Sugar Land - Missouri City Edition | June 2025

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Sugar Land Missouri City Edition VOLUME 12, ISSUE 10 JUNE 7JULY 10, 2025

2025 Health Care Edition

Therapy in demand Local providers seek to close access gaps as behavioral health diagnoses grow INSIDE 14 By Valeria Escobar

Dozens of applied behavioral analysis, or ABA, therapy clinics have opened in the Sugar Land and Missouri City area since 2017. However, providers—such as Bluebonnet Autism (pictured)—said long waitlists, insurance hurdles and quality concerns still block access for many families. (Valeria Escobar/ Community Impact)

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INSIDE

Education Page 10 Find out how lack of state capital funding from the Texas Legislature will aect UH Sugar Land campus expansion plans

Impacts Page 6 Check out what’s on the menu for the new Urban Bird Hot Chicken location, coming to the Sugar Land area this summer

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Impacts

2 American Deli The Atlanta-based restaurant’s menu includes chicken wings, sandwiches, salads and fried rice. • Opened April 30 • 1943 Texas Parkway, Missouri City • www.americandeli.com 3 Pei Wei Asian Kitchen The eatery serves Asian-inspired, handcrafted dishes with house-chopped vegetables and whole cuts of white meat chicken and flank steak. • Opened April 21 • 6245 Hwy. 6, Ste. 200, Missouri City • www.peiwei.com 4 Behavioral Innovations The business offers one-on-one, play-based therapy sessions to help young children with autism develop essential life skills and manage challenging behaviors. • Opened April 28 • 5310 Sienna Parkway, Ste. 230, Missouri City • www.startaba.com 5 Jet’s Pizza This Detroit-style franchise offers deep dish, hand- tossed round, thin crust, New York-style, gluten-free and seasoned cauliflower crust pizzas. • Opened May 13 • 5822 Sienna Parkway, Ste. 600, Missouri City • www.jetspizza.com 6 92 Chicken The Korean-style fried chicken franchise specializes in hand-battered chicken that’s double-fried. The chicken can be seasoned with 15 different flavors. • Opened in early May 7 Jeremiah’s Italian Ice The shop sells over 40 flavors of Italian ice, soft ice cream and Gelati—a mix of Italian ice and soft ice cream. • Opened May 6 • 5304 Sienna Parkway, Missouri City • www.jeremiahsice.com • 3553 N. Hwy. 6, Sugar Land • https://92chicken.square.site

W . A

STADIUM DR.

90A

SUGAR PARK LN.

Missouri City

NBLVD.

MUSEUM SQUARE DR.

1092

99 TOLL

Sugar Land

COMMONWEALTH BLVD.

K W Y .

KITTY HOLLOW PARK

MAP NOT TO SCALE

SIENNA CROSSING DR.

SIENNA PKWY.

12 16

SIENNA PKWY.

11 13

units, vehicle storage, electronic gate access, and video and in-person surveillance. • Opened April 1 • 11347 Sugar Park Lane, Sugar Land • www.extraspace.com

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8 DHL Service Point The facility offers domestic and international shipping options. Services include time-definite delivery, and luggage and passport shipping. • Opened May 8 • 1226 Museum Square Drive, Sugar Land • www.dhl.com 9 Dunkin’ The location is a drive-thru-only concept and features hot, cold and frozen coffee beverages; doughnuts; and breakfast items, such as sandwiches and bagels. • Opened April 28 • 11930 Dairy Ashford Road, Sugar Land • www.dunkindonuts.com 10 SEV Laser The chain provides full-body laser hair removal as well as injectables, body contouring and personalized skin care, among other services. • Opened June 5 • 15850 Southwest Freeway, Ste. 100, Sugar Land • www.sevlaser.com 11 Great Clips The salon offers various hair services, including cuts; bang, beard and neck trims; perm treatments; shampooing; and styling. • Opened May 29 • 2822 Sienna Parkway, Ste. 130, Missouri City • www.greatclips.com 12 The Derm Project The practice offers minimally invasive elective procedures, compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide medications for weight loss, and hormone replacement therapy. • Opened June 3 • 9010 Sienna Crossing Drive, Ste. 100, Missouri City • www.thedermproject.com 76 Fence The franchise offers fence installations, staining and repairs to residential and commercial customers in the Katy, Sugar Land and Richmond areas. A brick-and- mortar location has not yet been established.

