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Topsy turvy job market rough ride for many

By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com As a union stagehand for many of Houston’s theatre productions, Oak Forest resident Kenn Coplan said he prides himself on always being prepared for the unexpected.

But he’d just as well skip the spectacle that is now unfolding, shuttering Houston’s Theater District as well as thousands of other businesses in the city. Along with 10 million others in the U.S. over the past

two weeks, Coplan has filed for unemployment benefits.

His wife, Martha, a wardrobe dresser for the Houston Ballet, is out of work, too.

They have a 2-year-old son.

“One half of our income disappeared,” Coplan said.

People all over the city, state, country and world are dealing with the collateral damage caused by COVID-19, the upper-respiratory disease caused by the new strain of coronavirus, and area resi-

Contributed photo Kenn and Martha Coplan are temporarily out of work.

Timber Kings

dents have not been immune.

The pandemic has infected more than 1 million people worldwide and had Related story a devabout working from home astating economic Page 4A impact on many more.

Coplan said he his wife hope they can return to their jobs in August or September. Coplan See Work P. 4A

Local YMCA providing free produce twice per week

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

Jason Knebel (713)232-9712

jasonk@greenwoodking.com GREENWOOD KING

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Your neighborhood living room in The Heights Serving coffee, tea, wine, beer, savories and sweets 7 am to 9 pm daily.

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INSIDE. Photo by Jacki Schaefer The Hays family of Timbergrove Manor dressed up like the characters from “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness” for a recent neighborhood photo shoot that raised money for charity.

Timbergrove family has fun with photos for charity Trending to virtual. Telehealth services are becoming increasingly popular.

Page 1B

Young boy shot. A 5-year-old boy was shot last weekend at the Houston Farmers Market.

Page 4B

Good use of alcohol. A new area distillery has pivoted to producing hand sanitizer.

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com All the cool cats and kittens in TImbergrove Manor recently had family photos taken for a good cause.

One of those families channeled the wild animal within them and took the idea to a whole other level.

Timbergrove resident and professional photographer Jacki Schaefer took drive-by porch pictures last week of 14 different families in her neighborhood, asking them to donate money to the World Health Organization or Houston Food Bank in lieu of paying her for the service.

Thirteen of those families played it straight for their portraits, while the other got more creative.

David and Courtnie Hays, along with their three young children, dressed up as the characters on the new Netflix docuseries called “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness.” David was the mullet-sporting, zoo-keeping main character Joe Exotic, while Courtnie played the role of his nemesis, animal rights activist Carole Baskin of Big Cat Rescue. Their children dressed up as John Finlay (Exotic’s tattooed ex-husband) as well as a lion and a cheetah.

“We’re bored to smithereens. We have not left our house since March 12,” Courtnie Hays said. “We were just trying to find a way to pass some time and be funny

See YMCA P. 4A

Photo by Jacki Schaefer A Timbergrove Manor family poses for a portrait on their front porch. Fourteen families in the neighborhood had photos taken in exchange for donations to the Houston Food Bank or World Health Organization.

and not take ourselves too seriously and just have some fun.”

Schaefer said photographing her neighbors was an enjoyable way to continue practicing her craft, which is not considered an essential business that can operate during See Timber P. 5A

Contributed photo A volunteer carries a box of produce at a food distribution event at a YMCA in the Houston area.

Area churches celebrating Easter at safe distance

By Zarah Parker

Page 9A

zarah@theleadernews.com

THE INDEX. Church....................................................... 5A Classifieds.............................................. 6A Coupons................................................... 8A Food/Drink/Art................................... 9A Obituaries............................................... 2B Opinion..................................................... 3A Public Information......................... 4B Puzzles...................................................... 3A

Houston ISD started serving food again on Monday, after its distribution program took a hiatus of nearly two weeks. The Houston Parks and Recreation Department also has been providing free food to families during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 10 locations in or near the area.

There now is another resource for Northwest Houston residents who need sustenance – their local YMCA. The Harriet and Joe Foster Family YMCA, located at 1234 W. 34th St., began distributing free produce to the community on Thursday and will continue to do so twice per week until May. Its fruit and vegetable distribution events, in a partnership with the Houston Food Bank and Houston-based nonprofit Brighter Bites, are scheduled for 11 a.m.-3 p.m. every Monday and Thursday through May 4.

“Other agencies are providing a similar service, but the need continues to grow,” said Sarah Grai, executive director of the local YMCA. “We just want to be able to be there to support that need.”

The initiative is part of a larger effort by the YMCA of Greater Houston, which has set up 15 distribution sites throughout the region. Since the program started March 9, the YMCA said it has served about 17,500 individuals and 4,500 fami-

Contributed by Emily Garcia St. Rose of Lima Catholic Community’s pastor, Fr. Rafael “Rafa” Becerra, passed out palms last Saturday.

This Sunday, area churches are finding ways to celebrate Easter while keeping their congregations safe from potential exposure to COVID-19, the upper-respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus strain.

Many churches are choosing to continue suspending regular inperson services even after Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo amended her “stay-at-home, work safe” order last week to allow for

churches and other houses of worship to hold services as long as they practice social distancing guidelines by maintaining at least 6 feet of separation people who are not part of the same family. The amendment is consistent with an executive order previously issued by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

Emily Garcia of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Community, 3600 Brinkman St., said that during Holy Week, which began on Palm Sunday last week, attendance is usually up. So attempting to hold

services with social distancing in place would be nearly impossible.

However, with the amendment, churches are able to expand their reach beyond a computer or television screen. St. Rose distributed the palms to its parish members through a drive-through pickup.

“Our priests blessed our palms and distributed them on Saturday,” Garcia said. “Our Holy Week looks very much like it would any other year, except it’s done virtually.”

See Church P. 5A

Page 2A • Saturday, April 11, 2020 • The Leader

HOUSTON, WE CAN CARE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, CONTROL THE SPREAD,

SAVE LIVES

Houston is strong. When confronted with adversity, we band together and overcome. And though this coronavirus pandemic is unprecedented, we face it the same way — together.

Houston Methodist would like to thank our employees, physicians, scientists and all health care workers who are committed to helping the community. Together we can make our city healthy and vibrant again.

houstonmethodist.org | #houstonwecan

THE TOPICS. The Leader • Saturday, April 11, 2020 • Page 3A

Don’t forget the healing power of laughter

M

y wife says I’m crazy, but I live by an overwhelming philosophy that certain foods fit in certain seasons of the year.

Take a hearty soup – chili or taco or potato. You don’t eat heavy soup when it’s 94 degrees and the air feels like roux. That’s a winter food, and don’t try to disagree.

Fish? Chicken? Those light meats belong in the spring and summer, along with a crisp salad.

Red meat? Sure, pile it on whenever you like, but don’t pretend the best brisket isn’t cooked in fall.

I’ve thought a lot about food lately because, well, you know the answer. Are you and your family playing the Pandemic Pounds Challenge? If this blasted coronavirus doesn’t kill us, diabetes and heart disease must be right around the corner.

As part of the Challenge, I’ve tossed my seasonal sustenance philosophy out with the rubber gloves.

My wife cooked a concoction of potato, chicken and rice stew the other day. It was near 90 degrees outside, and I still ate it. What else am I going to do with no sports on TV and no neighborhood children willing to spread germs with my kids?

The problem is my wife, the more

Jonathan McElvy Publisher

I think about it. She’s one of those people whose metabolism is stuck in her teens – curse her!

The other day, she said, “Wow, some fried shrimp would be so good tonight.” I went to the store, bought the batter and peanut oil, and threw in a box of hushpuppies.

The very next day, she said we should support the local pizzeria, because it’s a family-owned business. We ate pizza.

There are two groups of people reading this right now. The first group wants to call an ambulance and send it directly to my house.

You’re sickened because I haven’t even mentioned a vegetable (I said salad!), and you’re concerned that I’m perilously close to creating the complete social-distance arch of six feet with my stomach.

The second group just read the

previous 300 words and said, “Yep.” All the news we’re reading today is too glum. We can’t take our eyes off the ticker of infected people, not to mention the count of those who have died from this virus. If you ask my opinion, we’re watching that stuff way too much, and we’re not spending enough time laughing at the real humor of turning our lives upside down.

So why don’t we laugh at ourselves a bit more, and discuss the other two things (beyond heavier grades of ourselves) coming from this pandemic.

Do you have any idea how many incredible artists are going to come out of this global tragedy? It’s happening, and all you parents know exactly why.

Last week, I decided to bring my oldest son, Hank, to work with me.

He needed a break from his siblings, but more important, I could devote some of my educational chops to continuing his kindergarten education.

Hank’s school district provided a package of learning materials, and if that packet is any indication of what the next 12 grades will be for the poor lad, he may end up as smart as a box of rocks.

