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HAHC approves revamped guidelines By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com The much-debated building guidelines for the Heights Historic Districts looks to be in the home stretch heading into 2018. On Dec. 13, the Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission (HAHC) unanimously approved the Houston Heights Historic Guidelines for implementation, with one abstention. The decision comes after more than

two years of community meetings and multiple revisions based on community feedback. A new draft incorporating the amendments will be published for consideration by the Houston City Council in early 2018. Recommendations proposed at the November HAHC meeting and approved last week included one substantive change from the August draft – an increase in the maximum finished floor height from 30” to 32”, the result of ad-

ditional analysis by the Historic Preservation Office staff following Hurricane Harvey. “[The reasoning behind that] was to get the resulting 18 inches of clearance that is typical for construction,” Project Manager Steph McDougal said. “We rounded it up to 32 inches so there would be more flexibility there.” However, local realtor and Woodland Heights resident Bill See Guidelines P. 3A

Photo by Landan Khulmann Project Manager Steph McDougal speaks at a meeting for the Heights Design Guidelines. The HAHC recently approved an amended draft for council consideration.

Slow and steady Photo by Landan Kuhlmann Even though nearby Liberty Kitchen Garden Oaks was forced to shutter (in part) due to effects from Alba construction and Harvey, Wakefield Crowbar’s business has survived.

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inside. Photo by Landan Kuhlmann Construction crews continue to make progress on projects which affect our local area, such as the stretch on Hempstead between Dacoma and 18th Street.

Highway 290 projects make progress as year ends Art Sense: New diversity-focused art installation in Near Northside

Page 7A

More Texas on Display. Cadillac ranch gets memorialized

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Find it. IMMEDIATE OPENING FOR CHURCH PIANIST to play at Sunday morning worship services in Oak Forest area church. Music style includes traditional hymns as well as contemporary songs. .... more

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The INDEX. Church....................................................... 5A Classifieds.............................................. 5B Coupons. ................................................. 6A Food/Drink/Art................................... 7A Obituaries.............................................. 5A Opinion. ................................................... 4A Public Information......................... 2A Puzzles...................................................... 4A Sports. ....................................................... 7B

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com For years, whether it’s fighting rush hour or just out for a Sunday drive, the area around Highway 290 has become a labyrinth of cranes and construction markers. But several local projects have made significant headway as 2017 winds to a close. “It’s really three projects, but when you’re driving through it, it just feels like one big thing,” TxDOT project superintendent Mike Zientek said of the US 290/Interstate 610 and Hempstead interchanges, which most affects local residents and consists of projects

J-1, J-2 and K – all coming in at least 83 percent complete heading into the new year according to the project’s website. Project J-1 involves constructing the ramp connecting I-10 directly to 290 and 610. While the project is not quite yet in its final configuration, Zientek said the goal is to basically mirror its twin, which opened in 2014. “Three years ago the ramp going directly from 290 to I-10 opened, and the idea is to get people off the 610 West Loop. Before those ramps were built, people were coming from I-10 or 290 and people just trying to stay on 610 kept needing to basi-

cally hop across each other,” Zientek said of the stretch, which offers just a mile and a half long stretch for drivers to make their move. “Everyone had to use the West Loop northbound or southbound, and you were just flying to the right and the left – you really didn’t have a lot of time to do your thing.” Project J-1, Zientek said, gives those coming from I-10 westbound their own roadway to reach 290 West or 610 East. Currently, the ramp is open for those coming from 610 and the project is 92 percent complete according to

One local business has seen one of its neighbors shutter in the wake of Harvey and ongoing construction on Alba Road, but has managed to keep its doors open – so The Leader decided to delve deeper into how the Wakefield Crowbar survived the effects of both. As referenced in past editions, the ongoing work along Alba Road has caused headaches for business owners and homeowners alike, and Hurricane Harvey’s effects were widespread. Liberty Kitchen Garden Oaks was even unfortunately forced to shutter the location just a quarter mile down the road from Wakefield due (in part) to dual after-effects according to a company Facebook post. But Wakefield Crowbar owner Randy Meador says the hot spot is going as strong as ever. “We’re a little more insulated than the normal business, and we have normal leagues that happen Monday through Thursday as well as Sunday,” he said, pointing to the leagues’ standing reservations and business as a significant reason for maintaining their standing. “As long as it’s not raining, those leagues still go on and people come to the leagues.” Earlier this year, the bar’s general manager reached out to The Leader regarding the ongoing work along Alba Road, insisting the work was not only causing them headaches, but had them fearful for its effect on business. However, Meador said that while those customers outside the leagues or coming from out of area might have encountered a small inconvenience, he believes

See 290 P. 2A

See Crowbar P. 3A

Altuve, your photo op awaits By Betsy Denson For The Leader Woodland Heights resident Rene Daigre is no stranger to decorating his front yard for Christmas. He says that in past years, Santa has been wakeboarding, fishing, and duck hunting in his front yard. Daigre is also a long-time Astros fan who has been following the team for the last 20 years and a more avid fan for the past three. This year, however, is the first for those passions to come together. Anyone who has driven, taken a hayride, or walked around the Heights to look at lights has no doubt seen the Diagres’ masterpiece. The Astros logo is ablaze in lights, flanked on one side by the championship trophy and on the other by the stadium train. Santa sits on the home run train, but a casual observer might not realize that Justin Verland-

er’s new bride Kate Upton sits demurely dressed atop the train too. Hanging there as well are the jerseys of the teams that the Astros beat to come out on top – those of the Red Sox, the Yankees and the Dodgers. “The Astros did a lot of good for the city and spread spirit,” said Daigre. “That’s what we wanted to do too.” Daigre credits his friend Ronnie Kirschner for coming up with the idea for the Astros theme, but everyone quickly got on board. Ronnie and his wife Beth lost their home during Harvey after friends picked them – and their two dogs – up in the middle of the night on a paddle board. It took two weeks on and off for Daigre and his buddies to build the display. They made the underlying structures first and then added the lights – a lot of lights. See Astros P. 8A

Photo by Betsy Denson As you might imagine, the Daigre family’s light display is a major ‘hit’ in the Heights this year.

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The Leader • Saturday, December 23, 2017 • Page 2A

Local groups help Harvey-impacted families By Landan Kuhlmann

landan@theleadernews.com

Nearly four months after Hurricane Harvey’s sweep through Houston, some in our area are still struggling to pick up the pieces – so the Heights Rotary Club and a local nonprofit sprang into action to help local families along in the process. Over the last month, our local rotary club, in conjunction with a Colorado rotary club and social service non-profit Family Houston, raised $7,000 that was subsequently gifted to seven Heights-area families ($1,000 per family) who were flooded by the storm. Several Rotarians and Family Houston representatives were on hand at Family Houston’s headquarters near Washington Avenue and North Shepherd Drive to witness the act that melds perfectly into the giving spirit of the Christmas holidays. “They didn’t even know they were going to get this money until a week ago,” Heights Rotary Club President Stephen Monsen said. “It’s been a slow process, because we didn’t want to promise any-

Photo by Landan Kuhlmann Family Houston President/CEO Charly Weldon, the Boy Scouts’ Erica Gillette and Ben Ballard, Stephen Monsen and Dennis Adams of the Heights Rotary Club as they present $1,000 to a man and his family impacted by Hurricane Harvey

thing to anybody until we saw the funds; but last week we finally got to the magic number of $4,000 and contacted those families.” Monsen said in addition to the Heights Rotary Club’s fundraising, the Grand Canyon Rotary Club in Colorado – who incidentally, has a member who grew up in the Heights – provided the additional $3,000. “These were families that are still out of their houses and trying to get things done, and Family Houston found them

– they’ve just got their fingers in different areas of Houston and they know who needs help here,” he said. [Those families] got that phone call saying somebody they’ve never heard of was going to give them $1,000 and were probably tickled pink.” Family Houston’s mission is to create a stronger community by helping individuals and families meet the challenges they face. Through a variety programs and services, they strive to be Houston’s premier resource

that uses a holistic approach to help people empower themselves, stabilize their lives, and sustain lasting improvement – making the collaborative effort a perfect fit. “It’s an honor to have the community support to help our families that are in such need,” said Charly Weldon, Family Houston’s president and CEO. “Knowing how much our community is struggling to bring some normalcy back into their daily schedule, especially around the holidays, it’s so amazing to see the smiles on their faces and know we can make even a little bit of an impact this time of year.” Monsen’s earlier statement rang true Tuesday morning as five of the families gathered to commemorate the occasion and the spirit of the organizations shined bright for all to see. Monsen knows those families are not the only ones in crisis. “Serving people is what Rotary is all about, and if we could’ve helped every family in the Heights area that flooded, we would have – we’re just trying to do what we can with what we’ve got,” he said.

