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SATURDAY | April 27, 2013 | Vol. 59 | No. 26 | www.theleadernews.com | @heightsleader
THE BRIEF.
Your property gained value...
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How ‘At Risk’ is your school?
(So did your tax bill and your right to protest)
Celebrate Mom
s ’ e n e l r a D
Cohen to hold Town Hall meeting on crime
With everything from bike thefts to armed robberies being reported in clusters in Leader neighborhoods in recent weeks, District C Councilwoman Ellen Cohen is putting public safety front-andcenter. She and the Houston Police Department will team up for a Greater Heights Town Hall meeting on crime prevention from 6:30-8 p.m. April 29 at the West End Multi-Service Center, 170 Heights Blvd. Resource information specific to communities will be provided, and there will be an opportunity for questions and answers.
Houston ‘dairymaid’ finds a niche off Airline Drive. Group releases annual ranking of Houston; you can decide what the numbers really mean.
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St. Rose of Lima priest ministers to Texans by Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com Father Clint Ressler of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church remembers the days when he wanted to be an NFL wide receiver. “My (football) career was cut short by a lack of talent,” Ressler said. But the Crosby native still made it to the NFL. He’s been a team pastor for the Houston Texans since the franchise began playing games in 2002. “(I made it to the NFL) God’s way, not mine,” Ressler said. “I have one of (only) 32 jobs (like this) in the world.” Ressler was the director of vocations for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston when the Texans began looking for team pastors. Then-offensive coordinator Chris Palmer, a devout Catholic, wanted to make sure the team had a Catholic priest conducts Mass for the team’s Catholic players and coaches. On the nights before Texans games, Ressler conducts mass and gives Holy Communion for the players and coaches who wish to attend. He doesn’t travel with the team, but sometimes, visiting teams will request that he conduct mass for them, as well. When the Texans dismissed head coach Dom
see Ressler • Page 9A
Those who thought the morale at Waltrip High School couldn’t get any worse – on the heels of a stall in a $50 million campus renovation, the unexpected and murky resignation of its principal of a decade, and the scandal involving a popular teacher investigated for possibly sexting to a student – well, they thought wrong. Houston ISD Supt. Terry Grier galvanized the campus this week with his announcement that he’s recommending Waltrip be added to the next phase of the Apollo 20 turnHISD sends reps to around program meet with parents for the district’s underperformabout new principal ing schools. The news – which came as part of the annual report on the program April 19 by Harvard educator and Apollo program architect Dr. Roland Fryer – was “a complete surprise” to school trustees, according to board President Anna Eastman, who also represents the Waltrip community. “I don’t understand why the administration is going in that direction,” said Eastman. She said she was told by a district official that Waltrip’s “data is really bad,” but stressed that “I’ve never been given information that would show why this recommendation has been made.” On Monday, HISD responded to The Leader’s request for supporting information by providing Waltrip and other underperforming high schools’ STAAR end-of-course exam results, with value-added data factored in that
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Father Clint Ressler of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church is a team pastor for the Houston Texans. (Photo by Michael Sudhalter; top photo submitted)
see Waltrip • Page 9A
Memorial Park steward in for long haul
See more in Classifieds
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THE INDEX.
Public Safety Hipstrict Topics Obituaries Coupons Puzzles Sports Classifieds
Waltrip supporters balk at plan for Apollo by Charlotte Aguilar charlotte@theleadernews.com
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Shellye Arnold
Garden Oaks resident Shellye Arnold is a longtime fan of Houston’s natural assets, including Memorial Park. She says she likes the “mud, the bugs, and the bayous.” So when Arnold was approached about becoming the new executive director of the Memorial Park Conservancy, she was enthusiastic, if a little surprised. “I had always hoped for an opportunity like this but thought it would be at some point in the future,” she said of her dream job. “But I grew up going to Memorial Park,
and I felt I could help the park at a meaningful time. How could I not do it?” There is no doubt that it is a pivotal moment for the 89-year old-park. Decimated by the drought of 2011, Memorial Park lost thousands of trees. The conservancy – whose stated mission is to “restore, preserve and enhance Memorial Park for the enjoyment of all Houstonians, today and tomorrow” – has a lot of work to do. Arnold brings an exceptional skill set to the task. Her expertise in strategic planning, team building and leadership was honed over a 20-year career at Cisco Systems, HewlettPackard, Compaq Computer Corporation
and the management consulting firm, McKinsey & Company. Previous to accepting the position with the conservancy, Arnold volunteered her time as both a writer and a speaker for the Parks by You Parks Bond Initiative, which passed in November 2012, providing $166 million in parks funding. The Houston Parks Board is embarking on the boldest and most exciting capital project in its history: Bayou Greenways 2020. This ambitious project will significantly expand and enhance Houston’s parks system, creat-
see Arnold • Page 9A