The 10-11-23 Edition of The Fort Bend Star by The Heights Leader, Fort Bend Star and The Greensheet

Constellation Field transformed into a boxing arena on Saturday - Page 3

281.690.4200 WEDNESDAY • OCTOBER 11, 2023

Texas State Technical College to expand with new building Staff Reports The need for highly skilled technicians in the workforce continues to grow. Additionally, Fort Bend County is one of the fastest-growing counties not only in Texas, but in the entire country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Texas State Technical College looks to grow alongside the population and deliver technical education and training to more students in more fields than ever before at its Fort Bend County campus in Rosenberg off U.S. 69. “(Our expansion) is a data-informed decision,” Bryan Bowling, provost of the campus, said in a news release. “We have talked with the Texas Legislature, industry partners and local government to come to this conclusion.” The expansion will include a new building of more than 100,000 square feet that will host an expanded Diesel Equipment Technology program, as well as the addition of both an Automotive Technology program and an Auto Collision and Management Technology program. “We’re adding those programs based purely on market demand,” Bowling said. “There is a massive labor shortage in those areas. To fulfill our purpose as a college, we must include these programs.” Kim Thompson, president of the local recruiting firm K Resources, finds that the industry partners who she works with are in constant need of new technicians and hires. “At any given time, I could hire 10 to 20-plus technicians for my extensive client base in the mechanical contracting arena,” Thompson said. “The advantage of collaborating with TSTC graduates and alumni is the quality of training that each student receives. My clients often request TSTC students.” The groundbreaking for the new expansion is set for Wednesday, November 29. For more information about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.

Texas State Technical College will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for its new building on November 29. Courtesy Texas State Technical College

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Fort Bend County lifts burn ban Staff Reports Due to a decrease in high temperatures, an increase in rain, and a significant drop in points on the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) over previous week,Fort Bend County Judge KP George on Fri-

day rescinded the burn ban that Commissioner’s Court imposed on Aug. 8, 2023. The KBDI index for Fort Bend County has dropped by 164 points with a continued forecast for more rain in the coming days. Under the recommen-

dation of the Fort Bend County Fire Marshal, residents are advised to follow the guidelines of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for outdoor burning, which include the following: 1. No fire can be left un-

attended 2. There must be some form of fire protection on-site, hose, fire extinguisher, shovels/rakes, bulldozer, etc. 3. No fire should be within 50 feet of a residence or structure 4. No burning at night

U.S. Rep. Al Green holds Town Hall in Missouri City

By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

The Magnolia Ballroom of Missouri City’s Quail Valley City Centre was filled near to capacity early Saturday morning as U.S. Rep. Al Green, D-Houston, held a Town Hall and legislative update geared toward his Fort Bend County constituents. Green, who has served the 9th Congressional District of Texas since 2005, noted that his Houston-centered district may be the only congressional district in the country that spans three counties - Harris, Fort Bend, and Brazoria. In Fort Bend, the district encompasses most of Missouri City and Stafford. While Green was running a bit late for the 10 a.m. start time, attendees enjoyed a breakfast provided by Green’s office. When he arrived, he began his remarks on a somber note, referring to the Hamas attacks on Israel that had begun only hours earlier. He said he had been corresponding with other governmental officials about the situation since 4 a.m. that morning. “This is something that I take seriously. I am a person who wants to be part of the ‘peace program.’ I’m looking for a way to find peace. I hope that we will achieve peace,” Green said. Green next turned to the most recent controversy embroiling the elected body he serves in, the vote last week that ousted Republican Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy of California. Eight far-right Republicans, led by

Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, were joined by a unified Democratic caucus in the motion to vacate, leaving the office of Speaker vacant for the first time in the nation’s history. “We are engaging in a level of fatuous folly, a level of inanity that borders on insanity. We are a ship without a rudder in the midst of a storm. We are trying our very best, at least I am, to right his circumstance,” Green told the Missouri City gathering. “But the truth is this - we, the House of Representatives, cannot do anything other than select a speaker at this time. We cannot do anything at this time to fund the government. We cannot take any positions on what’s happening in some other place at this time. The only thing we can do is select a person who will act as Speaker.” Green spoke at length on the federal budgeting process now known as “Community Project Funding,” but which was formerly called “earmarking” before that term became something of a bad word in political discussion. Green said that this kind of funding is championed by lawmakers who deem local projects “relevant, material, and necessary” in the communities they serve. Green said the total national funding for Community Project Funding in the current federal budget is $63 million, which amounts to 0.00094 percent of the entire budget. But that funding goes toward projects that are invaluable to the citizens in the districts that receive that funding.

