10-28-20 Edition of the Fort Bend Star by Fort Bend Star

Will the Jaybird Monument be moved? - Page 6

WEDNESDAY • OCTOBER 28, 2020

Kulkarni, Nehls in pivotal ﬁnal stretch of race for Washington

Fort Bend / Southwest • Volume 44 • No. 11

100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment

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WOMEN’S RIGHT TO VOTE

Girl Power

By Stefan Modrich SMODRICH@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

The race to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Pete Olson in Washington is among the most high-profile political battles in Fort Bend County history. With less than a week until Election Day on Nov. 3, many experts have regarded the District 22 race between Republican Troy Nehls and Democrat Sri Preston Kulkarni as a bellwether for which way Texas will vote in the presidential election. Both candidates were sent the same questions via email. Nehls, the outgoing Fort Bend County Sheriff, did not respond to attempts to reach him via email or phone call and when approached Monday outside Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land, declined an interview. Kulkarni has 14 years of experience in the U.S. Foreign Service, working in Iraq and Russia. He said he had planned SEE DISTRICT 22 PAGE 9

A campaign worker, left, hands out literature as two women walk toward the voting booth Monday at Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land. This year’s election marks the 100th anniversary of the ratiﬁcation of the 19th Amendment, which prohibited states or the federal government from denying the right to vote on the basis of gender. (Photo by Stefan Modrich)

Fort Bend women reﬂect on centennial

Kulkarni

By Stefan Modrich SMODRICH@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

Pam Gaskin is nothing if not consistent. Gaskin, a realtor and longtime member of the League of Women Voters in Missouri City, has been a voting rights activist ever since she grew up in La Marque, just outside

Nehls

of Galveston. And in commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, the passage of which gave some — but not all — women the right to vote in 1920, she believes it’s never been more important to have organizations that remind Americans about the significance of the efforts that went into supporting women’s right

to vote. “See, I like folks who do things consistently, and the League has been fighting consistently for the right to vote since the early 1900s,” Gaskin said. “And even though African-American women didn’t get the right to vote (upon the passage of the 19th Amendment) they continued to fight for that right. They signed on with

the Civil Rights movement. And even now, the League is a party to a lot of litigation going on now about ballots by mail. And it’s just a great organization.” True to her word, Gaskin makes regular appearances on Houston Public Media radio programs to answer frequently-asked questions about voter registration and how to be prepared at the

polls. And she demands the same consistency from her peers, her elected officials and even her school administrators. “I’m the rebel of the family,” Gaskin said. “I was always a rebel. I had a teacher — (my) uncle had

SEE CENTENNIAL PAGE 3

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By Stefan Modrich SMODRICH@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

Ensuring all eligible American citizens had the right to vote was a long struggle. Coalitions of men and women of many different racial and ethnic backgrounds formed to fight for what has long been considered to be among the

most important democratic and civic obligations any American citizen can perform. As it has been in so many ways throughout its history, Texas was at the forefront of the women’s suffrage movement in a key respect — it was the first southern state to ratify the 19th Amendment and the ninth overall when it did so on June 29, 1919.

In Fort Bend County, the first woman to register to vote was Bessie Urana of Guy, 16 miles south of Rosenberg in 1919. She was a 36-year-old mother of eight children. But it wasn’t until Aug. 18, 1920, nearly 100 years and two months ago, that Tennessee

SEE ACTIVISM PAGE 3

Nannie M. Lehmann served as Fort Bend County Clerk from 1931-1934. (Contributed photo)

Sugar Land youth awarded for entrepreneurship By Stefan Modrich SMODRICH@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

Sabrina Roesler has had to grow up quicker than most 9-year-olds. When she was a toddler, Roesler began to sell imaginary lemonade with her toy playset at home. The fourth grader from Sugar Land has since, through the help of the Lemonade Day program, already realized several of her business dreams, becoming a bona fide entrepreneur with an altruistic heart. “I really liked playing store,” she said. “My mom

and dad really wanted me to have a toy to play with. And that toy became my stand for selling lemonade.” After the death of her father due to brain cancer, Roesler strengthened her resolve to pursue her ambitious career goals and is always looking for ways to give back to her community. She hopes she can play a part in funding the research and prevention of the disease that killed her father. She donates a percentage of Fresh’n Juicy’s earnings to the Dr. Marnie Rose Foundation, a local brain cancer organization, and its primary fundraiser,

Sugar Land's Sabrina Roesler recently got a bike as a reward for her entrepreneurship. (Contributed photo)

The Run for the Rose. Roesler said she received a donation from a woman whose husband was in the fourth stage of brain cancer and posted on social media to direct her followers to support Fresh’n Juicy. “We know how it feels to (have a loved one) be in the last stage of brain cancer, so that touched our hearts,” she said. “Even though only one person is battling it, it feels like you’re battling it too (as a family).” On Oct. 9, Roesler was named the Lemonade Day Houston Youth Entrepreneur of the Year for her work with

her business, Fresh’n Juicy. “I was like, ‘No way, this is amazing,’” she said. “And my mom was very proud of me, too, and it was just a great feeling knowing all that we did to win the award.” Lemonade Day, a nonprofit designed to teach children about financial literacy and entrepreneurship, was founded in Houston in 2007. The free program has expanded to 84 communities in the U.S., Canada, Bermuda and South Africa and has assisted more than 1 million kids in the process of launching their own

SEE AWARDED PAGE 7

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PAGE 2 • Wednesday, October 28, 2020

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100 Anniversary th

of the 19th Amendment WOMEN’S RIGHT TO VOTE

Women on ballot seek to shape Fort Bend's future By Stefan Modrich SMODRICH@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

Nishu Dada made a splash in her entry into the Fort Bend County political scene. She is a political science and Middle Eastern studies major at the University of Houston and volunteered for Nabila Mansoor, who ran for the District 2 seat on the Sugar Land City Council in 2019. Dada volunteered for another city council candidate in Dalia Kasseb, who lost in her bid to become Pearland’s first Muslim elected official. Naushad Kermally defeated Mansoor to become the first Muslim to serve on Sugar Land City Council. “It was really cool to be able to represent women,” Dada said. “Both of them unfortunately lost, but it was really cool to be able to work alongside women, because I feel like we don’t really get that representation, especially women in politics.” Many women in ethnically diverse Fort Bend County have stories similar to that of Dada, a Pakistani immigrant who arrived in the U.S. from Karachi as a 4-year-old. The Sugar Land resident is the campaign manager for Christian Becerra, who is challenging Jim Shoemake for the judgeship to preside over the county’s 434th District Court. Dada credited U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke for making

DeMerchant

Jaramillo

Markowitz

Richard

politics “relevant and accessible” for her and many of her younger peers with his U.S. Senate bid in 2018. “After that, I was like, ‘Oh, I’m sure he’s not the only person running,’ ” Dada said. “So I started emailing and volunteering to work for local campaigns. I tried to work for women as much as possible.” And thanks to the efforts of women like Dada, more women have been encouraged to run in down-ballot races across Texas, especially at the local and municipal level in Fort Bend County. One hundred years after the adoption of the 19th Amendment, which gave women in the U.S. the right to vote, two Fort Bend women are running in a pair of high-profile Texas House of Representatives contests. New Territory resident Sarah DeMerchant, a Democrat, is running against Republican Jacey Jetton for the District

28 seat vacated by outgoing State Rep. Rick Miller. DeMerchant, a Houston native, said she was inspired by strong women like Barbara Jordan, the first African American elected to the Texas Senate after Reconstruction, former Texas Gov. Ann Richards and Kathy Whitmire, the first woman to serve as mayor of Houston. “From my youth, I saw women in elected office,” DeMerchant said. “But because I was a child, and I was young, I didn’t have a view of all of the levels of government, city council, other local mayors. All I knew was what was local and applicable to what my parents put in front of me. I thought it was normal and typical for a woman to be in elected office. It took me to get older and start seeing pictures in the history books to realize, ‘Oh, this is rare.’ “Things are better, but things are not where they need to be,” she added. “There definitely is room for growth, because women are half of the population and a government should work for all of its people, not half or a third of its people.”

