Vaughn and Jessica Vaughn, also known as Jessica Chavez, were both indicted in April on felony charges they assaulted a police officer who had been called to quell a loud party in Brookshire last October.

Both were indicted on charges of assaulting a public servant, a third-degree felony.

Vaughn and Chavez’ brother, Jim Chavez were also charged with interfering with a police officer, a misdemeanor.

Jessica Chavez-Vaughn has been described in various documents as the mayor’s ex-wife, current wife and common-law wife. Neither has ever publicly clarified the precise nature of their relationship.

Both have entered “not guilty” pleas to the felony assault charges.

District Judge Dan Beck set a Dec. 9 pre-trial hearing, along with trial date of Jan. 10.

According to details released by the Waller County District Attorney’s Office at the time of the indictment, Vaughn was working as a DJ at a private party in Brookshire when police arrived to investigate a loud noise complaint. When an officer attempted to arrest one of the party-goers, Vaughn and the Chavezes reportedly intervened, shoving the police officer in an apparent attempt to prevent him from making the arrest.

Although Vaughn and the Chavezes were not arrested at the time, a report of the incident was forwarded to the district attorney’s office and later presented to the grand jury.

If convicted on the felony charges, Vaughn could face a sentence of two to 10 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.

Fort Bend County Day will be Saturday, Sept. 25 as the Cougars take on the Tulane Green Wave. County residents will be able to purchase tickets for $15.

Tickets can be purchased by calling 713-GO-COOGS, 877-COUGARS or online at http://ev6.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/evenue/ev69/se/DisplayPromoList.d2w/report?linkID=houston&RSRC=&RDAT=&caller=PR and entering the promotional code “FTBEND.”

The first 200 Fort Bend residents to purchase tickets will be placed together in a specially-designated section.

The Cougars return three 1000-yard receivers from last years’ team and currently own the fourth longest active home winning streak in the nation.

Game time is 2:30 p.m.

Barn Owl Woods is a stand of upland forest in the middle of the Katy Prairie that serves as home to a host of wildlife.

Hikers will be able to walk along a mulched trail as they observe the wildlife within the unique natural habitat.

The hike will be 5 – 7 p.m. this Sunday, Sept. 5. It is free and open to the public.

Barn Owl Woods is part of the Katy Prairie Conservancy’s Nelson Farms Preserve. Directions are available at www.katyprairie.org.

Those planning to take the hike are asked to contact info@katyprairie.org to register their name and a contact telephone number.

The Katy Prairie Conservancy has been working since 1992 to preserve a sustainable portion of Katy Prairie for the benefit of its wildlife and all Texans. To date, KPC has conserved nearly 18,000 acres of natural heritage for the enjoyment of future generations.

Part of tonight’s meeting agenda includes “discussion and possible action regarding hiring a police chief for the city.”

Brookshire has been without a permanent police chief since Joseph Prejean stepped down from the post in June in what was termed a “retirement.”

A special selection committee comprised of Prejean, Mayor Joey Vaughn and Mayor Pro-Tem Marilyn Vaughn interviewed 12 applications for the post and named two finalists – San Felipe Police Chief Brandal Jackson and Austin County sheriff’s detective Charles Holmes – for the post last month, but so far council members have not been able to agree on a final choice.

After interviewing Jackson and Holmes in a closed-door executive session in August, no council member made a motion to hire either man. Alderman Jimmy Sanders made a motion to re-open the interview process to applicant and Brookshire resident Rex Allen White, but that motion died on a 2-2 vote with Alderman Eric Green abstaining.

At the time, Green said he was “not ready” to make a decision on any candidate.

Since Prejean’s departure, Lt. Darrell Branch has been serving as interim police chief. Branch was also an applicant for the permanent job, but was not named a finalist by the selection committee.

During tonight’s meeting, council members will also consider approval of an application by the Brookshire Municipal Water District for housing and/or infrastructure activities through the 2011-2012 Texas Community Development Block Grant Program.

