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Molotov cocktails thrown in Lazybrook

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Photo from Facebook Two Molotov cocktails were thrown at homes on the same Lazybrook street last weekend.

Heights-area residents are on alert after Molotov cocktails were thrown onto two residential properties on the same street early Sunday morning.

The Houston Police Department and Houston Fire Department’s arson division are investigating the incidents, according to HPD spokesperson Jodi Silva. She said the homemade incendiary devices were thrown in front of two homes in the Lazybrook subdivision at about 3

a.m., resulting in a small patch of burned concrete on one property and a small patch of burned grass on the other.

Although the damage was minor, and no one was injured, one of the impacted residents said there is concern about the possibility of subsequent attacks that could be more severe. The resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said Molotov cocktails also were thrown onto other properties in the Heights over the weekend.

Silva said only the two incidents in Lazybrook had been reported to

Force of Nature

HPD. The public information office for the fire department did not respond to a voicemail and an email seeking comment.

“It’s not the damage. It’s what could have been done or what this person’s going to do next,” the Lazybrook resident said. “If they were to burn a house down, or kill anyone, it’s very alarming.”

The resident said the two Lazybrook homes seemed to be targeted at random, because there was no correlation between the two. There See Cocktails P. 8A

Funds pouring into local race for Congress

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

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Page 7A

In love with LEGOs. Area kids recently got an up-close look at the LEGO Truck.

Page 3B

THE INDEX. Church....................................................... 4A Classifieds.............................................. 5A Coupons................................................... 6B Food/Drink/Art................................... 7A Obituaries............................................... 4A Opinion..................................................... 3A Public Information......................... 7B Puzzles...................................................... 3A Sports......................................................... 8B

Photo by Betsy Denson Mangum Manor residents Sharon MacLean, left, and Mary Steck view a tree sculpture in honor of MacLean’s late sister, Susie.

Tree sculpture honors late area resident

By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com When Mangum Manor’s Mary Steck and Sharon MacLean decided during this year’s hurricane season to take down a precarious tree in their front yard, they had a brainstorm when the crew was halfway done with the job.

“We thought we ought to do a wood sculpture,” Steck said. “We always loved them.”

On impulse, they went online and found Clear Lake artist James Phillips, who earned both renown and a following by carving fallen trees into art after Hurricane Ike. Fortuitously, they were able to speak to Phillips, who told them he needed at least 5 feet of remaining tree to do his work. And because of a job cancellation, Phillips was able to come to work at their house two days later.

Contributed photo When he asked the duo what they wanted, it was MacLean’s idea to carve a coyote. There were a couple of Susie MacLean, foreground, who had Down syndrome and died in 2017, lived with Sharon MacLean, right, and Mary Steck. reasons why, but the biggest was MacLean’s late sister, Susan MacLean, who had lived with them in Texas from started to fail.

1999 until her death in 2017.

“She wanted to be a Texan,” Steck said.

Born in 1953 with Down syndrome, “Susie” was highHer obituary notes that when Susie died, there were functioning and lived a full life with her parents in Massachusetts until her father died and her mother’s health See Sculpture P. 8A

How can you tell which local political race is the most hotly contested?

Like most things in life, by following the money.

The campaign for congressional candidate Sima Ladjevardian, an Iranian-born attorney and activist, has raised more than that of any other Democrat involved in a locally relevant race that will be contested on Nov. 3.

She had received more than $1.67 million in contributions as of the Federal Election Commission’s June 30 filing deadline – more than twice as much as Ladjevardian the campaign for U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who is seeking a 14th term in District 18.

But in District 2, where Ladjevardian is running, her fundraising pales in comparison Crenshaw to that of Republican incumbent Dan Crenshaw. The Scottish-born former Navy SEAL, who was first elected in 2018 to represent a congressional district that includes the western part of Oak Forest and the Heights area, had raised more $9.29 million as of the end of June.

Crenshaw’s campaign also had more than $4.02 million in remaining funds, leaving him with plenty of resources heading into the final stage of election season. Ladjevardian had a little more than $545,000 cash on See Finance P. 8A

City experiencing shortage of replacement bins

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

Three months after the City of Houston started charging residents a monthly fee to lease their garbage and recycling bins, there are not enough to go around.

Harry Hayes, director of the city’s Solid Waste Management Department, said it has had a shortage of bins for at least a month because of supply chain issues related to

the COVID-19 pandemic. He said there is a nationwide shortage of bins because more people are staying home more often and producing more residential trash.

Hayes said an order of 15,000 bins placed a few months ago to Toter, the company that manufactures the city’s garbage and recycling carts, did not start to arrive until Monday.

As a result, Hayes said residents who requested replacement bins up to about six weeks ago just recently

started to receive them. He said the department strives to replace lost or damaged bins within seven days of when they are requested.

On July 1, per a vote by the Houston City Council, residents began paying a mandatory monthly fee of $1.14 to lease their bins from the city, which requires trash and recycling customers to use citysupplied carts.

See Garbage P. 8A

Photo by Adam Zuvanich Some area residents have had to wait longer than usual for replacement bins from the city.

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THE TOPICS. The Leader • Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020 • Page 3A

Take off the political hats; grill a burger T ell me if this sounds familiar: Your favorite college or professional football team has been back in action for the past few weeks and, for some reason, you aren’t incredibly excited. Something feels off.

This isn’t just a football thing, either. The energy level around the Rockets’ playoff run amounted to little more than a local whimper.

On top of that, the Astros are in the midst of an unlikely playoff run, and the level of Houston pride is barely palpable.

If I’m going to use sports as an analogy to life, you should know I do understand there may be an actual sports-related reason for the lack of local interest.

Everyone knew the Rockets couldn’t advance in the playoffs – not with their hare-brained experiment of finding the smallest possible players to compete in the NBA. Heck, apparently coach Mike D’Antoni didn’t even want to stick around for another year of that.

The Astros probably don’t have the pitching to make it through another round, not to mention the sour taste we all have of the miracle kids of 2017, who apparently lifted half the trash cans washed away in Hurricane Harvey and used them as modern-day smoke signals for pitching signs.

It’s no better for Texans fans, who have replaced masks with headcovering paper bags. An 0-4 start,

Jonathan McElvy Publisher

coupled with squandered draft picks and an emperor coach just shown the door, does not lend itself to street parties.

And it’s not much better for local Cowboy fans around town, much less the hapless Longhorns or Aggies, who have coaches earning a combined $12.5 million this year and a slim chance the schools will combine to win 12 games this season.

OK, so the Houston sports scene may be the worst model to share my hypothesis on the anemic energy levels usually devoted to our favorite sports teams. Which means you must excuse the following “humblebrag” as I remind our long-time readers (or inform our new ones) that I’m a native Alabamian whose first known words were “Roll Tide.”

That’s right, I am not some bandwagon Alabama fan – I was born a mile from Bryant-Denny Stadium and my Houston-born children may as well have been, too.

