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St. Thomas outbid again on HS property

A company known as Elk Mountain Limited made the highest bid Tuesday for Houston ISD’s 11-acre High School for Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice, 4701 Dickson St. at Shepherd Drive. Its bid was $47,927,114 -- all cash -- compared to St. Thomas High School’s $45 million bid. St. Thomas’ campus is adjacent to Law Enforcement’s. “The staff will evaluate the bids and make a recommendation based on the best value for taxpayers,” said HISD spokesman Jason Spencer said. A recommendation was to be made by Thursday and would be subject to board approval, Spencer said. Elk Mountain didn’t have any representatives at the bid meeting, but St. Thomas had three. All three left the meeting quickly and declined to comment to The Leader. Before leaving they asked HISD real estate manager Gary Hansel if Elk Mountain was the same group by a different name, from the last round of bidding. “I don’t know if it’s the same group, but they have the same broker,” Hansel told them. In July, St. Thomas had a slightly higher bid than A.V. Dickson, a real estate investment company whose leaseback terms were considerably lower than St. Thomas. But that process was ended when it was determined both parties had improperly lobbied school board members. Trustees agreed to launch another round of bids to help finance the relocation and building of a new law enforcement campus. ��

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Voters can start casting their ballots Monday in municipal, school board and community college races and two county bond issues – but they’d better be prepared to prove who they are. That’s the biggest news as early voting launches and we publish our election guide to local races on Page 8A. Even though it’s under court challenges, Texas’ new voter identiﬁcation

law is in effect as Houston gets ready to elect a mayor, city controller and councilmembers. You’ll find full requirements in our guide, as well as a ballot outlining local contests that, depending on your neighborhood, you’re likely to find on your ballot. We’ve also provided a schedule for early voting Oct. 21-Nov. 1, and nearby locations. There are still no sites in Leader ZIP codes, but you’ll find balloting downtown, the Galleria area, Spring Branch, Acres Homes and River Oaks-

Montrose. Houston Mayor Annise Parker is facing eight challengers, which many observers believe portends a runoff. To win the seat outright, she would need 50 percent of the total plus one vote. The city controller’s seat is up for election, as well as ﬁve at-large council positions. In District A, incumbent Helena Brown has four challengers – Amy Peck, former councilmember Brenda

see Election • Page 8A

outside the

See more on page 8A

A list of all the races on your ballot Details of early voting locations What you need to know about Voter ID

Oak Forest blows past security goal by Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com

Heights sisters set sights on gold by Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com During the school day, Heights residents Dida and Melanie Gonzalez quietly earn top grades and enjoy their time with Reagan High classmates. But they change gears just a couple of hours later when they travel a few miles east to the Northside Boxing Gym, 3804 Billingsley. The Gonzalez sisters spar, train, hit punching bags and run for miles, all in the hope that they’ll qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. “We get to help each other. If I’m tired, she pumps me up. I do the same for her,” said Dida, a 17-yearold Reagan senior. Dida, who is ranked No. 1 in the United States in the 17-18 year old division at 125 pounds, represented USA Boxing at the World Championships last month in Bulgaria. Her boxing accomplishments gave her the opportunity to make the trip -- her first outside of the U.S. Once in Bulgaria, Dida had a strong effort, reaching the quarterfinals where she dropped a hardfought bout against a Ukranian boxer. Melanie, a 14-year-old freshman, isn’t far behind. She’s ranked fifth at 125 pounds in her age bracket and will compete in a tournament in January in Reno, Nevada to gain a spot on the USA Boxing Junior Team (for 15-16 year olds) “My sister motivates me every day,” Melanie said. “Even when I’m sick or sad, she pushes me to keep going. That’s how I know we’re going to make it big together.” The Gonzalez sisters didn’t always have boxing dreams. They played sports from volleyball and basketball to track when they were students at Hogg Middle School. Their stepfather, Oscar Orozco Jr., who attended Reagan in the 1980s, has always been interested in boxing. Dida and Melanie began hitting the speed bags at home, and before long, they were down at Northside, which is owned by his best friend and business partner, Juan Sotelo. By 2010, they were competing in the Golden Gloves youth boxing league. “I sparred with kids and taught him what he knew about boxing,” said Oscar, who’s been their trainer for the past five years. Dida said having Oscar as a trainer makes the journey even more special. “It’s really helpful, especially being the dad at

see Box • Page 5A

Top: Reagan High students Dida Gonzalez, left, and her sister, Melanie, are among the top female boxers in the United States. Above: Boxing trainer Oscar Orozco Jr., from left, stands with his son, Oscar III, his wife, Jessica, and stepdaughters Melanie and Dida Gonzalez. (Photos by Michael Sudhalter)

The Oak Forest Homeowners Association announced at its monthly meeting Monday night that it has raised enough money to proceed with a private security contract on Nov. 1. The agreement will last at least a year, and HOA representatives plan on signing the contract before the first of the month. “I knew we could do this,” said HOA security committee chair Lucy FisherCain said to applause from about 50 residents at the Candlelight Park Community Center. In August, the Oak Forest HOA decided to begin a campaign to raise funds to hire S.E.A.L.S., a priA representative from Perry vate security firm Homes presented a $10,000 that contracts with check to Oak Forest Homeowners neighborhoods Association’s security program throughout the city. on Monday. The Houston-based firm also provides security for ships Inside: in international waHHA wants to add 5th deputy to ters. Constable patrol the Heights. The HOA raised Page 5A $216,280 -- significantly exceeding its goal of about $168,000. The group got 910 subscriptions (out of its stated goal of 1,210), but many individuals -- known as Oakie Angels -- and businesses, paid for others who couldn’t afford it. The HOA also received a $10,000 donation from Perry Homes, who had representatives at the meeting to present a ceremonial check. It accounted for $10,000 of the

see Security • Page 5A

HISD approves tax hike, barely

Reagan High freshman Melanie Gonzalez, left, spars with her stepfather, Oscar Orozco Jr., at Northside Gym. (Photo by Michael Sudhalter)

Houston ISD trustees narrowly approved a 3-cent tax rate increase last week to fund the district’s 2013-’14 budget. District projections showed that would mean an extra $20 on a tax bill for each $100,000 of assessed property value. The vote brings the HISD tax rate to $1.1867. Board president Anna Eastman, who represents Leader communities, along with trustees Mike Lunceford and Juliet Stipeche voted against the increase, while Harvin Moore, Paula Harris, Larry Marshall and Rhonda Skillern-Jones were in the majority. Two trustees, Manuel Rodriguez and Greg Myers, were not present for the vote. The increase was half what was originally believed to be needed during early budget discussions, and as late as two weeks ago, Superintendent Terry Grier was seeking a 4-cent increase. In the end, the board agreed to a plan to use $4.9 million in savings to balance the budget.

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