Sugar Land woman receives 50 years in prison for injury to a child
Staff Reports
A Sugar Land woman pleaded guilty to injury of a child by causing serious bodily injury and was sentenced to 50 years in state prison last month, according to the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s office. The child died from her injuries.
Khierra Sada Walker, 36, had elected to have her punishment assessed by 400th District Court Judge Tameika Carter. By waiving her right to a jury trial and entering a plea of guilty, Walker was eligible to ask the court for deferred adjudication, a form of probation, according to a news release.
Law enforcement and emergency personnel were contacted alerted to a 12-yeard-old girl who was non-responsive. Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office Detective Jeffrey Brownson saw that the child had numerous severe burns on her body that clearly required medical attention. The child later died.
During the investigation, law enforcement learned that Walker was the mother of the child. She claimed that she had been attempting to treat the child’s burns for several days with various home remedies
Environmental advocates call for closure, conversion of NRG plant
By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
“Close Parish Coal: How the Dirtiest Coal Plant in Texas Harms Public Health and the Environment; and Alternatives in Fort Bend County” put out by the Houston-based advocacy group Air Alliance Houston. Representatives from the Texas office of Public Citizen and the grassroots organization Fort Bend Environmental also spoke at the event.
Sophia Zimmerman, Air Alliance Houston’s outgoing climate intern and the 20-page report’s lead author, outlined its findings in a pre -
sentation at the outset of the event.
“The W.A. Parish power plant has four coal and four natural gas units and ... is owned and operated by NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG). It began operations in 1958 and has a total Megawatt (MW) capacity of 2,737. The plant is responsible for approximately 178 premature deaths a year in the region. In 2021 alone, the Parish plant emitted
Fort Bend superintendents discuss school safety
Khierra Sada Walker, 36, of Sugar Land, received 50 years in prison for injury of a child.. Courtesy Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office
By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
With tragic shooting events at Texas schools in recent years, including at Santa Fe High School in 2018 and Robb Elementary School in Uvalde in 2022, school safety has been top-of-mind for educators and parents. Last week, three Fort Bend school district superintendents spoke to a packed audience at the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce on the state of school safety.
The August 4 event, moderated by Jim Rice, chair of the chamber’s education division and a former Fort Bend Independent School District trustee, featured FBISD’s Dr. Christie Whitbeck of Fort Bend ISD, Dr. Roosevelt Nivens of Lamar Consolidated Independent School District, and Dr. Robert Bostic of Stafford Municipal School District
The three superintendents agreed that student and staff safety is their top priority.
“Our number one priority is to make sure they’re safe,” Nivens said.
They stressed that they collaborate on many matters, including school safety.
“We are not an island,” Whitbeck said. “We as colleagues have to collaborate, and our communities have to collaborate, not only with our school district police, but with the Sheriff’s Department, with Sugar Land Police and Missouri City.”
Bostic agreed, noting that representatives from the three districts several years ago had met with officials from the U.S. Secret Service to discuss school safety. One of Bostic’s brothers is an agent with the Secret
Service, which helped in facilitating the meeting.
Whitbeck noted that the Texas Legislature has not yet concluded its work for the year, but several bills that have already passed have included mandates for school districts, including ones relating to school safety like panic buttons and uniformed officers at every campus, that are not funded. School districts across the state will have to find ways to cover those costs, even as the appetite for increasing tax rates among voters remains low.
“When we’re talking about safety for kids, we always think first about the hard target. But day in and day out, safety for kids involves the whole child. Looking at their emotional self, looking at whether they have the needs that they have,” she
said. “It is all about that entire child.”
Nivens said that school safety now goes beyond mere systems and processes. “It should be a way of thinking at this point,” he said, not only for administrators and staff but for parents and other community members. He urged families to have “a little patience and grace” in their dealings with school staff.
“Help us advocate to the lawmakers and decisionmakers about how important it is that we get fully funded for mandates, especially for things like school safety, so that we don’t have to sacrifice Tier 1 instruction in the classroom so that we can hire officers and make sure everyone is safe,” he said. “We want them to be safe, but we also want them to learn at a high level, because they have
compete globally.”
Whitbeck noted that Fort Bend ISD, like other school districts, is in fierce competition with other jurisdictions to hire more police officers.
“When we do have a pool (of applicants), we’re all fishing out of the same one,” she said.
She urged community members to get involved community members to get involved with school districts through such means as mentoring. “Get in there and help. Let’s build up the desire to teach, and to live, and to work in this community,” she said.
In a question-and-answer session that followed the main presentation, Fort Bend ISD Police Chief David Rider noted that the county’s school district police chiefs meet weekly to discuss school safety and other issues.
The event
of-
release
A capacity crowd filled a meeting room of the Sugar Land branch of Fort Bend County Libraries on Saturday to hear environmental advocates call for the closure or conversion of NRG’s WA Parish power plant in order to eliminate what they say are the plant’s harmful health effects and reduce its impact on climate change.
served as the
ficial
of a report titled
Lamar CISD Superintendnet Roosevelt Nivens, left, Stafford MSD Superintendent Robert Bostic, and Fort Bend ISD Superintendent Christie Whitbeck discuss school safety a Fort Bend County Chamber of Commerce event moderated by Jim Rice.
Photo by Ken Fountain
NRG, operator of the WA Parish coal-fired plant in Fort Bend County, says the plant is critical to meeting Texas’s energy needs.
Photo by Ken Fountain
Second Street Brass will be featured in a performance at Fort Bend County Libraries - See on page 5
Tacoma slows Sugar Land in series loss - Page 3 Fort Bend / Southwest • Volume 48 • No. 37 • $1.00 Visit www.FortBendStar.com WEDNESDAY • AUGUST 9, 2023 JEANNE GREGORY 713-854-0923 REALTOR , CRS, GRI, ABR SOUTHWEST Each Office Independently Owned & Operated SEE INJURY PAGE 2 SEE CLOSURE PAGE 2
roughly 15 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2).2 This is just one of the many pollutants produced during the coal combustion process; coal accounts for three-quarters of the worldwide energy sector’s sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions, 70% of its nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, and over 90% of its fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions,” the report’s executive summary states, citing several scientific studies.
“These pollutants are a health hazard to frontline communities, causing a negative health effect on the respiratory system and increasing the risk of cancer. Pollutants from coal plants have also been connected to increased infant mortality and low birth weight.5 These same pollutants also negatively affect the surrounding environment by contributing to climate change and global warming,” the summary states.
