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Saturday, November 18, 2023 • Vol. 68 • No. 45
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Local man accused of shooting, killing friend who choked dog
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By Stefanie Thomas editor@theleadernews.com Charges have been filed against a 22-year-old Heights area resident in connection with the fatal shooting of a man that occurred at 903 Shirkmere Rd. around 7:50 p.m. Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. Christopher
Flores, 22, faces a murder charge in the 338th State District Court for the alleged killing of Israel Gonzales, 23, of Houston. Houston police said patrol officers responded to a report of a shooting at Flores’ home address. Upon arrival, they discovered an unresponsive male
victim on the living room floor with a gunshot wound. Police said the suspect allegedly shot the victim after the victim reportedly choked the suspect’s dog. Houston Fire Department paramedics pronounced the victim dead at the scene. Flores reportedly surrendered to officers without incident.
As of press time, Flores is being held in Harris County Jail on a $500,000 bond. Arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 24, 2024. His appointed attorney did not respond to a request for comment. Court records show no prior criminal history for Flores in Harris Photo provided by HPD Christopher Flores County.
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All Saints Catholic Church and the Houston Junior Forum honor veterans By Lisa Morales The Leader News Contributor
INSIDE.
Winter Street Studios is once again open to its resident artists.
Mix and ‘Mingle All The Way’ scheduled for Dec. 2.
Winter Street Studios celebrates reopening following last year’s Christmas arson fire
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By Elena Sandovici The Leader News Contributor
THRIVE Performance and Regenerative Medicine opens on W. 18th St.
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For the foodie in you: Check out this week’s reviews
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ArtCrawl Houston 2023 happens this Saturday.
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THE INDEX. People .......................................2 Topics ........................................5 Classifieds .................................6 Local Culture .............................8
Last Christmas, the Houston arts community was shaken by the devastating fire at Winter Street Studios. But it’s finally time to celebrate the reopening of this iconic art space, and for many of the artists in the building, this means returning to their studios after nearly a year of being displaced. On Saturday, Nov. 11, with the rebuilding of Sections A & B (50,000 square feet and 55 artist studios) completed, many artists were able to open their doors to the public for the first time in 11 months. 2101 Winter Street, a 75,000-squarefoot building converted into artist studios by Houston developer Jon Deal back in 2005, was the first in a series of buildings transformed into spaces for creatives, generating Sawyer Yards, an arts campus Houston takes pride in. After the devastating fire bombing of Winter Street in December 2022, the artists in the building lost countless irreplaceable works, had to find ways to salvage smokedamaged art, and lost access to their studio spaces for nearly a year. For many artists in the building, the fire impacted their livelihood, as many are successful professional artists for whom art is their main source of income. However, the problem of not having access to their studios as well
Photo submitted by Ellen Orseck
Cleanup efforts after the Dec. 20, 2022, fire that devastated Winter Street Studios: Ellen Orseck and studio mate Barbara Hall.
as the building and all it represents was not just one of logistics. Beyond practical considerations, which tend to be impossible to overlook, artists struggle with so much more. Making art takes courage – in addition to hard work, skill, space, time, and art supplies. A supportive environment is crucial for creatives trying to stay inspired, productive, and confident. “I think most artists struggle with doubts alone, so when these things happen, it only adds to that doubt,” said resident artist Michelle Huff, re-
ferring to the closure of the building after the fire. “We all went through it, and some decided to move on or find other studios during the 11 months we waited for the building to be ready. I painted in my home studio. Every day. All day. In fact, most everything displayed in my studio today is post Dec. 20, 2022. I am most looking forward to getting back around my creative family and being able to talk art to people other than the ones who live with me.” Other artists in the building echoed Huff ’s sentiments about the difficulty of not having access to their studios. “The fire deeply affected me, leaving me without a workspace for about a month until I found a temporary studio,” said Edgar Medina. “It also took a toll on my sales without the monthly Open Studio to showcase our artwork. Looking ahead to the reopening of my studio, I’m personally excited to open the doors again. I can’t wait to welcome both new and familiar faces, inviting them to explore my studio gallery. Engaging in conversations about my artwork and reconnecting with returning art enthusiasts is something I truly look forward to. Overall, I’m overjoyed that Winter Street is back, and I’m thrilled to share our beautifully revamped space with everyone.”
See VETERANS P. 5
Photo submitted by Houston Junior Forum
Kutra is a 101-year-old veteran who was honored at the event.
See WINTER STREET STUDIOS P. 7
St. Ambrose Lady Hornets varsity volleyball team celebrates undefeated season and championship victory By Stefanie Thomas editor@theleadernews.com In a remarkable display of talent and determination, the St. Ambrose Catholic School Lady Hornets varsity volleyball team concluded their 2023 season with an undefeated record and clinched the championship title. The Lady Hornets’ journey to their championship victory included 12 regular season games, competing in the Galveston-Houston Catholic Athletic Association (GHCAA), which combined two divisions based on enroll-
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Photo by Michelle Huff
In the heart of the Heights, the Houston Junior Forum (HJF), a women’s service organization founded in 1946, continues its legacy of community service by extending a helping hand to seniors at the All Saints Third Age Learning Center (TALC). This collaboration emerged after the forum’s own senior program concluded its 37-year run in 2004, prompting the search for a similar initiative dedicated to serving older adults, children, youth, and women in the community. HJF approached All Saints about the opportunity to volunteer and enhance the TALC senior program and were met with open arms. Among the various events organized by the HJF, the annual Veterans Day Celebration stands out as a highlight. Hosted on the campus of All Saints Catholic Church in the Heights at 215 E. 10th Street, the celebration brings joy and pride to the veterans in attendance. This year’s Veterans Day Celebration, held on Nov. 9, was particularly significant as it marked the first inperson event since 2019, following closure of the event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The festivities, featuring the renowned Big Ed and the Happy Band, were punctuated by the recognition of 12 veterans in attendance. Among them, 101-year-old WWII Army veteran Emil Kutra, and three female veterans were welcomed and honored. 102-year-old WWII and Korean War Marine veteran, Colonel Joe McPhail, could not attend the ceremony due to his Veterans Day obligations at other events, but he can be seen occasionally having lunch at The TALC hot lunch offering. Colonel Travis Koch, USAF, retired, added a poignant moment to the celebration by presenting the American flag, while veterans were honored with applause as their service theme songs played.
ment: Division 1 for smaller schools and Division 2 for larger schools. St. Ambrose was placed in the North Division 1, competing against seven other schools during the regular season. Without suffering a single loss all regular season, the team ultimately faced Corpus Christi in a 2-out-of-3 championship match that ended after only two games, with the St. Ambrose Lady Hornets winning the first two games to seal the deal. The team’s dominance was evident as they secured a convincing victory with scores of 25-15 and 25-10 against Corpus Christi.
Coach Chet Wood expressed his pride and gratitude for the remarkable journey. “We had just an incredible number of talented girls on our team,” he said. “When I was thinking about this team over the summer, I had it in my head how it would all fall into place. These girls were working their tails off, and the group very naturally became something even better than I hoped for. It was really neat—a blessing of great talent and just really good kids.” See HORNETS P. 7
Photo by Jackie Wisnoski
On Sept. 16, 2023, the St. Ambrose Volleyball Varsity team won the Incarnate Word Academy 2023 Middle School Volleyball Invitational. Madelyn Wood (left) and Brooke Wisnoski (center) earned “All Tournament”. Demi Descant (right) earned “MVP of the Tournament.”
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