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TOM MALER
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Volume XXXV • No. 43
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Sugar Land to create red light camera task force
Pie in the Face
Petition to ban red light cameras found to be invalid
the city secretary on April 19 with 3,074 signatures. Van Der Admitting that a citizen Grinten had hoped the petition petition to ban the use of red light would ultimately put the issue to cameras was disqualified because a vote in November. of a technicality, the Sugar Land After a review, the City City Council has backed the determined that the petition creation of a citizen task force did not meet certain legal that will study the issue and make requirements and was a recommendation on whether invalidated. The information the program should continue. was presented at the June 4 city The petition, which was council meeting. spearheaded by H.F. Van Der Due to the number of Grinten, a long time opponent signatures on the petition, of the City's red light camera City Manager Allen Bogard Dulles Elementary students raised over $5,600 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The campaign was program, was submitted to recommended the creation of a organized by DE 5th grade teacher/Student Council co-sponsor Jennifer Gilbert who, along with Principal Tom Thompson and Student Council Co-sponsor Jack Paschall, took pies in the face from two students from each of the top winning classes for meeting the school donation goal. The check was presented by Student Council members Lilly Garfinkel, Avery Garza, Cree Dickerson, Mr. Paschall, Ryan Wakefield, Amara Moscetti, Lyndsay Segura, Ayat Rehman, Saif Marediya and Jeff Tevis to Ms. Stephanie Humphrey from the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. By Betsy Dolan
Marshall, Ford to square off in Missouri City run off election Sat., June 15 Early voting in the runoff election for the District A seat in Missouri City is underway. Incumbent councilman Bobby Marshall is facing urban planner and architectural designer Yolanda Ford. The runoff
PETITION, continued on page 8
Mayor Scarcella and council address fallen firefighters
Early voting underway
By Betsy Dolan
7-10 member task force that will spend three months studying the effectiveness of red light cameras. "The task force will conduct an independent review of the red light camera program and recommend elimination, modification or to continue the program in its current form," Bogard said. Meanwhile, a disappointed Van Der Grinten issued a press release urging those that signed
election will be held on June 15. Ford and Marshall beat out Rodney Griffin in the May election but because neither candidate was able to obtain 50 percent of the vote, a run-off election was needed. The May 11 election had extremely low voter turnout with
just 3.72 percent of registered Fort Bend County voters coming out to the polls. In that election, Ford got 44% of the vote to Marshall's 39%. If elected, Ford, 39, who has a planning degree from MARSHALL, continued on page 8
Fish tale mullet now has a face
information officer Doug Adolph pistol wielding mullet demanded said the 58 year old man was the fisherman’s keys to his car Remember, it was just a couple fishing in a lake along the feeder parked nearby. of weeks ago when a man was road when he was approached by FISH, continued on page 8 robbed then taken hostage as he a black male with a pistol. The fished along the banks of a Sugar Land pond one Sunday morning. Traffic stop nets heroin traffickers The incident occurred at 11:19 a.m., in the 14100 block of the Assistant Police Chief Dallis By LeaAnne Klentzman Southwest Freeway. Warren, in the early morning At the time, Sugar Land public Rosenberg Police announced hours of Friday, June 2, about that they discovered and seized 1:35 am, Rosenberg Police 25 pounds of heroin on a routine officers pulled over a vehicle traffic stop. TRAFFIC STOP, on page 8 According to Rosenberg By LeaAnne Klentzman
More than one way to skin a cat!
their honor. As you most At the June 5 Stafford City likely know by Council meeting, Mayor now, firefighter Leonard Scarcella took time Anne Sullivan to acknowledge his sincere trained and condolences for the "horrific volunteered event" that took place on May 31 Leonard Scarcella at Stafford's at the Southwestern Inn Motel. fire station Normally, the Mayor opens each #3 for over three years and had council meeting with a quick a "can-do attitude." You could story or update that somehow see the heartache on all of the relates to the City of Stafford, Councilmembers' faces as they unfortunately this opening nodded in agreement with the statement was tragic, but well Mayor's words. Assistant Fire deserving of the extended time he Chief Effrem Burns spoke at dedicated to the fallen heroes and the council meeting and said "what these men and women are that although "the last few days willing to do for our safety." A have been tough," and that moment of silence was taken in losing their long-time volunteer, By Karen Daniels
Anne Sullivan, "shook them to the core" he assured the Mayor, Council, and the City of Stafford that, "you can be proud of our group of volunteers because they are holding it together...and they are going to make it." He thanked everyone for their prayers. Stafford's Fire Chief, Larry DiCamillo, was also at that horrific fire, but fortunately escaped the building without injury. Chief DiCamillo spoke at the memorial held at Reliant Stadium for the firefighters and the funeral for Anne Sullivan. Councilman Cecil Willis spoke of the immediate support the FIREFIGHTER continued on page 8
R. Stahl Inc. moves its U.S. headquarters to Stafford By Karen Daniels
R. Stahl Inc, the world-wide manufacturer of explosionprotection equipment, may not have moved far--just from Houston--but after outgrowing their prior space, did their research on where to move. "We looked at all of the nearby counties and decided that Fort Bend looked like a good partner," said Craig
Yoss, Director of Marketing and Business Development. In addition to leasing 40,000 square feet in the business park on N. Promenade and Cash Rd, R. Stahl is anticipating a 50% growth, providing a need for up to 105 new jobs in many areas such as: clerical, management, assembly line, sales, shipping and receiving, and engineering. President and CEO of the Stafford location,
Jim Campbell, said he likes being in Stafford because "some of our customers are now our neighbors." Customers like National Oilwell Varco and Schlumberger. R. Stahl offers a three prong service for their customers: designing, building, and certifying, to meet the specific requirements needed for the particular region of the STAHL, continued on page 8
By LeaAnne Klentzman
So, you know that pesky neighbor, the one everyone has that is just CRIMINAL a pain in the OF THE WEEK tail feathers… well, over in northwest Harris County someone put in a call to 911 of shots fired and a blaze at an address in the neighborhood. Umm hum, they knew somethin’n twernt right over there. When the po-po arrived, they ran inside to try and save
DUMB
Shown are employees of R. Stahl Inc.; Stafford City Council; and Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce.
MORE, continued on page 8
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