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Saturday, August 8, 2015 • Vol. 60 • No. 40 August marks the start of National Immunization Awareness Month and doctors and pediatricians across the US are reminding parents to make sure their children receive their proper immunizations and health checkups as the school year begins.
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Ending Summer with Family Fun The Leader is joining with various local sponsors to put on a Family Fun Day for local residents to wind down summer with a bit more sunshine. The event will be hosted by American Legion Post 560 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 15.
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Photos by Christina Martinez From the top going clockwise, Houston Indie rock band, Moji, performs at Town In City Brewing Company’s Grand Opening celebration in front of an estimated 1500 in attendance in the day’s span. Over at Good Dog Houston, neighbors flocked to the Deep Eddy Vodka and Craft beer tent and were greeted by smiling faces pouring adult beverages. Good Dog Houston had their food truck setup in the parking lot for hungry White Linen patrons.
Reagan High School student explores Europe, origins with fellow German exchange student By Jonathan Garris jgarris@theleadernews.com
Birthday with the Bulls Celebrating a birthday by running for your life might not seem like an ideal way to mark a new year, but that’s exactly what Heights resident Frankie Cox did for her 40th birthday. Find out about her experience in Spain in this week’s issue.
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When asked to describe his friend Antonio Richter, 17-year-old Roman Dijak has one word – brother. Both Richter and Roman are currently backpacking across Europe together, vistiing countries like France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Ukraine, Latvia and Serbia. The two first met through Reagan’s student exchange program, as Dijak’s family welcomed Richter into their household. Roman’s father, William, recalls the two seemed to begin scheming together almost immediately. “When [Richter] showed up, they got to be pretty good buds right off the bat,” William Dijak said. “They were on the swim team together and my wife, who is French, also spoke German, and we all clicked well.” William Dijak said Richter’s family lives in northern Germany, not far from the border with Czechoslovakia. They live in a millhouse that is over 700 years old and he has sisters who are olympicclass skiers.
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Southwaste, Timbergrove still at odds By Jonathan Garris
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It’s been a long road for the management of Southwaste’s disposal facility on Hurst Street, officials with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and residents of Timbergrove Manor as the debate continues over allowing the disposal company to accept a greater portion of waste. TCEQ held another public meeting in the community July 30, and Timbergrove Manor Civic Club president Bill Morfey said turnout was better than the previous public meeting in October last year. The fight for residents here has been drawn out, with many focusing on what they feel is an overwhelming stench coming from the facility and also traffic issues with trucks going in and out of the area. “The mood was a bit more adversarial and, at times, poignantly so,” Morfey said. Part of the reason for the adversarial reaction, Morfey said, was the perceived indifference some residents felt TCEQ acted with regarding complaints from citizens living near the disposal plant. The facility collects and treats grease from surrounding restaurants and other businesses to manufacture biofuels; however residents have repeatedly complained to the TCEQ regarding what they call a foul stench coming from the facility. In a previous Leader article, vice president of operations Tim Cox explained the company’s desire to install a new scrubber unit designed to mitigate the odor coming from the facility and also the group’s intention to enSee Southwaste, P. 6A
New principal settles in at Oak Forest By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
we’re his parents and has no problem, but he couldn’t help but be emotional when he returned to Ukraine.” For the two youngsters, the current trip is a chance to strengthen their bond and, for Roman, gain a
Dr. April Williams took the helm of Oak Forest Elementary in mid-July and said that the Oak Forest community has already been very welcoming and encouraging. “I am thrilled to be a part of such a strong staff and involved community,” Williams said. “By far, my favorite part about the school has been meeting all the wonWilliams derful kids who have come to say hi and welcome me as their principal.” Williams previously served as an assistant principal at Lanier Middle School. She began her 12-year career with HISD as a fifth-grade teacher at Law Elementary School, and has served as a classroom teacher at both Peck Elementary and Ryan Middle School. Williams also held the role of high school graduation coach. While at both Peck and Ryan, she received the Classroom Teacher of the Year and the English as a Second Language
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Contributed Photo Roman Dijak looks out across Budapest and the Danube River - one of many stops for the 17-year-old Reagan High School student and his German friend who visited Houston as an exchange student this year.
Richter’s background also struck a chord with Roman, who was adopted from the Ukraine in 1999. He had the chance to visit the orphanage he had come from in 2006 and William said it was an emotional experience for his son. “There are different kinds
of adoptions – some are open and some are more closed but we’ve always been pretty open,” William Dijak said. “Our other son is adopted from Russia. [Roman] had this tremendous ambition to visit where he’s from even when he was younger and he understands
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