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Covering the Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest & the neighborhoods of North Houston Saturday, April 24, 2021 • Vol. 66 • No. 17
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Waltrip debate receives statewide recognition By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com
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Contributed photo Marsha Jump is the debate teacher and coach at Waltrip High School.
There is no debating the young talent at Waltrip High School, at least when it comes to making arguments. Freshmen Meredith Moreland and Evan Weltin, while making their competitive debuts in high school debate, teamed up to win first place in the public forum category during a virtual Houston Urban Debate League tournament on Jan. 16. They and their Waltrip teammates were subsequently recognized for their performance by State Rep. Penny Morales Shaw, who wrote a congratulatory reso-
lution that was approved by the Texas House of Representatives earlier this month. The Waltrip debate team has yet to receive a copy of the resolution, according to teacher and coach Marsha Jump, who said she’s been asked to pick out a frame. “It’s really cool,” Jump said. “There’s been a lot of positive feedback, a lot of positive feedback from my co-workers, congratulating myself and the work I’ve done with the kids.” Jump is in her second year as the debate teacher and coach at Waltrip, saying she has 25 students in her debate class and seven who
compete as an extracurricular activity. Student Alex Barnes also was named in the congratulatory resolution after placing fourth in the congressional debate category. Waltrip debate team members Pete Chavez, Melody Longoria, Miranda Noonan and Luis Tiburcio were recognized for their contributions as well. “Waltrip is located in and many of the families live in District 148, so I wanted to make sure that as their state representative, I honored their exceptional achievement,” Shaw said in a text mesSee Waltrip, P. 5A
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Contributed photo Joe McGee, an area native who died April 11 at age 80, spent 40 years as a coach and administrator in Houston ISD, including 27 years as an assistant principal at Scarborough High School.
INSIDE.
Longtime school administrator left lasting impression Flood the senses. The Bayou Beacon is an immersive art experience at Sawyer Yards.
Page 7A
Time to picnic. Some local restaurants are offering specials for National Picnic Day.
Page 8A
Major merger. A local real estate investment firm has been acquired by another company.
Page 1B
Contributed photo Local resident Gretchen Frauenberger, right, enjoys a sunny day at Oak Forest Park along with her daughters Emmery, left, and Maclaren, who has special needs and will benefit from an upcoming track at the park.
Asphalt track coming to local park By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
The City of Houston’s playgrounds reopened in late March after being closed for a year because of the pandemic, and that was good news for those ready to welcome the community to the first neighborhood-initiated inclusive playground in the city’s park system. The Playground for All Abilities at Oak Forest Park was ready last fall. Now a new asphalt track will be constructed, making it easier for all to enjoy it. The asphalt track will create a path around the park from the tennis courts to DuBarry Lane, looping around Piney Woods Drive to the pool area. Harris County Precinct 4’s Trailblazers, an in-house crew of specialists who repair, build and maintain trails, are scheduled to begin work on the trail in late May and if the weather cooperates, are expected to finish by early August. Gretchen Frauenberger is the parent of two daughters, Emmery and Maclaren, and Maclaren has multiple speSee Track, P. 4A
Playoff-bound. The Heights High School baseball team is headed to the postseason.
