Former WNBA star motivates troubled youths: Page 2
Kempner rallies to beat Travis in softball action. See the story on page 5.
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Fort Bend / Southwest • Volume 43 • No. 32
Visit www.FortBendStar.com
Red light cameras may be banned Legislature considering bills that would end the use of camera systems in state By Joe Southern, Richard Lee to stop its red light camera program. As founder of the FOR THE FORT BEND STAR Houston Coalition Against Red Light Cameras, he sucCities could no longer cessfully led the charge to use cameras to enforce red get the state’s largest city to light traffic laws under a bill stop its red light camera proproposed before the Senate gram. Transportation Committee “I finally got a red light last week. camera ticket myself,” he That is welcome news to said in the committee hearHelwig Van Der Grinten of ing chaired by Jacksonville Sugar Land, who for years Sen. Robert Nichols. “I has been crusading against violated a red light by threethe photographic traffic sig- tenths of a second. The only nal enforcement systems reason that happened is beand testified before the com- cause I am not clairvoyant. mittee about the issue. He The system is set up that currently has a case before requires you to make a snap the Texas Supreme Court decision, a snap stop-or-go after he sued Sugar Land decision, when a light turns
from green to yellow and they don’t give you enough information to make a correct decision every time. It’s guesswork. You’ve got to be clairvoyant to consistently avoid a violation under those conditions.” The red light cameras automatically take a picture of cars entering an intersection after the light has changed and the vehicle owner is sent a ticket. This contradicts the standard of presumption of innocence that lies at the foundation of our legal system, said Edgewood Sen. Bob Hall. “This owner, who may not have even been in the vehicle,
Helwig F. Van Der Grinten of Sugar Land testified last week in a Senate committee hearing against the use of red light cameras by local governments. (Photo by Theresa D. McClellan)
is presumed to be the person who committed the violation,” he said. “The innocent owner has then the burden of proof and often great expense of proving that they did not commit the alleged
violation. This turns our judicial system completely and utterly upside down by requiring the accused to prove
SEE CAMERAS, PAGE 9
Sugar Land woman turns 110 years old
3451 FM 1092 Rd. Missouri City, TX. 77459 832-539-6816 www.quailvalley.tlechildcare.com
Harvey bills get Senate FBISD rezones middle schools approval
The area outlined in yellow was rezoned from Fort Settlement to First Colony Middle School by the Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees. (FBISD map)
By Joe Southern
JSOUTHERN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
By Richard Lee FOR THE FORT BEND STAR
The Senate gave unanimous assent to a three-bill package of legislation Wednesday aimed at helping communities still dealing with the aftermath of 2017’s Hurricane Harvey and preparing the state for the next natural disaster. Under Lubbock Sen. Charles Perry’s SB 8, state agencies would work with regional partners to generate a statewide flood mitigation plan. Headed up by the Texas Water Development Board, the process described by the bill would focus on flood planning by watershed for the first time, said Perry, and it’s something the state should’ve done long ago. “As I was going through the process of developing this bill, it was clear to me that we’ve had many, many projects over the past several decades that were great ideas,” he said. “Had they only been implemented or funded or made a priority, Harvey’s effects would’ve been minimized.” The bill would also require that the TWDB ensure regional flood plans don’t conflict with or negatively impact neighboring areas. SB 6, by Brenham Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, also looks to the next storm by creating a “how-to” manual for local officials dealing with the aftermath of a natural disaster. The bill would leverage experience at state disaster response agencies by directing them to develop a model guide to help officials apply for federal aid, work with volunteer aid organizations, provide for short- and long-term housing needs and remove debris. It would also direct these agencies to devise a program to train and certify emergency management directors. Paying for all of this is Con-
SEE HARVEY, PAGE 6
The Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees voted unanimously Monday night to rezone a portion of the Riverstone community from the Fort Settlement Middle School zone to First Colony Middle School next year. The rezoning upset many Riverstone residents who have been very vocal about the proposal to balance enrollment between the two schools. The debate became so intense last month that Trustee Kristin Tassin wrote a letter to the editor accusing community members of bullying the board. At Monday’s meeting,
people spoke out on both sides of the issue, but ultimately the board moved forward with the rezoning. The action follows an annual enrollment review that was conducted in February. In a letter to parents in February, Superintendent Charles Dupre explained the need to rezone the schools. “We would implement these new boundaries in August 2019. To provide parents and students with as much time to plan as possible, we will expedite the attendance boundary planning process,” he wrote. “Since we will be operating on a tight timeframe, the scope of this process will be narrow, and we will
have limited community engagement. We expect the boundaries approved this spring to be a shortterm solution to relieve FSMS. We plan to revisit the middle school boundaries when we conduct the boundary process for Elementary School 53, most likely in the fall of the 202021 school year. The school communities that could be impacted can expect to hear more information in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, I want our students and parents to know that we are committed to supporting all students at all campuses,” Dupre wrote.