After spending 10 minutes fail-

Lynn Ashby Columnist

the 5G mobile network. Conspiracy theorists on Facebook videos have falsely claimed that the 5G network created the virus by “sucking oxygen out of people’s lungs.” (Facebook has a lot to answer for by passing on these false reports.)

Did you know that coronavirus was made in a laboratory?

It wasn’t, but videos on social media claim that coronavirus escaped a lab, with some saying the “bioweapon” was purposefully released, and others claiming it was an accident.

Joanne Wright, a Republican who ran for Congress in California, tweeted on Feb. 27, “The Corona virus is a man made virus created in a Wuhan laboratory. Ask @BillGates who financed it.” She lost in the primary.

H. L. Menken, a Baltimore author and cynic, wrote, “No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.” Don’t believe him? You, lucky you!

Mister Occupant, can buy an “oxygen concentration” machine for $3,080, a “Corona Necklace Air Purifier,” which for $59 will provide “All Day Protection.” How about a $299 pill that promises “AntiViral Protection” for 30 days.

A coronavirus test kit for $29.99 to $79. None of these have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration or anybody else, but these are only some of the bargains found online by The New York Times (don’t you just hate the press?) that are being peddled to the Great Unwashed -- unless they wash with sesame oil.

Now we hit new territory.

You’ve heard of Bible thumpers – those evangelical Christians who loudly proclaim the gospel. Well now we have Bible Trumpers, big-time preachers who endorse President Trump (and somehow maintain their IRS exemptions). They seem to have a direct connection to God and a cure for coronavirus. You may have read about these: Apostle Guillermo Maldonado has both visited the White House and hosted Trump. In a recording posted to his YouTube channel on March 17, Maldonado declared that he had ordered the virus to “dissolve, disintegrate, die in Jesus’ mighty name” and told those infected to “be healed in Jesus’ mighty name.” Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne, who was among the evangelical leaders who laid hands on the president in an Oval Office ceremony in 2017, claimed he would cure the entire state of Florida of coronavirus. He also encouraged his congregation to shake hands, claiming “this has to be the safest place.” He

our garage.

If we’re getting heavier and more creative, we’re also getting cleaner.

Seriously, does anyone need anything power washed around their house, because I’ve got time.

The first weekend, I cranked up that pressure washer and spent two hours blasting piercing water into our back patio. It was as liberating as it was destructive on my lower back.

The next weekend, my wife asked if I would do the same thing to the garage. I got to the end of the garage and accidentally cleaned off one strip of concrete in the driveway. And you know what that means for a manic like me?

That’s right, it meant I had to do that entire section of the driveway, to make it all the same shade of engine oil.

I’m not a handyman by nature, but by gosh I’ve got time on my hands and nothing to watch on Saturday or Sunday afternoons. Next week, I’m going to power wash all the trees in our yard. Right after I print Hank a coloring book and eat a bowl of stew.

Stay safe, my friends. Just don’t forget to laugh.

Email jonathan@mcelvymedia.com

THE READER.

Myth information “I just spoke with a friend who got called into an emergency meeting at his hospital.

He said the virus is spreading quickly from gas pumps.

He said to wear gloves or have a paper towel touch the pump and throw the napkin or gloves out before you get back in the car. Please tell everyone you know. Shopping carts as well, wipe them down.”

(This must have made a mess around the pumps.)

Did you receive this warning? It’s making the rounds. I might believe it more if there was a name, time, place and what hospital? As with most rumors and myths, this one contains a bit of truth. We should, indeed, wipe our hands after using gas pumps, parking meters, door knobs and hand grenades. But I’m not sure about spraying alcohol or chlorine all over my body to kill the new coronavirus. That’s one of the preventatives being passed around.

Or I can just touch my TV set. Yes, it’s time again to set the record straight with what works to keep us off the ventilators. Trust me. Have I ever misled you? OK, there is no President Hillary, Y2K didn’t end the world and I did pick Poland over Germany. Only in hindsight was I wrong to warn you against buying stock in that start-up by a book peddler in Seattle, Jeff Bezos.

For advice we turn to the foremost experts on such matters, the World Health Organization, or WHO, among others. Let’s get started. No, hand dryers, like you see in restaurant restrooms, will not kill the new coronavirus. Neither will an ultraviolet disinfection lamp. Actually, using one can harm your skin. While pets can spread certain forms of coronavirus, WHO says that currently there is no evidence pets can be infected with or spread the new coronavirus.

But, dummy, you should still wash your hands after petting Fluffy. You don’t know where she’s been. Pneumonia vaccines cannot protect you against the new coronavirus, nor can anything else. You see, there is no vaccine that can. None. There are reports out that eating garlic can help prevent infection with the new coronavirus. No, but eating garlic will keep people six feet away from you. “You can protect yourself from the virus by swallowing or gargling bleach.” If you really believe that, go ahead. Who’s your next of kin? Here’s another: “It isn’t safe to receive a letter or a package from China.”

WHO reports that’s a lie.

“People receiving packages from China are not at risk of contracting the new coronavirus. From previous analysis, we know coronaviruses do not survive long on objects, such as letters or packages.”

A new remedy being passed on: Slathering yourself in sesame oil can block the new coronavirus from entering the body. No, but it does sound kinky. I love this one: Coronavirus is spreading because of

ing to discern what, exactly, my son was to do with this packet, I scrapped the whole thing, jumped on my computer, and searched for “free printable science worksheets for kindergarten.”

Welcome to Pinterest, my friends, where brick-and-mortar schools may become a thing of the past. I printed sheets for an hour, except I didn’t read any of the instructions until showing the pages to Hank.

The instructions, as you might guess, suggested that I (the parent) read a story to Hank and have him try to write down the answers to a series of questions. Wait, I have to help him do this work?

I threw all those sheets away, and instead printed another hour’s worth of worksheets he could figure out on his own. Except he couldn’t, which meant I spent another hour explaining all the exercises.

Eventually, we left the office, ordered some chicken nuggets, and came back with a new plan.

“Here son, color these.” I printed 15 Pinterest sheets of different characters of Mario Brothers, and Hank spent the rest of the day becoming an artist, which I deem to be exceptional parenting. Another few weeks of this type of learning, and we’ll probably open a gallery in

Email us your letters: news@theleadernews.com

A thought on COVID-19

vowed that “this church will never close.” Maldonado said that the idea of shutting down to avoid spreading the disease was a “demonic spirit.” Three days later, Maldonado closed his church.

Only in Texas: Kenneth Copeland of Tarrant County, who owns three private jets, visited the White House in 2018 for a dinner for evangelical leaders. Appearing on the Victory Channel, which his church operates, Copeland said it was the president’s critics who “opened the door” to the pandemic with their “displays of hate” that had interfered with “divine protection.”

He also said: “Put your hand on that television set. Hallelujah. Thank you, Lord Jesus.

He received your healing.”

That is hard to believe.

However, if you just touch this newspaper….

Ashby heals at ashby2@comcast.net

Dear Editor: I think I’ve learned from all this that it is human nature to want to look forward to short term upcoming activities in our lives, as mundane as they may be. Nobody has any of these at this time in order to keep our general spirit buoyed. Our fear of merely leaving the home and uncertainty about any sense of predictability are overshadowing our vision of the near future and expectation of some version of simple joy.

Ron Holdman

services, the National Family Caregiver Support program, and other services that enhance quality of life.

Please join me in thanking Congressman Dan Crenshaw (TX-02) for supporting this legislation.

I would also like to thank him for his leadership during the current COVID-19 crisis.

If you would like to be part of our next big Alzheimer’s legislative win, visit alzimpact.org/ volunteer to join the fight.

Don Baird Houston & Southeast Texas Chapter Alzheimer’s Association Board Chairman

Congress passes the Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act

Alone among millions

Dear Editor: There are more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s, including 400,000 here in Texas. Recently, Congress passed the Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act, including key elements of the Younger-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease Act of 2019 (H.R. 1903/S. 901), critical legislation that will improve the health outcomes of people living with dementia.

I lost my wife to AD in 2013. She was diagnosed in 2009 at the age of 57. She was only 62 when she lost her battle with this horrid disease.

I want to thank Congressman Dan Crenshaw for supporting the House passage of the Younger-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease Act of 2019, through the Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act. This critical vote will allow individuals living with Younger-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease to access supports and services from programs under the Older Americans Act (OAA). Those programs include nutritional services, supportive

Dear Editor: Thank God for you Mr. Ashby. As your colleagues jump on the lemming bandwagon, you are a ray of light. This column made me laugh out loud.

Claire Johnson Dear Editor: Great to read this and see that you are still writing. Keep on. God gives us laughter for a reason. Times like this. Thank you.

Brandee

Hidalgo amends stay-at-home order to allow for religious services

Dear Editor: People get real. You are in danger of getting the virus let alone pass it to others. Pray at home for God’s sake. This will pass in due time.

Why rush your death sentence?

Joe Z

the leader Puzzlers.

