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Shepherd Drive light repairs: Are we there yet? By Kim Hogstrom For The Leader When Rion and Sherri Enroth moved their popular home store, Alabama Furniture, from the Houston Heights to 4900 N. Shepherd Drive two years ago, the new location was burglarized under the cloak of darkness its very first night. The fact that the streetlights were dark on the east side of
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and waiting at the bus stops that can’t be seen in the dark,” stated Rion Enroth. “There are loose wires and cables dangling from poles. It’s a real mess. I started calling 311 (the city of Houston’s reporting line) when we moved in, but never heard back.” Kathryn van der Pol is
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tion. Finally, following a few years as the Pasadena Fire Marshal, she got the call from Harris County, which was in the process
Developers looking to convert a Shepherd Drive church parking lot into restaurant and retail space are tapping the brakes in response to concerns from neighboring Garden Oaks residents. In February, Patrick Barry of Gulf Coast Commercial said they were embarking on an education campaign to Photo by Betsy collect enough Denson signatures to Sale of the Garden go through with Oaks Baptist parking the sale of the lot is currently pendGarden Oaks ing due to resident Baptist Church concerns. parking lot. Now, because of neighbor concerns about the proposed development and about the speed of the process, Barry said they are taking a step back to provide more information to a newly formed resident committee. Carlos Tovar, the communications director for Garden Oaks Baptist, said that they extended the deadline for Gulf Coast Commercial to allow the process of due diligence to continue. Barry said that there have been four meetings so far and about 40 residents attended in total. He also said that the consultant he hired has been going door to door. But for some residents, more information is needed. “As someone who abuts the property, my immediate concern is about who is going to be my neighbor in the near future and, more importantly, in the long term,” said Garden Oaks Section One resident Carrie Arnett. “With two small children and this house hopefully being our forever home, I want to be able to spend time in the backyard and in our home and not be bombarded with noise and light from an around-the-clock business.” Arnett said other concerns brought up by homeowners included increased traffic, especially northbound traffic on Shepherd trying to make a left into the parking lot or making a U-turn at 34th. Potential cut-through traffic on 30th, 31st, 32nd, 33rd, and 34th streets between Yale and Shepherd has also drawn concern. Residents have also wondered whether this is the right time to make changes to the deed restrictions while Garden Oaks Maintenance Organization (GOMO) is in bankruptcy. “What is the legitimacy and transparency of the process for obtaining homeowner approval?” asks Arnett. Tovar said that Gulf Coast started discussions months ago with the Garden
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Photo by Landan Kuhlmann Brenda Stardig (District A), Ellen Cohen (District C) and Karla Cisneros (District H) have taken the lead in representing the interests of north Houston neighborhoods on the city council.
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By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
putting their best foot forward for Districts A, C and H.
Brenda Stardig, Ellen Cohen and Karla Cisneros live in a whirlwind, going zero to sixty from the moment their feet hit the floor in the morning. From council meetings to community events, these women go a mile a minute seven days a week – no small effort considering Houston’s enormity. Amidst their busy schedules, however, the three women selected to represent about 600,000 Houstonians sat down to chat with The Leader regarding how they go about
No such thing as ‘normal’ “There’s nothing typical at all about being a city council district representative,” Stardig said. “Day to day, there are issues that come up, calls that are made, and things constituents take issue with are prevalent – every day is unique, and that’s really what I love about the job. “Every day, there’s a new opportunity to help folks and do the right thing. Whether it’s human trafficking, or working with Crime Stoppers, public safety is always a priority,”
she said. “Then you wake up Monday morning, and the whole process starts all over again.” Things are even more hectic for District C Council Member Ellen Cohen who, in addition to serving a District the size of Little Rock, Ark., also performs duties as Mayor Pro Tem. Around 70 civic clubs exist in District C, so most nights Cohen or a member of her team is headed out to meetings. Three or four times a week there are breakfast/lunch meetings. Then, as Mayor Pro Tem, See Women P. 7A
OF resident ready for Fire Marshal challenge By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com Taking command of a department overseeing operations for America’s third-largest county can seem a daunting task – but one local resident’s career has led her to this moment, and she’s not afraid of the fire. Oak Forest resident Laurie Christensen was recently appointed as Harris County’s next Fire Marshal after previously serving as the Chief Deputy since 2004, the culmination of a career that began somewhat inconspicuously in
the early 90s. Happy accident Shortly after graduating college in 1991, Christensen joined the Emergency Response Team with a paper mill company at the Houston Ship Channel, then joined the Pasadena Fire Department in 1995. And from her first rescue at Pasadena, she was hooked. Then, after continuing classes up at Texas A&M and finishing certification lessons, Christensen continued her work at the Ship Channel plant until she had an epiphany in 2001.
Streetlights along portions of North Shepherd Drive remain dark due to mechanical issues.
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Shepherd, a six-lane highway, certainly didn’t help. Today, just south of Pinemont Drive and traveling north for more than a mile, the righthand side of N. Shepherd Drive remains pitch black after sunset, presenting numerous dangers. “About 40,000 cars use Shepherd each day. It’s bad enough that they drive 60 miles-anhour in a 35 mile-an-hour zone, but there are people walking,
“I just loved it, and felt like it was a calling to give back to the community, and know we could be a part of making someone’s worst moments a little better. Just something I knew I wanted to do,” she said. “Even though the firefighting was more of a volunteer effort, I discovered I enjoyed that more than my job at the plant and was something I wanted to make a career out of.” Christensen later moved on to Chevron Phillips, all the while enrolling at the police academy for nine months to receive her law enforcement certifica-
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The public. The Leader • Saturday, May 5, 2018 • Page 2A
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Marshal from P. 1A of adopting its very first fire code. “That was a huge opportunity [for me] due to the population of Harris County,” the Oak Forest resident said of transitioning from serving Pasadena (population 153,286) to serving a county with a population of more than 4.5 million. County-tested and approved The unincorporated areas of Harris County (which the Fire Marshal’s Office is responsible for) would rank as the fifth-largest city in the United States – a huge responsibility for first responders. But Christensen fit right in, steadily rising through the ranks – from inspector all the way up to second-in-command by 2004. She was helping ensure the safety of hundreds of thousands as Deputy Chief before Harris County Judge Ed Emmett provided the call she had been longing to hear. “You’re incredibly honored to get that call,” she said. “It’s very humbling to know that the higher-ups in the county and the citizens have put that faith and trust in me. You’ve worked your whole career, then you see this and get that
opportunity – I’m so grateful.” The Fire Marshal’s office is responsible for coordination of fire prevention, fire investigation, education, and hazardous materials/weapons of mass destruction emergency response for the 53 fire departments of Harris County. The office is comprised of five branches, including Emergency Operations, Arson, Fire Prevention, Operational Support and Training. Christensen’s job is to ensure that the office complies with all federal, state, and county rules and regulations related to law enforcement and fire safety. “Chief Christensen has decades of experience, not only in the fire service, but also law enforcement,” Emmett said in March upon her swearing in. “She has been an integral part of the Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office and Harris County government for many years, and we are excited for her appointment and confirmation.” Christensen credits a wide array of relationships formed along her journey for helping escalate her career, from educators who helped her attain her master’s degree in Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State all the way to those she
has gleaned knowledge from during her fire career. “You don’t have to come in with every certification or piece of knowledge, you learn from others – those who have experiences before you, and even those new hires after you. I’ve found training that I would’ve never learned in the private sector. You’re only as good as the people you surround yourself with.” Moving ahead In addition to continuing Harris County’s current inspection practices to ensure citizens’ livelihoods, Christensen said the county is looking to expand its use of technology to streamline safety and enforcement to a wider array of citizens. “If citizens go into a restaurant, business, or school and see a hazard they need to communicate to us, we want to expand the technology capabilities where they can alert us immediately,” she said. Currently, the county sports an email alert system; but due to the nature of email, it can be several hours before a response can be generated – and Christensen said that needs to change, given the Fire Marshal’s duty to simultaneously
serve as an enforcement agency. To that end, Christensen said Harris County is attempting to create an app similar to the city’s 3-1-1 service for the Fire Marshal’s Office, in order to enable more rapid notification of on-call inspectors to potential trouble. “We want to ensure we’re out there assisting various other law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety of our citizens, so we’re expanding some of our capabilities and using technology to the greatest benefit that we can,” she said. “Often times when people send us a hazard, we want to get things taken care of right away.” However, she cautioned this idea remains in its early stage of development; so anyone with hazards to report should email the Fire Marshal’s Office (fmosupport@fmo.hctx.net). Christensen has been thrown into the fire for much of her professional life; but responded with flying colors each time. Given her track record and personal connections and lifelong dedication to public safety., Harris County looks to be in safe hands.
