The June 3, 2023 Edition of The Heights Leader

City holding gun buyback event June 10

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

As part of what officials say is a continued effort to reduce gun violence in the city, the city of Houston is hosting a gun buyback event in collaboration with county officials and the Houston Police Department next weekend.

On Monday, city officials along with Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney El-

lis – who serves part of the area including the Greater Heights – announced that the city and county will be hosting its third gun buyback event on Saturday, June 10 at NRG Stadium from 8 a.m.-noon.

As part of the buyback, the city said gun owners can bring in their firearms that will be taken in anonymously and will be compensated accordingly with gift cards depending on

Excellence exemplified

the gun brought in. Nonfunctioning firearms will be worth $50, and the city will also be accepting shotguns/hunting rifles ($100), revolvers ($150, semi-automatic handguns ($150), and semi-automatic rifles ($200).

“The gun buyback along with the use of shot spotter, doing more to reduce domestic violence and

Area student charged with allegedly making terroristic threats

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

A Heights High School student has been arrested and charged with making threatening posts on the school’s Instagram page earlier this month.

Anthony Garcia, 18, has been charged with terroristic threat, according to Harris County court records. He was out of jail on a $20,000 bond as of Wednesday, according to court records.

Court documents say the school’s principal told HISD police that there had been a threatening post made on the school’s Instagram page on May 17. Several parents and faculty then made the principal aware of another post, made in response to the original post, the next day on the school’s Instagram page, according to court documents.

The second post allegedly included a photo of an assault rifle with the caption “Friday, Where?” and another photo of multiple loaded magazines, according to court documents.

According to court documents, detectives researched the account and later linked it back to a phone number and IP address, and the number was then linked to a CashApp user alleged to be Garcia. The school later allegedly identified Garcia by his school records as a current student, according to court documents.

However, court documents say Garcia has denied posting the photos through Instagram.

Sinclair’s Sharp wins Nell Baham Award

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

For more than 20 years, retired educator Nell Baham has honored an exemplary fifth grader at Sinclair Elementary in the Heights each year for academic achievements and their service to Sinclair and its surrounding community.

That tradition continued re-

cently, as outgoing fifth grader Elle Sharpe was announced as this year’s winner of the 2023 Nell Baham Achievement Award at the school’s recent Fifth Grade Awards Program. For more than two decades, the annual award has recognized a student - selected by fifth grade teachers - who exhibited good citizenship traits, excelled in academics and made worthy

contributions to Sinclair and within the community.

It was established in 1999 by then-PTA president Jill Hlavinka to honor Baham, a longtime educator who spent more than half of her 60-year education career teaching at Sinclair. After retiring from public education, Baham taught at the

Local brass band to be part of global music celebration

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Joel Livsey is a relative newcomer to the Heights, having moved into the area just under a year ago. But armed with family roots in the neighborhood and a sense of how communitydriven the area is, he has wasted no time in trying to contribute to the fabric of the area.

On June 21, Livsey and his quintet band called Houston Heights Brass will be hosting a free community concert at Marmion Park, 1800 Heights Blvd., as part

of Houston’s annual Make Music Day in collaboration with the Houston Heights Association. The event is one of a dozen registered events that will be happening around the city on June 21 as part of the larger national Make Music Day, and one of several in the local area. Celebrations will also happen at the Collier Regional Library (6200 Pinemont Dr.) as well as the Houston Farmers Market (2520 Airline Dr.), Guitar Center – Central Houston (195 Yale St.), Site Gallery (1502 Sawyer St.), and Sabine Street Studios

(1907 Sabine St.) among others.

“There is a common anxiety in much of modern society that we have lost that ‘third place,’ the space that isn’t work and isn’t home, where people who share something in common can gather to relax and enjoy each other’s company,” Livsey said. “These spaces are a vital part of a cohesive community. We hope that this concert can provide such an opportunity for neighbors to come together.”

Contributed photo From left is Nell Baham Achievement Award winner Elle Sharp, Sinclair Elementary teacher Greg Railsback, and Nell Baham. Sharp recently won the

grader at the school each year.

