The 07-26-23 Edition of The Fort Bend Star

Sugar Land smacks Albuquerque to earn series win - Page 3

Sugar Land to focus on Imperial, Lake Pointe redevelopments for now

By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

The City of Sugar Land will focus on the redevelopment of the Imperial and Lake Pointe regional activity centers before moving on to other areas of the city, the City Council said in a meeting last week.

Missouri City changes name of street that honored KKK official

By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

In an emotional meeting last week, Missouri City City Council unanimously approved a measure that will make it easier for residents to petition to change street names, and separately voted to change the name of a street named after a notorious Confederate general and Ku Klux Klan official.

The Council lowered the percentage of residents on a street required for a petition to change a street name from 70 percent to 60 percent. In a separate action, the Council voted to change the names of Bedford Forrest Drive and Bedford Forrest Court, two adjoining streets in the Vicksburg Village of Shiloh neighborhood, to Liberty Way Drive and Liberty Way Court.

Nathan Bedford Forrest was a general in the Confederate Army who later became the first Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan, the white supremacist organization.

Rodney and Angie Pearson, who are Black, spoke at the outset of the item discussion. They began the petition drive to change the street names. The higher percentage requirement hampered their ability to move that process forward.

The July 19 meeting was a joint workshop of the Council and the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission to discuss proposed changes to the city’s development code which city staff say will streamline the process of approving some developments while still allowing for input from residents.

Public interest in the proposed changes had been high, at least in social media circles, as detractors said the changes would make city

staff free to make decisions on things like the number of apartments in a development, long a source of contention in the city.

But unlike meetings earlier this year on the proposed redevelopment of the Imperial Char House and the surrounding area, very few members of the public spoke at last week’s meeting, although there were a handful written comments read aloud into the record by Mayor Joe Zimmerman.

Of the comments, both written and verbal, all but one voiced concerns about the proposed changes. One person, a Missouri City resident who said he supports urbanism and mixed housing options, urged adoption of the changes when they go before Council in August.

In the workshop portion of

the meeting, Assistant City Manager Jim Callaway said the proposed changes to the development code are in keeping with the land use plan adopted by Council in 2018 after a years-long review. That plan calls for the city to implement mixed-use developments in the city’s so-called regional activity centers (which include Imperial and Lake Pointe), with those developments including multifamily housing. Callaway pointed out that the Council has a legislative function to set city policies and codes, but that it is the city staff that has adminis-

Missouri City author writes book to help students deal with pandemic

By Dayna Worschel EDITOR@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

When Nikki Hutchinson saw the young, masked children getting off of the school bus in the afternoons in her Missouri City neighborhood in 2021, she felt a sense of despair.

Missouri City City Council members and residents embrace after the Council voted to change the name of a street that honored a Confederate general and KKK offcial. Screen capture from Missouri City Municipal Television.

At the time, the worst of the COVID-19 threat seemed to have passed for adults when the first vaccines became available. But children ages 5 to 11 would not be approved to receive the vaccine until the end of 2021. COVID was tough

enough on adults, she said.

“But no one thought about how the kids felt. They had their masks on and they looked so confused, like they were trying to understand,” she said of the experience. Seeing how children were affected by the pandemic in person drove Hutchinson to want to do something to help.

So, in 2021, she wrote a children’s book called Mary Meets Covid, while on vacation in Bainbridge Island, Washington during the end-of-year holidays. The book, published

in 2023, follows a young, elementary school-aged girl named Mary, who goes back to the classroom learning during the pandemic. When she first walks into the classroom, she sees plastic barriers everywhere and bottles of hand sanitizer on the desks. Mary is worried about all that she sees. But with the help of a sympathetic teacher and her classmates, she soon learns they will get through the situations if they work together as a team.

Hutchinson, a former IV pharmacy technician who

now works remotely for a health insurance company, said she hopes the book will help children understand more about the pandemic and let them know that it’s okay to be confused.

“It was a strain on me, and I could only imagine what it must have been like for kids who couldn’t go outside or play with friends,” she said.

