Leader January 23

Something g New and Excitiny Arriving Dail Come See!!!

Inside Today: Two more bars planned for White Oak area • Page 1B

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Covering the Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest & the neighborhoods of North Houston

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Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021 • Vol. 66 • No. 04

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Care providers locked out of Heights Hospital

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

Aneida Alexander has been going to The Heights Hospital for all her healthcare needs. She said she likes the people there and their attitudes and the fact it is so close to her home.

The 73-year-old resident of the Houston Heights Tower, which is less than one block away from the hospital at 1917 Ashland St., rode there Tuesday afternoon on her motorized scooter. But Alexander did not make the short trip to receive treatment for her kidney

disease or irregular heartbeat or arthritis.

She just wanted to show support for Dr. Felicity Mack and see how she was doing, because Mack, some of her fellow physicians and their support staffs were not allowed inside the building. The company they work for, which operates on multiple floors of the medical facility, was locked out Monday morning for nonpayment of rent, according to notices attached to the front entrance.

“I am so disappointed in whoever is running this show,” Alexander said. “Because I know that

the people that I have contact with seem very professional.

They seem to want to help the people that are here, in the neighborhood, and they want to do the best.”

Mack and a few staff members were stationed outside the hospital on Monday and Tuesday to greet patients, tell them what was going on and provide some minimal care, such as dressing wounds and administering COVID-19 tests, she said. The doctor said she and her employees See Locked out P. 5A

Photo by Adam Zuvanich Dr. Felicity Mack, right, a physician at The Heights Hospital, 1917 Ashland St., talks to patient Aneida Alexander on Tuesday in the parking lot.

Blocked in the Back

Now located at:

5005 W. 34th Street, Suite 104A Legal Services For Wills, Probate Estate Planning & General Civil Matters

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

Blair ended up selling one of his properties, the corner lot across from Berryhill that was not obstructed, to Frost Bank in 2019. He said at least one potential buyer has backed away from purchasing the other lot, which contains a warehouse at 620 E. 11th St., because alley access is impeded.

“This is big for me,” he said. “It’s affected four real estate deals for me and cost me money. ... I just want the alley to be accessible.”

Blair has tried to get the City of Houston to intervene and remove the obstructions, but to no avail. He said the

State Rep. Penny Morales Shaw, the area’s new representative in Austin, is leading a push among legislators to put teachers and other school staff near the front of the line for COVID-19 vaccinations.

In a Jan. 14 letter addressed to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Department of State Health Services Commissioner Dr. John Hellerstedt, Morales Shaw and 34 other state representatives asked health Photo from Facebook authorities to include all pub- State Rep. Penny lic school em- Morales Shaw ployees in the group of people who can next receive the vaccine. Since the state began distributing vaccine doses last month, only frontline healthcare workers, residents of long-term care facilities and people over age 65 or with chronic medical conditions have been eligible to receive them.

The aforementioned priority group includes school nurses, school police officers and school employees who screen people for COVID-19, but not teachers and other campus staff.

“This month, teachers and students returned to the classroom after the holiday break as the number of Texans hospitalized with the coronavirus reached new records,” the letter stated.

“Teachers and staff will be at great risk of contracting COVID-19 and deserve the opportunity to voluntarily receive the vaccine. We respectfully request that members of the COVID-19 Expert Allocation Panel give all teachers and school support staff this chance so that they may continue their service as educators to the children and families of Texas.”

Morales Shaw was elected in November as the state representative for District 148, which includes the Heights,

See Alley, P. 5A

See Vaccine, P. 4A

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Speak now. Community input is being sought regarding a major infrastructure project.

Page 4A

Photo by Adam Zuvanich Park Blair, who owns a home and multiple commerical properties on and near East 11th Street in the Heights, points to an obstruction in the alley that runs between East 11th Street and 10th 1/2 Street from Oxford Street to Beverly Street.

Property owner takes issue with alley obstructions

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

Mi casa, su casa. We review a Heights taco restaurant that makes you feel right at home.

Page 7A

Pick me! Pick me! This week’s Pet of the Week is Nala, who is anxious to find a new home.

Page 3B

At one point Park Blair wanted to buy up the whole block.

Now he’s blocked in.

Blair, a Heights resident and the owner of the Berryhill restaurants, bought a piece of property across from the East 11th Street location in 2007. That same year he purchased another plot of land two lots to the west, and he said his plan at the time was to assemble contiguous lots between Beverly Street and Oxford Street, with the hope of developing it or selling it to someone else who would do the same.

But his vision fizzled out, Blair said, in part because some of those commercial properties cannot be accessed through the alley that runs behind them. The fenced backyards of some of the residential properties on the opposite side of the alley extend through them, essentially blocking off the alley.

Editor’s note: This is Part III of a series about Heights alleys. Read Part I and Part II at theleadernews.com.

Former Heights resident to join Space Force

By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com

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

Contributed photo Former Heights resident Mitchell Montalvo, who attended Sinclair Elementary, will soon join the Unites States Space Force.

Mitchell Montalvo, a former Heights resident who attended Sinclair Elementary, will soon be a lieutenant in the Air Force ROTC at the University of Houston. Montalvo also is one of two UH students who will be the first at the school to enter the United States Space Force (USSF).

Montalvo comes from a military family. His father was a mil-

itary police officer in the Army.

His sister attended the Air Force Academy and was an officer in the Air Force. His brother was also in the Air Force.

“My family is thrilled,” Montalvo said. “My wife has been a huge support, too.”

Established in December 2019 within the Department of the Air Force, the U.S. Space Force’s mission is to organize, train, recruit and equip space forces to protect U.S. and allied interests in space and to

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provide space capabilities to the joint forces. Gen. John W. Raymond, a four-star general known as the Chief of Space Operations, serves as the senior military member of the USSF. Montalvo said he and fellow cadet Christopher Williams will be among the first to be commissioned directly into the USSF, instead of recommissioned from the Air Force to the USSF. See Montalvo P. 4A

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Page 2A • Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021 • The Leader

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THE TOPICS. The Leader • Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021 • Page 3A

This page must be about our readers

I

n July of 2012, I was given the opportunity to do something people like me crave. For the previous 15 years, I had worked for a group of wonderful media company owners, and I wanted a chance to take a vision and build it in something I could call my own.

When our company bought The Leader that year, during a very difficult time to own newspapers of any type, we were incredibly fortunate to dip our toes into business ownership in an area of Houston that was bursting at the seams.

The real estate market, if you can remember, couldn’t contain itself, and the price of homes in our community skyrocketed. Come to think of it, this is still one of the best real estate markets in the city, it’s just that the explosion has cooled a bit.

At about that same time, the leadership of Memorial Hermann Northwest (remember that name?) realized it needed to be more in tune to our neighborhoods. Over the next few years, they did everything they could to be a better corporate citizen, and they were effective at it. In fact, they wanted to change their perception in the market (just as I wanted to do with The Leader) and they completely remade their emergency room and front façade, which faces away from 610.

And from those changes, and our emerging communities, other things began to fall in line. Speaking of hospitals, St. Joseph bought

Jonathan McElvy Publisher

Heights Hospital and tried to find a foothold here. It didn’t work quite as planned, but the move proved the changes in this area meant other ancillary benefits would follow. Today, Methodist Hospital does a lot of marketing to our neighborhoods as they seek to be an alternative. You don’t get that sort of attention if you aren’t a desirable constituency.

We don’t have to list every explosion, but in the nearly nine years our company has owned The Leader, we’ve seen growth and exceptionalism at every turn. Our schools have improved, your restaurants are topnotch, our small businesses have new customers every week, and the companies that offer us service (banks, insurance, home repair), provide a quality of life for our neighbors that is second to none in Houston.

One of the most personally rewarding parts of watching this growth has been my unique chance to write a column nearly every week raising awareness about the

wonderful things in our community.

Sure, I’ve veered off course from time-to-time to tell you about the catastrophes of parenting. I’ve even dabbled in the more philosophical pieces that ask us all, as collective readers, to consider that most issues aren’t as wonderful or terrible as they may seem.

In looking back on the columns I’ve written, all about 1,000 words, my folder says I’ve published about 270 pieces like this in our paper, and most of them have been about issues and stories centered on us.

If I threw all those columns into a standard hard-cover book, it would amount to nearly 1,100 pages of opinion, which absolutely no one wants to read.

The value of my column, so far as I can tell from the amazing response I’ve received over the years, is that it added perspective to stories and people and problems in our neighborhoods. In fact, of all the newspapers I’ve edited or published, I’ve always believed readers view this column as a small part of the soul of the newspaper. It lets readers into the thinking of publishing a newspaper that always, always belongs to the community it serves.

And what I’m most proud of, in terms of this column, is that it has been a part of so many conversations in our community, and it has helped add to the discourse of issues we all needed to discuss.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned

The sighs of Texas MY CHECKBOOK – I am trying to help the economy of Pennsylvania, and you, as a patriotic Texan whose word is your bond, should, too. I am sending a donation to our beloved state lite guv, Dan Patrick, the Official State Demagogue, in yet another case of our leaders making Texas the laughingstock of the nation. If you have been applying to be the Texans coach and missed the news, Patrick proclaimed that he would pay $25,000 to $1 million in reward money for proof of voter fraud.

This benevolence came after Donald Trump and his followers, including Patrick, constantly charged there had been massive voter fraud that cost Trump his re-election. The accusation must have included Texas because Gov. Greg Abbott has long declared that voter fraud in the Lone Star State is “rampant.” Experts, vote officials and snoopy journalists -- always looking for a good scandal -found such violations virtually non-existent, but we’ll cut Abbott some slack since he’s busy deciding which ballot box in Dalhart that Texans will use in the next election.

