12-07-22 Edition of The Ft Bend Star

Local man sentenced in fatal stabbing

By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

A jury convicted a Mis souri City man of murder and sentenced him to life in prison, the Fort Bend District Attorney's Office said in a press release.

Gregory Kennith Wise, 33, was sentenced on the day before Thanksgiv ing in the stabbing death of Brandon Yarbough in 2019.

According to prosecu tors, Wise and Yarbough both lived in the same area of Missouri City and frequented the con venience store where the crime occurred. On June 7, 2019, Yarbough was standing outside the store while the defendant was sitting outside a nearby business, according to the press release.

They were outside for approximately 15 minutes before Wise attacked Yar bough and stabbed him 12 times with a knife, ac cording to authorities.

Yarbough died in front of the store and Wise fled to a nearby group home where he resided, accord ing to the press release.

Wise disposed of the knife and once home, changed his clothes and hid them in the closet.

Police investigators recovered surveillance video from the store that recorded the stabbing along with images of the defendant inside the store an hour earlier. The store clerk recognized him as a regular customer, lead ing police to believe Wise lived nearby. Wise was ultimately located and ar

Prestage addresses infrastructure demands

By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

As a county with a fast-growing popula tion, Fort Bend needs to work harder and smarter to address the demands on the current infrastructure and the ones that loom ahead, Precinct 2 Commission er Grady Prestage told an audience of business people and public offi cials last week.

Prestage, fresh off his

most recent reelection victory in an office he's held since 1990, told a breakfast gathering at the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce on De cember 7 that Fort Bend is simply growing too fast to hold onto the old ways of thinking about how to keep up.

"This is a wonderful place. We have a real sense of community, and we're proud to live here," Prestage. But, he said, certain recent acts passed by

the Texas Legislature and signed by Gover nor Greg Abbott have impinged on coun ties' ability to pay for infrastructure improve ments.

He particularly pointed to Senate Bill 2, passed and signed into law in 2019, which moves the rollback rate reduction threshold for counties and cities with populations over 300,000 from 8 percent

On the horizon

Redevelopment plan in the works for Imperial Sugar Char House

By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

After several years of speculation about the fate of one of Sugar Land's most distinctive buildings, things may fi nally be coming into fo cus.

In a Thursday press re lease, the City of Sugar Land announced that

Houston-based PUMA Development proposed to preserve and begin development of the Im perial Char House, the largest feature of the Im perial Sugar Company, which gave the city its name.

PUMA, a Houstonbased boutique develop ment firm specializing in creating experiencedriven, mixed-use com

munities, has requested support from the city of Sugar Land and the Sugar Land Development Corporation (SLDC) to ward preservation of the Char House and eventual development of the re mainder of the Imperial Historic District. Sugar Land City Council and SLDC will be considering financial support of the project as it progresses,"

the press release states.

Opportunities for pub lic input will be avail able at two town halls co-hosted by PUMA and the City on December 8 and 15 at 5:30 p.m. at the Sugar Land Heritage Museum and Visitor Cen ter, 198 Kempner Street.

Additional opportunities for public input will be available via community meetings, email updates

and public hearings as the project progresses. Up dates will also be posted at www.sugarlandtx.gov/ ImperialHistoricDistrict.

"PUMA's vision for the remainder of the Impe rial Historic District, similar to the city's Land Use Plan, is to develop a

By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

MONAT Gratitude has awarded Missouri City nonprofit Celebrat ing You Inc. a $10,000 grant as part of its $1 million pledge to close achievement gaps in un derserved communities around the world, the organization announced in a press release. The

grant will help the orga nization grow its Youth Entrepreneurship and Fi nancial Literacy Program in the Houston area.

"Celebrating You Inc’s mission is to ensure all youth reach their full po tential by empowering, equipping, and preparing them to be successful, productive citizens in our global society," states the press release.

The grant is a result of

MONAT Gratitude’s on going efforts to support new and existing initia tives in arts and culture, youth sports and recre ation, and youth entre preneurship, according to the press release. In total, MONAT Gratitude has invested more than $500,000 in youth educa tion programs across the globe

There appear to be plans on the horizon for the Imperial Char House, the largest part of the Imperial Sugar Company that gives Sugar Land its name. (Photo by Kylelovesyou via Wikipedia)

so far in 2022.

Wise

Missouri City nonprofit Celebrating You was recently given a $10,000 grant from MONAT Gratitude. (Contrib uted photo)

Precinct 2 Commissioner Grady Prestage discussed in frastructure issues last week at the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce. (Photo by Ken Fountain)

SEE DEMANDS PAGE 4

FBISD, local church partner to help disadvantaged students

food or hygiene products like toothpaste.