Answers found in this week’s Classified section

SUDOKU

aCrOss 1. Malay sailboats 6. Beach material 10. Heroic tale 14. Peers 15. Unseen 17. Plucking implement 19. Radioactivity unit 20. Stamping device 21. Quake 22. Foot (Latin) 23. Living body covering 24. Turfs 26. Gate swinging devices 29. Nail 31. Sharp bodily pain 32. Status equality 34. Horse height measure 35. Political Asylum Research & Documentation Service 37. 20’s - 30’s art design 38. Payment (abbr.)

39. Food grain 40. Indefinitely long period of time 41. Rear 43. Without (French) 45. Wood sorrels 46. Express pleasure 47. Recurring artistic pattern 49. Deaf language

50. Runs PCs 53. Minimal punishment 57. Repeat 58. Give extreme unction to 59. Inflammatory skin disease 60. Large Aussie flightless bird 61. Polish Air Show city

dOwn 1. Anjou or comice 2. __ Nui, Easter Island 3. Towards the mouth or oral region 4. 4th Caliph of Islam 5. Soviet Socialist Republics 6. Moslem mystics 7. Game stake 8. Point midway between N and NW 9. Female deer pelts 10. Glaze used to stiffen fabrics 11. Unhittable serves 12. Pathogen 13. Promotional materials 16. Setting up a golf drive 18. Lyric poems 22. Atomic #46 23. Genus Alosa 24. __ Claus

25. Not even 27. Fencing swords 28. Conway, N.H. river 29. Brake horsepower 30. Wild leek 31. Prefix for before 33. “Splash” director Howard 35. Sleeveless apronlike dress 36. Book of the Apostles mission 37. V.P. Quayle 39. Dish directions 42. Revolve 43. Particular instance of selling 44. Exclamation of surprise 46. Wimbledon champion Arthur 47. Millisecond 48. Ammo & chemical corp.

49. Tip of Aleutian Islands 50. Expired 51. Norway’s capital 52. Plant stalk 53. Macaws 54. Indochina battleground (slang) 55. Armed conflict 56. Ribonucleic acid

WORD SCRAMBLE

Page 4A • Saturday, April 11, 2020 • The Leader

Area nonprofit assists with childcare resource for essential workers

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

A local nonprofit is helping those on the front lines of Houston’s COVID-19 response look after their little loved ones.

Heights-based Collaborative for Children, in a partnership with the Houston Endowment, Gulf Coast Workforce Board, City of Houston and Harris County, has launched an online tool to help first responders and other essential workers find childcare. The program also will help those parents cover the cost of childcare as the region copes with the spread of COVID-19, the upperrespiratory disease caused by the new strain of coronavirus.

By completing an online registration form at FindChildCareNow.org, essential

workers with children age 12 and younger will be referred to up to three available childcare centers. They also will be notified within two business days whether they are eligible for financial assistance.

“We as a community are indebted to essential workers who are making a huge sacrifice,” Melanie Johnson, president of CEO of Collaborative for Children, said in a news release. “We believe it is imperative that we sustain quality early learning for Houston-area young children even during this crisis.”

Essential workers are defined as those working in essential industries while the city and county are under a “stay-at-home, work safe” order through April 30. Among those necessary industries are the healthcare, government, transportation and

Photo from Twitter Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo speaks at a news conference Monday announcing a region-wide partnership that will help provide child care for essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

energy professions as well as businesses related to food and agriculture, critical manufacturing, news media and

financial services.

For a complete list of businesses considered essential by the state of Texas, visit

Local schools benefit from book donation

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

Some area families cannot afford to buy books for their children. Even if they can, they cannot go to bookstores, which are closed during the stay-at-home order in effect through April for Houston and Harris County.

Libraries are not operating, either, and schools also are closed as the region hunkers down in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19, the upper-respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus strain.

Fortunately for the students at three local elementary schools, they’re getting some tangible literature to help them stay busy. The books they’re receiving are helping them learn, too.

The Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation recently donated 100,000 new children’s books to Houston ISD, which is distributing them last week to students at 50 of its elementary and middle school campuses. The area schools benefitting are Helms Elementary in the Heights, Highland Heights Elementary in Acres Homes and Katherine Smith

Elementary near Mangum Manor, with students at those schools receiving two books apiece while supplies last.

“Our students usually take a lot of books from our classroom libraries and school library, so having books to read at home is always good,” Helms principal Lola PerejonLasheras said. “It keeps them connected with school life.

Having a book in your hand connects you with literature and gives you so many opportunities.”

In a news release from HISD, the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation said it purchased the books in a partnership with publisher Scholastic – which provided some free books and waived expedited shipping fees – as well as Phillips 66 and the foundation’s Ladies for Literacy Guild. The foundation said the purpose of donating them is to “help bridge the learning gap while schools and libraries are closed across the city due to the coronavirus.”

HISD said about 75 percent of its 210,000 students are considered economically disadvantaged and qualify for the National School Lunch Program, which it said is “a

strong indicator that books are a luxury that many of the families in our community cannot afford.” According to HISD’s campus demographic report for the 2019-20 school year, 63 percent of the students at Helms are economically disadvantaged, along with 92 percent of the students at Highland Heights and 93 percent of the students at Katherine Smith.

“The enormity and complexity of the challenges facing families right now are substantial and overwhelming to grasp,” Julie Baker Finck, president of the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation, said in the news release. “Providing books is a small, yet vital aspect of helping parents find meaningful ways to engage and support their child’s continued learning at home during widespread closures.”

The book distribution started at participating campuses on Thursday, and in a drivethrough format in order to practice social distancing. At Helms, where Perejon-Lasheras personally handed out books while wearing gloves and a protective mask, students with last names that start with A-L picked up books

Thursday, while M-Z students could pick them up Friday.

Along with delivering the donated books as well as printed curriculum documents that families can use while learning at home, Perejon-Lasheras said it was a good way for students and their teachers to reconnect.

The principal said some families told her it also was a good excuse to take a “field trip” of sorts.

“They were excited to see us,” she said. “We miss them, and they miss us.”

A variety of books, catered to students in varying grade levels from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, are being distributed. They include Spanish-language books, which Perejon-Lasheras said are especially valuable to her students.

Helms is a dual language immersion school. PerejonLasheras said roughly half of her 489 students speak Spanish as a first language.

“It’s easier to find books in English and not in Spanish,” she said, “so I was really grateful to get all those books and share them with my community.”

https://www.cisa.gov/identifying-critical-infrastructureduring-covid-19.

The program, which according to Johnson is being funded by the Houston Endowment and Gulf Coast Workforce Board, aims to provide assistance to those who need child care, those who need child care and financial assistance, and those who already have child care but need financial assistance.

“First responders, healthcare workers, grocery store clerks and other essential workers show up for us every day,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said. “This is how we can show up for them.”

Johnson said the FindChildCareNow.org database, which her nonprofit created in 2000, includes roughly 4,000 childcare centers in the 13-county Houston region.

She said many of those centers are home-based.

Johnson also said about 24 percent of the region’s childcare centers have closed during the COVID-19 pandemic because of a decrease in clients. So the program that aims to help the area’s essential workforce, she said, also will help those in the childcare business.

Johnson said Collaborative for Children, located at 1111 N Loop W, also provides coaching to childcare centers in an attempt to strengthen learning opportunities.

“This is really helping the full spectrum of childcare,” Johnson said. “People can go to work, children will have access to more childcare centers when this passes, and it’s also helping the child be school-ready.”

Follow Adam Zuvanich on Twitter @AZuvanich

YMCA, from P. 1A lies.

HISD, which suspended its district-wide program March 25 after it was discovered that someone at a distribution site might have been exposed to COVID-19, relaunched the program Monday at 22 locations, including on Thursdays at Frank Black Middle School at 1575 Chantilly Ln. The city’s parks and recreation department has weekday distribution events at 50 locations, including at Candlelight Park Community Center, Highland Park Community Center, Independence Heights Community Center, Love Community Center and Stude Park Community Center.

At the YMCA on 34th Street, residents of any age can receive 30 pounds of produce, which will be distributed in a drive-through format in order to practice social distancing. Grai said those who drive to the site will be asked two questions – the zip code in which they reside and the number of people in their family – before having the produce placed in the trunk of their vehicle.

“While the Foster YMCA may be closed, the hearts of our staff, like Sarah Grai, remain open to continue to be here for our community,” said Marie Arcos, the vice

president of governmental and community affairs for the YMCA of Greater Houston.

Grai said the produce distribution is an extension of sorts of the local YMCA’s community outreach in Northwest Houston. It operates a year-round food pantry and after-school program at Casa Grande Apartments, located at 5700 Thousand Oaks Circle.

But those services are suspended because of the local outbreak of COVID-19, the upper-respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus strain. As of late Tuesday, there had been more than 2,100 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Houston and Harris County, along with 23 deaths caused by the disease.

