The 02-07-24 Edition of The Fort Bend Star

2023

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Harrison Yu to perform with the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra - Page 3

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Precinct 3 commissioner candidates spar at forum Michael Garcia named new CEO of Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital

By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

It is perhaps the most contested and politically significant race in Fort Bend County in 2024 - that of Precinct 3 representative on Commissioners Court, the county’s legislative body. On Sunday, several of the candidates in that race made their respective cases at a forum hosted by the Indian American Political Action Committee of Greater Houston.

Previously for decades held by Republicans, Commissioners Court

since 2018 has been held by a Democratic majority, with four members of that party and two from the GOP. Longtime incumbent Commissioner Andy Meyers is one of those two Republicans, with Precinct 1 Commissioner Vincent Morales. The precinct’s boundaries were changed by a map pushed through by the Democratic majority in 2022. A Democratic win in November would tighten that party’s hold on the court.

Meyers is being challenged by businessman Mike Khan in the Repub-

lican primary on March 5.

Meanwhile, there are five Democrats vying for that party’s nomination for the seat. In alphabetical order, they are Allen Bogard, retired Sugar Land city manager Allen Bogard; nonprofit executive Abrahim Javed; businessman and broadcaster Zeeshan Isaac; Tarel Patel, a former chief of staff to Fort Bend County Judge KP George and staffer in the Biden Administration; and educator Kiran “Karen” Rao.

SEE FORUM PAGE 2

Several candidates for Fort Bend Precinct 3 Commissioner met at a forum hosted by the Indian American Political Action Committee of Greater Houston on Sunday. L-R: Kiran “Karen” Rao, Tarel Patel, incumbent Andy Meyers, and Zeeshan Isaac.

Photo by Ken Fountain

Brandon Harris takes charge of Missouri City Police Department

New chief in town Michael Garcias has been named the new CEO of Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital.

Courtesy Houston Methodist

Staff Reports Houston Methodist’s Michael Garcia, a senior vice president of the hospital system, is the new chief executive officer of Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, effective February 5.

Garcia, JD, RN, NE-BC, has more than a decade of experience within Houston Methodist, having started his career as vice president of operations at Houston Methodist Hospital in 2013.

He was promoted to chief operating officer in 2015 and served in that role throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am honored to join Houston Methodist Sugar Land as its new CEO. The hospital has a rich history in Fort Bend County – providing unparalleled and compassionate care to our community,” Garcia said in a news release.

“One of my key priorities is to build upon the strong foundation laid by my predecessor, Chris Siebenaler.

As he moves into his new role within the Houston Methodist system, I’m excited I’ll still be able to collaborate with him as we embrace opportunities for growth.”

While at Houston Methodist Hospital, Garcia managed multiple hospital programs including the J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center, the Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, the Houston Methodist Neurological Institute, the Lynda K. and David M. Underwood Center for Digestive Disorders, Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine and the Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center.

Brandon Harris, who has spent his entire career with the Missouri City Police Department, was named chief in January. Photo by Ken Fountain

By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

As a young man, Brandon Harris decided he might like to become a firefighter. Harris grew up in Alief, graduating from Elsik High School in 1986.

He went to the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio on a baseball scholarship, majoring in economics. But an injury sidelined his baseball career, and he eventually dropped out and returned to the Houston area.

A few years later, around 1994, he and a friend from Alief decided to get into a car and drive until they found a fire station where they could ask how to go about becoming firefighters.

“Somehow we made our way to Texas Parkway, where Station No. 1 was in Missouri City, and knocked on the door,” Harris said.

They met a firefighter named Robert Girndt, who invited them in and gave them a tour of the station.

At that time, Missouri City police officers and firefighters were cross-trained, receiving both certifications. The city was going to host a fire academy in a few months, and Harris decided to apply, while his friend did not. He was offered a slot, and his wife, Tracy, who was working full-time, paid for him to attend.

“I met some police officers who were also in the fire academy. I kind of became friends with them and went on a ride-along, and as soon as I did that, I said, ‘OK, I want to be a police officer,” he said. The excitement he felt on that ride-along was what convinced him that was the career for him. “I loved police work, it was just so fascinating to me.”

After graduating from the fire academy, he went to attend a police academy, again paid for by his wife.

As soon as he graduated, he applied to the Missouri City Police Department.

At the time, there weren’t any positions available, so he became a reserve officer in 1995. He became a fulltime officer in June 1996.

Now, after spending his entire career with the Missouri City Police Department, Harris, 56, is now the new chief, having been appointed by City Council in a specially called meeting in January. Harris had been serving in an interim capacity after his predecessor, Mike Berezin, resigned in May 2023 after 34 years with the department.

Before being named chief, Harris served as a supervisor in every division of the department. At one point, he even super-

vised Robert Girndt, the one-time firefighter whom he’d met years before and who later joined the police department.

Harris has been a member of several specialized police units, including as a Field Training Officer, an Advanced Accident Reconstructionist, and Honor Guard Commander. He also is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy and the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas.

At the department’s headquarters on Cartwright Road, Harris said in his nearly three decades in Missouri City, he has witnessed a lot of changes.