of the LGBTQ community, Markowitz would be the sixth openly gay woman elected to the Texas House if she wins her race. Markowitz and Dada both said the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg served as a model of persistence and commitment to equality. “She was a pivotal, inspirational judicial figure, ahead of her time,” Markowitz said. “She was able to develop theories and ways of thinking of the law for women during a time that equity did not exist. I think her work should be hailed, and I think that as a judicial figure, she should be put on a pedestal for what she did to help further women’s equality.” Markowitz was also impressed by the late Richards, calling her a “strong, nononsense woman.” “She didn’t take any crap from anybody,” Markowitz said. “She was willing to fight for what she believed in, even if it wasn’t popular with her peers. She fought for what was right regardless of how it impacted her personally.” Asked what characteristics she felt she shared with Ginsburg, Jordan and Richards, Markowitz said the through line with those giants of Texas history that she hopes to someday be among is a steely resolve

and determination to fight for one’s principles. “I do believe that we all have this quality that we’re unwilling to back down from something that we believe is right,” Markowitz said. “There’s an unwillingness to simply sit on the sidelines and see what will happen. There’s a compulsion to actually take an active role in changing the society for not just for themselves, but for the greater good.” DeMerchant said the most important quality she hopes to embody and emulate from her political heroes is courage. “That would be the quality that I admire most about them, and something that I try to have at all times,” DeMerchant said. DeMerchant said one of the often-overlooked aspects of the national suffragist movement was its engagement with Native American tribes in New York. “The women in these tribes had an equal voice in selecting the chief and who would run the villages,” DeMerchant said. “And having that equal respect.” DeMerchant said it is important to remember that African-American women such as Sojourner Truth, Mary McLeod Bethune, Ida B. Wells and Mary Church Terrell, pioneers who risked their lives to advocate for women’s suffrage, never lived to see the same rights as white women. “While it was a success, there was still more work that needed to be done,” DeMerchant said. “(There was more to be done) for the African-American community, for the poor white community, for the Latino community, for the Italian community, so we have to make sure we’re painting the full picture. And I think our generation is righting a lot of wrongs of yesterday. It has to start somewhere, and I think we are having that dialogue.”

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Fort Bend resident. Jaramillo became the first Hispanic judge in Fort Bend County when she was appointed by then-Gov. Rick Perry in 2014. She was born in Tecolotlan, Mexico, and immigrated to California, working in the Starr County District Attorney's office in Rio Grande City before she moved to Richmond. She hopes to serve as a bilingual role model to young Latinas, helping to overcome the gap in the often maledominated Hispanic and Latino legal community. “When they see me, I hope they realize that it’s something you also can do,” Jaramillo said. “it’s attainable.” She said she was inspired as a young girl and also later in her teenage years by watching former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Madeleine Albright, who served as Secretary of State under President Bill Clinton, on television. Jaramillo said she was fortunate that shortly after she became a mother at age 21, she began to pursue her college education and was able to bring her children with her to class. “Women, we’re worker bees,” Jaramillo said. “We like to get things done. We don’t like to delegate. We’re doers. Women play an important role in any organization where there’s a lot of action, and certainly politics is one of them.” Fort Bend County Clerk Laura Richard, who has served in the role since 2015, said the centennial has taken on an extra layer of significance because of her daughters. She said her oldest daughter turned 18 this year and therefore is eligible to vote for the first time. Richard said it makes her grateful for the work of the women who came before her to have sacrificed to make it possible for her and her daughter to exercise their right to participate in the political process. “Those brave women as Fort Bend County Clerks stepped into this position when women were probably still thought of as second-class citizens,” Richard said. “Even though they had gotten the right to vote, there were still things that women were not thought of as capable of.” Richard, who has served as county clerk since 2015, said she helped her daughter with a project tracing the origins of the passage of the 19th Amendment in Texas, which was celebrated a year earlier than the national ratification of the right to vote because Texas was one of the first southern states to adopt the amendment. “This was a great opportunity to not only learn about the movement, but the subsequent movements that advanced women economically and socially,” Richard said. “That legacy that goes before me is very important, and those women are heroes in my eyes.”

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100 Anniversary th

of the 19th Amendment WOMEN’S RIGHT TO VOTE

★ CENTENNIAL FROM PAGE 1 died, and we went to the funeral in Port Arthur. I asked her for a make-up assignment. And she said, ‘Oh no, you’re going to get an F. And I told her before I was going to be gone and I wanted to get a make-up assignment and that I might be gone for two days. And she said, ‘Well, you’ll just get an F for both days.’” She didn’t take the bait from the teacher at what was then a segregated school, and called the superintendent to ensure that her academic rights weren’t violated. Sure enough, after a series of explanations from the principal and superintendent, the teacher apologized and her academic integrity was restored. Similarly, Gaskin’s parents, who helped found the local chapter of the NAACP, taught her from a young age to keep a vigilant eye out for voter suppression or intimidation. Although white primaries were outlawed in Texas in 1944 and poll taxes were outlawed in 1964, AfricanAmerican women were not granted the right to vote until 1965, when Gaskin was a freshman at the University of Texas at Austin. When President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law in August 1965, it had not yet gone into effect, and even if it had, Gaskin was below the legal voting age, which was 21 at the time. “I grew up watching my dad pay the poll tax for people on the street so they could vote,” Gaskin said. “Because if you didn’t pay your poll tax, you couldn’t vote. I’ve seen receipts for poll taxes, $2, (which was) a lot of money in 1952. A loaf of bread was about 18 cents in 1952. That’s kind of how it got started and it evolved, organically. I’m an organic activist.” Leaving a legacy Brie Terry, a Missouri City

A woman walks toward the voting booth Monday at Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land. This year’s election marks the 100th anniversary of the ratiﬁcation of the 19th Amendment, which prohibited states or the federal government from denying the right to vote on the basis of sex. (Photo by Stefan Modrich)

woman who is also AfricanAmerican, cast her ballot Oct. 19 at Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land. She said she was encouraged to vote when she saw there were more women on the ballot across the county. “I think we talk about women having representation in all facets of life and professional settings,” Terry said. “I think definitely having more women representation in government is a good thing, especially since obviously our country was founded by a bunch of men. But I think over the years women have cemented their place within this country and history and have shown that we are capable of making informed decisions just like men are, and that we need that representation. Women work hard, and we should be recognized for it.” Terry said she came to vote with her fiancé and her mother, and her sister and her husband had planned to also vote early. “I think the enthusiasm about getting out and voting, exercising our right to vote, has been a positive throughout my family,” Terry said. Anna Lopez grew up in East Bernard in Wharton County, but working in the Fort Bend County court sys-

tem for 23 years brought her to Missouri City. She worked at the district court level and as a coordinator for Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Joel Clouser. She now canvasses for his daughter, Lynn Clouser, a candidate for City Council At Large Position 2 in Missouri City, and was handing out literature to early voters Oct. 19 outside the Missouri City Community Center. “I’ve always voted, my grandmother voted, even though back in her time they didn’t really have a lot of information about who to vote for,” Lopez said. “But then my mother and myself taught our children to vote. It really affects your daily life, whether it be fines, taxes or what have you.” Lopez said it’s important that voters learn to study the women who have made an impact on suffrage and voter participation on a local level and to appreciate their service to the community. She said the lesson she wants to pass down to her children and grandchildren is that every vote matters, and that elected officials need to stand up for their constituents. “It’s really such a privilege and honor (to vote),” Lopez said. “People have died for this right, and you don’t want to take it lightly. The younger generations are more about aggression. There’s a right way to do things, civilly. You’re going to get a lot more done with a pen then with aggression.” Gaskin says she is proof that women have always been capable of taking on crucial grassroots roles in politics, and she will continue to advocate for the candidates, community activists and political organizers who she feels are overlooked because of their gender. “Women have been given a bad rap,” Gaskin said. “What’s the old saying? ‘Women can do everything a man can do, and we can do it in high heels and walking backwards.’”