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, a Democrat, obviously, took his counterpart up on the challenge. Fetterman trotted out the case from September in which a Pennsylvania man was charged with forging the name of his deceased mother to get an application for an absentee ballot. In November, Pennsylvania police filed criminal charges against a man who they say cast a ballot, then returned to the polling place 45 minutes later, this time wearing sunglasses and claiming to be his son. The police charged a man they say cast a ballot in the name of his long-dead mother. All three fraudulent voters tried to vote for – don’t get ahead of me – Trump! So Fetterman wants $3 million. He says he’ll donate the proceeds to food banks in the form of gift cards. He added, Patrick is “just such a Trump simp, it’s just pathetic.” He said he first noticed Patrick in March when Patrick appeared on Fox News during COVID-19 lockdowns and suggested grandparents might be willing to sacrifice themselves to reopen the country. Many suggested Patrick, age 70, lead by example.

Our Lite Guv -- honorary chairman of Trump’s campaign in Texas -- responded to Fetterman in a tweet that read: “Faith in the electoral process is a serious issue. Transparency is critical. PA Dems brought this on themselves w/ last minute changes to election laws and counting ballots behind closed doors. Respond to the reports.

Answer the questions. Stop the snide put-downs and #getserious.” Patrick totally ignored the challenge. Fetterman is particularly upset with Texas because his state is one four that our attorney general, Ken Paxton, who co-chaired Lawyers for Trump, unsuccessful sued to

Lynn Ashby Columnist

have the U.S. Supreme Court overturn results of the presidential race. Fetterman called it “that pile of hot garbage lawsuit.” News reports kept saying and writing “Texas is suing…” and “Texas has brought a lawsuit against four other states.”

Then there is the matter of the taxpayers’ money. Paxton hired two Washington lawyers and said they were to work “at no cost to the state,” but it did cost Texans for $11,940.03 for “printing.” Huh? When it comes to legal matters, Paxton should have his own hands full: he’s under indictment for securities fraud, and the FBI is investigating him for bribery.

East Texas Congressman Louie Gohmert added to Texas’ luster by filling a lawsuit arguing that Vice President Mike Pence has the conditional power to decide which states’ Electoral College votes to count. A Trump-appointed federal judge in Texas dismissed the suit.

Seventeen Texas Republican members of Congress participated in an attempt to, in effect, overturn the Nov. 3 election.

On the day Trump supporters held a rally outside the White House, the President and his son, Eric, called on protesters to march on the Capitol. Who was there on the stage with them?

Atty. Gen. Ken Paxton who said, “What we have in President Trump is a fighter. And I think that’s why we’re all here.

We believe in what he’s accomplished over the last four years.

Because we’re here today, the message goes on. We will not quit fighting.” And they didn’t quit fighting. The next day Paxton did an about face and took to Facebook, writing: “Those who stormed the capitol yesterday were not Trump supporters. They have been confirmed to be Antifa. Violence is not the answer.”

Seventeen Texas Republican members of Congress participated in an attempt to, in effect, overturn the Nov. 3 election.

Our own U.S. junior senator, Ted Cruz, was the fire-brand leader.

(Even our other U.S. senator and ardent Trump follower, John Minion, uh, Cornyn, refused to join the gang.) Cruz made thunderous speech after Fox interview pushing the fraud theory, always identified as “the senator from Texas.” (His campaign sent out a fundraising message as people were sieging the Capitol.) He claimed to be “leading the fight to reject electors.”

After the attack on the Capitol, Cruz caught hell. There were calls for his resignation, and he also suddenly did an about face.

He tweeted: “The attack at the Capitol was a despicable act of

terrorism and a shocking assault on our democratic system.

We must come together and put this anger and division behind us.” Asked if he bore any responsibility for the attack, Cruz replied: “Not remotely.”

One last note. As a Houston businessman, Dan Patrick went bankrupt. He landed as a sports anchor on Channel 11. One night on the air he got himself painted Oiler Blue by two Oilers cheerleaders. Well, Belo Co. in Dallas, owner of the Dallas Morning News, WFAA-TV, etc. had just bought Channel 11, and the top two executives of Belo, having concluded the deal, were relaxing in their Houston hotel suite when they turned on the TV and saw the painting, or a re-play. One Belo boss turned to the other and said, “What have we done?” Texas voters, what have we done?

Ashby riots at ashby2@comcast.net

about the results of a national pandemic, it’s that we’ve all had to change a little. My family has changed, and so has yours. The businesses I own and operate have changed, too. In fact, they’ve changed dramatically in the past year.

With all the transparency I can muster, this year has been very difficult on our business, our employees and the future of our company. We’re not alone, and it’s not because we’re still publishing newspapers in a digital era.

What has changed most is the needs of our customers. For those who don’t know, The Leader is the flagship of a much bigger company.

We own the venerable Greensheet publication that still serves an enormous number of readers and advertisers in both Houston and Dallas. We also own the Fort Bend Star, another group of six community newspapers in the cities north of Corpus Christi, and we own four community newspapers in the towns just south of Charlotte, N.C. In all, the newspapers and our employees work with nearly 2,500 small businesses each year to help them better reach their markets. We do this through print, but we also do it through digital programs (we build a lot of websites each year for businesses), and we do it through commercial printing and social media campaigns.

I’ve always believed that the

THE READER.

column that appears on this page in The Leader (and in every newspaper we own) needs to be largely devoted to the issues of this specific community – not to the whims of the publisher.

Because of that, you’re going to begin seeing more columns from Adam Zuvanich, our editor, because it’s his job to cover this community.

You’ll see more from Betsy Denson, who has written for our paper for almost as long as I’ve been here.

And yes, you’ll continue to get columns from me, especially when one of my kids asks me if I’ve ever counted every line in the world. Do what? That kind of stuff deserves to be shared.

In this subtle change, which some have already noticed, I won’t be writing any less. In fact, I’m doing this because I’m writing more these days – specifically providing information for small businesses. Our larger company needs to spend a lot of time helping small businesses sort through these tough times, and I’m going to put most of my attention on them for a bit.

This won’t impact the quality of The Leader – I’m in the office every day. But this page needs to be about you, and we’re going to do a better job of it.

Email jonathan@mcelvypartners. com. And follow him on Twitter @ mcelvy

Email us your letters: news@theleadernews.com

Swap meet: Kidney donors, recipients form special bond

Dear Editor: Thank you Adam for a wonderfully written article. You are a genuine person and we were so glad you chose us for a story.

Lynn Palmer

Local representatives weigh in on unrest Dear Editor: They were gerrymandered to be that way.

Shawn Salyers

Dear Editor: Rep. Lee, thank you for recognizing the outrageous lies and propaganda being peddled by this administration to excuse and rationalize sedition and violence. Not acceptable! Keep speaking truth to power.

Peggy McGee Dear Editor: Y’all should see yourselves bickering over public servants you put into office. What are we in grade school again? “Well my choice is better than your choice.” Want to talk about disgraceful just look at your convos on a social media channel lol.

Christopher Alvin Sanchez Dear Editor: Millions of Americans were falsely led to believe

that the final say in the election of our next president lay with a single body, Congress,...” Rep. Crenshaw, who often lies to his constituents about all kinds of issues, including whether or not this election was secure and fair, now takes issue with the President lying to those same constituents about the same thing. My head is spinning.

We must hold our leaders accountable for lying to us and for attacking our democracy.

Liz Beth Dear Editor: It’s easy to watch what happens on TV - it was a riot and insurrection of Trump Republican supporters. These supporters have been lied to for the last two months about election fraud - that was a lie. While Representative Crenshaw may not have voted to object to the election, he did help spread the lies for almost two months. He signed onto the Supreme Court lawsuit brought

by Texas AG that the Supreme Court shot down.

Joe Biden is the elected President and there was no fraud.

David Meyer

Morales Shaw leading legislators’ push to prioritize teachers for vaccine

Dear Editor: Why does it have to be pushed for? Should have already happened!

Theresa Stiborik Fontana

the leader Puzzlers.

Answers found in this week’s Classified section

SUDOKU

aCrOss 1. LA team member 6. Young Fr. woman (abbr.)

10. Per __, each 11. Foots 13. Veggie toy 17. Overdose 18. US, Latin America, Canada belong to 19. So. Am. plain (Span.)

20. Point midway between N and NE 21. Single 22. Inactive 23. Mother of Hermes 24. Gives a new meaning 28. Silent players 29. One who adds Cluny trim 30. Men or boys 31. God of War 32. Self-immolation by fire ritual 33. Inevitable events 35. Add piquancy 36. Skin lesions 37. Cannabis 41. River of NE Turkey 42. 2 family struggle 43. A young swine

44. __ student, learns healing 45. 55300 MN 46. Opie actor Howard 47. World’s oldest news gathering organization (abbr.)

48. Luke’s Jedi mentor 52. Japan’s knife & scissor city 54. Medical antiseptic & dye 55. Early female flyers 56. Loses heat

dOwn 1. No longer practicing 2. Military mailbox 3. Cowboy Carson 4. 7th Greek letter 5. Nautical ladder rungs 6. Hmong 7. Fellow 8. Maltese pound 9. Coal blacks 10. Japan Airlines bird 12. Different concepts 13. Secure a ship with ropes 14. Elder 15. Belongs to famous computer 16. Point midway

between NE and E 20. Moniker 23. Environment 25. Fills with joy 26. Transportation charges 27. Frosts 28. Counterpart 30. 2nd largest Hawaiian island 32. Grimly humorous 33. A dog’s front foot 34. Mures River city 35. Steam bath 36. South African Music Awards 37. Sound made by a cat 38. Clothing protectors 39. Wife of Amphion 40. God of fire (Hindu) 42. Favorite weekday (abbr.)