• Opened in April • www.76fence.com

Coming soon

13 Marco’s Pizza The menu features pizza shop classics such as pizza, pasta, sandwiches and salads. The business will also offer catering options for larger crowds. • Opening June 10 • 2822 Sienna Parkway, Ste. 140, Missouri City • www.marcos.com 14 Mint Express Car Wash The business offers an exterior automated car wash as well as exterior and interior detailing. Membership plans and wash packages are also available. • Opening in mid-June 15 BunSlut The late-night eatery—open until 4 a.m. at most locations—is known for its smash burgers made with halal beef. Other menu items include loaded fries, patty melt sandwich, new red slider combos and milkshakes. • Opening this summer • 7270 Hwy. 6, Ste. 100, Missouri City • www.eatbunslut.com 16 Grain & Berry The national health food concept will offer acai bowls, fruit smoothies, juices, specialty toasts, and plant-based flatbreads and quesadillas. • Opening in July • 9010 Sienna Crossing Drive, Ste. 250, Missouri City • www.grainandberry.com • 4141 Sienna Parkway, Missouri City • www.mintexpresscarwash.com 17 Galaxy All Abilities Park Sugar Land’s first all-abilities park broke ground May 15. It will feature a wheelchair-accessible playground, interactive sensory walls and covered seating. • Opening by the end of 2025 • 1515 Stadium Drive, Sugar Land • www.sugarlandtx.gov

18 Urban Bird Hot Chicken The eatery specializes in chicken sandwiches, baskets, and chicken and waffles—all halal and offered in various heat levels. Other menu items include milkshakes, sides and its loaded fries. The location is part of 10 new storefronts coming to Texas this year. • Opening this summer • 19922 Southwest Freeway, Sugar Land • www.urbanbirdhotchicken.com

Relocations

19 Sugar Land Med Spa The medical spa moved from 1441 Hwy. 6 to a larger space. Founded by Dr. Kimberly Evans, it offers weight loss resources, body contouring, skin treatments, injections and various women’s services. • Relocated April 28 • 16062 Southwest Freeway, Sugar Land • www.sugarlandmedspa.com

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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

Government

BY AUBREY VOGEL

City Centre remodel costs up to $6.11M Missouri City officials have added an additional $2.53 million to repair and ren- ovate City Centre following damages from Hurricane Beryl last July. The gist The supplemental funding, approved by City Council on April 21, will bring the proj- ect’s total to nearly $6.11 million. The cost increase is due to contractors finding more damage than initially anticipated, Public Works Director Shashi Kumar said. The renovations, which were initially approved by the council last October, are being completed in three phases to allow the facility to partially reopen as remodeling continues, Kumar said. Going forward Phase 1 of City Centre’s construction was completed in May; however, the restaurant is only partially reopened, as construction will continue on its expansion.

The Lake Pointe Green concept plan outlines future development. Proposed Lake Pointe Green development

Townhomes, urban homes or live/work mixed zones

Civic and recreational space

Optional commercial

Multifamily and/or townhomes, urban homes or live/work mixed zones

SOURCE: CITY OF SUGAR LAND/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Sugar Land OKs concept plan for Fluor Corp. site The former Fluor Corp. campus could be redeveloped as soon as 2034, after Sugar Land City Council approved a concept plan May 13. The big picture The development, called Lake Pointe Green, will focus on residential—including multifamily, town- homes, duplexes and multiplexes—and recreational spaces with optional commercial use, said officials

with Houston-based developer Lovett Commercial. City Council also approved an incentive agree- ment with the developer using the city’s general funds and Sugar Land 4B Corp. funding, which comes from sales tax revenue. Incentives include: • Up to $5.3 million for demolition reimbursement • $7 million for Lovett to develop parkland and expand Brooks Lake Trail • Up to $12 million for public infrastructure Going forward Lovett officials said they expect to begin the phased project in 2025, with first housing deliver- ies in 2028 and completion in 2034.

