4-room, all-digital satel-lite system installed for FREE and programming starting under $20. Free Digital Video Recorders to new callers. So call now, 1-800-795-3579.*
$$$ START TODAY $$$ Earn $1,400 - $4,600 Weekly Working From Home Assembling In-formation Packets. No Experience Necessary! Start Immediately! FREE Information. Call 24hrs. 1-888-255-2802***
Get Paid To Shop! Mys-tery Shoppers Needed to Pose as Customers! Training Provided. FT/PT Call 800-720-3708***
$ $ $ WORK FROM HOME $ $ $ Earn Up To $3,800 Weekly Working from Home assembling Information packets. No Experience Necessary! Start Immediately! FREE Information. CALL 24hrs. 1-877-224-0207***
OLD GUITARS WANT-ED! Fender, Gibson, Martin, Gretsch, Prairie State, Euphonon, Lar-son, D’Angelico, Strom-berg, Rickenbacker, and Mosrite.Gibson Mando-lins/Banjos. 1930’s thru 1970’s TOP CASH PAID! 1-800-401-0440***
AIRLINES ARE HIRING -Train for high paying Aviation Maintenance Career. FAA approved program. Financial aid if qualified - Housing available. CALL Aviation Institute of Maintenance (888) 686-1704***
HEALTH INSURANCE: Self-Employed & In-dividuals. From the #1 Co. In Texas. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas. Individual $99/up. Family $299/up. 1-888-448-5877 www.netinsur ancequote.com **
MOTORCYCLE FINAN-CING for privately sold Harleys and other brands. Call 1 (800) 796-8107, ask for Finance Department. www.financingformotorcycles.com TN **
DIRECTV SAVE $26/MO FOR A YEAR! Ask How! NO Equipment to Buy NO Start Costs! Free DVR/HD Upgrade!Other Packages Start $29.99/mo! Details Call DirectStarTV 1-800-279-5698***
**ALL Satellite Sys-tems are not the same. Monthly programming starts under $20 per month and FREE HD and DVR systems for new callers. CALL NOW 1-800-799-4935***
ASSEMBLE MAGNETS & CRAFTS FROM HOME! Year-round Work! Excellent Pay! No Experience! Top US Company! Glue Gun, Painting, Jewelry & More! TOLL FREE 1-866-844-5091, code 5 **Not available MD***
$$$ START NOW $$$ Earn Extra Income. As-sembling CD Cases from home! No Experience Necessary. Call our Live Operators for more infor-mation! 1-800-405-7619 Ext 2181 www.easywork-greatpay.com ***
Get Dish - FREE Instal-lation - $19.99/mo. HBO & Showtime FREE-Over 50 HD Channels FREE. Lowest Prices - No Equipment to Buy! Call Now for full Details 877-242-0983***
DISH Network. $19.99/mo, Why Pay More For TV? 100+ Channels. FREE 4-Room Install. FREE HD-DVR. Plus $600 Sign-up BONUS. Call Now! 1-888-430-9664***
DIRECTV FREE MOV-IES 3 MONTHS! Ask How! NO Equipment to Buy NO Start Costs! Free DVR/HD Upgrade!Other Packages Start $29.99/mo! Details Call DirectStarTV 1-800-620-0058***
GEEKS-IN-ROUTE & On-site Computer & Computer Networking Services by A+ & Micro-soft or CISCO Certified Technicians. If We Canít Fix It, Itís Free! MC/DIS/AMEX/VISA. 1-866-661-GEEK (4335)***
HIGH SCHOOL DI-PLOMA! Graduate in 4 Weeks! FREE Brochure. CALL NOW! 1-866-562-3650 Ext. 30 www.south easternhs.com ***
NEW FEATHER-WEIGHT Motorized Wheelchairs. AT NO COST TO YOU IF ELI-GIBLE! WE COME TO YOU! ENK MOBILE MEDICAL 1-800-693-8896***
MEMORY FOAM THERAPEUTIC NASA VISCO MATTRESSES WHOLESALE! T-$299 F-$349 Q-$399 K-$499 ADJUSTABLES - $799FREE DELIVERY 25 YEAR WARRANTY 90 NIGHT TRIAL 1-800-AT-SLEEP 1-800-287-5337 WWW.MATTRESSDR.COM ***
WANTED DIABETES TEST STRIPS Any Kind/Any brand Unex-pired. Pay up to $18.00 per box. Shipping Paid. Call 1-713-395-1106 or www.SellDiabeticstrips.com***
LOST BOXER FE-MALE- Reward $100.00 Name Lola. Fawn and White, Scar on back, Snaggle Tooth. Lost since 10/16 in Sugar Land. Call 832-721-9968, 281-437-1730.
! !
ALAN'SPLUMBING"A Complete Plumbing Service"
CALL "THE DOOR MAN"
REMODELING
For the Finestin Beauty Products
Call Lisa
281-341-0496
SERVICES • SERVICES • SERVICES
Painting by Tod“Where Quality Counts”
FREE ESTIMATES
SLAB-COR,"ADD-A-SLAB"
Residential and Commercial• Drives • Walks • Patios • Pea Gravel • Fences • Foundations • Parking Lot
SPECIAL Drive Gate and Operator from $2195.00Cedar Fencing starting from $14.00/Ft.
281-371-0520www.gulfcoastironworks.com
! ! !
R & S WATER SERVICECLEAN, PURE WATER STARTS HERE!
We Sell, Service & Install Water Treatment SystemsLICENSED & INSURED
10% OffTo All New Customers
281-416-9353 • Website: RSWaterService.comE-Mail: [email protected] • Local in Missouri City
Softeners Purifiers
REMODELINGInterior/Exterior Painting
Carpentry • Sheetrock • Textures • Power WashingInsured, References
Call Luis Fuentes
713-298-8393
PAINTING
$100 OFFMin. $500 job
LOST BIRD - COCK-A-TIEL. Call 713-667-1403 or the Sugar Land Animal Control at 281-275-2596.
