09-22-21 Edition of the Fort Bend Star

Third gang member sentenced in local witness killing - Page 2

The Clements Rangers are off to their best football start since 2009. Read more about how they stayed unbeaten inside today on Page 4. (Photo by Landan Kuhlmann)

WEDNESDAY • SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

Whitbeck to be next FBISD leader

By Matt deGrood MDEGROOD@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

Christie Whitbeck has been named Fort Bend ISD’s new superintendent.

The district’s board of trustees in a 6-0 vote late last Thursday appointed Whitbeck to be the district’s next superintendent, replacing former Superintendent Charles Dupre, who announced he would be resigning in November 2020 and left the district in June.

Whitbeck will earn a $370,000 salary as the district’s superintendent.

“It feels great to be back in Fort Bend ISD where I made such strong connections and collaborated with so many talented colleagues during my previous time here as deputy superintendent,” Whitbeck said.

Whitbeck’s first day as superintendent will be Oct. 6.

She’s been serving as the superintendent at Bryan ISD since 2017, during which time she’s overseen two bond elections totaling about $187 million, according to Bryan ISD. Before arriving in Bryan, Whitbeck worked in FBISD for four years and also was an assistant superintendent of academics in Alvin ISD, according to her district biography. She was also a principal and assistant principal in Katy ISD and began her education career in Alief ISD, according to the biography.

Trustees in August named Whitbeck the lone finalist after a lengthy search to find Dupre’s successor.

Dupre announced his resignation just 17 days after the board of trustees extended his contract through 2024.

Diana Sayavedra, the deputy superintendent under Dupre, has been serving as the acting superintendent.

The state requires a waiting period of 21 days between naming a finalist and hiring a new superintendent.

Whitbeck

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Fort Bend / Southwest • Volume 46 • No. 5

Experts: Future flood planning takes creativity Areas such as the Brazos River will need creative flood planning solutions, experts say. (Photo by Matt deGrood)

By Matt deGrood MDEGROOD@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

When Fort Bend County voters in 2019 approved $83 million in flood mitigation projects, the plan was to leverage that money to secure the extra federal money needed to complete those projects.

At the time, Hurricane Harvey was fresh on ev-

eryone’s mind, and leaders were confident the money would come.

But two years later, about 40 percent of the 25 projects included in the bond have either been placed on pause or left unfunded, and county leaders acknowl-

Long days

•

See related column ...................

Page 3

edge they are frustrated about the lack of success securing federal flood miti-

SEE FLOOD PAGE 7

CenterPoint Energy workers try to clear debris and power lines from the street after Hurricane Nicholas. It has caused some extended power outages for residents in Fort Bend County. (Photo from Facebook)

Nicholas aftermath causes extended local power outages

By Matt deGrood MDEGROOD@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

Hurricane Nicholas was, in many ways, a dodged bullet for many in Fort Bend County. Predicted flooding never materialized and, while at the peak more than 450,000 residents across the Houston region went without power, crews quickly restored electricity to many.

But even as some Fort Bend County residents returned to work and moved on from the storm last Wednesday, Rozmin Merchant, of Sugar Land, cannot soon put the storm

behind her, she said.

“In the February winter storm, it wasn’t this bad for us,” she said. “We lost power for a day.”

Now, Merchant heard last Wednesday that she might be waiting another two or three days before her home in Sugar Land would have power again, she said.

As of about 3:45 p.m. last Wednesday, more than 8,470 Fort Bend County customers still didn’t have power, according to CenterPoint Energy’s outage tracker.

Some neighborhoods, such as Riverstone in unincorporated Sugar Land

were especially hard hit, according to Sugar Land Councilmember William Ferguson.

Ferguson last Wednesday was part of a group that dropped off generators with some residents in the area, he said.

“I’ve heard it’s a parts issue,” Ferguson said of why some residents were going longer without power. “The parts are on their way for a particular transformer, and they’re looking at one more day without power.”

For residents like Rozmin, that’s especially bad news. Rozmin wasn’t feeling well before the storm

and, while she has tested negative for COVID-19, she doesn’t feel comfortable staying with relatives, she said.

Rozmin’s children have also been out of school, because some campuses were still without power, but they can’t charge electronics, she said.

“The food in the fridge has gone bad already,” she said.

Last Wednesday morning, Rozmin even dropped the family pet off at a boarding facility because she worried it would get too hot at home, she said.

Officials with CenterPoint Energy last

Wednesday said crews were working on electric systems assessments and hoped to restore most customer outages before the end of the day.

Some isolated outages should have been addressed by the end of last week, according to a news release.

“We have made excellent progress so far safely restoring service to our customers who were impacted by Hurricane Nicholas, and our crews continue to work diligently and around-the-clock

SEE OUTAGES PAGE 7

Clements student a semifinalist in video competition

By Landan Kuhlmann LKUHLMANN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

Last summer, Clements High School senior Sudharshini Prasanna was sitting with her younger sister brainstorming ideas for the Breakthrough Junior Challenge video competition when her stomach growled.

Her younger sister laughed, but Prasanna had another idea – to explore and educate others on

the inner workings of the process behind a bodily function that everyone experiences at one point or another. And last month, her 3-minute education video was selected as one of 30 semifinalists in the annual international competition.

“It just explores the interaction between the nervous system and the gastrointestinal system – basically the reason why the stomach growls when it’s empty,” the 17-year-old

Prasanna said. “It’s kind of a complex phenomenon, but I tried to break it down, and make it funny and simple for people to understand.”

Prasanna said she has been interested in medicine since she was a kid, and is fascinated by the intersection of art and medicine through avenues such as the Breakthrough competition. She has her own YouTube channel where she said she tries to explain complex topics

in a simpler format, and is interested in studying neurology – which includes examining and studying the nervous system as she did in her competition video.

She submitted her video in June, and it was selected out of hundreds of videos from around the world as one of the top 75 submissions that were to be evaluated by a panel

SEE VIDEO PAGE 7

Prasanna

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THE STAR

PAGE 2 • Wednesday, September 22, 2021

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Third man receives sentence in Missouri City witness killing

By Matt deGrood MDEGROOD@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

The mastermind behind the 2016 killing of a teenager at a park in Missouri City as part of an effort to silence him as a witness in a murder trial has been sentenced to life in prison, according to a Thursday news release from the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

A Harris County jury this week found Omar Torres,

28, guilty of capital murder in connection to the death of Estuar Quinonez, 16, after a nearly two-week trial, according to the DA’s office. Torres is ineligible for parole.

