Winter Storm Enzo swept through the Houston area overnight on Jan. 20-21, bringing rare snowfall and icy conditions, along with disruptions to businesses, schools, and city operations. While the Houston Heights/Garden Oaks/ Oak Forest area experienced some snow accumulation, official totals south and southwest of the city reached 4-6 inches in some areas. Alongside the picturesque snowfall came widespread challenges, in-
cluding treacherous roads, power outages, and citywide closures.
CenterPoint Energy reported scattered power outages affecting thousands of residents, though crews worked through the night to restore electricity and reported that 99 percent of customers had power by morning. Many restaurants, including several Heights-area favorites, remained closed on Jan. 21 due to hazardous road conditions and staff safety concerns. The city also shut down non-essential operations, including the Houston Municipal Courts and METRO bus
and rail services.
By the afternoon on Jan. 21, mostly sunny skies and rising temperatures led to gradual snowmelt, in contrast to the overnight freeze. Residents in the Heights enjoyed the rare sight of melting snow, many taking the opportunity to stroll through the neighborhood. Kids didn’t miss the opportunity to dot the neighborhood with snowmen.
With another hard freeze overnight into Jan. 22, many businesses and schools remained closed Wednesday.
By STEPHANIE SHIRLEY The Leader News Contributor
On a stormy weekend in 2018, the bright light that was 14 year-old Elijah Knight was extinguished irrevocably and far too early. A Heights-based nonprofit was created in his honor and is doing everything it can to make certain that his legacy lives on.
Elijah Knight was born to Stephen and Courtney Knight. He was the eldest of three siblings who all thrived within a close and loving family unit.
“Brilliant, creative, intuitive, empathic and loving; these are all adjectives that best describe Elijah,” said his father, Stephen.
Those are not merely the prideful outpourings of a loving father. It was, in fact, the way the rest of the world saw Elijah. He was bright, artistic and talented. He felt like everything could be fixed, he felt that everything in life
was redeemable. The mantra and lasting legacy that is forever attributable to his memory, is “Start everything with kindness and the end will be okay.” Rather than simply the idealistic ideology of a young teenager, it was the perceptive, visceral guiding principle that he lived by.
All will host its first-ever Heartfelt
By LISA MORALES The Leader News Contributor
The Houston area is home to more than 760,000 individuals living with disabilities, and Camp For All, a local nonprofit, is dedicated to transforming the lives of children and adults living with challenging illnesses, disabilities, or special needs. Known for its unique barrier-free environment, Camp For All provides a place where campers can discover life beyond their limitations.
On Feb. 12, 2025, Camp For
Finds Market at The Juliana, located at 101 W. 18th St. The event will run from 3-8 p.m. and feature:
• Fashion from popular Houston influencers Courtney Zavala, Elly Brown, Britny Robinson, Jenny Sanchez, and Demi McCormack Family-friendly activities with Sensrly Fun, Fleurette D’Amour and Fox and Darling Aura Portrait
Photobooth
• Festive drinks and tasty treatsMostly Chocolate will have artisan chocolates for sale
A portion of the proceeds will
One of a Kind(ness)
Elijah was born on January 21, 2004, and he would have celebrated his 21st birthday this month. The occasion provides another opportunity for remembrance and appreciation of his short life. In June 2018, Elijah Knight was on a Boy Scout camping trip in Georgia. A storm rolled in and in an aberrant moment of fate, a tree came down on his tent during a storm, ending his life. All these years later, his parents and siblings have still not fully recovered from their profound loss. The laughter and joy that once characterized their household still often remains elusive. However, they have found a semblance of solace and peace in the nonprofit they created in his memory. Elijah’s family’s mission is simple and two-fold. They want nothing
benefit Camp For All, helping to send children and adults to camp in 2025, most of whom will attend cost-free. The event promises a fun and festive atmosphere while supporting an impactful mission. The event is free to attend. Activities, refreshments and valet parking will be available for purchase.
Camp For All, located on a sprawling 206-acre property in Burton, Texas, is not just accessible. With adaptive programming and innovative design, the camp
By CHARLIE HARDWICK The Leader News Contributor
Houston’s blind athletes continue to impress our community with expanding participation in numerous sporting events. Long-time Oak Forest resident and native Houstonian Ronnie Bruns reflects on his time as one of the original members of the Bayou City Bombers, a Beep Baseball team that competes nationally with other blind athletes. The team first began playing in 1976 and Bruns joined the team two years later in 1978. The team has since changed it’s name to the Bayou City Heat and is still going strong today, competing on a national level with other teams as far away as Taiwan.
HISTORY
Beep Baseball is a form of baseball that is a competitive sport for the blind and visually impaired that utilizes a ball that beeps. The game was originally created as a non-competitive activity for blind children. In 1973 a Pacific Bell employee named Ralph Rock adapted the rules of baseball to avoid collisions, making the game a safe competitive sport. When the new “Ralph Rock” rules became officially established, the first game of competitive Beep Baseball was played in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.
