fort bend independent

FORT BEND

FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE.

Phone: 281-980-6745www.fbindependent.com

P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 2010

VOL 3 No. 18 PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE PAID

STAFFORD, TXPERMIT NO.10

Seshadri KumarPublisher & Editor

10701 Corporate Drive, #282, Stafford, TX 77477Mailing Address: P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, TX 77487

www.fbindependent.com281-980-6745

Fort Bend Independent is published every Wednesday (for a sub-scription rate of $20 per year) by Fort Bend Independent, LLC., 10701 Corporate Dr., #282, Stafford, Texas 77477. Periodical post-age application pending. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Fort Bend Independent, P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, Tx 77487.

Christine Hetherington of Dulles Elementary School, was named FBISD Elemen-tary Teacher of the Year, and Lora Bothell of Sartartia Mid-dle School, FBISD Secondary Teacher of the Year at a special awards dinner on April 29.

Hetherington is a Kinder-garten teacher at Dulles El-ementary. She has been teach-ing for 23 years, with seven of those at Dulles. She is an exceptional teacher and be-lieves it is important to teach her young students from the heart.

Hetherington said, “We must respect and honor our teaching profession by hold-ing it in high regard, because our job is noble.” She re-ceived her Bachelor of Arts in Teaching in Early Childhood Education at the University of Northern Iowa and her Master of Education in Reading and Language Arts Curriculum from the University of Hous-ton.

She also received Literacy

Coordinator Training from the University of Houston Clear Lake.

Bothell from Sartartia Middle School has 18 years of teaching experience and teaches special education for grades six through eight.

Her enthusiasm for her work is contagious, and she believes teachers change lives every day in their classrooms.

She was inspired by her second-grade teacher who changed her perspective on life and helped her decide to become a teacher.

Bothell believes that teach-ers have the power to give children hope, confidence and a desire to relentlessly pursue their dreams. Bothell received her Bachelor of Sci-ence in Early Childhood Edu-cation from the University of Houston – Clear Lake, and her Master of Education in Edu-cational Administration from Concordia University - Texas.

Congratulations also to the FBISD Teacher of the Year

finalists: Elementary Schools – Diane Lopez (Jones El-ementary), Kamilah Holmes (Schiff Elementary), Aysha Parks (Seguin Elementary), Deb Ellefson (Settlers Way Elementary), and Marsha Tredway (Walker Station Ele-mentary); Secondary Schools – Poonam Ernest (Baines Middle School), Gale Batch-elor (Clements High School), Barbara Hoffman (Kempner High School), William Bull-ard (Travis High School) and Roylin Wolf (Willowridge High School).

Also honored at the ban-quet were FBISD’s Rook-ies of the Year: Elementary Schools – Amy Arnold (Cor-nerstone Elementary), Leah Wesolic (Pecan Grove El-ementary), Megan Goodman (Settlers Way Elementary); and Secondary Schools - Jen-nifer Rogers (Hodges Bend Middle), Joshua Feldpausch (Austin High School) and Jade Love (Elkins High School).

Pictured at the Teacher of the Year Dinner from left to right are: FBISD Superintendent Dr. Timothy Jenney, 2010 Elementary Teacher of the Year – Christine Hetherington (Dulles Elementary School), 2010 Secondary Teacher of the Year – Lora Bothell (Sartartia Middle School) and FBISD Board President Bob Broxson.

FBISD names District Teachers of the Year

The City of Sugar Land has scheduled an informational meeting on May 6 to discuss the expansion of University Boulevard from Common-wealth Boulevard to the Riv-erstone subdivision.

The meeting will be held in the Cane Room at Sugar Land City Hall, 2700 Town Center Boulevard North, from 6-8 p.m. Key City staff and con-sultants will participate in the meeting.

Sugar Land has been dis-cussing the project with the community for several months, including ongoing discussions with the Brazos Landing and Avalon hom-eowners’ associations and surrounding communities to ensure residents are kept ap-

Dialogue on University Blvd. expansion

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prised of the project, one that will result in four lanes divid-ed by medians.

“This roadway will benefit the entire community by al-leviating congestion on major routes and improving mobility throughout the region,” said

City Engineer Chris Steubing. “Providing more direct access to U.S. Highway 59 and State Highway 6 means fewer mo-torists cutting through neigh-borhoods to access major thoroughfares – effectively reducing traffic in communi-ties along Commonwealth.”

Fort Bend County area of-ficials attended the “Topping Out” of the Fort Bend County Justice Center along with the General Contractor, JE Dunn on April 27.

The event was held to cel-ebrate the completion of the structure and a Live Oak Tree was hoisted to the top of the building (See right).

Although, a great deal of work remains to be done, the topping-out represented the safe and successful attainment of the highest point.

County Judge Bob Hebert commented, “It made for an exciting day in Fort Bend County. It was nice to see so many area officials attend this significant event. I am proud to have been a part of it and look forward to the grand opening in 2011.”

Justice Center reaches

milestone

District Judges Thomas Culver, left, and Jim Shoemake, County Judge Bob Hebert, District Judges Brady Elliott and Ron Pope and Pct. 3 County Commisisoner Andy Meyers point to the building in progress after the tree topping ceremony. The justice center is being built at an estimated cost of $74 million. It includes a tunnel linking the county jail across the road to bring prisoners directly to the court rooms, resulting in minimal contact with the public. Also two significant road projects — Katy Gaston and Katy Flewellen, were started last week. Katy Gaston Road will be reconstructed to four lanes from Cinco Ranch Blvd. to FM 1093. Katy Flewellen will be expanded to four lanes with curb & gutter and storm sewer from Pin Oak Road to Katy Gaston Road. The construction should be complete in 12-18 Months.

In Missouri City City Coun-cil elections, the campaign has been hijacked by some fringe elements so much so real is-sues rarely figure in public dis-course.

A news report on absenteeism among council members and an opinion article on the nega-tive campaign against Danny Nguyen published in this paper last week elicited adverse com-ments from a couple of readers.

This newspaper has given equal space and opportunity for each candidate to convey his or her campaign message at least one time.

If candidates debate weighty issues affecting the people, then it would be incumbent upon the press to report them. But, the media cannot spend its time probing trivial and often con-trived allegations against cer-

tain candidates.One reader said: “I do not

understand why the FB Inde-pendent appears to be so biased in regards to the upcoming may-oral election for Missouri City.

“Cynthia Gary has missed many council meetings but did you ever ask her why? You may find her answer interesting.”

Yes. Reporter Barabara Fu-lenwider did ask her at least twice and Gary did not call back as she said she would. We reluc-

tantly reported this last week, but people miss the point and assume that somehow we are prejudiced. Clearly, that is not the case.

This Monday, one of Gary’s supporters called and asked why we would not talk to her. I explained the situation and said we are always ready to listen to her, if only she wants to do so.

Promptly, Gary called me a little later and explained that in the past she was having health issues and that she had a couple of strokes. The health problems have been resolved and now she is doing fine and wonderful.

Gary said she did not take off to go hunting as some on the council would do, but was sick.

On her absence at a recent council meeting, where the council voted $1 million for the

Inside Track

By Seshadri Kumar

City election lacks legitimate debate

See TRACK, Page 4

• INDEPENDENT • MAY 5, 2010

Building homes of quality and distinction for over 40 years.

Plans, prices and availability are subject to change without notice. (10/08)

JIM RICEFOR

FBISD TRUSTEEPOSITION 3

Volunteering to serve on the Fort Bend ISD Board of

Trustees to help our District:

•Provide a quality education for All Students

•Support our teachers

•Engage the community

•Maintain a balanced budget

COMMITTED TO FORT BEND ISD

Resident of Fort Bend County since 1981

Married for 9 years to wife, Mary with three

sons, David, Daniel and Douglas

All three sons attended FBISD through high

school and are Eagle Scouts

Actively involved in education leadership

positions throughout the community

PREPARED TO LEAD

Business owner, President and Co-founder

Rice & Gardner Consultants, Inc.

