April 27 Section B

LEADER LISTING The Leader • Saturday, April 27, 2019 • Page 1B

Historic site tax exemptions benefit citizens, city

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com Some of Houston’s wealthiest property owners have taken advantage of tax exemptions that save them money on improvements to their homes and businesses.

City leaders want to help the less fortunate get richer as well.

The Houston City Council, which in 2015 lowered the threshold for tax exemptions related to investments in historic sites, made another amendment to the longstanding program last month. A greater benefit is now offered to owners of single-family homes in qualifying census tracts in which the poverty rate is at least 20% or the median family income for such tracts does not exceed 80% of the metropolitan-area median.

For those owners of sites designated as landmarks, protected landmarks or contributing structures within a Houston Historic District, qualifying investments of at least 100 percent of the building’s value will equate to more than a dollar-for-dollar exemption.

“The council has long complained that people who live in very high-income neighborhoods, a la River Oaks, are designating their property as landmarks, investing in their property and getting this super exemption,” said Margaret Wallace Brown, interim director of the city’s Planning & Development Department. “The coun-

cil really wants to make sure that this program is a benefit to the city as a whole and not just wealthy property owners.”

The lower-income census tracts include Acres Homes, Independence Heights and the western part of Oak Forest as well as the far northeastern part of the Heights, where there are many other designated landmarks. For the aforementioned single-family homeowners, along with owners of multi-family and commercial structures, their exemption equals the Harris County Appraisal District value on Jan. 1 of the year following the completion of construction.

Eligible expenses include repair or reconstruction of structural components such as walls, windows, floors, doors and cooling and heating systems, along with lighting and plumbing fixtures, electrical wiring, stairs and interior sprinkler systems.

Construction, labor, materials and professional services also qualify.

If an owner spends $100,000 on a structure valued at $100,000, for example, its initial improved value will be the basis for annual exemption over a period of 15 years. The improved value would be deducted from the annual appraised value, with the remainder serving as the structure value to be taxed.

For qualifying expenses between 25 and 99 percent of See Tax P. 2B

290

45

10

Landmark Protected Landmark Historic District (City of Houston) Qualifying census Tracts* *The Qualifying Census Tracts are those Low-Income Community (LIC) tracts with populations that have at least a 20% poverty rate and income of 80% of the AMI or lower.

Source: U.S. Department of the Treasury

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Contributed photo Boulevard Realty, a longtime community staple, is moving to a new home in the heart of the Heights and will now set up shop at 927 Studewood St.

floor which is open to all. Here neighbors and guests can commune, relax, work, share, drink, and play in a unique setting designed to bring out the best in all of us.”

Baldwin continues, “The traditional and non traditional spaces provide what amounts to about 4000 square feet of space to share with the community, for everything from local makers markets to events for political and social causes dear to us all.”

The company’s first events are slated to be a Mother’s Day Market on May 9 and then one of the only public booksignings for longtime Houston news anchor Dave Ward’s new release Good Evening, Friends on May 16.

The impressive upstairs office space will balance modern amenities for its agents and clientele with the unassuming look of an old warehouse.

That means vintage furniture is paired with the likes of new modern desks by Knoll. The space includes a nearly 2000 square foot outdoor terrace as well, inviting all to work and play outdoors as a part of the shared community space.

“The Heights is known for historic architecture and its evolution from working-class neighborhood to artist haven to now a quirky style of urban luxury,” Baldwin muses. “From our use of old Houston brick to multiple murals commissioned by local artists, I’ve tried to tie all of that in.”

When asked why he would mount such a sizable brick-andmortar space in an increasingly virtual industry, he explains succinctly, “I think people want to meet, connect, and interact intimately and offline still. We crave experiences and togetherness—it’s only human. And it’s definitely the Heights way.”

FDI-1916H-A

To some, the Heights of today is a far cry from the Heights that Bill Baldwin found when he started his real estate career here over 20 years ago.

“Sadly, there was no way you could get many real estate firms to see past the burglar bars to even show the amazingly intact bungalows here.

Some firms wouldn’t take a listing on this side of I-10, much less think of opening an office here,” recalls Baldwin, recently dubbed “The King of the Heights” by the Houston Chronicle.