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★ ACTIVISM FROM PAGE 1 became the 36th state to ratify the 19th Amendment, the last one needed to adopt it into the U.S. Constitution. The 19th Amendment does not allow states or the federal government to deny citizens the right to vote on the basis of gender. Dr. Jessica BrannonWranosky, a professor of digital humanities and history at Texas A&M University-Commerce and the project director for the Handbook of Texas Women, said the often-repeated and commonly-taught story of the convention of suffragists in Seneca Falls, N.Y., while prominent in the historical narrative, is not the true starting point for the movement in the U.S. Several of the original 13 colonies that became the U.S. allowed women to vote in 1776. But in 1807, every state constitution prohibited women’s suffrage. She said New Jersey allowed women to vote in the country’s first presidential election in 1788 and Kentucky provided “very limited” voting rights to a small group of women in 1837. “It was very specific of the size of the urban area it had to be, and they had to be property owners,” BrannonWranosky said. “They had to be heads of households and to meet other certain requirements.” And at the time, there was no federal law addressing the definition of a voter — the idea of “one person, one vote” did not gather momentum in the legal system until the Civil Rights era of the 1960s, so voter participation in Texas was limited to white male landowners until 1919. In Rosenberg, a chapter of the Texas Woman Suffrage Association opened in 1918. Ann Graham McEachin was listed as chairwoman of the group in 1919, and her husband was a lawyer in Fort Bend County. Henrietta Katherine “Etta Mae” Moore Little was listed as one of the contacts for the group as early as 1914, according to Brannon-Wranosky. Ettta Mae was born in 1894 and died in 1975, the same year U.S. Rep. Barbara Jordan introduced the Voting Rights Act extension that mandated Spanish-language voting materials and banned any polling practice that had a discriminatory effect, regardless of intent. Etta Mae’s father was John

W E A RE H E RE O F F E RI N G C U RB S I D E S E RV I C E

Moore, a former Congressman who represented District 8 from 1905-13. One thing BrannonWrankosky said she found in her suffrage research was that often it was the daughters and wives of members of Congress getting involved in suffrage activities. Brannon-Wranosky said Texas was viewed as a fertile ground for reform by national suffrage leaders, especially in the post-Civil War Reconstruction era. “They thought Texas was one of the most promising southern states,” BrannonWranosky said. “Not only were there suffragists in Texas and women who were working on behalf of getting the right to vote, but there was a portion of legislators who were consistently interested (in women’s suffrage). Texas considered or discussed either in committee or on the floor of the Texas Legislature at different points women getting the right to vote fairly regularly for decades, starting during Reconstruction.” And Fort Bend became a place where women could begin political careers. The first woman to be elected district clerk was Imogene M. Chance of Richmond, who served in that role from 1921-24 and later served as county clerk from 1927-30. The first woman to be elected county clerk was Kate Mitchell, who was in office from 1923-26, and following her and Chance was Nannie M. Lehman, whose tenure as county clerk was from 1931-34. Brannon-Wranosky noted that gaining the support of male voters and male legislators was the only way the women’s suffrage movement was going to have the legal backing it needed to succeed. “We focus on women, and we should, because it’s their story and they’re the ones fighting and they’re the ones lobbying most of the time,”

Brannon-Wranosky said. “But it couldn’t have only been women or it never would have happened.” Even after securing the right to vote, women still faced challenges. A newspaper clipping courtesy of Chris Godbold, the curator of the Fort Bend History Museum, reported that between 1920 and 1922, nearly 10,000 women in the county paid poll taxes. A common misconception, Brannon-Wranosky said, is that women only became politically active once they gained the right to vote. She said there were women who held or ran for elected office at the local level in Texas even before the state passed the 19th Amendment in the 1890s. “Women were political before that,” Brannon-Wranosky said. “And they also usually have party identity, too, because if they’re not political then they don’t see themselves invested in gaining this voice, this right to vote. Gaining the right to vote is very much a community identity, because if you don’t think or feel or believe you are part of a community, then you don’t see yourself as needing that voice.” Echoing a sentiment shared by many local leaders in Fort Bend County and across the state’s fastest-growing metro areas, Brannon-Wranosky said the more diverse a voting population is, the more diverse its elected representatives should be. And while she finds that diversity promising, she said there’s still a long way to go, particularly when it comes to women holding elected office. “I don’t think there’s necessarily a benchmark that needs to be reached,” Brannon-Wranosky said. “But it certainly hasn’t been, whatever it is.” Follow the Star on social media @FortBend Star

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On one side, the Marshall Buffalos have become perennial playoff and state championship contenders under head coach James Williams, often using regular seasons to simply bide their time until the postseason. Across town, first-year head coach Ramon Chinyoung and the Willowridge Eagles are in largely unfamiliar early-season territory. How the two have gotten there, however, doesn’t really matter. Fort Bend ISD’s sole remaining unbeaten teams have been the class of the district so far and continued to roll last week, with both pitching shutouts to move to 4-0 on the season. Willowridge rode a hot defense and some timely scoring to victory, while the Buffalos ran roughshod early and often against Waltrip. The two teams also sit alone atop District 11-5A at 3-0, with a head-to-head matchup looming Nov. 12 as a potential districtchampionship decider. The Eagles used two touchdowns from quarterback Rufus Scott – one rushing, one passing – to lead the offense in scoring at least 20 points for the third straight week, defeating Sharpstown 24-0 last Saturday. It was the fourth consecutive multi-score game for Scott, who has now accounted for 10 total touchdowns through the season’s first month. Jamarcus Buckner added his first rushing touchdown of the season for Willowridge, which is 4-0 for the first time in more than a decade. Defensively, Willowridge shut out its second straight opponent. Je’Von Johnson and Dajuan Earthly each had interceptions as the Eagles forced four Sharpstown turnovers. The Eagles boast the second-best scoring defense in 11-5A, giving up 18 points in four contests so far this season. The only defense allowing few points than the Eagles? Their FBISD rival Marshall, which has yet to allow a point through four games. It was more of the same last Saturday as the Buffalos beat Waltrip 68-0

Marshall running back Aaron McGowen eludes a Waltrip tackler during last Saturday's game at Hall Stadium. (Photo by Landan Kuhlmann)

at Hall Stadium. Marshall stifled the Rams on defense, forcing four first-half turnovers. Defensive back Christian Jackson, who has college scholarship offers from Kansas and Pittsburgh, had two interceptions and a fumble to lead the way. Receiver Ja’vion Matthews took an end around 51 yards for a score on Marshall’s opening drive as the Buffaloes’ offense was off and running. Terrence Fontenot also ran for two touchdowns, while Aaron McGowen, Jy’Adrian Wortham and Runderick Dudley each had one as Marshall’s rushing attack paved the way. Matthews also caught two touchdown passes, while Chris Marshall had one. Quarterbacks Roland Harvey and Ja’Koby Banks threw total three touchdown passes as the Buffalos had their highest-scoring game of the season. Elsewhere in FBISD, a pair of area schools got the winless monkey off their backs as Ridge Point beat Clements and Dulles took down Bush. Ridge Point (1-2) averaged better than nine wins a season under former head coach Brett Sniffin, who is now at Belton, and made the playoffs in each of his eight seasons. But the Panthers had found tough sledding in the season’s early going until last Thursday’s 56-14 victory over Clements at Hall Stadium. Senior quarterback Bert Emanuel Jr. threw for 164 yards and four touchdowns (both career highs), while six different rushers totaled 202 yards. Senior receiver and Oklahoma State commitment John Paul Richardson hauled in four passes for 95 yards and three scoring tosses.