The 20-page report goes into detail about health impacts of the emissions from the plant, which include arsenic, lead, mercury, and several others.
“The Parish plant also
and over-the-counter items.
Fort Bend County medical examiner Dr. Stephen Pustilnik, who conducted an autopsy of the child, testified at the punishment hearing.
Pustilnik indicated the child suffered from third-degree burns on various parts of her body. He testified that the child developed sepsis as a result of the injuries and had the child received appropriate medical treatment, she would have survived.
Pustilnik stated the child would have been in extreme pain that would have escalated as her sepsis progressed.
faces growing concerns about reliability, as it has failed during several key moments, such as record-breaking heat in the summer of 2022, a fire in May 2022, Winter Storm Uri in 2020, and Hurricane Harvey in 2017. In recent years, there has been an increase in the decommissioning of coal power plants across the country,” the summary states.
The report calls for the Parish plant to be closed in the near term, or else converted from a primarily coal-fired plant to a fully natural gas plant with the possibility of the addition of a solar farm on the property outside Richmond. The full report can be found at airalliancehouston. org/research-and-reports.
Among the speakers at the event was Daniel Cohan, an associate professor of environmental engineering at Rice University who has studied the Parish plant for decades. Many of his peerreviewed articles are cited in the Air Alliance report.
Cohan said the primary problem with the Parish plant is that most of its units operate without “scrubbers,” devices that remove pollutants, primarily sulfur, from the plant’s emissions. While most coal-fired plants op
“The details of this case are appalling. A child should be able to rely on their mother, and Khierra Walker failed her child,” Assistant District Attorney Melissa Muñoz, the lead prosecutor, said in the release. “Children deserve to be loved and cared for, not treated like they are disposable. This child had injuries that clearly required immediate medical attention. We will not sit by and tolerate parents and caregivers who have so little regard for the life of a child.”
District Attorney Brian Middleton said Walker’s actions were “inhumane and merciless.”
erating today are required to use scrubbers, the units built at Parish before those regulations were enacted in the early 1980s’s are “grandfathered” and therefore are not required to have them. Sulfur dioxide is one of the primary contributors to the particulate matter which is especially harmful to public health, Cohan said.
Cohan said that the conversion of the plant could be accomplished within 23 years, and could soon be required by a new regional haze regulation now being considered by the U.S. Enviromental Protection Agency.
Donna Thomas, founder of Fort Bend Environmental, said that one issue of particular concern is the lack of air-quality monitors in the county.
“We live in Fort Bend, on the east side,” Thomas said, noting that her community is largely comprised of Black and Hispanic residents. “Those monitors are needed so that we can have data. We need data.”
“We have asthma, we have strokes, all of those things are in our community,” she said.
Adrian Shelley, director of the Texas office of the national advocacy group Public
“The severe punishment imposed upon the defendant was a just punishment, but imprisonment pales in comparison to the pain that the victim had to endure. Our community must stand against child abuse and report any signs of abuse to authorities immediately. Early intervention is vital to saving lives,” Middleton said.
Injury to a Child by Omission Causing Serious Bodily Injury is a first-degree felony, punishable by 5 to 99 years, or life, in prison and a fine up to $10,000. Assistant District Attorney Tristyl McInnis also prosecuted the case.
@FORTBENDSTAR
OF PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS
Citizen, said that the Petro Nova carbon-capture unit at NRG, which had been shut down but which the company has said has recently restarted, is serving as an “experiment” to demonstrate the economic viability of the process at the expense of the community’s health.
Solar and wind energy projects now in the works in Texas could more than offset the output of the Parish plant, Shelley said. In an emailed statement, NRG responded to the Air Alliance report.
“NRG takes protecting the environment and complying with all environmental rules and regulations very seriously, and the workforce at WA Parish has a strong focus on safety and environmental compliance. We are proud of our environmental record and committed to delivering on our vision for a more sustainable energy future. Our fleet, including the WA Parish plant, continues to meet all its permit requirements, and remains committed to providing customers with the reliable power that they depend on — all while delivering on our vision for a more sustainable energy future. In 2014, NRG became the first major US power com-
pany to set decarbonization targets. NRG’s climate goals are to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2025, from its current 2014 baseline, and to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050,” the statement read.
“The Parish power plant provides almost 4% of all the power in ERCOT (the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas). It is dispatchable power and built to run whenever Texans need power, no
matter the time of day or weather conditions. The demand on power grids in Texas has reached critical levels this summer, and large, traditional generation facilities like WA Parish have helped to ensure that the lights stay on for thousands while providing insurance to the grid when it is needed the most,” the statement read.
NRG’s sustainability principles can be found at nrg.com/ sustainability/context.html.
University Branch Library to host butterfly gardening program on
Staff Reports
Fort Bend County Libraries’ University Branch Library will present a program on “Butterfly Gardening,” on Saturday, August 12, from 2-3 p.m., in Meeting Room 1 of the library, located at 14010 University Blvd in Sugar Land, on the
Aug. 12
UH campus.
Fort Bend County Master Gardener Dan Lawlor will talk about which plants attract different types of butterflies to gardens. He will also talk about five types of butterflies commonly found in this area, what they need to survive, and their preferred
host and nectar plants.
The program is free and open to the public. For more information, see the Fort Bend County Libraries website (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us) or call the University Branch Library (281-633-5100) or the library system’s Communications Office (281-633-4734).
$0.9492.
-
Rice University professor Daniel Cohan, left; Donna Thomas, founder of Fort Bend Environmental; Adrian Shelley, Texas director of Public Citizen; and Inyang Uwak, Air Alliance Houston research and policy director, discuss NRG’s WA Parish plant at a forum moderated by Air Alliance Houston’s Alondra Torres.
Photo by Ken Fountain
Fort Bend County Libraries’ University Branch Library will present a program on “Butterfly Gardening,” on August 12. Photo by Tiffany Anderson. Used by permission.
