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HHA seeks help to save sprinkler system

By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com

Jim Bennett, the Houston Heights Association’s boulevard beautification chair, said that during the first 20 years of his tenure, they lost no more than one sprinkler vacuum breaker each year either to frost or accidental breakage. But since June of this year, he said thieves have stolen 10 of the breakers, which are a backflow prevention device.

It was morning joggers along the Heights Boulevard esplanade who alerted the association of the theft

as each one caused the individual sprinkler to flood the boulevard and necessitated either Bennett or the city to turn off the water.

After the third theft, Bennett called police to file a report but said there was not much to be done unless the perpetrators were caught in the act.

“I understand that since they are bronze, they could be sold for scrap,” he said.

Because of the frequency of incidents, the HHA decided that in addition to replacing the breakers, they also needed to protect against

future theft.

Bennett and HHA property manager Greg Campbell have already installed three protective cages around the new vacuum breakers on the 1100 and 1200 blocks of Heights Boulevard. This was primarily so passersby could utilize the water fountains as the water has been cut off near the broken ones.

But more are needed.

There are 18 vacuum breakers along the boulevard, two at Marmion Park and one at the See Sprinklers P. 5A

Timbergrove Tragedy

Photo by Adam Zuvanich The Houston Heights Association is using cages to protect sprinkler vaccuum breakers on the Heights Boulevard esplanade.

Both sheriff candidates have area ties

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Photo by Adam Zuvanich Shepherd Forest resident Richard Kercho, a retired Houston firefighter, surveys the memorial he helped construct in honor of Lemuel Bruce, the arson investigator who was shot to death Oct. 16 at the intersection of West 18th Street and Seamist Drive.

Memorial honors fallen arson investigator

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com It’s been nine years since Richard Kercho retired from the Houston Fire Department, but it remains a big part of his life.

So the Shepherd Forest resident sprang to action when another member of the fire department – who he did not know but considered a brother nonetheless – lost his life in the line of duty.

Kercho said he and neighbor John Ortiz, an active firefighter with HFD, constructed a memorial for arson investigator Lemuel Bruce early this week in the median at the intersection of West 18th Street and Seamist Drive near the Timbergrove Manor and Lazybrook neighborhoods. That’s where Bruce, 44, was shot to death early Oct. 16 during an altercation with a suspected arsonist who also died.

The memorial for Bruce, who is survived by a wife and two children ages 12 and 8, is decorated with firefighter silhouettes, candles, crosses, flowers, American flags and red, white and blue balloons. There also are two poster See Memorial P. 5A

Shiny new toy. M-K-T, a mixed-use development in the Heights, is open for business.

Page 1B

See Sheriff P. 5A

Halloween king reclaims throne in Oak Forest

By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com

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

Photo from City of Houston Lemuel Bruce, 44, an arson investigator for the Houston Fire Department, was shot and killed early Oct. 16 near the intersection of West 18th Street and Seamist Drive.

The Harris County Sheriff ’s Office focuses more on the outskirts of Houston than the city itself, which is patrolled first and foremost by the Houston Police Department.

But the Greater Heights has long been a focus for Ed Gonzalez, who planted deep roots in the area long before he was elected as sheriff in 2016.

He grew up in the Heights, attending Field Elementary and Hamilton Middle School, and later represented the area as the Houston City Council member for District H. Gonzalez, a Democrat, Danna hopes those ties pay dividends during the ongoing election cycle that ends Nov. 3. He’s running for reelection against Republican Joe Danna.

“Being a Gonzalez product of the Heights and going to area schools and having worked See related with the civic clubs, election story I know the region Page 4A very well,” Gonzalez said. “I trust that voters will make the best decision.”

Gonzalez’s opponent also has strong ties to the area. Danna grew up in Lindale Park, was married at St. Ambrose Catholic Church and later lived in Mangum Manor and Forest Pines.

Danna also was a longtime deputy for the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office, which serves the area.

He was fired in 2012 for falsifying documents related to serving a court summons, according to a 2016 report by

Contributed photo Oak Forest resident Lucas Strom has more elaborate Halloween decorations than most.

Lucas Strom admits to being “super obsessive” about his Halloween decorations. This year, after a little hiatus, he is back with the Shady Oaks Cemetery on the corner of Woodcrest Drive and Rosslyn Road in Oak Forest.

“Everybody decorates big for Christmas,” he said. “I’m the Halloween guy. I start thinking about it in July and the day after Halloween

I shop the sales.”

He has always gone with the cemetery theme for something that to him was spooky, not scary or gory.

“I didn’t See related want it to be story about campy either,” Halloween safety he said. “It is its Page 3B own world.”

When he lived in Timbergrove Manor, Strom used to wear the costume he got from the

now-closed Frankel’s Costume – an 8-foot-tall promotional vampire outfit, marked down from $2,000 to $150. He pretended to be an animatronic vampire in the yard until people were close enough to him to get a real scare. Strom has also worn it during the Houston Zombie Walk in non-COVID-19 times.

On Gardenia Drive in Oak Forest, he had a horse-drawn carriage and hearse that he had built See Halloween P. 5A

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THE TOPICS. The Leader • Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020 • Page 3A

Our readers can think for themselves F or most of my career, newspapers have been held to the highest of standards by readers. Our depth, perspective and unwavering pursuit of truth are unrivaled, and every editorial decision we make is cloaked in a devotion to ethical, honest reporting.

That is why I will fervently stand up to the handful of readers who have publicly derided The Leader this week, questioning more than 65 years of service to our community through intellectually dishonest complaints.

Last week, our newspaper accepted and inserted a paid advertisement purchased by an organization called Newsmax. The 12-page, glossy insert promoted a book by David Horowitz, which makes the case for re-electing President Trump.

How dare they?

I have not read the book, nor will a majority of our readers, I presume – not because the book is about Trump, but because the end of election season can’t come soon enough. It’s not like the book was some poorly written diatribe passed around underground meetings.

“Blitz” did spend six weeks on the New York Times best-seller list for hardcover nonfiction.

You’d have thought we published salacious pictures of Mother Teresa.

“What an abomination (regardless of political bias) for The Leader to include propaganda in its newspaper…,” wrote one reader. “Shame,

Jonathan McElvy Publisher

shame, shame.”

Another reader suggested he’s going to tattle on us to local businesses.

“Do your local advertisers want to be connected with propagation of political disinformation and conspiracy theories? I will ask them…”

“Are you people that desperate for ad money, or is this a political statement or endorsement?” asked another reader.

By the way, you can read all of these letters in their entirety because our newspaper has been, and always will be, a place where ideas and information are exchanged. And that seems a wonderful place to start.

I do believe 99 percent of you understand that our newspaper, and most others, are designed to be marketplaces for information, ideas and, to a lesser extent, commerce. We were founded on the tenet that no matter what the issue, our journalists would seek to offer every possible perspective. At that point, our readers were left to make their own decisions about those issues. Our opinion

pages have been eclectic compilations of ideas. And for centuries, we have served as one of the most effective platforms for businesses of all sizes to market their products and services to an educated consumer.

