Leader0125a

Inside Today: Solicitations for Oak Forest homes lucrative, annoying • Page 1B

��

s ’ e n e l r a D

��

10570 NW Frwy 713-680-2350

Have you voted yet?

THE BRIEF. www.allenSOLDit.com

sponsored by

Ballot on Pages 10-11B

CUTEST DOGS & CATS TO BE NAMED NEXT WEEK Construction Update

��

832.419.9969

HCAD mailing residents homestead postcards

The Harris County Appraisal District (HCAD) has mailed a confirmation postcard to all homeowners currently on file with a homestead exemption. Homeowners should have received a postcard in their mailbox verifying they have a homestead exemption on their property. This is an annual mailing by HCAD to homeowners confirming their homeowner exemption is in place. Homeowners with an exemption are eligible for the tax break the exemption provides. Homeowners do not need to do anything if the type of homestead exemption listed at the top of the postcard is correct. HCAD will automatically renew their homestead exemption unless the property owner informs HCAD differently. Exemptions include Residence Homestead, Over65, Disabled Person Exemptions and Disabled Veteran Exemptions. If the card is returned, HCAD will send out a letter to the owner asking for re-qualification. If no response is received within 30 days after that mailing, HCAD will then remove the homestead exemption for the upcoming year. For more information, visit HCAD. org.

��

What

Can U O YFind Inside

GARAGE SALE: Hope Episcopal Church. Friday-Saturday, Jan. 24 and Jan. 25, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. 1613 W. 43rd. Furniture, kitchen items, pianos and much miscellaneous. TAX PREPARER NEEDED: CPA Firm 290/610 area needs an experienced CPA tax preparer on a part-time basis. Hours ﬂexible. Email john@tcdncpas. com or call John at 713-688-2701. MOW, WEEDEAT, BLOW, RAKE: Leaves, ﬂower beds, appliance pick up. 832-272-3960.

See More, Page 6B

THE INDEX.

Public Safety Hipstrict Topics Obituaries Coupons Puzzles Sports Classiﬁeds

2A 3A 4A 11A 5A 4A 10A 6B

Another Delay TxDOT: 610 ramp will open in March

by Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com

by Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com The construction seems endless but it’s all for a good purpose as Leader residents try hard to remind themselves. In the meantime, Karen Othon, public information officer for TxDOT has an update on current work. The toughest pill to swallow in the short term is the news that the opening of the entrance ramp from IH 610 westbound frontage road past West T.C. Jester has shifted to March as crews work to complete the connector ramp. “This entrance ramp was originally scheduled to open the end of January,” said Othon. “However, due to the excess rain over the last two months and recent winter weather systems that moved through the area, the contractor had to push the date out to March.” She said the contractor is working to build the new elevated connector ramp from IH 610 westbound to US 290. They will begin hanging beams in January, which will take approximately one month to complete. After the bridge beams are set in place, they will begin the process of preparing the bridge decks and pouring concrete. TxDOT estimates opening this new connector ramp by the end of March, which will improve safety and the flow of traffic as motorists who travel to US 290 will be able to enter the two-lane ramp from the IH 610 westbound main lanes before T.C. Jester instead of making the decision at the IH 610/US 290 split. “Safety is TxDOT’s top priority and [we want] to maintain the safety of the traveling public, as well as crews working on the roadway,” said Othon. “TxDOT looks forward to celebrating the opening of both the entrance ramp and connector ramp with the community this spring.” In late 2011, TxDOT closed a portion of the White Oak Hike and Bike Trail for safety of the traveling public as construction crews demolished and rebuilt the IH 610 mainlane and frontage road bridges. “We are pleased to report that plans are underway to reopen the trail this spring,” said Othon. The contractor is also working to reopen the U-turns at Ella in both directions, as well as the U-turn at W. T. C. Jester from IH 610

GO club keeps its beer license

These before-and-after photos show the progress that has been made on the interchange at IH 610 and T.C. Jester (from the south side). TxDOT says the scheduled opening of the ramp in January has been pushed back to March because of weather. (Photos by Jake Dukate) eastbound frontage road. Upcoming lane closures at the interchange include the nightly closures of IH 610 North Loop westbound frontage road at W. T.C. Jester, from 9 p.m.-5 a.m. through February,

as crews hang beams for the new IH 610 westbound to US 290 direct connector ramp.

see Traﬃc • Page 11A

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett’s ofﬁce has ruled to renew the beer license for La Villita Night Club, 829 W. 34th St., despite challenges from State Rep. Jessica Farrar and Garden Oaks residents. Beer licenses are renewable every two years in Texas, and they’re handled by the County Judge. A beer license allows an establishment to serve beer and wine on its premises. In a county as large as Harris County, judges A ‘master,’ have the option appointed by of delegating the county those decisions judge, said to a “master.” there wasn’t Master Bill evidence of Henderson, who presided prostitution at over the protest La Villita Night hearing on Dec. Club. 19, released his ﬁndings in renewing the license for La Villita, which has been open since 1994. “The Master has reasonable grounds to believe that the place or manner in which the Applicant may conduct her business does not warrant a refusal of a permit based on the general welfare, health, peace, morals, safety and sense of decency of the people,” Henderson wrote in his decision. In the decision, Henderson noted that the nightclub existed prior to The Bell Tower, 901 W. 34th. Bell Tower owner Roger Igo was one of the more vocal protesters, saying that the club adjacent to his wedding and corporate event venue posed safety and security concerns. Igo hired a private investigator who “documented what he believed to be activities related to prostitu-

see License • Page 11A

Train derails Carr

One of HHA’s founders removed from park duties by Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com Paul Carr, a lifelong Heights resident and civic leader, will end his longtime association with the Houston Heights Association next month after a disagreement with HHA leadership over the wooden train he built last month in Donovan Park. The 74-year-old Carr, a former HHA president and the organization’s 1979 Citizen of the Year, was employed by the organization as its parks manager. The independent contract position paid $1,100 per month for Carr to take care of Donovan and Marmion parks. Last month, Carr spent $5,000 to build a wooden train at Donovan Park, which he believed children would enjoy. But where there are children, there are liability risks. HHA vice president of ﬁnance and operations Bill

Baldwin said Carr was dismissed from his contract position because he didn’t ask permission to build the train. “The train is a beautiful gift to the neighborhood and the Heights Association,” Baldwin said. “If he wants to remove the train, we’ll let him remove it. If he removes it, it’ll be because he wants to remove the train.” The HHA board approved the donation of the train, accepted its maintenance responsibilities and decided to send an ofﬁcial letter of appreciation to Carr during its monthly meeting on Monday night. “We appreciate the train, and everybody loves it,” HHA president Matt Bedingﬁeld said. Baldwin said there are insurance and safety issues regarding the train, which Carr disputes. Baldwin’s Paul Carr, who was named the Houston Heights Association’s Citizen of the

see Train • Page 11A

Year in 1979, has run afoul of the group after installing a wooden train without permission. In response, HHA removed Carr from his contract job of maintaining Donovan and Marmion Parks. (Photo by Michael Sudhalter)

Page 2A • The Leader • January 25, 2014 • @heightsleader

HPD has six parking spots with no officers to fill them The Houston Police Department has six reserved parking spots at its Near North Storefront located in the Oak Forest Shopping Center, 1335 W. 43rd St. Near North, unlike some of the other 27 storefronts throughout the city, is staffed by four Police Service Officers (PSO) civilian employees, rather than sworn officers. The two main functions of the department’s 27 storefronts are community service/outreach and the Differential Response Team (DRT), which handles code enforcement and non-emergency issues.

The hours of the storefront are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. However, there’s no indication on the sign of hours when those parking spots are available, which effectively means they’re never available. An HPD spokesperson said “it’s very unlikely that those signs would be enforced or vehicles would be towed when the storefront isn’t open…people park in those spots all the time and (the ofﬁcers) don’t say anything. We The Houston Police Department has six reserved parking spots at its Near attempt to be a good neighbor in North Storefront in the Oak Forest Shopping Center, 1335 W. 43rd St. Howthat area.”

ever, the storefront is only open 24 hours per week and does not have any police oﬃcers stationed there.

Center Street Recycling closed, no plans for nearby replacement The Center Street Recycling Center, 3602 Center Street, officially closed on Dec. 31, and the city will have a difficult time finding a new recycling center nearby. “It’s hard to find property for that type of thing,” said Gary Readore, chief of staff for the city’s Solid Waste Department. “It’s not viable economically.” The city sold the property to Admiral Linen and Uniform Service in 2012, and Admiral allowed the city to lease it with the recycling program intact, but they needed to begin using the property in 2014. The Center Street location was the most convenient location for recyclers to use to deposit glass for recycling along with extra volumes of normal recycling materials. This was also the location of monthly electronic waste collection drives. Residents are encouraged to recycle these and other materials at 9003 N. Main St. (just north of Crosstimbers St.). Hours of operation change by the season and are impacted by holidays etc. so call 311 or check at http://www.houstontx.gov/solid-

Theft 12:41 PM 100-199 YALE Theft 10:30 AM 0-99 CROSSTIMBERS Theft 8 PM 3400-3499 NORTHWOOD Burglary 11:30 PM 300-399 VICTORIA DR

JAN. 8

Burglary 4 PM 300-399 19TH ST Theft 7 PM 300-399 19TH ST Theft 7:30 AM 1600-1699 NORTH LP W Theft 8 PM 700-799 TABOR Theft 8:30 PM 1000-1099 THOMPSON Theft 5 PM 1400-1499 GREENGRASS DR

JAN. 9

Theft 9 AM 1500-1599 HARVARD ST Theft 5:45 PM 1100-1199 19TH ST Theft 1:30 PM 900-999 NORTH LP W Burglary 2:35 PM 1200-1299 25TH ST Assault 1:40 PM 500-599 GARDEN OAKS BLVD Theft 6:40 PM 1400-1499 NORTH LP W Theft 6:14 PM 1800-1899 SHEPHERD Theft 1:05 PM 100-199 YALE Robbery 7:15 PM 2000-2099 43RD ST Burglary 6:15 PM 300-399 BIZERTE ST Burglary 12 AM 300-399 SPELL

JAN. 10

Theft 8 PM 1800-1899 HEIGHTS BLVD Theft 8 PM 500-599 19TH ST Theft 10:01 PM 1800-1899 BEVIS ST Theft 11 PM 500-599 MELWOOD Theft 6:30 PM 1400-1499 SHEPHERD Theft 7:30 PM 1800-1899 HEIGHTS BLVD Theft 9 AM 100-199 CROSSTIMBERS Theft 9 AM 5300-5399 YALE Robbery 9:30 PM 3700-3799 WATONGA BLVD Theft 6:30 AM 4000-4099 WATONGA BLVD Burglary 4 PM 2200-2299 PATTERSON Theft 12:30 AM 3300-3399 WHITNEY

Engineers from the City of Houston met with the Garden Oaks Civic Club earlier this month to discuss a proposed $1.75 million storm drainage project for Alba and Brinkman streets. The project, which would begin in 2016, would improve existing storm drainage primarily along Alba and Brinkman. It would modify the street and add sidewalks, driveways and underground utilities. According to the city, the project would reduce the risk of structural ﬂooding. Garden Oaks Civic Club president Sheila Briones said the civic club is “fact ﬁnding” on the proposed project and communicating its input with the city.

JAN. 11

Theft 7:15 PM 200-299 19TH ST Theft 6:45 PM 900-999 34TH ST Burglary 6:50 AM 3900-3999 WASHINGTON AVE Theft 10 PM 1000-1099 SHEPHERD DR Theft 12 PM 2500-2599 AIRLINE DR Robbery 5:55 AM 4200-4299 AIRLINE DR Assault 11 AM 400-499 THORNTON Theft 9 AM 2500-2599 WASHINGTON AVE Theft 4:15 PM 3600-3699 SHEPHERD Theft 12 PM 400-499 OXFORD ST Theft 4:15 PM 1400-1499 PATTERSON Theft 9:45 PM 4500-4599 ELI ST Theft 5 PM 5600-5699 MAXIE Theft 12 PM 2400-2499 WASHINGTON Theft 11 AM 1800-1899 DART ST

JAN. 12

Robbery 9 AM 600-699 19TH ST Robbery 7:45 PM 2700-2799 YALE Theft 5:30 PM 600-699 23RD ST Robbery 7:30 PM 1500-1599 SHEPHERD DR Theft 6:40 PM 900-999 NORTH LP W Theft 12:30 AM 1500-1599 NORTH LP SER Robbery 6:13 PM 4900-4999 SHEPHERD DR Assault 5:50 PM 5600-5699 YALE

Concealed Handgun Classes

WE BUY ALL GUNS

PERSONAL DEFENSE WEAPONS

BUY ★ SELL ★ TRADE

BLACK GOLD GUNS & AMMO 713-694-4867 875 Wakeﬁeld Dr. Licensed FFL/Class III Dealer

Theft 12:30 AM 4100-4199 MARLBOROUGH Theft 9:30 AM 2200-2299 LAMONTE LN Theft 6:30 PM 1000-1099 20TH ST Theft 1 AM 5600-5699 MAXIE Burglary 5 AM 1800-1899 EBONY LN Theft 12 AM 1000-1099 19TH ST

JAN. 13

Theft 11:30 PM 800-899 FOWLER Theft 6 PM 2200-2299 WHITE OAK DR Theft 3:45 PM 100-199 YALE Theft 9 PM 2700-2799 MORRISON Theft 11 PM 5000-5099 YALE

JAN. 14

Attempted robbery at Valero

There was an attempted robbery at the Valero gas station at 7:20 p.m. on Jan. 12 at 1544 N. Shepherd.

