VOL. 7 No.41
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FORT BEND FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014
P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623
Quail Valley’s yard of the month
Birds of Fort Bend: Pileated Woodpecker. Pileated Woodpeckers mate for life with the males taking nest-providing very seriously. Both males and females have the classic red-crested head and look of “Woody Woodpecker” and are around 16” in length or about the size of a crow. Females’ crests are slightly smaller, but otherwise identical to males. Juveniles for a very short period of time are more muted and “brownish.” Males take responsibility for hollowing out nesting cavities in dead trees and particularly tall trees with the female helping finish. Generally making new nests each year, takes 3 to 6 weeks. If you see a Pileated pecking on a tree, the area is likely dead and usually full of their favorite meal, Carpenter Ants, or with termites or woodboring beetle larvae. And they can saw in. They will also eat fruits and nuts and occasionally feed from backyard seed and suet feeders. Extremely territorial (except in winter) a pair will patrol their woodland territory but are otherwise shy. Pileateds have extremely long tongues, and their feeding on decayed parts of trees provide nests hollows for owls, smaller woodpeckers, swifts, and pine martens. More up-close photos by international photographer Margaret Sloan click http://traction.typepad.com/birds
Mayors keep talk of commuter rail alive
By BARBARA FULENWIDER When Fort Bend County mayors met at the Stafford Centre recently the topic was commuter rail on U.S. 90A. All the mayors as well as Congressman Al Green and two representatives of Congressman John Culberson attended the closed meeting. For 14 years or more Mayors Allen Owen of Missouri City and Leonard Scarcella of Stafford have pushed for commuter rail on U.S. 90A. They continue to and were joined early on by Green who spoke “strongly in favor of it,” according to Scarcella. The Stafford mayor said, “There is strong emphasis on trying to get the rail segment moving to the beltway from Reliant Stadium (now NRG stadium).” Both Owen and Scarcella said they know Metro is looking at that possibility, which voters approved in a referendum in 2003. “Basically, what you have from Reliant Stadium out to the beltway is eight miles,” Scarcella said. “I’m saying go five more miles to the US. 90A/U.S. 59 spaghetti bowl and you’ll attract far more riders.” He also said that Dr. Carol Lewis, now a professor at Texas State University and for 15 years managed and directed planning at Metro, told him the Metro board has talked about going as far as the spaghetti bowl. Scarcella said the Stafford
Economic Development Corp. currently has $1 million that can be used for such projects. “We would not commit all of that but we could look into working up an agreement with Metro saying they provide the service to that point and then we could see what would be a fair arrangement based on that. Lewis said there’s interest (by the Metro board) in that.” Sam Locke, a consultant for the Gulf Coast Rail District made a presentation to the group of mayors that looks at the long-term transportation plans. According to Scarcella Locke got a lot of questions from the mayors. He also said Congressman Green told Locke that “time is your enemy and you’ll never get all you’re talking about. Unless we get on Washington’s list soon (for some federal transportation dollars) we won’t get anything.” This past week Mayor Owen “visited with Metro” and said he suggested that “instead of building a big park and ride near Sienna let’s build it on 90A and close the one on Fondren. Continue to use what we’ve got at Hwy. 6 and the Fort Bend Tollway. “We would continue to use that and build the park and ride where we hope to have our transit center on 90A. I know Metro is still thinking the right way. With the help of Congressman Culberson and HousSee RAIL, Page 3
Quail Valley Yard of the Month winners are Sam and Shirley Reese of 3319 Robinson Road. Shirley is a master of using plant foliage texture and color in the garden design. Mixing a variety of plants including purple and white dwarf Oyster plant, Cuban Gold Duranta, Ornamental Flax, Euphorbia Diamond Frost, Foxtail Fern with Sago Palms, Crape Myrtle, India Hawthorne, Knockout Roses you get a pleasing “painting” of hardy plants and evergreens with contrasting, less formal foliage. The Reese’s received a Philodendron from Flowers by Adela and a Certificate of Appreciation by the Quail Valley Garden Club that has its annual fall pre-sale of Caladium bulbs. Save by pre-ordering by October 31. Contact Nancy Lindsay at 281 499-2047 or Mary Chan at 281 437-7179. For varieties http://traction.typepad.com/QVGC
