Leader January 22

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Heights Hospital to reopen under new ownership

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

A new management group has acquired The Heights Hospital and pledges to provide surgical, elective and acute medical care in the heart of the neighborhood, where previous efforts to revive the iconic hospital have been unsuccessful.

The transition to new ownership began taking shape more than a year ago.

Rashid Syed is the CEO of the new hospital management group that considered becoming a part-

ner in The Heights Hospital during the latter stages of 2020, he said, but backed off in December of that year because he said the operation’s financial struggles appeared to be too significant to overcome.

The next month, doctors, nurses and even patients were locked out of the building at 1917 Ashland St. for nonpayment of rent, according to notices posted on the front entrance at the time by a Nevada company that had sued the hospital managers for allegedly defaulting on a loan they took out to purchase the building. Then, in June of last

year, that hospital management company filed for bankruptcy.

Syed said an affiliate of his company, North Houston Surgical Hospital, LLC, ended up buying The Heights Hospital outright later last year with the permission of a federal bankruptcy judge. He and business partners such as Dr. Mirza Baig, a board member for the new ownership group of the local hospital, took part in a grand reopening, ribbon-cutting ceremony and community block party on Monday to See Hospital P. 5A

Photo by Adam Zuvanich Dr. Mirza Baig, center, a board member for the new ownership group of The Heights Hospital, interacts with Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday at 1917 Ashland St. At right is State Rep. Penny Morales Shaw, who serves the Heights area.

Delivery delay

Community rallies around Heights auto repair shop

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Photo from Facebook A FedEx driver documents the fire that destroyed his delivery van Monday as firefighters from the Houston Fire Department work to extinguish the blaze in the 6200 block of Cindy Lane.

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FedEx van catches fire in Timbergrove

By Adam Zuvanich

INSIDE.

azuvanich@theleadernews.com

Sorry folks, park’s closed: Donovan Park is temporarily closed for repairs to its wooden train.

Page 4A

Residents of neighborhoods such as Timbergrove are accustomed to seeing delivery vans on their streets.

What they don’t see every day is a delivery van engulfed in flames on one of their streets.

A FedEx van caught fire at midday Monday while its driver was making deliveries in the 6200 block of Cindy Lane, according to the Houston Fire Department. No injuries were reported by HFD, which said the driver escaped the vehicle unharmed while salvaging several packages that were in the back of the van.

“As the driver was making a delivery, the resident (who called 911) saw flames dripping from the front of the van,” HFD spokesperson Alicia Breaux said in an email. “The FedEx driver pulled out most or all of the packages from the back of the vehicle before it was totally engulfed with fire.”

Breaux said HFD’s Engine No. 13, based on West 43rd Street in Oak Forest, and Hazardous Materials Unit 66 responded to the fire at about 12:20 p.m. and had the See Fire P. 5A

Photo from Facebook Houston Fire Department vehicles line Cindy Lane in Timbergrove in the aftermath of a Monday afternoon fire that engulfed a FedEx delivery van.

By Landan Kuhlmann

Page 3B

landan@theleadernews.com

Church....................................................... 4A Classifieds.............................................. 5A Coupons. ................................................. 3B Food/Drink............................................. 7A Obituaries.............................................. 8A Opinion. ................................................... 3A Public Information......................... 8A Puzzles...................................................... 3A Sports. ....................................................... 3B

See Fixers P. 4A

Wife of local pastor recovering from brain surgery

Golden girl. Eureka Heights Brew Co. celebrated the life of late actress Betty White.

THE INDEX.

Brian Laney has never been a customer of Fixers Tire & Automotive, at least not technically. The one time he took his car to the longstanding auto repair shop in the Heights, because he had a flat tire, Laney said owner Tarfin Micu filled it up with air for free and told him he’d be better off by going to a corporate tire dealer.

It was the right thing to do, Laney said, and it left him with a good impression of Micu, who seems to have endeared himself to plenty of paying customMicu ers over the years as well.

Micu’s wife, Crina, said her husband has been known to work late at night so his customers can drive to work or their children’s school the next morning, and he once gave a car to a resident in need.

Now the 65-year-old Micu and his family are in need of help, after he was significantly injured and hospitalized last week while trying to prevent the theft of a customer’s luxury sports car. Members of the Heights community and beyond have donated more than $55,000 to a GoFundMe account set up for Micu, who is the sole auto technician at his shop and the breadwinner for his family, which includes a 14-year-old daughter.

Laney, a Norhill resident who said he drove by in the aftermath of the robbery and stopped to render aid, helped Crina Micu set up the online fundraiser and was the first person to make a donation.

“The guy definitely put a lot of good karma out there,” Laney said.

“It’s definitely coming back to him when he needs it.”

The Leader reported last month about the support the community has shown to New Day Church lead pastor John Wethington and his wife, Halcie, after she was diagnosed with brain cancer in early December.

Halcie Wethington, a 30-year-old mother of three, underwent brain surgery Jan. 12 to remove most of the tumor, according to a series of Facebook Photo from Facebook posts by her husband. The surgery was Halcie Wethington, left, the wife of New Day Church pastor John Wethington, is at home initially scheduled for Dec. 21 but was postponed because Halcie tested posirecovering after brain surgery Jan. 12.

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tive for COVID-19, John wrote in a post at the time.

John wrote after the surgery that it went about as well as they had hoped.

He wrote Monday that Halcie is at home recovering, and that her recovery is going as expected so far.

“Though her recovery has gone superb, the next two weeks are really important for her recovery,” he wrote. “She is still experiencing a lot of swelling and fatigue, but this is normal. But all in all we are praising God for this first victory.”

During the 12-hour surgery, John wrote, doctors were able to remove about 70 percent of the tumor in Halcie’s

brain – more than originally expected.

The Wethingtons were waiting on the results of a biopsy to determine what the next steps will be in terms of treatment.

A GoFundMe page set up for the family had raised nearly $39,000 as of Tuesday night. Donations can be made at https://www.gofundme.com/f/healingfor-halcie.

“Thank you to everyone who has prayed for us, encouraged us and helped us in so many tangible ways,” John wrote Monday. “While we know there is still a journey ahead of us, we know we walk this road with the best family, church, and community that life has to offer.”

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Page 2A • Saturday, January 22, 2022 • The Leader

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THE TOPICS. The Leader • Saturday, January 22, 2022 • Page 3A

Mandates against mandates make for confusion To: The People of Texas: From: Texas Department of State Health Services Subject: Yet another change concerning mandates This is the latest official order on masks, vaccinations and senatorial humiliations which supersedes the order from this morning. We shall now answer your most-asked questions.

Who must wear masks?

Everyone. Exemptions: Those who do not want to wear one. This includes anyone who does not have a mask, thinks it clashes with their sweater, coat or color of their tattoos.

Also, by a mandate from Gov. Greg Abbott, students at public schools and universities, their teachers plus those who live or work near such institutions like school traffic crossguards are exempted. If you believe you fall within these categories, file an Exception Notice with the Texas Department of Copouts, Bureau of Whiners, or just do as you please.

Nobody cares. When questioned by a reporter as to how many lawbreakers had been arrested for wearing a mask and had no Exemption Card, the DPS replied with a response filled with obscenities and angry laughter. The Texas Rangers refused to act, saying: “Are you kidding us?”

The new order seems to cause some confusion about masks. How does it conflict with or change previous orders?

Lynn Ashby Columnist

A good question. In May of 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) proclaimed: “If you are healthy, you only need to wear a mask if you are taking care of a person with COVID-19.” On June 25, 2021, WHO warned that even fully vaccinated individuals -- those who received their final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at least two weeks prior -- should still wear a mask. That same week, the CDC said vaccinated individuals are “safe” from the variant and doubled down on its earlier guidance that fully vaccinated Americans could go maskless. Since then the two organizations have given out several new and contradictory advisories. We at the TDSHS recommend you take the advice of experts at both the CDC and WHO and wear a mask on alternate days.

What about Texas?

It’s in a dreadful mess and is the laughingstock of America if not the entire world.

What about Texas mask man-

dates?

