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Saturday, March 14, 2015 • Vol. 60 • No. 19

HISD helping underprivileged students ‘emerge’

By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com

About Us 3500 East T.C. Jester Blvd Suite A (713) 686-8494 news@theleadernews.com www.theleadernews.com Facebook/THE LEADER.

AREA SPECIALIST

There is no doubt that Waltrip High School’s Joey Hernandez is college material. He will be the school’s valedictorian, although he is too modest to tell you that himself. He takes all AP classes this year and last year scored a 5 on both his U.S. History and Statistics exams. He wants to study neuroscience because his youngest brother is autistic and although Joey has spent a lot of a lot of time going to conferences and reading books about how to help his brother and others like him, he knows there’s a lot left to learn.

The one thing Joey didn’t have was someone telling him just how high he could reach. He is the oldest of five siblings. His mother sells tamales and when his father

INSIDE:

Ê , < 832.419.9969

was deported, Joey became the de facto caretaker for his brothers and sisters. He regularly stays up until 2 a.m. to make sure everything gets done, and there’s not a lot of time for extracurriculars.

But Joey has a full ride to Pomona College in Claremont, California come fall, in large part because of his participation in the EMERGE-HISD program, which has been a game changer for him and for other students at 24 HISD high schools, including Reagan High School.

EMERGE recruits talented kids from under-served communities and helps them through the college application process, including targeting top tier universities and Ivy League schools, guiding them through the application and financial aid process, See EMERGE, P. 2A

Photo by Betsy Denson Waltrip High School students Joey Hernandez (right) and Julia Pena (center) talk about their futures and their college education with EMERGE Program Manager Sara Llansa.

Special Leader Edition

Senior Living March • 2015

INSIDE.

Official publication of The Lead

er’s Senior Expo

Catching up with Hamilton Middle School In this week’s featured Q&A, we sat down with Hamilton Middle School Principal Wendy Hampton to talk about her school, the future of its students and how she is hoping to take many of the school’s programs to new heights in terms of enrollment and academic achievements.

Find it on 2B

InSIdE es a • A retired instructor celebrat storied life and career en’s Club • The Houston Heights Wom up Heritage Gro sharp • How to keep your memory to dule • Complete event sche o The Leader’s 2015 Senior Exp

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Classifieds

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Food/Drink/Art Obituaries

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Opinion

4A

Public Information Puzzles

2A 4A

Seniors bolsters second annual expo

I

n just a few days, The Leader will once again join hands with Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital, Village at the Heights, CIGNA and Tony May to host our second annual Senior Expo at the SPJST Lodge, located at 1435 Beall St., March 18. This community event focuses on providing activites and services for our area’s senior citizens and connects them with a wide variety of local and regional resources.

Enclosed in this issue, our seniors will find the 2015 edition of Senior Living, the official publication of our

Senior Expo. This guide offers tips for nutrition, staying healthy, driving, pets, finance and other topics. Also included in Senior Living is a complete schedule for the expo’s speakers and a list of businesses participating in our event.

This publication also includes several stories of local seniors and their impact on The Leader community. We hope you will find this guide and the stories of some of our residents both inspiring and helpful.

We look forward to seeing you on March 18.

Timbergrove residents mull lawsuit over home

By Jonathan Garris jgarris@theleadernews.com Timbergrove Manor residents put their dedication and passion on full display during a civic club meeting Tuesday evening as officials and homeowners in and around its Section 5 homes mulled a potential lawsuit or injunction against a home on Abbington Way which they claim violates height restrictions.

Civic Club President Bill Morfey addressed a large crowd of concerned residents during a general meeting at Sinclair Elementary, saying that dialogue between the homeowner and officials has been ongoing.

“No structure However, the shall be erected, board is weigh- altered or placed on any ing its options in pursuing legal lot or plot other than one oneaction against the story or one twohomeowner for story, single constructing what family dwelling, some say is a one garage (for up third floor atop a to 3 cars) with or without two-story home.

“Around the servant quarters, time of the last and one outbuildgeneral meet- ing to be used in connection ing, the city of with the resiHouston had red dence; [...]” tagged the property,” Morfey said.

-Section 5 Deed The construcRestrictions tion was unable to proceed; however the homeowner later submitted a revised plat to the city which was approved.

Morfey said the revised plat called the new space an attic and is designated for “mechanical space,” however nearby residents aren’t convinced.

One man, who said he lives across the street, said the placement of windows on the structure made it appear to be a third story.

“If it looks like a three-story duck See Building, P. 5A

Rice Military trio join forces in the name of style

By Kim Hogstrom For The Leader Three neighbors in Houston’s Rice Military recently discovered they have more in common than their addresses; each shared a frustration over the lack of fashion choices for “women of a certain age.” As a result, Pat Boland, Andrea DeBaldo, and Cathy Walton are now partners in a website and fashion blog highlighting style for women over age 40. The site is called Asbury Lane Style and it’s named after the street on which they live.

“We are all dealing with a youth-obsessed society these days,” DeBaldo said. “It is changing a bit for the better, with examples such as the fact that Helen Mirren (69) is

now the face of L’Oreal, but it’s changing slowly. We three were Facebooking one another lamenting how the fashion industry targets twenty-something girls, then we decided to do something about it.”

The Asbury Lane Style website is a cornucopia of over-age-40 fashion tips, insight on products and practices, make-overs, even fashion mistakes. Recent posts include observations of scary airport attire, resort fashion, closet organizing and lots of ideas for looking great well into middle age.

The three women also poke fun at themselves in a sort of “learned the hard way” vein, and include a regular Throw-back Thursday Gallery of past fashion tragedies.

While the TBT gallery is entertaining, it also See Asbury, P. 2A

Photo by Kim Hogstrom (From left to right) Andrea DeBaldo, Pat Boland and Cathy Walton of Asbury Lane Style are joining their skills together to create a new service that offers insight and fashion tips for women over age 40.

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Alert neighbor helps nab burglary suspect in Oak Forest

By Jonathan Garris jgarris@theleadernews.com The Houston Police Department has one suspect in custody and another is still on the run after officers were alerted by a neighbor on Chippendale Road who witnessed several homes being burglarized Monday afternoon.

Just before noon, dispatchers received a call from a concerned resident in the 1300 block of Chippendale reporting suspicious activity at a nearby home, HPD representative Jodi Silva said.

When officers arrived, they spotted a grey minivan leaving the scene and police stopped the vehicle.

While officers were able to arrest one suspect, another burglar fled on foot towards Woodcrest and an adjacent wooded area.

HPD deployed K-9 units at the scene; however the second burglar has not been found and no clear description could be provided by officials.

Officers did recover a pillowcase filled with stolen jewelry inside of it and returned it to the owners, Silva said.

Police Reports • March 2 - March. 5 MARCH 2 Burglary 2:47 AM 700-799 W 18TH Theft 4:12 PM 1000-1099 STUDEWOOD Theft 12:35 PM 100-199 HEIGHTS BLVD Robbery 4:14 PM 400-499 GAMMON Burglary 4 PM 4300-4399 N SHEPHERD Burglary 1:08 AM 4600-4699 N SHEPHERD Theft 3:30 PM 2200-2299 W 18TH Theft 1 PM 2300-2399 WASHINGTON Burglary 1:35 AM 10600-10699

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Asbury from P. 1A helps to egg the audience out of the 1980s and 1990s.

“We have found that many woman hold on to the look they had in their 30’s,” Boland said. “Then, one day, they look in the mirror and realize it isn’t working for them anymore. We help people make the transition in style,” said Boland.

