The 08-30-23 Edition of The Fort Bend Star

George Ranch bests Foster in thriller to highlight Week 1 action - Page 3

Planned Community Developers announces plans for Lake Pointe Plaza

By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

Since the Fluor corporation made the long anticipated announcement in May that it was leaving its Houston-area headquarters in Sugar Land, there was much speculation about what would become of the vast campus in the Lake Pointe area.

That uncertainty was somewhat put to rest last week when Planned Community Developers, a company with deep roots in Sugar Land, announced plans to transform the 53-acre site into a modern mixed-used development called Lake Pointe Plaza meant to capitalize on the latest trends in suburban development.

Representatives of the company, which previously developed the 10,000-acre First Colony housing development, Sugar Land Town Square and the adjacent Lake Pointe Town Center, and Gensler, the lead planner on the project. gave an extensive presentation on the proposal during a City Council meeting on Aug. 22.

“Guided by Gensler, the master plan for Lake Pointe Plaza thoughtfully integrates innovative concepts inspired by the site’s extensive waterfront. Prominent elements encompass an interactive wharf dining experience with piers and bridges extending into Brooks Lake, novel highdensity residential offerings, diverse entertainment venues, mature tree-lined streets, an array of walking trails and parks, and a captivating ‘beacon’ lighting theme,” PCD said in a press release that went out the day before the City Council meeting.

Fort Bend ISD calls for second tax rate election in two years

By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

A year after failing in a voter-approved tax rate election, the Fort Bend ISD board is trying again after calling for a 4-cents-per-$100 increase in the ad valorum tax last week.

Citing the continuing uncertainty over whether the Texas Legislature will increase the basic allotment received by public school districts while also imposing new mandates like having armed

security officers at every campus, FBISD officials made the case to the board over the past few weeks that a voterapproved tax rate election, or VATRE, was necessary this year.

In a highly polarizing election last November, voters rejected a proposition that would have kept the tax rate at its current level but allowed the district to make use of socalled “golden pennies” in its future budgets. District officials said the rejected VATRE would mean that the district

would have to make drastic budget cuts, including thenproposed raises for teachers in a highly competitive job market.

Since then, the district has made good on that prediction, making deep budget cuts that have fallen heavily on the administrative side.

In May, voters overwhelmingly approved the district’s $1.26 billion bond referendum, the largest in Fort Bend ISD’s history. That feat, however, weighed on some board mem-

bers’ deliberations on whether to call for a tax rate increase or by how much, wondering if voters’ appetite for approving more money for the district might wane.

District staff laid out several proposals for a VATRE, ranging from 2 to 5 cents per $100 valuation, and breaking

Needville Little League thankful for support in LLWS run

By Landan Kuhlmann LKUHLMANN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

Needville Little League baseball coach Andy McRae is a native of the town, with generations of his family having been born, raised, and lived in the little town situated near the southern edge of Fort Bend County. He knows firsthand how tight knit the community is.

But what’s happened during his team’s run to the Little League World Series, he said, was beyond most anything even he could imagine.

“It was just really huge.

I can’t say enough about how the city of Needville was,” McRae said Monday from a shuttle bus as the team returned home from Williamsport. “The support was beyond belief. People say that we put it on the map, and maybe we did for a little while.”

The Needville team returned Monday from Williamsport, Pennsylvania – the annual home of the Little League World Series, where Needville recently represented the Southwest region against the best that Little League Baseball had to offer. Needville made it all the way to championship

game in the United States bracket before falling 6-1 last Saturday against El Segundo Little League from California. The team would then also lose 10-0 on Sunday to Chinese Taipei in the LLWS third-place game.

Despite the ultimate end result, however, McRae said that the pride he and the city of Needville feels for their hometown team is immeasurable after what felt like a surreal summer. After all, the team finished the season as the second-best team in the United States and the

Needville Little League (seen in this team photo) recently completed their run at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. Needville finished as the United States runner-up. Contributed photo.

The ShackBurger, fries, and vanilla milkshake at the new Shake Shack in Sugar Land - page 8

From playing and press conferences to meeting players from around the world and more, Needville manager Andy McRae said the World Series experience was one the players won’t seen forget. Contributed photo.

fourth-best team in the world.