Torres, a member of the MS-13 transnational gang, was in Harris County jail in 2016 when he directed several fellow gang members to kill Quinonez because the teenager was cooperating with authorities and had agreed to testify against Torres in connection to

Torres

the ambush and killing of a rival gang member, according to the news release.

While in jail, Torres phoned fellow gang mem-

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bers who lured Quinonez to Buffalo Run Park in Missouri City and shot him 15 times as he sat on a park bench, prosecutors said.

Torres had initially been arrested for the death of Noe Mendez, who was shot and killed by several MS-13 members in February 2016 in the Gulfton area, according to the news release.

MS-13 is a transnational gang that started in California in the 1980s and quickly spread across the country and into Central America. The gang now has a presence in major cities, including in Houston and the region.

This is the third person to receive a sentence in connection to the death of Quinonez.

Jose Guerra Sibrian in June was sentenced to 50 years in prison for assisting in the killing of Quinonez, prosecutors announced.

Sibrian will be eligible for parole after serving 30 years of his sentence.

And in May, Douglas Alexander Herrera-Hernandez was sentenced to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of capital murder, according to court records.

New housing development begins sales in Richmond

By Matt deGrood MDEGROOD@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

When Meritage Homes had the land that would become the new Mandola Farms approved and under contract before the coronavirus pandemic, the developers were drawn to Richmond because of its low tax rate and home affordability, according to Kyle Davison, division president for the group.

But now that the development is starting to sell some homes, it’s also become part of a hot real estate market across the region in recent months.

“We didn’t open for sales until we had lots developed, which was in June,” Davison said.

“And since June, we’ve sold almost 50 homes.

It’s become one of the best-selling communities in Houston.”

Once fully-developed, the 85-acre Mandola Farms development just east of downtown Richmond will feature more than 250 lots, lakes,

trails, a community park and a splash pad, among other amenities, according to a city news release.

The development’s immediate popularity, coming outside the Fort Bend County communities in closest proximity to Houston, is another sign that the population continues to grow across the county, Davison said.

“Families and businesses continue to locate here to Richmond, so with Mandola Farms now an option for families to call home, it is a great residential choice,” City Manager Terri Vela said.

The community also benefits from a low overall tax rate of 2.41 percent, Davison said.

“We’ve been able to offer tremendous value,” he said.

Meritage and Coventry Homes are both offering homes in the development, according to Davison. Meritage still has another 67 lots that won’t be developed until the first quarter of 2022, Davison said.

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Wednesday, September 22, 2021 • PAGE

3

Let’s talk about storm resiliency Hurricane Nicholas bearing down upon us last week was enough to make me think upon a very familiar topic for those of us who’ve called this region home for any period of time.

Luckily, last week’s storm wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been – but the damage it did was enough to remind us of how fragile existence along the Gulf Coast can be in the best of times.

Thousands of Fort Bend County residents went days without power after the storm as CenterPoint Energy crews hurriedly worked to restore damaged lines.

And that’s without the flooding that has come with other recent storms.

I remember after Hurricane Harvey in 2017, the feeling was palpable that something had changed.

After years of neglecting our flooding and resilience infrastructure, communities were going to band together and, with the help of federal money, make changes that would protect future generations of Fort Bend County residents from the worst effects of severe weather.

Fort Bend County leaders and voters even took steps to make it happen.

Voters in 2019 approved $83 million in flood miti-

Matt deGrood MANAGING EDITOR

gation projects, with county drainage experts hopeful that money could be leveraged to secure more federal dollars to complete 25 flood mitigation projects.

Unfortunately, as we reported this week, that federal backing hasn’t really materialized, and more than 40 percent of those projects have either been placed on pause or left unfunded.

The lack of progress is disappointing to everyone, but it’s also not unique to the Houston region, or the most recent severe weather.

As Fort Bend County regroups and decides what comes next, it’s worth considering whether traditional drainage projects go far enough in preparing our region for the worst of what future bad weather might bring.

Severe flooding and community trauma after tropical weather has a way of provoking elected officials into action,

and there’s no more visible form of action than a drainage project – whether it be a dike or a dredging project or adding inline detention along a waterway.

But Larry Larson, the director emeritus and senior policy advisor for the Association of State Floodplain Managers, argues flood mitigation is just one part of a whole.

“All these things go into managing a community’s flood risk,” he said. “You’re talking about mapping, development, mitigation and insurance – it all plays into it.”

The drainage projects took most of the headlines after Hurricane Harvey struck the region, dropping more than 50 inches of rain on some parts, but federal flood maps for the Houston region were badly out of date as well. That led to some developers and especially vulnerable residents who didn’t know better, building in floodprone areas.

I remember being perplexed shortly after Harvey at the thought that, in my comparatively short time in the region, I’d lived through several 500-year floods back-to-back-toback. What are the odds?

Shouldn’t something that considers itself a 500-year flood only happen once in a lifetime, if that?

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gion that has long prided itself on an abundance of land and a comparative lack of government interference in the developing of it?

These are just a few introductory questions in what should be a soulsearching conversation about preparing for the future. Now four years after Harvey first imprinted itself upon our collective consciousness, let’s hope the good will and determination still exists to have that debate. It might just make the difference for generations to come.

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out power for much of the state.

Honest data might not be reassuring, but it’s critical if we’re going to effectively plan for the future along the Texas Gulf Coast.

And, similarly, it’s high time we consider what sort of communities we want to live in. The constant explosion of new development is a boon both to local municipalities’ ability to provide for residents and also to the tax rate, but it also comes with a cost.

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In fact, the calculation was based on bad data.

Shortly after Harvey, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration updated the definition of a 100-year rainfall event, increasing the amount of rain necessarily to qualify by more than 5 inches.

We can argue about the reasons until we’re blue in the face (that’s a topic for another column), but the science is quite clear. Severe weather events are becoming worse, and happening more frequently.

How we respond to that fact is the question of the moment for each of us in Fort Bend County, and for future generations.

There is little doubt that flood mitigation projects can be a force for good.

But they shouldn’t be the end of the conversation.

Most flood maps and calculations are based on data from historical storms and weather. But, as we know, history isn’t necessarily telling when it comes to extreme weather events. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott after the February winter storm almost caused the catastrophic failure of the state’s power grid sought to assure residents by claiming it was a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Yet just 10 years earlier, in 2011, similar plunging temperatures knocked

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JERRY EARL ENGLAND OCTOBER 5, 1948

Jerry Earl England, 72, of Sugar Land, Texas was met at The Golden Gates of Heaven by His Lord, family, friends, and pets on the morning of August 27, 2021.