In 1976, as interest spread amongst the adult blind community nationwide, the National Beep Baseball Association (NBBA) was formed. Today, the NBBA organizes local, state and regional tournaments annually, culminating in a world series game every August. Every year a
Photo by Stephanie Shirley
Enzo Gallery
more than to make sure that the world has the benefit of knowing Elijah, and they want the opportunity to carry on his guiding principles in the most effective way they can. The nonprofit Kindness to Action has accomplished this by sharing Elijah’s vision with schools and businesses, establishing ‘Kindness Clubs’ in middle and high schools and designing a ‘Kindness Coin’ program to perpetuate his wishes to promote acts of kindness. Earlier this fall, The Leader sat down with Stephen Knight to learn more about Elijah’s life and the legacy he left behind.
As the oldest of the Knights’ three children, Elijah served as a protector and role model for his younger brother and sister, Joshua and Julie. According to his father Stephen, he was ‘empathic’ and wise beyond his years. He had an incredible capacity to love and was
always seeking the positive in every situation he encountered.
“Elijah embraced and overcame every challenge,” Stephen said, remembering how his son excelled and mastered both school and extracurricular activities, especially scouting, which was a source of immense passion from an early age. Stephen was an Eagle Scout and the boys wanted to follow in his
footsteps. Among the many recognized accomplishments in Elijah’s brief life:
• Achieved the rank of Life Scout and was on his way toward Eagle Scout
• Elected Judge of BizTown after writing and delivering a speech to all his classmates
• First chair alto saxophone player in Symphonic Winds All-Region Band in 7th and 8th grade
Awarded gold medals in UIL music competitions
• Three-year Distinguished Honor Roll for making straight A’s throughout middle school
Rubik’s Cube master
“When he was a boy, Elijah was so sensitive to the thoughts and feelings of others and he would always engage emotionally. He would cry if one of us was crying, even if he didn’t know or understand what we were crying about,” Stephen said. As a young teen, when most young boys have a tendency to pull away or distance themselves from their parents, Elijah welcomed the attention and affection wholeheartedly. Something his mom will always treasure was the way he proudly held her hand or hugged her in school or in public, totally unfazed by what his peers might think.”
Elijah, Stephen said, operated straight from the heart. His most prolific trait was his desire to make the world a better place. When asked what he would have thought about how divisive the world has become of late, Stephen said, “He had this really innate sense of right and wrong, good and bad, and it was all logic-based. He’d say things like, ‘This doesn’t make sense or this doesn’t seem fair’ and everybody would agree and respond, ‘You’re absolutely right, why ARE we doing this or doing it this way?’ He always had a clarity that many of us lacked. He’d want to skip over all the arguing and just figure out how to make things right.”
Stephen said Elijah had begun brain-storming ideas
for his Eagle Scout project. He said, “During the process, Elijah was most interested in designing something that would be meaningful, impactful and scaled to fix the world.”
‘Start everything with kindness and the end will be okay’ became the bedrock of his initiative. “He wanted to take kindness and make meaningful action out of it, so that it might eventually change the world.”
A Tragic Loss
In 2018, the world indeed changed, but in a very catastrophic way. In June, the Knights dropped off their kids to leave for their respective summer camps that they had anxiously been looking forward to. The boys were catching a bus for scout camp in Georgia.
“We all exchanged our special hugs, goodbyes and handshakes, not knowing it would be our last time with Elijah,” Stephen remembered. “He was full of excitement and anticipation about the trip, focusing on new badges he planned to earn, scheduled activities with his friends and making the most of his free time, which had been earned by his seniority and achievements. But on the first full day of camp, a storm blew in and knocked down dozens of huge trees. One of those trees fell on the tent Elijah and his friends were in.”
According to officials, during the storm and unrelenting wind, a tree unfortunately fell on one of the campers and that camper was Elijah. He died as a result of severe blunt force trauma. Stephen said that, “On one hand, we were thankful that no one else was even hurt, but it’s also so difficult to process that no one else was even hurt. Elijah was the only one who didn’t come home. Everyone that’s been on the receiving end of that phone call knows how it changes you.”
Keeping Elijah’s Vision Alive
Out of the heartbreak and loss, Kindness to Action was born. The nonprofit was created to perpetuate Elijah’s foun-
dational wishes and beliefs.
“It was established with family and friends on the board, and a youth advisory council made up of Elijah’s friends and peers, in their early to mid-teens. We really asked them to kind of run it,” said Stephen, assuring them that the adults would provide direction and resources. He said they were a very diverse group of wonderful kids. “We had a ton of confidence that these kids would ‘mop up the mess that our country finds itself in and their efforts were evidence of that.”
Feedback was solicited for the best ways to carry on Elijah’s legacy. They came up with numerous ideas, including randomly handing out gift cards. At the time, Stephen worked downtown and street beggars were commonplace. Previously unaffected, he now carried $100 bills in his pocket. He vividly recalled the time when someone came up to him, asking for spare change.
