Still time to find the perfect gift for Mother’s Day
Inside Today: The necessity of prostate screening • Page 1B
UnReal Bowling
3020 Mangum Rd 713-682-2506
Covering the Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest & the neighborhoods of North Houston
Flower & Gift Shop 10570 NW Frwy 713-680-2350
Saturday, May 12, 2018 • Vol. 63 • No. 18
About Us 3500 East T.C. Jester Blvd Suite A (713) 686-8494 news@theleadernews.com www.theleadernews.com Facebook/THE LEADER.
50
OFF
$
* Pest • Pest • Mosquito
Final hearing on Heights guidelines is May 17 Staff Reports A second and final hearing about the new design guidelines for homes in Heights historic districts will be held on Thursday, May 17. The hearing will be part of the Houston Archeological and Historical Commission (HAHC) meeting which starts at 3 p.m. on May 17 and will be held at the City Hall Annex council
chambers (public level), 900 Bagby St. This hearing has been pushed back due to a posting error, in which the meeting date was inadvertently omitted from meeting notices sent to residents. The first hearing was held in October 2017. Margaret Wallace Brown, Deputy Director of the city Planning Department, said comments from that first hear-
ing were used to make changes to a revised draft of the design guidelines. The latest version of the guidelines has been public since early February. The proposed design guidelines are available for review at the Heights Library reference desk, or online on the project webpage at http://www. Photo by Zach Maxwell The “COA” notice at a home in Historic Heights.
See Hearing P. 3A
Family Practice
*• Rodent Rodent • Termite
281.407.8517
*Promo Code: FAMILY. Call for details
Choices await area voters May 22 By Zach Maxwell zach@theleadernews.com
Insulating Since 1979 $
get 50 OFF
your purchase of $750 or more Attics • Walls • Floors Noise Reduction • Removal
713-868-1021
www.paylessinsulation.com
Homeowners Insurance Call Today For A Quick Quote
If I can not beat your price I will give you a giftcard. Call Adam
281.481.2008
Allen Frieze
Realtor®
Contributed Photo Pediatricians Shilpa Pankaj, left, and her mom Dr. Heena Thakkar, give new meaning to the term family practice. While this Sunday is the annually-celebrated “Mother’s Day,” the pair gets to experience that celebration at work and at home each day.
Every day is Mother’s Day for Heights pediatric team
832-419-9969 Your Neighborhood Expert
By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
inside.
What are your favorites? The Leaders Readers’ Choice wants to know.
Page 8A
This Sunday, mothers (and motherly figures) will be celebrated during the annual day set aside to honor and give thanks for them. But for one Heights-area mother and daughter, it will be a day like any other. Just down the road from Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital, Dr. Heena Thakkar and Dr. Shilpa Pankaj are the mother/daughter team behind Peekaboo Pediatrics off West 27th Street. Dr. Thakkar has been serving the Heights area since 1975, with her daughter joining her practice in 2009 -- and both say the experience has been one to remember. “I always knew that I wanted to practice medicine – from a young age I loved science, and knew that
I wanted to be a doctor. I mean, I grew up in the office we practice in!” Pankaj said. “But as a teenager, I never thought I would do exactly what my mom does.” Surprisingly to herself, Pankaj said she found such unexplainable joy during medical rounds at the University of Pennsylvania that when the time came to choose her path, there truly was no other option. “As I went to medical school, I fell in love with pediatrics, taking care of children and being a part of patients’ families,” she said. However, Pankaj still had not entertained much thought of returning to Texas once she left for college in Philadelphia – but everything changed when her father passed away. After returning home, and in the wake of her father’s passing, she found the overwhelming urge to
return to her roots – opening up a whole new world for herself and her mother’s already-close relationship. “With the combination of loving my training in pediatrics and wanting to stay close to home, it was a natural decision,” she said. “I was a bit resistant, but I’m so fortunate to have had the opportunity [to join my mom]. I feel now I was destined to do this despite it being a surprise to myself.” So, Pankaj asked Thakkar, and Peekaboo Pediatrics – affiliated with Memorial Hermann Greater Heights – to join the practice almost nine years ago, much to the surprise of her mother. “When she asked if she could join me [in Houston], my God that was the best blessing and dream I could See Mothers P. 3A
SPX alum making good on little league prophecy Art Flocking 100 artists come together at Sawyer Street Market
Page 7A
