From the lights of the Ferris Wheel to the batter of the funnel cakes, the Fort Bend County Fair & Rodeo returns for its 89th annual celebration, packing tradition, entertainment, and community pride into one of the region’s most anticipated events. Scheduled to run from September 26 through October 5, the Fair will kick off with a Sneak Peek Night on Thursday, September 25.
This year’s theme, “Promoting Family, Youth, and Agriculture,” reflects the Fair’s longstanding mission to benefit youth, promote agriculture, and support education.
“We are proud to invite the community to our Fair and give the youth of our county a platform to participate – from livestock shows to creative arts.
“That’s what we’re all about,” said Bobby Poncik, president of the Fort Bend County Fair.
The entertainment lineup will feature headline performances by Cole Goodwin, Wade Bowen, Los Igualados & Los Morales, Maverick Murphy, Josh Weathers, John Foster, Kevin Fowler, and Gene Watson, among others, with performances spread across multiple stages, throughout the fairgrounds. Bag of Donuts and Siggno will entertain crowds during BBQ Weekend. All concerts are included with gate admission.
Several new attractions will debut in 2025. The redesigned Marketplace will offer an enhanced shopping experience, featuring both indoor and outdoor vendors in a more inviting retail environment.
A special “Sip and Shop” event, requiring an additional ticket, will take place on Wednesday, October 1. Families with young children can look forward to a new Kid Zone, located between Buildings “B” and “C,” which will include pony rides, a petting zoo with exotic animals, and interactive agricultural learning stations hosted by the Junior Leadership Council.
Rodeo action remains a cornerstone of the Fair. This year’s schedule includes Ranch Rodeo on opening day, Reunion Rodeo and Team Roping during the first weekend. A new event, the Ladies Invitational Breakaway Roping will debut on Tuesday, September 30. Several of the top WPRA ropers will be in competition. The Chad Thames Memorial Invitational Calf Roping will be held on Wednesday, October 1. PRCA Rodeo Slack begins October 2, followed by full PRCA-sanctioned rodeo performances on October 3, 4, and 5 at the O.D. Tucker Arena.
As a RODEOHOUSTON qualifier, the Fort Bend County Fair Rodeo continues to attract top-tier professional athletes. In 2024, over $150,000 in payouts were awarded.
Redistricting continues after another contentious meeting
By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
The rare, mid-decade redistricting of Fort Bend County’s commissioner precinct lines is proceeding apace after a somewhat raucous specially called Commissioners Court meeting last week and four public hearings held over the weekend and into Monday that gave members of the public a first close-hand look at five maps produced by the Citizens’ Redistricting Advisory Committee. At the September 16 meeting, commissioners again voted along party lines to essen-
tially reverse a prior vote where they adopted the framework behind the advisory committee, reinstating clauses previously excised stating that the redistricting map passed by a then-Democratic majority of the court are in violation of state and federal law. They also, along party lines, voted to remove the office of County Attorney Bridgette Smith-Lawson, from any involvement in the redistricting process, including providing training on state open meetings
HITTING THE ROAD
County launches first mobile pet adoption unit
By Juhi Varma CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Shelter pets now have a new way to meet potential adopters.
On Saturday, Fort Bend County Animal Services (FBCAS) rolled out its first-ever Mobile Pet Adoption Unit to bring adoptable pets directly into the community.
The launch event at Waggin’ Tails Pet Ranch in Fulshear drew local families, animal lovers, and county officials eager to see the new custom-
built, air-conditioned vehicle.
Rene Vasquez, director of FBCAS, said the goal is to spread the word about the new unit and encourage community groups to invite it to their events.
“To get such a cool mobile unit that we’ve wanted for so long –we’ll be able to take these animals throughout Fort Bend County and Houston,” Vasquez said, gesturing toward the dogs lounging comfortably inside the vehicle, enjoying their day out. “If you think that this mo
bile unit would benefit if you’re doing an event, please give us a call.”
Approved by Commissioners Court last year, the mobile unit represents a major step in the county’s efforts to increase adoptions, reduce overcrowding, and connect with residents living far from the Blume Road shelter in Rosenberg.
Because the county shelter on Blume Road is so remote, many residents aren’t even aware of it, Vasquez and County Judge KP George explained. The mobile adop
Adoptable pets relax inside Fort Bend County’s new Mobile Pet Adoption Unit
left: Father Joseph Hazar, pastor of Saint Thekla Church of Richmond; Rene Vazquez, director of FBCAS; Denise Einkauf, owner of Waggin Tales Pet Ranch; County Judge KP George; Maria Alanis-Caireli, public information officer at Fort Bend Health and Human Services. Photo by Juhi Varma
Jacob Lee, at podium chair of the Citizens’ Redistricting Advisory Committee, presents five committee-approved maps during a public hearing at the Missouri City Branch Library. It was one of four meetings held Saturday through Monday.
Photo by Ken Fountain
Addie Heyliger, right, is sworn in by County Court at Law No. 4 Judge Tami Wallace to fill the vacant Position 5 seat of the Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees last week. Courtesy Fort Bend ISD
Sienna Branch Library offers student aid application program on Sept. 27
Community Reports
Fort Bend County Libraries’ Sienna Branch Library will present, “Everyday Essentials: FAFSA 101,” on Saturday, September 27, from 10:30-11:30 a.m., in the Meeting Room of the library, 8411 Sienna Springs Blvd in Missouri City.
Completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is the first step toward receiving federal or state financial aid for college. College-bound high-school students and their parents are encouraged to attend this informative presentation on completing the FAFSA application.