A relentless Ridge Point defense forced seven Clements turnovers, including a fourth quarter pick six by linebacker Taylor Davis, while Marvin Sessions added a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. In Dulles’ 28-6 win over Bush, the defense led the way for the Vikings (1-3) with four sacks while forcing three turnovers in their best defensive performance of the season, holding the Broncos scoreless in the second half to pull away. On offense, Mark Tisdell threw a season-high two touchdown passes, while Devin Graham ran for 79 yards and a score. A rundown of last week’s scores and this week’s games involving area teams is below. Last Week’s Scores Marshall 68, Waltrip 0 Foster 35, Hightower 34 Dulles 28, Bush 6 Ridge Point 56, Clements 14 Willowridge 24, Sharpstown 0 Travis 35, Austin 7 Stafford 27, West Columbia 17 This Week’s Games Thursday Bush vs. Austin, 6 p.m. (Mercer Stadium) Clements at George Ranch, 7 p.m. (Traylor Stadium) Friday Dulles vs. Travis, 7 p.m. (Mercer Stadium) Willowridge vs. Houston Austin, 7 p.m. (Hall Stadium) Hightower at Angleton, 7 p.m. (Angleton High School) Kempner at Foster, 7 p.m. (Traylor Stadium) Stafford at Brazosport, 7 p.m. Saturday Elkins vs. Ridge Point, 1 p.m. (Mercer Stadium) Marshall at Sharpstown, 2 p.m. (Barnett Stadium)

Sugar Land Holiday Lights tickets on sale By Landan Kuhlmann LKUHLMANN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

Tickets are on sale for the sixth annual Sugar Land Holiday Lights hosted by the Sugar Land Skeeters. The event will take place Nov. 20-Jan. 3 at Constellation Field. Lights will shine 6-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and

6-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets for MondayThursday sessions will be $15 for adults and $12 for seniors and children. Friday and Saturday tickets will cost $16 for adults and $14 for seniors and children. A New Year’s Eve show will take place Dec. 31 and cost $18 per adult and $14 for children and seniors. Community members

can purchase tickets by visiting sugarlandholidaylights.com, calling the Skeeters at 281-240-4487 or visiting the Skeeters’ ticket office at Constellation Field. Temperature checks prior to entry and be required to wear a mask at all times. For more information on the event, visit sugarlandskeeters.com or sugarland holidaylights. com.

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Plans vary by region and not all benefits are covered on all plans. Hearing benefit per ear.* Ask your licensed representative for details. WellCare Health Plans, Inc., is an HMO, PPO, PDP, PFFS plan with a Medicare contract and is an approved Part D Sponsor. Enrollment in our plans depends on contract renewal. Please contact our plans for details. For accommodation of persons with special needs at sales meetings, call 1-877-MY-WELLCARE (TTY: 711). There is no obligation to enroll. Our plans use a formulary. The formulary and/or pharmacy network may change at any time. You will receive notice when necessary. You have the choice to sign up for automated mail service delivery. You can get prescription drugs shipped to your home through our network mail service delivery program. You should expect to receive your prescription drugs within 10–14 calendar days from the time that the mail service pharmacy receives the order. If you do not receive your prescription drugs within this time, please contact us at 1-866-808-7471 (TTY 711), 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or visit mailrx.wellcare.com. Y0070_WCM_62577E_FINAL13_M CMS Accepted 09132020

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Sienna private school to add high school grades By Landan Kuhlmann LKUHLMANN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

Citing a need to accommodate special circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, an area private school plans to expand its grade-level offerings to include high school. Divine Savior Academy in the Sienna neighborhood of Missouri City at 770 Waters Lake Blvd., announced last week that it plans to add grades 9-12 in addition to its existing curriculum, which serves pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The transition will take place in phases beginning next

year. DSA principal Jake Unke said in a news release that the plan came in light of what the school viewed as a critical need in the area. As the pandemic has continued to impact the Houston region since March, Unke said the school’s application volume has increased by 72 percent as parents look for smaller class sizes to reduce potential exposure.

“Starting next school year, DSA will expand to offer ninth grade and then will add an additional grade every year until the academy is at full capacity,” he said. Founded in 2004, Divine Savior has four campuses across Florida and Texas. The Sienna campus was established in 2012 and serves 140 enrolled students. The plan, according to the school, is to add 20,000 square feet to its existing campus. Included in the new facilities will be a career and counseling center as well as planned expansions of DSA’s fine arts, leadership, second language immersion and STEM programs.

Contentious Jaybird Monument in Richmond likely to relocate By Stefan Modrich SMODRICH@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

The Jaybird Monument in Richmond could soon have a new home. The Fort Bend County Commissioners Court on Tuesday considered the approval of an agreement with the City of Richmond to relocate the long-standing monument in honor of the Jaybirds, the former local political group with a history of racism and discrimination. If approved by the commissioners court at their Tuesday meeting, which was held after press time, the agreement would entail the county funding the dismantling, transporting and reconstruction of the monument to Hodges Bend Cemetery in Sugar Land. The cemetery also would be responsible for maintaining the monument. The Richmond City Commission already had approved an agreement with the county for the monument, which was erected on what was then the site of the Fort Bend County courthouse in 1896. State Rep. Ron Reynolds of House District 27, which includes Meadows Place, Missouri City, Stafford and part of Houston, said he commended all of the community

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members who helped bring awareness to the monument’s significance and organized to voice their concerns about its visibility in the public square. He has been an advocate for the removal of the monument from its current location next to Richmond City Hall, the former site of the county courthouse. “I’m eager, I’m pleased, to see the monument come down and be relocated,” Reynolds added. “I think that Fort Bend is on the right side of history by doing so.” He said the relocation can be an opportunity to educate future generations about the Jaybird and Woodpecker parties and that a museum exhibit would be a proper way to provide historical context about the violent, forcible removal of freely elected Woodpeckers in a series of battles that resulted in seven deaths. During the post-Civil War reconstruction era, many African-American men who were newly-freed slaves voted for the first time. As a result, 44 African-American men held positions of power in Fort Bend County between 1869 and 1889. The Jaybirds seized control of the county after then-Governor Sul Ross declared martial law and dispatched the Houston Light Guards and Texas Rangers to

FORT BEND INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT STATEMENT OF REVENUES, EXPENDITURES, AND CHANGES IN FUND BALANCES GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS FOR THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2020 Data Control Codes 5700 5800 5900 5020

Revenues Local, intermediate, and out-of-state State program revenues Federal program revenues Total revenues

0093 0099 6030

Expenditures Current: Instruction Instructional resources and media services Curriculum and instructional staff development Instructional leadership School leadership Guidance, counseling, & evaluation services Social work services Health services Student transportation Food services Extracurricular activities General administration Facilities maintenance and operations Security and monitoring services Data processing services Community services Debt Service: Principal on long-term debt Interest on long-term debt Bond issuance costs and fees Capital Outlay: Facilities acquisition and construction Intergovernmental: Payments related to shared services arrangement Payments to tax appraisal district Total Expenditures

1100

Excess (deficiency) of revenues over expenditures

7911 7911 7912 7915 7916 7080

Other Financing Sources (Uses) Refunding bonds issued Capital related debt issued Sale of real or personal property Transfers in Premium or discount on issuance of bonds Total other financing sources and uses

0011 0012 0013 0021 0023 0031 0032 0033 0034 0035 0036 0041 0051 0052 0053 0061 0071 0072 0073 0081

1200 0100 1300 3000

Net change in fund balances Fund Balances - Beginning Prior period adjustment Change in accounting principles Fund Balances - Ending

General Fund

Debt Service Funds

Non-major Governmental Funds

Total Governmental Funds

$ 418,309,565 278,845,262 13,423,952 710,578,779

$ 116,560,282 1,589,893 118,150,175

429,865 429,865

$ 17,626,692 20,020,507 53,119,645 90,766,844

$ 552,926,404 300,455,662 66,543,597 919,925,663

414,783,038 7,968,666 13,729,814 19,047,793 49,034,089 34,796,769 1,799,423 8,645,749 21,810,058 49,443 15,675,121 19,695,678 70,938,785 9,577,827 19,210,161 413,199

26,248,498 995,586 3,366,644 331,566 74,765 141,778 49,753,224 1,984,410 9,270,788 -

42,047,917 220,466 7,022,428 1,399,550 155,847 4,130,819 474,692 1,332,331 407,723 27,719,548 6,365,442 1,920 432,262 1,110,346 868,113

483,079,453 9,184,718 20,752,242 20,447,343 49,189,936 38,927,588 2,274,115 9,978,080 25,584,425 28,100,557 22,115,328 19,839,376 121,124,271 12,672,583 28,480,949 1,281,312