Sylvester Turner Rodney Ellis

Man killed in Heights drive-by shooting

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Houston police are searching for the suspect(s) in the fatal shooting of a man in the Heights in a driveby shooting early Monday morning, according to the Houston Police Department.

The identity of the man, believed

to be in his 20s according to HPD, is pending an autopsy from the county’s medical examiner according to the department. Officers responded to 900 Northwood St. on the eastern edge of the Heights around 3:50 a.m. Monday to find the man unresponsive and lying in a ditch with multiple gunshot wounds, according to the depart-

Suspects sought in Independence Heights gas station shooting

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Houston police are searching for suspects after a man was shot and killed in the parking lot of an area gas station over the weekend, according to the Houston Police Department.

The identity of the man is pending notification of family members from the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, according to the department.

Police responded to a Texaco gas station at 14711 Main St. in Independence Heights about 5:30 p.m. Sunday, according to the department, to find the man

in the parking lot of the gas station and having been shot multiple times. He was later pronounced dead at Ben Taub General Hospital, according to police.

There are currently no known suspects or suspect description, according to the department. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call HPD’s Homicide division at 713308-3600 or speak anonymously to Houston Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477 (TIPS).

ment. Paramedics pronounced the man dead at the scene, according to HPD. The department said investigations have indicated the man was walking along the road when a car of unknown make and model drove up, and someone shot the man from inside the car before driving away according to HPD.

HPD said there are currently no known suspects or motive in the shooting. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call HPD’s Homicide division at 713308-3600 or speak anonymously to Houston Crime Stoppers at 713222-8477 (TIPS).

Two dogs saved from Acres Homes house fire

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Two dogs were pulled out of a house after a small fire happed inside a home in the Acres Homes area earlier this week, according to the Houston Police Department.

Nobody was reported injured as a result of the fire, according to the department.

Crews from stations 4, 13, 30, 34, 50, and 67 responded to the 2400 block of Druid Street in Acres Homes just before 7:40 p.m. Monday, according to the department, to find light smoke coming from a one-

story house on the scene and smoke at chest level inside.

After firefighters completed a primary search, the department said crews found and extinguished a fire found in the attic above the kitchen area. They also found two dogs inside the house, the department said, and safely took them outside.

Investigators have ruled the fire accidental, according to the department, with arson investigators determining that the short circuiting of an outlet was what caused the smoke. There was not an immediate estimate of how much property was damaged or saved.

THE TOPICS.

Future of the bathrobe brigade

THE OFFICE – It’s always good to get back to work. Everything I need is right here. The temperature is exactly what I like. My type of music (bagpipe bands) is humming in the background and my co-workers don’t complain. Same for my ci gar smoke. But the com mute kills me. Down the hall, past the kitchen where I get my next cup of coffee, keep going through the din ing room and here to my of fice. That’s because I work at home, and so do millions of other Americans. This is not new, since the pandemic, but what is new is that experts who keep tally on such things say this change in Americans’ work habits appears to be permanent and our lives will never be the same. A generation from now people will say, “It all began in 2020.” Or maybe, “Grandad, did you really go to an office? What’s an office?”

U.S. Presidents get to work at home as do lighthouse keepers, shepherds and January 6th rioters under house arrest. So let’s look at this phenomenon which is unfolding before our very bloodshot eyes –you stayed up late because you didn’t have to set the alarm and get dressed, underwear and bathrobe are the uniform of the day. First, we are over the pandemic hump. Not many people wear a mask anymore. No more standing 6-feet apart. Theaters and ball parks are almost back to normal. The anti-vaxxers are dead. But have you noticed that doctors no longer work on Fridays? Landlords are frantic because their tenants don’t need that much office space. Drycleaners are going broke since office workers no longer dress up for work. Some restaurants have closed for good. Even today they can’t find enough employees. Your order is so slow your hot potato soup became vichyssoise. Blame Dr. Fauci. These matters have probably already changed your life. You may have worked from home since Covid-19 hit town and still do. More than a third of U.S. households report working from home more frequently than before the pandemic. (Before Covid-19 arrived just 5 percent of people worked at home. A huge change.) The switch depends widely on what you do for a living. Those who work from home more report higher income and education and better health than those wage slaves who didn’t change their work habits because

Lynn Ashby

double the percentage (32.1 percent) of households with incomes between $50,000 and $74,999. The lowestearning households were less likely to switch to home work. Only 12.7 percent of households earning under $25,000 reported working from home instead of hitting the warehouse, the kitchen at Whataburger or paving Westheimer. Simply put, the boss is at home and her employees are at work on the job.

