e’s ValentinD ay
Inside Today: Measles cases confirmed in county • Page 1B
February 14
See Our Ad on Page 2A
Flower & Gift Shop
MICHAEL SILVA
michael@michaelwilliam.com
713-725-8748 cell
Covering the Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest & the neighborhoods of North Houston
10570 NW Frwy ❖ 713-680-2350
Saturday, February 9, 2019 • Vol. 64 • No. 6
Jason Knebel (713)232-9712
jasonk@greenwoodking.com GREENWOOD KING
Houston Nonfarm Employment Growth By Adam Zuvanich Dec/Dec) Houston Non-Farm azuvanich@theleadernews.com(Thousands 118.6
About 300 bankers, insurance brokers and businesspeople gathered in a hotel ballroom to hear about Houston’s economic forecast for 2019 and beyond. Much like the city’s winter weather, they were told the climate should be mostly pleasant with occasional storms and cold snaps. Metrics used to measure growth won’t spike, much like the mercury in a thermometer this time of year, but they also won’t dip very low. That was the gist of the message delivered by Luis Torres, a professor with
PROPERTIES
Employment Growth
116.2 89.6
83.7
Numbers represent thousands
108.0
51.5
2019 71.0 68.0
63.4
110 90 70 50 30 10 -10
2019 PROJECTIONS
Institute For Regional ForecastingFor Ins�tute
2019 PROJECTIONS
Greater Houston Partnership Regional Forecas�ng
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
- 1.9 - 1.5
2011
news@theleadernews.com www.theleadernews.com Facebook/FromTheLeader
City’s economic forecast mostly sunny ... for now
2010
About Us 2020 North Loop West Suite 220 (713) 686-8494
-30 -50 -70
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Institute for Regional Forecasting, University of Houston’s Bauer College of Business and Greater Houston Partnership. Greater Houston Partnership
Dr. Ana M. Torres
Photo by Adam Zuvanich Seven priests named as accused abusers were at one time assigned to Christ the King Catholic Church in the Heights.
Internal Medicine & Pediatrics 713-863-9200 427 W. 20th St. Ste. 503 Houston, TX 77008
Area priests ‘credibly accused’ of sexual abuse
WWW.THETORRESCENTER.COM
40 YEARS INSULATING!
GET $50 OFF
By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com
your purchase of $750 or more
Attics • Walls • Floors Noise Reduction • Removal
FREE ESTIMATES
713.868.1021 www.paylessinsulation.com
Photos by Adam Zuvanich Fifth-graders Mason, left, and Carolina were among 25 students from St. Rose of Lima Catholic School who delivered handmade Valentine’s Day cards to veterans at American Legion Post 560 in Garden Oaks last week.
Hospital Kid-made cards brighten soldiers’ holiday merger called off By Adam Zuvanich news@theleadernews.com
Staff Report A proposed $14 billion merger between Memorial Hermann and Baylor, Scott & White was officially called off earlier this week. The merger would have impacted Memorial Hermann’s Greater Heights campus on 610 North, along with its many related urgent care and medical offices in the community. According to a release issued by both companies on Tuesday, both companies felt they had more opportunity as individual entities. “After months of thoughtful exploration, we have decided to discontinue talks of a merger between our two systems,” both hospitals said in a joint statement. “Ultimately, we have concluded that as strong, successful organizations, we are capable of achieving our visions for the future without merging at this time. We have a tremendous amount of respect for each other and remain committed to strengthening our communities, advancing the health of Texans and transforming the delivery of care. We will continue to seek opportunities for collaboration as two forwardthinking, mission-driven organizations.”
