New show opening Feb. 24 at Theatre Suburbia

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Theatre Suburbia will present The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society Murder Mystery by David McGillivray & Walter Zerlin, Jr. The murder mystery show is directed by Doris Merten and features Dean R Dicks, Michele Richey, Brittany Garcia, Suzanne King & Kristen Sheils. It will run Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. from Feb. 24-March 25, with 2 p.m. matinees on March 12 and 19 at the Theatre Suburbia studios, 5201 Mitchelldale St., Suite A-3. Every drama group has experienced the horrors of what can go wrong on opening night, and the ladies of the F.A.H.E.T.G. Dramatic Society are no different, with the possible exception that almost everything that could happen does,” a press release from the theater reads. “The scenery collapses, cues are missed, lines forgotten, and the sound effects take on a strange note at times, as the ladies present their ambitious evening’s

Contributed photo entertainment with the cunning whodunit, Murder At Checkmate Manor.” ecology during extreme weather events and improve animal habitats, and that the project will improve storm water management by detaining storm water that flows through Memorial Park to Buffalo Bayou during heavy rain events, lessening the impact of peak storms. includes Memorial Park –tweeted the morning the of the event.

Reservations are strongly encouraged. Tickets are $18 for adults and $16 for students and seniors, while all Sunday matinee seats are $16 reach. Reservations may be made online at www.theatresuburbia.org or by phone at 713-682-3525. Masks are optional, the theater said, but encouraged.

For more information, visit the theatre website, www. theatresuburbia.org.

Officials also say the re-establishment of the native coastal prairie will enable a more resilient

“Today we’re celebrating restoration and resiliency, a step forward in preserving our planet,” District C councilmember Abbie Kamin – which understand that our kids are at the center of everything great that happens in this city.”

The Houston Area Alliance of Black School Educators (HAABSE) is an affiliate of both the Texas Alliance of Black School Educators (TABSE) and the National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE), according to its website. Its primary purpose is enhancing education for all students, particularly the Black community, through events such as the awards and through scholarships for students who want to study in the education field.

“We have over 300 teacher honorees from the Greater Houston Area and surrounding cities that deserve to be recognized and celebrated for their phenomenal work within the classrooms,” HAABSE president Julia Andrews said. “Without teachers, there would not be any other professions, so it is important that we show our appreciation.” ception in 1942 and has kept customers coming back for more than 80 years.

Over the last five years, redesigns and upgrades have included updated vendor, retail and restaurant space, and improved walkability along with an expanded green space featuring an event lawn, dining courtyard and patio. Additional upgrades to the property include more visible, organized parking, traffic circulation, defined sidewalks, site landscaping and dedicated green spaces that will serve as a setting for community programming, such as chef demonstrations, wine tastings, local entertainment and more.

They also have plans to add square footage to existing spaces including Wild Oats, Underbelly Burger, Crawfish & Noodles, RC Ranch Butcher Shop.

“The judges felt the Houston Farmers Market did an outstanding job reinvigorating an institutional destination in Houston, not only breathing new life into the project, but keeping the history and community within the project alive,” the news release said.

For more information on the Houston Farmers Market and what is still coming up, follow the market on social media or visit their website at thehoustonfarmersmarket.com.

The new 100-acre space is the next step in the Memorial Park 10year Master Plan, which is focused on restoring the Park’s ecological systems and creating greater resiliency; reconnecting the park’s land, waterways, trails, and people; and more, according to the Conservancy.

“It’s not only a sight to behold but it also offers numerous benefits for wildlife and our native coastal prairie. It will instantly become a destination stop in the city of Houston,” Houston Parks and Recreation director Kenneth Allen said.

Theatre Suburbia’s newest show will open to the public next Friday, Feb. 24. explore one of the project’s four tunnels before they open to vehicular traffic in the coming months. There will be two tunnels below each of the hills, one for each direction of travel, according to a news release from the Conservancy. The eastbound tunnels will open next month, and all tunnels should be open to traffic by April.

The plan was unanimously approved by Houston’s City Council back in 2015. First formally revealed back in 2018, the plan includes capital improvements and long-term conservation projects, as well as an operations and maintenance plan for the park.

“They’d been super excited all week talking about how they couldn’t wait to do it,” teacher Christie Fisher said.

Each week, Fisher said she brings a new “mystery parent” into her class, and one of the students’ parents will do something like read a book with the kids or do arts and crafts. But in late January, mystery parent Blake McGregor decided to do something a little bit different for his turn.

“I’m an engineer that builds drainage systems, so I thought it’d be cool to teach them where their water goes when it comes off the roof of the school and makes its way to the beach,” he said. “So I put a little presentation together.”

During the presentation, McGregor said he taught the students how water flows down Oak Forest Drive from the school and eventually dumps into the bayou across from Oaks Dads Club, flows through downtown and the Houston Ship Channel and eventually out to Galveston Bay.

And in its aftermath, another thought came to mind. The Harris County Flood Control District, he said, has a program that allows citizens to apply for permits to install inlet markers at storm and sewer drains warning the community to not throw trash or debris in the drain. So he applied, and eventually got the markers to organize the community project for Fisher’s class.

It has already seen steps such as the tunnels, which are 24-foot tall, 54-feet wide and include natural as well as artificial lighting, are for one-way, vehicular traffic only. No stopping is allowed in the tunnels, and neither is walking or cycling. It has also include the Clay Family Eastern Glades - which opened in 2020 and reclaimed 100 acres of previously inaccessible parkland – over the last several years prior to Saturday’s unveiling.

On Saturday, youngsters were sprinting from storm drain to storm drain, eagerly dusting the spot where the sticker would be placed before putting it down and running to the next one. In total, there were several dozen markers installed in neighborhoods leading to and from the school.

“I just wanted to do something where they would really be able to learn and something they would remember,” McGregor said Saturday.

Fisher said that when McGregor came and did the presentation –and even as her kids talked excitedly about the project leading up to last Saturday – she never could have imagined something so innocuous could have piqued her kids’ interest the way it eventually did.

“This landmark destination is a model of an extraordinary public/ private partnership that has produced a legacy project for generations to enjoy for years to come,” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said.

For more information on the Memorial Park Master Plan, visit the conservancy’s website at memorialparkconservancy.org/discover/masterplan/.

“Hopefully this leaves a lifelong impression on them, with the importance of Galveston Bay,” she said. “…It’s magical. It’s one of those teaching moments that will hopefully stick with them forever.”

As an engineer, McGregor said his first instinct is always to put good drainage and protection of waterways first. He also admitted Saturday that he did not expect quite the enthusiasm for such a project from the youngsters.

But in the end, he was happy to be able to meld his passion with giving back and (hopefully) instilling a value the kids will remember long after Saturday’s project ends.

“It’s awesome to see all these kids out here and getting so excited,” he said. “It’s really cool to see – I wouldn’t have thought they would have this much fun putting stuff on inlets.”