219,438,388 48,335,235 1,515,977

1,111,420

219,438,388 48,335,235 2,627,397

127,103,689

419,497 2,639,249 710,234,359

269,289,600

220,382,368

278,208 93,967,612

697,705 2,639,249 1,293,873,939

344,420

(151,139,425)

(219,952,503)

(3,200,768)

146,750,000

Capital Projects $

(373,948,276)

246,649 2,500,000 2,746,649

20,189,610 166,939,610

145,630,000 9,601,420 155,231,420

50,340 50,340

3,091,069

15,800,185

(64,721,083)

(3,150,428)

(48,980,257)

238,119,693

78,872,980

(29,845,326)

9,073,918

296,221,265

94,673,165

$ (94,566,409)

3,834,868 9,758,358

3,834,868 $ 251,075,876

$ 241,210,762

146,750,000 145,630,000 296,989 2,500,000 29,791,030 324,968,019

Richmond. The Woodpeckers were pressured to resign, and the newly-installed Jaybirds disenfranchised African-American voters, utilizing white-only primaries until the practice was banned in 1953. “My suggestion would be a museum, and you could give a proper historical perspective, not the false narrative that’s there in terms of ‘Our Heroes’ but in terms of what they represented in terms of actual history,” Reynolds said. “So that history is not repeated.” Tres Davis, a longtime Richmond resident and former teacher who has run for mayor and twice ran for city commissioner, said he was disappointed the city took so long to act. He said the movement to remove the monument began in earnest four years ago, but had begun to gather momentum back in June. “I do think it was ridiculous that we did a petition, got over 6,000 signatures that said it should be removed or destroyed, and then they didn’t respect that,” Davis said. “So they had an ad hoc committee, that ad hoc committee did a survey, and that survey came back saying that the monument should be removed. They still didn’t want to do it. Then they formed another ad hoc committee, and they came to the understanding that it should be moved. “So I’m not going to give them credit for something that they knew they should have done a long time ago. After all the press and all the work and everything, they still tried to slow walk it. I’m glad it’s being moved, but I’m not going to act like they did it out of the goodness of their hearts for the residents and the women and minorities that were discriminated against by the Jaybirds.” Davis said there are still remnants of discrimination that remain long after the abolition of Jim Crow laws under former longtime mayor Hilmar Moore, and his wife Evalyn Moore, who was appointed mayor after her husband’s death in 2012. A 2008 Houston Chronicle article said the former mayor, who was one of the longestserving in the U.S., evolved in his views on race and persuaded restaurant owners in town to integrate. Evalyn Moore is running for re-election against Andre Robinson Sr. and Rebecca Kennelly Haas. “You have 70- or 80-yearold families who have never had any mayor without the last name Moore,” Davis said. “If you’re living in Richmond, your kids, you, your parents and your grandparents could all be living right now and they’ve never had anybody without the last name Moore as their mayor.” Davis said many residents have been afraid to speak up about the city’s checkered racial past, enabling the monument to endure well beyond how long he believes it should have. “Richmond thrives on being a place where hate and racial prejudices will not be tolerated,” an Oct. 20 news release from the city read. “The City seeks to preserve the history of the community while being sensitive to all members of the community.”

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Wednesday, October 28, 2020 • PAGE

(Un)covering the history of women's suffrage Washington Post President and Publisher Philip L. Graham is credited for being the first to describe journalism as “the first rough draft of history.” Malcolm Gladwell, bestselling author and journalist, has a podcast called “Revisionist History” which attempts to explain things that have been overlooked or misunderstood. And there is, in my estimation, plenty about the topic of suffrage in America that remains either overlooked or misunderstood. As we inch closer to Election Day, we finally have the privilege to present our special edition commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which revisits an important chapter in Fort Bend County history, a time in which some women were granted the right to vote.

★ AWARDED FROM PAGE 1 lemonade business. Gaye Jackson, the city director for Lemonade Day Houston, said the organization chose Roesler for her innovative approach to completing the program’s business lessons while attending school remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “She’s a remarkable girl,” Jackson said. “We’re thrilled that she’s our entrepreneur of the year.” Jackson said the conditions of the pandemic forced many families to spend more time together at home, which was one silver lining for Lemonade Day participants — it created educational opportunities for any family members who are interested, not merely for their children. “Very few people know how to do a business plan,” Jackson said. “We teach our kids to make a budget and do a business plan, and those are things that translate to their parents, to their family life, or anything else.” Roesler had originally started her business as a way to help save up for a new bicycle, one without training wheels. On Saturday, she received a bicycle at an event in Katy as a prize from Lemonade Day Houston. She also was entered into the Lemonade Day National Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Contest. Her mother, Jenny Roesler, entered her into the program two years ago, and with her support, Sabrina participated in their first event, the “BuildA-Stand” workshop. Sabrina has also participated in the 2019 Best Tasting Lemonade Contest at Harold’s Restaurant, Bar & Rooftop Terrace in the Houston Heights, and the inaugural Lemonade Day Houston Kids Pitch event at The Ion, an innovation and startup hub in Midtown where she won third place. She also attended Lemonade Day Weekend in May 2019 at Sugar Land Town Square, and she has been at several pop-up shops this year, including Lemonade Day My Way this year outside the Kendra Scott store at First Colony Mall.

E E E E

ing, it wasn’t enough to ensure that many of your neighbors would have been able to vote at the time, and it is an important step for Fort Bend County to recognize its own shortcomings and accounting for them by ensuring that women (and all people) of color were eventually able to vote after being disenfranchised for far too long. I have several people to

extend my thanks toward for their time and effort in helping me research and report my stories on the past, present and future of women’s suffrage and political participation. First and foremost, to all of the candidates and elected officials, but also to the researchers, like Dr. Jessica Brannon-Wranosky, a professor of digital humanities and history at Texas A&M University-Commerce and the project director for the Handbook of Texas Women. She gave me a heads up to what I would soon realize (to both my disappointment and my delight, as I’ve always loved a challenge) during my subsequent conversations with other historians — that much of the details of the lives and careers of the Suffragists in Fort Bend County is unknown. So rest assured, I have not told a defin-

itive history of this movement, but I will not cease in my desire to continue digging to ensure that future anniversaries will be celebrated more holistically and with greater appreciation for the depth of the historical context of the women’s suffrage movement in Fort Bend County. I also am grateful for the support of Betty Chapman and Rae Bryant of the Houston Suffragists Project, Chris Godbold of the Fort Bend History Museum, Carol Beauchamp of the George Memorial Library, and all of the candidates, officials and voters who took their time to share their perspectives with me for this series of stories. Much like the women who stepped up to make sure their voice was heard at the polls, Brannon-Wranosky said there is a need to continue to

document and research the history of women’s suffrage at the grassroots level. She said she’s currently working on a book that documents the women’s suffrage in Texas as part of a larger southern regional push and its connection to the national movement. “We need a lot more local suffrage history done and always do,” Brannon-Wranosky said during my conversation with her on Sept. 25. “Currently there is not a book on suffrage in Texas from the local perspective, even a regional perspective.(Suffrage) will be mentioned in a book about Dallas women, Galveston women, or San Antonio, whatever. But we don’t have a book that just talks about suffrage at the local level.” As Brannon-Wranosky also told me, I am sure the

COVID-19 pandemic has also limited access to archives as many professors and academic professionals work from home. It is my hope that the digital scanning and archiving of documents and artifacts from the period has only temporarily been slowed and that there is more in the form of public records and tangible pieces of history out there for the public to consume. In any case, I humbly call upon the public and the researchers and historians of Fort Bend County’s various historical preservation organizations to help us come together to try to compile a more complex and thorough history, one that we can all be proud of, in spite of its flaws, and look toward a future where we can measure the progress we’ve made.