Understands making payroll, paying

taxes, obtaining group health and dental

insurance, 401K, personnel

Understands the need education plays in

providing a competitive advantage to Fort

Bend County, our State and America

VOLUNTEER WORK

Christ United Methodist Church— Member

Boy Scouts of America, 18 years, Den Leader, Club Master, Troop Committee Chair, Sam

Houston Area Council Board of Directors

Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce— Graduate 2005 Leadership Forum, Vice Chair,

Education Division, Board of Directors, Vickie Hamilton Award for Community Service

Fort Bend Regional P16 Council Board of Directors

Literacy Council of Fort Bend — board of Directors

Campaign Website — [email protected] 281-980-8071

Pl. Adv. Paid for Jim Rice Camapign

Early Voting — April 26- May 4

Election Day— May 8, 2010

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MAY 5, 2010 • INDEPENDENT •

Community news

Suzette Peoples ABR, GRI , E-Pro, 21 years Professional

Realtor; Owner of Peoples Properties, a Real Estate & Property Management Co.; American Business

Women’s Association.

Mortgage Banker can do loans in less than 30 days! Call Suzette or email: [email protected]

Suzette Peoples Broker /Owner

21 years of experience!

Direct: 281-980-3322 www.peoplesproperties.com

SUGAR CREEK Great 1 story on huge corner lot. 3 bedrooms & study. Seller has updated carpet, tile paint in and out and roof replaced. Shows great and price already reduced to go fast in the low $200’s.

SUGAR LAND! Almost 2400sqft. 4 bedrooms 2.5 bath. Study and sitting/gameroom up. Owner spent over $62K on upgrades/improvements. Gourmet kitchen, tile/pergo thru-out no carpet. Priced in $200’s.

REDUCED

Built in 2006. Popular Perry 1 story home. 4 bed-rooms and both formals or study. 16’ tile and hardwood fl oors. Garage/game room. Covered over size patio. Playground & shed stays. Private Levee lot. Priced to go at $220,000.

SUGAR LAND REDUCED

POOL/SPA & WATERFALL! 2 story 4 bedrooms! Master down. All tile/real wood thru-out, no carpet. All located on culdesac street. Clements high school! Priced to go fast!

FIRST COLONY

Custom home in gated acreage commu-nity. Over 4000 sq.ft! One story with bonus room. Upgrades galore with hand scraped hardwoods thru-out. Gourmet island kitchen with granite and custom cabinets. Built-ins, 4 bedrooms, 4 full baths. Huge covered patio and 3-car garage. Price to go in the $500’s.

TELFAIR 1 story Village Builder home over 3100 sqft! Built in 2007. 3 bedrooms & study. Gourmet oversized island kitchen with granite.T ile and Hardwoods thru-out. Upgrades galore! Priced to go fast!

REDUCED

REDU

CED

FIRST COLONY

REDU

CED

Missouri City taxes compared to area cities City Population Tax Rate Number of Employees Missouri City 67, 037 0.5284 320 Sugar Land 79, 279 0.3000 537 Pearland 78, 500 0.6526 459 Rosenberg 33, 595 0.5000 247Conroe 55, 429 0.4200 471Friendswood 37, 100 0.5797 213League City 68, 900 0.6300 412 Webster 10, 665 0.2060 159La Porte 35, 000 0.7100 425

RE-ELECT JERRY WYATT

Vote May 8, 2010. Paid political ad: Jerry Wyatt Campaign Fund

for Missouri City City CouncilTakes pride in hometown

Endorsed by Missouri City Police Offi cers Association

Jerry Wyatt

• Missouri City named 8th Safest City in Texas and among

top 100 safest cities in the U.S.

• Received Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for

22 years in a row

• Among the top 100 Best Places to Live — Money Magazine

• Recognized Law Enforcement Agency, one of 18 in Texas

• Public works director among the top ten in Texas

• Five state awards for the Missouri City Municipal TV

• Quail Valley Park Project gets 2010 Landmark Award for

“Community Impact” in the Houston area.

A Proud Community Needs A Proud and Honest Councilman

Not just oil, Pennzoil

Directory Directory Directory Directory DirectoryAT Renovations, Inc.

101 Southwestern Blvd. Ste.230Sugar Land, TX 77478 [email protected]

(281) 787-4302

Hrbacek & Associates,P.C.130 Industrial Blvd., Suite 110

Sugar Land, TX 77478lawfi [email protected]

281-240-2424

Sandersen & Knox LLP , Accountants

130 Industrial Blvd., Suite 130 Sugar Land, TX 77478 www.SKBTexas.com

(281) 242-3232

PhysicianAccountantNik Nikam, MD

Sugar Land Heart Center16659 S.W. FWY, #361Sugar Land, TX 77479

281-265-7567www.sugarlandheartcenter.com

AttorneyLawn& LandscapeTexans Insurance & Financial Group,

101 Southwestern Blvd., Suite 230 Sugar Land, TX 77478

www.texansinsure.com (281) 277-7800

Basil Housewright, President

Insurance

By BARBARA FULENWIDERElectrical outages have

gotten to be a common prob-lem in Stafford so council re-cently invited a CenterPoint offi cial to attend one of their meetings so they could try to get it resolved.

Mayor Leonard Scarcella said, “CenterPoint has done a very poor job in wiring, designing and deploying the electricity to the city as a whole but especially to the 90A corridor – the island area. That was clearly brought out during Hurricane Ike.”

More recently the mayor said he told CenterPoint: “We have a problem and it’s severe enough that we want something done about it or we’re going to take it to the Public Utility Commission.”

That got action. Steve Green-ley, a CenterPoint service area director for Sugar Land/Fort Bend, recently attended a council meeting and told members he’d like to work together to improve the situ-ation.

Scarcella said the Cen-terPoint representative said, ‘“We’ll get this rerouted and reorganized and it will work better.’” The mayor also said Greenley “answered all the questions council members had, seemed to be very can-did and concerned about it and said he wanted to cooper-ate with the city to the best of his ability.”

Scarcella said his position is “we’d be better off if we could work something out with CenterPoint. Since then

we’ve had several outages including three on the morn-ing of April 24.” It seems, the mayor said, that Stafford’s electricity comes from Sugar Land and Missouri City “and is a patchwork as I understand it.” He also said, “Erratic, unpredictable electricity can mess up everything in your house and then you’ve got all these businesses out here. At TI (Texas Instruments) they have robots that can cost up to $1 million each and they have to get them back in sync and tested, etc.” when there’s an outage.

City council not only wants to fi nd a solution and quickly, Scarcella said they want to get the old wooden poles on the island replaced with con-crete or steel poles. “It’s been

Outages plague Stafford blatantly obvious to everyone since Ike that we need to re-place these poles, and now it’s going on a year and eight months since the hurricane,” he said.

“We know the electricity won’t stand up to high winds. With winds at 35 miles per hour we had 20 outages from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. when (hur-ricane) Ike came on board. Something has to be done,” the mayor said.

The mayor also said council is “encouraging every citizen who has an outage to call city hall and give us the date, time and duration and number of times it went off. We are hope-ful that CenterPoint gets seri-ous about this thing and works on this situation because it’s totally unacceptable at this point and especially with the rates being what they are.”

He also said there have been several outages in Stafford since council and Greenley met. Until it is resolved, Scar-cella said it will be on the city council agenda every other month or every month if nec-essary.

Eclipse 97 Black wins Easter Invitational. Eclipse Soccer Club’s top U13 girls team, 97 Black, captured fi rst place in the gold bracket at the 17th annual Easter Invitational Tournament at Bear Creek Park on April 2-3. The girls won three matches and tied one during the tournament, scoring 17 goals while con-ceding none. The team is trained by Steve Williams and managed by Poly Isis with as-sistance from Greg Condrey.

EARTH DAY. In honor of Earth Day, and in an effort to continue its commitment to the Sugar Land community, Minute Maid recently held a community clean-up in Lost Creek Park. Minute Maid employees were on hand to pick up trash throughout the park and plant new shrubs and fl owers.

By THOMAS J. PARR, M.D.You are playing ball and

the ball hits dead on the end of your fi nger. Perhaps you are cleaning out the garage, and your fi nger gets crushed, perhaps even in the garage door itself. Maybe you are working in the kitchen when a knife slips, cutting your fi nger deeply.

Most people will correctly apply immediate fi rst aid, including ice and elevation. Unfortunately, too many stop at that point, without seeking professional medical treat-ment. Their thinking is that “it’s just a fi nger, so why would I need to go see an or-thopedic surgeon over some-thing like this?”

