When Hurricane Beryl took an unexpected turn early July 8 and slammed Fort Bend County and the greater Houston area, many weren’t prepared for what might happen. Among them was Erica Hinkle.
Hinkle, who lives at the
boundary of Stafford and Houston, was back at her job as a bartender/server at the Toasted Yolk restaurant in Sugar Land Town Square the following day. The spot known for its huge breakfast dishes had extra popularity in the immediate aftermath of the storm because it offered something that was suddenly in short supply: a reliable Wifi connection.
While being slammed by the increased clientele, the ever-cheerful Hinkle had to contend with concerns at home: the small house she shares with her partner and six cats had been hit by what she believes was a tornado during the earlymorning hours of the storm.
“They haven’t confirmed that it was a tornado, but from the damage that was inflicted down the street, there was no way it was just like hurricane winds and rain,” she said after completing her shift on the Tuesday after Beryl struck.
“On our garage we have a lean-to, with a roof. The whole lean-to was just ripped out of the garage, like siding. The top of it was made of metal sheeting, and it was blown all over the place. It was crazy,” she said, laughing despite the severity of the situation.
“Our deck isn’t completely connected to the house, but the deck was shifted. It was wild. We have a power line in our back yard, and our tree was pulled from the roots and knocked over the entire power line. Yeah, it was wild,” she said. She saw the arcing of electricity emanating from the downed power line.
“I kept seeing that and I was like really panicky, honestly. It was like five in the morning and I was like, ‘This can’t be happening,’” she said.
Aside from the lean-to and deck, Hinkle said her house didn’t suffer much interior effects other than some leaking at one of the kitchen windows.
ANALYSIS
Fort Bend recovers from Beryl's punch
It was a hard week for residents of Fort Bend County and the Greater Houston region, one few are likely to put out of their minds for years to come. A week after Hurricane Beryl, a relatively small storm, slammed into the Texas Gulf Coat near Matagorda and took an unexpected turn, thousands of residents across the county were still cleaning up debris, dealing with technology constraints and – perhaps most frustratingly – waiting for power to be restored to their homes.
On Monday, as the Fort Bend Star’s print edition was
going to press, CenterPointthe major electricity provider for the region - was reporting on its online tracker that 1,500 Fort Bend households were still without power, joining about a quarter-million people across the Houston area. While that was a marked improvement over previous days, it was small comfort to those who were still sweltering without air conditioning during a particularly hot and humid week when temperatures often reached above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Beryl, which emerged quite early in the yearly Atlantic hurricane season and carved a path of destruction through the Caribbean and Mexico’s
Yucatan peninsula before reaching Texas, had been a downgraded to a tropical storm as it approached the Texas shore on Sunday, July 7. Forecasters still expected it to move in a somewhat westerly direction until right before it made landfall, when it gained strength and took a turn toward the northeast, aiming directly at the Houston area.
The eye of the storm passed directly through Fort Bend County as it moved northward, with Sugar Land reportedly seeing winds up to 97 miles per hour. The devastation it left behind
play in the background. After the first hour, awardwinning authors Chitra
Divakaruni and Saborna Roychowdhury will read excerpts from their books, as they relate to the theme for the day: “Independence.” Attendees will have an opportunity to share their interpretations of the authors’ readings, as well as their own reading choices, in a small-group discussion. Originally from Calcutta, India, Divakaruni teaches creative writing at the University of Houston and resides in Sugar Land. She has won numerous awards for her writing, and has judged several prestigious literary awards, including the National Book Award and the
PEN Faulkner Award. Her writing has been included in more than 50 anthologies and has been translated into 20 languages. Two of her books have been made into movies. A chemistry professor residing in Houston, Roychowdhury is an accomplished novelist whose works have been recognized in publications in the U.S. and beyond. Her second novel, “Everything Here Belongs to You”, was a medalist in the Reader’s Favorite International Book Awards contest in 2022. This event will culminate with a short finale by the featured performing art -
ists: harpist Hope Cowan, Bharatanatyam classical dancer Sandhya Raghuraman, and Indian classical singer Mahalakshmi Krishnan. Similar to a book club, silent reading parties provide an opportunity for like-minded people to socialize - if they wish – and connect over their books as icebreakers. Silent reading parties also hold individuals -- who like to read but never seem to find the time – accountable for taking
and
of
Sponsored by the
Fort Bend County Judge KP George, center, conducts a press conference with Sheriff Ed Fagan and Greg Babst, emergency management coordinator, along with American Sign Language and Spanish translators, last week. Photo by Ken Fountain
Erica Hinkle, a bartender/server at the Toasted Yoke restaurant in Sugar Land Town Square, wraps up a shift a day after Hurricane Beryl severely damaged her Stafford home. Photo by Ken Fountain
in the form of downed trees, torn-down signs and damaged buildings belied its relatively small status as a Category 1 storm, the lowest in the classification system.
