Taral Patel, the Democratic candidate for Fort Bend County Precinct 3 Commissioner, was indicted September 3 by a Fort Bend County grand jury on four felony counts of online impersonation and four misdemeanor counts of online misrepresentation of identity related to his race for the commissioner’s court seat.
The indictments cap a nearly year-long investigation by the Public Integrity Office of the Fort Bend District Attorney’s Office and the Texas Rangers of Patel, a former chief of staff to County Judge KP George and Biden White House employee who scored a slim majority in a five-person Democratic primary in March.
Patel is set to be arraigned on the misdemeanor counts on Friday and on the felony charges on September 23.
Patel, who is an IndianAmerican and a Hindu, was arrested and charged in June with felony and misdemeanor counts of online impersonation and misrepresentation relating to allegedly creating another false Facebook account, under the name “Antonio Scalywag” and using a photo of another county resident, Patrick Ernst, in order to post false, racist messages about himself and others related to the campaign. Before last week’s indictments, news had dribbled out about subsequent search warrants seeking online, phone, and computer records in the investigation, including allegations that Patel had created a false Facebook account under the name of of 240th District Court Judge Surrendran Pattel and used it to create a false one-on-chat with the judge to show that the judge “had hostility toward Taral Patel and Fort Bend County Judge KP George.”
“Patel” and “Pattel” are variations of a common surname among South Asians and people of South Asian descent. The two men are not related.
In the felony indictments handed down last week, Patel is accused of creating false online personas using the names or likenesses of five people: Emst (under the name “Antonio Scalywag”); Pattell; Paul Rosenstein, a former county employee; Patrick
CenterPoint to host open house in Missouri City on Sept. 14 Staff Reports
Following the turmoil thousands of Fort Bend County residents felt when they didn’t have electrical power for several days in the wake of Hurricane Beryl in July, CenterPoint Energy a is hosting a Community Open House on Saturday, September 14, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. The event will be held at the Landmark Community Center, 100 Louisiana Street in Missouri City. The event is one of 19 open
house events the company, which is the primary electricity utility for the region, is holding across the greater Houston area through the end of September.
“The company’s open house events, which are being held in every county across Greater Houston, are designed to elicit customer feedback concerning the company’s response to Hurricane Beryl, as well as to provide a forum to communicate the specific actions CenterPoint is taking to improve future storm response
as part of its Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative,” the company said in a news release. CenterPoint has experienced much criticism from the general public and lawmakers and other officials for its response to power outages after Beryl, which slammed into the Texas Gulf Coast near Matagorda in the early morning hours of July 8 and aimed directly at the Houston area. Although it was a Category 1 storm, the least severe in the classification system, its winds caused
tremendous devastation, includes the downing of many transmission lines. Full restoration of power did not occur for about a week. Fort Bend County was one of most severely impacted counties in the region.
“We have heard the calls for change, and we are taking action now,” CenterPoint President and CEO Jason Wells said in the release. “As part of our commitment to improving, we are encouraging all of our customers to share their experiences dur-
ing Hurricane Beryl, as well as their ideas for how we can do better.”
Attendees of the open house will have opportunities to demonstrate CenterPoint’s new Outage Tracker and sign up for the Power Alert Service to stay better informed about outages before, during and after a storm. Along with CenterPoint representatives, local organizations will be on hand to help customers to prepare for storms and create personalized emergency plans.
FBISD board discusses removing schools as polling sites
By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
During an agenda review workshop meeting on Monday, three members of the Fort Bend ISD board argued that the district should not make its campuses available as polling elections in the upcoming election, despite a state law requiring the district to do so.
Position 7 trustee and board president David Hamilton, Position 5 trustee Sonya Jones, and Position 2 trustee Adam Schoof raised concerns over safety issues and an ongoing Texas Education Agency investigation of allegations of electioneering of the district during last November’s successful Voter-Approved Tax Rate Election as reasons for making campuses unavailable.
Like school districts across the state and nation, Fort Bend ISD campuses have traditionally been used as polling locations for both early voting and on election days. Early voting in this year’s elections at the federal and state levels, including the highly contested presidential election, begins on October 21 with Election Day on November 5.
In June, the TEA notified Fort Bend ISD that it is investigating two separate complaints, one of which involves allegations that members of the administration of former Superintendent Christie Whitbeck “unlawfully incentivized students and
staff to vote in last year’s 2023 VATRE election and engaged in electioneering.”
In December, Whitbeck abruptly announced she was leaving the district in what was publicly framed as a voluntary retirement agreement. She was succeded in January by Superintendent Marc Smith. The second complaint involves allegations by former trustee Kristen Davison Malone that other members of the board violated the Open Meetings Act to oust Whitbeck and hire Smith to replace her. Both investigations are ongoing. Jones said she and Hamilton, who participated in the meeting virtually, wand more information the the “options” the district had with regard to making its buildings available as polling locations. Hamilton said it was unclear how the dis-
Staff Reports
Editor’s Note: In its “Economy at a Glance” report for September, the Greater Houston Partnership - the regional chamber of commerce - discusses the 10th anniversary of the “Fracking Bust,” an event that permanently changed the structure of the greater Houston region’s economy. The main body of the report is presented here with permission. Find the full report at houston.org.
