October 17 Section A

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Covering the Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest & the neighborhoods of North Houston Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020 • Vol. 65 • No. 41

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Church features drive-through voting

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

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Photo by Adam Zuvanich An election worker greets a voter Tuesday at Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church, 2025 W. 11th St.

Nichole Nech and her son, Devon, wanted to vote Tuesday, but they did not want to go inside a building and be near strangers who might have been infected with COVID-19.

Fortunately for the Timbergrove Manor residents, they didn’t need to worry about the latter in order to do the former. They also didn’t

have to get outside of their car during their short trip to Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church, which helped make Houston history on the first day of early voting in Texas.

The Neches took advantage of drive-through voting, which Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins piloted earlier this year and expanded for the general election as a means to increase voter safety and convenience during the pandemic.

Grass Guzzlers

Nichole and her son spent 10-15 minutes waiting in a line of vehicles before pulling into a well-ventilated, tent-like booth, where a poll worker checked their identification and then handed them electronic devices they used to cast their votes.

A few minutes later, the Neches headed back toward their home a couple blocks away.

“It was cool,” Nichole said. “I See Voting P. 4A

Local tax rate hearings set for next week

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nonprofit gig. Kyle Carr, who owns the company with wife Carolyn, said they’ve been in business for five years. They bought and opened the Texas franchise from Tammy Dunakin, who started it in the Seattle area. Dunakin came to Texas to train the Abilene-area couple.

Carr said while goats were used in Texas for smaller jobs, Rent-A-Ruminant Texas is the first to do it in the state on a large scale. He said that while it took them a while to build

Area property owners will have two opportunities next week to make their voices heard about the proposed 2020 tax rates for the City of Houston and Harris County, both are which intend to lower their rates compared to the year before.

The Harris County Commissioners Court last month proposed a property tax decrease between 1.32.0 cents per $100 valuation, which would be Peck its first tax rate cut in a decade.

A public hearing is scheduled for Oct. 20, with the commissioners’ final vote on the matter scheduled for Oct. 27.

To sign up to speak at the Kamin Oct. 20 commissioners court meeting, which will be held virtually, visit https://appearancerequest.harriscountytx.gov/.

The Houston City Council on Wednesday voted to place its proposed 2020 property tax rate on the voting agenda for the Oct. 21 meeting, along with a public hearing on that day. City finance director Tantri Emo recommended a tax rate of $0.561840 per $100 valuation, down from last year’s rate of $0.567920.

To sign up to speak at city council meetings, contact the city secretary’s office at 832-393-1100 or citysecretary@ houstontx.gov.

Amy Peck, who represents part of the area in District A, was the lone council member to vote against the proposal on Wednesday. While acknowledging that it’s good to propose a lower rate than 2019 because of economic challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Peck said she thinks the proposed 2020 rate should be even lower.

She said in an email the city is using a provision in the Texas Tax Code that allows a taxing unit “to issue a tax rate that would leave us with about the same amount of tax revenue that was spent the previous year for day-to-day operations

See Goats, P. 4A

See Tax Rate, P. 4A

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INSIDE. Photo by Anthony Rathbun Houston Arboretum & Nature Center Executive Director Debbie Markey gets a kiss from a goat named Debbie.

Rented goats delight arboretum visitors

By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com

To open or not to open? Greg Abbott and Lina Hidalgo disagree on bar reopenings.

Page 5A

Worldly sculptor. Heights artist Carrie Olsen has an intriguing new sculpture called “Adrift.”

Page 7A

See Arson, P. 4A

1

ARSON ATTACK

3

2 Pinemont Dr.

0

Residents of the Acres Homes, Oak Forest and Heights areas, along with others around Houston, likely could rest easier earlier this w e e k .

There had See related been a series of column by Editor Adam Zuvanich over night fires in the Page 3A week leading up to the arrest, with at least one other vehicle having been burned in the Heights early

29

Ben Hargrove said his office building has been burglarized twice before, and it recently was the victim of arson.

A car was set fire near a loading dock on the back side of HSS Audio Visual, one of multiple tenants in an industrial office complex near the intersection of West T.C. Jester Boulevard and West 34th Street, in the early hours of Oct. 7. It was one of several apparent acts of arson in

the vicinity that morning, according to the Houston Fire Department, with a total of six other blazes having been set along 34th, on nearby Lou Ellen Lane and three other locations to the north.

The man suspected of starting all those fires, 28-year-old Joshua A. Rauch, was arrested last Saturday afternoon and charged with second-degree arson.

“I like it when these people are caught,” said Hargrove, a manager at HSS Audio Visual, which was not otherwise damaged.

US

Church....................................................... 4A Classifieds.............................................. 5A Coupons................................................... 3B Food/Drink/Art................................... 1B Obituaries............................................... 4A Opinion..................................................... 3A Public Information......................... 8A Puzzles...................................................... 3A

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews. com

T.C. Jester Blvd.

THE INDEX.

Arrest made in connection to recent area fires Bingle Rd.

Page 1B

Photo by Anthony Rathbun A goat rests at Houston Arboretum & Nature Center.

N Shepherd Dr.

Lass uns essen! This month’s Food & Drink section focuses on German fare.

Visitors to the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center might have been surprised last week to find more than 140 goats munching away on the slopes at the Woodway ponds.

Executive Director Debbie Markey said the goats were rented from Rent-A-Ruminant Texas as an additional landmanagement method for the Arboretum, located inside Memorial Park at 4501 Woodway Dr. The good news is that if you didn’t get a chance to check them out, the goats will be back Nov. 1 for a two-week stint.

Markey said in recent years, with Hurricane Ike in 2008, nature hit the reset button at the overly wooded arboretum, which used to be a Gulf Coast Prairie. By restoring the land, and letting appropriate grasses grow, both wildlife and pollinators have increased.

“We can be a big green sponge,” Markey said.

But managing the land isn’t easy. Enter the goats, which are used to clear overgrown vegetation.

Board member Ruth Flournoy was familiar with the practice, having used goats on her ranch. The former conservation director, Emily Manderson, had also seen Rent-ARuminant goats at a Hermann Park demonstration.

Markey noted that in the old days, bison would do the same type of thinning. Also, as goats don’t need to social distance right now like arboretum staff, and because they leave only fertilizer - not unsightly thatch like a traditional mower - Markey made the decision to try them out on the hard-to-access ponds.

The arboretum job was Rent-A-Ruminant Texas’ first

4

5 7

6

W. 34th St. 610

1. 6501 Bingle Rd. 2. 5355 Bolivia Blvd.

3. 5643 N. Shepherd Dr. 4. 3582 W. T.C. Jester Blvd.

5. 2114 Lou Ellen Ln. 6. 2012 W. 34th St. 7. 2009 W. 34th St.