In a new collaboration between Fort Bend ISD, Fort Bend Transportation Church and NRG, donated hygiene items donated to students last week at Bri argate Elementary to be distributed by teachers to students who may suffer from the stigma of coming from low-income families.

Briargate is located in Fort Bend Houston, the area within Houston city limits that lies within Fort Bend County. According to Fort Bend ISD, 9.4 per cent of Fort Bend residents under 18 live in poverty, and 94.9 percent of the people living in the area surrounding Briargate Ele mentary are economically disadvantaged. Parents in that area often have to choose between buying

To begin to address this need, on November 29 officials and dignitaries gathered at Briargate for the first distribution of more than 1,700 hygiene products contributed through a drive initiated by Pastor David Lee Sincere, Jr. of Fort Bend Transfor mation Church. The drive officially launched on October 26 and ended on November 16.

Supplies include de odorant, soap and lotion, toothpaste, toothbrush, combs, brushes and belts, which will provide 345 students with recurring assistance. The program allows teachers and other staff members who sense that a student is in partic ular need to approach the child privately and offer

Willowridge High School and the 2018 FBISD Board Leadership Academy, said he asked Briargarte Princi pal Jonathan Suttton what the most pressing need for students was.

Sutton, in his first year at Briargate and Fort Bend after several years at Ga lena Park ISD,, quickly replied that hygiene prod ucts were. Too often, students feel ashamed, which impacts their learn ing and overall sense of well-being.

"This is amazing," Sutton said.

The drive officially launched on October 26 and ended on November 16. Although the program was originally targeted for Briargate, officials an nounced that it has been expanded throughout the district.

Among those attending and giving remarks at the

event were Houston Vice Mayor Pro Tem Martha Castex-Tatum , Fort Bend ISD Board President Kris

ten Davidson Malone, Fort Bend ISD Board Secretary Shirley Rose-Gilliam, and Kyle Wallis, engineer ing manager at the NRG W.A. Parrish plant, which donated many of the prod ucts.

Following the speeches, Krystal Harrison, Briar gate's Teacher of the Year, and school counselor Tamesha Rivers selected some the products to be gin distribution.

Briargate Elementary teacher of the year Krystal Harrison selects from hygiene products that were available during last week's event. (Photo by Ken Fountain)

Lady Bulldogs break into girls’ hoops rankings

game with 11 points and eight rebounds.

The Austin Lady Bulldogs may have lost some pieces from last season’s team that set a single-season program record for wins and reached its first re gional quarterfinal.

But the Lady Bulldogs are out to prove that it was not a fluke, and last week’s performance has done nothing to dispel the notion that they’re a force to be reckoned with once again. Austin went 4-0 at the Calallen tournament last week, improving to 170 on the season and moving into the state’s top 25 rank ings as the No. 14 squad in Class 6A according to the Texas Association of Bas ketball Coaches (TABC) most recent rankings.

The Lady Bulldogs’ signa ture win of the tournament came in the opener with a 54-32 win over C.E. King, which entered tournament play as the 24th-ranked team in Class 6A by the TABC. India Jackson had a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds to help hand the previ ously-undefeated Lady Panthers their first loss of the season, while Andrea Sturdivant chipped in 16 points.

Austin (17-0, 3-0 district) also had wins over La Joya (70-27), Killeen (61-33), and San Angelo Central (49-30) during tournament play. Four players scored in double figures against La Joya, led by Kelechi Dike’s 20 points, while Sturdi vant scored 20 points of her own against Killeen. Aminah Dixon also had 17 points against Killeen, and Dike had another strong

In notable Class 5A ac tion, the Willowridge Lady Eagles have won five straight games following a pair of wins last week. Faith Hawkins had 17 points and 13 rebounds for Willow ridge (7-4) in a 75-32 win over Clements on Nov. 29, while Hailey Kinchen had nine points and eight re bounds. Au”Rayona Seals had a double-double with 13 points and 10 assists in a 68-23 win over Sam Rayburn on Dec. 2, while Kinchen had 14 points.

The Fulshear Lady Char gers also improved to 10-3 on the season with a 3-1 run at the Barbers Hill Tournament last week, reaching the tournament championship game be fore falling to state-ranked Katy Tompkins.

Boys

In the Class 6A ranks, the Hightower Hurricanes took home the Barbers Hill Tournament championship with a perfect 4-0 week end, including a 61-59 win over host Barbers Hill to take home the title. Co rey Thompson paced the Hurricanes in the cham pionship game, scoring 21 points to go along with six rebounds and three as sists.