“I handed him a $100 bill and walked on,” Stephen recalled. “When the man realized what was in his hand, he came running after me to give me a hug and prayed for me aloud. I wasn’t doing it for anything that I would get out of it, I was doing it for Elijah -- doing what he would do. These kinds of memorable reactions were validation that maybe we were doing something right, after all. Doing these and other little acts of kindness have kept me close to my son.”
Kindness Coins: A
Legacy That Travels
Enter Kindness to Action’s ‘Kindness Coins’ program. According to Stephen, the coins are for sale to be purchased by individuals, schools or even businesses. They are available and freely shared on the Kindness to Action website to recognize individuals demonstrating acts of kindness. Stephen works for the company SCI, the largest funeral and burial company in the world. When the president of LHT, the Ceremonial Funerals team at SCI, learned of Elijah’s death, he stepped in and oversaw the entire funeral process. Toward the end, he presented Stephen with one of his ‘Challenge’
coins. He had accumulated quite a collection from the dignitaries he had assisted over the years. This got Stephen to think about how meaningful and impactful it was.
“We knew it would be nice if we had some way of recognizing people’s acts of kindness out in the world,” Stephen said. “We put two and two together and realized we could create a beautiful coin in Elijah’s memory that could be handed out. We talked with our student advisory council and they liked the idea and helped us with the logo and design. We didn’t want some cheesy little flimsy chip that people would throw away, it needed to have ‘gravitas’; it needed to have value and intrinsic meaning.”
Elijah’s family realized it would be wonderful to be able to track the coins, to measure their impact, so they gave the coins sequential numbering and each can be registered on the Kindness to Action website. That way they are able to track how and where the coins travel as they are passed on for notable acts of kindness. Each coin comes with a little insert with the back story and directions for registration. Many schools and businesses have programs intended to encourage special behavior, Stephen said, but in this day and time, utilizing the coins is a meaningful way to recognize and perpetuate kindness in the world. They go such a long way to increase morale and recognize altruistic behavior. Kindness to Action is a GuideStar 2024 Platinum Transparency Organization. If you feel that offering a kindness program would benefit your campus club roster, provide an attractive addition to your business perks or even serve as a conduit for a personal kindness resolution in the new year, you are encouraged to contact Kindness to Action directly by visiting kindnesstoaction.org or emailing kindnesstoaction@ gmail.com. The initiative is self-funded and free of charge. Donations are always appreciated and will help ensure that Elijah’s dream of making the world a better place lives on indefinitely.
Submitted photos
amount of
together. Each ‘Kindness Coin’ is stamped front and back and packaged with its purpose and registration instructions for paying it forward.
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“Hell no,” Gov. Greg Abbott wrote on X. What upset our Guv? Was it a response to Dr. Peter Hotez trying to save Texans from dying of bird flu? Or did someone suggest that, as the elected leader of Texas, he should work non-stop to make our public schools the best in America. Or perhaps Abbott should stop trying to replace the Alamo with a like ness of Mar-a-Lago. No. It seems some students at Texas A&M were invited to attend a conference put on by the PhD Project which promotes minorities seeking a doctorate in business. Only minority students need apply.
THE TOPICS.
No joke, the woke is broke
Lynn Ashby Columnist
Ah, remember that in 2023 the Guv signed a law banning diversity hiring programs, DEI training and DEI offices in public higher education, so when asked if he approved of the invitation, the Guv replied: “Hell no. It’s against Texas law and violates the U.S. Constitution. It will be fixed immediately or the president will soon be gone.” Texas governors cannot directly fire a university president, but the governor appoints the university regents who answer to him, and the president answers to the regents.
Threatening to fire the
broke. We are seeing the tide turning against DEI (that’s diversity, equity and inclusion), LGBTQIA+ and female high school athletes with beards. In politics, Donald Trump was elected promising to revoke (or rewoke) all of Joe Biden’s wokeness. Trump’s victory after having been defeated four years earlier speaks volumes about Americans’ changing opinions.
Yes, the pendulum is swinging back. The signs are all around, most noticeably, but not exclusively, at our universities. Here in Texas, the Guv’s abolishment of universities’ DEI programs found grudging acceptance at UT, but the Aggies had already paid a
briefly-hired journalism prof a cool $1million just to go away because, among her other sins, she had once worked at that bastion of liberal sedition, The New York Times. Businesses are taking notice, too. McDonald’s is “retiring” some of its diversity, equity and inclusion goals and the diversity team was renamed the “Global Inclusion Team.” Incidentally, McCustomers, Houston has the most McDonald’s locations of any city in the country, according to Yahoo. There are 126 restaurants in the greater Houston area.
McDonald’s is only one of a stream of American companies that are going with this redirected flow. Amazon, Boeing and Ford, John Deere, HarleyDavidson, Meta, Walmart, Toyota and many more have abandoned or rolled back their programs of diversity, equity. Even Jack Daniel’s will drink to that. A major reason for this about face of major corporations – often not mentioned – is that shareholders have objected. Mentions of “diversity equity and inclusion” in earnings calls have dropped roughly 82 percent since 2021. But there are still holdouts. American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines,
Delta, Costco and Apple, among others, are sticking with their DEI programs. Still, it’s clear. Most business tycoons know which way the wind, or smoke, is blowing. Elon Musk has charged that the California wildfires are the fault of that state’s leaders because “they prioritized DEI over saving lives and homes.” I’m not sure I get the connection. Maybe Smokey the Bear is gay.