After a couple of years of mediocre seasons (meaning Alabama did not compete for, or win, the national

championship) we have a team this year that will be hard to beat. In fact, most serious college football fans would tell you it wouldn’t be completely unfair to end the college season right now and allow Alabama and Clemson to pay a 3-game series to determine this year’s champ.

(Here’s looking at you, Ohio State fans.)

In other words, I’m not wearing paper sacks or silently cursing my coach and quarterback, yet even I feel like something is off to this year’s football season.

Obviously, I know many of you are not die-hard sports fans, which means you’ve probably moved on to another story by now. But for those of you still around, don’t you find it interesting that in a year when we’ve needed a diversion more than ever, we hardly care about some of our favorite diversions?

If you remember back to the early months of the COVID crisis, anyone remotely interested in sports couldn’t wait for professional and college sports to return to TV. We swore it would be the panacea to the doldrums of lockdowns and social distancing.

Except that hasn’t happened at all, has it? If you don’t believe me, let’s go to the ratings.

According to an outfit called Sports Media Watch, which tracks TV ratings for sports programs, viewership has plummeted. The NBA Finals are a train-wreck. Game

A one-track mind MY OFFICE – Among the many family photos I have on my wall -- true, some are front and side shots with numbers across their chests -- is one taken on Sept. 3, 1900. It’s of locomotive number 183, with a coal car and several cars behind.

Lined up in front are the train’s crew, including Walter Lynn Cox, the 19-year-old conductor. He’s my maternal grandfather who came to Texas at 9 months old in a covered wagon. I bore you with my family history because my grandfather, who lived next door to us, gradually worked his way up the corporate ladder to Grand Wizard or some such title, one stop being the conductor on the Houston-to-Dallas passenger route. That’s a novel idea, running a passenger train between these two Texas cities.

Actually, at one time there were several trains making that route each way daily.

Now some folks are trying it again with an operation variously called The Texas Bullet Train, The Texas High-Speed Rail, the Texas Central HighSpeed Rail, and the private company developing it, Texas Central. They plan to build a bullet train route of 240 miles going 200 mph between Houston and Dallas, perhaps with a stop at Bryan/College Station.

Running time from H-Town to Big D: 90 minutes. During rush hours trains would leave every 30 minutes.

There is a whole lot for us to consider, and many Central Texans are biting the bullet, so to speak. For instance, does that 90 minutes mean only the time on the rails? Southwest Airlines flies between Hobby and Love Field in 55 minutes, but these days we’ve got to add on the time spent going through security, taking off your boots, wig, and gun belt while standing there as the TSA bag inspector holds up a Hustler and asks loudly, “Is this the latest issue?” Then you wait to board but are delayed because of bad weather. An actual plane trip can take hours.

Also, can the booze cart on the plane generate the same camaraderie as the bar car? The proposed line in Houston would run through northwest Harris County roughly along U.S. 290 and head north after Hockley, but the trains probably can’t go 200 mph through the Heights.

Will the stations be covered, air conditioned and downtown or in Quonset huts located north of Conroe and south of Oak Cliff ? Do you get frequent rail miles?

Then there is the money.

It’s always about the money, isn’t it? The project will cost billions. Texas Central has said since 2016 it is privately funded. Much of the money will come from the Japan Bank of International Cooperation.

But company officials have said they may look at federal loan programs open to most

Lynn Ashby Columnist

railroads and public agencies to finance some of the project.

Wait a minute. Federal loans?

Is that a first step? The company is also dangling lots of jobs.

A Houston Chronicle headline cited “billions of jobs” even though the story didn’t say so.

As for using local talent, Texas Central has hired Italian construction giant Salini Impregilo to lay the high-tech rails. It will purchase the trains from Central Japan Railway. They will be a Shinkansen N700S -- the latest model used in Japan for more than 50 years, only this version is lighter and faster -and has a contract with Spanish rail operator Renfe to run the show. Just how many Texans get jobs?

Bureaucracy gets involved.

Federal agencies from the EPA to the Surface Transportation Board to OSHA and the Federal Railroad Administration are having a say. We must suppose that one government department will not take it up: The Texas Railroad Commission, which dropped all connections with railroads in 2005. Another problem is NIMBY, Not in My Back Yard. The line will run through 11 Texas counties and there is organized opposition to this project. County judges argue that the line could take hundreds of acres off the tax rolls. Angry landowners have refused to allow surveys for the line through their back 40.

There is also eminent domain.

Landowners have gone to court to oppose the company’s right to condemn property since Texas Central owns no tracks or trains – yet -- and say it can’t cite the eminent domain rights for railroads under Texas law. A district judge in Leon County ruled the company was not entitled to eminent domain rights, but it was challenged and overturned by an appellate court. The company is attempting to avoid going through private property while offering to buy land above its appraised value. Texas Central already has a preferred route with roughly 30 percent of parcels needed purchased.

But there are positives to this plan, if true. The project is expected to have a $36 billion positive economic impact on the City of Houston through a promised 1,500 jobs needed for operation. Officials estimate that 14,500 cars will be taken off of I-45 a day, cutting down on wrecks, pollution and DUIs. This last point is significant.

Think of every Saturday in the fall after football games at College Station. Hordes of drunk

Aggies won’t have to drive back to Houston or Dallas. I hope the backers of the bullet train pull it off, but don’t pack your bags yet. They say constructions may begin before the end of 2020 and is expected to take up to six years.

Back to my grandfather. On one trip my mother, then a little girl, and her mother were passengers and my grandfather was the conductor. A passenger said he didn’t have a ticket and wasn’t going to buy one. Walter Lynn Cox opened a window, stuck the guy’s head out the window and slammed it down on his neck, then proceeded to kick him in the butt. My mother and grandmother started crying. Then grandpa pulled the guy to the door, tossed him out of the moving train and threw his bag after him. Oh, I do love trains.

Ashby is trained at ashby2@comcast.net

1 between the Lakers and Heat had 7.4 million viewers. Last year, Game 1 between the Raptors and Warriors had 15.1 million viewers.

That’s down by half, and the Lakers are a national brand. Major League Baseball has seen enormous drops in the playoffs, and even the NFL isn’t immune to declining interest.

There are all sorts of reasons for this. Some say it’s the athletes taking up social justice causes, and it’s not intellectually honest to completely blow that off as part of the reason.

It’s not the main reason, but it fits in the discussion. Then there’s the coalescence of all sorts of sports piling up at once – when did the NBA, MLB and NFL ever all play on the same night? Attention does get diverted.

Some will say having no crowds at the games makes for bad TV viewing.

Others will argue that COVID has taught us to live without athletic entertainment. But I’d argue we were all begging for sports a few months ago.

Here’s my theory: Our political parties have become our only allegiance. Maybe this is an electionyear phenomenon, but I’m not so sure. This year, you’re either Team Biden or Team Trump, and every ounce of your emotional energy is devoted to your political team.