And her business model is one that is likely to appeal to many health-conscious parents like Jenny, positioning Fresh’n Juicy as a healthy alternative to soda and sugary drinks for kids. “It was my idea to make it healthier,” Sabrina said. “We did that, because I’m one of the rare kids who has never had a soda in their life.” Sabrina’s signature flavor is the “Muddy Buddy” lemonade, made with raw brown sugar. She also offers strawberry, raspberry and original, which is sweetened with agave nectar. Sabrina discovered the raw brown sugar was a local favorite in her mother and grandmother’s hometown of Bogotá, Colombia. Her grandma now lives at home with Sabrina and Jenny, and her traditional recipes helped Fresh’n Juicy to stand out from the other lemonade stand entrants. “We really wanted to add that Latin flavor,” Jenny said. “We know that a lot of people like it with spices and stuff, and I actually am in the process of developing, for marketing purposes, some recipes, where you can actually use lemon-

ade the way we actually make it and maybe mixing it with spices or things that make it interesting, or you can warm it up, and it’s good for winter. It’s lemonade that will serve a bunch of different purposes.” Sabrina’s Lemonade Day mentor, Dommonic Nelson, whom she met during a Shark Tank-style pitch event, started a business that retrofits lockers into food pickup stations for customers and delivery services as well as smart lockers for pharmacies, print shops and co-working spaces. His restaurant-specific concept is called the Yummy Box. “He helped me with the lemonade stand, he taught me everything I needed to know about advertising and things like that,” Sabrina said. “He still helps me a lot right now, even through Zoom, or other things.” In the future, she said she would like to package and distribute her drinks and expand her business to include selling baked goods, T-shirts and friendship bracelets, all while advocating a healthy lifestyle. “She always has big goals, she always has big dreams,” Jackson said. “And she goes

after them. I love that. She wants to give back.” Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sabrina visited cancer patients and used her artistic skills to bring them joy. More recently, she gifted drawings and cards with notes of encouragement to Louisiana residents who were affected by Hurricane Laura. Sabrina has also supported Sole Loved, a local charity that collects donated shoes for children in need. She’s also continuing to schedule pop-up events. Her next public appearance is slated for 2-6 p.m. Nov. 14 at Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen in Rosenberg. The timing of Sabrina’s award couldn’t be better for Jackson. Lemonade Day Houston is making a big push to recruit in Fort Bendarea schools, and has secured partnerships with Kendra

Scott, the Sugar Land Skeeters and Closing Strong LLC., a Richmond-based business consulting firm. ‘We have great participation, and that’s where we

want to grow,” Jackson said. “Our next big push is going to be the Fort Bend area. Hopefully other kids will want to do our program also.”

As you’ll read in our report-

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A United Methodist Community 3300 Austin Parkway • Sugar Land, TX 77479 Sunday Worship in the Sanctuary Simple Service / Prayer & Communion: 8 am Contemporary: 9:15 am / Traditional: 10:30 am Modern: 10:30 am Sunday School for all ages available at 9:15 www.christchurchsl.org wishes to give special thanks to Hermann Memorial Hospice and their special Angels of Care – especially Lauren, Shantae, Christina, Tammy, Anthony, Stacie, Katrina, Francis, Hospice Pharmacy; and, Chaplains Hector & Royce – they made this devastating journey as peaceful as they possibly could. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to, any reputable Cancer research & preventative organization; Memorial Hermann Hospice, https://www. memorialhermann.org/hospice/; Special Pals Dog Rescue, Katy, TX, https://specialpalsshelter.org.

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will live on as long as my heart is beating; and, in the hearts of her many friends and family.” Brenda was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her beloved husband, David Renner; daughter, Jentry Kelley; step-daughters, Michaela Renner and Patricia Renner; grandson, Liam Kelley Lynch; sister, Patsy Fraley Davis; numerous loving aunts, uncles; cousins; nieces & nephews; and of course many, many friends & former colleagues. Brenda & David were long time members of both Rosenberg & Wallis American Legion C&W Dance Clubs. David

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Scripture of the week “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” - John 14:27

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PAGE 8 • Wednesday, October 28, 2020

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Fort Bend County tax offices reopen doors to public By Landan Kuhlmann LKUHLMANN@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

All Fort Bend County tax offices have reopened to the public. A news release from

Tax Assessor-Collector Carrie Surratt’s office said all locations reopened to the community in full beginning on Monday, though the second floor of the Missouri City office will remain closed to

dealers. Community members will undergo a temperature check prior to entry and must wear a mask or face covering at all times while inside. Seating will also be lim-

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ited in order to adhere to social distancing guidelines, according to the county. The Tax Office has area locations in Missouri City (307 Texas Pkwy.), Sugar Land (12550 Emily

A DS

Ct.), Sienna (5855 Sienna Springs Way) and Needville (3743 School St.) along with its main office at 1317 Eugene Heimann Circle in Richmond. “We want to thank our customers for their

patience as we made adjustments during this pandemic,” Surratt said. For updates and relevant information, visit for tbendcou nt y t x.gov/ taxoffice or follow the Tax Office on social media.

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LEGALS NOTICE TO BIDDERS US90A LANDSCAPE MEDIAN REHABILITATION PHASE III The City of Sugar Land seeks bids for performing all work required for the following project in the City: BID NO. 2021-03: US90A LANDSCAPE MEDIAN REHABILITATION PHASE III BIDDER’S NAME, ADDRESS, AND DUE DATE

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For questions regarding this bid, please post on Public Purchase www. publicpurchase.com no later than 3:00 p.m. Thursday, November 5, 2020. The City will award the contract and give notice of award within sixty (60) calendar days after the opening date and time.

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Specifications and bidding documents may be obtained by registering with Public Purchase www.publicpurchase.com. Sealed bids in triplicate, one (1) original and two (2) copies, shall be delivered to the City of Sugar Land, Office of the City Secretary, 2700 Town Center Boulevard North, Suite 122, Sugar Land, Texas, 77479, on or before 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 12, 2020, at which time bids will be publicly opened and read via teleconference. Bids received after the opening date and time will not be considered

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LEGALS NOTICE TO BIDDERS HYDRANT PAINTING SERVICES The City of Sugar Land seeks bids for performing all work required for the following project in the City: BID NO. 2021-01: HYDRANT PAINTING SERVICES BIDDER’S NAME, ADDRESS, AND DUE DATE Specifications and bidding documents may be obtained by registering with Public Purchase www.publicpurchase.com. Sealed bids in triplicate, one (1) original and two (2) copies, shall be delivered to the City of Sugar Land, Office of the City Secretary, 2700 Town Center Boulevard North, Suite 122, Sugar Land, Texas, 77479, on or before 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 5, 2020, at which time bids will be publicly opened and read via teleconference. Bids received after the opening date and time will not be considered For questions regarding this bid, please post on Public Purchase www.publicpurchase.com no later than 3:00 p.m. Thursday, October 29, 2020. The City will award the contract and give notice of award within sixty (60) calendar days after the opening date and time.

The City of Sugar Land seeks bids for performing all work required for the following project in the City:

BID NO. 2021-07: PURCHASE OF FUEL FOR THE CITY OF SUGAR LAND BIDDER’S NAME, ADDRESS, AND DUE DATE

BID NO. 2021-05: TRAFFIC SIGNAL POLE ASSEMBLIES BIDDER’S NAME, ADDRESS, AND DUE DATE

Specifications and bidding documents may be obtained by registering with Public Purchase www.publicpurchase.com.

For questions regarding this bid, please post on Public Purchase www. publicpurchase.com no later than 3:00 p.m. Thursday, November 5, 2020.

The City will award the contract and give notice of award within sixty (60) calendar days after the opening date and time.

NOTICE TO BIDDERS SIDEWALK & TRAIL REHABILITATION The City of Sugar Land seeks bids for performing all work required for the following project in the City: BID NO. 2021-04: SIDEWALK & TRAIL REHABILITATION AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS BIDDER’S NAME, ADDRESS, AND DUE DATE Specifications and bidding documents may be obtained by registering with Public Purchase www.publicpurchase.com. Sealed bids in triplicate, one (1) original and two (2) copies, shall be delivered to the City of Sugar Land, Office of the City Secretary, 2700 Town Center Boulevard North, Suite 122, Sugar Land, Texas, 77479, on or before 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 5, 2020, at which time bids will be publicly opened and read via teleconference. Bids received after the opening date and time will not be considered For questions regarding this bid, please post on Public Purchase www.publicpurchase.com no later than 3:00 p.m. Thursday, October 29, 2020. The City will award the contract and give notice of award within one hundred eighty (180) calendar days after the opening date and time.

