FORT BEND

FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE.

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

P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, 2010

VOL 3 No. 11 PRSRT STD

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

STAFFORD, TX

PERMIT NO.10

Seshadri KumarPublisher & Editor

10701 Corporate Drive, #282, Staff ord, 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.

Looking at the whole you.Just one of the many advantages of having a medical home with a Primary Care Physician.

Establish a medical home with a Primary Care Physician near you. Call 713.222.CARE or visit memorialhermann.org.

Lance Cpl. Garrett Gamble, a U.S. Marine, from New Ter-ritory in Fort Bend County, died in Afghanistan on March 1.

A 2008 graduate of Stephen F. Austin High in Sugar Land, Gamble died after stepping on a device while patrolling dur-ing combat operations in Hel-mand province, Afghanistan.

Gamble was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Divi-sion, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Gamble was deployed in October 2009 as a SAW gun-man on combat duty near the front lines.

Gamble is survived by his mother, Michelle Greer; fa-ther, Troy Gamble; step-fa-ther, Brad Greer; and younger brothers Cody Gamble and Gunner Greer.

Gamble’s remains will ar-rive from Dover, Del., at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Sugar Land Municipal Airport.

Friends and neighbors are expected to bring fl ags and line the area from the Sugar Land aiprort on Hwy 6 to U.S.

90 A. A viewing will be held from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at First United Methodist Church of Sugar Land, 431 Eldridge.

The memorial service will be at the same church at 10 a.m. Saturday, followed by a precession to Houston Nation-al Cemetery, 10410 Veterans Memorial.

The transfer from plane to hearse will be private, but the hearse will travel Highway 6 to 90A, arriving at Settegast-Kopf Funeral Home at 15015 Southwest Freeway.

There will be a reception following the service from 3 to 5 at the Parkway United Methodist Church, 5801 New Territory Blvd.

In lieu of fl owers, the family has asked donations be made to Houston Marine Moms at houstonmarinemoms.org.

Local Marine killed in Afghanistan

Gamble

Yellow Brick Gala

If you want to be a part of the Child Advocates of Fort Bend Yellow Brick Gala on April 10, at the Sugar Land Marriott Town Square, reservation deadline is April 2. The Gala’s live auction offerings include a complete bathroom makeover, a pair of fi rst class round-trip Continental Airlines tickets anywhere in the world, a guided Alaskan fi shing trip and much more. Getting into the spirit are (L to R): Karen Chitty-Boe and Jim Brown of Memorial Hermann Sugar Land, Silent Auction Chair Jenn Marker, Shanna Sturgeon of Founders Bank and Big Board Chair Ashley Kunco. Presented by Founders Bank and Memorial Hermann Sugar Land, the gala provides several opportunities to make a difference in the life of a child including attend-ing the event ($125/person for reservations) and becoming a sponsor (sponsorships range from $1500 to $8,500). For more information visit www.cafb.org or call 281-344-5108. At the very heart of this event is the belief that every child deserves a safe and permanent home. Child Advocates of Fort Bend serves children in Fort Bend County whose lives have been torn apart by abuse or neglect through its two programs, Court Appointed Special Advocates and the Children’s Advocacy Center. For more information, contact Dena Jones at djones@cafb.org.

Drs. Henry Pham, right, and John Boon at Methodist Hospi-tal Sugar Land are now performing minimally invasive sur-gery that may spare kidney cancer patients an increased risk of life-long dialysis. They are using the recently acquired Da Vinci® S Surgical System. See story on Page 3.

BIRDS OF FORT BEND. Do you think I’m sexy? Spring brings the courtship displays of birds along with the beautiful songs. The Great Egret almost became extinct because of its beauty. And their courtship dance lasts for quite awhile--10 minutes or more! Long plumes (aigrettes) are held up over the back in courtship displays around the nest. Plume hunt-ers in the late 1800s and early 1900s reduced North American populations by more than 95 percent. The populations recov-ered after the birds were protected by law. No population is considered threatened, but the species is vulnerable to the loss of wetlands. And creeks and sloughs are where you’ll will fi nd the Great Egret, which is a 4 foot member of the Heron family that some call the Great White. For more photos, visit http://traction.typepad.com/Birds/. Photo by Margaret Sloan.

The Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees approved a reso-lution declaring fi nancial exi-gency at the March 8 regular board meeting.

The district is in a position in which it must reduce costs signifi cantly in upcoming school years.

Expenses in other areas, including campus and depart-ment budgets, have already been reduced annually over the past several years, the dis-

trict said in a press release. Since the major portion of

the district’s operating budget (approximately 90%) consists of employee salaries and ben-efi ts, the district must now se-riously consider eliminating positions to adopt a balanced budget for the 2010-2011 school year, the statement said.

The district adopted a defi -cit budget of $18.6 million in 2009-2010, and is projected to

have a continued defi cit bud-get of $18 to $20 million in 2010-2011.

Without signifi cant changes in the district’s expenditure patterns, or a change in the state funding formula, the district is projected to be fi s-cally unstable within three years—unless serious actions are taken.

Both the board and admin-istration know these are diffi

FBISD board declares fi nancial exigency

See BUDGET, Page 3

By SESHADRI KUMARTwo incumbent Fort Bend ISD trustees have decided not to

seek re-election, leaving the seats open for new candidates.Board president Bob Broxson did not seek re-election after

his fi rst term. He cited personal reasons.Jim Rice and Clay Alumbaugh, both of Sugar Land, are

seeking Bob Broxson’s Position 3 seat.After fi ling for reelection for a second term, David Reitz, last

week withdrew his candidacy. He is also a one-term trustee.Jim Babb, 46, a police sergeant, who lives in Missouri City

and Gerald Hawkins, 43, of Sugar Land, a physician/medical educator are now seeking Position 7, held by Reitz.

Reitz said in a statement: “I cannot believe how much I have learned in the three years since I fi led to run for this position.

“At the time, I was upset because the board seemed too dis-tracted by internal divisions to focus on building new schools and closing the gap between economically disadvantaged kids and the rest of the students.

“Since then, the Board of Trustees has coalesced into an effective team, setting and focusing on strategic education-al goals, allowing the superintendent to pursue those goals through systemic improvements to our educational model, re-sulting in improving test scores for all students, closing the gap for economically disadvantaged students, and increasing the number of AP tests and industry certifi cations.

“This improved educational model includes a more effec-tive, effi cient district structure.... I withdraw my name for elec-tion for this board position. I will support public education in other ways. I have spoken with Mr. Babb and Dr. Hawkins, who have fi led for this position, and wish them the best as they debate the issues. The biggest issue, as I mentioned during the Budget workshop, will be getting the Texas legislature to end the inequity in funding which could impair our ability to en-sure our students reach their potential.”

2 school board trustees drop out

The U.S. Department of Commerce recently approved expansion of the Port Freeport Foreign Trade Zone to include two sites along U.S. Highway 59 in Fort Bend County, in-cluding the new CenterPoint Intermodal Center – Houston Metro in Rosenberg.

A joint venture between Kansas City Southern (KCS) and Chicago-based Center-Point Properties (CPP), the CenterPoint Intermodal Cen-ter consists of 630 acres and sits directly adjacent to the newly-opened Kansas City Southern Railway intermodal shipper facility, which will be used to receive, store and dis-burse by rail and truck con-tainerized cargo across Texas,

other parts of the U.S. and Mexico.

“This new center is poten-tially the largest economic development project in Fort Bend County and its surround-ing communities throughout the next decade,” said Bark-ley Peschel, VP of Develop-ment and Operations of the Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council.

“The approval of the For-eign Trade Zone makes this site more competitive with in-termodal centers within Texas and other adjoining states. In addition, the direct access to Mexico will provide new op-portunities for partnerships with Mexican manufactur-ers.”

Foreign trade zone in Fort Bend County

Page 2 • INDEPENDENT • MARCH 17, 2010

Building homes of quality and distinction for over 40 years.

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

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MARCH 17, 2010 • INDEPENDENT • Page 3

Community news

State Auto’s new Prime of LifeSM Plan provides expanded insurance coverages and substantial premium discounts on auto and homeowners insurance for qualifying customers age 45 and over*! As part of the Prime of Life Plan, you’ll enjoy enhanced coverages for when you travel, anywhere in the U.S.A. or Canada. Call your State Auto agent today for more information.

How about a worry-free insurance plan especially for people age 45 and over?*

*Qualifying age and coverage enhancements/discounts vary by state.

Your best insurance is a good agent.

“Friends you can depend on”

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Using the recently acquired da Vinci® S Surgical Sys-tem, Dr. Henry Pham and Dr. Boon, urologists on staff at Methodist Sugar Land Hos-pital, can remove the tumor affecting the kidney and leave the healthy tissue. Patients can then often avoid the in-creased risk of organ failure that results from having a sin-gle healthy kidney.

Dr. Pham and Dr. Boon per-formed the fi rst robotic neph-rectomy in Fort Bend County on patient Michael Gann, leaving him with a barely vis-ible scar and a quicker recov-ery time.

In the largest study to date, researchers at the Washington University School of Medi-cine in St. Louis concluded that da Vinci nephrectomy is a safe and effective approach to kidney cancer treatment.

“This robotic-assisted, minimally invasive approach may not only provide patients

with excellent short-term cancer control, but for select patients, it may help them keep their kidney and avoid increased risk for life-long di-alysis,” said Dr. Pham.

Study co-authors reviewed data from 183 patients who underwent da Vinci neph-rectomy at four centers be-tween 2006 and 2008. Of the tumors removed, 69% were malignant and 2.7% of these showed positive surgical mar-gins – meaning there was can-cer at the edge of the speci-men – a sign that the cancer may not have been taken out completely.

“A da Vinci nephrectomy is comparable to both the open and laparoscopic approaches in terms of cancer control, but with minimal recovery time,” said Dr. Pham.

“I expected to be in the hos-pital two to three days and out of work for several weeks,” said patient Michael Gann.

“To my surprise, I was home the very same day with my family, and I was very pleased with how fast the recovery time was. I was back to work in fi ve days and had a much smaller scar than the normal kidney removal scar. All of this would not have been pos-sible without the state-of-the-art technology that Methodist Sugar Land Hospital provides for our community.”