Oh, that laughingstock. Gov. Abbott at first ordered a shutdown of all gatherings, then was persuaded

by Christian Evangelists to exempt religious services. (This included Muslims who had to put up with, “Who was that mosque man?”) Then only bars and restaurants were to be closed. Next, he lifted the mandate except in February which only has 28 days. Our attorney general, Ken Paxton (between fighting off several felony charges and an investigation by the FBI of accusations of bribery), sued cities and school districts that instituted mask mandates. Our tax dollars at work.

What’s the current situation?

As of 12:30 today, Texans don’t have to wear a mask if they (1) have worn a mask at sometime (2) have seen someone getting vaccinated on TV (3) have a plan to get a booster shot in the ICU or (4) don’t like needles unless provided by their drug dealer.

What is the connection between masks and vaccinations?

Taking a page from voting locations, Gov. Abbott has authorized one vaccination clinic in each county, with no drive-by shots. It is a firstcome, first-serve program, with firstserve spots going to Republicans, but thus far there have been none. As one GOP voter said, “Those shots implant graphene oxide in you which can destroy consciousness and control peo-

ple through magnetic frequencies, which includes music.”

What does Dr. Peter Hotez say about the anti-vaxxers and antimaskers?

Dr. Hotez’s reply was similar to what the DPS said about how many mask-wearers had been arrested. We can’t repeat it, but every poll shows people who don’t wear masks don’t get vaccinated, although their numbers are waning, and they believe there was vast voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Gov. Abbott has said before that voter fraud is “rampant,” although so-called “experts” on the matter note that study after investigation show voter fraud is practically zero. Statically, you are more likely to be struck by lightning in Texas than turn up any case of voter fraud.

Still, on Jan. 25, 2019, our embattled attorney general, Paxton, breathlessly tweeted a “VOTER FRAUD ALERT” stating that the Texas secretary of state had discovered some 58,000 non-citizens voted in Texas, with 95,000 non-citizens registered to vote. Alas, the numbers were bogus – they included naturalized citizens, those with working permits, visas, etc. Only 80 of the original 98,000 names on the list had been identified as ineligible to vote, and apparently they hadn’t voted.

Anything new?

Gov. Abbott’s latest list of changes in mandates (as of 10 minutes ago)

makes it unlawful to wear a mask while holding up a liquor store, bank or check cashing shop unless you are fully vaccinated. Texans can refuse to wear a mask if they have a medical problem. A note from your doctor will suffice unless the doctor is Peter Hotez, Anthony Fauci or a vet whose license has been suspended. Any federal mandate dealing with COVID-19 is hereby abolished or at least ignored. The Texas National Guard has been called in to enforce this mandate against mandates as soon as they secure the Mexican border or get paid, whichever comes first.

Is there any connection between the anti-vaxxers and the Capitol rioters?

Those were not “rioters” but peaceful tourists. But they did stay 6-feet from beating Capitol police, using only 7-foot clubs. And the January 6th rampage was not a “violent terrorist attack.” Sen. Ted Cruz called the violent terrorist attack just that.

He caught severe criticism from the attackers, mostly during their visiting hours. The very next day Cruz was on Fox News taking it all back. “It was a mistake to say that,” Cruz said on Tucker Carlson’s show. (Incidentally, Texas, with 64, is second only to Florida in the number of arrested insurgents.) Finally, stay at least 20 feet away from anyone at the TDSHS. Ashby mandates at ashby2@comcast.net

THE READER. Dirt piles aim to deter trail users during construction

Dear Editor: Calling this an “active construction zone” is a hilarious misrepresentation. I’ve passed by those piles for months and nothing has changed... other than the dirt piles, that is. There’s no reason to shut down a whole section of trails for *years* when the trail is structurally sound and they can block off the parts they’re actually working on!

Celery

Lower Heights beginning second phase of development

Dear Editor: Great update! Heard through a grapevine that the massive tenant is an Orange-colored home improvement chain, curious if that ends up being true. I remember when Costco was rumored, that would have been nice! cdubowl

The (Long) Horns of a dilemma

Dear Editor: Why don’t you ask your boy McConaughey, I heard he sold lots of books. mobarr

Wabash commissions two-sided mural to beautify street Dear Editor: Want to beautify any area of Houston? Pick Up

The Trash. Freeways, esplanades, everywhere the eye can see in Houston Texas is covered in trash.

Houstonian Dear Editor: Congratulations on the purchase of the car lot next to you!

Again, welcome to North Shepherd.

Robert Baker

Old Tom Gin Bar opens in Garden Oaks

Dear Editor: “But Old Tom is not just mixing up gin and tonics. Perez’s bartenders are whipping up cocktails like the Berry Berry Crazy with vodka, mixed berry shrub, house orgeat and lemon juice, the New Beginnings with vodka, basil, tart cherry syrup, lemon cordial, lemon juice and lemon foam, or the True Texas Old-Fashioned with browned butter fat-washed Avonak bourbon, toasted pecan turbinado syrup and black walnut bitters.”

What about other gin drinks? Those of us who love gin above all else enjoy more than just gin and tonics. I was disappointed to read through that long list of fancy ingredients and not see “gin” mentioned again!

Megan Lapari Rasmussen

2400 Augusta Dr. Suite 212 Houston, TX 77057

Email us your letters: news@theleadernews.com

the leader Puzzlers.

Answers found in this week’s Classified section

SUDOKU

aCrOss 1. Dignified 7. Where to get a pint 10. Broken down 12. Peruvian city 13. Expressed grief 14. IsaacÕs mother (Bib.) 15. Sizing up 16. Form of Hindustani 17. __-de-sac 18. Greek sophist 19. Greek portico 21. Christian Television Network 22. Attractiveness 27. The man 28. Home of the Cowboys 32. Home to Hollywood 33. Be later in time 36. Woman 37. A type of protection 38. Conservative people 39. Bela __,

Hungarian Leader 40. Rodent 41. Gloss or sheen 44. Looks good in clothes 45. Stephen Malkmus’ band 48. Org. of C. American States 49. Doorways are some 50. Cattle genus 51. Rock bands play them

dOwn 1. Indigenous people of Norway 2. Not odd 3. Ring 4. Adam is one 5. Champion Volunteer QB 6. The smartest Ed 7. Fast cats 8. Two-toed sloth 9. __ humbug!

10. Investigator 11. Explosive warhead 12. Wrap

14. Hidden meaning 17. Reciprocal of a sine 18. Go with pains 20. Small constellation 23. Prohibited 24. Blocks 25. Home to Boston (abbr.)

26. Small viper 29. Toward 30. Promotional materials 31. Plundering and destroying 34. Provokes 35. One point north of due east 36. Freshwater fishes 38. Male parents 40. Little (Spanish) 41. Sean __, actor 42. Bowfin fish 43. Large integers 44. An association of criminals 45. Genus of grasses 46. Annual percentage rate 47. Mechanical belt

WORD SCRAMBLE

Page 4A • Saturday, January 22, 2022 • The Leader

Donovan Park temporarily closed for repairs

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

Donovan Park, a popular playground for Heights-area residents, temporarily closed Monday for repairs.

The Houston Heights Association (HHA), which owns and operates the 25-year-old park at the northeast corner of Heights Boulevard and 7th Street, announced in a Monday Facebook post that the wooden train in the front of the park was in need of repair work. HHA executive director

Emily Guyre said the roof of one of the train cars is collapsing, and a contractor is working to repair it.

The HHA did not specify a timeline for reopening the park.

“We want to make sure the park remains a fun and safe place to play, so it is necessary for us to keep the park closed until the issues have been resolved,” the HHA said in its post. “Thank you in advance for your understanding and patience. Our goal is to reopen Donovan Park as soon as we

can!”

The 37,505-square foot park, which features swings and wooden playground equipment, was closed from March 2020 until March 2021 to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. It reopened after nearly $9,000 in improvements and upgrades were made, such as laying new mulch throughout the playground, replacing the swings and the trash cans and improving the park’s drainage system by cleaning out its inlets.

Photo by Adam Zuvanich Young Heights residents Abigail Taylor, left, and Elle Goldsmith play on the wooden train last year at Donovan Park, which is temporarily closed for repairs.

Forest West Park listening session set for Jan. 26

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Residents of Forest West and surrounding areas will have the chance to make their voices heard next week on the future of a local park.

The Houston Parks Board is hosting a virtual listening session at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26 regarding improvements to Forest West Park, 5915 Golden Forest Dr., as part of Mayor Sylvester Turner’s 50/50 Park Partners initiative.

