In last week’s annual Stafford Town Hall, one theme seemed evident: battle lines over the city’s discussions over how to best deal with its budgetary budgetary issues are being drawn.
Last year, the the Stafford City Council grappled for the first time in many years with the possibility of reinstating a property tax for the first time since 1995. Former Mayor Leonard Scarcella had spearheaded the elimination of a property tax during a time when it was relatively easy for the city to rely almost entirely on sales taxes to meet its revenue needs.
More recently, as the city has seen increased demand for services while the retail industry has declined, putting the city in the position of dipping into its fund balance to meet its annual operating needs. But with a “zero property tax” - the only municipality in the state with such a mandate - as one of its major calling cards, city leaders have been reluctant to address the issue.
Early in 2024, Councilwoman Virginia Rosas kicked off a discussion about reinstating a property tax in the city. That discussion eventually led to a proposal for a “public safety tax” - a property tax that would be targeted to raise revenues for the city’s police, fire and EMS services - to be put out as a voter referendum.
But after months of acrimonious debate among Council members, the effort failed to achieve a super-majority vote last fall.
While the months since may have ameliorated somewhat the bruised feelings over the debate among Council members, it was clear at the town hall on January 29 that the discussion has not yet gone away.
For the first time, the event was held at Stafford Municipal School District’s Leonard Scarcella Administration Building (named after the longtime mayor who died in 2020) instead of the Stafford Civic Center, which has recently seen flooding and other issues. The event was sparsely attended by the public, although it was simultaneously broadcast online.
Mayor Ken Mathew, first elected in June 2023, led off the program the annual “State of the City” address
Staff Reports
The Fort Bend ISD board of trustees last week voted to extend Superintendent Marc Smith’s 5-year contract by one year and to increase his base salary of $410,000 by $28,700, an increase of 7 percent. In an earlier evaluation, the board had given Smith high marks for his first year of service to the district, which began last January.
“I continue to be grateful for the Board’s support, trust, and confidence,” Smith said in a news release.
“Their commitment to providing stable and consistent leadership for our district will allow us to achieve unprecedented levels of excellence and I look forward to continuing to serve our students, staff and the FBISD community. I also appreciate our partnerships with local leaders and businesses committed to working
alongside me to propel the district forward. Together, our potential is limitless, and I am excited about the future success of Fort Bend ISD.”
Among the district’s achievement under Smith cited by the news release were: leading all neighboring districts in the number of schools named to this year’s Texas AP School Honor Roll list; removing Willowridge High School from federally required school improvement status; significant gains in assessing the district’s students receiving special education services; and successfully managing school construction projects “so they are on track to welcome students to new 21st century learning spaces in the fall of 2025”.
That last item refers to significant budget shortfalls after the passage of a $1.26 package in 2023, during Whitbeck’s tenure, which came to public
light after her departure.
“Dr. Smith’s many successes in just his first year with the district confirms he is the right leader to take the district to the next level,” Fort Bend ISD Board President Kristin Tassin said in the release. “We have complete confidence in his leadership and fully support his emphasis on professionalism, accountability, and communication. Dr. Smith is a proven exemplary leader, and the Board looks forward to him having a long tenure at FBISD.” Smith took the reigns of the 80,000-plus-student district, the sixth-largest in Texas, in January 2024 after the forced retirement of previous superintendent Christie Whitbeck the previous December. Whitbeck has since filed a breach of contract lawsuit stemming from her departure.
Lunar New Year at Sugar Land Town Square
Reports
slower growth in ‘24 reflects Houston catching its breath after three years of explosive growth.
Seventeen of the 19 major sectors tracked by the Texas Workforce Commission added jobs in ’24, the largest gains coming in construction, health care, wholesale trade, professional and business services, and restaurants and bars. These sectors benefited from a strong U.S. economy, expanding global trade, local population growth, a host of corporate relocations to the region, consumer confidence above national levels, and a surge in construction activity.
Only two sectors, retail and administrative support, lost jobs. The former suf-
fered from a rash of retail bankruptcies and store closures, the latter from more Houstonians opting for gig work rather than seeking contract assignments through an employment agency.