“It’s been a great summer; we’ve been with these boys for years. To see it pay off and go through the thing that we went though is a best case scenario,” McRae said Monday. Over the last two weeks, the boys from Needville played six times against top competition, winning their first four games in Williamsport before falling to El Segundo and Chinese Taipei. Before advancing to Williamsport, Needville had to make it through a regional tournament and several other steps in order to represent their city and state on Little League Baseball’s biggest stage.

And all of those accomplishments came from a small town in southern Fort Bend County with a population of just a little over 3,000 people. But though they might be smaller in size, McRae said the support they received was mighty.

“It was bigger (for the community) than I thought it would be,” he said. “It’s brought the community together, and the support they’ve shown us have been beyond expectation.”

down both the benefits those would bring to the district and the impact each woudl have for the average taxpayer.

Of particular concern to Superintendent Christie Whitbeck and her administration is increasing teachers’ salaries, especially for new teachers, in a job market that is straining for new educators in the wake of the COVID pandemic. Fort Bend ISD, one of the largest districts in the state, ranks behind most of its

“The vision is to fully activate the water frontage through kayaking, paddle boards and water cycles, providing an unparalleled experience that sets Lake Pointe Plaza apart,” the release stated.

Among the tenants PCD is

It didn’t come just from Needville, either. McRae said they felt support from places such as Sugar Land, Rosenberg, Richmond, and on into Houston. From end to end in Fort Bend County, everyone was behind the boys from Needville.

“Congratulations to the Needville Little League for their remarkable performance at the Little League World Series,” County Judge KP George tweeted early Sunday morning ahead of the LLWS’ third-place game. “You’ve made Fort Bend County proud.”

And that pride, McRae said, was another high for his team.

“It’s amazing that we can help people have that pride, and that was the best part of it,” he said.

It took a whole team, McRae said, and one that played for each other – one that had each other’s’ backs at every turn and through any adversity.

“Maybe it’s a once in a lifetime thing, but these boys are all just really good players too. They all came together and they like each other and the play for each other. It’s a great soup, and somehow we made it,” he said. “The experience itself shows that when you put your mind to something and set a goal to make, you can

peer districts in the Houston area for teacher salaries, the adminstrators said.

During the August 24 meeting, Position 7 board member David Hamilton, one of the most fiscally conservative members of the board, moved to call for a 4-cent increase. Position 1 member Angie Hanan strenuously called for a 5-cent increase, saying the district could no longer afford to not increase salaries and maintain a high level of education for its students.

After much discussion, board members mostly set -

targeting for the development are high-density middlemarket housing, luxury residential units for sale and lease, Class A boutique office space, medical and life sciences facilities, a 4-star hotel with conference center and exhibition hall, waterfront retail, restaurants and entertainment venues.

Reached by phone after the City Council meeting, Jans-

make it. It shows if you put your mind to things and do hard work, it pays off.”

And beyond the game, he said the Williamsport experience is something many can only dream about. From the kids signing autographs themselves to meeting other kids from around the world, from learning about other cultures to connecting through their shared passion of baseball, he said it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that few can put into words.

It’s an experience, he said, that will never be forgotten on several levels.

“There’s a lot of things that they learned in that experience. It’s something you can

talk about, but they got to experience it,” he said.

Now they’re home, fresh off cementing themselves as one of the best Little League teams in the world and an experience McRae said he and his boys will not soon forget.

Neither, he said, will they forget the passion and support they had, which made a Williamsport, PA stadium sitting nearly 1,600 miles from the small town in Fort Bend County feel like home.

“Knowing that we live in a community that will support kids in doing what they love to do, is amazing,” he said. That they support us, it means the world, and it meant the world to the boys.”

Needville LL Coaching Staff

Manager: Andy McRae

Coach: Clint Jablonski

Coach: Joey Benge

Roster

Jakolby White

Heath Filipp

Jagger McRae

Dalyn Martin

Easton Benge

Cade Hammonds

D.J. Jablonski

Colten Georgi

Michael Raven

Jayson Arispe

Easton Ondruch

Corbin Riddle

tled on a 4-cent increase. But Position 6 member Kristen Davison Malone, expressing some misgivings about whether the bond could pass voter muster without a unified consensus among the board members, added an amendment that called for a special meeting for the members to thrash out how the VATRE money would be spent if passed.