And while the storm passed within a few hours, problems for Fort Bend and and region were just beginning. While power outages were expected, it seemed that few - including the higher-ups at CenterPoint - were prepared for how extensive the damage to the power system would be, or how long it would take to get electricity back up and running. And with that lack of power came the associated lack of Internet and wireless connections for thousands of residents, as well as often-spotty cellular phone coverage. (The Fort Bend Star was also affected by these issues, severely hampering its ability to cover events in real time. This writer will discuss this more fully in a future column.)
Fort Bend County and municipal officials, while making their presence felt through media interviews, press conferences, and their own social media channels, the messages they sent out, while providing essential information to residents, seemed largely drowned out by the public’s growing frustration and anger over the lack of power. That messaging problem was compounded by the fact that the officials, while forcefully relaying that frustration to CenterPoint, had no ability to directly make the company turn the lights back on.
In a radio interview with Houston Public Media on July 8, just hours after the storm arrived, Fort Bend County Judge KP George said that approximately 250,000 residents were without power. That total
initial number was later revised to 353,292, and with each passing day the number kept going lower - but not quickly enough for those still without that critical resource.
Meanwhile, officials implored residents to fill out online damage surveys that would help Fort Bend receive as much state and federal assistance as required. Late in the week, there had been reports that Fort Bend was not one of the Texas counties included in a federal disaster declaration that would qualify residents for individual assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. George and Greg Babst, the county’s emergency management coordinator, emphasized in a press conference Saturday that that had been a paperwork issue which had been resolved and that Fort Bend indeed was included in the disaster declaration.
As the lack of power and the oppressive heat continued, tempers flared across the county. In a Thursday press conference, Sheriff Eric Fagan told reporters that someone pointed “a gun” at utility worker in Needville. While details of the incident were scant, it was later reported that the weapon was a pellet gun. Still, the incident was similar to other such events across the region, and in a Saturday press release, District Attorney Brian Middleton issued a forceful condemnation and said that a suspect had been arrested and charged with misdemeanor deadly conduct and that felony charges might result.
All the while, county and municipal facilities, as well as numerous private enterprises, did what they could to provide relief to residents, whether it be air conditioning, places to charge their devices or use the Internet, or other amenities. An apart-
ment complex in Rosenberg was severely damaged in the storm, and approximately 40 residents were taken to a shelter set up at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds, the first of a handful of shelters. While several critical county facilities were out of commission, many other buildings, including several libraries, served as much-needed cooling stations for numerous residents. Some locations had large charter buses parked in their lots to act as cooling centers. And facilities like the First Colony Mall and other large spaces opened their doors for people to get some respite from the heat and lack of power or wifi connection.
Residents, meanwhile, largely did not wait for government officials to take care of all of the problems. Virtually as soon as the storm passed and a bright but sweltering sun peeked out from the clouds, people all across Fort Bend were out in their yards, clearing debris, checking on their neighbors, and running errands for those who weren’t able to themselves. As Fort Bend moved into Post-Beryl Week 2, many residents were still wondering what flaws in the system could have led to such a delayed response in restoring power and other critical amenities. Officials, both at the local and state level, have those same questions and have promised investigations and hearings. When and how those investigations will play out - and whether they will lead to meaningful reform - remain uncertain.
And in the back of many people’s minds there remained a sobering thought: it’s only July, very early in the hurricane season, and this year’s has been predicted by experts to be extremely active. We’ve got a long way to go until November 30.