NOTICE TO BIDDERS MANHOLE AND VALVE REPAIR SERVICES

Sealed bids in triplicate, one (1) original and two (2) copies, shall be delivered to the City of Sugar Land, Office of the City Secretary, 2700 Town Center Boulevard North, Suite 122, Sugar Land, Texas, 77479, on or before 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 5, 2020, at which time bids will be publicly opened and read via teleconference. Bids received after the opening date and time will not be considered For questions regarding this bid, please post on Public Purchase www.publicpurchase.com no later than 3:00 p.m. Thursday, October 29, 2020. The City will award the contract and give notice of award within sixty (60) calendar days after the opening date and time.

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NOTICE TO CREDITORS Notice is hereby given that the Letters of Independent Administration for the Estate of Paul Vernon Eggleston, Sr., Deceased were issued on the 19th of October, 2020, under Docket Number 20-CPR034793, pending in the Probate Court No. 3 of Fort Bend County, Texas. All persons having claims against this Estate which is currently being administered are required to present them to the undersigned within the time and in the manner prescribed by law. Peggy Eggleston c/o Sherry B. Angelo, Attorney at Law, 1106 Vista Creek Drive, Sugar Land, Texas 77478.

GARAGE SALE? LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW!

281.690.4200

NOTICE TO BIDDERS METER REPLACEMENT PROGRAM

The City of Sugar Land seeks bids for performing all work required for the following project in the City: BID NO. 2021-03: MANHOLE AND VALVE REPAIR SERVICES BIDDER’S NAME, ADDRESS, AND DUE DATE Specifications and bidding documents may be obtained by registering with Public Purchase www.publicpurchase.com.

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NOTICE TO BIDDERS TRAFFIC SIGNAL POLE ASSEMBLIES

NOTICE TO BIDDERS PURCHASE OF FUEL FOR THE CITY OF SUGAR LAND

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Notice is hereby given that the Letters of Independent Administration for the Estate of Elaine T. Helton, Deceased were issued on the 12ths of October, 2020, under Docket Number 20-CPR-0347436, pending in the Probate Court No. 5 of Fort Bend County, Texas. All persons having claims against this Estate which is currently being administered are required to present them to the undersigned within the time and in the manner prescribed by law. Barry J. Helton c/o Sherry B. Angelo, Attorney at Law, 1106 Vista Creek Drive, Sugar Land, Texas 77478.

The City of Sugar Land seeks bids for performing all work required for the following project in the City: BID NO. 2021-02: METER REPLACEMENT PROGRAM BIDDER’S NAME, ADDRESS, AND DUE DATE Specifications and bidding documents may be obtained by registering with Public Purchase www.publicpurchase.com. Sealed bids in triplicate, one (1) original and two (2) copies, shall be delivered to the City of Sugar Land, Office of the City Secretary, 2700 Town Center Boulevard North, Suite 122, Sugar Land, Texas, 77479, on or before 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 5, 2020, at which time bids will be publicly opened and read via teleconference. Bids received after the opening date and time will not be considered

★★★★

For questions regarding this bid, please post on Public Purchase www. publicpurchase.com no later than 3:00 p.m. Thursday, October 29, 2020.

★

The City will award the contract and give notice of award within sixty (60) calendar days after the opening date and time.

FOR SALE

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FORT BEND COUNTY KEY RACES

★ DISTRICT 22 FROM PAGE 1 to stay in diplomacy for the rest of his life, but the response by President Donald Trump to the white supremacist rallies in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017 compelled him to run. “I realized I couldn’t in good conscience serve an administration that didn’t represent me or my values,” Kulkarni said. “So, I decided to resign and return home to fight for true representation for my community.” The Houston native is a direct descendant of Sam Houston and speaks five foreign languages: Mandarin, Spanish, Hindi, Russian and Hebrew. The linguistic diversity has been a notable aspect of Kulkarni’s outreach, communicating with potential voters in 27 different languages, including Hindi, Chinese, Vietnamese, Spanish, Gujarati and Tamil. “Our minority communities have been ignored by politicians for decades, and it is time they are given a seat at the table,” Kulkarni said. Asked how he would reach across the aisle to work with his political opponents, Kulkarni said he would draw on his experience in conflict resolution and negotiations. “I know the value and importance of compromise and cooperation,” Kulkarni said. “I sat with parties that hated each other, and still managed to strike compromises that saved lives, ended bloodshed and created peace. Similarly, in Congress, I know that my job isn’t to score political points, but to do what is right for my community. I won’t be focused on moving right or left, but forward.” He also served in the U.S. Senate as an advisor on foreign policy, defense and veterans affairs in New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s office, writing legislation concerning

President and Vice President: Donald J. Trump* / Michael R. Pence* (R) Joseph R. Biden/ Kamala D. Harris (D) Jo Jorgensen/ Jeremy “Spike” Cohen (L) Howie Hawkins / Angela Walker (G) U.S. House District 9: Al Green* (D) vs. Johnny Teague (R) U.S. House District 22: Troy Nehls (R) vs. Sri Preston Kulkarni (D) U.S. Senator from Texas: John Cornyn* (R) MJ Hegar (D) Kerry Douglas McKennon (L) David B. Collins (G) Railroad Commissioner: James “Jim” Wright (R) Chrysta Castañeda (D) Matt Sterett (L) Katija Gruene (G) Texas House District 26: Jacey Jetton (R) vs. Sarah DeMerchant (D) Texas House District 27: Ron Reynolds* (D) vs. Tom Virippan (R) Texas House District 28: Gary Gates* (R) vs. Eliz Markowitz (D) Texas House District 85: Phil Stephenson* (R) vs. Joey Cardenas III (D) Texas Senate District 13: Borris Miles* (D)+ Texas Senate District 18: Michael Antalan (D) vs. Lois Kolkhorst* (R) Fort Bend County Sheriff: Trever Nehls (R) vs. Eric Fagan (D) Fort Bend County Attorney: Steve Rogers (R) vs. Bridgette Smith-Lawson (D)

Fort Bend County Precinct 1 Commissioner: Vincent Morales* (R) vs. Jennifer Cantu (D) Fort Bend County Precinct 1 Constable: Mike Beard* (R) vs. Sam Hayes (D) Fort Bend County Precinct 2 Constable: Daryl Smith* (D)+ Fort Bend County Precinct 4 Constable: John G. Hermann (R) vs. Nabil Shike (D) Fort Bend County Tax Assessor-Collector: James Pressler (R) vs. Carmen Turner (D) Fort Bend County Judge, County Court Law No. 5: Teana Watson* (D) vs. Dean Hrbacek (R) Fort Bend County Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1, Place 1: Cody Moore (D) vs. Gary Janssen* (R) Stafford Mayoral Candidates: AJ Honore, Wen Guerra, Cecil Willis, Jim Narvios Stafford City Council Position 4 Don Jones, Adam Sanchez Stafford City Council Position 6 Ken Mathew*+ Missouri City Mayoral Candidates: Yolanda Ford*, Robin J. Elackatt, Fred G. Taylor Missouri City Council At-Large 1: Go to Reginald Pearson, Vashaundra Edwards* fortbendstar.com Missouri City Council At-Large 2: Chris Preston*, James Mable, Lynn Clouser for race previews Sugar Land Mayoral Candidates: + indicates Joe Zimmerman*+ unopposed Sugar Land City Council At-Large 1: *Asterisk Taylor Landin, William Ferguson indicates Sugar Land City Council At-Large 2: incumbent Jennifer Lane*+

Wednesday, October 28, 2020 • PAGE

Olson eventually aligned with Nehls and said he thinks his fellow Republican will win. “The bottom line is the American people do not want socialism,” Olson said. “Most Democrats are getting pulled down that route." Kulkarni and Nehls seem to have found common ground in the area of law enforcement and criminal justice reform. Nehls instituted recidivism reduction programs designed to assist non-violent inmates with HVAC and welding skills training courses to help them find employment upon release. Kulkarni said he supports the use of body cameras on

police officers and sensitivity training, and would also push to ban chokeholds and end qualified immunity. "I do not support defunding the police," Kulkarni said. "However, we must acknowledge that many Americans — especially Black and brown Americans—have suffered at the hands of police officers that have acted unfairly. Police brutality is a huge issue our communities face and we have to invest in solutions that provide much-needed justice and protection for the Black community without hindering the ability of police officers to do their jobs.”