When he began in the mid1990s, the city’s population was around 30,000. As of 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population is 74,259. With that more than doubling in

population, there has been an increase in traffic and other issues that police officers have to contend with, Harris said.

Harris said he has long been a proponent of community policing, where officers are encouraged to actively engage with community members outside of their routine police functions like making traffic stops and arrests.

The concept has long been used in Missouri City, Harris said, and that has paid dividends. During a nationwide discussion about the role of police following the murder of George Floyd, a Houston native, by an officer in Minneapolis, residents of Missouri City went out of their way to show their support for Missouri City officers, Harris said.

SEE CHIEF PAGE 2

THE STAR

PAGE 2 • Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Black Cowboy Student Education Day kicks off The George Ranch's 200th Anniversary on Feb. 9 Community Reports Black Cowboy Student Education Day on Friday, February 9, will be the kick-off public event in The George Ranch’s 200th Anniversary celebration.

The George Ranch was established in 1824 and is believed to be the oldest still-operating ranches in Texas, as well as one of the largest.

Other planned events include the opening of a new state of the art Visitor Center on February 29; a multi-day sanctioned Rodeo May 2; the Great Pumpkin Round-Up and The George Ranch Stampede Family Walk in October; and the 200th Anniversary Edition of The George Ranch Frontier Days on November 15-16.

The George Ranch 200th Anniversary Rodeo in May will be the showcase event for the celebration, featuring two nights of rodeo events, including saddle bronc, steer wrestling, bull riding, barrel racing and roping events produced by Byrn Rodeo. Additional events will include kids’ games, a petting zoo, longhorn photos, pig races and live music.

The 200th Anniversary also marks the formation of a 501c3 charged with man-

aging the 475-acre education space on The George Ranch, which includes the historic home sites, The George Ranch Arena and multiple social event spaces.

“We are very excited to share how The George Ranch has impacted our community, State and Country for 200 years. From the days of Texian settlers to the present, we want everyone to come out and celebrate the success and challenges of all the people who helped form this great legacy,” Adrienne Barker, executive director of the new organization, said in a news release.

A complete list of 200th Anniversary Celebration events and opportunities to participate as a sponsor, volunteer or event attendee is available at www.georgeranch.org.

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CHIEF FROM PAGE 1

Harris is a member of several law enforcement organizations, including the FBI National Academy Associates, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Texas Police Chief ’s Association. He is also a member of the Fort Bend Independent School District’s Safety and Security committee.

As chief, Harris said he is particularly interested in promoting efforts to

FORUM FROM PAGE 1

While all the candidates were invited, all but Bogard, Khan and Javed were on the dais at Sunday’s forum at the Elite Indo Pak Restaurant in Sugar Land, which drew a large audience comprised mainly of members of the area’s large South Asian community. In an ornate event space of the restaurant, the candidates made their respective pitches and fielded questions on a range of topics from audience members.

Meyers, the incumbent, stressed his nearly 28 years on the court and the relationships he’s built with local and state officeholders over that tenure.

“I’m the only candidate in this race who has served as county commissioner and has done the work of county commissioner,” Meyers told the gathering. “I have developed key relationships with key legislators and county officials that allow me to get things done on your behalf.

I’ve played a key role in making Fort Bend County the safe and family-friendly community we have today.”

Meyers touted his efforts reducing the county’s ad valorum tax rate, getting an ordinance passed that regulating sexually oriented businesses in the county, and lobbying the Texas Legislature to create five of the county’s eight district courts. He also stressed his efforts in championing economic development in the county.

See us online www.FortBendStar.com

deal with the mental health challenges that police officers often contend with. To that end, the department is a member of a statewide program that offers peer-topeer counseling for officers, with an eye toward reducing the stigma that is often associated with seeking help.

Harris is a member of several law enforcement organizations, including the FBI National Academy Associates, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Texas Police Chiefs Association. He is

also a member of the Fort Bend Independent School District’s Safety and Security committee.

Harris and his wife, Tracy, have been married for 32 years and have two adult sons, Roddy, who is an officer with the Rosenberg Police Department, and Ryan, who is a real estate agent. He said he didn’t actively encourage Roddy to follow in his footsteps, but his son and he share a “laid-back”, unexcitable personality that is well-matched for law enforcement.

Rao, an Indian immigrant who overcame childhood polio to become a lifelong educator in the United States, said she hopes to represent people whose voices are often unheard in Fort Bend County politics. She said she has long worked on a grassroots level and now wants to make a larger impact for those communities.

Despite Fort Bend County’s much-touted economic success, Rao said, “There are still voices not being heard,” among them being the elderly, single parents, and people with disabilities, who feel neglected. “I want to be that voice for everybody, and especially those voices who are not being heard,” she said. She noted that in its nearly two-century history, there has never been a woman serving on Commissioners Court.

Patel, whose parents immigrated from India, noted that he has lived in Fort Bend for most of his life. “This has always been home,” he said. Patel, who graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and its law school, later went on to serve as a staffer at the Texas Legislature and in the Colorado’s governor’s office before working for George and later the Biden Administration.

Patel said his experience working at the local, state, and federal levels of government put in good stead to most effectively serve as commissioner.