Today, according to critics, our readers have suddenly become stupid. The centuries of consistency from printed publications must now be guided by an arrogant belief that editorial filters should include a repression of challenging ideas.

No longer are you able to read information and make your own decisions. No longer are you capable of processing information as an intellectual being. No longer can you decipher between news and paid advertising. The fog of political war is so blinding that non-partisan publications like ours must be canceled, tossed aside, because our readers are too dumb to draw their own conclusions.

This is utter lunacy, yet the men and women who took the time to shame us through letters to the editor and social media posts over the past week actually believe our readers are incapable of processing information and making decisions for themselves. And to justify the outrage, they don’t point the finger at you, but rather at us for not selectively choosing which ideas we allow you to read.

Based on this line of thinking, Barnes & Noble has 627 stores across the United States, and they

Friday Night Flights “In Texas, the week begins on Friday nights.” -- CBS newsman Lynn Bob Schieffer (TCU).

Yes, it usually begins on Fri- Ashby days, although this fall, thanks to the pandemic, our revered Columnist annual ritual of sweating, cheering, fight songs and the heartbreak of the almost, have been moved around so that games have been cancelled, pushed back and the frustrating waittill-we-get-the-test-results. But budgets, I propose any out-ofone way or another, Texas high state team that successfully reschool football games will be cruits a Texas boy pays for the played, there will be winners privilege. We have an investand losers. And Texas taxpay- ment in them, and we want our ers will be among the losers. I money back.

Maybe the same should apply shall explain. For the 2019-2020 school year, 166,036 young to the NFL which has or has had Texans played 11-man foot- since 2018 at least 200 nativeball and another 3,651 played born Texans. New Orleans QB 6-man. That is by far the most Drew Brees went to West Lake high school football players in High School, practically in the the nation, and they are also shadow of the UT Tower, then some of the finest. We put this played football for Purdue. Anprogram in a high priority. We drew Luck, long-time star for pay for coaches, equipment, the Indianapolis Colts, attended uniforms, bands and cheerlead- Stratford HS in Houston, and ers. Booster clubs raise funds went to Stanford. The list of when the districts can’t cover marvelous football players from all the costs. (Taxpayers in the Texas who went elsewhere to Highland Park ISD send 70 per- college goes on and on.

Derek Carr, QB for the Las cent of their school taxes – yes, Vegas Raiders, moved to Cali70 percent -- to Austin to be allocated to other districts, so the fornia his senior high school year, attended Fresno State, but HP booster club pitches in.)

Then there are the stadi- got his start at Clements High ums. Katy ISD built a $70 mil- School in Sugar Land. Nick lion high school football sta- Foles, QB for the Chicago Bears, dium, the most expensive high went to West Lake HS, Austin, school stadium ever built in Michigan State then the Univerthe United States, beating out sity of Arizona. Ryan Mallett, the Allen ISD, up near Dallas, QB for several NFL teams, gradwhich spent $60 million to build uated from Texas High School its stadium. However, another in Texarkana, Texas, played for $10 million was need to repair Arkansas U. Matthew Stafford, “significant structural defects.” Highland Park HS, played for Mesquite’s Memorial Stadium, Georgia. Whatever happened to built in 1976, is the largest high Johnny Manziel? But he stayed school stadium with a capacity in the state: went to Texas of 19,400. According to Craig A&M. They were all high school Hlavaty of the Houston Chron- QBs in Texas. Let’s discuss the icle, in 2018 there were 1,305 story of Baker Mayfield, QB high school football stadiums in for the Cleveland Browns. He Texas, with a combined capac- attended high school at Lake ity of 4,130,440. Currently there Travis, just west of Austin, one are nine high school stadiums of seven former and current Dithat have a seating capacity of vision I quarterbacks who went 16,500 or greater. There are 394 to Lake Travis HS. His father, stadiums that only hold 100 to James, a private equity consul1,000 fans. You could seat ev- tant, hit hard times which forced ery person in Houston in Texas’ the Mayfields to sell their famhigh school football stadiums ily home and move from rental and still have room for almost 2 home to rental home. Baker first attended Texas Tech, but had a million more.

Texans, even those without falling out with the coaches – he quarterbacks, halfbacks and was a walk-on – and transferred bench warmers, spend all this to OU. There he won the Heismoney to teach almost 170,000 man Trophy, Maxwell Award, players how to master the game Walter Camp Award and was – then so many leave the state, a unanimous All-America – for generating ticket sales and TV the Sooners. As the Number 1 rights for a host of competitors. draft choice, he signed a fourOU has 49 Texans on its cur- year rookie contract with the rent roster. Oklahoma State has Browns worth $32.68 million 37. LSU, the defending national in guaranteed salary. No more champion, fields 13 Texans. rented houses. Mayfield was Even the military academies named as the Browns’ starting play ball: West Point has 19 quarterback following a back Texans and Annapolis has 15. injury to projected starter MiThe Air Force Academy fields chael Brewer (Lake Travis), who 21 players from the Lone Star attended Virginia Tech.

Of the 10 Heisman winners State. Legendary UH head footfrom Texas universities, only ball coach Bill Yeoman once said that he could field a cham- two developed at an out-ofpionship team every year if he state high school: Texas A&M could just hold on to Houston- running back John David Crow area players. In light of this ex- and Texas running back Ricky portation of our home-grown Williams. There are only 80 talent to fatten other schools’ Heis¬man trophy winners, and

nine of them are products of Texas high school foot¬ball.

Meantime, Texas leads all states in the number of inductees into the NFL Hall of Fame with 30.

And it all began on Friday nights in Texas. As Houston sports columnist Mickey Herskowitz once wrote: “There must really be something to religion. People keep comparing it to Texas high school football.” Small towns worship the Fightin’ Wombats.

Their water towers proclaim their name. Signs at the entrance to these towns proudly sport signs: “State Champs ’91!”

And they follow the teams on the road. A sports writer I knew once told me “If I were an intelligent burglar, I would hit towns that had a Friday night football game out of town. Even the cops would be gone.”

So go Fightin’ Wombats!

There are better teams, but they play on Sundays.

Ashby suits up at ashby2@comcast.net

also happen to sell the Horowitz book. Shame, shame, shame. This national chain is making a profit from what the book’s critics say is propagation of political disinformation and conspiracy theories.

Amazon, that cretin of a publisher, sells copies of the Horowitz book (No. 1 in the Political Leadership category), and we all know what that means. Amazon makes money on those sales, which must also mean they’re either incredibly desperate for money, or they’re making a political statement or endorsement.

Am I doing this right?

Look, I don’t care which side of the political aisle you reside – never have and never will. I do care if our readers accuse us of spreading propaganda, simply because we allow an advertiser to pay for an insert.

