VOL 11 No. 31
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FORT BEND FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 2018
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Official newspaper of Fort Bend County & Missouri City
U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Glenn Lakes Bridge in Missouri City opens Civil Rights finds no wrongdoing at FBISD Fort Bend ISD has resolved a compliance review initiated by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) regarding the District’s disciplinary practices. In May of 2012, the OCR notified Fort Bend ISD that it was seeking to determine whether the District discriminated against African-American students by disciplining them more frequently and harshly than other similarly situated students. Following six years of investigation, the OCR did not make any finding that the District discriminated against any students and did not otherwise identify any wrongdoing or non-compliance with federal law, the district said in a press release. After joining FBISD in April
Dupre of 2013, Dr. Charles Dupre created the Department of Student Affairs to support campus principals and administrators, and guide them through behavior management scenarios that keep their campuses safe and secure.
The department also trains and advises campus administrators on disciplinary procedures and hears all expulsion appeals to ensure that discipline is fairly and consistently applied in accordance with the FBISD Code of Conduct. This Code of Conduct outlines all expectations for student behavior and is reviewed annually and approved by the Board of Trustees. “In our recent conversations with the Office of Civil Rights, Fort Bend ISD has been proud to share the details of what we have done in the last five years to support students and staff members, and demonstrate that these efforts are working,” said Dr. Dupre. See FBISD, Page 5
Glenn Lakes Bridge over Oyster Creek in the Quail Valley area of Missouri City was thrown open to public on Monday following a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony, attended by elected officials including Mayor Allen Owen and Fort Bend County Pct. 4 Commissioner James Patterson. The $2.5 million reconstruction project was authorized on July 17, 2017 and reconstruction of the 40-yearold bridge began in October, 2017. Owen thanked Fort Bend County for contributing $500,000 and Quail Valley Fund for providing $75,000 towards planter boxes and decorative lighting. The city spent $1.925 million. Owen said “A special thank you to all the residents who supported the project, put up with the inconveniences and patiently waited for its completion. The construction had a great impact on your community and we are just as excited as you to see it reopen in time for the school year.” GC Engineering was the design engineer and NBG Contractors did the construction. County Engineer Richard Stolleis, left, Missouri City Police Chief Mike Berezin, Missouri City City Manager Anthony Snipes, Councilman Jeffrey L. Boney, Councilman Floyd Emery, Assistant City manager Scott Elmer, rear, Mayor Allen Owen, Commissioner James Patterson, rear, Councilman Jerry Wyatt, Project Manager Mark Law, rear, Public Works Manager Jessica Kokes, Tyler Emmerson, NBG Constructors, Public Works Director Shashi Kumar and GC Engineering representatives Chandi Rodrigo and Mahendra Rodrigo.
Racism is not the patent of Republican Right, says filmmaker D’Souza
The most sensational snack event of the season: the first ever, Taste of Rosenberg, will be held on on Monday, August 6, 2018 from 5:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Everyone is invited to join over a dozen local restaurants at the Rosenberg Civic Center for free samples and live music. So, don’t worry about cooking dinner! Bring the family to gather ‘round our free tasting specials, all to the musical soundtrack of Jazz Guitarist, Kirk Roberts. The Taste or Rosenberg will kick off Restaurant Week, a seven-day event celebrating our delicious local cuisine. Rosenberg boasts some of the most tasty and unique dining experiences around—from your fast food faves to the beefiest burgers, and even home-made, old-fashioned ice cream. The Taste of Rosenberg will act as a road map to get you started on your culinary adventure, offering—for free, a taste of the edible options right here in your own backyard. The City of Rosenberg and the Rosenberg Development Corporation (RDC) are sponsoring this free event. For more information visit http://rosenbergtx.gov/taste-of-rosenberg/
SMSD upset over Stafford’s move to seek reimbursement of security costs
By BARBARA FULENWIDER Stafford City Council on July 25 adopted a memorandum of understanding with the SMSD requiring the school district to reimburse the cost of three police officers providing security. SMSD has to pay $186,000 to the city for the services. The city was providing the security at no cost to the school district. But state law does not allow the city to provide free security services to the school district. Reacting to the city council action, SMSD said in a statement: “We are shocked, saddened and quite frankly, deeply concerned, with a recent Stafford City Council decision at its July 25 meeting. By a vote of 6-1, the Stafford City Council chose to stop paying $185,193 for three Stafford Police Officers to serve as SROs at Stafford MSD.”
The need for the agreement came about when SMSD Superintendent Robert Bostic decided to add more security at SMSD after the shooting at Santa Fe High School this past May. Bostic and Stafford Police Chief Richard Ramirez worked on it and Ramirez said he “thought they had an understanding” of what should be in the agreement but “somehow we hit a snag in the roadway and were requested to present on what we are suppose to be paying for and what the district is paying for.” He also told council that no interlocal agreement between the city and SMSD regarding security officers was found. A state statue says there must be an interlocal agreement between the two entities and include a reimbursement for services. Mayor Leonard Scarcella then said, “The agreement
is urgent. I believe it’s imperative and critical. As responsible partners in the school district we need to enact this resolution and agreement. Time is of the essence here. School starts Aug. 6.” Mayor Pro Tem A.J. Honore said he didn’t have any problem with putting the agreement in place but questioned why it did not reflect what the city actually does. “It’s a huge policy shift that I see in this agreement. It isn’t the way we operate. Why did this agreement spell out our relationship with the school district? This is away from what we’ve always done?” The city attorney, Leah Hayes, said approving the interlocal agreement “is a coming into compliance with what the state says. What we are not addressing tonight is
Rafael Cruz, left, father of Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Debbie and Dinesh D’Souza at Safari Texas Ranch.
By SESHADRI KUMAR President Donald Trump is no Abraham Lincoln. But, Trump’s presidency is facing an eerie similarity to that of Lincoln, says Conservative author and film maker Dinesh D’Souza. His latest film, “Death of Nation,” set for release in theaters on Friday, Aug. 3 deals with this similarity. The film shows how the Democratic Party refused to accept the election of Lincoln and sought to remove him from office because Lincoln wanted to end slavery. Trump faces a similar onslaught by today’s Democrats who would not accept the legitimacy of Trump presidency and See SMSD, Page 3 are fighting to throw him out of
office, D’Souza told a meeting of Fort Bend County Republicans. The Fort Bend County Republican Party hosted a book signing and a sneak peek of the movie “Death of Nation,” at Safari Texas Ranch in Richmond on July 27. D’ Souza, with his wife Debbie, was the featured speaker. FBCGOP Chairman Jacey Jetton opened the meeting with a brief message. Sheriff Troy Nehls was the master of ceremonies. If Lincoln was broody, melancholic and philosophical, Trump almost has an animal spirit, according to D’Souza. The conviviality of American politics of yesteryears, an era
of gentleman politics is not an America we are living in today, he said. Ronald Reagan would have been heartbroken by the savagery of American politics, D’Souza said. The movie tries to interpret what is going on in America today. Unlike Reagan, who focused on one issue at a time and fought for it, Trump has no priority list and simultaneously he is waging several fights — European Union, North Korea, tax bill, Supreme Court appointments, attacking CNN and so on. The current political fight is not the Elephant versus the DonSee RACE, Page 3