Here’s the problem: Not having your thumb and index fi nger able to work together properly can prevent you from being able to pick up things. Just having some weakness in your ring and little fi nger will greatly weaken your grip.

Almost all fi nger injuries need evaluation by an ortho-pedic surgeon as soon as is reasonably possible, and defi -nitely within 7 days of injury. Untreated fi nger injuries can lead to serious long term de-bilitating problems. Delayed treatment may not be able to give you the result you could have had with prompt ortho-pedic care.

Each fi nger has four differ-ent bones, each connected by

ligaments, and each connect-ed to tendons and muscles to make them move in a coordi-nated matter. You need each of the bones to be properly aligned, and proper function of each joint between these bones, in order for your fi n-gers to move and work cor-rectly.

A dislocated fi nger joint means that at least one liga-ment is damaged, even if you feel like you have just “jammed” it. A dislocation means that two bones have separated at the joint, forcing it apart. Depending upon the force of impact, each bone may be broken or chipped, and the ligaments involved may be incompetent. Even when a coach or teammate is most willing to “pop” it back into place, an x-ray may well be necessary to ensure the fi n-ger will heal correctly.

A mallet fi nger (or baseball fi nger) involves the tendon

that extends (straightens out) the joint closest to the fi nger-nail. The tendon is either se-verely damaged or completely ruptured, causing the fi nger to droop. The force of the in-jury may also have damaged the nail bed, which might not be immediately obvious. Frequently, this injury is not painful at all, leading you to believe it is minor. Proper early treatment is easy and unobtrusive, while delayed treatment may require exten-sive reconstructive surgery.

Children’s bones grow at the growth plates, which are located at both ends of the bone next to the joints. De-layed treatment can lead to damage to the growth plates, causing malformation of the bones and joints. For children, then, it is extremely important to have an orthopedic surgeon check out fi nger injuries to be sure the growth plate is un-damaged.

We can safely ignore a lot of sprains and strains en-countered in daily life, but if an injured fi nger appears de-formed, is badly swollen, or doesn’t function properly, it is best to check it out early.

Texas Parkway corridor project.“When we voted on the

$1,000,000 in her District, she was campaigning,” said Mayor Allen Owen.

Gary replied: “I was not cam-paigning. It was a meeting of citi-zens and my constituents wanted me to be there to address some of their concerns, including the Texas Parkway issue.

“Every time election comes, the Texas Parkway gets on the agenda and nothing happens afterwards,” she said.

Gary believes there is no prog-ress on improving Texas Parkway and nothing has been done about the master plan.

Gary also thinks she would be a leader “for the entire community,” and not for certain sections of the city.She cited the poor condition of Texas Parkway where city hall is located and said this area should have been improved at least aes-thetically.

IssuesMissouri City residents seem to

be thinking more in terms of issues in their neighborhood and not the health of the city as a whole.

The acquisition of Quail Valley Golf Course is still criticized by some, though representatives from all over the city were party to that decision.

Now, some residents in Quail Valley fault the mayor over the slow progress of the golf course and other parks.

One critic wrote thus: He (Owen) saw to it that a $17 million bond issue was on last year’s bal-lot which was cloaked as “Green Spaces for Everyone.”

Owen’s response to each point is in parenthesis.

It was implied that these funds would:

1. Purchase the Quail Valley Golf course though Eminent Do-main

(And we did and await a trial to determine what we ultimately pay for it.)

2. Implement improvements to the La Quinta course with repairs to cart trails, drainage, and add ir-rigation.

(And those were done.)3. Turn the El Dorado into a

park (El Dorado was never proposed

to be a park. It is and will always be a golf course. Why do you think we needed $5.5 million to do that?)

4. Refurbish the recreation fa-cility.

(We have RFQ’s out right now

to do that and this will be totally dependent on the outcome of the trial and what we have left of the $17.5 million. We have had a num-ber of studies done since taking this over to determine whether we could salvage any of the existing building. There are structural dam-ages that prevent that, so we will have to build from ground up and we are waiting on bids to do that.)

5. Turn the Executive-Nine course into a park

(If this person has been to any of the numerous citizen input meetings we have held, they would know that we have this out for bids as well.)

6. Refurbish the par-three course and turn it into a learning facility

(Again, if they knew anything they would know that we continue to talk to the First Tee people about doing exactly that. Again, we need to see what is left from the bond proceeds to determine what we have to spend.)

7. Refurbish the ponds and lakes for canoeing.

(Never was promised. We said we would get input from citizens and if that was important we would do some of that. We have to get Executive completely planned out to even determine what and where lakes would be.)

8. Well, no sooner did the bond issue pass, the mayor does a one-eighty. They close off the El Do-rado to all traffi c, and spend a huge sum of money refurbishing it.

(We are continuing to look at probably closing 1 course a week for maintenance, but right now there is so much demand for play that we are keeping them open to help us make a profi t some day. The Executive is open for all the walking, jogging, and biking they want to do. We also allow walkers and joggers in the morning before golfi ng hours and evenings after golfi ng hours. And, it is being used daily for that. )

The critic continued; Now for the broken promises:

1. The Eldorado remains a mon-ey-losing golf course along with the La Quinta.

(And it will until we have good weather and have a facility that draws tournaments. We have 22 parks in the City and none of them make money. We spent $4.5 mil-lion on Buffalo Run Park and it makes us “$0”. Not supposed to. It is an amenity for the citizens to enjoy and so is this golf course and adjacent park land. )

2. The El Dorado and La Quinta are reopened and they are running seven-days a week. The only time

that the good citizens can use ei-ther of the courses is before sunrise and after sunset.

(It is a golf course. We have 22 other parks in the City for all of those other things people want to do. They need to cross the street sometime and maybe even cross town. Had we not done this, they would be looking at houses and apartments in their back yards. No parks at all.)

6. Where’s the recreation facil-ity and learning center?

“We acquired the Tennis Cen-ter and have bids out right now to build the Rec Center.”

Another section, mostly First Colony area, is upset about the sidewalks. The city has undertaken the job of rehabilitation albeit in a phased manner.

Every two years during elec-tions, Owen has been returned to offi ce, ostensibly because of his leadership. The election is again a referendum on his leadership even as he banks on whatever the city has been able to accomplish over the years.

While “hope and change” may be a good slogan to win elections, people are now wondering if they got the change they wanted, at the national level. Missouri City resi-dents face a similar predicament.

Danny Nguyen is running for at-large seat #2. Others seeking the position are Kevin Tunstall, Yolan-da Ford and Judith Neil Dupre.

Nguyen was slandered by one Chris Calvin, who questioned the integrity of this newspaper because we did not play up his charge that Nguyen is a tax cheat. The docu-ment we were shown carried a dif-ferent social security number and was not Nguyen’s. How can Calvin be trusted?

Calvin also made a mountain out of a molehill by saying Nguyen misrepresented himself as a mem-ber of American Legion Post 294.

Nguyen was led to believe by one group of veterans that he was a member, while the offi cial heading the group now cites the rules to say he cannot be a member. Nguyen has documents to prove that his father was a member of the U.S. Army. Once his membership was questioned, he removed a link to the Legion Post from his website.

While the factions of American Legion will resolve this matter among themselves, how is it rel-evant for Missouri City voters?

Also, all dirt is raised by the surrogates and not the candidates. Why?

(Send your comments to [email protected])

By JANICE SCANLANIt sometimes is hard to be

optimistic. And there is cer-tainly enough bad news to make Pollyanna feel a little blue. We live in unsettling times.

To gain some perspective, I’ve been reading a lot of his-tory this past year . . . specifi -cally from the end of World War I to the beginning of the Cold War.

Tough times with big chal-lenges. Yet it seems that the individual who dared to hope he or she could make circum-stances better, often succeed-ed.

And the politics and chal-lenges of that era were uncan-nily close to those we face today. Reading about the passage of Social Security in 1936, could be a script for the healthcare bill today.

But back to the dare to hope discussion.

In the areas where various leaders had energy and vision, they made a difference.

Think of Churchill and the British standing against the Nazis.

Roosevelt gave hope to the 30% unemployed. But if an is-sue wasn’t on a leader’s radar screen, those were the areas where lack of interest led to missed opportunities such as the Cold War following WW

II or the reparations and gold standard policies following WWI that contributed to the Great Depression and another war.

