Leader1202 a

MICHAEL

Inside Today: Oak Forest postal worker charged with forgery • Page 2A

S I LV A

Something for Everyone on your list Even Santa Stops Here See our ad Page 3B 20% Storewide Savings Continues

Darlene’s

MICHAEL SILVA

713.725.8748

Covering the Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest & the neighborhoods of North Houston

michaels@johndaugherty.com

Flower & GiFt Shop 10570 NW Frwy 713-680-2350

Saturday, December 2, 2017 • Vol. 62 • No. 47

About Us 3500 East T.C. Jester Blvd Suite A (713) 686-8494 news@theleadernews.com www.theleadernews.com Facebook/THE LEADER.

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

3414 WASHINGTON AVE FEASTURBANEATS.COM

50

Normally, Oak Forest resident Jeremy Goodwin’s path on the White Oak Bayou Bike Trail takes him north toward Little York Road; but the winds of fate – and nature – combined to create a harrowing situation last week.

“It was just this one day the wind was blowing from the south, so I was heading into the wind on the way out, and it was an easier ride back [to go north],” he said thinking back to a Nov. 20 incident which resulted in him being held at gunpoint.

As Goodwin goes on his way, he said he normally hits the trail’s slopes at a high speed, but as he came down on

OFF

$

* Pest • Pest • Mosquito

Teen boys rob bayou biker

After Jeremy Goodwin told of his harrowing experience along the White Oak Bayou Bike Trail, other riders know to be careful in the area. (Photo by Landan Kuhlmann)

this day (around 4 p.m.), he saw a red ATV with two men inside come down the other side of the pathway from the

north side of the bridge around T.C. Jester and West Tidwell. Even stranger, it stopped at a slight angle on his side

of the pathway – tipping him off immediately that something was about to go wrong.

“I knew from my neighborhood groups that people had previously been knocked off their bikes, so I had some little inclination something was going on, and I stopped to see what they were going to do with the vehicle,” he said.

According to Goodwin (and confirmed by the police report), one of the suspects stepped off the vehicle and advanced on him, waving a gun in his face and ordering him off the bike.

“It was a gun-in-your-face, give-meyour-money type situation, but it’s not See Robbery P. 3A

Inside Today Park The Leader.

*• Rodent Rodent • Termite

patron, Cherry, passes

281.407.8517

*Promo Code: FAMILY. Call for details

Insulating Since 1979 $

get 50 OFF

your purchase of $750 or more

By Betsy Denson For The Leader

Attics • Walls • Floors Noise Reduction • Removal

713-868-1021

www.paylessinsulation.com

inside.

THE GUIDE

From damage to art. Project aDOORe pays tribute to the community during Harvey by turning doors into canvases.

Page 7A

THE LEADER • 42nd Edition •

SPX eyes state title berth.

The St.Pius X Panthers take on Bishop Lynch, aiming for an elusive state title game berth.

Page 6B

December 2, 2017

For more than four decades, The Leader has published an annual Guide edition, designed to give this community the best glimpse possible at the many resources our government, our businesses and our people offer.

Normally, The Guide is published the last week of October, but Hurricane Harvey had other plans. Our office was closed for six weeks leading up to the normal publication of this issue, which is why we’ve moved it to this week.

The Guide is a labor of love for our staff. It’s also a reflection of the support advertisers give us to produce this publication each year. If you’re new to our area, this is a wonderful resource. If you’ve been here a while, this year’s stories are different – and better – than ever before. Enjoy.

The Timbergrove community lost a beloved member when Lorraine Cherry died last week, after a two and a half year battle with cancer. Cherry is remembered for a host of accomplishments, but neighbors know her best as a force behind the creation of the 11th Street Park.

Described as a “neighborhood champion,” Timbergrove residents went online to commuLorriane Cherry nicate what Cherry had meant to them.

“Lorraine contributed so much to our little community,” said Cindy Keenan. “When we visit 11th Street Park we always think of Lorraine and all she did to preserve this precious place in Timbergrove for all of us to enjoy for years to come.”

“Lorraine is an inspiration to me, demonstrating what one person’s spirit of service can achieve. She made a difference,” said Catherine McCreight.

See Cherry P. 3A

Find it.

NEED AVON? Shop with me online and it ships directly to you! youravon.com/cynthiatindol.

Still time to order for Christmas delivery.

Page 4B

The INDEX. Church....................................................... 5A Classifieds.............................................. 4B Coupons. ................................................. 6A Food/Drink/Art................................... 7A Obituaries.............................................. 5A Opinion. ................................................... 3A Public Information......................... 2A Puzzles...................................................... 3A Sports. ....................................................... 6B

News from The Leader

Got Lights? Send us a picture Voluntary Pay program launches Each year, around this time, we get calls at The Leader office asking us if we’ll go take a picture of a very well lit light. In “Christmas Vacation” parlance, we have a whole bunch of Clark Griswolds in this part of town.

Unfortunately, our staff is pretty limited, and after working all day, it’s hard for us to send our few employees out to scour the streets and take pictures of homes lit for the holidays.

So we’re turning this into a contest. If you have a home that you want to show off

to the community, or if you have a neighbor who goes above and beyond on the Christmas decorations.

In our Dec. 23 edition, we’ll publish the best two or three decorated homes from the area, and we may even

have a prize for the best.

To submit a picture, simply email it to lucy@theleadernews.com.

(Night photo tip: Turn off the flash and hold your camer/phone very still.Balancing it on something works best.)

Each year, we get a few comments from readers who say they wish they would have known The Leader had a Voluntary Pay Program. This For more on this program, see year, we’re today’s insert or helping you visit our website: out by putting a reminder theleadernews.com smack-dab on the front page.

In today’s edition of The Leader – along with our annual Guide edition – you’ll find a letter from me about an annual program we run

that we use to help support local journalism. These days, with the rush to all things digital, the ability to provide community news on a medium like this gets more and more difficult to accomplish.

This is the fifth year of our Voluntary Pay program, and readers have always been incredibly kind to support the work we do in this community.

If you grab a paper that doesn’t have a letter, you can find opportunities to support us on our website at theleadernews.com.

– Jonathan McElvy, Publisher

Your Neighborhood Bankers

Experienced community bankers providing value to Houston business owners. Please stop by – we want to YLVLW ZLWK \RX DQG ¿QG RXW KRZ ZH FDQ KHOS \RXU EXVLQHVV / 5 $P\ 5LWWHU ± %DQN 2I¿FHU /HQGHU 0DUJDUHW 9DQGHYHU ± 693 /HQGHU 6FRWW /HVWHU ± %DQN 2I¿FH 3UHVLGHQW &HFLOLD 5RGULJXH] ± $93 2I¿FH 0DQDJHU -XVWLQ 9LFNUH\ ± 93 /HQGHU

2222 North Durham Houston, TX 77008

281-517-8760

MA K I N G A D I F F E R E N C E, TO G E T H E R .

www.allegiancebanktexas.com

The public.

! ly

The Leader • Saturday, December 2, 2017 • Page 2A

Charger the cause of local house fire From Staff Reports The Houston Fire Department believes a phone charger to be the cause of a fire that broke out at a two-story home last week. Firefighters arrived

on scene at a home on Fallen Oaks Lane in Oak Forest during the early morning hours Nov. 22, finding a couple already standing outside. According to the Houston Fire Department, the blaze began

in an upstairs room, and investigators traced the source of the fire back to a cell phone charger that was plugged in and sitting on the bed.

No injuries were reported in the incident.

y a d 1

on

NOV. 18

Theft 7 AM 1500-1599 CORTLANDT Burglary 6 AM 800-899 FUGATE Theft 7:45 AM 100-199 E 7TH Theft 2 PM 100-199 W 12TH Theft 6:37 AM 1800-1899 N DURHAM Burglary 4:59 AM 3700-3799 WATSON

we Buy aLL GuNS

New LoCatioN

2001 Karbach Suite F Houston, TX 77092

713-694-4867

Buy SeLL trade

Gift Certificates

Black Gold Guns & ammo Licensed FFL/Class III Dealer Theft 4:30 AM 1200-1299 W 34TH Assault 3 AM 2600-2699 NORHILL Assault 9:25 AM 4500-4599 WERNER Theft 10 AM 200-299 YALE Theft 4:15 AM 100-199 YALE Theft 2:30 PM 1700-1799 YALE Theft 3 PM 900-999 11TH Theft 5:48 AM 1000-1099 W 31ST Burglary 10 PM 600-699 ARCHER Assault 1:10 PM 1700-1799 W 23RD Theft 2:30 PM 1700-1799 W 34TH

