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Inside Today: Illegal racing frightens Watonga residents • Page 2A

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By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com Gunshots shattered the air on Shpeherd Drive early Sunday morning, and authorities are now investigating the drive-by shooting which resulted in one death near a local convenience store. Per the Houston Police Department, the shots rang out around 4:30 a.m. Sunday in front of the Gulf convenience store at 4615 N. Shepherd Drive. The male victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Police say the victim was sit-

ting in the parking lot with a friend when he was shot. The suspect(s) were seen driving in a gold or tan four-door sedan southbound on North Shepherd. When the vehicle turned westbound onto Curtin Street, shots were fired from inside the vehicle and struck the victim. One source told The Leader the shooting may have been drugrelated, as those types of arrests and incidents can be common in the North Shepherd corridor. “There’s some drug activity going on right at that Gulf Station and near the Metro bus stop on a

regular basis. It’s a problem here,” Thorton Rd. the source said. “But generally, unless they get into an argument with one another, they pretty 4615 North much leave everyone alone.” Shepherd Dr. However, police could not confirm motive or release any Curtin St. additional information on the shooting or the suspects as of Heidrich St. press time. Anyone with information on this incident should contact the W. 43 St. HPD Homicide Division at 713308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. One person was killed in a drive-by shooting on N. Shep-

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Turner’s Turn

Can Super Neighborhoods still work? By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

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Treadsack restaurants in bankruptcy The Heights was introduced to the Treadsack restaurant group with their first concept, Down House, in 2011. The concept gained quite a buzz before opening, and the buzz continued to carry them to establish a successful restaurant on Yale Street. The buzz carried the restaurant to open their second concept in 2013, D&T Drive Inn. Later in 2015 and 2016, the restaurant group opened Johnny’s Gold Brick, Bernadine’s, Hunky Dory, Foreign Correspondents, and Canard - with the help of investors. In a February 2017 report from the Houston Press, a former employee and book keeper went public with tax evasion accusations after Foreign Correspondents and neighboring bar, Canard, suddenly closed and employee checks bounced. Just this week, the Houston Press is reporting, “an investor in the troubled Treadsack group of Heights restaurants has sued the owners, accusing them of withholding payments and blocking access to the companies’ financial records.” Houston attorney Richard Rothfelder alleges in the lawsuit, filed Monday in Harris County District Court, that he invested $60,000 in exchange for a percentage of net sales of Down House, D&T Drive Inn, Hunky Dory, Bernadine’s and the now-shuttered Foreign Correspondents. - Christina Martinez

In just 15 months, Mayor Sylvester Turner has addressed some of the city’s toughest issues, including flooding, permits and community engagement. He’s also traveled across the world to promote Houston. In this December photo, he was in Bahrain to help Houston land the 2020 World Petroleum Congress. (Contributed Photo)

Mayor picking off one issue at a time By Jonathan McElvy jonathan@theleadernews.com Mayor Sylvester Turner’s social media feed would make a Ferris wheel dizzy. Consider last Sunday’s schedule. He attended church services – three of them – at Jordan Grove MBC, Ecclesia Houston and First Baptist Houston. In between, he stopped at the Holocaust Museum for a quick talk and the Cigna Sunday Streets on 43rd Street in Oak Forest for a little dancing on the pavement. If you think that’s a busy day, it’s

hardly that for a man who spent 20 years in the Texas Legislature seemingly prepping for his turn as Houston’s CEO. In his first year in office, Turner Column: Hiring has tackled vir- firm couldn’t tually every have found a public concern better leader Page 4A raised during a 2015 campaign in which he outlasted 12 other candidates. From pensions to permitting, flooding to flying (as in to Cuba, Bahrain and Mexico, among others), Turner’s wheels haven’t stayed parked for long.

Focus on Non-Profit

Last week, between morning meetings, an appearance at the Bassmaster’s kickoff and a visit to the University of Houston, Turner sat down with The Leader for a quick talk about some of the issues important to this area of Houston. Flooding On March 7, Turner announced a plan to help White Oak Bayou’s continued flooding dilemma. In the past two years, heavy rains haven’t just dampened yards; they have driven families from their homes.

See Turner P. 3A

Mark Williamson knows too well the issues Super Neighborhood 15 (Greater Heights) has encountered in revitalization efforts. With that in mind, when he was elected president for a second time last year, he vowed to be more aggressive in his efforts to restore the Greater Heights Super Neighborhood to the beacon it once was. In an attempt to re-awaken what has fallen from a vibrant super neighborhood to a dormant organization over the last several years, Super Neighborhood 15 gathered for its annual meeting Monday, March 27. Monday’s get together was the first since 2016, and has become annual instead of quarterly – the result of declining interest that seems to have pervaded the group since before Williamson initially left the presidency a few years ago. “The Memorial and Houston Heights super neighborhoods used to be pointed to as examples to emulate. Once upon a time they were extremely active with lots of folks involved,” said Mark Klein, president of Super Neighborhood 12 (Garden Oaks/Oak Forest), who has interacted with SN 15’s leaders in past years. Williamson had been fervently searching for an avenue of reviving it in the years since his last presidency, and Monday signaled what he hopes is just the beginning of bringing Super Neighborhood 15 back to life. “When I was elected last year, I got very busy and didn’t do much of anything to try and revive it then,” he said. “The last time we amended our bylaws we said we were going to have an annual See Super P. 3A

Photo by Landan Kuhlmann Super Neighborhood 15 President Mark Williamson addresses attendees at the meeting March 27.

Second of a multi-part series

MANNA continues the mission of local ministries By Jennifer Layer jennifer@theleadernews.com After an oil crisis in the early 1980s local Houstonians were broke and reaching out to their churches for guidance. In 1989 this outbreak of financial need caused 10 churches to band together and create the Ministry Assistance of the Near Northwest Alliance, also known as MANNA. Today MANNA is known for its small thrift shop and big heart. While serving 13 zip codes and an average of 1,000 people a month,

MANNA has made its mark in this community. Although most people know about their resale shop, MANNA also provides numerous other services. These include a food pantry on 34th Street; financial and nutrition classes on the first and third Wednesday of the month at Saint James; clothing vouchers; a community food fair every third Saturday of the month; and other seasonal events like the Thanksgiving Turkey Tailgate where 200 local families receive fried turkeys.

Looking towards the future, MANNA hopes to grow their services and their reach. “One thing we are doing is outreach, to reach out to the people and ask them what we can do better,” said Patricia Dornak, executive director of MANNA. “We will assess what the needs of the community are and try to create programs to serve those needs.” One of the most important factors in a successful nonprofit is awareness. That’s See MANNA P. 3A

Photo by Jennifer Layer While most people are probably more familar with their thrift shop, MANNA provides a range of services.

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