Page 1B • The Leader • March 23, 2013 • www.theleadernews.com
Expert
Opinions
Each month, we ask a panel of Realtors and business people in the area for an opinion on a speciďŹ c topic. Here was the question this month, and their answers below. Residential activity in the Heights, Garden Oaks and Oak Forest has been at record highs for a number of months. In fact, the biggest challenge isn’t selling houses, it’s ďŹ nding houses to sell. With all the activity – including sales, remodeling and construction – what kind of impact is that going to have on commercial real estate? In your experience, do residential home sales at this level result in commercial growth, or are the two completely separate?
David H. Frost, Realtor Prudential Anderson Properties In my experience, when you have “booming neighborhoods,â€? new construction, and an inux of new residents to certain subdivisions, they demand new and increased “services.â€? For instance, on a small scale, in Garden Oaks, you have the relatively new Shepherd Park Draught House and Cottonwood. In the Oak Forest/43rd Street commercial area, you have the relatively new Plonk; on the corner of Oak Forest and Judaway, you have the “repurposedâ€? Oak Forest Chill. If the public demands it and market studies and the economy support it...you’ll see commercial growth.
Trends: Home sales data shows 77007 on fire The 77007 ZIP code – the neighborhoods south of I-10 stretching from Memorial Park to downtown – again outpaced all Leader areas in single-family home sale figures released Tuesday by the Houston Association of Realtors. February sales in 77007 were up 65 percent over the same month in 2012, with 38 properties changing hands, and the average price soared to nearly a half-million dollars, up a hefty 25 percent over February last year. Overall in other Leader neighborhoods, sales last month flattened a bit, but there were hopeful signs in nearly every ZIP code. For the second consecutive month, the 77091 ZIP code northwest showed signs of becoming a hot market. Although only seven homes sold – the same as this time last year – the average price leaped 50 percent, from $83,000 to
$124,000. In the Heights 77008 ZIP, both sales and prices rose only slightly. Thirty-four homes were sold, 6 percent more than last year, and their average price was $337,000, an increase of 4.6 percent. Both the 77009 and 77018 ZIPS were down 20 percent in sales, but prices on the 16 homes sold in the 09 ZIP, in the east portion of the Heights, jumped 12 percent to $304,000, and in the 018 ZIP, encompassing Garden Oaks and Oak Forest, prices on the 24 homes sold showed a 27.5 percent hike, for an average of $293,000. The 77092 ZIP in northwest Houston was off in sales, down from 14 last year to 11 in February this year, but prices rose by 6.5 percent, to an average of $151,000.
The big picture Overall, home buyers kept Houston-area Realtors hopping in February, generating a 15.5 percent increase in sales compared to the same month last year, according to the latest monthly data compiled by HAR. The buying spree held local housing inventory to the same level as January — 3.6 months — which is the lowest supply of homes on the market since December 1999. February marked the 21st consecutive month of increased home sales, with average and median prices reaching the highest levels for a February in Houston. Contracts closed on 4,407 single-family homes during the month. All housing segments
see Trends • Page 2B
Thanks... From the State
Cecil & Janet Schmidt Prudential Premier Properties It is probably no secret, that Houston is the fastest growing city in the United States over the last decade. We are currently ranked No. 5 in population in the metropolitan areas of the United States. There is also an insurgence of businesses from other states due to our more tax-friendly environment. Therefore, there is a greater demand for homes, especially when located close to downtown areas. I ďŹ nd The Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest, and the surrounding areas increasing in value due to this high demand.
Richard Ray John Daugherty Realtors Commercial growth is inevitable when you have robust residential sales of the type that is occurring in the Oak Forest area. In this scenario, many of the homes sales are coming from new construction homes that are being built. These homes are priced higher than the homes that they are replacing. Therefore, the median income level of the buyers who are now residents of this area is rising, which will eventually attract commercial development. More than likely, it will begin with commercial retail properties which will provide shopping centers for residents who are looking for groceries, restaurants and other retail shops and stores. Commercial developers are constantly on the lookout for the next hotspot of activity that warrants additional development of urban shopping centers. New home sales and a urry of home renovations are excellent indicators of the potential need for additional commercial development to serve the new and existing residents in that neighborhood. All of this is excellent news for the growth and vitality of the area.
Barbara Raines Keller Williams The Heights, Garden Oaks and Oak Forest are in a very exciting and expanding growth market with homes selling quickly (3-4 month inventory, lowest since 1999), remodeling and new constrction.These areas are also seeing more density than there has been in the past 5-7 years. People today are placing more value on their time motivating them to live closer to work and demanding more conveniently located shopping, eateries and community support services. These demands are translating into higher activities in the commercial markets across the spectrum. In my opinion, residential growth equals growth in commercial activities.
Bill Baldwin Boulevard Realty
Shannon and Michael Hugetz’s Do-Over of their Garden Oaks home expanded the living space, but adding two rainwater collection tanks, including the one on the right, enabled them to include a lap pool in the redesign. (Photos by Cynthia Lescalleet)
Yard tanks earn Garden Oaks home renovation applause by Cynthia Lescalleet For The Leader
Do residential home sales result in commercial growth? At the record level of activity we have been experiencing in the Heights, Garden Oaks and Oak Forest, I certainly believe that residential growth has directly impacted commercial expansions. But which came ďŹ rst, the chicken or the egg? For example, although many residents of the Heights area fought against the building of the Walmart store on Yale Street, this and the other commercial developments were completed to support the inux of consumers to the area. And, to support the demand for new business services in the area, we’re seeing more new housing, especially in the form of multi-family dwellings that are being built along Yale, Waugh and Washington Avenue. Improving residential markets and healthy consumer spending will certainly produce commercial growth, and vice versa.
John Doody Doody & Associates My perspective starts with the inux of people into the region. Some estimate 50,000 relocations to Texas per month. Distribute that number amongst the four metropolitan areas of Texas. Therefore we are getting 12,000 people per month coming to southeast Texas. In California, a bungalow becomes a McMansion in Texas. In Michigan, a mansion becomes a bungalow in Texas. With so many people, and so few aordable prices; Buy ďŹ rst, move second. Since so many move here for work, the job is lined up, but not the accomodations. How close to work must you reside? Eastern cities with subways and els make commuting resonable. In western cities, expect to drive. In this scenario, commercial will lag residential activity. Clear as mud?
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“Scope creep� – that insidious growth of a project beyond its original vision – morphed a Garden Oaks remodeling design’s “water feature� into a lap pool. And the initial rainwater collection barrel became a pair of steel tank systems. Homeow ners Shannon A monthly look at a and Michael renovation project in Hugetz could our neighborhoods. not be more pleased with the water-conscious results, which also netted a slightly expanded living space for the family. By harvesting rainwater to fill the pool, flush toilets in the home and irrigate the landscaping, the redo offsets increases in water usage from the larger home and its outdoor amenities. Their conservation-minded project earned a Texas Rain Catcher Award last month from the Texas Water Development Board. Shannon Hugetz hopes their project and its recognition “gets
DOVER
the concept out there� and prompts other homeowners to explore it at whatever price point their budgets enable. Her advice is to “pick the right contractors and let them work at the pace they need to work. Be patient.�
Square feet, round tanks “We were ‘talking tanks’ from the get-go,� the energy software and business analyst recalled of the 2010 remodeling project. The original home, purchased before they had children, had 2 bedrooms and a bathroom. A 2001 remodeling tweaked the kitchen, upgraded the bathroom and enclosed part of the attic. Phase II added about 600 sq. ft. and reworked some existing space to add a family room and screened porch off the back and a master suite with pool-view balcony upstairs. The current home is slightly more than 2,500 sq. ft., clad in shade-shifting green planks and sports a shallow front porch. Michael Hugetz, who works in pipeline finance, said their pursuit
see Do-Over • Page 3B
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The Hugetzes remodeling project included a Do-Over of their water usage, too, with the installation of two 3,000-gallon rainwater collection tanks.
Page 2B • The Leader • March 23, 2013 • @heightsleader
Home & Garden Tour two weeks away Six diverse Heights homes, symbolizing both traditional and innovative modern styling, will be featured in this year’s Houston Heights Association Home & Garden Tour, “Then and Now,� April 6-7. The tour will be preceded on April 5 by a Candlelight Dinner and Auction, with tickets limited to 500.
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Home & Garden Tour The tour will go on from noon-6 p.m. April 6-7, attracting crowds of locals and springtime tourists. It features a shuttle stop on Historic 19th Street with its art galleries, antique and vintage shops, eclectic boutiques, sidewalk cafĂŠs and restaurants.
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Advance tickets are $20 and will be available online at www.houstonheights.org and at these businesses: Buchanan’s Native Plants, Another Place In Time and Jubilee. Days- of-tour tickets are $25 and will be available at the Houston Heights Fire Station (12th and Yale) and at each home on the tour and include the service of luxury shuttle buses that can be boarded at the Houston Heights Fire Station. Individual homes may be toured for $5 per home.
Candlelight Dinner & Auction On Friday, April 5, 5-11 p.m., the Candlelight Dinner & Auction ventures into new territory with a new location—Silver Street Studio, at 2000 Edwards Street in the Houston Arts District. “We are excited for an opportunity to be among one of the first groups to hold an event in this newly developed space,� said Kelly Simmons, who joins Anne Culotta and Chris Silkwood in chairing the event. “Silver Street Studio is a large, wide-open warehouse space, formerly a beer distributor, which will fit right into the industrial and arty style for which Candlelight Dinner guests have become accustomed.� Simmons said she and her co-chairs have great plans for transforming the space with the help of the talented Kristal Kirksey and Ellen Newcaster, along with the funky and fabulous design team at Jubilee on 19th Street. Candlelight Dinner ticket entitles guests to an exclusive preview of the tour homes from 5 to 7 p.m. that evening (before they are opened to the public over the weekend). The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. where guests will be treated to hors d’oeuvres, fine wine, local beer, and a specialty cocktail – the “Snapshot.� This year’s silent auction will consist of hundreds of items—from fine dining to fine art—and will also feature a special section of photography art brought to you by Chairs Katy Bomar and Julie Pettit--offering photographic works from some of Houston’s most renowned photographers. A chef-driven meal will be served at 8 p.m. by Pierre and Candy Massoud, and a fast-moving live auction with Anne Culotta serving as emcee. “Six pieces of prominent art will be sold to the highest bidders,� said Simmons. “It’s always lively, competitive, and fun.� Individual tickets are $150 (open seating) and $1500 for a reserved table for ten. For more information about the Candlelight Dinner & Auction, call 713-861-4002 or email candlelig htdinner@houstonheights.org.
About the homes Parks/Bouzek Home – 1617 Columbia This recently built Heights home tastefully
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The Klaybor Home at 1615 Cortlandt integrates traditional Craftsman style with modern amenities. Designed by the owners and Jim Phillips and built by Levitt Partnership, the home’s inspiration came from multiple visits to the Jim Thompson House in Bangkok, Thailand. The modest bungalow facade, designed to integrate with the existing neighborhood, hides a large, comfortable living space, which includes a gym, yoga/meditation room and children’s play space. The kitchen and living area features a spectacular wall of glass that overlooks a peaceful Zen courtyard and pool. The home contains art and antiques acquired during the owners’ world travels.