Isaac, a 25-year Fort Bend resident, said the race was not about the county’s past,

but the future. Isaac touted his work in the business world, including managing multimillion dollar contracts as an executive with American Express.

“I’m the most qualified candidate because, with your vote, I will manage Precinct 3’s budget with accountability and efficiency.”

As the former longtime host of a radio program aimed at the South Asian community, Isaac said, he well understands the concerns of that community which comprises a major portion of one of the most diverse counties in the United States.

During a lively and sometimes contentious question-and-answer session with audience members, the candidates fielded questions from topics ranging from the best ways to deal with immigration, how to handle overcrowded animal shelters, funding of law enforcement, and assistance to veterans, among others.

The Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce will hold another Precinct 3 candidates commissioner forum on February 15 beginning at 6 p.m. at its offices at 445 Commerce Green Blvd., Sugar Land. For more information and to register, visit fortbendchamber.com.

Early voting in both the Republican and Democratic primaries begins on February 20 and continues through March 1. Learn more about polling places and times at fortbendcountytx.gov/government/ departments/electionsvoter-registration.

713-433-6421 14700 Almeda Rd Houston, TX 77053 www.HoustonHumane.org

SUGAR C

Worship Directory FORT BEND COUNTY

METHODIST CHURCH

EPISCOPAL

CHRIST CHURCH SUGAR LAND • 281-980-6888

ALL SAINTS EPISCOPAL CHURCH • 281-499-9602

A United Methodist Community 3300 Austin Parkway • Sugar Land, TX 77479 Rev. Dr. Daniel Irving, Senior Pastor Sunday Schedule 9:30 am Blended Worship 9:30 am Sunday School for all ages 11:00 am Traditional & Contemporary Worship www.christchurchsl.org

605 Dulles Avenue, Stafford, TX 77477 SUNDAY: 10:30 am Worship Holy Eucharist www.allsaints-stafford.org

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH • 281-240-3195 502 Eldridge Rd. -Sugar Land, TX 77478 Reverend Dr. Fred Seay, Pastor Sunday Worship In Person 11:00 am / Nursery Available Worship Online on YouTube www.fpcsl.org

Introduce Your Congregation to the Community with a listing in our Worship Directory

Call Anqunette for more information

713.371.3740

CHURCH OF CHRIST

STAFFORD CHURCH OF CHRIST • 281-499-2507 402 Stafford Run Rd. -Stafford, 77477 Stephen Higley, Preacher Sunday Bible Study 9:30 am Sunday Worship 10:30 am Wednesday 7:00 pm www.staffordcoc.com

Scripture of the week

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”

- EPHESIANS 6:10-11

Hello, my name is Sugar C! I am a sweet and gentle kitty!

I enjoy playing with my sibling Macadamia Nut and eating snacks all day long!

Stop by the Houston Humane Society and consider making Sugar C a part of your family! ADOPT SUGAR C!

THE STAR

See us online www.FortBendStar.com

Wednesday, February 7, 2024 • PAGE 3

The Reid Feed: Harrison Yu, 17-year-old piano virtuoso and overcomer of obstacles, to perform with the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra JANET SUE

RYAN LEE

Art and Culture Columnists

By Ryan Lee Reid and Janet Sue Reid

H

arrison Yu is the type of kid you just plain root for. He is the embodiment of those classic Aristotelian virtues we spend so much time praising and little time cultivating. He’s disciplined, hard-working, gracious and more, even when facing adversity usually reserved for people much older than his mere 17 years. Born neurodivergent, Harrison has worked hard to transform what some may consider challenges into a superpower. He is now making a name for himself as a teen piano prodigy, winning the annual Fort Bend Marielle Ogletree Young Artists Piano Concerto Competition by unanimous consent.

Harrison is a junior at Cypress Woods High School in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD. He also studies piano at Rice University through The Michael P. Hammond program. It is a small and selective music program

for exceptionally gifted students. Harrison talks about his experience in the competitive program with graciousness and humility, “They have given me a great opportunity, providing me with scholarships and financial aid every single year,” he says. “I have the opportunity to attend classes, private lessons, and even perform at Duncan Hall every single month.

I am extremely grateful to the program.”

Harrison contends that it’s not raw talent that separates him from his peers.

Instead, it’s his razor-sharp discipline and dedication to achieving his goals instilled in him at an early age by his mother. “She told me to imagine myself climbing Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan and that at the top was my goal. Practicing six hours a day was like taking one step a day to get to my goal.” Of course, six hours was more manageable when Harrison was younger, but high school classes, homework, and drum major practice have made it more difficult to reach that practice target goal. So now he starts waking up at 5 a.m. to get some of those practice hours in before school starts. But that’s Harrison.

“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard,” he says. And he’s met plenty of them. Others may have much more talent and play better, but when it comes down to making the

cut in tough competitions or auditions, he finds himself exceeding them. “While they’re playing video games on their phones or hanging out with their friends, I’m practicing for hours trying to get better. Talent can only get you so far.”

Perhaps this is why Harrison unanimously won the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra’s Marielle Ogletree Young Artists Piano Concerto competition on January 7, playing one of the notoriously difficult Segei Rachmaninoff pieces, “Piano Concerto No. 1”.