Jerry was born on October 5, 1948 in Cincinnati, Ohio to Lester and Mildred (Caine) England. He moved to Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas in the late 70’s to avoid the harsh winters and fell in love with Texas. He would boast to his late brother Ron about being able to play golf all year round; in shorts.

In a private ceremony, Jerry married Elinor (Cilny) Seesing on December 14, 1996 in San Antonio on Marriage Island on the Riverwalk. They were accompanied by Brandon, her son playing the violin and sister Kathy.

This was the beginning of an amazing journey together. Jerry loved life and it showed with all his hobbies and adventures. As a young man in Ohio, he raced rally cars, loved camping, dancing and playing golf. When he moved to Texas, his interest expanded to duck hunting, and his love for his duck dog Sparky, who he raised from a tiny pup. Sailing all over the Caribbean with his new friends gave him a lifetime of joy. Jerry was a physical hands-on guy, hiking, restoring on his El Camino and an antique 8N tractor.

Later in life, he enjoyed buying mowing tractors and riding his motorcycle with his friend Howard. Jerry recently became involved with cowboy action shooting and was pretty good at it. He became a cowboy.

Professionally, Jerry was a CPA creating England & Company in Houston, Texas.

E

AUGUST 27, 2021

Jerry always said he couldn’t retire because he and Ellen loved to travel, and they would need money to see the world, and that they did! They traveled all over Europe, RVing the U.S. and shared many honey moon vacation trips.

Besides travel, Jerry was heavily involved with charity and support groups: Council on Recovery; Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo; Mankind Project/Men in Mission; Friends of Bill W. of 32 years, and his greatest joy, Santa Claus. He loved being Santa and seeing the faces of young and old, so much so, he took acting classes to become a better Santa. Jerry excelled in acting too. He was in the movie “Playing God” for theaters and the television movie “It’s A New Lease on Christmas”. So yes, he was a TV and Movie Star!

Jerry’s other great love was being involved in “Land of My Grandfathers” and “Man Kind Project”. He was a Ritual Elder and mentor to many men that he respected and loved. At the camp, he enjoyed mowing the property and meditating in the country air with

solitude as well as listening to the coyotes in the night.

Jerry leaves to carry on his love of life to his best friend and wife Ellen England, son Brandon and wife Lauren Seesing of Cypress, Texas, his latest pup, Jack; step-mother, Charlotte England of Hamilton Ohio; half-brother Jay Walton and wife Carol of Cleveland Ohio; countless extended Cilny family members and numerous friends and colleagues.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 AM on Friday, September 17, 2021 at Constellation Field, Sugar Land, Texas followed by a graveside service at 2:00 PM at the Woodlawn Garden of Memories in Houston, Texas. Services have been entrusted to Phillips & Luckey Funeral Home, Caldwell, Texas.

Joining in honoring his life, Jerry will be led to his final resting place by pallbearers, Cliff Dukes, Howard Lester, Richard Torres, Jimmy Lavergne, Matt Cilny and Gene Perry. Honorary pallbearers will be Alan L’Roy and Brandon Seesing.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Jerry’s name to The Council on Recovery at P.O. Box 2768, Houston, Tx 77252 councilonrecovery. org/donate-online, Land Of my Grandfather at: landofmygrandfather.com/make-adonation, Lone Star Santas at: .lonestarsantas.org, or www. rodeohouston.com Express condolences at PhillipsandLuckey.com.

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Worship Directory FORT BEND COUNT Y

BAPTIST CHURCH

HERITAGE BAPTIST CHURCH • 281-403-4994 2223 FM1092 • Missouri City, TX 77459 John Strader , Senior Pastor Sunday Bible Study 9:30 am Sunday Worship 10:45 am 6:00 pm Wednesday 7:00 pm AWANA/Youth www.hbctx.org METHODIST CHURCH

CHURCH OF CHRIST

STAFFORD CHURCH OF CHRIST • 281-499-2507 402 Stafford Run Rd. -Stafford, 77477 SUNDAY: Worship: 10:30 a.m. www.staffordchurchofchrist.org

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

CHRIST CHURCH SUGAR LAND • 281-980-6888

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH • 281-240-3195

A United Methodist Community 3300 Austin Parkway • Sugar Land, TX 77479 Sunday Schedule 8:30 am Blended Worship 9:30 am Sunday School for all ages 10:30 am Traditional & Contemporary Worship www.christchurchsl.org

502 Eldridge Road, Sugar Land, TX 77478 Reverend Dr. Fred Seay, Pastor Sunday Worship In Person 11:00 am / Nursery Available Worship Online on YouTube www.fpcsl.org

EPISCOPAL

ALL SAINTS EPISCOPAL CHURCH • 281-499-9602 605 Dulles Avenue, Stafford, TX 77477 SUNDAY: 10:30 am Worship Holy Eucharist www.allsaints-stafford.org

Scripture of the week

“My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and Earth.”

- Psalm 121:2

THE STAR

PAGE 4 • Wednesday, September 22, 2021

See us online www.FortBendStar.com

Clements downs Dulles for best start since 2009

By Landan Kuhlmann LKUHLMANN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

Much of the early season has been free of any late-game drama for the Clements High School football team, which won each of their first three games by at least 15 points.

That wasn’t the case last Thursday as the Rangers held off a late Dulles charge to win 19-13 in the teams' District 206A opener at Hall Stadium. The Vikings (4-0, 1-0 district) drove to Clements’ 26-yard line with less than one minute to go in the game, but the Rangers’ defense held to keep its ledger perfect.

The Rangers have started a season 4-0 for the first time since 2009.

Clements quarterback Micah Darnell completed 11 of 19 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown. Patrick Smith had four catches for 65 yards and a touchdown catch, an acrobatic toe-tapping catch in the third quarter on a 14-yard strike from Darnell, while Avery Clark ran

Clements' Micah Darnell prepares to throw a pass against Dulles last Thursday. The Rangers outlasted the Vikings to move to 4-0 on the season (Photo by Landan Kuhlmann)

for his first two touchdowns of the season.

Dulles fell to 2-2 overall and 0-1 in district play despite outgaining the Rangers 335-271 in total yards.

The Vikings had three different players rush for at least 60 yards as part of a 285-yard attack. Jalen Brown led the way with 96 yards on 15 carries, while Deadrick Hubbard (68 yards) and Devin Graham (64 yards) were also key parts of the

attack. Alfred Antwi punched in both of Dulles’ touchdowns as part of his 33-yard effort.