Phase breakdown

Phase 1 Renovate the kitchen, Bluebonnet Room and pro shop Phase 2 Remodel the second floor and second floor bathroom Phase 3 Remodel and expand the bar and restaurant

SOURCE: CITY OF MISSOURI CITY/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Sugar Land zoning change could help housing variety A zoning change could bring middle housing near Constellation Field as the city works to expand its housing options.

Proposed area

Zooming in The zoning change comes as city officials look to add more housing variety with only 4% of undeveloped land left in the city, officials said. Single-family dwellings currently account for 90% of housing in the city, 2023 data shows. Looking ahead City officials said there are no active developers pursuing the land, and residential is not guaran- teed as it depends on market interest.

At a May 6 meeting, Sugar Land City Council approved two ordinances changing the land use plan and rezoning 30 acres of land—located east of Hwy. 6—from commercial use to a neighborhood activity center. The change aims to allow middle housing, including cottages, townhomes and small-lot homes tied in with commercial, officials said.

SOURCE: CITY OF SUGAR LAND/COMMUNITY IMPACT

SUGAR LAND - MISSOURI CITY EDITION

Education

BY VALERIA ESCOBAR

UH ocials plan expansions without state capital funds

The University of Houston will not receive over $300 million in capital project requests from the 89th Texas Legislature for the Sugar Land and Katy campuses, as the requests weren’t included in higher education appropriation bills, college ocials said. UH administrators said they requested $175 million for a health tech facility in Sugar Land and $165 million for a new academic building in Katy in this year’s higher education funding bill, Senate Bill 1. The proposed Sugar Land facility was set to house addi- tional classrooms and oce spaces as well as a Perioperative Nursing Center aimed at providing training through virtual reality, articial intelligence and robotic surgery, UH ocials previously said.

However, a May 31 report from the Conference Committee, composed of members from both chambers, showed only $20 million was allocated for faculty and students services in Katy, with no allocation for the Sugar Land campus. Digging in Joan Human, RHouston, who authored SB 1, declined to com- ment on the capital request from UH, but she believes higher educa- tion institutional budget requests were thoroughly discussed by the Senate Finance Committee. Looking ahead The bill was passed by the Sen- ate June 1 and the House June 2. It now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott.

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“We’ve got a pipeline of about 100,000 students coming up through K12 [in Katy]. ... We need to start moving, because the ball is coming.” JAY NEAL, ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, UH AT SUGAR LAND AND UH AT KATY

Whitbeck lawsuit dismissed by court

The 434th District Court has dismissed the remaining claim from former Fort Bend ISD Super- intendent Christie Whitbeck in the lawsuit led against the district in December 2024. The claim alleged the district breached the Voluntary Retirement Agreement, or VRA, that Whitbeck signed prior to her departure in December 2023.

What’s next In an order signed May 19, the court dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning Whitbeck is barred from reling the claims, according to court documents. However, Whitbeck’s attorney Chris Tritico led a motion for reconsideration May 28, and a hearing date for the motion has yet to be announced, according to court lings.

SIENNATX.COM

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

State

BY HANNAH NORTON

Texas education savings account program to take eect in 2026

The other side

Some opponents of ESAs have expressed con- cerns that the program will divert funding from public school districts facing nancial challenges and unfairly benet wealthy families. “These private schools are not required to accept your children,” Rep. Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos, DRichardson, said on the House oor April 16. “You give up the rights you had in public schools. The full cost of tuition, transportation and textbooks will almost never be covered fully by the voucher.” During the 2023-24 school year, the average cost of Texas private school tuition was $10,965 for kindergarten-eighth grade students and $14,986 for high school students, according to the Texas Private Schools Association.

savings accounts, which families can use to pay for private school tuition and other educational expenses, such as textbooks or transportation. Most participating students will receive 85% of the per-student funding public schools get from state and local sources— about $10,330 in the rst year of the program, according to estimates from the nonpartisan Legislative Budget Board. Texas Education Agency data shows the average Texas public school received $12,815 per student in state and local funds during the 2022-23 school year. Students with disabilities will qualify for up to $30,000 per year under SB 2, while families who homeschool their children can receive up to $2,000 annually .

Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 2 into law May 3, putting Texas on track to become at least the 30th state to enact a program that uses public funds for private education. Speaking to over 1,000 attendees in front of the governor’s mansion, Abbott said he was signing “the largest day-one school choice program in the United States.” The program will launch at the beginning of the 2026-27 school year. “Gone are the days that families are limited to only the school assigned to them by [the] government,” Abbott said. “Today has arrived and empowers parents to choose the school that is best for their child.” SB 2 will set aside $1 billion for education

Also of note

Legislative leaders have vowed to raise teacher salaries and public school funding in tandem with the ESA package. House Bill 2, an $8.5 billion school nance package, was approved by both chambers and sent to Abbott’s desk for approval May 29. “We are going to make, through school choice, public schools even more competitive and better,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said during the May 3 event. “It’s not about us against them or them against us.”

Texas lawmakers, state leaders and private school students listen as Gov. Greg Abbott speaks about Senate Bill 2 during a May 3 event.

To read the full story, visit: communityimpact.com/texas-legislature

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Health Care Edition Health care

BY ASIA ARMOR

2025

Welcome to the annual CI Health Care Edition! This guide highlights the rise of local applied behavior analysis, or ABA, centers in the Sugar Land and Missouri City areas. These facilities aim to provide support for children and families who are impacted by autism. The edition also covers Sugar Land’s incoming MD Anderson Cancer Center and celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center. Updates to hospitals and other local health care providers round out this edition focused on the area’s medical accomplishments and challenges.

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What's inside

Explore the growth of ABA centers treating autism (Page 14)

Learn about your local Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center (Page 16)

See updates from 3 Sugar Land hospitals (Page 17)

For relevant news and daily updates, subscribe to our free email newsletter!

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center broke ground March 31 in Sugar Land on what will be the system’s largest Houston-area facility outside of the Texas Medical Center. The ve-story facility, located near the Smart Financial Centre, will span 470,000 square feet and open in 2029, according to a March 31 news release. The University of Texas owns about 40 acres of land in the area, according to the Fort Bend Central Appraisal District. The details It will replace MD Anderson’s leased space at 1327 Lake Pointe Parkway, on the campus of MD Anderson to build cancer center in Sugar Land

On March 31, MD Anderson broke ground in Sugar Land on what will be its largest Houston-area facility outside of the Texas Medical Center. N

ambulatory surgery center, expanded diagnostic imaging, radiation oncology and outpatient procedural services, per the release. The site will also host multidisciplinary clinics for adult patients with low-to-medium acuity needs. MD Anderson ocials declined to provide job numbers and construction costs for the facility. The system also plans to open a cancer preven- tion facility along Hwy. 6 in Missouri City in 2026.

St. Luke’s Health-Sugar Land Hospital. “By expanding our reach in Sugar Land, we can better meet the needs of patients in Southwest Houston, making it easier for them to access the treatment and support they deserve,” MD Anderson President Peter WT Pisters said. Diving in deeper The facility will broaden the services available at the Sugar Land location to include a new

SUGAR LAND MISSOURI CITY EDITION

Therapy in demand From the cover

ABA centers by year established

S. KIRKWOOD RD.

1 Spectacular Kids ABA Therapy & Consulting, LLC 2 Bluebonnet Autism PLLC

The gist

3 MedCare Pediatric Therapy and Nursing

Nearly 20 years ago, Sonia Malhotra began searching for effective support for her son after his autism diagnosis—a path that led her to applied behavior analysis, or ABA, therapy. This ultimately inspired her to found Bluebonnet Autism in 2019 in Missouri City. ABA is a data-driven, goal-oriented therapy that uses positive reinforcement to build skills and manage challenging behaviors. The therapy style has gained popularity among children with autism and other behavioral health diagnoses for its one-on-one personalized approach that Malhotra said she believes can’t always be accessed within special education classrooms. “I realized there were many more people who were struggling the same way as I struggled,” Malhotra said. “And if you think, back then there were very little resources. So that’s when I started my journey.” Although more than two dozen ABA centers have opened in Sugar Land and Missouri City since 2017, local providers said demand continues to exceed capacity, underscoring persistent gaps in autism care. Additionally, families—especially those relying on Medicaid—still face long waitlists of up to a year to receive ABA care and high out-of-pocket costs, said Dana Harris, founder of Missouri City’s first ABA center Spectacular Kids.

