VOL 10 No. 36
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FORT BEND FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE. P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017
Official newspaper of Fort Bend County & Missouri City
Mounds of debris bury sidewalks
In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, hundreds of homes were inundated in sections of neighborhoods in the Riverstone subdivision, in Missouri City. Volunteers moved from home to home to remove the carpets, sheetrock and the other muck from the homes to the sidewalk on Sept. 4, Labor Day. Here are some examples of the streets on L.J. Parkway and Hagerson Road and Thompson Ferry Road, abutting Steep Bank Creek and Oyster Creek. Every street had a volunteer station with snacks and water for people working in the neighborhood. The clean up operation and supplies are entirely done by people from all walks of life and from different areas, community helping the community, with no government involvement. Yes, one hopes the government contractors remove the debris as fast the volunteers piled it up on the sidewalks.—SESHADRI KUMAR
By SESHADRI KUMAR A major disruption in normal life and a huge property loss stared in the face of weary Fort Bend County residents as many of them were literally picking up the pieces of debris on Labor Day Monday. Hundreds of families may not find their flood-ravaged homes habitable and how long it would take to fix their homes is unknown. Because it is not one or two dozen homes, but rows and rows on several streets that need many repair crews and materials. Local agencies are continuing to compile data on the damage caused by the rain and flood. But, those affected by the disaster would be anxious to get aid for their rehabilitation. At the same time, they would be angry and frustrated that their home was flooded. Earlier, before the landing of Hurricane Harvey, tornadoes struck parts of Missouri City
Open letter to Missouri City citizens
This past week our City saw a devastating event that none of us has ever witnessed here. I had the opportunity to be part of the most awesome team of City employees as I sat with them as we worked in 12 hour shifts 24 hours a day beginning Friday night the 25th of August until we scaled back the Emergency Operations Center on Friday night the 1st of September. Some of these employees lost their own home and belongings, were not able to go back home, yet worked, slept, and stayed at the Command Center for the entire time. This community was the most giving group of people I have ever witnessed as they donated food, clothing, personal items, and even money to our shelters and staging areas. The three shelters housed over 1,000 people who were displaced. We did over 1,300 high water rescues with the help of the National Guard, our staff, and even volunteers. We housed 60+ State troopers and Guard soldiers at our City Centre at Quail Valley. The employees at the City Centre not only provided 3 meals a day for them, but also provided 3 meals a day for all those of us in the Command Center. We had many local vendors and citizens contribute food and support to our people. We have many citizens that have been displaced and are still trying to recover. The City has begun the most difficult part of any event like this as we now start the clean up process. The most rewarding thing that happened to me while there was when I received a call from the corporate offices of Niagara Water Company telling me that their Foundation, Niagara Cares, is making a donation of $1 million towards the recovery effort in Missouri City. That in addition to donating over 2 million bottles of water to relief partners. We had daily calls and visits with and from our Council Members, Congressman Olson, Congressman Green, Representative Reynolds, Senator Miles and calls from many others offering their support. In times like these, political parties are not important as they come together to help our eommunity. We will recover and continue to be the “Show Me City” that I knew we would. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Mayor Allen Owen
damaging dozens of homes and businesses. After the rains stopped, the rising Brazos River and internal flooding in neighborhoods lasted for days in areas like Chimney Stone, Settlers Park and Austin Park in Sugar Land and in the Riverstone section of Missouri City. The magnitude of the disaster cannot be easily defined because it was a combination of three different events: the hurricane, heavy rains and rising river and reservoir levels. Normally, any one of the historic events could have been handled efficiently, but the combination of three different disasters simultaneously struck the area, making all man-made preparations inadequate to avoid hardships. The levees, meant to protect homes from the Brazos River flood, did their job well as intended. But, that is no consolation for those whose homes were inundated by internal rain water flooding. The levee districts are supposed to be prepared for such eventualities and they have been equipped with pumps to discharge water from internal flooding. Andre McDonald, chairman of the Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District No. 2, said the levee did a fantastic job in handling the record river level and all the pumps pumped water at their design capacity of 220,000 gallons per minute for 72 hours non-stop. What caused the internal flooding will have to be examined by a forensic study, McDonald said. In some instances, it could be due to the inadequate pumping capacity or pump failures. It could be that some of the street inlets to the storm sewer were clogged or that the storm water drainage pipes need to be sized bigger because in some
neighborhoods, the storm water drainage is 40 years old. FBC LID # 2, for example, could handle one 100-year-level rain, or 15 inches of rain in 24 hours; but, we had 100-year-level rain every day for four days. “Too much rain” is the simple answer to the question why the neighborhoods flooded, McDonald said. Now, lessons should be learned and fixes should be made, after studying the issue thoroughly, he said. LID # 2, after pumping out all its internal water closed all its gates but kept one gate open to help Riverstone LIDs 15 and 19, so that the pressure on their system is reduced. Richard Muller, spokesman for Sienna and Riverstone LIDs, said the levees functioned flawlessly as they should and all pumps did the job as intended. There were no pump failures or breaches in Sienna, Muller said. He echoed the words of McDonald in attributing the local flooding to the excessive rain of 38 inches in four days. In the absence of the supplemental pumps in Riverstone, water would have remained inside homes for several days. On Aug. 27, Riverstone LIDs posted on their website: “The (Brazos) river and rain event are expected to test the limits of the Districts levee and drainage systems. This is a se-
rious situation and will require your continued vigilance through the remainder of the week.” On Aug. 28, the levee district officials explained “Why an evacuation now?” “ The concern is that while the system is functioning now, the amount of water predicted in the river and the amount of rain predicted to fall inside the levees in the next three days have the potential to overwhelm the system. If that were to happen during the crest in the river, there would be no time to evacuate the residents.” By Aug. 30, many homes within Riverstone located along LJ Parkway south of Hagerson Road reported floodwater insidethem. The drainage and detention system in LID 19 is required by regulatory authorities to be built to handle a 100-year rain event. As a result of the extraordinary and rapid rainfall in the region, the system could not drain quickly enough to avoid water accumulation outside the detention ponds and channels. LID 19 operates a pump station at the outfall at Steep Bank Creek – the pumps here were fully operational and working non-stop to pump floodwater out of Riverstone. The pumps are designed to pump 80,000 gallons per minute. However, despite the improved See FLOOD, Page 3
Eight supplemental pumps online and operational pumping water to the Steep Bank Creek from the Riverstone neighborhood.
Page 2 • INDEPENDENT • SEPTEMBER 6, 2017
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INDEPENDENT • SEPTEMBER 6, 2017 • Page 3
NEWS
Area schools set to open Sept. 12 By BARBARA FULENWIDER Some school districts in Fort Bend County were damaged by Hurricane Harvey’s floodwaters and wind while others dodged harms way. Fort Bend ISD has the most schools in the county so had the most problems. As of Labor Day, Sept. 4, the district plans to delay starting classes “until at least” Tuesday, Sept. 12, and have teachers returning on Monday, Sept. 11. The district’s website says those dates are “subject to change.” Right now the district has three schools that will not be ready for teachers or students by Sept. 11 or 12. They are Juan Seguin Elementary, Goodman Elementary and Willowridge High School. Juan Seguin had extensive flood damage throughout the school that “will require extensive renovation.” Juan Seguin students have been temporarily relocated to other nearby schools. Goodman had moderate flooding in parts of the building that will also require “significant renovation.” The
district will house students and staff temporarily at other nearby schools that have available space. Willowridge High School is the third school out of commission but not due to Harvey’s wrath. The Willowridge closing began this past summer when workers doing remodeling there discovered mold. Since then the high school has undergone extensive clean-up efforts that continue. The district’s web page on the Willowridge cleanup says restoring the campus is similar to building a new campus and is why the process “will take some time as environmental experts work 24 hours, seven days a week to ensure that no area of the school is overlooked.” After the cleanup at Willowridge is done the school will get new flooring, ceiling tile, sheetrock, classroom and office furniture and instructional materials and equipment. Until all of that is in place, Willowridge students are to attend Marshall High School.