So rather than be offended by those who dare to hope he or she might have a better way, say thank you to those individuals for caring . . . for running for offi ce and serv-ing.

Whether you agree or not, there are issues in Missouri City races that would have never been before the public such as Texas Parkway and Cartwright, had someone not dared to hope that corridor could be improved.

The open space of the for-mer Quail Valley Country Club might still be in weeds

By RUSSELL C. JONESHaving assured that the

American health care system would begin its inevitable de-cline toward mediocrity by imposing his health care bill over the objection of most voters, Obama has now turned his attention in recent weeks to upending the nation’s fi -nancial system. Certainly Wall Street deserves some of the blame for the economic disaster of 2008. For now, other causes will apparently be ignored. Certainly liberal policies designed to increase the size of the Democratic electorate, such as Congres-sional mandates encourag-ing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to insure mortgage loans made to borrowers who could never repay them, will be left untouched in this election year.

Speaking in Illinois last week, Obama explained that he is not attacking the fi nan-cial industry because of any class biases. “We’re not try-ing to push fi nancial reform because we begrudge success . . . I do think at a certain point you’ve made enough money. But . . . the American way is . . . you can just keep on making it . . . .We don’t want people to stop . . . fulfi lling the core responsibilities . . . to help grow our economy.”

Taking him at his word, Obama is saying that there is a maximum amount of income which any person should be allowed. Next, he says that those who make “enough money” have a “re-sponsibility” to contribute to the economy. These state-ments, coming next to each other in a speech designed to explain the reasons for fur-ther regulation of the fi nan-cial industry, are philosophi-cally inconsistent.

How much money should a person be allowed to make? Who should decide what is enough? Who should decide

who is responsible for pro-ducing growth of the econ-omy and who should benefi t from other people’s produc-tion?

What if a person is capable of producing a greater income than he does, but he chooses not to? If the taxes which he would pay on the greater production would support a person who would otherwise go hungry, does he make an immoral decision when he chooses not to produce a greater income? Is he obli-gated to work for the benefi t of the other person? No one could reasonably answer yes to that question. But if not, why should he support that other person, no matter how much he makes, if that per-son’s claim is contingent not only on the producer’s abil-ity but also his willingness to produce income?

One cannot be so cyni-cal as to assume that Obama is really only talking about limiting the income of those who do not support his poli-cies. Obama himself report-ed income of $5 million last year. Was that enough mon-ey? What about superstar athletes? What about Hol-lywood celebrities? What is enough money for them to make?

It is one thing to limit the income of those whose survival depended on gov-

ernment funds, such as the executives of the big banks who received TARP funds last year. It is quite another to talk about limiting the in-come of those who succeed in the free enterprise system.

Where do those limitations stop? Everybody hates law-yers; let’s limit how much lawyers can make. Most sur-veys suggest that used-car salesmen are not very popu-lar; should their incomes be limited? If we are really go-ing to reduce medical costs, let’s limit how much doctors can make. How about store owners? How about union-ized automobile workers?

Volunteers SalutedLast week, this coun-

cilmember had the honor of emceeing the City of Sugar Land’s Annual Volunteer Ap-preciation Event. Held for the fi rst time at Oyster Creek Park during the Concert in the Park, the event honored the city’s top thirteen volunteers for the police, fi re, parks, hu-man resources and other de-partments. Congratulations to Deborah Smith and Bruce Kelly, who were named the co-volunteers of the year.

Over 150 volunteers at-tended to support the winners. In all, 615 volunteers contrib-uted almost $400,000 worth of time to the city’s Serve Sugar Land program in jobs ranging from non-criminal fi nger printing in the police department to walking dogs housed at the city’s animal shelter. If you are interested in participating, you can sign up at www.sugarlandtx.gov/programs/serve_sugarland/index.asp.

(Jones is the Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Sugar Land and serves as Councilman for District 3. He was fi rst elected to the City Council in 2003. He owns a law fi rm and a title insurance company in Sugar Land.)

Opinion • INDEPENDENT • MAY 5, 2010

Seshadri KumarPublisher & Editor

Email: [email protected]

www.fbindependent.com

Scanlan

The View From Sugar Land

Jones

MUSINGS: Dare to hope

Thomas Parr

and the corner and area near Cartwright and Murphy, a big eyesore.

Or lost to development. Again, it’s emphasis and fo-cus.

So I dare to hope that no matter who wins on Saturday, the sun will come up on Sun-day.

Despite the juvenile actions of a few stealing political signs or the equally juvenile reaction of a few that those actions re-quired police intervention, life will go on.

It’s keeping those in offi ce accountable . . . and those who dare to hope running and serv-ing.

So I dare to hope that you stay involved with your com-munity, world and dare to hope for positive change . . . or learning from what didn’t work out so well. We’ve had a couple of big wake-up calls that we need to pay better at-tention on our business and environmental fronts, so I dare to hope something posi-tive will come regarding Wall Street and the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

So vote on Saturday if you haven’t already, and then go see the Sugar Land Garden Club Tour. You’ll get some ideas for your garden and cre-ating some beauty in your cor-ner of the world.

Visit www.sugarlandgar-denclub.org to get a map to ticket locations.

Dare to hope for some-thing better, big or small. It all counts.

Write to [email protected] about your event to improve our part of the world.

Dr. Thomas Parr, an ortho-pedic surgeon in Sugar Land, can be reached at 281-491-7111.Visit www.tomparrmd.net for more information.

Healthcare: Finger injuries

Limiting your incomeTrackFrom Page 1


AUTOMOBILE: LEXUS LS 460L

THE STATE OF TEXASCITATION BY PUBLICATION

TO: UNKNOWN HEIRS, ADDRESS UNKNOWNNOTICE:You have been sued. You may employ an attorney. If you or your attorney do not fi le a written answer with the clerk who issued this citation by 10:00 a.m. on Monday next following the expira-tion of forty-two days from the date of issuance of this citation, same being June 07, 2010 a default judgment may be taken against you. Said answer may be fi led by mailing same to: District Clerk’s Offi ce, 301 Jackson, Richmond, Texas 77469, or by bringing it to the of-fi ce. Our street address is 401 Jackson Street. We are located on the fi rst fl oor of the courthouse building.The case is presently pending be-fore the 400TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT of Fort Bend County sitting in Richmond, Texas, and was fi led on April 01, 2010. It bears cause number 10-DCV-179785 and is styled: Diogu Kalu Diogu, II, LL.M vs Dave Woods, Deceased, Will Woods, Deceased, Cora McCloud, Deceased and Idella Cockrell, Deceased and All persons Owning Having, or Claiming any Inter-est or Lien in the Property Described in this Petition, as well as the Unknown heirs and Legal Representatives of all Defendants.The name and address of the attorney for PLAINTIFF OR PETITIONER is:DIOGU KALU(II) DIOGUATTORNEY AT LAW8299 CAMBRIDGE DR SUITE 1301HOUSTON TX 77054-0000(713) 797-6555The nature of the demands of said PLAINTIFF OR PETITIONER is as follows to-wit: ORIGINAL PETITION TO QUIET TITLE CONCERNING REAL PROPERTY DESCRIBED AS (A) 0079 N F ROBERTS, TRACT 72, ACRES 1.59, (B) 0079 N F ROBERTS, TRACT 74, ACRES 1.75, (C) 0079 N F ROBERTS, TRACT 51, ACRES 10.2, AND (D) 0079 N F ROBERTS, TRACT 75, ACRES 0.65 THESE LAND ABUT (E) 0079 N F ROBERTS, ACRES 4.963, THE PIECE OF LAND AT ISSUE TOTALS AP-PROXIMATELY, 19.153 ACRES.If this Citation is not served, it shall be returned unserved. Issued under my hand and seal of said Court, at Rich-mond, Texas on this the 19th day of April, 2010.DISTRICT CLERK ANNIE REBECCA ELLIOTT