Huchinson, who grew up in Missouri City, attended Sartartia Middle School and Elkins High School. Today, she has three dogs she adores, and

has plans to write other books. Once she completes her associate’s degree in health science, Hutchinson says she may go for a doctorate in psychology or education.

The biggest lesson she hopes kids can take away from the book, though, is to never take life for granted. “Cherish those moments while you can. People can sometimes go years without speaking. I want to teach young people to not be so quick to judge,” Hutchinson said.

Mary Meets Covid is available for purchase online.

Missouri City resident Nikki Hutchinson recently penned Mary Meets Covid to help young people deal with the pandemic. Photo by Dayna Worschel

The Sugar Land City Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission hold a joint workshop on proposed changes to the city’s development code. Photo by Ken Fountain

Missouri City Branch Library’s Aztec Princess on page 5

George to o er ‘State of the County’ address on Aug. 8

Staff Reports

Fort Bend County Judge KP George will present his annual “State of the County” address on Tuesday, Aug. 8 at the Houston Marriott Sugar Land, 16090 City Walk Sugar Land, beginning at 7:30 a.m.

The theme of this year’s address, presented by the Central Fort Bend Chamber and the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce, is “Fort Bend County: Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Present…Advancing Towards the Future.”

Fort Bend County Judge KP George will present his annual “State of the County” address on August 8. Contributed photo

trative authority to implement them. The proposed code changes would not diminish the role of either the Council or the planning commission, a panel of residents which makes development recommendations to the Council. Both bodies will continue to hold public hearings before any vote on a proposed development, Callaway said.

Callaway asked the Council to give staff direction on how to best proceed with development.

He was followed by assistant planning directors Lauren Fehr and Ruth Lohmer, who laid in detail the proposed changes to the land use code. Fehr discussed the city’s vision for diversifying the city’s building stock in an effort to prevent the city from falling into economic stagnation, as Zimmerman and City

George, a Democrat, was reelected to his second fouryear term in November. His

Manager Mike Goodrum presented in their “State of the City” address in March.

During the Council’s discussion, District 3 Council member Stewart Jacobson said that Sugar Land enjoys its national reputation for being a great place to live because Councils in past decades saw the growth that was coming and planned for it. Likewise, he said, the city’s current leadership needs to plan for future growth.

However, he said, while he agreed that city staff should be allowed to make decisions on smaller developments, the Council needed to stay involved in approving larger ones. That point was echoed by District 1 Council member Suzanne Whatley.

Responding to Callaway’s request for direction to staff, Zimmerman proposed that the city focus on the redevelopment of the Imperial

election in 2018 marked a significant shift on Commissioners Court, which had been held by a Republican majority for decades.

George, an Indian-American, is the first Fort Bend County Judge of South Asian descent. Prior to his election as county judge, he served two terms on the Fort Bend Independent School District board. Previously, he was a board-certified financial planner in Sugar Land.

Reservations for the event are available at cfbca.org or by contacting Deirdre Buchta at dbuchta@cfbca.org or 281342-5464.

and Lake Pointe districts and get those accomplished before proceeding with any new developments of the city’s regional or neighborhood activity centers.

“Those are the only two that I’m going to suggest we’re interested in at this time. We’re going to let the process go forward. We need to get in place what the Council is comfortable with on a mixed-use regional and a mixed-use neighborhood,” Zimmerman said.

“We need to build some trust within the community,” he said. He called the criticism leveled that the proposed redevelopments were going to damage the city’s quality of life “poppycock.”

After some extensive discussion over Zimmerman’s proposal, the Council members all agreed that was the direction the city should move in for the time being.

Fort Bend ISD purchases land for future elementary in Harvest Green community

Staff Reports

Fort Bend ISD has purchased a 16-acre tract of land for $2.1 million in the Harvest Green community to build a new elementary school.

Located on Harlem Road, south of Harvest Garden Boulevard, the 130,000 square-foot campus will ac-

commodate 1,000 students and feature an art room, music room, gymnasium, library/learning center, collaboration spaces, large group instruction and extended learning areas, plus outdoor learning spaces and fenced-in play areas.

