Houston man charged in murder of man found in Richmond ditch
A Houston man has been arrested and charged with the murder of a man whose body was found in a ditch in Richmond in April, according to a press release from the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office.
The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of the Gulf Coast Violent Offender Task Force arrested Elton Jones Gainza, 36.
U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, joined by Sugar Land officials at a City Hall press conference, presented a ceremonial check for a cool $1 million in federal funding to help in the cost of the city’s first responder training facility, which serves police department and fire and emergency medical responders not only for the city but across Fort Bend County. Sugar Land residents approved the Sugar Land Public Safety Training
Facility in a 2019 bond ref-
erendum, with $1 million for total design and $9 million for construction. The completed facility will be located on city-owned property adjacent to the Sugar Land Regional Airport, also owned by the city.
Fletcher, a Democrat whose Houston-based 7th Texas Congressional District was reconfigured following the 2020 Census, began serving parts of Fort Bend County and Sugar Land in early 2024.
The new funding for the facility comes through the
congressional Community Project Funding program, which allows for individual members of Congress to seek specific funding for qualifying civic projects within their districts. Once known as “earmarking” the process fell out of favor and was discontinued for many years before being reinstated a couple of years ago. Such funding must be approved by both congressional chambers as part of appropriations legislation.
On April 26 at approximately 6:15 am, sheriff’s deputies responded to the 25500 block of Fulshear Gaston Road regarding a deceased male found in the ditch. Upon arrival, deputies discovered the victim sustained gunshot injuries, resulting in his death.
The victim was identified as Yoandris Bistel Rodriguez, 28, a resident of the Houston area. Investigators learned through their investigation Rodriguez had been stalked by a known person and was ultimately followed and shot on Fulshear Gaston Road by this subject. The peson was identified as Gainza.
A murder arrest warrant for Gainza was obtained through the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office and with the assistance of the Gulf Coast Violent Offender Task Force, Gainza was arrested. His bond has been set to $500,000.
“This was such a senseless act that claimed the life of a member of our community,” Sheriff Eric Fagan said in the release. “Such violence shakes the very foundation of our sense of safety and unity.”
With a Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office helicopter as their backdrop, a coterie of public officials gathered last week in a hangar at the Sugar Land Regional Airport to celebrate the awarding of more than $68 million for projects meant to mitigate and prevent erosion of the Brazos River in Fort Bend County.
Earlier this year, the Texas General Land Office allocated $68,382,016 for three erosion repair projects in Fort Bend County and the city of Sugar Land. The funding is split among three entities - Fort Bend County, the city of Sugar Land, and the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC), the federally sponsored “council of governments” which encompasses 13 counties of the greater Houston region.
Sugar Land received $4,063,600 for its Evacuation Route-US 59/IH 69 Bridge Riverbank Erosion Repair project to repair riverbank erosion addressing areas upstream and downstream to ensure bridges are adequately protected; and the Memorial Park Riverbank Erosion Repair project to stabilize the river bank in and around the park. Fort Bend County received $38,492,516 for its part of the joint projects with Sugar Land.
H-GAC received $25,825,900 for the socalled Simonton Pinch Project, which will help present the coming together of an ox-bow in the city of Simonton which, if it were to close, would vastly increase the river’s momentum
Erosion along the Brazos River banks in Sugar Land’s Memorial Park is one of the
The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a homicide that occurred Monday in the 6500 block of Snowbell Court, Richmond, according to a news release.
The Sheriff’s office said it believes this is an isolated incident, but no suspects have yet been identified.
“We encourage the community to come forward with any relevant informa-
“For years, Sugar Land police officers, firefighters and paramedics have trained at facilities outside the city of Sugar Land. Thanks for neighboring communities for hosting them,” Fletcher said at the outset of the press conference. “But that has created some scheduling difficulties and emergency response time delays as well as some logistical challenges.”
Fletcher said that working with several Sugar Land officials, “I saw an opportunity to be helpful.”
Last year, she said, she submitted a request for $1 million to go toward the already-planned facility. It wasn’t until March. after many delays, that the bipartisan Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024, which funds the federal government through the end of year, was approved by both chambers.
“The Sugar Land Training Facility is a much-needed facility. It’s a project that’s going to have a real impact in this community. And it’s because of collaboration and advocacy, especially by the people who are here this morning, and experts at the local level and the federal level to come together to figure out how we can develop these kinds of solutions for our communities,” Fletcher said.
“I’ve said so often since I’ve had the privilege of representing the people of the city of Sugar Land and Fort Bend County that the way things are done here is special, and it’s different in terms of partnership, in terms of collaboration and coming together,” she said, “This is the way is should be - people coming together, working together and really making sure that
tion that may aid detectives in solving this case,” Sheriff Eric Fagan said in the release. “We will continue to work tirelessly to bring the person(s) responsible for this violent crime to justice.”
Anyone with information regarding this homicide is urged to contact the Sheriff’s Office non-emergency number at 281-341-4665, option 1. Alternatively, those who wish to remain anonymous may contact
Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers at 281-342-TIPS (8477).
we’re getting things done. I know from my colleagues in Washington that it doesn’t work this way everywhere.”
Mayor Joe Zimmerman, a Republican who serves in a nonpartisan office, thanked Fletcher for her efforts.