SEE REZONE, PAGE 3
Rugby exits Constellation Field again By Joe Southern JSOUTHERN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
Whatever becomes of Major League Rugby in the years to come, one thing is certain: It had its start in Sugar Land. On Thursday it said goodbye. Last year Constellation Field served as a temporary home for the Houston SaberCats, one of seven teams in Major League Rugby, a new professional league getting started in the United States. The team played a nine-week exhibition season at the baseball stadium before moving on
to Dyer Stadium for their regular season. In the meantime, the City of Houston began construction of Aveva Stadium at the Houston Sports Park. The new stadium was supposed to be ready for this season but construction has been delayed by bad weather. That prompted a return to Constellation Field for the first half of the season and even the
Houston SaberCats get big win at final game in Sugar Land. See page 5.
SEE RUGBY, PAGE 9
Constellation Field hosted its final rugby match last Thursday. The Houston SaberCats are moving to their new home at Aveva Stadium. (Photo by Joe Southern)
Mary Coffey (left) meets with Sugar Creek Baptist Church Pastor John Rushing on her birthday. “What a privilege to know her,” Rushing said. “Not just because of her longevity, but because of the incredible individual she is.” (Photo by Donna Hill)
Coffey is second-oldest person living in Texas By Donna Hill FOR THE FORT BEND STAR
Celebrating her 110th birthday last week, Mary Coffey sang and chatted with friends and family at Colonial Oaks Senior Living at First Colony in Sugar Land. Coffey, a long time resident, enjoyed a birthday celebration rich in music, family history and faith. At the time of her birth on March 20, 1909, William Taft was already sworn in as the 27th President of the United States, and construction had begun on the Panama Canal. Automobiles and electricity were in their infancy. She’s lived through two world wars, the Spanish Flu of 1918 and the Great Depression. At age 13, Coffey proudly drove her father’s Model T Ford. She can still recall being with her mother on a summer day in 1920, when they both heard for the first time women won the right to vote. Coffey is now the second oldest person in Texas behind Maria de la Talamantes, who has her by 68 days. Chatting with well wishers, Coffey welcomed a microphone given to her as she sang the first verse of her favorite song “How Great Thou Art.” Jim Connors, former Astros organist, accompanied her. In addition to singing her favorite song, she recited Bible verses from the book of Job from memory. The outgoing supercentenarian has been living in Sugar Land since 1971, and
was involved in not only the founding of Sugar Creek Baptist Church, but also the bible reading fellowship there. Her love of singing about God, along with his teachings was evident throughout the ceremony. Coffey still teaches two Bible classes per week at Colonial Oaks Senior Living, with a little help from her son, David. Coffey’s daughterin-law, Ida Glaser, believes Coffey’s long life has everything to do with attitude. “She is a very strong minded lady. She believes she has a purpose here,” she said. “While she’s here she is going to live. There is always something which she wants to do. She tries to be as independent as she can be. She’ll always do what she can – she will never sit back.” Gregarious and ebullient, it’s clear Coffey’s passion for life and her strong faith is the cornerstone to her secret for living. “Well, my secret is I have lived close to God. I have always taught Bible studies here (at Colonial Oaks) and I love it. I’m just as happy as I ever was.” John Rushing, pastor at Sugar Creek Baptist Church, was familiar with her longtime association with the church. He met Coffey personally when she turned 105. “Though her life story spans over a century and her impact has literally been multiplied all over the globe, it is her deep, abiding faith that inspired uncountable lives. On her 100th birthday, her legacy only grew bigger!”