The oil and gas industry no longer determine Houston’s fate. Other sectors, like aerospace, life sciences, global trade, logistics, and advanced manufacturing now play significant roles. However, traditional energy remains important, and it will for some time. And as the world moves to a low-carbon energy future, Houston has positioned itself to lead the transition. All these shifts have made
trict’s campus safety plans could be impacted by having people enter campuses to vote.
Coby Wilbanks, the district’s general counsel, told the board members that under a provision of the Texas Election Code, public facilities are required to make locations available as polling locations at the request of the entity administering elections - in this case, Fort Bend County. Wilbanks said the district works with the county during election cycles to ensure that the process operates smoothly.
“At the end of the day, there is a requirement that facilities be made available,” he said.
Wilbanks said district personnel inspect every facility chosen as a polling site to identify and mitigate against safety risks, a point that was echoed by
Fort Bend ISD Police Chief David Rider. Rider added that the district works with other law enforcement agencies to enhance security at polling locations.
Jones raised the TEA electioneering investigation, saying that her primary concern was that those incidents allegedly involved district personnel. “I don’t think it’s appropriate at this time” to offer voting at the sites were the incidents allegedly occurred, she said.
In what she called a clarification, Position X trustee Angie Hanan noted that the TEA investigation involved alleged behavior by staff which have nothing to do with polling sites. Hanan said that other activities like school plays draw large numbers of people at one time, but there was no discussion of calling off those kinds of events.
“For the 30 years that I have been in this district, those campuses have been used,” she said. Elections may be the few times that people actually visit the district’s campuses, which she said promoted the district to the public. Furthermore, she said, allowing voting on campuses helps the district fulfill its mission of engaging students in the democratic process.
Answering a question from Hanan, Rider said that in his 15 years with the district, he could not recall a single major security incident during election times at district campuses. Position 4 Trustee Shirly Rose-Gilliam bluntly asked Rider, “Do we have to be afraid of going to vote and having all of our polls open? Do we have to be afraid?” “I would say no,” the chief responded. “I would say that we work with our partner agencies. We have a very competent emergency management division, that we’d be taking a very close look at every one of our polling locations. Just like we do every day, we’re going to make them as safe as we can possibly make them.” Bringing the discussion to a close, Position 6 trustee and board president Kristin Tassin, who is an attorney, said she could see no way around the fact that the district is required by law to make its facilities available. But she said she would confer with Smith about the safety and electioneering concerns raised and report back to the board.
Houston less vulnerable to the boom-and-bust cycles of the past and laid the foundation for future growth.
The Fracking Boom
The region boomed in the first half of the ’10s. From January ’10 to December ’14, Houston created 457,500 jobs, nearly as many as it creates in a typical decade. The metro area was one of the few bright spots in a
nation struggling to recover from the Global Financial Crisis. The U.S. lost nearly 8.7 million jobs during the meltdown. The unemployment rate hit 10.0 percent. Lenders foreclosed on 3.8 million homes. Over 320 banks failed. Houston wasn’t immune. The region lost 110,000 jobs; its unemployment rate peaked at 8.7 percent. Foreclosures weren’t
Taral
Application has been made with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for a Mixed Beverage License by FW Sienna LLC dba First Watch Daytime Café Missouri City to be located at 9004 Sienna Crossing Dr. Suite 200, Missouri City, Fort Bend County, Texas. Manager and officer of said LLC is Joseph M. Haik, President, Secretary & Treasurer.
Application has been made with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for a Mixed Beverage by Karma, LLC dba Karmas to be located at 4899 HWY 6, Suite 112 and 113. Missouri City, Fort Bend County, Texas. Officers of said corporation are Kimberly Singleton
Application has been made with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for a (MB) Mixed Beverage by Dog Haus Missouri City, LLC dba Dog Haus Biergarten, to be located at 5414 Hwy 6, Missouri City, Fort Bend, Texas. Members of said corporation are Dog Haus Management LLC, Member; Andre C. Vener, Managing Member; Hagop A. Giragossian, Managing Member and Quasim S. Riaz, Managing Member.
Rosenberg; Laura Blommaert (“Jennifer Tremaine”); and Gregg White (“Jane Donnie”).
The three misdemeanor charges relate to misrepresentation of identity under the false personas mentioned above, excluding Pattell.
The Fort Bend Star was unable to contact Patel for comment for this story. Frank Yeveryno, his hired defense attorney, told the Fort Bend Star he could not comment “at this time.”
