VOL 11 No. 29
email: editor@ independent.com
Phone: 281-980-6745 50 cents
www.fbindependent.com ww .fbindependent.com
FORT BEND FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE. WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2018
P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623
Official newspaper of Fort Bend County & Missouri City
Forensic tests in progress at historic cemetery in Sugar Land By SESHADRI KUMAR At least 48 bodies out of the 95 found in the Fort Bend ISD’s construction site in Sugar Land have been exhumed and forensic studies conducted by a team of archeologists. The archeologists are conducting the forensic studies in a mobile lab on site in the Telfair subdivision, under the guidance of the Texas Historical Commission. On Monday, Fort Bend ISD hosted the media at the construction site of the James Reese Career and Technical Center, where a historic cemetery was discovered earlier this year. Representatives from Goshawk Environmental Consulting, the Texas Historical Commission and Fort Bend ISD spoke about the extensive exhumation process and the forensic analysis that is underway at the site. Preliminary analysis indicate that the remains buried at the site may be those of individuals who were part of a convict leasing program that was utilized prior to the state’s ownership of the land. The individuals exhumed and analyzed, 48 so far, are male AfSee BURIAL, Page 3
Reign Clark, right, cultural resources director with Goshawk Environmental Consulting, Inc, who is heading a team of archaeologists to exhume the bodies and conduct forensic studies in a historic cemetery found at the construction site of Fort Bend ISD’s career and technology center in the Telfair subdivision in Sugar Land, displays some of the articles found in the burial ground. Inset, a ring found in the hand of a skeleton.
Crime rate drops by 21 percent in Missouri City By BARBARA FULENWIDER Missouri City’s annual crime reports shows a big crime rate drop of 21 percent, which is significant, according to the Police Chief Michael A. Berezin. Presenting the report, Berezin, at Missouri City Council’s July 2 meeting, said the 21 percent drop in crime for his city is the result of “innovative strategies, community partnerships and prevention programs,” which have produced the city’s lowest crime rates in the past five years. The crime statistics, which are provided to the FBI annually by law enforcement agencies that voluntarily report the
figures, enable the bureau to know what the state of crime in America is in any given year. Part I crimes are murder, rape, robbery, burglary, aggravated assault, auto theft and larceny and they make up the 21 percent fewer crimes committed in Missouri City in 2017. Violent crimes in Missouri City were 4 murders in 2016 compared to 2 in 2017 for a 50 percent change. Rapes numbered 22 in 2016 and there were 21 in 2017 for a 5 percent change; robberies dropped from 56 in 2016 to 43 last year. The only violent crime that increased was aggravated as-
saults, which numbered 63 in 2016 and 76 in 2017. The chief provided figures on a five-year average of the four violent crimes. The low for murder was zero and the high was 2. Rapes were 20 on average over five years with a low of 14 and a high of 26. Robberies averaged 43 and were low at 33 and high at 53. Aggravated assaults averaged 53 and were low at 35 and high at 71. In 2017 there were two murders, 21 rapes, 43 robberies and 76 aggravated assaults. Part I violent crimes were 31 in 2016 and 34 in 2017 for a 10 percent increase. Property See CRIME, Page 3
Sienna, Cross Creek and Riverstone among nations top 50 best selling communities Sienna Plantation is the Houston area’s top-selling master-planned community — and is ranked No. 15 in the nation — according to a recently released report by housing researcher Robert Charles Lesser & Co. (RCLCO). Sienna Plantation is one of six Johnson Development Corp. communities included on the recent RCLCO report. Others were: Cross Creek Ranch in Fulshear at No. 25; Viridian in Arlington, TX, as No. 26; Harmony in Spring, No. 30; Woodforest in South Montgomery County, No. 38; and Riverstone in Fort Bend County, No. 41.
