The 03-210-24 Edition of The Fort Bend Star

The MCTX ChalkFest has been rescheduled - Page 3

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WEDNESDAY • MARCH 20, 2024

Fort Bend Transit officially launches new downtown service

Staff Reports After a “soft opening” that offered free rides earlier this month, Fort Bend Transit this week officially launched its new Downtown Commuter Service on Monday. The new route travels from the AMC Theater Park and Ride location in Sugar Land to destinations in downtown Houston.

The service, which uses a new fleet of vehicles, is a the result of a partnership between Fort Bend Transit and Houston’s Downtown Management District. The cost per trip is $4. The new route, including schedule, can be found online at fortbendcountytx.gov/ government/departments/ public-transportation/ services/commuter-parkand-ride-services. People with questions about the service can also all at 281633-7433.

“We are so excited to introduce the new commuter service from Fort Bend County to Downtown Houston,” Perri D’Armond, the county’s public transportation director, said in a news release. “In partnership with Houston Downtown Management District, this initiative highlights Fort Bend Transit’s dedication to improving transportation accessibility, reducing congestion, and promoting transportation solutions across our rapidly growing county.”

The new downtown service is an addition to the newly merged Greenway/ Galleria Transfer route, which launched in February.

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Fort Bend County increases sick leave days for full-time employees Staff Reports Fort Bend County Commissioners Court on March 12 approved a policy that will nearly double the amount of sick leave full-time county employee may earn from 64 to 110 hours annually. Precinct 4 Commissioner Dexter L. McCoy’s office drafted the policy proposal, prompted by the realities of parenthood and lessons learned from the COVID pandemic.

“The original policy was barely enough to cover one person if they caught the flu, let alone someone who needs to use time off to care for a sick child or elderly parent,” McCoy said in a news release. “I want my colleagues and anyone

considering a career at the county to know: we take the mental and physical health of you and your family seriously, and our policies back that.”

The new policy aims to improve benefit offerings for full-time employees at a time when the job market for recruiting employees is so competitive.

The last time the county’s sick leave policy was upXXXXXX. XXXXXX dated was more than 18 years ago.

Last year, Commissioners Court adopted of a paid parental leave policy that would give parents up to six weeks of paid leave to care for new children.

Fort Bend County currently has over 3,300 Fort Bend County Commissioners Court on March 12 approved a policy that will nearly double the full-time employees. amount of sick leave full-time county employee may earn. File photo by Ken Fountain

Students help design new mural at Fort Bend County Justice Center

A mural designed by artist Reginal C. Adams with input from six Fort Bend County high school students, was unveiled last week at the Fort Bend County Justice Center.

Photos by Ken Fountain

By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

Weeks of planning and work culminated in the unveiling of mural designed in part by young artists at the Fort Bend County Justice Center last week.

The mural, fills the wall of an alcove space near the second-floor office of Fort Bend County District Attorney Brian Middleton, who initiated the Expose Excellence Youth Program shortly after being elected in 2018.

Six students from Fort Bend high schools worked with Houston artist Reginald C. Adams, whose work

focuses on creating art for public spaces, often working with young people - in brainstorming ideas for the mural, which is the latest and largest work so far done by the Expose Excellence program.

The students are Eviana Williams of Foster High School, Mill Torres of Austin High School; Evelyn Cabrera of Terry High School; Annalicia Padilla of Travis High School; Cymberly Lima of Willowridge High School; and Hannah Fausset of Lamar Consolidated High School.

The mural, which incorporates elements including a large central “tree of life”,

the scales of justice, water, and silhouetted figures, is designed to evoke the theme of “restorative justice,” which Middleton has made a priority since taking office. The water is in reference to the Biblical passage Amos 5:24: “But let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

In remarks before the unveiling, Middleton said he began the program as a means of reaching students who may lack supervision in their lives to provide guidance and With Fort Bend County District Attorney Brian Middleton and artist Reginald C. Adams behind them, four students pose before the unveiling of the mural they helped design. From left: Annalicia SEE MURAL PAGE 2 Padilla, Evelyn Cabrera, Mill Torres, and Eviana Williams.