Da Vinci’s advanced level of technology takes surgery beyond the limits of the hu-man hand. “This acquisition complements our goal of ex-tending minimally invasive surgery to the broadest pos-sible base of patients,” said Becky Chalupa, Associate Chief Nursing Offi cer. “It can be used for a multitude of procedures, including, but not limited to: prostatectomy, hysterectomy, myomectomy, coronary artery bypass, mitral valve repair and colorectal

surgery.” Methodist Sugar Land Hos-

pital is initially planning to use robotic surgery for gyne-cological, colorectal and uro-logical surgeries. The robot has created much excitement for many physicians who are looking forward to being part of the robotics team. “The ro-botics program is a continua-tion of Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s commitment to bringing the medical center home to Fort Bend County, as well as fi nding and applying the most precise, most ben-efi cial surgical techniques to put patients on a quicker road to recovery with better out-comes,” said Dr. Pham.

To make an appointment with Dr. Pham, Dr. Boon or other specialists using robot-ics technology, call Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s phy-sician referral line 281-274-7500 or visit MethodistSugar-Land.com.

W. Douglas Goff has been named chief operating offi cer (COO) of The Johnson De-velopment Corp., a residential and commercial development company involved in some of the Houston area’s largest master-planned communities.

Goff has been with Johnson Development for 15 years, fi rst as General Manager of the 10,500 acre Sienna Plan-tation community and most recently as Senior Vice Presi-dent and Director of Land De-velopment.

He holds a Bachelor of Sci-ence degree from LSU and a Masters in management from Purdue University.

“Doug has been an integral part of our company’s success and with his vast experience in land development, it was a natural move to name him our Chief Operating Offi cer,” said Larry Johnson, president and founder of The Johnson De-velopment Corp.

Prior to joining Sienna in 1995, Goff was General Man-ager of Markborough Devel-opment and was instrumental in the turnaround of the 3,500-acre New Territory commu-nity and several other projects throughout the Greater Hous-ton area.

His involvement in large-scale communities outside of Houston includes projects in Austin, Texas, Vero Beach, Florida and Lafayette, Loui-siana.

Goff has been actively in-volved in numerous civic and professional organizations in-cluding the Fort Bend Cham-

Texana Center, The Arc of Fort Bend, Focus Initiative and Amegy Bank have partnered to host Celebrating Abilities, Saturday, March 27 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at The Plaza at Sug-ar Land Town Square. This fun family-oriented afternoon will include a rock wall, clown, face painting, children’s activities and refreshments. There will be lots of entertainment too, with a variety of performances from bands, choirs, karate demon-strations and more.

The purpose of this event is to create awareness of the is-sues and abilities of people in our community who have in-tellectual and developmental disabilities. “Celebrating Abili-ties” is all about recognizing the diversity of our community and celebrating our different abilities.

cult decisions to make; how-ever, they recognize the need to act is now, the district said.

In order to implement fi -nancial processes to best ad-dress the fi scal needs of the district, it was necessary for the district to declare a reduc-tion in force in accordance with board policy .

The resolution passed by the board allows the admin-istration to move forward in its planning to restructure its programs in such a manner to allow the district to remain fi scally sound.

Financial exigency is viewed positively by the fi -nancial community, including the district’s bond holders, in that the Board of Trustees is taking a positive action to re-duce continued defi cit spend-ing.

The district will continue to conduct budget workshops and analyze all data and available cost-cutting options up until a fi nal budget for the 2010-2011 school year is ad-opted in June.

District offi cials proposed new school start/stop times and changes to bus transpor-tation services as a tool to re-ducing budget costs.

At the March 8, Board Budget Workshop, Ben Cope-land, Chief Auxiliary Servic-es Offi cer, presented several strategies that collectively would reduce bus transporta-tion costs by approximately $2.2 million next year.

Cost-saving strategies pre-sented include:

Shifting bell schedules to improve routing effi ciency between bus runs: the ele-mentary start/stop time would change to 8:10 a.m – 3:10 p.m, from the current 8:00 a.m - 3:00 p.m; the middle

school start/stop time would change to 8:55 a.m – 3:55 p.m from the current 8:50 a.m - 3:50 p.m; and, there would be no changes to the current high school start/stop time.

Increasing the number of students per bus run with a target average bus load of 50 students per run for high school and middle school; 60 students per run for elemen-tary.

Decreasing overall bus route mileage by increasing the student walk-to-stop.

Basically this means buses would be making fewer stops to pick up/drop off students.

As a result, students may walk up to ½ mile for second-ary students and up to 1000 feet for elementary students to their designated bus stop.

Reviewing all hazardous area bus service offered with-in two-miles of schools and recommending elimination of bus service in areas that

no longer meet conditions for hazardous area service.

For example, at one time, a particular neighborhood may have been granted bus service because of road construction in the area.

However, once the road construction is complete, transportation should no lon-ger be provided if students live within the campus walk zone.

Eliminating after school general activity bus runs, ex-cept for student tutorials, at the middle and high schools. This bus service receives no reimbursement from the state and is too costly to maintain in this fi nancial climate.

Trustees will consider the cost-reducing changes pre-sented by transportation along with several other budget con-siderations before adopting a fi nal 2010-2011 school year budget in June.

BudgetFrom Page 1

Doctors perform fi rst robotic nephrectomy at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital

Johnson Development names Goff as COO

ber of Commerce, where he served as Chairman from 1999 to 2000, and the Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council, where he is an Ex-ecutive Committee member. He served as a board member of the Fort Bend ISD Educa-tion Foundation for many years and is currently a De-velopment Board member of the Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital.

His other affi liations in-clude membership in the Greater Houston Builders As-sociation and the Urban Land Institute, where he is member of the Community Develop-ment Council.

In Houston, The Johnson Development Corp.’s current project list includes Sienna Plantation, Riverstone, Wood-forest, Fall Creek, Tuscan Lakes, Edgewater and Impe-rial Sugar.

For more information, visit www.johnsondevelopment.com.

Goff

Houston Astros play-by-play television announcer Bill Brown will take the stage with KPRC Local 2 Sports Director Randy McIl-voy for the Memorial Her-mann Sugar Land Hospital Friday Sports Forum on Fri-day, April 9.

The luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m. at the Sugar Land Marriott Town Square.

The popular Friday Sports Forum, which began in 2008, provides a casual conversa-tion between the featured guest, McIlvoy and attend-ees. Cost is $10 and advance registration is required. Pro-ceeds benefi t Logos Prepara-tory Academy Athletics and Fort Bend County nonprof-its.

Brown is in his 23rd sea-son with the Astros and is a member of the Texas Base-ball Hall of Fame. He is re-garded as one of the greats in Major League Baseball broadcasting.

“The folks who attend this Friday Sports Forum will en-

joy visiting with Bill and get-ting to know a little bit about the Astros of 2010,” said McIlvoy.

To register for the April 9 Friday Sports Forum, call 281-725-LOGO (5646), go online at www.fridaysports-forum.org or send an email to fridaysports.forum@memori-alhermann.org.

Please include your name and number of attendees.

Fort Bend youth athletic programs get big league support

Brown

The University of Houston System at Sugar Land will host an Open House and Advising Night on April 8, 4 to 7 p.m. at he UHSSL campus, 14000 University Blvd. Sugar Land, at the intersection of U.S. 59 South and University Blvd. where prospective students can learn about junior, senior and graduate courses leading to more than 30 bachelor’s, master’s and certifi cations of-fered close to home.

To learn more, call 281-275-3300 or log onto www.sugar-land.uh.edu/advisingnight

UHSSL hosts open house

Celebrating abilities: Fun event at Town Square

Houston Lace Eyebrows & Lashes Wellness Center and Juzo, a leading manufacturer of compression therapy gar-ments, are teaming up to offer FREE leg vein screenings on April 1 from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 2715 Bissonnet, Suite 203. Designed to detect if your legs are at risk of devel-oping circulatory problems, the screening is as fast and simple as having your blood pressure checked.

For more information on our free leg vein screenings, contact Terry Tribble at 713-522-PINK (7465).

Free leg vein screenings

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: Speoplesrealtor@aol.com

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.

First Colony! Popular 1 story over 2000sqft! 3 bedrooms/study. Wood/Laminate and tile thru -out. New interior paint. Double pane windows, corian counters in all baths and kitchen Priced to go fast! $190’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/gameroom. Covered over size patio. Playground & shed stays. Private Levee lot. Priced to go at $230,000.

NEW LISTING

SUGAR LAND REDUCED

1 story on big corner lot! Almost 3000 sqft! 4 bedrooms and study. Gourmet island kitchen with granite and tile. Covered patio. Huge master retreat! Price reduced to go in the $200’s.

BUILDER CLOSEOUT

Custom home in gated acreage community. 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 cov-ered patio and 3-car garage. Price to go in the $500’s.

PLANTATION COLONY

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!

NEW LISTING

By JOANNIE PARR & THOMAS PARR, M.D.

Living in the Greater Hous-ton area provides you with a very large selection of highly qualifi ed physicians, both pri-mary care and specialists.

In a very good way, this is a nice problem to have, but it also can be overwhelming when you are looking for a doctor for you or a member of your family.

One way to start to locate a new physician is with your insurance company. Identify those who are participating physicians in your insurance plan. That should be easily available online.

For routine health care, a lo-cation near your home or near your place of work may be an important consideration.

For more serious or life-threatening conditions, you may need to be willing to con-sider traveling a little.

Ask yourself if there a par-ticular hospital you defi nitely would or would not want to use. This might be an impor-tant consideration as well. All of the local hospitals should have a list of their physician staff members on their web sites.

You can check the Texas State Board of Medical Ex-aminers’ web site (www.tmb.state.tx.us/consumers/) to be

sure none of the doctors on your initial list has ever had any sanctions, restrictions, or suspensions on his or her medical license.

With your potential physi-cian list in hand, ask friends, neighbors, and coworkers if they have had any personal experience with the doctors you are considering.

Also ask if there are any doctors not on your list that they would recommend. You may learn a lot from these personal experiences to assist you in your search.

If you already have a pa-tient-doctor relationship you like, call that offi ce and ask the staff for a list of doctors they recommend in the spe-ciality you are looking for. If it is a common referral request for that doctor’s of-fi ce, the staff may have a list

easily available; but don’t be “put off” if you are told that they need to ask the doctor and call you back. It may take a day or two, but they really are trying to give you the best recommendations they can. Cross-reference their sugges-tions with your insurance plan list and with other names you have been told about.

One of the very best ways to fi nd a new doctor is to fi nd out who other doctors use for themselves and their families. It is always good to ask a doc-tor you know and trust “is this someone you would use for yourself or your family?”

