November 16 Section A

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Inside Today: Voting information for runoff elections • Page 7A

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MICHAEL SILVA

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Covering the Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest & the neighborhoods of North Houston

10570 NW Frwy ❖ 713-680-2350

Saturday, November 16, 2019 • Vol. 64 • No. 46

ABOUT US 2020 North Loop West Suite 220 (713) 686-8494

Grant awarded for Heights road reconstruction

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

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Photo by Adam Zuvanich Two pedestrians cross North Shepherd Drive at 20th Street on Wednesday morning.

A road reconstruction project that aims to transform travel in the Heights has been approved to receive federal funding.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has been awarded a $25 million grant for the Memorial Heights Redevelopment Authority’s Shepherd and Durham Major Investment Project, which plans to overhaul two ma-

jor arteries in the Heights.

The project is designed to improve safety and drainage infrastructure while making Shepherd Drive and Durham Drive — which are parallel, one-way streets running north and south — more accessible to cyclists and pedestrians.

“Houston is changing at a rapid rate,” U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a supporter of the project, said in a statement released by his office.

“Not only is it growing in population, but the way we get around is also evolving.

It is imperative that our infrastructure accommodates these changes.”

The grant is for the first phase of the project, which will reconstruct Shepherd and Durham between 15th Street and North Loop 610, and will require matching local funding from the MemoSee Grant P. 8 A

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Options abound in increasingly competitive market

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

Famous feline. A clever cat who was recently adopted from an area shelter has gone viral.

Page 2B

Who wants pie? Our Food & Drink section is all about a popular Thanksgiving treat.

Page 1B

Cheers! A well-known area brewery recently upgraded with a rooftop patio.

Page 4B

THE INDEX. Calendar/Church. ............................. 4A Classifieds.............................................. 5A Coupons. ................................................. 3B Food/Drink/Art................................... 1B Obituaries.............................................. 4A Opinion. ................................................... 3A Public Information......................... 7A Puzzles...................................................... 3A Sports. ....................................................... 4B

Kelly Birt buys most of her groceries at H-E-B, occasionally shopping at Kroger if she needs just a few things and wants to get in and out of the store quickly. The Heights resident also makes regular visits to Whole Foods 365, where there are hot, healthy and ready-to-eat meals that her two sons enjoy.

“I like having the options,” she said.

Northwest Houston has more options than ever when it comes to buying groceries, from fresh meat and produce to canned and boxed staples. Kroger has had at least three locations in the area since the 1990s, and now its supermarkets are surrounded by competitors.

Whole Foods 365 opened in August 2018 at the intersection of Yale Street and North Loop 610, and Photo by Adam Zuvanich Texas-based H-E-B has opened two state-of-the-art stores – one on North Shepherd Drive in the Heights Heights residents Mike Tolleson, left, and San Juana Tolleson leave the new ALDI store at 3938 N. Shepherd Dr. last month. and another on Washington Avenue – within the last year. Also new to the area is German grocery chain ALDI, which opened in early October in the Garden ler’s Office, more than $100 million has been spent at grocery stores in or near The Leader’s circulation area Oaks Shopping Center.

There are several other nearby options for local every year since 2015. Those sales spiked from about grocery shoppers, including affordable outlets such $102 million to $106 million from 2017 to 2018, and as Foodarama, Joe V’s Smart Shop and Walmart, that figure is projected to increase again this year.

“These stores are located in a very important marhealth-conscious stores such as Sprouts Farmers Market and ethnic markets such as El Rancho Su- ket for us,” Rachel Ross, the vice president of merchandising for Kroger’s Houston Division, said in a permercado, Fiesta and La Michoacana.

The recent influx of new stores is no accident as statement released by the company.

With so much competition among companies, grocery giants try to tap into an area that is growing, gentrifying and buying more and more food. AccordSee Grocery P. 8A ing to sales tax reports filed with the Texas Comptrol-

State to replace HISD trustees with board of managers

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com The trustees for the largest public school district in Texas will be replaced by a state-appointed board of managers.

Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, in a Nov. 6 letter addressed to Houston ISD interim superintendent Grenita Lathan and school board president Diana Davila, informed the district that its nine trustees will be replaced by a board of managers, many of whom will be members of the HISD community. Morath said he would inform the district of his appointments at an unspecified later date.

In the letter, provided to The Leader by the Texas Education Agency, Morath cited multiple reasons for deciding to replace the HISD board and superintendent, continue having Doris Delaney serve as conservator for the district and lower HISD’s accreditation status: the continued unacceptable academic performance at Wheatley High School, which failed to meet state academic standards for the seventh consecutive year; and the results of the TEA’s special accreditation investigation that found HISD trustees violated the Texas Open Meetings Act and contract procurement rules, acted individually on the behalf of the board and exceeded the scope of their authority.

“Given the inability of the board of trustees to govern the district, these sanctions are necessary to protect the interests of the district’s current and future students,” Morath wrote.

HISD can ask the TEA for a formal review of the sanctions by submitting See HISD P. 4A

Sinclair Elementary students step up for MANNA

By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com When the fifth-grade students at Sinclair Elementary committed to collect 1,000 items for a local food pantry, Raja Brown took the call to heart. He had the idea to print up some business cards and worked on their copy and design with his fellow students.

The cards explained that Ministry Assistance of the Near Northwest Alliance (MANNA) is a nonprofit organization that provides assistance to those in need through their thrift store and food bank. The card also outlined what kind of items the fifth graders were collecting.

“I thought business cards (would be) a fast and easy way to let people know about MAN-

NA and our project,” Brown said. “I thought it would help people take a part of our project with them.”

Brown was right, because when he manned his post at the Kroger on North Shepherd Drive and gave the cards out to shoppers coming into the grocery store, they responded by donating almost 300 items.

Sinclair science teacher Mimi Chan said the effort grew out of the school’s “genius hour” projects that students do three times a year.

