Lifestyles February 2022

Goal is to put patients at ease See Page 10

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PRSRT STD US Postage PAID Covington, LA Permit No. 48

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• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ~ Cover Story ~

CONTENTS

Page 1, 10 & 11

The doctors at Specialty Smiles both agree that making the patient’s experience a pleasant one is foremost priority.

~ Sterling Lakes Feature ~

~ Meridiana Feature ~ Page 6

Snake relocation provided by Meridiana resident.

~ Important Local Info ~ Page 19

Page 5

City of Iowa Colony phone numbers

Iowa Colony High School set to open in 2022 school year.

Have Your Business or Church included in Your Community Magazine Call or Email one of our Account Executives for details and cost Hazel, Karen or Brenda

~ It’s Easy ~ Also, submit news that concerns your community Email: officemanager@alvinsun.net 4

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LIFESTYLE

Sterling Lakes Pioneers set to blaze a new trail tor and ith the addition o o a Co on igh choo C the e o ac ets averic s

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and har s i soon e oined the ioneers he ne educationa aci it i e the ourth

ic ael Edmonds high schoo to e o ened in the A vin nde endent choo istrict A ma or o u ation gro th

in the area ue ed the need or the ne schoo A igh choo as first discussed in Citizens Advisor Committee eetings ac in 201 A consu tant had determined that the ne schoo ou d e necessar in 2022 ased on the district s annua o u ation gro th rate hich as et een he and and aci it as unded onds in 201 and 2018 res ective dated demogra hic in ormation as revie ed in 2018 and the findings confirmed

Iowa Colony High School main façade

Continued on page 14

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Meridiana o

now a sna e is to lo e a sna e Megan Sabljakovic to the rescue. . . tor and

o e egan holding he ull Sna e e te ight egan hold the tool that he u e to afely pic up a na e that need elocating

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otos

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egan a a ovic s assion or sna es started hen she got her first one a estern at na e o ten ca ed ac sna e she named ene o e oda she s o ten re erred to as the eridiana na e ad hen a resident finds a sna e in their ard garage or even their house a a ovic i come over and re ocate it no charge ver the ast ear she has re ocated si Cottonmouth ater occasin sna es and her argest sna e to date as a harmess five oot rat sna e he started a ace-

oo grou ca ed o a Co on anve osharon na e and emova t started out or the eridiana residents ecause nine out o ten times the ere osting that the had a cottonmouth sna e ut it asn t ith so much misidentification going on she sa an o ortunit to he he a so anted them to no the cou d ca her to remove a sna e and to et them no that to her it s no ig dea rom there it gre into the surrounding communities he s gotten nothContinued on page 1

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Shops at Meridiana coming soon Construction is underway at Shops at Meridiana, the first retail project at the entrance of Meridiana offering close by dining and conveniences for residents and other nearby neighborhoods.

Located at 3331 Meridiana Parkway, Shops at Meridiana will feature 15,489 square feet of space for a Starbucks with indoor seating and drive-thru service, Center Court Pizza & Brew, Meridiana Urgent Care, Rosharon Smiles Dental and Today’s Vision. Tenants are expected to open in March/April 2022. A 1,310 square-foot space in the center of the project remain s available. Leasing for the project is being handled by Hunington Properties.

Tenants in Shops at Meridiana will benefit from the center’s location at the entrance to Meridiana, ranked at mid-year 2021 as one of the nation’s top-selling communities.

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And The Word Became Flesh

by Brenda Groves

As the youngest of four sisters I as constant under the in uence o their intellects, advice and opinions.

One of my siblings was notorious for “pulling my leg” and I nearly fell for it every time. Once, when I was around our or five ears o d ste ed on a nail and it went through my foot and on the a to the she his ered “you know they will have to cut your leg off to get it out.” (Now if I had thought about it, it didn’t even make sense but I believed her and I wailed all the way to the hospital.)

Now, my oldest sister usually interceded with the truth but I would most often refuse to believe her. So with this in mind when I hear people try to discredit the Bible as just a book of suggestions or opinions written by a group of men a long time ago, I have to wonder “who have they been listening to? Other men?”

From the beginning, (literally), satan has always been challenging the word of God and God’s love for us. He attacks our thoughts with these deceptive suggestions, “Are you really His beloved.”

“Is the Bible really true?” “Did God really say that?” The answer is YES!!

I love the word of God! And even though I am still learning and may not understand all of it yet I believe every word is truth and approach it (Him) like that.

