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Saturday, April 15, 2017 • Vol. 62 • No. 15
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Woodland Heights traffic saga frustrates residents By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
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Plans appear to be in place for a traffic plan in the Woodland Heights neighborhood which would include speed bumps and other traffic calming devices to help with speeding traffic on several thoroughfares. Not all is well with the city’s decision, however, and several residents have continued to express frustration throughout the process, no matter the result. Back in 2011, the Woodland Heights Civic Association asked
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the city to install speed bumps to help with the traffic. Over the next several years, city officials spruced up the plan before concocting an initial plan for 26 speed bumps and two traffic circles, with four of those on most-affected Pecore Street, which was reclassified as a minor collector so as to make way for the devices. Fast forward to June 2016, when the city mailed ballots out to all the affected neighbors, and the vote came back as a resounding ‘No’ amongst most homeowners.
Later, a revised plan contained a reduced number of overall proposed speed bumps down to where it currently stands at 17 devices. On feedback for the second proposal, the comments appeared to play out as 202 in favor, 258 against, three undecided, and eight to go with the majority, with 29 wishing to add additional devices and 32 wishing to remove some. However, despite the majority appearing to oppose it, the city decided to See Traffic P. 5A
We Ride to Austin
Photo by Landan Kuhlmann Shown here is Pecore Street, one of the more hotly contested streets in the Woodland Heights traffic saga. Despite apparent resident objections, the city has decided to install traffic calming devices on Pecore and throughout the Woodland Heights neighborhood.
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The INDEX. Church....................................................... 7A Classifieds.............................................. 7B Coupons. ................................................. 8A Food/Drink/Art................................... 1B Obituaries.............................................. 5A Opinion. ................................................... 4A Public Information......................... 2A Puzzles...................................................... 4A Sports. ....................................................... 9B
By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com Even though Stephen Reed and Tim Chisolm may have taken different paths to where they are today, they will now forever be connected through the stories they share and will have shared with them as they make their way from Houston to Austin later this month. Beginning April 29, Chisolm and Reed will both partake in the BP MS 150 bike ride. The annual ride is the largest fundraising bike ride in North America with more than 12,000 cyclists, 3,500 volunteers and countless spectators along the route. The two-day, 180-mile journey will take place April 29-30, beginning in Houston and ending in front of the state capitol in Aus-
tin. BP’s annual trek provides an opportunity for those living with multiple sclerosis (MS) and those who care about them to connect, join together, be inspired and raise critical funds for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. A family affair Reed and his brother have always shared a special bond. Coming from a split home, Reed has always looked to his brother for guidance. He even seemed to follow in his older brother’s footsteps, from playing the same sports growing up to obtaining an engineering degree and moving to Houston just a few short years ago. “From that perspective, my brother was a huge influence on me, not only as a sibling but
Focus on Non-Profit
also as a role model and someone to look up to and take care of me,” he said. “We had our rough spots, but growing up I always had someone to look up to and found myself following in his footsteps. He’s always been a big part of my life. We lived together in college, and we’ve gone through a lot together.” Soon after his brother’s graduation, however, that bond would be put to the ultimate test. “He first started noticing it when he was working out or playing flag football—he couldn’t see anything or everything went blurry. He couldn’t catch a football—it’d be three feet from where he’s trying to grab it,” Reed said— a notable development for someone who
For the first time in the history of The Leader, an entire edition of this newspaper will be devoted to the women in our community who keep our businesses and homes running. And we need your help (here’s looking at you, dad) to make sure we find the Woman Leader of the Year. On May 6, in the week leading up to Mother’s Day, the pages of The Leader will be full of stories about outstanding women in our area in an edition we’ve dubbed “Women at Work.” From CEOs who manage our businesses to mothers who manage our homes, we want to tell our readers and the women of this community how much we all depend on them. And it only seems fitting to do so the week before Mother’s Day. But that’s not all. On Friday, May 12, The Leader will host our inaugural Women at Work luncheon at Ginger & Fork restaurant for the first 100 women Michol Ecklund who are nominated for Woman Leader of the Year. During that luncheon, Michol Ecklund, the deputy general counsel for Marathon Oil and, more importantly, a mother, will speak about her position and what she believes are the keys to balancing a home and work life. The May 6 edition and the May 12 luncheon are part of a larger drive to help support an organization in our area that cares for women in need. The
See Bike Trek P. 9A
See Women P. 3A
Fourth of a multi-part series
Locals helping locals through the Leather Apron Foundation By Jennifer Layer jennifer@theleadernews.com In 2005 a US Army soldier named Jonathan Kolmetz returned home from Iraq. Kolmetz quickly realized that involvement in community service was the most powerful tool in helping integrate himself back into the civilian world. “It was fast-paced, high-contact and gave me a sense of purpose that I missed from my time in the military,” said Kolmetz, President and Founder of the Leather Apron Foundation. Taking what he had learned from volunteering with non-profit
organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters of Houston and Skills 4 Living, Kolmetz partnered with three other graduate friends from his alma mater, St. Pius X High School, to form the Leather Apron Foundation (LAF). “As a community of friends and neighbors, we were already supporting one another but we figured if we formalized our giving and support that when that time came to help one another we would be able to give even more,” said Kolmetz. “I am proud to say that we have given back more than $100,000 to this community and thousands of hours of community
service over the last 5 years.” LAF is rooted in local people supporting local causes. LAF has several annual programs including, but not limited to, a Day of Service and 3-2-1 GO! Back to School, where a week’s worth of uniforms are provided to select students in need. LAF also fundraises for a large variety of local organizations and groups, including two of our previously featured non-profits: Oaks Dads’ Club and MANNA Food Pantry. LAF stands apart from other fundraising agencies, in that they See Non-Profit P. 5A
Photo supplied LAF volunteers gathered clothes for the ‘3-2-1 Go! Back to School’ event.
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