“Literally, since the time she and I first met for lunch, I think we both sensed that this was the start of a great partnership,” he said. “To have a good partnership, you have to have two people who are willing to engage on policy - what’s best for the people of Sugar Land. And Lizzie, you’ve done that. You and your staff have been an amazing partner for the city of Sugar Land.”
Zimmerman said that public safety has long been the first priority of Sugar Land city councils going back at least to the early 1990s. In a survey last year, he said, residents identified public safety as one of their foremost concerns.
“This is what you can accomplish when everybody’s on the same page,” he said.
Zimmerman said city officials have not yet decided whether the new funding would be added to the project’s total cost or offset that which was already approved by voters.
Police Chief Mark Poland
said the completed facility would take his department to “the next level.”
“When we talk about budgets, logistics. operations, public safety, there is one area that you absolutely cannot fall short in, and that’s training,” he said. “Guys and gals on the job today are forced to make decisions in seconds. Saving lives, changing lives, helping lives, preventing crimes. We cannot cut corners when it comes to training. Thank you so much for making this a priority.
Fire/EMS Chief Doug Boeker said “the most important thing we can do to provide for the safety of our citizens is to ensure we have a well-trained responder force.”
In the last month alone, Boeker said, the stilluncompleted facility had brought more than 500 firefighters from nearly every fire department in Fort Bend County in for training programs.
“The Sugar Land Training Facility, and this addition from Congresswoman Fletcher’s funding, will help us to increase the regionalization of that training center,” he said. “This additional funding will help us in that course.”
GLO Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D., was at the hangar for the ceremonial presentation of three separate checks to the entities. Joining her were Fort Bend County Judge KP George, U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-Houston), Sugar Land Mayor Joe Zimmerman, and Chuck Wemple, H-GAC’s executive director, among many others.
Erosion along the Brazos River, particularly in Fort Bend County, has been a source of concern for many years, especially in the wake of Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and several other extreme rainfall events before and since. Several jurisdictions in the county have been working on projects to mitigate river erosion, which has dangerous effects in many counties both north and south of Fort Bend.
Following Harvey, the federal government approved several million dollars to Texas for mitigation efforts, and the state government designated the GLO as the agency that would distribute them, according to Fort Bend County Precinct X Commissioner Andy Myers in an interview with the Fort Bend Star.
The GLO, in turn, distributes most of that funding in the Houston region to HGAC, according to Myers, who credited his previous service on the H-GAC board, including forming what is now called the Water Resources Committee, and his relationships with key members of the Texas Legislature, for helping draw the funding for the
Simonton Pinch Project.
At the hangar at the Sugar Land airport, George, the county judge, said that public safety is the “top priority” of his administration.
“Over the years, during many weather events, drainage issues have been a persistent problem in Fort Bend County. Since we have also been seen as a passthrough county for most of the area’s population, these investments are a significant step forward,” George said at the event. “This project will enhance the quality of life of our residents.”
Zimmerman said the combined projects will affect 3.7 million people, not just in Fort Bend but in surrounding counties. The effort was the result of years of work and study of the effects of erosion by experts in government and academia, he said.
“These things are incredibly complicated. It takes a lot of people to make these things happen. In this particular case, it came together and it came together well. It’s coming together to the benefit of not only Fort Bend, the city of Sugar Land, Brazoria County, but a lot of the counties south of us,” he said.
Fletcher said the entire project will help protect critical infrastructure, including major evacuation routes, levees, public parks, as well as homes and businesses.
“We know that this project is of critical importance, and to see this creative, thoughtful. regional approach to water infrastructure projects and flood resiliency projects is huge,” she said. “By investing in these projects now we’re going to avoid higher costs, certainly, but
also incredible hardship for our community.” Buckingham said that the GLO has long been aware that there was much work to be done to fix the problem of erosion in Fort Bend County.
“It was the cities and the counties working together for a truly regional approach, because flood waters and storms do not respect artificial political boundaries. And when you’re flooded out, you’re not asking ‘what party’ when they’re coming to pick you up or when they’re helping you rebuild your home,” she said.
Wemple, the H-GAC director, said that along with representatives of 13 counties, representatives of 120 cities of various sizes and types decided to join together to create a regional approach to flood mitigation.
“Fort Bend came together with a fantastic project, the first of its kind through the Houston-Galveston Area Council that’s going to demonstrate that investing in those resources and a larger multijurisdictional approaches is going to really pay off on protecting citizens, protecting lands, and our infrastructure, and putting confidence into the people who are going to live in our communities about future floods and making our community stronger,” he said.
Following the press event, the Sheriff’s Office helicopter was rolled out to the airport tarmac so that Buckingham, Fletcher and George could climb aboard for an aerial tour of some of the most egregious riverbank erosion that will be addressed by the new funding.
When I first began getting into classical music in a big way in my mid-20s, I had a steep learning curve about the genre and its history. I even took a music appreciation course after returning to college after serving in the Navy. One thing I hadn’t fully appreciated before was how much the development of Western music was tied up with faith, particularly the Christian tradition.
On Sunday, the Fort Bend Symphony Chorus provided something of a master class in that history with its final stand-alone concert of the season, titled “Echoes of the Cathedral,” at Missouri City’s First United Methodist Church.
