The 09-20-23 Edition of The Fort Bend Star

Despite bookend victories, Space Cowboys drop penultimate series - Page 3

Fall events kick off this weekend in Fort Bend County

With the recent break in the months-long Texas heat dome, area residents may be itching to get out to enjoy some fall festivities. This weekend, there are two such events.

On Saturday, Sept. 23, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., the city of Sugar Land will present the Fall Fest in the Sugar Land Town Square plaza near U.S. Highway 59 and State Highway 6.

This year’s Fall Fest will offer a host of autumnal activities, food and entertainment for attendees of all ages. The event is intended to offer something for every member of the family. The main stage will feature live, high-energy musical performances from Hybrid 7.

An onsite artisans market that will feature an eclectic array of products such as fashion accessories, tumblers, handcrafted wooden cutting and charcuterie boards, vibrant plants, garden décor and other unique finds. One Medical will sponsor a delightful pumpkin patch. There will also be hayrides, pumpkin carving instructions and demonstrations, an inflatable corn maze, charming autumn-themed photo stations, a mesmerizing showcase of Jurassic dinosaurs during lunchtime, face painting and an arts and crafts station supported by Board and Brush.

Sugar Land Town Square’s Fish City Grill Restaurant will be onsite with special menu items. There will also be a variety of treats from other onsite vendors, including kettle corn, lemonade, roasted nuts, ice cream and other snacks. Saint Arnold Brewing & Texas Leaguer Brewery will offer an assortment of beers. Sponsors include H-E-B, Baylor College of Medicine, Renewal by Anderson, CLS Health, Resort Vacations, Kinetic by Windstream, Rodeo Dental and AFC Urgent Care.

Also on Saturday, from 47 p.m., the city of Missouri City will hold its annual Octoberfest celebration from 4-7 p.m. at the Quail Valley City Centre, 2880 La Quinta Drive. The event will feature traditional German beer and food, music, and plenty of games and competitions.

Both events are free and open to the public.

By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

During a sometimescontentious meeting last week, Fort Bend County commissioners approved an increase to the ad valorem tax rate and a budget that is substantially more than the one from the previous fiscal year. But in both cases, commissioners and other officials said there were extenuating circumstances behind the moves.

The September 12 meeting followed a series of hearings and workshops on both the tax rate and budget that had been held in recent weeks.

In the first item, commissioners voted 5-1 (with Precinct 2 Commissioner Andy Meyers voting against) to approve a total ad valorem tax rate of $0.4264 per $100 of valuation for fiscal year 2024, a 4.8 percent increase over the previous year. The fiscal year begins October 1.

Before the vote, Meyers, a Republican long seen as the most fiscally conservative member of the court, bemoaned the tax increase. He noted that earlier this year, Attack Poverty! and other Fort Bend-area nonprofits came to the court asking to help in addressing the growing problem of homelessness in the county. (The court ultimately approved providing financial

New sculpture pays homage

firefighters who serve ‘Around the Clock’

By Dayna Worchel NEWS@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

Firefighters risk their lives around the clock each day to protect a community and keep its citizens safe from harm. But a fire station is also a part of and connected to that community it serves. And the community is a part of that fire station.

This was the inspiration behind ‘Around the Clock,” a new, public wall sculpture on display at Sugar Land Fire Station No. 3 on Settlers Way Boulevard. The newest public art piece in Sugar Land is loaded with different layers of meaning, said Seattle-based artist Peter Reiquam, who created it.

He did so at the request of Sugar Land city officials who asked that he show the role of

a fire station within the city and how it protects its citizens.

“I wanted to show how the fire service protects around the clock. It’s not a literal clock, but it represents it,” Reiquam said of the piece, which resembles a clock face.

It has a center with the number 3 that explodes like a starburst.

Sha Davis, the city’s cultural arts manager, was tasked with making sure the public sculpture, which faces the outside of the fire station on Settler’s Way, became a reality. It’s the newest of several art works in public spaces in the city. Davis says the public art is part of a city initiative which began in 2016 to engage the community.

Fort Bend commissioners approve higher tax rate, larger budget

to

Staff Reports

George Memorial Library to host Axtec dance program - Page 2

Sugar Land frefghters admire ‘Around the Clock,” a new public wall sculpture at Fire Station No. 3. Courtesy City of Sugar Land

Fort Bend commissioners vote on a new tax rate and budget during a Sept. 12 meeting. Video capture of Fort Bend County livestream.

city of Missouri City’s annual Octoberfest celebration this weekend is among the frst area events of the fall.

