Photographs entered in Fort Bend County Libraries’
“We Are Fort Bend: Summer Splendor” amateur-photography contest will be on display in the Bohachevsky Gallery at George Memorial Library August 3 through late September.
An Opening Day Reception and Awards Ceremony for the exhibit will take place on Saturday, August 3, at 2 p.m.
The exhibit will feature original photographs that portray the culture, nature, people, and places of Fort Bend County - from hidden gems in our communities to favorite places and scenes around town.
Amateur photographers were invited to enter original photographs for the contest in June and July. Winning photographs were determined by popular vote on FBCL’s website and social media. The winners will be announced, and prizes will be awarded for 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-place entries, at the Opening Day Reception.
Awards and refreshments are made possible by the Friends of the George Memorial Library.
The exhibit is free and open to the public, and it can be viewed during regular library hours. The exhibit can also be viewed on an online gallery on FBCL’s website.
For more information, see the Fort Bend County Libraries website (www.fortbend.lib. tx.us) or call the library system’s Communications Office (281-633-4734).
Fort Bend County Libraries’ George Memorial Library is located at 1001 Golfview in Richmond.
After three decades, Stafford residents may soon vote on a property tax
The Stafford City Council appears poised to making a decision that would allow residents to vote on perhaps the city’s most contentious issue: whether to a property tax for the first time in nearly three decades.
The seven-squaremile city, under former Mayor Leonard Scarcella, eschewed any property taxes in the mid-1990s, moving to rely almost exclusively on sales taxes
and service fees for its
revenues. Stafford is the only municipality in Texas without a property tax, a feature that has long been used by civic leaders as a calling card to attract new residents and businesses.
But with Stafford’s substantial growth in the years since and the related strain on the city to provide services as taxes from retail establishments as shrunk. For the past few years, there has been a growing conversation about implementing some sort of property tax as a
means of addressing the city’s budgetary issues.
In a January presentation to Council, Stafford’s chief financial officer, Alka Shah, laid out in fairly dire terms, the budgetary issues plaguing the city. Stafford in recent years has been focusing only on its operating budget and does not have the capacity to discuss capital needs or long-term innovation “simply because of a lack of resources,” Shaw said then.
CenterPoint CEO grilled by Texas senators at hearing
includes parts of Missouri City and Fort Bend Houston.
The CEO of CenterPoint Energy, the electricity provider for most of the greater Houston area including Fort Bend County, came under intense scrutiny over the company’s preparations and response to Hurricane Beryl from members of a special Texas Senate committee hearing on Monday which was broadcast online. Among the members of the bipartisan committee who posed pointed questions to Jason Wells were two senators with Fort Bend connections: Republican Lois Kolkhurst, whose Brenhambased District 18 includes parts of northeastern Fort Bend County; and Democrat Borris Miles, whose Houston-based District 13
Fort Bend County was one of the counties hardest hit by Beryl, which struck the Texas Gulf coast near Matagorda in the early morning hours of July 8 and unexpectedly took an easterly path that cut a destructive swath through the greater Houston region. Thousands of residents were left without power for more than a week, and eight Fort Bend residents are said to have been among the 38 total who died of heat-related factors exacerbated by the lack of power.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick formed the 13-member Senate Special Committee on Hurricane and Tropical Storm Preparedness, Recovery and Electricity in the immediate wake of public
criticism of CenterPoint’s response to Beryl as well as its communication outreach in days that followed the storm’s landfall. Monday’s hearing was the first held by the committee. Beginning early in the morning. the hearing stretched late into the evening hours.
Wells, who was named of the investor-owned CenterPoint earlier this year after serving in other senior executive roles since 2020, appeared largely contrite over the company’s performance and communications problems in Beryl’s wake. But even saying that he accepted responsibility for those failures did not assuage members of the committee on both sides of the political aisle.
Wells resisted the idea that he should immedi-
ately resign, saying that he was best-positioned to lead CenterPoint in its efforts to understand how the company’s failures occurred and to manage the process of fixing those problems. Before coming to CenterPoint, Wells had worked for many years at Pacific Gas & Electric in California.
Wells was especially apologetic about a photograph, widely promulgated in the media, which showed him participating in a conference call with elected officials in CenterPoint’s offices with a wall thermometer behind him registering the temperate at 70 degrees Celcius while thousands of residents were suffering without power in temperatures that were above 100 degrees. Much of the committee’s
questioning of Wells and other witnesses was focused on CenterPoint’s
Texas Sen. Lois Kolkhurst, R-Brenham, poses a question during a special hearing on the impacts of Hurricane Beryl as her Democratic colleague Borris Miles listens. Both senators’ districts include portions of Fort Bend County. Screen capture of Texas Senate website
The Stafford City Council may soon place a proposed property tax before voters. Photo by Ken Fountain
The Opening Day reception for the Fort Bend County Libraries’ “We Are Fort Bend: Summer Splendor” amateurphotography contest will be held Aug. 3 at the George Memorial Library in Richmond. File photo by Ken Fountain
Dezenzo saves Space Cowboys from Sacramento shutout
By Amanda Perry APERRY@ASTROS.COM
The Sugar Land Space Cowboys (64-37, 15-11) were kept to just three hits for a second-straight against the Sacramento River Cats (5547, 11-16) as they fell 5-1 in the series finale on Sunday night at Constellation Field.