“I always have taken enormous pride in calling the Heights ‘home.’ Collectively, as a neighborhood, we have had to work hard to tell the evolving story of the Heights, not only as a location with a great past but one with an even brighter future,” Baldwin reflects.

In many ways the growth and recognition of the Heights as a neighborhood for all parallels that of Boulevard Realty.

Now, after 20 years here, Baldwin and Boulevard Realty are starting to write part of the next chapter. On May 1, the Broker/Owner, his 60 agents, and 18 staff members will relocate to a new office as the main tenant of 927 Studewood, home of innovative restaurant and health concepts like Mastrantos and Pure Prosthodontics Dentistry. There Boulevard Realty will continue playing out the unique brand of real estate that Baldwin feels is intrinsically tied to its surrounding area.

“It’s not a cookie-cutter office, because our neighborhood is not a cookie-cutter place,” proclaims Baldwin. “This new space really embodies our broader culture around Houston living, homes, food, society, and historic neighborhoods.

Much of that history will be written in the future!”

Baldwin describes the culture of Boulevard Realty as a close-knit group of tireless proponents of all things real estate who are keen neighborhood advocates that value community in every sense.

To him, the new space is built around those ideals. “We will have all of the trappings of a modern, boutique real estate office, including the Classroom, where I will continue to develop who I believe are the most knowledgeable agents in the city and offering to share those resources with the rest of the city.” Baldwin adds, “But what I am equally excited about is the new YourSpace, an innovative co-working and community space on the ground

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Page 2B • Saturday, April 27, 2019 • The Leader

Home sales markets look to rebound after tough March

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com Despite most local markets showing a year-over-year downturn in homes sales, yearto-date sales remain ahead of or on par with their 2018 pace, according to the most recent report from the Houston Association of Realtors.

On the pricing front, the report says most markets in the Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest and surrounding neighborhoods experienced a surging uptick in year-over-year pricing.

In the Greater Houston area, sales of single-family homes increased 4.9 percent in March, with 7,072 homes sold versus 6,740 in March 2018, while housing inventory expanded to its highest level in five months.

In local markets, Greater Inwood (77091) experienced the largest change (37.5 percent) in any direction and was one of just two local markets to outstrip the Houston-area trend.

“Home sales are benefitting from some of the lowest interest rates in years, but we also continue to see tremendous strength in the rental segment, and with inventory growing steadily, the Houston real estate market looks solid,” said HAR Chair Shannon Cobb Evans of Heritage Texas Properties. “We are also encouraged

price rose 6.6 percent to $485,000.

by the Texas Workforce Commission’s latest report about a 2.4 percent increase in employment across metro Houston over the past year, which bodes well for housing.”

77018 In a zip code that includes Garden Oaks/Oak Forest, Candlelight Plaza, Shepherd Park Plaza and more, year-over year home sales dropped 5.4 percent, with just 53 homes coming off the market compared to last March. Year-todate, the area is the only local market lagging behind its 2018 pace, with only 129 homes sold through the end of March – a 5.8 percent dip from the same period last year.

Pricing-wise, 77018 was the only market to see a drop in both average and median figures. Average price dipped 8.5 percent to $457,494, while median price dropped 6.8 percent to $389,000.

77092 On the western edge of the Garden Oaks/Oak Forest area, March saw the second-largest dip in the area, with the 22 homes sold representing a 25 percent downturn for March 2018. Despite the year-overyear drop, these neighborhoods remain on pace with last year’s year-to-date sales figure of 53 homes.

With regard to pricing, this

77009 On the eastern edge of the Heights, which includes Sunset Heights and Woodland Heights, only 43 sales closed in March – a 12.2 percent yearover-year drop from the 49 sold last March. Year-to-date, this market is one of only two in the area running behind its 2018 pace, with just 103 sold through the end of last month – a 12 percent downturn.

Year-over-year prices in this market were among the biggest risers last month. Average home prices finished the month at $456,353 – an 11.9 percent spike that was the second-largest spike locally. Median prices jumped 22.8 percent, up to $420,000, by month’s end – also the second-largest area uptick.

Photo courtesy of Houston Association of Realtors Home sales dipped for many local markets, but most remain at or better than their 2018 sales pace in spite of a rough month.

zip code showed varying yearover-year trends, with average price rising 4.4 percent to $276,916. Median price was an identical $260,000.