Graphic by Brooke Nance, Photos by Adam Zuvanich The above map shows the locations of the fires allegedly started Oct. 7 by Joshua A. Rauch, according to the Houston Fire Department.

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THE TOPICS. The Leader • Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020 • Page 3A

Truth-seeking a tough but important task N ot even 48 hours had passed since Brendan Posterick stood helplessly outside his Heights apartment and watched his car – the first one he worked for and bought with his own money – burn to a bloody crisp. So he had every right to be angry and every reason to point fingers and cast blame.

But he also had seen where the conversation in his community was headed. So Posterick went out of his way to extinguish the figurative flame, even though he couldn’t keep his 2017 Toyota Rav4 from being destroyed by a fire he did not start.

“I don’t feel I was targeted,” he told me last week as we stood near the charred curb where his car had been parked. “I don’t feel it’s political in any way.”

During a heated election cycle, and at a time when conspiracy theories spread like wildfire on social media, it was easy to wonder whether Posterick had been the victim of terrorism or a political argument turned ugly. One of his Heights neighbors, in fact, figured that Posterick must have had a Biden or Trump sticker on his car when told about what happened.

There likely was no shortage of theories among the other local residents who saw or heard about the series of fires across the Heights and Oak Forest areas during the last two weeks.

First there were Molotov cocktails thrown toward two Lazybrook homes on the morning of Oct. 4, and over the

the case with the front-page story we published last week about the Molotov cocktails, which included the Houston Adam Police Department and an impacted as the key sources.

Zuvanich resident Confirming the subsequent fires Editor around the area, along with when they occurred, where they were located and how and why they were started, proved a little trickier. I again reached out to HPD’s public information office, but was told I needed to get the infornext several days there were vehicles mation I was seeking from the Houslike Posterick’s torched on streets or ton Fire Department. behind buildings and sheds set fire Well, as I told Houston Fire Chief near local businesses.

Sam Pena last Saturday, trying to conJudging by what residents dis- tact his public information office (PIO) cussed on Facebook, the apparent in- was like reaching out to a ghost. The cidents of arson seemed to be increas- phone number listed on the City of ing and becoming more severe with Houston’s website did not work, my each passing night. So quite rightfully, voicemails left with the public affairs much of the area was in a panic and office went unreturned, and so did an wondering what would burn next.

Oct. 6 email to one of the PIOs asking Enter me, your local newspaper about the Molotov cocktail incidents editor, whose most important respon- in Lazybrook. sibility at The Leader is keeping our I sent another email Oct. 8 to inquire community informed so we’re best about the subsequent fires and, again, equipped to watch out for each other no acknowledgement. Not until I and keep each other safe. Part of ful- reached out directly to Pena at the end filling that duty is to sort out what’s of the day did I get a response from correct versus what’s conjecture and, HFD’s public information officers, who much like Posterick wanted to do, set contacted me Oct. 9 but would not the record straight. confirm any of the fires or answer any So as a rule, particularly when it of my questions about them. comes to stories about suspected Instead, they referred me to a twocrimes, I don’t report what I see on sentence news release that said the social media without first verifying it fire department wanted information with the appropriate authorities and from the public about the “rash of the people directly involved. That was fires” it was investigating.

The ballot ballet

THE CAR TRUNK – Are you ready? I am, all locked and loaded: club, pepper spray, shield, Molotov cocktail, MAGA cap and T-shirt. “Stand up and stand by.” That’s what our leader, President Donald J. Trump, told the Proud Boys, and if you are any kind of true patriot and not one of those Chardonnay-sipping, Tesladriving, commie-perverts, you, too, are answering the call to arms. In case you’ve been in self-quarantine and are still trying to find the Oscars and March Madness on TV, in the first chaotic Presidential debate between Trump and Joe Biden, Chris Wallace, the Fox News anchor who moderated the debate, asked Trump, “Are you willing tonight to condemn white supremacists?” Trump initially dodged the question but finally asked, “Who do you want me to condemn?” Biden suggested the Proud Boys.

“Proud Boys, stand back and stand by,” Trump declared. Joe Biggs, a Proud Boys leader, wrote on his Telegram channel: “This makes me so happy.”

Mr. President. I am ready, although actually I knew nothing about the group. Maybe they are proud members of the Boy Scouts. No, I discovered they are a militant organization that is fervently pro-Trump.

The Boys are part of what the Southern Poverty Law Center calls “a fascistic rightwing political bloc.” The AntiDefamation League compares them to a gang. Their founder once said, “I cannot recommend violence enough,” and its members have brandished guns, committed criminal assaults and engaged in rioting.

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram have banned them.

It appears the Proud Boys are to be part of “an army” of 50,000 poll watchers, Trump called for, beginning with early voters. This election there is a twist to our voting process.

Because of the covet-19 virus, many voters don’t want to stand in line on Election Day along with coughing and sneezing mask-less citizens.

These Americans want to vote early by mail. But for months we have been told by President Trump (who along with his wife, votes by mail), that the postal service can’t handle the projected huge increase in mail-in voting, that your vote will end up in a Dumpster. The solution is to forget the postal service and hand-deliver your ballot to a drop-off site.

As a true red-blooded American, I am ready to help. Since mail-in voting has already started, I go to my nearest polling place, one of 11 in Harris County, to ensure safety, but find it shuttered. Why? Gov. Abbott ordered that only one location can be used for dropoff mail ballots in each county.

That seemed odd since there are 254 counties in Texas and we’ll only have 254 drop boxes for the entire state? Out in West Texas some voters would

Lynn Ashby

Columnist

have to drive 100 miles to cast their early ballot. Harris County covers 1,777 square miles, has a 4.71 million population with 2.4 million registered voters. County Clerk Chris Collins projects that as many as 1.5 million will vote, a record.

He has already received more than 207,000 requests for mailin ballots, another record, and some want to take their ballots to a safe drop box.

The only place voters in Harris County can take their ballots is NRG Arena. So that’s where I need to stand guard.

With some effort I locate the arena, behind a row of barbed wire and past the Rottweilers.

“Is this the official county drop-off for mail-in ballots?”

I ask some guy with a long, black beard. (These Boys must have hit puberty early).

He is carrying a bazooka, machete and holds a sign: “Vote if you dare.” He looks at me suspiciously. “No, this is a dry cleaners for sloppy fry cooks.

I’m not here and this conversation never happened.” I ask: “But why is it so hard to drop off a ballot?” He replies, “For security reasons. Abbott says with just one location in each county, we can control who votes. You know that millions of illegal aliens are planning to vote, and the ballot box is sacred, just like Willie Nelson, Lone Star Beer and high school football. Now leave.”

