Traffic Trouble

Many residents make their homes in the Sugar Land, Richmond and Rosenberg areas along the Highway 59 stretch. For these Fort Bend county residents a commute home can vary from 30 minutes to over an hour.

The trouble is easily spotted as you encounter the back up on Highway 59 going southbound just before the Grand Parkway. Rush hour traffic slows down to a crawl as 4 lanes of traffic and an additional HOV lane merge together into a two lane highway. Here, drivers try to merge into the two lanes of traffic that continue southbound.

The traffic slow down begins as some drivers exit at the Grand Parkway. Grocery shopping, a fitness gym and some fast food restaurants as well as several neighborhoods are the destinations for many who take the Grand Parkway exit. A short distance later there is an on ramp that have cars steadily entering the southbound lanes of 59. This on and off traffic causes drivers to slow down and as they try to jockey for their necessary lanes.

Just a couple of years ago, highway 59 was a brutal commute. However construction of additional lanes and the addition of the HOV lanes have made the route more than bearable.

The bottleneck backup of the southbound lanes have made more than one resident question the construction design. The growth and needs of the community exceed the current design.

More than once I have personally sat in traffic thinking there must have been an accident. Only to discover that there is no accident, it is just traffic.

The rush hour typically begins after 4pm. By 5pm commuters are facing major traffic tie ups.
Patience and good driving habits will help make the ride home a little less stressful.

Flu Shots In Demand

Flu season is here and seems to be widespread. The seasonal flu and the H1N1 flu have kept doctors' offices and pharmacies swamped with patients wanting to get their flu shots and vaccines. The demand has been far greater than the supply. Many offices are out of the vaccines and have started waiting lists for the shot.
Recently, one elderly couple had to call 5 different doctors to finally find the seasonal flu shot. The problems they ran into were doctors offices' being out of supply or the doctor had to see them before administering the shot.
One mother of three is on a list for the swine flu vaccine. Her kids have been trying to get the shot since the beginning of October. Now her pediatrician advised her to check back next week. .
The demand for the shots have people exploring their options. Some general practitioners are out of their shot supply. One local doctor's office advised a patient to go to one of the local pharmacies. Walgreens, CVS and other pharmacies have days where they will give the flu shots. Another Mom is on a list for the swine flu vaccine at her Gynecologist. Between shots, it is suggested you wait 22 days.
Health officials still advise washing your hands frequently, sneezing and coughing into the bent of you elbow and staying home if you are sick. All these considerations will help you beat the germs that could cause you to be sick.
Happy hunting to finding that flu shot this flu season.

Grocery Shopping, A Little Closer to Home

Grocery shopping options are growing for Fort Bend County residents. A new Kroger Marketplace is set to open on December 4, 2009. From fresh fruits and vegetables to flu shots and holiday party trays, all will be readily available for your shopping convenience.

The Kroger is located at in the Brazos Town Center on the northbound lanes of 59 near FM 762. The Kroger store includes a gas station, a Fred Meyer Jewelry store, a pharmacy and full service meat center.

At this time Richmond and surrounding area residents have to head to Sugar Land or into Rosenberg for their grocery shopping needs. Consumers will be able to compare prices and look for the best deal. This is welcoming for families on a tight budget.

Kroger is the latest business to open up in the area. Several new restaurants have open in the area. A Cracker Barrel will open on November 3, 2009 and a Chinese food restaurant will open soon.

The new Kroger will make a trip to the grocery store that much closer.

Terrorism Training in Our Town

Terrorism in our county, is it possible? As a sad reminder of the times we live in, Sunday evening Sugar Land police and fire department along with several surrounding law enforcement agencies conducted a terrorism drill. The drill was part of a training exercise that was conducted at the First Colony Mall.

The exercise gave participants training on dealing with a hostage situation. Sugar Land police try to plan for emergency response to any situation that may come up. This scenario could happen here or in any town.