The cost to build the new elementary school is estimated at $46 million. The

project is part of the $1.26 billion bond program passed by voters in May.

The district plans to break ground next summer and open the school in August 2026.

For more information about 2023 bond projects, visit www.fortbendisd. com/2023bond.

HONORED FROM PAGE 1

Rodney Pearson said he had long been embarrassed by the name of the street they raised their children on after learning more about Forrest’s background.

“I love my street. I love Missouri City. I love my neighbors,” he said. But he felt that the street names had to be changed to make all residents feel comfortable.

“It takes the stain off the street. It’s a great neighborhood, this is a great city, but we have stains, and America has stains,” he said. “This is one action we can take to wipe off the stains.”

“For 17 years I’ve waited

for this name to be changed,” Angie Pearson said. “It’s long overdue.”

A few years ago, the nearby Confederacy Drive was changed to Prosperity Drive. District B Councilman Jeffrey Boney had initiated the move for the threshold reduction in 2019.

The name change will become effective on August 7, but it will take some time for signage and related matters to be altered, city staff told the Council.

After the vote, all of the Council members stood up from the dais to embrace the Pearsons and other community members and take photos in what Mayor Pro-Tem Floyd Emery, leading the meeting. jokingly referred to a “suspension of the rules.”

FORTBENDSTAR. COM

Sugar Land smacks Albuquerque to earn series win

By Landan Kuhlmann LKUHLMANN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

It may have been a tough season and second so far for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, but they managed to string together several wins last week in hopes of turning things around in the coming weeks.

Sugar Land took four of six games from the Albuquerque Isotopes during last week’s home series at Constellation Field, winning the series’ middle four games sandwiched around losses to begin and end the six-game set. With the series win, the Space Cowboys improved to 36-54 overall on the season, while their 7-14 mark in the season’s second half has them in fourth place in the Pacific Coast League’s (PCL) East division. The Space Cowboys were off Monday ahead of a road series with the Las Vegas Aviators – the Oakland Athletics’ Triple-A affiliate – from Tuesday through Sunday.

For the first time in weeks, the Space Cowboys’ offense came to life in the series against Albuquerque, scoring 37 runs in six games while pounding out 47 total hits over the course of the series. Leading the charge offensively was first baseman and designated hitter Jon Singleton, who hit .438 (7 for 16) with four extra-base hits and a 1.529 OPS during the series. He homered twice last week, including a walk-off three run home run in Sugar Land’s 7-5 victory last Saturday.

Also strong offensively in the series for Sugar Land was infielder Pedro Leon, who went 7 for 19 with a home run and a triple while reaching base safely in 11 of his 23 plate appearances and

Last week’s scores

sporting a 1.110 OPS against the Isotopes. Fellow infielder Shay Whitcomb also hit .296 (8 for 27) with a homer and double in the series. Catchers Luke Berryhill and Cesar Salazar combined to go 8 for 21 against Albuquerque, with Salazar homering and amassing a team-high six RBIs while Berryhill reached base safely in eight of his 13 plate appearances.

July 18: Albuquerque 8, Sugar Land 3

July 19: Sugar Land 8, Albuquerque 2

July 20: Sugar Land 11, Albuquerque 3

July 21: Sugar Land 7, Albuquerque 3

July 22: Sugar Land 7, Albuquerque 5

July 23: Albuquerque 6, Sugar Land 1

Several pitching performances also stood out for the Space Cowboys last week, most notably Spenser Watkins allowing just one run on five hits over six innings with four strikeouts to earn the win in their 11-3 win on July 20. Parker Mushinkski was strong out of the bullpen for Sugar Land, throwing 1.2 scoreless innings over two appearances with three

strikeouts.

Upcoming August promotions

The last replica World Series Ring giveaway is on Friday, Aug. 4 with an Alex Bregman replica World Series ring giveaway, plus Boy Scout Night. Ride into the first weekend of August with Western Weekend and a Space Cowboys Western

PCL East Second Half Standings

Fort Bend libraries o er programs, classes for teens in August

Staff Reports

Fort Bend County Libraries offers programs specifically designed for high school-aged teens entering grades 9 through 12. The programs provide fun and challenging opportunities for these young adults, who are also encouraged to become active participants in designing and orchestrating new activities for teens in the library system.

