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Hunt in prime position for Congressional seat By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

Wesley Hunt already had the support of former President Donald Trump. On Tuesday he appeared to get the backing of Republican voters in the Houston area, likely pushing Hunt one step closer to his goal of representing part of the Greater Heights in Washington D.C. Hunt, the former U.S. Army captain and Iraq War veteran who recently re-

ceived an endorsement from Trump, held a commanding lead Wednesday morning in the Republican primary for a new Congressional seat created during redistricting by the Texas Legislature. With 206 of 375 voting centers reporting, according to unofficial election results released by Harris County, Hunt had received 56.4 percent of the vote in a race that included nine other hopefuls. Mark Ramsey was second with a little less than 30 percent of

the vote. If Hunt remains above the 50-percent threshold when all of Tuesday’s votes are tallied, he’ll face either Diana Martinez Alexander or Duncan F. Klussmann in November’s general election. Alexander and Klussmann were the two leading vote-getters in the Democratic primary for the District 38 seat, with neither earning at least 50 percent of the vote, so they will compete Whitmire

See Election P. 5A

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Photo from HPARD Twitter Houston Parks and Recreation Department director Kenneth Allen, left, and Houston City Council member Abbie Kamin shovel dirt during a Feb. 24 groundbreaking ceremony for new playground equipment at T.C. Jester Park.

‘State of the art’ equipment coming to local park By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Celebrate art. The First Saturday Arts Market turns 18 years old this weekend.

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Cowboy up. A Heights shop makes custom boots that would go over great at the rodeo.

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Cleanup crew. Oak Forest residents teamed up to clean the esplanades on West 43rd.

By the time school begins next fall, a popular local park could have a new amenity primed and ready for the area’s children. Officials from the city of Houston gathered last Thursday morning at T.C. Jester Park, 4201 W. T.C. Jester Blvd., for the groundbreaking of a project they say will redevelop and enlarge the playground with “state-of-the-art” equipment selected in hopes of promoting cognitive, emotional, physical and social development. “We expect this playground with its cognitive, social, physical, and emotional benefits to become a hit with Houstonians, and become a model for playground construction for the nation,” said Kenneth Allen, director of the city’s Parks and Recreation department. “… From day to day and week to week, there will be a spot where kids can actually use their imagination and develop.” Houston City Council member Abbie Kamin – whose District C includes T.C. Jester Park – said the efforts to get funding for such a project began with her predecessor, former Mayor Pro Tem Ellen Cohen, who was a major driver in helping to secure funding for the $1.02 million project. Efforts to get construction started had begun prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Kamin. The work is slated to be completed in early August, according to a construction notice posted at the site of the playground, which is just south of the community pool.

Contributed graphic Pictured is an artist’s rendering of new playground equipment to be installed at T.C. Jester Park. City officials say the new playground should be ready for use by the fall.

“This park is in need of major investments, and the fact that we’re able to get the ball rolling again on this is exciting for the community,” she said. Upon completion, the playground will include play units for various age groups such as swing sets, climbers, freestanding play components and a boulder water play element. It will also include sidewalk upgrades, decorative fencing and new picnic tables, benches,

Naomi Smulian Mendel spent the last three decades of her life creating and teaching art in the Heights. It was a passion that sprouted at an apartment in Israel, where her father painted the walls of a small closet white and allowed his young daughSmulian ter to cover them with colorful paint. Then Smulian’s father would paint them white again, giving her a fresh canvas to create more artwork. Smulian, who died recently at age 87 after a brief illness, paid it forward and then some by nurturing the creative spirits of thousands of children and adults in the Houston area. She was the founder and owner of Art Studio on the Boulevard, which operates on the campus of Heights Christian Church at 1703 Heights Blvd., as well as the Mad Hatter Arts Camp held every summer since 1997. “She was one of a kind, just an amazing person,” said Yu Cha Pak, a longtime teacher at Art Studio on the Boulevard. “She also was really passionate about the school.” According to Lori Knapp, the office administrator at Art Studio on the Boulevard, Smulian created an art curriculum used by many Houston schools and served approximately 500 students per year through her summer camp, after-school classes, home-school classes, adult evening classes and the “Little Picassos” program at the Esperanza School in the Washington Avenue area. Her pupils were as young as 4 years old, with Smulian also teaching art to adults. Smulian’s own artwork was primarily oil paintings on canvas – her last gallery exhibition was in the Heights to celebrate her 80th birthday – but she taught a wide range of art forms at her studio and the annual summer camp. Knapp said students are exposed to other forms of painting, such as with charcoals, water colors and sketching

See Playground P. 3A

See Smulian P. 4A

Soccer Roundup: SPX girls soccer headed to state tournament By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

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THE INDEX. Church....................................................... 4A Classifieds.............................................. 5A Coupons................................................... 3B Food/Drink............................................. 7A Obituaries............................................... 2B Opinion..................................................... 3A Public Information......................... 4B Puzzles...................................................... 3A Sports......................................................... 2B

Heights arts teacher made lasting impact By Adam Zuvanich

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Photo from Twitter The St. Pius X Lady Panthers soccer team celebrates following its area-round playoff win over St. Dominic Savio on Feb. 25. SPX won that game 7-0, and Tuesday’s 1-0 win qualified the team for the TAPPS 6A state tournament.

Only a few high school soccer teams are fortunate enough to still be playing this time of year, and a local private school is among them. The St. Pius X Lady Panthers are bound for the TAPPS 6A state tournament after a pair of wins last week. SPX was victorious in its opening-round playoff game, dominating St. Dominic Savio 7-0 last Friday, Feb. 25. The Lady Panthers then grinded out a 1-0 win over San Antonio Christian on Tuesday to qualify for state.

Texas A&M commit Margo Matula had a hat trick and two assists for the Lady Panthers (14-3) against St. Dominic Savio, while Caroline Velasquez also had a hat trick and Carley Cannon added a goal and an assist. Against San Antonio Christian, Matula netted the only goal of the match off an assist from Corinne Ward. The Lady Panthers did not allow an opponent to score for the sixth straight match thanks to the efforts of junior goalkeeper Sarah Woods. SPX has not allowed a goal since Feb. 8, and will look to carry that momentum into the state semifinals later this week.

Other girls action On the public school side, Waltrip’s Lady Rams ran their winning streak to 10 matches with another pair of wins last week. The Lady Rams (13-5-3, 9-0) defeated Houston Austin 11-0 on Feb. 23 before taking down Sharpstown 2-0 on Feb. 25. Alejandra Ochoa scored four times for the Lady Rams while dishing out three assists against Austin, and goalkeeper Kimberly Flores made seven saves against Sharpstown to help the Lady Rams to their 11th shutout win of the season. Waltrip was scheduled to play

See Soccer P. 4A

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THE TOPICS. The Leader • Saturday, March 5, 2022 • Page 3A

Can Beto be beaten? Recent history suggests he can THE PATIO – It is 75 degrees, although tomorrow it’s supposed to drop into the 60s. That’s bad news for Beto O’Rourke. He won the race for the Democratic nomination for governor of Texas, and his main selling point to the voters is how badly our present governor who’s running for re-election, Greg (No Masks!) Abbott, handled, or mishandled, last year’s Winter Storm Uri. In speech after speech from Orange to El Paso, Brownsville to Amarillo, Beto (may we call him Beto since I can’t ever spell O’Roark, O’Roarick, O’Really?) has pitched the disaster that hit Texas. He has plenty of material to work with: Last year about this time, at least 246 people were killed directly or indirectly by the storm, with some estimates as high as more than 1,000. At the peak of the outages, at least 4.5 million Texas residents were left without electricity, including me. Property damage was put at $195 billion. If you will recall, Abbott, charged the fault mainly lay with ERCOT. He never mentioned that he appoints the Public Utility Commission which regulates ERCOT. He also blamed power companies, the press and, of course, the treehuggers. He said on -- where else? -- Fox News, “This shows how the Green New Deal would be a deadly deal for the United States. Our

Lynn Ashby Columnist

wind and our solar, they got shut down and they were collectively more than 10 percent of our power grid, and that thrust Texas into a situation where it was lacking power on a statewide basis.” The Federal Energy Regulatory Agency, in a more than 300-page follow-up investigation, said the disaster was primarily the result of the oil and gas industry’s failure to weatherize its systems, causing nearly 60 percent of power outages to occur at natural gas-fired plants. Back in 2015, Abbott ordered the Texas State Guard (not the National Guard) to monitor a federal military exercise called Jade Helm 15 because of rumors the exercise was a step towards the feds taking over Texas. His move to re-write our election laws to transparently limit Democrats from voting has generated nationwide ridicule of Texas. When the delta variant hit Texas, Abbott issued a sweeping

executive order that banned mask requirements by governments and public school systems, and outlawed vaccine requirements by anyone receiving public funds. Our governor changed his anti-virus orders constantly. Don’t forget the Guv’s stand on women’s reproductive rights and who can tote a gun. Almost anyone. Still, Texans have a tendency to ignore their politicians’ records. (Atty Gen Ken Paxton, Ag Commish Sid Miller and Lite Gov Dan Patrick.) Beto has been trailing in polls, often by double digits. If money is the mother’s milk of politics, Beto needs to be adopted. Thus far Abbott has raised $84.2 million and spent $50.7 million, with $49.9 million still in his account. (He had $26 million left over from his 2018 race.) Beto raised $13.3 million, spent $6.5 million and has still has $6.8 million. And Beto is late at the gate. His run against Abbott started 229 days later than his U.S. Senate campaign did in 2017. Reporters love to write about “a fresh face” in politics, having grown bored with writing about the Bushes, the Clintons and the Cuomos. But Beto is no longer a fresh face. He has been in our own faces since he first ran against Ted Cruz for the U.S. Senate in 2018. True, he ultimately came within 3