The INDEX. Church....................................................... 5A Classifieds.............................................. 4B Coupons. ................................................. 6A Food/Drink/Art................................... 7A Obituaries.............................................. 5A Opinion. ................................................... 4A Public Information......................... 2A Puzzles...................................................... 4A Sports. ....................................................... 7B
By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com “See you in the big leagues.” Those six little words, inscribed onto an MVP trophy by a Candlelight Plaza t-ball instructional coach, can now be deemed prophetic as the 4-year-old they were directed towards continues on a journey seemingly destined since birth. “He gave Justin’s trophy last, and wrote [that inscription] on it. We thought it was sweet, and it makes any little kid happy – so we held onto it, and it’s
still at home somewhere. He continued on with his journey, and he made it,” Karen Anderson said. April 23, 2018 would have been a special day for any young player. But for Anderson’s son Justin – a St. Pius X alumnus – it’s difficult to imagine a more perfect scenario. The righthanded reliever was called up to the Angels’ active roster. He would be joining the club in his hometown, less than 10 miles from where he starred off West Donovan Street. Those written words may have been on “just” a little league trophy at
the time — but for those who watched Anderson through the years, it now stands as a monumental, defining moment that prophesied his rise to the sport’s premier stage. “Justin’s ascent to the major leagues has been phenomenal to watch. He worked his tail off every step of the way,” St. Pius X Athletic Director Jason Photo from Los Angeles Angels Kimball said. Those first six words Justin Anderson were just the beginning of 2 percent of high school the story. baseball players earn their ticket to play Division 1; A blessed mistake According to a 2017 See SPX P. 3A study by the NCAA, barely
c u r r e N t p r o p e rt y L i s t i N g s
Voters in north Houston will have a few choices to make on the May 22 primary runoff. Democratic and Republican primary runoffs will be held to determine who will be on the general election ballot come November. Congressional, state and county offices are up for party primary selections between the two finalists in each spot. But first, a look at where area voters can go to cast their Dan Crenshaw ballots. Early voting will be held from May 14-18 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. That’s next Monday through Friday, ahead of the runoff election day on May 22. Kevin Roberts Polling locations can be found at harrisvotes.com, but for Leader Readers, northside polling places include the following: • Lone Star College Victory Center, 4141 Victory Drive • Acres Homes Multi-Service Center, 6719 W. Montgomery Road • Trini Mendenhall Community Center, 1414 Wirt Road • SPJST Lodge 88, 1435 Beall St. • Moody Park Community Center, 3725 Fulton St. • Harris County Law Library Conference Center, 1019 Congress Ave. Please remember that you must present a valid Texas photo ID to vote, but there are methods for casting a provisional ballot if you do not have an ID. The main event for northwest area voters will be the Congressional District 2 race between Republicans Dan Crenshaw and Kevin Roberts. Their respective websites show nearly identical positions on various issues, leaning heavily conservative on all matters. “Dan is a staunch Republican and knows the importance of carrying the conservative movement through to the next generation,” says Crenshaw’s website. He is the former Navy SEAL who was injured by an IED in Afghanistan. He holds a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard Kennedy School of Government, to go along with military honors that include two Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart and a Navy Commendation Medal with Valor. He also holds endorsements from US Rep. Pete Sessions and Scott Taylor, several partyline political action committees (PACs) and moon-walking astronaut Buzz Aldrin. See Primaries P. 6A
top agents for april Juana Daigle
tOp prODuCer
Oak FOrest
5125 De Milo
Daniel Lee 832-875-7430
4-2 Did not flood during Harvey. Originally built
in 1955 and had master bedroom/bath added. $250,000 MLS #61482203
HOustOn HeigHts
Diane Smith 713-301-8782
3061 12th 2-1 Completely remodeled kitchen and bath. The kitchen has cabinets galore, great sit-at bar for the homeowner. $355,000 MLS# 90266873
sHepHerD park plaza
1022 Cheshire
Jason Smith 832-228-3945
4-2.5 Did not flood during Hurricane Harvey! Spacious traditional style brick home. $449,500 • MLS# 25163574
A NAme you cAN trust 713-686-5454
| www.preproperties.com
|
rochelle Barrow tOp sales
Donna Hood tOp lister
1803 W. 43rd • Houston, TX 77018
© 2013-2016 BHH Affiliates, LLC. Real Estate Brokerage Services are offered through the network member franchisees of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Most franchisees are independently owned and operated. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.® Equal Housing Opportunity.