RHP AJ Blubaugh (L, 73) took the mound for the Space Cowboys and pitched 3.2 scoreless innings until giving up a solo homer to Christian Koss with two outs in the fourth. After that, his night was over at 78 pitches and RHP Cesar Gomez came in relief, securing the last out in the fourth.
The Space Cowboys got their first hit in the bottom of the fourth on a Shay Whitcomb single and after Zach Dezenzo grounded into a force out, Cooper Hummel was walked to put two on. A double steal put runners in scoring position with two outs. Quincy Hamilton nearly had his 14th home run of the year on a deep fly ball to right field, but it was just shy of the wall on the warning track for Luis Matos to catch, keeping the score at 1-0 River Cats.
Gomez returned for the fifth inning and gave up a one-out single to Grant McCray. The next pitch, Marco Luciano blasted one over the fence in right-center to bring the River Cats lead to 3-0. Back-to-back walks from
bution Cost Recovery Factor Ride, or DCRF. Testimony in the hearing showed that the company purchased those generators before receiving authorization from the state Public Utility Commission, which regulates CenterPoint and other electricity providers.
Kolkhurst noted that CenterPoint, as a monopoly utility, is guaranteed a rate of return on investment of approximately 9 to 9.5 percent. “Is it time to change the formula to be more outcomes-based,” Kolkhurst asked Thomas Gleason, chair of the PUC, early in the meeting, a point she raised later with CenterPoint’s Wells.
Kolkhurst said that under the current formula, Center-
Sacramento brought Blake Sabol to the plate, and Sabol launched a ball to the warning track in left-center that Jacob Melton captured in his glove, but fell out when the centerfielder slammed into the wall, scoring both runners with Sabol parking at second base. The Space Cowboys turned to RHP Logan VanWey to get the last out, and after giving up a walk, the righty reliever ended the frame by getting Donovan Walton to fly out. VanWey was lights out in the ensuing two innings, pitching 2.1 innings, allowing just one hit and striking out four.
In Sugar Land’s final chance to avoid the shutout, Dezenzo launched a
Point’s economic incentives “do not align” with the needs of its customers. “They have broken our contract because they have lost the trust of the people,” she said.
Kolhurst grilled Wells about CenterPoint executives’ communications with elected officials during the crisis, which she said had been lacking. “That’s really of essence,” she said.
“We have to do better,” Wells agreed.
Miles, whose district is largely comprised of economically disadvantaged communities such as Houston’s Third Ward and Sunnyside, was visibly angry in his questioning of Wells, which went on for the better part of an hour. His questions largely focused on the impact of the power losses on his constituents who did not have the means to buy generators or otherwise seek
solo home run to right in the ninth inning to make it 5-1. The Space Cowboys threatened for more with two consecutive walks from Melton and Hummel, but LHP Kolton Ingram recovered to get the final two outs to serve Sugar Land their second-straight loss and a split in the six-game set.
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.
relief.
Miles asked Wells to reiterate his statement that CenterPoint had failed in its preparations for and response to Beryl. “It was not where it needed to be,” Wells responded.
“My community needs for than an apology. We need a promise that it will not happen again,” Miles said.
Other witnesses at Monday’s hearing included Houston Mayor John Whitmire, Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough, Matagorda County Judge Bobby Seiferman, and Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management. Ironically, large portions of the hearing livestream were interrupted by technical difficulties.
A recording of the hearing can be seen at senate.texas. gov/cmte.php?c=549.
DARLYNE MAY REICHEL FRATT
Darlyne May Reichel Fratt was born March 10, 1932, in Bison, Kansas, to Lydia Reinhardt Reichel and George Reichel. She died peacefully at home at University Place Senior Living Community in Houston, July 23. She was 92 years old. The youngest of six children, Darlyne grew up on the family’s farm until fifth grade and from fifth grade through high school graduation, lived in the town of Bison. Darlyne is predeceased by her husband Walter James Fratt, eldest son Kent Blessing of Houston, parents Lydia and George Reichel, sisters Martha, LaVergne and Naomi, and her brothers Ben and Ray. She is survived by her sons Mark Blessing (Rhonda) of Lviv, Ukraine, Brian Blessing (Susan) of Columbus, Texas, Diane Fratt Morrison (John) of Willow Park, Texas and David Fratt (Kristine) of Rosenberg, Texas. She was a loving grandmother to 13 grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.
Darlyne graduated from OtisBison High School in 1950. After
MARCH 10, 1932 JULY 23, 2024
moving to Great Bend, Kansas, and meeting John Blessing, she married and started a family in Oklahoma City. There they had three boys together. After that marriage ended, Darlyne met Wally Fratt through a friend. The two were married the day after Christmas, 1969. She and her three sons then united with Wally and his daughter Diane and son David, making a new family of seven which has lasted 55 years. Wally and Darlyne lived together until his death in August of 2018, during their 49th year of marriage. In addition to raising five
“We have never paid attention to capital needs of operating departments,” she said. “Honestly, I’m embarrassed to inform you that items used by various departments, including police, are aged, and some of them are older than15 years.”
“Our infrastructure is also crumbling and needs attention,” she told the council members.