Klaybor Home – 1615 Cortlandt A sense of community and history is what drew the homeowners to this vintage 1920 Houston Heights home. This quaint bungalow has undergone some fabulous renovations that include the addition of an updated kitchen that looks into a spacious den featuring a commissioned stained glass window. The master bedroom suite also includes a beautiful stained glass window over the master bath. Looks can be deceiving as you meander through the home and onto the back deck revealing a stunning garden that has been lovingly landscaped to include a fountain from a 19th Century Japanese Shinto Temple.
Erbland/Woods Home – 709 E. 19th Street Wanting to live close to downtown, but still wanting the warmth of a real neighborhood, Marylou and Robert chose the Houston Heights to call home. Only the third owners since it was built in 1928, they set out to renovate this charming bungalow by adding a much-needed master suite and a half bath. The stylishly-updated kitchen was opened up to a new great room—making it all perfect for their frequent parties and watching the big game. The home is filled with unique furnishings and a large collection of local artwork. An inviting pool and lush backyard landscaping complete this beautiful home.
Derr Home – 2310 Rutland Known as the WashDERRteria, this structure was probably built in the 70s or 80s and was operated as the Courtesy Washateria until shortly before it was purchased by the owners in 2010. The 30 x 60 one story “cinder block�
two bedroom, two bath home has a metal frame ceiling and flat roof and features commercial windows and doors. The distressed wood encased gas fireplace enhances the open living, dining and kitchen area. The parking lot along the front has been covered with black gravel. The landscape includes a rain barrel and landscape plants purchased from a local Heights nursery.
Reed Home – 1532 Tulane The owners of this home, built in 2005, loved the spacious lot and a beautiful old oak tree on the property. Though they liked the idea behind its original contemporary design, they purchased it knowing they would someday renovate it to bring it more in line with the character of the Heights. Sad to say the oak tree did not survive Hurricane Ike but the owners survived the year-long renovation. A grander entrance was added, the windows and roofing were changed to give the house a contemporary craftsman feel, and the living area, kitchen, and master bedroom were expanded and redesigned. The removal of two loadbearing pillars in the kitchen area required a new support structure, and the house was essentially cut in half to install a new steel beam support running the width of the entire house. The landscape design is clean and modern to complement the lines of the house without competing with it.
Stilwell/Elton Home – 235 W. 18th Street This Heights gem was built in 1908 with an extension to the back in 1935. The main living space is 4089 square feet on a 9900 square foot lot. The original architect is unknown, and the style is somewhat unusual, though clearly a Victorian turn-of-the-century design. The brick pillars on the front porch replaced the original wooden ones in 1938 when it was converted to a boarding house, its use for 50 years. All the original hardwood flooring and many other features are still present in the 1908 portion of the home. Prior to the current owners, the home had been converted to offices and it has been refitted for residential use over the last eleven months. Many relics and documents from the home’s history were inherited by the current owners, presumably passed down by each of the five keepers of the home along the way.
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Trends • from Page 1B saw gains except for those priced below $80,000. That suggests the likelihood of an exhausted supply of available homes at that price point. Homes selling from $250,000 to $500,000 registered the greatest sales volume increase, accounting for the price appreciation. “The recent flurry of home buying and reduced inventory may seem unusual, but is exactly what the Houston market experienced back in the late 1990s,â€? said HAR Chairman Danny Frank with Prudential Anderson Properties. “The difference is that now we are seeing multiple offers and bidding wars. We are still in a seller’s market, and I would advise anyone who is considering selling their home to consult a Realtor who can price it right and handle all the details and paperwork, including sorting through whatever offers may come in.â€? The single-family home average price increased 9.6 percent yearover-year to $220,445, the highest level for a February in Houston. The median price—the figure at which half of the homes sold for more and half sold for less—rose 7.9 percent to $161,700, also a record high for a February. Foreclosure property sales reported in the HAR Multiple Listing Service (MLS) declined 23.4 percent compared to February 2012. Foreclosures currently make up 15.8 percent of all property sales, down from 19.6 percent one month earlier. The median price of foreclosures climbed 7.7 percent to $85,000.??February sales of all property types in Houston totaled 5,324, a 17.2 percent increase over the same month last year. Total dollar volume for properties sold rocketed 26.5 percent to $1.1 billion versus $887 million a year earlier.
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February monthly market comparison February delivered positive results to Houston’s overall real estate market when all sales categories are compared to February 2012. On a year-over-year basis, total property sales, total dollar volume and average and median pricing were all up. Month-end pending sales for February totaled 3,877. That is up 12.7 percent from last year and signals the probability of yet further growth in property sales when the March figures are tallied. Active listings, or the number of available properties, at the end of February declined 20.9 percent from February 2012 to 33,361. Housing inventory in Houston has now held at 3.6 months for two consecutive months. That is the lowest level since December 1999. Inventory first fell below a five-month supply in August 2012 and then tumbled below a fourmonth supply last December. The inventory of single-family homes across the United States stands at 4.2 months, according to the latest report from the National Association of REALTORSŽ (NAR).
Single-Family Homes February sales of single-family homes in Houston totaled 4,407, up 15.5 percent from February 2012. That marks the 21st straight monthly increase. Broken out by housing segment, February sales performed as follows: $1 - $79,999: decreased 18.0 percent $80,000 - $149,999: increased 14.4 percent $150,000 - $249,999: increased 25.6 percent $250,000 - $499,999: increased 33.2 percent $500,000 - $1 million and above: increased 24.4 percent
The average price of a singlefamily home rose 9.6 percent from last year to $220,445, the highest level for a February in Houston. At $161,700, the median sales price for single-family homes also achieved a record high for a February in Houston, up 7.9 percent year-over-year. HAR also breaks out the sales performance of existing singlefamily homes throughout the Houston market. In February 2013, existing home sales totaled 3,769, a 22.4 percent increase from the same month last year. The average sales price rose 10.4 percent year-over-year to $205,305 while the median sales price shot up 13.6 percent to $150,000. Townhouse/condominium update February sales of townhouses and condominiums leapt 35.8 percent from one year earlier. A total of 425 units sold last month versus 313 properties in February 2012. The average price rose 5.7 percent to $164,763 while the median price increased 7.7 percent to $131,000. Months inventory was 4.1 months, up slightly from 4.0 one month earlier, but down from the 6.8-month level it held in February 2012.
Lease Property Houston’s lease property market experienced declines in February.
Rentals of single-family homes fell 16.3 percent compared to February 2012 and year-over-year townhouse/condominium rentals were down by 4.5 percent. The average rent for single-family lease homes was $1,515 while it was $1,397 for townhouses/condominiums – representing increases of 6.6 percent and 10.9 percent respectively.
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Houston real estate milestones in February • Single-family home sales increased 15.5 percent year-overyear, accounting for the market’s 21st consecutive monthly increase; • Total property sales rose 17.2 percent compared to one year earlier; • Total dollar volume jumped 26.5 percent, increasing from $887 million to $1.1 billion on a yearover-year basis; • At $220,445, the single-family home average price reached the highest level for a February in Houston; • At $161,700, the single-family home median price also reached an historic high for a February in Houston; • 3.6 months inventory of single-family homes is unchanged from one month prior, holding at the lowest level since December 1999 and lower than the national average of 4.2 months;
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Page 3B • The Leader • March 23, 2013 • @heightsleader
SUSAN PESL REALTORÂŽ
What’s Going There?
713-397-1916 spesl@flash.net PREMIER PROPERTIES
Commercial properties popping up everywhere by Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com Charisma is coming to the North Loop in the form of a car wash. The third Houston location of the colorful CARisma Wash will host its grand opening at Nicholson & North Loop (between Shepherd and Yale) within the next two months. “It’s an awesome location, we’re next to a Starbucks,� CARisma manager Richard Moreno said. “The area is growing, and we’re trying to grow with it. We’re a full express wash. The equipment washes and dries it.� According to an electronic sign, the CARisma is now hiring. Customers have the option of buying a token to vacuum out there car. Construction has been underway on the property for about a year, and it’s set to open soon. Moreno said CARisma will be washing cars for free prior to the grand opening, in order to ‚“work out the kinks and make sure the hydraulics are running right.� The other two Houston locations in Houston are Kirby & Bissonnet and Telephone & The Loop. There are four locations in Corpus Christi, where owner Ron Pickett started the company in 1994.
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Do-Over • from Page 1B
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tering the gardens and landscaping Michael Hugetz tends as a stress buster.
It’s a pool, not a pond “We would have collected rainwater with or without a pool,� Shannon Hugetz said. But she’s a swimmer. When the project’s early plan called for a water feature, it became a pool with a lap lane and small fountain incorporated into its access. Rainwater collection helps offset its water usage – about 17,000 gallons. The couple has been raising their two elementary-school-aged children with water use consciousness “by example.� At this point, the family finds their water use habits, such as not running the tap, rather normal, if uncommon, she said. With water usage addressed, however, water quality is on their radar now. She wonders, for example, about the effect of treated water on growing children.
Meanwhile, she’s thinking solar energy panels to warm the pool’s water might also extend their home’s green energy use. Her advice to those considering rainwater harvesting is to “pick the right contractors and let them work at the pace they need to work. Be patient.� To read more about the Hugetz’s project and award, visit the Texas Water Development Board website at http://www.twdb.texas.gov/ innovativewater/rainwater/raincatcher/2012/hugetz.asp#7
OUR OWN ‘DO-OVER’ Last month’s Do-Over feature was also authored by Cynthia Lescalleet. We regret giving credit to another writer.
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eat the mosquito larvae. There’s no gold fish, however, in the modern rainwater collection system in the Hugetz’s shady yard. Two silvery cisterns double as mod sculptures in separate settings. Each is a sealed, 3,000-gallon steel tank system. One is tied into the home’s roofand-runoff. Filtered and diverted, the collected water can help feed the 17,000-gallon salt water pool – or flush two toilets in the addition. (They also have a second set of pipes for a conventional water connection to city services, if needed.) TWDB cites how an air gap acts as a cross-connection prevention device and how a pump auto-fills the tank when there is not enough rainwater stored to meet usage demands. The second tank connects – with permission – to a section of downspouts on the church located behind the home. It provides unfiltered fresh water for hand-wa-
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Kory Clemens, son of baseball great Roger Clemens, and Luke Mandola Jr., who’s family owns the Ragin’ Cajun among other restaurants, will open Katch 22, a sports bistro later this year.
Shannon Hugetz’s interest in rainwater harvesting came in part from being conservation minded, though eco-nostalgia also might have been a trigger; her grandmother’s Garden Oaks home had a simple-but-effective open rain barrel – patrolled by a gold fish to
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The former Eckerds Drug Store, at 1803 Ella, could be turned into something else, but at there are “no plans for that property right now,� according to a representative from SRS Real Estate Partners. Consumer Value Stores, the Rhode Island-based pharmacy giant, is looking to sublease the approximately 12,000 square Katch 22, a sports bistro foot property.