Police seek information on Crosstimbers shooting For The Leader Houston police are investigating the fatal shooting of a man that occurred at 525 Crosstimbers about 1 p.m. Dec. 17). The victim, Dequan Donte Anderson, 20, was pronounced dead at Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital. HPD Homicide reported that Anderson got into his car at his place of employment

at the above address and was taking a money bag from the store to the bank when he was approached by an unknown Hispanic male suspect. The suspect opened Anderson’s car door and tried to grab the money bag. When he was not successful, the suspect pulled out a pistol and fired multiple rounds into the vehicle, striking Anderson multiple times.

Anderson attempted to drive away and crashed his car into a nearby median. He was transported to LBJ Hospital where he later died from his wounds. Multiple witnesses said the suspect ran north on Oxford and got into a dark blue Dodge Avenger, which then fled the scene. The driver of the Dodge Avenger is only described as being a black male.

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westbound and are working hard to build the main lanes there – they’ve drilled holes for the shafts, and that work is moving along extremely well,” he said. Last month, people were put on a new ramp, Zientek said. However, it remains far from its final configuration – still only one lane – and not until the 290 outbound lanes are finished can that ramp be opened in its full two-lane configuration. “You’ve got to finish the 290 main lanes outbound, and there are just so many pieces,” he said. “They’re the most important, and so much depends on that. Once they’re finished, we can open up the ramp from 610 West to 290 West.” Finally, drivers also coming on 610 West from Ella currently see the exit sign for Katy Road (currently closed). Once Projects J-1, J-2 and K (the I610/290 partial interchange, which is 97 percent finished)

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May 11, 1917 – December 11, 2017 Elaine Gloria Hardin Thomas passed away on December 11, 2017. Elaine was born on May 11, 1917 to Rose Christian Hardin and Robert Augustus Hardin in Port Arthur, Texas. The family soon moved to Houston where her mother Rose grew up, on property in the Heights that was still owned by Elaine at the time of her passing. Elaine graduated from John H. Reagan High School in 1935, then attended University of Houston. While working at the Federal Land Bank in downtown Houston, she met Robert Carroll Thomas and they married on February 14, 1941. Together they raised three sons, Robert, John and Duane. She was a devoted wife and mother who exhibited a true Christian spirit of caring and giving throughout her entire life. She was kind to everyone she came in contact with, but especially loved her family and considered them her greatest passion in life. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Carroll Thomas, her parents, Rose and Robert Hardin and her only sister, June Hardin Painter. She is survived by her sons, Robert Hardin Thomas and wife, Lisa; John Carroll Thomas and wife, Suzanne; and Duane Allen Thomas and wife, Phyllis; grandchildren, Dustin Thomas and wife, Meghan; Ryan Thomas and wife, Katie; Hayley Thomas Scotti and husband, Chris; Cardo Walthall and wife, Ashley; Clay Thomas and wife, Anna; Catherine Thomas Bucholz and husband, Ethan; April Miller and husband, Paul; and Krystal Strack and husband, Eddy. She also leaves behind her great grandchildren, Dustin Thomas, Jr., Lily Thomas, Annie Rose Thomas, Gloria Thomas, Maggie Thomas, Christian Thomas, Ryder Thomas, Thomas Scotti, Carley Walthall, Ryker Walthall, Ford Thomas, Hadley Miller, Benjamin Miller, Douglas Miller and Harper Rose Miller. She is also survived by cousin Sandra Barlion and numerous other cousins and friends. A memorial service will be held at 1:00 pm on Thursday, December 28, 2017 at Heights Presbyterian Church, 240 W. 18th St. Houston, Texas, 77008. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Presbyterian Children’s Home, P.O. Box 140888, Austin, Texas, 78714.

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290 from P. 1A TxDOT. However, those coming 610 from the Galleria still must get on that ramp to access 290. “Right now, we are working on the 290 westbound main lanes, and that kind of gets us into J-2,” Zientek said. Consisting of the interchange from W. 34th Street to I-610, J-2 truly stands as the most important piece of the 290 main lanes coming into 610 and going out according to Zientek. Currently, J-2 (West 34th to I-610 interchange) stands at 83 percent complete, and contractors have opened a portion of the area with new pavement in October. According to Zientek, such a development was crucial seeing as eastbound traffic was previously traveling where the westbound vehicles previously traveled, creating additional logjams. “Now that the new pavement is open between Dacoma and 610, they’ve demolished the

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are complete, Zientek said drivers will be able to access that ramp and end up on the 610 South Frontage Road, go up and over the railroad tracks and reach Katy Road. “That piece is almost finished, so we’re getting there – so far, so good,” he said. As of press time Zientek said the expected timeline has not been altered despite the effects of Hurricane Harvey. The 290 main lanes remain on track for completion by late 2018; though he made the promising revelation that contractors could be able to get the HOV lanes open possibly in the spring. He said contractors are still hard at work to complete the process – and end resident headaches – as efficiently as possible. “We understand [the process] is frustrating, but once it’s completed, it will be so much better with all the pieces that will be opened up,” he said.

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The Leader • Saturday, December 23, 2017 • Page 3A

Guidelines from P. 1A Baldwin took umbrage with the 32-inch criteria at the Dec. 14 meeting – even though it has already been raised once during the process – and said it still falls short based on recent history. “This is irresponsible in a city that is trying to design around the reality of flooding,” he said. “I can understand why historically, you want to make that argument [for 32’’], I just think it’s impractical.” Beyond that, the HAHC also requested additional information in November before considering the draft, including clarification regarding whether the Building Code or the Design Guidelines would prevail in the event of a conflict; analysis of how other cities measure “existing natural grade”; and how other cities determine if a historic building component is damaged. The city consulted the National Alliance of Preservation Commission, who provided the bulk of the information drawn upon to make another of the most substantive amendments – determining exactly “when” components are beyond repair. “It was about how we could make this decision consistently and make it something people will know going into a project or even before they buy a property, so they know what they can and cannot do,”

McDougal said. Essentially, each component of a window is considered separately. Only that particular component may be replaced if more than 50 percent of its material is damaged beyond repair due to rot, breakage, and so on. Windows painted shut, cut or broken sash cords, missing sash weights, or broken glass are not considered damage. Should all components be individually damaged more than 50 percent, the entire window may be replaced with a unit that matches it, within 1/4” in all dimensions. The replacement window must be sized to fit the existing window opening. The guidelines will be presented to the Quality of Life committee on Jan. 24, 2018 in an informational presentation. And that’s where Baldwin will be. Unrest remains Baldwin said he still cannot throw full support behind the guidelines in their current state, as he still fundamentally finds key aspects to be impractical, arbitrary and unworkable for the existing context of Heights properties and far outside what was originally envisioned when the districts were created. The disagreement ranges from limits on first and second-floor ceilings to plate height limits and the

suggestions for Floor Area Ratio, garage space allowable and more – adding up to a document he believes could effect the opposite change from the original intent. “What people thought they were getting [isn’t], and what the new guidelines will do is going to be overly restrictive, and when people find out I think they’re going to be even angrier. It might have been based on some historical significance, but eight years later, I don’t think it’s what [the people affected] want,” he said. “If you make these historic districts so extreme [with guidelines such as this], you’re never going to add more neighborhoods that are a great opportunity for people to protect the integrity of where they live.” At this point in the process, Baldwin said Dec. 14, he believes implementation of the guidelines in their current state should be an exercise in caution. In addition to his disapproval of the design guidelines, he called for a more holistic review of the entire Preservation Ordinance regarding the proposed guidelines. “When I look at the November and December HAHC agendas, the staff recommendations and/or final dispositions for several of the applications are wholly inconsistent with the regulations

