Inside Today: Community members can “adopt” teachers • Page 5A
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Photo from Twitter The Houston Fire Department tries to contain a fire underneath a pedestrian bridge in the Heights on the morning of Aug. 19.
Walking, running and cycling outside are popular activities in the Heights, where one of the most popular spots for getting such exercise is a scenic trail in the southeast part of the neighborhood. The pedestrian bridge along the MKT/Heights Hike-and-Bike Trail, which crosses White Oak Bayou, is in a wooded part of an otherwise urban, developed area. The bridge provides an overhead view of the bayou and surround-
ing green space, and trail users heading south get a good look at the Downtown Houston skyline on a clear day. For the foreseeable future, though, that part of the trail is off limits. The bridge is closed until further notice after it was damaged by a fire on the morning of Aug. 19. “It’s infuriating to me,” said Emily Guyre, executive director of the Houston Heights Association. “So many people use it to commute and to exercise. It’s a major artery.” According to the Houston Parks
Air Up There
By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com
jasonk@greenwoodking.com GREENWOOD KING
PROPERTIES
INSIDE.
Lightning strike. Lazybrook Baptist Church recently was damaged by lightning.
Page 2A
Page 7A
Donation station. The Houston Heights Association has become a hub for donating blood.
Page 1B
Break for bars. The TABC recently made it easier for bars and brewpubs to reopen.
Page 5B
THE INDEX. Church....................................................... 5A Classifieds.............................................. 5B Coupons................................................... 6A Food/Drink/Art................................... 7A Obituaries............................................... 5A Opinion..................................................... 3A Public Information......................... 2A Puzzles...................................................... 3A
See Bridge P. 8A
City spared from Laura’s devastation
Jason Knebel (713)232-9712
Morning glory. Zarah Parker reviews a versatile breakfast spot on North Main Street.
Board, damage to the bridge is still being assessed, so it is unclear what it will take to repair the bridge and when it will be reopened. And on Tuesday, nearly a week after a blaze broke out in a grassy area underneath the bridge, a spokesperson for the Houston Fire Department said the cause had yet to be determined by arson investigators. At least two people had been living under the bridge, according to a crime advisory sent to Heights residents by the office of Harris
Contributed photo Mark Griffith donates his time to Pilots and Paws, flying shelter animals to places where there is a greater demand for them.
Local man boasts ‘cool’ job, adventurous hobbies
By Betsy Denson
Meet the most
betsy@theleadernews.com
Mark Griffith says that when people ask what he does for a living, they are always delighted by the answer. Since 2004, Griffith has been one of three percussionists with the Houston Symphony. Do you have “They are a nomination always like, for the most ‘That’s so cool,’” interesting person in your said the Ella Lee Forest resident. neighborhood? If Cool might be so, please email a good descrip- betsy@theleadernews.com. tion for Griffith’s life beyond his profession. He also is an amateur pilot who flies shelter animals to new homes, is car buff and competes in
INTERESTING PERSON in the neighborhood
Contributed photo Mark Griffith, a percussionist for the Houston Symphony, is dressed and ready for a concert. Musical ability runs in the family as Griffith’s children also play instruments.
triathlons. A career in music had been a goal of Griffith’s ever since he was growing up in Duncanville, near Dallas. He started playing the piano at age 7 and then started as a percussionist in his middle school band. “The band director told me that I was better off playing the trumpet, and even though I was a reserved kid, I told her, ‘No, I have to (do percussion) instead.’” As a high school junior, Griffith set himself on a music career. See Griffith P. 8A
Residents of Northwest Houston awoke Thursday to clear and sunny skies as well as pleasant temperatures. There were no flooded streets or downed trees, and the power was on as usual. The Houston region was spared from the wrath of Hurricane Laura, which made landfall early Thursday morning in southwest Louisiana. It was a highend Category 4 hurricane, bringing wind speeds of roughly 150 mph and a d e va s t a t i n g surge of seawater along the Gulf Coast, including in parts of southeast Hidalgo Texas. More locally, meanwhile, the impact was minimal. There was a cool overnight breeze and little to no rain. “We absolutely dodged a bullet,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in a Thursday morning video posted to social media. “(It was) the strongest hurricane that Louisiana had seen, certainly in that area. If it had impacted us here, it would have been truly catastrophic.” Hidalgo thanked Houston residents for being prepared and heeding warnings earlier this week. The city and county had activated its emergency response systems and was ready to help the region cope with a potential disaster – three years after Hurricane Harvey brought unprecedented flooding. Local businesses closed early Wednesday and area residents secured their homes, with some clearing out neighborhood storm drains in anticipation of heavy rain. When the storm sidestepped the Houston area, the community turned its attention toward the ravaged TexasLouisiana border and particularly the hard-hit Lake Charles area. See Laura P. 8A
Community helps bakery resolve permitting problem By Zarah Parker zarah@theleadernews.com
Rebecca Masson went from crying tears of frustration to tears of joy after the community banded together to help her and her local bakery, Fluff Bake Bar, out of a tough situation. Masson became the tenant at 1701 W. 15th St. earlier this year and, because of an issue related to previous construction on the property, said the City of Houston forced her to temporarily close her busi-
ness and make changes to the building that cost more than $25,000. “When I took possession of the building on Jan. 27, the construction was 95 percent done,” Masson said. “I had to hang my lights and that kind of stuff.” Prior to opening on March 21, Masson said she received a certificate of occupancy permit from the city, which followed four inspections: electrical, plumbing, mechanical and structural. Masson said she was told she had to install a hood vent over the oven
and had six months to do it. In the meantime, she said she was given a temporary certificate of occupancy. “I then called the (Houston Health Department). The health department then came in and inspected me,” Masson said. “They passed me and gave me a food dealers permit and a grease trap permit. A week later the grease trap inspector came. He passed me.” Four months later, Masson said she submitted a plan to the city to See Bakery P. 8A
Contributed photo Shown is some of the recent construction work at Fluff Bake Bar, which hopes to reopen soon at 1701 W. 15th St.
THE PUBLIC. The Leader • Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020 • Page 2A
Arrest made in area restaurant burglaries By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
Police arrested a homeless man they say is responsible for breaking into two local restaurants last week. Kennith Howell, 41, was arrested Aug. 21 and charged with two counts of burglary of a building in connection with the incidents, according to Harris County court documents. Court records also show that Howell is homeless.
Cpl. Joseph Bowden with the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office said investigators were contacted by the owner of a strip center at 1737 W. 34th St. on Aug. 21 saying an unknown suspect had broken into Surfhouse and Local Poke overnight Aug. 19. A crime alert from the constable’s office said the suspect smashed through the frontdoor glass of each business before making off with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Bowden said subsequent review of surveillance video identified Howell as the suspect, and investigators later arrested him under the bridge at Ella Boulevard and Loop 610. According to Harris County court records, Howell has multiple prior convictions for burglary, theft and trespassing, among other offenses. The constable’s office said Howell was out on probation at the time of the most recent alleged incident.
