The 05-20-23 Edition of The Heights Leader

HISD board thanks community ahead of takeover

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

As the Texas Education Agency prepares to take over Houston Independent School District on June 1, the HISD board of trustees recently held what is likely to be their final public meeting before the takeover happens in the coming weeks.

With the standard passing of motions and approval of prior meeting minutes on May 11, there was also an extended period when trustees and superintendent Mil-

lard House II spoke directly to the communities they have served ahead of being removed in favor of state-appointed managers.

“Thank you for allowing me to serve you… service is what I do,” said District II board member Kathy Blueford-Daniels, whose district includes local schools such as Highland Heights, Oak Forest, and Stevens elementary schools as well as Frank Black Middle School and Booker T. Washington High School.

More than two months after the decision was announced, there is

still uncertainty hanging over the district.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner tweeted last Saturday that he has heard from sources that former Dallas ISD superintendent Mike Miles has been tabbed to take over, but the TEA has not publicly confirmed.The TEA said during a recent meeting that no information about who will be on the board of managers or appointed as superintendent will be released until the previously-announced June 1

Standing strong Area man indicted for multiple assaults

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

An area man has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to two separate assaults in 2020, according to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

The district attorney’s office said Friday that Florian Kroll, 33, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to a sexual assault that occurred in the Heights on Jan. 10, 2020. He was also sentenced to 10 years for attempted sexual assault of a child just five days, later, according to the office.

Kroll’s sentences will run concurrently, according to the district attorney’s office, and he will not be eligible for parole until serving at least half of his sentence.

Heritage Classical Academy leaders renewing attempts for state charter

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

For the last four years, leaders of a proposed charter school in the local area have tried and tried again. And while to some that might seem like insanity, for the school’s leaders it’s a story of determination and perseverance.

And they hope a recent meeting is a signal of things to come.

On May 11, leaders from Heritage Classical Academy held a “capacity interview” with the Texas Education Agency in hopes of securing approval from the state to open for the next school year that will be in the 77092 zip code.

Essentially, school leaders must secure a charter from the Texas state board of education in order to open, according to Kathryn Van Der Pol, the secretary of the board of the proposed charter school.

But each of the previous times the school has come before the board previously, the board has always vetoed giving it authorization to open.

In order to secure the capacity interview, Van der Pol said Heritage submitted an application on which the proposed school scored a 97 out of 100. From there, she said the capacity interview is simply an attempt by the TEA to as-

sess whether administrators have the resources to operate a school and knowledge of the state’s educational provisions.

“They’re sounding us out to make sure we are the kind of people they want to have be part of the school system in Texas and opening a charter school,” she said.

Van der Pol said they will hear back on May 29 whether they have been approved by the TEA and Commissioner Mike Morath for a June meeting with the state board of education.

“It’s not our timing. It’s all on God’s timing,” Van der Pol said. “…We love this community, and I hope that we get this school because I think it would be a beautiful gift to this community that I love.”

“This is a predator who has a pattern of attacking and hurting women when he is free to roam,” Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said. “He has been sentenced to spend the next two decades behind bars, where he can no longer harm or victimize women.”

The sexual assault of a woman happened on Jan. 10, 2020, according to the district attorney’s office, when Kroll assaulted a woman in the elevator of an HE-B in the Heights. Just five days later, the office said he attacked

City of Houston announces new proposed budget

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

The city of Houston recently announced its new proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2024, which the new mayor will inherit when elected next November as current mayor Sylvester Turner comes to the end of his final term as the city’s highest elected leader.

On Tuesday, the city revealed details of the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, with all funds for the budget totaling $6.2 million – an increase of 6.6 percent from

the current fiscal year’s budget of $5.8 million according to the city.

During a Tuesday press conference announcing the proposed budget, Turner said the proposed budget would leave the city in the best position to address any future uncertainties than it has been in a number of years.

“In many ways, it is a budget that is futuristic,” Turner said. “We will be handing the budget off to the next mayor in better financial shape than when I came in. In fact, I believe it’s one of better budgets presented by the city in quite some

time.”

According to city documents, the general fund expenditures for the proposed FY 2024 budget are set at $2.89 million, an increase of about 4.4 percent (or $120 million) compared to the current budget. That increase in spending, Turner said, is largely driven by pay increases for employees in employee groups in all departments.

It includes pay raises of 3 percent for both municipal employees and those in the police department,

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Photo from Facebook Representatives from Heritage Classical Academy gather before a previous meeting with the Texas State Board of Education last year. The school is hoping to soon go before the board again in hopes of being approved for a charter.

Fifth suspect charged in fatal local shooting

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Houston police say a fifth suspect has been arrested and charged in a fatal shooting outside a local shopping center in late March, according to the Houston Police Department.

Isaiah Medrano, 18, has been charged with capital murder in the fatal shooting of 43-year-old Joel Villarreal, according to Harris County court records. He was taken into custody by members of the U.S. Marshal’s Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force in Beau-

mont on May 11, according to HPD, and is currently being held in Hardin County Jail.

Four other men – 19-year-

old Arnez Markel Semien, 17-year-old Jonathan Lopez, 19-year-old Andres Lara, and 20-year-old Daniel Medrano – have also been charged with capital murder in connection to the shooting, according to court records.

Officers responded to a shopping center in the 7000 block of Long Point Road just west of Delmar Stadium around 6:45 p.m. on March 28 to find Villarreal unresponsive on the ground and having been shot, according to HPD. He was later pronounced dead at an area hospital, according to the

Man charged in fatal shooting at area shopping center

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Police have arrested man who is accused of fatally shooting another man outside a Central Northwest shopping center over the weekend, according to the Houston Police Department.