District Clerk TENTRA ALLENTelephone: 281-633-7616


TO: IDELLA COKCRELL, ADDRESS UNKNOWNNOTICE:You have been sued. You may employ an attorney. If you or your attorney do not fi le a written answer with the clerk who issued this citation by 10:00 a.m. on Monday next following the expira-tion of forty-two days from the date of issuance of this citation, same being June 07, 2010 a default judgment may be taken against you. Said answer may be fi led by mailing same to: District Clerk’s Offi ce, 301 Jackson, Richmond, Texas 77469, or by bringing it to the of-fi ce. Our street address is 401 Jackson Street. We are located on the fi rst fl oor of the courthouse building.The case is presently pending be-fore the 400TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT of Fort Bend County sitting in Richmond, Texas, and was fi led on April 01, 2010. It bears cause number 10-DCV-179785 and is styled: Diogu Kalu Diogu, II, LL.M vs Dave Woods, Deceased, Will Woods, Deceased, Cora McCloud, Deceased and Idella Cockrell, Deceased and All persons Owning Having, or Claiming any Inter-est or Lien in the Property Described in this Petition, as well as the Unknown heirs and Legal Representatives of all Defendants.The name and address of the attorney for PLAINTIFF OR PETITIONER is:DIOGU KALU(II) DIOGUATTORNEY AT LAW8299 CAMBRIDGE DR SUITE 1301HOUSTON TX 77054-0000(713) 797-6555The nature of the demands of said PLAINTIFF OR PETITIONER is as follows to-wit: ORIGINAL PETITION TO QUIET TITLE CONCERNING REAL PROPERTY DESCRIBED AS (A) 0079 N F ROBERTS, TRACT 72, ACRES 1.59, (B) 0079 N F ROBERTS, TRACT 74, ACRES 1.75, (C) 0079 N F ROBERTS, TRACT 51, ACRES 10.2, AND (D) 0079 N F ROBERTS, TRACT 75, ACRES 0.65 THESE LAND ABUT (E) 0079 N F ROBERTS, ACRES 4.963, THE PIECE OF LAND AT ISSUE TOTALS AP-PROXIMATELY, 19.153 ACRES.If this Citation is not served, it shall be returned unserved. Issued under my hand and seal of said Court, at Rich-mond, Texas on this the 19th day of April, 2010.DISTRICT CLERK ANNIE REBECCA ELLIOTT



TO: CORA MCCLOUD, ADDRESS UNKNOWNNOTICE:You have been sued. You may employ an attorney. If you or your attorney do not fi le a written answer with the clerk who issued this citation by 10:00 a.m. on Monday next following the expira-tion of forty-two days from the date of issuance of this citation, same being June 07, 2010 a default judgment may be taken against you. Said answer may be fi led by mailing same to: District Clerk’s Offi ce, 301 Jackson, Richmond, Texas 77469, or by bringing it to the of-fi ce. Our street address is 401 Jackson Street. We are located on the fi rst fl oor of the courthouse building.The case is presently pending be-fore the 400TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT of Fort Bend County sitting in Richmond, Texas, and was fi led on April 01, 2010. It bears cause number 10-DCV-179785 and is styled: Diogu Kalu Diogu, II, LL.M vs Dave Woods, Deceased, Will Woods, Deceased, Cora McCloud, Deceased and Idella Cockrell, Deceased and All persons Owning Having, or Claiming any Inter-est or Lien in the Property Described in this Petition, as well as the Unknown heirs and Legal Representatives of all Defendants.The name and address of the attorney for PLAINTIFF OR PETITIONER is:DIOGU KALU(II) DIOGUATTORNEY AT LAW8299 CAMBRIDGE DR SUITE 1301HOUSTON TX 77054-0000(713) 797-6555The nature of the demands of said PLAINTIFF OR PETITIONER is as follows to-wit: ORIGINAL PETITION TO QUIET TITLE CONCERNING REAL PROPERTY DESCRIBED AS (A) 0079 N F ROBERTS, TRACT 72, ACRES 1.59, (B) 0079 N F ROBERTS, TRACT 74, ACRES 1.75, (C) 0079 N F ROBERTS, TRACT 51, ACRES 10.2, AND (D) 0079 N F ROBERTS, TRACT 75, ACRES 0.65 THESE LAND ABUT (E) 0079 N F ROBERTS, ACRES 4.963, THE PIECE OF LAND AT ISSUE TOTALS AP-PROXIMATELY, 19.153 ACRES.If this Citation is not served, it shall be returned unserved. Issued under my hand and seal of said Court, at Rich-mond, Texas on this the 19th day of April, 2010.DISTRICT CLERK ANNIE REBECCA ELLIOTT



TO: WILL WOODS, ADDRESS UNKNOWNNOTICE:You have been sued. You may employ an attorney. If you or your attorney do not fi le a written answer with the clerk who issued this citation by 10:00 a.m. on Monday next following the expira-tion of forty-two days from the date of issuance of this citation, same being June 07, 2010 a default judgment may be taken against you. Said answer may be fi led by mailing same to: District Clerk’s Offi ce, 301 Jackson, Richmond, Texas 77469, or by bringing it to the of-fi ce. Our street address is 401 Jackson Street. We are located on the fi rst fl oor of the courthouse building.The case is presently pending be-fore the 400TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT of Fort Bend County sitting in Richmond, Texas, and was fi led on April 01, 2010. It bears cause number 10-DCV-179785 and is styled: Diogu Kalu Diogu, II, LL.M vs Dave Woods, Deceased, Will Woods, Deceased, Cora McCloud, Deceased and Idella Cockrell, Deceased and All persons Owning Having, or Claiming any Inter-est or Lien in the Property Described in this Petition, as well as the Unknown heirs and Legal Representatives of all Defendants.The name and address of the attorney for PLAINTIFF OR PETITIONER is:DIOGU KALU(II) DIOGUATTORNEY AT LAW8299 CAMBRIDGE DR SUITE 1301HOUSTON TX 77054-0000(713) 797-6555The nature of the demands of said PLAINTIFF OR PETITIONER is as follows to-wit: ORIGINAL PETITION TO QUIET TITLE CONCERNING REAL PROPERTY DESCRIBED AS (A) 0079 N F ROBERTS, TRACT 72, ACRES 1.59, (B) 0079 N F ROBERTS, TRACT 74, ACRES 1.75, (C) 0079 N F ROBERTS, TRACT 51, ACRES 10.2, AND (D) 0079 N F ROBERTS, TRACT 75, ACRES 0.65 THESE LAND ABUT (E) 0079 N F ROBERTS, ACRES 4.963, THE PIECE OF LAND AT ISSUE TOTALS AP-PROXIMATELY, 19.153 ACRES.If this Citation is not served, it shall be returned unserved. Issued under my hand and seal of said Court, at Rich-mond, Texas on this the 19th day of April, 2010.DISTRICT CLERK ANNIE REBECCA ELLIOTT



TO: DAVE WOODS, ADDRESS UNKNOWNNOTICE:You have been sued. You may employ an attorney. If you or your attorney do not fi le a written answer with the clerk who issued this citation by 10:00 a.m. on Monday next following the expira-tion of forty-two days from the date of issuance of this citation, same being June 07, 2010 a default judgment may be taken against you. Said answer may be fi led by mailing same to: District Clerk’s Offi ce, 301 Jackson, Richmond, Texas 77469, or by bringing it to the of-fi ce. Our street address is 401 Jackson Street. We are located on the fi rst fl oor of the courthouse building.The case is presently pending be-fore the 400TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT of Fort Bend County sitting in Richmond, Texas, and was fi led on April 01, 2010. It bears cause number 10-DCV-179785 and is styled: Diogu Kalu Diogu, II, LL.M vs Dave Woods, Deceased, Will Woods, Deceased, Cora McCloud, Deceased and Idella Cockrell, Deceased and All persons Owning Having, or Claiming any Inter-est or Lien in the Property Described in this Petition, as well as the Unknown heirs and Legal Representatives of all Defendants.The name and address of the attorney for PLAINTIFF OR PETITIONER is:DIOGU KALU(II) DIOGUATTORNEY AT LAW8299 CAMBRIDGE DR SUITE 1301HOUSTON TX 77054-0000(713) 797-6555The nature of the demands of said PLAINTIFF OR PETITIONER is as follows to-wit: ORIGINAL PETITION TO QUIET TITLE CONCERNING REAL PROPERTY DESCRIBED AS (A) 0079 N F ROBERTS, TRACT 72, ACRES 1.59, (B) 0079 N F ROBERTS, TRACT 74, ACRES 1.75, (C) 0079 N F ROBERTS, TRACT 51, ACRES 10.2, AND (D) 0079 N F ROBERTS, TRACT 75, ACRES 0.65 THESE LAND ABUT (E) 0079 N F ROBERTS, ACRES 4.963, THE PIECE OF LAND AT ISSUE TOTALS AP-PROXIMATELY, 19.153 ACRES.If this Citation is not served, it shall be returned unserved. Issued under my hand and seal of said Court, at Rich-mond, Texas on this the 19th day of April, 2010.DISTRICT CLERK ANNIE REBECCA ELLIOTT



