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Saturday, June 20, 2015 • Vol. 60 • No. 33
Tropical Storm Bill a tropical bust for some
Leader Small Display_Silva NEW PHOTO.indd 4/17/15 2:04 1 PM
By Jonathan Garris jgarris@theleadernews.com
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While many were happy to see that the recent reports of potentially widespread flooding on Monday with the arrival of Tropical Storm Bill turned out to be a tad bit underwhelming, residents still had to mop up a bit more when Wednesday arrived. While excessive flooding was not reported on highways close to The Leader area, others had to deal with downed tree lines and more concentrated areas of flooding on neighborhood streets. According to the Harris County Flood Control District, rainfall levels across the country remained fairly low as the storm moved farther inland with less than two inches of rain in the past 24 hours. While high tides caused water to rise in Galveston Bay, all other bayous and creeks are within banks. Officials also said rainfall rates were ex-
pected to be 4 to 8 inches as the storm continued its move across the region which were fortunately not as damaging as many outlets had been originally reporting, sending many in the area to local grocery stores for supplies. Fireman Jared Reeves was getting a 3-day supply of food and water on Monday when news of the storm continued to spread. “Station 13 called me to come in and they always tell us to get a three day supply,” he said. The overstocking on essential supplies might not be a bad thing for some as Johnny Rojas said on the Oak Forest Homeowners Association Facebook page. “We dodged a bullet by 50 miles west,” Rojas said. “Let’s just say Tropical Storm Bill was a full dress rehearsal for Houston. Now that we all have our supplies, store them. Hurricane season is officially from June to November here in the Gulf area.”
Photo by Betsy Denson Residents came out in droves to the Kroger on West 43rd Street Monday with the threat of more rain in an already saturated area, but the area only saw minimal impact from Tropical Storm Bill.
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$150 Heights homeowners to refund money By Jonathan Garris jgarris@theleadernews.com
“PhOpen” for business This month’s Food & Drink section takes a look at the new Pho Binh location at White Oak Drive. The mini-chain opened its doors at its newest location on June 10 and its owners are inviting residents to come in and sample their many soups and dessert options.
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Father-son team keeps family ties strong in Constable’s Office By Jonathan Garris jgarris@theleadernews.com
Keeping good vibes in Czech For 50 years, the local SPJST Lodge 88 has served as a venue and gathering spot for events both big and small.
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The INDEX. Church
“I don’t want any gifts – his time is a gift enough.” -Chief Assistant Deputy Sonny Colunga on spending time with his son, Deputy Michael Colunga, on Father’s Day.
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Classifieds
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Coupons
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Food/Drink/Art Obituaries
1B 2A
Opinion
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Public Information Puzzles
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Deputy Michael Colunga always knew what he was going to be growing up. His father, Chief Assistant Deputy Sonny Colunga of the Harris County Precinct One Constable’s Office, never had any doubt in his mind that his son wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps. During Sonny’s time working within SWAT, Michael would often stumble around their home while wearing some of his father’s equipment. Almost all of Sonny Colunga’s friends were police officers, and although it can be worrisome from time to time, growing up in an environment surrounded by police has done wonders for his 23-year-old son’s career and his attitude. These days Michael can be found patrolling around the Leader area in the Heights. “It’s really exciting to be able to work in the same department as my father,” Michael said. “Not a lot of people in this world get to do that. You’ve got different families at different departments but I was lucky enough to end up in a great department with my father.” “Working in the same department is any father’s dream, I would imagine,” Sonny said. “Getting a chance to share the same uniform and participate in community events and banquets together makes it truly special.” Sonny Colunga started working for the Constable’s Office in 2013 and before that he worked with the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office since 200. He currently has over 30 years of law enforcement experience. Even when Michael was young, Sonny said he could tell his son had police work in his blood. “Every time I went to go work the fair grounds at Fort Bend he would go with me,” Sonny said. Unsurprisingly, Sonny said he first got into law enforcement when he was 14 and living in Corpus Christi. “I started as a Police Explorer, which is like a Boy Scouts program with the police department there in Corpus Christi,” Sonny said. “My godfather was the assistant chief at the
Contributed Photos (Top) Chief Assistant Deputy Sonny Colunga (left) and son Michael Colunga (right) say they enjoy their time working in the same department and Michael calls it an honor to wear the same uniform as his father. (Below) The two embrace after Sonny pinned his son’s badge following the completion of police academy in 2013.
time so he got me involved.” Like Father, Like Son Sonny said his son Michael chose the profession entirely on his own. “Growing up, I saw him going out every day and it was my dream to follow in his footsteps,” Michael said. “I was born and bred into this.” Perhaps one of the biggest honors was Michael’s graduation from the police academy in June 2013, where his father had the honor of pinning his badge. “That’s a memory that really stands out,” Michael said. Sharing the same line of work might cause some worry here and there, as most parents do, but Sonny said Michael See Father-Son, P. 5A
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If you were one of the many people who submitted a $150 fee with an essay on why you should be the owner of the Wachs’ family home at 213 East 23rd St., you might be getting that money back soon. On the Heights 150 House website, Mark Wachs reports that he and his wife did not receive enough offers to sell their home. While he indicated he wanted to extend the offer period, it wouldn’t be possible as the family is hoping to move at the end of the summer. Applicants should receive their refund by July 8. “A lot of people sent essays, but only about [50 percent] of those applicants submitted the accompanying offer fee,” Wachs said on the website. “As the website explains, it is a twopart process.” Wachs said the process was difficult, particularly due to the many heartfelt stories the family had received from people who deeply wanted the home. On their website, Wachs said he felt “honored” that so many people entrusted their personal stories to two strangers. “Reading the essays, the possibilities are endless,” Wachs said. “Over the last thirty days, we have received the most honest, heartfelt, and thoughtful stories. Some funny ones, too. With each new essay we read, one of us would inevitably say, ‘This is the one.’ From the start, the process was much more difficult than we anticipated because we empathized with so many of you.” The Leader previously reported the Wachs had received a little more than 2,000 essays from all over the Houston area and beyond, running about three and a half essays for every one with an application fee. Harris County Appraisal District lists the home’s value at about $400,000. To recoup that, Wachs would have needed about 2,700 essays with application fees. In a question and answer section of the wesbite, Wachs also denies the initiative was a marketing effort to promote the home for a later sale. “We think this method has real worth and can work with a longer timeframe,” Wachs said. “People may have inferred I hired a marketing company because there was a logo and the website looked clean. I do all of my own marketing: I went to school for design and worked for years in advertising.”
Contributed File Photo As disappointing as it may be to some, the $150 home in the Heights will be headed to standard listings.