Additionally, the council will consider a request from Theodore Josey, Jr. to place speed bumps on the west end of 11^th Street, as well as possibly adopting an ordinance to regulate the opening of night clubs and the service of alcoholic beverages.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the council chambers of Brookshire City Hall.

The workshop will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the city council chambers of the Katy Municipal Complex.

The meeting will be dedicated to discussion of the proposed budget, but no final action will be taken.

The city’s new fiscal year will begin Oct. 1.

The budget workshop is open to the public.

In a statement e-mailed yesterday by Katy ISD spokesman Steve Stanford, board members told Tea Party President Jennifer Danel Heiden they had decided to instead hold three public meetings to provide information on the bond issue.

“We agree in regard to the need to get more information out to the public concerning the bond referendum. Therefore, we will host three additional public meetings for this purpose,” the board’s statement read. “In addition to the trustees, staff will be present to ensure that participants’ specific questions are answered and result in an opportunity for more in-depth public understanding of the bond referendum package.”

The board statement also noted the poor attendance at two public forums hosted earlier by the bond task force.

“The School Facility Referendum Planning Task Force process, which developed the package, included two public forums as well as an opportunity to give input online. Unfortunately attendance was very light as of the 500 guests anticipated; only 60 attended the public forums and only 80 inputs were received online. Those who attended in person were able to ask questions and engage in conversation about the projects resulting in better understanding of the project items,” the statement said. “We prefer and will offer this type of conversation to the entire community rather than just one group targeting their membership. We appreciate the invitation. However this matter goes beyond the membership and must be provided for the entire community.”

In a response to the board’s statement, Heiden said her organization was “encouraged” trustees were willing to provide additional information about the bond issue.

“We are encouraged that KISD is willing to expand the discussion concerning this bond beyond the limited access allowed at the school board meetings. We also agree that this information needs to be made to the broadest audience possible,” Heiden said. “We selected our date and time – a Saturday afternoon in late October – with that intent as our focus. Later October allows for significant time to inform the community about the forum and a Saturday allows for the working class citizens of this community to attend unencumbered by work obligations and commutes.”

Heiden stressed, however, that any informational sessions hosted by the district needed to provide residents with the opportunity to “freely” pose questions or the Tea Party would continue to “pressure the board” for a more open forum.

“As long as the format allows for open questions that can be asked by the citizens ‘freely’ and allows for maximum participation from the public, we will be satisfied that our membership requests have been met. However, if KISD has these meetings on a weekday with obscure timeframes and/or the public is not able to ‘freely ask and discuss’ this issue, we will continue to pressure this board to give the public the ability to do so,” Heiden said. “We do sympathize with the board of trustees and understand that they are under strict legal guidelines at times. We appreciate their willingness to listen and work to provide information that is open and accessible to the public so that they can make informed decisions when they vote for or against this bond in November.”

Heiden went on to say the Tea Party had requested specific details on the promised public meetings and is waiting on the board’s reply.

“Until we receive such details, we will continue to encourage our membership to write, call, post comments to their area newspapers, attend the KISD board meetings and make continuous requests for them to do so,” she said.

The school board’s group response to the Tea Party, as well as the revelation it has decided to call the three public meetings has raised questions – and eyebrows – over just how trustees were able to make those decisions outside of a scheduled school board meeting.

Katy ISD resident Leslie Babin, who has been a frequent critic of the board, was among those asking whether board members violated the open meetings act in agreeing to the joint statement and calling of the three public meetings.

“Exactly when and where did the school board come up with this statement? When did they decide to call the three public meetings instead to going to the Tea Party’s meeting?” Babin asked. “Did they call each other by phone or meet behind closed doors somewhere? They certainly haven’t talked about it during a public school board meeting.”

Babin said she could see only two possible scenarios.

“Either they’ve held an illegal meeting or this whole thing – the statement and the idea of having their own meetings – was actually done by (Superintendent) Alton Frailey or some other school district staffer and they put the board’s name on it,” Babin said. “Either way, it, once again, calls the ethics and honesty of this school board into question.”