Frustrated, I go home and check the news. Abbott’s proclamation for one-county, one-box also requires the early-voting clerks allow poll watchers “to observe any activity conducted at the early voting clerk’s office location relation to the in-person delivery of a marked mail ballot.”

That’s a long way of saying that Gov. Abbott is empowering voting clerks to let poll watchers hang around the polls and intimidate. OK, that’s where we Proud Boys come in. We have the governor’s authority to frisk, harass and run off any traitorous Texans who try to sneak in. “The state of Texas has a duty to voters to maintain the integrity of our election,” Abbott said in a statement. “These enhanced security protocols will ensure greater transparency and will help stop attempts at illegal voting.” I think his “enhanced security protocols” include land mines.

Abbott has said before that voter fraud is “rampant,” although so-called “experts” on the matter disagree and note that study after investigation show voter fraud is practically zero. Still. on 25 Jan. 2019, our embattled attorney general, Ken Paxton, breathlessly

So I did what any good reporter would do and decided to do some investigating myself, driving by all the locations I had heard about, looking for signs of fires and asking nearby residents if they knew anything about them. I ended up finding Posterick at his apartment and remnants of the fire that damaged a shed behind El Moreliano Meat Market on West 34th Street, which allowed me to cobble together a story for our website that provided some details about what was going on and where.

Then last Saturday, Oct. 10, not long after sharing the story on our social media channels, I got a call from Assistant Fire Chief Ruy Lozano to let me know an arrest had been made and a news briefing with Pena was scheduled within the hour.

HFD was much more forthcoming after that point, providing the name and age of the suspect and later the seven addresses where he is alleged to have started fires on Oct. 7. And it’s become clearer that the person accused of committing these crimes likely was not motivated by a political cause.

But as of press time this Wednesday, the department had not fulfilled my request for a list of times, dates and places where it responded to fires in the area from Oct. 2 until Oct. 10.

HFD said it is not immediately providing that information, which is considered public record under Texas law, because doing so could jeopardize its

ongoing investigation into other recent fires in the area. I understand that, because HFD also has a responsibility to keep the community safe and generally does that job well.

And to Pena’s credit, he has been accessible and responsive and helped me get in touch with his public information office in the first place.

Still, during the critical few days when fires were being started and multiple neighborhoods were on alert, members of the public would have been best-served to know when and where they were happening so they could take the necessary precautions and ultimately keep themselves and their families safe.

Sure, HFD might have gotten its guy in the end, but could some of the fires have been prevented if the community would have had more information at its disposal at an earlier time?

Either way, we’re going to continue asking questions and will continue to keep you as informed as we possibly can. We’re also going to remain responsible with the information we publish, which means we’re going to continue corroborating what we see on social media before relaying it to our readers.

Now more than ever, it’s important to differentiate truth from theory. And the more facts we have at our disposal, the easier it is dispel rumors and the fears they can create.

Email azuvanich@theleadernews.com

THE READER.

Email us your letters: news@theleadernews.com

Take off the political hats; grill a burger

tweeted a “VOTER FRAUD ALERT” stating that the Texas secretary of state had discovered some 58,000 non-citizens voted in Texas, with 95,000 non-citizens registered to vote.

Three hours after Paxton’s press release, the Texas GOP thundered in an email: “We knew it was happening and now we have proof.” President Trump sent out his own tweet: “These numbers are just the tip of the iceberg.” Alas, the numbers were bogus – they included naturalized citizens, those with working permits, visas, etc. U.S. District Judge Fred Biery of San Antonio blocked the removal of any voters and, according to his ruling, only 80 of the original 98,000 names on the list had been identified as ineligible to vote, and apparently they hadn’t voted.

My fellow Texans, vote as if your life depended on it – and it may.

Ashby watches at ashby2@comcast.net

Dear Editor: I read your article on October 10 and you mention three things native Houstonians have no concern about. Politics in sports, NBA finals have never been a draw here and no one cares about Crimson Tide if they were born in Texas. “Hamburgers a great idea.” Cheeseburger for me.

I believe if someone wants to put their effort into something it could be all of the trash underneath the freeway from Ella Boulevard to West Tidwell. If I remember correctly, you wrote someone that was a street person living under Ella Boulevard freeway broke into a business. In my opinion this would be a great effort that could be undertaken by citizens to contact political representatives to get under control.

J.R. Joe (J.R.) just retired because of the virus

Impending takeover of Harvey recovery funds could put housing projects in question

When the feds and state take aim at the city’s management of the Harvey money, there’s a real reason behind it.

Kevin J. Strickland

Force of Nature: Tree sculpture honors late Mangum Manor resident

Dear Editor: That is the most beautiful remembrance of our “special” sister. As usual, my eyes started filling with tears and streamed down my cheeks into my lap. Every time I think of her it happens.

It’s just great that the two of you can sit on your porch and look at that “memorial” for her.

I hope that it lasts forever and ever in her memory. She would have loved it and hopefully she can see it every time she looks down from above.

Big Sister

Arrest made in connection with area fires

Dear Editor: The real story is that the TDHCA board reversed their own staff’s determination that DSV submitted a materially flawed application that shouldn’t have been approved. The board “changed” the determination so that DSV could “fix” the fatal flaw.

At the expense of other projects just as qualified and which submitted complete and accurate applications. The application submitted by DSV was financially unfeasible, per the state’s own rules.

To salvage DSV’s application, the city increased the amount of Harvey money committed to them.

Dear Editor: It’s fortunate the apartments by which this car was parked are of brick rather than wood. I saw this fire scene Thursday morning, and it was close enough to the building that the structure probably would have caught fire too — with a high chance of injuring/killing one or more residents.

This arsonist(s) is bad enough with mere property damage, but he is playing with murder.

Has Heights Constable Patrol activity been ramped up, watching for suspicious vehicles?

Heights Houstonian

the leader Puzzlers.

Answers found in this week’s Classified section

SUDOKU

aCrOss 1. Bangladesh capital 6. Ed Murrow’s home 9. L. Lamas’ mother Arlene 13. 9th Hindu month 14. Barbary sheep 15. Olive genus 16. Repast 17. Into the air 18. Droops 19. Land of Enchantment 21. Yes _____ Bob 22. Gross revenue 23. Scottish woolen cap 24. Initials of “Girls” star 25. WGBH or WNET 28. A. Hamilton 29. Skin lesions 31. Mures river city 33. Phone counselling volunteer 36. Restaurants 38. Deerfield, Il Christian Un. 39. Gland secretion 41. Trace the outline of 44. Give advice, explain 45. Male parents 46. One point N of due E 48. Radioactivity unit 49. Equally 51. “Rubber Ball” singer Bobby

52. 93562 54. Bird confinement status 56. Daniel Boone’s state 60. Burn the surface of 61. Hillsides (Scot.)