Patel remains the Democratic candidate for the Precinct 3 seat, held for nearly three decades by Republican incumbent Andy Meyers. The statutory deadline for the Fort Bend Democratic Party to move to replace Patel in time for the November 5 election has passed, leaving the party few if any option to replace him.
Fred Taylor, the party chairman, told the Fort Bend Star on Thursday that he believed Patel was entitled to due process. He would not comment on Patel’s status as the party nominee. In June, around the time that the allegations against Patel were made public, Taylor sent an email to Democratic Party
members expressing his continued support for the candidate.
In August, Precinct 4 Commissioner Dexter McCoy, coincidentally also a former chief of staff to George, was the first Democratic elected official to call on Patel to step aside and for the Democrats to name a new candidate.
Last week, after the indictments were handed down, the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation, an affiliate of the national AFL-CIO, announced that it had voted to rescind its endorsement of Patel. Other people and entities who had previously endorsed Patel, including Fort Bend County Sheriff Ed Fagan, also reportedly decided to rescind their endorsements.
Meyers, who requested the investigation after Patel sent out campaign materials containing the purportedly false racist and xenophobic comments about himself, issued a statement on Wednesday.
“I will not tolerate racism, and I fight it whenever I encounter it. That is why I requested an investigation into the racist attacks on my opponent. Once these attacks became public, I became very concerned about
the fear and negative impacts they were having on our diverse community because my focus is on uniting communities, not dividing them,” Meyers said in the statement.
“I was also concerned about the negative impacts the racist attacks were having on the reputation of Fort Bend County, as I am always focused on ensuring Fort Bend is safe, family-friendly, and business-friendly. I was stunned when investigators with the District Attorney’s Office and the Texas Rangers concluded that Taral Patel was personally responsible for fabricating these racist statements and directing them at himself and the community,” he said.
“The grand jury returned an indictment which includes four felony and four misdemeanor charges, highlighting the severity of what Taral Patel is accused of doing,” Fort Bend County Republican Party Chairman Bobby Eberle said in an emailed statement. “Peddling fake racism in order to stoke racial division is despicable, and every single Democrat should denounce these actions.”
Fall book sale to be held at University Branch Library on Sept. 14
Community Reports
The Friends of the University Branch Library will host a Fall Book Sale on Saturday, September 14, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., in Meeting Room 1 of the library, 14010 University Blvd in Sugar Land, on the UH campus.
People who love books, people who love bargains, and people who need to get rid of some spare change will find a lot in common at the book sale, where they will discover adult and children's books, all at prices that are hard to beat.
Items of special interest at this book sale include: study guides for ACT, SAT, and graduate-school entrance exams; textbooks from elementary school to college level. Also featured: science fiction and fantasy, foreign language (especially Chinese, Vietnamese, and Hindi), digital photography how-to books, children's books (infant through Young Adult), plus history, classics, adult fiction, and much more.
Prices range from 50 cents to $2 , with special items slightly higher. Checks or cash are accepted; bills larger than $20 cannot be accepted. Donations of gently used books (fiction and nonfiction
adult, youth, and children's hardback and paperback books that are clean and not torn), CDs, DVDs are always welcome and may be taken to the library throughout the year during regular business hours. Textbooks published within the past five years are also accepted. Items that cannot be accepted include cassettes, VHS tapes, encyclopedias, magazines, medical/legal/ computer books older than 2019, or books that are damp, moldy, dirty, or insect-ridden.
The Friends of the
University Branch Library organization is a 501(c) (3) tax-exempt corporation. Donations and contributions to the Friends are tax-deductible.
The Friends of the University Branch Library organization helps library programs such as the children's Summer Reading Challenge. Proceeds from the book sale and annual membership dues also help to underwrite the costs of special programming and various cultural events at the University Branch Library.
Sugar Land secures 5-1 series win over Oklahoma City on Sunday
By Amanda Perry APERRY@ASTROS.COM
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Sugar Land Space Cowboys started the scoring early and never looked back as they took down the Oklahoma City Baseball Club in the series finale by a score of 7-2 on Sunday afternoon at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
On the first pitch RHP J.P. Feyereisen threw, Cooper Hummel sent a double into the right-field corner to put a runner in scoring position in the opening frame. After Jacob Melton flew out to allow Hummel to tag up and reach third, Zach Dezenzo took advantage of a middle slider and pounded a two-run home run to straightway center, putting the Space Cowboys up 2-0 early on.
After facing the minimum in the first inning, RHP Ryan Gusto found himself in some trouble in the bottom of the second after a pair of singles and a walk with one out. However, Gusto worked out of the jam by getting Alan
first major metro to do so.
New York needed three and half years, Los Angeles five, and Chicago nearly six. With limited opportunities in their hometowns, Americans flocked to Houston. From July ’10 to July ’15, over 240,000 people moved here from elsewhere in the U.S. International migration also ramped up. Nearly 180,000 arrived from abroad.
