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Residents concerned about concert parking

By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com

Wendy Parker has lived in the Germantown neighborhood, a triangle between Houston Avenue and I-45, since White Oak Music Hall opened in 2016.

While noise and litter from concerts there – pre-COVID-19 – have been an issue for Parker and her husband, it is the parking issues that have most affected the family.

“When there were larger events, there was traffic all down the street and trash,” Parker said. “My husband would go out to talk to people

who parked too close to the driveway exit.”

Now that W2 Development Partners, who own White Oak Music Hall at 2915 N. Main St., have sold land they were using for parking to Marquette, a Chicago-based real estate company that plans to build a five-story apartment complex, residents wonder if their streets will become even more congested during future concerts.

“Some nearby neighborhoods have gotten residential permit parking, but we shouldn’t have to go through the process for that,” Parker said. “Nobody has garages

on this street. We don’t want to see it packed with cars.”

Parker said she has reached out to Houston City Council member Karla Cisneros, who represents the neighborhood as part of District H. Cisneros confirmed she is hearing from residents who want to know how White Oak Music Hall will be allowed to continue having large concerts with fewer parking spaces than is required by the city.

“They are very concerned that the already small and overutilized neighborhood streets will be overSee Parking P. 5A

Right at home

Photo by Betsy Denson The owners of White Oak Music Hall recently sold property that had been used for event parking.

Constable warns of suspicious dirt bikes

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By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

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INSIDE.

Photo by Adam Zuvanich Shady Acres’ Kenneth Thompson waves to friends and family who participated in a parade for his 94th birthday on Nov. 7.

Shady Acres settler going strong at 94

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

On the rise. Garden Oaks resident Morgan Shields has started a new fitness business.

Page 1B

Kenneth Thompson has seen a steady stream of neighbors move in and out of Shady Acres over the years. If he decided to uproot as well and sell his property on West 22nd Street, he likely would become a millionaire.

But Thompson has no interest in parting with his small patch of land, because it’s been home for almost all of his 94 years. He built his house himself in the 1940s, after growing up in the home immediately behind it.

And the neighborhood would not be the same without Thompson, who was a charter member of the Shady Acres Civic Club and likely is the subdivision’s longest-tenured resident. His parents were among the See Thompson P. 5A

The pups stop here. Three local residents have put together a community supply box for dogs.

Photo by Adam Zuvanich Kenneth Thompson, right, greets friends and family who drove by his house Nov. 7 to celebrate his 94th birthday.

See Bikes, P. 5A

Agency works to find forever homes for foster kids

Page 6B

By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com

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

Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen is asking Heights residents to watch out for dirt bikes buzzing up and down neighborhood streets.

The constable’s office said in a Nov. 4 email to residents that it had received several complaints about people riding dirt bikes in the area, and that the drivers are suspected of being engaged in criminal activity.

“Our preliminary investigation Wilson is revealing that these individuals are believed to be using the dirt bikes to transport, sell and deliver narcotics within the Heights area from Yale (Street) to (Loop) 610 into the I-10 area,” the email said. “These individuals are mostly traveling side streets from Airline (Drive) to I-10. We also suspect these individuals are using the dirt bikes to quickly steal packages in the Heights community.”

The constable’s office said its deputies temporarily pursued a dirt bike driver who was suspected of stealing packages on Nov. 3, alleging that the driver failed to stop at stop signs.

Deputies later saw the driver at the intersection of West 8th Street and Lawrence Street, pursued him with the use of canines and detained him, according to the constable’s office, which said the suspect had “multiple weapons and narcotics in his custody.”

The suspect was unnamed in the email, but a constable’s office spokesperson identified him Tuesday as 22-year-old Ari Wilson, who has a Heights address, according to Harris

Contributed photo Dai-Ren at a cooking class, one of the many agency arranged enrichment activities that kids and adult volunteers do together.

Latricia is a 17-year-old who has been in the foster care system since she was 14. She does well in school and may want to become a nurse because she likes science. Cosmetology is a passion, and she experiments on a mannequin she bought on Amazon.

At first, Latricia said she was not sure if she wanted to be adopted, but by the time she was

a sophomore, she decided she wanted to be a part of a permanent family.

“It is about the simple things,” she said. “It would be nice to come back (from college) and have people to spend time with and be together during the holidays. I don’t care if it is one parent or two. I don’t really have a picture of what my family will look like, but when I meet them, I will know.”

Latricia is one of the more than 13,000 children in the Tex-

as foster care system waiting to be adopted and also one of the 1,300 who will turn 18 and be released from their foster home this year.

It is children like Latricia who inspired two local women to found The Way Home Adoption, an organization that focuses on youth age 11-17 who are at risk of being emancipated with no stable home environment. Started in 2013, it is the See Adoption P. 4A

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THE TOPICS. The Leader • Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020 • Page 3A

Area voters not split along party lines B

ack in September, before the election, Wendell Champion spoke proudly about the traction he was gaining in the area.

The Republican challenger to U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democrat who first was elected to Congress in 1994, had seen his face on several campaign signs decorating front yards throughout the Garden Oaks and Oak Forest areas. He also relayed an anecdote from a block walker that spoke to his appeal to members of both political parties.

Champion, who stumped for change and prosperity for all in a district Jackson Lee has served for a quarter-century, said one of his campaign volunteers had visited a couple in the Heights. The husband said he planned to vote for Donald Trump, according to Champion, and the wife was going to pick Joe Biden in the presidential race.