The suspects were described as three black males between the ages of 18 and 25, each 5-foot-8 and 150 pounds. All three were wearing ski masks. Police are investigating whether the attempted robbery is related to a robbery at the same location two nights later.

Robbery on W. 19th St.

An 18-year-old woman was robbed of her wallet at gunpoint at 9 a.m. on Jan. 12 in the 600 block of W. 19th St. The suspects were described as black males. One of them was described as 28 years old, 5-foot-10, 200 pounds and wearing a black hooded coat.

��

Storm Drainage project proposed

DON’T BE A VICTIM!

★

Three suspects robbed the AutoZone, 4919 N. Shepherd, at 6:15 p.m. on Jan. 12. One of the suspects displayed a pistol and demanded money from the register before ﬂeeing. The suspects were described as black males between the ages of 18 and 24, 5-foot-7 and 140 pounds. Police are looking into whether the robbery was related to the Jan. 9 robbery of an AutoZone at 2202 W. 43rd St.

waste/index.html before making the drive. Compucycle, 7700 Kempwood Dr. in Spring Branch, remains the most convenient electronics recycling location for the Lazybrook/Timbergrove area.

Police Reports, Jan. 7 - Jan. 16 JAN. 7

North Shepherd Auto Zone robbed

Burglary 11 PM 1400-1499 CORTLANDT Theft 6 PM 1000-1099 STUDEWOOD Theft 6:30 PM 400-499 OXFORD ST Assault 11 PM 1400-1499 WAVERLY Theft 5:15 PM 600-699 22ND ST Theft 6:30 PM 1000-1099 12TH ST Robbery 7:20 PM 1100-1199 11TH ST Theft 7 PM 1000-1099 STUDEWOOD Theft 6:30 PM 1100-1199 11TH ST Theft 10:30 AM 100-199 39TH ST Theft 6:30 PM 1400-1499 KNOX

Theft 12:01 AM 4000-4099 WATONGA BLVD Theft 4 PM 3000-3099 DURHAM DR Theft 6:10 PM 1300-1399 20TH ST Robbery 7:55 PM 3000-3099 ELLA BLVD Theft 10:55 PM 900-999 DURHAM DR Theft 5:30 PM 5000-5099 YALE Theft 11 PM 1500-1599 COHN ST Theft 7 PM 3800-3899 SHERWOOD LN

JAN. 15

Theft 3 PM 2300-2399 SHEPHERD DR Burglary 9:30 PM 2000-2099 DURHAM DR Theft 5 AM 600-699 STUDEMONT Burglary 8 PM 1500-1599 DOROTHY ST Theft 12 PM 1100-1199 MELWOOD ST Robbery 8:21 PM 500-599 CROSSTIMBERS Burglary 7:30 PM 1500-1599 18TH ST Theft 7:05 AM 3000-3099 AIRLINE DR Theft 6:15 PM 400-499 HEIGHTS BLVD Theft 7 PM 100-199 HEIGHTS BLVD Theft 7 PM 5200-5299 EIGEL ST Theft 12:05 AM 1100-1199 WAGNER ST Theft 10 PM 1600-1699 COHN ST Theft 10 PM 300-399 19TH ST

JAN. 16

Theft 7:45 PM 2600-2699 WHITE OAK DR Theft 12 AM 3000-3099 ELLA BLVD Theft 12:03 AM 100-199 HEIGHTS BLVD Theft 9:04 AM 5100-5199 SHEPHERD DR Theft 1:20 PM 100-199 YALE

��

Knowing what you can SAVE on dental care is what keeps our patients smiling ✔ We give second opinions at No Charge - bring your own x-rays. ✔ We readily give cost comparisons - just bring another dentist’s treatment plan to our oﬃce and let us save you some money. If you have a dental emergency, you can call us today, and we will see you TODAY Evening and weekend appointments available for your convenience ��

��

David D. Lewis, DDS • 10% Senior Citizen discounts to everyone over 60 • We accept most insurance plans • We accept Medicaid and CHIPS for children’s dentistry • We accept Adult Medicaid programs

713�861�6250 310 West 19th Street ��

www.southerndental.com

Reports are provided by SpotCrime.com based on data from the Houston Police Department.

��

Baseball Fundraising Event

FULL BAR OPEN

Come Join Us For The Big Game FULL BAR MON. & TUESDAY $2.99 Margaritas MONDAYS House Wine $3.99

HAPPY HOUR Mon-Fri 11-7pm

��

BREAKFAST � LUNCH �DINNER 3452 Ella Blvd • 713-683-3980 ��

��

www.fridamexicankitchenhouston.com

Page 3A • The Leader • January 25, 2014 • @heightsleader

Art a la Carte: Scott wins gold at Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo for second year Funky Chicken 181 Heights Blvd. www.realfunkychicken.com Chicken Dishes: $5.99-$19.99 Vegetarian and Sides: $2.99-$9.49 Chicken Dinners: $26.99-$79.99 Kid Friendly: Full chicken menu for the baby chicks LE’s Favorite: Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Review: Funky Chicken cooks

up delicious Brussels sprouts Although this is a review on a new fried chicken and comfort food joint, Leader Eater is going to spend a lot of this space gushing about Brussels sprouts. Yes, those tightly formed lumps of miniature green leaves that have been the bane of existence for many an American child. Those odd, golf ball-sized hunks of greenery served raw are really quite gross and even steamed emit an acquired taste. But when you roast up these buggers, the little leaves crisp up and branch out like a dried out rose. The pedals, err, sprouts, err, leaves detach from the mothership and leave only what can be described as the Brussels sprout version of an artichoke heart. The Ogden family that runs the new Funky Chicken restaurant has taken this process and supped it up with spices and oil to make the medley of tasty leaves and hearts in the Roasted Brussels Sprouts side a standalone success. Even The Bomber (my ﬁve-year-old going on 15) couldn’t resist taking down a heap of the Sprouts once coaxed into trying the clearly healthy side dish. Denmark’s greatest export was just one part of Funky Chicken’s Big Family Chicken Dinner. The Funky Chicken restaurant on the corner of a strip of retail on Heights Boulevard, as its name suggests, is a poultry specialist. They have chicken by the quarter, the half and even a whole bird fried or roasted. There’s chicken in between bread, in cocoons of

fried batter and even enclosed in a butter milk pie crust. The Big Family gives you one and a half of their chickens (I went with half of the eight or so pieces fried and the other half roasted), three of the sides and a half dozen of their buttermilk biscuits. You can guess what Leader Eater’s favorite side dish was and I supplemented it with fries and their Quinoa Salad, which was also quite tasty with raisins littered throughout for a sweet undercurrent. For a fried chicken joint, Funky Chicken is in the upper strata of offerings for yard bird in the neighborhood. It’s tough to be an old pro like Barbecue Inn in Garden Oaks for fried chicken but Funky Chicken attempts a signature twist with a light coating of what is likely seasoning salt that gives it an added dimension of ﬂavor. The batter is not too thick and quite tasty around the grisly edges of Funky Chicken’s hulking breasts. It is difﬁcult for a walk-up ordering restaurant that focuses on fried bird and buttermilk biscuits to not fall into Popeye’s territory when the chef isn’t at his or her best. What keeps a place like Funky Chicken in another echelon, other than the industrially modern kitsch dining room and Maine Root fountain drinks, is the contemporary quality and healthiness of it side dishes. There might be a dancing chicken on the sign outside this new Heights eatery, but it’s the Brussels sprouts that will keep bringing you back inside.

Tesla Scott, a student at Scarborough High School, won the Gold Medal in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo 2014 art competition for H.I.S.D. This is the second year in a row a Scarborough student has won gold for the Houston Independent School Mitch Cohen District. N i c o l e Arts Columnist Svoronos, Scott’s instructor said, “These kids that win have such a drive towards perfection. Tesla could take the most mundane picture and turn it into something beautiful. She really has a talent for bringing things to life.” An awards ceremony will be held on March 8 for all the winners in Texas to receive their trophies, and the top 40 from the entire state will be auctioned off with the students receiving the scholarship money. Scott’s work will be on display, along with other students from kindergarten to 12th grade, in the Hayloft Gallery throughout the rodeo. The Hayloft Gallery is located in the lobby of Reliant Center.

Thursday, Jan. 23

Chris Hedrick Art Reception, 6-9 p.m. Koelsch Gallery, 703 Yale St. Wood sculpture, with a twist. These sculptures appear to be everyday objects, until you realize they are carved out of wood. Amazing.

Saturday, Jan. 25

The Art of Chili I’m a big fan of chili, isn’t everyone this time of year? There are probably as many variations and arguments about “what is” chili as there are about politics. Two events Saturday will let you decide and satisfy your chili needs. Plus rafﬂes, entertainment and yes, art. Blue Line Team MS 150 Chili Cook-off,11 a.m. Cottonwood Houston, 3422 N. Shepherd Dr. In addition to $5 tasting bowls, attendees can purchase rafﬂe

Scarborough High School student Tesla Scott’s Gold Medal entry at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s School Art Program.

tickets for a shot at a large and varied selection of items from many local area businesses. Entertainment lineup includes Grisbee, Two Fer One, Tommy Lynch and The Journey Agents. For the many who know Blue Line Bike Lab on White Oak, this is them! Odd Fellows Lodge #225 8th Annual Chili Cook-off, Noon-4 p.m. Odd Fellows Lodge #225, 115 East 14th St. Fabulous Trophies by Local Artists and $5 entry fee lets you taste all of the entries. Cash Bar. I attended this one last year and had a blast loved the chili. Just off Heights Blvd. Greetings from LAHOUNY, 6-8 p.m. Avis Frank 1606 White Oak Dr. Ten artists from Los Angeles, New York and Houston. Josh Alan, Sara Jones, Hiyme Brummett, Bryan Schnelle, Siobhan McBride, Annelie McKenzie, Heath West, Loren Erdrich, Eduardo Portillo and Sara Cain Bowen. * Get the acronym now? It took me a minute. Lastly, The Houston Re-Market, Houston’s ﬁrst repurposed market, formerly open on fourth Saturdays is going to a seasonal schedule and will reopen March 28th. The 19th Street Pop-Up Shop at 321-B W 19th St. is open! The Pop-Up, a co-op of artists and designers was thought to close when new owners took over in 2014. Instead, the new own-

ers offered the co-op space back to lease. Good news! First came Winter, then Spring and now Silver? Well yes, I’m talking about studios - the folks who brought Houston Winter and Spring Street Studios have opened Silver Street Studios in the former distribution space occupied by Silver Eagle Distributers. The address is 1501 Silver St., but it can also be

accessed from the parking lot of Winter Street Studios. A sidewalk and wooden esplanade leads you to the entrance. Next weekend is the ﬁrst Saturday, so gear up, lots of art shows coming your way. Cohen is the founder and manager of First Saturday Arts Market. Contact him at ArtValet@gmail. com or visit him on the web at ArtValet.com.

3-7 Daily

Free Wi-Fi

We have a brew for you!

Wide Selection of Ice Cold Beer and Wine www.TheBrewHouseTexas.com

Neighborhood IceHouse

Meet your neighbors, book your party! “Make It Yours” 3542 Oak Forest 713-682-6900

The World’s Most Dangerous Wine Tasting at The Corkscrew The Heights Young Professionals Organization (HYPO) will be meeting at The Corkscrew on Thursday, 6 to 8 p.m. on Jan. 30. At 7 p.m., The Corkscrew Owner and Sommelier Andrew Adams will guide HYPO members through “The World’s Most Dangerous Wine Tasting.” HYPO is a networking group for the young or young at heart in the Greater Heights Chamber of Commerce. For more information, visit http://www. heightschamber.com/hypo. The Corkscrew is located at 1308 W. 20th St. For more information, visit http://www.houstoncorkscrew.com/.

“Come thirsty, and leave in a cab!” Tickets are $25 and will cover admission along with a special glass to hold as much beer as you can drink responsibly. For more information, visit http://www.eventbrite. com/e/2nd-birthday-buff-brewpaloozatickets-8248548631?aff=eorg. Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co. is located at 5301 Nolda Street.

Thirsty Explorer Follow Ivee Sauls on Twitter @ThirstyExplorer. To submit an event, email ivee@theleadernews. com.

Thirsty Explorer

Chili Cook-oﬀ

Cottonwood will be holding a Chili Cook-off to benefit Blue Line Bike Lab and the 2014 BP MS150 from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 25. Bands will include Journey Agents, Tommy Lynch, Two Fer One, and Grisbee. Judging will begin at 7 p.m. with $300 for first prize, $150 for second and $50 for third. Cottonwood is located at 3422 N. Shepherd. For more information, find Cottonwood on Facebook.

Buﬀ Brewpalooza

Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co. is celebrating their second anniversary with a wicked soiree. “Terrible Twos?” Bring it on. Expect: hop tantrums, malty mayhem and even more reckless rule-breaking. The event will take place 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25. “We’ve got a sick shindig planned that will surpass your wildest beer dreams. Last year’s party only had 15 brews on tap. Now that we’re twice as old, we gotta double it up,” said the event details. There will be 30 unique brews for your pleasure, two tricky beers that you didn’t even know they were making, exclusive sneak peeks of their next Secessionist releases, and special glassware to nurse your beer. There will also be Yello Echo to bring the ear jam and Phamily Bites and Grillmaster Quy will be smoking some buffaloes. In the past year, Buffalo Bayou has tripled their production and released 19 different big batches. They challenged their creativity with 24 different secret ingredients and a range of styles including nine Belgians, five Witbiers, five IPAs and three Stouts.

��

NO COVER CHARGE LIVE DJ ��

��

�� Texas Association of Nurse Anesthetists Student Scholarship Fundraiser

Friday February the 14th, we are hosting an 80’s singles dance and drink out fest.

