Area teachers honored for science education contributions - Page 4
A local hoops star was recently voted as the best player in Houston. Read more about in our story on Page 3 WEDNESDAY • APRIL 5, 2023
Fort Bend / Southwest • Volume 48 • No. 28 • $1.00
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Stafford council meeting on revenue turns heated By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
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In an hours-long and often combative meeting, Stafford City Council members on March 28 discussed ways the the city could generate new sources of revenues and other
sources of funding, which has been the subject of longstanding rifts within the small community. For decades, Stafford has relied almost entirely on sales taxes to fund its budget and provide city services. But that approach has long been a matter of controversy among the
city leaders and populace. Last week's special meeting was held largely at the behest of Mayor Pro Tem Don Jones, who has made the city's budgeting the centerpiece of his electoral challenge to Mayor Cecil Willis in the May 6 municipal election. Council members Ken Mathew and
Wen Guerra are also challenging Willis, who favors sticking with the city's "zero property tax" policy. However, Jones arrived about 10 minutes into the meeting. During that period, Willis pointed out that the heads of the city's SEE MEETING PAGE 4
Lighting the spark
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A boy immerses himself inside the MakerU, a school bus repurposed as a makerspace, at the Innovation Spark Fest. The event was held last weekend at Sugar Land Town Square. (Photo by Ken Fountain)
Fort Inaugural Sugar Land technology festival draws crowds Bend Star By Ken Fountain
KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
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Sugar Land Town Square was filled Saturday with the sights and sounds of robots, remote-controlled car battles, and people of all ages enjoying innovation of all kinds at the first-ever Innovation Spark Fest. The event brought folks from all over the greater Houston region and beyond for a celebration of
By Ken Fountain
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nitaries, including Sugar Land City Councilwoman Suzanne Whatley, the teams gave their polished presentations in the manner of budding entrepreneurs. Elsewhere, folks tinkered at tables on their remotecontrolled robot cars to prepare for the threeringed bot competition. Inside a large see-through plastic box, the combatants battled it out by crashing into each other, hoping to severely damage
or at least disable their opponents. Greg Clark and his daughter, Alyson, 10, came from Katy to participate. They have been competing with robot cars for a few months, and were undefeated in the several battles they had by Saturday afternoon. "I like destruction, and I like working on robots," Alyson said. In other parts of the plaza, booths featured representatives of several businesses offering goods
and services related to technology and STEM fields, including companies that teach coding to young students, electronics gear, and others. Many children immersed themselves inside the MakerU, an old school bus repurposed as a makerspace by two retired schoolteachers from Spring. Back on the main stage, after a couple of hours SEE SPARK PAGE 4
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ideas and technology that was especially engaging for youngsters. The featured event of the festival was a pitch competition, much like the one seen on such television programs such as "Shark Tank," in which teams of students from several Fort Bend ISD high schools pitched their ideas for products and services they created, all with a pro-social or environmental bent. Before a team of judges comprised of several dig-
Fort Bend county commissioners are considering forming a Fort Bend County Public Facilities Corporation, a stand-alone entity that could sell bonds and take other actions to help fund development ini-
tiatives across the county. At their March 28 meeting, commissioners voted unanimously to engage the Houston law firm Hunton Andrews Kurth to prepare the initial feasibility documentation for the creation of the entity, which would have to be approved by a later vote by the court.
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Shrimp Fest
Precinct 2 Commissioner Grady Prestage, who initiated the agenda item, said it grew out of his desire to address the needs of the Fresno community, particularly its older section. "What brought this about is my interest in the redevelopment of the Fresno community," Prestage told
County Judge KP George and the rest of the court. "The Fresno community has a lot of challenges. I'm talking about the old Fresno, not the planned communities, I'm talking about the older part." Prestage said that one of SEE COURT PAGE 4
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