Angel Chavira, 39, has been arrested and charged with murder in the 180th District Court in connection to the shooting, according to Harris County court records. He remained in jail with a bond set at $300,000 as of Monday, according to court records.

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

Officers responded to a shooting call in the parking lot of a shopping center in the 4700 block of West 34th Street just after 11 a.m. last Saturday May 13, police said, to find the victim having been shot multiple times. Paramedics pronounced the man dead at the scene, according to HPD.

Chavira was later arrested by HPD’s SWAT team after HPD said a subsequent investigation allegedly identified him as an alleged suspect, according to the department.

department.

A preliminary investigation indicated that several unknown suspects may have allegedly been involved in an alleged armed robbery at the shopping center, police said, and that Villarreal may have attempted to stop the alleged suspects from running away.

Lara and Daniel Medrano were arrested on April 6, according to police, while Semien and Lopez were arrested on April 27 and Isaiah Medrano is awaiting transport back to Harris County according to the department.

HFD: Discarded trash, cigarette butts cause local apartment fire

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Houston fire authorities say that discarded trash and cigarette butts ignited a small fire that happened at an apartment complex in the Acres Homes area late last week, according to the Houston Fire Department. There were no reported injuries as a result of the fire, according to the department. More than 30 firefighters from stations 4, 50, and 67 responded to an apartment complex in the 3100 block of West Little York Road to see smoke coming from the third

story of the three-story complex around 12:45 p.m. Wednesday, according to the department. HFD said crews made an offensive attack, but that sprinklers had already activated and contained the fire.

The department said the fire started just outside the door of one of the units, with trash having been discarded next to cigarette butts nearby.

Nobody was hurt in the fire, according to the department, which caused roughly $50,000 worth of damage to the unit according to HFD.

THE TOPICS.

The Twin Sisters are fir ing again. Well, not the ac tual Sisters, but their models. And you can see them blast away this summer on the San Jacinto Battlefield – with blanks. If you just off the United flight from Chicago and plan to make Texas your new home, Pilgrim, here’s a bit of mystery and history mixed together. The Twin Sisters were a pair of naugh ty young women who came to our rescue, then mysteri ously disappeared, never to be seen again. The Sisters were two cannons used by the Texians (that’s what they called themselves back then) at the Battle of San Jacinto, which is why there is a Texas and why you are here. So this story is worth retelling.

The cannons were 6-pounders made of brass or cast iron (there is a dispute), 5 feet 5 inches long, with a four-inch bore and weight of approximately 800 pounds. They began life on Nov. 17, 1835, when the people of Cincinnati, Ohio, wanted to aid the cause of the Texas Revolution. They raised funds to procure two cannons and their equipment for Texas. Since the United States was officially neutral toward the rebellion in Texas, the Cincinnatians listed their cannons as “hollow ware.”

They were manufactured at a foundry and then shipped down the Mississippi to New Orleans where the guns were placed on the schooner Pennsylvania and taken to Brazoria. The cannons were named “Twin Sisters” at Brazoria for Elizabeth and Eleanor Rice, twin daughters of Dr. Charles W. Rice who were on board the Pennsylvania. At that time the Texas Army was in full retreat but after several unsuccessful efforts, the Twins reached the army at its camp on the Brazos on April 11, 1836. On April 19 the Texas Army of 763 soldiers arrived on the banks of the San Jacinto River, slowly fording it. Soldiers took the floor of a house belonging to a Mrs. Batterson and used it as a raft to float the cannons across.

On the day before the battle of San Jacinto the Sisters got into a fight with a Mexican artillery piece twice their size, the Golden Standard. The Standard’s first shot hit the Sisters’ commander, Lieutenant Colonel James C. Neill, in the rump. The Texians hit Cap. Fernando

put near the center of the Texians’ line and 10 yards in advance of the infantry. Then General Sam Houston, in his usual mild manner, gave the order to his artillerymen: “Halt! Halt! Now is the critical time! Fire away! God damn you, fire! Aren’t you going to fire at all?” Boom!

During the battle they fired handfuls of musket balls, broken glass, and horseshoes, the only ammunition they had. Their first shots were fired at a distance of 200 yards, and were credited with helping to cause confusion in the Mexicans’ ranks and significantly aided the Texians’ infantry attack. Following the battle the cannons were used to guard the Mexican prisoners. In 1840 the Twins were moved, along with other military stores, to Austin, where on April 21, 1841, they were fired in celebration of the fifth anniversary of the battle of San Jacinto. When Sam Houston was inaugurated as president of the republic that year, the Twins were fired. In 1842 the Twins were placed on the summit of “President’s Hill” in Austin (I think that is where the State Capitol is today) to defend the river crossing against an attack by Mexican troops that occupied San Antonio. They were inventoried in Austin in 1843, where they remained for another 20 years.

After that the Sisters were moved here and there, used by the Texas Army, then by the Confederates. Then they disappeared. (No, they are not the two cannons guarding the south entrance to the state Capitol, although a lot of people think they are.) Here’s the version I like best: After the end of the Civil War, in August of 1865 five discharged Rebs returning from Galveston by train got off in Houston, and one of them, 19-year-old Henry North Graves, spotted some confiscated Confederate

weapons in a pile earmarked for a northern foundry and destruction. In the pile Graves found the Twin Sisters. (They had been marked at the foundry.) Graves and his companions -- John Barnett, Ira Pruett, Sol Thomas and Jack Taylor -- immediately decided to save the Sisters. As one of them remarked, “We’ll bury them so deep no damned Yankee will ever find them.” That night, joined by a Black man named Dan, they stole the cannons,

burned the wood and leather attachments, then buried the barrels near a bayou.

