Phone: 281-980-6745
www.fbindependent.com ww .fbindependent.com
VOL 4 No 11
FORT BEND FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2011
P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623
Official newspaper of Fort Bend County, Missouri City & Sugar Land
Battle lines drawn Birds of Fort Bend: American Kestrel in city elections By BARBARA FULENWIDER Sugar Land, Missouri City and Meadows Place will all hold elections on May 14 so voters can decide who they want representing them on their city council. The deadline for hopefuls to file was 5 p.m. Monday. In Sugar Land two people filed to run for Single Member District 1; one person is running for the District 2 seat; three people want to represent District 3 and three others are running for the District 4 position. Don Smithers and Diana Marie Miller are running for the District 1 position. Smithers, 74, and a resident of District 1 for 35 years, is seeking re-election. He served as a councilman from 1997 to 2003 and ran again in 2009 and won. He is retired from Southwestern Bell Telephone where he worked as manager of engineering design. Miller, 55, is a Realtor who owns her own business. She has lived in Sugar Land for almost 27 years and in Distrct 1 for four years. She has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Houston. Bridget R. Yeung, 56, is a financial advisor who has lived in Sugar Land for almost 24 years and is running for the District 2 seat. She is currently chair of the Sugar Land Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z). She is unopposed as incumbent Don Olson is not seeking re-election. Candidates for the District 3 seat are Amy Mitchell, Jim Hoelker and Howard Paul. Mitchell, 50, is an attorney and partner at Mitchell & Duff, LLC. She has lived in District 3 for 17 years and has been a member of numerous organizations and a volunteer for community non-profit groups. Hoelker, 51, has lived in Sugar Land for 27 years and in District 3 for 13 years. He has operated his business in the city since 1987. Another hopeful for District 3 is Howard Paul, 55 and an engineering consultant with a doctorate degree in engineering. He has lived in District 3 for 21 years and is currently vice president of America P & G. Sugar Land’s District 4 hopefuls are Harish C. Jajoo, Frank Yonish and Farha Ahmed. Jajoo, 56, is an engineer who has lived in Sugar Land for 25 years. He says he is an “urban infrastructure professional who has managed public works for Houston for 29 years.” He is currently on Sugar Land’s P&Z commission. Frank Yonish, 51, is a banker who has lived in District 4 for almost 12 years. He has served on numerous boards and community organizations and while living in Missouri City was on that council for six years. Ahmed, 45, is an attorney who has lived in Sugar Land for 20 years and in District 4 for 10 years. She has worked as an advocate for numerous non-profit organizations and is a small business owner. She graduated from Houston Baptist University and South Texas College of Law. Missouri City will also have an election since two candidates are running for the district A and D seats. Bobby Marshall, the incumbent currently filling the District A seat on city council, has filed for re-election. He is 50 years old and a business owner. He’s lived in District A for almost 19 years. His opponent is Rodney L. Griffin, 64, who is in financial services. He has been a resident of District A for 31 years. Floyd Emery, 73, and Noel Pinnock, 37, are running for the District D seat. Emery is retired and has lived in District D for 35 years and in Texas for 40 years. Pinnock says his occupation is public servant. He has lived in Missouri City’s District D for 11 years and in Texas for 32 years. Incumbents Robin Elackatt and Don Smith are each running unopposed for re-election. Elackatt represents District C and Smith, District B. Smith is retired and has lived in District B for 31 years. Elackatt is a hospital administrator who has lived in District C for five years. In Meadows Place two incumbents and a hopeful are running for two city council seats. Incumbent Terry Henley, 68, and an application engineer, is running unopposed for Place No. 4. Henley has been on city council for 12 terms and lived in Meadows Place for almost 30 years. Incumbent Rick Staigle is running for re-election to Place No. 5 and is opposed by John Whiteman, 67. He is a general manager who has lived in Meadows Place for 31 years. Staigle, 40, and a traffic engineer, is running for his fourth term on council. He has lived in Meadows Place for 12 years. In Stafford four incumbents filed for re-election and have no opponent(s) so no election for city council will be held. The incumbents who filed are Mayor Leonard Scarcella, Council Member Felicia J. Evans-Smith and councilmen Fred Woolridge and Wen Guerra.