U-Haul named Houston as the “Top Destination City” for its trucks and trailers six years in a row. In ’12, Forbes ranked Houston as the “Coolest City to Live in America,” which drew even more newcomers to the region. In ’13, Business Insider identified Houston as the “Best
Trejo to strike out on a foul tip and Austin Gauthier to ground out, keeping Sugar Land’s two-run lead. Hummel led off the top of the third with a walk, and a pair of back-to-back singles from Dezenzo and Trey Cabbage loaded the bases with one out off LHP John Rooney. The next batter, Pedro León, worked a sixpitch walk to force a run in. Rooney got a strikeout, but then issued another basesloaded walk to Tommy Sacco Jr., extending Sugar Land’s lead to 4-0.
In the bottom of the fifth, Trejo blooped a single into shallow center field to bring Gauthier up with a man in scoring position. Gauthier lined a double into right field, sending Trejo all the way home to put up the first Oklahoma City run of the day. Drew Avans grounded out softly just in front of the catcher Omar Narváez to move Gauthier to third for the first out. Dalton Rushing then shot a fastball 106.9 miles-
City in America” based on job creation, ethnic diversity, and cost of Living.
The energy industry fueled the boom; improvements in fracking fueled the industry. Fracking, which involves pumping sand and water into shale formations shattering the rocks, and releasing the oil and gas trapped inside, reversed a decadeslong decline in U.S. crude pro¬duction. Output peaked at 9.7 million barrels per day (b/d) in ’70, then fell to 5.0 million b/d in ’08. By the end of ’14, fracking brought U.S. output back above 8.8 million b/d.
U.S. output continued to grow. Every new barrel produced by fracking displaced a barrel imported from abroad. Investors poured billions into the industry. Oil and gas
per-hour off the bat, but Jesús Bastidas was there to make a great diving snag, preventing an RBI single. Gusto got Andre Lipcius to line out to left, stranding the runner on third and protecting the 4-1 lead for Sugar Land. Gusto’s
companies went on a hiring spree. From December ’09 to December ’14, upstream energy employment in Houston grew by more than 40 percent. The industry accounted for roughly one in every five jobs created over the period.
The fracking boom spurred growth throughout Houston.
• At the peak, nearly 18 million square feet of office space was under construction, well above the annual average of 4.5 million square feet prior to the boom.
• Local auto dealers sold a record 373,000 new cars, trucks, and SUVs in ’14.
• Residential brokers closed on a then-record 91,300 homes in ’14. For perspective, home sales topped 102,000 in ‘23, but in a market that has added a million residents since then.
day ended after 5.0 innings, allowing one run while walking and striking out two. RHP Ray Gaither took over for the sixth and gave up a one-out walk to James Outman, who stole second as Gaither struck out Kody
Hoese. The next pitch, Hunter Feduccia lined an RBI single to score Outman from second, cutting Sugar Land’s advantage in half at 4-2. Gaither got the next man to line out, ending the inning. In the top of the eighth, Sacco Jr. led off the frame with a double, and a passed ball in the next at-bat allowed him to advance to third. Hummel came up to the plate and sailed a fastball off the wall in center, scoring Sacco Jr. easily and tacking on another run for the Space Cowboys. With the eighthinning double, Hummel has hit safely in seven-straight at bats and has reached in 10-straight plate appearances dating back to Friday night.
The Space Cowboys offense did not stop there. In the ninth inning, after Dezenzo hit a double to complete a 3-for-4 afternoon, Cabbage mashed his own two-run bomb 418 feet to center field, sending Sugar Land to a 7-2 lead. RHP Seth Martinez took over the bottom of the inning to finish the game
off and gave up a two-bagger to the first batter he saw, but induced a groundout and struck out two to end the game, giving the Space Cowboys a 5-1 series win in Oklahoma. The night before, Sugar Land RHP Wander Suero converted his 26th consecutive save to close out a 4-1 win. It was Suero’s 34th save of this season, making the righthander the all-time single season saves leader in Pacific Coast League history The Space Cowboys return to Constellation Field this week for their final regular season home series before the playoffs as they take on the Reno Aces. Sugar Land Space Cowboys games can be heard on ESPN 92.5 FM or online at https:// player.listenlive.co/47381 and seen on MiLB.TV, MLB.TV and Bally Live.
Perry is a writer for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. This article is used by permission.
The Fracking Bust
To paraphrase Ernest Hemingway, when things go badly, it happens slowly at first, then it happens all at once. That was true for the oil and gas industry. U.S. production continued to grow while global oil demand softened and geo¬political risks eased in the Middle East. Oil prices began to drift lower. The spot price for West Texas Intermediate
(WTI) peaked at $108 per barrel in June of ’14, then began an irreversible decline. The pace of hiring in the energy industry began to taper off that summer, then flattened in the fall. The domestic rig count peaked at 1,931 in September then ratcheted downward. By November, oil traded near $74 per barrel on global markets, a 32 percent drop from five months earlier. Many hoped OPEC would cut production to prop up prices as it had done so in the past. But at a Thanksgiving Day meeting in Vienna, Saudia Arabia refused to reduce output, abandoning its role as the market’s swing producer and handing control of prices back to the market. Crude entered a freefall. By January, WTI traded below $45 per barrel. By January ’16, it traded below $30.
ugar Land City Council called a $350 million bond election for Nov. 5 to address public safety, streets, mobility and sidewalks, drainage, municipal facilities, and the planned animal shelter.