Have you been following the U.S. Senate hearings on Trump’s choices for the cabinet and other top-level posts in his new administration? Probably not. My sock drawer needs rearranging. But the nominees’ woke quotient is under review, no matter other such minor qualifications. Pete Hegseth was on the firing line, so to speak, to be Secretary of Defense. His grilling was the time to ask him about China’s warship building capacity. Ukraine is fighting for its life. Gaza is a wasteland and Syria is tottering. So what were the incisive and penetrating questions shot at him? Democrats zeroed in on LGBTQIA+ rights, climate change and wokeness in the military.
And to think that not so long ago the DEI movement was all
leader Puzzlers.
the rage. Businesses took action. A2023 survey by the Pew Research Center found that 52 percent of employed adults said they had DEI trainings or meetings at work, and 33 percent said they had a designated staff member who promoted DEI. We changed military bases named for Confederate generals. Even the Houston ISD changed names of schools bearing the handle of Lee, Jackson and Lanier. I especially like the latter. Sydney Lanier was a poet who briefly served in the Confederacy. That name, Lanier, was kept but was changed to honor a former Houston mayor.
Quaker Oats rebranded Aunt Jemima. The companies that make Uncle Ben’s, Mrs. Butterworth’s and Cream of Wheat reviewed their products’ labels and branding. Land O’Lakes removed a Native American woman from its product packaging. The Dixie Chicks are now just the Chicks. Lady Antebellum is Lady A. Disney changed its theme park ride, Song of the South, based on its movie of that name, to Splash Mountain. We needed racial parity. The fact that 71.8 percent of NBA players are Black, as are 57.5 percent of footballers in the
NFL, was not mentioned. Now are we going to restore all those bronze statues of Confederate leaders? Most have been cut up but could be recast to honor others. Tayler Swift and Beyoncé spring to mind. We must ask ourselves why this monumental change in our attitudes towards woke. I think it’s because many Americans just got tired of being told they are a bunch of bigots and racists and everyone else is a victim. If you are of the Caucasian persuasion, especially if you are successful, you were made to feel guilty. But it appears many among of us are getting fed up with this woke diet and, when asked if we were going to continue, replied in the immortal words of some guy in Austin: “Hell no.”
Ashby woked up at ashby2@ comcast.net
Editor’s note: This column and its contents do not necessarily reflect the views of The Leader News, its staff, or its publisher. The Leader News welcomes opinion articles on matters of interest to Greater Heights residents at editor@theleadernews. com. Publication is at the discretion of the editor.
COMMUNITY REPORTS
Event is free and open
Answers found in this week’s Classified section
Celebrate the Lunar New Year with special offers from area restaurants
COMMUNITY REPORTS
From festive dragon dances to lucky red envelope surprises, these Lunar New Year specials will help area residents ring in the Year of the Snake with these cultural traditions and special giveaways.
Kazzan Ramen & Bar
Kazzan Ramen & Bar is celebrating Lunar New Year from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 29 where every dine-in table receives a Red Envelope with a surprise inside! Kazzan has quickly become known for its innovative "volcano" ramen that originated in Osaka - a new style of ramen with thick noodles and vegetables, served in a 350-degrees Celsius hot stone bowl and topped off with the hot soup and poured in a cylindrical top in front of the
from P. 1
cessible through multiple adaptive methods.
Pat Sorrells, President and CEO of Camp For All commented on how the design and adaptive programming of the camp helps foster emotional healing and personal growth for participants.
“Before Camp For All was designed, the founders and the architect had multiple meetings with many different nonprofit organizations addressing myriad needs,” she said. “They asked these organizations for input on how the camp should be designed to not only meet the needs of the people they serve, but how Camp For All could expand their worlds. They asked them to dream and dream BIG!”
The result is that Camp For All is truly barrier-free. This includes the fact that all bathrooms and showers are accessible. There are 8-foot-wide concrete sidewalks throughout Camp allowing two friends in wheelchairs to roll side-by-side, and there are ramps instead of stairs throughout Camp. Camp activities are designed with
guest - causing the steam to rise from the lid resembling a volcanic eruption. It's a must-see and must-try!
Hidden Omakase is offering all guests that come in Wednesday, Jan. 29, a Lucky Red Envelope containing a lucky bracelet and a gift card redeemable for lunch. The Michelin recommended sushi restaurant recently launched its new walk-in lunch menu curated by Chef Marcos Juarez. Lunch service is now available Wednesday to Friday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. — reservations and walk-ins accepted. • 5353 W Alabama St #102 Houston, TX 77056 • www.hiddenomakase.com
@hiddenomakase
Norigami
Screening and Vaccination: A winning combination in cervical cancer prevention
COMMUNITY REPORTS
January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month
Cervical cancer remains a significant health concern for women in the United States. Harris County Public Health (HCPH) urges community members to stay informed, take regular screenings, and receive vaccinations to fight this preventable disease.