We’ve replaced Thursday Night Football with Thursday Night Debates. We’ve replaced Longhorn hats

with Biden/Harris paraphernalia.

We’ve replaced A&M jerseys with MAGA shirts.

You see, I think most normal people only have so much excess emotion outside of their homes, churches and jobs. And most years, we save our excess energy for Opening Day, or the NBA Finals, or Texans tailgates, or Alabama competing for National Championships.

This year, we can’t take a step without being reminded of national politics. It consumes our social media feeds, appears during every commercial break, rears its ugly head during lunches or family gatherings.

Political parties, I fear, have become our greatest and only allegiance, and following the drain of a pandemic, we’ve left no room to enjoy loyalties some of us have held dear our entire lives.

And if you don’t think that’s a damning indictment of our national culture today, then maybe our priorities have been manipulated. I’m sorry: National government is important, but there’s more to life than the power-grab of Washington, D.C. For all you once-faithful Houston sports fans, I know this year is tough, but consider taking off the political pins for a day and throwing some burgers on the grill. If you need one, I’ve got a Bama hat you can wear, and we’ve got plenty of room on our bandwagon.

Email jonathan@mcelvymedia.com

THE READER. Cite and Release (et cetera)

Email us your letters: news@theleadernews.com

Dear Editor: Regarding “City authorizes ‘cite and release’ program” (Leader Oct. 3): In order to reduce the non-violent-offender jail population and keep HPD officers on the streets by decreasing their administrative burdens, Mayor Sylvester Turner has executive-ordered a program whereby mere tickets will now be issued for certain malfeasances. As for the ones involving criminal mischief, graffiti, petty theft, theft of services -respective amounts from $100 to $749, $100 to $2,499, between $100 and $749, again between $100 and $749 -- behold some questions: Precisely when, where, how and by whom will these values be determined? Repairing a seemingly minor casual key scratch on an auto can easily fly higher than $749. The remediation of graffiti (which is not art but vandalism) can exceed $2,500 during the first 15 minutes of an hour’s work. Petty theft, yes, can involve shoplifted items with price tags -- but what about stealing a neighborhood immigrant painter’s perfectly functioning three-year-old compressor? Does that stolen asset’s worth for citation purposes be cost, or market, or depreciated net book value? Will HPD have, on standby ready to parachute into each “petty” crime scene, teams of appraisers, auditors, or actuaries or what?

There’s an old saying in business: Nothing is as devastating to an opinion as a number. Well, Mayor Turner has provided some numbers.

But, however -- that said -- just how will those numbers be ascertained, specified, verified,

and according to whose opinion? P.S. Consultation with my long-time live-in common-law domestic-partner significant-other spousal unit indicates that The Leader’s “Reader’s Choice” designations would be substantially more interesting if Leader patrons were asked to submit not the best, but the WORST entities in each category. Just imagine if the survey included neurosurgeons... you know, the worst neurosurgeons in the Heights...

J. Reynolds

From icon to eyesore: Plans for Sears still up in air

Dear Editor: It will just turn into a bunch of mixed-retail medium rise apartments. There’s no imagination in Houston development.

Lauriston Brewster Dear Editor: Please build retail and not Section 8 housing or apartments.

Tim Lassiter

Report: Abbott sued over order limiting ballot drop-off locations

Dear Editor: Do agree there should be more than one drop location. However also heard it was a rule put in place many years ago. I do not know by whom but if true it needs to be modified.

Kevin David

the leader Puzzlers.

Answers found in this week’s Classified section

SUDOKU

aCrOss

1. Humbug 4. Meaningless talk 10. Conceit 11. Not studied 12. Megabyte 14. When born (abbr.)

15. Placed on a golf ball stand 16. Melekeok is the capital 18. Mischievous 21. Mason’s mortars 23. Spain’s former monetary unit 25. Small fries 27. Article 28. Capital of Yemen 29. Type of Theater companies 31. Plastic, paper or shopping 32. Electronic countermeasures 35. Language along the lower Yenisei River 37. Institute legal proceedings against 38. Beam 39. Old World buffalo 40. Latch onto 42. Physical therapy

43. Conditions of balance 48. Half pro 50. Resounded 52. Sales event 53. Separates seating areas 54. N.M. Pueblo people 55. Bridge building degree 56. Fullback 57. Peyote 59. Afflict 60. Rests on one’s knees 61. Having negative qualities

dOwn

1. Besmear 2. Genus dasyprocta 3. A male ferret 4. Unit of volume (abbr.)

5. Italian hors d’oeuvres 6. N.W. German city & port 7. Signal sounds 8. Adult females 9. -__, denotes past 12. Gas usage measurement

13. Fishhook point 17. Mauna __, Hawaiian volcano 19. In a way, thrusts 20. Grimm brothers birthplace 22. Withered; dry 24. Genus salvia 26. About senator 30. Livestock enclosure 32. Work units 33. Hebrew name meaning dog 34. A tumor composed of muscle tissue 36. Satisfy to excess 41. Third mast 42. A horse’s strut 44. Tree producing gum (Arabic) 45. Armour carried on the arm 46. Winged goddess of the dawn 47. Ego 49. Hesitancy 51. Young woman of society 55. Founder of Babism 57. Mark (abbr.)

58. Jeans maker’s initials

WORD SCRAMBLE

Page 4A • Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020 • The Leader

Middle school finds creative outlet to showcase talent

By April Petronella For The Leader

In spite of the challenges of COVID-19, Frank Black Middle School is welcoming an enrollment of 1,368 students for the 2020-21 school year — the largest enrollment in the school’s 63-year history. This large group of students along with their parents and the school faculty and staff are pressing forward in what is shaping up to be a unique but exciting school year.

According to wraparound resource specialist Tim Welton, “Though almost everything is more challenging given the constraints of the pandemic, all parts of the FBMS community are working to use the talent and tools available to make sure that we have a good school year.�

The school year is kicking off with a creative way to showcase the talents of the school community and partner with the public: a virtual talent show called Panther Talent Unmasked. “Panther Talent Unmasked is a virtual fundraiser created by our PTO to

not only raise funds but to also support our school culture as a fun, creative and innovative middle school,�

Welton said. “Making sure middle school is fun is an important part of the Frank Black experience.�

The event is the brainchild of the Frank Black Middle School Parent Teacher Organization spearheaded by a group of moms of incoming sixth graders. The PTO has long sponsored a fall fundraiser, but most fundraising options used in the past were largely unsupportable this year because of the realities of COVID-19.

Undaunted by the limitations, the PTO and school staff were able to come up with something truly unique — something that truly puts the fun in fundraising.

First, students and school faculty and staff will record and submit 15-second videos of their talent performance: music, dance, acrobatics, magic tricks and more. The videos will be posted on a secure YouTube channel. Using the hashtag #PantherTalentUnMasked, participants can share the link with their network

and the broader community. Community members can then vote on their favorite entries through a voting link that simultaneously makes a donation to the Frank Black Middle School PTO. Each vote costs $1, and voting is open to all.