The Tea Party invitation has not appeared on any school board meeting or work study session agenda and has not been discussed trustees at any of those meetings. Additionally, according to the school district’s website, trustees have not held a specially-called meeting since June 21.

By state law, a school board can only act during a legally-called meeting, and all decisions must be made in open session.

A request for clarification on the board’s statement and decision to call the additional meetings has been made to the district. So far, no response has been received.

Waller County sheriff’s deputies, the Waller County SWAT team and Houston police officers arrested Michael James Deluca, 39, after his reported victim led officers to his home.

According to police reports, Deluca abducted the victim from a location in Houston and brought her to his Waller County home against her will. The victim subsequently escaped and contacted officers working traffic control at a road construction project. The victim then led police to the home where she was reportedly held.

Deluca was taken into custody following a brief foot pursuit.

Some area residents living near the scene of the arrest saw the police activity and SWAT presence and thought a hostage incident was taking place. Waller County Sheriff Glenn Smith said his department used the county’s “Code Red” emergency alert system to notify residents about the situation, as well as to inform them when the scene had been cleared.

Deluca is also a registered sex offender.

According to the Texas DPS Sex Offender Database, Deluca was found guilty of sexual assault of a 14-year-old child in 1993. He was sentenced to six years in prison for that crime.

Studies show that children who are read to in the home – and who use the library – perform better in school and are more likely to continue to use the library as a source of lifetime learning.

A recent study by the American Library Association also showed that families use libraries to spend time together; 44 percent of survey respondents report taking their children to the library for that reason.

A library card provides free access to videos, DVDs, CDs, software and books. Libraries also offer a wide range of other items to lend to children and their families, including toys, games and puzzles.  Most importantly, librarians are on hand to help recommend materials suitable for various ages and interests.

A library card becomes even more valuable when someone wants to access many of the library’s online databases from home. The cost of subscribing to the databases as an individual would make them unaffordable to most people, but a library card levels the playing field by making them available to everyone free, as long as you have a library card. 

For more information on how to sign up for a library card, visit any of the branches in the Fort Bend County library system, call the library’s public information office at 281-341-2677 or see the library’s website at www.fortbend.lib.tx.us and click on the “Online Library Card Application” link.

BE A FRIENDLY VISITOR to residents of a small, home-like assisted living facility in Katy for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or related illnesses. Visiting for an hour or two on any day of the week, during the daytime or evening, you can interact on an individual basis with residents who will benefit a great deal from the stimulation and companionship you offer.  Training will be provided.

BE A MENTOR to a young person who has been in trouble. A Katy social service agency can pair you with a boy or girl who will benefit from your companionship and guidance.  Training will help you learn how to develop a constructive, caring relationship with your new friend.  This opportunity is available weekdays, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., and weekends from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  Volunteers should be at least 21 years of age.

PRIVATE PILOTS can log some flying time while helping persons with serious medical problems. The regional chapter of a national pilots’ network is recruiting volunteer pilots to use their own planes to fly ambulatory patients in outlying areas to and from medical facilities throughout greater Houston. Flights are arranged to fit the pilots’ schedules and geographical preferences. Expenses incurred in the assignment are tax deductible.  

WORK UP A SWEAT helping low-income families achieve the American dream of home ownership.   Providing general construction help for a housing program serving Katy and neighboring areas, you’ll bring hope to families who are trying to make a new start. Even if you have no background in construction, you can be easily trained in ways to participate effectively in this initiative.  Morning and afternoon shifts are available on Saturdays.

For more information on the following volunteer opportunities, please call Volunteer Fort Bend a281-340-1919, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Additional opportunities can be found at www.VolunteerFortBend.org.

September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month and in celebration, Fort Bend County Libraries is seeking the oldest library card in the county, which could date back as far as 1947 when the library system was founded.

The library patron with the oldest library card will win a $25 gift certificate.