“For the first project this year I wanted students to be part of something larger than themselves,” Chan said. “Children may understand that other people need help but feel See Sinclair P. 8A

Photo by Betsy Denson Students from Sinclair Elementary used creativity to recently collect 1,000 items for MANNA’s food pantry.

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Page 2A • Saturday, November 16, 2019 • The Leader

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THE TOPICS. The Leader • Saturday, November 16, 2019 • Page 3A

Publishing ‘Our Veterans’ a pinnacle for The Leader

I

’m not sure why I’m in a nostalgic mood this week. Maybe it’s how the body of a journalist recharges after weeks of political coverage. Or maybe it’s the book sitting on my desk.

For more than seven years, while serving as the owner and publisher of The Leader, I have to admit we’ve shared some mighty proud moments inside the walls of our little community newspaper, no matter if the walls have changed.

On July 1, 2012, I walked in the door of The Leader with the challenge of reviving a community newspaper that had a wondrous past but a bleak future. From a financial standpoint, The Leader didn’t have many months – if not weeks – left to continue publication. Our industry, as a whole, had barely survived the Great Recession, which in Houston was delayed by a couple of years.

We also walked out of that recession with a whole host of new competitors – websites, social media and glossy magazines all fighting for local marketing dollars.

Our plan back in 2012 was to buck the trend of cutting staff and content, and instead, we made a commitment to drastically improve the worth of The Leader by covering

Jonathan McElvy Publisher

news in this community in a way it hadn’t been covered in a long time.

The apex of that transition came one day, a few months later, when an area Realtor walked in the door and bought a package of full-page ads (a big deal for a local newspaper).

When I asked why this lady wanted to invest in the local newspaper, she said that everywhere she went, people were talking about stories they read in The Leader.

That was a proud moment for my staff and me.

A few months later, The Leader took a gamble with local businesses and decided to host our first event – a Senior Expo designed to bring needed services to the seniors who live in our community. This had never been done in our part of Houston, and it was amazing to see hundreds

of people walk into the halls of the SPJST Lodge and swarm the small booths of our local businesses.

The execution of that event, and its prolonged success, has been a proud moment for my staff and me.

There have been other wonderful milestones along the way. In December of each year, which we’re actually changing this year, we have a program called “Voluntary Pay,” where we ask members of our community to help support local journalism with a small donation to The Leader. We are going to hold that fundraiser in March of next year (rather than right before Christmas), but the support we receive from the community each year is absolutely astounding. Thousands of people send us small – sometimes big – checks because they appreciate their access to local news.

Having the support of the community you serve is always a proud moment for my staff and me.

And then last week, another sterling moment in our stewardship of this community’s newspaper happened.

I have known a man named Robb Reeves for more than 20 years. He was my publisher and I was his editor in Selma, Ala., and together, we

THE READER.

Up to our (Leather) necks What do Pat Robertson, John Glenn and Captain Kangaroo have in common?

We might include Ed McMahon, Ted Williams, “Golden Girls” Bea Arthur and Montel Williams. They were all United States Marines. Odd, since we tend to think of Leathernecks as more like John Wayne, who played Marine Sgt. John M. Stryker in “Sands of Iwo Jima,” but never served in the military.

Actually, over the centuries the Marine Corps has enlisted all sorts of people, some most unlikely. For example, Hollywood and TV have been awash with Jarheads, starting with Tyrone Power (two Bronze Stars). Jonathan Winters was so whacky it’s hard to think of him in Marine Green. Remember “Sorry about that, chief ?”

Don Adams, USMC. Steve McQueen joined the Marines in 1947. He served in an armored unit and was demoted back to private seven times.

His troubles reached a breaking point when he stretched a weekend pass into a twoweek tryst with a girlfriend.

Later, on a training exercise in the Arctic, a sandbar caused McQueen’s ship to jolt several tanks off of the deck. McQueen jumped into the water and saved five lives. At least that’s what his bio says.

George C. Scott will go down in film history as Gen. George Patton, but Scott wasn’t in the army, he was a Marine. Gene Hackman had a movie career that spanned more than six decades. He was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning Best Actor in “The French Connection” and Best Supporting Actor in “Unforgiven.” He once told the story of the time when he was a struggling wannabe actor and was working as a doorman at a New York City hotel, and who would walk by but his old Marine drill instructor. He took one look at Hackman and said, “You ought to be ashamed of yourself.” (Hackman’s net worth is now estimated at $80 million.) Glenn Ford, Brian Keith, Drew “The Price Is Right” Carey and George Peppard all joined the Corps.

“Heeeeere’s Johnny!” That line, which introduced Johnny Carson each week night, was spoken by Ed McMahon.

World War II ended before he shipped out. He later served as a reserve officer but switched back to active duty during the Korean War where he spotted for batteries and fighter bombers in a Cessna O-1. He flew 85 combat missions and retired in 1966 at the rank of colonel.

Lee Marvin enlisted in the U.S. Marines, saw action as a private first class in the Pacific during World War II, and was wounded (in the buttocks) by fire which severed his sciatic nerve during the battle for Saipan in June 1944. He received a Purple Heart, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery next to Joe Louis. Bob Keeshan, later famous as televi-

Lynn Ashby Columnist

sion’s “Captain Kangaroo,” also enlisted in the Marines, but too late to see any action during World War II. Bob Bell played Bozo the Clown on TV. Although he was certifiably blind in his right eye, he succeeded in passing the Marine Corps physical in 1941 by memorizing the eye charts. Less than a year later, however, he was given a medical discharge.

Sometimes the Corps changes lives for the better.

The late Arthur Sulzberger, publisher of The New York Times, dropped out school at 17, and joined the Marines during WWII. “Before I entered the Marines, I was a lazy good-for-nothing,” he once told his mother.

“The Marines woke me up.”