That is the last the Sisters were seen. In 1895 Graves and two of his old diggers returned to the bayou’s banks to retrieve the cannon. No luck. Graves came back in 1920 but could find nothing. I wrote about all of this back in 1982, and George Brown, of Brown & Root, called up and said, “Wonder if a reward might help the hunt?”

“It would,” I agreed.

“How about $2,500?”

“How about $25,000?”

Pause. “All right.”

Brown insisted on anonymity, so a $25,000 certificate of deposit was drawn up with my name on it to be awarded for the return and verification of the Twin Sisters. The offer finally expired and Brown died without anyone ever finding the guns. A few years later a friend of Brown’s renewed the offer. Again, no takers. Since then others have tried, but

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The missing sisters-in-awe

the Twin Sisters have eluded all discovery. According to maps of that period, the two cannons should be somewhere by the bayou near Brady’s Island, beside the railroad track. Perhaps the Sisters are not being coy, but are simply awaiting General Houston’s next orders, “Fire away! God damn you, aren’t you going to fire at all?” Ashby can be fired at ashby2@comcast.net

the leader Puzzlers. 56. Good Wife’s Julianna 60. Expression of annoyance 61. Blocks 62. 4840 square yards 63. The culminating point 64. Hit an unreturned serve 65. Excessively fat 66. Scorch the surface of 67. Dekaliter 68. Ruhr River city dOwn 1. Prevents harm to young 2. Children’s tale bear 3. Eskers 4. Small food stores 5. -__, denotes past 6 .Mentums 7. Gadoid fish 8. Rainbow effect 9. Live in or on hosts 10. Long narrative poem 11. Informal term for tobacco (Br.) 12. One who has attained nirvana 14. One who estranges 17. Collection of maps

20. Pouchlike structure 21. Simple column 23. Constitution Hall org. 25. Apple notebook computer 26. Biblical Syria 27. Cuts into small pieces 29. Talked profusely 30. Hawthorne’s city 32. Takes readings from other distant instruments 34. 13th Hebrew letter 35. Filippo __, Saint 37. Gulf of, in the Aegean 40. Bleat 42. A bird’s beak 43. Performs a song 47. Note of hand 49. Icelandic poems 50. Ludicrous, empty show 52. Peter Pan illustrator Attwell 53. Broad, flat stones 55. Tibetan Buddhist teacher 56. Mire and mud 57. Frozen drinks 58. Irish Gaelic 59. Viewed with the eyes 61. Blackguard 65. Olde English

Answers found in this week’s Classified section

FC# 8300.00015 APN: 1078270000026 NOTICE OF DEFAULT AND FORECLOSURE SALE WHEREAS, on August 25, 2010, a certain Mortgage Deed of Trust in the amount of $144,750.00 was executed by ARTHUR EVELYN HOWSE as trustor in favor of WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A as beneficiary, and was recorded on September 17, 2010, as Instrument No. 20100400919, in the Office of the Recorder of HARRIS COUNTY, Texas; and WHEREAS, the Mortgage Deed of Trust was insured by the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (“Secretary” or “HUD”) pursuant to the National Housing Act for the purpose of providing single family housing; and WHEREAS, the beneficial interest in the Mortgage Deed of Trust is now owned by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, pursuant to the following assignment: Corporate Assignment of Deed of Trust from WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A. in favor of THE SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT dated July 27, 2016, recorded on July 29, 2016, as Instrument No. 2016-333426, in the office of the Recorder of HARRIS COUNTY, Texas; and WHEREAS, the entire amount delinquent as of April 12, 2023, is $150,674.00; and WHEREAS, by virtue of this default, the Secretary has declared the entire amount of the indebtedness secured by the Mortgage Deed of Trust to be immediately due and payable; NOW THEREFORE, pursuant to powers vested in me by the Single-Family Mortgage Foreclosure Act of 1994, 12 U.S.C. 3751 et seq., by 24 CFR part 27, subpart B (the “Act”), and by the Secretary’s designation of me as Foreclosure Commissioner, which is recorded herewith, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on June 6, 2023, between 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM local time, all real and personal property at or used in connection with the following described premises (“Property”) will be sold at public auction to the highest bidder: LEGAL DESCRIPTION:

LOT TWENTY-SIX (26), IN BLOCK TWENTY-FOUR (24), OF RUSHWOOD, SECTION THREE (3), REPLAT, AN ADDITION IN HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS, ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN VOLUME

