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Covering the Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest & the neighborhoods of North Houston
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Saturday, April 11, 2015 • Vol. 60 • No. 23
Arabic Immersion School divisive among some By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
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News of the new Arabic Immersion Magnet School in the Heights has created a storm among some who believe the school is part of a “top down education agenda‌stripping American children of a cohesive national identity.â€? Stop the Magnet, a group which seeks to strengthen and enforce immigration laws, sent out news of the school’s opening on its newsfeed and Twitter account where it was picked up by others in Texas. Magnet in this
Find more input from readers regarding the school on Page 3A case does not refer to schools but to incentives, like employment, that the group believes encourage illegal immigration. A similar blast went out last November when the HISD board approved the school and Breitbart News, a conservative news and opinion website, picked up on the story. According to a Stop the Magnet
board member, who lives near the school but who did not want to be identified by name, the group is also concerned with “citizen rights and sovereignty� and fears the school will be a security threat as well as an attack on American culture and values. Stop the Magnet claims that “HISD is accepting grants from the federal government for 12 million for magnet schools teaching STEM and language immersion,� and that the money obliges the district to teach a mandated curriculum. See Arabic, P. 2A
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Pinemont Park & Ride controversy ignites furor
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Heartbreak and victory in soccer It has been a month of victories and heartbreaks for several area schools and their soccer programs. The Scarborough High School Spartans defeated Stafford April 7 and continue its deep playoff run. Other teams, like the Waltrip High School girls soccer team, werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t so succesful, but are already looking to next season.
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During a special meeting with the METRO Real Estate Committee, a small group of residents made sure their voices were heard. Here are some choice words shared among community members near the Pinemont Park & Ride.
For one Heights-area resident, participating in this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s BP MS 150 isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just an act of kindness - itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a tribute to the memory of his mother. Read about his contributions to the fight against multiple sclerosis in this weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Our Health.
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â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the same opportunities to have a home should be spread to people in need of this type of housing...â&#x20AC;?
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible a private business would result in jobs in close proximity for those that may need it most in the community right now.â&#x20AC;?
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See Pinemont, P. 5A
See Police, P. 2A
Photo by Jonathan Garris Children return home from Clifton Middle School to nearby apartment complexes along Pinemont like Pineforest Park (pictured in background). A new proposed workforce housing project by the Houston Housing Authority at the site of the Pinemont Park & Ride has residents in communities like these on edge, regarding everything from drainage issues to overcrowding in local schools.
Proposed Houston Housing Authority apartment complex draws scrutiny from surrounding communities By Jonathan Garris jgarris@theleadernews.com Residents living around the vacant Pinemont Park and Ride say they will be gearing up for a long battle against a potential 300 unit apartment complex proposed by the Houston Housing Authority. The METRO Real Estate Committee held a meeting Monday afternoon at its main office on Main Street, attracting residents from areas like Forest West, Pinemont Park and Oak Forest to voice their concern over the potential low income apartments. The Leader previously reported in Nov. 2014 that the 14.8 acre property had been declared a â&#x20AC;&#x153;surplus property,â&#x20AC;? and residents voiced their desire to see the land bring in retail establishments. The Houston Housing Authority has since made a proposal to purchase the land for low income housing. While there arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t specific
When it comes to the fate of the former site of the Pinemont Park & Ride, are there any clear winners? Or is this a â&#x20AC;&#x153;lose-lose-lose-loselose situation?â&#x20AC;?
Find Publisher Jonathan McElvyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opinion on Page 3A
Heights artist channels cancer experience into art exhibition By Kim Hogstrom For The Leader
The INDEX.
plans yet for the community according to HHA representatives, HHA Chair Lance Gilliam said the organization would utilize eminent domain should the property be put on the market and sold publicly. Residents voiced their frustration and disappointment over what one resident called a â&#x20AC;&#x153;backroom deal,â&#x20AC;? citing potential crime and negative effects on surrounding property
The Houston Police Foundation stepped up in a big way this month by providing $1.5 million in equipment to better help Houston Police Department officers across the city. According to a press release, the equipment includes an augmented reality mapping system for helicopters, segways, hand-held imaging systems, horse trailers, bicycles, body armor and medical trauma kits, among other items. Executive Director Charlene Floyd said the organization has given more than $4.5 million since 2005, filling voids that department budgets might have difficulty filling. â&#x20AC;&#x153;About 94 percent of the budget the city allocates to the police department is used for officer salaries and administrative costs,â&#x20AC;? Floyd said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That leaves about six percent to purchase equipment and new technology. It leaves a real void for buying the latest and greatest equipment.â&#x20AC;? That gap in funding is part of the reason the HPF was originally founded, Floyd said. The group has organized various fundraising events and galas over the years, including attracting over 700 people to a gala last year. The group also started an â&#x20AC;&#x153;Adopt a Horseâ&#x20AC;? program three years ago, where citizens could sponsor a horse in the mounted patrol unit and have their name or the logo of a business placed on the horseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stall. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the span of about two and a half years, we got all of them sponsored, so much so that we have a waiting list,â&#x20AC;? Floyd said. The group is taking a similar approach to HPDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s K-9 units, inviting members of the community to sponsor one of 23 canines at $3,500 each. That amount takes care of the dogâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s food and veterinarian bills for a year. To help raise awareness on the K-9 unitsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; work, the group will be hosting a special event from 5 to 7 p.m. April 23 at The Republic Smokehouse and Saloon, located at 1901 Bagby St. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When we do events like this we bring out more than just a few units,â&#x20AC;? Floyd said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sometimes we bring out
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Pedaling for a cure
By Jonathan Garris jgarris@theleadernews.com
â&#x20AC;&#x153;This isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t going to work. We know what this is about. We are going to fight this.â&#x20AC;?
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Perhaps you guys didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t realize what you were doing, but this is an inside deal...â&#x20AC;?
HPD receives $1.5 million donation for new gear
There are few among us who have not been touched by breast cancer. Each womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s journey with the disease is different. However, many have a difficult time expressing the flood of emotions that accompany the diagnosis and treatment. One local artist found her voice through art. Thedra Cullar-Ledford, 45, produces what she calls a â&#x20AC;&#x153;mash-up of conceptualism, minimalism, storytelling and autobiography,â&#x20AC;? and has shown nationally and in-
ternationally. She and her husband Stephan built and run Independence Art Studios on Janisch Rd. off North Shepherd Drive. The studios offer unique work spaces made from old shipping containers to help support Houston artists. Last weekend, Cullar-Ledford opened a one-woman show at G Gallery on 11th St. which will hang throughout April. This is no ordinary show; it shares the story of her journey through the diagnosis of cancer, its treatment and recovery. See Art, P. 6A
Photo by Kim Hogstrom Thedra Cullar-Ledford stands in front of her exhibition at G Gallery.
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