Space Cowboys drop series finale against Las Vegas
By Amanda Perry APERRY@ASTROS.COM
A night after walking it off and evening up the series, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (58-34, 9-8) took the 9-4 loss in the final game against the Las Vegas Aviators (46-46, 9-8) Sunday night at Constellation Field. In a spot start for the Space Cowboys, RHP Cesar Gomez took the mound in the first and with two runners on, gave up his first run of the night on an RBI single from Jordan Diaz. It was not long until the Space Cowboys countered with their own RBI base hit off Oakland A’s rehabber RHP Ross Stripling in the bottom half of the frame from Chris Gittens, scoring Omar Narváez from second. The Aviators broke the tie in the top of the second when Gomez issued a bases-loaded walk to Ryan Noda and tacked on another run with a second RBI single from Diaz, but the Space Cowboys knotted things back up after Cooper Hummel and Shay Whitcomb started the third with back-to-back singles. Narváez got the first run back
by driving in Hummel on a base hit, moving Whitcomb to third. Pedro León brought home the tying run on a deep fly ball to left field, evening the score at three. With RHP Nick Hernandez (L, 1-2) on the mound in the fourth, Nick Allen put the Aviators ahead on a single to send Jacob Wilson home, and Las Vegas would also score a pair on a double from Noda in the sixth to extend their lead to 6-3.
The Space Cowboys cut their deficit down to 6-4 when two consecutive walks to David Hensley and Luke Berryhill put two on in the bottom of the sixth. Hensley and Berryhill pulled off a double steal of second and third base, and a throwing error from Aviators catcher Carlos Pérez allowed Hensley to race home.
RHP Forrest Whitley came in for the seventh, looking to extend his perfect outing streak to four. The righty got the first out with ease and struck out Logan Davidson, but a throwing error from the catcher Berryhill allowed Davidson to reach. Perez walked, and Yohel Pozo grounded out to move the
NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS
The Health-Services Provided by the Fort Bend Independent School District
5:30 P.M. on July 22, 2024
In the Main Room of the FBISD James Reese Career & Technical Center
12300 University Blvd., Sugar Land, Texas
The purpose of this meeting is to discuss Fort Bend ISD’s health-care services provided by the district and any changes in services.
Public Encouraged to Attend
runners to second and third for Hoy Park. Park put a gap in the score by hitting a three-run home run to widen the Aviators lead to 9-4.
LHP Brady Basso (S, 1) came in with two outs in the sixth and the bases loaded and shut down the Space Cowboys offense for the remainder of the game. The lefty allowed just three hits and a walk to carry the Aviators over the finish line to complete the 9-4 win and serve the Space Cowboys just their fourth series loss of the year.
After the All-Star Break, the Space Cowboys will return to action Friday night in El Paso against the Chihuahuas. Both starters are TBA for a 7:35 pm CT first pitch.
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.
Missouri City library to host pet-supply swap on July 24
Fort Bend County Libraries’ Missouri City Branch Library will have a community pet-supply swap on Wednesday, July 24, in the Meeting Room of the library, located at 1530 Texas Parkway.
Through July 1 23, petowners and animal lovers are encouraged to clean out their pet supplies and donate any gently used or new pet supplies for a Community Pet-Supply Swap that will take place at the library on July 24. Donations will be accepted at the library during business hours until July 23. Those who donate supplies and materials before July 23 will receive a ticket for early access to the event on July 24, from 1-2 p.m.. After the early-access period, the general-access period (3-4 p.m.) is open to everyone, including those who did not contribute supplies during the donation-collection days. During the general-access period, free pet supplies can be claimed by anyone, while supplies last.
Suggested items include: unopened food or treats, cleaned and sanitized water/food bowls, leashes/ collars in good condition, unopened litter, new toys,
LOOKING FOR LOCAL EVENTS?
puppy pads, or small animal carriers. Any items not claimed during the swap will be donated to the Missouri City Animal Shelter.
In conjunction with the Pet-Supply Swap on July 24, the library will host a program on “Animal Care & Wildlife Co-habitation” from 2-3 pm. TaBorah Goffney, Animal Services Manager with Missouri City Animal Services, will discuss the services that are provided by the animal shelter and ways to foster or adopt a pet.
Attendees will learn about responsible pet ownership and choosing the right animal for one’s
family and circumstances. Hear about different types of pets, their traits and characteristics, and their level of care. Costs for having a pet - including materials, supplies, food, medical care, and training - will also be discussed. She will also discuss the importance of protecting pets from encroaching wildlife and keeping them safe while outside. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, see Fort Bend County Libraries’ website (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us) or call the Missouri City Branch Library (281-2382100).
LEGAL NOTICE
Application has been made with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for a Mixed Beverage Permit by FireHorse Saloon LLC, dba FireHorse Saloon, to be located at 501 FM 1092 #400, Stafford, Texas. Officers of said corporation are David Bartczak, owner, and Cathy Bartczak, owner.