62. Swiss river 63. Stir to anger 64. Political action committees 65. Ajitesh ___, Cricket player 66. In bed 67. Miles per hour 68. Checkmating game

dOwn 1. Musical “____ Yankees” 2. “CIA Diary” author Phil 3. Chew without swallowing, as of tobacco 4. Steadies 5. Article 6. Slang for lots of reptiles 7. True toad 8. Be in session 9. For measuring doses of radiation 10. Winged 11. 1770-1831 German Philosopher

12. Emitted coherent radiation 14. Estranges 17. Wheel shafts 20. Take in solid food 21. Indian frocks 23. Hill (Celtic) 25. Singular of 64 across 26. Small nail 27. Strongboxes 29. White dessert wines 30. Curved cavalry sword 32. Dropped off a package 34. __ Farrow, actress 35. Class of comb jellies 37. Begat 40. __ student, learns healing 42. Born of 43. Very dark blacks 47. Midway between N and NE 49. Capital of Ghana 50. Indian term of respect 52. Impart knowledge 53. 4th Hindu month 55. Strong air current 56. Hunting device 57. One who is wise 58. Amounts of time 59. Soft-finned fishes 61. Beats per minute 65. Carrier’s invention

WORD SCRAMBLE

Page 4A • Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020 • The Leader

Voting, from P. 1A would definitely do this again.

We got to sit in the car and talk, and we didn’t have to be exposed to a lot of coughing and germs and stuff.�

Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church, located at 2025 W. 11th St. in Timbergrove, is one of 10 drivethrough polling locations throughout the county and the only one in the Heights, Garden Oaks and Oak Forest area. It also is serving as a traditional polling place, with a total of 1,166 voters having cast ballots there Tuesday, according to the county clerk’s office.

Hollins said Harris County is the only county in Texas to use drive-through voting, which he said has also been utilized in Wisconsin, among other states. And it helped the county break a record for highest turnout on an early voting day, with a total of 128,186 people having cast in-person ballots Tuesday.

After taking over for former county clerk Diane Trautman on an interim basis this summer, Hollins implemented one drive-through voting location for the primary runoff in July. He said about 200 voters took advantage and rated the experience as a 9.7 out of 10. “They thought it was safe, they thought it was convenient, and so we decided to expand it,� Hollins said during a Tuesday morning visit to the area polling place. “We’re proud to be offering this voter access.�

Not everyone is a fan of

How to Vote Early in Harris County Hours of operation: 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 13-17, Oct. 19-24, Oct. 26 and Oct. 30; noon-7 p.m. Oct. 18 and Oct. 25; 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Oct. 27-29.

Area polling places: The Grand Tuscany Hotel, 12801 Northwest Fwy.; Acres Homes Multi-Service Center, 6719 W. Montgomery Rd.,; Sheraton Houston Brookhollow Hotel, 3000 N. Loop W.; SPJST Lodge 88, 1435 Beall St.; *-Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church, 2025 W. 11th St.; Hampton Inn and Suites, 5820 Katy Fwy.; West End Multi-Service Center, 170 Heights Blvd.; Moody Park Community Center, 3725 Fulton St. *-denotes drive-through voting location

Photo by Adam Zuvanich An election worker walks near drive-through voting booths at Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church in Timbergrove Manor, which is one of 10 drive-through voting locations in Harris County.

drive-through voting. The Texas Republican Party filed a lawsuit in a state appellate court Monday night that sought to stop the practice, claiming it violates Texas election law. But according to online state court records, the lawsuit was dismissed Wednesday because the plaintiff lacks standing and the election is already underway.

One of the area voters who took advantage on Tuesday, Inwood Pines resident Alice Harris, said drive-through voting could not be considered fraudulent.

There is one election worker for each of the 10 drive-through booths at Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church, and voters

must turn off their vehicles as well as their personal electronic devices upon entering the booths. The devices used to vote, Hollins said, are the same as the devices used in the indoor voting booths, and they’re connected to the same network. “There’s not anything wrong with it. You can’t holler ‘voter fraud,’ � Harris said. “You give them your ID to show who you are, and you’re given the thing to vote on.

Vote one time and be done.�

The four other drivethrough voters who spoke to The Leader on Tuesday offered praise for the initiative and said they appreciate it being offered during the pandemic. Along with minimizing contact with others,

Goats, from P. 1A

Arson, from P. 1A

up their reputation, business has really picked up in the past five years. “We’re booked out from March through November,� he said.

While the initial herd of goats was raised by the Carrs, they also adopted more than 100 goats from a Florida animal refuge through a family connection. About 150 goats in Florida were stranded in a parking lot after Hurricane Michael in 2018 and – with the presence of several males – the population quickly tripled in size.

While the Carrs have 220 goats in total, only 140-180 travel for work. The others are either in training or mothers raising their young.

At the arboretum, they were contained during the day by a low-voltage fence while they worked.

The goats had plenty of human company. “We got an insane amount of press,� Markey said. “Visitor numbers are up anyway (during the COVID-19 pandemic), but parking reports said that Saturday was a record day. The weather was beautiful the whole week.�

It was a boon to the arboretum, which has recently restarted distanced, in-person programming for the first time since March.

Markey said she was amazed at the job the goats did. “It was so thick, and they just wormed their way in there,� she said, adding that the growth they didn’t eat were plants and grasses the arboretum wanted to keep anyway. “They did their job.�

While the trial run cost a little more than $3,000, the upcoming project in the savannah area will be larger and more expensive. It is being underwritten by Main Street Capital. “We are able to do a scientific study,� Markey said. “We are documenting everything and doing drone shots before and after. We’ll see how it looks in the spring.�

Oak Forest’s Laura Tunstall said she knew the goats were coming to the arboretum because a women’s hiking group she belongs to let her know. “It was such a neat thing to see,� she said. “I’m glad the Arboretum is using an effective natural method of clearing out underbrush. The goats go for the poison ivy first so that is good for us human visitors. It was definitely a memorable event.�

Oct. 8.

Houston Fire Chief Sam Pena said his arson division is investigating other recent fires in the Greater Heights area and that Rauch could face additional or elevated charges if he is suspected of being involved in any beyond the seven that led to his arrest.

Community members took to social media to discuss several reported fires in the area between Oct. 4 and Oct. 10, but no new incidents came to light in the days following Rauch’s arrest. He is accused of setting fires to vehicles, sheds and trash, according to Pena, who said no injuries were caused by the fires. “There was no loss of life, no injuries, and that’s fortunate. But we know from experience and history that these things can escalate,�

Pena said. “Because of the incredible work that the arson bureau has done, we think we got a very dangerous individual off the street.

The investigation continues.�

Alison Stein, the chief arson investigator for HFD, said Rauch and his silver Ford Focus were identified through surveillance videos from fires at 2009 W. 34th St. and at the University of Houston-Downtown. According to Har-

drive-through voting allowed them to bring their pets, listen to the radio or complete work while waiting in line and also kept them in air conditioning on a warm, sunny day.