Ridge Point 64, Austin 0 Quarterback Bert Emanuel Jr. had his most prolific passing game of the season on Friday, completing 14 of 25 passes for 200 yards and four touchdowns as the Rangers (3-1, 1-0) ran past the Bulldogs in their District 206A opener. It was the second time this season Emanuel threw multiple touchdown passes in

a game. Eight different Panthers caught at least one pass, led by Marvin Sessions’ four catches for 40 yards and two touchdowns.

On the ground, sophomore Mason Dossett filled in admirably for Ezell Jolley, who did not play. Dossett ran for 104 yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns. Z’ericq Earls and Ryan Phillips also combined for 86 yards and three touchdowns as Ridge Point amassed 202 rushing yards.

Marshall 72, Houston Northside 0 This one turned into a rout quickly as Ja’Koby Banks hooked up with Ke’von Misher for long touchdown passes on each of Marshall’s first two plays from scrimmage. The Buffalos led 28-0 after the first quarter and never looked back en route to a lopsided win in their District 11-5A Division II opener.

Banks turned in another stellar performance with four total touchdowns. Runderick Dudley caught Banks’ third scoring toss early in the second quarter,

while Jaydon Johnson added a rushing touchdown late in the first half.

Willowridge 22, Houston Waltrip 10 Willowridge's Travis Willis was the difference maker in a District 11-5A Division II opener that was mostly a defensive struggle. Willis returned a kickoff for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter for the Eagles (2-1, 1-0 district) and added a 67-yard rushing touchdown later in the quarter to effectively seal the win.

Stafford 28, Sealy 14 Jamaal Wiley was the focal point again for the Spartans, racking up 83 yards on 21 carries to help them get their first win of the season. Senior receiver Tyler Miller hauled in three passes for 61 yards, while quarterback Brayden Batiste threw his seventh touchdown of the season.

Stafford’s defense also held strong against a powerful Sealy offense, holding the Tigers to their lowest scoring output of the season.

LAST WEEK’S SCORES Clements 19, Dulles 13 Ridge Point 64, Austin 0 Marshall 72, Northside 0 Willowridge 22, Waltrip 10 Stafford 28, Sealy 14 Katy Paetow 65, Kempner 0

This Week’s Schedule Thursday Austin vs. Travis, 6 p.m., Hall Stadium Hightower at Manvel, 7 p.m., Freedom Field Friday Bush vs. Dulles, 7 p.m., Hall Stadium Stafford vs. Wharton, 7 p.m.

Elkins at George Ranch, 7 p.m., Traylor Stadium Marshall at Houston Waltrip, 7 p.m., Delmar Stadium Saturday Clements vs. Ridge Point, 6 p.m., Hall Stadium Willowridge at Houston Sharpstown, 6 p.m., Delmar Stadium Kempner at Houston Milby, 6 p.m., Barnett Stadium

Skeeters Spotlight: Taylor Jones could make an impact next season

By Landan Kuhlmann LKUHLMANN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

Anomalies and oddities in sports have always fascinated me, whether they be statistical in nature or more practical. I want to know and learn more about them or the people behind them. And if there’s some relative obscurity to the player?

Then sign me up.

That’s the spirit of this week’s installment of our Skeeters Spotlight, which looks at first base prospect Taylor Jones.

Jones came to the Astros out of Gonzaga University, a school known more for its basketball prowess than baseball team.

It’s basketball program has produced 21 NBA players since 2000 – nearly matching its baseball program’s 27 total MLB

Jones alumni in a history dating back more than a century.

So without further ado, let’s jump into this week’s spotlight.

General overview: He was originally drafted by the Cubs as a first baseman in the 35th round of the 2015 draft after hitting .358 with a .959 OPS, but chose to go back for

his senior year. He would hit .332 with a .908 OPS that year, leading the Astros to select him in the 19th round in 2016.

Landan’s Lowdown: On he one hand, Jones has been the lone legitimate first base prospect in the Astros’ system since the trade of Seth Beer to Arizona in 2019. On the other, his primary positions – first base and third base – have been blocked by mainstays Yuli Gurriel and Alex Bregman.

I have long loved Jones’ approach at the plate. As a general rule, Jones has had great knowledge of the strike zone, sporting a career walk rate around 11.8 percent in the minors. While it seems like common knowledge to not swing at pitches out of the strike zone, it’s far easier said than done.

While that hasn’t yet come

to fruition for Jones during his MLB stints in 2020 and 2021, his 30.1 percent chase rate in 108 MLB plate appearances this year is just a tick below league average of 28.1. A Fangraphs study from 2019 also said that fans can expect a major league walk rate to be around 72 percent of someone’s MiLB rate.

That and Jones’ existing approach leads me to believe that it will bear itself out. The biggest thing that has stuck out to me while watching him is that for someone who stands 6-foot-7, Jones’ swing is very compact and quick to the ball.

Prediction: Jones has been squeezed out a bit in terms of roster space this season, but there is a path to him becoming a regular bench/role player in 2022. Gurriel is 37 years old and will likely need more days

off next season. So Jones could break camp with the Astros in 2022.

Skeeters set for postseason

The Sugar Land Skeeters are the regular-season champions of Triple-A West’s East Division in their first season as the Houston Astros’ TripleA affiliate – but their season is not over yet.

The regular-season champion for each division was based on overall winning percentage at the conclusion of the regular season, which ended Tuesday. Sugar Land finished as the runner-up in Triple-A West with a .588 winning percentage.

In lieu of traditional playoffs, there is a final 10-game run called “Final Stretch” that begins Thursday. Sugar Land

will play at El Paso Thursday through Monday and host Round Rock at Constellation Field from Sept. 29-Oct. 3.

The team with the best winning percentage of all 30 Triple-A clubs during that 10-game run will be crowned the “Final Stretch” winner.

In the event of a tie during the Final Stretch, one of several tiebreakers may be used: · Best overall winning percentage during the regular season or; · Head-to-head record during the regular season; or · Best overall winning percentage over the last 20 games of the regular season; or · Best overall winning percentage over an additional game until one emerges with a better winning percentage in that span of games

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Wednesday, September 22, 2021 • PAGE

5

THE STAR

PAGE 6 • Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Drilling company pleads guilty to oil spill in Brazos River

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By Matt deGrood MDEGROOD@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

A Connecticut-based drilling company has pleaded guilty to criminal charges for illegally releasing 450 barrels of oil into a Brazos River tributary and surrounding farmland in 2017, according to a Thursday news release from the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office.

Spike Drilling & Operating LLC pleaded guilty to one count of unauthorized discharge of a pollutant, a Class A misdemeanor, and was fined

A Helping Hand

$4,000 and forced to meet several other stipulations as part of a plea agreement, according to the DA’s office.