“We also try to help women avoid mistakes,” said Walton.

“We recommend shopping with a plan; consider where the gaps exist in your wardrobe. Avoid impulse buying - buying an item simply because it’s on sale is not wise.

If you never wear it, it’s not a bargain.”

DeBaldo is a former teacher with software expertise and she is the President of the Rice Military Civic Club.

Boland and Walton have worked extensively in marketing and communications, and Boland even owned a boutique. All three are vital,

creative women with a sense of humor, a sharp eye for style and big plans for growing the site’s content.

“We will be adding a lot more to the website, including videos and interviews with local women. We keep the site current and recently highlighted rodeo wear and favorite travel outfits because summer is on the way. We are also searching for local women who would like a free make-over. All we ask is that we take a few before and after photos,” said DeBaldo.

Since launching in Sept.

2014, Boland, DeBaldo and Walton have acquired about 700 fans of all ages simply by word-of-mouth.

“Women are responding because they know that age doesn’t change how smart, sexy and stylish we all are,” Walton said.

For more information www.asburylanestyle.com

Now opEN

love to help!

EMERGE from P. 1A and once they get in, preparing them to take that next big leap.

Joey heard about EMERGE from Edgar Avina, a friend from Hamilton Middle School, who received a generous financial aid package to Yale University.

“I knew it was a program that offered workshops and SAT tutoring,” he said. “For a low income student, it is phenomenal.”

Joey is not the only EMERGE fellow at Waltrip.

Classmate Julia Pena will be attending Brown University, also with the help of significant financial aid, and doubts that it would have been possible without EMERGE. “I wouldn’t have thought that an Ivy League was in my realm of possibility,” she said, noting that she needed help crafting a compelling application. “The feedback on my essays was imperative.”

A steady advocate A program is only as good as the people who run it. In the case of Joey and Julia, they got a tireless cheerleader. Sara Llansa is a program manager with EMERGE who mentors students at Waltrip and seven other schools this semester.

A Houston native and Brown University graduate, with a double major in education and international relations, Llansa came back wanting to make an impact on education.

Llansa went to Lamar High School and although she had support from her parents, she saw some of her friends struggle.

“They were so capable, but no one was telling them they were,” she said. “They didn’t advocate for themselves and there was no one to do it for them.”

Llansa worked at YES Prep in their college readiness program before moving to EMERGE-HISD in 2014.

She met both Julia and Joey at Yale University, where EMERGE fellows go each summer for a weeklong session where they get to live in the dorms, interact with professors, students and peers, and focus on college research. HISD Assistant Superintendent and EMERGE co-founder Rick Cruz is a Yale graduate who declined a PhD there so he could come back to teach in HISD. For Joey it was his first time on a plane and first time at a college. For Julia it was a dream come true.

“I really liked my room because it was very picturesque

and what I’ve always imagined college to be like,” she said. “I remember just sitting there with the window open and thinking that I couldn’t wait for that to be my life.”

Llansa started meeting with the two every couple of weeks and talking to them on the phone or online almost daily. She learned of Julia’s passion for journalism and human rights and describes her as an “independent, outof-the-box thinker with very well developed interests,” who nonetheless needed someone to believe in her.

Once Llansa got to know more about Joey’s family, including his close relationship with his nine year old autistic brother Eddy – Eddy’s first words to Joey were ‘thank you’ after Joey stopped him from accidentally setting fire to the family’s trailer; now Eddy kisses Joey’s forehead every afternoon when he gets home from school and says ‘I love you’ – she encouraged him to put himself out there on his personal statement for college.

Llansa also secured Joey additional pro bono SAT prep to get his score over the 2000 point sweet spot and drove him to the sessions. She talked at length to the admissions counselor at Pomona College, where Joey applied early decision, to make sure the school had a full picture of Joey’s accomplishments.

“They really wanted him,” she said. “They just wanted more data points.”

In turn, Llansa was the first person Joey called when he got into Pomona. She can expect a big thank you during his Valedictorian speech.

Julia, who got in early decision as well, is grateful to her mentor: “Since Sara is a Brown alum, I really took it to heart when she told me that I had a good chance.”

EMERGE to expand, fine-tune There is no doubt that the EMERGE program is effective. Aside from the success stories of Julia and Joey there are many others, including that of a César E. Chávez High School student who will be the first in her school’s history to attend Harvard.

Looking for more?

Go online to www. theleadernews.com for the full story.

All Are Welcome

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in memoriam

I

raymond mejia Castillo

t is with deep and heavy sadness that we announce the passing of Raymond Mejia Castillo, 82. He passed away quietly and peacefully with his wife by his side on March 3, 2015 and into the loving arms of Our Eternal Heavenly Father.

Raymond graduated from Jeff Davis High School and attended the University of Houston. He served in the US Air Force while stationed in Guam. He retired from the US Postal Service after serving 44 years. In life, he loved his wife and children, playing guitar, fishing, carpentry, and grilling. He was a man of Faith, patient, honorable, and a wonderful husband, father and protector.

Preceded in death by his Mother and Father, Catarino Castillo and Maria Mejia, sisters Guadalupe Castillo, Rosa Montez, Janie Saldivar, Francis Ortiz, and brother, Felix Castillo.

Survived by wife, Henrietta Romo Castillo; Brother Catarino Castillo and Sister Delores Oligney; sons Stephen Raymond Castillo and wife MaryAnn Suarez Castillo; Edward Castillo and wife Dianna Marie Castillo; Daughters Theresa Anne Medina, Catherine Castillo, Patricia Aviles and husband Joe Luis Aviles. Grandchildren: Jennifer Suarez Quackenbush, Timothy Edward Suarez, Adam Christopher Aviles, Sarah Alexis Medina, Matthew Raymond Medina, Anne Suarez Castillo, Isabella Anne Castillo, Sophia Grace Castillo.

We would like to express our gratitude to the following people for caring for Raymond during his illness: The clergy of St. Luke’s Hospital and St. Ambrose Catholic Church, The Methodist Advanced Wound Care Center, Willowbrook; Dr. Dewitt Richard Leachman of Leachman Cardiology, and the Doctors and Nurses of St. Luke’s Hospital, Houston, TX. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Memory of Raymond Mejia Castillo to the following organizations: The American Diabetes Association www.diabetes.org/donate American Heart Association www.heart.org

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Pet owners going coo-coo for coconut oil Dear Tabby, My family has embraced the health benefits of coconut oil and was wondering if it’s safe to give it to our pets too?

Coo-coo for coconut oil in Cottage Grove Dear Coo-Coo, Coconut oil does indeed seem to have taken over the world! Humans are not only cooking with it but slathering it on their bodies, faces--even brushing their teeth with it!

This begs the question: Is coconut oil beneficial to pets as well? The answer is yes!

Coconut oil comes from the flesh of mature coconuts and is comprised of over 90% saturated fat and has antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. Coconut oil also has antioxidant properties and helps in the absorption of other minerals.

The rich oil can be given to pets to eat or rubbed on their skin topically for a range of

great results. Here are a few benefits of letting your pet in on the coconut oil trend.

Skin and coat: Coconut oil has soothing properties and can ease irritation caused by eczema, dermatitis, flea bites or a general rash. Scoop a handful of the oil into your palm and massage it into your dog’s skin the next time you give him a bath. As an added bonus you’ll notice his fur is sleeker and shinier.

