LIBRARIES’ SUMMER READING CHALLENGE

Lost Creek Conference Center Main Room 3703 Lost Creek Blvd SUGAR LAND, TX 77478

Maryam Islamic Center Multi-purpose Area/Room 504 Sartartia Rd SUGAR LAND, TX 77479

Meadows Place City Hall Council Chambers 1 Troyan Dr MEADOWS PLACE, TX 77477

Mission Bend Library Missouri City Baptist Church Meeting Room Multipurpose Building 8421 Addicks Clodine Rd HOUSTON, TX 77083

16816 Quail Park Dr MISSOURI CITY, TX 77489

Missouri City Visitors Center Main Room 1522 Texas Parkway MISSOURI CITY, TX 77489

Mustang Community Center Orchard City Hall Classroom Room # 7 4521 FM 521 Rd 9714 Kibler FRESNO, TX ORCHARD, TX 77545 77464

Pecan Grove MUD Admin Bldg Main Meeting Space 751 Pitts Road RICHMOND, TX 77406

Pinnacle Senior Center Quail Valley Elem Quail Valley Fund Office Multi-purpose Room Main Room Board Room 5525 Hobby St 3500 Quail Village Dr 3603 Glenn Lakes Ln HOUSTON, TX

77053 MISSOURI CITY, TX 77459 MISSOURI CITY, TX 77459

Reese Tech Ctr B116 - Physical Therapy Room 12300 University Blvd SUGAR LAND, TX 77479

Ridge Point HS Ridgegate Community Ass'n Gym Foyer Main Room 500 Waters Lake Blvd.

MISSOURI CITY, TX 77459 5855 West Ridgecreek Dr HOUSTON, TX 77489

Ridgemont Early Childhood Ctr Extended Day Room 5353 Ridgecreek Circle HOUSTON, TX 77053

River Park Recreation Ctr. Rec Center 5875 Summit Crk Drive SUGAR LAND, TX 77479

Road and Bridge (Needville) meeting room 3743 School Street NEEDVILLE, TX

77461 Rosenberg Annex Building Rosenberg City Hall Municipal Elections varies City Hall Council Chamber 4520 Reading Rd 2110 Fourth Street ROSENBERG, TX ROSENBERG, TX 77471 77471 Sartartia Middle May 7, 2022 Front Area 8125 Homeward Way SUGAR LAND, TX 77479 Sienna Annex Community RoomElection Day Voting Centers 5855 Sienna Springs Way MISSOURI CITY, TX 77459 Stafford City Hall Large Conference Room 2610 S Main St STAFFORD, TX 77477

Revised 4/19/2022 3:19 PM Page 2 of 2

Elecciones municipales 7 de mayo de 2022 Centros de votación del día de las elecciones

Sugar Lakes Clubhouse COUNTYWIDE POLLING PLACE Clubhouse Voting Location 930 Sugar Lakes Dr ADDRESS SUGAR LAND, TX CITY 77478 ZIP

Sugar Land Branch Library Meeting Room 550 Eldridge Rd SUGAR LAND, TX 77478

Sugar Land Church of God Fellowship Hall 1715 Eldridge Rd

SUGAR LAND, TX 77478 I:\0.SharedInfo\2022\2 - Municipal Election May 7, 2022\Polling Locations\Election Day Vote Centers May 7, 2022 Vote Centers Sugar Land City Hall Lobby 2700 Town Center Blvd N SUGAR LAND, TX 77479 Tompkins HS PAC Lobby or Gym Lobby 4400 Falcon Landing Blvd KATY, TX 77494

Townewest Towne Hall Main Room 10322 Old Towne Ln SUGAR LAND, TX 77498

University Branch Library

Meeting Room 1 Westlake Preparatory Academy Varies 14010 University Blvd 23300 Bellaire Blvd SUGAR LAND, TX 77479 RICHMOND, TX 77406

Source: https://www.fortbendcountytx.gov/sites/default/files/2022-04/Election-Day-Vote-Centers-May-7%2C-2022_0.pdf

Libraries’ Summer Reading Challenge Starts May 30th

NEWSWORTHY

Fort Bend County Libraries presents special reading challenges during the summer to encourage reading among children from birth and up, as well as teens and adults. “Oceans of Possibilities” is the theme for this year’s Summer Reading Challenge. Online registration for the 2022 Summer Reading Challenge, which takes place at all Fort Bend County Libraries (FBCL) locations, will begin on Monday, May 30th, and continue through August 31st. Library programs and activities for children begin during the week of June 6th, and continue through July 30th.