Howell
Lightning strike causes fire at Lazybrook church By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
When Lazybrook Baptist Church pastor Zach Brackett first got the call at home last Friday, Aug. 21, that his church was on fire, he had to do a double take when hearing its origins. “I just thought, ‘That can’t be right.’ But obviously it was. It was just that initial, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’” he said. “But with that, I’m trusting God. As I was coming over here I was praying that God would protect the building.” According to the Houston Fire Department, the recent fire at the area church was the result of a lightning strike from a storm. HFD said crews responded to a call at the church at 1822 W. 18th St., just before 5 p.m. Aug. 21 to see light smoke and flames coming from the steeple area of the church’s roof near the sanctuary. Investigators later determined it was a lightning strike that ignited the fire, according to HFD. The incident was the latest in a calen-
Contributed photo Lazybrook Baptist Church, located at 1822 W. 18th St., recently was damaged by a lightning strike.
dar year that has also seen the church offices flood and its services depleted due to social distancing guidelines amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Brackett. “My initial thought was that it had to be some kind of a bad joke. But then
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I thought, ‘It’s 2020, so why not?’ “ he said. “Things come in threes, so hopefully we should be done for awhile.” There were no injuries reported in the incident, which caused roughly $40,000 worth of damage to church property, according to HFD. As a result, Lazybrook Baptist will have to hold its weekly services at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. each Sunday in the fellowship hall for at least 3-6 months while the sanctuary is repaired. The services will also be simulcast out in the church’s overflow space so as to maintain social distancing. But Brackett knows it could have gotten much worse. In the coming weeks, he said the church will post updates and ways the community can help the rebuilding effort on its website. “It easily could have been a lot of the entire building if our neighbors and the fire department hadn’t responded. It could have spread quickly,” he said. “I’m grateful for their response. We will be able to repair the building. It’s just going to take a long time.”
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THE TOPICS. The Leader • Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020 • Page 3A
Ask city online and you shall receive ... hopefully
C
all me old-school or old-fashioned. Maybe I’m just old and reluctant to try new things. So when a City of Houston employee told me on Monday how I could expedite receipt of public information I had requested – by logging on to an online system the city recently started using to process open records requests – I was skeptical. I had already formally submitted the request in an email and was worried that re-submitting it on a website might restart the city’s clock. Government agencies in Texas are required by law to furnish the requested information within 10 business days or respond with an explanation for why they think it should be withheld. Journalists have deadlines and time is of the essence, but the employee told me I’d get what I wanted more quickly if I played along. The city wanted to be paid its processing fees before handing over the documents I wanted, and using the new system would allow our company to pay in an instant. The alternative was driving downtown, meeting the employee in person and handing him a check. With a pandemic ongoing and a hurricane approaching, no thanks. So I reluctantly went to the website, created an account, made the duplicate request and told our accounting department how to pay the man his money. It turned out to be
under the city’s umbrella and, as I’ve discovered, they have three different ways of processing requests for pubAdam licly available information. Apparthey also have three different Zuvanich ently, philosophies about how much their Editor information is worth. The courts charged $67 for a list of speeding tickets issued on one street, and public works asked for a total of $180 to supply the aforementioned easier and simpler than I expected to information I haven’t yet received. use the GovQA program, which cost The police department hasn’t yet the city $286,000 to implement, ac- submitted an invoice and hasn’t yet cording to a spokesperson for Hous- provided the traffic accident reports I requested on July 29 – so much for ton Mayor Sylvester Turner. Three days later, though, my use that 10-business day window I menof the city’s new system had yielded tioned – but past experience leads me only one noticeable result: The city to believe the bill will be much lower received money from The Leader, a by comparison. I was told by the courts and public media company that provides free news to the public, more quickly than works that the relatively hefty price it would have otherwise. As of press tags for their information was related time Thursday, I still hadn’t received to employee hours to process my rethe records I requested, which are re- quests. Turner said in a Monday news lated to sidewalk improvement proj- release that new system will “reduce ects in the area as well as stormwa- the amount of time our employees ter drainage infrastructure in a local devote to processing paperwork,” so we’ll see if that drives down the neighborhood. The request was made specifically cost of future requests. The mayor’s with Houston Public Works. Late last spokesperson, Mary Benton, said in month, I also submitted open records an email that there will no longer be requests to the Houston Police De- charges for paper copies or DVDs partment and Houston Municipal since “all records will be released Court to get information related to through the portal.” So maybe this expensive GovQA the dangers of driving on West 43rd system will end up being beneficial to Street. That’s three different departments journalists like me and to the public
A stamp of disapproval THE MAIL BOX – “Hello, Mister Mailman,” I say, waving as he walks towards me. “You’ve got mail,” he says. It is 110 degrees, sweat is pouring down his face, but he still smiles. Six days a week I come here to my front porch and deal with the one form of the federal government that rarely lets me down: the post office, or more officially, the United States Postal Service, a title most of us don’t use. My quota of junk mail, bills and occasional ransom note is part of the more than 425 million pieces of mail the USPS delivers on any given day. But one envelope I will be looking for in a couple of weeks may not arrive on time, if at all: My ballot for the Presidential election. As Bill McKibben reported in the New Yorker, “It’s by now pretty obvious that the Trump Administration is attempting to sabotage mail delivery in order to cast some kind of shadow over the November election.” McKibben notes that Donald Trump’s newly installed Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, who gave more than $2 million to the Trump campaign and other Republican causes since 2016, has eliminated all overtime. A memo to employees declares that, as a result, “if we cannot deliver all the mail due to call offs or shortage of people and you have no other help, the mail will not go out.” DeJoy wiped out decades of experience in the postal service by reassigning or outright firing 23 top executives. The USPS almost tripled the postage for mailing ballots to voters. Several hundred sorting machines, which can process 35,000 pieces of mail per hour, were removed, as were hundreds of collection boxes. Then DeJoy stopped – temporarily. Trump says, “The Postal Service is a joke.” He opposed efforts by Democrats to allocate more funds for the USPS, explaining, “They need that money in order to have the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots. If they don’t get those two items, that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting because they’re not equipped to have it.” (Trump and his wife voted by mail in the Florida primaries.) An analysis found that in primaries held in 2020, at least 65,000 absentee or mail-in ballots were rejected throughout the country because they arrived past deadline, even if mailed with plenty of time by voters. I ask Mister Mailman about the changes. “No, things are going along the same, except that mail is piling up at the post office. That’s the one in Baytown. They closed ours due to too many letters. We’ve had to rent a warehouse to store the overflow. People used to call our service ‘snail mail.’ Now they call us ‘glacier racers.’ And my check is ‘in the mail.’ We are not to deliver mail to addresses don’t have a ‘Trump in 2020’ sign in the yard. Otherwise, no change.” A bit of background: Our
Lynn Ashby Columnist