The elderly are at the highest risk of developing serious complications from COVID-19, and that also is the most-served group by the local YMCA. Grai said about a third of its members are seniors.

Those seniors are eligible to receive free produce at the YMCA. So are younger adults and children.

“It’s a broad range of audiences that I think will show up and utilize the service,” Grai said. “This is open to the entire community. NO restrictions.”

Work, from P. 1A has been trying to get in touch with their health insurance provider to make sure they are covered but hasn’t yet been able to get answers.

When he applied for unemployment benefits, Coplan said there was about a week’s delay to get into the system because of a glitch with the PIN number.

Now, he’s just waiting to see when he’ll get his benefits as well as stimulus money from the CARES Act, otherwise known as the coronavirus aid package.

“Right now, we’re OK,” Coplan said.

“We’re artists, so we have projects to work on. We’re trying to make masks and find gloves. We can help each other to (reduce) the negative impact.”

While Garden Oaks resident Cat Theriot did not lose her job, she is trying to keep her own company afloat. In 2017, she left her corporate job in IT to launch The House Manager, a one-stop shop that offers home repair, home maintenance and concierge services to busy families.

Now, the two remodel jobs Theriot was working are on hold indefinitely, the administrative assistant she hired has gone from salaried to hourly and her project manager is sitting idle. She’s making enough to cover insurance and pay overhead costs but worries about an ongoing shutdown.

“This was the year I went all in,” Theriot said. “I was going to concentrate on sales and market concierge services in the Galleria area. I worked so hard to get where I am. I’d just like a paycheck right now.”

Her husband also owns his own business, and they both have their eyes and ears open for all the programs that help them. In the meantime, Theriot is promoting outdoor home projects people might want like painting, washing and roof repair as well as an interior virtual remodeling service that would provide virtual quotes so projects can be fast-tracked when normalcy returns.

“I hope this is a blip and we’re back in May,” she said.

Andrea Rafiei, who with husband Omid runs the Houston Sports & Social Club and also purchased The Crowbar last year in a separate business venture, said the uncertainty of the present time is stressful.

The Houston Sports & Social Club is effectively shut down with the exception of a community group on Facebook where it organizes free virtual events, including trivia nights and happy hours. While The Crowbar is still open for takeout, it is limited to weekend brunch service right now.

“We’ve gotten good support, but people are spreading their business around (and) watching expenses,” Andrea Rafiei said.

According to the editors at LinkedIn, hiring in Houston was down 4.3 percent month-over-month in March. That figure

is no surprise to Oak Forest’s Kimberly Antley, who has been doing contract public relations and marketing work since 2018. Recently she’d gotten two call-back interviews for promising full-time work.

But the jobs she was applying for have since been eliminated.

“There’s never a good time for a pandemic, but it was really terrible timing,” Antley said.

In real estate, Keller Williams’ Dani Antelo said that since sellers are putting things on hold and listings are sitting, she is planning to offer her skills for free.

Along with Realtor Lily Jang, Antelo is forfeiting commissions on listings in which the seller is forced to sell because of the economic downturn.

“This will affect people for years and years,” Jang said.

Some bright spots While the hospitality and energy sectors have been hit hard, some industries are still humming along.

Oak Forest’s Rose Mary Cruz is a sales rep for True Value Hardware who works from home anyway. She has 135 accounts in a number of states and part of her job is to make sure the pipelines are filled with products that are needed. Those include – you might have guessed it – paper towels, hand sanitizer and personal protective equipment.

“I’m busy because the goods are still flowing,” Cruz said. “The distribution centers are up and running.”

Recruiter Jennifer Sudduth, who lives in Ella Lee Forest and runs Sudduth Search LLC, said there is still some hiring going on at the executive level, especially for private equity-backed companies that generally don’t stop trying to progress during a downturn.

“A lot of people are thinking about how business is going to be different when the quarantine is over,” Sudduth said.

Yolanda Juarez, a human resource generalist for The Liberty Group, said the Texas Workforce Commission waived the five-day waiting period for unemployment benefits and that the CARES Act extends unemployment eligibility by up to 13 weeks.

Since benefits are not retroactive, she encourages people to apply in a timely manner and to be sure to put in the correct information.

“I know someone who entered that they made $19 a week and not $19 an hour and it delayed things,” Juarez said.

Juarez hopes those who are out of work will take advantage of what’s available to them.

“Some people are so new to (applying),” Juarez said. “It’s not a reflection of them.”

Working from home creating new dynamics for area families

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

Kelley Walters has always had to do some work from home, typically after long days on a school campus across town.

And she usually dreaded it.

It’s now been nearly a month since Walters reported to the Harmony School of Ingenuity, the charter school in Southwest Houston where she serves as assistant principal. So she’s no longer bringing work to her home in Inwood Forest.

Instead, her work lives at home. It moved in when COVID-19 temporarily evicted people from their offices, board rooms and classrooms.

“That mental weight off my shoulders of taking work home has been lifted, because there’s no real distinction if that makes sense,” Walters said. “Because all of the work is at home.”

People all over the city – as well as the state, country and world – are adjusting to a new way of operating on account of COVID-19, the upper-respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus strain. The pandemic has infected more than 1 million across the globe and led to strict social distancing guidelines in places such as Houston, where much of the workforce is doing jobs from home.

Other area residents described circumstances similar to those of Walters, who lives with her husband and two children. Because all schools in Texas are closed until at least May 4, and utilizing online learning, many families are juggling work responsibilities with childcare and teaching.

Woodland Heights resident Jessie Sumners said she and her husband, who have two young daughters and also are working from home, have to periodically remind themselves that they aren’t the only ones who are mostly confined to their homes during Harris County’s stay-at-

home, work safe order, which is in effect through April 30.

“It’s so crazy,” Sumners said.

“It feels like you’re on an island by yourself.”

Sumners, who is an executive assistant for a point-of-sale software company, and her husband, Russell, who does IT work in the oil and gas industry, take turns tending to their daughters during the day. She said it helps when the girls are tuned in to their online schoolwork at Travis Elementary.

Walters said her 18-year-old son, a senior at Heights High School, helps look after her 18-month-old daughter while she fulfills her assistant principal responsibilities. She said she still recently had to change a diaper while conducting a video conference.

Garden Oaks attorney Tonya Knauth said the need to help her kids with their schoolwork has been the most challenging aspect of working from home. Her husband, Rick, who is an asset manager for an energy company, also is working from home but spends most of the day separated from the family so he can focus on his job duties.

Their oldest son, Christopher, is home from college in Massachusetts and taking online classes. Katherine, who attends Heights High School, and Matthew, a student at Frank Black Middle School, are engaged in distance learning as well.

“Transitioning them to remote learning is hard. That takes a tremendous amount of my time,” Tonya Knauth said. “I spend hours every day, at least right now, making sure they understand everything and are logging on to the various websites.”

Knauth, who practices probate law and does estate planning and guardianship, said pivoting to a remote work environment has been “pretty seamless.” She already had established a mostly paperless practice and can complete the majority of her tasks

from home.

What she can’t do is execute wills, which requires the signatures of two witnesses in the same room as well as a notary public.

If a client is a COVID-19 patient and needs to have a will executed immediately, Knauth said she is prepared to do so while wearing a mask and gloves, but that scenario has not yet arisen.

Fellow Garden Oaks resident Terry Jeanes, a Realtor with Led Well Realty, has had a home office for 20 years. So working entirely from home has not been too much of a change, although she said she misses the face-toface interaction she gets from networking events and showing homes in person instead of online.

And because she’s stuck at home most of the time, Jeanes said she has felt a greater need to periodically step away from her work.

“I’m having to take more breaks from what was the daily routine,” she said. “That’s probably the key to sanity to all this.

Take the breaks, 10 minutes or whatever it might be.”

Knauth said working from home has come with some silver linings, namely increased time with her family. She said they have been cooking together more often, taking walks together and doing community service work together.

Walters said she and her family are still trying to find their rhythm. Her husband was planning to start working on the weekends and taking Wednesdays and Thursdays off, in order to help look after their toddler.

And now that her work stays at home with her, she’s trying to escape it from time to time.

“There’s really no off period at this point, especially since I’m putting out fires and answering questions (from teachers and students),” she said. “It’s all day.

There’s not really an end of the work day.”

The Leader • Saturday, April 11, 2020 • Page 5A

Heights resident wins poetry prize

By Zarah Parker zarah@theleadernews.com

For more than a decade, poetry has been the place of freedom for Heights resident Justin Jannise. “There are in life so few opportunities to be free, free in the sense of just being your weird self, and poetry for me is that place,� Jannise said.

Jannise is sharing his weird self in his debut poetry book, “How to Be Better by Being Worse.�

Jannise, who studied at Yale University and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Houston, is the winner of BOA Editions’ 19th annual A. Poulin Jr. Poetry Prize.

