Fort Bend Transit will expand its demand response service to the Needville area beginning September 1. This new service will provide residents with convenient and affordable transportation options, enhancing their connectivity to the Richmond and Rosenberg areas, which offer a variety of shopping, medical facilities, and restaurants.
Made possible through a rural assistance grant from the Texas Department of Transportation, the new Needville expansion service is available for $1 each way per trip and will operate on a first-come, first-served basis. This initiative underscores FBT’s commitment to enhancing mobility and supporting the diverse needs of Fort Bend County’s communities.
“Fort Bend Transit is truly grateful to TxDOT for this new grant funding which will allow us to offer additional rural service to residents in the Needville area,” said Perri D’Armond, director of Fort Bend Transit. “We are very excited to collaborate with the City of Needville to better support its citizens in need by providing greater access into Richmond and Rosenberg areas.”
“Expanding our Demand Response service to include Needville is a significant step forward in enhancing the mobility of our residents,” said Fort Bend County Precinct 2 Commissioner Grady Prestage. “This initiative not only provides a vital connection to essential services and amenities but also strengthens the overall community by ensuring that everyone has access to affordable and reliable transportation. We are committed to improving the quality of life for all our residents, and this new service is a testament to that commitment.”
For more information about the new expansion service, scheduling, or any other inquiries, please contact Fort Bend Transit at 281-633-RIDE (7433) or visit our website at FBCTransit.org.
Two Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster recovery centers that were temporarily closed on Saturday will reopen on Tuesday, May 20.
The temporarily closed locations are the Mutang Community Center, 4521 FM 321, Fresno, and Katy Mills Mall, 5000 Katy Mills Circle
(in the parking lot near the intersection with Star Lane). The centers located in the William B. Travis Building, 301 Jackson St., Richmond, and the Public Transportation Facility, 3737 Bamore Rd., Rosenberg, remain open. Centers operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Any center can help survivors with questions about both Hurricane Beryl and the April 26-June
5 storms and flooding. For other Disaster Recovery Center locations, go online to fema.gov/drc. All centers are accessible to people with disabilities or access and functional needs and are equipped with assistive technology.
Texans can shorten wait times at the centers if they apply to FEMA online, by phone or using the FEMA
App
visiting
For more information about Texas disaster recovery, visit: fema.gov/disaster/4798. Fol-
Fort Bend County Pride
state security and police departments, and community efforts.
Smith became superintendent of Fort Bend ISD, the 6th largest district in Texas, in January. Previously, he had served as superintendent of Duncanville ISD in the Dallas area, and also served in administrative
Fort Bend County Libraries will present the program “Weeds & What to Do with Them,” on Tuesday, August 20, from noon-1 p.m., in the Meeting Room of the First Colony Branch Library, located at 2121 Austin Parkway in Sugar Land. Sugar Land Garden Club
Vice President Deborah Birge will share tips on how to identify common garden weeds, ways to remove them, and options to control them. Birge has been a Fort Bend County Master Gardener for 22 years and holds advanced training certifications in Citrus Culture, Home Fruit Production, and First-Detector Plant Disease.
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 First Colony
Branch Library (281-2382140) or the library system’s Communications Office (281-633-4734).
Community Reports
In celebration of its 25th Anniversary, Fort Bend County Libraries’ Sugar Land Branch Library, 550 Eldridge, will host an Open House on Saturday, August 31, from 10 a.m.-noon, in the Meeting Room of the library.
Fort Bend County Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers, who played an integral part in the opening of the library 25 years ago, will be a special guest for the celebration.
In addition to light refreshments and crafts, the public is invited to participate in a community-art project during the event by painting or coloring individual pieces of a library mural. After the event, the individual pieces will be reassembled to complete a mural, which will be on display in the lobby of the library through the end of the year.
The Sugar Land Branch Library opened in August 1999, the final branch constructed with funds voted upon in the 1989 bond election. The City of Sugar Land donated funds for the permanent history display that would be housed by the library, and many area individuals contributed to the library by purchasing paver bricks engraved with the donor’s name or in honor/ memory of someone. Materials and refreshments for the event are made possible by the Friends of the Sugar Land Branch Library. The 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 the Sugar Land Branch Library (281-238-2140) or the library system’s Communications Office (281-633-4734).