The listening session will be streamed live on the Facebook page for the Houston Parks Board.

The park partners initiative aims to challenge 50 companies to join a citywide coalition driv-

ing improvements to neighborhood parks, according to the Houston Parks Board website.

Among topics to be discussed during the listening session include existing conditions of the park and future safety improvements as well as what citizens’ priorities and visions might be for the park. Community members can take a survey prior to the meeting at surveymonkey. com/r/X52HKZX. For more information or to register for the session, community members can go to the Houston Parks Board website at houstonparksboard.org/donate/5050-park-partners-community-engagement or email info@houstonparksboard.org.

Photo from Twitter Community members can provide input about improvements to Forest West Park on Jan. 26.

HISD approves partnership for Washington HS statue funding

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

A project aimed at commemorating the namesake of one of Houston ISD’s most historic schools is receiving a significant boost in funding.

During its regular meeting Jan. 13, HISD’s board of trustees approved an interlocal agreement with Prairie View A&M University to provide $400,000 in support for phase one of Booker T. Washington High School’s community statue project, called “The Vision.”

The student-led project is in the process of raising money for a community plaza on the Independence Heights campus at 4204 Yale St., with a statue of school namesake Booker T. Washington as its centerpiece. Washington, who died in 1915 at age 59, was known as a civil rights trailblazer as well as an educator, author and advisor to several U.S. presidents.

When complete, the campus project will also include a community walking park, geo-dome greenhouse, education spaces, park signs and lights. Phase 1 of the project is slated for completion later this year.

The statue of Washington will be the third of a renowned African American in Houston, according to the school district, joining the statues of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and late Congressman George Thomas “Mickey” Leland.

File photo A statue of Booker T. Washington will be erected at the Independence Heights high school where he is the namesake.

Fixers, from P. 1A Spokesperson Kese Smith of the Houston Police Department said officers were called to the vicinity of Fixers, which has operated since 1993 at 147 E. 11th St., at about 7:45 a.m. last Friday, Jan. 14. Citing the accounts of Micu and witnesses, Smith said a 2012 Cadillac CTS-V that’s candy apple red in color was parked in front of a garage bay, where a man approached the vehicle, got in the driver’s seat and started to steal it while Micu tried to stop him.

In the aftermath of the ensuing struggle, Smith said, the man behind the wheel ran over Micu and also crashed into the building of a neighboring barbershop before eventually driving away in the Cadillac, which had not been recovered as of Tuesday afternoon.

Crina Micu said her husband was taken to a hospital shortly after the theft and underwent surgery the next day to repair his shattered left ankle and foot. She said Tarfin also suffered a broken right hip, a broken rib and a cracked vertebrae.

“He’s so badly hurt,” she said. “It really was a shock.”

Smith declined to provide descriptive information for the man who stole the Cadillac, beyond stating his gender, saying responding officers received conflicting details from witnesses and are trying to work through those discrepancies. He also said HPD has been in contact with the owner of the Cadillac, who is “more than willing to prosecute” if the thief is apprehended, Smith said.

Crina Micu said she witnessed the incident while

approaching the shop in her own vehicle, and described the thief as a light-skinned, young Black man who was clean-cut and well-dressed.

She said the man initially approached her husband and engaged in a conversation about the Cadillac that Tarfin was preparing to work on.

When the brief chat ended, Crina said her husband turned away to retrieve his tools and then turned back around to see the man in the driver’s seat. He started the car as Tarfin rushed toward the driver’s side door and reached through the open window to try intervene, Crina said.

After the man took off in the Cadillac, he drove one block west to Heights Boulevard and turned south toward Interstate 10, according to a Heights resident

Are We There Yet?

By Pastor Will Cover

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

T

his is the question every parent loves to hear on a road trip, “Are we there yet?” I remember as a child thinking that car trips seemed to take forever. Now as an adult, life seems to be passing by so quickly that some days seem like a blur. Even a quick look at the calendar shows that January is almost finished. As your days race by how are you investing the moments that you have. God’s Word teaches us that we are to “redeem the time.” This idea means that we should use our time wisely as a resource that God gives us.

Every resource that you have ultimately comes from God. Time is one of the most valuable resources and yet you cannot save

it, you can only spend it or waste it. Time is passing by whether you want it to or not and you have the opportunity to decide how you invest this precious resource. Will you use your time for personal growth? Will you use your time to help others? Will you waste your time on empty pursuits that don’t have any positive impact?

One pastor and author named C.T. Studd said it this way, “Only one life, twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Jesus said, “Lay up for yourself treasure in heaven where moth and rust don’t corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal.” You only have one life to live. Somedays may seem slow, but when looking back it all seems to move quickly. You may not be where you want to go yet, but live your life with purpose so that someday you can arrive at your desired destination.

who witnessed the getaway and asked to remain anonymous. The witness corroborated the physical description provided by Crina, but said another witness who was questioned at the scene was overheard describing the driver as Hispanic.

“I was walking my dog and heard a car crash – or what I thought was a car crash,” the witness said. “I saw this wrecked car coming down 11th toward Heights (Boulevard). … The 11th Street light was red, and he went around traffic that was stopped for the red light and swerved to miss traffic heading north on Heights. … He turned heading south on Heights after that.”

While authorities search for the stolen car and car thief, Tarfin Micu and his family are coping with his hospitalization and the tem-

porary closure of their auto repair shop. He will need to undergo inpatient rehabilitation, according to Crina, who said she is unsure when her husband will be able to return to work and get back to fixing vehicles for neighborhood residents.

She said the outpouring of support and financial contributions from the community have been “unbelievable and so overwhelming.” Crina also thanked the people at River Oaks Baptist School, where her daughter is a student, for helping to provide rides and pledging to hold a fundraiser for the family when Tarfin gets out of the hospital.

Tarfin and Crina are both from Romania, with Crina saying her husband came to the United States in 1987 as a political refugee. He had been living the American

dream at his shop, she said, where he typically worked 12-hour days during the week and also some on Saturdays.

The attack on the family business tarnished that experience, but Crina said they remain grateful to live and work in a community that has rallied around them during a difficult time.

“Where can you go and the community, people you don’t know, donates to your family to help you out?” Crina asked. “Where can you go? What country? I have family all over Europe. This has never happened – nowhere.

“I’m amazed and pleasantly surprised in that way,” she added. “I’m really thankful and appreciate everything.”

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The Leader • Saturday, January 22, 2022 • Page 5A

Hospital

from P. 1A

introduce themselves to neighborhood residents and let them know the historic hospital would soon be operating again.

“I still remember me and Dr. Baig walking down the hallway (in 2020). I was telling him, ‘Give it two or three more months, and they’re probably going to go bankrupt,’ “ Syed said. “So, it didn’t happen in two or three months, but in five months.

“Knowing what the issues were and about the operation and everything,” Syed added, “we kind of latched onto the opportunity.”

It will still be a few weeks before the new rendition of The Heights Hospital is ready to reopen and begin serving the community, according to Viqar Hussain, the company’s chief business development officer.

PAM Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Houston Heights, which is an unaffiliated healthcare provider, has operated on the fourth floor of the building since before the rest of it was closed in early 2020.

North Houston Surgical Hospital has operated Spring Hospital, located north of the city, for the last five years, according to Syed, who said the plan is to make The Heights Hospital the company’s flagship location. Baig said the group will follow the same management formula it has used in Spring while offering

a range of medical services and focusing on surgical care, elective care and acute care at the Heights facility, which was constructed in 1978 and covers more than 160,000 square feet.

“The Heights really has a very large legacy, and re-establishing the Heights as a healthcare leader is really important to us,” Baig said. “You guys in the Heights realize the importance of this facility, and we’re just blessed to be part of that.”

According to documents filed in federal bankruptcy court, Judge Eduardo V. Rodriguez last August approved the sale of the property from 1917 Heights Hospital, LLC, the company that remains in bankruptcy, to a company called Platinum Heights, LLC. The purchase price was more than $38 million, according to court documents.

Bob Filaski, an executive with The Huntington National Bank, attended Monday’s event and said his institution helped finance the purchase by the new ownership group.

