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Saturday, April 16, 2016 • Vol. 62 • No. 16

About Us 3500 East T.C. Jester Blvd Suite A (713) 686-8494

Parents want Love Elementary to become a magnet By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com

news@theleadernews.com www.theleadernews.com Facebook/THE LEADER.

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Ebru Erdini is zoned to Love Elementary, but says she never really gave it a chance. “I was aware of negative things on the forums,” she said. “I knew it was other parents like me, on the outside looking in. I wanted to know more.” That opportunity came when she sent her special needs youngest child, to the Preschoolers Achieving Learning Skills program, or PALS, at the school. “In two weeks he was a completely different child,” said Erdini. “I felt a bit guilty. We had never given it a chance.” Her oldest child attended Harvard Elementary and now is at Hamilton Middle School. Her middle daughter went to the paid Pre-K program at Harvard last year and was accepted into the gifted and talented program there for Kinder. But because of

her experience at Love and because of her daughter’s positive reaction during a school tour, Erdini is sending her to Love in the fall. “My daughter loved the name,” said Erdini. “The staff is very friendly. She wants to go right now. I like that she’s going to be fluent in Spanish with the dual language program.” That’s not all Erdini is doing. Recently, she spearheaded an online petition on Change. org called Magnet for Love Elementary. As the letter with the petition states: “[Love] needs an influx of new effective educational tools to encourage diversity. In short it needs to be designated and funded by HISD to become a Magnet School.” The idea is that by getting a magnet designation, Love will get the financial resources See Magnet P. 5A

Photo by Betsy Denson Love Elementary has room for 80 more children. Most students come from the school zone, but the hope is that if Love becomes a magnet, the school will be more attractive to those outside the zone.

I would love to help!

eileen

The expression says it all - the beloved “Climbing Tree” in Candlelight Park is now nothing more than a stump in the ground, leaving more questions than answers for this girl and others in the area who enjoyed the presence of the old tree.

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Educational

LEADERS Saluting our Teachers

Everyone has a favorite teacher or two while growing up. As part of our special World of Learning section, we turned to our local schools to find out which teachers received nods as Teachers of the Year. Join us as we salute our accomplished educators and wish them luck in potentially being named HISD’s Teacher of the Year.

Find it on 3A

Decision in GOMO suit coming soon By Jonathan Garris jgarris@theleadernews.com Members of the Garden Oaks Maintenance Organization are clearing up misunderstandings about a lawsuit filed by a local homeowner regarding the group’s deed restrictions, a suit which is expected to have a final decision from a judge some time this week or next. A post to the Garden Oaks community website provides details into the current status of the ongoing lawsuit. GOMO had originally brought a lawsuit against Peter and Katherine Chang in 2012 in an effort to enforce a deed restriction prohibiting structures on residential plots “other than [a] one detached single-family dwelling not to exceed two stories in height and a one or two car garage.” A representative with GOMO said that what remains outstanding at this point is whether or not attorney’s fees will be awarded to the Chang’s and their amount and whether GOMO can exercise its authority to enforce deed restrictions on their property. Other residents in the community, particularly those who attended a February community meeting, voiced their concern that the decision would apply to all properties; however the GOMO See GOMO P. 5A

Beloved Candlelight Park tree vanishes

Rescue Crisis Local non-profit Rescued Pets Movement is now facing financial difficulties as it continues its efforts to rescue stray cats and dogs across the Houston area.

Find it on 2A

The INDEX. Church

Classifieds

Coupons

Food/Drink/Art Obituaries

1B 8A

Opinion

Public Information Puzzles Sports

2A 4A 9B

Yale Street Bridge rebuild to begin

By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com

By Jonathan Garris jgarris@theleadernews.com

It was the case of the disappearing tree. An Oak Forest resident recently took his daughter to Candlelight Park to check out the progress of the trees the city planted to replace the ones killed by the drought of 2011. “But we always have to visit ‘The Climbing Tree’, an old, crooked, and beautiful oak tree,” the father said. “Any kid that knows the park knows this tree for its majesty and entry-level climbing opportunity. Most times we are there, a woman strolls the park by herself offering friendly hellos. One day I asked her about the climbing tree and she told us that the tree was an adult specimen in the 1950s, when she moved here.” Of course on a recent visit they had trouble finding it because it didn’t exist – because only the stump remains. “My mind raced with reasons why such a decision would be made - proximity to the street? Liabilities over climbing? Whatever the reason I am beside myself and my children are the definition of sad.” This family was not the only one. “My daughter was so upset when this tree was cut down,” said Cindy Madi. “She was almost in tears.” The Leader endeavored to find out why. After a call to Public Works, who confirmed the take down was not part of one of their Capital Improvement Projects, the answer was found at the Houston Parks and Recreation depart-

While some might be sad to see it go, TxDOT officials are ready and willing to begin the demolition of the historic Yale Street Bridge in the Heights. The 85-year-old bridge over the White Oak Bayou will come falling down, so to speak, despite being named as one of only seven bridges in the Houston area on the National Register of Historic Places after being added in 2011, according to the group’s website. A sign placed at the bridge indicates it will be closed April 18 through Dec. 31 2017. According to a TxDOT report from 2014, inspectors deemed the bridge functionally obsolete in 2013. The proposed replacement bridge would be designed with a “12-foot-wide outside lane, an 11-footwide inside lane, and a 8-foot-wide sidewalk in each direction on the bridge” following public input. In order to meet federal and state crash rating requirements,

See Tree P. 5A

Contributed Photos “The Climbing Tree” had no lack of support from youngsters and adults alike.

See Bridge P. 2A

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The public. Saturday, April 16, 2016 • Page 2A

Hibernation is almost over Let’s go look at houses!

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Police Reports • April 1-9 APRIL 1

Burglary 11:24 PM 500-599 W 19TH Burglary 2:20 AM 3000-3099 YALE Theft 6:15 PM 3100-3199 WHITE OAK Theft 4:38 PM 500-599 FRASIER Theft 8:01 PM 5200-5299 INKER Theft 8:30 PM 7300-7399 WASHINGTON Robbery 8:01 PM 2800-2899 N SHEPHERD Theft 4:52 PM 500-599 OXFORD Theft 7:13 PM 3500-3599 WHITE OAK Theft 3 PM 500-599 OXFORD

APRIL 2

Theft 8:30 PM 5300-5399 WASHINGTON Theft 10 AM 2800-2899 SHEPHERD Theft 9 AM 4000-4099 N SHEPHERD Robbery 1:02 PM 1300-1399 TABOR Theft 10:32 AM 4500-4599 N SHEPHERD Assault 2:46 AM 3300-3399 PINEMONT Theft 1:23 PM 4600-4699 W 34TH Theft 8:47 AM 1900-1999 HEIGHTS BLVD Theft 6:15 PM 1500-1599 RUTLAND Theft 5:02 AM 700-799 N LOOP W Burglary 8 AM 900-999 ADELE Theft 8:01 PM 1400-1499 BEVIS Burglary 4:20 PM 1500-1599 STUDEMONT Theft 9:50 AM 100-199 YALE Theft 8:30 PM 4600-4699 W 34TH

APRIL 3

Theft 2 PM 1200-1299 W 20TH Assault 6:46 PM 300-399 NEYLAND Theft 9 AM 3100-3199 WHITE OAK Theft 4 PM 2400-2499 WASHINGTON Theft 11:02 PM 5500-5599 YALE Theft 10 AM 10800-10899 NORTHWEST FWY Theft 5:34 PM 2900-2999 WHITE OAK

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APRIL 4

Theft 4:55 PM 700-799 W 19TH Burglary 3 AM 1800-1899 N SHEPHERD Theft 3:55 AM 5500-5599 LARKIN Theft 11:48 AM 100-199 YALE Theft 2 PM 3800-3899 SHERWOOD Robbery 7 AM 500-599 W 19TH Theft 1:57 PM 500-599 W 19TH Theft 5:08 PM 500-599 W 19TH Theft 11 AM 700-799 E 16TH Theft 9:35 AM 1000-1099 STUDEWOOD Theft 11:45 PM 700-799 OXFORD Theft 6:10 AM 1200-1299 NORTHWOOD Theft 8:45 AM 4000-4099 N SHEPHERD Theft 2 PM 200-299 HEIGHTS BLVD Burglary 2:20 AM 4400-4499 WASHINGTON Theft 10 AM 1200-1299 W 43RD Theft 1:56 PM 4200-4299 W 34TH Theft 6:59 PM 1700-1799

HEIGHTS BLVD Theft 7:17 PM 1700-1799 HEIGHTS BLVD Burglary 8 AM 900-999 JUDIWAY Theft 5:46 AM 1700-1799 W 13TH Theft 1 PM 1700-1799 W T C JESTER

APRIL 5

Burglary 1 AM 4200-4299 W 34TH Theft 1:39 PM 6800-6899 COUCH Burglary 12:25 AM 1200-1299 W 21ST Burglary 5:15 AM 1500-1599 DROXFORD Theft 9:51 AM 1500-1599 N LOOP W Theft 5 AM 0-99 HACKETT DR/TC JESTER Theft 7:45 AM 0-99 YALE Assault 8:01 PM 700-799 JANISCH Theft 9:40 PM 3500-3599 E T C JESTER Burglary 4:43 PM 300-399 YALE

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APRIL 7

Theft 10:20 AM 1000-1099 W 20TH Theft 9 AM 400-499 OXFORD Theft 5:44 PM 800-899 CROSSTIMBERS Theft 5:01 AM 4300-4399 ELLA Theft 8:03 AM 5300-5399 SHEPHERD Burglary 4:09 AM 700-799 W 20TH Theft 7:58 PM 4500-4599 SHERWOOD Theft 2:09 PM 7400-7499 KATY FWY Theft 1:40 PM 500-599 N SHEPHERD Burglary 3:37 AM 1100-1199 DU BARRY Theft 11:07 AM 1300-1399 W 43RD Theft 2:45 AM 3900-3999 SHERWOOD Theft 7:05 PM 6000-6099 N SHEPHERD Theft 7:42 AM 800-899 NORTHWEST MALL

