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Saturday, January 3, 2015 • Vol. 60 • No. 9
While Hicks House Cajun and Catering on Pinemont may have been open for only six months, it’s foundation on Louisiana-inspired Cajun cuisine runs through generations in owner Jacqueline Hicks’ family. She and her husband Jabarri offer plenty of classic meals for local residents, and the two are even talking about moving back into the area for the work - and the warm reception.
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Find it on 1B
2014 - Year in Review
AREA SPECIALIST
Residents still skeptical over high-speed rail By Jonathan Garris jgarris@theleadernews.com
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INSIDE.
Google to map White Oak Bayou trails As part of a new partnership between the Houston Parks Board and Google, the technology corporation will soon allow users to explore the White Oak Bayou with the click of a mouse (or the tap of a finger). Google aims to give users a new “view” on the trails through its Street View program.
Find it on 5A “We Make Real Estate Simple.”
2014 was a year of changing landscapes and communities for many in The Leader area. (Clockwise from top left) Garden Oaks residents had their voices heard in an “unprecedented” way, voting in favor of distributing surveys to residents to help the Public Works and Engineering Department determine the best options for the area’s drainage project. Construction along US 290 created headaches for many business owners and residents alike. The death of Milton Dailey, the well-known and celebrated athletic leader at Waltrip High School, shocked and saddened many in the community. After public outcry mounted against the city of Houston, city officials took a major step in establishing a commission to fix the maligned Historical Preservation Ordinance.
The Leader’s look back at the ten stories that shaped 2014 continues with the final four Contuing from the Dec. 27 edition of The Leader, we look back at some of the top stories that shaped our community in 2014:
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FIND IT. LOST CAT: Missing since Dec. 12. Oak Forest Sect. 16, Costa Rica and Verdome. Black/brown tabby with white markings and green eyes. Neutered male. Microchipped and well loved. Likes to roam, no collar. His name is Rafa. 312-384-0640. ELVIS MUST LEAVE THE BUILDING: 20 year collection of Elvis for sale, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10. Cash only. 1212 Thornton Rd.
The INDEX. Church
6A
Classifieds
7A
Coupons
5A
Food/Drink/Art Obituaries
9A 4A
Opinion
3A
Public Information Puzzles Sports
2A 4A 3B
the look of the neighborhood and hoped that, by working with the city, the group could come to a compromise. That compromise would come later that year, when PWE opted to collect surveys directly from residents – a request that had previously been made by Cohen’s office. The GOCC subsequently passed a measure to mail the surveys to community residents, who then voted against sidewalks and for narrow streets as part of the potential design for the project. Garden Oaks resident Shellye Arnold said the change in tone from the city has come primarily from a change in leadership, and former civic club president Mark Klein called the opportunity to provide direct feedback to the city for a project on such a large scale “unprecedented.”
4. Garden Oaks drainage project may change face of community Residents of Garden Oaks remained vocal throughout 2014 regarding their opposition to the addition of sidewalks and increased widths of neighborhood streets as part of an $18 million municipal Capital Improvement Project, known in the community as the Shepherd Forest – Garden Oaks Storm Water Drainage Project. In June, GOCC members had a closed meeting with Public Works & Engineering representatives and council member Ellen Cohen regarding plans for widening Alba and Golf, along with the installation of storm sewers and drains to help alleviate potential flooding from nearby areas. GOCC member Pam Parks previously told The Leader in March that the wider streets would dramatically alter
See Top Stories, P. 4A
Residents of the Northwest Houston area cited eminent domain, property values and noise as some of their biggest concerns last month during a Super Neighborhood 22 meeting regarding the Texas Central Railway, which would connect a high-speed rail from the urban centers of Houston and Dallas. The Dec. 18 meeting came several months following a public town hall meeting which was hosted in Houston in October with a public comment period extending until Nov. 14. Following frustrations from local civic groups and other entities over the lack of direct information, that comment period was extended by the Federal Railroad Administration and Texas Central Railway until Jan. 9. As reported in previous issues of The Leader, one of the two proposed routes for the high-speed train goes directly through many Houston-area neighborhoods including Oak Forest and other Leader-area communities. TCR officials say they are aiming to utilize the existing right of way along the BNSF freight railway and an elevated 18-foot high track would be built for the bullet train. TCR President Robert Eckels reiterated that his organization is a private company, and will not receive operating subsidies or grants for the project, and that TCR is still very much early in the process of collecting and interpreting public comments to ultimately move forward with a selection for the route. Eckels said the project will also be heavily influenced by the FRA’s environmental impact study See Rail, P. 4A
Photo by Jonathan Garris Texas Central Railway President Robert Eckels speaks to local residents Dec. 18. at a special Super Neighborhood 22 meeting inside of the Council on Alcohol and Drugs.
Community unites for victims of house fire By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com A Christmas Day fire on Candlelight Lane in Oak Forest was devastating for one local couple, but the spirit of the neighbors who are coming together to help them has been a bright spot during the ordeal. Brandi Hamilton said that she and her husband were not home when they got word that their house was on fire. “Thankfully we were on our way out of town so we had about three days of clothes and all of our toiletries,” she said. “We are [now] staying with friends in the neighborhood.” The fire, which appears to have been electrical in nature, may have rendered the home a total loss although the damages are still being evaluated. After a neighbor posted a picture of the fire on the Oak Forest Homeowners Association Facebook page, neighbors wanted to know how they could help, asking where to bring groceries, clothes or anything else the couple needed. Several realtors offered to help them find a rental house. “You are all too kind,” wrote Hamilton. “This is why we love this neighborhood so much….our house is destroyed, that’s the hard part. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers.” See Fire, P. 2A
Source: Facebook Neighbors are looking to continue their support of a family who lost their home in a Christmas Day house fire on Candlelight Lane in Oak Forest. Brandi Hamilton said she and her husband were not home at the time of the fire, but the loss of their home has been devastating.
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215 MUNFORD ST. by Smith Family Homes Sunset Heights List Price: $1,400,000
4,113 sq.ft.
4 bedrooms 3.5 bathrooms
1545 HEIGHTS BLVD.