Four FBISD students named corporatesponsored National Merit scholars
Community Reports
Four Fort Bend ISD students recently were announced as corporate-sponsored National Merit scholarships winners by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC®), according to a press release from the district.
The FBISD students are:
• Owen J. Chen, Clements High School, Probable career field: Computer Science
• Preston C. Keen, Elkins High School, Probable career field: Biochemistry
• Rudransh B. Pathak, Clements High School, Probable career field: Computer Science
• Gabriel L. Xiong, Clements High School, Probable career field: Computer Science
Funding for these National Merit Scholarships is provided by corporate organizations that represent nearly all sectors of American industry.
Chen’s scholarship is funded by Aspen Technology, Inc. and Keen’s by Air Liquide America. Fluor and Chevron provided scholarship funds for Pathak and Xiong, respectively.
Amounts of the awards are not disclosed but can range from $1,000 to $10,000 with most awards set to renew for up to four years of college.
This is the first announcement of the 2025 National Merit Scholars by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. The second announcement of scholarship winners is expected on May 7, 2025, the third announcement will come out June 4 and the final group of winners will be announced July 14.
High school juniors entered the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program when they took the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®). This served as the initial screening.
In September 2023, more than 16,000 semifinalists who were identified as the highest scorers were designated from across the nation. They make up less than one percent of all senior high school students in the country.
To become a National Merit Scholarship winner, semifinalists had to complete a detailed application, which included writing an essay, plus providing information about their extracurricular activities, awards, and leadership positions. Semifinalists also had to be recommended by a high school official and earn SAT® or ACT® scores that confirmed their high performance on the qualifying test.
By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
A years-long battle over Fort Bend County voting precincts took a new and acrimonious turn last week as commissioners and the county attorney sparred over which legal firm should be hired to consult in the drawing of precinct lines.
The April 22 meeting of Commissioners Court saw some of the sharpest words in many months as commissioners revisited an item that had been held over from a previous meeting. At that March 28 meeting, a divided court failed to approve an item to transfer up to $60,000 to the county’s elections office dealing with
the redrawing of the county’s voting precinct lines. The item was meant to correct a problem that Texas Rep. Matt Mogan, a Republican whose 26th District includes portions of Fort Bend County, brought to the county’s attention in a letter in February. That letter (published largely unedited by the Fort Bend Star Independent newspaper) said that many of Fort Bend’s voting precincts were illegally under state law because they had too few voters.
In the March meeting, Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers, a Republican, and Precinct 4
AREA HINDUS HOLD VIGIL FOLLOWING KASHMIR ATTACK
By Juhi Varma SPECIAL TO THE STAR
Editor’s note: Kashmir is a politically disputed territory that straddles parts of India and Pakistan. Disputes over the territory, which include large populations of Hindu and Muslim adherents, date back as least to the 1947 partition of the Indian subcon-
tinent following British colonial rule. Islamism is a political ideology that is distinct from the Muslim faith. Fort Bend County includes a large South Asian population which includes both Hindus and Muslims, as well as other members of other faith traditions.
On Saturday, April 26, more than 300 members of Fort Bend County’s Hindu community gathered at Sugar
Land Memorial Park to hold a solemn vigil in response to the recent terrorist attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir, where 26 men were murdered, and more than 20 others were injured.
Held at the 40-foot Remembrance Tower, the vigil served as a call for unity and vigilance.
“The dead do not ask for our tears alone,” said Yajat Bharghav, a 22-year-old student at the University of Houston. “They ask for our
but of
not
Fort Bend County commissioners and County Attorney Bridgette SmithLawson exchanged sharp words over the proposed hiring of a law firm in a redistricting issue last week. Here, the commissioners are seen at an earlier meeting. File photo
First Colony library to host Chinese calligraphy call on May 3
Community Reports
In recognition of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Fort Bend County Libraries will host an “Introduction to Chinese Calligraphy” workshop on Saturday, May 3, from 2- 3 p.m., in the Meeting Room of the First Colony Branch Library, 2121 Austin Parkway in Sugar Land.
In this hands-on workshop, Young Audiences of Houston teaching artist Dr. Junrui Garcia will talk about the significance of handwriting in this digital age. Participants will explore why and how some cultures value handwriting and calligraphy and how they can turn daily writing into calligraphy art.
Made possible by the Friends of the First Colony Branch Library, this “You Belong” workshop is recommended for adults and teens
VOTE FROM PAGE 1
Commissioner Dexter McCoy had a very heated exchange as McCoy enquired about the reasons for the budget transfer. When McCoy told Meyers he didn’t “understand where the energy is coming from.” Meyers responded sharply by asking “Do you really want to go there?”