APRIL 8

APRIL 6

Theft 10:27 AM 1100-1199 E 25TH Burglary 6:45 AM 3500-3599 MICHAUX Assault 7:44 PM 1500-1599 N LOOP Assault 11:30 AM 1500-1599 N LOOP W Theft 11:49 AM 5300-5399 WASHINGTON Theft 3 PM 600-699 OXFORD Burglary 3:50 AM 6400-6499 KURY Burglary 11:28 PM 3400-3499 ELLA Theft 5 PM 1600-1699 MCDONALD Theft 7:25 AM 4000-4099 PINEMONT Theft 4:20 PM 1500-1599 N LOOP Theft 8:45 PM 5300-5399 EGBERT Assault 6:51 PM 1300-1399 CROSSTIMBERS Theft 3:15 PM 1100-1199 PATTERSON Theft 1:15 PM 2700-2799 W 11TH Theft 6:45 AM 10300-10399 NORTHWEST FWY

713-412-6682

Theft 3 PM 2000-2099 BEALL Theft 8:01 PM 1600-1699 ANSBURY Theft 6:41 AM 5200-5299 N SHEPHERD Theft 5 PM 2200-2299 WHITNEY Burglary 10:31 PM 2400-2499 MANGUM Theft 5:30 PM 400-499 W 19TH Theft 3:29 AM 400-499 W 22ND Theft 7 AM 4200-4299 EUROPA Theft 6:50 AM 5500-5599 DARLING Theft 11:33 AM 3000-3099 ELLA BLVD Burglary 1 AM 0-99 E CROSSTIMBERS Theft 4:19 AM 200-299 T C JESTER Theft 10:40 AM 2400-2499 JUDIWAY Robbery 11:49 AM 3900-3999 SHERWOOD Burglary 12:01 PM 4200-4299 MARLBOROUGH Reports are provided by SpotCrime.com based on data from the Houston Police Department.

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Officials with the Houston Police Department confirmed that the Harris County District Attorney’s Office has a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon pending for a woman involved in a road rage incident that left one woman hospitalized with a gunshot wound April 8. According to officials, Pan-

doria Ulysses Hardeway, 29, has a pending felony charge after allegedly shooting a woman following an incident on the Loop 610 Service Road near Irvington Boulevard. The incident began shortly before 8 a.m. when the victim said she was traveling westbound and attempted to enter the onramp on to the highway when Hardeway allegedly would not let her pass and merge properly. The victim tried to change

lanes again but Hardeway again allegedly slowed down and cut in front of her. An HPD representative said this continued several times until both vehicles came to a stop in the middle of the exit ramp for North Main. The victim told police she got upset and threw a small bottle at Hardeway’s vehicle and then exited her vehicle. She walked to Hardeway’s car, asking what was going on but saw Harde-

way was allegedly armed with a gun. Hardeway allegedly shot the woman one time in the stomach. A nearby witness saw the victim and transported her in their vehicle to Memorial Hermann Greater Heights. A short time later, police located Hardeway and detained her and seized a gun. The incident remains under investigation.

Local animal rescue group faces financial hardship By Jonathan Garris jgarris@theleadernews.com On normal days during the weekend, dog and cat foster parents know they have a place to turn to at the Rescued Pets Movement facility at West 34th St. First opened in April last year, the group has worked tirelessly to save and transport over 13,000 dogs and cats since forming years ago. Now, however, volunteers with the organization are having to scale back the number of animals they take in on a monthly basis as the group faces financial issues. Founded in 2013, the group has worked with volunteers from across the Houston area through a partnership with Houston’s BARC Animal Shelter to help save thousands of animals by transporting them to Colorado. The group “fully examines and treats” animals with partner veterinarians and places them in foster homes until they’re ready to find their homes. Co-founder Laura Carlock said the city of Houston pays about $75 per pet transported from the city pound, which averages to about 450 dogs and cats each month. “That’s only a third of the cost to transport these animals,” Carlock said, as costs for treating and moving animals often exceeds the money provided by Houston. “We have to cover the costs of the vans, food the animals, the gas

Bridge from P. 1A a metal railing would also be installed between the roadway and both sidewalks.

for the vans and so on.” The group exceeded that 450 number tremendously due to the sheer number of stray animals in the Houston area. In February alone, the group saved over 730 animals and in March that number increased to over 740. “It’s very hard to say ‘let’s just let them die,’ as our hope had always been to pool the animals and then find the money to fix the deficit,” Carlock said. “The co-founders have all put personal money in this but we couldn’t carry the orginzation and donations are down significantly, possibly due to the oil and gas downturn.” Due to the cutbacks, the group will now only have a budget to save approximately 74 dogs and cats a month. “It’s a concern because we helped keep the city pound save rate so high,” Carlock said. “We have to have much more in donations and funding to keep operating at the level we were.” Why the big increase from 450 to over 700? Carlock said part of it had to do with the change in season. “With spring hitting and the warm weather coming in, it’s puppy and kitten season,” Carlock said. “We’ve had a lot more puppies and kittens being born and we just continued to pool until we hit those record numbers. It was difficult to say, no, we can’t help this animal as we don’t have the money, so we continued to work with The decision to replace the bridge was finalized in September according to previous reports, with the approval of

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the expectation that donations or co-founders or others could help cover the cost.” In the end, the costs became too significant and, with the city facing its own financial difficulties, the result has been the cutbacks. It’s been a difficult pill to swallow for people like Toree Rozel, the group’s clinic manager at the West 34th Street facility. She originally began working with a rescue orgnaization in Colorado where many RPM animals are pooled to, bringing a holistic approach to caring for animals. However, that level of care has been cut back substantially and the group also no longer offers boarding in their kennels. “We usually just have really quick appointments and we’re

able to provide examinations and some antibiotics and other help for our foster parents and their animals,” Rozel said. “Unfortunately, we’ve had to send a lot of them back over to BARC for help.” While the mission of RPM won’t change, Carlock said the group could use more volunteers, foster homes and, of course, funds. The group will continue to reorganize in the hopes more donations might come in. “We have a lot of wonderful volunteers and we can always use more,” Carlock said. “Our two biggest needs are foster homes and money.” For more information, email info@rescuedpetsmovement. org. 300-page book--

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Saturday, April 16, 2016 • Page 3A

Educational Leaders of the Year

You’re Invited to the 3rd Annual Durham IB World School

Once again, The Leader honors local teachers selected by their schools for their commitment and passion for education.

Maya Angelou once said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them

feel.” This quote embodies Kendra Berglund. As an educator at Love Elementary for the last four years, she had made an unmistakable impression on the students and faculty. One of her greatest attributes is her demeanor. Miss Berglund consistently strives to bring the best out of her students and the people

who surround her. While teaching a wide range of topics and content, she’s able to project a composed, humorous, positive and nurturing presence. Miss Berglund is able to motivate her students AND the teachers intrinsically because of her passion. She works diligently to inspire her current and former stu-

Anna Montalvo

Stevens Elementary School’s Teacher of the Year, Anna Montalvo, is a 4th grade ELA Teacher,

PLC & Content Leader as well as last year’s Bilingual Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Montalvo has taught 4th grade since 2011 and holds a B.S. in Political Science from the University of Houston and is currently working on her Master’s in Educational Leader-

ship. Montalvo says that what makes teaching rewarding to her is to see students take ownership of their learning and apply the skills they have learned to real-world situations. “Mrs. Montalvo creates a desire amongst her students to do better by conferring

Beatris Corral

Third grade Bilingual teacher, Beatris Corral, was selected as Stevens Elementary School’s Be-

ginning Teacher of the Year for the 2015-2016 school year. Ms. Corral is a first year teacher certified as an EC-6 bilingual teacher. Ms. Corral is passionate about teaching and provides positive and meaningful experiences for her students. She wishes to continue

working as a teacher for the rest of her life. She adores coming in to school each day knowing that her students will learn something new. She is always eager to volunteer for campus events and enjoys engaging with parents and community members.

Marisa B. Lopez math lead teacher and often seeks innovative ways to help support student learning, especially in using student data to drive her instruction. Ms. Lopez also provides afterschool tutorials for students in need of additional as-

Lucy Seward Mrs. Seward is the Advanced Placement English Language (11th grade) teacher at Reagan High School. She was chosen by our staff as Teacher of the Year because of the high level

culture of achievement within her classroom, her student’s engagement with rigorous content, and the relationship she builds with her students. Mrs. Seward began her teaching ca-

William Warner

Not only was Mr. Warner elected teacher of

the year by his peers, he was also the only coach in HISD to take kids to the state wrestling tournament. His students are engaged in 21st century learning, which is evident in their results on IXL, a math program to

help students strengthen their core foundation in math skills. His students have spent over 3,500 hours practicing problems, with a 90% success rate. He has also grown the campus wrestling program from

Amber Homolka Ms. Homolka, an attorney who left the legal world to become a teacher this past year was voted Rookie teacher of the year at Davis. Her goal was to help

students overcome life challenges and become whatever they dreamed. She currently teaches English 1 and 3, and is also a debate coach. Her most exciting moment

dents to achieve at high levels, even the struggling ones. Her dedication is easily indicated in her popularity among the students and staff. Further, she continually reflects upon herself to grow as an educator, always looking for a better way. She is a creature of evolution, transformation, and intellect.

Stevens Elementary

Grab Your Passport! It’s time to travel around the world at the 2016 International

Festival at Durham Elementary—the perfect culmination event of the school year to celebrate our international focus! There will be a Parade of Nations displaying multiple flags from around the world, grade level performances that reflect the countries studied during the 2016-2017 school year, and national booths where students will receive passports to collect travel stamps as they complete tasks throughout the day. This is a fun event for the whole family to enjoy!

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with each student individually to discuss their academic progress,” says Principal Jennifer Barrientez. “Her leadership skills are evident in her efforts to collaborate with her colleagues. She is driven by her passion to make a difference in her student’s lives.”

