VOL 8 No. 2
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FORT BEND FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015
P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623
Official newspaper of Fort Bend County, Missouri City & Sugar Land
Vince Finnegan named 2014 Business Person of the Year
Bird of the Month Eastern Phoebe. The first bird John J. Audubon banded in North America, the Eastern Phoebe is a prominent winter bird for our feeders, although they live in Fort Bend year round. You're more likely to find them breeding in heavily wooded areas such as Sabine Woods. Being primarily insect eaters, Eastern Phoebes come for suet and will eat fruit as well. This hardy flycatcher winters further north than most flycatchers. A subtle bird that can be easy to miss in the garden because they move fast and "pump" or wag their long wedged tails. Velvety gray on lighter gray with a pale yellow rump, which is often the tell-tale sign as they fly away. In our gardens you will see them in shrubbery and perched in low trees or on suet feeders. More birds are migrating into our gardens plus to see more photos by Margaret Sloan, visit http://traction.typepad.com/birds to learn more.
Missouri City discusses “growing pains” By BARBARA FULENWIDER Items on Missouri City Council’s first agenda of the year sounded much like New Year’s resolutions. Two of the three items were about progress -- services and more commercial development -- and the third item dealt with oversight on industries. Joe Esch, director of development, and Gary Smith, director of development services, spoke on economic development and city ordinances that regulate industrial noise, pollution, height, buffers, fencing, landscaping, etc. Esch began his presentation by telling council that the goal of economic development is to improve the well being of a
community through efforts that result in job creation, job retention, a larger tax base and quality of life. “Communities have the job of development, not just providing water, sewers, etc.,” he said. “You can’t make a good project out of a bad one. Economic development can make good things happen. We do it often times with incentives and try to shape the future as it’s defined by the goals of the citizens.” He said there is no single definition for economic development and no single strategy, policy or program to achieve it because all communities differ so each has unique challenges
for economic development. “Economic development can make good projects happen faster, easier, to a higher standard, in one location over another,” Esch said. He also said that the future isn’t what it used to be and that change is inevitable and coming and council must determine how best to impact it to meet their goals. “Communities are partners in creating the future.” He provided a slide to remind council there are 30.5 square miles in Missouri City and 25.2 square miles in the city’s extra territorial jurisdiction. Missouri City’s population is now 68,000 and its commercial tax base has increased See GROWTH, Page 3
Olson’s support for Boehner comes under scrutiny By SESHADRI KUMAR U.S. Rep. Pete Olson, Republican from Sugar Land, is facing close scrutiny among his conservative constituents over his recent vote on the election of the House speaker. The conservatives were putting pressure on their representatives not to vote for Speaker John Boehner. Olson was among those who supported Boehner. Tomalea Bench of Richmond, active in the local Republican Party, sent a letter to
Olson’s office seeking information on who his constituents desired him to vote for. The letter read: I would like to submit a request to obtain a tally of the contacts received by all of Rep Olson’s offices regarding the Speaker vote held January 6, 2015. I make this request consistent with the Freedom of Information Act. This is not a request for personal information or even names of the constituents, but simply a tally of all calls, faxes, emails, and any other media format and
whom the constituent desired Mr. Olson to vote for.” In response,Olson’s chief of staff, Tyler Nelson, said: Thank you for your request for information on constituent calls for TX-22. As a FOIA request for information regarding matters that come before the House of Representatives is a legal matter, I have referred your request to the Office of the House Counsel. Someone should be reaching out to you in the next few days regarding your request.
The Sugar Land and Missouri City AARP Chapters held a joint holiday luncheon at the Sugar Land Recreation Center on Dec. 17. Missouri City members, Barbara Zack & Buddy Snyder and Sugar Land member Larry Silverstein discussed the holiday of Hanukkah and provided traditional games for the guests to enjoy. The two chapters, led by Sy Retsky, joined together to donate socks and caps to a local nursing home and to the Houston Veteran’s hospital. A certificate of appreciation was presented by the Texas Lone Star Chapter, Korean War Veterans in appreciation of the donations. The Sugar Land Chapter also donated funds to Wreaths Across America, the Fort Bend Women’s Center and a local toy drive. City of Sugar Land Mayor James Thompson performed the installation of 2015 officers for the Sugar Land Chapter following the luncheon. AARP Sugar Land Chapter 4075 meets on the 4th Wednesday of the month at 1 p.m at the TE Harman Senior Center, 226 Matlage Way in Sugar Land. Guests are welcome.
Front Row Left to Right: Melissa Garcia-Martin, Tom Wilson, Kay Garrett, Vince Finnegan, Renee Butler, Randall Malik, Dave Howell and Regina Morales. Back Row Left to Right: Matt Ontiveros, Jeff Haley, Kat Robinson, Jim Russ, Kevin Kohl and Barry Beard. For 104 years, the Central Fort Bend Chamber has been the voice of business and growth in Fort Bend County. In 2014, that voice remained strong in large part because of the volunteer efforts and commitments made by many of its members. The Chamber proudly recognized 11 of those members at its Annual Awards Luncheon Friday at Cindy’s Palace, 1102 FM 2977, Richmond. Regina Morales, Central Fort Bend Chamber President & CEO and Melissa Garcia-Martin, Chamber Board Chairman were the event emcees. The event was presented by Allegiance Roofing, a Division of Joe Rangel Contracting, LLC. Vince Finnegan was named the Central Fort Bend Chamber’s 2014 Business Person of the Year. Mr. Finnegan owns and operates Finnegan Auto Group in Rosenberg. He plays
an active role in the community by supporting Lamar Consolidated Independent School District through financial contributions and supporting their workforce development courses for high school students. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Central Fort Bend Chamber in his second year as Board Treasurer. He is respected and well-liked by all he serves and works with. He is proud to do business in Fort Bend County and serve the community. Corporate Partner of the Year went to Silver Eagle Distributors. Raymond Saage Volunteer of the Year was Tom Wilson of Reading Road Office Park. Ambassador of the Year was Kay Garrett of absolutely!Brazos Community Magazine. Board member of the Year was Jeff Haley of SiEnvironmental.
Committee Member of the Year was Jim Russ of EHRA. The Historic Downtown Rosenberg Division Member of the Year was Renee Butler of Another Time Soda Fountain. Young Professionals Division Member of the Year was Kat Robinson of Kathryn Robinson Realty – Keller Williams Southwest. Hispanic Business Division Member of the Year was Matt Ontiveros of Springhill Suites by Marriott in Rosenberg. Achievement in Economic Development went to the Rosenberg Development Corporation. A one-time Legacy Impact Award went to Kevin Kohl of Silver Eagle Distributors. The Chamber also thanked their outgoing Board Chairman, Barry Beard for his dedication and service. For more information about the Central Fort Bend Chamber, call 281-342-5464 or visit us online at www.cfbca.org.
Quail Valley Middle School Teacher Crowned Ms. Texas America 2015
Regina Crafter of Missouri City, Texas, was recently awarded the Ms. Texas America 2015 title by the Ms. America® Pageant. The Quail Valley Middle School health teacher is honored to represent the pageant and is looking forward to fulfilling her role as she wears the “Crown for a Purpose.” The pageant is open to women 26 years of age and up who are single, divorced, or married. To be considered for a title, contestants are asked to submit an application and photos, and complete a telephone interview. Titleholders from across the United States will compete in panel and on-stage interviews, as well as sportswear and evening gown competitions during the 2015 Ms. America Pageant finals. “Regina Crafter really left a positive impression on our judges and we are thrilled to have her representing Texas at the 2015 Ms. America Pageant finals,” said Susan Jeske, Pageant CEO. “As a Texan, I can think of no greater honor than having been selected to represent this great state as Ms. Texas America 2015,” said Crafter. “I am excited about the opportunities that will present themselves as I promote my platforms on Breast Cancer Awareness and youth mentoring.” As the mother of a teenage son, Andre, Crafter hopes her actions will prove to him that
Crafter people can make a difference in the world. Her past experiences have provided her with the tools she needs to carry out her mission. Crafter is a 1986 graduate of Prairie View A&M University, where she majored in Education with a minor in Sociology. While working as a first-year teacher in 1987, she obtained her Master’s in Education from the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio. During her 27 years in education, she has received numerous awards and honors, including being named Lake Olympia Middle School’s 1998 Campus Teacher of the Year, a 1998 FBISD Secondary Teacher of the Year Finalist, and Who’s Who Among American Teachers for 2005 and 2007. Her dream of becoming a published author resulted in
her completing an anthology in 2009 titled, Shattered for a Moment. Her next writing project will focus on Breast Cancer Awareness and she hopes to become a spokesperson for the cause. Crafter also takes pride in community service. “As a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, I understand the significance of service to the community,” she says. “My desire to serve has guided me in my role as an educator.” As a teacher, Crafter has had the pleasure of sponsoring several campus health initiatives. She enjoyed sponsoring the Health Club at Quail Valley Middle School, where students raised $40,000 in a three-year period for the MD Anderson Cancer Center. She also served as the school’s American Diabetes Association (ADA) Coordinator. Under her leadership, students raised more than $10,000 for ADA, making it the largest donation among secondary schools in the state. Crafter’s passion for spreading Breast Cancer Awareness derives from her personal testimony. As of 2007, she is a Breast Cancer Survivor. “As a cancer survivor, I am driven to champion for a cure of the horrendous disease,” she said. “I am working to garner the proceeds of my entrepreneurial enterprises into a foundation that will enable me to fund my efforts to wipe out breast cancer.”