The Partnership’s forecast for 2025 released in December, calls for the economy to return to a more sustainable pace of growth, the region adding 71,800 jobs, somewhat above the longterm trend of 65,000 to 70,000 per year. The forecast for 2024, released in December 2023, called for the region to add 57,600 jobs in 2024. For an economy with 3.5 million jobs, the 200-job difference is essentially a rounding error.
Metro Houston began the year with a 4.4 percent unemployment rate and finished at 4.1 percent. The rate dropped even though over 100,000 res-
Verizon Wireless proposes to collocate wireless communications antennas at a top height of 39 feet on a 44-foot pole tower at the approx. vicinity of 5315 2/3 Crosslakes Boulevard, Missouri City, Fort Bend, Texas 77459, Lat: 29-34-22.2 N, Lon: 9534-31.9 W. Public comments regarding potential effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30 days from the date of this publication to: Trileaf Corp, Trileaf Corp, Jesse Alegria, j.alegria@trileaf.com, 2550 South IH 35, Suite 200, Austin, TX 78704 – 512.519.9388.
idents joined the workforce. The rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Houston’s unemployment rate has been 4.1 percent or lower only 47 months times in the past 40 years. The current rate indicates both a healthy economy and a tight labor market.
Houston and either expanded their real estate footprint or added a significant number of jobs. New facilities accounted for 158 announcements, a 2 percent drop from 2023. The Partnership was unable to determine the nature of the remaining projects. Warehouse operations accounted for the largest share of project announcements, followed by office operations, then manufacturing.
Find the full report at houston.org.
Rider leaving FBISD to become Katy ISD police chief
Staff Reports
David Rider, who has served as the Fort Bend ISD police chief for almost 15 years, is taking on that role at neighboring Katy ISD, effective February 17. Katy ISD announced Rider's hiring in a news release late last week.
“I’m excited to join Katy ISD and build relationships throughout the department and with the stellar students, staff and community of this district,” Rider said in the release. “Our department will work every day to maintain a safe and secure environment for all Katy ISD learners and staff.”
"Chief Rider’s distinguished career in public education policing and his emphasis on relational law enforcement, with officers as co-educators in schools, is an excellent fit for Katy ISD,” Katy ISD Superintendent Ken Gregorski said in the release. “His extensive expertise in school-based law enforcement and his leadership experience in large-scale ISDs are unparalleled in our region.”
Rider began as chief of police for Fort Bend ISD in 2010. Prior to that, he was assistant police chief for Austin ISD, where he served for nearly 13 years. He began his tenure in law enforcement in Kingsville, joining as a patrol officer in 1991 before being promoted to corporal and serving there until 1997.
Rider earned his undergraduate degree in psychology from Texas A&I
University in Kingsville, Texas. He attended the Bill Blackwood Leadership Command College in 1998 and earned his master’s degree in criminal justice management from Sam Houston State University.
In a couple of recent Fort Bend ISD board meetings, some of the more conservative members of the board, including David Hamilton and Adam Schoof, himself a veteran law enforcement officer, questioned Rider about
his department's mission statement that emphasized that its officers were to have an "education mindset." They said the department should have safety as its first emphasis.
Rider responded that the department and its officers always have safety in mind and are fully trained to respond to any incident. Neither Fort Bend ISD nor Rider responded to requests for comment from the Fort Bend Star.
of five siblings. She had two brothers, Dicky and John, and two sisters, Betty and Pat. Cathy grew up in Galion, Ohio, where she lived until she was 27. She then moved to Waco, Texas, where she worked as a receptionist for a Christian book company. It was in Waco that she met the love of her life, James “Jim” Olando Wilson. Cathy and Jim married on March 24, 1973, and were blessed with a son, Jason “Bear” Olando Wilson, in 1974. In 1975, they moved from Waco to Red Oak, Texas, and welcomed their daughter, Jerene Wilson, in 1979. Seeking new opportunities, they relocated to Missouri City, Texas, in 1980, where Jim became a shareholder in a forklift company. In 1982, they founded Southwest Forklift, beginning a new chapter in their lives. The Wilson family spent most of their married life in Quail Valley. Cathy was an involved mother, becoming a team manager for Jerene’s softball team. The family also volunteered for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and Cathy served as a volunteer for 25 years, becoming a lifetime member. They were active members of the Sugar Land First United Methodist Church, and Cathy was a found-
ing member of a babysitting co-op, which she participated in from 1980 until 1993. Through these communities, they forged lasting friendships.