Page 4B
See McGee, P. 5A
Oak Forest teacher finds creativity though cheese By Zarah Parker zarah@theleadernews.com
THE INDEX. Church....................................................... 4A Classifieds.............................................. 5A Coupons................................................... 3B Food/Drink/Art................................... 7A Opinion..................................................... 3A Public Information......................... 2A Puzzles...................................................... 3A Sports......................................................... 4B
Photo from Facebook Oak Forest Park and its Playground for All Abilities was renovated last year and is getting another improvement in the form of an asphalt
By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com Paul Smithers was not far removed from being an impressionable teenager when he started working at Scarborough High School in the mid-1990s. He was 24 years old and serving as a police officer for Houston Community College, which at the time held adult night classes at Scarborough. The man in charge of the Oak Forest campus was Joe McGee, who was in his 50s and worked during the day as Scarborough’s assistant principal. Despite their differences in age, experiences and temperament, McGee and Smithers struck up a friendship that lasted until McGee died earlier this month at age 80. They talked about school, sports and life in general, with Smithers saying McGee helped him land subsequent jobs and further a law enforcement career that now has him working as a lieutenant investigator for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. “Not only was he a colleague, he was a father figure for me,” Smithers said. “He was a friend. I looked to him for advice.” Generations of area residents had similar encounters with McGee, who grew up in Garden Oaks, later lived in the Heights, Oak Forest and Candlelight Forest and worked for 40 years as a coach and administrator for local Houston ISD schools. He spent more
Contributed photo Cassie Lemoine, a second-grade teacher at Oak Forest Elementary, finds a creative outlet through making cheese boards with her business Cheese by Cassie.
Candlelight Plaza resident Cassie Lemoine said she finds joy teaching second grade at Oak Forest Elementary. But it doesn’t provide her with a creative outlet, which she finds crafting cheese boards, also known as charcuterie boards. After ordering a cheese board for an event, she realized she could provide something just as good at a more reasonable cost that could be ordered for any
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gathering, big or small. Lemoine created Cheese by Cassie about two months ago to be able to utilize her creative outlet as a side gig. “I think it is in my nature to be more giving,” Lemoine said. “I love to host things. I like to make sure people have something in front of them to snack on.” If through making these boards, Lemoine would be able to make just enough money to buy cheese for herself, she said she would be happy. In recent
weeks, her business has grown. She started out crafting small orders, individual sizes or small groups sizes, and now she has added larger platters to her ordering form. “People are getting more comfortable gathering because of the vaccine,” Lemoine said. “I’ve been making bigger boards because of it.” While she makes traditional cheese boards, Lemoine also has been evolving her boards to See Lemoine, P. 5A
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The Leader • Saturday, April 24, 2021 • Page 2A
Suspect in shooting of father, son at large By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com Houston police say they are looking for a man accused of shooting a father and son near the Northside Village neighborhood earlier this month. The Houston Police Department said 31-year-old Frank Barrera has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and felon in
Barrera
possession of a weapon in connection to his alleged role in the shooting of 33-yearold Jorge Elizondo and his 15-year-old son on April 2. Officers responded to a shooting call at 4707 Siegel St. on April 2, police said, where they learned that Barrera and Elizondo allegedly got into an argument over a woman they had both dated. HPD said that during the argument, Barrera allegedly pulled out a gun and fired
shots into the crowd -- striking Elizondo and his son –before fleeing the scene. Elizondo and his son were transported to a hospital and were expected to survive their wounds, according to HPD. Anyone with information on Barrera’s whereabouts is encouraged to contact HPD’s Major Assaults & Family Violence division at 713-3088800 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.
Man killed in drive-by shooting on Pinemont By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
Police say they are looking for a suspect who killed a man in a drive-by shooting on Pinemont Drive last week. The victim, 51-year-old Jer-
ry Bradley, was pronounced dead at an area hospital on April 17, according to the Houston Police Department. HPD said Bradley was driving westbound at 1000 Pinemont Dr. just before 7 a.m. April 16 when he was
approached by the suspect’s vehicle, described as a newermodel white SUV. The suspect, who police described as a heavy-set Black male, then began shooting into Bradley’s car and struck him in the abdomen before fleeing the
scene, according to police. Anyone with information about the incident or the suspect is encourageed to contact HPD’s Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.