•
Fort Bend County Libraries’ Missouri City Branch Library is accepting donations for a
By Lynn Ashby ASHBY2@COMCAST.NET
Welcome, Newcomers, and there are a lot of you. Texas had the nation’s biggest jump last year in overall population, adding 473,000 people. That’s as though every man, woman and child in Boston or Phoenix had moved here, and sometimes I think they have. (Do you ever feel the Border Patrol is watching the wrong river?) Between July 2022 and July 2023, the Houston metro area gained nearly 140,000 people. That’s one new resident every four minutes or so. They come in all sorts of shades. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Lone Star State led all
EDITORIAL
GTT by the thousands
other states in new Asian (92,000) and Black (91,000) residents in 2023. Texas also had the nation’s biggest Hispanic gain, an increase of 242,000 residents, with 30 percent of the increase in metro Houston – the most in Texas. Will we soon have Mex-Tex restaurants? “We are adding more people, and that would include all different kinds of people, and more diversity,” said the associate director and senior demographer of the Texas Demographic Center, Xiuhong “Helen” You. I rest my case.
Experts say that the Houston area is the most ethnically diverse in the nation, and a quick way to see that is to look at our wonderful restaurant scene. Yelp’s “10 Best Ethnic Houston Area Restaurants” lists Moroccan, Persian, Ethiopian (vegetarian), Turkish, South African and some others. “Let’s do Chinese,” you say. Be specific. You want north Chinese? East? West? Should your waiter speak Mandarin or Cantonese? Unfortunately the Kiev Café was invaded by its next door restaurant, Moscow-on-the-Bayou. Awhile back I was eating
at a Pakistani cafe feasting on goat’s tongue. It was dinner time but the place was almost empty. Then all of a sudden hordes of people came in, sat down and started ordering and eating (I suspect goat’s tongue was a special) as though they hadn’t had a bite all day. They hadn’t. They were Muslims; it was Ramadan. I like that.
While the Houston area is one of the fastest-growing regions in the nation, much of that is not in the city itself but in the suburban areas. God may be an Englishman, but when He retires He’ll move to Fort Bend. I used to eat at Dozier’s, a great BBQ place west of Houston in Fulshear. To get there I would drive down Westpark Road past acres of fields and farms. It is now Westpark Tollway and those fields are growing houses, thousands and thousands of houses. And Dozier’s is closed. It will probably be replaced by the Mongolian Yurt Hut.
For all you newcomers who have GTT, again welcome, and to blend in with the locals, here are a few tips. If you drive on our freeways, don’t. But you may have to. Using your turn indicator lights is a
sure sign you just got here. No native uses them. Do not honk or gesticulate at drivers who bump you, cut you off or sideswipe you, especially in pickup trucks with gun racks. Those hood ornaments on a Mercedes are actually crosshairs. In Texas, “gun control” means holding it with both hands. At any sports event, you will see as many Cardinal or Yankee or Bulls, LSU Tigers or OU Sooner supporters as you will see Astros or Cougar paraphernalia. Feel free to cheer for your former team, but wear a poncho for protection against the hot beer being poured down your back. This brings us to your local school’s gridiron. Houston sports columnist Mickey Herskowitz wrote: “There must really be something to religion. People keep comparing it to Texas high school football.”