Despite Shah’s warnings, there has also been a lot of resistance to the idea of any kind of property tax among some residents, which as been reflected in the opinions on the matter voiced by some Council members.
The longstanding tensions came to a head at the July 19 Council meeting, where members of the council’s three-member Finance Committee laid out their plan for a tax that would be directed at providing revenues for the city’s primary public safety components - the Police Department, the Fire and EMS Department, and the Fire Marshall’s Office.
Billed by the committee members as a “public safety tax,” it would impose an ad valorem tax rate of 29.99 cents per $100 of property value on all residential and commercial property.
Position 6 Council member Tim Wood, one of the members of the Finance Committee with Mayor Ken Mathew and Position 4 Council member Christopher Caldwell, laid out the tax proposal and its implications in a nearly 16-minute presentation at the outset of the meeting.
Wood, who was opposed to a property tax when he ran for his seat in 2023, said that in the time since, it has become apparent to him that the city could no longer provide the level of services expected by residents with its current revenue base.
For the past several years, Wood noted, Mathew
and previous mayors Cecil Willis and Scarcella (who died in 2020) had to freeze hiring positions, including police officers, in order to balance the city’s annual budget. Many residents have asked about why there are fewer officers and the street and other services have been lacking, Wood said.
“The sales tax revenue is no longer sufficient to meet the expenditures of our city,” Wood said. “The Stafford of 1995, when the property tax was eliminated, is not the Stafford of 2024.”
In order to keep the city operating, Stafford has in recent years had to borrow money from its fund balance, transfer monies from its economic development corporation, or cut back on services, including public safety positions, Wood said.
“We’ve reached a crossroad in our community,” he said. “Are we wiling to fully fund our government?”
Billed by the committee members as a “public safety tax,” the proposed measure would impose an ad valorem tax rate of 29.99 cents per $100 of property value on all residential and commercial property. According to Wood, the tax would generate approximately $14 million in revenue at an expected 95 percent collection rate. That would cover about 62 percent of the city’s public safety expenditures, he said.
According to Wood, the tax would generate approximately $14 million in revenue at an expected 95 percent collection rate. That would cover about 62 percent of the city’s public safety expenditures, he said.
The average homeowner, based on a property value of $250,000 (with a $50,000 homestead exemption), would have an annul tax bill of $599.99, while a homeowner over age 65 would pay $499.99, Wood said.
The tax, he said, would provide funding for vital public safety functions,
which make up approximately half of the city’s operating budget, providing relief for the city’s other services as well as infrastructure needs and needed capital projects. Following Woods’s presentation, there followed a protracted and often heated discussion among council members, each of whom staked out their position on the proposed tax.
Bostic said the proposal as presented was be definition “underfunded” and said that the council should do a more “holistic” examination of the city’s finances, a theme that was echoed strongly by Chen. She also made a strenuous case that Stafford “isn’t broke” because its fund balance, essentially the city’s savings account, has grown over recent years. But Woods and Caldwell both countered that the fund balance was a “rainy day fund” which was not meant to cover the city’s operating budget. Likewise, they said, the city’s economic development funds are by law designated specifically for business development.
Position 6 Council member Xavier Herrera, saying he is a strong fiscal conservative, said it had become clear to him that the city needed to adopt a new paradigm to address its budgetary functions. Likewise, Position 2 member Virginia Rosas, who initiated the most recent property tax discussion in 2023, voiced her support for the measure.
Speaking last, Mayor Mathew, elected to that role in 2023 after long service on the council, reiterated his longstanding opposition to a property tax. He reiterated Chen’s remarks about the health of the city’s fund balance. With four members on record favoring a property tax and three members against, the stage seems set for a vote to place the proposed tax on the November 5 ballot. Under state law, the Council must vote by August 19 to approve the measure.
children, Darlyne enjoyed playing tennis, bridge, and making quilts for wounded US service members. She also volunteered at the Tri-City Food Pantry and Resale Shop, mentored local elementary students, and sang in the choir at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Missouri City where and her husband, Wally, were members. Exemplifying her service, she was even named the Ft Bend County Volunteer of the Year.
The family wishes to thank the staff at University Place Senior Living Community for their remarkable care for Darlyne. In the past several months, their professionalism, care and personal relationship with Darlyne and the family lightened our load considerably and eased her transition in this important stage of life. The same was true when Wally passed away. AccentCare Hospice was also a real godsend in recent weeks, helping us manage her last days. In lieu of flowers, remembrances can be made to the East Ft. Bend Human Needs Ministry at humanneeds.org/donate.
The Reid Feed: Car couture in Missouri City
Art and culture is not only found in galleries, museums, and concert halls. It is often found, and often born on our streets. Texas, in particular the greater Houston area, has defined SLAB culture.
SLAB stands for “slow, low and bangin’”, referring to the car being low to the ground with an amped-up sound system. SLABs are Houston’s version of the lowriders made iconic in California Then there are donks, which are cars with oversized tires. There is candy paint which is a super bright custom paint on a car. Then there are swangas or elbows, spiked rims that stick out from the walls of a tire. Poke is how far swangas stick out and they can stick out A LOT. Swangin is zig-zagging across all lanes and poke. These are all terms unique to our local car culture lexicon.