4 Behavioral Innovations 5 Action Behavior Centers 6 Apara Autism Center 7 The Behavior Toolbox 8 Therapy and Beyond 9 Action Behavior Centers 10 Success On The Spectrum 11 Teach ABA Learning Center 12 Aloha Behavior 13 Autism Learning Partners 14 Action Behavior Centers 15 Autism Therapy Services 16 Action Behavior Centers 17 Every Little Star 18 Rising Stars ABA 19 | 20 Essential Speech & ABA Therapy 21 BrightPath Behavior 22 Action Behavior Centers 23 Action Behavior Centers 24 Behavioral Innovations

99 TOLL

Missouri City

Sugar Land

2 26 20

2759

762

ABA centers that opened in Sugar Land, Missouri City (2017-25) 2017 2018 2019 2020 1 0 5 2

3 3

2021 2022 2023 2025 2024

2 2

25 BlueSprig* 26 Pine Cone Therapies*

*OPENING DATES COULD NOT BE CONFIRMED FOR THESE FACILITIES. THIS LIST IS NOT COMPREHENSIVE. SOURCE: LOCAL ABA CENTERS/COMMUNITY IMPACT

1 in 28 children receiving the diagnosis. Meanwhile, Texas Education Agency data shows a rise in the number of Fort Bend ISD students receiving behavioral health services. “I really think [the increase in diagnoses] has a lot to do with how we’re defining autism,” said Charlotte L. Carp, University of Houston clinical assistant professor. “Now autism is defined as a spectrum disorder so it includes a wide range of experiences and support needs.”

What’s happening?

How ABA therapy works

When Malhotra’s son was diagnosed with autism in the early 2000s, the nationwide prevalence was approximately 1 in 150 children, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since then, CDC data shows 1 in 31 children had autism spectrum disorder in 2022. Texas has higher rates, with an estimated

Behavioral technician works with one child at a time

Behavior analyst customizes interven- tions to the individual’s culture, goals and environment Parent coaching sessions could occur often Encouragement and tailored prompts help build independence Acceptance and support of behaviors as valid forms of self-regulation or interest Every child has a reliable way to express themselves, make choices Social skills or behavior changes should be taught only if they benefit the client in a meaningful way

Fort Bend ISD students enrolled with a disability since the 2016-17 school year

9,434

Behavioral disabilities

Intellectual disabilities

Autism

4K 8K 6K 10K

8,127

7,197

6,324 6,807

5,299

4,642

4,092

+162.29%

2K 0

2016-17

2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24

SOURCE: SHIMIN BAO/COMMUNITY IMPACT

SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY/COMMUNITY IMPACT

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

BY VALERIA ESCOBAR CONTRIBUTIONS BY AUBREY VOGEL

Digging deeper

Zooming out

Moving forward

Local community organizations are working to provide autism support as well. Fort Bend County nonprofit Hope For Three provides monthly assistance and free programs for families who are struggling with financing all medical expenses, including ABA, Family Assistance Director Rowena Laine said. Behavioral Innovations refers clients in need of financial assistance to the nonprofit as well as FACES Autism, Masonic Children & Family Services of Texas, and UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation, said Ashly Joys, senior director and marketing brand experience. Some clinics also offer in-house scholar- ships, including Spectacular Kids, Harris said. Texana Center, the county’s nonprofit part- ner for mental health, provides external help for children ages 3 to 17, including ABA and developmental therapies in clinical, residential and community settings, said Dr. Forrestine Knowles, a Texana Center psychiatrist.