35 and 44. However, several treatment options are available, including minimally invasive surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted drug therapy, and immunotherapy, depending on the individual case.
multiple ways to accomplish each activity so everyone can participate, regardless of their challenge.
What does this accomplish?
“It levels the playing field for everyone who comes to Camp For All,” Sorrells said. “Yes, they have fun, but through that fun, in an environment where their challenges are totally accepted, they grow in self-confidence,
find hope and realize they are not alone.”
Camp For All partners with more than 65 nonprofit organizations each year, providing nearly 9,000 campers with life-changing experiences that are tailormade to support and encourage campers.
“Months before a group comes to Camp For All, our Program Staff is working with each organization to deter-
2715 Bissonnet St Ste 160, Houston, TX 77005
• 832-649-2966 www.norigamihtx.com
On Thursday, Jan. 30, Houstonians are invited to celebrate Lunar New Year with exceptional food and fun. Norigami is hosting a Lion Dance performance with music by The Boys of Summer at 5 p.m., drink specials, and 25% off all day! It’s the perfect way to honor tradition while enjoying delicious food and cultural experiences!
• @norigamihtx
mine what the goals are for that particular camp,” Sorrells explained. “The schedule is then designed to achieve those goals, which vary from learning how to make friends, growing in self-confidence, becoming more independent, and so much more.
Sorrells added, “In addition, each organization brings doctors, nurses, medicines and, in some cases, dialysis machines to address the ongoing care of whatever challenge that organization addresses for the campers.
Campers can continue treatments while at Camp For All and we have had campers that only have a few weeks to live get an opportunity to come to camp and truly live life.”
The Heartfelt Finds Market offers an exciting opportunity for Houstonians to support Camp For All’s mission. Guests will enjoy shopping, entertainment, and delicious treats while contributing to the camp’s ability to provide barrier-free experiences.
To learn more about Camp For All and its life-changing programs, visit campforall.org. Don’t miss the chance to attend the Heartfelt Finds Market on February 12 and help send more campers to a place where they can discover all they’re capable of achieving.
Cervical cancer develops in the cervix, the lower part of the uterus connecting to the vagina. The primary cause is persistent infection with highrisk types of human papillomavirus (HPV). Fortunately, cervical cancer is preventable through HPV vaccination and can be effectively treated when detected early via regular screenings.
"Early detection through regular cervical cancer screenings is crucial," said Dr. Ericka Brown, HCPH’s Local Health Authority. "By staying informed and proactive about your cervical health, you can significantly reduce your risk. Screening is straightforward, accessible, and has the potential to save lives. No one should lose their life to a disease that is both preventable and treatable."
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) estimates 13,820 new cases of cervical cancer in the United States in 2024, with 4,360 deaths resulting from the disease. Cervical cancer is most frequently diagnosed in women between the ages of
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends HPV vaccinations for preteens aged 11 to 12, though vaccination can begin as early as age 9 and is advised up to age 26. Adults aged 27 to 45 should consult with their healthcare provider about the benefits of vaccination. HPV vaccination is a critical preventive measure, as the CDC estimates that HPV causes over 90% of cervical cancers, and the vaccine can prevent the majority of these cases.
HCPH emphasizes the importance of regular screenings for early detection and encourages individuals to consult with their primary care providers to determine appropriate screening intervals.
HCPH’s Health Services locations offer free to lowcost comprehensive wellness exams for women, including cervical cancer screenings, education, and referrals to community specialists. HCPH also offers free HPV vaccines to those 18 years and younger who qualify. Call 832-927-7350 today to schedule an appointment with HCPH or visit www.hcphtx. org/HealthServices for more information.
CAMP,
Submitted photo Camp For All works with 65+ non-profits to ensure every camper has their needs met while attending camp.
Photo by Lisa Gochman
Lucky Red Envelope at Norigami
different hosting city is chosen, and Houston hosted its first world series game back in 2005.
As an original member of the Houston team that started back in 1978, Bruns is no longer a player but is still involved, serving on a committee working to gather information about former players and teams for the Beep Baseball Hall of Fame.
Remembering that year in 1978 Bruns said, “We won our first game but lost the next two. It was an eight team double-elimination tournament so we did not place, but we were the first new team to win its first game in the world series.”
HOW EXACTLY IS THIS GAME PLAYED?
Different from baseball, there are six players in the outfield, not including the pitcher and catcher. The pitcher and catcher are on the same team that is in the batting position, pitching to their own team mates. Both pitcher and catcher are the only two players on the team that are sighted. The team playing the outfield can elect to have one or two sighted spotters. The sighted spotters position the outfielders for play and will call out a number that corresponds to a zone, indicating the area where the batter hits the ball.