45. Japanese sashes 48. Klutz 49. “__ Koo,” Debbie Harry debut album 50. Tokyo 51. Hardly any 53. Cathode

WORD SCRAMBLE

Page 4A • Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021 • The Leader

Public comments requested for Shepherd-Durham project

By Adam Zuvanich

the scope of the city.

Details about the first two phases were presented in a virtual public hearing beginning Jan. 14. The pre-recorded presentation can be viewed in English or in Spanish at memorialheightstirz5.com, where more project details are available.

The purpose of the project is to address safety, traffic congestion, stormwater detention and multimodal access. The plan calls for a reduction in vehicular lanes from four to three on both Durham Drive and Shepherd Drive - which are parallel, oneway streets that run north and south - along with the addition of bicycle lanes and landscape buffers, the expansion of sidewalks, repaving of the streets and the replacement of public utilities beneath each street.

azuvanich@theleadernews.com

Residents and businesses in the Greater Heights can submit comments about the first two phases of the Shepherd and Durham Major Investment Project, which aims to transform transportion in a significant stretch of the neighborhood, through Jan. 29.

The first two phases of the project - spanning from Loop 610 to the north to Interstate 10 to the south - are estimated to cost $115 million and are being executed by the Memorial Heights Redevelopment Authority, City of Houston and Texas Department of Transportation. The third phase of the project, from I-10 to Memorial Drive to the south - is under

Construction for Phase 1 of the project, from 610 to West 15th Street, is expected to start in the fall and take four years to complete, with Phase 2 construction from 15th Street to I-10 expected to start in 2023 and be complete in 2026.

Public comments about the first two phases can be submitted in the following ways: - By email at comments@ memorialheightstirz5.com.

- By voicemail at 832-4296237.

- Through the project website at memorialheightstirz5. com/projects/shepherd-anddurham-major-investmentproject.

- By mail addressed to Memorial Heights Redevelopment President, 1980 Post Oak Blvd., Suite 1380, Houston, TX 77056.

Contributed rendering by SWA Group The above artist’s rendering shows the intersection of Durham Drive and West 11th Street in the Heights upon completion of the Shepherd and Durham Major Investment Project.

Houston BCycle now offering discounted rider memberships

I WOULD RUN an ad in The Leader

713.686.8494 Get Your Business Up and Running

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Those wanting to take advantage of Houston’s bike-sharing program can do so at a discounted rate for a limited time.

Houston BCycle, a nonprofit created by the City of Houston in 2012, is offering a discount on memberships until the end of January. For those who sign up, there will be the option for a 35 percent discount on BCycle’s typical membership fee for a year’s worth of bike rides at more than 100 Houston locations.

Instead of $79, the fee for a year’s membership will be $50 for rides at all open locations, including nine stations in the Heights and Washington Avenue areas. The fee will pay for one year of unlimited hour-long trips on standard or electric bikes, which can be picked up

Experience and Knowledge...

A Powerful Combination

IF I COULD WALK...

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Photo by Adam Zuvanich Houston BCycle, which has nine area stations, is offering discounted memberships this month.

and dropped off at any of BCycle’s 111 Houston stations.

For more information on the promotion or to sign up to ride, community members can visit houston.bcycle.com/join-now.

Montalvo from P. 1A “This is an incredible milestone for the detachment and for UH. The fact that we have two cadets going in is a testament to the high-caliber cadets we have here,� Lt. Col. Matt Manning, commander and professor of Air Force Sciences, Air Force ROTC, Detachment 003, said in a news release. “I think it says a lot when your cadets come out to be part of the initial officers for a new military force.�

There were 70 slots available for the highly competitive program. Montalvo said the application included information about his grades, commanders’ ranking and other tests. He applied in September and found out in October.

A computer science major, Montalvo said he has always been interested in math. Both he and Williams also did an internship at NASA where he got to help plan satellite passes.

The experience inspired him to apply for the USSF. “The biggest objective (of USSF) is to keep space assets up and operational,� Montalvo said. “It aids in military communication and also impacts civilian life. Without operational satellites, Google Maps wouldn’t work.�

Because of COVID-19, the earliest Montalvo could go in person to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to begin basic training would be early September.

Once there, he said his training scores and evaluations will help guide him to his department. Possibilities include space lift private colaunches, space command and control and missile warning. “I want to create a culture that’s able to grow the young branch and keep a positive attitude towards doing the best for our country,� Montalvo said.

Until then, he will finish up his degree work and continue running Cougar Cadets, a volunteer organization he founded at UH. After May graduation, he plans to serve as a recruiter until he reports to California.

HISD announced Jan. 12 that Crockett, which serves the Sawyer Yards area, would temporarily close its thirdand fourth-grade classrooms because of COVID-19. The campus has three active cases among staff and one among students, according to HISD’s online dashboard.

After starting the 2020-21 school year exclusively with remote, online learning, HISD reopened campuses in October.

The HISD board of trustees recently approved a proposal by interim superintendent Grenita Lathan to restore paid leave for employees infected with or exposed to COVID-19. Those benefits,

provided by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), had expired Dec. 31. “Since Texas schools reopened for in-person learning, districts across the state have temporarily closed campuses after outbreaks, mourned the loss of educators and staff, and witnessed firsthand the challenges of returning to the classroom during a pandemic,� stated the letter from Morales Shaw and other representatives. “...

We stand ready to work with you to protect Texas educators and mitigate the spread of COVID-19.�

Vaccine from P. 1A Garden Oaks and Oak Forest areas. The biennial Texas Legislature session convened last week in Austin.

According to Houston ISD’s COVID-19 dashboard, there were a total of 75 active cases at 20 area campuses as of Jan. 15, with 38 of those cases among students and 37 among staff. The local schools with active cases are Heights and Scarborough high schools, Frank Black, Clifton, Hamilton, Hogg and Williams middle schools and Crockett, Durham, Field, Garden Oak Montessori Magnet, Helms, Highland Heights, Love, Oak Forest, Sinclair, Smith, Stevens, Travis and Wainwright elementary schools.

CHURCH D I R E CTO RY

I

GET How to carry heavy OVER IT!

loads without falling

t goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: “we have all made mistakes.� As Alexander Pope so aptly put it: “To err is human, to forgive, divine.� We should remember this the next time we make a mistake. Most certainly, we must learn from our mistakes, and hopefully not continue to repeat them, but we should also forgive ourselves. While it can be hard enough to forgive others for their mistakes, it can sometimes feel almost impossible to forgive ourselves.

We sometimes cannot bring ourselves to forgive something we’ve done, and we may punish and harangue ourselves for years, or even decades, over youthful indiscretions. In addition, some of us may not be able to forget the sins of our past. And although that may prevent us from repeating them, we must be charitable and forgive ourselves, just as we should forgive others. So, we should make a real effort in the coming days and weeks to forgive the offenses of others as well as our own. Sometimes, it helps to just forget about them; that is, to try to put them out of our mind and stop repeatedly mulling over them. One of the reasons we use the phrase “forgive and forget� is because sometimes that is the only way to forgive, i.e., by forgetting. But far better, and more divine, is to be able to forgive even while remembering the offense. So, we should let go of those unforgiving, vindictive, shameful feelings about the past, and get over it! Corrie ten Boom, who survived incarceration in a Nazi prison camp said, “Forgiveness is to set a prisoner free, and to realize that the prisoner was you.�

By Pastor Will Cover

In light of theSunday COVID-19 outbreak, please check with church below for updated St.each James Lutheran Church, ELCA Bible Studies For All Ages ... 9:30am Morning Worship ............... 10:45am • Worship (English) ..... 10:00 am - 11:00am information Wednesday about services and events.

In-person services are temporarily restricted.

Bible Studies For Youth, Children • Learning Hour........... 11:00am - 12:00pm MANNA and Adults............................ 6:15pm

1822 W. 18th • 713-864-1470

Sponsor

• Worship (Spanish) .... 12:30 pm - 1:30pm

1602 West 43rd St. • Houston, Tx 77018 • 713-686-1577

St. James Lutheran Church, ELCA

First Church

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

H

ave you ever picked up something that was too t 8PSTIJQ &OHMJTI

BN BN We invite you to worship with us! heavy for you and found 1700 Sunday West 43 at Rosslyn School ........9:15 am yourself stumbling and struggling MANNA t -FBSOJOH )PVS BN QN 713-682-4942 t 8PSTIJQ 4QBOJTI QN QN Pastor – Dr. Richard Walters Sunday Worship......10:30am to find your footing? It is easy 4QPOTPS Ad # 32285 Wednesday Bible Study to hurt yourself when you pick 8FTU SE 4U t )PVTUPO 5Y t & Prayer 6:00pm up heavy objects if you are not Candlelight Church ofService Christ Join us for Services FC Heights Family and Staff extremely careful. In life, it is in English or Spanish Sunday Morning Worship 8:30 and 11:00 common yourself 201 E. 9th St. • 713-861-3102 Judge not, and you willto not find be judged; condemncarrying Sunday Worship 10am & 5pm Sunday School for Children, Youth and Adults 9:40 not, and you will not be condemned; forgive,stress, or Please website at: Sund visitforour Sunday Bible Classes 9am www.fbcheights.org heavy loads of work, Ministries All Ages and you will be forgiven...