PAGE 2 • Wednesday, August 9, 2023 THE STAR See us online www.FortBendStar.com When it comes to local advertising & let us help boost your business! Call 281.690.4200 to see how we can help freshen up your impact! CLOSURE FROM PAGE 1 NOTICE
BUDGET AND PROPOSED TAX RATE The Fort Bend Independent School District will hold a public meeting at 5:30 PM, August 21, 2023 in the Board Room of the Administration Building, 16431 Lexington Blvd., Sugar Land, Texas. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the school district's budget that will determine the tax rate that will be adopted. Public participation in the discussion is invited. The tax rate that is ultimately adopted at this meeting or at a separate meeting at a later date may not exceed the proposed rate shown below unless the district publishes a revised notice containing the same information and comparisons set out below and holds another public meeting to discuss the revised notice. Maintenance Tax School Debt Service Tax Approved by Local Voters $0.7292/$100 (proposed rate for maintenance and operations) $0.2700/$100 (proposed rate to pay bonded indebtedness) Comparison of Proposed Budget with Last Year’s Budget The applicable percentage increase or decrease (or difference) in the amount budgeted in the preceding fiscal year and the amount budgeted for the fiscal year that begins during the current tax year is indicated for each of the following expenditure categories. Maintenance and operations 5.06 % increase Debt Service 7.60 % increase Total Expenditures 5.42 % increase Total Appraised Value and Total Taxable Value (as calculated under Section 26.04, Tax Code) Preceding Tax Year Current Tax Year Total appraised value* of all property $60,673,111,815 $68,766,944,567 Total appraised value* of new property** $2,654,970,034 $2,669,760,337 Total taxable value*** of all property $55,336,033,838 $56,986,669,557 Total taxable value*** of new property** $1,653,427,703 $1,627,102,711 *Appraised value is the amount shown on the appraisal roll and defined by Section 1.04(8), Tax Code. ** “New property” is defined by Section 26.012(17), Tax Code. *** “Taxable value” is defined by Section 1.04(10), Tax Code. Bonded Indebtedness Total amount of outstanding and unpaid bonded indebtedness* $1,520,545,606 *Outstanding principal. Comparison of Proposed Rates with Last Year’s Rates Maintenance & Interest & Local Revenue State Revenue Operations Sinking Fund* Total Per Student Per Student Last Year’s Rate $0.8646 $0.2700 $1.1346 $6,190 $2,818 Rate to Maintain Same Level of Maintenance & Operations $0.7043 $0.2753 $0.9797 $6,448 $4,358 Revenue & Pay Debt Service Proposed Rate $0.7292 $0.2700 $0.9992 $7,276 $4,639 *The Interest & Sinking Fund tax revenue is used to pay for bonded indebtedness on construction, equipment, or both. The bonds, and the tax rate necessary to pay those bonds, were approved by the voters of this district. Comparison of Proposed Levy with Last Year’s Levy on Average Residence Last Year This Year Average Market Value of Residences $376,017 $423,486 Average Taxable Value of Residences $292,646 $269,718 Last Year’s Rate Versus Proposed Rate per $100 Value $1.1346 $0.9992 Taxes Due on Average Residence $3,320.36 $2,695.02 Increase (Decrease) in Taxes $-625.34 Under state law, the dollar amount of school taxes imposed on the residence homestead of a person 65 years of age or older or of the surviving spouse of such a person, if the surviving spouse was 55 years of age or older when the person died, may not be increased above the amount paid in the first year after the person turned 65, regardless of changes in tax rate or property value. Notice of Voter-Approval Rate: The highest tax rate the district can adopt before requiring voter approval at an election is $0.9492. This election will be automatically held if the district adopts a rate in excess of the voter-approval rate of
Fund Balances The following estimated balances will remain at the
year
not
corresponding debt obligation, less estimated funds necessary for operating
state aid payment. Maintenance and Operations Fund Balance(s) $191,075,529 Interest & Sinking Fund Balance(s) $41,147,060 A school district may not increase the district’s maintenance and operations tax rate to create a surplus in maintenance and operations tax revenue for the purpose of paying the district’s debt service. Visit Texas.gov/PropertyTaxes to find a link to your local property tax database on which you can easily access information regarding your property taxes, including information about proposed tax rates and scheduled public hearings of each entity that taxes your property. The 86th Texas Legislature modified the manner in which the voter-approval tax rate is calculated to limit the rate of growth of property taxes in the state. INJURY FROM PAGE 1
end of the current fiscal
and are
encumbered with or by a
the district before receipt of the first
Tacoma slows Sugar Land in series loss
By Landan Kuhlmann LKUHLMANN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
The Sugar Land Space Cowboys came into last week’s series against the Tacoma Raniers on an offensive roll despite losing their previous series. However, the offense was largely held in check last week as they dropped the series against Tacoma.
Sugar Land dropped four of six games in the series –including three straight to end the series – while scoring just 4.7 runs per game after averaging nearly eight runs per contest in their previous series against Las Vegas. The Space Cowboys are now 45-63 overall on the season, including a 12-21 mark so far in the second half. It might have been a bit of a slow offensive week for Sugar Land, but there were still a few breakout performances. Infielder Rylan Bannon had a breakout series of sorts for the Space Cowboys, hitting .348 (8 for 23) with four home runs and five RBIs while reaching base in 13 of his 28 plate appearances and posting a team-best 1.464 OPS against Tacoma. Designated hitter/ infielder Jon Singleton also continued to crush Triple-A pitching, also going 8 for 23 with a home run and three RBIs while posting a 1.009 OPS in the series.
It was also one of the better in weeks in recent memory for first baseman/outfielder J.J. Matijevic last week, as Matijevic went 5 for 16 with two home runs and five RBIs while posting a 1.126 OPS in 16 plate appearances during the series. Pedro Leon also had three doubles while reaching base eight times in the series.
Outside of a couple of rough nights, last week was a solid
one on the mound for the Space Cowboys, helped by several strong performances. No. 6 prospect Spencer Arrighetti picked up his first Triple-A victory in Sugar Land’s 4-3 win on Aug. 3, allowing just one run on four hits in 5.2 innings with five strikeouts against just two walks. Jairo Solis gave a similar effort with just two runs allowed and six strikeouts in 5.2 innings on Aug. 5, though he would wind
up with a no-decision in the Space Cowboys’ 5-2 loss.
Seth Martinez was one of the stalwarts out of the bullpen for the Space Cowboys last week, hurling three shutout innings across three appearances with four strikeouts. Meanwhile, Enoli Paredes and Joe Record combined for four scoreless innings with five strikeouts between them during the course of the series.
