A former Missouri City police officer involved in a collision that killed a mother and her teenage son last June was reindicted last month by Fort Bend County prosecutors after a man who was in the back seat of the officer’s car died from injuries he sustained in the collision.
Bladamier Viveros was set to appear at a hearing Tuesday (after the Fort Bend Star’s print deadline) in the 240th District Court to address matters related a motion by the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office to revoke and increase Viveros’s bond. The hearing had originally been set for February 3. The collision occurred near the intersection of Cartwright Road and Texas Parkway on the evening of June 20, 2024. Killed in the collision were Angela Stewart, 53, and her son Mason, 16, who was driving their car after they visited a store on Cartwright.
According to the Missouri City Police Department, Viveros was responding to a 911 call placed by the victim of a robbery at an ATM machine on Cartwright. He was traveling east in the 1600-1700 block of Cartwright when he struck the Stewarts’ car, which was exiting a parking lot of a large strip center at the intersection. They were both pronounced dead by Fort Bend EMS.
Investigators with the Texas Department of Public Safety later said that Viveros was not using his flashing lights or siren while travelling over the speed limit.
Hours after the incident, investigators discovered a man named Michael Hawkins in the backseat of Viveros’s patrol car who was badly injured and taken to Ben Taub Hospital in the Texas Medical Center. It was not immediately known why Hawkins was in the back seat of the car. His mother, Alice Bliss of Houston, subsequently sued Viveros, the city and police department on his behalf. That lawsuit is still pending.
Viveros was immediately placed on administrative leave after the accident and was subsequently fired by the department.
Viveros has been free on bonds totaling $150,000, which was set by a judge on December 17 after he revoked the previous bond amount of $100,000 following a violation of his pre-trial bond supervision conditions, according to prosecutors’ most recent motion to revoke the bond, filed on January 29.
Michael Hawkins died on January 10, according to the state’s motion. On January 27, Viveros was re-indicted for aggravated assault of a public servant, a first-degree felony, in the Hawkins case. Because the degree of that case is now enhanced, prosecutors wrote, the bond amount is insufficient and should be enhanced by the judge.
Staff Reports
A Richmond man was charged Monday with the Sunday shooting death of his wife, the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.
David Wayne Pollard, 47, is charged with murder in the death of his wife
Iona Pollard, 52, at their home in the 8900 block of Rocky Knoll Lane. Deputies were dispatched to the scene at around 12:39 p.m. Sunday, where they discovered Iona Pollard deceased from an apparent gunshot wound inside the house. They detained David Wayne Pollard at the scene.
After an investigation by FBCSO detectives, an arrest warrant for mur-
der was obtained through the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office, according to the press release. Pollard was booked into the Fort Bend County Jail on a $300,000 bond.
As of the Fort Bend Star’s deadline on Monday, he remained in jail. In magistrate documents available on the Fort Bend County District Clerk’s website, Pollard has requested appointed counsel.
“The loss of life is a heartbreaking tragedy that touches us all. These events leave a deep and lasting impact, not only on the families directly affected but also on the entire community,” Sheriff Eric Fagan said in the release. “Our heartfelt condolences go out to everyone grieving this tre-
mendous loss.”
Iona Pollard, a cherished instructional coach at George Junior High School, was tragically killed in an incident involving her husband, David. This terrible event occurred outside of school grounds and is under investigation by local authorities.
Iona Pollard was identified in a press release from Lamar Consolidated Independent School District as an instructional at George Junior High School. David Pollard is identified on the district’s website as a school safety coordinator.
“Our thoughts are with Iona’s two children, who are also part of our Lamar CISD family,” Lamar CISD Superintendent Roosevelt Nivens
said in the release. “The loss of their mother and the circumstances of this tragedy are incredibly heartbreaking. We extend our deepest condolences to the Pollard children, their families, friends, and all who knew Iona, particularly her colleagues and students at George Junior High.”
“As a community, we must pull together to support one another in this time of grief. Counseling and support services are available for any student, staff member, or family needing assistance. Staff members may also contact EAP at 1-800-475-3327. We understand the emotional weight this places on our community and are here to provide care and support,” Nivens said.
By Ken Fountain KFOUNTAIN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
More than a year before the primaries in the races for Texas elective offices in 2026, the race for the seat of Fort Bend County Judge is already taking shape.
In recent days two men - former Precinct 4 Constable Nabil Shike and current 434th District Court Judge J. Christian Becerra – announced they would challenge County Judge KP George for the Democratic nomination for the county’s top elective office.
Shike, who last November lost his reelection bid to Republican Ali Sheikhani, was first out of the gate with a press release issued on Saturday, February 1. Becerra, who was first elected to the bench in 2020, followed with his own press release on Friday, February 7.