City of Missouri City

Cullinan Park to host two Houston Bird Week events on Sept. 24

Sugar Land’s Cullinan Park will host two events this weekend that are part of Houston Audubon’s annual Bird Week celebration.

Houston Bird Week, which this year is being held September 23-30, is a celebration of the important role the greater Houston area plays in the journey of billions of migratory birds and the everyday lives of resident birds.

Houston Bird Week was started in 2019 by Houston Audubon’s inaugural Young Professionals Advisory Council to commemorate Houston Audubon’s 50th anniversary.

Houston Audubon and local conservation part

ners arrange a week of virtual and in-person events centered around the region’s birds and wildlife – from birding opportunities and watch parties to trivia contests, movie night, and more.

On Sunday, September 24, from 8-9:30 a.m. there will be a guided bird hike at Cullinan Park, 12414 Highway 6, Sugar Land. Expert birders will lead the walk at the top birding hotspot in Sugar Land, where 267 species of birds have been observed. This is a great learning experience and fun for birders of all abilities. Bring binoculars and/or camera and water. Dress for the weather and wear waterproof walking shoes. Attendees will meet in the parking lot of the park. This event is child-friendly and ADA accessible.

From 10-11 a.m., there will be a Family Birding Fun event at the park. People of all ages are welcome to learn about the birds of Sugar Land and how to get started as a birdwatcher. Attendees will take part in scavenger hunts and then travel across the boardwalk over White Lake to search for birds. Bring binoculars or a camera if you have them, but if you don’t, you can share the spotting scope or even practice identifying birds by sound. The event is stroller- and wheelchair-friendly except for an optional trip up the stairs of an observation tower. Again, attendees will meet in the parking lot.

For more information on all Houston Bird Week events and to register, visit houstonaudublog.org/ bird-week-2023-calendar.

support for a multi-purpose facility outside Rosenberg to serve the homeless population.)

“I don’t think we’re helping ease the burden by increasing taxes on our residents,” Meyers said.

Meyers also said that while the county has been actively trying to attract new business and industries so that residents can work closer to home rather than commuting, an increasing tax rate makes it harder for Fort Bend to compete with adjacent counties.

But Precinct 6 Commissioner Dexter McCoy countered that because of rising property values within the county and property tax compression legislation passed this year by the Texas Legislature, the new tax rate is effectively a decrease in the taxes actually paid by property owners.

McCoy said that Fort Bend County, like other localities, has been overly burdened by unfunded mandates passed by the

Legislature, even has the state had a record surplus going into this year’s session.

Precinct 1 Commissioner Vincent Morales, the only other Republican on the court, joined the Democrats in voting to approve the new tax rate.

In the second major vote of the meeting, commissioners voted 4-1 (again, with Meyers the sole dissenting vote) to approve a total 2023 fiscal year budget of $767 million, a 35 percent increase over the previous year.

Paula Gubbels, the county’s director of finance, explained that the bulk of the increase was due to changes in how certain items are budgeted in order to comply with the latest local government revisions of the federal government’s Governmental Accounting Standards Board.

Much of the discussion that ensued among commissioners dealt with the fact that the majority of the population of fast-growing Fort Bend County, now the 8th-most populous county in Texas, lives in unincor -

porated areas and not in municipalities. That means that it falls on the county government to provide most of the services that those residents depend on, not on city governments.

Again, Meyers noted that his precinct, which includes the cities of Sugar Land, Stafford and Meadows Place, has residents who pay both municipal and county taxes. Those residents therefore shoulder an additional burden, he said.

County Judge KP George, a Democrat now in his second term in office, said that as a financial adviser by profession, he was sensitive to the concerns of taxpayers.

“I’ve always maintained that tax dollars are better in taxpayers’ pockets,” he said. But with the huge growth anticipated in the county in the next decades and the ensuing demands for services, an increasing budget “is the cost of doing business.”

Video of the September 12 meeting can be found online at fortbendcountytx.gov/ government/departments/ commissioners-court..

George Memorial Library

Fort Bend County Li -

braries’ George Memorial Library will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a special live performance, “Danza Azteca Splendor!” on Saturday, September 30, from 11 a.m.- noon, in the Jodie E. Stavinoha Amphitheater at the library, 1001 Golfview in Richmond.

guage, culture, and foods. These concepts are expressed within the symbolism of movements, storytelling, drumming, and songs.

The audience’s senses will be treated to the brilliant colors of feathered headpieces and the sounds of conch shells and shaking rattles combined with the deep timbre of the drums and the high-pitched notes of ocarina flutes.

The performance, made possible by the Friends of the George Memorial Library, will be presented in an outdoor amphitheater, and seating is concrete. Theater-goers are encouraged to bring cushions to sit on. Glass containers, alcoholic beverages, and popcorn are not allowed in the amphitheater.