The Space Cowboys were off Monday ahead of a sixgame road series against the El Paso Chihuahuas from Tuesday through Sunday, and will return to Constellation Field for an extended two-week homestand against the Round Rock Express and Reno Aces beginning on Aug. 15
Upcoming promotions
As part of the lone twoweek homestand of the year
in August, it’s Paint Your Own Bobblehead Night on
Aug. 19 for Art Appreciation Night plus a special gameworn jersey designed by local art students. Aug. 20 follows with an “Astros’ Affiliates Tumbler” giveaway. There will be a Space Cowboys/ University of Houston Corey Julks jersey giveaway on University of Houston night
Aug. 25, and additionally it’s the second Brewfest of
the season. Faith & Family Night is on Saturday, August 26 with a postgame concert by Sidewalk Prophets, and it is Orion’s Birthday is on Aug. 27 with an Orion jersey giveaway.
On the other side of Labor Day, Deaf & Hard of Hearing Awareness Night comes up on Sept. 7 followed by the Space Cowboys Spooktacular and Colon Cancer Awareness Night on Sept. 8.
Fort Bend libraries offers social media classes in August
Fort Bend County Libraries will host a variety of introductory social-media classes in August. Learn how to create accounts, interact with friends, and much more with popular websites such as Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, and others. Those attending these classes will also get tips on online etiquette and security measures.
To attend the classes, participants should have a basic working knowledge of computers, and must have a personal email account already set up before the classes begin.
The August schedule of classes is as follows:
“Introduction to Tumblr” will take place at the First Colony Branch Library (2121 Austin Parkway, Sugar Land) on Wednesday, August 16, beginning at 11 a.m., in the Conference Room. This class presents a basic overview of Tumblr, a microblogging and social-networking website. Learn how to set up a Tumblr blog and get tips on microblogging pictures, text, video, and more.
“Canva Design Basics” will take place at George Memorial Library (1001 Golfview, Richmond) on Tuesday, August 22,
from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Canva is a free, online graphic-design tool. Canva’s easy-to-use interface provides access to millions of photographs, graphics, and fonts, enabling the user to create designs for web or print. Learn how this tool can be used to create blog graphics, Facebook covers, flyers, posters, invitations, presentations, and more.
“Social Media Basics” will take place at George Memorial Library (1001 Golfview, Richmond) on Tuesday, August 29, from 10:30-11:30 a.m., in the Computer Lab. Learn about different popular social-media sites and how they can be used for business or entertainment.
Hear about the similarities and differences between social-media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Get tips on best practices and safety precautions.
The classes are free and open to the public. Seating is limited, however, and reservations are required. To register online on the Fort Bend County Libraries’ website (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us), click on “Classes & Events,” select the library, and find the program. Participants may also register by calling the First Colony Branch Library (281-238-2800) or George Memorial Library (281-3424455).
WCJC is less expensive than most universities and many of our courses transfer. Learn more at wcjc.edu
4-3
Last week’s scores August 1: Tacoma 14, Sugar Land 7 August 2: Sugar Land 7, Tacoma 6 (10 innings) August 3: Sugar Land 4, Tacoma 3 August 4: Tacoma 4, Sugar Land 3 August 5: Tacoma 5, Sugar Land 2 August 6: Tacoma 7, Sugar Land 5 PCL
Standings Team W L GB Oklahoma City 72 34Round Rock 60 47 12.5 Albuquerque 47 61 26.0 El Paso 46 62 27.0 Sugar Land 45 63 28.0 *First half winner
East
Team W L GB Oklahoma City 22 11Albuquerque 19 14 3.0 Round Rock 16 17 6.0 El Paso 15 18 7.0 Sugar Land 12 21 10.0
Starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti gave up just one run in 5.2 innings of work in the Sugar Land Space Cowboys’
victory over the Tacoma Rainiers on Aug. 3, helping Sugar Land to one of its two wins in the series.. Photo from Twitter
East Overall
PCL
Second Half Standings
See us online www.FortBendStar.com THE STAR Wednesday, August 9, 2023 • PAGE 3 HOME IMPROVEMENT SPORTS
Staff Reports
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AN AFFORDABLE CHOICE FOLLOW YOUR INTEREST REGISTRATION IS OPEN wcjc.edu for semester start dates 2023WCJC_Regist_3_25x3.indd 1 5/8/23 4:37 PM Contact John Sazma for advertising rates 281-690-4200 • jsazma@fortbendstar.com Digital Version on Fortbendstar.com THE MONTHLY BUSINESS MAGAZINE
By Lynn Ashby ASHBY2@COMCAST.NET
THE LIBRARY – “I’d like to check out a book, please, but I can’t find it,” I say. “Certainly,” says the nice lady behind the counter. “Maybe I can help you. What book are you looking for?” I reply, “One on pig farming.” She comes from behind the counter and takes me down an aisle. “Here we are. What kind of pig and what kind of farm?” That’s me when I was a small tad. On those hot Texas summer afternoons before a/c and TV, electricity and Texas Republicans, there wasn’t much to do but read, so I’d get on my bike and peddle down to our town’s public library and check
Don’t speak volumes
out books, lots of books – they eventually limited me to six. It was the same at school. I think I spent more time in the library than in detention hall.
Today, libraries and librarians, both in schools and in public libraries, are under assault. Normally dull school board meetings turn into shouting matches about library books. The Dewey Decimal System is a Deep State conspiracy. How bad is the situation? The newly appointed Houston ISD superintendent, Mike Miles, eliminated librarians and media specialists from 28 campuses. The libraries are being turned into disciplinary warehouses for unruly students. Miles proclaimed: “I’d rather have a high-quality teacher getting paid a lot, than have a librarian doing what, checking out books?” Our state legislators and leaders, having solved all of Texas’ problems, micro-manage what books are deemed unsuitable for any student who can read. In this last session, the lawmakers passed bills that crack down on the rampant explosion of obscenity in our school libraries. Gov. Greg Abbott said during the bill signing session, “Some school librar-
ies have books with sexually explicit and vulgar materials. I’m signing a law that gets that trash out of our schools.”
If you will recall, previously we have looked at our legislators’ actions in this regard. In October 2021 Fort Worth Republican Rep. Matt Krause, chairman of the Committee on General Investigating, sent a letter to all school districts asking about their book collections — in particular volumes “that address or contain” sexual themes. Rep. Krause ordered librarians to go throughout their entire stock to see if their shelves contained any books he listed on 16 pages with 849 titles.
One of the more hilarious events in the Lege’s debate involved Republican Rep. Jared Patterson. During a hearing on his proposal that would add several new controls on the kinds of books that could be kept in or borrowed from public-school libraries, Patterson said, “There should be no sexually explicit books” in a high school library. When asked if that included Larry McMurtry’s Pulitzer Prizewinning novel “Lonesome Dove”, one of Texans’ favorite stories, Patterson replied if it contained ribald passages
then, “they might need to ban ‘Lonesome Dove.’” But he admitted he had never read it.
