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Michael Silva

brought to our readers by neighborhood attorney Phyllis Oeser Call Phyllis at 713-692-0300

This week’s

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Saturday, March 28, 2015 • Vol. 60 • No. 21

See you next year

Rice Military considers additional security By Jonathan Garris jgarris@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

Like any community leader, Rice Military Civic Club President Andrea DeBaldo wants to help keep her neighborhood safe. That’s why this month the group hosted the first of what could be several meetings over potentially recruiting more help for the neighborhood in the form of a contract with the local constable’s office or a private security company. “This is not a bad area, but but we do have a lot of petty crime,” DeBaldo said. “We held our meeting on March 10 primarily in response to our resi-

Contributed Photo Some Rice Military residents are weighing contract options between Top Gun and the Harris County Precinct One Constable’s Office

dents’ concerns about crime and if we should move forward or not with

extra security options.” According to Houston Police Department representatives at the meeting, from 2014 to March 2015, crime has remained low. There have been no murders, no sexual assaults and only one robbery reported in the area during that time and car burglaries saw a 40 percent decrease. While the area will see some extra coverage by HPD over the next few months, officials encouraged residents to start a Citizens on Patrol program where neighbors can volunteer their time by driving their local streets to help deter See Security, P. 10A

Putting a spark in a park

Staff photo On March 18, The Leader welcomed over 350 seniors and 48 businesses into the SPJST Lodge for this year’s Senior Expo.

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Thank you to our sponsors:

FIND IT. GARAGE/MOVING SALE: Saturday-Sunday, March 28-29, 9 a.m. 5818 Langfield (behind Shell Station, 7600 W. Tidwell).

Village at the Heights CIGNA Healthspring Tony May

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Thank you to our food sponsors:

Janet & Cecil Schmidt

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Harold’s

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Who made 500 lunches for attendees.

Home ServiceS Premier ProPertieS 713-686-5454

Kojak’s

For serving lunch to all of our food vendors and happy hour hors d’oeuvres.

INSIDE.

Shipley’s

For providing breakfast for everyone who came through the door.

Photo by Betsy Denson Stevens Elementary students make good use of their blacktop, but come this summer the school is looking to reconfigure their outside space with a new SPARK park. The existing playscape will be moved away from the street, among other changes.

Stevens Elementary looking for additional funds for park

St. Pius hosts international Rugby match

48 Vendors

To all of our vendors, thank you.

5 Keynote speakers

By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com

St. Pius X High School rugby team hosted an international competition between the local high school students and a school from Ontario Canada on March 18. Read more inside.

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The Do-Over

Oak Forest’s Stevens Elementary has made strides in raising funds for their SPARK Park but they still need the community’s help to make their goal. Right now the current total is $71,383.05, but they’d like to raise at least $30,000 more to build a truly functional, fun playground for both students and community children since SPARK Parks are available for public use during nonschool hours and on weekends. Last fall, the public got a glimpse of a rendering of the completed park from architect and Oak Forest resident Matt Baumgarten with the SWA Group, who also designed the SPARK Park at Travis Elementary and Wilson Montessori. Baumgarten told The Leader in November that the design they’ve proposed seeks to accentuate outdoor education and the ability to walk around. A reconfiguration of the space will move the existing playscape away from the street. Asphalt from the blacktop

Candice Twyman, Better Business Bureau; Toni King, Author and Medicare Advocate; Tony May, The May Group LLC; Dr. Raj Shani, Memorial Hermann Northwest; Rebecca L. Grohmann, Hilbun Law Firm.

Special thanks: Member Trust FCU and the staff at SPJST Lodge 88 for all their work.

area will also be removed. Other features that have been discussed are a wooden deck underneath one of the trees that can serve as an outdoor classroom, installing bike racks in functional places, putting in additional shade, and having science tables at the end of the fifth grade hallway which would be useful during messy projects. Construction is set to begin in late May or early June

The Leader and Memorial Hermann Northwest hold another successful Senior Expo

See Spark, P. 2A By Christina Martinez christina@theleadernews.com

Organization aims to serve healthy suppers to children

In this week’s real estate feature, we looked at a renovated and expanded home at 1638 Harvard St. - one of the six properties featured on the Houston Heights Association’s 2014 Spring Home & Garden

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The INDEX. Church

Thank you to our booth vendors:

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Classifieds

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Food/Drink/Art Obituaries

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Opinion

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Public Information Puzzles Sports

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By Kim Hogstrom For The Leader Sitting on Antoine Dr. near 34th St., locals will find a nondescript, red brick building. Its tidy exterior offers no hint of the activity and impact of the people within. A group of dedicated Houstonians operating under the name of “Be a Champion” occupy the structure and serve healthy, organic suppers to more than 7,000 of Houston’s children a day - for free. “Many of Houston’s kids are not getting the nutrition they need,” said Be a Champion’s Founder Jaron Barganier. “They are not getting adequate fruits and vegetables. Then the kids become malnourished and that has a negative impact on their ability to learn. “A malnourished child, is an undereducated child,” said Barganier. Bargainer explained that most chil-

dren in Houston will eat at a free or reduced price, balanced breakfasts and lunches at school, then return to homes where parents are still at work. Hungry, the kids make themselves food such as noodles or cabbed items. Their typical night time meal is highly processed with little nutritional value. That is to say, when they eat at all. “Think about how you feel when you are hungry,” Barganier said. “Most of us get cranky and we actout, just like our kids. In school, the result of malnourishment includes kids losing the ability to concentrate in the classroom. We bring in healthy, organic suppers to help. That way, when the kids go home to highly processed food, at least they’ve eaten their fruits and vegetables. They are in overall better health as a result.” Be a Champion is a non-profit serSee Healthy, P. 10A

This year’s Senior Expo was another success for both The Leader and the community at large, despite some rainy forecasts. After opening the doors to the SPJST Lodge 88 March 18, event staf from The Leader joined dozens of other smiling vendors and community representatives to welcome hundreds of senior citizens to the second annual event, which offers older residents an opportunity to learn about services catered towards their needs and enjoy multiple keynote speakers. At 9 a.m. the doors were opened to the main event where attendees were greeted with coffee, Shipley’s DoNuts and welcoming words from all of our booth vendors. Attendees were given an expo bag filled with goodies and an event map laying out where individual booth vendors were located for them to visit. Seniors at the event were also invited to enjoy lunch from Harold’s, which provided about 500 meals for attendees, and

Contributed photo Students enjoying their healthy foods, contributed by Be A Champion.

Brandon Krueger Realtor

See Expo, P. 5A

®

Consistent Top Producer and New Construction Expert Market expertise in Garden Oaks | Oak Forest | Inner Loop

First-time homebuyers and builders rely on Brandon’s experience.

832.457.3840 | brandon@yourblvd.com


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