Digestion: Coconut oil aids in digestion and settles upset tummies in pets. Convincing your pet to eat coconut oil shouldn’t be an issue, as cats and dogs alike seem to be drawn to the scent of the stuff. The recommended dose is pretty easy; just give a teaspoon of coconut oil per 10 pounds of dog or cat, or you can give a tablespoon per 30 pounds. Start with about 1/4 the recommended dosage and build up to the recommended level over 3 to 4 weeks. Additionally, many pet owners use coconut oil as an appetite stimulant for pets who are reluctant to eat.

A little coconut oil mixed in with their food can often convince a reluctant a pet to eat.

Flea control: Some pet owners are experiencing success with keeping their pets flea-free by rubbing their pets’ coats with coconut oil every few weeks.

So, give it a shot. Administered in the correct dosages, coconut oil seems to have no detrimental effects on pets, so you’ve nothing to lose.

Best case: your pet will love the stuff and you’ll notice that he’s feeling great and looking shiny and full of good health. Worst case: Fido politely declines to participate in the coconut commotion.

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Easter

A Holy Week of Hope and Reflection

On Easter morning we will rise with sleepy-eyed excitement to investigate what a superheroic rabbit has left in our baskets. But we should also remember that the first Easter morning had no baskets with plastic green grass. It had no colorfully-dyed eggs, no chocolate bunnies with ears bitten off, no cheery parishioners dressed in white bonnets and linen blazers for church. The first Easter morning began not in ebullient happiness but in desperate sorrow.

Jesus had died on the Friday before. In a rare act of mercy, Pontius Pilate had allowed his body to be removed from the cross, but this had occurred as the sun set and the Sabbath was beginning. Because work was prohibited on the Sabbath, Jesus’ body was quickly placed in a tomb without the proper anointing that would prepare him for burial.

That’s why Mary Magdalene, Salome, and Mary the mother of James go to the tomb when the Sabbath ends at dawn on Sunday morning.

Theirs is a grim task: properly preparing the body of their beloved teacher after it has lain decomposing in the tomb.

Their sorrow becomes desperation when they find the tomb open and the body gone.

“Grave robbers!” they assume.

Jesus, the embodiment of all their hope, had been executed, and now they were prevented even from carrying out this last act of love. Could their despair be more consuming?

In Mark’s Gospel, it is only then that the women see a young man dressed in white sitting in the tomb. He has news for the women that changes everything, news that—in an instant—banishes sorrow in favor of resurrected hope. “Jesus has been raised,” the young man says, “He is not here…he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him!”

Mark’s Gospel (in its original version) abruptly ends here.

At first this reads strangely, but upon closer reflection it makes all the sense in the world, both then and now. Even the resurrected Jesus does not appear to us as something we can hug and hold, like the stuffed animals children find in their Easter baskets. He is a Savior that beckons us forward to fol-

low him into Galilee: into the world; into the dark corners where sorrow needs to hear the promise of joy; into new life.

This Easter morning, we will again find the tomb empty.

Our sorrows will again be banished in favor of resurrected hope. We will be comforted and also challenged with the sure knowledge that Jesus has defeated death and gone ahead of us in to the world.

There he will wait for us to spread his love far and wide.

We need only follow!

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The Topics.

Saturday, March 14, 2015 • Page 4A

This newspaper isn’t about ‘confirmation bias’

E

very once in a while, I get letters like the one that came this week from a lady named Sylvia. She said I shouldn’t bother to respond because she no longer plans to read the paper. Of course I’ll respond.

Sylvia, like many folks, doesn’t like to read things that are opposed to her way of thinking. Social scientists call this “confirmation bias,” which means exactly what it says – no Latin there. In the simplest of definitions, we hear what we want to hear. A more scientific definition says this is the “tendency to search for or interpret information in a way that confirms one’s preconceptions…”

Enough of the academia, though.

Let’s get to what got Sylvia ruffled (and you can read her full letter in the “Reader” section below).

“It seems that every week readers are subjected to another hate-filled letter from J. Reynolds,” she wrote. “… I assumed (wrongly) that this newspaper was for information, articles and letters that concerned our area and NOT for hate filled venom about whoever happens to make J. Reynolds (and the editor) angry that particular week.”

Before you go scrambling off to find last week’s installment of J. Reynolds (a Heights resident who regularly writes very entertaining

Jonathan McElvy Publisher

and short commentaries), I’ll fill you in on the details. His letter decried some of the Hollywood elite who nationally speak out against gender pay equality when Hollywood, itself, pays its leading men much more than its leading women actors. That fact, by the way, is confirmed by the U.S. Department of Labor.

I tend to view myself as a pretty good judge of hate (because a lot of it gets directed at me), and nowhere in Reynold’s letter could I find it.

Instead, what I found was a reader who disagreed with Reynolds (and maybe disagrees with him every time he writes), and instead of taking issue with the author, she has taken issue with the medium.

We’ll talk a little more about that in a minute, but there are some tidbits I’d like to offer Sylvia, whose larger disappointment seems to be that The Leader is a place for hatefilled venom from people who write letters to the editor and from me,

who writes such nasty things as supporting our local YMCA and looking out for residents in the Heights who plant flowers along bikeways.

One of the great things about newspapers (as opposed to niche websites and 24-hour cable news channels) is the diversity of news we offer our consumers. We cover local education, crime, real estate and development. We cover arts, restaurants, bars and churches. We write about our neighbors. Heck, we even write about our pets.

In last week’s edition of The Leader, which offended Sylvia so, I actually went through and counted how many locally generated words were in the newspaper. Give or take 150 words, The Leader had 13,994 words printed (and that doesn’t include any advertisements). Last week’s paper was actually a bit smaller than most weeks, when we publish about 16,000 words in each edition.

Here’s a did-you-know: The average American adult novel contains about 85,000 words. That means that roughly every five weeks, we publish enough original material to write a novel. It means we publish enough local copy to publish 9.8 novels every year, and that’s with a staff of one full-time writer and about six consistent contributors.

But back to last week: We pub-

Lynn Ashby Columnist

ally updated mapping and traffic reports from Android Auto or CarPlay.” I have no idea what Android Autodashboard and Android Auto or CarPlay mean, but this does mean my car’s built-in GPS is becoming obsolete. Great, and I just got rid of my builtin eight-track Betamax. “In a quarter of a mile, you will be one quarter of a mile farther.”

Thanks, Voice Lady. Maybe you can tell me where I am.

Oh, there’s a sign. Highway 59. Lufkin ahead. How did anyone ever find their way before the GPS came along?

Speaking of out-of-date new breakthroughs, do you have an app in your car, purse or duffle bag? Sorry, that is so last Thursday. “Who needs a version of Pandora just for a Chevrolet or a Ford, when consumers will already have that app on their phonepowered screen?” the article said. Another message: “In half a mile make a right turn into a speeding Peterbilt.” I think the Voice Lady is trying to get rid of me. Looking around your car before the Smithsonian wants it for display, now is the time to say goodbye to the MP3 music player, or even songs stored on your phone. According to that news story, Android Auto and CarPlay feature streaming music from their huge libraries, and services like Pandora and iHeartRadio will offer apps as well. So toss your apps.

How about your car’s CD player? My old car could hold five or six CDs and would play for an hour or more. This new car is retro -- it only plays one CD at a time, and plays it and plays it. But CDs are on their way out. They still come included in many new cars, because they’re super cheap to produce and for car companies to install, so they’re still in a lot of vehicles even as consumers’ actual use of CDs is on a steep decline. People buying a new car these days want to receive smartphonebased music, whether via Bluetooth or a cord. This means my car’s CD player is Stone Aged. Maybe it can still play old songs. After all, until 2010, Lexus still offered a sedan with a cassette player.

