MICHAEL
MICHAEL SILVA
713.725.8748
michaels@johndaugherty.com
New Shipment of Essential Oils and Burners In Stock Now
Inside Today: Sweet Bribery opens on 19th Street • Page 1B
S I LV A
Top 25 Residential Real Estate Professional Houston Business Journal
Flower & Gift Shop
Covering the Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest & the neighborhoods of North Houston
10570 NW Frwy 713-680-2350
Saturday, September 22, 2018 • Vol. 63 • No. 34
ABOUT US 3500 East T.C. Jester Blvd Suite A (713) 686-8494 news@theleadernews.com www.theleadernews.com Facebook/THE LEADER.
CULTURE SPOTLIGHT
Suspects could be connected to a dozen local package thefts
Re-inventing what’s local By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
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Cravings satisfied - EggHaus Gourmet is set for their opening day Sept. 21 at 2042 E T.C. Jester Blvd.
With new beginnings, hope always springs eternal. However, the growing process is as much about trial and error as anything – and one local dining spot is looking to continue its evolution as La Vista 101 owner Greg Gordon forges ahead with a vision all his own after some initial setbacks in the venture’s early going. The Italian-Fusion eatery at 1805 W. 18th St. in the Heights was relocated this past May from Briargrove after 20 years in operation. Gordon, a longtime restaurateur and owner, brought along a team of hospitality professionals; including, J.D. Woodward as executive chef, Jeb Stuart as general manager and wine program director, Morgan Mansur as bar manager, and Phil Randolph as business manager. However, as The Leader reported in early August, Woodward and Stuart left the venture for unknown reasons just months after its opening. And though the loss was palpable, and Gordon thanked the two in helping get the newest incarnation of La Vista 101 off the ground, he said the vision is now fully his own – and he is eager to move forward. “This is what the restaurant over on Fountainview was,” he said. “It’s a neighborhood local spot, and we’re making value food just like we did [at the old La Vista]. I’m creating a product to do what I want it to do.”
By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
Growing pains Gordon has been a cook for much of his life, and his previous La Vista 101 venture was solo – so wearing multiple hats, as he now will, is nothing new. While he had hoped this would be a new feel for La Vista 101, it simply did not turn out as initially planned – and that’s alright, in his mind. It’s simply the nature of any venture. “There’s some natural growing pains
Photos by Jean Dukate
Transforming what was a Pizza Hut into a modern Italian-Fusion eatery was only the first challenge for La Vista 101’s Greg Gordon.
See La Vista P. 8A
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THE INDEX. Church....................................................... 5A Classifieds.............................................. 4B Coupons. ................................................. 6A Food/Drink/Art................................... 7B Obituaries.............................................. 5A Opinion. ................................................... 4A Public Information......................... 2A Puzzles...................................................... 4A
See Theft P. 2A
SJMC undergoes leadership changes
Through the roof - Local home sales showed strong jumps last month compared to August 2017.
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What began as a singular package theft call in The Leader’s local neighborhood has opened back up at least a dozen potential unsolved cases unfolding in a similar manner Suspects Terrell Trayham, 24, and Stephanie Jones, 25, were arrested on Wednesday, Sept. 12, and charged with package theft after Precinct One deputies were dispatched to the 800 block of West 41st Street in reference to a suspicious vehicle. And now, if you live in the Heights, Garden Oaks, and Shepherd Park, Precinct One is asking for help connecting the two suspects to additional thefts in the area. According to Precinct One Constable Alan Rosen, deputies responding to the call in West 41st Street heard from the caller that a silver Mercedes had taken off from a home in the neighborhood with a large package in the backseat. After deputies caught the vehicle for a traffic stop in the 500 block of W. 30th Street, packages were found in their vehicle, after which both suspects confessed to taking packages and the packages were returned. “We try to use these cases as an opportunity to find out if there are additional victims and people who have not had packages arrive, so we can connect these two individuals to package thefts in the area,” Rosen said. “We also want to say that when ordering things online, we recommend [people] get those packages delivered to a neighbor who is home or at work so they know the packages are safe and secure.” Deputies believe the suspects can be connected to at least a dozen package thefts in Shepherd Park Plaza, Garden
Photo by Betsy Denson Andy Dunn with ‘Brew Wife’ Angie Dunn, ‘Brew Baby’ Dylan and Ralphie, the Brew Dog.
Walking Stick on path to enter craft brewing By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com Andy Dunn was at the Wakefield Crowbar in 2015 when he noticed the Sale by Owner sign in front of the building across the street. Milton Tom, an 85 year old fabricator, was ready to retire after 30 plus years of working at the property. Dunn, who had previously worked on the business side of the energy industry at Deloitte, said he had always been fascinated with the work engineers and technicians performed in the field working on the refining process. He realized that brew-
ing beer and refining petroleum are similar processes. “You gather inputs, heat them and cool them to change their chemical properties and produce a set of outputs that people want,” he said. Plus, Dunn loved beer and had been doing a fair amount of home brewing in his free time. “I can’t own my own refinery,” said Dunn, “but I can have my own craft brewery.” Dunn bought the building at 956 Judiway St. and put his plan into motion with Ramon Duran, a friend from his University of Colorado days, who has a farm in Florida.
“It’s a new trend, growing hops further south,” Dunn said. After a year of planning and another year in the permit process, brewery construction began in early 2018. Walking Stick will begin brewing this month and hopes to be serving its beers in October. Dunn said that for a while they toyed with the idea of adding a kitchen in the tap room but for now will focus on the beers, although they will most likely invite some food trucks to park nearby. See Local Brew P. 8A
St. Joseph Medical Center in the Heights recently announced that Jose Echavarria has been promoted to Administrator and Stacie Velasco, MSN, RN has been promoted to Assistant Chief Nursing Officer. Echavarria is responsible for the hospital’s daily operations and overseeing non-nursing clinical departments as well as strengthening community ties, and enhancing staff and physician relations. He joined St. Joseph last year as Associate Administrator and holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Texas A&M University and a Master of Healthcare Administration from Trinity University in San Antonio. “I am excited about my new role at St. Joseph Medical Center in the Heights and am looking forward to the opportunity to streamline and expand services for the residents of this growing community,” said Echavarria. “We are a great community hospital offering a variety of services 24 hours a day, where our patients are able to receive quality health care from highly skilled physicians, nurses and staff. I en-
courage the community to attend our Fall Safety Event set for November 3 for a fun day out and to learn all about the great things we are doing in the Heights.” As Assistant Chief Nursing Officer, Velasco provides direction, leadership and general management for all aspects of patient care. “We take great pride in providing round-the-clock emergency care for patients of all ages,” said Velasco. “We are ready and honored to serve the community when they need us the most, and also for surgeries and outpatient procedures, cardiac rehabilitation, laboratory and imaging services.” Velasco joined St. Joseph last year as Director of Nursing and has been a RN for more than 20 years. She began her nursing career at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Hospital in Houston. Valasco has spent the majority of her nursing career providing emergency care and has served as an Emergency Department Director. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate of Nursing Practice at The University of Texas at Arlington where she received her Master of Science in Nursing Administration.
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