77008 In the Greater Heights, home sales jumped by 8.1 percent, with 93 homes sold compared to 86 the previous March. It was one of only two

local markets to see a spike.

Year-to-date, 206 homes have come off the market compared to 192 through the same period last year, thus outpacing its 2018 pace by 7.1 percent.

Sales prices in the Heights showed major upticks last month. Average home prices spiked 11.7 percent to $585,253, while median home

Tax, from P. 1B a structure’s value – that is a landmark, protected landmark or contributing structure in a historic district not located within a lower-income census tract – owners can receive a dollar-for-dollar exemption.

For example, an investment of $30,000 in a $100,000 structure would reduce its taxable value by $30,000 annually for a period of 15 years.

“It can be a big deal,” Wallace Brown said.

While benefiting homeowners and fostering increased use of city land as well as improved aesthetics and functionality of historic districts, the program also comes with an eventual financial benefit to the city and

other taxing authorities. By investing in structures and thereby increasing the value of them and the land on which they are located, tax revenues could drastically increase after the exemption period lapses.

Houston developer Bill Franks, who has taken advantage of the tax exemptions while redeveloping four downtown hotels during the last 12 years, said promoting such improvements also helps the economy by creating construction jobs and service jobs as well as a need for new materials.

“It’s in the city’s best interest, because most of these properties are valued at hardly nothing on tax rolls when they were

purchased. They’re now valued at a lot,” Franks said. “The incremental difference, the city benefits from that and the (public school districts) benefit from that.”

Wallace Brown said city officials do not think enough property owners are utilizing the exemptions, so they’re encouraged to reach out to the planning and development department to learn more. Property owners can apply to have their structures designated as landmarks if they are not already, so long as the buildings are at least 50 years old or have architectural or cultural significance.

Once a structure is designated as a landmark and in-

vestments have been made, property owners can receive the tax exemptions by submitting related documentation to the city’s Economic Development Department. There are similar exemptions available on the federal and state levels.

“Traditionally in Houston, historic preservation has probably been looked at primarily as a regulatory thing, which makes it negative in a lot of people’s minds,” Wallace Brown said.

“I admit, we have not done the best job in promoting there are financial benefits. … There’s a lot of different ways that preservation of historic structures is a benefit to the property owner and the city at large.”

77091 An area that includes Greater Inwood and part of Acres Homes and Northside, 11 homes came off the market compared to just eight the previous March. The 37.5 percent rise was the largest

(percentage-wise) in the area.

Additionally, this zip code has seen 68 homes sold through the end of March – a 68.4 percent spike compared to the 19 sold through the end of March 2018.

Buyers also saw the singlebiggest jump in both median and average price in this zip code. They paid an average of $231,354 last month, a 44.3 percent uptick. This area’s median price came in at $235,000, representing a 53.3 percent increase – more than doubling any other local market, and 25 times the Greater Houston trend of 2.1 percent.

77007 In the Rice Miltary/Washington Heights area, Realtors closed on 58 home sales last month, a 9.4 percent drop compared to March 2018. Despite the slow month, the area has seen 161 homes sold through the end of March 2019, representing a 26.8 percent lead compared to last year’s pace.

Average prices dropped 5.7 percent down to $538,683.

Median prices remained relatively flat, dipping 0.9 percent to $436,250.

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The Leader • Saturday, April 27, 2019 • Page 3B

Boulevard Realty’s new Houston Heights home .

Contributed rendering Alessia, a VenHomes development, has begun construction at 2004 Summer St. It is one of two residential developments slated for Houston’s First Ward from Jose Ocque, a Houston realtor.

Real estate roundup: First Ward developments and more

By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com Venezuelan transplant Jose Ocque, a Houston-based realtor with Weichert and the founder of VenHomes, a 7-year-old residential construction and remodeling firm, has begun construction of his inaugural urban development in Houston: Alessia.

Slated for completion in August 2019, Alessia will be a gated development of three, transitional-style single-family townhomes located at 2004 Summer St. A second project – neighboring Vittoria at 1913 and 1917 Crockett St. – consists of a pair of two-story craftsmeninspired bungalows. It is anticipated to break ground in fall.