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$70 million grant to aid Memorial Park master plan By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com Houston City Council still must approve the plan, but a new multi-million dollar donation has given the proposed Memorial Park renovation a significant boost. According to media reports last week, Houston philanthropists Nancy and Rich Kinder recently offered a $70 million grant to aid the Memorial Park Conservancy in its quest to dramatically overhaul the design of Memorial Park. The pair has previously donated more than $100 million to green spaces throughout the region. Work in progress In 2015, City Council approved the process for a master plan designed by landscape architecture firm Nelson Byrd Woltz. Memorial Park Conservancy representatives pre-
Contributed photo The Eastern Glades, part of the Memorial Park Master Plan, are now underway. Depending on funding, completion of the Glades is an estimated 3-4 years, and the overall plan projects could be finished within 10 years, in part thanks to a recent $70 million grant.
sented their final version of the master plan to the city’s Quality of Life Committee last week, and it will go before city council for final approval and implementation later this week.
When the project was introduced, Woltz emphasized the plan’s focus on preserving much of the ecology and historical sites in the park. He pointed to the various early uses of the land by the
Shepherd from P. 1A President of the North Shepherd Community Alliance and owns Adolf Hoepfl & Son Garage located at 4610 N. Shepherd. While the streetlights work in front of her shop, the darkness starts nearby. “Our auto shop has never been robbed, but I know some of our neighbors have been,” van der Pol explained. “And in the winter, when it gets dark early, some of the St. Pius X High School students wait in the dark for Metro busses. There are also seniors, and other vulnerable people who depend on the transportation. One day, someone is going to get hurt.” The two concerned citizens were confused, as the lights work perfectly on the west side all the way to I-45. Finally, through sheer perseverance (which Enroth calls, “dumb luck,”) he was able to wave down a city employee. The worker helped Enroth identify the correct division to call for help. Houston City Councilwoman Karla Cisneros of District H said that, despite the reports to the city’s 311 line, a call from The Leader was the first she had heard of the problem. “It turns out that the west side streetlights are maintained by CenterPoint Energy, but the east side lights
are the responsibility of the city,” explained Veronica Hernandez, Director of Constituent Services for the office of Council Member Cisneros. “Some of the cable is bad. The Department of Public Works is aware of the problem and has promised to move the repairs up on its list of priorities. We will continue to see that it happens.” The Leader contacted the Department of Public Works directly to get more information. “The city of Houston is responsible for all the lights on all the major highways in the city. That’s a lot of lights, and we used to have 30 employees to do it. Now we have nine,” stated Tom McCulloch, Electrical Supervisor for the city’s Department of Public Works and Engineering. “The east side streetlights on State Highway 261, or Shepherd as it is called, are in our charge. They are served by very old cable that has burned out in many spots. Some of the cable runs underground, under the sidewalks or the street. It may require tearing up a lot of concreate to fix it, but we are going to get it done. We would like to finish at least a portion of it by the winter,” McCulloch concluded. That’s good news, but how is it that all those 311
calls were never shared with the councilwoman’s office? Cisneros keeps a database of every problem reported or referred to her, as well as the contact’s information, and the progress of the issue’s resolution. Does 311 do the same? “When citizens call 311, they can call anonymously, or leave a name and contact number,” explained Hernandez. “Then the dispatcher determines which department to refer the matter, and that department sends a representative out. However, dispatch requires a specific address or intersection to pass it on. Because this problem runs such a long distance, it may not have been entered into the system correctly - or at all. It certainly was never referred to us. “The good part is, we know about it now, and you can bet we will stay on it until the situation is resolved,” Hernandez concluded.
Karankawas, a Native American tribe, for logging and agriculture and the much later established Camp Logan, a military base where soldiers trained during World War I. “We really believe every
piece of land is like a family album where there are layers and layers of stories inside of the land,” he said at a public meeting in September 2014. “Memorial Park is a fantastic example of that.” However, there also remain areas of the park set to undergo wholesale changes. Major changes are happening on the east side of Memorial Park, including development of the Eastern Glades, the first of several large infrastructure and restoration projects envisioned by the Master Plan that began last June. The Eastern Glades encompasses the 110-acre area east of the golf course, north of Memorial Drive and west of the Crestwood subdivision. It has remained undeveloped and relatively inaccessible for decades with no improved trails, poor drainage and a forest in declining health due to general lack of management.
The Master Plan envisions a two-phase project to transform the area with new infrastructure and public amenities, greater public access and an ecologically restored urban forest. The infrastructure phase started last spring with construction of a new segment of East Memorial Loop Drive to the east of the existing road, and a new entrance on Memorial Drive. “The glades are intended for passive recreational uses like picnicking, reading and leisurely walking, which this part of Memorial Park currently does not provide” Randy Odinet, the Memorial Park Conservancy’s Project Manager, said last year. Completion of the Eastern Glades is expected to take three to four years, depending on availability of funding, while the goal is to finish many of the overall master plan’s projects within 10 years.
Annual Rotary crawfish boil funds Heights-area charities For The Leader Get your tickets now to be sure you can enjoy a crawfish and shrimp dinner while supporting Heights area community service programs. For more than 30 years the Heights Rotary has sponsored a crawfish and shrimp boil to fund their many programs focused on supporting organizations and institutions that make living in the Heights a great experience. This year’s Crawfish and Shrimp Boil is set for Saturday, May 5, at Whitney Oaks Hall, 816 East Whitney St. Whitney Oaks is located near the intersection of Airline Drive and Highway 45 North. Heights Rotary donates bicycles to Harvard Elementary School students who have perfect attendance, money to the Foster YMCA aimed
at after-school care and scholarships to graduates of local high schools. Rotary also supports the Rotary Interact Club at Heights High School, Turning Point for the homeless, and generous food packages for 100 low income families. “[This past year] provided a unique challenge for us,” says Club President Stephen Monsen. “We saw a need to help those hit hard by Harvey and donated over $7,000 to seven families.” Serving begins at 11 a.m.
and ends at 3 p.m. “Bring your dancing shoes and enjoy well-known Cajun band the Zydeco Dots, who always fill the hall with the best Cajun music in Houston,” said event Chairperson, Cathy Peveto. Prefer beef over seafood? Barbecue brisket will be available along with hot dogs and hamburgers for children. Tickets are $15 per person if purchased before May 5, $20 the day of the event. Lend extra support to the Rotary’s community service programs by purchasing a $100 raffle ticket. You could win a $7,500 prepaid Visa gift card or one of many other valuable cash prizes. For information and tickets, those interested can contact Ken Stallman at 713870-0764.