Much of the town hall was devoted to giving time to area officials, including Missouri City Mayor Robin Elackatt, Mayor Pro Tem Floyd Emery, Councilmember At-Large Position 1 Sonya BrownMarshal, Councilmember At-Large Position 2 Lynn Clousier, and District B Councilmember Jeffrey Boney. Among the city’s accomplishments they called attention to was the planned new Metropolitan Transit Authority Park-and-Ride parking garage that will serve residents commuting to the Texas Medical Center and downtown Houston (paid for in part through federal funding), the expansion of Missouri City’s Freedom Tree Park (in which Green paid a part in getting the Phillips 66 company to relinquish an easement on the property) and the recent changing of street names in the Vicksburg subdivision which paid homage to Confederate soldiers (and in one case a former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan). Green himself paid the fees associated with the name changes, Elackatt noted. Several Vicksburg residents who were instrumental in gathering the petition signatures necessary for the street name changes also spoke, including Angie Pearson, who with her husband Rodney led the drive to change the name of the former Bedford Forrest Drive (named after the infamous KKK leader) to Liberty Way Drive in August. “We want to continue. We want to bring this forward,”

U.S. Rep. Al Green, D-Houston, speaks at a town hall meeting at the Quail Valley City Centre on Saturday. Photos by Ken Fountain

Pearson said. Similarly, Rhonda and Beau Gilbro, who led the petition drive to change the former Confederate Drive to Prosperity Drive in 2021. “I’ve always been taught that you speak things into existence,” Rhonda Gibro said of the effort it took to convince their neighbors to sign the petition. “if you live on a street that has kind of a negative name to it, it’ll kind of make you have a negative attitude sometimes towards certain people, cultures, etc., because you don’t really know how that individual feels,” said her husband, Beau Gilbro. “So, we can all want success and great things, but we’ve all got to make sure we’re moving in the right history. You can’t rewrite history, but we can start a new history for the kids behind us.” In perhaps one of the most emotional moments of the event, Stafford Position 1

Council Member Alice Chen, a Taiwanese immigrant to the U.S. who served for many years in Green’s district office, credited that service with inspiring her to pursue public service. “You changed my life. You changed my life,” Chen tearfully told Green. Chen appeared with the newly installed Stafford Mayor Ken Mathew, an Indian immigrant who is the first minority mayor of the seven-square-mile city. Mathew spoke of how as an immigrant to this country he had been able to achieve his professional goals and ultimately elective office. Green, a member of the powerful House Financial Services Committee, spoke at length about his career-long efforts to reduce discrimination in lending, as well as his efforts to get Congress to recognize the contributions of enslaved people to the building of the United States.

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PAGE 2 • Wednesday, October 11, 2023

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Review: Fort Bend Symphony has rousing season-opener with ‘Westerns’ concert By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

I’ve written before about how pleased I was as a longtime classical music enthusiast to find after moving back to Fort Bend County a few years ago that it has a fine community orchestra, the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. The organization was founded in 1992, just a few years before I returned to Texas from California, but I’d somehow missed them the first time I was here. I’m also a lifelong movie geek, so I was very excited indeed on Sunday to attend the symphony’s season opener Sunday at the Stafford Centre, titled “Straight from the Soundtrack: Westerns.” Westerns are arguably the purest distillation of the American myth, and the musical scores of Western movies and television show are the unmistakable sonic embodiment of that mythos. Sunday’s concert, with the musicians (and many in the audience) appropriately attired in Western wear got off to an appropriately rousing start with Elmer Bernstein’s triumphant theme to 1960’s “The Magnificent Seven.” I have to tell you, that is one of my all-time favorites. No matter how many times I’ve seen it, I can always watch it again. Heck, I’ve even seen the classic Japanese movie it was based on, Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai.” The symphony gave Bernstein’s theme the appropriate mixture of bombast and lyricism. A nice touch of the concert was the screen above the stage that showed portions of the films and shows to which the music was related. One of the greatest film composers of all time, Ennio Morricone, was well-represented in the concert, as he collaborated many times with Italian director Sergio Leone of so-called “Spaghetti Western” fame. Perhaps the magnum opus of that sub-genre was “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” the main theme of which was the second number of the concert, and it was done spectacularly. That was immediately followed by Morricone’s “Ga-

Musicians of the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra, dressed in Western attire, prepare for their season-opening concert at the Stafford Centre on Sunday. Photo by Ken Fountain

briel’s Oboe,” the haunting main theme from the 1986 film “The Mission.” A basedon-real-events story about the relationship between an idealistic Jesuit priest (Jeremy Irons) and a repentant slave trader (Robert De Niro) embroiled in colonial intrigue in 18th century South America, that’s not a film I would necessarily think of as a “Western.” But “Gabriel’s Oboe” is one of the most beautiful pieces of film music I know (featuring a lovely performance by principal oboist Carol Crittenden), so I gave it a pass. One thing that became clearer to me as I listened to the music of Westerns across the decades how that particular “sound” pervades the genre. No other music quite sounds like Western movie music, and it’s hard to imagine a classic Western without that sound. That was evident in the highlights from the soundtrack of 1986’s “The Three Amigos,” a Western parody in which three silent

film actors (Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, Martin Short) are mistaken for actual heroes and drafted unwittingly into a real-life scenario much like the one in “The Magnificent Seven.” As music conductor Dominique Røyem pointed out in her very engaging remarks, while the film is a comedy, Randy Newman’s score is very much in the tradition of a straight Western. Close your eyes while you’re listening, and you could easily imagine it’s from a film made in 1960. (If memory serves, Newman provided the voice for the singing bush in the movie. Don’t ask.) There’s a portion of the music that had a somewhat jazzy, Gerschwin-esque feel to it. I don’t remember how that would have fit into the context of the film. I’ll have to give it another viewing. Bernstein returned with his theme to the original “True Grit”, starring John Wayne in the movie that finally earned him an Oscar.