NOV. 19

Theft 5:57 AM 100-199 W 18TH Burglary 7 AM 700-799 W 18TH Assault 9:47 AM 500-599 W CROSSTIMBERS Theft 7:15 AM 000-099 E CROSSTIMBERS Theft 1:20 PM 900-999 STUDEMONT Theft 11:10 AM 4700-4799 AIRLINE Theft 12:10 PM 800-899 DETERING

NOV. 20

Theft 12 PM 6600-6699 N MAIN Burglary 3 AM 1100-1199 E 26TH Burglary 2 PM 1100-1199 N LOOP W Theft 7:01 PM 1700-1799 E T C JESTER Burglary 2:06 AM 1800-1899 YALE Robbery 1:50 PM 100-199 W 20TH Burglary 7:01 PM 300-399 W 19TH Theft 2:30 PM 2200-2299 LAWRENCE Theft 1:30 PM 2200-2299 LAWRENCE Burglary 6:42 AM 200-299 E 30TH Theft 2 PM 1400-1499 N SHEPHERD Theft 1:22 PM 900-999 N SHEPHERD Burglary 2 AM 4000-4099 MICHAUX

Saturday December 9, 2017

Hours: 9AM-5PM Admission $5 for adults

SPJST Lodge #88 1435 Beall at 15th St. 610 W. 20th

NOV. 21

Theft 5 PM 500-599 GARDEN OAKS Theft 4 PM 400-499 GARDEN OAKS Theft 2 PM 300-399 GARDEN OAKS Arrest 2 AM 200-299 N LOOP W Burglary 3 AM 1000-1099 E 29TH Theft 8:49 PM 400-499 W 38TH Theft 1:30 PM 1200-1299 W 20TH Theft 4:20 AM 300-399 W 30TH

W. 26th

Beall

Burglary 9 PM 1000-1099 FUGATE Theft 5:30 PM 800-899 YALE Burglary 8:05 PM 3500-3599 ELLA Burglary 5:15 AM 1100-1199 W 14TH Theft 7 AM 100-199 YALE

Concealed Handgun Classes

in The heiGhTS

r

NOV. 17

Don’t Be A Victim!

Theft 5:49 AM 1000-1099 CANDLELIGHT

ste

Assault 5:32 PM 200-299 E 37TH Assault 6:08 PM 700-799 E 39TH Burglary 3 PM 1100-1199 W 14TH Theft 2 PM 1900-1999 ASHLAND Theft 3 PM 1600-1699 HEIGHTS Theft 5 PM 900-999 W 19TH Burglary 12 AM 1100-1199 FUGATE Theft 5 PM 900-999 E 32ND Burglary 3:15 AM 800-899 FUGATE Theft 7:37 AM 4100-4199 N SHEPHERD Theft 4:17 PM 4100-4199 N SHEPHERD Theft 3 PM 200-299 PATTON Burglary 3:30 PM 5600-5699 PETTY Robbery 5:12 AM 3900-3999 AIRLINE Theft 11:20 AM 400-499 OXFORD Theft 6:10 AM 3000-3099 ELLA

. Je

NOV. 16

Gun Show

W. 15th

Shepherd

Police Reports • Nov. 16-21

Houston Gun Collectors Association

Durham

away in her mail bag this past April. Investigators have suspended Hoskins in light of the allegations, and have since handed the case over to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, which has formally filed a felony forgery charge against her.

Free PArkinG!

An employee at the Oak Forest Post Office has been accused of writing unauthorized checks using a checkbook that was part of her delivery route to the tune of more than $2,000.

According to media reports, city postal worker Loniquel Hoskins is charged with personally keeping at least one parcel of mail investigators believe was intended for an 83-year-old woman. Per court documents, Hoskins admitted keeping the checks stowed

T.C

From Staff Reports

Free PArkinG!

Local postal worker charged with forgery

W. 11th

10

Reports are provided by SpotCrime.com based on data from the Houston Police Department.

RENAISSANCE PHYSICIANS

YOU

Choose the team that gives you a Medicare Advantage You are our priority. We deliver on that promise by working with health care professionals that share our commitment to quality care.

You can have one plan that offers all the coverage of Original Medicare plus added benefits such as: •

$0 monthly premium

•

$0 primary care doctor copays

•

Dental, vision and hearing services

NOW IS THE TIME TO JOIN A CIGNA-HEALTHSPRING MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN

1-866-634-4219 (TTY 711) 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Medicare Open Enrollment ends on December 7.

CignaHealthSpring.com

CIGNA-HEALTHSPRING + YOU = OUR PROMISE TO PUT YOU FIRST

All Cigna products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation. The Cigna name, logos, and other Cigna marks are owned by Cigna Intellectual Property, Inc. This information is not a complete description of benefits. Contact the plan for more information. Limitations, copayments, and restrictions may apply. Benefits, premiums, and/or co-payments/co-insurance may change January 1 of each year. You must continue to pay your Medicare Part B premium. Calling the number above will connect you to a licensed sales agent. Other providers are available in our network. The provider network may change at any time. You will receive notice when necessary. Cigna-HealthSpring complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age disability or sex. Cigna-HealthSpring cumple con las leyes federales de derechos civiles aplicables y no dicrimina por motivos de raza, color, nacionalidad, edad, discapacidad o sexo. English: ATTENTION: If you speak English, language assistance services, free of charge are available to you. Call 1-888-284-0268 (TTY 711). Spanish: ATENCIÓN: Si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-888-284-0268 (TTY 711). Chinese: 注意: 如果您使 用繁體中文, 您可以免費獲得語言援助服務. 請致電 1-888284-0268 (TTY 711). You must reside in the plan service area. Available in certain counties of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas.

Cigna-HealthSpring is contracted with Medicare for PDP plans, HMO and PPO plans in select states, and with select State Medicaid programs. Enrollment in Cigna-HealthSpring depends on contract renewal. © 2017 Cigna Y0036_18_45086 Accepted

The Leader • Saturday, December 2, 2017 • Page 3A

‘Social media shooter’ faces charges in court

Open Book

In MeMorIaM

rosa Concha adkins

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

1935-2017

Charges have been filed against a suspect arrested after he was identified in a social media video, firing gunshots near a park and nearby homes at 2100 Cohn St. on the edge of Heights the night of Nov. 20 Per a release from the Houston Police Department, the suspect, now identified as Edwin Alexander Ospino Soto, 22, is charged with deadly conduct in the 351st State District Court.

As referenced in our Nov. 25 edition, Houston police responded to a call of gunshots going off near Cohn Street, with several vehicles speeding away in the aftermath. Later, a video popped up on Snapchat, with investigators saying the suspect could be clearly seen on the video discharging a weapon in the direction of nearby homes.

Officers initially came up empty on the preliminary sweep, but after the video was released to Crime Stoppers, investigators received a

R

Edwin Ospino Soto

tip identifying Soto as the suspect.

HPD officers were reportedly able to locate and arrest the suspect Nov. 22 without incident.

According to media reports, a judge ordered Ospino Soto to remain on a curfew and wear a GPS monitor after appearing in court earlier this week. He was also prohibited from having weapons or visiting the site of the shooting. Anyone with additional information in this case is urged to contact the Houston Police Department’s Major Assaults Unit at 713-308-3600.

An area family recently completed the installation of a Little Free Library in front of their home at 2307 Lamonte Lane, and a grand opening is planned this Saturday, Dec. 2, at noon. The Spencer family has invited anyone in the area to attend, and they look forward to keeping the library stocked with books “that would interest all ages so we can share our love of reading with others,” said Helen Spencer. The home is situated between Stevens Elementary and T.C. Jester park. And just to add some fun to the event, the Spencer children will be selling lemonade to help purchase more books to share.

osa Concha Adkins, 82, born September 10, 1935 in Mexico City, Mexico, died October 29, 2017. Adkins received her cosmetology license through her training at San Jacinto Community College, and she worked as a cosmetologist at Beall’s beauty salon at Almeda Mall for several years. She is survived by her son Gerald Adkins, Jr., daughter Geraldine Adkins, and granddaughter Mia. Her ashes will be spread in her hometown of Veracruz, Mexico in December 2017.

Cherry from P. 1A Husband Dave Dyer remembers going with Cherry to a Timbergrove Manor Civic Club meeting back in 1998 where HISD’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts did a presentation of their plans to build a new campus on the land. HISD had owned the parcel since 1949 when it purchased it from the University of Texas, which in turn had been left the property by William C. Hogg, the brother of Miss Ima Hogg.

“We lived right across the street,” said Dyer. “The school talked about stacked buildings and an outdoor concert hall.

They presented it as a done deal. That made her angry.”

Dyer explains that they weren’t just against the school – they were for the preservation of their park.

“We organized a neighborhood petition drive that got signatures from 90 percent of the 1,245 homes in Timbergrove,” said Dyer.

The petition was an important factor in changing the position of the Timbergrove Manor Civic board and securing support from City Council and HISD. In 2005, HISD decided to sell the property at auction to the highest bidder.