That meeting was held Friday night, but because a decision item was not properly posted, no vote could be taken. Another meeting was to be scheduled, after the Fort Bend Star’s print deadline.

sen told the Fort Bend Star that PCD had already been in discussions with the site’s current owner, Maxxam, Inc., when Flour announced in May it was leaving the Sugar Land complex where it had based its Houston-area operations since the mid-1980s. The engineering and design services firm plans to move into a more modern building in Houston’s Energy Corridor by the second quarter of 2024.

Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District No. 26

Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Rate

The Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District No. 26 will hold a public hearing on a proposed tax rate for the tax year 2023 on September 20, 2023 at 5:30 p.m. at 14730 Fondren Road, Missouri City, TX 77489. 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.

FOR the proposal: Demonica Johnson, Charles Benton, Kevin Wheeler & Toxie Cockrell

AGAINST the proposal: None

PRESENT and not voting: Frederick L. Walker, Sr.

ABSENT: None

The following table compares taxes on an average residence homestead in this taxing unit last year to taxes proposed on the average residence homestead this year.

Missouri City library to host workshop on exploring emotions through painting

Staff Reports

Fort Bend County Libraries’ Missouri City Branch Library will present a special art class for adults, “Feeling Blue, Painting Red: Unlocking Emotions Through Paint,” on Saturday, September 2, from 2-3:30 p.m., in the Meeting Room of the library, 1530 Texas Parkway.

In this workshop, watercolor artist Katie Steck incorporates her love of art with elements from her master’s degree in clinical psychology. Attendees will learn the basics of watercolor painting and get tips on regulating one’s emotions while exploring and painting one’s emotional landscapes.

Steck holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology and works in somatosensory

research and has always had a love for art. She combines mindfulness techniques with watercolor to explore the self and create something joyful. She volunteers for the Watercolor Art Society – Houston.

Examples of Steck’s art will be on display throughout the library.

Materials and refreshments for this program are made possible by the support of the Friends of the Missouri City Branch Library. Proceeds from the Friends of the Library book sales and annual membership dues help to underwrite the costs of special programming and various cultural events at the library.

The class is free and open to the public. Seating is limited, however, and reservations are required. To register on-

line at the library’s website (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us), click on “Classes & Events,” select “Missouri City Branch Library,” and find the program. Participants may also register by calling the library at 281-238-2100, or by visiting the library.

NOTICE OF TAXPAYERS’ RIGHT TO ELECTION TO REDUCE TAX RATE

If the district adopts a combined debt service, operation and maintenance, and contract tax rate that would result in the taxes on the average residence homestead increasing by more than eight percent, the qualified voters of the district by petition may require that an election be held to determine whether to reduce the operation and maintenance tax rate to the voter-approval tax rate under Section 49.23603, Water Code. 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.

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.

Utility Tax Service, LLC (713) 688-3855

HOME IMPROVEMENT

This rendering by Gensler depicts conceptual plans for Lake Pointe Plaza, a planned mixed-use development announced last week by Planned Community Developers. Courtesy Gensler

Watercolor artist Katie Steck will present a workshop on exploring emotions through painting at the Missouri City branch library on Sept. 2. Courtesy Fort Bend County Libraries

George Ranch bests Foster in thriller to highlight Week 1 action

By Landan Kuhlmann LKUHLMANN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

Week 1 of the Fort Bend County high school football season kicked off last weekend, with every team sharing the same dream of hosting a state championship trophy at season’s end. And a thriller between two local teams highlighted the action from Week 1. In a battle of Fort Bend County teams, the most exciting game of the week was a tight, tense one between George Ranch and Foster, with the Longhorns coming out on top with a 38-37 overtime victory over the Falcons It was a back and forth game, with Foster jumping out to a 17-0 lead early before George Ranch scored 31 unanswered points to lead 31-17 with just over two minutes remaining. Foster would then score a pair of rushing touchdowns in the game’s final minutes to send it into overtime.