Out of an original pile of 700 manuscripts, Jannise’s “How to Be Better by Being Worse� was chosen by judge and poet Richard Blanco.

In April of next year, Jannise’s manuscript will be published by BOA Editions as part of the A. Poulin Jr. New Poets of America Series with a foreword by Blanco. The book is a collection of about 40 poems that play with the idea of self-

help. “There are four rules that break the book into behaviors that are good,� Jannise said. “Sometimes the poems obey the rules and sometimes they break them.�

Jannise described his style as tongue in cheek; poems that are funny and entertaining but have an underlining seriousness. “It’s a little bit funnier because it’s so sad,� Jannise said. “It’s not the intention. It’s just like the colors I paint with.�

Blanco said that when he judges poetry, or any form of art, there’s usually a sense of familiarity about it. But when he was reading Jannise’s manuscript, Blanco said he felt like he had never read anything like it. “What’s interesting about Justin and his voice is his ability to be gritty and brutally honest,� Blanco said, “but at the same time also very tender and compassionate both with himself and with the world around him.�

While Jannise has had poems appear in various literary journals, such as Copper Nickel, Yale Review and New Ohio Review, he is no stranger to rejection letters. One of the

Contributed by Justin Jannise Heights resident Justin Jannise won the BOA Editions’ 19th annual A. Poulin Jr. Poetry Prize.

His debut poetry book, “How to Be Better by Being Worse,� will be published next April.

poems included in the collection is titled “Self-Pity� and was inspired by a rejection.

The letter told Jannise that the speaker in his work was wrapped in self-pity, and they couldn’t tell if he was serious or not. “The poem ‘Self-Pity’ basically outlines how we all feel sorry for our self at times and may not be willing to admit it,�

Jannise said. “In a way it’s a universal human experience to feel sorry for oneself when no one else does. When you need pity and no one else provides it.�

One of Jannise’s favorite poets is Kay Ryan. Jannise said her poems are short, yet they are somehow “magically� so much more than the length of them. The quality he admires from her work is something he also strives to have in his. “It’s that same kind of funny, quirky and cleverness, but with undercutting seriousness,� Jannise said.

Jannise also has a poem in “How to Be Better by Being Worse� that is dedicated to Ryan by imitating her style.

The Heights neighborhood also serves as inspiration for Jannise. He often makes use of the esplanade on Heights Boulevard, enjoying the sights.

He also frequents EQ Heights, 1030 Heights Blvd., and Boomtown Coffee, 242 W. 19th St., to write.

Jannise is finishing his twoyear term as the editor-in-chief of UH’s literary magazine “Gulf Coast.� Soon he will be teaching at the university.

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Harris County’s stay-at-home, work safe order. It’s in effect through April as the Houston area utilizes social distancing in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19, the upper-respiratory disease caused by the new strain of coronavirus.

And because charging for the portraits would have amounted to a violation of the order, Schaefer turned it into an opportunity to support a good cause.

She asked each family to donate at least $50 to either the World Health Organization or Houston Food Bank, and many gave more. “We raised, I think, over $1,000 just for the World Health Organization, which was pretty cool,� Schaefer said. “Maybe this will inspire other people to do it in their neighborhoods.�

Schaefer said it also was good to create tangible, visual records of life during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was affected people all over the world. And she took precautions because she is at

her car and used a long lens while taking the photos of the Timbergrove families, most of whom posed on either their front porches or in their front yards on Sunday.

When she saw the Hays family decked out their “Tiger King� costumes on Thursday, Schaefer said she “almost died laughing.� Courtnie Hays said they also got laughs and curious looks from city employees who were collecting trash in the neighborhood.

She said she doesn’t typically like shows such as “Tiger King,� which centers around scandal, dysfunction and dramatic themes. For example, Exotic is serving a 22-year prison sentence for his involvement in a murder-for-hire plot to kill Baskin. “We’re just so desperate for some comic relief right now, so we watch it,�

Hays said. “It’s awful television. It’s the perfect show for this day and age with us being on quarantine.�

Photo by Jacki Schaefer Timbergrove Manor residents Courtnie and David Hays pretend to fight in their yard.

high risk for developing serious complications from the disease, which as of Friday had infected more than 976,000 people globally while causing more than 50,000 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.

Schaefer said she has only about 50 percent lung capacity. So she stayed in

Church, from P. 1A St. Rose’s Good Friday celebration, “station of the cross,� will be livestreamed at noon via its Facebook page and later uploaded to its YouTube channel. At 3 p.m. Friday, the church will celebrate the Lord’s Passion Service, a liturgy of the word, meaning it does not include the part of the mass with the Eucharist. On Saturday, St. Rose will stream an Easter Vigil Mass at 8:30 p.m. Virtual Easter services will be on Sunday at 10 a.m. in English and at noon in Spanish.

New Day Church, 3615 Mangum Rd., will be meeting at the church, but congregation members are staying in their vehicles. The service will be held at 10 a.m. Sun-

day from the roof of one of the church’s buildings. The plan is to get a radio signal to be able to broadcast straight into the vehicles, similar to the setup at a drive-in movie. “With the recent declaration from Governor Abbott that drive-in services are an acceptable option we decided to make the move and see what happens,� said John Wethington, lead pastor at New Day. “We also reached out to the Harris County judge’s office and got a standard response that indicated they had no problem with it.�

From daybreak on Easter Sunday to sundown on Monday, Gethsemane Lutheran Church, 4040 Watonga Blvd., is inviting community members to bring flowers and

decorate a cross on the front lawn. It’s on a come-as-youwant basis.

The cross will be 6-foot tall wooden cross, covered with wire.

A few area churches are simply staying online, but adding something special for Easter to the services.

Village Heights Church, 311 W. 18th St., will be hosting two online gatherings on Sunday, at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., via https://villageheights.online.church/. “Those in attendance can enjoy encouraging music, an inspiring message, and a fun lesson for their kids all while connecting with Village Heights and joining in the discussion from the comfort of their home,� Hannah

White of Village Heights said.

Additionally, on Easter Sunday, Village Heights will host a sunrise communion service at 7 a.m. on its Facebook and Instagram pages, both @vheightschurch.

Oak Forest Baptist Church, 1700 W. 43rd St., has been publishing its services to YouTube. This Sunday the service will feature something small to remind the congregation of its community. “I am creating a special ‘church family’ segment where I will show slides of everyone and their families during one of the songs,� said Jessica Evans of Oak Forest Baptist Church.

In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, please check with each church below for updated information about services and events. In-person services are temporarily restricted.

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FILE NO. SEIZURE 2020200850 2/18/2020

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Notice is hereby given that the United States Department of the Interior is hereby commencing a forfeiture proceeding against the following items of wildlife or wildlife products, which were seized at the Cargo Facility (Intercontinental Airport Houston) on the date indicated because they were involved in one or more violations of any of the following laws: Convention on International Trade in Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), 16 USC 1538, and Lacey Act, 16 USC 3372.

Any person with an ownership or financial interest in said items who desires to claim them must file a claim with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, 19241 David Memorial Drive, Suite 175, Shenandoah, Texas, 77385. Such claim must be received by the above office by May 24, 2020.

The claim will be transmitted to the U.S. Attorney for institution of a forfeiture action in U.S. District Court.

If a proper claim is not received by the above office by such date, the items will be declared forfeited to the United States and disposed of according to law.

Any person who has an interest in the items may also file with the above office a petition for remission of forfeiture in accordance with Title 50, Code of Federal Regulations, and Section 12.24, which petition must be received in such office before disposition of the items. Storage costs may also be assessed.

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every year. We will take time to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave. This is e are entering a time of holidays and celebrations special because Jesus Christ is the only person to for many people in our country. Thanksgiving is have everthat risen the dead without a holiday we from as Americans have enjoyedany for outside generations. people are looking forward to to timelife spent help.Many Jesus brought Lazarus back as well as with family, time off from work, a big feast, watching football, several others but no one brought Jesus back to life. catching the biggest sales of the years, and probably many He won the victory over sin and over death. The others things during this Thanksgiving weekend. There will be resurrection of Jesus Christ the seminal event that some people who will struggle during the is this time of holiday Christ is the only as they defines remembertrue lovedChristianity. ones who theyJesus have lost, or close companions are unable be together because of the way that to eternal lifetobecause Jesus Christ is the only schedule or the logistics. Either way, Thanksgiving will be a one who was able to win against death on his own. time when people are either thinking happy thoughts or sad 1 Corinthians 15:12–14 the Bible says, “Now if thoughtsIn about something.

Christ beI remember preachedmythat he saying, rose from dead, how When I was a boy, mother “Don’tthe forget to say thank was reminding me to be thankful my say you.� someShe among you that there is no toresurrection grandmother fordead? the wonderful or to my of the of the But if Thanksgiving there be nomeal, resurrection family member that gave me a special gift, or to my friend who dead, then is Christ risen: invited me to their birthday party.not Most peopleAnd wantiftoChrist teach be not risen,tothen is ourI preaching vain,would and agree your faith is their children be thankful. think most people that being thankful also vain.�is important, it is also true that it is not always to  be thankful depending what we are going through. Sunday, We celebrate thisonSunday, Resurrection The Bible says in Ephesians 5:20 “Giving thanks always for all because Jesus is alive!