Former Mel’s property available A LoopNet listing for 2521 N. Durham Dr., the former home of Mel’s Seafood Shack, lists the price for the 720 square-foot bungalow on an 11,378 square-foot lot as $995,575. The listing touts its proximity to the new Heights H-E-B, which opened at the end of January.

“We outgrew the food truck and the next step was to move into a brick-and-mortar building,” Melinda Faust told The Leader in January, “At the present time, we couldn’t take it to the next level. We’d been operating six months out of the year only on weekends. It was time to close.”

While Melinda and sister Melissa Faust initially thought to lease the property for a time, they later decided to sell.

Previously, it was under contract to sell to an undisclosed buyer but is available for purchase again. The listing was last updated in early March.

WSS opens at 290 and 34th Following on the heels of El Rancho Supermercado, a new

shoe store has opened in the same shopping center. WSS, formerly known as Warehouse Shoe Sale, is a retail chain of shoe stores headquartered in Los Angeles with 76 retail outlets as of July 2017.

Its parent company is Eurostar, Inc. WSS is a family footwear retailer which primarily serves urban and Latino communities, according to Footwear News.

Who bought Golden Café?

In the fall of 2017, the owner of the building at 1430 W. 19th St., which formerly housed the Golden Café, put up a sign for lease or sale.

He said the building is 3,724 square feet and the land, including the hard corner, is 30,188 square feet.

The owner’s asking price

then was $65 per square foot.

Now, the curiosity of area residents has been piqued with a Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission notice for a mixed-beverage establishment with late hours and a caterer’s permit.

A search of the applicant, PBZ Holdings LLC, netted no information. Many casual observers and real estate professionals commented on the amount of work that needed to be done to the property in advance of any opening. Stay tuned.

Have something for real estate round up? E-mail Betsy at betsy@theleadernews.com.

Follow The Leader on Twitter at Instagram @FromTheLeader.

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Page 6B • Saturday, April 27, 2019 • The Leader MANOR

DAY 2 FINISH

ELGIN

95 290

(COTA)

71

GIDDINGS

PAIGE

LEDBETTER

CHALLENGE ROUTE

Bastrop

20

95

535

304

290

77 FM 109

OVERNIGHT LA GRANCE

DAY 2 LUNCH

21

BRENHAM

290

(Fayette County Fairgrounds)

71

LUNCH EXPRESS ROUTE

159 159

HEMPSTEAD

36

DAY 1 START

NELSONVILLE

71

FAYETTEVILLE

NEW ULM

290

Waller Stadium Waller

INDUSTRY FM 529

DAY 1 LUNCH Bellville

FM 362 36

FM 529

Fry

FM 359

FM 109 183

77 97

LULING

10

FLATONIA

10

SEALY

71

95

SCHULENBURG

90

Clay Rd

Barker Cypress Rd Park Row

10

DAY 1 START DAY 1 START

COLUMBUS

Rhodes Stadium Energy Corridor Katy Addicks Park & Ride

Sources: The National Multiple Sclerosis Society & BP MS 150

iCycle laces up for annual MS bike ride

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com Cyclists all around are gearing up for the annual Houstonto-Austin trek aimed at raising money and awareness for multiple sclerosis, including a team in the heart of the Heights.

I Cycle Bike Shop owner Matt Wurth and the iCycle team will join thousands of riders across the region this Saturday and Sunday, uniting in a mission to end MS with the annual BP MS 150. “It’s inspiring to see all these people all riding their bikes at once, especially knowing that it goes to a cause like curing MS,� Wurth said. “It’s so incredible to see all these people riding together with a common

goal.�

The 2019 trek will be the iCycle team’s ninth year to ride the BP MS 150. With three beginning location points around the Houston area – Rhodes Stadium in Katy, Waller Stadium in Waller and the Energy Corridor Addicks Park and Ride – routes range from 140-165 miles according to the ride’s website.

Even though Wurth has no personal connection to multiple sclerosis, he said the people he sees and meets with each ride, along with news of medical breakthroughs, inspire him to continue the pedaling journey each year.