“The city has a rich and interesting background with all of the lakes and parks. The residents are looking forward to more art. It makes the community stronger,” she said. There are several more public art projects in the works, all of which should be installed by December, Davis said. For now, Fire Station 3 is the only station to have a public art installation, she said.

“There will be pieces installed near the Brazos River, the Smart Financial Centre, and at Oyster Creek Park,” Davis said.

Already-installed public art pieces in Sugar Land include a mosaic design on the Brooks Street Bridge leading from State Highway 6, a piece at the Sugar Land Regional Airport, and at the historic Sugar Land Auditorium. The art is financed by a public art fund, and no tax dollars are used, Davis said.

The sculpture incorpo -

rates elements symbolizing the protection of the community and also includes some unique touches which represent Sugar Land, Reiquam said.

Coming from the center are a series of poles and ladders, with each leading to a house, colored in shades of red, blue, black, gold, and white. “I used the colors of the Sugar Land Space Cowboys on the houses,” said Reiquam, referring to the Triple A affiliate Houston Astros team which plays at Constellation Field.

“A clever viewer might also see a Maltese Cross, the fourlobe cross used in many fire departments to symbolize protection at 12, 3, 6, and 9,” Reiquam said. The city approached him with a theme symbolizing protection, but it was up to Reiquam to interpret what that meant, and to learn about the city of Sugar Land to make it unique, he said.

The Sugar Land Fire Department had been asking for a piece of public art

since April 2022, said Capt. Ryan Garza of the Logistics Division. But it had to be representative of the special role of firefighters and first responders in the community, he said. Fire Chief Doug Boeker wanted the art to show that the fire department was a part of the community it serves and that the community is a part of the fire department, Garza said.

“We looked at a lot of artists and narrowed them down by their previous work. We saw Peter’s piece and a lot of us liked it because of what it represents,” said Garza, who added that the sculpture reflects firefighters as protectors of the community.

“There’s a saying in fire houses: ‘We’re not here for me, we’re here for we.’ This piece represents what we feel and what we do,” Garza said.

The public unveiling of the sculpture will be held on Wednesday, September 27, beginning at 4 p.m., at Sugar Land Fire Station No. 3, 2225 Settlers Way Blvd.

Attendees will experience the world of ancient Mexico with a performance of traditional Aztec dancing by Young Audiences of Houston arts partner Calmecac Tonantzin Yolilitzyotl (Houston Aztec Dance & Drum). They will lear about Aztec history, philosophy, lan -

The dances are based on the Pre-Columbian traditions of the Nahuatl-speaking Teotihuacanos/Mexi’ca, and other indigenous nations of central Mexico, including the Otomi/Chichimeca nations of Queretaro.

The event is free and open to the public and is suitable for all ages. For more information, see the Fort Bend County Libraries website (www.fortbend. lib.tx.us), or call George Memorial Library (281342-4455) or the library system’s Communications Office (281-633-4734).

Sugar Land’s Cullinan Park will host two Houston Bird Week events on Sunday, Sept. 24.

Courtesy Houston Audubon

Calmecac Tonantzin Yolilitzyotl (Houston Aztec Dance & Drum) will perform a program of Aztec dancing at George Memorial Library on Sept. 30. Courtesy Fort Bend County Libraries

Despite bookend victories, Space Cowboys drop penultimate series

By Landan Kuhlmann

The Sugar Land Space Cowboys’ second half struggles continued in their series against the Sacramento River Cats last weekend, with Sugar Land ultimately dropping its second-to-last series of the regular season and seventh straight series overall.

Sugar Land managed to bookend the beginning and end of the series with victories on Sept. 12 and Sept. 17, but lost the four games in between to ultimately drop another series. The Space Cowboys now sport a 23-46 record in the second half of the season, and sit at 56-88 overall on the season. Sugar Land will wrap up the 2023 season with a six-game home series against the El Paso Chihuahuas at Constellation Field beginning Tuesday night.

It was mostly a quiet series for the Space Cowboys’ bats with just 27 runs in six games, though a few players managed to break through with solid performances.

Outfielder Joey Loperfido

– the Astros’ No. 6 overall prospect – led the way by breaking out of a slump and going 6 for 22 in the series with two home runs and five RBIs while carrying an .895 OPS in the six-game set. Also creating some momentum in the series was Rylan Bannon, who hit .353 (6 for 17) in the series with a home run and a team-leading 1.005 OPS against Sacramento.

