FIGHT THE BITE

Remember the "4 Ds" for Defense:

• DUSK/DAWN are the times of day you should stay indoors.  This is when mosquitoes are most active.
• DRESS in long-sleeves and pants, and light colored clothing.  Mosquitoes are more attracted to dark colors.
• DRAIN standing water in your backyard and neighborhood; old tires, flowerpots and clogged guttters.  These are mosquito breeding sites.
• DEET is the ingredient to look for in you insect repellent.  Follow label instructions and always apply repellent to those 6 months and older when outdoors.  Reapply after swimming or sweating.

CONTROLLING SKUNK RABIES

Skunk rabies has been a problem in Precinct 1 in the past.  The Texas Department of Health Services, Texas Wildlife Division is trying something different.  TDHS will bait two different areas in the County by dropping it from helicopters, walking and driving. "Rabies baits will be distributed in the two study areas at a density of 64 baits per square mile or 150 baits per square mile... Suburban and urban areas will receive hand baiting in green belts, golf courses, and other similar favorable skunk habitat areas."

This is what the vaccine will look like. The vaccine in these baits cannot cause rabies and has been shown to be safe in more than 60 different species of animals collected and observed, including dogs and cats.  In people that are immunocompromised or pregnant, contact can cause a local pox-type infection.  If you come in contact with the vaccine, wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water and call 1-877-722-6725.

This will be a good program to control the rabid skunks.  Don't disturb the bait, if you find it unless you must.  If you do need to pic it up, use gloves.  Call the number if you need to.

BIPARTISIANSHIP

Judge Vacek and I donated the Grand Champion Steer we purchased at the Needville Youth Fair to Catholic Charities in Richmond. A good cause. And thank you Judge.

PRECINCT 1 LAND USE

Someone sent me this breakdown of population density of Fort Bend County. West of Brazos River is all Precinct 1. We like our open space.

HISTORY ALIVE IN PRECINCT 1

I have recently visited the Sugar Barn and Brick Works located on the Waters Plantation off of FM 521. These structures were built in the 1840s and are the last standing structures of their kind in the State of Texas. They are truly a treasure of Fort Bend County and are some of the only remaining memories of its heritage. Other structures that existed in the state and county are now reduced to rubble and it is difficult to determine what they were or even how they looked.

These two structures are as important to Texas History as the Alamo. Although there was no battle fought here, it was a major source of industry which opened up commerce and trade in and out of the Republic of Texas when it was needed most. This trade brought vast revenues to the struggling Republic and helped make Texas the state it is today. Both structures are made of handmade bricks and have withstood over 150 years of floods and hurricanes. The 1900 hurricane and flood covered all the area where they now stand. Both structures were built by slaves, and because they still stand are a testament to the craftsmanship and skills of the slave population at that time.

At one time there were many sugar cane plantations along the Brazos River and Oyster Creek. Today, only remnants are left from such a vast industry. These structures allow a rare opportunity for educators, archeologist, architectural students, historians and the public to actually view structures which they have only read about from the past.

A VICTORY FOR GREATWOOD AND CANYON GATE

I'll let the letter speak for itself.

A NATIONWIDE PROBLEM

Police Overwhelmed by Mentall Ill Abandoned by Mental Health System

In Fort Bend County, the mentally ill are generally treated at the Fort Bend County Jail at a cost of $150/day to the taxpayer. As I said before, it cost $10 to $20 to treat a mental health patient at a community health center. We have established a Fort Bend Mental Health Public Defenders Office to try and identify these folks (many who are repeat offenders) and get them treatment and out of the criminal justice pipeline. The Mental Health Public Defenders Office is doing a great job, much better than I hoped. We have cut the time of days these mental health patients are in the jail and have follow up monitoring to make sure they remain on their medicines. More work needs to been done, but we are certainly in the forefront in Texas on trying to come up with a workable solution.

SAVE THE KENDLETON POST OFFICE

My friend, Rev. Petitt.

