Editor’s Note: In its “Economy at a Glance” report for August, the Greater Houston Partnership - the regional chamber of commerce - outlines many of the most important impacts of Hurricane Beryl, which made landfall on January 8 and cut a destructive path through the Houston region, including Fort Bend County. The main body of the report is presented here with permission.
Hurricane Beryl made landfall near Matagorda, Texas as a Category 1 Hurricane around 4 a.m. Monday, July 8. The hurricane’s path took it through parts of Brazoria, Fort Bend, Harris and Montgomery Counties. These four represent 90 percent of the region’s 7.5 million residents.
Hurricane Beryl was primarily a wind event, with most of the damage caused by fallen trees and downed power lines. Maximum sustained winds were 80 miles per hour (mph). By comparison, maximum sustained winds for Hurricane Ike were 110 mph and for Hurricane Harvey 115 mph. The Texas A&M Forest Service estimates that Hurricane Beryl affected 50 percent of Houston’s urban tree coverage.
Beryl passed through Houston in half a day, unlike Harvey which stalled over Houston and dropped rain for five days. Beryl’s short duration helped limit property damage. Local rainfall was four to eight inches, with 10 to 15 inches in a few isolated spots. Ike dropped six to 10 inches on the region and Harvey 30 to 60 inches.
Power Outages
Beryl knocked out electrical power to nearly 2.3 million CenterPoint customers, about 81 percent of its base. The company lost 20,000 utility poles during the storm. By comparison, 2.2 million customers lost power during Ike. Power outages exceeded 1.7 million statewide for Harvey. To put Beryl’s 2.3 million outages in perspective, metro Houston had a population of 5.7 million when Ike hit. During Harvey, Houston’s population topped 6.9 million. As of July 1, 2023 (latest data available), the region had 7.5 million residents. Given Houston’s growth over the past 12 months, the region’s population likely topped 7.6 million residents during Beryl.
Service Restoration CenterPoint restored service to 53 percent of its impacted customers within 48 hours and to 92 percent within seven days. By comparison, with Ike 53 percent of CenterPoint’s customers had their power restored within seven days. Comparable numbers for Hurricane Harvey are not readily available.
The American Red Cross, a nonprofit organization which shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families, offers this guide for back-to-school safety.
Reminder for drivers as school buses take to the road again
The American Red Cross offers this checklist you can
follow to help make sure your student is safe as they go back to the classroom.
If your student is younger or going to school for the first time, teach them:
• Their phone number, address, how to get in touch with their parents at work, how to get in touch with another trusted adult and how to dial 911.
• Not to talk to strangers or accept rides from someone they don’t know.
If your child walks to school, teach them to:
• Walk on the sidewalk. If
no sidewalk is available, walk facing traffic.
• Stop and look left, right and left again to see if cars are coming.
• Cross the street at the corner, obey traffic signals and stay in the crosswalk.
• Never run out into the street or cross between parked cars.
If your student takes the bus to school, teach them to:
• Get to their bus stop early and stand away from the
Summer camp nurtures young gardeners
A four-day summer camp recently introduced elementary-age students to horticulture, gardening and the environment in an atmosphere that fostered friendships and fun while they learned.
The 14th annual EarthKind Kids Camp at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds, July 22-25, was a hands-on experience organized and managed by the Youth Activities Committee of the Fort Bend County Master Gardeners that allowed campers to make paper mache infused with seeds, toad abodes and rain sticks while learning about Zen gardens, parts of a plant and medicinal plants. But it’s the fun atmosphere that stuck with participants.
Alex, 9, and Corbyn, 10, were among the 24 young campers - pupils entering third through fifth grade. Fourth-grader Alex said this was his second year at camp. “I like camp because we get to do fun activities,”
he said. “We get to make new friends. We made a frog house and a Zen garden. I like coming here. It’s really fun.”
Fifth-grader Corbyn agreed. “We get to make new friends that we’ve never met.” This was Corbyn’s third year to attend the summer camp.
“We get to learn about the environment and helping the environment,” he said. “So, we can help clean up the earth.”
Creating a cleaner environment was one aspect of Wednesday’s program which focused on water, and which featured for the first time a program by SPLASh (Stopping Plastics and Litter Along Shorelines), a regional environmental nonprofit.
During one of four handson SPLASh activities, Alex was tested to look in a tray for food as a bird might without including microplastics. His hunt occurred under the supervision of Master Gardener Clarence Gray of Missouri City. Mi-
croplastics are the size of a grain of rice or the tip of a pencil eraser, according to SPLASh, and they can be mistaken for food or are accidentally eaten by wildlife.