Outfielder Corey Julks also had a solid series in going 5 for 20 with a double and triple while reaching base in nine of 24 plate appearances (.375 OBP), and Dixon Machado went 5 for 16 with a home run. Shortstop Shay Whitcomb also homered twice and drove in a teamleading seven runs during the series. Whitcomb leads

all Astros minor-league players this season with 35 home runs – which also leads MiLB – and 101 RBIs between Double-A Corpus Christi and Triple-A Sugar Land.

Sugar Land’s pitching staff largely held Sacramento in check during the series (28 runs in six games), and

one particular pitcher’s performance stood out above the rest. Ronel Blanco was lights out all week long, throwing 11 shutout innings over the course of two starts with 17 total strikeouts while allowing just three hits and picking up both of Sugar Land’s victories in the series. Astros’ No. 30 prospect Mis-

ael Tamarez was also solid in a no-decision during the Space Cowboys’ 4-2 loss on Sept. 15, striking out eight batters in 4.2 innings of work and allowing two runs.

Jimmy Endersby was strong out of the bullpen with 2.1 shutout innings and three strikeouts in the series, while Enoli Paredes

hurled three shutout innings with five strikeouts against two walks and one hit.

Upcoming promotions

Sugar Land’s final regular-season series brings the final two games for the Dulces de Sugar Land for the season on Thursday and Friday with the 2023 Dulces

game-worn jersey auction on Friday. It’s also a Space Cowboys Dia de los Muertos jersey giveaway on Friday. Feel the love with an Astros Jeremy Peña Heart Hands bobblehead on Saturday, and pack the park for Fan Appreciation Day on Sunday – which will include a special postgame softball game.

Ronel Blanco throws a pitch for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys during a game at Constellation Field earlier this season. Blanco picked up two wins on the mound last week against the Sacramento River Cats with a pair of scoreless outings. Photo from Twitter

HS Football roundup: Ridge Point staves o Hightower in high-scoring clash

By Landan Kuhlmann LKUHLMANN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

As district play got underway for Fort Bend Schools across the state’s largest classification, one stood out above the rest as a high-profile clash. The game wound up living up to the hype and then some, with a familiar face coming out on top in a high-scoring battle of District 20-6A’s likely teams to beat.

In the highest-profile local battle of the early season, Ridge Point held off a late rally from Hightower in a back-and-forth clash as the Panthers took down the Hurricanes 4336 to improve to 2-2 on the season and 2-0 in District 20-6A.

Quarterback Austin

Carlisle was on point for most of the game for Ridge Point, burning Hightower’s defense for 306 yards and four touchdowns through the air while adding 62 yards rushing. Dane Jones was Carlisle’s favorite receiving target near the end zone, hauling in three touchdown grabs in the contest, while Mason Dossett caught a 61-yard scoring strike for a Panthers’ offense that racked up nearly 500 yards of total offense. Running back Wesley Drummer also added 65 yards and two rushing touchdowns.

On the other sideline, TCU commit running back Jeremy Payne paced the offense with a 121 yards rushing and three touchdowns for Hightower (3-1, 1-1), while Joseph Stewart threw for 161 yards and a touchdown through the air. Oklahoma commit and receiver Zion Kearney also had a 96-yard punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter.

Elsewhere in 20-6A play, Travis bounced back from last week’s loss to Hightower with a 30-0 win over Dulles to improve to 3-1 overall and 1-1 in district play. Quarterback Brett Garcia threw for 229 yards including a 60-yard second-quarter strike to receiver Jackson Farr (114 yards), while Carmelo Ratliff had 82 yards rushing and Nifemi Rufai (72 yards) rushed for two touchdowns.

Clements rebounded

from a district-opening loss last week to take down Elkins 41-9 last Friday, moving to 2-2 on the season and 1-1 in District 20-6A. Quarterback Gunner Chenier (183 yards, three TDs) and running back John Lewis (122 yards, two TDs) paced the Rangers’ offense, while Bryce Mathews racked up nine tackles and Christian Sanchez snagged an interception to lead the defensive effort.

Jordan Caldwell caught an 82-yard touchdown pass from Mike Holmes in the second quarter for Elkins’ lone touchdown in the game, as the Knights fell to 1-2 on the season and 0-1 in district com-

This week’s schedule

Thursday

Dulles vs. Ridge Point, 7 p.m., Mercer Stadium

petition.

Class 5A

It was a tough week for several of the area’s Class 5A schools, but there were still a few bright spot performances. Randle had the strongest performance of the week, defeating Bryan 41-24 in its final non-district contest, moving to 4-0 on the year.