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PAGE 2 • Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Documentary about girl debaters to be screened at University Branch library on March 25 Community Reports In recognition of Women’s History Month in March, the “Reel Talk” film series at Fort Bend County Libraries’ University Branch Library will feature a documentary about challenges faced by women on Monday, March 25, from 6-8 p.m, in Meeting Room 1 of the library, 14010 University Blvd in Sugar Land, on the UH campus.

The film to be shown is “Girl Talk: A Local, USA Special,” about five girls competing in the cutthroat,

male-dominated world of high school debate. The film amplifies the voices of young women in America, providing a glimpse into the lives of the next generation of leaders and changemakers.

This PBS film, which is not rated, is available in FBCL’s Access Video on Demand digital collection, and it is being shown publicly with permission from Infobase.

The movie screening is free and open to the public. For more information, see the Fort Bend County

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Parking outside the gated lot may result in a parking violation from the University of Houston.

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MURAL FROM PAGE 1

meaningful opportunities when not in school. He said the program was inspired by a brainstorming session he had with Texas Rep. Ron Reynolds about how to reach at-risk youth.

“It’s about providing opportunity for our youth to express themselves,” he said of the program. “So many times, youth struggle with different issues and they need a way to express themselves. And when you give them this outlet, amazing things happen. They begin to flourish.”

Middleton said, just the of many murals the program will create as public spaces around Fort Bend County.

Another large mural, which highlights the history and diversity of the county, is featured at the Epicenter facility which opened last year in Rosenberg.

Juno Okoro, program manager for the Expose Excellence Youth Program, said it has several ongoing projects, including a summer youth internship at the district attorney’s office, an annual youth law enforcement academy, afterschool tutoring programs, and a “Freedom Tour” that will visit several important sites around the country that played a part in the Civil Rights Movement.

Since the program began in 2022, the program has reached more than 1,000 students, Okoro said.

Adams (who happened to attend high school with Middleton in Houston) said he had several brainstorming sessions, both in-person and virtual, with the students to gather their input for the mural.

“What does the community mean to them, what does justice mean to them, what does family meant to them? And we took all of that input, all of their ideas, and we were able to turn their vision into a work of art that will now grace the Justice Center here in Fort Bend,” he said. “I believe this is the beginning of many great things to come for Fort Bend County.”

Eviana Williams, 16, a student at Foster High School, said she learned of the program through the school’s law enforcement program. She said she’s been involved with art since elementary school.

After the students decided upon the central theme of a tree, she contributed the idea of adding flowers and other natural elements.

“It feels really good, I’m glad I got to see it,” she said of the unveiling ceremony.

“I’m glad people in the community get to see it.”

Williams said while she remains interested in art, she want to pursue a future career as a forensic psychologist.

Annalcia Padilla, 18, of Travis High School, said she learned about the program from her mother.

“I was really interested because I’ve always been

artistic since I was little,” she said.

Padilla said she believes the mural will help shed light on the topic of restorative justice.

“I think justice is really important in how society is today,” she said. “No matter where you come from or who you are, what color you are, what gender you are, everyone should be equal when it comes to justice.”

Padilla says she plans to study communication in college.

Middleton said that one of the challenges of the project was creating a mural that is reflective of Fort Bend County’s diversity.

“When I saw the final product, I said this is perfect. It says Fort Bend,” he said. “To see these images I think creates positive energy in the courthouse.”

Middleton said the mural will serve as an inspiration not only for people at the courthouse, but for other artists in the community.

County Court at Law 2 Associate Judge Lewis White and his wife, Chakilla, are major benefactors of the Expose Excellence program. Some funding from the program came from the federal ARPA act that was enacted in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Middleton said.

Interested students can learn more about the Expose Excellence Youth Program at its website, EEYP.org. The program is also active on social media platforms.