Iron Gates & OperatorsIron Fences, Wood & Chain Link
Brick Columns, Flag Stone, PatiosDriveways & Sidewalks
Free Estimates832-830-9365 • 832-837-8088
LOST, MALE CAT. Black with white legs, chest & paws. Lost from Gardens of Avalon, Sugar Land, since Oct. 25. Reward $100. Cell: 281-622-7395.
ATTEND COLLEGE ONLINE from Home. *Medical, *Business, *Paralegal, *Accounting, *Criminal Justice. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Fi-nancial Aid if qualified. Call 800-510-0784 www.CenturaOnline.com***
HOUSE CLEANING SERVICES. Available every day. Experienced. References. Reasonable rates. Sugar Land resi-dent. 832-654-7640.>>
PET SITTING/HOUSE SITTING. Great rates, Sugar Land. Referenc-es. 832-618-0915.>>
WALNUT DINING SET: table w/one extra leaf, 4 side/2 arm chairs, glass front china cabinet $500. OBO. 713-553-5518.
TELL CITY DINETTE/CHAIRS, BBQ grill, cherry wood rolltop desk, Sony 32” TV/stand, Castlewall reddish tan bricks (quantity-32), 1 owner clean 1990 Ca-price Chevrolet, miscel-laneous. 713-826-8779. Sugar Land.
SATURDAY 11/14, 8-12. New Territory (Sum-merhill) 4426 Trailwood Dr. Barbie Jeep, girls’ clothes, toys, computer desk, lots of etc.
VACCARO MANOR. 12914 Naples Lane. Saturday 11/14; Sunday 11/15; 8am - ? Multi-fam-ily. Lots of great stuff.
MOVING SALE. 3767 Heritage Colony Drive, Missouri City, behind Kohl’s, off Hwy 6/River-stone. Friday 11/13; Sat-urday 11/14. Furniture, other household items.
COMMONWEALTH. Moving Sale. Friday 11/13, 8am-noon. 22 Dartmoor. Home decor, small appliances, holi-day decorations, furni-ture, toys, misc.
LAKES OF EDGEWA-TER. 3203 Richland Drive. Furniture, elec-tronics, video games, scrapbook items, home decor, toys, lamps/shades. Saturday 11/14. 8am-1pm.
MULTI-FAMILY. 3218 Pebble Lake Dr., off Greenfields near Settlers Way. 6:45am. Furniture, books, designer clothing (small), scrapbooking, collectibles, Christmas. Saturday 11/14.
MOVING SALE. $5 - $500/CASH ONLY. De-signer accessories/fur-nishings. 8am-12noon, Saturday 11/14/09 & 1-3pm, Sunday, 11/15. All items must be sold! 281-787-0828. 902 Laurel Green Rd @ Lexington.
GLEN LAUREL. HUGE Moving Sale. 2402 Ash-ley Ridge Lane. Friday 11/13; Saturday 11/14. 8am-3pm. Furniture, yard equipment, house-hold goods, etc.
4 FAMILIES. 5715 Story Book Trail. Sienna Plan-tation. Hwy 6 South to Sienna Parkway, right Sienna Springs Blvd., left Echo Branch, then left. Saturday 11/14. 8am. Name brand cloth-ing, shoes, jewelry, bed-ding, home decor, lots of new items.
QUAIL VALLEY. 3538 El Dorado Blvd. Friday, Nov. 13, 7am-3pm; Saturday, Nov. 14, 7am-12noon. Beautiful gift baskets, wreaths, cen-terpieces for your table, and all kinds of acces-sories to decorate your home. New toys and games. Wrapping paper & gift bags. Tons of ga-rage sale items, too. All at great prices!
VENETIAN ESTATES. 130 St. Marks. Mostly cookbooks and Christ-mas gift items. Most $2 & $3. Friday 11/13, 8am-4pm; Saturday 11/14, 8am-noon.
NANNY/CHILD CARE available in your home. Flexible, also live-in. Ref-erences. Call 832-886-7796; 713-805-9220.
PREGNANT? CONSID-ERING ADOPTION? You choose from fami-lies nationwide. LIVING EXPENSES PAID. Call 24/7 Abby’s One True Gift Adoptions. 866-413-6292.*
FACED WITH AN un-planned pregnancy? Loving couples await. Receive information/pic-tures; you choose. Open or closed adoption. Assis-tance available. Call com-passionate counselor. 1-866-236-7638; 24/7*
AIRLINE MECHANIC: Train for high paying Aviation Career. FAA ap-proved program. Finan-cial aid if qualified - Job placement assistance. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance. 866-453-6204.*
Get Dish - FREE In-stallation - $19.99/mo. HBO & Showtime FREE - Over 50 HD Channels FREE. Lowest prices - No Equipment to buy! Call now for full details. 1-877-554-2014.*
DIRECTV - $26 off/mo! 150+ Channels & Pre-mium Movie Channels ONLY $29.99/mo. FREE SHOWTIME - 3 mos. New customers only. 1-888-420-9472*
Get Dish - FREE In-stallation - $19.99/mo. HBO & Showtime FREE - Over 50 HD Channels FREE. Lowest prices - No Equipment to buy! Call now for full details. 1-877-242-0976*
NEED YOUR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA? Finish from home fast for $399! Nationally Accredited. EZ pay. Free Brochure. Call 800-470-4723**
HIGH SCHOOL DI-PLOMA from home. 6-8 weeks. Accredited. Payment Plan. FREE Brochure. Call Now 1-877-692-7774. www.diplomafromhome.com Benjamin Franklin High Schooll**
ATTEND COLLEGE ONLINE from Home. *Medical, *Business, *Paralegal, *Accounting, *Criminal Justice. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Fi-nancial Aid if qualified. Call 800-510-0784 www.CenturaOnline.com***
ADOPTION: Happily married couple looking to adopt newborn. We offer love, happiness, security and best future possible. Please call Josephine and Joe toll free 1-866-716-3980**
RECEIVE $1000 IN GROCERIES! Real relief program help-ing people just like you! Pay only $4.90 for your grocery voucher. Use on your favorite brands! Consumer Advocate Response introductory price. 1-800-430-9507 ***
Reach over 30 million homes with one buy. Ad-vertise in NANI for only $2,795 per week! For information, visit www.naninetwork.com***
HIGH SCHOOL DIPLO-MA FROM HOME, 6-8 Weeks. ACCREDITED. Low payments. FREE Brochure. Toll Free 1-800-264-8330, www.diplomafromhome.com*
**TEXCAP ADS DIS-CLAIMER This publica-tion does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy of any advertisement, nor the quality of the goods or services of-fered. Readers are cautioned to thoroughly investigate all claims made and to use good judgment and reason-able care when dealing with persons unknown to you.
