Inside Today: Lenox Timbergrove apartment building breaks ground, Page 2
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Saturday, February 10, 2024 • Vol. 69 • No.6
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INSIDE.
Fatal crash involving death of child sparks concerns over non-functional street lights on Shepherd Drive By Stefanie Thomas editor@theleadernews.com Houston Police attribute the cause of a fatal accident over the weekend, in which a boy believed to be 11 years old reportedly lost his life, to the child’s alleged failure to use a designated crosswalk. Others in the community can’t help but wonder if the lack of functional street lighting in the area didn’t con-
Heights Rotary Club sponsors luncheon with mayor
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tribute to the tragedy. The deadly crash occurred at 5700 North Shepherd Drive around 8:40 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3, when police officials said a gray Dodge Charger struck the boy (whose name has not been released) as he was trying to cross the street on foot. “[The Dodge] approached the intersection of Tidwell Road. The victim was crossing North Shepherd westbound and was struck by the
Dodge,” an HPD news release stated. “Houston Fire Department paramedics responded to the scene and pronounced the male deceased. A preliminary investigation indicated the male was not in the crosswalk at the time of the crash.” According to HPD, the driver of the Dodge remained at the scene, and investigations reportedly deterSee ACCIDENT P. 5
Photo by Mitch Cohen
As of Feb. 5, only two street lights between W. Montgomery and W. Little York were operating on the east side of N. Shepherd going north toward I-45.
MUDBUG SHORTAGE
Chamber springs forward despite mudbug challenges By Charlotte Aguilar For The Leader The Greater Heights Chamber is doing its best to salvage its most communitywelcoming event of the year, rebranding the annual Crawfish Festival as “Spring Fest 2024”due to a challenging crawfish season. The family friendly festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 2 at Raven Tower, 310 North St. in the Heights. While admission is free, all-you-can eat plates of boiled shrimp and other Gulf delicacies will be available, along with sausage, ice cream, cold beer, cocktails and soft drinks. “Maybe even a limited amount crawfish, if we can find enough at the right price,” says Chamber President James Montalbano. But he says there is plenty of mudbugfree fun in store, including a variety of vendor booths, children’s activities, and live music by Step Rideau and the Zydeco Outlaws.
SUGARED + BRONZED is coming to the Heights
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Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Page 2 Photo : Crawfish Cafe
The Crawfish Cafe has managed to live up to its name and says it’s receiving regular supplies of crawfish at its North Shepherd Drive eatery.
Local charity, national impact
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Heights’ crawfish season: Grim, not entirely hopeless By Charlotte Aguilar For The Leader
The artist who ran away with the circus
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Urban Office converts Heights mansion into workspace
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THE INDEX. People ���������������������������������������2 Topics ����������������������������������������6 Classifieds ���������������������������������7 Local Culture �����������������������������8
By this weekend — especially with unseasonably comfortable winter weather in the Heights area — the pots would have been steaming, the communal tables strewn with heaps of primordial-looking creatures being ripped apart, eagerly guzzled and sucked. But this is the year of The Great Crawfish Crisis, and what has evolved into a local cultural tradition over the past half century is looking increasingly challenging to enjoy in 2024 — and perhaps beyond. Local restaurants, grocers and event planners have had to pivot to deal with a crippling shortage of crawfish brought on by extreme weather — drought and intense heat last year, freezing temperatures this winter —
Photo: The Boot/Yelp
Striking a classic crawfish-eating pose at The Boot in Shady Acres.
and by an increase in costs of farming these freshwater crustaceans. Just recently, some say they’ve had luck in getting both quality and quantity and have put crawfish back on the menu.
See MUDBUG P. 5
Heights High School student dies in crash following police pursuit
The venerable Crawfish Festival sponsored each year by the Greater Heights Chamber of Commerce has fallen victim to the crunch and high prices, rebranding its March 2 event “Spring Fest.” Louisiana is still the center of the crawfish universe, and Mark G. Shirley of the Louisiana State University School of Agriculture has accelerated his grim predictions to include a dismal forecast into 2025 because this year’s shortages translate into a lack of brood stock for future harvests. Bottom line: You may be able to enjoy your own pile of “mud bugs,” but finding them is going to take diligence and luck, and they’re going to be pricey. (If $17 or so per pound sounds acceptable to you — remember that this
A 16-year-old girl who was a passenger in the backseat of a vehicle that became the center of a police pursuit died when the driver caused a wrong-way crash on the East Freeway near Waco Street around 8:45 p.m. on Jan. 31. The victim was a student at Heights High School. According to a Houston Police media alert, charges were filed against the 16-year-old male driver who is accused of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and felony evading arrest in a motor vehicle. The case will be referred to Harris County Juvenile Probation authorities and further charges may be forthcoming. Police say the suspect, whose name has not been released, was driving a
See CRAWFISH P. 5
See CRASH P. 5
By Stefanie Thomas editor@theleadernews.com
Coloring Outside the Lines: Heights CEO paints Houston with a rainbow of joy By Rubena Gracia The Leader News Contributor Bright, bold colors have a way of getting our attention and making us curious. One company in Houston offers a way for people of all ages to foster that curiosity. Color Factory, an immersive experience that tells stories about color, was started in 2017 as a temporary pop-up exhibit in San Francisco. The exhibit was intended to be open for six weeks, but it was so successful that tickets quickly sold out. The run was extended to a total of nine months, which was as long as the lease would allow. A permanent Color Factory opened in Soho in New
York in 2018, followed by one in Houston in 2019, and one in the Willis Tower in Chicago in 2022. Tina Malhotra, a resident of the Heights who grew up in Dallas, is Chief Executive Officer of Color Factory Houston located in the Upper Kirby District. She recently spoke to the Leader. Malhotra previously lived in New York for 11 years and worked in experiential marketing, producing events and creating experiences for brands. One memorable project was the LEGO Star Wars X-Wing Launch, where a full-size X-Wing made of LEGOs was revealed in Times Square. Other notable projects include festivals, pop-up stores, and the American
Submitted photo
Heights resident Tina Malhotra is the CEO of Color Factory Houston.
Art Award Gala and Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Whitney Museum of American of Art. In 2017, Malhotra and her husband, who grew up in Spring, moved from New York to Houston while they were expecting their first child. A friend suggested searching for a house in the Heights. They both appreciated the walkability, architecture, and character of the neighborhood. The Heights is also close to downtown where her husband works. Their home is one block from the hike and bike trail, which is wonderful for their children. She said the Heights is not a See COLOR FACTORY P. 5
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