At this point, you may have already identifi ed one or two doctors as your top choices. If so, call and make an ap-pointment for an initial visit.

By DICK PHILLIPSYou’ve undoubtedly been

reading and hearing a lot about yet more tuition increases planned for next year at com-munity colleges and universi-ties in Texas and around the country.

It has become increasingly diffi cult for families to fi nd the money to send their chil-dren (or themselves for that matter) to college over the years, but particularly diffi -cult during these challenging economic times.

One of the problems is that there is less and less state funding available, so in order to maintain quality, tuition and fees continue to increase to the student, in what basically is a user fee-based approach.

There is a lot of talk about universities needing to cut waste and operate like the rest of the business world (one would need to be selective on which businesses to emulate of course).

University administrators are responding. You undoubt-edly are reading or hearing about cuts that universities are taking.

But no one (administration, faculty or students) wants to cut quality, so the choices are few and diffi cult.

Is education still a good in-vestment?

As I noted last month, a person with a bachelor’s de-gree earns on average over $1 million in lifetime earnings more than someone with a high school diploma or less.

But that’s just the money side.

The type of job, the person-al fulfi llment, and the quality of life in general are benefi ts as well.

I’ve yet to have someone tell me they regret having a degree, even if they aren’t di-rectly using it in their career.

So what does higher educa-tion really cost?

Especially in hard times, many are looking at return on investment (ROI) – not so much of the value of higher education, but of the deliver-ing institutions.

Most every high school stu-dent dreams of going to a ma-jor university and having the

complete college experience –pledging, football games, living independently (partying some call it) and maybe even dormitory living and cafeteria food (doubt that really).

Anyone with the resourc-es and the desire to have the “complete college experi-ence” should do so.

I have yet to fi nd someone regret that as well.

On the other hand, there are alternatives.

You have one in your back yard. If money matters to you, check out these fi gures taken from the College Board (www.collegeboard.com).

Let’s say you want to get a bachelor’s degree in business. One year’s tuition and fees at the University of Texas (UT), according to the report would cost you about $17,860.

Take that times four, and you should plan to budget somewhere in the neighbor-hood of $71,440 for tuition and fees only for your bach-elor’s degree.

According to the same re-port, Texas A&M would be $16,352 and $65,408, and the University of Phoenix, would be about $11,937 and $95,496.

Compare that to the Uni-versity of Houston System at Sugar Land (UHSSL).

You can take your fi rst two years at Wharton County Junior College (WCJC) on the campus at approximate-ly $7,760 and your second two years from UHSSL for $21,600 bringing your com-parative total to $29,360.

If you hadn’t done the math before, your jaw may be on the ground. Yes, that’s a range from $29,360 to $95,496 for a bachelor’s degree based on these comparisons for tuition and fees alone.

Room and board, not count-ing other expenses related to living away from home would be an additional $76,816 at UT and $64,312 at A&M.

Phoenix and UHSSL do not offer room and board pack-ages, so you would need to compare your cost of living at home to those fi gures.

Your kids do not want you to know this by the way.

But UHSSL is not for ev-eryone, just as UT, A&M and Phoenix aren’t for everyone. We all serve a purpose. That’s why we all exist and are suc-cessful.

I think it is good to have information to make an in-formed decision.

In conversations on cost, I am always asked about qual-ity.

Quality is somewhat a per-sonal impression, but in aca-demia we can only measure by such things as accredita-tion.

For instance, the business program offered at UHSSL is accredited at the highest level by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Busi-ness (AACSB International), recognized as the premier measure of quality in the busi-ness education world.

ROI is a personal thing as well.

Staying at home and com-muting to college is not usu-ally a college student’s fi rst choice. On the other hand, you could buy a pretty nice car for that commute with the savings.

Bottom line from my per-spective, a college education is still worth the investment, period.

Email me at www.dickphil-lips@uh.edu with questions that you would like to hear discussed.

Dick Phillips, associate vice-chancellor of the Uni-versity of Houston System, is in charge of the Sugar Land and Katy - Cinco Ranch cam-puses.

By JANICE SCANLANThere’s nothing like hav-

ing two beautiful, sunshiny days on the weekend to re-store the spirit . . . and start to revive plants from actually having some winter in Hous-ton, after dodging the bullet for 14 years.

Having winter makes me more appreciate spring; but as my friend said, “we’re go-ing to be doing a lot of garden work.” And just getting a few blossoms started and some of the dead cleaned out helps re-store hope and that there are indeed new beginnings. I’ve even had tomato blossoms! But that involved carrying the tomatoes in at night and keeping them under fl uores-cent light for 6 extra hours per day. So I had to “work with mother nature” as well as use a little science on that one.

Another friend commented that many things had become too overgrown. So winter also allows us to look and see whether we’ve provided a good framework of evergreen plants to anchor our garden for later color and specimen plants. Is our garden a mess or does it have a backdrop for beauty?

We didn’t just have two pretty days . . .the Quail Val-ley Garden Club (QVGC) also had an “Arbor Day” ded-ication and tree celebration picnic at Ridgeview Park last Thursday. Missouri City’s Ur-ban Forester Paul Wierzbecki

spoke to us about trees and the contribution they make to our lives in terms of better re-lationships, less crime, more focused kids (even hyper ones) and as a natural source of cleansing carbon dioxide from the environment.

But what stuck with me is how trees appreciate in value and contribute more as they grow. Unlike most things our tax dollars go for that depreci-ates in value.

I’d never thought about how trees hold rain on their leaves and relieve our storm sewers of an amazing number of gallons of water for ex-ample. And it was a Chamber of Commerce day in terms of trees in bloom, leafi ng out and the interesting group of speci-men plants that are “power line friendly” and provide beauty and color during vari-

ous parts of the year. This is a wonderful time to go look at those trees (many in bloom) especially if you need to re-place some trees.

With the exceptions of some native trees and the “Power Friendly Tree” dem-onstration provided by Cen-ter Point Energy, QVGC has planted the majority of the trees in Ridgeview Park. And what Paul’s talk did was make me appreciate what “paying it forward” really means-- leav-ing something of value for generations to come. Giving something that gives back.

Your life is like a garden. So if things have become a little overgrown or you have too much “dead” in your life, it’s not too late to take inven-tory of what you might want to add or subtract for some new perspective and energy. It’s also like a tree. Are you leaving something of value for others?

There are so many ways to give back, so don’t forget the Sunday, March 21 dedication at the Dew House in Kitty Hollow Park. It’s from 1:30 to 3:30. Not only will you get a sense of our history in Missouri City and Fort Bend, but also what the Fort Bend Historical Society and many volunteers are doing to leave something of value.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day.

Write to open.space@earthlink.net.

By RUSSELL C. JONESSugar Land enjoys one

of the lowest crime rates in the nation.

That is not just an idle boast.

It is reinforced time after time by FBI crime statis-tics, as well as national sur-veys by reputable analysts of the data.

Unfortunately, if you or your neighbor is the victim of a crime, it is a very per-sonal matter.

It does not matter what the overall statistics say, it seems like a crime wave.

Sugar Land has had the benefi t of a very low crime rate in recent years, but, un-fortunately, has had a num-ber of high profi le crimes.

The mayor being at-tacked in his driveway was one such event, and more recently, a well-known family suffered a home in-vasion.

These crimes received publicity not only in Sugar Land, but also throughout the Houston region through articles in the Houston newspaper as well as sto-ries broadcast on the vari-ous Houston television sta-tions.

In some ways, Sugar Land is the victim of its own success.

Because there are so few crimes, the occurrence of one becomes news, espe-cially if the victim happens to be an elected offi cial or other well known commu-nity leader.

This councilmember re-cently attempted to make an effort to tone down the bad publicity which the city receives.

Sugar Land seems to get more coverage on Houston

television stations on crim-inal activity than any other city than Houston itself. Sometimes, it seems, local television carries a report on every car burglary or purse-snatching that occurs in Sugar Land.

Regional reporting on crime in Sugar Land is out of proportion to what is go-ing on throughout the area.

Part of the problem may be that Sugar Land publi-cizes many issues relating to its police department, while Houston and other area cities do not.

The city frequently is-sues press releases after a criminal event when leads have been exhausted or the police need the public’s as-sistance in solving a crime. Examples include the re-lease of mug shots or cam-era surveillance photos.

The city also issues nu-merous press releases in-tended to help educate the public regarding activity which tends to encourage criminal responses.

For example, leav-ing purses on front seats in cars and driving home from a business with large

amounts of cash have been found to be incentives to criminal activity.

Of course, the city likes to brag, to some extent, about its successes when a crime is solved or an arrest is made. That is normal.

In the past, the city has even published a daily police blotter, which lists every petty misdemeanor occurring in the prior 24 hours.

This councilmember has expressed concern over too much publicity regarding police activity, regardless of its purpose or motiva-tion.

Because the absence of crime is apparently not newsworthy, the media tends to regard any discus-sion of crime as indicative of a serious problem.

Nothing could be further from the truth. If you do you hear of crime in your neighborhood, it is likely to be isolated and unusual.

The Sugar Land City Council has declared mak-ing the city the safest in the nation as one of its primary goals. The Council has followed up repeatedly by equipping the police with the latest crime prevention technology and a top fl ight department of uniformed offi cers.

The Sugar Land Police Department considers the safety of its citizens to be its highest priority.

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

OpinionPage 4 • INDEPENDENT • MARCH 17, 2010

Seshadri KumarPublisher & Editor

Email: Editor@fbindependent.com

www.fbindependent.com

Scanlan

The View From Sugar Land

Jones

Keeping a perspective on crime

Send your comments or opinions by email

to editor

@fbindependent.com

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LEGAL NOTICEINVITATION TO BIDDERS

Sealed Bids will be received in the Offi ce of Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., County Purchas-ing Agent, Fort Bend County, Rosenberg Annex, 4520 Reading Road, Suite A, Rosenberg, TX 77471 for the following until THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2010 at 1:30 P.M. (CST). All bids will then be publicly opened and read in the Offi ce of the Pur-chasing Agent, Rosenberg Annex, 4520 Reading Road, Rosenberg, TX 77471. Bids received after the specifi ed time will be returned unopened.BID 10-071 – LIME SLURRY AND CEMENT STABILIZED SAND.BID 10-072 – CONSTRUCTION OF PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE.Unit pricings is required for Bid 10-071 and Lump sum pricing is required for Bid 10-072.; payment will be by check after products/services are ren-dered. Bonds are required for Bid 10-072.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 re-ceived 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, MARCH 25, 2010 at 1:30 P.M. (CST). All propos-als will then be opened in the Offi ce of the Purchasing Agent, Rosenberg Annex, 4520 Reading Road, Suite A, Rosenberg, TX 77471 and the names of the propos-ers made public. Proposals received after the specifi ed time will be returned unopened.1.RFP 10-067 – PROPANE POWERED VEHICLE CONVERSION2.RFP 10-073 – SOLAR POWERED SE-CURITY LIGHTINGFort Bend County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals.Signed: Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., Purchasing Agent Fort Bend County, Richmond, Texas

LEGAL NOTICEREQUEST FOR SEALED COMPETITIVE

Sealed Qualifi cation Statements 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, MARCH 25, 2010 AT 1:30 P.M. (CST).