percentage points of Cancun Cruz, the closest a Democrat had come in a state-wide race in Texas in decades. Awash in his newness and charisma, Beto ran for the Democratic nomination for President in 2020, but bombed. Now, after his two defeats, the deep-pocket Dem donors are apparently looking for a fresher fresh face. In this solidly elephant state, Beto rides the donkey. Remember Will Rogers’ famous quote, “I’m not a member of any organized political party…. I’m a Democrat.” LBJ and Sam Rayburn must be turning over on their clouds over the state of today’s Texas Democrat Party. For the year 2020, Texas Monthly named as its Bum Steer of the Year, the Texas Dems. To be fair, co-winner of the 2021 Bum Steer was Abbott. On August 3, 2019, a gunman opened fire inside a Walmart in El Paso, killing 23 people and wounding 23 others. Beto often touted his love for his hometown. Later, on a debate stage in Houston, garnering loud applause, he vowed: “Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47.” That vow did not sit well with Texans who like to shoot up a Walmart. Since then, that promise has haunted him and he has been backtracking. Speaking to reporters later, Beto said: “I’m not interested in

taking anything from anyone. What I want to make sure that we do is defend the Second Amendment. I want to make sure that we protect our fellow Texans far better than we’re doing right now.” Beto went on to charge that Abbott rejected complaints by law enforcement officials when he signed a bill that basically let anyone carry a gun. All this time you are wondering where Robert Francis O’Rourke got his nickname. As an infant, his family gave him the nickname “Beto,” a common Spanish-Portuguese nickname for first names ending in “-berto” (or “bert”) to distinguish him from his grandfather. Pat O’Rourke served as El Paso County Commissioner and County Judge. In Beto’s race against Cruz, the senator claimed the nickname was a new one used to curry favor among Hispanics. Beto released a photo of him as a child wearing a T-shirt. Written across the front of the shirt was one word: “Beto.” We must suspect “Ted” is Canadian for Rafael Edward Cruz. This race may come down to staying warm, so to see who is going to be the next governor of Texas, forget the polls and pundits, check your thermometer. Ashby freezes at ashby2@comcast.net

THE READER.

Email us your letters: news@theleadernews.com

Opinion article on proposed 11th St Project

Photo by Adam Zuvanich The existing playground at T.C. Jester Park, surrounded by construction fencing, is worn and includes outdated equipment. A new playground is being installed by the City of Houston.

Playground, fro m P. 1A trash receptacles and a drinking fountain. Each one of its new elements, officials said, will be a tool young children in the area can use in their development. “A playground is a wonderful addition to any park – they challenge kids. Kids become who they want to become on playgrounds,” Allen said. “They make their own rules, and they’re able to develop physically as well as mentally. It’s just a wonderful space.” What’s more, Kamin and Allen said the importance of the city’s parks and other outdoor spaces has become even more pronounced over the last couple of years. As residents have dealt with the ongoing pandemic, more and more families have been spending time outside so they and their children could recreate with more peace of mind. Bringing the new amenity to the park, officials said, will help even more with the mental well-being of children while simultaneously

satisfying their need for physical activity. “I think COVID really gave us a new appreciation for the outdoors in a way that we lost for a little bit,” Kamin said. “To be able to have families come together and kids play safely is a need that is timeless.” Allen echoed the sentiment. “People feel safe outside,” he said. “And when we think about kids, what do they want to do? They want to play.” Officials say they hope to have construction completed on the park this fall by the time school is back in session, so that young children have a new spot to release their energy and grow in multiple facets. That includes Kamin’s own family, who she said frequently uses T.C. Jester Park and will continue to come once the new playground is operational. “What’s special about this park is the new aspects of play that focus on a whole spectrum of growth and

education that’s very new,” she said. “(That innovation) is really paving the way for a new type of play.”

THELEADERNEWS.COM

Don’t mess with Canada

Dear Editor: I am not sure that I understand the point of

When IRS eyes are smiling, it’s time to frown

Dear Editor: Does tax humor escape rich people in this country? Mobarr

Former local mail carrier accused of stealing credit cards

Dear Editor: And people wonder why we are leary using USPS. Babs

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

SUDOKU

aCrOss

NEVER MISS A STORY

Dear Editor: Like a large number of my fellow neighborhood residents - I disagree with Adam’s opinion that we should just close our eyes and hope that the ill-conceived 11th St project magically works. The argument that precious taxpayer dollars should be spent on the latest half-baked proposal for 11th St….because...we can always come back and spend even more taxpayer dollars to clean up the inevitable mess...is ludicrous. We don’t even have to leave the neighborhood to find the last place the city installed protected bike lanes that go virtually unused - anyone who regularly drives on Cavalcade can attest that….we built it, but they DIDN’T come. Anyone serious about improving public safety that has been paying attention to the alarming increase in Houston violent crime over the past two years knows that the city has more pressing needs for these funds than creating more traffic jams and building even more underutilized bike lanes. Eli Millican

this column. The Canadian government acting contrary to democracy. The US media acts as though democracy is some type of holy institution that must be defended at all costs. But not when democracy disagrees with the elites. The truckers were dishonestly portrayed as racists and saboteurs. In fact, most images show them holding Canadian flags and peacefully protesting. Contrast this with peaceful protests in the US, which feature burning buildings, over turned cars, and smashed windows. Personal liberty is the foundation of any democratic society, and forcing medical treatment on the general public is a most undemocratic action. JasonH

1. Kiln 5. American time 8. Female sibling 11. Fencing sword 13. Spoken in Laos 14. Swiss river 15. Fictional Middleearth 16. ‘The Real World’ (abbr.) 17. Replacement worker 18. Form after cuts 20. Frozen water 21. Irritates 22. Type of bread 25. Female peace officers 30. Where to put things 31. Commercials 32. Hard drinker 33. Take in 38. Copy 41. Volume of published materials 43. Used to be called ‘skim’ 45. Organizes 47. Parts of worms 49. __ Khan: hereditary title 50. A cravat with wide square ends

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dOwn 1. Former CIA 2. Ooohs and ___ 3. Invests in little enterprises 4. Spanish river 5. In the preceding month 6. Malignant tumor 7. Dried off 8. Via __: main street of Ancient Rome 9. Asian country (alt. sp.) 10. One point south of southeast 12. Confederate soldier 14. Popular Bollywood actress Thottumkal

19. Small scale embedded generation (abbr.) 23. Female sheep 24. Of unsound mind 25. Pacific Time 26. Iowa town 51044 27. Trim 28. Wrath 29. Used to serve wine 34. Make less bright 35. Skywalker mentor __-Wan Kenobi 36. Protestant, Ulster, Loyalist 37. Expression of disappointment 39. Tropical fruits 40. Furniture with open shelves 41. Metal can be extracted from it 42. Flat tableland with steep edges 44. Lingua __ 45. Chadic language 46. Peruse 47. Yemenese port city 48. Lean 51. Helps little firms 52. Blackjack players need this 53. Be obedient to 54. Source of the Nile River 58. Cool

WORD SCRAMBLE

Page 4A • Saturday, March 5, 2022 • The Leader

Heights High School senior earns honor from Boys & Girls Clubs By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

A Heights High School student was recently recognized for her service to the Greater Houston community as part of a local Boys & Girls Club. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston (BGCGH) announced Feb. 23 the winners and runner-ups for its annual Youth of the Year (YOY) award. Heights High School senior Ashly Gomez was one of the runner-ups for Youth of the Year and received a $3,000 scholarship, according to BGCGH spokesperson Carol Brejot. Brejot said Gomez has been a member of BGCGH’s Texans Teen Club for more than three years, and that

she plans to study architectural engineering in college to help pursue a career in construction management. Gomez also wants to inspire more girls to pursue careers related to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), according to Brejot. “The Youth of the Year program honors and celebrates inspiring teens and their incredible journeys and is based on outstanding leadership, service, academic excellence and dedication to living a healthy lifestyle,” a news release from the organization said. For more information about Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston, community members can visit their website at bgcgh.org.

Contributed photo Heights High School student Ashly Gomez, center, was named a runner-up in the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston’s annual Youth of the Year program, receiving a $3,000 scholarship.

Soccer, from P. 1A Milby on Wednesday night looking to extend its streak and move closer to a fourth district title in five seasons. The Scarborough Lady Spartans also continued to roll last week. The Lady Spartans moved to 8-5 overall and 8-0 in District 23-4A following a 5-0 win over Kashmere on Feb. 23 and winning by forfeit against Wheatley on Feb. 25. Katherine Alvarado and Genesis Urquia each scored twice against Kashmere, while goalkeeper Aisha Khan secured the clean sheet for Scarborough’s third shutout win of the season. Boys The St. Thomas High School boys soccer team is seeking the program’s first state championship in more than three decades, and got their playoff run started with a big win last week. The Eagles continued what has been a sizzling run for much of

the season in the opening round of the TAPPS 6A postseason by defeating St. Dominic Savio 5-0 on Saturday night in the area round, running their winning streak to 11 matches and their unbeaten streak to 17 matches. Freshman sensation Mambo Tello netted a hat trick for the Eagles (24-3-3), while Nguyen Nguyen and Ryan Nguyen each added a goal of their own. St. Thomas was slated to play San Antonio Antonian Prep (14-4-1) in the regional round on Wednesday night. It was the second matchup of the season between the two schools, with the Apaches winning 2-1 on Dec. 3. In public school action, the Heights Bulldogs lost in penalty kicks Feb. 22 against Houston Math, Science, and Tech. Heights is 4-7 on the season and 4-4 in District 18-6 play and will face Lamar on Satur-

day. Waltrip had its two-match winning streak snapped with a 1-0 loss to Sharpstown on Saturday. The Rams dropped to 5-9-1 on the season and 5-4 in District 23-5A competition. Scarborough (10-1, 6-0 district) was idle last week after its scheduled match against Kashmere on Feb. 23 was rescheduled due to inclement weather. The Spartans will next play Saturday against Mickey Leland College Prep. On the private school front, the St. Pius X Panthers saw their season come to an end in the TAPPS area round on Saturday, dropping a 4-2 decision to San Antonio Central Catholic. Lutheran High North’s season is also over following an area-round loss to Schertz John Paul II in penalty kicks last week.