Elsewhere, the Elkins Knights won both games last week to move to 8-2 on the season. Kristopher Bar nett had 22 points and nine rebounds for the Knights (8-2, 1-0) in an 85-52 win over Austin on Nov. 29, and Jae’Coy Osborne had 16 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. Osborne also had 13 points in a 6146 victory over Manvel on Dec. 2, while Barnett

grabbed 10 rebounds.

The Clements Rang ers have won six straight games following perfect 3-0 week last week. Bu kola Oboye had 20 points and six rebounds for the Rangers in a 66-46 win over Clear Lake on Dec. 1, while Aziz Olajuwon had 18 points for Clements, which improved to 6-1 on the season.

On the Class 5A circuit, the Marshall Buffalos are following last season’s run – which set a pro gram record for wins in a season – with another strong start. The Buffalos – the TABC’s No. 2 squad in Class 5A – won all five games they played last

week, including a perfect 4-0 in tournament play. Point guard Jaland Lowe, who has verbally commit ted to Pittsburgh, had 35 points and eight rebounds in a win over Seven Lakes – the TABC’s 14th-ranked team in Class 6A – on Dec. 1, while Chris Catchings had 14 points and seven re bounds. Lowe also had 22 points, seven assists, and five steals in a 67-48 win over Texas City on Nov. 29. Four players scored in double digits for the Foster Falcons in a 77-58 win La mar Consolidated on Dec. 1, paced by Joshua Lar kin’s 18 points and Jaime Archelle’s 16 points. Chan cellor White also had eight

rebounds and six blocked shots. White also grabbed nine rebounds for the Fal cons (2-6) in a 68-35 win over Alvin on Dec. 1

Shafeeq Mujahideen and Colby Padgett had 12 points apiece for La mar Consolidated (4-4) in the loss to Foster, while the pair combined for 32 points in a 63-40 win over Alvin on Dec. 2. Matthew Nora also grabbed 20 re bounds for the Mustangs in the win over Alvin.

The Kempner Cougars have won five of their last six games following a 3-1 mark in tournament play last week. Jacob Broussard had 22 points for the Cou gars (5-4) in a 56-48 win

over Needville on Dec. 3.

Broussard added 21 points in a 65-50 win over Brook shire Royal earlier that day, while Israel Akaye added 11 points and nine rebounds.

Keilan Sweeny paced Needville with 11 points against Kempner, while Caden Slater tallied 16 points and nine assists in a 63-38 win over Sweeny on Dec. 1. Bohdan Zietz had a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds in a 64-35 win over Angleton Christian on Dec. 1

Overall, the Blue Jays went 2-2 at the Leroy Miksch Tournament last week to move to 4-4 over all on the season

Ace is a tripawd but he does NOT let that slow him down! See what Ace's Doggy Day Out pals had to say about him: Ace is a rockstar, we did not want to bring him back after our amazing day out! He was so affectionate and trusting of us from the beginning. He is super smart, food motivated, and is very good at his "Sit" command. He is such a sweet snuggler, and would plop down often wanting some belly rubs. Ace loves people and wanted to say hi to everyone we passed. He is fantastic with children, many at the park asked to pet him, and he was very patient and gentle. He also wanted to play with every dog we passed. We'd say he's more a medium energy dog because while he was excited at the beginning, he tired out quickly and then just wanted cuddles. We know he's going to make the best family dog! Adopt Ace: https://bit.ly/3BswLP9e

Austin's Aminah Dixon dribbles down the court during a 2022 Region III-6A quarterfinal at the Merrell Center in Katy. Dixon and the Lady Bulldogs are still unbeaten this season, propelling them to a coveted spot among the state's top 25. (Staff file photo by Landan Kuhlmann)

walkable, mixed-use proj ect comprised of experi ential retail, dynamic en tertainment, unique food and beverage, top-notch fitness, multi-family and single-family residential, commercial office space, outdoor parks and more," the press release said.

Sugar Land Mayor Joe Zimmerman said the de velopment would be a boon to the city.

"The city partnering with PUMA Development is a unique opportunity for our city to continue its legacy of world-class public private partner ships," Zimmerman in the press release. "The Imperial Char House in volves the special history

H GRANT FROM PAGE 1

“Nonprofit organiza tions receiving grants from MONAT Gratitude are focused on enriching our youth with arts and culture, sports, entrepre neurship and recreation

H SENTENCED FROM PAGE 1

rested.

Although Wise denied that he knew the victim or that he was at the store at the time of the murder, investigators discovered a video of Wise and Yar bough boxing in the street a week prior to the mur der.

