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Holiday Open House Nov. 16-21 Flower & Gift Shop 10570 NW Frwy 713-680-2350
Saturday, October 31, 2015 • Vol. 60 • No. 52
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GUIDE 40th edition
The 40th Edition of the annual Guide has arrived! Find resources about restaurants, schools, law enforcement, city services and more included in this week’s issue.
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AREA SPECIALIST
By Jonathan Garris jgarris@theleadernews.com
Ê , < 832.419.9969
issue october 31 2015
Turn to this week’s special section for stories focusing on environmental sustainability in and around our communities.
Photo by Jonathan Garris Paul Nelson, the METRO bus driver hailed as a hero by residents of the Heights and city officials, now faces an uncertain future after falling behind on his rent due to unforeseen issues with his wife’s health and time off needed to care for his children. Inside, his apartment has bare walls and boxes of the family’s belongings sit ready to move should he not be able to get help before his Nov. 4 eviction.
Paving new ways with TrueGrid
Find it on 1B
METRO bus driver who saved Heights man from burning home now facing eviction
INSIDE.
By Jonathan Garris jgarris@theleadernews.com
All systems a ‘Go Go’ The former home of Roznovsky’s Hamburgers on the corner of West T.C. Jester Boulevard will soon become the next Tacos A Go Go in Oak Forest.
Find it on 8B
INSIDE.
METRO bus chase ends in Heights A Houston man is facing charges after allegedly leading police on a chase after carjacking a METROLift bus which ended the Heights.
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The INDEX. Church
Safety, budget get attention in District C forum
6A
Classifieds
5B
Coupons
5A
Food/Drink/Art Obituaries
7A 4A
Opinion
3A
Public Information Puzzles
2A 4A
Things have slowly gone from bad to worse for a METRO bus driver who saved a man from a fire in the Heights area earlier this year. Neighbors and others in the community call Paul Nelson a hero for saving the life of a man July 31 after a fire erupted at a mobile home on W. 19th Street. Nelson sprang into action and saved the man while driving a METRO bus along the street, a job he has had for nearly 18 years. His wife, also a METRO employee, was diagnosed with two herniated discs after falling off a METRO bus and is being evaluated for breast cancer and hasn’t worked for over a year. Between taking time off to help care for his three children and helping his wife with her medical issues and bills, Nelson says his family now owes over $5,000 in rent to his current apartment complex in Northwest Houston. “Once I can get caught up on my rent – because I can handle it – it will be different, but the more money I pay towards it only goes towards my late fees,” Nelson said. Nelson said the employees at the Bridges on Eldridge let the late fees go for three months before he was handed an eviction notice and a Nov. 4 deadline to vacate the premises. “The people at the apartment complex worked well with me,” Nelson said. “There came a time when I knew they
were pushed to their limit though.” One of the complex’s employees, Ra’Che Sophine Braya, even created a GoFundMe page that remains active as of press time. However, only six people have donated to the page in the last two months, with a total of $320 collected out of a $20,000 goal. METRO also forwarded a check that would have been paid to Nelson for a weeklong vacation he was originally planning to have in November, but he says even that still only covered the late fees he accrued when he fell behind. A hard day Nelson recalls the day he turned on to W. 19th Street and saw smoke billowing from a small mobile home in late July. “By the time I got up to the end of the street there were a lot of people standing outside and some of them were yelling,” Nelson said. “I noticed one lady hollering for help.” Nelson turned and asked the passengers on the bus to see if he could help, and they said yes. Nelson jumped out of the bus and ran around the side of the home but found it was too hot and darted to the back. “I noticed this man standing outside of the house had a big gash on his head where he must have fell,” Nelson said. “His shirt was torn off and burnt from what I saw too.” See Eviction, P. 2A
Budget issues, safety and infrastructure were once again identified as some of the biggest issues facing the city according to candidates vying for the Houston City Council District C seat at a forum hosted by the Greater Heights Super Neighborhood Council this month. On Oct. 20, incumbent Ellen Cohen, Carl Jarvis and Michael McDonald addressed voters along with AtLarge candidates at the Heights Fire Station where last month’s District H forum was also held. Much like the previous forum, safety sat at the forefront of issues for the trio as they were asked why some communities felt the need to resort to hiring officers with the Harris County Constable’s Office rather than rely on HPD. Cohen agreed communities shouldn’t have to pay for basic security and said the issue comes down to not having a substantial number of officers needed for a city the size of Houston. “In 1998 we had 1.8 million people living in the city,” Cohen said. “Now we have over 2.2 million. We’re simply not keeping up with attrition.” Jarvis concurred but also concentrated on the pension system. “We need to tackle the pension issue and do something about it that is equitable to both HPD and the taxpayers,” Jarvis said. “If we don’t come up with something, we’ll end up like what’s currently going on in See Election, P. 8A
Election Predictions
Publisher Jonathan McElvy weighs in on this year’s potential election results
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Ice House vibes in a Heights custom home earn builder awards By Cynthia Lescalleet For The Leader When an award-winning custom home’s design inspiration is a 22-foot vintage shuffleboard table, you’d think the homeowners might be impassioned, die-hard players. Not exactly, though they are getting better at the game, says Rhonda Dupree, half of a Heights couple with a penchant for entertaining. Dupree, a financial services exec, and Jeff Bailey, who’s in energy sales, figured shuffleboard would be something their guests might enjoy, regardless of their age or skill level. “And, by the way, it’s beautiful,” she says of the table, an antique one purchased at auction in Bellaire for an undisclosed amount. Its restoration has been ongoing. Having the shuffleboard table accessible – meaning on the first level of their home-to-be – was just one of many design decisions that resulted in a one-of-a-kind domicile geared to entertaining and an indoor-outdoor lifestyle. Whitestone Builder President David Gordon describes the 3,607-square foot home’s design vibe as “rustic, inSee Ice House, P. 4A
Contributed Photo The Dupree’s home in the Heights sports an Ice House-style look complete with an old-fashioned shuffleboard table and a distinctly rustic design that earned Whitestone Builders its own awards.
930 Euclid Street $1,279,000 • 4 Bedrooms • 3.5 Baths • 3,566 sq. ft. Living
Automated features, heated pool & garage apt. 7,450 sq. ft. oversized lot. Zoned to Travis. Schedule a Private Showing: 713.862.1600
CUSTOM CRAFTSMAN | HEIGHTS