Teens can earn volunteerservice hours by participating in FBCL’s Young Adult Advi-

sory Councils, where they can express ideas, help organize upcoming activities, and suggest new programs and books that would be of interest to teens at the library. The August schedule of Young Adult Advisory Council meetings is as follows:

Mission Bend Branch Library – Wednesday, August 2 , 6 p.m., Conference Room. George Memorial Library (Richmond) -- Thursday, August 10, 6-7 p.m., Room 2C. Missouri City Branch Library -- Tuesday, August 22 ,

4-5 p.m., Conference Room. Sienna Branch Library – Thursday, August 24 , 4-5 p.m.

In addition to the Young Adult Advisory Council meetings, Fort Bend County Libraries offers Young Adult (YA) book clubs and other programs for the teen community.

A full listing of these events, which are free and open to the public, can be found on the website. Some of the activities require registration. To register online at the library’s website (www.

fortbend.lib.tx.us), click on “Classes & Events,” select the library, and find the program on the date indicated. For more information, call FBCL’s Communications Office (281-633-4734)

Jersey

August 5 and a boys on Sunday, Aug. 6. week homestand of the year in August, it’s Own Bobblehead Night

Aug. 19 for Night worn jersey designed by local art students. Aug. 20 follows with an

Tumbler” giveaway. There Space Cowboys/ University of Houston Coreyversity of Houston night Aug. 25, and additionally it’s the Faith & Family Night is on Saturday, August 26 with Orion’s is on Aug. 27 with

Space Cowboys catcher Cesar Salazar (19) celebrates with teammates after hitting a grand slam during their series with the Albuquerque Isotopes at Constellation Field. Salazar had six RBIs in the series as Sugar Land took four out of six games. Photo from Twitter

By Lynn Ashby ASHBY2@COMCAST.NET

THE RESTAURANT

– “Here’s your check, Sir,” the waiter says, handing me a little box with a small lighted screen –a touchscreen. The bill is for $44.34 which is not bad these days for a cucumber salad – the dressing was $2 more. (Have you noticed how expensive meals at restaurants are these days?

I blame the media, Joe Biden and global cooling.) Below the bill is a choice for a tip. Which button do I want to push? The 20 percent, the 30

Tips on tipping

percent or an amount equal to the bill? All the time the waiter is looking over my shoulder whispering, “Fifty percent. Fifty percent.”

The reason I mention this tipping situation is because lately a lot of other people have been mentioning this situation – the little box presented by the waiter with the tipping choices and the atmosphere of intimidation. How much do you tip at a restaurant? If the food was lousy and cold, the service was lousy and the restaurant was cold, what button do you push? If the music was too loud and you don’t want to listen to Kenny G all evening, do you tip anyway?

(There is a “No Tip” button on this little box, but I think it sets off an alarm.) Besides restaurants, do you tip your barber? Food taster? The valet parker who brings your car from 10 feet away? How much do you add to the ransom payment?

Good questions all, because the matter is confusing, can ruin a bad meal and even embarrassing if the water looks

at the tip and asks, “That’s it?” So once again you’ve come to the right place. (Clip out this column and put it in your wallet or purse next to your credit card.) In restaurants 15 to 20 percent is normal.

I always tip 20 percent unless there is a fly in my soup or soup on my fly. Remember not to tip on the total because that includes the tax. In most of Texas that’s 8.5 percent. As a rule of thumb, to figure out the tip, I take the tax and double it, which is almost 20 percent, so I had a few bucks. Tip more than 20 percent if the waiter has a particularly difficult job cracking your lobster, mopping up the bowl of chili you spilled all over the table or recharging your iPhone.

If you do most of your eating at a restaurant by consuming the olives in your four martinis at the bar, leave $1 for a beer and $2 for a cocktail. However, if you order a bar snack or the service was especially good, tip 20 percent. Outside the restaurant I often frequent (they accept Food Stamps but not Bitcoins), they had a free valet service.