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Artist Reginal C. Adams, center, and Fort Bend students unveil the mural at the Fort Bend County Justice Center. Photo by Ken Fountain

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Wednesday, March 20, 2024 • PAGE 3

MCTX ChalkFest rescheduled for May 11-12 Community Reports The Third Annual MCTX ChalkFest, which had been set for last weekend but was can-

celled due to inclement weather, has been rescheduled for Saturday, May 11 and Sunday, May 12, from noon-6 p.m. each day, at the Recreation & Tennis Center,

2701 Cypress Point Drive, Missouri City.

Artists from Missouri City and throughout the greater Houston area and beyond will be at Chalk-

Fest creating their master pieces with chalk. The event, which is free to attend, will feature live performers, food trucks, and activities for all ages.

The featured artist will be New Orleans native Lionel Milton, who will create a live mural that will become a permanent public art piece for the city.

The Third Annual MCTX ChalkFest has been rescheduled for May 11-12. File photo by Ken Fountain

Chinese music performance set for April 6 at Sugar Land Branch Library Community Reports

The North America Youth Chinese Orchestra will perform on Saturday, April 6, at the Sugar Land Branch Library. Courtesy Fort Bend County Libraries

Mission Bend library to host butterfly gardening talk on March 23 Community Reports Fort Bend County Libraries’ Mission Bend Branch Library will present a program on “Butterfly Gardening” on Saturday, March 23, from 2-4 p.m., in the Meeting Room of the library, 8421 Addicks Clodine Road, in northeast Fort Bend County.

Fort Bend County Master Gardener Mary Parkhouse will talk about which plants attract different types of butterflies to gardens. She will also talk about five types of butterflies commonly found

in this area, what they need to survive, and their preferred host and nectar plants.

Parkhouse became a Master Gardener in 2007. She is a member of the FBCMG Entomology Group and has advanced training in entomology.

The program is free and open to the public. For more information, see the Fort Bend County Libraries website (www.fortbend.lib. tx.us), or call the Mission Bend Branch Library (832471-5900) or the library system’s Communications Office (281-633-4734).

Fort Bend County Libraries will host a musical performance by the Houston-based North America Youth Chinese Orchestra on Saturday, April 6, from 2-3 p.m., in the Meeting Room of the Sugar Land Branch Library, 550 Eldridge.

Directed by Changlu

Wu, the North America Youth Chinese Orchestra consists of talented young Chinese-American student musicians who are passionate about their culture and its music. Using the violin and flute, as well as Chinese instruments such as the pipa, guzheng, and zhong ruan, the musicians will perform a variety of

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Fort Bend County Master Gardener Mary Parkhouse will discuss butterfly gardening at the Mission Bend Branch Library on March 23. Courtesy Fort Bend County Libraries

traditional Chinese musical pieces.

The program is free and open to the public. For more information, see the Fort Bend County Libraries website (www.fortbend. lib.tx.us) or call the Sugar Land Branch Library (281238-2140), or the library system’s Communications Office (281-633-4734)

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PAGE 4 • Wednesday, March 20, 2024

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EDITORIAL Pull up the gangplank?

LYNN ASHBY Columnist

By Lynn Ashby ASHBY2@COMCAST.NET

A

DUTCH CAFÉ (circa 1985) – “Meester Hashby?” says the manager. “You haf a phone call.” Odd, I am sitting in this little café in a village in the Netherlands having supper, and wonder how anyone knows I am here. I go to the phone, and on the line is an old colleague named Phil who now works on a newspaper in Britain.

He called me at my newspaper in Houston and a fellow worker, checking my itinerary, told Phil where I was and where I was staying. Phil called my hotel and the desk clerk, who had copied my passport in case I would skip off with the towels, remembered recommend-

ing this café. Phil had an idea for an article he wanted me to write. I rejected it. Meanwhile, the Dutch knew all about me.

Where am I going with this? Today in the U.S. we have no idea who our foreign visitors are, where they are and what they are doing. So let’s discuss immigration today and – quit laughing – how to handle the situation. I mean, if we don’t do it who will? With so much disagreement and misinformation over the situation, let’s start with what we all agree on: There are millions of people in this country who are here undocumented. We call them variously (oops, another disagreement) illegal aliens, undocumented immigrants or cheap labor. We can agree that no presidential administration, Republican or Democrat, has solved the problem because it’s still here. And we know that the most overused and meaningless term for solving this mess is “comprehensive immigration reform.” It means whatever you want it to mean.