the draft design guidelines would impose,” he said last week. “As someone who lives in Woodland Heights and works every day in historic districts as a licensed professional, my neighbors are simply frustrated beyond words.” After a lengthy discussion, the HAHC proposed and approved the several additional amendments to the Houston Heights Historic Districts Design Guidelines. McDougal recommended, and HAHC approved, delaying the effective date for implementing the guidelines for 60 days after Council adoption, so applicants will not be caught in the middle of a rules change. The changes will take effect for the HAHC meeting date after 60 days have elapsed. Residents will have the opportunity to sign up and speak at the Jan. 18 meeting. “The most important thing will be for the neighborhood to speak up – so far, it’s less than 30 people, and most comments on record are in favor because it’s the same people that wanted a historic district eight years ago and who really want no significant changes to the neighborhood,” Baldwin said. “It’s not reflective of the people who currently own homes in those districts, and if they comb through the pages, I don’t think it’s what they voted for or what they really want.”

Wakefield from P. 1A the spot’s notoriety helped mitigate any potential major downturn from Harvey or the roadwork. “[Most] people could still get to us, and they know about us. We are a destination, not a drive-by type of place, so you’re coming by specifically because you know we’re there,” he said. “Obviously we slowed in some areas – because some people couldn’t get to us or get to anything – but we were also one of the area restaurants people could get to once everything was opened up again. People hung out, bought food and just did their thing.” In the wake of Liberty Kitchen’s closing, Meador said no internal discussion at Wakefield Crowbar brought up any thought of closing its doors – even tem-

porarily -- during the construction or following Harvey. “We didn’t flood and they didn’t flood, so I’m not sure what happened. That just wouldn’t have made any sense [for us],” he said. “If you’re doing business (and we were), I would think shutting the doors would damage your business more than helping it. If you’re thinking about shutting your doors because the traffic isn’t there, what exactly is going to cause traffic to go back?” That said, he noted the bar will close on New Year’s Eve and the first week of 2018; but such a decision is based on business trends more than any perceived downturn in recent foot traffic. “The thing is, nobody really goes out or does anything, so we’re going to use

that time to freshen things up and do some good things for our customers,” he said. “It’s a week you don’t really do any business, so we’re going to use that time to make things better for our clientele.” Other than that, Meador said, it remains business as usual on Wakefield. “You [close because of a lack of traffic], in my opinion you put a negative downturn on your business and folks think maybe you can’t sustain yourself, and that puts you in a potentially challenging situation,” he said. “This is a local neighborhood bar and restaurant that people like to go to and have fun, and the people of the neighborhood will be able to get to this place. They may have to go down a different street for awhile, but it’s not that inconvenient.”

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The Topics. The Leader • Saturday, December 23, 2017 • Page 4A

You’ve now read a bible’s worth of news T his is the last column I’ll write in 2017, and as I went through my weekly mental yoga exercises of finding a topic that might really stir your conscience, I caught myself in a moment of reflection. I write this column every week because it seems important that the readers of The Leader hear from the editor and publisher of this newspaper. You should know how we feel about issues specific to our neighborhoods. You should know if one piece of news strikes us as crucial to the future of our community. And as the many mentors I’ve had in this business have always said, a newspaper like ours needs a face the public can scream at when they don’t like what we’ve published. The other reason I write this weekly column is because I’m supposed to be the champion for the men and women who work at this newspaper. It’s my job to promote our community; it’s also my job to promote The Leader and the work we do as a service to the place where we live. So in the spirit of reflection, let me offer you a unique perspective into the role of your community newspaper, and we can start right here, with my column. This year, I have written 49 columns – I took three weeks off to

Jonathan McElvy Publisher

tend to family or to free up space so my buddy at the bottom of the page, Lynn Ashby, could spew some of his left-leaning, Texas humor. Each of my columns is about 1,050 words, which means I’ve written a total (give or take) of about 51,450 words this year. To put that in perspective, Ray Bradbury’s book, “Farenheit 451,” is 46,000 words long. Basically, I’ve written a novel’s worth of columns this year. The only problem is I don’t think I can sell 10 million copies of my column, which is how many copies Bradbury has sold of his novel. I’ve written four columns this year on airplanes, eight of them in hotel rooms, three of them at my kitchen table, one in a corner of my parents’ home in Alabama (which is where I’m sitting right now) and 33 of them at my office on East T.C. Jester Boulevard. But that’s not even close to the

most interesting thing The Leader has accomplished this year. In every edition of The Leader, we publish about 13,365 words (some editions are larger than others). If the word “weekly” didn’t give it away, we publish The Leader once every week of the year (including the six weeks our office was closed after Hurricane Harvey). So 52 weeks, multiplied by 13,365, means we published 694,980 words this year, and every single word in our newspaper had something to do with our community. Let me offer some perspective on that quantity of content. The King James Bible is made up of 783,000 words. Leo Tolstoy’s novel, “War and Peace,” has 587,000 words. What I once thought was a monstrous book, “Grapes of Wrath” has 169,000 words. That’s fascinating, isn’t it? Each year – depending on the size of our newspaper – we basically publish a bible on this area of Houston. By my best count, we had 16 different people write for us in 2017, and we wrote somewhere around 1,755 stories, which means the average story in our newspaper is about 400 words. By my best guess, we printed 1,475 pictures in the paper this year, and that doesn’t include the pictures

Lynn Ashby Columnist

bell at the hospital to signify a big step in their road to recovery. The bell at MD Anderson never stood a chance. When 6-foot-5, 300-pound Texans offensive lineman David Quessenberry completed his chemotherapy treatment, he stopped to read the inscription on the plaque next to the bell. “Now that you have completed your chemotherapy treatment, ring this bell to tell the world you are on your way to being well,” Quessenberry read aloud. Then, he rang that bell right off the wall. In Austin, on the floor of the Capitol chamber, State Rep. Matt Rinaldi, Republican from a Dallas suburb, threatened to shoot Rep. Rep. Alfonso “Poncho” Nevarez, Democrat from Eagle Pass, in self defense after Nevarez said he would confront his colleague in the parking lot. The Texas Senate voted to strictly inforce the ban on wearing blue jeans in the chamber. “I’m gonna carry this around in case I see any reporters.” -- Gov. Greg Abbott, while posing for a photo with a large paper target he had just shot full of holes. Gov. Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick did all they could to prevent Texas women from controlling their own bodies. And the Dynamic Duo discovered that most voters in Texas cities are Democrats. So they worked to strip cities of local control. Austin bar owner Brandon Cash responded to negative reviews of his establishment, Unbarlievable, on Google with “since you had a towel on your head my bartender thought you were the new bus boy and handed you dirty dishes to wash.” After protesters showed up, Cash apologized. Hypocritic Oath: “Thomas, for instance, wants government out of health care but depends on Medicare…. to pay all but $80 of his monthly $11,900 bill for his cancer medication.” -- Houston Chronicle May 1, 2017 The Pearland ISD school board got a new member: Dawson High School senior Mike Floyd. So much for a free exchange of ideas: TSU disinvited U.S. Sen. John Cornyn as commencement speaker after students objected to his politics. Keep Your Powderpuff Dry, Wussies: The Houston Symphony Orchestra’s Fourth of July concert played the “1812 Overture” in all its glory – but used taped cannon fire because, in the past, some in the audience objected to the noise. But our big winners in 2017 were from Washington, where Texan lawmakers and officials

about it. In our calendar of events, we average somewhere close to nine events we publicize (for free) each week. That means we’ve helped local organizations promote around 470 different events this year. Depending on how outgoing our churches feel on a given week, we publish somewhere around four events from our chapels each week – or about 208 events this year. Around this time of year, I think it’s a good idea for us all to spend a few moments reflecting on the things we’ve accomplished in the past 12 months. As we stretch into 2018, we’ll all set goals for new endeavors and try to correct some of the things we didn’t complete in the year prior. When I reflect on what the people in our office have accomplished in 2017, it’s an interesting exercise to measure the role we’ve had in keeping our community informed and, at times, entertained. As I spend some much-needed time with my family over the next week, I wish you all a wonderful Christmas, and a fruitful New Year. And we’ll be right back here in 2018 to publish yet another bible on our incredible community. Email jonathan@theleadernews.com

The reader.