Waltrip class of 1967 hosting reunion April 22 By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

The Waltrip High School class of 1967 will be hosting its 55th-year reunion on April 22 at the Cadillac Bar, 1802 Shepherd Dr., from 6:30 p.m.midnight Tickets for the reunion are

$40 per person if purchased in advance. They will be $50 at the door the night of the reunion. The school’s city champion football team will be at the reunion, and there will also be a cash bar available. For more information, email Libbey Hilliard Scheible

at libbeyscheible@gmail. com. To keep up to date on the latest information related to the class and its reunion, visit www.Waltrip67.com and follow the group on Facebook @WaltripHighSchoolClassOf1967.

fine arts degree from Ecole des Beaux Arts and Grand Chaumier in Paris, France. She was an artist in Paris at the same time as Pablo Picasso, according to Knapp. Naomi and Jonathan met in 1963 in London, England, where they had their son, and Jonathan’s career as a city planner took the couple to Trinidad, Venezuela, Columbia, back to Venezuela and eventually the United States in 1979. They lived in Virginia and Vermont for a few years before settling in Houston in 1985. In addition to Hebrew and English, Naomi Smulian also spoke French, German and Spanish, according to Knapp. “She lived, to me, the most amazing life,” Knapp said. Enriching the lives of others, especially children, was the driving force in Smulian’s life. She mentored many students who attended the Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, according to Knapp, who said it was not uncommon for

Smulian’s students to pursue art as a career and return to her studio or camp to serve as counselors or teachers. Knapp said Smulian also received professional referrals to work with kids with behavioral or learning challenges. Pak said Smulian “took care of everyone” and was “like a grandmother” to many of the children she mentored. “Some of (the parents) have told us their child is the most shy, withdrawn, insecure child they’ve ever been around,” Knapp said. “After coming here, they have flourished, opened up, become self-assured and found something that they love that they want to do.” Much like Smulian discovered while painting in her closet as a young girl, with the help of her father. A memorial service for Smulian is scheduled for 7-9 p.m. Friday, March 18 at Lambert Hall, the performing arts center on the Heights Christian Church campus.

Smulian, fro m P. 1A pencils, along with sculpture, creating from recycled and found objects, music, theater and creative movement. Knapp said the teachers and staff at Smulian’s art studio will carry on her legacy and ideas by continuing to instruct students this semester and during the Mad Hatter Arts Camp, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this summer. “There’s such a big, big hole in our hearts and lives,” Knapp said. Smulian is survived by her longtime husband, Jonathan Smulian, their son, Dan, and his wife, Amy, along with a grandson, Caleb. Smulian’s father was the son of a senator in Hamburg, Germany, according to her husband, and all four of her grandparents died in the Holocaust. She lived through Israeli War of Independence as a child in 1948 and served in the Israeli Army as a young adult. Smulian studied art in her native Tel Aviv and earned a

ST. MATTHEW’S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Photo from Facebook St. Thomas’ Nguyen Nguyen fights for possession of the ball during a match earlier this season. Nguyen scored in the Eagles’ 5-0 area-round win over St. Dominic Savio last Saturday, Feb. 26.

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Deliverance from fear By Pastor Will Cover

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

ing David wrote in Psalm 34:4, “I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” There is a note in my Bible that says that David wrote this when he was dealing with the incredible struggle of having his son Absalom trying to kill him and take over this kingdom. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have one of my own children so angry with me that they were trying to take my life. This is what David was going through. How do you deal with the trials and tribulations that life brings? The natural human response to trouble is to fear. In Psalm 34:4 David admitted that he had fears. It is human to fear. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power,

and of love, and of a sound mind.” God does not give us the spirit of fear, rather God can and will give us power, love, and a sound mind. So how can you be delivered from your fear? David’s statement in Psalm 34:4 says it so well, “I sought the Lord.” How do you seek the Lord? You can seek the Lord through prayer. Taking time to talk to God about your struggles and fears is seeking God’s help rather than trying to worry about it yourself. Spending time listening to God speak to you through His Word is seeking God’s Word on your struggle. Seek the Lord! Why? – Because He will hear you and deliver you. To fear and to struggle is a part of the human experience. You cannot control every situation you will face. If you want deliverance from fear then seek the only one who can truly give you power, love and a sound mind! Faith in God will receive the power from God that can conquer any fear.

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Sunday School ........9:15 am Sunday Worship......10:30am Wednesday Bible Study Church ofService Christ & Prayer 6:00pm Pastor – Dr. Richard Walters

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FC Heights Family and Staff 201 E. 9th St. • 713-861-3102

Sund Ministries for All Ages www.fbcheights.org www.lazybrookbaptistchurch.org for the following: Home of Johnson Memorial School for Little Children Rev. Nathan Lonsdale Bledsoe, Pastor 4215 Watonga Blvd. • 713-681-9365 Wed Sunday Services: @ 11 AM ◆ s t s u m cIn-person 2003 W. 43rd St. ◆ 713-686-8241 .org Houston, TX 77092 (Live stream during service) Bible Studies: From Homepage, click on 1822 W. 18th • 713-864-1470 Connect/Small Groups Sunday Worship 10am & 5pm Sunday Bible Classes 9am Wednesday Bible Study 7pm

Say a Prayer Today

Gethsemane Lutheran Church Pastor Jerry McNamara 4040 Watonga • 713-688-5227

We invite you to worship with us! Weekly Worship Services 9:00a.m. Online services can be reached through the website below at 9:00 am. www.gethsemanelutheran.org

t goes with made mista err is huma this the next t must learn fro to repeat them it can be hard can sometime We sometimes we’ve done, a for years, or e addition, some our past. And them, we mus we should forg the coming da as well as our them; that is, repeatedly mu the phrase “for the only way t more divine, is the offense. S vindictive, sha it! Corrie ten prison camp s to realize that

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The Leader • Saturday, March 5, 2022 • Page 5A

Memorial Hermann, BCBS unable to reach agreement By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

For the last six months, the Houston region’s largest healthcare system has been negotiating with the state’s largest insurer on a new contract. The end result is that thousands of patients may have to find medical care elsewhere if they don’t want to start paying more for services. According to multiple news reports, Memorial Hermann Health System and insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas were unable to reach an agreement by their Tuesday deadline, and BCBSTX has dropped Memorial Hermann care providers from all of its networks. So more than 265 hospital-

Election

affiliated facilities are no longer in some residents’ coverage networks, according to reports from KHOU and ABC13, which could result in more expensive care, though emergency care will not be impacted. There are approximately 3,000 physicians associated with Memorial Hermann, according to KHOU. “While we’ve done everything in our power to work with BCBSTX to ensure our patients can continue to access Memorial Hermann facilities and physicians for care, BCBSTX’s decision to force us out-of-network puts patients at risk of experiencing significant disruption,” the hospital system said. If they had a Memorial Hermann-approved authorization that was for after

Tuesday, Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance customers can call a BCBSTX Personal Health Assistant at 800-2528039. To find in-network providers, BCBSTX customers can also go to healthselect. bcbstx.com/content/finda-doctor-hospital/index or call the Member Services/ Customer Service number on the back of their ID cards for further instruction. “This is disappointing, and something we worked for months to prevent as we remain in a pandemic, when our members most need access to care,” BCBSTX Chief Medical Officer Mark Chassay said in a video statement posted to the provider’s website.

with State Sen. John Whitmire holding a commanding lead against emergency room nurse Molly Cook in District 15. Whitmire, a longtime state legislator who has announced his intention to run for Houston mayor in 2023, had received 59 percent of the votes cast with 200 of 375 voting centers reporting and likely will face Republican George Brian Vachris in November. Seven Democrats and two Republicans were vying to succeed the retiring Garnet Coleman in Texas House District 147, which now serves the southern part of the Heights as well as the Washington Avenue and Sawyer Yards areas. Former Houston ISD Jolanda Jones led the Democratic field with 42.9 percent of the vote and will face either Danielle Keys Bess (19.7 percent) or Reagan Denise Flowers (17.4 percent) in a runoff. Damien Thaddeus Jones was in position for an outright win against Rashard Baylor in the Republican primary, having received 53.8 percent of the

vote with 206 of 375 voting centers reporting. Ryan McConnico beat A.A. Dominguez in the Republican primary for Texas House District 134, which includes the Timbergrove and Lazybrook neighborhoods, and will face Democratic incumbent Ann Johnson in November. Two Harris County commissioners were on the primary ballots, with Democrat Adrian Garcia of Precinct 2 and Republican Jack Cagle of Precinct 4 being unchallenged and unopposed, respectively. Garcia will likely face either Jack Morman or Jerry Mouton, who were headed for a runoff in the Republican primary, while Lesley Briones and Ben Chou will have a runoff for the Democratic nomination in Precinct 4. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo comfortably bested five challengers in the Democratic primary, receiving more than 70 percent of the vote. She will next face either Alexandra del Moral Mealer or Vidal Martinez, who are likely headed to a runoff in