The Bible is the living word of God. It is Holy Spirit inspired and it is alive and active. I have testimony after testimony how I’ve seen it working in my own life and the lives of others.

It produces supernatural results and God’s word mixed with faith has the power to change lives, physical circumstances and declare and manifest His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. And it is just too late for anyone to convince me otherwise. “The fear of man brings a snare.” I know Jesus, I’ve met Him and He is alive!

But for a long time I also questioned the validity of the Bible as God-inspired for one main reason, I was living in the darkness and the dark hates the light because the light will expose its evil deeds.

That’s it.

My heart was evil, and for me, deep down, I was afraid to believe that the Bible is truth because that would have huge implications on my life and I would need to make a life changing decision. (But when I came to the end of myself, I did not want to be me anymore.

The weight of my sin debt was too heavy to carry any longer. I was the walking dead, but at that moment I called out to Jesus with all of my heart and made peace with God.) Now some religious doctrines have presented it as a book of rules and regulations of what man must do to obtain right standing with God. “Do good to be good.” It hasn’t always been represented as the history of an intimate relationship between God, our Creator, who wanted to be a Father to mankind. “God is love.”

The relationship that was broken when men chose to “succeed

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from the union” and God’s awesome plan to purchase our freedom and a way to be reunited with Him. And sadly, the predominate religious approach is to use the Bible to change the outward appearance of people. Behavior control in a sense. Guilt or fear factor tactics to make people tow the line so to speak.

But the truth of the Bible approaches change from a heart level.

The heart is the source of our external behavior. God takes away our hearts o stone and re aces them ith a heart o esh The night I got born again I did not confess my sins, the only sin that separated me from God was not putting faith in Jesus who has paid for all of our sins.

But I did remember hearing the Gospel message of Jesus.

I just got real with God, I mean I spoke to Him without religious pretense. I told Him that I did not want to be me anymore. I told Him that I knew about Him but I did not know Him and I said, “God, I want to know You.” Humbly, yet truthfully, I said with all of my heart, “Jesus, I’m not moving one step until l talk to You.” Just like Jesus said in John chapter 3, “You must be born again,” and in omans cha ter 10 ut hat does it sa he ord is near you, in your mouth and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

That night, my tiny mustard seed of faith came into agreement with what God had already provided by His saving grace and God’s word worked a miracle in my spirit. Jesus right standing in exchange for my own unrighteousness. The word of God working in me to reproduce a born again child of God. Without a doubt I knew Him and knew I was forgiven all.

Some people believe that the Bible is out of date - presents old fashioned ideas, yet this two thousand year old book is still a best se er or d ide and it testifies as the ritten ord o od t is not a self help book or suggestions on how to live a better life. It offers transformation, death to life, curses to blessings, orphan to “joint heirs of Christ.” It has been here long before we were and will stand long after we are gone.

You can’t convince me that the Bible is not valid, or it is incorrect for today’s world or contradicts itself. “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.” We are the variables.

And as a pastor once said, “We don’t read the Bible, the Bible reads us.”

John 1:1, 6:63; Psalm 89: 34; 119:152; Isaiah 40:8; 48:17; Mark 13:31; Jeremiah 29:11; 2 Timothy 3: 16-17 Contact Brenda Groves at: bkgroves1996@yahoo.com

Everyone Is Welcome At Church

The Churches below are extending an invitation to you Come worship God with Family

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and caping and ni hing touche to the f ont of the new high chool

that the new facility was still needed for the beginning of the 2022 school year.

ICHS will be 553,086 square feet and house 2500 students. The cam us is ocated on 20 acres at 00 aven ort ar a C 64) in Iowa Colony. The general contractor for the project is Huckabee Architects and construction is in full swing and being done

by Gamma Construction. When asked if there was a Plan B should the o ening e de a ed A irector o Communications enae ives C is on schedu e there ore no contingenc ans are required.”

Another aspect of opening was to name the school, mascot, and deciding on colors. The initial process began with the AISD Board of Trustees appointed a Facilities Naming Committee which was comprised of community members, parents, several School Board

Trustees and district personnel. The committee reviewed community submissions of suggested names and then made recommendations to the Board of Trustees. The Board then voted on the name.

With ICHS chosen as the school name, naming the mascot and choosing school colors were in order. The process was done by having groups of students who will be attending the school once it opens, offer up suggestions. The ideas were then presented to and discussed ith district ersonne As or the fina se ection o a Colony High School Pioneers with forest green, silver, and black as the colors were chosen.

