Saturday, March 1, 2014 • Page 1B
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Events Yoga Athletex, is offering Yoga in the Park for $10 on Sundays from 2-3 p.m. at TC Jester Park, by the pool. Weather permitting. Questions? info@yogaathletex. com Planning to freshen your home this Spring? Susan Kostelecky, a Garden Oaks resident and owner of SK Designs, an custom window treatment and bedding business, is sponsoring a “For the Home” design event featuring area upholstery, slipcover businesses and more. For more information visit www.skdesignscustom.com. Hope Stone, Inc. will be featured at the “Dance and Shop” event at Style Cycle 246 W. 19th Street as part of the Fourth Friday Charity Event series on Friday, March 28 from 6-9 p.m. Hope Stone students will install pieces of knitting to cover lights poles, furniture, and mannequins inside and outside of the store with zip ties and staples. The active art installation will remain through 6 p.m. Sunday evening. The Greater Heights Super Neighborhood Council will be hosting a Greater Heights Gathering from 6:30-8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4 at Houston Heights Fire Station and City Hall, 107 W. 12th at Yale. Attendees will get the opportunity to meet the council and listen to how they can influence the future course of the council. Super Neighborhood president Blake Powers said the council hopes to take a more proactive approach. Refreshments, beer and wine will be provided at the free event. For more information, log on to www.ghsn.org, www. facebook.com/GreaterHeightsSNC, or www.houstontx.gove/superneighborhoods.
Spotlight A location of Little Gym, a chain of gymnasiums for toddlers, is scheduled to open in late March at 1501 W. 18th St. As part of their grand opening, Papa Murphy’s at 1214 W. 43rd St., Ste. 1000 donated 10 percent of the pizzas sold at their new store to the local MBJ Foundation for SIDS from Feb. 20-26. The MBJ Foundation is the only local SIDS organization in Harris County. Funds raised will go toward SIDS research to find a cause, save lives and help MBJFS create SIDS prevention kits for local hospitals to give to new parents. Judy and Jonathan Brown, owners of Papa Murphy’s, wanted to support their friends Kellie and James Staats who lost their baby girl, Madison, to SIDS at just four months old.
Openings White Space Houston, 2914 White Oak Dr., is set to open on Monday. White Space sets the standard for a carefully curated, cutting-edge, cooperative office and meeting space. It’s where professionals connect, create and share in collective business success. White Space is proud to be opening it’s doors in the Historic Houston Heights and to have appropriate community Partners such as Historic Houston and Habitat for Humanity.
Jan Clark, J.D. A 2013 Top producer
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Heights Office
2222 North Durham Houston, TX 77008 281.517.8760 Scott Lester - Bank Office President Margaret Vandever - Senior Vice President Amy Ritter, Banking Officer/Lender
Business Loans Made Simple. Let’s Travel Together owner Melodye Martinelli, along with employees Rebecca Franz and Cheryl Wooten, provide a customized travel experience to their clients. (Photo by Michael Sudhalter)
World’s eye view By Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com
Meloyde Martinelli, who lives and owns a business in the North Houston community of Forest Lake, planned on taking a 6-month break from the telecommunications industry to travel the world when she was 45. Those six months turned into seven years, and Martinelli visited 62 countries over that span. When she returned to the Houston area, Martinelli wanted people in the Greater Houston area to have a similar and enjoyable experience. In 2001, Internet travel sites
were beginning to become popular and many in the travel business were closing their doors. Martinelli did the opposite, with a plan to customize her clients’ travel in a way that the Internet or automated phone systems couldn’t do. Martinelli, who owns and manages Let’s Travel Together, works alongside employees Rebecca Franz and Cheryl Wooten, on the largest and smallest details of travel to make sure clients enjoy their trips. They serve everyone from luxury clients to individuals who backpack through their visits.
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Let’s Travel Together is the only Houston travel company certified in Australia and New Zealand, and a third of the company’s business comes from those two countries. To qualify as being certified in Australia, travel planners are required to meet specific criteria, which includes visiting Australia once a year. Although the travel industry has changed significantly over the past 20 years, Martinelli is confident that there will always be a market for travel planners who work hard and focus on customized vacations.
Resident opens Re-sale shop By Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com
Heights resident Yvon Santos is excited about her new business, Second to Last Thrift at 1503 W. 18th St. in Shady Acres. “I own a janitorial and facilities maintenance business and was ready for a change,” Santos said. “I saw the need for a resale shop in Shady Acres and the west Heights. We sell buy, and do consignment of high end bags and shoes. We accept donations of slightly used clothes, shoes, jewelry, art or small collectibles.” Santos, who moved to the Heights from New York in 2007, worked in the garment industry as a teenager and understood the potential for a quality re-sale shop. The store opened last month and currently has four
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������������������������ Heights resident Yvon Santos opened Second to Last Thrift on W. 18th St. in February (Submitted photo)
employees. She plans to expand to eight to 10 employees in the near future. Santos said a portion of the sales will go toward SNAP, an animal spay and neuter program. She plans on hosting a grand opening soon as well. The store hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Satur-
day, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday. Santos said she chose the Heights because of its charm when she relocated to Texas. “I love the old homes, the neighborhood, and the relaxing and artistic feeling and the friendliness of people,” she said.
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Video game culture store coming to the Heights By Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com
Video game enthusiasts in the Heights area have a variety of locations where they can purchase games. But they’ll get a chance to enjoy the video game culture with the opening of Insomnia Video Game Culture & Vinyl Toys, 729 W. 19th St., on Saturday. “We sell everything but the games,” said owner Chris Unclebach. “We have gift shop type of things and Japanese culture items, including snacks.” They sell many T-Shirts associated with popular video games. Insomnia was located on FM 1960 for three years, but Unclebach decided mov-
ing to the Heights would be good for business. He previously worked at Vinal Edge Records, and its owner Chuck Roast, who’s previous location was on FM 1960, encouraged him to move into the Heights. “Chuck talked about how good business was over here and that he wished he moved many years earlier,” Unclebach said. Insomnia hosts video game tournaments on most Saturdays, but not this Saturday, since it’ll be the first day the store’s open in its new location. Unclebach said Insomnia plans on hosting a grand opening celebration in April.
Video game enthusiasts are ready for the Heights opening of Insomnia Video Game Culture & Vinyl Toys, 729 W. 19th St.
GREENWOOD KING Reaching #1 in the Heights in 2013 713.864.0888 G
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