“But both were going to vote for Champion,” he said. “How about that?”

As it turned out on Election Day, Champion indeed had the backing of a significant number of area voters, particularly in Garden

Adam

Zuvanich Editor

Oaks, Oak Forest and adjacent neighborhoods such as Candlelight Estates, Ella Lee Forest and Shepherd Park Plaza. He won six voting precincts in those areas but did not win any in the Heights, or in many other locales in an economically and ethnically diverse congressional district that also includes southern and northeast parts of the Houston area.

Jackson Lee cruised to a 14th term in dominating fashion, much like she always has. She received 73.3 percent of the 245,000-plus votes cast in the District 18 race, which is in line with her previous margins of victory.

That’s partly because of the power of incumbency, and also because District 18 remains a Democratic stronghold.

Harris County as a whole has turned blue during the last several years, and the overall area served

by The Leader also leans Democratic. In a local race that did not include an incumbent, Democrat Penny Morales Shaw earned 63.7 percent of the vote against Republican Luis La Rotta in their bid for the Texas House of Representatives seat in District 148.

But a look at precinct-byprecinct voting in some locally relevant races reveals that parts of the area could be shaded red.

There also are instances in which the same local precincts favored Democrats in some races and Republicans in others. Maybe places like Garden Oaks and Oak Forest could be considered “swing” neighborhoods on Houston’s electoral map.

Perhaps it depends on the candidates and their merits and likability.

Some of the area precincts that favored Champion also supported other Republicans, such as Harris County District Attorney candidate Mary Nan Huffman and Harris County Sheriff candidate Joe Danna, who grew up in Lindale Park and later lived in Forest Pines

and Mangum Manor. But both lost on a countywide level to Democratic incumbents Kim Ogg and Ed Gonzalez, respectively. They also have area ties and garnered strong support from area voters, particularly those in the Heights, where Gonzalez grew up.

But those precincts that leaned Republican did not do so in every election, most notably in the presidential race. For example, Biden received more votes than Trump in four of the six local precincts that favored Huffman, although the counts were fairly close in all of them.

Another race that included local voters was for the District 2 congressional seat, which represents the area along U.S. 290 near the western part of Oak Forest as well as neighborhoods to the southeast such as Lazybrook, Shady Acres and Timbergrove Manor. Republican incumbent Dan Crenshaw won the majority of precincts in those areas en route to being reelected to a second term, but Democratic challenger Sima Ladjevardian was favored in three of those precincts.

So what does it all say about the political preferences of voters in

One man, one vote, one state THE READER. Did you vote this go-round?

We already know the outcome because it was rigged. Donald Trump said so. Remember the Electoral College: 3,877,868 Texans voted for Hillary and not one vote mattered. But there are several interesting down-ballot elections that might have changed the future -- ask Henry Shoemaker – so let’s take a fresh look at an old story, because it affects the way we live in Texas today.

Shoemaker was a simple farmhand from Smithfield Township, DeKalb County, Indiana. On the first Monday of August, 1842, elections were held for local offices. In addition, reapportionment had given DeKalb and an adjoining county, Steuben, a single representative to the Indiana House. The two candidates were Enos Beall, a Whig, and Madison Marsh, a Democrat.

On Election Day Shoemaker remembered that he had met Marsh during the campaign and had promised to vote for him, so Shoemaker saddled up a horse and rode 12 miles into Kendallville, arriving at the polling place late in the afternoon.

“When he applied to vote,” the Indiana Committee on Elections later reported, “the inspector handed him a sheet of tickets, but as all of them contained the names of Enos Beall for Representative, he enquired (sic) for ‘another kind,’ and the inspector handed him a sheet of tickets with the name of Madison Marsh for Representative, that he then enquired of the same inspector if he ‘had scissors or a knife to cut them with,’ and the latter handed him a penknife.” Not wishing to vote the straight ticket of either party, Shoemaker proceeded, quite literally, to split his ballots.

As the voting officials looked on, Shoemaker cut out the name of Marsh from one ballot along with the others he wanted, then cut other names from the second sheet.

He handed the clippings to the inspector -- four separate pieces of paper, three small sheets inside a larger one. The inspector accepted the papers without a word, and put them in the ballot box. Shoemaker hung around the voting site for an hour or more, but no one said anything about his unusual ballot. Later, however, when the tabulation began, the voting officials threw out Shoemaker’s ballot. On the next Sunday the sheriffs of the two counties met at the Steuben County courthouse to compare the certificates for the election for state representative. The final results were 360 votes for Marsh and 360 votes for Beall. The sheriffs “by casting lots” chose Beall as the winner. Marsh immediately appealed to the Committee on Elections, which held extensive hearings on the matter. (It is from the Indiana Commission on Public Records and the Library of Congress that I dug out this story.)

The committee found that

Lynn Ashby Columnist

in Smithfield township only 16 votes were cast for representative, all of them for either Marsh or Beall; that there was only one person named Henry Shoemaker in the township, he was a qualified voter; and he had voted “openly with no appearance of concealment or subterfuge” and had not tried to vote more than once, that the inspector had accepted Shoemaker’s ballot had put it in the box himself; and “we have the uncontradicted oath of Henry Shoemaker, that he did intend to vote for Madison Marsh for the office of Representative.”

Also, the committee noted that it was the inspector’s own knife which was used in the surgery.