265, PAGE 123 OF THE MAP RECORDS OF HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS. Purportedly known as: 2047 KENTLAND DRIVE, HOUSTON, TX 77067 The sale, which will begin at the earliest time stated above or within three hours after that time, will be held at: The Bayou City Event Center Pavilion Located At 9401 Knight Rd, Houston, TX 77045 Or As Designated By The County Commissioner’s Office. Per the Secretary, the estimated opening bid will be $150,674.00. There will be no proration of taxes, rents or other income or liabilities, except that the purchaser will pay, at or before closing, his pro rata share of any real estate taxes that have been paid by the Secretary to the date of the foreclosure sale. When making their bids, all bidders, except the Secretary, must submit a deposit totaling ten percent (10%) of the Secretary’s estimated bid amount in the form of a certified check or cashier’s check made payable to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Ten percent of the estimated bid amount for this sale is $10,067.00. A deposit need not accompany each oral bid. If the successful bid is oral, a deposit of $10,067.00 must be presented before the bidding is closed. The deposit is nonrefundable. The remainder of the purchase price must be delivered within 30 days of the sale or at such other time as the Secretary may determine for good cause shown, time being of the essence. This amount must be delivered in the form of a certified or cashier’s check made payable to Nemovi Law Group, APC. We will accept certified or cashier’s checks made payable to the bidder and endorsed to Nemovi Law Group, APC if accompanied by a notarized power of attorney or other notarized authorization authorizing Nemovi Law Group, APC to deposit the check into the firm’s trust account on behalf of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. If the Secretary is the highest bidder, he need not pay the bid amount in cash. The successful bidder will pay all conveying fees, all real estate and other taxes that are due on or after the delivery date of the remainder of the payment and all other costs associated with the transfer of title. At the conclusion of the sale, the deposits of the unsuccessful bidders will be returned to them. The Secretary may grant an extension of time within which to deliver the remainder of the payment. All extensions will be for 15-day increments for a fee of: $500.00, paid in advance. The extension fee shall be in the form of a certified or cashier’s check made payable to the Secretary. If the high bidder closes the sale prior to the expiration of any extension period, the unused portion of the extension fee shall be applied toward the amount due. If the high bidder is unable to close the sale within the required period, or within any extensions of time granted by the Secretary, the high bidder may be required to forfeit the cash deposit or, at the election of the Foreclosure Commissioner after consultation with the HUD representative, will be liable to HUD for any costs incurred as a result of such failure. The Commissioner may, at the direction of the HUD representative, offer the property to the second highest bidder for an amount equal to the highest price offered by that bidder. There is no right of redemption, or right of possession based upon a right of redemption, in the mortgagor or others subsequent to a foreclosure completed pursuant to the Act. Therefore, the Foreclosure Commissioner will issue a Deed to the purchaser(s) upon receipt of the entire purchase price in accordance with the terms of the sale as provided herein. HUD does not guarantee that the property will be vacant. The scheduled foreclosure sale shall be cancelled or adjourned if it is established, by documented written application or otherwise, that the default or defaults upon which the foreclosure is based did not exist at the time of service of this Notice of Default and Foreclosure Sale, or all amounts due under the mortgage agreement are tendered to the Foreclosure Commissioner, in the form of a certified or cashier’s check payable to the Secretary, before public auction of the property is completed. The amount that must be paid if the Mortgage Deed of Trust is to be reinstated prior to the scheduled sale is based on the nature of the breach, this loan is not subject to reinstatement. A total payoff is required to cancel the foreclosure sale, or the breach must otherwise be cured, if applicable. A description of the default is as follows: AN OBLIGATION OF THE BORROWER UNDER THIS SECURITY INSTRUMENT IS NOT PERFORMED. Tender of payment by certified or cashier’s check or application for cancellation of the foreclosure sale shall be submitted to the address of the Foreclosure Commissioner provided below. The sale date shown on this Notice of Default and Foreclosure Sale may be postponed one or more times by the Secretary, the Foreclosure Commissioner or a court. For Sales Information please call (916) 939-0772 or visit the website www. nationwideposting.com using the file number assigned to this case FC# 8300.00015 Your ability to obtain sales information by Internet Website or phone is provided as a courtesy to those not present at the sale and neither Nemovi Law Group, APC nor the website host makes any representations or warranties as to the accuracy or correctness of the information provided thereby. Nemovi Law Group, APC and its agents do not assume any responsibility for reliance on any information received by telephone or website.

THIS INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME. It will be necessary for you to attend all sales in order to obtain the most current information. Neither Nemovi Law Group, APC nor its agents will be liable for any loss you may sustain in using or receiving any information obtained online or by phone. NOTICE TO MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES Assert and protect your rights as a member of the armed forces of the United States. If you or your spouse is serving on active military duty, including active military duty as a member of the Texas National Guard or the National Guard of another state or as a member of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States, please send written notice of the active-duty military service to the sender of this notice immediately. NEMOVI LAW GROUP, APC Foreclosure Commissioner 2173 Salk Ave., Suite 250 Carlsbad, CA 92008 Phone: (866) 454-7742 Sales Info: (916) 939-0772