Freshman running back Landen Callis-Williams had his most prolific performance of the season thus far, running for a season-high 226 yards and three touchdowns, while Cortney Brown caught a touchdown pass from Tyler Skrabanek and Sincere Thompson had a second quarter kick return

Terry vs. Fulshear, 7 p.m., Ranger Field (Terry High School)

Friday

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

Hightower vs. Bush, 7 p.m., Hall Stadium

George Ranch vs. Travis, 7 p.m., George Ranch High School

Needville vs. Stafford, 7 p.m., Needville High School

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

Marshall at Port Neches-Groves, 7 p.m., PNG High School

Willowridge at Nederland, 7 p.m., Nederland High School

Randle at Montgomery Lake Creek, 7:30 p.m., MISD Stadium

touchdown. Ryan Mallory also had an interception return for a score in the first quarter to pace the Lions’ defense, which has allowed just 24 points in four games this season.

Willowridge came out of its bye week with a strong effort, taking down Brookshire Royal 28-10 last week to improve to 2-1 on the season

Keelin Perry was a bright spot for the Terry Rangers in their 42-7 loss to Magnolia last week with 12 tackles on defense, while Joe Gardner had a sack among his three tackles for loss in the game and Nehemiah Torres snagged an interception.

Joshua Amy led Foster’s

defensive effort with nine tackles in a 38-10 loss against Angleton last week, which dropped the Falcons to 0-4 overall and 0-2 in District 10-5A play.

Class 4A

Both of the area’s Class 4A teams also emerged victorious last week. Needville continued its scorching run so far this season with a 49-14 win over Sweeny in the final non-district game of the season, led by quarterback Keilan Sweeny’s 241 yards rushing and a touchdown on the ground. Running back Da’Shawn Burton added 155 yards and three touchdowns of his own, marking the fourth straight game Burton has

Last week’s scores

Ridge Point 43, Hightower 36

had at least 125 yards and multiple touchdowns. Hunter Brewster led the defensive effort for the Blue Jays (4-0), while Leandro Garcia picked up his second sack of the season. Stafford picked up its second straight win last week, besting Lamar Consolidated 23-7 in a battle of local squads to move to 3-1 on the season. Quarterback Kamare Shorts threw for 191 yards and a touchdown, with Christopher Gardner-Holland hauling in six catches for 84 yards and a score. Defensively, Jonathan Moore had two sacks for the Spartans while Terrance Woods nabbed his first interception of the season.

Stafford 23, Lamar Consolidated 7

Travis 30, Dulles 0

Clements 41, Elkins 9

George Ranch 21, Austin 3

Willowridge 28, Brookshire Royal 10

Needville 49, Sweeny 14

Randle 41, Bryan 24

Magnolia West 58, Kempner 0

Angleton 38, Foster 10

Lamar Consolidated at Bryan Rudder. 7:30 p.m., Merrill-Green Stadium

Magnolia 42, Terry 7

Ridge Point’s Gavin Jones attempts to tackle Hightower’s Jordan Green during a game at Mercer Stadium last

Thursday, Sept. 14. The Panthers defeated the Hurricanes 43-36 to take early command of the District 20-6A race. Photo by Bob Calbert

OPINION

Fort Bend primed to become a technology hub

Editors’ note: This guest column is provided by a group of area stakeholders comprising the Texas Advanced Cyber Tech & Innovation Collaborative. The stakeholders are listed below. This piece does not necessarily reflect the views of the Fort Bend Star or its staff.

This is a time of great discovery, when daily technological advances change how we work, educate, live and play. Channeling the best of these innovations while confronting the challenges requires sharpened skills and inspired strategy if we are to create a safe and profitable future.

Over the past several weeks, Fort Bend County area stakeholders along with their partners at the intersection of advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity pooled their strategies and leadership to apply to the U.S. Economic Development Administration/ Department of Commerce for creation and designation as a Technology Hub.

The Texas Advanced Cyber Tech & Innovation Collaborative (TACTIC) will create a national and global model of a coordinated Technology Hub advancing and protecting the capacities of our region.

In our region, strong industries such as transportation, energy, communication, health -

care, biotechnology, finance, education, public safety, and governance already thrive and contribute to the creation of smart communities. It is a critical priority, with national significance, that these communities be cyber-secure. We believe our area is primed for the creation of an entity to guard this critical infrastructure in the pursuit of secure and sustainable advanced technology expansion.