There is, however, disagreement on the number of our illegal immigrants. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said

that, conservatively, it’s 3.3 million. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis claimed 8 million. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas said it’s almost 10 million. The Department of Homeland Security (which sounds like something Heinrich Himmler would head) says there have been 6.5 million encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border between 1990 and 2022. Incidentally, just what does “encounters” mean?

Caught and released? Sent back? Lodged at the nearest Motel 6? Put “encounters” alongside “comprehensive immigration reform.” How many illegal immigrants secretly cross the Rio Grande and melt into the nation?

We haven’t a clue. “This is the count of how many people we didn’t count.” Huh? Let’s talk money. A study by a group called FAIR, “which seeks to reduce overall immigration to a more normal level,” says the annual financial toll of illegal immigration, including emergency medical care, incarcerating illegal immigrants in local jails and federal budgets that pay out billions in welfare every year, is $150.7 billion. FAIR subtracted the estimated $32 billion of tax contribu-

tions they made, otherwise it would have been $182 billion. That $150.7 billion spent on illegal immigrants last year is more than the total gross domestic product in 2023 of Mississippi, New Mexico and Idaho and is more than the GDP’s of Wyoming and Vermont combined. Individually, the FAIR study found that each illegal immigrant or their U.S.-born child costs the U.S. $8,776 annually. Recall that British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli is credited with saying: “There are three types of lies: lies, damn lies and statistics.” So I have, just like those illegal immigrant head counts, no idea how FAIR got those figures.

But here in Texas we keep an accurate tabulation of how much of our tax dollars are being spent: Texas has transported over 102,000 immigrants to other cities.

As of Jan. 24, the state had spent over $148 million on the project. That’s less than half of one percent of Texas’ $321 billion two-year state budget, but it grows every single day. We must like it.

Fifty-nine percent of Texans support making it harder for immigrants seeking asylum in the U.S. In Hous-

ton, immigrants make up almost a quarter of the population and 31 percent of the workforce. Immigrants in the Houston statistical area earn $66.5 billion and pay $11.1 billion in federal taxes. The City of Houston alone is home to more than 572,000 undocumented immigrants whose households earned $13 billion in 2021. They paid $794.8 million in federal taxes and $595.6 million in state and local taxes. Again, how did anyone get those figures?

This situation has been treated like a political piñata. Both Donald Trump and Joe Biden are fingerpointing. Let’s start with Biden. He began by wiping out many of Trump’s antiimmigration programs and has loosened other restrictions. But no matter what Fox News keeps telling us, Biden has never, ever called for “open borders.” Nevertheless, he was clearly out of touch with what we want him to do. Only 28 percent of Americans approve of his immigration policies. Now Biden is desperately trying to play catch-up with tougher restrictions. As for Trump, he said he was going to build a wall along the southern border which

THE LEADER PUZZLERS.

is 1,954 miles long. During his four years in office, he built 458 miles of primary and secondary border barriers. “Mexico is going to pay for it.” We got exactly zero pesos.

Well, everyone has his or her own opinion on what to do (but with few specific solutions). As for my opinion, I am rather hard-nosed about what to do. Roe v. Wade is not a debate over how best to cross the Rio. I’m not, “I’m aboard, so pull up the gangplank.” Rather, “Do whatever intelligently it takes to let in those we want and keep out the others.” In my somewhat checkered career as a journalist I have seen people standing in the heat (Lima, Peru) and freezing in the snow (Bucharest, Romania) outside U.S. consulates, holding their tattered documents, trying to apply to come here legally. Do we tell them, “The first rule in America is that you don’t have to obey the rules?”

So I suggest we hire North Korea to handle border security and hire the Dutch to track down those already here illegally.

Ashby is legal at ashby2@ comcast.net

Answers found in this week’s Classified section

SUDOKU

ACROSS

1. Mandela’s party 4. Gives up territory 9. Yellow edible Indian fruit 11. Storefront coverings 14. King of Huns 15. Atomic #18 16. Jive talk for ignored 18. D. Tartt’s third novel 23. Three-toed sloth 24. Gained through effort 25. Macaw’s genus 26. Helps little firms 27. A large group of pheasants 28. Baby bed 29. English dictionary (abbr.)

