April 24th - April 28th, 2013
SugarLandWineandFoodAffair.com VOL 6 No. 16
713.SIP.WINE Phone: 281-980-6745
ww www.fbindependent.com .fbindependent.com
FORT BEND FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17 , 2013
P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623
Classic ‘Free car’ sweepstakes Fort Bend Chamber hosts school board candidates’ forum
Classic Chevrolet is conducting a Monthly Free Car Give-A-Way Sweepstakes. In the first drawing for March, a Stafford family won the free car. Above, Don Kerstetter, right, owner of Classic Chevrolet, presents the car keys to Curt Insani of Stafford. Others in the picture are Abida Khan, left, Sarah Khan, a sophomore in Stafford High School, Monette Insani, mother, and Johanna Insani. The sweepstakes is open to U.S. residents. No purchase necessary to win. Enter by completing an Official Entry Form available at classicchevyhouston.com or classicchevysugarland.com, or classic chevy sugarland facebook page and successfully submitting entry form into the on-line sweepstakes system. Below, Insani family with their new Chevy.
By SESHADRI KUMAR More funding for education, fewer end of course exams, and fewer tests, fewer mandates from the state, hiring and retaining quality teachers, improving the quality of education to all children, providing the best education, and making the school district no. 1 — these are the positions of all the candidates running for school board in Fort Bend ISD and Stafford Municipal School District. The candidates attended a forum hosted by the education division of the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce on April 11. The candidates were asked to pick random questions from a previously prepared questionnaire. Fort Bend Chamber chairman Stewart Jacobson moderated the panel discussion. The candidates for FBISD board are Jim Rice, incumbent, Vanesia R. Johnson, Dave Rosenthal, incumbent, Cynthia Lenton-Gary, Rodrigo Carreon, and Keciana Enaohwo.
The candidates for three Stafford MSD positions are Greg Holsapple, incumbent, Ed Castillo, incumbent, Auturo Jackson, Rosemary Garcia and Christopher Caldwell. The questions pertained to three top priorities for the school district, the single most challenge faced by the school district, why the candidate wants to be on the board, what past experience the candidate had to help function as a school board trustee, what is the role of a school board member, what two mandates that the candidate would like the state to eliminate, and what difference the candidate would make in the life of teachers, staff and students. Accountability is a big challenge, according to Vanesia Johnson. No Child Left Behind program should be abolished, teaching to the tests must end and new methods of testing in math and science should be adopted, she said. Johnson said her past experience would enable her to set
achievement measures and accurate assessment standards. Johnson said she was against wasteful spending. Two mandates that she wanted to be removed are standardized testing and removing budget cuts. The Sandyhook school massacre and the security concerns motivated her to run for the school board, Johnson said. Rice said he would like to be on the board “to continue the good work we have done so far, working collaboratively with the superintendent and trustees in solving the real issues and take the district to the next level.” The role of the board is to work with the superintendent in accomplishing the mission and vision; working with the local and state leaders; letting the students, teachers, parents have a voice in the school board and foster a better relationship with the business community, according to Rice. See PANEL, Page 3
Bob Perry: Builder, philanthropist Bob Perry, builder and philanthropist, died at his home in Nassau Bay, near Houston. He was 80. “Bob Perry passed away peacefully in his sleep last night. The family asks for privacy right now as they grieve their loss. They look forward to talking with their friends in the coming days,” according to a statement released on behalf of the family. Bob Perry was born in 1932, and grew up in a small farmhouse in rural Bosque County, Texas, in a stretch of land northwest of Waco Travis High School – Swathi known as the Blackstump Ariyapadi, Priyanka Chandraker Valley. Perry’s father, W. C. and Elizabeth Gerzina. Perry, worked as the principal All winners are chosen from the finalist group based on their abilities, skills, and accomplishments–without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference. The National Merit Scholarship Corp. selectors evaluate: the finalist’s academic record, information about the school’s curricula and grading system, two sets of test scores, the high school official’s written recommendation, information about the student’s activities and leadership, and the finalist’s own essay.
FBISD’s 2013 National Merit Finalists named The Fort Bend Independent School District is proud to announce the names of 47 FBISD students who have been named finalists in the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program. To put that number in perspective, Fort Bend ISD has one of the highest percentages of National Merit Finalists among the larger school districts in Texas. The 47 FBISD students are among the 15,000 Semifinalists nationwide notified by mail of their advancement to finalist standing. The pool of Semifinalists represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors and includes the highest scoring entrants in each state. The number of finalists varies each year according to the allocation for the state that is designated by the National Merit Corporation. Fort Bend ISD’s 2013 National Merit finalists by campus are: Austin High School – Ryan Ding, Steven Haussmann, Anthony Hresko, Azim Pothiawala, Yash Tarkunde, Courtney Walker, Tucker Westfall, Lawrence Wu, and Travis Yeh; Clements High School – Sarah Bernardo, Steven Gutzwiller, Christopher Herzog, Megan
Kallus, Naureen Kheraj, Kimberly Khoo, Claire Kimutis, Anna Kong, Maxwell Lee, Chang Liu, Quan Nguyen, Alexandra Parsons, James Paul, Jack Ren, Lilly Shen, Kyle Smith, Benjamin Tu, Brian Wang, Cassie Wang, Haotian Wu, Sang Xie and Samuel Younan; Dulles High School – Daniel Fan, Peter Feng, Kevin Javier, Jonathan Keller, Jorge Martorell, Robert Shen, Sarah Sun and Emily Wu; Hightower High School – Sanjiv Gopalkrishnan; Kempner High School – Theresa Cockerham, Haley Escamilla, Brittany Irizarry and Christopher Sabbagh;
Perry of a small elementary school during the school year, and spent his summers picking cotton, working in construc-
tion, and pumping gas to fund his work toward the successful completion of a graduate degree in education from Baylor University. In 1943, W.C. became the principal of Meridian High School. From an early age, Perry was a charitable man with an entrepreneurial spirit. While in high school, he raised and sold rabbits, goats, sheep and banty hens, and worked at the local Meridian hospital and the local market. After graduating from high school, Perry attended Baylor, where he earned a degree in History. He spent the next ten years teaching high school See PERRY, Page 4
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.
Quail Valley Backyard Tour features various styles of using native and well-adapted plants in 5 distinct garden settings. The Linda and Allen Barron 2130 Glenn Lakes garden is set in an open space with mature trees, lovely statuary, and a relaxed and inviting setting to make memories with family and friends. Starting the garden in 1984, they have designed the garden themselves so they have much experience to share in what worked, what didn’t. “Google” Quail Valley Backyard Tour for more information.