"Beast
SCORING RUNS
In Beep Baseball there are only two bases instead of the traditional diamond-shaped three-base configuration like in baseball. Each base is 100 feet from the batting position, 10 feet more than in standard baseball.
As the baseball beeps so the players can hear the ball, the bases have a buzzing sound so the batter can locate the base when they hit the ball. When a batter hits the ball, a person serving as the base operator will activate the buzzing sound of one of the two bases. The
batter does not know which base will be activated until they hit the ball. If the batter connects with the base before a fielder has a chance to touch the ball in the outfield, the batter scores a run. If the fielder picks up the ball before the batter touches a base, then the batter is out.
Because blind and visually impaired persons have a range of vision, from legally blind to totally blind, all sight-impaired players are required to wear blindfolds to ensure equality among all players. With only six innings per game, most games last around two hours.
Games" is the most apathetic show on television
Elliott’s overall rating: 3 out of 5 stars
In the 1993 film Jurassic Park, if you look past all the moments of characters gazing in awe at the brand new discovery of being able to regenerate dinosaurs from the ground up, you begin to realize something. As the film progresses, the horror of what’s been done sets in, and this is no better illustrated than in a line spoken halfway through the film.
About an hour in, Jeff Golblum’s character, someone who’s been very publicly against the entire idea of a Jurassic Park, says something to John Hammond, the creator of the park, that will make the viewer rethink the entirety of the film leading up to this point: “..You were so preoccupied with whether or not you could, they never stopped to think if you should.” This quote makes the audience realize that the park isn’t revolutionary, it’s dystopian.
This brings us to MrBeast, who is not only the most subscribed person on YouTube, but also the most recognizable. MrBeast practically invented a new type of content, fast-paced, and perfectly engineered a format to keep the viewer hooked on the screen from start to finish, therefore ensuring that the product will most definitely make back any money spent on it. MrBeast isn’t an entertainer, he’s a business. With each upload, MrBeast was almost forced to up the stakes more and more every video. Why buy a $1 million house when you can have a $1 billion yacht? Eventually, what MrBeast was doing felt unsuitable for YouTube; he had gotten too big for the platform. That brings us to now, where MrBeast has begun rolling out his newest project, an Amazon Prime series titled Beast Games.
If the title isn’t a dead giveaway, the series is a very loose take on the massively popular Netflix show that’s also coincidentally begun releasing new episodes, Squid Game. With Squid Game being a satire about the very concept of a
game show, it comes across weird that Beast Games is that very thing. In fact, a lot of things come across as weird throughout this whole series.
First, there are 1,000 contestants on the show. That is a lot of people to keep track of, and seems pointless in terms of getting to know these contestants on a deeper level. This decision comes across as a spectacle for the sake of spectacle, rather than actually having a meaning behind it. This is exactly why 500 out of the 1,000 contestants are eliminated within the first 10 minutes of episode 1. It's pointless. Before you can even take it in, half of the participants are gone, immediately setting up expectations that can’t be delivered on.
MrBeast's hyperactive editing style and breakneck pace can be a bit hard to take in at the beginning, but eventually I got into the flow of it and was beginning to feel the excitement of each contestant as they faced increasingly crazy and high-stakes challenges. However, that’s only really half of the appeal of the series.
Many of the challenges follow a very consistent format. All of the contestants are split into small groups of friends, ranging from very close friends and family, to complete and total strangers. This will then go one of two ways. The groups have to either choose a member to eliminate, or MrBeast will dangle large sums of money in front of their faces until one contestant cracks and takes the money, eliminating themselves and the rest of their team with them. Naturally, this causes many contestants to become very emotional. If someone you put your trust in cracks under pressure, eliminating your chances to win a giant cash prize, you’ll get angry, or sad, or some sort of mix of both.
However, MrBeast doesn’t care about this. He only wants those sweet shots of those tears flowing. None of the actual emotions are channeled through these shots. It’s still a pure spectacle. MrBeast is using footage of some people's major low points as B-roll for the show.
None of the competitors get any screen time, which makes any eliminations feel unimportant. There are scenes where the show is building up suspense about which contestant will end up getting eliminated, but I genuinely cannot bring myself to care about any of these people. The thing that’s great about most of MrBeast's YouTube videos is that they usually only focus around a handful of people, making it easy to get to know everyone, and specifically why they act the way they do, especially in challenges. In Beast Games, we never even get to learn any of these people's names, let alone any of their motives. Even contestants who seem important in one episode will get eliminated in the next without a moment's notice.
Overall I’d say, on a surface level, I enjoyed Beast Games. Not a moment passed when I couldn’t feel my brain being stimulated, but that was it. I didn’t come out of every episode thinking about what would happen next in the series. Truthfully, I forgot everything that happened within a couple hours. I can only hope that as more and more people are eliminated, and the cast whittles down, we can begin to know each contestant outside of just their number. If that doesn’t happen, we’ve just got a standard reality show, breaking down under the weight of 1,000 people.
