Fort Bend Independent 092619 by Fort Bend Independent

DeanForJudge.com Early to Nov.2,2,2018 2018 Earlyvoting: voting: Oct. Feb. 22 20–March Primary Day: Tuesday, 6 ElectionElection Day : Tuesday, Nov. March 6, 2018 Political Ad Paid for by Dean Hrbacek for Judge Campaign, Kathy Luckenbach, Treasurer, in compliance with the voluntary limits of the Judicial Campaign Fairness Act.

VOL 11 No. 39

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FORT BEND FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2018

P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623

Official newspaper of Fort Bend County & Missouri City

Hindu group turns GOP’s goodwill ad on its head By SESHADRI KUMAR A Hindu group turned the tables against the local Republican Party and triggered a negative campaign when the Fort Bend County Republican Party published an advertisement on the occasion of the Hindu Ganesh festival on Sept. 12. The ad conveying greetings to Hindus on the occasion of Ganesh Chathurthi was published in the India Herald (also published by this writer.) The header of the ad copy read: “Fort Bend County Republican Party wishes a Happy Ganesh Chathurthi to the followers of Hindu faith.” The advertisement had a sketch of Ganesha, the elephantheaded deity and explained the symbolism around the image. The political advertisement also contained a sentence which asked Hindu voters: “Would you worship a donkey or an elephant? The choice is yours.” This sentence became controversial and many readers felt it was not in good taste. For six days after the publication of the ad, there was no negative reaction. However, the HinduAmerican Foundation, took upon itself the role of decoding the message, and concluded that the ad is “oﬀensive.” It called upon the Fort Bend County Republican Party “to clarify its intentions regarding the use of Lord Ganesha in

an ad urging support of the Republican Party.” All those who had not seen the original ad, now got to know that the ad is “offensive” to Hindus. Many who saw the ad in HAF’s Facebook posting did not know where it was published or if Hindus were involved in the creation of the ad, but denounced the Republican Party with their choicest expressions. Though the HAF has belabored the point and created a narrative suggesting that the ad is offensive to Hindus, not all Hindus bought the argument. When asked to point out what is wrong with the ad, most people said the sentence at the bottom about voting for elephant or donkey was in poor taste. But, really nothing about Hindus was objectionable. And the Republican Party of Fort Bend County appropriately clarified its ad with the following statement: “The Fort Bend County Republican Party placed an ad in the India Herald on September 12 that was meant to bring a greeting for Ganesh Chaturthi, a Hindu festival that was celebrated September 13. “The ad was meant to be part of the celebration and acknowledge the occasion and was not meant to disparage Hindus in any way. As the party’s first Korean-American Chairman, I have seen successful party outreach and understand the complexities

of those efforts. This ad was created with input from Hindus so that we could properly pay respect to the sacred festival. This highlights the difficulty in outreach that can be positive for one group but not for another in the same community. We offer our sincerest apologies to anyone that was offended by the ad. Obviously, that was not the intent. “It is our goal to build understanding and relationships with all of the different communities in Fort Bend County so that we can best convey our ideas and values. We welcome all those who are willing to be part of that process.” Instead of graciously accepting the “ apology,” HAF gave generous advice “ to both the parties” (as an after thought) not to repeat what HAF considers a “mistake” of using a religious image in a political ad, “while continuing outreach to not only the Hindu community, but all communities in Fort Bend.” Another interesting fallout of this controversy was even Muslims were “outraged” by the ad and some Muslim community members approached the Hindus asking if they would agree to issue a joint statement condemning the Fort Bend GOP. The Hindus declined the offer. The whole media narrative was that the Republican Party See HINDU, Page 4

Sugar Land City Council keeps tax rate unchanged; drops plan to raise taxes for park project Sugar Land City Council approved a fiscal year 2019 budget of $247.35 million and a 2018 tax rate of 31.762 cents on Sept. 18. The adopted tax rate funds the city manager’s recommended fiscal year 2019 budget, including $28.32 million in capital improvement projects, with amendments requested by City Council during budget workshops. Changes made during the budget workshop process include accelerated funding for public safety training facilities and drainage improvements. The tax rate of 31.762 cents is the same rate as the prior year and remains the second lowest in the state for cities over 60,000 in population. The residential tax burden is further minimized by the city’s 10 percent homestead exemption, and the city of Sugar Land makes up only 15 percent of the average residential tax bill. The city manager’s proposed budget was presented in July based on Council-approved financial management policies

that direct the budget to be prepared around a 3 percent increase in property tax revenues. The adopted rate is 2.63 percent higher than the effective tax rate -- which is the tax rate that generates the same revenue as the prior year. This is the second year in a row the budget has been constrained to reflect revenue growth of less than 3 percent. As such, the budget continues many of the budget reductions implemented in fiscal year 2018 to manage the city’s finances within conservative revenue estimates. The City Council also requested minor changes to the fiscal year 2019 operating budget that resulted in a net decrease of approximately $60,000 from the filed budget. Overall, the budget focuses on strengthened resiliency and innovative constraint. Investments in public safety infrastructure are included to help first responders provide critical response and care, while investments in equipment and training ensure their safety. Targeted funding for

increased rehabilitation of city facilities and infrastructure consistent with a multi-year plan proposed last year, as well as drainage improvements to further protect the community and a new enterprise resource planning system to help improve accountability and transparency of city data systems, is also included. The remaining park projects from the 2013 voter-approved general obligation bond referendum were not added to the ﬁnal budget and may be considered for funding in future year budgets. During budget discussions, some city councilmembers were in favor of increasing the tax rate by one cent to complete the projects approved by voters in a bond referendum. That voters approved city’s borrowing money to fund certain projects means that the city can raise the appropriate tax rate to pay for the debt. The city can manage to do the projects without borrowing if funds are available elsewhere. At least ﬁve votes are required to adopt the tax rate.

Commissioner Meyers hosts Annual Fort Bend Ranchers’ Ball

Fort Bend Ranchers’ Ball Committee Members •Other worthwhile charities •Lone Star Veterans On Saturday, October 20, a non-profit that serve the residents of Fort 2018 from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., 600 Association, guests will be saddling up and focused on assisting young men Bend County. The 2018 Ranchers’ Ball riding to the tastes and sounds and women as they transition of the Fourth Annual Fort Bend from the military to civilian life. co-chairs are Jon and Sue •Katy Christian Ministries, a Strange, Jess and Terri Stuart. County Rancher’s Ball at Safari Texas Ranch, 11627 FM 1464, non-profit focused on assisting 2018 Ranchers’ Ball committee the most vulnerable in our members include: CJ & Gary Richmond. Hosted by Fort Bend County community with a variety of Aber, Mayor Bill & Barbie Precinct 3 Commissioner social services, including a food Benton, Synda & Robert Frost, Joe & Doris Gurecky, Tricia & Andy Meyers, the “cowboy pantry. •Simonton Christian Ed Krenek, Tommy & Rhonda chic” style ball will include live entertainment from Academy, which provides Kuykendall, Josh & Megan local favorite, Texas Swing an outstanding educational Lockhart, Carole McCann, experience to the youth of Barbara & David Minton, Steve Unlimited. The event is a charity Simonton, Texas and the & Cynthia Pierson, Terese Raia, Debra Ross, Cheryl & Kenneth fundraiser, benefiting Fort surrounding communities. •The Fort Bend Fair and Stalinsky, Donna Kay Tucker, Bend Charities, Inc., a 501(c) (3) charitable entity that has Katy Future Farmers of Andrew & Jody Van Chau. For more informatiion, visit provided over 1 million dollars America (FFA) which provides or in financial support to various scholarships to local youth fortbendranchersball.com charities working to serve Fort to help them further their contact 281-238-1400 education. Bend County including:

Celebrate Four-legged Friends at Jordan Ranch Nov. 3

Pet lovers can plan a playdate at Jordan Ranch, where the furriest of friends will be celebrated at Pet Palooza, noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3. Stop by the Jordan Ranch model home park, 2422 Sandhill Crest Lane, for a pet-centric event featuring a Wild Things Zoofari petting zoo, a DJ, pet swag bags (while supplies last), “pet-icures,” a “Smooches to your Pooches” photo-booth, a caricature artist, food trucks and more. Event-goers also can meet the canine stars of the Houston Disc Dogs and Dock Dogs after their performances. Fort Bend County Animal Service will be on hand with a 70-pound turtle and adoptable pets. The event is free, but guests are asked to bring pet-related items to donate. For more information about Jordan Ranch at www.jordanranchtexas.com.

Page 2 • INDEPENDENT • SEPTEMBER 26, 2018

Elect Frank J. Fraley - Democrat For 240th District Court Judge Fort Bend County, Texas

Fraley with Don Bankston, seated.

31 Year Fort Bend County Resident 27 Years of Court Room Experience in Criminal and Civil Law Thurgood Marshall School of Law Graduate, “Class of 1990” “Equality in the Courtroom” Last Day To Register To Vote For Nov. 6th, 2018 is Tuesday, October 9th Early Voting Dates - Monday Oct. 22nd through Nov. 2 Election Day NOVEMBER 6, 2018 Please visit FrankFraleyforjudge.com for more information Pol. Ad. paid for by the Frank Fraley Campaign

NEWS

Sugar Land Classic Chevy Chili Cook Oﬀ set for Oct.6

The Classic Chevy Sugar Land 8th annual chili challenge and dessert bake-off will be held on Saturday, Oct. 13, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Classic Chevy premises. Once again, this event will benefit the entire community of Fort Bend County first responders. And with the addition of a Dessert Bake Off, this year’s event promises to be the best ever. Classic Chevy Sugar Land Operations Director Jerry Parks says, “We are very excited about the addition of a Bake Off. Call today for a booth and a chance to win serious bragging rights. Just like with the chili, we will be awarding a trophy to both our Crowd Fa-

vorite and our Judge’s Choice, chosen by honorary judges: the Johnson Development Marketing Team. “For schools and churches, we are waiving the Bake Off $100 entry fee. We just ask that you bring extra cakes, cookies and pies we can sell to benefit our Fort Bend County first responders.” “This is a family event. For $2/ticket or $5/family, you can come out and eat all the chili you want, topping it off with homemade desserts sampled from the Bake off. Don’t forget to bring a pocket full of dollars to vote for your favorites. 100 percent of what we collect goes to our first responders, our heroes,” Parks says.