postal service is actually older than the U.S. itself. Benjamin Franklin (who else?) was appointed by the British as postmaster of Philadelphia. He was paid a 10 percent commission on customers’ postage, but Franklin had franking privileges, (no that’s not eponymous), so he could mail his newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette, to readers at no cost. Franklin turned the paper into one of the colonies’ most successful publications. The Brits appointed him joint postmaster for all 13 colonies. In July 1775 the Continental Congress asked him to become Postmaster General at a salary of $1,000 -- about $33,500 in today’s dollars. (The U.S. Constitution specifically empowers Congress to “establish Post Offices and Post Roads.”) Today Ben’s postal service has grown: • It delivered 143 billion pieces of mail to 160 million addresses in 2019. • It had $71.1 billion in operating revenue in 2019. • There were 496,934 career employees in 2019. The noncareer employees: 136,174. • If the more than 141,900 blue collection boxes currently in use by the Postal Service were placed side-by-side, they would stretch for 58 miles. Those boxes weren’t always blue. Before 1971, they could have been green, red, white or other colors. • The Postal Service purchased nearly 579,000 tires in 2019. Stacked end-to-end, they would be 244 miles -- the distance between Dallas and Houston. • It ordered more than 750 million rubber bands in 2019, totaling about 41,096 miles of rubber bands that could wrap around Earth 1.7 times. • In 2019, the Postal Service received $291.8 million in revenue from 2,733 postal self-service kiosks. • Every two weeks, the Postal Service pays $2 billion in salaries and benefits. • Almost half of the world’s mail volume, 48 percent, is handled by the Postal Service. If it were a private sector company, it would rank 44th in the 2019 Fortune 500. • Email has certainly cut into first-class mail, but with one of the largest corporate email systems, the Postal Service handles more than 3.5 million legitimate emails a day delivered to more than 222,000 email accounts. • Monthly more than 1.2 million email messages are blocked due to spam. More than 680,000 emails are blocked due to content. More than 10,500 malware messages are blocked. • Americans like their Postal Service. It was ranked as the
most favorable federal agency with a 91 percent approval rating while only 14 percent had an unfavorable view. This is better than next four: National Park Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NASA and the FBI. • The Postal Service receives NO tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. The funds Trump opposes are to handle mail-in ballots and cover the COVID-19 virus slump. • Last year, Houston postal workers reported more dog attacks than any other U.S. city: 85. Those attacks were part of 5,803 attacks nationwide, which were down annually from nearly 6,000 in 2018. Here comes Mister Mailman back, being chased by a pack of pit bulls. “I overlooked this one.” It’s a Christmas card. Ashby gets mail at ashby2@comcast.net
in general, which has the same right to public information as members of the working press. The portal certainly streamlines the process, because requests to any department within the city can be made in one place. On the website, www.houstontx. gov/publicinformation, requesters can direct their queries to six different municipal departments: administrative and regulatory affairs, the mayor’s office, public works, the police department, the legal department and the airport system. A wide range of documents are available, including arrest records, building permits, contracts involving the city and even information about animal bites from BARC. “The City of Houston handles over 2,000 public requests annually, and public information officers work diligently to clarify each request and identify and eliminate redundancies,” Benton said in a news release announcing the Monday launch of the new system. “GovQA makes the (Texas Public Information Act) process more efficient, which benefits the public that we serve.” Time will tell if that holds true. The system undoubtedly makes it easier to pay the city to process public information requests, although I can’t yet say if the information will be delivered any more promptly or if it will be any more accurate or complete. But I encourage all our readers to
try the system out for themselves and request whatever information they might want, if for no other reason than to hold their municipal government accountable. And since we’re still in a pandemic and often hunkered down at home, why not make an open records request just to pass the time? It’s an important exercise in our democracy, especially at a time when elected officials and government employees often have minimal direct contact with the citizens they serve. Politicians can make statements on social media and hold news conferences with minimal attendance on account of social distancing, leaving citizens and even reporters on the sidelines instead of actively engaging with them. With that said, I’ve found most city employees and local elected officials to be accessible and open to answering questions in a timely fashion. On Tuesday, for example, when the city was devoting most of its time and energy toward preparing for an approaching storm, Benton answered my questions about the GovQA system within a matter of hours. As for that records request I made, which we paid for through the new online system, the services have yet to be rendered. So the system isn’t perfect, at least not yet. azuvanich@theleadernews.com
THE READER.
Email us your letters: news@theleadernews.com
Everyone is right in the case of COVID
Dear Editor: Such a great post I think the division and hate we see is worse than the virus. It’s sad. Anne
Dear Editor: Every time we have a disaster, natural or manmade, political stupidity gets piled on top of it. And, if it happens in an election year, the stupidity of both parties becomes its own epidemic. Anna Schulte
Kearns remembered as fun-loving owner of neighborhood bar
COVID-19 claims lives of Don Jose owner, general manager
Dear Editor: Kenny Ray was a unique character with a good soul. As his bookkeeper for the Dutchman, I enjoyed stopping by on my monthly visit to pickup the paper work and have a beer or two that he’d buy me. I’d see each month how many beers he comp’ed for others, he was very generous. I would bring my friends by to check out the place and its owner, especially when he was cooking for the bar patrons. I’ve been missing the place since it closed and now I’m missing the owner. Greg Yokell Dear Editor: Kenny Ray was my neighbor for many many years and a dear friend. We shared a love for his boy Falstaff. When Kenny moved from Fisher Street to Wakefield, anytime he couldn’t find his pup he would drive over to my house and knew he would be there. A t one point he showed up
at my house with a 50 lb. bag of puppy chow and just laughed and said we were related now as we had 10 grand puppies together!! He was a really sweet guy and a big fan of Mardi Gras in Galveston. I remember every February for about 2 weeks I had Falstaff at my house. I used to see Kenny visiting around the neighborhood and he always had time to visit. He will be missed! Jeanette Black
Dear Editor: So sorry to see this. Prayers for the family. As a long time patron of Don Jose (40 years) who knew both those men it’s like losing part of your extended family. They served great food and always greeted you and thanked you for your business. They helped us out with several special events. They are already missed. Frank Parent Dear Editor: Our condolences to the family. 1974 was the year we moved in the area and started going to Don Jose’s. We remember Luis as a waiter. Very hard working. Carlos was always very kind and hard working also. They will be missed. May they Rest In Peace. We will be praying and hoping that the family can keep the restaurant going. They’re all very close and hard working. We’re so used to going there, we’d have a difficult time going anywhere else. All Our Best! Josie and Jerry Farek
the leader Puzzlers. Answers found in this week’s Classified section
SUDOKU
aCrOss 1. On time 7. Swiss river 11. Maine river herring 12. In a way, waits 14. “Titanic” director 18. The Ocean State 19. Black tropical Am. cuckoo 20. Macaws 21. A transgression of God’s will 22. Belonging to a thing 23. Mures River city 24. Electroencephalography 25. Puts together 29. Sound practical judgment 31. Pops 32. In a way, assists 33. One and only 34. Prong 36. More wise 39. One who propagates 40. Got up 41. Writers of news stories 45. Pianist Cliburn 46. Hindu mother goddess 47. Insures residential mortgages 48. Non-human primate 49. Of sound mind
50. Ficus fruit 51. Sodium 52. BOGO 57. Pulsating ache 59. Short open jackets 60. Genus Quercus trees 61. N.O. football team
dOwn 1. Sows a crop 2. Derelict 3. Be indebted 4. Prefix meaning wrong 5. Beginning military rank 6. Afternoon meal 7. American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery 8. Own (Scottish) 9. Rural delivery 10. Most supernatural 11. Roseate spoonbill genus 13. Lightly burns 15. Adult female horses 16. Geological times 17. Radioactivity unit 21. 1/100 of a tala 23. Winglike parts 26. S S S 27. “Ghost” actress Demi
28. Package or bale (abbr.) 29. More mentally healthy 30. Siskel and __, critics 34. Pith helmet 35. __ Jima, WW II battlefield 36. Learned person or scholar 37. East Colorado Native Americans 38. No longer here 39. 1995 Brad Pitt movie 41. Gambling town 42. An earnest attempt 43. Odd-toed ungulates 44. Profoundly wise persons 46. Sunrise to sunset 49. Poor boys 52. Chinese cabbage, ___ choy 53. Point that is one point S of due E 54. Tibetan gazelle 55. __ Lilly, drug company 56. Hamilton appears on it 58. Egyptian sun god
WORD SCRAMBLE
Page 4A • Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020 • The Leader
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The Leader • Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020 • Page 5A
Campus Corner: Here’s how you can help THE OBITUARIES. as local schools manage new normal
Wanda Lee Callahan, 62, born March 29, 1958, died Aug. 19. She is survived by her children Crystal Janke, Bethany Ransier, Erin Bunker, Kelline Merris, Richard Callahan Jr., and eight grandchildren.