Two years ago, Meyers sought unsuccessfully some changes to precinct lines that would move his residence he owns in the Sugar Creek subdivision of Sugar Land back into Precinct 3, which he has served since the early 1990s. The residence had been moved out Precinct 3 in the highly contentious 2021 precinct map that a new Democratic majority put forward and passed following the 2020 Census.
Ultimately, the item in the March 28 meeting was tabled, although County Judge KP George, a Democrat, voted with Republicans Meyers and Precinct 2 Commissioner Vincent Morales, surprising many courtroom observers.
(Jared Woodfill, and attorney who is representing George in several criminal cases, later cited that vote to reporters as one of the reasons a “faction” of the county’s Democratic Party has turned against him, resulting in his indictment on a felony money laundering case.)
At the April 22 meeting, two competing items were
Young Audiences of Houston teaching artist Dr. Junrui Garcia will present an “Introduction to Calligraphy” workshop at the First Colony Branch Library in Sugar Land on May 3. Courtesy Fort Bend County Libraries
aged 13 and up. The program is free and open to the public. Seating is limited, however, and reservations are required. To register online at the library’s website (www.fortbendlibraries.gov),
on the agenda. The first, presented by Meyers, would have allowed the county to spend up to $30,000 to hire Tony McDonald, a Dallasarea lawyer, to consult on the redistricting effort. The second, presented by County Attorney Bridgette SmithLawson, called for spending up to $50,000 to hire a Houstonbased firm, Brasil & Dunn.
When Meyers’ item came up for a vote, McCoy asked whether the two items could be combined into one. Meyers adamantly refused, saying he wanted to press forward with his item alone. Smith-Lawson said she had no problem with her item being considered separately. George seconded Meyers’s motion, and Meyers read a lengthy prepared statement on his reasoning.
Meyers said he had consulted with several attorneys and others about the legality of commissioners, and not the county attorney’s office, hiring law firms to consult on redistricting matters, and cited a couple of court precedents. But Smith-Lawson later countered that those cases involved counties that did not have their own standalone county attorney offices, which Fort Bend does. She said that under controlling state law, she had sole authority to choose legal counsel for the commissioners court.
She said that McDonald’s firm, put forward by Meyers, is a “partisan” firm. Online searches by the Fort Bend Star show that the firm in-
click on “Classes & Events,” select “First Colony Branch Library,” and find the program. Participants may also register by calling the library (281-238-2800), or by visiting the library.
deed cites its conservative values on its website and has done a lot of work on behalf of conservative or Republican issues. Conversely, Brazil & Dunn, the firm put forward by Smith-Lawson, has worked on behalf of liberal-learning organizations, according to online searches.
“Commissioner Meyers, I am the lawyer. You are not,” she said.
McCoy said that given the countering information, it may not be legal for the county auditor to confirm the expenditure of funds, and that there might be litigation costs to taxpayers.
George called for a vote, with he and Meyers, who has long been his primary foil on the court, voting to hire the McDonald firm. Republican Morales joined Democrats Morales and Precinct 2 Commissioner Grady Prestage in voting against.
When the item to hire the firm put forward by SmithLawson came up in the agenda, there was motion to approve. As a result, neither firm put forward was hired.
In a later interview, John Oldham, the county’ election administrator, told the Star that his office is prepared to continue the work on redrawing precinct boundaries as an in-house effort. Since voters in Fort Bend County can vote in any precinct within the county, he said he did not foresee any immediate legal issues with regard to precinct lines.
VIGIL FROM PAGE 1
our traditions, without apology, but without falling into collective hatred.”
Dressed in white, the traditional color of mourning, attendees carried Indian and U.S. flags along with signs honoring the victims and calling on local and international leaders to condemn and take decisive action against radical Islamic terrorism.
“Jihadi terror is global – it was on the streets of London (in 2005) and in Paris during the Charlie Hebdo shootings,” said Sunanda Vashisht, a Mumbai-based journalist now residing in Sugar Land. “It is in Bangladesh, England, Sweden – it is everywhere. This radical Islamist ideology is everyone’s enemy.”
What happened on April 22?
According to news reports, on Tuesday, April 22, in Pahalgam, Kashmir, tourists were surrounded by five armed militants. The assailants questioned the tourists about their religion and ordered them to recite the kalima, an Islamic declaration of faith, according to Reuters. Men who would not comply were shot. Female relatives were spared and ordered to return home to recount the incident to their countrymen and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Of the 26 men killed, 24 were Hindu, one was Christian, and one was a local Muslim tourist guide, according to the BBC.
The Resistance Front (TRF) has claimed responsibility for the attack. The TRF is an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Islamist militant organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a UN designated terrorist group which was responsible for the 2008 attacks in Mumbai that resulted in 175 deaths.
What are they saying?
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to “identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backer.”
“Our prayers are with those injured, and our nation’s support for our ally India,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on April 22. “These types of horrific events by terrorists are why those of us who work for peace and stability in the world continue our mission.”