The article isn’t even discussing car radios. Remember the old days when you had a knob on the dashboard that turned the radio off or on and adjusted the volume, and a second knob that ran the needle back and forth

news, but they all do it in a different manner. Hillary Clinton may have thrown her email server in the Hudson, and Fox and MSNBC will report the stories completely different.

I won’t go all “Press & Democracy” on you here, but the reason I get letters from people like Sylvia is because they have completely forgotten the role of real journalism.

We are a place for conversation.

We are a place for information. Sure, our opinion page may lean one way or another (Ashby is pretty liberal), but I’ve published about three times the letters of people who dislike my commentary than people who support us.

If you turn to The Leader only because you read the opinion page, you’re missing the boat. Our opinions only make up about 7 percent of our content. The other 93 percent is written to share news and information about our community.

And here’s the sad part: Sylvia’s letter was 175 words. She could have made such an impact on readers if she would have written a thought-out, passionate response to J. Reynolds. Instead, she did what too many of us do today: We think news should confirm our bias. Sorry, that’s not us.

Email jonathan@theleadernews.com

The reader.

Toss your apps and the lady behind the screen SOUTH OF SEVEN OAKS -- “Turn left at the next peacock crossing.” The Voice Lady in the dashboard is still talking to me. “Make a U-turn across the median.” And so it goes. I have a new Global Positioning System or GPS. Well, it’s new to me. I understand Vasquez de Coronado used one when he was seeking the Seven Cities of Gold.

(Maybe GPS stands for Gold Prospecting System.) My wife and I are trying to drive from Houston to Tyler, an easy trip up East Texas on Highway 59 to Lufkin, then on Highway 69 to Tyler. Since most of my previous trips have been to the barber, grocery store, tattoo parlor and bail bondsman, I have not needed my GPS until now.

You probably have one, and know how it works.

When you get in the car and punch the correct button, a mysterious live voice comes on and asks for your destination. Then a recorded voice tells you where to go, when to turn, where’s the nearest rest stop, hidden state trooper and, of course, the nearest City of Gold. But not always. When we gave the destination, a map came on the dashboard screen showing three routes. Huh? There was only one route unless we wanted to see the Big Thicket, Waco or Galveston on the way. Thumbs Ashby must have picked the wrong route, or maybe the GPS is a worthless machine, because from the first few feet out of the driveway the Voice Lady kept telling us we were going the wrong way. “Make a U-turn at the next intersection.” “Turn around and take a right.” “Go directly to jail.

Do not pass Go.” “In one mile on the left there is nothing to see.” And I can’t shut her up.

“Turn left at Waco.” I don’t want to go to Waco! “OK, get lost. See if I care.” The Voice Lady seems to be edgy today. Just as I am trying to master the GPS and catch up with the rest of humanity, I remember reading an article in the newspaper saying that GPS navigation systems such as Garmin and TomTom, which were all the rage just a few years ago, are becoming obsolete. “Now, most consumers are more likely to put their map-equipped smartphone in the cup holder. Google’s Android Autodashboard system means Google Maps will now be on a car’s main screen, making a separate GPS device unnecessary,” the article said.

But you can’t trust the liberal media.

What’s more, automakers’ efforts to build navigation systems will also be obsolete because many are clunky, and the maps they contain are often outdated. “They will seem even more so when compared with the continu-

lished about 14,000 words and the letter from J. Reynolds was a total of 124 words. His letter made up .008 percent of the total copy in The Leader, and yet that was enough for one reader to say we are hate filled.

Here’s what else I found. We published a total of 43 items in last week’s paper. There were nine items publicizing (for free) local events in the community. There were six events (free) for our area churches.

We highlighted 11 local businesses, wrote four stories about our schools, three stories about events at local bars, two stories about local restaurants, four lifestyle stories, and two stories about public safety.

Those stories (and some that aren’t listed) consisted of a total of about 11,400 words. Yet we published a 124-word letter, and that was enough for one reader to say we are hate filled.

I actually don’t blame Sylvia for discontinuing her readership of The Leader. She, like the majority of news consumers in the United States, is completely confused about the definition of news and journalism.

On the whole, Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, ABC, NBC and CBS are not news outlets. They are places for opinion sprinkled with news. Think about it this way: All of those networks basically report the same

Goodbye Leader

to select the stations? Then came buttons pre-set to a station, AM and FM, stereo and satellite. This radio has a cursor on the console that lets me move a little white box around the screen on the dashboard until I hear a loud Bang! This means that, while I was busy moving the cursor, I ran into the car stopped in front of me. And no ashtray. I get tired of tossing my cigar butts out the window. Is this planned obsolescence?

Every new gadget is instantly ancient. I take my brandnew desk top computer out of the box and my son says, “Oh, you got one of those old models. Is it steam powered?”

Vasquez de Coronado never did find the Seven Cities of Gold, and now I know why.

Ashby is lost at ashby2@ comcast.net

Dear Editor: I have decided to no longer read your newspaper. It seems that every week readers are subjected to another hate-filled letter from J Reynolds. Letters to the editor has become a forum for J Reynolds (and the editor on some occasions) to spew a complaint that concerns only the writer and no one else. I assumed (wrongly) that this newspaper was for information, articles, and letters that concerned our area and NOT for hate filled venom about whoever happens to make J Reynolds (and the editor) angry that particular week. Once I pickup your newspaper from my driveway, it will go directly into the recycle (yes, recycle, as suggested by Cory’s letter just below J Reynold’s letter) bins - one for the plastic wrapper and one for paper. Many of my neighbors feel the same as I do which is unfortunate for your advertisers. No need for you to respond as I will not read another mean-spirited letter or article written by you, J Reynolds, or anyone else who feels the need to spread hate.

Sylvia

Let’s not run all our good neighbors away, readers respond

Dear Editor: The reporter doesn’t mention that it was a Harris County Judge who lives on/near Nicholson who is wasting taxpayer money on this stupid tagging and uprooting project to protect her own personal garden from snails or some such thing. All she had to do was work it out with one neighbor (her neighbor) and now blocks of work will be undone at my expense (I don’t even live there, it’s not about that).

That is unless several taxpayer funded meetings take place and taxpayer funded decision panels step in. It will cost either way now.

John

Email us your letters: news@theleadernews.com

Dear Editor: While I sympathize with anyone have to deal with any bureaucracy, I am deeply suspicious of attempts to “reform” or, god forbid, do away entirely with the Historic Preservation Ordinance. It is not the renovation of bungalows that is destroying the character of the Heights, but the new construction. I find it difficult to believe that the Ordinance is preventing developers from having their way with the Heights, but it must be so or they wouldn’t be trying so hard to get rid of it.

Greg Dear Editor: Once more, one of the few Heights wackos missed the point of an excellent article written by Jonathan.

The article was about the crazy attempt by the city to remove nice plantings along the bike trail. The responder to the article jumped in and started bashing any reformation to the historic ordinance. Actually, the majority of the Heights residents did not want the historic ordinance. It was forced upon us by an unfair system of mail in ballots where a failure to mail in a ballot counted as a vote for the ordinance.

Crooked city politics! The historic ordinance needs revamping, it prevents common sense from being employed in home renovation. When the Mayor leaves, I anticipate change will likely occur. Thank goodness!

