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Saturday, September 29, 2018 • Vol. 63 • No. 35
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National Night Out - show support October 2 For The Leader As time goes on, new scams pop up and old scams rear their ugly heads again. Crime never stops, it only ebbs – and the annual event promoting community policing and officer-neighborhood relationships to help prevent it is right around the corner. Next Tuesday, Oct. 2, officers from the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office and Houston Police Department will fan out around the local area for the annual National Night Out. The initiative
began in 1984 to promote involvement in crime prevention activities, police-community partnerships, and neighborhood camaraderie, as well as
to send a message to criminals that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back. “We’re going to be embedded at as many events as pos-
sible so we can educate them on how to protect each other and increase the likelihood that they won’t become victims of a crime,” Precinct One Constable Alan Rosen said. “We try to arm them with knowledge that we have so they can share it amongst the neighborhoods and become that much safer.” Rosen and his team will be out providing crime tips and information on common crimes, such as package theft. More than half of Americans sayidthey know someone who’s had a package stolen
Stevens takes spotlight
from outside their home, and 30 percent said they have experienced it themselves, according to a survey by Xfinity Home in 2017. There will also be information available on Precinct One’s free Rape Aggression Defense classes, and more. “Those make up pretty much the whole package of what National Night Out is supposed to be about – unity and discussing crime and safeSee Night Out P. 4A
H-E-B opening delayed to 2019 By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
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INSIDE.
Photo by Betsy Denson Students from Stevens Elementary were thrilled to be a part of a Stevens Superheroes celebration last week.
Local volunteers give Stevens a big boost Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
Getting personal - Restaurant owners, chefs and service providers share their personal views on the subject of the local food scene and what it means to them.
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FIND IT. PART-TIME SERVICE ADVISOR AT ADOLF HOEPFL GARAGE NEEDED: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Auto repair preferred. Fill out application at 4610 N. Shepherd Dr. HOUSECLEANING BY DEBBIE: Dependable, quality service. References available. 713-8261776.
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THE INDEX. Church....................................................... 5A Classifieds.............................................. 7A Coupons. ................................................. 6A Food/Drink/Art................................... 1B Obituaries.............................................. 5A Opinion. ................................................... 3A Public Information......................... 4B Puzzles...................................................... 3A
This fall has brought a surge of community support for local schools, and Stevens Elementary is no different. The school has a new wraparound specialist, Tim Weltin, who will focus on the non-academic needs of the students and a recently formed Stevens Elementary PTCO – which stands for Parent, Teacher and Community Organization. Of the six newly elected board members of the PTCO, four are parents of current Stevens students and two are community members who want to shine a big spotlight on the local school. New PTCO President Ashli Garcia is an area realtor who doesn’t even have a school age student, yet. “As a parent of a three and a half year old, elementary school is quickly approaching and it is important for me to send our son to public school,” said Ashli. “I knew that there are a lot of parents just like me that don’t want to send their
kiddos to private or bank on getting into another school by magnet so I want to make Stevens an easy choice for all of the zoned to Stevens parents.” Stevens previously had a PTO that had done some great things, according to Garcia, but with the new organization an effort was made to rally the community of parents who are zoned but not yet at the school, to adopt official bylaws and to create a mechanism for sustainability for future years. “Leading is a natural thing for me and even if I don’t have all of the answers or skills, I have a knack for finding the right people to put in the right seats on the bus,” said Garcia. “I also felt that because of my line of work and how often I am talking to people in the neighborhood or people moving into the neighborhood, if there was anyone that could really pull together the neighborhood resources and get the word out, it would be me.” New wraparound specialist Tim Weltin – who was previously the parent involvement coordinator at
Frank Black Middle School – said that it is an ideal time to join the school’s staff. “It was not a planned pathway but the planets seemed to be aligning -- and with Frank Black being in such great shape, the timing seemed right to take on a new project,” said Weltin. “Plus, the Wraparound Services model with nonacademic support specialists on HISD campuses is the most important innovation pioneered by HISD in recent years and I am excited to be a part of the roll-out.” Weltin credits Principal Jennifer Barrientez and her staff for building Stevens STEAM Magnet Elementary School into “a really good academic institution,” noting that the Texas Education Agency gave the school a B rating for 2018 as well as a distinction for academic growth. He said that the difference between a really good school and a really great school involves two more basic steps: connecting with See Stevens P. 4A
While construction for the Heights H-E-B has been going on for months now, those anticipating its eventual completion will now aparently have a another delay in the process. According to a company spokesperson earlier this week, the San Antonio-based grocer’s newest store will now not be opening until early in 2019, after previously setting late 2018 as the completion date. When the 92,000 square-foot store set to border 23rd Street and North Shepherd Drive broke ground last October, it marked the end of a series of setbacks for the San Antonio-based grocer’s expansion efforts. The day of the groundbreaking, H-E-B Houston Division President Scott McClelland said the schedule had the grocery giant’s Heights creation coming to fruition in August 2018. A company spokesperson previously told The Leader in March that permitting issues had slightly delayed completion back to a late fall 2018 opening prior to the most recent delay. McClelland was unable to be reached for comment prior to publication as to the reasons for additional completion delays. Officials maintain the 92,000 squarefoot store will strive to feature the “best of the best” in every department to the best of their abilities when it opens early next year. However, as dates are subject to change based on various factors, the company has yet to state set a specific date of completion for the Heights location. “The Heights is my dream store to get built,” McClelland told The Leader in a previous interview about the store. “Good things come to those who wait, I promise.”
Contruction that began last October for the new HEB on N. Shepherd will see delays in its 2018 opening.
Panthers stay unbeaten, Eagles off the mat By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com As the high school football seaon approaches its midway point, it has been more of the same for some schools, while others are still searching for that winning formula as the season reaches a make-or-break stretch. St. Pius X continued its winning ways with an emphatic second-half comeback last week, while St. Thomas picked up its first victory of the season in a hard-fought battle with Stafford. St. Pius X Panthers Head Coach Erik DeHaven and the Panthers looked to be on the verge of dropping its first regular-season game in nearly a calendar year when they trailed the Manor Mustangs 34-21
heading into the locker room. However, the Panther defense pitched a secondhalf shutout while Grant Gunnell and the offense sprang to life, as they outscored the Mustangs 25-0. “We are very proud of the way our team handled adversity after the first half of play. Manor was a very physical, and well-coached team,” DeHaven said. Gunnell accounted for 528 total yards and seven total scores in the game to lead St. Pius X on the comeback trail, while Boobie Curry (146 yards, 2 TDs) spearheaded the receiving core. Chase Lane (seven catches, 96 yards) and Trenton Waggoner (74 yards, 2 TDs) also chipped in as the Panther offense exploded in the second half. On the defensive side of the football, three Panthers reached double See Football P. 4A
Photo by Wayne Donnelly St. Pius X defenders go after a loose ball during last week’s game against Manor. The Panthers garnered a 46-34 comeback win over the Mustangs.