Memorial Park Land Bridge, prairie now open

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

The continued transformation of a popular area amenity is continuing, and another portion of the transformation is now open to the public.

Last Saturday, The Memorial Park Conservancy and partners from around the city unveiled Memorial Park’s new Land Bridge and Prairie Project during an event coined “The Biggest Picnic in Texas” at Memorial Park.

Officials say the land bridge, consisting of two 35-foot-tall hills crossing over Memorial Drive, will serve as a major connector for Memorial Park users and wildlife between the north and south sides of the park. Officials say the project also re-establishes endangered native Gulf Coast prairie as well as savanna, wetlands and reforested areas to promote regional biodiversity and strengthen surrounding ecologies.

“The Kinder Land Bridge and Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff Prairie will elevate park visitors’ experiences and our city on a national and even global level,” said Garden Oaks resident Shellye Arnold, the president and CEO of Memorial Park Conservancy. “With endless gratitude to our generous donors, Memorial Park Conservancy is honored to gift this project to Houston.”

Attendees Saturday got a chance to walk through and

Oak Forest Elementary ‘mystery parent’ presentation spawns water flow project

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Last Saturday morning, more than a dozen kindergartners from Oak Forest Elementary were happily running, laughing and joking as they enjoyed a cold Saturday morning. But they weren’t playing soccer or jumping on the monkey bars – they were taking part in a community project that was aimed at creating awareness about water and drainage flow. Last weekend, amidst temperatures in the mid-40s, the youngsters were installing roughly 40 water inlet markers along Oak Forest Drive leading from the school to Oak Forest Park in an effort to raise awareness about how the water from the school eventually makes its way to Galveston Bay.

Area teachers honored for dedication to education

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

More than 300 Houston-area teachers were recently recognized by a regional teachers’ organization for their dedication to their students, and several educators from area schools were among those recognized.

On Feb. 9, the Houston Area Alliance of Black School Educators hosted their 36th annual Teacher Awards, and seven teachers from the Heights, Garden Oaks/Oak Forest, and Northside schools were among those from 52 Houston ISD campuses honored for their “outstanding commitment to students,” according to the organization. Heights High School’s Antwuan Walters, Booker T. Washington’s Stephanie Huffman, Linda Reeves from Durham Elementary, Tiffany Bennett from Smith Elementary, Keith Bornes Jr. from Williams Middle School, Arthur Collier from Frank Black Middle School, and Tiffanie Cole from Burbank Middle School were among those recognized during the ceremony. All teachers honored were nominated by their principal or the district-wide HAABSE committee for reaching “exceptional teaching achievements throughout the year,” according to the organization.

“Houston ISD educators unlock the promise and potential of Houston’s children,” said William Solomon, HISD executive director of talent acquisition William Solomon said. “They change life trajectories; show a hard-to-match level of care for and dedication to student success; and more than anything,

P. 6

Houston Farmers Market redesign earns national distinction

Sta Reports

The development of a redesigned destination spot on the east side of the Heights has been recognized by a national real estate panel as one of Houston’s most innovative and compelling real estate projects.

According to a news release, MLB Capital Partners’ redesign of the Houston Farmers Market at 2520 Airline Dr. recently took home top billing among Houston’s most compelling and innovative real estate projects at the National Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) 16th annual Development of Distinction Awards on Feb. 6.

According to the ULI, the award “recognizes developments and public open spaces that exemplify best practices in design, construction, economic viability, healthy places, marketing, and management.”

Finalists were selected by a nomination panel of Houston real estate leaders, and a jury of national real estate experts evaluated all finalists’ projects in November 2022, to select the 2023 Development of Distinction winners.

MLB Capital Partners purchased the 17.67-acre site at 2520 Airline Dr. back in 2017, with a goal of revitalizing the market while still staying true to the market’s roots and history, which date back to its in -

Personalized attention.

The President “must answer for his failed leadership” said GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik New York. Rep. Steve Scalise, Republican from Louisiana, criticized President Joe Biden’s failure to address the opioid and fentanyl crisis. At a press conference featuring the usual suspects including Rep. Jim (Coatless) Jordan and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, they castigated President Biden’s State of the Union speech. Mary Miller, Republican from Illinois boycotted the speech entirely because she didn’t want to hear Biden’s “lies.” The interesting point is that the GOPers were all riled up before the speech was given. The jury convicted before the trial even began.

The new Speaker, Kevin McCarthy, warned ahead of the address, “We’re not going to do childish games tearing up a speech,” a reference to Nancy Pelosi’s classless act of ripping up a copy of President Donald Trump’s speech after his 2020 address. Nevertheless, Biden’s speech was often interrupted by cries of “Liar!” and “It’s your fault!” (McCarthy later defended the hecklers.) If these clowns had

Valley Forge!” And: “I thought you could not tell a lie. You just told several!” (Actually, Washington’s address was a letter.) So what’s new? We live in a time of pessimism, pouting and – above all – whining. I don’t recall there ever being a time when so many were so self-pitying, gloomy and victims. Gee, people, get a life.

(Notice this is a whine about whining.) Here’s an example: With unemployment at a 60year low, inflation slowly, very slowly going down and for the first time since 2001 U.S. troops are not getting shot at, the nation is all in a knot over balloons. This is reflected by our cynicism towards our current President, although it would probably be the same lousy stats no matter who is in office. A recent NBC poll shows only 34 percent of Americans believe the President is honest and trustworthy, a mere 32 percent are confident in his ability to handle a crisis, 31 percent believe Biden is competent and effective as President, 28 percent believe he has the necessary mental and physical health to be President, and only 23 percent believe he can unite the country. Joe, when better than two out of three Americans believe you are incompetent, and almost three out of four think you are not mentally and physically competent to hold down “the most powerful job on Earth,” you need a personality transplant.