Local newspapers are on the cusp of complete closure. More than 2,000 have shut their doors across this country in the past decade, and the wake of this pandemic will result in hundreds more communities without an independent source of information. But no matter if The Leader made a billion dollars a year in profits, or lost tens of thousands every year, we would never, ever refuse an advertisement or a story because some readers wouldn’t agree with the content.

Our role in vetting advertising is in legality. If you’re selling drugs or trafficking humans, we’re not running your ads. In fact, we’re calling

THE READER.

the cops.

Tomorrow, you’re going to walk into a grocery store or a restaurant, and you’re going to see someone wearing a Biden hat or a MAGA shirt. If you’re a Trump supporter, are you going to boycott the restaurant for allowing a Biden hat on property? Are the patrons of that restaurant so fragile that they can’t handle the sight of an opposing idea?

If you’re a Biden supporter, are you going to publicly cancel a grocery store because they allowed a shopper with a MAGA shirt on property?

Newspapers deserve and expect our readers to hold us to the highest ethical standards when it comes to the dissemination of information.

We want our readers to trust the perspective we offer.

In return, we expect our readers to consume our information independently and deliberately.

We expect you to trust the source and verify our content. We put our names on our stories for a reason, and we seek accountability if we seek nothing at all.

Our readers are smart people, and The Leader has served them well for decades. We will not bow to the idea that you are incapable of forming your own opinion, and we will never, not ever, select which ideas we believe are best for you.

Email jonathan@mcelvymedia.com

Email us your letters: news@theleadernews.com

Newsmax insert an abomination

Dear Editor: What an abomination (regardless of political bias) for The Leader to include propaganda in its newspaper. Numerous times, you have declared that the paper is non-political. It appears not to be true.

Having been an avid Leader reader, fan, and supporter for 40 years, I am extremely disappointed. Shame, shame, shame.

Mary Steck Dear Editor: I trust you were well compensated for discarding the journalistic credibility and respect you built over the years when you decided to enclose the Newsmax “paid advertisement” with your current issue.

Do your local advertisers want to be connected with propagation of political disinformation and conspiracy theories? I will ask them but my guess is that they are more interested in reaching our larger community and will seek better ways to do so.

Robert Knetsch Dear Editor: While I do appreciate the Leader’s coverage of local news, finding that Newsmax propaganda hidden in your paper this morning was repulsive. Are you people that desperate for ad money or is this a political statement or endorsement? I am hopeful it is the former. The Newsmax insert probably won’t make me send the Leader straight to the recycle bin but it

does shine light on Trump’s pathetic, last minute desperation to win back the voters who thought “what the heck, why not give this guy a try” only to be embarrassed and appalled.

Just please don’t let the next insert be from the New York Post. Then, I may be inclined to let the Leader decompose in the driveway.

David Murrah Dear Editor: I opened up my local newspaper yesterday to find something that I’ve never seen before with The Leader, and never would have expected to see - a big glossy magazine for a pro-Trump book. In the same issue as a big half-page ad saying “Turn to Newspapers for Trusted Information.” I know it says it’s a paid advertisement, but why didn’t you just say “no”? Did you do it for the money, or are you pushing your agenda? Either way, you disappoint me.

Avalon8834

Truth-seeking a tough but important task

Dear Editor: Nowadays, when so many people consider their opinion to be the ultimate truth, it’s important to apply the ABC principal: Assume nothing, Believe nothing, Check everything!

Even the media seems to have a lack of professional journalists; they’re now ‘Influencers’ and those were, not too long ago, known as ‘manipulators.’

Anna

the leader Puzzlers.

Answers found in this week’s Classified section

SUDOKU

aCrOss 1. Malay sailboats 6. Beach material 10. Heroic tale 14. Peers 15. Unseen 17. Plucking implement 19. Radioactivity unit 20. Stamping device 21. Quake 22. Foot (Latin) 23. Living body covering 24. Turfs 26. Gate swinging devices 29. Nail 31. Sharp bodily pain 32. Status equality 34. Horse height measure 35. Political Asylum Research & Documentation Service 37. 20’s - 30’s art design 38. Payment (abbr.)

39. Food grain 40. Indefinitely long period of time 41. Rear 43. Without (French) 45. Wood sorrels 46. Express pleasure 47. Recurring artistic pattern 49. Deaf language

50. Runs PCs 53. Minimal punishment 57. Repeat 58. Give extreme unction to 59. Inflammatory skin disease 60. Large Aussie flightless bird 61. Polish Air Show city

dOwn 1. Anjou or comice 2. __ Nui, Easter Island 3. Towards the mouth or oral region 4. 4th Caliph of Islam 5. Soviet Socialist Republics 6. Moslem mystics 7. Game stake 8. Point midway between N and NW 9. Female deer pelts 10. Glaze used to stiffen fabrics 11. Unhittable serves 12. Pathogen 13. Promotional materials 16. Setting up a golf drive 18. Lyric poems 22. Atomic #46 23. Genus Alosa 24. __ Claus

25. Not even 27. Fencing swords 28. Conway, N.H. river 29. Brake horsepower 30. Wild leek 31. Prefix for before 33. “Splash” director Howard 35. Sleeveless apronlike dress 36. Book of the Apostles mission 37. V.P. Quayle 39. Dish directions 42. Revolve 43. Particular instance of selling 44. Exclamation of surprise 46. Wimbledon champion Arthur 47. Millisecond 48. Ammo & chemical corp.

49. Tip of Aleutian Islands 50. Expired 51. Norway’s capital 52. Plant stalk 53. Macaws 54. Indochina battleground (slang) 55. Armed conflict 56. Ribonucleic acid

WORD SCRAMBLE

Page 4A • Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020 • The Leader

La Rotta, Shaw squaring off for seat at statehouse

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

Luis La Rotta knows he’s trying to win an election in a part of Houston that has consistently voted Democrat.

But the Republican and Northside native said he has a good pulse on the area, having grown up in the district he wants to serve in the state legislature. While many of his philosophies and policy stances are in line with the GOP, La Rotta describes himself as a reasonable, independent thinker.

He hopes local voters view him the same way as they elect the next District 148 seatholder in the Texas House of Representatives, with early voting scheduled through Oct. 30

La Rotta

Shaw

and Election Day on Nov. 3.