Police on lookout for Heights burglary suspects By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com Police say they are looking for a man and woman suspected of stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of windows in the Heights last week. According to a crime alert from the office of Harris Coun-
ty Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen, deputies responded to the 200 block of West 28th Street just before 6 p.m. April 15 in response to a call about the burglary of a building. The constable’s office said investigators were told that 25 windows, worth a total of approximately $5,000, were
stolen. Neighbors also told deputies that they had a seen a 2005 tan or beige Tahoe/ Suburban with a black luggage rack on top back into the alleyway between buildings three times the previous day, according to Precinct 1, where they loaded windows into the back of the car.
Self-defense claimed in fatal hotel shooting By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com A man is claiming he shot another man last week in selfdefense and fear for his life near a local hotel, according to police. The Houston Police Department said the victim of the shooting, 36-year-old Michael Simmons, was pronounced dead at the scene. HPD said officers responded to the Crystal Inn Downtown at 5006 North Freeway just before 1 a.m. April 14 to find Simmons dead on the ground with the
shooter, a 51-year-old man, sitting in the driver’s seat of a car near the victim. According to police, Simmons and the other man got into an argument over a parking space, during which HPD said Simmons walked away and went to his car. Police said Simmons then allegedly confronted the other man again with his hand in his waistband. HPD said the other man, claiming he feared for his life, then pulled out his gun and shot Simmons. The case will be referred to a Harris County grand jury, according to HPD.
Based on surveillance video, Precinct 1 said the suspects are a Hispanic male standing 5-foot-11 and weighing approximately 185 pounds with a heavy black beard and a 5-foot-4 Hispanic female weighing about 135 pounds. Both suspects are 30-35 years old, according to Precinct 1.
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Man found dead in car in Independence Heights By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
Police say they are looking into the fatal shooting of a man in Independence Heights over the weekend. The victim, 54-year-old John Lewis, was found dead in his car as the result of shooting, according to the Houston Police Department. HPD said officers were responding to a shooting call at 900 E. 35th St. around 6:30
p.m. last Sunday, April 18 when they found Lewis’ car stopped in the roadway. He was then found dead in the driver’s seat, according to police. The shooter, police said, is believed to have fled the scene in a gray sedan. Anyone with information in this case is asked to contact HPD’s Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.
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THE TOPICS. The Leader • Saturday, April 24, 2021 • Page 3A
Writing obits can be tough but also rewarding
W
riting about someone who has recently died can be one of the most gutwrenching, heartbreaking, all-around difficult assignments a journalist can have. It requires talking to people who are in the midst of grieving the loss of a loved one or dear friend, which can be an emotional, uncomfortable experience. How would you like being peppered with questions from a reporter you’ve never met or even talked to on the phone, who might know next to nothing about the spouse or sibling or best friend you still wish was around? The fear of asking dumb, potentially painful questions is actually among the lesser concerns of an obituary writer, who has only one shot to get the story right and do justice to the dearly departed. That’s some pressure, especially under the ever-present pressure of a deadline. But it’s a job that has to be done at a news outlet like The Leader, which chronicles the community as well as the people who make it such a great place to live and work. We have a duty to let you know when a prominent person passes away, and we have an even bigger responsibility to tell their life story accurately, fairly and in a way that allows their friends, loved ones and even acquaintances to remember the happier times during an otherwise sad moment. And I’ve discovered over the years
Adam
Zuvanich Editor
that writing obituaries can be among the most rewarding parts of being a journalist, particularly when we get the story right and capture the essence of a person. That gets to the heart of what we strive to do with every story we tell. When a family member goes out of their way to thank you for writing a touching tribute, well, I’m not sure a newspaper reporter can receive feedback that’s any more gratifying and heartfelt. It makes you feel like you’ve done your job well, even if only until the next edition is published. I’m fortunate to have been tasked with crafting obituaries about people who lived meaningful lives, made notable impacts in their communities and generally left a legacy that’s worth highlighting. I’m also lucky that people who knew them well have been gracious enough to answer my questions and share memorable tales and even revelations about their friend or loved one.