As usual in such situations, we look for someone else to blame for our pessimism. Remember our slogan: “It’s not my fault.” I personally blame the press. Turn on the TV news and the anchor begins with, “Good evening,” then tells us why it’s not. On national TV and in our national newspapers the news is usually bad news. As David Brin- kley noted: “When millions of planes land safely, that’s not news. When one crashes, that’s news.” Our local TV news is more of a police report.

OK, the press has never been popular, but it has never been so maligned. As the New Yorker observed, “Back in 1976, even after Vietnam and Watergate, 72 percent of the public said they trusted the news media. Today, the figure is 34 percent. Among Republicans, it’s 14 percent.” This last figure is interesting and we can see why: Credit our Whinerin-Chief, Donald Trump, and his Sancho Panza, Fox News. The New Yorker: “Less than a month into the Trump Administration, that destroying the credibility of the mainstream press was a White House priority, and that this would include an unabashed, and almost gleeful, policy of lying and denying. The Washington Post kept track of the lies. The paper calculated that by the end of his term the President had lied 30,573 times.”

Among the whiners, sports fans are the worst. Last season I was watching a football game on TV. The New York

Giants were the home team. After they went three nowhere downs and had to punt, their fans booed. Andrew Luck, a local lad (Stratford High), successfully led the formerly lowly Indianapolis Colts to victory after victory. In the last quarter of a home game it came out that Luck, beaten and bruised over the years, was retiring, Colt fans booed him for leaving. The Houston Oilers deserved boos, and so do the Houston Texans. But the Texans could win the Super Bowl 60-6 and some Texan fans would criticize that 6. Farmers are great whiners. New York Times columnist Paul Krugman wrote that there is a great deal of resentment in rural America because they perceive they are ignored, don’t get their fair share of resources and are disrespected by “city folks.” But ever since the New Deal, rural America has received special treatment from the feds with farm subsidies, which ballooned under Donald Trump and now account for around 40 percent of farm income. Krugman then ticks off all the federal goodies that “city folks” shower on the whining farmers.

Second suspect arrested, charged in hotel shooting

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Police have arrested a second suspect in connection with the fatal shooting of a man outside a local hotel in February 2022, according to the Houston Police Department.

Isaac Oliver Elmore, Jr., 21 has been charged with capital murder in connection to the fatal shooting of 42-year-old Johnathan David Shaka Oghenesoro, according to Harris County court records. He was arrested in Denver and charged on Feb. 9, according to police, and was awaiting extradition to Harris County as of Tuesday, according to HPD.

Another suspect, 21-year-old Bernard Aaron Robertson, was arrested and charged with capital murder in December 2022, according to Harris County court records. He remained in jail as of Tuesday, according to court records, with a bond set at $1 million.

Officers responded to the parking lot of the Red Roof Inn Houston-Brook-

Man killed in collision near Central Northwest

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

A man was killed as the result of a head-on collision between two cars in the Central Northwest area earlier this week, according to the Houston Police Department. Police said the man’s identity is pending an autopsy by the county’s medical examiner.

The man was driving a black Hyundai Elantra south at 4300 Antoine Dr. just after 9:30 p.m. Monday, police said, when he allegedly ran a red light at the intersection of Antoine and West 43rd

Street before hitting a silver Jeep Compass heading east on West 43rd Street.

His car then went over the median and hit a tree, police said, before catching on fire. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to HPD.

The Compass’ driver, a 59-year-old man, was questioned at the scene and released, police said, after showing no signs of intoxication, though the investigation remains ongoing.

Pedestrian killed in crash near Heights

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

A man was killed after being struck by a car while crossing a feeder road near Interstate 45 just east of the Heights last week, according to the Houston Police Department.

The man’s identity is pending an autopsy from the county’s medical examiner, according to the department.

Police said the man was heading east crossing West Cavalcade Street when he was allegedly hit by a woman driving a white Ford Hatchback driving south on the service road near the intersection at West Cavalcade. hollow hotel at 12929 Northwest Fwy. just after 6 p.m. Feb. 21, HPD said, to find the victim lying on the ground. Eyewitnesses told investigators they heard gunshots ring out before seeing a white U-Haul van with the Arizona license plate AL3-4831 flee the scene.

He was pronounced dead at Ben Taub General Hospital, according to the report.

No charges have been filed against the woman driving the car, according to police, and she was questioned at the scene and released. The investigation remains ongoing, according to police.

Citing eyewitness reports and evidence found at the scene, police said the victim initially pulled into the hotel parking lot in his own car alongside the white van that was carrying the two suspected shooters, alleged to be Robertson and Elmore. HPD said one suspect got into a struggle with the victim while holding him at gunpoint, while the second reached into the victim’s car and grabbed a backpack that he then threw into the van.

One of the suspects, alleged to be Robertson, is accused of shooting the victim during a struggle before fleeing the scene in the U-Haul van, according to HPD.

All of this self-pity may be a self-fulfilling prophecy. A stunning 88 percent of Americans now believe the U.S. is on the wrong track and just 10 percent believe it is on the right track, marking an all-time low for the question. But asked how they, personally, are doing? Just fine. Maybe it’s a matter of perception. Saturday Night Live had an on-going segment featuring Debbie Downer. Someone would say, “It looks like we’ll have a good summer.” Debbie would reply, “If we’re all not dead by then.” I’m not dead yet and of course we have major problems. Did I mention the Rockets? But I am getting bored and tired of all those folks who whine that the glass is not just half empty, it’s dry, broken and its shreds are scattered in the mud. Again, get a life. That’s not a whine.

Ashby is alive at ashby2@comcast.net