1.Q10-074 – ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR CITY OF RICHMOND LIFT STATION EMER-GENCY GENERATOR.2.Q10-075 – ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR CITY OF ROSENBERG LIFT STATIONS MANUAL TRANSFER SWITCHES

Fort Bend County reserves the right to reject any or all qualifi cation statements received.Signed:Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., Purchasing Agent Fort Bend County, Richmond, Texas

CONSTABLE SALEUnder and by virtue of a Writ of Execution and / or Order of Sale issued on February 1, 2010 by the 268TH DISTRICT Court of FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas in cause #07-DCV-155960 in favor of the Plaintiff - SIENNA PLANTATION RESIDENTIAL ASSOCIATION, INC., Plaintiff , for the sum of $7,064.00++++costs as taxed on said Execution and / or Order of Sale and further the sum of executing the same. I have levied on FEBRUARY 3RD, 2010 and will off er for sale on the 6TH day of APRIL 2010 at the County Courthouse steps of Fort Bend County, Texas in the city of Richmond, Texas between the hours of ten o’clock a.m. and four o’clock p.m., and all rights, title, interests and claims which the said Defendant(s) - SANDRA L. BOSWELL had of, in or to the following described Real Property situated in Fort Bend County, Texas; viz.:LEGAL DESCRIPTION: LOT 44, BLOCK 3, SIENNA VILLAGE OF ANDERSON SPRINGS, SECTION FOUR-A, AN ADDITION IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN PLAT NO. 20040085, PLAT RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS (THE “PROPERTY”) ALSO KNOWN AS 7518 BLUE GAP, MISSOURI CITY, TEXAS 77459.

Terms: Cash, Sale to held at or about 11 a.m.At the steps of the Fort Bend County courthouse

RUBEN DAVIS, CONSTABLE,Precinct 2Fort Bend County , TexasBy Gary Majors #73

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICEThe Commissioners Court of Fort Bend County, Texas has set a public hearing on Tuesday, April 6, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. for acceptance of the traffi c control plan for Mission Sierra, Section 1 and Section 4, Pct. 3.The hearing will be held in the Com-missioners Courtroom, 309 South Fourth St., Suite 700, William B. Travis Bldg., Richmond, Texas. You are invited to attend and state your approval or objection on this matter.

Submitted by,Dianne WilsonFort Bend County Clerk

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICEThe Commissioners Court of Fort Bend County, Texas has set a public hearing on Tuesday, April 6, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. for acceptance of the traffi c control plan for Falcon Point, Section 7, Pct. 3.

The hearing will be held in the Commissioners Courtroom, 309 South Fourth St., Suite 700, William B. Travis Bldg., Richmond, Texas. You are invited to attend and state your approval or objection on this matter.

Submitted by,Dianne WilsonFort Bend County Clerk

CONSTABLE SALEUnder and by virtue of a Writ of Execution and / or Order of Sale issued on the 20TH day of JANUARY 2010 by the 400TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT Court of FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas in cause #08-DCV-166494 in favor of the Plaintiff - MISSION GLEN HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC, Plaintiff , for the sum of $4,053.99 +++costs as taxed on said Execution and / or Order of Sale and further the sum of executing the same. I have levied on the 11TH day of FEBRUARY, 2010 and will off er for sale on the 6TH day of APRIL, 2010 at the County Courthouse steps of Fort Bend County, Texas in the city of Richmond, Texas between the hours of ten o’clock a.m. and four o’clock p.m., any and all rights, title, interests and claims which the said Defendant(s) - TIFFANY SMAULDON had of, in or to the following described Real property situated in Fort Bend County, Texas; viz.:LEGAL DESCRIPTION: PROPERTY DESCRIPTION: LOT 18, BLOCK 14,OF QUAIL VALLEY EAST SUBDIVISION, SECTION 3, A SUBDIVISION OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF RECORDED AT VOLUME 11, PAGE 1 IN THE MAP OR PLAT RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS.

Any properties sold shall be subject to the right of redemption of the defendants or any person having an interest therein, to redeem the property or their interest therein if allowed, within the time and in the manner provided by law.ALL SALES SHALL BE BY CONSTABLE’S DEED AND ARE WITHOUT WARRANTY AS TO TITLE OR CONDITION, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS EVIDENCED BY CONSTABLE’S DEED.MARKET VALUE: $101,110.00

Terms: Cash, Cashier’s Check or Money Order; Sale to held at or about 10 a.m. At the steps of the Fort Bend County courthouse.

ROB COOK, CONSTABLEFort Bend County Precinct 312550 Emily Court, Ste 200Sugar Land, TX77478(281) 491-7226 Deputy Juan Diaz, #1306

CONSTABLE SALEUnder and by virtue of a Writ of Execution and / or Order of Sale issued on the 1ST day of FEBRUARY 2010 by the 400TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT Court of FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas in cause #09-DCV-171562 in favor of the Plaintiff - MISSION GLEN HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC, Plaintiff , for the sum of $4,053.99 +++costs as taxed on said Execution and / or Order of Sale and further the sum of executing the same. I have levied on the 11TH day of FEBRUARY, 2010 and will off er for sale on the 6TH day of APRIL, 2010 at the County Courthouse steps of Fort Bend County, Texas in the city of Richmond, Texas between the hours of ten o’clock a.m. and four o’clock p.m., any and all rights, title, interests and claims which the said Defendant(s) - WILFREDO ALVAREZ had of, in or to the following described Real property situated in Fort Bend County, Texas; viz.:LEGAL DESCRIPTION: PROPERTY DESCRIPTION: LOT FORTY-SIX (46), IN BLOCK TWO (2) 0F MISSION GLEN, SECTION THREE (3) A SUBDIVISION IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF RECORDED UNDER SLIDE 678-A AND SLIDE 678-B OF THE MAP RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS TOGETHER WITH ALL IMPROVEMENTS LOCATED THEREON, ALSO KNOWN AS 8515 GREEN CEDAR DRIVE, HOUSTON, TEXAS.Any properties sold shall be subject to the right of redemption of the defendants or any person having an interest therein, to redeem the property or their interest therein if allowed, within the time and in the manner provided by law.ALL SALES SHALL BE BY CONSTABLE’S DEED AND ARE WITHOUT WARRANTY AS TO TITLE OR CONDITION, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS EVIDENCED BY CONSTABLE’S DEED.MARKET VALUE: $79,610.00Terms: Cash, Cashier’s Check or Money Order; Sale to held at or about 10 a.m. At the steps of the Fort Bend County courthouse.

ROB COOK, CONSTABLEFort Bend County Precinct 312550 Emily Court, Ste 200Sugar Land, TX77478(281) 491-7226 Deputy Juan Diaz, #1306

CONSTABLE SALEUnder and by virtue of a Writ of Execution and / or Order of Sale issued on the 1ST day of FEBRUARY 2010 by the 400TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT Court of FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas in cause #09-DCV-170197 in favor of the Plaintiff - WATERSIDE ESTATES COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, INC Plaintiff , for the sum of $4,183.40 +++costs as taxed on said Execution and / or Order of Sale and further the sum of executing the same. I have levied on the 10TH day of FEBRUARY, 2010 and will off er for sale on the 6TH day of APRIL, 2010 at the County Courthouse steps of Fort Bend County, Texas in the city of Richmond, Texas between the hours of ten o’clock a.m. and four o’clock p.m., any and all rights, title, interests and claims which the said Defendant(s) - STEVEN D. ALLEN AND CHERI ALLEN had of, in or to the following described Real property situated in Fort Bend County, Texas; viz.:LEGAL DESCRIPTION: PROPERTY DESCRIPTION: LOT THIRTY-THREE (33), BLOCK ONE (1) 0F WATERSIDE ESTATES, SECTION FIVE (5) AN ADDITION IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN SLIDE NO. 2069/A OF THE PLAT RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS MORE COMMONLY DESCRIBED AS 1506 LAKE HOLBROOK LANE, RICHMOND, TEXAS 77469.Any properties sold shall be subject to the right of redemption of the defendants or any person having an interest therein, to redeem the property or their interest therein if allowed, within the time and in the manner provided by law.ALL SALES SHALL BE BY CONSTABLE’S DEED AND ARE WITHOUT WARRANTY AS TO TITLE OR CONDITION, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS EVIDENCED BY CONSTABLE’S DEED.MARKET VALUE: $448,840.00Terms: Cash, Cashier’s Check or Money Order; Sale to held at or about 10 a.m. At the steps of the Fort Bend County courthouse.

ROB COOK, CONSTABLEFort Bend County Precinct 312550 Emily Court, Ste 200Sugar Land, TX77478(281) 491-7226 Deputy Juan Diaz, #1306

CONSTABLE SALEUnder and by virtue of a Writ of Execution and / or Order of Sale issued on the 1ST day of MARCH 2010 by the 268TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT Court of FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas in cause #07-DCV-156057 in favor of the Plaintiff - SAN MIGUEL CIVIC ASSOCIATION, INC. Plaintiff , for the sum of $2,855.00 +++costs as taxed on said Execution and / or Order of Sale and further the sum of executing the same. I have levied on the 2ND day of MARCH, 2010 and will off er for sale on the 6TH day of APRIL, 2010 at the County Courthouse steps of Fort Bend County, Texas in the city of Richmond, Texas between the hours of ten o’clock a.m. and four o’clock p.m., any and all rights, title, interests and claims which the said Defendant(s) -IAN GENTLES had of, in or to the following described Real property situated in Fort Bend County, Texas; viz.:

LEGAL DESCRIPTION: PROPERTY DESCRIPTION: A PARCEL OF LAND, HEREIN CALLED TRACT FIVE (5), BEING A PART OF LOT FOUR (4), IN BLOCK TWENTY-THREE (23) OF THE CORRECTED PLAT OF MISSION BEND, SAN MIGUEL, SECTION SIX (6), A SUBDIVISION IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN VOLUME 29, PAGE 11, OF THE PLAT RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS; (AND COMMONLY KNOWN AS 15119 BEECHNUT ST., HOUSTON, TEXAS 77083)

Any properties sold shall be subject to the right of redemption of the defendants or any person having an interest therein, to redeem the property or their interest therein if allowed, within the time and in the manner provided by law.