“The last ownership didn’t quite have an understanding how to run this thing,” Filaski said. “So (the new group) came in and kind of restructured the focus and the strategy for the community. It looks to me that they’re going to do a good job.”

The new ownership group also got a vote of confidence

from State Rep. Penny Morales Shaw, who represents the Heights area and participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony along with Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia. Shaw said the company has a “great track record” and figures to help meet the healthcare needs of the community.

That sentiment was echoed

by Niki Nanavati, the director of sales and marketing for The Village of the Heights, an assistant-living facility for seniors. The Village of the Heights was one of several local vendors invited to participate in Monday’s event, which also included food trucks and family-friendly attractions such as bounce houses, a climbing wall and a train ride for kids that circled an adjacent parking lot.

Joseph Torregrossa, a senior citizen who lives at the nearby Heights Tower, also visited Monday’s event. He said he was a patient of The Heights Hospital before it closed and is glad to see it will be reopening soon.

“It’s such a historic hospital. I think it just lost its magic for quite some time,” Nanavati said. “Everyone’s kind of hoping that it becomes a nice, premier hospital that’s accessible to residents in the area.”

Hussain said the new management group wants the community’s help in returning The

Heights Hospital “back to its former glory.” He and Syed invited healthcare professionals from the neighborhood, including those who worked for the previous ownership group, to seek employment with the new management team.

Syed said providing a supportive framework for physicians will endear the hospital to those healthcare professionals, who will in turn bring in patients who can be served by the hospital.

“We absolutely want to encourage anybody who’s looking for an opportunity to come speak to us,” Hussain said. “We want the best talent around that’s here in the community.

Whether they were part of the past administration or not is irrelevant.”

Photo by Adam Zuvanich Several community members attended a grand reopening, ribboncutting ceremony and community block party Monday at The Heights Hospital, 1917 Ashland St.

Fire from P. 1A scene cleared by 1:50 p.m.

The fire was extinguished with a hose line, Breaux said, while the hazmat unit was called to control the flow of fuel from a ruptured gasoline tank.

Breaux said the fire was caused by a “failure of equipment or heat source” in the engine, gear or wheel area.

There was no indication of any other property damage besides the van and its contents, she said.

A spokesperson for FedEx said customers whose shipments might have been impacted by the fire can visit fedex.com for information about them. The spokesperson did not answer questions seeking to determine how many packages were damaged and how many were

Photo from Facebook A FedEx driver watches as smoke billows from his delivery van.

salvaged.

“We are thankful no one was injured in this incident, and we are fully cooperating with investigating authorities,” the company said in a statement.

The FedEx spokesperson also did not answer ques-

tions about the driver and his actions. In comments made about the incident on Facebook, several local residents praised the driver.

“This driver deserves a huge bonus for trying to save the cargo,” one resident wrote.

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The Leader • Saturday, January 22, 2022 • Page 7A

Art Valet: Heights artist Caldera has big plans for new company Mitch Cohen Art Columnist

In my first column of the year I covered New Year’s resolutions by artists. Like many people this time of year, I love getting a new calendar or planner and noticed artist Dana Caldera promoting a planner just for artists on her Instagram page.

I introduced Caldera in Art Valet in the Aug. 1, 2020 issue of The Leader. Caldera is a Heights resident and mixed media artist. She combines found collage material, painting and drawing into intricately layered compositions to create her work.

I was excited to see The Artist Planner Co. is Caldera’s idea and company. The website (theartistplannerco.com), content, products, tips and ideas are fresh and inspiring and designed with artists in mind.

As Caldera explains on the website, “There is no step by

step guide for becoming a successful artist, but there is one thing we all have to do: set goals and get things done.”

This is Caldera’s baby, so I’ll let her tell you all about it.

Art Valet: It is obvious you put a lot of thought and work into this project. How did this come about?

Caldera: “Thank you. Yes, I have worked hard on this project because I am excited about what it might become,” she wrote in an email. “When you’re working as an artist, you are wearing so many hats, that organization is key to making progress. I have always been a list and planner person and I conceived the idea of creating a yearly planner for artists in December of 2020. Quietly, throughout 2021 I played around with a few different planner layouts for The Weekly Spread and developed The Studio Page.

When I sent the first version of the studio page around for some feedback, people seemed to resonate with it, so I decided to jump in and see what happened. The startup for the project has been really lean, since most of the skills overlap with things I manage

Contributed photo Dana Caldera created all of the graphics for The Artist Planner Co.

in my career as an artist.”

AV: You mention other artist collaborators on the website - are you working with anyone yet?

Caldera: “No, not yet, but I would love to see more artists get involved in The Artist Planner Co., especially as blog contributors for these early days. I did send the first product betas to artists that were

interested in testing them and giving feedback. Their input was really helpful and from their notes I refined The Studio Page and The Weekly Spread. I will continue to test products with small groups of artists before I finalize them.”

AV: The website mentions 10 daily prompts for 15 minutes. What’s that about?

Caldera: “The 15 minutes refers to the 10 daily prompts for my 10 Days to Set Better Goals for Your Art Career workbook,” Caldera said. “The prompts are going to be posted on The Artist Planner Co. blog starting on Jan. 20 (Thursday).

The prompts include reflection questions, brainstorming, guided goal breakdowns, and forward planning. The workbook was designed to be completed over the course of 10 days as a daily journaling/reflection practice. Each prompt takes about 15 minutes on average.”

AV: Will the daily prompts be free?

Caldera: “Yes! The daily prompts are going to be posted for free on the blog and on Instagram (https:// www.instagram.com/theartistplannerco/) starting Jan. 20 (Thursday). The workbook is available now in the shop as a digital download that can be printed at home. The benefit to the workbook is that it is convenient to get everything at once and it is beautifully formatted with space to work through all of the prompts.

The entire workbook is 23 pages.”

AV: What is your long-term goal with this project?

Caldera: “I see several possible futures for this project. Right now all of my products are digital downloads, so one likely goal is to produce physical planners and other helpful products for artists.

Another thought is that The Artist Planner Co. becomes a marketplace for helpful artist resources, like Teachers Pay Teachers, where artists can share the tools that work for them and profit from it. I’d also like to see the blog become a resource in itself with informative and helpful content for artists.”

Caldera told me she launched the website in midDecember and plans to let it grow organically for the first six months and see what happens.

Get all the details at https:// theartistplannerco.com. Follow Caldera’s art on her art website, danacaldera.com.

Cohen is an artist and founder of the First Saturday Arts Market and the Market at Sawyer Yards. Find him at ArtValet.com for additional highlights and artist’s stories.

4th Wall debuts new production

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

The newest production from 4th Wall Theatre Company, “Lifespan of a Fact,” debuted Jan. 14 at its studio at 1824 Spring St. It was the Houston premiere production of the show, which was recently performed on Broadway, according to a news release from 4th Wall.

The release said “Lifespan of a Fact” focuses on fresh-out-ofHarvard fact checker Jim Fingal and New York magazine writer John D’Agata. When Fingal is assigned to fact check D’Agata’s essay for a prominent but failing New York magazine, the release said “the two come head to head

in a hysterical yet gripping ethical dispute over facts versus truth,” over the course of the show.

The production, which is inspired by Fingal and D’Agata’s book of the same name and written by Jeremy Kareken, David Murrell and Gordon Farrell, runs Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. through Feb. 5.

For more information on 4th Wall Theatre Company’s current season and to purchase subscriptions or single tickets, community members can visit the theater’s website at 4thwalltheatreco.com or follow @4thwallhouston on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Photo by Gabriella Nissen

“The Lifespan of a Fact” runs through Feb. 5, at 4th Wall Theatre Company, 1824 Spring St.

Review: Quality flavor, service lives on at Burns Original BBQ Stefan Modrich

The filmmaker Orson Welles once told English actor Henry Jaglom, “The enemy of art is the absence of limitations.”

Cooking, as with any art form, requires constraints that enable us to distinguish one genre from another. This matters, especially when it comes to Burns Original BBQ in Acres Homes. As Daniel Vaughn argued in his review of Burns for Texas Monthly in 2018, there seems to be a groupthink that has paralyzed some food critics in Texas who feel compelled to judge any barbecue joint by its sliced brisket, a Lone Star State staple.

It’s easy to see why viewing barbecue would be a particularly problematic approach in Houston, where Black, Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese and Mexican pitmasters all have thrived by serving up barbecue their own way.