Anyone having an early library card may be in the running for the award of Oldest Library Card in Fort Bend County. If you have an old library card, stop by one of the branches in the Fort Bend County library system anytime during the month of September and complete an entry form. You must have the library card with you.

The winner will be announced the first week of October.

Currently, there are more than 350,000 people with Fort Bend County library cards.

Anyone wishing to sign up for a library card may do so online at the library’s website, www.fortbend.lib.tx.us, for a temporary card, or by filling out an application at one of the branch libraries in the Fort Bend County library system for a permanent card.

To get a free, permanent library card, applicants should bring a government-issued picture ID and proof of Texas residency, such as a utility bill, when they complete the application at the library.

For more information, call the library’s public information office at 281-341-2677.

Amobi Okoye Foundation Administrator Henry Dibrell presented the tickets to Narcisse on behalf of Okoye.

Okoye said he wanted to invite Narcisse to the game as a special guest to help bolster the spirits of the Katy High starting defensive end as he battles a rare form of cancer.

Narcisse is being treated for nasopharyngeal carcinoma and is currently in recovery. He hopes to be able to return to the team later this season.

After tomorrow night’s game, Okoye plans to visit with Narcisse and his father. 

Okoye established the Amobi Okoye Foundation in 2008 to provide hope to children and communities. Okoye has mentored thousands of youngsters throughout the U.S. and abroad, provided food to more than 6,000 people, taken four containers of educational materials and a team of doctors to Nigeria.

He is currently working with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan to build a college preparatory school in the impoverished nation.

Sealy-based BAE Systems has gotten a new lease on life after being awarded a $629 million government contract from the Army’s U.S. Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Joint Program Office to upgrade 1,700 military vehicles.

The upgrades and modifications will be made to a multi-terrain vehicle called the Caiman.

The modifications involve integrating a refurbished and improved armored capsule from an existing Caiman with a new high-power automotive power train, chassis and independent suspension.  The enhancements are designed to provide greater levels of mobility and survivability necessary for varied environments and significant enemy threats.

“The Caiman MTV meets the urgent and enduring needs of our troops for greater mobility and survivability,” said Dennis Morris, president, BAE Systems Global Tactical Systems. “The Caiman MTV is a very adaptable configuration that can be customized to meet a variety of missions, and we look forward to getting these to the field.” 

BAE officials also said the Caiman MTV achieves greater survivability through an enhanced monolithic floor, a strengthened chassis frame and blast absorbing seats. 

The vehicle’s improved mobility is achieved with a greater vehicle track width, a strong independent suspension and an upgraded power train. 

The upgraded interior includes an enhanced HVAC temperature control system to protect soldiers and critical computer equipment from hot and cold extremes.

Under the contract, the drivable rolling chassis will be produced in Sealy and delivered to the Army starting in November, with final integration being completed jointly by BAE Systems’ and U.S. Government personnel.

BAE officials said the new contract would not, however, affect any employees laid-off as a result of the loss of an earlier military contract.

“BAE Systems will proceed with its announced layoffs.   Our reduction in force decision was factored in this new work,” spokesperson Davy Kong said in an e-mail.   

Last month, BAE announced the layoffs of more than 2,000 of its Sealy-based employees after the company lost its bid to retain a $3 billion contract to continue producing the Army’s Family of Military Tactical Vehicles.

The FMTVs had been produced at the Sealy facility for 18 years before BAE lost the contract to Wisconsin-based Oshkosh Corporation.

An estimated 1,000 of BAE employees, including plant executives, live in the Katy area.

Regular library hours will resume on Tuesday, Sept. 7.

The library system’s online library will remain open at www.fortbend.lib.tx.us for searching the catalog, renewing books or placing holds, downloading e-books or using the research databases.

For additional information, contact the library system’s public information office at 281-341-2677.

The bond issue will be decided by school district voters during the Nov. 2 election.  

In recent days, board members Chris Crockett, Rebecca Fox, Neal Howard and Judith Snyder have all told Tea Party representatives they will not be attending the event.