FC #8300.00016 APN: 115-763-004-0029 NOTICE OF DEFAULT AND

FORECLOSURE SALE WHEREAS, on December 20, 2010, a certain Mortgage Deed of Trust in the amount of $191,550.00 was executed by JAMES W. ORICK as trustor in favor of BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., A NATIONAL BANKING ASSOCIATION as beneficiary, and was recorded on January 3, 2011, as Instrument No. 20110002346, in the Office of the Recorder of HARRIS COUNTY, Texas; and WHEREAS, the Mortgage Deed of Trust was insured by the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (“Secretary” or “HUD”) pursuant to the National Housing Act for the purpose of providing single family housing; and WHEREAS, the beneficial interest in the Mortgage Deed of Trust is now owned by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, pursuant to the following assignment: Corporate Assignment of Deed of Trust from BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS in favor of THE SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT dated October 24, 2016, recorded on October 27, 2016, as Instrument No. RP-2016-485858, in the office of the Recorder of HARRIS COUNTY, Texas; and WHEREAS, the entire amount delinquent as of April 19, 2023 is $197,981.00; and WHEREAS, by virtue of this default, the Secretary has declared the entire amount of the indebtedness secured by the Mortgage Deed of Trust to be immediately due and payable; NOW THEREFORE, pursuant to powers vested in me by the Single-Family Mortgage Foreclosure Act of 1994, 12 U.S.C. 3751 et seq., by 24 CFR part 27, subpart B (the “Act”), and by the Secretary’s designation of me as Foreclosure Commissioner, which is recorded herewith, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on June 6, 2023, between 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM local time, all real and personal property at or used in connection with the following described premises (“Property”) will be sold at public auction to the highest bidder: LEGAL DESCRIPTION: LOT TWENTY-NINE (29), IN BLOCK FOUR (4), OF CONCORD BRIDGE, SECTION FOUR (4), AN ADDITION IN HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS ACCORDING TO THE MAP OR PLAT THEREOF RECORDED IN VOLUME 320, PACE 91 OF THE MAP RECORDS OF HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS. Purportedly known as: 6003 CAPE HATTERAS DR, HOUSTON, TX 77041 The sale, which will begin at the earliest time stated above or within three hours after that time, will be held at: The Bayou City Event Center Pavilion Located At 9401 Knight Rd, Houston, TX 77045 Or As Designated By The County Commissioner’s Office. Per the Secretary, the estimated opening bid will be $197,981.00. There will be no proration of taxes, rents or other income or liabilities, except that the purchaser will pay, at or before closing, his pro rata share of any real estate taxes that have been paid by the Secretary to the date of the foreclosure sale. When making their bids, all bidders, except the Secretary, must submit a deposit totaling ten percent (10%) of the Secretary’s estimated bid amount in the form of a certified check or cashier’s check made payable to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Ten percent of the estimated bid amount for this sale is $19,798.00. A deposit need not accompany each oral bid. If the successful bid is oral, a deposit of $19,798.00 must be presented before the bidding is closed. The deposit is nonrefundable. The remainder of the purchase price must be delivered within 30 days of the sale or at such other time as the Secretary may determine for good cause shown, time being of the essence. This amount must be delivered in the form of a certified or cashier’s check made payable to Nemovi Law Group, APC. We will accept certified or cashier’s checks made payable to the bidder and endorsed to Nemovi Law Group, APC if accompanied by a notarized power of attorney or other notarized authorization authorizing Nemovi Law Group, APC to deposit the check into the firm’s trust account on behalf of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. If the Secretary is the highest bidder, he need not pay the bid amount in cash. The successful bidder will pay all conveying fees, all real estate and other taxes that are due on or after the delivery date of the remainder of the payment and all other costs associated with the transfer of title. At the conclusion of the sale, the deposits of the unsuccessful bidders will be returned to them. The Secretary may grant an extension of time within which to deliver the remainder of the payment. All extensions will be for 15-day increments for a fee of: $500.00, paid in advance. The extension fee shall be in the form of a certified or cashier’s check made payable to the Secretary. If the high bidder closes the sale prior to the expiration of any extension period, the unused portion of the extension fee shall be applied toward the amount due. If the high bidder is unable to close the sale within the required period, or within any extensions of time granted by the Secretary, the high bidder may be required to forfeit the cash deposit or, at the election of the Foreclosure Commissioner after consultation with the HUD representative, will be liable to HUD for any costs incurred as a result of such failure. The Commissioner may, at the direction of the HUD representative, offer the property to the second highest bidder for an amount equal to the highest price offered by that bidder. There is no right of redemption, or right of possession based upon a right of redemption, in the mortgagor or others subsequent to a foreclosure completed pursuant to the Act. Therefore, the Foreclosure Commissioner will issue a Deed to the purchaser(s) upon receipt of the entire purchase price in accordance with the terms of the sale as provided herein. HUD does not guarantee that the property will be vacant. The scheduled foreclosure sale shall be cancelled or adjourned if it is established, by documented written application or otherwise, that the default or defaults upon which the foreclosure is based did not exist at the time of service of this Notice of Default and Foreclosure Sale, or all amounts due under the mortgage agreement are tendered to the Foreclosure Commissioner, in the form of a certified or cashier’s check payable to the Secretary, before public auction of the property is completed. The amount that must be paid if the Mortgage Deed of Trust is to be reinstated prior to the scheduled sale is based on the nature of the breach, this loan is not subject to reinstatement. A total payoff is required to cancel the foreclosure sale, or the breach must otherwise be cured, if applicable. A description of the default is as follows: 9 (b) (iii) AN OBLIGATION OF THE BORROWER UNDER THIS SECURITY INSTRUMENT IS NOT PERFORMED. Tender of payment by certified or cashier’s check or application for cancellation of the foreclosure sale shall be submitted to the address of the Foreclosure Commissioner provided below. The sale date shown on this Notice of Default and Foreclosure Sale may be postponed one or more times by the Secretary, the Foreclosure Commissioner or a court .For Sales Information please call (916) 939-0772 or visit the website www.nationwideposting.com using the file number assigned to this case FC# 8300.00016 Your ability to obtain sales information by Internet Website or phone is provided as a courtesy to those not present at the sale and neither Nemovi Law Group, APC nor the website host makes any representations or warranties as to the accuracy or correctness of the information provided thereby. Nemovi Law Group, APC and its agents do not assume any responsibility for reliance on any information received by telephone or website. THIS INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME. It will be necessary for you to attend all sales in order to obtain the most current information. Neither Nemovi Law Group, APC nor its agents will be liable for any loss you may sustain in using or receiving any information obtained online or by phone. NOTICE TO MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES Assert and protect your rights as a member of the armed forces of the United States. If you or your spouse is serving on active military duty, including active military duty as a member of the Texas National Guard or the National Guard of another state or as a member of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States, please send written notice of the active-duty military service to the sender of this notice immediately. NEMOVI LAW GROUP, APC Foreclosure Commissioner 2173 Salk Ave., Suite 250 Carlsbad, CA 92008 Phone: (866) 454-7742 Sales Info: (916) 939-0772

St. Thomas names new basketball coach

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Coming off one of its best seasons in program history, a local private high school has promoted from within its ranks to find a new leader of its boys’ basketball team.