ALL SALES SHALL BE BY CONSTABLE’S DEED AND ARE WITHOUT WARRANTY AS TO TITLE OR CONDITION, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS EVIDENCED BY CONSTABLE’S DEED.

MARKET VALUE: $113,720.00

Terms: Cash, Cashier’s Check or Money Order; Sale to held at or about 10 a.m. At the steps of the Fort Bend County courthouse.

ROB COOK, CONSTABLEFort Bend County Precinct 312550 Emily Court, Ste 200Sugar Land, TX77478(281) 491-7226 Deputy Juan Diaz, #1306

CONSTABLE SALEUnder and by virtue of a Writ of Execution and / or Order of Sale issued on the 23RD day of FEBRUARY 2010 by the 400TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT Court of FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas in cause #07-DCV-160299 in favor of the Plaintiff - FORT BEND COUNTY & ET AL, Plaintiff , for the sum of $4,083.62 +++costs as taxed on said Execution and / or Order of Sale and further the sum of executing the same. I have levied on the 4TH day of MARCH, 2010 and will off er for sale on the 6TH day of APRIL, 2010 at the County Courthouse steps of Fort Bend County, Texas in the city of Richmond, Texas between the hours of ten o’clock a.m. and four o’clock p.m., any and all rights, title, interests and claims which the said Defendant(s) -BEN MITANI had of, in or to the following described Real property situated in Fort Bend County, Texas; viz.:

LEGAL DESCRIPTION: TRACT 1: LOT 35, BLOCK 11 OUT OF FRESNO GARDENS SUBDIVISION SITUATED IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, AS SHOWN IN VOLUME 426 PAGE 675 OF THE DEED AND PLAT RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS (ACCOUNT NUMBER 3300000113500907)Any properties sold shall be subject to the right of redemption of the defendants or any person having an interest therein, to redeem the property or their interest therein if allowed, within the time and in the manner provided by law.

ALL SALES SHALL BE BY CONSTABLE’S DEED AND ARE WITHOUT WARRANTY AS TO TITLE OR CONDITION, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS EVIDENCED BY CONSTABLE’S DEED.MARKET VALUE: $134,500.00Terms: Cash, Cashier’s Check or Money Order; Sale to held at or about 10 a.m. At the steps of the Fort Bend County courthouse.

ROB COOK, CONSTABLEFort Bend County Precinct 312550 Emily Court, Ste 200Sugar Land, TX77478(281) 491-7226 Deputy Juan Diaz, #1306

CONSTABLE SALEUnder and by virtue of a Writ of Execution and / or Order of Sale issued on the 18th day of FEBRUARY 2010 by the 400TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT Court of FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas in cause #06-DCV-152996 in favor of the Plaintiff - FORT BEND COUNTY & ET AL, Plaintiff , for the sum of $11,683.70 +++costs as taxed on said Execution and / or Order of Sale and further the sum of executing the same. I have levied on the 4TH day of MARCH, 2010 and will off er for sale on the 6TH day of APRIL, 2010 at the County Courthouse steps of Fort Bend County, Texas in the city of Richmond, Texas between the hours of ten o’clock a.m. and four o’clock p.m., any and all rights, title, interests and claims which the said Defendant(s) -DORIS MCWASHINGTON had of, in or to the following described Real property situated in Fort Bend County, Texas; viz.:LEGAL DESCRIPTION: TRACT 1: A LOT 100 FEET BY 67 FEET, OUT OF THE JIM TOWNSEND 4.4 ACRE TRACT OF LAND BEING MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED BY METES AND BOUNDS IN THE DEED FROM SILAS GIBBS AND WIFE IRENE GIBBS TO JIM TOWNSEND DATED MARCH 31, 1959 AND RECORDED UNDER VOLUME 289, PAGE 663 OF THE DEED RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS; SAID LOT 13 HEREIN CONVEYED IS MORE PARTICULARLY SHOWN AND LOCATED ON A MEMORANDUM PLAT HERETO ATTACHED AND MARKED EXHIBIT A AND MADE A PART HEREOF (ACCOUNT NUMBER 8200000001300907)Any properties sold shall be subject to the right of redemption of the defendants or any person having an interest therein, to redeem the property or their interest therein if allowed, within the time and in the manner provided by law.ALL SALES SHALL BE BY CONSTABLE’S DEED AND ARE WITHOUT WARRANTY AS TO TITLE OR CONDITION, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS EVIDENCED BY CONSTABLE’S DEED.MARKET VALUE: $24,930.00Terms: Cash, Cashier’s Check or Money Order; Sale to held at or about 10 a.m. At the steps of the Fort Bend County courthouse.

ROB COOK, CONSTABLEFort Bend County Precinct 312550 Emily Court, Ste 200Sugar Land, TX77478(281) 491-7226 Deputy Juan Diaz, #1306

CONSTABLE SALEUnder and by virtue of a Writ of Execution and / or Order of Sale issued on the 18TH day of FEBRUARY 2010 by the 434TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT Court of FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas in cause #09-DCV-172498 in favor of the Plaintiff - FORT BEND INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT & ET -AL, Plaintiff , for the sum of $5,071.57 +++costs as taxed on said Execution and / or Order of Sale and further the sum of executing the same. I have levied on the 4TH day of MARCH, 2010 and will off er for sale on the 6TH day of APRIL, 2010 at the County Courthouse steps of Fort Bend County, Texas in the city of Richmond, Texas between the hours of ten o’clock a.m. and four o’clock p.m., any and all rights, title, interests and claims which the said Defendant(s) - LAWRENCE E. GARVIN & ET-AL had of, in or to the following described Real property situated in Fort Bend County, Texas; viz.:LEGAL DESCRIPTION: TRACT 1: TRACT 12, OAKWICK FOREST ESTATES SECTION 2, 1.0779 ACRE TRACT OF LAND BEING PART OF A 44.476 ACRE TRACT OF LAND IN THE MOSES SHIPMAN SURVEY, ABSTRACT 86, FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, BEING PART OF A CALLED 198.91 ACRE TRACT OF LAND DESCRIBED IN DEED RECORDED IN VOLUME 605, PAGE 382, FORT BEND COUNTY DEED RECORDS (0086000004751907)Any properties sold shall be subject to the right of redemption of the defendants or any person having an interest therein, to redeem the property or their interest therein if allowed, within the time and in the manner provided by law.ALL SALES SHALL BE BY CONSTABLE’S DEED AND ARE WITHOUT WARRANTY AS TO TITLE OR CONDITION, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS EVIDENCED BY CONSTABLE’S DEED.MARKET VALUE: $66,830.00Terms: Cash, Cashier’s Check or Money Order; Sale to held at or about 10 a.m. At the steps of the Fort Bend County courthouse.

ROB COOK, CONSTABLEFort Bend County Precinct 312550 Emily Court, Ste 200Sugar Land, TX77478(281) 491-7226 Deputy Juan Diaz, #1306 CONSTABLE SALE

Under and by virtue of a Writ of Execution and / or Order of Sale issued on the 18TH day of FEBRUARY 2010 by the 240TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT Court of FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas in cause #07-DCV-158002 in favor of the Plaintiff - FORT BEND COUNTY & ET - AL, Plaintiff , for the sum of $6,102.45 +++costs as taxed on said Execution and / or Order of Sale and further the sum of executing the same. I have levied on the 4TH day of MARCH, 2010 and will off er for sale on the 6TH day of APRIL, 2010 at the County Courthouse steps of Fort Bend County, Texas in the city of Richmond, Texas between the hours of ten o’clock a.m. and four o’clock p.m., any and all rights, title, interests and claims which the said Defendant(s) - ALEXANDER WATSON had of, in or to the following described Real property situated in Fort Bend County, Texas; viz.:LEGAL DESCRIPTION: TRACT 1: LOTS 1 THROUGH 5 IN THE SOUTH HALF OF BLOCK 29 OF FRESNO DOME ADDITION, AN ADDITION IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, SAID ADDITION BEING SITUATED IN THE SUBDIVISION OF MAGNOLIA PLACE, ACCORIDNG TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN VOLUME 232, PAGE 346 OF THE DEED RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY TEXAS; BEING THAT SAME PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN THE DEED FROM DOROTHY SOR RELLS TO ALEXANDER WATSON DATED FEBRUARY 2, 1940 AND FILED UNDER VOLUME 188, PAGE 592 OF THE DEED RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS (ACCOUNT NUMBER 460000292010907)Any properties sold shall be subject to the right of redemption of the defendants or any person having an interest therein, to redeem the property or their interest therein if allowed, within the time and in the manner provided by law.ALL SALES SHALL BE BY CONSTABLE’S DEED AND ARE WITHOUT WARRANTY AS TO TITLE OR CONDITION, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS EVIDENCED BY CONSTABLE’S DEED.MARKET VALUE: $18,380.00Terms: Cash, Cashier’s Check or Money Order; Sale to held at or about 10 a.m. At the steps of the Fort Bend County courthouse.