La Rotta and Democrat Penny Morales Shaw are vying to replace Anna Eastman, a Heights Democrat who won a special election for the seat early this year but subsequently lost to Shaw in a Democratic primary runoff decided by 200 votes. “I think I can represent a large group of people, can represent Democrats and Republi-

cans, because I see both sides of the issue and I follow the facts,� La Rotta said. “I think I bring to the table a balance that’s sorely needed.�

Shaw characterized La Rotta as a candidate who “would fully support the Republican slate� and said voters who want a state representative with Democratic values should cast a vote for her. She touted her

decades of experience as a civil rights attorney and advocate and her recent work as policy deputy chief for Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia, which included implementing a countywide emergency shelter plan in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

Advocating for women’s and children’s rights, a cleaner environment, access to healthcare and quality public education are among the points of emphasis for Shaw, who beat Eastman with the help of an endorsement from Jessica Farrar, the Democrat who served District 148 for 25 years before retiring in September 2019. Shaw said she also has endorsements from U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, former U.S. Rep. Gene Green

and State Rep. Armando Walle, who is the COVID-19 recovery czar for Harris County. “Democrats, for the most part, want somebody who reflects their values as far across the board as possible,� Shaw said. “They know I have a track record in all those areas.�

Shaw said she is especially passionate about improving healthcare access for families and ensuring they receive preventative care, which is more cost-effective than treating medical ailments after they arise. She said she also is concerned about the treatment of immigrants in a district that is more than 60 percent Hispanic.

La Rotta said he agrees that improving public education and healthcare access and protect-

ing individual liberties are important issues in the district. He said his solutions to those problems are just “vastly different� than what Democrats propose.

La Rotta said he favors a free-market economy over public-private partnerships and would push to do away with the state’s franchise tax to help small businesses grow. “Nothing is predetermined,�

La Rotta said of the notion that District 148 will continue to favor Democrats. “Just as the community is changing, so are their perceptions. The community also is probably weary of 25 years of the same policies that have not moved the needle forward in many areas.

So I think the area’s primed for changes.�

Local churches reopening with guidelines from city

By Zarah Parker zarah@theleadernews.com

There was no pandemic prep course in seminary.

That’s been Hannah White’s joke for the last couple of months. White is the lead pastor, along with her husband Bill, at Village Heights Church, which meets in the HITS theatre space at 311 W. 18th St. Last Sunday was Village Heights’ first time having inperson services since March.

The church’s in-person services are at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. with a virtual service at 5 p.m. “It felt good to be home and have some level of normal in our life,� White said.

The church opened with restrictions in an attempt to keep their attendees safe by wearing masks, social distancing and spreading out in the seats.

They also replaced their Sunday coffee stand with a coffee truck so people could feel safer sipping coffee in the open air. “For us it felt like if our schools were going back in

person, then we could find creative ways to open safely,�

White said.

A lot of the guidelines Village Heights is following matches recommendations for sanctuaries and faith-based reopenings the City of Houston recently released. Find the city’s full set of recommendations, many of which seek to limit the clustering of congregation members, at https://www.houstontx.gov/ Best-Practices-SanctuariesFaith-Based-Organizations. pdf. Churches that already are open and soon to reopen are following many of these guidelines.

While White said they are keeping an eye on capacity, they are not making it reservation-based, which is a city recommendation along with keeping the capacity at 25 percent.

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 1819 Heights Blvd., has been meeting in person since September, but requires reservations for in-person ser-

Contributed photo Bill, right, and Hannah White, the lead pastors at Village Heights Church, pose with their sons Gaige and Declan.

vices, with about 25 slots. “For guidelines we look at what the CDC is saying, what our elected officials are saying, what the medical center is saying and what our bishop

is saying,� said Jimmy Grace, the rector at St. Andrew’s. “So there are multiple platforms we look to when making precautions.�

St. Andrew’s offers four

Waltrip temporarily closes because of COVID-19

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

One day after Houston ISD started in-person instruction, Waltrip High School was among its campuses to temporarily close because of COVID-19.

HISD, which welcomed students to campuses on Monday after starting the school year with six weeks of remote online learning, announced Tuesday that 17 schools had

temporarily closed because of confirmed or presumed COVID-19 cases on their campuses. Waltrip, located at 1900 W. 34th St., was listed among 11 schools with presumed cases that would transition back to virtual learning. “As outlined in the HISD Communicable Disease Plan, the campuses will be deepcleaned and disinfected during the closure,� HISD said in a news release. “Parents will be notified when the schools have

been cleared to reopen.�

It is unclear how many COVID-19 cases were identified at Waltrip before the closure, or whether they were among students or staff, because on Tuesday the school was not listed as having any confirmed cases on HISD’s COVID-19 dashboard at houstonisd.org/ covid19dashboard. The HISD Press Office did not answer emailed questions about the number of cases required for a campus to close or about the

circumstances at Waltrip.

According to the district’s COVID-19 dashboard, there were two cases among staff and one among students at Heights High School on Tuesday as well as two staff cases at Stevens Elementary and one staff case at Garden Oaks Montessori Magnet. Districtwide, HISD had 90 confirmed cases, including 10 among students.

Follow Adam Zuvanich on Twitter @AZuvanich

SPX students named National Merit Scholars landan@theleadernews.com

plan to follow them to keep our people and our community as safe as possible,� said Patrick Kelley, pastor at West End. “We believe the community is ready to come together to make new friends and to be encouraged, even though there are restrictions and appropriate spacing.�

Kelley mentioned that while they look forward to the day the restrictions will be lifted, they are committed to being good citizens and doing everything they can to assist people impacted by the virus and to doing their part to prevent the spread. “We believe houses of worship are a vital part of every community and necessary during difficult times,� Kelley said.

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By Landan Kuhlmann Four seniors at St Pius X High School were recently recognized for their standout academic performance.

A news release from the school said Jacob Phillips and Jack Sullo were named National Merit Commended students, placing among the top 50,000 scorers of more than 1.6 million students who took the 2019 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship qualifying test. Gabriella Gibson was named a National Hispanic Scholar and National African American Scholar, while Thomas Parlette was named a National Hispanic Scholar.

Around 34,000 “commended� students are recognized annually, according to the news release, while National Hispanic Scholars score in the top 2.5 percent of more than 400,000 PSAT/NMSQT test takers identifying as African American, Hispanic American or Latinx, Indigenous, or attend school in a rural area, or are from a small town. “These four student leaders exemplify what it means to be Veritas men and women,� SPX principal Rachel Ware said. “They epitomize what hard work and determination can accomplish.�

Sunday services, two online through Facebook Live and two in person at 7:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. “Even though we have the live stream, being able to conduct in person we take reverently and deliberately,� Grace said. “We are cautious, but we recognize that church is not a building. It’s the people.�

Grace said the church has taken measures to ensure safety with masks, distancing, a clear point of entry and exit and no singing of congregational hymns. “It’s so wonderful to have people in church,� Grace said, “and one lesson we’ve learned is how important face-to-face contact is - to see others and to be seen by others.�

Grace said they will continue to take cues from officials on when it’s safe to open further.

West End Church, 802 Shepherd Dr., will reopen for in person services Nov. 1. “We value the city’s guidelines and precautions and

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Have you done the right thing and felt like you got punished for it? The Bible first introduces us to the prophet Elijah when he confronted King Ahab. Elijah told King Ahab that there would be no rain until Elijah said. God was bringing judgment on King Ahab for the wicked choices of the king.

