VOL 3 No. 28
Phone: 281-980-6745
www.fbindependent.com
FORT BEND FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE. WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2010
Registration for Fort Bend County Fair Queen contest opens
2009 Fort Bend County Fair Queen Court. Pictured are winners, from left to right – Aimee Casias, 1st Runner-Up; Jacqueline Romero, 2nd Runner-Up; Ashley Bartee – Fair Queen; Michelle Inman, 3rd Runner-Up; Kaitlin Hoffman, 4th Runner-Up The search for the 2010 on ticket sales, interview and Fair with ticket sales in excess Fort Bend County Fair Queen style show performance. Win- of $50,000. Collectively, last is now underway. Contes- ners receive scholarships and year’s contestants sold over tants interested in participat- prizes for their efforts, as well $139,000 in Fair Admission ing in this year’s competition as the opportunity to serve as Tickets. will have until August 1, 2010 a community ambassador for The 2010 Fort Bend Counto register. the Fort Bend County Fair for ty Fair Queen will be crowned The Fort Bend County Fair the coming year. on Friday, Sept. 24, 2010. Queen Contest is for females In 2009, eleven lovely laFor Queen Contest Rules between the ages of 15 and dies competed for the title or Registration Form, please 19 years who are residents of of Fort Bend County Fair contact the Fair Office at 281Fort Bend County. The com- Queen. Ashley Bartee of Fos- 342-6171 or visit www.fbcfa. petition runs August 1 – Sep- ter High School was crowned org. tember 24, 2010 and is based the 2009 Fort Bend County
Crystal Gayle takes the stage for WCJC
Country music legend Crystal Gayle is sure to fill her audience to the top as she headlines for The Wharton County Junior College Foundation gala on Friday, Aug. 6 at Safari Texas Ballroom in Richmond. Proceeds from the evening support student scholarships, faculty development, and academic programs at Wharton County Junior College, including its four campuses in Wharton, Richmond, Sugar Land, and Bay City. The star-studded evening begins at 6 p.m. and includes a reception, live and silent auctions, dinner and Gayle’s performance. Underwriting the gala for
Gayle the third consecutive year is The Rosenberg-Richmond Auto Mile, represented by Finnegan Auto Group, Fort Bend Toyota, Legacy Ford Lincoln Mercury, and Gill-
man Honda Nissan. Richmond attorney David Showalter, president of The Wharton County Junior College Foundation Board of Directors, praised WCJC as an important community asset. “It’s hard to underestimate the contribution of an educated workforce to the economy. The college offers associate degrees and technical training that prepare students to work in healthcare, manufacturing, information technology and many other fields.” Tickets to the gala are $85 each and may be purchased through July 30 by calling 979-532-6322 or 1-800-561WCJC (9252), ext. 6322. or visit www.wcjc.edu.
By SESHADRI KUMAR Local politics played its part in the denial of a $20,000 Emergency Shelter Grant to Parks Youth Ranch, Inc., a shelter for homeless youth in Fort Bend County. In a rare 3-2 split vote, Fort Bend County Commissioners Court last week amended a proposal presented by the Community Development Director Marylinn Kindell. Pct. 1 Commissioner Richard Morrison opposed the allocation of $20,000 to the Parks Youth Ranch in Fairchilds. The organization and very
little community support and in deference to the wishes of his constituents Morrison sought to deny the grant. “There is very little support for the project from the Fairchilds community,” he said. Commissioner Grady Prestage, a fellow Democrat, did not want to enter into a “local fight” and decided to support Morrison. County Judge Bob Hebert and Commissioner James Patterson did not want to change the recommendation and felt that the Youth Ranch should get the grant.