Kathy Rose, executive director of the
FAIR FROM PAGE 1
Notable athletes such as Kade Sonnier, Tanner Tomlinson, Brittany Pozzi Tonnozzi, and Aspen Miller competed at last year’s rodeo and are making their way to the National Finals Rodeo this December. Boyd Polhamus returns as the official voice of the rodeo, with Mo Betta Rodeo providing livestock. The 2025 Miss Rodeo Texas, Reanna Santos, will be in attendance, along with crowd favorite Justin Rumford, 10-time ProRodeo Clown of the Year and host of a top national comedy podcast.
More than 1,500 volunteers, working across more than 50 committees, help bring the Fair to life each year. In 2024, the Fair raised over $1.4 million through its auctions, including the Junior Livestock Auction, School Art Auction, Freezer/Last Draw Sale, and Replacement Heifer Auction. This year, over $250,000 in scholarships were awarded to more than 50 students. Each $5,000 scholarship helps local students attend colleges, universities, and trade schools across Texas.
The Fair also continues its efforts to be inclusive and accessible. The Sensory Calm Down Corral, launched in 2024, will return to offer a quiet, supportive space for children with intellectual and sensory needs. Other inclusive programs include the Old 300 Horse Show, Exceptional Rodeo, Special Citizens Day, and inclusive livestock competitions.
Traditional events remain a highlight of the Fair
PETS FROM PAGE 1
Additionally, in the event of a disaster, the mobile unit can be deployed to rescue and transport up to 20 animals at a time.
“We’d love to see all dogs get a home and not get taken back in the van,” said Denise Einkauf, owner of Waggin’ Tales Pet Ranch. “Also raising awareness. There are amazing dogs for adoption that you don’t have to buy or go to a breeder, that are in the community, that need help, that
TAX
FROM PAGE 1
meeting to fill the Position 5 position that has been vacant since the resignation of former trustee Sonya Brown.
Heyliger is a technology professional with more than 20 years of experience collaborating with senior business executives and technical teams. She currently leads initiatives in business engage-
Sugar Land-based CollegeCommunityCareer nonprofit organization, will provide an overview of the FAFSA-application process, including how to apply and what to expect when applying. She will discuss the types of information will be needed to complete the application, and how to avoid common mistakes. She will also discuss admission practices, scholarships, and more. The program is free and open to the public. For more information, see the Fort Bend County Libraries website (www.fortbendlibraries. gov), or call the Sienna Branch Library (281-2382900) or the library system’s Communications Office (281-633-4734).
Kathy Rose, executive director CollegeCommunityCareer nonprofit organization, will lead a program on completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid at the Sienna Branch Library on Sept. 27. Courtesy Fort Bend County Libraries
experience. The Kickoff Parade will take place on Friday, September 26 at 9 a.m., with Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller serving as Parade Marshal. The 2025 Fair Queen will be crowned during the Fair, with six young women competing for the title. The Pollard family, this year’s Fair Honorees, will be recognized for their decades of service and commitment to the Fair. Military Appreciation Day will be observed on Friday, October 3. From 3-7 p.m., active-duty military members, veterans, and their immediate families will receive free admission at Gate 1 upon presenting a valid military ID, Veteran ID, or DD214. In 2024, the event welcomed nearly 1,000 guests for bingo, live music, and a traditional stew lunch. Other community favorites returning this year include Mutton Bustin’, Lawn Mower and Kart Racing, the Stick Horse Rodeo, Children’s Tractor Pull, Domino Tournament,
are nice dogs. And so my hope is to get more traffic into the shelter.”
Einkauf has served on the FBCAS advisory committee for 14 years.
“Animals are in this world to for us to take care of, and they equally support our wellbeing,” said KP George. “It is my distinct honor to be part of something like this. I wanted to recognize our Commissioners Court, all four other members are 100% on board with this effort.”
Adoption fees range from $10 to $80 and often include
ment, project management and portfolio value delivery.
Heyliger was elected to FBISD’s Board in 2015 and again in 2018, where she served as board president of the from November 2020 through May 2021. She is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., The Links Incorporated, Jack and Jill of America, Inc. and The Fort Bend Church. Heyliger received a
and public information laws, a point that had been fiercely debated during a meeting in August. Under a resolution offered by Republican Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers, only the outside law firm previous hired by the commissioners will have any input on the redistricting process.
Smith-Lawson and her first assistant, Michelle Turner, strenuously objected, arguing that under state law Fort Bend County is one of nine Texas counties where the county attorney’s office has sole authority to advise the county on civil matters. Passing the resolution was therefore illegal, they said, and would put the county in legal jeapordy.
The measure passed 3-1-1.
Democratic Precinct 2 Commissioner Grady Prestage actually made a point of leaving the dais to exit the courtroom, saying the didn’t want to be present for the vote. Democratic Precinct 4 Commissioner Dexter McCoy voted against.
Earlier, during the public comments portion of the meeting, Richard Morrison, one of Prestage’s two appointees to the redistricting committee and a former longtime Democratic member of Commissioners Court, spoke. An attorney, Morrison said he we was concerned that if the committee continued its work without abiding by the Texas Open Meetings Act, the members might be liable for criminal prosecution by the Fort Bend District Attorney’s Office.
Cornhole Tournament, Creative Arts exhibits, and ten livestock shows featuring more than 600 entries from 4-H and FFA participants. From the Diaper Derby to the Horticulture Contest, the Fair offers something for everyone. Food lovers will find a wide range of options throughout the fairgrounds, from traditional treats like turkey legs and corn dogs to local specialties. Food trucks will also be located along the semi-circle near the main fairgrounds. The carnival, operated by Amusement Midway Providers (AMP), will feature rides suitable for thrill- seekers and young children alike.
Attendance is expected to exceed 100,000 visitors over the 10-day event, solidifying the Fort Bend County Fair & Rodeo as one of the premier community events in the region. Season passes, daily tickets, and action seat tickets are on sale now. For tickets, schedules, and additional event details, visit fortbendcountyfair.com.
waived or discounted pricing during community events. All animals are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped.
More information, including the mobile unit’s event schedule, will be available on the FBCAS website and social media channels.