Chorus director Ray Rhoads writes in the program notes that he was inspired to devise the concert after taking a class on Medieval and Renaissance music, “where early composers writing for voices singing in the cathedral would often consider the reverb or echo of the voice as it if were a its own part within the context of the music.”
Rhoades arranged the concert chronologically to help the audience understand how that effect developed over various musical eras.
While not exactly a cathedral, the beautiful sanctuary of First UMC (which I’d never visited before) is certainly spacious enough, with vaulted ceilings and windows, stained-glass and otherwise, offering a healthy sampling of
natural mid-afternoon light. (In fact, at one point, I had to use my program to shield my eyes when the sun was shining directly down on me.)
Rhoads himself began the program with a solo rendition of a traditional setting of the famed “Ava Maria,” leading directly into the full chorus performing “Adoramus Te” (translated “We adore Thee”) composed by 16th Century Italian composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. Like many, if not most, of the pieces, I was unfamiliar with both the composer and the composition. But that’s all to the good, since the concert was an educational as well as a enjoyable experience.
Although I knew of 16th Century English composer Thomas Tallis, I’d never before heard the hymm “If Ye Love Me,” a lovely song that the chorus performed admirably.
Andrew Yu, the chorus’s principal pianist as well as a singer, sat down at the piano to provide accompaniment for most of the works to follow, beginning with a solo Johaann Sebastian Bach fugue, leading into a full chorus rendition of “Lord, for They Tender Mercies’ Sake” by 16th Century English comoser Richard Farrant. That was followed by two movements of Bach’s Cantata 17, conducted by assistant chorus director Steve Kalke. Bach, of course, was an epitome of the marriage between faith and classical music, serving for many years as the director of church music for the entire German city of Leipzig. Moving from the Baroque period to the Classical period,
Wofgang Amadeus Mozart was well-represented by the chorus’s stirring rendition of “Ave Verum Corpus” (“Hail, True Body”), also led by Kalke. Also heard was Franz Joseph Haydn’s “Abendlied zu Gott” (“Evening Song to God”). The Romantic Era was represented by Russian composing giant Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Crown of Roses,” performed in English, another piece I didn’t know but enjoyed tremendously. Vu moved to the chruch’s impressive organ for a solo rendition of a piece called “Berceuse” by 19th Century
French composer Louise Vierne. Described as a lullaby, the piece, played in a low register, had a suitably soothing, almost hypnotic effect. Vu was also featured in the chorus’s rendition of “The Lord Bless and Keep You” by 20th Century English composer John Rutter. Next came one of the most popular pieces of religious music of all time, “Amazing Grace.” Many of us know that it’s composer, John Newton, had been a slave-trader who converted to Christianity after experiencing a fierce storm at sea. The original hymn has been transformed
into many styles, and the Black Gospel music-inspired version by 20th Century jazz pianist and composer John Coates, Jr., with Vu back on piano, had a sort of bluesy feel that I really enjoyed. The penultimate piece of the concert was director Rhoades own “Dies Irae” (“Day of Wrath”) the second movement of his own “Requiem.” As he explains in the program notes, the piece was formed of songs and sketches he’d written before the COVID pandemic that he combined into the larger work as a way of dealing with the grief brought on by the
deaths of many loved ones, including his grandfather. It was a very moving piece indeed, followed by “With a Voice of Singing” by 20th Century English composer Martin Shaw. Rhoades told the audience people are invited to audition for the Chorus in the coming weeks, with rehearsals beginning August 13. The full Fort bend Symphony Orchestra and Chorus will open the 2024-2025 season with “An Afternoon at the Opera” on October 6 at the Stafford Centre. For more information, visit fbso.org.
By Lynn Ashby ASHBY2@COMCAST.NET
THE TV – “A county school board in Virginia decided this week to change the names of two schools.” This is on NBC evening news? Who cares? Wait. “Following the death of George Floyd in 2020, the Shenandoah County School Board voted to change the names because they were named after Confederate generals.” Now the schools’ names are being changed back to their original titles. This is, indeed, news because Shenandoah is the first county in the nation to roll back changes made to institutions bearing Confederate names. Wonder if such moves will catch on?
It will take a lot of catching-on because we have
By Mark Garay MARKGARAY426@GMAIL.COM
“It’s my own design / It’s my own remorse / Help me to decide / Help me make the / Most of freedom and of pleasure/ Nothing ever lasts forever / Everybody wants to rule the world”Tears for Fears, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”
Hello, my dearest cousin.
I’m sorry it’s taken me awhile to write back. Things here seem to be running at full puff, although I can’t think of anyone who is
gone through a spasm of name-changing to erase four bloody years of our history. Statues have been either toppled or put in storage.
Military bases have been renamed including Texas’ own Fort Hood, named for Gen. John Bell Hood who led Texas troops in the Civil War. After a few victories in Tennessee his soldiers sang, to the tune of “The Yellow Rose of Texas,” “You can talk about your Beauregard and sing of General Lee, but the Gallant Hood of Texas played Hell in Tennessee.” Then there were the nonvictories. Civil War historian Bruce Catton wrote that “the decision to replace Johnston with Hood was probably the single largest mistake that either government made during the war.” So maybe the base needed a name change.