ATTENTION READERS. Earn money from home processing mortgage as-sistance postcards. No advertising. Direct depos-it available. References available. No gimmicks. 800-650-2090**
MAKE $$$ AS EARLY AS NEXT WEEK!!! WORK FROM HOME -Go to Income40.com Best Program - FREE Video Earn Great $$$ as early as NEXT WEEK Find out how at www. Income40.com ***
ATTEND COLLEGE ONLINE from Home. *Medical, *Business, *Paralegal, *Accounting, *Criminal Justice. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Fi-nancial Aid if qualified. Call 800-510-0784 www.CenturaOnline.com***
! !
! !
LICENSED INSURED
MIKE TIDWELL
PLUMBING CO.281.980.6265
• RESIDENTIAL • REPAIRS • SERVICE
Mike TidwellMaster PlumberM37825
REAL ESTATE
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 ! PAGE 13THE STARSee us online www.FortBendStar.com
! ! ! ! ! !
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ROOFING &CARPENTRY
A MASTER ROOFING & CONTAINER RENTAL COMPANY
• SINCE 1984
281-342-4436ROBERT DURAN
OWNER
Fax: 281-342-1276www.duransroofing.com
American Tree CareOver 30 Years Experience
Serving Missouri City, Sugar Land & StaffordReferences Provided
upon Request• Former owner of a large Landscape & Tree Company• Retired - WIFE put me back to work!
STUMP GRINDING
REMEMBERWhat took MOTHER NATURE YearsTo Grow Can Be Quickly Destroyed
When Not Done Professionally!"Estimates & Advice Are Always Free"For all your trimming, thinning &
DONATE YOUR CAR, Truck or Boat to HERITAGE FOR THE BLIND. Free 3 Day Vacation. Tax Deductible, Free Towing, All paper-work Taken Care of. 1-866-507-5455**
RV REPO Sale! Now is the Best time ever to purchase the RV of your dreams. Plenty to choose from and prices can’t be beat...PLUS we offer a FREE $25 Gas card for coming to look. Call for appointment! We’ll have your RV AND your gas card ready! 1-866-333-0218. www.exploreusa.com **
DISH NETWORK’S BEST offer ever! Free HD/DVR $9.99/mo. For over 100 All digital Channels. Call Now And Receive $600 Signup Bonus! 1-888-543-2899**
AIRLINES ARE HIRING - Train for high paying Aviation Maintenance Career. FAA approved program. Financial aid if qualified - Housing available. CALL Aviation Institute of maintenance (888) 349-5387**
GET DISH - FREE Installation - $19.99/mo HBO & Showtime FREE - Over 50 HD Channels FREE Lowest Prices-No Equipment to Buy! Call Now for full Details-1-877-238-8412**
RV REPO SALE! Travel trailers, Fifth Wheels. Must Go! Up to $2000 cash back w/purchase. Some under warranty. $0 down or $99/mo w.a.c. Call 1-888-802-4353 Or www.exploreusa.com **
HARLEY-DAVIDSON TRIKES: Lehmans, Champions, Voyagers 1994-2009, $17,999 up. Over 40 to choose from. Barnett Harley-Davidson 1 (800)947-7341. www.barnettharley.com**
$500! POLICE IM-POUNDS! Hondas/Chevys/Jeeps etc. Cars from $500! For listings 800-544-1092 x T208**
DONATE YOUR CAR...To The Cancer Fund of America. Help Those Suffering With Cancer Today. Free Towing and Tax deductible. 1-800-835-9372 www.cfoa.org ***
AAAA ** DONATION Donate your Car Boat or Real Estate. IRS Tax Deductible. Free Pick-up/Tow. Any Model/Condition. Help Under Privileged Children. Outreach Center. 1-800-928-7566***
TIMESHARE RESALES SAVE 60%-80% OFF RETAIL!! Worldwide Locations! Call for Free Magazine! 1-800-639-5319 www.holiday group.com/flier ***
DONATE YOUR CAR - HELP CHILDREN WITH CAMP AND EDUCATION. Quickest Towing. Non-Runners/Title Problems OK. Free Vacation/Cruise Vouch-er. Special Kids Fund 1-866-448-3865***
SELL/RENT YOUR TIMESHARE NOW!!! Maintenance fees too high? Need Cash? Sell your unused timeshare today. No Commissions or Broker Fees. Free Consultation www.sell atimeshare.com 1-877-494-8246***
TENNESSEE LAND 100% FINANCING - NO CLOSING COSTS, NO CREDIT CHECKS on all residential homesites, 1 acre to 5 acres fully de-veloped, close to town. Call 1-888-811-2158***
DONATE YOUR CAR! Breast Cancer Research foundation! Most highly rated breast cancer charity in America! Tax Deductible/Fast Free Pick Up. 800-771-9551 www.cardonationsfor-breastcancer.org ***
1-4 BD HOMES from $176/mo! Move in 12/mo’s, OR apply your 12/mo’s of rent as down-payment! For listings 800-291-2457**
$450/MO! 5 BED 3 BATH! $365/mo! 4 bed 3 bath! $250/mo! 3 bed 3 bath REPO! These homes won’t last! 5% down, 15 years @ 8%! For listings 800-544-6258 ext, 5633**
20 ACRES LAND FORECLOSURES! - Near Booming ElPaso, Texas. Now $12,856, was $16,900. $0 Down. Take over $159/mo pay-ment. No credit checks/ owner financing. 1-800-755-8953, www.texas landforeclosures.net *
***FREE Foreclosure Listings*** OVER 400,000 properties nationwide. Low down payment. Call now 800-250-2043.*
DONATE YOUR CAR. FREE TOWING. “Cars for Kids”. Any condition. Tax deductible Outreach Center. 1-800-597-9411