Awards will be given in three categories: individual student, student group and faculty and staff. Each category includes multiple award designations: most money raised, most individual votes and a special student choice award. Frank Black students can also participate in the voting by using virtual funds earned through assignment completion to vote for their favorite videos.

Voting will run from Oct. 26-Nov. 2, and anyone can vote as many times as desired by making a donation of $1 for each vote they wish to cast. The PTO is also looking for sponsor partners to donate funds for prizes and help make the event a success.

Sponsorship information can be obtained by contacting fundraiser@ fbmspto.org.

Contributed photo Jacob Gamez, an eighth grade band member at Frank Black Middle School, is among the students participating in Panther Talent Unmasked.

HISD bringing D.A.R.E program to area schools

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Houston ISD announced Monday that the district is bringing the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program to select campuses, including five in or near the area.

HISD said there will be eight campuses where D.A.R.E. classes will be offered beginning with the Spring 2021 semester. Among them are

Booker T. Washington High School and Burrus Elementary in Independence Heights, Highland Heights Elementary and Williams Middle School in Acres Homes and Frank Black Middle School in Oak Forest.

The partnership between State Rep. Jarvis Johnson of District 139, D.A.R.E. America, the HISD Police Department and Houston Police Department will train 42 officers – 35 from HISD and seven from HPD – to give them tools for

Johnson

helping students “address bullying and make good decisions for safe and healthy living,� according to HISD. “The program will also create an opportunity for police officers and children alike to build positive relationships with each other and the community,� the district said in a news release.

The program also will be offered at Kennedy, Osborne and Wesley elementary schools.

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By Adam Zuvanich Houston ISD students, parents and staff can track the number of COVID-19 cases on specific campuses and throughout the district with an interactive online tool launched last week on the HISD website.

HISD said its COVID-19 dashboard, available at www. houstonisd.org/covid19dashboard, was developed using Texas Education Agency guidelines for reporting cases of the new coronavirus and will be updated daily. It includes a map

Lathan

that outlines cases throughout the district, which includes nearly 196,000 students and

more than 27,000 staff members.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the dashboard indicated there were 64 cases throughout the district — 54 among staff and 10 among students. There were two cases among staff at Stevens Elementary and one apiece at Garden Oaks Montessori Magnet and Heights High School, with the latter campus also having a case among students. There also was one case among staff at HISD headquarters at 4400 W. 18th St. HISD began the 2020-21 school year Sept. 8 with virtual

online learning and plans to return to in-person, on-campus instruction Oct. 19. “As we navigate this pandemic together, we want to ensure that we are transparent as we provide crucial updates,�

HISD interim superintendent Grenita Lathan said in a news release. “This new dashboard will give our staff members and families the information they need in an accessible and easyto-use way to make informed decisions.�

For more information on HISD’s reopening plan, visit www.houstonisd/reopening.

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THE OBITUARIES. Eleanor E. O’Brien, 92, born July 14, 1928, died Oct. 5.

Steven Allen Glaze, 70, born Nov. 9, 1949, died Oct. 1. He is survived by his mother, Louise Glaze, his loving wife of 41 years, Bobbie Glaze, his daughter Tracy Motley and husband Jay Motley, his son Randy Glaze and wife Suzanne Glaze, six grandchildren and a greatgrandson.

Marie Ruth Kopycinski Hemphill, 86, born Oct. 1, 1933 in Richmond, Texas,

died Sept. 27. She was an active member of the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church Altar Society for more than 35 years. Hemphill is survived by her husband of 67 years, Robert Hemphill; three children Robert A. and Joy Hemphill, Terri and Chris Picard, Donna Hemphill and Jana Ostergrant, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Michael John Hinton Sr., 79, born April 19, 1941, died Oct. 1.

Lily Jeanette Holland,

born Sept. 17, 2020, died Sept. 18.

14 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Jesse B. Moreno, 68, born March 1, 1952, died Sept. 23. Moreno began his career in the funeral profession more than 40 years ago. He is survived by his wife Patricia Moreno, children Christine Moreno, Joe Anthony Moreno and his wife Melissa, Michael George Moreno and his wife Amanda and David Charles Moreno and his wife Casey, siblings Guadalupe Villegas, George Moreno, Carlos Moreno and Ernest Moreno,

Daniel Joseph Rudroff, 76, born April 27, 1944 in Jefferson City, Mo., died Sept. 28. Rudroff enlisted into the U.S Marines Corps from 1962 thru 1965 he earned the rank of Corporal during the Vietnam War. He had a career in the oil and gas industry. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Patricia Rudroff, sons Jay and Brad Albineda, and two grandsons.

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CHURCH CHURCH D I R E CDIRECTORY T O RY

Don’t F Say Th

By Pasto

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 thoughts about something.

Weekly Sunday Services Gethsemane Lutheran 1602 ChurchWest 43rd St. • Houston, Tx 77018 • 713-686-1577

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 to say thank you.� She was • Morning:10:30 a.m.

We invite you to worship with us!

Arise Baptist Church grandmother for the wonde • Evening: 4:15 p.m.

Weekly Worship Services 9:00 a.m.

803 Curtin St. Houston TX 77018 family member that gave me 1700 West 43 rd at Rosslyn Sunday School & Bible Classes 10:30 am Please visit our website at: Sund 713-682-4942 invited me to their birthday Program • Mon. - Fri. 9-2 p.m.

713-659-9697Preschool • www.arisebaptistchurch.org • 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 that being thankful is impo • Morning:10:30 a.m.

Ad # 32285 We invite you to worship with us!

Wed for the following: always to be thankful depend • Evening: 4:15 p.m.

Weekly Worship Services 9:00 a.m.

The Bible says in Ephesians Sunday Services: Live Stream at 11:00am 1700 West 43 rd at Rosslyn Sunday School & Bible Classes 10:30 am things unto God and the Fat 713-682-4942 Christ.� I would encourage y click on Program • Mon. - Fri. 9-2 p.m.

Bible Studies: From Homepage,Preschool Join us for Services www.gethsemanelutheran.org Pastor – Dr. Richard Walters this holiday season to reme Connect/Small Groups in English or Spanish God. He gave up His only So Sunday Morning Worship 8:30 and 11:00 Ad # 32285 Sunday Worship 10am & 5pm so that anyone who trusts hi Sunday School for Children, Youth and Adults 9:40 have eternal life. Don’t forge Sunday Bible Classes 9am Ministries for All Ages If you would like to discus Wednesday Bible Study 7pm Home of Johnson Memorial School for Little Children Pastor Will Cover can be re Rev. Nathan Lonsdale Bledsoe, Pastor 803 Curtin St., or www.ariseb 4215 Watonga Blvd. • 713-681-9365 Pastor Jerry McNamara rg 2003 W. 43rd St. ◆ 713-686-8241 ◆ s t s u m c . oJoin us for Services Houston, TX 77092

St. James Lutheran Church, ELCA

St. James Lutheran Church, ELCA

FINDING REST

He will carry it. My problem is often that I want to carry the load myself or just tell Him about it and continue to carry that burden.