File photo Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital, 1635 North Loop West, serves the Heights, Garden Oaks and Oak Forest areas.

from P. 1A

in a runoff in May. The newly created District 38 will serve a geographic area that includes Memorial Park and locales immediately to the east and south. The incumbents in the other Congressional districts that serve the Heights, Garden Oaks and Oak Forest areas - Lizzie Fletcher of District 7, Sheila Jackson Lee of District 18 and Sylvia Garcia of District 29 - were unopposed in their Democratic primary races. Republicans Johnny Teague (44.1 percent of the vote) and Tim Stroud (29.5 percent) are set for a runoff in District 7, while Robert Schafranek (40.3 percent) and Julio Garza (31.5 percent) likely will compete in a District 29 runoff for the right to face Garcia in November. Jackson Lee’s general election opponent will be Republican Carmen Maria Montiel, who was unopposed in the Republican primary. At the state government level, a prominent local Democrat appeared to survive a primary challenge from an upstart community activist,

the Republican primary. There were several shakeups in the slew of judicial races on the Harris County ballot. Of the 15 state district court incumbents who were challenged in their Democratic primaries, five won, six lost, two were running second and likely are headed for runoffs, and two were in races that were too close to call as of press time. Among the sitting district court judges who lost their primaries was Abigail Anastasio, S. “Dolli” Dollinger, Greg Glass, Tristan Harris Longino, Chuck Silverman and Barbara “Babs” Stalder. Six of the nine Democratic

judges who were in contested races at the county court level managed to prevail, with Franklin Bynum, Michael Newman and David L. Singer losing their seats. At least four judges with ties to the area were on the ballot, including former Heights resident Todd Frankfort, who won his Republican primary for the 308th family district court. Heights-based attorney Leo Farias II was uncontested in the Republican primary for the 257th family district court. Heights-area resident Staci Biggar lost to Porscha Natasha Brown in the Democratic primary for County Criminal

Court at Law No. 3. Lifelong area resident David Patronella, who served for more than 30 years as Harris County Justice of the Peace for Precinct 1, Place 2, vacated that seat to run for County Civil Court at Law No. 4. With 200 of 375 voting centers reporting, Patronella was behind both M.K. Monica Singh and Treasea Trevino in the three-person Democratic primary, trailing Trevino by 946 votes for a spot in a runoff. For more complete election results, visit harrisvotes. com. Tuesday’s election results are unofficial until canvassed.

Expo event for local small businesses set for May 17 By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

McElvy Partners, the Houston-based company that publishes The Leader and other community newspapers, is hosting an upcoming event that will connect small businesses to the resources and knowledge they need to ignite their ventures in 2022. The Ignite Small Biz Expo, originally planned for March, has been rescheduled for 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, May 17, at The Revaire, 7122 Old Katy Rd. It will feature educational masterclasses, impactful networking opportunities and a variety of resources and vendors that can help small businesses grow and thrive. “Small businesses, now more than ever before, need access to resources and information,” said Adrian Garson,

the vice president of events and promotions for McElvy Partners. “We aim to provide that with an in-person event that allows small businesses to interface with companies who can not only serve but improve the small business community.” The Ignite expo is free to attend for community members and will include free refreshments as well as giveaways and raffle prizes. Registration is required and can be completed at mcelvypartners. com/ignite, with those who sign up automatically entered into the raffle contest. Participating small businesses can purchase tables or other vendor spaces by visiting mcelvypartners.com/ ignite. Early bird pricing is available. The event is expected to include a couple hundred attendees, Garson said, and

the state’s latest public health guidance for COVID-19 will be followed. “One of our goals, as a company that has been in the Houston market for more than 65 years, is to find ways to connect small businesses with their customers,” said Jonathan McElvy, the president and CEO of McElvy Partners. “In our newspapers, we’ve done that through advertising, but before the pandemic, we had developed wonderful events in this community that brought people together. The world of marketing is so complex today, but there’s still nothing better than getting in front of people and talking. We’re happy we can start doing that again.” Visit the aforementioned event website or email adrian@mcelvypartners.com for more information.

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The Leader • Saturday, March 5, 2022 • Page 7A

Art Valet: Festival vet celebrates market’s anniversary Mitch Cohen Art Columnist

Everyone loves a good story. I sure do. Anyone looking at a painting by artist Jack Connelly will definitely see a story. Connelly will join more than 40 artists, Heights musician Kevin Jefferies and Houston Cider Co. from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday for the 18th anniversary of First Saturday Arts Market. The market is located at 540 W. 19th St. I often write in this space about the trials and adventures of running an outdoor market. The real stories, though, are with the artists and in their art. And I guarantee that Connelly, who specializes in sci-fi and military

art, has stories. One of five siblings, Connelly arrived in Houston from Oklahoma in the mid-1960s and as he puts it, he is all Houstonian. As a self taught artist, Connelly was fascinated by airplanes as young as 4 years old and just never stopped drawing and painting them. Connelly told me how the only art class he’s ever taken was in school, at my own alma mater, Sharpstown High School. His art teacher threw out his work because he didn’t like it. That is harsh! His never-ending love of painting World War II planes, however, gained a following of wartime veterans that commissioned him to paint the planes they flew, flew in or did battle with. All those requests came with a story, of course. Some of the painting details requested included damage to the planes - a Jeep-sized

Contributed photo “Earth of My Heart,” by Jack Connelly, was inspired by the Irish song “Erin Grá mo Chroí.”

hole, for example - flying upside down and, of course, dog fights. The veterans were great

clients, Connelly he told me, giving him free rein to create as he saw it through his artistic vision. This resulted

in very happy clients, some brought to tears from seeing their memories come to life on canvas. By 1974, Connelly was attending art shows around the state including the Westheimer Colony Art Festival, the beginning of Bayou City Art Festival. Connelly’s second painting passion is science fiction. As an avid sci-fi fan myself, I see each of his paintings like a book cover, giving me a glimpse of the adventures behind the surreal southwestern sunsets with ringed planets in the sky, flying saucers and, yes, little green people sometimes, too. Unlike the many available references for his plane and WWII paintings, the science fiction art is from Connelly’s own imagination. In fact, he confessed to never having watched that popular late ‘70s movie that made the line, “May the force be with you,”

famous. Honestly, he doesn’t need the outside influences. The sci-fi is where Connelly’s sense of wonder, humor and love for nature are apparent. He mixes history, familiar landscapes and the occasional cat into the mix. Ask him. There’s a story in there. Although he may ask you what the story is, too. This is about the 10th year Connelly has shown his work at First Saturday Arts Market, one of the only outdoor shows he does anymore. That’s an honor! Visit Connelly this Saturday and at the remaining spring markets. His website, https://www.jackconnellyart.com, also has an extensive collection available. 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.

Review: Don Jose remains simply splendid By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

I knew Don Jose Mexican Restaurant was a good place to eat long before I tasted any of its offerings. My introduction to the Oak Forest-area staple came during the summer of 2020, when I reported about the death of owner Luis Hermosillo and his nephew and second in command, Carlos Garcia. Both men succumbed to COVID-19, three days apart from each other, which prompted their relatives to close the doors to Don Jose at the end of the year. I visited the spacious dining room at 5305 Antoine Dr. on Dec. 30, 2020, to chronicle the restaurant’s last day of operation. Longtime customers packed the place, having one last plate of steaming fajitas or a farewell margarita, and some of them told me what they liked about Don Jose and why they were so sad to see it go. It was big news for the neighborhood, and my story anchored the front page of The Leader with the headline, “Adios, amigo.” Well, about a week later, I heard there had been a change of heart, at least partly because the relatives of Her-

mosillo and Garcia read my story, saw the outpouring of support in comments online and realized how important the restaurant was to the community. So they decided to reopen in early January 2021, and Don Jose has stayed in business ever since. And earlier this week, since I played a small part in the restaurant’s resurrection, I figured it was time to finally try out the place. When I visited Monday afternoon to pick up a to-go order I had placed, Don Jose looked the same inside but wasn’t yet busy. There also was a framed photo of the departed and beloved owners, Hermosillo and Garcia, displayed prominently on a wall in the lobby. Deciding what to eat was somewhat difficult, because Don Jose has an expansive menu and most of it sounded good. There are nachos and quesadillas on the appetizer menu as well as soups, salads, combination plates, enchiladas, fajitas, seafood dishes, charbroiled plates and, of course, tacos, burritos, chalupas, chimichangas, tostadas and tamales. I opted for the enchiladas verdes, a Tex-Mex favorite of mine that I’ve ordered often

Photo by Adam Zuvanich The enchiladas verdes at Don Jose Mexican Restaurant, 5305 Antoine Dr., come with either beef or chicken fajita meat and are served with rice and refried beans.

and even made myself. The enchiladas are typically filled with shredded chicken and topped with a green tomatillo sauce as well as some sort of white cheese and sometimes sour cream. Don Jose made the dish much the same way, although I had the option of beef or chicken fajita meat. I also was given the choice to have two enchiladas or three, which I appreciated because three is oftentimes just too much food. So I went with two and

picked the pollo, which was tender and juicy and made for a great complement to the verde sauce, which had a savory flavor and subtle spiciness. The enchiladas were customarily served with rice and beans, which I enjoyed as well. The refried beans were seasoned perfectly and just the right consistency - not too thick and not too runny - and I came away with much the same impression of the rice. Sometimes Spanish rice can

be clumpy, and sometimes it can be bland, but Don Jose did not have those problems. My only complaint, if you could even call it one, was with the salsa that came with my complimentary tortilla chips. It was a little too much like tomato sauce and not spicy enough for my liking. But no one and no place is perfect, right? The enchiladas were so good with the green sauce that I didn’t even think about mixing in any of the red sauce, which I’ve done at

other places. And Don Jose, which offers a full bar as well as weekday lunch specials, is the kind of restaurant that stands out as much for its friendly, downhome atmosphere as it does for its dishes and drinks. Generations of local residents have gathered there for birthday and anniversary dinners, meals after youth sporting events and Friday nights out of the house. My Monday afternoon togo order, as simple and unassuming as it was, gave me enough of a taste to know that going back would be a good idea. Maybe next time I’ll bring the family, try a different dish and maybe even sip on a margarita. Don Jose Mexican Restaurant Address: 5305 Antoine Dr. Dining Options: Dine-in, takeout Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday, Wednesday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday Entree prices: $9-$23.70 Kid-friendly: Yes Senior discount: No Alcohol: Yes Healthy options: Salads Star of the show: Enchiladas verdes Rating: 4 out of 5 bites