TACTIC combines the leadership and expertise of our: local governments (Fort Bend, Brazoria, Waller, Wharton, Walker and west Harris Counties); industry groups (Shell, NVIDIA, AT&T, CenterPoint, TanCHES Global Mgmt.); economic development organizations (Houston-Galveston Area Council, Fort Bend EDC, Katy EDC, Sugar Land, EDC, Richmond EDC, Brazoria EDC, Wharton EDC, West Houston Association, The Woodlands Area ED Partnership); higher education institutions (UH at Sugar Land and UH at Katy, Prairie View A&M, Sam Houston State University, UHVKaty, HCC Northwest and Southwest, Wharton County Junior College, Texas State Technical College); and workforce training organizations, including Workforce Solutions.

We envision a collaboration that develops new technology, provides AI and data analytics, as well

as cybersecurity training and education to ensure a highly skilled workforce. Our success will attract high-tech entrepreneurs and global industry partners. TACTIC to be ready with incentives and opportunities to create and grow equitable, globally beneficial, profitable jobs that will remain in the US.

This is the right moment for this proposal and for this group to come together. The global advanced manufacturing market is projected to reach $228 billion by 2027. The global AI market is expected to reach $190.61 billion by 2025. The Greater Southwest Houston region ranks number one in the region and state for

Innovation Index scores and 27th in the nation. By harnessing our technology resource pool, the region showcases its readiness to adapt to evolving industry demands and create sustainable, technologically advanced communities.

The TACTIC team is already connected, ready and

well-positioned to lead our region forward expertly, strategically, and safely to a future of growth and global competitiveness. Learn more about the Technology Hubs Program at https://www.eda. gov/funding/programs/ regional-technology-andinnovation-hubs.

EPISCOPAL ALL SAINTS EPISCOPAL CHURCH • 281-499-9602 605 Dulles Avenue, Stafford, TX 77477

SUNDAY: 10:30 am Worship Holy Eucharist www.allsaints-stafford.org

CHURCH OF CHRIST

STAFFORD CHURCH OF CHRIST • 281-499-2507

402 Stafford Run Rd. -Stafford, 77477 Stephen

BRAZOS BEND BAPTIST CHURCH

Prayer needs call 979.553.3049 Special Events-Resurrection (Easter) Weekend www.bbbchurch.org

UH at Sugar Land is among a group of area stakeholders called the Texas Advanced Cyber Tech & Innovation Collaborative, which advocates the area being named a Technology Hub. File Photo by Ken Fountain

Opinion writing is

columns and saving them in a school notebook, divided by subject matter. Lynn often wrote about Texas history, local and national politics, and sundry other topics. He even had a cast of fictional characters with whom he interacted from time to time in the column.

By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

Sitting on my desk as I write this is a somewhat battered copy of As Your Acknowledged Leader, a 1983 book of Lynn Ashby’s columns for the late, lamented Houston Post, the newspaper I grew up reading. The book was a birthday gift from my sister, who knew I was a fan of his.

“Fan” doesn’t really do it justice. I began reading Lynn’s column when I was in middle school. He was the first newspaper writer I followed semi-religiously, even clipping many of his

In the seventh grade, my Texas History teacher, Mrs. Price, saw that I had a certain knack for writing essays. The next year she was starting the newspaper class at my school, and she encouraged me to join. In that very first issue of the Cub Crier, I wrote a short column that I patterned somewhat on Lynn’s patented acerbic style. It was about the travails I encountered in trying to buy an ice cream cone in the school cafeteria. I know, scintillating stuff indeed. But it was my very first newspaper byline, and it’s safe to say that Lynn is one of the people who first inspired me to go into journalism.

Regular readers of the Fort Bend Star know that

we now regularly feature Lynn’s weekly column. Long retired from the newspaper industry, Lynn has been writing a column for many years for The Leader, our sister paper serving the Heights and the Near Northwest area of Houston, where he resides. I was a regular reader of The Leader when I lived in the Heights. I would pick it up when I visited the wonderful Yale Street Grill and get a chuckle out of Lynn’s column while I enjoyed my Western omelet at the counter.

Some months after coming to the Star, I asked my bosses if I could start using Lynn’s column (with his agreement, of course), and they agreed. I was thrilled to be able to work, after a fashion, with one of my first journalism idols. It also helped relieve me of the pressure of coming up with my own column every week (more about that in a bit).

So why am I telling you about this, you ask? Well, a few weeks ago I received an email from a reader telling

me that, unlike me, he isn’t a particular fan of Lynn’s. Specifically, he objected to what he called Lynn’s use of “caustic sarcasm,” which he said he often found nonsensical.

This column isn’t really meant to be a defense of Lynn. He’s been in the column-writing business for a long time, and he certainly doesn’t need me to defend him. When I began running his column, I wondered how he might be received in Fort Bend County, which is a much different community than that served by The Leader. But Fort Bend is also a very diverse and fast-evolving place, and I knew he would provoke some reaction.