By April Petronella
Melvin Wayne Cooper, 77, born Jan. 17, 1943 in Clovis, New Mexico, died Aug. 15. He is survived by his wife, Cheryl Cooper, daughter Clare Cooper, and son Anthony Cooper.
For The Leader
Editor’s note: This is an installment in an ongoing series called Campus Corner, in which April Petronella of the Greater Heights Area Chamber of Commerce Education Committee writes about topics important to area schools, students and their families. Returning to school for a new academic year is stressful under normal circumstances. Returning to school amidst a global pandemic adds yet another layer of anxiety for parents, students, teachers and other school staff. Online instruction and on-campus instruction within strict COVID-19 prevention guidelines provide unique challenges that Heights-area campuses must face head-on. For our local schools to succeed in continuing to provide stellar instruction to students in this new normal, a strong partnership with the community is essential. Luckily, the Heights community is stepping up to this challenge with two initiatives designed to help local schools manage the upcoming school year. Adopt a Teacher Former classroom teacher, community volunteer and current University of Houston Graduate School of Social Work professor Cindy Reibenstein knows the challenges teachers face from decades of firsthand experience. After seeing successful “Adopt a Teacher� programs in other communities, Reibenstein decided to roll one out to connect the Heights community and local teachers. The program will be managed through the Greater Heights Area Chamber of Commerce and its Education Committee, a body comprised of representatives from local schools as well as
Billie Pino Couvillon, 90, born Jan. 7, 1930, died Aug. 24. David J. DiMatteo Sr., 68, born Aug. 6, 1952 in Montclair, New Jersey, died Aug. 17. He is survived by his loving wife of 16 years, Theresa DiMatteo, son David J. DiMatteo Jr., step-son David Richie, step-daughter Leslie Wilcox, sisters Margaret Reynolds, Frances Bini, and two grandsons. Rosendo Flores, 85, born March 2, 1935, died Aug. 22. Cheryl Rae Fritsche, 75, born Nov. 7, 1944, died Aug. 20. She was a faithful and active member of Our Savior Lutheran Church. Fritsche was a volunteer at the Houston Heritage Society. She is survived by her husband of 57 years, Alvin Fritsche, her children Michael and Sue Fritsche, Kenneth and Lee Fritsche, Rev. Joel and Clarion Fritsche, Erin and Mark Whitfield, sister Jan Nimtz, and nine grandchildren. Isabel M. Guzman, 96, born Nov. 5, 1923, died Aug. 17. John Franklin Hatch Jr., 85, born July 12, 1935, died Aug.
25.
Helen Hegwood, 88, born April 10, 1932, died Aug. 24. Emil Frank Kuropata, 90, born Jan. 12, 1930, died Aug. 15. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 67 years, Ann Kuropata, and children Blane Kuropata, Angie Kuropata, and twin brother Edwin Kuropata. Kuropata was a graduate of University of Houston, and a veteran of the U.S. Army. Contributed photo Dr. Drew Darsey, left, of Heights Pediatric Dentistry poses with Larry Plasek, outgoing director of communications for the Greater Heights Area Chamber of Commerce. Darsey and his staff donated water bottles for area schools as part of “Operation Hydration.�
Heights-area business leaders. Participating teachers are posted on the chamber of commerce website, www. heightschamber.org, under the Articles & News/Education tab. Reibenstein asks the community to peruse the teachers and their wish-lists and then select a teacher to “adopt.� Participants who adopt the teacher will then provide some or all of the items on the list to help the teacher in meeting the challenges of this school year. The teacher lists, per Reibenstein, “contain both tangible items like supplies and intangibles, such as teachers asking for cards, notes and even prayers.� Participation in the program is open to all members of the community, including
HISD launching new student info system, parent portal
individuals and businesses or other organizations. Several local schools from elementary through high school are participating. Operation Hydration The challenges for schools will continue once students return to campus since new safety protocols require many changes throughout the school day. Among these is a change in policy regarding water fountain usage to curb the possibility of COVID-19 infection. Instead of using the water fountain directly, students will use disposable cups or reusable water bottles. Reusable plastic water bottles are a low-cost and environmentally sound way to keep students safely hydrated throughout the school
Peggy Moore, 59, born Nov. 8, 1960, died Aug. 23. Donna Kay (Thompson) Romeo, 70, born Sept. 15, 1949, died Aug. 8. She is survived by her husband of 38 years, Sam Romeo,children Deenna Kaye Davis-Goins, Deborah Krissa Ripkowski, Patricia Juliet Breitkreuz, and Christopher David Romeo, nine grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. Ben G. Schoppe, 82, born Sept. 25, 1937, died Aug. 8. Schoppe worked with the Lutheran Education Association of Houston, serving on the Board of Education for more than 25 years. He was also one of the founders of Lutheran High North. He is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Merri, his children Christopher, Lara, Stephen, Malynda, and eight grandchildren. OAK FOREST HOME FOR SALE 2111 Libbey | 3-2, 9952 sq. ft. Corner Lot
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All Saints’ Third Age Learning Center (TALC), a program for seniors in the community, will not open for in-person classes or activities for the 2020 fall semester, but will offer lunch through curbside pickup at 215 E. 10th St. The drive-through lunch program will operate from Sept. 8-Nov. 13, with daily pickup scheduled from noon-12:30 p.m. No walkups will be permitted and, for safety reasons, no seniors will be allowed inside the church’s Parish Hall during curbside service. “TALC seniors will be missed, but the goal is to keep all seniors and volunteers safe during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,�
the TALC said in a news release. Hot lunches will be cooked on-site and will include an entrĂŠe, two sides and a dessert. The cost of lunch will be $3, payable by exact cash or check made out to All Saints TALC. Bills larger than $5 will not receive change. Lunch reservations are required and must be made by 10:30 a.m. the day of pick-up. A limited number of lunches will be available per day and no more than two lunches per person will be permitted. For more information on lunch service or the cancellation of fall classes and activities, or to make lunch reservations, call 713-2481277.
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Houston ISD is introducing a new way to help parents keep up with their students’ progress as they prepare for the start of virtual learning Sept. 8. The district said Monday it has launched HISD Connect, a new student information system, for the 2020-21 school year. According to HISD, the new system includes a “Parent Portal� that will launch next Monday, Aug. 31. The portal is designed to help parents track their child’s academic progress by storing information on their grades, attendance history, class schedules and more. Parents will receive a unique access ID for each of their students, the district said, and be able to use that code to set up an account for their student’s profile. “Collaboration between educators and parents is more important than ever as we prepare to reconnect safely and return strong,� HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said in a news release. “HISD Connect will integrate seamlessly with online learning.� HISD Connect can also be found in the App Store or Google Play. For more information on the system, parents can go to the program page on HISD’s website at HoustonISD.org/ ParentPortal.
day, but many schools lack these water bottles to distribute to students. Through Operation Hydration, businesses can partner with schools to provide reusable water bottles to Heights-area campuses. Local businesses are asked to consider donating these water bottles, which may be branded with the business’ logo, for distribution to local schools. Any quantity — from a few water bottles to 1,000 — are welcome. Schools are also accepting donations of disposable cups. Contact rcreibenstein@ aol.com for information on where to drop off items for distribution to local schools if your business would like to participate.