��

The Corkscrew, Houston’s love brokers. Saturday, February 22, 2014 6pm - Midnight

Wakefield Crowbar 954 Wakefield Drive Houston, Texas 77018 • $50 presale (includes 2 drink tickets, appetizers, $500 chips) • $75 at the door (incl drink tickets, appetizers, $500 chips) • $100 entry fee Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament • $25 for add’l $500 in chips Great prizes! Fun event to raise funds for TxANA Student Scholarships For more information, contact joy@wakefieldcrowbar.com Tickets may also be purchased at Wakefield Crowbar

Tickets may be purchased online at www.wakeﬁeldcrowbar.com

1308 W. 20th St. • Houston 77008 • 713-320-8352

houstoncorkscrew.com

Page 4A • The Leader • January 25, 2014 • @heightsleader

PROUD NEWS PARTNER WITH

The only thing constant in this business is change T

here are a few constants around here. First, our weather is schizophrenic. Heater in the morning; AC in the afternoon. Road construction – no matter what we report – is never going to end. It will be 2045, and we’ll still be writing about 610 and 290. And the last constant is that The Leader is always changing. Don’t fret too much just yet. I’ll explain. Back in 2012, when we bought The Leader, we made a few drastic changes in our ﬁrst week. We changed the content. For those who don’t remember, we took a little different approach to how we covered the news, opting for a little more feather-rufﬂing and a little less submitted copy. The second thing we changed was the look of the paper. In marketing parlance, you’d say we “Re-branded” ourselves by modernizing the fonts we use, while presenting news in a different manner. We grouped news together, whether it was this opinion page called “Topics” or our “Public” page, which usually deals with public safety and police reports. And the last thing we changed – externally, at least – was the size of The Leader.

JONATHAN MCELVY Publisher

For about 52 years, this was a tabloidsized paper. As I might have explained way back when, tabloid newsprint is just a cute way of describing a traditional newspaper turned sideways. The paper size is still the same, it just comes off the press a little different. Of all the changes we made in 2012, we really didn’t get many negative comments about the change in content. I got the sense (even when people got mad at us, which hasn’t stopped, by the way) that folks didn’t mind the change to the news we produced. And I never really heard much discussion about our fonts, except the occasional person who said the printing was too light. But, there was one complaint that

THE READER. Historic Ordinance

Dear Editor: Let’s begin with The Leader. C’mon, Mr. McElvy, your very headline, “Preservation Perverted” with dice immediately lets the reader know the article will be unfavorable. You can’t have it both ways. After reading the breathless, detailed descriptions of the failures and frustrations with the process that some homeowners experienced, it appears to me that the process is under review by the appropriate council representatives and the city’s planning department. The chief executive, Mayor Parker, does not need to weigh in until recommendations for changes have been reviewed by satisfied and dissatisfied stakeholder and legal counsel. Bart Truxillo and Randy Pace come to mind as potential resources for you who could assist you in understanding the background for historic districts. Next, not every argument can or should be supported with an analogy. A car is a depreciating asset; a home with land is an appreciating asset. The type of car and its appearance does not affect the market value of an entire neighborhood or even a block within the neighborhood. In the past, so many homes were being scraped, and replaced with inappropriate structures, that something needed to be done. We’ve lived in the Heights for 23 years, and remodeled 2 cottages, so we have some history. I considered sending you some photos as examples, but will leave that for now. Note also, that Norhill and Woodland Heights are restricted by subdivision; they seem to be doing just fine, and both command a higher $/SF than the original Houston Heights subdivision. However, a few years ago, the historical districts were outpacing non-restricted Houston Heights on a $/SF basis. I cannot find a Heights area tax record for M/M Sostak. Are they previous owners? Did they sell? I drove past the other 2 homes, and do regret the frustrations of the owners. Yet, I believe it’s important, no crucial, to find a ‘value-driven solution to gentrification’ as Ms. Glentzer quotes Jeffrey Lowe in her article regarding Project Row Houses. Further, Mr. Lowe says, I’d like to suggest we consider, as neighborhoods change, how we can foster policies that are more likely to ensure that people who’ve lived there for years benefit from the changes.’ Amen to that. Mr. Morris, thank you for your article, ‘Preservation Fight Not Yet History’, and your contacts throughout the piece. It seems to me you’ve spent an inordinate amount of time and ink on a process that is being addressed, and the 28 or so people who’ve been denied permits would be better served meeting with the 280-300 or so people who have successfully obtained permits. Doris Murdock [Editor’s Note: This letter was written to both The Leader and the Chronicle, which published a story on the same topic.] Dear Editor: Thank you, thank you, thank you to The Leader for your very fair and in depth coverage of the Height’s Ordinance mess! I live in the Heights and am thankfully one street out of the Historic District - and am I glad! I hope the lawsuit that is supposed to come to trial in March will overturn this Ordinance that I don’t feel was passed with due process. Thank you again! Mike Scott Dear Editor: Great job publishing some factual, well researched and unbiased articles on the HAHC and the Historic Ordinance. The Houston Chronicle is such a close ally of the mayor that they would never dare to

publish anything comparable. Thanks! Randy Johnson Dear Editor: I am an attorney and a resident of one of the Historic Districts in the Heights. While I strongly support the Historic Ordinance, I also welcome the debate over its implementation. However, that debate is only productive when it is a well informed debate. The Leader completely failed its journalistic duty to accurately inform the public in the article entitled “Court Opinions Suggest Ordinance is Unconstitutional” wherein The Leader fails to accurately report the state of the law on constitutional challenges to historic ordinances. This article claims that the constitutional doctrine of vagueness might render Houston’s Historic Ordinance void because the Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission (“HAHC”) is given subjective discretion to enforce the ordinance. While the ordinance does have objective standards, it does also give the HAHC the discretion to determine whether an application meets the “scale” of the existing structures and whether certain exterior features are “compatible” with existing contributing structures in the historic district. The Leader’s article also suggests that historic preservation may not be a valid exercise of the government’s police power (i.e. health, safety, welfare). The Leader cites two Texas Supreme Court cases, interviews a law professor and notes a presentation to a Municipal Law Seminar in support of its claims. However, The Leader fails to inform its readers that the overwhelming consensus in the courts is that historic preservation ordinances are not void for vagueness and the United States Supreme Court has held that historic preservation is a valid exercise of the government’s police power. In Penn Central v. v. City of New York, 438 U.S. 104, (1978), developers sought to challenge New York’s historic preservation ordinance in order to redevelop Grand Central train station by building a 55 story tall office building on top of it. The United States Supreme Court observed that it was “not in dispute” that “States and cities may enact land-use restrictions or controls to enhance the quality of life by preserving the character and desirable aesthetic features of a city.” Penn Central is widely accepted as firmly establishing that historic preservation is well within the police powers of the government. While the United State Supreme Court has never addressed the issue of vagueness in historic ordinances, it is primarily because there is no controversy in the courts as to whether subjective standards render a historic ordinance unconstitutionally vague. In an article in the Florida State University Law Review entitled “Florida’s Local Historic Preservation Ordinances: Maintaining Flexibility While Avoiding Vagueness Claims”, George B. Abney notes that a broad cross section of challenges to historic preservation ordinances on the grounds of vagueness have failed. In footnote 106 of the article, Mr. Abney cites 19 different cases from jurisdictions across the United States, including a challenge to a Dallas historic ordinance that went before the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, that have upheld historic preservation ordinances despite the use of language like “compatible” and “character” that gave the historic commission subjective discretion to ultimately determine whether an application will be approved. Mr. Abney is unable to cite a single case striking down a historic ordinance on the grounds of vagueness. The Leader claims to have found authority from the Texas Supreme Court that supports its notion that Houston’s historic ordinance may be unconstitutional. They

came from at least a dozen of you, and that was a real dislike that we became a “broadsheet” newspaper. That’s the industry word for a tall newspaper, or a traditional newspaper. Readers who didn’t like the tall paper said it was harder to hold. Harder to read stories. Harder to work the crossword puzzle. Easier to spill your coffee while juggling the paper. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I’m not here to tell you that we’re going back to the olden days. We are not becoming a tabloid newspaper again. However, beginning next week, the size of The Leader is going to change. I’m normally one of those publishers who opts for transparency over surprise, and that’s the point of today’s column. As you all know, the newspaper industry has done a lot of changing over the past six or seven years. Newspapers have shuttered their doors because Google, Facebook, Twitter and aggregations websites turned news into a free-for-all rush of information. Where news might have been a commodity many years ago, news is everywhere. And when that happened, newspapers (and even radio and TV) lost some of their hold on content. Hey, we’re a free-market society, and that’s a good

do not. In Spann v. City of Dallas, the court struck down an ordinance that gave a city inspector the ability to approve or disapprove a building permit within a zoned residential area with no rule or standard in the ordinance to guide the inspector’s approval. Similarly, in Southern National Bank of Houston v. City of Austin, the Court of Civil Appeals in Tyler (not the Texas Supreme Court as claimed by The Leader) held that the ability of a single member of a historic commission to temporarily designate a building a protected landmark was void for vagueness because the ordinance had no standard to guide the commissioner’s temporary designation (the remainder of Austin’s historic preservation ordinance remains intact and is in force today). By contrast, Houston’s historic ordinance does have a standard for what properties can be designated to be part of a historic district and does not leave it up to the unguided discretion of a single member of the HAHC to make that determination. As such, Spann and Southern National Bank of Houston are completely irrelevant. As Mr. Abney notes in his article, the reason historic ordinances have a subjective element is to allow flexibility. When rigid standards are established, “spot zoning” tends to result and the same people who wanted predictability start lining up to seek variances from the one-size-fits all standards. While the extent to which an ordinance balances predictability with flexibility is a worthy subject of debate, there is no dispute as to whether the flexibility of subjective standards is unconstitutional as either being void for vagueness or not a valid exercise of the government’s police powers. Finally, The Leader has done its readers a great disservice. This article obviously had no editorial review by a licensed attorney and was more than likely self edited by Mr. McElvy (sic). Even if a small newspaper like The Leader cannot afford to hire an attorney to conduct a legal review of articles expressing legal opinions, the research into the issue was obviously conducted with either complete blindness due to bias or complete incompetence. As an attorney, I have access to an expensive commercial searchable legal database that I use for legal research. However, it only took me a single google search of “historic preservation ordinance unconstitutional vagueness” to have Mr. Abney’s article pop up as the very first hit. The Leader must publish a proper retraction informing its readers of its failure to accurately report on the state of the law and also reform its editorial process to ensure that this kind of journalistic malpractice does not happen again. Anything short of the foregoing would only confirm that The Leader is nothing more than Mr. McElvy’s personal political blog and not a valid source of community news. Andrew Sharenson [Editor’s Note: The cases questioned in the above letter were provided by an attorney and were presented to a legal professor, who was quoted as saying the ordinance appeared unconstitutional.] Dear Editor: It was with great interest that I read the articles concerning the HAHC in The Leader. I have lived in the Heights since 1983. I live at 1237 Rutland Street which is on the same block as the former Lone Star Poultry plant. For years the residents of the neighborhood have had to endure Lone Star Poultry. Despite LSP having been convicted and fined for federal, state and city labor, immigration and criminal water pollution, the city often turned a blind eye. Lone Star Poultry was a cancer in the neighborhood.

thing for consumers. That also means we have to ﬁnd better ways to compete. One of the ways the big newspapers chose to remain viable was to start cutting expenses in places wherever they could. When we say big newspapers, we mean folks like the New York Times, USA Today and the Houston Chronicle. Many journalists lost their jobs during the Digital Revolution. One newspaper in Chicago ﬁred all of its photographers and armed reporters with iPhones. (That was such a bad experiment that photographers were brought back on board.) I could list 100 other changes made at newspapers, but the reason for today’s column is to explain that one of the costreduction plans was to reduce the size of newsprint. Without getting too technical, there are a couple of major suppliers of newsprint in the United States, and as newspapers have pushed to save on their print bills (which are the most expensive line item on the budget), they’ve reduced the size of the paper. The only problem, at least from where I sit, is that print bills haven’t been reduced for smaller newspapers like ours. Instead, our printers have been kind enough to not drastically increase our

I met Mr. Mike Bastian last week when I was walking in the neighborhood. He introduced himself and told me of his plans for the former chicken processing site. I can not think of anything that would do more to improve the neighborhood than the plans that Mr. Bastian has for the neighborhood. As he described it, the houses would be compatible with the architecture of the existing homes. I was disappointed, but not at all surprised when he said the major hurdle was getting plans approved by the HAHC. This is unacceptable. I recognize the desire of Houston to maintain the character and architecture of historical neighborhoods and buildings. As described by Mr. Bastian the houses he would want to build would have yards and open space. As of right now, all of that land is paved or covered by a concrete building. Mr. Bastian’s plans would help with rain runoﬀ at that end of the street, since it routinely ﬂoods because concrete does not absorb water. There would

bills, which at one time were hiked ﬁve or six percent each year. And I don’t have to tell you how expensive that can get for an operation our size. So we got a call a couple of weeks ago from our printer letting us know that the size of our paper will be reduced. The page you’re looking at today measures 12 inches wide. The same page next week will measure 11 inches wide. The height will still be 21.5 inches, but the width will change. Do you really care? Probably not. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t at least let you know. Journalists are pessimistic by nature, and I’ve always considered myself a journalist. But there are other times when we ﬁnd the light at the end of the newspaper roll. And in this case, I actually think our readers may like it after a couple of weeks. We’ll be the same size as the paper downtown, it will be easier to hold, and we’ll do our best to package our news in a manner that’s enjoyable and surprising every week. If you have any comments, feel free to send me a note.

be less traﬃc at the completion of the project. Eighteen wheelers would park and block the roads at all hours. The city would stand to gain increase in taxes since Lone Star Poultry had paid a minimal amount in taxes according to tax records. The city and the neighborhood would be better served if they were to expedite this project. Apparently doing what is right for the neighborhood is not a priority for the HAHC. I own a vacant lot at 409 West 13th Street. Levitt Partners has a contract on the lot that has endured interminable delays by the HAHC. One of the stumbling blocks was that a member did not like the way the windows looked. Mr. Levitt is a highly respected developer who builds award-winning homes throughout the city. During the delays builders are losing money. If a development meets code and is compatible with the neighborhood then there must be consistent regulations. I was the vice president for the Heights West Homeowners group. We were not in

Email jonathan@theleadernews.com

favor of the historical ordinance because it was so vague. As it was written it would be necessary to obtain permission to change the outward appearance of a structure. I asked a representative of the HAHC if that meant I could not paint my house a diﬀerent color. I was told that was not what it meant, but that was the way it was written. This ordinance needs to be changed. The HAHC needs to be transparent and cease being capricious, petty and overstepping their authority. The goal should be to work with competent licensed builders and do what is right for the neighborhood instead of massaging their ego. Tim Daponte

Lynn Ashby’s column can be found on Page 11A in today’s edition.