Wednesday Bible Study 7pm Home of Johnson Memorial School for Little Children www.lazybrookbaptistchurch.org for the following: drama in your life due to personal Rev. Nathan Lonsdale Bledsoe, Pastor 4215 Watonga Blvd. • 713-681-9365 R.S.V. Luke 6:37 choices or to other people and Sunday Services: @ 9 AM and 2003 W. 43rd St.Wed 713-686-8241 s t s u m cIn-person .org Houston, TX 77092 11 AM (Live stream during 11 AM service) their actions. Another common load that you may be carrying is Bible Studies: From Homepage, click on the struggle or burden of someone Connect/Small Groups 1822 W. 18th • 713-864-1470 else in need that you are trying to help. How can you carry your own heavy loads and at the same time Gethsemane Lutheran Church help others with their problems or should you even try?

Pastor Jerry McNamara   In the Bible the book of 4040 Watonga • 713-688-5227 Galatians tells us that we are to We invite you to worship with us! bear one another’s burden’s and Weekly Worship Services 9:00a.m. so fulfill the law of Christ. Jesus commanded us to love others as Online services can be reached he has loved us. We have heavy through the website below at 9:00 am.

Gethsemane Lutheran Church 4040 Watonga • 713-688-5227

Weekly Worship Services 9:00 a.m.

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Weekly Sunday Services • Bible Study: 9:15 a.m. • Morning:10:30 a.m. • Evening: 4:15 p.m. rd

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burdens and we are to help others with their burdens. This is what Christ did for us and we are to love as he loved. That being said, the verses one through three of Galatians six explain that when we help others we must be careful that we don’t get pulled down by the burdens of others.   So, what should you do? Let me give you three quick thoughts.

First, don’t assume you can quickly and easily help someone else with their problem. These challenges have a way of growing and morphing unexpectedly.

Secondly, you and I have a responsibility motivated by the love of Christ to help others with their needs. Thirdly, when helping others realize that the best help you can give them is to point them to Jesus. Don’t think that you have all of the answers. Point them to the one who has all of the answers, the one who has the power to do anything, and who can help in any situation. You can’t carry all of the loads on your own, but you can help to carry those heavy loads by taking them to the one that can carry every burden!

The Leader • Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021 • Page 5A

Alley, from P. 1A city flagged them for eventual removal three times during the last 12 years, although nothing came of it and the obstructions remained.

More recently, Blair was told the matter is out of the city’s hands. In a Dec. 22 email he provided to The Leader, Blair was told by Assistant City Engineer Hien Pham that Houston Public Works had not accepted the alley for maintenance as a public alleyway, meaning it is private and not under the city’s purview.

Only three alleys in the Heights, a neighborhood full of them, are on the city’s list of public alleys. “While we support development and improvements within our communities; this alley has not been accepted for vehicular traffic or surface use and therefore the city is not willing to remove other property owners’ structures to facilitate access,� Pham wrote in the email. “However, I encourage you to work with (your) neighbors to find a resolution that works for all parties involved.�

Should the city be involved in resolving disputes between property owners that revolve around the use of an alley?

Should it help ensure property owners’ legal rights to their

land, particularly when those owners are paying property taxes to the city?

Blair’s case is an example of how the city’s stance on Heights alleys, which was amended by then-City Engineer Joe Myers in August 2019, has affected residents and business owners in the neighborhood as well as real estate transactions. Heights homeowners have since been asked to improve the drainage infrastructure in the alleys in exchange for permits to build structures that require alley access, while at the same time the city has taken a hands-off approach when it comes to alley encroachments.

The city’s position also seems to be shaped by the question of alley ownership.

Former City Engineer HoJin Lim, who was reassigned after The Leader published two previous stories about the alleys in late November, said their underlying fee is owned by the heirs to O.M. Carter, who platted the neighborhood in 1892. In recent years, Carter heirs in Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania have transferred their rights and interests in a few Heights alley properties to developers and in one case the city, according to Harris Coun-

ty property records.

Stakeholders in the neighborhood, including the Houston Heights Association, have asked city leaders to provide more clarity about the alleys, how they can be used and who is responsible for maintaining them. A spokesperson for Houston Public Works said the issue will be addressed in the spring by the Houston City Council’s Transportation, Technology and Infrastructure Committee.

City council member Abbie Kamin, who represents the Heights as part of District C, said in November that she is “working with city departments to address this holistically, so that District C residents aren’t left to fend for themselves when someone else impedes access to an alley.�

Opposing perspectives Gus Olivares, who owns the commercial property just to the east of the lot Blair has been unable to sell, said he also wants to sell but has been unable because of the encroachments in the alley. Like Blair, Olivares said he has asked the city to intervene.

Wayne Rentfro, who owns the commercial property on the opposite side of Blair’s, is

not affected by the aforementioned alley encroachments between 11th and 10th ½ streets but said he thinks the passageway should be open for common use. He said the alley was “totally openâ€? when he bought the property in the 1980s, with the obstructions having materialized when many of the adjacent homes were built earlier this century.

Rentfro said at one point he had an ongoing dispute with a former homeowner on the opposite side of the alley, with law enforcement authorities having been called out on multiple occasions. He said those authorities told him at the time, “Do what you need to do to get to your property. It’s an alley.� “In my opinion, they don’t have the legal right to what I call permanently block it,�

Rentfro added. “If they can honestly say that we don’t mind (people) coming through here, but we want some sort of controlled access, that might fly.�

A current homeowner on the other side of the alley, who asked to remain anonymous, said the city flagged the obstructions for removal during the early part of 2019 and subsequently solicited feedback about the issue from the home-

owners on the block, a group that includes Blair. The homeowner said many of the neighbors met shortly thereafter, although Blair was not among them, and agreed they wanted to keep the alley in its present condition because of the potential for crime and because they did not want businessrelated traffic in a residential area.

A letter expressing that position was sent to the city in June 2019, the homeowner said. “We were saying, ‘All of us have talked about this and don’t want it changed,’ � the homeowner said.

Blair said he has not talked to the fellow homeowners on his block about the alley obstructions, like he was encouraged to do by the city. The other homeowner indicated that such an interaction could potentially be helpful, saying, “If someone came and talked to me, I would talk to them.�

Blair said he doesn’t understand why the city won’t get involved and why it doesn’t want to promote more commercial development in the Heights, saying it would make the area even more attractive and result in more tax revenue for the city. He also wondered what would happen if there were a

fire on the block or a problem with an existing utility in the alleyway, such as a sewer or gas line or transformer, since part of the alley is blocked off.

He said he has considered taking some sort of legal action to clear the obstruction, and there is a precedent that suggests such a measure could be successful. A state district court in 1998 ruled in favor of Premier Victorian Homes, which sued nearby property owners and the city over obstructions in a Heights alley abutting its land.

The court’s judgment said, in part, the alley was “declared publicly dedicated pursuant to the map or plat thereof� and the homebuilder had “full rights of ingress and egress, including vehicular access, through the alley.�

According to the interactive map on the website for the Harris County Appraisal District, the homeowners’ properties on 10th ½ Street do not include the alleys they share with the commercial properties on 11th Street. “We don’t want rights to take over the alley,â€? Blair said. “We just want rights to be able to get through the alley.â€?

Follow Adam Zuvanich on Twitter @AZuvanich

Locked out, from P. 1A were not allowed inside the building at all Monday and were permitted to briefly enter Tuesday in order to retrieve some supplies and paperwork.

Mack, who said she operates as a sole proprietor and is not paid by the hospital, said she and other employees did not receive any notice about the lockout and found out when they reported to work Monday morning. “Us as physicians, we don’t really know the real estate side of things,�

Mack said.

The tenants listed on the lockout notices are 1917 Ashland Ventures, LLC, which owed more than $461,000 in delinquent rent and other fees, according to one posted notice, and The Heights Hospital, LLC, which owed more than $1 million, according to the other notice. The notices said both companies have lease agreements with 1917 Heights Hospital, LLC, which is the prop-

erty owner, according to the Harris County Appraisal District website.

The notices ask the allegedly delinquent companies to contact Houston attorney Miles Cohn in order to pay the owed amounts and regain entry to the building. Cohn represents a Nevada company that filed a Jan. 8 lawsuit against the managers of 1917 Heights Hospital, alleging those managers owe roughly $3.5 million in interest related to a $28 million promissory note they signed for the property in January 2019, according to Harris County court documents.

The Nevada company, Arbitra Capital Partners, LLC, sued Dharmesh Patel and James Day, who are managers for 1917 Heights Hospital, according to court records.

Cohn did not immediately respond to a Wednesday voicemail seeking comment. “Arbitra has been advised that 1917 Heights Hospital, LLC, as

maker of the note and owner of The Heights Hospital, has failed to pay crucial management and maintenance expenses for this property, including invoices for utilities, elevator repair and even property insurance – and that insurance as a result has been cancelled,� the lawsuit alleges.

Court documents show 1917 Heights Hospital and Day were sued in July by Houston-based IntegraNet Physician Resource, Inc., which alleges they defaulted on a loan amounting to $300,000.

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who serves the Heights and has an office across 19th Street from the hospital, has pledged to help ensure that community members such as Alexander continue to receive care amidst the lockout and legal disputes. “This morning, I reached out to the representatives of the owners of the loan on the building,� Jackson Lee said in a statement released

Tuesday. “The owners are in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. I wanted them to instruct their local counsel to do the right thing, which is to allow doctors to be able to practice in the building for 45 days with the proper procedures in place, so their patients can be treated and that the doctors’ ultimate move is done orderly. “Right now, the owners of this loan are crushing patient care in the area surrounding the Heights community,� she added. “I ask that these parties get together in the name of good medicine and the dignity of these patients.�

At least one other healthcare provider continues to use the hospital building. Kiley Cedotal, the senior vice president of operations for Cobalt Rehabilitation Houston Heights, said it remains open on the fourth floor and is treating patients.