More advice: Never squat while wearing spurs. The official state song is not “The Eyes of Texas,” but no one knows what it is. Distances are not measured in miles but in hours. You can adopt a highway but you can’t list it as a dependent on your tax form. Big Bend is not a clock in London. Dermatolo-
gists say humidity is good for our skin, so the area has nine large humidifiers going 24/7 to keep our skin healthy. In Texas, an intellectual is someone who can listen to “The William Tell Overture” without thinking of the Lone Ranger. Our children say “sir” and “m’am” to their elders – those with an AARP card. Adults say “excuse me,” “thank you” and “please” which are not a sign of subservience but of respect – particularly when being mugged, carjacked or given a roadside sobriety test. You like to say “fugetaboutit?” Fugetaboutit. We are a friendly folk. Comedian Jeff Foxworthy observed, “If someone in a Lowe’s store offers you assistance and they don’t work there, you may live in Texas.” Indeed, our state motto is “Friendship,” officially adopted by our state legislature in 1930. It is not “Remember the Alamo,” “Don’t Mess With Texas” or “Shoot Friendly.” Some people like to compare Houston with Dallas. Houston is friendlier. We had two LGBTQ+ parades. This season 29 of the 30 Major League Baseball teams hosted Pride Nights. One team didn’t: The Texas Rangers. By the way, if you have been wondering what GTT means, it is what others in less-desirable places would write on their cabin doors before departing. GTT was shorthand for: “Gone To Texas.” Those who could read followed. The others are still there. About our politics. Texas is a one-party state. We have people of a voting age who have never seen a Democratic elected to a state-wide office. The Dems are MIA and the Republicans are MAGA. Of either party, their leaders are not what you would call upstanding lawmakers. You cannot buy a Texas politician, but you can rent one for the afternoon. Our top three state leaders are Larry, Moe, and Curly. One legislature hurriedly passed a resolution citing Albert de Salvo for “pioneering efforts in population control.” Only later did our lawmakers learn that Albert de Salvo was the Boston Strangler. Well, gotta go. I’m having dinner tonight in Fulshear at the Mongolian Yurt Hut. The special is yak tongue. Ashby migrates at ashby2@comcast.net
SUDOKU
50. Fastened with adhesive or masking
52. Don’t know when yet
53. Eagle’s nest
55. Early modern jazz
56. Auricle
57. Atomic #81
58. Social class of manual laborers
63. Groups of regional animals
65. Release draft animals
66. Musical notations
67. Bearing or manner
dOwn
1. Grippe 2. Scientific workplace 3. Afflict
Construction of parts off-site 5. Cut back shrubs 6. Road furrow 7. The Nazarene author 8. Fire residues 9. 3rd tone 10. Excessive fluid accumulation 11. Fellow plotter 13. Inability to use or understand language 15. 12th calendar month 17. Greek capital
18. Communist China
Philadelphia sandwich
Neverland’s Peter
Medical man
Domesticates
Murdered in his bathtub
Dreaming sleep state
Drunkard
Double
Of one
Allow
Sorrowful
Dining hall furniture
Partition between 2 cavities
Reduce in amount 47. Where passengers ride
49. Sacred fig tree (alt. sp.)
51. Poet Edgar Allan 54. Sea eagle of Europe 59. An awkward stupid person
60. Black tropical American cuckoo
Whisky
Electrically charged atom
Atomic #89
Lynn Ashby Columnist
By Mark Garay
“Fly me high through the starry skies / Or maybe to an astral plane / Cross the highways of fantasy / Help me to forget today’s pain”
-Gary Wright, “Dream Weaver”
Life all around our Fort Bend streets and sanctuaries really gets popping around this time of year. In almost 30 years with Sugar Land as my permanent hub, the longest of any stretch in my life, my family and I have sailed through at least a half dozen storms and weather systems of an extreme nature. Time during inclement weather exists in a different color, with various shades of misconception and discombobulation drearily running in the background. When the lights dim, so does our homeostatic ability to maintain a sense of normalcy. A sense of security. A sense of control. Trying to turn on the bathroom
The whipping wind rattled noisily outside, trees bent to their knees (some toppling altogether), fences collapsed, and power lines plummeted, all as Hurricane Beryl swept through the greater Houston region, including Fort Bend County. I woke up twice that night – staying up for a good hour or two before I fell back into my serene slumber – to the commotion outside. Once, at 5:37 A.M., half-delirious, when the wind was particularly loud, I thought I might end up like Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz”, lifted and deposited into Munchkin Country. “What a funny thought,” I wrote in my journal the morning after.
DAY 1 I awoke, not so nicely, to my alarm set for 11:30 a.m.. The power was out by then. Unbothered, I spent the rest of my morning/noon in bed, in bliss, reading. The power would be back by dinner, I convinced myself.