This drill was a joint effort between SWAT team, Fort Bend ISD, Stafford and Missouri City police departments. This type of training keeps all the agencies involved a good practice run on inter-agency communication, response time and procedures.

Since the attacks on September 11, 2001 our government has set up guidelines for law enforcement and public safety officials to work by to establish good communication, resource management and chain of command to respond to a variety of scenarios. National Incident Management Systems is the set of guidelines and procedures that is used at local, state and national levels.

The good news is that our local law enforcement agencies are training and preparing for our safety. This gives residents another reason to be proud to live in Fort Bend County.

New Chief

Brownsboro is a small East Texas town that is Southeast of Dallas. It is a fairly small town with more churches to choose from than grocery stores. The town has nearly 800 residents. Today, one of those lifelong residents became Chief of Police. Thomas Robertson was sworn In by Mayor Ronny Harris as Chief at this afternoon’s city council meeting.

Chief Robertson is taking over duties from retiring Chief Ron Shields. Shields is battling cancer and retired at the end of August.

Robertson comes to Brownsboro Police department from Henderson County Sheriff’s Department. There he served 12 years as a deputy and Sergeant. While at Henderson County he worked as a deputy in the jail, on patrol and with SWAT team.

Chief Robertson has a dedication and commitment to the town of Brownsboro. He has many relatives in the area who all attended today’s ceremony. Robertson is active in the community and a proud resident. He has coached his daughter’s Little Dribblers basketball team, can be found at the high school football game or just hanging out with family and friends.

Chief Robertson is married to Laura and they have two daughters.

Congratulations, brother in law. It’s well deserved.

Negative Flu

We all know of the Swine flu, the regular flu and now we are learning of the Negative Flu. The Negative flu is a strain of the flu that is not detected on a flu test. The symptoms are similar and last about 5 to 6 days.

Recently my friend suffered from what her doctor referred to as the Negative Flu. She was surprised to learn that she was diagnosed with any flu since she did have her flu shot. However, most health officials tell us that having the flu shot is not a guarantee of not acquiring a case of the flu.

Emergency rooms and doctors’ offices remain flooded with patients suffering flu like symptoms. The Texas department of State Health Services (DSHS) classifies the current flu status as widespread. According to the agency’s web site the “widespread” classification is used when there are increases in flu-like illnesses and recent lab-confirmed flu cases in at least half of the state's regions.

DSHS has confirmed 18 flu-associated pediatric deaths in Texas from the start of the 2008-2009 flu season last fall till now. In addition, as of September H1N1 claim the lives of 2 people in Fort Bend County and 3 people in Harris County.

With flu season in full swing with different strains it is important to practice prevention. DSHS reminds us to wash hands frequently. Cover coughs and sneezes. Stay home if you’re sick. Have a plan to care for sick family members at home.

Sniffles, sneezes and coughing are all sounds of the season. Be healthy and be well.

Heart of a Champion

One of Sugar Land’s favorite heroes is Olympian Diana Lopez. The bronze Olympian & former gold medal World champion has a busy training schedule. Today, Diana took the time to stop by Austin Parkway Elementary as part of their celebration on Hispanic Heritage Month.

Diana spoke to the entire student body of her family’s quest of the American Dream. With her father in the crowd, Diana spoke of her parents’ path from Nicaragua to New York. Both her parents learned to speak English and raised their children in America. It was here in Texas that the family planted their roots in the sport of Taekwondo.

Diana and her brothers were raised with a incredible dedication to family and a commitment to the sport. The Lopez family all train together. Older brother Jean coaches siblings Steven, Mark and Diana. Later this month the brothers will be competing in the World championships in Denmark.

Diana taught the students today several moves. Each student was able to touch the Olympic medal. She was a hit with the student body.

KPRC’s Daniella Guzman also attended the festivities. Guzman once was a student at Austin Parkway Elementary. She and Diana connected with the kids and proved why they are both champions in their own fields.