Classic Chevy Sugar Land owner Jeff Sebastian says, “We have moved the Chili Challenge to the fall, hoping for some “chilly” weather. Chili categories include Texas Chili, Spicy Chili, Bean Chili and Specialty Chili. Teams need to submit a $100 entry fee per category or tent space. Fees for first responder teams are waived. Don’t forget to decorate your booth for a chance to win the Spirit Award Trophy.” There will be carnival food, liv music, and fun games, including a game truck for the kids.. There will be fire trucks, police cruisers, ambulances and SWAT units on site. For more information or to become a partner, sponsor, enter the chili team or bake off, call Jerry Parks at 832-6894421 or emailjparks@clasicchevysugarland.com.

Missouri City Job Fair & Career Development Forum on Sept. 28

the resources

In line with City Council and City management initiatives to foster community business development and economic growth, the “Show Me City” will host its Second Annual Job Fair & Career Development Forum on Friday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the City Centre at Quail Valley, 2880 La Quinta Dr. “Show Me City” business and education partners will be on-site to host career booths and share vital employment and skills training information. Staﬀ will also be on-hand to discuss municipal career opportunities with guests. “This HPO strategic event will include partnerships with regional businesses, educational organizations and stakeholders to promote community unity by providing networking and career opportunities for those seeking employment in the region,” said Dr. Edward Williams, Director of Human Resources & Organizational Development. “Last year’s inaugural event attracted dozens of companies and hundreds of guests and we’re looking forward to hosting another successful outreach this year.” Event registration is available on the City website: visit www.missouricitytx.gov for details. Please contact 281.403.8500 if you are interested in participating as an employer, employment candidate or vendor. Or visit www. missouricitytx.gov.

INDEPENDENT • SEPTEMBER 26, 2018 • Page 3

NEWS

Missouri City adopts budget with 63 cents proposed tax rate

By BARBARAFULENWIDER Missouri City’s property taxes have increased from $0.60 per $100 valuation last year to $0.63 this year in order to pay for the services residents want and need. The maintenance and operations (M&O) part of the 63 cents is 46 cents and the interest and sinking (I&S) fund got 17 cents per $100 valuation. The owner of a home valued at $100,000 will pay $630 a year; one valued at $217,767 will pay $1,371.93, and a $300,000 home will cost the owner $1,890 in taxes. What that amounts to is a $15 annual increase in the city’s tax bill on a $50,000 valued home. It comes to $30 more on the $100,000 valued property; $60 more on a $200,000 valued home; $65.33 on $217,767 valued home, and $90 more on the $300,000 valued property. Annual city taxes in 2018 for the same home values were $315, $630, $1,260; $1,371.93 and $1,890. The average home in Missouri City is valued at $231,882, according to the Fort Bend CAD. From the 2009 tax year to 2018 the average total tax rate

has been 0.56759 with the general fund rate or M&O at $0.39125 and the debt service rate or I&S at $0.17271. Missouri City’s property tax base is $6.29 billion compared to Sugar Land’s $12.98 billion and the tax rate of $0.63 is almost double Sugar Land’s $0.327 rate. Missouri City’s sales tax receipts are 1% and the same for Metro. Sales tax revenues to the city total $8,568,739 and metro sales taxes bring in $3,613,583. There are a total of 1,664 businesses in Missouri City whose revenues for 201718 were $136.1 million compared to Sugar Land’s $245.4 million. Missouri City has 33 MUDs compared to 21 in Sugar Land. MUD debt in Missouri City is $477 million. Sugar Land’s is $111 million and Pearland with 16 MUDs has a debt of $7.71 million. This ﬁscal year’s 63 cent tax rate will pay for the total funding of strategic priorities and commitments to the tune of $4,208,306. Revenues are budgeted at $144.67 million for 2019 and expenditures are budgeted at $140,287,236. The general fund gets the king’s share of revenues, which are $58,666,770 for

34.29% in the 2019 budget. Special revenue funds are $25,466,043 for 4.96%; debt service funds, $16,475,838 for 7.51% of the total revenue funds and capital projects get $19,295,510 or 9.08%. Utility funds are $59,670,087 for 37.62%; enterprise funds total $8,167,811 or 5.29% and equipment replacement funds total $837,604 or 1.2% of the total. Proposed projects are expand public safety for $284,000, build fire station No. 6 for $4.90 million replace Glenn Lakes bridge for $877,000 and for $10.90 million provide temporary capacity to treat sewage. Supplemental approved requests from public safety, parks, public works, economic development and IT infrastructure were approved and provided $1.8 million in the budget. Other requests came for city fleets, personnel, IT, capital requests and facilities and totaled $5.8 million. Funding investment for priority needs starts with public safety and includes Fire Station No. 6’s design for $1 million along with other fire and police needs. The others

Missouri City approves 41-foot high visual art structure for church

By BARBARA FULENWIDER At Missouri City Council’s Sept. 17 meeting members approved a specific use permit for a church, amended regs and rules regarding fencing for parts of the Dry Creek Village subdivision, okayed a larger amount charged on certain residential lots in Lake Shore Harbour subdivision and changed that street name to Trammel Fresno and gave the farmer’s market the green light to continue through November. River Pointe Community Church’s executive pastor, Dean King, requested a specific use permit (SUP) in order to build a pavilion for special events between current construction of the sanctuary. Three years ago the church was allowed to build a permanent campus adjacent to Elkins High School campus and construction began there this past April. The applicant requested some deviations from the city’s architectural design standards and one is a 41-foot high visual art structure which was at the church’s original campus in Richmond. Fence regulations came up for the Dry Creek Village residential subdivision because one being built by the developer is vinyl instead of masonry and wood so does not fit into the city’s ordinances. The subdivision is in Planned Development (PD) No. 88 south of Lake Olympia Parkway, east of Olympia Estates and

Vicksburg subdivision, and west of Fort Bend Parkway. The PD district is proposed to be a mixed use development of single family residential and commercial uses. The developer began building an 8-foot tall vinyl fence along Lake Olympia Parkway with plans to continue to Dry Creek Village Dr. Jennifer Gomez, the city’s planning manager, told council the vinyl product “seems to be superior to wood fencing and is a new product for the city and area. P&Z forwarded a negative recommendation because they couldn’t agree on the same color. The developer is working with the builders looking for alternative colors and has proposed three brown tones. “The developer is asking to use vinyl fencing with brick hollows and be able and continue construction. He is asking for council to determine the color and will paint it whatever color council wants. It will be eight feet high and transition along Dry Creek to 6 feet on down to Trammel Fresno,” Gomez said. David Glunt, project manager of Dry Creek Village, told council that the main reason to use the new type of fencing is it needs less maintenance and has longterm viability. “This project goes in the ground and has a very rigid frame and works very, very well. We found a paint that will last 10 to 15 years. You get this material

dirty you just wash it off and you can remove graffiti on it with hairspray. It flakes right off because of the material, which is easy to maintain and replace.” He addded that wood deteriorates rapidly and concrete and masonry deteriorate over time. A traditional wood fence lasts 7 to 10 years and costs a whole lot more, Glunt said. Council went with a brown, which Glunt said will be painted on both sides of the vinyl fence, and because it’s a darker brown, will hide imperfections. Lake Shore Harbour Blvd. got changed to Trammel Fresno Road because a small segment of it is a major thoroughfare in Missouri City and can confuse drivers. The small segment of the road named Lake Shore Harbour Blvd. was between Hwy. 6 and Vicksburg Blvd. Background information to council said now that the expansion and opening of Trammel Fresno Road connects to the Fort Bend Tollway there will be more growth and traffic in the general area. Staff said it was an “opportunistic time” to make the street name change so Trammel Fresno Road would be contiguous. Council approved new levee assessments for Lake Shore Harbour subdivision, which is in public improvement district 2. The special assessments were $1,483,582 for the cost of infrastructure. The cost per

Sugar Land accepts applications for boards, commissions Sugar Land is looking for volunteers interested in giving their time, energy and expertise to serve as members on the Zoning Board of Adjustment, Planning and Zoning Commission, Sugar Land 4B Corporation and the Imperial Redevelopment Board. Applications must be submitted electronically by Oct. 19 at 5 p.m. through the Serve Sugar Land website at https://volunteer.sugarlandtx.gov/. The groups provide valuable insight and advice on various issues and events. The Zoning Board of Adjustment appeals administrative decisions, hears and decides special exceptions and variances and interprets the intent of the zoning ordinance. The Planning and Zoning Commission makes recommendations to City Council concerning the use of land and other planning functions. The commission promotes orderly development through the review of development applications, master plans and zoning regulations. The Sugar Land 4B Corporation promotes, assists and enhances economic development activities and quality of life opportunities within the City of Sugar Land and encourages economic development. The Imperial Redevelopment Board governs the district and has the authority to act on issues of implementing or contracting with other entities to implement a Tax Increment Financing District Project Plan; developer requests for infrastructure reimbursement pursuant to the statutes; issuing bonds to ﬁnance eligible project costs and establishing District ad valorem tax rates. Boards and commissions are essential to the operation of city government. Service can be a rewarding and hands-on experience. For more information, contact the city’s Community Engagement division at 281-275-2401 or email volunteer@sugarlandtx.gov.

are city hall landscaping and Texas Parkway and Cartwright beautification; covering increased costs of employee health insurance. Also, doing lake maintenance and herbicide treatment, have an every other year compensation and benefits study; improve animal services, and provide funding for the expiring COPS police officer. Replacing IT equipment and city vehicles were deemed critical. Expenditures by departments for 2019 are police at $13,605,533; fire, $9,043,133; public works, $7,314,716; general government, $4,921,437; nondepartmental, $4,849,275; innovation, $4,571,044; parks and recreation, $3,291,136; financial services; $2,157,956; development services, $1,441,963. Missouri City’s 5-year plan includes drainage projects at a total of $12,650,000; public safety and park facilities, $2,784,000; fire station No. 6, $4,089,000; transportation, $10,335,7895 with general CIP total at $29,858,785 and utilities construction, $31,634,000. The total expenditures came to $61,492,785.

lot is $2,884.63 and includes interest. The annual assessment in the ﬁrst and second sections was $1,148.53; $1,328.93 in section 3, $1,400 in sections 4 and 5 and $781 in section 6. And those who prefer to shop for the freshest of everything, will be most pleased with council’s go ahead to allow the farmer’s market to use 2700 Lake Olympia Parkway on the ﬁrst and third Saturdays of every month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Nov. 30.