The election provides voters a choice to consider funding up to $350 million for proposed capital projects over the next five to seven years, which equates to approximately $300 million in project costs in 2024 dollars.
If voters approve the projects, the bonds will require a tax rate increase of no more than 5 cents, spread out over the next five to seven years. This will initially cost the average homeowner with a home valued at about $500,000 approximately $5 per month. This cost will increase annually, and by 2030, the monthly cost could rise to about $20 per month. This projection excludes property revaluation.
Bond projects were identified through years of public feedback including the most recent Citizen Satisfaction Survey, sentiment surveys and community meetings - as well as various master plans and City Council input.
EDITORIAL
15-year penalty for team in motion
THE TV – Got my pom-poms, Hook ‘Em T-shirt, beer. I am ready for some football, college football to be exact. After going through withdrawal, once again I can cheer on the Coogs, Longhorns, Aggies (quietly, I have my pride) and any Texas teams that take on their traditional rivals: the Commodores, Utes, Sun Devils and Gamecocks. Huh? It is going to take me time to adjust to all the changes in college sports because, schools’ conferences, and thus their schedules, have changed dramatically.
Lynn Ashby Columnist
By Lynn Ashby ASHBY2@COMCAST.NET
week.”
ing only Oregon State and Washington State alone in the forests.
We have the Power Four conferences, which are the biggest and baddest with the largest budgets and stadiums. Schools like UT, A&M, Alabama, Ohio State, etc. Then a step smaller is the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) or Group of Five consisting of, obviously, five conferences. Around Texas this includes UT-San Antonio, Rice and Sam Houston State among others. Some of the Five would like to move up to play with the big boys, but it takes better talent, bigger stadiums and bigger budgets. TCU pulled it off. So did UH. (Houston has four universities that play athletics, and none is in the same conference.)
All of these conference changes are for more money – TV money. Schools go where the networks dole out literally billion-dollar contracts. Since July 1, 2022, no fewer than 35 Power Four and Group of Five schools have changed athletic conferences. Following the breakup of the Southwest Conference in 1996, Rice has been in three different conferences. This year SMU is joining its fourth. There was the Pac-12 which is now the Pac-2. Ten of its members have left for greener AstroTurf, leav-
We must hope these new members receive hefty paychecks because it’s going to increase their travel costs immensely. When the UT team, with coaches, trainers, equipment and cheerleaders, fly to Tucson or Orlando, it’s not like taking the bus to Waco. USC and UCLA are now in the same conference with Penn State. SMU is now with Boston College. Hey, Tarleton State, first you need to find Utah Valley University before you fly from Stephenville International Airport to Orem, Utah. Its elevation is 4,756 feet, so bring your oxygen masks. The host schools must fill their stadiums with their own fans. Abilene Christian, you are not going to sell many tickets to visitors from Seattle University and vice versa.
Up till now we are only talking about football. Those teams take a charter flight while watching movies. What about the swimmers, pole vaulters, women’s teams, and maybe even the men’s basketball and baseball players?
“OK, Virginia Tech golfers, we’re playing Stanford there, so you’ll only miss classes this
If schools are changing conferences, players are changing schools. Due to the portal transfer program, athletes are no longer penalized (before, they would lose a year of eligibility). It would go like this: High school Coach Jones would ring up his old buddy, Coach Smith and say, “Smitty, I got a running back, Bubba Mitowski, who’s 300 pounds, six-foot-six and can run like a gazelle. You need to take a look.” So Coach Smith dispatches one of his assistants to East Bypass on a Friday night to check out Bubba. Sure enough, he is a blue-blue chipper.
Later Coach Smith himself visits Bubba’s home and makes his pitch, brings Bubba to the campus for a game and a tour of the school, then signs him to a full scholarship. After his freshman year, Bubba goes through the portal and transfers to a rival school. He is not alone. We don’t have the latest statistic because the players are still moving, but NCAA statistics show that between August 2021 and July 2022, more than 20,900 Division I student athletes in all sports entered the transfer portal.