“Seabirds ingest more plastics than any other animal,” according to SPLASh, which was represented by Chloe Dannenfelser of the American Bird Conservancy and Celeste Silling of the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory. Seeing the impact that trash pollution has on birds and other wildlife, the Conservancy partnered with the Observatory and Black Cat GIS to form SPLASh in 2020. Each youth also received a bag from SPLASH and the North Fort Bend Water Authority that included a water meter, a hose sprayer and other water-related items, said Master Gardener Donna Blackburn of Sugar Land who also is FBMG Youth Activities Director and has worked on the YAC camp since 2013. “Camp gives us an opportunity to reach out to
children about horticulture and environmental sciences and they seem to learn a lot from it,” Blackburn said. “Instructors are very knowledgeable in what they’re sharing with the kids. There’s always a follow-up activity to re-enforce what we talk about.” She said it’s not unusual for a youngster to attend more than one year of camp, either. “We get a lot of repeats.” Five of this year’s campers participated in earlier camps. Several students wanted to return to camp but aged out and couldn’t participate this year, she added. Another first-time activity for campers came from JMG Advance Trained Master Gardener Lynn Lucas of Fulshear who provided materials for them to create and decorate rain sticks from thick cardboard cylinders lined with metal screening and then filled with stones. When the sticks are turned, they make a noise similar to falling rain.
“One thing man always wanted to do was to figure out a way to make it rain,” she said, talking of how humans did rain dances with gourds and rain sticks and dumped dry ice in moisture-filled clouds to produce rain. Lucas went back thousands of years to talk of humans and their relationship with water from following animals, to locating near streams/lakes, digging tunnels and using terracotta pots for subterranean irrigation. Wells have served as water sources and sprinklers and irrigation systems have been used to meet water needs. She stressed the importance of people needing to use their water sources well and not waste the resource. “We have to have water in order to have plants. Without plants there’s no life here.” Her presentation prompted comments from 10-year-old Jaideep about
Alex decorates his rain stick during a recent summer camp organized by the Fort Bend County Master Gardeners.
Jayda decorates her rain stick during a recent summer camp organized by the Fort Bend County Master Gardeners. Courtesy Fort Bend County Master Gardeners
The American Red Cross reminds students and drivers to be extra cautious as school resumes this month. File photo by Ken Fountain
Gusto and Whitcomb carry Space Cowboys to 4-1 win over Round Rock
By Amanda Perry APERRY@ASTROS.COM
ROUND ROCK – A dominant pitching performance and a red-hot infielder were no match for the Round Rock Express (52-54, 15-17) as the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (69-38, 20-12) took the final game against the Express 4-1 on Sunday night at Dell Diamond.
The Space Cowboys could only manage three hits off the newest Express starter RHP Ryan Garcia (L, 0-1) in his Triple-A debut until the sixth inning, when Jesús Bastidas worked a 3-2 count and earned a lead-off walk. Shay Whitcomb came to the plate and on the second pitch he saw mashed his 24th home run of the season for the 2-0 lead.
In the seventh, with the bases loaded on a pair of singles from Quincy Hamilton and Cooper Hummel along with a walk from Jacob Amaya, Whitcomb was up with two outs and two strikes against RHP Grand Anderson. Whitcomb grounded a slider in the hole between third base and shortstop for a single, scoring two runs and extending Sugar Land’s advantage to 4-0. All told, Whitcomb finished the night with four hits, pushing
his average back over .300 for the season to .302 in 100 games played. RHP Ryan Gusto (W, 6-2) was dominant in his 19th start of the season for his third straight win. After surrendering a single on the first pitch he threw, the righty retired the next six batters he faced and allowed just three more hits. He did not allow a runner to reach scoring position after the first inning and faced two over the minimum, inducing three double plays. Gusto hurled 7.1 innings and was scoreless in 92 pitches thrown, spinning his seventh quality start of the season and his sixth in his last seven outings, part of 14.0 scoreless innings against the Express during the week.
When Gusto’s brilliant outing came to an end, RHP Dylan Coleman took over with the bases empty and one out in the eighth. After getting a three-pitch strikeout, the reliever walked Jax Biggers to bring up Trevor Hauver. Hauver lined a single to the center fielder Hamilton, but a misplay in the outfield allowed Biggers to race all the way home and Hauver to reach second, scoring Round Rock’s first run of the night. RHP Luis Contreras (H, 9) came on with two
outs in the frame and retired Dustin Harris on a popout, leaving two men on base.
To close out the game, Sugar Land turned to RHP Wander Suero (S, 24) to earn his league-leading 24th save of the season. Suero needed just one pitch for the first out, but a single and a walk brought the tying run to the plate for Round Rock. The closer recovered to get two pop outs to end the game and finish off Sugar Land’s 2024 season with Round Rock with a 17-10 record versus the Express.
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.
water conservation. He later said he has studied water and water conservation. Jaideep’s comments about conservation are not unusual, Blackburn noted. Students are asked what they have to share after camp presentations, she said, and the hands go up; there’s a lot of participation. Incoming fifth-grader Jayda attached flowers to her rain stick. This was her first year at camp. “I like
while waiting for the bus to arrive.
• Board the bus only after it has come to a complete stop and the driver or attendant has instructed them to get on. And only board their bus, never an alternate one.
• Stay in clear view of the bus driver and never walk behind the bus.
If your student rides their bike to school, teach them to:
• Always wear a helmet.
• Ride on the right in the same direction as the traffic is going.