Right now, Diana is striving for 2012 Olympics in London. We will all be cheering for her.

New Weapon in the Fat Fight

Sits up, side bends, mule kicks and leg lifts are all exercises to help battle the bulge. To get that perfect flat tummy or shapely thigh a person will do just about anything to get that certain look. Now, new to our area is a new treatment that helps get the results you want in a short amount of time. Shapes Body Contouring clinic is helping men and women achieve the figures the want with a new ultrasound device known as the BellaContour.

Shapes Body Contouring clinic features the BellaContour device that helps break up fatty tissue and removes cellulite. The stomach, arms and thighs can all be shaped with the ultrasound treatment. The spa-like treatment is FDA approved and non-invasive. Clients are relaxed during the treatment and find the experience spa-like.

Kathy Nelson is a client at 60 years old. Nelson’s doctor had encouraged her for health reasons to drop weight. She exercised with no results. With the ultrasound procedure she has gone from a size 14 to a size 8. Best news is that Kathy has been able to keep the weight off. She feels better and in her words “enjoying life more”.

Women make up the majority of the client base. Some women with great shapes but who have some trouble areas seek treatment to help what exercise is not shaping. Other women who have given birth want to get back their figures and want some help. However men are becoming more frequent customers to the clinic. Men seem to want to rid their figures of their love handles. With the ultrasound, the fatty tissues come apart and help tighten the skin.

Dr Robin Owens is the owner of Shapes Body Contouring clinic. He was the first to bring the treatment to North America and was instrumental in getting the FDA to approve the procedure. His own wife was a client after she gave birth to their son. With the treatment and exercise, she looks phenomenal.

The treatment takes less than an hour and results can be seen after one or two sessions. The cost will depend upon what package you want to buy into. It is definitely an investment in your body. As the holidays approach, this is a great gift idea.

So get the look, shape or figure that you are looking for.

Call today for a free consultation. 713-574-9031
http://www.shapesus.com

My Hispanic Heritage

America is a melting pot of race, religion and culture. Irish, German, Asian and Latin are just a few ethnicities that form our Country. Hispanics are one of the fast growing cultures in America. From September 15, 2009 to October 15, 2009 there is a 30-day long celebration to observe Hispanic Heritage. This period recognizes the contributions of Hispanic Americans to promote their heritage and culture.

While most celebrations include the reflections of Ballet Folkloric dances and the iconic sounds of a Mariachi band, my personal observance is far from the traditional. That is the beauty of being a Hispanic in America, you are raised with influences of your surroundings but you have your heritage as a foundation.

My influences of the rich traditions of the Hispanic culture come from my parents. The inspiration of faith is embedded in me from my mother’s unshaken strength. She taught me my first prayers and introduced me to my relationship to God. Her preservation of family and values was a standard in our upbringing. No matter if it was through a simple Sunday dinner or a Holiday feast, it has been my mother’s cooking that has bonded our family around a dining table.

My father’s influences are deeply entrenched throughout my brothers and sisters. His influences of the Hispanic culture are indisputably those of any good father. His teachings gave us an undeniable work ethic. He believed in hard work being applied to our education, our athleticism, and our jobs all would make us champions in our fields. He instilled in us a voice to be heard and to stand up in for what you believe in. This prideful man is the epitome of a patriarch in a family. His love is relentless and his spirit is giving.

My parents gave me a foundation that let me build my beliefs and ideals on respecting where I came from while striving to be who I am and not what I am.

September 15 kicks off the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence for 5 Latin American countries in 1821. Days following several other countries including Mexico also celebrate their independence. Of course we as Americans celebrate July 4th as our Independence Day.

It is easily said I am proud of who I am. I am proud that the brilliant traditions of a Hispanic Heritage that are forever intertwined in my standards of life. While my upbringing may not be dressed with typical traditions of Hispanic Heritage, it is full of our families’ traditions.