At trial, Wise testi fied that there had been other problems between

of Sugar Land, and I'm very excited to get behind this project and promote the continued growth and success of our city."

The city said the over the past several years, members of the public have called for denser development in the city which would provide a stronger tax base to main tain a high level of ser vices while maintaining a very low tax rate. This type of development also has many other benefits, such as creating desir able workplaces for new, expanded and existing businesses, pathways to homeownership, public infrastructure improve ments and quality of place amenities, the city said.

education because we’ve learned that extracur ricular activities in these areas promote develop ment of motor, language and social skills,” said MONAT Gratitude CEO Lu Urdaneta. “By sup porting these programs, we hope to positively im

him and the victim. He claimed that he needed to defend himself from Yar brough.

During the punishment phase of the trial, pros ecutors introduced evi dence of the Wise’s prior conviction for felony deadly conduct, stem ming from a 2017 incident in which Wise shot up his apartment complex.

Jurors also learned that Wise had three assault convictions for attack

"The historic district is one of the top priori ties of our City Council and extremely important to our residents and our history," City Manager Michael W. Goodrum said in the press release. "Projects like this are ex pensive and complex and will need financial sup port from the city and other available financial tools to be feasible. To ensure a desirable devel opment that strengthens our economy, protects our neighborhoods and responds to the expecta tions of our community to preserve where we began, the city must consider in vesting in our future."

"We have been working for over a year to find the

pact student outcomes in communities across the globe.”

MONAT Gratitude was founded in 2014 by MONAT Global, an in ternational healthy aging haircare, skincare and wellness brand.

Eligible nonprofits in

ing people in the Waller County courtroom where his deadly conduct case was pending.

The defense presented evidence of the defen dant’s ongoing mental illness for which he had been repeatedly treated.

However, the evidence also showed that he was sane at the time of the of fense and understood his actions were wrong, ac cording to prosecutors.

"Based on the evidence,

right partner for the Im perial project that will do justice to the history of Imperial and the City of Sugar Land and develop the site to its full poten tial," R.O. Hunton, found er of the Hunton Group, current owner of all of historic Imperial proper ties, said.

"Imperial exempli fies entrepreneurialism and innovation," Mark Toon, managing partner of Work America Capital and founder and chief ex ecutive officer of PUMA, said.. "Imperial created thousands of jobs, and it is hard to find a better ex ample of how a company can create an economic boom for a town or re gion."

the U.S., Canada and Eu rope can learn more and apply for grants ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 through December 28 via the MONAT Gratitude’s grant page at monatgrati tudegoal.com.

it was clear that Wise could no longer be trust ed to remain in our com munity, making prison the only place where the pub lic’s safety could be guar anteed," Assistant District Attorney Traci Bennett, the lead prosecutor, said in the press release.

Assistant District Attor ney Sunni Mitchell also served as prosecutor on the case.

H DEMANDS FROM PAGE 1

to 3.5 percent. The act also instituted a property tax cap for school dis tricts of 2.5 percent for maintenance and opera tions costs. The changes took effect in 2020.

In a fast-growing county like Fort Bend, Prestage said, these limi tations severely hamper efforts to fund infrastruc ture improvements, as well as a large school district like Fort Bend ISD to keep up with the demands of a growing student population.

In 1996, Fort Bend County had a property tax rate of 66 cents per $100 of valuation, he not ed. Today, with a much larger population, the rate is 44 cents per $100. All the while, residents' expectations for services and improvements has also been rising, he said.

Prestage divided the infrastructure picture in to three distinct baskets: mobility drainage, and facilities.

On the mobility side, he said Fort Bend has long benefited by its ac cess to a major freeway and several state high ways. But has the county has become more dense, the strain on the road system has become more pronounced.

Turning to drainage, Prestage said "Fort Bend is a flat county." But the Brazos River is continu ally prone to flooding, and the property tax cap makes it hard for the county to make drainage

improvements to address the problem, he said.

Finally, on facilities, Prestage said that while citizens might not put them top of mind, resi dents love amenities such as libraries and parks, and there is increasing demand for community centers and the like.

Prestage offered a number of scenarios for addressing the infrastruc ture issue. Officials can decide to "do nothing." They can put pressure on the Legislature to reduce the property tax cap, al though he admitted "I don't think that's going to happen for quite some time."

Prestage said coun ties can use an already approved mechanism to access state taxes in un incorporated areas, or they can shift to more user pay mechanism like toll roads.