Sugar Land seeks volunteers for Charter Review Commission Volunteers are needed to review Sugar Land’s charter, a document that provides the foundation for governance in Sugar Land. In 1981, Sugar Land citizens voted to adopt the city’s first home-rule charter. By converting from a general-law city to a homerule city, citizens chose to exercise their right under the Texas Constitution to make local laws to govern their own affairs. The charter is the city’s “constitution” and cannot be amended except by approval of the voters and not more than every two years. The charter is a document that establishes the form of government for Sugar Land. This includes provisions for a council-manager form of government, legislative authority of City Council, general elections provisions, finance provisions and several other areas outlining the governance of Sugar Land. The charter is available online at www.sugarlandtx. gov/index.aspx?NID=483. City Council is expected to appoint members to the Charter Review Commission during November. The commission’s recommendation to Council is expected early next year, with a possible charter review election called in the future. “The charter review commission is a vital part of city government,” said City

Manager Allen Bogard. “It is important that the commission is composed of qualified, dependable and effective individuals who reflect the diversity of the community and geographical representation of the public.” Previous Charter Review Commissions have taken the view that the charter is the city’s “constitution” and should only include the fundamental matters of local government. For example, the number of council members on Council and the manner of election (by majority or plurality vote) are fundamental matters and should be addressed by the charter. Individuals who would like to serve on the Charter Review Commission should fill out an application on the city’s website at www.sugarlandtx. gov/charterreview. The deadline for receipt of applications is Oct. 9. “Members of the commission should be representative of individuals with a background knowledge and expertise that will recognize and understand the legal complexities of the government structure,” said Bogard. “They should be representatives who will bring forth neutral perspectives that promote and support the goal of effective local government.”

Water District Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Rate The Fort Bend County Municipal Management District No. 1 will hold a public hearing on a proposed tax rate for the tax year 2018 on Thursday, October 11, 2018 at 12:00 p.m. at 12841 Capricorn St., Stafford, Texas. Your individual taxes may increase or decrease, depending on the change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in taxable value on all other property and the tax rate that is adopted.

FOR the proposal:

R. Garza, J. Hermann, J. Bowles, S. Espinosa, & D. Adolph

AGAINST the proposal:

(None)

PRESENT and not voting:

(None)

ABSENT:

(None)

The following table compares taxes on an average residence homestead in this taxing unit last year to taxes proposed on the average residence homestead this year.

Last Year Total tax rate (per $100 of value)

This Year

$0.45 /$100

Adopted

Difference in rates per $100 of value Percentage increase in rates Average appraised value General exemptions available (excluding senior citizen’s or disabled person’s exemptions) Average taxable value Tax on average residence homestead Annual decrease in taxes if Proposed tax rate is adopted And percentage of decrease

Proposed

$0.000 /$100 0.0000% $344,943

$342,826

$ 0 $344,943 $1,552.24

$ 0 $342,826 $1,542.72 -$9.52 -0.6133%

NOTICE OF TAXPAYERS’ RIGHT TO ROLLBACK ELECTION If taxes on the average residence homestead increase by more than eight percent, the qualified voters of the district by petition may require that an election be held to determine whether to reduce the operation and maintenance tax rate to the rollback tax rate under Section 49.236(d), Water Code.

Questions or comments regarding this notice can be directed to Esther Buentello Flores at the tax office at (281) 499-1223.

Page 4 • INDEPENDENT • SEPTEMBER 26, 2018

GUEST COLUMN

Why that Republican Ganesh political ad is not so bad

By VINCENT BRUNO The Hindu community in the USA and particularly in Texas is split this month over a controversial ad which was placed in the India Herald by a local Fort Bend County Republican political advocacy group. The ad targeted Texas Hindu voters with an image of Ganesh, the ad explained Ganesh’s symbolism, but then begged the question “Would you worship a donkey or an elephant? The choice is yours.” Now yes, at first this does sound a bit politically stupid, to equate the veneration of the Hindu god Ganesh with animal worship, and especially linking it in with a political party, however it should also be noted that The India Herald’s editor Seshadri Kumar and others were consulted on the ad before it was launched and that they did not find it offensive, perhaps only in poor taste. I’ve received phone calls from Hindu community members asking me to write a piece on the scandal and to add some further community comments and insights. The people I have spoken to who have seen the ad state that except for the phrase “would you worship a donkey or an elephant”, that the rest of the ad was flattering to Hindus. Many Hindus were pleasantly surprised to finally see political ads which target the Hindu community specifically, this after a grueling history of virtual political non-existence. CONSTABLE’S SALE Notice is hereby Given, that by virtue of a certain ORDER OF SALE Issued by the Clerk of the 400TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT Court of FORT BEND County, on the 22ND day of AUGUST, 2018, in a certain cause number 18-DCV-247990 wherein WESTON LAKES PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC. plaintiff , and CIRO CUCHINELLI AND SANDRA CUCHINELLI defendant, in which cause a judgment was rendered on the 10TH day of JULY, 2018, in favor of the said plaintiff WESTON LAKES PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC against said defendant CIRO CUCHINELLI AND SANDRA CUCHINELLI, for the sum of $2,575.40 ; REASONABLE ATTORNEY’S FEES IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,590.00, COSTS OF COURT, TOGETHER WITH POSTJUDGEMENT INTEREST THEREON AT THE RATE OF 5% PER ANNUM FROM THE DATE HEREOF UNTIL PAID AND FURTHER SUM OF $334.00 with the interest thereon at the rate of 5% per annum from date of judgment, together with all costs of suit, I levied upon, and will, on the 2ND day of OCTOBER, 2018 within legal hours, proceed to sell for cash to the highest bidder, all the right, title and interest of CIRO CUCHINELLI AND SANDRA CUCHINELLI in and to the following described REAL property, levied upon as the property of CIRO CUCHINELLI AND SANDRA CUCHINELLI to wit: PROPERTY DESCRIPTION: LOT TEN (10), IN BLOCK THREE (3), OF RIVERWOOD FOREST AT WESTON LAKES, SECTION ONE (1), AN ADDITION IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF RECORD IN SLIDE NOS. 2001/A&B, AND 2003/A&B, OF THE PLAT RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, MORE COMMONLY KNOWN AS 3907 WENTWORTH DRIVE, FULSHEAR, TEXAS 77441. DATE OF SALE: OCTOBER 2, 2018 TIME OF SALE: APPROXIMATELY 10:00 AM PLACE OF SALE: 301 Jackson Street, William Travis Building, 1ST Floor Meeting Room in the City of Richmond, Tx 77469 . TERMS OF SALE: CASH CREDIT- $0.00 The above sale to be made by me to satisfy the above described judgment for $2,575.40 ; REASONABLE ATTORNEY’S FEES IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,590.00, COSTS OF COURT, TOGETHER WITH POSTJUDGEMENT INTEREST THEREON AT THE RATE OF 5% PER ANNUM FROM THE DATE HEREOF UNTIL PAID AND FURTHER SUM OF $334.00 dollars, in favor of WESTON LAKES PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC. together with the costs of said suit, and the proceeds applied to the satisfaction thereof. WAYNE K. THOMPSON Constable Pct. 3 KATY, Texas By DAVID RIVERA #1332-DEPUTY SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

One person I spoke to said she welcomed the attempt to reach out to Hindus, this showed we were finally considered and important by mainstream politics. Another Hindu I spoke to said they liked that the ad described the symbolism of Ganesh, they found it to be a respectful and educational touch. Everyone agreed the one line about worshiping donkeys and elephants was a poor choice, but overall they found the ad to be positive and encouraging. Now the complaint against the ad comes with its own perceived political motive as the complaint was spearheaded by the Hindu American Foundation (HAF). HAF has a history of taking offense to ads which were put out by Hindus themselves when it seemed that HAF did not like the political message behind the ad. During the 2016 elections, some friends and I launched the “Hindus For Trump” campaign in which we copied the India’s Bharatiya Janata Party’s montage of depicting politicians such as Modi seated upon a lotus flower. When the BJP puts modi at the center of a lotus it would seem that this is not offensive, however when the person seated in the lotus is Donald Trump, this is deemed inflammatory by the Hindu American Foundation. HAF sent tweets to our CONSTABLE’S SALE Notice is hereby Given, that by virtue of a certain Order of Sale Issued by the Clerk of the 240TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT Court of Fort Bend County, on the 9TH day of AUGUST, 2018, in a certain cause number 16-DCV-237631 wherein EAGLEWOOD HOMEOWNERS’ ASSOCIATION, INC. plaintiff, and JORGE A. PENA AND SUSANA Z. PENA, JOINTLY AND SEVERALLY defendant, in which cause a judgment was rendered on the 24TH day of APRIL, 2018, in favor of the said plaintiff EAGLEWOOD HOMEOWNERS’ ASSOCIATION, INC. against said defendant JORGE A. PENA AND SUSANA Z. PENA, JOINTLY AND SEVERALLY, for the sum of $4,400.54 AS FOLLOWS: PAST DUE ASSESSMENTS: $1,397.37; INTEREST: $218.40; LEGAL FEES: $2,695.03; COSTS OF COLLECTION: $89.74 ; ORDERED THAT SHOULD PLAINTIFF BE REQUIRED TO PURSUE POST-JUDGMENT FORECLOSURE, PLAINTIFF SHALL RECOVER FROM DEFENDANTS $1,500.00 IN ATTORNEY’S FEES AND FURTHER THE SUM OF $0.00, together with all costs of suit, I levied upon, and will, on the 2ND day of OCTOBER, 2018 within legal hours, proceed to sell for cash to the highest bidder, all the right, title and interest of JORGE A. PENA AND SUSANA Z. PENA, JOINTLY AND SEVERALLY in and to the following described Real property, levied upon as the property of JORGE A. PENA AND SUSANA Z. PENA, JOINTLY AND SEVERALLY to wit: PROPERTY DESCRIPTION: LOT SEVENTY (70), BLOCK THREE (3) OF EAGLEWOOD SECTION FOUR (4), A SUBDIVISION IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT RECORDS THEREOF RECORDED UNDER SLIDE NO(S). 2118/B & 2119/A OF THE MAP RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS AND MORE COMMONLY DESCRIBED AS 16119 EAGLEWOOD SPRING COURT, HOUSTON, TEXAS, 77083-5054 (THE “PROPERTY”) DATE OF SALE: OCTOBER 2, 2018 TIME OF SALE: APPROXIMATELY 10:00 AM PLACE OF SALE: 301 Jackson Street, William Travis Building, 1ST Floor Meeting Room in the City of Richmond, Tx 77469 TERMS OF SALE: CASH CREDIT- $0.00 The above sale to be made by me to satisfy the above described judgment for $4,400.54 AS FOLLOWS: PAST DUE ASSESSMENTS: $1,397.37; INTEREST: $218.40; LEGAL FEES: $2,695.03; COSTS OF COLLECTION: $89.74; ORDERED THAT SHOULD PLAINTIFF BE REQUIRED TO PURSUE POST-JUDGMENT FORECLOSURE, PLAINTIFF SHALL RECOVER FROM DEFENDANTS $1,500.00 IN ATTORNEY’S FEES AND FURTHER THE SUM OF $0.00 dollars, in favor of EAGLEWOOD HOMEOWNERS’ ASSOCIATION, INC together with the costs of said suit, and the proceeds applied to the satisfaction thereof. WAYNE K. THOMPSON Constable Pct. 3 KATY, Texas By DAVID RIVERA #1332-DEPUTY SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