He won the victory things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesusand this gives usyou, victory over andduring death if we Christ.� victory I would encourage no matter howsin you feel this holiday that you be thankful towill look willseason trust to inremember Him. While thecan celebrations God. Hedifferent gave up His this only Son to die a cruel death on cross Sunday because of the the pandemic so that anyone who trusts him can be forgiven of their sins and around us, the fact remains that Jesus Christ is risen! have eternal life. Don’t forget to say thank you!

Therelikemay not bethis fancy pictures, going to church If you would to discuss further or have questions, with thecan family, big gatherings, Perhaps God Pastor Will Cover be reached at Arise Baptistetc.

Church at 803 Curtin St.,stripped or www.arisebaptistchurch.org, or 713-659-9697. has away many of the trappings we have added to this special day that tend to distract from rather than highlight the significance of our Lord’s resurrection. While your day make look different, make sure to celebrate the fact that salvation is available to all who trust in Christ because He is God alone. He has risen and is preparing a place in heaven for all of His children!

W

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The Leader • Saturday, April 11, 2020 • Page 7A

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Page 8A • Saturday, April 11, 2020 • The Leader

Consider fostering pets during quarantine

Dear Tabby, I have two college students who are home for the rest of the semester due to the COVID-19 crisis. We thought that this would be a great time for our family to foster a pet. Any advice on what to expect and what we’re getting ourselves into?

Ready to Foster in Oak Forest Dear Ready to Foster, Bravo to you for your selfless gift! Anyone who has worked with rescues and shelters knows that the fosters are the behind-the-scenes support system and the real heroes.

These kind folks perform the selfless act of taking in and loving a pet as their own for a short period of time, assessing the pet’s temperament and tolerance of children and other pets (which is invaluable information that helps get a pet adopted to the right family), in the comfort of their loving home--all before placing them in the hands of their new, adopted family. Is this something that you think you have the guts and the resources for?

Here are a few things to consider before jumping in head-first into the world of pet foster care.

Prepare your home First up, you need to have adequate space in your home and (preferably) a spacious, comfortable place to separate a foster from your own pets--at least initially. Also, think about the time commitment. Most of us are home for the immediate future right now, but once this

period of sheltering in place is done, consider what your life might look like and if you can still commit to caring for a foster pet. Additionally, if you don’t own your home, discuss your plans to foster with your landlord because he or she might not allow you to foster pets in their home.

Short term or long term?

When you sign on to become a foster, the shelter or rescue group will work with you to come to a mutually agreed upon time commitment to your fostering. There are short-term fosters (who often take in litters of puppies or kittens who need a place to nap and play until they’re at an adoptable age) and longterm fosters--typically pets who have been in a shelter for a long time and just need a break and a refresher course on good household manners.

If the shelter is lucky enough to have supplies or monetary

resources earmarked for their fosters, they’ll help in that way as well, but many shelters rely on their fosters to provide the basic needs of the pets they’re fostering. Medical care, however, is typically covered by the shelter or rescue group.

You will be a hero!

No matter what sort of pet you chose to foster, rest easy knowing that the mere act of removing an animal from a shelter--if even for a short period of time--momentarily reduces the strain on the shelter and allows the shelter or group to save more lives. Fostering is an incredible, generous gift that you can give to a shelter that will enrich your life and the lives of the animals that you help greatly. It’ll change your life, I promise.

Do you have a question for Tabby? Email her at deartabby questions@gmail.com.

Neighbors: Good deeds abound around area

By Elizabeth Villarreal elizasgarden@outlook.com

Hello dear neighbors! We are surrounded by truly good people in our community who stand ready to serve, drop off groceries, bring a smile or run an errand as soon as a request is made. When I reached out to the community in search of stories to brighten your day, I was overwhelmed with tale after tale of neighbors making a difference. I hope after reading a few of these stories you too will be inspired to make a difference for a neighbor.

Dana Mischlich of Garden Oaks would like to thank her neighbor Emily Garcia, who delivered palms from St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church. Mischlich said, “Small thing but it boosted morale.”

Johnny and Cynthia Rojas welcomed two fairies, Arden and Lebee, to their legendary oak tree on Gardenia in Section 13 of Oak Forest just about 3 years ago and neighbors were so charmed, fairy houses began popping up throughout the community. Johnny, a wellknown artist throughout the Houston and Richmond areas, handmade jewel and metalwork ornaments which were left for small visitors to the fairy houses each Christmas.

He created a Facebook page called “Little Houses in the Forest,” and recently posted about a whimsical new fairy who has taken residence up in the limbs of the great tree, inviting submissions in a contest to name the beautiful fairy.

It was revealed this week that neighbor Lydia Clifton won the contest with her submission of the name “Esperanza,” which translates to “hope” in Spanish, and will be presented with a magical charm created especially for her by Arden and Lebee (er … Rojas). Neighbor

Photo from Facebook A sign hanging from a fence surrounding Wainwright Elementary School says, “We Love You.”

Linda Younger said, “Thank you for sprinkling your fairy dust over us and giving us hope in these very dark days.”

Kallie Benes and her husband Brett of Timbergrove Manor would like to thank neighbors who reached out and sent her son cookies, drove by and honked, and even sent the fire department over to honk their horns and wave after his 7th birthday celebration was cancelled and he was unable to celebrate with friends and family members. Benes said, “Everyone was amazingly kind and generous!”

Pam McHenry shared: “My neighbors Nita, Zack and Tiffany Arriola painted their front window with this beautiful design. We live on the 1700 block of Latexo and all the walkers have been enjoying seeing it.”

Steven Vina would like to thank those involved in the planning of the Palm Sunday Procession/Car Parade that made its way through Oak Forest. “It was fun, uplifting and spiritual. We do not live in Oak Forest but we participated all the same and were very glad we did.” Nancy Gonzalez

shared, “About 40-50 neighbors paraded the streets waving their palms out of their car windows, honking and wishing us blessings.”

Jessi Heiner of Mangum Manor was excited to share the enormous blue “WE LOVE YOU” message made on the fence at Wainwright Elementary. “The Wainwright PTA put up this sign and it has brought joy to the children, parents, staff, and the surrounding community as schools have closed down.”

Vera Binnicker of Forest Pines said, “The Gonzales boys have created a beautiful and uplifting drawing on their driveway with chalk!”

David Dimatteo Sr., also of Forest Pines, shared, “Three houses at the end of the 6000 block of Verdome have Christmas lights up and every evening at 8 p.m. we ring bells to show support for the people on the front lines.”

Multiple neighbors are filling a true need and performing a lifegiving service by making free masks for healthcare professionals, neighbors, friends and family. Sharron Sanborn (Garden Oaks), Edith Car-

ruth (Forest Pines), Natalie Dunn (Shepherd Forest), Irma Jimenez (Oak Forest) and Stephanie Glass (Oak Forest) are a few of those very kind neighbors. Other neighbors are making masks for a profit, but still filling a vital need with their time and talent.

Naro Mak of Hartz Krispy Chicken, 1215 Pinemont Dr., and his family have been making masks for healthcare professionals as well as delivering donations of fried and baked chicken meals and masks to area medical facilities. You can donate to a GoFundMe which funds meals and masks for more healthcare professionals.

Visit https://www.gofundme. com/f/thatchickenman-covid19-response.

Mangum Manor created a 40-day neighborhood scavenger hunt of specific pictures in windows on certain days and Angelic Vargas said, “I love that our neighborhood is doing this for the kids. It’s something to look forward to on our walks!”

Diane Sebesta shared, “My friend, Natalie Phillips of Oak Forest is a teacher at St. Jerome and member of St. Rose, and is involved in a cat spay and neuter effort. Her blessing to me is offering to help my mom trap a cat that lives on her front porch and take it to be fixed. Natalie will then rehab the cat before she takes it back to my mom. My mom is 85 and could not catch the cat herself. She feeds the cat and cares for it the best she can and is a worrier. She was so concerned the cat would have kittens. I called Natalie searching for a trap and got so much more. Thank you, Natalie!”

Who made your day? Email me at elizasgarden@outlook. com and share for a future column.

Pet of the Week

Meet Chocolate and Bambi This mom and daughter are a bonded pair who fell on hard times after their owner died. They are playful and love everyone: people, little people, dogs and even cats!

There is no one they won’t love! These two are good little ladies and know to take their business outside, as well as patiently wait in their crate while you are away from home. To learn more about Chocolate and Bambi, visit www.k-9angelsrescue.org.