School districts got the message from the lawmakers early on. Before the start of last fall’s school year, Keller ISD, north of Fort Worth, removed 42 books that were challenged by parents and community members, including a graphic adaptation of Anne Frank’s diary. In a challenge to the Bible, the authors were listed as “men who lived a long time ago.”
San Antonio’s North East ISD leads the top school districts with the most book removals: 119. Katy ISD banned 43 books. PEN America, a nonprofit focused on maintaining freedom of expression, found in an April report that Texas had 438 cases of public school districts either temporarily or permanently removing access to library and classroom books. That is more than any other state. Alaska and South Carolina have banned one book each. According to PEN, between July 1 of last year and June 30, Texas saw 801 bannings. That figure refers not to individual titles but rather to the number of times any school district has
issued a ban, so several districts have banned the same books.
These librarians are a scary bunch. The notorious Laura Bush worked as a librarian at the Kashmere Gardens Branch of the Houston Public Library. Later she moved to Austin and took a job as a librarian in the Austin ISD. It handicapped her career and she was never heard from again. And remember “The Music Man”’s Marian “Madam Librarian” Paroo who, one critic noted, “has long been a personal hero to bookish folks everywhere.”
I have an idea. Why don’t we gather all of these obscene books, like Anne Frank’s diary and the Bible, start a big bonfire in the town square and throw them in. For advice see: “How To Burn Books” by Nazi Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels. We should warn librarians not to shush in any language but English.
Remember that Texas A&M prof who mentioned Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in a not- complementary manner, and follow the advice of the State Board of Education: “Wee don’t like boox anyweigh.” Refrain from allowing students to check out books by “men who lived
a long time ago.” Even if the a/c goes out, don’t ask for water breaks. If you work in a charter school, sign the petition demanding taxpayers pay you.
Just when we think this whole mess couldn’t get any worse, the Legislature passed a bill that was signed into law by Gov. Abbott which goes into effect on Sept. 1 that requires book vendors who sell to schools assign ratings to books with a “sexually explicit” rating. Students who want to check out those books will have to get parental permission first. So booksellers have to go through their entire stock to see which ones contain “sexual explicit” stories, plots or even words and not sell them to schools. Get this: The law also requires booksellers identify all such books that were sold to school districts in the past. Failure to comply means no more selling any books to schools. The booksellers and their associations are suing.
My fellow Texans, we live in strange, if not dangerous, times, but Joseph Goebbels would be proud.
Ashby checks out at ashby2@comcast.net
713-433-6421
14700 Almeda Rd Houston, TX 77053 www.HoustonHumane.org
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EDITORIAL
Lynn Ashby Columnist
PAGE 4 • Wednesday, August 9, 2023 THE STAR See us online www.FortBendStar.com BAPTIST CHURCH HORIZON BAPTIST CHURCH • 281-403-4994 2223 FM1092 • Missouri City, TX 77459 John Strader , Senior Pastor Sunday Bible Study 9:30 am Sunday Worship 10:45 am 6:00 pm Wednesday 7:00 pm AWANA/Youth www.hbctx.org BRAZOS BEND BAPTIST CHURCH BRAZOS BEND BAPTIST CHURCH - 979.553.3049 22311 FM 762 RD.-Needville, TX 77461 Dr. Doug Brooks- Pastor Sunday School/Bible Study - 9:30am Sunday Worship Service - 10:30am Wednesday (Team Kids) - 7:00pm Wednesday (Bible Study) - 7:00pm Any Prayer needs call 979.553.3049 Special Events-Resurrection (Easter) Weekend www.bbbchurch.org CHRIST CHURCH SUGAR LAND • 281-980-6888 A United Methodist Community 3300 Austin Parkway • Sugar Land, TX 77479 Rev. Dr. Daniel Irving, Senior Pastor Sunday Schedule 9:30 am Blended Worship 9:30 am Sunday School for all ages 11:00 am Traditional & Contemporary Worship www.christchurchsl.org EPISCOPAL ALL SAINTS EPISCOPAL CHURCH • 281-499-9602 605 Dulles Avenue, Stafford, TX 77477 SUNDAY: 10:30 am Worship Holy Eucharist www.allsaints-stafford.org CHURCH OF CHRIST STAFFORD CHURCH OF CHRIST • 281-499-2507 402 Stafford Run Rd. -Stafford, 77477 Stephen Higley, Preacher Sunday Bible Study 9:30 am Sunday Worship 10:30 am Wednesday 7:00 pm www.staffordcoc.com PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH • 281-240-3195 502 Eldridge Rd. -Sugar Land, TX 77478 Reverend Dr. Fred Seay, Pastor Sunday Worship In Person 11:00 am / Nursery Available Worship Online on YouTube www.fpcsl.org METHODIST CHURCH Worship Directory FORT BEND COUNTY Scripture of the week “To me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” - PHILIPPIANS 1:21 Introduce Your Congregation to the Community with a listing in our Worship Directory Call John for more information 281.690.4200
joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” - ROMANS 12:12 281-690-4200
Second Street Brass to perform at George Memorial Library on Aug. 12
Local music group the Second Street Brass will be featured in a performance at Fort Bend County Libraries’ George Memorial Library on Saturday, August 12, from 23 p.m, in the Meeting Room of the library, located at 1001 Golfview Drive in Richmond.
The band will perform a se -
lection of light-hearted tunes, from themes of popular movies to folk songs, jazz classics, and traditional hymns put to modern adaptations.
Formed in 2013, the musical ensemble has been performing in the Rosenberg area at fundraising events, private parties, and for CAST Theatrical Company for several years. All the musicians
are also members of the Rosenberg Symphonic Band. This family event is free and open to the public. For more information, see the Fort Bend County Libraries website (www.fortbend. lib.tx.us), or call George Memorial Library (281-3424455) or the library system’s Communications Office (281633-4734).
Application period for free and reduced-price FBISD school meals open through Sept. 20
Staff Reports
The application period for free and reduced-priced meals for the Fort Bend ISD 2023-24 school year is open through September 20. Families can complete the application online at www. schoolcafe.com/fbisd. Completing the application may result in additional benefits for students and families, including reduced fees and tuition for Extended Learning programs, Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses, and athletics programs. Visit the FBISD Child Nutrition webpage to learn about additional benefits. Only one application needs to be completed for each household.