A good example was an obituary I wrote for the Odessa American about prominent high school football coach T.J. Mills, who in the 1990s helped Sealy become the first school in Texas to win four consecutive state championships. That remarkable feat led Mills to be hired by Odessa Permian, the program of “Friday Night Lights” lore, but he had an unremarkable tenure in Odessa, where he failed to qualify for the playoffs in all three of his seasons and was fired as a result. But after he died in 2015, and thanks to the perspective of former Permian player Joe Beene, I was able to tell another side of Mills that most Odessans likely did not know. Beene had a rocky relationship with Mills up until Beene was paralyzed from the neck down during a practice in 2000. They became close after that point, Beene told me, in part because Mills brought him ice cream every day and set up an annual golf tournament that served as a fundraiser for Beene and his medical expenses. I’ve had the privilege to write about equally honorable people during my two-plus years at The Leader, including Tony’s Mexican Restaurant owner Tony Vega, The Dutchman bar owner Kenny Ray Kearns and Don Jose Mexican Restaurant owners Luis Hermosillo and Carlos Garcia, all of whom died in 2020. Unfortunately, I had to write two
The rich get richer If you paid one dollar in 2020, a single dollar, in federal income taxes, you paid more than FedEx, Nike and Houston’s own Kinder Morgan put together. A new study finds that at least 55 of America’s largest corporations paid no federal income taxes last year on billions of dollars in profits. This outrage came about, not through illegal dealings, not through cooked books or crooked accountants, but due to totally legal loopholes. For this, we can thank the First Deadbeat, Donald Trump. The sweeping tax bill passed in 2017 by a Republican Congress and signed into law by Trump reduced the corporate tax rate to 21 percent from 35 percent. But dozens of Fortune 500 companies were able to further shrink their tax bill -- sometimes to zero – because of a range of legal deductions and exemptions. The list of tax-dodgers reads like a Who’s Who of American industry: Salesforce, Archer-DanielsMidland and Consolidated Edison were among those also named in the report which was done by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a liberal-leaning research group in Washington. It’s not just last year that they escaped paying taxes. Twenty-six of the companies listed, including Fiserve, Duke Energy and Dish Network, were able to avoid paying any federal income tax for the last three years even though they reported a combined income of $77 billion. So they were profitable in 2018, 2019 and 2020 but paid zero federal taxes or less over those three years. How did they do it? The usual way such things are done in Washington: lobbyists with bottomless expense accounts and campaign funds. On top of the 2017 tax cut, we had the $2.2 trillion CARES Act, passed last year to help businesses and families survive the pandemic, which included a provision that temporarily allowed businesses to use losses in 2020 to offset profits earned in previous years. Lobbyists smelled blood and everyone wanted in on the goodies. Starting in early 2018, senior officials in Trump’s Treasury Department were swarmed by lobbyists trying to make sure their clients were covered by the tax cuts. Get this: The crush of meetings with lobbyists was so intense that some top Treasury officials had little time to do their jobs. The CARES Act was written sloppily, passed quickly and signed immediately. It allowed Trump’s Treasury Department to mold the act its own way. “Treasury is gutting the new law,” said Bret Wells, a tax law professor at the University of Houston. “It is largely the top 1 percent that will disproportionately benefit -- the wealthiest people in the world.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren said on Twitter “This isn’t rocket science: giant corporations that report billions in
Lynn Ashby Columnist
profit shouldn’t be able to pay $0 in federal taxes.” FedEx took advantage of provisions in the CARES Act, using losses in 2020 to reduce tax bills from previous years when the tax rate was higher. It said those provisions “helped companies like FedEx navigate a rapidly changing economy and marketplace while continuing to invest in capital, hire team members, and fund employee pension plans.” That sounds nice, but follow-up studies showed many companies saved billions by taking care of their top executives. They bought discounted future stock options and then deducted their value as a loss. Tricky but, again, perfectly legal under the law. Another ploy: For years U.S. corporations have in effect hidden their profits by storing them off-shore or setting up satellite companies in such countries as Ireland and the Bahamas. This