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Parking Lot from P. 1A Oaks Maintenance Organization (GOMO) and the Garden Oaks Civic Club about the legalities of converting four lots from religious use to commercial. In 1973, Section One of Garden Oaks allowed the church to convert four lots from residential use to religious use. Because of a 1937 deed restriction that applies specifically to Garden Oaks, Section One, “all lots are to be used for residential purposes only, along with a prohibition on the sale of alcoholic beverages. Also included in the restrictions is a prohibition on the use of signs, billboards, posters or advertising devices of any character on any lot in Garden Oaks without prior consent.” An earlier letter from Gulf Coast Commercial said that at the time of sale, a new alcohol restriction will be placed on the property that will limit the sale of alcohol associated with a restaurant to not exceed 50 percent of total sales. While Gulf Coast initially thought that the signature requirement was 75 percent of the homeowners in section one, their understanding is now different after discovering that the Garden Oaks Maintenance Organization is not the successor of the original organization that signed the original restriction into place. Tovar said that legal counsel for GOMO, Gulf Coast Commercial and Garden Oaks Baptist have been in a dialogue about the correct permissions which would be required. Legal counsel for all parties came to the determination the threshold to release the restrictions is 50 percent of the total front lot footage. “The GOMO [bankruptcy]
is unfortunate timing,” said Tovar. “There’s a general feeling of unrest.” Barry said that the feedback from homeowners has been helpful and that Gulf Coast is committed to providing more information about what the development will look like – both aesthetically and in regard to lighting, traffic and noise abatement – as well as what the tenant mix will be. “The Garden Oaks community will dictate the tenants,” said Barry. “This development is twice the cost of some of our other developments and the tenant mix will reflect that.” Barry said that citizen concerns will be evaluated and possibly incorporated into the restrictions which the church had already required. Tovar said that Gulf Coast was selected unanimously by Garden Oaks Baptist Church to buy the parking lot because they were the company who best demonstrated that they would approach the development the right way. “We are excited about that big empty lot being utilized,” Tovar said. Carrie Arnett says she feels like some headway has been made on working with the church and developer, but she is still cautious. “My biggest concern is that the neighborhood needs more time to digest what they are asking of us—that is, to forever release the property from the Section 1 deed restrictions,” she said. “And if that is what the neighborhood wants, we need more time to work with the church and developer and to propose reasonable protections to be placed on the property.”
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The Topics. The Leader • Saturday, May 5, 2018 • Page 4A
Hank will stand among his own palms one day By Jonathan McElvy Publisher, The Leader
T
here’s some discord among the core group of botanists in my inner circle about the proper name of the plant that scorches my forearms each evening between the hours of 6-7 p.m. I’ve settled on the Texas Sabal Palm, a sharp-branched, pointyleafed shrub that might as well be a box of Bics stuck to a stick. Do not be confused. We’re not talking about the matron saint of all evil yard brush – the vaunted Sago Palm, which landscapers planted across our neighborhoods a generation ago because the old K-Mart must have had a spring sale on the worst plants in the history of the seed. The Sago Palm will cut you if you look at it wrong. The kinder, gentler Texas Sabal Palm only slices your wrist if you rub it wrong. If you live in Texas and have these stealth Sabal Palms canvassing your yard, there’s a good chance you’ve brushed up against them a time or two. Maybe you’ve walked by with a lawnmower, accidentally scraped a branch and thought your cheek was under attack by a wasp. What most of you have not done, and what I find myself doing each evening for one tortuous hour, is standing smack in the middle of
Thankfully, Hank abides by the catch and release program – most times.
them, leaning branches, bowing to my oldest son’s demands. Do you have any idea why Hank, my 4-year-old, would force me into this den of a thousand paper cuts? Do you know why he wantonly emasculates me after work each day? Look, I know it’s not proper to say “emasculates” anymore – apparently, being masculine became a bad thing last week. But let me tell you something: When you’re standing face-to-face with a green lizard the size of a sawed-off pencil, with your first-born clinging all hope on your ability to catch this anole, I can’t find a better word than “emasculate”
when the wretched reptile slips from my grasp because I flinched at the last second. As my weekly readers know, I waste a column every couple of months to tell you what a horrible parent I am. The purpose of these columns, obviously, is to warn you of parenting’s imminent danger. I also hope you laugh. But the one time you will never laugh at being a parent is when you skittishly reach for a lizard and end up grabbing the stem of a Texas Sabal Palm. You might as well take a hammer to your windshield and immediately pick up the shards and rub them together for 37 seconds. I don’t know when it happened, why it happened, or when it will stop, but one hallowed day a few months ago, Hank turned into Jack Hannah. If he doesn’t have some sort of creature within grasp, life loses its purpose. The compulsive search for lizards began about two months ago. Each day, after work, I’d take two steps out of my car and Hank would appear from behind a wall in near seizures. “Can we catch some today?” he’d sweetly beg. Being the father who can accomplish any given thing on any given day, I agree to the mission. One day, a few weeks ago, I spent 40 minutes chasing lizards around our
Lynn Ashby Columnist
have been accused of harassing and discriminatory practices. This puts a damper on hiring workers, particularly women. Then there is the growth in dining out. The nation added 15,145 restaurants, a net increase of 2.5 percent, just between the third quarters of 2016 and 2017, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. In November, the last month for which data is available, food service accounted for half of all net job growth in Washington, D.C., a 7.5 percent increase over the previous year, according to the Department of Labor. Another reason for the labor shortage in our restaurants is the Trump immigration program. Dishwashers and other low-wage restaurant workers have long been recruited from the nation’s undocumented work force. Go to the back of any restaurant kitchen and yell, “ICE!” The place would empty in seconds. Now days many restaurateurs are afraid of just that. I am now at my local French fruit café, the Maginot Lime, which fears being invaded by the German beer garden next door, the Munchen Luncheon, formerly the Munich Appeasement. (Incidentally, the oldest restaurant in Texas is German: my old college hangout: Scholz Garten in Austin, 1866.) I borrow the wet, filthy rag the busboy is using on all the tables, (do you notice that situation at virtually every restaurant?) and wipe off an empty table. The place is full of customers, and no wonder. According to Zagat, the foodies’ bible, Houstonians eat out for lunch or dinner 4.8 times per week, compared to the national average of 4.5. Houston diners spend an average of $36.49 per meal, which is several dollars less than the national average of $39.40. Eighteen percent of Houstonians polled by Zagat said their favorite foods are Italian and seafood. That’s a far cry from the rest of the nation. Twenty-four percent of Americans say Italian is their favorite cuisine, while only10 percent choose seafood as a favorite. Get his: 16 percent of Houstonians say their favorite food is Tex-Mex, compared to only seven percent nationally. Still waiting. No waiter, no food. The Houston area is known for its ethnic diversity, and this is especially true of restaurants. There are 10,000 places to eat in and around the Bayou City -- everything from those weeks-old hotdogs slowly spinning at the neigh-
had no idea. One scoop into this pond and we raked out five tadpoles larger than those lizards we hunted earlier in the week. We brought them home, threw them in an aquarium, and Hank proceeded to take them out and play with them. He literally plays with tadpoles. That’s safer than the crawfish he played with the week before, when some friends and I boiled 30 pounds of them. Hank asked to keep some, and I let him have five mini-lobsters as pets. At least for one day, when we released them in a creek behind our church. We’ve been on missions to find worms, butterflies, beetles, lady bugs, and we’ve caught them all. We’ve housed four lizards on our kitchen table. We’ve had a baby frog die on the playroom floor. We watch documentaries on reptiles and amphibians rather than mindless cartoons. It’s exhausting, this search for anything that moves. I also know that, in 30 years from now, when Hank has his first-born son, he’ll be the first to stand in the midst of his own Texas Sabal Palms, chasing creatures for his kids. Meanwhile, if you drive by my home and see me lying below our shrubs, you can keep driving. We’re fine. Email jonathan@theleadernews.com
The reader.