On May 12, St. Thomas High School announced that it has selected Jerome Llorens as the new head basketball coach, according to a news release from the school.

Llorens has spent the last two seasons as head coach of St. Thomas’s junior varsity team and replaces previous coach Karnell James, who left to pursue a collegiate job with the College of Biblical Studies in Houston.

And Llorens is set to take over a program riding high from its success last season. The Eagles are coming off a season in which they went 25-3 in the regular season –the winningest regular season in program history that includ-

LAndAn KuhLmAnn Editor

ed going undefeated at home –and secured their first TAPPS district title since 2011. St. Thomas also made it back to the TAPPS state tournament for the first time since 2017, rising as high as No. 3 in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) private school rankings last season.

“This is one of the top five varsity jobs in Houston and a position I’ve had my sights on for many years,” Llorens said.

“The resources, the alumni support, and the deep history of St. Thomas and Eagle athletics all make for an exciting

BASEBALL/SOFTBALL PLAYOFF RECAP

position. I cannot wait to begin working with our studentathletes, coaches, and the entire Eagle community to build upon the tradition and brand of Eagle basketball.”

Llorens was a two-sport athlete at Houston’s Strake Jesuit College Preparatory before graduating in 1995, according to the school, and later served as an assistant basketball coach there. Before coming to St. Thomas, Llorens was the head basketball coach at Katy St. John XXIII for 16 seasons.

“As we began this process, Jerome quickly emerged as the obvious candidate to continue the growth of our program,” St. Thomas athletic director Mike Netzel said. “We knew we needed someone who understood our identity and how St. Thomas fits into today’s basketball landscape. Our supporters will quickly see his passion, drive, and determination in building a championship-caliber program.”

Eagles’ baseball headed to TAPPS state title game

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

The high school baseball private school playoff field has been narrowed to two teams who will clash this weekend for a state championship, and one of them is from the local area.

On Tuesday night, the St. Thomas Eagles flew past San Antonio Antonian Prep by a score of 6-0 in a TAPPS Division I state semifinal at Clay Gould Ballpark in Arlington, punching their ticket to the state championship game this weekend.

It is the eighth state final appearance for the Eagles since 2010, but their first berth in the title game since the 2019 season. When they take the field, the Eagles will be gunning for the program’s first Division I state crown since the 2017 campaign and its 25th overall baseball state title. St. Thomas used a sixrun fourth inning to jump on top Tuesday night, and that proved to be more than enough to earn their way to the final. Donte Lewis and Adam Equale both had two RBIs apiece in the big fourth inning for St. Thomas, while

Luke Edgecomb and Billy Theroux also drove home a run apiece. In addition to his exploits at the plate, Lewis threw five shutout innings on the mound with seven strikeouts to earn the victory. And what’s more, the berth in the semifinals almost never materialized. On May 12, the Eagles had to rally late for a 4-3 win over Plano John Paul II in the quarterfinals.

Equale provided the biggest heroics of the night for the Eagles, smashing a two-run homer in the sixth inning to

give St. Thomas its first and only lead of the game – one they would not relinquish over the final two innings.

Josh Caldwell and Braydon Salinas each had RBIs in addition to Equale, while Lewis provided another strong outing on the mound by giving up just two runs on five hits in 5.1 innings of work with three strikeouts along the way.

Heights softball season ends in regional quarterfinals

Washington’s Malone finishes season strong at state track meet

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

As the state of Texas’ best track and field athletes converged on the University of Austin last weekend for the state meet, a runner from a local public school shined with multiple top-five finish-

es including a podium finish.

On Thursday, Booker T. Washington freshman runner Teresa Malone etched her name into the annals as one of Texas’ best short-distance runners early on in her high school career, with strong finishes in both the girls’ 400 meters and 200 meter races.

Last weekend was unfortunately not as kind for the Heights Lady Bulldogs, as they fell to regional power Fort Bend Ridge Point in two games in a Region III-6A quarterfinal series to watch their season come to a close. The Lady Bulldogs lost 17-3 on May 11 and 8-7 in extra innings on May 12 to end their 2023 campaign.

Sydney Palomo led the way for Heights with five total hits including a triple and two RBIs in the series, while Laila Robins and Ken -

nedy Hill each homered in the Game 2 loss. Angelina del Pozo also had two RBIs in Game 2.

Despite the loss, however, the 2023 campaign will go down in the history books for the Lady Bulldogs. During the course of the season, Heights won the first Class 6A district title in program

history while also boasting a perfect district record as part of a 26-game unbeaten streak, along with making it to the regional quarterfinals for the first time in program history. The Lady Bulldogs finished the 2023 season with a 29-5-1 overall record.

NOTICE OF DISPOSITION

The Railroad Commission of Texas has disposed of equipment and/or hydrocarbons pursuant to Section 89.085 of the Texas Natural Resources Code. Any person with a legal or equitable ownership or security interest in the equipment or hydrocarbons that was in existence on the date the Commission entered into a contract to plug the following well(s) or clean the following leases/facilities may file a claim with the Commission. Contact the Houston District Office at 713-869-5001 to obtain a claim form.

SMP Code Number: 03-287643

Operator Name: Otex Resources LLC (628135)

Lease Name: Busch, H., Etal -A- (01754)

Well Number(s): #1 (API 201-80667)

County: Harris

SMP Code Number: 03-273278

Operator Name: Spectral Oil & Gas Corporation (809042)

Lease Name: Stribling, W. F. ‘A’ (04846)

Well Number(s): #1 (API 201-81768)

County: Harris

In the 400 meter race, Malone managed to secure a spot on the podium by running the final in 57.41 seconds to finish in third place. In the 200 meters, Malone ran the final in 25.27 seconds to place fifth and finish off her freshman season on a high note.