“President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have made one thing clear: the United States stands with India,” said Tammy Bruce, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State at a press briefing on April 25. “We call for the perpetrators of this heinous act to be brought to justice.”
Vice President JD Vance, who happened
to be visiting India with his family at the time, called it a “devastating terrorist attack.” In a Friday press statement, the United Nations Security Council expressed sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims of the terror attack.
Mass exodus of Kashmiri Hindus
Approximately 40,000-45,000 members of the Kashmiri diaspora live in the United States and many in Houston, said Amit Raina, a Fort Bend resident and member of the organization Global Kashmiri Pandit Diaspora. His family was among those who fled Kashmir in 1989–90 when Islamicist militants invaded their valley, using the slogan “flee, convert, or die,” he said.
“Ours is the most peaceful community in the world, the kind of torture, genocide and ethnic cleansing which we had to go through – the Pahalgham massacre is nothing new for my community,” Raina said. “Look at 26/11 in Mumbai, or 9/11, or 7/7 in London, the central evil force behind all these attacks is the same, and that is a radical Islamic Jihad – the mentality, ideology, mindset which is not inclusive, and which doesn’t want others to live their way.”
Raina’s son, Ayansh Raina, and his friend Suridh Bhat created a posterboard chart displaying photos of the 26 men killed in the attack. The boys are students in Katy ISD and Fort Bend ISD.
“Never Again”
Vigils like the one at Sugar Land Memorial Park took place across the United States in the days following the April 22 attack.
“Flee, convert or die – those three dreaded choices – will never happen again,” said Vashisht. Bhargav called the Pahalgham attackers “soldiers of an ancient, bitter ideology.”
“This radical minority interprets Hindu lives as expendable, Kashmir as a battlefield and bloodshed as sacred,” he said. “Any actual Muslim will tell you this is not Islam. This is a political cult draped in religious language as heretical to its own roots as it is deadly to others. Not just the terrorists – but those who support them, house them, fund them – are radicals and they must be exterminated.” The vigil underscored the commitment of the Fort Bend community at large to stand against violence and foster solidarity.
Ashish Agrawal, founder of the local nonprofit Disha USA, urged attendees to remember that their most powerful tool is the right to vote, and participate in local elections to drive policy change. Varma is a freelance writer. She can be reached at juhi.varma@gmail.com.
Post mortem for Toasted Posties
THE KIRBY ICEHOUSE – This is a wonderful spring afternoon and the place is packed with 20-somethings (two guys at the front door are checking for teen-somethings) except for a crowd at one side who seem to be 50 or 60-or-older somethings. They, and me, are Post Toasties, or Toasted Posties, marking the 30th anniversary of the sudden demise of our beloved Houston Post. Yes, it was on April 18, 1995, that, after covering everything from the fall of the Alamo to men on the moon, its own obituary came to be.
The end began for me at 8:50 on that April morning when my wife woke me (I sleep late) with a message: I was to be at an executive meeting in 10 minutes. I arrived after the meeting was over and found a letter from the publisher on the conference table saying The Post was out of business. Armed guards watched over the staff as we vacated the building with our belongings. We were warned that guards were also
Like many of you, I probably spend much more time on social media than is good for me. Since I work in “the media” (whatever that is), it’s actually a part of my job to be engaged in social media, so while I have some excuse, it still can feel very unhealthy from time to time. Very often, those times are right around election season. Even though we’re in an off-year in the national election cycle, there are numerous local elections going on right now, including in Fort Bend County. Many years ago, I worked for a major metropolitan newspaper in the region as an online producer and copy editor. One of my tasks, along with my colleagues in my particular department, was to act as a moderator of the comments from readers on stories on the newspaper’s website. This was around the time that Facebook and Twitter were just beginning to take take off, and legacy media outlets like newspapers were getting into the
Lynn Ashby Columnist
ASHBY2@COMCAST.NET
at the Houston Chronicle, so don’t go there looking for jobs. A few days later, I asked for my mail, but was told not to bother. I went back to the paper again to see if I could sift through the mail and pick up my letters, including a check for $1,400. I was not let through the door. You’re a class act, Chron. But it didn’t have to be this way. The Post was making money, or so the budget printouts showed. Every Tuesday at 3 p.m. I would attend an executives’ meeting when we would go over everything.
Unless someone was cooking the books, the previous year’s budget showed the paper had made $10 million. After the sale, the rumors had it, the publisher, Dean Singleton, received $160 mil-
lion for The Post. Who would pay that much? Hearst and Co., owners of the Chronicle, of course, which would give them a monopoly, and they could raise ad rates – which they did.