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Stevens Elementary Ms. Corral believes, “Being involved around the school campus and in the community really helps me understand my students and shows me many ways in which I can have a greater impact on the community.”

Browning Elementary sistance and frequently collaborates with other teachers to discuss curriculum and instruction. During her spare time, Ms. Lopez enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering at Lakewood Church.

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Reagan High School reer in August 2000. Prior to teaching, she spent over a decade practicing law. Mrs. Seward is an instrumental part of the Reagan family.

Leonard Aguilar

Davis High School nine returning wrestlers to 38 who will return in the fall. They are back to back district champs and the school is looking to take more to state next year.

ESL Teacher of the Year Leo Aguilar has been a

leader of our Advanced Placement initiative on campus and is working with other AP teachers to create a rigorous college going culture. Furthermore, he has revitalized our UIL program with a group of commit-

Arpita Sarkar

Davis High School this year was getting two students who had never debated to UIL regionals in the Lincoln Douglas Debate.

teacher for six years, all at the high school level. The San Antonio native has always worked with English Language learners and his goal has been to get them to truly enjoy the English language. He is the

Mrs. Sarkar has been selected as teacher of the year for several rea-

sons. She shows kindness to students, colleagues, parents and those around her. She truly has a dynamic environment in the classroom and students feel welcomed, cared for and loved. Sarkar is a great teacher because

she seamlessly bridges the gaps and builds relationships, friendships and a community in her classroom. Mrs. Sarkar is also very creative; she takes a Science concept and shapes a lesson that is unique, engaging, and dynamic. Mrs. Sarkar

e st

of 20

Marisa B. Lopez was selected by her colleagues as Browning

Elementary’s Teacher of the Year. She is a proud graduate of the University of Houston-Downtown. Ms. Lopez joined the Browning Family in 2012 where she continues to teach math and science. She currently serves as the campus

Saturday, April 23, 2016 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Durham Elementary Campus 4803 Brinkman Street

Love Elementary

Kendra Berglund

International Festival

THE LEADER Readers' Choice

Davis High School ted coaches to help our scholars translate what they are learning in class into a competitive environment. They recently were named the District 5A Champs and are moving on to regionals.

Scarborough High School encourages students to be resilient by inspiring them to overcome their obstacles. Lastly, she is extremely knowledgeable of the Science content, and creates clear, attainable goals for the students, all while maintaining high standards.

Find more teachers on 6A

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The Topics. Saturday, April 16, 2016 • Page 4A

Son refuses my early retirement request M y wife and I own a couch, which is nice. We bought this couch to match the paint on the walls and the rug in our den – a concept apparently known as “normal” to people like my wife. (I’ve since learned comfort is no competitor to coordination, but let’s not digress.) As you might imagine, we bought this couch for first-world reasons. We like to sit on cushions when we watch 2-hour movies. Once upon a time, Meghan and I even used this couch to conduct semi-adult conversations about things like life, growth and the Zika virus. This couch is not what it used to be. It is a trampoline, a hiding place, a canvass for Crayons. More than two years ago – 31 months to be exact – I began writing a series of columns about our first born, Hank. Psychologists call these epistles “coping mechanisms.” I like to think they appeal to a segment of our loyal readership that either: 1) Knows the pains of which I speak, or; 2) Loves laughing at people like me because they have grown children and no longer face the tyranny of toddlers. Hank is not a tyrant – yet. He is simply a confused child in search of Oreos and mud. That doesn’t mean he’s a slow child by any stretch. It’s that his entire life has just two consistent variables: Sleep and play – in no particular order and neither,

Jonathan McElvy Publisher

necessarily, unto its own. Sleep. A number of months ago, it became apparent Hank wanted his sleeping habits to change. Even though his mother and I had illusions the lad might enjoy the safehaven of his crib for years to come (maybe until his wedding night), the thermal spy gear we installed in his room indicated otherwise. First he stood at the edge of his crib and talked to different objects in his room. He’d do this for an hour, content just to carry on conversations; one night he sang a drunkish version of Hickory, Dickory, Dock to his stuffed dog. Next, Hank realized he’d really like to grab some reading material off the shelf, so we watched the grainy monitor as he’d stand there and look lovingly across the room, attempting maneuvers that might launch him toward his stash of Little Golden Books. As you all know, the boy did discover his crib was only a faux prison. One night, Hank scored a paltry 8.3 on his dismount from

Hank has decided that his favorite toy is to launch himself into his dad, which has left dad pleading for retirement. Hank refused.

the railing, ending with a thud that simultaneously ejected mom and I from the coordinated couch. If he couldn’t stick his landing, we’d have to lower the balance beam. The next day, I came home from work and began the conversion

of our son’s crib into a bed. By 10 p.m., Hank crashed with mom and I cursed the Allen guy who created a wrench designed for mutants with dime-sized hands. Hank has not rested bottom on that converted bed since. For nearly six months, he has slept on the floor of his room, which is fine because that’s where he wanted to be all along anyway. What’s important is that he sleeps, because if he didn’t, I have no idea where he’d find the money to buy the amount of opiates he’d need to play at his current pace. With all the adoration a father can muster, our son is Rain Man with a smile. More than a year ago, Hank fell in love with cars – you know, the ones you step on in the middle of the night and curse all the way to the kitchen. I don’t know how many cars Hank owns because half of them are in the couch. What I do know is that I suffer from a disorder that seeks my son’s loyal affection. It doesn’t matter if we’re at a pharmacy or a grocery store. If there are cars on the toy aisle, I buy him one, and often a handful. My affliction of acceptance is mitigated by our son’s compulsiveness. The kid will spend literal minutes lining each of his cars across the coffee table, only to crash them all into the TV console, which sends coordinated mom into near hyperventilation.

What intrigues me so about my son’s play is how he can completely forget he has 327 cars in a basket and, within seconds, turn his diminutive attention to the 328 plastic animals I’ve purchased for him at the Nickel Store. (When you step on a hard, plastic Stegosaurus, it hurts much worse than Lightning McQueen.) But Hank’s favorite toy, it turns out, is me. That couch has become his trampoline, launching his 35pounds of furor into my arms with zero notice. He hides under its pillows proclaiming that he’s seen a bear in the hallway and asking me to hide with him. And he’s discovered a new game that requires me to bench-press him toward the sky and drop him to the nearest pillow. The other night, I pulled Hank aside and told him this fathering thing was a young man’s game. I even drafted retirement papers, right after my back recoiled into a block of steel. He refused my offer and told me I’m in it for the long haul. My wife and I are exhausted, which means we’ve done the only sane thing two consenting humans can do. We’ve ordered Hank a brother, due to be shipped in late summer. We’re gonna need a bigger couch. Email jonathan@mcelvymedia.com

The size of taxes are upon us The reader. THE DINING ROOM TABLE -- If I deduct line 34-J from the total of lines 3-R and the leftovers of Page 2-D, I think the federal government owes me an even $250,000. Oh, hi. I was just watching my wife do our 2015 federal income taxes, and seeing if I can pull one on the IRS like CBS and Xerox, and make the rest of you poor wage slaves pay my part. Don’t believe me? I’ll explain. First, let’s destroy the myth we hear over and over again from those talk-radio demagogues who say repeatedly. “Half of Americans don’t pay taxes.” Not true. Everyone pays taxes, but an estimated 45.3 percent of American households — roughly 77.5 million — will pay no federal individual income taxes. Big difference. (That number has fallen regularly from 50 percent reached during the peak of the financial bust in 2008.) Of that 45.3 percent, half of them don’t pay federal income taxes because they don’t have any taxable income. That makes sense. We’ve got millions of elderly Americans in nursing homes who haven’t earned a dime since Truman was President. How many homeless, unemployed, disabled? The other half of that 45.3 have loopholes, which means millions of Americans with incomes, even sizeable incomes, pay no federal income taxes, and it’s all perfectly legal. The rest of us pay the remaining taxes to run the federal government, but let’s destroy another myth. The U.S. government does not depend solely or even mostly on income taxes to pay its bills. (Remember that the State of Texas has absolutely no income tax. We run Texas on other funds, mostly sales and property taxes, Lotto, UT football tickets and what the DPS wrings out of you for going 85 in a school zone.) Actually, less than half (47 percent) of what Uncle Sam rakes in comes from our income taxes. Another 33 percent are payroll taxes used to fund Social Security, Medicare Hospital Insurance, and unemployment insurance. By law, employers and employees split the cost of payroll taxes, but research has shown that employers pass their portion of the cost on to workers in the form of lower wages. Take THAT, union goons. About 9 percent comes from estate taxes plus the feds’ cut on booze, tobacco, gasoline and anything else they can think of, and 11 percent comes from corporations. This brings us to the mom and pop businesses which need federal tax breaks to stay afloat, like GE, Boeing and Bank of America. If you paid one single dollar in federal income tax last year, you paid more than Verizon. FedEx and Citigroup. Actually, according to Citizens for Tax Justice (no doubt a commie bomb-throwing group),