Aftersaying, this but bold proclamation, told Elijah to go t goes without I’ll say it anyway: “we God have all made mistakes.�

As Alexander aptly put it: “Toravens to bring to a brook wherePope Godsowould cause err is human, to forgive, divine.� We should remember him food. While this might have seemed novel for a this the next time we make a mistake. Most certainly, we time, I mistakes, am sureand it got old quickly.

Elijah was sitting must learn from our hopefully not continue by but a brook, hiding out from KingWhile Ahab, and waiting to repeat them, we should also forgive ourselves. it can be hard enough forgive others for theirhis mistakes, it I am sure the each daytofor birds to bring dinner.

In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, please check with each church below for updated information about services can sometimes feel almost impossible to forgive ourselves. waiting did not seem very profitable or enjoyable.

St. James Lutheran Church, ELCA We sometimes cannot bring ourselves to forgive something Sunday Studies For All Ages ... 9:30am andBible events.

In-person services are temporarily restricted. ofpunish Elijahand is best understood we’ve done,The and story we may harangue ourselves when you read Morning Worship ............... 10:45am • Worship (English) ..... 10:00 am - 11:00am for years, orthe evenentire decades, over youthful indiscretions.

In story.

If you try to understand one piece Wednesday Bible Studies For Youth, Children • Learning Hour........... 11:00am - 12:00pm MANNA addition, some of without us may not bewhole able to picture, forget the it sins of • Worship (Spanish) .... 12:30 pm - 1:30pm of it the doesn’t make much and Adults............................ 6:15pm Sponsor our past. And although that may prevent us from repeating sense.

There and areforgive manyourselves, interesting St. James Lutheran Church, ELCA 1602 West 43rd St. • Houston, Tx 77018 • 713-686-1577 them, we must be charitable just asepisodes in the 1822 W. 18th • 713-864-1470 storyothers. but itSo,iswedifficult to find or clarity we should forgive should make a realany effortpurpose in t 8PSTIJQ &OHMJTI BN BN the coming days and weeks to forgive the offenses of others without the whole story in view.

Weekly Sunday Services Gethsemane Lutheran Church as well as our own. Sometimes, it helps to just forget about

BN QN   I say all of that to remind you that where you are • Bible Study: 9:15 a.m.

MANNA t -FBSOJOH )PVS 4040 Watonga • 713-688-5227 Pastor Jerry McNamara them; that is, to try to put them out of our mind and stop • Morning:10:30 a.m.

We invite you to worship with us! t 8PSTIJQ 4QBOJTI

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Butare far better, and Preschool Program • Mon. - Fri. 9-2 p.m. not like you doing much more than We invite you to worship with us! www.gethsemanelutheran.org Pastor – Dr. Richard Walters more divine, is to be able to forgive even while remembering waiting for something to happen or for God to show the offense.

So, we should let go of those unforgiving, Ad # 32285 Weekly Worship Services 9:00a.m. you hisfeelings purpose. story ofget Elijah vindictive, shameful aboutThe the past, and over is a wonderful Sund Please visit our website at: it! Corrie tenreminder Boom, who survived a Nazi that God incarceration can and willinprovide.

He can even Online services be reached Candlelight Church ofcanChrist www.lazybrookbaptistchurch.org said, “Forgiveness is tobirds set a prisoner free, and by having bring your food to you if need through the website below at 9:00 am. prison campprovide Join us for Services to realize that the prisoner was you.�

Wed for the following: be. Waiting time is not wasted time. God is moving, in English or Spanishwww.gethsemanelutheran.org Sunday Morning Worship 8:30 and 11:00 Judge not, and you will be judged; Sunday Services: Live Stream at 11:00am arranging, andnot preparing youcondemn and others to fulfill his Sunday Worship 10am & 5pm Sunday School for Children, Youth and Adults 9:40 not, andperfect you willplan. not be condemned; forgive, Sunday Bible Classes 9am Trust in God and wait on him. His time Studies: From Homepage, click on Ministries for All Ages Bible and you will be forgiven...

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The Leader • Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020 • Page 5A

Sprinklers, from P. 1A Heights Fire Station. In addition to the cages, the vacuum breaker replacements need to be purchased. While Bennett said he and Campbell will do what they can, additional labor and materials will be needed.

In a recent e-mail, the HHA explained the association maintains the trees, gardens and jogging trail on Heights Boulevard. “We typically earmark funds for repairs and maintenance along the boulevard, but we have experienced a significant drop in 2020 revenue due to the cancellation of our traditional fundraising events, few rentals of the Fire Station and lowerthan-expected membership numbers - all due to the pandemic,� reads the e-mail. “We have begun repairing and protecting some of the vacuum breakers - and have been able to front the money

Memorial, from P. 1A needed for these initial costs, but to cover all these expenses, we will need to raise $14,000.�

In past years, Bennett said the number of breakers lost did not justify the cost of the cages, but it does now. “Most people don’t know that we paid for installation of (the system) and have to maintain it,� he said. “(Houston) Public Works will cut the water off, but they won’t repair it.�

To get a jump on the thieves, the HHA has set a Nov. 15 deadline to raise the funds. “We use the system to keep new trees growing for two or three years and for the flower gardens,� Bennett said. “We’re not watering the grass here.�

To donate, visit stores. houstonheightsstore.org/ heights-boulevard-beautification-project.

Halloween, from P. 1A and an 18-minute music and light show. It was featured in the Houston Chronicle. After a divorce and a downsizing, Strom sold the hearse and some of the other items. Now that he is out of a condo and into a house again, he is regrouping. “I bought stuff in a mad dash,� he said. “Buying is the easy part.�

He is also building again, too.

A new coffin was built in half a day and the cemetery fence took a full Saturday. The Shady Oaks Cemetery sign took a few days on and off. As the years go by, Strom said he has become a more proficient craftsman. And he builds for easy storage so things can be disassembled and laid flat.

In the future, Strom plans to rebuild the hearse. “I could do it so much better now,� he said.

The tombstones, coffin carrier, front door gravedigger and a Samara (a la The Ring) lookalike that swings from a tree are purchases. On Halloween night, some things

will get moved around and a smoke-blowing Zombie will join the living and the dead in the front yard. His new costume came in this week. “It’s a scary pumpkin thing,� he said.

The initial setup took Strom about six hours. He is still tinkering with the lights. “I had yellow at first and now I’ve switched to red,� he said. “I still don’t know if I’m happy with it. I’ll do the soundtrack another year.�

This Halloween, Strom and daughter, Mia, are not going trick-or-treating for Halloween but will have a table set up with individually bagged candy for passersby.

Neighbors are already stopping by and it is not unusual to find someone parked outside taking photos. “Every year I try to do more to keep the kids more interested,� Strom said. “People ask why I do it, and I tell them I am making memories for the kids in the neighborhood. I love the holiday in general.�

boards where members of the community, fire department and Bruce’s family have written personalized notes of remembrance. “It’s pretty rough knowing that they’re going to be without their loved one, their dad,� Kercho said. “It’s tough.�

A funeral for Bruce, who at one point served at Houston Fire Station No. 6 on Washington Avenue, was scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday at Lakewood Church.