The teams then traded scores in the extra period, but George Ranch was able to stymie the Falcons’ twopoint conversion attempt to hold on for the win.

Senior running back Jaden Shelton led the way for George Ranch’s offensive attack in this one, rushing for 133 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries in game. Hayden Drinkard was also an offensive catalyst for the Longhorns, rushing 12 times for 57 yards and a touchdown to go along with a 70-yard receiving score. On the defensive side, defensive lineman Chase Adams had both a fumble return and interception return for scores along with seven tackles.

Receiver Jack Den herder was the star of the night for Foster in hauling in nine catches for 140 yards and two

touchdowns. Meanwhile, Coltin Welker, Deadric Hubbard, and Kameron Moore each rushed for at least 50 yards as part of a game that saw the Falcons accrue more than 400 yards of total offense.

Elsewhere in the Class 6A local landscape, Clements shut out Rosenberg Terry 140 in a defensive battle that didn’t see any points scored until the second half. Isaac Ahmed (8 tackles, 2 TFL) and Denzel Nzewi (10 tackles) led the Rangers’ defensive effort, while Bryce Mathews, Fanon Cross, and Mitchell Taylor all had six tackles apiece. Ahmed, Nzewi, and John Lewis also each recovered a fumble as Clements had its first defensive shutout in two years.

Class 5A

Traditional 5A power Marshall also needed overtime in its opener, taking down Klein by a score of 21-15 last week.

Quarterback Caleb Wright threw touchdown passes to JaKayden Ferguson and Andre Feast – the overtime game winner – in the game for Marshall, while Will Mitchell rushed for a touchdown.

Randle got their season off to a hot start with a 47-0 win over Pasadena Memorial last week. Sophomore quarterback Tyler Skrabanek led the way for the Lions with 204 yards and three touchdowns through the air, while six different players found the end zone for Randle in the victory.

Cortney Brown (89 yards, TD) and DeMeco Harvey (99 yards, TD) led the receiving corps for Randle, while Sean Smith and Landen CallisWilliams each rushed for a touchdown.

Luke Maxson shined for Kempner despite the Cougars’ season-opening 50-20 loss to Santa Fe, hauling in five catches for 194 yards and

a touchdown

In another battle of local teams, Willowridge won its season opener with a 28-27 victory over Lamar Consolidated last week.

Class 4A

The Stafford Spartans got their season off to a good start last week, taking down Port Lavaca Calhoun 24-19 in their season open-

Below is this week’s full schedule for local teams, as well as a rundown of last week’s scores:

This week’s schedule

Thursday

Dulles vs. Cy Woods, 7 p.m., Mercer Stadium

Elkins vs. Montgomery Lake Creek, 7 p.m., Hall Stadium

Foster vs. Travis, 7 p.m., Traylor Stadium

Kempner at Pasadena Memorial, 7 p.m., Veterans Memorial Stadium

George Ranch at Katy Taylor, 7 p.m., Rhodes Stadium

Friday

Austin vs. Westbury, 7 p.m., Mercer Stadium

Marshall vs. Crosby, 7 p.m., Hall Stadium

Lamar Consolidated vs. Terry, 7 p.m., Traylor Stadium

Randle vs. Fort Bend Christian Academy, 7 p.m., Randle High School

Stafford vs. Bellville, 7:30 p.m., Stafford High School

Willowridge at Friendswood, 7 p.m., Henry Winston Stadium

Bush at Magnolia West, 7 p.m., Magnolia West High School

Saturday

Fulshear vs. Clements, 6 p.m., Traylor Stadium

Ridge Point vs. Dickinson, 7 p.m., Hall Stadium

Hightower vs. Spring Westfield, 7 p.m., Mercer Stadium

Fort Bend ISD

Career & Technical Education

Career and Technical Education Methods of Administration (MOA)

Noti cación Publica de No Discriminación en Programas de Educación Técnica y Vocacional

El Distrito Escolar Independiente de Fort Bend ofrece programas de educación técnica y vocacional en Agricultura, Alimento y los Recursos Naturales, Arquitectura y Construcción, Artes en Tecnología y las Comunicaciones de Audio/Visual, Educación y Entrenamiento de Negocios, Finanzas, Ciencias de la Salud, Hospitalidad y Turismo, Servicios Humanos, Tecnología Informática, Ley y Seguridad Pública, Producción en Fábricas, Mercadotécnia, Ciencias-Tecnología-Ingeniería-Matemáticas (STEM por sus siglas en inglés), Transportación, Distribución y Logísticas. La admisión a estos programas está basada en la selección de cursos del alumno y previamente haber completado satisfactoriamente los cursos requeridos.