ROB COOK, CONSTABLEFort Bend County Precinct 312550 Emily Court, Ste 200Sugar Land, TX77478(281) 491-7226 Deputy Juan Diaz, #1306

CONSTABLE SALEUnder and by virtue of a Writ of Execution and / or Order of Sale issued on the 18TH day of FEBRUARY 2010 by the 240TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT Court of FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas in cause #05-DCV-146658 in favor of the Plaintiff - FORT BEND COUNTY & ET-AL, Plaintiff , for the sum of $16,451.73 +++costs as taxed on said Execution and / or Order of Sale and further the sum of executing the same. I have levied on the 4TH day of MARCH, 2010 and will off er for sale on the 6TH day of APRIL, 2010 at the County Courthouse steps of Fort Bend County, Texas in the city of Richmond, Texas between the hours of ten o’clock a.m. and four o’clock p.m., any and all rights, title, interests and claims which the said Defendant(s) - GOVERNMENT NATIONAL MORTGAGE ASSOCIATION, & ET AL had of, in or to the following described Real property situated in Fort Bend County, Texas; viz.:LEGAL DESCRIPTION: TRACT 1: LOT 32 IN BLOCK 6 OF THE CORRECTED PLAT OF QUAIL GLEN, SECTION 2, AN ADDITION IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN VOLUME 25, PAGE 8 OF THE MAP RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS. (ACCOUNT NUMBER 5860020060320907)Any properties sold shall be subject to the right of redemption of the defendants or any person having an interest therein, to redeem the property or their interest therein if allowed, within the time and in the manner provided by law.ALL SALES SHALL BE BY CONSTABLE’S DEED AND ARE WITHOUT WARRANTY AS TO TITLE OR CONDITION, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS EVIDENCED BY CONSTABLE’S DEED.MARKET VALUE: $91,680.00Terms: Cash, Cashier’s Check or Money Order; Sale to held at or about 10 a.m. At the steps of the Fort Bend County courthouse.

ROB COOK, CONSTABLEFort Bend County Precinct 312550 Emily Court, Ste 200Sugar Land, TX77478(281) 491-7226 Deputy Juan Diaz, #1306

CONSTABLE SALEUnder and by virtue of a Writ of Execution and / or Order of Sale issued on the 18TH day of FEBRUARY 2010 by the 268TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT Court of FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas in cause #08-DCV-161660 in favor of the Plaintiff -FORT BEND COUNTY & ET- AL Plaintiff , for the sum of $37,725.25 +++costs as taxed on said Execution and / or Order of Sale and further the sum of executing the same. I have levied on the 4TH day of MARCH, 2010 and will off er for sale on the 6TH day of APRIL, 2010 at the County Courthouse steps of Fort Bend County, Texas in the city of Richmond, Texas between the hours of ten o’clock a.m. and four o’clock p.m., any and all rights, title, interests and claims which the said Defendant(s) - MIGUEL ANGEL V. DEL CASTILLO & ET- AL had of, in or to the following described Real property situated in Fort Bend County, Texas; viz.:LEGAL DESCRIPTION: TRACT1: LOT 16, IN BLOCK 2 0F SIENNA STEEP BANK VILLAGE, SECTION SIX-A, A SUBDIVISION IN FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN SLIDE NO.1933/B OF THE PLAT RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS (ACCOUNT NUMBER 8130610020160907)Any properties sold shall be subject to the right of redemption of the defendants or any person having an interest therein, to redeem the property or their interest therein if allowed, within the time and in the manner provided by law.ALL SALES SHALL BE BY CONSTABLE’S DEED AND ARE WITHOUT WARRANTY AS TO TITLE OR CONDITION, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS EVIDENCED BY CONSTABLE’S DEED.MARKET VALUE: $251,400.00Terms: Cash, Cashier’s Check or Money Order; Sale to held at or about 10 a.m. At the steps of the Fort Bend County courthouse.

ROB COOK, CONSTABLEFort Bend County Precinct 312550 Emily Court, Ste 200Sugar Land, TX77478(281) 491-7226 Deputy Juan Diaz, #1306

CONSTABLE SALEUnder and by virtue of a Writ of Execution and / or Order of Sale issued on the 12TH day of JANUARY 2010 by the 400TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT Court of FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas in cause #08-DCV-166546 in favor of the Plaintiff - QUAIL VALLEY EAST COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, INC Plaintiff , for the sum of $3,141.00 +++costs as taxed on said Execution and / or Order of Sale and further the sum of executing the same. I have levied on the 18TH day of FEBRUARY, 2010 and will off er for sale on the 6TH day of APRIL, 2010 at the County Courthouse steps of Fort Bend County, Texas in the city of Richmond, Texas between the hours of ten o’clock a.m. and four o’clock p.m., any and all rights, title, interests and claims which the said Defendant(s) - VALENTIN GARCIA AND JUDITH GARCIA had of, in or to the following described Real property situated in Fort Bend County, Texas; viz.:LEGAL DESCRIPTION: PROPERTY DESCRIPTION: LOT 3 IN BLOCK 31 OF QUAIL VALLEY EAST SUBDIVISION, SECTION 5, A SUBDIVISION OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN VOLUME 15, PAGE 3 IN THE MAP RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS. Any properties sold shall be subject to the right of redemption of the defendants or any person having an interest therein, to redeem the property or their interest therein if allowed, within the time and in the manner provided by law.ALL SALES SHALL BE BY CONSTABLE’S DEED AND ARE WITHOUT WARRANTY AS TO TITLE OR CONDITION, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS EVIDENCED BY CONSTABLE’S DEED.MARKET VALUE: $105,350.00Terms: Cash, Cashier’s Check or Money Order; Sale to held at or about 10 a.m. At the steps of the Fort Bend County courthouse.

ROB COOK, CONSTABLEFort Bend County Precinct 312550 Emily Court, Ste 200Sugar Land, TX77478(281) 491-7226 Deputy Juan Diaz, #1306

CITATION BY PUBLICATIONDIVORCE

The State of TexasTO: Matthew K Momoh Address Unknown, and to all whom it may concern, RespondentGREETINGS: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 AM on the Monday next following the expiration of twenty (20) days after you were served this citation and petition, a default judgment may be taken against you. The Original Petition for Divorce of Judith C Lahai-Momoh, Petitioners, was fi led in the 328th Judicial District Court of Fort Bend County, Texas on the January 12, 2010 against Matthew K Momoh, Respondent, being numbered 10-DCV-177741, and entitled In the Matter of the Marriage of Judith C Lahai-Momoh and Matthew K MomohThe suit requests divorce.

The court has authority in this suit to enter any judgment or decree dissolving the marriage and providing for the division of property which will be binding on you.Issued and given under my hand and seal of the said Court at Richmond, Texas, on this the 9th day of March, 2010.

Petitioner’s Attorney:JUDITH C LAHAI-MOMOHPROSE15515 RIO DEL SOL DRIVEHOUSTON TX 77083

DISTRICT CLERK ANNIE REBECCA ELLIOTT

Deputy District Adele CraneTelephone: 281341-4524

Trust your instincts. You need to feel that your doctor is listening to you and ad-dressing your concerns.

Communication and mutu-al respect are very important in medicine.

If you are not sure you have found the right doctor, keep that one as a possibility and continue asking around. If you have an additional choice, consider also making an appointment “for a second opinion.”

(Check your insurance rules to see if that second opinion appointment will be covered or if you will need to pay for the second appoint-ment yourself.)

Although there are some excellent resources on the internet, some websites may look more helpful than they really are. If a web site is full of advertising, it is not likely to be a good reference. This is especially true if it is offering to let you buy an information report about a doctor. These sites are just using doctors’ names to sell advertising for their own fi nancial benefi t. Unfortunately, many of these lists pay to have their web sites show up fi rst in your search engines -- because it helps them make more money from more advertising. You many need to go deeper into your search engine results to fi nd what you need.

A good doctor’s web site should include information

about professional qualifi ca-tions, such as Board Certi-fi cation (important), educa-tional training, professional publications written by that physician, and professional honors and awards. Physi-cian honors and awards which are nominated or selected by fellow physicians carry much greater signifi cance, such as professional peer recognition awards and “top doc” lists in certain publications, includ-ing “Texas Monthly.”

There are actually some “honors” or “best of” maga-zine lists where doctors (and their employees) can stuff the ballot box, so pay attention to how the selection process works.

In this current economic health care crisis, an addi-tional word of advice is in or-der. Because both Medicare and the insurance industry are setting Texas physician compensation below the ac-tual cost of providing medi-cal care to Texas patients, you may fi nd that some very good physicians are not on your insurance plan. This is probably going to become in-creasingly true over the next two to three years as doctors make adjustments in their practices just to stay in busi-ness.

Non-participating doctors will probably have a stan-dard discounted “pay in full at time of visit” fee schedule. Call and ask, if you think you might be interested in seeing a non-participating physi-

cian. Some specialties can be very specifi c about what an offi ce visit would cost, and other specialties will only be able to give you a price range. That is because until the doc-tor actually examines you, it can be very diffi cult for an employee to know in advance exactly what your actual level of service would be.

You usually can charge the offi ce visit to your credit card, and by immediately fi ling your insurance claim, your in-surance reimbursement check will probably be to you about the time you would need to make payment on the credit card.

Dr. Thomas Parr, an ortho-pedic surgeon in Sugar Land, can be reached at 281-491-7111. Dr. Parr and his wife, Joannie, have been a team for well over 40 years. She has a BS Degree in Business and Fi-nance and a Masters Degree in Federal Tax Law and has worked in the Medical ac-counting industry for more than 20 years. Visit www.tom-parrmd.net for more informa-tion.

Doctor From Page 4

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, APRIL 1, 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 Reading Road, Rosenberg, TX 77471. Bids received after the specifi ed time will be returned unopened.BID 10-077 – CONSTRUCTION OF TWO (2) BASEBALL FIELDS AND REQUIRED FENCING IN THE BUFFALO BAYOU PARK AND TRAIL SYSTEMLump sum pricing is required; payment will be by check after products/services are rendered. Performance and Payment Bonds are required.Fort Bend County reserves the right to re-ject any or all bids.Signed: Gilbert D. Jalomo, Jr., Purchasing Agent Fort Bend County, Richmond, Texas

Community newsPage 6 • INDEPENDENT • MARCH 10, 2010

Ten Questions.Ten Minutes.

Ten Years.In 2010, the census questionnaire is being shortened to a quick ten question survey. Spread the word in

your community about the importance of participating in this historic event and help

ensure no one is left uncounted.

It’s easy. It’s important. It’s confidential.www.census.gov/census2010

Make Sugar Land Count!

On Tuesday, March 2, Landscape Direct in Rosen-berg was the place to be if you’re a 2nd grade brownie.

Heart of the Brazos Service Unit Girl Scout Troop Num-ber 29263 met at the retail location, which specializes in trees and shrubs, to learn about plant anatomy and pick up the newest recruits for their troop.

The girls- Kamryn, Jenna, Aaliyah, Madison, Sienna,

and Alizee, led by their troop leader Jennifer, toured the facility and participated in a number of activities, includ-ing learning about photosyn-thesis and rubbing outlines of leaf and branch structure.

These activities have the scouts well on their way to earning their Plant Try-It Badge.