You will recall recently when we discussed the USS Chancellorsville. It was a guided-missile cruiser, but unfortunately the warship was named after a Confederate Civil War victory. So the Navy changed the name. But if we are going to only name our warships after victories, what about the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan? The USS Alamo and the USS San Jacinto
might ruffle some feathers, but fortunately both ships were scrapped.
The changes go on and on. Statues of Gen. Robert E. Lee were removed along with those of other Confederate leaders, and even those statues on Southern courthouse squares of the common Rebel soldier were removed. In January a bronze memorial to Confederate soldiers was removed from Arlington National Cemetery. The irony is that before Arlington was a cemetery, it was the home of one Robert E. Lee. The grounds of the Texas state capitol contain several monuments to the Confederacy. Why, after almost 160 years, do we suddenly have this indignation? Douglas Brinkley, a noted author and Rice professor, says of such movements, “They are allowed a 21st-century moment.”
This brings us to a question of honoring our heroes. The British honored Benedict Arnold with a brigadier general’s commission and an annual income of several hundred pounds, but no statue. I do recall seeing a plaque on the wall of Westminster Abbey in London honoring Major John Andre, Arnold’s go-between with the British. We honored Andre
by hanging him. Bill Cosby was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush in 2002. In 2018, Cosby was convicted of aggravated indecent assault. He was imprisoned until his conviction was vacated. Due to those allegations, numerous awards and honors have been rescinded, including the Kennedy Center Honor. Duke University would not give then-Vice President Richard Nixon, a graduate of its law school, an honorary degree or (years later) let his Presidential library be built on campus. “Then, in 1961, Nixon turned the tables, rejecting a degree when the offer was renewed”, according to the New York Times. Sports stadiums and arenas are named for the highest bidder. (Who or what is UH’s TDECU?)
The University of Houston Cougars also changed the name of their basketball arena to the Fertitta Center after Tilman gave the school $20 million towards reconstructing the place. It was formerly the Hofheinz Center. He got a bronze statue out front. Or a name can be changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Remember Enron Field? Sports teams retire jersey numbers and if that player is later found
really free of some unanticipated hiccups. My boy is still working in a Fort Bend County school. He’s happy, for the most part. But often feels sad he can’t do more for the students. And he still beats himself up when he makes mistakes. My daughter continues her upward climb at her job. She was again promoted. And she’s still dating the same guy. It’s been over a year. I haven’t taken off into my 60s yet, although I am on the runway waiting for clearance. This December ushers in the era of what I believe to be the start of the fourth quarter in the story that is me. It’s been a good game, so far. I’ve sprinted at times. Hit some of them out of the park. Sunk a few 3’s. But along the way, I guess I’ve also snapped an ankle or two, gotten popped in the mouth and come up short of the green. If it weren’t mine, I even might describe my life as typical.
What’s not typical to me at this moment is how I’m feeling. I mentioned my kids. They are not hopeful. They don’t believe in what I used to. Their perspectives are being shaped by the limits they’ve seen, and not by the possibilities of any hopeful vision. I read recently how millennials are so disadvantaged comparably, with higher housing costs and inflation, that they can’t even afford a midlife crisis. No fancy car. No six-month trip to Europe, no expensive extramarital affairs (although, they’ have to get married first). From what I can gain from personal conversations and media observation, millennials view the future with an uncommon suspicion. And considering what I see as the unfamiliar red flags on the political horizon, I’m not sure they’re wrong to feel both hopelessly anxious and fatally depressed.
When we were growing up, I remember the political scandals: Iran-Contra, Gary Hart;s love life, Watergate and Bill Clinton’s affairs. They were all colorful and politically useful in their own individual ways. They made some people gasp, while others got angry, and others laughed. But the story always seemed to end, or at least climax, when or just before the courts took over. At that point, most of the crowd and attention left, as the courts more quietly sorted it out. That was the general flow. But something is happening now that I could never have imagined. People don’t want to accept the role of our courts. Many don’t recognize the authority in our government, citing what they claim are stolen elections and weaponized arms of judicial enforcement. And increasingly, Americans can’t seem to agree on what constitutes reality. As a country,
to be guilty of some nefarious crime, that jersey can be quietly removed from the rafters. Then there is O.J. Simpson and his Heisman Trophy. Actually there are two. One went to O. J. and another went to his alma mater: USC. The school’s trophy was taken from its place of honor, then moved back, then stolen. Now it’s back, but O. J.’s trophy was auctioned off for $255,000.
Which of today’s leaders will be honored later on?
There probably won’t be a Greg Abbot public school, but maybe several charter schools will bear his name.
Perhaps we will see a Ken Paxton Law School or the Dan Patrick Demagogue Academy. The Texas A&M Department of Self-Inflicted Wounds? UT may have a plaque dedicated to the Unknown Demonstrators.
Not many Plan Parenthood clinics will be named for a majority of our U.S. Supreme Court justices. How does the Rudy Giuliani Hair Dye Beauticians School sound?
The Trump Presidential Library & Porn Payoff Center will be open only to adults, and we can only imagine what its gift shop will sell.