Paul Edward Light, 85, born April 29, 1935 in Derby, Va., died Aug. 11. Light was a 20 year Air Force Veteran. He is survived by his wife Mary Light, brothers Donnie Skeen and Carl Light, sister Linda Hamilton, daughters Cathy Light and Pauleen Currey, three grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
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Arise Ba 803 Curtin St. 713-659-9697 • ww
W 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.
e are entering a ti for many people i a holiday that we generations. Many people a St. James Lutheran Church, ELCA Sunday Bible Studies For All Ages ... 9:30am with family, time off from wo Morning Worship ............... 10:45am • Worship (English) ..... 10:00 am - 11:00am catching the biggest sales Sunday Bible Studies For All Ages ... 9:30am Wednesday Bible Studies For Youth, Children others things during this Th • Learning Hour........... 11:00am - 12:00pm MANNA people who will strugg • Worship (Spanish) .... 12:30 pm and Adults............................ 6:15pm (English) .....- 1:30pm 10:00 am -some 11:00am Sponsor• Worship t 8PSTIJQ &OHMJTI BN BN Morning Worship ............... 10:45am as they remember loved on 1602 West 43rd St. • Houston, Tx 77018 • 713-686-1577 Wednesday Bible Studies For Youth, Children • Learning Hour........... 11:00am -companions 12:00pm that are unabl 1822 W. 18th • 713-864-1470 MANNA MANNA t -FBSOJOH )PVS BN QN or the logistics. E • Worship (Spanish) .... 12:30 pm schedule - 1:30pm and Adults ............................ 6:15pm t 8PSTIJQ 4QBOJTI QN QN Sponsor time when people are eithe 4QPOTPS courage, and made a huge difference for her people.thoughts Even about something. Weekly Sunday Services Gethsemane Lutheran 1602 ChurchWest 43rd St. • Houston, Tx 77018 • 713-686-1577 though Esther did these wonderful things, the Jews still By Pastor Will Cover When I was a boy, I rememb • Bible Study: 9:15 a.m. 8FTU SE 4U t )PVTUPO 5Y t 4040 Watonga • 713-688-5227 faced bondage and struggle later ona.m. in their history. to say thank you.� She was • Morning:10:30 We invite you to worship with us! Arise Baptist Church grandmother for the wonde While Esther is a great example to us, even with all of • Evening: 4:15 p.m. Weekly Worship Services 9:00 a.m. rd 803 Curtin St. Houston TX 77018 family member that gave me 1700 West 43 at Rosslyn Sunday School & Bible Classes 10:30 am her courage, she wasn’t able to save her people forever. Please visit our website at: Sund 713-682-4942 me to their birthday Program • Mon. - Fri. 9-2 p.m. 713-659-9697Preschool • www.arisebaptistchurch.org Later on in their history, the Jews experienced invited more • Bible Study: a.m. Pastor – Dr. Richard Walters 9:15 their children to be thankful www.lazybrookbaptistchurch.org 4040 Watonga • 713-688-5227 www.gethsemanelutheran.org bondage and suffering. Esther saved her people, butbeing it thankful is impo that • Morning:10:30 a.m. Ad # 32285 We invite you to worship with us! Wed for the following: was an incomplete salvation because it4:15 saved p.m. themalways fromto be thankful depend • Evening: Weekly Worship Services 9:00 a.m. family. As a boy, I took piano The Bible says in Ephesians their present circumstance did not43 save come from a musical rd them forever. Sunday Services: Live Stream at 11:00am 1700but West at Rosslyn Sunday School & Bible Classes 10:30 am in need of a savior. things Someunto God and the Fat lessons and spent quite a bit of time practicing the We live in a world today that is713-682-4942 click on Program • Mon. - Fri. 9-2 p.m. Bible Studies: From Homepage,Preschool Christ.� I would encourage y people think that savior will come in the form of a Walters better piano. My mom is also a piano player and sometimes Join us for Services www.gethsemanelutheran.org Pastor – Dr. Richard this holiday season to reme Connect/Small Groups or a better financial system. Some people English leader or Spanish just to annoy her, I would play a song leave off the inpolitical God. He gave up His only So Sunday Morning Worship 8:30and and 11:00 Ad # 32285 are hoping for a better job, a better healthcare plan, oranyone who trusts hi last note orSunday the last chord. A song without last9:40 note is Sunday Worship 10am & 5pm so that School for Children, Youth andthe Adults have eternal life. Don’t forge a miracle drug. 9am The Bible is clear. The only complete incomplete. It oftenMinistries releases theAges tension or resolves the Sunday Bible Classes for All If you would like to discus Savior is Jesus Christ. He alone has the power to forgive conflict in theof sound of the music. Bible Study 7pm Home Johnson Memorial School for My Littlemom Childrenwould run Wednesday Pastor Will Cover can be re He alone can give eternal life. He alone can give us to the pianoRev. andNathan find the last note andPastor play it herself just sin. Lonsdale Bledsoe, 803 Curtin St., or www.ariseb 4215 Watonga Blvd. • 713-681-9365 Pastor Jerry McNamara access to God. You can live your life by your own rules. to find theW.resolution to the music.◆ sWe t s uall m cunderstand . oJoin rg 2003 43rd St. ◆ 713-686-8241 us for Services Houston, TX 77092
St. James Lutheran Church, ELCA
St. James Lutheran Church, ELCA
INCOMPLETELY SAVED
1822 W. 18th • 713-864-1470
Weekly Sunday Services
Gethsemane Lutheran Church
1822 W. 18th • 713-864-1470
Gethsemane Lutheran Church 4040 Watonga • 713-688-5227
I
Candlelight Church of Christ
Candlelight Church of Christ
something that is incomplete. In the book of Esther, we
You can blame others for your problems or you can blame
or Spanish Sunday Morning Worship 8:30 andwoman 11:00who was taken intoin You can talk about the problems in the church learn about a young theEnglish king’s yourself. We invite youSunday to worship with us! or the10am frustrating things your spouse says or does, but harem and then chosen to be his wife and queen. She was Sunday Worship & 5pm School for Children, Youth and Adults 9:40
none of those things in a precarious position of putting her lifeSunday on the line Bible Classes 9am will bring your happiness and none Ministries Ages Weekly Worship Services 9:00a.m . for Allput in order to save her people, the Jews, from death. Many of those things will fulfill your need of a savior. You must
Wednesday Bible Study 7pm ofcan Johnson Memorial School forlook Little Children people at Esther as a wonderful example of a woman confess you sin and turn to Jesus for hope and healing. OnlineHome services be reached Rev.below Nathan Bledsoe, Pastor in the midst of awful circumstances who stood up,4215 had He alone can completely Watonga Blvd.save! • 713-681-9365 through the website at 9:00Lonsdale am. 2003 W. 43rd St. ◆ 713-686-8241 ◆ s t s u m c . o r g Houston, TX 77092 www.gethsemanelutheran.org
Page 6A • Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020 • The Leader
Hydration help: How much water does your dog need? Dear Tabby, I went over to my elderly neighbor’s house the other day and found that his dog was without water. This is especially concerning during this hot time of the year. Can you give me some guidelines on how much water a dog needs and ways to keep them hydrated, so that I may help my neighbor keep his dog healthy? Thirsty in Timbergrove Dear Thirsty, Your neighbor, and his dog, are very fortunate to have such a caring neighbor to help. Hydration is very important for all animals--especially when the temperatures are as high as they are this time of the year. Keeping a dog hydrated is just as important as keeping him well-fed. In fact, dehydration can lead to kidney stones and even organ failure. How much water do dogs need? You might be wonder-
ing how much water a dog needs to stay healthy and hydrated. While some dogs will gladly drink more than their fair share of water, some are picky about water and don’t always get enough to drink. A good guideline, as far as how much water a dog should be ingesting a day, is one-half to 1 ounce of water per body weight per day. So, if you have a 20-pound dog, that would translate to between 10 and 20 ounces of water per day. However, hydration needs are also dependent on how active the dog is, how much time the dog is spending outside, and what sort of food the dog is eating. A diet that consists of only dry kibble could use a boost in hydration.