Fort Bend County Animal Services can be reached at 281-342-1512 or via email at AnimalServices@fbctx.gov.
Varma can be reached at juhi.varma@gmail.com.
Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and her Master of Business Administration from Texas Woman’s University. She raised two children in Fort Bend ISD schools and has been a resident of Fort Bend County for more than 20 years.
Schoof was the sole member to vote against Heliger’s appointment.
“does not have an opinion on any matter that may be the subject of a future criminal investigation. It would be improper to do so. Our legal opinion would be fact specific. We don’t know all the facts and could not provide an opinion even if ethical. A prosecutor’s opinion is generally expressed by either filing formal charges, or declining them.”
Also during the public comments portion of the meeting, a woman who said she was from the same Indian ethnic community as George made some remarks about what she believed had been the instigation of the redistricting effort earlier this year. She said that while she had supported George when he was first elected, she was very disappointed in him now.
During her remarks, George attempted to cut her off. When she cited her right to speak under the First Amendment, George told her, “You don’t have a First Amendment right in this courtroom.” That drew an immediate and negative response from the audience, and after briefly conferring with Meyers, George relented and allowed the woman to finish speaking.
from Lee. When McCoy tried to intervene on Roberts’s behalf, they said, Lee responded that there wasn’t enough time to arrange for a virtual link in compliance with state law. In an emailed response to a question from the Star, Lee said, “ Mrs. Roberts notified me that she would be out of town and requested to participate virtually. She received a response in an email chain initiated by Commissioner McCoy. I did not reply directly to her original email but responded in that chain after gathering more information and input from other members of the committee, since our standing rules require that remote participation be voted on by the committee.”
Later in the meeting, after the voting on all the agenda items had taken place, County Judge KP George said he did not want to hear from First Assistant District Attorney Wesley Wittig, who had joined the audience about midway through the meeting.
In a response to an emailed question from the Fort Bend Star, Wittig said that the prosecutor’s office
The September 16 meeting followed a meeting of the redistricting committee held the evening before at the Fort Bend County Historic Courthouse. That meeting, which was legally posted by not published on the county website’s calendar page, had been rescheduled from September 8. During the meeting, Nicole Roberts, one of McCoy’s appointees, was not allowed to participate virtually while on a business trip, as reported by Houston Public Media and confirmed to the Fort Bend Star by Roberts, McCoy, and Jacob Lee, the committee chair appointed by George.
Roberts and McCoy both said that she attempted for several days to arrange via email to participate virtually in the meeting, but did not receive an answer
The five maps that were approved by the committee were designed by individual members using a commonly used redistricting software, which designs maps based on various factors like contiguousness, party competitiveness, protection of incumbents, and the like. Two of the maps, designed by Lee, place one of the county’s major cities in each of the four precincts. Another, designed by vice-chair Robert Beham, is designed to reflect the county’s current party demographic makeup, with one solidly Republican district, two solidly Democratic districts, and two “swing” districts.
The next meeting of the redistricting committee is scheduled for Monday, September 29, according to Lee. As of the Fort Bend Star’s print deadline, it was not yet posted on the county website.
More information the meetings and the proposed maps can be found at the Fort Bend County Redistricting Page on the county’s website, https://gis.fbctx.gov/pages/redistricting2025~44f40a2ea99047d0a5 ae9462da604cbb. Members of the public are able to produce their own maps for consideration by the committee.
A few years ago I hatched a great idea for a book, movie or a TV series. It was about a West Texas high school football team. Had never been done. Then, before my Emmy Awardwinning idea was produced, it was done. Along came “Friday Night Lights” as a book, then a movie, then a TV series. Today the term is used across America for high school football. CBS newsman Bob Schieffer (North Side High School, Fort Worth) once observed, “In Texas, the week begins on Friday nights.” A sports reporter said that if he was a smart burglar in Texas, he’d ply his trade only in the visitor’s towns on fall Friday nights because the populace, including the cops, would be out of town at the high school’s football game.
It’s all about the UIL, so let’s take a look at this massive operation because you are paying for it and deserve to know your tax dollars are facing new and increasing perils. The UIL is the University Interscholastic League, a low-profile but powerful, statewide program that deftly handles our children’s extracurricular activities from marching
Lynn Ashby Columnist
EDITORIAL
Friday Night Flights
ASHBY2@COMCAST.NET
bands to mathematics. Some 1,556 schools participate in athletics, academics or music. I know, everything’s bigger in Texas; so it is that the UIL is the largest organization of its type in the world, but right now we’ll zero in on football. (The old line about the UIL goes: “There are better football programs, but they play on Sunday afternoons.”) It used to be that almost all games were played on Fridays, but with Texas’ huge population growth, many districts share stadiums, so now we see games played on Thursdays and Saturdays, too. But “Thursday Night Lights” doesn’t have the same panache. If the students are not on the field they are in the band, cheerleaders, flag bearers or simply fellow students yelling the ol’ “Two
bits, four bits, etc.” With an eye to the future, Texas is the only state that plays high school football using NCAA football rules. This makes an easier move to the college level. College ranks across the nation are sprinkled if not packed, with players who suited up in Texas high schools. This includes nine Heisman winners – and two individuals who played college football in Texas but did not go to UIL Schools. (Ricky Williams, John David Crow.) Since 2014 Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray have been added.
The UIL only includes public schools, plus two private schools – Dallas Jesuit and Houston Strake Jesuit – schools which are too large to be a part of the private school league, so a state law allowed them to become a part of UIL. This is our first peril. With the proliferation of charter schools and home schooling, where do they fit in? Do they form their own athletic conference? Can the High School for Jocks cherry-pick the biggest and the fastest? (Incidentally, the number of participants in girls flag football more than doubled from 2022-23 to 2023-24. Another inciden-
tally: drones are not allowed over other teams’ practices.)