Es norma de Distrito Escolar Independiente de Fort Bend 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 Distrito Escolar Independiente de Fort Bend 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.

Distrito Escolar Independiente de Fort Bend 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 del programa de educación técnica y vocacional, (dirección de holly.robles@fortbendisd.com, 281-634-7232, y/o el Coordinador de la Sección 504 en Ronje.Gonzales@fortbendisd.com, 281-634-1242.

of Administration (MOA)

and

er. Quarterback Kamare Shorts completed 12 of 17 passes for 229 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Christopher Gardner-Holland led

Last week’s scores

George Ranch 38, Foster 37

Clements 14, Terry 0

the Spartans’ receiving corps with three catches for 131 yards and two scores – including a 70-yard catchand-run on Stafford’s first offensive play.

Willowridge 28, Lamar Consolidated 27

Elkins 53, Bellaire 7

Travis 26, Spring 23

Randle 47, Pasadena Memorial 0

Hightower 20, Pearland Dawson 19

Fulshear 51, Strake Jesuit 23

Marshall 21, Klein 15

Stafford 19, Calhoun 14

Sante Fe 50, Kempner 20

Clear Lake 50, Dulles 0

Austin Westlake 31, Ridge Point 21

Alief Elsik 21, Austin 14

Cypress Springs 34, Bush 3

Fort Bend ISD

Career & Technical Education

Career and Technical Education

Methods of Administration (MOA)

Annual Public Noti cation of Nondiscrimination

Fort Bend ISD offers career and technical education programs in Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, Architecture and Construction, Arts and Audio Video, Business Marketing and Finance, Education and Training, Health Science, Hospitality and Tourism, Human Services, Information Technology, Law and Public Services, Manufacturing, STEM, Transportation, Distribution and Logistics. Admission to these programs is based on student course selection and appropriate completion of pre-requisite coursework.

It is the policy of Fort Bend ISD 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 Fort Bend ISD 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.

Fort Bend ISD 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 holly.robles@fortbendisd.com, 281-634-7232, and/or the Section 504 Coordinator at Ronje.Gonzales@fortbendisd.com, 281-634-1242.

George Ranch football coach Nicholas Cavallo speaks to his team during a practice. The Longhorns won a 38-37 overtime thriller last week against Foster to highlight Fort Bend County’s Week 1 football action. Photo from Twitter

By Lynn Ashby ASHBY2@COMCAST.NET

MY OFFICE --

Among the many family photos I have on my wall -- true, some are front and side shots with numbers across their chests -- is this one, taken on Sept. 3, 1900. It’s of locomotive number 183, with a coal car and several cars behind. Lined up in front are the train’s crew, including Walter Lynn Cox, the 19-year-old conductor, my maternal grandfather. He gradually worked his way up the corporate ladder, one stop being the conductor on the Houston-to-Dallas passenger route. That’s a novel idea, running a

Tale of two cities

passenger train between these two major Texas cities. Actually, at one time there were several trains making that route each way daily.

Now, once again, there is a proposal to run a bullet train between Houston and Dallas. We’ve heard this plan trotted out more than proposals to rehabilitate the Astrodome. The route would be approximately 240 miles long with a travel time of less than 90 minutes. They would use a Japanese bullet train traveling up to 205 mph (maybe slower in Texas). There are problems – like money. The project was to be privately funded, but now Amtrak is aboard, so to speak, and that means federal funds. My fellow taxpayers be wary: The cost was originally put at $10 billion. Now it’s $30 billion. The 500-mile long bullet train between Los Angeles and San Francisco was sold to the voters in 2008 as costing $33 billion. The estimate now is $105 billion.