Fort Bend elementary schools that took on floodwater and are now being remediated for students are Burton, Colony Bend and previously Scanlan Oaks. Burton had water extracted and is now in the drying out stage and Colony Bend is currently without power that is expected to be on early this week. Scanlan Oaks problems have been resolved but there are 15 other FBISD schools that have HVAC problems. The air conditioning/heating issues are not expected to keep staff or students from being able to start school on Sept. 12. Lamar Consolidated Independent School District (LCISD) schools stayed dry and B.F. Terry High School was used as one of numerous shelters in Fort Bend County. As of Labor Day the district has all of its central office staff, auxiliary staff, front office staff and campus administration scheduled to return to work on Wednesday, Sept. 6, to make sure all LCISD schools are safe and ready for students the
Flood From Page 1
lons of rainwater from its streets, lakes and channels since last Friday. To put this in perspective, that amount of water would fill the Astrodome 11 times. Despite this enormous amount of rainfall, we estimate that less than 1% of the homes in Sienna got water within the house. Obviously, we wish that we could say no one in Sienna had water in their homes. But compared to many other areas in Houston, our community fared very well under the circumstances.” Elsewhere in the Cinco Ranch area in Katy, the burgeoning Barker Reservoir caused havoc to hundreds of homeowners. On Saturday, the area residents staged a protest demanding answers from the county and FEMA officials as they were never told that their houses would be flooded because of the Barker Reservoir.
They also asked why homes were allowed in the area which faced potential flooding. Fort Bend County Judge Bob Hebert, along with FEMA’s regional director, met with the angry group of people. The homeowners’ title documents did contain the disclosure on flooding, Hebert said. Hebert assured them that he would lobby Congress or FEMA to get the existing laws changed so that FEMA could buy out the flooded homes. “I don’t think they should be on land subject to inundation,” he said. That land should never have been developed, he said. Also, the reservoirs were designed in 1940s and the dam specifications were based on then prevailing forecast of future development.
rain conditions, the internal drainage remained taxed as external communities upstream and upland of these areas continue to drain, pump, and send their floodwater to us downstream. The rate of water being delivered to the Riverstone system from external areas fully taxed the pump station’s capacity, which is why despite constant pumping, the operators were unable to reduce internal levels to this outfall. First round of supplemental pumps arrived by Aug. 30 night and by Aug. 31, the LID procured more supplemental pumps and pressed them into service. Ken Beckman, President, Board of Directors for Sienna LID, said: “Our preliminary estimate is that Sienna LID pumped out 6 BILLION gal-
Harvey is a 1,000-year flood event unprecedented in scale As Harvey’s rains unfolded, the intensity and scope of the disaster were so enormous that weather forecasters, first responders, the victims, everyone really, couldn’t believe their eyes. Now the data are bearing out what everyone suspected: This flood event is on an entirely different scale than what we’ve seen before in the United States. A new analysis from the University of Wisconsin’s Space Science and Engineering Center has determined that Harvey is a 1-in-1,000-year flood event that has overwhelmed an enormous section of Southeast Texas equivalent in size to New Jersey. There is nothing in the historical record that rivals this, according to Shane Hubbard, the Wisconsin researcher who made and mapped this calculation. “In looking at many of these events [in the United States], I’ve never seen anything of this magnitude or size,” he said. “This is something that hasn’t happened in our modern era of observations.” Hubbard made additional calculations that accentuate the massive scale of the disaster: At least 20 inches of rain fell over an area (nearly 29,000 square miles) larger than 10 states, including West Virginia and Maryland (by a factor of more than two). At least 30 inches of
rain fell over an area (more than 11,000 square miles) equivalent to Maryland’s size. A 1,000-year flood event, as its name implies, is exceptionally rare. It signifies just a 0.1 percent chance of such an event happening in any given year. “Or, a better way to think about it is that 99.9 percent of the time, such an event will never happen,” Hubbard said. Apart from Harvey, there’s simply no record of a 1,000year event occupying so much real estate. While no one questions the exceptional nature of Harvey’s rainfall, the concept of a 1,000-year flood event has been criticized by some academics and flood planners. For one, rainfall and flood data generally go back only 100 years or so, so statistical tricks must be applied to determine what 500-year and 1,000year events actually represent. Furthermore, the climate is changing and precipitation events have become more intense in recent decades, so what constitutes different return frequencies (100-year, 500-year, 1,000-year and so forth) is probably changing. Climate change studies have found that what’s considered a 500-year flood today may become much more frequent in coming decades. But Hubbard, who analyzes geographic information to help decision-makers plan for floods, stands by the use of
these return interval metrics despite their shortcomings. “For a community, they help put these events into perspective and understand the impact of a flood,” he said. He added that they have “tremendous” value for flood planning and designing infrastructure to be able to withstand events up to a certain intensity. “Decisionmakers have to be able to pick a number and say this is the number we need to be prepared for,” he said. “If we debate and belabor the accuracy of these estimates, the community will not have a value to plan for.” Hubbard agrees that the climate is changing and precipitation is becoming more intense in some areas, but he said it would be complicated to adapt the flood return frequencies. “The challenge is trying to separate when you have these 500-year events happening all the time, what part is a changing climate, what part is changes in urbanization and agriculture and what part is the lack of understanding of what’s happened in the past,” he said. In any event, Harvey puts an exclamation mark on the pattern of disastrous rain events in recent years and may be a harbinger of more such events in the coming decades. —The Washington Post
following week. The district will have its buildings available to teachers on a voluntary basis on Thursday, Sept. 7. Classes are scheduled to start on Monday, Sept. 11. On Thursday, Sept. 7, and Friday, Sept. 8, campus front offices will be open to assist only with student registration, displaced student assistance and major student issues. Stafford’s five school buildings were not breached by floodwater at all but some did lose power for a brief while. The middle school of the Stafford Municipal School District (SMSD) was also used as a shelter for those who needed to vacate their residences. Some 100 houses took on floodwater, according to Stafford Mayor Leonard Scarcella. Now that almost all is well in Stafford, students are to return to school on Thursday, Sept. 7, and teachers are to return on Wednesday, Sept. 6. Campus and district administrators are to return on Tuesday,. Sept. 5, along with maintenance and operations
workers. Counselors will be available for students and staff. As for the district’s sporting events the volleyball match for SMSD vs. Fort Bend Hightower has been cancelled and the status of the tournament which was scheduled for Sept. 7-9 is uncertain at this time, according to a district spokesman. The Sept. 8 football home opener versus the Port Lavaca Calhouns will be played. Requirements students need in order to enroll at SMSD are proof of residency, proof of identity of parent/guardian, student’s birth certificate or any other legal document that establishes identity, student’s Social Security card, immunization records, last report card/withdrawal from previous school. Refusing to provide such will not prevent your child from enrolling or attending SMSD schools. Starting schools late this year thanks to Hurricane Harvey’s devastation, means school districts that apply for waivers for all days missed days from Aug. 25 to Sept. 8
will not have to make up those missed days. For HCC students, classes at all HCC campuses will resume on Sept. 11. In-person registration will be available Wednesday, Sept. 6 - Saturday, Sept. 9. Online registration continues. Fort Bend ISD has created a website to help keep our staff and community updated about resources and information related to Hurricane Harvey, including how community members can donate to help in the recovery efforts. By visiting www. fortbendisd.com/Hurricane Harvey, families and staff members can access: •Donation drop-off and distribution sites •How to donate to help classrooms that have been impacted •Helpful resources for FBISD staff members, including counseling and other benefits •Results of a preliminary assessment of FBISD campuses
Volunteers take a break and regroup before moving to another house to help clear the debris on Monday, Labor Day, in the Riverstone community.