dehydrated, they’ll appear dry. If he’s properly hydrated, the gums will be slick. If you suspect dehydration, offer small amounts of water to the dog and consider a trip to the vet. Help for a dog who doesn’t drink enough If your dog isn’t interested in drinking water, try supplementing his food with low-sodium chicken broth. Ice cubes used as treats and in the water can make his water bowl more enticing and fresher. Pet water fountains are also beneficial in enticing a pet to drink as well as to freshen the water bowl. Did you know? CAP (Citizens for Animal Protection) is having a huge end-of-summer adoption event! All adoptions are 50 percent off through the end of August. Adoptions are by appointment only, so make a plan to go find your new best friend! Go to www.cap4pets. org for more information.
How to spot dehydration If you are ever concerned that your neighbor’s dog is dehydrated, there are a few tell-tale signs to watch for. If you can pick up the scruff of his neck and it doesn’t immediately fall back into place, but instead “tents” and stays lifted for a bit, this is a classic sign of dehydration. Also, look in his mouth at his gums. If he’s
Do you have a question for Tabby? Email her at deartabbyquestions@gmail.com.
Pet of the Week Meet Sara
Photo curtesy of City of Houston The Houston City Council recently approved $2 million in relief funding for the city’s creative businesses that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
City council approves $2 million in COVID relief for arts, culture By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
The Houston City Council recently approved $2 million in relief funding for “creative businesses” that have taken financial hits as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Funded by the city’s allocation from the federal CARES Act, the program is open to more than 1,200 arts and cultural organizations within the city previously vetted by the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA), according to a news release from the city. Prior to the pandemic, the city said Houston’s arts and cultural attractions annually brought in anywhere from 11-16 million visitors to the region. The city said COVID-19 has forced the closure of hundreds of cultural organizations, impacting a sector that was a $1.1 billion industry and employed more than
This 6-month-old American Staffordshire/terrier mix is very sweet and curious. Sara was found as a stray, so her rescuers are still getting to know her, but she is interested in other dogs and seems eager to please. Sara’s adoption fee is reduced by 50 percent through the end of the month, so make an appointment today to meet this beautiful gal! Go to www.cap4pets.org to learn more.
25,000 people. “The arts and cultural sectors have been hit incredibly hard by the pandemic and we need everyone to keep fighting to survive and be part of the city’s recovery,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said. “Houston would not be the vibrant city that it is without the many artists and organizations serving our community and making it a cultural destination like no other.” The Houston Art Alliance (HAA) – a local arts and culture organization whose goal is to implement the city’s vision, values and goals for arts grantmaking and civic art investments – will be responsible for processing and ranking applications, the city said, as well as distributing the funds beginning in September. HAA began sending out notifications of eligibility on Monday, and artists and organizations can also verify el-
igibility at HAATX.com/support-desk. Individual artists are eligible for up to $1,000 in relief, while nonprofit organizations will be eligible for up to $15,000 in relief. “Over the last several years, MOCA has worked with HAA to update the grant processes to be more transparent and equitable,” MOCA director Deborah McNulty said. “The 2020 grant pool is the most diverse it has ever been, including 32 percent first-time applicants and 53 percent with projects, programs and overall missions that serve historically underserved communities.” For more information about pandemic-related emergency financial help or the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, community members can visit houstontx.gov/ culturalaffairs or follow the office on Facebook and Instagram @HoustonMOCA.
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The Leader • Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020 • Page 7A
Art Valet: Haden makes most of ‘paradox of containment’ Mitch Cohen Art Columnist
The cancellation of the annual Art Car Parade this past spring must rank among the most disheartening for Houstonians. The 33-year-old event draws hundreds of thousands of onlookers that begin gathering early in the day to watch several hundred altered vehicles parade through downtown. Artist Joe Hale Haden wondered if not creating an art car the first time in 30 years as a participant brought this on. Who hasn’t thought that “what if” scenario? Life already had other plans for Haden this year even before the Art Car Parade was canceled. He had been living in Crockett since 2011, taking care of his mother and the ranch where she was born. “My wife Toni and I got married last summer after we had to put my mother into a nursing home due to a stroke,”
Haden said. “We bought a house in Houston this past Valentine’s Day, and a few weeks later everything shut down. We moved back to Houston to get away from isolation.” Haden was born in Houston, and his professional background is in both art and engineering as he said he has a degree in both. “I designed parts for the stealth bomber and the Osprey early in my career then became a home designer and builder for 25 years in Houston,” he said. That pull between art and engineering was a lifelong battle. Today Haden can devote himself to his love of art fulltime. Haden came across my radar last summer when he won second place for his 3D piece titled “Paradox of Containment” at the 11th Annual Archway Gallery Juried Art Show. Haden is also a member artist at Archway. There seems to be some irony with Haden’s winning sculpture being named “Paradox of Containment,” considering life this year. The sculpture is an old metal gas can that Haden cut out with an intricate design throughout.
Photo by Joanne Quinn Owens Participants gather for an art car processional organized by Joe Haden.
“The gas can is the style of art I do,” Haden said. “Most of my art is with found objects. Currently, I’m working on a series of torsos using piano parts and zipper pulls from airport luggage. I also cut holes in everything metal. I like to play with the positive and negative
space.” But with COVID-19 came closures and cancellations of everything. The art community, especially, has been hit hard. Another aspect is the loss of socializing, a rather huge component to the art car community and gallery open-
ings. “With no art opening at the gallery for the time being and no parade, I decided to have a series of small art car events,” Haden said. In true artist style, Haden organized several tributes to the Art Car Parade in the form of processionals. A processional is legal as long as participants follow traffic laws. The first processional happened May 10 and began on the esplanade of Heights Boulevard in front of the Art Car Museum. “More people than expected showed up, but that wasn’t a problem because there was no traffic. The streets were empty,” Haden said. “We made our way down Montrose Boulevard heading for the Medical Center and Hermann Park before heading up through the Heights. Everyone involved enjoyed it and felt a little more normal even if it was for only an hour.” For the second event in June, Haden created a scavenger hunt with 20 items that drivers would have to snap a photo with them or their art car in the picture. This processional lasted about an hour
and 40 minutes. “Saturday, August 22 was my dog Mrs. Jones’ 13th birthday and my friend Haider Ali from Pakistan was suppose to be here painting art cars across the USA as he has the last 18 summers,” Haden said. “So I decided to have this event be Haider Ali Day. “I was happy to see my art car family and that a small group showed,” Haden added. “A small taste of normal, sort of. We ended in a secret art car hideout location and had fun talking and admiring each other’s artful masks.” Nov. 7 is World Art Car Day, and there’s a very good chance the annual nighttime processional will take place. Follow houstonartcarklub.com for details on art car activities. Follow Haden on Instagram at instagram.com/hadenstudios and visit hadenstudios. com. I spied some of his cool new piano art! Cohen is an artist and founder of the First Saturday Arts Market and the Market at Sawyer Yards. Find him at ArtValet.com for additional highlights and artist’s stories.