Dyer says local developers were ready to bid, and one plan called for 500 town homes on the site. That’s when Cherry and Dyer organized another letter writing campaign to put a temporary stop to the auction. At the same time, Friends of the West 11th Street Park approached the Houston Parks Board with a request for them to purchase the property from HISD for the City of Houston.

The Houston Parks Board negotiated a $9 million sale price for the property, to be used as a park. Houston Mayor Bill White agreed to provide $4 million in public funds, but the reminder would be raised

Contributed photo At the dedication were (l to r) Sen. John Whitmire, Toni Lawrence, Harvin Moore, Roksan Okan-Vick, Joe Turner and Lorraine Cherry.

by the private sector.

This time Cherry got busy writing again, both grant proposals and fundraising appeals.

“She was a very good writer,” said Dyer.

The money was raised through the creative financing efforts of community members and city government officials, as well as State Senator John Whitmire, who secured a $3.75 million matching grant in the Texas Legislature to fund the remaining 5-acres of West 11th Street Park. After a long road, the park was officially dedicated on February 21, 2008.

“It was a long struggle and there were a number of park heroes,” said Dyer, “All of them were instrumental.”

Dyer named former Council member Toni Lawrence, former HISD board member Harvin Moore, former executive director of the Houston Parks Board Roksan Okan-Vick, and former Houston Parks Director Joe Turner as crucial helpers.

Cherry’s involvement in the park did not end with the dedication. She was a part of the building of over one mile of trails there, and the planting of a demonstration butterfly garden that achieved certification as an official Monarch Waystation. She also wrote additional grants and published a

quarterly newsletter, now in its 10th edition, among many other endeavors.

Dyer is especially proud of their ‘Wireless Wilderness’ cell phone tour of the park, similar to an audio tour of a museum.

“We’ve had more than 3,000 calls to it,” said Dyer.

While political involvement was a later interest for Cherry, she had many other passions.

In high school she was a practice pianist for the San Diego Ballet. She got her PhD in ge-

W O N

netics from UC Berkley and was on the faculty of the UT Health Sciences Center before starting her own research and consulting service for biomedical professionals.

She was also an excellent chef who went to cooking school in Tuscany.

“Every night was a feast,” said Dyer. “She could do Italian, or Spanish. She made a great Bolognese sauce. Her Paella was killer.”

Cherry was an avid traveler as well, who once went on a photo safari to Africa.

“She was so good at the park work because everybody always liked her,” said Dyer.

A memorial of Cherry’s life will be held in the coming weeks, perhaps after the holidays. There is also a movement underway to rename the 11th Street Park in her honor, as the Lorraine Cherry Nature Preserve.

“It would be an awesome tribute and well deserved,” said Timbergrove resident Carolyn Bryant.

In MeMorIaM

L

Michael Lynn Grawl

oving husband, beloved father, cherished friend, and loyal union brother Michael Lynn Grawl, 63 years old, passed away peacefully on November 20, 2017, surrounded by his family. He lived in the Houston Heights with his family for the past 36 years.

Michael will be remembered for his generous spirit, unique sense of humor, and willingness to help every person he met.

Michael is preceded in death by his parents, Leroy and Hilda Mae Grawl, and his older brother John. He is survived by his wife, Deidre, his daughters, Rebecca and Katie, his sonin-law Matt, his brother Greg, and his sisters, Melinda and Leslie, as well as many beloved family members, friends, and colleagues.

A memorial service with reception to follow for Michael will be held at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in the Heights on Saturday, December 9th at 9:30am.

Heights Funeral Home 1317 Heights Boulevard Houston, Texas 77008 713-862-8844

EN P O

Robbery from P. 1A my first time facing down a gun,” Goodwin said. “When I said I didn’t have any money because I was on my bike, he told me ‘then give me everything you’ve got! And your phone.’ So, he took it, slapped down my pockets and then ran and picked up my bike. I was a bit puzzled by the whole thing.”

The two suspects then took off southbound on the path, Goodwin said, the ATV following the stolen bike out of sight.

However, just a short time later – no more than 15-20 minutes after filing a report, according to Goodwin – police came back with a positive identification and location for the ATV and the suspects on nearby Mansfield Street, where Goodwin proceeded to identifiy the suspects.

A brief search of bayou banks eventually turned up his ride, apparently discarded by the suspects after leaving the initial scene. And while he had not experienced any local incidents outside of those described by neighborhood groups, Goodwin feels last week may not have been the suspects’ first rodeo.

“These guys knew what they were doing,” he said. “Being under the bridge means very little visibility in both directions from the bike trail and absolutely none from the road.

They had a planned route of

escape and a deliberate plan of ditching the stuff and coming back for it later.”

That sentiment appears to track with a theme in the area, as a commenter on the Oak Forest Homeowner’s Association Facebook page responded to Goodwin’s post with his own story of nearly becoming a victim near 43rd and T.C. Jester – though there is little to currently suggest the individual incidents are connected.

Ultimately, Goodwin knows things could have developed in a more harrowing manner than simply losing his bike and phone, and praised the HPD’s quick response to the incident. “[A family right behind me on the trail] had three phones and three bikes and money on them. Things could have gotten a whole lot worse. They had a grandchild, mother and grandmother,” he said. “I came away with all of my body parts, and that’s not always the case [in these situations].”

According to an HPD spokesperson, the suspects, both teenagers, have been charged with aggravated robbery and referred to the Harris County Juvenile Probation Authority. As both suspects were juveniles, photos and names could not be released, though they did confirm that one was 14 and the other 15 years old.

Everything you need. Right in your neighborhood.

Taking care of you and your family is what we do best. For primary care, a 24-hour ER, physical therapy, advanced imaging and lab services, you can visit the Memorial Hermann Convenient Care Center that’s closest to you. It’s convenience without compromise – all from one of Houston’s most trusted health systems.

713.222.CARE • memorialhermann.org/ccc 1431 Studemont Street Houston, TX 77007 I-10 at Studemont

PUB Lea INSE 10-0 MAT 10-0 LAT JOB MH CLIE Mem JOB CCC LIVE N/A SIZE 6.61 BLE N/A COL 4cp FOR Pre TRG QUE Pat @2

The Topics.

The Leader • Saturday, December 2, 2017 • Page 4A

Among tech titans, a newspaper stands tall

T

here’s so much news and interesting information in today’s newspaper that it feels like you need a tour guide to get through this edition. I’ve always wanted to wear an all-khaki outfit, so consider me that person today.

Before doing that, though, I’d like to share a story about a trip my wife and I recently made.

Earlier this year, I wrote about our visit to Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif. As if 2017 hasn’t been rough enough, we’ve made two trips to Stanford to visit an incredible surgeon who took great care of Meghan. Yes, we’re in Houston with the greatest medical community in the nation, but when the doctors at Memorial Hermann suggested this Stanford surgeon, we listened.

For those of you who sent notes when I first wrote about this, all is wonderful with Meghan now. But that’s not why I’m writing about our second trip to Palo Alto.

The week before Thanksgiving, we had some extra time on our hands scattered between her appointments. That meant we had a chance to drive by the gold-plated driveways of this amazing little town, where the price tag on an 1,800 square-foot house is somewhere close to $2 million.

Our normal drive in Palo Alto took us down a major street called

Jonathan McElvy Publisher

El Camino Real, which splits Stanford University from the inhabitants of those $2 million ranch homes.

And as we approached the school, we noticed a row of RV campers, all of which looked like they first hit the streets in the early ’80s.

We saw those campers back in June during Meghan’s surgery, but we just thought it was Parents’ Weekend and the hippies had overtaken the town. Almost six months later, those campers were still in a row, and during one early morning drive, you could see blinds closed inside the front windshield.

By trade, I’m a questioning journalist, so I wanted to know more.

Were Stanford University students living in campers on a public street?

I dug around online and found the best source of news in the Silicon Valley area: The Palo Alto Weekly.

That’s right; it’s a newspaper.

What I learned was that the city of Palo Alto has a real problem on its hands. You aren’t buying a

home anywhere near the school if you’re a student. If you want to rent a home, the cheapest I found was 1,600 square-feet and costs $4,700 a month. That amounts to a 30-year mortgage on a $650,000 home in Houston.

And the apartments? Forget it.

A 1-bed, 1-bath, 820 square-foot apartment on Sand Hill Road, a few blocks from campus, costs $3,120 per month, and the exterior of that complex looks like it was constructed a decade before the ’80s camper.

It turns out the city has put a plan in place where those camper dwellers cannot stay in one spot for more than three days. So dwellers have skirted the laws by moving those clunkers around the block. It’s like musical chairs for motor homes.