The schools play in districts according to their enrollment, which makes sense, from several thousand students in 6A down to six-man squads. And, unlike many other states, they all play to a state championship. These games, featuring the very best athletes, are played in huge stadiums before tens of thousands of spectators and, it is a safe bet, many are college scouts, which leads to our second peril: At an NCAA coaches’ convention some years ago, Duffy Daugherty of Michigan State ran into Tommy Prothro of UCLA and berated him. “What are you doing poaching players in my territory?”
To which Prothro replied, “I haven’t even been in Michigan.”
“I’m not talking about Michigan. I’m talking about Texas!”
We now have “Boobie” Feaster who plays football at DeSoto High School, just south of Dallas. In his first two seasons, Feaster caught 89 passes for 1,458 yards and 22 touchdowns, catching nine touchdown passes to help the Eagles win a 2023 state championship.
He had more than 25 college scholarship offers. Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Oregon, Oklahoma and Texas A&M were among them.
The 16-year-old Feaster is choosing USC. (According to The New York Times, which did a huge story on him, his given name is Ethan but his nickname was taken from James “Boobie” Miles, a character in – one guess –“Friday Night Lights.”)
Thus Texans keep fueling other states’ teams. We take these young men at an early age. We hire and pay coaches, build beautiful stadiums, add bands and cheerleaders, bus drivers and booster clubs, and just when these youngsters are ready to pay back, they leave for LSU, OU or, yes, USC. Now we add on NIL, transfer portals and direct pay from the schools. It gets worse. Boobie and his Texas turncoats are generating millions for other, and often competing, schools. We Texans are suffering from unsportsmanlike conduct. We are being taken for suckers.
In recent years the UIL has toyed with where to stage the finals in football so that it is not too far away. That rules out
El Paso and Brownsville. And the stadium has to be covered. So Dallas (AT&T), San Antonio (AlamoDome) and Houston (NRG) fight for the games. How big are these events? The Texas high school football attendance record was broken in 2013 during the Allen vs. Pearland game – 54,347 in attendance; 11-man football attendance: 221,339 (for 10 games) 6-man football attendance: 14,288 (for two games). The role of Texas high school players doesn’t end in college. Leading into the 2025 season, 2,904 players who attended high schools in Texas have played or are currently playing in the NFL. That number may increase this fall when recently drafted players play their first games as pros. Ball High in Galveston leads with 27 grads in the NFL. DeSota has 23. The late Houston sports columnist Mickey Herskowitz wrote: “There must really be something to religion. People keep comparing it to Texas high school football.” Amen. Ashby suits up at ashby2@ comcast.net
Libraries expand hours starting Oct. 6
Community Reports
Fort Bend County Libraries will expand its business hours to include earlier opening times at most locations starting on Monday, October 6. The hours of operation will be as follows:
George Memorial Library, 1001 Golfview, Richmond
• Monday – 9:00 am to 9:00
pm
• Tuesday – 9:00 am to 6:00
pm
• Wednesday -- 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
• Thursday – 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
• Friday/Saturday – 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
• Sunday – 1:00 to 5:00 pm
Albert George Branch Library, 9230 Gene Street, Needville
• Monday – 12:00 noon to 8:00 pm
• Tuesday-Thursday – 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
• Friday – 12:00 noon to 5:00 pm
• Saturday – 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
• Sunday – Closed
• Cinco Ranch Branch Library, 2620 Commercial Center Blvd, Katy
• Monday – 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
• Tuesday – 9:00 am to 9:00 pm • Wednesday – 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
• Thursday -- 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
• Friday/Saturday – 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
• Sunday – Closed
First Colony Branch Library, 2121 Austin Parkway, Sugar Land
• Monday – 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
• Tuesday – 9:00 am to 9:00
pm
• Wednesday -- 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
• Thursday – 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
• Friday/Saturday – 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
• Sunday – Closed Fort Bend County Willie Melton Law Library, 1422 Eugene Heimann Circle, Room 20714, Richmond
Mamie George Branch Library, 320 Dulles Ave, Stafford
• Monday – 12:00 noon to 8:00 pm
• Tuesday/Wednesday/ Thursday – 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
• Friday – 12:00 noon to 5:00 pm
• Saturday – 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
• Sunday – Closed
Mission Bend Branch Library, 8421 Addicks Clodine Road, Houston
• Monday – 9:00 am to 9:00
pm
• Tuesday – 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
• Wednesday -- 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
• Thursday – 9:00 am –6:00 pm
• Friday/Saturday – 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
• Sunday – CLOSED
Missouri City Branch Library, 1530 Texas Parkway
• Monday – 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 pm
• Tuesday – 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
• Wednesday -- 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
• Thursday – 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
• Friday/Saturday – 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
• Sunday – Closed
Pinnacle Senior Center Library, 5525 Hobby Road, Houston
• Monday-Friday – 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
• Saturday/Sunday -- CLOSED
Sienna Branch Library, 8411 Sienna Springs Blvd, Missouri City
• Monday – 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
• Tuesday – 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
• Wednesday – 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
• Thursday -- 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
• Friday/Saturday – 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
• Sunday – 1:00 to 5:00 pm Sugar Land Branch Library, 550 Eldridge
• Monday – 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
• Tuesday – 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
• Wednesday – 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
• Thursday -- 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
• Friday/Saturday – 10:00
am to 5:00 pm • Sunday – Closed
University Branch Library, 14010 University Blvd, Sugar Land • Monday – 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
• Tuesday -- 9:00 am to 6:00 pm • Wednesday -- 9:00 am to 9:00 pm • Thursday – 9:00 am to 6:00 pm • Friday/Saturday – 10:00 am to 5:00 pm • Sunday – Closed For more information, see the Fort Bend County Libraries website (www. fortbendlibraries.gov), or call the branch libraries or the library system’s Communications Office (281-633-4734).