George has been dogged since last year by allegations that he worked with his former chief of staff, Taral Patel, in a purported email and social media campaign designed to make it appear that people were impugning Patel’s ethnicity and religion during the unsuccessful campaign last year to unseat longtime Republican Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers. (Patel is Indian-American and a Hindu. George is Indian-American and a Christian.)
Patel has been charged by Fort Bend County prosecutors with several felony and misdemeanor crimes. George has been charged thus far with a single misdemeanor count of misrepresentation of identity. He is currently appealing in the 14th Texas Court of Appeals a judge’s decision rejecting his motion to quash
Staff Reports
The Metropolitan Transit Authority, or METRO, last week opened its new Missouri City Park & Ride, a modern transit hub
his indictment.
In a phone interview on Friday after his two challengers’ announcements, George told the Fort Bend Star that he fully intends to run for reelection and that he has “done nothing wrong.” He said there would be new information about that coming out “soon,” but he would not specify when.
Both challengers alluded to George’s legal difficulties in their announcements without naming him directly.
Shike, who is an attorney, won election to the constable position in 2020 but lost his election bid last November, said in his press release that he wants to “bring a breath of fresh air and new ideas to the Office of Fort Bend County Judge.”
“The current administration has faced criticism highlighting the need for a leader who embodies the values of faith, family, and service to others,” Shike wrote. “I am poised to fill this void, promising to put people over politics and work tirelessly for
as a pick up and drop off point for METRO’s 363 Missouri City curb2curb service. “As this community continues to grow, access to reliable transit will be increasingly more important,” METRO Board Chair Elizabeth Gonzalez Brock said in a press release. “The new Missouri City Park &
the betterment of Fort Bend County.”
Efforts by the Fort Bend Star to reach Shike directly for this story were not successful by deadline.
In his own press release, Becerrra said, “Leaders lead. I won’t stand for anyone who uses hate to drive a wedge between our communities. My catalyst for running for Fort Bend County Judge is to provide qualified, experienced leadership to bring our divergent community together. We are better together, and Fort Bend County deserves a leader who recognizes and appreciates our greatest asset: our people.”
In an interview at a cafe in Sugar Land, Becerra told the Fort Bend Star that he has a lifelong passion for Fort Bend County and bettering its justice system.
“The Fort Bend County I grew up in has changed completely,” he said.
“To me, there’s old Fort Bend County and new Fort Bend County. We have to find a way to work together.”
Becerra cited the county’s reputation as one of the most diverse
counties in the United States. “If we can show a blueprint of working together and bringing all of the communities together, and finding ways to focus on what makes us similar instead of focusing on that very small percentage of what makes us different.” He added that that hope counts for political parties as well as ethnic groups.
Becerra’s great-grandfather emigrated to the United States from Mexico in the early 20th Century during the Mexican Revolution and founded a grocery store in Rosenberg, where Becerra grew up. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in philosophy. He said he had intended to go to New York to become an actor, but at his father’s insistence he went to law school at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. Upon graduation in 1998, Becerra
Grants awarded to help reduce homelessness in Fort Bend County
Community Reports
The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs last week announced a $800,000 funding award to two Texas nonprofits, Building Up the Community, Inc., and Resources Inspiring Success and Empowerment (RISE), to aid Fort Bend County youth and young adults at risk of being homeless, according to to a news release.
ond awardee, RISE, will receive $300,000 for a rapid re-housing program for which the organization has previous experience in implementing in Fort Worth.
Program on Freedman's Bureau set for Feb. 19 at George Memorial Library
TDHCA’s Youth and Young Adult Homeless Program was authorized during the 88th Texas Legislature Regular Session with $1,000,000 appropriated from general revenue, and is to be used to create a program to help prevent Fort Bend County youth and young adults from becoming homeless.
Prosecutors filed the motion after a report indicated that he had removed an ankle monitoring device he is required to wear under the condition of his bond.
The two nonprofits named for awards have experience in serving homeless youth. Building Up the Community, Inc., will receive $500,000 to provide transitional housing and wraparound services for homeless youth aging out of foster care. The sec -
“Through the Youth and Young Adult Homeless Program, we mean to show how collaborations can have a meaningful impact, and give young Texans who have overcome incredible obstacles the opportunity to find a safe and lasting home,” TDHCA Executive Director Bobby Wilkinson said in the release.
For more information about TDHCA’s YYAHP or Homeless Housing and Services Program, please visit https://www.tdhca. texas.gov/homeless-housing-services-program-hhsp.