Thoughts for Food THE RESTAURANT -- Time for a nice evening out and let someone else do all the work. But I’ve been standing here at the maître d’ desk for some time, and no one has come to seat me. A waiter passes by. “Excuse me,” I say, “but could someone seat us?” He laughs. “Just grab any table you want, and take the dirty dishes back to the kitchen.” This is strange. It’s a nice place, with real tables and chairs, no drive-thru plastic clowns or health department notice on the front door. Given no choice, I find a table, clean it off and head to the kitchen. There I find several other customers washing dishes and frying frog legs. “It’s the shortage,” a neurosurgeon says, looking up from his skillet of bacon and potatoes. “Hand me that platter of crumpets, will you?” After I cook my dinner, eat and clean off the table, I look for the restaurant’s manager. I ask her just what is going on. “We can’t find enough help,” she says. “Restaurants all over America are hurting for workers, but there aren’t any. It’s a combination of a tight labor market and an explosion of new restaurants. It’s a one-two punch that has made finding and keeping help extremely difficult everywhere.” That explains why service in eateries is so slow, kitchens are backed up and customers’ complaints are growing. At home I do a bit of research. In 2017, the National Restaurant Association reported that 37 percent of its members said labor recruitment was their top challenge, up from just 15 percent two years earlier. Traditional low profit margins in the restaurant industry don’t leave much room to do what most businesses do in tight labor markets -- increase wages. So restauranteurs are having to find other ways to attract and hold onto workers. This means hiring ex-cons, the mentally challenged, deadbeats who have been fired from other restaurants, the formerly homeless, recovering addicts and the totally unfit to hold any other job. That last category explains why at a local morning café, the Wild Brunch, my scrambled eggs also featured feathers and a beak. To attract and keep good employees, restaurant owners are offering incentives, like repaying culinary-school tuition for their chefs, tequila-tasting seminars, flexible schedules and a faster pipeline up the ranks. Taco Bell and McDonald’s both announced in recent weeks that they would expand programs to help employees pay for college tuition. Also, chefs are forced to be nice to their kitchen help. Apparently, it used to be normal for super chefs to shout at workers, insult their culinary tastes and speed. No more. And I read in the paper that the #MeToo movement has had an impact as well. Celebrity chefs like Mario Batali and John Besh
back yard. I missed six of them, so I moved to the one location where I knew I’d succeed – the driveway, where one of our Texas Sabal Palms doubles as a sun-soaked hammock for these feisty foes. As I stood there staring for the right angle of attack, my neighbor, Warren, and his 5-year-old daughter, approached in bewilderment. “What are you doing?” he asked. I told him and, obviously, he knew exactly why I had blood dripping from my arms. He has a son and daughter and he’s ridden this rodeo before. Within minutes, both Warren and I are standing inside the prickly brush, trying to corner a particularly slippery beast. He’s moving branches one way, I’m ducking under others, intent on being the hunters our caveman forefathers required. And as you might imagine, we failed. Warren and I walked away from that plant in utter shame, our children staring at us like we had just put the beloved family dog to sleep. Thankfully, my son has moved on from lizards – at least for the week. My wife’s parents live on a beautiful plot of land north of the city, and there’s an old pond at the foot of a rolling hill. That pond must have 10,000 bullfrogs in the dead of summer, so I took Hank (with a net) and promised we’d catch some bullfrogs. What we would do with them after, I
HSR has no business being downtown
borhood convenience stores to white table cloth dining where the waiters dress in a tux and speak fluent snobbery. I move down the block to a new seafood café, Sleeping Wit da Fishes “Where the mobsters meet the lobsters.” There was a line of black Packards parked out front, and I had to knock three times before I was let in. “Dis is what ya gonna have,” said my waiter, Knuckles deVito, as I sat down. He put a plate of lasagna and spaghetti in front of me, poured a glass of Chianti and said, “Dat’ll be a hundred flat. It’s an offer ya can’t refuse.” I refused. The doctor said I should be up and around in a few weeks. So now we know why many restaurants are lousy, with overworked cooks, surly waiters and busboys wiping with deadly diseased rags. Now hand me that spatula. Ashby is hungry at ashby2@comcast.net
Email us your letters: news@theleadernews.com
Dear Editor: High Speed Rail (HSR) is coming to Texas. I got very excited when I read this. Forty to fifty years ago, the Amtrak trains were disappearing from the midwest. Most track beds do not allow speeds above 60 mph. I was telling people that America has to replace domestic airlines with HSR to stop polluting the atmosphere. Nobody likes to listen to my stupid ideas. The Houston and Dallas international airports are ideal for the HSR terminals. They have all the utilities, hotels, parking, rental cars, good transportation to nearby towns, and flight connections to any big city around the world. It will be cost effective to connect the Houston airport to the HSR to and from Los Angeles, and Jacksonville. The Dallas airport can easily be extended to Oklahoma, Little Rock and beyond. In March this year, I visited a public HSR hearing. I was very disappointed. Not one word was said about passengers getting to and from the terminal. What will it be like in 20 to 50 years from now? Extending the HSR to the north, east, and west, how will the HSR influence the environment? Only with good planning will the HSR be environmentally friendly. There were many angry property owners at the hearing, but the loudest voice came from all the excited real estate agents, seeing all the profit that can be made by bringing the HSR to downtown. The HSR has no business being downtown. The HSR travel time from the Atlantic to the Pacific will increase up to 20 hours going through downtown and the cost will be trillions of dollars. I can not estimate the agony of replaced homeowners.