Barrels now and then
Linda Scarborough
LINDASCARBOROUGH ATT NET
(Photos by Michael Sudhalter)
Nothing for former Eckerds on Ella
of rainwater collection came from eco-friendly interest, attitudes and habits. That and concerns about rising water rates and unpredictable, sometimes extreme Houston weather. Think Hurricane Ike in 2008 and the 2010 drought. If either situation repeats, the tanks will come in handy, he said. However, the equipment remains untested since “The minute we built it, the drought came.� But that was before they were full. Other lingering challenges include fine-tuning one tank’s internal balance so fewer contaminants from the roof pass into the cistern.
15610 Lillja - Large one story custom home, oversized garage, beautiful ground level apt., located on 30,000 s.f. fully fenced lot - $275K 2023 Chippendale - 3-1½-1 brick, two living areas, large Oak Forest lot, ready for redo or new build.
The third Houston location of CARisma, North Loop feeder and Nicholson, will host its grand opening within the next two months.
The District at Washington, 230 T.C. Jester Blvd., is set to open this summer just a block north of Washington Avenue, according to its website. It’ll be managed by Denver-based Simpson Property Group L.P. and will include a dog park, a 11,000 square foot club house, lap and lounge pools, and a fitness center with a yoga/spinning studio. Simpson has several 19,000 apartment units across 13 states. The new apartments’ website, thedistrictatwashington.com, features nine one and two bedroom floor plans, ranging from 708 to 1,250 square feet.
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Page 4B • The Leader • March 23, 2013 • www.theleadernews.com
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Quality schools helping push Heights property values As a resident and real estate agent in the Houston Heights, it has been interesting to watch the progression of how our public schools have affected real estate prices in our area. I started more than a dozen years ago as an agent focused on the Heights, and at that time, families with young children were just on the cusp of flooding our neighborhood. How a property was priced had more to do with the location than the school to which it was zoned. I did have the occasional client that requested to be zoned to Travis Elementary, but they were few and far between. Cynthia Mullins Fast forward to 2006 when a drove Boulevard Realty of parents descended on Harvard Elementary (myself included) and worked hard with Principal Kevin Beringer, in his second year then, to improve the school and spread the word that there was now another quality school to attend in the Heights in addition to Travis Elementary. Within two years Harvard Elementary went from a school with enough enrollment spaces to add a whole new classroom of kids in 2006 to one with a waiting list. As the waiting list grew, so did requests to buy a home zoned to the school. As more young families began to enter the neighborhood, waiting lists at Harvard and Travis grew even more and as they did, so did the desire to live in a house zoned to the school, thus insuring a spot instead of a number on the lottery waiting list. This in turn increased the price of homes zoned to these schools. As a parent entrenched in the quest for quality education for my own children, I have tried to share what I have learned with other parents. All our schools in the Heights area are changing quickly, and sometimes it can be hard to keep up. Here’s one exciting new trend. The Heights will hopefully soon be home to not one, but three, International Baccalaureate World Schools. Currently the neighborhood has one IB World School in Harvard. In the spring, IB Candidate schools Hogg Middle School and Reagan High School will have their on-site authorization visit by an International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) delegation. This team will spend a day at each school to evaluate and prepare an internal report on the candidate school’s capability to deliver the Middle Years Programme (MYP) in accordance with the IBO’s requirements. Completion of this critical step will allow Harvard ES graduates, where all students receive the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), to continue their IB learning in the MYP through 10th grade without leaving the Heights. Harvard Principal Beringer says, “I am excited for both schools and the students in this area to have access for additional IB programs.� If you are not familiar with the IB philosophy, it is best summed up by the current IB Director General Jeff Beard. He explains, “IB programmes are international, develop critical-thinking skills, require a second language, and emphasize cultural understanding in our principle that other people can be right as well. IB students undergo a unique experience that better positions them to tackle today’s global issues in a more creative way than has been done in the past.� The implementation of IB at Hogg MS and
Reagan HS is exciting because students today face a much different world than those coming out of college when Bill Gates’ dream was to have a computer in every household. The rate at which new information enters the world today is much too fast for students to keep pace. On the last day I graduated from college, my professor told the class that everything we now knew would be obsolete in five years. What? Now he would probably say less than 18 months. Students in the 21st century are faced with the challenge of learning about an interconnected world where knowledge is constantly developing. The IB Programme prepares children to be active participants in a lifelong journey of education through inquiry based learning. This methodology is student centered vs. the traditional approach which is teacher centered. Inquiry learning is focused on using and learning content as a means to develop information-processing and problem-solving skills. The teacher is a facilitator of learning and there is more emphasis on “how we come to know� and less on “what we know.� In the traditional approach, the teacher is focused on giving out information about “what we know.� Students are the receivers of information, and teachers the dispenser. Much of the assessment of the learner is focused on the importance of “one right answer.� Traditional education is more concerned with preparation for the next grade level and in-school success than with helping a student acquire skills to learn throughout life. What makes the IB Programme so challenging is the development of these skills and questioning in addition to mastery of content. No one is more excited about these developments than the principals at Hogg MS and Reagan HS, Dr. Mina Schnitta and Connie Berger, respectively. They have been working closely together to become IB World Schools that support each other and complete the IB continuum from Pre-K at Harvard ES through high school at Reagan. This past summer Hogg and Reagan went full force on finishing the work to complete their IB candidacy status. Teachers and staff from both schools gathered at Reagan HS under the direction of IBO delegates to create a cohesive implementation across both schools. Principals Berger and Schnitta want to make the transition from middle to high school as seamless and easy as possible for students. This is challenging as the IB inquiry based learning environment is all encompassing. In an IB atmosphere, not only is the method in which students learn different, but also ten IB learner profiles are woven through the fabric of their day. All students strive to be inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced, and reflective in every class every day. For learners to internalize these characteristics and make them their own is no small task and doesn’t occur by happenstance. If you haven’t been in Hogg MS since Dr. Schnitta became principal, you owe it to yourself to meet her and tour the school. When you finish, you will know what a firecracker looks like in human form. As she says, “I don’t play. I expect 100 percent from each student every day and there are no excuses. All children deserve rigor and they will rise to it if given the environment to do it.� Since she started Feb. 14, 2011, she has decreased disciplinary actions which require suspensions, expulsions or alternative placements to virtually zero. She means serious business, and the results of her tactics can already be measured. She started her second year with an almost 20 per-
cent increase in enrollment. She has more than doubled the Gifted and Talented (GT) population in her short tenure. This is nothing short of miraculous at a school where enrollment had steadily declined for years before her arrival. Her impressive skills have not gone unnoticed by the IB delegation. One of its members, who is very familiar with HISD and its middle schools, has visited the Hogg campus several times over the past few years. He noticed a drastic change at Hogg MS since Dr. Schnitta’s entrance. He believes Dr. Schnitta and its IB Coordinator, Clementine Arana, have turned Hogg around. He believes Hogg is an entirely different school with a different attitude, a different climate, and a different way of educating young people than he has seen on previous visits. That is a pretty powerful statement. He is also impressed with the partnership between Hogg MS and Reagan HS. Reagan HS is implementing IB MYP for all 9th and 10th grade students. As an IB world school, students are required to learn a second language. This facet is synergistic with Reagan’s Dual Language Program where students may choose to participate and receive instruction in both English and Spanish. Students acquire bilingual skills in all academic disciplines (Science, Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies) and are therefore better prepared to participate in a global economy. Reagan is the only HISD high school offering the Dual Language Program. The same IB delegate feels Reagan has accomplished more in six months than some schools do in two years. He has alerted the IBO that Reagan is a “school to watch.� This is not surprising if you are familiar at all with Principal Berger. She was HISD’s high school Principal of the Year last year. In her seven years at Reagan, she has increased enrollment 35 percent. Last year, Reagan HS was included in the Washington Post High School Challenge, a list of 1,800 schools representing the top 9 percent in the nation when it comes to preparing graduates for college. If all goes well, Principal Berger will consider implementing the Diploma Years Programme (DYP) for 11th and 12th graders, thus providing them an avenue to enter more than 1,000 colleges in the US (and more abroad) with part of college already paid for and behind them. Considering the escalating cost of a year of college, I’m willing to bet she will be pushed by the community to complete the IB cycle and join the ranks of Bellaire HS, Awty International School, The British School of Houston and Lamar HS. This means the opportunity to place out of many core courses and their expenses at colleges such as Baylor, Rice, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, University of Houston, and University of Texas. Or, if you prefer out of state: Berkeley, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Harvard, and MIT to name a few. More universities worldwide provide this opportunity also such as Cambridge and Oxford in the UK. This spring Hogg and Reagan will join together in coordinating an international festival promoting world cultures and global thinking. Hopefully they will also be celebrating their new status as International Baccalaureate World Schools. The PTOs of both schools are working diligently to improve how they are perceived by prospective families and neighborhood residents because each have made significant changes that they want everyone to know. Principal Berger mentions, “Reagan is seeing less transfers out of our zone. This is an indication that more families are choosing to stay in the neighborhood to complete their education. It is no longer necessary to transfer out to get a good education.� Each truly are “schools to watch.�
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Page 5B • The Leader • March 23, 2013 • www.theleadernews.com
LHN’s new football coach/AD ‘fresh with optimism’ by Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com Nathan Robbins will have an interesting story to tell if he attends his 20th class reunion at Lutheran South Academy this year. Robbins, who was recently hired as Lutheran High North’s athletic director/ head football coach, spent his first day on campus Monday, meeting with faculty, students, parents and community members. Over the next few weeks, Robbins will work with current athletic director Beverly Baldwin to fully transition into the athletic director role. The Houston native described the idea with phrases such as “vibrant with energy� and “fresh with optimism.� During that time, he spent an hour dis-
cussing his plans and fielding questions from about 25 people. Dallas Lusk, who will become Head of School this summer, joined the discussion live via Skype, from Carrollton, where he’s the assistant principal at Prince of Peace Christian Middle School. Robbins, who spent the past three seasons as the head football coach at Concordia University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., fielded questions about the Lions’ football program, which has gone 3-17 over the past two seasons. “Football is my ministry,� Robbins said. “I came back to high school to impact more kids.� Robbins has designed a character building program, Victory for Life, which he’ll bring to the LHN athletic department. At Concordia, Robbins’ campus was located on the same street as the University
“
Football is my ministry. I came back to high school to impact more kids. • Nathan Robbins
of Michigan. He had Wolverines quarterback/wide receiver Devin Gardner speak to this student-athletes about being a college football player and his dedication to Christianity. Robbins said he plans on having similar guest speakers at LHN, along with team devotions.