But back to renaming those schools in Virginia. Stonewall Jackson High
School became Mountain View High School. Ashby Lee Elementary School, named after Gens. Turner Ashby and Robert E. Lee, became Honey Run Elementary School. I am glad to see Gen. Ashby got top billing because he and I are of the same family, but I am not a direct descendent because he never married and had no children we know of. Turner was a dashing Confederate cavalryman in the Shenandoah Valley. His second-in- command was his younger brother, Capt. Richard Ashby, aka Captain Dick. Dick was killed after he was stuck under his dead horse during a fracas and bayoneted to death by Union soldiers. I guess they didn’t take prisoners in those days. Turner was fatally shot soon afterwards. Today on a hill in Winchester, Va. there is Stonewall Cemetery. In it is a large, gray marble tomb inscribed, “The Brothers Patton,” George’s grandfather and granduncle. Two spots over is another large gray, marble tomb, “The Brothers Ashby,” above crossed cavalry sabers. I wonder if it’s still there?
Ashby is still named ashby2@comcast.net
few people seem to see that. Personally, it scares me. People are speaking out against people who speak out. And they’re doing it with threats and aggression. Our trusted institutions are being questioned. I’ve never had any doubts as to whose authority lands where. We were raised on the left coast, where liberal ideals were abundant. But I don’t remember this kind of acrimony. I don’t recall opposing American voices yelling at each other in such a way. People of course, don’t always like what the laws tell us to do. Remember bussing? I remember the anger. My folks certainly didn’t see it. Why would I be required to visit the other side of the city just to attend class? But we complied, despite not having an Internet connection to complain. It was the law, and we had to do it. But now, social issues are political and political issues are standoffs. Increasingly, our congressional leaders are more focused on winning than serving. A huge number of Americans feel unheard as they perceive their freedoms slipping away. The immigration issue has loomed over Washington like an airtight glass dome. Legal decisions are not only questioned, but also mocked and scorned. People we trust are telling us who not to trust. We are also angry about who to support in wars unfolding half a world away. Are we forgetting that we all play on the same team? Are we headed for the falls, as a host of current and former high profile leaders are telling us? Can anything short of a foreign invasion bring Americans together again? I’d like to make it past 60. I just hope it’s worth the wait. Love, Mark
Garay can be reached at MarkGaray426@gmail.com
“Define your priorities, know your value, and believe in your purpose. Only then can you effectively share yourself with others”Les Brown, motivational speaker and former Ohio politician
Growing up I have always been told the same things. Keep a clean room, don’t lie, and don’t give in to peer pressure. Peer pressure is when someone feels compelled to copy the actions or behaviors of their peers to fit in or be accepted. It can be both positive and negative, depending on the influence exerted. Teenagers often experience peer pressure because they want to belong and be liked by their friends. Understanding how to handle peer pressure is
vital for making safe and smart choices.
Peer pressure can lead to many negative consequences, especially for young people. When friends push you to do something harmful, it can result in serious trouble. For example, giving in to peer pressure to smoke or drink alcohol can damage your health and lead to addiction. You might also face problems at school, like suspensions, or with the law if you break rules to fit in with others. Sometimes, peer pressure makes people do things they know are wrong to avoid being teased or left out, hurting their self-esteem and making them feel guilty.
Peer pressure can hurt your relationship with your family because it makes you act in ways that clash with their values, causing arguments and stress. Every family has core morals and values and due to the influence of others, you can end up going against them. When you care more about what your friends think than your family’s advice, they, your family, might feel ignored and lose trust in you. If your family is very strict about social media and your friends tell you to make a
fake account and you do, you are going against your family for the approval of others.
Peer pressure can hurt mental health by making you feel stressed and anxious as you try to fit in and meet your friends’ expectations. This can lower your self-esteem and make you feel like you’re not good enough when you can’t live up to their standards. The constant worry about being accepted can make you feel lonely and sad. Over time, this pressure can lead to more serious mental health problems like depression and anxiety. It’s important to stand up for yourself and make your own choices, even if it is hard, to avoid these negative consequences.
Peer pressure isn’t always bad. In some ways, it can be positive. Positive peer pressure occurs when friends and peers encourage each other to make good decisions and adopt healthy behaviors. This kind of influence can lead to better academic performance, improved physical health, and stronger self-discipline. Positive peer pressure can also boost your self-esteem and help you develop good habits that last a lifetime. For example, friends might
encourage each other to get good grades by forming a study group and regularly going over class material together. This strengthens their understanding of the subjects and creates a supportive atmosphere where they can ask questions and clear up any confusion. By keeping each other accountable, they make sure everyone stays on top of their homework and prepares well for tests. Additionally, the friendship and common goal of doing well in school can make studying more fun and less stressful, which helps improve their overall performance.
Surrounding yourself with supportive and positive friends can inspire you to be your best self and make choices that contribute to your overall well-being. This year I started going to the gym with some friends. Each time we go, they push me to work extra hard and put in all my effort. By pushing myself, keeping up with their workouts, and appreciating the major support they provided, I grew as a person and got into better shape. Peer pressure can be hard to recognize, but there are signs to look out for. If you feel like you’re being pushed
to do something you’re uncomfortable with, that’s a clue. Sometimes, friends might tease you or say things like, “It’s not a big deal, it’s a lot of fun.” This can make you feel like you have to partake in the activity to be accepted. Sometimes it can be negative like lying or sneaking out, but others may seem like a better idea like accepting answers to a test. Regardless if it seems like an easy way out or might lead to a punishment, it’s best to steer clear.