“In summing up the whole matter, your committee find (sic) that Madison Marsh has received a majority of the legal votes, if they had all been counted, and the voice of the ballot box had been properly regarded, and that he is therefore entitled to the contested seat.” The Indiana House agreed, and Marsh -- a Democrat -- took his seat in the Legislature by a single vote.

Prior to the 17th Amendment, U.S. senators were chosen by state legislatures.

In 1842, the main candidates for the U.S. Senate from Indiana were Oliver H. Smith, the Whig senator who was up for re-election, and the Democratic candidate, Gen. Tilghman A. Howard. Another candidate, Edward A. Hannegan, was a dark horse.

The Indiana Senate joined the House and on the first ballot, to everyone’s surprise, neither candidate got a majority. On the sixth ballot Smith got 69 votes. Howard got one vote and Hannegan, the dark horse, got the majority 76, making him the new senator from Indiana. Hannegan’s winning vote was supplied by Madison “Landslide” Marsh.

Four years later, in 1846, the U.S. Senate was bitterly divided over whether to declare war on Mexico. A caucus of the Democratic senators, which comprised the majority, was called to determine which way they would vote, but the vote in the caucus was a tie. Then it was determined that one senator was not present: Edward Hannegan of Indiana. He was sent for and promptly voted “Aye” for war. It broke the tie, fixed the Democrats’ decision, and war was declared – by one vote.

That is how Shoemaker is best remembered in Indiana, yet there is one more point to be made. The war in Mexico was touched off by the U.S. annexation of Texas one year earlier. John Tyler was presi-

dent, having taken office upon the death of William Henry Harrison. That left the vice presidency empty. The move to annex Texas had failed as a treaty, which needed a twothirds vote in the Senate, so Tyler tried again -- this time as a simple resolution, which needed only a majority, not two-thirds. It passed, 27 to 25. If any senator supporting annexation had changed his mind, there would have been a 26-26 tie. There being no vice president to break the deadlock, annexation would have failed and Texas would have remained an independent republic. For the record, Sen. Hannegan voted for it.

Thus we see how that one vote put Texas in the Union and put us under Washington, which is why to this day, Texans shout as one: “Curse you, Henry Shoemaker!”

Ashby votes at ashby2@comcast.net

Email com

azuvanich@theleadernews.

Email us your letters: news@theleadernews.com

Harris County names Longoria as first elections administrator

Dear Editor: Isabel Longoria’s bio includes nothing that indicates any skill to oversee an organization of any size. Further, has she served in any role within the HCDP or HCRP that had any involvement at all with the election process?

As of this past Tuesday, there are over 1,600 election presiding judges and alternate judges who are more qualified.

Patronage at its best.

Bob Choate

City’s preservation ordinance faces legal challenge

Dear Editor: If they win, it will destroy property values in the Heights.

Alan Jackson Dear Editor: I’m not optimistic that it will get overturned, but am hopeful that it does. It would make for a joyous 2021 and prove that the end doesn’t justify the means. The process utilized to create these districts soured me on politics with its underhanded takedown of our property rights.

David H. Dear Editor: “Joyous.” Interesting. Move to Katy. The Heights is popular because of its charm. The charm is its historic look. People pay a premium for it and they make a point of driving here to hang out in

the Greater Heights area? I’d say they’re a thoughtful, discerning and well-informed lot that chooses candidates based on a variety of factors, and not just blind allegiances to one party or another.

Straight-ticket voting was eliminated from this year’s general election, per a new Texas law. And even though there are indications that many voters sided with one party over the other anyway, there also is evidence that the candidates mattered more to local voters than those candidates’ political affiliations.

That dynamic could make things interesting in 2022 or 2024.

It also suggests that a candidate such as Champion, who made inroads in the Garden Oaks and Oak Forest areas, could build even more support if he decides to challenge Jackson Lee again in two years.

Beating a well-established incumbent such as Jackson Lee is another matter, but a lot can happen in two years.

it. Without the protection developers would run roughshod through these neighborhoods and turn them into apartment complex and town home havens overnight and we’d be left with nothing special. For you, Katy awaits. Get to steppin’.

Pro-Historic

Kroger fixture Amos remembered for infectious personality

Dear Editor: I’ve been going to the Kroger pharmacy for years and news of Samantha’s death is so sad. She was always helpful and greeted you with a cheery smile and always willing to help. She will be dearly missed and I send my prayers for peace to her family.

Kristine Dear Editor: I met Ms. Samantha during this pandemic. I would go pick up medications for my mother. She instantly shared her warmth with me. She told me how much she loved my mom and then she said she would pray for my mom. I know that she was a blessing to my family and to so many others. I am praying for her husband, children, and the entire family. May God bless and comfort you.

Erin W. Dear Editor: We lost an angel on Earth with the passing of Samantha who now is an angel in Heaven. She was always happy to help the Kroger’s customers at the pharmacy. I will miss Samantha very much.

Sharon Lauder

the leader Puzzlers.

Answers found in this week’s Classified section

SUDOKU

aCrOss

1. Centralized mailing compartment 4. Small argument 8. Latin for “hail” 9. Semicircular headdress 10. Hole plug 12. Primp 13. A spontaneous motivation 14. Don’t know when yet 16. Portable computer screen material 17. Conform 19. Yoruba 20. Wings 21. Tar Hill State 25. Hard, durable wood 26. Pallid 27. Pabir language 29. Not crazy 30. Word element meaning ear 31. Hill (Celtic) 32. “Dangerous Liaisons” actor 39. Space between 2 points 41. Arbitrageur

42. 3rd or 4th Islamic month 43. Assistance 44. Manuscripts (abbr.)