Neighbors contribute to Rice U. success
“Prayer accents what we’re doing,� Robbins said. Robbins also fielded questions about whether the Lions would remain in TAPPS 4A or go down to 3A. He said there’s little difference between the two levels, but if the school remained at its current size, they’d be re-aligned to 3A next year. “We want success, regardless of size,� he said. Both Robbins and Lusk emphasized that each coach has the freedom to develop their own non-district schedule, to be as challenging as they’d like for it to be. Robbins also answered questions about building interest in girls sports. The school didn’t field a girls soccer team and numbers for the softball squad had been low. Another attendee raised the question of TAPPS’ overlap between winter and spring sports -- something Robbins hopes
to examine. He spoke about getting students involved in the athletic program through sports information director internships and other opportunities. Robbins, who graduated from Lutheran South in 1993, was contacted about the LHN opportunity by interim head of school Wayne Kramer, who was the principal at LSA when he was a student there. Robbins’ younger brother, Stephen, is the head football coach and dean of students at LSA, and their mother, Sue, is a third grade teacher at LSA. It may not be the Harbaugh Brothers coaching in the Super Bowl, but the Nov. 1 matchup between the Lions and Pioneers should be a dandy. “As soon as I accepted the job, I circled it on my calendar,� Robbins said. “We’re making an excellent rivalry even better.�
Full Strength
by Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com Rice University baseball players Hunter Kopycinski and Zech Lemond haven’t played much for the Owls this season, but they’ve certainly made their presence felt when the opportunity has come up. Kopycinski, a freshman catcher from Shepherd Park Plaza who graduated from St. Thomas High last spring, and Lemond, a sophomore relief pitcher who grew up at 34th and Mangum and graduated from Waltrip in 2011, represent two of the 21 Houstonarea players on the 31-man Owls roster. “I learned from (STH head baseball coach Craig Biggio) to play as hard as I can every day and to grind everything out,� Kopycinski said. “Baseball is an unforgiving sport, if you’re not humble Zech Lemond about it.� Ko p y c i n s k i has played in just four of the Owls’ 18 games, starting two, but he hit an inside-thepark grand slam in a 7-5 win over Louisiana Tech on March 13 at Reckling Park. He’s hitting .333 with five RBI and Hunter Kopycinski six runs scored for the Owls (117). The 19-year-old Kopycinski, who played T-Ball at Oaks Dads Club and attended St. Ambrose for grade school, said he’s still adjusting to the college game. “The overall talent level is a lot better and the speed of the game is just a little quicker,� Kopycinski said. “I chose Rice because it was the best opportunity academically and athletically.� Kopycinski, a four-year varsity letterman at STH who started on state title teams in 2010 and 2011, respectively, grew up with St. Pius X alums, Jonathan Moroney (Texas A&M) and Kyle Kirk (Houston) in Shepherd Park Plaza.
see Rice • Page 6B
More than two dozen scouts were on hand March 14 to watch St. Pius X senior Kohl Stewart pitch four hitless innings against Houston Christian. (Photos by Michael Sudhalter)
After injury concerns, Stewart tops scouts’ guns at 96 mph by Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com More than two dozen Major League Baseball scouts crowded the stands behind home plate at Baseball USA on March 14, clocking every pitch thrown by St. Pius X senior Kohl Stewart. He wowed those scouts with pitches ranging from 80-96 miles per hour against host Houston Christian. The change-ups, curve balls and fast balls were on full display as Stewart pitched four hitless innings. “I’m trying not to pay too much attention to the atmosphere. All of the scouts present doesn’t change how I play,� Stewart said. “I just go out and have fun.� It was Stewart’s second start this season. He pitched during a victory over Jersey Village in the Father Wilson/Sister Julia Tournament on March 8. Stewart, a two-sport All-American in football and baseball, started the season with the baseball team, but he didn’t take the mound until March 8. “I thought Kohl pitched amazing,� SPX head baseball coach Adam Massiatte said. “He’s back to normal, ready to go and ready to get after it.� Stewart and the SPX coaching staff were
being cautious, since returning from a minor injury suffered in the regular season football finale against St. Thomas in November. “Nothing is bothering me now – I have no pain,� Stewart said. “I’m working my way back into it. I’m getting back into the groove of things.� Stewart, who helped lead SPX to a state championship last season, said he plans on pitching a complete game later this month. “Hopefully, we can make it a season to remember,� Stewart said. Stewart has signed with Texas A&M for baseball and football, but he’s projected to be a top MLB Draft pick. He knows this spring will be the final chance to play baseball with his high school friends. “Baseball is only going to get harder from here,� Stewart said. Stewart has a new catcher in junior Jerry Murillo, who played in the infield on last season’s state title team. “He’s one of the best leaders – he gets all of the guys up,� Murillo said. “Playing behind the plate, you get used to seeing 95 behind the plate.� While the scouts walked away impressed St. Pius X senior pitcher Kohl Stewart threw four hitless innings in a 4-0 win
see Scouts • Page 6B
over Houston Christian on March 14. It was his second start of the season.
Waltrip soccer teams look to build on 2013 by Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com
The Waltrip High boys soccer team earned valuable experience this season (Photo by Michael Sudhalter)
The Waltrip High girls soccer team opened the season with one of the largest upsets in the school’s 53-year athletic history. The Lady Rams defeated perennial Class 4A-District 21 power, Reagan, 2-1, in the district opener in January. Waltrip went on to tie Sharpstown in a district match later in the season, but they couldn’t find the win, or tie column, again. Still, the experience of upsetting Reagan showed the Lady Rams what their potential is for the future. “We’re going to work hard during the offseason. We have a lot of people returning next year,�
said first-year head coach Adam Ramirez, a Waltrip alum who also coached the WHS football team’s offensive line. Senior Myra Caballero was glad to be a part of the building process at Waltrip and hopes the team en-
joys success in future seasons. “After every loss,� Caballero said. “We got back up and back in the game. It was pretty exciting.� Waltrip High boys soccer coach Dale Harrison was proud of the effort from his seven seniors. “It was a tough year – we didn’t win a game,� Harrison said. “The players are good natured. They’d get upset after a loss but they’d cool down and be ready to go (for the next one).� Harrison, who grew up in New York, had never played soccer but he became a fan while attending Northern Caribbean University in Jamaica. Senior defender Jose Cornejo has been the team captain, something that comes with the responsibility of keeping the team fo-
cused on the games. “I made some friends, and it was a great opportunity to get better as a player,� said Cornejo, who hopes to study pre-Med and play club soccer next year at the University of Houston. “I keep their spirits up, talk to them and keep the humor up.� Junior goalkeeper Sergio Mosqueda hopes to bring the Rams back to the postseason next year. “We love soccer – the beauty of the game,� Mosqueda said. &REE 2ING #LEANING WITH THIS AD ,IMIT ONE PER CUSTOMER
2EPAIRS CUSTOM DESIGN WORK JEWELRY AND WATCHES 7EST TH 3T 3UITE
Page 6B • The Leader • March 23, 2013 • @heightsleader
Sports Schedules
ODC to All American Renfro, Scarborough reflect on youth softball days by Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com When Oaks Dads Club softball players participate in the annual parade and opening ceremonies today, it will be a moment that many of them will remember for a long time. “The kids always have a great time,� ODC softball director Lori Woods said. “They walk in with their names announced, and they love it. It’s like their five minutes of fame.� Regardless of whether they pursue softball in the future, the youngsters will go on to represent the community well – and beyond. Two Oaks Dads Club softball alums – Amanda Renfro Simmons and Amanda Scarborough – went on to become NCAA All-Americans as pitchers at Texas Tech and Texas A&M, respectively. Simmons, 33, was inducted into the Texas Tech Athletic Hall of Fame last year. “It was amazing,� Simmons said. “If you play a sport, that’s the ultimate (goal), short of winning a national championship. It’s a high honor.� An Oak Forest native who graduated from Lutheran High North in 1997, Simmons played T-Ball at Timbergrove Sports Association, before playing softball at ODC from age 7 to age 12. “It’s fun to think about where it all started,� Simmons said. “I remember opening day, and seeing what team you’re on. I remember the excitement of it. It hasn’t changed much since I was here. It just opened my eyes up to what softball really was. As you got older, you wanted to do more and more with it.� Scarborough, 26, recalled playing for a team called the Crickets and like Simmons, she stays in touch with many of her former teammates via social media. “Softball became my first love,� said Scarborough, who attended Garden Oaks Elementary before her parents moved to Magnolia. “I loved coming to Oaks Dads Club
Former Oaks Dads Club softball players Amanda Renfro Simmons, left, and Amanda Scarborough, agreed that ODC provided them with a strong foundation for the sport. Both pitchers went on to become NCAA All-American pitchers. (Photo by Michael Sudhalter)
BASEBALL
Sharpstown at Waltrip, 4:30 p.m. (Delmar-Tusa) North Forest at Reagan, 7 p.m. (Delmar-Tusa) Lutheran North at Second Baptist, 7 p.m. St. Thomas at St. Pius X, 7 p.m.
Yates at Scarborough, 4:30 p.m. (Delmar-Tusa)
SOFTBALL Reagan at Austin, 6:30 p.m. (Barnett)
BOYS TENNIS Beaumont Kelly at St. Pius X, 4 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS
SOFTBALL
Beaumont Kelly at St. Pius X, 4 p.m.
Wheatley at Waltrip, 4:30 p.m. (Delmar-Tusa) Beaumont Kelly at St. Pius X, 6 p.m. Scarborough at Washington, 6:30 p.m. (Delmar-Tusa) Lutheran North at Pope John XXIII, TBA
GIRLS GOLF
BOYS GOLF HISD Tournament, 8 a.m. (Brock Golf Course)
MARCH 28 BASEBALL Waltrip at St. Thomas, 7 p.m. Lutheran North at Fort Bend Christian, 7 p.m.
HISD Tournament, 8 a.m. (Brock Golf Course)
BOYS TENNIS St. Pius X at Concordia Lutheran, 4 p.m.
SOFTBALL St. Pius X at Incarnate Word, 4:15 p.m. Waltrip at Austin, 4:30 p.m. (Barnett) Lutheran North at Emery-Weiner, TBA
GIRLS TENNIS St. Pius X at Concordia Lutheran, 4 p.m.