When asked how he prepared for the competition, he said he practiced note by note, measure by measure, and line by line until perfection of the whole was achieved. “You have to separate the whole into chucks and go very slowly and only move on when what you’re working on is perfected.”

As a pianist and young artist there just aren’t many opportunities to play with a live symphony orchestra, so the opportunity for him was just too good to pass up.

Harrison will next perform the first movement of the Rachmaninoff concerto with the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra. The impressively talented Dominique Røyem will conduct the “Afternoon of Romance” concert at the Stafford Centre, also featuring the “Romeo and Juliette Fantasy Overture” by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, the “Intermezzo” from Pietro

Mascagni’s opera “Cavalleria Rusticana, and Howard Hanson’s “Symphony No. 2”, known as the “Romantic.”

This opportunity for Harrison is fourteen years in the making. As early as the age of three, his mother would frequently bring him to the National Concert Hall in Taipei to watch the musicians perform. “It really struck me!” he recalled.

“I remember seeing the pianists play with the Taiwanese symphony, and I wanted to be that person. I wanted to be that person on stage. I wanted to perform as they did and have wanted to perform ever since. I really enjoy the happiness and rich emotion the music brings to others.”

As Harrison got older, he started performing frequently at restaurants owned by his father’s friends. “I would just go to the restaurant, hop on the piano, and then just make a performance in the evening.

It really just struck me, because having an audience with smiles on their faces… it really just brought happiness to me as well.”

When Harrison’s father became ill with cancer, his performance venue changed from restaurants to a hospital with an old piano in the corner. While at the hospital, he’d plays for hours while he waited for his dad during treatments. It was his only way to get his hands on a piano and keep climbing that mountain.

Even though Harrison’s music helped lift the spirits of those at the hospital, he was filled with sadness that he could not heal his father. Day after day, Harrison kept holding onto hope that his father would get better. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2018. A life-altering event like that would crush most kids, but most kids aren’t like Harrison. His steadfast focus on his goals is unwavering even the face of life’s deepest adversity. In fact, the tragic event of his father’s passing inspired him to pursue a career in both medicine and piano.

As far as what the next chapter of life for Harrison will be, college applications are right around the corner.

“I’m mainly looking for a place where I can combine my dreams to pursue medicine and piano performance,” he says. When we ask him where he would like to go to school, he tell us excitedly “My dream is to attend a joint program like at Columbia and Juilliard, where they would allow me to study what I want, like bioengineering or pre-med, as well as attend private music lessons.” He pauses and becomes more serious.

He then says with a practicality beyond his years, “But since I do not have the ability to pay for the tuition, I’m mainly looking for the college that provides me with the most scholarships.”

After meeting with this

impressive young man, we’d like to give the college admission offices a piece of friendly advice. Give as much scholarship money to Harrison as possible because any investment in him will come back to your university tenfold. Let’s be honest, granting scholarship money is a lot like placing a bet. And this bet is a sure thing. Good luck, Harrison, we’re all rooting for you! We can’t wait to see you perform with the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra and know that every year you will keep climbing those steps until you reach the stage at the Taipei Symphony Orchestra!

Don’t miss Harrison Yu performing with the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra during the “An Afternoon of Romance” concert at the Stafford Centre, 10505 Cash Rd, Stafford, on February 18. The orchestra, founded in 1992, is comprised of a cross-section of talented musicians, most of whom reside in the Fort Bend area. Learn more at fbso.org. Purchase tickets at tinyurl.com/See-Harrison.

Janet Sue Reid, “The Culinary Cowgirl”, and Ryan Lee Reid, “The Piano Cowboy”, are artists and creators. They transform space and time to move and heal people through art. They live in Sugar Land with their children. Find their full bios and contact them through ReidFeed.com.

Piano virtuoso Harrison Yu, 17, will be the featured soloist at the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra’s “An Afternoon of Romance” concert, conducted by Dominique Røyem. Image and photo credits: Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra, Janet Sue Reid, and Joanna Scott. Photo montage by Janet Sue Reid

F O R T B E N D S TA R . C O M • 7 1 3 - 3 7 1 - 3 7 4 0

THE STAR

PAGE 4 • Wednesday, February 7, 2024

See us online www.FortBendStar.com

EDITORIAL If at first you don’t secede LYNN ASHBY Columnist

By Lynn Ashby ASHBY2@COMCAST.NET

I

n our A Myth Is As Good As Nothing Category, we have the Texas Nationalist Movement, or TNM. The members are attempting to remove Texas from the United States. If they succeed, or secede, will this mean I’ll need a passport to blow my children’s inheritance in Louisiana casinos? On the bright side, the Dallas Cowboys could no longer be able to call themselves America’s Team. All our great high school athletes may have trouble opting to play for LSU or Georgia, filling their stadiums and generating millions of dollars for the Cajuns and the Peach State. The U.S. won’t have to re-design the American flag to

show one less star. Just bow to the clamor from the Caribbean and admit Puerto Rico.