KPRC-TV news anchor Bill Balleza said he was headed for trouble with San Antonio gangs until he enlisted in the Marines, which totally turned him around. “It was overnight. In fact, I really owe my life to the Marine Corps because I was heading in the wrong direction,” he said. “You think you’re such a tough guy, then they show you just how tough you thought you were. They straightened me out.” In turn, Balleza must have impressed the Corps: He was made a Marine sniper in Vietnam, at that time probably the most dangerous job in the world.

The media is heavy with Leathernecks. Besides Balleza, there was Bernard Shaw of CNN, Jim Lehrer at PBS and Dan Rather. Political humorist Art Buchwald served.

There were several popular authors, including Robert Ludlum who wrote “The Bourne Supremacy,” “The Bourne Identity,” etc. etc. selling between 300 and 400 million copies.

Don Imus served as a bugler. The late Joe Jamail (the world’s richest lawyer) of Houston was an enlisted man and fought in the South Pacific. Houstonian and former Secretary of State and Treasury James Baker was an officer. Another Secretary of State and Treasury was George Schultz. He was sent to Iceland early in WWII as part of a Marine detachment to keep the Nazis from occupying the island. On that barren, wind-swept frost he was ordered: “If you see a tree move, shoot it.” James Carville, who coined the term, “It’s the economy, stupid,” was in the Corps.

Only one Marine ever got much traction running for president, astronaut and Sen. John Glenn. In sports we have the aforementioned Ted Williams, along with Bum Phillips, Lee Trevino, Leon Spinks and Ken Norton (wonder who taught them

formed a partnership that lasted long after we left the iconic Civil Rights city. In fact, Robb is the entire reason I moved to Houston from Alabama in 2006 – he was publisher of the Conroe newspaper and part of a company that hired me.

Later in 2006, Robb left Conroe and bought his own newspapers in Kansas. Then, last year, when we formed a new company that owns both The Greensheet and The Leader, along with papers in Fort Bend County and Charlotte, Robb joined us as an owner. And with him, he brought the wonderful idea that we publish a book devoted to the veterans who are from this area of Houston.

I learned long ago that once Robb gets a fire under him, you’d best just let it burn. Robb recruited one of our writers, Zarah Parker, to pull a book together called “Our Veterans,” and that book – after more than six months of work – arrived at our office last week.

There is no way I can adequately describe the amount of pride I have in the work Robb, Zarah and Jake Dukate have done on this book.

What’s even more amazing is the amount of participation we had from people who are children of veterans

Federal grant awarded for road reconstruction in Heights

hand-to-hand combat?). Roberto Clemente, Rod Carew, Tom Seaver and Hank Bauer (Marine raider, two Bronze Stars).

Drummer Buddy Rich served in the Corps. Both Everly Brothers joined.

So did Freddy Fender and George Jones. Another musician was John Philip Sousa.

His father was a trombonist in the Marine Band, and he enlisted Sousa in the United States Marine Corps as an apprentice at age 13 to keep him from joining a circus band. But we must remember two other Marines: Lee Harvey Oswald and UT Tower sniper Charles Whitman.

Both, unfortunately, were excellent shots.

So we can see that all sorts of Americans wore the eagle, globe and anchor, and no telling where you may find them. Nov. 10 was the 244th birthday of the Marines.

Semper Fi. Lance Corporal Ashby is AWOL at ashby2@comcast.net

NOTE: This story was posted online before publication Dear Editor: Shouldn’t we address all the flooding?? Every time we get a good rain my property floods. Simply because the ditches on my street are so old the water has no where to go. Seems this would be more important than bike lanes in the Heights.

Priorities...

Christopher Jones Dear Editor: Shepherd and Durham are being narrowed to three lanes from four to accommodate bikes and sidewalks? Those streets are already bumper to bumper with traffic and you are going to remove a lane?

Mark Malisheski Dear Editor: They DO realize we already have a wonderful hike & bike path only two blocks away? We live just a few houses in from North Shepherd and see crazy traffic every afternoon, losing a whole lane will make this worse! Memorial Heights is much further south than the part this impacts, why weren’t neighbors that actually live in the vicinity asked THEIR opinions?

Maureen Hall Dear Editor: Please, please, PLEASE do NOT reduce the lanes from 4 to 3. Have you driven these roads at rush hour? Updated drainage throughout the entire area, yes. Not just on those two roads, as important as that is. Our roads are narrow, pot-hole ridden and deteriorating and our antiquated drainage is dirt culverts throughout Shady Acres in the Heights. We do not need dedicated bike lanes. We need serious infrastructure overhaul. Please prioritize what is important to those of us actually living, commuting and working here. I beg you.

Gillian Crowley

or veterans themselves.

In this 120-page, hard-cover book, we’ve had the chance to capture the names, faces, ranks, service branches and small nuggets about the men and women who have served our country. Along the way, we discovered some magnificent stories that we were lucky to tell. We found a local man who was once considered a “ghost” in Waco. We found a pilot who survived missions that few others did. We found families with long lineages of service to country.

Most important, though, is we found a connection among hundreds, even thousands, of people in our community – people who have the commonality of service.

When you consider the pride of publishing a community newspaper, and community books like “Our Veterans,” that’s really the pinnacle. Our job has always been to bring people in this community together, and “Our Veterans,” and the people who made this happen, have created a product that will last for generations to come.

If you’re interested in a copy, you can always email me at the address below, or call our office at (713) 686-8494.

Email jonathan@mcelvymedia.com Email us your letters: news@theleadernews.com

Dear Editor: I don’t understand how reducing the number of lanes will help this area? This seems to be more about accessibility to bicyclists and making things prettier than accessibility and traffic flow and movement.

Michelle Ramsey Dear Editor: This is horrible. Address flooding first. Don’t take away lanes that will all make driving commutes worse. We have plenty of biking trails in the near vicinity.

Elizabeth

Wilde Collection owner vows to resurrect destroyed Heights shop

Dear Editor: This is very depressing and hard to believe. The store also had mynah birds that weren’t mentioned in the article. They always talked to me and I hope that they survived, the fumes from burning gasoline are especially toxic to birds. Very sad to hear about the other animals who didn’t make it, as well as the collection of mounted animals and other unique items that were destroyed or damaged.

