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Saturday, August 22, 2015 • Vol. 60 • No. 42
Low enrollment forces New School in the Heights to close By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
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In the past weeks, Dr. Diane Manning has been looking through boxes of records for The New School in the Heights, which she founded 10 years ago with Dr. Arthur J. Farley with a focus on bright children whose social or emotional delays may interfere with success in education and life. Manning had cause to be sentimental because as of July 24 the school has closed its doors. From a high of 40 students, which is the maximum the school wanted to accommodate, the enrollment was at 17 students. “You can’t run a school for 17 kids,” said Manning. “It doesn’t make sense.” As president of the board and the executive director of the school, after retiring from
a more active role two years ago, Manning presided over the school’s closing. She said that although the details are being finalized, the plan is for the school to transition into a foundation which would offer grants to help children with social and emotional needs. In June, Mitch Cohen wrote an article for The Leader about sculpture and art at the school, including two trucks built by Paul Carr, who also built Donovan Park’s train. Last week Carr came to take the trucks away. He moved the large one to Immanuel Lutheran at Cortland and 15th Street and the small truck went to Crossroads School, where Manning said some of the New School’s students enrolled. Other students went to the Monarch School or enrolled in See School, P. 8A
File Photo by Jonathan Garris The play area in front of the New School in the Heights where one of Paul Carr’s handmade trucks sat is now empty following the closure of the school.
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Mayoral Candidate Forum The Garden Oaks Civic Club and Super Neighborhood 12, along with The Leader, is sponsoring a forum next month at 6:15 p.m., on Sept. 1 at the Grace Church in Garden Oaks - 3754 N. Shepherd Dr. Publisher, Jonathan McElvy, will be the moderator. RSVP online or call us at the office at 713-6868494.
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Photo by Jonathan Garris Deputy James Moulden holds a plaque commemorating his John Wayne Award, making him the first non-resident of Shepherd Park Plaza to receive the honor. While it may seem like a small gesture to some, Moulden believes the award is a testament to his work in the area and commitment to area citizens.
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Longtime deputy honored with community award By Jonathan Garris jgarris@theleadernews.com
Fisher Homes denied variance In Fisher Homes previous plans for their property at 43rd and Rosslyn, they were going to take the exisiting structures “down to the studs” and build luxury condos. Now that they have been denied a variance, the plans are changing.
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The INDEX. Church
Shady Acres celebrates greenspace victories
5A
Classifieds
4B
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Food/Drink/Art Obituaries
7A 6A
Opinion
3A
Public Information Puzzles
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July marked a special month for both the Shepherd Park Plaza Men’s Group and a Harris County Precinct One Constable’s Office Deputy who accepted a neighborhood award normally reserved for area residents. While it might seem like a small gesture to some, the annual John Wayne Award is given to “someone in the neighborhood who has done more than the expected” to make the community better, Chuck Blesener said in a letter to the Constable’s Office. Deputy James Moulden is the first nonresident to receive the award, and Blesener said the deputy has “worked tirelessly” to protect the community, its families and its homes. Moulden is well acquainted with community patrols – he first started working with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in 1991 and transferred to the Constable’s Office in 2005, saying it was “time for a change.”
“I try to keep these folks as safe as I can,” Moulden said. “I try to keep the bad elements out and I do what I can to help solve cases. We’ve been able to file a lot of charges on burglary suspects. The crime rate is really low [in Shepherd Park Plaza] and I try to keep it that way.” In one recent case Moulden worked, a follow-up investigation led to an arrest in the theft of a generator that occurred July 27 in the 1000 block of Cheshire Lane. Authorities arrested Benjamin West, 54, after a local pawn shop employee identified him as the person who allegedly handed in a generator. The owner of the generator kept the serial number on hand as well which matched with the unit at the pawn shop. Moulden’s approach to situations like these and others is to simply get out and involved in the community he serves. “I try to meet everyone I can,” Moulden said. “I always See Deputy, P. 2A
Shady Acres Civic Club President Nancy Wilcox said she has the previous civic club leadership from ten years ago to thank in part for the nearly $740,000 Wright-Bembry Park Redevelopment Project now finally going out to bid. The park, which sits at 840 W. 23rd St., will be completely scraped “down to the dirt” and all of its amenities will be completely replaced and reworked from the ground up, Wilcox said. “We hoping to see construction begin in the fall,” Wilcox said. “WrightBembry Park is a wonderful asset to the community and hats off to people like Ashby Johnson, who was president of the civic club those 10 years ago and who also spearheaded having funds set aside for the park through a Capital Improvement Project.” According to the Texas Bid Network, prebidding for the project began April 7 with a pre-submittal meeting. The scope of the project includes a new sidewalk, playground, a half-basketball court, tennis court, new sidewalks and fencing, a new pavilion, new picnic tables and benches and new landscaping among other elements. Clark Condon & Associates is providing the landscape architectural design for the park and the company has See Parks, P. 2A
Contributed Art Wright Bembry Park will be rebuilt from the ground up as part of an exhaustive, $740,000 redevelopment project which has officially gone out to bid for contractors.
American Legion Post 560 hosts a great Family Fun Day in Garden Oaks By Kim Hogstrom For The Leader
On Saturday, Aug. 15, families from all over the community braved the 100 degree heat to enjoy Family Fun Day at American Legion Post 560 in Garden Oaks. The dunk tank was not only a big hit with the young boys, but it offered a really funny way to escape the heat. The 18-foot water slide proved popular with kids and parents alike. However, the biggest stars of the show that day were the Houston Fire Department, Houston Police Department, and the Humbled Heroes K-9 Service Dogs. Volunteers from HFD brought a magnificent firetruck to the event and children were offered tours of the vehicle. More than a few young boys (and one girl) announced their intent to join the Houston Fire Department as a result of the introduction.
Volunteers from HPD’s Equestrian Unit attended with two of their horses. The steeds are selected for service based, not only on their athleticism, but their quiet temperament. True to form, the animals seemed to enjoy grazing the post’s grassy lot, while kids petted them, played with their and tails, and squealed with delight. The Humbled Heroes service dogs are specially trained to help service men and women suffering from PTSD. Here again, the animals demonstrated intelligence beyond that of our typical family pets. They romped and played with the kids, while apparently sensitive to their size and naivete. Add to all this, hot dogs, hamburgers, popcorn, Kona Ice, balloon animals, facepainting and a live snake demonstration. Notably, Family Fun Day was an all-volPhoto by Kim Hogstrom Youngsters enjoyed seeing some wildlife up close at Family Fun Day.
See Legion, P. 2A
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