Mack and her staff members, who she said were volunteering without a guarantee of being paid for their

work, had set up outside because they wanted to continue serving their patients and the community in general. She said her office had been administering about 100 COVID-19 tests per day and seeing between 30-50 patients per day in the clinic or urgent care.

Mack said she and her staff have tried to contact patients who had appointments scheduled, letting them know those appointments had to be canceled, and she wanted to be there to greet the patients who could not be contacted and showed up expecting to receive treatment.

As a show of appreciation for the hospital employees’ dedication, Mack said a home health company they work with provided lunch Tuesday to the medical professionals who were stationed outside a building they could not enter. “We’re like a family,� Mack said. “We are here for the community, and they’re here for us.�

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The Leader • Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021 • Page 7A

Keep an eye out for these food trends Zarah Parker Managing Editor

Predicting what the year 2021 holds for the food industry is a fascinating task.

While there are methods for knowing what will trend during a year, no one can always predict the way humans will suddenly hop off one train for another. We are wholly predictable and not at all, all at once.

For example, who would have predicted last January that the industry would be turned inside out because of a pandemic? Or how new ways to make coffee and discovering new places to eat were found on the app TikTok? For this coming year, there’s an array of predictions that I hope will become trendy or increase in popularity compared to last year, including virtual cooking classes, meal kits from chef-driven restaurants and to-go orders becoming even better quality.

One prediction I’ve come across is that comfort food will trend. According to Food & Wine magazine, this means foods that remind people of how things used to be, like a

Photo from Facebook Pictured are coffee and other products available at Amsterdam Co.

regular pizza and burger without crazy toppings.

Basically, back to the simple things in life. Maybe it’s that these foods will remind people of a time before the pandemic, or maybe people are just in the mood for something they know will be good.

I’m particularly interested in this potential trend because comfort food is a type of nostalgia, or a search for “home,” which I think draws many people back to their childhood.

While I’m interested in what restaurants may do with this, I’m more interested to see if

companies bring back products that are no longer on the shelves of grocery stores. If Dunkaroos can make a comeback, other products can, too.

Although I can forever do without the different colored ketchups that were big for a time when I was a kid.

A trend I think will continue to see growth is CBD. The shops carrying CBD have been popping up for years now, but I think this year there will be more of a growth in additive and infused foods and drinks, like with the coffee shop Amsterdam Co., 807 W. 19th St.,

Photo from Facebook Places like Amsterdam Co., a Heights coffee shop that offers CBD-infused drinks, could become more trendy during the upcoming year.

which specializes in coffee and CBD. Other trends for this year include pickling/fermenting, making pasta at home and eco-conscious packaging for delivery and to-go foods.

Last year, I think local became more important to people in terms of restaurants. But local restaurants will always be

fighting the battle against the convenience of fast food and its prices. This year, I hope the knob is turned up even more for local restaurants. I see this happening both intentionally and unintentionally.

People want to support local over chains in general, but when people actually eat out nowadays, they usually don’t want to waste their money or

their empty stomach on food that isn’t that great. So a shift to local should be a shift to better food. This is also a good time for niche restaurants to shine, because when people go out they want a cool experience.

Mostly, I hope the trend this year is that by the end of the year, restaurants are safely able to be full of people.

Review: Chilosos’ tacos make you feel right at home

By Zarah Parker

they disappeared rather quickly.

The only thing I would change is I wish the chicken was chopped into smaller pieces.

Other items I ordered included the chicken flautas and a chicken gordita. Both of which were praised by my family members who said they would definitely go back to order those again.

While lunch was satisfactory, I’m looking forward to visiting during the morning hours to try out Chilosos’ breakfast tacos.

zarah@theleadernews.com

Chilosos Taco House is named well. Not only are the tacos a main feature, but the restaurant actually operates out of an unassuming house in the Heights.

The restaurant brings a more literal meaning to the word homey, which it is in the non-literal way as well. The laidback setting was a great spot to grab lunch.

Because I was ordering for more than myself, I carried out my lunch. Lucky for me, everything held well during the drive home, except in my Styrofoam to-go container, the beans poured over onto the tacos a little. But that didn’t bother me.

Before I got into the tacos, I snacked on some chips, salsa and guacamole. The guacamole was flavored with diced tomatoes, onions and jalapenos. With a squeeze of a lime over top of the guacamole, it turned out pretty good.

But the salsa was my favorite between the two dips. Still warm, the salsa was slightly

Photo by Zarah Parker

Pictured are the street tacos from Chilosos Taco House in the Heights during a recent visit.

chunky with tomato and just a little spicy.

The street tacos I ordered came with chicken fajita with a side of refried beans and a side of chopped cilantro, diced onions and two wedges of lime. While the menu says the

plate comes with four doublewrapped corn tortilla tacos, I received five.

The beans had a thin consistency, like it was just pureed beans, but what they lacked in texture, they made up for in flavor.

I topped the tacos with onion and cilantro and squeezed the lime over the top. The corn tortillas, which according to the restaurant are handmade, tasted fresh. I liked that the tacos were double-wrapped. The chicken fajita was chopped

into chunks.

I also tried a taco with beans on top, which was really good as well. At first, I thought five tacos would be too much, but because they were smaller,

Chilosos Taco House Address: 701 E. 20th St. Hours: 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Sunday Pricing: $2.95-$4.25 for tacos, $8.95-$10.95 for plates Kid-friendly: Yes Alcohol: No Healthy options: No Star of the show: Street tacos

FOOD BRIEFS:

Cedar Creek hosting annual gumbo cookoff

By Zarah Parker

Instead of a plastic baby, customers may find a candy gummy worm. Whoever finds the worm will receive a free small cup.

zarah@theleadernews.com

Cedar Creek Bar & Grill, 1034 W. 20th St., is hosting its third annual gumbo cookoff from 1-8 p.m. Jan. 30.

A $10 ticket will get cookoff attendees a tasting wristband and a chance to vote in the People’s Choice category. A $25 ticket includes a tasting wristband, a cookoff T-shirt and a vote in the People’s Choice category.

Proceeds from the cookoff will benefit Summer House Houston.

The cookoff is taking measures to ensure social distancing is maintained as well as ensuring the safety of the patrons and participants.

Mutiny hosting wine dinner Mutiny Wine Room, 1124 Usener St., is bringing Italy flavors to the Heights during its Damoli Wine Dinner on Jan. 26.

Ben Harris, Mutiny’s sommelier, has selected the wine that will transport tasters to Italy and chef Eduardo Alcayaga has created a pairing menu to go along with the wines.

The dinner is $85 per person, excluding tax and gratuity. Make reservations by calling 832-618-1233 or emailing

#1 SHIPLEY DO-NUTS IN HOUSTON TThank you for making us Number One again!

Best Donuts/Kolaches Photo by Stephanie Lam Photography Becca Cakes, 1207 W. 34th St., is offering a variety of Valentine’s Day treats available to pre-order.

info@mutinywineroom.com.

Valentine treats from Becca Cakes Pre-ordering Valentine’s Day treats is available at Becca Cakes, 1207 W. 34th St. There’s a variety of treats available to pre-order, including Valentine’s gift sets, which come with a heart cake for two, four ruby chocolate truffles and six white chocolatedipped sugar cookies.

The cake, sugar cookies and truffles are also up for pre-order individually, along with an assortment of cupcakes and macarons.

Pre-orders can be picked up Feb. 6 and from Feb. 9-14.

Delivery within 10 miles of the bakery is available for $20.

Visit beccacakeshtx.com or call 713-364-3360 to order.

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Have you had the best lately?

THE PUBLIC.

IN MEMORIAM

Edwin P. Day July 8, 1928 - January 3, 2021

The Leader • Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021 • Page 8A

HPD investigating fatal hit and run on North Shepherd

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Houston police are investigating a hit-and-run accident that killed a man over the weekend.

The victim, a 59-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to

the Houston Police Department. His identity is pending verification by Harris County’s medical examiner.

HPD said the driver of a red truck of an unknown make and model was heading north at 4600 N. Shepherd Dr. around 11 p.m. last Sunday, Jan. 17. The victim was crossing the street, police said,

when he was struck.

Citing eyewitness accounts, HPD said the truck was last seen heading east on Thornton Road.

Anyone with information in this case is urged to contact HPD’s Hit-and-Run unit at 713-247-4072 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.

Police searching for suspect in Washington Avenue shooting

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Police are looking for a suspect involved in the shooting of a woman on Washington Avenue early last Sunday morning.

The victim, 41-year-old Leslie Alanis, was taken to a nearby hospital in stable condition, according to the Houston Police Department.

HPD said officers responded to 5200 Washington Ave. just after 1:30 a.m. last Sunday, Jan. 17 to find Alanis had sustained a gunshot wound to her left shoulder. According to police,

Alanis and her boyfriend were walking down Washington when they got into an argument with a male suspect.

A few minutes later, according to police, the driver of a black Infinity driving east on Washington pulled up and fired multiple shots, striking Alanis, before fleeing the scene.

The suspect is described only as black male between 25-30 years old. Anyone with information in this case is urged to contact HPD’s Major Assaults & Family Violence division at 713-3088800 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.