If you drive your child to school, teach them to:
• Always wear a seat belt. Younger children should use car seats or booster seats until the lap-shoulder belt fits properly (typically for children ages 8-12 and over 4’9”), and ride in the back seat until they are at least 13 years old.
Property Damage
CoreLogic, a property analytics firm, estimates wind damage claims at $2.5 billion to $3.5 billion due to Beryl. That’s for the entire U.S., not just Houston. Moody’s estimates the losses at $2.5 billion to $4.5 billion, with $3.7 billion as the best estimate. Moody’s estimate includes property damage and business interruption losses. Again, that’s for the entire U.S. By comparison, Hurricane Ike’s losses are estimated at $39 billion and Hurricane Harvey’s at $160 billion, after adjusting for inflation.
Immediately after the storm, the Greater Houston Partnership asked its members about the impact Hurricane Beryl had on their operations. Eighty members responded to the survey. Most had reopened in four days or less. Only a handful were still closed a week later.
When asked about the specific impacts of the storm:
• 91.3 percent reported they had employees who
doing the arts and crafts. I learned about parts of the flower and different butterflies. It’s been fun and I’ve learned a lot.”
There’s a lot of participation by Master Gardeners, too. Master Gardener Jean Trevino of Sugar Land is a longtime camper. “I love playing with kids,” said Trevino, who also chairs the Master Gardeners vegetable garden. At camp, she helped campers make hats for their parade on the last day and worked with Master Gardener Karen McCoy of Wallis on a Three Sisters
If you have a teenager driving to school, make sure they:
• Use seat belts.
• Don’t use their cell phone to text or make calls and avoid eating or drinking while driving.
If you are considering getting your student a cell phone:
• Download the free Red Cross First Aid and Emergency apps to give them access to first aid tips for common emergencies and real-time weather alerts. Find the apps in smartphone app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to redcross. org/apps.
If your student is joining a sports team, make sure they:
• Wear protective gear, such as helmets, protective pads, etc.
• Warm up and cool down.
• Watch out for others.
• Know the location of the closest first aid kit and AED.
were unable to report to work,
• 68.8 percent temporarily halted operations,
• 41.3 percent lost sales or revenues,
• 30.0 percent reported damage to their buildings,
• 28.8 percent had delayed shipments or deliveries,
• 21.3 percent suffered equipment damage, and
• 10.0 percent reported inventory losses.
When asked how quickly they returned to normal staffing levels:
• 18.8 percent reported within one to two days,
• 37.5 percent reported within three to five days, and
• 40.0 percent reported within one week.
None of the respondents reported water in their facilities. Only 40 percent reported wind damage. Houston has invested roughly $10 billion in flood mitigation projects since Hurricane Harvey which helped to minimize damage.
The vast majority (91.1 percent) of respondents indicated the storm will have no long-term impact on their ability to conduct business.
garden project, which involves corn, green beans and squash. Explained Trevino: “You grow corn. Corn is tall. You plant green beans at the bottom to add nitrogen to the soil. You plant squash and the squash will climb up the corn stalk. They will all work together to create a nice crop.”
The Youth Activities Committee volunteers from the Fort Bend County Master Gardeners start working on plans for the camp in January. They report that they have as much fun as the campers.
Checklist for Drivers
• Slow down.
• Yellow flashing lights indicate the bus is getting ready to stop - slow down and be prepared to stop. Red flashing lights and an extended stop sign indicate the bus is stopped and children are getting on or off.
• Motorists must stop when they are behind a bus, meeting the bus or approaching an intersection where a bus is stopped.
• Motorists following or traveling alongside a school bus must also stop until the red lights have stopped flashing, the stop arm is withdrawn, and all children have reached safety. This includes two and four-lane highways.
• If physical barriers such as grassy medians, guide rails or concrete median barriers separate oncoming traffic from the bus, motorists in the opposing lanes may proceed without stopping. Do not proceed until all the children have reached a place of safety.
Local Infrastructure Hurricane Beryl disrupted operations at Bush Intercontinental and Hobby Airports, leading to flight cancellations in the late morning and early afternoon. The airports resumed normal operations within four hours of the storm’s passing.
Port Houston reopened 48 hours after the storm. The port extended operating hours and cleared all delayed cargo movements within a week. Several refineries reduced operations or shut down units ahead of the storm, but these outages were indiscernible from normal seasonal patterns. There was similar feedback from the chemical sector, though some damage to minor units was reported. Impacts to area rail and trucking centered on power outages at warehouses, but most were restored within a few days. There were no reports of roads or bridges washed out due to the storm.
The report also looks at the new businesses relocating to the region, its latest demographic figures, and recent employment trends. Find the full report at houston.org.
In a new report, the Greater Houston Partnership outlines the impacts of Hurricane Beryl on the region. File photo by Ken Fountain
Winners of Fort Bend County Libraries’ amateur photo contest, “We Are Fort Bend: Summer Splendor,” were announced on August 3. All of the entries will be on display in the Bohachevsky Gallery at George Memorial Library in Richmond, as well as in a virtual gallery on the Fort Bend County Libraries website through September 13. First place was awarded
to Miranda S. Domec for her photograph, “Beauty After the Storm,” which was taken after a stormy night in Needville.