Recently, Houstonian Eric Harrison, went viral on TikTok. In the truest of Texan ways, he went big. He put custom Swangas on his Tesla Cybertruck and created his “Cyberslab.” We are even guilty of custom-wrapping one of our pianos à la Mike Jones and Paul Wall. There is nothing more haute couture than customizing cars and trucks in an elevated art form with the highest level of craftsmanship. Luckily, Fort Bend residents can get a front row seat to see other car couture creations at the upcoming Texas Wake N Scrape Car & Truck show on August 9-11 in Missouri City. Custom cars and trucks will be on display at this three-day extravaganza presented by Mad Gear Hot Rod Apparel. It is the must-see auto show of the season featuring everything cool, custom, and creative one might covet and dream about cruising around town.. Texas Wake N Scrape blends
car culture, local community, and competition into an unforgettable experience.
Let’s be clear, Texas Wake N Scrape is not just an ordinary car show, it’s a unique event that celebrates automotive creativity while bringing a community of car lovers together. There is entertainment galore, including a burnout contest with cash prizes, piñata smashing for both adults and kids, a worst tattoo contest, beer and lemonade-chugging contests, a taco-eating contest, six trashcan pong tournament, live music, and a DJ.
Texas Wake N Scrape is more than just a car and truck show, it’s a celebration of creativity, community, and a universal love of custom cars and trucks.
Here are some more cool things to check out: Car Show and Shine
- The centerpiece of Texas Wake N Scrape is the car show, featuring hundreds of custom cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Participants compete in various categories, including Best in Show, Best Paint, Best Interior, and more.
Audio Competition For those who love their music on the louder side, the audio competition is a must-hear. Participants showcase their sound systems, vying for titles like Best Sound Quality and Loudest System. It’s a sonic showdown that rattles windows and pulses through the crowd. Lowrider Hop Contest - The lowrider hop contest is a spectacle of engineering and style. I mean seriously, who doesn’t like meticulously customized cars bouncing and dancing to the delight of spectators? This event highlights the unique builds and culture
DATE: Friday, August 9 through Sunday, August 11
LOCATION: Missouri City Community Center, 1522 Texas Parkway, Missouri City
ADMISSION: Weekend wristbands are $20. Kids 12 and under are free. Texas Wake N Scrape is family and pet friendly. Tents, generators, fans, pets, ice chests, BBQ pits are allowed.
REGISTRATION: For those looking to participate in the show, vehicle registration is $60.
Learn more at TexasWakeNScrape.com.
behind the lowrider scene.
Swap Meet - The swap meet offers a treasure trove for car builders and restorers. Vendors sell everything from rare parts and accessories to vintage memorabilia. It’s a great place to find that elusive part or simply drive down memory lane through automotive history.
Cruise Nights - Evenings at Texas Wake N Scrape are reserved for cruise nights, where attendees take to the streets of Missouri City in a rolling parade of automotive beauty.
Awards CeremonyThe event culminates in an awards ceremony on Sunday, recognizing the best of
Janet
and time to move and heal people through art. They live in Sugar Land with their children. Find their full bios and contact them through ReidFeed.com.
the best.
Sue Reid, “The Culinary Cowgirl”, and Ryan Lee Reid, “The Piano Cowboy”, are artists and creators. They transform space
Texas Wake N Scrape Car & Truck show will be held August 9-11 in Missouri City. Photos from Texas Wake N Scrape IG), Facundo Fernandez (Black Diamond Custom Car Wraps), Ryan Lee
By Ryan Lee Reid and Janet Sue Reid
Art and Culture Columnists Janet Sue Ryan Lee
By Lynn Ashby ASHBY2@COMCAST.NET
We’re Number One! Tops in the nation! More people moved to Texas last year than moved to any other state. The Houston area alone added 16,100 jobs in May, bringing total employment in the region to nearly 3.5 million, a record. The Lone Star State is the best among the 49 others for technology and innovation. Texas also ranked second for its economy, which is now the eighth-largest in the world – surpassing Russia, Canada, and Italy. And in quality of life we’re .... Oops. Among the 50 states we’re dead last. According to CNBC, for the second year in a row we
EDITORIAL
The Lonely Star State
are the very worst place to live in America. At this point we may get defensive and counter: If we’re so bad, why is it that everyone else wants to come here? People pour in from other states, and along the southern border we have to put up razor wire and rubber duckies to keep them out? Just ask Elon Musk. So there. Well, I have some good news and some bad news and, as usual, I have a solution. Let’s start with the bad news, but hold your fire. CNBC, a financial network, makes an annual analysis of America’s Top States for Business, and the rankings seem to be influential among business types. When it comes strictly to doing business, our state has the best workforce in the nation, a healthy economy and a low cost for businesses (and weak labor unions), according to CNBC, making Texas third overall. Virginia ranked as America’s top state for business in 2024 with North Carolina in second place. Texas coming in third in this specific category – doing business –is actually an improvement over 2023. It goes like this: Texas held the top spot in
2008, 2010, 2012 and 2018. But we fell to the country’s sixth-best state for business last year, the first time the state had fallen out of the top five since CNBC began conducting this analysis in 2007.