But I do want to talk a bit about the place of opinion writing in journalism. When I was growing up reading the Post, there was still a pretty clear distinction between news reporting and opinion pieces. And the Post, like most newspapers, ran columns by people with a variety of viewpoints and writing styles. While that’s

still true today of most mainstream papers, a lot has changed in the media landscape in the ensuing decades.

Not long after I started here, I was invited to give a talk to the Exchange Club of Sugar Land. I decided to focus my talk on those changes and the way the public feels about the media (spoiler alert: it’s not very positive). A lot of that has to do with how people now consume news, whether it by watching ideologically driven cable news or seeing it in their social media feeds, whose algorithms often keep people in so-called “filter bubbles.” Simply put, too many people nowadays hardly ever encounter news or opinion that doesn’t jibe with their own particular views. As I said during my talk, that’s not a very healthy state of affairs, especially in a democracy.

As I told the reader who complained about Lynn’s column, I think good opinion writing should provoke strong reactions, whether

positive or negative. As the primary reporter for the Star who has to strive to remain objective in my news coverage, I’ve often struggled to find topics to write a column about where I couldn’t really voice a strong opinion. Lynn doesn’t have that problem. Besides, he’s at least ten times the writer I am, so I feel readers benefit from having his voice in the paper.

I shared that reader’s complaint with Lynn, knowing he would take it in stride and maybe even get a kick out of it. Per the forward to his book, he’s been writing columns since 1968, so he’s well-versed in getting complaints, and maybe even the occasional compliment. He happened to share a note from a reader of The Leader, who told him his column was often the highlight of the paper.

So there you have it. You win some, you lose some. It’s all part of the game.

Fountain occasionally vents at KFountain@fortbendstar.com

ONGOING HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC CHURCH FALL FESTIVAL

Sunday October 8, 10:00am – 6:00 pm. Breakfast menudo and tacos at 8:00am. Festival food plus Filipino, Indian, Mexican food. Games, bingo, silent auction, rafe prizes. 1510 Fifth St, Missouri City, Highway 90 at Fort Bend Parkway. Https://www.holyfamilychurch.us

MUSIC MAGIC FOR 6 & 7 YEAR OLD BOYS STARTS OCTOBER 3

The Fort Bend Boys Choir of Texas is ofering Music Magic, an 8-week music enrichment program for six and seven year old boys. The class meets from 6:30-7:15 p.m. on Tuesdays starting October 3, 2023 and ending on December 5, 2023. (They will not meet on Halloween or Thanksgiving week.) Music Magic brings music alive through the use of movement, musical games, singing and other child-centered activities. Boys learn about pitch matching and rhythm awareness in addition to developing large muscle coordination, increased focus and better musicianship. To fnd out more about Music Magic, visit: https://fbbctx.org/our-programs/music-magic/.

LANDMARK CHARITIES

PARTNERS WITH HOPE FOR THREE 8TH ANNUAL GOLF FORE AUTISM TOURNAMENT

Hope For Three, a nonproft and autism organization, is partnering with Landmark Charities to present the 8th Annual Golf Fore Autism Charity Tournament on October 2nd at the prestigious Sweetwater Country Club in Sugar Land. Individual play is $150 or form a foursome for $600. Network with business partners, professionals, and community supporters who participate in the tournament to raise awareness of autism and funds for autistic children. Register your team today at www. hopeforthree.org/events. Volunteer opportunities, sponsorship, and underwriting opportunities are available. The event takes place on both courses to double the impact supporting local families. Your support can change a child’s future.

ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE GRAND PARKWAY BAPTIST CHURCH

In conjunction with the Literacy Council of Fort Bend Bend County, GPBC ofers 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 signifcant 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 frst 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,” fnd 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 ft 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: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

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 281-240-8181 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 ofer 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 Methodist Church, 431 Eldridge Road ofers a Thursday Morning Bible Study For Men. This group is ongoing and does a variety of studies throughout the year. The cofee and donuts are free so. Join us any time! Thursdays, 6:30-7:30 am in Wesley Hall. Call the church ofce at 281-491-6041 or Charlie Jessup at 281-642-7702 for more information. All faiths welcome.

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@reichekfnancial.com

LYNN ASHBY Columnist

By Lynn Ashby ASHBY2@COMCAST.NET

THE TV – “The Texas Longhorns are moving to the SEC while the ACC is adding SMU. Rice has joined the AAC moving from Conference-USA. Baylor and Texas Tech etc. etc.” Houston has three universities that play major athletics, and none is in the same conference. But remember the Southwest Conference? You could drive from Houston and catch an afternoon game in College Station and be home by bedtime. How about nipping over to Lexington, Kentucky, or Columbia, South Carolina? Rice Owls, get ready for your old rival, the Bulls. (That’s South Florida University in Tampa.)