When it comes to local advertising
To apply, parents will need to have the following information:
• Names of all household members
• Amount, frequency and source of current income for each household member
• Last four digits of the parent’s or guardian’s social security number
• Signature of an adult household member attesting that the information provided is correct
Families can apply at any time during the school year, but families must apply by September 20, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. to ensure that there is no gap in their child’s meal status. You can complete an application at any time during the school year if your
household circumstances change, including the loss of a job, a decrease in household income or an increase in household size. The district uses the following criteria to determine a family’s eligibility:
• Household income that is at or below the income eligibility levels;
• Households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservation (FDPIR); or
• Children who are in foster care, homeless, a runaway, migrant farm worker or displaced by a declared disaster, or enrolled in Head Start.
Career and Technical Education
Annual Public Notification of Nondiscrimination SAMPLE FORM
(Insert LEA Name) offers career and technical education programs in (types of programs offered). Admission to these programs is based on (admission standards).
motivos de raza, color, origen nacional, sexo, o discapacidad en sus programas o actividades y brinda igualdad de acceso a los Boy Scouts y otros grupos juveniles designados. La siguiente persona ha sido designada para manejar consultas sobre las políticas de no discriminación: título, dirección, número de teléfono, correo electrónico.
Example of electronic material continuous nondiscrimination statement:
[Insert LEA name] does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or disability in its programs or activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies: name, title, address, telephone number, email.
[Insertar nombre del LEA] no discrimina por motivos de raza, color, origen nacional, sexo, o discapacidad en sus programas o actividades y brinda igualdad de acceso a los Boy Scouts y otros grupos juveniles designados. La siguiente persona ha sido designada para manejar consultas sobre las políticas de no discriminación: nombre, título, dirección, número de teléfono, correo electrónico.
It is the policy of (Insert LEA Name) not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex or handicap in its vocational programs, services or activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. It is the policy of (Insert LEA Name) not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, handicap, or age in its employment practices as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended; and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.
(Insert LEA Name) will take steps to assure that lack of English language skills will not be a barrier to admission and participation in all educational and vocational programs. For information about your rights or grievance procedures, contact the Title IX Coordinator at (email address of Title IX Coordinator), (phone number of Title IX Coordinator), and/or the Section 504 Coordinator at (email address of Section 504 Coordinator), (phone number of Section 504 Coordinator).
Career and Technical Education
Annual Public Notification of Nondiscrimination
FORMULARIO DE MUESTRA
(Noti cación Publica de No Discriminación en Programas de Educación Técnica y Vocacional)
(Insertar nombre del distrito escolar) ofrece programas de educación técnica y vocacional en (tipo de programa). La admisión a estos programas se basa en (criterio para admisión).
Es norma de (insertar nombre del distrito escolar) no discriminar en sus programas, servicios o actividades vocacionales y brinda igualdad de acceso a los Boy Scouts y otros grupos juveniles designados por motivos de raza, color, origen nacional, sexo o impedimento, tal como lo requieren el Título VI de la Ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964, según enmienda; Título IX de las Enmiendas en la Educación de 1972, y la Sección 504 de la Ley de Rehabilitación de 1973, según enmienda.
Es norma de (insertar nombre del distrito escolar) no discriminar en sus procedimientos de empleo por motivos de raza, color, origen nacional, sexo, impedimento o edad, tal como lo requieren el Título VI de la Ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964, según enmienda; Título IX de las Enmiendas en la Educación, de 1972, la ley de Discriminación por Edad, de 1975, según enmienda; y la Sección 504 de la Ley de Rehabilitación de 1973, según enmienda.
(Insertar nombre del distrito escolar) tomará las medidas necesarias para asegurar que la falta de habilidad en el uso del inglés no sea un obstáculo para la admisión y participación en todos los programas educativos y vocacionales.
Para información sobre sus derechos o procedimientos de quejas, comuníquese con el Coordinador del Título IX en (dirección), (dirección de correo electrónico), (número de teléfono), y/o el Coordinador de la Sección 504 en (dirección), (dirección de correo electrónico), (número de teléfono).
Staff Reports
Local music group the Second Street Brass will perform at Fort Bend County Libraries’ George Memo rial Library on August 12.
See us online www.FortBendStar.com THE STAR Wednesday, August 9, 2023 • PAGE 5
Methods of Administration (MOA) Division of Review and Support Of ce of Special Populations Monitoring (512) 463-9414
& let us help boost your business! Call 281 690 4200 When it comes to local advertising Continuous Notification of Nondiscrimination
a subrecipient of funds local education agencies [LEAs] must take continuous steps to notify participants, beneficiaries, applicants, parents, employees
persons with visual or auditory impairments), other interested parties,
unions
professional organizations holding collective bargaining or professional agreements with the LEA or campus that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or disability. A statement of nondiscrimination shall be included on publications and other materials that are distributed to or accessible by students, parents, applicants, beneficiaries, employees, unions, or professional organizations holding collective bargaining or professional agreements with the district and other interested parties. Example of printed material continuous nondiscrimination statement: [Insert LEA name] does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or disability in its programs or activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies: title, address, telephone number, email. [Insertar nombre del LEA] no discrimina por
As
(including
and
or
Methods
Division
Office
COMMUNITY EVENT? Check out community cALendAr on PAGE 7
Non
in 40 words or less Contact:
Sazma for more info 281-690-4200
of Administration (MOA)
of Review and Support
of Special Populations Monitoring (512) 463-9414
Share your
Profit Events
John
7 HOME SPECIALIST TOTAL HOME RENOVATIONS • Insurance
• Kitchen & Bathrooms • Drywall &