Houston seemingly has a high rate of arson, which is especially concerning when you have a city hall that doesn’t value the fire department and public safety. Another unfortunate aspect of this is the damage to a local and unusual business. The Heights has slowly been turning into another neighborhood of corporate chain businesses and alcohol sales, with the help of HEB/Heights Beverage Coalition. The art galleries, antique stores, and cafes have been disappearing due to increasing rents. The same story has played out in Rice Village since Rice University bought the Village Arcade. Now even the Half Price Books in the Village is leaving due to high rent. I guess that is progress.

Jason Hochman

the leader Puzzlers.

Answers found in this week’s Classified section

SUDOKU

aCrOss 1. Taro plant 5. Stone splinter 10. One who likes tobacco 12. Roughly chipped flint 14. He played Gandalf 16. Indicates position 18. AMC ad show ‘Mad __’ 19. Popular sports league 20. Linguistics pioneer 22. Singer DiFranco 23. Dispenses 25. Most important part 26. Worthless entertainment 27. Remunerate 28. Cool 30. Ex-Knick Jeremy 31. On top 33. Felt for 35. Vulcan doctor 37. Publicly denounce 38. Bits of 40. Something to live by 41. Take in solid food 42. Small amount 44. German war epic ‘__ Boot’ 45. Words per minute

48. Employee stock ownership plan 50. Recorded 52. Paddle 53. Dormouse 55. Officially prohibit 56. Wrongly 57. Yves Rocher 58. Weakens 63. An evening party 65. Containing salt 66. Semitic gods 67. Grand in scale

dOwn 1. Very long period of time 2. Boston-based Celtic punk band (abbr.)

3. Final month (abbr.)

4. Scottish island 5. Merchandiser 6. Elected leader (abbr.)

7. Brews 8. Linear accelerator (abbr.)

9. Lawrence Taylor 10. Upstate NY college 11. Schemer 13. Even more shaggy 15. Electronic funds transfer

17. Currently popular 18. Indicates where you are 21. Female peace officers 23. Opposite of woman 24. Drain 27. Studied 29. Performs mischievous deeds 32. Political action committee 34. Rocker Nugent 35. American jazz rockers ‘__ Dan’ 36. They remove things 39. Standardized test 40. Dishonorable man 43. Infants 44. Actress Richards 46. International monetary units 47. Married woman 49. Lecterns 51. Buddy 54. Spanish river 59. ‘Fresh Prince of __ Air’ 60. Strike lightly 61. Boxing legend 62. Muscle contraction 64. Siberian river

WORD SCRAMBLE

Page 4A • Saturday, November 16, 2019 • The Leader

THE OBITUARIES.

THINGS TO DO. The Arts Tiffany Young Friday, Nov. 15 7 p.m.

White Oak Music Hall – 2915 N. Main St. Tiffany Young is performing at White Oak Music Hall.

City of the Sun Friday, Nov. 15 8 p.m.

White Oak Music Hall – 2915 N. Main St. City of the Sun is performing at White Oak Music Hall with SONTALK. Omar Apollo Saturday, Nov. 16 7 p.m.

White Oak Music Hall – 2915 N. Main St. Omar Apollo is performing at White Oak Music Hall with Dijon and Silver Sphere.

Ray Wylie Hubbard Saturday, Nov. 16 7 p.m.

The Heights Theater – 339 W. 19th St. Ray Wylie Hubbard is performing at The Heights Theater.

King Buffalo Saturday, Nov. 16 8 p.m.

White Oak Music Hall – 2915 N. Main St. King Buffalo is performing at White Oak Music Hall with Think No Think.

San Fermin Sunday, Nov. 17 7 p.m.

The Heights Theater – 339 W. 19th St. San Fermin is performing at The Heights Theater.

Pennywise Sunday, Nov. 17 7 p.m.

White Oak Music Hall – 2915 N. Main St. Pennywise is performing at White Oak Music Hall.

The Building Sunday, Nov. 17 7 p.m.

White Oak Music Hall – 2915 N. Main St. The Building is performing at White Oak Music Hall with Meet Me At Midnight.

Ryan Bingham Sunday, Nov. 17 8 p.m.

White Oak Music Hall – 2915 N. Main St. Ryan Bingham is performing at White Oak Music Hall.

Tunes in the Tap Room Tuesday, Nov. 19 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.

Harold’s Restaurant & Tap

Room – 350 W. 19th St. Enjoy live music in Harold’s Tap Room every Tuesday night.

Kelsey Waldon Thursday, Nov. 21 7 p.m.

White Oak Music Hall – 2915 N. Main St. Kelsey Waldon is performing at White Oak Music Hall with Jamie Lin Wilson.

The Markets Eleanora’s Market Saturday, Nov. 16 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Cavatore – 2120 Ella Blvd.

There will be local growers, makers, designers, artisans and food producers.

The Farm Stand at Petrol Station Saturday, Nov. 16 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

948 Wakefield Dr. The Farm Stand at Petrol Station features goods from local vendors.

Little White Oak Night Market Saturday, Nov. 16 4 – 8 p.m.

Sideout Volleybar – 2623 Keene St. The Little White Oak Night Market brings together local farmers, craft merchandisers, and artists.

Heights Morning Market Sunday, Nov. 17 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

3106 White Oak Dr. Heights Morning Market gathers local talented artisans, farmers, and entrepreneurs to bring you closer to the goods you need. Stop by to shop and stay to brunch, drink mimosas, and listen to live music at Onion Creek.

The Pews Bravura Concert Series Sunday, Nov. 17 4 p.m.

All Saints Catholic Church 215 E. 10th St. Join All Saints Catholic Church for an evening of Sacred and Opera Arias. Tenor Angelo Ferrari, Baritone David Small, and Soprano Julia Engel will present sacred and opera arias in an evening accompanied by pianist Shawn Heller. Women’s Bible Study Group Monday, Nov. 18 5:30 p.m.