It did not come back by dinner. It was growing hot in our house, and I was growing exasperated. Instead of rotting in my bed, I now switched stations to downstairs, where
The bogus Beryl bluster
light even though you already know flipping the switch won’t work. The haunting feeling of apprehension and occasional fear in knowing that you can’t access your favorite news source, music channel or streaming service. The unspoken reluctance to open the fridge out of fear that the cold air be freed into the arid environment and laugh as you slowly suffer an agonizingly dry death. It’s funny because it’s true. But it’s the downstream conversations that I’ve been noticing which must say something about our human need for understanding circumstances, the desire to levy blame for things we don’t like and our capacity to find truth in supposition. When Beryl knocked on Sugar Land ‘s front door early on July 8, my lights went toes up around 4 a.m. Now, this is a bigger deal for people like me who rely on CPAP )(continuous positive airway pressure) nighttime breathing machines. I was born with an oddly situated lower palate. Couple that with the fact that I’ve gained enough weight to clog any municipal aqueduct, and I’m faced with a really unappealing risk. I could die in my sleep without my CPAP, or so said a doctor years ago. I’ve really got no alternative. I have to stay awake. My requests for a battery option have gone so far unheeded. I should
hear back soon though, since It’s been over three years since I asked. And mine is just one example of something not everyone might consider. If you don’t view the last week as an ordeal or at least an unwelcome interruption to your life, I’d like to sit next to you in church.
Allow me to relate how this weather has affected my daughter. She helps care for a beautiful old wood burning oven/stove which has existed in our family since the 1890s. It still works, and it’s beautifully refurbished. But it’s an oddly shaped sacred salute to things that are now useless. It might be a kick to fire it up some Christmas when it snows again. Maybe. Otherwise, outside of a nod to sentimentality, it’s a total waste of space. Back to my daughter. Her lights in Missouri City came around 2 p.m. Saturday. But two nights prior, she was walking through her backyard doors in complete darkness, when she swears she heard the stove “moan”.
This isn’t the first time she’s driven herself into an unrepentant panic. Once last year in my kitchen, I had to talk her off a ledge because she froze after seeing a dangerous “snake like bug thing with venom and fangs”. Turned out to be a fork lying on the floor. So she “heard” our 100-year-old oven make a noise. And she of course panicked. First she
called her boyfriend, who told her to go to bed. When she called him back insisting the sound was real and that she was in danger, he told her to go to bed. Next, she called her brother, who got up, hopped in his car and actually headed to her home. In the meantime, God bless her, she dropped to the floor in her kitchen, assumed some prone version of a military-style crawl, and scooted on her belly to get to her room. Once safely away from the “spirits” she’d conjured, she slammed her door shut and immediately lit up natural sage, allowing the smoke to neutralize any spiritual threat she was convinced was there to kill her. When she told me she’d done all this, I wondered why she had sage in her room and how the sage thing worked. I was also curious how crawling belly down would fool our chatty stove. But in the end, I realized it didn’t really matter after all. She’s 32 and that means I’m no longer allowed to ask stupid questions. I can thank Beryl for this.
My electricity was only out for about 14 hours. Both my kids needed an A/C break, so we gathered in my living room. The conversation was typically lively, up until the conspiracy theories inevitably arrived. We all wondered out loud how and why some areas within a few miles go dark, while other adjacent communities aren’t as affected. We dis-
cussed who and what was failing. Local power companies which lease electricity from CenterPoint? Or is city infrastructure to blame? And what was all this talk of a state electrical grid, and how did that all fit in?
And since I live near Sugar Land City Hall, my kids seemed sure I was lucky to have such an “influential” neighbor. They surmised that since City Hall conducts important business, the location was allowed to cut to the head of the line. Then my boy postulated that this was probably just the beginning. He suggested a coordinated shadow protocol which favored business and commerce above residential safety and personal well being. Who could coordinate and craft such a strategy? And how would they keep it under wraps? His answer was one he’s used before: It was clearly the Deep State. I grew up unworried about catastrophic weather. Our concerns were more specific. I remember one night as a sixth grader, waking up to use the restroom. As I stood there, swaying and blinking to stay awake, my feet became unstable and I got dizzy. Then the medicine cabinet began to rattle, just before the hinged glass door came unloose and everything inside spilled out into the sink. A few seconds later, my dizziness subsided. I turned off the light and went back to bed. Earthquakes simply weren’t as
Surviving Hurricane Beryl
the air was slightly cooler. But not by much. The heat had already forced its way in, and I spent most of my time downstairs: pacing, groaning, waiting for the power to return, knowing it wouldn’t. It was agony. I felt like I had been transported, against my will, to the infinite desert in Frank Herbert’s “Dune”.
I didn’t have to wait long. My parents grew agitated, and my father suggested we head over to his workplace to check if the power remained on there. A futile attempt, but at least in the car, we could get away from the heat. I drove, my father guiding me. We rolled the windows down, and the wind brushed against my cheek, blasting my hair this way and that. I sang karaoke and thought, “This isn’t no bad.”