County will begin collecting storm debris this week The County will coordinate debris removal efforts for all unincorporated areas and with our partnering jurisdictions. It is important that residents abide by the debris sorting guidelines provided at http:// fbceom.org/debris. These guidelines include separating
Incredibly, 40 inches of rain in a short time isn’t new for Texas The city of Alvin, which is southeast of Houston, holds the record for the greatest one-day rainfall in the United States. In 1979, Tropical Storm Claudette dropped 43 inches of rain there in 24 hours. Compare that with the 23 inches that California gets in an average year. Even Seattle, known as “Rain City,” will see slightly less rain in an average year than parts of Texas will get during these five days. Katie Landry-Guyton, senior service hydrologist in the National Weather Service’s Houston/Galveston office, said that if rain falls too hard and fast, it won’t soak into the ground quickly enough. Heavy rains for several days in the same area are a recipe for dangerous flooding. Claudette was considered a “weak” tropical storm but essentially stalled over southeast Texas from July 25 to 26. According to a National Weather Service report, the rain caused unprecedented flooding in the 1979 storm. “Fifteen thousand homes and hundreds of businesses were flooded out,” the report said. “The rice crop was beaten into the soil by the heavy rainfall.”
your debris into categories (Separating Your Debris) never using trash or plastic bags for this debris, placing debris piles at the curb or roads edge, and restrictions on county officials entering private property. “Please put your debris as close to the curb and the sidewalk as you possibly can,” said Marc Grant, Fort Bend County’s Debris Management Coordinator, “If you put it past the sidewalk, we cannot go on private property to pick up your debris. If you have more debris past the sidewalk we will pick up as much as we can and then we will have to come back once you’ve moved the rest of your debris to the curb line.” Grant added that if you have a roadside ditch in front of your property, follow similar guidelines but treat the ditch like you would the sidewalk. Place your debris along the roadside so that it does not impede traffic or the flow of water in the bottom of the ditch. Items that are on your private property side will
not be picked up on the first trip through by our trucks, but we will return once you have moved the remaining debris out to the roadside. The restriction of the use of trash bags to contain the debris is something many residents may not know. Storm debris is compiled and processed differently than normal household garbage, and bagged storm debris will not be picked up by county debris removal trucks. If you have already placed debris at your roadside, please reference the guidelines at fbcoem.org and remove trash bags from these debris piles. It is also important not to park vehicles in locations that block our access to debris piles. If a vehicle is parked on a roadside in front of a debris pile, workers will have to move on and return at a later date to retrieve the debris. Fort Bend County officials will be working hard for many weeks to collect and properly dispose of the Hurricane Harvey debris.
Pct. 3 Constable suspends Class C citations Constable Wayne K. Thompson, Fort Bend County, Precinct 3, has suspended the confirmation and/or arrest for Class “C” citations (traffic citation warrants) during the month of September 2017 to include arrest warrants originating out of this office or any other law enforcement agency. Other warrants, for more severe offenses, will continue to be enforced and confirmed. Furthermore, this office will not issue citations for Texas Driver’s licenses that expired either in the month of August or this month, September 2017. Constable Thompson has seen the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey and believes that this action is necessary to allow citizens the time to recover and focus on their immediate needs. “Our office will continue to focus on rescue, recovery and patrol operations and will utilize the warrant division to supplement patrol operations rather than arrest citizens for traffic warrants during this difficult time. “
Page 4 • INDEPENDENT • SEPTEMBER 6 , 2017
OPINION
WHEN MY DADDY WENT TO WAR...
World War II V-Mails – April 1944 Written by Carolyn Bowden “It is getting so that you seem like a dream all the time. Maybe in a year or so maybe you will get so you will not miss me. Yesterday I drove through a private garden that was bursting forth in all of its glory. The flowers were very nicely arranged and I would love to see the roses when they get in bloom. If, I am lucky enough to still be here this summer, I am sure there will be many beautiful sights to behold. I was in a lovely little summer home by the sea the other day and I just thought how nice it would be to have your best girl there for a summer. “My new C.O. is a personal friend of Walter Winchell and as a result we get an air mail copy, from his secretary, every day, of his column for that paper. He also knows Irving Berlin who lives in New York. Yesterday we had a letter from his lady friend in which she told about having dinner with Irving Berlin and next to him was Hanna Williams, Jack Dempsey’s ex-wife. I saw Irving Berlin in person with his show. “Now if I was home I would get up and fix breakfast while my babies dressed and then serve yours in bed. Then hand you the morning paper to read while Carolyn and myself get ready for school. Then we three would carry Carolyn to school while you had a nice warm bath. Upon our return Jerry and myself would wash the dishes and offer our suggestions as to things you might decide to do during the day. Also express a desire as to what we would like to have you fix for us to eat. Now, don’t you wish I could come home? “I dreamed last night our plant was here. Gunn was the process man and he had gone to a school called Azino Hill to referee a ball game and it was night and the milk had not been processed. You were with me and said you would stay at the plant with me while I processed the products. Just a fine little girl. Even helps me in my dreams. “I am doing nicely and working hard and I believe my new C.O. is pleased with my work. He is a very fine man and has had over 25 years of experience as an officer. I am drawing heavily on his source of knowledge. Our adjutant (aide) was a member of the State Class of ’29 and is from Louisville. The other day a
Bowden naval officer came in to see me on business and he was an instructor at State. One really has to watch his step as you never know who you might meet. “Our office is located in a nice clean residential section of the City and all the pretty flowers and trees remind me of you and our little ones. There are lots of cut flower stands along the street and I always wish I could carry some home to you. I am always reminded of you when I see something worthwhile. In fact, I believe you are the very nicest little thing I know. I noticed I can have my dog tags chromium plated so they will be nice like the silver chain that my best girl sent to me last summer. Every time my tags jingle I think of Kay. “Yesterday I told my driver to bring my mail to me. When he came to carry me to supper as I had been off for the P.M. there was a negative delivery, but this A.M. I was so very happy to find in my in-basket a nice sweet letter from my honey dated 30 March 44. (Today is 23 April 44). Thanks lots, darling. Drove out to see John Wilson last evening and he is back in the hospital. It caused quite a bit of commotion when I drove in the area in a police car. They are located about 6 miles out and I enjoyed the drive in the country.” “Dear Carolyn, Be a good little girl and mind your teacher. Also keep on the good side with Mama. “Today I visited a baby buggy shop and in one cute little super streamlined one I saw a cute little freckle nose girl with dark eyes and hair and blond skin and nice full lips. She was so much like her lovely little mother with a nice round little face and a cute smile. “We are supposed to change to cottons about May 15th (This is April 27th) and I am very glad that I am not wear-