The charges stem from a tank battery the company operated in Damon, according to the office. A tank battery is a group of storage tanks connected via pipeline that are meant to receive crude oil from a nearby well.

The company in 2011 began developing an inactive oil and gas lease near Damon off Knolle Road – a lease in a floodplain draining into Cow Creek, which is a tributary of the Brazos

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Sealed bids, in duplicate, addressed to Fort Bend County M.U.D. No. 26, Water Plant #2, perimeter Fencing. Bids will be received at Quail Valley Utility District Office at 3 134 Cartwright Rd. Missouri City, TX. 77459 by 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 2l st, 2021 and tien publicly opened and read aloud.

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River, according to the news release.

Spike in 2016 began operations on several wells and built a tank battery to store the production, according to the release. Environmental rules and industry standards required the company to build a berm around that tank battery to protect against possible unexpected oil spills, but the company did not do so.

Then, in June 2017, a tank ruptured and spilled 450 barrels of oil into the surrounding landscape, according to the district attorney’s office.

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local pastures, according to the district attorney’s office.

Responders also found thunderstorms had carried the pollutants toward the creek and the Brazos River, according to the office.

During a four-week remediation, investigators found more than a mile-and-a-half of drainage pathways were polluted along with four miles of Cow Creek, according to the office.

An estimated 2,080 barrels of oil and polluted water were recovered during remediation.

Spike plugged three wells, drained oil and water from the tank battery, agreed to remove the crippled tank battery from the lease, vacuumed flow lines, paid the contractors for the plugging and related work and paid restitution, according to the district attorney’s office.

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CITATION BY PUBLICATION CAUSE NO. 20-08-13894-DCV TO: JAMAR OKEITH HUBERT, Defendant, Greetings: You are hereby commanded to appear by filing a written answer to the Plaintiff’s Petition at or before ten o’clock a.m. on the first Monday after the expiration of twenty (20) days for the date of the issuance of this citation, before the Honorable Maribel Flores, in the 293rd Judicial District Court at the Dimmit County Courthouse, 103 N. 5th Street, Carrizo Springs, Texas 78834.

Said Plaintiff’s Petition was filed in said court, on 08/12/2020 in this cause, numbered 20-08-13894-DCV on the docket of said court, and styled: IN THE INTEREST OF ZOE AMARE HUBERT A CHILD Attorney for the Plaintiff is: Patrick Kelly, 310 E. Nopal Street, Carrizo Springs, Texas 78834.

A brief statement of the nature of this suit is as follows, to-wit: The purpose of this suit is to establish the parent-child relationship between Respondent and the child the subject of the suit. The best interest of the child the subject of this suit will not be served by the appointment of Petitioner and Respondent as joint managing conservators. It is in the best interest of the child that Petitioner be appointed sole managing conservator of the child.

As is more fully shown by Plaintiff’s Petition on file in this suit.

The date and place of birth of the child who is the subject of the suit: April 12, 2017, in Dimmit County, Texas.

The Court has authority in this suit to render an order in the child’s interest that will be binding on you, including the termination of the parent-child relationship, the determination of paternity, and the appointment of a conservator with authority to consent to the child’s adoption.

Issued and given under my hand and the seal of said court at office, this the 31st day of August 2021.

Attest: Maricela G. Gonzalez, District Clerk 103 N. 5th Street Carrizo Springs, Texas 77834 By: /s/ Dora A. Balderas, Chief Deputy Clerk

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See us online www.FortBendStar.com

Wednesday, September 22, 2021 • PAGE

7

Bird watching at Sugar Land’s Cullinan Park Stefan Modrich See Fortbendstar.com for related video

REPORTER

The more time I spend immersed in Fort Bend County’s natural beauty, the more I am left in awe.

My visit to Cullinan Park on Sunday was no exception.

The Cullinan Park Conservancy, led by board president Robbin Mallett, hosted a series of guided bird watching events for people of all ages in celebration of Houston Bird Week, a program led by the Houston Audubon Society.

Early Sunday morning, 54 people attended the adult bird hikes, which were split into groups of three and led by six local volunteers, Mallett said. She estimated about 50 participants attended the “Family Birding Fun” event led by Kelsey Low, another conservancy board member and the adult programs manager at the Houston Arboretum Mallett said it was the

★ FLOOD FROM PAGE 1 gation grants.

“A lot of our concern is that some communities are wise about these types of projects,” said Mark Vogler, Fort Bend County’s chief drainage engineer and general manager of the county’s drainage district.

“But myself at the drainage district, we had little experience and background, and there’s some sour grapes after the last round of grants. I’m almost to the point of saying, 'Let’s cut out grants completely, and have the community fund it ourselves.' Next year, my attitude might be different.”

Communities across the Houston region have encountered similar difficulties and disappointments in the years since Hurricane Harvey flooded much of the region in 2017, according to drainage experts. Both Fort Bend and Harris counties, for instance, were initially left out of $1.2 billion in federal funding that the Texas General Land Office awarded earlier this year.

Beyond the questions about whether or not the federal government provides enough funding for flood mitigation projects, however, are deeper con-

★ OUTAGES FROM PAGE 1 to address all remaining outages as safely and quickly as possible,” said Kenny Mercado, executive vice president for CenterPoint. “We appreciate our customers’ continued patience and understanding as we work to address the more challenging outage issues caused by the storm’s extensive damage to some parts of our system.”

Crews had already reduced a high of about 460,000 customers without power shortly after the storm rolled through down to about 80,000, according to a news release.

★ VIDEO FROM PAGE 1 of judges. It was from that grouping that her video was one of 30 semifinalists, which was announced in mid-August.

“It just made me really happy (when I found out),” she said.

Since Sept. 5, Prasanna’s video has been posted on the Breakthrough Challenge’s Facebook page.

People around the world have been voting on the videos, according to the competition’s website. The entry which got the highest combined total of “likes” and positive reactions on the original post of their video by the end of the day Monday was named Popular Vote Top Scorer and automatically named a finalist. There will also be a regional champion in each of seven regions – North America, Central

first time the conservancy has hosted a Houston Bird Week event “I’m a serious bird nerd,” Mallett said. “So I’ve been working toward having more birding opportunities not just for hard core, serious birders, but also to introduce people who are new to birding and Cullinan Park is a great place to do that.

When the state was locked down during COVID-19 pandemic last year, she said Cullinan Park, which is free to enter, was

an outlet for many people looking for safe, fresh air.

“It’s 754 acres, we have lots of trails,” Mallett said.

“People can come out here and space out and social distance and still enjoy the great outdoors.”

If you go, you should visit the following link beforehand and print out a copy of the conservancy’s bird checklist to take with you on your trip: https:// cullinanparkconservancy. org/birding.