They joined trustees Joe Adams and Eric Duhon, both of whom previously declined the Tea Party’s invitation.

That leaves only board member Robert Shaw yet to respond.

Crockett said she would not be able to take part because she will be in Austin on the day of the event. Howard and Snyder declined to attend without giving a reason. It is unknown whether Fox gave event organizers a reason for deciding against taking part in the meeting.

Tea Party representatives invited all school board members to participate in an Oct. 16 informational meeting at the Cinco Ranch Library shortly after trustees voted to call the bond election during an Aug. 18 work study meeting.

In the written invitation, Tea Party President Jennifer Danel Heiden said the organization wanted to ensure the district’s “judicious handling of finances.”

“Because of the size of the proposed bond and the impact on property taxes, we feel that it is in the membership’s best interest to educate the Katy community so they will make knowledgeable choices for their families when voting for or against your proposal,” Heiden said in the letter.

Heiden also stressed that the invitation was being extended to trustees only, and the group “will not accept representatives on your behalf.”

Despite having six of seven school board members turn them down, event organizers said they plan to go forward with the informational meeting but in a different format.

The Tea Party has not yet taken a position on whether it will endorse or oppose the bond issue.

The Katy Area Chamber of Commerce, which produces the annual event, announced yesterday that all vendor booths had sold out.

This marked the first time in the history of the festival that all booths sold out more than six weeks prior to the event. Food booths have been sold out for several months.

The festival committee also announced this year’s event will see a record number of hand-crafted and homemade items for sale.

Italian hand painted crystal, homemade candles, handmade necklaces, bracelets and earrings, wood art for yards, hand-crafted greeting cards, handmade wooden toys,  hand-knit shawls, hand-crafted cedar outdoor furniture, handmade Christmas stockings, holiday decorations and cowboy lanterns are all among the items for sale this year. 

Other items featured include inspirational crosses, original art work, crocheted clothing, handmade belts and belt buckles, recycled art and handmade children’s items.

Homemade gourmet foods, homemade queso, salsas, Nine Jalapeno jellies, gourmet olive oils, gourmet vinegars, shelled pecans, flavored pecans and pecan oil will all be for sale in food specialty booths. 

Along “Food Alley,” festival goers will find sausage-on-a-stick, turkey legs, boudain balls, roasted corn, gyros, Kettle Korn, fresh-squeezed lemonade, jambalaya, meatballs-on-a-stick and funnel cakes. New this year will be the “Texas Twister.”

In addition to the craft, commercial and food booths, this year’s Rice Harvest Festival will feature a wide variety of live entertainment on the Katy Stage. Saturday’s line-up includes Eder Mace Band, DunVille, The Convertibles, The Trishas, The Silverado Band, Bayou Roux and the Grateful Geezers.

The Zydeco Dots, Scooter Brown Band and Micky & The Motorcars all take the stage Sunday.

This year’s festival will be held Oct. 9-10 in downtown Katy.

Free parking and free shuttle service to and from the festival will again be available.

Admission is $7 for adults and children over 12 years of age.

To support the City of Katy, $1 per ticket will be contributed to the city’s annual July 4th fireworks display.

Additionally, Cinco Ranch High School, Faith West Academy, Katy High School, Mayde Creek High School, Morton Ranch High School, Pope John XXIII High School, Seven Lakes High School and Taylor High School will all benefit from the gate proceeds.

The festival’s carnival will be open Friday night, all day Saturday and Sunday until 6 p.m. In addition to the larger rides, the carnival will have a separate “kiddie kingdom,” featuring pony rides and a train.

For information on purchasing carnival armbands or admission tickets, visit the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce website at www.katychamber.com.

Dove season opens to day in the North and Central Zones. The South Zone opens Sept. 17.

The Katy area straddles two of the hunting zones, with areas north of IH-10 lying in the Central Zone and areas south of the interstate highway being part of the south zone.

Timely rainfall usually translates into above average dove production, and by all field accounts from TPWD wildlife biologists, this year is shaping up to produce a boom crop of birds.