Auto shop offering discount to customers on front lines From Staff Reports Liberty Hoepfl Garage, 4610 N. Shepherd Dr., announced that it is offering free oil changes and 10 percent off all repairs to anyone who is on the front lines of Houston’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The longtime Garden Oaks auto shop, which opened in 1946, is offering the discount to police officers, firefighters, doctors, nurses and hospital employees.

“In times of crisis, your vehicle is more important than ever,” Liberty Hoepfl said in a news release. “Safe, reliable

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The Leader • Saturday, April 11, 2020 • Page 9A

Art Valet: Online art? It’s virtually the same Mitch Cohen Art Columnist

Houston artists and art supporters continue to step up and innovate and help each other out. Here are some updates and something new to have a look at.

In mid-February, I interviewed PK Das, the founder of Aseity Creations, which was set for a grand opening in March, just when the COVID-19 shutdowns began in Houston. Das persevered, though, and has hosted online webinars to stave off discouragement in the arts community. While the opening is postponed, sign up for the newsletter and explore the website at https://imagenuine.com.

Bayou City Art Festival announced that the spring festival will be transitioned to the downtown location and dates

of Oct. 11-12.

The Art Colony Association (ACA), Inc., the producer of Bayou City Art Festival, also just announced the winners from the 8th Annual Middle School Art Competition. The art competition is an education initiative offered by ACA that gives students in grades 5-8 from the Greater Houston area the opportunity to participate in a 2-D juried competition, have their art displayed in public, interact with working artists and win prizes for themselves and their school’s art program.

While the students’ competition was held in February, the winners were not able to have their work displayed at the spring festival, a big deal for these talented young artists.

The top three winners and the winner of the online Jim Barron People’s Choice Award are “Southern Lovin” by Jia Luthra (first place), “Indigo Rider” by Alejandra Rincon (second place), “Quincy Rabbit” by Casandra Magee (third place) and “The Journey” by

Contributed photo Adaptation Virtual featured Houston artist Tony Paraná.

Arianna Digman (Jim Barron People’s Choice Award).

ACA is dedicated to helping arts education while partnering with teachers and students in the Greater Houston area.

More than 400 students participated in the annual competition, and artwork from the finalists is posted online at artcolonyassociation.org/ education.

Houston nonprofit Artists

for Artists is now hosting a virtual art exhibition to assist with COVID-19 recovery. The exhibit, titled “Adaptation,” aims to raise funds for local artists in need in the wake of show cancellations.

Artists for Artists opened its first-ever virtual exhibition on March 27, with a live broadcast-like reception on Instagram. It included live virtual artist discussions with Wood

Anthony, Tra’ Slaughter and home cocktail demonstrations from Robin Berswick, owner of Double Trouble Caffeine & Cocktails.

This month-long, state-ofthe-art and hyperlocal experience will allow patrons to submerge themselves in a 3-D reality taking a virtual stroll, room to room from the comfort of your own home.

Each piece showcased will be available for purchase online.

Visitors can explore the exhibition, visit artist bio pages, and watch streaming artist interviews.

Artists for Artists is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides emergency recovery grants and free medical programming to Houstonbased artists. The exhibition runs through the month of April with a virtual closing exhibition taking place from 6-10 p.m. April 30 that will include a lineup of creatives. Visit http://artists4artists.org for more information.

Finally, good friend and artist, Solomon Kane, alerted me

to a new website promoting local artists, artvirus.org. The website showcases one image of art with details and links to the artist’s website. Sales happen between you and the artist.

“The site was the brainchild of Christian Sarkar and Clark Vincent Fox. I’m helping if needed,” Kane wrote in an email. “It’s a website to help artists promote themselves during the pandemic since galleries and studios are closed.”

Dozens of artists and makers have lost out in untold sales due to the event cancellations in the Houston area.

My market websites always have profile pages for the exhibitors and remain online.

You can see and shop directly from the artists online. I also set up Facebook groups for a little socializing. Details for all are at SaturdayArtMarkets. com.

Cohen is an artist and founder of the First Saturday Arts Market and the Market at Sawyer Yards. Find him at ArtValet.com.

Pandemic provides plenty of time in the kitchen Zarah Parker Managing Editor

If I had to describe myself while cooking, it would be this way: A quitter.

I go from being excited to try my hand at cooking something new to pitching stuff in the trash because I added too much of something.

I will cast the blame for my attitude to my family members, who often wrinkle their noses when something that isn’t their same basic five meals is offered to them.

Mainly, though, I’ll blame my dad, who to this day will stand over my shoulder while I’m trying to cook on the stove and tell me I’m doing it wrong.

Baking, on the other hand, I love. Mostly because it’s usually some form of dessert, so whatever frustrations I may have experienced while cooking disappear with the sugar intake.

But while stuck at home during this stay-at-home, work safe order, I got it into my head that I should take

Zarah Parker recently tried a new recipe for French toast.

the opportunity to get more acquainted with cooking.

The first thing I learned is that I’m not too sure what the difference is between cooking and baking. Is using the stove cooking and the oven baking? Or are meals considered cooking and desserts and

breads baking?

After this discovery — or non-discovery, I suppose — most of what I ended up making could probably still be considered baking.

I made taco casserole and overnight French toast. The former is made by cooking

Photo by Zarah Parker

I made with the thought of cooking, but I quickly realized it’s baking. I put slices of bread in a casserole dish and poured a mixture of eggs, milk and sugar over it. I put it in the fridge overnight and the next morning added brown sugar, butter and pecans on top before baking it.

I took about three bites and that’s it. It tasted good, but the amount of sugar in the dish had me feeling it almost instantly.

The second thing I learned was learning how to cook something during a pandemic might not be a great idea.

Some ingredients I needed weren’t available at my local grocery store at the time I went. Like, I couldn’t buy buttermilk or sugar.

The item I’m proudest of making is homemade biscuits.

The recipe called for buttermilk, but without any on hand I was able to do a quick

Google search, which told me I could substitute every cup of buttermilk with a cup of milk along with a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar.

I made about 20 biscuits in the morning for breakfast.

The leftovers were all gone by the end of the day.

However, my dad told me they weren’t flaky enough.

The last thing I learned is that I don’t like recipe books.

Whenever I make something new I tend to browse the internet for a recipe. This week I attempted about three different recipes from the same cookbook and I wasn’t overly impressed with any of them.

Online recipes usually have reviews you can look at, plus if one recipe has an ingredient you don’t like, it’s easy to look for another recipe of the same dish.

Send me recipes at zarah@ theleadernews.com.

meat, beans, tomatoes, onions, cream of chicken soup and seasoning together on the stove and then layering it in a dish with tortilla chips before throwing it in the oven.

My nephew declared that I added too many tomatoes.

The overnight French toast

FOOD BRIEFS:

Local distillery making hand sanitizer

By Zarah Parker

Pinemont Dr., has been making masks with his family to help mitigate the dwindling of those supplies.

“Right now my family is making about 100 masks a day,” said Mak, known around the neighborhood as “That Chicken Man.” The masks are all sewn by Mak’s family using handwoven fabric from their home country, Cambodia.

The masks are available to the public for $12. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the American Legion Post 560 and the Friday Feeding Families program.

Every other day, Mak said he will pick a distribution site in the neighborhood to safely give out masks.

Mak said the best way to find when the masks are available is to add him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter @heightschicken.

zarah@theleadernews.com

William Price Distilling, 970 Wakefield Dr., is not yet open. But after recently receiving its federal distilling permit, the business decided to put it to good use by pausing construction plans and making hand sanitizer instead.

Bottles of it are not being sold

by William Price Distilling, which suggests donations of at least $10 in order to cover the cost of production.

“We want to provide as much hand sanitizer to the community as possible,” read a post on the distillery’s Facebook page. “As a new startup, we would appreciate any donation that allows us to provide to those in need. Every penny you give will go toward us donating hand sanitizer to essential businesses, front-line workers, and of course everyday people in the community.”

For distribution days and times, visit William Price Distilling’s Facebook page @WilliamPriceDistilling.

H-E-B a hub for restaurant to-go meals During this difficult time of social distancing and staying at home unless groceries are needed, H-E-B is making it a little easier to get groceries and support local restaurants.

H-E-B has enlisted three Houston restaurants to prepare grab-and-go meals for 10 of its Houston-area stores, including the Heights location at 2300 N. Shepherd Dr. and Buffalo Heights store at 3663 Washington Ave. The three restaurants packing meals for H-E-B are Underbelly, Cherry Block and Brennan’s.

Locals can look for Underbelly at the Shepherd H-E-B and Cherry

Photo from Facebook William Price Distilling, which has yet to open at 970 Wakefield Dr., is making hand sanitizer instead of spirits.

Block at the Buffalo Heights H-E-B. “As part of our #TexansHelpingTexans campaign, we hope to help create awareness about and support of local restaurants,” said Lisa Helfman, the public affairs director for H-E-B Houston. “With many of them closed and limited to pickup and delivery, we are allowing them to use our in-store space to access a larger customer base to keep their business going through this difficult time.”

ton Area Healthcare Workers to help get meals to hospital staff.