The initial school population will be 800 to 1000 students and be

~ Field of Dreams ~ The stands are ready for fans when the t home game of a e all ea on oll a ound

~ Batter Up! ~ The scoreboard in cente eld i al o awaiting the t a e all game fo the Pioneers

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The campus stadium awaits a playing surface and will generally be used for track events, sub-varsity football and soccer games

compromised of students from “feeder” schools for Alvin, Manvel, and Shadow Creek high schools. This is to provide growing pains in the existing high schools. New school district boundaries are currently being planned and are unavailable at this time. ICHS will start out with freshman and sophomore classes, with the addition of the junior class in 2023 and senior class in 2024. Future students of C i e notified in the near uture according to ives ICHS will have all the amenities that are standard to the district’s high school program and be equivalent to what is provided at the existing three high schools, including athletics and performing/visual arts. The new campus will feature 2 band halls, 6 arts rooms, a dance and cheer g m increased c assroom sizes a cu inar a ro otics a natatorium and much more according to ives With the opening approaching in less than a year, ICHS has already appointed the initial leadership for the campus. Ashley ar uez i serve as rinci a er Associate rinci a i e a on a ters e ie o augh i serve as secretar a mond arza ormer assistant oot a coach at hado Cree i e head coach and Assistant Athletic Director of the Pioneers football program. The band will be under the direction of Timothy Pallone.

No word was given on additional school staff at the time of this writing.

For the foreseeable future, eminent growth will continue to be a way of life in AISD. Some new schools are already planned such as Delbra Orum Nichols-Wilma Fountain Mock Elementary #21, ar ara ennett ementar 22 and e o Castro unior igh #9 to name a few.

One would be safe to assume High School #5 will be necessary at some point in time, but for now let us welcome the Iowa Colony Pioneers!

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Megan shown here with a Rat Snake that was rescued from a residence.

ing but positive feedback and many calls.

“I love it when they call me, I feel like a kid in a candy store.” Over the past years Sabljakovic feels that educating homeowners not only has been a positive experience for her, it also has helped residents become less afraid. “They don’t have to make best friends with snakes, just have a healthy respect for them.”

When she relocates a snake, she doesn’t tell the homeowners exactly where she’s

relocating it. That’s for the safety of the snake. She would not want anybody to go out in that area and track it. She makes sure that they’re kept in their “home range” a quarter mile to a half mile away from where she found it. If a snake is dropped farther away it does more harm than good.

She’s always sure to drop it in a safe place away from people. a a ovic never c assifies sna es as eing dangerous, “It’s only dangerous if you cause it to be defensive.

They’re smaller than you and the only way they can defend themselves is

by their mouth. We are the aggressors, as long as ou eave it a one the have zero interest in you.” The most dangerous thing about a snake is the smell of its musk. It’s like when a skunk feels threatened and sprays. The musk from a snake smells horrible!

“Where do I start?” she laughs when asked what are the common misconceptions people have regarding snakes? The first one she sa s is that a cottonmouth i chase you. No snake will chase you. When she’s been out on a call, it’s hard for her to get them out of the hole they’re in. Another misconception is that juvenile snakes cannot control their venom, Sabljakovic says there’s no evidence of that. She also says that sna es i not size ou u to eat ou It’s even extremely rare for larger snakes to eat humans, it’s happened but not in the United States. In general, they are not dangerous and there’s been no recorded death from snakes since the 1930s. A large part of that is due to medical advances.

If you’re going to be in an area known for having snakes, it’s best to wear appropriate footwear. If a snake bites, it will most likely bite feet or ankles. When she’s relocating a snake, she’s sure to wear boots and bring the correct tools.

Continued on page 17

This Cottonmouth snake, also known as water moccasin, was discovered by a homeowner in the Meridiana community. Megan gladly relocated the reptile to a safe place. Cottonmouths have a dangerous and potentially fatal bite, although these bites are rare. They’re common name is cottonmouths because of the white coloration on the inside of their mouths, which they display when threatened.

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If you are bitten by a snake, chances are it’s a non-venomous snake. All you need to do is wash the bite with soap and water.

Non-venomous bites look worse than they actually are. There’s no fear from infection. If you’re bitten by a venomous snake, it is important to get to emergency room ASAP. Even if you’re hiking and are hours away it’s going to be OK. She advises that you don’t apply pressure to the bite, just leave it alone and elevate your arm or eg as high as ossi e hi e ou re on our a to the and you can get online, she says you should google the National Snakebite Support. If you tell them what happened they can help you out.