SELL/RENT YOUR TIMESHARE NOW!! Maintenance fees too high? Need Cash? Sell your unused timeshare today. No commissions or broker fees. Free consultation. www.sel-latimeshare.com, 1-888-310-0115*
ATTEND COLLEGE ONLINE from home. Medical, Business, Paralegal, Accounting, Criminal Justice. Job placement assistance. Computer available. Fi-nancial aid if qualified. Call 800-494-3586 www.CenturaOnline.com*
ATTENTION READ-ERS: Earn money from home processing mort-gage assistance post-cards. No advertising. Direct deposit available. References available. No gimmicks. 800-650-2090.*
ALL CASH VENDING! Do you earn $800/day? Local Vending routes. 25 machines + candy. $9,995. 1-800-807-6485. (Void/SD,CT,MD)*
4.26 ACRES FOR SALE. Grand River Equestrian subdivision, off FM 359. Located at 3835 Triple Crown Drive. Call 832-298-1014.>>>
CREDIT COUNSELING & Debt Settlement has Helped Millions! Call for help today! 877-301-7714*
‘64 FORD
1964 FORD F100 PICKUP. Body and 6 cylinder with 3-speed stick gas engine are in good condition. Excellent vehicle to totally restore. Call Doug at 713-203-9399.
2006 CHEVROLET COBALT - Black with great eye appeal 2DR Coupe 40K Very Economical STK# 869487. Sale Price $8,988. Call 888-460-3199.
‘06 CHEVROLET
1997 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER. Excellent Condition automatic 4cyl familiar loaded 233.000 miles air conditioner power lock clean out main-tenance records mecanically perfect $ 3990 OBO. call 713 927 7535 evay-aneth@ yahoo.com
‘97 TOYOTA ‘09 TOYOTA
2009 TOYOTA TACOMA, PRERUNNER V6 - Red Off Road Package Crew Cab Auto Trans Air Conditioning Power Lock and Window. Must see to appreciate STK# 080727. Sale Price $27,988. Call 888-460-3199.
1984 ALLEGRO BAY RV in excellent shape inside and out, 63Kmiles, 454 Chevy. dual a/c, we have slept 8 in it with small children. Table with two chairs, double sink, awning. $8,750. Call 713-203-9399.
2003 Acura TL Satin Silver Metallic 3.2 080893 Clas-sic Chevrolet Power win-dows and locks, cruise, tilt, CD, leather. (888) 460-3199. $10,995
2009 Chevrolet Aveo Cos-mic Silver Aveo5 LT 383173 Classic Chevrolet (888) 460-3199. $11,600
‘09 CHEVROLET‘09 CADILLAC
2009 Cadillac DTS Crystal Red Tintcoat 5-Passenger 138220 Classic Chevrolet 4.6L, 8cyl, non- smoker, re-mote start, PERFECT, less than 4,000 miles. (888) 460-3199. $36,666
1985 JAGUAR XJ6 - Mom’s car. 1 owner classic. 43K actu-al miles. Garaged from day 1. New paint and tires. Super clean, see to believe. $4,500 Call Marc. 713-204-1886.
‘85 JAGUAR
2004 Honda Accord Sedan Black pearl exterior, camel cloth interior, excellent condition, non-smoker, one owner, garaged, full maint records, premium wheels, no wrecks or fend-er-benders, mostly highway miles, great family/college/high. $10,700. Call 281-413-6393
‘04 HONDA
2006 Toyota RAV4 Nauti-cal Blue Metallic 009911 Classic Chevrolet (888) 460-3199. $14,999
‘06 TOYOTA
2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer Summit White LS 324609 Classic Chevrolet (888) 460-3199. $15,999
‘06 CHEVROLET
2001 Chevrolet Suburban Light Pewter Metallic 1500 LT 236420 Classic Chevrolet (888) 460-3199. $8,995
‘01 CHEVROLET
2008 Chevrolet Suburban Dark Blue Metallic LT 1500 159311 Classic Chevrolet (888) 460-3199. $24,995
‘08 CHEVROLET
2004 GMC Sierra 1500 Silver Birch Metallic SLE 164890 Classic Chevrolet V8 power, 4WD, power windows & locks, tonneau cover, tow pkg., tilt, cruise.(888) 460-3199. $16,988
‘04 GMC
2007 GMC Canyon Stealth Gray Metallic SL 239296 Classic Chevrolet AC, tool-box, cruise, bed liner. (888) 460-3199. $10,995
‘07 GMC
1997 Ford F-150 Standard Pacific Green Clearcoat Me-tallic XLT B48439 Classic Chevrolet 4.6L, auto, power windows, locks, tilt, cruise, tow pkg. (888) 460-3199. $5,995
‘97 FORD
2008 Ford F-150 Silver Clearcoat Metallic FX4 A81289 Classic Chevrolet (888) 460-3199. $31,988
‘08 FORD
2004 Dodge Ram 1500 Patriot Blue Pearlcoat ST 288538 Classic Chevrolet 3.7L - 6cyl., bed liner, 5-speed manual. (888) 460-3199. $7,999
‘04 DODGE
2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Classic Sandstone Metallic LS2 112766 Classic Chevrolet (888) 460-3199. $13,995
2007 Nissan Versa Blue Onyx Metallic 1.8 SL 357097 Classic Chevrolet (888) 460-3199. $9,999
‘07 NISSAN
2004 Nissan Altima Polished Pewter 2.5 S 113299 Classic Chevrolet 2.5L, 4cyl, auto, power windows & locks, tilt, power windows & locks. (888) 460-3199. $7,995
‘04 NISSAN
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RIVERPARK - $1700/Mo., 4/2/5/2, Gorgeous 2-Story home near Hwy 59 access in beautiful Riverpark Com-munity. Refrigerator, washer/dryer included. Great Floorplan. Call Linda Guerrero 713-885-7314. (2802PS)
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Well maintained Ryland Home * Formal Dining * Study w/double doors * Living w/Built-ins & Fp * Berber Carpeting * Great elevation w/front porch. $228,900.
