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VOL 6 No. 47
FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2013
P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623
Official newspaper of Fort Bend County, Missouri City & Sugar Land
Birds of Fort Bend: Red-Tailed Hawk
“And watch a hawk making lazy circles in the sky” . . . if you’ve been in an open space or on a car ride, it is very likely you’ve seen Red-Tail Hawk circling in the sky. They live year round in the continental US and summer from Alaska across Canada below the Arctic Circle. Mountains, deserts, prairies, rain forests in Central America and urban areas all boast Red-Tails. Fall to winter is one of the best times for watching birds of prey. Fort Bend is an area where the Red-Tails’ 8 variations of color come into a rare confluence and can be seen along with many other raptors. 18-24” this large Hawk is bulky bodied. You may think you’re seeing an immature Bald Eagle, until you see an eagle. They eat rodents, small mammals, reptiles and other prey their keen eyes spot. More photos by Margaret Sloan may be seen by visiting http://traction.typepad.com/birds
Task force decides to keep red light cameras By SESHADRI KUMAR The Traffic Safety Task Force, appointed by the Sugar Land City Council to study the effectiveness of the City’s red light camera program, will recommend to the city council to continue the red light camera program, with some possible modifications. The committee at its last meeting on Nov. 14, voted against the elimination of red light cameras, nine to one. The task force expected to develop a recommendation that could include elimination of Sugar Land’s red light program; modification of the program; or continuation of the program. After the city rejected a petition containing more than 3,000 signatures requesting the red light camera program to be placed on the ballot for a referendum, the task force was set up. After hearing presentations from the opponents of red light camera program and the Sugar land Police Department’s justification of the program, the committee discussed the likely
Fort Bend Symphony to spread cheer This year’s Deck the Halls concert, presented by the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra, will be more magical than ever as the St. Laurence Chamber Singers join the orchestra in this special holiday presentation. This popular concert begins at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8 at the Stafford Centre. Some of the seasonal favorites on the program include Sleigh Ride, The Christmas Song, Frosty the Snowman and Christmas Fantasia. FBSO will accompany the St. Laurence Chamber Singers in Hallelujah Chorus, Carol of the Bells and several additional selections. The concert also features an audience sing-along to We Wish You A Merry Christmas. Other special guests include Stafford Mayor Leonard Scarcella narrating Twas the Night Before Christmas, plus photo opportunities with Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus. This year’s concert is under the direction of associate conductor Dr. Dominique Royem. Beginning at 1:30 p.m., she will share some programming notes during an informal time called “Beyond the Baton.” For best seats, purchase tickets early at fbso.org or call 281276-9642. Reserved seats for adults begin at $12 with discounts for adults 55 and over, students, military and groups of 10 or more. Children 12 and
recommendations last week. The only member who voted for the elimination of the red light camera program was D.V. Kumar. The city failed to present data that would show that red light cameras reduced accidents at intersections, Kumar said. The burden was on the city police department to prove that the red light cameras resulted in fewer accidents, he said. There have been reductions in accidents in the red light camera intersections, and that could be not due to red light cameras, and not attributable to RLCs. Also, crashes that occurred in an intersection even when someone ran a red light could be due to other factors such as driver’s impairment. The city should have had a control site and provided statistics before and after the installation of red light cameras. In the absence of such evidence, the main reason, namely reduction in accidents, is not established and consequently, the red light cameras should be eliminated, Kumar said. Almost everybody on the committee agreed that there was no conclusive evidence to show that Red Light Cameras reduced accidents, but they believed the police department’s claim that it improved public safety and it is an effective tool. The committee members believed the submission by the
police department that red light cameras changed driver behavior and it freed a police officer from physically monitoring traffic and use the resource for crime prevention elsewhere. One member said it is worth having red light cameras if it saves even one life. Then, the committee voted on possible modifications to the program, 7 to 3. There was no consensus on specific modifications, but the committee could broadly suggest modifications in the area of signage, yellow light duration, wordings in the ticket and fine amount for turning right on red without a stop. One member asked about the possibility of placing the issue on a referendum. The member asked why the initial petition was rejected by the city. No one seemed to know the reason. The committee chair said that was not relevant to the task on hand and the committee need not worry about what had happened in the past. The reason was well publicized and is also posted on the city website. (No one from the city present at the meeting offered to explain the reason the citizens’ petition was rejected, ostensibly because the committee was “independent” and the city did not want to appear to be offering any information without being asked by the committee.)
The petition, submitted in April, included the required number of signatures; however, the signatures were not collected in the manner specified by the City Charter, a document that was reviewed and updated by Sugar Land voters in 2011. City council is expected to receive the report on Nov. 19 and will take follow up action, if any. Small gain Helwig F. Van der Grinten, founder, Houston Coalition Against Red Light Cameras, who led the unsuccessful petition drive, described the report of the task force as a “small gain.” “We won’t rest until we have an outright ban on red light cameras, or a public vote on their continued use,” Van der Grinten said. “The task force declined to involve itself in the ongoing controversy regarding the rejection of our valid petition to put the question of continuing the RLC program on the ballot for an up or down vote by the citizens of Sugar Land. But, we urge the city to immediately adopt all of the recommendations especially extending the yellow light change interval by a significant amount and greatly reducing the fine for an improper right turn on red,” Van der Grinten said.
Christmas Ornament for State Capitol Christmas Tree
Fort Bend Symphony musicians, joyously preparing for the Sunday, Dec. 8 Deck the Halls Christmas concert, include John Gearhart, harp; Patricia Guzman, cello; Aimee Peterson, coconcertmistress; and Chelsea Keaton, bass clarinet. under are free with a reserved located at 10505 Cash Road in ticket. The Stafford Centre is Stafford.
An ornament to be placed on the 2013 Christmas tree inside the Capitol for State House District 26 was presented by its artist at the newly dedicated Sugar Land Veterans Memorial. One side of the ornament features the Memorial Park’s stunning walk-through obelisk honoring all the branches of the Military. The memorial is intended to celebrate the values embodied by all service members who served in all of America’s wars. State Rep. Rick Miller, a retired U.S. Navy Captain, was honored to be present for the Sept. 30, ribbon cutting ceremony, “memorializing” the Fort Bend Veterans who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country. The other side of the ornament, is a representation of the “Honor and Remember.” Miller carried the bill that was signed by the Governor during his first session, the 83rd Legislative Session in 2013, to adopt the flag in honor of Texans who have given their lives in service to the nation. Artist Jeanne Dazey, right, taught in Fort Bend ISD for 20 years and now teaches at a private high school, Alexander-Smith Academy. She is also an art instructor at Sugar Land Artists Alliance during the summers. Jeanne Dazey presented her work to Miller on Veteran’s Day 2013 at Memorial Park featured on the ornament. — Photo by MARY FAVRE
Principal appreciation This photo is in celebration of Principal Appreciation month for Settlers Way Elementary School. The awesome principals are Kristi Durham and Brenda Perkins with their 17 full vases of roses received from students.
10701 Corporate Drive, #282, Stafford, TX 77477 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, TX 77487 Seshadri Kumar Publisher & Editor
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