Chopped beef may not be the go-to at most Texas barbecue restaurants. Then again, Burns is very much not that.

And if it was good enough for Anthony Bourdain, who visited Burns in 2016 for a taping of his “Parts Unknown” series, it was certainly worth trying it out myself.

The original Burns, owned

by Ray Burns Sr., opened in 1973. After Burns died in 2009 and the original building fell into disrepair and closed in 2010, two of his grandsons — Fifth Ward native and former professional baseball player Carl Crawford and his brother,

Cory — stepped in to help resurrect the restaurant in 2012, according to Texas Monthly.

A mural depicting Crawford, Burns Sr. and Bourdain, and a scroll acknowledging the members of the Burns family who have contributed to the restaurant, was created in 2018 and is an impressive backdrop for this neighborhood hangout.

Next door is Burns Burger Shack, which was opened by the Burns family in 2017.

As I sat outside on a sunny and windy afternoon and began digging into my twomeat dinner of chicken and chopped beef ($14.99) with baked beans and dirty rice (the classic Cajun side dish seasoned with thyme, paprika, oregano and cayenne pepper), I heard a booming voice over the restaurant’s loudspeaker greeting customers who had

just arrived inside and inviting them to do their “hungry dance.”

The chopped beef is so tender it can easily be handled with your provided plastic silverware, and Burns’ classic sauce adds a tangy zip to both the beef and the chicken, which slides off the bone with ease.

If you’re looking to feed a family or group, the 10-pound Roy Burns baked potato ($75), piled high with sour cream, cheese and chives and topped with beef, sausage links and ribs, feeds 10-15 people, according to the restaurant.

I’m looking forward to trying the original baked potato ($8.99) and chopped beef sandwich ($8.99), and am glad to see the legacy of quality barbecue continues to live on at Burns.

Nibbles & Sips: New birria restaurant coming to Washington Avenue

By Stefan Modrich smodrich@mcelvypartners.com

A popular South Houston restaurant serving birria tacos and raspas, or frozen fruit treats, has a Washington Avenue location in the works.

Doña Leti’s, 16101 S. Post Oak Rd., is planning to add a second location at 7340 Washington Ave. just north of Interstate 10 and the Memorial Park Golf Course, according to a post from the restaurant’s Instagram account.

The location was once home to Agu Ramen Bistro, which closed in September 2020.

Photo by Stefan Modrich Shown is the two-meat dinner from Burns Original BBQ in Acres Homes with chopped beef, chicken, dirty rice and beans.

Burns Original BBQ Address: 8307 De Priest St. Dining Options: Dine-in, takeout Hours: 10:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.

Tuesday-Saturday Entree prices: $8.99-$17.99

Kid-friendly: Yes Senior discount: No Alcohol: No Healthy options: None Star of the show: Chopped beef brisket Rating: 5 out of 5 bites

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World of Sourdough headed to Lower Heights A fast-casual Californiabased restaurant is opening its first Texas location later this year in the Heights area.

World of Sourdough will be located in the forthcoming Lower Heights Development at 1440 Studemont St. The sandwich chain did not immediately return an email from The Leader seeking more information about the restaurant’s plans for the new location.

For more information, visit worldofsourdough.com.

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THE PUBLIC. The Leader • Saturday, January 22, 2022 • Page 8A

HPD: Man allegedly assaulted by girlfriend outside area business park

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

A man was taken to the hospital after being allegedly assaulted by his girlfriend outside a Central Northwest business park last weekend, according to the Houston Police Department.

Police say the victim, 43-year-old Michael Kubeczka, was taken to an area hospital in stable condition.

His girlfriend, a white woman known to police only as “Jessica,” according to HPD spokesperson Victor Senties, remained at large as of Tuesday, according to HPD. Senties

said that name was the only information the victim was able to give to police.

HPD said officers responded to a business park at 4909 W. 34th St. a little after 8 p.m. last Sunday to find Kubeczka bleeding from the head in the parking lot. His girlfriend had allegedly hit Kubeczka in the

head with an unknown object, police said, before fleeing the scene.

Anyone with information in this case is urged to contact HPD’s Major Assaults & Family Violence division at 713308-8800 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.

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landan@theleadernews.com

Two men and a woman were hospitalized after being shot during an argument outside a local bar over the weekend, according to the Houston Police Department.

HPD said 42-year-old Jose Lopez, 43-year-old Marion Felipe Soto Jr. and 19-year-old Jasmine Esto were taken to an area hospital with non-lifethreatening injuries.

Officers responded to a shooting call at The Spot Bar & Grill, 4818 Dacoma St., just

before 2 a.m. last Sunday, Jan. 16 to find all three victims with gunshot wounds, according to HPD. Police said eyewitnesses told investigators that the victims got into an argument with an unknown man near the entrance to the bar. The man then pulled out a gun and shot

all three victims, police said, before fleeing the scene.

Anyone with information in this case is asked to contact HPD’s Major Assaults & Family Violence division at 713308-8800 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.

Man found dead in tent near Sawyer Yards Pedestrian killed in Elder Rd. around 11:15 a.m. Jan. 14 to weekend freeway

By Landan Kuhlmann find the man in the beginning stages landan@theleadernews.com of decomposition inside a tent. An inicollision with truck A man was found dead inside a tent in tial autopsy from the medical examiner showed evidence of blunt force trauma the Sawyer Yards area last week with evidence of injuries to his head and neck, to the head and neck area, according to on North Loop 610 the Houston Police Department said.

The identity of the victim, a 59-yearold man, according to HPD, was in the process of being verified by Harris County’s medical examiner as of Tuesday.

Police said officers responded to 1100

police.

There were no known suspects or witness as of Tuesday, according to HPD. Anyone with information in this case is urged to reach out to HPD’s Homicide division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.

Woman shot in head, killed along Washington

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

A woman was shot in the head and killed while riding in a car with her boyfriend along Washington Avenue earlier this week, according to the Houston Police Department.

HPD said the victim’s identity is not yet being released pending notification to family members by the Harris County medical examiner. She was pronounced dead Monday night at the Texas Medical Center, police said.

Officers responded to Houston Fire Station No. 6, where a gunshot victim

had been brought. Police said the victim and her boyfriend had just left a nearby bar and were driving at 3400 Washington Ave. just after midnight Monday.

While they were driving, police said, the woman’s boyfriend heard a gunshot, then saw that she had been shot in the head and pulled into the station for help.

The victim was pronounced dead later that day, according to HPD. Anyone with information in the incident is asked to contact HPD’s Homicide division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

A man was killed after being struck by a tractor-trailer on North Loop 610 over the weekend, according to the Houston Police Department.

The man’s identity was pending verification as of Tuesday, according to a spokesperson for the Harris County medical examiner. He was pronounced dead Sunday night at Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital, according to HPD. HPD said a tractor-trailer towing a refrigerated box truck was traveling west at 500 North Loop West just before 2:30 p.m. last Sunday, Jan. 16, when it struck the victim as he attempted to cross the freeway.

The driver stopped and attempted to help the victim, according to police, which said the driver showed no signs of impairment and was questioned and released at the scene.

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Agnes Frances McConnell

A

March 11, 1933 - January 5, 2022

gnes Frances McConnell was born (Agnes Frances Dubec) on March 11, 1933, in Littlefield, Texas, to Joseph and Frances Dubec. She was one of eight children. In 1955, she married Paul McConnell in Needville, Texas. The day after their wedding Paul received his draft notice and three weeks later shipped out. The newlyweds rejoined at Fort Sill in Oklahoma, where they stayed until his next transfer. She returned to Texas and stayed with family for the duration of his service. Following the birth of their first child, they relocated to the Houston Heights to be closer to the medical center due to the needs of the newborn. Remaining in the Heights area, they purchased a home close to church and schools. Along with being a homemaker and a mother to 4 children, Agnes ran a daycare out of her home, becoming a symbolic mother to many more children through the years. Once her children were older, she began her career working in the insurance industry and after 20 years of service retired to spend time with her husband Paul and all of her children and grandchildren.

Agnes’s energy and love of children quickly returned her to the workforce, when she accepted a position in the neighborhood at Immanuel Lutheran Church’s daycare.