Second place was awarded to Chris and Jennafer Chaddrick for their photograph, “Sunset in Simonton,” featuring two horses on a country road at sunset.
Third place was awarded to Christopher B. Williams, Jr. for his photograph, “Painted Lady,” featuring a Painted Lady butterfly at Jones Creek
Ranch Park.
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 exhibit features 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. Sixty-three photographs were
entered into the competition. 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).
George Memorial Library is located at 1001 Golfview in Richmond.
Miranda S. Domec won First Prize in the “We Are Fort Bend: Summer Splendor” contest for her photograph, “Beauty After the Storm,” taken after a stormy night in Needville.
Chris and Jennafer Chaddrick took Second Prize for their photograph, “Sunset in Simonton,” featuring two horses on a country road at sunset.
Christopher B. Williams, Jr. took Third Prize for his photograph, “Painted Lady,” featuring a Painted Lady butterfly at Jones Creek Ranch Park.
By Lynn Ashby ASHBY2@COMCAST.NET
HE RESTAU-
TRANT – I am here to critique this excellent eatery, checking out its menu, staff friendliness and general ambiance, but we professional gourmet are hard to satisfy. The maître d addresses me. “Please pull up to the next window for your order.” The reason for my investigation of this establishment is because Michelin is coming to Houston to grade our restaurants. The international food-inspector will also check out restaurants in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth and San Antonio. Their anonymous inspectors secretly eat, of
EDITORIAL
Thought for food
course, but also note the floors, staff, menus, prices and even the bathrooms.
To get in on this feeding frenzy, I have offered to help, due to my worldwide knowledge of food. I frequent the International House of Pancakes, known to us gourmets as IHOP. Michelin has not responded to my offer and let them pick up my check, although they have the money. Texas Travel, the state’s tourism department, is paying an undisclosed amount and Houston First Corp., the city’s destination marketing organization, is paying Michelin $90,000 per year for the next three years. So Michelin is being paid a lot to eat our food. Being a food critic requires a knowledge of the esoteric vocabulary. Food is not just “good,” “bad” or “so-so.” For example, this Whataburger’s bun is “extremely naïve in its texture, with a somewhat hint of sophisticated yet malevolent succulence.”
The mayonnaise is “a saucy delight of counter-cultured mixture with a semblance of angry honesty.” As for the meat patty, it is “a happy yet slightly tangy fret with a sly attempt at a nuanced balance of pretentious nonchalance.”
You get the picture.
Michelin Guide inspectors may award restaurants from one to three stars, and the power of their findings are such that establishments can rise or fall from their grades. Even without Michelin’s opinions, restaurants in the greater Houston region seem to have the lifespan of a fruit fly (40 to 50 days). How often have you driven up to your favorite eatery only to find it closed? Or read some food story that tells you that Paco’s Taco Terminal, in the former strip center residence of Big Bob’s BBQ Stand that once housed Chang’s Chop Shop, has closed, but the site will soon be replaced by Lucky Louie’s Pizza Parlor? There must be a company that makes a fortune redesigning restaurants. Out go the fish nets and lobster tanks. In go the branding irons and saddles. It’s the same for chefs.
“Ronaldo d’Roma, formerly of…” and then come four or five other kitchens where he worked. Chefs appear to have the job security of the aforementioned fruit fly. Here I am at the Ptomaine Tavern. Odd, the prices seem to have changed -- upwards. My chocolate chicken used to
be $4.50. Now it’s $12.95. Of all the price increases including gas, rent and protection payments to the Mafia, restaurant prices seem to be the highest. This is due to general inflation, supply chain back-ups and workers who are demanding higher wages up to a dollar a day, if ICE doesn’t deport them first. I am now checking out another of my favorite places to dine. “Keep moving,” says the maître d. These Salvation Army food kitchen lines are always slow. I mentioned that we gourmets use an esoteric vocabulary, and this means sprinkling in a few French terms, so I have boned up (so to speak) on some Parisian lingo. Bayou, prairie and culde-sac for starters. Also I slip in Bonjour, Merci Au revoir and S’il vous plait pronounced “cell voose plat”, I think. They have nothing to do with the critique (another French word, pronounced “kra-tickwee”), but make my review sound so worldly. Among the factors to judge is the ambiance, like the decorations and background music. Negatives include fires in the kitchen, fist fights over the tip (or lack of) and recorded music by the
Serbian Gay Men’s Chorus. Bathrooms must be clean, well-stocked and devoid of being a Port-O-John in the back. (Buc-ees would easily get four stars.) How about the staff? Some of them are most helpful. “Can I tie your bib, Sir?” Others are not: “I believe that’s our fork and spoon in your pocket, Sir.”
I am also competent to judge restaurants because of my own experience in this field. I opened a truck stop called the Choke & Puke but was boycotted by members of the American Truckers Union. Something to do with dry heaves, acute nausea and a warning on the front door posted by the Texas Health Inspection Department. I changed the name to Road Kill Kountry but did no better. My last effort was a truck stop on I-45 between Dallas and Houston. I couldn’t figure out why business was so slow until I discovered all the trucks were driverless. This being a presidential election year, I tried Kamala Harris County Café. Republicans refused to come. They did, however, flock to my Trump’s Agent Orange Outback (“No masks allowed but AR-15s are welcomed.”) My Dems
the leader Puzzlers.