The railroad company, Texas Central, already owes $623,000 in delinquent property taxes from 2022 and has not secured some of the pro -

posed sites for its stations. Construction was to begin in 2021 and end in 2026. The current timeframe is unclear, so don’t pack your bags just yet. But let’s hope this new bullet train works. It would be far better than what we have now. In 1998 I rode Amtrak from Houston to Dallas just to see what it was like.

I took the Sunset Limited to San Antonio at 11:05 p.m., arrived in San Antonio at 3:40 a.m. There was a three hour-and-40-minute wait in the San Antonio depot in the middle of the night. The Amtrak Eagle got to Dallas at 3:55 p.m. So the trip from Houston to Dallas took about 17 hours.

A bullet train between these two cities would link Houston and Dallas in many ways, yet both cities already have much in common. Our last names are Texas. We have the same governor, U.S. senators and legislature. We both have NFL teams. The Dallas Cowboys have played in eight Super Bowls and won five of them. Houston’s teams have, uh, moving on, Big D has the State Fair of Texas. We have the rodeo. We have River Oaks and they have Highland Park, but it’s a

713-433-6421

14700 Almeda Rd Houston, TX 77053 www.HoustonHumane.org

Hi there, my name is Donut!

DONUT

I am an incredibly photogenic cat who adores flashing a smile whenever I spot a camera.

I also have a penchant for stretching my back quite often on people’s laps. I am just the sweetest cat ever who is great with other cats and kids too. Feel free to drop by HHS to meet me and, who knows, perhaps even consider adopting me! ADOPT DONUT!

separate town with its own outstanding school district. Both have excellent private universities: SMU and Rice. Both cities have world famous historical sites. H-Town has the San Jacinto Battlefield. Dallas has Dealey Plaza and the Texas School Book Depository. Incidentally, that city up north will forever be linked with JFK’s assassination, but nobody ever mentions the Presidential assassination in Buffalo (one) or that Washington, D.C. had two. Houston was named for the victor at San Jacinto and the first president of Texas. Dallas was named for somebody, no one is sure, but I think it took the name of a 1980s TV show.

When it comes to air traffic, Big D is bigger. Dallas and its Sancho Panza, Fort Worth, share the D/FW airport. It covers 17,207 acres and is larger than Manhattan. The airport is so big it has its own ZIP code. Houston has the George H.W. Bush Intergalactic Airport & Bait Camp. It covers 11,000 acres which is the size of Wall Street. But note that Dallas has not produced anyone important enough to carry its airport’s name. (When

travelers go from Houston’s Mickey Leland Complex to Love Field, do they realize both were named for people who died in plane crashes? Gives a whole new meaning to the word “terminal.”)

Here’s an interesting point: Restaurants in the Metroplex could well put up signs in their restrooms: “Please flush -- Houston needs the water.”

According to a National Academy of Sciences study, during summers almost all of the Trinity River, which is Houston’s main water supply, is wastewater discharged from Dallas and Fort Worth.

Yuk! A factual note: When we speak of Dallas or Houston this can mean the whole area. NASA is not in Houston, neither is the San Jacinto Battlefield. SMU is in University Park. The University of Houston is in Houston. The University of Texas at Dallas is in Richardson and Dallas University is in Irving.

Houston is much older than Dallas. In 1841, John Neely Bryan planted a stake in the ground near the Trinity River and called it (his town, not the stake) Dallas. By that time, Houston was a booming metropolis. OK,

a few mud huts, but it was the capital of Texas. Dallas is 385.9 square miles. Houston is 665 square miles. Dallas cannot grow in area as it is surrounded by suburbs. Houston can and does grow by annexation. But it costs more to advertise on a Dallas TV station than it does one in Houston. Because of the Metroplex, Dallas is Number five in media markets, Houston is number eight. In population, there are 1.2 million Dallasites and 2.2 million Houstonians, but the City of Dallas lost 14,777 people between 2020 and 2021, according to a U.S. Census report. The City of Houston had 11,777 fewer residents as of July 1, 2021, than it did a year earlier. However, both cities’ suburbs are growing mightily. Indeed, Fort Bend County is one of the fastest growing counties in the nation.

So there we have it, Big D versus the Bayou City. Lots of similarities. Actually, we get along like brothers: Cain and Abel, but no astronaut ever said, “Dallas, the Eagle has landed.”