Police Reports • Jan. 13 - 18 JAN. 13

Theft 5 PM 2400 BLOCK BEALL Assault 4 PM 1900 BLOCK HEIGHTS BLVD Theft 1 PM 2400 BLOCK AIRLINE Theft 2 PM 700 BLOCK COLUMBIA Theft 8 AM 300 BLOCK E 43RD Theft 12 AM 6400 BLOCK LINDYANN

JAN. 14

Theft 7 PM 2200 BLOCK BEVIS Theft 8 PM 800 BLOCK W 34TH Theft 10 PM 1000 BLOCK W 19TH Assault 10 PM 3200 BLOCK AIRLINE Theft 2 PM 3500 BLOCK REAGAN

JAN. 15

Theft 8 PM 1300 BLOCK HARVARD Theft 6 AM 800 BLOCK E 29TH Robbery 1 AM 300 BLOCK NEYLAND Theft 11 AM 400 BLOCK W 34TH

Theft 11 PM 900 BLOCK BAY OAKS Arrest 5 PM 600 BLOCK E 42ND Vandalism 9 AM 300 BLOCK NEYLAND

SHEPHERD Burglary 4 AM 1500 BLOCK N SHEPHERD Vandalism 2 AM 1400 BLOCK N DURHAM

JAN. 16

JAN. 18

Burglary 4 PM 5300 BLOCK KIAM Theft 10 PM 4000 BLOCK KOEHLER Theft 9 PM 200 BLOCK W CROSSTIMBERS Theft 9 PM 1300 BLOCK PRINCE Vandalism 12 PM 600 BLOCK E 37TH Theft 6 PM 800 BLOCK STUDEWOOD Arrest 12 AM 2700 BLOCK WHITE OAK Assault 2 AM 4400 BLOCK YALE

JAN. 17

Assault 1 PM 1500 BLOCK YALE Assault 4 PM 600 BLOCK W 26TH Arrest 2 AM 300 BLOCK ARLINGTON Assault 9 AM 5300 BLOCK N

Theft 1 AM 600 BLOCK YALE

Reports are provided by SpotCrime.com based on data from the Houston Police Department.

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Edwin P. Day, born July 8, 1928 in Warwick, North Dakota, died peacefully on January 3, 1921, in Friendswood, Texas, from COVID-19-related complications. He was blessed to be surrounded by love in his final days and with those he loved when he passed.

Edwin, also known by Eddie or Phil, lived an incredibly interesting life during his 92 years.

The eldest son of 10 siblings, he left school at age 14 in order to help support his family on their farm. His first job was driving a team of oxen. In 1946 when he was 18 years old, he moved to Houston and got a job at Houston Lighting & Power where he worked for 46 years. He started his career as a Lineman and was promoted to Foreman but always preferred climbing the poles. He was instrumental in restoring electrical power to many devastated communities in the aftermath of hurricanes. He was a member of IBEW Local #66 in Pasadena, Texas for over 70 years.

Eddie proudly served in the Army during the Korean War from 1950-1952 as a member of the 40th Infantry Division. He was active in a Korean War Veterans group who still support scholarships for High School students in South Korea and several years ago attended the 100th Anniversary of the 40th Infantry Division complete with a formal Military Ball in California where Korean Veterans were honored for their service.

But the real story of Eddie’s life began when he met Dovie Dakota Porter, to whom he was married for almost 63 years. They met in church and were married on January 24, 1953. They were members of Collins, Grace United and St. Stephens Methodist churches during their life together and raised their children in that faith. They lived in Houston for many years and retired to Bayou Vista where they shared a life devoted to each other and were incredibly proud of the family they created and the legacy left behind.

Eddie was a gentle giant who was extremely hard working, happy and kind. Though he was sometimes quiet and short on words, the ones he said definitely mattered. He had a great sense of humor and an enormous smile.

One of his favorite things to do was taking road trips where he enjoyed the journey and taking in the scenery as much as the destination. He also loved going out on the boat and fishing, playing poker with friends, traveling, and hitting the casinos in Louisiana.

More than anything else though, he loved his family - especially the grand and great grandkids - they were truly his pride and joy! He was always quick with a hug and had an uncanny ability to sneak chocolates to them without their parents’ knowledge. He appreciated each handmade drawing and made each one feel loved and special. He will be forever missed and kept close in our hearts.

Eddie was preceded in death by his loving wife, Dovie, and his eldest son, Donnie Mac Day. He is survived by his son, Douglas P. Day and daughterin-law, Lisa of Bayou Vista; his daughter Dakota Karrasch and son-in-law Mark of Denver; his daughter Dovie and son-in-law John of Katy; his grandchildren: April Day Mallia and husband, Chris; Jeremy Day and wife, Tiffany; Clint Day and his wife, Chris; Bryce Wishoun; Kelly Morse, Kyle Morse, Kody Morse, Ben Karrasch and wife, Jaime; and Daniel Karrasch; seven great grandchildren: Tennessee, Brooklyn and Ireland Day, Campbell and Connor Oldham, and Grant and Carter Casi; his sister Lela Grant and her husband, Tom, his sister Glenda Lambright and her husband, Jimmie; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A family only grave site service with full military honors for Edwin will be held on Friday, January 29, 2021, at 2:00 pm at Houston National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family would like donations to be made to Warrior Weekend – Bayou Vista, 1082 Redfish, Bayou Vista, Texas 77563. Warrior Weekend is part of the Bayou Vista Wounded Warrior Project, which invites veterans from across Texas to enjoy a weekend of fishing in appreciation for their service. Doug actively participates in these weekends by taking veterans out fishing in his boat and Edwin was honored by this group for his service.

LEADER LISTING The Leader • Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021 • Page 1B

Upcoming bars have Heights neighbors on edge

By Betsy Denson

been demolished. Kearney said the property is under construction.

Like Tanner, Kearney said they will meet the city’s parking space requirements. She also said they will have bike racks.

In addition to beer and wine, Benny Thunders will have non-alcoholic beverages such as sodas, coffee, kombucha and root beer. Kearney also said they will have security to check IDs, provide crowd control and monitor patrons’ behavior and the noise level.

As for access, Kearney and Krznar say they will have an entrance from the parking lot, which will face White Oak behind the upcoming Agricole bar. Entry to the parking lot will be from the Columbia Street side.

“Ideally, we want to have one, possibly two, entrances from the bike path,” Kearney said. “However, the jurisdiction for approval is a little unclear so we haven’t formally planned for it.”

betsy@theleadernews.com

A lot has changed in Theo Lawrence’s neighborhood in the past 10 years.

“My kid and I used to throw the ball up and down Columbia (Street),” Lawrence said. “There was rarely a car. Now there’s traffic up and down the street continuously.”

This is largely because his street intersects with White Oak Drive – and its numerous new restaurants and businesses, including bars. But Lawrence’s home – as well as part of White Oak Drive between Heights Boulevard and Oxford Street – is also part of the Houston Heights Historic District South as designated by the City of Houston. And he says he enjoys the safeguards such status provides.

So when Lawrence saw a Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) notice at 605 Columbia St. that a business named Benny Thunders LLC was planning to obtain a license to “sell and consume alcoholic beverages,” particularly a “wine and beer retailer’s permit & retail dealer’s on-premises late hours license,” he was alarmed.

“The potential noise and music pollution, drunks, and parking problems that an establishment like this can bring to a residential street is enormous,” Lawrence wrote in a letter to Houston City Council member Abbie Kamin, who represents the area as part of District C. Lawrence’s concern is shared by nearby neighbors. Charles Dunham lives on Arlington Street, the next street over, near the Heights Hike and Bike Trail that runs behind the 605 Columbia property. Dunham said he bought the home five years ago to raise a family.

“When I invested in that area, I did it intentionally because it was an historic district,” Dunham said. “I was expecting that it would be protected.”

Benny Thunders is not the only new bar planned for the vicinity. There is documentation on the city’s Planning and Development Department website of Certificates of Appropriateness for both Benny Thunders and a new concept by Agricole Hospitality, referred to as EZ’s Liquor Lounge in planning documents, at nearby 3302 White Oak Dr., the 13-year home of Blue Line Bike Lab, which has closed and vacated the property. The two bars will back up to each other.

A Certificate of Appropriateness is required for projects that would alter the exterior appearance of a designated historic property.

Agricole’s Coltivare at 3320 White Oak Dr. is already nearby.

Dunham cites the lack of parking at that restaurant through variances they

Photo by Betsy Denson Heights resident Theo Lawrence reads a Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission notice on a fence at 605 Columbia St.

received as a particular problem for his street. He said the cars parking on the grassy area between the road and the drainage ditches made the area a mud pit and he even paid for a gravel parking space in front of his house.

“It is occupied every night the restaurant is open,” he said.

Plans for bars Both new bar owners said that although they have not talked directly with residents, they understand their concerns.

Matt Tanner with Agricole Hospitality confirmed they are leasing the building from George Kawaja to develop a “small quiet neighborhood bar.”

Tanner said they have planned for more parking than the city requirement. They recently removed the part of the building that wasn’t original and are adding interior walls.

For Tanner, the idea is to also put something back that the neighborhood has lost.

“It will be an affordable place to have a cocktail with friendly neighborhood service,” he said.

Deborah Kearney, who is opening Benny Thunders with friend Cathy Krznar, said the bar’s name is a tribute to her brother Ben, who died from brain cancer. It is her first bar and will be her full-time job.

“Ben loved (musician) Johnny

Bike safety, crime concerns It is the bike path access that especially concerns Dunham, who sees many public health and safety concerns with the possibility of increased traffic and drunk drivers resulting in serious injuries and fatalities.

“The bikeway is used at all times of the day and night, including by mothers pushing strollers and kids on bikes and rollerblades,” he said. “There are no stop signs or speed bumps to protect them.”

Lawrence and Dunham also question the notion of having two taverns back to back in the historic district.

“The notion that there is any culture or preservation here is disingenuous,” Dunham said.

Lawrence also said he worries about the potential for increased crime and referred to the Houston Police Department crime stats for theft on Arlington, Columbia and White Oak for the period 2015-16, which

See Bars, P. 3B

Photo by Adam Zuvanich The property at 605 Columbia St., which neighbors some homes and the Heights Hike and Bike Trail, is being developed into a bar to be called Benny Thunders.

