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Saturday, November 14, 2015 • Vol. 60 • No. 54
Everyday Challenges
Voting by the Numbers
With National Diabetes Awareness Month underway, we sat down with a few residents who deal with the challenges of diabetes every day.
See how people voted in your community with our in-depth breakdown of the 2015 elections.
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AREA SPECIALIST
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Zoned In
Little Thicket annexation approved by city officials By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
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Heights Central A new health facility will be calling the Heights area home in the coming year and will offer 15,000 square feet of space for medical offices and physicians. Read about the new plans for Heights Central in this month’s edition of Our Health.
Photo by Betsy Denson (Above) While Stevens Elementary school principal Jennifer Barrientez looks forward to having an influx of parent support along with an increased enrollment, she is going to have to get creative with her existing space to accommodate more students (Left) The proposed rezoning would remove a sizeable portion of Katherine Smith’s current school zone, in turn alleviating an ongoing overcrowding issue there.
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Area schools, parents face challenges with rezoning Walking for MS Last weekend marked the annual Walk MS: Houston event, attracting people from across the region to help raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to help raise awareness for multiple sclerosis. Turn to Our Health to find out about how one woman participated in honor of her uncle.
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By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com When the HISD Board of Education voted 5-4 last spring against adjusting neighborhood attendance boundaries at certain elementary schools, including Katherine Smith, Stevens, Sinclair, Love, Memorial, Crockett, Travis and Harvard, HISD Board President Rhonda Skillern-Jones resolved to revisit the matter again. “There are communities that did want their lines adjusted to level out enrollment for the greater good,” said SkillernJones, who told The Leader last May that Katherine Smith Elementary was overenrolled by 100 children, with even more from the school zone who have been turned away. “The [current] effort was driven by the community and principals were included in the process.” The new plan on the table will go to a vote on Nov. 12. The proposal shifts the boundaries for Katherine Smith, Wainwright, Stevens and Highland Heights. Part of Katherine Smith’s zone would shift to Stevens, Wainwright and
Highland Heights. Stevens also picks up a little of Wainwright’s existing school zone and Katherine Smith takes a small portion back from Wainwright. Residents of one neighborhood – Candlelight Estates – have been vocal about wanting a zone shift. The portion of the neighborhood west of Rosslyn Road is currently split between Stevens and Katherine Smith. Jennie Sciba, who lives in Section 1 of Candlelight Estates, has been talking to Skillern-Jones about having her neighborhood rezoned for Stevens Elementary for the past year. “I wanted [Skillern-Jones] to know that she had our support,” said Sciba in May. While the rezoning, if approved, would alleviate the problems at Katherine Smith, it is not without its issues. Stevens Elementary’s Jennifer Barrientez said that while the district will fund any extra teachers who are needed, she’s responsible for coming up with classroom space for the estimated 65 kids who will eventually be added to her See Zoning P. 7A
The news that city council approved the annexation by the Memorial Heights Redevelopment Authority and Tax Increment Reinvestment of 18th through 21st streets from TC Jester to Shepherd, as well as Durham and Shepherd Drive from I-10 to I-610, along with nearby areas including Little Thicket Park, was most welcome to former Shady Acres Civic Club President Nancy Wilcox. “We will be able to do a massive plan,” she said. “With all the active young families who bike and run, there is a need for green space.” Wilcox notes that with all the vertical development in the area, the green spaces that exist are “everybody’s backyard.” With the upcoming groundbreaking of Wright-Bembry Park on W. 23rd St., people in the area will have a new and improved place to get outdoors. Wilcox said that there is a need for different kinds of park space in the area and that Little Thicket Park could be a less manicured option for residents. “There could be an upgrade to the [Little Thicket] play park but we don’t need anything major because WrightBembry is getting ready to open so we’ve got a formal play area,” Wilcox said. “With Little Thicket Park, we could enhance it but leave it natural. It would be more of a conservation effort.” She notes that many people have expressed a desire for trails from the park that lead to White Oak Bayou. Others want a dog park at Little Thicket, but with no parking and not a lot of space to work with, that may be See Annexation, P. 2A
Photo by Betsy Denson Former SACC President Nancy Wilcox said that the approval of the TIRZ annexation opens the door to creating a master plan in the area.
Heights school carries on tradition of helping challenged youth By Jonathan Garris jgarris@theleadernews.com
The Stevens SPARK Park nears completion
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The INDEX. Church
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Jeanette Salinas says the inside of Resurrection Church in the Heights is perfect for her students. Here, there is very little noise throughout the week, and for those attending the relatively new Journey School of Houston, that’s a good thing for children who may have social and emotional developemental issues. “We have absolutely loved our space here,” Salinas said. “The church has been great for us and we really feel like we can grow here.” Salinas formerly served as the education director at New School of the Heights. After the school closed several months ago, however, Journey started up after Labor Day to serve the same type of student – from 5 years old up until eighth grade – those who
are performing well academically but who might need help or more time to develop when it comes to dealing with social situations or handling their emotions. “What typically happens in their school life is they get to a point where their social and emotional development doesn’t keep up,” Salinas said. “Traditionally, that will start to overpower what teachers see in the classroom and they are usually yanked out of any sort of advanced achievement class they might be in or have a chance to be in.” Salnias, along with two other teachers, work with students and parents to identify ways to help students identify their own feelings and rise above them while meeting their needs academically. Salinas stresses the students here are bright, but anxiety issues or even trauma can create issues in See School, P. 9A
Photo by Jonathan Garris Officials with the Journey School of Houston hope to continue with a mission not unlike that of the former New School of the Heights by working with students who may have high academic achievements, but might struggle with complex emotions or social situations.
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