Since 2022, Medicaid has covered ABA for those under 21, expanding access beyond private insur- ance, which began covering it in 2015. For 10% of children with autism who never received ABA, insurance was cited as a key barrier in a 2023 study from the Cureus Journal of Medical Science. However, Behavioral Innovations officials said they accept Medicaid and report no waitlist at the Missouri City location.

Every Little Star in Missouri City, like other smaller clinics, doesn’t accept Medicaid. Owner Shimin Bao said this is due to the clinic offering higher pay to retain staff. Spectacular Kids joined Medicaid’s network at the end of last year, Harris said. Now, about one-third of Spectacular Kids’ clients use Medicaid’s network.

Income level of families without ABA access in 2023 National income level ≤$49,999 13.4%

“I don’t think we’re even close to keeping up with the demand.

... The people who carry Medicaid who need services are a huge amount.” SHIMIN BAO, OWNER, EVERY LITTLE STAR

$50,000-$74,999 $75,000-$99,999 $100,000-$149,999 ≥$150,000

12%

Have never received ABA

48.6%

9.9%

16.2%

SOURCE: CUREUS JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Your moment comes with a supporting team.

Having a baby is the one time in your life when it’s perfectly acceptable to say, “It’s all about me.” This is your moment. You should get to decide where you’re going to have your baby. We believe it, and we’ll make it come true. We have the resources, the people, the experience, and… a special love for moms. Want to see how it all comes together? Let us show you.

Join us for a visit, in person or virtual: StLukesHealth.org/OB .

SUGAR LAND - MISSOURI CITY EDITION

Health care

BY JULIANNA WASHBURN

Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center celebrates 50-year milestone Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, a nonprofit blood center founded in January 1975, celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. Theresa Pina, chief growth officer for Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, said with the new mile- stone came memories of impactful testimonies from over the years. “I get to hear the stories from moms that talk about how our blood products help their child get through their leukemia treatment,” Pina said. “I get to hear about people that were in major car accidents or traumas that happen and get to see that they’re living a normal life now.” Two-minute impact The Houston-based community blood center serves 170 hospitals and health care facilities in a

26-county area. It is also the only blood provider to Houston and its surrounding communities that serves 24 hours a day and seven days a week, according to the center’s website. One blood donation can help up to three people who need surgeries, cancer treatments or are enduring chronic illnesses or trauma, Pina said. To meet the community’s needs, the center needs about 1,000 donations a day. One more thing Pina said the center is also looking at the next 50 years and how it can expand the center, such as putting a greater focus on the contributions to research and opening a new building across the street from the center’s headquarters to serve as its new donor room. Pina said the new donor building will open this year. “We want to celebrate the 50 years of who we are going to be and how we can serve bigger and how we can save more lives, not only through saving people with transfusions, but also helping provide cures for medical mysteries that exist today,” Pina said.

In 2024, the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center saw:

433,506 lives saved

139,347 total donors

322,571 total units donated

533 volunteers

SOURCE: GULF COAST REGIONAL BLOOD CENTER/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Sugar Land donor center

BY KELLY SCHAFLER & AUBREY VOGEL

3 health care updates from Sugar Land hospitals

1 Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital

2 Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital

3 St. Luke’s Health - Sugar Land Hospital In May, the hospital earned the top hospital safety grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit focused on patient safety. The group grades hospitals based on more than 30 measures, according to a news release. “At St. Luke’s Health, we’re committed to ensuring the safest possible experience for every person who walks through our doors,” Michael Lawson, Houston market president of St. Luke’s Health, said in the release.

The hospital is making headway on its ongoing $231 million expansion, most recently breaking ground on its north tower in late January. The seven-story tower will feature 52 additional patient beds, surgical suites, expanded emergency care and a neonatal intensive care unit. Meanwhile, tenants should begin moving into the hospital’s new medical tower in early fall, and the new parking garage opened in early 2025, hospital officials said.

In March, the hospital began construction on the second phase of its $20.7 million emergency department expansion aimed at increasing the number of patients served each year, Senior Communications Specialist Amanda Gamez said. The second phase will renovate the hospital’s existing emergency department space, while the first phase brought a new space, which opened to the public March 24, she said.

SUGAR LAKES DR.