Donkey Deli died, but how was I to know Joe Biden would quit? I opened a sandwich shop across from the police station: Take a Truncheon to Luncheon. I was raided by a SWAT team. Why were my efforts in this regard so hopeless? I soon learned that there are three pursuits most people think they can do: tell a joke, write a book and run a restaurant. They can’t. The National Restaurant Association estimates a 30 percent failure rate in opening a restaurant – almost one in three restaurants won’t survive their first year. On top of that, COVID-19 really devastated dining. More than 110,000 restaurants shut their doors in 2020 (either temporarily or permanently), according to the Association. Restaurant and foodservice industry sales fell by $240 billion in 2020 from an expected level of $899 billion. Ah, here is my acceptance letter from Michelin. They have not only rejected my offer but included a bill for 2,000 Euros. Good thing I didn’t
Doctor
Ancient Egyptian sun god
Lansing is the capital
Clothed
In contact with the
70 year olds
Wall bracket for
Metrical romance (archaic)
The brightest star in Virgo
Starkist’s Charlie
Amount of time
Prefix denoting “in a”
Schenectady Hospital
Toward
Lynn Ashby Columnist
Ken Fountain Editor
By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
This past weekend, I partook of one of my favorite things to do in the Houston region during the summer months: watching both productions of this year’s Houston Shakespeare Festival at Houston’s Miller Outdoor Theatre. (Yes, I know, this is a Fort Bend County newspaper, but bear with me: I’m going to make a local connection in a bit.)
I’ve been a Shakespeare fan since I first read “MacBeth” in my eighth-grade English class. That’s a good one for middleschool nerds like I was to get started on the Bard, since it involves cool battles and groovy witches’ spells and plenty of blood and guts. Plus, it’s one of Ol’ Will’s shortest plays, perfect for an adolescent male’s abbreviated attention span.
Other Shakespeare plays I read in high school included “Romeo and Juliet,” “Julius Caesar” and “King Lear.” Again, all of these included healthy samplings of violence, with a bit of sexual matter from time to time. Then, as now, the works of the greatest playwright in the English language were the target of efforts to remove them from schools.
During the time I served in the Navy, there was a resurgence of films adapted
The play’s the thing
from Shakespeare plays, led by Kenneth Branagh with his productions of “Henry V,” “Much Ado About Nothing”, and later, “Hamlet.” That continued throughout the 1990s and into the early Aughts, and really through the present day (Denzel Washington recently starred in a new version of “MacBeth,” which I’m sad to say I haven’t yet seen.) The first time I ever went into a Barnes & Noble store, in San Diego, I bought a massive tome titled “The Yale Shakespeare”, edited by members of the English Department faculty of that, ahem, esteemed institution, hoping their erudition might rub off on me. Alas, it didn’t, but the volume still occupies an honored place on my bookshelf.
When I returned from California to the Houston region in the mid-1990s and was going to the University of Houston, I became more aware of the Houston Shakespeare Festival, which was founded at and is still based within the UH theater department. I’d known of it a little while growing up, but had never attended. That summer, I saw both productions (as it happened, one of them was “MacBeth”) and have seen nearly every one since, no matter where I was living or working. In fact, back then Houston Community College was doing its own summer Shakespeare festival, and here’s where the Fort Bend connection comes in. The annual event’s two productions were performed at the lovely amphitheater behind George Memorial Library in Richmond. For the Houstonarea Shakespeare fan, it was an embarrassment of richesfour free plays under the stars on balmy summer evenings (I vaguely recall it being somewhat cooler then). I remember
that those productions made good use of the amphitheater space, often having actors performing in the midst of the audience. I don’t know precisely when that annual festival ceased (maybe someone at the library can tell me? See my email address below) but I recall writing a story about the festival for a Katy paper I wrote for in 2005.
For this year’s Houston Shakespeare Festival, which marks the organization’s 50th year, they are doing two of the Bard’s most popular works: the aforementioned “Romeo and Juliet” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (the festival typically pairs a drama and a comedy, with some variations). Both productions are excellent. The casts always include a combination of UH theater students and professionals (I’ve seen a few big-name Hollywood actors there, including Houston native and UH theater alum Brett Cullen. I spoke to him offstage about his role in a favorite television show of mine, “LOST”). The sets are spectacular, and the pacing of both plays is very brisk. Sure, it can be hard to decipher all of the language, but not enough to keep you from following the story. If you thought reading Shakespeare aloud in high school was boring (and let’s be frank, it often was), you shouldn’t let that scare you.