And Stanford isn’t the only place where people can’t afford to live. I read that Facebook announced an expansion in Menlo Park that will nearly double their staff size and further drive up home prices and the horrible traffic there.

And speaking of Facebook, I discovered that CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who lives in Palo Alto, has his neighbors in a tizzy because he has bought four adjacent homes on a block, and he’s turning one into a pool house, another into a guest house and another into an extension of his current 1,800-foot, $2 million home.

Lynn Ashby Columnist

me, progressive’s) letter as a “screed.” I like that word, it reminds us of screech or the sound of fingernails on a blackboard. Conversely, a conservative’s letter is a “bombast.”

Hero is a much overused title. A recipient of the Medal of Honor is a hero. Those of us who defended San Diego from the Seabees are not heroes. As an aside, that medal is not the Congressional Medal of Honor. It is presented in the name of Congress, and no one “wins” the award, as I was sternly told by a Marine lieutenant colonel. “It’s not a (fill in the blank) contest.”

Where were we? Oh, yes, words and their changing meaning. Do you call that chunk of the Middle East the West Bank or the Occupied Territory? I still like Bombay, Burma and Constantinople.

Naughty is now applied to children. Santa knows who’s naughty and nice. But naughty used to mean evil, really bad. Not anymore.

As for Newt Gingrich’s hated media elite, who are they?

Probably those who disagree with him, who point out that he keeps preaching “family values” but has had three wives and several affairs, says he looks out for the little man but has a half-million dollar line of credit at the working man’s Walmart, Tiffany’s.

Those kinds of elites. We know who they are, and Newt is not totally off base. They are the talking heads on Sunday morning TV panels, the same people every Sunday.

The rest of the week they talk to each other at Georgetown dinner parties deciding what America thinks. “The American people today feel that….”

Or: “There is a great uneasiness across the land….” Oh, come off it. They wouldn’t know the average American if he bit them on the backside.

These pundits only know flyover country if they have a speech in Chicago or Denver.

But they have to stay on TV to uphold their soapbox, their power base. They would probably pay to be a talking head on TV. Once they lose their power base, no group wants to pay them $20,000 for a half hour of “inside Washington skinny.” Just ask Sam Donaldson, Sarah Palin or Dan Rather. When you’re hot, you’re hot. When you’re not, you’re Rudy (Nine Eleven) Giuliani. Now, to be fair, many of these folks are, indeed, experts on Washington, elections and government. It’s good to get the media elite’s take on situations. Put it this way: when watching a sports

and Exxon campuses here.

But for someone like me, someone who has spent his entire professional career in the business of communication, you can understand how awe-struck I might be seeing the place that has changed the way we share information.

And I guess you can understand how proud I was to know that in the land of tech titans, if I really wanted to find the information I needed, the best source was still the community newspaper.

Seems like I took you on a guide of Palo Alto, not today’s newspaper, but that’s kind of the point. In this edition, you’ll find some of the things we do best at The Leader. I hope you’ll spend time reading The Guide, our annual publication telling you all about our community.

I also hope you’ll take time to see the diverse selection of news we offer each week, from public safety to high school sports. From opinions like mine and Ashby’s, to stories about new businesses and old friends we’ve lost.

And last, I hope you’ll have time to read the letter I’ve inserted in this week’s edition. This is the week we ask our readers to help support our newspaper. Your donations mean a lot to us. Having you as readers means more.

Email jonathan@theleadernews.com

The reader.

A rare media, well done THE TV – “It is all the fault of the media elite.” “The media elite hate America, and will do everything in their power to destroy our country.”

“The little guy doesn’t stand a chance against the media elite.” That’s Newt Gingrich talking, or saying something close to it. I guess he used surveys and focus groups to determine that the media elite are the easiest way to score points with his audiences. It was said that each sentence in former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s presidential campaign speeches consisted of a noun, a verb and nineeleven. Well, ol’ Newt has the same problem: The poor guy can’t utter a sentence without that mind-numbing repetitious phrase.

Here’s an interesting point: By his usage, Gingrich is turning a positive into a negative. The word used to have this definition: “Elite, (often used with a plural verb) the choice or best of anything considered collectively, as of a group or class of persons.”

It comes from the Middle English (1300-1400) meaning an elected official. Donald Trump, before he was an elected official, lived in a multi-storied penthouse in Manhattan and traveled in his private helicopter and aircraft.

Yet he branded Hillary Clinton as an “elitist” who was out of touch with the common folk, and it clicked with that minority of Americans who voted for him. It didn’t help Hillary’s cause when she mentioned that she hadn’t driven a car in 16 years.

So we had this elite and that elite, meaning the crème de la creme, the top 1 percent, the best and the brightest. The older among us will remember “Duffy’s Tavern, where the elite meet to eat.” Now it’s an insult. Awhile back we discussed how names change as with the Cajuns, who were ridiculed as redneck semi-literates until Louisiana realized what a goldmine they had in Cajun music, cooking and culture. Georgia Crackers went the other way, from prominent early settlers (that was the proud name of the Atlanta minor league baseball team) to redneck semi-literates.

Of course, the term was often overused, or used wistfully. Saddam Hussein’s “elite Republican Guard” turned out to be elite only in surrendering. But generally it was a compliment, and most of us would like to be considered elite. Alas, the title has been hijacked, just like compromiser and the Republican Party.

Sometimes it is simply a name change for the same animal.

A liberal is now a progressive and a Wall Street billionaire is now a job creator. The two groups carefully choose which words to use in describing the other. Those who write letters to the editor are an example.

Right-wingers and left-wingers never describe themselves that way, but a conservative will refer to a liberal’s (excuse

You may not be catching the irony here, so let me explain. My wife and I have now spent a month of 2017 in the land of digital behemoths. We’ve driven by the new Apple headquarters, which looks more like a spaceship Steve Jobs envisioned 20 years ago. (And if you’re wondering, my iPhone had terrible service there.)

We drove by Facebook and watched people swarm around the entry sign to snap selfies. Earlier this year, in one of the days leading up to Meghan’s surgery, I got to play golf at a public course that overlooked Google’s office at Stanford Research Park.

If you take a walk down any street in this Silicon Valley hotspot, you don’t find oil business offshoots or wanna-be phone providers. Out there, the small businesses are MacAfee, LinkedIn, PayPal, Symantec and Yahoo!.

This is literally the land where the interaction among humans is being changed on a daily basis. This is the place where our entire communication system has changed. This is the place that spends billions of dollars each year developing robots so humans don’t have to work so hard.

I suppose if you live in the Silicon Valley, you don’t think too much about those things. It’s kind of like visitors to Houston who stand amazed that you can find BP, Shell

Reader provides ‘reality check’ to Lynn Ashby’s ‘Questionable Answers’

event on TV, do you mute the sound? No, because the announcers know a whole lot more about the game, and whether Joe “Lightin” Jones can hit a three-pointer from downtown with his left hand on Thursdays. We listen to them because they are experts, and we can learn.

The same with the talking heads. They just heard the very same State of the Union speech you did, but they know the President said exactly the opposite in Akron on Labor Day, and he needs the soybean farmers’ vote in the Iowa primary. They tell us something we didn’t know.

So we can’t dismiss the media elites as self-important jerks.

That title belongs to ol’ Newt.

Ashby is elite at ashby2@ comcast.net

Dear Editor: In response to Lynn Ashby’s “Questionable Answers,” his effort to slam President Trump every which way imaginable, I provide the following reality check: Obama himself stated before and after the 2016 election that presidential elections are too “decentralized” among and within the 50 states for Russia to have any impact. (Of course, that did not keep Obama from using taxpayer money to attempt to defeat Israel’s Netanyahu in 2014.

Ashby did not object to a Democrat influencing a foreign election with your tax dollars.) Further, why would Clinton have won the popular vote if Russia influenced the election? Seems like a mighty sophisticated way to throw an election.

I like some of Trump’s insults toward establishment politicians and media. They’ve made careers in DC, a town surrounded by five of the top eight wealthiest counties in America and it produces nothing but debt and unaccountability (IRS members taking the 5th, chronic VA corruption, sexual harassment). Ashby hated Bush 43 and “W” could not have been kinder to the Kennedys, Clintons and media. Kind or not, Ashby hates Bush, hates Trump. Period.

So what if Trump didn’t release his tax returns!

Is there any doubt Ashby would have slammed Trump every which way if he did release them?

Email us your letters: news@theleadernews.com The notion that Ashby would have praised Trump in any way for releasing his taxes is hilarious fantasy. Ashby would have cited any possible line item to tar Trump for paying foreign workers too little, hiding income, for not donating enough to charities or for even having more money and assets than average Americans. I mean, does anyone expect objectivity from Ashby?

Regarding Trump “bragging” on tape (in 2005) “of his serial harassment,” I refer you to the life of his political opponent. Do I need to explain this, Lynn?