Princeton Classic on the water, Former Model home, NEVER LIVE-IN. Private Pier. 5/3.5, Master suite w/walk-in closet.Gameroom & Media Rm on the 2nd floor. $374,900.
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J e a n n e Gregory with R E / M A X Southwest is among the top-perform-ing Realtors® in the coun-try to attend A c c e l e r a t e
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pants are part of Dave Ramsey’s Endorse Local Provider Program, which connects local Realtors®, brokers, CPA’s and health insur-ance agents with Dave Ramsey fans across the country.
A personal money manage-ment expert, Dave Ramsey is an extremely popular national radio personality and best-selling author of The Total Money Makeover, Financial Peace and More Than Enough. He is also host of “The Dave Ramsey Show on Fox Business Network.” Ramsey knows first-hand what financial peace means in his own life – liv-ing a true rags to riches to rags to riches story. By age twenty-six he had established a four-million-dollar real estate portfolio, only to lose it by age thirty. He has since rebuilt his financial life and now
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Ramsey founded The Lampo Group, Inc. to provide finan-cial counseling, through various means, to the public. More than 750,000 families have completed Financial Peace University with
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After two weeks of delay, the Senate last night cleared the way to pass a seven month extension and expansion of the tax credit for homebuy-
ers. By an 85 to 2 roll call vote, the Senate voted to cut off debate on a package of mea-sures that includes the home-buyer credit, making it virtually certain that the legislation will
reach President Obama for his signature this week.
The homebuyer tax credit, due to expire in 28 days, would be extended through April 30 of next year. First-time buyers who are in process of making a purchased would not need to worry about qualifying for the $8,000 credit if they close after the November 30 deadline.
For the first time, the legisla-tion cleared last night makes move-up buyers as well as first-time buyers would be eligible for a credit. The $8,000 maximum
first-timer credit will continue and will now available to cou-ples with income up to $225,000, a nearly $55,000 increase above the level in existing law. A new $6,500 maximum credit would also be available to move-up homeowners who have lived in their current residence for five of the prior eight years.
The legislation cleared last night also contains a provi-sion supported by the National Association of Home Builders. It
helps larger companies strapped for cash with net operating losses this year or in 2008.
Please contact me if you are ready to buy or sell a home. I can offer the Bill Moore - “Hassle Free Listing” - Sell or Lease your property yourself, while it is listed, and pay no commisson. You may cancel your listing any-time. Plus obtain a FREE Market Analysis and Simple Tips for selling your house quickly at or near full price! No obligation.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
11:00 am - 11:30 am - Networking11:30 am - 1:00 PM - Meeting
Arthritis is a disease that causes inflammation of the cartilage and lining of the body’s joints. Redness, pain, and swelling can be expe-rienced. The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis affecting the feet. Movement becomes difficult and painful. Standing or walking increases foot swelling and discomfort. Although heredity plays a big role, bacterial and viral infections as well as traumatic injuries to the feet may also cause osteoarthritis to develop. Non-surgical treatment of arthritis includes wearing proper footwear that accommodates the swell-ing of the foot. Removable insoles can also be added for flexibility. Gel toe caps or toe shields can often offer relief. If you experience discom-fort or swelling of your feet, consult with your podiatrist.
What are your feet saying about the state of your health? Do they demand immediate attention, or do they just require periodic routine maintenance? Either way, you’ll find the foot care you need at our office. Conveniently located in Sugarland, you needn’t travel any further than 3143 Hwy. 6 South for compassionate, experienced, professional care for a full range of podiatric problems, from osteoarthritis to bunions to sports injuries. Comprehensive foot care for the family begins with a call to 281-980-3668.
HINT: Forefoot problems such as bunions and hammertoes often develop as a result of arthritis.
If you’re thinking about getting more businesss from online or want to increase your online marketing presence, call The Star. We are local marketing experts.
Well, I am not as well known or politically connected per-haps as Bev Carter, but I can hold my own on both sides of the aisle. Certainly living in Memorial for sixteen years my calls were returned from Ashley Smith and Joe Nixon and Don Henderson and Bill Archer and John Culberson and many more. Although of the opposite party, I proudly display their pictures on my wall. Even though vehemently disagreeing on many issues,
the line of communication was open. My former students sit on city government (a city larger than our own), sit in the state legislature and run (and found) Fortune 500 companies. OK, so I haven’t been in a major film like Ms. Carter.