To bring you up to speed on this glacial movement, as mentioned the TNM is a group campaigning for Texas to leave the United States and become a fully independent country. The secessionists got a petition going around to make the Texas Republican Party put the matter up to a vote on its March primary ballot. They claimed the petition had 139,456 signatures, well over the 97,709 signatures required to get a vote added to the primary ballot.

That 97K figure is state law, for some unknown reason, but Texas Republican Party Chair Matt Rinaldi rejected the petition. He claimed “the vast majority of petition signatures were invalid.” He said some were missing essential information such as “residence address, county of registration, and date of birth/voter registration number.” Other names were invalid, while only 8,300 of the signatures had been submitted by hand, rather than electronically, which Rinaldi claimed was a requirement.

The Texas GOP also said the delivery of the petition was “untimely,” because it was received on the deadline, as opposed to the day before. OK, maybe some of the signatures were invalid or their mark was forged, but that last claim makes no sense. What’s the point of having a deadline if it’s not the deadline but the day before? The TNM could have yelled, to steal a phrase from the Texians at the Battle of Gonzales, “Come and take it!” Their next step was to take their case to the Texas Supreme Court, but the court rejected the TNM’s case almost immediately. However, the fight, which they call “TEXIT” – I like that ripoff from the Brits’ Brexit – will continue: They “fully intend to litigate to secure the rights of the petition signers as guaranteed by the Texas Election Code.”

The idea of a return to the Republic of Texas has been trotted out ever since there was one, but the plans are worth retelling. First, the Texas Annexation Joint Resolution – it was not a treaty and there’s a big difference – does not allow Texas to secede from the Union.

That’s a myth. Following

the end of the Civil War, Union troops occupied the rebellious Southern states during Reconstruction. When Texas rejoined the Union in 1870, one of the provisions – only for Texas – was that the state would forswear the idea of ever seceding again. In the 1869 case Texas v. White, the U.S. Supreme Court held that individual states could not unilaterally secede from the Union. Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase wrote for the court, “The union between Texas and the other States was as complete, as perpetual, and as indissoluble as the union between the original States.”

The Annexation document does allow us to split into four more states. That would give us five Ted Cruzes in the U.S. Senate, but this differs from what our schoolchildren vow each day: “I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one and indivisible.” The annexation agreement also allows us to retain our public lands including six leagues into the Gulf, with all that oil and gas underneath, and beneath those public lands in West Texas that bankroll UT and A&M. Nevertheless, the myth

persists. In 2008, Gov. Rick Perry said, “When we came into the nation in 1845, we were a republic, we were a stand-alone nation. And one of the deals was, we can leave anytime we want. So we’re kind of thinking about that again.”

Even John Steinbeck in “Travels With Charley,” wrote, “Texas is the only state that came into the Union by treaty. It retains the right to secede at will.”

Steinbeck noted Texans threatened to secede so often that he formed an enthusiastic organization, The American Friends for Texas Secession. He said a lot of non-Texans signed up. A 2009 Rasmussen Reports survey determined 31 percent of Texans thought the state had a right to secede. However, just 18 percent of Texans would actually vote for it.

Here’s something interesting: President Barack Obama created a website so that Americans could petition the government for any action, and would receive a response. The site was inundated. This included petitions from all 50 states seeking secession from the Union. Texas, as usual, was Number One with 125,746 signatures.

THE LEADER PUZZLERS.

The White House replied that America was created as a “perpetual union,” and cited several reasons why the Lone Star State couldn’t once again be lone.

An independent Texas by area would be the world’s 39th largest country. With 30 million people, the country of Texas would be the 47th most populated nation. When it comes to business, we would have the 10th largest economy in the world. Without Texas, the U.S. would lose out on 40 percent of America’s total oil, $1.7 trillion of economic output and 10 percent of the nation’s manufacturing comes from Texas. On the other hand, the federal government owns and operates 15 military bases in the state with an economic impact of more than $100 billion.

San Antonio alone has four bases. And a Republic of Texas dollar was worth 37 cents to a U.S. dollar. So maybe we should be benevolent and just stay put because as Sam Houston said: “Texas can make it without the United States, but the United States cannot make it without Texas.”

Ashby succeeds at ashby2@comcast.net

Answers found in this week’s Classified section

SUDOKU

ACROSS

1. Breezed through 5. What part of (abbr.)

8. Reciprocal of a sine 11. Moves suddenly 13. Household god (Roman) 14. Picasso mistress Dora 15. Old Italian monetary units 16. Brew 17. Especially capable 18. Coffeehouses 20. Not 21. Holly genus 22. Work done after 40 hrs 25. Immunization 30. More aseptic 31. The brain and spinal cord (abbr.)