But the dealmakers were careful. Hearst did not actually buy The Post. That would have alerted the Justice Department that a monopoly was taking place in Houston. No, Hearst only bought the “assets” of its competitor. We were supposed to believe that one morning Singleton said, “I think I’ll close my largest paper.” And Hearst, who happened to be in the neighborhood, said, “Hey, Deano, can I buy that building and those trucks and Ashby’s desk? Here’s a check for $160 million.”
Michael Landauer, in his excellent history of The Post, noted that the paper was much older than most people gave it credit for. In fact, the earliest publishers of what became The Post in1836 out-ran the advancing army of Santa Anna. That paper was one of many forerunners to The Post that came and went. Regardless, the paper
adopts its history, and it is not hard to figure out why. Gail and Thomas Borden started the Telegraph and Texas Register in San Felipe de Austin while Texas was still a part of Mexico. The paper carried news, ads and legal notices sprinkled with names like James Bonham, Stephen F. Austin and William Barrett Travis, who wrote a letter to the editor ending in “… God and Texas Victory or Death!!” The paper even included the Texas Declaration of Independence signed at Washington on the Brazos. But the paper’s most famous issue included the news of the fall of the Alamo. That same issue included news about Col. James Fannin and his men being ready to face Santa Anna at Goliad. As Sam Houston’s army passed through San Felipe, the Bordens loaded their presses up on ox carts and joined the escape. In Harrisburg, they dumped their presses into Buffalo Bayou and fled to Galveston. The April 14th issue of the paper was still inside the presses when they were dumped, and the move caused the Bordens to miss
what could have been the paper’s biggest story – the Battle of San Jacinto one week later. Incidentally, Gail Borden laid out the City of Houston and dabbled in milk. Over the years the paper changed owners including Julius Watson, who died at the age of 38 of tuberculosis, but he left the paper to his son, Roy, who was 6 years old. It went bankrupt on occasion, once was sold at a public auction (16 Houston papers had already been financial failures) and changed names several times – the Houston Daily Post and (honest) the Chronicle. It merged with the Houston Journal and was called the Houston Daily Post again finally just The Houston Post.
Walter Cronkite got his start as The Post’s correspondent at UT. For 10 years The Post had a paperboy in Alvin who could plop the paper right on the doorstep or maybe clean through the front door – Nolan Ryan. One columnist was W.S. Porter, who later went to prison for embezzlement from previous employment at a bank in Austin and changed his
Swimming in a sea of vitriol
Ken Fountain Editor
KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
comments game, hoping to increase their web traffic. As moderators, we were told, our responsibility was to help “manage” the conversation so that it didn’t go off the rails. Unfortunately, we quickly found this was nigh on impossible. The content management software we used was somewhat clunky, but the real problem was trying to manage the deluge of often vitriolic comments that people made on any number of stories. Some frequent flyers commented on just about every story they could. We had tools to hide certain comments, “ghost” and even outright ban some people who went way over the line of reasonable public discourse. It quickly became a very onerous and dispiriting task, one
my colleagues and I came to dread (we usually did several hours-long moderating shifts per week while also juggling our other responsibilities). Our newspaper wasn’t unique in this regard, and it wasn’t very long before most of them found the resources and effort required really weren’t worth the payoff, and dropped reader comments altogether.
I didn’t realize at the time that I was experiencing just a taste of things to come. As I said, this was around the time that social media was just taking off, and platforms like Facebook and Twitter (er, “X,” as it’s now called) were fairly tame in their content, when people would mostly post about what they were having for lunch and the like. As we have seen in the ensuing years, it wasn’t too long before the social media landscape became much more toxic.
Before taking this role at the Fort Bend Star, I had been away from mainstream newspapers for about a decade, and so had not been involved in the hyperlocal scene in any substantive
way. But the past decade has been perhaps the most divisive period of my lifetime, with social media being one of the primary drivers of that division. I admit that at some points along the way, I became a bit too involved in it myself, despite my best intentions and efforts to refrain from vitriol. If social media is the sea that you swim in, it’s hard not to engage. When I returned to the newspaper world just about two-and-a-half years ago as the editor of the Star, it really was like jumping in with both feet, as well as blindfolded. I had lived in Fort Bend County, but beyond the level of a news consumer, had not really been aware of the local political scene. It took me several months before I felt I had some understanding of the lay of land. One way I did that was to join several of the Facebook forums dedicated to the community as a whole or to specific governmental jurisdictions. And I must say, despite my previous experience in content management and my own personal consumption of social media, I was quickly surprised at
Nonprofits can apply for Hurricane Beryl
Community Reports
much of the behavior that I saw. This has not been restricted to people you’d think of as ordinary citizens. I was particularly surprised at the level of discourse I saw from elected officials, who might strive to seem eventempered while conducting official business at meetings and the like, only to go home and post some extremely vile stuff on social media, often aimed directly at some of their colleagues or even of their own constituents. In the past couple of months or so, I’ve even some of that kind of commentary rachet even further up, to the point that any pretense of civility disappears. As someone who frequently interacts with elected officials or candidates, I sometimes have to wonder which “version” of a particular person I’m speaking to, their public persona or their online one.