ing cottons now. I have been sewing on my new shoulder insignias one at a time, but they are not nice jobs like the ones that my honey did for me. However, improvement was shown on the second one I sewed on. I am so grateful for your personal interest in my appearance. I did not have any nice dress clothes all winter, but what I did have were kept nicely cleaned and pressed and in good state of repair and properly altered to fit. Soon I will have same clothes as everyone else. I have 6 suits of sun tans. Only wore out one shirt last summer. “April 28, 1944: At this time one year ago (28 Apr 43) we unloaded (from a train) in New York and that was the last time your husband’s feet were on good ole USA soil. We loaded on the boat about 9 A.M. Hard to believe time has passed so quickly. I sent Kay Valentour and company (Jerry and Carolyn) another box of Whitman’s Sampler. Be sure to let me know when you receive it. Should arrive June 25th. “Received your letter package just now. Don’t understand why the V-mail envelope was enclosed. Haven’t received April 5 letter as yet. I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of the large picture of my best girl. Is the big picture going to be the same pose?” (The picture was printed with the July 19th column) “Recently you asked me for advice as to what you should do with reference to where to move. I am really not in a position to be of much help to you as I don’t know your situation with reference to your present location. As I understand, you were to vacate your apartment by summer. Personally, if it were me, I would arrange to stay where I was. If unable to do that then I prefer Jackson to other cities. By other cities, since you are not concerned with making a living but just a place to live, I would suggest, Gulfport, Moss Point, Pass Christian, or any other place you may desire. Maybe you would like to return to Atlanta. Keep in mind that your little ones must be near a school as you have no transportation gasoline. I regret your embarrassment and inconvenience. I beg your forgiveness as I am responsible for your unfortunate situation.” Next column: WWII – May 1944
LETTER: Hurrricane Harvey To the Editor: It’s probably not too early to look at the lessons learned through the catastrophic Harvey experience for our town. For those whose houses were flooded, I personally express my deepest condolences. Few things could be worse than losing your home, even temporarily. It is on your behalf that I write this letter. First, I should note that Missouri City’ Emergency Services teams provided outstanding and commendable service. Our Police and Fire departments were wonderful. Most of us take for granted our low crime rates and fast response times, not appreciating the training and dedication behind those statistics. These men and women train so that they are ready for any circumstance. Now a huge question is: Can the City look ahead and clearly see the need to invest in itself? Harvey showed in stark detail our drainage and infrastructure deficiencies and lacks. Some may say this was a 500 year storm but how many Tropi-
cal Storm Allisons and huge (yearly) rainstorms do we need to experience? The storms that we’ve gone through recently prove that we live in an extreme weather environment and that the Gulf of Mexico is warming to the point that virtually any storm is a huge threat. Many subdivisions were either inundated or access limited due to flooding. We weren’t ready and more importantly our infrastructure wasn’t ready for Hurricane Harvey. So, do we react by saying it was a very close call and go on with life or do we insist that LIDs, the City and County focus on spending our tax dollars to protect our families? Infrastructure and drainage expenditures aren’t glamorous and win few votes but they do keep our homes and properties safe. Could some flooding have been averted through the purchase and construction of better drainage, more pumps, better located pumping stations, and backup systems? Obviously, the answer is yes. Just like our emergency services personnel,
we need government agencies which will focus and train for providing flood prevention services no matter what the circumstance. We all know the importance of this now. Missouri City, in particular, has a history of giving little regard for its infrastructure requirements and obligations. As demonstrated by this past week’s flooding, the City plainly needs more drainage ponds, more street drainage outlets, and more flood planning and green space requirements for the developers building homes within our City limits. For the past twenty years, Missouri City government has distinguished itself by paying huge amounts for recreational amenities and spending tens of millions of dollars to support a Harris County transportation bureaucracy with little return for the amounts invested. My personal opinion is that we need a better informed and more serious attitude toward finances by both the LIDs and the City. Howard Moline Missouri City
GUEST COLUMN Embracing our resilient future together By STEVE BROWN When the flood water rises, it reaches both the climate skeptic and believer all the same. Rain drops don’t care if you’re a Democrat, Republican or Libertarian. Similarly, the solutions for addressing disasters like Hurricane Harvey must not be weighed down by empty partisan rhetoric. Texans along the Gulf Coast deserve real, pragmatic answers to help us adapt to an adversely evolving climate reality. They deserve a thoughtful conversation, one that is empirically based, and will result in policies that will lead to a resilient and sustainable future. The future begins with Congress approving funding to shore up our region’s infrastructure for flood mitigation. Resources for bayou widening, bridge relocation and updating drainage systems will help us prepare for the next storm that ventures up the Gulf of Mexico. In fact, America’s infrastructure is facing a $1.6 trillion funding gap, and Texas’ dams and flood control system are woefully deficient. According to the American Society of Civil Engineer’s 2013 Infrastructure Report Card, our state’s dams and flood control system received a D- and D, respectively. US Congressman Al Green has introduced a bill that would allocate $311 million for flood mitigation projects already approved by the Army Corps of Engineers. His bill was first filed after the Tax Day Flood in April 2016, but has yet to be heard in committee. Emergency aid for Hurricane Harvey is expected to exceed $150 billion. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that for every $1 the federal government spends on disaster mitigation it saves $4 in post-disaster aid. It seems like $311 million for preventative efforts would make for an easy fiscal decision for Congress. Further, President Trump’s efforts to roll back the Obama
Brown Administration’s Federal Flood Risk Management Standard will likely result in wasting federal aid. This is because Obama’s standard requires the federal government to take into account the risk of flooding and sea-level rise as a result of climate change, when constructing new infrastructure and rebuilding after disasters. Without that in place, federal money to rebuild Houston and surrounding areas will go to projects that will likely be washed away by the next storm. Revoking that standard is an irrational step backwards in flood management policy. Building a resilient Gulf Coast also means advancing green infrastructure policies to help reduce flooding. Such programs could include improved stormwater management regulations, permeable concrete, rooftop gardens, onsite retention ponds, and green space preservation. Portland’s Green Streets Initiative has reduced the stormwater runoff by at least 70 percent. Land use policies that allow local governments to purchase and protect land in floodplains would help provide predictable flood control as well. Finally, we must not forget that minority and low income communities are disproportionately impacted by flooding. Flood data show that people are more vulnerable
Fund for city employees A fund has been setup to financially assist those Missouri City employees who have lost or suffered heavy damage to their homes. At this time we have 9 employees affected, several who were manning our Missouri City Emergency Operations Center which was critical to our rescue efforts during the storm. To coordinate this request a fund has been established under a ‘Go Fund Me’ website and can be linked thru https://www.gofundme.com/show-me-cityemployee-relief-fund . If you believe as I do that this is one way of showing appreciation for these employees service, please join me and make a donation to this fund. Thanking you in advance for your consideration, Floyd Emery Missouri City Councilmember
Steve Brown is the former Fort Bend County Democratic Party Chairman and the 2014 Democratic nominee for Texas Railroad Commissioner.