On the morning he died, Houston Fire Chief Sam Pena called it a “terrible incident� and said it was the first time in HFD history that an arson investigator was killed in the line of duty.

According to the Houston Police Department, Bruce was among multiple arson investigators conducting surveillance in the Heights area and looking for a gray or silver Hyundai Sonata allegedly linked to a series of recent fires in the area. Bruce told his fellow investigators he had spotted such a vehicle “driving at a high rate of speed with the headlights off on West 18th Street near T.C. Jester Boulevard,� according to HPD. Police said Bruce followed the gray vehicle while advising fellow arson investigators of his location. Upon arriving at the scene, the other investigators found that Bruce and arson suspect Joshua De La Cerda had been shot, ac-

cording to HPD. Pena said Bruce suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the upper chest and head, was transported to a hospital by responding paramedics from fire station No. 62 in Timbergrove Manor and later died at the hospital. HPD said De La Cerda, 30, was found dead at the scene with an “apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.� “The investigation is continuing,�

HPD said.

There has been a series of fires in the area recently, starting early Oct. 4, when Molotov cocktails were thrown onto two residential properties on the same street in Lazybrook, according to HPD. There have been subsequent incidents in the Heights, Oak Forest and Acres Homes areas in which vehicles, sheds and trash have been set fire late at night or early in the morning.

Joshua A. Rauch, 28, was arrested Oct. 10 and charged with second-degree arson, according to HFD. Pena said Rauch is accused of starting seven fires early Oct. 7, mostly in the Oak Forest and Acres Homes areas. “We don’t want to speculate whether the two (suspects) were related,� Pena said.

Other than providing locations of the seven fires allegedly set by Rauch,

HFD’s public information office has not answered multiple questions about the recent fires, including when and where they have occurred, which fires were allegedly linked to De La Cerda and whether there are any additional suspects.

Zachery Garay, a resident of nearby Lindale Park who was walking his dog Tuesday in the Heights, said he has been “on edge� about the recent fires. He said he is especially mindful at night and of where his vehicle is parked. “I don’t know where it sits right now,� he said, referring to the potential threat of more fires. “It’s still kind of crazy that it’s been an issue and been happening randomly.�

A few HFD arson investigators visited the memorial for Bruce on Tuesday afternoon and declined to comment when approached, citing an ongoing investigation. Kercho said the recent death of their co-worker is “still really hard on them.�

The Heights-area community, and the city at large, also is mourning Bruce’s death. Kercho and Ortiz honored his legacy by constructing the handmade memorial at the site where he died. “It helps with the healing process,�

Kercho said.

Follow Adam Zuvanich on Twitter @ AZuvanich

Sheriff, from P. 1A Houston TV station Fox 26 News. Danna ran for Precinct 1 constable in 2016 and lost to incumbent Alan Rosen.

Multiple requests to interview Danna, made through his campaign, were not granted. His campaign also did not respond to emailed questions about Danna’s past in law enforcement or his platform for running for sheriff.

Danna has been working as a reserve officer for the Polk County Sheriff ’s Office, northeast of Houston, according to Cpt. Rickie Childers. Childers said duties associated with the parttime, unpaid position include patrol and bailiff responsibilities as well as working special events.

Childers said the Polk County Sheriff ’s Office has not had any concerns or complaints about Danna. “He’s a good guy,� Childers said. “He does a good job for

us. If he didn’t, we wouldn’t keep him here as an officer.�

Gonzalez said Danna’s history with the constable’s office is “troubling.� Gonzalez also touted his own record as an officer for the Houston Police Department, along with his time on the city council and his four years as sheriff, as a reason why he should be re-elected.

Gonzalez said he takes a sensible, data-driven approach to law enforcement and his “North Star every day is the public safety of our community.� Upon taking office four years ago, he said he balanced the sheriff ’s office budget and saved millions of dollars by stopping the office’s practice of outsourcing jail inmates to other jurisdictions in Texas and Louisiana.

He said he launched a program called SMART – Sheriff ’s Mobile Advocacy Response Team – which Gonzalez described as a

multi-disciplinary initiative aimed at reducing domestic violence and sexual assaults.

He also created a jail population dashboard to provide the public with daily inmate counts at the Harris County Jail, and Gonzalez said his management of the jail during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a model for other correctional facilities.

Gonzalez called the jail the “largest mental hospital in the state� because a significant number of inmates suffer from mental illness, poverty, homelessness or a combination of those plights.

He said he wants to better assess the people who are put in jail and stop the cycle of having mentally ill inmates released and then put back in jail for similar crimes, which Gonzalez said is especially costly to taxpayers.

Gonzalez also said the Harris County Jail population, which is roughly 8,500

per day, could be reduced by coming up with alternatives for low-level, non-violent criminals, such as ankle monitors and drug-testing programs. At the same time, Gonzalez said he wants state legislators to make it more difficult for repeat offenders to be released from jail on bonds, especially when they have a history of committing crimes while out on previous bonds.

He said the existing system is “simply based on money,� meaning those who can afford to bond out are released from jail and those who cannot afford to pay bail remain incarcerated, regardless of the crimes they are accused of committing in many cases. “We’re tough on crime.

We want to catch the bad guys out there committing crimes,� Gonzalez said. “We also can’t ignore humanity and common sense.�

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Page 6A • Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020 • The Leader GENERAL HOME IMPROVEMENTS

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The Leader • Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020 • Page 7A

Art Valet: Momentum-building movement aims to boost annual holiday sales of art Mitch Cohen Art Columnist

Artists and arts organizations are invited to join a free movement that builds off Black Friday and Small Business Saturday to brand the Sunday after Thanksgiving as the biggest art shopping day of the year. Artists Sunday is a new movement to drive art sales and support the livelihoods of millions of U.S. artists, artisans and craftspeople, will premiere Sunday, November 29, online at ArtistsSunday.com.

How do you start a movement? One person at a time.

In Houston it appears to have started with Mary Ann Thompson, a volunteer helping get the word out for Artists Sunday. Thompson asked Kristal Kirksey, owner of the popular women’s clothing store, Jubilee, where to find artists. Kirksey referred her to me, I in turned shared Artist

Sunday to the artists I know, and again here. Multiply these small efforts nationally and you have a moment.

Artists Sunday aims to piggyback off the well-known holiday shopping-focused days of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, to make the Sunday after Thanksgiving the most profitable day of the year for artists.

Christopher Sherman, a working artist who founded the effort, said Artists Sunday aims to help boost sales and exposure for artists – many of whom are now struggling amid the Covid-19 crisis — while also benefiting consumers who have had limited opportunities to purchase art at festivals, galleries, and shows.