Weekly   If you read the nextSunday couple of Services verses the Gethsemane Lutheran Church Bible says that Jesus will give you rest for your soul. True physical and mental rest are made hildren, emails, text messages, co- possible through spiritual rest. If you are at the Candlelight Church of Christ workers, friends, pets, and family end of yourself, you can find rest for your soul 1822 W. 18th • 713-864-1470 members all have something important in in Jesus. There are many places that people common, they all require attention and energy. are searching for rest, but true rest can only be This year has taken a toll on financial situations, found in Him. He is the only one strong enough Gethsemane Lutheran Church relationships, and physical and mental health. to bear every burden. He is the only one kind I love what Jesus’ words when He said, “Come enough to wipe away every tear. He is the only 4040 Watonga • 713-688-5227 in laden, English or Spanish Sunday Morning Worship 8:30 11:00 unto me, alland ye that labor and are heavy one near enough to never leave you nor forsake We invite youSunday to worship with us!

Sunday Worship 10am & 5pm School for Children, andyou Adults and Youth I will give rest.�9:40 Everywhere you turn you.

If you 9am need rest, come to Jesus. He will Sunday Bible Classes Ministries Ages is something or someone clamoring Weekly Worship Services 9:00a.m . for Allthere for Bible give you rest as He bears your burden with you.

Wednesday Study 7pm ofcan Johnson Memorial School Little Children OnlineHome services be reached yourfor attention and energy. Jesus gives rest. If Rev.below Nathan Bledsoe, Pastor Blvd. • 713-681-9365 through the website at 9:00Lonsdale am. your load is heavy you can bring it to Him4215 and Watonga ◆ stsumc.org 2003 W. 43rd St. ◆ 713-686-8241 Houston, TX 77092 1822 W. 18th • 713-864-1470

C

Candlelight Church of Christ

www.gethsemanelutheran.org

The Leader • Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020 • Page 5A

Abbott sued over order limiting ballot dropoff locations

By Adam Zuvanich

vious state guidance allowing counties to provide voters with multiple official ballot drop-off locations.� “To propose only a single, secure drop-off location for a county of our size during a pandemic is ludicrous,� Hidalgo said. “Simply put, mail ballot voters should not be forced to drive 30 miles to drop off their ballot, or be limited to relying primarily on a mail system that’s facing cutbacks. Governor Abbott’s move is transparently about suppression, not security. It is also part of a broader effort by the Trump Administration to confuse voters, discourage voter participation and degrade public confidence in our elections.�

In a lawsuit filed last week, two Texas voters, the League of Women Voters of Texas as well as the Texas and national leagues of the United Latin American Citizens asked a federal judge in

azuvanich@theleadernews.com

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has been sued in federal court over his Oct. 1 decision to limit counties in the state to one drop-off location for voters’ absentee ballots in the upcoming election, according to multiple news reports.

Abbott’s order drew immediate criticism from the top elected officials in Houston and Harris County, which had planned to utilize 12 drop-off locations throughout the region. The county is the third-most populous in the United States, with more than 4.7 million residents and spanning more than 1,700 square miles, and there has been a spike in applications for mail-in ballots amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement released Oct. 1, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said Abbott’s proclamation “reverses pre-

Austin to overturn the governor’s order, according to the Texas Tribune. According to other news reports, separate lawsuits against Abbott have been filed by groups including the Anti-Defamation League and Texas Alliance for Retired Americans.

According to an Oct. 1 news release from the governor’s office, Abbott’s proclamation also “requires early voting clerks to allow poll watchers to observe any activity conducted at the early voting clerk’s office location related to the in-person delivery of a marked mail ballot.� “The State of Texas has a duty to voters to maintain the integrity of our elections,�

Abbott said. “As we work to preserve Texans’ ability to vote during the COVID-19 pandemic, we must take extra care to strengthen ballot security protocols throughout the state. These enhanced security protocols will ensure

greater transparency and will help stop attempts at illegal voting.�

The deadline to register to vote in Texas was Monday.

Early voting is scheduled for Oct. 13-30 – with Abbott having previously expanded the early voting period by six days because of the pandemic – and Election Day is Nov. 3.

Applications for mail-in ballots must be received by the Harris County Clerk’s Office by Oct. 23. Per Texas law, citizens can vote by mail if they are age 65 or older, have a disability, will be out of the county during the election period or are incarcerated but otherwise eligible to vote. “Reducing the number of mail-in ballot drop-off sites from (12) to one is a direct attempt at voter suppression,�

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said in a statement. “We should be focused on making voting more acces-

Photo from Twitter Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has been sued over an Oct. 1 order limiting counties in the state to one dropoff location for absentee ballots.

For more information on how to vote in Harris County, visit harrisvotes.com.

sible and stop trying to create obstacles and distractions with unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud.�

Takeover of Harvey recovery funds could put area housing projects in jeopardy

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

The Texas General Land Office (GLO) received federal approval this week to proceed with its plan to take control of $1.2 billion in funding that was given to the City of Houston to help residents impacted by Hurricane Harvey.

The decision by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to sign off on the Texas GLO’s plan, which comes amidst claims that Houston has not utilized the 3-year-old recovery funds in a timely and efficient manner, could impact at least two multifamily housing projects planned for the Heights and Oak Forest areas, which

were set to receive a total of about $20 million from the city in Harvey recovery money.

The Houston City Council last month approved a $9.09 million loan to nonprofit Avenue CDC for its Avenue on 34th project, a 70-unit affordable housing complex planned for the site of the former Doyle’s Restaurant on West 34th Street. The city also has pledged about $11 million to help fund the Dian Street Villas, a 108-unit affordable housing project planned near Shady Acres. “We hope they are willing to proceed with all the multifamily projects, which will provide over $1 billion of safe, resilient, affordable housing for Houston residents,�

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, referring to the Texas GLO, said in

a Tuesday statement. “One is scheduled to close (Wednesday), and this news puts that project and all other projects in jeopardy. Unfortunately, we cannot fund and go forward with these projects without GLO’s confirmation that we can use the funds that have been already reserved for these projects.�

The Texas GLO’s impending takeover of the Harvey recovery funds is contingent upon the outcome of ongoing litigation with the city, which sued the GLO in July in an attempt to block the takeover. The matter is currently in front of the Texas Supreme Court.

A spokesperson for Avenue CDC said Tuesday that it’s “really too soon to know how this will affect current or future work.� Peter Doyle,

who owned Doyle’s Restaurant and the surrounding property, confirmed the property sale to Avenue CDC was finalized last week. “We are continuing to monitor the situation and remain committed to bringing safe, quality affordable housing to communities where Houston’s working families need it most,� the Avenue CDC spokesperson said.

Texas Inter-Faith Housing executive director Russ Michaels, whose organization is developing the Dian Street Villas, did not respond to a Tuesday text message seeking comment. The project was awarded a federal housing tax credit in July by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA), with the pledged money from the

city also expected to be critical to the overall funding of the project.