365 Daze of our Lives Let’s face it. The Year of Our Lord 2017 was one to remember, or forget. Politicians and TV stars crashed and burned over sexual harassment charges, but it was a golden time for late night TV comics. The Texas Legislature lived down to its name; Donald Trump did the same for the Presidency. But any year that saw the Astros win the World Series can’t be all bad, so now it is time to take a look backwards at 2017 before Texas Monthly’s Bum Steer Awards steal our ideas. Former Gov. and Secretary of Energy Rick Perry claimed the Texas A&M race for student body president was “stolen” because a straight candidate, Robert McIntosh, failed to provide a receipt for glow sticks used in the campaign, so that a gay candidate, Bobby Brooks, won. Turns out McIntosh’s mother is a GOP fundraiser. In more important matters, Texas A&M is paying new football coach Jimbo Fisher $75 million on a 10-year contract. You can rent a good running back for that amount. A science teacher at Houston’s Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church’s elementary school was showing students different colored flames. Boom! Twelve children were burned, six were hospitalized. The U.S. Border Patrol had a good idea: set up a recruiting booth at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. Unfortunately, they didn’t do too well on Go Tejano Day. “Houston is such a wonderful city. I can’t wait for you to finish it.” -- New York Times columnist David Brooks Hurricane Harvey came to town, and did a lot of damage, but the worst came when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opened the floodgates of the Barker and Addicks dams, inundating thousands of homes in west Houston. With protectors like these, who protects us from them? Now it’s time for sports. A world-class city needs worldclass soccer hooligans: The Dallas soccer team, FC Dallas, banned supporters of the Houston Dynamo, El Batallon, from bringing in flags, banners and any other signs of fandom because of “unacceptable behavior” in previous games including smoke bombs, a flair, and obscene chants. The Houston Rockets finished off a great 2016-2017 season by losing in the playoffs to the San Antonio Spurs by 39 points (James Harden scored 10) before a home crowd and a national TV audience. The Rockets are paying James Harden $228 million over six years. That’s coming out of the pocket of new Rockets’ owner Tilman Fertitta, who paid $2.2 billion for the franchise. For the first time in its history, the Houston Astros sent six players to the All-Star Game. They went 0-7, with three strikeouts. When cancer patients complete their chemotherapy treatment, they often ring a

in our local advertisements. We published an extra 400 pictures on our website that never made print, and my best guess is we added another 400 to social media outlets. Add those together and we published somewhere around 2,275 pictures this year. And when you look at it like that, it means The Leader’s feed averaged sending out 6.2 pictures every day for 365 straight days. I mentioned advertisements earlier. The best calculation I can make is that we averaged 162 advertisers in our newspaper every week. That includes the big advertisers like our hospitals and some of our Realtors, to the smallest customers who find value marketing in our newspaper, including those garage sale ads for $20. Put those numbers together, and it means we published somewhere around 8,400 local ads this year. Getting back to our editorial content, the specifics of the numbers are interesting, too. Each week, we publish a police report from the prior week, just so you know what kinds of crimes are happening close to your home. Each week, we publish somewhere close to 40 crimes, which means that in 2017, we’ve told you about 2,080 different crimes on our streets, which is kind of frightening when you think

made for some news – of the wrong kind. Wichita Falls native, UT grad and former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson has been deemed “the worst Secretary of State in the nation’s history.” Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. Abbott quit bashing Washington long enough to go, hat in hand, to beg the feds for more Harvey money. It wasn’t so much an about face as red-faced or maybe two-faced. Former U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman was charged with bilking $750,000 in charity funds. U.S Rep. Rep. Joe Barton of Ennis said he won’t run for reelection after a photo circulated of him buck naked, and his former lovers went public. Rep. Blake Farenthold of Corpus Christi faced a House Ethics Committee investigation after it was discovered he spent $84,000 in taxpayers’ money to settle a sexual harassment complaint. Upon being discovered, Farenthold said he would reimburse the 84K. Certainly 2017 was the Year of the Rat. Ashby yearns for 2018 at ashby2@comcast.net

Slowpokes landlord plans renovation of 34th and Alba

Dear Editor: As a close neighbor of Slowpokes and the eyesore Alba Food Mart, I am very disappointed at how the landlord has handled this situation. I’ve heard both sides of the story and think that Sam Momin is making some serious mistakes in his business decisions. Yes, it’s his property to do as he wishes, within the law and his contract with Slowpokes. But I also have choices where I spend my money. I will not shop at Alba Food Mart or any other business that moves into the building, other than Slowpokes. I urge other neighbors to do the same AND let Sam Momin know of your decision. (See Slowpokes’ Facebook page if you want to hear their side of the dispute.) Michael Dear Editor: I am a Garden Oaks resident. I have always been cordial with the employees of the foodmart, but the center was frankly an eyesore before Slowpokes moved in, and the vibe and feeling of the area has improved. I hope the landlord will reach an accommodation. I cannot imagine that having Slowpokes next door would not be be a draw to other businesses. It seems strange that the landlord didn’t seem to do squat with the land until Slowpokes improved upon it. I will boycott the foodmart and any subsequent tenant until some agreement is made that includes my kid having a place to play under the trees again. I am sure that I have spent a great deal of money at the foodstore over the years as it is on my way to work. Until this, I would grab gas and then coffee at Slowpokes. Slowpokes adds to the business of the food mart. It does not detract. I hope others will follow suit. Slowpokes added to the number of businesses in our neighborhoods that makes GOOF a truly exceptional area to live, frolic, and raise

Email us your letters: news@theleadernews.com children in Houston. Quentin Haag Dear Editor: Everything I read about this until now was one-sided, but now, I have to take the owner’s/ landlord’s side. He shows exactly what was agreed upon, and apparently the tenants, Slowpokes, is trying to take advantage of something they don’t have rights for, and get their patrons worked into a dither on their behalf. The story distinctly said that the landlord could take back the patio with six months notice if they had plans to expand ... who in the world would invest a lot of their own money into a patio knowing it could be undone with six months notice? I’ve never been in either Slowpokes or the convenience store, but now I feel compelled to stop at the store just to show them some support. And, no doubt many of the people that go to Slowpokes could easily walk or bike there, but don’t. If they did, this whole situation could have been a non-issue. Those of you that say you’ll continue to support Slowpokes, but not the owner’s store, might try to stop focusing on emotion and be a little more pragmatic. The owners have legal standing, and, unless Slowpokes has a very long lease, they may not be tenants for very long. Landlords have the right not to renew leases so unless both parties reach a real accommodation, it would probably be best if Slowpokes just moved. My Two Cents

How to be Radio Active

Dear Editor: The pull quote from your article “Again, remember you are pandering to the lowest common denominator” shows your ignorance of the education and professional level of the listener base or, even closer to home, your readership base. Terry Waldo

the leader Puzzlers. Answers found in this week’s Classified section

SUDOKU

aCrOss

1. A sleeveless garment 5. Cold vegetable dish 10. Believed to bring good luck 12. Shittah tree 14. Hotel heiress 16. Of I 18. Diego, Francisco, Anselmo 19. __ King Cole, musician 20. Passover ceremony 22. ___ fi: space genre 23. Yearned 25. Desperate 26. Corded fabric 27. London radio station 28. Digital audiotape 30. Licenses TV stations 31. Employs 33. Food bar 35. Bigeye shad genus 37. Hog fats 38. Spoke 40. Moss capsule stalk 41. Openwork fabric 42. Chit 44. Holds for use 45. Ed Murrow’s

home 48. Egyptian god of life 50. Shaped into a sphere 52. Golfing stand 53. Red Sea straits 55. Swiss river 56. Hostelry 57. Indicates position 58. Inoculation 63. Slip by 65. Apple smartphone 66. Sheep cries 67. Affirmatives

dOwn

1. An inferior dog 2. 4th Caliph of Islam 3. Foot (Latin) 4. Relating to a people 5. Added sodium chloride 6. Perform something 7. Vientiane is the capital 8. Blemished 9. Roman 501 10. Keep up 11. Operator 13. Arbitrarily punished