But, he said, county officials must also con sider the possibility of incurring more public debt in order to fund in frastructure projects. He also touted the use of public-private partner ships, such as the one that led to the Epicenter, a multipurpose facility project now underway in the Rosenberg area.

Presage said the solu tions lie in having the right mix of compe tence and relationships. He also listed what he called the Five I's for people both in and out of government: involved, informed, innovative, in sightful, and inclusive.

A youngster enjoys the snow at Sugar Land's Skate the Square festival last Saturday. The event included the annual Boho Market featuring local vendors. (Photo by Ken Fountain)

A group of business professionals an community mem bers listen to Precinct 2 Commissioner Grady Prestage's infrastructure address last week. (Photo by Ken Fountain)

County can be prosperous, but not for all

By

Fort Bend County proudly proclaims its dy namic economy and grow ing population, as well as its low tax rate in com parison with other densely populated regions of the state. Obviously, there's nothing wrong with trum peting your strengths, and local officials and business people should be proud of the county's achieve ments.

But with all of that boosterism, the other side of the story can some times get missed. This past week, a couple of events brought that home.

First was the boil water notice declared by the City of Houston late on the evening of November 27, caused by the failure of one of the city's purifica tion plants. The investiga tion of the precise cause of the failure is ongoing. Many people didn't even

hear about the notice until the following morning.

For the vast majority of Fort Bend residents, the boil water notice had no impact, as most juris dictions have their own water systems. But there is a sliver of the City of Houston that lies within Fort Bend County, an area called Fort Bend Houston. Six Fort Bend ISD schools were impacted by the no tice.

While Houston ISD and a few other districts suspended classes on the Monday and Tuesday fol lowing the notice, Fort Bend ISD officials made the call to keep the six schools open. The district made an emergency pur chase of 11,000 bottles of water to distribute to stu dents and staff.

As it happens, one of the schools affected was Briargate Elementary. On Tuesday, the same day that Houston lifted the boil water notice, an al ready planned event for

Fountain, Managing Editor

ward. District officials and other dignitaries gathered at the school for the ini tial distribution of hygiene products collected during a drive spearheaded by Pastor David Lee Sincere, Jr. of Fort Bend Transfor mation Church.

According to the dis trict, 9.4 percent of Fort Bend residents under 18 live in poverty, and 94.9 percent of the people liv ing in the area surround ing Briargate Elementary are economically disad vantaged. Tucked away on the far edge of the county, miles away from the planned communi

ties of Missouri City and Sugar Land, its easy for the Briargate area to seem isolated and not really a part of the wider commu nity. But, of course, it is. Back in October, before I became editor and re porter of the Fort Bend Star, the organization Un derstanding Houston held an event at Long Acres Ranch in Richmond. The organization, a collabora tive initiative led by the Greater Houston Commu nity Foundation, has been gathering data and issuing reports about the three most populous counties in the region - Harris, Mont gomery, and Fort Bend.

I didn't attend the event (work intervened), but I've read the organization's online recap. Among the key takeaways is that while we are rightly proud of our county's ethnic di versity, economic oppor tunity among residents is not distributed evenly.

"While the median household income in Fort

Bend County, at $97,210, is higher than in Texas and the U.S., Fort Bend has larger income disparities by race/ethnicity," Under standing Houston's Kait lin Neces writes. "The in come gap between white and Hispanic households in Fort Bend County was nearly $42,000 in 2019, according to data from the Federal Reserve.

"In Fort Bend County, income has grown by about 7% in the past de cade compared to 15% for the nation and 21% for Texas. Fortunately, fewer people are living in poverty, but there are racial/ethnic disparities here as well. About one in 10 Black and one in 14 Hispanic residents in Fort Bend live in poverty com pared to one in 20 white residents, according to data from the 2019 Ameri can Community Survey," she writes.

The recap goes on to cover areas such as resi dential infrastructure and

health, mental health, obesity, housing afford ability, and others. The information presented is well worth reading by all Fort Bend residents, and is available at understand inghouston.org.

At the Briargate Ele mentary event, I thought back to my own school days. My family wasn't poor, but we weren't ter ribly well-off, either. The peer pressures at play in those years are tremen dous. Add to that the stig ma attached to poverty, and they might seem in surmountable.

The holidays are a time when we often take time to think about the less fortunate among us. But more than that, perhaps we can think about what we can do help.

As always, if you have story ideas or news tips, or just want to point me toward some of the great aspects of our community, send an email to KFoun tain@fortbendstar.com.

Music Review: Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra shines

By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

Last week in this space, I of fered my very first restaurant review. It's an area of writing that I'm pretty new to, but all things considered, I thought it turned out pretty well. This week, however, I'm going to turn away from food reviews and move to more familiar ter ritory - the arts.