“The idea for Artists Sunday was born before the Covid-19 hit, but the challenges created by the pandemic have added new relevance and urgency to what we aim to achieve,” Sherman said. “Many artists made a living by hitting weekend arts festivals, or presenting their work at shows and galleries – all activities that have largely screeched to a halt

Contributed photo Artists Sunday founder Christopher Sherman sits in front of his computer, which displays information about his virtual event.

since March.”

I asked how the movement was progressing nationwide and in Houston.

“Artists Sunday continues to gain momentum in the Houston area and nationally,” Sherman said. “We’re now in all 50 states with over 1,500 participants, including 250 art districts and economic development agencies across the

country and 1,200+ individual artists.”

“The Houston Arts District just joined as a Partner and Sawyer Yards joined as a Patron” Sherman continued.

“We currently have 66 artists in downtown Houston proper and in these surrounding suburbs including: Sugar Land, Bellaire, Pearland, Seabrook, Richmond, Rosenberg, Katy,

Review: These bagels are made Golden

I love any reason to make themed treats, and holidays offer the best excuse to whip out a variety of goodies that follow the same idea.

With Halloween looking a little different this year due to the pandemic and the need to stay safe, I think one of the best ways to celebrate the spookiest day of the year would be to make Halloweenthemed treats.

Ghost Halloween cookies only require three ingredients, Milano chocolate filled cookies, white chocolate and mini chocolate chips. Melt the chocolate, dip the cookies, and then use the chocolate chips for eyes and mouth. These are way easier than using meringue to create little ghosts, which I’ve tried and failed to

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Photo by Zarah Parker At top is the classic salmon bagel and an egg-and-bacon bagel sandwich. At bottom, from left to right, are the plain bagel, honey whole wheat bagel and chocolate chip bagel.

of salty, tangy and oniony.

I also sampled a breakfast bagel with scrambled eggs and bacon inside a sesame bagel.

There was nothing new about the bagel, but I enjoyed the sesame bagel being the outer layer.

When you order bagels online you can choose for them to be toasted, lightly toasted or not toasted, plus a spread that you can get on or on the side of the bagel. The bagels I tried included the everything bagel, plain, honey whole wheat and chocolate chip.

I got the spreads on the side so I could try multiple spreads on each bagel. The danger of doing this is there might be spreads missing from the bag, which is what happened to me. Luckily, what was in the

bag was the cream cheese.

The everything bagel was my favorite. I love not only the variety of flavors from the toppings -- poppy seeds, sesame seeds, garlic flakes and more -but the smell of all those toppings together. I had this bagel with butter and cream cheese.

The butter was so simple, but it allowed for most of the flavor of the bagel to come out.

The cream cheese, which I found to be thick and creamy, added a slight sweet and tangy element I loved as well.

The plain and honey whole wheat bagels were great as well with cream cheese and strawberry jelly, which was from home since that was one that was forgotten.

I can say only one thing about the chocolate chip ba-

gel: It needed more chocolate chips. It was good, but was more like a chocolate bagel.

For more of a lunch option, Golden Bagels has a Reuben sandwich, a BLT, a turkey club and one called Rachel, which comes with turkey pastrami, Swiss, coleslaw and Russian dressing.

Golden Bagels & Coffee Address: 3117 White Oak Dr. Hours: 7 a.m.–1 p.m. Wednesday–Friday, 8 a.m.–2 p.m. Saturday–Sunday Pricing: $1.25 per bagel, $7.95–$11.95 for sandwiches Kid-friendly: Yes Alcohol: No Healthy options: No Star of the show: Classic salmon bagel

Bake, buy goodies inspired by Halloween Managing Editor

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Zarah Parker

of work and city, state and country. Links to each artist’s Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter accounts are included in the listings.

Participating artists get access to a comprehensive toolkit that offers up advice and templates to support marketing, and public relations efforts, as well as e-commerce tips to improve and accelerate the sales process.

Non-commercial organizations that support artists are welcome to join the Artists Sunday Partners program for free. Qualifying organizations include local arts districts, state agencies, counties, chambers of commerce, national organizations, associations, municipalities, and non-profit community groups across the country.

To learn more about Artists Sunday artists, partners, sponsors, or get involved visit ArtistsSunday.com. #ArtistsSunday #ShopArt 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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By Zarah Parker There’s no such thing as a boring bagel at Golden Bagels & Coffee.

Even the classic bagel and cream cheese tastes elevated at first bite. Add in breakfast and lunch sandwiches and you get a combo of delicious dough and savory ingredients.

Golden Bagels uses a twodough stage dough technique to make its bagels. The dough is retarded, which means the fermentation process is slowed so the yeast can create enough enzymes to convert the starch to sugar.

Bakers do this process to improve flavor, and I wholeheartedly agree that it does.

When I ordered from Golden Bagels over the weekend, the process was easy. Currently, the space is not open for dine-in. I ordered online for pickup and it was ready after 15 minutes. Golden Bagels was utilizing its patio for to-go orders and an employee simply handed me my order over the rail.

The classic salmon bagel came with lox (cured salmon), scallion dill cream cheese, tomato, red onion and capers with your choice of bagel. I chose the sesame bagel.

The lox was smooth and buttery and while it tastes like other types of salmon, it is saltier. With the addition of the cream cheese, which was creamy and made oniony by the scallions, along with the tomato, red onion and capers, the bagel sandwich came together perfectly. It was a mix

Spring, Tomball and Cypress.”

I’ve heard from several artists like Debbie Gibbs that maintain studios in Sawyer Yards that plans are in the works to create an event around Artists Sunday. A trend that is taking root nationwide.

“In times like these, artists are more important than ever as they serve as mirrors and windows — both reflections and paths forward expressed artistically,” said Debbie Gibbs, a Summer Street Studios artist. “Often an image can capture so much more than words and reach people in ways that words don’t. I hope people will continue to look for ways to support their local artists who have had less opportunities than usual to display and sell their work.”

“I think it’s a great campaign of artists banding together nationally to bring attention to the wonderful pursuit of buying art!” Said Houston painter Caroline Z. Marcos, of Wildflowers Studio.

Artists, artisans, and craftspeople can sign up for a free listing in the Artists Sunday directory, which helps consumers find artists by name, type

do at least twice.

Halloween candy bark also utilizes melting white chocolate, plus swirl of purple, green, and orange with candy sprinkled in the mix. It’s a simple treat that’s easy to make.

Here’s a recipe: https://www. delish.com/cooking/recipeideas/recipes/a43934/halloween-candy-bark-recipe/.

A twist on a classic treat, a candy apple, is to substitute caramel with a sugar, corn syrup and black gel paste food coloring mix, to make it look like a “poisoned” apple.

For little monsters, you can make these: https://insidebrucrewlife.com/peanutbutter-monsters/. They are peanut butter balls, dipped green chocolate, topped with purple sprinkled with a large candy eye.