The Puzzles. Solutions in this issue’s classsied section.

ACROSS Cont... 44. Moving in a circle 46. College army 47. Radioactivity unit 49. Give a quick reply 52. Spanish appetizers 56. Environment 58. Gold, quartz or iron 60. Fellowes’ Masterpiece series 62. Old style recording 63. Questions

CLUES DOWN

CLUES ACROSS 1. Leopold’s partner in crime 5. Black furs 11. Truman’s hometown 14. Dean residence 15. Chief Polish port 18. Grin 19. Complied with 21. Explosive 23. Perennial woody plant 24. Expression

28. Small Japanese deer 29. Denotes past 30. Bullghting maneuver 32. Deaf signing language 33. Assistance 35. What part of (abbr.) 36. Parts per thousand (abbr.) 39. Two-toed sloth 41. Exclamation of surprise 42. Extinct European ox

SUDOKU

1. Box top 2. Small integers 3. Mild yellow Dutch cheese 4. Bolivian savanna 5. Open air performing for love 6. No matter what or which 7. Religious degree 8. Lower limb 9. Prex meaning inside 10. Crust covering a wound 12. Assail repeatedly 13. Samoyedic (alt. sp.) 16. Damascus is the capital 17. Peeps (Scot.) 20. Transaction 22. Touchdown 25. Associated press 26. An opening between things 27. Increasing 29. Cologne 31. Ethiopia (abbr.) 34. A 24-hour period 36. Kitty sound 37. Prefatory discourse 38. -frutti 40. Biblical Sumerian city 43. Criticize harshly 45. 25th state 48. Comedian Carvey 50. A wild disturbance 51. Pueblo American Indians 53. 9-banded armadillo 54. Arbitrageurs 55. Thai language of Khammouane 57. Atomic #105 58. 1st weekday (abbr.) 59. Fleur-de-___ 61. The 7th tone

Page 5A • The Leader • January 25, 2014 • www.theleadernews.com

THE COUPONS. To place an ad on the most popular page in the Leader, give us a call at (713) 686-8494 and ask for one of our professional sales executives

• LIMIT THREE COUPONS PER TABLE • Full Service Bar - 13 oz. Regular Margaritas $2 Weekdays & Saturdays 3:00-6:00 pm. Sunday - All Day

Mexican Restaurant

5305 Antoine @ Pinemont 713-682-3853

FAJITAS FOR TWO

5 OFF DINNER

$

14

$

Party Room Available

45

Buy One Dinner And Receive $5 Off WITH THIS COUPON Second Dinner Of Equal Or Lesser Value. DINE IN ONLY.

VALID MON.-FRI. 3 PM TIL CLOSING AND ALL DAY SAT. AND SUN.NOT VALID WITH OTHER OFFERS. OFFER EXPIRES 2-9-14

DINE IN ONLY. THIS COUPON GOOD MON. THRU FRI. 3PM TIL CLOSING. THIS COUPON ALSO GOOD SATURDAY AND SUNDAY 11:00 UNTIL CLOSING. EXCLUDES ALCHOLIC BEVERAGES NOT VALID WITH OTHER OFFERS. OFFER EXPIRES 2-9-14

��

Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm is there.® Como Un Buen Vecino, State Farm está ahi.®

Discounts of up to Descuentos de hasta un

40

%

Free $5 Gift Card

en Seguno de Auto on Auto Insurance

Sun.-Thurs. 10:30-9 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 10:30-10 p.m.

Limit one coupon per customer can not be combined with other offer. • Offer expires 2-9-14

�� (290 @ Fairbanks N. Houston) ��

3303 N. Main Ste. 2 • Houston, TX 77009 | angelicainsurance.com

BUY ONE BURGER GET ANOTHER ONE FOR

Buy One Regular Buffet and Two Drinks & Get A Second Buffet of equal or lesser value FREE

��

(832) 548-8000

Angelica Vasquez

��

With this coupon when you visit us for an auto or home insurance quote. *For new customers only. No purchase required. Must be 18 years. One per household.

99

¢ 5 OFF

ONLY

expires 2-7-14

$

Buy One Dinner And Receive $5 Off Second Dinner of Equal or Lesser Value. (Includes Fajitas for 2 Special)

• Dine-in-only • 1 Coupon per table, please • Present coupon when ordering • Offer good Monday thru Friday 3:00 PM - 9:30 PM only Saturday and Sunday 11:00 AM - 9:30 PM • Expires 2-9-14 • Full bar and open air patio

��

I WO AMIGOS

2211 West 43rd 713-686-7078

14121 N.W. FREEWAY

HOURS: 10:30 am - 10:00 pm • 7 days a week

713-462-4321

Highway 290 @ Fairbanks North Houston in Kroger Center

Authentic Mej icano Cuisine

�� Buy 1 Dinner and 2 Drinks, Get 1 Dinner Free (up to $10.00) One coupon per table

��

Dine In Only After 3:00 pm • Expires 2-9-14 ✓ DAILY LUNCH SPECIALS ✓ BAR FACILITIES ✓ TAKE-OUT ORDERS AVAILABLE

2615 Ella Blvd. @ 27th ◆ 713-868-5232

Mexican Restaurant OPEN Monday - Saturday 8am - 10pm & Sunday 8 am - 4pm

�� With purchase of another Sundae of equal or greater value.

��

� ��

��

With purchase of one dozen glazed donuts.

FREE!

EXPIRES 2-5-14.

��

Available for Any Occasion or Holiday

��

Buy 6 Glazed Donuts Get 6 Glazed Donuts

EXPIRES 2-5-14.

Good at this location only. One coupon per visit. Tax not included. Not valid in conjunction with other coupons.

3410 Ella Blvd. at 34th St.

(713) 682-4343

FREE DINNER Buy 1 Dinner Get 1 Dinner FREE ★ Coupon value up to $4.95 ★

Dine-In Only. No Takeout Orders. Good 3-10 p.m. only.

• Not available on Senior Citizens or Kids Menu • One coupon per table / one coupon per family ORIGINAL COUPON ONLY! No copies accepted • Must be presented before ordering • Expires 2-9-14.

* Lunch Specials Daily * Take Out Orders Available * Complete Bar Facilities * Party Room Available (Seats 85)

��

�

��

With this coupon. One coupon per customer. This location only. Expires 2-7-14

��

Get 1/2 dozen glazed donuts FREE with purchase of one dozen donuts or more.

Happy Hours: Mon-Thur 4-8

4618 Dacoma

(Between Hwy. 290 and Mangum)

(713) 680-0825

I’M IN PAIN...CAN CHIROPRACTIC HELP ME? CONDITIONS THAT ARE DANGER SIGNALS • Headache • Arthritis • Loss of Sleep • Scoliosis • Leg & Arm Pain & Numbness • Backache • Tension •Whiplash

29

$

95 EXAM & X-RAYS Reg. $140.00

Must present ad at time of appointment. Expires January 31, 2014.

HUDSON CHIROPRACTIC

We Accept Medicare, Medicaid & Insurance, WORKERS COMP. 1820-1 W. 43rd. St. Se Habla Español (713) 290-1905

Buy 1 dinner and get 5 Off second dinner of equal or lesser value. $

�� 2728 West T.C. Jester @ 610 • 713-680-8011 11550 Louetta • 281-251-0206

Coupon good at all 3 locations. Open Mon.-Sat. 11-10, Sun. 11-9

�� Tuesday- Friday 11am - 7pm Sunday & Monday - All Day

Frozen Jumbo Margaritas $5.95 or 10 oz. $2.95 - regular or ﬂavored -

Includes 2 Quarter Pound Basic Burger Baskets & 2 Drinks est of 201

3

• Dine-In Only • This coupon good Mon.-Fri. 3 p.m.-10 p.m. • This coupon also good all day Sat. & Sun. • One coupon per party • Excludes alcoholic beverages • Not valid with other specials, special dinner menu or half orders • Expires 2-9-14

9

‘TWO CAN DINE’ $ 99

The al in Orig

B

��

�

Readers Choice

VOTED 2013 BEST Hot Wings & Hamburgers

Voted Best Burger Joint by Michael Berry Show M-F 10 AM-9 PM • SAT 11 AM-9 PM • SUN 11 AM-5 PM

5503 Pinemont��713-683-6700 www.littlebittyburgerbarn.com

Page 6A • The Leader • January 25, 2014 • @heightsleader

Waltrip JROTC boosts conﬁdence in its members by Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com Waltrip High junior Elizabeth Lenich credits the school’s Army Junior Reserve Ofﬁcers’ Training Corps (JROTC) with keeping her in high school. “I come from a broken home, and I was planning on dropping out,” Lenich said. “JROTC really changed my life. I knew I could be accepted and be happy.” Lenich, 17, transferred to Waltrip from Westside as a freshman and took the class during the second semester. “I really liked the class,” Lenich said. “It gave me leadership skills, and I stayed in the program.” Lenich is one of 163 students

in Waltrip’s JROTC program that emphasizes leadership, respect, and community service. Her goal is to join the Army Reserves and become an Army psychologist. While some of the students choose to enlist in the military after they graduate from WHS, it’s not a requirement or an objective of the JROTC program. The class is taught by Ret. U.S. Army 1st Sergeant Reginald B. White, a Houston native who served in the Army for 21.5 years. “I was from a broken home, and ROTC was my way out,” White said. “I believe in giving back. The passion I have for this job is unbelievable. this is one of the jobs I’d do for free.” Waltrip’s JROTC has drill, ﬁt-

ness and color guard teams with about 60 of the students dedicating a substantial amount of time to the program. Waltrip senior Rebecca Alexander, 19, is the battalion commander in charge of the 163 students, most of whom are underclassmen. “It has improved my high school experience and pushed me beyond what I thought I could do,” Alexander said. “I have someone to go to for help or guidance when I need it.” Alexander plans on joining the Army Reserve with the goal of becoming a nurse -- a plan she shares with 16-year-old junior Karla Perez. “I like the responsibility it gives me,” Perez said. “It helps me grow

Wainwright looks to get off probation

Eastman sworn in

by Mike Tauser For The Leader

HISD District I Trustee Anna Eastman is sworn in Thursday afternoon for her second term, as husband Brad, sons and an exchange student living with the family look on. Eastman had been serving as board president for the past year, a post she relinquished Jan. 24 at the board’s annual retreat, when it chooses new oﬃcers. (Photo by Dave Einsel/HISD)

THE CALENDAR. OPEN HOUSE St. Jerome’s Catholic School St. Jerome’s, 8825 Kempwood, will host open houses on Sunday, Jan. 26 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and Monday, Jan. 27 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. For more information, log on to www.stjeromecs. org or call 713-468-7946.

CITIZENSHIP CLASSES N.A.L.E.O. and The Mainstream Connection Citizenship classes will be held at 201 E. 9th St. on Mondays at 7 p.m. beginning Jan. 27. ESL will be held 7 p.m. on Tuesdays. Information: 713291-2202, www.themainstreamconnection.org. HEIGHTS MEET AND GREET Miniature Schnauzer Rescue The Miniature Schnauzer Rescue of Houston will host a meet and greet from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Feb. 1 at 811 Yale St. Preregistration for pet adoption is available in advance by visiting the website. Information: 713-513-7811, www.msrh.org. FREE CONCERT ‘SERATA LIRICA’ All Saints Cultural Arts Series A free concert “Serata Lirica” will be followed by a light dinner at All Saints Catholic Church, 215 E. 10th St., at 5 p.m. Feb. 9. Italian tenor Angelo Ferrari will be accompanied by Frankie J. Kelly on the piano and joined by soprano Priscilla Salisbury. Information: 832-641-6319, www.incantoagency. com. PANCAKE BREAKFAST SEEKING VOLUNTEERS Garden Oaks Montessori PTO Volunteers are needed in various positions for the 20th Annual Community Pancake Breakfast and Silent Auction. Shifts are 1-2 hours with some positions providing opportunities to help from home or prior to the event. All volunteers must be VIPS approved. Information: 713-696-2930. 2ND ANNUAL DRESS DRIVE Waltrip HS JROTC (9th Battalion) Donations are needed of semi-formal and formal dresses for females who need them for upcoming events. Donations can be dropped oﬀ from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday at Waltrip High School, 1900 W. 34th St. in building T-4. Information: elizabethlenich@yahoo.com, elizabethlenich.wix.com/jrotc9thbattalion. CHILDREN’S RAFFLE Leather Apron Foundation A children’s raﬄe with toys for prizes will be held 6-11 p.m. Jan. 25,

at SPJST, 1435 Beall St. The proceeds benefit the family of Matthew Garman. Tickets can be purchased on the website. The cost is $10 per child (age 5-12), age 4 and under are free. Adult tickets are $25. Enjoy unlimited barbecue and a live band. OLDIE AND GOODIE CAR SHOW Adolf Hoepfl and Son Garage Gear up for the fourth annual car show to be held from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Jan. 25 at Adolf Hoepfl and Son Garage, 4610 N. Shepherd. Early registration is $15 and includes a T-shirt and goody bag. Event day registration is $25. Participation is limited to the first 30 cars that register. Proceeds will benefit the Unit 808 of the Texas National Guard which was recently deployed to Afghanistan. Information: 713-695-5071, after hours 713-826-1603, www.adolfhoepfl.com. FIRST FINANCIAL NIGHT GHACC/Waltrip High School The Greater Heights Area Chamber of Commerce and Waltrip High School are co-sponsoring a free night of financial information from 6-8 p.m. Jan. 28. The event will be held at Waltrip High School, 1900 W. 34th St. Information: 713-861-6735, www. heightschamber.com. ‘DON GIOVANNI’ PREVIEW Opera in the Heights Ann Thompson will preview Opera in the Heights’ production of Don Giovanni at 1517 Bracher St., Houston 77055. The presentation will be 7:309:30 p.m. Jan. 29. The cost is $5 and includes refreshments, visuals and commentary. Information: 713-4650755.