Ashby regularly attempts to humor the reader with references to “commie,” as if ardent conservatives fear them under their beds. When Ashby uses “commie” in his columns, think of the 100,000,000 souls buried in mass graves in communist countries. In socialist Venezuela, an ally of Cuba, starvation is widespread and only the politically connected have a chance.

Ashby cannot come to terms with our largely free market economy that has lifted far more out of poverty around the globe than any economic system ever devised in world history. He’d rather attempt to promote victimhood and suggest that he is among the Great White Liberals attempting to rob from the rich and give to the poor. If only they can find the right set of angels in his utopian society to organize our lives for us!

Mike Crowe

the leader Puzzlers.

Answers found in this week’s Classified section

SUDOKU

aCrOss

1. Recesses 6. Slanderous defamation 12. Fruit phrase: Life is just ....

16. Undergraduate degree 17. A way of damaging 18. Indicates position 19. Equally 20. Manuscript (abbr.)

21. ___ Lanka 22. Thus 23. 4th tone of scale 24. Town or commune in France 26. Sharp inclination 28. Watering holes 30. 1st state (abbr.)

31. Cattle genus 32. Type of American Indian 34. Before 35. Hairless 37. Hosts film festival 39. African tribe 40. Loud crowd noise 41. Quarter 43. Swiss capital 44. Sandhurst (abbr.)

45. Golfer Snead 47. Bachelor’s of Applied Science 48. A radio band 50. Assist in some wrongdoing

52. SW German state ___: Wurttemberg 54. Rosary component 56. Expresses surprise 57. Hot Springs state (abbr.)

59. Soak flax 60. Atomic #73 61. Exist 62. Megabyte 63. Energy in the form of waves or particles 66. Farm state (abbr.)

67. WWII flyer’s phrase: On ______ 70. Store fodder for preservation 71. Lubed

dOwn

1. Lowered in prestige 2. Turin river 3. Moves through water 4. Disappearing shade trees 5. Standard operating procedure 6. A shrill cry 7. Japanese apricot 8. Emergency Response Notification System (abbr.)

9. Sparta’s ancient rival city 10. The Ocean State 11. Jack-tar

12. Sleeveless Arab garments 13. Abstains from food 14. Waxed finish 15. Conditions of balance 25. Cloud of interstellar dust 26. Turf 27. Political action committee 29. Repentant act 31. B.B. King sang them 33. Salesman’s items 36. Every 38. Neither 39. African nation 41. Hindu’s creator god 42. The bill in a restaurant 43. Edict 46. Maritime 47. Small bright tropical fish 49. Cockered 51. Mountain lakes 53. No longer alive 54. Unoriginal 55. Costly 58. Finger millet 60. Aaron Spelling’s child 64. Dekaliter 65. Initial public offering 68. Not out 69. Thou

WORD SCRAMBLE

The Leader • Saturday, December 2, 2017 • Page 5A

The calendar.

UGLY SWEATER PARTY Heights Young Professionals Join the Heights Young Professionals for their Ugly Sweater Party at Karbach Brewery, 2032 Karbach St., from 5-8 p.m. Nov. 30, for the young and the young at heart. The cost is $15 at the door, and free for Heights Chamber members. Information: info@heightschamber.org, 713861-6735.

celebration! Your Holiday on 19th Street experience will include roaming Christmas carollers, in store festivities, cocktails, and real snow! The event will be on 19th Street between Shepherd and Yale and will be from 6-10 p.m. Dec. 1.

Information: facebook.com/ events/1135617439905616/

HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE Merle Norman Come to Merle Norman’s Open House, 4216 Ella Blvd., and preview the new winter color collection. The entire store will be 20 percent off and there will be refreshments and drawings for a Lampe Berger, a Chamilia Bracelet and a beautiful cosmetic bag with goodies. The event will be 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Dec. 1; and from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 2. Information: 713-686-5993, merlenorman. com.

HOLIDAY ON 19TH STREET Join us for our annual Holiday

BOOK SIGNING The Book Scene Local author Laura Elvebak will sign and discuss her new book, The Past Never Dies, from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2. There will be food, fun and prizes. The Book Scene is located at 1820 W. 43rd St. Information: 713-869-6117.

HEIGHTS HOLIDAY MARKET Come out to the 13th annual Heights Holiday Market at 935 Harvard St., 11 a.m. Dec. 2.

Heights area artists and crafts people come together to sell their wares at this annual market.

Information: facebook.com/event s/810639069100283/

MEET SANTA AND HIS ELVES Houston Heights Woman’s Club Skip the lines at the mall and bring your wish list and camera for a photo opportunity with Santa. All are welcome to this free, holiday event; invite family, friends, and neighbors. There will be a hot chocolate bar, tasty goodies and fun crafting activities for the kids. The festivities will be from 10 a.m.-noon, Dec. 2, at the historic clubhouse located at 1846 Harvard. Information: info@ houstonheightswomansclub.com.

A SNOW WHITE CHRISTMAS Theatre Suburbia Theatre Suburbia, 4106 Way Out West, presents Norm Foster’s delightful holiday romp, A Snow White Christmas. The show will run through Dec. 2 Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:30 p.m.

Reservations are strongly encouraged. Tickets are $16 adults, $13 students and seniors, and $13 Sunday matinees. Information: 713-682-3525, www.theatresuburbia.org.

BREAKFAST WITH SANTA OFHA The Oak Forest Homeowners Association will hold Breakfast with Santa, Dec. 2, at the Candlelight Community Center, 1520 Candlelight Ln. Breakfast will be from 9-11 a.m., and photos with Santa will be from 9 a.m.-noon. A professional photographer will be onsite to capture those magical moments with Santa. Information: www.myoakforest.org, 713-688-6342.

AARP MONTHLY MEETING AARP Chapter 1265 The monthly meeting will be held at 10 a.m., Dec. 4, in the community room at 1520 Candlelight Ln. The meeting is open to anyone 50 or older, and will be preceded by a meet-andgreet at 9:30 a.m. This month will be a Christmas gathering wishing everyone peace and love for the holiday from AARP Chapter 1265. Georgia Lewis is president.

Information: 713-681-1133.

BACHATA SOCIAL Dance Heights Dance Heights, 1987 West T.C. Jester, will hold a beginner workshop by Eduardo and Tami from 9-10 p.m. followed by the social from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Dec. 9. The cost for the workshop and social is $20, social only is $10. BYOB, no coolers allowed. Come dressed in your sexiest Santa or Elf outfit or ugliest holiday sweater for the Christmas outfit contest. Name will be entered into a drawing to win free entrance to the New Year’s Eve Salsa Social. Information: 832-896-7777, www. facebook.com/danceheights.

WALTRIP BARBECUE AND CONCERT Waltrip Ram Band Due to HISD closing for the Astros parade, the barbecue dinner has been rescheduled for the same night as the winter concert, Dec. 15. The dinner is 5-9 p.m. and the concert is from 6-9 p.m.

Tickets sold for the original night will be honored, plus tickets will be sold at the door. All band

members have tickets to sell.

Dinner is $10. The Winter concert is free. The band will be performing and fundraising Dec. 16, at Shipley’s Donuts from 9 p.m. to midnight. Shipley’s is graciously donating all sales for the band.

Information: 713-545-0892.

FREE INTRODUCTION TO MODERN SQUARE DANCING Memorial Drive Lutheran Church Healthy, social fun, square dancing is friendship set to music. Fairbees Square Dance Club welcomes the community to experience the fun and fellowship of Square Dancing at two free fun night events on Jan. 11, from 7:30-9:30 p.m., and Jan. 18, from 7- 8 p.m. No prior dance experience needed, no partner required, older children and teenagers welcome. Classes are held at Memorial Drive Lutheran Church, in the fellowship hall, 12211 Memorial Dr. (77024). Park rear of church. Information: 713-9572762, 281-495-2397.

From the Pews.

All Saints TALC to host Christmas Party Third Age Learning Center senior program welcomes all seniors to join them in celebrating the holidays on Dec. 8 from 2-4 p.m. in the All Saints Parish Hall, 215 E. 10th St. The festivities will include cookies, punch, singing Christmas carols, door prizes and an ugly sweater contest. Attendees are also encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item to be donated to the All Saints St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry.

For information, call 281723-3513.

UM Men’s pancake breakfast at St. Stephen’s The United Methodist Men welcome men of all ages to join them for a pancake breakfast and fellowship, Saturday, Dec. 9, at 9:30 a.m. in the fellowship hall.

A Blue Christmas Remembrance Service will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10. Scrip-

ture, music and meditations will focus on the comfort offered by God during the most dark and difficult times.

St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church is located at 2003 W. 43rd St. For information, call 713-686-8241 or visit www.stsumc.org and the church’s Facebook page.