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twitter account requesting we change our poster so as not to bring disrepute upon the lotus and om symbol. Why did HAF single us out for using imagery which has been standard propaganda for the BJP and Hindu politics for years now? This poster was created by nothing but Hindus, HAF had no right to criticize standard Hindu political artwork just because the art now featured Donald Trump. But more than this, The Hindu American Foundation claims to be a “Politically Agnostic” organization, however during the election season they produced an article in the Huﬃngton Post which was met with much criticism not only from the Hindu community but also the White community. The title of the piece was “The Racialization of Religion Began Long Before Today’s Islamophobia”. The article took aim directly at Trump’s then proposal to slow down immigration from particular Islamic theocratic states in the Middle East which were known to harbor large numbers of terrorist organizations and Sharia Law activists. The article completely misrepresented the communities concerns about immigration from Islamic Theocracies by trying to paint the opposition as not being against theocracy but being racist. The article strongly implied that Whites were racializing Islam, that our concerns were not about Sharia Law and inﬁltration by Islamic terrorists from known danger zones, but simply that we were anti-brown racists. The implication was that this anti-brown racism could spill over into anti-Hinduism. The Hindu American Foundation hurt the sentiments of CONSTABLE’S SALE Notice is hereby Given, that by virtue of a certain Order of Sale Issued by the Clerk of the 240TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT Court of Fort Bend County, on the 19TH day of JULY, 2018, in a certain cause number 16-DCV-233407 wherein SEVEN MEADOWS COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, INC. plaintiff, and ADEWUNMI KUYINU defendant, in which cause a judgment was rendered on the 19TH day of JANUARY, 2017, in favor of the said plaintiff SEVEN MEADOWS COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, INC. against said defendant ADEWUNMI KUYINU, for the sum of $5,876.35 UNPAID ASSESSMENTS AND RELATED/RESULTING CHARGES THAT ACCRUED ON DEFENDANTS ASSESSMENT ACCOUNT THROUGH AUGUST 31, 2016 ; $3,518.50 FOR ATTORNEY’S FEES AND $1,099.81 FOR EXPENSES/COSTS; ATTORNEY’S FEES FOR LEGAL FEES OF HOOVER SLOVACEK, LLP IN THE AMOUNT OF $4,082.97; ATTORNEY FEES TO BE RENDERED IN COLLECTING ON THIS JUDGEMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,000.00; INTEREST ON ALL AMOUNTS AWARDED IN THIS JUDGMENT AT THE RATE OF 5% PER ANNUM FROM THE DATE OF THIS JUDGMENT UNTIL PAID IN FULL AND FURTHER SUM OF $0.00 with the interest thereon at the rate of 5% per annum from date of judgment, together with all costs of suit, I levied upon, and will, on the 2ND day of OCTOBER, 2018 within legal hours, proceed to sell for cash to the highest bidder, all the right, title and interest of ADEWUNMI KUYINU in and to the following described Real property, levied upon as the property of ADEWUNMI KUYINU to wit: PROPERTY DESCRIPTION: LOT SEVEN (7), BLOCK ONE (1), OF AVALON AT SEVEN MEADOWS, SECTION THREE (3), AN ADDITION IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN PLAT NO. 20040069 OF THE PLAT RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, TOGETHER WITH ALL SUPPLEMENTS/ AMENDMENTS THERETO OR REPLATS THEREOF. DATE OF SALE: OCTOBER 2, 2018 TIME OF SALE: APPROXIMATELY 10:00 AM PLACE OF SALE: 301 Jackson Street, William Travis Building, 1ST Floor Meeting Room in the City of Richmond, Tx 77469 TERMS OF SALE: CASH; CREDIT- $0.00 The above sale to be made by me to satisfy the above described judgment for $5,876.35 UNPAID ASSESSMENTS AND RELATED/ RESULTING CHARGES THAT ACCRUED ON DEFENDANTS ASSESSMENT ACCOUNT THROUGH AUGUST 31, 2016 ; $3,518.50 FOR ATTORNEY’S FEES AND $1,099.81 FOR EXPENSES/COSTS; ATTORNEY’S FEES FOR LEGAL FEES OF HOOVER SLOVACEK, LLP IN THE AMOUNT OF $4,082.97; ATTORNEY FEES TO BE RENDERED IN COLLECTING ON THIS JUDGEMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,000.00; INTEREST ON ALL AMOUNTS AWARDED IN THIS JUDGMENT AT THE RATE OF 5% PER ANNUM FROM THE DATE OF THIS JUDGMENT UNTIL PAID IN FULL AND FURTHER SUM OF $0.00, in favor of SEVEN MEADOWS COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, INC. together with the costs of said suit, and the proceeds applied to the satisfaction thereof. WAYNE K. THOMPSON Constable Pct. 3 KATY, Texas By DAVID RIVERA #1332-DEPUTY SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

Whites and Hindu friends of Whites by implying modern Whites were too ignorant and simply wicked to want to know the diﬀerence between race and religion. The point is this, the Fort Bend County’s intentions behind the Ganesh ad were noble and positive for the Hindu community. All the Hindus I know are grateful that members of any mainstream political party are now courting Hindus. Overall, the ad was very respectful and did its best to present Hindu beliefs and sentiments to the public at large.

The Hindu American Foundation has done nothing but bring more ill repute upon itself by attacking yet another Hindu created or Hindu approved political ad. Again, it would seem that HAF, when it is perceived that Whites of Republicans are involved, are willing to go against Hindus themselves. This is just further evidence of the deteriorating relationship between HAF and the American Hindu community. If anyone should apologize it is HAF for not only propagating dangerous canards against Whites but taking aim at Hindus when

it seems to be politically expedient for them. HAF is already viewed with great suspicion, where there is smoke there is ﬁre. HAF, whether it is true or not, is felt by many Hindus to be, yes, an arm of Left wing globalism, especially since they take to qualms about alienating and even targeting Whites and Hindu Americans who do not seem to jive with their perceived political agenda.

Hindu

Swapan Dhairyawan, another Hindu associated with Hindu and other community organizations, said he was not offended by the ad at all. Achalesh Amar, Global campaign director of “Hindu Lives Matter,” felt there was nothing offensive in the ad. Hindu Lives Matter was at the forefront of protests against CNN for promoting hatred against Hindus and fomenting Hinduphobia and organized rallies across the U.S., Amar pointed out. Acharya Arumuganathaswami, Managing Editor, of Hinduism Today Magazine, had this to say: “We wouldn’t call it offensive. The whole Ganesha explanation is good, and if they’d left it at that the ad would be more effective. “What throws it off kilter is the two statements at the bottom. First, “Would you worship a donkey or an elephant?” Ganesha isn’t an elephant, He’s a person with an elephant’s head. Picky detail, I know, but not a mistake a Hindu should make, assuming a Hindu placed the ad. “Second, was “Better led by red.” The popular statement during the Cold War was “Better dead than red,” which meant better to die in a war with the communists than be conquered and subjugated by them. Now in this ad, red is being used to mean the Republican Party, and why they’d want to harken back to a cold war slogan where red meant communist is beyond me.” Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the controversy, the BAPS Temple officials in Stafford, extended an invitation to the Fort Bend County Republican Party Chairman and others to strengthen the outreach.

The temple officials felt . that “a meeting would also serve well so we can serve as a resource for your team in the future on Hinduism and the Indian American community.” As The Independent newspaper summed up my opinion: “HAF’s statement to set the controversy in motion has more to do with politics rather than an offense to a shared faith, bringing up a debate in the US as both Republicans and Democrats vie for votes from the growing demographic group. I believe HAF aligns itself with the Democratic Party on social issues and is at odds with conservative Hindus...The debate is between Hindus who support Democrats and Hindus who support Republicans.” HAF board member Rishi Bhutada disputed this comment and cited the HAF’s principles listed on its website in which it states the group “is politically agnostic and non-partisan, meaning we are informed, but do not favour or endorse any one political party or its positions.” After seeing the HAF’s campaign against the recent ad, Vincent Bruno who is associated with HindusforTrump and JusticeforHindus, wrote a blogpost explaining “Why that Republican Ganesh political ad is not so bad.” (See the article above) Just for the record, on Dec. 13, 2003, the Hindu American Foundation filed friend of the Court Brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in a case involving the placement of a permanent monument of the Ten Commandments on government property (Texas Capitol) when Rick Perry was the governor. Earlier this month, HAF welcomed a decision by India’s Supreme Court in decriminalizing homosexual intercourse with an article titled “In Decriminalizing Same-Sex Intercourse, Indian Law Catches Up With Indian Culture.” In June this year, in honor of LGBT Pride Month, HAF cosponsored a townhall at Sri Siva Vishnu Temple in Washington D.C. on “Creating Spaces for LGBTQIA Hindus” and discussed what the temple could do to make queer Hindus feel more included. HAF is well known for its campaign in California and Texas in ensuring that school textbooks properly portrayed Hinduism. HAF has also helped in tackling the problem of bullying in schools.