Photo from St. Thomas High School website

Jerome Llorens, right, stands with St. Thomas Athletic Director Mike Netzel. Llorens is taking over the reins as the Eagles’ new basketball coach.

Photo from Facebook St. Thomas’ Donte’ Lewis and teammates celebrate following Tuesday’s win over Antonian Prep in a TAPPS Division I state semifinal. The Eagles will play for a state championship this weekend.

Local middle school teacher is among HISD educators of the year

From Staff Reports

As the school year winds to a close, Houston Independent School District recently recognized its teachers and educators of the year for the 2022-2023 school year, and a middle school teacher from the area was one those honored during the ceremony

The celebration on Monday honored principals, campus teachers, campus

beginning teachers, teachers of the month, teachers of the year finalists, fan favorite educators, and the educator of the year.

Among the winners recognized was Victoria Lawrence of Williams Middle School at 6100 Knox Rd. in Acres Homes, who was named the Middle School Beginning Teacher of the Year during the ceremony.

“I have the opportunity to

be at schools and in classrooms often and I’ve seen first-hand the intentional work and supports to students provided by school leaders, teacher leaders, classroom teachers, and many caring campus professionals to meet the needs of all students” said Shawn Bird, HISD’s Chief Academic Officer.

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Baptist Temple / “Heights Church”

x 2”

Begin Run on 12/03/22

10” x 2”

Edward Crowell

713.628.2468

Edward Crowell

713.628.2468

Hymns and Hers.

We are a church for the Heights.

We are a church for the Heights.

Hymns and Hers.

Bible Study @10am | Worship @11am 230 W. 20th St. 77008

Bible Study @10am | Worship @11am 230 W. 20th St. 77008

Everyone is welcome at Heights Church. We are an exciting blend of old and new, and we warmly invite you to visit.

Heights Church @heightschurchhouston Heights Church, Houston, Texas HeightsChurchHouston.org

Heights Church @heightschurchhouston Heights Church, Houston, Texas HeightsChurchHouston.org

COFFEE 930AM | BIBLE STUDY 1OAM | WORSHIP 11AM | 230 W. 20TH ST. 77008 Heights Church @heightschurchhouston Heights Church, Houston, Texas HeightsChurchHouston.org

COFFEE 930AM | BIBLE STUDY 1OAM | WORSHIP 11AM | 230 W. 20TH ST. 77008 Heights Church @heightschurchhouston Heights Church, Houston, Texas HeightsChurchHouston.org

date, according to a report from KHOU. The efforts to enforce a takeover began in 2019, when TEA Commissioner Mike Morath began efforts to replace the HISD board amidst allegations of board misconduct as well as nearly a decade of low academic performance at Wheatley High School. The district sued the TEA in 2020, and was granted an injunction by a Travis County judge – which was later upheld by an appeals court. In January, the Texas Supreme Court ruled in favor of the agency and threw out the injunction – clearing the way for the takeover that will be

Heritage would be a tuitionfree public charter school somewhere in the 77092 zip code area of Houston if it is approved, according to Van der Pol. The school would begin with students in kindergarten and first grade classes, and would grow each year until it is a full kindergarten through eighth grade school that uses a classical model for learning, according to the website.

According to a June 2022 article from the Texas Tribune, Heritage has been controversial among state board members because it planned to use a curriculum developed by Hillsdale College, a conservative college in Michigan. However, Van der Pol claimed the previous re -

enforced beginning in the coming weeks.

But even though they will soon no longer be serving in the same capacity, board members said they will continue to fight for their communities.

“I will not be going away. I will still be watching, asking for transparency and sharing of information with the public,” said Judith Cruz, whose District VIII includes Sinclair Elementary. “This board showed up, we put in the time and we put in the work even though we disagreed a lot of the time.”

In a March 15 letter announcing the takeover, Morath cited

jections were largely because a swath of board members were opposed to the concept of charter schools.

Charter schools in Texas receive all their funding from the state, which has raised some opposition to the concept. But overall, there are now nearly 200 such options around the state. Van der Pol said the school fell one vote short of approval from the 14-member board last year and did not fall strictly along party lines.

“I think we will be in a climate that is more positive towards the concept of a charter school,” Van der Pol said. “We don’t know what will happen, but this year we’re hopeful that if there is a possibility of us getting a

a 16-year-old girl as she walked home from school in North Houston.

Kroll - whose address is listed in court records as being in the Central Northwest area – was previously convicted on unrelated charges of indecency with a child in 2015, according to Harris County court records, and spent two years in prison. The district attorney’s office said that at the time of his arrest in 2020, Kroll had failed to register as a sex offender.

“This guilty plea puts the defendant in prison for many years and spares the victims the trauma of having to come to court to testify about their ordeals,” said Assistant District Attorney Tiera Johnson-Williams, who prosecuted the cases.

Wheatley receiving “unacceptable” academic performance from 2011-2019, which he said requires the TEA to either close the campus or appoint a board  of managers if it happens for at least five consecutive years. He also cited that the district previously had a conservator assigned for more than two consecutive school years as among the reasons for the takeover.

Over the last two years, the district has raised 40 schools that previously received failing grades in the TEA’s annual performance ratings up to passing grades, according to the most recent data from the TEA. And House II said

charter, this will be the year.”