TO: THE UNKNOWN OWNER OF $26,100.00 US CURRENCY SEIZED FROM A FEDEX FACILITY ON MARCH 4, 2009 IN FORT BEND COUNTY ADDRESS UNKNOWNNOTICE:You have been sued. You may employ an attorney. If you or your attorney do not fi le awritten answer with the clerk who issued this citation by 10:00 a.m. on Monday next following the expiration of forty-two days from the date of issuance of this citation, same being May 31, 2010 a default judgment may be taken against you. Said answer may be fi led by mailing same to: District Clerk’s Offi ce, 301 Jackson, Richmond, Texas 77469, or by bringing it to the offi ce. Our street address is 401 Jackson Street. We are located on the fi rst fl oor of the courthouse building. The case is presently pending before the 400TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT of Fort Bend County sitting in Richmond, Texas, and was fi led on March 27, 2009. It bears cause number 09-DCV-170663 and is styled:State of Texas VS. $26,100.00 U.S. CurrencyThe name and address of the attorney for PLAINTIFF OR PETITIONER is:CELENA VINSONASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEYWILLIAM B TRAVIS ANNEX309 S 4TH STREETRICHMOND TX 77469281-341-4496The nature of the demands of said PLAINTIFF OR PETITIONER is as follows to-wit: $26,100.00 U.S. CURRENCY IS CONTRABAND AS DEFINED IN THE TEXAS CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE, ARTICLE 59.01 (2) AND THAT THE COURT ALLOW FORFEITURE OF THE ABOVE DESCRIBED PROPERTY TO THE STATE OF TEXAS BY AND THROUGH THE OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS AS AGENT FOR THE STATE IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS LOCAL AGREEMENTS, SUBJECT ONLY TO ANY INTEREST OF THE BONA FIDE HOLDER OF THE PERFECTED LIEN OR PERFECTED SECURITY INTEREST ON SAID CONTRABAND AND THAT THE PROPERTY BE DISPOSED OF PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 59.06 OF THE TEXAS CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE AND THAT ALL COSTS BY TAXED AGAINST CLAIMANT IN THIS CAUSE AND FOR SUCH OTHER RELIEF AT LAW AND IN EQUITY AS THE PLAINTIFF SHALL BE ENTITLED TO RECEIVE.If this Citation is not served, it shall be returned unserved. Issued under my hand and seal of said Court, at Richmond, Texas on this the 14th day of April, 2010.

DISTRICT CLERK ANNIE REBECCA ELLIOTTFort Bend County, Texas

By: Deputy District Clerk DIANE C. WOODS Telephone: 281.341.3787

LEGAL NOTICEINVITATION TO BIDDERS

Sealed Bids will be received in the Offi ce of Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., County Purchasing Agent, Fort Bend County, Rosenberg Annex, 4520 Reading Road, Suite A, Rosenberg, TX 77471 for the following until THURSDAY, MAY 13, 2010 at 1:30 P.M. (CST). All bids will then be publicly opened and read in the Offi ce of the Purchasing Agent, Rosenberg Annex, 4520 Read-ing Road, Rosenberg, TX 77471. Bids received after the specifi ed time will be returned unopened.BID 10-090 – TERM CONTRACT FOR SUMMER FOOD PROGRAMA pre-bid conference will be conducted on Thursday, May 6, 2010 at 9:00AM (CST). The pre-bid conference will be held at the Fort Bend County Purchasing De-partment located in the Rosenberg Annex at 4520 Reading Road, Rosenberg Texas 77471. All bidders are encouraged to attend.Unit pricing is required; payment will be by check after products/services are rendered. Bonds are re-quired. Fort Bend County reserves the right to reject any or all bids. Signed:Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., Purchasing Agent Fort Bend County, Richmond, Texas


Sealed Bids will be received in the Offi ce of Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., County Purchasing Agent, Fort Bend County, Rosenberg Annex, 4520 Reading Road, Suite A, Rosenberg, TX 77471 for the following until THURSDAY, MAY 20, 2010 at 1:30 P.M. (CST). All bids will then be publicly opened and read in the Offi ce of the Purchasing Agent, Rosenberg Annex, 4520 Read-ing Road, Rosenberg, TX 77471. Bids received after the specifi ed time will be returned unopened.BID 10-089 – IMPROVEMENTS TO GREENBUSCH ROAD FROM MILLS MANOR DRIVE TO FALCON LANDING BOULEVARD.A pre-bid conference will be conducted on Thursday, May 6, 2010 at 10:00AM (CST). The pre-bid confer-ence will be held at the Fort Bend County Purchasing Department located in the Rosenberg Annex at 4520 Reading Road, Rosenberg Texas 77471. All bidders are encouraged to attend.Unit pricing is required; payment will be by check after products/services are rendered. Bonds are re-quired.Fort Bend County reserves the right to reject any or all bids. Signed: Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., Purchasing Agent Fort Bend County, Richmond, Texas


Sealed Bids will be received in the Offi ce of Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., County Purchasing Agent, Fort Bend County, Rosenberg Annex, 4520 Reading Road, Suite A, Rosenberg, TX 77471 for the following until THURSDAY, MAY 20, 2010 at 1:30 P.M. (CST). All bids will then be publicly opened and read in the Offi ce of the Purchasing Agent, Rosenberg Annex, 4520 Read-ing Road, Rosenberg, TX 77471. Bids received after the specifi ed time will be returned unopened.

BID 10-092 – HERBICIDE TRUCKS

Lump sum pricing is required; payment will be by check after products/services are rendered. Bonds are not required.Fort Bend County reserves the right to reject any or all bids. Signed:Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., Purchasing Agent Fort Bend County, Richmond, Texas

LEGAL NOTICEREQUEST FOR SEALED COMPETITIVE PROPOSALSSealed Competitive Proposals will be received in the Offi ce of Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., County Purchasing Agent, Fort Bend County, Rosenberg Annex, 4520 Reading Road, Suite A, Rosenberg, TX 77471 for the following until THURSDAY, MAY 20, 2010 at 1:30 P.M. (CST). All proposals will then be opened in the Of-fi ce of the Purchasing Agent, Rosenberg Annex, 4520 Reading Road, Suite A, Rosenberg, TX 77471 and the names of the proposers made public. Propos-als received after the specifi ed time will be returned unopened.1.RFP 10-091 – TRAILER MOUNTED GENERA-TORS;2.RFP 10-093 – TAIP FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE FOR CSCD;3.RFP 10-094 – DRUG TESTING SYSTEMS FOR CSCD;4.RFP 10-095 – SUBSTANCE ABUSE HAIR ANALY-SIS TESTING FOR CSCD.Unit pricing is required; payment will be by check after products/services are rendered. Bonds are not required. Fort Bend County reserves the right to re-ject any or all proposals.Signed:Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., Purchasing Agent Fort Bend County, Richmond, Texas

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICEThe Commissioners Court of Fort Bend County, Texas has set a public hearing on Tuesday, May 25, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. for acceptance of the traffi c control plan for Sienna Village of Anderson Springs, Section 8, Sienna North Recreation Center No. 1, Sienna Ranch Road North Phase 1 Street Dedication and Sienna Ranch Road North Phase 2 Street Dedi-cation, Pct. 2.The hearing will be held in the Commis-sioners Courtroom, 309 South Fourth St., Suite 700, William B. Travis Bldg., Richmond, Texas. You are invited to at-tend and state your approval or objec-tion on this matter.Submitted by,Dianne WilsonFort Bend County Clerk

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICEThe Commissioners Court of Fort Bend County, Texas has set a public hearingon Tuesday, May 25, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. for acceptance of the revised traffi c control plan for Cinco Ranch Southwest Section 1 (Sendera Subdivision) for theplacement of “No Parking During School Hours” signs, Pct. 3.The hearing will be held in the Commis-sioners Courtroom, 309 South Fourth St., Suite 700, William B. Travis Bldg., Richmond, Texas. You are invited to at-tend and state your approval or objec-tion on this matter.Submitted by,Dianne WilsonFort Bend County Clerk

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By BARBARA FULENWIDERThe Lexus LS 460L is a

dream on wheels. The Lexus fl agship luxury sedan has been the benchmark for every luxury car manufacturer since it was fi rst introduced in the U.S. in 1989 and it still is.