In the world we live in today, not only does this kind of behavior often go without much sanction, it’s all too often encouraged. People in respective camps “like” or repost these kinds of comments.
name to O. Henry. Another was William Cowper Brann, who later wrote, “In the year of our Lord, 1891, I became pregnant with an idea. Being at the time chief editorial writer on The Houston Post, I felt dreadfully mortified, as nothing of the kind had ever before occurred in that eminently moral establishment.” He moved to Austin, then to Waco where an irate reader fatally shot him on the street. Gives a new meaning to the journalists’ term “deadline.” William Pettus Hobby started as a clerk at The Post for $1 a day while he was still in high school. He later worked up to be managing editor and, after leaving The Post and eventually becoming governor of Texas, ended up owning the paper. So we raise a toast to the Post Toasties. Oh as for the paper’s seller and closer, Dean Singleton, he was notorious for such dealings, which is why he is known as “the newspaper killer.” His company later went bankrupt. Hehehe.
Ashby posts at ashby2@ comcast.net
The person in question will then go on to “like” or repost these responses, in a seemingly endless feedback loop. I’ve written before about my desire for a return to some semblance of our civil discourse. Sadly, it seems the nation has not heeded my call. But in a place as diverse, on almost every level, as Fort Bend, we really must strive all the more to treat each other with respect. It may be too late for this particular election cycle. But it’s never too late to begin. Election Day is Saturday, May 3, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Information on polling locations (in Fort Bend, voters can cast their ballots at any polling location in the county) can be found at fortbendcountytx. gov/your-county/news/elections-voter-registration/ election-day-polling-locationmay-3rd-2025. The good folks at the League of Women Voters have put together a very helpful Voters Guide, which can be found at lwvtexas.org/fort-bend-county. Get out there and do it. Fountain plays nice at KFountain@fortbendstar.com
disaster loans through May 21
The U.S. Small Business Administration is reminding eligible private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Texas of the May 21, deadline to apply for a low interest federal disaster loan to offset economic injury caused by Hurricane Beryl occurring July 5-9, 2024. The disaster declaration covers the Texas counties of Angelina, Austin, Brazoria, Calhoun, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Hardin, Harris, Jackson, Jasper, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler, Walker, Waller, Washington and Wharton.
not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges.
Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to PNPs providing non-critical services of a governmental nature who suffered financial losses directly related to the disaster. Examples of eligible noncritical PNPs include, but are
EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills not paid due to the disaster.
“SBA loans help eligible small businesses and private nonprofits cover operating expenses after a disaster, which
is crucial for their recovery,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “These loans not only help business owners get back on their feet but also play a key role in sustaining local economies in the aftermath of a disaster.”
The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 3.25% and terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan
disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.
To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba. gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech
no later than May 21, 2025.
Rising Against Hunger
Trinity Church Sugar Land is holding a community event to fight the hunger of the neediest in international locations. Sugar Land area families and residents are welcome to join other volunteers in an incredibly fast-moving, well-organized and rewarding experience, bagging meals for 10,000 people.
The Sunday, May 4 event follows Trinity Church’s highly successful RISE Against Hunger 3-hour melas campaign last October. The people of Trinity Church, friends and other community volunteers were inspired by Pastor Ralph du Plessis words, “God’s blessing comes to us with responsibility to be good stewards. His blessing comes to us but should never stop with us. It should flow through us for the good of others.”
Trinity Church Sugar Land selected the RISE Against Hunger movement as one that aligns well with its resources and objectives. RISE Against Hunger is an international non-profit organization committed to end hunger “by empowering communities, nourishing lives and responding to emergencies.”
Filling 10,000 meal bags in less than 3 hours calls for the joint effort of community volunteers, Trinity Church and the RISE Against Hunger organization. Volunteers provide their time, enthusiasm and care for the hungry. No special training or skills necessary. RISE against Hunger provides the ingredients for each meal, equipment to measure and seal each bags, boxes to pack the bags, and transportation to deliver the meals.
Families and other volunteers in the Sugar Land community are welcome to rise against hunger with the volunteers of Trinity Church Sugar Land, Colony Meadows Elementary School, 4510 Sweetwater Blvd, Sunday, May 4 starting at 9:30.
Trinity Church Sugar Land is a Global Methodist Church community, https://www.TrinityChurchSugarLand.org.