Elliott Stewart is a Heightsbased youth movie critic who hopes to direct movies himself when he grows up. In the meantime, he watches, analyzes, and critiques movie classics as well as current cinema releases. Elliot's parents occasionally allow him to watch and critique R-rated films under their supervision. Find out more about Elliott here.
The ball itself, a 16-inch diameter soft ball, has gone through many improvements over the years. It was first developed by engineers who worked for the old Bell phone companies, utilizing old phone components to make the beeper. The creators cut a hole into the interior material made out of kapok, a cottonlike fiber making the ball soft. The beeper was installed and the ball sewed back up.
Houstonian Alfonso Medrano, who also serves as pitcher for the Bayou City Heat, manufactures these balls in his garage. Medrano has been with the
Houston team for many years. An electronic junkie, Medrano first became interested in making his own balls when he started pitching to his blind cousin back in 1993. Today he is an official ball manufacturer for the NBBA and supplies the league with about 500 balls a year.
HOUSTON’S TWO TEAMS
In 2002, the Bayou City Heat won the world series competing with teams from all over the world. Houston’s team has always had a successful run, finishing mostly in second or third place throughout the years, competing against some of the best of the 27 teams that make up the NBBA. Houston now has two teams with the addition of the Houston Hurricanes. There are no geographic restrictions limiting where a player can play, so it is not uncommon for teams in other cities to recruit a player from another city or even state.
Spring training starts at the end of March and tournaments run late April to early June. The teams practice at the field that was constructed at the West Gray Community Center, a hub for disability athletes of all kinds. Many of the people associated with Beep Baseball have been with the sport for many years. Some current coaches started out as
sighted players in their youth and loved the camaraderie of the athletes, and supporting friends and families, that they felt it hard to not be involved.
Bruns reflected on the human factor of the sport, saying when he first started his dad was a pitcher for the team while his mom served the team in a supporting role as a spotter in the outfield. The athletes have a tremendous support system from family and friends with varying levels of involvement. There have even been Beep Baseball weddings for athletes who met each other while playing the sport.
Bruns said, “At one point in the early days we actually had three couples who had met playing on our team and got married.”
Bruns goes on to speak with admiration about how there are second and third generations of family members who continue to be involved with the sport today. A love for family, community and the game itself, he said, keeps Beep Baseball knocking it out of the park. Anyone interested in sponsorship or donating to the team can contact the Bayou City Heat at bayoucityheatbeepball@gmail.com. For more information, visit the National Beep Baseball Association website at nbba. org.
Born on November 24,1942, in the Heights to Anthony G. Vance and Lena Piazza, AJ was a lifelong resident of Houston and a devout Catholic. St. Joseph Parish held a special place in his heart, where he was baptised, attended school through eighth grade, and proudly served as an altar boy. He was also a proud graduate of St. Thomas High School, class of ‘62. After graduating, AJ founded American Sign Company. Beyond his professional pursuits, he cherished time spent with family and friends, coaching his nephews’ baseball teams, participating in bowling leagues, and enjoying card games and fishing with loved ones.
In 1978, AJ married the love of his life, Mary Grace Carbone, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. Together, they moved to Forest West, becoming devoted members of St. Ambrose Catholic
Church. They were blessed with two children, Roseanne and Anthony Joseph Jr. (Tony), and AJ reveled in coaching his kids at Candlelight Baseball Park. He proudly attended all of their events at St. Ambrose and St. Pius X, beaming with pride.
To his beloved grandchildren, Sophia and Philip Anthony, he was affectionately known as “PawPaw.” They adored him, and he cherished every moment spent with them, proudly attending their sporting events and making lasting memories.
Family was at the heart of AJ’s life. He loved sharing experiences with loved ones, whether it was embarking on
family vacations, trying his luck at the casinos, or cheering on his favorite sports teams, including the Astros and Texans. However, his true loyalty belonged to the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.
Although AJ was a quiet man, he delighted those around him with witty jokes and humorous anecdotes that left everyone in stitches.
AJ was preceded in death by his parents, as well as his sisters, Patricia Adams and Mary Ann Dalo, and nephew Michael Adams. He is survived by his loving wife of 46 years, Mary Grace; son, Tony Vance; daughter, Roseanne Bush and her husband, Philip; and grandchildren, Sophia and Philip Anthony, who brought immense joy to his life. The viewing and rosary will be from 6pm-8pm on Monday Jan 27th at Earthman Funeral Home at Hunters Creek - 8303 Katy Freeway, Houston Tx. 77024 The funeral mass will be at 10am on Tuesday January 28th at St Ambrose Church at 4213
Photo courtesy of Bayou City Heat Archives
Alfonso Medrano pitches in a game for the Bayou City Heat.
Art Valet:
In Staley’s Shadow: Groundhog Day at Open Studios
Artists of Art Square Studios, 5301 Almeda Road in the Museum District, invite Houstonians to visit for an open studio event Feb. 2 from 1-5 p.m. Artists will be showing both their individual work environment and their most recent creations.
Feb. 2 is Groundhog Day, and the artists will each pay tribute with a painting or drawing based on the theme “Shadow Or No Shadow?”
