Inside Today: SPX musical production nominated for 22 awards, Page 2
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Saturday, January 27, 2024 • Vol. 69 • No.4
ABOUT US
Leader area scores well on HISD report cards
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INSIDE.
By Charlotte Aguilar For The Leader In an overall bleak picture showing more than half of district schools with grades of D or F, Houston ISD’s report cards, released Tuesday, showed Leader-area campuses passing easily. Four local schools — Field, Harvard, Helms and Oak Forest elementary schools — received A grades. HISD is using the ratings — based on its own interpretation of state data
— to add up to 40 additional campuses to the New Education System (NES) school reform program in the 2024-25 school year. Leader-area schools on the NES list are Crockett ES in Sawyer Heights, with a score of 63 and a D grade, and Stevens ES in the Oak Forest area, scoring 54 and failing. A third campus, Love ES in the Heights, is on the “consideration” list, with a 66/D grade — meaning it can opt-in to the program. Twenty-eight schools were origi-
nally designated NES schools when the state took over HISD last June, and another 57 schools voluntarily entered the program, which provides a rigid instructional framework and strict oversight of teaching methodology and campus management. HISD had promised it would name the new NES schools before families have to make decisions about where to send their children next year. Deadline for school choice applications for special programs and mag-
A SPLASH OF COLOR!
City of Houston now accepting leadership training applications
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net schools are due Feb. 23. Despite the Texas Education Agency (TEA) being prevented from releasing its own 2022-23 accountability ratings due to litigation, districts were given the data and methodology used by TEA, and HISD used that information to create its own reports on each school. The final tally showed 35 campuses with A grades, 58 graded B, 52 with passing C grades, 65 with D grades, and 58 failing. See NES P. 4
Houston goes batty with freezing temps: Stunned bats are rehabbed, released By Rubena Gracia The Leader News Contributor
William B. Travis Foundation Spring Gala
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Houston Dairymaids: Everyone, smile and say cheese!
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Photo by Lisa Morales
The Canary, the newest food and fun destination in the Heights, adds a splash of color to the Oak Forest community.
The Canary: Oak Forest’s newest hotspot with poolside bliss
Houston Saengerbund celebrates Karneval with Kinderfasching for children
By Lisa Morales The Leader News Contributor
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Local roads get pedestrian safety boost
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The Oak Forest neighborhood just got a vibrant splash of color with the arrival of The Canary, a new Bar + Pool + Patio + Kitchen destination that is turning heads and making waves in the community. The two-story, bright yellow building nestled at 963 Judiway St. is impossible to miss and promises a unique experience for locals and visitors alike. Co-owner Kristen Genoway shares the exciting journey of transforming a Heights bungalow into the full-service haven that is now The Canary. The process took two and a half years due in
part to permit delays but finally in December 2023 the bar had its soft opening. Much more than a cocktail spot, this neighborhood jewel is already curating a loyal following with sporting event watch parties, daily drink specials, food trucks, and the pièce de résistance—a refreshing onsite pool. Genoway, residing a mere three minutes away, emphasizes the importance of creating a place that feels like a true neighborhood oasis bringing together community, cocktails, and cool waters in the heart of Oak Forest. Even the choice of the name “The Canary” is deliberate, evoking the image of a cherished pet from one’s childhood. The organic growth of
When the Houston weather forecast predicts freezing temperatures, meteorologists remind us to protect the three Ps – pets, plants, and pipes. But some local wildlife also needs protection. Bats, for instance. If the temperature falls to 25 degrees or below, bats can become “stunned” and fall onto the ground or water below. During recent cold weather spells, the Houston Humane Society Wildlife Center helped rescue and rehabilitate thousands of stunned bats from around the Houston area, including from the Waugh Drive Bridge, the Watonga Drive Bridge, and other colonies. “From Tuesday, January 16 to Friday, January 19, the 17-person bat team at Houston Humane Society Wildlife Center collected and assisted more than 2,500 Mexican free-tailed bats from several bat colonies across the Houstonarea including Waugh Street Bridge, Pearland, Spring and Sugar Land,” said Kelsey Malan, Wildlife Deputy Director of the Houston Humane Society Wildlife Center. Once collected, wiildlife technicians performed triage, provided fluids, warmed the bats in incubators, and See BATS P. 3
The Canary is evident as neighbors, who initially observed the construction, have become friends and the bar’s first patrons. Genoway notes that the growth has been slow and steady, fostering a sense of community right from the start. The interior of The Canary boasts a posh entry, comfortable seating, patio, and a beautifully polished wood bar. While the kitchen is yet to open, food trucks are already on-site, offering a diverse range of culinary delights, from breakfast tacos to steak dinners. The owners have taken care to insulate the walls thoroughly, ensuring
Photo courtesy of Houston Humane Society Wildlife Center
Bats3: A wildlife technician rehabilitates a stunned bat.
See THE CANARY P. 3
TxDOT’s I-10 feedback session yields more pushback Introducing: Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison and new column, Pet Puzzle
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THE INDEX. People ���������������������������������������2 Topics ����������������������������������������6 Classifieds ���������������������������������7 Local Culture �����������������������������8
By Charlotte Aguilar For The Leader The Texas Depar tment of Transportation unveiled its new plans for sweeping changes along I-10 from Heights Boulevard to I-45 in a public meeting Jan. 17, but some opponents weren’t swayed by design concessions made since their last feedback and continue to question the impact of and need for the proposed $347 million project. The public has until Feb. 1 to comment on the updated plans, with construction expected to begin early next year that will involve elevating main and HOV lanes and creating floodwater detention. “It’s a mixed bag,” said Fred Lindner of Norhill in the Heights, a leader in the Save White Oak Bayou coalition of neighborhood groups after viewing a series of easels with design renderings and
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Photo by Charlotte Aguilar
The re-worked plans for connecting pathways along the bayou and under I-10 drew heavy interest at the open house.
chatting with project engineers. “They’re not cutting down the woods anymore, but the managed (HOV) lanes are higher
than before, and overall this doesn’t make sense for the cost benefit.” In a prepared video and handout mate-
rials, TxDOT makes its case for an elaborate re-working of the 1.8-mile stretch of I-10 as a “resiliency project” — one designed to accommodate current state and federal standards and updates to aging pavement and other infrastructure. In its justification, the agency also emphasizes the impact of past flooding from White Oak Bayou onto I-10 — stretching back to 1992 — on emergency services and, as a major freight route, on the economy and regional supply chain. “Since 2015, though, I-10 has been 99.85 percent flood-free,” counters Lindner. “They’re trying to make a case for resiliency, but there’s the visual impact and increased noise pollution and particulate matter that are still not being addressed.” “You Spoke and TxDOT Listened,” See I-10 P. 3
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