A TDHCA spokesperson said department staff, while going through the underwriting process, subsequently determined the Dian Street Villas project to be financially infeasible. Upon appeal by the developer, though, the spokesperson said the TDHCA governing board remanded the project application back to staffers and asked them to work with the developer to clarify the financial details of the project.

So the TDHCA spokesperson said the developer remains in line to receive the tax credit award, which is worth $1.5 million annually over a 10-year period.

Follow Adam Zuvanich on Twitter @AZuvanich

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The Leader • Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020 • Page 7A

Art Valet: Truong helps transform bikes into art Mitch Cohen Art Columnist

Houston BCycle, the nonprofit bike share program, is hosting an art show. The Unicorn Bike Show will take place this Saturday, Oct. 10 from noon-5 p.m. and coincides with The Market at Sawyer Yards and Second Saturday Open Studios at Sawyer Yards.

Find the exhibit under the train shed on Art Alley, 1502 Sawyer St. Houston BCycle invited 10 Houston artists with existing murals to paint 10 new BCycle bikes inspired by their art. The hand-painted bikes can be viewed against a backdrop of large-scale photography of the public art that inspired their designs.

This project was funded by the Houston Arts Alliance in coordination with the City of Houston and features artists Alex Arzu, Daniel Anguilu, Fajar Hassan, Jasmine Ze-

laya, Jessica Guerra, Jessica Rice, Macy Ulbricht, Reginald C. Adams, Royal Sumikat, Skeez181 and Caroline Truong.

Truong is a Vietnamese American, born and raised in Houston. Her parents met in America after fleeing Vietnam when the war ended. Truong graduated from University of Houston with a bachelor’s degree in art education, and after teaching a few years went back to UH and got a master’s in human resources development.

Truong’s BCycle bike is based on a mural she painted in Midtown that includes yellow apricot flowers and red stripes from the southern Vietnamese flag that all make for a colorful bicycle.

“The mural celebrates the Vietnamese community in Houston, which is the thirdlargest in the United States,” Truong said. “Thien An Sandwiches is a well-established Vietnamese family-owned business, which is why I approached them for the mural location.”

Truong’s mural was funded

Photo by Houston BCycle Houston artist Caroline Truong sits in front of her mural at Thien An Sandwiches in Midtown.

by a micro-grant funded by Midtown Houston, the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs and the Houston Arts Alliance.

“I had the idea for this mural before the grant opportunity popped up,” Truong said.

“When I saw the grant open, I thought it was a perfect way to get funding for the project.

“The mural represents both traditional aspects of Vietnamese culture, and the first generation Vietnamese American identity,” she added.

“I included symbols of cultural importance like the yellow apricots, which are the traditional Vietnamese new year flowers. The refugee boat

with the word ‘Dream’ on it symbolizes the arrival of Vietnamese immigrants to Houston and their dreams of coming to America to live in a free country. Many refugees risk their lives by literally hopping on a boat to float in the middle of the ocean hoping to be rescued by another country’s boat. Many did not make it.

“This mural commemorates the sacrifice of those who courageously tried, and those who survived,” Truong continued.

“I painted the yellow southern Vietnam flag with three red stripes over the Houston skyline. This is the flag that is recognized by Vietnamese people in America. You will never see the red flag with the single yellow star, which is the current flag of Vietnam, here in Texas.

I painted ‘Dream Bird’ in the mural to represent the dreams of today’s first-, second-, thirdgeneration Asian Americans, who may see the American dream in a different way than their immigrant parents or ancestors.”

Dream Bird is one of Truong’s creations that she incorporates into many of her

paintings as a symbol of inspiration for mindfulness, selfcare and confidence.

“I was approached by BCycle and referred to them by Cynthia Alvarado from Midtown because she knew I had a public mural in the works through the grant, and wanted to encourage BCycle to give opportunities to women of color,” Truong said. “I got super lucky.

“Showing up and putting myself out there as an Asian American artist is important to me because I feel we are underrepresented, especially for having such a large population of Asians in Houston,” she added.

Visit Truong’s website at carolinetruongart.com.

More information about Houston BCycle is at houstonbcycle.com. Details on the art show can be found at sawyeryards.com/do/unicorn-bikeshow.

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: Focus on hamburgers makes BCK better Zarah Parker Managing Editor

BCK has gone through a few changes since it first opened in the Heights in 2018. While its original menu offered nostalgic staples, the focus of the restaurant shifted to burgers last year.

I visited BCK once before the menu shift and had not gone back. The food was OK, but there was nothing calling me back. After learning about the refocusing to burgers, I was interested in trying BCK again and seeing if it had found its niche.

While the menu still has other items, like wings and steak

and chicken, its center stage is its five different burgers. I ordered the Avocado Eatin’ Californian, which comes with two beef patties, cheddar jack, sprouts, crispy onion, tomato, avocado and creamy ranch.

The burger also comes with a side of crinkle cut or sweet potato fries. I chose the former.

Despite the lack of sprouts, only one thin slice of tomato and it not having as much creamy ranch as I would have wanted, I found myself enjoying the burger. I’d picked it up easily by way of curbside service, so I didn’t notice the measly ingredients until after I was home.

There was plenty of avocado and crispy onion. The crispy onion is an addition I especially loved because their

crunch provided an extra layer to the burger.

The patties were the star, which is why I still liked the burger despite not having as much as on it as I thought it would. They were well done, seasoned and had a rich flavor.

The crinkle-cut fries were lightly seasoned, but pretty basic.

I also sampled two of the wings, one coated in lemon pepper sauce and the other in mild. The wing order came with 12 wings. The lemon one was dryer but the lemon really popped. The mild was tangy with a little zing. The skin on the mild was also rubbery in texture. I preferred the lemon pepper because I liked citrus blending into the chicken.

BCK is also doing family packs for the burgers and

wings. Four burgers with fries are $40, which would save you around $5 compared to ordering them separately. The family pack for the wings comes with 36 wings for $40.

I found that BCK changed for the better, and I look forward to trying another burger on its menu.

BCK Address: 933 Studewood St. Hours: 3-9 p.m. TuesdayThursday, 3-10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.9 p.m. Sunday Pricing: $12-$32 Kid-friendly: Yes Alcohol: Yes Healthy options: No Star of the show: Avocado Eatin’ Californian

Photo by Zarah Parker Shown is the Avocado Eatin’ Californian burger at BCK in the Heights during a recent visit.

Piper brothers opening BBQ on Shepherd White Oak venue to

By Zarah Parker zarah@theleadernews.com

A little over a year has passed since Brandon and Justin Piper opened Preslee’s, 1430 W. 19th St., in the Heights. Now the brothers have a new venture featuring barbecue and beer that will have a soft opening this weekend.

Piper’s BBQ & Beer, 2323 N. Shepherd Dr., is a familyowned business headed up by Brandon, Justin and Weston Piper.