In his response to the prosecutor’s motion, Viveros’s defense attorney, Gregory Cagle of the Texas Municipal Police Association, writes that prosecutors had no new facts to justify their decision to bring all the cases to a new grand jury.
Legal Notice
“The ‘tampering’ allegation related to the (ankle monitoring device) was related to the Defendant’s work clothing worn during the winter storm,” Cagle writes. He adds that Viveros works at a Tesla plant and that the supposed violation occurred while he was driving to work. After
Application has been made with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for Wine Permit by The Wine Man, to be located at 13003 Murphy Road, Suite N7 Stafford, Fort Bend, Texas.
Owner: David Maggard
Notice of Public Sale
RecNation RV and Boat Storage unit contents are being sold to satisfy a landlord’s lien. Sale to be held at www.storagetreasures.com from 2/27/2025 12pm to 3/7/2025 12pm. Clean up deposit is required. Seller reserves the right to withdraw the property at any time before sale. Unit items sold to highest bidder. All spaces contain household items unless otherwise noted. TXHOU11 - 18103 West Little York Rd, Katy, TX 77449: Kamis, M; Corson, Andrea (2)
learning of the interruption, Cagle writes, Viviros took a drug and alcohol test and contacted the company that administers the device about the proper way to wear his boots and clothing to avoid such interruptions.
Family members of the Stewarts have also filed a lawsuit against the Missouri City Police Department and Viveros. That lawsuit remains pending.
Community Reports
In recognition of Black History Month in February, Fort Bend County Libraries will present a family-history research program on the “The Freedmen’s Bureau & Freedman’s Bank Records” on Wednesday, February 19, from 10:30-11:30 a.m., in the Computer Lab of George Memorial Library, 1001 Golfview in Richmond.
The Freedmen’s Bureau
in Phase III of the Fort Bend Town Center development, a mixed-use lifestyle center that includes housing, retail, and entertainment venues.
was created to help formerly enslaved people ease into the transition from slavery to freedom after the Civil War. This presentation will examine different types of records at the Richmond office. These records offer insight into the struggles of the freedmen and their previous owners during this period, and much can be learned about the post-Civil War era. The records can also provide valuable genealogical information.
In May 2023, the METRO board approved a 40-year agreement with NewQuest Properties to lease the land and the garage that NewQuest will build at the property it owns very near the Kroger parking lot that it has leased for years for
The program is free and open to the public. Seating is limited, however, and reservations are required. To register online at the library’s website (www.fortbend.lib. tx.us), click on “Events,” select “George Memorial,” and find the program. Participants may also register by calling the library’s Local History and Genealogy Department (281-341-2608), or by visiting the department at the library.
to the
center. The property is the site of NewQuest’s planned second phase of Fort Bend Town Center. At that time, the estimated cost of the facility was $40 million.
gourmet dishes. He loved traveling internationally with friends and family, restoring classic cars, and puttering around his Civil War-era farmhouse in Fayette County.
Wonderfully generous at heart, Bob often anonymously paid for medication for uninsured patients who could not otherwise afford it. For almost 35 years, he invited the staff that cared for him throughout his 1988 illness to an annual lunch to thank them.
After retirement, Bob devoted his time to caring for his wife, tirelessly working to coordinate her care even as his own health deteriorated. The family would especially like to thank the caretakers who brightened many days for Bob: Emari, Fujimi, and Wynter - they were a rich blessing to Bob and his family.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Dorothy and Prentiss Viles, and his brother, Joseph Viles. He is survived by his wife, Pamela Viles; his children, Pippa (Viles) Tierney and husband, Tim and Chelsea (Viles) Cutler and husband, John; his sister Susan (Viles) Saxon and husband, David; his four grandchildren Emeline, William, Charles and Eleanor; and his many nephews.
months-long recovery, focused on hospital case management for the remainder of his career. Bob was a natural leader, serving first as Chair of Anesthesia and later as the youngest Chief of Staff at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital. He served at the highest leadership positions for Physicians of Texas, Texas Gulf Coast Anesthesia Society, and Texas Society of Anesthesiologists. Bob and his wife, Pamela (“Pam”), were married 53 years. They met when Pam intentionally spilled a drink on Bob to force him to talk to her - a completely strategic move on her part after noticing the handsome stranger. They remained avid travelers throughout their relationship and crossed the globe together on many adventures. Bob was a devoted father to his two daughters, encouraging them to focus on their education and earn graduate degrees. Never once demanding that they follow in his medical footsteps (which would be nearly impossible based upon their grasp of science), Bob supported their desire to find their career passions. He carried that same focus and enthusiasm as a doting grandfather to his four grandchildren.
