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Saturday, May 26, 2018 • Vol. 63 • No. 20
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Recent expansion puts Manna back on track By Betsy Denson For The Leader While Hurricane Harvey and a subsequent arson attack left the Ministry Assistance of the Near Northwest Alliance (MANNA) with some major challenges, the organization is forging ahead with a refined vision and some new digs. Dr. Brian Lovins, who became president of the eightmember MANNA board last January, said the organization had been working on a
new strategic plan when the hurricane and fire delivered a one-two punch. After a period of regrouping and building support, MANNA is now publicizing a number of developments. Last week, Lovins announced the resale shop’s new location. It will be in the former home of Paws Pet Resort at 3421 Couch Street, near 34th and Ella. Paws is moving next door to a larger facility. The Couch street location, for which MANNA has signed
tember of 2017. Lovins says that the new facility also offers a better layout as well as a built-in break room for volunteers. MANNA is looking to reopen the resale store near the end of the summer. Another good sign for MANNA’s future is the naming of Nia Amuzie as the organization’s new executive director. She will replace Patricia Dornak, who resigned her post last December. Nia was one of 92 applicants for the position at MAN-
Nia Amuzie
a 5-year lease, will have 6,000 square feet of space, compared to the 5,400 square feet it had in the former building off of Rosslyn. That building was decimated by fire in Sep-
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Photo - Stock image Alligators are not uncommon in area bayous.
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Photo by Zach Maxwell Scholarship recipients from north Houston high schools were recognized at the Greater Heights Chamber banquet.
Students and educators praised at Heights banquet By Zach Maxwell zach@theleadernews.com Business leaders took time on Monday, May 21 to honor north Houston’s best and brightest students – with deference to a school year bookended by the tragedies of Hurricane Harvey and the Santa Fe school shooting.
The yearly Community Fund Education Luncheon was hosted by the Greater Heights Area Chamber of Commerce under the theme of “Courage, the Better Choice.” The event was held at Sheraton Houston Brookhollow Hotel and featured a mix of student and adult speakers. Keynote speaker was Jim McIngvale, from Gallery Furniture
inside.
Trophy Catch It’s time again for a Fish-Off on the banks of the White Oak Bayou.
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The INDEX. Church....................................................... 5A Classifieds.............................................. 7A Coupons. ................................................. 6A Food/Drink/Art................................... 8A Obituaries.............................................. 6A Opinion. ................................................... 3A Public Information......................... 2A Puzzles...................................................... 3A Neighbors............................................... 4A
Call of the wild being heard on the White Oak By Zach Maxwell zach@theleadernews.com
fame, who spoke on the benefits of hard work, determination and caring for community. His backdrops for those messages were the Houston Astros 2017 World Series title and his company’s response and reactions to the needs of neighbors during Harvey. “Life is about a burning desire every day to get better,” he said. “You’ve got to get yourself up, dust off, get back into the fight and continue. Hurricane Harvey was the worst of times here in Houston and southeast Texas. It’s about community. I encourage you to go out there and make the world a better place. That’s why we were put on this Earth, to help other people and be a community.” Seventeen scholarships were presented to students from all area schools, including Waltrip, Lutheran North, KIPP, Northside, St. Pius X, Heights and New Heights Christian Academy. More than two dozen students were honored for their decision to enter the military, with representatives from American Legion
Recent media reports of coyotes and an alligator on the loose in the Heights are giving the neighborhood a wilder than usual feeling. And a new proposal to return a stretch of White Oak Bayou to its natural state could encourage more critters to make the inner loop their home. KHOU caught Houston animal control officers wrestling a seven-foot alligator out of Little White Oak Bayou near Woodland Park on May 16. The gator was spotted in the water just feet from a “popular jogging trail” in the park. The video shows an officer casually walk up and lasso the beast’s snout. He pulls the roped gator onto shore and – after a few rollovers – the officer and another man carry the amphibian up the bank and into a truck where it was said to be taken to a more suitable habitat. Between August and April, two Houston news stations obtained videos of coyotes on the prowl on Nashua Street in the heights, as well as in Oak Forest. Coyote sightings in River Oaks, close to a known habitat along Buffalo Bayou, are quite common. In at least one case, a coyote was caught on video chasing a cat on a
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Photo by Zach Maxwell Jim McIngvale poses with Nadia Troutenko (wearing Mac’s Astros championship ring) during the Greater Heights Chamber’s annual education luncheon.
Pop Art A variety of summer art related events awaits you
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NA. Born in Nigeria, she grew up in Chicago before moving to Houston. Nia also spent time in London, where she got a master’s degree in global health from King’s College. She has worked in corporate America for Walgreens and PepsiCo and also started her own non-profit organization to provide assistance to African countries. “My passion is in giving back,” said Nia, who has been
Historic Heights guidelines up for vote on May 31 By Zach Maxwell zach@theleadernews.com The long-awaited manual on how to properly make changes to your historic Heights home could be approved by city officials as early as May 31. City leaders took another round of comments from Heights residents and other interested parties at the final public hearing about historical home renovation guidelines on May 17. Comments were evenly split between supporters of the new guidelines and those against specif-
ic portions of the new rules. Fifteen people spoke at the Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission hearing in the annex of Houston City Hall. Between those comments and another 57 emails received, city officials and the commissioners will take the comments into consideration before a vote on whether to approve the guidelines on May 31. “I think many agree, this has been one of the best processes to come out of city hall and we can be proud of that, because of your participation,” said HAHC Chairperson
Minnette Boesel. “We as commissioners, often find ourselves in subjective situations. Having these design guidelines will help guide us to make good, informed decisions.” Charlie Thorpe, a Heights resident since the 1970s, spoke in support of the guidelines and sought a conclusion to the process. “There were a number of workshops over many months,” he said. “This process has been stalled long enough.” Johnathan Smulian, an Arlington Street resident for more than 30 years and a retired planning consul-
tant who has worked on guidelines for six historic districts, also spoke in favor of the guidelines as well as the process to create them. “It was one of the most inclusive and equitable public participation processes that I have seen in Houston. The time taken has led to an excellent result,” Smulian said. “Nobody will agree with everything in these guidelines, but this is as close to a consensus as we possibly could have gotten.” Some of those opposed to specific See Guidelines P. 4A
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