St. Mark’s UMC hosts Christmas Pageant St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, located at 600 Pecore St., will present the Annual Christmas Pageant 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, and 11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 17. Complimentary refreshments will be served. St. Mark’s brings dramatic life to the traditional Nativity story reenacted outdoors on the front grounds of the church for both performances (weather permitting).

Call 713-861-3104 or visit www.smumc.org for information.

Vesper services at Heights Presbyterian Vesper services will be at 6 p.m. Dec. 6 and Dec. 20, at Heights Presbyterian, 240 W. 18th St. The sanctuary will be open for meditation and prayer.

Cookies with Santa is from 10 a.m.-noon, Dec. 9. There will be pictures, cookies and come meet and greet Santa.

Donations of non-perishable can goods accepted.

Christmas Eve candlelight service is at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 24.

For information, call 713861-1907 or visit www.heightspc.org.

The Community Of Faith holds toy drive The Loving Kids Organization and The Community Of Faith Church are pleased to announce its third annual Toy Drive. Toys collected by Dec. 15, will be distributed to kids who probably will not receive a toy for Christmas.

Make a difference this holiday season and donate a new unwrapped toy for ages 18 months to 17 years old to one of our sponsor dropoff locations. Drop-off locations are: The Community Of Faith Church, 1024 Pinemont (77091), The COF Yates-Dixon Building, 1023 Pinemont (77018), U-N-I Hair Salon, 8511 N. Houston Rosslyn Rd. (77088), The Book Scene, 1820 W. 43rd St. (77018), and Mark Lawton Dentist, 7038 Antoine (77088).

Monetary donations can be made through the secured website www.thecommunityoffaith.org, click the Toy Drive banner and follow the prompts.

Gabriel Comfort Dog ministry comes to Messiah Lutheran Messiah Lutheran Church, 816 Roy St., welcomed its newest addition to its ministry and mission efforts in the form of

Charles Owen Benton, 83, born Dec.

5, 1933, died Nov. 26.

Richard C. Cade III, 70, born Feb. 5,

1947, died Nov. 8. Cade graduated from John H. Reagan High School in 1965, and entered the United States Navy in January 1966. He was a Vietnam Veteran attached to a fighter air wing aboard the aircraft carriers USS Hancock CVA-19 and USS Ranger CVA-61. He was employed as an electrician with Hargrave Electric Company for more than three decades as Construction Manager. Richard was a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, life member of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, associate member of the International Electrical Inspectors Association. He is survived by sister Cary E. Liles, brother Ronald W. Cade, sons Troy and Jonathon, daughter Amy E. Manchester, and five grandchildren.

Men’s Scripture Sharing Group meets at the YMCA The Men’s Scripture Sharing Group meets at 7 a.m. every Thursday at the Harriet and Joe Foster YMCA, 1234 W. 34th St. There will be music, Bible study and fellowship.

Guests and new members are welcome to attend this nondenominational Bible study.

Email scripturesharing@ earthlink.net for information.

Aztec StorAgeS On West 34th St.

(Between Ella & T.C. Jester)

Lowest Prices in Town!

No Deposit Controlled Access Lighted & Secure

Compare our rates and save money!

713-681-1383 LEASING OFFICE 7721 Pinemont Houston, Texas 77040

New Well Puppy & Kitten Exam

The Obituaries.

Ruby L. Baxter, born Aug. 15, 1921 in Kinder, La., died Nov. 23. She was the eighth of nine children. Baxter was legally blind.

One night she went to a dance and met a shy gentleman named Joe Baxter. On Dec. 21, 1949, she married the love of her life. They were married for 65 years until the time of his death. She is survived by her children, Bobby, Linda and Zina.

Gabriel Comfort Dog. He was placed at the church through his “Passing of the Leash” during the church’s Sunday morning worship celebration.

Gabriel, Houston’s first Comfort Dog, is one of more than one hundred LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs that serve in their local communities as a bridge for Gospel ministry.

For information about the Comfort Dog ministry, call 866-455-6466 or visit www.lutheranchurchcharities.org.

James Clifford Chappell, 58, born

June 8, 1959, died Nov. 16. Chappell graduated from Waltrip High School in Oak Forest.

He was married to Terry Chappell Aug. 4, 1990. He was employed at I.A. Naman for 35 years and moved up through the ranks to be an owner and the I.T. VP for the company.

He is survived by his mother Nell Chappell, wife Terry Chappell, step son Kenneth Urmy, brother Larry Chappell, and sister Galynne Shimerka. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m., Dec. 2, at Pat H. Foley & Company.

Michael Lynn Grawl, 63, born Dec. 4, 1953, died Nov. 20. Grawl graduated from Milby High School, class of 1972. He married Deidre Grohgan on May 22, 1982 at St. Christopher Catholic Church, which he attended throughout the first half of his life. He lived in the Heights with his family for the past 35 years. Since 1995, Grawl was employed as the house carpenter at the Wortham Theatre.

He began working as a stagehand in 1976 and since 1979, has been a proud member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Local 51. He was a member of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church for more than 30 years. He is survived by his wife, Deidre, daughters Rebecca and Katie, brother Greg,

FREE

and sisters Melinda and Leslie.

Clara Janice Mann, 94, born Aug. 19,

Routine Male Cat Neuters

1923 in Neches, Texas, died Nov. 19. She is survived by her daughters, Patricia Mann Warfield, and Sharon Ann Mann; and two grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the Santa Fe Christian Church - Women’s Ministry (Santa Fe, Texas).

Annie (Santos-Coy) Pulido, 99, born

Aug. 13, 1918, died Nov. 19.

David Gillespie Smith, 89, born Jan. 9,

1928, died Nov. 16.

Virginia Trujillo, 87, born May 31,

1930, died Nov. 27.

Rose Marie Vento, 89, born July 7,

1928, died Nov. 25. She is survived by her four children, Charles Vento, John Vento, Anthony Vento, Annette Hubble, eight grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be held from 6-9 p.m., with services beginning at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1, at Heights Funeral Home. A graveside service will be held Saturday, Dec. 2, at 1 p.m., at Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery, 6900 Lawndale St.

49

$

40

Years

of quality care for your family pets

Dog Rabies Vaccination

8

$

75*

* With Wellness Exam

Call About Cat Vaccines

5315 Antoine@ Pinemont

713-688-9625

Hours: M-F 7am-6:00pm Sat. 8am-12 Noon

MESSAGE OF THE WEEK

A Promise Kept

By Pastor Will Cover

directory Weekly Sunday Services

Arise Baptist Church 803 Curtin St. Houston, TX 77018 713-659-9697 • www.arisebaptistchurch.org

First FirstChurch Church Heights

• Bible Study: 9:15 a.m.

• Morning:10:30 a.m.

• Evening: 4:15 p.m.

Sunday School ........9:15 am Sunday Worship......10:30am Wednesday Bible Study & Prayer Service 6:00pm

1700 West 43 rd at Rosslyn 713-682-4942 Pastor – Dr. Richard Walters

Pastor C. David Harrison 201 E. 9th St. • 713-861-3102 www.fbcheights.org

Gethsemane Lutheran Church 4040 Watonga • 713-688-5227

We invite you to worship with us!

Weekly Worship Services 9:00 a.m.

Sunday School & Bible Classes 10:30 am

Ad # 22283 Sunday-- Bible BibleStuday Study For Ages .. 9:30am Sunday For All All Ages..9:30am Morning Worship............ 10:45am Morning Worship.............10:45am Age Graded Zones ...........6:15pm Wed.Wed. - Prayer PrayerMeeting Meeting&&Missions Missions Organization......................6:15pm Organization .....................6:15pm

Preschool Program • Mon. - Fri. 9-2 p.m. www.gethsemanelutheran.org

St. Stephen’s

1822 W. 18th

Dr. John W. Neesley - Senior Pastor

713-864-1470

United. Methodist. Church.

A Caring, Sharing, Faith Family.

Sunday Morning Worship 8:30 and 11:00 Sunday School for Children, Youth and Adults 9:40

Scouting groups for all ages.

Home of Johnson Memorial School for Little Children

Rev. Nathan Lonsdale Bledsoe 2003 W. 43rd St.  713-686-8241 w w w. s t s u m c . o r g

St. James Lutheran Church, ELCA MANNA Sponsor

• Worship (English)..... 10:00 am - 11:00am • Learning Hour........... 11:00am - 12:00pm • Worship (Spanish) .... 12:30 pm - 1:30pm

1602 West 43rd St. • Houston, Tx 77018 • 713-686-1577

Have you ever made plans but because of a change of circumstance were unable to complete them? Have you ever had someone promise you something and then not follow through? The God of the Bible always keeps His promises, but because He is eternal, His plans and promises are not always completed in a time or manner that we would expect. The first promise that God made in the Bible was a promise made to Adam and Eve after they sinned. God promised a Savior who would deliver them. This promise was further explained throughout the story of the Old Testament as God revealed the family and location of the Savior’s birth. As a further sign of the Savior’s arrival, the book of Isaiah tells us that the Savior would be born of of a virgin. Several thousand years passed between the initial promise to Adam and Eve and the birth of Christ. During this time of waiting, the struggle and desire for a Savior only increased as the nation of Israel and the world at large plunged deeper into the bondage of sin.