30. Yellow-fever mosquitos 32. Liquify 34. Add a supplement 38. Insistence on traditional correctness 39. Milk, butter & cheese 40. = to 10 amperes 43. Mined mineral 44. Greek god of war 45. Don’t know when yet 48. Fellow 49. Detailed criteria for a piece of work

50. Special Spanish dish 53. Atomic #46 54. CBS This Morning hostess 56. Rubber tree genus 58. Pa’s partner 59. A tiny bubble in glass 60. Lost light 63. Surface boundary 64. Islands 65. = to 1/100 yen

DOWN

1. Subside in intensity 2. __ Hale, Am. revolutionary 3. Leafstalk herbaceous plant 4. Price of a ride 5. 1/2 an em 6. Execute or perform 7. Narrative poems 8. Breathe deeply and heavily 10. 1/40 inch button measure 11. Morally reprehensible person 12. For instance 13. Members of U.S. Navy 17. Crown 19. Old English 20. Libyan dinar 21. Goddess of the

rainbow 22. Catch 26. Fern spore mass clusters 28. Music disc 30. All without specification 31. -__, denotes past 32. A young canine 33. Biblical Sumerian city 34. __ Hitler 35. Marched in a procession 36. Patchy in color 37. Trauma center 38. Time after midday 40. The expanse of a surface 41. Develops into 42. Equally 44. 4th month (abbr.)

45. Nervous & taut 46. Emits blood 47. Assert without proof 49. Saturates in liquid 50. No. Italian river 51. Article 52. Mayflower cooper John 54. Filippo __, Saint 55. Begetter 57. Old Dominion state 61. Raised railroad track 62. Point midway between N and E

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Wednesday, March 20, 2024 • PAGE 5

What’s goin’ on?

MARK GARAY Columnist

By Mark Garay MARKGARAY426@GMAIL.COM

“And I try / Oh my God, do I try / I try all the time / In this institution / And I pray / Oh my God, do I pray / I pray every single day / For a revolution“ 4 Non Blondes, “What’s Going On” She was remarkably mean. A rough-edged, middle-aged woman who always wore sunglasses and was prone to donning sad little sundresses. She constantly smacked her gum as if chewing were an unpleasant chore that demanded to be shared.

Her teeth were yellow. Her mood was always dark. And she talked down to us as though we were idiots. She had a complete lack of empathy and the depth of her indifference was a modern marvel.

Granted, fifth-graders aren’t always the best at remembering the rules, such as they were in 1975.

And that type of thinking led to this wicked woman changing my life forever.

It was a hazy day as our school bus sliced through the city traffic to transport

us from the east side to the west. The rules were basic, and often broken with impunity. Among the most mentioned was to stay seated and not to lean forward.

This rule was inconvenient because it limited our ability to flirtatiously switch seats and throw the Nerf ball around. We were six blocks from my stop where my mom was waiting. In an instant, the lights went out, and then flickered back on.

When I finally shook the cobwebs, I saw a curious white bug on the top aluminum bar across the seat in front of me. As I discovered it wasn’t a bug, my friend asked me if I was ok. The bus had stopped short, and the impact of my face on the metal bar had not only knocked me unconscious, but had cracked my front right tooth. When the other kids noticed and told the bus driver that my mouth was bleeding, she looked back at me at the next stop sign. She paused, lowered her glasses and simply said, “Tough”.

I stumbled off the bus, and told my mom what had happened. I had no choice.

But I waited till the bus left, before my mom could scream at the bus driver in front of my friends. We went home and she did what most 4’11” Italian women do when tested like that. She made pasta and plotted justice.

Six months later, I found myself in a courtroom. Since her maiden name was Bacigalupi and

not Corleone, I guess she didn’t have the “muscle” for the traditional Italian movie justice. So she went mainstream, Bacigalupi v The San Francisco Unified School District. For some reason, civil court proceedings back then happened at City Hall. It was cool to miss school, but I had to endure this ugly stainless steel band wrapped around what was left of my front tooth. I looked like a skinny, white, prepubescent Mike Tyson.