As the school’s leaders wait to hear whether they advance to the June hearing, Van der Pol said the school has not chosen a specific location within the 77092 zip code. But if it happens, she said the school will serve students in that and surrounding neighborhoods with another choice of school for their children.

“If you give children a great education, they can do and be anything and they will be productive citizens,” she said Tuesday. “It’s an education that will lift people beyond their circumstances, and we’re giving our neighborhood more options.”

that board members, staff, teachers, and communities should be proud of what has been accomplished in recent years despite the impending takeover.

“(This job) has been a journey like no other – filled with challenges that you all see in public on a daily basis... and lessons learned. I really have had the honor to witness firsthand the incredible work being done in our classrooms with our educators and those who work with our students on a daily basis,” House said. “The passion and dedication of our teachers, staff, and students has been really inspiring to what I do and have the oppor-

as well as a 6 percent pay raise for fire employees according to city documents, and will also fully fund five cadet classes for the Houston Police Department and four such classes for the Houston Fire Department according to documents. The budget also includes an additional $11.3 million transfer to the Maintenance Renewal and Replacement Fund to address deferred maintenance for a total of $42.9 million.

According to the city, property tax and sales tax will again be the primary source of revenue for the city, accounting for about 77 percent of proposed revenue for Fiscal Year 2024. The proposed property tax projection for next year is $1.37 billion, the city said, a nearly 8 percent increase from the current 2023 estimate. The

tunity to do on a daily basis.”

And that passion, board members said, will not go away despite the impending takeover.

“I’m always going to fight. Because I am that kid at Wheatley, at Waltrip, Yates, Worthy, etc. I’m that kid,” Blueford-Daniels said. “…I’m going to always try to do what’s best for our children.”

House echoed the sentiment.

“I want to thank the HISD community for your support, for your tireless dedication to our (kids),” he said. “It’s been an honor, it’s been a privilege to serve as your superintendent, and I’m proud of all that we have accomplished together.”

sales tax projection, meanwhile, is down 3 percent from the estimate for the current year to $866 million.

For the full proposed budget and details on it, visit the city’s website at houstontx.gov/ budget/24budprop/index.html.

“As we look ahead, strong financial management will need to continue,” Turner said. “… “I am proud to say that I will leave to the next mayor a budget that is better than it has been in a long time, much stronger than when I came into office. We are better today than we were yesterday, and we’ll be better tomorrow than we are today.”

Art Valet: Blind Uncle Charlie band performs at ReHAB

Mitch cohen Art Columnist

Sunday afternoon a real treat awaits music fans everywhere at reHAB Bar on the Bayou,1658 Enid St., when Blind Uncle Charlie and the Bull Goose Loonies take the stage from 4 - 8 p.m.

Charlie Hardwick, the man behind the moniker Blind Uncle Charlie, will be joined on stage by talented musicians, Charlie Burrus, on keyboards, Sue Bob on violin, Adam Carmen on percussion, and Dave Blassingame on bass.

If it’s possible that the art one creates is a projection of an artist’s personality, Charlie Hardwick’s music now does the same. One could conclude that Hardwick is bright, funny, speculative, straight to the point with a heavy dose of humor mixed in.

Hardwick spent years creating very vibrant pop art styled posters for music promoters. Using his own style, I created his own art and joined the art festivals and was a featured artist for Bayou City Art Festival.

After years of pestering Hardwick to join my art market on 19th St., he finally did in 2015. We worked out a trade where he made seasonal posters for First Saturday Arts Market. We each thought we got the better deal, really the public did. His booth was wildly popular!

When Hardwick joined us he was already legally blind 7 years from severe optic nerve atrophy. He told me in a January 30, 2016 interview in The Leader that his vision was down to about 30% at the time.

“I’m more hopeful for an automated car than an operation on my eyes at this point,” Hardwick

said in the interview.

I also learned that Hardwick, a Houstonian, was the youngest of four much older brothers and became a legitimate “uncle” at the tender age of 9. Hardwick adopted the name “Uncle Charlie” when he was in the punk band, Dresden 45, and it is still “handle” today.

Hardwick told me that his vision is like trying to see through a straw, yet he still manages to pull together poster art for his performances.

When Hardwick finally made the jump from selling his art to performing his music, I was thrilled to host him at the markets. Like I wrote above, his music exudes his personality. Listening closely to his song lyrics, he’s telling life stories, how he met someone, what’s in the news, and not always the most popular opinion - but that’s art, art is a catalyst to change.

Music fans are lucky to have this dynamic man come back

to his first calling. Follow Charlie Hardwick on Instagram to keep up with his performances, https://www.instagram.com/ blindunclecharlie.

ReHAB Bar on the Bayou is an amazing location that is literally on the bayou close to I-45. The bar is on the small side but once you step out the back door with a cold beverage, you’ll be amazed by the lush lawn, tree covered bayou and lounge areas. The concrete art throughout is by the late Donald Tucker, founder of Hardy and Nance Studios.

Catch Blind Uncle Charlie and the Bull Goose Loonies again May 25, 9 p.m. at Shoeshine Charley’s Big Top Lounge, 3714 Main St, Houston, TX 77002.

Cohen is an artist and founder of the First Saturday Arts Market and The Market at Sawyer Yards. Find him at ArtValet.com for additional highlights and artist’s stories.

Contributed photo

Charlie Hardwick perforrms rare solo performance in the Heights. He and his band will be playing at reHAB Bard this weekend.

Contributed photo

Blind Uncle Charlie’s poster for Shoeshine Charley’s Big Top Lounge.

Contributed photo

Blind Uncle Charlie’s poster for ReHAB Bar.