Agnes is preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Frances Dubec; husband, Paul A. McConnell; sons,

Lloyd McConnell, Emil McConnell and Allan McConnell; brothers, Joseph Dubec, Frank Dubec and Jerry Dubec; and sister, Martha Drabek. Agnes is survived by her sisters, Frances Janca & Adele Hundl; brother Emil Dubec, daughter, Diane McConnell; son, Alvin McConnell and his wife Cara; daughter-in-law, Rhonda McConnell; grandchildren, Jamie McConnell and his wife Becky, Kristie McConnell, Corrie Weichert and her husband Brandon, Nicholas McConnell and Trista McConnell.

The family will receive friends Thursday, January 20, 2022, 5pm 7pm at the Heights Funeral Home Chapel. A rosary will be held at 7pm immediately following visitation that evening. Funeral Mass is scheduled for Friday, January 21, 2022, 10am, at St. Anne De Beaupre Catholic Church, 2810 Link Rd. Houston, Texas 77009. Graveside service will take place at 2pm Friday following the Mass at Immaculate Conception Catholic Cemetery in Sealy, Texas.

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LEADER LISTING The Leader • Saturday, January 22, 2022 • Page 1B

Center of county’s population shifts outside loop

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

Anyone who drives through the Heights, Garden Oaks and Oak Forest areas can see signs of growth and increased density. New shopping centers and massive mixed-use developments have sprouted up in recent years, and so have apartment complexes and clusters of townhomes.

And there is lots of ongoing construction, which means more new buildings and housing units are on the way.

But according to the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University, population growth inside the Houston city limits has stagnated while exploding in surrounding suburbs such as Cypress, Katy, Sugar Land and The Woodlands. This was illustrated in a Jan. 14 blog post at kinder.rice.edu, which pointed out that the center of Harris County’s population, as calculated by the U.S. Census Bureau, has shifted outside of Loop 610 for the first time.

The county’s center of gravity, so to speak, is Discovery Resource, a courtreporting business at 1511 W. 34th St., a little bit east of Ella Boulevard in the Garden Oaks neighborhood. According to Bill Fulton, the director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research, that means the county’s population is fairly equal on all sides of that point on a map.

“It’s kind of funny to think about this,” Fulton said.

“You go to the Heights and see big apartments being built on the north side of I-10, which we see pretty regularly, yet the overall population isn’t growing. It’s counterintuitive. It’s kind of a weird situation.”

The center of the county’s population was in the Heights in 2000, near the intersection of 12th and Ashland streets, according to the aforementioned blog post. The reason for the shift about 2 miles to the north and west is because the county’s population has grown more in those directions that it has within the urban core.

Between 2000 and 2020, the metropolitan area’s pop-

Photo by Jean Dukate The Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University, citing a calculation by the U.S. Census Bureau, reported that the center of Harris County’s population shifted about 2 miles northwest, from a location in the Heights to a spot along West 34th Street in Garden Oaks, from 2000 to 2020. It is the first time the population center has been outside Loop 610.

ulation outside the city limits grew seven times faster than the population of the city itself, according to the Kinder Institute’s findings.

That trend is at odds with the city’s ongoing push to become more dense, walkable and multimodal.

“Essentially what we’re doing is trading families for singles and couples,” Fulton said. “That’s why you see the population stagnating even as you see new construction.”

According to the blog post, the COVID-19 pandemic and corresponding shift to working more from home while moving away from office spaces – thereby eliminating the need to commute – figures to accelerate the trend of greater suburban expansion. So could the advancement of technology such as autonomous vehicles, which might encourage

even more sprawl within the region.

The Kinder Institute, citing its estimates based on USPS data, wrote that “tens of thousands more Houstonians left the city than moved here in 2020,” with most of them moving to the suburbs within the metro area. That followed a period when the city added thousands of new housing units but also saw a decrease in population.

“A variety of factors are in play here: displacement of families, a lack of housing choices at affordable prices for varying income levels, new units not being built fast enough to displace demolished properties, and shrinking household sizes,” the blog post reads.

Fulton said it all has created a bifurcation of lifestyles inside the 610 Loop and outside of it. He said those

moving inside the loop tend to have more money than those moving outside of it, which creates more economic advantages within the urban core while also leading to more gentrification.

A potential way to drive more population growth within the city limits, according to the blog post, is for Houston’s planners and developers to continue creating more housing options in safe, walkable communities. Dwindling needs for office space within the city could lead to more opportunities for residential development.

For more information about the Kinder Institute’s research on this topic, visit h t t p s : / / k i n d e r. r i c e. e d u / urbanedge/2022/01/13/ har ris-county-populationsuburbs-census.

Photo by Jean Dukate Discovery Resource, 1511 W. 34th St., has been pinpointed as the center of Harris County’s population, according to the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University. That means the county’s population is fairly equal on all sides of that point on a map.

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Lower Heights beginning second phase of development landan@theleadernews.com

A Heights-area development has completed the first phase of construction, and work is beginning on Phase 2 with additions such as new incoming tenants.

Gulf Coast Commercial Group announced last week that Lower Heights, a 24-acre, mixed-use project fronting Interstate 10 between Studemont and Sawyer streets, is embarking on the second phase of the project.

Construction is underway on a pair of building additions that will “pay tribute to the roots of the formerly industrial neighborhood with brick, steel and redwood accents,” according to the release.

The first is a 6,000-square foot, one-story building that

will be the Houston home of Valhalla, New Yorkbased Veterinary Emergency Group, and is slated for completion this spring. Also coming to the development is a 25,000-square foot, twostory building that will be designed for both retail and office uses upon its completion this summer, according to Gulf Coast.

1440 Studemont, an approximately 35,000-square foot, two-story structure in the development, is also adding three additional tenants. GOLFTEC has leased 3,000 square feet on the second floor and is planning for a spring 2022 unveiling, while California-based fast casual concept World of Sourdough is opening its first Texas restaurant on the first floor in the first quarter of this year. A national retail chain has also purchased a

nearly 9-acre parcel of land and is slated for completion in the third quarter of this year, though the tenant has not been disclosed.

“It’s been incredibly rewarding to bring this downtown adjacent project to fruition and provide a range of everyday services and offerings to a rapidly growing corridor,” Gulf Coast Commercial president Tom Lile said. “We’re also thrilled that the location and mix has served some of our tenants so well that they are already expanding.”

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Page 2B • Saturday, January 22, 2022 • The Leader

Despite December downturns, local home sales see strong year

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

If there was one thing that could be said for the housing market across Houston and more locally in 2021, it was that they were booming for most of the year as more people worked from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

And even though that trend did not necessarily hold true in the year’s final month of sales, all local markets came out ahead of the 2020 pace when reviewing the year as a whole.

All six zip codes served by The Leader (77007, 77008, 77009, 77018, 77091 and 77092) experienced a year-over-year December sales drop or stagnation last month. However, all six of them also far outpaced their sales marks by at least 15 percent compared to 2020 totals.

On the pricing front, four of the six local zip codes experienced a year-over-year drop in average home price last month, while five of the six saw year-over-year median home price continue to rise.

Five of the six saw both the cumulative average and median price rise, with the 77009 zip code (Woodland Heights/ Northside) being the only local market to see both figures drop from the previous year.

77018 The zip code which includes Garden Oaks/Oak Forest as well as Shepherd Park Plaza and much of Central Northwest was the lone local market to break even year-over-year, with its 81 homes sold last month matching its December 2020 total. On the whole, the area saw 970 homes come off the market in 2021 – third most among local markets – which was a 22 percent increase over its 2020 total.

Pricing-wise, the average buyer paid slightly more (0.4 percent) compared to last December at $553,103, and 3.2 percent higher for the year at $530,095. December median price was up 1.7 percent yearover-year to $422,200, while the 2021 median price of $425,000 jumped 2.4 percent from the previous year.

77092

Just to the west, the zip code encompassing Langwood/Kempwood and part of Central Northwest saw the second-fewest homes sold (24) among local markets last month, a 22.7 percent drop from the 31 sales in December 2020. However, the area still finished 17 percent better than 2020, with 316 homes sold in 2021 compared to 270 the year before.

On a pricing front, yearover-year December average home price dipped 2.4 percent to $301,860, but was up 10 percent ($334,821) for the entire year. The median price jumped 13.9 percent up to $313,350 for December, and overall spiked 12 percent to $319,250 for the year.