Manny Seale said it “takes away excuses not to vote.�

Fellow Heights resident Eric Vredenburg, who is 60 years old, said it’s especially helpful to older voters who are concerned about COVID-19. “I think it’s great. I think they should do this all the time,� Timbergrove resident Jessica Crawford said. “Now that they’ve done it, keep this open as an option in general.�

While touting drivethrough voting as a safer option than casting a ballot traditionally, Hollins said there are some minor drawbacks

such as needing more poll workers to implement the practice. Inclement weather also could present some challenges, but Hollins said the drive-through booths are designed to be able close and provide cover. He also said drive-through voters could be directed indoors if necessary.

Heights resident Sabrina Wilbert was among the many voters who opted to stand in line and cast ballots the oldfashioned way on Tuesday.

She said she made that decision partly because the drivethrough line was longer at the time. “Then out here, you get to listen to people’s stories,� she said while waiting in line. “You get some camaraderie.�

Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church pastor Troy Treash, whose congregation is known for being progressive and welcoming of

Tax Rate, from P. 1A plus an extra 3.5 percent,� with the city instead using an 8 percent multiplier because Houston was declared a disaster area on account of the pandemic.

Peck said the city could be using the 3.5 percent multiplier and proposing a 2020 tax rate of $0.544532. “It’s not like we’re raising taxes,� Peck said. “My argument is just that everyone’s going through a hard time right now. Why not

make it the lowest it could possibly be.�

Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin said during Wednesday’s council meeting that using the 8 percent multiplier instead of 3.5 percent equates to an increased annual tax payment of $34 for the average homeowner in the city, and results in much more revenue for the city that it can use to provide services and improve flood mitigation. Mayor Sylvester

D I R E CTO RY

I

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

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Turner said the city needs to use the higher tax rate to balance its budget, saying that the lower rate would cause a shortfall of more than $37 million. “Council Member Peck, I respect your position,� Turner said. “I just disagree.�

Council member Abbie Kamin, who represents a large part of the area in District C, voted in favor of placing the proposed tax rate on next week’s council agenda.

Sponsor

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She pointed out that the city is operating under two revenue caps. “My focus is to push at the state level to bring Houston under uniformity with all other cities in Texas,â€? she said Tuesday in an emailed statement. â€œâ€Ś We must ensure Houstonians’ taxpayer dollars that they pay to other levels of government, like the county, are being invested back into Houston where they live.â€?

GET Why? Jesus OVER IT!

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

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

By Pastor Will Cover

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

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ave you ever wanted to ask God why? God First Church St. James Lutheran Church, ELCA Weekly doesn’t always reveal Sunday Services Gethsemane Lutheran Church • Bible Study: 9:15 a.m. everything He is doing but we t 8PSTIJQ &OHMJTI

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Wednesday Bible Study 7pm www.lazybrookbaptistchurch.org Home of Johnson Memorial School for Little Children said that He came to seek and Rev. Nathan Lonsdale Bledsoe, Pastor 4215 Watonga Blvd. • 713-681-9365 R.S.V. Luke 6:37 Wed for the following: to save that which was lost.

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Follow Adam Zuvanich on Twitter @AZuvanich

ris County court documents, investigators obtained a cell phone warrant Oct. 9 that was used to track Rauch and his movements.

Court documents also show that Rauch was charged with felony possession of methamphetamine in November 2019 and agreed to participate in a pretrial intervention program. Rauch was terminated from that program on Monday, according to court documents.

HFD officials said a motive for the alleged acts of arson is unclear.

According to a Monday news Photo by Adam Zuvanich release from HFD, Rauch is ac- The 2017 Toyota Rav4 owned by Heights resident Brendan Posterick at set cused of setting fires at 2009 W. fire Oct. 8 near the intersection of West 18th Street and Harvard Street.

34th St., 2012 W. 34th St., 2114 Lou Ellen Ln., 3582 W. T.C. Jester he was told by HFD that there ber.

Blvd., 5643 N. Shepherd Dr., 5355 was another blaze on 18th Street Hargrove said he thought the Bolivia Blvd., and 6501 Bingle Rd. around the same time his car burned car behind his office was – all on the morning of Oct. 7. caught fire. a random act, and not part of a It is unclear who started other “It’s awful,� Posterick said. “I series of fires, until informed by a recent fires in the area, beginning wouldn’t wish it on my worst en- reporter on Tuesday. with two Molotov cocktails being emy.� “We want to make sure we’re thrown onto residential properties Pena said in a Sunday text mes- giving the public all the informaon the same street in Lazybrook at sage that there was another recent tion that we are allowed to give about 3 a.m. Oct. 4. vehicle fire at 836 Nicholson St. them at this time, without impactHeights resident Brendan The fire department’s public in- ing the investigation itself,� Pena Posterick said his 2017 Toyota formation office has not specified said. “But the public can feel seRav4 was set fire early Oct. 8 or confirmed the locations, dates cure and assured that we’re doing outside of his apartment at the and times of other apparent acts everything we can to make sure intersection of West 18th Street of arson in the area during Octo- they’re safe.� and Harvard Street. He also said

CHURCH 1822 W. 18th • 713-864-1470

people from all walks of life, said the church is “definitely against any sort of voter suppression.� He also said it’s “appalling� that Harris County is limited to one absentee ballot dropoff location during early voting, per an executive order by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott that requires every county in the state to have one dropoff location but no more.

So Treash said his church was glad to become one of Harris County’s drivethrough voting locations. “When they wanted to offer more ways for people to vote and have it be safe, we jumped on it,� he said. “We just felt like we should allow as many ways for people to avoid the COVID virus and use their voice and place their votes without any harm.�

When Jesus went through Samaria, he went with the purpose of bringing the gospel to the woman at the well and the town of Sychar. When Jesus had a crowd of people around him in a house and the roof was opened up by four friends of a lame man, He stopped his teaching to heal the lame man and to forgive His sins.

Everything Jesus did had a purpose. He lived his life and gave his life to be a sacrifice for the sins of the world. I believe the sum purpose of God’s work in this world is to be glorified in all things. He does this as He brings the gospel to save sinners like you and me.

So, why Jesus? Why are you doing what you are doing? Why are you allowing the things in this world that seem so hard? I think the answer is the gospel.

His character has not changed.

His plan hasn’t changed. He will fulfill His plan until He comes again!

The Leader • Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020 • Page 5A

HISD students to return to in-person learning

By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com

While a number of area private schools have already been providing in-person instruction, the first chance for Houston ISD students to physically return to school is Monday, Oct. 19.