High court re-affirms DeLay’s acquittal By SESHADRI KUMAR After nine years of prosecution, trial and appeals, former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Sugar Land was exonerated by the highest criminal court in Texas on Oct. 1. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in an 8-1 decision declined to reinstate two moneylaundering convictions against DeLay. The court upheld a ruling last year from the 3rd Court of Appeals that tossed the GOP leader’s 2010 convictions for money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Travis County prosecutors persisted with their attempt to get DeLay’s conviction upheld but finally failed. “We agree with the court of appeals’ ultimate conclusion that, as a matter of law, what the state has proven in this case does not constitute either of the alleged criminal offenses,” the high court said in its ruling. DeLay, in an interview with Lance Roberts on KSEV Radio 700, in Street Talk Live, on Monday deplored “the criminalization of politics,” which he had endured for the past 18 years. In Texas, district attorneys are immune from charges of prosecutorial misconduct and political witch hunt, DeLay said. The state legislature should do something about this, he said. DeLay also wanted the public integrity unit removed from the Travis County DA’s office to the
DeLay Attorney General because local elected officials should not have a statewide jurisdiction. DeLay suggested that there should be a way for him to collect his legal fees from the Travis County DA. He had spent $1 million to defend himself, though he raised the funds through donations. Democrats, after losing in the ballot box, try to win through the legal system, by filing frivolous lawsuits, he said. DeLay said in the “Republic of Travis County,” no Republican or Conservative can get elected, though elections are supposed to hold elected officials accountable. The Court of Criminal Appeals said Wednesday there was nothing in the case record to show DeLay knew he was “conducting, supervising or facilitating a transaction that involved the proceeds of criminal activity.” Asked what’s next, DeLay said,”Who knows? I am walking with the Lord.”
Riverstone is inviting local treasure seekers to shop dozens of garage sales in one convenient location during the community’s fall garage sale, 8-11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 18. Residents will have a wide array of items for sale at the Creekstone Village Recreation Center, 5438 Creekstone Village Drive. This is one of two annual rummage sales. “We always get tremendous involvement at this event because individual garage sales are not allowed within Riverstone,” said Trey Reichert, vice president and general manager of Riverstone. “Over the years, hundreds of families have participated in past sales.” Unsold items will be donated to the Fort Bend County Women’s Center. A rain date has not been set. Riverstone is the state’s top-selling master-planned community and offers homes priced from the $300,000s to the millions. For more information, visit www.rivestone.com.
Named “Best Actress” at Fort Bend Theatre as a child and “Best Actress” as a teen at Kempner High School, Elizabeth Jackson, unveiled some new acting chops at the World Premiere of Kerry Beyer’s “Killing Mr. Right” that closed out the local Splatterfest Film Festival on Oct. 2. Her 2009 feature film debut as Rachael Gene (lead girl) began her career as a screen actress. Story on Page 7.
Rosenberg Rotary Club to deliver dictionaries to third-graders
Third-grade students in Lamar CISD and Needville ISD schools will be recipients of their own personal dictionary, thanks to the Dictionary Project conducted by the Rosenberg Rotary Club. In the past seven years, the Rosenberg Rotarians have given 15,307 dictionaries to LCISD and NISD third graders. Mike Rockwood, LCISD’s Executive Director – Community Relations, and LCISD Superintendent Dr. Thomas Randle, were recent guests at the Rosenberg Rotary Club. They are shown with club Treasurer Ginger Johnson and President Bradley Stavinoha. Johnson started the project when she was club president. Randle and Rockwood were at the meeting to discuss LCISD’s upcoming School Bond Election, which will be on the Nov. 4 ballot.
Sugar Land’s District 4 Town Hall Meeting Set for Oct. 9 District 4 Councilmember Harish Jajoo will host a Town Hall meeting on Oct. 9, from 6-8 p.m., in the first-floor lecture hall at Clements High School, 4200 Elkins Road. Residents are invited to attend a meet and greet from 6-6:30 p.m. followed by presentations on current topics affecting residents. The evening will conclude with a question-and-answer session. Topics scheduled include: plans to launch a fire-based ambulance transport system Jan. 1; .neighborhood crime alerts; .updates on parks project approved by voters last year; .plans to break ground on a new 6,500-seat performing arts center later this year; and .other capital improvement projects planned for the area. Visit “My Neighborhood” at www.sugarlandtx.gov/myneighborhood, a tool that residents may use to determine their City Council district.