We ran into a problem a minute away from our destination, under the bridge of the intersection of Highway 90 and Beltway 8. There was a huge carmine-red truck a few paces ahead of us, and it came to a skidding halt as it turned the corner. I pulled up behind them, peeking through the bulky pillars that held up the highway, and saw what had stopped them. It was completely flooded. There was a substantial dip in the road –I remember it from the last time my father brought me to his workplace – and now it was filled to the brim like a tub, positively overflowing with murky water. In the midst of it all, there was a single unfortunate car: black, with its driver-side window rolled down. The water came up past its headlights, ending
only at the side-view mirrors. The driver and passenger, two red-necked men, got up real close, standing at the water’s edge.
“Turn back,” Dad said, and I began to rev up the engine again. The mood was ruined on the drive home. Nightfall arrived before us, and I was grateful. We lit candles; my mother taught me to drip a few drops of melted wax onto my table and use it as glue to keep the candle upright. I read under the candescent flame, finishing the book from earlier, and slept, tossing and turning all night.
DAY 2
Target was one of the only places around us with power, so we went, bright and early, to leech off their A/C and power outlets. We weren’t the only ones with that idea, but my father found two outlets high up on the wall. He just barely reached it. I sat on the cold tiled floor as my phone charged. My mother went off in search of more accessible outlets. She found none but told us that she spied some desperate souls using the ports meant for charging the motorized shopping carts.
We all had a good laugh at that.
By the time we decided to return home, our data started working again, and my mother told us that her workplace in Katy had gotten their power back. We decided heading there would be a better idea than staying in the house, baking under the sun. My parents and I worked like ants, ferrying the melting goods from the refrigerator to
the car. I packed my necessities, and we made off: my dog panting in the backseat beside me.
I spent the day on cloud nine, delighted by the A/C, the wifi, and all the pleasures of electricity I was missing out on prior. By daylight, I gamed and lounged about – boredom never more than arm’s-length away – by night, I wrote like mad, working towards my self-imposed deadline. Time paused when I was there, in my seventh heaven scribbling away, and by the time my mind’s ink ran dry, it was four in the morning and the caffeine was wearing off. It has been many months since my imagination let loose like that. Afterwards, I joined my parents in the rarely used meeting room. They slept on small foldable beds; I slept on the table, surrounded by dusty chairs, occupied only by random winds debating in a cold frenzy. My dog slept by the glass doors by the front, guarding us, tongue lolling out but always listening. Occasionally, out of the corner of my eye, I would see a spider – hopefully the same one over and over again--crawling up the white walls.
DAY 3 I am positively losing my
mind. For two days now, I’ve been holed up in my mother’s office,hiding away in the empty office like Gollum from “The Lord Of The Rings”. Rarely, I see sunlight (I am exaggerating. It comes through the window, bright and furious). I woke up with sores all over my body, from the hard bed fashioned the night before. No class awaits me during the day, so I spend all my time indoors, pacing the halls. All my friends, save for the one down the street from me, have gotten their power back, but ours remains stubbornly off. When the dark falls and the only natural light is the moon on my back, freshly inspired, I returned to writing. I kept losing track of time: midnight slipped into 3 A.M. in a matter of minutes. Words spilled out of me: the floodgates had finally been forced open.
DAY 4
The power returned. We packed our bags and went home. I lingered by the doorway, almost not wanting to leave. My mother, noticing my hesitation, laughed and said, “Come intern here when you have time.” I smiled and ducked my head, embarrassed. On the drive home, I slept, long and well. In my dreams, I was Richard Pine
predictable. My fears didn’t include heated Gulf waters or prevailing high pressure systems. The geology of my life distinguished me from what happened last week. In Beryl’s case, though, there’s lingering anger all around. Just Sunday, both Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton called for an investigation into CenterPoint Energy. So, who really IS to blame? About that church thing. Save me a seat.
Column Veggies: Kudos to all who opened their retail doors to help people beat the heat. In Missouri City, Lifetime Fitness on Highway 6 welcomed anyone to hang out. The response was surprising and pushed the limits. More than expected showed, and that seriously strained the health club’s resources and infrastructure. By early afternoon, wait times to get a pizza surpassed an hour and a half. There was inadequate seating. And in the end, the city had to order the entire facility closed for the day after the plumbing system got pushed to the brink of collapse. The location remained closed the next day. Customer tempers flared unfairly, but the staff remained graceful in the face of underserved tension and frayed nerves. The fact that they even tried is worth noting.