I got bored during the court sessions. So I explored City Hall by just walking into the offices unannounced and saying hello. And on one occasion, I landed in the office of Mayor George Moscone. I don’t recall why his secretary let me in, but I remember him smiling as he introduced himself. Not a hint of arrogance. No dismissive tone.

No condescending rhetoric or “I gotta get back to work”. I stayed for about 30 minutes. He tried to explain city government to an 11-year-old. I told him my Italian mom was suing his city. Turns out he lived in a ritzy area called St. Francis Woods, not far from my modest home. During our goodbyes, he handed me a large autographed poster depicting the engineering plans for an old-time cable car. It still hangs in my bedroom.

Two years later, I was in Social Studies class when the principal called a fellow student to the office. That

student was John Moscone.

And he left the classroom that day to find out that his father, the mayor, my halfhour friend, had been shot and killed. I didn’t know John. But I remembered his dad. A disgruntled city supervisor (councilman) had snuck a handgun into City Hall and killed both the mayor, and another city supervisor, Harvey Milk.

Political differences had boiled over. Insecurities set ablaze. And in the end, the city exploded into riots and burned police cars.

Political conflict is as old as civilization. And when people say it’s more incendiary now than it’s ever been, I scoff. The truth is, America has never left me hungry. Adequate housing has always been available to me. I’ve got warm clothes if need be. When I’m sick, there’s always been a licensed doctor close by. I’ve had suitable transportation. And school was an automatic part of my life.

People like to call our governance a great experiment, fragile and vulnerable. I disagree. Democracy is not just working, but after almost 250 years, it works. That in my mind is established fact. We don’t need to continually build it.

Rather we need to maintain it, like a glitzy garden or a ‘57 Chevy. Its value is reflected by the admiration of poorer nations and those who die trying to swim to our freedoms. I doubt any legitimate threat to our nation comes from beyond our

shores. That threat comes from those of us who believe everyone should live a certain way. Whether it be objections to the religious right, or the policies afforded to gay people. The anger over what Trump says or the way Biden seems too old, the rhetoric is more active than a bees’ nest made of cocaine. If America were the greatest song ever, its people would destroy it by arguing over what instruments to use, what tempo to play and which venues to book.

Just today, I saw a news article on how Kanye West’s wife went out shopping without a bra. So? There are way too many places to get angry these days. If Kanye’s wife’s breasts get attention, is it any wonder that agreeable opinions might run a little twisted?

People are correct when they say the American media is biased. But not all of it. As in most other things, the truth lies somewhere in between. And democracy allows us to believe what we believe, regardless of why. The troubling part is how organizations that call themselves news operations are awfully bad at presenting news fairly. Events are ignored if embarrassing. Details reserved if inconvenient to an overall agenda. And facts get twisted like French pastries. This is nothing new. But here’s my point: we need to start asking ourselves why.

Why am I so angry about

this development? Why am I so angry that so many fellow Americans don’t agree with me? Why is it that I feel no one is listening to me? Is my aggression related to anything I might be misinterpreting? If I share this country with that guy, and we both value our principles and patriotism, should I really treat him that way? Am I being hypocritical? Am I acting inappropriately?

Everyone wants a happy life. And many Americans have great lives. In fact, it’s often those of us with great lives who are doing the loudest shouting. Poor people are too busy trying to walk another day.

A cursory peek at our national headlines includes utter strife in Gaza. Heavy casualties in Ukraine. An unhinged man killed three family members in New Jersey. All have or will be blamed on someone representing an opposing political view.

George Moscone was a good mayor, even though my mom hated Democrats.

I found him warm personally . And what happened to him is still with me today. In the end, we won our lawsuit against the school district. But the award barely covered the dental costs and lawyers fees.

We broke even.