Lynn Ashby Columnist

at least 15 Fortune 500 companies don’t pay any federal income taxes. In addition to those already mentioned, the list includes Interpublic Group, JetBlue Airways, Mattel, Owens Corning, PG&E, Pepco Holdings, Priceline.com, Prudential Financial, Qualcomm, Ryder System, Time Warner, Weyerhaeuser and Xerox. Of course, we must remember Mitt Romney’s famous quote, “Corporations are people, too, my friend.” And some wags’ reply: “I’ll believe corporations are people when Texas executes one.” These companies do pay taxes, just not federal income taxes, like you and I pay -- and pay and pay. One way these corporations avoid U.S, income taxes is to operate out of a post office box in the Cayman Islands, or just keep the money earned overseas over the seas. James Surowiecki, writing in the New Yorker, notes that “tax inversion” allows U.S. companies to merge with foreign firms, keep operating right here, but pay lower U.S. taxes. It’s a growing phenomenon. There was just one such deal in the 1980s, but there have been more than 50 in the last decade, most since 2009. Again, it’s all perfectly legal, if immoral. These corporations hire top-talented tax lawyers, CPAs, lobbyists and bartenders to explain to members of Congress why beekeepers or lighthouse managers or bullfighters need special tax breaks, and they get them. I’ll bet not one single word in the budget was actually written by a member of Congress. The budget currently being debated is more than 2,000 pages, spends $1.149 trillion which works out to nearly $572 million per page. Last year the revenue and spending were about $3.5 trillion and $4.0 trillion, respectively, leaving a deficit of $474 billion. As huge as that is, it is more than an 11 percent decrease from the previous budget’s deficit of $535 billion. Our children will thank us. Now let us discuss tax collectors, the most despicable creatures in society. Jesus thought so, in looking for apostles, or maybe disciples, I get them mixed up, he chose Matthew, a tax collector for the evil King Herod. Who better to change from despicable to good? Unfortunately, Saint Matthew, as he is now known, was martyred, but apparently not for being a tax collector. Today, we are facing a change in their ranks. After several false starts, the IRS is hiring for-profit debt collectors

to chase down deadbeat tax dodgers. The problem is for years the IRS has been warning us not to trust anyone claiming to be a federal tax collecting agent who wants your money. Last year, more than 5,000 victims fell for the scam, giving fake agents $27 million, so now who are we to trust? As for the IRS, Congressional Republicans, pandering to the deadbeats, have cut the agency’s tax enforcement budget by one-fifth since 2010, when adjusted for inflation. I, for one, wish we had more IRS tax collectors so the rest of us wouldn’t have to make up the losses of those tax dodgers. One study showed that for every one dollar spent on hiring an IRS tax collector, 32 dollars were brought in. Back here at the dining room table, maybe I can deduct the time I watch CBS. Ashby is dodging at ashby2@ cimcast.net

Email us your letters: news@theleadernews.com

Some Heights trivia

A deeper road problem that needs more than just bumps

Last week, J. Reynolds asked readers to identify the following: M.K. Bercaw, Paul Weber, G.E. Bustin, I.J. McCuller, C.R. Cornish, J.M. Robertson, John T. Cornish, G.E. Groff, P. Wicklund, J.H. Harmon, J.B. Patterson. The answer: These are just a few of the names we see throughout the Heights stamped in old sidewalks -- the contractors who laid them. J. Reynolds

Finally, some optimism at City Hall

Dear Editor: I concur that Mayor Turner is starting off in a positive manner and Houston is now a bright light. In the background, however, a full harvest of bad impressions are starting to bloom. The lawsuit resulting from the HISD Board of Education (now known as the Board of Revenge) changing the name of eight schools, will bring embarrassment to Houston. I see some of the headlines, Houston, still fighting the Civil War, Houston, short of education, long on racial divide and many more. Such words from the out of town editors who love to make Houston look foolish. Howard Moon

Dear Editor: What a well written article! It really hits home. Too many people are just bad drivers. They fail to adhere to basic laws. They’re on their cell phones. They’re eating. They’re trying to pick up something they dropped on the floor. They’re driving too slow. They’re driving too fast. And my personal favorite…they’re screaming at someone for drifting in to their lane and almost hitting them when in fact it is the screamer who is drifting all over the road! If more people had a little thing called common sense we might all agree on resolving this issue before we’re six feet under. Wendi H.

Reagan High School channels spirit of Queen for art car Dear Editor: I did Art Car in the mid-90’s and it is one of the coolest, fulfilling, and arduous endeavors. Time gets away from us all at times, how sweet is the coming around when your children get involved. Trevor King

the leader Puzzlers. Answers found in this week’s Classified section

SUDOKU

aCrOss 1. Engine additive 4. Soluble ribonucleic acid 8. Subdue 10. One long, three short 11. Morally bad 12. With collapsible shelter 13. Central church parts 15. Summer shoes 16. Intestinal 17. Transgressors 18. Meeting expectations 21. Clutch 22. Autonomic nervous system 23. What you can repeat immediately after perceiving it 24. Favorite summer sandwich 25. An accountant certified by the state 26. Cologne 27. Norma Jean Baker

34. Galaxies 35. Bluish greens 36. Detected 37. Having 3 dimensions 38. Made level 39. The destroyer (Hindu) 40. Uncovered 41. Ooze slowly 42. Aerie 43. Point midway between S and SE

dOwn 1. Having beautiful natural views 2. Fanafuti is the capital 3. Shrub used for hedges 4. Polishing tools 5. Slow down 6. Christmas carols 7. & & & 9. Sound of sheep or goat 10. A long flag, often tapering 12. Atomic #73 14. Schilling (abbr.) 15. Female sibling

17. Long sandwich 19. In a way, necessitated 20. Mayan people of SW Guatemala 23. Cleaned up 24. Prohibit 25. Upright cupboard 26. Cyclone center 27. Metric linear units 28. Young male 29. Securities market 30. City across from Dusseldorf 31. Animal disease 32. Mount of __ east of Jerusalem 33. Get free 34. Variable stars 36. One point N of NE

WORD SCRAMBLE

Saturday, April 16, 2016 • Page 5A Tree from P. 1A

Magnet from P. 1A and support it needs to serve the students it has, and attract new ones. “Magnet Schools are just that – they attract the best and most talented students and in turn encourage healthy competition between schools,” the letter states. The petition points out the differences between Love Elementary and neighboring school Harvard, which is not a magnet but an International Baccalaureate World School offering a Vanguard neighborhood program – which Love does offer. However, Harvard has 21% of students who are classified by HISD as economically disadvantaged, while Love Elementary has 89%. The letter notes too that Harvard has a more “balanced ethnic background,” including 41% Hispanic students, and 45% White students while Love’s school population includes 88% Hispanic, and 7% White. Lastly, petitioners note that the Love Elementary student population does not reflect the demographics of the zoned area, which includes 60% White residents and 31% Hispanic residents. Love supporters were disappointed that the school was denied magnet status when it recently submitted an application to HISD. They believe that “with the support from the other stakeholders such as zoned households and the community, we could make a stronger case to HISD to designate Love Elementary as a Magnet School.” Erdini said that supporters will meet with school trustee Anna Eastman this week. For her part, Eastman is seeking clarification from HISD’s magnet administration

department about the magnet process. “We had a whole application process,” she said. “I thought we were waiting to add new magnets.” Recently approved magnet schools in other districts include Stevens Elementary in The Leader area and Kashmere High School. In Eastman’s District I, Love Elementary, Field Elementary, Hogg Middle School, and Davis High School all seek magnet status. Eastman knows why area schools seek the coveted magnet status. “It helps seed a special and unique program to draw people in to a campus,” she said. Initially created to tackle the district’s integration problems, Eastman said that magnet schools have become a vital part of HISD’s culture, but should not exist at the expense of neighborhood schools. A report from the U.S. Department of Education called ‘Innovations in Education: Creating Successful Magnet School Programs’ talks about the gain in popularity of magnets in the 1970s for achieving voluntary desegregation in schools. It says that a more diverse student population is just the beginning of what magnets can accomplish because magnet schools are offspring, not just of ethnic equality, but also the quest for improved teaching and learning. “There should be a sunset phase for a magnet school,” Eastman said. “If a magnet has been successful attracting kids, or it isn’t successful attracting them, then the program should end so those resources can be reallocated.” There’s no magic number, but Eastman said that policy

ment. Urban Forester Jeremy Burkes confirmed that the department recently cut down three trees in Candlelight Park – a 30 inch Post Oak (aka the Climbing Tree), a 15 inch Post Oak and a smaller pecan tree. Burkes said an anonymous service request was sent in regarding the largest Post Oak. In addition, city crews who were tasked with trimming at the park had also registered their concerns. So the forestry department came out to take a look. “It was leaning and showing signs of decay,” said Burkes. “We thought it was a public hazard.” Early signs of decay were

Photo by Betsy Denson

The petition points out that the Love Elementary student population does not reflect the demographics of the zoned area which includes 60% white residents and 31% Hispanic residents.

dictates anything below a 20% transfer rate should be evaluated. She notes that the magnet program has ended, or is being phased out at West University Elementary, Roberts Elementary, and Mark Twain. She sees the trend starting at Harvard and Travis too. “At some point there will be tough decisions worth making,” she said. While she said that HISD should be making investments at every school, there needs to be investment from families and communities too. “Leader schools are not reflecting the demographics of their zoned population,” she said. “People are choosing private schools or schools outside their zone. There are a few schools that many consider ‘good.’” Eastman is also a realist. She knows that above all, parents want high academic outcomes for kids. “All parents, no matter their background are savvy consumers of school system,” she said. “You can spend as much money on a themed magnet as you want,

but the academics need to be there. The program is the lagniappe.” Love Principal Robert Chavarria said that no matter what, being the school of choice for the community and its residents is the goal. “The amount of interest in helping Love Elementary achieve this through the support of the community is extremely encouraging,” he said. “The school will work with the community and the district departments to help Love Elementary be the school the community and parents can be proud of. If Love Elementary is fortunate enough to receive the magnet designation, it would be exciting for the school, students, parents, and community.” The petition is at https:// www.change.org/p/houstonindependent-school-distictmagnet-for-love-elementary. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/ MagnetForLove/.

also found in the 15 inch tree. The smaller pecan tree was growing into the gutter of the nearby community center. “We didn’t know when we’d be able to get back,” said Burkes, by way of explanation of why they took all three trees down. He said that Post Oaks live for about 50 to 60 years, so the trees were at the end of their lifespan. Gone, but not forgotten, the Climbing Tree has been given a tombstone of sorts by area children who now scour the park for its replacement.