Of those about 12,000 found a home at another college. Added to the impending chaos is NIL (“name, image and likeness”) for endorsements. Thanks to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling (not subject to a challenge or review), college athletes can now be paid above board. Of course everyone knows for eons some stars have been slipped favors – usually cash – and the term “student-athlete” has been an oxymoron. Supposedly this NIL is not just a case of fat-cat alumni handing Bubba an envelope full of bills. No, it’s something called “collectives companies,” usually founded by alumni of the school. Financial resources (which can mean anything) are collected through these companies and are then directed to athletes for their NIL. This ploy is supposed to operate independently of the university and athletic departments. Good luck because you know and I know this NIL operation is a scandal waiting to happen. And one other point: The star quarterback drives a loaned Lamborghini and wears bling worthy of a pop star. His teammates don’t. So the left guard, hobbling around with bruises
and missing teeth, is wondering, “Who do you think blocks for you so you can run for a TD? There are 10 other guys out there making you look good. Where’s ours?” One thing more: there is a movement simply to make athletes employees of their schools. Oh, well, times have changed but not necessarily for the better. You old Texans will remember the Southwest Conference. It pitted Texas towns and neighborhood alumni against one another, not to mention student bodies. Back in 1926, students from A&M and Baylor got into such a battle at halftime that an Aggie, Lt. Charles Sessums, was killed, and games between those two schools were cancelled until 1931. Only a few years ago, Rice’s Marching Owl Band poked such fun at the Aggies’ recently departed mascot, Reveille, the band had to hide until catering trucks could slip them to safety. We probably won’t see that kind of rivalry when Rutgers plays Oregon in the Big 10, but it might be a bloodbath between those two old Big 12 rivals, UH and Arizona State.
Ashby has tickets at ashby2@comcast.net
“The mist shall rise / The lantern shall glow / As the kindle creaks, incentive speaks to those who feel they know / And men who prevail over what’s lost, lost, lost / And morning dew, to wake the few, from slumber’s softened frost.” - David Shepherd Grossman, “As The Eagle Cries”
You may remember (or at least heard of) the classic 1976 Little League movie epic, “The Bad News Bears.” It was an insanely classic statement about who we were when we saw it, and how much it created in many of us a reverence for the underdog spectacle. If you are of a certain age, you will remember the plot. If not, you might want to look up the Wikipedia entry. Here’s the CliffsNotes version: A beleaguered former ballplayer is hired to coach a bunch of disrespected preteens, who in the end become heroes. I know. Sounds like a bland menagerie of contrived characters and cliched plot lines. Been there, seen that. Right? But if you examine the plot grooves, you see the brilliance. All films tend to end with some kind of resolution: a
Acouple of years ago, before I took this role at the Fort Bend Star, I paid a visit to a Hindu temple in the diffuse borderland where Fort Bend County meets southwest Houston. I’d passed this place of worship numerous times and been curious about it, so when I had some spare time I decided to go see it up close.
In an earlier column, I discussed how I’ve long been interested in the world’s religions, an interest that was heightened by my time in the Navy when I visited ports all across Asia, Australia and the Middle East. This visit was much like some I made to other religious sites in some of those countries, where I invariably was welcomed by the local folks.
During this visit, which was on a very bright and hot day, I took an extensive look inside before going out to the grounds surrounding the temple. At one point, I began waking around it - in a counter-clockwise direction. A young couple there very politely informed me that that was considered disrespectful. Since that was the exact opposite of my intention, I thanked them and walked in the opposite, clockwise direction. No one was offended, and I learned something new.
Fort Bend County received some very unwelcome publicity a couple weeks ago when another Hindu temple, the Sri Ashtalashmi Temple in Sugar Land, unveiled its new “Statue of Union,” a 90-foot statue of Abyaha Hanuman, a devoted companion of Rama, one of the faith’s most important deities. With its official unveiling last month, the statute is said to be one
bridge blowing up, an evil wizard killed, the inevitable love between the awkward, shy, bumbling unbelievably beautiful female lead pairing with the young lad who’s seen hard times, wears blue jeans and is so tragically misunderstood. After all, he just wants to be loved. They ride west into a glorious sunset and an inspiring, limitless future. You know, that stuff we’ve all lived through. But the movies that really hit it out of the park are the ones which end by grabbing MULTIPLE storylines and gracefully sculpting them into one unbelievable, if not unexpected resolution. It’s like a grand slam with more runs. This is where “The Bad News Bears” totally scores. You’ve got the city councilman who wants to see his
of the largest in the United States. I regret that I was unable to cover the unveiling ceremony, which included many local officials of different faiths, but it reportedly was a very convivial event. The news that wasn’t positive happened about a week later. Again, I wasn’t there, but reportedly a small group of people came to the temple, said they were there out of curiosity, but shortly afterward began making very xenophobic remarks about the statute in particular and Hinduism generally. Also, according to accounts of people who were there, this small group of people began walking around the temple in a counter-clockwise direction in what can only be seen as a deliberately provocative and insulting act. Ultimately the people were convinced to leave. For the life of me, I will never be able to understand that kind of behavior. This group of people reportedly were professed Christians who took offense at the mere presence of a Hindu statue in Sugar Land. Even before the unveiling, I received an email from a woman in another part of the country who had heard that the statue was located on public property. It isn’t, of course, which I told her in my response. But the mere fact that this piece of misinforma-
kid play, but doesn’t mind the attention he’s afforded at the Little League field. You’ve got an evolving relationship between a grizzled old man and the brooding girl player who’s a 12-year old flamethrower on the mound. There’s also a tough-guy bully centerfielder with criminal tendencies and a swing that you could feel from a jetliner. There are two Latino kids who don’t speak a word of English. An African American kid who feels like he can’t live up to his brothers’ athletic prowess. A pint-sized shortstop whose anger management is as twisted as his racist mouth. And don’t forget the cute, shy tow-headed kid who always gets picked on and never fights back. His name is Lupus. ‘Nuff said.