YMCA –1234 W. 34th St. The Women’s Bible Study meets every Monday at the Harriet and Joe Foster YMCA. The study is called The Faithful, which explores crucial moments in the lives of five Old Testa-

Friday, Nov. 15 7 p.m.

Heights High School – 413 E. 13th St. Join Heights High School Theatre for the musical: Mamma Mia! ABBA’s timeless hits tell a hilarious tale of love, laughter, and friendship.  Shows are Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 16 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Student tickets are $10, adults are $18.

ment figures--Queen Esther, Gideon, Hosea, Malachi, and Nehemiah. Guests and new members are welcome to attend this non-denominational Bible study. Email scripturesharing@ earthlink.net for information.

Senior Fall Fest Tuesday, Nov. 19 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

First Church Heights – 201 E. 9th St. First Church Heights is hosting a senior fall fest. There will be breakfast, guest speakers, raffle tickets, games and vendor tables.

The Office Trivia Saturday, Nov. 16 2 – 5 p.m.

King’s BierHaus – 2044 E. T. C. Jester King’s BierHaus’s trivia nights are a fully immersive dining experience that will include Kevin’s Famous Chili, Jim’s Meatball Sub, Christmas Margarita, Angela’s Double Fudge Brownies, and more. Trivia begins at 2 p.m. with an 8 per team max. Prizes will also be fully themed for The Office.

Men’s Scripture Sharing Group Thursday, Nov. 21 6:30 – 7:30 a.m.

YMCA –1234 W. 34th St. The Men’s Scripture Sharing Group meets every Thursday at the Harriet and Joe Foster YMCA. There will be music, Bible study and fellowship.

Guests and new members are welcome to attend this non-denominational Bible study. Email scripturesharing@earthlink.net for information.

White Oak Fall Festival Saturday, Nov. 16 3 – 11 p.m.

Onion Creek CafÊ – 3106 White Oak Dr. The White Oak Fall Festival is a block party for the whole family. Local artist market, live music, food and drink specials will be available.

Pre-Thanksgiving Worship Service Sunday, Nov. 24 10:17 a.m.

St. Matthew’s UMC – 4300 N. Shepherd Dr. St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church cordially invites the community to attend the PreThanksgiving Worship service.

Open Mic Night Tuesday, Nov. 18 9 p.m.

Heights Vinyl – 3301 Cline St. This is a free flowing, “tap in,� share the mic event where everyone is welcome.

Holiday Artisan Market Saturday, Nov. 30 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

St. Stephen’s UMC – 2003 W. 43rd St. The Holiday Artisan Market, benefiting the Animal Justice League, will be held in the west sanctuary parking lot, featuring a variety of vendors and food trucks. Contact Kim Antley at redlipdesigns@gmail.com regarding vendor participation.

Thursday Night Bingo Thursday, Nov. 21 5:15 p.m.

SPJST Lodge 88 - 1435 Beall St. Bingo at SPJST Lodge 88 is held every Thursday night.

Bingo pads are $10 each. Doors open at 5:15 p.m. Bingo begins at 7:00 p.m.

O’Holy Heights Christmas Extravaganza Saturday, Dec. 7 6 p.m.

Heights Presbyterian Church – 240 W. 18th St. Heights Presbyterian Church is hosting the O’Holy Heights Christmas Extravaganza, where there will be a Santa in the Gazebo for pictures, hot cocoa, coffee, wassail, cookies, other desserts and a silent auction.

There will also be a Christmas concert with the Heights worship team and more lead by David Davis. Price: $12 donation for the concert.

The Houston Genealogical Forum Presents: In Search of William “The Immigrant�

Cloude Saturday, Dec. 7 9 a.m.-noon Bayland Community Center 6400 Bissonnet When presenter Janine Cloud’s direct paternal line paper trail dead-ends in 1838 Georgia, she turned to Y-DNA testing to attempt to prove a connection between her brick wall ancestor and William “The Immigrant� Cloud, who settled in Pennsylvania Colony in about 1682. Come enjoy Janine’s presentation and learn how to apply these DNA principles to your own family research.

Fun & Games

Alice Saccar Abdo, 104, born Aug. 5, died on Nov. 5 in Houston, Texas. She is survived by her three sons, Kenneth Abdo and wife Barbara, John R. Abdo, and David Abdo; five grandchildren, Travis Abdo and wife Bridget, Marcus Abdo and wife Joyce, Douglas Abdo, and Karen Moore and husband Lynn; ten great-grandchildren, Whitney Rowland, Justin Moore, Carlee Abdo, Maggie Abdo, Josh Abdo, Camden Abdo, Aaron Abdo, Brittany Abdo, Blake Abdo, and Megan Abdo; three great-greatgrandchildren, Cara Harrison, Colten Harrison, and Aurora Moore; and two Nieces, Mary Dale Thompson and Barbara Gilstrap.

6. He is survived by his wife, Bernice Schuetze; daughter Renee Louise Thomason and her husband Brad; son Randy Carl Schuetze and his wife Michelle; step-sons; Rick Richter and his wife Lori, Dennis Richter and his wife Jackie and James Richter and his wife Valenda; grandchildren (who lovingly called him Popo); Colin Schuetze, Nathan Schuetze, and Mathew Thomason, StepGrandchildren (who lovingly called him Grandpa); Case Richter, Seth Richter, Hannah Richter, Purity Richter, Nadia Rubens, and Brandy May; step great-grandchildren, Ashlyn Graham, Raylee Graham, Jacob Treadway, and Rayne Michaels.

Leonard A. Potts, 98, born Sept. 26, died Nov. 8. He is survived by his wife, Grace Ann Potts, and his children Ray Potts (wife Lyn), Barbara Shaw (husband Sam), Drew Potts (wife Tonja), Mary Smith (husband Wayne), Belinda Kubeczka (husband Vincent).