Here’s an odd finding by researchers: Stay-at-home workers like to spiff up their office. That makes sense. After spending most of their waking hours sitting in the basement at a computer or on the phone, they may get a new wastebasket, better lighting, turn their man cave into their old digs by putting in cubicles and a water cooler. On average, workers invested 15 hours of time and $560 to upgrade their work space. On top of those expenses by at-home workers is money spent by employers in cloud computing and other technology to deal with their remote workers. Also, there are entrepreneurs who have figured out a way to turn a buck on this new work force: The number of patents for technological innovations to accommodate the stay-athomes more than doubled from January to September 2020. Another finding: spending in city centers has already decreased. Many of the mom-and-pop sandwich shops in office buildings and the tunnels have gone broke, and that appears to be permanent.

OK, that’s where we are now. But where do we go from here? Number crunchers at the U.S. Census Bureau have studied the situation (probably from their homes) and have determined that up to 20 percent of the entire U.S. workforce will continue to work at home permanently. Just mull that over. One out of every five U.S. workers plans to avoid the 9-to-5 Monday-through-

Friday routine from here on. The other 80 percent are wary of mass transit, crowded elevators, and indoor dining. The researchers estimate that the drop in the number of commuters will result in a 5 to 10 percent drop in spending on meals, entertainment, and personal services in major city centers. That spending will be redirected to business establishments closer to workers’ homes. Then there is commuting which pops up time

and again in the surveys. Commuters in New YorkNewark-Jersey City take 37.7 minutes to commute to work one-way each work day. That’s the longest. Next is the Washington, D.C. area at 35.6 minutes and the San Francisco region at 35.2 minutes. The average oneway commute in Houston takes 27.0 minutes. That’s longer than the US average of 26.4 minutes. The busiest times in Houston traffic are, obviously, rush hours: 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m.

It’s interesting that our rush hours are two and three hours long each way. If you go to work five days a week, you spend almost 5 hours a week just sitting in your car. There are Houstonians whose legal voting address is the West Loop. There is one other aspect that we must consider about commuting: hybrid work. More and more employers are allowing their employees to spend part of the week at home and a day or so at the workplace.

Most workers choose to work at home Mondays and Fridays. That is why Happy Hours seem to be busier mid-week. The good news for the boss is that a hybrid workforce is expected to boost productivity by 4.6 percent mainly due to the reduction in commuting. Now strike up the bagpipes! Ashby is home at ashby2@comcast.net

the leader Puzzlers.

WORD SCRAMBLE

Columnist

KEEP YOU MOVING

without joint pain

Live life without joint pain.

At Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, we know that joint pain affects every part of your life. With treatment plans customized for you, our specialists offer a full range of advanced nonsurgical and surgical techniques. Our expert joint care includes:

• Innovative pain control methods

• Physical therapy to improve mobility and range of motion

• The latest technology, including minimally invasive surgical techniques that help reduce recovery time

Memorial City Texas Medical Center Bellaire

713.441.9000

Private school players earn state baseball, softball honors

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

After standout seasons on the diamond, a number of local private high school baseball and softball players have earned their spots among the state’s best as the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) released their all-state teams on May 24.

St. Pius X’s softball team had four total players earn state honors in total, two firstteam selections and two second-team selections. Meanwhile, St. Thomas’ Division I state runner-up team had four total selections while St. Pius X had three baseball players selected.

University of Texas commit Victoria Hunter led SPX’s Lady Panthers in first-team selections following a season in which she led TAPPS Division I in batting average (.625), on-base percentage (.739), and OPS (1.864) according to MaxPreps while placing second in slugging percentage (1.145) and driving in 37 runs to tie for second on the team and smacking a team-leading nine home runs. Sophia Erazo was also a first-team selection after hitting .443 with a 1.092 OPS and 39 RBIs and stealing 10 bases.

