VOL 5 No. 27
Phone: 281-980-6745
www.fbindependent.com .fbindependent.com ww
WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012
P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623
Official newspaper of Fort Bend County, Missouri City & Sugar Land
Children’s museum at Imperial site
ALL RED, WHITE AND BLUE FOR THE INDEPENDENCE DAY. Fred and Leslie Gegen of 3110 Robinson Road are winners of Quail Valley Yard of the Month. The Gegens are part of a growing number of recent residents who are remodeling homes and gardens. Fred and Leslie wanted a unique home with established trees and to make the garden low maintenance. They used custom-welded trellises free standing from the front of the house combined with lower growing perennials, ornamental grasses, and shrubs that don’t require much trimming. A retaining wall enhances their drive and mailbox area with low-care flowers such as Freeway Daisies. It includes a water feature. But you’ll want to drive by to see the clever Uncle Sam welcoming visitors. The Gegens received a Certificate of Appreciation from Quail Valley Garden Club and a plant from Flowers by Adela.
Senators kill unnecessary flood insurance mandate A bipartisan coalition of U.S. Senators defeated a proposal to mandate flood insurance for individuals who live behind healthy levees and other flood control structures. The proposal, originally included in the National Flood Insurance Program reauthorization bill, would require families to purchase flood insurance simply because they live behind a levee, dam or other flood control structure. The senators argued that homeowners and businesses behind flood control structures already pay local and federal taxes for flood protection through infrastructure. A mandatory one-size-fits-all requirement would ignore these taxpayer investments and compel responsible communities to pay multiple times for flood protection. After a week of fighting against the insurance requirement, the provision was removed from the underlying transportation package. “This mandate would have unfairly forced many Americans to spend hundreds to thousands of dollars each year on insurance premiums even though their communities have already invested in sound flood
control protection. Removing this double whammy from the highway bill is a huge win for Pennsylvania and the millions of Americans across the country who would have been impacted,” Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) said. “It was apparent to me from early on in this process that the Banking Committee’s troublesome treatment of levees had to be modified. I am pleased that we’ve reached an agreement that allows FEMA to continue its ongoing analysis of how risk areas behind levees should be treated under the National Flood Insurance Program,” said Sen.Thad Cochran, (R-Miss.) “Without removing residual risk, we would essentially be penalizing communities that made the responsible decision to invest in flood protection. By striking this provision, we recognize the significant investments some communities have already made to reduce their flood risk and we encourage continued investment in these types of projects,” said Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) After a tenacious and intensive information program, Fort Bend County dodged the economy killing bullet of man-
datory land use restrictions and mandatory flood insurance. County Judge Bob Hebert said “I am very pleased with the final result. As late as 10 days ago we still had the onerous, mandatory provisions.” “In the final bill, even land use restrictions were removed and we had a pretty good bill,” Hebert said. A lot of folks from the levee districts, the EDC and the community worked hard in letting the Congress know about their concerns and U.S. Rep. Pete Olson and Sen. John Cornyn did a good job in help shaping the outcome, he said. “It was in a midnight compromise that the provisions of Section 107 that we refer to as the “Death Star” were removed. Mind you, we recommend people that live in flood prone areas like Fort Bend purchase Flood insurance, but do it voluntarily and at the affordable level that the old and new law provide, said Andre McDonald, chairman of Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District # 2 and president of Fort Bend Flood Management Association. “There are many people in the County to congratulate for their efforts both in the long