To date, the event’s cyclists, volunteers and donors have raised more than $1.3 billion,

Contributed photo iCycle owner Matt Wurth has ridden the BP MS 150 the past eight years, three times with his wife Dianne (right) on their tandem bike.

according to its website. “It’s incredible to see the amount of dollars raised that they’ve been able to donate to research,� Wurth said. “They’ve come out with several breakthroughs that have helped a lot of people. The bike ride helps make that happen, and that’s really cool.�

What’s more, riders aren’t larger-than-life figures. They’re everyday people riding with a united front. “Most riders out there aren’t exactly a picture of a super athlete, yet they are, because they’re riding their bikes all the way to Austin for this cause,�

Wurth said.

The iCycle team will take off from the Energy Corridor Addicks Park and Ride at 6:45

a.m. Saturday. “It’s a challenge to ride a bike from Houston to Austin, but being a bike shop owner and getting to ride bikes is natural for us,� Wurth said. “It can be a breeze or it can be a struggle depending on conditions. “I’m hoping for a tailwind,� he added with a laugh.

Anyone interested in joining the iCycle team can call Wurth at (713) 862-8520 with questions or for the password to join, or email him at matt@ icyclebikeshop.com.

For more information on the BP MS 150, visit secure. nationalmssociety.org/site/ TR?fr_id=30201&pg=entry.

Follow The Leader on Twitter at Instagram @FromTheLeader.

Community garden a labor of love for SPP resident sil, mint, garlic chives, Italian parsley and cilantro.

In the winter they planted collard greens and mustard greens, but bugs claimed the bed. “We are totally, 100 percent organic,� Galiano said. “We don’t put any poisons or anything on, so we get a good crop of bugs.�

But not all bugs are unwelcome. On the far side of the garden, flowers and sweet peas are grown for the bees, and alongside that is a bed of bluebonnets.

The garden is also home to numerous caterpillars, soon to become monarch butterflies.

Along a few of the garden beds there is milkweed, which Debbie mentioned is the only

By Zarah Parker zarah@theleadernews.com Beth Galiano decided after a career as a med tech, looking through a microscope day in and day out, that when she retired she wanted to take up a hobby that would enable her to enjoy the outdoors.

She took to volunteering at the community garden of Garden Oaks and Shepherd Park Plaza in 1985 to help with weeding. “I didn’t know beans about gardening,� Galiano said. “Then I got really interested in it. I took the master gardener course and got a little bit more savvy on how to do things.�

Nearly 25 years later, Galiano is at the helm of that same garden.

The garden is planted on a lot along the west side of Alba Street, between Sue Barnett Drive and Chamboard Lane.

It was created in the 1980s by former Garden Oaks resident Jan Koeing and Dr. Bob Randall, one of the Urban Harvest founders. It originated at Garden Oaks Elementary School, but after about a year they had to find a new space.

The land is owned by the City of Houston and used to house a water tower that served the neighborhood. Galiano said Koeing may have had some pull with city officials to let them use the land.

Every Wednesday from about 7-9 a.m., unless the weather turns rainy, residents from Garden Oaks and Shepherd Park Plaza venture into the garden to tend to the plants.

Debbie and Tim Elliott have

thing caterpillars will eat. “The butterflies come in and deposit their eggs on the plant and they grow up and then they chrysalis,� Tim said.

When the spring crop is done, the garden will go into hiatus during the summer months. They’ll lay plastic over the beds, which will cause the summer heat to kill everything, and make them ready for the winter planting, which begins in October. “Anyone who lives in the neighborhood who wants to garden, I make it a point to offer them a bed if they want to have it for their own use,� Galiano said.

Though she says there haven’t been many takers of that offer, mostly because gar-

dening is a lot of work and a lot of weeding.

For the gardening newcomers, though, Galiano and her helpers would be happy to share their knowledge. “Anyone who lives in the neighborhood who wants to garden, I make it a point to offer them a bed if they want to have it for their own use,� Galiano said.

Though she says there haven’t been many takers of that offer, mostly because gardening is a lot of work and a lot of weeding.

For the gardening newcomers, though, Galiano and her helpers would be happy to share their knowledge.