HOME IMPROVEMENT

I tipped $5, but they hired a valet service company that now charges $12. No tip. What about picking up a to-go meal? The guy shoves a brown paper bag at you across the counter. Do you tip him? I usually add a dollar.

If you are getting a bit tired of what’s called “tipping fatigue,” don’t feel alone. Two in three Americans (66 percent) surveyed in a Bankrate report admit that they’re feeling less gracious about gratuities these days. And almost one-third (30 percent) of those surveyed say that tipping has “gotten out of control” -- particularly with the rise of those aforementioned touchscreen gizmos suggesting you pay 30 percent or more. Such unsought recommendations actually may be counterproductive: when they’re presented with the screen-in-a-box, 18 percent tend to tip less or not at all. Only 9 percent tend to tip more. Another one in three survey respondents say they get “annoyed” when encountering these tip screens at coffee shops, retailers and selfcheckout kiosks. Only around two-thirds (65 percent) of U.S.

adults who dine at sit-down restaurants always tip their waiter anything. (Those remaining 35 percent must not like Kenny G.) A 2018 survey by CreditCards.com found that diners in the South and West tend to tip less, while married people tip more than singles and more than half of Americans aged 65 and over tip 20 percent or more, the highest of any age group. So if you are a waiter, look out for old married folks from Boston or Buffalo.

We must remember that, as the minimum wage has plateaued, (the federal minimum wage has been $7.25 since 2009), workers have come to depend on tips. What’s more, only seven states require tipped workers to be paid minimum wage before tips; in other states, their wages start at $2.13 an hour.

Now that we’ve solved the restaurant tipping ordeal, what about others who serve you? My barbershop, Clipping & Tipping, used to charge me $16 for my haircut. Then it went to $20. I tipped $2. Last time I was there the price was $30. I tipped $2. Ladies, I am

told a 15 percent tip is the going rate at most salons. How much to tip for a taxi? The general rule for tipping cabs is 15 to 20 percent per ride, which is usually a dollar or two. Uber and Lyft have their own way of asking how much you want to tip.

I was making several trips to a hospital in the Texas Medical Center and each time the valet brought my car around I tipped. Then one time, as I was groping for my wallet, a lady standing next to me said, “You don’t have to tip” and pointed to a sign on a wall that read something like, “It’s our pleasure to serve you. No need to tip.” Odd, none of the valets had refused the money. Staying at a hotel? Leave at least $2 in your room each day for the maid, and don’t leave a total tip when you leave after staying several days because a maid will often work different rooms each day.

Those are my tipping tips. My gratuity is usually 50 percent.

Ashby is tip fatigued at ashby2@comcast.net

713-433-6421

14700 Almeda Rd Houston, TX 77053 www.HoustonHumane.org

BARBIE

Meet Barbie, the purr-fectly adorable feline fashionista!

When she’s not busy grooming her perfectly polished coat, you can find her gracefully swatting at her favorite toys.

This petite diva will steal your heart with her captivating green eyes that sparkle brighter than any gem.

With her friendly nature and gentle purrs, she’s a true lap cat who adores cuddling up for cozy snuggles and showering her human companions with unconditional love. Come meet Barbie today, and let her bring a touch of elegance and joy to your life. ADOPT BARBIE!

Missouri City library to present 'The Aztec Princess' on July 27

This summer, more than 80 students from 10 different campuses across Lamar CISD competed at the National Technology Student Association (TSA) Conference in Louisville, Ky. These students earned their spot by mastering challenges at the Texas TSA Contest in April.

During the national conference, approximately 7,500 students from across the country, Germany, and Turkey attended and competed in various events that challenged students’ design skills and creative thinking in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

The Missouri City Branch Library will present a children’s bilingual theater performance of “The Aztec Princess,” on July 27.