Teenagers can manipulate your emotions resulting in you making choices you will regret. To deal with peer pressure, it’s important to know your values and limits. Practice saying “no” firmly but politely. It’s okay to suggest a different activity that you’re comfortable with. If the pressure continues, it might be time to rethink those friendships. Surround yourself with people who respect your choices. Remember, true friends will respect your decisions. Never feel the need to change for others. If you feel like you will be put in a conflicting situation, don’t be afraid to leave it. Stay true to who you are, don’t follow others in hopes of being a part of their crowd. If you have to
change who you are around them, then they aren’t your true friends.
This year I have learned that peer pressure is unavoidable. Everyone will experience it. For me, I have felt pressured into doing things I knew were wrong but did anyway for others’ approval. I regret that I gave in because, for some time, those actions represented me and my family. I have learned and grown from this and have started to make my own choices and not care if I “fit it” or “am part of the cool crowd”. That isn’t who I am. I do what I know is right. Even when it may seem better to follow the crowd and give in, remember to stick to your morals and values. Be who you want to be not what others want you to be.
Morris is a Ridge Point High School student, class of 2027, a varsity tennis player, and an active member of JCC Maccabi Houston.
If you are a Fort Bend County high-school-age student (public, private, charter, or homeschool) who might be interested in becoming a Youth Columnist, please send an email to editor@fortbendstar.com.
The Youth Services department at Fort Bend County Libraries’ Sienna Branch Library will feature “Friday Afternoon Movies” -- a free movie series for families with kids of all ages -- in June and July. The movies will begin at 1:30 pm, in the Meeting Room of the library, located at 8411 Sienna Springs Blvd in Missouri City. The June schedule of film showings is as follows: June 7 - Released in 2023, this family movie follows the story of Willy Wonka, the famous but eccentric chocolatier based on a character from Roald Dahl’s novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. In this prequel to the 1971 film adaptation of Dahl’s novel, a young and poor Willy Wonka dreams of opening a shop in a city renowned for its chocolate. When he discovers that the chocolate industry is run by a cartel of greedy chocolatiers, he must
defy all odds to transform his wildest dreams into reality. This movie is rated PG. June 14 - Released in 2006, this family-comedy film stars Ben Stiller as Larry Daley, a newly recruited night security guard at the Museum of Natural History. When the sun begins to set, he discovers that an ancient curse causes the animals and exhibits on display to come to life at night and wreak havoc in the museum. He soon finds himself face-to-face with a dinosaur, tiny soldiers, and even Teddy Roosevelt. This movie is rated PG. June 21 - Released in 2023, this animated comedy adventure is the third installment of the “Trolls” franchise. Poppy discovers that Branch was once a member of a boyband with his brothers, but when the group disbanded, the brothers went their separate ways. When Branch’s brother Floyd is kidnapped, however, the siblings reunite to rescue him. This
movie is rated PG.
June 28 -- This awardwinning sci-fi adventure film, originally released in 1982, has become a classic family movie. While visiting the Earth one night, a group of alien botanists is interrupted by an approaching human task-force. In their hasty retreat, they accidentally leave behind one of their crew. The “little squashy guy” is perhaps the least threatening alien invader ever to hit the movie screen. He is found by a boy named Elliott, who lives with his single mother, older brother, and younger sister. As Elliott tries to keep the alien under wraps and help him figure out a way to get home, he discovers that the creature can communicate with him telepathically. The little alien uses junk he finds around the house to rig up a communication device to send a message to his folks back home to come pick him up, but will he be rescued before a group of government scientists find
Answers found in this week’s Classified section
Blood type
34. Expressing gratitude
36. Bridge-building degree
37. Ribosomal ribonucleic acid
38. Fiber from the outer husk of a coconut
39. Great blackbacked gull
40. The largest island in the West Indies
41. Vegetation consisting of stunted trees or bushes
44. Support trestles
45. Single rail system
48. Call upon in supplication
49. Small compartment
50. Lair
51. Unpleasant nagging women
1. College civil rights organization
2. ‘Full House’ actress Loughlin
3. Egyptian sun god
4. Vessel or duct
5. Belonging to a thing
6. After B
7. Refers to end of small intestine
8. Baby cow
9. River of Memmert Germany
10. Farmer’s calendar
11. Spiral shelled cephalopods
12. Source of chocolate
14. Diversify
17. A baglike structure in a plant or animal
18. Freshwater & limestone green algae
20. Single Lens Reflex
23. Gum arabics
24. Austrian philosopher Martin
25. Maltese pound
26. An immature newt
29. Popular Canadian statement
30. Norwegian monetary unit (abbr.)
31. A journey around a course
32. Confer a nobility title upon
35. Idle talk
36. British policeman
38. A citizen of Havana
40. Highly glazed finish
41. A portion of
42. Squad
43. Betrayers
44. Barrels per day (abbr.)
45. Married woman
46. Express delight
47. Neither
LAS VEGAS – After fighting back from a four-run deficit to take the lead in the seventh, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (35-22) dropped Sunday’s contest against the Las Vegas Aviators (29-28) in extras at Las Vegas Ballpark 7-6
RHP Misael Tamarez took the mound for Sugar Land in his first start since May 21. After a rocky first inning where he gave up a threerun homer and a solo home run with two outs, Tamarez settled in and faced the minimum in the second after
inducing a 5-4-3 double play to clear the basepaths.