The magic in the mushroom here is how every one of the story tentacles in that film meet and fit together so properly at the pivotal end scene. And I can only imagine how challenging pulling something like that off would be for any writer, producer or director. Not to mention having to draw a good visual story map in the editing room. This was, after all before CGI. But in the end, it’s all wrapped in a well-crafted feat of storytelling, boasting an untested cast and perfectly delivered
tion reached someone in an entirely different region and motivated her to contact me speaks volumes about some folks’ motivations.
I don’t pretend to be any kind of religious authority, but the behavior that was displayed by the group seems to me decidedly un-Christian. My grandparents were staunch Southern Baptists. As devout as they were, they were also both steeped in good, Southern manners. I can’t imagine either of them taking offense to the mere presence of a statute, much less trying to deliberately insult people because they practiced a different faith. As ugly as this incident was, I think we can take solace in the fact that these people are outliers. As we’ve discussed before in the space, Fort Bend County is one of the most diverse, if not THE most diverse counties in the United States, and that includes religious diversity. One thing I didn’t see in any of the coverage of the incident is that the Sri Ashtalashmi Temple is virtually next door to a Buddhist temple, which sits just across the county line. It’s located in Alief, which happens to be where I grew up. It was then and remains today a very diverse place. I came across the temple during a reporting trip a few weeks back. Walking around its grounds, I was very much reminded of places I saw during my Navy days. I highly enjoyed that feeling and the memories it evoked.
Last week I came across a story that U.S. News and World Report published in May. The piece names Fort Bend as one of the “15 key battleground counties” in this presidential election year. (In Texas, we are joined by
Ken Paxton?
lines. It all fits. What’s been happening in Texas over the last month does not fit. It does not fit because there are no character arcs, no plot strings, nothing upon which to make judgement. It’s like a movie with no frame of reference. And a resolution empty of any marked direction. It began in August when I started reading about how Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton had begun reviewing election protocols in Harris County and elsewhere. I didn’t think much of it. Two weeks ago, headlines announced raids at the homes of Latino campaign volunteers near San Antonio. The targets included an 87-year-old woman who was terrified. In all, the homes of six people who swear they’ve done nothing wrong. No one was arrested.
Last week, Paxton, a Republican, filed a lawsuit against Bexar County for its plan to mass mail voter registration forms to residents. Paxton has expressed similar plans for Harris County. Leaders within the Republican Party say the forms disproportionally favor Democrats. They also fear the forms may encourage ineligible people to register. And now, last Friday, Democratic leaders called on
Tarrant County, which includes Fort Worth, another highly diverse county in a large metropolitan region.)
The reasons that the magazine gives for its ranking is well-known to those of us who live here. In the last few decades, the county has had a marked shift in its demographics, and well as its average level of educational attainment and the higher income levels that go with that. A county that had long
the Justice Department to investigate Paxton for possible civil rights violations. They claim the Attorney General is targeting Latino campaign officials and election workers. Earlier in the week, Paxton expelled one million names from the voting rolls, based on the results of a years-long investigation. A MILLION people? Wow. That’s a lot. Paxton says he assembled an election integrity team after a local prosecutor threw up a red flag.
I have no problem with a legitimately necessary inquiry. And this one may be just that. But a lot of Texans view the timing as odd, since claims of interference have swarmed ever since Donald Trump lost in 2020. And even though 60 courts found no measurable malfeasance, suspicions persist. The blues say the reds don’t like mailin ballots since Democrats seem to prefer voting that way. Reds say blues are overlooking clear evidence of widespread voter fraud. When U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy ordered the removals of drop boxes during the 2020 election, a lot of people balked. And the timing of Paxton’s enforcement is strange, if not suspect to voters on the other side of the fence.
There are those who believe these law enforcement maneuvers are necessary. There are those who see it as intimidation and a partisan attack. Clearly, there exists enough evidence for a judge to sign off on the raids. But we still haven’t gotten details. Should the fact that no one was arrested mean anything? How did the investigation zero in on these particular people? Which specific laws have allegedly been broken? A large number of electronic devices was confiscated. So how significant is the evidence that got us here?
In the movie, the Bears lose at the end in the championship game. As I see it, this game has two main combatants: an investigation that might produce evidence that Texas is indeed a breeding ground for dishonest elections. Or, on the other side, what could very well spear Paxton’s reputation and nourish cries of voter intimidation and negative racial bias among minority communities. But in this game, the crowd has a vested interest. And it’s doubtful anyone will be celebrating.