“You don’t have a First Amendment right here.”
That was County Judge KP George, the top elected official in Fort Bend County, speaking to a constituent during the public comment portion of a specially-called meeting of Commissioners Court last week. It was perhaps the most striking moment in a meeting that included many surprising twists and turns. The meeting was just the most recent skirmish in the court’s months-long partisan battle over a rare, mid-decade redistricting of county precinct maps, a hyperlocal mirroring of the nationwide redistricting war going on right now.
The reaction among the audience to George’s comment was immediate and shocked. On the video of the meeting (found online at fortbendcountytx.new.swagit. com/videos/355631), George can be seen conferring with his longtime political nemesis-turned-ally, Republican Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers, before ultimately backing down and allowing the constituent to finish her remarks.
This column will not take a position on the redistricting effort. There’s still a ways to go in that process. But both out of a personal and professional interest, I do want to address George’s seemingly ad hoc ruling that the First Amendment didn’t apply in Commissioners Court.
As it happens, George’s remark came during a week when the First Amendment
Turning back the tide
Ken Fountain Editor
– which, if you’re of a certain age you’ll remember from your high school civics class guarantees among other things freedom of speech and the press – was very much in the news. Almost (but not quite) all of that discussion stemmed from the September 10 assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was famous for using his own First Amendment rights to express many viewpoints that were controversial but also gained him a massive following, especially among young people. A suspect in the killing is in custody and has been charged. I’ll be honest: while I knew of Kirk, I didn’t really know all that much about him. If you work in the media, you pretty much have to pay close attention to social media, especially politically oriented social media, and in recent years that made it pretty much impossible not to know about Kirk. But the discourse of so-called “influencers” has never been my favorite type of political discussion, and so I’d never done a very deep dive into the things he had to say. But I will say this, unequivocally: whatever you thought about Kirk or his viewpoints,
there is absolutely no reason that he should have been killed for expressing them. And that goes for anyone, of any political stripe. In a democracy, especially in the United States of America, which has long been considered the greatest democracy in the world, there is no room for political violence.
Given the times, when even changes to a restaurant chain’s logo can lead to a national partisan brouhaha, it was inevitable that Kirk’s assassination would lead to yet another one. But, given my own admitted ignorance of the depth of Kirk’s influence, I was surprised at how quickly the online battle turned very, very ugly. (Given the times, I probably shouldn’t have been.) In my own social media circles, I watched people from both ends of the political spectrum express some very hateful things. As I expressed in a post of my own, Kirk’s death happened just one day before the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, which were followed by an all-toobrief moment when everyone could agree that we are all Americans.
The repercussions have been swift and sharp. People across the country have lost their jobs, often at the behest of senior members of the Trump Administration. In Fort Bend ISD, at least one teacher apparently was fired. That teacher had not only expressed views critical of Kirk, but had suggested in one posting that another highly influential conservative on social
NOTICE OF APPLICATION AND PRELIMINARY DECISION FOR TPDES PERMIT FOR INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER
RENEWAL Permit No. WQ0003985000
APPLICATION AND PRELIMINARY DECISION. Hudson Products Corporation, 9660 Grunwald Road, Beasley, Texas 77417, which operates Hudson Products Corporation Beasley Plant, an industrial products manufacturing plant that produces air cooled heat exchangers and fiberglass fan blades, has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for a renewal of Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) Permit No.WQ0003985000, which authorizes the discharge of process wastewater, utility wastewater, stormwater runoff and previously monitored effluent (treated domestic wastewater) from Outfall 001 at a daily average flow not to exceed 360,000 gallons per day. The TCEQ received this application on July 26, 2023.
The facility is located at 9660 Grunwald Road, near the City of Beasley, Fort Bend County, Texas 77417. This link to an electronic map of the site or facility’s general location is provided as a public courtesy and is not part of the application or notice. For the exact location, refer to the application. https://gisweb.tceq.texas.gov/LocationMapper/?marker=95.958888,29.480277&level=18
The effluent is discharged to Turkey Creek, thence to San Bernard River Above Tidal in Segment No. 1302 of the BrazosColorado Coastal Basin. The unclassified receiving water uses are minimal aquatic life use for Turkey Creek. The designated uses for Segment No. 1302 are primary contact recreation, public water supply, and high aquatic life use.
The TCEQ Executive Director has completed the technical review of the application and prepared a draft permit. The draft permit, if approved, would establish the conditions under which the facility must operate. The Executive Director has made a preliminary decision that this permit, if issued, meets all statutory and regulatory requirements. The permit application, Executive Director’s preliminary decision, and draft permit are available for viewing and copying at Fort Bend County Libraries, Administration Office, 1003 Golfview Drive, Richmond, Texas.
ALTERNATIVE LANGUAGE NOTICE. Alternative language notice in Spanish is available at https://www.tceq.texas.gov/ permitting/wastewater/pending-permits/tpdes-applications. El aviso de idioma alternativo en español está disponible en https://www.tceq.texas.gov/permitting/wastewater/pending-permits/tpdes-applications.
PUBLIC COMMENT / PUBLIC MEETING. You may submit public comments or request a public meeting about this application. The purpose of a public meeting is to provide the opportunity to submit written or oral comment or to ask questions about the application.Generally, the TCEQ will hold a public meeting if the Executive Director determines that there is a significant degree of public interest in the application or if requested by a local legislator. A public meeting is not a contested case hearing.
OPPORTUNITY FOR A CONTESTED CASE HEARING. After the deadline for public comments, the Executive Director will consider the comments and prepare a response to all relevant and material, or significant public comments. The response to comments, along with the Executive Director’s decision on the application, will be mailed to everyone who submitted public comments or who requested to be on a mailing list for this application. If comments are received, the mailing will also provide instructions for requesting a contested case hearing or reconsideration of the Executive Director’s decision. A contested case hearing is a legal proceeding similar to a civil trial in a state district court.