brings us to our favorite saying, “What’s in it for us?” You could be a grocery clerk, so you hire a good accountant with no scruples. First, you establish yourself as a corporation. Your spouse and kids are the board of directors. You rent a post office box in Bermuda under your corporate name, Monumental Agricultural International (the “International” part comes from the avocadoes you stack from Mexico) and have your paycheck sent to Bermuda. Since you were laid off for five months in 2020 due to the pandemic, the CARES Act allows you deduct your losses. Deduct business expenses (your overalls), entertainment (visits to that men’s club) and not only save on taxes but actually get a rebate. Yes, a rebate. Those aforementioned 55 Fortune 500 companies received a combined federal tax rebate of more than $3 billion for a tax rate of about negative 9 percent. So Uncle Sam owed them money. You may be asking what all the Trump tax loopholes are doing to our budget. There are several ways of looking at them, all bad. One result is that the federal government may collect hundreds of billions of dollars less over the coming decade than previously projected. Two: The Congressional Budget Office says that the deficit for 2020 is 16 percent of U.S. gross domestic product which is the largest it’s been since 1945. Three: The Trump tax cut reduced revenue by lowering taxes on personal income, small businesses, and corporations. These cuts are projected
to add $1.5 trillion to the debt between 2018 and 2027. Remember that Trump promised to eliminate the federal deficit, but the deficit jumped more than 60 percent under his presidency, and topped $3 trillion in 2020, partly as a result of the tax law. Don’t tell you grandchildren what we are doing to their financial future. So start up your own corporation, hire the right lobbyists and accountants and… Wait. Along comes Uncle Joe Biden with his leftist ideas of making everyone pay their fair share of taxes. He wants to increase the corporate tax rate, get rid of those off-shore tax dodges and use the extra tax dollars to pay for his grand scheme to pave our roads, cure cancer and bring everlasting peace to the world, or something like that. Needless to say, Republicans in Congress are fighting Biden tooth, nail and lobbyists’ campaign contributions. Get busy with your own tax dodge. And don’t drop the avocadoes.
more obituaries during the last two weeks, first about longtime Oak Forest firefighter Capt. William Gunderson and then about Joe McGee, an area native and longtime assistant principal at Scarborough High School. I did not know either man before he died, but those who were close to them made me feel like I did. Two of Gunderson’s fellow firefighters and a longtime Oak Forest resident revered Gunderson for his dedication to serving the community and Houston Fire Department Station 13, his tireless work ethic and the resolve he displayed during a two-year battle with cancer. McGee’s wife of 57 years and one of his former co-workers at Scarborough also took the time to talk to me about his life, his commitment to educating young people and why hundreds of former students and teachers expressed fondness for McGee on Facebook after learning of his April 11 death – even though he retired from Scarborough nearly two decades ago. His widow, Linda, even laughed a few times while telling me about Joe’s witty sense of humor, such as referring to his insurance agent as “007.” If a man can make his wife laugh during the days leading up to his funeral, he must have been an exceptionally funny guy. I hope those who receive The Lead-
er enjoyed reading about those remarkable men as much as I enjoyed writing about them, as strange as that is to say. If words I strung together can bring a smile to people’s faces even as they mourn a death, then I take pride in knowing I might have helped make the loss feel a little bit less painful or a little easier to accept. Writing obits also has helped me gain perspective as I get older and start coming to grips with my own mortality. I hope those I know and love remember me just as fondly, and I hope to have made some sort of impact like the people I’ve written about. One thing has become clear about life and death and making a mark on this world: People may not remember or even care about the wealth or material possessions you accumulated or how big your family was. What sticks with them is how they were treated and how you made them feel when they crossed your path. So as you go about your day and the days that follow, try to keep that in mind and build your own legacy that someone can one day cherish after you have perished. If you help them out or give them advice or make them laugh and smile, even if only briefly, there’s a good chance that memory will last longer than a lifetime. Email azuvanich@theleadernews. com
THE READER.