In Galatians 4:4-5, the Bible says, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” God kept His promise. The Savior came in God’s perfect timing to redeem us from our sins. His death, burial and resurrection as the sinless Savior sent from God, provides the means of Salvation from sin to all who put their trust in Him. God keeps His promises.

I am thankful for this promise that we remember and celebrate each Christmas.

Page 6A • Saturday, December 2, 2017 • The Leader

Are your pets looking a little pudgy?

Dear Tabby, Our dog and cat are both overweight. I know this isn’t good for their health and I’d like to see them slim down in 2018. Any advice for how to help them lose the weight and get healthier?

Feeling fluffy in Forest West Dear Feeling Fluffy, It’s that time of the year, isn’t it? Humans and pets alike are preparing to reevaluate their food and lifestyle choices and vowing to make a change in their health in the next couple of months. It’s a good time to make

a change in your own health and in the health of your beloved 4-legged family members.

According to www.petobesityprevention.org an estimated 53.8% of U.S. dogs are overweight and 58.2% of U.S. cats are overweight or obese, so your pets’ plights are (sadly) the norm in our country. Most people don’t even know that their pet is overweight--or they don’t see having an overweight pet as a problem.

Did you know that by keeping your pet within their ideal weight range, you can extend their lives by 2 years? That’s huge, given the life expectancy of most pets.

Pet obesity can occur for a number of reasons, but the most common are lack of exercise and taking in too many calories. So, in order to lose weight, (just like humans) pets must eat less and exercise more. Sounds simple, right? Actually, it is because you call the shots in your pets’ lifestyle choices.

A good place to start is to determine your pet’s ideal weights, (which your vet can help with) then formulate a diet plan that

works for everyone. A pet’s age and activity level should be taken into consideration when making a diet plan.

One problem is that many pets are fed free-choice, which means food is available 24 hours a day. So, the pet eats whenever it wants. Free-choice feeding is completely unnatural for any mammal. And, (just like humans) a pet will eat when bored, instead of just when hungry. What’s more, free-feeding can contribute to unnatural hormonal changes which can make weight loss even more challenging.

A pet should be fed two to four small portions a day. And the total number of calories for all meals and treats must equal the number of calories desired for weight loss.

If your schedule makes it difficult to follow this strategy, there are timed automatic feeders that can help your pet get the right amount of food at specific times.

It’s also critical to actually measure your pet’s food. Never guess. Use an 8 ounce measuring

Pet of the Week

cup… not a coffee cup or a food scoop. Then be sure to dispense the exact amount of food called for in your calculations.

After your have a handle on your pets’ diets, exercise is the next priority. Start out slow with a daily walk around the block for your dog and gradually build up time and distance as his stamina increases. For your cat, a hearty play session with a feather teaser-toy or a laser pointer is super fun for them and helps them to burn calories and energy.

Most of all, the fact that you love your pets enough to care about their health and well-being is admirable and makes you a “gold star” pet owner indeed.

The time spent with your pets on walks and playing with them will greatly enhance their lives, as well as your own. After a couple of months of this new lifestyle, you might find that you and your pets are healthier, happier and ready to take on 2018.

Meet Novalee. This sweet gal was found chained to a tree and neglected. Now she’s safe in a foster home, but would sure like a forever home for the holidays. Novalee is a female pitbull mix who is less than a year old. She is playful, sweet and gets along with everyone--kids, dogs and even cats! To learn more about Novalee or to find other adoptable pets, visit K-9 Angels rescue at: www.K-9AngelsRescue.org or www. facebook.com/k9angelsrescue.

Do you have a question for Tabby? Email her at: deartabby questions@gmail.com.

Neighbors: Remembering Timbergrove resident Lorraine Cherry

By Elizabeth Villarreal

pendent School District. The park was established in 2007 and Cherry has been the president of West 11th Street Park since she founded it in 2005.

The park is a beautiful miniature Arboretum complete with wildlife and walking trails. A perfect spot for star gazing, dog walking, stroller pushing, geocaching, nature studying – the park is a welcome respite from the concrete jungle with which we are surrounded, and it is a jewel in our midst.

Friends and Timbergrove neighbors shared words describing Cherry such as delightful, valued, kind, hard-working, welcoming, advocate, accomplished, inspiration and definition of “great neighbor.” She truly

elizasgarden@outlook.com

Once in a while a very special person comes along and makes an undeniably significant impact in our lives. Our neighbor in Timbergrove, Lorraine Cherry, was one of those amazing people. Cherry, wife of Dave Dyer and a 27 year resident of Timbergrove, passed away Nov. 25 after a 2½ year battle with cancer.

Cherry is best known in this community for her volunteer work to preserve the 20-acre natural area that is now known as West 11th Street Park.

Starting in 1998, she led a successful multi-year campaign with local government business leaders to raise enough money for the city to acquire the property from Houston Inde-

Lorraine Cherry

made a difference for our community as well as the city in working so very diligently to preserve West 11th Street Park’s precious green space and generations to follow will undoubtedly enjoy the beautiful walking

trails and trees.

Her obituary has been provided by her husband and I would like to share it with you.

Lorraine M. Cherry, Ph.D., born Oct. 17, 1947 in Los Angeles, Calif., passed away on Nov. 25, 2017. She is survived by her husband of 27 years, Dave Dyer of Houston, and her brother, Jeff Kasmar of Albany, Calif.

She moved to Houston in 1980 after finishing her Ph.D. in genetics at The University of California, Berkeley, and spent 18 years in various faculty positions in the medical school at The University of Texas Health Sciences Center. She then founded her own research and consulting service for biomedical professionals which

she ran for 15 years. She authored or co-authored several hundred technical and scientific publications. Her California friends were shocked when she told them that she preferred living in Houston over Berkeley.

She was a gourmet cook, a world traveler, and a great friend to many people. Lorraine was one of those rare people who was successful at everything she tried, and she kept trying new things.

An event to celebrate Cherry’s life will be announced at a later date.

Donations may be made to Friends of W. 11th St. Park, P. O. Box 7679, Houston, TX, 77270-7679 or through this website: http://www.west11thstreetpark.org/.

FREE DONUTS 2 KOLACHES FREE DOzEN FREE DONUT HOLES Get 1/2 dozen glazed donuts FREE with purchase of one dozen donuts or more.

To place an ad on the most popular page in the Leader, give us a call at (713) 686-8494 and ask for one of our professional sales executives

With purchase of one dozen glazed donuts.

Buy a dozen donuts and get 1 dozen donut holes FREE!

Good at this location only. One coupon per visit. Tax not included. Not valid in conjunction with other coupons.

3410 Ella Blvd. at 34th St.

(713) 682-4343

Mon - Fri 7:30 am - 5:30 pm Sat 8:00 am - 4:00pm

Excluding alcohol

34th

Present this coupon and receive a 15% discount on final bill. Limit one coupon per table; excludes happy hour, alcohol and other promotions. Offer Expires 12-9-17

Ma ngum

290

10510 Northwest Fwy • Houston, TX 77092 (832) 487-9412

www.PinchSeafoodRestaurant.com

Marchese’s Kitchen Come in for one of our homemade casseroles • Lasagna • Meatballs • Chicken Spaghetti • King Ranch Casserole • Chicken Pot Pie • Chicken Salad • Quiches • Gumbos & Chowders • Eggplant Parmasean • Beef Enchilada Casserole • Desserts • Sandwiches

Stay Cool This Summer

$1.00 off SnowConeS!!

10% oFF

Limit One Coupon Per Customer

965 Pinemont (Between Ella & Shepherd) 713-497-5378

Open Monday-Friday 9:30 am to 6:30pm Saturday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Ross FuRnituRe sale Take an additional 10% off

Come ACross 610 To GeT Your resAle sAvinGs

Already low marked furniture Pricing Sofa, Loveseat Sets, Bedroom Sets, Mattresses, Cabinets, Gun Rack, Armoire’s and many more...

Ross FuRnituRe 832-831-0627

5001 N. Shepherd Houston, TX 77018

musT BrinG CouPon

50% oFF musT BrinG CouPon

Small Items, Pictures, Lamps, Collectables, Cabbage Patch Dolls, Hotwheels, Dishes, NFL, NASCAR, Dishes, Glass, Crystal.