With all due respect to the Duke, while I enjoyed the original when I would see it on late-night TV, the more recent version starring Jeff Bridges is the superior film. Nonetheless, Bernstein’s score holds up very well, and the orchestra played it with gusto. Another satirical take on Westerns was on offer with the title song from Mel Brooks’s very transgressive “Blazing Saddles,” with Steve Kalke, assistant chorus conductor for the orchestra, performing the vocals. Kalke would later return to sing the lyrics to the classic theme from the TV show “Rawhide” for all they were worth. After an intermission, the orchestra opened the second half of the concert with the portion of Gioachiono Rossini’s 1829 operatic piece the “William Tell Overture” called “The March of the Swiss Soldiers.” Why would that be in a concert about Westerns, you ask? That’s

Retired Apollo program physicist to speak at Sugar Land library on Oct. 14 Staff Reports Retired NASA physicist F. Don Cooper will share his experiences creating the technology that helped launch Apollo 11 in 1969, and the efforts that his team went through to successfully bring the Apollo 13 crew home safely in 1970 in a program titled “Apollo to the Moon & Back with F. Don Cooper,” at Fort Bend County Libraries’ Sugar Land Branch Library on Saturday, October 14, from 2-4 p.m., in the Meeting Room of the library, located at 550 Eldridge. Cooper will also discuss the history of U.S. rockets, and his role in designing the Saturn V ascent guidance and trans-lunar targeting equations that would help make space travel possible. An Oklahoma native, Cooper became fascinated with math and science while still in high school. He attended Oklahoma Baptist University, where he majored in physics and mathematics with a minor in chemistry. His career after college took him to Huntsville, Ala., where he worked at the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center on NASA’s Apollo

Retired NASA physicist F. Don Cooper will discuss his work with the Apollo program during a presentation on Oct. 14. Courtesy Fort Bend County Libraries

program, developing the targeting equations to guide the manned spacecraft from earth orbit to the moon. His career then led him to Houston’s Johnson

Spaceflight Center, which would later become known as the Johnson Space Center. During his years there, Cooper worked on eight Apollo missions, the Atlas Centaur, the Air

Force Dyna-Soar, and the Mars rocket NOVA. For the Apollo 13 mission, he provided the trans-lunar coast abort options to Houston Mission Control. Cooper retired in 2002, and soon found a new calling – that of encouraging a new generation of students to pursue a future in the physical sciences. He enjoys speaking to youth groups, community organizations, schools and colleges, hoping to inspire the technology leaders of the future with his firsthand account of the events as they actually happened. “Of the seven primary people who did this, I am the last one alive,” says Cooper. “Students do not know much about Apollo since it all happened before they were born. My objective is to show them how it happened, emphasize that education is essential, and show how math and physics solve real-world problems.” The program is free and open to the public. For more information, see the Fort Bend County Libraries website (www.fortbend. lib.tx.us), or call the Sugar Land Branch Library (281238-2140) or the library system’s Communications Office (281-633-4734).

right, it’s much more famously known as the theme to “The Lone Ranger.” It was just the thing to rouse the audience from their postintermission doldrums. (A personal note: The aircraft carrier I served aboard in the Navy was the USS Ranger, and the “Lone Ranger” theme was our official theme song, played every time we left or returned to our home port of San Diego. You could say I know it well.) The music of Morricone returned with the main theme from another collaboration with Leone, “Once Upon a Time in the West.” I saw the movie on cable TV a couple of times many years ago, and the thing I remember most is Henry Fonda’s ice-cold performance as the main bad guy. Yes, THAT Henry Fonda. But again, another stirring score by Morricone, who died in 2020 during the early months of the pandemic. Morricone was famous for including very lyrical choral parts to his themes,

and the symphony chorus really shone in that part of the performance. Next up was “Ghost Riders in the Sky.” Røyem filled the audience in on the backstory. It began as a modest hit written by Stan Jones and sung by Gene Autry and later became the title of a film made in 1949. Later, Johnny Cash released a version that became a huge hit, probably the one you’re most familiar with. The version performed by the chorus on Sunday was a bit different, a kind of jazz-influenced piece driven by the accompaniment of pianist Nancy Bowen, but very nice indeed. The theme from the 1985 “Silverado” was the penultimate piece of the concert. Directed by Lawrence Kasdan, the film was billed at the time as a hip, “The Big Chill”-era take on classic Westerns featuring some of the hottest actors of the time. I liked it a lot back in the day, but it’s been a while. But again, Bruce Broughton’s score, while definitely rousing, sounds just like a Western from the classic era. which was probably the idea. The closing piece was an extended suite from the score of “The Alamo,” John Wayne’s 1960 directorial take on the most iconic moment in Texas history, with Wayne himself in the role of David “Davy” Crockett. The movie itself has long had its detractors, not least because the famously long-haired Crockett looks just like John Wayne in a coonskin hat. But the movie certainly has epic moments to spare, and Dimitri Tiomkin, another of the great movie composers, provides a score that is rooted in that classic Western “sound” but also elevates it. All in all, the concert was a thoroughly enjoyable experience, showcasing the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra and Chorus as a great cultural resource for residents. The ensemble’s next scheduled performance is the Halloween themed “Hauntocert” at Pearland Town Center on October 28, followed by the annual “Deck the Halls” concert at the Stafford Centre on December 3. Learn more at www.fbso.org.