TO REQUEST A CONTESTED CASE HEARING, YOU MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS IN YOUR REQUEST: your name, address, phone number; applicant’s name and proposed permit number; the location and distance of your property/activities relative to the proposed facility; a specific description of how you would be adversely affected by the facility in a way not common to the general public; a list of all disputed issues of fact that you submit during the comment period; and the statement “[I/we] request a contested case hearing.” If the request for contested case hearing is filed on behalf of a group or association, the request must designate the group’s representative for receiving future correspondence; identify by name and physical address an individual member of the group who would be adversely affected by the proposed facility or activity; provide the information discussed above regarding the affected member’s location and distance from the facility or activity; explain how and why the member would be affected; and explain how the interests the group seeks to protect are relevant to the group’s purpose.
Following the close of all applicable comment and request periods, the Executive Director will forward the application and any requests for reconsideration or for a contested case hearing to the TCEQ Commissioners for their consideration at a scheduled Commission meeting. The Commission may only grant a request for a contested case hearing on issues the requestor submitted in their timely comments that were not subsequently withdrawn. If a hearing is granted, the subject of a hearing will be limited to disputed issues of fact or mixed questions of fact and law relating to relevant and material water quality concerns submitted during the comment period. TCEQ may act on an application to renew a permit for discharge of wastewater without providing an opportunity for a contested case hearing if certain criteria are met.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ACTION. The Executive Director may issue final approval of the application unless a timely contested case hearing request or a timely request for reconsideration is filed. If a timely hearing request or request for reconsideration is filed, the Executive Director will not issue final approval of the permit and will forward the application and requests to the TCEQ Commissioners for their consideration at a scheduled Commission meeting.
MAILING LIST. If you submit public comments, a request for a contested case hearing or a reconsideration of the Executive Director’s decision, you will be added to the mailing list for this specific application to receive future public notices mailed by the Office of the Chief Clerk. In addition, you may request to be added to: (1) the permanent list for a specific applicant name and permit number; and (2) the mailing list for a specific county. If you wish to be placed on the permanent and the county mailing list, clearly specify which list(s) and send your request to
media should also be shot. Just to be clear: there’s absolutely no place for that kind of suggestion, especially by someone who has influence over young minds.
This all came to a crescendo on September 17 when ABC “suspended” the talk show of Jimmy Kimmel, a staple of the network for more than two decades. That followed Kimmel’s remarks in a monologue the night before about what he called the “MAGA gang’s” reaction to the Kirk assassination and the motivation of the purported shooter (which remain murky). To be clear: Kimmel, who had earlier expressed sympathy toward Kirk and his family, did not criticize Kirk in that monologue. But his remarks were triggering enough (and not particularly well-expressed) to give the Trump Administration the ammunition it needed to go after Kimmel, who had long been a bane to the President, not unlike Stephen Colbert before him. Trump later said that Kimmel was “fired” because of bad ratings, but recorded remarks by his own appointed Federal Communications Commission chair belie that. Two companies which own numerous ABC affiliates between them and have business interests before the FCC put pressure on the Disney-owned network, and ABC complied. While I didn’t know much about Kirk, I was well aware of Kimmel, of course. Truth to tell, I’ve never been much of a fan. My interest in late-night talk shows waned around the time David Letterman left the airwaves, more than a decade ago. I’ve never cared much for Kimmel’s style of humor, preferring Colbert’s more cerebral approach. That being said, Kimmel’s “suspension” should, and has, sent a chill
through nearly everyone who engages in any kind of controversial subject matter, especially politics.
On Saturday, I woke to the news that the Department of Defense (sorry, Secretary Pete Hegseth, to this old Navy salt it will never be the “Department of War”) is considering new rules that would not allow journalists who cover the Pentagon to publish any information, classified or not, which is not approved by the department. Any journalist who does not agree, in writing, would lose his or her press credentials and not be allowed access to the Pentagon. Speaking as both a former Navy journalist and a current civilian one, I have to say: this dictate is bonkers. This is America, for Pete’s sake (see what I did there?), not the former Soviet Union. We don’t do state-approved media here, at least not yet.
Way back when I served in the 1990s, my aging ship spent several months in a California drydock for a long-needed overhaul which extended its service life for a couple of years. Along with the ship’s crew, we had perhaps a couple of hundred civilian contractors roaming the ship. One day, we received a bomb threat. forcing everybody to evacuate to the pier, where we stood for about an hour before we got the allclear to go back aboard.
The next day, one of the local newspapers ran a story about the bomb threat written by its military affairs reporter. There was nothing in the story that was critical of the ship or its crew. But the ship’s XO (executive officer) sent a missive to my boss, the public affairs officer, saying we would never deal with that reporter again.
Even someone as junior as me could see that was a pretty
dumb move. The story was accurate and it was in the public interest. The reporter was a good one, with the wherewithal to dig up important stories. If our office didn’t talk to him, that could only be to our detriment. (In full disclosure, I for the most most part admired the XO.) The journalists assigned to cover the Pentagon, perhaps the most consequential department in the U.S. government, have to be topnotch. Whatever barriers the Administration might try to put in their way, they’re going to get the story.
I’ve written about the First Amendment in this space before. In that column, I wrote that while the right to freedom of expression (which is not absolute) is perhaps the most paramount in our constitutional government, it carries with it some measure of responsibility. “In this age of ubiquitous and divisive social media, many of us will be tempted [during an election season] to use the most vitriolic terms we can think of about people with whom disagree with politically, even some we know and love. But each of us, individually, can choose to refrain from doing so. The power lies with us.” That still holds true. But in just the time since I wrote that column, we’ve seen a growing propensity toward political violence, coming from all sides. Some even justify such violence as free expression, and some use that violence to advocate for the clamping down on free expression by perceived enemies. It’s our new responsibility to reject both of these extremely pernicious ideas. After all, we are all Americans.