A natural mentor, Bob pushed everyone to be their best and encouraged those around him to dig deeper. He was a curious soul who loved learning. For example, after deciding he wanted to better understand aviation, he earned his small craft pilot’s license. When he realized cooking calmed him, he took culinary classes to learn how to craft
Bob will be fondly remembered for his quick wit, generous spirit, sharp mind, and huge heart. Words cannot express how much he will be missed, but his daughters are especially thankful for the extra years they were given to build memories with him after almost losing him as children. A memorial service will be held in April.
The George Memorial Library in Richmond will host a family-history research program about The Freedman’s Bureau on Feb. 15. File photo
William McKinley and Donald Trump have a few things in common. Both were president of the U.S. Both were the targets of assassins. One hit, one wounded. Both have large places named for them. McKinley’s is a mountain in Alaska. Trump’s is a tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. But, as we all know, the current president has renamed the former president’s mountain back to what it was, and it may stay that way until the next president etc. etc. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service needs to put up those name signs with Velcro.
Since many of you (OK, maybe two) have been demanding an explanation for this major government kerfuffle which has taken priority over the price of eggs, and wonder what else is coming at us, I shall explain. For about 10,000 years that mountain in Alaska – the tallest mountain in North America at 20,310 feet above sea level – was named and called Denali by indigenous people, the Kyukon Athabascans. It
Acouple of weeks ago, on January 27, I and several other media representatives went to cover a press conference at the Fort Bend County Justice Center in Richmond. The emailed invitation from the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office said the purpose was “to announce the Fort Bend Regional Anti-Trafficking Collective.” From a reporter’s perspective, press conferences can be something of a mixed blessing. They can provide nearly ready-made stories that are easy to turn out, especially when you’re on deadline and you have a newspaper or airtime to fill. But they can also be fairly rote affairs, with officials or other dignitaries offering prepared remarks. Often those statements can be very dry, and they can be framed in ways that leave out important information. It’s the reporter’s job to ask questions that elicit that information and otherwise make the story clearer to the public.
The subject matter of this press conference made it a nobrainer that I needed to cover it. We all know about -– or at least we should -– the terrible scourge of human trafficking in its various forms. And most of us know that for all of its positive aspects, Fort Bend County is not immune to this problem. So an announcement by senior law enforcement officials that there was a new effort to combat it was important news indeed.
As I wrote in my news
EDITORIAL Name it Denali or whatever
ASHBY2@COMCAST.NET
means “the high one.” That makes sense. The mountain was first designated “Mount McKinley” in June of 1896 by a gold prospector named William Dickey. But in 2015 (still with me?) President Barack Obama changed the name back to Denali as a gesture to Alaska natives. Then-presidential-candidate Trump vowed that he would reverse the name change if elected president. On January 20, the first day of Trump’s second term in office, he signed an order changing the mountain’s name. In an executive order, Trump wrote that it is in the “national interest to promote the extraordinary heritage of our Nation and ensure future generations of American citizens celebrate the legacy of our American heroes.” More importantly, McKinley loved tariffs.
And just who was William McKinley? He was our little-known 25th president. McKinley was the last president to have served in the American Civil War; he was the only one to begin his service as an enlisted man and ended it as a brevet major. Trump said, McKinley “heroically led our nation to victory in the SpanishAmerican War.” As the spoils of that war, he seized the Philippines, Guam and Puerto Rico in 1898. He was shot on Sept. 6, 1901, in Buffalo, New York, and died a few days later. His killer, caught in the act, Leon Frank Czolgosz, an anarchist, was tried, convicted, and executed seven weeks later. Hey, that was quick work. They didn’t mess around back then.
Trump wasn’t finished changing names: “We’re going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which has a beautiful ring,” Trump said. “What a beautiful name. And it’s appropriate. It’s appropriate, and Mexico has to stop allowing millions of people to pour into our country.” It has been called the Gulf of Mexico since the mid-1500s, and Mexico was not amused. What’s more, they refused to
pay for it. While not chang-
ing its name, Trump wants to retake the Panama Canal. He wrote on Truth Social that the “wonderful soldiers of China” were “lovingly, but illegally, operating the Panama Canal.” During his Inaugural Address, he said, “China is operating the Panama Canal and we didn’t give it to China. We gave it to Panama and we’re taking it back.” Actually, China does not operate the canal. Panama does, but let’s not be picky with the facts. Anyone can suggest a name change to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, but there must be a compelling reason to change the name, and states don’t have to follow federal government name changes either. (Gov. Greg Abbott suggested renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of Texas. Monkey see, monkey do.) The U.S. Department of the Interior said, grovelingly, it was “proud to announce the implementation of name restorations that honor the legacy of American greatness, with efforts already underway.” Proud? I guess they can toss their pink slips. Google plans to officially change its maps to comply with Trump’s executive orders.