University Branch Library to host lion dance performance on May 3
Community Reports
In recognition of Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Fort Bend County Libraries will host a Chinse Lion Dance performance presented by the USA Shaolin Xiu Culture Center on Saturday, May 3, from 2-3 p.m. at the University Branch Library, 14010 University Blvd on the UH campus in Sugar Land. In addition to the performance, the dancers will explain the traditions and significance of the lion dance for the peoples of the Asian communities.
This event is made possible by the Friends
of the University Branch Library. The performance is free and open to the public. For more information, see the Fort Bend County Libraries website (www.fortbendlibraries.gov), or call the University Branch Library (281-633-5100) or the library system’s Communications Office (281-633-4734).
PARKING INSTRUCTIONS: Park inside the gated lot (VISITOR LOT 4). Bring the parking-ticket stub to the check-out desk inside the library to be validated by library staff. Parking is free if the ticket is validated by the library. Parking outside the gated lot may result in a parking violation from the University of Houston.
Culture Center will perform at the University Branch Library on May 3. Courtesy Fort Bend County Libraries
WORKSHOP
FROM PAGE 1
such events. Participants will receive “Super Sewa Team” stickers, emergency-contact cards, a Super Sewa sack bag, an activity packet, and coloring sheets.
The presentation for adults will last one hour and will focus on specific disaster preparations. Participants will receive a disaster-prep cheat sheet, a document-protecting bag, stress balls, and a certificate of completion.
The schedule of workshops is as follows:
Saturday, May 10 –George Memorial Library (1001 Golfview, Richmond)
o Children’s session: 10:1510:45 a.m.
o Adult session: 11
a.m.–noon
Saturday, May 17 – Sugar Land Branch Library (550 Eldridge)
o Children’s session: 10:15–10:45 a.m.
o Adult session: 11
a.m.–noon
Tuesday, May 20 – First Colony Branch Library (2121 Austin Parkway, Sugar Land)
o Children’s session: 5– 5:30
p.m.
o Adult session: 5:45–7 p.m.
Wednesday, May 21 –Mission Bend Branch Library (8421 Addicks Clodine Road)
o Children’s session: 6:00–6:30 p.m.
o Adult session: 6:45–7:45 p.m.
Saturday, May 24 –University Branch Library (14010 University Blvd, Sugar Land)
o Children’s session: 10:30–11 a.m.
o Adult session: 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Tuesday, May 27 – Cinco Ranch Branch Library (2620 Commercial Center Blvd, Katy)
o Children’s session: 6:00–6:30 p.m. o Adult session: 6:45–7:45 p.m.
Wednesday, May 28 –Missouri City Branch Library (1530 Texas Parkway)
o Children’s session: 6– 6:30 p.m.
o Adult session: 6:45–7:45 p.m.
Thursday, May 29 –Fulshear Branch Library (6350 GM Library Road off Texas Heritage Parkway, north of FM 1092)
o Children’s session: 6– 6:30 p.m.
o Adult session: 6:45–7:45 p.m.
CellCo Partnership and its Controlled Affiliates Doing Business as Verizon Wireless (Verizon Wireless) proposes to collocate wireless communications antennas at a top height of 39 feet on a 44-foot pole tower at the approx. vicinity of 5315 2/3 Crosslakes Boulevard, Missouri City, Fort Bend, Texas 77459, Lat: 29-34-22.2 N, Lon: 95-3431.9 W. Public comments regarding potential effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30 days from the date of this publication to: Trileaf Corp, Trileaf Corp, Jesse Alegria, j.alegria@trileaf.com, 2550 South IH 35, Suite 200, Austin, TX 78704 – 512.519.9388.
Cellco Partnership and its controlled affiliates doing business as Verizon Wireless (Verizon Wireless) proposes to build a 43.9- foot telecommunication pole at the approx. vicinity of 16001 2/3 Southwest Fwy, Sugar Land, Fort Bend County, TX, 77479. Public comments regarding potential effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30 days from the date of this publication to: Trileaf Corp, Jesse Alegria, j.alegria@trileaf.com, 7700 W. Highway 71, Suite 200, Austin, TX 78735, 512-519-9388.
Space Cowboys pull away from Tacoma to clinch series 8-3
Community Reports
TACOMA, WA – Runs in four consecutive innings, a four-hit game from César Salazar and three extra-base hits from Shay Whitcomb allowed the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (13-14) to deliver the knockout blow over the Tacoma Rainiers with an 8-3 series-clinching win on Sunday afternoon at Cheney Stadium.
For the third time in the series, Sugar Land launched a first-inning home run as Whitcomb whacked a 406-foot solo shot to give the Space Cowboys an early 1-0 lead.
RHP Aaron Brown sat down the first four batters he faced but allowed a solo home run to Austin Shenton in the second and two more solo homers in the third as Sugar land fell behind, 3-1.