Email us your letters: news@theleadernews.com
Domino’s debuts robotic delivery
Dear Editor: Regarding “Domino’s debuts robotic delivery” (Apr. 17): Domino’s Pizza’s Woodland Heights pilot program should be interesting -- and, per the Domino’s spokesperson, “exciting,” and, per robotics company Nuro’s city and community engagement manager, “exciting.” The vehicle that’ll be delivering customer orders sounds like a cross between an enclosed golf cart, a propane tank exchange station, and an oldfashioned automat: A door on the side opens via a texted code, allowing access to your Philly Cheese Steak pizza, Sweet Mango Habanero Wings, Mediterranean Veggie sandwich, Italian Sausage Marinara, Stuffed Cheesy Bread with Spinach and Feta, Classic Garden Salad, Garlic Dripping Sauce, Coca-Cola and (take a deep breath!) Chocolate Lava Crunch Cakes. It will be a huge relief for the community at large, our neighborhood’s myriad geriatrics no longer clogging Houston roadways with their big Cadillacs to pick up Domino’s orders. If, however, a milligram of skepticism is permissible, we must hark back to the film “Robocop” -- to the
first robotic demonstration when the newly developed ED-209 unit malfunctioned and killed one of the company executives. That executive, vis-a-vis ED-209 product development, no doubt had been quite excited. J. Reynolds
A ploy named Sue
Dear Editor: Howard Stern is still alive; his popularity may have waned a bit since the late 1990s and early 2000s, but he is still alive. Rush Limbaugh recently died from cancer, and so he is definitely not alive. I don’t understand the point that some of the conservative media figures are paid more than Rachel Madow. It would be incorrect to say that Tucker Carlson is lying; rather, he takes facts and expresses opinions and speculation about them. That is different than lying, and his bias should be recognizable to most viewers. The so called news, however, is also opinion dressed as news, and this opinion freely masquerades as news. Jason H.
Fetch your Leader
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the leader Puzzlers. Answers found in this week’s Classified section
SUDOKU
aCrOss 1. Color properties 5. Arabian greeting 10. Frozen spike 12. Levels 14. Tear down social stiffness 16. Rapper Hammer’s initials 18. Midway between E and SE 19. Shooting marble 20. Edward __, British composer 22. Largest English dictionary (abbr.) 23. CygnusÕ brightest star 25. Goidelic language of Ireland 26. Midway between N and NE 27. Auditory organ 28. Last month (abbr.) 30. Indicated horsepower (abbr.) 31. Mediation council 33. Aussie crocodile hunter 35. Sylvan deity 37. Clears or tidies 38. In a way, emerges 40. Whimper 41. G. Gershwin’s brother 42. Begetter
44. Seated 45. Old world, new 48. Girls 50. ‘Song of triumph’ 52. A covering for the head 53. Attack 55. Norwegian krone 56. Coach Parseghian 57. No good 58. Task that is simple 63. A way to move on 65. In a way, advanced 66. Loses weight 67. Shift sails
dOwn 1. Go quickly 2. Fiddler crabs 3. Cervid 4. Gundog 5. Gushed forth 6. Caliph 7. Shoe cord 8. Give extreme unction to 9. Of I 10. ‘A Doll’s House’ author 11. Documents certifying authority 13. Drunk 15. Principal ethnic group of China 17. Crinkled fabrics 18. Longest division of
geological time 21. Pancake 23. Small pat 24. A garden plot 27. Strayed 29. Surgical instrument 32. No. French river 34. Modern 35. Now called Ho Chi Minh City 36. Set into a specific format 39. Exhaust 40. Individual 43. Moves rhythmically to music 44. D. Lamour ‘Road’ picture costume 46. Having earlike appendages 47. Certified public accountant 49. Outermost part of a flower 51. Supplement with difficulty 54. Plains Indian tent (alt. sp.) 59. Electronic warfaresupport measures 60. Displaying a fairylike aspect 61. Taxi 62. They __ 64. Syrian pound
WORD SCRAMBLE
Page 4A • Saturday, April 24, 2021 • The Leader
DOI plans for HISD DOA for now By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