Their family continued to grow when Jerene married Josh Faulkner in 2005, followed by Bear’s marriage to Julia Shackford in 2008. In 2020, Cathy and Jim moved to Tomball, Texas, to be closer to their grandchildren, Josephine and Jonathon Olando. Cathy embraced her new role as “Bammy” and loved attending their ball games and activities. As a grandmother, she was supportive, loving, and encouraging. In 2010, following the tragic loss of their daughter Jerene, her widower, Josh, became a shareholder in Southwest Forklift. Cathy continued to treat him as her son-in-law and part of the family. Though we mourn Cathy’s sudden
loss, we find comfort in the cherished memories she left behind. Her legacy of unconditional love, generosity, and kindness will be carried on by all who know her.
Cathy is preceded in death by her parents, Doris and George; her brothers, Dicky and John; her brothers-inlaw, Willie (husband of Pat) and Tres (husband of Betty); and her beloved daughter and best friend, Jerene. She is survived by her loving husband of 52 years, Jim Wilson; her son Bear and his wife Julia; her grandchildren Josephine and Jonathon; her sisters Betty and Pat; and her nieces Chelle and her husband Kevin and Laura.
Those honored to serve as pallbearers during Saturday’s service are Gary Parks, Jay Pennison, Josh Faulkner, Ron Capehart, Kevin Hartman and Steve Squires.
A visitation for Cathy was held on Thursday, January 30 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the chapel at Earthman Southwest Funeral Home, 12555 South Kirkwood Road in Stafford.
A funeral service was held on Friday, January 31 at 10:00 a.m., in the chapel at Earthman Southwest Funeral Home, 12555 South Kirkwood Road in Stafford. A graveside service was held on Saturday, February 1 at 11:00 a.m. at Bethlehem Cemetery, 381 CR 1245, Whitney, Texas 76692.
David Rider, who has served as Fort Bend ISD police chief since 2010, is leaving to take that role at Katy ISD. Courtesy Katy ISD
EDITORIAL Pharm to market
THE TV – “Feel
tired? Out of energy? Then you need Oxyoxt.”
“I used to have broken bones, cancer of the thumbs and nightmares about being swallowed by a mongoose, but not since I’ve been taking ZZert.” On and on they go, ads for drugs, pills, jells to rub on your eyeballs, with names that are unpronounceable.
There must be a company somewhere which is hired by pharmaceutical companies to come up with names for their products which contain an x, z and q, but are called something quite different. I blame a nonpill company for these challenges to pronunciation: Xerox, which should be called EX-rox. This does not explain the Christian name Xavier which is pronounced exZAV-ier.
Anyway, if you think we are inundated with TV ads for medicines you are right. Pharma is the fourth-largest spender on TV ads in the U.S., with $6.6 billion spent over the past year. That’s according to MediaRadar’s annual study of TV ad spend-
Wing. Only retail ($8.7 billion), financial and real estate ($7.9 billion) and tech ($7.4 billion) have more TV ads than pharma. As of 2022, the latest figures available, (get ready) Rinvoq, Dupixent, and Skyrizi were the top three most advertised drugs on U.S. TV based on ad money spent. MediaRadar also reports that NFL football, and particularly the Super Bowl, is the single biggest-selling TV ad event. So get ready for this year’s Super Bowl ads, many of which are made specifically for the big bowl and won’t be seen again, but can be better than the game itself.