Why aren’t we Number One overall? It’s that quality of life thing, which businesses heavily consider when looking to relocate or expand their company. CNBC wrote: “Companies seeking to attract great employees like to set up shop in states that offer a great quality of life.” CNBC said we came in dead last in per capita crime rates, health care, child care, environmental quality, worker protections, legal safeguards against discrimination and personal freedom, including reproductive rights. Surveys show half of younger workers “would not live in a state that bans abortion,” and Texas has one of the strictest abortion bans in the nation. That law needs changing. For infrastructure, we ranked 26th among all states falling from 24th for the category in last year’s ranking. OK, now the good news: All of these problems are solvable. They are man
(and woman) made and can be fixed by us. How about crime rates? According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, the national average crime rate is 2,475 per 100,000 inhabitants. The District of Columbia leads with 3,747. Vermont is lowest at 950. Texas ranks 17th at 1,869. So how is it we are ranked last? Makes one wonder about these entire rankings. I am not sure if Texas’ crime rate rank is influenced by the 260,000 cases the Houston Police Department never got around to investigate. Fortunately for us, in January of this year Gov. Greg Abbott vowed, Texas “will work tirelessly to make sure that we eliminate all rapists from the streets.” Unfortunately, that vow was followed by a study that estimated more than 26,000 rape-related pregnancies in Texas in the 16 months since the state outlawed abortion. We must hope Gov. Abbot doesn’t abolish murder, burglary and robberies or the number of those crimes would balloon.
One reason Texas scores last in quality of life is the state “has power grid issues.” That’s a nice way of
saying we’re a disaster in coping with disasters. (Did you notice the photograph of CenterPoint Energy CEO Jason Wells, taken when we were sweating in the sauna? He was lounging in the CenterPoint offices in front of a thermostat set at 70 degrees.) Does North Dakota have statewide blackouts when it freezes? Each winter do Alaskans die in the dark? The Public Utility Commission, ERCOT and CenterPoint were created by Texans and can be changed by Texans. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says he will – what else? – create a committee to investigate the Hurricane Beryl power outage fiasco. CNBC also considered healthcare. Texas leads the nation in the number of residents without health insurance. Why is that? Also a national women’s health organization, The Commonwealth Fund, analyzed data on maternal mortality, insurance access and other factors in all 50 states and Washington D.C. Texas ranked 50th. Next to the bottom. As we Texans like to say, “Thank God for Mississippi.” Another saying that goes back awhile is: “Texas is heaven for men and dogs, but a
hell for women and oxen.” Nothing’s changed, except today we take better care of our oxen. Worker protection was a category where we dropped the ball – we have a history of failure (even though we have the best workforce?), so change the laws. Environmental quality? Experts, except Republicans, say our increase in devastating hurricanes is due to climate change caused by dirty air. We do our part. The U.S. Energy Information Administration shows Texas is the largest producer of carbon dioxide emissions in the country. Environment America ranks Texas first for toxic discharges into streams, rivers and lakes. So the state’s overall standing was dragged down by its last-place ranking for quality of life, and it doesn’t have to be this way. Most of these problems and solutions could be changed by our lawmakers in Austin. Mark Twain is erroneously credited with saying: “Politicians are like diapers; they need to be changed often and for the same reason.” Hand me a fresh diaper.
Ashby ranks at ashby2@ comcast.net
London park
Pig pen
1. Chief Polish port
Mures River city
Small bread roll
Inexplicable occurrence
Thrown in track and field
Military leader (abbr.)
Indian dress
Children’s tale bear 14. Opposite of cameo
Portraiture stance 19. 1/2 an em
Pouchlike structures 21. Music awards est. 1973 23. Belonging to a diocese
Memory whose contents cannot be changed
Transfer property 28. Universal Standard Time (abbr.) 29. Norse goddess of old age 31. A type of salamander 32. Appease 33. Not common
Church of Pope Francis
Common frog genus
Wild goats 37. Customer 38. NAACP founder Florence 39. Outbuilding 40. N.E. Chinese province
Distribute by measure
Lynn Ashby Columnist
By Mark Garay
“How’s your mother?” “Oh, she’s on her way out.” “We all are. Act accordingly”. – Jack Nicholson as Frank Costello in “The Departed”
Igrew up on the west side of a city known for lots of hills and homes that shared common walls. It was clean and safe, and it had a well-defined sense of itself. Our home sat on the apex of a downward road, and it was that stretch where I’d race my mom the last 40 yards to our doorstep. There was a stretch when I was little where we’d take public transit together and walk the three blocks from the streetcar to the outer apron of our block. That’s when I’d say, “Hey mom! You wanna race?” She’d typically him and haw about my challenge for
about ten yards and then take off, her little penguin legs churning faster than a hummingbird on Adderrall. Her upper body would somehow look about a foot behind her lower body, like the old “Keep On Truckin’” posters by Robert Crumb. And her feet were impossibly east/west at the ankles as she gathered speed going north/south. By that I mean she had a pronounced duck waddle. She seemed to be an extremely inefficient woman in motion when she got up to speed. And in the end, she always won because I’d collapse laughing. This was our thing. And she played along every time because even though she knew I was laughing at her, she was always happy to see me happy. I went to visit my mom last weekend and she’s not doing well. Like, not at all. I haven’t seen her in a while because I’ve no car, and every time I make it over to her Missouri City home, she’s usually asleep or otherwise under the weather. I learned last week that she may have a cancerous growth in her upper jaw. She’s not in extraordinary pain, but she is mostly bedridden from a combination of old age ail-
ments that are as annoying as they are unrelenting. A bad back has severely hampered her ability to walk. Her eyesight and hearing would amuse Mr. Magoo. Her speech and attention is limited, and at the age of 83, she’s showing the signs of dementia from which I’ve reluctantly acknowledged is going to be incendiary and unstoppable. I’m an only child. The man she’s married to doesn’t tell me about her medical condition and doctors appointments due to our personal issues. My aunt, her only sibling, doesn’t call anymore. Even my daughter apparently doesn’t feel I’m doing enough. Let me say for the record that these types of obstacles really, really stink. It’s a stressful time in the Garay Universe. But with my mom so obviously close to facing her own mortality, I’m trying to tune out the noise. I’ve been wondering if anyone in the complete history of this earth has ever mastered how to deal with the imminent death of the very women who blessed us with birth.