Children from infancy through school-age are invited to come to the library to read a lot of great books and join in some fun activities to kick off a great summer! Younger children will enjoy the “Summer Reading Challenge for Children,” while students in grades 6-8 can participate in activities for older kids in the “Middle School Summer Challenge.” Teens in high school can participate with adults in the “YA/Adult Summer Reading Challenge” to complete individual online challenges and win prizes.

There is no charge to join the Summer Reading Challenge, and it is open to everyone, regardless of the county of residence. Participants may register at any Fort Bend County library, or may register online by going to www.fortbend.lib.tx.us and clicking on the “SRC Sign-Up” image, which will become available on May 30th. When the online registration form has been completed, readers will then have their own online page on which to record their books and reading time.

Reading rewards can be redeemed beginning Monday, June 6th. The last day to pick up awards is August 31st. Prizes must be collected from the “primary library of use” that the reader indicated on the registration form.

For more information, visit www.fortbend.lib.tx.us or call 281-633-4734.

Treating Complex Conditions of the Spine and Brain

Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s team of neurosurgeons is providing the most advanced surgical techniques to help Fort Bend patients.

For months, Sugar Land resident, Richard Rivera, had been experiencing pain in his lower back that traveled down his left leg, leaving his foot numb. As the pain progressed, he struggled to walk. After a couple of falls, he realized it was time to see the doctor. Rivera’s primary care physician ordered an MRI, and the results were surprising – rather than degenerative disc disease or bone spurs, the most common issues related to his symptoms – the 56-year-old had a tumor in the thoracic, or chest region, of his spine that was compressing his Richard Rivera spinal cord.

Microsurgery for Complex Tumors

Rivera was referred to board-certified neurosurgeon Derrick Sun, M.D., at Houston Methodist Neuroscience & Spine Center at Sugar Land. Sun specializes in diseases and disorders of the spine. He is unique in that he completed both a neurosurgery residency as well as an orthopedic spine surgery fellowship, allowing him to focus on complex injuries and disorders of the brain and spine.

COVER STORY

At the Houston Methodist Neuroscience & Spine Center, Sun is part of a highly skilled team that includes boardcertified neurologists, neurosurgeons, orthopedic spine surgeons, pain management specialists, primary care sports medicine specialists and rehabilitation specialists who work together to provide comprehensive, personalized care, designed to help patients return to a productive lifestyle. Founded in 2010, the center treats common to complex cases using the most sophisticated techniques and technology, all close to home, for patients from Fort Bend and surrounding areas.

In November 2021, Sun performed surgery on Rivera to remove the tumor using a specialized operating microscope and micro instruments.

“Typically, tumors like this are very defined, almost floating,” said Sun. “They can be removed by just snipping both ends. But in this case, the tumor was attached to the spinal cord. So this was a much more complex surgery than we originally believed.”

Using microsurgery techniques, Sun identified the almost invisible border between the spinal cord and the tumor. Eventually, he was able to cut away the tumor in one piece without damaging the spinal cord. The pathology report showed that the tumor was a type of hemangioma, a noncancerous vascular tumor.

After only two days in the hospital, Rivera was discharged to go home and continue his rehabilitation.

“He is doing very well now,” said Sun. “His leg strength has greatly improved, he is walking with reduced pain and the numbness.” Derrick Sun, M.D.

One of Sun’s colleagues at the Houston Methodist Neuroscience & Spine Center, board-certified neurosurgeon Tsz Lau, M.D., specializes in cerebrovascular procedures, including those involving brain tumors, blood clots and aneurysms. With his specialized training – he completed fellowships in both skull base cerebrovascular surgery and neuro-endovascular surgery – he performs procedures that were previously unavailable in the Fort Bend area.

One recent case involved a patient in her 70s, Maria Campos Torres, who suffered from severe tinnitus, or ringing in the ear. The condition was caused by a tumor at the base of her skull that was compressing two cranial nerves, impacting both her hearing and her balance.