He also had numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren and one great-great granddaughter.

Gladys May Thompson, 93, born April 24,

Helmuth L. Schuetze,

92, born Feb. 7, died on Nov.

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ed trustees. That could be at least two years after a state-appointed board of managers is put in place.

Neither Blueford-Daniels nor Gibbs responded to requests for comment.

The other HISD trustees, whose staggered four-year terms were not affected by this year’s election, are Wanda Adams, Sue Deigaard, Holly Maria Lynn Vilaseca, Elizabeth Santos and Anne Sung. Santos also represents area schools in District 1.

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Dani Hernandez, respectively. Rhonda Skillern-Jones, who represented area schools in District 2, and Jolanda Jones did not seek re-election. Katherine Blueford-Daniels and John Curtis Gibbs will compete in a runoff for the seat vacated by Skillern-Jones, while Patricia Allen and Matt Barnes are headed to a runoff for the seat vacated by Jones.

According to the TEA, the newly elected trustees will not be installed until Morath starts the process of transitioning the board back to locally elect-

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HISD, from P. 1A a written request by Nov. 20. HISD already had filed a lawsuit against the state and asked a federal judge for a preliminary injunction to prevent a state takeover of its board. “We want to assure our students, parents, staff, and community members that our primary focus will continue to be the education and success of our students,� HISD said in a statement.

A day before Morath sent his letter to HISD, Davila and trustee Sergio Lira lost re-election bids to Judith Cruz and

died on Nov. 6 in Houston, Texas. She is survived by her children, Curtis C. Thompson (Shirley F.), Barbara Church (Joseph), Linda Zientek (Ronald), William John Thompson, James Thompson (Pamela), Marvin Thompson, Lisa Metcalfe (Russell), and Betty Rohan (Brian); 19 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.

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By Pastor Willit Cover made mistakes.� AsArise Alexander so aptly put it: “To BaptistPope Church err is human, to Curtin forgive,St. divine.�

WeTX should remember 803 Houston 77018 this the next time we make a mistake. Most certainly, we 713-659-9697 • www.arisebaptistchurch.org must learn from our mistakes, and hopefully not continue to repeat them, but we should also forgive ourselves. While loves everyone.

Jesus died themistakes, sins of the it canJesus be hard enough to forgive others forfor their it Therefeel should great diversity in the work of canworld. sometimes almostbeimpossible to forgive ourselves.

In Nehemiah 11ourselves the people gave themselves WeGod. sometimes cannot bring to forgive something we’ve done, and we andfrom harangue ourselves to the service of may God.punish People all different vofor cations, years, orsocio-economic even decades, over youthful indiscretions.

In levels, ethnic backgrounds, addition, some levels of us may nottogether be able to sins that of and ability came toforget do thethework ourGod past.called And although that may prevent us from repeating them to do. While there was a great vathem, we must be charitable and forgive ourselves, just as riety in the people doing the work, there was a great we should forgive others. So, we should make a real effort in unity in their purpose, faith, and relationships. God the coming days and weeks to forgive the offenses of others has given believers the itsame In 1about Peter as well as our all own.

Sometimes, helpspurpose. to just forget 2:9 He says, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal them; that is, to try to put them out of our mind and stop priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that repeatedly mulling over them. One of the reasons we useye show forth praises of himsometimes who haththat called theshould phrase “forgive and the forget� is because is theyou onlyout wayoftodarkness forgive, i.e.,into by forgetting.

But farlight.� better, and his marvelous more Each divine,ofis to able to forgive even while remembering usbe has a God-given purpose.

We are here thetooffense.

So, we should let go of those unforgiving, bring glory to God with everything that we do. vindictive, feelingsGod about and get overor We willshameful either glorify as the his past, obedient child, it! Corrie ten Boom, who survived incarceration in a Nazi we will bring glory to God when he one day shows prison camp said, “Forgiveness is to set a prisoner free, and his power and glory in judgment on those who reject to realize that the prisoner was you.�

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THE PUBLIC. The Leader • Saturday, November 16, 2019 • Page 7A

Voting dates now set for municipal runoffs

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

The extended race for City Hall will end in mid-December.

Harris County Clerk Diane Trautman, who administers elections in Greater Houston, has announced voting dates for the runoff election for Houston mayor, 12 seats on the Houston City Council and trustee positions for Houston ISD and Houston Community College. The runoff will end Saturday, Dec. 14, when polls will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m., and Houston voters have multiple opportunities to cast ballots before then.

Early voting will begin Nov. 27 and resume Dec. 2-7, with polls open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Early voting will resume Dec. 8 from 1-6 p.m. and conclude Dec. 9-10 from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

The last day to register to vote in the runoff was Thursday. The last day to apply for

Diane Trautman

ballots by mail is Dec. 3.

In the mayoral race, incumbent Sylvester Turner will try to hold off challenger Tony Buzbee. Turner received 46.4 percent of the vote on Nov. 5, when 240,300 ballots were cast, while Buzbee received 28.9 percent.

The races for all three city council seats in the area also remain undecided. Amy Peck and George Harry Zoes will compete in a runoff in District

A, Abbie Kamin and Shelley Kennedy are the runoff candidates in District C and District H council member Karla Cisneros is in a runoff against Isabel Longoria.

One of two HISD board positions that serves area schools, District 2, also will be decided by a runoff. Katherine Blueford-Daniels was the leading vote-getter Nov. 5, appearing on 42.5 percent of the ballots cast, while John Curtis Gibbs also made the runoff after receiving 21.6 percent of the vote.

A runoff date has yet to be announced for the special election for the District 148 seat in the Texas House of Representatives. Vying to replace the retired Jessica Farrar are Democrat Anna Eastman, who led the 15-candidate field by receiving 20.3 percent of the vote earlier this month, and Republican Luis La Rotta.

For more information, visit harrisvotes.com.