According to Sabljakovic the most common snakes in the Meridiana area are rat snakes, cottonmouths and the dekayi brown snakes. The brown snake is about 1-foot-long and eats bugs. You’ll find them in gardens o er eds and under ogs he eo e ho live around the ponds most likely see brown snakes.

What should a homeowner do or not do to prevent snakes? The Meridiana Snake Lady says, “Forget repellents, they do not work.

Keep your property clean, your grass mowed, leaves raked up and our o er eds maintained ou have a fire it ma e sure the wood is off the ground. Trash should be in a bag and in the trashcan. If you have a messy garage and unkept trash that will attract rodents and snakes will follow. During the day, snakes like dark cluttered spaces, it’s an inviting place to roll up and feel safe in.

Come dusk, they’re out hunting.

However, if you should have a snake in your garage or in your ard there are enefits to having sna es around a a ovic states “They’re nature’s pest control. Snakes keep the rodent population down, which also keeps the tick population down, both of which prevent diseases from spreading. A single snake can consume thousands of ticks per year just from eating rodents, or insects (because some snake species do eat primarily insects).”

Sabljakovic, has been a resident of Meridiana since her move from Dallas in 2018. She grew up as an Army brat (her words) but now considers herself a native Texan. Her interest in snakes began as a little kid. She was always an animal lover. Her dad used to tease her that she and her mom were a couple of Dr. Dolittle’s. he thought at first she d i e izards ut hen she got ene o e she was obsessed! She started reading and learning everything she could about snakes. “It’s a passion I didn’t know I had!” They’re very therapeutic, a lot more relaxing than you’d think, and she finds them ascinating he even notices their ersona ities a e for instance the cottonmouth, one of her favorite varieties, “I love them so much! They’re sassy and fun. The hognose snake is cute and dramatic.”

Sabljakovic, married, no kids, “just a lot of animal children.”

She adds, “My husband is a very patient person.” At home she has two rescue Great Pyrenees (she’s been working Great Pyrenees escue since she as 18 three cats and eight sna es n her case eight is not enough, you guessed it, she’d like more! esidents can a so go to the ree na e e ocation irector They have a map of where their relocators are located. And like Sabljakovic, they’ll come to your residence and relocate the snake at no cost. It’s a better alternative than calling pest control, they’ll charge a good amount and will sometimes just dispose of the anima that s not hat re ocators do heir goa is to rotect the animals. Which in turn supports the delicate balance of our ecosystem.

Pictured is another Cottonmouth / Water Moccasin that was relocated from the Meridiana area to an area better suited for the snake.

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Departments / Phone Numbers www.iowacolonytx.gov/

Iowa Colony City Hall, 12003 Iowa Colony Blvd, Iowa Colony, TX 77583

Department

Phone

Department of Community Development

281-369-2471

Department of Finance

281-369-2471

Department of Public Works

281-369-2471

Municipal Court

281-369-2471

Community Development handles permitting, platting, inspections, and engineering.

The Department of Public Works is responsible for keeping all city assets and facilities in a state of good repair. Public Works contains streets and sidewalks, parks, municipal buildings, and right-of-way maintainance.

Municipal Courts are the judicial branch of city government. In addition, the Municipal Court is part of the state judicial s stem unici a Courts hear C ass C isdemeanor crimina cases inc uding tra fic vio ations or hich the ma imum fine u on conviction does not e ceed 00 and or hich no ai sentence ma e assessed he a so hear cases invo ving vio ation o cit ordinances hich ma have fines u to 2 000 or certain o enses

fice o the Cit

anager

fice o the Cit

ecretar

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he Cit ecretar is the c er o the Cit serving as a in et een the citizens and the Cit organization he Cit ecretar s o fice is committed to roviding e ce ent customer service to the u ic in a time ro essiona and e ficient manner. es onsi i ities rovides a ertinent in ormation or Cit Counci meetings Custodian o a o ficia records o the Cit inc uding agendas minutes agreements ordinances reso utions and contracts aintains the Cit ea and attests o ficia documents versees Cit e ections rovides the u ic ith in ormation in accordance ith the e as u ic n ormation Act Administers the oath o o fice to ne Cit em o ees and o ficia s u ication o ega notices

Parks

o a Co on Cit ar 00 eridiana ar a e t to Cit a ar 1200 o a Co on vd ehind Cit a

Police Department

eridiana

ementar

choo

281-369-3444 Mosquito Spraying Requests for mosquito spraying can be made online with Brazoria County Mosquito Control.

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