Jon Dixon found an unlikely ally more than two decades ago, when he was stuck in a war-torn country halfway across the globe from his hometown. He became close with an 8-yearold boy from Florida he had never met. Dixon, a 48-year-old Shepherd Terrace resident and Army veteran, completed three tours in Bosnia during his 20s. During his first visit there he received a Christmas card from a kid named Patrick, who sent a dozen
more during the next year-and-a-half. Dixon responded with about 10 letters of his own, saying the pen pals developed an “uncle-nephew” relationship. He still has Patrick’s letters, along with others he received from caring kids in Illinois, Mississippi, Nevada and New York. “Besides make you cry in the dark, that made you feel good. It made you feel that you weren’t alone,” Dixon said. “It’s weird to be alone in a crowded room, but being overseas, sometimes that’s what it is. A lot of things around you, a lot of people around you, but you feel alone because you’re not with family or loved
ones.” Dixon and nine other veterans shared similar stories last week with a group of 25 fifth-grade students from St. Rose of Lima Catholic School, who walked to American Legion Post 560 to deliver a box of Valentine’s Day cards and express their gratitude. The men and women on the receiving end served in all four branches of the United States military and in places such as Iran, Iraq, Korea and Vietnam. Some of the kids, along with students from New Heights Christian See Valentine P. 8A
Garden Oaks’ Zamora pursuing lifelong passion through volunteer coaching By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com Jaime Zamora knows almost nothing but the game many call America’s Pastime. The zeal in his heart for baseball has yet to leave him even at retirement age. The Garden Oaks resident, who has been a ballplayer since he could pick up a bat, now channels that continued passion into mentoring young players at Waltrip High School. Zamora is entering his first season as a volunteer coach in the Rams’ baseball program under second-year head coach Richard Burriss. “As long as my legs work and I can still swing a bat, I’ll keep doing it,” the 55-year-old Zamora said. “I love playing. I love watching. I can never get enough, and it’s one of those things that gets in your blood
Photo by Landan Kuhlmann Waltrip High School volunteer coach Jaime Zamora, left, oversees hitting drills with Michael Burriss, center, and Anthony Duarte.
and is hard to get rid of.” Last fall, Zamora retired from his job as a videographer for Houston television station KTRK, citing a
desire to try new life experiences guided by his passion to give back. See Zamora P. 8A
C U R R E N T P R O P E RT Y L I S T I N G S
HOUSTON HEIGHTS
815 W. 26th St.
See Economy. 8A
-90
Young at heart
CONCIERGE MEDICINE
Breaking News
the Texas A&M University Real Estate Center who was the featured speaker at the annual Greater Heights Chamber of Commerce Economic Forest Luncheon on Jan. 31 at the Sheraton Houston Brookhollow Hotel. Torres predicted “slower growth and more uncertainty” for the upcoming year while ruling out the possibility of an economic recession. “That I think was the collective sigh of relief we heard around the room,” chamber president Jacob Millwee said, “even though there was something of a forecast for 2020 that could potentially turn grim.”
Raul Garcia 281-515-6815
4-4. High end new construction home built by Hess Homes in the highly desired Greater Heights/ Shady Acres. $720,000 MLS# 29694239
HOUSTON HEIGHTS
0 W. 26th
Janet Schmidt 713-419-7918
3-2 Must see, totally renovated! Hardwood
floors throughout, except bedrooms. Large open concept living room.$534,900 MLS# 18464132
A NAME YOU CAN TRUST 713-686-5454
| www.preproperties.com
For more information and a complete list of the named priests, visit www.archgh.org/ clergylist.
Top Agents for January
Harley Hedgpeth TIMBERGROVE MANOR 713-254-3671 2215 Haverhill
4-4 High end new construction home built by Hess Homes in the highly desired Greater Heights/ Shady Acres. Construction to be complete before the end of 2019. $720,000 MLS# 7641477
Thirteen Catholic priests with ties to area churches and schools were named in a list of “credibly accused” clergy released by the Archdiocese of GalvestonHouston, which apologized to victims of child sexual abuse or misconduct. The list includes 42 priests who at some point served in the archdiocese, 19 of whom are deceased, and represents allegations made from 1950-2018. Two of the named priests worked at St. Thomas High School, including Jack Hanna, an alumnus and faculty member at the school from 1981-2013. Seven served at Christ the King Catholic Church in List of accused the Heights, while others priests tied to area worked at All Saints CathPage 2A olic Church, St. Ambrose Catholic Church and St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church. “The Bishops of Texas have decided to release the names of these priests at this time because it is right and just and to offer healing and hope to those who have suffered,” Cardinal Daniel DiNardo said in a letter posted on the archdiocese website. “On behalf of all who have failed in this regard, I offer my sincerest apology. Our Church has been lacerated by this wound and we must take action to heal it.” A statement from the archdiocese said a “credible allegation is one where there is reason to believe the allegation is true, after review of reasonably available, relevant information.” Such determinations were made by DiNardo and the Archdiocese Review Board and are “not the equivalent of a finding of guilt by a jury or judge in a court of law.”
|
Harley Hedgpeth
Raul Garcia
TOP LISTER TOP SALES
TOP PRODUCER
1803 W. 43rd • Houston, TX 77018
© 2013-2018 BHH Affiliates, LLC. Real Estate Brokerage Services are offered through the network member franchisees of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Most franchisees are independently owned and operated. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.® Equal Housing Opportunity.