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Exam, X-Ray & Cleaning $ Regularly $100 and playing in the weekly league games. Oaks Dads Club set me up with all-star teams and gave me long term softball goals. It was the first idea you get of being on a team.� Simmons was an All-American as a Tech senior in 2002 and led the Red Raiders to two NCAA regional appearances, while Scarborough earned All-American honors at Texas A&M in 2005 and 2007 and played in the NCAA Championship Game as a senior in 2008. Neither of them played softball beyond their collegiate years, but they’re both active in the game. Simmons’ three daughters – 7year-old twins Emily and Kacey, and 6-year-old McKenna – play softball in Cy-Fair Sports Association and have become increasingly interested in their mom’s softball talent. She hopes to coach them some day and recently began giving pitching lessons. Simmons has been married to her husband, Harold, for nine
years, and she’s been working in the Oil & Gas industry ever since she graduated from Tech in 2002. Scarborough is involved in a wide variety of softball activities, from coaching a select team to giving lessons, coordinating clinics and promoting softball products. Her most visible position, however, is working as a softball analyst for ESPN and its Longhorn Network. “I was thrown into the fire,� Scarborough said. “At first, I was very nervous. It’s the same feeling you get before a big game.� She travels around the country as one of six college softball analysts for The Worldwide Leader in Sports. “More people give me a hard time about (being an A&M alum working for the Longhorn Network) than I give myself,� Scarborough said. “Texas is a really, really good team. I love to watch great softball (and get paid) to talk about it. I hate that the (rivalry ended). It’s such a great rivalry, and they’re only 1.5 hours apart. The fact that
Minute Maid Park. It was quite an experience for Lemond, who grew up a Houston Astros fan. “The first time I got to pitch at Minute Maid, I was taken over by adrenaline,� Lemond said. “I pitched three innings, but I don’t actually remember it because so much adrenaline was going through my body. You don’t really get the opportunity to pitch at a big league ballpark too often. Lemond, 20, has appeared in seven games this season with a 1-1 record, a 2.76 earned run average, 13 strikeouts and five walks. This season, he had the opportunity to pitch against top-ranked North Carolina in the College Classic. Although he loves Minute Maid, Lemond is also a big fan of the Owls’ home stadium, Reckling Park. “It’s fun -- the view is great,� he said. “You sit there and look at all of the buildings. It’s a great ball-
park.� Like Kopycinski, the 6-foot-4, 195 pound pitcher began his athletic career by playing T-Ball at Oaks Dads Club. “I remember the all-star teams were always fun,� he said. Both players have enjoyed playing for the legendary coach Wayne Graham, the 76-year-old skipper who’s led Rice to the 2003 College World Series championship and six other trips to the CWS. “Sometimes, it’s pretty intense, and other times, he’s pretty relaxed,� Lemond said. “You have to want to win in order to play for him. You have to be on the same page as far as trying to win every single day.� Lemond, who’s studying Sports Medicine, would like to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Owls’ NCAA Championship with another one. Rice opened Conference USA competition this weekend against Southern Miss in Hattiesburg.
ninth. Houston Christian, a former district rival of the Panthers, left TAPPS for the Southwest Preparatory Conference this season, but Massiatte insisted the non-district game was still an important one. “Everything is on the line for us,�
he said. “Every game is a chance for us to get better, and we’re working to peak at the end of the season.� SPX began district competition earlier this week against Beaumont Kelly and Concordia Lutheran, respectively. Results were not available at press time.
Scouts • from Page 5B with Stewart, SPX fans should be equally impressed that the Panthers (11-7) outlasted Houston Christian, 4-0, in nine innings. The rematch of last season’s state semifinal game was scoreless through eight innings, before SPX scored four in the top of the
MARCH 27
BASEBALL
“One of Houston’s Top Dentists� — HTexas Magazine 2004-2011
Rice • from Page 5B The 5-foot-11, 175-pound freshman is studying Sport Management and would like to have a career that’s somehow related to baseball. His older brother, Jordan, played baseball at Texas State and now is an assistant coach at Blinn College in Brenham. “I love playing catcher because I got to control the game, and everything happens in front of me,â€? Kopycinski said. “I got to be friends with Zech. We’re both right next to each other. I was zoned to Waltrip.â€? Lemond led Waltrip to district championships in 2010 and 2011 and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 50th round of the 2011 MLB Draft. He chose college but got the opportunity to pitch in a Major League ballpark quicker than he would have, if he’d turned pro. He made his collegiate debut last season when the Owls faced Texas in the Houston College Classic at
MARCH 26
they don’t get to play is a big time bummer.� Scarborough recently moved to the Washington Avenue area, not far from the neighborhood where she lived as a youngster. She enjoys visiting the same restaurants and other places she did as a child and her roommate is fellow ODC alum and former Waltrip softball player Lindsay Copp. Simmons won two state championships at Lutheran North in 1996 and 1997, respectively, and led the Lady Lions to victories over UIL Class 5A teams, including Pasadena Dobie and its future Olympic pitcher, Christa Williams.
70
Mathew Naftis, D.D.S. w w w. d r n a f t i s . c o m
CARE
1214 W 43rd Ste 300
CREDIT
713-682-7939
TERRIFIC TILE FLOORS Convenient shop at home service Serving families for 20 years
12 Month Interest Free Financing • Carpet • Tile • Vinyl • Wood Floors • Granite Counter Tops
Robert’s Floors
INC.
Showroom: 708
E. Tidwell (Near 1-45) 713-699-5951
www.robertsfloorsinc.com
EEL8C I8N] J? <JK@M8C @E K?< !<@>?KJ Saturday, April 6th, 11:00 am till dusk at Northwest Mall 9600 Hempstead Rd. 2013 HYUNDAI ELANTRA RAFFLE • LIVE MUSIC WIN THIS CAR! TICKETS $10 • Idol of the Heights Competition Finals • Car and motorcycle Show • Shoppers Paradise • Kids Zone Crawfish $15 in advance $20 at the door
. And.... BEER. f o s t lo
Buy your tickets online at www.heightschamber.com/crawfishfestival.
HOSTED BY THE GREATER HEIGHTS AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Crawfish Plate 3 Lb Crawfish Corn • Potatoes
FREE
ADMISSION For more information:
713-861-6735
THE CLASSIFIEDS. Wanting to run a classified ad? CALL 713-686-8494 Monday - Friday. We accept credit cards.
AUTOS & TRUCKS FOR SALE: Blue, two-door, V8. 1978 Buick LaSabre. Original owner. 281-441-5482, 713-6914433. (3-23) 2009 GRAY CHEVROLET IMPALA: Very clean and nice. 60,000 miles. $11,995. 713-503-0282. AMSOIL SYNTHETIC LUBRICANTS: www.lubedealer.com/ 25000mileoil. 281-682-6940, 281-469-5806. (5-11) Nobody delivers to more homes in our area than The Leader.
AUTOS & TRUCKS
AUTO SERVICES
FOR SALE: 2009 Black Toyota Matrix S. 2.4 L 4-cylinder. Clean and good condition. 59,500 miles. One owner. $12,900. 281- Our Big Wheel Deal classifieds 382-3946, 713-829-5208. (4-6) are the best way to sell cars, boats, motorcycles or RV’s. 1998 BUICK PARK AVENUE: Just $14.95 will run your ad for 82,000 miles, $3,500. 713- four weeks. 292-3684.
Advertising Builds Business! Find Out What The Leader Can Do For You.
713-686-8494
MOBILE AUTO & TRUCK REPAIRS
7 Days a week, 35 yrs. exp. Low Prices, Sr. Discount.
“CALL ME, I COME TO YOU� DON DRAUGHON
832-641-9586
AUTO SERVICES
AUTO SERVICES
CAN’T AFFORD VEHICLE EMISSIONS REPAIRS? If You Qualify - You Only Pay $30!
EASY & FAST! - Se Habla EspaĂąol AirCheckTexas Repair & Replacement Assistance Program.
Cossio Motor Services, Inc. Emissions Repair & Complete Auto Repair Automatic Transmissions
7824 Irvington 713-692-9551
LEADER PUZZLER SOLUTIONS
Page 7B • The Leader • March 23, 2013 • @heightsleader
FOR SALE FRANK SALAS IS THE MAN TO CALL for trash hauling and garage cleaning. 281-312-9795, 832-893-5697. (TF)
ALTERATIONS: Reasonable. C.W. TRASH HAULING: ResiPick up and delivery. Charlotte, dential/commercial, clean out garages, tractor work, box blade. 713-694-0003. (TF) 832-434-8863. (TF)
PETS & LIVESTOCK
TUPPERWARE AVAILABLE: Call JoAnn Lord at 281-9233729. (TF) MOVING SALE: Saturday, March 30. 7507 Deep Forest. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Furniture, household items, NHL Starting Lineups, Sci-Fi collectibles, books, DVDs. DISCOVER THE JACKI SORENSON’S FITNESS CLASSES: Two free introductory classes. No obligation to join. Held at Advent Lutheran Church, 5820 Pinemont, Monday and Wednesday at 5:45 p.m. Spring sessions start April 1. Call Anna, 713-817-0778. (3-30)
BEST PET SITTERS: Bone Voyage, 713-688-6363. www. godogusa.com. (TF) FIND YOUR FRIEND FOR LIFE: Adopt or foster a shelter animal. www.nokill1.org. (TF)
.II=B , 2;CFM Professional Dog & Cat Grooming
,ET US 0AMPER YOUR FUR BABY
281-744-1176
BLUE MOON ANTIQUES: Antiques and collectibles. We do estate sales. 3311 Ella. 832-2867882. www.bluemoonantiqueshouston.com. (TF)
.II=B , ";F?M GROOMING
EUGENE HAULS TRASH: Cleans garages, trims trees. 832-8905453; 713-631-5348. (4-27)
M&M Pet Sitting
1106 LEHMAN 8:00am - 4:00pm SATURDAY ONLY! Fully furnished rooms, yard equipment, Lots of misc items
Affordable Pet Care In Your Home Will Treat Your Loved Ones As My Own
Mitzi Bonded
Cell (713)444-8517 (713)682-5246
Haute Dawgs
Adult Care Services Available 24/7 Private homes, nursing homes, hospitals in Houston & surrounding areas. LVN & Licensed
Mobile Pet Spa We will meet or beat our mobile grooming competitor’s prices
832-439-9971
832-722-7367
REPUBLIC ARMS
Dog Grooming Boarding
GUNS & AMMO 3344 E.T.C. Jester
5229 Brinkman St. Houston, Tx. 77091
713-682-5549
$5 Off
1st Visit puddycuts@ hotmail.com
www.republicarms.com
832•654•7475
HEIGHTS KEYS ETC.
Royalty Pet Center
Located in Heights since ‘58
No Job Too Large Or Small
Home, Small OfÄce Computer Repair
ASK FOR
1
www.royaltypetcenter.com
ESTATE SALE 2115 Ansbury Dr. Saturday March 23 8am - 5pm
40 plus years worth of items. Mirrors, pictures, living room & dining room furniture, entertainment center, lamps, dining room table, kitchen items, dishes, and much more.
EVERYTHING MUST GO!
THE FOAM STORE
+ Custom Cut + Memor y Foam + Chair Pads + Couch Cushions + Mattress Foam
2217 W. 34th, Ste. A.
713-686-6622 Johnny & Rhea Danna, Owners RETAIL CENTER www.thefoamstore.com WHOLESALE PRICES
Memory Foam Mattresses
FOAM store
SLEEP BETTER
713.686.6622
To Advertise Call A Local Sales Rep 713-686-8494
Upgrades, Installation, ConÄguration (Virus-Removal) Home - NetWorking
Business or Home
• Appliances • Yard Debris Garage Clean Outs Free Estimates L Insured L A C
832-818-4970
COMPUTER PROBLEMS?
281-414-8698
LEGAL NOTICES
We offer Mobile Repairs Mr. PC Computer
THE TODDLER HOUSE INC. announces sponsorship of the Child and Adult Care Food Program. Each facility and The Toddler House Inc. corporate ofÄce has a copy of the policy, which anyone may review. Children from household whose income is at or below the levels shown on FORM 4504 are eligible for free or reduced price meals. The Toddler House Inc. does not discriminate against anyone because of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, political belief or disability. Centers participating in this program are as follows: The Toddler House, Inc. #4, 2215 West 34th Street, Houston, TX 77018; The Toddler House, Inc. #5, 105 East West Road, Houston, TX 77060; The Toddler House, Inc. #6, 6606 West 34th Street, Houston, TX 77092. If you have any questions, please call 713-680-0101.
WANT TO BUY
832.641.6786
TOP CASH PAID FOR YOUR GUNS: FFL concealed handgun class April 20. 713-694-4867. (TF) X-LARGE DOG KENNEL: Black, polycoated, wire, collapsible. Must be large enough for 100 lb. dog. Please call 713-695-9424 and leave a message. (TF)
HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
MECHANIC WITH EXPERIENCE on Econoline vans needed. Experience with A/C, alternators, brakes and suspension. Tools required. Salary commensurate with experience. 713-681-3600. (TF)
DELIVERY DRIVER WANTED: Must have truck. Excellent pay. 713-688-1201. (4-13)
Grill Cook - Fry Person
Hiring experienced
Full time Warehouse employee needed for appliance installation company. K&N Builder Sales 713-868-3611 Fax 713-868-4210
COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPING COMPANY is currently looking for leadmen with minimum one year of experience. For more information, please call 713-6882435 or apply at 2048 Johanna Dr. We are an equal opportunity employer. (S) (3-23)
NORTHWEST OFFICE ASSISTANT
PT - No benefits. Requires typing, invoicing, order entry, computer, Quick Books & telephone skills. Fax Resume
832-230-8561
WE BUY JUNK CARS: Dead or alive. 832-468-7140; 281-2720840. (3-30) WE BUY ONE TOUCH ULTRA STRIPS: $22 for 100 count box. 281-764-9615. www.selldiabeticstrips.com.
Be Your Own Boss!
0)( 6Q UP &BSOJOHT
Sell it fast with an inexpensive Leader classified.
Application has been made with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for a Wholesalers Permit by Texas Top Shelf LLC, dba: Paisano Imports, to be located at 2500 Central Parkway, # S, Houston, Harris County, Texas. Officer of said company, Delton Gerdes, managing member.
713-849-9000
Dependable Citywide Service
JAMES
(!5, !7!9 &!34
• Grooming • Boarding • Pet Supplies 9900 N. Houston Rosslyn
House Keys $ 25
713-529-4174 713-723-9689 7 DAYS
Since 1976
742 W. 20th
Garden Oaks Area Tax prep./30 yrs. exp. Se Habla EspaĂąol 713-697-8166
COMPUTERS
• Garage Cleaning • Lots Tree Cutting • Fence Debris Removal • Demolish Free Estimates • All Concrete
3414 Ella Blvd. 713-681-6218
ESTATE SALE
ELECTRONIC FILING & REFUND TRANSFERS Jenny Eggers
QUICK TRASH HAULING
$5 OFF All Haircuts before 8:00 am
WE BUY/SELL GUNS: Top cash paid. FFL concealed handgun class April 20. 713-694-4867.
the
MOW, EDGE, BLOW, RAKE all grass and leaves. Flowerbeds. 832-272-3960. (3-30)
+- '*# %0--+',%
WANTED GREETING CARDS, NEW/USED: For children in flea market. 832-640-8074.
713-861-7112
TAX SERVICES
WORK WANTED
SEWING
4UBSU 5PEBZ 0OMZ
Shop Online 24/7 ZPVSBWPO DPN BOOBNPOUJFM
REQUEST FOR BID On behalf of the Owner/General Contractor, 250 LP Peppertree Manor, LP is accepting competitive bids/ proposals for specialty subcontractors and suppliers for the rehabilitation of the Pepper Tree Manor Apartments located at 5950 Antoine, Houston, Harris County, Texas. Specifications may be obtained at the property, 5950 Antoine, Houston, TX. Bid Due: April 1, 2013 at 5:00 pm. Basis of Bids: Lump Sum. M/WBE and HUB participation encouraged. Bid Submission: Bids shall be submitted to the offices at 5325 Katy Freeway, Suite One, Houston, Texas 77007, or via fax at 713-871-1916, Attn: Robin Sample prior to the due date and time. The Owner/General Contractor reserves the right to waive irregularities and to reject bids. Bidders shall comply with the regulations governing the CDBG Program (24 CFR Part 570), Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 and the Provisions of Davis-Bacon General Decision, TX30099 RESIDENTIAL, Modification #0, Publication Date 1/4/2013. Please refer to www.tdhca.state.tx.us/program-services/hud-section3/ for more information regarding Hub Section 3.
PS $BMM "OOB
4F )BCMB &TQBĂ—PM
DRIVERS - OWNER OPERATORS AND FLEET for Flat, Step and 53 ft. Dry Van. $1,500 signon bonus. CDL-A with one year recent experience. GreatwideTM. Verna, 855-790-2907.
DRIVERS: Houston
Regional Reefer. Great Home-Time, Pay & Benefits! CDL-A, 1 yr Exp. Req. Estenson Logistics. Apply www.goelc.com 1-866-336-9642
"7ĂŠ ,
Irrigation Tech, Lawn Maintenance Supervisors & Helpers with experience needed. Apply Now M-F in person at 5608 Hoover - 6:30 am 713-686-6470
Millennum Kutzz
NOW HIRING Professional Barbers & Hairstylist Low Booth Rent/$65 wk Call Anita Dixon
832-207-5604
Lunch Mon-Sat 9am-3pm Apply in person HUBCAP GRILL 1133 W. 19th St. 713-862-0555 BUS DRIVERS NEEDED FOR CHURCH SHUTTLE: Approximately six hours a week. Must have CDL and passenger endorsement. Call 713-681-3600. (TF)
ANIMAL LOVERS NEEDED to volunteer at no kill animal shelter in the Heights. Download volunteer application at www.nokill1. org or visit us in person at 107 E. 22nd Street, Tuesday-Saturday, noon-6 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 24/7 ANSWERING SERVICE 5 p.m. (TF) seeking a (Spanish) bilingual representative with call center COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPING customer service experience. COMPANY is currently looking Employment Line. 713-866- for English speaking foreman 4490. (3-23) with one year+ of experience. Good salary and benefits. For PART-TIME BOOKKEEPER more information, please call NEEDED: Work from home. 713-688-2435 or apply at 2048 Contact thru heightstax@att. Johanna Dr. We are an equal opnet. (3-23) portunity employer. (S) (3-23) DRIVERS: Want a professional career? Haul flatbed/OD loads for Trinity Logistics Group. Earn $.41-.51 cpm. CDL-A with 2 years experience. EEO/AA. Call 800-533-7862. www.trinitytrucking.com. (4-6) COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPING COMPANY is currently looking for a licensed chemical applicator with a valid Texas license. Good salary and benefits. For more information, please call 713-688-2435 or apply at 2048 Johanna Dr. We are an equal opportunity employer. (S) (3-23)
IMMEDIATE POSITION OPEN FOR
GENERAL HOME IMPROVEMENT
SENIORS-R-US: Provides private care for the elderly at home, hospital, or nursing home. Let us give your loved ones the attention they need to stay safe at home. Call Candy or Mike, 832-6911594. (3-23)
BURGLAR BARS: Custom made. Residential and commercial. Free estimates. 281-448-2759. www. burglarbarsandmore.com. (TF)
Advertising firm currently seeking a full-time employee with 3 years + experience in repairs and maintenance of building, along with basic skills in electrical, plumbing and mechanical equipment. Must be able to operate forklift and have clean driving record. Send resume: jobs@signad.com
Irrigation Drainage Systems Tree Trimming • Wood Fences Flower Beds • Fertilizing
FREE ESTIMATES 713-290-0485 832-573-9229
TREE CLIMBERS Expert Tree Services
• Removal • Trim • Prune • Spray • Feed • Top • Stump Grinding Fully Insured • Free Est.
10% OFF Labor w/ad
281-866-8859
Landscape Renovations
• Mowing • Seasonal Color • Mulching • Wood Fences • Cleanups • Pressure • Tree Trimming Washing
832-563-9301
Ranger Tree Service
Specialize In DifÄcult Removals, Trimming and Planting of New Trees Free Estimates
Insured
713-690-TREE-(8733)
OUTSIDE
INTERESTS, INC.
• lawn maintenance • commercial-residential • driveway pressure washing Bob Penick (281) 914-7747
#ALL TODAY BEAUTIFUL HOME TOMORROW
• Landscape Installation • Weather Damage Replacement • Tree Trim & Removal • Lawn & Bed Maintenance • Landscape Lighting • Organic Soil Amendments
Gilbert’s Landscape Lawn Care
!33)34%$ ,)6).'
)MMEDIATE POSITION OPEN FOR
0ART 4IME (OUSEKEEEPER UP TO HOURS PER WEEK
Mowing • Edging • Blowing Flower Bedding • Fertilizing
TREE CUTTING & TRIMMING
FREE ESTIMATES – 17 Yrs. Exp.
(281) 948-4879
Al’s
Experienced LAWN & TREE SERVICE Landscaping • Insured Satisfaction Guaranteed
Al Rojas 713-863-7310 Cell 713-416-1092
TREE CARE
PROFESSIONALS
Comm.-Res. • Trimming • Removal • Stump Grinding • Planting • Pruning • Trash Hauling Free Estimate • Insured Lino 281-704-6828
!PPLY 0INEGATE
STUMP GRINDING Residential/Commercial FREE ESTIMATES
713-683-TREE
OPEN SATURDAY 9AM - 2PM
Spring Maintenance Service Special $39.95 + tax Applies to Walk behind mowers ONLY up to 22� cut.
Mower Parts and Supply Co. 4560 W34th @ Mangum (Next to Fiesta Tacos) 713-686-8306 We service most major brands!
www.richtersservicesinc.com • Landscape Design & Installation • Maintenance • Irrigation • Drainage • Lighting • Pool Design & Installation
YOUR AD CAN RUN HERE Call 713-686-8494 For Details
We accept all major Credit Cards
LUXURY LAWNS
Lawn Maintenance Landscape & Design Sprinklers/Drainage Systems Free Estimates 20 yrs. exp.
713-688-4244 David Bartula
JR RAMIREZ
Spring Cleanup & Planting Flower bed preparation, soil, mulching, gravel, fertilizing, tree service, sprinkler repair, fence.
832-541-0770
HANDYMAN: Build, repair fences, garage doors or decks. Carpentry — install Hardi-plank, cabinets, windows, doors, locks. Painting, home theater set up. 35+ year Oak Forest resident. Call David, 713-688-1839, leave name and number.
Houston Heights SPECIAL ROOFERS OCCASIONS RooÄng, Siding, Painting, etc.
(!-04/. 0).%'!4%
CHARMING VENUE FOR YOUR NEXT GATHERING: Houston Heights Woman’s Club’s Historic Bungalow, perfect for small events. Recitals, luncheons, fundraisers — events up to 100 people. Grand piano, stage, round tables, small catering kitchen. Call Lizz Martin, 281217-6070, regarding this Heights landmark. (TF)
LET THESE PROFESSIONALS ASSIST YOU WITH YOUR LAWN & GARDEN NEEDS Alfredo’s Landscape
you read this ad, then you know advertising works.
WAREHOUSE FOREMAN ADULT CARE
LAWN & GARDEN GUIDE Espinoza Lawn & Garden
if
Frusco Landscape & Irrigation Co. Since 1975
• Sprinkler Systems • Drainage Systems • Design • Installation • Service & Repair We specialize in Sprinkler Repair
YOUR AD CAN RUN HERE
Gardening Makeover Specialists Lawn Maintenance
Call 713-686-8494 For Details
(832) 435-8685
Heights Resident
Lic.# 4876 Joseph Frusco
www.fruscolandscaping.com
Keep it local and call the pros.
713-385-1576
www.houstonheightsroofers.com
KIKER & SON
ROOFING 29 yr. Consecutive Leader Ad vertiser
All Types Of RooÀng
(713) 686-4954 Painting - Exterior
One Story House...$599 Two Story House...$950
Includes: Pressure Washing Caulking - Labor Only Rotted Wood - Extra Charge 10% Discount - Interior Painting
281-999-1495
FRA NK ’S
PAINT ING Interior/Exterior
Sheetrock • Power Wash Free Estimates
Cell: 832-584-0725
WOOD FENCING Repair & Install Pressure Washing Painting • Siding Gilbert 281-948-4879
U S Tree Experts • Tree Removal • Shaping & Trimming Insured • Free Estimates
FRANK ZENIL
713-681-4079 • 713-410-4265 Wilber’s Tree Service Complete Tree Service
w Trimming w Pruning w Topping w Removal w Stump Grinding Comm. Res. (ofÄce) 713-545-3677 Free Estimates • Reasonable Rates • Insured
SheetRock Repair Small Jobs Welcome Free Estimates We only speak English
713-466-6008
ASAP
ROOFING
• ReRoof • Repair • Siding • Windows
713-849-2727
www.asap-rooÂżng.com
TREE EXPERTS, INC. Dennis Clooney - Manager 25+ Years Experience • Tree Trimming/Removal • Stump Grinding • Fertilization • Construction Preparation • Residential/Commercial Insured Liability and Workman’s Comp
713-683-TREE (713-683-8733) FREE ESTIMATES
JIMMY’S
PAINTING
+ Interior/Exterior + Sheetrock + Carpentry + Repairs & Power Wash 20 Yrs. Exp.
Free Est.
713-478-5900
ROOFING by SERNA BROS.
Serving NW Houston Since 1973 FREE estimates
713-688-3277
Page 8B • The Leader • March 23, 2013 • www.theleadernews.com GENERAL HOME IMPROVEMENTS
GENERAL HOME IMPROVEMENTS
PRIME ROOFING “Insured For Your Protection� All Work Guaranteed
GENERAL HOME IMPROVEMENTS
FENCE
Serving Inner Loop area since 1978 Fully Insured Free Estimates
713-862-7320
www.riograndefence.net
• Commercial • Residential • New Roof • Re-Roof
GOT LEAKS? NEED REPAIR?
Did you know you could still Âżle a claim under Hurricane Ike? Call now for a FREE Inspection with an insurance claims specialist.
AMERICAN GENERAL REMODELING & PAINTING
713-681-5001
www.PrimeRooÂżng.com
• Remodels • Siding • Doors • Hardiplank • Patios • Decks • Windows • Porches • Roofs
832.229.3939
*2 4ILE !ND (OME 2EMODELING
FREE ESTIMATE Fair Prices
• • • •
Sheetrock • Shower Pans Regrouting • Floor Refinishing Fencing • Install Windows/Doors Roofing/Repair Free Estimate 713-466-7703 10% Off with Ad
BEST VALUE Residential/Commercial
Remodeling & Repairs
Cell (281) 221-0637
713-899-5554
HEIGHTS CUSTOM HOME REMODELING
Window Cleaning
Jose `
281-352-7304
• Room Additions • Baths & Kitchens • Hardwood & Tile Flooring • Painting • Window Replacement
FREE ESTIMATES Major Credit Cards Accepted
Martin Gonzales 832-472-2427
HOWDY'S HANDYWORK • Carpentry - Cabinets to Patios & Decks • Painting, Interior/Exterior • Sheet Rock Repair & Installation
FREE ESTIMATES DAVID OJEMAN 713-682-8033
20 Yrs. Exp. - 30 Yr. Resident
30 yr exp - call Ron
Free Estimates
Windows-2 Windows Serving all of Houston Residential/Commercial Fully insured. Free Estimates Anthony 713-298-2130
Adam’s CAMPOS RooĂ€ng WOOD FLOORS “The Residential Roofing Spe cialistsâ€?
Re-roofs • Repairs Hardi Siding • Gutters • Windows
832-515-4214
919 Judiway • (713) 680-3530
!>A7:GIDWH *6>CI>C<
J&D HANDYMAN SERVICE For Your Home Repair Needs:
✔ Painting ✔ Drywall ✔ Hardi Plank Siding ✔ Any Type of Carpentry Work ✔ Complete Remodels
281-272-6900 CELL713-569-4199
ROOFING
Tony 713-680-9353
SHEET ROCK DOCTOR
References • Heights Home Owner
713-248-0763 Frank Montes
Painting Interior/Exterior
Sheetrock Repair Match any texture
Roofing Work Carpentry Handyman Services Power Washing Good References
(713) 962-3474
713-249-2140 QUALITY CONCRETE WORK
At Reasonable prices
•Patios •Driveways •Room Additions •Expedient Work American Made “God Bless Americaâ€?
713-703-8488 Jim
GARAGE DOORS Repair or Replace Doors/Openers
Repair Specialist 7 DAY SERVICE
270
$
00
281-807-5588 713-545-3414
Choice Door
Credit Cards Accepted
AMS Remodeling
COMMERCIAL - RESIDENTIAL • Custom Homes • Garages • Room Additions • Kitchens • Bathrooms • Hardi Siding Free Estimate REMODELING
713-680-2019
AJG REMODELING
and Handy Service • Paint • Trim Free Estimates • Cabinets • Sheetrock Adam • Driveways
832-208-4871
• Texture • Gutters • Flooring • Siding • Roofing
25 Years
Residential & Commercial • Shingles: Flat - Tile - Metal • 5" and 6" Seamless Gutters • Carports • Carpentry • Free Estimates
713-664-1815
Breaker Boxes • Troubleshooting Underground Specialist New Construction & Remodeling
281-701-9909
Free Est.
TECL 23126
John Kuenstle Electric,LLC
Oak Forest Resident/OfĂ„ce • Residential • Commercial • Service Licensed - Insured - 23 Yrs. Exp. “Aâ€? ON ANGIE’S LIST
(281) 448-8615
MASTER #178565
TECL #25670
281-508-1718 HOME REMODELING
• Painting • Sheetrock • Tile Work • RooÄng • Carpentry • Carpet • Concrete • Power Wash • Burglar Bars • Brick • Trees FREE ESTIMATES - Hector
281-827-4447
Wood Floors R’ Us • Sand • Finish • Installation New or Old Flooring
281-763-0635
Ramiro Garcia
House Painting • Interior/Exterior • Sheetrock Repairs • Door Re¿nishing • Wood Repairs • Pressure Washing
713.206.5965
BALDERAS CONCRETE WORK • Driveways • Sidewalks • Patios FREE ESTIMATES
Call Gregory
832-675-2485 713-864-3755
High Quality Sheetrock Repair By Joe Lopez • Installation • Tape & Float • Match All Textures • Remove Wallpaper
Apply Tuscan Trowel Texture 35 yrs. exp.
713-480-8571
713-692-3820
PLUMBER
MPL # 16533
Aaron’s
SONNY’S REPAIR SERVICE
Since 1974
Independent Master Plumber
PLUMBING
ALWAYS UPFRONT PRICE$ “I want to be YOUR plumber� Call Sonny and SAVE! Single Homeowner Discount
Drain & Sewer Cleaning #17773 - 7 Days a week
825 Curtin 77018
832-465-5325
713-695-2222
Est. 1979 Ins. RMP #18131
For All Your Plumbing Repair, Replacement and Installation Senior & Veteran Discounts
Call 281-836-6414
&IOMNIH .L?GC?L .FOG<CHA www.HoustonPremierPlumbing.com
MPL#40381
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Page 9B • The Leader • March 23, 2013 • @heightsleader
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Page 10B • The Leader • March 23, 2013 • www.theleadernews.com
Walking tour makes great family activity
Celebrate This... With
by Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com In the midst of all the camps and classes, it’s also important to do fun things as a family during the summer break. Oak Forest’s Angela Foster shares her family’s favorite activity: a walking tour of downtown Houston. “The kids and I renewed our appreciation for Houston and now we do this yearly,� she said. Stops include:
5
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Open Sunday - Thursday 11 am - 9 pm, Friday and Saturday 11 am - 10 pm Ăˆ{Ă‡ĂˆĂŠ7iĂƒĂŒĂŠ ÂˆĂŒĂŒÂ?iĂŠ9ÂœĂ€ÂŽĂŠ>ĂŒĂŠ ˆ˜}Â?iĂŠĂŠnÎӇ{ĂˆĂ‡Â‡ĂŽĂŽĂˆĂ¤ĂŠ
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Open since 2008, Discovery Green is located on Avenida de las Americas. The park includes bandstands and venues for public performances, two dog runs, a children’s area and multiple recreational areas. It was principally designed by the landscape architecture firm Hargreaves Associates. Highlights include Jones Lawn, a 2-acre grass lawn for lounging, offering views of the skyline; The Brown Foundation Promenade - a shaded walkway, lined with 100year-old live oak trees; and Kinder Lake - a 1-acre lake lined with native wetland plants.
While adults may consider it a ‘walking’ tour,’ a trek to Discovery Green downtown allows for plenty of running through wide open green spaces. (Photo by Betsy Denson)
Foley House
Located outside Minute Maid Park, the Southern Pacific Steam Locomotive No. 982 is one
the George R. Brown Convention Center. The house belonged to Blanche Foley who was the daughter of a couple connected with the Foley’s Department store. Blanche was educated in Europe and came back to help found Houston’s fledgling symphony orchestra. Apart from her sojourn in Europe, she spent her entire life, with her brother and sister, in the home her parents built.
The Southern PaciďŹ c locomotive
of only two Southern Pacific locomotives of this wheel arrangement to be preserved. The other is at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois.
Union Station Now part of Minute Maid Park, Union Station was one of two train stations in Houston that served Amtrak trains. All Amtrak trains were moved to Southern Pacific Station by the end of July 1974. The Union Station Lobby presently serves as the grand entranceway to the park. Originally constructed in 1911, the lobby has since been restored and is now home to The Shed, the Official As-
tros Team Store, and a cafĂŠ.
Christ Church Cathedral Located at 1117 Texas Avenue, the congregation for Christ Church Cathedral was established in 1839, when Texas was still an independent republic. It is the oldest existing congregation in Houston and one of the oldest non-Roman Catholic churches in Texas. The current building dates from 1893. In 1938, when the building suffered a major fire, one heroic firefighter diligently sprayed down the ornately carved rood screen to prevent its destruction.
by Mary Hand Texas Children’s Hospital
www.eclectichome.ws
tivities to encourage creativity and provide a host of new challenges and experiences. Whether it is riding a horse for the first time, trying out the ropes course or taking a dip in the pool, all activities are inclusive and fun! With that said, I will leave you with this quote from a former camper who said‌
7 TH \ (Next door to Eclectic Home) Tues-Sat 10-6 Sun 1-5
see Report • Page 11B
At Texas Children’s, camps are for all youngsters As a child, summer camp was the highlight of my summer for 11 years. It was an escape where I could truly be a kid. There were no distractions, stressors or technology. The best part: I met people from all over the world who are still some of my closest friends! When I started at Texas Children’s Hospital as a Child Life Specialist three years ago, it was an easy decision to become involved in Camp Survived It All (aka Camp SIA), a camp for children diagnosed with a gastroenterology or hepatology disorder. Camp SIA is not the only camp that Texas Children’s offers. More than 20 camps are available to our patients. So what makes these camps so special? Each camp is designed to meet the unique needs of children and adolescents with specific medical conditions/diagnoses. Camps are available for kids with many diagnoses, including cardiology, oncology, diabetes, spina bifida, epilepsy, GI and nutrition, HIV/ AIDS, sickle cell, lupus, skin disorders, kidney disorders, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy and childhood obesity. Many of these camps are funded by Texas Children’s and hosted at Camp for All, a unique, barrier-free camp, serving children with various medical needs. All you have to do is ask
$15.00 or more
ÂœĂ•ÂŤÂœÂ˜ĂŠÂ“Ă•ĂƒĂŒĂŠLiĂŠÂŤĂ€iĂƒiÂ˜ĂŒĂŠ>ĂŒĂŠÂœĂ€`iĂ€ÂˆÂ˜}ĂŠĂŒÂˆÂ“i]ĂŠÂœÂ˜iĂŠÂŤiÀÊ ÂŤ>Ă€ĂŒĂžĂŠÂŤÂ?i>Ăƒi°Ê ÂœĂŒĂŠĂ›>Â?ˆ`ĂŠvÂœĂ€ĂŠÂş/ÂœĂŠ ÂœÂťĂŠÂœĂ€`iĂ€ĂƒÂ°
Formerly Texas Commerce Tower, Chase Tower is a 75-story skyscraper at 600 Travis Street. It is currently the tallest building in the city, the 12th tallest building in the United States, and the 49th tallest building in the world. The sky lobby observation deck is located on the 60th floor which is open to the public during the working hours of 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, free of charge. In the large plaza area at the entrance of the building is a multi-colored sculpture entitled “Personage with Birds,â€? which was designed by painter and sculptor Joan MirĂł.
This historic home, originally on 704 Chenevert, has been relocated near Discovery Green across from
00
$20.00 or more
Chase Tower
Discovery Green
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“camp gives me life and for the first time in a long time, I feel like I am not alone anymore.� For more on Texas Children’s summer camps, go to http://www. texaschildrens.org/Locate/Departments-and-Services/Digestive-Disorders/For-Patients-andTheir-Families/Camps/
§
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-EXICAN +ITCHEN your physician, nurse, child life specialist, dietician, social worker or anyone on your medical team for more information to see if there is a camp that your child could attend! Camp offers many therapeutic benefits for children of all ages. Camps provide an opportunity for children to meet other kids and teenagers with a similar diagnosis and offer them a sense of normalcy. It reminds them they are not the only one going through their experience. Camps offer a wide range of ac-
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Page 11B • The Leader • March 23, 2013 • @heightsleader
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Plenty of local options for young campers Kids Fun Camp set for 20th year The Kids Fun Camp, a familyowned business, was founded in 1993, built on a belief that kids need to have fun and socialize with their peers. The camp is open to children, ages 4 to 13. Morning and afternoon care is provided, with morning care beginning at 7 a.m. and afternoon care going from 3 to 6 p.m. Ninety five percent of the staff attended Kids Fun Camp as campers. “We’re not just a camp, we’re a family� is their philosophy. The camp started at St. Thomas High School in 1993 and has been held at All Saints Catholic Parish for the past 11 years. Early registration ends on April 1. Those who register early will save money.
Thelma Cares Academy provides fun for children
'6@: 3DJG =>A9WH -JBB:G '6<>86A s 4EACUP &AIRY s &AIRY -AGIC #AMP s "RAVE #AMP s #INDERELLA #AMP s -ARY 0OPPINS #AMP s (IP (OP #AMP s &ASHION #AMP (ALF DAY AND FULL DAY CAMPS (EIGHTS LOCATION
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Older children have a variety of creative camp options in the summer at Claire School of Dance in the Heights. (Submitted photo)
Thelma Cares Academy, a licensed child care program in Houston located on 7343 Alabonson, accepts infants, toddlers and pre-Kindergarten children. The provider may also participate in the subsidized child care program. It’s open Monday through Friday, from 6 a.m. until 11 p.m. Thelma Cares includes a reading club, street olympics, bowling, movie day on Wednesdays and day trips to the Children’s Museum. It provides breakfast, lunch and snacks as well. For more information, call 713983-9000 or e-mail thelmacaresac ademy@sbcglobal.net
Summer’s cool at Kids Fun Camp, which is marking its 20th year of providing vacation activities for youngsters 4-13. (Submitted photo)
KIDS FUN CAMP Boys & Girls 4 - 13
www.kidsfuncamp.net
10 Weeks of Summer Fun June 10 - August 16, 2013 Early Registration ends April 1, 2013 $60.00 Registration fee per camper Campers who are entering their fifth consecutive year are exempt from registration fee.
Register NOW to save $$$$ - Go online for more info
Mandatory Registration Night April 24, 2013
Kidcam enters its second year A relatively new kid on the camp scene is Kidcam Camps. This camp located at 901 Sue Barnett off 43rd and North Shepherd, offers a Summer Session from June 10 – August 16. This is the second year of this caring and friendly camp. Here kids receive personalized attention and are encouraged to explore their individual talents & interests with a wide variety of games, arts, fitness, sports, water play, speakers, and field trips. Creative weekly themes encourage fun all summer long. For more information, or to register, log on to www.kidcamcamps.com/texas.
(anytime between 5pm-7pm approximately 20 minutes) kimfair56@att.net
Home Office- 281-351-7963 Star Search- Week 9, Friday, August 9, 2013
Claire School of Dance makes summer magic Your child’s summer can have all the magic of a jar full of lightning bugs. The Claire School of Dance, through its summer camp division, Summer Magic, offers a wide variety of creative, wholesome, and child-centered programs for children ages 3 through 11. Teacup Fairy is a 90-minute mommy ‘n me camp for 3-yearolds that includes crafts, snack, and a creative movement class. Fairy Magic, Cinderella, and Brave Camps are half-day programs for 4 to 6 year olds. Daily story time, crafts, and a creative movement class are rounded out
with free play in Fairy Garden. Seven- to 11-year-olds have a full day version of Brave Camp, as well as the Ballet ‘n Broadway Camp which this year features Mary Poppins and Coppelia. Other options for this age group include Hip Hop Camp and Fashion Camp. Hip Hop Camp includes two daily dance classes, graffiti art classes, and an end of camp performance. Campers at Fashion Camp design their own fabric, learn basic sewing skills, and make an outfit for the end of camp fashion show. Camps take place in the Heights. Information, registration, and payment are all available online at www.clairedance.com or at 713880-5565.
Walking • from Page 10B Market Square Park Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Market Square is bounded by Travis, Milam, Congress and Preston streets. It has remained a geographic centerpiece of Downtown Houston since the arrival of the city’s founders, John Kirby and Augustus Chapman Allen in 1836.The square was donated to the city in 1854 by Augustus Allen and was used as an open air produce market and later, the downtown business district grew around the square. Early city landmarks included the briefly used Texas Capitol and White
Enroll Today
House. In addition, several City Halls once existed here, each destroyed by fire. Although Foster does her tour during the summer. Houston’s beautiful springtime weather would also be an optimal time to get out and explore. Happy Walking! All information from Wikipedia, ArtsHound.com, Travel & Leisure.
Summer camp at the YMCA provides children ages 4-11 with activities that allow children to create arts & crafts, swim & participate in weekly field trips. THESE INCLUDE: “Adventure In Neverland� and “Ultimate Warrior Week� Teens ages 12-15 will attend Teen Camp learning leadership skills and values.
CAMPS ARE JUNE 10-AUGUST 23 Stop by the Foster YMCA or sign up today online.
Hariet & Joe Foster Family YMCA 1234 W. 34th • 713-869-3378 www.ymcahouston.org
Summer Camp NCI Accepted
Space Is Limited
June 10 - July 31, 2013 Fee Includes • Transportation to & from camp • Breakfast • Lunch • Snacks
Lots of Summer Activities • Street Olympics • Bowling • Children’s Museum • Houston Zoo • Reading Club
'ENERAL #AMPS !GES 9OUTH #AMPS !GES 6ISIT WWW GACISFUN COM FOR CAMP SCHEDULES AND DETAILS
4HE GOAL OF 'REAT !DVENTURE #AMP IS TO PROVIDE EACH CAMPER WITH MEMORIES OF SUMMER THAT ARE SEEPED IN SUNLIGHT NATURE FRIENDS AND FUN 7E GET BACK TO THE BASICS OF NATURE WHILE FOCUSING ON /UR #REATOR ,IVING LAUGHING AND PLAYING TOGETHER CONNECTS CAMPERS IN WAYS THAT FORM LIFE LONG FRIENDSHIPS
7343 Albonson 713-983-9000 Fax: 713-983-9010
E-mail: thelmacaresacademy@sbcglobal.net
FOR OUR SUMMER SESSION! DAYTIME CAMPS AND EVENING CLASSES AVAILABLE
(Classes Available For Ages 1½ to Adult)
A Fun and Positive Way to Stay Active! • Ballet • Jazz • Tap • Hip Hop • Turns & Leaps • Mommy & Me • Contemporary & More! Garden Oaks/Oak Forest/Heights Area 3500 E TC Jester Boulevard, Ste G Houston, TX 77018
Thelma Cares Academy Phone:
REGISTER NOW
&OR MORE INFORMATION OR A SCHEDULE OF CAMP DATES VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT GRACISFUN COM
713.956.4870
w w w. h o u s t o n d a n c e w o r k s . c o m
Page 12B • The Leader • March 23, 2013 • www.theleadernews.com
Weekdays 8am-6:30pm • Saturday 9am-6pm • Sunday 10am-5pm
SALE ENDS April 14th 2013
SALE ENDS APRIL 14TH 2013
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