Water District
Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Rate
The Sienna Parks and Levee Improvement District of Fort Bend County, Texas will hold a public hearing on a proposed tax rate for the tax year 2024 on Wednesday,August 28, 2024 at 11:30 a.m., at 202 Century Square Blvd., Sugar Land, Texas 77478 or by video conference at https://districtmtg.com/c1z Your individual taxes may increase at a greater or lesser rate,or even decrease, depending on the tax rate that is adopted and on the change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in taxable value of all other property. The change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in the taxable value of all other property determines the distribution of the tax burden among all property owners.
Visit Texas.gov/Property Taxes to find a link to your local property tax data base 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.
FOR the proposal: T. Jones, G. Yarborough & D. Wong
AGAINST the proposal: (none)
PRESENT and not voting: A. Young
ABSENT: S. Nowak The following table compares taxes on an average
year to taxes proposed on the
The First Colony Branch Library will present a program titled “Weeds & What to Do with Them,” on Aug. 20. Photo of a Texas croton plant by JerryFriedman via Wikipedia
Fort Bend County Libraries’ Sugar Land Branch Library, 550 Eldridge, will celebrate its 25th anniversary with on Saturday, August 31. Photo by Ken Fountain
The Fort Bend County Pride event
Photos by Ken Fountain
Fort Bend County Pride was held Sunday at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds in Rosenberg, the first such event in the county’s history. According to founder Hunny Phillips, the event was meant to provide a local space for LGBTQ+ people in the county. The day-long event included entertainment acts, information booths, a kids’ zone, and a variety of vendors. Three men who objected to the event on religious grounds were escorted outside the exhibition hall by law enforcement, but spoke loudly to people as they entered the main gate.
“King Henry VIII” and other members of the Texas Renaissance Festival inside the main exhibit hall.
A vendor shows off her wares during the event.
Three men who objected to the event on religious grounds talk with a law enforcement officer outside the main gate.
Art cars on displays outside the main exhibit hall during the first-ever Fort Bend County Pride event.
Fourteenth Court of Appeals Justice Charles “Kin” Spain, right, talks with a drag performer during the event.
A lip-sync performer at the outside stage.
A dancer performs on the main stage of the exhibition hall.
Verlander shines in rehab, but Space Cowboys fall to El Paso on Saturday
By Amanda Perry APERRY@ASTROS.COM
The Sugar Land Space Cowboys had some help in the form of a three-time Cy Young Award Winner, but the El Paso Chihuahuas prevailed as the Space Cowboys dropped Saturday night’s contest 5-3 in 10 innings at Constellation Field.
Houston Astros RHP Justin Verlander took the mound for the Space Cowboys in his first rehab assignment since being placed on the injured list on June 16. The veteran walked the first batter he saw, but got the next three men in ten pitches, including a strikeout of Tirso Ornelas. Verlander gave up a lead-off triple and an RBI double in the second but struck out Kevin Plawecki for the first out of the frame. A walk put two men on first and second, however, Verlander got a force out at second off the bat of Brandon Lockridge. The runner at third, Matthew Batten, tried to take home in the process, but a headsup play from first baseman Shay Whitcomb got the out at home.
Verlander returned for the top of the third and got three easy outs to end his night and complete his rehab assign-
ment. The 41-year-old threw 36 strikes on 52 pitches, using his four-seam fastball 54% of the time and getting five swings-and-misses on the pitch. His max velocity reached 95.6 miles-per-hour and he gave up just one run in his outing, walking two while striking out three.
In the fourth inning, the Space Cowboys loaded the bases up on a pair of singles from Whitcomb and Grae Kessinger along with a walk from Trey Cabbage. Jacob Melton grounded one to the shortstop, beating out the throw at first with his speed to score a run and avoid the double play to knot the game up. Melton stole second, and a single from Quincy Hamilton scored Sugar Land’s second run to take the lead and send Melton to third. On a sinker from RHP Gabe Mosser, César Salazar blooped a single just in front of the left fielder to give the Space Cowboys a 3-1 advantage.