According to the conservancy, 267 species of

birds can be found at Cullinan Park, second only in Fort Bend County to Brazos Bend State Park in Needville.

Recently, I visited Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center in Round Mountain, an hour outside of Austin. Cullinan Park’s lush landscape and tall grasses surrounding White Lake was a strikingly similar environment, though the wildlife I saw was quite different.

Low pointed out the Tricolored Heron, the Blue

Heron, and the Carolina Wren. She instructed the children and parents in attendance how to watch and listen for the calls of the White Ibises, the Gallinules and the Great Egrets as we moved along the boardwalk to the top of the observation deck overlooking the water.

I found myself watching for planes landing at nearby Sugar Land Regional Airport as often as I was looking for birds, perhaps because I couldn’t help but notice the irony.

Nonetheless, it was captivating to watch the majestic Great Egret take flight, and I gained an appreciation for how challenging nature photography can be as I tried and failed to capture it.

More than anything, though, it was fulfilling for me to be around so many families enjoying themselves in a beautiful natural setting that was as educational for the parents as it was for their

versations about whether local drainage projects go far enough in reducing flooding and planning for a future where such dangers are exacerbated by climate change, according to mitigation and funding experts.

“All these things go into managing a community’s flood risk,” said Larry Larson, the director emeritus and senior policy advisor for the Association of State Floodplain Managers. “You’re talking about mapping, development, mitigation and insurance – it all plays into it. And so a community can’t say they want nothing but development, and then act surprised when everything floods. It was easily predictable.”

Nationally, it’s clear that the federal government does not currently provide enough flood mitigation money to meet the demands of communities across the country, said Kristin Smith, an expert in flood mitigation public finance and fiscal policy with Headwaters Economics, a nonprofit research group that researches how to improve community development and land management.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in 2020 received more than $3 billion in

funding requests, but had a budget of only $500 million, Smith said.

“That’s a big gap,” she said.

More recently, it seems there’s a desire in Washington D.C. to increase the budget for flood mitigation projects, Smith said.

For instance, President Joe Biden's administration doubled FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant budget for its next funding cycle – the most the agency has ever had for mitigation.

And there are ongoing talks about including money for mitigation projects in the infrastructure bills, she said.

But like Larson, Smith said there’s more to managing flood risk than mitigation projects.

“I think the bigger thing you’re asking is, are there more creative approaches for doing flooding mitigation?” she said. “That’s something we have to grapple with.”

Essentially, multiple factors went into making Hurricane Harvey as devastating for the Houston region as it was, Larson said.

The country’s system for funding mitigation projects has always been somewhat perverse, Larson said. Local communities depend on

federal money to solve their flooding problems, but in reality local decisions about where to allow development play outsized roles in disasters, but they’re decisions the federal government doesn’t weigh in on, Larson said.

“Too many communities allow development in highrisk areas,” Larson said.

“The developer sees cheap land and wants to go there, and the city likes adding to its tax base.”

The system doesn’t penalize communities that allow development in highrisk areas, when maybe it should, Larson said.

Furthermore, when Harvey struck the region in 2017, the local flood maps showing what buildings

and residences fell within a floodplain were decades out of date, Larson said.

Prior to the storm, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration defined a 100-year rainfall as anything that included 13 inches of rain in a 24-hour period, Larson said. But when the administration updated that definition after Harvey using newer data, that increased to 18 inches in a 24-hour period.

And some communities that have done a better job mapping for the future show that even the federal agency’s newest data isn’t doing a good enough job factoring the role climate change might play in flood risk, Larson said.

Experts in Charlotte,

Ferguson hoped Fort Bend County residents might take Hurricane Nicholas as an opportunity to better prepare for the future, he said. There’s the usual steps, such as having a week of nonperishable food ready for a disaster, as well as considering other options, such as purchasing a generator, he said.

Nicholas made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane just after 1 a.m. Sept. 14 in Matagorda County. The storm continued to inch along the Texas coast, largely bringing strong wind gusts and steady rain.

Residents in Fort Bend County awoke Sept. 14 to

leaves and other foliage scattered across the roadways, and many had lost power, according to the outage tracker. Wind gusts of 51 mph were reported near Sugar Land, according to Space City Weather.

In addition to the residents who were still waiting for power to be restored last Wednesday, several Fort Bend ISD campuses canceled in-person classes because they lost power. Those included Baines, First Colony, Fort Settlement and Hodges Bend middle schools and Schiff, Settlers Way and Sullivan elementary schools, according to the district.

Shown is the Gallinule, one of the hundreds of bird species residing at Cullinan Park in Sugar Land. (Photo by Stefan Modrich)

American, Europe, Asia, India, Middle East/Africa, and Australia/New Zealand – who will be named finalists.

Winners were set to be announced on Tuesday – but whatever the outcome, Prasanna was already over the moon with simply making it this far, and hopes her work can go beyond the competition.

“I’m so excited that so many more people – probably thousands of people – all over the world can get to know about this very simple body process that all of us experience,” she said.

Her video focuses on migrating motor complex, an electromagnetic process that happens in the smooth muscles of the small intestine and stomach during the fasting process, showing how electro-mechanical activity occurs in the muscles.

When the stomach begins to rumble, Prasanna that’s the first stage of the process. The brain then sends a hormone called motolin into the digestive tract.

From there, electrical waves occur in the small intestine after it comes from the stomach. Those electrical waves are what create the rumbling sound, according to Prasanna.

There are four phases to the process, she said, all of which can last a number of minutes – which is why people will often hear the stomach growling intermittently as opposed to doing so in one chunk.

“I had the realization that it’s a funny topic, and it’s also something that people like my sister and those her age would want to know,” she said.

For more information about the competition, visit breakthroughjuniorchallenge.org/.

children.

So it was while I was chatting with longtime Sugar Land residents Vicki Warren and Kraig Warren and their daughter Kayley, 5, who said one of the highlights of her visit to Cullinan Park was spotting a Whistling Duck Vicki Warren, who formerly served on the city’s parks and recreation advisory board, said she had driven by the park and that it had come up several times in conversation, but she hadn’t visited it with her family until Sunday.

She and her husband said it would be beneficial to have multiple birding events each season, to coincide with the migration patterns of different birds.

“This is a good idea for them to engage the community,” Kraig Warren said. “I didn’t realize the magnitude of all the stuff that they have here, and the observatory location.

It’s pretty nice. We’ll probably come back.”

North Carolina several years ago calculated the community’s flood risk based on FEMA maps, and a separate calculation that factored in additional data such as development they knew would come over the next 25 years, Larson said. The result was that they would need to build anywhere from 2 to 9 feet higher under the second maps.