17500 W. Grand Parkway S., Sugar Land www.memorialhermann.org/locations/sugar-land

16665 Hwy. 59, Sugar Land www.houstonmethodist.org/sugar-land

1317 Lake Pointe Parkway, Sugar Land www.stlukeshealth.org

SUGAR LAND 3335 Hwy 6 S (281) 313-4446 MISSOURI CITY 5418 Hwy 6 (281) 403-0400

SUGAR CREEK 13827 Southwest Fwy (281) 491-8628 SIENNA PLANTATION 9034 Sienna Crossing Dr (281) 778-9959

NEW TERRITORY 5720 New Territory Blvd (281) 491-0811

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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

A TOUR OF THE STATE, MADE ESPECIALLY FOR COMMUNITY IMPACT JUNE 2025

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

SUBSCRIBE AT TEXASMONTHLY .COM/TEXAN TO SEE THE ENTIRE ISSUE!

DETOURS: The Botanical Gardens of Orange CRITTER: Bottlenose Dolphin OUT THERE: Meanwhile, in Texas MADE IN TEXAS: Copper Craftsman FEATURE PREVIEW: Juneteenth’s Hero, Opal Lee

Above: The Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center.

SUGAR LAND - MISSOURI CITY EDITION

DETOURS

A Green Refuge In Orange

Northwest of downtown, alongside Adams Bayou.

BY DANIEL VAUGHN

FOR FIFTY YEARS the gates of Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center were closed. A bitter freeze in 1958 killed much of founder H.J. Lutcher Stark’s plant- ings, including his prized azaleas. Decades later, reopening plans spearheaded by his namesake foundation were also thwarted by nature, first by Hurricane Rita, in 2005, and then by Ike, in 2008. Finally, in 2009, the 252-acre park opened once again to visitors. Gravel paths wander along- side some three hundred plant species, and everywhere are contemplative spaces that feel far removed from the surrounding city, which lies just across the Sabine River from Louisiana. At the placid Pond of the Blue Moon is the towering Cypress Gate, a platform designed by San Antonio–based architecture firm Lake Flato from logs salvaged after Rita. At Ruby Lake, you’ll find a bird blind for viewing the many varieties of waterfowl that come through, and you just might see an alligator sunning on the dock nearby.

About 51,000 bottlenose dol- phins—the most common spe- cies o the Texas coast—are frolicking in the northern Gulf as you read this. Occasionally, though, one of them ends up on land. The Texas Marine Mam- mal Stranding Network, based in Galveston, responds to an average of 134 strandings per year. Executive director Heidi Whitehead says that after hur- ricanes, she and her colleagues have even rescued dolphins from fields and ditches as far as seventeen miles inland. So before you head to the beach, learn what to do if you come across one.

it can be rescued. Then try to keep it shaded and wet.

IF I FIND A STRANDED DOLPHIN, SHOULD I PUSH

CRITTER OF THE MONTH

Bottlenose Dolphin

IT INTO THE WATER? Often, says Whitehead, a

HOW EXACTLY DOES ONE MOISTEN A DOLPHIN ? You can pour seawater over it or cover it in wet towels. Just be sure to avoid the blowhole. MAY I PET IT? Definitely not. Wild dolphins are a protected species, and any form of harassment (such as trying to touch, feed, or swim with them) is illegal. Whitehead says the best thing you can do is be quiet and keep pets and other people at a distance. —Lauren Larson

beached dolphin is su ering from a lung disease brought on by exposure to bacteria, viruses, or fungi, and it must be treated and rehabilitated. If you try to Free Willy a dolphin back into the Gulf, it is unlikely to survive. WHAT SHOULD I DO? First, call 800-9MAMMAL, which is like a dolphin 911, and someone from Whitehead’s group will talk you through keeping the animal safe until

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

MADE IN TEXAS

Inside a Copper Mind Jonathan Beall makes modern kitchenware, barware, and water dispensers that last a lifetime.