Many local families debated their choice up until Sept. 28, which was the last day to notify the district. “It was a tough decision for us to go back face-to-face given how the virus has impacted our family both personally and professionally,� parent Vanessa Smith said.

Her daughters will be returning to Garden Oaks Montessori Magnet and Frank Black Middle School. “Ultimately we made the decision to go back because the mental health of our girls was

equally as important as their physical health,� Smith said.

By the end of September, HISD had heard from 84 percent of parents and guardians, with 39 percent of them choosing in-person learning and 61 percent opting to stay at home to continue virtual learning. Per Texas Education Agency (TEA) guidelines, a hybrid option – in which children attend in-person school on a rotating basis – was not an option for elementary or middle schools.

The district said campus leadership teams are actively connecting with the 16 percent of parents who did not complete the commitment form.

As of Oct. 5, HISD enrollment was at 196,333, down from 209,772 students last school year.

There are 12,118 students

who are not currently participating in online learning. “HISD is still working to identify if any of these students have transferred to another school district, to a private school or out of the state,� the district said in a statement. “Additionally, we are also still working to contact these students through the district’s ‘Students Within Reach/Return Strong’ initiative, which began on Aug. 3.�

For those coming back to school in-person, the district has communicated its Reopening Plan and Communicable Disease Plan, which states that all students, employees, visitors and vendors are required to wear masks that cover both their nose and mouth throughout the school day – during, before and after school activities, and while in district

schools and facilities.

Masks will be provided to students, employees and visitors if they do not have one.

Acceptable masks include both district-issued disposable masks and personal, reusable masks.

The plan currently requires 6 feet of space between desks whenever possible. Reduced space would only be implemented as needed, with the goal continuing to be to place as much space as possible between desks.

Zeph Capo with the American Federation of Teachers said teachers are experiencing a range of emotions about coming back into the classroom, with some comfortable about the precautions in place and some still uncomfortable.

He said teachers could apply to teach virtually, but not

everyone who applied for a virtual teaching job got one.

Schools used existing district data to plan for their returning students – including the nonrespondents who at this point are assumed to prefer in-person instruction. Final numbers won’t be known until the first day of in-person school. “It is a shot in the dark (to nail down numbers) at this point,� he said.

Capo said the biggest issue teachers have reached out about is the possibility of desks being spaced less than 6 feet apart. He understands the district is in communication with schools that are not able to maintain the 6 feet to look at additional options.

While masks are a given, Capo said the district committed to provide shields and gowns if requested.

“Not everybody wants them,� he said. “We are telling teachers to put the request in writing to their principal.�

The district said parents can contact their campus administration to request a change for in-person students who want to switch back to virtual learning. “We are hopeful that the schools don’t become complacent in enforcing the necessary precautions to protect both the teachers and the kids,� Smith said.

An online dashboard, using TEA guidelines for reporting COVID-19, is being updated daily, according to HISD. It also includes a map to show where cases are throughout the district. The dashboard is available at https://www. h o u s t o n i s d . o r g / C OV I D 19Dashboard.

Houston bars staying closed despite governor’s allowance

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott gave most counties in the state the opportunity to reopen their bars, brewpubs and wineries for on-site consumption this week, but Harris County plans to keep those businesses offlimits for the time being.

After Abbott issued an executive order Oct. 7 that allowed bars and similar alcohol-oriented businesses to open at 50 percent capacity this Wednesday — in counties with low COVID-19 hospitalization rates and at the discretion of county judges — Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo released a statement saying it is too early for the region to take such a step.

Hidalgo kept the county’s COVID-19 threat level at red, its highest level, after Abbott relaxed pandemic-related re-

strictions on restaurants and most other businesses in late September. “The data guiding county decisionmaking See related tells us we column by are doing Adam Zuvanich’s much betZuvie’s Brews ter than we were a few Page 1B months ago, but we are still at the highest level: red,� Hidalgo said. “Indoor, maskless gatherings should not be taking place right now, and this applies to bars as well.�

Abbott’s order applies to counties with COVID-19 hospitalization rates at 15 percent or less for a period of at least seven consecutive days. As of Tuesday, 4.9 percent of all hospital patients in Harris County were COVID-19 patients.

There had been a total of 151,880 cases of COVID-19

Abbott

Hidalgo

in Houston and Harris County as of Tuesday, with the disease having caused at least 2,087 deaths among residents and 127,860 patients having recovered. In the six zip codes served by The Leader — 77007, 77008, 77009, 77018, 77091 and 77092 — there have been 5,898 cases, at least 96 deaths and 4,601 recoveries.

The daily number of re-

ported cases in the county has steadily declined since reaching a peak July 1, with 17 new cases having been reported on Monday.

After bars were forced to close in March, when the pandemic reached Texas, Abbott allowed them to reopen May 22. He ordered them closed again June 26 after a statewide spike in cases, which he attrib-

uted in part to his reopening of bars.

Abbott’s Oct. 7 order also allowed most businesses other than bars to increase their onpremise capacity to 75 percent of their building occupancies on Wednesday. “Even as more businesses have opened and students return to school, Texans have shown we can contain the spread of COVID-19,â€? Abbott said in a statement on the governor’s website. â€œâ€Ś Opening bars does not mean that COVID-19 is no longer a threat, and most Texans are still susceptible to the virus. As bars and similar businesses begin to open, we all must remain vigilant and show personal responsibility to protect ourselves and our loved ones.â€?

Bars, brewpubs and wineries already could be open for to-go sales. Many also had reopened for on-site consump-

tion by taking advantage of relaxed permitting requirements by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, which in August made it easier for those businesses to obtain food and beverage permits and reclassify themselves as restaurants by offering food services along with alcohol.

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The Leader • Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020 • Page 7A

Art Valet: Sculptor hits mark with worldly boat Mitch Cohen Art Columnist

Recently I met Carrie Olsen at her Heights home to pick up a painting for our mutual friend, “Miss Carolyn” Bertrand Hodges. I’ve often written about Hodges, a nonagenarian conceptual artist in Houston. She’s encouraged me quite frequently to interview Miss Olsen about her sculpture.

So there I was, greeted by Olsen and her triplet sister, Emily. Wow, how many triplets do you know? I mentioned Miss Carolyn’s encouragement and so, the sisters gave me a tour of what I thought was just a home.

Olsen’s home is the best combination of house, art gallery, studio spaces (there were several) and art gardens. I was enthralled. Olsen had as much of her own work as others on display throughout. I had seen her work before, just not so much all in one place.

Then I saw recent sculp-

tures one might call “quarantine art.” One piece in particular got my attention. It is a boat, suspended from the ceiling, titled “Adrift.” Olsen said the monochrome boat full of nondescript people was made primarily of toilet paper. I knew then I had my interview.

Art Valet: Have you always been a professional artist?