“Midsummer,” of course, is a pure lark with its tale of two pairs of unrequited lovers having their romantic lives entangled by an invisible kingdom of mischievous fairies while a motley group of “mechanicals” (an Elizabethan word for manual workers) attempts to put together a play to perform for their aristocratic betters. I’ve seen many versions of “Midsummer” (the first another
• Installment plans to spread payments out over time
• Installment plans to spread payments out over
• 40+ quality programs of study including courses that transfer
• 40+ quality programs of study including courses that transfer
• Associate of Arts/Science,
• Associate of Arts/Science, Associate of Applied Science, and Certificate Programs
•
•
• Short-Term Certificate programs to
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
free one in San Diego’s Balboa Park), and this year’s is first-rate.
“Romeo and Juliet” is another one I’ve seen many times. In fact, I’m pretty sure it was the first one I ever saw performed live, at high school with a friend of mine in the role of Juliet. (We’re still good friends, though she lives in another state.) But while watching this year’s production of the tragic love story at Miller, something dawned on me that had never quite occurred to me before. We learn in the first scene that two of Verona’s most prominent families, the Montagues and the Capulets, are bitter enemies, with they and their coteries holding running battles in the streets. But, allowing for the fact that my ability to discern all of the nuances of Elizabethan language is somewhat limited, I don’t believe we ever learn exactly WHY they hate each other so much. Sure, they’re both well-to-do families who presumably have competing economic and political interests in the medieval Italian
city-state, both vying for the favor of the ruling prince. But the source of the very personal enmity between the two families goes unexplained.
Very likely that was Shakespeare’s intention. And In this election year, during one of the most divisive periods in our nation’s recent history, it’s something that might be worth considering. As I wrote recently, it seems more and more that people’s political beliefs have been infused into their entire identities, to the point that we often see people who differ from us politically as part of some “other” group of beings (side note: the presumed bad guys on the aforementioned “LOST” were known as “the Others”). This of course is not specific to the United States. But this year, with the newly hot presidential election just months away, it seems particularly salient.
I’ve long believed that art and culture are among the things that can help bring people together. Live theater especially has a way of allowing us to learn at an experiential level how all
kinds of people of differing backgrounds live and think. Many people, including leading scholars, have long said that William Shakespeare, in conjunction with his unmatched writing talent, was one of the best thinkers in all of history at delving into the mysteries of human nature and relationships, the acquisition and uses of power, and how wisdom is ultimately achieved.
The Houston Shakespeare Festival continues through Saturday, August 10 at Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park. Sure, it’s a bit of a trek from Fort Bend, but that really shouldn’t be an impediment. Among the group of people I saw the performances with last weekend were folks from Fort Bend and Montgomery Counties. It’s called the Houston Shakespeare Festival, but it really belongs to the whole region. So go on and get your free theater fix this summer. Learn more at milleroutdoortheatre.com.
Fountain bites his thumb at KFountain@fortbendstar.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 Expansion of Tomas HS Stadium, 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 979-732-3663, 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.
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.
Public Notice – City of Sugar Land
Atlas Tower 1, LLC proposes the construction of a 150 ft. Self Supporting communications tower (155 ft with appurtenances) located on 2120 Austin Pkwy, Parcel Number #0001-00-000-1416907, Sugarland, TX, in the Fort Bend Census area, at latitude 29° 35' 7.5474" (NAD83) and longitude -95° 37' 6.204” (NAD83). The proposed tower will not require lighting for FAA aviation safety. Interested persons may review the application by going to www.fcc.gov/asr/applications and entering the FCC Form 854 File Number A1287973. Interested persons may raise environmental concerns about the proposed structure by filing a Request for Environmental Review with the Federal Communications Commission. The Federal Communications Commission strongly encourages interested parties to file Requests for Environmental Review online; instructions for making such filings can be found at www.fcc.gov/asr/environmentalrequest. The mailing address for interested parties that would prefer to file a Request for Environmental Review by paper copy: FCC Requests for Environmental Review, Attn: Ramon Williams, 445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20554.
“But at night I’d have these wonderful dreams / Some kind of sensuous treat / Not zucchini, fettuccini, or bulgur wheat / But a big, warm bun and a huge hunk of meat” - Jimmy Buffett, “Cheeseburger in Paradise”
August 1984. A cramped apartment with four sweaty males. They fight like Ali and Frasier in a phone booth. Every day, they labor for a few hours in disaffected classrooms. Every night they drink beer like German pretzel salesmen at Octoberfest. This was the canvas upon which I assigned my life as a sec-
The real hunger Games
ond-year college student. The carpet was fatally stained within two weeks at our first-floor flat. The huge brown fridge I’d secured for us at a discount made a clangy, bell-ringing sound when the door was opened. The bedrooms were too small for beds. Instead we had to use cot-sized camping style sleeping pads. Collectively we disgraced this respectable space. But it was cheap and on campus. It was during this particular summer that I chose to change my views, especially as it related to two things I’d never done well: healthy eating and financial responsibility. As such, I decided to ditch the pizza or burger or KFC that typically served as my dinner fare in favor of my own recipe for spaghetti and meat sauce. Since I had no such recipe yet, it was time to create one. I hopped in my car and made my way to the grocery store. I needed three things to achieve awesomeness: spaghetti, sauce and ground beef. That much I knew. But having never cooked before, I was clueless when it came to portion size. I
remember looking at the packaged pasta and thinking how small the grain was. I didn’t remember my grandma’s pasta so small and thin. And how much sauce do I need? If this is how small pasta is in this town, I probably won’t need as much Ragu as I thought. And what about the ground beef?