15. 007’s creator 17. Gets up 18. Used to be United __ 21. Optical phenomenon of light waves 23. People supported broadcasting 24. Tap gently 27. With no brim or bill 29. Bulrushes 32. Educational test 34. Overweight 35. Musical composition 36. A religious recluse 39. Alt. of Tao 40. Heavyhearted 43. Brit. suspenders 44. Bodily structure protrusion 46. Sesame 47. 1/100 yen 49. About navy 51. Dali language 54. Celery cabbage 59. Winter time in Chicago 60. Annual percentage yield 61. Definite article 62. Operating system for 65 across 64. Pound (abbr.)

WORD SCRAMBLE

The Leader • Saturday, December 23, 2017 • Page 5A

The calendar. COMMUNITY DANCE SPJST Lodge 88 The SPJST Lodge 88, 1435 Beall St., will have a New Year’s Eve dance featuring the band Driftwood, Country Western music, from 8 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Dec. 31. The cost is $35 per person. Reservations are suggested, but not required. Reservations held only 30 minutes past start of dance. Information: 713-869-5767, lodge88.org.

for senior adults 50 and older. Membership is just $20/year for LSC-North Harris and LSC-Victory Center. Information: 281-7657947, lonestar.edu/all.

ACADEMY FOR LIFELONG LEARNING Lone Star College-North Harris Lone Star College-North Harris, Community Education Building, located at 2700 W.W. Thorne Dr., will hold a Open House from 1-3 p.m. Jan. 18. Meet the instructors, visit with other members, get a new catalog and parking permits and register for membership and classes. The Academy for Lifelong Learning provides free classes and social opportunities

FREE INTRODUCTION TO MODERN SQUARE DANCING Memorial Drive Lutheran Church Healthy, social fun, square dancing is friendship set to music. Fairbees Square Dance Club welcomes the community to experience the fun and fellowship of Square Dancing at two free fun night events on Jan. 11, from 7:30-9:30 p.m., and Jan. 18, from 7- 8 p.m. No prior dance experience needed, no partner required, older children and teenagers welcome. Classes are held at Memorial Drive Lutheran Church, in the fellowship hall, 12211 Memorial Dr. (77024). Park rear of church. Information: 713-9572762, 281-495-2397.

ACADEMY FOR LIFELONG LEARNING Lone Star College-Victory Center The Academy for Lifelong Learning at Lone Star College-Victory Center, 4141 Victory Dr., will hold an Open House from 1-3 p.m. Jan. 25. The Academy for Lifelong Learning is a membership community that offers free and low-cost classes, events and activities for adults age 50 and older. Choose from technology, health and wellness, financial planning, community service projects, literary discussion groups, genealogy, arts and crafts and more. Information: 281-8105680, www.lonestar.edu/all.htm.

our state, our nation and our world. Dr. Gilmer will discuss business, employment, interest rates, energy and real estate. The luncheon will be at the Sheraton Houston Brookhollow Hotel, 3000 N. Loop West, from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Jan. 25. To purchase tickets or to sponsor, call 713-861-6735 or heightschamber.org. PANCAKE BREAKFAST/SILENT AUCTION Garden Oaks Montessori Magnet One of the community’s most popular traditions and annual gatherings returns for the 24th year when the Garden Oaks Montessori Pancake Breakfast and Silent Auction serves up thousands of pancakes from 8-10:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, at the HISD magnet school, 901 Sue Barnett Dr. To underwrite a portion of the annual breakfast or to donate auction items, please contact

GHACC ECONOMIC FORECAST LUNCHEON Reserve a table and invite your clients to this valuable luncheon. Hear from one of the Nation’s leading economists about the economic outlook for Houston,

Silent Auction Coordinator Mandy Leal at mandy.leal@gmail.com. Information: 713-696-2930.

Ongoing YOGA WITH CATS El Gato Coffee House Find serenity meow and get a double dose of relaxation therapy with yoga and cats at El Gato Coffee House, 508 Pecore St. Connect with cats and fellow yogis in a playful yoga setting. This is an all levels class where beginners are welcome. Yoga classes are 45 minutes and include additional 30 minutes of play time with the cats. Classes are at 9 a.m. every Saturday, and 5:45 p.m. Sunday. The cost is $20 for adults and $18 for students. Information: info@ elgatocoffeehouse.com, 832-9683006.

El Gato Coffee House Join us for a lazy Caturday Morning watching the best cat cartoons from the ‘90s. Whether you want to stroll down memory lane back to a simple time when Saturday morning cat cartoons defined your weekend or you want to introduce your kiddo to old school cartoons, you’ll be starting your day off right. El Gato Coffee House is located at 508 Pecore St. Cartoons are shown from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. every Saturday. The cost for an adult pass is $12/hour, student pass is $10/hour (with school ID), and a child pass is $8/hour (5-17 years). Information: info@elgatocoffeehouse.com, 832-968-3006. are held Mondays from 2-3 p.m. Please wear comfortable clothes and bring a towel and water. To register for this free class or for information, call 713-867-2062.

CATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS

From the Pews. ‘A Christmas Carol’ reading at St. Matthew’s St. Matthew’s welcomes the community to hear “A Christmas Carol” reading, at 4 p.m. Dec. 23. This reading will have a funny twist to the original Dickens’ story. Christmas refreshments will be served during intermission. Two Christmas Eve Candlelight services will be Dec. 24. The first service will be at 10:17 a.m., and is familyoriented with cake served after the service. Children will participate in the Candlelight Service. A 7 p.m. Traditional Candlelight Service will be available for both adults and children. St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church is located at 4300 N. Shepherd Dr. Call 713-6970671 or visit the website at www.stmatthewsmethodist. org.

Christmas Eve at Trinity Downtown Join us in the heart of Houston for a memorable night of Christmas Eve tradition, from 5-7 p.m. Dec. 24, with caroling and cheer as we celebrate Christ’s birth, including a stunning Christmas pageant with live animals, carols by candlelight, and festival choir with Eon Brass. Communion worship is at 9:30 a.m. on Christmas morning. Trinity Lutheran is located at 800 Houston Ave. Call 832301-3100 or visit www.trinitydt.org for information. Christmas Eve Candlelight service at Arise Baptist Arise Baptist Church, 803 Curtin St., will hold their Christmas Eve Candlelight service at 6 p.m. Dec. 24. The community is welcome. For information, call 713659-9697 or visit www.aris-

ebaptistchurch.org.

Standing in their Field”, 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 24. Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion services will be held at 4:30 and 7 p.m. The nursery will be available for children age 4 and under for all services. A special Lessons and Carols service will be held 10:30 a.m. Dec. 31. The service will tell the Christmas story through nine Scripture lessons with carols sung between each lesson. St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church is located at 2003 W. 43rd St. For information, call 713-686-8241 or visit www.stsumc.org and the church’s Facebook page.

Garden Oaks Baptist Church hosts campuswide Christmas Service Garden Oaks Baptist Church, 3206 N. Shepherd Dr., welcomes the community to the first campus-wide Christmas Service at 10:45 a.m. Dec. 24. Currently, four different church communities meet on the Garden Oaks Baptist campus and for this Sunday, all four are gathering together in the main sanctuary. There will be music and sermons in English and Spanish. Call 713-864-4447 or visit www.GOBC.org for information.