Sugar Land branch library to host Medicare program on Oct. 16 Staff Reports Fort Bend County Libraries’ Sugar Land Branch Library will present “Medicare Basics for Seniors”on Monday, Oct. 16, from 6:308 pm, in the Meeting Room of the library, located at 550 Eldridge. Benefit consultant Eileen Westbrook will explain how Medicare works and will address many commonly asked questions. Learn about the different parts of Medicare and what each

one covers, including prescription plans. Westbrook will also talk about costs, how and when to enroll, and deadlines. Westbrook is a certified employee benefit specialist with more than 25 years of experience. The program is free and open to the public. For more information, see Fort Bend County Libraries website (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us) or call the Sugar Land Branch Library (281-238-2140).

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Wednesday, October 11, 2023 • PAGE 3

SPORTS

Constellation Field transformed into a boxing arena on Saturday By Cory Byrnes On Saturday night, Sugar Land’s Constellation Field was transformed from the home of the Space Cowboys, an affiliate baseball team to the Houston Astros, to a coliseum where modernday gladiators fought it out before an exited crowd. Next Fight Up XXVII Main event held three title bouts between Guillermo Gutierrez V. Hector Ivan Valdes Pena in the super fly 115 class, Raphael Igbokwe V. Imaud Louis in the super middle 168 class, and Christian Foley V. Jason Limon in the super light 144 class. Six other bouts also took place featuring fighters from Texas, Florida, Missouri, Wisconsin, Mexico, and Argentina. The first fight of the night was Jarrod Tennant of Wisconsin squaring off against Jesus Maldonado of San Antonio in the welter 150 weight class. The fight went the distance, as both boxers fought hard. Tennant proved to be more active, and he was rewarded with a unanimous decision win against Maldonado. The second bout of the night was between Bruno Pola Ruiz of Mexico and Malik Calhoun Khalil of Missouri in the Super Middle 168 weight class. Ruiz and Khalil had several big exchanges in their four rounds making it difficult for the judges to score. Ultimately the split decision would go to Khalil. Fight number three between John Atiles of Houston and Ricardo Hernandez Casildo of Laredo in the fly 112 weight class went the distance. Each fighter seemed to have their own

section in the crowd egging them on. Antiles kept the pressure up on Casildo throughout the fight. There was not a moment when hands were not flying from one of the fighters. Antiles’s ability to keep the pace of the fight up and being a bit more accurate in his strikes earned him the unanimous decision of the judges. Next up was Oscar Alan Perez of Houston and Yesner Talavera of Tampa. The fourround fight saw the crowd erupt in cheers in the first round when Perez scored a knockdown on Talvera. The fight would go two more rounds before an overhand hook sent Talvera to the mat a second time. Talvera was able to get back to his feet, but the fight was called, and Perez was declared the winner by TKO. Dondrell Haynes of Houston and Kieren Dewayne McGowan of Austin faced off next in the super light 140-weight class. An exciting fight with many big exchanges made it a close call for the judges. But by majority decision Haynes secured the win making his professional fighting record, eight wins with one loss. The sixth fight between Eugene Hill of Dickerson and Marcelo Fabian Bzowski of Argentina was so closely contested that the judges declared it a draw. The last three fights of the night were for the right to claim a title. Leading off was Christian Foley of Bryan and Jason Limon of San Antonio in the super light 144 weight class. They competed for the American Boxing Federation American West Welter and the Texas Combative Sports Program Texas Welter Titles.

Christian Foley, left, and Jason Limon participate in the weigh-in before their super light 144 weight class at Constellation Field on Saturday. Photo by Cory Byrnes

Over the course of six rounds, Limon pursued the undefeated Foley around the ring and piled on body shots which took a toll on Foley. They did not go unanswered as Foley effectively won several exchanges to keep things tight until the final bell. In the end, the judges decided in favor of Limon with a majority win. Limon is now the new title holder of both the American Boxing Federation American West Welter and the Texas Combative Sports Program Texas Welter belts. Raphael “Trouble” Igbokwe of Houston and Imaud Louis of Houston competed in the Super Middle 168 weight class for the American Boxing Organization Title. Tensions between the two were high from the weigh-in where heated words were exchanged and a shoving match had to be broken up by the fighters’ corners. On fight night both came out sharp and ready to go.

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

NOTICE OF APPLICATION AND PRELIMINARY DECISION FOR TPDES PERMIT FOR MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER RENEWAL PERMIT NO. WQ0012073001 APPLICATION AND PRELIMINARY DECISION. F01t Bend County Municipal Utility District No. 26, 2727 Allen Parkway, Suite 1100, Houston, Texas 77019, has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for a renewal of Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES}Permit No. WQ0012073001 which authorizes the discharge of treated domestic wastewater at a daily average flow not to exceed 500,000 gallons per day. TCEQ received this application on March 27, 2023. The facility is located at 1403 Lazy Spring Drive, in the City of Missouri City, Fort Bend County, Texas 77489. The treated effluent is discharged to a Fort Bend County drainage ditch, thence to Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) ditch C147-02-oo, thence to HCFCD ditch C147- oo-oo, thence to Sims Bayou, thence to Houston Ship Channel/Buffalo Bayou Tidal in Segment No. 1007 of the San Jacinto River Basin. The unclassified receiving water use is minimal aquatic life use for Fort Bend County drainage ditch. The designated uses for Segment No. 1007 are navigation and industrial water supply. All determinations are preliminary and subject to additional review and/or revisions. This link to an electronic map of the site or facility’s general location is provided as a public courtesy and is not part of the application or notice. For the exact location, refer to the application. https://gisweb.tceg.texas.gov/LocationMapper/?marker=-95,520833,29.590833&level=18