Sugar Land responded in the fourth as Jésus Bastidas drew a walk and Salazar scorched a double into the left-center gap, scoring Bastidas from first and cutting the deficit in half.
tried to throw out Sacco stealing second, allowed Corona to score from third as the Space Cowboys stretched their advantage to 6-3.
LHP Brandon Walter relieved Brown in the fifth and spun a scoreless frame before setting the Rainiers down in order in the home half of the sixth.
Sugar Land posted its third consecutive two-run inning in the seventh.
contests.
· Brice Matthews homered in the fifth inning, his third of the season, and second of the series against Tacoma. With a two-run homer, Matthews collected 5 RBI in the series against the Rainiers. He also took a walk in the first, his 19th of the season, tied for fifth in the Pacific Coast League and stole two bases, running his total to 11 on the year.
· César Salazar recorded his first four-hit game of 2025 and his first since April 12, 2022 with the Corpus Christi Hooks. Salazar is the first Space Cowboy to record a four-hit game this season.
AmeriCorps is a federal agency for national service and volunteerism.
Fort Bend County Health & Human Services is the principal agency for protecting the health of county residents and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves.
Sewa International is a nonprofit Hindu faith-based, humanitarian service organization registered under Internal Revenue Code 501 (c)(3). The organization specializes in disaster relief and rehabilitation, with programs focusing on family services; child, tribal, and refugee welfare; women empowerment; health; and education.
The workshops are free and open to the public. For more information, see the Fort Bend County Libraries website (www.fortbendlibraries. gov) or call the library system’s Communications Office (281-633-4734).
Brown maneuvered around two runners in scoring position in the home half, striking out Colin Davis on three pitches with two outs to keep it a one-run game.
The Space Cowboys retook the lead in the fifth as Whitcomb kept the inning alive with a two-out double before Brice Matthews belted a two-run opposite field blast that put Sugar Land up, 4-3.
A lead-off single for Salazar and a double by Kenedy Corona put two runners in scoring position with nobody gone in the sixth. In the ensuing at-bat, Tommy Sacco Jr. lined a single back up the middle, the third consecutive hit of the frame, plating Salazar. A throwing error from Blake Hunt, who
Matthews and Bastidas reached to begin the frame before Matthews stole second and third. Salazar socked a liner into center, his third hit of the day, scoring Matthews, and in the ensuing at-bat, Bastidas advanced 90-feet on a wild pitch and took home on the second throwing error from Hunt, pushing the Space Cowboys’ advantage to 8-3 as Sugar Land plated seven unanswered runs.
Walter faced the minimum in his final three innings of work, locking down the 8-3 win with five scoreless innings and only one hit allowed out of the bullpen.
NOTABLE:
· Shay Whitcomb smashed a home run and picked up two doubles on Sunday, his sixth homer of the season, 13th double and 19th extra-base hit of the season. Whitcomb ranks first in the Pacific Coast League in extra-base hits, second in doubles and tied for third in home runs. Whitcomb is on a three-game extra-base hit streak, with seven over his last three
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
· With a walk in the third, Zack Short extended his onbase streak to 10 games, the longest active streak on the Space Cowboys. Short is tied for first in the PCL in walks.
· Brandon Walter fired five scoreless innings in relief on Sunday after throwing five shutout innings in a start on Tuesday. Walter finished the series with 10.0 innings with 0 runs, four hits, nine strikeouts and no walks.
· Sugar Land posted a scoreless first inning which set a new season-high in consecutive scoreless innings with 17.0, breaking the previous record of 16.0 innings.
· Jésus Bastidas walked twice on Sunday, his second consecutive game with two walks, his first time since August 6-7, 2024 against the El Paso Chihuahuas. After a season-long 12-game road trip, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys headed home for a six-game series against the Round Rock Express. This article is provided by the marketing office of the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, and is used by permission.
Drymalla Construction Company, LLC (CM at Risk) is soliciting Qualifications/ Proposals from Subcontractors/Suppliers for the Lamar Consolidated ISD Campus #8 – Infrastructure – GMP 4 – FM 359 Turn Lanes and Traffic Signals. Project consists of widening and development of traffic lanes on FM 359 and traffic signals on FM 359 and Tiger Run Boulevard, including subgrade development, paving, pavement markings, traffic signals and related work. The scope of work is defined by the drawings and specifications issued. Qualifications/Proposals are due at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, May 20, 2025, at the offices of Drymalla Construction Company, LLC, 608 Harbert, Columbus, Texas 78934, via fax 979-732-3663, or email to bid@ drymalla.com. NO PHONE BIDS WILL BE ACCEPTED. A virtual preproposal meeting will be held May 1, 2025, at 3 PM. Access to this meeting is included in the Project Manual. For information on how to obtain copies of the Request for Qualifications/Proposal documents call 979-732-5731, or email Sharon Fisher at sfisher@drymalla.com.