Texas boasts fall dove populations in excess of 40 million birds and state’s 300,000 dove hunters harvest about 6 million birds annually, or roughly 30 percent of all doves taken in the United States. Dove hunting also has a major economic impact, annually contributing more than $300 million to the state economy.

State game wardens will be out in force for the season opener checking hunters to ensure compliance with game laws, including possession of a valid hunting license and applicable permits, hunter education certification requirements and adherence to bag limits.

This year, TPWD will be providing reports from the field via Twitter and on Facebook. Beginning this week, hunters can also get the latest information on dove migration and hunter success in the department’s Weekly Bird Hunting Report.

THIS WON’T HURT A BIT – Judie Haubrich, R.N., Director of Medical/Surgical Department at CHRISTUS St. Catherine Hospital, holds Austin Smith as he receives a vaccination from Jennifer Ondruch, R.N., with Labor and Delivery at CHRISTUS St. Catherine.

To help ensure a healthy start to the school year for area students, CHRISTUS St. Catherine Hospital recently joined forces with the Care Van Program to provide free back-to-school immunizations.

The vaccinations were provided at no charge to children between the ages of 2 to 18.

The Care Van provided the immunizations on Aug. 16 at St. Bartholomew Catholic Church in Katy.

Nurses from CHRISTUS St. Catherine Hospital took part the event, providing support to Care Van staff, parents and children.

Instead of following a tradition of the superintendent using his convocation remarks to chart a direction for the upcoming school year and urge – some have even said “inspire” – school personnel to achieve lofty goals, Frailey took a number of pointed jabs at district critics.

His remarks sparked an intense round of criticism by some district employees, as well as many residents, who accused Frailey of engaging in the same kind of “dirty politics” he railed against in his speech.

They also questioned why Frailey would set a confrontational tone at a time when the district is trying to pass a $459 million bond issue on the Nov. 2 ballot.

After being introduced by Katy ISD Trustee Rebecca Fox, Frailey began his presentation by recognizing a number of special guests, including board members Chris Crockett and Joe Adams, Katy Chamber of Commerce President Ann Hodge, Katy Mayor Don Elder, Jr., and the superintendent’s executive cabinet. He then began his remarks by laying out the district’s plans and expectations for the new school year.

About 20 minutes into his presentation, Frailey launched into a spirited defense of school board members against critics and bloggers.

“(School board members) are the folks that have to make decisions and they’re held accountable for them. They can’t blog anonymously and pontificate,” Frailey told the assembly. “They can’t just, say, shoot from the cuff something, because their name’s on the line. We cannot delegate authority that is rightfully the board of trustees’ to someone hiding in the bushes afraid to put their name, their hat, in the ring.”

Another 20 minutes into his speech, while discussing Thomas Jefferson’s views of democracy, Frailey decried the influence of “politics” in education, saying it “sickens” him.

“We are impacted by politics like never before in education and our society and, if you’ll pardon me for being so blunt, it just sickens me to hear and see some of the stuff going on,” he said. “They have no shame, it seems. The hypocrisy is just killing us.”

Frailey did not say who “they” were.

He said he hoped people would get “informed and involved.”

During remarks about how technology has changed society, Frailey talked about how quickly that same technology can spread information. Again, he took exception to bloggers who used the Internet to spread criticism.

“There was a time when the village idiot didn’t stray far from the village. Now, the village idiot can go online and go viral and connect with other village idiots to where you have a village idiot movement,” he said. “You don’t always know what is real.”

Frailey said technology also allowed individuals to edit videos to change a message or use Photoshop software to alter photos that put people “into places where they never were.”

“And it sells newspapers,” Frailey added.

The superintendent went on to insinuate district critics “would like for us to be ignorant,” while schools were “the guardians of liberty.”

“That is why education is so important. A nation can’t be ignorant and free. And there are those who would like for us to be ignorant, I guess,” Frailey said. “But we’re not going to stop because we truly are the guardians of liberty.”