Geez, I don’t know. Better to get more, I suppose, and freeze the rest. I bought seven large packets of spaghetti pasta, a small can of sauce and three pounds of ground beef. When I got home, I figured the most savory way to cook this stuff was to make it simple: cook it all in one pot like a stew. I filled a big pot to about two fingers’ level of water. Then I dumped everything in and turned it on high. I pulled out an album, put it on our stereo and sat down in a torn recliner to let my spaghetti creation percolate. Never mind that despite being Italian I had no clue how to cook pasta. In the end, one of my roommates walked in later to tell me where I went wrong. He still laughs about it today, four decades later. This scenario hit me like a familiar punch in the neck
when I read about the horrible food controversy at the Olympics in Paris. Apparently some of the athletes aren’t too happy with France’s legendary cuisine. The headline read, “Olympic Village Feeds Athletes Raw Meat”. According to several reports, more than a dozen countries are flying in their own chefs to cook for their competitors. They include the United Kingdom, which has been among the most vocal critics. It may not be Dunkirk, but it is nonetheless an impressive scramble across the Channel. In fact, the Brits call the situation “dire”, as Olympic officials acknowledge serious shortages of chicken and eggs. But the UK also claims some food is being served uncooked. Many athletes are choosing to eat away from the Olympic Village, or pack their own lunches.
I began wondering how France, for all its culinary condescension and highbrow attitude could even pretend to understand the complexities of regional cooking. Can you imagine the type of twisted abuse a French chef could commit on an average American burger? The plate would be a
crime scene before the first bite. There’d be some sort of cultured goat cheese with pickled asparagus spears and a lame oregano lemon sauce with heavy cream. Instead of fries, you’d get a toasted mini baguette filled with regret and attitude. I mean, it seems all you have to do to feed the British diet is work down. I’m sure there are few secrets to beans on toast. Also, what about future Olympic venues? How will Aussies be able to cook Nigerian food? Could Norway pull off sushi? And what if the games land in Canada? They’re clueless., unless you consider maple syrup a staple.
In fact, for all of their sophistication, let’s not forget how Parisians ate their zoo animals in 1870. Of course, the Prussians had laid siege to the city and were intent on starving them out. Famed chef Alexandre Etienne Choron began the meal with donkey heads and sardines, an elephant consomme, fried camel, kangaroo stew and an antelope served with truffles. Honestly, I don’t know how they could create such interesting meals like that and still forget to cook the meat
at the Olympics. Forty thousand meals are served to the athletes every day. If the Italian team needs any help, I’ve got a spaghetti recipe that I guarantee will be better than what the French are serving. Column Veggies: I highly recommend a documentary series I caught on Netflix last week. It’s four years old, but “Who Killed Malcolm X” is an original offering in that it has some things most truecrime documentaries don’t. The investigator isn’t a filmmaker, a criminologist or an activist. He’s a regular guy with the capacity to ask deep questions and a few connections. The evidence uncovered was revelatory to me, and it’s backed up with never-beforeseen FBI files and first-time interviewees. And the piece revisits locations key to the Nation of Islam movement of the 1960s and 70s through the mosques and worshippers
Garay
Free backpacks for families in Fort Bend ISD and Lamar Consolidated ISD. Must be present and registration required. Check out our event information on Facebook and register today.
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE GRAND PARKWAY BAPTIST CHURCH
In conjunction with the Literacy Council of Fort Bend Bend County, GPBC will offer ESL classes on Tuesday nights from mid August 2024 through May 2025. We are located at 12000 FM 1464 Richmond across from Austin HS. Our students speak several languages and encompass many faiths, all are welcome. For more information call 281-277-2200 and ask for ESL information. You may also email ESL@grandparkway. org
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND CONCERT HONORS FALLEN HEROES
The Exchange Club of Sugar Land presents “A Night to Remember” on Sunday, May 26, at 7:05 p.m. The patriotic concert features a brass band, Grammy winning singers, ballet dancers and a 30-member chorus. The concert takes place in Sugar Land Town Square, in front of the City Hall Façade. Bring a chair and join us!
“A Night to Remember” is FREE and open to the public. Canned food donations are encouraged for East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF FORT BEND
The League of Women Voters of Fort Bend, a nonpartisan organization, will provide voter registration and education events prior to the Feb. 5 deadline to be a registered voter in the March 5 Primary election. Locations, dates, and times include: (1) Wednesday, 1/24 -- Fort Bend YMCA, 4433 Cartwright Rd, Missouri City 7:30am - 12:30pm and 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.
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, 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.
Libraries to host college-preparedness programs in August, September
Community Reports
Fort Bend County Libraries will host several programs in August and September to help college-bound students and their parents prepare for college. These programs will provide helpful information on selecting the right college and applying for financial aid.