Johnson Development had more communities ranked than any other developer in the nation. The annual mid-year report, based on new-home sales from January through June 2018, shows Sienna with 292 sales during the report time frame, a year-over-year increase of 41 percent from last year’s 207 sales. “Opening Leonetti Elementary School and Sawmill Lake Club have been big draws for new home buyers this year,” said Alvin San Miguel, General Manager of Sienna Plantation. “We’ve also brought on new builders and added to the
breadth of diverse floor plans offered in the community. There is something for everyone in Sienna Plantation.” At the beginning of the year, RCLCO and John Burns Real Estate Consulting ranked Sienna Plantation No. 35 and No. 36, respectively, on reports based on overall 2017 sales. Last year, builders sold 397 new homes in Sienna Plantation. “We’re only about 100 sales away from last year’s final tally with six months more to go,” San Miguel said. “With a new middle school opening up in August and the new community
Former Clements High School graduate joins NASA’s elite club
The 2018 Class of NASA Flight Directors for the Mission Control Center (L-R): Marcos Flores, Allison Bolinger, Adi Boulos, Rebecca Wingfield, Pooja Jesrani, and Paul Konyha. Credits: NASA/Robert Markowitz By SESHADRI KUMAR the fleet of vehicles servicing flight directors in the class of No longer a flight of imagi- the orbiting laboratory, as well 2018. nation or a pipe dream, Eng- as Orion spacecraft missions Pooja’s family hails from land-born Pooja Joshi Jesrani to the Moon and beyond. Bombay and her father Atul B. of Indian decent has realized “This is an outstanding Joshi is an orthopedic surgeon, her American dream. group of future tactical lead- who first went to London with Houstonian Pooja is one ers for the Flight Operations his wife Seema A. Joshi and of the six selected by the Na- Directorate,” said Brian Kelly, then moved to Houston. Now, tional Aeronautics and Space director of Flight Operations they are in Lubbock, Texas. Administration to join the elite at Johnson. Pooja arrived in Houston corps of flight directors who “We are excited to have when she was 10 and she gradwill lead mission control for them come on board.” uated from Clements High a variety of new operations at “The job of flight director is School in Sugar Land in 2002. the agency’s Johnson Space not an easy one, and we make Then, she gained her aerospace Center in Houston. these selections very care- engineering degree at the UniThis class will bring the to- fully,” said Holly Ridings, act- versity of Texas at Austin, and tal number of flight directors ing chief of the Flight Director interned at NASA while going the agency has had to 97 since Office at Johnson. “We had a to college. She has worked at Christopher C. Kraft became great group of applicants, so the Johnson Space Center for the first flight director in 1958. we were able to choose six the last 11 years in various Currently, there are 26 active individuals who have worked roles. flight directors guiding mis- in many areas of human spaceIt is a life time goal to besion control. flight. They’ll bring a lot of come a flight director, Pooja The new flight directors good experience to the role says. will begin extensive training that will serve NASA well as This year there were numeron flight control and vehicle we undertake new and excit- ous applicants and after a sesystems, as well as operational ing missions.” ries of extensive interviews six leadership and risk manageAs flight directors, they will were chosen. ment, before they are ready head teams of flight controlAs opposed to the 30 active to sit behind the flight direc- lers, research and engineering flight directors now out of 97, tor console in mission control experts, and support personnel there have been 339 astronauts supporting NASA’s astronauts. around the world and make the from U.S. and 553 astronauts This group will have the op- real-time decisions critical to who have flown in space! portunity to oversee a variety keeping NASA astronauts safe Pooja is married to Purav of human spaceflight missions in space. Jesrani, an attorney and they involving the International Allison Bolinger, Adi Bou- have a daughter, Jaya 2 1/2 Space Station, including inte- los, Jose Marcos Flores, Paul years old. They live in the grating American-made com- Konyha III and Rebecca J. Montrose area of Houston. mercial crew spacecraft into Wingfield are the other five
Cross Creek Ranch is ranked No. 25 on a recent list of the nation’s top-selling master-planned comSee SIENNA, Page 3 munities. Within Texas, the Fulshear development is ranked No. 4.