RHP Ryan Gusto (L, 6-3) took over for Verlander and retired the first four batters he faced before walking a Chihuahua with one out in the fifth. Three pitches later, Brandon Lockridge took Gusto deep to tie the game up at three apiece. The two-run shot ended Gusto’s scoreless inning streak at 15.2 frames, the longest scoreless streak
for the Space Cowboys’ pitcher this season. Gusto recovered to get the next two batters out on fly balls and faced just one above the minimum in the next four innings.
The game remained tied, sending it to extras. With the automatic runner on second, Gusto came back for the top of the tenth and on the first pitch Plawecki hit a single to send Batten home and give El Paso their first lead since the fourth inning. Clay Dungan grounded one to Whitcomb at first, and a throwing error halted the Space Cowboys
double play attempt, instead putting runners on the corners with one out. On the next pitch, Nate Mondu sent a curveball to deep right field that was deep enough to score an insurance run for El Paso on a sacrifice fly. Salazar led off the bottom of the tenth with a walk, but RHP Alek Jacob (S, 2) retired the next three Space Cowboys to end the game and serve Sugar Land their second loss this series.
In the series finale on Sunday, the Space Cowboys, in a true pitcher’s duel between Sugar Land’s RHP Rhett
Kouba and El Paso’s LHP Omar Cruz, were able to find the only run in 11 innings to beat the Chihuahuas, 1-0. Cruz allowed just two Space Cowboy batters to reach base in the form of a pair of singles in his 6.0 innings of work. Kouba walked five batters throughout his five innings but allowed just one hit without allowing a run and to passed it off to LHP Parker Mushinski in the sixth. Mushinski and RHP Rafael Montero each surrendered a single in their inning but kept the game scoreless, while RHP Nick Hernandez continued his scoreless streak since the All-Star Break, pitching a perfect seventh with two strikeouts. RHP Forrest Whitley took over in the ninth and spun a onehit frame.
The Space Cowboys made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth when Omar Narváez knocked a ground-rule double and Dixon Machado drew a walk to put two on with one out. Jesús Bastidas slammed a changeup from RHP Logan Gillaspie 386 feet to the deepest part of the park, but centerfielder Brandon Lockridge parked under the ball to catch it for an out. Gillaspie got the final out of the ninth to send the game to ex-
tras for the second-straight night. Both teams stranded their automatic runners in the tenth, taking the game to the eleventh for just the second time for the Space Cowboys this season. RHP Luis Contreras (W, 2-1) pitched a three-up-three-down including a couple of strikeouts to give Sugar Land another shot at walking it off. With Quincy Hamilton starting the inning on second base, Machado dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Hamilton to third. The next batter, Narváez, battled back from an 0-2 count and on the ninth pitch of the at bat, sent a sinker from RHP Francis Pena (L, 0-1) just over the head of the second baseman, who was playing in, to send the winning run home. It is the fourth shutout that the Space Cowboys pitching staff has hurled, along with their eighth walk-off win of
Fort Bend libraries offer demonstrations of job-interview training resource
Fort Bend County Libraries in August is offering several demonstrations of a new online resource designed to help job hunters improve their job-interview sills. The resource, called “Big Interview,” allows job seekers cultivate and improve key communication skills to help reduce their nervousness and gain confidence before the “real” interview.
Demonstrations of this free online resource will take place at the following locations in August, but those who are interested may also inquire about this resource at any time at any FBCL location.
· Wednesday, August 14, 11 a.m. - Fulshear Branch Library (6350 GM Library Rd) Registration is required.
· Thursday, August 15, 10:30 a.m. - Cinco Ranch
Branch Library (2620 Commercial Center Blvd, Katy) Registration is required.
· Wednesday, August 21, 6
p.m. - Mission Bend Branch Library (8421 Addicks Clodine Rd) Registration is required.
· Wednesday, August 28, 6 p.m. - University Branch Library (14010 University Blvd in Sugar Land) Registration is required.
This comprehensive interview-training platform provides instruction based on real-world scenarios and hiring practices, offering immediate feedback and ways to improve.
Job hunters can practice online with mock interviews that are tailored to specific careers/industries, jobs, and
experience levels. With a vast library of the most commonly asked questions from more than 100 industries and 1,000+ occupations, Big Interview simulates job-specific interviews and provides personalized practice with industry-specific questions. It then offers feedback on responses, suggestions for ways to improve them, and tips on how best to answer questions.