Larry Harrison named among the “Top 100 National Trial Lawyers” The President of The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Lawyers announced recently the induction of Sugar Land attorney Larry W. Harrison into its very exclusive membership of outstanding, experienced trial lawyers. Harrison is our own film critic and a practicing attorney for over 42 years who is Board Certified in Personal Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. President-Elect W. Mark Lanier stated that “…we are honored and excited to recognize you as a member with other Top 100 members throughout the country.” Lanier added that this honor is a “…national recognition among your peers.” Harrison has been active in the Fort Bend County community serving as the President of
FORT BEND FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE.
12551 Emily Court, Sugar Land, TX 77478 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, TX 77478 Seshadri Kumar Publisher & Editor
to natural disasters if they are poor, elderly, disabled, don’t own a car or can’t speak English. These communities are inexplicably located in high risk flooding zones with poor infrastructure. That unfortunate reality equally applies to minority and low income suburban communities as well. The Social Vulnerability Index, developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, indicates that even in Fort Bend and Brazoria counties these communities are harmfully affected by natural disasters. Home weatherization programs could be a useful tool not only in making low income homes more energy efficient but also disaster resistant. Focusing on weatherizing homes in these vulnerable communities would actually save money in the future on disaster relief and recovery efforts. The City of Houston and Fort Bend County have adopted property assessed clean energy (PACE) programs as a financing tool to retrofit aging commercial buildings and multi-family properties with energy efficient and renewable energy improvements. PACE can also be used to replace old roofs and improve the building envelope of older properties possibly helping to make them hurricane-ready as well. Both of these programs would spur workforce development and job training opportunities, putting people to work creating a new green infrastructure paradigm. During the storm, the world watched as we rallied together as one community. Now that the rain has passed, we must continue to close ranks and be intentional in our pursuit of forging an adaptive Gulf Coast region. Embracing resiliency through green infrastructure policies is how we keep Texas strong for generations to come.
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., 12551, Emily Court, Texas 77478. Periodicals Postage Paid at Stafford, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Fort Bend Independent, P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, Tx 77487.
Harrison the Fort Bend County Bar Association, the Founding President of Fort Bend Lawyers Care, and a member of Christ United Methodist Church. He also is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Houston Victoria where he teaches Business Law to undergraduate students and the Legal Aspects of Health Care Administration to MBA students. In November, 2016, he was recognized as a Distinguished Alumni of his hometown Bay City ISD.
INDEPENDENT • SEPTEMBER 6, 2017 • Page 5
NEWS House Bill 1774: A closer look at the new homeowner’s insurance law Texas Association of Realtors seeks to clarify misinformation circulating about a new law effective Sept. 1, 2017, related to homeowner’s insurance. What does HB 1774 actually do? HB 1774 applies to property insurance claims made on or after September 1, 2017. If a property owner disputes the amount an insurer has agreed to pay on a property claim, the property owner can take the insurer to court. Under the new law, a claimant (property owner) must give written notice (a “presuit” notice) to the defendant (insurance company or agent) of intent to file an action (lawsuit) at least 61 days before that filing. The notice must include: A summary of acts or omissions that resulted in the claim (what the insurance company or agent did); The specific amount alleged to be owed to the claimant by the insurer; and The amount of reasonable and necessary attorneys’ fees incurred by the claimant (estimated on a formula). A notice is not required if the claimant has a reason to believe there is insufficient time to submit one before the limitations period will expire, or the action (lawsuit) is part of a counterclaim. Thirty days after receipt of the presuit notice, the insur-
ance company (or agent) can request in writing to inspect, photograph or evaluate the damaged property. The request must be to conduct the evaluation at a reasonable time and in a reasonable manner. The inspection must be completed no later than 60 days after the insurer receives the presuit notice. If the presuit notice isn’t properly given by the claimant, and/or the request for evaluation is denied, a court may put a hold on the lawsuit. That hold will continue until: The presuit notice is filed and 60 days have passed from its receipt, or 15 days after a requested inspection is completed – whichever is later. If a claimant names an insurance agent in the lawsuit, the insurer (company) that is a party to the lawsuit may elect to assume that agent’s liability – meaning the suit will proceed against the company instead of the individual agent. If that happens, evidence of the agent’s acts or omissions is still admissible at trial, and a judgment against the insurer must include any liability that would have been assessed against the agent individually. Attorneys’ Fees HB 1774 changes the way a court can award attorneys’ fees to a claimant in these types of lawsuits. Attorneys’ fees can be awarded, and will be the less-
Obituary: Robert Louis McClendon Dr. Robert Louis McClendon, affectionately known as Dr. Bob, peacefully left to be with our Lord on Sunday, September 3, 2017. He was born in Luling, Texas on July 5, 1950 to Louis and Lillian McClendon. He graduated from W.B. Ray High School in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1968 where he participated in the marching band as drum major and was the President of the Medical Club. While in High School, he was in the Boy Scouts of America and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. Dr. Bob attended the University of Texas at Austin where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in 1972. He attended the University of Texas Medical School following his undergraduate where he graduated in 1975. He was a proud member of the Alpha Epsilon Delta and Alpha Phi Omega fraternities. After graduation from Medical School, Dr. Bob completed his residency training with Memorial Family Residency Program in Houston, Texas in 1978 at Memorial Hermann Southwest. While in residency, Bob met the love of his life, Gail Elizabeth Pardee, an RN at Memorial Hermann Southwest, and on October 15, 1983, they were married. Following his residency training, Dr. Bob started his own family practice in Southwest Houston and later extended his practice into the Sugar Land area where he practiced for almost 40 years. Dr. Bob had a passion for giving back to the community. He has been an active member of his Church, Christ United Methodist, and has served on various boards since 2004. In 2004, Bob also helped start the Fort Bend Cares foundation which to date has given more than $1.5 million to local charities in Fort Bend County. He was an active member in the Boy Scouts of America from 2000 to 2005. He was very active in his
er amount of: The amount of reasonable and necessary attorneys’ fees incurred by the claimant as determined by the court; The amount of attorneys’ fees that may be awarded under other applicable law as determined by the court; or A calculation: The amount to be awarded to the claimant, divided by the amount requested in the presuit notice. That figure is then multiplied by the total amount of attorneys’ fees as determined by the court. EXAMPLE Amount Awarded by the Court: $50,000 Amount Alleged in the Presuit Notice: $75,000 Attorneys’ Fees Determined by the Court: $5,000 (50,000÷75,000) x 5,000 = $3,333 NOTE: If the figure that results from that calculation is less than 20 percent of the amount initially requested in the presuit notice ($15,000 in our example above), the court may not award any attorney’s fees. If the defendant (insurer) proves the presuit notice was not timely filed, he may file a plea with the court and the court may not award attorneys’ fees incurred after the date the plea was filed. The defendant must file such a plea no later than 30 days after he originally answers the claimant’s lawsuit.