Gabriel Comfort Dog ministry at Messiah Lutheran Messiah Lutheran Church, 816 Roy St., welcomed its newest addition to its ministry and

Children present ‘Out Standing in their Field’ at St. Stephen’s The children will present a musical performance, “Out

Minnie Lee Floeck, 85,

Celia DeLaTorre Polanco, 91, born June 5, 1926,

born Jan. 19, 1932, died Dec. 15. Floeck was an accomplished seamstress and a devoted member of her church. She was raised in the Heights and graduated from John H. Reagan High School in 1950. She retired from working in Pasadena ISD after 38 years as a teacher and an attendance clerk. Her proudest “mission” was the Heart Pillow Ministry at her church. She is survived by her son Sherrill, daughters Christine and Paula, three grandchildren, and a great-grandchild. Visitation/Reception is from 5-8 p.m. Tuesday Dec. 26. Funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Dec. 27, at Heights Funeral Home, 1317 Heights Blvd. Internment is 1 p.m. at Houston Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Heart Pillow and Knitted Hat Ministry at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 18220 Upper Bay Road, Houston 77058.

died Dec. 10. Right after WWII, Celia began working for Sam Maceo, an organized crime boss in Galveston, Texas where she helped him run an offshore gambling casino for a while. She spent the next 45 years as a controller for various lumber yards in Galveston and Houston. With only a high school education, she was well regarded by everyone in the lumber and construction business. Because of that connection, she was flipping houses in the 60s and 70s, also well before her time. She is survived by her daughter Henrietta (Terri) Rhodes, three grandchildren, and two greatgrandchildren.

Elaine Gloria Thomas, 100, born May 11, 1917, died Dec. 11. John Paul Thom, 64, born Dec. 6, 1953, died Dec. 10. Jimmie Fay Inmon Tillmon, 73, born Sept. 27, 1944, died Dec. 10. She retired from

Hand Benefits and Trust in 2009 and devoted much of her time helping others. Tillmon was active in her church and loved to teach her Sunday School class. She is survived by daughter Cindy Tillmon Gregory, son Randy, brother Ollie Inmon, and four grandchildren.

del, sisters Mary Frances Perry and Chiquita Fittlro, and three grandchildren.

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Joseph C. Tisdel, 81, born June 4, 1936 in Lee County, Texas, died Dec. 12. He graduated from Dime Box High School in 1955. After graduation, he moved to Houston to work for Southern Pacific Railroad and remained there for three years. In 1958 he began his 35-year career at the Texas Highway Department (now TxDOT), where he remained until his retirement in 1993. Tisdale also proudly served as a member of the U.S. Army in both an active and reserve capacity. He was a devoted member of Oak Forest Baptist Church. Tisdale is survived by his wife of 60 years, Mary Nan Tisdel, daughters Connie Bathe and Rhonda Zientek, son Michael Tisdel, brothers Morris and Howard Tis-

Men’s Scripture Sharing Group meets at the YMCA The Men’s Scripture Sharing Group meets at 7 a.m. every Thursday at the Harriet and Joe Foster YMCA, 1234 W. 34th St. 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.

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The Obituaries. Jessie Lee Blase, 93, born July 22, 1924, died Dec. 15.

mission efforts in the form of Gabriel Comfort Dog. He was placed at the church through his “Passing of the Leash” during the church’s Sunday morning worship celebration. Gabriel, Houston’s first Comfort Dog, is one of more than one hundred LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs that serve in their local communities as a bridge for Gospel ministry. For information about the Comfort Dog ministry, call 866-455-6466 or visit www.lutheranchurchcharities.org.

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The Christmas story is full of fascinating characters. Of course, we know that the main character is the Christchild, but studying the other people surrounding him can give us some interesting insight and help for our own lives. Learning about how they interacted with each other and how they responded in the midst of a very unique situation can help us as we think about our lives and the situations we face. Mary and Joseph faced some difficult choices when it came to the birth of the baby Jesus. They were engaged to be married and in their day, to break an engagement was on the same level as divorce. For a young woman to be found with child and not be married would be a great scandal. The culture of the day did not make it easy for a single woman much less a single mother to provide for herself. Joseph would have not had it easy either. God commanded him to take Mary to be his wife, but to do this would mean taking Jesus as his son even though it wasn’t his biological child. God asked Mary and Joseph to do something very difficult and they had no way of knowing how the situation would work out. In fact, humanly speaking, it would seem quite difficult. Mary had to give birth in a manger, they lived in a different town away from family and friends, and then had to move to Egypt to flee for Jesus’ life. Later on, Mary would watch her son be crucified on a cross. From Mary’s perspective this was not an easy task that God asked her to do. During her life she most likely suffered because of her choice to accept God’s plan for her life. We don’t know as much about Joseph, but we know life changed dramatically for him as well. How could they obey without knowing all of the answers? The only way they could obey completely without having complete information was to trust God and His plan. We are finite creatures with incomplete knowledge of the world we live in and no way to see the future. We serve a God that knows everything, that is everywhere, that has all power, and is always good. We can trust Him just as Mary and Joseph trusted Him. In this Christmas season my prayer is that you will learn to trust the God of the universe who sent His only Son to this earth to die so that your sins would be paid in full!

Page 6A • Saturday, December 23, 2017 • The Leader

Keeping Pets Safe From Household Holiday Hazards

Dear Tabby, Our house is all decked-out for the holidays, but our pets won’t stop messing with the decorations and presents! What decorations should we be extra careful about around our puppy and our cat? Holiday Decorating in Highland Heights Dear Holiday Decorating,

‘Tis the season for lights and tinsel on every horizontal (and sometimes vertical) surface in our homes. While it looks pretty and festive to humans, it looks like a virtual amusement

park of fun for our pets. The trouble is that these decorations can pose a significant risk to the health and safety of curious kitties and playful pups this time of the year. Veterinary experts have compiled a list of the top 5 holiday-related pet hazards to watch out for this season: • Decorations: Tinsel, glass ornaments, spray on snow/flocking, foil, plastic wrap/shrink-wrap, Styrofoam peanuts and ribbon can all be life-threatening if eaten by your pet. Whether lodged in the esophagus, stomach or intestines, these bad actors can cause a plethora of symptoms and may land your pet in the operating room. • Mistletoe: The plant, and particularly the berries, are extremely toxic to pets. The

most severe cases can cause low blood pressure, stumbling and even seizures. • Christmas tree food and preservatives: Got a real tree this year? Watch out. Veterinarians say that sugar-based tree preservatives and tree food/ water can harbor dangerous bacteria and a thirsty dog or cat may decide to use the tree stand as a drinking bowl. • Batteries: It may be great to have batteries for that new, cool toy but chewing or swallowing batteries is extremely toxic for pets. Acid burns from chewing and causing a leak in the battery are common, as are cuts from the metal casing. And what about smaller batteries, like AAA, that can easily be gulped down? They can cause internal burns and removal can require surgery.

Pet of the Week

• Potpourri: The spicy smell can fill the house with a wonderful scent, but a pet can experience irritation and corrosion of the eyes, mouth, throat and esophagus if exposed to the liquid form. Cats are especially prone to eating tinsel and ribbons, so make sure that you keep that out of their reach. Never try to pull out a string or object that is protruding from your cat’s mouth. Take your cat to your veterinarian or the nearest emergency clinic immediately. By taking some common sense precautions, you and your furry family members can all enjoy a safe and happy holiday season.