Back in my college newspa per days, I wrote a number of arts reviews - movies, plays, and several music reviews. I enjoy most forms of music, and the genres I listen to tend to be all over the map. But these days, one of the styles I listen to most is classical.

When I came back to Fort Bend a few years ago, I was delighted to learn of the existence of the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra. It's probably been around for many, many years, but I had

only just caught onto them. It shouldn't have come as a surprise - many of the smaller communities I've covered in my newspaper career have had their own orchestras. And of course, Fort Bend can't really be called "small" anymore.

In the past few years, before the pandemic hit, I had taken in a few Fort Bend Symphony concerts at the Stafford Cen tre, a superb venue. Two of them were the annual Fourth of July concerts, introduced by the late mayor of Stafford, Leonard Scarcella. And the last one, in 2019, was the an nual "Deck the Halls" holiday concert.

On Sunday, I took in the show for the first time since then, and it didn't disappoint.

The Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra, along with the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra Chorus, really is a wonderful ensemble. Comprised of volun teer musicians drawn from the community, it exemplifies how

a small, committed organiza tion can achieve great results.

The concert, geared toward music lovers of all ages, included a great mix of peren nial holiday favorites and a few lesser-known pieces to keep things fresh. Dominique Røyem, the orchestra's music director and principal con ductor, is a lively and warm presence with her baton and with the between-song banter with the audience.

Sunday's concert kicked off with "Holiday Overture," a medley of several familiar Christmas tunes (with a couple of Hanukkah-themed ones thrown in the mix) by James M. Stephenson, ranging in style from traditional to jazz.

It was the perfect introduction to a show that covered a lot of musical territory.

Next up was "Wonderland of Snow," another medley (by Robert Wendel) that combined the title tune with "Let It Snow" and "Frosty the Snow

man." This was the chorus's first song of the afternoon, and they really impressed, espe cially in a portion where their voices mimicked the sound of snow flurries.

The chorus, led by new director Ray Rhoads, shone throughout the concert. A highlight for me was "Night of Silence," written by Daniel Kantor as an undergraduate, a piece I was unfamiliar with (Røyem told the audience it was the only one of his songs that gained any fame, which is a surprise). Fittingly, it sequed into "Silent Night."

The last song of the first half was the always welcome "Deck the Halls," this time conducted by Bill Tackett, the orchestra's new assistant conductor (he also doubles on viola).

After intermission, during which patrons could shop for items made by musicians in the Holiday Handmade Mar ket, the second half with the ever-popular "Sleigh Ride," the

jaunty piece that incorporates lots of fun sound effects.

That was followed by "Fes tival Sounds of Hanukkah," a medley arranged by Bill Hol come. Røyem challenged the audience to guess the names of the individual tunes (I got only one, "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel".)

Next was a musical ar rangement of the classic poem "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," again arranged by Holcombe and narrated by chorus director Rhoads. I'm not sure I'd ever heard this arrangement before, but it was immensely enjoyable, particularly Rhoads's playful performance.

Another highlight was "We're Having a Heat Wave for Christmas." Røyem noted that it was written with an Australian audience in mind, since Christmas falls within that country's summertime, but could just as easily fit Southeast Texas on many, um,

winter days.

Tackett returned to the podi um for "A Christmas Festival," a sing-along medley by Leroy Anderson featuring several of the best-known Christmas carols and popular songs. The audience eagerly got in on the act.

Røyem invited musicians and singers to audition for the orchestra and chorus (audi tions begin in January) before launching into the crowdpleasing, "We Wish You a Merry Christmas."

All in all, a very pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

If you haven't yet taken in a performance by the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra, you really should consider doing so. Their next perfor mance, scheduled for March 12, will be called "Beethoven's Romantic Legacy," featuring works by later Romantic-era composers who were inspired by Beethoven. Learn more at fbso.org.

for Methodist Hospital – Sugar Land for 10 years, retiring in 2018. Ken was a member of and worshipped at Cavalry Episcopal Church in Richmond.

At an early age he and his parents, moved to Texas, where he grew up. After graduating from Alvin High School in 1963, he attended Alvin Community College.

Ken and his young family made their home in Stafford, where he worked for Texas Instruments. In 2006, he retired from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center where he spent 20 years as a computer operator.

Ken had a deep and passionate interest in the study of theology, and pursued his religious education with great fervor. After many years of study, he became a deacon in the Old Catholic Church of North America. In 2003, Ken obtained a Master of Ministry from Freedom Bible College and Seminary.