Pharma knows its audience: old folks. That’s why it zeroes in on the TV evening news. Old folks are the only people who watch it. During the 5:30 evening network news most adults are at
work or going home from work, and if you doubt that just look at our freeways, clogged with commuters who are not home watching 30 minutes of wars, floods and their president pardoning rioters trying to stage a coup. So those evening news programs are sponsored by (get ready again) Klitpor, Qsominex and Vansome. There has been some movement in Congress to ban pharma from placing ads in those programs, feeling the ads are pandering to our elderly. If that happens, old folks, be prepared to watch a half-hour test pattern.
Drug makers are allowed to market prescription drugs directly to consumers only in the U.S. and New Zealand. The U.S. consumer drug ad boom on TV began in 1997, when the FDA relaxed its guidelines on broadcast media. But the ads must include the drug’s most important risks. Those warnings are either delivered by bland male voices at the end of the ads at speeds unintelligible to most, or in type only read with a magnifying glass. Good luck, Grandma. “UnquteDux may cause excessive fingernail bleeding, uncontrollable ventriloquism, broken joints, fatal heart attacks or suicidal
challenges to the Proud Boys. You’ve been warned so you can’t sue us.” Incidentally, have you noticed that drug stores sell motor oil, mops and light bulbs but the pharmacy is way in the back like an afterthought?
How much do you spend on drugs of all kinds – over the counter and prescriptions like AdNausea which taken daily prevents you from spending too much on drugs? Probably a lot. The U.S. spends more than any other country for our drugs. In 2020, estimated retail prices for 20 selected brandname prescription drugs were more than two to four times higher than prices in Australia, Canada, and France.
Pharma likes to say that Americans pay so much for R&D, research and development. The excuse is: “That first pill cost $30 million. The second pill cost $3.” Why are Americans paying all the cost of R&D? Can’t we spread it out so that, say, the French shoulder some of that cost?
Speaking of money, pharma doles out a lot to – one guess – our lawmakers, especially members of Congress. From 1999 to 2018, the pharmaceutical and health product indus -
try spent $4.7 billion, an average of $233 million per year, on lobbying members of Congress, presidential candidates, party committees and anyone else that could be influenced. In 2024, those lobbyists reported spending $294 million. JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, wrote the obvious: “Contributions were targeted at senior legislators in Congress involved in drafting health care laws and state committees that opposed or supported key referenda on drug pricing and regulation.” And it is working wondrously well. It would be interesting to see how much money – in “campaign contributions” of course, wink-wink, nudge-nudge –our members of Congress have received, but it may be hard to determine who really is “Americans for a Healthy America” or “Medical Miracles Committee.”
Elsewhere in the world of money and drugs, the Sackler family has made a fortune with its company, Purdue Pharma, which developed and aggressively marketed OxyContin, which contributed to the nationwide opioid crisis – in the U.S. the drug has killed more than 200,000 people in two de -
cades. To settle a lawsuit, the Sacklers have agreed to pay $7.4 billion to several states. One of the states is Texas. Question: How much we will get and just where will that money go? Finally, we all see and buy drugs with made-up names, but have you ever read the fine print on the labels and wondered what they mean? Some names come from the meds’ ingredients. Tylenol and Lunesta are examples. Valium: vale, which is Latin for “goodnight.” Actigall: acts on the gallbladder. That makes sense. So does Morphine: Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams. But then we have Montelukast: Developed in Montreal. Nystatin: derived from the New York State Health Department Laboratory. Warfarin takes its name from the acronym WARF –Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. And how can we forget Premarin: pregnant mare’s urine? Maybe the Texas Medical Center can create LongHornones to treat Lupus610. Remember all of this when you go to the drug store to pick up your motor oil.
Ashby is drugged at ashby2@comcast.net
An obsession with rank is toxic
hen class ranks were released last week, my school transformed into something akin to a war zone. Students clutched their phones, refreshing screens with bated breath, waiting for the fateful number that would define their academic standing. Whispers spread like wildfire, some met with triumphant cheers, others with quiet devastation. It was as if we had all been thrown into the Hunger Games, each of us battling to see who would emerge victorious and who would be left questioning their worth. The numbers, so simple yet so powerful, dictated who had won
and who had fallen short in this relentless academic arena. Almost immediately, the comparisons began. Friends who once stood side by side in solidarity now found themselves analyzing each other’s ranks, wondering what had set them apart. Questions filled the air: Why am I not higher? What did I do wrong? A once-unified student body fragmented into a hierarchy defined by decimals and percentages. It was impossible to escape the internal dialogue
that whispered doubts into our minds – If I am not at the top, does that mean I am not good enough?