Guillmero Gutierrez was named the new American Boxing Federation American West Superfly Champion at Constellation Field on Saturday. Photo by Cory Byrnes

Raphael “Trouble” Igbokwe won the New American Boxing Organization Super Middleweight Championship at Constellation Field on Saturday. Photo by Cory Byrnes

Jason Limon was named new West Welter and Texas Welter champion at Constellation Field on Saturday. Photo by Cory Byrnes

The crowd noise reached a crescendo when the first bell sounded in the 6-round match-up and didn’t diminish until well after the last bell. Heavy-handed exchanges between the two middleweights saw each get staggered but it was Igbokwe’s commitment to working the body that really began to show late in the match. In the end, the judges unanimously named Igbokwe the

new American Boxing Organization Middleweight title holder. The final fight of the night between Guillermo Gutierrez of San Antonio and Hector Ivan Valdes Pena of Tijuana, Mexico in the Superfly 115 weight class was one of the more exciting ones of the night, with both fighters exchanging blows that outpaced most of the other fights from the

night. Gutierrez seemed to have better conditioning and as the fight wore on, he kept the pressure up and was able to work more outside of the clinch. The judges awarded him the win by unanimous decision, making him the new American Boxing Federation American West Super Fly title champ. Byrnes is a freelance writer based in Sugar Land.

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The TCEQ Executive Director has completed the technical review of the application and prepared a draft permit. The draft permit, if approved, would establish the conditions under which the facility must operate. The Executive Director has made a preliminary decision that this permit, if issued, meets all statutory and regulatory requirements. The permit application, Executive Director’s preliminary decision, and draft permit are available for viewing and copying at Quail Valley Utility District, 3134 Cartwright Road, Missouri City, Texas. ALTERNATIVE LANGUAGE NOTICE. Alternative language notice in Spanish is available at https://www.tceq.texas.gov/permitting/ wastewater /plain-language-summaries-and-publicnotices. El aviso de idioma alternativo en espafiol esta disponible en https://www.tceq.texas.gov/permitting/wastewater/plain-language-summaries-and-publicnotices. PUBLIC COMMENT / PUBLIC MEETING. You may submit public comments or request a public meeting about this application. The purpose of a public meeting is to provide the opportunity to submit comments or to ask questions about the application. TCEQ holds a public meeting if the Executive Director determines that there is a significant degree of public interest in the application or if requested by a local legislator. A public meeting is not a contested case hearing. OPPORTUNITY FOR A CONTESTED CASE HEARING. After the deadline for submitting public comments, the Executive Director will consider all timely comments and prepare a response to all relevant and material, or significant public comments. Unless the application is directly referred for a contested case hearing, the response to comments will be mailed to everyone who submitted public comments and to those persons who are on the mailing list for this application. If comments are received, the mailing will also provide instructions for requesting a contested case hearing or reconsideration of the Executive Director’s decision. A contested case hearing is a legal proceeding similar to a civil trial in a state district court. TO REQUEST A CONTESTED CASE HEARING, YOU MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS IN YOUR REQUEST: your name, address, phone number; applicant’s name and proposed permit number; the location and distance of your property/ activities relative to the proposed facility; a specific description of how you would be adversely affected by the facility in a way not common to the general public; a list of all disputed issues offact that you submit during the comment period; and the statement “[I/we] request a contested case hearing.”If the request for contested case hearing is filed on behalf of a group or association, the request must designate the group’s representative for receiving future correspondence; identify by name and physical address an individual member of the group who would be adversely affected by the p1•oposed facility or activity; provide the information discussed above regarding the affected member’s location and distance from the facility or activity; explain how and why the member would be affected; and explain how the interests the group seeks to protect are relevant to the group’s purpose. Following the close of all applicable comment and request periods, the Executive Director will forward the application and any requests for reconsideration or for a contested case hearing to the TCEQ Commissioners for their consideration at a scheduled Commission meeting. The Commission may only grant a request for a contested case hearing on issues the requestor submitted in their timely comments that were not subsequently withdrawn. If a hearing is granted, the subject of a hearing will be limited to disputed issues of fact or mixed questions of fact and law relating to relevant and material water quality concerns submitted during the comment period. TCEQ may act on an application to renew a permit for discharge of wastewater without providing an opportunity for a contested case hearing if certain criteria are met. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ACTION. The Executive Director may issue final approval of the application unless a timely contested case hearing request or request for reconsideration is filed. If a timely hearing request or request for reconsideration is filed, the Executive Director will not issue final approval of the permit and will forward the application and request to the TCEQ Commissioners for their consideration at a scheduled Commission meeting. MAILING LIST. If you submit public comments, a request for a contested case hearing or a reconsideration of the Executive Director’s decision, you will be added to the mailing list for this specific application to receive future public notices mailed by the Office of the Chief Clerk. In addition, you may request to be placed on: (1) the permanent mailing list for a specific applicant name and permit number; and/or (2) the mailing list for a specific county. If you wish to be placed on the permanent and/or the county mailing list, clearly specify which list(s) and send your request to TCEQ Office of the Chief Clerk at the address below. All written public comments and public meeting requests must be submitted to the Office of the Chief Clerk, MC 105, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, TX 78711-3087 or electronically at www.tceq.texas.gov/goto/comment within 30 days from the date of newspaper publication of this notice. INFORMATION AVAILABLE ONLINE. For details about the status of the application, visit the Commissioners’ Integrated Database at www.tceq.texas.gov/goto/cid. Search the database using the permit number for this application, which is provided at the top of this notice.