Garay can be reached at MarkGaray426@gmail.com
been deeply conservative is now decidedly purple.
One statistic the magazine cites is stark: “Fort Bend County’s population has more than quadrupled since 1990.” That roughly coincides with my direct knowledge of Fort Bend County, since a family member moved here in the early 1990s. I’ve seen that growth and the attendant changes that have come with it. Of course, change can be scary, as we’ve discussed. But as I’ve noted before, no matter how much some people might wish it, Fort Bend is never going to go back to what it was in 1990, much less 1970. One way to deal with fear of things that are new to you is to react negatively against them. Another way is to try to learn more about them. I know which one I prefer. Fountain does his research at KFountain@fortbendstar.
The
Water District Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Rate
The Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District No. 131 will hold a public hearing on a proposed tax rate for the tax year 2024 on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. at 12841 Capricorn Street, Stafford, Texas 77477, via Teleconference at 1-346-248-7799, Meeting ID: 916 8398 7507 or via Zoom at https://nortonrosefulbright.zoom.us/j/91683987507. 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.
FOR the proposal: J. Randall, M. Higgins, L. Smith-Boards, J. Jacobs & J. Maxwell
AGAINST the proposal: (none)
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.
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 voterapproval tax rate under Section 49.23603, Water Code.
ONGOING
AMARO INJURY LAWYERS
PROJECT BACKPACK
Saturday, August 10th 10 a.m. - Noon At Constellation Field Parking Lot
1 Stadium Drive, Sugar Land, Texas.
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
tainment. All seniors over 50 invited. For more
5920 or 281-499-3345.
Missouri City library to host Social Security presentation on Sept. 20
Community Reports
Shonbay Jones, a public affairs specialist for the Social Security Administration, will give a presentation on preparing for retirement on Friday, September 20, from 1-2 p.m., in the Meeting Room at Fort Bend County Libraries' Missouri City Branch Library, located at 1530 Texas Parkway. Jones will provide an overview of Social Security and the Medicare program. Attendees will learn about retirement eligibility, as well as survivors, spousal, and Medicare benefits. They will also receive tips on how and when to apply; how early retirement affects one's benefits; how to maximize one's benefits; the
differences between Medicare Parts A, B, C, and D; and online tools at the Social Security Administration's website. Those attending this program are encouraged to set up an account online at www.login. gov or www.ID.me and print out a Social Security Statement prior to the program so that Jones may address any questions they have.
George Memorial Library to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
Community Reports
Fort Bend County Libraries’
George Memorial Library will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15-October 15, with festive craft activities showcasing the rich cultural heritage of Latinos throughout Latin America. These programs are for adults and teens, aged 14 and up. The series will begin with a “DIY Piñata Workshop” on Tuesday, September 17, from 4-5 p.m., in Room 2A. Attendees will learn about the cultural significance of piñatas in Hispanic celebrations while creating a colorful piñata of one’s own to take home.
On Tuesday, September 24, from 4-5 p.m., the library will host a special workshop, “From Idea to 3D: Hispanic Heritage Month Edition.” Attendees can learn about
the culture and geography of different Hispanic countries while using 3D modeling software to design and create a unique, personalized pendant for a necklace. This activity will take place in the Computer Lab.
The series continues in October with a “Papel Picado Crafting” workshop on Tuesday, October 1, from 4-5 p.m., in Room 2A. Originating in Mexico, papel picado involves the intricate cutting of colorful paper to create decorative banners. Attendees will learn about the cultural significance of papel picado in Hispanic celebrations while creating festive creations to take home! Explore traditional patterns and techniques while embracing the beauty and symbolism of this delicate folk art. The series will conclude
with a “Peruvian Friendship Bracelet” workshop on Tuesday, October 8, from 45 p.m., in Room 2A. Attendees will discover the significance of these colorful bracelets in the Peruvian culture, while learning traditional knotting techniques and patterns.
Materials for these activities are made possible by the Friends of the George Memorial Library.
The activities are free and open to the public. Seating is limited, however, and reservations are required. To register online at the library’s website (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us), click on “Classes & Events,” select “George Memorial,” and find the program. Participants may also register by calling the library (281-342-4455), or by visiting the library.
George Memorial Library is located at 1001 Golfview in Richmond.
Early Detection Starts With Your ANNUAL MAMMOGRAM
This presentation is free and open to the public. Anyone over the age of 18 is encouraged to attend. For more information, see the Fort Bend County Libraries website (www.fortbend.lib. tx.us), or call the Missouri City Branch Library (281-2382100) or the library system's Communications Office (281-633-4734).
The recommended age to start your annual mammogram is 40.
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Fort Bend County Libraries’ George Memorial Library will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15Oct. 15. File photo by Ken Fountain