The groundhog art will be on 12-by-12-inch canvases and each will be available for sale.
Groundhog Day is when famed groundhog Punxsutawney Phil supposedly predicts the weather for the coming weeks based on whether he sees its shadow. Looking out my window this morning, I’d say he’ll definitely see his shadow!
“This is always the feature of our open studios,” resident painter Helene Robinson said. “Every artist interprets the theme differently, so it is interesting to see them all displayed together. And each artist utilizes their media so we have an interesting mix of paintings, drawings, photographs and more.”
Visitors exploring the art studios, over a dozen, will find photography, abstracts, collage, nonrepresentational works, traditional paintings, mixed media, black-and-white drawings and even paintings spiced with glitter.
The community of artists at Art Square Studios includes Maru Aponte, Ann Bell, Elizabeth Bell, Tay Butler, Heather den Uijl, Stephanie Kaldis Fox, Alan Hurwitz, Cynthia Kagay, Melinda
Laszczynski, Ruhee Maknojia, Sunny McKinnon, Donna E. Perkins, Alexis Pye, Lucy Wells Riggs, Debbie M. Rios, Helene Robinson, Earl Staley and Bob Warren. The exhibiting group includes artists who work in oil, watercolor, collage, acrylic and pastels; plus the group includes several photographers.
This is likely the last event as a resident for artist Earl Staley, who is saying goodbye to big city life and moving to Canyon Lake, Texas. The longtime career artist and teacher has more than 50 years of experience and holds Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts degrees. His work is in both private and public collections worldwide.
Far from retiring, Staley still creates three or four canvases a day. He’s just changing venues. “It’s time for a change,” says Staley. “I’ve always lived in a big city – Chicago, St. Louis and Houston – and now I’m going to experience living in the country.”
Art Square Studios on Almeda is located in the Museum District, just off Bissonnet/Binz. The building has an elevator for secondfloor access. The entrance to Open Studios is through the parking lot, located behind the building via the side street on Oakdale. Art Supply
on Almeda is located on the first floor and is open Monday through Saturday. There is no charge to attend.
Art Square Studios is located at 5301 Almeda Road in the 77004 ZIP code, just off Binz/ Bissonnet.
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ ArtSquareStudiosonAlmeda or www.instagram.com/artsquarestudiosonalmeda.
Cohen is an artist and founder of the First Saturday Arts Market. Visit his website at ArtValet.com.
COMMUNITY REPORTS
“Art in the Middle” Reception for the 12th Annual Middle School Art Competition
The Art Colony Association, Inc. (ACA), the producer of Bayou City Art Festival, will announce the top 30 finalists for its 12th Annual Middle School Art Competition at the “Art in the Middle” reception on Saturday, February 8, 2025, from 2-4 p.m. at the Ecclesia Gallery, 1100 Elder St, Houston 77007. The Middle School Art Competition is an education
initiative offered by ACA for students in grades 5-8 from Houston area private schools, charter schools, and public independent school districts. The art contest offers middle school students the opportunity to partici -
pate in a 2-D juried competition, have their art displayed in public, interact with working artists, and win prizes for themselves and their school’s art program.
The public along with students, parents, teachers, and
district representatives are invited to attend the “Art in the Middle” reception and view artwork from more than 530 participating students. During the reception, light bites and refreshments will be served, and Stacy Gressell along with
artist and The Leader News Contributor Lisa Morales will be the featured guest speakers. The top 30 finalists’ art will be on display at the Bayou City Art Festival Downtown on March 29-30, 2025. The finalists’ artwork will also be posted for web-based voting to determine the “People's Choice Award”. Online voting will take place February 13 through February 28, 2025, at www.bayoucityartfestival.com. Additionally, the finalists will receive tickets to the Downtown Spring Festival and a finalist award ribbon.
ACA will announce 1st, 2nd and 3rd place along with the winner of the “People’s Choice Award” at a special reception at Bayou City Art Festival on Sunday, March 30, 2025, at 1 p.m.
WHAT: Art in the Middle Reception
WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 8, 2-4 p.m.
WHERE: Ecclesia Gallery, 1100 Elder St., Houston, TX 77007
For the most recent updates, follow the official event hashtags #HouArtFest and #BCAF, like the Facebook page, or follow on Instagram. Since the founding of the Westheimer Art Festival, now known as Bayou City Art Festival, the Art Colony Association, Inc. has raised close to $4 million for local nonprofit programs from the proceeds of its festivals. Bayou City Art Festival Downtown in the spring and Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park in the fall has provided a venue for more than 20,000 artists to showcase their work to thousands of art lovers from all over the world. The festivals are funded in part by grants from the City of Houston, corporate sponsorships, private contributions, in-kind support, and volunteer assistance. Volunteer and sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, please visit www. bayoucityartfestival.com.
Submitted photos
Artist Early Staley is saying good-bye to Houston and Art Square Studios on Almeda.
Portrait of Houston artist John Runnels by Earl Staley.