Afterwards, the girls picked out their favorite Hibiscuses to plant in front of Meyer El-

ementary, where the girls at-tend second grade. Although the hibiscuses will reach 6 feet tall when full grown, the young shrubs barely reach the girls’ waists.

The troop leader is excited that the girls will be able to take care of the plants and see them grow as they fi n-ish up their years at Meyer. The shrubs produce colorful fl owers throughout the warm months, bright with energy

Mortgage & Real Estate Residential & Commercial

Best time to refinance and take advantage of super low interest rates.

*$8000 tax credit when you buy a home

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CONSTABLE’S NOTICE OF SALENotice is hereby given, that by virtue of a certain Order of Sale issued by the clerk of the 434th District Court of Fort Bend County, Texas on JAN 26, 2010 in cause numbered 08DCV166658 styled NEW TERRITORY RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, INC. vs. AGUSTUS EDET, in which a judgment was rendered on JAN 8, 2009 in favor of NEW TERRITORY RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, INC. for the sum of FOUR THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED SIX DOLLARS AND THIRTY FIVE CENTS ($4406.35); plus fees for posting notice of sale, publishing, costs of suit rendered by the court, legal fees, and all costs of executing this Writ.I have levied upon the below listed property on FEB 23, 2010 and will on APRIL 6,2010 Tuesday, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. proceed to sell for cash to the highest bidder, all the Right, Title, and Interest AGUSTUS EDET to and in the following described Real Property

LOT FIFTY-TWO (52) IN BLOCK ONE (1) OF NEW TERRITORY PARCEL SF-3 (BRANDONS POINT) AN ADDITION IN FORT BEND COUNTY,ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN SLIDE NO. 1728/B OF THE PLAT RECORDS OF FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS, (THE PROPERTY) ALSO KNOWN AS : 4607 PLATO PARK., SUGAR LAND, FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS 7747

The above sale to be made by me to satisfy the above described judgment in favor of NEW TERRITORY RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, INC., Plaintiff , and the proceeds applied to the satisfaction thereof.

LOCATION: FORT BEND COUNTY COURTHOUSE, RICHMOND, TX 77469DATE: APRIL 6, 2010TIME: APPROX. 10:00 amBY: SGT. M. KUTACH

TROY E. NEHLSConstable Pct. 4Fort Bend County, Texas

Scouts work with Landscape Direct on knowledge, servicelike the scouts themselves.

Landscape Direct is active in the community, donating hundreds of trees to fi rst grade classes through its affi liated retailers, and helping to popu-late Seabourne Creek Park last Arbor Day.

Said marketing manager Adrian Heredia, “If you’ve heard our commercials on the radio, you know we’ve tried to adopt a strategy of low price and customer service. None of that matters if you don’t give back to the community as an organization. Projects like this are a great way to let people know we care.”

Landscape Direct oper-ates retail locations in Katy, Rosenberg, Canton, and Cor-pus Christi, with their corpo-rate offi ce in Houston. They specialize in trees, with about 10,000 trees on each lot, and another 1 million available through their suppliers.

Although the majority of

their clientele is homeowners, they offer special discounts to landscapers to compete with wholesalers and re-wholesal-ers. Recently, they have been

partnering with homeowners associations to offer blanket discounts to communities, and fund beautifi cation projects in the neighborhood.

Girl Scout Troop 29263 toured Landscape Direct, completed activities on plant and tree physiology, and planted donated bushes at their elementary school.

By BARBARA FULENWIDERFor 2010 the mid-size Nis-

san Frontier truck got more safety features while continu-ing to deliver performance, utility and value.

While the front-end of the Frontier was updated in 2009, for 2010 the Frontier got vehi-cle dynamic control on all V6-equipped vehicles and side and curtain air bags on all models. The side airbags are standard equipment and the curtain air bags are supplemental.

Other revisions for 2010 in-clude the optional fi ve-speed automatic transmission on the Frontier XE models, the ad-dition of two-wheel or four-wheel active brake limited slip as standard for all SE and LE V6 models and the addition of hill start assist and hill descent control as standard equipment on all SE and LE 4WD auto-matic transmission equipped models.

The Nissan Frontier comes in four trim models: the XE, SE, LE and PRO-4X. The Frontier is offered in king cab and crew cab body styles and in 4x2 and 4x4 driveline confi gurations. The Frontier comes with a 4.0-liter DOHC V6 engine that makes 261 horsepower and 281 lb.-ft. of torque. It gets an estimated 14 miles to the gallon in city driv-ing and 19 on the highway.

An inline four-cylinder en-gine is also available on the King Cab only. The four-cyl-inder engine makes 152 horse-power and 171 lb.-ft. of torque and is available on the Frontier King Cab XE and SE-14 4x2

models. It gets 19 and 23 miles to the gallon in city/highway driving. The engines can be paired with either a fi ve-speed automatic or fi ve or six-speed manual transmission.

Nissan says the “heart and soul” of its Frontier is the F-Alpha platform it’s built on. It starts with a full-size, fully boxed ladder frame, which provides a rugged foundation. The platform is built of high tensile-strength steel so im-proves structural rigidity for performance on and off-road.

The Frontier rides on a long 125.9-inch wheelbase for im-proved ride comfort and sta-bility and has an overall length of 205.5 inches for buyers who don’t need or want a true full-size pickup. Frontier shares its suspension layout and many components with the Titan. They include the all steel dou-ble wishbone front suspension and solid axle rear suspension with over slung leaf springs and a long suspension stroke for optimized off-road explor-ing.

The mid-size Nissan Fron-tier has many of the Titan’s full-size features that include the exterior styling. It uses an angled strut grille, large bumpers, short front and rear overhangs and large, stamped steel, geometric fender fl ares.

Again for 2010, long bed models are available with the Frontier Crew Cab Se and Crew Cab LE. They measure more than 13 inches longer than the Crew Cab’s standard

bed. Both Frontier King Cab and Crew Cab models offer a bed with factory applied spray on bedliner and utility track tie-down system. All Frontiers ride on either 16 or 18-inch tires and have either an 8.9-inch (4x4) or 8.6-inch (4x2) ground clearance. The Frontier also features a standard lock-ing detachable tailgate, tinted front window, rear privacy glass and hitch ball on the rear bumper. Frontier LE models include chrome front grille, outside mirrors and door han-dles, tubular step rails and fog lights. A roof rack with cross bars is added to the LE Crew Cab.

The Frontier also has large rear doors for easier entry and exit. The Frontier King Cab includes fl ip-up rear seats and removable storage boxes are under the rear seats. The front passenger seat folds down for added load carrying capacity.

The driveline components include speed sensitive power assisted rack and pinion steer-ing, four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock braking system. A number of option packages are offered for 2010 Frontiers. The retail price for the 2010 Frontier 4x4 LE is $29,270. Options increased the price to $31,975.

I’m not a truck fan but I like the size of the Frontier, the in-terior and the ride. Of course, trucks are always highly utili-tarian but this Frontier appears even more so with a space and place for whatever.

Automobile: Nissan Frontier

Healthy eating seminar The University of Texas

M. D. Anderson Clinical Care Center in Sugar Land will host a free seminar on healthy eat-ing at the Sugar Land Senior’s Program on Friday, March 26 at 1 p.m. This event is open to guests who are at least 55 years old. Attendees will learn about eating healthy, maintaining a healthy weight and balancing caloric intake, as well as the link between obesity and cancer, from an M. D. Anderson clinical di-etician. The Sugar Land Se-nior’s Program is located in the Sugar Land Senior Center at 200 Matlage Way in Sugar Land. For more information call 281-275-2893. Reserva-tions are not required.

Minute Maid recently an-nounced its partnership with Sugar Land Town Square to present Movies Under the Moon to the Sugar Land com-munity. Minute Maid will con-tinue the popular Town Square event series for the months of April, through October of this year. A baseball-themed, kick-off event is planned for April 16, 7:30 p.m. which will in-clude an appearance by Former Houston Astro Craig Biggio. Come early to enter a drawing to win Houston Astros-signed memorabilia.

This event is free and open to the public. For more infor-mation visit SugarLandTown-Square.com.

Movies Under the Moon

FILM REVIEW: The Green Zone

For ALL Your Vehicle Needs!

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M7

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Call 281-491-4000 to make a service appointment! THE NEWEST,FRIENDLIESTCHEVROLETDEALERSHIPIN HOUSTON!

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MARCH 17, 2010 • INDEPENDENT • Page 7

Not just oil, Pennzoil

16525 Lexington Blvd., Ste. 250, Sugar Land, TX 77479 Texas Mortgage Broker 75511

Effective 2/09/10, Fort Bend County Mortgage Credit Certificate Program, credit equal to 35% of interest paid, capped at $2000 per year. Properties and applicants must qualify, other restrictions and

fees apply. Limited funds available, program may terminate at any time without notice.

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Household Income Limits: $89,320 for 3+ persons; $76,560 for 1-2 persons

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“The Green Zone is the common name for the In-ternational Zone of Iraq - a 10-square-kilometer (3.8-square-mile) area in central Baghdad, Iraq, that was the center of the Coali-tion Provisional Authority and remains the center of the international presence in the city.” Wikipedia.

That dry, rather dull ex-planation of the heart of the combat area in Iraq for over seven years reminds me of this movie.

The action and fi ghting led by the hero Chief War-rant Offi cer Miller (Matt Da-mon) is almost nonstop close quarter combat and very in-tense but the story is about as exciting as the Wikipedia defi nition of the namesake of this fi lm.

Director Paul Greengrass has skillfully put together a memorable, contemporary shoot ‘em up war movie that would make John Wayne proud, but I became weary of the same fi refi ghts through the lens of a jerky camera. The Duke, however, would not participate in this movie as there is a slant against the U.S. Government.

Warrant Offi cer Miller and his team are tasked with fi nd-ing and destroying WMDs (Weapons of Mass Destruc-tion) in the early months of the Iraq war shortly after the March 2003 bombard-ment and “shock and awe” of downtown Baghdad. Prob-lem: Miller can not fi nd any WMDs. We know that now, but there was a time when we were holding our collec-tive breath in hopes of fi nd-ing the WMDs, and thus con-fi rming one of the primary reasons for the invasion.

The screenplay by Brian Helgeland (“Mystic River”

and “L.A. Confi dential”) lacks a sympathetic character and perspective while challeng-ing the slanted “intel” fed to the American people and soldiers in the fi eld. I under-stood his premise and Lord knows Warrant Offi cer Miller led the fi ght to get to the bottom of the WMD ruse as he was just “...trying to do his job and save lives.” But after the 25th fi refi ght and scream-ing match, I was bored and wanted to go home.