How did you get started? Was sculpture your first love as an art medium?

Olsen: “Actually, I was a physician assistant until seven years ago. I think knowing about anatomy helped tremendously in my figurative work. I was taking drawing classes 40 years ago and my instructor suggested attending life drawing sessions. At one of those, an orthopedist brought clay and did a portrait.

I was immediately in love with the idea of sculpture and have been working at it ever since.

I was primarily self-taught for many years, checking out every sculpture book in the library and reading voraciously.

Eventually I took classes at the Scottsdale and Cleveland art schools and six wonderful weeks in France taking classes there.”

AV: The boat sculpture

Photo by Emily Murphy Heights artist Carrie Olsen works on her sculpture called “Adrift.”

titled “Adrift” is stunning and appears to have many underlying meanings. Can you talk about that?

Olsen: “For a long time I have been moved by the tragedy of immigrants in the Middle East who pile into flimsy boats in the Mediterranean.

I think we all tear up at the photo of the toddler dead in the waves on the beach. Just

Cagle’s precinct partners with MFAH for arts speaker series

By Zarah Parker zarah@theleadernews.com

Precinct 4 Encore!, an arts program implemented by the office of Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle, is partnering with the Museum of Fine Arts Houston to present a speaker series.

The series invites those age 50 and older to experience various presentations about art from the comfort of their own home via Zoom. The virtual program will provide an in-depth learning experience on different exhibits at the museum, as well as an expert

Cagle

on each topic who will answer questions though the program.

The series kicked off Wednesday with a presenta-

tion on “Isms” in art, followed by an Oct. 27 presentation on hidden gems at the museum, a Nov. 10 presentation about Greek and Roman mythology and a Nov. 20 presentation called Art, Reason, and Emotion: The Head vs. The Heart.

Scheduled for Dec. 9 is a presentation on the works of art commissioned by the museum for the Kinder Building.

Residents can register online at www.hcp4.net/encore/ events or call 713-274-4050 for assistance registering. Access information for the presentations will be provided after registering.

Theatre Suburbia offering online film From Staff Reports Theatre Suburbia, the longtime volunteer playhouse in Northwest Houston, is presenting a filmed stage production on its website as a fundraiser.

“Nipples To The Wind,” written and directed by Paula Coco and starring Janye Anderson, is available for streaming through Nov. 15 at www. theatresuburbia.org. Tickets are $25, with the first 25 purchasers receiving a $5 dis-

count, and the film must be viewed within 48 hours after purchase.

The theatre, which recently relocated to 5201 Mitchelldale St., Suite A3, also is streaming previously recorded plays on a donation basis.

“Nipples To The Wind” also stars Laura Schlecht, with she and Anderson each portraying multiple characters, and features music by Kacey Jones.

Coco makes a special appearance in the show, which is rated PG13.

The production premiered on stage in 2006 in New Haven, Connecticut, and toured nationally until 2008.

“This encore performance has been filmed to raise muchneeded funds for Theatre Suburbia,” the theatre said in a news release. “Proceeds from this production will help defray the costs of maintaining a venue during the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope that watching it will bring some cheer and happiness in these unusual times.”

recently Greece loaded immigrants into flimsy blow-up boats and pushed them out to sea with no plan of rescue or where they might go. I have been thinking for a long time about this and originally was going to have a line of figures suspended on two boards. I wanted the figures lightweight and read about a paper mache technique online that would

seem to fit the bill. Because the figures were so small, it turned into quite a difficult learning curve. The boat does not have a bottom and I wanted it to portray the tenuous position of the figures inside. I think right now it may also portray our country in the midst of the COVID-19 epidemic. We want to help each other, but are ‘adrift’ in politics, surrounded by a sea of miscommunication and misinformation.”

Olsen also told me she wanted the boat to be lightweight so it could hang and move with air currents giving motion and a sense of peril.

“It’s a combination of toilet paper, drywall compound, a little bit of flour and water,” she said. “The figures and boat were cut out of cardboard and wire taped on them so I could form them in the position I wanted. I also added aluminum foil to bulk up certain areas.”

Olsen has an impressive list of past commissions and other work on her website, www. ckolsensculptor.com. Though she is not currently represented by a gallery, she’s certainly been in many galleries and exhibitions.

Olsen told me she has a pro-

posal out now that she hopes will allow her to show “Adrift” to the public. I hope so, too.

She works out of her home studio and is awaiting inspiration to hit.

AV: On a final note, tell us about your very unusual hobby.

Olsen: “I suppose archery is my most unusual hobby. I joined a group of traditional archers about 10 years ago and we had the thrill of going to Korea in 2014 for a competition. Unfortunately, that was the last competition Korea has so generously put on, and so I have the dubious honor of being the only USA contestant to win a shooting award there, but our team won an award for the best equipment as we were the only one of the 35 countries to make our own bows and arrows. It was especially a thrill for me as my mother was born in Korea and my grandmother started to school there, which is now over 100 years old.”

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.

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IN MEMORIAM

FRANCES G. DELEON June 9, 1939 – October 10, 2020

F

rances G. DeLeon, 81, of Houston and Victoria, Texas wife of Sisto R. DeLeon (deceased), passed away Saturday, October 10, 2020, at her daughter’s (Christina DeLeon) home in Houston, Texas.

Frances was born in Gonzales County, Texas, on June 9, 1939, daughter of Victor Garcia Sr. and Ester Garcia.

Frances was the DeLeon family matriarch most of her 81 years on earth: raising her children and providing guidance to her grandchildren was always her priority. Frances worked from 1979 to 2007: proud to work at Houston Independent School District, American General, Data Scope, and Retiring from Myron Steves. Frances was a selfless woman, being a second mother to many family members and friends. Frances was a Godly woman, often asked by family and friends to pray to our God for them; she would sit at her table and write petitions in their name. Being raised in Shiner, Texas, with very modest upbringings, Frances was incredibly proud of her family.

Frances is preceded in death by her husband Sisto R. DeLeon, parents Victor Garcia Sr. and Ester Garcia, brothers Gumecindo (Gume) Garcia, Joseph (Joe) Garcia, Estevan (Steve) Garcia, Victor Garcia, sisters Lydia Garcia Nieto, and Conceptcion (Connie) Lopez. Frances is survived by her sisters, Adelida (LaLa) Matthews and Ester (Esther) Contreras.

She is survived by her daughters Sandra D. Hansen (Edward Hansen), Christina DeLeon, and her son, Sisto DeLeon Jr. (June DeLeon). Grandchildren, Albert R. Hansen (Courtney Hansen), Jacob A. DeLeon, Ashlee F. Hansen-Chagoya (George Chagoya), Breanna J. DeLeon, Armando Eric DeLeon, Thomas Perez (Sarah Perez), Tabitha Hansen, and Zachary Hansen.