Ashby is bi-city at ashby2@ comcast.net

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Drymalla Construction Company, LLC (CM at Risk) is soliciting Qualifications/Proposals from Subcontractors/Suppliers for the Lamar Consolidated ISD Gene Tomas High School and Ella Banks Junior High - Bid Package #4. Project consists of a new Junior High Facility and REBID of selective scopes as described in the bid packages on the new Tomas High School. Refer to the Project Documents for a full description of scope. Qualifications/Proposals are due at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, September 20, 2023 at the offices of Drymalla Construction Company, LLC, 608 Harbert, Columbus, Texas 78934, via fax 979-732-3663, or email to bid@drymalla.com. NO PHONE BIDS WILL BE ACCEPTED. For information on how to obtain copies of the Request for Qualifications/Proposal documents call 979-732-5731, or email Bobby Truchard at btruchard@drymalla.com. Documents are also available online at planroom.drymalla.com.

Water District Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Rate

Hearing on Tax Rate

Water District Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Rate

The

The FORT BEND COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NO. 24 will hold a public hearing on a proposed tax rate for the tax year 2022 on Thursday, September 01, 2022 at 12:00 P.M. at the office of Allen Boone Humphries Robinson LLP, 3200 Southwest Freeway, Suite 2600 Houston, TX, 77027.

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.

Water District Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Rate

The FORT BEND COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NO. 24 will hold a public hearing proposed tax rate for the tax year 2022 on Thursday, September 01, 2022 at 12:00 P.M. at Allen Boone Humphries Robinson LLP, 3200 Southwest Freeway, Suite 2600 Houston, TX, Your individual taxes may increase at a greater or lesser rate, or even decrease, depending rate that is adopted and on the change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the taxable value of all other property. The change in the taxable value of your property in relation change in the taxable value of all other property determines the distribution of the tax burden property owners.

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.

FOR the proposal: Barbara Rozell, Keli M Schroeder, Deborah Depinet, Brandyn Cottingham

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/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.

AGAINST the proposal: NONE

PRESENT and not voting: NONE

FOR the proposal: Tara Wagner, Mike Ware, Lynn Macko, Gary Leist

ABSENT: Robby McGinnis

AGAINST the proposal: None

PRESENT and not voting: None

ABSENT: Stephen LeGrue

The following table compares taxes on an average residence homestead in this taxing unit last year to taxes proposed on the average residence homestead this year.

on a proposed tax rate for the tax year 2023 on Wednesday, September 20, 2023, at 4:00 p.m. at Lake Olympia Civic Association, 180 Island Boulevard, Missouri City, Texas 77459. 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/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.

Visit Texas.gov/PropertyTaxes to find a link to your local property tax database on which you access information regarding your property taxes, including information about proposed tax scheduled public hearings of each entity that taxes your property.

FOR the proposal: Barbara Rozell, Keli M Schroeder, Deborah Depinet, Brandyn Cottingham AGAINST the proposal: NONE

FOR the proposal: James Wagner, Billy Siems, Christina Nance, Bob Butzke, Lawrence Bell

PRESENT and not voting: NONE

ABSENT: Robby McGinnis

AGAINST the proposal: None

The following table compares taxes on an average residence homestead in this taxing unit last year to taxes proposed on the average residence homestead this year.

NOTICE OF TAXPAYERS’ RIGHT TO ELECTION TO REDUCE TAX RATE

If the district adopts a combined debt service, operation and maintenance, and contract tax rate that would result in the taxes on the average residence homestead increasing by more than 8 percent, the qualified voters of the district by petition may require that an election be held to determine whether to reduce the operation and maintenance tax rate to the voter-approval tax rate under Section 49.23603, Water Code.

The following table compares taxes on an average residence homestead in this taxing unit taxes proposed on the average residence homestead this year.

PRESENT and not voting: None

ABSENT: None

The following table compares taxes on an average residence homestead in this taxing unit last year to taxes proposed on the average residence homestead this year.