With more than 200 video lessons, expert insights, and interview hacks, Big Interview’s online interviewpreparation tool combines training and practice to help improve skills and build confidence.
The “Learning Area” offers robust instruction covering every step of the job-search and interview process with both video and written lessons for every type of learner.
In the “Practice” section,
the mock interview practice and recording tool offers limitless opportunities to practice answering all types of interview questions, with immediate feedback.
In the “Resumés” section, job seekers can upload their resumé for immediate feedback, suggestions for improvement, and tips for getting past automated AI bots that do the initial screening of applications. Big Interview evaluates resumés for readability, credibility, and format, as well as “ATS” (ApplicantTracking Systems) fit. Library cardholders can access Big Interview remotely through the Fort Bend County Libraries website, www.fortbend.lib. tx.us. Simply click on the “Research” tab, then “Digital Resources & Databases,” select the “Subject” option, and choose “Career & Job Help.”
The demonstrations are free and open to the public. To register for a demonstration, visit Fort Bend County Libraries’ website (www. fortbend.lib.tx.us), click on
“Classes & Events,” select the library, and find the program on the date indicated. For more information, call FBCL’s Communications Office (281-633-4734).
EDITORIAL
Who wants to be a billionaire?
Lynn Ashby Columnist
By Lynn Ashby
What are you going to do with your $45.16?
I think that’s right. Math was never my strong point. I am trying to divide $1.4 billion by 31 million, but I get lost trying to tip 5 percent on my seven-dollar haircut. The $1.4 billion is what Texans (that’s us) are receiving from Meta, and there are 31million of us, so that $45.16 should be our share. Just why is Meta being so generous? Only because it’s the settlement in a lawsuit. It goes like this: Attorney General Ken Paxton (yes, he of indictments, an impeachment and FBI investigations)
By Mark Garay
“Here in my car / Where the image breaks down / Will you visit me, please / If I open my door in cars?”
- Gary Numan, “Cars”
Meet Origin. Yes, that’s his real name. “Origin of the world”, as he describes himself. Ori-
sued Meta – the parent company of Facebook – charging that Facebook captured facial recognition information on millions of Texans in violation of state law. Facebook failed to tell users that it was capturing the information, transmitting it to other parties and did not destroy the data within a reasonable time. Incidentally, that $1.4 billion is a record. In 2021, a judge approved a mere $650 million settlement with Meta over similar allegations in Illinois.
So we should get all that loot, but don’t spend your share yet. Just look at the Texas Lotto. You win the jackpot listed as $1 million. But if you take it all at once, instead of over several years, it’s only a little more than half, and Uncle Sam takes about a quarter of that. You end up with enough to buy some more Lotto tickets. Likewise, it isn’t like Meta pushes a sack full of cash across the table. Under the terms, Meta will pay the state $500 million in the next 30 days. Up to $225 million of that can be spent paying attorneys’ fees for outside counsel that helped argue the case. The remaining $275
million will go to the state’s general revenue fund. Meta will make annual payments to the state of $225 million through 2028, up to $3 million of which each year can go toward attorneys’ fees. That billion-plus reward is suddenly shrinking – unless you’re the lawyer – thus we must look at this situation carefully. First, why are the lawyers receiving almost half of that first payment and will continue to receive $3 million a year until 2028? Second, $275 million is going into the “general revenue fund,” but giving unexpected millions to our lawmakers presents a problem. As you will recall, in the last session of the Texas Legislature, members were given a hefty $33 billion in surplus funds to spend. I suspect that’s a record. Our boys and girls in Austin did a nice job handing out that extra cash, except to the teachers. Recall also that $5 billion was set aside for our schools.
Gov. Greg “Absent” Abbot withheld those funds until the Lege passed his coveted school voucher bill. It wasn’t passed and I guess that $5 billion is sitting in a state vault somewhere.