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

The Grand Kyiv to perform 'Giselle' at Stafford Center on March 20 Community Reports The Grand Kyiv ballet company, consisting of 35 dancers from the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odessa, will perform the classic ballet “Giselle” at the Stafford Center, 10505 Cash Road, on Wednesday, March 20, beginning at 7 p.m.

The production will showcase principal dancers Kateryna Kukhar and Oleksandr Stoianov, who both hail from the National Opera of Ukraine. The couple, who are married with two children, now call Seattle their temporary home due to the conflict in Ukraine.

According to a press release, Kukhar was in Berlin

with her students from the Kyiv State Ballet College for a competition, where they won medals for Ukraine, when the war began two years ago. Meanwhile, Stoianov was in France, preparing for their final performance in Menton. The couple spent weeks helping to evacuate 30 dancers and their families from Ukraine, according to the release.

“Giselle,” composed by Adoolph Adam, recounts the tale of Giselle and the Willis, young unmarried girls betrayed by their lovers who meet their untimely demise.

Overwhelmed by sorrow and anger, they transform into the malevolent Willis, seeking retribution and settling

scores.

The Grand Kyiv will donate a portion of the proceeds from the event will be directed towards the renovation efforts of the Kyiv State Choreographic College.

The company has performed at numerous prestigious venues around the globe, including the Opera National de Paris, Bunka Kaikan in Tokyo, and the National Opera in Oslo.

The Stafford Center performance is the only Houston-area performance during the group’s world tour. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at staffordcentre.com or by calling the Box Office at 281-208.-6900.

The Grand Kyiv ballet company, featuring principal dancers Kateryna Kukhar and Oleksandr Stoianov, will perform “Giselle” at the Stafford Centre on March 20. Courtesy Grand Kyiv Ballet

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THE STAR

See us online www.FortBendStar.com

Wednesday, March 20, 2024 • PAGE 7

Medical students and residents to be trained at Richmond facility under agreement Staff Reports The Ibn Sina Foundation, OakBend Medical Center, and Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (SHSU-COM), along with Fort Bend County Judge KP George and Precinct 4 Commissioner Dexter McCoy, on March 12 announced a new clinical partnership to train medical students and residents in Fort Bend County, at a press conference at the OakBend Medical Center in Richmond.

Beginning in August 2024, the Ibn Sina Foundation and OakBend Medical Center will partner with SHSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine to train third- and fourth-year medical students in Fort Bend County. The partnership will also develop new graduate medical education programs in primary care medicine.

“For the past 24 years, Ibn Sina Foundation clinics have provided preventative and primary health services to more than 1.2 million low-income, uninsured, and medically underserved families in Greater Houston,” a press release states.

“Named after the eleventhcentury Persian physician and philosopher widely regarded as the father of early modern medicine, the non-profit foundation has provided integrated preventive and primary care at affordable prices to all who seek it, treating every individual with dignity and respect.”

“The region needs to establish a pipeline of local students who want to remain in Fort Bend County and the larger region to practice medicine.

Without more doctors, we will not meet our mission of providing care to every person who needs care, regardless of their ability to pay,” Nasruddin Rupani, founder and chairman of the Ibn Sina Foundation, said in the release.

OakBend Medical Center was founded in 1950 as Polly Ryon Memorial Hospital.

The name was changed to OakBend Medical Center in 2004 and has expanded to three campuses. OakBend Medical Center is the last remaining independent non-profit hospital in the Greater Houston area, according to the release.

“Our mission to provide exceptional, compassionate health care for our community, regardless of ability to pay, hinges on having the medical staff to provide care for our growing community.

This partnership to train students and residents at our facilities is part of our long-term commitment to Fort Bend County,” OakBend Medical Center CEO Joe Freudenberg said.

“SHSU-COM trains students in clinical sites in rural, urban underserved, and community-based settings where there is a need for primary care physicians.

Clinical partnerships are integral to osteopathic medical education,” said Thomas J. Mohr, DO, Dean of SHSU-COM. “The Ibn

Officials of Ibn Sina Foundation, OakBend Medical Center, and Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine sign an agreement for a clinical partnership to train medical students and residents in Fort Bend County last week.