Police Reports • Nov. 4 - 11

2001 Karbach Suite F Houston, TX 77092

713-694-4867

BUY SELL TRADE

BLACK GOLD GUNS & AMMO Licensed FFL/Class III Dealer

NOV. 10

Theft 3 PM 1300 BLOCK DOROTHY Assault 11 PM 1600 BLOCK NORTHWOOD Burglary 11 PM 1600 BLOCK

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Page 8A • Saturday, November 16, 2019 • The Leader

Store for wanderers opens on Yale

By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com When Blue Line Bike Lab owner and Oak Forest resident Fred Zapalac moved into his new shop on Yale Street in October 2018, he wasn’t utilizing all the space in the building he’d purchased.

This month, however, Zapalac and partner Kevin Chenevert, who lives in the Heights, have opened Wandering Star Adventure Emporium, a 1,500 square feet shop that will offer specialty outdoor clothing and light camping gear at 1504 B Yale St. “It’s the stuff we like,” Zapalac said.

Zapalac said the closest place for Heights residents to

get outdoor apparel was the Whole Earth Provision Co. on South Shepherd Drive. About 80 percent of the Wandering Star store will be clothing, with the other 20 percent equipment.

Zapalac said the emphasis on gear is not the high-end technical equipment that will get you to the top of Mount Everest.

“But if you’re going somewhere hiking for the weekend, I can sell you a backpack,” Chenevert said.

The casual outdoor clothing comes from unique brands like prAna, HippyTree and Howler Brothers. Chenevert said he and Zapalac know the owners of nearby stores Manready Mercantile on 19th Street and

Reserve Supply Company on Washington Avenue and don’t want to compete with them.

“It’s important to us to stay in our lane,” Chenevert said.

“We want to offer a quality product that you can’t find on Amazon and as American made as possible with a good price point.”

Chenevert, who is finishing his term as president of the Houston Heights Association next month, also is the owner of Green Swallow Creations, doing screen printing and embroidery. He got to talking to Zapalac about the space next to Blue Line and found they had an aligned vision for the things they wanted to see.

Zapalac said he sees a lot of crossover benefit of be-

ing next to the bike store and takes the lessons he’s learned next door, namely that “customer service is number one.”

He also said that because of his involvement with BikeHouston and Chenevert’s time with the HHA, there is a strong community aspect to the store.

Although most of the store this week is men’s clothing, a shipment of women’s clothing just arrived and will be available this weekend.

For the next few weeks, the store will maintain the same hours as Blue Line Bike Lab. A grand opening is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 23.

For more information and updates, visit Wandering Star Adventure Emporium on Facebook.

Grocery, from P. 1A

Grant, from P. 1A

what is each doing to separate itself from the rest?

And which is winning the area’s grocery store war?

The following is a rundown of the area’s four most prominent supermarkets -- ALDI, H-E-B, Kroger and Whole Foods 365 -along with what customers like and dislike about each one.

Heights resident Mike Tolleson, who generally shops at Walmart or Joe V’s Smart Shop, which is under the H-E-B umbrella, said the parking garage is “always congested.”

“It’s like the (I-45) freeway at rush hour,” he said.

“It’s deadlocked all the time. It’s too much of a madhouse down there.”

H-E-B H-E-B, which closed an 18th Street location when it opened a two-level store at 23rd Street and North Shepherd in late January, has undoubtedly made a splash with that location and its subsequent store on Washington Avenue, which is part of the Buffalo Heights mixed-use development. Area shoppers said both stores are modern, clean and well-staffed, citing customer service as one of H-E-B’s advantages over the other companies.

“Both … have been embraced by their communities, of which we are thrilled,” H-E-B said in a statement. “No matter where we build, H-E-B always commits to creating a unique store that adds to the culture, pride and quality of life in its surrounding area.”

Charles Ray, who lives near Inwood Forest, said he was impressed with the Buffalo Heights H-EB when he visited during its opening week in October. But he said he generally prefers to shop at the Kroger at 1352 W. 43rd St., because it carries most of what he likes and is a little bit cheaper.

Ray also said the H-E-B in the Heights, because it’s large and typically crowded, sometimes feels like a “zoo.” Some other area shoppers said they did not like the parking setup at that store, where there is a ground-level garage as well as parking space on the store level above.

Kroger H-E-B and Kroger both offer services in which customers can place orders online and then go pick up their groceries, which alleviates parking problems and saves time. Kroger also sells gasoline at many of its stores and has an incentive program in which customers can receive discounts on gas by purchasing groceries.

“It’s the convenience and the gas station,” Stan O’Neal said of why he prefers Kroger.

Some customers, though, said Kroger lags behind in terms of the quality and freshness of its meat and produce. Other area shoppers said the condition of its stores and its customer service also are inferior to some of the other grocery companies.

All four area Kroger locations – 1035 N. Shepherd Dr., 1440 Studemont St., 1352 W. 43rd St. and 239 W. 20th St. – have been remodeled within the last year. But some say the chain still lacks in the appearance department.

“I have completely missed Kroger’s attempts to snazz up the place,” Carrie Hardaker said. “Guess it wasn’t as effective as they’d hoped.”

ALDI ALDI, the newest grocery chain to the area, stands out because it also might be the most unique.

Ray said entering one of its stores is like stepping into “another dimension.”

Sinclair from P. 1A helpless or unclear that an individual can do anything about it.”

Chan said the students had previously volunteered at the Houston Food Bank, where they cleaned and boxed canned goods.

“It was a great experience for the students because they were involved behind the scenes and saw what happens to donations,” Chan said. “Getting my students to connect with a local organization like MANNA was a powerful way to teach them that their actions can make a difference.”

Sinclair student Henry Foster said he knew there were a lot of people who didn’t have enough to eat.

“I like helping people,” Foster said.

All the fifth-grade classes were involved. Dianna Davis, the manager of MANNA’s resale store at 6760 Antoine Dr., talked to them about the importance of food donations. MANNA’s food pantry is located at 5706 W. Little York Rd. “They wanted to know where the food went and what kind of food we collected,” Davis said. “They asked very intelligent questions.”