Why stop now? I guess Greenland will become TrumpWorld and the Panama Canal will be renamed the Musk Locks. We have already changed our military bases named for Confederate generals. Same for our schools. As we once discussed, New Amsterdam became New York. Toronto was formerly York. Chicago’s name was derived from a Miami-Illinois word “shikaakwa” or the “smelly onion.” Our state capital was incorporated under the town’s name “Waterloo.” However, the name was changed to Austin in honor of Stephen F. Austin. “Keep Waterloo Weird” just doesn’t have the same panache. While in Austin, our lieutenant governor was once Daniel Patrick Pugh. Mapmakers around the world must be busy just trying to keep up. Constantinople is Istanbul. That city is no longer in Turkey. It’s now in Turkiye. In 2020, the Netherlands dropped “Holland.” In Southeast Asia, Ho Chi Minh won the Vietnam War. Saigon lost, along with its name. Bombay is now Mumbai. Paris used to be known as Lutetia, which means a place near a swamp or marsh. Now let’s all sing,
So what’s the point?
County. The year was 1981, and that little girl was me.”
story, the new Fort Bend Anti-Trafficking Collective is a partnership between the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office and a Houston-based nonprofit, United Against Human Trafficking, that will step up the investigation and prosecution of traffickers while also using a nationally proven model to address the needs of people who have been victimized.
As compelling as the statements made by the various officials were, Rhonda Kuykendall, the member of the prosecutor’s office who will head the new coalition, at about the midpoint brought the news conference to a much higher level.
“Many years ago, a 10-year-old girl met a trafficker in Pasadena, Texas. That trafficker would come to Fort Bend County, pick her up, take her to Houston, and after several visits into Houston, she was eventually flown,” Kuykendall told a roomful of reporters and others. “She was flown out of Intercontinental Airport out to Lubbock. She would be flown out on Friday, returned on Sunday, and sitting in her seat at an elementary school right here in Fort Bend
Kuykendall had immediately taken the issue of human trafficking out of the realm of mere statistics and made it personal in the most dramatic way possible. I had never met her, and I don’t know how often she has told this account in public settings. But I was immediately struck by her courage, leading me to believe she is the perfect person to lead this new effort.
But another piece of this story is that the new coalition is being funded in large part by grants totaling $1.2 million from the U.S. Department of Justice. Speakers at the press conference made a point of emphasizing that in the work of addressing the needs of people who have been victimized, there will a special emphasis on the diverse sets of those people, including “communities of color, male survivors, LGTBQ, and also youth in the child welfare system,” as Kuydendall put it. Timeka Walker, CEO of United Against Human Trafficking, said, “I think another piece that is really critical is the diversity, equity, and inclusion of all folks.”
This immediately raised a question in my mind. Bear in mind, this press conference was held less than a week after the inauguration of President Donald Trump to his second, nonconsecutive term. And during the 2024 campaign, Trump and his surrogates, including one of his then chief advisors and campaign donors, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, went out of their way to disparage
the very idea of diversity, equity, and inclusion. So I asked whether the DOJ grant funding might be affected by the change in administration.
District Attorney Brian Middleton made the point that battling human trafficking is an issue that has long had broad appeal across the political spectrum, and he didn’t expect that to change. No doubt Middleton was correct. But the very next morning, just as I was putting the print edition of the paper to bed, news broke that the night before, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (under then-notyet-confirmed head Russell Vought) had issued a 2-page memo ordering all federal departments to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by [Trump’s previous] executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal.”
I immediately sent an email to the district attorney’s chief spokesperson asking if they had any idea how this “pause” might affect the program they had just announced. He sent me the reply I more or less expected: “Not at this time. We, and the county, have many grants stemming from federal funding. And we are all asking the same thing. The approach for now is to continue as planned, but nobody has a definitive answer.”
As we now know, the order (which subsequent reporting revealed seems to have gone out without a formal blessing or even input from the upper reaches of the White House) was met with such widespread confusion and outrage that it was quickly rescinded. Which is not to say that Vought, who last week was confirmed by the Senate, and his OMB will stop pursuing those ends in some other fashion.