Nibbles & Sips: Loro Asian Smokehouse opens in Heights By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

An Austin-based Asian smokehouse and bar has opened its doors to the Heights community. Loro held its grand opening Feb. 23 at 1001 W. 11th St., according to a post on the restaurant’s Instagram page. It will be the restaurant’s third location in Texas, joining its original restaurant in Austin and another existing location in Dallas. According to Loro’s website, the menu from James Beard Award-winning chefs Tyson Cole and Aaron Franklin includes “grilled and smoked meats with Southeast Asian and Japanese-inspired sauces” along with various sides as well as a bar with craft beer and cocktails available. The menu also features items such as curried scented rice and curried smoked rice, along

aganza at its headquarters at Lick Honest Ice Cream in the area. The 560-square foot shop According to a post from 3720 Alba Rd. from 12-5 p.m. will offer standard ice cream coming to Autry Park Along with the gumbo, its Facebook page, Wild CofAn Austin-based ice cream flavors such as milk chocolate, fee Bar Dispensary opened there will be a variety of food, shop is bringing its craft to a mint, chocolate chunk and Feb. 25 in the Heights at 2121 dessert cake walk and a silent mixed-use development in the vanilla bean, according to its N. Shepherd Dr. Its website auction, and a raffle with ro- Rice Military area this fall. website, as well as various seasays Wild will offer everything deo tickets, cash and more. All Lick Honest Ice Cream will sonal flavors and dairy-free/ from seasonal coffees and cold proceeds from the event will open its first Houston location vegan ice cream flavors. Lick brews to hemp-infused lattes go toward programs benefiting in the 14-acre713-861-6735 Autry Park de- Honest also features several heightschamber.org and cocktails as well as vari- veterans. velopment, which is located types of ice cream sandwiches ous types of tequilas, mezcals For cook-off rules and team near the corner of Shepherd and drinks such as hot cocoa. and whiskeys from around the sign up or for booth informa-713-861-6735 For more information on Drive and Kirby Drive, just a world. Also available will be tion, interested participants heightschamber.org few miles from Memorial Park, Lick Honest, visit its website hemp-infused products such can call 281-615-3718. according to a Feb. 24 report at ilikelick.com/ or follow the 713-861-6735 from Houston CultureMap. as lotions and bath bombs. shop on social media. heightschamber.org To find out more about what Wild has to offer, visit its 713-861-6735 website at wildconcepts.com. heightschamber.org Community members can also call 346-571-0453 or follow the business on Instagram @ wild_concepts and Facebook 713-861-6735 @wildcoffeebar.

with smoked beef brisket, oakgrilled snap peas, Chicken Karaage, Crunchy Snap Pea & Toasted Coconut Salad, and shrimp rice bowls. Loro Asian Smokehouse and Bar offers dine-in, carryout and delivery via UberEats and DoorDash. The restaurant will be open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m.-11 p.m., and has a happy hour on weekdays from 2-6 p.m. For more information on the restaurant and to see what it has to offer, community members can visit its website at loroeats.com/. Hemp-infused bar/ dispensary opens on Shepherd There has been an influx of CBD and hemp-infused products in recent years, and another place to buy them recently added itself to the mix

American Legion hosting gumbo cookoff On March 12, Garden Oaks American Legion Post 560 will host a Gumbo Cookoff Extrav-

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Page 8A • Saturday, March 5, 2022 • The Leader SPECIAL ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

TX residents scramble to get last Walking Liberty Rolls TEXAS - Once Texas residents got wind that Texas State Restricted Bank Rolls filled with Silver Walking Liberties dating back to the early 1900’s were being handed over, there was a mad dash to get them. That’s because some of these U.S. Gov’t issued silver coins are already worth hundreds in collector value. “It’s like a run on the banks. The phones are ringing off the hook. That’s because everyone is trying to get them before they’re all gone,” according to officials at the National Mint and Treasury who say they can barely keep up with all the orders. In fact, they had to impose a strict limit of 4 Texas State Restricted Bank Rolls. So, if you get the chance to get your hands on these State Restricted Bank Rolls you better hurry because hundreds of Texas residents already have and you don’t want to miss out. You see, the U.S. Gov’t stopped

minting these Silver Walking Liberties in 1947 and there can never be any more which makes them extremely collectible. And here’s the best part. The rolls are unsearched so there’s no telling how much they could be worth in collector value. That’s why at just the $39 state minimum set by National Mint and Treasury it’s a deal too good to pass up. But you better hurry because these Texas State Restricted Bank Rolls are the only ones known to exist and Texas residents are grabbing them up as fast as they can. That’s because they make amazing gifts for children, grandchildren and loved ones. Just imagine the look on their face when you hand them one of the State Restricted Rolls — they’ll tell everyone they know what you did for them.

■ GOT ‘EM: Residents all across Texas who get their hands on these State Restricted Silver Walking Liberty Bank Rolls are definitely showing them off. That’s because they are the only ones known to exist. And here’s the best part, these Bank Rolls are loaded with U.S. Gov’t issued Silver Walking Liberty coins some dating back to the early 1900’s and worth up to 100 times their face value so everyone wants them.

Last State Restricted Silver Walking Liberty Bank Rolls go to Texas residents Texas residents get first dibs on last remaining Bank Rolls loaded with U.S. Gov’t issued Silver Walking Liberties dating back to the early 1900’s some worth up to 100 times their face value for the next 2 days STATE DISTRIBUTION: A strict limit of 4 State Restricted Bank Rolls per TX resident has been imposed TEXAS - “It’s a miracle these State Restricted Bank Rolls even exist. That’s why Hotline Operators are bracing for the flood of calls,” said Laura Lynne, U.S. Coin and Currency Director for the National Mint and Treasury. For the next 2 days the last remaining State of Texas Restricted Bank Rolls loaded with rarely seen U.S. Gov’t issued Silver Walking Liberties are actually being handed over to Texas residents who call the State Toll-Free Hotlines listed in today’s newspaper publication. “National Mint and Treasury recently spoke with its Chief Professional Numismatist who said ‘Very few people have ever actually seen one of these rarely seen Silver Walking Liberties issued by the U.S. Gov’t back in the early 1900’s. But to actually find them sealed away in State Restricted Bank Rolls is like finding buried treasure. So anyone lucky enough to get their hands on these Bank Rolls had better hold on to them,’” Lynne said. “Now that the State of Texas Restricted Bank Rolls are being offered up we won’t be surprised if thousands of Texas residents claim the maximum limit allowed of 4 Bank Rolls per resident before they’re all gone,” said Lynne. “That’s because after the Bank Rolls were loaded with 15 rarely seen Silver Walking Liberties, each verified to meet a minimum collector grade of very good or above, the dates and mint marks of the U.S. Gov’t issued Silver Walking Liberty Half Dollars sealed away inside the State of Texas Restricted Bank Rolls have never been searched. But, we do know that some of these coins date clear back to the early 1900’s and are worth up to 100 times their face value, so there is no telling what Texas residents will find until they sort through all the coins,” Lynne went on to say. And here’s the best part. If you are a resident of the state of Texas you cover only the $39 per coin state minimum set by the National Mint and Treasury, that’s fifteen rarely seen U.S. Gov’t issued Silver Walking Liberties worth up to 100 times their face value for just $585 which is a real steal because non state residents must pay $118 per coin which totals $1,770 if any coins remain after the 2-day deadline. The only thing Texas residents need to do is call the State Toll-Free Hotlines printed in today’s newspaper publication before the 2-day order deadline ends. “Rarely seen U.S. Gov’t issued silver coins like these are highly sought after, but we’ve never seen anything like this before. According to The Official Red Book, a Guide Book of United States Coins many Silver Walking Liberty Half Dollars are now worth $40 - $825 each in collector value,” Lynne said. “We’re guessing thousands of Texas residents will be taking the maximum limit of 4 Bank Rolls because they make such amazing gifts for any occasion for children, parents, grandparents, friends and loved ones,” Lynne continued. “We know the phones will be ringing off the hook. That’s why hundreds of Hotline Operators are standing by to answer the phones beginning at 8:30 am this morning. We’re going to do our best, but with just 2 days to answer all the calls it won’t be easy. So make sure to tell everyone to keep calling if all lines are busy. We’ll do our best to answer them all.” Lynne said. The only thing readers of today’s newspaper publication need to do is make sure they are a resident of the state of Texas and call the National Toll-Free Hotlines before the 2-day deadline ends midnight tomorrow. ■

SILVER: one of the last silver coins minted for circulation

ENLARGED TO SHOW DETAIL: year varies 1916-1947

FACTS:

LAST REMAINING: minted in philadelphia, denver & san francisco

RARELY SEEN: minted by the u.s. mint in the early 1900’s

HOW TO CLAIM THE LAST STATE RESTRICTED BANK ROLLS If you are a Texas State Resident read the important information below about claiming the State Silver Bank Rolls, then call the State Toll-Free Hotline at 8:30 am: 1-800-979-3771 EXT: RWB4288

Are these Silver Walking Liberties worth more than other half dollars:

Yes. These U.S. Gov’t issued Silver Walking Liberties were minted in the early 1900’s and will never be minted again. That makes them extremely collectible. The vast majority of half dollars minted after 1970 have no silver content at all and these Walking Liberties were one of the last silver coins minted for circulation. That’s why many of them now command hundreds in collector value so there’s no telling how much they could be worth in collector value someday.