Reunions JOHN H. REAGAN CLASS OF 1974 REUNION Cadillac Bar The 40-year reunion will be held from 6-11:30 p.m. April 12, at the Cadillac Bar, 1802 Shepherd Dr. Early reservation cost is $50 per person if postmarked by Feb. 15; $60 per person thereafter and at the door, and includes appetizers, dinner, dessert, music and dancing. There will be a cash bar and a silent auction. Checks or money orders should be made payable to: John H. Reagan Class of 1974. E-mail Karen (Andrews) Kowal (karen. andrews44@yahoo.com) for payment mailing information.

as a person to be more confident in myself and things I do.” The JROTC’s community service projects include feeding the homeless, reading to elementary school children and visiting nursing homes. They’ve also presented the colors at Houston Rockets home games. In February, the JROTC program will participate in a beautification project at Stevens Elementary School. “My job is to challenge every student I have and to build their confidence,” White said. Waltrip JROTC is currently doing a “Dress Drive” to raise donations and money for dresses so its female students will be able to Waltrip High junior Elizabeth Lenich credits the school’s JROTC program with have dresses for the Military Ball keeping her from dropping out two years ago. (Photo by Michael Sudhalter) and the school prom.

Wainwright Elementary School recognizes how important the school’s magnet program is to the community, and the faculty is intent on getting the program “fixed” and off of probation. In fact, Principal Christina Aguirre-Oliva had already begun carrying out a plan to improve the school’s performance when the district informed her that Wainwright was at risk of losing its magnet funding. The first step in the improvement plan was a strong commitment to keeping class sizes small. Currently every classroom from Kindergarten through Fourth Grade at Wainwright has no more than 22 students. The school’s fifth grade classes are slightly larger, but their size is kept as small as possible also. AguirreOliva has been able to maintain the small class size by adopting a restrictive policy when considering transfers of students zoned to other schools. With crucial small classroom sizes as-

sured, Aguirre-Oliva instituted a system of intense tutorials geared towards both struggling students and those who are performing ahead of expected levels in the classrooms. The school’s team of tutors, which will number seven by the end of January, works with the school’s leadership to analyze data and create a speciﬁc plan of improvement for each student. Various small groups of students are pulled out of classes throughout the week in order to receive their specialized instruction. Organizing the school’s schedules to accommodate the specialized instruction every week is a monumental task for the school’s administration. “It takes a lot of time to keep running,” Aguirre-Oliva said. However, the effort is necessary if the school is to reach its goal of getting off of probation. “We want off the list,” the principal stated emphatically. Wainwright isn’t alone on the district’s probation list. Three other schools in The Leader area are facing the loss of funding for their magnet programs if they are unable to improve their performance on

this spring’s STAAR test. In the fall of 2013, Helms Elementary, Hogg Middle School, and Scarborough High School learned that they are on the district’s probation list due to their “Needs Improvement” ranking from the Texas Education Administration. In the event that a school fails to get off of probation this school year, its magnet program will be phased out over the next two school years. The phase out plan calls for magnet funding to be cut by 50% for the 2014-15 school year. In 2015-16, phased out schools will operate entirely without magnet funds. According to David Wheat, Assistant Superintendent of HISD’s Ofﬁce of School Choice, there is the possibility that a school could receive an additional year of probation if they fall short but show sufﬁcient progress this school year. However, Wainwright’s principal is not counting on an extra year of probation for her school. Aguirre-Oliva has her plan in place and she wants to get off the list now.

Emergency? Log on. Check in. Get seen. Check in online to the Northwest ER with ScheduleNow. With Memorial Hermann’s online scheduling tool, ScheduleNow, you are a few clicks away from checking in to our ER. Simply head to our website, choose the best time for you and reserve your spot. Once you arrive, a healthcare professional will see you within 15 minutes.

memorialhermann.org

If you have symptoms of heart attack or stroke, or other life-threatening conditions, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room (ER) immediately. ScheduleNow should only be used if you have a non-life-threatening situation that requires urgent attention.

Page 7A • The Leader • January 25, 2014 • www.theleadernews.com

Timbergrove resident sworn in as HISD’s new police chief by Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com Houston ISD Police Chief Robert Mock has nearly 30 years of law enforcement experience and a strong appreciation for leadership. With 207 sworn ofﬁcers, a 45member support staff and 600 part-time crossing guards, HISD PD is comparable to the size of a police force for a city of 100,000 residents. Mock, a Timbergrove resident who grew up in Oak Forest, said having a good group of employees is very important. “I’m still learning every day,” Mock said. “It makes my job easier

just by the good people we have. I’m fortunate to have a good team behind me.” Mock, 52, joined the Houston Police Department in the mid 1980s and enjoyed a 22-year career with a variety of experiences, before retiring and joining HISD PD as assistant chief. He served under HISD PD Chief Jimmy Dotson, a former HPD colleague, for six years. “He had a lot of experience and was very informative and a good coach,” Mock said. “I learned a lot about patience and humility from Chief Dotson.” After Dotson retired earlier this month, and Mock was sworn in as chief.

Mock, who graduated from the FBI National Academy and has earned a Master’s in Criminology from the University of Houston, said his goal is to keep the department moving forward and to establish safe environments. He wants to echo the district’s overall goal of “becoming great all over.” Among his goals are retaining ofﬁcers who are hired by the department and to maintain the strong partnerships with HPD and the Harris County Sheriff ’s Ofﬁce. Mock was born at Heights Hospital and attended St. Ambrose Catholic School. His family moved to Navasota, near College Station,

when he was in high school. He graduated from Navasota High and worked in construction for six years before returning to Houston to attend HPD’s Academy. “It was a stable career, and I wanted to give back to the community,” said Mock, who grew up on a street where several HPD ofﬁcers lived. He began his HPD career with seven years in a patrol unit and later worked in several administrative and investigative functions. He retired as a lieutenant with the department’s Homicide Division. Mock said he enjoys living in Timbergrove because it’s quiet yet Robert Mock, a Timbergrove resident, was sworn in as HISD Police Department’s new chief earlier this month. (Photo by Dave Einsel/HISD) close to downtown.

Hamilton Middle School preps for new mascot Authors with local ties debut new books by Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com

The Houston ISD board of trustees voted to approve a new mascot policy last week. Hamilton Middle School currently has the Indian as its mascot, but the Heights-based school will be required to ﬁnd a new mascot, beginning with the 2014-15 school year. (File photo) Hamilton Middle School is one of four Houston ISD schools that must change its mascot before the 2014-15 school year begins. The HISD board voted on Jan. 16 to approve a new mascot policy that prohibits the use of any race or ethnic group as a mascot or nickname. “We realize – especially after the December meeting – that this is an issue which brings out deep emotions on both sides,”

said Chief School Support Ofﬁcer Drew Houlihan. “While traditions are important, they do not trump kindness and respect. We owe that both to the students at these schools and to the community at large. Hamilton, which opened in 1919, has long been known as the Indians, but they’ll follow district policy in choosing a new mascot. The other schools required to change their mascots are Lamar

High (Redskins), Westbury High (Rebels) and Welch Middle (Warriors). Hamilton principal Wendy Hampton said the school will follow district guidelines in ﬁnding a new mascot, including hearing community and student input over the next few months. She said Hamilton will work closely with the other three schools to coordinate their respective transitions.

RICE PARALEGAL GRADUATE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM:

Suit up for your future TWO CLASSROOM SECTIONS

Evening Section Classes begin January 27 NEW Daytime Section Classes begin April 4 Join us on the Rice campus for an information session at 10 a.m on February 12 or March 4. “I would not have been able to make it this far in my career in such a short time without the Rice program.” - EMILY SHAW, PAST PARTICIPANT

Register today.

|

paralegal.rice.edu 713.348.6167

Hampton expects to have a new mascot selected by May or possibly sooner. She said there may be some costs associated with the mascot change, but the majority of it will be re-painting the walls of the school. “Fortunately, the school athletic uniforms and school uniforms don’t have the mascot on it,” Hampton said.

Two authors with ties to The Leader area have recently written new books. Heights resident Diane Daniels Manning, a co-founder of New School in The Heights, wrote “Almost Perfect”, a story about an old woman who has given up hope and a boy who believes the ideal trip would be atttending the Westminster Dog Show. Cathy Compton Kurtz Manning is donating 100 percent of the proﬁts from the book side of College Station. Kurtz would have been on to children’s and animal charithe plane, but she had stayed in ties. The book sells for $3.99 apiece College Station to attend a Texas A&M football game with her on Amazon.com. Former Lazybrook resident younger brother. Many Houstonians who lived Cathy Compton Kurtz recently released her debut book, “Living in the city in the mid 1970s know of Compton’s tragic death, but Through The Pain.” Kurtz graduated from Sinclair this is the ﬁrst time that Kurtz has Elementary, Hamilton Middle shared her story. Kurtz, who now lives near SacSchool and Waltrip High School. ramento, Calif., experienced a She’s the daughter of popular Houston television and radio great deal of emotional pain and personality Dewey Compton, stress in the decades following who was one of the city’s premier the tragedy. She said it was important to agriculture reporters from 1952 write the book, so that other to 1976. In 1976, Compton’s parents, people could learn how to better along with her brother and sister- cope with tragedy. in-law died in a plane crash out-

Page 8A • The Leader • January 25, 2014 • @heightsleader

NEWS FROM YOUR PEWS

St. Matthew’s Garden Club meeting

The St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church Garden Club will have a meeting at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 23, in rooms 104 and 105. Hostesses for the meeting will be Mary Gebhart and Adele Collins. A program will be presented by Colleen Roberts, who maintains the ﬂowers and shrubs and other landscaping around the church grounds. St. Matthew’s welcomes a new secretary, Rita Molitor. Rita will work the ofﬁce, do newsletters, bulletins and other secretarial duties. The church is located at 4300 N. Shepherd Dr. For information, call 713-697-0671 or visit the web site at www.stmatthewsmethodist.org.

Garage sale at Hope Episcopal

Hope Episcopal Church, 1613 W. 43rd St., will hold a giant garage sale from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Jan. 24 and Jan. 25. There will be furniture, pianos, kitchen items and more. For information call 713-681-6422 or visit www.hope-episcopal.org.

Scouting for Food Drive at St. Stephen’s

Boy Scout Troop 604, Cub Scout Pack 604 and Sea Scout Ship 24 will join other Scouts to help ﬁght hunger in Houston by participating in the annual Scouting For Food drive, in partnership with the Houston Food Bank and Souper Bowl of Caring. The Scouts will distribute door hangers in the community to announce the food drive Jan. 25. Scouts will return Feb. 1, to pick up and deliver donations to local food banks and pantries. St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church is located at 2003 W. 43rd St. Call 713-686-8241 for information.

Opera in the Heights soprano performs at Heights Christian

Heights Christian Church, 1703 Heights Blvd., is having a special music performance at the 10:45 a.m. worship service Jan. 26. Kaitlyn Costello, a soprano with Opera in the Heights current production of “Don Giovanni” will perform. For information, call 713-861-0016.

Chocolate Valentine Fantasy at St. Rose

St. Rose of Lima Altar Guild will hold a Chocolate Valentine Fantasy featuring a chocoholic feast and games. The church is located at 3600 Brinkman and the event will be at 7 p.m. Feb. 7. The cost is $10 per person. Proceeds go towards the St. Rose ministry. Information: 281-6105608, www.stroseoﬂima.org., gcolonetta@sbcglobal.net.

Vendors needed for St. Andrew’s Spring Bazaar

IMPROVING YOUR APPEARANCE

Bubblefest! children’s event at The Vineyard

The Vineyard Church of Houston, 1035 E. 11th St., will be hosting Bubblefest! from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. April 5. This children’s event celebrates all things bubbles; foam pits, photos, games, food, and music. Bubblefest was voted Heights favorite community event, geared towards children 3-12 years old. 713-869-9070 or visit www.houstonvineyard.org for informaAdCall # 31448 tion.