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Missouri City presents Clean Restaurant awards
Recipients of the City’s Clean Restaurant Award pose with staff and Mayor Allen Owen, second from right. Missouri City City Council recently presented Clean Restaurant Awards to local establishments that scored a 95 or higher on recent inspections. Restaurant scores for City establishments may be viewed on the website via this link: http://bit.ly/ZmaVFZ. Recipients of the most recent awards are: Food Establishment
Address
Score
BROOKLYN PIZZERIA 4717 HWY 6 BURGER KING 2207 TEXAS PKWY CASA VAQUEROS MEXICAN GRILLE 2140 FM 1092 CENTER COURT PIZZA & BREW 7425 HWY 6 STE 100 CHICK-FIL-A 6124 HWY 6 CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL 6245 HWY 6 #100 DAIRY QUEEN 1799 TEXAS PARKWAY DAIRY QUEEN 5801 HWY 6 DOMINO’S 6309 HWY 6 FIVE GUYS BURGERS AND FRIES 6215 HWY 6 STE 100 JIMMY JOHN’S GOURMET SANDWICHES 5830 HWY 6 KOLACHE FACTORY 6215 HWY 6 STE 200 MAHIMA INDIAN BISTRO 2258 FM 1092 MALAWI’S PIZZA 8731 HWY 6 Suite 100 OFF THE VINE BISTRO 2865 DULLES AVE OLD HICKORY INN 3334 FM 1092 #400 PAPA JOHN’S 6262 HWY 6 SHIPLEY Do-Nuts 1701 TEXAS PKWY SONIC 5805 HWY 6 ULA’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT 9009 SIENNA CHRISTUS B
100 100 97 97 97 96 97 97 100 97 100 97 97 97 97 96 97 100 97 96
Dr. Robert L. McClendon July 5, 1950 - Sept. 3, 2017 son’s troop, Troop 441, at Christ United Methodist Church as an Assistant Scout Master and later served on the board for the Sam Houston Area Council. Through his life, he served on various medical boards, including the Aetna US Healthcare Quality Assurance Committee, the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Medical Association, Harris County Academy of Family Physicians, Harris County Medical Society, the Methodist Care, Inc. Medical Advisory Committee, the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Medical Advisory Committee, the Texas Academy of Family Physicians, and the Texas Medical Association. Robert is survived by his wife, Gail McClendon, daughter Kristen Studdard and her husband Josh Studdard with their daughter Everly Studdard, son Blake McClendon and his wife Kathlyn McClendon, mother Lillian McClendon, sister Elizabeth Duncan and her husband Dr. Paul Duncan with their children Jesse and Sarah Duncan, along with many special and dear friends. He is preceded in death by his father Louis McClendon. dear friends. He is preceded in death by his father Louis McClendon. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Dr. Bob’s memory to the Fort Bend Cares, P.O. Box 17748, Sugar Land, TX 77498 or at http://fortbendcares.org/getinvolved/donate/ Funeral Services have been set for Wednesday, September 6, 2017 at Christ United Sugar Land located at 3300 Austin Parkway, Sugar Land, Texas 77479.
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Drawing to be held on October 21, 2017 at the Fort Bend Ranchers' Ball. NEED NOT BE PRESENT TO WIN To purchase your ticket(s), see restrictions and rules, please contact: Susan Brown at sbrown@weissereng.com or 281.579.7300
- - - www.FortBendRanchersBall.com - - All proceeds benefiting Fort Bend Charities, Inc. 501(c)(3) | Please make checks payable to Fort Bend Charities, Inc.
Page 6 • INDEPENDENT • SEPTEMBER 6, 2017
Fort Bend Cares gets new look
AUTOMOBILE: Honda CR-V
By BARBARA FULENWIDER This year was a very good year for Honda CR-Vs along with numerous other vehicles in their stable. The CR-V, America’s best-selling SUV for the past 20 years, earned the highest possible safety rating of Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) when equipped with Honda Sensing and LED headlights. The CR-V also earned a superior rating for frontal crash prevention and a top rating in five IIHS crash test modes. It won a top safety pick in strength and head restraints, was named one of the Greenest Vehicles of 2017 by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and was named in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Cars for the Money and Best Cars for Families. It’s not only highly popular and good looking it’s also a fun, highly efficient, two row, five seater that rides well and travels high. In Houston and vicinity riding high is definitely a necessity at more times than we’d ever want. For 2017 this fifth generation CR-V got bolder and more sophisticated style, a more spacious, versatile and premium quality interior, its first ever turbocharged engine and new features and technologies for improved connectivity, comfort and convenience. The four model choices are the LX, EX, EX-L and Touring. New for 2017 the CR-V gets Honda Sensing, a suite of advanced safety and driver-
assistive technologies as standard equipment on the EX, EX-L and Touring models. The system includes road departure mitigation and adaptive cruise control with low speed follow. Optional safety equipment is rear cross traffic monitor, blind spot information system, auto high-beam and all new drive attention monitor. The Honda CR-V test drive arrived a day before the flood that wouldn’t quit so it didn’t go anywhere until a lot of water did. Five days later the Touring model, which was the test drive, got some action. The 2017 CR-V is now powered by a more powerful new engine that makes for a fun drive. The 1.5-liter, DOHC turbocharged in-line 4 is a first for the CR-V. It’s paired with a continuously variable transmission and whips up 190 horsepower at 5600 rpms and torque of 179 lb.-ft. between 2000-5000 rpms. This engine gets 28 in city driving and 34 on the highway for a combined average of 30 mpg. Buyers can choose either the more powerful 1.5-liter turbo in-line 4 or the 2.4-liter in-line 4. The 2.4 liter engine makes 184 peak horsepower at 4700 rpm and peak torque output is 180 lb.-ft. at 3900 rpm. This engine gets 26 mpg in the city and 31 on the highway for a combined average of 27 mpg when equipped with front wheel drive. The CR-V comes in frontwheel drive or all wheel drive and with a system for all weather performance and
greater control. It rides on 17 or 18 inch aluminum alloy wheels and comes with more narrow A-pillars for improved visibility and sporty dual exhaust. Adding convenience is a Honda-first available hands free access power tailgate which opens and closes by kicking a foot to activate a sensor under the rear of the vehicle. The CR-V’s best in class space efficient design provides more interior volume, rear seat legroom and total cargo length of 75.8 cubic feet with the second row seats folded flat and 39.2 cubic feet with the second row seats up. The CR-V features an available 7-inch touchscreen display audio interface with Android operating system that features a physical volume knob and Honda Satellitelinked Navigation System. The CR-V’s audio system is compatible with the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto platforms. Some of the key new comfort and convenience features available are remote engine start, dual-zone climate controls, heated side mirrors, electric parking brake rear USB charging ports, front passenger seat with 4-way power adjustment and driver’s seat with 8-way power adjustment and four way power lumbar support. The LX with the in-line 4-cylinder engine starts at $24,045. The Touring model with the turbo engine starts at $32,495. It was loaded with standard and optional equipment and a pleasure to drive.