New construction has improved the Heights. Nasty tenant occupied properties too far gone for repair have been demolished, gang members have moved out, a new breed of decent and non-complaining folk have moved in. Bungalow dwellers are jealous of this influx. These new people shop and frequent restaurants, and accordingly, new stores have opened.

It is now 100 times safer! Now one can walk, even at night. A decade ago, no way!

Heights Dweller

the leader Puzzlers.

Answers found in this week’s Classified section

SUDOKU

aCrOss

1. Cut into cubes 5. Food flavorings 11. Longest tenured “Tonight Show” host 14. One being educated 15. British conservatives 18. End without completion 19. Boater 21. Indicated horsepower (abbr.)

23. Protects the chest 24. Expresses pleasure 28. Stiff hair, bristle 29. Blood type 31. Taxis 33. Ribbed material 34. Young female socialite 36. Game cube 37. Priest’s liturgical vestment 40. 2.1 km tributary of the river Seille 42. The golden state 43. Powder mineral 45. Coat with plaster 47. Far East housemaid 48. Digital audiotape 51. Merchandising

54. Libreville is the capital 58. Incapable of flexibility 60. Language of Andorra 62. Repeat in concise form 64. Dark areas 65. Enough (archaic)

dOwn

1. Disk jockeys 2. 9th Greek letter 3. Fish of the carp family 4. Medical prefix for within 5. Short for synthesizer 6. What part of (abbr.)

7. Farm state 8. Thermionic vacuum tube 9. Employee stock ownership plan 10. A crane 12. Filippo __, Saint 13. One below tens 16. Impatiently desirous 17. Inflict a heavy blow 20. As fast as can be done (abbr.)

22. Ma’s partner 25. Carrier’s inven-

tion 26. Possessed 27. Invests in little enterprises 29. Summate 30. Rosary part 32. A large body of water 35. Woman’s undergarment 37. Essential oil obtained from flowers 38. Cripples 39. An explosion 41. Of, French 44. Fish of the genus Salvelinus 46. Bahrain dinar 49. Banded calcedony 50. Giant armadillo 52. In place of 53. Electronic counter-countermeasures 55. Large package of cotton 56. 3564 m French Alp 57. European defense organization 59. Check 60. Former OSS 61. Not old 63. Goodwill promotion

WORD SCRAMBLE

Neighbors: the will to help others

By Elizabeth Villarreal elizasgarden@outlook.com Neighbors would like to send a warm shout out to Courtney Mason and Stephan Selinidis who recently purchased a home in Shepherd Park Plaza on Candlelight Lane. Courtney reports their wedding is coming up on March 28th in Bandera, Tx! Welcome and congratulations, Courtney and Stephan. Mazel tov !

For the seventh year in a row, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Team Garrettâ&#x20AC;? is raising funds for Easter Seals Greater Houston to help children and adults with cerebral palsy, and other disabilities like autism and Down syndrome. Garrett Holcombe, a nineyear-old third grader at Oak Forest Elementary, was born with spastic cerebral palsy and wears ankle braces to help him walk. He and his family have faced many obstacles with probably more to come, but one thing is for certain â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they are determined to help other families living with disabilities who they feel deal with much more â&#x20AC;&#x201C; insurance, healthcare, care-giving, and the emotional stress on the family. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Garrett is at the age where he gets it, and what means the most to me is that we have instilled the will to help others at the age of nine â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that I am truly proud of,â&#x20AC;? said Jason Holcombe, Garrettâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father.

This year, Team Garrett is focused on sending kids to Easter Sealsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; week-long summer camp â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Camp Smiles. Garrett attended Camp Smiles for the first time last summer and fell in love.

His first words at the camps closing ceremonies were â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wish we could live hereâ&#x20AC;Śforever!â&#x20AC;? The impact camp made on Garrett and his family enticed them to want to continue giving back so they set out to raise funds to help send more kids to camp. Their fundraising goal was $17,000, but they are proud to report they have surpassed their goal, raising $20,000, to date, for Camp Smiles.

Easter Seals Greater Houston offers programs like camp to children and adults with all types of disabilities regardless of their ability to pay. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We see the difference camp can make in the life of a child with a disability â&#x20AC;&#x201C; whether it is getting over their fear of the zip line, learning to dress themselves because others are trying to or learning what they are REALLY capable ofâ&#x20AC;Śall lessons towards independence,â&#x20AC;? said Elise Hough, Chief Executive Officer, Easter Seals Greater Houston. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Seeing the smiles on the kidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s faces as they leave camp and getting to

know the campers, like Garrett, is truly an amazing experience, but this would not be possible without support from community members like â&#x20AC;&#x153;Team Garrett.â&#x20AC;? We are truly humbled by their support, and are thrilled to say that we will be able to send more children to camp who otherwise would not have been able to attend through the additional scholarship funds,â&#x20AC;? said Hough. If you would like to help send children to camp, please go to http://walkwithmehouston.donordrive.com.

No need to cook on Friday night! Friday, Mar. 13th from 4:30-7:30 p.m. is St. Rose of Lima Catholic Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Annual Lenten Fish Fry, a special tradition in the community. The succulent, fresh, hand-breaded catfish, flash fried on the spot, along with hush puppies, french fries, coleslaw and iced tea, is sure to please. Coffee and delectable desserts will be available, too. You may dine in or take out at the East Hall at 3600 Brinkman between Wakefield and W. 34th St. Tickets are $8 for adult plates and $5 for childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plates. Tickets are available at the Parish office, St. Rose School, from any St. Rose Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Club Member, and at the door. The Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Club is always very generous and each year the Fish Fry proceeds go back to the Parish and benefit Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and the St. Rose School.

Need something to do this Saturday night?

Classic cars are back at Mytiburger! For the third year in a row now, twice a month during the warmer months, classic car owners cruise into the Mytiburger parking lot, park their beauties, and open up the hoods for eager car lovers to examine. You can take your time car gazing and chatting with fellow classic car buffs.

Starting this Saturday, Mar. 14th, the Cruizins at Mytiburger will start up again around 5 p.m.

Mytiburger owner and Timbergrove neighbor Shawn Salyers invites the community to come see whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s old, whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new, and make a few new friends. Invite a friend who loves classic cars and hamburgers, and come hungry.

Saturday, March 14, 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ Page 5A

Building from P. 1A and quacks like a three-story duck, then itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s probably a threestory duck,â&#x20AC;? the neighbor said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not in keeping with the character of the neighborhood.â&#x20AC;?

However, the homeownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attorney, Timothy Kirwin of the Randle Law Office, said the room is intended to house the homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s HVAC system and act essentially as a small attic. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a single room above the kitchen,â&#x20AC;? Kirwin said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was never a habitable space.â&#x20AC;?

Kirwin also said a door connected to the attic space was only for roof access and could not be used for any other purpose.

Morfey said, through continued discussions, that there was a willingness from the homeowner to remove the windows, however greater Ad # 36774 questions of deed restrictions

were raised by others in attendance. Should this infraction â&#x20AC;&#x153;be allowed to slide,â&#x20AC;? one resident said, it would set a worrisome precedent for other homes moving forward.

There was also some discussion over the definition of a â&#x20AC;&#x153;storyâ&#x20AC;? versus an â&#x20AC;&#x153;attic,â&#x20AC;? the latter of which is described by officials as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;unfinished space between ceiling joists and the roof rafters.â&#x20AC;?

Another resident disagreed and said a lack of strict deed enforcement may have been what led to the issue, and said that because the submission

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Page 6A â&#x20AC;˘ Saturday, March 14, 2015

The calendar.