Chris’

Pet Cremations

Since 1978

5500

$

Alterations & Dry Cleaning

from up 281-741-8611

Mon-Fri 7 am - 6 pm, Sat 8 am - 3 pm

# 36378 Ad 1765 W. 34th • 713-682-8785

Caring & Professional • est 2003 Family/owned/operated houstonpetcremationservices.com

TOTAL FOOT CARE

Barry P. Weinstein, DPM

Nail Laser Center Of Houston All Saints Third Age Learning Center will hold its 2014 Spring Registration for classes and activities from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 23. RegistraAdult & Childrens’ Foot & Ankle Disorders tion will take place in the church parish hall, 215 E. 10th St. Classes begin • Nail Laser Treatment • Sports Injuries Feb. 3, and late registration will continue Feb. 3-Feb. 14. • Ingrown Toenails • Corns • Calluses TALC offers a variety of classes and activities for seniors 50 and older. • Warts • Bunions • Heel & Arch Pain Some of the classes offered for the 2014 Spring Semester include water• Hammertoes • Orthotics • Diabetic Foot Care coloring and art, woodworking, stained glass, exercise, computer, line 713-680-1979 dancing, sewing/machine quilting and more. Monthly parties are held www.barryweinsteindpm.com as well as birthday celebrations, seminars and day trips. www.NailLaserCenterHouston.com Seniors can enjoy a full course hot lunch for a nominal fee of $2. 4234 Ella Boulevard • Houston, Texas 77018 Lunch is served Monday through Friday during the semester at noon. Lunch reservations are encouraged and can be made by calling 713-248- Ad # 34143 1277 by 10:30 a.m. weekdays. For information call 713-248-1277.

Make a difference in the community by volunteering just a few hours, one day a week. Ministry Assistance of the Near Northwest Alliance (MANNA) a coalition of churches and community partners, provides social services in near northwest Houston, is seeking volunteers for the Assistance Program, Vision Center, Food Pantry and Resale Store. Students at least 16 years of age are welcomed. All volunteers must attend a training and orientation session. MANNA Resale Store is pleased to announce it has extended its hours and is now open MondaySaturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. to better accommodate the community. MANNA is looking for sociable and extroverted volunteers who enjoy planning events to help further the mission of helping those in need in the community. MANNA is looking for group(s) or individuals who would like to serve on its fundraising committee. For information call Patricia Dornak at 713-504-5486 or email her at pdornak@gmail.com.

Learn dances and rhythms from around the world. Mondays 7:30-10PM ODDFELLOWS HALL - upstairs, 115 E. 14th St. www.folkdancers.org Ad # D

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 1819 Heights Blvd., will host a Spring Bazaar from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. March 1. The bazaar will take place rain or shine. Artists, crafters and specialty vendors are needed to ﬁll the booths at the event. Vendors interested in showing and selling their wares in the bazaar can call 713-861-5596 or register online at www.saecheights.org.

All Saints TALC to hold spring registration

MANNA needs volunteers

��

Chase Baker, D.D.S.

I

f you would like to improve the appearance of your teeth and smile, ask your dentist about porcelain veneers to mask any chips, gaps, discolorations, or other imperfections. Your smile can be an asset when your teeth and gums are healthy and shaped to show you off at your best. Imperfections in the shape, color, or condition of the teeth, however, can make you self-conscious as well as detract from your general appearance. The porcelain veneer involves repairing and reshaping damaged tooth surfaces and applying a thin shell of tooth colored porcelain through a chemical bonding process. This procedure is as long-lasting as crowning a tooth and requires less tooth reduction. Porcelain veneers are some of the most beautiful cosmetic dentistry that is available today. If you are bothered by imperfections in your teeth and would like to have them treated, now is a great time to discuss your options with your dentist. Prepared as a public service to promote better dental health. From the ofﬁce of: Chase Baker, D.D.S., 3515 Ella Blvd., 713-682-4406. Ad # 29672

InvestInvest in Your Future in Your Future Through America’s Past Through America’s Past

Routine Male Cat Neuters

Ad # 36774

49

$

Aztec Storages West 34th St.

(Between Ella & T.C. Jester)

New Well Puppy & Kitten Exam

Lowest Prices in Town!

FREE

No Deposit No Late Fees Controlled Access Lighted & Secure

Dog Rabies Vaccination

28

Years

8

$

of quality care for your family pets

COVERED STORAGE NOW AVAILABLE 12'X30'

75*

* With Wellness Exam

U.S. Coins

Authorized Dealer : PCGS Appraisals given for banks, estates, attorneys, insurance and individuals.

8435 Katy Freeway, Houston, Texas 77024 PHONE 713-464-6868 FAX 713-464-7548 www.buyuscoins.com

Toll Free Number (888) 502-7755 Louisiana Ofﬁce (337) 291-1191 Ad # 35523

FAMILY DENTISTRY State-of-the art procedures, instruments & techniques

“One of Houston’s Top Dentists” — HTexas Magazine 2004-2011

Call About Cat Vaccines

Call us and compare our prices to

Forest West Animal Clinic

ANY OTHER FACILITY! 713-681-1383

5315 Antoine@ Pinemont

713-688-9625

Hours: M-F 7am-6:00pm Sat. 8am-12 Noon

NEW PATIENT SPECIAL

Exam, X-Ray & Cleaning $ Regularly $100

70

Mathew Naftis, D.D.S. w w w. d r n a f t i s . c o m

1214 W 43rd Ste 300

CARE

CREDIT

Church Guide

Gospel Truth Church Sunday 10:30 am Worship and The Word Children’s Church Wednesday 7:30 pm Life Equip classes for all ages

GETHSEMANE LUTHERAN CHURCH Reverend John Cain, Pastor

Worship Services 8:00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. (Nursery Provided) Sunday School & Bible Classes 9:15 a.m.

1624 W 34th • 713-686-7689

“The Heart of the Heights”

1245 Heights Blvd.

Sunday School . . . . . . . 9:30 AM Sunday Worship . . . . . 10:45 AM Nursery Provided Reverend Hill Johnson, Pastor

713 862-8883

Food Pantry, Thurs. 2-4:30 PM www.graceintheheights.org

1822 W. 18th

(Disciples of Christ)

1216 Bethlehem at Ella Blvd. (713) 688-7761

Preschool Program • Mon. - Fri. 9-2 p.m.

www.gospeltruthchurch.org

Grace United Methodist Church

��

4040 Watonga • 713-688-5227

www.gethsemanelutheran.org

Oaks Presbyterian Church

Sunday School - 9:30 a.m. Sunday Worship - 10:30 a.m. Nursery Provided

Ministering to the Oak Forest Community since 1948 Reverend Noelie Day

(713) 682-2556 1576 Chantilly @ Piney Woods Sunday - Bible Study For All Ages .. 9:30am Morning Worship............ 10:45am Age Graded Zones ...........6:15pm Wed. Prayer Meeting & Missions Organization .....................6:15pm Dr. John W. Neesley - Senior Pastor

713-864-1470

Member of MANNA

First Baptist Church Heights Sunday School 9:30 am Sunday Worship 10:30am Wednesday Prayer Metting 6:00pm

Sunday School 9:30 AM Morning Worship10:45 AM Pastor Don Joseph Member of MANNA Visit us on FaceBook www.oakscchouston.org

Nursery Provided Larry Young, Senior Pastor 713-861-3102

201 E. 9th St. • www.fbcheights.org

��

THE SPIRITUAL GIFT OF ADMINISTRATION

I

n Paul’s rst epistle to the Corinthians he ranks various ofces of the church: “God has appointed in the church rst apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, then healers, helpers, administrators, speakers in various kinds of tongues.” (1 Corinthians 12: 28) From its beginning, Christianity was built on a foundation of helpers and administrators. Jesus appointed 12 disciples and sent them forth two by two, giving them explicit instructions about what to take and what to do. Jesus was Christendom’s rst administrator and it is clear that there was to be some organization. In the book of Acts we see the beginning of church administration in the period following Jesus’s death and resurrection, and we also witness the beginning of divisions within the church, there being disagreements over the issue of circumcision and Jewish dietary law, for instance. There is considerable discussion of these issues in the epistles, but the important thing for us to realize is that there were people who were charged with organizing and leading their church communities, including resolving disputes within the church. We should consider whether we have a knack for organizational leadership and where it might t into our church’s structure. Can we help our church with our organizational or administrative talents?

“Keep watch over yourselves andall the ock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought withhis own blood.” Acts 20: 28

Join us for Services in English or Spanish

��

MESSAGE OF THE WEEK

Candlelight Church of Christ

��

713-682-7939

A House of Hope and Prayer in the Heart of Houston Rev. Herschel Moore, Pastor

Sunday Worship 10am & 5pm Sunday Bible Classes 9am Wednesday Bible Study 7pm

4215 Watonga Blvd. • 713-681-9365 Houston, TX 77092

Page 9A • The Leader • January 25, 2014 • www.theleadernews.com

New to the area? Get out and meet your neighbors by Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com

Candlelight Park has the double draw of both a running/walking path and a playground. (Photo by Betsy Denson)

There is no disputing that Leader neighborhoods are neighborly places, but if you are new to the area – just where do you meet them? Recently some readers offered some suggestions. The active Oak Forest Homeowners Association offers plenty of events for people to get together including the Movies in the Park, social mixers, and the Le Tour de Oak Forest. If you are a runner, there’s an Oak Forest Running Club that meets on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. The new Oak Forest Women’s Club is also an option as is the even newer Oak Forest/Garden Oaks Area Business Association. For a more spontaneous meet and greet – especially on sunny weekends and most school days, look no farther than the sidewalk of Oak Forest Drive. “It’s great living on the sidewalk side of the street,” said Matt Mitchell. A draw for those with kids is Pengu, the new swim club on Wakefield in Garden Oaks. Across the street from Pengu is the more adult venue (but still kid friendly) Petrol Station where co-owner Sacha Fullelove said, “Most of the coolest people I know (that I didn’t already know) I met at Petrol Station. I know a lot of people that could say the same.” And down the street is the Crowbar where you can have

The

Molly Diaries by Molly Sue McGillicutty

De-funking after a skunking! My family recently purchased a home in the Hill Country, so we’ve been spending a lot of time pretending to be “country folk” and exploring the wild, untamed outdoors. All was well and good until the dumb dog went and got herself “skunked.” Yep...she tangled with a black and white “kitty,” (of the odiferous variety) and came out on the losing end -- literally. Here’s what my family learned about skunks and how to cope with an unpleasant run-in with one of the little stinkers. First of all, skunks are everywhere -- in the country and in the city -- so even if your dog isn’t gallivanting all over the countryside, he or she might still encounter a “Pepé Le Pew,” possibly even in the middle of Houston. Contrary to popular thought, skunks don’t technically hibernate in the winter. They do become less active in the colder months, but if spooked or otherwise threatened; they’ll certainly spray -- no matter what the weather is like. Boasting an excellent sense of smell and hearing, the poor stinkers can’t see worth a darn, which is why we see so many who have fallen victim of the road. Also, this explains why they likely spray first and ask questions later. We knew that the dog had been sprayed when (well, obviously, when we smelled her) but also when we saw that her eyes, nose and lips were red and irritated. She began rolling on the ground, trying to rid herself of the odor and burning. After doing some internet research, we learned that the old tomato juice bath isn’t always the most effective method of getting rid of the skunk smell -- it can also semi-permanently dye your pet red. We did learn that a far-more effective method is this recipe for a....

Deskunking Bath 1 quart of hydrogen peroxide 1/4 cup of baking soda 1 tsp of dish soap (Dawn dishwashing soap is the best) The best method is to wet your dog and apply this pasty-solution and let it sit for as long as possible, concentrating on the areas that are most stinky. Be sure to avoid getting the solution in your dog’s eyes, ears and mouth. After letting that sit, reapply as needed, following the solution with a bath using a dog shampoo.

Tag and chip your pets in Oak Forest Head over to the Oak Forest Chill (3542 Oak Forest Dr.) on Saturday, Jan. 25 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to have your pets microchipped and tagged. The cost for this service will be $5+ for custom tags and $25 for the microchip. If this is an errand you’ve been putting off, now’s the time to stop in at The Chill, say hey to a neighbor (or three) and get your pets identified in case they ever get lost. You won’t regret it -- I promise!

a beer and play volleyball courtesy of The Houston Sports & Social Club. Another area restaurant/bar mentioned by people was Plonk! Beer and Wine Bistro in the Oak Forest Shopping Center where the vibe most nights is pretty laid back and conducive to striking up a conversation. The 34th Street YMCA is always hopping with many people stopping to visit after exercise classes and workouts. Spring sports is getting ready to crank up for kids and there’s a lot of sideline camaraderie among parents on game days. Candice Croker also mentioned the Timbergrove Sports Association which hosts baseball and soccer in the spring. Year round, area parks and playgrounds offer a surefire way to meet someone new. Candlelight Park has an active weekend and Friday afternoon crowd and there’s no beating the Garden Oaks Spark Park in the summer because of the shade giving trees. Donovan Park is popular with Heights folks, even more so now because of Paul Carr’s new train. Also in the Heights, weekends are a busy time for shoppers on 19th Street. The Leader’s Mitch Cohen hosts a First Saturday Arts Market there each month. The Heights Chamber of Commerce is very active too, and The Heights Life’s Viula Torgerson also wants people to remember the Houston Heights Woman’s Club which is always looking for new members.