REVIEW:
Morningstar boasts great items, cool packaging milk, and I wasn’t disappointed. Morningstar Address: 4721 N. Main St. Hours: 6:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. daily Pricing: $7-$20, $2.75 per
Zarah Parker Managing Editor
The medieval knight riding a horse while holding a chain connected to a pink donut on the Morningstar donut box is charming. The scene is complete with a few landscape details, trees and grass, and behind the knight is a floating open door with a swirl of donuts flying through it. I’ll admit I get distracted by pretty packaging. It doesn’t change how I taste what’s in the package, but it gets my dining experience started on a positive note. The best part was that not only was Morningstar’s box cool, the donuts inside were good. I tasted the plain glazed, Boston cream, almond twist and blueberry glazed cake donut. My favorite is a tossup between the Boston cream and the almond twist. The glazed is dense dough covered in a nice layer of glaze. It’s good, but it’s not a glazed donut I’d go out of my way for. The blueberry glazed cake donut was wonderful on the inside, but I thought the glaze on the outside was too much. The Boston cream was a circular donut filled with cream with chocolate icing on top. The bread-to-cream ratio
donut Kid-friendly: Yes Alcohol: No Healthy options: Yes Star of the show: Chicken sausage and egg biscuit
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was perfect. The cream was rich and was great with the chocolate icing. The almond twist was topped with a layer of almondflavored icing sprinkled with slices of almond. I pulled the donut apart as I ate it, making it easy to eat. It tasted fresh and I especially liked the touch of adding almond slices on top. The one kolache I tried was the everything bagel. Instinct told me it wasn’t an actual kolache, but it was. The kolache bread was topped with different seasonings and inside was
a cream cheese mixture that turned out to be a little spicy. I’m not a huge fan of cream cheese, but the bread of the kolache was so soft and once I tasted the filling, I was hooked. I also tried breakfast and brunch items off the menu. On the breakfast side, I went with the chicken sausage and egg biscuit. I liked that I had to option to choose how the eggs were cooked. I chose scrambled. The biscuit was delicious and full of butter. It broke apart pretty easily, though, so I had to be careful handling the sandwich.
The next was more on the brunch/lunch side. The Shaken Salad came with chicken that was still warm, cucumbers, tomatoes, crispy rice and spring mix tossed in a lime vinaigrette dressing. It was a light, refreshing salad that would have been perfect for an on-the-go lunch. Morningstar’s iced coffee also helped me through the day and came in cute packaging as well. The clear cup was decorated with strip of a pattern of leaves. Another endearing touch. My iced coffee had vanilla, honey and whole
FOOD BRIEFS:
Burger Joint owners to open taco concept
Tha you for making us Thank Number One again! BBest e Donuts/Kolaches 3410 Ella Blvd. at 34th St. (713) 682-4343
FREE DOZEN DONUT HOLES Buy a dozen donuts and get • 1 dozen donut holes FREE! ALL offers Good at Ella location only. One coupon per visit. Tax not included. Not valid in conjunction with other coupons.
HAVE YOU HAD THE BEST LATELY?
By Zarah Parker zarah@theleadernews.com
Matthew Pak and Shawn Bermudez opened The Burger Joint in the Heights earlier this year, and now the duo will be opening a new concept this fall in the same neighborhood. The Taco Stand will be located at 2018 N. Shepherd Dr., and will have a patio and full drive-through service. The menu will include street-style tacos such as pastor, barbacoa, lengua and carnitas all served with onions and cilantro on house-made corn and flour tortillas. Vegan and vegetarian options will be available as well. Burritos and frozen margaritas are also on the menu. “I know people will be curious why we are deciding to go traditional Mexican,” Pak said in a news release. “I love the culture and traditional Mexican cuisine is my favorite food. My wife is Mexican, my kids speak Spanish and Houston’s love for tacos is never-ending.” The Taco Stand will be open from 6 a.m.–midnight Sunday through Thursday and 6 a.m.– 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Mini donut shop opens inside BCK The California-based shop Miss Mini Donuts opened inside of the American restaurant BCK at 933 Studewood St. Co-owner of BCK, Leslie Nguyen, also founded Miss Mini Donuts.
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We make insurance simple. Contributed photo Shawn Bermudez and Matthew Pak, owners of The Burger Joint in the Heights, are opening another local restaurant called The Taco Stand.
The shop is known for its small donuts that are decorated with bright colors and unique toppings, like cotton candy. The donuts come in boxes of 4, 25, 50 or 100. BCK originally closed at the begin-
ning of the pandemic and since reopening has not only included the new donut shop, but has added to its menu, with items such as spicy wings and a new selection of milkshakes.
730 North Post Oak, Ste 120 Houston, TX 77024
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Page 8A • Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020 • The Leader
Bridge, from P. 1A County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen. The advisory said a constable’s office investigator was familiar with the two homeless people and contacted them via Facebook Messenger to see if they were OK, and the investigator was subsequently “advised that a known suspect had started the fire for unknown reasons.” A spokesperson for the constable’s office said the suspect is not one of the two people who had been living under the bridge. When asked if the suspect also is homeless, the spokesperson said in a text message, “Can’t confirm that.” “The Precinct 1 investigator contacted HFD Arson investigators and advised them of the information,” the Aug. 21 advisory to residents reads. “Both individuals whom had been living under the bridge have been interviewed by (Precinct) 1 and HFD investigators. This incident is not being investigated by (Precinct) 1 and all information was turned over to arson investigators with HFD.” HFD has not reported any civilian injuries related to the fire, but said one of its firefighters and an arson investigator were transported to hospitals due to dehydration and becoming overheated at the scene. They were later released, according to an HFD spokesperson.
The Houston Parks Board said it was aware of people living under the bridge but could not say how long they had been there and whether the same people had been there, adding, “The homeless population is very transient and moves locations regularly.” The parks board also said it does not have the authority to take any actions to ensure people are not living under bridges, but reports such issues to the City of Houston, which owns the land where the pedestrian bridge is located. Neither a spokesperson for the Houston Parks and Recreation department nor Marc Eichenbaum, Special Assistant to the Mayor for Homeless Initiatives, responded to voicemails and emails seeking comment. Gary Mosley, a Heights restaurateur who lives in a house near the trail, said a homeless encampment has developed underneath the pedestrian bridge in the last few years. He said trash collects in the area, which he considers a health hazard. “It’s just gotten worse and worse every year,” he said. The Coalition for the Homeless, a nonprofit that provides services to the estimated 4,000 homeless people in the Houston region, said “encampments are not a safe or suitable living
Bakery, from P. 1A
The county encouraged residents to donate to the American Red Cross or other reputable relief organizations. “We’re lucky, we’re grateful, and our hearts and our thoughts are with all our neighbors to the east,” said Houston City Council member Abbie Kamin, whose younger sister is a journalist who was covering the storm in Lake Charles. Late Wednesday afternoon, when it became clear that Houston likely would be spared, Mayor Sylvester Turner and U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee spoke about the need for a dike or coastal spine that would help protect the region from similar storms. Such infrastructure has been proposed since the aftermath of Hurricane Ike in 2008. Turner said, “We need it yesterday. … We’re running out of lives, so to speak.” Added Jackson Lee: “There is the indication that this will not be the last hurricane that we will see in this region. It certainly may not be the last one that’s extremely difficult and devastating. I hope not, but it is an active hurricane season.”