32. Cambodian monetary units 33. Toward the stern 38. Wrath 41. Nicaraguan capital 43. Artifact recycling center 45. Injure severely 47. A steep rugged rock or cliff 49. Nothing

50. Bangladesh capital 55. Ground up corn 56. Measure of disc storage density 57. Smart ___: irritating 59. Persian dialect spoken in Afghanistan 60. Former CIA 61. Spanish auxilliary verb 62. ___ Titanic 63. Teensy 64. Banana genus

DOWN

1. Deaf signing 2. Fashionable 3. Girl’s name meaning “snow” in Welsh 4. Unhearing 5. Heavenly body 6. About heat energy 7. New Jersey capital 8. Steel rope 9. Selling 10. Eurasian land rail genus 12. Point midway between S and SE 14. Disfigure 19. Sound unit 23. Volt-ampere

24. Mentally deranged 25. TV taping device 26. 4th Caliph of Islam 27. Musician ___ Lo Green 28. Golden state (abbr.)

29. Importune 34. A recess in a wall 35. Honorable title (Turkish) 36. Hairy coat of a mammal 37. Small amount 39. Arc of spectral colors 40. Oval 41. Gym floor padding 42. Used of tobacco 44. Overnight case 45. Volcanic craters 46. Tangerine grapefruit hybrid 47. Military leader (abbr.)

48. Enlarge a hole 51. Express pleasure 52. Bivalve mollusk 53. Philippine Island, city and harbor 54. Unreturnable serves 58. Malaysian Isthmus

WORD SCRAMBLE

THE STAR

See us online www.FortBendStar.com

Wednesday, February 7, 2024 • PAGE 5

Clearing the smoke MARK GARAY Columnist

By Mark Garay MARKGARAY426@GMAIL.COM

“Doctors smoke it / Nurses smoke it / Judges smoke it / Even lawyer too / So you’ve got to legalize it / And, uh, don’t criticize it / Legalize it, yeah, yeah / And I will advertise it” - Peter Tosh, “Legalize it”

I

recently received an odd piece of mail. It wasn’t something addressed to me personally. Rather, it was one of those “To Our friends Over 21” notices. Weird.

My spam more often comes in the form of computer pop-ups, and those unsolicited phone calls I so adoringly don’t answer.

But this was different. It was something I’d never before received.

Back in the day, we had these places called “head shops”. They were modest, nondescript buildings, seldom planted in any highdollar parts of town. Inside, you could always rely on a few variables. To begin with, the moment you walked in,

you’d get a super-serious slap in the face by the smell of incense. It was always a specifically unrecognizable aroma, and it was reliably just enough to make your eyes water, but not enough to vomit.

Then there was the lighting. It was typically dim, with few windows to broker any outdoor light. The most obvious forms of illumination were sourced from electric black lights, some of which would blink as though irritated by an errant eyelash. The overall effect was to create an ethereal, almost medieval vibe, and it didn’t stop there.

Black light posters plastered the walls like castle bunting, their images usually distorted and bizarre. Then there was the glass - dozens of water pipes glistening like crystal on either side of this dark retail cavern. Pipes of all sizes and shapes, colors and configurations.

The proprietor was often a heavyset gentleman with no clue about customer service. He would typically wear black punk rock T-shirts (Iggy and the Stooges. Blondie.

The Ramones). He sported dirty sneakers. His facial hair was unmanaged. His curly locks generally hovered around his shoulders.

He had no girlfriend, and was known to live with his mom, the same woman who spotted him the cash to open up in the first place. Subversive music screamed from

suspended speakers, like in the heavy metal parody “Spinal Tap”.

This was grassroots capitalism, but it made parents nervous. For them, it was morally questionable. These places sold nothing dangerous. Rather it sold things they predicted would lead to trouble.

Glass smoking pipes have been around since mid-1960s America. Some dude named Bob Snodgrass is recognized as the guy who developed the glass product. He was celebrating adventures with the Grateful Dead at the time, blowing glass for the band and creating new techniques in between puffs.

Today, head shops are called “smoke” or “vape” shops. And in case you hadn’t noticed, they’re popping up all over Fort Bend County.

There have been five new such shops along a five mile stretch close to my home. I find this odd.

Fewer Americans are smoking. In 1970, about 42 percent of the American public smoked. By 2018, that number sunk well below 14 percent. So if fewer people are smoking, why is the number of smoke shop permit requests increasing?

Maybe people aren’t ending their smoking habit. Maybe they’re reimagining the habit of smoking. Let’s face it, folks. When was the last time you’ve seen anyone smoking tobacco out of a glass pipe?

The green tide isn’t coming.

It’s here, albeit fluttering below the legal radar.

That leads me back to that piece of mail. It was a card reading “Natural Cannabis, Natural Relief ”. What? I thought weed was illegal in Texas. It is illegal. This thing says their product is 100 percent THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

How can this be?

I had to speak to an expert.

In this case, an old friend from Oregon. He told me what my brochure was selling Delta or HHc, something less potent than real stuff.

I’ve been around it throughout most of my life.

I’ve known a lot of people who used forbidden substances and didn’t spiral. I’ve never heard of anyone dying from it. I’ve never heard of someone beating his wife because of it. And I’m not familiar with any weed strain causing any serious public health threat.

Still, my part of Fort Bend wants to restrict smoke shop growth by making it harder to get business permits.

These measures arise out of fears of tarnished city image, and a nod to cleaner living.

And recent reports show Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing Denton and three other municipalities.

Paxton doesn’t like the way those places are decriminalizing the substance.