This obsession with rank is a reflection of a greater societal pressure that tells us our worth is measured by numbers, statistics, and achievements. We live in a world where success is often equated with a quantifiable result, yet we fail to recognize that human potential is far more complex than a GPA or class rank. We are so much more than where we stand on some list. Some of us find magic in science, solving problems and discovering new ideas. Others bring emotions to life through music, painting, or writing. Some thrive in sports, pushing their bodies to the limit, while others pour their
hearts into helping people, making the world a little kinder every day. How could we ever decide one path is better than another?
This obsession with rank? It is toxic. It turns learning into a race instead of a journey. It replaces curiosity with anxiety, joy with stress. The pressure to be at the top can wear us down, leaving us drained, doubting ourselves, losing sight of why we are in school in the first place. School should be a place to grow, to explore, to figure out who we are – not a never-ending competition that leaves us exhausted and empty.
The truth is, success is not about being ranked number one. Some of the most brilliant, inspiring people in the world weren’t at the top of their class. They succeeded
because they believed in themselves, because they kept going even when things got tough. Life is not about fitting into a ranking system – it is about finding what sets your soul on fire and chasing after it with everything you’ve got.
We need to stop letting numbers define us. We need to stop tearing ourselves down over something that does not even begin to capture the depth of who we are. Whether you dream of becoming a doctor, an artist, an entrepreneur, a teacher –whatever it is – your dreams are what matter. Not some statistic on a piece of paper.
At the end of the day, a number can not measure the nights you stayed up helping a friend, the excitement of learning something new, the strength it takes to keep go -
ing after failure. It can not measure kindness, creativity, or resilience. It can not measure you. Let us break free from the pressure, from the comparisons, from the idea that we’re only as good as the number next to our name. The moment we stop letting rank define us—that is the moment we truly start to live.
Morris is a Ridge Point High School student, class of 2027, a varsity tennis player, and an active member of JCC Maccabi Houston.
If you are a Fort Bend County high-school-age student (public, private, charter, or homeschool) who might be interested in becoming a Youth Columnist, please send an email to editor@ fortbendstar.com.
Community Reports
The Adult Services department at Fort Bend County Libraries' Missouri City Branch Library will feature a "Films in Focus" movie series for Black History Month in February. The movies will begin at 2 p.m., in the Meeting Room of the library, 1530 Texas Parkway. The schedule of film showings is as follows: February 8 - A powerful and thought-provoking true-crime drama, this movie follows young civil rights defense attorney Bryan Stevenson and his history-making battle for justice. After graduating from Harvard, Stevenson decided to forego his pick of lucrative jobs and head to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or who
were not afforded proper representation. One of his first - and most incendiary - cases involved a wrongly condemned death-row prisoner. Released in 2019, this docu-drama is rated PG-13.
February 15 - This 2010 documentary shines light on Conrad "Prof" Johnson and the Kashmere High School Stage Band in Houston. In the 1970s, Johnson turned this mediocre high-school jazz band, comprised of students from one of Houston's roughest neighborhoods, into a legendary funk powerhouse garnering national attention. Decades later, the band's alumni return for a reunion concert paying tribute to their beloved "Prof," the man who changed their lives through music. The film includes photos and footage of the band in their heyday,
as well as interviews done at the reunion concert. This film is rated PG. The movies are free and open to the public. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied
The
Community Reports
Fort Bend County Libraries offers online access to a variety of news outlets from around the world, making millions of full-text articles from newspapers, journals, magazines, newswires, transcripts, and blogs available free to library cardholders for research or daily use.