45. In a way, soaks 46. Synovial knee syndrome 48. 2nd cervical vertebra 49. State of sudden fright 50. Snakelike fish 51. Each of 4 Hindu ages 52. Point midway between S and SE

dOwn

1. Relating to New Guinea 2. Carry to excess 3. Alms solicitor 4. Title of respect 5. Spanish saffron dish 6. Betel palm genus 7. Petter ____, Nordic combined skier 9. Yearly tonnage (abbr.)

11. Clan division 14. Referee declares 15. Rampart 18. “Big” actor’s initials 19. Noah’s boat 20. Diarist __ Frank 22. Luminous celestial ring 23. Famous motor club 24. 007’s creator 27. A timely blessing 28. UTHealth (abbr.)

29. Roman Helios 31. Check 32. Making of a worn-out vicious horse 33. Wife 34. An alternative 35. Spanish unit of length 36. Wild goats 37. Municipalities 38. Bother or harass 39. Excessively sentimental 40. Middle Eastern dish 44. Waterproof raincoat 47. Former OSS

WORD SCRAMBLE

Page 4A • Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020 • The Leader

State rep proposes bills to mitigate impacts of concrete batch plants

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

State Rep. Jarvis Johnson helped keep a concrete batch plant from operating in Acres Homes.

Now he’s trying to minimize the impacts of such businesses all across the city and state, along with helping neighborhood residents avoid close calls like the one his constituents had with Soto Ready Mix. Johnson, who represents Acres Homes and parts of Oak Forest and Garden Oaks in District 139, proposed three state laws Monday related to permitting for concrete batch plants. According to a news release from Johnson’s office, the bills aim to reduce the impacts the notoriously dusty and noisy manufacturing facilities have on nearby residents while ensuring that affected citizens have adequate notification when a concrete batch plant applies for an air quality permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).

Monday was the first day state lawmakers could file bills ahead of the 87th Texas Leg-

islature session, which begins in January. “Concrete batch plants have been an issue in my district for years, and without improved regulations the problem (will) exacerbate as the city and county grow,� Johnson said in a statement. “It is by no mistake communities like Acres Homes have some of the highest concentration of concrete batch plants in Harris County.

I will do everything I can to improve the communities I represent.�

One of Johnson’s proposed laws, House Bill 50, would require concrete batch plants to obtain an enhanced controls permit. Such permits are designed to limit dust and noise by requiring operators to pave all roads and parking lots on their properties, utilize water sprinklers or other dust suppresants, add an extra 100-foot buffer between equipment and the plant’s property line and require at least 440 yards between the plant’s main output location and a home, school or church.

House Bill 56 would double the required distance between a plant’s central bag house

from 440 yards to 880 yards away from a home, school or church, Johnson said. House Bill 65 would require a batch plant applying for an air quality permit to mail an application notice to every residence within 880 yards of the proposed site, so impacted residents have an adequate opportunity to participate in the TCEQ’s public comment period prior to the issuance of a permit.

In the case of Soto Ready Mix, which sought to operate a concrete batch plant at 3411 De Soto St., near homes and a city park, its application for an air quality permit was initially denied in 2018. TCEQ executive director Toby Baker ruled that the company’s subsequent application met the requirements of applicable state law, which prompted nearby residents to push back and take the case before the State Office of Administrative Hearings.

On Jan. 22, one day before a hearing was set to take place, Soto Ready Mix withdrew its application. Two weeks earlier, Johnson, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, U.S. Rep.

City announces music relief program

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

The City of Houston announced Nov. 4 that it has begun a relief program for musicians and music venues that have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Musicians will be eligible for up to $5,000 in relief funding, and music venues will be eligible for up to $50,000 or $100,000 – depending on budget size – under the “Musicians and Music Venues Economic Relief� program, according to a news release from the city.

The program, funded by $3 million of the city’s allocated funds from the federal CARES Act, could benefit local music venues such as the Heights Theater and White Oak Music Hall that have been forced to close or postpone events due to the pandemic. “Music venues, and iconic performance spaces are a big part of our city and an important segment of Houston’s cultural life,â€? Mayor Sylvester Turner said. “They were delivering great live music before the pandemic, and we want them to be able to do that again, as soon as they can, and by being safe.â€?Â

Photo from City of Houston The City of Houston is now offering assistance to musicians and music venues impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In order to qualify for the program, applicants must:  - Be a live music venue whose principal place of business, or a musician whose residence is located within city limits. - Provide evidence of how business revenue has significantly decreased because of government restrictions or other challenges due to COVID-19. - Must be in good standing with city requirements

(property taxes, personal property, etc.). Applications must be completed online at houstoncaresaboutmusic.org by 5 p.m. Nov. 25 in order to be considered for assistance, which will be distributed by the nonprofit arts organization Mid-America Arts Alliance (MAAA). For more information, contact MAAA’s Christine Bial at grants@ maaa.org.

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Photo by Adam Zuvanich State Rep. Jarvis Johnson speaks at a Jan. 7 rally in Acres Homes, where he and other local elected officials voiced opposition to a concrete batch plant that was seeking to operate in the neighborhood.

Sheila Jackson Lee and State Sen. John Whitmire spoke out against the batch plant’s potential operation in Acres Homes, a predominantly Black community.

the aforementioned would not be eligible for a permit, as it was feet away from both a public park and someone’s home.�

already connected. “Thirty percent of the time they achieve permanency with someone they already knew,�

Fields said.