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AGENCY CONTACTS AND INFORMATION. Public comments and requests must be submitted either electronically at www.tceq. texas.gov/goto/comment, or in writing to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Office of the Chief Clerk, MC 105, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas 78711-3087. Any personal information you submit to the TCEQ will become part of the agency’s record; this includes email addresses. For more information about this permit application or the permitting process, please call the TCEQ Public Education Program, Toll Free, at 1-800-687-4040 or visit their website at www.tceq.texas.gov/goto/pep. Si desea informaci6n en Espanol, puede llamar al 1-800-687-4040.

Call 713-371-3740

Further information may also be obtained from Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District No. 26 at the address stated above or by calling Mr. Hector Acevedo, General Manager, Quail Valley Utility District, at 281-499-5539.

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Issuance Date: September 29, 2023

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PAGE 4 • Wednesday, October 11, 2023

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EDITORIAL Riding my (re)cycle which messes up the recycling machines.) Pick up is Tuesdays and Fridays for my regular garbage and Fridays are pickup days for the recycling bins, I think. I could be MWF for both except in February which has 28.

Lynn Ashby Columnist

By Lynn Ashby ASHBY2@COMCAST.NET

HE GARBAGE CANS – I put in the green bin my newspapers, magazines and dunning threats from my creditors. Also plastic bottles, aluminum cans of Bud and glass bottles of Heineken. No pizza boxes, garden hoses, batteries or Lego blocks. This is getting complicated. You see, my neighborhood, Running Rats Acres, is becoming tree huggers by using recycling bins to end global warming. I now have two garbage bins, a green one for the leftover pizza and a black one for the box it came in. (It seems most pizza boxes still have a lot of gooey tomato sauce

Actually, my neighborhood is just now getting with the program. Running Rats Acres is still debating whether to allow “Biden in ’24” lawn signs. Our Home Owners Association board of directors considered outlawing collecting Halloween trick or treat candy by anyone over 40, but it died for lack of a second when it was noted that such restrictions violated AARP rules. So now I am learning the way to successfully separate my limp lettuce leaves from the plastic bags they came in. It is not only complicated, but time consuming. For example, I can recycle aerosol cans but only if I – get this – first remove the cap from the can. And make sure the can is empty. Who throws away a full can of WD-40? Instructions from my HOA: “Do not attempt to puncture your aerosol can or remove the nozzle before recycling them as the can could still

be pressurized.” Do you recycle? Most people think it’s a good idea. Most people are hypocrites. They don’t do it. The Business Wire reports that research has found that Americans believe recycling is important and positively impacts the environment. However, only about 35 percent of people actually recycle. A survey conducted by Pew Research Center pretty much found the same thing: 94 percent of Americans believe that recycling is important and 74 percent say it should be a top priority. However, only about 35 percent (again) of people actually recycle. Myth buster alert: 59 percent of the public believes that “most types of items” can be recycled in their community. That’s not true, you 59 percenters. As we have seen, you can’t recycle your garden hoses. Same for your Papa John’s pizza box. The poll takers feel the difference between people who think recycling is good and those who actually recycle is because it’s so complicated. No kidding. Take that little logo on the side of your plastic bottle. It may have three arrows in a triangle. Look closely and you may find a

number in the center. If it’s a 1 or 2, it’s good to go. If the number is a 4 or 5 it may – repeat, may – be recyclable. How are we to know? If the number is a 3, 6 or 7, like plastic wraps, cooking oil containers, PVC containers, vinyl or Styrofoam, then don’t you dare put any of those items in the green bin or the Recycle Police will be knocking on your door. Now let’s talk about plastic bags. If you are an average American, you use and toss one plastic bag a day, that’s 365 plastic bags a year, except when February has 29. Currently 100 billion plastic bags are used and discarded by U.S. consumers every year. Laid end-to-end, they could circle the equator 1,330 times, and they require 12 million barrels of oil to manufacture. The world uses 500 billion to 1 trillion bags a year or nearly 2 million every minute. The bags will take hundreds of years to decompose because the plastic isn’t biodegradable. One more thing: the bags lightweight material can tangle, clog,mand potentially damage the machinery used in recycling centers. Two things more: plastic bags are the number one

source of marine debris. It is estimated that 300 million of them wash into the Atlantic Ocean alone every year. Save the whales. (The Texas Legislature passed a law that prohibited local governments from banning the bags.) What to do? You’ve probably noticed a plastic recycling bin outside your grocery store. Toss them there. Back to my bins. I’ve got to separate my Styrofoam and I’ve got lots of it. Styrofoam is one of the most used non-recyclable materials, but it’s made of something called polystyrene, a material that isn’t biodegradable. You probably don’t throw away your thermometers very often, but if you do you may have a thermometer that contains mercury, they cannot be thrown away with your regular trash. Many thermometers imitate mercury but are labeled “mercuryfree.” Only use them. You probably get a lot of stuff from Amazon covered in bubble wrap. Not recyclable. Its thin film can get tangled in recycling machines. Packing peanuts are made of expanded polystyrene and therefore can’t be recycled.