GOMO from P. 1A representative said this is not the case. In the “declaratory judgment action,” all the homeowners in the area were not named or served, which limits any ruling solely to the Changs and their lot. Another aspect of the case is that the Chang’s alleged that GOMO was not formed properly as the petition committee that circulated petitions to form the group did not adhere to a five year waiting period after their first attempt was unsuccessful, the representative said. According to a statement provided by GOMO, the group’s attorney said another part of the same statute cited by the Chang’s attorney also maintains that another petition committee may be formed following the expiration of the previous one. A representative with GOMO said the plans for the

house were initially denied because it had two two-car garages and, while the plans were changed to remove the violation, the garage was reintroduced after the home was completed. Due to the failure of reaching a settlement, the case was tried in January with a jury returning the verdict that the owners had violated the restriction and the violation was excused by abandonment of the restriction in question, and that the restriction in question had been waived, that GOMO’s exercise of authority to enforce the restriction in question was unreasonable,” according to a GOMO statement. The jury also awarded $80,000 in attorney’s fees to the Changs, however this award will ultimately be at the judge’s discretion.

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Dan Spencer Sinclair Elementary is proud to announce Dan Spencer as our teacher of the year. Dan is a third grade self-contained teacher. In addition to his

Sinclair Elementary

duties in the classroom, Dan serves as the third grade team leader, campus induction coach, and is a member of the shared decision making commit-

Julianne Colwell Sinclair Elementary is proud to share that Julianne Colwell has been selected as our first year teacher of the year. New to the profession of teach-

Cassie Lemoine

Paige Kiecke

Paige Kiecke has spent the past five and a half years facilitating the learning process for a diverse

community of students both inside and outside of Texas. After graduating from Texas Tech University in 2009, Ms. Kiecke taught fourth grade at Hunters Creek Elementary School in Spring Branch ISD. In 2011, she was selected by the Abu Dhabi Education Council to teach English

Durham Elementary is proud to present our music teacher, Leon Shirley, as the 2015-2016 Dur-

to local 5-year-old Emirati children. After completing her contract in 2013, she moved back to the U.S. and was hired to teach third grade in her hometown of Bellville, Texas. Ms. Kiecke is currently a Kindergarten teacher at the Arabic Immersion Magnet School and teaches Kindergarten

risk-takers. During each of the campus programs students are able to perform either in groups or individually. Some of these performances are even choreographed by the students themselves. Durham believes that the best teachers find a way to expand their impact

Linda Vera

Ms. Vera graduated from the University of Houston Main Campus in 2001 with a double major in Busi-

Third grader teacher

Ms. Jerrols is in her 4th year of teaching and her second year of teaching at Helms. She brings a great deal of energy and enthusiasm to her teaching every day. She loves to share good books

with her kids. She also contributes greatly to the school community through serving on the PTA Board, coaching UIL teams, helping with programs, or anything else that needs to be done

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patient, fair but firm and a lover of learning. Mrs. Lemoine is well-deserving of this award.

Now Registering for Fall Classes For 3 & 4 year olds Tues, Wed & Thurs. 9:00 am – 1:00 pm • Christian environment School begins after Labor Day • Developmentally appropriate curriculum For information call • Music & Spanish 713-686-8241 or visit us at • Field Trips & special activities www.stsumc.org • Dance & Gymnastics classes (Ministry of St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church)

Language Arts and Social Studies. Ms. Kiecke provides an environment at AIMS that is safe, fun, supports risk-taking, and invites sharing of ideas so that students can meet their fullest potential. She prepares engaging lessons by using manipulatives, group work, and technol-

ogy that foster the active participation of all learners. Ms. Kiecke’s classroom is a perfect mix of structure and freedom. Her students are able to work cooperatively, move around the classroom, and have fun while completing the given task at hand.

to reach outside the four walls of the classroom; Mr. Shirley has done just that! Mr. Shirley has not only brought the joy of music to students during their music course, but during the morning song time as well. From 7:458:00 each day, Mr. Shirley can be found leading the

entire campus in song and dance. These songs are sung to learn about counties, practice multiplication facts, and most importantly, ensure each of our children begin the day with a joy and love for learning.

and started as a teaching assistant at Garden Oaks Elementary. “I am deeply honored, especially since it is only my second year at Harvard Elementary,” said Escalante. “I have felt welcomed and appreciated

here since day one. The teacher of the year honor really made me reflect on my teaching career and appreciate where I have come from and where I am now.”

Wainwright Elementary

much she had received and it made her see herself in those students. She registered in HISD’s Alternative Certification Program in 2001 and obtained her Texas Teaching Certificate in 2002. Through the years she has had the opportunity to teach Pre-K, Kindergarten, Second Grade and

Janechia Jerrols

DAVID H. FROST, REALTOR frostyhill@aol.com 713-446-9040

Harvard Elementary

pectations for all students, be a learner and model the characteristics of being an IB Learner. Escalante, who graduated from Texas State University previously taught elementary school at School at St. George Place

ness Administration and Marketing and a minor in Latin American Studies. It was then that a principal who knew her through volunteering at her school asked her if she would ever consider teaching. As Vera thought about her school years, family and the community she realized how

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Jennifer Escalante Ms. Escalante is a 1st grade teacher. She was selected by her colleagues as Teacher of the Year due to her dedication and passion for all students. In order to be selected teachers demonstrate as having high ex-

call her family two years ago, and her peers immediately recognized her as the star that she is. She exemplifies daily what a teacher should be. She is

• • • •

Arabic Immersion Magnet School

Leon Shirley ham Elementary Teacher of the Year. Although this is Mr. Shirley’s first year at Durham, he has served as a music director and educator for the past 18 years. Throughout his first year at Durham, Leon has built a music program with a focus on supporting kids to be

of teaching and learning. She uses a variety of techniques in her classroom in order to support the needs of her students.

Oak Forest Elementary

and creativity. Ms. Lemoine graduated Cum Laude from Texas State University and began her teaching career in Cy-Fair ISD. Oak Forest was fortunate enough to

LEADERS

“Fun Fridays” where he celebrates the diligent work of his students.

Sinclair Elementary

ing, Julianne exemplifies the characteristics of an excellent educator. Ms. Colwell is a third grade self-contained teacher, and she has embraces the joys

Cassie Lemoine is Oak Forest Elementary’s Teacher of the Year. Her gift with second graders shines daily, and her students are a reflection of her dedication

tee. Mr. Spencer has an incredible commitment to the students in his classroom, supporting them to reach their potential. He’s famous on campus for his

Educational

Third Grade with great success and is currently teaching 3rd grade at Wainwright Elementary. Vera has also had the opportunity to form part of several school committees such as the Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC), School Decision Making Committee (SDMC)

and Schools of Excellence Grant writing Committee. “All in all I believe in making my lessons culturally appealing, nurturing my student’s vision of their future and confidence and teaching the whole individual,” said Vera. I have found my true calling.”

Helms Elementary around the school. Her peers have selected her as the Teacher of the Year for the second year in a row.

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Saturday, April 16, 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ Page 7A

The calendar. BREAKFAST CONNECTION GHACC Come network with fellow chamber members, share business concepts, hear about a new business concept, and build on those new relationships while enjoying a hot breakfast. The guest speaker will be Council Member Michael Kubosh, At Large Position #3. The breakfast will be 6:45-8:30 a.m. April 14, at the Sheraton Houston Brookhollow Hotel, 3000 North Loop West. The cost for members is $20, and non-members are $25. Please register online. Information: 713861-6735, heightschamber.com. STEAK NIGHT American Legion Post 560 Come by the American Legion Post 560, 3720 Alba Rd., for a delicious steak dinner April 15. Steaks will be served from 6 p.m. until sold out. The cost is $15 per plate. Information: 713-6829287, americanlegionpost560. org. SPRING FLING AND SOCIAL Sunset Heights Civic Club Come out and meet neighbors and talk to law enforcement. Bring the whole family for cupcake walk, games, bake-off, raffle and homemade ice cream. The event will be from 2-5 p.m. April 16, at Sojourn Church, 608

Aurora St. All proceeds support the Sunset Heights Civic Club. Information: bob.gaspard@gmail. com. SUICIDE PREVENTION WALK American Foundation for Suicide Prevention The University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering and the Southeast Texas Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) have partnered to sponsor the University of Houston Out of the Darkness Campus Walk. The seventh annual campus walk will be from 8 a.m.-noon, April 16, at Lynn Eusan Park. Information: afsp.org/chapter/afsp-southeasttexas/, 713-204-6342. APRIL EVENTS The Health Museum Mindfulness Classes for children ages 6-8 and one parent will be on Sundays through May 22, 1-2 p.m.; children ages 9-11 and one parent will be on Sundays from 2:30-3:30 p.m. through May 22. Register online. Mindfulness classes to cultivate positive emotions will be held Wednesdays from 7-8 p.m. through May 11. Free Family Thursdays: Go Green is from 2-7 p.m. Thursdays April 21 and 28. This series will concentrate on living Earth-healthy. Boy Scout Merit Badge Classes

From the Pews.