Answers found in this week’s Classified section
Lion dancers from the USA Shaolin Xiu
Donations for community arts and craft swap sought through May 15
Community Reports
To encourage creativity and reduce waste through reusing and repurposing, Fort Bend County Libraries will have a Community Arts & Craft Supply Swap on Saturday, May 17, in Meeting Room 1 of the University Branch Library, located at 14010 University Blvd in Sugar Land, on the UH campus.
Through May 15, crafters and artists are encouraged to clean out their craft closets and donate any unwanted craft/art supplies in good, usable condition. Materials should be brought to the second-floor reference desk or to one of the weekly Craft Squad Socials, which take place every Friday, from 2-4 p.m. at the library.
Crafters who bring their unused craft supplies by May 15 will receive special early access (10-11 a.m.) to the Craft Swap on May 17.
From 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on May 17, the Craft Swap is open to everyone, including those who did not contribute supplies during the donation period.
This is an excellent way for anyone thinking about trying a new craft or hobby to pick up start-up materials without investing any money.
Donations are being sought for a community arts and craft supply swap that will be held at the University Branch Library on May 17. File photo
PARKING INSTRUC -
Donated materials should be in good, usable condition. Any unclaimed items will be used in library programs or donated elsewhere.
Examples of accepted craft supplies include yarn, stickers, buttons, fabric, unopened paint, brushes, knitting needles, crochet hooks, pens, markers, stamps, beads, scrapbooking materials, unused craft kits, and coloring books. Please do NOT bring any spray paints or enamels.
The Craft Squad meets weekly on Fridays, from 2-4 p.m., at the library. Anyone who enjoys crafts will have an opportunity to make new crafty friends, learn a new craft or two, and share tips, tricks, and resources with fellow crafters.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information, see Fort Bend County Libraries’ website (www.fortbendlibraries.gov) or call the University Branch Library (281-633-5100).
TIONS: Park inside the gated lot (VISITOR LOT 4). Bring the parking-ticket stub to the check-out desk inside the library to be validated by library staff. Parking is FREE if the ticket is validated by the library. Parking outside the gated lot may result in a parking violation from the University of Houston.
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
AMARO LAW FIRM HOSTING ITS 4TH ANNUAL EASTER IN THE OUTFIELD ON EASTER SUNDAY AT CONSTELLATION FIELD FROM 11:30 A.M.2:30 P.M.
The tradition that brings together families and communities for a day of fun and celebration is a free, fun-for-all ages Easter event. Children will be grouped by age and hunts are scheduled as: Ages 0–3: Hunt begins at 12:30 p.m. (parent-assisted), Ages 4–8: Hunt begins at 1:00 p.m. (children only), and Ages 9–12: Hunt begins at 1:30 p.m. (children only). The hunt will feature raffle drawings, two grand prize winners of $500 each at the conclusion of the hunt, music, face painting, balloon artists, and games. Orion and the Easter Bunny will be featured guests. Concessions will be open for purchase. Parking is free. Space is limited. Register before the event. Tickets will not be available at the gate. Registration and Information: https://amarolawfirm.com/easter-egg-hunt/
CAR WASH FOR KIDS IS APRIL 27TH TEENS RAISE AWARENESS FOR AUTISTIC PEERS
Mark your calendars for an unforgettable day of fun and giving back! Car Wash for Kids is on April 27th and sponsored by Sugar Land Baptist Church and OCuSOFT. The event will take place at C & C Dental, 17003 Southwest Freeway in Sugar Land, from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm Join Hope For Three Teen Huddle and over 100 energetic teen volunteers from around Fort Bend County as they rev up to celebrate Autism Awareness Month and promote acceptance. Student teens from local schools will hand wash your car with an eco-friendly solution—FREE! Donations are encouraged to support local families living with autism. Want to get involved? There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer, donate or sponsor! Come out for a day of community, fun, and making a difference. For more details or autism resources, visit www.hopeforthree.org/events, call 281-245-0640, email events@hopeforthree.org
EMMY-NOMINATED FORT BEND BOYS CHOIR HOLDING AUDITIONS
The Fort Bend Boys Choir is seeking talented young boys who like music and singing. If know of one, encourage him to audition for our award-winning and Emmy-Nominated Fort Bend Boys Choir! No experience is necessary and boys should be around eight years of age or older with an unchanged voice. 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 webpage at www.fbbctx.org or call (281) 240-3800 for more details about auditions. Benefits as a choir member include greater self-esteem and self-confidence, better work ethic and a sense of belonging and community. A boy’s voice has an expiration date so it is important to audition when boys’ voices are still unchanged. Auditions are free!
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.
FOSTER CARE SERVICES
SANCTUARY
THE
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, 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, 832-987-4193, dean7351@gmail.com We just started a new evening club also. Contact me for more info.
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.
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