For 2010 the Lexus LS 460 got new exterior styling that includes a revised front fas-cia, headlamps and tailamps, a new optional sport package for rear wheel drive models that combines sport tuned air suspension, Brembo brakes, 19-inch forged wheels with aero body design and exclu-sive interior features.

The LS 460L comes with a long wheelbase and is avail-able in rear-wheel or all-wheel drive. New side mirrors have integrated turn signals and the Lexus LS comes standard with 18-inch wheels and a new 10-spoke design.

This year Lexus is offering a new sport package for those who want a more engaging driving experience.

Personally, I like the co-cooning that includes an in-credibly quiet, gentle ride and drive, all the creature comforts possible, is spacious and has all the power I’ll ever need/want.

The Lexus LS is among the world’s fi rst cars to offer a pre-collision system and for 2010 includes an advanced pre-collision system (APCS). It has two cameras mounted up front to detect objects in front of the car and when it sees such applies the brakes.

As part of the APCS, the driver monitor system is available for the fi rst time on the LS 460L. This camera is mounted on the steering col-umn to monitor the orienta-tion of the driver’s face.

If the camera sees that the driver is not looking ahead for a few seconds and an obstacle is ahead, the system alerts the driver with a warning chime and then a fl ashing light.

As the car gets closer to the obstacle, the APCS can begin to gently apply the brakes on its own.

The system also prepares the brake system to respond with full force when activated by the driver and automatical-ly retracts the front seatbelts in anticipation of a possible impact.

The system also amplifi es the intensity and quickness of the steering response to help the driver maneuver around the obstacle.

The Lexus 460 fl agship se-dan is powered by a 4.6-liter V8 teamed with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The engine makes 380 horsepower and 367 lb.-ft. of torque in the rear-wheel-drive confi guration.

Estimated miles to the gal-lon are 16 in city driving and 24 on the highway.

The air suspension system on the LS 460 is standard on all-wheel drive and optional for the LS 460L rear-wheel

drive. The system helps con-trol body lean and offers three settings – including sport – that allows the driver to custom-tailor suspension response for maximum comfort and sharp handling.

The sport package is the fi rst of its kind for the LS and is available only on the LS 460 RWD model.

It provides an exclusive sport-tuned air suspension with specifi c stabilizer bars and shock absorbers.

Inside it adds exclusive per-forated black/saddle leather interior with sport front seats, a unique leather trimmed steer-ing wheel and paddle shifters for the automatic transmis-sion.

The test drive Lexus LS 460L retails for $70,925. Ex-tras included a Mark Levinson audio system, luxury value edition and accessory pack-age that increased the total to $76,239.

Would I buy this luxurious automobile? In a heartbeat.

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There’s more than BLT – bacon, lettuce and tomato – sandwiches for lunch.

There’s Bigwig Lunchtime Talk with high-profi le busi-ness leaders and it kicks off on Wednesday, May 12 with Jim Brown, CEO of Memo-rial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital. The luncheon starts at 11:30 a.m. at the hospital.

BLT is the brainchild of the Central Fort Bend Chamber Alliance’s Young Profession-als Division.

Each lunch provides 25 young professionals, ages 21-39, unparalleled interaction with some of the area’s most successful business profes-sionals.

Brown’s introduction to the healthcare industry began in his hometown of Paris, Texas. During a summer internship, the Texas A&M junior shad-owed a hospital administra-tor in the CHRISTUS St. Jo-

seph’s Health System. After earning a master’s

degree at Trinity University in San Antonio, Brown re-turned to the Paris hospital and, within fi ve years, rose from an administrative resi-dent to vice president. While there, he participated in the acquisition of the hospital’s competitor of 90 years, the

merger of the two operations and the eventual sale of the combined entity to a for-profi t hospital provider.

Subsequently, Brown served as chief operating of-fi cer of Lea Regional Medi-cal Center in Hobbs, New Mexico. He then stepped into the same position at Doctor’s Hospital of Dallas, rebuilding the entire management team and engineering a turnaround to profi tability.

In June 2007 Brown took the helm at Memorial Her-mann Sugar Land. Since then, the facility has enjoyed strong growth and distinguished it-self with numerous recogni-tions for clinical excellence and outstanding patient satis-faction.

For additional informa-tion about Bigwig Lunchtime Talk, contact the Central Fort Bend Chamber Alliance at 281-342-5464.

Community happenings • INDEPENDENT • MAY 5, 2010

This is the biggest Chick Flick ever in America! End of re-view.

Ok, I’ll try to tell a story and throw out a few comments about the movie, but trust me; I’ve said it all.

Jennifer “Big Butt” Lopez (she’s still hot even though she’s had twins in real life) stars as Zoe who is single and wants to have a family. Zoe has not met Mr. Right so her “back-up” plan is to get artifi cially inseminated and go it alone. She goes to a fertility doctor (Robert Klein) and lo and behold she gets pregnant on the fi rst attempt.

Problem: she meets Stan, (Alex O’Loughlin) who might be Mr. Right, the same day that she fi nds out that she’s pregnant. Darn the luck. Storyline: will Stan stick with the insecure Zoe through the pregnancy and help her raise the baby? I must admit that I was slightly pulling for these two to make it as a couple, but only slightly. My care factor was low.

Lopez and O’Loughlin are nice people and competent actors, but the story is so girlie and feminine that I struggled mightily. I was constantly looking at my watch and the guy in front of me was stretching and squirming so much that I feared that he might pull a muscle.

If there had been any other viable choices, I would not have given this fl ick a second thought; I am a semi-professional so I trudged on. But not before I went to Carter’s Country to buy some re-loading supplies and handle a few pistols. I do not want to lose my Man Card and seeing this movie if you are married could jeopardize your membership. If you are a single man and still, well, you know, then you can get a pass.

Who should see this movie? Women that have been pregnant or want to become pregnant or ever dreamed of it. The young women in my crowd were laughing and gasping throughout the movie and loudly clapped at the end. I was looking for the exit and hoping the Man Police would not see me.

When I was leaving Theatre #11 at First Colony AMC, my favorite ticket clerk asked me on the way out the door: “So how was it?” And being the quick wit that I am, retorted with “...well, let’s just say that you will enjoy it more than I did.” She is very young and smiled at me with that “...hey, old man, someday I’ll, too, be pregnant and I’m gonna love that movie.” Rock ‘n Roll.

Grade 75. Larry H. [email protected]

Committee members of the Pot of Gold Classic Golf Tournament, benefi ting the Fort Bend Rainbow Room, are pleased to announce lo-cal Radio Personality Michele Fisher will serve as hostess at the awards ceremony follow-ing tournament play.

Fisher, who works for Cox Media Group on 93Q and 106.9 The Point, will emcee the ceremony, which will also include a dinner and silent auction.

The tournament will be held at Sugar Creek Country Club on Monday, May 10.

Registration begins at 11 a.m. and tee off is at 1 p.m., followed by dinner and the awards ceremony from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

Player registration is still open and sponsorships are still available.

Contact Tonya Lewis at 832-451-5867 or [email protected].

For more information on the golf tournament and the Fort Bend Rainbow Room, visit http://www.fbrr.org/.

The Cycling Connection in Fort Bend County breakfast and workshop will be Mon-day, May 24.

Join the Fort Bend Cham-ber of Commerce, Fort Bend County municipalities and cy-cling advocates for a morning of learning and networking while promoting bicycle con-nectivity in the county.

Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. with the workshop fol-lowing from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce, 445 Commerce Green Blvd., Sugar Land.

The workshop will feature discussion of the status and outlook for a growing network of bicycle routes and linkages within Fort Bend County and area cities.

The event will also high-light the regional funding and support public/private partner-ships, and public awareness that are essential to improv-ing connectivity and safety for residents who choose cycling for both local trips and recre-ation.

