February 22 Section A

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Time T m to o ge g gett

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Inside Today: Fate of vacant Pinemont property up in air • Page 4A

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District 148 seat back up for grabs By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com It’s been nearly one month since Anna Eastman was elected to the Texas House of Representatives, but she hasn’t been able to conduct much business in that role. The Heights Democrat has been too busy trying to keep her seat. Eastman bested 14 other candidates in the special election for the District 148 seat

vacated in September by Jessica Farrar, earning her place at the Texas Capitol by beating Republican Lui La Rotta in a runoff that ended Jan. 28. Exactly three weeks later, on Tuesday, the seat was up for grabs again as early voting began for the March 3 primary. Tuesday also was the first time Eastman traveled to Austin since being elected by the voters of Northwest Houston. See District 148 P. 8A

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INSIDE. Photo by Anthony Rathbun A cyclist pops a wheelie during a Downtown Houston parade. The city’s inaugural Art Bike Parade, modeled after the Art Car Parade, is scheduled for May 9 on Allen Parkway and Sam Houston Park.

Houston expanding avenues for cyclists Page 1B

Deep-fried goodness. Zarah Parker reviews Jax Grill, an area staple for American food.

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By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

Houston continues to bet big on bikes. Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis pledged Monday to donate $7.4 million to help complete Bayou Greenways 2020, a transformative public-private project that aims to create 3,000 acres of greenspace along Houston’s watersheds along with 150 miles of connected trails for hiking and cycling. In conjunction with the final stages of the initiative, the Houston Parks Board announced two inaugural events planned for the spring that will showcase some of the recreational space and cater to the city’s expanding bike culture. The Sights & Sounds Festival will be held April 4 along a 2-mile stretch of White Oak Bayou from Stude Park in the Heights to the University of Houston-Downtown. Then the Art Bike Parade, in the same vein as the popular Art Car Parade, will take place May 9 from Allen Parkway to Sam Houston See Bike P. 8A

Facing the masses. An outdoor art exhibit downtown profiles an array of Houstonians.

For Booker T. Washington High School Principal Carlos Phillips, it started out as another Monday at the school he’s led for five years. Phillips was gearing up for a school safety assembly scheduled for the afternoon, and even after he saw Grenita Lathan in the auditorium, he thought she would be a speaker at the gathering. And she was, but what Houston ISD’s interim superintendent had to say was a welcome surprise to Phillips. He was recognized as HISD’s 2020 Secondary Principal of the Year in front of an enthusiastic crowd of students and staff. And that wasn’t all. Representatives from Texas grocery chain H-EB also were on hand to tell Phillips he is a finalist in its annual Excellence in Education Awards competition. The finalist award netted Phillips $1,000 with another $2,500 going to Washington. Phillips, the only HISD principal to be a finalist, will compete against peers from across the state for H-E-B’s top principal award, which will be announced in May. If he wins, he will receive $10,000 with another $25,000 for the school. H-E-B spokesperson Jill Reynolds said Phillips was chosen as a finalist from an application he submitted. “We look for principals who go above and beyond,” Reynolds said. Once he got over the shock of his dual recognitions, Phillips thanked both See Principal P. 8A

Photo by Adam Zuvanich Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis speaks during a Monday news conference about the status of the Bayou Greenways 2020 initiative in Houston.

Photo by Betsy Denson Booker T. Washington High School principal Carlos Phillips celebrates with the school’s cheerleaders on Monday.

Local is key at upcoming Hardy Yards brewpub By Zarah Parker zarah@theleadernews.com

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

Washington HS principal Phillips doubly honored By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com

Professional Legal Services For Wills, Probate Estate Planning & General Civil Matters

Concern in Shady Acres. A mixed-income housing project is in the works.

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Photo by Carla Gomez James “Huggy Bear” Wolfe of Local Group Brewing in Hardy Yards visits with patrons.

In the expansive scheme of the universe, three guys wanted to zoom in on one part of Houston and share good beer and good food with the community. Local Group Brewing, 1504 Chapman St., was founded by Heights residents Todd Donewear and Michael Steeves along with James “Huggy Bear” Wolfe with the idea of being a fine-tuned local outpost of beer and food. It opens Feb. 28.

“Everything is made in-house or locally sourced,” Steeves said. “Being hyperlocal, that’s kind of what we want to be.” Being residents of the Heights, Donewear and Steeves are familiar with locals supporting local businesses and see that same vibe pouring into Hardy Yards, which is where the brewpub is located. While beer is a focal point for Local Group, it also will feature a full food menu. Steeves described it as a brewery that has its own restaurant or a restaurant that brews its own beer.

“We always wanted it to be a cool place for people to come,” Steeves said, “so we wanted to have a focus on food.” The 2,700 square-foot brewhouse and cellar space is under the control of Wolfe, the co-founder and head brewer. He’s been brewing professionally for eight years and has worked for Southern Star Brewing Co. in Conroe and No Label Brewing Co. in Katy. During its soft-opening phase, Local Group will open with an abSee Local P. 6A


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