I’ve been a journalist going on three decades and most of my career has been at the very local level. My first job as a civilian reporter was at a small community paper in San Diego, much like the Fort Bend Star, where I covered the City Halls of two suburban communities. It was probably there that I first heard the term “Community Development Block Grants,” federal grants that are mainstays of local budgets all across the country. Here in Fort Bend, it’s not just the county government
“The Last Time I Saw the Swamp.” If Trump has his way, Canada will be called Northern North Dakota. Our presidents have changed names, as well. U.S. Grant was born Hiram Ulysses Grant, but his Congressman accidentally wrote Grant’s name in the application to West Point as “Ulysses S. Grant,” and he was called Ulysses, so Grant just accepted it. The S in Harry S Truman doesn’t stand for anything. He had no middle name. Leslie Lynch King, Jr. we knew as Gerald Ford. His mother divorced King senior and later married Gerald Rudolff Ford. Donald Trump’s grandfather was a German immigrant named Frederick Drumpf who emigrated to the U.S. in 1885, became a naturalized citizen in 1892, and changed his name to Trump. Another version is that the spelling had changed by the end of the 17th century. As for our vice president, JD Vance, he was born James Donald Bowman, then became James David Hamel. J.D. Vance was next, then just JD. And William McKinley was briefly Denali. Ashby is still ashby2@ comcast.net
that relies on these kinds of grants. Sugar Land, Missouri City, Stafford, Richmond, Rosenberg, Fulshear -– all these municipalities and more use them for things like constructing community centers, parks, and any number of other amenities enjoyed by their residents.
The OMB memo was really just the opening salvo in the new Trump Administration’s war on what many people refer to as “the administrative state.” Musk, as a “special government employee” who heads the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (which isn’t really a federal department but whose initials sound a lot like a cryptocurrency backed by Musk) has since been sending in people to actual government agencies like the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Department of the Treasury, and the Consumer Protection Bureau and attempting to take them over or shutter them outright. Other governmental entities reportedly in Musk and Co.’s crosshairs include the Department of Education.
Just as an example, let’s take USASID. I’d warrant that before this month, the percentage of Americans who had a deep understanding of what USAID does was, perhaps, less than 1 percent. As it happens, that’s about the same percentage of USAID’s share of the annual federal budget. It’s also about the same as NASA’s share of the budget. I’ve always been a big space geek, so that’s something I can relate to easily. With that funding, NASA operates (in part) the International Space Station, sends probes to distant planets and other parts of the solar system, and performs a wide array of satellitebased research of our own Earth’s environment. Think of all the positive things that USAID does with its funding, which by and large increase America’s standing in the world. Hey, have you heard we’re in a global competition with China?
The stated goal of Musk’s maneuvers is to root out fraud, waste and abuse. Most federal government agencies already have people whose very job is do just that. They’re called Inspectors General. But guess what? In one of his earliest moves in his second term (was it the first week or the second? I lose track), Trump fired many of those Inspectors General, a position he frequently found inconvenient in his first term.
In an interview with FOX News on Sunday, timed to
take advantage of the Super Bowl hoopla, Trump told anchor Bret Baier that Musk is finding all kinds of evidence of fraud at the targeted agencies. Actual, verifiable evidence of this massive fraud has yet to emerge. Maybe Musk should look in the same place where Trump’s other people found President Barack Obama’s Kenyan birth certificate back in 2015 (Just kidding, that didn’t happen.) Is there fraud, waste, and abuse in federal agencies? No doubt. When I served n the Navy, I often saw PSA’s reminding each sailor that it was their duty to report any such incidences. Back then, the Navy had an Office of Inspector General. I’m not sure whether it exists anymore. (Kidding again, it does. For now.)
Trump also said in that interview that reducing the size of the federal government was what he campaigned on, and clearly since he won the election, it was his duty to do just that. And that’s true, up to a point. But I pay pretty close attention to the news, and I don’t recall Trump ever saying during the campaign that if elected he would install the world’s richest man -– who, by the way, derives much of that wealth from U.S. government contracts -– in an unaccountable position where he could lay waste to any agency he wishes to. Musk, of course, is a prince of Silicon Valley, where the overarching ethic is “Move fast and break things.” Going after governmental waste is something that can and should be done surgically. When any of us goes into the hospital to have, say, heart surgery, I think most of would hope that is not the mantra of our surgeon.
A phrase emerged during the first Trump Administration that quickly took hold in political discourse: the cruelty is the point. It even became the title of a book. I don’t believe the vast majority of Trump’s supporters are actually eager to see our government engage in cruelty. Perhaps some do — in the abstract. But when those folks see people, perhaps people they know, losing their longtime jobs in government, or see families in their own neighborhoods being split apart by immigration authorities, or hear of a local program that helps victims of human trafficking -– people who have already suffered from reprehensible cruelty -– being shut down, they may begin to have second thoughts.