• New Flooring • Doors & Windows • Siding & Fences FREE
281-636-4027
FIND THEM ON PAGE
Claims
Painting
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SECTION 00010 ADVERTISEMENT AND INVITATION FOR BIDS Sealed bids 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: Water Plant Nos. 1, 2, 3, & 4 Chlorine Room Rehabilitation (the “Work). Sealed, competitive bids will be received no later than 2:00 P.M., August 30, 2023 in the District Office located at 10347 Clodine Road, Richmond, Texas 77407. Plans, specifications and bidding documents for the project are available at the following locations: Civcast USA Civcastusa.com (281) 376-4577 In general, the work consists of replacing sodium hypochlorite bulk storage tanks, chemical metering pumps, piping, recoating, and other miscellaneous improvements. 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 PAGE 6 • Wednesday, August 9, 2023 THE STAR See us online www.FortBendStar.com HIRELOCAL • SHOPLOCAL • EATLOCAL C LASSIFIED A DS CLASSIFIED ADS THAT GET RESULTS CALL US AT 281-690-4200 C LASSIFIED A DS CLASSIFIED ADS THAT GET RESULTS CALL US AT 281-690-4200 Mike Schofield 281-217-5799 FOR SALE SERVICES MATH/COMPUTER TUTOR Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, word processing, spreadsheet, graphics. Bill Stewart. BSEE 281341-1582.>+ HOME IMPROVEMENT ♠ ♠ ACE TILE Carpet • Remodeling • Ceramic Marble • Wood Flooring • Tile & grout cleaning & sealing • Laminate Wood Flooring • Granite Slab Countertops Call TODAY for FREE ESTIMATE 281-898-0154 Eddie Allum Contact John Sazma to participate in this special section 281-690-4200 jsazma@fortbendstar.com EMPLOYMENT NOW HIRING fun, fast paced environment NOW HIRING fun, fast paced environment 832-757-1836 FUN, FAST PACED ENVIRONMENT 20500 Southwest Fwy • Richmond, TX 77469 Contact John Sazma for advertising rates 281-690-4200 • jsazma@fortbendstar.com Digital Version on Fortbendstar.com THE MONTHLY BUSINESS MAGAZINE LEGALS POST YOURLOCAL EVENTS! Editor@fortbendstar.com GARAGE SALE? LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW! FOR SALE Cemetery Plot in a nice location at Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery $ 12,500. 731-882-5717 Looking for male cocker spaniel for breeding ONLY. Prefer AKC register. Female now in heat. 281-924-5677 MISCELLANEOUS Let the community know in our Community Calendar! Contact: jsazma@fortbendstar.com Contact John Sazma for advertising rates 281-690-4200 • jsazma@fortbendstar.com Digital Version on Fortbendstar.com THE MONTHLY BUSINESS MAGAZINE GARAGE SALE? LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW!
ONGOING
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE GRAND PARKWAY BAPTIST CHURCH
In conjunction with the Literacy Council of Fort Bend Bend County, GPBC offers ESL classes on Tuesday nights 6-8:30 from August 22, 2023 through May 21, 2024. We are located at 12000 FM 1464 Richmond. Our students speak several languages and encompass many faiths. All are welcome. For more information call 281-277-2200 and ask for ESL information. You may also email ESL@grandparkway.org
FBJSL
IS ACCEPTING CAF GRANT APPLICATIONS
We provide grants of up to $5,000.00 to charitable causes serving Fort Bend County with requests to fund a critical need, pilot a program, or expand a significant service to the community. If your agency or organization is interested in applying for a CAF grant, please visit the Request Support page of the FBJSL website (www.fbjsl. org/request-support). All applications should be submitted via e-mail to brccom@fbjsl.com
THE SANCTUARY FOSTER CARE SERVICES
We are a child placing agency that provides wrap around care support for foster children and foster families. We provide free therapy services, 24 hr. crisis intervention, respite/alternative care services and community-based support. For more info, www.sanctuaryfostercare.org
ALIEF AARP CHAPTER 3264
Meets the first Thursday of every month at 10:00 a.m. at Salvation Army Church, 7920 Cook Road, Houston, TX 77072. Educational Program/Entertainment at each meeting. Bus Trips every month. The next Bus Trip is on April 26, 2023, to Painted Churches. Seniors 50 and above invited. Call 281-785-7372 for more information.
FORT BEND COUNTY LIBRARIES’
ONLINE BOOK CLUB
Online meetings on the fourth Wednesday of every month. Free and open to the public. Registration is required; to register online www.fortbend.lib.tx.us, “Classes & Events,” select “Virtual Programs,” find the program on the date indicated. Participants may also register by calling George Memorial Library (281-342-4455).
SUGAR LAND ROTARY CLUB
Sugar Land Rotary Club, the nation’s oldest community service organization, wants you to be its guest at a meeting that could turn out to be the best fit for getting involved with a local, non-political, humanitarian service organization with a global presence to satisfy your passion. We’re on a quest for new members! Call or email Dean Clark, 469-850-2424, dean7351@gmail.com. We’re a friendly group that meets once a week for lunch.
FT. BEND ACCORDION CLUB
Meets on the 4th Sunday of every month from 2:pm4:pm at: CHRIST CHURCH SUGAR LAND (in the Chapel) 3300 Austin Parkway, Sugar Land, TX 77479 FREE and Open to the Public! We welcome everybody! If you play accordion, beginners to professional and would like to play Call, Text or email: Vince Ramos Cell: 281-2047716 vincer.music@gmail.com
FORT BEND JUNIOR SERVICE LEAGUE RECRUITING NEW MEMBERS FOR 2022-2023 YEAR
To join, the membership application can be accessed at https://www.fbjsl.org/join/how-to-become-a-member/.
FBJSL will also be hosting multiple virtual and in-person recruitment events over the summer where potential new members can learn more about the League. Information regarding attending these events is available at www.fbjsl.org or on the FBJSL Facebook page at www. facebook.com/FortBendJuniorServiceLeague/.
LITERACY
COUNCIL OF FORT BEND COUNTY
We enhance lives and strengthen communities by teaching adults to read. We need your help. Literacy Council is actively recruiting Volunteer Tutors to provide instruction for English as a Second Language (ESL) Levels 0-5, three hours a week. For more information, call 281240-8181 or visit our website www.ftbendliteracy.org
JAM WITH SAM
Join Sam Grice Tuesday evenings at 6:30 for a casual evening of music. We play a variety of music including bluegrass, country, gospel and some western. We request acoustic instruments only please. We welcome both participants and music lovers who enjoy listening to good live music. There’s no charge and we welcome beginners and gladly offer gentle assistance. We meet at First Presbyterian Church, 502 Eldridge Rd, Sugar Land. Please call Sam at 832-428-3165 for further information.
THURSDAY MORNING
BIBLE STUDY FOR MEN
Sugar Land First United Methodist Church, 431 Eldridge Road offers a Thursday Morning Bible Study For Men. This group is ongoing and uses a variety of studies throughout the year. The breakfast, coffee and donuts are free. Join us any time! Thursdays, 6:30-7:30 am in Wesley Hall. Call the church office at 281-491-6041 or Mike Schofield at 281-217-5799 for more information.