COMMUNITY DANCE SPJST Lodge 88 The SPJST Lodge 88, 1435 Beall St., will host Bobby Flores (Country and Western), from 8 p.m.11:30 p.m. March 13. The cost is $20 per person. The Red Ravens (Polka and variety) will perform from 8 p.m.-11:30 p.m. March 14.

The cost is $10. Information: 713869-5767, lodge88.org.

HEIGHTS GARDEN CLUB Heights Plant Farm Owner P.J. Whitehouse will speak about spring vegetable gardening and bringing pollinators to the garden. The free meeting is 10 a.m. March 14, at Heights Plant Farm, 2521 N. Durham.

Information: www.heightsgardenclub.com.

FUNDRAISING CAR WASH Reagan High School ROTC Reagan High School ROTC is

having a carwash fundraiser to support their Military Ball, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. March 14, at Walmart on Yale. Presale tickets are $5, day of the event are $7. Information: mercado.diana@yahoo.com.

SUMMER JOB FAIR M.D. Anderson Family YMCA Looking for a summer job with a rewarding experience? Try the Y. Find out more about open positions and meet program directors at the Summer Job Fair, from 9 a.m.-noon, March 14. The M.D. Anderson Family YMCA is located at 705 Calvacade. Information: 713-697-0648, adriana.garcia@ ymcahouston.org.

THE OAKS BUSINESS ASSOCIATION MEETING St. James Lutheran Church The Oaks Business Association general meeting is at 7 p.m. March 18, at St. James

Lutheran Church, 1602 W. 43rd St. The guest speaker is from The Houston Business Journal.

Information: 713-688-8669, DavidL2490@aol.com.

ship are available. There will also be a silent auction. Auction donations are needed.

Call Patricia Dornak at 713-5045486 or email pdornak@gmail. com for information.

STEAK NIGHT American Legion Post 560 Come by for a delicious meal.

The Sons of Legionnaires will have the Steak Night at 6 p.m. until sold out, March 20. There will also be entertainment.

Information: 713-682-9287, americanlegionpost560.org.

WOMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BRUNCH First Church Heights First Church Heights, 201 E. 9th St., will hold a Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Brunch in the fellowship hall, March 21. Registration is at 9:30 a.m., worship is at 9:45 a.m. followed by the 10 a.m. brunch. Guest speakers are Sis. Terri Coker and Sis. Leonette Lewis. All women and teens are welcome. One does not have to be a church member to attend this event. Information: 713-861-3102, www.fbcheights. org.

BOWLING FUNDRAISER MANNA MANNA (Ministry Assistance of the Near Northwest Alliance), is having a bowling fundraising event from 8 p.m.-midnight, March 21, at Delmar Lanes, 3020 Mangum Road.

Bowling teams are needed to sign up and all sizes of sponsor-

THE MAGIC OF IUL WORKSHOP Harolds in the Heights This free workshop, hosted by

Holy Trinity Anglican to celebrate Feast of St. Patrick Parishioners of area Reformed Episcopal Churches will gather at Holy Trinity Anglican, 211 Byrne, at 6 p.m. March 15, for an annual St. Patrickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day event to celebrate the Order for Evening Prayer. The Most Rev. Royal U. Grote, Jr. will deliver the sermon. A pot-luck of traditional Irish fare will follow in the fellowship hall.

The Stations of the Cross is at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays through March 25.

Call 713-862-5657 or visit www.holytrinityrec.org for information.

ROUND UP 2015 Leather Apron Foundation This event features live music

by Darwin Macon, barbecue

by Whiskey Wasted Bar B Que, and a silent auction. Bring the entire family for an evening of fun, rain or shine. Kid attractions will include a magic show, face painting, and arts and crafts. Kids

All Saints TALC to observe Spring Break All Saints Third Age Learning Center senior program will observe spring break. The senior program will be closed March 16 through March 20.

There will be no senior classes, activities or lunch during the week. TALC will resume its regular schedule at 9 a.m.

March 23.

All Saints Third Age Learning Center is located at 215 E. 10th St. Call 713-864-2653 or visit www.allsaintsheights.com for information.

BubbleFest at Vineyard Church of Houston Vineyard Church of Houston, 1035 E. 11th St., announces the fourth annual Bubblefest. Kids between ages 3-11 can experience huge bubble pits, crafts, games, and contests. The event will be from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, March 21.

Admission is free, however each person is encouraged to bring a toiletry item to donate.

Each child must be accompa-

nied by an adult and sign a liability waiver. Children should come wearing play clothes and bring goggles and a towel.

Call 713-869-9070 or visit houstonvineyard.org for information.

Easter activities at Garden Oaks Baptist Garden Oaks Baptist Church, 3206 N. Shepherd, will have a Family Easter Party from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. March 21. The event will be held in the GOBC gym. All ages are welcome. Activities include a craft project, storytime, pizza, games and desserts.

The Stations of the Cross will be held in the fellowship hall from 8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

March 30; 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

March 31; and 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

April 1.

Call 713-864-4447 or email churchsecretary@gobc.org for information. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Cruisinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for Christâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Car Show registration at St. Stephenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still time to register

a vehicle for the 2015 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cruisinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for Christâ&#x20AC;? Car Show, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, March 21, in the Education Building parking lot.

Pre-registration is $10 per vehicle; $20 the day of the show. Admission to the show is free. There will be special activities for kids.

Boy Scout Troop 604 will be selling barbeque lunches.

St. Stephenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s United Methodist Church is located at 2003 W. 43rd St. For information, call 713-686-8241, or visit www.stsumc.org.

Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Brunch at First Church Heights First Church Heights, 201 E. 9th St., will hold a Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Brunch in the fellowship hall, March 21. Registration is at 9:30 a.m., worship is at 9:45 a.m. followed by the 10 a.m. brunch. Guest speakers are Sis. Terri Coker and Sis. Leonette Lewis.

Call 713-861-3102 or visit www.fbcheights.org for information.

713-906-5481

Raymond Mejia Castillo,

Thomas C. Ellis, 61, born Aug. 13, 1953 in Brooklyn, died March 2, after a lengthy illness.

He is survived by his wife Kathy, stepson Donald Seale, stepdaughter Rhiannon Seale, brothers Jack and Robert Ellis, sister Kathy Lazaredes, and five grandchildren.

Michael Joseph Hyams,

65, born Feb. 13, 1950 in Houston, died March 1. Hyams is survived by the love of his life, Lisa Chumley; his children, Jason Hyams, Dawn Aryazand, Matt

Hyams, Justin Chumley and Jason Chumley; sister Charlotte Hyams, and six grandchildren.

Douglas Raymond Kornegay, born Jan. 21, 1933, died March 2. Kornegay spent a career in the theater performing magic, and later behind the scenes with IATSE Houston Local 51. His work in technical theatre, included a long stint as Backstage Manager of the Houston Music Hall. While serving in the Special Services branch of the United States Army, Kornegay entertained the troops, touring the U.S. and Japan.

Kornegay is survived by wife and performing partner Donnie; daughters Diana Davison and DeLora Cardone, and one grandson.

Frank Lebeck, 86, born Dec. 10, 1928, died March 2. Lebeck was a member of Assumption Catholic Church. He was a member of Knights of Columbus and the Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Club. He was employed with Hormel Food Products for 38 years. Lebeck is survived by his wife of 59 years, Mary Louise; sons Michael and Rodney, daughter Debra, and three grand-

children.