Thunders,” Kearney said.

Kearney and Krznar said they are excited about creating a unique experience in the Heights as Benny Thunders will be one of the first self-pour establishments in Greater Houston.

The TABC offered a new interpretation of the Alcoholic Beverage Code in 2019, allowing self-pour machines. The first opened in Austin’s Four Points neighborhood at the Oz Tap House.

“We envision an upscale local tap house where neighbors can socialize and bring their pets,” Kearney said.

“In addition, we want to provide a venue to support local artists and causes. In general, we want to create

an atmosphere where we ourselves want to spend time with friends and neighbors.”

There will be guitars on the wall and possibly live music down the road, although Kearney said they have no firm plans about that yet.

“We want to get an idea of what the noise is going to be like,” she said.

“Maybe acoustic music in the early evening or a string quartet.”

Kearney said she applied for a latehour permit to give them the option to stay open late on occasion, such as on White Linen Night, but does not plan for regular late hours.

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Real Estate Roundup

Since 1928

Wolf Capital acquires Heights retail center

By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com

Zachary Wolf, principal at Wolf Capital Partners, recently acquired 742 E. 20th St. in the Heights. Wolf said the location was appealing because it is on the southwest corner of 20th and Studewood Street, where there are five intersecting streets.

“There is tremendous traffic passing the building and so many Heights residents who can walk here,” Wolf said. “The building itself is in good condition and has the ability to be restored to try and preserve some of the original look.”

Wolf said they will be upgrading the exterior of the building and that it will be “much more appealing to the neighborhood and future tenants.”

Studewood Barber has been a tenant at the location for more than 20 years and recently signed a long-term lease. There is availability

for new tenants on both the first floor and in a secondfloor office space.

“Our goal is to bring local tenants that will serve the neighborhood,” Wolf said.

“We have already received a ton of interest.”

For more information, visit https://www.wolf-cp. com/.

Stonelake Capital Partners buys Bingle industrial property Stonelake Capital Partners has closed on 6161 Bingle Rd., a 127,513-square foot industrial property situated on 17 acres in Northwest Houston, as reported by REjournals.

The acquisition marks Stonelake’s sixth Houston industrial transaction in 2020, and its 18th such transaction since 2015.

The seller, Graybar Electric Company, was represented by Andy Sowell, a member of the Society of Industrial and Office Real-

tors who works with Boyd Commercial, LLC. Stonelake acquired the functional, infill distribution building near the intersection of U.S. 290 and Bingle Road a few days after its initial listing.

Stonelake also negotiated a lease with the building’s tenant, Hannibal Industries.

It is one of the largest steel pallet rack manufacturers in the United States. The fullbuilding, long-term lease was negotiated and executed in conjunction with Stonelake’s acquisition of the property.

Since entering the Houston market in 2015, Stonelake has owned or developed nearly 3.5 million square feet of industrial warehouses.

Multi-tenant industrial building bought on North Shepherd Geirin North Shepherd LLC purchased an 84,200 square foot multi-tenant industrial building at 5708 N.

Shepherd Dr., according to Bisnow. Transwestern’s John Ferruzzo and Nick Peterson represented the buyer, while Boyd Commercial’s David Munson and David Boyd represented the seller, the estate of Frank D. Adams.

A-Affordable Office Furniture is the tenant at the location. A representative there said they signed a new lease with the buyer.

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If you have something for Real Estate Roundup, please email betsy@theleadernews.com.

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Page 2B • Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021 • The Leader

Market Update

December sales strong in local markets

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

As the calendar has flipped to 2021, Houston realtors will be looking for a replication of 2020 on the sales front. In addition to a strong December showing, many came out with a significant year-over-year increase in sales volume compared to 2019.

In December, sales rose by anywhere from about 22 percent to as much as 68 percent, according to the most recent data from the Houston Association of Realtors, with all six markets served by The Leader showing gains. For the entire year, four of the six markets had sales rise by at least 4 percent.

77018 The zip code including Garden Oaks, Oak Forest, Shepherd Park Plaza and Independence Heights had its sales rise by more than 47 percent last month, with 81 homes coming off the market compared to 55 the year before. For the year, 795 homes were sold in this area – a 17.8 percent, year-over-year spike from 2019.

Average December home price was up 15.5 percent to $551,170 year-over-year, while median price rose less than 1 percent to $415,000.

The average home cost $513,773 at year’s end – up 1.5 percent from its 2019 mark – while median price in 2020 dropped 1 percent from 2019 down to $415,000.

77092 Just to the west, a similar trend

emerged in the Central Northwest area. Homes sales spiked 47.6 percent in this zip code, with 31 sales closing compared to 21 the previous December. Despite the strong December showing, however, it was the only local market to lag behind its 2019 numbers – only 270 homes were sold in 2020 compared to 274 in 2019.

In December, the average home buyer paid $309,345 to live here – up 15.2 percent from the same period in 2019 – while year-over-year median price rose 6.8 percent to $275,000.

The average home went for 5.6 percent more in 2020 ($304,409), while 2020’s median price was up 6.7 percent to $285,000.

77091 To the northern edge of the area in Northside, Acres Homes and Greater Inwood, realtors saw sales have the largest year-over-year percentage spike in local markets. There were 32 homes sold here compared to 21 in December 2019, a 68.4 percent rise.

It was also the most significant riser for the entire year, with its 27.8 percent increase in sales (from 176 to 225 homes) coming in as the largest in the area.

On the pricing front, average December prices here dropped 9.5 percent to $257,633 and median price dipped 6.5 percent down to $275,000 – one of only two local markets to experience such a December trend.

However, the area’s average home price was up 11.2 percent to $260,048 and median price spiked nearly 22

percent to $269,900.

77008 In the Greater Heights, sales were especially booming last month, with 125 homes getting sold in the area.

The figure was a 50.6 percent spike from December 2019, making the Heights the area’s third-biggest riser.

It was the same story when looking at the bigger picture of 2020, with 1,121 homes coming off the market – a 10.4 percent year-end increase.

There was a 7.8 percent in December year-over-year sales price, up to $557,587, while median price rose 6 percent to $493,000. By the end of 2020 the average buyer paid 1.2 percent more ($556,202) than in 2019, while the yearly median price was up 4.1 percent to $485,000.

77009 Just to the east, the area including Woodland Heights and Norhill Heights had the second-biggest area spike in year-over-year December sales. There were 66 homes to come off the market here, a 57.1 percent spike from December 2019. At year’s end, the market was in line with its 2019 numbers as it sold 589 houses compared to 586 last year.

Pricing-wise, this market saw the most significant spikes both in December and in 2020. The average buyer paid almost 36 percent more ($623,912) compared to December 2019, while year-over-year median prices rose more than 31 percent to $525,000. By year’s end, the average home went for $529,814 in 2020 – 9.5 percent more than 2019 – while the

Photo from Houston Association of Realtors December home sales finished the year on a high note in local real estate markets.

median price was up 8.4 percent to $450,000.

77007 At the southern edge of the area, which includes part of the Heights, the Washington Avenue corridor and Rice Military, there were 104 houses sold last month – a 22.4 percent rise over the mark from December 2019.

There were 839 total homes sold in this zip code in 2020, 4.9 percent more than the 800 sold in 2019.

In terms of home prices, the average buyer paid $532,801 for a house in December – a slight 1.7 percent dip from the previous December – while the month’s median home price was up 2.8 percent to $452,500. The average home price rose less than 1 percent (to $543,089) at the end of 2020 compared to 2019, while 2020’s median home price was up 1.3 percent from 2019 to $460,934.

REALTOR SHOWCASE

Julie O’Neill of Norhill Realty brings clients unique perspective

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

For nearly two decades, Julie O’Neill has made it her mission to provide well-researched counsel to real estate clients.

Her career spans multiple markets (Houston, Dallas and Chicago), economic cycles, and interest rate environments, as well as previous corporate marketing and sales positions in financial services.

“I love drawing on my experience to help clients complete the best transaction for them,” she said. “Listening closely is key. School, neighborhood and price point considerations, for example, are critical factors for buyers, while marketing and sales strategy is important for sellers. Each transaction is different, but the goal is always the same - - clients confident they’ve made the right decision.”

A Heights resident since 2012 – O’Neill works primarily in the Greater Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest, Montrose, Washington Corridor/Rice Military, Midtown, EaDo, West U, Upper Kirby and surrounding neighborhoods, though she works across the broader Houston market based on client needs. She works with both buyers and sellers, and her experience includes existing homes, new construction with homebuilders, international moves, corporate relocations and land purchases.

Leveraging her knowledge and work experience, Ms. O’Neill’s business took off quickly when she moved to Houston nine years ago and she hasn’t looked back. Norhill Realty actively recruited Ms. O’Neill in 2019 where she has been a top real estate agent. She has a 5-star client service rating on independent HAR.com, which includes client testimonials.

“Buyers and sellers depend on their agent to help them make the best choices possible around one of life’s largest financial decisions. I’ll readily tell a client if I think a prospective transaction has downsides, and how best to circumvent

Julie O’Neill them,” she said. “I try to provide all relevant data available to ensure my client knows they’re moving forward in a wellthought-out and researched transaction.”

She said the relationships developed with clients over the years have been the best part of her job since starting nearly two decades ago. Many clients, she said, have entrusted her with their real estate needs multiple times as their home

requirements have evolved. Word-of-mouth referrals and client testimonials, which she says are, “Tremendous compliments I don’t take lightly,” have been strong factors in building business over the course of her real estate career.

She credits proactive communication with clients as they navigate through their real estate transactions - major life events and financial decisions - for the positive feedback and repeat business.