How much are State Restricted Walking Liberty Silver Bank Rolls worth:

It’s impossible to say, but some of these U.S Gov’t issued Walking Liberties dating back to the early 1900’s are worth up to 100 times the face value and there are 15 in each Bank Roll so you better hurry if you want to get your hands on them. Collector values always fluctuate and there are never any guarantees. But we do know they are the only Texas State Silver Bank Rolls known to exist and Walking Liberties are highly collectible so anyone lucky enough to get their hands on these Silver Bank Rolls should hold onto them because there’s no telling how much they could be worth in collector value someday.

Why are so many Texas residents claiming them:

Because they are the only State Restricted Walking Liberty Silver Bank Rolls known to exist and everyone wants their share. Each Bank Roll contains a whopping 15 Silver Walking Liberties dating back to the early 1900’s some worth up to 100 times their face value. Best of all Texas residents are guaranteed to get them for the state minimum set by the National Mint and Treasury of just $39 per Silver Walking Liberty for the next two days.

How do I get the State Restricted Walking Liberty Silver Bank Rolls:

Texas residents are authorized to claim up to the limit of 4 State Restricted Walking Liberty Silver Bank Rolls by calling the State Toll Free Hotline at 1-800-979-3771 Ext. RWB4288 starting at precisely 8:30 am this morning. Everyone who does is getting the only State Restricted Walking Liberty Silver Bank Rolls known to exist. That’s a full Bank Roll containing 15 Silver Walking Liberties from the early 1900’s some worth up to 100 times their face value for just the state minimum set by the National Mint and Treasury of just $39 per Silver Walking Liberty, which is just $585 for the full Bank Rolls and that’s a real steal because non state residents are not permitted to call before 5 pm tomorrow and must pay $1,770 for each Texas State Restricted Walking Liberty Silver Bank Roll if any remain.

NATIONAL MINT AND TREASURY, LLC IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE U.S. MINT, THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, A BANK OR ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY. IF FOR ANY REASON WITHIN 30 DAYS FROM SHIPMENT YOU ARE DISSATISFIED, RETURN THE PRODUCT FOR A REFUND LESS SHIPPING AND RETURN POSTAGE. THIS SAME OFFER MAY BE MADE AVAILABLE AT A LATER DATE OR IN A DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION. OH RESIDENTS ADD 6.5% SALES TAX. R1043R-5 NATIONAL MINT AND TREASURY, PO BOX 35609, CANTON, OH 44735 ©2021 NATIONAL MINT AND TREASURY.

Western Way The Leader • Saturday, March 5, 2022 • Page 1B

Heights shop sells custommade boots By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is back in action for the first time since 2020, when it was cut short by the local onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those with an acute case of the rodeo bug, and money to spend on western wear, might be interested in visiting a shop in the Heights that specializes in custom, handmade cowboy boots. They’ll just have to wait until next year’s rodeo before they can show them off. A custom order from Parker Boot Company, 742 W. 20th St., typically takes 10-12 months to fulfill, according to owner and operator Zephan Parker, who said interest in his products tends to spike during rodeo season. “The rodeo brings a lot of awareness to western culture,” he said. “We’re a major part of that western heritage.” Parker, 33, could be considered a throwback or perhaps a rare breed at a time when boots and other forms of western wear are mass-produced by machines. He said his shop is among the few in the Houston area that builds boots from scratch based on the specifications of each customer, which is a lengthy process for Parker and his two recently hired helpers. And the boots he makes, from exotic skins such as American alligator, come at a cost. Parker said the price of his custom-made boots ranges from $2,500 to about $6,000 per pair. “We’re building something that doesn’t exist,” he said. “We take commissions like an artist would and try to create a three-dimensional product based on their measurements, but also based on their design. … I often say it’s a combination of quality, craftsmanship and artistic See Parker P. 3B

Contributed photo

Zephan Parker, the owner of Parker Boot Company, 742 W. 20th St., works on a pair of custom, handmade boots in his shop.

Business Briefs: Sears’ North Shepherd property up for sale By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

The site of what used to be a community icon on North Shepherd Drive is up for sale. According to a posting on LoopNet.com, offers were being accepted through Thursday on the Sears property at 4000 N. Shepherd Dr. The 11.7-acre lot has sat vacant since the department store closed its doors in late 2020. Sears provided generations of residents in the Heights, Garden Oaks and Oak Forest areas with a one-stop shop to find tools, cheap toys, sweet candy, fresh popcorn and other simple pleasures for more than 70 years prior to its closing. News of its closing elicited a flood of nostalgic comments and memories. Sears, which was founded nearly 130 years ago, filed for bankruptcy in 2018 and subsequently shut down hundreds

of its stores across the country – including the one that began serving local in 1949. The land and building on the nearly 170,000-square foot property is valued at more than $8.4 million, according to the Harris County Appraisal District, and remains prime real estate along a stretch of North Shepherd that is gradually being overhauled by developers. New vendors coming to Houston Farmers Market There are new vendors that have recently opened or will open soon at the Houston Farmers Market. Wild Oats restaurant opened its doors Feb. 11 in Suite C-315 at the farmers market, located at 2250 Airline Dr. Then on Feb. 24, the market announced that Henderson and Kane General Store will open its second Houston location there later this year.

Staff file photo The property that used to house Sears at 4000 N. Shepherd Dr. is up for sale.

Henderson and Kane will operate in the same spot as former vendor Canino’s Market, according to a report from CultureMap, and will join the store’s existing location in the Sixth Ward. Visitors will have access to

a variety of local goods and groceries as well as cooked barbecue for lunch and dinner at Henderson and Kane, according to the farmers market. CultureMap said the new location will also offer as many as 15 different varieties of home-

made sausages For more information on Henderson and Kane, visit the store’s website at hkgeneralstore.com/. Wild Oats, which features items such as campechana, shrimp and grits, redfish on the halfshell, short rib fajitas, wood-grilled chicken and crispy pork shank, is the newest endeavor by Underbelly Hospitality. Customers can also find a selection of more than 60 wines, according to a Facebook post from the farmers market. Wild Oats is open from 5-10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 5-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information, visit wildoatshouston. com/. Oak Forest Tacos A Go Go hosts mobile mammogram event A local restaurant recently made an effort to help hospi-

tality industry workers gain peace of mind and catch potential early signs of breast cancer. Tacos A Go Go’s Oak Forest restaurant hosted a mobile mammogram event Tuesday in partnership with Houston health advocacy organization I’ll Have What She’s Having. “We are so excited and honored to participate in this event again, allowing for more individuals working in the restaurant business to get mammograms,” Tacos A Go Go founder Sharon Haynes said in a news release. Breast cancer affects one in eight women, according to vascular surgeon Dr. Lori Choi with I’ll Have What She’s Having. “Our program, which partners The Rose with the food and beverage industry, can overcome a financial obstacle to help people get an essential screening test that can be lifesaving,” Choi said.

Life changes that require estate planning For The Leader

Wills, Trusts, and Probate Law

Estate plans should typically be revisited whenever the law changes or life changes. You can always contact a lawyer to find out about the impact of any legal changes, but below are 7 life changes that should always prompt a reconsideration of your estate plan. 1. Marriage With marriage, comes the formal joining of two lives and your estate plan should be updated to incorporate this change. In addition to naming your spouse as the beneficiary on your insurance policies and retirement plans, you should also update your will and/or trust to reflect your new legal status, and include your spouse in the determination of who can make your financial and medical decisions should you be unable to do so yourself. 2. Divorce The converse is also true. If you are beginning the divorce process, you need to unwind designations that include your spouse, unless you still want that person to inherit from you and/or make legal and financial decisions for you. After a divorce is final, you will likely have a new asset profile to consider for planning. Meeting with an attorney is critical to ensure that these assets are properly titled and will pass in the

SolakLegal.com 713-588-5744 Subscribe to helpful videos at: TinyURL.com/SolakLegal

Jennifer Solak provides legal advice for families and businesses and may be contacted at jennifer@solaklegal.com or 713-588-5744.

way you intend. 3. Births and Adoptions With the addition of a new child, comes the responsibility to prepare for the child’s ongoing care and custody. In the estate plan context, that means naming guardians to care for your children in the long-term, as well as the short-term (if the longterm guardian does not live nearby). It’s also important to set up trust provisions for your child so they will not inherit before they are financially mature enough to do so. Such trust provisions will also allow you to name who can manage your child’s inheritance until the time is right for them.