The George Foundation has pledged a $1 million challenge grant to the Fort Bend Children’s Discovery Center: A Very Special Project of the Children’s Museum of Houston. The museum plans to open a year-round location at the historic Imperial Development in the summer of 2015. To meet the George Foundation’s challenge, the museum must raise a matching $1 million by October 2013 from Fort Bend-based donors. The Discovery Center will occupy a 10,000 square foot restored building; it will house six exhibits with an additional outdoor space, and will give the museum the opportunity to enrich the educational lives of Fort Bend’s children by expanding cultural and educational family-focused opportunities prevalent in Houston. The total fundraising goal of the entire project is $3.65 million. “The facility will be a wonderful addition to Sugar Land and most certainly will enhance Imperial’s appeal as Fort Bend’s premier destination,” notes Imperial Sugar Land Genera Manager Shay Shafie. “All of us at the Children’s run and in the last minute phone calling that tipped the scales and got the onerous provision removed. But this wasn’t done in Fort Bend County alone. “Our friends and allies on this issue from around the country helped by doing their share with their Senators. It took us years to build the contacts we have to stand up an effort of this size. It helps greatly when we can say we have abided by not only the letter of the law but the spirit of the law as well. “The Levee protection rules call for three feet of additional protection on top of our levees, but in Fort Bend County we have the “Fort Bend Foot”. We raised all of our levees an additional foot of elevation to account for any near term changes. Climate change may or may not happen, but in Fort Bend we are prepared. When the National Academy of Science Committee on Levees came to Fort Bend County they remarked that our levees are in the top 1% in the Nation and should be used as a goal for other levee districts,” McDonald said. County Judge Bob Hebert’s efforts in 2008 stopped a simi See FLOOD, Page 3
The Fort Bend Children’s Museum will be located within the Imperial Historic District. On the aerial photo, it’s the two story red warehouse between the silos and the three-bay warehouse. Museum are honored to receive Bend citizens asked the musethis challenge from the George um to consider opening a satFoundation for the Fort Bend ellite location in the area. The Children’s Discovery Center,” two following years, the musesaid Children’s Museum of um conducted summer venues Houston Executive Director at available retail spaces within Town Square in Sugar Land, Tammie Kahn. “The additional outpouring each for six weeks. Those sumof positive support from the mer efforts were well received Fort Bend community for this with 21,000 visitors each year. “I am excited so many more project has been overwhelming. We are already hard at children, parents and teachers work bringing to life the ideas will have the opportunity to that will make the Fort Bend experience the wonder of our Children’s Discovery Center Children’s Museum of Housa true landmark for all of Fort ton,” said CMH board member, Sugar Land resident, and Bend’s families,” said Kahn. In 2006, a group of Fort See MUSEUM, Page 3 Sugar Land Town Square’s Paradise on the Plaza featured music by Cas Haley, a Texan singer/songwriter, who entertained the crowd with a mix of soul, blues, pop and reggae beats. Eli and Tong Wang enjoy the summer surfing atmosphere at Sugar Land Town Square’s Paradise on the Plaza. For more information on free events at Town Square, visit www.SugarLandTownSquare. com.
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.
VETERAN CONSERVATIVE LEADER
RICK MILLER (
www.vote4rickmiller.com
Why Rick Miller is the right choice for House District 26
Republican for Texas State Representative District 26
✪ Proven experience in executive leadership with a record of producing top results… experience and leadership do matter
“I
✪ Strong conservative values and principles… supports the Republican Party Platform
f you agree that we need a conservative State Representative who will be unwavering in their support of our traditional American values, then I ask for your vote in the Republican Primary. I will fight tirelessly to cut taxes, protect our borders, defend our 2nd Amendment rights and protect the sanctity of life in all forms.” Vote 4 Rick Miller
@vote4rick
Email: Rick4txhd26@gmail.com Phone: 281-494-7471
www.Vote4RickMiller.com Paid for by the Rick Miller Campaign, Bruce Bond, Treasurer. P.O. Box 17102, Sugar Land, TX 77496.
✪ Key roles and unequalled credentials in serving the Republican Party…Former Chairman of the Fort Bend GOP…twice member of the State Party Platform Committee and Chairman of the Nominations Committee ✪ Life-long servant leader to the Nation, State and County
Runoff Election Day: July 31, 2012
QE QPM BE t 3JDL .JMMFS $BNQBJHO