Ms. O’Neill said she is encouraged at how the local markets have remained resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic, though there was a slight downturn in the early months. In light of health protocols, she said it certainly has forced a shift in approach.

When listing a home, Ms. O’Neill leverages virtual and interactive showings using Matterport video tours, along with detailed floor plans, to target optimal buyers who can fully understand the layout and flow of a home prior to inperson showings. She then takes every precaution to ensure those entering the property follow appropriate protocols – such as social distancing and masking up. Overall, she said it’s been a collaborative effort between all involved to keep things progressing, and she’s grateful for all those who work to complete transactions in a more challenging health environment.

When asked about recognition received over the years, Ms. O’Neill said, “The words of thanks and appreciation from clients after they’ve settled into their new home or transferred to a new location are what is important to me,” she said. “These are big life events and the trust clients place in me is the greatest recognition I receive, which, in turn, have led to top agent awards throughout my career. I really love my work building relationships with buyers and sellers and feel very fortunate to be practicing (and living) in this beautiful and diverse city.”

To buy or list a home with Ms. O’Neill, call 281-224-4410 or email Julie@NorhillRealty.com.

Julie O’Neill

Neighbor. Mother.

Community Advocate. REALTOR®

Creston Inderrieden, Broker

281.224.4410

713-301-4054

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The Leader • Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021 • Page 3B

What diseases can you pass to your pet (and vice versa)?

Dear Tabby, We love our pets but were wondering if it’s possible to pass diseases to one another. What kind of diseases/illnesses can we get from (and give to) our pets?

Sharing Sickness in Shepherd Park Plaza Dear Sharing Sickness, While being a pet owner can be an immense source of joy, unfortunately, it can also sometimes be a source of illness. For most healthy people, the risks of contracting a disease from your healthy, wellcared for pet isn’t something to concern yourself with, but if you are frequently exposed to ill animals or are immunocompromised yourself, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the diseases that you can pass to and from pets.

Ringworm Ringworm is a biggie.

Highly contagious and a real booger to get rid of, both dogs and cats are afflicted with ringworm and can very easily infect a human. Skin lesions on the head and ears of your pet are a hallmark of this nasty

fungal infection (which isn’t a “worm” at all). There is a whole, intense protocol for treating and eradicating your home, yourself and your pets of ringworm, so use caution when handling animals who may be infected and get help treating those who might be infected.

Giardia Dogs and cats can both get giardia, which is a parasite that wreaks havoc on a pet’s intestines. A pet gets giardia from ingesting it via a contaminated water source or by eating something that has been contaminated with feces. Humans can get giardia from animals, but it is relatively rare that a human case of giardia originated from an animal. Careful hand washing after handling poop (and especially being mindful of cat poop while digging in your garden) is the key to keeping yourself safe from this digestive disaster.

Rabies Rabies can be spread from animal to human through a bite. Thankfully, most domesticated pets who are well cared for have been vaccinated against rabies but every year, reports of rabid animals appearing in yards are a good reminder that not all animals are

safe from this disease. Avoid contact with wild animals and get your pets vaccinated annually against rabies.

Toxoplasmosis Cats can carry toxoplasmosis that they acquire from eating birds and other prey outdoors. The parasite can be passed onto humans via the handling of feces. Many people who contract toxoplasmosis are asymptomatic, but the disease can be very dangerous for pregnant women. This is why your obstetrician might advise you against cleaning the litter box while you’re pregnant.

Bars, from P. 3B is around the time Coltivare opened. He said they show that theft was up about 60 percent.

Although Lawrence said he received a letter about Benny Thunders, neither he nor Dunham said they received notice about EZ’s Liquor Lounge.

“The application date (for EZ’s) was Aug. 12. It was approved Sept. 18,” Dunham said. “Not even 30 days.”

Historic Preservation Officer Roman McAllen said he thinks that any letters came from the TABC, not from his office.

“Both of these projects involved non-contributing buildings and alterations that by city code are to be approved administratively, by staff, and not reviewed by the (Houston Archaeological and Historical

Commission),” McAllen said.

“They both were approved.”

McAllen also emphasized that preservation ordinances do not in any way bear on the usage of any given structure.

“It is just the essential forms of structures that are protected or regulated, and it is proposed changes to contributing buildings that are often taken before the HAHC,” he said.

Dunham said he and other neighbors will avail themselves of the opportunities for protest and appeal.

One of those avenues is to ask TABC to deny a liquor license for either one of the two bars, which residents can do if they live within 300 feet of a permit seeker. Although as TABC spokesperson Chris

Porter said, the TABC follows city and state statues in its decisions.

Kamin said her office was unaware of the developments and is working with Greater Heights Super Neighborhood Council to track down additional details through city departments and permitting.

“As a city with no zoning, we need stronger neighborhood protections,” Kamin said.

“The protections we have, like historic districts and Special Minimum Lot Size, are regularly under attack at the state level. There’s even an ongoing lawsuit as we speak brought by a special interest group seeking to remove protections our residents have fought hard for.”

COVID-19 According to the CDC, a small number of cats and dogs have been shown to have contracted COVID-19, so the jury is still out on if the disease can be passed back and forth from humans to animals. To keep everyone safe, be mindful of letting strangers pet your dog and try to keep outdoor cats who like to visit multiple homes inside to reduce the risk of your pet bringing the virus home to your family.

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

Pet of the Week Meet Nala Nala is a 3-year-old mixed breed who is a genius and eager to please--the recipe for a highly trainable companion! Nala is super sweet, silly and loves to cuddle.

She would be so happy in an active family where she could have lots of walks, the occasional car ride, and maybe even a doggie housemate. Nala is patiently awaiting her forever home but is really hoping that 2021 is her year (aren’t we all?). To learn more about this very good girl, go to www.friends4life.org.

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Page 4B • Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021 • The Leader

BASKETBALL ROUNDUP

Area hoops teams roll over competition

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Many of the area’s high school basketball teams that were in action last week came out with comfortable wins, although some were looking to rebound this week.

The Booker T. Washington boys team continued its recent run of success with another unbeaten week, defeating Wheatley 107-63 on Jan. 13 and Scarborough 98-44 on Jan. 15. Kenneth Lewis was the star for the Eagles (10-8, 7-2 district) in both games, scoring 52 points against Wheatley and 27 against the Spartans.

Caleb Calestine and Darius Potts both added 12 points against Scarborough for Booker T. Washington, which had won four straight entering Tuesday’s scheduled game against Kashmere.

The Heights Bulldogs defeated Houston Math, Science and Tech on Jan. 13 and then took down Westbury 49-35 on Jan. 15, improving to 9-2 overall and 5-0 in District 186A play.

Waltrip defeated Sharpstown 81-75 on Jan. 12 to improve to 5-4 overall and 2-2 in District 23-5A. Scarborough lost to Furr and Booker T. Washington last week to drop to 0-10.

In private school action, St. Thomas went 2-0 with wins over The Woodlands Christian on Jan. 14 and a district-opening victory over The Village

School on Jan. 16. Tommy Getempo led the way with 14 wins against The Woodlands, while Jake Pike had 18 points to pace the Eagles against the Vikings. St. Thomas (6-5, 1-0) was scheduled to host St. Pius X on Tuesday.

Lutheran High North joined St. Thomas with an undefeated week, running its winning streak to three games.

The Lions took down Covenant Christian 69-44 on Jan. 12, then defeated Beaumont Legacy Christian Academy 72-54 on Jan. 16. Entering action this week, LHN was 6-4 overall and 3-0 in TAPPS 3A District 7. The Lions were scheduled for a non-district game against Brazos Christian on Tuesday.

St. Pius X is trying to bounce back from a districtopening loss against Tomball Concordia Lutheran on Jan. 15. Following the loss, SPX was 8-7 on the season and 0-1 in TAPPS 6A District 4.

Girls Heights’ Lady Bulldogs continued to thrive with two wins last week to extend their winning streak to six games.

Tierra Simon paced Heights in the 57-44 defeat of Bellaire on Jan. 12 with 19 points and 13 rebounds, while Gracelynn Alvarez had 14 points and eight assists.

Sincere Roberts added 14 points and six rebounds for the Lady Bulldogs (15-4, 5-0), who were scheduled for a Tuesday night tip against

Westside.

The Booker T. Washington Lady Eagles won by forfeit against Wheatley on Jan. 13, then defeated Scarborough 82-19 on Jan. 15. Four Lady Eagles reached double digits against Scarborough, led

by Kemya Reece’s 31 points.

Teyana McCoy and Serena Eldridge each had 10 points, while Kourtni Collier added 18 points and six rebounds for Booker T. Washington (8-7, 7-1), which had won four straight games ahead of Thursday’s matchup against Furr.

Waltrip’s Lady Rams defeated Houston Austin 34-14 on Jan. 12 to improve to 3-4 on the season, while Scarborough’s loss to Booker T. Washington dropped the Lady Spartans to 0-6.

On the private school circuit, Lutheran High North maintained its top ranking in the TAPPS 3A classification after beating Covenant Christian and Beaumont Legacy Christian Academy last week.

Dalanna Carter had 24 points and 13 rebounds against Legacy Christian, while Kaitlin Alexander had 18 points and 17 rebounds. The Lady Lions (12-3, 4-0) were slated for a Tuesday night matchup against Brazos Christian.

The St. Pius X Lady Panthers fell to Bellaire Episcopal 57-45 on Jan. 12, dropping to 8-5 on the season. They were scheduled to face top-ranked The Village School on Tuesday night.

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Photos by Landan Kuhlmann Lutheran High North’s Kinsie Kim brings the ball up the court (top photo) and prepares to throw an inbounds pass (bottom photo) Jan. 9 against The Village School.

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