In conjunction with Fort Bend County Libraries’ 2023 Summer Reading Challenge, the Missouri City Branch Library will present a children’s bilingual theater performance of “The Aztec Princess,” by Express Children’s Theatre, on Thursday, July 27, beginning at 2 p.m., in the Meeting Room of the library,

located at 1530 Texas Parkway. In this high-energy, bilingual story, told in English and Spanish, the Aztec Princess is a time-traveler who shares two classic fables – one about making good choices and another about stranger danger.

Suitable for families with children of all ages, the performance is made possible by a grant funded by Young

Audiences of Houston. The Express Children’s Theatre is an Arts Partner with Young Audiences of Houston.

The performance is free and open to the public. For more information, see the Fort Bend County Libraries website (www.fortbend. lib.tx.us), or call the Missouri City Branch Library (281-238-2100) or the library system’s Communications Office (281-633-4734).

“TSA allows students to explore their creativity and follow the design process to compete in a variety of events,” TSA Advisor Kristin Rausch said in a press release. “Our students in Lamar CISD are extremely talented and should be commended for their dedication and ingenuity. In order to earn the right to compete on the National level, they had to advance from Regionals and State, both of which are also very competitive.”

More than half of the LCISD student participants received recognition. They are listed below.

Briscoe Junior High School , Advisor Heath Hayner

7th place in Forensic Technology: Brielle White and Isabella Payne

Foster High School, Advisor Karen Bodhi

3rd place in Forensic Science: Isabella Nguyen and Romina Rincon-Cruz

George Ranch High School, Advisor Johnathan Murray

1st place in Architectural Design: Camdyn Crawford, Quintin Fernandez, Jake Miller, and Alexis Prevette

1st place in Geospatial Technology: Quintin Fernandez, James Lochbichler, and Alexis Prevette

8th place in Flight Endurance: Joseph Le

9th place in Chapter Team: Macy Dang, Kishen Misra, Alexis Prevette, Ryan Skinner, Jiaying Song, and Adam Vivas

Lamar Consolidated High School, Advisor Kristin Rausch

2nd place in Future Technology Teacher: Bailee Byrd

3rd place in Drone/ Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV): James Bennett, Chase Cheng,

Mateo Rivera, Joshua Thomas, and Kendrick Turcios

7th place in Fashion Design: Bailee Byrd, Sophia Dalton, Aiden Moody, and Jackson Moten

8th place in Technology

Problem Solving: Xandre Graca and Joshua Thomas

Leaman Junior High School, Advisor Jarred Williams

2nd place in Video Game Design: Jeffrey Rapacki, Grant Nowotny, Max Morafiallos, Jose Bernal, Danny Tiffan, and Vaishnav Abburi

3rd place in Coding: Vaishnav Abburi and Grant Nowotny

6th place in Challenging Technology Issues: Gbemi Ayuba and Precious Osaghae

7th place in Medical Technology: Natalia Pereira, Ava Gallien, and Jose Bernal

Randle High School, Advisor Brian Sonnier

3rd place in Virtual Reality: Anish Jana, Amar Lakhani, Layla Lawhern, and Alishba Shaikh

Reading Junior High School, Advisors Kristi and Johnathan Murray

10th place in Off the Grid: Luke Brock, David Flores, and Charles Haldeman

Staff Reports

Courtesy Fort Bend County Libraries

MY PLACE STORAGE

My Place Storage, Sugar Land is located at 15025 Voss Road, Sugar Land, TX 77498; we can be reached at (281)

OUR LOCATION IS HOLDING A PUBLIC AUCTION ENDING ON OR AFTER AUGUST 13, 2023 at 11:00 am

couches, bed frames, dresser, chairs, plastic containers, boxes, suitcases, and miscellaneous items.

THIS AUCTION WILL BE LOCATED AT STORAGEAUCTIONS.COM

THE PROPERTY IS BEING SOLD TO SATISFY A LANDLORD’S LIEN.

ONGOING

ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE GRAND PARKWAY BAPTIST CHURCH

In conjunction with the Literacy Council of Fort Bend Bend County, GPBC offers ESL classes on Tuesday nights 6-8:30 from August 22, 2023 through May 21, 2024. We are located at 12000 FM 1464 Richmond. 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

FBJSL

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. The next Bus Trip is on April 26, 2023, to Painted Churches. Seniors 50 and above invited. Call 281-785-7372 for more information.