He

Ken

Ken was the biggest of sports fans, and with great zeal watched his beloved Astros. When visiting Ken, there was always a game of some sort playing on the television in the background. He also spent countless hours coaching youth sports, including track, football, basketball and baseball.

He is survived by his wife, Judy Kay Skillern; his sons, Michael Skillern and wife Laura, and Matthew Skillern and wife Amber; daughter Melissa Skillern; step-son Eric Blossom and wife Rose; nine grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and a sister, Melody Skillern. He is preceded in death by his parents, and wife of 34 years, Peggy Roundtree Skillern.

A Celebration of Life was held at Cavalry Episcopal Church in Richmond, Texas on Saturday, December 3, 2022.

Ken

Kenneth “Ken” Leon Skillern, Jr., age 79, went home to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on November 16, 2022 in Sugar Land, Texas. Ken was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana on November 4, 1943, to Kenneth Leon Skillern, Sr. and Betty Spell Skillern.

was consecrated to the Holy Office of Priest with the title Priest, of the Old Catholic Church of North America, an Episcopal Ordination, on May 15, 2008. Then, in 2009, Ken received a license to Minister in the Convocation of Anglicans in North America. In addition, he was an altar server at All Saints Episcopal Church, and performed services at Eagles Trace in Houston.

greatly enjoyed sharing his faith with others, and served as a Chaplain

After delays in the property tax statement process brought about by recent elections, the Fort Bend County Tax Assessor-Collector’s of fice expects to send out 2022 tax statements and make them available online during the week beginning December 5, the office said in press release.

"Due to elections held this year by two of our

larger entities the proper ty tax statement process was delayed until all votes were canvassed on Nov. 22, 2022," the office said, referring to elec tions held by Fort Bend ISD and Katy ISD.

"As we honor our com mitment to transparency, we would like to ensure the taxpayers of Fort Bend County that our team is working in tan dem with the Appraisal District, our collection software agent, and the printing company to

execute accurate and ef ficient data. The Fort Bend Tax AssessorCollector’s office plan to have the 2022 tax statements mailed and available on-line during the week of December 5th." the office states in the press release.

The deadline to pay 2022 taxes is January 31, 2023. Residents will be able to access their state ments at https://actweb. acttax.com/act_webdev/ fbc/index.jsp.

“If you live in the state of Texas you need to find your zip code listed in today’s newspaper announcement and call immediately,” said Laura A. Lynne, Director of Coin and Currency for National Mint and Treasury.

That’s because Texas residents can really cash in for the next 48 hours. Here’s why. Non-state residents and those who miss the 48-hour deadline must pay $8 per coin, but Texas residents who take the Vault Bricks cover just the $4 per coin state minimum. That means Texas residents get all 125 coins with rare 24 Karat Gold Layering for just $500 which is a real steal since non-state residents must pay over $1,000 for each Vault Brick. And it gets even better for those claiming the Jumbo Gold Vault Bricks.

This is all happening because thousands of U.S. residents stand to miss the deadline to claim the gold. Now any resident who finds their zip code listed in today’s publication and calls to verify it gets to claim the Gold Vault Bricks for themselves and keep all the valuable gold found inside.

And here’s the best part. Texas residents who find their zip code listed in today’s publication are getting Sealed Vault Bricks containing the only Texas State Gold Bank Rolls known to exist with the exclusive State Restricted Design and each loaded with rarely seen U.S. Gov’t issued Buffalo Nickels layered in valuable 24 Karat Gold by National Mint and Treasury.

“As Director of Coin and Currency for National Mint and Treasury, one of my jobs is to deliver breaking news. And today’s announcement confirming the release of Sealed Gold Vault Bricks to residents of the state of Texas is as big as it gets,” Lynne said.

“So my advice is this, anyone who gets an opportunity to get their hands on one of these Gold Vault Bricks full of coins issued by the U.S. Gov’t nearly 100 years ago with rare 24 Karat Gold layering from the National Mint and Treasury better jump at the chance while they still can,” Lynne said.

“These Gold Vault Bricks make the most impressive gifts for Christmas, birthdays, graduations, weddings, and any other occasion, especially for that hard-to-buy-for person,” Lynne said.

According to Ms. Lynne, since thousands of U.S. residents stand to miss the deadline to claim the gold, today and tomorrow are intended as a “special 48 hour release” for the benefit of Texas residents. This gives them a fair chance to claim the Sealed Gold Vault Bricks and all the valuable gold loaded inside for themselves.