New worship leader at Garden Oaks Baptist In December 2015, Mark Frusha became the Worship Leader for Garden Oaks Baptist Church, located at 3206 N. Shepherd Dr. Having served as Minister of Music for churches in Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas for more than 30 years, Frusha came to GOBC from an Audio Video Installation Company. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Applied Voice from Louisiana Tech University and attended graduate school for Church Music at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. The Music Ministry of Garden Oaks seeks to meet the needs of members and guests by leading traditional hymns and contemporary worship songs. For more information about joining the Music and Worship at Garden Oaks Baptist Church, call 713-864-4447. Voice of the Martyrs six-week series at Hope Episcopal Hope Episcopal Church, 1613 W. 43rd St., will hold a six-week discussion series beginning Wednesday nights on Christians facing Islam extremists around the world. The following six weeks will focus on different sections of the material produced by Voice of the Martyrs and other missions organizations. All are welcome to attend at 6 p.m. Wednesdays for dinner followed by Christian Formation. Call 713-681-6422 or visit hope-episcopal.org for information. Oaks Presbyterian holds Fun4Seniors trip Join The Harris County Precinct 4 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fun4Seniorsâ&#x20AC;? bus trip to Shakespeare in the Shade Festival and watch a comedy play, Much Ado About Nothing, in Burroughs Park, Tom-

ball, April 16. Food trucks will be there too. Departs from Oaks Presbyterian parking lot at 5 p.m. Call 281-893-3726 for required reservations. The church youth group named #OAKZ will host an indoor lemonade stand for Houstonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Annual Lemonade Day. All proceeds from sales of their special homemade lemonade will benefit the churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s animal-assisted outreach project, the BAK-PAK Reading Program. The extraordinary BAK-PAK (Books and Kids-Power and Knowledge) reading program uses therapy dogs to help students not only improve reading skills and literacy but also to boost studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; self-esteem. Oaks Presbyterian Church is located at 1576 Chantilly Ln. For information, visit www. oakspresbyterian.org or call 713-682-2556. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Value of a Soulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; presentation at Lazybrook Baptist There will be a free presentation of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Value of a Soulâ&#x20AC;? at Lazybook Baptist Church, 1822 W. 18th St., at 5 p.m., April 17. The film by The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association tells the story of three individuals searching for true worth as their worlds crumble. It follows their unexpected journeys as Franklin Graham address the real value of the soul. For information call 713864-1470. Hope Mission Group meets at St. Stephenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The Hope Mission Group welcomes women of all ages to the monthly meeting on April 20, at 9:30 a.m. in Room 112. The guest speaker will be Angela Harden of Spaulding for Kids, a non-profit organization that helps find adoptive families for children in need. Registration is now open for the 2016 Bill Hardwick Memorial Golf Classic, to be held

will be held 9 a.m.-5 p.m. April 16, 23 and 30 and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. April 24. The Health Museum is located at 1515 Hermann Dr. Information: www.thehealthmuseum.org, 713-521-1515.

community yard sale from 8 a.m.-noon, April 30, at Sinclair Elementary, 6410 Grovewood. Popcorn and bottled water will be available for $1 each. Donate items on Fridays through April 22, between 7:30-8:30 a.m. at the Grovewood Teacher parking lot. Those who would like to bring their own table(s) and items for sale may reserve a spot for $25. Information: 713-885-3898, 713304-3266.

FISH FRY American Legion Post 560 The Ladies Auxiliary Unit 560, 3720 Alba Rd., will host their monthly Fish Fry and live entertainment from 6 p.m. til sold out April 22. The cost is $8 per plate. Information: 713-682-9287, americanlegionpost560.org.

TEAM UP TO CLEAN UP Woodland Park The Friends of Woodland Park, troops from the Girls Scouts of America and Bridgestone Americas (parent company of Firestone Complete Auto Care) are teaming up to clean up Woodland Park, from 7 a.m.-noon April 24. Volunteers are needed to help pull out tires, remove trash and debris from Little White Oak Bayou and the park. The Friends of Woodland Park are providing all the refreshments, snacks and supplies. Woodland Park is located at 212 Parkview St. Information: friendsofwoodlandpark.org.

MONTHLY HAPPY HOUR Heights Young Professionals Meet, network, socialize and make direct connections with area professionals. This monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s event will be hosted by Karbach Brewing Co., who will be providing complimentary appetizers and happy hour drink pricing. The first 100 pre-registered people to check in will receive a complimentary pint glass. The cost is $10 for non-members before April 22, $15 before noon April 28, and $20 at the door. Information: info@heightschamber.com, heightschamber.com, 713-8616735.

TRINITY CONCERT SERIES Trinity Lutheran Church Trinity Concert Series presents the dedicatory recital for the newly expanded and renovated 50-rank Holtkamp/Reuter pipe

COMMUNITY YARD SALE Sinclair PTA The Sinclair PTA will hold their

May 7, from 8 a.m. to noon at Jersey Meadow Golf Course, 8502 Rio Grande Dr., in Jersey Village. Entry fees are $125 per golfer ($75 per golfer age 72 and older), and includes lunch and awards. Registration forms are available at www. stsumc.org and through the church office. St. Stephenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s United Methodist Church is located at 2003 W. 43rd St. For information, call 713-686-8241 or visit www.stsumc.org and the churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Facebook page.

tions. For information, call 713301-8559 or visit www.thecommunityoffaith.org. St. Ambrose to hold annual bazaar St. Ambrose Catholic Church, 4213 Mangum, will hold their annual bazaar from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. April 24. The Telstars will perform. The show will start at 3 p.m. Bring the family for food, fun and entertainment. The theme for this year is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Never Underestimate the Power of Faith.â&#x20AC;? The bazaar committee is looking for sponsorships. For information, call 281-851-6324 or 713-443-9254. Call 713-686-3497 or visit stambrosehouston.org for inAd # 36774 formation.

Trinity Concert Series at Trinity Lutheran Trinity Concert Series presents the dedicatory recital for the newly expanded and renovated 50-rank Holtkamp/ Reuter pipe organ featuring Ken Cowan, associate professor and head of the organ program at Rice Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Shepherd School of Music. The free concert will be held at 2:30 p.m. April 24, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 800 Houston Ave. A freewill offering is appreciated. Call 713-224-0684 or visit www.trinitydt.org for information.

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Compassion in Action hosted by Community of Faith Compassion in Action is a free monthly event hosted the Community Of Faith Church, located at 1024 Pinemont Dr. Each fourth Sunday of the month, church volunteers after the 11 a.m. church service caravan in their vehicles to a designated community in northwest Houston to provide resources, information and opportunities. This month, April 24, the church volunteers will be at Sylvester Turner Park, 2800 W. Little York, from 2-4 p.m. Church volunteers will serve Sunday dinner to everyone. Compassion in Action accepts donations of non-perishable food and monetary enumera-

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Hear The Gospel - Mark 16:15; Roman 10: 14-17 Believe The Gospel - John 8:24; Hebrews 11:6 Repent - Luke 17:3-5; Acts 17:30 Confess - Mathew 10:32; Romans 10:9-10 Be Baptized - Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Col 2:11-13 Live Faithfully Till Death - John 8:31; Revelation 2:10; Hebrew 10:23 The Norhill Church of Christ is a non-denominational church located in the near north side of Houston in the inner loop 77009 area. It has operated as a church of Christ since 1927, it is located at 634 West Cottage on the corner of West Cottage and Reagan streets. The Norhill Church of Christ teaches only the Bible, without reference to any man-originated creed. Bible study services for all ages are held at 9:30am Sunday mornings. Sunday morning Worship begins at 10:15am. Sunday evening worship is at 5:00pm Wednesday evening worship and Bible study is held at 7:30pm. Norhill welcomes everyone to attend worship or Bible study to learn more about the truth of the Bible.

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held at 10 a.m., May 2, in the community room at 1520 Candlelight Ln. The special guest is The Sunshine Band. The meeting is open to anyone 50 or older, and will be preceded by a meet-and-greet at 9:30 a.m. There will be no meetings for June through August. Next meeting will be Sept. 12. Information: 713-681-1133.

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laser is a device that focuses a beam of intense light that can reshape or remove tissue. Lasers have been used in the practice of dentistry for over 20 years, and can provide exceptional results for many dental procedures. The use of a laser has a number of benefits compared to traditional dental therapies. Procedures can be performed with incredible precision, oftentimes using minimal local anesthesia and having hastened healing times. Types of dental treatments lasers can be used in include: periodontal treatments to destroy disease causing bacteria, treatment of infections during root canal procedures, biopsies of suspicious areas for cancer screenings, alleviation of discomfort associated with canker sores or cold sores, and recontouring of the gingiva for esthetics in patients with a â&#x20AC;&#x153;gummy smile.â&#x20AC;? Your dentist can determine if a laser treatment may benefit you to provide the best results for your smile. Prepared as a public service to promote better dental health. From the office of: Chase Baker, D.D.S., 3515 Ella Blvd., 713-682-4406.

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organ featuring Ken Cowan, associate professor and head of the organ program at Rice Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Shepherd School of Music. The free concert will be held at 2:30 p.m. April 24, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 800 Houston Ave. A freewill offering is appreciated. Information: 713-224-0684, www.trinitydt.org.

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any in this country have been blessed with incredible wealth. And although we may not feel â&#x20AC;&#x153;richâ&#x20AC;? if we compare ourselves to millionaires (or billionaires!), despite an ever growing disparity between rich and poor, even the poorest of the poor in our country live better than most of the poor living in third world countries. Worldwide, there are over a billion people who survive on less than a dollar a day, and over two billion people (a third of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population) who subsist on less than two dollars a day. When Jesus advised the rich young man, who wished to be saved, to sell everything he had, give the money to the poor, and then follow Him, he told the young man that his treasure would then be in heaven. This is a wonderful lesson on wealth, because it suggests that in using our wealth to help others, and in being detached enough from our wealth that we could give it all away, we are gaining a spiritual treasure far more valuable than our money or physical possessions. A wealthy person who uses his money wisely to help others is spiritually superior to a poor person who covets wealth and dreams of nothing but being rich. Since none of us will live forever, and we will eventually give it all away, why not start using our wealth to help others while we are still alive and can see the benefits or our generosity? You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me. - R.S.V. Mark 10:21

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Page 8A • Saturday, April 16, 2016

Neighbors: Fullers celebrate 64 years of marriage By Elizabeth Villarreal elizasgarden@outlook.com

look forward to the blooms each year.”

Happy anniversary to Harold and J’net Fuller who celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary on April 5. The Fullers, residents of Candlelight Estates, have raised five children: Diana Evans, Louis Fuller, Peggy Ruffin, Laura Utley and Jana Froehlich. They have 14 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. They celebrated their anniversary by having dinner at The Barbecue Inn with their longtime friends, Tom and Joyce Roberts.

Shepherd Forest neighbor Ed Villegas reports, “White Oak Music Hall will be opening soon, just a bicycle ride away from Shepherd Forest. Amazing stuff!”