Courtesy Office of Fort Bend County Judge KP George

Sina/OakBend clinical training region of Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine is a collaboration that will leverage the strengths of each partner aligned with their shared missions to expand access to high-quality healthcare for those in need. “ Initially, the Ibn Sina Foundation explored the creation of a new osteopathic medical school to train physicians who would

serve these populations in Greater Houston, according to Rupani. Following a year-long investigation, the decision was made to partner with Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine to place medical students in Fort Bend County. SHSU-COM opened in 2020 and will graduate its inaugural cohort of future physicians in May 2024. The Foundation’s focus in the partnership is to establish a clinical train-

ing region where student doctors are educated while simultaneously serving an area in critical need of healthcare workers.

“It’s a win-win scenario for each of our organizations,” Mohr said. “OakBend Medical Center and Ibn Sina Clinics provide a range of excellent healthcare services including primary care, emergency medicine, women’s health, mental health services and others and will provide medical

education opportunities under the guidance of clinical preceptors. Our student doctors assigned to the Ibn Sina/OakBend clinical training region will move to Fort Bend County for their final two years of medical school and become embedded in the community. We hope they will set down roots and decide to stay when their training is complete, thus providing a pipeline for future healthcare providers.”

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

OREO

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

713.370.3600

Hello my name is Oreo!

I am an energetic cat that loves to play with my toys!

I also like to lay on laps and PUR all day!

Stop by the Houston Humane Society and consider making Oreo a part of your family! ADOPT OREO!

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

“Great is The Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.”

- PSALM 145:3

FORTBENDSTAR.COM

THE STAR

PAGE 8 • Wednesday, March 20, 2024

See us online www.FortBendStar.com

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

FOR NON-PROFIT EVENTS

ONGOING HOPE FOR THREE TEEN HUDDLE Is revving up for its annual Car Wash for Kids sponsored by Sugar Land Baptist Church and OCuSOFT on Sunday, April 7th, at C & C Dental, 17003 SWF, Sugar Land from 10 am to 2pm. Student volunteers promote awareness, acceptance, and inclusion for their autistic peers.

Donations from this FREE, Eco-friendly, waterless car wash impact local families. This Eco-friendly car wash is free, but donations are welcome.

Ready to lend a hand? We need volunteers ages 12 and over. Choose from two shifts or stay all day. Volunteer now and be part of something meaningful. Register today at www.hopeforthree. org/events.

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.

NO HOCUS POCUS IN MUSIC MAGIC CLASS FOR 6 & 7-YEAR-OLD BOYS! Young boys need music in their life for mental, physical and emotional growth and the best place to receive quality music instruction is with the Fort Bend Boys Choir of Texas! They offer Music Magic, an eight-week music enrichment class for six and seven-year-old boys. The Fort Bend Boys Choir of Texas, currently in its 42 nd season, brings music alive with the use of movement, musical games, singing and other child-centered activities. Boys learn about pitch matching and rhythm awareness in addition to developing large muscle coordination, increased focus and better musicianship. Music Magic helps boost brainpower, sparks creativity and forges strong connections with others. No auditions are necessary for the class – just a love of music and singing! Serving as Music Magic director is Founder and Artistic Director William R. Adams who leads this class on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 p.m. – 7:15 p.m., beginning March 19 and ending May 14 at the First United Methodist Church Missouri City, 3900 Lexington Blvd., Missouri City. Music Magic will then sing at the Fort Bend Boys Choir’s annual Spring Concert on Saturday, May 18! Classes are limited in size so please call the choir office at (281) 240- 3800 to pre-register or visit their Music Magic web page at https://fbbctx.org/our- programs/music-magic/.

Be sure to stop by their Facebook page for the latest on the Fort Bend Boys Choir's Music Magic class and the organization's public performances.

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.

FBJSL IS ACCEPTING CAF GRANT APPLICATIONS 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.

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

THE SANCTUARY FOSTER CARE SERVICES 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

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 281785-7372 for more information.

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, nonpolitical, 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.

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 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!

MISSOURI CITY AARP CHAPTER 3801 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.

Have a Non Profit?

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F O R T B E N D S TA R.C O M • 713-371-3600