THE LEADER’s 3rd Annual Photo by Zarah Parker Debbie Elliott tends to the SPP/Garden Oaks community garden.

been regulars for around five years. Debbie is a longtime gardener who met Galiano through the Shepherd Park Plaza Garden Club in 2000, but didn’t know she was involved with the community garden until years later. “I’ve always loved planting and flowers and gardening,�

Debbie said. “(I like) getting together with everybody and watching something that we planted grow and of course getting to take home homegrown tomatoes.�

The majority of the garden’s harvest goes to the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church food pantry. Lettuce and kale was

bundled on the back of Galiano’s truck to take to the food pantry April 17. She said those crops were on their last leg.

In late May and June, 70 tomato plants that just bloomed will begin to be ripen enough to pick. That is, if squirrels, raccoons or opossums don’t get to them first. “Later on we’ll try to do a little protecting of the tomato plants, by wrapping with shade cloth and things like that,�

Galiano said.

Pinto beans, climbing beans and carrots are also growing in the beds. In one section there’s a herb garden that features ba-

Crawfish Shrimp Boil

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Courtney Zavala has spent more than 20 years covering news for network affiliates across the country while racking up multiple Emmy nominations. Recently she has returned back home to KPRC 2 where she spent 11 years as a news anchor and reporter. You can catch Courtney weekdays on Houston Life, the show which provides an hour of daily news for all things going on in and around the Houston area! A proud mother of two, Courtney is excited to share her zest for family, fitness and healthy living with her fellow Houstonians.

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The Leader • Saturday, April 27, 2019 • Page 7B

Sinclair filling up fast

By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com In March, The Leader detailed how enrollment at some area public schools is booming. Popular magnet schools are at or near capacity, and there is a movement among some communities encouraging parents to support their neighborhood schools.

In what might be a growing trend, due to school demand, parents may not be able to enroll their children at their zoned campus.

The most recent example was the long, early morning line that formed April 18 at Sinclair Elementary, where there is a limited number of spots in the incoming kindergarten class.

Mandie Eichenlaub is a Timbergrove parent with a kindergarten-age son. Although her middle school daughter attended Oak Forest Elementary, Eichenlaub wants to send her son to Sinclair.

“I’ve attended their auction for the past several years and I’m very impressed with Sinclair’s principal,” Eichenlaub said.

From the school’s parent-teacher organization page and other social media, Eichenlaub learned of the school’s information session for prospective students, which she attended.

Sinclair principal Lee Mashburn told the attendees there would be four kindergarten classes with approximately 22 students each and, that because the school is a STEM and communications magnet, some of the spots were already allocated to magnet students.

Mashburn said there would be a registration day April 18 and spots would be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Eichenlaub got to Sinclair at 5:45 a.m. that day.

The first person in line had gotten to the school at midnight. They were given numbers but no guarantees.

“I’ll find out this week,” Eichenlaub said of whether her son could attend Sinclair. “They said that there would be overflow schools but didn’t know what those were yet.”

According to the Houston ISD, a school’s magnet status is maintained by having magnet students make up at least 20 percent of its total enrollment.

When asked if Sinclair would be able to add classes to accommodate zoned students, HISD said the district reviews expansion by school on an annual basis.

All other grade levels at Sinclair are now at or near capacity.

The plan for now remains the same – overflow schools.

“If there is not enough room available at a zoned campus, sending overcapacity students to HUB campuses has been an option that applies to all HISD campuses,” HISD said in its statement.

In 2015, the HISD Board of Education considered plans to reduce classroom overcrowding by adjusting neighborhood attendance boundaries at certain elementary schools, including Sinclair.

Part of Sinclair’s zone would have been moved to Love Elementary, but the measure did not pass.

Sinclair is not the only school facing the issue of popularity.

Oak Forest Elementary sent a message to area parents that due to high enrollment of zoned students at an April sign-up day, there would be one more registration-only event in early May for kindergarten.

“Registrations will be taken on a first-come, firstserved basis,” the school said. “Once our numbers fill, completed registrations will be placed on a wait list, and once more information is available from the district offices, we will pass that along.”

Oak Forest Boy Scout giving back with community project From Staff Reports A local Boy Scout is on the precipice of a crowning achievement within the youth organization and trying to help the Oak Forest community in the process.

David Kurp, 16, a former Oak Forest Elementary student now attending boarding school in Canada, has begun a project to restore the school’s arboretum and garden as part of his effort to earn the Eagle Scout rank.