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Do you have a question for Tabby? If so, email her at dear tabbyquestions@gmail.com

Neighbors: Morris celebrates 90th birthday, Vera earns Juris Doctor degree By Elizabeth Villarreal elizasgarden@outlook.com

Happy, happy 90th birthday to our neighbor in Candlelight Estates, Charline Morris! A treasure to her friends and family, Charline Waggoner was born on Dec. 13, 1927, in Hickory Ridge, Arkansas. Charline grew up on a rice and cotton farm and was the second oldest of 13 children. When she moved to Memphis on her own to find a job in 1948, Charline had $50 in her pocket and did not know anyone in town. She moved into a female rooming house and within three days she had found a job as a typist for Sears & Roebuck. In the summer of 1949, Charline met a young man named Calvin Morris who had just gotten out of the service. The couple eventually began a sweet courtship and during that time, Charline took Calvin to meet her parents in Arkansas. Once he passed that test, he had to meet Charline’s grandmother and grandfather

to make sure he was good enough for her. Grandpa took him out to the barn and had a discussion; the content of that discussion was not ever made known to Charline. Charline and Calvin’s courtship lasted just about 12 weeks and consisted of sitting on the porch of the rooming house and talking. After all those weeks of discussion, the couple decided they had the same ideas regarding what they wanted out of life and so they were married in February 1950. They rented their first home on Crosstimbers right after they were married and later bought their first house in 1961 in Candlelight Estates - the same house in which Charline lives today. As the couple’s home was the first house to be built on the street, the developer asked them where they wanted the street light, and to this day, the street light and Charline are in the very same spot where they both started in 1961. Calvin worked for Missouri

Stephanie Vera on her graduation from South Texas College of Law with her Juris Doctor degree.

Jaxon McCoy celebrating with his neighbor Charline Morris on her 90th birthday.

Pacific for his entire career and Charline worked for Montgomery Ward as a Supervisor of the Layaway and Gift Wrap Department for 25 years. The couple had twin boys in 1953 and a daughter followed along in 1956. Calvin and Charline were very involved in the Houston Area Shriners Club and Char-

line for many years was a Purple Hat lady. She often remarks to her children about all the inventions they have witnessed in their lifetime. Charline was born in the era of horse and buggy transportation and families listened to the radio for their special shows and news. The things that have been

discovered and created in her lifetime are flabbergasting. Charline is treasured by all of her neighbors and celebrated her special day with dear friends Helena Pagola and Jaxon McCoy. Family and friends send a loud and proud shout of congratulations to Stephanie

Vera! Vera took and passed the Texas bar exam recently, much to the surprise of no one who knows this amazing, determined and focused young woman. Friends, past teachers and professors, work colleagues, community members and family have all watched and cheered for Stephanie along her journey. After receiving her law degree from South Texas College of Law in May 2017, Stephanie took the bar exam in July and waited for the exam results all the way through to November! After receiving the good news in mid-November, Stephanie was sworn in at the State Bar of Texas induction ceremony in Austin, Texas on Nov. 20. Celebrating with her that very special day were her son Jacob Gamez; mother Tracey Rios; brothers Steven Vera and Patrick Rios; and sisters Valerie Wood and Rebecca Rios. Stephanie plans to focus on general litigation and has a passion for family and employment law.

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The Leader â€˘ Saturday, December 23, 2017 â€˘ Page 7A

Good Dog Houston serves the best hot dog in the Heights I

n last weekâ€™s edition of The Leader, we shared our Best Of dishes from top voted Readersâ€™ Choice 2017 awarded winners. Due to space, we had to hold one of our Best Of dishes from Good Dog Houston. Today, travel down Studewood Street to our Heights gourmet hot dog joint, where they have the best hotdogs, shakes and sides around, according to this yearâ€™s Readersâ€™ Choice awards; Iâ€™d have to agree.

Christina Martinez Managing Editor

Good Dog Houston is located in the Heights, but also recently opened a second location in September 2016 in Montrose, right across from St. Thomas. The Heights location just celebrated its fourth anniversary, coinciding with Lights in the Heights, and had a grand party to celebrate. In March 2011 is when Good Dog introduced their brand

to Houston; getting their dog legs with their food truck, they had regular serving spots at Antidote, Buchananâ€™s Native Plants and near by the Menil Collection. Later in November 2013 is when the dogs laid down foundation on Studewood Street for their first brick and mortar location. One hot dog that was brought over from the food truck era is the Guac-A-Dog: avocado, fresh jalapeĂąo, tomato, onion, roasted garlic aioli, cilantro, cumin and lime. â€œWe were asked to do a Cinco de Mayo event,â€? Good Dog Houston chef and co-owner Amalia Pferd said. â€œThey asked us to come up with a hot dog for the event, so we came up with a hot dog that is comparable to deconstructed guacamole. It was so popular on the food truck that we put it on the menu.â€? The Guac-A-Dog is a best seller, featuring light and refreshing tastes that make it so. The Texican Dog, featured on the menu has even spun off of the Guac-A-Dog fame with avocado, cilantro, beans and more. Pferd said itâ€™s the GuacA-Dog 2.0.

potato chips, made in-house and a food truck original. The core of Good Dog is well-made ingredients, like Sloughdough buns and fresh, Texas-made dogs that only use shoulder meat. Pferd said theyâ€™ve had the same hot dog maker since their birth. Good Dog Houston was the Readersâ€™ Choice 2017 winner for Best Hot Dog and are located at 903 Studewood St.

IF YOU GO

Photo by Christina Martinez The Good Dog Houston Guac-A-Dog and sides of the apple horseradish slaw and the short bus potato chips.

During my visit, I ordered the Guac-A-Dog, a Dog of the Day, apple horseradish slaw, and the short bus potato chips. The Dog of the Day is currently Pferdâ€™s take on a philly cheese steak meets the Mexican style

dish alambre. The seasonal offering rotates roughly once or twice a month, sometimes even bringing back old favorites. The apple horseradish slaw is a must try, made with crisp apples, not too mayo for-

ward and complimented well with a nice vinegar. You canâ€™t go wrong with the short bus

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Art Valet: New diversity-focused art installation in Near Northside Mitch Cohen

THE LEADER

Make your reservations at the Leader Readersâ€™ voted

Art Columnist

On December 2, Avenue CDC joined the Near Northside community to celebrate the opening of â€œScaped Senses,â€? an interactive civic art installation, created by artists Tami Merrick and Nicola Parente, with the help of more than 300 community volunteers. The projectâ€™s design, which is focused on embracing cultural diversity and healing community, features a peaceful meandering labyrinth with 1,700 painted PVC grass strands and a large central basket sculpture woven with 600 feet of recycled vinyl signs that were painted by students from YES Prep East End. Approaching the installation, it is uncertain what one is viewing from a distance. The labyrinth looks like a field of painted pipes until almost on top of it. Then the mulch-covered path becomes obvious and beckons to enter. Donâ€™t cheat and cut across! As you follow the path, the colors of the hundreds of PVC â€œgrass strandsâ€? change to subtly calm your mood as you approach the 8-foot tall woven basket. â€œThe purpose of the basket is to culturally weave the community back together,â€? said artist Nicola Parente. â€œThe colors that we are using are primary colors in basket weaving in both the Hispanic and African American communities. We feel that by going through the maze and by hav-

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ing this beautiful colorful basket, it may create some unity between the cultures.â€? Parente and Merrick, both established artists in Houston, began the project in late May with community workshops at Parenteâ€™s studio in Winter Street Studios. The vinyl for the basket weave was painted by students at Yes Prep school guided by Artist Michael Healey. There is fantastic video and photos of the seven-monthlong project progress on the Facebook page â€œScaped Senses.â€? There is a comment board behind the entrance sign, be sure to leave your comments. The temporary installation is made possible through partnerships with Avenue, the City of Houston, Houston Arts Alliance, Fresh Arts, HUB, Legacy Community Health, and Writers in the Schools, and will be open from dawn to dusk until

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A Cantonese classic is a new kind of comfort food By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com

Even if the food wasnâ€™t delicious â€“ which it is, but Iâ€™ll get to that â€“ Iâ€™d pay money just to visit with Ginger & Fork owner Mary Li. I watched her make the rounds of her restaurant, which is getting ready to celebrate its two-year anniversary, and realized that the friendliness and good cheer wasnâ€™t just for me. Good food without good service is a deal breaker in a market as competitive as Houston and Li knows it. Born in Hong Kong, Li was a resident of Los Angeles and Chicago â€“ where she was in the restaurant business â€“ before moving with her mother to Houston 24 years ago. Li first got a job at the Houlihanâ€™s on Westheimer before quickly being promoted to bartender. For more than 20 years, Li was the face of Tony Mandolaâ€™s bar