Those who wish to buy meals for healthcare workers can visit https://create.giveinkind.com/ meals-for-houston/ and choose a hospital and time slot. Then call Dak & Bop at 832-516-9316 or email dakandbop@gmail.com to notify the restaurant.

Dak & Bop needs at least one day’s notice to have time to arrange everything with the hospital.

Dak & Bop delivering meals to healthcare workers Dak & Bop, 1805 W. 18th St., is partnering with Meals for Hous-

That Chicken Man making masks Naro Mak, owner of Hartz Krispy Chicken Buffet at 1215

Melange Creperie bringing crepes to those in need Melange Creperie, 711 Heights Blvd., has been delivering food to Legacy Community Health, a nonprofit and COVID-19 testing site, local fire departments, emergency rooms and other medical workers.

While the owners are donating most of the meals themselves, community members also have come together to help pay for them.

If you’re interested in donating crepes to the people at the front lines of the COVID-19 response, you can buy a gift card from Melange Creperie. If you have a group you specifically want to donate to, contact the creperie though Facebook or email at melangecreperie@email.com and the team at Melange can work out a bulk price.

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Page 10A • Saturday, April 11, 2020 • The Leader

Houston Bcycle closes some stations amidst overcrowding

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

Houston’s bike-sharing program is closing 12 stations, including some in and near the area, in an attempt to curb overcrowding at parks as well as the spread of COVID-19.

Houston Bcycle, a nonprofit created by the city in 2012, announced last Friday that is closing some hightraffic stations and strengthening its sanitization efforts at all of its 100plus stations in the city.

The station at Stude Park in the Heights is among the locations now closed. Other closed stations include five along or near Memorial Drive — Jackson Hill at Memorial Drive, Lost

Lake, Sabine Bridge, Spotts Park and Tinsley Park — along with the two stations inside Memorial Park.

“We are closing stations in overcrowded parks, increasing sanitization measures and constantly urging our riders to wash their hands and maintain a safe distance from others, but riders must also do their part to ride safely,” Houston Bcycle executive director Beth Martin said in a news release. “We want to continue to serve riders for essential trips as a single-person and small group transportation and recreation option, and we need people to use bike share responsibly.”

Houston Bcycle said it recorded 26,006 trips in March — the most

for any month in the program’s eightyear history — with about half of those trips coming from “popular stations at Houston’s overcrowded parks.”

City and Harris County parks remain open during Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s “stay-at-home, work safe” order, which is in effect through April as part of the region’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 1,000 city and county residents have been infected with the upper-respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus strain, which has caused a total of 13 deaths in Houston and Harris County.

The eight other Houston Bcycle locations in the area — six in the

Can’t pay your electric bill? Set up payment plan to avoid disconnection

By Rebecca Bridges For The Leader

If your income has been impacted by the Houston area’s COVID-19 stay-at-home order, a new program approved by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) offers assistance in paying your electricity bill.

The COVID-19 Electricity Relief Program (CERP) helps consumers who are having trouble paying their electricity bill due to job loss or because they are low income. CERP offers consumers two areas of assistance.

First, retail electricity providers must offer a deferred payment plan to any residential customer who requests one, regardless of their past payment history. This allows your electricity bill payments to be spread out over a longer period, and avoids disconnection as long as you make payments as agreed in your plan.

Second, consumers who are low income or who have recently filed for unemployment due to a COVID-19-related job loss can apply for the CERP program and receive bill payment assistance.

Once enrolled in CERP, the account cannot be disconnected for non-payment. The PUCT initially plans for CERP assistance to be available for the next six months.

Last month, CenterPoint Energy, the local poles and wires company that manages electricity delivery in Houston, issued a

moratorium on disconnections for non-payment in the Houston area. However, that hold on disconnections is no longer in effect.

Consumers are being urged to contact their retail electricity provider to set up payment arrangements or face possible disconnection. The new program became effective March 30.

The PUCT notes that consumers with a bill due in the next 10 days should contact their retail electricity provider immediately to avoid possible disconnection, if they are unable to pay their bill.

To enroll in the COVID-19 Electricity Relief Program, call the state of Texas’ Low Income List Administrator at 866-4548387. This number is staffed 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

Once on the program, residents should contact their electricity provider to make payment arrangements. The electricity provider can then receive direct payments from the CERP Fund to apply. However, the balance due will remain the consumer’s responsibility.

ElectricityPlans.com, an online electricity shopping site headquartered in Cypress, has posted a detailed FAQ on its website blog for additional information.

With the stay-at-home, work safe order in Harris County, residential customers can expect their monthly electricity usage

Photo by Adam Zuvanich Houston Bcycle has closed 12 stations, including some in and near the area, in an attempt to promote social distancing and slow the spread of COVID-19.

Heights area and two on Washington Avenue — remain open.

At all of its locations, the nonprofit said all touch points on bikes and kiosks will be disinfected between four and eight times per day. Beginning next week, Houston Bcycle also said it will make weekly sprays of an “EPA-approved, long-lasting Vital Oxide disinfectant” at its stations.

“We always routinely clean our bike share equipment, but in the last three weeks we’ve stepped up those measures with focused efforts at the busiest stations,” director of operations Doogie Roux said.

For more information, visit houstonbcycle.com.

Lower your electricity bill while staying home

By Rebecca Bridges From The Leader

to increase by around 8 percent, If you’re working from according to Innowatts, an energy data analytics company. Resi- home due to the COVID-19 dents can take steps to reduce pandemic, you can expect consumption around the house your electricity bill to jump by adjusting the thermostat and by 8 percent or more this by using ceiling fans to stay cool. month. That’s according to Houston-based Innowatts, Consumers an energy data should note that, analytics comonce in a depany. ferred payment You can arrangement or keep your elecon the CERP protricity bill in gram, a “switchcheck for your hold” will be home office by placed on their taking some account. While simple steps. the account will Your HVAC be protected system is the from disconnecbiggest use of tion, the switchelectricity in Rebecca Bridges hold will keep your home. It consumers from beaccounts for at ing able to switch to another electricity supplier for a least 50 percent of your bill.

So your thermostat setting better rate.

Before entering a deferred will have the biggest impact payment plan with their pro- on your electricity usage.

Experts recommend that vider, consumers should check their electricity bill to make sure you keep your air condithey are not on a month-to- tioning set to 75-78 degrees month electricity rate. Off-con- during the day. That’s signifitract rates can be 30-50 percent cantly higher than the typical higher than those offered with a 72 degrees of the average office. Make the transition a fixed-rate contract agreement. little easier by adjusting your Rebecca Bridges is an Oak For- thermostat up one degree est resident and Chief Marketing each day, so your family can Officer for ElectricityPlans.com, acclimate to the change.

But, the change is worth it. an online electricity shopping According to Energy.gov, for platform that lets residential and commercial customers compare every degree you increase electricity rates to find the best your thermostat, you could save 1 percent on your elecelectricity price.

tricity bill.

You should also use a ceiling fan in your office to stay cool. A ceiling fan will allow you to increase your thermostat setting by 4 degrees with no reduction in comfort.

One added bonus of working from home is the casual wardrobe. Even if you are on a video conference, you can stay cool by dressing professionally on top, and wearing shorts and flip flops on the bottom. When you dress according to the outside weather, you’ll stay cooler.

Make sure your home HVAC system is operating efficiently and change your air filter regularly. A clogged air filter will make your HVAC system run longer, which costs you money.

You can also perform minor maintenance on your system, like cleaning the condensate drain, checking the ductwork for leans, and cleaning the outside evaporator coil.

Where you set up your home office also matters.

The south-facing side of your home gets the most sun exposure. Set up your office on the north or east side of your home to reduce sun exposure and afternoon heat.

If you are home-schooling children during the COVID-19 pandemic, recruit them to help save on electricity. Kids can calculate the

number of kilowatt hours each device in your home uses, and what it costs to use it. Then they can compete to earn energy-saver points.

You should also look at your electricity bill to see what plan you are on.

If you are on a free nights or weekends plan, consider whether that fits your new home-all-the-time lifestyle.

Plans that offer free electricity at certain times usually have much higher electricity prices during the non-free times. Contact your electricity provider to ask if you can switch to a fixed-rate plan instead.

If you are on a month-tomonth variable rate electricity plan, your price is 30-50 percent higher than current electricity offers. Consumers usually end up on a variable rate plan when they forget to renew at the end of their contract. Locking in a fixedrate plan will help protect your electricity bill.

You can find additional tips on how to save on electricity bills online at www. electricityplans.com/blog.

Rebecca Bridges is an Oak Forest resident and Chief Marketing Officer for ElectricityPlans.com, an online electricity shopping platform that lets residential and commercial customers compare electricity rates to find the best electricity price.

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