For the train service from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast, the magnetic train should be considered. The magnetic train can travel at twice the speed and can stop in 1/10 the time as the HSR. I will not see this, but in 100 years, the high speed trains will replace the highways. Heinz Voss
Parents dragged out of HISD school board meeting
Dear Editor: Big doin’s at the nomadic HISD meeting last night! Parents are upset that the skool bored wants to sweep 10 underperforming skools under the (state) carpet – some got physically dragged out of the pow-wow! (Where were these concerned parents for the last couple of years when concerned alums suffered the lynching of all HISD traditionally-named schools?!) Since this board has zero regard for the poor property owners continually increasing taxation (in order to get their own selfish hateful agendas rammed through), I believe the entire HISD needs to be taken over by the state. This bunch couldn’t run a successful lemonade stand… 2018 finds (many) driving students of Heights High obviously “unconfused”; they scream down 13th; 13.5th; 14th and Beverly from 4:01 p.m. to 4:20-30 nearly every school day. HISD security answers complaints by sending two foot patrol officers thru the ‘hood…after the fact, i.e. 4:31 or later. Pro-active writing of some violation tickets might get their parent’s attention? There are kids and old folx walking these naborhood streets…it’s just a matter of time. Robert Young
the leader Puzzlers. Answers found in this week’s Classified section
SUDOKU
aCrOss
1. Cycles/second 4. Fit for cultivation 10. Saami 12. Perceived scent 13. Liberal rights organization 14. Female flying fighters 15. Durham school 16. Ancient Scand. poet 18. Charitable performances 20. Siddhartha author Hermann 21. Letter destination 22. P.S. Buck’s Pulitzer 25. Feel regret 26. Initials of e = MC2 author 27. From a distance 29. Cronies 31. Forty 32. Printing speed measurement 33. Nutty spread 40. White seedless grape 41. Hillsides 43. Inflammation of a bursa 44. Artery
45. Nail polish brand 46. A routine that is hard to escape 47. Indigo plant 48. Owners 50. Animal fluids 51. Mustelid in its white winter coat 52. Communist
dOwn
1. Come into conflict 2. A collection of things wrapped together 3. Bath spatter 4. Gunsmoke actress Blake 5. Direct to a source 6. Cartoonist Capp 7. Somewhat blue 8. 40 weekday periods 9. El Dorado High School (abbr.) 11. Heartbeat 12. Brit. rutabaga 17. Angle (abbr.) 18. Said as a greeting or wish 19. Festivals 23. Rita ___, singer 24. Belonging to us
27. Skating jumps 28. Building at 175 5th Ave. 29. Parts per billion (abbr.) 30. Atomic mass unit 32. Old Spanish currency (abbr.) 33. Insistence on traditional correctness 34. PBS wildlife show 35. Measuring blocks 36. Don’t know when yet 37. Ancient city from which St. Paul first sailed 38. Breadwinner 39. Go to bed 40. Highest in degree or quality 42. Tossed, potato or waldorf 43. The trunk of a tree 49. Yes in Spanish
WORD SCRAMBLE
The Leader • Saturday, May 5, 2018 • Page 5A
The calendar. FIRST SATURDAY ARTS MARKET 530 W. 19th St. First Saturday Arts Market in the Heights is Houston’s longest running outdoor monthly fine art event. Boasting close to 50 artists each month, the market is best described as a small-scale version of a large juried art festival and features food trucks, local singer/ songwriters, beer and wine. The market is from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. May 5, and showcases paintings, sculpture, photography, jewelry and handcrafted items. Information: 832-273-4798, 1stsatartmarket@gmail.com. ORIGINS OF MOTHER’S DAY Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research Come explore the history of the creation of Mother’s Day with staff member Melissa Hayes from 10:30-11:30 a.m. May 5. Learn about the mother who inspired the holiday and the daughter behind its creation. Reservations are required. Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research is located at 5300 Caroline. Information: 832-393-2600, www. houstonlibrary.org. CINCO DE MAYO BINGO Waltrip Ram Band Booster Club Waltrip Ram Band Booster Club is hosting Cinco de Mayo Bingo at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 5, at Waltrip High School, 1900 W. 34th St. There will be food, music and prizes. Information: waltripramband.org. AARP MONTHLY MEETING AARP Chapter 1265 The monthly meeting will be held at 10 a.m., May 7, in the
community room at 1520 Candlelight Ln. The special guest is The Sunshine Band with Audrey. The meeting is open to anyone 50 or older, and will be preceded by a meet-and-greet at 9:30 a.m. There will be no meetings for June through August. Next meeting will be Sept. 10. Georgia Lewis is president. Information: 832-654-4744. THE TWILIGHT OF THE GOLDS Theatre Suburbia A family, a pregnancy, and a revealing pre-natal test. If your parents knew everything about you before you were born, would you be here? That is the question posed in Jonathan Tollin’s controversial dramedy, “The Twilight of the Golds.” The show runs through May 12, with Friday and Saturday performances at 8:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. (May 6, only) at Theatre Suburbia, 4106 Way Out West. Reservations are strongly encouraged. Tickets are $16 for adults, $13 for students and seniors, and $13 for Sunday Matinees. Information: www.theatresuburbia.org, 713682-3525. CELEBRATE DAYLILIES Gethsemane Lutheran Church Celebrate Daylilies - Texas style with a daylily Horticulture and design show and plant sale. The show will be from 1-3 p.m., and the sale is from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. May 12. Admission is free. Gethsemane Lutheran Church is located at 4040 Watonga. Information: 281-578-1321. MAY GARDEN TOUR Heights Garden Club
This month’s tour will be at Dee Melancon’s garden. This garden has seen several re-dos from the last two years of freezing temperatures. It went from very tropical to more cold hardy plants. Come tour this beautiful and colorful garden at 721 Algregg, 10 a.m. May 12. Information: heightsgardenclub.com. N. SHEPHERD COMMUNITY ALLIANCE MEETING El Tapatio, 4550 N. Shepherd 4610 SHEPHERD DRIVE 713-695-5071 Come on over and meet community leaders at the North Shepherd Community Alliance, the fastest growing business networking group in the rapidly developing North Shepherd area. Next meeting is at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 18. Matthew McKenzie, founder of Avid Coffee Co., operates a travelling coffee truck at two regular locations: Monday – Friday at 2211 W. 43rd St. and Saturdays at 2120 Ella Blvd. He has an amazing story to tell. This is a free event with dinner sponsored by NSCA and Moon Shepherd Baker Insurance. The public is welcome to attend. Please call Kathryn van der Pol, NSCA President to RSVP or for further information at 713-6955071. TOUR DE OAK FOREST Oak Forest Homeowners Association Come out May 19, and be a part of the annual Tour de Oak Forest sponsored by Oak Forest Veterinary Hospital. Participants can register online or the day of the event starting at 8 a.m. The
From the Pews. Free concert for Haiti at First Baptist Church Heights First Church Heights is hosting a free concert benefiting Homes for Haiti. Learn about the needs in Haiti and help reach the goal to build 2+ homes in 2019. The community is welcome to attend an evening of fellowship, food, and music from 5-7 p.m. May 5. First Church Heights is located at 201 E. 9th St. Call 832-289-8045 to RSVP or for information. Heights Interfaith Ministries Food Pantry to hold fundraising event Heights Interfaith Ministries Food Pantry will hold their fundraising Garden Patch Party, from 6-9 p.m. May 5. Tickets are $10 each. The meal includes a baked potato, salad bar, tea, coffee and dessert. The entertainment will feature Ed Amash and Paul Hardwick, Music for the Soul. Zion Lutheran Church is located at 3606 Beauchamp. For information or to purchase tickets, call 713-447-7624. The Gathering Place ministry at St. Stephen’s The Gathering Place, a monthly ministry for persons with Alzheimer’s and other types of memory loss, will be held Monday, May 14 from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the fellowship hall. Volunteers lead guests in fun activities like games, music
crafts and exercise, and serve lunch so that their caregivers can have a break. There is no charge to attend. The Spring Artisan Market, benefiting the Animal Justice League of Oak Forest, has been rescheduled for Saturday, May 19, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in the west sanctuary parking lot. The market will feature a variety of vendors and food trucks, live music and fun. St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church is located at 2003 W. 43rd St. For information, call 713-686-8241 or visit www.stsumc.org and the church’s Facebook page. Western spaghetti dinner at St. Matthew’s A Western Spaghetti dinner fundraiser, featuring live music from local musician, Bobby Sawyer, will be May 19. Dinner will be served at 5 p.m., followed by showtime from 6-7 p.m. Tickets are $12. For ticket information call 713-957-3363 or 713-466-3517 or the church office. St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church is located at 4300 N. Shepherd Dr. Call 713-6970671 or visit the Facebook page or the website at www. stmatthewsmethodist.org. Dedication ceremony for Zion Lutheran The community is welcome to attend the dedication ceremony of the Texas Historical Commission Official Texas Historical Marker for Zion
Lutheran Church, 3606 Beauchamp. The dedication will be held following the worship service, 11 a.m.-noon, May 20. A reception will be held after the dedication, in the great room. Call 713-869-1493 for information. Music Workshop at Greater First Baptist The GFB Music Ministry (Minister of Music Bro. Quinten Simon) presents a music workshop 7 p.m. May 22 and May 25. The guest clinician is Bro. Kenneth R. Green, Sr. (Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church Minister of Worship & Fine Arts). Grand Musical, is 6 p.m. May 26. Registration is $10. Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church is located at 4441 Haygood St. Call 713695-7061 or visit www.gfbhouston.org or facebook.com/ gfbhouston for information. Women’s Bible Study Group meets at the YMCA The Women’s Bible Study meets at 6:30 p.m. every Monday at the Harriet and Joe Foster YMCA, 1234 W. 34th St. The new Bible study begins on the Book of Daniel. There will be Bible study, prayer, and fellowship. Guests and new members are welcome to attend this non-denominational Bible study. Email scripturesharing@ earthlink.net for information or call 713-516-4282.