But, Ms. Lynne added, “The Sealed Gold Vault Bricks are only available as inventory permits during the special 48 hour release so please do not miss the deadline.” The director added, “We have no power to stop coin dealers, resellers or collectors buying up all the Gold Vault Bricks they can get their hands on,” Lynne said.

”We already know the phones will be ringing off the hook. That’s why hundreds of agents are standing by to answer the phones beginning at 8:30am this morning. We’re going to do our best, but with just 48 hours to answer all the calls it won’t be easy. So make sure to tell everyone to keep calling if all lines are busy. We’ll do our best to answer them all,” Lynne said.

“That’s why National Mint and Treasury set up the State Distribution Hotlines in order to make sure residents of Texas can get them now,” Lynne said.

The only thing readers of today’s newspaper publication need to do is make sure they live in one of the zip codes listed and call the State Distribution Hotlines before the special 48 hour deadline ends midnight tomorrow. ■

Answering Your Questions

Q: How much are the Gold Vault Bricks worth? A: It’s impossible to say, but these Buffalos date clear back to the early 1900’s and are not ordinary U.S. coins. That’s because only an extremely low percentage of Buffalos were then commissioned by National Mint and Treasury to be covered with rarely seen 24 Karat Gold Layering, then sealed and protected in brilliant collector condition inside special 25 count Texas Bank Rolls. That’s why you better hurry if you want to get your hands on them. Collector values always fluctuate and there are never any guarantees. But we do know they are the only Texas State Bank Rolls known to exist. So anyone lucky enough to get their hands on these sealed Vault Bricks should hold onto them because there’s no telling how much they could be worth in collector value someday.

Q: Why are so many Texas residents calling to get them?

A: Because they are the only Texas State Bank Rolls known to exist we’re bracing for the flood of calls. These are not ordinary Bank Rolls. These are full Bank Rolls containing 25 Buffalos dating clear back to the early 1900’s. Best of all each Buffalo is layered in 24 Karat Gold and the state minimum set by National Mint and Treasury is restricted to Texas residents who find their zip code listed in today’s publication and beat the deadline only. That means Texas residents cover only $4 per Buffalo when they claim the Gold Vault Bricks, which is just $500 for the next 2 days.

Q: How do I get the Gold Vault Bricks?

A: The only thing Texas residents need to do is find their zip code in today’s publication and call the State Toll-Free Hotline at 1-800-280-4564 Ext. GNH1112 before the deadline ends. Everyone who does is getting the Bank Rolls for just the state minimum. That’s a sealed Gold Vault Brick containing the only Texas State Bank Rolls known to exist each loaded with the rarely seen U.S. Gov’t issued Buffalo Nickels layered in valuable 24 Karat Gold for just the $4per coin state minimum set by the National Mint and Treasury, which totals just $500for the full sealed Gold Vault Brick. That’s a real steal because state residents and non-state residents who miss the deadline must pay $1,000 for each sealed Gold Vault Brick if any remain.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

No. 22-CPR-037873

day

On the

Deceased were issued to John Loudermilk,

by the

Court At Law No. Five [5] of Fort

County, Texas in cause number 22-CPR-037873 pending upon the docket of said Court. All persons having claims against said Estate are hereby required to present them within the time prescribed by law at the address shown below. The name where claims may be sent is Andrew J. Dinwoodie, whose address is 2000 S. Dairy Ashford, Suite 298, Houston, Texas 77077, Telephone: 281-4970093, Fax: 281-497-8630, /s/ Andrew J. Dinwoodie, TX Bar Number: 24035722

2022-2023 YEAR

LITERACY COUNCIL OF FORT BEND COUNTY

We enhance lives and strengthen communities by teaching adults to read. We need your help. Literacy Council is actively recruiting Volunteer Tutors to provide instruction for English as a Second Language (ESL) Levels 0-5, three hours a week. For more information, call 281-240-8181 or visit our website www. ftbendliteracy.org

JAM WITH SAM

Join Sam Grice Tuesday evenings at 6:30 for a casual evening of music. We play a variety of music including bluegrass, country, gospel and some western. We request acoustic instruments only please. We welcome both participants and music lovers who enjoy listening to good live music. There’s no charge and we welcome beginners and gladly offer gentle assistance. We meet at First Presbyterian Church, 502 Eldridge Rd, Sugar Land. Please call Sam at 832-428-3165

THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY FOR MEN

19th

of October, 2022, Letters Testamentary upon the Estate of Carolyn Loudermilk a/k/a Emma Pauline Carolyn Loudermilk a/k/a Emma Pauline Carolyn Loudermilk Dudas a/k/a Emma Pauline Carolyn Dudas Loudermilk,

Independent Executor

Fort Bend County

Bend