Garay can be reached at MarkGaray426@gmail.com
from “Survivor Type”, a short story by Stephen King about a man stuck . I became the madman, stuck on an uninhabited island, who survives by hunting seagulls. Richard Pine and I had many similarities, I found as I dreamt. We both write to keep ourselves sane. The only difference was that, of course, he was in a more dire situation than me. Overall, as my life relapsed into normality, I have made myself a vow to keep writing. That night, I wrote again, my muse not further than arm’s length as she rested on the edge of my bed, manipulating the strings in my head. The pages over the four days piled up, and soon, I was looking at a first draft with 10,000 words and a storyline I could not be more proud of. It was worth it, I knew, despite the sleep I lost and the boredom I suffered.
Hu is a Clements High School student, class of 2026, and an aspiring journalist and author.
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.
E E E E O bituary E E E E
RICHARD FLEMING BUNTING OCTOBER 31, 1948 E JULY 10, 2024
Richard Fleming Bunting, 75, passed away on July 10, 2024, in Sugar Land, Tx. Born in Houston, Texas on October 31, 1948 to his parents, Ethel Fleming Bunting and Geroge Thomas Bunting who preceded him in death. He is also preceded in death by his sister, Judy Bunting Goodson.
Richard is survived by his beloved wife of nearly 46 years, Lenellen, whom he married on September 2, 1978. He is also survived by his children, Clayton Bunting and wife Merideth, Travis Bunting, and Laura Bunting Minks; six grandchildren, Hayden Minks, Trace Minks, Grady Bunting, Carly Bunting, Luke Shockley, and Louis Caniff, three bonus grandsons, Jayson, Justin and Ryan Savoie; a brother, Mike Bunting (Carol), sister Nan Middlebrooks (Joe); and several nieces and nephews.
Richard was raised on the family farm in Clodine, Texas and graduated from John Foster Dulles High School in Sugar
Land in 1967. He also attained a B.B.A. from Sam Houston State University. He dedicated 34 years of his career to Schlumberger Well Service, retiring in 2004. Richard was a member of the Lutheran faith. Richard was a true original, known for his candid and humorous nature (Richardisms) and bless his heart, was born without a filter. When called out on it, he would always reply, “Well, it’s the truth”. An avid hunter, Richard cherished the times spent hunting on the family farm in Phelps, Texas with his best buds, Hector, Karl, Robert and Edgar. His love for the outdoors was only surpassed by his love for his family. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, honoring Richard’s courageous 22 year journey with the disease. His family would like to thank his primary care physician of over 30 years, Dr. Fahim Farhat and his hematologist, Dr. Tejash Patel for all their wonderful care. Pallbearers: Hayden Minks, Trace Minks, Andrew Bunting, Henry Bunting, Richard Goodson, Mitch Alison, Craig Faltysek and Jason Caniff. Visitation will be held at Davis Greenlawn Funeral Chapel, 3900 B. F. Terry Blvd, Rosenberg, Texas 77471 on Friday, July, 19th 2024 from 5-7 pm. Graveside service at Fieldstore Cemetery in Waller, Texas on Saturday, July 20th at 11:00 am.
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 57pm; (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
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.
QUAIL VALLEY GARDEN CLUB
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.
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. Seniors 50 and above invited. Call 281-785-7372 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, 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, 469-8502424, 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!
MISSOURI CITY AARP CHAPTER 3801
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 713-8595920 or 281-499-3345.
Scenes from a storm
Photos by Ken Fountain
Hurricane Beryl, a Category 1 storm, struck the Texas Gulf Coast near Matagorda in the early-morning hours of July 8, making an unexpected turn toward the great Houston region. Fort Bend County was one of the hardest-hit areas, and like other parts of the region suffered from extended power outages and other issues. The Fort Bend Star has been out and about capturing images of the storm and its aftermath.
Fort Bend County officials work from the Emergency Operations Center in Richmond.
Cars line up outside a gas station on Cartwright Road in Missouri City just a few hours after the brunt of the storm had passed.
Fallen street signs in a Missouri City neighborhood indicate the strength of Beryl’s winds. Beryl’s winds
Contract workers begin clearing tree debris at Sugar Land Town Square the day after Beryl struck. People plug in