SUNSET OVER PRECINCT 1

TEXAS RECYCLES DAY

November 15th is America/Texas Recycles Day. I encourage everyone to recycle everyday, but the 15th is a day to encourage a more widespread practice of recycling. Check out the links; here, here and here for more. Additionally, due to increased demand for recycling in the County, Fort Bend is getting authorization from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to expand its hours at the recycling center.

KILLING MOSQUITOS

KHOU TV covered the Fort Bend County Road and Bridge mosquito killing patrol. The film was done from Road and Bridge in Needville. Excellent footage at about the 1:25 mark showing the fleet of trucks leaving the gate. The only good mosquito is a dead mosquito.

HOG OUT!

Wild hogs are a problem nationwide and locally. Fort Bend County has joined the Hog Out program. To learn more about the program go the County's partner in the program, Texas Agrilife. For some background check out this Herald story. And for the history of hogs in American go here. Let's hog out.

UPDATE

This is a house in Sienna Plantation. As you can see, the hogs "rooted up" the yard. Hog out!

West Nile Found in Fresno

A mosquito sample from the Fresno area has tested positive for West Nile Virus. This is the first positive sample in Fort Bend County in several years. Following procedure, mosquito spraying in the area will be intensified until a negative sample is gathered from the area. The intensive spraying is targeted at areas likely to hold water including ditches and drains. In addition to extra spraying, Road & Bridge is also using a larvacide to prevent future mosquitoes from hatching.

Please be careful, wear long sleeves and pants, use bug spray and stay indoors when you can.

"A Mental Disaster"

One of Fort Bend County's biggest issues is treatment of its citizens that have mental health disorders. The mental health services that are offered to these vulnerable folks are already strained by the current budget restraints. This is a good article that goes into what the Texas Leg is proposing for future cuts.

County Judge Lonnie Hunt from Houston County sums up the problem:

"The patients don't get the help they really need, things just keep getting worse and local taxpayers end up paying the cost to house them in jail."

This wrongheaded solution is a cost escalator for the County. It cost between $10 and $20 per day to treat a person at a community mental health center, but it cost Fort Bend County about $150 per day to treat these folks at the County Jail.

The County has set up a Mental Health Public Defender's Office so that we can identify these patients and stop them from cycling through the jail, but it is only the tip of the iceberg.

Let your legislator know how important it is to fund mental health care, so that the mental health disaster can be averted.

PLANS FOR THE WEEKEND?

Head over to Mamie George Community Center in N. Richmond this weekend. The center is holding a community fair and fun day to get the neighborhood familiar with the programs they offer. The Herald has more.

A FORCED RECESSION

The State of Texas is forcing its recession on Fort Bend County. The "Fort Bend Herald" has more.

Fort Bend County has cut the budget by 18% in the last 2 years. The County is running lean and efficient. We were expecting flat revenues or small growth. In other words, Fort Bend was coming out of the recession and was poised for growth.

Now, Austin will claim that it has balanced the budget. But what it has really done is pass it on to the Cities and Counties. Austin is too cowardly to raise revenues, so it forces its problems to the Counties, and the Counties are forced to raise revenues to pay for the State's mandates.

A shell game indeed.

Write your state rep and state senator and tell them to have courage and face the problem.

I will be posting a series on the cuts and how they could effect our tax rate. Stay tuned.

JANICEK IS NEEDVILLE CITIZEN OF THE YEAR

This is well deserved. Hat tip to the Herald.

THE JUSTICE CENTER

This is the inside dome of the new Justice Center. The building will be complete by April and move-in will be complete by mid June.

PAYBACKS ARE HELL...

Jim Russ, a noted Aggie, had a wager with Commissioner Meyers, a noted Tiger, on the outcome of the Cotton Bowl. Jim lost.

Jobs in Kendleton and West Fort Bend County

The Houston Business Journal covers it here. You can read some background about the intermodal site in Kendleton here. Once this project is complete, I expect that there could be 5,000 jobs on this 750 acres. That is exciting.