Larry and Melissa Carollo are proud to announce their son, Tyler Carollo, Waltrip Alumni 2010, recently became engaged to Jessica Pratt. They met while attending Texas Lutheran University and both are 2015 graduates. Tyler is currently a roof inspector for Bow Tie Roofing Systems

Harold and J’net Fuller on their wedding day in 1952 (left) and the Fullers today (right).

in New Braunfels and Jessica is a 7th grade math teacher for New Braunfels ISD. They will be married in Burnet, Texas in December 2016. Neighbors send a shout of appreciation to Mr. and Mrs. Moseley at the corner of Gardenia and Rosslyn in Oak Forest. Their beautiful row of Apple Blossom Amaryllis along the curb have been in full bloom lately, charming the neighborhood, as happens

each spring. Neighbor Lydia Abnet of Shepherd Forest said: “I don’t know who owns that home, the one on the corner of Gardenia and Rosslyn, but it represents true Oak Forest to me! I love seeing those beauties bloom each time. We enjoy it every time but today I took a picture. I want to frame it for my kids.” The Moseleys’ mailman stopped as I was taking pictures and remarked, “Seeing those flowers makes my day better every day. I

Dear Smelly dog, Anyone who lives with a dog knows that they don’t always smell their best. While it can be bothersome to humans, the scent doesn’t bother your dog in the least. In fact, while dogs may smell the same to us, they don’t smell the same to each other. They also produce oil, an important part of healthy skin and hair, which has its own scent marker. Along with the glands in their ears, which produce a light yeasty smell, these are all normal body odors that can be kept to a pleasant minimum with normal, regular bathing and grooming. It sounds like you’re diligent about bathing your dog but, unfortunately, some breeds are just naturally smellier than others. Some of these breeds include labrador retrievers, basset hounds, cocker spaniels and Corgis. These breeds have more active sebaceous glands (the oil producers) than others, making their skin and coats more oily and, thus, smelly. Those dogs with a thick undercoat also tend to hold onto odor more readily. Vets recommend several things to help kick your dog’s aroma to the curb. In addi-

Everyone has that neighbor who is a little too comfortable coming to your home, uninvited, day or night. For a number of residents of the Heights, Timbergrove, and Lazy Brook, it’s a common occurrence. In those cases, however, the meddlesome locals are marsupials, or pouched mammals, called opossums. “Yesterday morning I was facebooking and using the An uninvited baby opossum made its way into Timbergrove resirestroom, when a baby opos- dent John Nova Lomax’s restroom. sum ran across my foot right “We had one that was such same animals existed when there in the bathroom,” said a regular fixture, we named dinosaurs roamed Texas. In Timbergrove resident, John her, ‘Stinkerbell.’” Estopinal addition, opossums are noNova Lomax. “It really scared said. madic, and wonder mostly at me. I thought I was having an What are these creatures, night eating rats, roaches, rotElvis death moment.” and what exactly are they ting fruit, garbage, and dead Lomax owns a home near called? The commonly used animals. In Texas, they also White Oak Bayou. He and his term “possum” applies to hunt snakes and have a natufamily, which includes several a similar marsupial native ral immunity to the venom of cats, have been dealing with to Australia. “Opossum” re- rattlesnakes, cottonmouths opossums for years. In the ferrers the species living in and copperheads. case of the surprise bathroom North America. Opossums Notably, opossums present visitor, a window in the living are identified by their whitish- no danger to humans or pets. room was opened the night gray coats, black ears, hairless Unlike raccoons, their blood before to usher in the spring tails and long, pointy noses, is too cool to host the rabies air. Apparently, it let in more causing many people to mis- virus. When threatened, an than the breeze. take them for large rats - very opossum will hiss and growl, Lazy Brook resident Jen- large rats. Opossums average exposing pointy teeth, but nifer Estopinal and her family about two and a half feet in it’s a bluff. If the threat peralso host furry house guests length, and can weigh up to sists, the animal will pull its from time to time. Estopinal 13 pounds. famous fainting act and “play has cats too, and often finds The truth is, these are very dead.” It will lose consciousopossums eating food from desirable neighbors to have. ness, stiffen up, and excrete a the cats’ bowl in the backyard. They are so in tune with our foul-smelling foam around the Occasionally, one of their visi- natural environment that they mouth. The ploy often works. tors sits outside the backdoor have remained plentiful for an Heights resident Julia Kathand simply stares though the estimated 70 million years; the ryn Long is the founder of the glass backdoor.

The Obituaries.

Do you have a question for Tabby? If so, email her at: dear tabbyquestions.

Darrell Louis Nunley, 82, born Oct. 15, 1933 in Logansport, La., died March 28. During the Korean war, they were stationed in Verdun, France from 1954 to 1956. They returned to Houston where they started a family and he began his career with CSX Railway Systems. He retired at 59 due to health issues after 34 years as Director of Sales. He birthed and was the Pastor Emeritus of Healing Waters Fellowship in the Heights. Nunley is survived by his loving wife, Wanda Lee Nunley, his adoring three children, their spouses, thirteen grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren. He will also be missed by his surviving brother, Rev. Lee

The Leader will be publishing a Custom Homebuilders Section in the April 30th edition. Reach your target audience at their home with over 34,000 in circulation. The section will include articles on home building, home decorating, curb appeal and home trends in our area. To advertise contact your sales rep

713.686.8494

Well done, Waltrip Ram Band! Waltrip’s top two concert groups competed in the Region 23 UIL Concert/SightReading Band Contest last week. This is the state-spon-

By Kim Hogstrom For The Leader

tion to feeding your dog the most high-quality, all natural food that your budget allows, vets also suggest keeping your dog clean from the inside out. Giving your pets barley grass, wheat grass, or chlorophyll can remove toxins from the body that can lead to bad smells, Dr. Joanne Stefanatos, D.V.M., a holistic veterinarian recommends. “Each of these will cleanse the gastrointestinal system and help eliminate body odor,” Dr. Stefanatos adds. For pets under 10 pounds, she recommends giving one-eighth teaspoon of one of these remedies twice a day. Those weighing 10 to 24 pounds can have one-quarter teaspoon, pets 25-50 pounds can take one-half teaspoon and larger pets can take a full teaspoon–all doses given twice a day. The remedies are available in health food stores and can be mixed in your pet’s food. Additionally, a quick wipe down with a baby wipe in between baths helps, as does keeping your pup’s ears, feet and teeth clean. If all else fails, remember that you’ve vowed to love your canine companion for better or worse--when stinky and when fragrant--and chances are, she thinks you smell bad sometimes too! Friends For Life SundayFunday Calling all Bloody Mary-loving, no-kill, animal-supporting, brunch-adoring Houstonians... get ready for Houstonia Magazine’s Sunday Bloody SundayA Boozy Brunch! At Sunday Bloody Sunday (1201 Fannin Street) from 11am-2pm on Sunday, April 24, you can enjoy unlimited brunch bites, a mimosa bar, live music, a raffle supporting your furry friends at Friends For Life and a Bloody Mary competition! Go to www. friends4life.org for more info.

Welcome to the world little Cole Clayton! Heather and Kevin Clayton welcomed their precious son on March 30. Proud grandmother is Lisa Klohn Curtis.

rior Ratings in both their stage performance and sight-reading. This is the first time ever that our 2nd group has earned these highest marks. We are so very proud of these accomplishments and appreciate the hard work, dedication and talent our students display on a daily basis. They are absolutely amazing and best in our district! With all due respect to our District’s appraisal system, this is the true evaluation of what is going on in our band hall and how well our directors are teaching and working with our student musicians. I am very privileged to work with such a competent, professional and talented team of music educators. We appreciate all of your continued cooperation and support for what we do here at Waltrip High School. Go Ram Band!”

Heights-area nose-y neighbors

Living with a smelly dog

Dear Tabby, Even though we bathe our dog often, she still smells. What can we do to keep her smelling fresh as a daisy? Smelly dog in Shepherd Park Plaza

Happy, happy, happy birthday to the Orsak triplets: Amanda, Brooke and Cole. The trio celebrated their 13th birthday on Mar. 29. Look out world, heeeeeeere they come!

sored evaluation for music programs. Director of Bands Jesse Espinosa said, “It is my pleasure and honor to say our Ram Band student musicians are among the best in the state of Texas earning the highest ratings. The Waltrip High School Wind Ensemble (Varsity Band) won the Sweepstakes Award Trophy for earning straight 1’s, Superior Ratings on stage and in sight-reading. These ratings from the varsity group earned the band the Special “A” Award Trophy because they received 1st Division – Superior Ratings at all of the UIL Region Band Contests in Marching, Concert and Sight-Reading. We are the ONLY Houston ISD Band program to earn this distinction this 2015-2016 school year. In addition, the Waltrip High School Symphonic Band (NonVarsity), under the direction of Assistant Band Directors Ms. Jones and Mr. Loredo, earned a 1st Division – Supe-

THE LEADER.

Gaines Nunley, and his three sisters, Mavis Reel, Meda Holmes and Etoil Langford. Memorial contributions may be made to The Missions Program c/o Glad Tidings Assembly of God Church.

Carol J. Palazzo (Cambiano), born May 5, 1949 in

Galveston, died April 8. Palazzo was employed by American National Insurance prior to moving to Houston. She was a member of St. Ambrose Catholic Church. She is survived by her children Anthony Palazzo and Lisa Wilson, and five grandchildren.

William Douglas Roark,

80, born June 17, 1935 in Little Rock, Ark., died April 8. Roark is survived by his children Steven

Roark, Sharon Thompson and Brenda Weaver, sister Marilynn Morris, six grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.