Great-grandchildren Logan E. Hansen, Kathryn “Kate” N. Hansen, and Everest Hansen.

Mom, you will always be missed and remembered, written with Love and Honor!

Visitation with the family will be held on Sunday, October 18, 2020 at 2:00 pm with the rosary beginning at 4:00 pm in The Hunters Creek Chapel at Earthman Funeral Directors, 8303 Katy Fwy, Houston, TX. Funeral Mass will be held on October 19, 2020 at 11:00 am at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, 3600 Brinkman Street, Houston, TX with the graveside service following at 1:00 pm at Forest Park Westheimer Cemetery, 12800 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX.

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THE PUBLIC. The Leader • Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020 • Page 8A

Constable’s office unveils eviction assistance program

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

With many community members facing financial hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office is trying to keep residents in their homes amidst the struggles.

On Wednesday morning, the nonprofit Harris County Precinct 1 Foundation unveiled the pilot phase of its new pop-up eviction assistance program, which is aimed at providing legal resources to those facing evictions in Precinct 1.

“We wanted to come to the people instead of just hoping they come to the office. We wanted to come deep into the community and really get people,” Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen said. “There are a

lot of people who need help and are suffering.”

Partners such as the South Texas College of Law and Lone Star Legal Aid are helping the foundation with the program, which would halt the eviction process through the end of the year. Lawyers were on hand Wednesday via three drive-through tents, where more than 100 pre-registered residents eventually drove up and talked through their case in a socially distant manner.

The aim, officials said, is to help those facing eviction fill out the appropriate paperwork to stay in their home and file it with both the landlord and court system. Legal experts will also assist landlords in navigating the eviction process under CDC guidelines.

“We are here to help people access the civil rights that have

Photo by Landan Kuhlmann Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen speaks to reporters Wednesday at 1215 Pinemont Dr.

been given to them during the pandemic. Eviction is a public health crisis – it is not just a moral crisis that it has been for

Police investigating Independence Heights shooting

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Police are investigating a shooting in Independence Heights that put two men in the hospital last week.

The two victims, both 32 years old, were taken to an area hospital and were expected to survive, according to the

Houston Police Department.

HPD said officers responded to a shooting call at 500 Neyland St. around 5:50 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 8. Both victims, police said, were standing in front of a home when a black, four-door car approached and someone in the vehicle fired at both victims before fleeing the

scene.

There are no known motives or suspects in the ongoing investigation, according to HPD. Anyone with information on this case is urged to contact HPD’s Major Assaults division at 713-308-8800 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.

Police Reports • October 9 - 11 OCT. 9

Theft 10 PM 400 BLOCK W 19TH Robbery 4 AM 00 BLOCK E CROSSTIMBERS Theft 6 AM 5100 BLOCK N SHEPHERD Theft 3 AM 800 BLOCK W 21ST Theft 11 PM 2800 BLOCK BEAUCHAMP

OCT. 10

Theft 9 PM 00 BLOCK E CROSSTIMBERS Burglary 1 AM 600 BLOCK HEIGHTS BLVD Assault 12 AM 6300 BLOCK PINESHADE LN Assault 9AM 1400 BLOCK ALLSTON Burglary 1 PM 1300 BLOCK

BLAIR Other 1 PM 2500 BLOCK AIRLINE Theft 7 AM 1400 BLOCK STUDEMONT Theft 3 PM 100 BLOCK YALE Theft 10 AM 100 BLOCK YALE

OCT. 11

Arson 6 PM 1100 BLOCK CORTLANDT Theft 10 PM 500 BLOCK E 34TH Theft 10 PM 1900 BLOCK BEALL Robbery 3 PM 1800 BLOCK LULA Assault 9 AM 200 BLOCK E 44TH Theft 5 PM 700 BLOCK E CROSSTIMBERS Theft 8 PM 5100 BLOCK N SHEPHERD Assault 8 AM 3800 BLOCK

to do that is to stop an eviction before it ever happens.”

Zip codes such as 77091 (Acres Homes) and 77092 (Greater Inwood) have seen the highest eviction rates during the pandemic, according to Rosen. And though Wednesday’s event was the first of its type in the area, he said the hope is to have future pop-up events in the precinct as time and funds allow.

Future eviction assistance events and resources will include mobile declaration clinics, zoom kiosks in community centers or churches as well as two hotlines where the public can get assistance in completing the necessary paperwork per CDC guidelines.

“Extraordinary times call for extraordinary efforts,” Precinct 1 Assistant Chief Carl Shaw said.

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

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a long time,” said Eric Kwartler with South Texas College of Law. “We’re trying to keep everyone safe, and the best way

Funds for the assistance program, which Rosen said will be a “pay as you go” for the foundation depending on future events, came from a GoFundMe page set up by the foundation on Sept. 3 after hearing stories of increased evictions. According to Rosen, the page raised more than $248,000 in donations prior to Wednesday’s pilot.

To get more information on assistance, community members can contact Precinct 1 Chief of Staff Erica Davis at 832-286-3876.

“This was our way of trying to think creatively to find a way to be most impactful to a community that’s suffering right now,” Rosen said. “We’re here to help you get through some of the most difficult times in your lives.”

Ex-boyfriend charged in shooting of area woman

By Landan Kuhlmann

with the incident.

Police said the victim, 43-year-old Tala Green, was transported to an area hospital in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries after being shot in the thigh.

HPD said officers responded to the Houston 420 Smoke Shop at 4121 North Fwy. just after 7:30 a.m.

Thursday, Oct. 8. Police said Green was sitting in her car when Dabney -- her ex-boy-

landan@theleadernews.com

Police are searching for a man accused of shooting his ex-girlfriend outside an area smoke shop last week.

The Houston Police Department said 36-year-old Ashton Dabney has been charged with aggravated assault of a family member and felon in possession of a weapon in the 183rd State District Court in connection

friend, according to HPD -- allegedly approached her car and fired a handgun several times before fleeing the scene on foot.

Anyone with information on this case or the whereabouts of Dabney is encouraged to contact HPD’s Major Assaults & Family Violence division at 713-3088800 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.

HPD looking for area carjacking suspects

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Police are searching for multiple suspects they say stole a woman’s truck at gunpoint last Friday morning.

Houston Police Department spokesperson Victor Senties said the victim told police she was leaving work at the Whataburger at 905 North Loop West around 11:40 a.m. Friday when an unknown male suspect came

up to her, forcing her back to her truck at gunpoint. Upon reaching the truck, Senties said the woman told police a second male suspect came up and demanded her keys.

According to Senties, the suspects then got into the woman’s black and brown 2003 GMC Sierra and were last seen heading eastbound on the North Loop West service road.

The investigation remains ongoing.

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