Alas, those days are gone, but let’s re-visit

Conference (re)call

those fall Saturday afternoons when hearing, “The Longhorns are on the 20. Five seconds left. The Aggies are dug in. Here’s the snap!” Or: “There’s not an empty seat in the Cotton Bowl as the Mustangs take the field against the Horn Frogs.” The Southwest Conference (hereafter the SWC) is as dead as the League of Nations, Kern Tips and the Humble Football Network. It died of money, or the lack thereof among the weak sisters, but during its 82 years the SWC provided thrills for millions of Texans, along with some Arkies.

Of course, when we speak of “college sports” in Texas, we are talking football, but the SWC made its mark in other areas, as well. Conference schools won 64 national championships, and had more than 350 first-team all-America athletes. We can’t forget Phi Slamma Jamma with Hakeem the Dream and Clyde the Glide. There were Sheryl Swoopes, Carl Lewis and Roger Clemens. (This brings up the question of how do the non-football teams travel? Can Rice swimmers book a round-trip flight from Houston to Philadelphia and not miss classes?) In football, the SWC produced

seven national champions. The Heisman Trophy was won by five SWC stars. Incidentally, did you know that the Heisman is named after John Heisman who coached at Rice? The league also produced five winners of the Outland Trophy, which honors the nation’s outstanding lineman.

The beginning of the end for the SWC came in the early 1960s when pro football arrived in the state’s two largest markets, Dallas and Houston, siphoning off support and interest. In a large part, however, the SWC self-destructed because of TV money.

Ivy is not the only green that academia loves. The 1980s also saw recruiting scandals and NCAA probations. In that decade, only Arkansas, Baylor and Rice kept clean, or weren’t discovered.

SMU had so many flagrant violations that it was the first – and only – football program to be given the so-called Death Penalty. The NCAA canceled the Mustangs’ 1987 season, and limited it to seven road games for 1988, which the school itself cancelled. Most of the players left. The vaunted Mustang football program,

which had filled stadiums, never recovered. (As a lad I sold programs in the Cotton Bowl, and when SMU played UT or TCU there, I could sell my stadium pass for more money than I made peddling programs.) Later, the head of the SWC told me, “The NCAA had no idea it would be so devastating. It would never do that again.”

Arkansas left for the SEC in 1992, and by 1994 the wheels, or cleats, had come off. The heavyweights in the conference were UT, A&M and Tech, which had big crowds, big bucks. (The current UT athletic budget is $187 million, the largest of any university in the nation.) The conference was uneven, the games lopsided, and it was not just a Texas secret. On Sept. 12, 1962, at Rice Stadium, President John F. Kennedy’s famous challenge to Americans to send a man to the moon, asked, “But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?” He really said that.

Meanwhile, up north the Big 8 Conference, made up strictly of state schools

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in six states, wanted the SWC’s three strongest football members to join. The three were ready to split, but were state schools, heavily dependent on the Texas government for funds. The then-governor, Ann Richards, and the powerful lite guv, Bob Bullock, were both Baylor Bears. So the Waco school was included in the merger.

The SWC’s leftovers – Rice, TCU, SMU and UH – drifted away to conferences that included such crowd-magnets as Alabama-Birmingham, Cincinnati, Central Florida, Marshall, Idaho and Hawaii. So the old Southwest Conference never again 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 during a Baylor homecoming game that an Aggie, Lt. Charles Sessums, was killed, and the games were cancelled until 1931. Only a few years ago, Rice’s Marching Owl Band, aka the MOB, poked such fun at the Aggies’ recently passed-on mascot, Reveille, the band had to hide inside the stadium until catering trucks could slip them to safety. Juices

don’t flow like that against East Carolina.

That’s all history now. In 1997 the official records of the conference from 1914 to 1996 were moved from Dallas, the SWC’s headquarters, to Texas Tech where they became part of the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library. A major relic is Rice Stadium, which was built with 47,000 seats – expandable to 70,000 -because, back then, Rice could fill them. George R. Brown of Brown & Root got the contract to build the new stadium and broke ground in February of ’50. Brown vowed to have the new stadium ready for the first game the following September. Problems slowed down construction, so a reporter went out to check on the project as the deadline loomed. There was none other than George Brown himself shoveling and mixing and sweating. When the reporter asked, “Mr. Brown, do you really think you’ll have this stadium ready in time?”

Said Brown, without looking up, “It’s a night game.”

Ashby is a sport at ashby2@comcast.net