ride will be from 9:30-11 a.m. and is approximately 10 miles. Food trucks will be available for breakfast and lunch. The cost is $15 per person (children 10 and under are $10). Proceeds benefit the OFHA School Initiative’s Program. Information: www.ofha. org, 713-688-6342. WOOD WINDOW WORKSHOP The Church The Wood Window Workshop hosted by AIA Houston is from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. May 19 and 20, at The Church, 1548 Heights Blvd. This exciting wood window workshop will be led by a respected preservationist and craftsman, Steve Quillian. Through demonstrations and hands-on experience, participants will learn about the basics behind window restoration methods. Space is limited. Registration is non-
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©2018 Genentech USA, Inc. All rights reserved. ESB/080515/0385(1)a(1) | 04/18
MESSAGE OF THE WEEK
World Problems Worship Problems By Pastor Will Cover
Heights
Sunday School ........9:15 am Sunday Worship......10:30am Wednesday Bible Study & Prayer Service 6:00pm
1700 West 43 rd at Rosslyn 713-682-4942 Pastor – Dr. Richard Walters
Pastor C. David Harrison 201 E. 9th St. • 713-861-3102 www.fbcheights.org
Gethsemane Lutheran Church 4040 Watonga • 713-688-5227
Ad # 22283 Sunday-- Bible BibleStuday Study For Ages .. 9:30am Sunday For All All Ages..9:30am Morning Worship............ 10:45am Morning Worship.............10:45am Age Graded Zones ...........6:15pm Wed.Wed. - Prayer PrayerMeeting Meeting&&Missions Missions Organization......................6:15pm Organization .....................6:15pm
Preschool Program • Mon. - Fri. 9-2 p.m. www.gethsemanelutheran.org
1822 W. 18th
2003 W. 43rd St. 713-686-8241 s t s u m c . o r g
713-906-5481 Realty Associates
8
Lowest Prices in Town!
First FirstChurch Church
• Bible Study: 9:15 a.m. • Morning:10:30 a.m. • Evening: 4:15 p.m.
Ministries for All Ages Home of Johnson Memorial School for Little Children Rev. Nathan Lonsdale Bledsoe, Pastor
Experience and Knowledge... A Powerful Combination
Arise Baptist Church 803 Curtin St. Houston, TX 77018 713-659-9697 • www.arisebaptistchurch.org
Weekly Sunday Services
Sunday Morning Worship 8:30 and 11:00 Sunday School for Children, Youth and Adults 9:40
POETRY READING Kaboom Books Kaboom Books, 3116 Houston Ave., will hold a poetry reading by Houston Heights Poet Dennis Herrell. The book is “About Women.” The reading will be 7 p.m. May 23. Call 713-869-7600 for information.
$
On West 34th St.
tion: 713-861-6735, events@ heightschamber.org.
Dog Rabies Vaccination
(Between Ella & T.C. Jester)
DIRECTORY
Weekly Worship Services 9:00 a.m. Sunday School & Bible Classes 10:30 am
2018 EDUCATION LUNCHEON Greater Heights Area Community Fund This annual event hosts the presentation of scholarships to local high school students, educator of the year and students entering military service. Emcee and special guest is Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale, guest speaker is Richard Voorhies, Commander of American Legion Garden Oaks Post 560. The luncheon will be from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. May 21, at Sheraton Houston Brookhollow Hotel, 3000 N. Loop W. Informa-
Aztec StorAgeS
CHURCH We invite you to worship with us!
refundable but is transferable. Lunch is included. Information: 713-520-0155, rhonda@aiahouston.org.
Dr. John W. Neesley - Senior Pastor
713-864-1470
St. James Lutheran Church, ELCA MANNA Sponsor
• Worship (English)..... 10:00 am - 11:00am • Learning Hour........... 11:00am - 12:00pm • Worship (Spanish) .... 12:30 pm - 1:30pm
1602 West 43rd St. • Houston, Tx 77018 • 713-686-1577
H
ave you felt any pressure the last few months? Paying taxes, dealing with health problems, dealing with personal issues, job pressures, political problems in this world, are all pressures and problems that people are dealing with today. Some problems come from outside of us and other problems come from inside of us. Some problems come about through no fault of our own and other problems come because of choices that we make. In John 4, Jesus spoke to a woman who had a lot of problems. Her life was a mess. Her relationships were a mess. She had a lot of problems. She talked to Jesus about worship. She pointed out that the Jews worshipped in Jerusalem, but in her religion, they worshipped in their own place. Jesus answered and said that to worship right it is not about the place but about the person. To worship correctly we must worship God in spirit and in truth. Your problem is a worship problem. The reason you are struggling with bad choices you have made is because you weren’t putting God first when you made that bad choice. The reason you are struggling with problems that other people created is because you are not trusting in the God who is in control of all things. Hope is found in God. Your strength is not enough. Your ability is not enough. When the woman at the well understood that her hope was not in her religion, in her culture, in her ability, but that her hope was in Jesus, the Christ, her entire life changed. She went back to her village to tell them of what Jesus had done in her life. When her worship was right her life was right!