At that point, the superintendent transitioned into a discussion of the voting power of Katy ISD personnel, noting that of the 8,173 district employees who live within the district, 4,421 were registered to vote and 3,752 were not.

He also suggested those advocating reduced taxes may ultimately cause employees to lose pay.

“There are folks running on campaigns to cut taxes, so we can cut our budget. But 88 percent of our budget pays you,” Frailey told crowd. “Our board of trustees has consistently supported higher compensation for you all every year and this year is no different. We are one of the few (school districts) in the state to be where we are.”

Frailey quickly added three seats on the school board would be up for election in the spring.

“Pay attention; just pay attention,” he told the employees.

He then showed the voter turnout figures and margins of victory or loss for Katy ISD bond elections in 1994, 1996, 1999, 2002, May of 2006 and November of 2006.

“This year, there is a lot of anger (about) everybody, everything; a lot of rhetoric. This is the last day I can say this legally – the case has been made that we are going to have to have accommodations for the growth that’s coming our direction, period,” Frailey said. “You are part of the decision-making body with your vote. I’m not telling you how to vote, but I want to look up and at least see that you did.”

The superintendent then segued into a discussion about the possibility of cutting salaries.

“Without the revenue to build facilities, we’ve got to find it somewhere else. We have two pots of money – capital fund that’s approved by the voters and then the general fund that competes with everything else, including our salaries,” Frailey said. “Across the country, districts are cutting out salaries; there have been proposals near by here to cut salaries. This ‘anti’ rhetoric will be very strong this November; it’s risky.”

Frailey then turned to a comparative analysis of the philosophies espoused in a trio of books – George Orwell’s “1984,” Aldus Huxley’s “Brave New World” and “Amusing Ourselves to Death” by Neil Postman. He discussed how each looked at the impact of information and technology on society, again invoking his own views about “misleading information of the technological age.”

“The online community is making it worse through the blogging and what-not. Don’t you ever read that stuff? I think, ‘my gosh, where’s the first space shuttle to Mars?’” Frailey remarked. “We have some very special folks among us.

“There’s an old saying, ‘controversy equalizes fools and wise men, and the fools know it.’ And they give themselves a fictitious name.”

Frailey also compared the school district to the story of Gulliver being tied down by the Lilliputians.

“We can’t be tied down by the little stuff,” he said, challenging all district employees to “stand up and be a leader.”

“The board of trustees, when the campaign, they’re being attacked. When they make decisions, they’re being attacked,” Frailey said. “I’m probably the most blogged-about person in the community because I am making decisions that a couple of folks don’t like because it’s not the way they want things to be. And with the exception of a couple, most of them don’t even reveal their name.

“We need everyone to step up and push back and take care of our community and our school district.”

The superintendent then challenged the employees in attendance, asking if they were “willing to ride for the Katy brand.” He emphasized his point with a movie clip from the classic John Wayne movie “Red River” in which Wayne challenges his ranch hands before a difficult cattle drive.

In concluding his remarks, Frailey said the school district “must be respected as the center of truth.”

“This administration, of which you are a part, must be respected as the center of truth on all matters in which we participate. Most importantly, Katy ISD must be regarded as the foremost advocate and expert for children,” he said. “We must not only partner in helping raise the young, but also the village. It won’t be easy – you hear all the rhetoric and all the bashing – but it starts with us; we make it happen.”

Frailey’s entire speech can be viewed online at the Katy ISD website.

Hours for the event will be 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The job fair will feature business and career services representatives from throughout McCaul’s 10^th Congressional District.

“Putting people back in the work force is one of my top priorities and I am excited to share this opportunity with you,” McCaul said in announcing the job fair.

The event will be free and open to all businesses, job-seekers and those searching for new career opportunities. Attendees looking for employment are encouraged to bring their resumes and be prepared for on-the-spot interviews.

Last year’s job fair drew more than 2,000 people looking for jobs, and some 60 businesses seeking employees