“We’ll have really good, down-to-earth Texas barbecue,” Brandon said.

The menu will feature barbecue staples like brisket, pulled pork, sausage, pork ribs, once-a-month beef ribs, smoked turkey and housemade sides. Dessert items will include pecan pie and banana

Contributed photo From left, Brandon Alvarez, Justin Piper, Gerald Colomb, Weston Piper and Brandon Piper of Piper’s BBQ & Beer at 2323 N. Shepherd Dr.

pudding – a favorite at the sister concept, Preslee’s. The restaurant will also have ice-cold beer and canned wine.

“With this restaurant we wanted to be a place where someone can come in and get a good brisket sandwich without paying a lot,” Brandon

said.

Before making improvements to the space, Brandon said it was in bad condition.

They remodeled and added a patio. Inside the space there is limited seating. Most of the seating will be reserved to the patio. Brandon still describes it

as a “hole in the wall” because of the type of vibe he sees the restaurant having: laidback and unassuming.

“It’s down to earth, real relaxed. We don’t plan to do a lot of marketing,” Brandon said.

“It’s a family-owned business.

We don’t plan to be here just a year, but become a staple in the neighborhood.”

With Preslee’s established and doing pre-COVID-19 sales, the Pipers are ready to take on this new venture.

“This concept has a great location, we get plenty of traffic and we know our food,” Brandon said.

The soft opening will be Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. until they sell out of meat. Regular operation times will be Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. until they sell out of meat.

Common Bond is gearing up for Halloween with “spooktackular” cakes. Pre-ordering is available with pick-up at the Heights location at 449 W. 19th St., from Oct 23-31.

One of the treats is the “Trick or Treat Cake” that comes filled with your choice of plain chocolate M&Ms, Reese’s Pieces or Skittles. The flavor of the cake and icing are also customizable.

Another option is the “Spider Cake,” which features hanging spiders around the cake. The other two spooky cakes are the “Friendly Bat Cake,” complete with bat wings, and the “Brain Cake,” which is shaped like a brain and covered in fake blood. The

1717 W. 34th St., is now open in Garden Oaks.

Luce is a café and roastery that makes unique, handcrafted beverages, such as the Creamericano, which is a blend of its house coffee and homemade sweet cream. Patrons can also grab a bag of Luce’s blends to take home.

Contributed photo Common Bond is now offering HAlloween-themed cakes.

favors are customizable.

All four cakes serve 8-10 people and range from $60$85.

Luce Ave Coffee Roasters now open Luce Ave Coffee Roasters,

White Oak Music Hall, 2915 N. Main St., is resuming live concerts with a socially-distanced GRID concert series.

The first show in the lineup is Shakey Graves on Oct. 23-24.

They will be the first live performances at White Oak Music Hall since June, when the venue held one show before having to close down again because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The upcoming concert series will take place on the lawn, which will be sectioned into a “grid” layout. The grids

are 7-feet by 7-feet sections spaced 6 feet part, and each can hold up to six guests.

Tickets are not individually sold, rather the ticket is for the whole grid space. Grid prices range from $95-$1,000, depending on where the grid is. The $1,000 grid includes admission for 10 people in the Tier 1, the hilltop.

Every section has a $125 drink minimum, which can be used on beer, spirits, wine and non-alcoholic options.

The next two concerts in the lineup include Major Lazer on Oct. 26 and Robert Earl Keen on Nov. 21.

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‘Spooktakular’ cakes available at Common Bond

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start concert series

New whiskey bar opens in Heights The Heights recently became home to Permission Whiskey, 2920 White Oak Dr., a bar that boast more than 300 varieties of whiskey.

The establishment, which also serves charcuterie boards and dessert, is headed up by proprietor Peter Nolan.

Oktoberfest all month

long King’s Bierhaus, 2044 E. T.C. Jester Blvd., is celebrating Oktoberfest all month long with food, beer and festivities.

Every Friday and Saturday at 5 p.m., live music will play from the Biergarten, and at 7 p.m. is the Bavarian Strongman Competition.

King’s Oktoberfest menu can be found online at https://res.cloudinary.com/ hn90uqs5e/image/upload/v1591294173/PDF/ Heights--1601596121493.

Steak and bingo night at Drift Every Thursday night is Steak and Bingo Night in the Heights at Drift, 1207 W. 20th

See Food Briefs, P. 8A

Page 8A • Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020 • The Leader

Food Briefs, from P. 7A

Finance, from P. 1A

St. Bingo is free to join and with a dozen or so games, participants can drop by any time after 7 p.m. to play. Prizes include food and drinks, gift cards, Drift shirts, goody jars, Drift RTIC tumblers and more.

Supper begins an hour earlier, at 6 p.m., and is served until around 11 p.m.

hand, which might still be enough to mount a serious threat.

A late-August column in the Washington Post suggested Ladjevardian, who has been endorsed by former President Barack Obama and former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, could unseat Crenshaw come November.

According to the latest federal, state and county campaign finance reports, Democrats hold a significant fundraising advantage over their Republican opponents in just about every other race that’s specific to the area.

Jackson Lee had more than $69,000 in cash on hand, compared to a little more than $33,000 for her Republican challenger, Wendell Champion.

In the race for the District 148 seat in the Texas House of Representatives, according to Oct. 5 reports filed with the Texas Ethics Commission, Democrat Penny Morales Shaw had about a 5-to-1 fundraising lead over Republican Luis La Rotta. He had nearly $5,700 in remaining funds in his bid to turn a historically blue seat red. Morales Shaw, who beat incumbent Anna Eastman in a July primary

sweetFrog partners with Katz Coffee The soft-serve frozen yogurt shop sweetFrog, 1214 W. 43rd St., has partnered with Katz Coffee to bring hot brew into the shop. sweetfrog is now serving Katz Coffee’s Jumping Mouse blend, which was inspired by a take of a jumping mouse who meets a wise frog. A cup of coffee is $1.85 plus tax and is available through Oct. 20. You can choose to add toppings or keep it plain.

Verdine’s Wine School returns Verdine, 449 W. 19th St., is bringing back its monthly wine education and tasting this month.

Sreten Cicic, Verdine’s sommelier, will guide participants through four different wines.

Light snacks will also accom-

Contributed photo The Creek Group is offering 50cent coffee during October.

pany the wine.

This month’s class is from 6-7 p.m. Oct. 15. It will be held on Verdine’s patio to allow for proper social distancing.

To join, register at https:// www.eventbrite.com/e/wineschool-al-fresco-at-verdinetickets-123510191307. Tickets are $20.

50-cent coffee at the creeks The Creek Group is offering guests its creek blend coffees for 50 cents a cup during the month of October.

Locations include Onion Creek, 3106 White Oak Dr., which opens for breakfast at 7 a.m.; Cedar Creek, 1034 W. 20th St.; and Cactus Cove, 3333 W. 11th St.