Of all those civilizations with which I’m familiar, I believe the Chinese to hold the greatest respect for their elderly folks. I grew up with a lot of Chinese friends, and there always seemed to be
a grinning older person elected at their homes in the corner, sitting up and holding a cane. They even have a term to describe that brand of devotion: “Xiao”, or “Filial piety”. For thousands of years, Chinese culture has absorbed and shaped Xiao as a core cultural value. It describes how children are responsible for the physical, mental and financial care of their parents. And in 1996, this tradition was codified by the Chinese government’s “Elder Rights and Protection Law”, which officially requires adult children to take care of their parents’ medical care and housing. Would this work in American culture? I doubt it. As strange as it is to say, I think we embrace the freedom to say no even in cases such as this.
My mother and I did not always get along. Our home was more like a museum, and the rules against outside dirt and kitchen crumbs were fanatically enforced. My mother demanded absolute loyalty in her battle against the abhorrence of outside contaminants. Dust bunnies were hunted like bloodsport. One time she actually vacuumed our front lawn to suck up all the paint chips left over from a recent house project. Fur-
thermore, I was not exactly encouraged to freely voice opposing views or opinions. She was of the “children are to be seen and not heard” tradition. And she suffered from major depression. As a kid, I didn’t understand why she couldn’t be happier. And that bred embarrassing resentment. She could be extremely nosy and overly inquisitive, often leaving me to feel like a 1940s mobster interrogated under a single hot light. And there were other more serious forms of combativeness with which I’m sure many people would find familiar. But, this is my mom. And never before have I been closer to the reality that she is going to die. That crystallized for me during my visit. So the question is, what do I do? How do I abate all of that sadness and dread and guilt and fear? More broadly, how do we as a culture approach death before the ones we love die?
According to the website SeniorHomes.com, there are 54 assisted living centers in Fort Bend County and many more in surrounding communities. People live there because as we get older, we lose our abilities to care for ourselves. We are bigger targets for fraud. And we obviously develop medical
conditions at a more pronounced rate. But I believe the most insidious wrinkle to aging is loneliness. Isolation. The absence of help or personal support. Which brings me back to mom. For about a year now, I’ve felt that she’s been slowly giving up. And whether by decision or design, the result has left me anxious and sad. She limits her days in her dark bedroom, wrapped in her robe and blankets, catching 10-minute snippets of Fox News in between a constant cycle of sleep. Her pain meds are injected regularly and they act like shrapnel on her spirit. I want her to know what she has already acknowledged she does. I want her to know how sorry I am that I’d acted disrespectfully in the past. I want her to realize that she did so much for me. And it’s vital that she understands I will always love her. I told my son after we left that it wasn’t long before we’ll all have to brace for pain, and depend on inner strength. I guess the sad truth is that there’s no adequate way to prepare for this kind of loss. I hope we can get to another Christmas. That’d be nice. G aray can be reached at MarkGaray426@gmail.com
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
Drymalla Construction Company, LLC (CM at Risk) is soliciting Qualifications/ Proposals from Subcontractors/Suppliers for the Lamar Consolidated ISD Secondary Campus 7, GMP 7 - Wastewater Treatment Plant #1 for Lamar Consolidated ISD. Project consists of a new wastewater treatment plant to serve the new secondary Campus 7. Refer to the Project Documents for a full description of scope. Qualifications/Proposals are due at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, August 21, 2024 at the offices of Drymalla Construction Company, LLC, 608 Harbert, Columbus, Texas 78934, via fax 979-732-3663, or email to bid@drymalla.com. NO PHONE BIDS WILL BE ACCEPTED. A virtual Preproposal meeting will be held August 7, 2024 at 2 PM. Information for access to this meeting is included in the Project Manual. For information on how to obtain copies of the Request for Qualifications/Proposal documents call 979732-5731, or email Sharon Fisher at sfisher@drymalla.com . Documents are also available online at planroom.drymalla.com.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
Drymalla Construction Company, LLC (CM at Risk) is soliciting Qualifications/Proposals from Subcontractors/Suppliers for the Lamar Consolidated ISD LCISD Stadium #2, GMP 8. Project consists of a custom pressbox, concessions, home and visitor dressing rooms, and additional parking. The scope of work is defined by the drawings and specifications issued. Qualifications/Proposals are due at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, August 21, 2024 at the offices of Drymalla Construction Company, LLC, 608 Harbert, Columbus, Texas 78934, via fax 979732-3663, or email to bid@drymalla.com. NO PHONE BIDS WILL BE ACCEPTED. A virtual pre-proposal meeting will be held August 7, 2024 at 2:30 PM. Access to this meeting is included in the Project Manual. For information on how to obtain copies of the Request for Qualifications/Proposal documents call 979-732-5731, or email Sharon Fisher at sfisher@drymalla.com.