Kurp said an Eagle Scout rank would be the culmination of years as both a Cub Scout

and Boy Scout. He credits his friends and leaders at Troop 604 for keeping him focused on achieving that honor.

Plans for the project include removing intrusive vines from the surrounding fence, laying new gravel on the trail system within the arboretum, planting flowers in the beds, which will be treated with fresh mulch, and repairing missing or knotted pickets in the wooden fence surrounding the vegetable garden.

Kurp hopes to complete the project by June 22, and has raised about $1,100 toward a goal of $1,700.

Heights resident recognized by Susan G. Komen Foundation From Staff Reports At its annual dinner event April 16 at The Houstonian Hotel and Conference Center, the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s Houston affiliate inducted supporters into its 2019 Pink Honor Roll and Pink Power League consisting of its top fundraisers for the year.

The group included Heights resident Mary Lynn Gammill.

The ceremony inducted those who supported the 2018 Race for the Cure and celebrated volunteers whose commitment and dedication jointly raised more than $300,000 to fight breast cancer.

Gammill raised $1,500 individually in support of Susan

G. Komen in Houston.

“I am blessed with good health and I am here fundraising to support my friends who are cancer victims and cancer survivors,” Gammill said. “I am doing all that I can to ensure that we find a cure.”

The Pink Honor Roll consists of individuals who raised $1,000 or more. The Pink Power League consists of teams that raised at least $10,000.

“Komen Houston is committed to saving lives locally and fighting cancer globally.

We are investing more than $1 million in the community through research, grants and direct services. We are grant makers, change makers and innovators. Every major advance in the fight against

Gammill

breast cancer has been touched by us, and many of those advances have taken place right here in Houston at the world-renowned Texas Medical Center,” said Julie Voss, executive director of Susan G. Komen Houston.

“Komen Houston is definitely so much more than ‘pink.’

Komen is where the end of breast cancer begins.”

Well-known stray to appear at dog adoption event

By Kim Hogstrom For The Leader Area residents will have a chance to meet local celebrity canine, Gus, at a dog adoption event from 1-4 p.m. Sunday in the Heights.

The family friendly pet-fest will happen at Urban Animal Veterinary Hospital at 1327 Yale St., where there will be free ice cream, face painting for children, a tour of the state-of-the-art medical facility and an opportunity to adopt a dog. There is no charge for admission.

While canines of all shapes and sizes will be available, the star will be Gus. Houston television news stations covered the animal’s rescue from the streets of Sunnyside earlier this year.

On the verge of death at the time, Houston K-911 Dog Rescue, a nonprofit, volunteer dog rescue group, raced Gus to medical professionals.

It saved the pup’s life. Gus was found with a shoestring deeply embedded in his neck, causing the stray dog’s face and head to swell to the approximate size of a basketball. He also had pellets shot into his legs.

A series of volunteers transported Gus to the School of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M, where surgeons removed the shoestring impeding Gus’ ability to eat and breathe. The care of K-911 volunteers, along with financial donations from Houstonians, helped the homeless dog receive lifesaving medical attention.

Gus’ story inspired Houstonian Sandee Roguemore-Maxwell to write a children’s book about his journey back to health called, “Gus, the Dog with the Big Head.”

“I wrote ‘Gus’ because I wanted

to help educate the public about the overwhelming numbers of homeless pets in Houston,” RoguemoreMaxwell said. “I thought a good place to start is by educating children.”

The book will be on sale for $8.99 at the adoption event. Gus, the author and illustrator Peggy Bordelon will be on hand to autograph, or “pawtograph,” any book purchased. All proceeds from the sales will go to Houston K-911. Any canine adopted at the event will receive a complimentary physical exam by Urban Animal Veterinarian, Dr. Hilary Granson, one of

the event sponsors. Urban Animal’s mission is to celebrate the dignity of every animal’s life, so the sponsorship is an extension of its objectives.

Another of the sponsors is local Realtor with Keller Williams, Hilary Parr Cobb. Cobb specializes in the area and works to help homeless pets find homes.

“Helping the animals is as rewarding to me as helping families find the perfect home,” Cobb said. “They both feel wonderful.”

For more information or questions, email hilarycobb@aol.com.

Page 8B • Saturday, April 27, 2019 • The Leader

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