Sarah McWhorter mentioned the The Oakies Mom (and Dad) Group for parents looking to connect. Here’s a rundown of parent/kid groups in the area. • GO Kids (Garden Oaks), www.gardenoakskids.com • The Oakies (Oak Forest), www.meetup.com/theoakies • Oak Forest Parent Resource group on Facebook • Heights Kids (Heights), https://www.bigtent.com/ groups/heightskids • TimberKids (Timbergrove Manor), www.bigtent.com • Plaza Moms Society (Shepherd Park Plaza), http:// shepherdparkplaza.com/plaza-moms/

Neighbors: Timbergrove resident to be recognized by Rodeo like to say happy birthday to Frank Strautberg, GO resident since 1950. Mr. Strautberg, a WWII veteran and beloved neighbor, celebrated his 90th birthday on Sunday, Jan. 12.

by Elizabeth Villareal elizasgarden@outlook.com One of our neighbors in the Timbergrove area, Nancie Craft, is being recognized for her generous and mentoring spirit. She is the founder and owner of Craft Personnel and has helped thousands of employers and candidates find each other since 1991. At the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Nancie has served in a variety of leadership positions on both the Carnival Ticket Sales Committee and the Ladies’ Go Texan Committee, which presents several educational exhibits throughout the grounds during the Show. The Carnival Ticket Sales Committee recognized Nancie for her superior attitude, performance and service with the Mandy LaCombe Award. Her dedication in selling carnival tickets has earned many sales awards, and she started the programs in more than 5,000 schools that make carnival tickets available at half price. At the Rodeo, Nancie is involved with several buying groups at auction. She also holds season tickets, and sponsors the University of Houston Cougar Cookers BBQ team. Most astounding is her presidency and co-founder status of D&N Elvis Presley Fan Club, which has raised more than $85,000 for Cerebral Palsy. And, in her spare time, Nancie is a part-time flight attendant for United Express Airlines. She is to be honored with four other very special women at the 2014 Trailblazer Awards Luncheon and Fashion Show to be held at the Royal Sonesta Hotel on Feb. 6. The honorees (who are required to have served over 10 years on multiple HLS&R committees) and their committees are: Julie Shannon, Pearl Award – Breeders Greeters and International; Nancie Craft – Carnival Ticket Sales and Ladies’ Go Texan; Ann Page – Agricultural Mechanics, Lamb & Goat, and Special Children’s; Wendy Vandeventer – Breeders Greeters, Gatekeepers and Mutton Bustin’; and Betty Wiseman, International, Poultry Auction and School Art Auction. For tickets and more information, contact: Michelle Wasaff, Trailblazer Committee Chairman, cha irman@trailblazercommittee.com or Susan Buddeke (also a Leader Community neighbor who makes

Farmers Insurance by David Lorms donated funds to Lulu M. Stevens Elementary School for a Perfect Attendance Award Program on Friday Dec. 13, 2013. The program is designed to work as an incentive for students to attend school regularly. Thank you to another one of our neighbors who is making a difference!

Honorees Betty Wiseman, Ann Page, Pearl Award Recipient Julie Shannon, Wendy Vandeventer, and Nancie Craft. (Photo by Mileslove Studios)

Kleiheges

David Lorms and Principal Lucy Anderson.

a difference from Lazybrook!), Trailblazer Vice Chairman/PR at ssbuddeke@gmail.com.

ry on Jan. 11. They had lunch at Goode Co. Seafood and their children are planning an event during the summer. Earleen and Arnold have been residents of Oak Forest since May 1993. They have three children, Linda Dimiceli, Christine Kleihege and Paul Kleihege.

Kevin and Debby Hobart are excited to announce the arrival of their first grandbaby, Vivaan Reddy Gummi, who was born Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 12:39 a.m. Vivaan weighed 7 lbs., 9 oz., and measured 21 inches long. His proud parents are Karteek Reddy Gummi and Jennifer Hobart Gummi. Also welcoming Vivaan are grandparents Mr. & Mrs. Gummi of Hyderbad, India, great-grandparents Mr. & Mrs. Russ Hobart, Great Aunt Donna and Great Uncle Steve Webb along with cousins Colin and Carey Webb, Uncle Ashwik Reddy Gummi of Missouri, and Great Uncle Shelby Hobart of Arizona. Welcome precious baby Vivaan! Earleen and Arnold Kleihege celebrated their 50th Anniversa-

Chris and Kelli Abreu, along with big sisters Rachel and Sara and big brother Jack, welcome their new baby brother, Oliver James, born Nov. 2, 2013, at 2:24 a.m. He was 6 lbs., 5 oz. and 21” long. Proud “Bebe” is Bonnie Yezak. Martin and Shirley Narendorf of Oak Forest celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on Jan. 16th. The Narendorfs are members at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church. Friends and family send their love and say, “Happy Anniversary!” Garden Oaks neighbors would

It’s BBQ time at Oaks Dads Club! ODC’s 60th anniversary BBQ Cookoff will be the last weekend in January, which is Jan. 24 and 25. In addition to the regular categories of chef ’s choice, chili, beans, ribs, brisket and chicken, a kids’ event has been added this year. The kids’ event will be open to kids 12 and under and allow them to cook any dish they choose. Admission is $3 for people over the age of 12, or the purchase of a BBQ plate which is $8. There will be activities for kids, vendors, live music by The Dale Michael Molder Band and plenty of food. See the flyer at odcsports.com/ bbq_cookoff.htm for more details, or call/text neighbor Andy Moore at 713-302-7565. Troop 40’s Annual Boy Scout BBQ will be held Super Bowl weekend, Feb. 1 and 2, at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church. The Scouts will be serving chicken, brisket and sausage from Saturday, Feb. 1 from noon to 6 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 2 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. You may take out or dine in. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased from any member of Troop 40 or at the door. Also available at St. Rose will be the Scouts’ famous scrumdillyumptious buttered potatoes and seasoned green beans. Meal in a Peel (chopped beef piled high atop buttered potatoes) and Chopped Beef Sandwiches will also be available. The Troop is selling whole briskets for $60 and bulk plates (for Super Bowl parties, etc.) for $7/plate - 20 plate minimum. Those items must be preordered one week in advance. For more information or to preorder, contact Chris Carroll at 713-444-2972.

Just what is the Big Bubble? by Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com

LEADER L OVEABLES ANNUAL PET PHOTO CONTEST

LAST WEEK TO VOTE Ballots on page 10B-11B or go online www.theleadernews.com

When Candlelight Estates’ Emily Berman heard about The Big Bubble, she thought her girls would love it. Located in the Fourth Ward, downtown at the Preston Street Bridge on the same side of the street as the Houston Ballet’s Center for Dance, The Big Bubble has been around since 1998. It was conceived by Dean Ruck and commissioned by Central Houston Civic Improvement, Inc. Here’s what its creator had to say about it: “I didn’t want to announce it as a piece of art. It’s an occurrence, an event, a happening. The button itself is up there unannounced, and so it creates a real curiosity to people that come across it – it’s just a red button. Do I push it or don’t I? – You know? What’s it gonna do? So, I liked that idea that it’s not a labeled or plaque piece of art. It’s just something that people discover. Obviously, there’s a certain ephemeral quality to it because

it’s not always there to see. It happens occasionally. You have to be here at the right time to see it. It creates a certain mythology of its own by what’s going on there, what it’s for, what its function is, – how it’s created. So I like that idea of it not being thought of or – or seen as a piece of art, but it is just – something in the bayou. In a nutshell, you push the red button and the bayou burps. To see for herself, Berman parked at a metered spot across from the ballet center which is on the corner of Preston and Smith. When her girls saw the mysterious red button on a big column, they were only too happy to push it. “Once pressed, you run onto the bridge to see the big bubble,” said Berman. “I read the bubbles are to aerate the slowly moving bayou water. It is close to the aquarium so you could park there or even get there by taking the metro rail to Preston Station.” As for a four-year old’s take: Camryn Berman said, “I enjoyed when I made a big ginormous bubble!”

As advertised, the bubble burps.

Page 10A • The Leader • January 25, 2014 • @heightsleader

Announcing

Ryland Homes IN TOWN

W 34th St

NM

North Loop Fwy

ain St

Reserve on W. 26th St.

rB

lv d

TC Jes

W 11th St

ter Blv d

Reserve on Kansas

W 20th St

Map not drawn to scale Katy Fwy

Panthers set sights on state by Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com

better,” Wiley said. Wiley, a fourth-year varsity player, said he’s adjusted well to Carr’s style. “He’s defensive-minded, which is something we need,” Wiley said. “He wants us to get after it.” Senior point guard Cameron Coleman said the new system is conducive to playing a fast-paced game. “I like the system he has,” Coleman said. “I feed my teammates, and keep them going. He wants us to play fast and play hard. I love the energy it brings.” Junior guard Jordan Jackson, a Division I prospect and the son of six-time WNBA all-star Sheryl Swoopes, scored 15 points against Kelly, including a couple of impressive dunks. Rounding out the senior group are guards Desmond Ray, Madison Miller and Ricky Castillo and center Avery Sims.

713-301-4702

by Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com The Lutheran High North girls soccer team improves every time it steps on the ﬁeld. And that has been a major accomplishment, considering the school didn’t ﬁeld a team last winter due to low numbers and injuries. “We’ve scored more goals so far than we did during the entire 2012 season,” LHN head coach Dallas Lusk said. “We’ve allowed fewer goals in every game we’ve played.” Lusk, LHN’s head of school, is a rarity in that he’s an administrator who coaches a sport, spe-

ciﬁcally the school’s chief administrator. But he said coaching a team helps him connect with the students during his ﬁrst year on campus. “I get a pulse of where the students are,” Lusk said. “It was vital (to have a team). We wanted to make sure it happened.” The Lady Lions, who have 19 players on the roster, haven’t won a game yet. Lusk said the team has some winnable games ahead, especially a Feb. 6 trip to Emery-Weiner. LHN has seven seniors, including co-captains Tiffany Spanos and Mackenzie Rivera. Spanos, Rivera, and fellow seniors Chyna Fruge and Elyssa Mushinski

played on the 2012 team as sophomores. Rivera said it’s been a big step for the school to bring back the program this season. “Our team’s goal is to work together to improve as a team and play our hardest each game,” Rivers said. “Each week, while we attend our practices and strength training, we strive to give a 10 out of 10 effort to strengthen ourselves physically, mentally, and as a team.” For many players on the team, soccer isn’t their ﬁrst sport, but they’ve had an opportunity to enjoy learning about it. Lusk said he’ll continue to be involved in the program, whether it’s as head coach or an assistant.

enclave on

832-831-1391

Homes from the $600’s

713-301-4702

In the Houston division, prices, plans, elevations and speciﬁcations are subject to change without notice. Map is an artist’s conception for general information purposes only and is not to scale. Photographs are for illustrative purposes only. See Sales Counselor for details on available promotions and restrictions. © 2013 The Ryland Group, Inc. RH1063

��

Lutheran High North girls soccer team back on track

Homes from the $360’s

White Oak Dr

Enclave on Oxford

STREET

��

Lutheran High North senior Tiffany Spanos, (left/front), is a co-captain for the Lady Lions girls soccer team. LHN didn’t field a team last season, but the team is back on the field this winter with 19 players. (Photo by Michael Sudhalter)

R E SE RV E O N

��

�� ﬁne jewelry

��

Full Service Jeweler Serving the Heights for over 25 years

��

�

With a strong group of senior leaders and a championship-proven ﬁrst-year head coach, the St. Pius X boys basketball team has high expectations this season. “The strength of the team is their leadership and their experience,” Panthers ﬁrst-year head coach Russell Carr said. “They really want to win.” Carr arrived at Pius in the spring after winning four state basketball championships at Westbury Christian -- three with the boys team and one with the girls. He regularly had the Wildcats in the top 25 national rankings. “I was ready for a new chapter and to see what else was out there,” Carr said. Carr inherited a defending district championship team with seven seniors that lost its 2013 playoff opener, 60-49 to Austin St.

Michael’s. St. Pius X (16-10, 2-0) opened district competition with a resounding 78-48 win over Beaumont Kelly on Jan. 10 then followed it up with a thrilling 63-55 win over archival St. Thomas on Jan. 17. Carr said the electric atmosphere for the St. Thomas game was the best he’d seen in high school basketball. The teams will meet again on Feb. 7 at St. Thomas. Two of SPX’s seven seniors have signed to play college basketball. Jonathan Wiley, who scored a game-high 21 points against Kelly, signed with Texas State, a Division I member of the Sun Belt Conference. He chose the Bobcats over Weber State, a D-I program in Ogden, Utah. Senior guard Jabali Coleman signed with Southwestern College, an NAIA program in Winﬁeld, Kan. “Texas State is closer to home, and I liked the conference a little

Homes from the $360’s

�

St. Pius X senior forward Jonathan Wiley, a Texas State signee, goes behind the basket to make a play during the Panthers’ 78-48 win over Beaumont Kelly on Jan. 10.Wiley scored a game-high 21 points in the win. (Photo by Michael Sudhalter)

Yale St

Ella Blvd

ste

Studewood St

Je

Durham Dr

TC

Shepherd Dr

W 18th St

��

��w��

We extend our invitation to bring ex-prisoners and families of prisoners, addicts, dancers, prostitutes, drug dealers, and homeless-the people that most churches don’t want.

Every Friday at 6:30 PM

1548 Heights Blvd

832-421-4802

Keep an eye on confusing, mangled language THE TV SET – “The snow will hit further south, near ReeFUGE-ee-oh.” I am told that a third to a half of all TV weather people are graduates of Mississippi State. Maybe there should be a course called Etymology 101 which would teach future forecasters how to be right 10 percent of the time with a chance of scattered screw ups. Refugio is tough, and so is Mexia and Nacogdoches, but would the students please be taught the difference in further and farther? Further is invisible and means going for more, as in: “Further studies are needed on this matter.” Farther is distance, measurable, going from here to Ree-FHUR-ee-oh. While we’re at it, let’s clean up the English language. Do you know when and how to use whom? It is preferable in the past pluperfect nominative tense, which means only English graduates know how to speak the word properly. Example: “To whom do I have the pleasure of meeting? Welcome to Wal-Mart.” Abbott never asked Costello, “Whom’s on ﬁrst?” Whom is one of those words we should toss out. Who is good enough for all cases. We no longer need wench, blackguard and the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii). Getting rid of unused and unneeded words is not new. We toss them all the time: whence and thence and shan’t. Our children have abandoned please and thank you. You probably haven’t used drollic lately. It means of or pertaining to puppet shows. Impigrity means quickness or speed which pigs are not – unless you include javelinas. Here is a much-misused term.