Julianne Tresco earned second team honors after hit-

LAndAn KuhLmAnn Editor

ting .382/.418/.527 with a team-leading 13 doubles and 40 RBIs at the plate, as did Brooke Landry following a season where she hit .571 with a 1.368 OPS and the secondmost hits on the team with 48 along with stealing eight bases without bring caught.

Baseball St. Thomas, which made a run to the TAPPS Division I state final before losing to Addison Trinity Christian, had four players selected to the AllState team. Donte Lewis and Jack Clinton led the Eagles on the first team, while Braydan Salinas and Luke Edgecombe made it as second-team selections.

LSU commit Casan Evans led the way on the first team for St. Pius X following their run to the TAPPS regional round, while Ethan McMinn and Jorge Arcia represented the Panthers on the second team.

How to sell a home in Probate

For The Leader

hen a home has been in a family for many years, there is often work involved to get it ready to sell. Whether you are selling because the owner has downsized, moved to assisted living, or passed away, there are a number of issues to consider in the process.

1.     Title Issues

Before selling any property, it is critical to determine who exactly owns it. Often ownership varies from what families think it is. Perhaps a former owner passed away and nothing was ever done to get their name off the title. Perhaps a divorce at some point was never recorded. An attorney can help you research title issues and cure any defects before placing a property on the market.

2.     Picture Ready

Part of properly marketing a home is having it clean, repaired, and picture-ready. When a home has been in the family for years, there are often things that need to be donated, sold, or otherwise removed. Once the home is clear, repairs may also be needed. An experienced probate real estate agent can provide advice, as well as connect you with the appropriate resources and even manage the clean-up process for you. The agent’s

marketing expertise can then bring you top dollar in the sale.

3.     Sales Process

Sometimes the Executor of an Estate can sell a property as if they were the former owner, but many times selling a probate property can have steps that a typical real estate sale does not. For example, the buyer may need a larger earnest money deposit, certain conditions and requirements may need to be met regarding appraisals, notice of the sale may need to be posted in local newspapers to allow other parties to outbid private offers, and you may have to petition the Court for approval of the transaction.

Typical court delays will also need to be communicated to all parties so that expectations are properly managed and the deal can close.

When considering selling property that has been in the family for years, it is a good idea to work with both a real estate attorney and a real estate agent who is well-versed in the process. Fortunately, Jennifer Solak is able to fulfill both of these roles.  In addition to offering probate legal services, Jennifer Solak, in partnership with HomeSmart Brokerage, is also able to represent families in selling their homes.

Please contact SolakLegal at 713-588-5744 or jennifer@solaklegal.com, so that we can help you understand the roles and responsibilities of the probate process and how best to prepare your family’s home for sale.

The information in this

column, which was sponsored by Solak Legal as part of The Leader Expert Series, is intended to provide a general understanding of the law and not legal advice. Readers with legal r real estate questions should consult attorneys or agents for advice on their particular circumstances. Jennifer Solak provides legal and real estate advice for families and businesses and may be contacted at jennifer@solaklegal.com or 713-588-5744.

Most of us that bring you The Leader live right here in your community and we appreciate you reading it every week.

Jennifer

Our new section, Support Local will provide local businesses each week to you, our readers. There is no time like the present to strengthen and invest in our community! Call The Leader at 713-686-8494 or email jblack@ theleadernews.com to advertise

Hymns and Hers.

Hymns and Hers.

Everyone

new, and we warmly invite you to visit.

University of Houston, teaching students entering the field of education. Each year, the recipient receives the recognition as well as a monetary prize for being selected.

“Congratulations to this outstanding Sinclair Super Star student, Elle Sharp,” Baham said.