Page 6A • Saturday, May 5, 2018 • The Leader
Four ways that you can be kind to animals this week (and every week!) Humane Society. The initiative was started in 1915 and has inspired millions of people to come together for a week every year to look for new and different ways to enhance the lives of our furry, feathered, scaled and even exoskeletoned friends. During this week of kindness, The Humane Society has several good ideas for ways that we can be especially kind of animals. There are pledges that you can participate in on their website, (www.kindness100.org) such as pledges to buy humanely raised products, protect all of Earth’s animals and even protect animal actors. You Can Be Kind Any Time: However, the good news is that we don’t need a special week once a year to be kind to animals. While, “Be Kind to Animals� week serves as a good reminder that we should respect and care for
Dear Tabby, I’ve heard that “Be Kind to Animals� week is coming up. What does that mean and can you give me some ideas of ways that I can be kind to animals? Working on Kindness in Woodland Heights Dear Working on Kindness, You are indeed correct! The first full week of May every year (May 6 through 12 this year) has been designated as, “Be Kind to Animals� week by the American
animals, there are things you can do every day to make sure that you’re spreading kindness throughout the animal kingdom. The Humane Society recommends these 4 ways to be kind to animals every day: Adopt Don’t Shop: There are millions of pets (many of them purebred and absolutely wonderful) waiting for forever homes in our nation’s shelters and in rescue organizations. If you’ve been wanting to add a pet to your family, please consider adoption first. There’s no better way to spread kindness than to save a life at an animal shelter. Take Good Care of Your Pet: Sometimes, dragging Fido to the vet for his annual exam doesn’t feel like an act of kindness, but making sure that your pet is up to date on vaccinations and getting screened for diseases on a regular basis will protect him in the long
Pet of the Week
run, keeping him healthy and happy for many years to come. Appreciate the Critters Outside Your Home: Even here in the bustling city, we have incredible wildlife that we share our space with. If you don’t already, use this week to think about your impact on the wildlife and by creating an inviting space for birds, butterflies and other animals that visit your yard. Report Animal Abuse: If you suspect that an animal is being abused or neglected, report it to the proper authorities (contact the Houston SPCA at 713-8697722). Unfortunately, animal abuse is a very real problem and, without neighbors looking out for animals, horrific animal abuse can go unreported and the needless suffering continues. Also, keep in mind that those who abuse animals often abuse children and other folks as
Neighbors: Kadlacek builds PTO store at Black Middle School shelving and storage and can now sell those items as well as tickets for events and basic school supplies straight from the store which is currently open at lunch on Wednesdays for students to make purchases. Tim Weltin, Frank Black’s Parent Involvement Coordinator, commented, “Daryl did a fantastic job and we’ve had so many compliments. He’s made such a contribution to the Frank Black community. It’s really great to have a headquarters!� Kadlecek ran cables for a point of sale system for future use, installed a glass front display cabinet, shelving, and seamlessly carried over the style of sturdy and secure construction already in place
By Elizabeth Villarreal elizasgarden@outlook.com
Happy, happy birthday to our Leader staffers: Carolyn Moore on April 30, Jake Dukate on April 27, Landan Kuhlmann on May 1, and Lucy Dukate’s 50th on May 8. Frank Black Middle School’s PTO and families send a warm thanks to neighbor Daryl Kadlecek who built the PTO a wonderful, secure store inside the school cafeteria. After years of lugging t-shirts, swag and supplies back and forth from secure closets in random spots throughout the school to the cafeteria for sale, the PTO now enjoys permanent
Meet Maggie. Sweet Maggie was recently rescued during a large “shelter sweep.� She had been living with a horrific foot injury and two of her toes had to be amputated. Maggie is recovering in a foster home where her foster parent declares that she is a total “love bug� and that her tail never stops wagging. Despite her rough past, Maggie is ready for a bright future--could that be with you? If so, contact Scout’s Honor at: www.scoutshonor. org. well, so letting animal abuse go unreported can put the lives of humans in danger as well. Use this week ahead to think of ways that you can spread some love to the animal kingdom. If you’re already practicing some of these tips, consider also visiting an animal shelter to interact with
The Obituaries.
Lisa K. Hammel, 59, born Oct. 27, 1958 in Sycamore, Ill., died April 27.
Donna Rhay Herron, 85, born April 22, 1933, died April 24. Hayden A. Kolb, 95, born
Oct. 7, 1922 in Grapeland, Texas, died April 28. He is survived by his son Dale Kolb. Hayden was preceded in death by his wife Neva Kolb.
Cecelia T Martin, 95, born Dec. 16, 1922, died April 26.
Daryl Kadlecek built the PTO a store inside the Frank Black Middle School cafeteria.
for the school’s snack bar. Kadlecek’s son, Hudson, is currently a 6th grader at Frank Black. PTO President Amber Caver said, “Our hats are off to Daryl! We are so grateful. He exemplifies the parents
in our school as well as our school community: Daryl is hands on and has contributed to the growth and success of our campus and the strong sense of community within Frank Black.�
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Patsy Ann Ross, 60, born July 19, 1957, died April 19. A graduate of High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, majoring in dance, she went on to study at University of St. Thomas, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She was very involved with the Houston Ballet,
and was also employed at MD Anderson and Chevron. Ross is survived by her niece Elisha and her grand-niece Sophie, and her half-sister Alene.
Daniel Elbert Vernon Jr.,
75, born Jan. 23, 1942 in Bryan, Texas, died April 25. Vernon came to Houston in 1963 where he worked in the grocery business before retiring, and then worked as general maintenance for St. Ambrose Catholic Church. He loved his church home, Gethsemane Lutheran Church, where he had been a member for more than 40 years. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Ella Vernon, his son Nathan Vernon and two grandchildren, Kaelyn and Zachary. Memorial contributions may be made to Gethsemane Lutheran Church or the charity of one’s choice.
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The Leader • Saturday, May 5, 2018 • Page 7A
Mission of Yahweh lends a hand after Harvey By Zach Maxwell zach@theleadernews.com Kyonghui Hoffart lost her husband in January, just five months after their apartment flooded during Hurricane Harvey. The one-two punch left Kyonghui (pronounced keeYUNG-wee) homeless and it was then that she turned to the Mission of Yahweh for assistance. “People don’t understand that you can get into these situations,” Kyonghui said. “Some people have patience and will listen to you, help you. These people (at Mission of Yahweh) try to help – you can’t beat that.” She is one of 120 women and children at the mission, located on Algiers Street in west Houston off of Gessner. This year, as in 2017, Mission of Yahweh will be the featured charity from the 2nd annual Women at Work luncheon, sponsored by The Leader newspaper. It has been a challenging year for the mission, led by Executive Director Richard Hill. “(Harvey) created a lot more homeless people in the community. We knew it would affect us, but didn’t know the timing,” he said. Turns out, that timing is best
described as “ongoing.” Nearly a quarter of the mission’s clients were displaced by the storm – a number which Client Services Director Tameka Pounds said has been steady since not long after the storm. But the Mission of Yahweh is much more than a homeless shelter. We profiled the agency in The Leader a year ago, and while the original vision of the late Sister Helen Gay continues to evolve, the agency still seeks at its core to help women and families re-establish their lives through job training, continuing education and “after care” programs. “The Mission of Yahweh’s goal is to help homeless women and children achieve a successful exit to permanent housing that is sustainable by earning a livable wage and having medical benefits,” states Hill in a letter to potential donors. In Kyonghui’s case, that means transitioning back to the post-Harvey apartment which she also lost when her husband passed away. The mission staff worked with the SEARCH group in downtown Houston to help her. Before coming to Mission of Yahweh, Kyonghui was in a “camping situation” in the city. Hill and Pounds say she is
an example of one client who benefits from across-the-board services at the mission. They have a transportation program, dental program, Workforce Integration Now (WIN), after care and the senior care program which was deeply helpful in Kyunghui’s case. But there are other successes at Mission of Yahweh, as all these programs weave together to turn heartbreak into hope. “I have been able to get back to work and since then have been offered the opportunity to move up into management,” said client Sherrita T., whose family was displaced after Harvey. “If any single mother or woman wants to get their life together – I mean really get their life together – MOY is the place to do that.” Pounds said the women who come through the doors at the mission are offered one of three tracks to get back on their feet. Tailored toward individual needs, the tracks have names like “Integrity Plus” and “Work Faith Connections.” In addition to these classes and trainings, most women are required to provide from 10-20 volunteer hours per week at the facility. Her goal is to see the women break the cycle leading to
ents, touches the western side of our neighborhoods. “What we all have in common is we want our trash picked up, clean water coming and wastewater going away from our houses; we don’t want flood waters coming into our house; we all want to get to work and school in a calm, safe manner,” she said. “For the average person, many basic needs are the same. I try to stay focused on these things that are core services of the city.” Ensuring there are enough resources dedicated to projects that aid in the aformentioned services is the most challenging task, according to Stardig. “I want to make sure we deliver those services in a timely, efficient manner and respect people’s time and dollars, which goes a long way. People just want to be shown the respect by listening to them,” she said. “You want people to feel they’re part of something bigger than themselves.” Now in her third term on city council, Stardig has put resources into projects such as demolition of Oakbrook Apartments, which were repurposed as green space on White Oak Bayou in 2016. She also implemented a number of initiatives with HPD’s North Command during her latest term, such as granting the department $75,000 to be spent in District A. “It’s always about how to navigate the system to get our tax dollars spent on those projects. My focuses have always been on infrastructure and public safety,” she said. District H touches the eastern and southern edges of our community, including Independence Heights, Norhill and Woodland Heights. As a previous educator at Northline and Harvard Elementary schools, Cisneros says she saw an imbalance she believed needed correcting – prompting her transition to public office and continuing to be one of the key dominoes in her district of nearly 164,000.