With professional subscriptions to different digital services, Fort Bend County Libraries enables library cardholders to access online current and past editions of publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, the Houston Chronicle, and many more.
and an outline of his goals for the city in 2025. The bulk of the presentation included a fairly dry recitation of the functions of the city’s departments, much as in his inaugural report last year.
But when Mathew turned toward his goals for the new year, he led off with his longstanding stance of maintaining the no property tax policy.
“Since 1995, for nearly 30 years, the city has done away with the property tax,” he said. “Looking at the cash balance, called the fund balance, there is no urgency for reintroducing the property tax.”
The city has relied on its fund balance, which is derived from various sources and includes funds that are restricted in their use - including the hotel occupancy tax used for economic development - to meet shortfalls in the annual operating budget for the past few years. That point has been raised by many of Mathews’ critics on council.
FBCL's NewsBank subscription includes access to America's News which means library users can access articles from local, state, regional, and national news sources, as well as Spanishlanguage news, from the U.S. and abroad. NewsBank can be used to explore a specific current or historical event or to compare a wide variety of viewpoints on topics such as politics, business, health, sports, cultural activities, and people. Throughout the month of February, demonstrations of these online news resources will take place at library locations around the county, but library users are welcome to
inquire about the resources at any time.
The demonstrations will take place at the following locations:
* February 11, 2-3 p.m.Sienna Branch Library (8411 Sienna Springs Blvd, Missouri City). This demonstration will provide an overview of NewsBank. Discover news and historical articles from newspapers from around the world. Registration is required.
* February 19, 6-7 p.m.Mission Bend Branch Library (8421 Addicks Clodine Road). This demonstration will provide an overview of NewsBank, as well as accessing The Wall Street Journal
and The New York Times online. Registration is required. * February 25, 10-11 a.m. - George Memorial Library (1001 Golfview, Richmond). Learn how to access the Houston Chronicle, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal online for free through FBCL's website. Registration is required. The demonstrations are free and open to the public. To register for a class, visit Fort Bend County Libraries' website (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us), click on "Classes & Events," select the library, and find the program on the date indicated. For more information, call FBCL's Communications Office (281-633-4734).
said, we could go to the [city’s website] and find out,” he said, referring to Mathews’ recitation of the city departments’ responsibilities.
“What was lacking was the Office of the Mayor,” he said. “What are your responsibilities. Are you fulfilling that responsibility? Do you have goals yourself to achieve, to move forward, to work with your Council on?”
can achieve many things,” Mathew said in closing.
As in previous annual town halls, the mayor’s address was followed by remarks from the public audience and the other members of the City Council. All members of the council were present except Position 4 member Christopher Caldwell.
While there were few members of the public present, those who spoke voiced general disappointment with the mayor’s address. Among them was Joe Longoria, a longtime Stafford civic activist.
“Let us stand united, let us stand together, so we
Mathew quoted his immediate predecessor, Cecil Willis, who in 2023 announced that he would never support a property tax. “Let me state also, count me as a no vote on a property tax,” he said. Mathew went on to state his remaining goals of the city, which included improving the city’s infrastructure issues, including drainage problems, attracting new sales tax-generating businesses, supporting new subdivisions, revitalizing “the island,” the city’s primary business and governmental hub on U.S. 90. eliminating wasteful spending, and promoting the city’s diversity. But Mathew offered scant details on these goals.
Fort Bend libraries offer demonstrations of online news resources in February HOUSTON METHODIST LEADING CARE
“I think we are a little disappointed at your presentation, Mr. Mayor. Everything, almost, that you
“We need to get down to the basics,” Longoria said. “Each of you needs to talk to each other. And more so, talk to the community.”
In her own remarks, Rosas, the council member who spearheaded last year’s property tax discussion, made it apparent that she is still concerned about the city’s budgetary issues. That was echoed by other Council members including Tim Wood and Xavier Herrera, while William Bostic and Alice Chen voiced support for the mayor’s no property tax pledge.
Rosas announced that a special workshop on finding new revenues for the city will be held on February 12.
A full video of the town hall can be found on the city’s YouTube page.
