Leader of the Year The Leader • Saturday, December 30, 2017 • Page 1B
A driving force on 19th street By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com Alli Jarrett’s giving spirit was forged in small-town roots dating to her youth in South Carolina; it has never left her even as she’s ventured about 1,000 miles from where they began. Heights residents know Jarrett as the owner of Harold’s Tap Room and Restaurant, and a giver of everything from her time to her restaurant. Whether during her time with the United States Golf Association, involvement at St. Andrews Episcopal Church or renovating former clothing store “Harold’s in the Heights” into the southern cuisine restaurant residents love, a piece of her soul has always resided with her community. Forever the giving spirit, Jarrett has subsequently been selected as The Leader’s 2017 Leader of The Year. Coming from a family wholesale business, in Kingstree, SC, that her grandparents owned and operated for over 50 years, Jarrett already understood the implicit meaning a spot’s history can have before moving to Houston 20 years ago, and immediately attempted to pour back into the Heights in keeping the Harold’s name alive when she bought and renovated the spot overlooking 19th Street in 2012-2013. “We kept the name because of the importance of preserving history in the neighborhood. The Heights is a small town in a big city,” she said. “The whole reason for creating this business was that I wanted to live where I work, and work where I live.” In her spare time, Jarrett is an avid golfer; she previously worked for the USGA for 15 years – even becoming the first woman in the organization’s
Photo by Christina Martinez Alli Jarrett stands in front of Harold’s Restaurant and Tap Room overlooking 19th Street. While she may be best known for the southern cuisine, it’s her devotion to the Heights and Houston community that earned her the distinction as our 2017 Leader of the Year.
history to chair a men’s championship – before breaking away to run her own business. And even though she broke away to become a small business owner, an unusual chain of events over the last year brought her full circle – combining her passion for golf and her heart for others. The U.S. Women’s MidAmateur was scheduled to be
in Naples, Fl. this past October. However, Hurricane Irma wiped out the golf club slated to host the tournament. Subsequently, Robin and Jack Burke of Champions Golf Club in Houston offered to host it instead – pulling Jarrett out of retirement, so to speak, to help run the event. She never batted an eye, and the club pulled off in 40 days what most clubs
Averting a Cat-tastrophe By Kim Hogstrom For The Leader Two weeks ago, the Timbergrove Manor Facebook page exploded with concern. Neighborhood stray cats were dissapearing, then reappearing, missing the tips of their left ears. Mysterious, indeed, unless one knows the signs. The Timbergrove stray cats were trapped, their ears’ clipped during spay or neuter surgery, then they were vaccinated for rabies and returned to the area where originally captured. Called T-N-R (Trap, Neuter, Release), veterinarians clip the tip of the left ear during neuter surgery to let the public know the cat is no longer reproducing. Why? Because neutering a stray cats is critical. A single pair of fertile felines and their kittens can produce 420,000 more cats in seven years. The Leader’s area is considered a desirable one, but that fact does not spare it from Houston’s massive pet overpopulation problem. There are numerous feral cat colonies here. About 200 local men and women have taken up the cause of the community’s homeless pets – both cats and dogs - and formed the Animal Justice League. The all-volunteer army
launched three years ago. In that time, the nonprofit group has re-homed more than 150 stray dogs and 75 stray cats. Remarkably, they’ve also neutered and vaccinated 603 feral cats from the immediate area: Oak Forest, the Heights, Garden Oaks and more. Why return the cats, some ask? “People are confused about cat colonies. A colony usually exists for a reason. For example, sometimes its due to an abundance of rodents,” explained Belinda Xrect, lead organizer for the Animal Justice League’s TNR effort. “The colonies can be very helpful in controlling rodent infestations.” Unlike dogs, which have been domestic for many thousands of years, cats were first domesticated by Egyptians only about 4,000 years ago. When the ancients started storing grain for food, they discovered that cats kept rats out of inventories. Soon, cats were revered in the culture. Modern cats still harbor feral instincts due to their recent domestication. A kitten with no human contact can easily return to its wild roots. It often takes one generation, which explains the many feral cats here. Houston’s Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care (BARC)
has an ordinance to address the issue, while promoting TNR for the management of feral cat colonies. Any citizen feeding ferals must work to get all the cats spayed or neutered (TNR), must be feeding in a manner that does not attract other wild animals, and must have the permission of the property owner if the colony is not on either their own property, or on city property. As long as citizens meet these requirements, they are encouraged to continue. Residents are required to submit an application to become a colony manager at the city of Houston website. Sharron Sims is a volunteer with AJL and TNR’d 20 cats and five colonies in early December. The cats included the now-famous Timbergrove strays, and two colonies in Forest West. “People are often at a loss regarding what to do with feral cats; they don’t know that they can contact AJL for help,” Sims explained. “As a group, we know where the resources are. We have the traps, the vets, and the contacts. All locals need to do is ask,” Sims concluded with a smile. To donate, adopt or volunteer to help, go to www.animaljusticeleague.org. All will be greatly appreciated.
pull off in about two and a half years to cement the experience for golfers who came from around the world and raved about the final product. On the surface, it was a massive undertaking. But for Jarrett, her motivation remains simple, and extends to her Heights home: she’s passionate about providing the southern hospitality she learned all
those years ago. “It’s about people helping people, and that’s what we’re all about here. We’re trying to be all about our guests and the experience they have here,” she said. Walk the walk It’s not often you’ll find a business owner more invested in the community than the
almighty dollar – but Jarrett’s impact on the Heights extends far beyond Harold’s delectable tastes in food and wine or helping push the recent vote to fully repeal the private club portion of the former Heights dry laws. She was one of the first members of the Heights Community that The Summerhouse Founder and Executive Director Donna Fruge sat down with in 2014 to discuss the possibility of employing one of its members so they could learn the ropes of the working world at Harold’s. And despite knowing very little about The Summerhouse prior to the meeting, Fruge remembers Jarrett couldn’t jump high enough or utter the ‘Yes!’ fast enough. “She was just so open and more than willing to see if this was going to be a real workable partnership for us,” Fruge said. “It’s sometimes hard to understand especially when they don’t have anyone in their family with a disability and have never experienced that particular life. But [Alli] was more than willing to listen and educate herself and decide if this was possible for both the young lady working there and for her. It wasn’t just about the job performance, it was about education and diversity in her workplace.” And one needs to look no further for the impact Jarrett had on another’s life than that. The young woman has now worked at Harold’s for more than a year, and will be increasing her hours at the beginning of the new year according to Fruge. She credits Jarrett’s willingness to take a chance as a simple gesture which changed the girl’s life. But that’s just who Jarrett See Jarrett P. 2b
Wishing you a
Happy new year Come join us
January 19th
Grand OpeninG Come celebrate our Grand Opening of Lucy’s Boutique on a very special day - Lucy’s birthday. Our little angel would of been 23 and we want to share this special day with all of our friends and clients.
Food, drink and a great big party await all of you. Door prizes, giveways and awesome specials will be on tap. Mark the day as it will surley be one not to miss..... Mon-Thurs 10-6 • Fri & Sat 10-7 • Sunday 12-6
915 F N. Shepherd Dr. (Next to Petco in Kroger Shopping Center)
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