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Meet
Barbara J. Carlson
US Congressional Dist. 22 Candidate
Please join us at these exciting upcoming events to meet this rising star--the Republican Conservative Constitutionalist--who we must send to Washington. You will have the opportunity to listen to and meet the courageous, dynamic and highly-qualified congressional candidate, Barbara J. Carlson. It’s time that we “pink slip” the establishment incumbent and clean up the mess Washington has left for us. We need your support in volunteerism, money and prayers in taking our country back. You don’t want to miss this dynamic, courageous leader. Thursday, March 29th - 5:30-7:30 pm - Ritas N Fajitas Mexican Grill (front of Pecan Grove by Randall’s) - 1868 FM 359 Road. Come out for a fun evening, support Jimmy, a small business owner (three drawings for a free dinner this evening). April 10th - 5:30-7:30 pm - Come out and meet Barbara J. Carlson at the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce. Enjoy an education event and why we must become engaged in our country’s future. Located at 445 Commerce Green Blvd in Sugar Land.
www.Carlson22.com
Political Advertising paid for by Barbara Carlson for US Congress Committee.
Family Owned and Locally Operated • An Official Fort Bend County Newspaper
Volume XXXIV • No. 32
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Fort Bend Sheriff’s race heats up as barbs fly The four candidates offer their qualifications at forum; Nehls and Brady trade snarky comments
By LeaAnne Klentzman
In a candidate’s forum hosted by the Needville Chamber of Commerce last week, all four Sheriff’s candidates were present and accounted for. Because there is no incumbent in the race for sheriff, the candidates spoke alphabetically. First was the current chief deputy, Craig Brady. He packed the house with his administrative personnel and family, thanking them for all their hard work.
In his prepared remarks he talked about crime rates. Brady advertises that he is “uniquely qualified to continue to run the Sheriff’s Office “ which has misrepresented crime solve rates to the state and federal government for at least 10 years. That fact was brought to the public’s attention by candidate Troy Nehls. Once the abysmal crime solve rate was put in the public purview, Brady immediately pulled a group of detectives and a
The price for progress raises concerns among Dulles Avenue property owners By Karen Daniels
It's rare in today's world that progress doesn't come without a price. Moving forward as a nation and society, whether in fields of medicine, computers, or information, something generally gets left behind. This was the concern for the residents of Perez Street, located just off of Dulles Avenue. Their concern was for safety. The problem was a zoning change being presented at Wednesday night's Stafford's City Council meeting. The owners of 411 Dulles, one of two homes sandwiched between commercial establishments, presented
STUCK IN THE MIDDLE: The house on this property is sandwiched between commercial properties.
Wheewheewhee all the way to the jail By LeaAnne Klentzman
You are painfully dumb when ya’ hack off cops in Fort Bend, Colorado, CRIMINAL Austin, Waller, OF THE WEEK and Wharton counties. Count’m that is 5 counties. That is lots of bad karma and hot pork! So it goes like this… Wharton deputies called Fort Bend deputies over some of their Fort Bend crooks work’n the Wharton area. So the Wharton deputies and Fort Bend deputies pay a Sugar
DUMB
WHEEWHEE, continued on page 8
a motion to change the classification from Single Family Residential to Multi-Use (MU). It was never discussed or disclosed what the specific nature of the MU business would be, though it was rumored that the owner's sell granite. A drawing of a two-story, 800 square foot building with four parking spots was displayed, stating that the existing dwelling would be torn down. Both sides were given the opportunity to present their case. The proponents had their attorney speak for them, while the opponents--residents of Perez Street--spoke about their worry for their children's safety. And rightly so. This particular spot is a drop-off and pick-up for students attending Stafford MSD. Adding to their cause, Perez Street is narrow and dead ends. Two cars cannot pass, one must pull over, and turning around cannot be done without driving onto someone's yard. Increased
Is candidate Nehls correct when he says Fort Bend County sheriff’s office has never solved more than 4% of the burglaries in the last 10 years, based on the numbers they, themselves, reported to the FBI? Or, is the abysmal crime solve rate a collection of reporting errors as the chief deputy has intimated? At first the chief deputy said the abysmal solve rate was a computer problem linked to a
software update two years ago. In a previous forum he called it a glitch. Then when it was brought to his attention that the last 10 years were also that abysmal, at this forum he said the problem was resolved and had been caused by one employee who was improperly “hand” reporting all the crime solve numbers. He said that too has been corrected. Brady also said that the millions of dollars that the
Austin Elementary Kindergarten Students Hold Rodeo
SHERRIF’S RACE, continued on page 5
UH is now called what?