In an intensive, five-hour procedure, Lau removed the non-malignant tumor, providing immediate relief. The surgery required Lau to make an incision behind the ear, remove part of the skull and then cut out the tumor. “This type of tumor, although benign, can severely impact a patient’s quality of life,” said Lau. “This patient couldn’t sleep at night due to the ringing in her ears, and she had lost her sense of balance which made walking dangerous.

Now she is living with minimal symptoms.” Lau also recently treated a patient who had suffered an intra-cranial hemorrhage several years ago, due to a rare condition known as Moyamoya disease. April Vernon received an earlier cerebral bypass surgery that was unsuccessful and was told nothing more could be done by her previous doctor. But when she developed stroke-like symptoms due to continued bleeding in her brain, she made an appointment with Lau. “Using our advanced diagnostic technology – a specialized surgical microscope and micro instruments – we were able to see that the blood vessels in her brain were now large enough to attempt a direct bypass,” said Lau. “I harvested an artery from under her scalp, identified the existing recipient artery in the brain that had been affected by the disease, and bypassed it using the harvested artery.” These types of procedures are extremely intricate. The blood vessels involved are typically smaller than one millimeter in diameter. Maria Campos Torres “April is doing extremely well now,” said Lau. “It’s amazing to see her progress.”Photo by Morris Malakoff Photography.

April Vernon Photo by Morris Malakoff Photography.

Multidisciplinary Care for Diagnosis and Treatment

One of the keys to the Houston Methodist Neuroscience & Spine Center’s success in performing complex procedures previously unavailable in the Fort Bend area is Houston Methodist Sugar Land’s sophisticated imaging capabilities – enabling specialists to pinpoint issues and accurately diagnose each patient’s condition.

Houston Methodist Sugar Land will soon introduce a new biplane suite, which will allow Lau to perform all of the neuroendovascular procedures. This will be the first and only comprehensive cerebrovascular service in Fort Bend County.

The hospital houses three whole-body, 3-Tesla MRI scanners – the industry’s most powerful technology typically found only in the nation’s top academic medical centers — as well as advanced CT scanners that provide more detailed views than traditional units.

Patients also benefit from the hospital’s highly trained and compassionate nursing staff, who are skilled in caring

for patients both during and after complex neurosurgical procedures. Houston Methodist Sugar Land also offers one of the country’s leading physical therapy/rehabilitation programs, with four convenient locations across Fort Bend County. Highly trained physical, occupational and speech therapists work directly with Neuroscience & Spine Center physicians to create and implement treatment plans that help patients overcome their injury or condition, reduce or eliminate pain and regain their mobility. In addition to treating back and neck Tsz Lau, M.D. pain, the Houston Methodist Neuroscience & Spine Center is also a leader in neurological care, using the most advanced therapeutic options to minimize symptoms, delay progression and improve the quality of life for patients with conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and memory disorders, multiple sclerosis, and much more.

Complex Care Close to Home

The hospital’s commitment to offering the latest, most advanced surgical techniques for complex or uncommon neurological conditions means that patients can receive the care they need close to home.

“We can effectively treat anyone with complex cranial or spinal tumors or conditions using techniques that simply aren’t available everywhere,” said Lau. “And we can do it all right here at Houston Methodist Sugar Land. That’s a tremendous benefit to the residents of Fort Bend County who no longer have to leave the area for comprehensive neurosurgical care.”

Sun encourages patients not to delay seeking treatment when unusual symptoms emerge.

“There is no need for people to suffer,” he said. “If you have pain or other neurologic symptoms, we can help. Our team works together to ensure that we have the right diagnosis – and the right treatment plan – regardless of your neurological condition.”

Request an Appointment

The Houston Methodist Neuroscience & Spine Center at Sugar Land has board-certified neurologists, neurosurgeons, orthopedic spine surgeons, pain management specialists and primary care sports medicine specialists who work together to provide comprehensive, personalized care, designed to help patients return to a productive lifestyle.

Patients can expect: • Expedited, timely appointments • Access to world-class specialists and sub-specialists at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital • Customized, coordinated care from a multidisciplinary team • Comfortable, accurate diagnostic testing with state-of-the-art technology

To request an appointment with one of the specialists at Houston Methodist Neuroscience & Spine Center at Sugar Land, visit houstonmethodist.org/neuro-sl or call 346.450.7565.