“Up until about 50 years ago, we really didn’t try to manage our flood risk,” Larson said. “We thought we could engineer our way out of it. Time has shown that’s not a real solution.”

Levees fail and require regular maintenance, and oftentimes it’s easier keeping people away from the flooding, Larson said.

Water District Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Rate The PALMER PLANTATION MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NO. 1 will hold a public hearing on a proposed tax rate for the tax year 2021 on Wednesday, October 20, 2021, at 2:30 p.m. at Quail Valley Utility District, 3134 Cartwright Road, Missouri City, Texas 77459. Your individual taxes may increase at a greater or lesser rate, or even decrease, depending on the tax rate that is adopted and on the change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in taxable value of all other property. The change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in the taxable value of all other property determines the distribution of the tax burden among all property owners.

FOR the proposal:

Tara Wagner, Mike Ware, Lynn Macko, Stephen LeGrue, Gary Leist

AGAINST the proposal:

None

PRESENT and not voting:

None

ABSENT:

None

The following table compares taxes on an average residence homestead in this taxing unit last year to taxes proposed on the average residence homestead this year.

Total tax rate (per $100 of value)

LAST YEAR

THIS YEAR

$0.47000 /$100 Adopted

$0.47000 /$100 Proposed

Difference in rates per $100 of value

$0.00000 /$100

Percentage increase/decrease in rates (+/-)

0.00%

Average appraised residence homestead value

$338,766.00

$340,126.00

General homestead exemptions available (excluding 65 years of age or older or disabled person’s exemptions)

$0

$0

Average residence homestead taxable value

$338,766.00

$340,126.00

$1,592.20

$1,598.59

Tax on average residence homestead Annual increase/decrease in taxes if proposed tax rate is adopted (+/-)

$6.39

and percentage of increase (+/-)

0.40%

NOTICE OF VOTE ON TAX RATE If the district adopts a combined debt service, operation and maintenance and contract tax rate that would result in the taxes on the average residence homestead increasing by more than 3.5 percent, an election must be held to determine whether to approve the operation and maintenance tax rate under Section 49.23602, Water Code.

The 86th Texas Legislature modified the manner in which the voter-approval tax rate is calculated to limit the rate of growth of property taxes in the state.

Should you have any questions concerning this notice, please contact the tax office at 281-482-0216.

THE STAR

PAGE 8 • Wednesday, September 22, 2021

See us online www.FortBendStar.com

Review: Bow's Taste of Belize Nibbles & Sips: Twisted Pizza opens anchors local Caribbean cuisine scene

By Stefan Modrich SMODRICH@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

Near the Fort Bend County line along State Highway 6, the adjacent Mission Bend and Four Corners neighborhoods are a stronghold of ethnic diversity.

One of the anchors of a growing local Caribbean cuisine scene is Bow’s Taste of Belize, which opened last year.

Owners Aaron Bowen and Kim Bowen, Belize natives, aimed to “transports guests into the heart of Belize” according to their website, where their menu showcases its various ethnic groups– Creole, Mayan, Mes-

in Harvest Green

tizo, Garifuna and Mennonites.

Regrettably, I didn’t realize that one of the items I ordered online before picking up my food wasn’t available on Thursdays.

If you want to try a Johnnycake ($1.50), which is to Belize what croissants are to France, according to Bow’s website, you should go on the weekend, the Bow’s staff told me.

The coconut milk pastry is a Belizean breakfast staple and it is commonly served in Belizean16651 Southwest Freeway, Suite homes hot with cheese, fried200 Sugar Land, TX 77479 (phone) 713-774-5131 (fax) 713-774beans or jelly.

For my dinner, I went with a7122 traditional favorite.

Oxtails ($18) are one ofWWW.SWOBGYN.COM

By Stefan Modrich SMODRICH@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

The oxtails from Bow’s Taste of Belize are served with a side of fried plantains and rice. (Photo by Stefan Modrich) Dr. Huebner has practiced obstetrics and gynecology for more than 41 years in the greater Houston and Sugar Land areas and is one of the founding members of Southwest Ob Gyn Associates. We thank Dr. Huebner for his years of devoted service and wish him the very best in the years to come.

Southwest Ob / Gyn Associates has proudly served the greater Houston and Sugar Land communities for the past 26 years and while Dr. Huebner’s presence will truly be missed, his spirit of caring and providing excellent patient care can be found in every physician within our group. It is our hope that you will continue to trust us with your care. Please call our office at 713-774-5131 to receive assistance with transitioning your care to one of the other physicians within our group.

You may contact our office or visit our website at www.swobgyn.com and complete a request for release of medical records if you choose to continue care outside our practice.

Thank you for allowing us the privilege of caring for you and we look forward to seeing you soon.

the most popular Caribbean delicacies, and there are several differences between the Belizean version and its Jamaican counterpart.

At Bow’s, oxtails are cooked in coconut milk with rice and beans and seasoned with recado, a red spice blend containing annatto (a sweet and peppery condiment derived from the seeds of the achiote tree), allspice, black pepper, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, garlic, oregano and salt.

Then, the mixture is lightly sauteed and stewed with garlic, onions and tomatoes. It is also served with a side of fried plantains.

Your choices of sides include white rice with stew beans, coleslaw, potato salad and rice with beans.

If you’ve eaten goat or lamb, or you like eating ribs or chicken wings, as I have, you will probably not need much in the way of advice for eating oxtails.

I would just say that the extra work to pull the meat off the bone is absolutely worth it, and that deliciously tender and piquant bites await you on the other side.

Bow’s Taste of Belize

Address: 9406 S. State Highway 6, Houston Dining Options: Dine-in, takeout Hours: 11 a.m.- 9 p.m. Sunday, Wednesday; 11 a.m.- 9 p.m.

Thursday-Friday; 9 a.m.- 9 p.m.

Saturday Entree prices: $6-$21 Kid-friendly: Yes Senior discount: No Alcohol: Yes Healthy options: None Star of the show: Oxtails Rating:

COMMUNITY

CALENDAR

A Richmond pizza restaurant held its soft opening last Wednesday in the Harvest Green subdivision.

Twisted Pizza, 11131 Harlem Road Ste. 150, is a fusion pizza spot that incorporates American classics with Desi Indian flavors.

The restaurant announced its soft opening in a Facebook post last Tuesday, and said in the post it will be rolling out a limited menu to start.

Eventually, Twisted Pizza plans to serve chicken wings, English-style fish n’ chips and momos — Tibetan and Nepalese dumplings.