77091 The northernmost zip code covered by The Leader, which is made up mostly of Greater Inwood and Acres Homes, saw the roughest month of local markets. The 20 total homes sold was the fewest in the area, and the 37.5 percent dip from December 2020 (32 homes sold) was the biggest

dip among local markets. It was still a good overall year for the area, though, with 271 sales – 20.4 percent more than the 225 sales in 2020.

Average buyers saw a 10.1 percent year-over-year increase for the month in paying $283,744, and overall experienced a 7.1 percent jump to $278,630 for the whole year.

Median price, meanwhile, was up 14.4 percent to $309,990 in December and up 5.6 percent ($285,000) for the year comparted to 2020.

77008 The Greater Heights was usually among the strongest in sales throughout 2021, but it took the same hit last month as many local markets. December home sales in the area were down 8 percent yearover-year, with 115 coming off the market compared to 125 the previous December. However, the 1,333 homes sold in 2021 was the most among local markets, and was an 18.9 percent increase over the output in 2020.

December’s greatest yearover-year jump in the area saw

the average price of a home spike 21.9 percent ($679,815) last month, and the overall 11.5 percent jump ($620,079) from 2020 was the biggest percentage spike among local markets. Median price for December was up 15.6 percent to $570,000, while the year-end figure of $525,000 was an 8.2 percent increase from the previous year.

77009 On the eastern edge of the area, the zip code including Woodland Heights and Northside/Northline saw its December sales drop 16.7 percent year-over-year as just 55 homes came off the market.

There were 681 homes sold throughout the course of the year, however, marking a 15.6 percent increase from 2020.

As far as pricing goes, this zip code’s 17.9 percent dip in year-over-year December average home price ($512,532) was the largest in the area – and it was also the only area to see a cumulative drop from 2020 to 2021, with the average price for the year dipping 4.1 percent down to $507,934.

Median price was down 15.2 percent ($445,000) compared to last December, and cumulatively was down 2 percent ($441,000) compared to all of 2020.

77007 Furthest to the south, the Washington Avenue/Rice Military zip code saw December home sales dip 7.7 percent year-over-year with just 96 sales compared to 104 in December 2020. Just like all of its counterparts, however, the area saw a massive boom for the year – its 1,086 total sales were second most among local markets, while the 29.4 percent jump from 2020 was the biggest local spike.

December average home price dipped slightly (0.1 percent) down to $532,178, though the full-year average price for the area jumped 8.5 percent to $589,247. The median price for a home here was up 2.1 percent ($462,000) year-over-year in December, and cumulative median price rose 3.1 percent ($475,000) compared to 2020.

REALTOR SHOWCASE

Schmidt sticking with strengths in new year

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Janet Schmidt knows what her bread and butter is when it comes to keeping her clients informed on the market to help them make the best decision on buying or selling their home.

So even though there are some changes she might make based on market trends, she said she’s staying true to what has made her a trusted neighborhood realtor in the Leader coverage area for more than four decades.

In her mind, there’s no reason to change what has worked for more than 40 years. She has been a licensed real estate agent since 1977, and has served the community with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Premier Properties since 1997. Schmidt has been at the top of her agency from 2017-2021 and has been a top producer for years throughout her career.

“I keep in contact my with my clients monthly. They’re going to get something from me, and always see my name and my face – that’s how I do it,” said Schmidt, who tries to provide market updates via social media and other channels. “I try to keep them abreast of the market. That’s sort of my forte.”

For more than two decades, she has worked with buyers and sellers in neighborhoods such as Oak Forest, Garden Oaks, Timbergrove/Lazybrook and Rice Military along with Shepherd Park Plaza, Candlelight Plaza, Shepherd Forest, Candlelight Estates, Cypress, and the Heights. Using her unique knowledge of the area, Schmidt takes pride in helping her clients through the buying or selling process – before, during, and after the transaction is complete.

One of her biggest keys to any transaction, she said, is maintaining a personal connection with her clients. Many of her clients are repeat and referral customers, making it vitally im-

Janet Hartman Schmidt portant for her to forge a personal relationship beyond simply client/realtor. She believes in the importance of maintaining a generational connection with those she has known since before she dipped her toe into real estate.

“In the first year, they remember you after selling a house. After that, they don’t remember who they used if you don’t stay in contact with them,” she said. “That’s how you serve your clients well, is by staying in touch with them and make sure they don’t need any other services you can give them.”

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That service has been at a bit of premium over the last year, she admitted, due to sharp spike in home sales. Each of the six zip codes served by The Leader – 77018, 77091, 77092, 77007, 77008, and 77009 – saw 2021 home sales rise by at least 15 percent from the previous year according to data from the Houston Association of Realtors.

But it’s something Schmidt said she is still committed to doing all the time, and said it is one of her resolutions to get personal interaction back to prior levels this year.

“I normally do really well with that, though last year was very hard on that because you’ve just been so busy since there’s so many sales,” she said. I just want to get back in touch with people – that’s what you’ve got to do (in this business).”

The last couple of years have not been without their challenges, Schmidt said, as realtors deal with uneasiness from buyers and sellers.

“The challenging part has been trying to get people to listen to you when you tell them what to do on their offers, for them to believe what you’re saying, and for them to back up the information you’re giving them,” she said.

But the reward for pushing through and striving to put their best foot forward, she said, has been one of the area’s best sales years in recent memory – a trend she anticipates continuing for at least the first half of this year.

“We’ve really worked hard, and this type of year is the best reward – to have a good year, and to see people happy in their house,” she said. “That’s a great reward, because they’re so excited.”

Anyone wanting to buy or list a home with Schmidt can reach out to her at 713-419-7918 or via email at janetschmidt58@yahoo.com.

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The Leader • Saturday, January 22, 2022 • Page 3B

Perkins, Donald-Wright help Lady Panthers snap losing streak

By Landan Kuhlmann

contest with a 78-45 victory over Wheatley last Saturday, Jan. 15 at Delmar Coliseum.

The win moved Washington to 8-12 overall and 5-1 in 234A, which has them in second place behind Kashmere.

Senior forward Dakiah Yates paced Washington with a season-high 30 points to go along with six rebounds and five steals.

Kemya Reece was a force all around with 25 points, 12 steals and seven assists, while Kourtni Collier added 19 points, nine rebounds and eight blocked shots.

The Lady Eagles were scheduled to be back in action Thursday night against Yates.

The Heights Lady Bulldogs dropped to 4-7 overall and 3-3 in District 18-6A with a 54-43 loss to Bellaire despite the best efforts of Jazmyne Gilbert and Tatianna Brown. Gilbert paced Heights with 14 points and 12 rebounds, while Brown tied her season high with 21 rebounds to go along with five steals and four blocked shots.

On the private school side, Lutheran High North (10-8) was idle last week and scheduled to return to action Tuesday night against Brazos Christian.

Boys Chris McDermott and Kenneth Lewis shined once again for the Booker T. Washington Eagles, who improved to 17-4 overall

landan@theleadernews.com

The St. Pius X High School girls basketball team had been in a bit of a funk for the last month, losing six out of nine games entering play last week. But the Lady Panthers are hoping a big district win can get them headed in the right direction.

SPX enjoyed a 77-22 rout of Beaumont Kelly Catholic last Saturday, Jan. 15, improving to 15-8 overall and 2-2 in TAPPS district play.

Zachara Perkins had a triple-double – her first of the season – with 26 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the Lady Panthers, and Farren Donald-Wright had a season-high 20 points to help them snap a twogame losing streak. Perkins has scored at least 20 points in 17 of the Lady Panthers’ 23 games this season while grabbing double-digit rebounds in every contest.

The Lady Panthers were shooting for a second consecutive win Wednesday against Houston Incarnate Word Academy.

Other girls action Booker T. Washington’s Lady Eagles have been on a nice run to start District 234A play that has them near the top of the standings, and their three biggest stars helped them continue the trend last weekend.

