Inside Today: Ready for Spring Home Improvement? We’ve got businesses happy to help • Page 1B PREMIER PROPERTIES
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SATURDAY | March 9, 2013 | Vol. 59 | No. 19 | www.theleadernews.com | @heightsleader
THE BRIEF.
VOTE
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for our March 2013 issue of...
THE LIST.
It’s a way of life for many of us. Air. Water. Tex-Mex. In the March 30 edition of The Leader’s new food publication, The List, we’re asking readers to help pick some of the best Tex-Mex restaurants in the area. And what’s better, the restaurant that receives the most votes will win $500 in free advertising.
Be loyal to your restaurant, folks. Log on to our website and vote.
www.TheLeaderNews.com
&LOWER 'IFT 3HOP
10570 NW Frwy • 713-680-2350
TIRR clinic coming to Memorial Hermann NW Memorial Hermann Northwest and TIRR Memorial Hermann Rehabilitation Network are opening a general rehabilitation clinic at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital on March 25, the hospital announced this week. Board certified in rehabilitation medicine, Natasha Eaddy Rose, M.D., heads up the clinic, which will be located at 1740 W. 27th St., Suite 100. The new treatment center will offer general rehabilitation- consultation, evaluation and follow up, as well as spasticity management, diagnostic and treatment. It will operate in conjunction with the TIRR Neurological Outpatient Rehabilitation Clinic that is located in the Northwest hospital and provides physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and neuropsych service. For information, call 281-4120955.
THE EVENT. sponsored by COME TRY HAND BREADED
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WHAT: Biannual spring fish fry, served up by St. Rose of Lima Men’s Club WHEN: 4:30-7:30 p.m. March 15 WHERE: Parish Hall, St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, 3600 Brinkman 77018 HOW MUCH: Adult plates are $8, children’s $5. That includes generous servings of “American grown” fish, hush puppies, fries, cole slaw and iced tea. The St. Rose Altar Guild will be offering homemade sweets at $1 each. Tickets available at parish or school offices or members of Men’s Club or Boy Scouts. LEARN MORE: Email aaronknape@gmail.com EDITOR’S TAKE: Right in the middle of Lent, what’s better than a good, old-fashioned fish fry? The St. Rose Men have one of the best, and since it only happens every two years, catch it while you can.
THE INDEX. Public Safety Hipstrict Topics Obituaries Coupons Puzzles Sports Classifieds
2A 5A 4A 8A 6A 10B 9B 6B
Brewing biz creates a time for learning by Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com
Waltrip High teacher/baseball coach Mike Evans prepares his students for the Special Olympics field day, which will take place on May 3 at the Delmar-Tusa Athletic Complex. (Photo by Michael Sudhalter)
Teaching life is Evans’ most important job by Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com Whenever Waltrip High sophomore Andrew Jamison sees Mike Evans, it puts a big smile on his face. “He’s my favorite teacher – he’s like another father to me,” Jamison said. Evans, a Life Skills teacher, Shepherd Park Plaza resident and head baseball coach at Waltrip, played professional baseball and earned success as an assistant coach under Jim Teel before taking over the reins this year. But one of the most fulfilling aspects of Evans’ career is working with Life Skills students such as Jamison and his classmates. “Teaching is a process, and you have to understand that each person has a different learning ability,” Evans said. “You see the growth. You don’t see it daily, but after you have them for a long period of time, the development is tremendous.” Evans, 40, and fellow Life Skills teacher Kris Blaies are preparing the students for a Houston ISD Special Olympics field day competition on Friday, May 3 at Delmar-Tusa Athletic Complex. “Coach Evans is great with the kids,” Blaies said. “He goes over and beyond in his job.” The event will feature basketball, football and track, and the students are very excited about competing. Among Coach Mike Evans’ many life skills is driving the bus to and
see Evans • Page 9A
Heights residents Justin Engle and Steve Macalello are excited about bringing the first microbrewery to the neighborhood when they open the Town in City Brewing Company at 1125 W. Cavalcade in late summer/early fall. “We live in The Heights, enjoy The Heights and think The Heights is the perfect place for our business,” Engle said. Engle said they came up with the name because The Heights has always been known as “a small town in a big city.” The city of Houston’s Planning & Development Commission is expected to give its final approval at its next meeting on Thursday, March 14. Through the planning and development process, Engle, a 30-year-old Pennsylvania native, learned quite a bit about being a first-time business owner. “I should have been more thorough in factchecking,” Engle said. “I got some bad intel. I wasn’t aware (West Cavalcade) was a major thoroughfare until I got to city permitting. I should have approached Planning and Development before purchasing the lot.” Engle purchased the 10,000 square foot vacant lot on Aug. 1, 2012, and the city wanted a 25-foot-setback from the business to the public right of way. Engle was determined to get a 15-foot setback instead, for a variety of reasons. Fifteen feet was finally agreed upon at a meeting with city planning staff as long as the business owners came up with a pedestrian area. It is the first major construction at that intersection in the past 20-plus years. Construction on the 3,900 square foot metal pre-fabricated building (3,200 for brewing; 700 for a hospitality/tasting room) will begin this summer, Engle said. But Engle said the experience set back the business from opening by eight weeks. He’s had to live on his savings and incur extra architecture costs. He also has to pay to keep the microbrewery equipment in storage at the Houston
from games. (Photo by Kevin B. Long/GulfCoastShots.com)
see Brew • Page 9A
HISD hires counsel to probe principal’s activities by Charlotte Aguilar charlotte@theleadernews.com Houston ISD confirmed to The Leader Tuesday that Waltrip Principal Steve Siebenaler, whose recent resignation takes effect March 15, is under investigation for “potential policy violations.” District spokesman Jason Spencer said after looking into “information and rumors” about Siebenaler, the district decided to hire the outside law firm of Callier & Garza and believes the results should be known soon. “Based on that investigation, we can decide how to proceed,” said Spencer, who said he can’t address specific areas of concern.
“But if that means we have to turn information over to the D.A.’s office, we will.” He said he can’t expand on the type of charges being investigated. Siebenaler stunned many when he failed to show up for work Feb. 25 and submitted his resignation. Spencer said at the Siebenaler time that the principal’s letter cited “personal reasons” for stepping down. Sources involved with the campus have
told The Leader that the principal has openly said that his wife is suffering from cancer and that he had his own health issues recently. Siebenaler had a 26-year career with HISD, the last decade at Waltrip. Bilingual in Spanish and English, he had a solid reputation as a teacher then administrator, and started out on a high note at Waltrip, where he was named Northwest District Principal of the Year in 2004. In recent years, though, he had come under attack largely from parents who found him inaccessible and who questioned his commitment to making the school an academically rigorous environment that would
attract families from the neighborhood. Sources at Waltrip have steadfastly denied that Siebenthaler’s troubles have had anything to do with the stalled construction on the first phase of the school’s $20 millionplus, funded under a 2007 bond program. The school is receiving another $30 million from the 2012 bond program. Linda Lazenby, who served as principal of the DeBakey High School for Health Professions, is serving as interim principal until a permanent replacement can be selected. The position is posted on the HISD website, with a closing date of April 27. The salary range is from $87,720-110,670. Siebenaler’s last published salary was $116,300.