AnnA’s tReAsuRes

AdolfHoepfl.com 713.960.4538 4610 N. Shepherd

$17.76 CHECK UP! $24.95 PREMIUM (WITH ANY SERVICE)

Offers expire 12-7-17 • Cannot be combined with any other offer. Coupon must be presented in advance. Some restrictions apply.

4

$ 95 OFF secOnd entree Buy 1 Dinner Get $4.95 OFF Second Dinner Dine-In Only. No Takeout Orders. Good 3-10 p.m. only.

• Not available on Senior Citizens or Kids Menu • One coupon per table / one coupon per family ORIGINAL COUPON ONLY! No copies accepted • Must be presented before ordering • Expires 12-9-17.

LIve MUSIC Thursday - Sunday 6 til Close

* Lunch Specials Daily * Take Out Orders Available * Complete Bar Facilities * Party Room Available (Seats 85)

Happy Hours: Mon-Thur 3-8

4618 Dacoma

(Between Hwy. 290 and Mangum)

(713) 680-0825

20% off grooming Must schedule appt.

Must have current vaccinations.

New customers only. Valid for one visit.

Offer Expires 11-30-2017

www.polkadotdogs.com

Call front desk for information.

2505 Ella Blvd 713-677-0701

Authentic Mej icano Cuisine

Free Dinner

Buy 1 Dinner and 2 Drinks, Get 1 Dinner Free (up to $10.00) One coupon per table

Dine In Only After 3:00 pm • Expires 12-9-17  Daily luNch SPEcialS  Bar FacilitiES  takE-Out OrDErS availaBlE

Call for Information 832-831-0627

insiDe ross furniTure

OIL CHANGE SPECIAL!

For faster service, please call for a reservation. Taxes not included. Most With any service we will check your lights, heating systems, brakes, cars/light trucks. Oil change includes up to 5 quarts of synthetic blend and new oil filter. Full synthetic oil extra. Courtesy check up including tires, condition of the radiator fluid, battery test and more. checking belts, air filter, coolant, transmission fluid, tire safety and more.

Is your vehicle ready for cold weather?

5001 N. Shepherd Houston, TX 77018 Mexican Restaurant

2615 Ella Blvd. @ 27th  713-868-5232

OPEN Monday - Saturday 8am - 10pm & Sunday 8 am - 4pm

The Leader • Saturday, December 2, 2017 • Page 7A

ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR Kickin Cancer’s Ass Benefit For Brandee 2 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 2 Sassafrass - 5022 Pinemont Dr.

Help Brandee Boyle, owner of Sassafrass, kick cancer’s ass at Sassafras this weekend! Enjoy a day of music, food, fun and games.

To help raise funds for Brandee and her medical expenses, there will be a silent auction and 50/50 raffle. There will also be t-shirts, koozies and wine glasses for purchase.

C&D Christmas Open House 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 2 C&D Hardware and Gifts - 314 E. 11th St.

Come on in and join C&D for their Christmas open house!

Santa will be stopping in from 9 - 10:30 a.m. to take pictures with you and/or the family! All good children and good pets are welcome. Pat Gavin & the Buckaroo Band will be playing some real cowboy Christmas music live on our patio from 11 - 1 p.m. All of the best Christmas and gift items are out and ready, stop by and see what’s new.

Harvey Arts Recovery Knowledge Share 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 2 Winter Street Studios - 2101 Winter St. FREE Event

Individual artists, writers, dancers, filmmakers, musicians, actors, visual art and creatives plus staff of arts, culture, preservation and historical organizations impacted

by Harvey: You’re not alone.

This Knowledge Share hosted by the Harvey Arts Recovery Fund offers resources to help you get back to business.

SCHEDULE •9:30-10am — Networking/ food/beverages •10-11am Panel #1 — Arts Responders Hear from leaders in the arts about their experience and knowledge on the subject of disaster recovery. •11:15am-12:15pm — Panel #2 - Artists Respond Artists who have lived and learned how to come out on top after experiencing a natural disaster share their stories. •12:15pm-1:30pm — Resource tables

Art Valet: Project Adoore To Feature Harvey Stories Through Art Mitch Cohen Art Columnist

A most unusual art show is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday evening, December 7, featuring doors painted by student-artists from 25 of the most impacted campuses by Hurricane Harvey. This is an effort to reflect, rebuild and remember.

The fine arts initiative — known as Project aDOORe Houston — aims to strengthen school communities that were most impacted by Hurricane Harvey by providing students with a means to heal through the creation of art.

Students will use the doors to visually document how the storm affected them, their school, and their community.

They also will be tasked with depicting how the city has overcome, united, and grown as a result of the storm.

Project aDOORE Houston was created by HISD’s newly established Fine Arts Department, and the creation of Chandel Hancock, Visual Arts Curriculum Specialist.

The doors will be displayed during the Project aDOORe Art Exhibition from Dec. 7 to Dec. 15 at HISD’s Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, 4400 W. 18th St.I first heard about this cool project when I was introduced to Rickey Polidore Jr., just a few weeks after Harvey flooded Houston. We all had Harvey stories, but Polidore’s was the most impactful. The man can tell a story! His enthusiasm, charisma and energy, and maybe the fact that Polidore works for HISD as a Visual Arts Curriculum Specialist,

Contributed photo Project aDOORE Art Exhibition will be displayed from Dec. 7 to Dec. 15 at HISD’s Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center at 4400 W. 18th St. Pictured is Sonja Korman Dance Specialist, Chandel Hancock and Rickey F. Polidore Jr. from Visual Arts.

no surprise. It takes someone with a lot of energy to lead children.

I was a little surprised that HISD even has a fine arts initiative, so I asked Polidore to keep me in the loop and send me more details. “Everyone in Houston was affected in some way by Harvey,� Polidore Jr. said. “By taking this artwork to the community, we hope to encourage someone who may be having a hard time telling their own Harvey story.�

Beginning Dec. 18, the doors will become part of a traveling exhibition that includes stops at the Hermann Park Reflecting Pool, Discovery Green, Houston Public Library-Downtown, and BBVA Compass Bank Stadium. The final stop of the traveling exhibition will be the HISD State of the Schools Luncheon at Hilton Americas Hotel in February.

The reception on December 7, takes place at Hattie Mae White Education Sup-

port Center, 4400 West 18th St. 77092. Guest speakers will talk about the exhibit at 6:45 p.m.

Cohen is an artist and founder of First Saturday Arts Market and the new Market at Sawyer Yards, find him at ArtValet.com

Cavatore’s DECEMBER DEALS

Call for packages and other offers. Valid through December 2017.

THE LEADER

HeigHts boutique tHat specializes in full body waxing, tHreading, brow embroidery, and skincare.

2017 Look for it December 16 issue

ThREADiNg AND ALL 10% OFFLAsER hAiR REMOvAL 30% OFF MiCRObLADiNg

832.449.6528

Make your reservations at the Leader Readers’ voted

Best Italian Restaurant!

2120 Ella Boulevard • (713) 869-6622

WWW.PLUCKEDANDMORE.COM

Champagne & Yoga Benefiting Toys for Tots 10 a.m. - Noon Saturday, Dec. 2 Wicklow Heights - 1027 W. 19th St. $10 - 15 Buy tickets on Eventbrite

Bring your dog and your yoga mat out for Champagne and Yoga this Saturday. Yoga is from 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. followed by a champagne social from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. There will be a brunch themed food truck available after class!

All proceeds and toy donations will go to benefit Toys for Tots. If you’d like to bring a toy, please use the donation ticket option.

Cheers!

Santa at the Clubhouse 10 a.m. - Noon Saturday, Dec. 2 Houston Heights Woman’s Club - 1846 Harvard St. FREE Event

Ho, ho, ho! The Houston Heights Woman’s Club invites you and your family to join for Santa at the Clubhouse! Children (and adults) can have their picture taken with the jolly old elf himself, and enjoy hot chocolate, cookies and other goodies. There will be crafts for the children, too!

This event is free and open to the community.

This weekend is first Saturday and that means two things: the 19th Street merchants will host their annual holiday party, Friday evening.

Saturday, of course, is First Saturday Arts Market at 530 W. 19th Street. That’s our new official address. Follow us on Instagram for details @1stsatartmarket.

713.562.6191 979.337.1200

www.Cavatores.com

oakingtonrealty.com

If you need to list your home or need to a buy a new one, call us today!

Your local area specialist!

713-875-9040 new conStructIon • for Sale

SprIng branch 1302 Story

5-4-2 3000 sq ft. $749,050 MLS # 94806473

oak foreSt 1346 thorton

5-4-2 3000 sq ft. $789,050 MLS # 20686174

recently Sold

5623 Spellman

1819 Millwood dr

4074 Merrick

6513 clawson

MLS #76878810

MLS # 65133942

MLS #9948807

MLS # 97447934