New TerritorSeptembery 2017 monthly Focusing on the Future: The 81st Annual Fort Bend County Fair Carnival,& Rodeo fried foods, contests, livestock, awards and music all add up to an experience not to be missed TaekwondoPlus: Champions Local students bring home Gold, Silver and Bronze medals after tough training ENTERTAINMENT: Tom Jones, Lauryn Hill, Bryan Adams, Chris Tucker, Luis Fonsi, KISS and To advertise,many call 281-342-4474more! • 1 DEDICATED CHILDREN’S EMERGENCY CARE IN SUGAR LAND Your emergency contact in Sugar Land You can’t keep emergencies from happening, but with our expertise, Children’s Memorial Hermann at Memorial Hermann Sugar Land can make it a better experience. Our ER is specifically designed for kids, and the affiliated emergency medicine physicians, pediatricians, nurses and staff understand the emergency medical care children need. Our child-friendly equipment is suited – and sized – just for kids, and Child Life specialists help families cope with the unfamiliar and make kids feel more comfortable. Reserve your time online at childrens.memorialhermann.org/ER 17500 West Grand Parkway South Sugar Land, TX 77479 Contents & Staff New Territory SEPTEMBER 2017 monthly™ GENERAL MANAGER Lee Hartman [email protected] ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR Marquita Griffin mgriffi[email protected] COMPOSITION & GRAPHICS MANAGER Alfred H. Dubé FEATURE STORY [email protected] 29 Fort Bend Martial Arts Academy athletes GRAPHIC DESIGNERS compete in 2017 AAU National Taekwondo Melinda Maya Championship, & bring [email protected] home top trophies, this academy has plenty to Rachel Cavazos be proud of. [email protected] PAGE 6 TO ADVERTISE If you are interested in advertising in the New Territory Monthly, please call 281-342-4474 and ask for Stefanie Bartlett, Ruby Polichino or Samantha Alaniz. 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Fourth Street, Rosenberg Texas 77471 24 Library News 26 School News IN & AROUND 28 NEW TERRITORY There is an important On the Fort Bend Scene reason this woman collects shoes. 31 PAGE 18 August 2017 Business Feature New Territorymonthly 33 Business Directory Plus! Loral O'Hara: Fort Bend ISD graduate Back to named one of 12 new astronaut candidates And she reveals the SCHOOL toughest subject she Student Stories, Get the right supplies, faced in school Tax-free Weekend Details, The 2017- 2018 District Calendar & More! The Avett ENTERTAINMENT: Brothers (rescheduled), Rod Stewart with Special Guest Cyndi Lauper, Mary J Blige W/ Special Guest Lalah Hathaway, • 1 and ZZ Top: ToThe advertise, Tonnage call 281-342-4474 Tour Tell us how we’re doing! Email: mgriffi[email protected] 4 • New Territory Monthly $ DIAGNOSTIC $ 65 FEE 50 OFF normally $95 any repair over $300 Must provide coupon. Must provide coupon. Not valid with any other Not valid with any other offer or coupon. offer or coupon. 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To advertise, call 281-342-4474 • 5 FEATURE STORY HIGHER LEARNING BY MARQUITA GRIFFIN Local Student athletes take top trophies in Elkowitz and him, and especially in the academy’s Developmental Teams, isn’t lost on Martinez. at Taekwondo competition “I always knew I wanted to be an educator,” Martinez said. But Pride is abound at Fort Bend Martial Arts Academy following because he competed as a full-time athlete, he didn’t have the the completion of the 2017 AAU National Taekwondo chance to enroll in college as long as he would have liked. Championships held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. “Now that I have the opportunity to work with athletes who The academy boasted a national team roster — the largest ever come from such prosperous school districts, I feel like I have the for the academy — of 29 athletes in three youth divisions. Of the opportunity to help them earn their secondary education.” 16 male and 13 female athletes three earned gold medals, three earned silver medals and one athlete won a bronze medal. The Developmental Teams “This was an historic year for the academy,” said Chris Martinez, the academy’s head coach of the Developmental Teams alongside A month after joining Fort Bend Martial Arts, Martinez proposed Master Daniel Elkowitz. starting the Developmental Teams — consisting of the Junior “Master Daniel and I congratulate all of the athletes who Varsity, Varsity and Select Teams — lead by Martinez and Elkowitz competed at the National Championships. Making the National who are both United States National Team Members. Team is a difficult process in and of itself. Amazingly, we were “The Developmental Teams were created to maximize an able to see the podium several times throughout the competition, athlete’s athletic ability while enhancing and refining his or her bringing home seven medals, including: Three Gold Medal sports intelligence, focusing on bilateral coordination and National Championship Titles.” emphasizing ambidexterity,” Martinez explained. “We teach Earning gold medals in sparring were Daniel Marcano, 9; athletes how to be brave and how to work past their physical, Joachim Nicolau, 10; and Jada Jones, 11. Makenzie Upton, 9, and mental, and emotional threshold tolerances.” Oliver Cappis, earned silver medals in sparring, while Kaitlyn And this hard work evidently paid off as each of the academy’s Campbell, 13, earned her silver medal in forms. And Yasmin Laroia, medal-winning athletes were on the Developmental Teams, and 10, earned a bronze medal in sparring. stood out among the 2,500 athletes from 200-plus Taekwondo “It makes me feel proud of myself that I did something with teams from all 50 states in the nation, as well as international my friends and teammates,” said Nicolau. athletes from Puerto Rico, at the Fort Lauderdale competition. He pauses. “It’s like winning a brand new house.” “I think the amount of ‘ring time’ experience and exposure to Olympic Taekwondo tournaments throughout the year are a huge benefit,” Martinez said. “These athletes were able to compete Inspiring a Generation in seven tournaments in as many months since the beginning of Martinez, who joined Fort Bend Martial Arts in 2013 and the year. instructs classes along with Elkowitz and coach Rodrigo “That allows the coaching staff to work and refine short term Constanza, said the athletes’ successes are proof that his goal “to and long term goals, such as: effective scoring combinations, inspire a generation” is bearing fruit. defending and keeping a lead, ring management, and the most The medalists hail from schools in Fort Bend ISD and Katy ISD, common of all, dealing with and overcoming sports anxiety.” and each one, Martinez said, thrived at achieving personal and Martinez said 50 percent of the National Team have been coaching goals. involved in the Developmental Teams since its inaugural year, “Fort Bend and Katy have an unlimited amount of untapped except Joachim Nicolau, who began training with the Varsity athletic talent, and we welcome all athletes willing to chase after Team less than a year ago. and live their dreams in an individual sport,” he said. “We are “And with an astonishing learning curve, Joachim was able to lucky to have so many like-minded families in our building who all promote health, wellness, and discipline for their children.” And the fact that the athletes and their families have put trust Continued on page 6 6 • New Territory Monthly FUN FAMILY FESTIVAL AND TWO NIGHTS OF HAUNTED HOUSE! Check the website for details! OCTOBER 21, 27 AND 28 To advertise, call 281-342-4474 • 7 FEATURENONPROFIT STORY NEWS Continued from page 8 win the Regional Championship, as well as a Gold Medal National Championships Title his first year on the team,” Martinez said proudly. In the four years since the creation of the Development Teams, both Martinez and Elkowitz have produced 21 National Medals including seven championship titles. About 100 athletes are currently involved in the Developmental Teams. “I hope to see the athletes progress toward accomplishing their goals, and for us to continue to be the top team in the nation,” Martinez said. “I also want them to learn that their dreams can be accomplished,” he continued, adding that he wants his students to be respectful and accepting of foreign cultures.