Tickets now available for Sugar Plum Market – Page 3
WEDNESDAY • NOVEMBER 6, 2019
Visit www.FortBendStar.com
Fort Bend / Southwest • Volume 43 • No. 64
Jack’s District 28 race drives early voting surge NEIGHBORHOOD PUB!
By Landan Kuhlmann
WEDNESDAY STEAK NIGHT
14oz. Ribeye for $13.00 6p.m. - 10.p.m. 281-498-3410 11720 Wilcrest Houston, Tx. 77099
LUNCH SPECIAL! Empanada, soup, & a free mini petit four $7.40
LKUHLMANN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
The race to replace John Zerwas in the U.S. House of Representatives has the potential to continue a significant shift in the political landscape of Fort Bend County. It appears voters were A voter leaves the polling location at the George Memo- eager to make their voices rial Library in Richmond Tuesday morning. Fort Bend heard as county officials say County had a larger than usual voter turnout during early the seven-candidate race for voting. (Photo by Landan Kuhlmann)
the District 28 seat was likely behind a spike in early voting turnout over the last few weeks. Results for the special election, held Tuesday, were not available before press time. Visit fortbendstar.com for election results. According to Fort Bend County Elections Administrator John Oldham, just shy of 29,000 voters cast their ballot in person from Oct. 21-Nov. 1. That number rep-
resents roughly 6.5 percent of the county’s 444,658 registered voters, according to the Fort Bend County Clerk’s website. Oldham said the early voting total represents about
SEE DISTRICT 28 PAGE 7 ONLINE Go to fortbendstar.com for area election results
Never forgotten
Rustika Rustika
Café & Bakery Café & Bakery NOWOPEN 281-494-4230
NOWOPEN
Next to Corelli’s Italian
CUSTOM CAKES + PASTRIES + COOKIES + COFFEE + SOUPS + SANDWICHES
Next to Corelli’s Italian CUSTOM CAKES + PASTRIES + COOKIES + COFFEE + SOUPS + SANDWICHES
auto - home - life
Thad Olive 1716 Dulles Ave. Suite 102 Sugar Land, TX. 77478 832-999-4292
www.agentolive.com
All-inclusive playground set to open Saturday From Staff Reports
A local small town’s vision has come to fruition. The Meadows Place HELFMAN Playground For All will host its grand opening this Saturday, Nov. 9 at the park at 12037 Pender Ln. Mayor Charles Jessup said the all-inclusive playground was a vision of the city’s Youth Action Council (YAC) and director Colene Cabezas after she planted the seed during a state convention in 2016 and began fundraising shortly after. Through installments from nearby Helfman Ford and community donations, the group was able to raise $127,000 to help make the project a reality. Festivities begin at 11 a.m. with special recognitions given to Helfman Ford, Meadows Place YAC, Meadows PTO and H&H Landscape, which designed the park. Refreshments will be offered while supplies last.
Sugar Land resident Vernon Pyles is shown here as a Navy cadet. Pyles, who served in the Navy for three years on the U.S.S. Nimitz, is one of many area veterans who will be attending an annual community veterans luncheon Nov. 8 (Contributed photo)
Sugar Land resident Wesley McGlory, kneeling in front, trained for the United States Air Force at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. McGlory, now 71 years old, appreciates the annual Veterans Day luncheon held by a local insurance agent. (Contributed photo)
Annual luncheon sparks memories for area veterans By Landan Kuhlmann LKUHLMANN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
Many celebrate Memorial Day and Veterans Day once a year. For some, however, remembrance is a never-ceasing mission that continues to endure. “My Memorial Day is every day, because I think about a lot of these guys who lost their lives over there (in Vietnam),” said 78-year-old Sugar Land resident Lonnie Didway. Didway, who served in the U.S. Army from 1960-83, said his service took him to Hawaii, Thailand, Korea, Alaska and Germany during the height of the Vietnam War. And though he became a combat engineer instructor at Fort Riley in Kansas in 1964 and never set foot in Vietnam, he said he carries the war with him to this day, because it claimed the lives of
some of his friends and his platoon sergeant. “I never spent time there, but I’ve listened to a lot of the war stories,” Didway said. Oftentimes, he said only veterans can understand the plight of time spent in combat or even war zones in peace time. An upcoming annual community luncheon hosted by Sugar Land State Farm agent Jeremy Adams provides veterans such as Didway a chance to visit with those who know their stories best. During the fourth annual Veterans Day luncheon, scheduled for Friday, Adams’ office at 9722 Hwy. 90A in Sugar Land will close all day for food, dessert, drinks and fellowship. Upon taking over his Sugar Land State Farm branch in July 2015, Adams immediately discovered that two of the branch’s longest-tenured policy holders were military veterans – sparking an idea he said is rooted in
a lifelong military appreciation. Adams was born and raised near Fort Polk in Vernon Parish, Louisiana, where he said new kids transferred in with their parents every school year. “I was just raised in an environment to appreciate veterans, because that’s why we’re here today,” Adams said. “We have the freedoms we have because of the people that sacrificed their lives and time for us. I’ve always had a strong patriotic appreciation for what those people have done.” One of Adams’ policy- Veterans enjoy a meal at last year's luncheon hosted by holding veterans is 71-year-old Sugar Land State Farm agent Jeremy Adams. Contributed Sugar Land resident Wesley photo) McGlory, who served six years in the Air Force while stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in best things that could ever hap- and how we feel about it. A lot Las Vegas, Tan Son Nhut Air pen,” McGlory said. “(Jeremy) comes out of it.” Initially, McGlory said, some Force Base in South Vietnam is a good guy, and he loves to represent the veterans. It gets veterans were reluctant to talk and Lackland Air Force Base outside San Antonio. He has better every year. It makes me at the first gathering. But that attended Adams’ event every proud to meet other veterans reluctance has since given way year since its inception in 2016. and tell our stories about our “(This luncheon) is one of the journeys, how we were treated SEE VETERANS PAGE 7
Former Sugar Land employee returns as city manager By Landan Kuhlmann LKUHLMANN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
HONORING OUR VETERANS On Page 4
Goodrum
A former Sugar Land city employee is coming back to where his career began. Following a nationwide search, the Sugar Land city council recently named Mike Goodrum as its next city manager, according to a news release from the city. Goodrum will replace the retiring Allen Bogard, who has served in the role
for more than two decades. Goodrum, who since 2017 has served as city manager in Coral Springs, Florida, has been in government service since 1999, when he joined the city of Sugar Land after graduating from Texas A&M. For the city manager position, he was picked out of a field of more than 50 applicants, which was then narrowed to five finalists before Goodrum’s unanimous selection. "It is a monumental
task to follow in the footsteps of a legendary city manager such as Allen," Goodrum said in a statement released by the city. "Allen has been a tremendous mentor and friend to me over the years, and I'm up to the challenge of leading this elite organization he refined during the last 20-plus years.” During his previous time in Sugar Land, Goodrum served in departments such as Parks and Recreation, the City Manager’s
Office, Community and Environmental Services and Public Works. He was elevated to executive director in 2013 and to assistant city manager in 2014. "The city is thrilled at the opportunity to welcome Mike back," Bogard said in a statement released by the city. "Sugar Land is in good hands. When I retire in January, I will be proud
SEE MANAGER PAGE 8