Inside Today: Meat delivery service popular in the Heights • 10A ������������� ����� ������������ ����������������� ��������������� ������������ ������������ ������������
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Covering the Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest & the neighborhoods of North Houston Saturday, March 29, 2014 • Vol. 60 • No. 21
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Century old Heights church scorched The Heights Presbyterian Church, 240 W. 18th St., caught on fire on Wednesday morning. The Houston Fire Department didn’t have any additional information at press time. Our news partner, KHOU Channel 11, reported that it was a two-alarm fire. But eyewitnesses saw firefighters cutting a hole in the roof of the church as flames shot out. There were several emergency vehicles on the scene as local residents walked out of their homes to view the blaze. The church has been in the Heights for 110 years. Its stated mission is to “strive to grow daily in truly comprehending the grace of God manifest in Jesus, and to extend that grace to more and more people, thereby increasing thanksgiving to the Lord.” The church recently hired a new pastor, Lynn Breckenridge. Check www.theleadernews.com for more updates.
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Heights Presbyterian Church, on 18th Street, caught fire late Wednesday morning. (Photo by Ivee Sauls)
The Houston Parks and Recreation Department is seeking applicants to fill open lifeguard positions at 37 pools for the 2014 swim season. Applicants must be at least 16 years of age, be American Red Cross Certified, and pass a skills screening test prior to being considered for employment. The department will assist applicants who pass the skills screening test prepare for the American Red Cross Certification test and will consider these candidates for employment once they have attained this certification. H.P.A.R.D. Lifeguard job position wage range is $10.30 to $14 per hour based on position. Applications must be made by April 15. “Summer is rapidly approaching and we are currently looking for American Red Cross Certified Lifeguards for our 37 pools,” said Joe Turner, Director, Houston Parks and Recreation Department. “The need is urgent as we will be opening all H.P.A.R.D. pools at the same time this year as opposed to having a twophase opening. This means we will need over 140 lifeguards ready to go and staff our 37 pools on May 24. Our goal is to make sure all Houstonians across the city have access to their neighborhood pool all summer long beginning Memorial Day weekend.” The H.P.A.R.D. Summer Swim Season runs from Memorial Day, May 24, through Labor Day, Sept. 1.
Lifeguards Needed
Finding Revival The City of Houston’s Planning Department will host Mobility Study meetings next week in the Heights and Oak Forest, respectively. (Photo by Betsy Denson)
Citizens get say on mobility By Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com
Brandon Ramey is the current pastor at the429 which draws the faithful on Saturdays.
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FIND IT. 1992 LINCOLN TOWNCAR: Runs well. Looks good. $1,800 obo. 713-688-0617. FOUND TWO BOXERS: Large male, small female. Found September 2013. 713-501-0014. OAK FOREST ESTATE SALE: 4403 Arnell. March 27-29, 9 a.m. Furniture and collectibles. MOTOR SCOOTER: 150cc, 400 miles, $800. 713-8227328.
What happens at the429? By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
Turn to Classifieds Pg. 6A
Someone waxing nostalgic on the Cinema Treasures website wrote that he remembered seeing Saturday Night Fever in 1978 at the Garden Oaks Theatre, 3750 N. Shepherd Dr., which was built in the late 1940s and at one time had a pharmacy next door. These days, Saturday nights at the theatre are a very different experience thanks to the429 — both a church con-
gregation and a movement. Attendees to the429 at either the 6 or 8 p.m. service can sit out on sofas by the curb and enjoy a coffee from the concession stand. There are booths set up in the lobby to help interested parties link up with members in different parts of the city or to find out more about the church’s outreach programs. The service begins with music — “funk, soul and rock-n-roll” - which gets people out in the aisles and down in front, lifting their hands to the sky and in some cases, kneeling to the ground in prayer. Pastor Brandon Ramey follows a half hour later and preaches about being “all in” for Christ. The congregation is on the young side and all are riveted, a few calling out their agreement with certain points. There’s a live web feed of the service and people can also connect through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The429 is more than interactive — it seeks to embody the Bible verse where it got its name: Deuteronomy-4:29,”But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Member Maria Perez is one person who is passionate about the429. She explains that it started in 2010 as a youth service at Grace Church of Garden Oaks to appeal to the 18-30 year old demographic. The original Grace Church is in Humble but there are also campuses in Liberty and Tomball. The Garden Oaks location used to be the home of the Net Church but was mentored by Grace and eventually joined the church. The429 service started drawing crowds, both those from in the church and those outside of it, and eventually moved to Saturday nights, leaving Sundays and Wednesdays to Grace Church at Garden Oaks for a more traditional service. The two entities are both affiliated but separate, although some in the congregation attend both. Perez was attending Grace Church in Humble when See Revival, P. 3A
The City of Houston will host the final mobility meetings next week for two respective areas, and citizens will get the opportunity to review study results and add their input. The first one will be the HeightsNorthside Mobility Study Meeting between 6 and 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 1 at Moody Park Community Center, 3725 Fulton. There will be a presentation by the city’s planning department at 6:30 p.m. The second meeting is the Northwest Mobility Study, which will be held at the same time on Wednesday, April 2 at the Candlelight Community Center from 6 to 8 p.m. with the planning department’s presentation at 6:30 p.m. These are two of the city’s seven studies. The others are Inner Loop West, Greater West Houston, Texas Medical Center, East End and one called ‘Other Areas’. Both Northwest and Heights studies began in December 2012. The city’s planning department is working on the project in conjunction with the city’s Public Works and Engineering Department and the Houston-Galveston Area Council. Residents will get the opportunity to provide recommendations for the City’s multimodal planning approach as it pertains to the vehicle, bicycle, pedestrian, bus and any other users of the greater transportation network. For the Northwest, the study area is approximately 41,227 acres and has a population of 234,415 (as of the 2010 census). A number of thoroughfares currently do not extend across the study area due to existing land uses, railroads, bayous, etc. Additionally, the land uses and typology of development vary throughout the study area.
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Oak Forest Kroger getting $5 million facelift By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
All the neighborhood remodeling in Oak Forest is rubbing off on a local grocery store. Kroger Store Director Jeff Bailey said that the W. 43rd location is getting ready for a $5 million renovation starting in May. Although the store will not be expanding its square footage, Bailey said that “it is a full blown remodel, floor to ceiling.” There will be new refrigeration
cases and a whole host of new items including an expanded beer and wine section, specialty cheeses, natural/organic items and gluten free foods. It will remain Jeff Bailey a 24-hour store with security in place. Those who had trouble finding the organic section won’t have any prob-
lem locating it after the renovation. Bailey said it’s “coming out of the corner.” Indeed, most of the organization of the store will change as a result of customer feedback and the knowledge of what’s working in the new stores that Kroger opens across the country. The W. 43rd Street location is due for a makeover. Its 35,000 shoppers a week place it in the top ten stores in the Southwest Division and the last spruce up for the location was in 1997. The
Heights Kroger on N. Shepherd was remodeled a few years ago. Bailey, who has managed stores in Kingwood and Humble, has been with Kroger for 36 years and at the W. 43rd location for five years. A President’s Leadership Award winner voted on by his peers, he said he likes working in such a high volume store. “I live in the See Kroger, P. 3A
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