A SH BY AT

L ARG E

“Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein used poison gas against his own people!” When speaking of the Syrian civil war, every newscaster trots out: “Bashar al-Assad used chemical warfare against his own people!” No. They aren’t his own people and don’t want to be. This is like saying: “President Abraham Lincoln turned the world’s largest army against his own people.” Under Lincoln’s authority, between 258,000 and 490,309 (who’s counting?) Confederate soldiers died in that war and I’ll bet not one of them considered themselves Lincoln’s own people. Let my people go. On Jan. 15, 1999, David Howard, a white aide to the black mayor of Washington, D.C., used “niggardly” in reference to a budget. The word is of Scandinavian origin and means stingy, miserly. Nevertheless, Howard was accused of racism and ﬁred. If you “could care less” then you have not yet hit the bottom of your indifference. The term is, “I couldn’t care less.” How often do you use the word ethos? The late T.R. Fehrenbach used ethos quite often in his wonderful book, “Lone Star.” In Winston Churchill’s “History of the English Speaking People,” he liked to break out exhausted to describe every country after every

war. No doubt that was true, but about 50 years into the Hundred Years War I became exhausted reading exhausted. Churchill did win the Nobel Prize for Literature, but whose side are you going to take? What’s the difference in flammable and inflammable? None. We all know the line about the opposites of pro is con. So what’s the opposite of progress? Shop worn, but true. It’s probably been at least a week since you used the word ersatz. It means an artificial and inferior substitute or imitation, and every single story about Germany in WWII used “ersatz coffee” at least twice. Must have been required by the Gestapo. If you are not discrete are you crete? I have trouble using the word nonplussed – a state of perplexity, confusion, or bewilderment. If I know what’s happening am I plussed? Preplanned is a useless word. Everything planned is preplanned. You may past-plan, but by then you’re too late. Yet preplanned is used constantly by people who don’t know better. Naughty used to mean bad, up to no good, ugly. Shakespeare in “The Merchant of Venice”: “How far that little candle throws its beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world.” Today we use naughty to describe a mischievous child. Erstwhile and penultimate have been savagely misused. Some people think erstwhile mean earnest or really into it. Not even close. Erstwhile means former, one-time or even long ago. Penultimate is not the ultimate of ultimate but quite the reverse, next to last place. I find it most annoying for someone to refer to

THE OBITUARIES. Jerry Lee Dye, 54, died Jan. 15. He is survived by his mother, Rosetta Dye and siblings Jessie Dye, Larry Dye, Beverly Mitchell and Brenda Albright. Patricia “Pat” Ann Bonora Hale, 66, died Jan. 16. She is survived by her mother Laverne, children Kathy, Kristi, Kimberly and Philip, four step-children, two sisters, and 13 grandchildren.

Frederick Edward Klash, 87, died Jan. 13. In 1942, he was drafted to serve in the United States Navy. Klash served abroad as a Gunnerís mate within the Paciﬁc Theater and was honorably discharged in December of 1947. In 1946, he met and married his wife Alicia of Corpus Christi. From December 1947 through February 1952, he continued his U.S. Civil Service for this country at the U.S. Navy Station in Corpus Christi. In July of 1972, he and his family became residents of Oak Forest. He is survived by his brother, Edward John Klash.

Alicia Carol Stone Keeler, 60, born May 2, 1953, died Jan. Mary Mendoza Lopez, 84, born Sept. 25, 1929 in Robston, 14. Keeler launched her own business The Lengston Companies. She is survived by her husband Larry Keeler, daughters Texas, died Jan. 12 in Houston. She is survived by daughters, Caroline Gray and Kelly Leng, parents Patricia and Virgil Stone; Rosemary Lopez, Susie Delgado, Yolanda Santos and Manuela sister Janet Downie, and brother Michael Stone. Memorial Flores; sons Phillip Lopez, Richard Lopez, Carlos Lopez, Ralph 11.625x10.5 1 1/2/14 10:11 AMSaldana Pageand 2 Joe Saldana, and by many grandchildren and contributions mayLeader be made Ad_Layout to Living Waters. great-grandchildren.

himself or another as “one.” As in: “I should think one would know better.” Or: “When one makes such a decision...” The Brits can get away with it, but coming out of the mouth of Billy Bob or LeRoy it is an affectation. Does he like the colour of one’s boot in one’s lorry? Do not say, write or think anything is literal or literally unless it actually happens. That’s what literally means, so don’t dilute the word by saying, “I was literally awash in frogs,” unless you can produce a photo of you awash in said frogs. This word gets so overused. “I was literally on pins and needles.” No you were not, nor were you literally at death’s door, nor is your hair literally on ﬁre, unless you can smell the smoke. It was the aforementioned W. Churchill who wrote, “Broadly speaking, the short words are the best, and the old words best of all.” The best are old, short words, like blood, sweat and tears. Of course, the quicker among us will point out that Churchill never said that. True, it gave a rock band its title, but what he actually said was, “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.” Incidentally, Humphrey Bogart never said, “Play it again, Sam” in “Casablanca.” And more incidentally, Sam was played by Arthur “Dooley” Wilson who was from Tyler. He was a drummer and couldn’t play the piano, so you never see his hands. It is clear that the farther one gets into the English language the more it colours one’s preplanning, but frankly I could care less. Ashby mangles the language at ashby2@comcast.net

Elva McCoy McDermia, died Jan. 16, in Houston. She was born in Oklahoma and moved to Houston at the age of 6 months. McDermia graduated from Sam Houston High School and went to work for Texaco for 45 years. She was a member of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church for 60 years. She is survived by her daughter Peggy McDermia Kimbrell, one grandson and two great-granddaughters. Harold Henry Thompson, Sr., 88, born Sept. 11, 1925 in Houston, died Jan. 7. Thompson graduated from John H. Reagan High School in 1942 and served honorably in the U.S. Navy from 1942 to 1945. He served as a railroad clerk for the Union Paciﬁc Railroad from the age of 17 until his retirement at age 62. He is survived by his daughters Patricia Ann Thompson and Glenda Pratts, son Harold Thompson Jr., and four grandchildren.

Page 11A • The Leader • January 25, 2014 • www.theleadernews.com

Train • from Page 1A brother, John, will assume the park manager duties. “We’ll maintain it in a way that’s compliant with our insurance policy and other structures in the park,” Baldwin said. Bedingﬁeld said the HHA has received clearance from its insurance company to allow the children to play on the train as the insurance issues are worked out; he said some of the issues are from the insurance company, while others are the board’s safety concerns regarding the train. But both sides seem to agree that the train will remain in Donovan Park. Carr said “there’s a 90 percent chance” the train will stay put because he wants all of the children in the Heights to enjoy it. He said he could move it to a church or daycare playground, but then only a few children will get the chance to enjoy it. “For two years, they’ve been trying to get a campaign for me to

voluntarily quit,” Carr said. “I built the train for the Heights kids, not the Heights Association.” Carr said he and his wife, Mary, plan on attending a Volunteer Appreciation Dinner on Feb. 23, and after that, they won’t have anything to do with the association that he was a founding member of, in 1974. Carr said he kept the parks clean during his tenure as parks manager and that his dismissal has had an adverse effect on the parks already, stating that the train now has graffiti on it. “If this happened two weeks ago, I’d be down there right now cleaning the graffiti off,” Carr said. “I’m the old Heights Association, and I clash with the new Heights Association. It wasn’t a total surprise. I’ve been real diligent in doing my job and keeping the park in good condition. They say because I didn’t ask permission, they have fired me.”

License • from Page 1A tion and/or narcotics transactions,” but there were no records of complaints to the Houston Police Department. HPD, nor the City of Houston, joined in to protest the license. Henderson noted that TABC, which didn’t protest La Villita’s license, was unable to obtain any evidence of prostitution, which was alleged by the protesters. Henderson said the club’s breaches of peace were reported to the HPD, as they should have been, but they weren’t reported to TABC, as required.

TABC issued warnings to the club for not reporting breaches of the peace. Farrar said the Garden Oaks community must continue to monitor the situation, so they can keep the neighborhood safe. “We have to continue to gather evidence,” Farrar said. “It’s important for the people in the community to step forward when they see things… “I thought the evidence was very compelling. I think it’s terrible for the neighborhood. It makes the neighborhood unsafe.”

Traﬃc • from Page 1A Yale Street limit

The Texas Department of Transportation upgraded the rating of the Yale Street Bridge last month. A new sign has been added with the updated weight limit: 10,000 pound axle and 13,000 pound tandem. The old limits were a 8,000 pound axle and 10,000 pound tandem. While TxDOT rates the bridge, the City of Houston handles the maintenance on it. Alvin Wright, public information ofﬁcer for the City’s Public Works and Engineering Department, said the maintenance project is “on point with its timeline.” Wright said 1,130 vehicles were

cited for being over the weight limit between Jan. 2012 and Nov. 2013 with 1,400 citations written.

Pinemont to close at 290

Pinemont at 290 will be closed February through August due to the construction on 290. TxDOT will demolish the Pinemont overpass and rebuild it. According to Othon, it must be rebuilt to accommodate the widening of 290.

I-45 comment extension

TxDOT has announced an additional extension to the comment period for the North Houston Highway Improvement Project. The new date is Friday, Jan. 31.

ASSISTED LIVING M E M O RY C A R E OPENING FALL 2014!

ENJOY THE BEST OF ALL WORLDS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD YOU LOVE The Village of The Heights will offer peace of mind, safety and security to those you love by providing thoughtful, individualized care.

Studio, One-& Two-Bedroom Apartments • Private Memory Care Suites Intimate Dining • Innovative Programs • 24 Hour Professional Staff

Learn more about becoming a “Charter Club Member” TODAY!

713-623-6767

1407 Studewood • Houston, TX • www.villageoftheheights.com License Pending

Page 12A • The Leader • January 25, 2014 • @heightsleader

��

Heights resident Christopher Cola, center, and his sons, Spenser Cola, left, and John Cola, right, discuss school, sports and future plans during a Friday night dinner. (Photo by Michael Sudhalter)

Heights parent weighs school options Cola helps sons choose between public, private schools by Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com Like many parents throughout the city, Heights resident Christopher Cola knows that deciding on his children’s education is one of the biggest decisions of a lifetime. “My job is to listen to their dreams and do everything I can to make them happen,” Cola said. “I want to help my sons be independent thinkers.” Both of Cola’s sons, ﬁfth-grader Spenser, 11, and ﬁrst-grader John, 6, are enrolled in the prestigious International Baccalaureate (IB) program at Harvard Elementary School. IB is a rigorous academic

“

program that emphasizes global grade, he knew where he wanted to learning. go to high “Their time s c h o o l ,” at Harvard has Cola said. My job is to listen to their C o l a been tremendous,” Cola dreams and do everything I said his job is to said. “They started there can to make them happen. make sure Spenser is before it was an IB School. The prepared rigor has grown – academover those ically and years.” • Christopher Cola socially – Cola expects for Strake John to stay at Jesuit in four years. Harvard for a “A lot of it is driven by him and while, but with Spenser ready to graduate soon, they’re starting to where he wants to go,” Cola said. look at various options – attendPart of Spenser’s goal of attending a middle school in Houston ing Strake Jesuit is the fact that ISD or ﬁnding a private school. Cola graduated from a similar Spenser attended several open school, Jesuit High School in New houses and plans on touring some Orleans. private middle schools. “I don’t want to be the dad who He’s uncertain about a middle says ‘I went here, so you have to school, but he already has a high go here,” said Cola, a management school in mind -- Strake Jesuit. consultant who played football for “It’s rewarding (as a parent) that the University of Mississippi in the when he was in the second or third mid 1990s.

HISD demolishes old Delmar Fieldhouse Construction crews demolished Delmar-Tusa Fieldhouse, 2020 Mangum Rd., earlier this week. The Houston ISD board of trustees approved a plan last fall to demolish the fieldhouse and build a new one of its place. The renovations will be covered by a $44.7 million bond passed in Nov. 2012. The new fieldhouse is expected to be completed in late 2016. In the meantime, Reagan, Scarborough and Waltrip are playing their “home” games at North Forest’s Anthony Pavilion. The 5,000 seat fieldhouse, built in 1958, served as the homecourt for the University of Houston men’s basketball team from 196669. In 1961, it hosted the first NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in the state of Texas.

There are several factors in the decision. Academic rigor is a major factor, and the school’s Catholic affiliation is important, too. When asked about public magnet schools within HISD like Carnegie Vanguard, Cola said playing sports is important to his children as well, so that wouldn’t be an option they’d consider. Like many parents, the cost of private school is a factor. But Cola chooses to look at the long term effects. “The cost of education shouldn’t be looked at it in near term costs,” Cola said. “It’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make. The long term benefits outweigh the short term costs.” The decision will ultimately be a shared one between Cola and his ex-wife, Charlotte. The couple has joint custody of their children. Mrs. Cola declined to be interviewed for this story.

Come see why St. Rose of Lima Catholic School is the right choice for your Family!

OPEN HOUSE Tuesday, January 28 - 8:30 am & 6:30 pm St. Rose West Hall

Educational Excellence Since 1948

F R EE

St. Rose of Lima Catholic School has been educating the Mind, Body and Spirit of our children since 1948, providing our students with a Christ-centered atmosphere of love and learning combined with a strong core curriculum.

Garden Oaks Montessori 20th Pancake Breakfast

��

Visit www.stroselima.org/school to learn more today! 3600 Brinkman | Houston, TX 77018 | stroselima.org/school | 713-691-0104

��

Now publishing third week of every month

��

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook