July 18 Section A

Inside Today: Waltrip High School has a new football coach • Page 5A

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Saturday, July 18, 2020 • Vol. 65 • No. 29

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Voting more smooth than some expected

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

Kari Noser wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, but she had concerns about going to a polling place during a pandemic.

Would it be too crowded to ensure adequate social distancing? Would there be enough air circulation to prevent the new coronavirus from lingering in an indoor space?

Would she have to touch any surfaces that might be contaminated?

Fortunately for Noser, a

Garden Oaks resident, she said she felt at ease as soon as she walked into the voting room Tuesday afternoon at Waltrip High School. She said there was no line as well as adequate space and circulation on the West 34th Street campus, which served as one of more than 100 polling places in Harris County for a primary runoff election that was postponed for two months because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There also were plexiglass dividers between voters and election workers, and everyone inside the voting room

was wearing a mask. Voters also received rubber finger covers so their skin did not make contact with the voting machines.

“It felt very safe to be in there,” Noser said. “It was not as scary or bad as I thought it would be.”

That sentiment was echoed by several other voters who cast ballots at Waltrip on Tuesday, when Harris County held its first election since the primary on March 3 – just a few days before the spread of COVID-19 caused public events See Voting P. 8A

Photo by Adam Zuvanich Paul Lawrence, right, leaves the polling location at Waltrip High School after voting Tuesday while wearing a mask and gloves.

Bonding with books

Morales Shaw unseats Eastman in primary runoff

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

Lindale Park’s Loida Casares, an account manager for Houston Public Media, was listening to NPR one day when she heard about an initiative in Milwaukee to put children’s books in laundromats.

Inspired by what she Contributed photo heard, Casares did a little digging to see if there Loida Casares hopes to put were any similar pro- books in the hands of more grams in Houston. She kids through the Little Liin Laundromats learned about a woman in braries program.

Kingwood who installed a Little Free Library at the laundromat she owned.

That was it, but not for long.

“When I get an idea, I just do it,” Casares said.

While she initially intended to reach out to the Laundromat Library League (LLL), which has a children’s book-sharing program in 20 states, she then shifted

The first time she ran for the District 148 seat in the Texas House of Representatives, less than a year ago, Penny Morales Shaw placed sixth among 15 candidates.

On Tuesday, in the runoff from the Democratic primary earlier this year, she finished first while unseating the incumbent who had beaten her twice before.

Morales Shaw edged State Rep. Anna Eastman by 200 votes, according to unofficial runoff results released Tuesday by the office of interim Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins. If Morales Morales Shaw Shaw maintains the victory once the results are canvassed and made official, she will face Republican Lui La Rotta in the general election in November, with the winner representing District Eastman 148 in the next Texas Legislature session in 2021.

“We are excited and proud,” Morales Shaw said in a text message. “... The people paid attention and came to the polls.

They showed up Champion and, well, it was in our favor.”

Beating Eastman, who conceded the race on social media before Harris County released the final results, amounts to a remarkable comeback for Morales Cadena Shaw. The attorney placed second in the March 3 primary after receiving an endorsement from Jessica Farrar, the Democrat who represented District 148 for 25 years before retiring last September. Morales Shaw received 22.1 percent of the 14,799 votes cast in March, compared to 41.6 percent for Eastman.

Eastman, the former Houston ISD trustee who lives in the Heights, was the leading vote-getter in the special election to replace Farrar last November and then beat La Rotta in January’s runoff to earn a seat in the Texas House. She appeared poised to keep that seat after the March primary, but Morales Shaw gained ground leading up to a runoff that was delayed two months by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Morales Shaw held a six-vote lead over Eastman after early voting and pulled away on Election Day. She received 4,335 votes, or 51.2 percent of the 8,470 votes cast, compared to 4,135 for Eastman.

Precinct-by-precinct results show Eastman held an advantage in the Heights area, while Morales Shaw had her largest margins of victory in the Northside and

See Laundromat, P. 8A

See Runoff, P. 8A

Jason Knebel (713)232-9712

jasonk@greenwoodking.com GREENWOOD KING

PROPERTIES

HISD to start 2020-21 with online learning From Staff Reports Houston ISD will start the upcoming school year Sept. 8 and utilize online learning exclusively during the first six weeks, the district announced in a text message and automated phone call to stakeholders on Wednesday afternoon.

HISD said it plans to begin on-campus instruction Oct. 19, although that date is subject to change based on COVID-19 conditions in the region.

Although Texas Education Agency guidelines stipulated that schools must offer on-campus instruction after three weeks to students whose families prefer that, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has recently said that more flexibility would be allowed to districts in light of current COVID-19 infection rates.

More information about HISD’s reopening plans can be found at houstonisd. org/reopening.

INSIDE.

Power outage. Find out why about 1,800 area residents lost power last Saturday.

Page 5A

THE INDEX. Church....................................................... 4A Classifieds.............................................. 5A Coupons. ................................................. 3B Food/Drink/Art................................... 1B Obituaries.............................................. 4A Opinion. ................................................... 3A Public Information......................... 4B Puzzles...................................................... 3A

Contributed photo The children of Forest West resident Niki Sevven stand in front of a Little Free Library that Sevven’s father made as a birthday gift.

Little libraries receiving extra love during pandemic

By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com During a summer when everyone could use a little more escape, the Little Free Libraries in area are a way for individuals and families to offer a window to the world and promote the love of reading through the lending libraries in their yards.

The first Little Free Library book-sharing box was built in 2009 in Wisconsin. Today there are about 100,000 registered Little Free Libraries in all 50 states and 108 countries.

The Little Free Library website (littlefreelibrary.org) offers an online map of all who register their libraries. There are more than 50 in the area, with even more that aren’t registered.

Forest West resident Niki Sevven said her family recently installed one at 5314 Arbor Vitae Dr. “I had wanted one for a while but never felt the need since the Collier Library is a block away from us,” Sevven said. “When the coronavirus shut down the libraries I asked my dad John Williamson (of Oak Forest) to build one for me as a birthday present. He did a fantastic job and I am in love with it.”

Helen Spencer’s family has one in Oak Forest at 2307 Lamonte Ln. “When the Book Scene was open, we would occasionally buy books to keep it well-stocked,” Spencer said. “But since the pandemic and Book Scene closing, the library has been bursting at the seams. We see people donating and swapping books several times a week, a bright spot during a pretty stressful time period.”

Little Free Library’s Margret Aldrich said they can be placed anywhere to increase book access and bring people together.

“Many sprout in front yards, near a sidewalk,” Aldrich said. “But they also appear at public parks, schools, community centers, laundromats (and) hospital waiting rooms.”

Aldrich said if you want to place a Little Free Library on public property, you need permission to do so.

Adults aren’t the only ones with the idea for a library.

Several have been the result of a Girl Scout or Boy Scout project.

Angela Hider’s son, Sammy, a Boy Scout with Troop 604, designed and constructed its “lending library” on 31st Street, with help from his parents, to earn his Family Life merit badge.

And Oak Forest’s Laura Tunstall has one at 1403 Candlelight Ln. that was her daughter Maya’s Girl Scout Silver See Libraries, P. 8A

Contributed photo Oak Forest’s Mario Barrera said his family’s Little Free Library is a gathering place for neighbors.

Little libraries … in laundromats?

By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com

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Page 2A • Saturday, July 18, 2020 • The Leader

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THE TOPICS. The Leader • Saturday, July 18, 2020 • Page 3A

We don’t choose the news, we just report it

I

t might come as a surprise to readers of The Leader that the people charged with putting it together every week – namely me – do not always choose the type of news we include. We strive to keep our community informed, engaged and entertained, and sometimes that entails reporting the most significant things that happen in the days leading up to publication.

The top two stories in last week’s edition, for example, were not even on our radar when we put the finishing touches on the previous newspaper. And in a perfect world, we wish we would not have had to tell either story.

We found out July 3 that a wellknown and well-liked restaurateur in the area had died suddenly and unexpectedly the night before, and we knew immediately that it was a story we needed to relay to our readers and display prominently in our next edition. I wanted to do justice to the life and legacy of Tony Vega, who embodied the quintessential American dream while owning Tony’s Mexican Restaurant in Shady Acres and serving as pastor at a church next door, so I made it our centerpiece story with the big, bold headline, “Welcome home,” which Vega was known to say to customers

Adam

Zuvanich Editor

as they entered his dining room.

What ended up being the secondmost viewed story on theleadernews. com last week was the unrelated story we stripped across the top of the front page, a space that’s usually reserved for punchy, hard-hitting news that you may not have seen or read about elsewhere. I had gotten a tip from the Harris County District Attorney’s Office about a man who is accused of assaulting or exposing himself to multiple women as well as a minor in the Heights area earlier this year. Considering the nature of the alleged offenses and the possibility there could be more community members who had been victimized, it also was a no-brainer of a story.

That led to a small backlash from readers that I believe is important to address.

We received emails from Hum-

phrey Hughes and Jean Neundorfer, who both complimented the story about Vega and said it was tarnished by being placed below a story about a man accused of stalking female joggers and gratifying himself while riding a bicycle.

When I read the second email that was sent by Neundorfer, who suggested the latter story was sensational and “could have been hidden inside” the paper, I thought the criticism might have been called for and perhaps we should have given that story a less-prominent spot.

Then, about an hour later, I got an email from an area woman who will remain anonymous. That’s because she claimed to have been victimized by the same man we wrote about, the one already charged with six misdemeanors and one felony related to indecency. She reached out after reading my story and asked for contact information for the Houston Police Department so she could file a complaint.

I knew right then that we had made the right call after all. Because while crime stories aren’t always enjoyable to read, and they can be gut-wrenching to write, they serve a critical function in our role as community journalists.

It’s our duty to the neighborhoods

we serve to help keep them safe and let them know when there might be a threat to their wellbeing or that of their families and friends. And if we can have a hand in removing such a threat or at least minimizing it, well, we take that responsibility seriously.

We take much the same approach to the COVID-19 stories we’ve reported during the last four months.

We know many of you are tired of hearing about it, but we still have a responsibility to keep you informed so you can keep you and your loved ones safe. It would be irresponsible of us not to relay the concerns and recommendations of local elected officials and the medical professionals who help to inform their decisions.

Could we have made the decision to put the story about alleged sex crimes somewhere other than the top of the front page? Of course we could have, and we almost did.

I debated whether to put a more lighthearted crime story in that spot, one about a burglary in the Heights in which the suspect took scented oils, candles and a can of soda, among other things. But a mentor suggested that the other crime story, in which people were harmed as opposed to possessions, would better serve the public interest. The mentor

Who was that unmasked man? THE READER.

Rename Leader to ‘Northside Enquirer’

THE RESTAURANT – The line of cars is moving rapidly.

I pull up, give the attendant my name and credit card, if it hasn’t been revoked, pick up my order and depart. If only the State of Texas ran so smoothly during this pandemic. Are you confused? I am. Take this restaurant, for example. First, Gov. Greg Abbott refused to close anything, then he closed all restaurants and bars, on May 1 the Guv opened them to 25 percent capacity, then 50 percent (or maybe it was the other way around), then closed them again, except in February, which has 28 days, except this is a Leap Year. Restaurant tables are to be 6 feet apart, but if you sit at a table you take up 2 feet and so does the person sitting at the table behind you, thus you are more like 2 feet apart. If that guy leans backwards and coughs into your gruel, hello ICU. I hope when the Guv says that restaurants can reopen (it’s early in the day), they will still use disposable paper menus, which is a good idea. In the olden days, you go to a restaurant, wash your hands, then are handed a permanent menu which has been handled by other customers, waiters, the maître d’ (or in my case, some guy in a tank top) and the bus boy who has spent the evening wiping off tables with that same, filthy rag.

Mayors and county judges around Texas have been trying to draw up stricter rules to prevent the spread of Covid-19 only to have them kneecapped by Abbott – if they understood the rules at all. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner keep receiving conflicting orders. Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, who compared following Abbott’s rules to unlocking the DaVinci Code, required businesses to perform temperature checks for customers and employees. The very next day, under new orders, Wolff had to walk it back. Sheriffs in at least eight Texas counties -- named as Denton, Nacogdoches, Smith, Upshur, Kerr, Gillespie, Panola, and Montgomery -- are refusing to fine or cite people who don’t cover their faces when in public.

New rules close Texas parks, maybe. Massage parlors, beauty shops and barber shops can only operate on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., except El Paso which is on Mountain Standard Time.

Bartenders and restaurant staff can handle drive-by orders and drinks. But state law prohibits driving while drinking alcohol, so either you order only Dr Pepper or find a designated bicycler. Gov. Abbott banned large gatherings, which makes sense. That is, until Christian evangelicals

Lynn Ashby Columnist

forced him to exclude religious gatherings. This loophole must have included that rally in Dallas when the Rev. Mike Pence preached the MAGA gospel to more than 2,000 people along with a 100-person choir in a church, few of them wearing masks.

The Texas GOP planned to meet in Houston with 6,000 delegates sitting side by side, masks optional, but Mayor Turner stopped it, otherwise the Texas Democratic Party, which is holding a virtual convention, may not have had any living opponents.

A mask keeps your diseased droplets from spraying the neighborhood. They don’t protect you as much as they protect me. You can wear one depending on where you live, are you indoors or out of doors, and, of course, the last edict which excludes mask-wearing in those counties which have 20 or fewer cases of Covid-19. Just who goes door to door counting cases isn’t clear. At the start of February, the CDC. issued its first formal guidance on its website, saying that the agency “does not currently recommend the use of face masks among the general public.”

Jerome M. Adams, the U.S. surgeon general, tweeted later that month, “Seriously people — STOP BUYING MASKS!” Now we are told to wear them. In a New York Times/Siena College poll, 54 percent of people said they always wear a mask when they expect to be in proximity to other people, while another 22 percent said they usually wear a mask. Just 22 percent said they rarely or never wear a mask. I keep finding myself next to that last 22 percent.

President Donald Trump never wears a mask in public, which shows he’s a real man.

Soon he may be a very sick real man. At least now you can wear a mask into a liquor store and not get shot by the clerk.

In times of great stress we turn to our leaders. Abbott’s indecisions makes Hamlet look like Gen. George Patton. Then we have the Official State Demagogue, Lite Guv Dan Patrick. He said on Fox News (where else?): “Locking down doesn’t work! If it did, those two states [California and New York] would be doing better than Texas. Anthony Fauci said he’s concerned about states like Texas that skipped over certain things.

Fetch your Leader Copies of The Leader are no longer available at 3500 E. T.C. Jester Blvd. Suite A. You can find them at 2020 N Loop W, Suite 220 in The Preserve.

He doesn’t know what he’s talking about! We haven’t skipped over anything. The only thing I’m skipping over is listening to him. … He has been wrong every time on every issue. I don’t need his advice anymore.” I prefer Dr. Patrick’s advice to that of Dr. Fauci, one of the world’s top experts on pandemics, who manages to keep his job while contradicting Trump.

Then we have testing. “Anybody that wants a test (for the coronavirus) can get a test.”

President Trump. March 6, 2020. This doesn’t explain those long lines of cars filled with scared citizens still trying to get tested. Sometimes it just takes a while. Elaine, who lives in Collin County, was tested at a state-run site there on May 21. But she waited over a month for her results to come back, which showed – one guess -- she had tested positive for Covid-19. It was another week before she heard from a contact tracer. Anyway, keep your masks on and stay 6 feet away from Mike Pence -- except in February.

Ashby is positive he’s negative at ashby2@comcast.net

Dear Editor: It is so disheartening to see The Leader newspaper’s continued efforts to have front pages that resemble “National Enquirer” type headlines.

The beautiful “Welcome Home” article about our beloved friend and neighbor Tony Vega, local campaign candidates and childrens’ virtual music festival all took a backseat in the the attempt to spotlight a headline about an (alleged) area sexual pervert. I have read over the years The Leader’s attempts to justify its responsibility to report local crime. You have the right to include these stories however; we see and hear about the criminal activities daily on local TV, radio and the Houston Chronicle. The Leader over the past few years has strayed from its original concept of enthusiast reporting of local achievements and activities of our neighbors.

I no longer look forward to the arrival of The Leader, it is no longer enjoyable for me to read!

“Welcome Home” Tony! Rest in peace my friend!

Humphrey Hughes Dear Editor: The Leader article about Tony Vega, pastor, philanthropist, restaurant owner and exemplary human being was an excellent tribute to him and his family. Why did he not get the top headline on page one? I am disappointed and distressed that (an alleged) sex offender was given that space.

Otherwise, the front page article would have been a larger tribute to Tony and a keepsake for Tony’s family and many friends.

Is it sensationalism when the sordid stories dominate in the media? News of the (alleged) sex offender could have been hidden inside. More noteworthy are the good deeds of Tony Vega, his legacy of goodwill, and his life that ended too soon.

Jean Neundorfer

The Dick Dowling Statue

Dear Editor: First I will answer the lie that all who fought for

also mentioned that such a story could bring related incidents to light.

Sure enough, that’s exactly what happened.

If we had to do it over again, I’m not sure we could have done it any differently. One thing our publisher, Jonathan McElvy, stresses in our newspaper is that our job is never to seek out the news we want to tell.

Our job is to relay the most important stories of the day.

In this case, it’s unfortunate that we lost a community icon around the same time law enforcement was building a case against someone accused of perverting our streets.

Sexual predators have been a consistent issue in our community, and our ability to help create awareness and ease public concern is just as important as telling the story of one of the most respected men in our area.

We don’t always get it right in The Leader, as hard as we may try. In this case, we did our best to present readers with the most important news of the week. Sometimes, that responsibility creates an enormous juxtaposition in the stories we present, but we take that job seriously.

Neither was a story we wanted to tell in the first place. Both deserved your attention. azuvanich@theleadernews.com Email us your letters: news@theleadernews.com

The South were traitors. Both sides were manned by state militias fighting under a unified command.

A Southern soldier serving under his state banner was just as much a patriot as any Union soldier serving under his state’s banner.

Dowling recruited fellow Irishman from his various bars who became “Davis Guards, Company F of the first TEXAS Heavy Artillery Regiment.”

On Sept. 8, 1863, Lieutenant Dowling and his 45 fellow TEXAS PATRIOTS defeated a Union Armada of 22 wasrships carrying 5,000 infantry, artillery, and Calvary. In doing so he saved Houston the fate other Southern cities as Atlanta suffered. Lynn Ashby left out one thing, if the Union assault had succeeded thousands of Texans and Union Soldiers would have lost their lives in the following weeks and months.

A lot of people would like to do what my mother said when my cousins buried one of my father’s uncle’s. “They buried him like a dog, threw dirt over him and walked off without leaving him a permanent marker.” The savior of Houston and Texas deserves better than that. A perfect place to put his statue is to establish a Houston History Museum showing from the time the Allen Brothers bought some mosquito-infested swamp land where Buffalo and White Oak Bayous meet to the present and future. Showing times, places, and people who made this city into what it is now and who are working to make it greater. A Dynamic city that always looks to the future, but we must not forget our past. In the words of Mayor Parker “To know where we are going we got to know where we’ve been.” Most people cannot tell you who the Allen brothers were.

We need to flaunt the city’s history like we Texans flaunted Texas before Alaska became a state.

Do not bury the Dick Dowling statue “The Savior of Houston and Texas” like a dog. A man who’s actions saved Houston thousands of Texans and Union Soldiers lives. There is no record that he owned slaves. Our heroes deserve better than that.

John J. Cieslewicz

the leader Puzzlers.

Answers found in this week’s Classified section

SUDOKU

aCrOss

1. Licenses TV stations 4. Worn-out horse 7. Expire 10. Winglike structure 11. Supplement with difficulty 12. Confederate soldier 13. Attempter 15. All persons of the earth 16. Vertical position 19. Live longer than 21. Showing keen interest 23. Old Spanish currency units 24. Ingested by sniffing 25. A narrow path or road 26. Old Tokyo 27. Bound map collections 30. Deliquium 35. Brownish coat mixed with white 36. 3 banded S. Am. armadillo 37. Coat a metal with an oxide 41. Slave-like 44. 1950’s TV Wally 45. City founded by Xenophanes

46. Hermaphroditic 50. Kale plant with smooth leaves 54. Forelimb 55. Unassisted 56. Jeweled headdress 57. Auricle 59. Competing groups 60. Cardinal number 61. Light bulb inventor’s initials 62. Heat unit 63. Doctor of Education 64. Make a mistake 65. Point midway between S and SE

dOwn

1. Bazaars 2. Cuyahoga River city 3. Latin word for charity 4. Scourges 5. Alias 6. Origins 7. Subjugate using troops 8. Dutch name of Ypres 9. Siskel and __, critics 13. Teaspoon (abbr.)

14. Herb of grace

17. Brew 18. Kilo yard (abbr.)

20. Barn’s wind indicator 22. Griffith or Rooney 27. Macaws 28. 2000 pounds 29. Official language of Laos 31. Cleveland’s roundball team 32. Office of Public Information 33. Chum 34. Before 38. Nation in the north Atlantic 39. Apportion into sections 40. Skilled in analysis 41. More assured 42. ___ Musk, businessman 43. In a way, tells 46. Immature newt 47. Hawaiian taro root dish 48. Extremely angry 49. Wrapped up in a cerecloth 51. Expression 52. Paradoxical sleep 53. Tooth caregiver 58. Swiss river

WORD SCRAMBLE

Page 4A • Saturday, July 18, 2020 • The Leader

St. Ambrose hires new principal

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

St. Ambrose Catholic School announced July 9 that the school has hired Khanh Pham as its new principal.

A 10-year educator, Pham was most recently the principal of a pre-kindergarten through eighth grade Catholic school in Galena Park. He replaced Sarah McDonald, who had served at St. Ambrose’s principal for the past two years.

Pham is a local product, having attended Houston ISD’s Sanchez Elementary and Stevenson Middle School after his family came to America from Vietnam in the early 1990s. After being home-

Pham

schooled and graduating from high school at 16 years old, he served five years in the United States Navy before earning a bachelor’s degree with a focus in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Hous-

ton.

Pham has already led St. Ambrose through a period of technological upgrades and distance learning to prepare for instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. In just a few weeks, he has helped bring in the following: - iPads for elementary school students and 1:1 Chromebooks for middle school students - Key fob entry at all main doors as opposed to keyed entry - TV displays in all classrooms - Laptops for staff - Upgraded sound, audio and display systems in the gym - Virtual education sub-

scriptions in all core content areas - Sanitation stations across the school “Mr. Pham is dedicated to providing the best resources to both the families and staff at St. Ambrose Catholic School to ensure that students receive the highest quality educational experience in Houston,� the school said in a news release.

Pham lives in Houston with his wife and five children, three of whom will be attending St. Ambrose in the fall.

He is currently enrolled in a doctoral program at St. Thomas University in Florida and also holds a master’s degree in administration from Lamar University.

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HISD said receiving the PEBT will not affect a family’s ability to receive other food benefits, including SNAP, summer meals from HISD or other nutrition resources.

For more information, visit hhs.texas.gov/PEBT or call 833-613-6220.

Houston ISD announced last week that the deadline to apply for the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT), a one-time payment to families who lost access to free or reduced-priced meals because of school closures related to COVID-19, has been extended to July 31.

The application for the benefit, which is part of a $1 billion program approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is available online at yourtexasbenefits.com/Learn/PEBT. Those who qualify will receive a one-time payment of up to $285, which will be issued on an EBT card and can be used to buy food from any retailer that accepts the Texas Lone Star Card.

Families with children up to 21 years old, who were certified for free or reduced-priced meals at a Texas school during the 2019-20 academic year, are eligible. So are families with children at schools that offer free meals through a Community Eligibility Provision, which applies to all schools and students in HISD. Foster

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Photo from Twitter Houston ISD announced last week that the deadline to apply for the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer, a one-time payment to help with food purchases, has been extended to July 31.

youth, migrant youth, homeless youth, runaway youth and Head Star participants also are eligible. “The deadline extension will allow more HISD families to access this crucial resource,� HISD interim superintendent Grenita Lathan said in a news release. “I encourage all families in need to apply if they haven’t done so already.�

HISD said families who

received SNAP benefits for March 2020, and have children between 5-18 years old as of May 17, do not need to apply and should already have received P-EBT benefits on their Lone Star Card. The school district encouraged all other families to apply, including families that received SNAP benefits in March but have children who are younger than 5 or between 19-21.

THE OBITUARIES.

Maria Eguia, 91, born Nov. 4, 1928, died July 8. In 1947, she married Ernest Eguia, a decorated U.S. Army Sergeant who served 4 years in WWII. She held active membership in the American Legion and in League of United Latin Americans. Eguia is survived by her children Diane Eguia Bologna, Rebecca Eguia, David Eguia, and Mark Eguia, six grandchildren, and four greatgrandchildren.

Frankum, Donna Boswell, Kim Krusleski, sisters Ruth Shelton, Maxine Sandell and Delma Shelley, five grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

William Eugene Hall, 88,

Gloria Jean Furkovich, 89, born Dec. 27, 1930, died July 14.

Lillie Kathryn Hall, 87, born March 23, 1933 in Walker County, Texas, died July 8. She is survived by daughters Debbie

born Feb. 5, 1931 in Temple, Texas, died July 8. Hall graduated from Lamar High School and received his BBA and MBA from Texas A&M. He proudly served in the United States Navy during the Korean War. He was employed as a CPA until his retirement. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, JoAnn Englebert Hall, and daughter Brenda Walters

Burleigh Murphree, 88, born Oct. 10, 1931 in Medicine Mound, Texas, died July 12. Sur-

vivors include his wife, Kathryn Murphree, daughters Kathleen Wolfe and Wendy Stockman, and four grandchildren.

Paul William Ralph, 76, born Feb. 27, 1944 in Champaign, Illinois, died July 12. He is survived by his wife Paulette Ralph, daughter Lisa Thomason, and sons Greg Ralph and David Ralph.

Mary Helen Solis, 79, born Nov. 20, 1940, died July 5. She is survived by her husband, Gus Vasquez, daughters Leticia Martinez, Stella Flores, Belinda Murillo, and Michelle Falcon, 11 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

Manuel Vega, 83, born May 6, 1937, died July 8.

In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, please check with each church below for updated information about services and events. In-person services are temporarily restricted.

CHURCH DIRECTORY

St. James Lutheran Church, ELCA MANNA 4QPOTPS

Sunday Bible Studies For All Ages ... 9:30am t 8PSTIJQ &OHMJTI BN BN Morning Worship ............... 10:45am t -FBSOJOH )PVS BN QN Wednesday Bible Studies For Youth, Children t 8PSTIJQ 4QBOJTI

QN QN and Adults............................

6:15pm

8FTU SE 4U t )PVTUPO 5Y t 1822 W. 18th • 713-864-1470 Gethsemane Lutheran Church Gethsemane Lutheran Church 4040 Watonga • 713-688-5227

WePastor invite you to worship with us!

Jerry McNamara Weekly Worship•Services 9:00 a.m.

4040 Watonga 713-688-5227 Sunday School & Bible Classes 10:30 am

Preschool Program • Mon. - Fri. 9-2 p.m.

We invite you to worship with us!

Weekly Worship Services 9:00a.m. www.gethsemanelutheran.org

Online services can be reached through the website below at 9:00 am. www.gethsemanelutheran.org

Sunday Morning Worship 8:30 and 11:00 Sunday School for Children, Youth and Adults 9:40

Ministries for All Ages Home of Johnson Memorial School for Little Children Rev. Nathan Lonsdale Bledsoe, Pastor

2003 W. 43rd St. â—† 713-686-8241 â—† s t s u m c . o r g

Sunday Morning Worship 8:30 and 11:00 Sunday School for Children, Youth and Adults 9:40

Ministries for All Ages Home of Johnson Memorial School for Little Children Rev. Nathan Lonsdale Bledsoe, Pastor

2003 W. 43rd St. X 713-686-8241 X s t s u m c . o r g

Who is on your team??

Don’t Forget to Say Thank You

By Pastor Will Cover Arise Baptist Church 803 Curtin St. Houston TX 77018

By Pastor Will Cover 713-659-9697 • www.arisebaptistchurch.org

Arise Baptist Church 803 Curtin St. Houston, TX 77018 y first connection with the Leader 713-659-9697 • www.arisebaptistchurch.org

M

was not writing a weekly article for the Pastor’s Corner or reading it and to find out the latest e are entering a time of holidays celebrations local news.

My infirst to the Leader was for many people our connection country. Thanksgiving is a holidayfor thatmy wepicture as Americans for looking whenhave our enjoyed local sports team Sunday Bible Studies For All Ages ... 9:30am generations.

Many are looking forward to time spent would winpeople a tournament.

I remember having my St. James Lutheran Church, ELCA Morning Worship ...............

10:45am with family, time off from work, a big feast, watching football, picture with my teammates printed in the Leader • Worship (English) ..... 10:00 am - 11:00am catching the biggest sales of the years, and probably many Wednesday Bible Studies For Youth, Children a fewduring times playing for some ofbethe local others things this while Thanksgiving weekend.

There will • Learning Hour........... 11:00am - 12:00pm MANNA sports leagues growing I look back and Adults ............................ who will struggle during up the in thisthis timearea. of holiday • Worship (Spanish) .... 12:30 pm - 1:30pm6:15pm some people Sponsor as they on remember they have lost, or close those loved daysones andwho those teammates with great 1602 West 43rd St. • Houston, Tx 77018 • 713-686-1577 companions that areItunable to be of the > [O ŕ Ž fondness. is great totogether be on abecause good team. schedule or the logistics. Either way, Thanksgiving will be a   This past Sunday, I finished preaching through time when people are either thinking happy thoughts or sad the book of Colossians at our church. At the end thoughts about something.

Weekly Sunday Services of the Paul Apostle writes about his When I was a boy,book, I remember mythe mother saying, “Don’t forget • Bible Study: 9:15 a.m. to say thank you.â€? She was reminding be thankful to my that he • Morning:10:30 a.m. ministry team.

He hadme a togroup of men grandmother for with the wonderful Thanksgiving meal, men or to ministered my • Evening: 4:15 p.m. worked in the ministry.

These family member that gave me a special gift, or to my friend who 1700 West 43 rd at Rosslyn to him when he was in prison, they took care 713-682-4942 invited me to their birthday party. Most people want to teach of the churches been would started, Pastor – Dr. Richard Walters their children to be thankful. Ithat think had most people agreeand they were veryis important, involved itin providing the necessary that being thankful is also true that it is not Ad # 32285 always to be thankful depending on what Paul we arethe goingApostle through. and the communication between The Bible says in Ephesians 5:20 “Giving thanks always for all Empire.

Christians scattered around the Roman things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Without this team, Paul’s ministry would have Christ.� I would encourage you, no matter how you feel during Join us for Services beenseason slowed significantly while hethankful was imprisoned this holiday to remember that you can be to in English or Spanish preaching thetogospel.

A death goodonteam is there to God. Hefor gave up His only Son die a cruel the cross so that anyone who when trusts him can be forgiven of their sins and help you you are hurting.

A good team is the Sunday Worship 10am & 5pm have eternal to say thank sumlife. of Don’t theirforget strengths andyou! is able to accomplish Sunday Bible Classes 9am If you would like to discuss this further or have questions, Wednesday Bible Study 7pm more together than apart. These last few months Pastor Will Cover can be reached at Arise Baptist Church at have highlighted the importance of a good team.

803 Curtin St., or www.arisebaptistchurch.org, or 713-659-9697.

4215 Watonga Blvd. • 713-681-9365 Whether it be having someone to do shopping Houston, TX 77092 for you, having someone just to talk to you, or especially having someone to pray with you or encourage you spiritually. I would love to help you if you would be interested in being a part of a team like this. We all need encouragement, help, and friendship. We all need someone to pick us up when we are down. We all need a good team!

W

Candlelight Church of Christ

The Leader • Saturday, July 18, 2020 • Page 5A

Extended power outage impacts Shepherd Park Plaza, another planned for July 22

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

With Houston in the grips of a widespread COVID-19 outbreak, many area residents are following the advice of local elected officials and spending most of their time at home. And with the region also experiencing a July heat wave, time at home generally means time inside in the comfort of air conditioning.

About 1,800 area residents were not afforded that luxury late in the afternoon last Saturday, July 11. That’s how many lost power in the Shepherd Park Plaza area – some for a matter of minutes and some for nearly five hours – according to a spokesperson for CenterPoint Energy.

Shortly before the end of the outage, which according to CenterPoint spanned from 2:11-6:55 p.m., a Shepherd Park Plaza resident and Facebook user posted a screenshot from the CenterPoint website that indicated the outage was planned. But CenterPoint spokesperson Olivia Ross said in an email Tuesday that it was an “emergency outage that was necessary to repair damage to our equipment.� “If they had informed us that our power would be out for four hours while it’s 101 degrees outside,� the

Shepherd Park Plaza resident wrote, “I would have gone to Lowe’s and bought a battery-powered fan to put by my 5-month-old’s crib so she isn’t cooking like a turkey while trying to sleep.�

Ross said there is a planned power outage for the early part of the day on Wednesday, July 22, that will affect five customers in Shepherd Park Plaza and “should last no more than four hours.�

She said the outage was originally scheduled for Wednesday, July 15, and that the impacted residents were notified ahead of time, before the outage was rescheduled on Tuesday.

Ross said the upcoming outage will allow CenterPoint crews to replace equipment and trim trees in the area.

She said the electricity company is in the final stages of trimming trees throughout the neighborhood in order to minimize the impact of vegetation on its power lines and improve the overall reliability of the CenterPoint system.

Some of the power lines hanging above homes in the neighborhood are close to tree limbs, with vegetation having grown around the lines in some cases. “Planned outages help us make necessary repairs now that can prevent unexpected and extended outages in the future,� Ross said.

Photo by Adam Zuvanich A spokesperson for CenterPoint Energy said a planned power outage for July 22 will affect five customers in Shepherd Park Plaza, where there are power lines close to tree limbs. CenterPoint said an emergency outage on July 11 temporarily left about 1,800 customers without electricity.

Waltrip hires new football coach

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

The Waltrip High School football team will have a new leader next season.

According to a Monday night tweet from Jeremy Kirt, he was recently hired by the school to be its head football coach and campus athletic coordinator. He replaces Wayne Wheeler, who had served in that role for the past two years. “Proud to announce that I have accepted the Campus Coordinator/ Head Football job at Waltrip High School,� Kirt tweeted.

The Houston ISD press office and Waltrip principal Michael Niggli did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Kirt, a first-time head coach, inherits a program that has struggled the last two seasons with a 6-14 overall record. Most recently, he was the defensive coordinator for Cy Ridge High School from 2016-19. He also has previous experience at Cy Ranch, Sterling and Madison as an assistant and special teams coordinator.

Kirt was a three-year letterman in football at Lamar University, where he also served as a graduate assistant in 2013.

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The Leader • Saturday, July 18, 2020 • Page 7A

Baseball is back for two local select teams

By Zarah Parker zarah@theleadernews.com

As local boys hit the field for the USSSA Global World Series last month in Gulf Shores, Alabama, baseball wasn’t the only thing on their minds.

The pandemic didn’t just delay the start of youth baseball season, it changed the way players prepped for games and how they interacted during games, but they were still able to have fun.

One player said that despite the COVID-19 worry, they still had a good time and it didn’t even feel that different than other tournaments they’d par-

ticipated in.

The boys who went to Gulf Shores, most of whom live in the Heights and surrounding neighborhoods, are part of two select teams, the Medina Warriors 11U AAA Navy and Medina Warriors 11U AA Black.

“It was our first tournament back, so the boys did have a little trouble getting back into the groove,” said coach Sergio Medina. “And it was the AA’s first time going.”

Medina said the teams began preparing for the World Series about three weeks before the tournament, which took place June 21-28. The

facility they use to train is The Cage Houston, 5915 N. Main St., which is owned by Medina.

“The way we (trained) was divided the teams into groups where they could social distance in the facility, then divide in groups of two per trainer, 6-8 feet apart,” he said. “They would work largely individually rather than together.”

During training, Medina mentioned everyone was extra cautious and that parents weren’t even allowed in the facility. During simulated games, players had to wear face coverings and they couldn’t highfive.

The latter restriction was

the most abnormal, according to Medina.

“Sometimes the kids didn’t understand because they’re around each other and highfiving is so normal in baseball,” he said.

Before going to Gulf Shores, Medina laid down strict rules to help keep everyone safe.

Usually on out-of-state trips, the families would visit the local attractions, but Medina said no one was allowed to.

If he found out someone had gone to a restaurant to dine in, for example, the player wouldn’t have been allowed to play.

“It was kind of fun because

we got to play baseball,” said Juan Carlos Jimenez Jr. of Medina Warriors Navy. “But it wasn’t really that fun because we couldn’t just talk to each other without using a mask.”

Because of the focus on offthe-field precautions, Jimenez said the trip could have been more enjoyable for him and his young teammates. But the priority was playing baseball, and that mission was accomplished.

“I did that especially because we didn’t know the protocols of the other teams or how seriously they were taking them,” Medina said.

Even with COVID-19 on the

players’ minds, Medina said they were just glad to be playing baseball again. However, he went on to explain that the pressure of it being their first time at the tournament and abiding by the protocols seemed to throw the Black team off its game.

On the flip side, the Navy team responded with more ease and just went out on the field and had fun.

Medina’s protocols appear to have paid off in the end as no coach, parent or player has tested positive for COVID-19 since traveling to Gulf Shores.

Photo by Jennifer Perez Medina Medina Warriors 11U AAA Navy (pictured in blue uniform): Coaches Eloy Rincon, Leslye Mora, Sergio Medina. Top Row: David Corona III, Henry Lovins, Juan Jimenez, Aaron Saldana, Sergio J. Medina. Bottom Row: Jerry Colchado, Austin Fuhrman, Aden Torres, Sebastian Mora, Julian Rincon.

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Page 8A • Saturday, July 18, 2020 • The Leader

Voting, from P. 1A to be cancelled, businesses to close and Houston-area residents to spend a bulk of their time at home. And with no end to the pandemic in sight, the runoff might have served as a preview of what it will be like to vote in the general election come November.

Interim Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins, who took over for Diane Trautman on June 1 and was administering an election for the first time, said he and his staff plan to use the runoff as a learning experience for the fall. In addition to safety measures such as the finger covers, plexiglass shields and supplying personal protective equipment to poll workers and hand sanitizer to voters, Hollins said he also implemented curbside and drive-through voting in some instances.

“We were prepared for a number of different situations,” he said late Tuesday morning. “But I think we’ve been pleased with how things have gone.”

Multiple voters said they liked that there was no line at Waltrip, but some wondered whether that was an indication of low voter turnout.

According to Hollins’ office, more than 50,000 ballots were cast across the county on Tuesday. There was expanded early voting from June 29-July 10, when more than 154,000 ballots were cast in person or by mail.

According to the Texas Democratic Party, the 955,735 voters who cast ballots in the Democratic primary runoff on a statewide level was a record for the party. The previous record was 746,641 runoff voters in 1994.

There figures to be even greater turnout for the general election, leading Independence Heights resident Kimberly Jordan to say inperson voting in November likely will not go as quickly or as smoothly as it did Tuesday.

“This is not the main election,” she said.

Northside-area resident Kevin Lockler said voting while wearing a mask was a “little bit awkward,” but he described the overall experience as “pretty smooth.”

Most Texans have been required to wear face coverings in public since July 3, per an

executive order by Gov. Greg Abbott.

Hollins said most Harris County voters were compliant with the mask mandate during early voting, with “less than 1 percent” fighting the requirement. He said voters who refused to wear masks were given the option to have a voting machine brought to them outside, and if they did not want that, Hollins said the voters were allowed to go inside and cast ballots anyway while being separated from other voters and poll workers.

Hollins also said there was a small number of voters who did not like being asked to briefly remove their masks so their identities could be verified by poll workers.

Oak Forest resident Bob McBrinn said polling places with masks, plastic shields and hand sanitizer has become a reality that voters need to accept.

“We‘re in a new age,” he said. “Going forward, we might need to keep those things around.”

If voting in November is anything like it was Tuesday, Noser said she will feel comfortable about returning to a polling place to cast her ballot.

There is an ongoing legal battle about whether all Texans should be allowed to vote by mail, particularly during a pandemic. As it stands, only Texas voters who have a disability, are age 65 or older, are incarcerated but otherwise eligible to vote or will be out of their home county on Election Day and during early voting can casts ballots by mail.

Hollins previously said his office sent mail-in ballots to all voters who were eligible, and more voters took advantage than during previous elections. Harris County also had 11 locations where voters could drop off absentee ballots that were not mailed on time.

Regardless of how the voting-by-mail issue plays out between now and November, several area residents were encouraged to know that voting in person during a pandemic can be safe, easy and efficient.

“We have to do it,” Noser said. “We’ve got to get out there and vote.”

Libraries, from P. 1A Award project.

Some are inherited from a previous homeowner. Such is the case for Léne Baggett, who owns Robbie the Robot at 4802 Blanton Blvd.

“The current one standing is an exact replica of the last one, who got destroyed by weathering and carpenter ants over the past few years,” Baggett said. “This one, his eyes are actually able to light up, and the pieces were made to be easily removable to repair if needed. My husband and father-in-law made this one out in Waller, Texas.”

The reasons for wanting a library are varied, but all involve a desire to create a sense of community.

Realtor and Garden Oaks resident Virginia Ledwell has one along with a bench and a hammock.

“Every day I see someone reading on the bench,” Ledwell said. “We love that.

As a former reading teacher and English and Spanish major, literacy holds a special place in my heart.”

Timbergrove Manor’s Dina Medley won her little library at an auction for the Stephen

free books that the Oak Forest Elementary library puts out each year to fill hers up.

“I try to get as many as I can, especially holiday books, and then throughout the year I put out those books in the library,” she said. “I also get free books from libraries that have ‘take free’ shelves.”

Baggett said her robot carries children’s books on the bottom and adult books on top.

“And we’ve been fortunate to only be vandalized once Contributed photo so far, a few years ago, when Dina Medley said curious families walk down her cul-de-sac to check someone stole all the books out the library her uncle made for her. overnight,” she said.

If you have a library you’d F. Austin Medley scholarship curiosity,” Medley said. like to register, visit Littleprogram. It was built by her Oak Forest’s Mario Barrera FreeLibrary.org/registrationuncle, who builds little librar- said it is not unusual to see a process. ies and wooden coolers to parent reading to their child Registered libraries have an donate as silent auction items. while seated on a bench by official charter sign and charMedley said she finds that their library at 5112 De Milo ter number. You register by because she lives at the end Dr. He also said his neighbors purchasing a charter sign. of a long street with a cul-se- are the best at keeping the li“Registration allows you to sac, the library isn’t so much brary stocked. add your library to the world loved for its contents, but Sevven said she relies on map and grants you access rather it is used as an activity her neighbors, too. to a network of benefits,” Alfor families.

“I try to make sure the drich said. “If you purchased “(People) travel down books in the box reflect di- a library from the Little Free (1803) Nauts Court on bikes, verse authors and charac- Library website, it comes with on foot and in strollers just to ters,” she said. a charter sign, and you are alpeek inside and satisfy their Medley takes some of the ready registered.”

Laundromat, from P. 1A gears to the Little Free Library organization since she already had one of those – an old newspaper rack from the Houston Chronicle – in her yard.

Once she got the go-ahead to put some free libraries in laundromats – or washaterias, as Casares notes they are called in Houston – she looked up the ones near her and went in to talk to their owners or managers.

A little less than a year later, she has four set up. They are at Sunrise Washateria, 1301 Griffin St; Melbourne Washateria at 524 Melbourne St; G & S Washateria at 4632

Irvington Blvd., and Laundry King Washateria at 117 Cavalcade St. All are charters of the Little Free Library brand except for Laundry King, whose charter is pending.

The libraries are bookcases and, in one case, a wooden crate. It doesn’t matter to Casares, who says all the owners have different styles.

Some owners don’t allow the books to leave the business.

In others, additional reading materials, like magazines and books for adults or religious publications, have been added.

Still, the children’s books are the focus. And they are es-

pecially important right now.

“School is sometimes the only place these kids see books,” she said. “If parents are busy working, they are not (able to) take kids to the library.

Casares said it’s not unusual for the libraries to be stocked by strangers. Her friends have been generous as well. The books are mostly in English, but Casares said they need books in other languages as well.

Casares has trademarked the Little Libraries in Laundromats slogan in the hopes that the initiative will pick up steam and spread across the

city.

“It doesn’t just belong to me,” she said. “I want this to become grassroots.”

At one time, Casares thought she might want to be a teacher and she has enjoyed mentoring those in the advertising field over the years.

Now that her own children are almost grown, she enjoys the opportunity to help more kids thrive.

“When I see a mother with a child on her lap reading, it’s so gratifying,” Casares said.

For more information, visit www.littlelibrariesinlaundromats.org or Little Libraries in Laundromats on Facebook.

Runoff, from P. 1A Shepherd Forest areas as well as the western part of Oak Forest and the communities immediately to the northwest.

“At the end of the day, I believe we ran an honest campaign for the people,” Eastman wrote on Twitter. “Congrats (Morales Shaw). Represent us well.”

There were other runoff races of interest to area residents.

Wendell Champion easily outpaced Robert M. Cadena for the Republican nomination for the District 18 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, which has long been occupied by Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee. Champion appeared on 71.8 percent of the 5,481 ballots cast, while Cadena received 28.2 percent of the vote.

In a Republican runoff between candi-

dates for Harris County Sheriff, Joe Danna beat Paul Day with 51.5 percent of the vote. Danna will face Democrat Ed Gonzalez, the incumbent, in November.

According to multiple news reports, MJ Hegar beat Royce West by 4 percentage points in the Democratic runoff for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican John Cornyn.

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