Olheiser Fort Bend Cares is excited to introduce a new Executive Director, three new board members and an updated logo. Founded twelve years ago, the charitable foundation provides grants to non-profit organizations serving disadvantaged youth in Fort Bend County. The revamped logo retains elements of the original logo while clarifying the organization’s commitment to improve the lives of kids in Fort Bend. Recently-elected Board President Chris Breaux said, “Our goal in refreshing the logo was to assert strength and trustworthiness while putting an exclamation point on our commitment to this community and making it very clear what we care about . . . Kids in Fort Bend!” Angel Tapia was welcomed as Executive Director in June. Tapia holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and a background in event management, volunteer satisfaction and third-party partnerships. As a 15-year veteran of the nonprofit sector, she has a passion to work with community groups and businesses to make a difference in the world - a perfect fit for Fort Bend Cares. She moved from California to Texas 10 years ago and has
City of Missouri City ORDINANCE NO. O-17-28
City of Missouri City AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MISSOURI CITY, TEXAS, AMENDING CHAPTER 46, INFRASTRUCTURE STANDARDS, OF THE MISSOURI CITY CODE; AMENDING REGULATIONS RELATING TO FACILITIES IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY; ADDING A NEW ARTICLE X, NETWORK NODES, NODE SUPPORT POLES, AND RELATED FACILITIES IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY; ADOPTING A WIRELESS SERVICES DESIGN MANUAL; PROVIDING FOR REPEAL; PROVIDING A PENALTY; AND PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY. I, Maria Jackson, City Secretary of the City of Missouri City, do hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the caption of said Ordinance No. O-17-28 approved on second and final reading by the City Council at its regular meeting held on August 21, 2017, as the same appears in the records of my office.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING On Monday, September 18, 2017, there will be held, during the regularly scheduled City Council meeting beginning at 7:00 p.m., in the Council Chamber, City of Missouri City City Hall, 1522 Texas Parkway, Missouri City, Texas, a public hearing relating to the creation of Reinvestment Zone No. 15 for tax abatement purposes. The proposed Reinvestment Zone No. 15 is located north of Highway 90A, south of Sunset Lane, east of Cravens Road, and west of the Sam Houston Parkway. The proposed Reinvestment Zone No. 15 is depicted below. Any interested person is entitled to speak and present evidence for or against the creation of Reinvestment Zone No. 15.
/s/ Maria Jackson City Secretary
City of Missouri City ORDINANCE NO. O-17-26 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MISSOURI CITY, TEXAS, AMENDING SECTION 8, PD PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT, OF APPENDIX A OF THE MISSOURI CITY CODE, ENTITLED “THE CITY OF MISSOURI CITY ZONING ORDINANCE;” AMENDING RULES AND REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO REQUIREMENTS FOR A PD PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT AMENDMENT APPLICATION; PROVIDING FOR REPEAL; PROVIDING A PENALTY; AND PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY. I, Maria Jackson, City Secretary of the City of Missouri City, do hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the caption of said Ordinance No. O-17-26 approved on second and final reading by the City Council at its regular meeting held on August 21, 2017, as the same appears in the records of my office. /s/ Maria Jackson City Secretary
City of Missouri City
City of Missouri City
LEGAL NOTICE THIS IS A MANDATED PUBLICATION OF THE LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE THIS IS A MANDATED PUBLICATION OF THE LEGAL NOTICE
******* CLOSING DATE OF September 19, 2017 AT 2:00 pm.*******
OPENING DATE OF September 19, 2017 AT 2:00 p.m.
Sealed BIDS for the provision of Janitorial Services to the City of Missouri City, RFP # 18-044 Janitorial Services
RSQ for Vision and Placemaking Plan RSQ # 18-036/ReAd Re-advertisement Due to Storm Harvey Vision and Placemaking Plan
Responses must be sealed, marked on the outside of the delivery envelope with the RFP name and number as listed above, and the date of opening. Bids must be delivered to the attention of the Sealed Bid Box, City of Missouri City Purchasing Office, 1522 Texas Parkway, Missouri City, Texas 77489, prior to the acceptance deadline. Bids marked improperly and therefore misdirected may be disqualified. Bids are opened in public in the City Hall Council Chambers on September 19, 2017 at 2:00 pm. A mandatory pre-bid conference will be held in the Council Chambers at City Hall, City of Missouri City, 1522 Texas Parkway, Missouri City, Texas 77489, on September 5, 2017 at 9:00 AM. All prospective Bidders should attend. Until final award of the Contract, the OWNER reserves the right to reject any or all Bids, to waive irregularities or technicalities, to re-advertise, or proceed to do the Work otherwise when in the best interests of the OWNER. No bid may be withdrawn during the 60 days following the bid opening date.
Responses must be sealed, marked on the outside of the delivery envelope with the RSQ name and number as listed above, and the date of opening. RSQ’s must be delivered to the attention of the Sealed Bid Box, City of Missouri City Purchasing Office, 1522 Texas Parkway, Missouri City, Texas 77489, prior to the acceptance deadline. RSQ’s marked improperly and therefore misdirected may be disqualified. Responses are opened in public in the City Hall Council Chambers on September 19, 2017 at 2:00 pm. Until final award of the Contract, the OWNER reserves the right to reject any or all Bids, to waive irregularities or technicalities, to re-advertise, or proceed to do the Work otherwise when in the best interests of the OWNER. No bid may be withdrawn during the 60 days following the bid opening date. RSQ # 18-036/ReAd is posted for the duration, including any Addenda, at http://esbd.cpa. state.tx.us/.
Nieser two daughters. Joining the Fort Bend Cares Board of Trustees are three local community leaders: Phillip Butler, Terri Nieser and Dennis Olheiser. Butler, with Lagniappe Ventures, is a Past School Board Member at St. Laurence Parish Catholic School, Board of Governors Member at Sweetwater Country Club, Fort Bend Cares Grants Committee Team Leader, Fort Bend Cares Doggone Fun Run Course Logistics Lead and member of the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Gatekeepers Committee. Nieser, formerly with Ernst & Young, served as Road Trip Co-Chair in 2017 and is cochairing the 2018 gala to be held in February. She also has served as CASA ticket sales chair, Clements HS VIPS coordinator, Fort Settlement PTO President & Treasurer, Christ Church Sugar Land Administrative Board Chair and Staff/Parish Relations Chair, Hightower Band Booster Board, Gamma Phi Beta Province Financial Director and Sweetwater Tennis Committee President. Olheiser is with Reef Industries and has also volunteered with the Boy Scouts of Amer-
Butler
Tapia ica in various roles throughout the last 20 years. He currently serves as the Sam Houston Area Council Activities Chair. He has been involved with Fort Bend Cares for several years and previously served as Grants Committee Chair. Fort Bend Cares raises funds for its grants through a variety of events and individual donations. The organization’s primary annual fundraising event, “Road Trip Through the Decades” is scheduled for Saturday, February 3, 2018 at Fluor in Sugar Land. To become a Road Trip sponsor or to volunteer with Fort Bend Cares, contact Executive Director, Angel Tapia, at angel@fortbendcares.org or 832-819-2005.
All Harmony school campuses meet Academic Readiness Standards Harmony Public Schools, Texas’ largest charter school network, is proud to have achieved a perfect 100% passing grade for all 48 of its campuses on the 2016-2017 State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) exam. STAAR tests measure student achievement and knowledge in four academic categories as well as student progress and postsecondary readiness. All 1,207 Texas public and charter school districts, comprising 8,757 campuses, are subject to the pass/fail system. Statewide, only 89% of all schools met the standards set by the Texas Education Agency. For 2016-2017, seven Harmony campuses received distinctions in all seven categories measured with Harmony Science Academy – Sugar Land receiving the highest Index 1 score in all of Harmony. Four campuses in the Houston area, including Katy and Sugar Land, two in the Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs of Euless & Carrollton, and one in El Paso. Three of Harmony’s seven districts were also awarded a distinction for postsecondary readiness, out of 58 districts statewide. The postsecondary readiness distinction – the only distinction at the district level under the state accountability system – takes into account factors such as graduation rates, ACT/SAT participation and performance, Career and Technical Education (CTE) graduates, and dual-credit course completion rates. “It is certainly a proud day for our students, teachers and administrators to see their hard work result in such glowing assessments,” said Harmony Public Schools CEO Dr. Soner Tarim. “This only sets the stage for even greater achievement in the coming years.” For the 2017-2018 school year, Harmony will open six more schools in Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, Laredo, and Brownsville, bringing the number of campuses to 54 statewide with a total enrollment of 37,000 students.