I liked our last Congressman, but I was impressed with the staff of Representative Olson when he was elected. I asked for a meeting about my favor-ite issue the Social Security Offsets (the GPO and WEP)
which impact public employees in Texas. It took some time and tons of emails, but my colleague and I were graciously greeted when arriving at our assigned time. We were treated most professionally and were quite impressed that we were the first to meet with the Congressman after his surgery. His two aides recorded our concerns and I felt comfortable enough to share a personal letter I had sent one of his colleagues. It was about the death of my husband and the loss of over $90,000 that he contributed to Social Security and yet I do not receive one penny of benefit from the fed-eral government. Pictures were taken and we left. A month or so passed and I hadn’t received even a form letter acknowledg-ing any research on the topic or the standard why I don’t support the legislation notice. I called the office-actually I called twice.
Now you get the reason for my response to Ms. Carter’s editorial. I guess I am also on that “do not return calls” list and “do not send a newslet-ter” (maybe I got it and I just don’t remember as I am aging waiting for the legislation to be equitable to public employees).
I have taught for 39 years. I thought there would be a bridge of communication even though there wouldn’t be an agreement of the minds. If the picture ever arrived it would still be proudly hanged on the wall.
Yes, I am an activist. I am also a constituent. Yes, I con-tinue to be an idealist even though I teach United States Government and Politics—maybe because I do.
I watched two local politi-cians, running in nonpartisan races (although we know that is an oxymoron in this area) come to a Democratic function last year and greet those of the other side. I was so impressed. You should be too! We all care about our local, state and national agendas; we just might disagree on how to achieve them. In the meantime let’s show respect and give respect. Let’s communicate. Let’s return phone calls and letters even if they have left harsh messages. In the long run we will all be better for it. And Mr. Olson, if you send the picture, drop by and I will show you the good company you will be keeping on my wall.
Joyce Roberta Miller-Alper, Ed.S.
Dear Editor,If I were Pete Olson I would
not answer Ms. Carter’s mail or return her calls either.
Anyone who equates capi-tal punishment with killing an innocent baby in the womb doesn’t deserve to be taken seriously. I imagine her future harangues will be justifiably ignored as well.
You might like to inform her that the “thou shall not
kill” commandment is correctly interpreted as “thou shall not murder.” I don’t expect her to believe that but that’s the way it is.
Richard AveryPublisher's Note: I did not
advocate abortion in my col-umn. I take no stand because I am no longer of child-bearing years. Oh right, you are not of child bearing sex. I guess it's neither of our business. Bkc
Darren Glynn, civilian contractor Corporal Jarrod Wayman, USMCSgt. Simon Gutierrez, USMCPvt. Marques Roberson, U.S. ArmyCapt. Daniel Seiter, U.S. ArmyMike Carroll, 1st Lieutenant, USMCDan Carroll, 1st Lieutenant, USMCHenry Blassingame, contractor SPC Christopher Kimrey, U.S. ArmySgt. Bryan Lemmon, USMCPvt. Ezequiel Grimaldo, U.S. ArmyCapt. Matthew Fox, U.S. ArmyCpl. Jason Lee Mejorado, USMCAirman Oscar Mejorado II, USAFSeaman Jacob G. Mejorado, USNCapt. Richard Carrell, USAFSgt. Jeffrey A. WIlliams, USMC Sgt. Holly K. Williams, USMC E3 Barett Clement, USCGCapt. Joseph DeWitt, U.S. ArmyMaj. William J. Stoesser, U.S. ArmyAirman Caleb J. Powell, USAFCpl. Erick Tijerina, USMCLCDR James D. Shaw, U.S. NavyTSgt. Daniel Vargas, USAFLCpl. Jeffrey B. Brock, USMCFC2 Penny McGaughy, U.S. NavyLCpl. Raymond Padilla, Jr., USMCLCpl. Robert Originales, Jr., USMCPFC Patrick Fege, U.S. ArmyCorporal Jonathon Ross, USMCCapt. Clay Bland, U.S. ArmyCapt. Hunter Bland, U.S. ArmyLCpl. Michael Gomez, USMCPFC Eli Harrington, USMCLCpl. “Trey” L. Chapa III, USMC Lt. Col. Bentley Nettles, U.S. ArmyCpl. Jose R. Zepeda, USMCJerry Zepeda, civilian contractorFR Brad Lindsey, U.S. Navy Capt. Chris Taylor, U.S. Army LCpl. Michael Pereira, USMC LCpl. Kevin Canada, USMCSPC Donald McPaul, U.S. ArmySSgt. Percy Engineer, U.S. ArmyLCpl. Douglas R. Johnson, USMCSgt. Jerome Estrada, USMCSSgt. Joseph Crow, USAFSteven Markesino, Civilian ContractorDaNetra D. Pittman, Civilian Conractor
Airman Shannon Fleming, U.S. NavyCorporal Jake Crocker, USMCCorporal Armando Olivares, USMCCorporal Jonathan McCoy, USMCSgt. Cory Wolston, U.S. ArmyLCpl. Brad Robideaux, USMCPFC Kent Finley, 1st CavalryEns. Leslie Ward, USNLCpl. Chris White, USMCSpc. Mark Shimala, U.S. ArmySgt. Matthew Austin Gaines, U.S. ArmyPFC E4 Michael Andrew Hernandez, U.S. ArmyLCpl. Michael Cannata, USMCJohn R. Simmons, U.S. ArmyCapt. Sean Nolan, U.S. ArmyPvt. V. JordanVoss, U.S. ArmyLCpl. Alfred Paul Garza, USMCJohn David Woodcock, Petty Officer, US NavyLt. Ryan Stevens, U.S. ArmySenior Airman Oscar J. Perez, USAFSpc. Johnny Ray DeLeon, U.S. ArmyCapt. Robert Jason Wisham, U.S. ArmyPFC Zachary T. Gazaway, USMCPFC Luke M. Havemann, U.S. ArmyPFC Zachary Johnson, U.S. ArmyPFC Charlie Kasel - U.S. ArmyLCpl. Adam C. Turek - USMCPFC Sean (CJ) Johnson, U.S. ArmySgt. Stephen C. Peters, U.S. ArmySeaman Fernando Hernandez Jr., USNLt. Matt Malone, U.S. NavyChaplain Joe G. Grace II, Army ReservesLCpl. John Rossi, USMCSR Francisco Quintanilla, U.S. NavySR Joel Soto, U.S. NavyPFC Miguel Soto, Jr., U.S. ArmyRP Jeffrey (Bubba) Evans, U.S. NavyPFC Rodolfo Castellanos, U.S. ArmyPvt. Domingo Arrona Jr., USMCENS. Megan Haydel, U.S. NavyPvt. Matthew Butcher, U.S. ArmySPC Michael Spencer Tesanovich, U.S. Army Cav.Sgt. Jeramy Kitchen, Texas Army Guard, IraqPFC Michael Fleming, USMCPvt. Andrew R. Winchell, US Army
Fort Bend Lawyers CARE would like to thank the Fort Bend County Bar Association for their donation of $5,000 from the pro-ceeds of their 31st annual Golf Tournament. Not only has The Fort Bend Bar supported Fort Bend Lawyers CARE (FBLC) financially but, the Fort Bend County Bar Association has assisted with acquiring 147 volun-teer attorneys that give their time
and expertise to the low income residents of Fort Bend County in need of legal assistance.
