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Volume XXXVI • No. 3
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Sugar Land striving to become a hike & bike city
Grown-Up Spelling Bee
By Betsy Dolan
By 2023, the City of Sugar Land hopes to have a network of sidewalks, trails and connections to make it possible to walk or ride your bike from one end of the city to the other. Or, for the less ambitious, make it easier to take a short trip from Point A to Point B. A task force has been working
on the Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan for the last 18 months and it is moving toward final adoption. The plan is an updated version of 2008's Hike and Bike Trails Master Plan and aims to create an urban trail system that would make it possible for residents to walk or ride bikes virtually anywhere in the city. "It was suggested that we
should revisit the hike and bike trails master plan to address not just recreational trips but nonrecreational trips," said Patrick Walsh, Sugar Land's Director of Transportation. The goal is to link neighborhoods to major employers, schools, retail hubs, SUGAR LAND, continued on page 8
Your money: Fort Bend County to adopt new budget Are you an unparalleled orthographer with a penchant for bacchanalia? Then it’s time to put your currency where your orifice is and enter a team! On Thursday, September 12, CenterPoint Energy presents the Great Grown-Up Spelling Bee which will take place at the University of Houston-Sugar Land. Spelling Bee Committee Members from left to right: Pamela Bergeron, Jenetha Jones, Christina Guerra, Literacy Council Events & Communications Coordinator, Angela Cowan, University of Houston-Sugar Land Executive Administrative Assistant, Kelli Metzenthin, Literacy Council Executive Director, and Crissy Nolen.For more information, please visit website, www.grownupbee.com or contact the Literacy Council at 281-240-8181. See related article on page 7
Do you know where your water comes from?
Input sought from Sugar Land residents on future water needs for master plan at city hall from 6-8 p.m. will include a presentation about Next Monday, the City of the plan update, the city’s plans Sugar Land will have solicited for future water needs, and public input for its water master there will also be a review of plan and if you make it to the community input that has already meeting, you’re bound to know been gathered, according to where water that runs from your the city. Residents, who may faucet originates and much more. have already been in touch The city’s process to update its Water Master Plan next week will include a variety of opportunities for the community to provide input and feedback, reports the city. Topics relating By Karen Daniels to drought management, water use and conservation Last Wednesday, August 28, are essential components at 7:40pm, a 72 year-old man by of a water master plan that the name of Joseph Guerrero, was last updated in 2007. was struck and killed by an The September 9 meeting Amtrak train in Stafford, at the intersection of Hwy 90A and FM 1092. Lieutenant Dustin Clayton, with Stafford Police By Elsa Maxey
Elected officials & judges salaries already bumped up By Elsa Maxey
It appears that so far the only public comment relating to the county’s new budget to be adopted in a matter of days has come from Kim Janke of Fairchild. Although a county agenda item addressed by Janke was not about the new budget but proposed pay hikes, the end result directly impacts the budget, which has been under development since the beginning
By LeaAnne Klentzman
One Saturday night or so ago, Richmond police responded to a robbery at a local CRIMINAL c o n v e n i e n c e OF THE WEEK store where the crook came through the front door tote’n a pistol with a rag on his head and a bandanna over his face. Think about that for a second - that is a visual! A 6 ft., 300 pound man wearing a collection of fabric swatches covering his head and face!
DUMB
RAG-MAN, continued on page 8
Bend County Toll Road, and $155,085,000 is from the Fort Bend Grand Parkway Toll Road. As for the public comment, several weeks ago during a Fort Bend County Commissioners Court meeting, Janke politely told commissioners that the county was doing an excellent job and that he was not opposed to proposed pay raises for elected officials and judges…but. Janke YOUR MONEY, continued on page 8
No rate increase in school taxes for Stafford
with the city about a variety of water issues, will in all likelihood have their comments By Karen Daniels and concerns factored into the development of the updated plan. Each August, Stafford City The city’s Council and SMSD Board of conservation measures Trustees hold a special joint budget session to adopt the year’s WATER NEEDS, continued on page 8 new budget. These boards meet monthly beginning in January to begin their work preparing the budget so that on the night of the special joint budget meeting, there are no surprises. This is also Department said that during because of SMSD’s proclivity their investigation they learned for transparency. Mayor Leonard that Mr. Guerrero, a Houston resident, was "known to ride his bike everywhere," however, the reason for his being out at this spot is not known. This particular intersection in Stafford is a "Quiet Zone."
Bicyclist struck & killed in Stafford train fatality
The Ragman cometh
of the year and is set for a couple of public hearings this month. It’s important to note that Fort Bend County reports its budget reflects more revenue from property taxes than last year by $12,633,660, a 4.61 percent increase. New property taxes from this year amounted to $7,629,353. The county’s debt obligation is $654,220,000 among which $347,555,000 is Fort Bend County debt, $151,580,000 belongs to the Fort
Scarcella said, “We do what virtually no other city in Texas does, and we are proud of that.” On the evening of this meeting the mood among the trustees and council members was festive. School had been in session for four days and the new and remodeled campuses were open for business; an instant success with students and teachers. Superintendent Dr. Lance Hindt remarked that “smiles were on all the students’ faces” and that
the budget was a “conservative, frugal budget that provides for our students and staff.” After the opening remarks were made, Dr. Hindt announced that the district’s attendance, as of that day, was at 3,490. A school record. He expects the number to top out around 3,500. Last year, the average daily attendance was 3,188. In the past five years the District has grown 14%. Kids NO RATE, continued on page 8
Packages for our Troops in Afghanistan
BICYCLIST, continued on page 8
Victoria man sentenced for role in Telfair night of terror
men of any sort; they Aaron Nathaniel Reyes of forced their Victoria was sentenced to 25 way into years in prison last week for his her home at part in a violent home invasion gunpoint and in the Telfair subdivision nearly beat her in the one year ago. head in the Aaron Reyes Shortly before 10 pm, on a process. The Monday night in late September men ransacked her home taking of 2012, a Sugar Land woman televisions, cash, jewelry, answered a knock at her front phones, and the family’s 2003 door of her Baldwin Crossing Toyota Camry. In December Our troops are still doing their jobs with less ground support and more area to cover. Food supplies home to men purporting to be of 2012 Sugar Land Police are short. along with the basic toiletries. Tip of the Spear has earned a good reputation among our pizza delivery. As the victim identified Maydevis Molina, 23, troops for fulfilling their requests with quality items. October 17 is their annual bar-b-que fundraiser soon learned, the men at her made possible by Texas Roadhouse and Sugar Land Ice Rink again this year. Ticket sales will start in front door were not delivery VICTORIA, continued on page 8 September. Shown are the volunteers with boxes ready to go! By LeaAnne Klentzman
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