“I will not stand idly by as cities run by pro-crime

extremists deliberately violate Texas law and promote the use of illicit drugs that harm our communities,” Abbott proclaimed. “This unconstitutional action by municipalities demonstrates why Texas must have a law to follow the law.” He said the cities’ policies “create anarchy”.

I don’t know of anyone who is pro-crime. I’m not sure that decriminalization is the same as promoting illicit drugs.

I’m not sure what he means by having “a law to follow the law.” I would imagine a straight line would be more efficient. And I would argue that anarchy looks a lot different on a pot farm. I mean, we are talking about a plant here, right?

What do you think people?

Should cannabis be cursed or coddled? Email me at the address below.

Column veggies I will occasionally drop a line on what I believe are great examples of art. Now, by art, I mean mostly movies, television shows and music. I’m sure it will bend to an older crowd, but I enjoy connecting even modern sights and sounds to those of Generation X, and vice versa.

Truth is, I do that on my own time, so I figured why not roll into my column so as to say I get paid to do it. I feel better by ascribing reason behind all I do, so this should fit the bill.

For this first sample, I recommend the series “Such Brave Girls,” streaming on Hulu. This British import is not complicated. It’s about a mother whose sole ambition is to find financial freedom and lifelong security. She is trying to ensnare the heavyweight champion of jerks, who despite owning a great home and car, never picks up a check.

Meantime her two young adult daughters long to feel paternal love 10 years after their father went out to buy tea and never returned.

One is an aggressive, crazed schemer whose obsession with her boyfriend never allows her to hook him. She constantly threatens suicide every time she’s rebuffed by him. The other is a perpetually depressed woman with sad eyes and a quiet nature.

She only keeps her boyfriend close because she’s terrified of being alone. She clearly is searching for identity through a comical array of missteps and backfires.

It’s a good glimpse into how young people think these days about relationships. I’ve watched the first six episodes several times. I even began following the leads on X, formerly known as Twitter. I’ve never done that before.

Garay, a retired television news professional and longtime Sugar Land resident, can be reached at MarkGaray426@gmail.com

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The Houston Glass Show & Sale February 16-17-18 2024 Antique Glass & Pottery 1880-1980 Friday Evening 6pm-9pm Adm $15.00 Sat. 10am-5pm Sun. 10am-4pm Adm. $7.00 Fort Bend County Fairgrounds Rosenberg, TX Information: www.maxmillerantiques.com Free Parking & Door Prizes

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Deadline is noon every Friday. Limit entries to the “5 Ws” Who, What, When, Where, and Why. Email to awilliams@txstreetmedia.com

FOR NON-PROFIT EVENTS

ONGOING LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF FORT BEND

The League of Women Voters of Fort Bend, a nonpartisan organization, will provide voter registration and education events prior to the Feb. 5 deadline to be a registered voter in the March 5 Primary election.

Locations, dates, and times include: (1) Wednesday, 1/24 -- Fort Bend YMCA, 4433 Cartwright Rd, Missouri City 7:30am - 12:30pm and 5 - 7pm; (2) Thursday, 1/25 -- First Colony Library 3:30 - 5:30pm; (3) Sat., 1/27 -Cinco Ranch Library 10:30am - 1:30pm and University Branch Library 11am - 2pm; (4) Tuesday, 1/30 and Wednesday, 1/31 -- WCJC Sugar Land, Brazos Hall, 9am - 2pm; (5) Thursday, 2/1 -- ThriftWise, 501 Hwy 90E, Richmond -- 10am - 1pm. Register to vote, update your current voter registration, and get nonpartisan voting information at any of these events, or contact lwvfortbend@gmail.com.

BOYS CAN SING WITH THE AWARD-WINNING AND EMMYNOMINATED FORT BEND BOYS CHOIR!

Do you know a boy who loves music and singing? If so, encourage him to audition for the Fort Bend Boys Choir of Texas! No previous singing experience is necessary and boys should be around eight years of age or older with an unchanged voice. Boys have a limited time to sing in the unchanged, treble voice so it is important to take advantage NOW! At this time, auditions are by special appointment at the First United Methodist Church Missouri City, 3900 Lexington Blvd., Missouri City, TX. Visit the Fort Bend Boys Choir’s Audition page at https://fbbctx.org/auditions/ or call (281) 240-3800 for more details. Make the holiday season brighter for you and the boys in your life … check out the award-winning and Emmy nominated Fort Bend Boys Choir today as they celebrate this season’s theme: Singing Boys are Nothing but Treble!

AMERICAN LEGION POST 942 311 Ulrich Street, Sugar Land meets the fourth Tuesday of each Month at 7:00 pm. All Veterans are welcome.

LOVING FRIENDS IS A GROUP OF WOMEN AND MEN WHO ARE WIDOWS AND WIDOWERS THAT MEET MONTHLY FOR LUNCH, FRIENDSHIP, AND SOCIALIZATION Lunches. are planned for the fourth Tuesday of the month at various local restaurants. Please contact Bobbie Tomlin at {281} 967-0718 For more information about us and to learn about this month’s planned lunch. We hope to meet you soon.

QUAIL VALLEY GARDEN CLUB The Quail Valley Garden Club is very busy, not only with meetings, but with some fun “stuff” for our members and the community. Please find our fall schedule of events that the QVGC will be involved with this fall leading up to the holidays.

ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE GRAND PARKWAY BAPTIST CHURCH In conjunction with the Literacy Council of Fort Bend Bend County, GPBC offers ESL classes on Tuesday nights 6-8:30 from August 22, 2023 through May 21, 2024. We are located at 12000 FM 1464 Richmond.

Our students speak several languages and encompass many faiths. All are welcome. For more information call 281-277-2200 and ask for ESL information. You may also email ESL@grandparkway.org

FBJSL IS ACCEPTING CAF GRANT APPLICATIONS

ALIEF AARP CHAPTER 3264 Meets the first Thursday of every month at 10:00 a.m. at Salvation Army Church, 7920 Cook Road, Houston, TX 77072. Educational Program/Entertainment at each meeting. Bus Trips every month. Seniors 50 and above invited. Call 281-785-7372 for more information.

EXPERIENCE COUNTS! 35+ YEARS SERVING FORT BEND COUNTY 14090 S.W. Freeway Suite #200

281-243-2344 (Direct) Sugar Land, TX 281.243.2300 (Main) • KenWoodPC.com

SUGAR LAND ROTARY CLUB Sugar Land Rotary Club, the nation’s oldest community service organization, wants you to be its guest at a meeting that could turn out to be the best fit for getting involved with a local, non-political, humanitarian service organization with a global presence to satisfy your passion. We’re on a quest for new members! Call or email Dean Clark, 469-850-2424, dean7351@gmail. com. We’re a friendly group that meets once a week for lunch.

FT. BEND ACCORDION CLUB Meets on the 4th Sunday of every month from 2:pm - 4:pm at: CHRIST CHURCH SUGAR LAND (in the Chapel) 3300 Austin Parkway, Sugar Land, TX 77479 FREE and Open to the Public! We welcome everybody!

If you play accordion, beginners to professional and would like to play Call, Text or email: Vince Ramos Cell: 281-204-7716 vincer.music@gmail.com

FORT BEND JUNIOR SERVICE LEAGUE RECRUITING NEW MEMBERS FOR 2022-2023 YEAR To join, the membership application can be accessed at https://www.fbjsl.org/join/how-to-become-a-member/.

FBJSL will also be hosting multiple virtual and in-person recruitment events over the summer where potential new members can learn more about the League.

Information regarding attending these events is available at www.fbjsl.org or on the FBJSL Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FortBendJuniorServiceLeague/.

LITERACY COUNCIL OF FORT BEND COUNTY We enhance lives and strengthen communities by teaching adults to read. We need your help. Literacy Council is actively recruiting Volunteer Tutors to provide instruction for English as a Second Language (ESL) Levels 0-5, three hours a week. For more information, call 281-240-8181 or visit our website www.ftbendliteracy. org

JAM WITH SAM Join Sam Grice Tuesday evenings at 6:30 for a casual evening of music. We play a variety of music including bluegrass, country, gospel and some western. We request acoustic instruments only please. We welcome both participants and music lovers who enjoy listening to good live music. There’s no charge and we welcome beginners and gladly offer gentle assistance. We meet at First Presbyterian Church, 502 Eldridge Rd, Sugar Land. Please call Sam at 832-428-3165 for further information.

GIVE A GIFT OF HOPE Give a Gift of Hope one-time or monthly. Your help provides access to therapies and services children with autism might otherwise go without. Please consider Hope For Three in your Estate, Planned, or Year-End Giving.

Register now, or learn more about exciting events: www.hopeforthree.org/events

DVD-BASED ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS WITH NO HOMEWORK REQUIRED Weekly class designed to help you understand and appreciate the Bible by giving you a better sense of the land and culture from which it sprang. The class meets at 9:30 am every Sunday at First Presbyterian of Sugar Land (502 Eldridge Rd.). For more information call 281-240-3195

EXCHANGE

We provide grants of up to $5,000.00 to charitable causes serving Fort Bend County with requests to fund a critical need, pilot a program, or expand a significant service to the community. If your agency or organization is interested in applying for a CAF grant, please visit the Request Support page of the FBJSL website (www. fbjsl.org/request-support). All applications should be submitted via e-mail to brccom@fbjsl.com

EXCHANGE, America’s Service Club, always welcomes guests and is in search of new members! Various Fort Bend clubs exist and can accommodate early morning (7 a.m.), noon and evening meeting time desires.

For more info, contact Mike Reichek, Regional Vice President, 281-575-1145 or mike@reichekfinancial.com We would love to have you join us and see what we are all about!

THE SANCTUARY FOSTER CARE SERVICES

MISSOURI CITY AARP CHAPTER 3801

We are a child placing agency that provides wrap around care support for foster children and foster families. We provide free therapy services, 24 hr. crisis intervention, respite/alternative care services and community-based support. For more info, www.sanctuaryfostercare.org

Meets the second Monday of every month at 11:30 a.m., at 2701 Cypress Point Dr., Missouri City Rec Center.

Lunch, education, and entertainment. All seniors over 50 invited. For more information, call 713-859-5920 or 281-499-3345.

713-371-3740

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