Fountain influences at KFountain@fortbendstar.com
GHP: Region is the renewable energy capital of the nation
Staff Reports
Editor’s note: In its “Economy at a Glance” report for September, the Greater Houston Partnership – the regional chamber of commerce – spotlights Houston’s booming renewable energy sector, which led the nation with nearly 4,000 new jobs created last year between renewable power generation, power storage, and smart grid transmission.
The U.S. Department of Energy released its 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report (USEER) in late August, providing invaluable data on employment trends across the energy sector. It should come as no surprise that the data shows Houston remains the energy capital of the nation, leading all other metros with almost 200,000 people employed in producing fuels, power generation, transmission, distribution, and storage. This puts Houston significantly ahead of major coastal metros like New York or Los Angeles, which employ just over 100,000 workers each. While most of this workforce is involved in conventional fuels and modes of power transmission, employment in renewable energy has grown rapidly. Year-over-year, the number of people employed in renewable energy (defined here to include solar, wind, hydroelectric and other non-fossil fuel forms of power generation, plus power storage and smart grid transmis -
Houston remains the energy capital of the nation, significantly ahead of major coastal metros like New York or Los Angeles, according to a recent U.S. Department of Energy report. Greater Houston Partnership
sion) grew by 20.7 percent from 19,173 workers in ‘23 to 23,140 in ‘24. Renewable energy jobs now make up nearly 12 percent of metro Houston’s broader fuel, power generation, transmission, and storage sector.
Houston’s renewable energy sector is by far the fastest growing in the nation as measured by employee headcount. With 3,967 new jobs, Houston added almost three times as many workers to its renewable energy labor force as the runner-up metros of Lynchburg, Va., or Boulder, Colo.
Of the region’s 49,500 total jobs added in 2024, renewable energy represents 8.0 percent of all job growth. That means that roughly one-in-twelve new jobs created in Houston last year was in renewable energy. It produced slightly fewer jobs
than sectors like construction (5,000 jobs) or wholesale (4,200 jobs) but more than other major sectors like retail (2,700 jobs) or restaurants and bars (1,700 jobs). Solar power generation accounted for most of this growth with 2,395 new jobs. Other non-fossil fuel power generation (excluding solar, wind, and hydroelectric) also accounted for a substantial share with 1,502 new jobs. Hydroelectric power generation and power storage added a moderate number of jobs, while wind power generation and smart grid transmission saw slight declines of fewer than 100 employees each. Find the full “Economy at a Glance” report at houston. org/houston-data/economyat-a-glance-september-2025/. Find the 2025 U.S. Energy & Employment Report at energy.gov/media/348941.
Dezenzo's four RBIs key Space Cowboys comeback in season finale
Community Reports
On the final day of the 2025 season, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (34-40, 7376) overcame two different multi-run deficits to collect a 12-6 win over the El Paso Chihuahuas (43-31, 81-68) in an eight-inning contest on Sunday afternoon at Constellation Field.
RHP Jose Fleury worked around a pair of baserunners in the first, but El Paso strung together four-straight two-out hits in the second to open up a 3-0 lead.
Sugar Land was able to crack the scoreboard in the fourth when Jacob Melton singled, stole second and scored on a single to right by Brice Matthews. Matthews then stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error before scoring on an RBI single from Edwin Díaz, bringing the Space Cowboys within a run at 3-2.
El Paso pushed back to a two-run lead in the top of the
fifth thanks to an RBI double by Trenton Brooks. However, Fleury struck out the final two hitters of the frame to complete five innings in his last start of the year.
Zack Short started a rally for Sugar Land in the bottom of the fifth with a lead-off single and César Salazar was hit by a pitch to put the tying run on base. A double play advanced Short to third, and Zach Dezenzo lofted an opposite-field two-run homer to right, his second in as many starts, to tie the game up at 4-4.
Three singles loaded the bases for El Paso with two-outs in the sixth and back-to-back walks forced in two runs to move the Chihuahuas back in front, 6-4. RHP Matt Bowman (W, 2-2) inherited the bases loaded for a second consecutive outing and stranded them with a soft lineout to short.
Aggressive baserunning helped the Space Cowboys reclaim the lead for good in the home half of the sixth.
Shay Whitcomb started the inning with a walk against RHP Andrew Moore (L, 0-1), and Matthews singled up the middle, allowing Whitcomb to move first to third while Matthews took second on a fielding error. A passed ball allowed Whitcomb to come home, and a double by Díaz plated Matthews to tie the game again. Díaz moved to third on a groundout and raced in to score on a wild pitch that bounced in front of the plate, giving Sugar Land their first lead at 7-6.
Bowman struck out three in the top of the seventh, and Pedro León and Dezenzo tagged back-to-back doubles to drive in another run in the seventh. RHP Miguel Ullola (S, 1) turned in a 1-23 top of the eighth, and the Space Cowboys salted the game away in the eighth with four more runs. Jon Singleton doubled to start the inning, Short singled and Salazar knocked a single to load the bases before León and Dezenzo added two sacrifice flies. At that point, it began raining, and LHP Jake Higgenbotham walked four straight and uncorked a wild pitch before inducing a groundout to end the frame. The game was then delayed due to rain and ultimately made official after eight innings.
NOTABLE:
· Zach Dezenzo went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, four RBI and a run scored on Sunday. That gave Dezenzo
Mission Bend Branch Library to host information literacy program on Sept. 29
Community Reports
Between the Internet and social media, access to information has been faster and easier than ever, but is the information true, accurate, or factual? Libraries specialize in “information literacy” – the ability to identify, find, evaluate, and use information effectively, empowering people from all walks of life to determine for themselves what is fact and what is fiction.