Tomislav Premovic, 59, born Oct. 18, 1955 in Serbia, died March 4. He was of Serbian Eastern Orthodox Christian faith.

Tom is survived by his family and friends who loved him dearly.

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Zora Mai Ramirez, 90, born Nov. 1, 1924 in Nashville, Tenn., died March 3. She was a member of the Fraternal Order of the Eagles in the Heights since 1979.

Ramirez is survived by her sons Raymond Jr., Michael and Randy Ramirez, eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

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4040 Watonga â&#x20AC;˘ 713-688-5227 Reverend John Cain, Pastor

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You are cordially invited to the church that can guide you in what you must do to be saved.

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Hear The Gospel - Mark 16:15; Roman 10: 14-17 Believe The Gospel - John 8:24; Hebrews 11:6 Repent - Luke 17:3-5; Acts 17:30 Confess - Mathew 10:32; Romans 10:9-10 Be Baptized - Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Col 2:11-13 Live Faithfully Till Death - John 8:31; Revelation 2:10; Hebrew 10:23 The Norhill Church of Christ is a non-denominational church located in the near north side of Houston in the inner loop 77009 area.

It has operated as a church of Christ since 1927, it is located at 634 West Cottage on the corner of West Cottage and Reagan streets.

The Norhill Church of Christ teaches only the Bible, without reference to any man-originated creed. Bible study services for all ages are held at 9:30am Sunday mornings. Sunday morning Worship begins at 10:15am. Sunday evening worship is at 6:00pm Wednesday evening worship and Bible study is held at 7:30pm.

Norhill welcomes everyone to attend worship or Bible study to learn more about the truth of the Bible.

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

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The Obituaries.

82, born Feb. 8, 1933, died March 3. Castillo graduated from Jeff Davis High School and attended the University of Houston. He served in the U.S. Air Force while stationed in Guam. He retired from the U.S. Postal Service after serving 44 years. He is survived by his wife, Henrietta Romo Castillo, brother Catarino Castillo, and sister Delores Oligney, sons Stephen Raymond Castillo and Edward Castillo, daughters Theresa Anne Medina, Catherine Castillo and Patricia Aviles, and eight grandchildren.

aged 4 and under are free. Round Up 2015 will be from 5-10 p.m.

March 28, at the SPJST Lodge #88, 1435 Beall. Information: leatherapronfoundation.org.

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From the Pews.

Stations of the Cross at Hope Episcopal Hope Episcopal Church, 1613 W. 43rd St., welcomes the community to the Stations of the Cross at 6:30 p.m. Friday evenings on March 13, March 20 and March 27.

Call 713-681-6422 or visit www.hope-episcopal.org for information.

Larry Bell, will explain all retirement money management options available. The event will be from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. March 24, at Harolds in the Heights, 350 W. 19th St. Lunch will be provided.

Limited seating. Information: 713-253-6507, natalie@shootingstarpromotionstx.com.

tooth Fairy BringS gooD nEwS on thE EConomy Chase Baker, D.D.S.

D

elta Dental, a dental insurance company, recently released its annual Tooth Fairy Index which tracks the average earnings children receive from the Tooth Fairy for their missing chompers. According to the company, their index has tended to closely follow the economyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ups and downs since its beginning in 1998. They state that the index has correctly followed the trends in 11 of the last 12 years, and with the latest results from their poll showing a 25% increase in baby teeth earnings, there is a good possibility that the economy is on the rise. This is great news for everyone, especially those youngsters with some loose teeth.

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.

MESSAGE OF THE WEEK

Suffering and redemption Christians believe that we are saved by Jesusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; suffering and death on the cross, in essence that he suffered and died for our sins. We consider Jesusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; suffering to be sacred, as it is part and parcel of humanityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s redemption. Jesus showed us that suffering can be sacred. That is not a cure or remedy for suffering, but a way to at least make it meaningful.

It is sometimes said that human beings can live without anything except hope. We might also say that we can suffer anything as long as there is some meaning or purpose in it.

As the philosopher Nietzsche put it, â&#x20AC;&#x153;He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how.â&#x20AC;? Nothing is worse than severe and interminable suffering that has no meaning.

That might almost serve as a definition of Hell: severe and endless suffering that has no meaning. Imagine having the realization at the gates of Hell that we could have had salvation, but instead we chose selfishness, momentary pleasures and sin and now we are going to pay for it. That bargain, to sell oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soul for momentary pleasure or selfish gain, will undoubtedly appear meaningless in the grand scheme of things. Infinitely better to delay gratification and suffer meaningfully now than risk eternal meaningless suffering in the hereafter.

For it is better, if it is Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. 1 Peter 3:17-18

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Food, drink & Art Saturday, March 14, 2015 • Page 7A

St. Patrick’s day festivities lo r

er

March 17, another Tuesday and the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. p Saint Patty’s day has come to be as@T hirstyEx sociated with everything Irish - green, gold, leafy shamrocks, stalky leprechauns, luck and beer. The biggest celebration is in the homeland of Ireland, but our area is taking part in the celebrating as well.

Lucky’s Pub 8th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival The celebrating is starting early over at Lucky’s, located at 2520 Houston Ave. VIP tickets are $50 and if you use the promo code “greenmonkey” online you’ll get $10 off. VIP tickets give you a pass for drinks all weekend. On Friday, March 13, there will be complimentary drinks served all day. On Saturday, March 14, the Heights Karbach cook-off starts at noon. One hundred percent of the proceeds will benefit the Southwest Inn Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Tickets are $30 and this gets you four drink tickets, a souvenir pint glass and you can feast all of the food entries.

On Sunday, March 15, there will be green beer and mudbugs all day. On St. Patty’s Day, Lucky’s in the Heights will open at 11 a.m.

There will be bagpipers, leprechauns, and 94.5 the buzz will be

Art Valet

broadcasting. Oh, and there will be beer. Lots of beer!

& Drink

sandwich with 1 side & Drink

PullED PorK • ChiCKEn • hAm • TurKEy BEEF BriSKET • SAuSAgE

Clean Bandit rockin’ the house at Fitzgerald’s If you’re looking for a concert to do St. Patty’s celebrating, you’ll want to buy your tickets now for Clean Bandit on March 17. The U.K. four member group were classically string quartet trained, but have new name influences like Arcade Fire as well as a new house feel. Doors open at 7 p.m. and tickets are $18 online, $20 the day off and $22 at the box office. Grab your tickets early!

Kids Eat Free All Day, Sunday!

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Email christina@theleadernews.com and follow on Twitter @ThirstyExplorer

Leader Nibbles

Meet some of the Cohen crew

Oh the weather outside is frightful

The weather outside has been anything but delightful.

One day we have near freezing temperatures. The next day it’s humid and wet. By the end of the week the sun made two appearances that only gave false hope ahead of another week filled with a gloomy forecast.

I had lunch at a neighborhood place, with a mean hankering for tortilla soup. Let’s just say that the Mexican joint missed the mark for me and I was left with a $9 bill and an unsatisfied appetite. I took a poll at the office and on social media to find the best bowls of soup around town and here are a few suggestions for you.

Guilt - that is the prevailing feeling as I begin writing this week’s column because I failed to interview an artist in time to meet my deadline. Looking at a couple of projects I’ve been working on with other artists, I realize the opportunities under my nose that I’ve missed out on. So let me tell you a little bit about them in my own words.