Nine in fray for three school board seats By SESHADRI KUMAR Nine candidates, including two incumbents, have filed for three trustee positions in Fort Bend ISD. For west side Position 1, incumbent Susan Hohnbaum, has drawn two opponents who entered the race recently. Kyle Brantley, a Telfair resident, and Wade A. Watassek of Orchard Lakes off FM 1464 have filed for Position 1. Hohnbaum, an administrative manager, lives in north Sugar Land in The Hill area. Brantley is a marketing professional and Watassek is a risk analyst. Daniel Menendez, at-large Position 4 incumbent, is seeking re-election. An engineer by profession he lives in Sienna North in Missouri City. His opponents are Bruce Albright, a sales manager, living in Plantation Bend of Sugar Land and Kevin P. Daniels, an English lecturer, a resident of Sienna Plantation, Missouri City. East side Position 5 is an open seat as the incumbent Laurie Caldwell is not seeking re-election. Jonita Reynolds, CEO of the Gulf Coast Community Services Association, who ran unsuccessfully two years ago against Caldwell, has filed for the position. She is also a Sienna Plantation resident, living in the same neighborhood as Menendez. Reynolds, wife of State Rep. Ron Reynolds, has two opponents, both from the Fresno area, on the ballot. One is Patsy Taylor, a counselor and the other is Rodrigo Carreon, an activist, who has run for several political offices. In the school board elections, there is no dearth of issues, but the recent zoning changes, the budget crisis, and staff layoff are some of the hot button issues that may play a part in the elections. In Lamar CISD, three single member seats are up for election. District 4 Incumbent Julie Thompson faces Jamie Dozier. District 5 incumbent Jack Christina is not running. Lynn Franklin, Steve Ginsburg, Dar Hakimzadeh and Robert L. “Bob” Thomas have filed for this position. Dist. 7 Incumbent Richard McCarter is seeking re-election and he is facing Gary Gates, Jr., and Rhonda Zacharias. In Stafford MSD, two at-large positions are open. Incumbent trustees Rodney Butler and Cindy Hoelscher have filed for reelection. Two others on the ballot are Auturo Jackson and A.J. Honore’ also filed. SMSD also has four bond propositions on the ballot.
American is truly right because this bird ranges from the Southern tip of Argentina to Alaska. Our most colorful falcon or small hawk, the American Kestrel eats small rodents, insects and is beautiful flying along cleared spaces hunting. You’ll often see them on high lines scouting for their next meal. And de-forestation has increased their numbers throughout North and South America. They are not true migratory birds, but many do leave in the spring to go North. Watch for the beautiful rufous and contrasting coloring on their wings. To see more pictures of this bird visit http://traction.typepad.com/birds. City of Sugar Land’s second Cultural Kite Festival, was Photo courtesy of Margaret Sloan. held on Saturday, March 12, at Sugar Land Memorial
Kite festival
Park, 15300 University Boulevard. Kite flyers and spectators of all ages enjoyed the festival once again, and many flew kites for the first time. Other entertainment included walk-around characters such as Ben Franklin, who provided stories on the history of kite flying and its connection to the discovery of electricity. Cirque style performers, sponsored by the world-renowned performance group Cirque De Soleil, roamed the meadow enticing the crowd with their visual artistry and movement. A miniature kite museum showcased the diverse history of kites. For those who had never flown a kite, there were lessons conducted by SHARK Kite Club of Texas and many other professionals from local area kite retailers and organizations. Attendees had the opportunity to enter kite flying competitions and win a variety of wonderful prizes. Children were able to build, design and take home their own kites created at a kite-making workshop. —Photos by KENNETH A. ELLINGTON
10701 Corporate Drive, #282, Stafford, TX 77477 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, TX 77487 Seshadri Kumar Publisher & Editor
www.fbindependent.com 281-980-6745
Fort Bend Independent, (USPS 025-572) is published every Wednesday (for a subscription rate of $20 per year) by Fort Bend Independent, LLC., 10701 Corporate Dr., #282, Stafford, Texas 77477. Periodicals Postage Paid at Stafford, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Fort Bend Independent, P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, Tx 77487.