Speakers include Bob He-bert, Fort Bend County Judge; James Patterson, Fort Bend County Commissioner, Pre-cinct 4; James Thompson, Mayor of Sugar Land; Allen Owen, Mayor of Missouri City; Joe Gurecky, Mayor of Rosenberg; Jacqueline Baly Chaumette, Sugar Land City Councilmember At-Large Position 2; W. Preston Tyree, Director of Education, League of American Bicyclists; Jeff Taebel, Director Community and Environmental Planning, H-GAC; and Nicole Volek, President of Shape Up Sugar Land.

For more information about this event, contact Jacqueline Baly Chaumette at (281) 565-0390 or [email protected] or Ellen Bush 281-491-0277 or [email protected].

Bigwig Lunchtime Talk, not Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato

Brown

FILM REVIEW

The Back-up Plan

Radio personality Michele Fisher

Cycling workshop on

May 24

The Fort Bend Boys Choir’s Spring Concert will be held on Saturday, May 15, 7 p.m. at Williams Trace Baptist Church in Sugar Land. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. Proceeds benefi t all fi ve of their music programs.

Their four performing choirs – Training, Town, Tour and Cantabilé (alumni choir of changed voices) – will be show-cased as they celebrate this year’s theme “A Boy’s Spirit … A Boy’s Song.” Come see (and hear) the most talented boys in Fort Bend County!

Find out more about the Fort Bend Boys Choir at www.fb-bctx.org or their fan page on Facebook.

Auditions for new choirboys are still ongoing. Boys just need to be 8 years of age or in 3rd grade by August 2010.

Call the choir offi ce at 281-240-3800 to schedule an audition appointment.

Sounds of Singing Boys

Tour Choirboys Emilio Fautsch and Derrick Cyprian.Photo: Geof Nesossi of Nesossi Studios

The Fort Bend Junior Ser-vice League (FBJSL) pre-sented Briana Gifford and Gabrielle Webster with col-lege scholarships of $1,000 each for their outstanding volunteer efforts in Fort Bend County. The recipients were chosen from a highly qualifi ed pool of applicants from public, private and pa-rochial schools throughout Fort Bend County.

The winners stood out among the other candidates as leaders in their schools as well as in their various vol-unteer efforts.

Briana Gifford of Kemp-ner High School has contrib-uted over 400 hours of com-munity and school service throughout her high school years.

She served on the May-or’s Youth Advisory Coun-cil, FBISD Youth Advisory Board and Keep Sugar Land Beautiful Youth Advisory Board, and also serves as the Student Body President at Kempner High School.

In these roles, Briana has planned and organized food and toy drives, implemented recycling programs and fa-cilitated community events. She is seen as an involved, servant leader who is re-spected by her peers and staff at Kempner High School.

Gabrielle Webster of Fos-ter High School has served in a variety of leadership ca-pacities in her school and lo-cal community, contributing over 230 hours during her high school years.

Gabrielle led Foster High School’s Speech and Debate Team to win many awards and create life-long relation-ships and served as a senior member of the UM ARMY

FBJSL awards college scholarships

to help rebuild and repair local homes of the disadvantaged.

She also led the incep-tion of the Race for the Cure team fundraiser at Foster High School and volunteers by teaching ballet and tap dancing to young girls on the weekends, as well as organiz-ing other fundraising events in her school and church com-munities.

FBJSL initiated this schol-arship program in 2009 to rec-ognize local senior girls who have demonstrated excellence in volunteerism throughout their high school careers.

FBJSL awards two $1,000 scholarships annually for fe-males displaying outstanding volunteerism. For more infor-mation visit www.fbjsl.com.

Scholarship recipients attended the FBJSL April general meeting to receive their scholarship awards. Pictured left to right are Briana Gifford and Gabrielle Webster.

The third Annual Sugar Land’s Cutest Contest will take place May 22 from 9 – 11:30 a.m. in the Plaza of Sugar Land Town Square. If you’ve got the cutest baby, toddler or preschooler pick up an entry form at select Sugar Land Town Square re-tailers, including Luggage & Leather, Motherhood Maternity, Strasburg Children and Sweet & Sassy. The deadline to enter is May 9 and contestants must be less than four years of age.

The contest will include four categories for children ages 0-12 months, 13-24 months, 25-36 months and 37-47 months. A panel of judges will select 10 contestants per category to compete in the competition on May 22. Contestants must be full-time residents of Fort Bend County to enter.

The judging portion of the contest will take place between 9-10:30 a.m., followed by a children’s concert by Tom’s Fun Band from 10:30-11:30 a.m. The winners will be announced at 11:30 a.m. For more information visit www.sugarlandtown-square.com.

dollFace by Ronnee

Sugar Land’s Cutest Contest

For ALL Your Vehicle Needs!

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BACK PAIN? NECK PAIN?

16655 Southwest Freeway • Sugar Land, Texas 77479 281-274-7000 • MethodistSugarLand.com

Stop enduring pain. Call today and begin your personal treatment plan. 281-313-BACK (2225).

Spine Center

The Spine Center at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital is the comprehensive, coordinated option for you in Fort Bend County.

For back and neck pain, there’s only one premier choice – Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s

Spine Center. Whether you’ve had pain for just a few days or several long years, you’ll find

everything you need to diagnose and treat your condition in a convenient location, with

access to premier spine specialists and a complete range of treatment options.

Getting started is easy. We will guide you through a customized treatment

plan, with expedited access to world-class neurologists, neurosurgeons,

orthopedic spine surgeons and interventional pain specialists. Plus,

physical therapy, occupational therapy, and the most advanced

imaging and surgical technologies in the world are available on-site.

L EADING M EDICINE ®

14090 Southwest Fwy, #130Sugar Land, TX 77478

Phone: (281) 491-7111

THOMAS J. PARR, M.D.ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON

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Only one side is worn out and painful.

Only the damaged partwas replaced.

MAKOplasty®

Robotically assisted, partical knee resurfacing of the damaged area without compromising surrounding healthy bone and tissue, and with less pain and faster recovery.Angels of

Education auxiliary spring

luncheonAttend this FREE event

and learn more about the Fort Bend Education Foundation!. Volunteer and grow with us. Thursday May 13 - 11 a.m. Enclave at Lakepoint Subdi-vision. For address and direc-tions, Call 281-634-1110 by May 12.

Mazal Group of Hadassah will meet on Thursday, May 13 from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. at the home of Donna Weinberg, 30 Crestwood Cr, Sugar Creek. Meryl Cohen, Certifi ed Sexu-ality Educator & VP of Edu-cation for Planned Parent-hood of SE TX and LA will present a lighthearted, infor-mative talk entitled, “Sex In The Burbs”. Installation of 2010-11 offi cers. Hadassah supports health care and med-ical research throughout the world. Please RSVP to evite. For further information con-tact Donna @[email protected].

Mazal Group

The Fort Bend Chapter of the Daughters of the Ameri-can Revolution will meet Wed, May 12 at 10 a.m. at the Sugar Land United Meth-odist Church in Wesley Hall. Members and prospective members are invited to attend.

For details call Kyleen at 281 499-3007.

DAR MeetingWharton County Junior

College is currently register-ing for the May Mini-Term and Summer 2010 semes-ters. Students may register on campus or on the web through May 18 for the May Mini-Term, through June 7 for Summer I, and through July 12 for Summer II.

On campus registra-tion is held at the WCJC Richmond campus, WCJC Sugar Land campus, and WCJC Wharton campus.

May Mini-Term classes be-gin May 19, Summer I class-es begin June 7 and Sum-mer II classes begin July 12.

Distance education cours-es are available through the

web and, interactive television.For more information, call

800-561-9252 or 979-532-4560 for the WCJC Whar-ton campus, 281-243-8447 for the WCJC Sugar Land campus, 281-239-1500 for the WCJC Richmond cam-pus, and 979-244-4552 for the Bay City campus.

WCJC registration in progress

• INDEPENDENT • MAY 5, 2010

S I E N N A P L A N T A T I O N

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NEW Opening FALL 2010Introducing Sienna Plantation’s 5th School and Fort Bend’s newest high school

RIDGE POINT HIGH SCHOOL

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713-478-2972www.dannynguyenforcitycouncil.com Political ad paid for by Danny Nguyen campaign, Frank Hester, Treasurer.

Mayor ProTem Jerry WyattMayor Allen Owen

Vote

May 8,

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