Sinclair principal Lee Mashburn said Sharpe is the kind of student “who is always on task,

According to the Make Music Houston website, Make Music Day is a national celebration that began in France in 1982 with the French Ministry of Culture. The idea, Livsey said, was for live public performances of music to be performed all day on June 21, with events and performances. The name, Fête de la Musique, is a pun that means “Festival of Music” and “Make Music.” Since its inception, the website says the global celebration has spread to more than 1,000 cities in 120 different countries. Events are free and open to the public, according to the Make Music Houston website.

This year’s Houston rendition will be the third collaboration between the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs and “We are very grate -

mental health calls and robust technology and police overtime are pieces of the puzzle that may prevent someone from pulling the trigger in the future or at least think twice before resorting to violence,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said.

This will be the third buyback event the city has hosted in the last year, with the previous two events collecting more than 2,000 firearms according to the city. City officials also collaborated with Harris County Precinct 1 and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office earlier this year for an event that collected 793 guns according to the city.

Interested community members will be able to drop off their unwanted firearms in the Yellow Main Street Lot of

working hard and paying attention.” She was on the All-A Honor Roll at Sinclair this year and won the Principal’s Award, according to the school.

And not only has Sharpe excelled academically, Mashburn said, but she is also someone who is kind, compassionate, and caring for others without a second thought. Sharpe, who will attend Black Middle School be-

ful to the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs for making Houston part of Make Music Day. Music is inclusive and crosses all borders,” said Valérie Baraban the Consul General of France. “Everyone is welcome to celebrate music in public spaces in Houston. We hope to see many musicians participating and hundreds of Houstonians enjoying free concerts throughout the city.”

And with his band’s quintet set to be part of the action, Livsey said he is hoping to become part of the Heights fabric despite being a relative newcomer – though he said he is no stranger to the area. He has family roots in the Heights going back to near the founding of the neighborhood, he said, and both of his maternal grandparents were born in the neighborhood. And hav -

NRG Park at 9051 Main St. Before coming to the drop-off site, community members are asked to unload their gun and place it in the trunk or rear of their car. Once there, they will be directed to the line where officers will retrieve the guns from the car.

The gun buyback program is part of the Violence Reduction and Crime Prevention section of the Houston Police Department, in which the city said it has committed $1 million to a robust gun buyback initiative to reduce violence and prevent crime by removing illegal or unwanted firearms from the street.

“This community is ready to be part of the solution to end gun violence,” Ellis said Monday.

ginning in the fall, also recently participated in the dedication of the school’s new playground equipment.

“She is collaborative, intelligent and has consistently demonstrated high achievement in all areas,” Mashburn said. “She is independent but also caring and empathetic and understanding.

Sharpe was also a member

ing seen how tight-knit it is, he wanted to be part of building that fabric of the community.

“A lot of us don’t have that bar from Cheers to go where there are those people who share something with you and you have in common with,” he said. “Being a newer person to the Heights, I want to be part of building that community tie. There’s something so beautiful about that.”

And he and the band are hoping that the June 21 performance will be just the start of such events in the community. Houston Heights Brass will play from 7-8 p.m. at Marmion Park, and the concert is free and open for the public to attend.

“When I first moved

of the Sinclair soccer team, according to Mashburn, and when not at play could almost always be found with a book in her hands. She is the daughter of Hallie and Jake Sharp has a younger brother, Owen. In addition to being a star in the classroom, Mashburn said she was active on all fronts and had a passion for learning, reading, and more.

here I was immediately enamoured with the neighborhood, and wanted to contribute,” he said. “The Gazebo at

“Elle embodies what it means to be a SuperStar student and has undoubtedly a bright future in front of her,” he said. Baham, who taught for more than 60 years, remains actively involved in the community volunteering, tutoring, and continues her service in the children’s ministries at St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church.

Marmion Park is a beautiful venue, and the first time I saw it I

Art Valet: Houston artists join new gallery in The Woodlands

In addition to Crowell, other artists joining the new location I’ve interviewed or mentioned in Art Valet include Allison Fox, Michelle L. Huff, Doni Langlois, Lauren Luna, Jeff Lung, Caroline Z. Marcos, Mary Torres and Heiko Weiner.