4. Deaths It is never easy to lose a loved one, and unfortunately, if they were named in your estate plan, you should also consider updating any designations that included them. Some changes to consider are naming new beneficiaries, designating a new agent for your financial or medical powers of attorney, and updating guardian nominations for your children. 5. Sickness If you are battling an illness, you may want to revisit who you have chosen to make medical decisions for you and ensure that you have an updated health care directive in place. 6. Moving If you move to a new state, you should have a lawyer in that state review your estate plan to confirm that it will still operate as intended under your new state’s laws. And if you acquire any real

estate in the new state, be sure to take the steps necessary to properly coordinate it with your plan. 7. New Assets Acquired More money, more problems? Only if you don’t plan well. Every time you inherit any new assets, acquire new property or other investments, change investment accounts, or start or sell a business, you should make sure the new assets or values will continue to work with your current plan. If you are anticipating or have recently experienced any of these life events, please contact Solak Legal at 713-588-5744 or jennifer@solaklegal.com so that we can discuss your particular needs. The information in this column, which was sponsored by Solak Legal as part of The Leader Expert Series, is intended to provide a general understanding of the law and not legal advice. Readers with

legal questions should consult attorneys for advice on their particular circumstances. Jennifer Solak provides legal ad-

vice for families and businesses and may be contacted at jennifer@solaklegal.com or 713588-5744.

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Page 2B • Saturday, March 5, 2022 • The Leader

BASKETBALL ROUNDUP

LHN hoops squads advance to TAPPS state tournament By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

The Lutheran High North Lady Lions are accustomed to making trips to the TAPPS basketball state tournament over the last decade. The boys team, meanwhile, had gone more than a decade without earning the chance to play in Waco. Both are state-bound this year after reminding the rest of TAPPS 3A that they are forces with which to be reckoned. The top-ranked Lady Lions are headed to their seventh state tournament in the last eight seasons with a 59-44 win over Beaumont Legacy Christian Academy on Friday, moving their record to 18-8 as they pursue a second straight state championship. Dalanna Carter poured in 26 points to lead the Lady Li-

ons, who were slated to play Tomball Rosehill Christian in the state semifinals on Thursday. It was the third time the two schools have played this season, with LHN winning both previous matchups on Jan. 4 (59-42) and Jan. 28 (6756). LHN’s boys team punched its state ticket by defeating New Braunfels Christian Academy 74-53 on Saturday. The third-ranked Lions secured their 26th win of the season in the process, their most in nearly two decades, and were scheduled to face top-ranked Hill Country Christian (32-2) in the TAPPS 3A state semifinals on Thursday. Edwin Preston Jr. paced the scoring attack for the Lions (26-3) in their regional win, scoring 19 points. Emeka Williams II had 16 points and Zion Harper added 14 points of his own.

Photos from Twitter The Lutheran High North boys and girls basketball teams celebrate following regional final wins last weekend. Both squads advanced to this week’s TAPPS state tournament with the victories.

Other action The Booker T. Washington boys made short work of two more playoff opponents last week. They took down Hamshire-Fannett 93-55 in the area round on Feb. 24 before defeating Little Cypress-Mauriceville 89-65 on Tuesday in the regional quarterfinals.

With the win over Little Cypress-Mauriceville, the Eagles (28-4) advanced to their first regional semifinal since 1995. Sophomore star Chris McDermott had one of his better all-around games of the year against Hamshire-Fannett, securing his 29th double-double of the season (18 points, 19

rebounds) while dishing out eight assists and blocking three shots. Kenneth Lewis shined again with 31 points, while Andre Walker II picked a good time for his first doubledouble of the season with 20 points and 10 assists. Lewis followed that up with 42 points against Little

Cypress-Mauriceville, while McDermott had 18 points and Walker II added 14 points of his own. The third-ranked Eagles (28-4) were slated to play the winner between La Vega (285) and LBJ Austin (22-6) on Friday night.

BASEBALL/SOFTBALL ROUNDUP

Lady Bulldog softball off to blazing start By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Fresh off their first district championship in more than a decade and with a lineup full of returning starters, the Heights Lady Bulldogs were likely one of the favorites in District 18-6A prior to this softball season. With their performance so far in the early going, there has been little to suggest otherwise. The Lady Bulldogs went 3-1 at the FBCA Tournament Feb. 24-25, running their record to 10-2 ahead of Tuesday’s matchup against Houston Math, Science, and Tech. Haylie Jaime pitched a complete game while striking out five batters for Heights in a 5-3 win over host Fort Bend Christian Academy on Feb. 24, while Angelina del Pozo hit a home run and drove in three runs as part of a 14-hit attack

in a 15-0 win over Incarnate Word Academy on Feb. 25. Freshman Helen Maddux also had a double, a triple and two RBIs against Incarnate Word, while Kennedy Hill had a double and two RBIs as part of an outburst that saw six players record multiple base hits. In other public school play, Booker T. Washington’s Lady Eagles are off to a 3-0 start on the heels of two wins last week. The Lady Eagles beat Kashmere 13-8 on Feb. 23, then followed it up with a 23-7 win over Wheatley on Feb. 25 The Waltrip Lady Rams also picked up a pair of wins last week, beating Madison 18-0 on Feb. 22 before taking down Milby 10-3 on Feb. 25 to improve to 3-1 on the young season. In private school action, the St. Pius X Lady Panthers went 1-3 at the FBCA Tournament,

picking up a 13-7 win over Houston Christian on Feb. 25. Victoria Hunter and Margo Kieschnick each homered for SPX (4-6) against Houston Christian, while Julianne Tresco and Brooke Landry each had multiple hits. Hunter and Emily Erwin homered in a 7-6 loss against Notre Dame on Feb. 26. Baseball St. Pius X stands at 4-2 following an up-and-down week at the Pearland Tournament. The Panthers went 2-2 with wins over Friendswood (4-3) and Pearland (3-2) and had losses to Alvin (3-2) and Fort Bend Clements (12-4). Cooper Brown had two hits and an RBI against Pearland, while Trent Caram threw five hitless innings. Cason Evans was also strong on the mound in the loss to Alvin, striking out 14 batters in a complete game. The St. Thomas Eagles

Photo from Twitter Heights High School infielder Sydney Palomo prepares to make a defensive play during a game. The Lady Bulldogs got off to a 10-2 start this season.

Local entrepreneurs to take part in International Women’s Day event By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

The owners of four Heightsarea restaurants are collaborating for an upcoming event to celebrate International Women’s Day. The Houston chapter of Let’s Talk Womxn, an actionled movement of more than 550 women restaurateurs and entrepreneurs from across the country, is holding its first International Women’s Day event from 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Tuesday, March 8 at Caracol, a coastal Mexican restaurant at 2200 Post Oak Blvd. Suite 160. The event will include conversation, networking opportunities and gourmet food-tasting stations from 16 Houston restaurants owned by women, including four in the Heights area. There also will be themed cocktails and a DJ. The participating local restaurants are Alice Blue (owned by Claire Smith), Fat Cat Creamery (owned by Sarah Johnston), Harold’s Restau-

rant, Bar and Rooftop Terrace (owned by Alli Jarrett) and Tacos A Go Go (owned by Sharon Haynes). Tickets are $100 per guest, which includes valet parking, and can be purchased online at https://www.exploretock. com/lets-talk-womxn-ofhouston/. A total of 300 tickets are available. For those who prefer to support the initiative from home, there also is to-go option that includes bites and cocktails for two for $95.

Andre Jackson - 2022

eights resident since 1976, Andre Jackson died peacefully at his much-loved “little house in the Heights” on February 18, 2022 following a stroke. Andre was a New Jersey native and Eagle Scout known as Jack, who became a Texan known as Andre in 1970.

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Andre worked as a mechanical engineer in the oil and gas industry for the majority of his career. He lived his life according to the Boy Scout Law, with a side of 8th grade humor, and was a stranger to none. He served as Vice President of the Houston Heights Association Board and volunteered for many Heights Festival events in “The Paul Carr Era.” He loved Family, Ferraris, and Formula One Racing.

Andre is survived by his wife Kathy, daughters Andrea Smith and husband Barry Smith, Catherine Rodriguez and husband David Rodriguez, grandchildren Gwendolyn and Jacob Smith, Jack and Jameson Rodriguez, siblings Mark Jackson and wife Jean, Maureen Jackson Morgan, Craig Jackson, Gregory Jackson, Christopher Jackson and wife and wife Elizabeth, brother-in-law Ian Bader and wife Becky, and many loved nieces and nephews and their children in New Jersey, Texas, and Florida.

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Andre’s funeral service was held at Christ Church Cathedral, 1117 Texas Avenue Houston, TX on Tuesday, at 10:00am, followed by a reception in Sanders Hall. The Mar 1, 2022 burial was held at Oak Knoll Cemetery in Bellville, TX at 2:00pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Andre’s memory to any of the following: Christ Church Cathedral (Houston), MD Anderson Cancer Research Center, The Boy Scouts of America, The American Petroleum Institute Scholarship Fund, Houston Chamber Choir.

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picked up an 8-4 win over St. John’s on Feb. 22. Shortstop Jacob Cueva had two hits while reaching base four times for St. Thomas, and Luke Jameison had seven strikeouts in 4.1 innings of work on the mound. In public school action, the Heights Bulldogs were 1-3 to start their season despite a couple of strong pitching performances. Aiden Pro and Jacob Gonzalez threw complete games against Dickinson and Dobie, respectively, though both wound up losses. Waltrip split two games last week, losing 10-0 to Katy Jordan before taking down Katy Morton Ranch 11-3. The Booker T. Washington Eagles, meanwhile, tied Mickey Leland College Prep 9-9 on Feb. 25, moving their record to 1-0-2 on the young season.

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The Leader • Saturday, March 5, 2022 • Page 3B

Parker, from P. 1B expression.” Parker Boot Company, which has operated since 2014 and is open by appointment only, fulfills about 80 custom orders per year and works on up to 10 at a time, according to its owner. Parker said he also does boot repairs and sells other handmade leather items such as belts and wallets. With the recent expansion of his staff, and a desire to broaden his offerings and shorten the turnaround time for an order, Parker said he is launching a new line of “made-to-order” boots. He’s crafting about 10 pairs of casual, roper-heeled boots with the same style but in different sizes.