Fountain points things out at KFountain@fortbendstar. com
Ken Fountain Editor
Fort Bend County Libraries receives prestigious award
Community Reports
Fort Bend County Libraries has been recognized by the Texas Municipal Library Directors Association (TMLDA) – an affiliate of the Texas Municipal League –with the 2024 Achievement of Library Excellence Award for its work in providing innovative programs and services to the people of Fort Bend County. Of the 542 public libraries in Texas, only 102 received this award in 2024.
To successfully receive the award, libraries must
exhibit excellence in each of ten categories:
• Services to underserved populations through outreach, special programs, collaborations with other organizations, or special collections;
• Innovative and effective marketing materials highlighting services and publicity about specific library programs;
• Collaboration with community organizations;
• Enhanced service to the public either through an increase in service or additional type of services;
• Literacy support for all ages;
• Digital inclusion through public internet access, digital literacy training, and online library services;
• Workforce-development support;
• Cultural, topical, and educational programming for adults and families;
• * Professional training opportunities for staff at all levels; and
• * Other services that support community, demonstrating how the library served the com-
First Colony library branch to host painting workshop for Black History Month
Community Reports
In recognition of Black History Month, Fort Bend County Libraries’ First Colony Branch Library will host an abstract painting class based on the works of famous African American painter and sculptor Sam Gilliam on Tuesday, February 18, beginning at 6 p.m., in the Meeting Room of the library, 2121 Austin Parkway in Sugar Land. Known for his postwar
American painting, Sam Gilliam (1933-2022) emerged into the Washington, D.C. art scene in the mid-1960s, with art inspired by the improvisational nature of jazz music. In this workshop, artists of all skill levels will have an opportunity to paint two small abstract paintings, inspired by Gilliam’s “Blue Let” and “Wissahickon” paintings, on canvas.
Materials for this workshop are made possible by the Friends of the First Colony
Branch Library. This workshop is for adults and teens aged 14 and up. The workshop is free and open to the public. Seating is limited, however, and registration is required. To register online at the library’s website (www.fortbend.lib. tx.us), click on “Classes & Events,” select “First Colony Branch Library,” and find the program. Participants may also register by calling the library (281-238-2800), or by visiting the library.
munity with excellence during the past year.
Fort Bend County Libraries demonstrated distinction with a number of its many programs and services, some of which include the Teacher in the Library program at the Mission Bend and Missouri City branches, the Lawyer in the Library service at the Fort Bend County Willie Melton Law Library, and collaborations with The George Foundation, The Live Oak Playhouse, and Houston Grand Opera’s Opera to Go program.
Fort Bend Leadership Forum accepting Class of '26 applicants
Community Reports
The Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce’s Fort Bend Leadership Forum (FBLF) is now accepting applicants for the Class of 2026. The Title Sponsor for the Class of 2026 is Audi Sugar Land - A Sewell Company.
FBLF was designed to prepare for the community needs that demand the involvement of informed citizens.
The FBLF offers structured learning opportunities in an atmosphere that stimulates creative thinking and encourages participants to work together to utilize both new and proven tools to meet the challenges of today and to pre-
pare for tomorrow. The class participants are selected each year from a wide spectrum of the area’s population.
FBLF is a dynamic, 10-month program, held August through May starting off with a one-and-a-half day opening retreat in San Antonio. The opening retreat is followed by monthly one-day sessions covering criminal justice, diversity, education, economic development/infrastructure, health and social services, municipal/county government, and a two-day trip to Austin for the state government session. In addition, the class visits Washington, D.C. for
a special three-day national government session. The program is completed with a one and a half day ending retreat and graduation ceremony in Galveston.
Graduates of the program become members of the more than 1,500 alumni who have benefitted from this experience. To join the Class of 2026, please contact Rebekah Beltran with the Fort Bend Chamber at 281-566-2158 or admin@fortbendleadershipforum.org.
The Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce is a 5-star accredited and largest singlecounty chamber in the greater Houston region.
The First Colony Branch Library will host an abstract-painting class based on the works of African American painter and sculptor Sam Gilliam on Feb. 18. File photo
The Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce’s Fort Bend Leadership Forum is accepting applicants for the Class of 2026. File photo
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FBISD elementary music coordinator Boettiger wins national award
Community Reports
Fort Bend ISD’s Coordinator of Elementary Music Julie Boettiger recently received the national Outstanding Administrator Award from the Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE), according to a news release. This national honor is
awarded to a music supervisor who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to fostering an environment where music education thrives in schools.
“Boettiger’s dedication to Fort Bend ISD’s music educators and students is evident in her leadership and vision,” FBISD Fine Arts Director James Drew said in the release. “Her efforts to build and sustain high-quality music education programs have made a lasting impact on countless young musicians.”
