Inside Today: Braun putting his touch on Heights retail district • Page 1B
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SATURDAY | September 28, 2013 | Vol. 59 | No. 48 | www.theleadernews.com | @heightsleader
THE BRIEF.
And the winners are...
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Ride and hunt at annual Heights bike rally
This is not a race. That’s the message from organizers of the eighth annual Heights Bicycle Rally and Scavenger Hunt, due to launch on five- and 20-mile routes at 8 a.m. Oct. 6 from Marmion Park on Heights Boulevard at 18th Street, rain or shine. Riders of all ages can sign up for the casual, self-paced ride through the Heights and surrounding communities, receiving a rally map, card and scavenger hunt clue list. A post-ride party starts at the park at 3:30 p.m. with awards handed out at 4:30 p.m. Festivities include entertainment, door prizes and picnicstyle food and beverages. Prizes are given to riders who identify the most mystery sites along the route, and all children completing the five-mile course receive an award. Registration through Oct. 2 is $20 for the 20-mile route and $10 for the five-mile course, with youngsters in bike seats riding for free; on rally day, cost is $5 higher per course. For more or to register, visit www.houstonheights.org or www. eztoregister.
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ound the trumpet overture and drum roll. After weeks of nominating, voting and friendly campaigning, we can now unveil winners of The Leader’s 2013 Reader’s Choice Awards for the very best in our communities –– as chosen by you. After a reader nomination process, votes were cast by mail, hand delivery and online in categories ranging from automotives to veterinarians to ethnic foods, arts and entertainment, family venues and politicians. The new system was a departure from an annual laundry list of reader recommendations, and focuses on a category winner and second and third places. “Apart from this being a wonderful way for readers to
honor their favorites in their neighborhoods, our list of winners is a great resource for Leader readers looking for recommendations of goods and services,” said Publisher Jonathan McElvy. To that end, you’ll find the list on Pages 8A, capsule profiles and thank-yous from those chosen, and dozens of illuminating ads that tell you more about our winners and what makes them unique. Each Reader’s Choice is receiving a framed certificate to let their customers or constituents know of the honor, and they’re already popping up on walls of your favorite establishments. – Charlotte Aguilar, Editor
Plus inside today
Dorothy Lowe, a longtime Heights resident lived in a home in the 400 block of West 17th Street, until she passed away in her late 80s, in May 2010. Because she didn’t have any apparent heirs and was reportedly estranged with her family, her house was vacant for more than two years. Neighbors reported seeing two women and a man, who allegedly broke into the home, ransacked it and looked for valuables. They allegedly took Lowe’s 1996 Ford, which was still in the driveway, and possibly, other belongings, before leaving. The power stayed on in the house, because Reliant Energy had been auto-debiting Lowe’s account since she passed away. These people, who reportedly live in Spring, never stayed at the house and only visited about three times, according to neighbors, but they filed an affidavit for adverse possession, claiming that they owned it. “They didn’t think anybody was going to check,” Harris County Precinct One Constable Alan Rosen said. “The neighbors were outraged.” Neighbors became suspicious and reported what they’d seen to the Constable’s Office and the Houston Police Department. In a strange twist, law enforcement couldn’t charge these people with anything because there was no complainant. The Constable’s office is investigating the case and deputies are searching for one of Lowe’s heirs. She had three children, one of
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Inside today’s edition, we highlight some of the best places in the area to find breakfast and brunch. Don’t miss the September edition of The List.
See more in Classifieds, Page 5B
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THE INDEX.
Public Safety Hipstrict Topics Obituaries Coupons Puzzles Sports Classifieds
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Scammers try to overtake dead woman’s Heights home by Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com
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SPECIAL
Harris County Precinct One Constable Alan Rosen, left, and Constable Deputy T. Le go over paperwork regarding the mystery of former Heights resident Dorothy Lowe’s heirs. (Photo by Michael Sudhalter)
see Scam • Page 7A
Pressure moves proposed bar away from 22nd Street by Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com Community pressure in the Heights apparently has caused a Houston entrepreneur to back away from building a bar in a residential neighborhood at 1016 W. 22nd Street. William Emery had put up a notice in mid-June requesting that he wanted to apply for a Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission late night and mixed beverage permit. Emery hasn’t applied for the permit, and according to local residents, he’s looking to to build his bar, The Orange Grove, in another location, perhaps closer to 19th Street -- an area that has more businesses. Because the city of Houston has no zoning laws, Emery could have put The Orange Grove there, pending approval
from the TABC and the city’s planning department. Emery couldn’t be reached for comment, but there are photos on his personal Facebook page of what The Orange Grove would look like. According to a Facebook post on May 15, Emery wrote “Mid-November is looking more realistic than October.” “The neighbors on 22nd Street were really concerned,” 22nd Street resident Jeff Svatek said. “This had us concerned because it’s one of the smaller streets in Shady Acres and the Heights. We couldn’t figure out why he chose that location.” Said fellow 22nd Street resident Nancy Wilcox, “Who wants a bar open until 2 a.m. right in the middle of a residential (neighborhood)?” The neighborhood has several families with small children, and parking is a concern as well, residents said.
Houston resident William Emery posted this photo of his proposed bar, ‘The Orange Grove,’ on his Facebook page. Community pressure apparently has caused Emery to move the bar from its original location at 1016 W. 22nd St. in the Heights to another location. (Photo from Facebook)