BY AMANDA ALBEE

When Beall launched Sertodo Copper, in 1997, he traveled the U.S., cold-calling ho- tels and restaurants to sell Mexican-made copper cookware and chafing dishes. Three years later, he moved to Santa Clara del Cobre, Michoacán, a town with a coppersmithing tradition that predates its founding nearly five hundred years ago. There, he joined a copper community led by James Metcalf, the late sculptor and educator who reinvigorated local artisanal traditions. An apprentice- ship with copper maestro Máximo Velázquez Correa had Beall forging hundreds of nails and tools, including hammers and chisels, to cultivate a “manual intelligence” that he says is in decline among modern American creators, who sidestep material knowledge for computer-aided design. To read the full story, please subscribe to Texas Monthly.

IN HIS AUSTIN warehouse, Jonathan Beall sips water from one of his copper cups, an Ayurvedic practice said to stimulate diges- tion and increase immunity. He points to a hand-carved solid-copper vase made us- ing traditional techniques, such as melting recycled copper into ingots and repeatedly annealing and forging the mass into shape, a skill he learned in Mexico. It reminds him of a similar piece he encountered on a trip to Sayulita, on that country’s Pacific coast, almost thirty years ago—he can still see it glittering in the dawn light among a peddler’s wares. “I had never seen anything like it,” he says. “I didn’t know what was happening, but I had a big feeling.”

OUT THERE

Meanwhile, In Texas A man dressed in shorts and sneakers was seen cruising down the center lane of westbound Interstate 40 in Amarillo on an electric scooter . In a cave near Marfa, archaeologists discovered remnants of an atlatl, a straight-flying boomerang, and other components of whatmay be the oldest intact hunting kit found in North America. Almost four thousand Kerrville residents lost power for two hours after a ringtail came into contact with equipment at a substation. On National Beer Day, a train collided with the trailer of a semitruck near Saginaw, spilling hundreds of cans of beer around the tracks. Nearly three thousand people and 1,300 dogs descended on a ranch in Bee Cave for Texas’s largest annual golden retriever meetup . Hoping to steal a car, a man threw a rock through the window of a Tyler dealership, injured himself while entering through the broken glass, and called 911 for help getting out of the building, even though several doors were unlocked. Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was bitten by an ostrich while visiting a wildlife park in North Texas. —Meher Yeda

Jonathan Beall polishes a copper vessel at his com- pany’s workshop in Austin on April 24, 2025.

SUGAR LAND - MISSOURI CITY EDITION

Opal Lee at her Fort Worth home, in front of a painting of her family tree.

advantage of the specials. At least four con- versations are happening at once, all of them somehow meeting at a center point, briefly, beforebouncingooneanotherandcontinu- ing in their own universes. When Lee, 98, emerges from a back room, glass of milk in hand, she is vibrant, smiling widely, and moving gingerly, but no one fusses over her. They all seem to know she moves at her own pace, on her own time. “Old people ain’t got nothing but time,” she tells me, set- tlingintoachairinanocethatisoverflowing with honors and ephemera: a signed basketball from the New York Knicks, photos with Pres- idents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, various awards from women’s groups and colleges and civil rights organizations. When I ask Lee how she’s feeling, she tells me she’s wearing a back brace, so she’s feeling good. Her back has been hurting, but it ain’t nothing special. Old people have aches and pains; most of them don’t even know why or where they came from. I want to know what keeps her going, and she smiles. “I feel like I’m everybody’s grandma. And I had good grand- mas.” She recalls her grandparents always findingwaystohelpfolksintheircommunity. “My mom was like that too,” she says. “It’s just part of your makeup.” To read the full story, please subscribe to Texas Monthly .

OPAL LEE LIVES on the same property where her childhood home once sat, inside a house recently built for her by Habitat for Hu- manity. On the front door is a purple wreath. In the center of the wreath is a quote from Lee herself: “If people can be taught to hate, they can be taught to love.” Inside, the house buzzes with Lee’s friends and family. There’s excitement in the air, in part because it is Veterans Day, and at least two veterans are in the home, preparing to circulate through several restaurants to take

FEATURE PREVIEW

Opal Lee Marches On The 98-year-old activist partly

responsible for Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday says, “I got work to do.” BY HANIF ABDURRAQIB

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