From Page 1 “apologized” to Hindus. Many news outlets, after getting this reporter’s comments, ignored them, possibly because they did not fit their narrative. As far as I know, only one news outlet fairly and accurately reported on the issue. The Independent,UK, headlined the story: Texas Hindus have split reaction over ‘offensive’ Republican political ad. Reporter Mythili Sampathkumar, based in New York, quoted me accurately. To this day, HAF does not want to accept that opinion is divided among Hindus and some are not offended. HAF either did not contact those who had a contrary opinion or ignored when someone said he or she was not offended. Vijay Pallod, a well known Hindu community activist in Houston, told this paper that he did not find the ad offensive when he first saw it. Later, some youngsters pointed out to him the wording in the bottom, which he thought was not in good taste. Pallod said some Hindus did not even know that Donkey referred to the Democratic Party. Another Hindu from India, currently visiting the U.S. described the ad campaign as “smart” and said if these symbols were used in elections in India, people will overwhelmingly vote for the elephant, he said. CONSTABLE’S SALE Notice is hereby Given, that by virtue of a certain ORDER OF SALE Issued by the Clerk of the 434TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT Court of FORT BEND County, on the 31ST day of AUGUST, 2018, in a certain cause number 17-DCV-242064 wherein EAGLEWOOD HOMEOWNERS’ ASSOCIATION, INC. plaintiff , and RODNEY MADISON AND MARILYNN MADISON JOINTLY AND SEVERALLY defendant, in which cause a judgment was rendered on the 12TH day of JULY, 2018, in favor of the said plaintiff EAGLEWOOD HOMEOWNERS’ ASSOCIATION, INC. against said defendant RODNEY MADISON AND MARILYNN MADISON JOINTLY AND SEVERALLY, for the sum of $5,784.93 AS FOLLOWNS: PAST DUE ASSESSMENTS: $1,460.00 INTEREST: $307.23 LEGAL FEES $3,406.57 COST OF COLLECTION $611.13 ; PLAINTIFF SHALL RECOVER FROM DEFENDANTS $1,500.00 IN ATTORNEY’S FEES AND FURTHER SUM OF $0.00., together with all costs of suit, I levied upon, and will, on the 2ND day of OCTOBER, 2018 within legal hours, proceed to sell for cash to the highest bidder, all the right, title and interest of RODNEY MADISON AND MARILYNN MADISON JOINTLY AND SEVERALLY in and to the following described REAL property, levied upon as the property of RODNEY MADISON AND MARILYNN MADISON JOINTLY AND SEVERALLY to wit: PROPERTY DESCRIPTION: LOT 14, BLOCK 4 EAGLEWOOD SECTION FIVE, A SUBDIVISION IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF RECORDED UNDER SLIDE NO. 2262A/B OF THE PLAT RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, COMMONLY KNOWN AS 9507 TREE SPARROW LANE, HOUSTON, TEXAS, 77083. DATE OF SALE: OCTOBER 2, 2018 TIME OF SALE: APPROXIMATELY 10:00 AM PLACE OF SALE: 301 Jackson Street, William Travis Building, 1ST Floor Meeting Room in the City of Richmond, Tx 77469 TERMS OF SALE: CASH CREDIT- $0.00 The above sale to be made by me to satisfy the above described judgment for $5,784.93 AS FOLLOWS: PAST DUE ASSESSMENTS: $1,460.00 INTEREST: $307.23 LEGAL FEES $3,406.57 COST OF COLLECTION $611.13; PLAINTIFF SHALL RECOVER FROM DEFENDANTS $1,500.00; IN ATTORNEY’S FEES AND FURTHER SUM OF $0.00, in favor of EAGLEWOOD HOMEOWNERS’ ASSOCIATION, INC. together with the costs of said suit, and the proceeds applied to the satisfaction thereof. WAYNE K. THOMPSON Constable Pct. 3 KATY, Texas By DAVID RIVERA #1332-DEPUTY SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

CONSTABLE’S SALE Notice is hereby Given, that by virtue of a certain Order of Sale Issued by the Clerk of the 434TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT Court of Fort Bend County, on the 26TH day of JULY, 2018, in a certain cause number 17-DCV-246954 wherein FIRETHORNE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, INC. plaintiff , and WAYNE O. HALLBERG AND JANE ANN HALLBERG defendant, in which cause a judgment was rendered on the 13TH day of MARCH, 2018, in favor of the said plaintiff FIRETHORNE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, INC. against said defendant WAYNE O. HALLBERG AND JANE ANN HALLBERG, for the sum of $2,699.40 AMOUNT DUE ; ATTORNEY’S FEES IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,534.33; POST JUDGEMENT INTEREST SHALL ACCRUE ON THIS JUDGMENT AT THE RATE OF 5% PER ANNUM FROM THE DATE OF JUDGMENT; ALL COSTS OF COURT AND FURTHER SUM OF $334.00 with the interest thereon at the rate of 5% per annum from date of judgment, together with all costs of suit, I levied upon, and will, on the 2ND day of OCTOBER, 2018 within legal hours, proceed to sell for cash to the highest bidder, all the right, title and interest of WAYNE O. HALLBERG AND JANE ANN HALLBERG in and to the following described Real property, levied upon as the property of WAYNE O. HALLBERG AND JANE ANN HALLBERG to wit: PROPERTY DESCRIPTION: 2611 FIRECREST DRIVE, KATY, FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS 77494, ALSO KNOWN AS FIRETHORNE, SECTION 3, BLOCK 2, LOT 1 (THE “PROPERTY”) DATE OF SALE: OCTOBER 2, 2018 TIME OF SALE: APPROXIMATELY 10:00 AM PLACE OF SALE: 301 Jackson Street, William Travis Building, 1ST Floor Meeting Room in the City of Richmond, Tx 77469 TERMS OF SALE: CASH CREDIT- $0.00 The above sale to be made by me to satisfy the above described judgment for $2,699.40 AMOUNT DUE ; ATTORNEY’S FEES IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,534.33; POST JUDGEMENT INTEREST SHALL ACCRUE ON THIS JUDGMENT AT THE RATE OF 5% PER ANNUM FROM THE DATE OF JUDGMENT; ALL COSTS OF COURT AND FURTHER SUM OF $334.00 dollars, in favor of FIRETHORNE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, INC. together with the costs of said suit, and the proceeds applied to the satisfaction thereof. WAYNE K. THOMPSON Constable Pct. 3 KATY, Texas By DAVID RIVERA #1332-DEPUTY SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

(Vincent Bruno is associated with HindusforTrump and JusticeforHindus.org.)

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INDEPENDENT â&#x20AC;˘ SEPTEMBER 26, 2018 â&#x20AC;˘ Page 5

NEWS Water District SheriďŹ&#x20AC;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s K-9 helps in large marijuana seizure Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Rate The FIRST COLONY L.I.D. will hold a public hearing on a proposed tax rate for the tax year 2018 on October 12, 2018 at 9:00 AM at the offices of Allen Boone Humphries Robinson LLP, 3200 Southwest Freeway, Suite 2400, Houston, Texas 77027. Your individual taxes may increase or decrease, depending on the change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in taxable value of all other property and the tax rate that is adopted. FOR the proposal: AGAINST the proposal: PRESENT and not voting: ABSENT:

Scott Jacobson, Richard Sherrill, Debra Coffman None None None

The following table compares taxes on an average residence homestead in this taxing unit last year to taxes proposed on the average residence homestead this year. Last Year Total tax rate (per $100 of value)

$.14620/$100 $.14620/$100 Adopted Proposed

Difference in rates per $100 of value

$ .00000/$100

Percentage increase/decrease in rates(+/-)

The Fort Bend County Narcotics Task Force, which is a Houston HIDTA Initiative (High Intensity Drug TraďŹ&#x192;cking Area), interdicted a large amount of marijuana on U.S. 59 North. On Wednesday, Sept. 19, while working highway interdiction, one of the interdiction teams conducted a traďŹ&#x192;c stop on U.S. 59 north in Rosenberg. During the roadside investigation, the Task Force OďŹ&#x192;cer and his K-9 partner â&#x20AC;&#x153;RIKâ&#x20AC;? located 19 bundles of marijuana concealed in an altered external fuel tank located in the bed portion of the truck.Gerson Salguero, 23, of Katy Texas, was arrested and booked into the Fort Bend County Jail on a second degree felony charge of Possession of Marijuana and third degree felony charge of Unlawful use of a Criminal instrument. The marijuana weighed approximately 202.5 pounds with a street value of $100,000. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Job well done by our Narcotics Task Force,â&#x20AC;? said SheriďŹ&#x20AC; Troy Nehls.

New park in Fort Bend to be dedicated on Oct. 6 Two years ago, along with his wife Joyce and daughter Laura, Dr. Harold Daily of Houston donated more than 68 acres of land for a park in north Fort Bend County. A native of Simonton, Dr. Daily provided the land for the speciďŹ c purpose of establishing a park and nature preserve, to a rapidly-growing county in need of recreational and green space. On Saturday, October 6, the ďŹ rst step in park construction will take place with the dedication of the land, oďŹ&#x192;cially designating it

as the Abe & Lizzie Daily Park. The ceremony will take place at 11 am at 4026 Nails Road, Simonton. According to Fort Bend County oďŹ&#x192;cials, plans for the park include at least four baseball diamonds, two soccer ďŹ elds and a nature preserve along land bordering the Brazos River. Abe and Lizzie Daily emigrated from Eastern Europe in the early 1900â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in order to escape persecution and have a better life in America. They married in 1915 and lived in

Simonton, where Abe operated the Daily Brothers General Store, as well as farmed the land. Abe and Lizzie Daily raised ďŹ ve children, Sylvia, Robbie, Harold, Abe Jr. and Dorothy in Simonton and were known throughout the area for their kindness and generosity to those in need. Four generations of the Daily family will be on hand for the event. The family would like to invite members of the community to join the celebration on Saturday, Oct. 6 at 11 a.m.

Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Rate The Meadowcreek Utility District will hold a public hearing on a proposed tax rate for the tax year 2018 on Tuesday, October 16, 2018 5:00 p.m. at the offices of Quail Valley Utility District, 3134 Cartwright Road, Missouri City TX 77459. Your individual taxes may increase or decrease, depending on the change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in taxable value of all other property and the tax rate that is adopted. FOR the proposal: AGAINST the proposal: PRESENT and not voting: ABSENT:

Harold Snyder, Billy J Moye Sr, Edward A Paxton, Daniel Wisneski, Merlin D Hansen None None None

The following table compares taxes on an average residence homestead in this taxing unit last year to taxes proposed on the average residence homestead this year.

Total tax rate (per $100 of value)

Last Year

This Year

$0.10/$100 Adopted

$0.10/$100 Proposed

Difference in rates per $100 of value

$0 .0000

Percentage increase/decrease in rates(+/-)

0.00% $140,571

$269,806

$275,761

General homestead exemptions available (excluding 65 years of age or older or disabled personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exemptions)

Average residence homestead taxable value

$269,806

$275,761

Tax on average residence homestead

$394.45

$403.16

Annual increase/decrease in taxes if proposed tax rate is adopted (+/-)

$8.71

and percentage of increase (+/-)

2.20%

Water District Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Rate The Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District No. 20 will hold a public hearing on a proposed tax rate for the tax year 2018 on Thursday, October 11, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. at the Law Offices of Jeffrey Singer, 77 Sugar Creek Center Boulevard, Suite 565, Sugar Land,Texas. Your individual taxes may increase or decrease, depending on the change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the change in taxable value on all other property and the tax rate that is adopted. FOR the proposal:

J. Biermann & J. Singer

AGAINST the proposal:

(None)

PRESENT and not voting:

(None)

ABSENT:

D. Hunter

The following table compares taxes on an average residence homestead in this taxing unit last year to taxes proposed on the average residence homestead this year.