Not only did our school teachers not get a raise, but a recent study found that Texas teachers, with their own money, outspend their counterparts from all other states yearly on school supply purchases for their classrooms. Educators in Texas spend on average $1,396 per year compared to the nationwide average of $915. Maybe, just maybe, we could at least reimburse our teachers $1,396 so they could fritter it away on, say, food. This bonanza in fines brings up a question that always bothered me: where do funds from fines go? That “general revenue fund” is like saying “somewhere.” It may go to pay off Ken Paxton’s $3.3 million settlement as part of an agreement with four whistleblowers who accused Paxton of abuse of office, bribery and other criminal offenses in 2020. It was to be paid by “his office.” I think that means us. Texas A&M, a state institution, owes fired football coach Jimbo Fisher $76.8 million. That’s a possibility. Speaking of which, our federal government keeps gathering in massive fines which then go somewhere. In
July 2019 Equifax agreed to pay $575 million in a settlement with the feds over an unreported security breach. In 2016 Uber was fined $148 million because 600,000 driver and 57 million user accounts were breached. Instead of reporting the incident, the company paid the perpetrator $100,000 to keep the hack under wraps. Capital One agreed to pay $190 million to settle a classaction lawsuit filed against it by customers over a data breach. The FCC levied fines totaling nearly $200 million against AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon for illegally sharing access to customers’ location information without their consent. Those fortunes were paid to our federal government as were many more. Where did they go?
Let’s get back to that $1.4 billion to be paid to Texas. We could let the state keep the funds and use them to take over CenterPoint Energy so that our trees could be trimmed back from the power poles. Maybe change the slogan to Stump City. Southeast Texas is a great place – at low tide – so how about putting our houses on
What’s driving you?
gin came to Houston from Nigeria when Ronald and Nancy Reagan still occupied the White House. He’s 65. His car is spotless. He’s my Uber driver. Uber is a child of technology. Everything it is doesn’t exist offline. No telephone scheduling. No street corner flags. No yelling out your window. Uber trips may not always be memorable, but occasionally you strike gold. I remember Wallace, a young, solidly structured man who stood all of 5’10”. Wallace was 24, a young fella who played professional football. He was a cornerback who’d made the Cowboys practice squad two years earlier. But he was still training to find his spot on the permanent roster.
He explained he was in the Houston area to work with his brother and drove Uber to make some extra scratch. He was a really cool kid. Then there was Lisa, a Florida transplant who’d been a Sugar Land taxpayer for four years. She was really chatty and terminally expressive. Lisa told me about how her husband was an earlier-in-life romance who’d reconnected with her after a 17-yearabsence. Apparently, he’d married someone else, but it didn’t work out. Lisa and he had married finally. But alas, despite setting up a new home in Sienna, the work had dried up and the couple will soon be setting off back to Pensacola. Lisa was an odd combination of
unfortunate events wrapped in a genuinely happy, giggly, tattooed package. She says that Houston drivers were the last straw. Both rude and inattentive, she seemed to suggest. Just too much. But it was my man Origin who got me to thinking. As he drove me home from my oncologist, we had a =minute conversation bursting with a brand of observation that knocked me over, and a mild blend of nuanced philosophy that I later realized had been hiding in plain sight. Origin told me how he can figure people out within the first ten seconds of meeting them. For example, he observed how I confirmed his name before I got into his car. He said that made me instantly
a safety conscious American who is probably self-aware and purpose-driven. Uh, ok. He also noticed what I was wearing and whether or not I smiled as I took my seat. Origin tends to avoid evening shifts. Too many drunks and teenagers going where they shouldn’t. He was also aware of what I was thinking: the colors, smell and overall condition of his transport. His initial greeting,to me. The general vibe in his modest host mobile.
A quick glance on Reddit offered me an array of strange Uber stories. The driver who was alarmed that mothers were putting their young children in his back seat expecting them to drop off their kids at school.
stilts? We could buy Gov. Abbot more river balloons and still have enough left over to finance his next economic development tour to Monaco and Bali. Locally, the Astros bullpen could use some help. Actually, so could the starters. Our $95 million closer, Josh Hader, has a won-loss record of 4-6 and an ERA of 3.7 (as of August 12). A few million here or there would probably help. We could put up statues of Simone Biles and Andre Johnson. No, let’s dole out the fortune to the one group that needs it most: us. If we do each get $45.16,
The driver whose drunk passenger passed out, requiring him to literally drag the man from the car and leave him to sleep it off on the front porch. Or the guy who picked up three Rastafarians at a construction site. He blasted some Bob Marley and got a $20 tip.