There are several reasons why your used paper towels shouldn’t be recycled. They often have food on them that can contaminate other recyclables, and they’ve probably already been recycled, and their fibers are too short to go through the process again. No coat hangers. Wire hangers aren’t usually made of pure metal, and plastic hangers aren’t always pure plastic, so neither are recyclable. We know not to toss pills down the commode, although I’m not sure why. Your local pharmacy usually has a box for them. Finally, about your used Lego blocks. Lego, the world’s largest toy manufacturer, makes those colored plastic blocks that cause you to scream in pain when stepping on them. They are made out of oil-based plastic, and Lego decided to switch to recycled plastic bottles made of something called PET which doesn’t emit as much carbon emissions. After two years of testing, Lego found the process didn’t actually reduce carbon emissions and scrapped the plan. Except in February. Ashby is recycled at ashby2@comcast.net

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YOUR BUSINESS 713-371-3740

THE STAR

See us online www.FortBendStar.com

Wednesday, October 11, 2023 • PAGE 5

Living in the city (on a budget)

By Mark Garay MARKGARAY426@GMAIL.COM

Editor’s note: This week we introduce a column by Mark Garay, a retired television news professional. During his career, he anchored newscasts in Helena, Montana, Mason City, Iowa, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Houston’s ABC13 for 13 years. He has lived in Sugar Land since 1995. Somewhere out on that horizon Out beyond the neon lights

I know there must be somethin’ better But there’s nowhere else in sight - “In the City” (lyrics by Joe Walsh) Life is incredibly unpredictable. One minute you’re surveying a truly rustic Montana ranch. Next thing you know, you’re shaking hands with South African peace envoy Archbishop Desmond Tutu. We all have our stories. But oftentimes, the unexpected lands in your lap. We never anticipate a life-changing illness. Nobody thinks about that. It’s uncomfortable. It can be frightening. And quite frankly, if we don’t believe in God saving our souls, at least some of us rejoice in the glory of being wellinsured. But you fall into a different world when you’re ill and financially unprepared. Security gets stretched. Bank accounts slowly drain. And that has an undeniable

effect on one’s outlook and self-worth. Believe me, I know. I have two grown kids. I’m a divorced guy who doesn’t need binoculars to see 60 approaching. And when my health took a turn, so did my living needs. I knew I had to save money and scale back. But I never saw leaving Sugar Land as an option. I like it here. I watched my children grow up here and I’ve made close friends. Today in Sugar Land, the median price for a home teeters around $453,000. In July, the real estate firm Redfirm reported that an apartment within the city limits runs $1,473.00 on average for a one-bedroom unit. Lower than New York. Higher than Nagadoches. If you add food, utilities and transportation costs, even someone who earned a very comfy six-figure living might see trouble, the kind of challenge that seemed

Fort Bend County Libraries sustainability club to discuss recycling on Oct. 16 Fort Bend County Libraries’ (FBCL) “Living Sustainably Club” will meet online on Monday, Oct. 16, from 6-7 p.m. The topic for the month will be “Recycling Resources.” FBCL’s Living Sustainably Club programs are livestreamed through Webex so that participants can participate virtually and interact with others in real time. This monthly club is an online one by design - an effort to minimize the carbon footprint by reducing the use of fossil fuels. At the October meeting, attendees will learn about recycling resources in the area, such as the Fort Bend County Recycling Center. They will gain a better understanding of materials that can be accepted, where and when to go, and any fees that are involved for specific items. Free and open to the public, the Living Sustainably Club meets online on the third Monday of every

month. Each month, different topics will focus on discussing, educating, and demonstrating how everyone -- from individuals to businesses -- can live sustainably within a budget. Registration is required; a link to the Webex teleconference will be emailed to all

more necessary than ever before for me. Couple an expensive divorce with illness and, well, you get the picture. I faced a challenge after brain surgery in the winter of 2017. Another setback with a stroke in 2019. Then in January 2021, an argument with my landlord led to the eviction of my son and me. And then there’s my latest venture, prostate cancer diagnosed this last spring. Yes. Life can be harsh. I decided I had no choice. Disability is a great help. I activated my retirement accounts. And despite my intense, internal refusal, I knew I had to downsize. Late 50’s. Divorced. Unemployed. And potentially homeless. I capped my monthly spending at a personally painful $3,000 a month. But how? I don’t know if I planned it or how much of it reflected creative necessity. CHEAP TRASH HAULING FAST Home/Business • FREE ESTIMATES

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But I found a formula that is working. Allowing me to stay in Sugar Land. Live comfortably. Despite everything, I am really happy. I was involved in a bad car accident back in 2018. I was OK. My car, however, did not survive. Physically it was clear I could no longer drive due to complications from my surgery the year before. So I didn’t replace it. I lived quietly with my son, using his car to gather groceries and haul us both to medical appointments. Our eviction led to an enlightened strategy. I moved to a centrally located place with goods and services close by. I bought a bicycle from Dick’s. Kill two birds, huh? My location now affords me a ten-minute ride to 80 percent of my service needs. And I slowly started kicking off the cobwebs. It took two years. It was not an overnight reckoning. But I managed to get closer to