/DVW <HDU

7KLV <HDU

$GRSWHG

$153,191

General homestead exemptions available (excluding 65 years of age or older or disabled personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exemptions)

Average residence homestead taxable value Tax on average residence homestead

$140,571 $140.57

$153,191 $153.19

Annual increase/decrease in taxes if proposed tax rate is adopted (+/-) and percentage of increase (+/-)

0.00%

Average appraised residence homestead value

7RWDO WD[ UDWH SHU RI YDOXH

Average appraised residence homestead value

This Year

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$12.62 8.98% NOTICE OF TAXPAYERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; RIGHT TO ROLLBACK ELECTION

NOTICE OF TAXPAYERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; RIGHT TO ROLLBACK ELECTION If taxes on the average residence homestead increase by more than eight percent, the qualified voters of the district by petition may require that an election be held to determine whether to reduce the operation and maintenance tax rate to the rollback tax rate under Section 49.236(d), Water Code. The District anticipates future maintenance requirements that precipitate maintaining the total tax rate the same as previous years. Should you have any questions concerning this notice, please contact the tax office at 281-482-0216.

If taxes on the average residence homestead increase by more than eight percent, the qualified voters of the district by petition may require that an election be held to determine whether to reduce the operation and maintenance tax rate to the rollback tax rate under Section 49.236(d), Water Code.

Questions or comments regarding this notice can be directed to Esther Buentello Flores at the tax office at (281) 499-1223.

Page 6 • INDEPENDENT • SEPTEMBER 26, 2018

AUTOMOBILE: Hyundai Veloster By BARBARA FULENWIDER The new Veloster turbo ultimate features an exterior and interior redesign, powertrain enhancements, and new and improved infotainment and connectivity features. The Veloster merges the design appeal of a sport coupe with the versatility of an additional passenger side rear door in an asymmetrical twoplus-one configuration for easier rear-seat access. From the front, available LED headlights and LED daytime running lights ﬂank a new grille design. Functional air curtains add a visual design and active aerodynamic function. Much

of the redesign conveys performance. Eighteen-inch alloy wheels fill the wheelhouse openings and the rooﬂine has been lowered for a coupeinspired essence. A full darkened roof is also available for a high-contrast appearance. Veloster’s dynamic rear design has a distinctive glass hatch and center-fascia chrome exhaust tips. The new Veloster has 19.9 cubic feet of interior volume behind the 2nd row seat and contains more rear cargo capacity than the Mini Cooper, Mini Clubman and VW Beetle. The 2019 Veloster’s 1.6-liter turbo DOHC 4 cylinder engine makes 201 hp at 6,000

CONSTABLE’S SALE STATE OF TEXAS § COUNTY OF FORT BEND § By virtue of an Order of Sale dated Aug 3, 2018, delivered pursuant to a Judgment issued out of the 400th District Court of Fort Bend County, Texas, said judgment rendered in favor of THE COMMONWEALTH CIVIC ASSOCIATION, INC., plaintiff, and against Nick R. Demeris and Helen M. Demeris, defendant, in Cause No. 18-DCV-248781, for the sum of TEN-THOUSAND-–TWENTYONE- DOLLARS AND 14/100’s CENTS ($10021.14), plus fees for posting notices, publishing, and all costs of executing sale. I did on the 15TH day of AUG, 2018, at 2:00 PM, levy upon the following described tract of land in Fort Bend County, Texas, as the property of NICK R. DEMERIS AND HELEN M. DEMERIS, defendant(s), to-wit: LOT 14, IN BLOCK 1 , OF COMMONWEALTH ESTATES SECTION TWO (2), A SUBDIVISION IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN SLIDE NOS. 1173/B AND 1174/A,MAP AND OR PLAT RECORDS OF OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, MORE COMMONLY KNOWN AS 4518 ST MICHAELS CT SUGAR LAND, TX 77479 and on OCT 2, 2018, being the first Tuesday of said month, between the hours of 10:00 o’clock a.m. and 4:00 o’clock p.m., at 301 JACKSON ST, FORT BEND COUNTY TRAVIS BLDG RICHMOND TX. I will offer for sale and sell at public auction for cash, all the right, title and interest of NICK R. DEMERIS AND HELEN M. DEMERIS, defendant, in and to said property. LOCATION: FORT BEND COUNTY TRAVIS BLDG, 301 JACKSON ST 1ST FLR MEETING ROOM, RICHMOND, TX 77469 DATE: OCT 2, 2018 TIME: APPROX. 11:00 AM BY Sergeant M. Kutach

CONSTABLE’S SALE STATE OF TEXAS § COUNTY OF FORT BEND § By virtue of an Order of Sale dated Aug 8, 2018, delivered pursuant to a Judgment issued out of the 268th District Court of Fort Bend County, Texas, said judgment rendered in favor of THE COMMONWEALTH CIVIC ASSOCIATION, INC., plaintiff, and against Zhi Zhou Zhang and Yue Liu, defendant, in Cause No. 18-DCV-250092, for the sum of EIGHT-THOUSAND-THREE-HUNDREDEIGHTY- TWO DOLLARS AND–SEVENTYONE- CENTS 71/100’s ($8382.71), plus fees for posting notices, publishing, and all costs of executing sale. I did on the 4TH day of SEPT, 2018, at 2:00 PM, levy upon the following described tract of land in Fort Bend County, Texas, as the property of Zhi Zhou Zhang and Yue Liu, defendant(s), to-wit: LOT SIX (6), IN BLOCK TWO (2) , OF BRIDGEWATER SECTION TWO (2), A SUBDIVISION IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN SLIDE NOS. 1182/B AND 1183/A,OF THE PLAT RECORDS OF OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, MORE COMMONLY KNOWN AS 4523 DEVONSHIRE STREET SUGAR LAND, TX 77479 and on OCT 2, 2018, being the first Tuesday of said month, between the hours of 10:00 o’clock a.m. and 4:00 o’clock p.m., at 301 JACKSON ST, FORT BEND COUNTY TRAVIS BLDG RICHMOND TX. I will offer for sale and sell at public auction for cash, all the right, title and interest of Zhi Zhou Zhang and Yue Liu, defendant, in and to said property. LOCATION: FORT BEND COUNTY TRAVIS BLDG, 301 JACKSON ST 1ST FLR MEETING ROOM, RICHMOND, TX 77469 DATE: OCT 2, 2018 TIME: APPROX. 11:00 AM BY Sergeant M. Kutach

TREVER J. NEHLS Constable Pct. 4 Fort Bend County, Texas

NOTICE OF CONSTABLE’S SALE Under and by virtue of a Writ of Execution and/or Order of Sale issued on June 20,2018 by the 240th JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT of Fort Bend County, Texas in Cause# 16DCV-235590 in favor of the plaintiff- U.S. BANK TRUST, N.A. AS TRUSTEE, Plaintiff, recovered judgment amount for the sum of$ 98,665.88 ++++costs as taxed on said execution and/or order of sale and further the sum of executing the same. I have levied on August 3, 2018 and will offer for sale on the day of October 2, 2018 at the County Court house steps of Fort Bend County, Texas in the city of Richmond, Texas between the hours of Ten O’clock A.M. and Four O’clock P.M., and all rights, title, interests, and claims which the said Defendant (s)- FLORA M. BRADLEY A/KIA FLORA BRADLEY AND EUGENE BRADLEY had of in or to the following described Real Property situated in Fort Bend County, Texas; Legal Description: LOT EIGHTEEN (18), IN BLOCK TEN (1 0) OF THE REPLAT OF RIDGEGATE, SECTION ONE (1) A SUBDIVISION IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN VOLUME 16, PAGE 4 OF THE MAP RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS.

NOTICE OF CONSTABLE’S SALE Under and by virtue of a Writ of Execution and/or Order of Sale issued on July 23,2018 by the 458th JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT of Fort Bend County, Texas in Cause# 17-DCV245493 in favor of the plaintiff- WINDFIELD LAKES HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC. Plaintiff, recovered judgment amount for the sum of$ 6,312.57 ++++costs as taxed on said execution and/or order of sale and further the sum of executing the same. I have levied on July 23RD, 2018 and will offer for sale on the day of October 2, 2018 at the County Court house steps of Fort Bend County, Texas in the city of Richmond, Texas between the hours of Ten O’clock A.M. and Four O’clock P.M., and all rights, title, interests, and claims which the said Defendant (s)-NATHANIEL D. ENDSLEY, JR had of in or to the following described Real Property situated in Fort Bend County, Texas; Legal Description: LOT SEVEN (7), IN BLOCK TWO (2), OF WINDFIELD LAKES NORTH, SECTION ONE (1), A SUBDIVISION IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF RECORDED UNDER PLAT NO. 20150075 OF THE PLAT RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS; MORE COMMONLY KNOWN AS 2626 COTTAGE STEP TRAIL, FRESNO, TEXAS 77545

TERMS: CASH TIME: SALE TO BE HELD AT OR ABOUT 10:00 A.M. PLACE: 301 JACKSON ST., WILLIAM TRAVIS BUILDING, 1sT FLOOR MEETING ROOM, RICHMOND TEXAS 77469.