Such was the case with 17-year-old Dai-Ren — in foster care since he was in early elementary school — who a few years back suggested his band instructor at Kashmere High School, Ellis Williams. “He was new to the school and really enjoyed my class,�

Williams said. “I was already the go-to person for a lot of my students. I thought I was ready. How can you say no to the opportunity to change the life of a child?�

For those children who cannot be matched through an existing contact, Monroe said they have a physical board as well as an online one of hearts who need homes. These feature photos and testimonials from the kids in their own words. The children also speak at churches and community gatherings to explain why adoption is important to them. “If they are not comfortable speaking in person, we will make a video of them,� Monroe said.

Then, interested adults are encouraged to volunteer at monthly enrichment events where kids learn golf or cooking, or some other activity they might not be exposed to otherwise. Williams participated in some of these with DaiRen so they could get to know one another outside of school. “It is not an adoption fair,� said Fields, who added that during the COVID-19 pandemic the events are happening virtually. “It is a neutral context for getting to know each other.�

Added Monroe: “There might be that moment where someone says, ‘This is me. I could do this.’ I love what we do. It’s so different.�

Williams, who will be a single parent, is close to the end

of the adoption road with DaiRen and they have been living together for some time. Williams said his son is full of energy and very creative. Right now, the focus is on graduation and then they will figure out college together. “He has come a long way,�

Williams said. “He would shut down but now he expresses himself. I see the growth in him.�

Monroe said their referrals are up 300 percent and as a nonprofit, they are dependent on the generosity of donors to continue their work. Currently they are serving about 50 kids and their success rate is 55 percent compared to the national average of 22 percent. “(This agency) is a beacon of opportunity,� Monroe said. “Working here is more fulfilling than draining. Our only barrier (to serving more children) is income.�

Added Fields: “People ask, ‘Is it really too late (to adopt)?’ But you can make a lot of difference. With kids, trauma can be healed. Science has proved it, but we also know it anecdotally.�

Fourteen-year-old Tr’Aron wants a family to take a chance on him. He makes good grades and likes to draw and play with Legos. There is not a sport he does not like. Tr’Aron has been in foster care since he was 5. “I want a very nice family who wants to help,� he said. “I see them as fun and caring and someone to go camping with. I already know how to put up a tent. I would like to go to Disneyland, too.�

For more information, visit https://www.thewayhomeadoption.org/.

Adoption, from P. 1A only agency in Texas focusing exclusively on that age group.

For Garden Oaks resident Ashley Fields, The Way Home Adoption is her full-time job.

Oak Forest resident Kendall Monroe is the organization’s part-time development director.

There are also two part-time social workers, and a part time controller. “Kendall and I met working at a social services agency 13 years ago,� Fields said. “My first job out of college was for Child Protective Services.�

Later, Fields supervised group homes for kids in foster care.

Fields and Monroe knew older children in foster care are the hardest group to place into permanent homes. They also are aware that when leaving foster care at age 18, these teens are more likely to be reading on a seventh-grade level, to become homeless or to become victims of human trafficking, and have a higher likelihood to end up in the criminal justice system, among other grim statistics. “These issues are not new,�

Fields said. “We thought about what we could do to help.�

The answer? Adoption. “We found that in the research over and over,� Fields said.

The agency works with youth that are referred based on specific criteria. The referrals come from Child Protective Services (CPS), Harris County judges, emergency shelters, Child Advocates (CASA) programs, and child placement agencies (CPAs). All the children come from Houston and the 12 surrounding counties.

The first step Fields and Monroe describe as their “cold case unit.� They look through a child’s biographical information to find a family member or an individual in the community with whom the child is

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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

I

am the kind of person that always looks forward to the First Church St. James Lutheran Church, ELCA Weekly next thing. I get excited Sunday Services Gethsemane Lutheran Church • Bible Study: 9:15 a.m. about special events, holidays, t 8PSTIJQ &OHMJTI

BN BN • Morning:10:30 a.m.

We invite you to worship with us! • Evening: 4:15 p.m. and activities.

I have seen this 1700 West 43School at Rosslyn Sunday ........9:15 am MANNA t -FBSOJOH )PVS BN QN 713-682-4942 t 8PSTIJQ 4QBOJTI

QN QN Pastor – Dr. Richard Walters same tendency being passed Sunday Worship......10:30am 4QPOTPS Ad # 32285 Wednesday Bible Study down to my children as well. It 8FTU SE 4U t )PVTUPO 5Y t & Prayer 6:00pm Candlelight Church ofService Christ is hard for us if we don’t have Join us for Services FC Heights Family and Staff something big to look forward in English or Spanish Sunday Morning Worship 8:30 and 11:00 201 E. 9th St. • 713-861-3102 Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn Sunday Worship 10am & 5pm Sunday School for Children, Youth and Adults 9:40 to.

The older I get, the more Sund Please visit our website at: not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, Sunday Bible Classes 9am www.fbcheights.org Ministries for All Ages you will be forgiven...