Boettiger developed an OAKE-endorsed Kodály Teacher Education Institute in the district that provides no-cost instruction and materials for music teachers.
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Fort Bend ISD’s Coordinator of Elementary Music Julie Boettiger recently received the national Outstanding Administrator Award from the Organization of American Kodály Educators. Courtesy Fort Bend ISD
George Memorial Library to present program on Harriet Tubman on Feb. 15
Community Reports
In recognition of Black History Month, Fort Bend County Libraries will host a musical performance of “‘Git’ On Board! The Life of Harriet Tubman” on Saturday, February 15, beginning at 2 p.m., in the Meeting Room at George Memorial Library, 1001 Golfview in Richmond.
Attendees will take a musical ride on the Underground Railroad to meet the heroic Harriet Tubman and learn of her early experiences as a slave. They will learn how Tubman led fellow freedomseeking slaves to hiding places on their way to safety in the North.
Musician and storyteller
Hope Shiver will interweave Tubman’s poignant story with spirituals and work songs, allowing the audience to discover the lyrics of such songs as “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” and “Git on Board,” which often contained hidden messages for slaves preparing to escape to freedom.
Shiver’s husband, actor and musician David Keepman, will provide musical accompaniment. Together they form the musical storytelling duo of Voices from the Past.
Shiver and Keepman are teaching artists with Young Audiences of Houston. A highly acclaimed musician and storyteller, Shiver makes
regular appearances with Houston Grand Opera. She has also performed with the Houston Symphony Orchestra and the St. Louis Symphony, and she has acting credits on stage and screen.
Made possible by the Friends of the George Memorial Library, this performance is recommended for all ages.
The performance is free and open to the public. For more information, see the Fort Bend County Libraries website (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us), or call George Memorial Library (281-342-4455) or the library system’s Communications Office (281-633-4734).
said, his run for his current seat in 2020 was his first actual race. He was reelected without a Republican opponent in November.
Becerra, emphasizing his family’s long history in the area, said he plans to run a campaign of bridging the old and new Becerra said before making the final decision to run just days before his announcement, he did ex-
Fort Bend Junior
tensive research on how his role as a sitting judge could impact his campaign for Fort Bend County Judge, which despite its name is not actually a judicial position. Becerra said that under canons of judicial ethics, he can remain in his position until the day after he might win election in November 2026. Becerra said he has recused himself from any matters to George’s criminal case, which are now being handled by a visiting judge. Thus far no one has announced an intention to run in the Republican primary for the race.
Service League awards more than $16,000
to The George Ranch
Fort Bend Junior Service League recently awarded The George Ranch a $16,595 gift to assist with underwriting a portion of one of their most popular programs: cowboy and agriculture education.
More than 25,000 students visit The George Ranch each year to participate in unique programs dedicated to Texas history. The only historic education site in Texas that offers students exposure to cowboys on horseback working with longhorn cattle, The Ranch’s program gives students the opportunity to witness the cowboys as they run cattle through a dipping vat, perform roping demonstrations and work with a trained cow
“Our cowboys are one of the most popular and unique attractions at The George Ranch,” said Adrienne Barker, executive director. “The FBJSL’s generous gift of over $16,000 will underwrite the cost of our cowboy’s TEKS aligned demonstrations to field trip students this spring, as well as allow us to expand our animal program with some exciting new additions to The Ranch.”
New to The Ranch’s roster are baby chicks and Shetland sheep. The addition of the chicks will add an education rotation for students to employ candling techniques, see baby chicks in the incubator and explore their life cycle fully.
Sheep lived on The Ranch in the early 1900s, and with a portion of this gift,
The sheep will also be halter
and available for petting.
“The FBJSL has helped The Ranch continue our long-standing history of student education, and we appreciate their support,” said Barker.
The George Ranch is located at 10215 FM 762, Richmond and is open to the public Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit georgeranch.org or call 281-343-0218.
Performers Hope Shiver and David Keepman will present a program about Underground Railroad hero Harriet Tubman at the George Memorial Library on Feb. 15. Courtesy Fort Bend County Libraries
Community Reports
The
dog.
six sheep have now made The Ranch home. Shetland sheep are smaller in size, and their wool is pulled off instead of sheered. Students will be able to participate in removing the wool for it to be used in wool spinning activities during classes at the 1830s cabin on The Ranch.
trained
The Fort Bend Junior Service League recently gifted $16,595 to The George Ranch to support its cowboy and agriculture education program. Contributed photo
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
FOSTER CARE SERVICES
THE SANCTUARY
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.
PRIMARY CARE
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• Offer same-day sick visits
• Are conveniently located close to work or home
• Accept most major
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