Gary Majors, Constable Fort Bend County Precinct Two By: Sergeant C. McRae #132 Deputy Constable

rpm and 195 lb.-ft. torque from 1,500 to 4,500 rpm. Veloster 2.0-liter turbocharged engine makes up to 275 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque. The 1.6-liter Veloster turbo was the test drive and has a 7-speed dual clutch transmission and paddle shifters. The turbo models run on regular fuel and have an output of 125.6 horsepower per liter. An over-boost function raises peak torque output to 202 lb.-ft. under maximum acceleration. All Veloster models offer torque vectoring control, an active cornering feature. The active braking redirects power to the outside front wheel, which reduces wheel spin for enhanced cornering grip and corner-exit acceleration. The 2019 Veloster includes a front-facing camera that detects an imminent collision and avoids impact or minimizes damage by braking autonomously. Three additional systems are lane keeping, high beam, and driver attention warning. Lane keep assist is a standard feature for 2019 Veloster. Other Veloster radar systems available are blind-spot collision warning, rear cross-traﬃc Collison warning, and cruise control. Standard safety features on the Veloster are stability control with traction control, ABS with brake force distribution and brake assist, blind-spot collision warning, forward colNOTICE OF CONSTABLE’S SALE Notice is hereby given, that by virtue of a certain Order of Sale issued by the clerk of the 268TH District Court of Fort Bend County, Texas on AUG 3, 2018 in cause numbered 17-DCV-244182 styled Towns of Grants Lake Association, Inc.. vs. Steven Medina., in which a judgment was rendered on Nov 17, 2017 in favor of Towns of Grants Lake Association, Inc. for the sum of Seven Thousand Three Hundred Fifty Four Dollars and Seventy-Eight Cents ($7354.78), and all costs of executing this Writ. I have levied upon the below listed property on August 16, 2018 and will on Oct 2, 2018 Tuesday, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. proceed to sell for cash to the highest bidder, all the Right, Title, and Interest of Steven Medina to and in the following described Real Property LOT TWO HUNDRED THREE(203), IN BLOCK TWO(2) OF THE TOWNS OF GRANTS LAKE,SECTION TWO(2), A TOWNHOME PLANNED DEVELOPMENT IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS,ACCORDING TO THE RECORDED MAP OR PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN SLIDE NO 694/B OF THE PLAT RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, The above sale to be made by me to satisfy the above described judgment in favor of Towns of Grants Lake Association, Inc. Plaintiff, and the proceeds applied to the satisfaction thereof. LOCATION: FORT BEND COUNTY TRAVIS BLDG, 301 JACKSON ST 1ST FLR MEETING ROOM, RICHMOND, TX 77469 DATE: OCT 2, 2018 TIME: APPROX. 11:00 AM BY Sergeant M. Kutach TREVER J. NEHLS Constable Pct. 4 Fort Bend County, Texas

lision avoidance assist with pedestrian detection and smart cruise control. Veloster oﬀers a premium infotainment system that includes standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Also available are SiriusXM Radio, HD Radio and next-generation Blue Link LTE-powered connectivity. The standard seven-inch color LCD display includes AM/

NOTICE OF CONSTABLE’S SALE Under and by virtue of a Writ of Execution and/or Order of Sale issued on July 9, 2018 by the 434th JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT of Fort Bend County, Texas in Cause # 17-DCV-241237 in favor of the plaintiffMISSION BEND NORTH CIVIC IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION, Plaintiff, recovered judgment amount for the sum of $ 7,304.80 ++++costs as taxed on said execution and/or order of sale and further the sum of executing the same. I have levied on July 9TH, 2018 and will offer for sale on the day of October 2, 2018 at the County Court house steps of Fort Bend County, Texas in the city of Richmond, Texas between the hours of Ten O’clock A.M. and Four O’clock P.M., and all rights, title, interests, and claims which the said Defendant (s)- ALMA ROSA PENA had of in or to the following described Real Property situated in Fort Bend County, Texas; Legal Description: LOT FORTY-ONE (41), IN BLOCK THREE (3) OF MISSION BEND NORTH, SECTION TWO (2) A SUBDIVISION IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN VOLUME 21, PAGE 28 OF THE PLAT RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS (THE “PROPERTY”) TERMS: CASH TIME: SALE TO BE HELD AT OR ABOUT 10:00 A.M. PLACE: 301 JACKSON ST., WILLIAM TRAVIS BUILDING, 1sT FLOOR MEETING ROOM, RICHMOND TEXAS 77469. Gary Majors, Constable Fort Bend County Precinct Two By: Sergeant C. McRae #132 Deputy Constable

the turbo ultimate and has a MSRP of $26,650. The Veloster 2.0 with manual transmission starts at $18,500 and the turbo ultimate DCT tops out at $28,150. The Hyundai Veloster four seater is one fun car to drive, has eye catching good looks and behaves like a ﬁne roadster.

Fall 2018 Vegetable – Herb Plant Sale The Fort Bend County Master Gardeners are holding their annual Fall Vegetable-Herb Plant Sale on October 13, 2018, from 9:00 a.m. until noon. The sale will be held in front of the greenhouse located at 1402 Band Road in Rosenberg. The varieties of plants offered for sale have been recommended for Fort Bend County by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and are grown by the Fort Bend County Master Gardeners. Fall is a great time in Fort Bend County for a vegetable garden. After the heat of summer, the cooler temperatures are perfect for vegetables. Many varieties thrive in our cooler fall weather and several will continue to produce until early spring, weather permitting!

Some of the vegetable plants that will be available include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, kohlrabi, celery, Swiss chard, cauliﬂower, lettuce, mustard greens, collards, and pak choi. Fall is also a good time to add herbs to your garden. Herbs brighten up many recipes and make wonderful landscape plants since many of them are perennial. Chamomile, cilantro, dill, parsley, sage, salad burnet and thyme are some of the herbs that will be available. Visit http://www.fbmg.org/ events/annual-sales/fall-vegherb-sale/ for a complete list of plants oﬀered for sale, directions to the sale and additional information. All proceeds from the sales support educational programs, materials for training

for everyone, and help support the Master Gardener Demonstration gardens. All proceeds from the sales are used to support the educational programs offered throughout the year. This sale, along with the Fruit & Citrus Tree Sale and Spring Vegetable-Herb Plant Sale, help us purchase materials for our training and educational eﬀorts, demonstration garden plants, and materials. No funds are used to pay volunteers nor are these funds used for anything unrelated to our mission. For more information about this event and other programs oﬀered by the Fort Bend County Master Gardeners, please visit our website: www.fbmg. org, or call 281-341-7068.

Fort Bend ISD to host annual ‘Listening and Literacy Tour’ The Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees will host its annual Listening and Literacy Tour event for the 2018-19 school year. The tour allows Board members to hear from parents and community members, as they hold their monthly board workshops on campuses. Each event begins at 5 p.m. This year’s Listening Tour stop is on Monday, October 6, 2018 at Dulles High School (550 Dulles Avenue, Sugar Land 77478). Roundtable discussions will begin at 5 p.m., and parents are invited to ask questions of Board members and District leaders. Attendees are also welcomed to stay for the Board’s monthly workshop, which begins at 6 p.m. This year’s Literacy Tour stop will be at Briargate Elementary (15817 Blue Ridge Road, Missouri City 77489) on Monday, February 11, 2019. Board members will begin the evening by reading to students and taking their questions. Students will also receive a free book and families can enjoy educational games, as well as refreshments. If time permits, the Board will also speak with parents and community members afterward. Again, attendees are welcome to stay for the night’s workshop, starting at 6 p.m. City of Missouri City

ORDINANCE NO. O-18-25 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MISSOURI CITY, TEXAS, AMENDING CHAPTER 18, BUSINESSES, OF THE MISSOURI CITY CODE; AMENDING REGULATIONS REGARDING MOBILE FOOD UNITS; 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-18-25 approved on second and final reading by the City Council at its regular meeting held on September 17, 2018, as the same appears in the records of my office. /s/ Maria Jackson City Secretary

City of Missouri City NOTICE OF CONSTABLE’S SALE Under and by virtue of a Writ of Execution and/or Order of Sale issued on July 13, 2018 by the 240th JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT of Fort Bend County, Texas in Cause# 17-DCV243100 in favor of the plaintiff- WINDFIELD LAKES HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, Plaintiff, recovered judgment amount for the sum of $ 9,503.98 ++++ costs as taxed on said execution and/or order of sale and further the sum of executing the same. I have levied on July 13, 2018 and will offer for sale on the day of October 2, 2018 at the County Court house steps of Fort Bend County, Texas in the city of Richmond, Texas between the hours of Ten O’clock A.M. and Four O’clock P.M., and all rights, title, interests, and claims which the said Defendant (s) - OLIVIA N. TAYLOR AKA OLIVIA N. JACKSON had of in or to the following described Real Property situated in Fort Bend County, Texas; Legal Description: LOT THIRTEEN (13), IN BLOCK FOUR (4) OF WINDFIELD LAKES, SECTION EIGHT (8) AN ADDITION IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN PLAT NO. 20050243 OF THE MAP/PLAT RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS. TERMS: CASH TIME: SALE TO BE HELD AT OR ABOUT 10:00 A.M. PLACE: 301 JACKSON ST., WILLIAM TRAVIS BUILDING, 1sT FLOOR MEETING ROOM, RICHMOND TEXAS 77469. Gary Majors, Constable Fort Bend County Precinct Two By: Sergeant C. McRae #132 Deputy Constable

FM/MP3 touchscreen audio and auxiliary inputs. The available eight-inch touchscreen navigation display includes next-generation Blue Link, traffic flow and incident data via HD radio, and Infinity premium audio with eight speakers, including a subwoofer and Clari-Fi music-restoration technology. The test drive Veloster was

ORDINANCE NO. O-18-24 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MISSOURI CITY, TEXAS, AMENDING REGULATIONS IN PD PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT NO. 88; REGULATING AND RESTRICTING THE DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF PROPERTY WITHIN SUCH PD PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT; AMENDING THE ZONING DISTRICT MAP OF THE CITY OF MISSOURI CITY; PROVIDING FOR AN AMENDMENT TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN; PROVIDING FOR REPEAL; PROVIDING A PENALTY; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; AND CONTAINING OTHER PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE SUBJECT. 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-18-24 approved on second and final reading by the City Council at its regular meeting held on September 17, 2018, as the same appears in the records of my office. /s/ Maria Jackson City Secretary

City of Missouri City ORDINANCE NO. O-18-23 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MISSOURI CITY, TEXAS, AMENDING A SPECIFIC USE PERMIT AUTHORIZING THE USE OF AN 18.90-ACRE TRACT OF LAND IN THE CITY OF MISSOURI CITY AS A SPECIFIC USE-PLACES OF ASSEMBLY; DESCRIBING SAID 18.90-ACRE TRACT OF LAND; PROVIDING LIMITATIONS, RESTRICTIONS, AND CONDITIONS ON SUCH SPECIFIC USE; REFERENCING A SITE PLAN; PROVIDING FOR CERTAIN CONSTRUCTION ACCORDING TO SAID PLAN; AMENDING THE ZONING DISTRICT MAP OF THE CITY OF MISSOURI CITY; PROVIDING FOR AN AMENDMENT TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN; PROVIDING FOR REPEAL; PROVIDING A PENALTY; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; AND CONTAINING OTHER PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE SUBJECT. 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-18-23 approved on second and final reading by the City Council at its regular meeting held on September 17, 2018, as the same appears in the records of my office. /s/ Maria Jackson City Secretary

Centennial celebration of Sugar Land Auditorium

The Sugar Land Cultural Arts Foundation will host the Sugar Land Auditorium Centennial Celebration on Saturday, Oct. 27 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. This family friendly event will celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the historic Sugar Land Auditorium, which is the last remaining public building from the original company-owned town of Sugar Land. This monumental celebration will take place on the grounds of the historic Sugar Land Auditorium (226 Lakeview Dr.) and will be ﬁlled with free performances and fun activities for the entire family! The festivities will begin with a proclamation from Sugar Land’s Mayor, Joe Zimmerman, followed by a variety of musical acts, talks, demonstrations and interactive activities that will educate attendees about the histories of the Auditorium, the City of Sugar Land, and 1918 America. The Texian Time Machine will be onsite coordinating an assortment of exciting children’s activities including a scavenger hunt, paper airplane making station, photo booth with vintage clothing and props, and timeperiod inspired games! The Knights of Columbus, from St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, will be grilling hamburgers, hotdogs and other eats for all to enjoy during the event.