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NEWS Eight area Boy Scouts earn Eagle Scout Ranking
Alex Alwais, Ryan Knowles, Daniel Lavery, Thomas Le, Daniel Mock, Zach Nalley, Vinit Reddy, and Matthew Ward, members of the Boy Scout Troop #828 and residents of Sugar Land, have earned the honor of Eagle Scout, the highest rank that the Boy Scouts offers. Only 3 to 4 percent of Boy Scout members ever attain this prestigious honor. To be considered to become an Eagle Scout, a candidate must be active in his troop, hold a leadership position, earn at least 21 merit badges (including 12 Eagle required badges),
complete a leadership service project benefiting the community and receive several letters of recommendation. After the scout works up through the ranks, he performs an Eagle project to develop his leadership skills while providing a community service. The Eagle Scout projects for these 8 Scouts were varied and benefited many diverse non profit organizations. Alex Alwais organized a community blood drive benefiting the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center. Ryan Knowles’ project consisted of constructing and in-
stalling a six foot picnic table for Fort Bend Family Promise to be used in their garden. Daniel Lavery built two shelves for the food pantry at Casa Juan Diego in Houston. Thomas Le’s project involved building a courtyard for the Vietnamese Dominican Sisters of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Convent in Stafford. Daniel Mock organized a used shoe drive collecting over 500 pairs of used shoes that were donated to FBISD Shared Dreams. He also organized the construction of a collection box for Shared Dreams that was placed at Clements High
School. Zach Nalley’s project included the landscaping of transplanted roses into an area of Our Lady of the Guadalupe Catholic School. Vinit Reddy organized the clearing out of invasive plant life at the Houston Arboretum after an extended drought had devastated the green space. Matthew Ward’s project focused on the importance of keeping storm drain water clean because it flows directly into our local waterways untreated. This was achieved by placing physical markers on 143 drains as well as placing informative door knob holders on 388 doors. He also prepared and presented a powerpoint presentation to Troop 828 explaining the importance of the project. Many valuable lessons were learned by these 8 young men as they planned and prepared their Eagle Scout projects. Over 700 volunteer hours and 72 fellow scouts, family members, and friends worked to help complete these projects that benefited religious institutions, schools, and the community. These 8 Scouts earned a total of 204 merit badges during their course of time as Boy Scouts and would like to thank all those involved in helping them along the way to achieve their goal of Eagle Scout. An Eagle Court of Honor ceremony honoring these 8
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young men took place on July 24th at St. Laurence Parish in Sugar Land. Over 100 friends and family members attended including SHAC Field Director Brian McGuire, BSA District Executive Monica Carroll, Retired US Navy Lt. Commander John Kendall, and Fr. Truong Son Nguyen, the
Parochial Vicar of St. Laurence Catholic Church. The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.
Plantation @ Quail Valley Open House on Sept. 15 It’s that time again! Plantation at Quail Valley 55+ active senior community will host our 2nd annual open house Friday Sept. 15 from 9-10 a.m come see us! and get a tour of our community there will be door prizes and hot dogs! Come say hello to Missouri City K9 & Fire truck & Skeeters Mascot
PLANTATION at Quail Valley Active Senior Living; Embracing the lives of Seniors 55 and Better
2815 Cypress Point Dr, Missouri City, TX 77459 www. plantationqv.com
Phone: (281) 208-4470
Tog et he r we are H o u sto n’s Com m un ity Co llege
REGISTER NOW
hccs.edu/go
Page 8 • INDEPENDENT • SEPTEMBER 6, 2017
Fort Bend -Harris Retired Educators
MEP Engineering
Commissioning
Program Management
Front L-R: Nancy Porter, Ana Alegria, Martha Lesikar Middle L-R: Lynda Roulin, Gus Evans, Daphne Pemberton Back L-R: Carl Peters, Karen Rice, Carol McDonough, Elizabeth Stevenson, Theresa McCown, Diana Urbanovsky, Joyce Sutherland. Photo by Evelyn Smith. The Fort Bend- Harris Retired Educators welcomed new retirees to the ‘Oh Happy Day Luncheon’ held August 22, the first day of school. A pot-luck lunch was served and entertainment was provided by The Sugar Sisters. A legislative update was given by Marcy Cann, TRTA Secretary/Treasurer. The next meeting will be September 14 at 1 p.m. in the Great Hall of First United Methodist Church, 431 Eldridge Rd., Sugar Land. Dr. Charles Dupre, FBISD Superintendent will speak on ways retirees can help in Fort Bend Schools.
Dallas Cowboy legend to speak at luncheon
When you need experience, we have it covered. Rice & Gardner Consultants, Inc. is a multi-disciplinary professional engineering firm that focuses on MEP Engineering, Commissioning, and Program Management. We act as an extension to our clients, providing total engineering services from project inception to completion. With our deep bench of high skilled and experienced staff and innovative technology Rice & Gardner can plan, lead, and complete projects on time and within budget.
6161 Savoy Drive, Suite 1212 Houston, TX 77036 | 713-482-2300 | www.ricegardner.com
Legendary Dallas Cowboy receiver, Drew Pearson will be the keynote speaker during the upcoming Barrier Breaker Luncheon fundraiser and community awareness event in Sugar Land, TX. The event is scheduled for October 26, 2017, and will be held during the noon hour at the Marriott-Sugar Land Town Square Hotel. The event is a benefit fundraiser for Next Doors Charities Inc. and the teen youth programs they provide. This year’s honorees are Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls and Lamar CISD Administrators David Donnell and Rebecca Schultz. Nehls is being honored for his dedication to helping turn around troubled youth and keeping our communities safer. Donnell and Schultz both work at the Lamar CISD Alternative School and on a daily basis, they have to deal with and direct youth that have been referred to their campus for a variety of school oriented disciplinary infractions. They’ve successfully and significantly impacted many of the youth they’ve encountered while positively turning their lives around. Next Doors Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization providing mentoring oriented services to “at-risk” middle and high school youth. Through life-skills training, college and vocational preparation, job readiness training, as well as both leisurely and life-learning oriented field trips, the objective of the program is to work with and develop young people to promote positive social friendships, further develop their interpersonal skills, while re-asserting individual responsibility, pride and accomplishment. To learn more, visit: http://nextdoors.org, or call Dwayne Bennett @ (832) 475-1950.
HOUSTON METHODIST UROLOGY ASSOCIATES WELCOMES DR. MARTINEZ AND DR. SRIKISHEN Houston Methodist Urology Associates is pleased to welcome Laura Martinez, MD, and Neel Srikishen, MD, to the new practice located on the Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital campus. Houston Methodist Urology Associates is a group of physicians dedicated to the treatment of the entire genital and urinary tract. Combining clinical expertise with advanced technology, the practice treats the following conditions: t #MBEEFS EJTFBTF
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To schedule an appointment, call 281.746.6611 or visit houstonmethodist.org/spg to learn more about the practice. Dr. Laura Martinez
Dr. Neel Srikishen
16659 Southwest Fwy. Medical Office Building 2 Suite 265 Sugar Land, TX 77479 281.746.6611
houstonmethodist.org/spg