Contact Anqunette Williams

to participate in this special section

713-371-3740

awilliams@streetmedia.com

who register. To register online at the library’s website (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us), click on “Classes & Events,” select “Virtual Programs,” and find the program on the date indicated. Participants may also register by calling FBCL’s Communications Office (281-633-4734).

healthy and renewed independence. The gasoline alone saved me $300 a month. After the dust settled, I was saving $19,000 a year by just not having a car. And I’d lost weight. I chose a great spot to plant my new f lag. The rent is $1,600. And as stated, most of what I need is very close by. I walk out of my building and there are literally dozens of shops, restaurants and retail outlets within a five-minute ride. First Colony Mall is four minutes away. I pay on average $175. for electricity. My landlord pays for the water. Let’s face it. Sugar Land isn’t cheap. But it’s not unfair either. I’m living for under $2,800 a month. I’m happy with my Texas life. I’m getting healthier. My radiation treatments begin this month. Garay can be reached at MarkGaray426@gmail.com

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Worship Directory FORT BEND COUNTY

METHODIST CHURCH

EPISCOPAL

CHRIST CHURCH SUGAR LAND • 281-980-6888

ALL SAINTS EPISCOPAL CHURCH • 281-499-9602

A United Methodist Community 3300 Austin Parkway • Sugar Land, TX 77479 Rev. Dr. Daniel Irving, Senior Pastor Sunday Schedule 9:30 am Blended Worship 9:30 am Sunday School for all ages 11:00 am Traditional & Contemporary Worship www.christchurchsl.org

605 Dulles Avenue, Stafford, TX 77477 SUNDAY: 10:30 am Worship Holy Eucharist www.allsaints-stafford.org

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH • 281-240-3195 502 Eldridge Rd. -Sugar Land, TX 77478 Reverend Dr. Fred Seay, Pastor Sunday Worship In Person 11:00 am / Nursery Available Worship Online on YouTube www.fpcsl.org BRAZOS BEND BAPTIST CHURCH

BRAZOS BEND BAPTIST CHURCH - 979.553.3049 22311 FM 762 RD.-Needville, TX 77461 Dr. Doug Brooks- Pastor Sunday School/Bible Study - 9:30am Sunday Worship Service - 10:30am Wednesday (Team Kids) - 7:00pm Wednesday (Bible Study) - 7:00pm Any Prayer needs call 979.553.3049 Special Events-Resurrection (Easter) Weekend www.bbbchurch.org

Introduce Your Congregation to the Community with a listing in our Worship Directory

CHURCH OF CHRIST

STAFFORD CHURCH OF CHRIST • 281-499-2507 402 Stafford Run Rd. -Stafford, 77477 Stephen Higley, Preacher Sunday Bible Study 9:30 am Sunday Worship 10:30 am Wednesday 7:00 pm www.staffordcoc.com BAPTIST CHURCH

HORIZON BAPTIST CHURCH • 281-403-4994 2223 FM1092 • Missouri City, TX 77459 John Strader , Senior Pastor Sunday Bible Study 9:30 am Sunday Worship 10:45 am 6:00 pm Wednesday 7:00 pm AWANA/Youth www.hbctx.org

Scripture of the week

“For we live by faith, not by sight.”

Call Anqunette for more information

713.371.3740

- 2 CORINTHIANS 5:7

aCrOss

1. Encase a gift 5. Tonsillitis bacteria 10. Pre-1972 British trial session 12. Family Upupidae 14. Five & dime pioneer 16. Public prosecutor 18. Actress Farrow 19. Household god (Roman) 20. Indian dresses 22. Misjudge 23. Actress Zellweger 25. Remove flour lumps 26. Obtain 27. Modeled 28. Juan, Francisco or Antonio 30. Indian territory, Daman and ___ 31. Owl sound 33. A slab of stone or wood 35. Of the largest continent 37. Napped leather 38. Spoke wildly 40. Comically strange 41. Fed 42. Baglike structure in a plant or animal 44. Snakelike fish 45. Bishop’s official seat 48. Bash ____ Falls, N.Y.

50. Bay Area Eating Disorders Assoc. 52. Driver compartment 53. Emitted coherent radiation 55. Radioactivity unit 56. Former CIA 57. And (Latin) 58. Disintegrate 63. “Desperado” band 65. Makes into law 66. Attentiveness 67. Skillful hand movement

dOwn

1. Point midway between W and SW 2. 2011 animated macaw movie 3. A word element meaning nitrogen 4. Shot 5. Coasts 6. Hill (Celtic) 7. Decays 8. Hebrew dry measure 9. Venice river 10. Ablaze 11. Duskiness 13. Enlightened 15. Unnaturally pale 17. Acutely insightful and wise 18. “French Kiss” actress Ryan

21. “Alien” director 23. Long-tailed rodent 24. A way to ingest 27. Sound units 29. Relating to the nose 32. Cereal grass 34. Sticky or hot-cross 35. Productive land 36. Englut 39. Apply with short strokes 40. Indian corn genus 43. Stroke 44. Flowed in contrary directions 46. Comforts 47. Point that is one point S of due E 49. Shrub fence 51. Organ of balance 54. Proofreading symbol 59. CNN’s founder Turner 60. Smallest whole number 61. Airforce of Gr. Britain 62. A subdivision of a play 64. Exclamation of surprise

THE STAR

PAGE 6 • Wednesday, October 11, 2023

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Fort Bend Star