The SLCAF will host a special Ice Cream Social from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. spotlighting local celebrity scoopers that kids and adults alike will not want to miss! Check out the many other special areas including story time, featuring a special celebration of the 100th birthday of Raggedy Ann, as well as musical performances featuring popular music from the WWI era including Ragtime and Dixieland! Performers will be available to chat with the guests after their performances. Inspiration Stage will delight guests with scenes from their productions of “Newsies” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.” After the performances, the actors, along with Suffragettes and Soldiers will be roaming the grounds in period attire furthering the feel that guests have been transported back in time. Do not miss the special screening of the critically acclaimed documentary, “Saving Brinton” at 1 p.m. inside the Sugar Land Auditorium. The screening will be followed by a talk with the film’s star and director. Sugar Land Cultural Arts Foundation (SLCAF) is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit arts organization is promoting the cultural arts and preserving historic Sugar Land Auditorium as a center for the cultural arts.

INDEPENDENT • SEPTEMBER 26, 2018 • Page 7

NEWS

FBJSL invites scholarship applications Each year, the Fort Bend Junior Service League awards up to four $1,000 Volunteer Scholarships and one $2,000 New Beginnings Scholarship. The Volunteer Scholarships are awarded to female high school seniors in Fort Bend County who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in volunteerism and community service. Recipients must have completed at least 100 hours of high school community service, have a minimum GPA of 2.5, and plan to attend an accredited two or four year college or university. The New Beginnings Scholarship is offered to help Fort Bend County females improve their career opportunities by furthering their education. Recipients must have been accepted into an accredited college, university, or vocational school after having taken a break in their education and establish financial need. Qualified applicants can learn more about these scholarships and obtain a copy of the applications by visiting the FBJSL’s website at www.fbjsl.org. Applications and supporting documentation will be accepted from December 1, 2018 until February 1, 2019. The FBJSL is a non-profit organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism, to developing the potential of women and to improving the Fort Bend County community through the effective action and leadership of trained volun-

Varsha Vasu, 2018 Volunteer Scholarship Recipient, with her parents Girish and Usha Vasu.

Madison Smith, 2018 Volunteer Scholarship Recipient, and her family.

Loving Friends Dinner Oct. 16

Grandmas’ Boyfriends—Terry Mansfield, left, Larry Hamilton, John Mealus, Stan Boyer

Sienna’s Cirque La Vie brings magic to Fort Bend Oct. 6 The streets of Sienna Plantation will be transformed into the magical streets of Paris during Cirque La Vie, 4:309:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, at the Sawmill Lake model home park, 9803 Cameron Way. The community is closing oﬀ a main thoroughfare in Sawmill Lake exclusively for the free event, which features Houston-based modern circus, Cirque La Vie, and other performers. Cirque La Vie will perform at 6:30 p.m., wowing the crowd with mindbending contortions, acrobatics and aerial movements. “Fort Bend County hasn’t seen anything like this,” said Alvin San Miguel, general manager for Sienna Plantation.

“Cirque La Vie is truly amazing, and it seemed natural to surround them with the fun of a Parisian street fair.” Prior to the Cirque La Vie performance, illusionist Carter Blackburn will take the stage at 5 p.m. Blackburn has appeared on America’s Got Talent and headlines a monthly show at the Houston Improv Comedy Club. In addition to the stage performances, roving musicians will entertain visitors throughout the evening. Moulin Rouge performers, jugglers and mimes, stiltwalkers, ribbon dancers, a glitter face painter and ﬁre performers will add color and fun. Cotton candy, food and bev-

erages will be available to all. The event is open to the public. Upcoming events include the popular Gingerbread Market on Oct. 13 and the Sienna Sip & Stroll on Nov. 15. Learn more at siennaplantation.com.

Loving Friends will meet for dinner and entertainment on Tuesday,October 16, arrival time, 5:00 pm at Quail Valley City Cr., 2880 La Quinta Dr., Missouri City. The group will be entertained by Grandmas’ Boyfriends, a popular Houston barbershop quartet who will serenade the group with romantic ballads such as “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.” Loving Friends was created as a way for widows and widowers to fellowship with a network of like minded friends. It is not a grief support group. Other monthly activities include luncheons, pokeno, book club and bridge. The cost for dinner and entertainment is $23 inclusive, paid at the door. Reservations are required by calling 281-208-3124. For those who want to move on after losing a spouse, Loving Friends is there for you, always greeted with a warm welcome. More details, please call 281208-3124.

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

INDEPENDENT • SEPTEMBER 26, 2018 • Page 8

COMMUNITY

Harvest Green neighbors raise thousands for young cancer patient A Fort Bend family is realizing the true power of community — as they join with neighbors to help their toddler ﬁght cancer. In fact, Christine and Dave Badillo said that almost all of the Harvest Green development in Richmond has banded together to raise funds and show their support at a time when it was needed most. “This wasn’t just about raising funds, this was about bringing a community together and showing our younger generations what that word actually means,” Christine Badillo said. Summer break had just begun for the Fort Bend ISD high school teacher when her 2-year old son Zach started showing signs that something was wrong. “No one knew what these weird symptoms were, but they were scary,” Christine said. “We went to the pediatricians for blood work.” Doctors sent the family to the emergency room at Texas Children’s Hospital for more testing and x-rays. “We got the diagnosis that day,” Christine said. The Badillos learned that Zach has acute T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia. He would spend the next three days in the intensive care unit, and most of the following month in the hospital undergoing chemotherapy. “It’s just been a whirlwind,” Christine said. “And it’s been really hard on our family,” She had to take an unpaid leave of absence from work — and spend time away from Zach’s twin brother Liam. While the Badillos have insurance, they still worry about their ﬁnances. As the school year approached, Christine

was not certain whether she would be able to return to her post. Related expenses to the hospital stays started piling up. The neighborhood was ready to rally around the family. The Badillos live on a special street in Harvest Green. All of the families have become close friends in the past couple of years since the development opened. Brooklyn Donetti clearly remembers the ﬁrst time she met Christine Badillo. “She was really pregnant with her twins, and I was gigantic with my soon-to-be born son,” Brooklyn said. “We just really hit it oﬀ.” The women’s husbands — Pierre Donetti and Dave Badillo — also became best friends. “They’re such a sweet family,” Brooklyn said. “They’re really nice and outgoing.” The Donettis were shocked when they heard about Zach’s diagnosis. “He’s just so little,” Brooklyn said. “We wanted to do something to help, but we didn’t know what to do.” They brainstormed ideas and decided to use their skills behind the barbecue grill and host a fundraiser serving up plates for Zach’s cause. Brooklyn approached area businesses to join in the effort and also spread the word throughout Harvest Green about the upcoming event. “I was shocked at how receptive everyone was,” Brooklyn said. “A lot of people wanted to come out and show their support.” She also talked to Sylvia Morgese, lifestyle director at Harvest Green, who agreed to provide a venue for the fundraiser, the Farmhouse event

Two-year-old Zach Badillo, shown here with mom Christine, is battling T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia. People sold t-shirts, mugs hall located right in the neighand koozies to raise more for borhood. Brooklyn said the large the Badillos. The family’s Respace allowed them to make altor, Shane Light, also got on board, helping with the event, an even bigger impact. The fundraiser, which was and an area builder, Highland held last month, featured gift Homes, donated snow cones. Harvest Green also gave the card raﬄes, a silent auction, bake sale, bouncy houses, Badillos $1,500, the maximum yard games, DJ and face- gift amount available from its painting, in addition to plates Children’s Catastrophic Fund, administered through the deof barbecue. In total, about 600 plates velopment’s community founof barbecue were sold. Pierre dation committee. For the fund, the developDonetti and his friends hanment sets aside money for dled the grilling duties. “They had barbecue pits families with a child who has lined up in my driveway,” been diagnosed with a cataBrooklyn said. “They were strophic health condition. The grants may be applied for ancooking all night long.”

nually until a child is 18, and families do not need to demonstrate ﬁnancial need to be considered. In total, the Badillos received enough with the Harvest Green grant and funds raised from the event to cover their needs. “We had no idea that putting something on like that was even possible,” Christine said. “It’s something we will never forget.” Zach’s treatment is ongoing. “We think it’s going well,” Christine said. “We have a lot of up days, when we get good news.” But there are still concerns that remain. Zach is undergoing an eight-month treatment phase. If it goes well, there will be three years of maintenance, Christine explained. “It’s a long process,” she said. “With something like this, we don’t really know. But we’re hoping for a best-case scenario.” Having the gift of funding has made a world of diﬀerence, Christine added. “That’s one stress that’s just been lifted from us,” she said. She started a public Facebook page to follow Zach’s progress, named “Zach’s Pack” after the toddler’s love of wolves — and in honor of the power of a group to persevere. Even though the Badillos said their needs are covered for now, they want to continue to share Zach’s story to raise awareness, especially since September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. “We were living this normal life and one day it all changed,” she said. “It can happen to anyone at any time.” Looking back, Christine

could not be happier that her family moved to Harvest Green. She recalls when Fort Bend ISD was discussing zoning, how she looked at the planning map for the area and imagined what it would look like in the next 10 years. She discovered the vision for Harvest Green, an “agrihood concept.” The 1,300-acre master-planned developed is the first in Houston centered around a community farm. Christine told her husband Dave that she wanted to move there, and the couple closed on their dream home in March 2016. “Harvest Green pulled me in when it was just an idea,” she said. “Now we hope to never leave.” Now, Christine feels like moving into the development was divine. “We felt called to Harvest Green and now we feel like we know why — so we’d have this community,” she said. “We never thought twice about our neighborhood, house or street. And now I know why. It was Him bringing us to a group of people who would love us, protect us and support us when we were going through the fire two years later.” She said that the Donettis and all the neighbors in Breeze Bluff recognized their need and acted out of pure love. “How perfect was it that we got into this neighborhood, on this street, when we did?” she asks. “We could have been anywhere else and not have this support. It makes you feel like you’re actually at home.” For more information about Harvest Green, visit www.harvestgreentexas.com. Follow the Badillos on the Facebook page “Zach’s Pack: No One Fights Alone.”