Editors’ note: This column is written by Texas Rep. Suleman Lalani, DSugar Land, a physician who is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine. The piece does not necessarily reflect the views of the Fort Bend Star or its staff.
As a state representative, I approach legislation the same way I approach medicine. I investigate the symptoms, identify the problem, and then prescribe the solution. We can save lives by urging Congress to pass the Alternatives to PAIN Act.
I believe it is crucial to highlight the intersection of mental health and the opioid crisis. One piece of legislation that addresses this is the Alternatives to PAIN Act, which has the potential to impact the lives of seniors and other vulnerable populations significantly.
The opioid crisis remains a significant public health issue in the United States. In 2022 alone, over 80,000 Americans died from an opioid overdose, and nearly 10 million misused
these drugs. What many do not realize is how many seniors make up these deaths. In 2021, more than 50,000 seniors overdosed on opioids, and over 1 million were diagnosed with opioid use disorder. In Texas alone, we have millions of uninsured, which leads to untreated illness and injury. Those unresolved health issues often manifest as debilitating chronic pain later in life. The impact on seniors underscores the critical importance of examining how these medications are prescribed and accessed through Medicare.
The Alternatives to PAIN Act seeks to address this issue by ensuring that Medicare recipients have access to non-opioid, non-addictive treatments for severe pain. The bill mandates that these non-opioid treatments be as
affordable as generic opioid medications, eliminating the economic incentive that might drive seniors to choose potentially addictive opioids over safer alternatives.
The Alternatives to PAIN Act is particularly significant given recent trends in opioid prescriptions. While the overall number of opioid prescriptions has declined since 2011, Medicare’s share of these prescriptions increased by more than 70 percent from 2011 to 2019, and opioid abuse among seniors increased by more than 300 percent from 2013 to 2018.
The Alternatives to PAIN Act represents a legitimate solution to combat this crisis by expanding access to effective, non-addictive pain management options. The legislation will ensure that Medicare
patients can access groundbreaking treatments without facing higher costs and the additional challenges that come with addictive opioids.
Texas has already taken a significant step in this direction with the bipartisan passage of HB 4888 during the 88th Regular Session. This state legislation, which became law last year, requires Medicaid to reimburse providers separately for non-opioid treatments. I’m proud that our state has stepped up to address these issues where state law allows, and now we should all ask our federal partners to do the same. We must recognize that addressing the opioid crisis is integral to improving mental health outcomes. Effective pain management is not just about alleviating physical discomfort; it also plays a crucial
role in preventing the mental health deterioration that comes with chronic pain and opioid addiction. I urge members of the Texas Congressional Delegation to co-sponsor and pass this bipartisan bill. The Alternatives to PAIN Act provides an opportunity to make non-addictive pain management accessible to those who need it most. By doing so, we can take a significant step toward addressing the opioid crisis, supporting mental health, and ensuring a healthier future for all Americans.
The Fort Bend Star welcomes opinion articles on matters of interest to Fort Bend County residents. Publication is at the discretion of the editor. Send proposed columns to editor@ fortbendstar.com.
BAPTIST
In conjunction with the Literacy Council of Fort Bend Bend County, GPBC
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 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 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.
EMMY-NOMINATED FORT BEND BOYS CHOIR HOLDING AUDITIONS
The Fort Bend Boys Choir is seeking talented young boys who like music and singing. If know of one, encourage him to audition for our award-winning and Emmy-Nominated Fort Bend Boys Choir! No experience is necessary and boys should be around eight years of age or older with an unchanged voice. Auditions are by special appointment at the First United Methodist Church Missouri City, 3900 Lexington Blvd., Missouri City, TX. Visit the Fort Bend Boys Choir’s webpage at www. fbbctx.org or call (281) 240-3800 for more details about auditions. Benefits as a choir member include greater self-esteem and self-confidence, better work ethic and a sense of belonging and community. A boy’s voice has an expiration date so it is important to audition when boys’ voices are still unchanged. Auditions are free!
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.
CLUB
SUGAR LAND ROTARY
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, 832-9874193, dean7351@gmail.com We just started a new evening club also. Contact me for more info.
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.
Fort Bend libraries to host puzzle, board game events in August
Fort Bend County Libraries are hosting several events featuring puzzles, board games and other fun activities throughout the month of August.
On Thursday, August 1, the University Branch (14010 University Blvd, on the UH campus in Sugar Land) will host a Teen Game Day, featuring classic board games, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm. Teens entering grades 9-12 will have an opportunity to try out some new games or just get together with others to play some familiar games.
University Branch Library also will have a Puzzle Fest – complete with a Puzzle Swap and a Speed-Puzzling Competition – on Saturday, August 3, from 10 a.m.-1:00 p.m., one of several such events county libraries are hosting throughout August.
Donations for the Puzzle Swap will be accepted through August 2, at the 2nd-floor Reference desk.