Vena Ashley - mid thirties, photographer and painter. Ashley combines Mitch Cohen her two passions in the arts with an Arts Columnist elbow grease transfer technique of her photos to surfaces like wood and metal. The finished art looks like an old photograph on wood, rustic, antiquated and somewhat surreal.

Carolyn Bertrand, late eighties, painter with many mediums throughout her life, primarily uses ink these days. Ms. Bertrand invited me to assist her with bestowing her art.

Ms. Bertrand introduced herself to me several years ago at Cavatore my art market. She was so impressed that someone started 2120 Ella Blvd. 77008 one in Houston that she gave me her own written proposals Minestrone Soup to the City of Houston for a similar market many years before.

The mineHers included recycling, sustainability and was way ahead of strone soup is the times. I recall displaying her work for the Heights 1st Saturhappiness in day events. We have remained in touch thanks to her tenacity. a bowl. If you Which brings me back to Vena Ashley. Ashley decided that are a veggie she was going to host her own art show after participating in lover, you will many others since diving into the art world full-time in 2013. love this soup.

Why not, it can’t be that hard, right? Have you ever heard a The bowl is phrase like, herding cats? filled with broccoli, carrots, After graduating from Sam Houston State in 2006, with a cauliflower, cabbage, noodles BFA, double major, in Advertising Graphic Design and Phoand more. The menu offers tography, Ashley worked a soup and salad and is the as a graphic designer until perfect combo for lunch or a October of 2013. She then light portion option for dinner. decided to finally take the Don’t forget the bread. first step at being an artist and showed at her first Art Shepherd Park Draught Crawl at Atelier Jacquinet in House November of 2013, where 3402 N. Shepherd Dr. 77018 she met artists Gordan and Grilled Cheese O.D Tara Greenleaf, both artists The name says it all. The who host many shows ungrilled cheese has cheddar, der the name The Gallery baby swiss and nantucket piAt. The Greenleafs hosted mento. The cheesy concoction a James Bond themed show is served with a creamy tomato where Ashley won best in basil bisque. The bisque is light Vena Ashley’s hand painted show, met me and started poster for her art show ‘No Place and the perfect pair for the attending First Saturday Arts Like That Yellow Brick Road.’ grilled cheese. A real pleaser Market. on a cold and rainy day.

Ashley’s first independently produced art show is called “No Place Like That Yellow Brick Road” (that is also the website) Vietnam Restaurant and obviously is focused on, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. 605 W. 19th St. 77008 Gretchen McDaniel, also an artist, teamed up with Ashley to Pork Noodle Soup present the art show based on one of their favorite children’s Vietnam knows their stocks. books and movies.

The Pork Noodle soup is with I submitted a painting in the show too, I’ll only tell you that the traditional egg noodle and I painted a flying monkey; naturally. All the artists have each slices of barbecued pork. Add created a piece based on their interpretation of the story. some spice to the noodle bowl These artworks will be shown together in the main gallery. and this bowl will have you Nancy Adams, Darlene Besier, Gordon Greenleaf, Tara Jorwarm enough for the whole dan-Greenleaf, C W Napier, Ginger Travis Page, Cherie Saliweek. Their egg drop is also nas, Teresa L Staley and Mike Williams are other participating excellent. artists in this show.

Artists will also be showing non-themed artworks in other Hosting a party or corporate event? rooms of the building, which happens to be a former tortilla Let us do all the work. factory. Now called Atelier Jacquinet, the building houses art studios and is a full on pop-up gallery during the annual downtown ArtCrawl.

This is a one day show on Saturday evening March 21, 5 - 9 p.m. The Atelier is located just north of downtown in the old warehouse district at 913 McKee St. 77002. Take the Hardy St exit off of I-10 East.

I’ll bring you more news about the unstoppable Carolyn Bertrand soon. She really is an amazing woman and reminds me of why I love being and working with other artists.

We can deliver and set up at your home or office.

We’re all unstoppable!

CATERING

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.

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Little Woodrow’s Pre-St. Patty’s Day Party This Saturday Little Woodrows, located at 2631 White Oak Dr., is planning some pre-partying for St. Patty’s Day. There will be four bands lined up for the event: Wadkins from 1-3 p.m.; Canada Trio from 4-6 p.m.; Sick Duck from 6:30-8:30 p.m.; and Positive Disturbance from 9-11 p.m. Piddy’s Food Truck will be parked on site, serving food all day and Little Woodrow’s will be serving crawfish until the fat leprechaun sings.

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Try our

Tia Maria’s 4618 Dacoma St. 77092 Tortilla Soup Good tortilla soup is so hard to find. How the tortilla soup is served is where the question of “tradition” is debated. One office favorite is Tia Maria’s bowl. It is served with plenty of chicken, fresh tortilla chips and a heaping of avocado. Fixings are served on the side so you can add as much or as little as you would like. Did I mention the avocado heaping?

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Page 8A â&#x20AC;˘ Saturday, March 14, 2015

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Run the Groveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

A group of running enthusiasts in the Timbergrove Manor area are looking to bolster their community and AdoptAn-Esplanade campaign through a new 5k marathon, slated to be held April 18.

Darci Blackmon, one of the eventâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s organizers, said the inaugural â&#x20AC;&#x153;Run the Grove 5kâ&#x20AC;? will raise money to put back into beautification projects like esplanades and touching up West 11tth Street Park.

The initial idea for the run came about in late summer of last year. Blackmon said the event will be a good way to get some more community involvement from those in the neighborhood. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re really trying to sell it as a great event not only for families to participate in but also people who are competitive when it comes to running,â&#x20AC;? Blackmon said.

Blackmon said things like strollers and wagons will be welcomed for the event; however organizers are asking participants to leave their pets at home. Adult registration costs $25 and children 15 and

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under cost $15. Organizers are aiming to get between 200 to 300 runners by the time the April date arrives. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll also be encouraging people to stay after the race as the post-race festivities will coincide with our Spring Fling,â&#x20AC;? Blackmon said. The event will have numerous activities for children and adults and two food trucks are currently lined up to offer cuisine and refreshments.

Blackmon and others with Run the Grove are asking for the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s support in terms of volunteers and sponsorships. Tommie Vaughan Ford and Duke Energy have both stepped up for the event, and other local companies will also be donating time and some other supplies to the event.

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Contributed Map The official map for Run the Grove to be held April 18. The course is mapped out in gold with the start and finish marked along 11th Street.

The race begins and ends at West 11th Street Park with runners traveling across E T.C. Jester Boulevard and back on to West 11th Street.

Strollers and wagons will be welcome at the event and post-race festivities will coincide with the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spring Fling celebration.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re really hoping to build on this and everyone is excited,â&#x20AC;? Blackmon said.

To sign up for volunteer opportunities, go online to www.tmnaonline.org/r unthe-grove/. General questions

about volunteering can be submitted with the volunteer form or can be sent directly by email to info@tmnaonline. org. For sponsorship opportunities, email suzanne.driskill@ gmail.com

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The race course The race will begin and end at West 11th Street Park. Runners will travel east on W. 11th Street, turning south on Worthshire Street, east again on Turnpike Road and then north on Prince Street.

The route then proceeds west on W. 12th Street before turning north on Bay Oaks Road and heading west again on Wynwood Lane. The route takes participants slightly north on E T.C. Jester Boulevard before crossing the road and heading south to W. 11th Street where it turns west and ends back at the park. See map above.

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Timbergrove residents invite community and gear up for race

By Jonathan Garris jgarris@theleadernews.com

C

urbansolesoutpost@yahoo.com

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