The students learned that MANNA supplements donations with purchases from the Houston Food Bank.

Students leaned on their school community for donations and worked in teams

Photo by Betsy Denson Kevin Chenevert, co-owner of the new Wandering Star Adventure Emporium, mans the counter at 1504 B Yale St.

to organize ways to collect donations. The business cards were one idea. Other students made signs advertising around the school or waved signs in the dismissal pickup lines. Some made morning announcements or stayed after school and collected cans in exchange for tea and lemonade. One team traded candy for cans.

A team even made a video with both an English and Spanish version. Another team made a Lego model of the MANNA store.

“Some went directly to the lower-grade classrooms and pleaded with other students to donate,” Chan said.

“The Sinclair community came together and helped us reach our goal.”

Chan said part of the project was to bring awareness to the services MANNA offers in the community.

MANNA Executive Director Nia Black Amuzie was thrilled by the effort.

“We are so thankful to the students of Sinclair Elementary School for donating 1,000 canned goods to MANNA Food Pantry. Their community involvement and support is tremendous,” Amuzie said. “The food will be used to feed more families all across Houston as we strive to feed more than 10,000 people this year. I am so happy that these students, at such a young age, are already learning about the importance of giving.”

Its stores are relatively small and its offerings are limited, with the company specializing in German products and brands that are available only at ALDI. Customers must pay a quarter to receive a shopping cart – the quarter is refunded upon returning the cart to the front of the store – and bring their own grocery bags.

Spring Branch resident Dawn Daniel, who recently shopped at the Garden Oaks ALDI, said she prefers its meat because it is fresher, lasts longer and tastes better.

An ALDI employee who asked to remain anonymous said the store also stands out because it sets its prices lower than nearby competitors.

“People are savvier about what they eat and how much they’re willing to pay for food,” Karla Waddleton, vice president of ALDI’s Rosenberg Division, said in a statement released by the company.

“We are constantly evolving to meet these changing eating habits and dietary preferences, without hiking the cost. We react quickly to food trends and deliver the same quality at a lower price.”

Whole Foods 365 The Whole Foods 365 in Independence Heights is similar to ALDI in terms of store size and specialty products. But whereas the latter makes it a point to be cheaper than nearby competitors, the former is generally more expensive.

Garden Oaks resident Allison Kaspar and Heights resident Ben Lasscock both said they are OK with paying more at Whole Foods

365, because they consider its products superior. Irlanda Veliz, who works in the Heights and lives in Northside, said she shops at the store exclusively for organic fruit that she uses to make healthy shakes.

Like many area grocery shoppers, Veliz said she goes to different stores for different reasons and sometimes chooses one based on specials or proximity to home or work. She generally shops at Kroger and also goes to Fiesta for products that are specific to Mexican cuisine.

Veliz said she’s not worried about one of her options being driven out by others, but in such a competitive market for supermarkets, that could happen eventually. Birt said she thinks the new H-E-B stores are taking business away from the four older Kroger stores in the area, which she expects to consolidate at some point.

Ross, the Kroger vice president, acknowledged that the influx of new grocery stores has had an impact on sales but said it has been “minimal.” Lasscock, though, said he used to shop exclusively at the Kroger at Shepherd and 11th Street before the other options started arriving.

“I think most people who are living here now prefer the shopping experience at the newer grocery stores,” Kaspar said. “Kroger’s kind of getting outdated. Unless they bump up something, they’re not going to be able to compete.”

Betsy Denson and Zarah Parker contributed to this report.

rial Heights Redevelopment Authority, also known as Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone 5. TIRZ 5 president Sherry Weesner, whose organization is allocated a portion of municipal tax revenue, said completion of the first phase is targeted for 2025.

The plan calls for reconfiguring Shepherd and Durham from four lanes each to three lanes apiece, with designated turning lanes to be added at select intersections. Sidewalks on both sides of each street will be expanded from 4 feet to 6 feet, and 5-foot bike lanes will be added. The plan, according to the grant application on the TIRZ 5 website, also calls for landscape buffers to be created on both sides of the bike lanes and sidewalks.

The project also entails replacing the public utilities beneath each street with upgraded water and sewage lines and stormwater detention infrastructure.

There will be new, repositioned transit stops as well with the goal of improving connectivity to public transportation. Harris County voters recently approved a bond referendum from METRO, which plans to borrow $3.5 billion to improve public transit during the next 20 years.

“It’s a mobility project absolutely, but it presents several other benefits to the people who live here,” Weesner said.

Some readers who commented on The Leader’s Facebook post about the project questioned its necessity and the reasoning behind it, saying a reduction of the vehicle lanes would result in more traffic congestion on Shepherd and Durham as well as other

major thoroughfares in the Heights. But Weesner said studies by two engineering firms showed that a road diet would reduce congestion and make the streets safer, partly because of the addition of designated turning lanes.

Weesner said the first of multiple public information and comment sessions was held in May 2018, and TIRZ 5 will continue to seek community input as the project progresses.

According to the grant application, the project received letters of support from several local, state and national politicians who represent the area as well as prominent Heights developers such as Radom Capital and Revive and neighborhood groups such as the Houston Heights Association and the civic clubs for Cottage Grove, Shady Acres and Shepherd Forest.

“These improvements, and their benefits, are extremely important to the residents of the Houston Heights, the City of Houston and the entire Houston-Galveston region,” the Houston Heights Association wrote in its letter of support.

Weesner said the project’s first and second phases, the latter of which would reconstruct Shepherd and Durham from south of 15th Street to Interstate 10, are estimated to cost $50 million apiece.

She said she did not know the estimated cost of the third phase, covering the area between I-10 and Memorial Drive, which would be executed by the city.

For more information, visit memorialheightstirz5. com/wp-content/uploads/2 019/08/190702BUILDNarat ive-July-2019.pdf.