The Space Cowboys got one back in the top of the second when Trey Cabbage mashed his fourth homer of the series to right-center field, but the Aviators responded with another run of their own on a double from Ryan Noda in the third. Tamarez finished his day after 4.1 innings, allowing five earned runs on four hits, walking four and striking out three.
Shay Whitcomb started the gradual comeback from Sugar Land with a tworun bomb in the top of the fourth to cut the deficit down to two. The home run extended Whitcomb’s onbase streak to 43 games, the
longest streak by any player in Minor League Baseball this season and the longest on-base streak in Space Cowboys franchise history. In the sixth, Cabbage hit his second long ball of the game 444 feet to tie it after Jesús Bastidas reached first on a single. The next frame, Quincy Hamilton sent a pitch from J.T. Ginn over the right-field fence to give the Space Cowboys their first lead of the game.
RHP AJ Blubaugh (L, 32) shut down the Aviators offense for 3.1 innings without allowing a baserunner, until Carlos Pérez reached on a double in the ninth inning. Blubaugh was able to get the next batter out on a
flyout but surrendered an RBI single to with two outs to Jordan Diaz to tie the game up at six and send the game to extras. Sugar Land was unable to scrape across a run in the 10th, and Las Vegas walked it off with an RBI single from Nick Allen for their second extra-inning win this series.
Sugar Land Space Cowboys games can be heard on ESPN 92.5 FM or online at https://player.listenlive. co/47381 and seen on MiLB. TV, MLB.TV and Bally Live.
Perry is a writer for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. This article is used by permission.
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE GRAND PARKWAY BAPTIST CHURCH
In conjunction with the Literacy Council of Fort Bend Bend County, GPBC will offer ESL classes on Tuesday nights from mid August 2024 through May 2025. We are located at 12000 FM 1464 Richmond across from Austin HS. Our students speak several languages and encompass many faiths, all are welcome. For more information call 281-277-2200 and ask for ESL information. You may also email ESL@grandparkway.org
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND CONCERT HONORS FALLEN HEROES
The Exchange Club of Sugar Land presents “A Night to Remember” on Sunday, May 26, at 7:05 p.m. The patriotic concert features a brass band, Grammy winning singers, ballet dancers and a 30-member chorus. The concert takes place in Sugar Land Town Square, in front of the City Hall Façade. Bring a chair and join us!
“A Night to Remember” is FREE and open to the public. Canned food donations are encouraged for East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry.
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF FORT BEND
The League of Women Voters of Fort Bend, a nonpartisan organization, will provide voter registration and education events prior to the Feb. 5 deadline to be a registered voter in the March 5 Primary election. Locations, dates, and times include: (1) Wednesday, 1/24 -- Fort Bend YMCA, 4433 Cartwright Rd, Missouri City 7:30am - 12:30pm and 5 - 7pm; (2) Thursday, 1/25 -- First Colony Library 3:30 - 5:30pm; (3) Sat., 1/27 -- Cinco Ranch Library 10:30am - 1:30pm and University Branch Library 11am - 2pm; (4) Tuesday, 1/30 and Wednesday, 1/31 -- WCJC Sugar Land, Brazos Hall, 9am - 2pm; (5) Thursday, 2/1 -- ThriftWise, 501 Hwy 90E, Richmond -- 10am - 1pm. Register to vote, update your current voter registration, and get nonpartisan voting information at any of these events, or contact lwvfortbend@gmail.com.
NO HOCUS POCUS IN MUSIC MAGIC CLASS FOR 6 & 7-YEAR-OLD BOYS!
Young boys need music in their life for mental, physical and emotional growth and the best place to receive quality music instruction is with the Fort Bend Boys Choir of Texas! They offer Music Magic, an eight-week music enrichment class for six and seven-year-old boys. The Fort Bend Boys Choir of Texas, currently in its 42 nd season, brings music alive with the use of movement, musical games, singing and other child-centered activities. Boys learn about pitch matching and rhythm awareness in addition to developing large muscle coordination, increased focus and better musicianship. Music Magic helps boost brainpower, sparks creativity and forges strong connections with others. No auditions are necessary for the class – just a love of music and singing! Serving as Music Magic director is Founder and Artistic Director William R. Adams who leads this class on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 p.m. – 7:15 p.m., beginning March 19 and ending May 14 at the First United Methodist Church Missouri City, 3900 Lexington Blvd., Missouri City. Music Magic will then sing at the Fort Bend Boys Choir’s annual Spring Concert on Saturday, May 18! Classes are limited in size so please call the choir office at (281) 240- 3800 to pre-register or visit their Music Magic web page at https://fbbctx.org/our- programs/music-magic/. Be sure to stop by their Facebook page for the latest on the Fort Bend Boys Choir's Music Magic class and the organization's public performances.