Ardest Gallery, a fine art gallery that was located in Magnolia, has relocated to The Woodlands, 25200 Grogan’s Park Dr., The Woodlands, Texas 77380. A soft opening is scheduled this Saturday, June 3 from 5 - 8 p.m. and a re-grand opening is scheduled Saturday, June 10 from 4-8 p.m.

I met Julie Verville, Gallery Director and long- time resident of The Woodlands, at a demo class by artist Rikki Mitman at the previous location. The walls and displays were covered in art by artists I know and many that I would wager their names have graced these pages before too. Verville’s use of the former space was impressive, it will be inspiring to see what she can do with more.

“We are thrilled to expand and relocate our gallery to The Woodlands, Texas,” Verville said in a statement. “The additional retail space affords us the opportunity to showcase work by more local artists. In fact, the new gallery location will be home to nearly 30 local 2D and 3D artists and artisans.”

“While the gallery will showcase works by these artists on an ongoing basis, we will also host monthly

curated exhibitions, live music, workshops and classes geared toward all skill levels, including local middle school and high school students, readings and signings offered by local literary artists, artist talks and more,”

shared Verville.

“One of the offerings we are most excited about is our concierge art consultancy. For local residents in search of the perfect piece(s), our gallery experts will pay an in-home or in-

office visit to determine style and budget, source possible works for consideration, then bring selected works for in-person viewing,” Verville said. “We also partner closely with top interior designers in a similar

process.”

During the opening June 10, Ardest Gallery will also be unveiling a solo exhibition by award winning Houston artist Robyn Crowell, entitled “Femme & Flora.”

Curious about the name, Ardest, I could find no meaning and very little else, so I asked Verville where it came from.

“Honestly, I never thought I would be in this business and needed a name quickly that was also available on social media and had an eligible domain. So, here we are!”

With that kind of ingenuity, I’d say Julie Verville is definitely in the right business! Find more on the website https://www.ardestgallery.com/

A reminder that First Saturday Arts Market and The Market at Sawyer Yards are both closed this summer. For new Houstonians, the heat you may have noticed outside is what we call “preheating.” If any changes or popups come up, I’ll notify you dear readers first!

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.

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

A longtime Heights neighborhood favorite ice cream shop has closed the doors on one of its area locations as the company looks to expand.

Fat Cat Creamery, which has operated locations in the Heights and Garden Oaks for more than a decade, was set to close the doors to its Heights location on Memorial Day this past Monday according to a post on the company’s social media accounts.

However, the ice cream shop says customers can still get their fix in the local area, as their Garden Oaks Stomping Grounds location at 1225 W. 34th St., Suite C-300 will remain open. Its hours are noon-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and noon-11 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

“We can’t thank our community enough for the support over the last 10 years,” Fat Cat wrote about the Heights location on social media last week.

The closure comes as Fat Cat is working on a new location at the Hobby Airport, which will be coming to fruition later this summer according to the Instagram post.

“Onward and upward for the cats, come along for the ride,” the shop wrote on Instagram. “We love you so

much.” For more information on Fat Cat Creamery, visit the shop’s website at fatcatcreamery.com.

Rainbow Lodge offering Father’s Day specials

As Father’s Day approaches on June 8, and local community lodge and restaurant is offering specials for the holiday. Treat your great outdoorsman to

a Sunday brunch or dinner on Father’s Day at Rainbow Lodge, 2011 Ella Blvd.

There will be a la carte brunch features including dishes such as Fried Texas Quail and Grits, Duck Chilaquiles, Short Rib Benedict, Rainbow Trout and $2 mimosas.  Reservation times for brunch can be made from 10:30 a.m.3 pm. Dinner reservations can be made beginning at

5 p.m. and until 9 p.m. Dinner menu highlights include steaks, Grilled Bison Tenderloin, Lump Blue Crab Cakes and all the Lodge favorites.

Visit rainbow-lodge.com for more information on the Rainbow Lodge and a menu.

Mitch cohen Art Columnist

Photo from Facebook

A corner of Ardest Gallery display is opening this weekend.

Photo from Facebook

Fat Cat Creamery has closed its location along West 19th Street in the Heights, but the Garden Oaks