Fort
Bend Extension
Education
Association to hold bingo fundraiser on Feb. 8
Community Reports
Fort Bend Extension Education Association will be host a Rise & Shine Bingo on Saturday, February 8 to raise funds for financial support of community service projects and activity scholarships for Fort Bend County 4-H youth members to attend events such as 4H leadership camps.
Fort Bend EEA is a member of Texas Extension Education Association, Inc., which is a 501c3 non-profit corporation registered in the State of Texas for the purpose of education. Its focus is educational programs for families and community service projects to support Fort Bend County communities. The mission of the Texas Extension Education Association, Inc. is to work in partnership with the Texas A&M
AgriLife Extension Service to strengthen and enrich families through educational programs, leadership development, and community service projects. The Bingo Fundraiser will be held at the Bud O’Shieles Community Center: 1330 Band Rd, Rosenberg, on February 8, 2025, from 9 a.m.-noon. Family, friends, and community members (youth and adults-no age limit) are all welcome to attend this event.
easy-to-access locations for primary, specialty and emergency care in Sugar Land
We offer a full spectrum of care, including:
Primary care physicians for you and your family, providing personal care and service
• Specialists with innovative treatments and customized programs for all conditions, including cutting-edge orthopedic, cancer and neurological care
• Collaborative teams of experts using the newest technologies and latest research
Stafford resident Joe Longoria, right, addresses Mayor Ken Mathew and his fellow City Council members at last week’s Annual Town Hall. Photo by Ken Fountain
Lunar New Year at Sugar Land Town Square
A boy meets a traditional Chinese mythological creature. Performers enact a dragon at the plaza.
Allen Lee, founder of Lee's Golden Dragon Lion and Dragon Dance Association, talks about the long history of Lunar New Year. Dragons and lions parade through the streets of Sugar Land Town Square.
Young musicians perform traditional Chinese music.
Young performers at the plaza of Sugar Land Town Square.
Youngsters interact with a lion.
Young musicians parade toward the main plaza of Sugar Land Town Square.
Audience members greet a dragon.
Lion dancers outside the steps of Sugar Land City Hall.
lion interacts with the audience.
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE GRAND PARKWAY BAPTIST CHURCH
In conjunction with the Literacy Council of Fort Bend Bend County, GPBC will offer ESL classes on Tuesday nights from mid August 2024 through May 2025. We are located at 12000 FM 1464 Richmond across from Austin HS. Our students speak several languages and encompass many faiths, all are welcome. For more information call 281-277-2200 and ask for ESL information. You may also email ESL@grandparkway.org
EMMY-NOMINATED FORT BEND BOYS CHOIR HOLDING AUDITIONS
The Fort Bend Boys Choir is seeking talented young boys who like music and singing. If know of one, encourage him to audition for our award-winning and Emmy-Nominated Fort Bend Boys Choir! No experience is necessary and boys should be around eight years of age or older with an unchanged voice. Auditions are by special appointment at the First United Methodist Church Missouri City, 3900 Lexington Blvd., Missouri City, TX. Visit the Fort Bend Boys Choir’s webpage at www.fbbctx.org or call (281) 240-3800 for more details about auditions. Benefits as a choir member include greater self-esteem and self-confidence, better work ethic and a sense of belonging and community. A boy’s voice has an expiration date so it is important to audition when boys’ voices are still unchanged. Auditions are free!
AMERICAN LEGION POST 942
311 Ulrich Street, Sugar Land meets the fourth Tuesday of each Month at 7:00 pm. All Veterans are welcome.
LOVING FRIENDS IS A GROUP OF WOMEN AND MEN WHO ARE WIDOWS AND WIDOWERS THAT MEET MONTHLY FOR LUNCH, FRIENDSHIP, AND SOCIALIZATION
Lunches. are planned for the fourth Tuesday of the month at various local restaurants. Please contact Bobbie Tomlin at {281} 967-0718
For more information about us and to learn about this month’s planned lunch. We hope to meet you soon.
QUAIL VALLEY GARDEN CLUB
The Quail Valley Garden Club is very busy, not only with meetings, but with some fun “stuff” for our members and the community. Please find our fall schedule of events that the QVGC will be involved with this fall leading up to the holidays.