Wednesday Bible Study 7pm www.lazybrookbaptistchurch.org Home of Johnson Memorial School for Little Children I and realize that if we live only Rev. Nathan Lonsdale Bledsoe, Pastor 4215 Watonga Blvd. • 713-681-9365 R.S.V. Luke 6:37 Wed for the following: looking forward to what is next 2003 W. 43rd St. 713-686-8241 stsumc.org Houston, TX 77092 Sunday Services: Live Stream at 11:00am we will tend to miss some of Say a Bible Studies: From Homepage, click on the small blessings along the Prayer 1822 W. 18th • 713-864-1470 Connect/Small Groups way. While life can be exciting Today at times, and looking forward to special events can be fun, there Gethsemane Lutheran Church is also a special blessing in Pastor Jerry McNamara learning to enjoy the moment 4040 Watonga • 713-688-5227 and finding rest in the day to We invite you to worship with us! day steps of life. Psalm 27:14 Weekly Worship Services 9:00a.m. says, “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall Online services can be reached through the website below at 9:00 am. strengthen thine heart: wait, I and Adults............................ 6:15pm

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Experience and Knowledge...

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say, on the Lord.� Each day if we will live our lives waiting on the Lord, we can find joy and peace with Him. Jesus offers the peace that passes all understanding.

Jesus offers living water that forever quenches our spiritual thirst. Jesus gives strength and help when the world is crashing down.

As you look forward to the next thing, whether that be looking forward to next year, the next family gathering, the birth of a new child, or a new business opportunity, learn to wait on the Lord. Ask God to show you what he is doing in the day to day. Learn to enjoy the simple blessings or sunshine, rain, and seasons. Realize that every good gift comes from God and he will continue to provide for his children. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

The Leader • Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020 • Page 5A

Thompson, from P. 1A

Parking, from P. 1A run by vehicles parking to visit the venue,� she said.

Dipti Mathur with the city’s Planning and Development Department said per the latest approved site plan, the venue is required to have 448 spaces after all the allowable reductions, such as for transitoriented and bicycle reductions.

Parking for nearby Raven Tower is part of the overall shared parking plan with a requirement of 164 spaces after a bike reduction of 10 percent.

Mathur said the planning department approved a site plan in March 2014 based on the understanding the outdoor concerts would be limited to a few special events. “As soon as we understood that the outdoor events would be more frequent, the owner was required to include the outdoor space in their parking calculations,� she said. “The revision to address the re-calculated parking requirements was approved in July of 2016.�

W2 Development Partners did not respond to an email seeking comment. The property they sold to Marquette was being utilized for 300 parking spaces.

Mathur said White Oak Music Hall has been contacted by the planning department. Cisneros said the venue has 60-90 days to address the issue. “They are aware that they have to provide an updated site plan and provide for the spaces they will be short once Lot E parking is removed,� Mathur said. “We have not seen a revised site plan to date.�

According to the website for White Oak Music Hall, its next scheduled concert is Robert Earl Keen on Nov. 21.

Application details from the Marquette project show proposed parking that will be above ground.

community’s original settlers in the 1920s, planting roots there when Thompson was an infant. “I don’t know where I’d go,� he said.

Thompson, a World War II veteran who spent 40-plus years working for Southwestern Bell and raised a family that includes three children, four grandchildren and three great grandchildren, witnessed Shady Acres’ transformation from unincorporated farmland with no running water, sewer system or electricity to a densely populated urban subdivision with well-traveled streets, multistory townhomes and neighborhood restaurants.

His daughter, Delinda Holland, said Thompson is a “living history of Shady Acres,� and he added a new chapter last Saturday, Nov. 7.

His family and friends surprised with him a parade in front of his home to celebrate his 94th birthday, since a traditional gathering would have been risky on account of the COVID-19 pandemic.

About 20 vehicles, led by a police escort, participated in the parade, which took on somewhat of a Veterans Day theme with American flags flying in Thompson’s front yard as well as from some of the participating cars and trucks. “I had no idea,� Thompson said. “But it was something.�

Among the participants in the parade was State Sen. John Whitmire, known as the “Dean of the Senate� because he is the longest-tenured member of the Texas Legislature.

He has been a family friend of the Thompsons’ since 1972, when he first was elected to the Texas House of Representatives.

Thompson and his wife, the late Lee Oma Thompson, were Democratic precinct chairs and election judges at the time. Whitmire said they had one of his opponents’ campaign signs in their yard when they first met, but when Henry Allee did not make the runoff for the primary and Whitmire did, the Thompsons switched their allegiance.

Kenneth Thompson has continued to support Whitmire, with his daughter Holland working for him at one point, and Whitmire has kept in touch by paying Thompson periodic visits, typically at Christmas-

Cisneros said she understands the planning department sees no issue with the Marquette development. “If there is an event at (White Oak Music Hall) that is an issue, the planning department would not ask this development to mitigate the traffic as it is not their traffic,�

Cisneros said.

The issues between the music venue and nearby neighborhoods like Woodland Heights and Germantown are longstanding.

Cisneros said when she joined city council, she inherited the new White Oak Music Hall project that was in the process of being constructed. “The developers and the neighborhood had already been working together for about two years, and at that time, they had a signed Memorandum of Understanding between them,� she said.