FORT BEND COUNTY LIBRARIES’

ONLINE BOOK CLUB

Online meetings on the fourth Wednesday of every month. Free and open to the public. Registration is required; to register online www.fortbend.lib.tx.us, “Classes & Events,” select “Virtual Programs,” find the program on the date indicated. Participants may also register by calling George Memorial Library (281-342-4455).

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, non-political, 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:pm4: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: 281-2047716 vincer.music@gmail.com

FORT BEND JUNIOR SERVICE LEAGUE RECRUITING NEW MEMBERS FOR 2022-2023 YEAR

To join, the membership application can be accessed at https://www.fbjsl.org/join/how-to-become-a-member/.

FBJSL will also be hosting multiple virtual and in-person recruitment events over the summer where potential new members can learn more about the League. Information regarding attending these events is available at www.fbjsl.org or on the FBJSL Facebook page at www. facebook.com/FortBendJuniorServiceLeague/.

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 281240-8181 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 for further information.

THURSDAY MORNING

BIBLE STUDY FOR MEN

Sugar Land First United Methodist Church, 431 Eldridge Road offers a Thursday Morning Bible Study For Men. This group is ongoing and uses a variety of studies throughout the year. The breakfast, coffee and donuts are free. Join us any time! Thursdays, 6:30-7:30 am in Wesley Hall. Call the church office at 281-491-6041 or Mike Schofield at 281-217-5799 for more information.

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 281240-3195

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

Review: Corelli’s Italian Cafe o ers fine food with old-fashioned flair

By Ken Fountain

Sometimes, you just have to go old school.

I had planned this week to review a promising new restaurant that I recently saw in my travels around the area. Turns out, it’s so new that it’s not even open yet. Searching for a Plan B, I struck upon Corelli’s Italian Cafe, the long-time restaurant on Highway 6 in Sugar Land.

I’m not entirely sure when Corelli’s first opened, but it’s been around at least since the mid-1990s, when I was going to college and waiting tables at another restaurant just a stone’s-throw away. That spot has gone through a couple of iterations since, but Corelli’s is still going strong. But Sugar Land (and the surrounding area) has grown a lot in that time, and I figure there are many newcomers who haven’t experienced it yet.

Corelli’s puts a big emphasis on atmosphere. A green-red-and-white-striped awning welcomes you indoors, where you’ll find a something of a hodgepodge of styles. In some spots, stonelike facades call to mind an old farmhouse in Tuscany, while another wall is covered with old Italian movie posters.

Yes

When we arrived at lunchtime, the place was packed, speaking to the restaurant’s strong popularity over the years. I briefly checked out the outdoor patio with vine-covered overhangs that actually felt somewhat cool in the blazing heat. Not enough to entice us outside though, and we wound up sitting in the bar area. The sound system plays a mix of

classic and popular Italian songs, a few opera arias, and popular songs by the likes of Dean Martin and Louis Prima, with a couple of samples from the soundtrack of The Godfather thrown in for good measure.

Atmosphere goes a long way, of course, but a good

restaurant also needs to have good food. And Corelli’s definitely delivers on that score. The menu features all the different kinds of dishes you might expect, from antipasta to insalata and zuppa to pizza to classic pasta dishes and seafood, veal and pork dishes. There’s also a very nice wine list.

I went with one of my standbys, the shrimp florentine, while my dining companion had a large salad. There had been a technical mix-up with my order, which took longer to arrive than it should have. But the staff was very accommodating, and there were no hard feelings. The shrimp florentine was

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excellent, with a sauce that had just the right amount of tanginess to it.

Whether you’re a longtime area resident who’s known of Corelli’s for years or a newcomer who’s never tried it, a visit to the venerable restaurant is well worth considering.

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The shrimp florentine at Corelli’s Italian Cafe had just thr right amount of tanginess. Photo by Ken Fountain