FBJSL IS ACCEPTING CAF GRANT APPLICATIONS
We provide grants of up to $5,000.00 to charitable causes serving Fort Bend County with requests to fund a critical need, pilot a program, or expand a significant service to the community. If your agency or organization is interested in applying for a CAF grant, please visit the Request Support page of the FBJSL website (www.fbjsl.org/request-support). All applications should be submitted via e-mail to brccom@fbjsl.com
THE SANCTUARY FOSTER CARE SERVICES
We are a child placing agency that provides wrap around care support for foster children and foster families. We provide free therapy services, 24 hr. crisis intervention, respite/alternative care services and community-based support. For more info, www.sanctuaryfostercare.org
ALIEF AARP CHAPTER 3264
Meets the first Thursday of every month at 10:00 a.m. at Salvation Army Church, 7920 Cook Road, Houston, TX 77072. Educational Program/ Entertainment at each meeting. Bus Trips every month. Seniors 50 and above invited. Call 281-785-7372 for more information.
SUGAR LAND ROTARY CLUB
Sugar Land Rotary Club, the nation’s oldest community service organization, wants you to be its guest at a meeting that could turn out to be the best fit for getting involved with a local, non-political, humanitarian service organization with a global presence to satisfy your passion. We’re on a quest for new members! Call or email Dean Clark, 832-987-4193, dean7351@gmail.com We just started a new evening club also. Contact me for more info.
FT. BEND ACCORDION CLUB
Meets on the 4th Sunday of every month from 2:pm - 4:pm at: CHRIST CHURCH SUGAR LAND (in the Chapel) 3300 Austin Parkway, Sugar Land, TX 77479 FREE and Open to the Public! We welcome everybody! If you play accordion, beginners to professional and would like to play Call, Text or email: Vince Ramos Cell: 281-204-7716 vincer.music@gmail.com.
LITERACY COUNCIL OF FORT BEND COUNTY
We enhance lives and strengthen communities by teaching adults to read. We need your help. Literacy Council is actively recruiting Volunteer Tutors to provide instruction for English as a Second Language (ESL) Levels 0-5, three hours a week. For more information, call 281-240-8181 or visit our website www.ftbendliteracy.org.
GIVE A GIFT OF HOPE
Give a Gift of Hope one-time or monthly. Your help provides access to therapies and services children with autism might otherwise go without. Please consider Hope For Three in your Estate, Planned, or Year-End Giving. Register now, or learn more about exciting events: www.hopeforthree.org/events.
DVD-BASED ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS WITH NO HOMEWORK REQUIRED
Weekly class designed to help you understand and appreciate the Bible by giving you a better sense of the land and culture from which it sprang. The class meets at 9:30 am every Sunday at First Presbyterian of Sugar Land (502 Eldridge Rd.). For more information call 281-240-3195
EXCHANGE
EXCHANGE, America’s Service Club, always welcomes guests and is in search of new members! Various Fort Bend clubs exist and can accommodate early morning (7 a.m.), noon and evening meeting time desires. For more info, contact Mike Reichek, Regional Vice President, 281-5751145 or mike@reichekfinancial.com We would love to have you join us and see what we are all about!
MISSOURI CITY AARP CHAPTER 3801
Meets the second Monday of every month at 11:30 a.m., at 2701 Cypress Point Dr., Missouri City Rec Center. Lunch, education, and entertainment. All seniors over 50 invited. For more information, call 713-8595920 or 281-499-3345.
RICHMOND/ROSENBERG ALZHEIMER’S CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP MEETING
Please join us on Thursday, February 6, at 7:00 p.m. for our monthly meeting. We will be meeting in Room 105, the Gathering Room, at St. John’s UMC in Richmond. St. John’s is located at 400 Jackson Street. Leticia Hardy from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension-Fort Bend County will be making a presentation titled Managing Money. Ms. Hardy was scheduled to speak at last month’s meeting, but we had to cancel at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances. We appreciate Ms. Hardy’s flexibility and look forward to discussing an