Construction is a few weeks away from completion, and Masson said the health department has come out for inspection every step of the way. Masson said a big help in getting permitting expedited has been Houston City Council member Abbie Kamin, who represents the area in District C. “Fluff Bake Bar is a beloved part of the neighborhood, and, like so many others, a small business struggling to keep going in the midst of COVID,” Kamin said. “My office is always here to help constituents navigate permitting issues, or any other city matter - and we’re so happy to have been able to help. We really appreciate the outpouring of support for the bakery from the community.” After opening just days into the COVID-19 pandemic, Masson said that while the bakery was operating, she felt secure it would make it to the other side of the pandemic. But having to temporarily shut down for construction, which has resulted in no income for the last six weeks, has been hard. “Thankfully my friend Ben (Sassani) started the GoFundMe and my community overwhelmingly gave,” Masson said. “I’m speechless about that. That’s going to help tremendously, because my nest egg is gone. I’ve written all the checks. It’s gone.” The GoFundMe had an original goal of $25,000 and, as of Wednesday, it had raised more than $30,000. The GoFundMe can be found here: https:// www.gofundme.com/f/fluff-bake-barunexpected-rebuild. Masson said the raised funds will cover the construction bills, plus help pay for one month’s rent. “I don’t know how to thank people. Thank you doesn’t seem like enough,” Masson said. “I’m just overwhelmed by the kindness of people.”
“I thought I’d be in an orchestra or teach music,” he said. He went to Wheaton College in Illinois and then on to graduate school in music performance at the University of Michigan. It was there that he met future wife, Katherine, an undergrad percussionist, who would later switch over to industrial engineering. After graduate school, Griffith headed to the New World Symphony, an orchestral training academy in Miami, where he spent three years as a member of a professional orchestra. “In addition to playing music, they also taught us all about the business,” Griffith said. It was during one of his summers away from the orchestra that Griffith pursued another one of his passions, flying. He did 40 hours of training and passed a written test as well as a test ride to get his pilot certificate, which certified him to fly a single-engine airplane. “You could take passengers (with this certificate) but not fly through clouds,” he said. “And you can’t be paid.” The time off reinvigorated his desire to make music a career. After many auditions, Griffith ended up winning an audition to be a percussionist with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. Now married, the Griffiths set up shop in Starke, Florida – home of the state penitentiary – where Katherine could commute to graduate school in Gainesville and Griffith could play in Jacksonville. Still, Griffith had his sights set on a bigger-city gig with a more competitive salary. He continued to audition and made progress – going from making it into the top 15, and
Man on the move One thing that older children, a slower schedule and better finances have allowed Griffith to do is revisit the pilot bug. “It’s been there all along,” he said. “For many years I put it on the shelf.” Last year, he got his instrument rating, which Griffith said is the “next logical step.” It allows him to fly through clouds, but he still can’t be paid. He says he loves the freedom of flying, lack of traffic, and the disci-
plined routine involved in aviation. He and Katherine recently bought out another pilot’s share in an airplane that four pilots share. They look forward to quick trips to see his parents in Dallas and family vacations, minus the hours in the car. One way he is enjoying time in the air and giving back to the community is through the Pilots and Paws program. For no fee, he flies dogs and cats from shelters in this area to places where there is a greater demand for them. He has done about five trips with 10-12 tethered animals each trip. “They fall asleep when they get in the air,” he said. In addition to planes, Griffith also has a thing for cars. He bought and remodeled a Toyota MR2 four years ago. “It was a car that was popular when I was a college student,” Griffith said. “I thought it was the most beautiful car I’d never seen, and had been thinking of it ever since then.” Griffith says he has always liked fixing and building things ever since he figured out how to repair his brakes in graduate school. He has remodeled the family’s kitchen, too. Oh, and he’s a triathlete to boot. “We were living with another family after our house flooded in Hurricane Ike (in 2008), and they invited me to join them for an upcoming short-distance triathlon,” he said. “That got me hooked.” Griffith said he loves the Oak Forest area even though it’s not the “best kept secret” it used to be. “It’s the family atmosphere,” he said.
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bridge, just northwest of Studemont Street. “The is such an active area along White Oak Bayou,” the parks board said, “and we know it was disappointing to many trail users.”
then into the top four. “I practiced four hours a day for seven years,” he said. Right before his 30th birthday, Griffith got the job in Houston. “It’s hard to describe how exciting that was,” he said. They first lived in an Oak Forest rental after the area was recommended by a friend and then moved to their current home in Ella Lee Forest. Son Ben was born in 2007. Daughter Katie and son Adam followed. In regular times, Griffith performs with the orchestra about 300 times a year. He plays drums, cymbals, tambourines, hand drums and mallet instruments like the xylophone. He says he finds the experience of performing for an audience “amazingly rewarding.” While COVID-19 has presented challenges to performing, the orchestra has done a televised concert and is currently livestreaming regular performances of smaller orchestral ensembles. “It’s been a nice change of pace to play some of the smaller, more intimate pieces,” he said.
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Contributed graphic The map above illustrates a detour route to cross White Oak Bayou on the MKT/Heights Hike-andBike Trail.
Griffith, from P. 1A
get a permit to install the hood vent. She said the city approved it and sent it to the health department. But according to Masson, the health department realized it had never seen blueprints for the grease trap, something that should have happened during construction and before Masson took possession of the building, she said. Masson does not own the property, according to information on the Harris County Appraisal District website. A health department spokesperson did not respond to questions about Fluff Bake Bar’s permits before press time. “On the 16th (of July) the health inspector came, showed me the email with the subject line ‘bootleg bakery’ and said I was ordered to be temporarily closed because of illegal construction,” Masson said. “And I had to submit plans to the city for plan review.” According to Masson, the health department told her the employees who passed her inspections previously had not done their jobs correctly in not asking for blueprints back in March. After submitting a plan review for the city, Masson said she had to wait two weeks before she was told by the health department that the grease trap had to be completely removed from the ground. She said she had to buy a different grease trap and install it outside. A plumbing line had to be replaced, Masson said, and she had to put in a bigger hot water heater as well as install the hood vent. Another change that the city mandated was related to the bathrooms inside the bakery, Masson said. Because of the occupancy load, 19 people, Masson said she was told she would have to remodel the one bathroom into one male and one female bathroom, each with its own toilet and sink.
Laura, from P. 1A
environment, neither for people experiencing homelessness nor for nearby residents.” The coalition said members of the public can email info@thewayhomehouston.org if they see a homeless person in need, and the coalition will direct outreach teams to the location. “It’s important to keep in mind that it does take time for outreach teams to build trust with people experiencing homelessness, so results don’t always happen overnight,” the coalition said. The parks board said it was “so disheartening” to see the fire damage the bridge, which it had recently repaired on behalf of the city. Work was completed in July to remove two timber piles that supported the bridge and replace them with steel columns, with the idea of ensuring long-term structure stability. Now the bridge must again be repaired. And in the meantime, trail users must take a detour in order to cross White Oak Bayou and Interstate 10 to access Sawyer Yards or downtown. Instead of proceeding southeast across the bridge, trail users must go northwest to Heights Boulevard, take the Paul Carr Jogging Trail south across Interstate 10, and then head northeast along the White Oak Bayou Greenway until it connects to the other side of the
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