������������� ����� Inside Today: Coaches Corner - thoughts from area coaches • 8B FALL HAS ARRIVED ������������ COME BY & MEET
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Covering the Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest & the neighborhoods of North Houston
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Saturday, September 13, 2014 • Vol. 60 • No. 45
‘Game changing initiative’
What’s inside
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Meet Dr. Ramsey
Oak Forest resident on road to recovery after coma
White Oak bike trail renovations benefit community
Treating sports injuries at home
By Jonathan Garris jgarris@theleadernews.com
More inside: Betsy Denson explores Momma Strong, exercise revolution 1B
Winning Habits
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Residents of the Greater Inwood area and beyond might notice the White Oak Bayou Trails undergoing an extensive facelift and improvement, courtesy of the Bayou 2020 Program. The project itself aims to improve miles of biking and walking trails in bayous across the Houston area, with the first continuous 17 miles of the White Oak Bayou estimated to be completed by mid-2016, Houston Parks Board Executive Director Roksan Okan-Vick said. White Oak Bayou in particular originates northwest of FM 1960 and travels southeast into the Buffalo Bayou. “The concept of creating continuous green space along the bayous is over 100 years old,” Okan-Vick said. “It’s been around for a while but the concept was never fully realized until the HPB examined it several years ago.” Photo By Jonathan Garris The project also aims to increase the size of Houston’s park system while providing equally distributed parkland throughout the city. When the project first began along the White Oak Bayou, Okan-Vick said segments of its trails had been completed but they were left unconnected. “When it’s not connected, its usefulness drops dramatically,” Okan-Vick. said. “It’s going to change the way people look at us here in Houston. It’s a game-
Breast Cancer Awareness
FIND A CURE Breast Cancer Awareness month is honored every October. The Leader will be publishing a special focus issue October 11. You can participate with a FREE tribute ad of 20 words or less to a friend or family member efffected by this disease.
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See Trail, P. 6A
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INSIDE.
Photos by Christina Martinez Scarborough High School Principal Diego Linares welcomes former NFL wide receiver, Jerry RIce to campus. Rice spoke about healthy habits and worked with the Spartan Scarborough football team.
Jerry Rice, Lysol speak to Scarborough High School students on healthy choices By Christina Martinez christina@theleadernews.com
Grace Bible Church moves into new home Now barely a month into living at their new home on Hurst Street in the Greater Heights Area, the congregation of Grace Bible Church is setting its sights on being a force of good in the community. While traffic and parking issues may have community relations off to a bumpy start, church leaders are positive they can find a solution.
Hall of famer and former NFL wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, Jerry Rice, visited Scarborough High School Tuesday afternoon to coach healthy habits on and off the field. The event, sponsored by Lysol, centered around three playbooks: tackling germs, playing the healthy food game and kicking fitness up a notch. Rice was greeted by Principal Di-
a win, but he’s also a great role model for our students. It’s great for our kids to know that they have someone to look up to like him.” “It was exciting,” Spartan quarterback Titus Randal said. “I look up to him and so does my family. Just to see him here at my high school is an op-
ego Linares, faculty and the Scarborough Spartan cheerleader team. After arrival, the school held a pep rally in the gymnasium where a skit was performed with the Scarborough Spartan battling two germs, performances from the cheerleading team, a showing of Rice’s super bowl ring and a talk from Rice to the Spartan football team and student body. “It’s great to have him here,” Linares said. “Not only to help talk to our students and the football team to get
See Rice, P. 6A
Jerry says: drink water versus sugar drinks In the Lysol Coaching Healthy Habits pamphlet handed out to students, both Lysol and football legend Jerry Rice suggest kids “be the water boy,” and stay hydrated during the day to stay refreshed for daily activities such as studying for a test or playing with friends.
OF residents on lookout for car burglar By Jonathan Garris jgarris@theleadernews.com Oak Forest residents are reaching out to their fellow neighbors on social media, warning of a man spotted breaking into cars during the early hours of Sept. 4. According to a post made on the Oak Forest Homeowners Association page by Allison Lui, who stated she was posting on behalf of a neighbor, a security camera at a home on Woodcrest Drive caught the burglar attempting to break into two cars in the residence’s driveway. The burglar, seen in screencaptures taken from the surveillance footage, was unsuccessful but went across the street to another home and stole items from another vehicle. The burglar also appeared to be driving an SUV. Lui’s neighbors aren’t the only ones See Burglar, P. 6A
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TXDoT: Delays to continue at 610, T.C. Jester
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By Jonathan Garris jgarris@theleadernews.com Officials with the Texas Department of Transportation say motorists should expect to see some delays as construction crews continue work on building the new frontage road between East and West TC Jester Boulevard at North Loop 610. This past weekend, workers placed beams for the new frontage road between both East and West T.C. Jester
Boulevard and crews will be working to pour the bridge deck, TxDOT representative Karen Othon stated. “On East T.C. Jester and West T.C. Jester at 610, crews will be working to pave the new roadway and switch traffic so that they can pave the remaining section,” Othon stated. “Since the reconstructed frontage road elevation is higher from the old one, it is necessary to raise the elevation of East and West T.C. Jester at Highway 610 to match the frontage
road.” Officials estimate the work will be completed in the next two months, and the construction at the Ella Boulevard intersection is now complete. TxDOT also anticpated opening the new connector ramp from 610 westbound and US-290 eastbound to Interstate 10 in mid-October. “This separation of traffic will allow travelers destined for IH 10 to See Roads, P. 2A
Photo by Jonathan Garris Construction along the East portion of North Loop 610 and East TC Jester Boulevard.