Fort Bend County Libraries’ Mission Bend Branch Library will present “Misinformation & AI” on Monday, September 29, at 6 p.m., in the Computer Lab of the library, 8421 Addicks Clodine Road in northeast Fort Bend County.
This presentation will include some surprising reasons why people are vulnerable to misinformation and disinformation. Learn about tools to help identify inaccurate information and what to do when misinformation is found. Attendees will get an overview of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how
it applies in the current information and misinformation landscape. The program is free and open to the public. Seating is limited, however, and registration is required. To register online at the library’s website (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us),
click on “Classes & Events,” select “Mission Bend Branch Library,” and find the program. Participants may also register by calling the library at 832-471-5900, or by visiting the library.
home runs in back-to-back games played after he homered in the sixth inning on Friday night. In his two games with Sugar Land on Major League rehab, Dezenzo went 3-for-8 with a double, two home runs, five RBI and two runs scored.
· Brice Matthews finished his day going 2-for-4 with two RBI, two runs scored, a walk and a stolen base. Matthew completes the year with 41 stolen bases, a new Space Cowboys’ single-season record and good for third in the Pacific Coast League.
· With 13 hits on Sunday, every hitter in Sugar Land’s lineup collected at least one hit.
· Sunday was Sugar Land’s 80th error-free game of 2025. The Space Cowboys finish 2025 with the best fielding percentage (.982) in the Pacific Coast League. They committed just 91 errors, the fewest in the Pacific Coast League.
· Zack Short collected his
78th walk on Sunday as he finished fifth in the PCL in free passes in 2025. · Despite not striking out a batter out on Sunday in 1.0 inning of relief, Miguel Ullola finished 2025 second in the Pacific Coast League in strikeouts with 131. Ullola pitched 2.0 scoreless innings of relief during the Space Cowboys series against El Paso, pitching on Thursday and Sunday. With the conclusion of the 2025 season, the Space Cowboys return to Constellation Field to start the 2026 season on March 27, 2026 when they host the Round Rock Express for Opening Day. 2026 season tickets are available for purchase online at SLSpaceCowboys.com/ Tickets. 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.
From diagnosis to treatment to recovery, your dedicated Houston Methodist cancer center team uses leading research, cutting-edge technology and the latest treatments to create a personalized care plan for you. At eight cancer center locations throughout the Greater Houston area, you’ll find the cancer expertise to help you feel whole again.
That’s the difference between practicing medicine and leading it. For you.
Mission Bend Branch Library will present a program on information literacy on September 29. File photo
Sugar Land Branch Library offers 'Papel Picado' workshop on Sept. 29
Community Reports
In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15), teens at Fort Bend County Libraries’ Sugar Land Branch Library will offer teens an opportunity to create their own festive Papel Picado at a special workshop on Monday, September 29, from 4-5 p.m., in the Conference Room of the library, 550 Eldridge.
Teens will immerse themselves in the vibrant art of Mexican paper cutting. Participants will learn about the cultural significance of papel picado in Hispanic celebration while creating their own unique designs.
A traditional Mexican decorative craft made by cutting elaborate designs into sheets
of tissue paper, papel picado is considered a Mexican folk art. Common themes include birds, floral designs, and skeletons. Papel picado is commonly displayed or strung together as pennants for various occasions, such as Fiestas Patrias, the Day of the Dead, and other feast days.
The program is free and open to teens in grades 9-12.
Seating is limited, however, and registration is required.
To register online at Fort Bend County Libraries’ website (www. fortbendlibraries.gov), click on “Classes & Events,” select “Sugar Land Branch Library,” and find the program. Participants may also register by calling the Sugar Land Branch Library (281-2382140), or by visiting the Adult Services Information desk at the library.
Deadline is noon every Friday. Limit entries to the “5 Ws” Who, What,
RICHMOND/ROSENBERG ALZHEIMER’S
CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP MEETING
Please join us on Thursday, October 2, at 7 p.m. for our monthly meeting. We will be meeting in Room 105, the Gathering Room, at St. John’s UMC, 400 Jackson Street, Richmond. Andrea Williams and Syreeta Choice from CarePartners will share information about local caregiving resources and introduce a new monthly gathering place for individuals living with mild to moderate memory loss. This free, half-day programhosted at the Mamie George Community Center-offers structured activities designed to promote social engagement, cognitive stimulation, and emotional well-being. It also provides caregivers with a much needed break while their loved ones enjoy a safe and welcoming environment.
Support groups create a safe, confidential, supportive community and a chance for participants to develop informal mutual support and social relationships. They educate and inform participants about dementia and help participants develop methods and skills to solve problems. These support groups give caregivers and others impacted by Alzheimer’s and dementia a place to connect and share with one another. The Richmond/ Rosenberg Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Group is for caregivers only. There are online support groups for people who are in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. You can contact alz.org to learn more about those particular support groups.
Questions may be sent to: gallowkj@earthlink.net
SUGAR LAND GARDENING CLUB
The Sugar Land Garden Club will hold a meeting featuring a presentation titled ‘Horticulture and Floral Design at TAMU,’ by Dr. Amit Dhingra, TAMU on Tuesday, October 21, beginning at 10 a.m. at St. Basil’s Hall, 702 Burney Road, Sugar Land. Learn more at https://sugarlandgardenclub. org.
ONGOING
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE CLASSES AT GPBC
In conjunction with the Literacy Council of Fort Bend Bend County, Grand Parkway Baptist Church will offer ESL classes on Tuesday nights from mid-August 2025 through May 2026. We are located at 12000 FM 1464, Richmond, across from Austin High School. Our students speak several languages and encompass many faiths, all are welcome. For more information call 281-277-2200 and ask for ESL information. You may also email ESL@grandparkway.org
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 selfconfidence, 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.
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 Branch Library will offer teens an opportunity to create their own festive Papel Picado at a special workshop on Monday, Sept. 29. Photo by timlewisnm via Wikipedia