Cisneros said that as the dispute between some residents and White Oak Music Hall developed, she worked to ensure the process of engagement was fair and all sides were heard. “When the relationship fell apart, a group of residents sued the music hall and later added the City of Houston to their suit,� she said. “When they named the city as a party to the suit, it effectively eliminated my ability to continue to mediate a resolution.�

Parker, who was not part of the lawsuit, said she has been concerned about the development from the beginning. “Our frustrations haven’t ceased after four years and this is just another issue the venue has produced that will add to those frustrations,� she said. “It just continues to get worse. We want to hold the city to enforce the (off-street parking) ordinance.�

Bikes, from P. 1A County court documents. Court records show Wilson has been charged with felony evading arrest, but no other crimes, and is out of jail on bond. “Based on the information we are gathering, we are asking for the residents of the Heights to report any dirt bike activity in their area,� the constable’s office said in its

email. “Please call the constable’s office so our deputies can respond and investigate. Please give the dispatcher a physical description of the rider and dirt bike in addition to the location and last known direction of travel. You can reach out dispatch at 713-755-7628 or you can send an anonymous tip to https://pct1constable.net/tips/.�

Photo by Adam Zuvanich State Sen. John Whitmire, right, embraces Shady Acres resident Kenneth Thompson outside his home on Nov. 7. The two have been friends since 1972.

time. “He’s a fascinating man,� Whitmire said. “He doesn’t have much to say. He’s just a good friend and a good supporter. It’s people like him that put me in office and kept me there 48 years.�

Thompson, who has survived a heart attack and stroke and lived by himself since his wife died 25 years ago, stays mentally sharp and physically fit by remaining active.

He said he started riding a bicycle around the neighborhood every morning about 15 years ago, after his heart attack, and he rides a stationary bike inside his home on days when it rains.

He also drives his own car, mows his own grass, cleans his own house and cooks his own meals, using fresh vegetables from his garden.

Holland said her father is famous within the family for making a cucumber salad that includes tomatoes, red onion, green bell pepper and apple cider vinegar. “He’s totally independent,� Holland said. “He handles all his own business.�

But Thompson has enjoyed plenty of neighborly help over the years, such as when his home flood-

ed in 1937 and again during Hurricane Ike in 2008. He built his fourbedroom house on land given to him by his father after he returned home from the war and with help from fellow community members, including a plumber.

Thompson remembers using well water and light from a lantern when he was a young boy in Shady Acres, which he referred to as “the sticks� at the time. He said there were dirt roads along with nearby dairy farms and cattle ranches.

And some of the area’s most well-worn roads today went by different names several decades ago. Thompson said North Shepherd Drive was once called Lowell Street, Ella Boulevard was known as Dorothy Street, and Durham Drive was named after the doctor who delivered him, Miley Durham.

Thompson sees a much different neighborhood when he rides his bike every morning, but it still feels like home. “It’s nothing like it used to be,â€? he said. “We were the first house on 21st (Street). Then, of course, a few were built right after that. ‌ Then it wound up bigger and bigger.â€?

THE CLASSIFIEDS. Wanting to run a classified ad? CALL 713-686-8494 Monday - Friday. We accept credit cards.

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Page 6A • Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020 • The Leader GENERAL HOME IMPROVEMENTS

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The Leader • Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020 • Page 7A

Another kind of scone highly recommended Zarah Parker Managing Editor

I’ve always had two definitions for a scone. The first is a baked treat, usually a little dyer than a biscuit and certainly not flaky, with additions like raisins or blueberries inside. The second is a stretched piece of fried bread.

It wasn’t long ago that I realized most people had no clue what I was talking about when I mentioned that second type. My mom, who spent some of her childhood in Idaho, made this fried bread for me and my siblings growing up.

We ate these pieces of fried bread with butter, syrup and jams. My favorite way to eat it was to tear the scone apart and dip it in grape jam. Now, I love to let a layer of butter melt on top and pour maple syrup over it. Yes, this dish is nowhere near healthy.

During a recent trip north to Utah, I was speaking with my aunt about these scones and how I’ve never seen them sold at any restaurant, how none of my friends knew what they were and how I was pretty sure it was a dish that was only known in that part of the country. Kind of like fry sauce, which it what they use to dip their fries in. But fry sauce has made its way down south through chain restaurants, and scones haven’t.

My aunt calls the scone Indian fry bread, but I should probably call it

Native American fry bread. She said the concept of scones was started by Native Americans.

While we were talking about it, she was in the process of making the bread from scratch. When I peaked at her recipe book, I noticed this dish had another name: Squaw Bread. I’m just going to stick with “scones.”

Throughout my life, we’ve eaten scones at any time of the day, but always with the simple toppings. My aunt gave me a new way to eat them, which was as the base of taco ingredients. I piled my scone with ground beef, beans, lettuce and avocado and dug in. It was new, but still delicious.

With how popular tacos are, I could imagine this being a new thing that sweeps the south.

How you make it also changes what it looks like. Some are thicker, doughier and others are thinner with “bubbles” of dough. It also depends on if you let your dough rise before frying it. Maybe that’s why there’s so many different names to go along with it.

If you want to make it from scratch, take 2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of baking powder and mix together. Cut in 1 tablespoon of shortening with a fork, add 1 cup of luke-warm milk and stir to make the dough. When you’re ready to fry, heat the oil, grab a chunk of dough and stretch it out before putting it in the oil. Make sure the oil isn’t overly hot, meaning the outside would brown before the inside can cook.

But if you want to do it the easier way, like my family has been doing my whole life, buy frozen bread

Photo by Zarah Parker

Pictured is a fresh scone with butter on top from Sill’s, a small diner in Utah.

dough and set it out in a closed container to thaw and rise over night. If you use a lot of frozen dough, just know that it expands more than you think, so make sure your container is big enough.

My mom suggests coating your hands in just a little oil or butter while stretching out the dough so it doesn’t stick to your hands. The scones can be any size you want. Just make sure you eat them while they’re still warm.