Making brownie cupcakes are easy to bake, mostly following cake box instructions.

First add some brownie mix to the cupcake liners and then top it off with orange-dyed

white cake mix. Then use white icing and Halloween colored sprinkles.

This recipe, https://www. olivemagazine.com/recipes/ baking-and-desserts/skeleton-gingerbread-men/, takes a more of a Christmas, gingerbread men, and puts a spooky twist on it by using white icing to draw skeletons on top.

You can make sugar cookies cut out in bat, pumpkin and ghost shapes, eye ball cake pops, pumpkin spice Rice Krispies treats, brownies with cobweb icing, pretzels made to look like spiders and more.

But sometimes if you don’t have the time or the skill, it’s just easier to buy Halloween inspired goodies.

Becca Cakes, 1207 W. 34th St., is accepting preorders for a Halloween sweet box. The box comes with Halloween-themed cookies, mini cupcakes and macarons.

You can order from the Becca Cakes website: https://beccacakeshtx.square.site/.

Voodoo Doughnut, 3715 Washington Ave., has a new pumpkin doughnut. The doughnut is spiked with pumpkin spice and it frosted with cream cheese and topped with sprinkles.

Red Dessert Dive, 1045 Studewood St., has spooky bars, which are filled with chocolate chips and sprinkles, and Halloween cakes, including a green and red Freddy Krueger one and a red velvet cake covered in silver icing and speckled with red “blood.”

Common Bond Bakery, 449 W. 19th St., has pumpkin entremets, which has white chocolate spiced pumpkin and honey mousse, caramel and toasted pecan.

AshleyCakes, 2032 E. T.C. Jester Blvd., has cupcakes topped with Oreo bats and is taking preorders for Halloween cakes.

Whether you bake or buy, the Halloween treats are sure to make your Halloween sweeter.

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Page 8A • Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020 • The Leader

Vietnamese food, cafe coming to 34th and Ella

By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com

Growing up, Cassie Ghaffar worked in her father’s restaurants. In college, she opened the Epic Lounge in Midtown.

Now Ghaffar, who has worked in corporate wealth management and is a franchise owner of five locations of Amazing Lash Studio, is opening three new food concepts.

Saigon Hustle, now operating in Blodgett Food Hall, will open a flagship drive-through in the remnants of the gas station at the corner of West 34th Street and Ella Boulevard, owned by Revive. Next door, in the former laundromat, will be Sunday Press, an all-day café. And on Halloween, Ghaffar will open Ginger Kale in the former Pinewood Café at Hermann Park.

For most people, this undertaking might be exhausting, but not for Ghaffar, who says she thrives on an abundance of opportunities.

First, Saigon Hustle is an homage to her Vietnamese heritage and will offer Viet-

namese fast food, served from a drive-through at 34th and Ella.

“It will be quick service, sandwiches, rice dishes and vermicelli bowls,” Ghaffar said. “We want to offer that convenience for people, but also make it very authentic and old school. These are family recipes that have been passed for generations.”

Ghaffar told Eater.com that the “hustle” in the restaurant’s name is a tribute to her 85-year-old grandmother.

“She had to hustle our family out (of Vietnam) quick enough so we could get here,” she said.

Those who want a taste of what is to come at 34th can visit the location in Blodgett Food Hall’s cloud kitchen space in the Third Ward, where Ghaffar is doing takeout and delivery.

Ghaffar said she initially decided to open the cloud kitchen inside of Blodgett Food Hall to perfect the technique for the drive-through. But because the location has been so successful – and profitable – she plans to keep it open.

She said she decided on the corner location at 34th for Saigon Hustle and Sunday Press because it was a booming area with high visibility.

Gin Design Group is helping with the design and A La Carte Consulting is helping streamline her vision of further expansion.

“The front corner is going to be so cool,” Ghaffar said.

“There will be some seating and a patio area.”

Sunday Press, the second concept of Ghaffar’s on 34th, will be the first to start construction as the permits just came through. Saigon Hustle will follow three months later.

Sunday Press will also be a drive-through – like Starbucks with a full menu – with sandwiches, salads and more.

Ghaffar’s most immediate project is launching Ginger Kale near the Houston Zoo in Hermann Park. The menu offers the sandwiches and salads that busy sightseers want along with grab-andgo options like Chia pudding, overnight oats, Acai bowls and fresh pressed juices as well as many baked items.

Contributed photos Among the items featured at Saigon Hustle, the drive-through Vietnamese concept planned for the intersection of West 34th Street and Ella Boulevard, include spring rolls, above, and vermicelli bowls. Owner Cassie Ghaffar also plans to open a cafe near the intersection that will be called Sunday Press.

FOOD BRIEFS:

New open-air restaurant opens on Washington

By Zarah Parker zarah@theleadernews.com

The new concept by SoClutch Group, The Sporting Club, opened Thursday at 5102 Washington Ave. The garage-style doors and retractable roof, which can open and close in 30 seconds, will give the space an open-air feel. Plus, the restaurant features a patio of custom benches and an additional bar.

“We are excited to bring the all-new concept of The Sporting Club to the Washington Corridor,” Dan Wierck, owner of SoClutch Group, said in a news release. “The high-energy restaurant is sure to be a food and drink destination in the

area, providing a unique dining experience for each guest.”

The Sporting Club’s menu will center on seafood, light coastal Italian bites and spins on classic bar favorites.

The pizzas are created using local produce and specialty items. The brunch menu includes options like the New England Benedict with lobster, Crab & Avocado Toast and Chilaquiles.

The cocktail program was created in collaboration with the Houston-based Ladies of Libation. Frozen and house cocktails, bright botanicals, beer, wine and more are featured on the menu.

The restaurant will operate daily from 11 a.m.-2 a.m. with weekend brunch on Sat-

urdays and Sundays from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. featuring a chefdriven menu by executive chef EJ Miller. The full menu will be available through 11 p.m. and late-night pizzas until 2 a.m.

Urban South HTX’s taproom reopens Urban South HTX, 1201 Oliver St., has partnered with its neighbors Fainmous BBQ to reopen its taproom for on-site beer and food consumption.

The taproom is open noon-7 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon-9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Photo by Corine Michel The Sporting Club, a restaurant and bar that opened this week at 5102 Washington Ave., features a retractable roof.

Election Day sandwiches Local Foods, 714 Yale

St., is celebrating the 2020 Election Day and National Sandwich Day with electionthemed sandwiches.

On Nov. 3, Local Foods will offer two special halfsandwiches in one order, the TRUMPet and the JOE BISON. Guests will then vote for their favorite sandwich with an in-store ballot box.

The TRUMPet comes with mushroom, raclette cheese, sundried tomato jam and crispy leeks on ciabatta toast. The JOE BISON comes with coffee-crusted Texas bison, vanilla grilled onions and arugula on sourdough toast.

The special is $15, comes with half of each sandwich and two sides.

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