AMERICAN LEGION POST 942
311 Ulrich Street, Sugar Land meets the fourth Tuesday of each Month at 7:00 pm. All Veterans are welcome.
LOVING FRIENDS IS A GROUP OF WOMEN AND MEN WHO ARE WIDOWS AND WIDOWERS THAT MEET MONTHLY FOR LUNCH, FRIENDSHIP, AND SOCIALIZATION Lunches. are planned for the fourth Tuesday of the month at various local restaurants. Please contact Bobbie Tomlin at {281} 967-0718 For more information about us and to learn about this month’s planned lunch. We hope to meet you soon.
The Quail Valley Garden Club is very busy, not only with meetings, but with some fun “stuff” for our members and the community. Please find our fall schedule of events that the QVGC will be involved with this fall leading up to the holidays.
F BJSL IS ACCEPTING CAF GRANT APPLICATIONS
We provide grants of up to $5,000.00 to charitable causes serving Fort Bend County with requests to fund a critical need, pilot a program, or expand a significant service to the community. If your agency or organization is interested in applying for a CAF grant, please visit the Request Support page of the FBJSL website (www.fbjsl.org/request-support). All applications should be submitted via e-mail to brccom@fbjsl.com.
THE SANCTUARY
FOSTER CARE SERVICES
We are a child placing agency that provides wrap around care support for foster children and foster families. We provide free therapy services, 24 hr. crisis intervention, respite/alternative care services and community-based support. For more info, www.sanctuaryfostercare.org
ALIEF AARP CHAPTER 3264
Meets the first Thursday of every month at 10:00 a.m. at Salvation Army Church, 7920 Cook Road, Houston, TX 77072. Educational Program/ Entertainment at each meeting. Bus Trips every month. Seniors 50 and above invited. Call 281785-7372 for more information.
SUGAR LAND ROTARY CLUB
Sugar Land Rotary Club, the nation’s oldest community service organization, wants you to be its guest at a meeting that could turn out to be the best fit for getting involved with a local, nonpolitical, humanitarian service organization with a global presence to satisfy your passion. We’re on a quest for new members! Call or email Dean Clark, 469-850-2424, dean7351@gmail.com. We’re a friendly group that meets once a week for lunch.
FT. BEND ACCORDION CLUB
Meets on the 4th Sunday of every month from 2:pm - 4:pm at: CHRIST CHURCH SUGAR LAND (in the Chapel) 3300 Austin Parkway, Sugar Land, TX 77479 FREE and Open to the Public! We welcome everybody! If you play accordion, beginners to professional and would like to play Call, Text or email: Vince Ramos Cell: 281-204-7716 vincer.music@gmail.com.
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.
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. 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, America’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!
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.
MISSOURI CITY
CAMP OLYMPIA
Day, Sports Ages: 4 - 14
Dates: June 10 - Aug. 2
Cost: $220-$310 weekly
$250 (beginning April 1)
$275 (week of camp) 7100 Knights Court www.olympiatx.com
FORT BEND FAMILY YMCA
Academics, Art, Day, Sports Ages: 5 - 15
Dates: May 30 - July 28
Cost: $75 per session, per child 4433 Cartwright Road www.ymcahouston.org
i CODE
Academics, Art, Day Ages: 6 - 18
Dates: May 29 - Aug. 2
Cost: $279 - $459 weekly 4899 Hwy. 6, Ste. 113C www.icodeschool.com/sugarland117
CLASS 101
Academics Ages: 13 - 17
Dates: June 3 - Aug. 2
Cost: $800 (6 week course)
$3,999 (college planning) 609 Dulles Ave., Ste. 500 www.class101.com/sugarlandtx
STUDY DORM
Academics
Dates: June 3 - Aug. 2
Ages: 6 - 17
Cost: $150-plus weekly 609 Dulles Ave., Ste. 500 www.mystudydorm.com/ summer-camp-houston
ART CAMPS AT CORDOVAN ART SCHOOL
Art, Day Ages: 5 - 16
Dates: May 28 - Aug. 18 (Summer)
Cost: $204 $569 weekly 3219 Hwy. 6 www.cordovanartschool.com
ELDRIDGE PARK COMMUNITY CENTER
Academics, Sports
Ages: chess, medical 5 - 16; soccer 4 - 14
Dates: June 24 - July 26
Cost: $160-$493 weekly DATES AND PRICES VARY BY CAMP. 2511 Eldridge Road www.sugarlandtx.gov
IMPERIAL PARK RECREATION CENTER
Sports Ages: 4 - 17
Dates: June 3 - Aug. 2
Cost: $132 - $438
AGES, DATES, AND PRICES VARY BY CAMP. 234 Matlage Way www.sugarlandtx.gov
INSPIRATION STAGE
Art, Day Ages: 4 - 16
Dates: May 31 - Aug. 4
Cost: $210-$285 weekly 2210 Lone Star Drive www.inspirationstage.com
PINE COVE
Art, Day, Night, Sports Grades: 1 - 6
Dates: June 24 - 28
Cost: $359 weekly 13223 Southwest Freeway www.pinecove.com
SPANISH SCHOOLHOUSE
Spanish, Day, Sports Ages: 3 - 8
Dates: June 3 - July 26
Cost: $245 (two days), $649 (five days) 1120 Soldiers Field Drive www.spanishschoolhouse.com