“The city appeared to be paying more attention to some neighborhoods and schools than others, and as a teacher, I saw how that impacted children’s success, and wanted to do something about it. I’m trying to make sure there’s equity in opportunity,” she said. “For all the strengths we have, if we’re not providing equity to those children, we’ve lost a great opportunity to build on those strengths.” Cisneros has previously helped kickstart projects such as creating a SPARK park and other efforts to improve Travis Elementary in Woodland Heights. “We need every child in our city to grow up to be everything they can be – that’s our future, and connecting to that prosperity is a huge key,” she said. Among many changes in the city, one thing is for sure – these leaders appear to be doing everything in their power to honorably lead our neighborhoods to the best of their abilities. “I’m passionate about this job – you can’t do this job unless you’re passionate about it and you love people. If you don’t like people, it isn’t the job for you,” Stardig said. Cohen has been involved in Shepherd Drive’s reconstruction, spear-headed the Garden Oaks Capital Improvement Project, and secured $430 million in Capital Improvement Plan funding for District C over the next four years. “I hate when people have problems; but you know they’re going to have them,” she said. “And if that’s the case, what can I do to help?” Representing a city as diverse as Houston presents a steady dose of challenges for anyone tasked with it. But Cohen, Stardig and Cisneros look to be attempting to put the lives of 600,000 Houstonians before their own each day. “When you make those connections and improve somebody’s life and situation, that’s so incredibly satisfying,” Cisneros said.
Women from P. 1A her days start with meetings at 8:15 or 9 in the morning. “Some of it is very typical, but outside Tuesdays (council sessions, committee meetings), each day is extremely unique between meeting constituents in the office and out in the community,” she said. Cisneros’ days begin at 8 a.m. most times as she strives to tackle what she says is her biggest challenge – reaching those who aren’t fully connected and communities that feel they have been neglected for so many years and tend to think their voice does not matter. “We’re trying hard to have connections with schools, educate parents on what they can do with the city’s services – we’re going through churches and other organizations as well. It’s just trying to get to where people are,” Cisneros said. Gargantuan task In a city of more than 2.3 million, each Houston City Council Member is tasked with representing – on average – 144,000 Houstonians. Most of the local area falls within Houston City Council District C, represented by Cohen, who said she attempts to work within the constraints of urgency. She added her office receives at least 250 calls for service per month, and said funding has also been a major challenge. “Our world changed at the end of August, so the biggest challenges lately have been dealing with Harvey issues. Try as I may, I know I can’t satisfy everyone. There’s always that balancing act,” she said. “How do you balance someone’s Harvey issue with a pothole? You have to look at what the most critical and timely issues are, along with what we can afford. Is the money there to be able to do what my constituents want done? A lot of them have great ideas, but where do we get the money for some of it?” Stardig’s District A, consisting of nearly 300,000 constitu-
homelessness. Hill says the key is for the women to absorb the skill-building resources offered through MOY and get into better-paying jobs. There is even a transitional housing program geared toward helping the ladies save up for their own permanent housing solution. “You need to have three things in place: The housing piece, income stream and medical insurance,” Hill said. “The benefit is, if they have a better paying job, they can save up. And if there’s an emergency – and it happens to all of us – it doesn’t have to wipe them out.” Sister Gay would be proud of the continuing efforts to save women made possible by the Mission of Yahweh. Want to help Mission of Yahweh? Call them at 713466-4785 or check their website www.missionofyahweh. org for donation information and an updated “needs list” for physical donations of clothing, food and more.
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Page 8A • Saturday, May 5, 2018 • The Leader
Bikers are ready to ‘Tour the Forest’ May 19 By Kim Hogstrom For The Leader The weather in Houston hits its very finest again just in time for the community’s popular fund-raiser, “Le Tour de Oak Forest.” About 20 volunteers with the Oak Forest Homeowners’ Association (OFHA) and the community will turn out on Saturday, May 19, to help an estimated 200 bike-riders take the 10-mile tour while raising money for local schools. This year’s will be OFHA’s sixth and is co-chaired by Pamela McHenry. “All the funds we raise will go to support 10 area schools,” McHenry stated. “Our objective is to provide a grant of at least $250 for each, and let the schools decide its use. They do really creative things with it. Last year, Katherine Smith Elementary bought its students Cinco de Mayo costumes, and Stevens Elementary built a garden so the students could grow vegetables. The funds help schools with efforts not otherwise in their budgets.” Who takes Le Tour? Just about anyone, as everyone it welcomed. “Our riders come from Oak Forest, the Heights, Timbergrove, everywhere. We have families with children, single riders, empty-nesters, even octogenarians,” McHenry stated. “A rider can set his or her own pace. It takes some people 45 minutes to complete, and others, such as families with kids, maybe two hours. To the delight of local chil-
Contributed photo This family rode in the 2017 ‘Le Tour de Oak Forest’ and is looking forward to 2018’s ride.
dren, a collection of “fairies” have moved into “little houses” built into tree trunks throughout Oak Forest. Since the “Little Houses in the Forest” movement sprang up, members of the OFHA were planning to design the route so that each fairy house was on the Le Tour. With houses no taller than a foot, the faries are never seen in daylight, but their homes, with their bright colors, imaginative garden ornaments, and entertaining decorations, are easy to spot in front yards. Still, the tour route is designed for the safety of the riders first and foremost. “We tried to add the fairies’ houses (to the tour map), but the crossstreets were just too dangerous,” McHenry said. “Thanks to our biggest sponsor, Oak Forest Veterinary Hospital, we are getting pinwheels for all the children instead, so they can add them to their bikes for the ride.”
The 2018 tour will be Ginger Smith’s third. “I love it. I always have so much fun. Neighbors often sit in lawn chairs in their front yards and wave to us as we go by. And each time I have done it, I was able to meet neighbors I would not have had a chance to meet otherwise,” Smith exclaimed. “We live in such a wonderful community, and Le Tour really is a neighborly event,” McHenry adds. “The day after the ride last year, I wore my tee-shirt into Kroger to shop. No less than eight other shoppers were wearing their tee-shirts too, and we all exchanged greetings and talked about how much fun we had.” The 2018 Le Tour de Oak Forest will start at Hope Episcopal Church at 1613 W. 43rd St. Riders are asked to arrive by 9:00 for check-in. Coffee will be provided by Avid Coffee stating at 8. Good Dog Hotdogs and Rita’s Shaved Ice food trucks will offer fare for purchase in the church parking lot following the ride. People interested in participating are encouraged to pre-register on the Oak Forest Homeowner’s Association website at www.ofha.org/tourde-oak-forest/. Registration will also be available starting at 8 a.m. at Hope Church the day of the ride. The cost is $15 for adults and $10 for children, age 11 and under. Tee-shirts will be issued that morning. “Oh yes, I forgot to mention that. The tee-shirts really rock!” Ginger Smith concluded.
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