If a customer likes the look and the fit, they can pick the leather of their choice and have their order ready within 4-6 weeks, according to Parker, who said the cost of these boots will be about $1,000 or less. “We eventually plan on having something in stock” so walk-in customers can buy boots on the spot, Parker said. Being an avid cowboy boot customer drew Parker into the business of making custom boots. He served apprenticeships with John Jass Boot Shop in Lampasas and later with Dave Wheeler of Wheeler Boot Company in Houston. Parker said his customers hail from Houston and other

parts of Texas but also more far-flung places such as England and Sweden. And he said they tend to be either hunters, who want boots made from the skins of the animals they kill, or those who spend their weekdays wearing suits and like luxury as well as the western look. They’re rodeo goers, too, like most Houstonians. They’re just wearing boots that are different from most of the others. “It’s very rare the way I’m doing what I’m doing,” Parker said. “You find boot companies everywhere. But someone who makes boots from start to finish, there’s not many of us in Houston.”

Contributed photo Custom, handmade boots at Parker Boot Company, 742 W. 20th St., cost $2,500 or more and take nearly a year to complete.

OFHA leads cleanup event along 43rd Street By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

If you drove down West 43rd Street last Saturday morning, you might have seen members of the MOB in the median. MOB, in this case, stands for “Mission of Beautification.” The co-chairs of the beautification committee for the Oak Forest Homeowners Association (OFHA) organized a community cleanup event in which volunteers trimmed trees, raked and picked up trash and other debris in the 43rd Street esplanades between Mall Drive to the west and Oak Forest Drive to the east. “We call ourselves the MOB,” said Cindy Graham, a beautification committee co-chair along with Danielle Maudlin. “We wanted to make it catchy, so you can join the MOB.” Graham and Maudlin were among the 16 Oak Forest residents who turned out on a wet and chilly morning - “pretty impressive” under the circumstances, according to Graham - with the volunteers ranging in age from pre-teens to senior citizens. They met for coffee and breakfast tacos at MytiBurger, 2211 W. 43rd St., and then got to work, with most wearing bright yellowgreen event T-shirts so they were easily visible to passing motorists. The event was the first for the OFHA’s newly restarted beautification committee, which had been dormant for a handful of years, according to Graham. “It was a lot of fun,” she

Contributed photo Cindy Graham, left, and Danielle Maudlin, the beautification committee co-chairs for the Oak Forest Homeowners Association, organized a community cleanup event last Saturday, Feb. 26, along West 43rd Street.

said. “It felt good to get started.” Another community cleanup is scheduled for April 2, Graham said, although she and Maudlin have not yet zeroed in on a part of the neighborhood to help beautify. She said the group might do more cleaning up on 43rd Street or T.C. Jester Boulevard. Graham said the initial event was met with a posi-

tive response on social media and, if the weather is more cooperative, perhaps the turnout will be even greater. “We are hoping this will be one of many,” said Graham, an Oak Forest resident since 1999. “A lot of the neighborhood has changed so much over the years. There seems to be new life to it, and everyone seems to want to spruce it up.”

Nose-licking cats and the humans who love them

Dear Tabby, We have a weird situation in our home. Our cat loves to lick us--especially on our faces and, more specifically on our noses! What on earth is this about? Licky Kitty in The Heights Dear Licky Kitty, To know a cat is to understand how fastidious they are about grooming and keeping themselves clean. This is one major benefit of owning (but, really, does anyone OWN a cat…no.) and loving a cat--they’re self-cleaning. The grooming habits of a cat serve several purposes. Obviously, keeping themselves clean indicates that a cat is healthy and is a sign that all is well. Grooming can also serve as a soothing mechanism for some cats. A cat who is relaxed and confident will groom and keep himself tidy. Grooming also serves to bond a “clan” of cats and this is probably what your cat is doing.

When a cat grooms another cat, he is communicating closeness to the cat and, basically saying, “you’re part of my family.” Interestingly enough, the act of licking and grooming also imparts the groomer’s scent onto the groom-ee. The saliva of a cat has enzymes that give it a distinctive smell (not discernible by humans’ inferior noses). When a cat grooms and licks another cat, he’s helping to create a common scent among the two cats, further strengthening their familiar bond.

Humans are considered family When a cat grooms a human--by licking and sometimes nibbling on them--he’s showing that you’re part of his clan and he cares about your health and happiness. This is considered a high compliment in the cat world. Noses are often the most popular place for a cat to lick a human because the nose is close to the facial features that communicate love to our cats. Think about it: humans use mouths to speak to cats and say such loving things as, “Are you ready to eat?” and

human eyes express our love and approval of cats. Then, there’s the nose, sitting smack in the between the nose and eyes, which protrudes and makes for easy licking. But it hurts! The downside to having a cat who wants to groom you is that it can often hurt. A cat’s tongue is structured so that it has microscopic hollow spines on it that bend backwards. These spines are made of keratin (the same stuff that their nails are made of) and help cats to brush mats and fleas out of their fur and also

facilitate the passage of water from the bowl to their throats. As a result of having a tongue covered with hard spines, being licked by a cat can often feel less like love and more like punishment! If it’s just too much for you, redirect your cat to lick something else instead. Often a plush toy will satisfy his urge to groom and

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THE PUBLIC. The Leader • Saturday, March 5, 2022 • Page 4B

End of HISD mask mandate part of relaxed COVID restrictions By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

Masks are no longer required on Houston ISD campuses and other district facilities, while officials at the city and county also have relaxed their COVID-19 restrictions amid a decline in cases and related hospitalizations across much of the region. HISD, the largest school district in Texas, lifted its mask mandate Tuesday after requiring students, teachers, administrators and visitors to wear face coverings at all districtowned facilities since the start of the school year last August. HISD’s COVID-19 dashboard showed 117 active cases as of Tuesday, with 97 among students and a total of 29 cases at schools in the Heights, Garden Oaks and Oak Forest areas. There were 22 student cases at Oak Forest Elementary, by far the most at any HISD campus.

“Our families, students and staff have shown incredible patience, resiliency and grace these past two years as we navigated the COVID-19 pandemic,” HISD Superintendent Millard House II said in a statement released by the district. “This virus is still circulating in our communities, but we have the tools to keep ourselves and each other safe.” HISD’s mask requirement ended about a week after Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo lowered the county’s COVID threat level from its highest- to second-highest level. On the same day, Feb. 24, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced that the city was suspending its mask requirement for employees and visitors to municipal buildings, citing a decline in the city’s positivity rate for COVID testing. He said some city employees will still be required to wear masks when interacting with members of the public.

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“I strongly encourage people who are not fully vaccinated or are immunocompromised to wear a face covering while entering or upon city premises, but doing so is not required,” Turner said. In lowering the county’s threat level from red to orange, Hidalgo said there remains a significant and uncontrolled level of COVID transmission within the region and that unvaccinated residents should continue to wear masks, phys-

ically distance from others and avoid medium-sized and large gatherings. Harris County Public Health reported 189 new cases on Tuesday, a significant decline from January, when at least 1,000 new cases reported on most days. In the six zip codes served by The Leader - 77007, 77008, 77009, 77018, 77091 and 77092 - there were a total of 3,108 active cases as of Tuesday. There were more than 34,440 active cases across the county, where there has been a total of 870,817 cases and 7,214 deaths caused by COVID-19, with 829,123 patients having recovered. “While we’re moving in the right direction, there are no guarantees we won’t see another wave in the future,” Hidalgo said. “My hope is that the on-demand availability of vaccines and treatments will help us to avoid another dangerous spike.”

Man hospitalized in officer-involved shooting Woman shot, killed at Northside apartment complex

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

A man who was shot by police officers after allegedly leading them on a chase through the area last weekend remains hospitalized, according to the Houston Police Department. The man, believed to be in his mid-30s, according to HPD, was taken to the hospital in critical condition Sunday morning and remained there as of Tuesday, according to an HPD spokesperson. The spokesperson said police have not yet been able to confirm the man’s identity, but he is facing criminal charges on two counts of aggravated assault against a public servant and one count of aggravated robbery, according to the department. One officer had a minor injury, HPD said, while two other officers and K-9 dog Nate were uninjured. Nate is a Belgian Malinois, and the same police dog who was stabbed while pursuing a suspected criminal on Jan. 22. Last weekend Nate was on his third day back at work after recovering from the stabbing, according to a Twitter post from HPD. HPD said the man who’s hospitalized allegedly stole another man’s vehicle at gunpoint in southwest Houston before leading police on a chase that eventually

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By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Photo from Twitter A police dog named Nate, who was stabbed in January, was shot at last weekend, according to the Houston Police Department.

wound up at 7800 W. Tidwell Rd. around 8:40 a.m. Sunday. When police attempted to stop the stolen vehicle on Tidwell, the man allegedly refused and eventually jumped out of the car to flee on foot, according to HPD. During the pursuit, the man allegedly fired shots toward Nate and the three officers chasing him. The officers returned fire, police said, and hit the man. HPD said the incident is under investigation by its Special Investigations unit and internal affairs division as well as the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

A woman died after being shot in the parking lot of an apartment complex in Northside last week, according to the Houston Police Department. HPD said the victim, 20-yearold Indigo Garza, was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers responded to the La Casita Apartments at 303 Rosamond St. around 11:40 p.m. Feb. 23 to find Garza unresponsive in the parking lot of the complex with a gunshot wound, according to HPD. HPD did not have a description for potential suspects, though it said witnesses told investigators a white minivan was seen fleeing the scene after the shooting. Anyone with information in this case is urged to contact HPD’s Homicide division at 713-3083600 or Crime Stoppers at 713222-8477.

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