The Lady Eagles won their third consecutive district

and 8-0 in District 23-4A with a 105-79 victory Jan. 15 over Wheatley. McDermott poured in a game-high 37 points along with 25 rebounds – his fifth game this season with at least 20 rebounds – while Lewis had a double-double of his own with 30 points and a seasonhigh 15 rebounds. Freshman Sam Johnson also had a solid game with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Waltrip improved to 5-11 with a 66-48 win over Sharpstown on Jan. 14, while Scarborouogh is 0-12 following an 85-13 loss to Furr on Jan. 14.

On the private school side, the St. Thomas Eagles dropped to 6-9 on the season with a district-opening 78-53 loss to Concordia Lutheran on Jan. 14, despite a strong performance from Ty Beston. The junior guard had 16 points and six rebounds along with four steals for the Eagles, who were scheduled to play The Village School on Tuesday night.

Lutheran High North is 16-3 overall and 3-1 in district competiton following a 70-58 win over Conroe Covenant Christian on Jan. 11.

St. Pius X improved to 5-8 by splitting a pair of games last week. The Panthers dropped a 49-46 decision to Christian Homeschool Academy on Jan. 11 before beating Beaumont Kelly Catholic 68-67 in double overtime on Jan. 14.

Photo from Twitter The St. Pius X Lady Panthers were able to snap a two-game losing streak with a 77-22 win over Beaumont Kelly Catholic last week thanks to a triple double from Zachara Perkins and 20 points from Farren Donald-Wright.

Celebrating Betty White at Eureka Heights brewery

By Stefan Modrich smodrich@mcelvypartners.com

For the last three years, Eureka Heights Brew Co., 941 W. 18th St., has celebrated the birthday of iconic actress and comedian Betty White.

Casey Motes, co-founder of Eureka Heights, told me he was planning an even bigger birthday bash this year for White, who would have turned 100 on Monday. But when White died Dec. 31, Motes knew the brewery needed to put together an event that would honor her life and legacy as a co-star of “The Golden Girls” and a staunch advocate for animal welfare.

When I arrived at the brewery a few minutes before it opened last Friday, Jan. 14, the line had already stretched from the parking lot and wrapped around the sidewalk to the front door.

As I waited in line to buy my beer, I saw people pose for pictures with a framed photo of White and the shrine that had formed there with flowers, candles, pens and stationery for visitors to write notes that began with “Thank you Betty.”

“We were blown away by the turnout,” Motes said. “We did not expect anything like this. … It’s about bringing people together and laughing over a beer.”

But not just any beer. For each of White’s birthday celebrations, Eureka Heights has released a limited run of its Rose Nylund IPA, a Belgian white IPA using rose hips in a nod to the character White played on “The Golden Girls.”

A companion beer, the Saint Olaf, a fruity IPA, was released to pay tribute to Nylund’s hometown on the show. Sixpacks of both beers were also available in limited quantities for take-home sales.

“We wanted to call it the Betty White IPA, but that’s a little too on the nose,” Motes said. “It’s very soft, floral and delicate, so very nuanced. So we actually put some elements from her character from ‘Golden Girls’ into the beer.”

I took a sip of the Rose Nylund IPA from my commemorative glass, which has White’s likeness and an inscription that reads, “She’s neater than hard salami,” a reference to a “The Golden Girls” episode title and a line from her character on the show. The scent of the rose hips lingered on my pal-

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Photo by Photo by Stefan Modrich The Rose Nylund IPA, shown in this commemorative glass from Eureka Heights Brew Co., is a limited edition beer that the brewery releases annually to celebrate the birthday of late actress Betty White.

ate, along with a mild citrusy flavor.

Patrons who ordered a beer from Eureka Heights were also treated to free cupcakes and received raffle tickets for a chance to win Betty White memorabilia. Several televisions and large projector screens played episodes of “The Golden Girls” across the brewery.

Another element of White’s larger-than-life personality that resonated with the Eureka Heights team was her consistent advocacy on behalf of animals. The brewery partnered with the Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), allowing guests the opportunity to round up their tabs to donate to the organization in White’s honor for the rest of the month.

Patrick Plunk, spokesperson for the local SPCA chapter, told me the latest collaboration between his employer and Eureka Heights event manager Evan Camp was a year in the making. But when the opportunity came up to celebrate White’s life after her passing, it

was a no-brainer, he said.

“It just never dawned on us that we should probably make that a thing,” Plunk said. “The more that we can go out there and be part of these types of events in the community, it only helps the animals.”

Plunk said some of his Houston SPCA colleagues are Betty White superfans, and that “The Golden Girls” was his parents’ favorite show when he was growing up.

“Her mantra is just so positive,” Plunk said. “A lot of people that are older that have grown up watching her shows as well as people that are in the new generation, they’re out there.”

Several patrons brought their dogs with them to Eureka Heights last Friday, including Monique Wyatt. She told me she had adopted her dog Buddy exactly four years ago to the day. She said she wasn’t aware of the full extent of White’s involvement with animal rescues, but that she appreciated those efforts along with her warmth and sense of humor.

“She’s a legend,” Wyatt said.

“I love that about her, and it makes me like her even more.”

Motes recounted that when Eureka Heights created its Twitter account, the social media company required them to follow at least one person.

And who better, he thought, than someone who exemplified the free spirit and funloving energy that Eureka Heights hoped to provide for its customers?

White’s account remains the only Twitter account followed

by Eureka Heights.

“She was joyful,” Motes said. “She made people laugh.

I mean, back in the 1940s and 1950s, she was the radio host of her own show. And with (the ‘Mary Tyler Moore Show’) around for so long, she found ways to stay relevant.

It’s absolutely crazy to think someone can have an 80-year career. To me, it’s so cool that she was herself and wasn’t afraid to do something goofy or dumb, or outside your comfort zone if she thought it was going to bring people joy.”

Catnip-obsessed kitties and the humans who love them no secret that cats love catnip and it can even make the most intense kitty chill like no other.

But, what is catnip and is there any reason to limit your cat’s exposure to the stuff ?

Dear Tabby, Our cat is OBSESSED with catnip. He goes absolutely bonkers for the stuff! It’s so funny to watch him when he gets into it!

What is catnip and should we be worried that it could harm him?

Catnip Fiend in Timbergrove Dear Catnip Fiend, Oh, catnip–that deliciously weird herb that makes cats act super bizarre and crazy! It’s

What is catnip?

Catnip is an herb that is closely related to mint. Its scientific name is Nepeta cataria and it can be grown all over North America and is actually considered a weed. The chemical that is in this plant, called nepetalactone, is what gives your cat that familiar “buzz.”

The effects of catnip have been compared to marijauna or LSD but the good news is that your cat can’t overdose on catnip.

According to researchers, male cats tend to respond more to catnip as the chemi-

cals in the plant are some of the same chemicals that are in a female cat’s urine, thus sometimes enlisting a “how you doin’?” reaction from male cats. Some cats eat the stuff, and many just sniff and roll around in it, but amazingly, only about half of the cat population reacts to catnip.

If your cat is young or very old, there’s also a chance that they won’t react to catnip. Vets say that cats develop an affinity for the stuff at about the age of three to six months.

Should you limit catnip?

Typically, after about 10 minutes, your cat will come off of his “catnip high,” and go back to normal. It also often takes a couple of hours before your cat can react to the chemicals in catnip again,

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so this helps keep kitty from overdoing it with catnip. Catnip can also lose its potency over time, so to keep your catnip fresh for your cat, store it in the fridge or freezer to retain its quality.

Alternatives to catnip If you’ve tried catnip with your cat and he or she doesn’t seem to care, you can try other alternatives that might get a response. For instance, silvervine is a Japanese herb that many cats love. Silvervine has several compounds in it that attract cats, so even the pickiest cats tend to react to silvervine. Valerian root can be helpful for humans who need help sleeping, but it also works to excite cats. When cats are exposed to valerian root, they will often get super

playful and, yes, maybe a little weird and wacky. It’s just as safe as catnip but beware of sharing it with your cat at bedtime–especially if you need it to help you sleep, because it

might get Fluffy in the mood to part-tay.

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

Pet of the Week Meet Catra Do you like calicos? How about bob-tailed cats? Well, Catra is the best of both worlds!

This 8 month old lovebug is super playful but also a total cuddlebug. She is gorgeous, sweet, purrs all the time and would make the perfect addition to most any family. To learn more about Catra, go to www.animaljusticeleague.org.

Page 4B • Saturday, January 22, 2022 • The Leader