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Above is a rundown of candidates in locally relevant political races. (Graphic by Brooke Nance)

American national security and international priorities, which he said helped him understand the legislative process. “When I was working in the Senate, I hosted a breaking bread series with my Republican colleagues to discuss kitchen table issues over meals,” Kulkarni said. “While we did not often see ideologically eye to eye, we would use the time to find common ground.” Bob Stein, a political science professor at Rice University, called the race between Kulkarni and Nehls "extremely ugly" in terms of negative campaigning. According to the latest campaign finance data com-

piled by the Federal Election Commission, Kulkarni has raised nearly $5 million and had more than $712,000 in cash on hand as of Oct. 14. Nehls’ campaign has raised a little more than $1.5 million and had nearly $165,000 left. “That's a bizarre race. I would never have thought that Sir Kulkarni would, how do I put this, be favored,” Stein said. “It’s close. It’s incredibly close.” Stein said the numbers he’s seeing in terms of early voting and mail-in voting indicate Fort Bend County will continue to turn Democrat, a similar

trend to the big shift in 2018 when KP George was elected as county judge and Olson held off Kulkarni by about 5 percentage points. Stein said the fact Harris County will be decidedly Democrat could hurt Nehls, since the district includes part of Harris County. Olson, a Republican, said in early August that he initially backed Pierce Bush, the grandson of George H.W. Bush and nephew of George W. Bush. But Pierce Bush didn't make it through the primary, with Nehls beating Kathaleen Wall in a runoff.

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PAGE 10 • Wednesday, October 28, 2020

THE STAR

See us online www.FortBendStar.com

Review: Trill Taco authentically Houstonian By Stefan Modrich SMODRICH@FORTBENDSTAR.COM

Bold, bright and unapologetic, Trill Taco is one of the latest additions to a bustling Missouri City food scene that pays tribute to some of Houston’s greatest musical artists while fusing together a melting pot of flavors not unlike the makeup of the area itself. Just as its food combines multiple cultures, the name of the restaurant itself, Trill, is also a hybrid, a blend of the words “true” and “real” that originated in Port Arthur and was made popular by Bun B of the rap group UGK (Under Ground Kingz), who rose to prominence amid the hip-hop boom on Houston’s South Side in the 1980s. In fact, Bun B himself gave Trill Taco his seal of approval, stopping by Sept.

5 to hold a merchandise signing for the year-old restaurant. A working knowledge of Houston music history certainly isn’t a requirement to enjoy Trill Taco, but it will enhance your experience if you are a fan of the slower-paced “chopped and screwed” rap that you’ll find playing. As you wait for your order, you might find that the color purple is prominently featured everywhere from the logo to the menu as well as an impressive array of wall art from local artists and mood lighting. And with many smaller restaurants like Trill Taco being forced to get creative to adhere to social distancing guidelines and opting to not offer dinein service, it’s reassuring to know that they still value key aspects of the customer experience. In other words, waiting for your food doesn’t

and mixed cheese draped in queso and trill sauce. Though I tend to prefer an excellent taco over a burrito, there’s something indulgent and comforting about a really good burrito, and that’s exactly what I consider the Fat Pat to be. I’ve gathered a few taco recommendations for firsttimers that also top my list for when I make my return visit: The Sweet Jones ($3.50), a taco with crispy fried chicken and honey butter sauce, and Thee Stallion ($3.79), which is highlighted by marinated grilled steak and served with onions, mixed cheese, cilantro, pico de gallo and a signature trill sauce.

Trill Taco

From left to right are the Bun B and Screwed Up Chicken tacos and the Fat Pat burrito from Trill Taco, located at 2887 Dulles Ave. in Missouri City. (Photo by Stefan Modrich)

have to feel like waiting for a dentist appointment or having an audit done on your taxes. Everything on the menu is a tribute to someone involved in Houston’s rich musical past and present. I ordered The Bun-B ($2.99), which includes seasoned ground beef, a mix of cheeses, lettuce, pico de gallo,

and a signature house sauce served on a flour tortilla. I paired it with the Screwed Up Chicken ($3.29), which features grilled curry chicken with onions, shredded lettuce, mixed cheese and pico de gallo, smothered with another one of Trill’s homemade sauces. The Fat Pat ($7.79) is a burrito stuffed with ground beef

Address: 2887 Dulles Ave., Missouri City Dining Options: Takeout, curbside pickup, delivery via Grubhub and Uber Eats Hours: 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday Entrée prices: $2.99$8.29 Kid-friendly: Yes Senior discount: No Healthy options: Cactus Jack Star of the show: Screwed Up Chicken

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COMMUNITY

Deadline is noon every Friday. Limit entries to 40 words and answer the “5 Ws” Who, What, When, Where, and Why. Email to editor@fortbendstar.com or mail to: Fort Bend Star, 3944 Bluebonnet Drive, Stafford, Texas 77477.

CALENDAR

FOR NON-PROFIT EVENTS

In light of the COVID-19 outbreak and the cancellation of several community gatherings, please check with each organization for updated information about the status of their events. NOVEMBER 3 FORT BEND JUNIOR SERVICE LEAGUE FBJSL and Memorial Hermann Sugar Land present Sugar Plum Marketplace Ð A Virtual Holiday Shopping Affair on Nov. 3-8. Tickets are $15 each; or purchase 5 and receive 1 free. Event proceeds beneﬁt charities serving Fort Bend County. Visit www. sugarplummarketplace.com. NOVEMBER 5 RICHMOND-ROSENBERG ALZHEIMER’S CAREGIVER SUPPORT In light of current events related to COVID 19, we are unable to meet face-to-face. We are holding a Zoom meeting at 7 p.m. Please click on the following link to register for the upcoming meeting: us02web.zoom.us/ meeting/register/tZAuc-ispzMoHNezLo4P_ V9Tnoa91w1q0mII. NOVEMBER 12 Weekly class designed to help you understand

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and appreciate the Bible by giving you a better sense of the land and culture from which it sprang. The class meets at 9:45 am every Sunday at First Presbyterian of Sugar Land (502 Eldridge Rd.). For more information call 281-240-3195 FT. BEND/HARRIS RETIRED EDUCATORS ZOOM MEETING Ft. Bend/Harris Retired Educators next zoom meeting is Thursday morning, November 12th, at 10:00. The program speaker is Christina Tam from Ft. Bend Libraries. She will give a presentation on their many digital databases and multiple online resources. We look forward to all our members joining us. Paid members will receive their zoom invitation a week prior to the meeting. For further information email cmduvall@aol. com. ONGOING DVD-BASED ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS WITH NO HOMEWORK REQUIRED Weekly class designed to help you understand and appreciate the Bible by giving you a better sense of the land and culture from which it sprang. The class meets at 9:45 am every Sunday at First Presbyterian of Sugar Land (502 Eldridge Rd.). For more

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MISSOURI CITY AARP CHAPTER 3801 Meets the second Monday of every month at 11:30 a.m., at 2701 Cypress Point Dr., Missouri City Rec Center. Lunch, education, and entertainment. All seniors over 50 invited. For more information, call 713-8595920 or 281-499-3345. BECOME A FOSTER GRANDPARENT Volunteers are needed to be a role model, mentor and friend to children with exceptional needs in the community. Training, mileage reimbursement, tax-free monthly stipend if eligible. Call today to help change the world, one child at a time in Rosenberg. For more information, call 281-344-3515. DAV CHAPTER 233 MONTHLY MEETING The second Tuesday of every month at the United Way Fort Bend Center, 12300 Parc Crest Dr., Stafford, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. For more information, email maw0500@gmail. com.

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SHORT TERM WHEELCHAIR RENTALS AVAILABLE

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