Commissioner Andy Meyers, a Republican, wanted to know where the funds will be diverted before casting his vote, though he was inclined to support Morrison, who had to deal with his community. Later, Kindell recommended that the money be granted to the Fort Bend Women’s Center, though the center had not asked for it. Meyers felt that money would go toward the protection of children, an equally worthy cause, and voted for the diversion of the grant. Hebert said “Let the records
County axes grant to homeless youth shelter
P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623
Missouri City ranks high on ‘best places to live’ list By BARBARA FULENWIDER In two years Missouri City went from 56th to 21st best place to live in the U.S., according to CNN/Money Magazine. The magazine polled families on what factors are most important when choosing a place to live and they said safety, affordable real estate, good schools and good jobs, according to a Money Magazine assistant managing editor. Missouri City statistics shows it exceeds the “best places averages” for median family annual income, family annual purchasing power, job growth, students attending public/private schools, median home price, test scores in reading, movie theaters, restaurants and bars within 15 miles, median age, percent of married residents and racial diversity. Other statistics, which moved Missouri City from 56 to 21 place include having a lower property crime rate than “best places averages,” and a lower divorce rate along with a higher annual rainfall, higher average temperatures in July and not as cold temperatures in January. Mayor Allen Owen said, “Those of us living here know what a special place we have. We have been responsibly managing our growth, with lots of input from our citizens, and we are very honored by this national recognition.” He said the Missouri City residents’ interest in their city
is responsible for “keeping our city an attractive and safe place to raise their families. We have excellent credit ratings, which allow us to continue to build our infrastructure and attract businesses such as the recent addition of Global Geophysical, Lufkin Automation and Ben E. Keith.” “I am extremely pleased that we were recognized as one of only four cities in Texas. We’re proud of our diversity, excellent and affordable housing and great community pride,” Owen said. The Money team of editors polled families for months and researched data on economic and quality of life indicators. Missouri City’s low crime rate was a big contributing factor to its getting such high marks for quality of life. The city’s property crime rate of 16 per 1,000 residents was lower than the best places average of 24. The magazine’s team of editors started with an initial list of 800 places with populations between 50,000 and 300,000. They narrowed the list after researching the U.S. Census and Bureau of Labor Statistics data, ACCRA Cost of Living Index, county and municipal tax assessor offices and FBI incident reports. The team members then called residents and visited cities across the county to interview residents, community leaders and local officials before compiling their final rankings. Missouri City was ranked 21. The other Texas towns
on the list were McKinney in fifth place, Allen, 16, and Rowlett, 24. The other three winners are in the DallasFort Worth area. The last time Money Magazine compiled a list of the 100 best places to live in America for towns with 50,000 to 300,000 residents was 2008.
County earns kudos
Fort Bend County ranks fifth on a national list of counties who experienced the most job growth over the past nine years, according to CNN/ Money Magazine. The county experienced 55 percent job growth from 2000-2009. Like Houston, Fort Bend County has experienced rapid population growth, meaning more kids requiring more schools. The county’s public school districts combined account for over 14,000 jobs. The county also benefits from Houston’s oil industry. Engineering and energy firms like Fluor Corporation and Schlumberger Technology support the refineries. Fort Bend is also the home of micro-electronics giant Texas Instruments. Healthcare is another upand-coming sector. MONEY Magazine and CNN/Money ranked Sugar Land the third best place to live in America in 2006. Sugar Land does not figure even among the top 100 places to live in America this year.
Once Upon a Mattress at HBU’s Dunham Theatre! Award-winning Fort Bend Theatre presents the enchanting family musical Once Upon a Mattress at Houston Baptist University’s state-of-the-art Dunham Theater, 7502 Fondren Road, July 24 at 3 and 8 p.m. and July 25 at 3 p.m. The Princess and the Pea was called “Sheer Delight” by the New York Times. A wonderful combination of whimsical music, romance and chivalry, this jovial spin on the renaissance classic of royal courtship is sure to be a hit for the entire family! HBU’s Dunham Theater has 1200-seats with orchestra, parterre, mezzanine boxes, balcony and balcony box area seating. Fort Bend Theatre offers a full professional orchestra, breathtaking sets, colorful costumes, free parking, and a dynamic, professionally trained cast. Tickets for this fanciful show are available at www. fortbendtheatre.com, and are priced way below value, ranging from $17 - $42, with group discounts for 10 or more. For more information, call at 281208-3333.
“Her real princess test will be sensitivity!” says Queen Agravain (Rosemary Ruths) to the Wizard (Steven Olivier) in Fort Bend Theatre’s Once Upon a Mattress to be performed July 24th at 3 and 8 p.m. and July 25th at 3 p.m. at Houston Baptist University.
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.
Children’s Emergency Center Now Open.
childrensmemorialhermann.org
•
71 3 . 2 2 2 . C A R E