Charlotte Ann Shemel,

82, born Aug. 24, 1933, died April 5. Shemel worked at Gamble Skogmo, Dick Johnson Chevrolet, Diehl Realty, and Shemel’s Carpet and Interiors. She was a member of the American Legion, Eagles, and Branch County Realtor’s Association. She is survived by her brother Clifford Sherman, sister Sonja Marsh, daughters Patricia Montenegro, Janet Hanselman and Barbara Mosher Hantz, sons Donald Shemel, Douglas Shemel, six grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

“Love, Molly Fund,” a local pet rescue group, and often cares for homeless dogs. “Once, we had an opossum ‘play dead’ in the backyard after the dogs caught it,” Long explained. “It took an hour before I realized that he might be faking. Sure enough, he was emitting an odor that resembled death. The dogs suddenly lost interest. That should have tipped me off.” The one element our friends with marsupial have in common, is pet food. If you want to prevent unwanted opossums in your yard, do not leave food of any sort outside. And what happened to the baby in the Lomax’s bathroom? “When I finally recovered from the shock, I picked the little guy up by the tail and put him in the bathtub,” Lomax said. “Then I fed him a cherry tomato, and placed a paper bag in the tub. He crawled in and went to sleep.” That afternoon, when Lomax’s 11-year-old daughter returned from school, the family did what has become routine – they took the critter to the Wildlife Center of Texas on Katy Road which rehabilitates orphaned wildlife. The agency will return him to the wild when he is old enough. In the meantime, we’re pretty sure the Lomax family will not be leaving any more widows open.

Shirley Anne Berwick Townsend, 88, born Nov.

30, 1927, died April 4. She is survived by her children, Rebecca T. Skeen and Mark E. Townsend, and two grandchildren.

Virginia Rohrer Young,

100, born Jan. 12, 1916, died April 6. Young was a graduate of John H. Reagan High School and Texas Women’s University in Denton, Texas. She served as President of the Red Coats. Young was an HISD school teacher for more than 40 years. She is survived by her children Virginia “Ginny” Rohrer Roberts, and William Arrell Young, six grandchildren, and 12 greatgrandchildren.

Saturday, April 16, 2016 • Page 9A

Teachers from P. 6A

Kaitlin Wood Ms. Wood is a first year teacher at Wainwright Elementary where she teaches fifth grade Math and Social Studies. After graduating from the University of Texas, she

moved back to the Houston area that she considers home. Coming from a long line of teachers, Wood chose to follow in their footsteps because she am passionate about

Sarah Gonzales

A native Houstonian, Ms. Gonzales graduated from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications. Following an 11year public relations career in the high-tech industry, Ms. Gonzales

started her teaching career at Travis in the science lab and spent two years there before moving to fourth grade. After two years teaching math and science to fourth graders, she was offered an opportunity to join the NASA Education Department, an opportunity she couldn’t pass up. She coordinated the Reduced Gravity Education Flight Program and brought college students to Johnson Space Center to fly their research ex-

periments on the “Vomit Comet.” Missing her students, Ms. Gonzales returned to Travis in 2014 and currently serves as a 4th grade math and science teacher, the grade level chair, and as cosponsor of the Travis Robotics team. She keeps an intense focus on improving herself through high-quality professional development. “Ms. Gonzales blends her rich and varied experiences with her love for professional growth

Lilliana Hernandez Ms. Lilliana Hernandez is Field Elementary School’s Teacher of the year. She has been a teacher for five years and has her counseling credentials. This year she teaches language arts

to regular and bilingual third graders. For the last three years she has been rated as a highly effective teacher by the district and the school. She is very dedicated to her students as evidenced by her

Amanda Tee, Sara Harlan, Susannah Drumm

Amanda Tee is a firstyear lower elementary teacher at Garden Oaks Montessori Magnet. She received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education at Concordia University Chicago, and she is currently finishing her Montessori certification through the Houston Montessori Center.

Before joining the Garden Oaks team, Ms. Tee spent two years as an assistant in a lower elementary classroom at another Montessori school in Houston. She is passionate about cultivating a learning environment where each child feels empowered to reach their full academic potential and embrace their role as a vital member of the community. Sara Harlan has been a Pre-K and Kindergarten teacher for the past 17 years. She recently

came to HISD two years ago. She is a certified Montessori and Early Childhood teacher. Ms. Harlan loves children. She enjoys coming to work every day to work with little ones and help them build a strong foundation for learning. Susannah Drumm has been in the education field for eighteen years, primarily in Montessori education. She is credentialed through the American Montessori Society to teach Early Childhood, Elementary

Wainwright Elementary

Troy S. Gonzales

working with children and she believes in the importance of a solid education for every student. “Someday, I hope to be bilingual and teaching in multiple languages,” said Wood.

Clifton’s Teacher of the Year is Troy S. Gonzales. A graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with an English degree and later a Master’s degree in Secondary

Travis Elementary and teaching to create a dynamic classroom learning environment for her students,” Travis Principal Tom Day said. “We were very blessed when she came back to us from NASA. She has proven to be a steady campus leader who is never afraid to take on new or extra roles to the great benefit of our students, teachers, and the greater Travis community.”

Veronica Haynes-Smith was voted by her colleagues as McKinley C. Williams Middle School’s

Ms. Walley said it is hard for her to pinpoint the exact moment she realized she wanted to

Growing up, Smith said she always knew that she wanted to be a teacher. “I had the amazing opportunity to live

overseas for the majority of my K-12 education and knew that teaching at an IB school that values the importance of a global mindset was the perfect fit for me,” she said. Smith attended Texas A&M University where she majored in History with a minor in English, and took several classes in education. She

Mrs. Menchaca grew up in the Houston area and is proud to be a Houstonian. She attended Texas A&M University where she received a BS in Education. This is her 3rd year teach-

that all schools should be for their teachers and students alike. Walley is the National Junior Honor Society and 6th grade lead, and Chair of the Literacy Committee. She said she is honored for the recognition.

Hogg Middle School

began as an hourly lecturer at Hogg last year and was lucky enough to be offered a full time teaching position for 6th Grade World Cultures for the 2015-2016 school year. “I love being able to bring my real life experiences into the classroom to help students connect with what they are learning,” said Smith. “I

Sarah Menchaca

and solidify new knowledge and skills. Excitement is felt in her class, and the enthusiasm for learning cannot be contained. She exemplifies the characteristics of an outstanding teacher.

Hogg Middle School

other things I dreamt of being in my adolescence they almost seem preposterous: teaching was so obviously inevitable. I have my dream job.” She teaches sixth grade and says that the school is the engaging, challenging, exciting home away from home

Britney Smith

Garden Oaks Montessori I, and Elementary II. She has obtained her Master’s Degree in Elementary Education. She currently is a teacher in the upper elementary program at Garden Oaks Montessori School. The Garden Oaks teachers have chosen Ms. Drumm as teacher of the year due to her dedication to obtain high standards in her classroom and her professionalism to assist other teachers.

be a teacher. “I feel like the passion I have for this job has been growing inside me since I first fell in love with books,” she said. “School was a joyful, exciting place for me growing up and a love of learning was instilled in me by my family. When I think back on what

also is the Head Boys’ Soccer coach. Mr. Gonzales was selected based on his hard work, passion, and dedication to the students at Clifton Middle School.

Williams Middle School

resources in ways that move students. HaynesSmith skillfully builds upon what she already knows so that students are consistently challenged and deeply engaged. Students in her class participate in a variety of learning experiences to find meaning

Taryn Walley

Field Elementary after school and Saturday tutorials. Her students like her because they know she cares for them. Hernandez is always willing go the extra mile to help all stakeholders at the school.

Education along with Educational Technology from Texas State University-San Marcos, Mr. Gonzales teaches sixth grade technology, is the Yearbook sponsor, and

Veronica Haynes-Smith Teacher of the Year for 2016. Haynes-Smith is always looking for opportunities to increase her own knowledge, her students and colleagues as well. She is data driven and has a strong moral imperative for change. Like a surgeon with lasers, she directs

Clifton Middle School

also coach girls’ basketball and boy’s track and field at Hogg and love having the opportunity to engage with students outside of the classroom. Being this is my first year teaching, I was honored to be nominated New Teacher of the Year by my peers.”

Black Middle School

ing middle school and her second year teaching 7th grade math at FBMS. At FBMS she serves on the Teach like a Champion Cohort and is the head volleyball coach and head

soccer coach. In her free time she enjoys traveling, playing soccer, and spending time outdoors.

Justin Vogt Hamilton Middle School

Justin Vogt is a sixth grade math teacher at Alexander Hamilton Middle School. To use a phrase such as he’s an amazing teacher, while true, would not do him justice. He sees the potential in every student that walks through his door and

accepts no excuses for why they can’t do it, but instead provides them with every opportunity and every reason that they can. He is the teacher that a student knows they can go to when they need help regardless of the issue. Out of the classroom he works to inspire students to read through his Harry Potter Club Flex,

inspires and coaches students to excel physically and demonstrate the good sportsmanship in leading the 7th grade football team in an undefeated season. He’s also recently completed a Master’s in Education and has excellent leadership skills. Both the students and the staff at AHMS are better for knowing him.

Sean Tellez High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice

Mr. Tellez is a Social Studies Teacher who teaches Gov’t/Economics and US History at LECJ. First and foremost it is always kids first and what

is in the best interest of students. His classes are interactive with real world e x p e r i e n c e s . M r. Tellez takes on many roles at LECJ such as student council. He created our first soccer club to compete with other specialty

schools. Whenever the principal needs someone to fill a duty Mr. Tellez is always the first person to say I will do it. “He is respected on our campus by faculty and staff,” said Principal Carol Mosteit.

Alexandria James Waltrip High School

When Ms. James was chosen to be Waltrip’s teacher of the year, characteristics such as hardworking, genuine, patient, and a devout teacher to all students were all attributes that described her. In her two years at Waltrip, Ms. James

has dedicated her time towards planning and delivering engaging biology lessons to her students, providing extended tutorial times after school, and has been a source of support and resources for her peers. Ms. James has an innate ability to build strong relationships with her students, which in return drives them

Congratulations to this year’s Educational Leaders of the Year!

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towards making better decisions for themselves in their academic and personal lives. Science Instructional Specialist Ayesha Ahmad says – “It has been an absolute pleasure watching Ms. James grow and excel in her craft. I can say with confidence that Ms. James is deserving of the Teacher of the Year title.”

Educational

LEADERS

L O C AT E D AT 61 0 A N D E L L A B LV D

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