Cocktails, from P. 1A were no political signs in front of either home, and the resident said there was no indication the homes were targeted because of other social reasons such as race or religion.

Silva said one of the Molotov cocktails, which typically are made with bottles that contain flammable liquids, was made out of a sparkling wine bottle containing batteries and pens. She said the other was made with a green wine bottle and had a piece of cloth, serving as a wick, sticking out of the top of the bottle.

“After looking at some of the videos some of my neighbors shared with (authorities), I did not see the person well enough to know if they were old or young,” the Lazybrook resident said.

“I don’t think it’s some little young teen acting out.”

Silva said HPD did not have surveillance video of the incidents as of Tuesday but would follow up with neighborhood residents to obtain any potential videos of the flammable devices being thrown.

The Lazybrook resident had not heard of Molotov cocktails ever being ignited in the subdivision, calling it a “very safe neighborhood.”

But at least some in the neighborhood, and possibly others nearby, are now on edge about the potential for more.

“People may not think this is a big deal, because they didn’t see what happened,” the resident said. “The reality is it’s a bomb.”

runoff, had more than $26,000 in cash on hand.

The most recent filing for Democratic State Rep. Jarvis Johnson of District 139 was July 15, at which point his campaign had nearly $60,000 in cash on hand. He does not have a Republican opponent but is facing Libertarian Richard Trojacek, whose Oct. 5 filing shows that his campaign has neither raised any money nor spent any money.

The race to succeed Chris Hollins as Harris County Clerk is roughly even, at least in terms of fundraising. Democrat Teneshia Hudspeth has more than $29,000 in cash on hand, compared to more than $25,000 for Republican Stan Stanart, who previously served in the elected role.

Some other key races in the county are not as close from a fundraising standpoint, with Democrats holding a decided edge. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez had nearly $92,000 in remaining funds as of Oct. 5, while Republican challenger Joe Danna had less than $8,500 in cash on hand as of the July 15 filing period. Both have

deep ties to the area, with Gonzalez having grown up in the Heights and Danna having grown up in Lindale Park and later living in Forest Pines and Mangum Manor.

Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Ann Harris Bennett, another incumbent Democrat, has nearly $28,000 in cash on hand. Neither of her opponents, Republican Chris Daniel and Libertarian Billy Pierce, have any according to online campaign finance reports.

Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, a Democrat, is in a similar position. Her campaign had nearly $30,000 in remaining funds as of the July 15 filing, while Republican challenger Mary Nan Huffman had raised $1,600 and also spent that much.

Christian Dashaun Menefee, who beat Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan in the Democratic primary in March, has more than $69,000 in remaining campaign funds. Republican John Nation, meanwhile, reported no contributions and expenditures totaling $16.10.

Sculpture, from P. 1A 20 people at her bedside and that she “taught everyone she met joy, wonder, awe and most importantly, unconditional love.”

Susie had a strong sense of humor, too. Sharon MacLean said that in the mornings Susie would howl at her like a coyote and she would howl back.

“Then we’d laugh and get up,” Sharon said.

The coyote story brought Phillips to tears, and he insisted on doing a plaque for the sculpture, too. It reads: “Susie: A Force of Nature, 1953-2017.”

The sculpture is not Phillips’ first in the area. He has done one in Garden Oaks and several in the Heights.

Ever since he was profiled in the Texas County Reporter in 2012, he has gotten jobs all over the state. Not bad for the former salesman who – on a whim in 2005 – turned a dead tree into a pelican and then kept going.

When his phone went silent at the start of the pandemic, Phillips said he started to panic.

“I did nothing for two

months,” he said. “I was frightened I was going to have to get a real job.”

Lately, though, Phillips has been swamped with other tree projects. His more portable wooden creations are featured at the Rene Wiley Gallery in Galveston. And his tree sculptures are part of a tour promoted by the Galveston Historical Foundation’s Visitor Center.

“I’m the luckiest guy,” Phillips said.

When people call him about a carving, he insists they pick the subject.

“If they don’t, (I tell them) it’s going to be either a fish or a naked woman,” he said.

Phillips said all wood is easy for him to work with because “the chainsaw does not care.” There isn’t a set list of items that Phillips brings to a job, but once the general shape is done he breaks out smaller tools like chisels and grinders.

Jobs take between a few days to a few weeks, depending on their complexity, and run in the neighborhood of $3,000-$10,000. His gallery pieces start at $700.

Photo from Facebook Houston-area wood sculptor James Phillips leans against a coyote sculpture he created in Mangum Manor.

He said that when he is working in a public area, he gets a lot of attention. Sharon MacLean and Steck say people in their neighborhood stop to take pictures of their sculpture, or give them a thumbs up as they pass by.

MacLean said she regular-

ly oils the piece as the sap is still coming out of the dying tree. Now that the weather is turning cooler, she and Steck like to sit out on their patio and enjoy the coyote while they drink coffee.

“We love it,” Steck said.

Garbage, from P. 1A “If I could go off and manufacture the bins myself, I would be more than happy to do that,” Hayes said. “I know that garbage is very personal and our customers have a very simple expectation. We should deliver on it.

“There’s no magic answer other than, obviously, we know what we’re supposed to do,” he added. “We know how to do it, but there are extenuating circumstances that we’re trying to manage right now.”

The new fee is expected to generate about $5.3 million in annual revenue for the city, which has approximately 390,000 trash and recycling customers who use a total of about 780,000 bins. Hayes said his department typically replaces about 55,000 bins per year, with about 2,000 per year reported lost or stolen or “eaten” by the city’s automated collection trucks.

An Oak Forest resident wrote on Facebook in late September that her garbage bin had been inadvertently

thrown into a truck five weeks earlier and, despite making weekly calls to the city’s 311 service line, was unable to obtain a new one until reaching out to the office of Houston City Council member Abbie Kamin, whose District C includes the Heights, Garden Oaks and Oak Forest.

Many other area residents commented on the Facebook post, describing similar delays in receiving replacement bins over the last few years. Two wrote that they had waited at least six months before receiving new bins.

Kamin said her office has heard from “several constituents experiencing delays” in receiving new or replacement bins. She encouraged residents to report those issues to 311 as well as her office by emailing districtc@houstontx.gov or calling 832-3933004.

“I know how frustrating not having a bin is, and we want to help,” she said.

In a comment on the aforementioned Facebook post,

one resident reported receiving a replacement bin within about an hour of recently requesting one. And even though Kamin’s office helped expedite the replacement process for another resident, Hayes said there is not a “secret stash of containers” that council members utilize.

Instead, he attributed the uneven experiences to the department’s practice of continually harvesting bins that are abandoned, found outside of residential areas or returned to the department by customers who no longer need them. Hayes said those bins are cleaned and put back into the city’s stock, so some became available even while the department waited on its order from Toter.

Hayes said he understands why residents who have been forced to wait could be upset.

He also said he appreciates their patience.

“We hear their complaints and we are responding with all due speed,” Hayes said.

“The bins are on their way.”

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