GIVE A GIFT OF HOPE
Give a Gift of Hope one-time or monthly. Your help provides access to therapies and services children with autism might otherwise go without. Please consider Hope For Three in your Estate, Planned, or Year-End Giving. Register now, or learn more about exciting events: www.hopeforthree.org/events
DVD-BASED ADULT SUNDAY
SCHOOL CLASS WITH NO HOMEWORK REQUIRED
Weekly class designed to help you understand and appreciate the Bible by giving you a better sense of the land and culture from which it sprang. The class meets at 9:30 am every Sunday at First Presbyterian of Sugar Land (502 Eldridge Rd.). For more information call 281240-3195
EXCHANGE
EXCHANGE, America’s Service Club, always welcomes guests and is in search of new members! Various Fort Bend clubs exist and can accommodate early morning (7 a.m.), noon and evening meeting time desires. For more info, contact Mike Reichek, Regional Vice President, 281-575-1145 or mike@reichekfinancial.com We would love to have you join us and see what we are 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 713-859-5920 or 281-499-3345. Deadline is noon every Friday. Limit entries to the “5 Ws” Who, What, When, Where, and Why. Email to jsazma@fortbendstar.com FOR NON- PROFIT EVENTS EXPERIENCE COUNTS! 35+ YEARS SERVING FORT BEND COUNTY 14090 S.W. Freeway Suite #200 Sugar Land, TX 281.243.2300 (Main) • KenWoodPC.com 281-243-2344 (Direct) FULL SERVICE & RETAIL STORE FOR DIY 2 8 1 - 3 4 1 - 1 7 6 1www.integrated-pest.com Family Owned Serving Fort Bend Since 1984 LISA N SIMS, AGENT 11647 S Highway 6 Sugar Land, TX 77498 Toll Free: 281-201-2448 lisa@agentlisasims.com Honored to be your choice for life insurance. Monday - Friday 9 - 6 Saturday 10 - 2 After hours by appointment Have a Non Profit? Need to get it out there? Put here in our community calendar! Let the community know in our Community Calendar! Contact: jsazma@fortbendstar.com See us online www.FortBendStar.com THE STAR Wednesday, August 9, 2023 • PAGE 7
Review: Volcano Hot Pot & BBQ isn’t just a restaurant, it’s an adventure
By Ken Fountain
I’ve mentioned before that many years ago I served in the U.S. Navy, Former sailors love to tell sea stories. While this story took place in port, it’s one of my favorites from that time.
During my third and final deployment aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ranger (which also happened to the final one for the ship before she was decommissioned), we made a visit to Yokosuka, Japan. It was one of my favorite port visits, as a couple of friends and I were able to squeeze in a daytrip by train to Tokyo. I found the people to be remarkably gracious, despite an often-significant language barrier. That came into particular effect when one buddy and I entered a restaurant that had no English signage.
We were seated at a table that had some kind of contraption in the middle. Paying it little mind, we ordered off of the menu with pictures of the dishes. A short time later, our food arrived. Being young, stillwet-behind-the-ears sailors, we hadn’t realized that the device in our table was a hi-
bachi, and we were expected to cook our own food.
I’m much more worldly these days.
That memory came to mind when a friend and I paid a visit to Volcano Hot Pot & BBQ, a relatively new restaurant on Highway 6 in Sugar Land. Asian-themed cook-your-ownfood style restaurants have been something of a rage in the greater Houston region in recent years, and it was high time I visited one of the newest in our area.
Walking in, I immediately got a sense of the Asian street-food scene I often encountered in my Navy travels (which also included Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand, and the Philippines). The walls are darkly painted, but the expansive dining room is still very well-lit by overhead lighting, wide windows and stylish neon along the walls. Think of a well-scrubbed version of the futuristic Los Angeles seen in the “Blade Runner” films.
The ordering process is somewhat complicated for a newcomer, and it took us a little while to get it. Diners have two options: hot pot only, or a hot pot and barbeque combination (for tables of two or more people where one person
Volcano Hot Pot & BBQ
Address:3434 Highway 6,
Sugar Land
Hours: 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday,
11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Sunday
Entrée prices: $29.9933.99 (Kids $10.99-15.99)
Kid-friendly: Yes
Alcohol: Yes Senior discount: Yes
is doing the barbecue option, everyone at the table must also order the combo). Once we got the gist, however, we were off to the races.
Both of us went with the combo option, since we wanted to get the full experience. For the hot pot, you order a base soup which is brought to your table while you go to the buffet area to select the
additional ingredients you want to add (there is a huge variety of seafood and vegetable options, among others). Similarly, you go to the buffet to select among a wide selection of protein options, with varying degrees of spiciness, for you to barbecue.
Feeling somewhat but not very adventurous, I went with basic chicken and beef options
COMPLEX NEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS Treated in Sugar Land
for the barbecue, and a somewhat spicy soup option for the hot pot. The grill at the center of the table is easy enough for even a kitchen-challenged person like me to operate, but you have to remember to keep an eye on your food as well as practice good safety.
The waitstaff were extremely cordial, continually making sure we had our drinks and
that our grill was set at the proper setting. We both appreciated the courtesy they showed us as first-timers.
It’s been a long time since that somewhat amusing event in Japan. Visiting Volcano Hot Pot & BBQ gave me an opportunity to again laugh at my youthful naiveté as well as enjoying a great meal. I’ll be back soon.
At Houston Methodist Neuroscience & Spine Center at Sugar Land, our physicians collaborate across specialties to diagnose and treat common to complex neurological disorders. With innovative and advanced treatment options, we provide personalized comprehensive care — close to home. Our team of physicians treats a variety of conditions, including:
• Alzheimer’s disease and memory disorders
• Aneurysms
Brain tumors
• Multiple sclerosis
• Neuropathy
SCAN HERE TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT
• Parkinson’s disease and tremors
• Sleep disorders
Spinal disorders
• Stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA)
To schedule an appointment, scan the QR code, visit houstonmethodist.org/neuro-sl or call 281.274.7979
Saturday,
Healthy options: Yes Star of the show: Hot pot and BBQ combo Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
The hot pot and barbecue option at Volcano Hot Pot & BBQ more than
satisfies.
Photo by Ken Fountain
PAGE 8 • Wednesday, August 9, 2023 THE STAR See us online www.FortBendStar.com
281-690-4200