Please contact Fort Bend Lawyers CARE if you require legal assistance, a Fort Bend County resident, and are low income, or if you want to become one of our supporters or volun-teers: 281-239-0015. Together, we are making a difference in Fort Bend County.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 ! PAGE 17THE STARSee us online www.FortBendStar.com
Get the Star in your mailbox for 52 weeks.
for only$35
Send checks payable to Fort Bend Star and mail to: Fort Bend Star - 4655 Techniplex Dr. Suite 300 • Stafford, TX 77477.
tipping fees have once again been designated to the Fresno/Arcola area to improve projects that otherwise might have gone unfunded. The tipping fees are paid to the county as part of an agreement that allowed the waste company, formerly BFI, to make application to expand the exist-ing landfill.
Some residents in the Arcola and Fresno communities felt the fees were nothing more than a legal pay-off to county and city officials to keep them from con-testing any future expansion.
However, both the city of Missouri City and Fort Bend County officials have said the fees have helped the commu-nities impacted by the landfill immeasurably through the years and last week was no exception.
Fort Bend County Commissioners voted unani-
mously to approve a recom-mendation by the Fresno/Arcola Advisory Committee to fund the YMCA summer youth program at the New St. Phillips Missionary Baptist Church and to provide after school comput-er learning programs at Arcola City Hall. The county designat-ed $72,001 for the projects and these funds came from those set aside from the BFI tipping fees.
Commissioners also unani-mously approved a second rec-ommendation from the Advisory Committee to fund the Fort Bend Community Revitalization Projects (Ft. Bend CORPS) for certain home repair services to elderly, disabled and low income homeowners in the Fresno/Arcola area for 2009-2010 for an amount not to exceed $100,000. Those funds will also come from the tipping fees generated from the BFI fund.
Fort Bend County Libraries’ Amnesty Food Drive contin-ues through November 15. Late fees for overdue items turned in during the amnesty period will be waived. Fines for overdue items will be waived during that period only; the regular late-fee schedule will resume on Monday, November 16. Fines on items previously returned, and fees for lost or damaged items will NOT be waived dur-ing the amnesty period.
To have your overdue fines waived, Fort Bend County Libraries asks that you bring a donation of a non-perishable food item. Students from the Youth in Philanthropy program will take the donated food items to several food banks in the county, including the Second Mile Mission Center, the East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministries, the Rosenberg-Richmond Helping Hands, and the Katy Christian Ministries.
For more information, call the libraries’ Public Information Office at 281-341-2677.
Make plans now for Friday, November 13, from 6:30 – 10 pm as Fort Bend Theatre pres-ents its Annual Awards Gala and Silent Auction starring local celebrities to be held at Safari Texas Ranch!
Along with great food, live music, song, and dance, there will be a celebrity musical spoof entitled The Wizard of Aaahs, featuring performanc-es from Chloe Dao, Season 2 Project Runway Winner, Doug Johnson of Channel 2, Michele Fisher of 96.5 FM, Dave Wallace the former mayor of Sugar Land, Louis Garvin the president of the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce, Dee Koch, Grant Officer of The George Foundation, and even more surprise guests to be confirmed!
What a great way to have fun while supporting this worth-while community non-profit.
Celebrity tables are $1,000 and Premium tables are $750 and are available on a first come basis by calling Fort Bend Theatre at 281-208-3333.
Individual tickets for this exciting fundraiser are $75 for adults and $25 for children 11 and under, and are available on our website www.fortbendthe-ate.com. For more details and for a complete list of celebri-ties performing, please visit our website under special events.
As women’s healthcare pro-viders, Janine Sherman and Mary Jo Rapini find that teen girls experience greater suc-cess in the difficult adolescent years when open communica-tion exists with their mothers. As a result, they co-authored “Start Talking: A Girl’s Guide for You and Your Mom about Health, Sex, or Whatever.” Together they will serve as keynote speakers for the 2nd annual Care 2 Chat about Teen Health on Saturday, Nov. 14 at the University of Houston Sugar Land campus from 9am to noon.
Hosted by Memorial Hermann
Sugar Land Hospital, Care 2 Chat is a free, half-day health symposium featuring informa-tion, inspiration and insights for girls – ages 11-18 – and their mothers or other key women in their lives. Short, informational talks about teen health issues will alternate with inspirational messages.
Door prizes include a COACH poppy purse, First Colony Mall gift cards and much, much more! A copy of the book, “Start Talking” will be provided to each household attending.