• College Fair - Saturday, August 10, 1:30-4:30 p.m., Sienna Branch Library (8411 Sienna Springs Blvd, Missouri City). Representatives from colleges, universities, and trade schools will be on hand to share information about their programs with current high school students and their parents or guardians. Students will have the
opportunity to learn about educational opportunities available at the colleges, as well as admission requirements, financial aid, student housing, and more. Schools from Texas that will be represented include: Houston Community College, Houston Christian University, Lamar University, Mark Kislingbury Academy of Court Reporting, Stephen F. Austin State University, Texas State University, University of North Texas, University of Houston - Downtown, University of Houston - Hilton College, University of Texas at Dallas, and University of Texas at San Antonio, and Wharton County Junior College. Colleges from outside of Texas that will be represented include Oklahoma State University.
AND INVITATION FOR BIDS Sealed
on the original forms, signed by an officer of the Company, will be received by Fort Bend County MUD No. 25 (the “Owner”) for furnishing all labor, material, and equipment and for performing all work required for the construction of: Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Annual Service (the “Work). Sealed, competitive bids will be received no later than 2:00 P.M., September 5, 2024 in the District Office located at 10347 Clodine Road, Richmond, Texas 77407.
Specifications and bidding documents for the project are available at the following locations: Civcast USA Civcastusa.com (281) 376-4577
The project will entail the evaluation, rehabilitation and replacement of sanitary sewers using various construction techniques and will be performed on phases pursuant to Work Order Agreements as set out in Section 00509 of the Contract Documents.
A non-mandatory pre-bid conference call with prospective bidders will be held on Thursday, August 20, 2024, at 2:00 P.M. To attend the pre-bid, use the Microsoft Teams link provided below. Prospective bidders shall contact Mr. Hector Pena, P.E. at hpena@ardurra.com for any issues joining the pre-bid conference call. Microsoft Teams Meeting ID: 257 603 601 089 Passcode: 3QLEQH
Owner will be bound by the terms of this invitation only to the extent funds, from whatever source, are available.
All bids must be accompanied by proposal guaranty in the form of a Certified or Cashier’s Check, or Bidders Bond drawn to the order of Fort Bend County MUD No. 25, and in the minimum amount of five percent (5%) of the total amount of the bid. No proposal may be withdrawn for a period of ninety (90) days after receipt of bids except with the approval of Owner. Owner reserves the right to reject any or all bids or to accept any bid from any responsible person which will be most advantageous to it and result in the best and most economical completion of the Work. The successful bidder will be required to provide a Performance Bond and Payment Bond in full amount of the contract.
Leonela Ruvalcaba, Executive General Manager, Owner
• College PlanningTuesday, August 20, 6:30-8 p.m., First Colony Branch Library (2121 Austin Parkway, Sugar Land). This program is intended for college-bound students and their parents. Certified College Planner Ryan Bridges will share college-planning tips, such as: when to start planning; questions to ask before applying; and how to get accepted to one’s dream college. He will also talk about myths that lead families to believe they will not qualify for financial aid, and he will suggest strategies for maximizing financial aid and minimizing costs.
• College Clarity: Navigating Applications & Financial Aid - Saturday, September 7, 11 a.m.-noon,
George Memorial Library (1001 Golfview, Richmond). Kathy Rose, executive director of the CollegeCommunityCareer nonprofit organization based in Stafford, will provide an overview of the collegeapplication process and offer expert tips for pursuing the college of one’s dreams. Gain a better understanding of the application process by learning about the different parts of the application, what is needed, and what to expect. Discover the ins and outs of getting into a competitive college. Rose will also talk about the importance of completing the FAFSA(r) (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and applying for financial aid. This program is intended for high-school students and their parents. Registration is required.
These programs are free and open to the public. For more information or to register for a program, see the Fort
County Libraries website (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us) or call the library system’s Communications Office (281-633-4734).
Staff Reports
Residents of Fort Bend and other Texas counties who sustained losses from the storms and flooding from April 26-June 5 have until August 15 to apply for federal assistance.
Homeowners and renters in Anderson, Austin, Bell, Calhoun, Collin, Cooke, Coryell, Dallas, Denton, Eastland, Ellis, Falls, Guadalupe, Hardin, Harris, Henderson, Hockley, Jasper, Jones, Kaufman, Lamar, Leon, Liberty, Montague, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Navarro, Newton, Panola, Polk, San Jacinto, Rusk, Sabine, Smith, Terrell, Trinity, Tyler, Van Zandt, Walker and Waller counties with uninsured losses can apply in several ways:
• Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov.
• Download the FEMA App for mobile devices.
• Call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Help is available in most languages. If you use a
relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service.
• Visit a Disaster Recovery Center. On July 31, FEMA opened a Disaster Recovery Center at the William B. Travis Building, 301 Jackson St., Richmond.
• To find the center location nearest you go to fema.gov/drc. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters, private nonprofit organizations and businesses of any size. Applicants may apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at SBA.gov/disaster or by calling 800-659-2955. SBA representatives are available to provide one-on-one assistance to disaster loan applicants at the Disaster Recovery Centers throughout the affected area.