By Elsa Maxey
Austin Parkway Elementary School’s kindergarten students have been having a grand time of learning about the history of Texas and the Rodeo. As a culminating activity for their own rodeo, Kindergarten Round Up, the youngsters celebrated with a school-wide parade on March 9. The kindergarteners and their teachers paraded along the school hallways with their stick horses. Pictured (front row, from left) are students Emilia Gutierrez, Adam Morrison, Landon Deroam, Caleb Turner, Amari Newton, and Kasen Wicks; and (back row) teachers Marianne Hall, Joelyn Zamarron and Catherine Coppedge.
April 3th
Another Imperial Apartments hearing is set about building 625 apartments By Betsy Dolan
be built near Constellation Field Homeowners in historic Sugar and the other 325 to be built in Land will have another chance the historic district on the site of to voice their opinion over a the old Imperial Sugar Refinery controversial plan to build 625 property. The apartments, said apartments as part of the Imperial the city, are necessary for the Development project at a public development's viability and the hearing on Tuesday, April 3, city's future growth but some at Sugar Land's City Hall. The residents are concerned about plan calls for 300 apartments to lower property values, increased
Magic disappearing rugs? I think not Police are looking for a woman who made off with rugs worth more than $12,500. Sugar Land police spokesman Doug Adolph said a Middle Eastern woman stole rugs valued at $12,500 from Star Furniture, 19960 Southwest Freeway, on March 7. Adolph said the woman
Sheriff’s office spends in overtime each year is only 1% of the budget which would be 1% of a 50+ million dollar budget for the last several years. Then in closing Brady repeated Nehls’ closing statement of “If I don’t have a better crime solve rate at the end of the first 4 years in office, I will fire myself,” Brady scoffed then said, "Well that will be the third place he will have been fired from," as he walked off the stage.
Name and changed operation bump up its image
DULLES, continued on page 8
By LeaAnne Klentzman
Scan with your smart phone to launch website
sergeant from their regular duties and reassigned them to fix the crime solve numbers and send new reports to the state and federal government. While it gives the current administration better numbers to talk about, no one knows what the true numbers are. Were they not reported correctly the first time, or is the Sheriff’s administration just that incompetent?
can be seen entering the store and leaving several times on surveillance video. In that video, at about 6 p.m., she can be seen removing a tag from a $200 rug and using that tag to pay for another rug valued at $7,500. She then left the store and returned a few minutes later carrying a different rug. As MAGIC, continued on page 9
traffic and crime, as well as, a reduced quality of life. The issue has been accelerating in recent weeks after the Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously voted to recommend the apartments at their meeting February 23. The Commission then held a joint meeting with the City Council on March 7 to discuss the project but the Imperial Development Committee, a citizens group opposed to the apartments, felt unfairly treated after the developer, Johnson Development, was allowed to speak but residents were not. In an email to the "Fort Bend Star", city spokesman, Doug Adolph said that "what the City sent by e-mail was that Johnson would not be making a presentation at the meeting. Although the mayor did ask them to address several questions, they did not come with a presentation, nor did they give a presentation." Despite a petition signed by
over 2,000 concerned citizens and formal opposition to the apartments by homeowner's associations in the area, the IRC said they feel stymied and ignored by the Commission and Council, who "have turned a deaf ear" to their concerns. The City disagreed, stating that feedback from residents was a key reason Johnson Development reduced their initial plan for 1,950 apartments down to 625 and the number of apartments in the historic district from 459 to 325. At the Commission's request, Johnson Development also agreed to hold off on building the apartments in the historic district until the first phase near the ballpark was at 75 percent occupancy. City Councilman Tom Abraham is also conflicted about the Imperial apartment issue and that there is no easy answer. "I don't have a APARTMENTS, continued on page 9
A bit of confusion and brand clarity, the expressed purposes behind the new university’s campus name, has it now going by the University of Houston Sugar Land. It’s official and although it’s been less than a year since the name took root, some in this area report that they are not totally clear about when, how, and why it happened. Back in November, a request from community leaders operating as an advisory group “met with the Chancellor and expressed interest in becoming more a part of the UH Houston main campus,” said Richard D. Phillips, Associate Vice Richard Phillips Chancellor/ Associate Vice President of both UH Sugar Land and the University of Houston System at Cinco Ranch. The request, taken to the university’s board of regents which was approved, means the UH Sugar Land administration is now under UH Houston, the main campus, as opposed to being under a UH Houston system administration, explains Phillips. As such, the UH, continued on page 8
Brother kills brother in Pleak By LeaAnne Klentzman
One brother takes the life of another early Friday morning in the quiet rural community of Pleak. Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 disturbance call in the 5800 block of Pleak Crossing Friday morning, about 12:16 a.m. According to Sheriff’s spokesman Bob Haenel, a 911 call came in from Santiago Montoya, 63, who lives in the 5800 block of Pleak Crossing. Montoya told the dispatcher that he and his brother, Ruben, 52, who lived next door had been fighting over damage to a fence, purportedly done by Ruben. BROTHER, continued on page 9