Event is free, registration is required. Call 713-222-CARE (2273) to reserve your space.
approve a new travel policy for all elected and appointed county officials and employ-ees. In the past, according to Precinct 1 Commissioner Richard Morrison, employees or officials kept receipts for food, lodging, and travel when on county business. These receipts were turned over to Fort Bend County Auditor Ed Sturdivant’s office for reimbursement. In order to reimburse the employ-ee, a full time employee within the office spent hours verifying invoices and receipts and issu-ing payment reimbursement.
Morrison said Sturdivant was concerned about the amount of man hours designated for this task and hoped to streamline the process so that employees could devote time to other tasks. What Sturdivant suggested, and was ultimately approved, is a stan-dard payment for each category rather than a case by case reim-bursement.
“What this means is that if an employee takes a trip on behalf of the county, they will no longer have to keep up with receipts and be allocated a cer-tain amount of money for food, lodging etc.,” says Morrison.
What prompted the heavy discussion two weeks ago was an opinion by the Texas Ethics Commission. The opinion, sent out only the day before the coun-ty was due to discuss their travel policy, needed clarification said Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers. Meyers feared that by approving the county policy without researching the opinion might put the two in conflict.
Meyers said he had been
told that an Attorney General’s Opinion had been requested on the Ethics Commission’s stance on reimbursement for elected officials by various member associations. He explained that on many occasions an elected official will go to Austin or other locations to speak on an issue or simply to represent his or her organization and the member organization will pro-vide reimbursement for travel rather than the county. If this is the case, the official will now have to seek reimbursement from the county or pay for this type of trip out of pocket.
County Judge Bob Hebert said he agreed that the issue needed clarification. Hebert said he personally does not bill the county for travel, food or lodging expenses, so he wasn’t fully aware of the issues brought forth by Meyers.
“Basically, what was deter-mined after some study, is that if an elected official is asked to come to a meeting as an ex-offi-cio member of the organization, and I am invited solely because I am elected official but I am sitting at a corporate table as a guest then I cannot accept the meal,” Morrison explained.
What that also means is that many elected officials will most likely forego a lot of dinners and meetings they otherwise would have felt obligated to attend, he surmised.
The changes in the former travel policy will allow the county to save money and sim-plify the reimbursement policy for those who have attended approved seminars or trips.
All branches of Fort Bend County Libraries will be closed Thursday, November 26, through Sunday, November 29, in obser-vance of the Thanksgiving holi-day. Regular library hours will resume on Monday, November 30. Your online library is always
open at www.fortbend.lib.tx.us for searching the catalog, renew-ing books or placing holds, down-loading e-books, or using the research databases.
For additional information, contact the Public Information Office at 281-341-2677.
PAGE 18 ! Wednesday, November 11, 2009 THE STAR See us online www.FortBendStar.com
SMILEY SPORTS BAR
(Sports, Dance & Party)
LARGE DANCE FLOOR
Official Houston Rockets D.J.Fri & Sat Nights 9:30pm - 2:00am
9903 HIGHWAY 6 S SUITE 100
SUGAR LAND, TX 77479
281-495-35909990
6
6
SMILEY’s
westpark tollway
THURSDAYLADIES NIGHT
KARAOKE @ 9:00 PM
$2.25 WELLS
SUNDAY & MONDAYFREE POOL
(wih equal purchases)
POOL TABLES
SHUFFLE BOARD
DAILYHAPPY HOUR
3-7 PM
DRINK SPECIALS
MON-SAT 3pm-2am
SUNDAY 3pm-1amWED.WING DAY
45¢
Boutique and entertainment provided by the Fort Bend Boys Choir - Town Choir and the sounds of the Kit Reid Band.
Sponsorships are available from $5,000 - $500. Tickets are
packaged as follows: Holiday Family Pack-$150, Family Tickets-$90, Individual Tickets-$50 and Children (under the age of 10)-$25.
For event sponsorships and
tickets, tree sponsorships or if you would like to help with the event, please contact Kristin Weiss, Director of Development at FBS, at 281-633-7057 or [email protected].
How does a nonprofit orga-nization raise money year after year despite the ups and downs of the economy? For The Arc of Fort Bend and its annual Best in the West Dinner, Dance and Auction, the answer is a strong foundation of volunteers combined with the commitment of underwriters and sponsors.
Aliana Director of Sales and Marketing Jo Ann Stevens, who has co-chaired the event with County Commissioner James
Patterson and Pamela Printing’s Ann Smith for longer than she can remember, credits an orga-nizing committee that has years of experience and the willing-ness of many Fort Bend area businesses to support The Arc for keeping the event going and the profits coming in for 31 years.
This year’s Best in the West Dinner, Dance and Auction on Saturday, November 21 at the George Ranch Historical Park
Arena in Richmond is sponsored once again by Prosperity Bank. Dinner from The Swinging Door begins at 6 p.m.
Tickets are $50 each or $500
for a table of 10. For sponsor-ship information or tickets, please contact Jo Ann Stevens at 713-829-1827 or Ann Smith at 281-240-1313.
Back by popular demand, the 2nd Annual Festival of Trees, themed “Unwrap the Magic”, will be held on Friday, November 20 at 7:00 pm at the Safari Texas-Magnolia Ballroom located at 11627 FM 1464 in Richmond.
This year’s honorees are Neil & Carolyn Banfield, Linda Hancock and Billie Neuhaus. The family-fun festive event is set to bring families together to kick off the holiday season and raise money for the Fort Bend Seniors Meals on Wheels program.
The event will be dressed in holiday style with trees under-written and decorated by area businesses and organizations that will be sold during the live and silent auctions. The trees will range in size from 3 feet to 9 feet and can be underwritten for $50 to $300, respectively.
Additional event features include Santa’s Village for the children, Mrs. Claus’ Gift