Photo by Betsy Denson Ginger & Forkâ€™s Chow Fun with added beef.

program which explained her desire to have â€œa restaurant with really good Chinese food and a really good bar.â€? Mission accomplished. Featured dish: Chow Fun with bean sprouts, beef added As Li explained it, in Hong Kong Chow Fun is the Cantonese version of a hamburger or spaghetti and meatballs in the States â€“ in other words, itâ€™s comfort food. As ubiquitous as

Chow Fun is, it is actually really hard to make well because the noodles are so flat and itâ€™s hard to stir fry them without either the noodles getting stuck together, or without burning the soy sauce. Li said it is their test kitchen dish for new hires. Mine was perfect â€“ a tribute to the Cantonese-speaking chefs who work in the kitchen. Fun fact: the point of sale receipts are in English and Cantonese so everyone can read them. My dish came with flank steak which I recommend, but you can get the vegetarian version, too. Today, I share just one

dish, but I would be remiss if I didnâ€™t also recommend the soup dumplings. You may be asking yourself how soup and dumplings can go together, but you just have to try them. Li can coach you on the right way to eat them, and sheâ€™ll no doubt have a good story for you, too. Editorâ€™s note: this has been edited to include the Ginger & Fork restaurant name; it was left off in its first printing in our Dec. 16 edition.

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w w w. g i n g e r a n d f o r k r e s t au r a n t . c o m

Page 8A • Saturday, December 23, 2017 • The Leader

Reader-submitted Best Picks

Astros from P. 1A “I had lights already from past years, but we had to go buy more,” said Daigre. Aside from being a hit with Daigre’s wife Rebecca and their two children, the house was a major draw during the Lights in the Heights event. The Daigres greeted many of them who stopped to take photos with the displays. Daigre even readjusted the spires of the championship trophy so people could step inside it for a photo. There are signs asking people not to touch the displays and Daigre says for the most part people are respectful.

For the 12th year in a row, the family’s front yard has won an award from the Woodland Heights Civic Association. This year they were the best representation of #HOUSTONSTRONG at Lights in the Heights. With honor though, comes responsibility. “We go check it out every day,” said Daigre. The Daigres’ family and friends are enjoying this year so much that next year’s effort is not even on their radar. “I won’t think about it until next November,” said Daigre.

Photo by Betsy Denson Pay attention and you’ll notice Kate Upton on the home run train.

Photo submitted by David Bartula

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Finding The Meaning of Christmas Pastor Virginia Wall St. Matthews United Methodist Church The spirit of Christmas is in the air. I love giving gifts that make people happy. There is a childlike joy that stirs within my soul when I see the Christmas lights illuminating places that once were encased in darkness. As I drive on the streets and through neighborhoods, evidence of Christmas is all around. Christmas lights in varied colors, Nativity displays, angels, candy canes, Disney inflatable characters, and Santa Clause images

in various ethnic styles adorning the front yards and window sills of many homes. The variety of displays warms my heart and prompts me to reflect more on the meaning of Christmas. What does Christmas mean to you? I invited my congregation at St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church to share what Christmas mean to them. Some of the responses include, love, family and friends, kindness, great hope, joy, peace on earth, Jesus’ light, worship, singing, the most wonderful time of the year, celebration, and excitement. Christmas truly is about all of the above and more.

It is about celebrating the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ. God clothed divinity in human flesh, nurtured in the womb of a teenage maiden, and entered our earthly realm as an infant dependent on human parents. How awesome! The awesome narrative of God’s Christmas story in Luke 2:1-20 is the foundation of the meaning of Christmas. In this story, I am reminded that all of creation is important to God. Human beings, animals, and the heavenly angelic hosts were all invited to participate in the beginning of Christmas joy to the

world. As Christians, we have a firm foundation in Jesus Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection. It is the pillar of our salvation and the hope of living in relationship with God, now and into eternity. As I prepare to celebrate Christmas, I am reflecting on what Christmas means to me. First, it means that my faith in the birth of Jesus allows me to experience the awesome mystery of God’s gifts of hope, peace, joy, and love in my life, not only in December, but throughout the year. As I open myself to the working of these gifts through the Holy Spirit, I am gradually

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service 5:30pm 240 W. 18th www.heightspc.org

Unleash Your Faith – Unlock God’s Power James Dixon, II Community of Faith Church Bishop James Dixon, II noted speaker and author of Unleash Your Faith-Unlock God’s Power preaches faith as Kingdom currency Unleash Your Faith – Unlock God’s Power is the vehicle for becoming a visible manifestation of God’s power in the presence of people! To experience living a blessed life, having a fruitful ministry, have a self-sustaining business or anyone wanting to expand their horizons must believe that God will unite with human efforts to do what cannot be done in the ordinary. Many people today are plagued with doubts as to how to experience the extraordinary. In the Holy Scripture it is evident that faith helps the believer to access abundance and achieve the extraordinary of what God’s will is for our lives. Dr. John Bisagno, Pastor Emeritus of First Baptist Church, Houston and Bishop Paul Morton of New Orleans, Louisiana and Atlanta, Georgia and I agree that there are certain principles that should be developed so that faith will show its best work. Let us discover the keys of faith that highlight the journey of walking by faith and not by sight. There are seven power keys of faith. Power keys such as: passages of faith, principles of faith, promises of faith, people of faith, practices of faith, process of faith, and proof of faith. Yet after acquiring these keys, a be-

liever in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, nothing happens until that faith is released. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God, so initially the believer must hear the Word of God. Sadly, too many Christians are bullied and do not believe that we can make our dreams a reality. When you release your faith after being empowered by the Word of God, even the devil must flee. People who enter your space need to be speak, pray, and work while waiting for the manifestation of their faith. To overcome doubt and disbelief, total trust in the knowledge and favor of God is necessary. “Faith is an uncompromising confidence in God’s ability, to perform His perfect will on my behalf, no matter what the opposition.” In Mark 11: 22-24 the NASB version tells us to have faith in God and doubt not. Thus, when you pray believe that you have received what you petition for according to God’s will for you. The second most powerful step is to realize that faith does not require tangible evidence. Seeing is not believing. So, we should speak faith at every opportunity. While waiting for the manifestation it is essential to delight yourself in the Word of God and his precepts. When we pray, we turn on the switch so electrical current called faith flows between us and God. Delay does not mean denial, so we hope and work understanding that God is preparing us for the blessing that we will receive as heirs of Father Abraham by faith.

being transformed into a better person with a passion to live after the example of Jesus, my Lord and Savior. Second, Christmas means that as long as I live on this earth, I have opportunities for new beginnings with Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I can choose to allow the light of Christ to shine through me in positive ways that would encourage and uplift others to be the best that God created them to be. The alternative is not acceptable. Light will always overshadow darkness and give birth to joy. Finally, I hope the thoughts

shared on the meaning of Christmas will stir you to reflect more on the meaning of Christmas for you as you live in a changing world. I am looking forward to worshiping the King, exchanging presents with family and friends, making room for Jesus to come in by serving and spreading joy to those who need to know the true meaning of Christmas. Joy has come to the world in the birth of Jesus. He is EmmanuelGod, with us. In the Christmas hymn, “Joy to the World,” Isaac Watts wrote “Let every heart prepare him room . . .” Merry Christmas!

Christmas Candlelight Communion Service Sunday, December 24 - 4:15pm

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December 25 at 10:00 AM

CHRISTMAS DAY 10:00 AM

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Gethsemane Lutheran Church welcomes you to join us in celebrating our Savior’s birth! In addition to regular 9am Sunday morning services, seasonal services include:

Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship Sun. Dec. 24, 7:00pm

Christmas Day Worship

Mon. Dec. 25 9:30am

New Year’s Eve Worship

Sun. Dec. 31, 7:00pm 4040 Watonga Blvd. Houston, TX www.gethsemanelutheran.org Find us on Facebook!