Those donating gently used puzzles, consisting of 250 pieces or more, will receive a voucher noting the number of puzzles donated, then they can use the voucher at the Puzzle Fest to select the same number of puzzles to take home.
The Speed-Puzzling Competition at the Puzzle Fest will take place from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Teams of up to four people will have two hours to complete a 500-piece puzzle. The winning team receives a prize.
Registration is required for the competition.
Fort Bend County Libraries recognizes the educational, social, and mental-health benefits of play for all ages and offers a variety of opportunities for individuals to come together to play. Materials for these activities are made possible by the Friends of the Library organizations that support these libraries.
The University Branch also has a bi-monthly “Puzzlers’ Paradise” gathering, which meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday, from 10:30 to 11:30 am. This social hour encourages puzzle-loving adults to come together and complete jigsaw puzzles as a group. This activity will take place on Tuesdays, August 6 and 20, in Conference Room 1.
The University Branch Library offers a monthly Tabletop Society gathering for teens and adults on the 4th Thursday. Each month, a different board game is introduced, enabling gameloving individuals to try out new games before making a purchase. On Thursday, August 22 (3:30-5 p.m.), the featured game will be “Sequence,” a board and card game in which teams compete to connect five chips in a row on the board, while preventing opposing teams from doing the same.
George Memorial Library in Richmond has a designated Game Room in the Middle Grades department
JOIN OUR EMMY-NOMINATED ORGANIZATION!
Transforming young boys into young men through the medium of music… Ask about Music Magic for 6 and 7 year old boys or auditions for boys ages 8 and up with a unchanged voice—no experience necessary! (281) 240-3800 • www.fbbctx.org REHEARSALS HELD IN MISSOURI CITY STARTING MID-AUGUST
on the second floor. Families and caregivers with children of all ages are encouraged to use the space, which provides a variety of family games and jigsaw puzzles, for come-and-go family play on Saturdays (10 a.m.-4 p.m.).
The Sugar Land Branch Library on Eldridge invites teens to meet new friends at the Board-Game Club, which meets monthly on the first and third Mondays (August 5 and 19), from 4-5 p.m.. Teens entering grades 9-12 can learn the basics of new classics as well as niche titles.
The Sienna Branch Library in Missouri City hosts a bi-monthly Board-Game Night on the first and third Mondays (August 5 and 19),
from 6-8 p.m.. All ages are welcome, but anyone under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. During this come-and-go activity period, play a variety of board games with others who enjoy similar games.
The Sienna Branch also hosts a monthly VideoGame Night specifically for teens entering grades 9-12 who enjoy playing video games on Nintendo Switch and Xbox One. This monthly gathering takes place on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays (August 6 and 20), from 68 p.m.. The Sienna Branch invites old-school gamers to take a walk down memory lane with their “Retro VideoGame Summer at Sienna” series, which will wrap up
PUBLIC ONLINE AUCTION
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on Monday, August 26, from 6-8 p.m.. In this summerlong series, play old-school games on modern replicas and see some of the original hardware. The featured game for August is “Retro Pi.”
The Missouri City Branch Library will host a BoardGame Night on Wednesday, August 14, from 7-8 p.m. Adults and teens (aged 14 and up) are invited to an evening of modern and classic board games.
When the branch manager of the neighborhood library also happens to be a Dungeon Master, it is only natural to take advantage and offer teens (grades 9-12) a Dungeons & Dragons 5e group that meets monthly during the school year. The Mamie George Branch Library in Stafford hosts a gathering for teen gamers of all experience levels - from beginners to veterans - who want to stretch their imaginations and practice their problem-solving skills while meeting and socializing with others who enjoy this popular tabletop fantasy, role-playing game. Dice, rule books, and characters will be provided. The first meeting of the new school year (Monday, August 19, 5-6 p.m.) will be Session 0. Players and DMs will meet, talk about the upcoming campaign and setting, discuss any house rules, and build new characters together - setting the stage for
the upcoming adventures. Seating is limited, so registration is required. The Mission Bend Branch Library will have a special Board-Game Day for Teens on Saturday, August 10, from 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Teens entering grades 912 can learn the basics of new classics as well as niche titles during this come-andgo event. On Saturday, August 31, the Mission Bend Branch will have a special Dungeons & Dragons event, “Mystery of Domaceel,” from 1-4 p.m. This intermediatelevel event is for adults and older teens (age 16 and up). Registration is required. The Cinco Ranch Branch also offers a Chess Day on the first Saturday (August 3) of every month, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.. People of all ages and skill levels - from beginners to advanced - who are interested in playing chess, are invited to practice their strategies while playing against others in a relaxed, stress-free environment. Learn a new chess move (or two) during this come-and-go activity. A limited number of chess sets will be provided, but players are welcome to bring their own sets as well. These programs are free and open to the public. For more information, see the Fort Bend County Libraries website (www.fortbend. lib.tx.us) or call the library system’s Communications office (281-633-4734).
Legal Notice Application has been made with the Texas Alcoholic beverage Commission for a Winery Permit by Alarich Distributing, LLC, dba Alarich Wines, to be located at 4150 Bluebonnet Drive, Suite 105, Stafford, Fort Bend, Texas. Members and/or Officer: Fouad and Phylis Alameddin
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