65 years of age or older or disabled person’s

If the district adopts a combined debt service, operation and maintenance, and contract tax rate that would result in the taxes on the average residence homestead increasing by more than 8 percent, the qualified voters of the district by petition may require that an election be held to determine whether to reduce the operation and maintenance tax rate to the voter-approval tax rate under Section 49.23603, Water Code.

RIGHT TO ELECTION TO REDUCE TAX RATE

If the district adopts a combined debt service, operation and maintenance, and contract tax would result in the taxes on the average residence homestead increasing by more than 8 percent, qualified voters of the district by petition may require that an election be held to determine whether reduce the operation and maintenance tax rate to the voter-approval tax rate under Section Water Code.

If the district adopts a combined debt service, operation and maintenance, and contract tax rate that would result in the taxes on the average residence homestead increasing by more than 8 percent, the qualified voters of the district by petition may require that an election be held to determine whether to reduce the operation and maintenance tax rate to the voter-approval tax rate under Section 49.23603, Water Code.

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.

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.

Should you have any questions concerning this notice, please contact the tax office at 281-482-0216.

The 86th Texas Legislature modified the manner in which the voter-approval tax rate is calculated limit the rate of growth of property taxes in the state.

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.

at 281-482-0216.

Should you have any questions concerning this notice, please contact the tax office at 281-482-0216.

ONGOING

THE ADVENTURE BEGINS FOR A GIRL WHEN A NEW TROOP IS FORMED!

Girl Scout Sign-Up Days for GIRLS, gr K to 12 First Colony and surrounding areas: Telfair, Avalon, Riverstone, Commonwealth, Dulles Sat., Aug. 26, 10:30am, First Colony Library Wed., Aug. 30, 6:30pm, St Laurence Catholic Church-Parish Hall

Wed., Sept 6, 6:30pm, Jacks Conference Center email us: gstroop.organizer@gmail.com

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. 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

By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

I’ve always been a burger guy. Since I was a kid, I’ve never lost my affection for what might be America’s favorite sandwich, and Jimmy Buffet’s “Cheeseburger in Paradise”, that tribute to culinary hedonism, is just a great song no matter how many times you hear it.

Of course, not all hamburgers are made alike, and you can sometimes come across one that doesn’t quite cut the mustard, as it were.

In the past decade or so, there have been several highend burger chains opening up across the country. I’ve also always been partial to milkshakes, so when Shake Shack announced it was opening a location in Sugar Land, I was pretty excited.

According to the company’s website, the Shake Shack began a quarter-century ago as a single food cart at New York City’s Madison Square Garden and quickly caught grew. The

I’m pretty sure this was my first visit to the chain, and I have to say I am impressed. The restaurant in the Town Center shopping center has a very clean, modern feel with some homey touches, including handsome wood-plank walls, open ductwork above, and large, comfortable booths. The new Sugar Land location also has a large mural adorning one wall with scenes from around the city, including the Imperial Sugar char house and City Hall, and also, for some reason, the Space Shuttle.

The ordering process is somewhat new-fangled. Patrons can order their meals at a kiosk near the front entrance, or else be waited on at the counter. The burger options are many, with different toppings, and the meat-based ones all have Angus beef. There are also chicken sandwiches, chicken “bites,” hot dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches. Just to throw in something for the health-conscious, there is also a Veggie Burger. And,

Shake Shack

Address: 2515 Town

Center Blvd N, Sugar Land

Hours: 7 a.m.-6 p.m. all

week

Kid-friendly: Yes

Alcohol: Yes

Senior discount: No

Healthy options: Yes

(Veggie Burger)

Star of the show:

ShackBurger

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

of course, given the name, Shake Shack offers milkshakes galore, as well as floats and frozen custards.

Since it was my first time, I went with the basic ShackBurger, along with

the regular crispy cut fries and a vanilla shake. I had deliberated over whether I should order single or double patties, and went with just

one. The burger, while excellent, was something on the smallish side and I wished that I’d gone with the double. Next time.

Review: Shake Shack is where good burgers are at • FORTBENDSTAR. COM •

All in all, though, Shake Shack offers an excellent low-frill hamburger experience in a very comfortable setting. It’s worth a visit.

The ShackBurger, fries, and vanilla milkshake at the new Shake Shack in Sugar Land are exactly what you’d expect. Photo by Ken Fountain