Scones would be such a great concept to expand here. Since it was my idea, I call dibs. I’m kidding, of course, but if you do know of a place in Texas that sells these scones, I seriously want to know.

Review: Alice Blue makes great place for occasion

By Zarah Parker zarah@theleadernews.com

The American bistro Alice Blue is nestled along the shops of West 19th Street, which gives the space a community vibe while also being more upscale.

The space ultimately feels modern and new, even with the cozy, spacious booths that are positioned along the walls. The high ceilings and natural light also make the restaurant feel bigger than it is. Plus, there’s a small outdoor patio to sit at while the weather is still nice.

When I walked in for lunch recently, I had the pleasure of bringing my mom with me for her birthday. Alice Blue proved to be the perfect spot to spend part of the afternoon together. Our server was just the right amount of attentive and was helpful

with any questions we had about the menu.

We started off lunch by sharing the grapefruit-avocado salad. The slices of avocado with grapefruit were placed on a layer of lemon aioli with pumpkin seeds, gremolata and a mixture of herbs on top. Gremolata is a green sauce usually made with chopped parsley, lemon zest and garlic.

Avocado and grapefruit, which tends to have a sweetbitter taste, was a surprisingly nice combination. The citrus of the grapefruit really elevated the avocado. The addition of pumpkins seeds gave the dish another layer of texture that I thought it needed.

Though all of the sandwiches on the menu sounded good, my mom got the BLT and enjoyed it. Once I read the description for the fusilli

Photo by Zarah Parker Shown is the Fusilli Marinara at Alice Blue, an American bistro located at 250 W. 19th St. in the Heights.

Food briefs: Cidery collaborates with donut shop The Sawyer Yards cider outpost, City Orchard, 1201 Oliver St., teamed up with Heights shop Hugs and Donuts, 1901 N. Shepherd Dr., to make apple cider donuts.

For the donuts, the cidery uses its Young Cider, which uses apple juice that has been only fermented a week. They are available at City Orchard every Saturday and Sunday throughout November and at Hugs and Donuts daily.

Valencia’s Garage opens in Oak Forest The newest Tex-Mex destination in Oak Forest, Valencia’s Tex-Mex Garage, is now open.

The restaurant at 2001 W. 34th St., opened at the end of October and is headed by

mendation of the server. It came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top with caramel drizzle. Though pudding is in the name, it was more like an apple cake. The soft bread, apples and ice cream came together as a good fall treat.

Everything I had at Alice Blue, I genuinely enjoyed. I look forward to the next time I get to stop by during a different time of day to try out other menu items.

Alice Blue Address: 250 W. 19th St. Hours: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. daily Pricing: $10 - $18 Kid-friendly: No Alcohol: Yes Healthy options: Yes Star of the show: Fusilli marinara

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Jennifer M. Solak Attorney & Counselor at Law

ESTATE PLANNING PROBATE BUSINESS LAW

By Zarah Parker zarah@theleadernews.com

Cookie milkshake matchup There’s a new milkshake at The Burger Joint, 2002 N. Shepherd Dr. During November, The Burger Joint will be selling the Couch Potato Milkshake, which is in collaboration with Fluff Bake Bar, 1701 W. 15th St., and its popular cookie, the Couch Potato.

Fluff’s Couch Potato cookie dough is whipped into the milkshake.

For each milkshake sold, $1 will be donated to the nonprofit No Kid Hungry.

marinara pasta, I was sold.

The fusilli pasta was covered in garlic-basil sauce, Calabrian chili and Italian sausage, which was formed into little meatballs.

The Italian sausage was my favorite part of the pasta. It wasn’t tough to bite through and the seasonings used made my taste buds happy. The garlic-basil sauce was also delicious, and with the chili, a little spicy. It was just enough to bring the heat without the fire.

Since we were celebrating, we had to get dessert. My mom got the milk chocolate mousse with whipped cream.

I was able to try a spoonful, and the mousse had an airy quality that I love about mousse. It wasn’t overly chocolatey or sweet. It hit that perfect middle ground.

I tried the apple spice bread pudding at the recom-

713.588.5744

Photo from Instagram Pictured are donuts from local restaurant Hugs and Donuts.

jennifer@solaklegal.com

1305 W. 11th St., #3094, Houston, TX 77008

Bering Church 1440 Harold Street Houston, TX 77006

Photo from Instagram Sawyer Yards’ City Orchard and the Heights’ Hugs and Donuts shop are teaming up to make apple cider donuts.

brother-sister duo Ricardo Valencia and Vienna Valencia Bement, who attended Waltrip High School.

Valencia’s is the team’s revival in the Houston restaurant scene after selling six Houston-area locaitons of Cyclone Anaya’s, which was founded by their parents.

Snap Kitchen closes Heights location Snap Kitchen, a retailer for healthy prepared meals, closed 14 stores across Texas, including its Heights location at 250 W. 20th St., on Nov. 6.

Snap Kitchen will shift focus to online retail while keeping one Houston store open, the location at 3600 Kirby Dr.

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Contributed photo The Burger Joint recently debuted its Couch Potato milkshake.

All of your favorites are for sale: Christmas items and decorations, furniture, antiques, linens - including comforters, quilts, and vintage linens, CDs, DVDs, and books. Housewares including china, crystal, pottery, ceramics, cameras, pots/pans, and cutlery.

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Page 8A • Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020 • The Leader

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