Twisted Pizza’s soft opening hours are 4-8 p.m. daily.

For more information, call 832-629-2751 Vida Mariscos launches in Katy A Mexican seafood restaurant and sports bar held its grand opening Wednesday in Katy.

Vida Mariscos, 902 W. Grand Parkway S., opened its first location in Fort Bend County.

The restaurant also has a location in Tomball.

Ceviche rojo, mango fish and seafood enchiladas are among the many seafood items on the Vida Mariscos menu.

(Photo from Facebook)

Vida Mariscos is open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Tuesday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. WednesdayThursday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m.

Friday, 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday.

For more information, call 832-559-3709 Ohio-based pizza chain opens in Fulshear A fast-casual pizza chain recently opened its ninth Fort Bend County location.

Marco's Pizza, headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, opened the doors Wednesday to its first location at 6520 FM 359 S. in Fulshear, according to a news release from Tyler Towne of Fishman PR. Fulshear resident Phil Lillquist is the owner and operator of the new location.

The Marco’s menu features a variety of pizzas (White Cheezy, Deluxe, All Meat or Build-Your-Own Pizza) and its signature Pizza Bowls.

For more information, call 346-338-8700.

(Photo from Facebook)

Deadline is noon every Friday. Limit entries to 40 words and answer the “5 Ws” Who, What, When, Where, and Why. Email to jsazma@fortbendstar.com or mail to: Fort Bend Star, 3944 Bluebonnet Drive, Stafford, Texas 77477.

FOR NON-PROFIT EVENTS

In light of the COVID-19 outbreak and the cancellation of several community gatherings, please check with each organization for updated information about the status of their events.

OCTOBER 7 FORT BEND-HARRIS RETIRED EDUCATORS TO MEET IN-PERSON Meeting Thursday, October 7th, 1-3 p.m. Sugar Land First United Methodist Church, 431 Eldridge Rd. We will meet in the VENUE ROOM -- Park back of the church near Kids World Education Bldg. Enter at the double glass doors under covered drive. See FBHRE banner. Someone will direct you to room. Speaker: Lauren Stockholm from the SL Police Department discussing personal safety. We will be collecting large cans of soup and crackers. Arrive earlier to socialize, sign in and pay dues if you haven't. All Fort Bend and Harris County I.S.D. retired public educators are invited. More information, call 713-206-2733.

OCTOBER 16 AMERICAN LEGION POST 942 ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT 1:00 pm at Quail Valley Golf Course, 2880 Laquinta Drive, Missouri City, TX 77459 Proceeds support veteran programs and scholarships for local students Sponsorship Opportunities or to Register: Tel: 713-553-5370 Email: AM.LEGIONPOST942@gmail.com EXPERIENCE COUNTS! 35+ YEARS SERVING FORT BEND COUNTY 281-243-2344 281.243.2300

14090 S.W. Freeway Suite #200 Sugar Land, TX

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Honored to be your choice for life insurance.

LISA N SIMS, AGENT Monday - Friday 9 - 6 Saturday 10 - 2 After hours by appointment

Live Event ! in 2021

11647 S Highway 6 Sugar Land, TX 77498 Toll Free: 281-201-2448 lisa@agentlisasims.com

ONGOING JAM WITH SAM Join Sam Grice and his friends every Tuesday Night at 6:30 pm at First Presbyterian Church, 502 Eldridge Road, Sugar Land, Texas. The group plays folk, country, bluegrass, religious and patriotic songs. Call Sam at 832-428-3165 or the church office at 281-240-3195 for more information.

THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY FOR MEN Sugar Land First United Methodist Church, 431 Eldridge Road offers a Thursday Morning Bible Study For Men. This group is ongoing and uses a variety of studies throughout the year.

The breakfast, coffee and donuts are free. Join us any time! Thursdays, 6:30-7:30 am in Wesley Hall. Call the church office at 281-491-6041 or Mike Schofield at 281-217-5799 for more information.

SUGAR LAND AMERICAN LEGION American Legion Freeman Post 942 meets the fourth Thursday of every month at the Post facility, 311 Ulrich, Sugar Land, Texas, at 7:00 PM. All veterans are welcome. Post hall is available for rental for events. Call 713-5535370 if interested.

GIVE A GIFT OF HOPE Give a Gift of Hope one-time or monthly.

Your help provides access to therapies and services children with autism might otherwise go without. Please consider Hope For Three in your Estate, Planned, or Year-End Giving.

September Animal Wellness Clinic Special

Add

a Mic

$15

Hurricane Preparedness Month Dogs $65 Special includes office visit, rabies, canine distemper & bordetella

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hip

Register now, or learn more about exciting events: www.hopeforthree.org/events DVD-BASED ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS WITH NO HOMEWORK REQUIRED Weekly class designed to help you understand and appreciate the Bible by giving you a better sense of the land and culture from which it sprang. The class meets at 9:30 am every Sunday at First Presbyterian of Sugar Land (502 Eldridge Rd.). For more information call 281-240-3195 EXCHANGE EXCHANGE, AmericaÕ s Service Club, always welcomes guests and is in search of new members! Various Fort Bend clubs exist and can accommodate early morning (7 a.m.), noon and evening meeting time desires. For more info, contact Mike Reichek, Regional Vice President, 281-575-1145 or mike@reichekfinancial.com We would love to have you join us and see what we are all about!

MISSOURI CITY AARP CHAPTER 3801 Meets the second Monday of every month at 11:30 a.m., at 2701 Cypress Point Dr., Missouri City Rec Center. Lunch, education, and entertainment. All seniors over 50 invited.

For more information, call 713-859-5920 or 281-499-3345.

BECOME A FOSTER GRANDPARENT Volunteers are needed to be a role model, mentor and friend to children with exceptional needs in the community. Training, mileage reimbursement, tax-free monthly stipend if eligible. Call today to help change the world, one child at a time in Rosenberg. For more information, call 281-344-3515.

Cats $45 includes office visit, rabies & feline distemper

Friday, Saturday & Sunday by appointment only 14700 Almeda Rd. Houston, TX 77053 | (713)433-6421

Christmas C Ch ri Home H Ho om Tour om December 10 + 11, 2021

Benefiting abused and neglected children

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11555 West Airport, Meadows Place, Texas, 77477 • 281-277-3367

Daily SpecialS! Open 7 DayS a week

Dine-In Open!

TAKE-OUT & CATERING

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family owned and operated LUNCH SPECIALS HOME MADE TAMALES & TORTILLAS MARGARITA’S TO-GO!

SOUTHWEST FREEWAY 281.240.3060 12821 LasHaciendasGrill.com