This is not Matt Damon’s fault; he played a very believ-able, dedicated soldier who knew the business end of an M-4 carbine. And I was proud

of Amy Ryan who ably por-trayed a Wall Street Journal reporter as she is best known as Michael Scott’s girlfriend, Holly, on the TV series “The Offi ce.”

Greg Kinnear was the pen-tagon-fl unky antagonist but I didn’t like or dislike his char-acter.

I was squirming in my seat and looking at my watch; enough said.Rock ‘n Roll.

Grade 74. Larry H.

email sugarlaw@larryharrison.com

Julie’s Cakes 3424 FM 1092 #230

Missouri City, TX 77459 (281) 261-8229

Julie Clifton, Owner

Fort Bend Dental Associates, PA 5819 Highway 6 S. #230 Missouri City, TX 77459 www.ftbenddental.com

(281) 499-3541 Dr. James D. Condrey, DDS

Robert L. McClendon, M.D.14825 Southwest Freeway

Sugar Land, TX, 77478281-240-6000

Thomas Lomonte DDS 12122 Murphy Road

Staff ord, TX 77477 www.drthomaslomonte.com

(281) 530-1440

Bombay to Beijing14025 Southwest Freeway,

Suite 501, Sugar Land, TX 77478281-242-4242

Indian & Chinese Cuisine

Dish Network/Direct TVA-One International

9220 Hwy 6 South, Suite DHouston, Texas 77083

281-493-1888

Directory Directory Directory Directory DirectoryAT Renovations, Inc.

101 Southwestern Blvd. Ste.230Sugar Land, TX 77478 lawn@texansfp..com

(281) 787-4302

Minuti Coff ee 1535 Hwy. 6, Suite A

Sugar Land, TX 77478 www.minuticoff ee.com

(281) 265-3344 Ardavan Motamedi, CEO

A.Y. Shukla, M.DNeurologist

15200 SW Fwy., #395Sugar Land, TX 77478

281-565-8005

Lake Olympia Animal Hospital 3603 Glenn Lakes Lane, B2

Missouri City, TX 77459-4719 www.lakeolympiaanimal.com

(281) 499-7242

Shea Essence Day Spa 203 Century Sq. Blvd. Sugar Land, TX 77478

www.sheaessence.com (281) 242-2878

Staff ord Chiropractic Clinic 2434 S. Main

Staff ord, TX 77477 (281) 499-2424

Dr. John A. Felker, DC, PC

The Woodhouse Day Spa 4855 Riverstone Drive, Suite 110

Missouri City, TX 77459 www.sugarland.woodhousespas.com

(281) 208-9119

First Colony Aquatic & Rehabilitation Center

20403 University Blvd., Suite 100 Sugar Land, TX 77478

(281) 325-0188 Sean M. Hayes, PT CSCS,

Dennis Halford, DDS, MS 4503 Sweetwater Blvd. Sugar Land, TX 77479

(281) 980-8351

Dr. Shel Wellness and Medical Spa 1437 Highway 6, Suite 100

Sugar Land, TX 77479 www.drshel.com (281) 313-7435

Dr. Shelena Lalji, Medical Director

Hartford Services, Inc. 741 Dulles Avenue, Suite D

Staff ord, TX 77477 www.hartfordservices.com

(281) 261-3333 Mitch Rahim, President

Foot Centers of Texas 3533 Town Center Blvd. S, #200

Sugar Land, TX 77479 www.foodcentersoftexas.com

(281) 240-3338 Shetal-Nicholas Desai

Thomas Parr, M.D.Orthopedic Surgeon14090 SW Fwy #130

Sugar Land, TX 77478281-491-7111

Aveda Concept Salon Eben & Day Spa 15510 Lexington, Suite G

Sugar Land, TX 77478 www.salonebenanddayspa.com

(281)-980-5160

Texas Spine & Neurosurgery Center, 20403 University Blvd. #800

Sugar Land, TX 77478 www.txsnc.com (281) 313-0031

Rajesh K. Bindal, MD

Richmond Bone & Joint Clinic, P.A. 15035 Southwest Freeway

Sugar Land, TX 77478 www.rbjc.com

(281) 344-1715 Cheryl Bertrand, Physician Liaison

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

Sugar Land, TX 77478lawfi rm@Hrbacek.com

281-240-2424

Genesis Day Spa and Salon 16255 Kensington Drive

Sugar Land, TX 77479 www.spagenesis.com

(281) 265-6001

Dr. Richard F. BarrettBarrett Chiropractic Clinic

281-499-4810www.barrettchiroclinic.com

Sandersen & Knox LLP , Accountants

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

(281) 242-3232

Flowers by Adela 3756 Cartwright Road Missouri City, TX 77459

www.fl owersbyadela.com (281) 499-5593

Lexington Boulevard Animal Hospital

2627 Cordes Drive Sugar Land, TX 77479

www.lexingtonpethospital.com (281) 980-3737

Flowers by Adela 925 Eldridge

Sugar Land, TX 77478 (281) 242-4020

Ms. Ramona Ohl, Owner

JAVANI Med Spa 3527 Highway 6, Suite 250

Sugar Land, TX 77478 www.javanimedspa.com

(281) 491-1151 Afreen Pappa, MD, CEO

Kalologie Skincare 15890 Southwest Freeway, Suite 200

Sugar Land, TX 77478 www.kalologie.com

(281) 265-0880

Gillen Pest Control 1012 Morton Street

Richmond, TX 77469 www.gillenpestcontrol.com

(281) 342-6969 Gary L. Gillen, President

Man’s Best Friend7260 Highway 6, Suite 100

Missouri City, TX 77459 www.mansbestfriend.com

(281) 499-0700

Kas Saranathan, M.D.16659 S.W. Fwy,#481Sugar Land, TX 77479

713-771-3831Cardiologist

Cupcake Cafe 16525 Lexington Blvd., Suite 160

Sugar Land, TX 77479 www.cupcakecafeofsugarland.com

(281) 242-2744

For just $10 a week you can list your business in this

directory.Minimum 13 weeks

commitment for $125;

26 weeks for $250

and 52 weeks for $500.

Call today 281-980-6745

or email editor@fbindependent.com

Physicians

DentistsSpaEateries

Flowers

Accountants

Pets

Chiropractors

Foot Specialist

Orthopedics

Nik Nikam, MDSugar Land Heart Center

16659 S.W. FWY, #361Sugar Land, TX 77479

281-265-7567www.sugarlandheartcenter.com

Charlotte Alexander, MDOrthopedic Surgeon14090 SW Fwy #130

Sugar Land, TX 77478281-265-4264

Satellite TV

A/C, Plumbing

Pest control

Attorney

Lawn& Landscape

Texans Insurance & Financial Group, 101 Southwestern Blvd., Suite 230

Sugar Land, TX 77478 www.texansinsure.com

(281) 277-7800Basil Housewright, President

Insurance

Page 10 • INDEPENDENT • MARCH 17 2010

y o u r l i f e . y o u r t i m e . y o u r h o m e .

t a k e a d v a n t a g e o f :

Select special builder incentives

Great Interest Rates

Home Buyer Tax Credits for first time and repeat homebuyers

New model homes

Open HomesWeekends

through MarchNow is the time to experience Riverstone—and there has never been a

better time! Great interest rates, tax credits and builder incentives abound,

making now the perfect time to buy. Treat yourself to a master-planned

community where luxurious homes, water features and resort-style amenities

define the landscape making Riverstone Fort Bend’s most desirable addresses.

Riverstone. Your life. Your time. Your home. e.

Luxury Waterside Living in Fort Bend

From US 59 in Sugar Land, take Hwy 6 south three miles . Home Builders: Ashton Woods | Coventry | Darling | David Weekley | Highland | Meritage | Newmark | Perry | Plantation Trendmaker | Westin | Westport

Custom Home Builders: Bayou Bend Homes | Christopher Sims Custom Homes | Peterson Homebuilders | Sterling Classic Homes | Westport

Downtown

Med Center

Galleria

Ft. B

end

Pkw

y

Will

iam

sTr

ace

Blvd

. Riverstone.com 281.499.8700

Toyota is thanking YOU with their BIG-GEST offer ever and Fort Bend Toyota wants to thank you also! Right now enjoy 0% interest for 60 months on ten models and unprecedented incentives and rebates on many others PLUS giant Fort Bend discounts, like $5,000.00 additional dol-lars off all Tundra Crew Max's!

0% for 60 months on 10 different mod-els.* Camry and Corolla add an ADDI-TIONAL $1000 customer cash Outstand-ing lease deals, including $159 Corolla; $199 Camry $3000 customer cash on 2010 Avalon 0%/60 on 2009 Venza 2.9% APR â “ 60 months on Corolla/Camry used vehicles Two year pre-paid mainte-nance for Toyota owners**

Remember, if Fort Bend Toyota cannot give you 130% of Kelly Blue Book value for your trade, we will give you 1 year of FREE gas. Hurry and call 281.633.3300, or stop by today.

Offer expires 4/5/2010*0% APR for 60 months on 10 models (2010 Yaris, 2010 Corolla, 2010 Matrix, 2010 Camry Gas, 2010 Avalon, 2009 Venza, 2010 Sienna, 2010 RAV4, 2010 Highlander Gas, & 2010 Tundra)**Complimentary two-year / 25K mile Premium Toyota Auto Care coverage to current Toyota, Lexus, or Scion customers who purchase or lease a new Toyota during the March program period *** $1,000 Bonus Cash on 2010 Camry Gas and 2010 Corolla models only

Sincerely,

General Manager Direct: 281.633.3300

FORT BEND TOYOTA 20465 Southwest Freeway Richmond, TX 77469

Sales Phone: 281.633.3300Service Phone: 281.633.3486Parts Phone: 281.633.3443

HOURS:

Store Hours: M-S 8:30-8:30, Closed Sunday

Service Hours: M-F 7-7, SAT 7-4, Closed Sunday

Parts Hours: M-F 7-7, SAT 7-4, Closed Sunday

Presented by our Wonderful Wizards

April 10, 2010Sugar Land Marriott Town Square

To become a sponsor, donate to the auction,purchase a ticket or volunteer please call 281-344-5106 or go towww.cafb.org. www.cafb.org

™

benefiting child advocates of fort b

en

d