I don’t know how many of us in Fort Bend use ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft. My guess is not a lot, comparatively. I suppose they’re little more than taxis with nicer vehicles. But I would argue they’re snippets of who we are. And the people who drive them are great observers of how we conduct our lives.
Garay can be reached at MarkGaray426@gmail.com
By Grace Hu
Failure is a universal experience. It is inevitable, and the driving force for growth. It pushes you out of your comfort zone and propels you to bypass your self-imposed limits. It is the building block for success. So, if there are so many benefits to failing,
why are so many people afraid of it?
Personally, as a self-declared perfectionist, I find failure to be on the scarier side when it comes to life. I am afraid to make mistakes because in doing so, I am essentially proving to others (but mostly myself) that I am not always perfect at what I do. I don’t take rejection or criticism well, either. But over the years, I have gradually begun to warm up to it and see it in a different light. Rather than a harsh hand, it is something to allow room for growth.
I realized this especially when I played badminton competitively. The victories, however sweet, taught me
virtually nothing. Instead, it was the losses that led me to place 21st nationally in 2022. I must have lost hundreds of games. By reviewing the video feed of all of them and psychoanalyzing my mistakes, I improved. I learned in those years that criticism was my friend and failure my teacher. Although that is in the past, I still apply those lessons now.
A more well-known example is Stephen King. He is one of the world’s most successful authors, with a net worth of $500 million, and is crowned the “King of Horror”, but he failed exceptionally in his early life. As a kid, he would nail
his rejection slips onto his wall. He wrote in his memoir “On Writing” that when he was 14, the nail in his wall could no longer support the weight of the rejection slips, so he “replaced the nail with a spike and went on writing.” But even after all those rejection slips, he persisted, eventually turning out on top of the industry as a household name in the world of writing.
This is just one of the many stories in which success follows repeated failure. To achieve great things, you must first learn to accept failure in your life. If you want to mine diamonds, you cannot stop drilling the minute you hit stone,
you must go until you reach the mantle.
But of course, failure alone cannot keep someone motivated for a lifetime. There has to be a mix of the two, in small doses, harmonizing together to create the perfect blend for long-lasting success and personal growth. The ideal in-between is called the Goldilocks Rule, a concept described in James Clear’s book “Atomic Habits”. It is the concept that there is a zone in which hard and easy come together to put you in your “flow” state. A challenging task that keeps you on your toes. Like the fairytale: not too hot, not too cold, just right. We could apply this in the long run too.
A healthy amount of small wins and losses put together to keep you working hard towards your goals. Even if failure seems daunting, know that it is just as vital as the tiny successes on the way. Too few loses, and your porridge goes cold and you forget your sense of urgency. Hu is a Clements High School student, class of
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.
Application has been made with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for New Retail Dealer’s On-Premise License by Wang LLC dba Suki Sushi to be located at 3699 Hwy 6, Sugar Land, TX 77494, Fort Bend County, Texas. Officers of said corporation are Peipei Wang and Wang Yu.
Driver Wanted: P/T Driver wanted for Stafford company. Driver needed to run errands approx. 30 hrs per week Mon-Thur. Must have valid driver’s license with clear driving record, knowledge of the Houston area and comfort with driving in Houston traffic, strong organizational and time management skills, excellent communication skills and a professional demeanor, and ability to lift and carry packages as necessary. Familiarity with basic warehouse operations and vehicle maintenance is a plus. Apply in person @ FireTron, 10101A Stafford Centre Dr, Stafford, TX 77477.
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:
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
Expertise Matters When You Need
BACK AND NECK CARE
Spine Specialists Serving Fort Bend County and Surrounding Areas
If you suffer from back and neck pain, Houston Methodist Neuroscience & Spine Center at Sugar Land delivers comprehensive spine care with treatment options ranging from nonsurgical and minimally invasive procedures to highly complex spine surgery. Whether you are experiencing everyday discomfort or severe pain from a significant condition or injury, our spine specialists offer advanced, personalized care — so you can get back to an active life.
At Houston Methodist Sugar Land, you’ll have access to:
A multidisciplinary team of board-certified doctors and specialists