Last September, the Houston ISD Board of Education approved the formation of a District of Innovation (DOI) committee to develop a plan for HISD to obtain the DOI designation, which would allow the district to set an earlier school start date, have flexibility from the state’s 90 percent attendance rule and increase the district’s ability to hire teachers specifically for Career and Technical Education courses. But in March, HISD’s District Advisory Committee voted it down by a margin of 21-10. What remains unknown is if there are any plans to revive it. “Members of the HISD District Advisory Committee voted not to move
forward with the District of Innovation Plan,” the HISD press office said in a statement. “At this time there has been no decision on whether a new District of Innovation Plan will be presented to the committee.” Zeph Capo, president of the Texas American Federation of Teachers, said a resurrection at the present time is unlikely with the impending departure of interim superintendent Grenita Lathan, who is leaving at the end of the school year to take a job in Springfield, Illinois. The board would likely want to wait for the direction of a new superintendent. Capo said he was surprised the DOI designation vote was defeated so soundly. “Hearing people talk afterwards, there didn’t seem to be a good articu-
lation of the problems that the DOI was supposed to resolve,” Capo said. “There was some support for the earlier start date.” The part of the plan that would have authorized the hiring of non-certified teachers for Career and Technical Education courses was unpopular, according to Capo. “I don’t doubt their intent,” Capo said. “The other side is that there were no vacancies for (CTE) positions.” District I trustee Elizabeth Santos, who represents some area schools and voted no to the earlier formation of the DOI committee, said last fall
By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com
By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com
High North; Carolina Amaro, Kimberly Arellanes, Juan Felipe Azua, Christian Contreras, Nataly Estrada, Emily Martinez and Angel Soliz from Northside; Isabela Guthrie, Jacob Phillips, Madison Shindler and Agnes Wirawan from St. Pius X; and Karla Guevara Gamez, Elisha Joseph and Ainsley Vandyke from Waltrip. The scholarships were sponsored by 11 local businesses and individuals: Adams
Area residents are invited to participate in the 16th Annual Houston Heights Association Bicycle Rally & Scavenger Hunt, which is scheduled for May 29-31. The family-friendly event serves as a fundraiser for the Houston Heights Association (HHA), which serves residents and businesses in the neighborhood, with proceeds earmarked for the maintenance of the historic Houston Heights Fire Station as well as Donovan Park, Marmion Park and the Heights Boulevard esplanade. Participants can choose between a 5-mile or 15-mile course, both of which will in-
Insurance Service, Houston Highway Credit Union, Tom and June Kimball, Members Trust of the Southwest Credit Union, Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital, Primeway Federal Credit Union, Reynolds & Associates, Rotary Club of Houston Heights, SendOutCards, Sons of Herman and Dr. Ann Vermillion. Follow us on social media @FromTheLeader
Track from P. 1A cial needs and is non-mobile and non-verbal. Frauenberger was instrumental in raising funds for the park, and according to Friends of Oak Forest Park chair Elyssa Horvath, was also a key player in the trail project, nicknamed “Mac’s Path.” At the last Festival of Abilities in October 2018, Frauenberger talked to Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle and Houston City Council member Mike Knox about the need for a pathway around the park. “Access to the park is extremely difficult when pushing a wheelchair or stroller,” Frauenberger said. “We live on Wakefield (Drive) and in order for us to access the park, we either have to take the street, meaning go down Judiway (Street), which is very busy, or roll through the tennis and basketball courts. Pushing a wheelchair or stroller through the grass is definitely out of the question for us.” When Cagle told Frauenberger his precinct might have some funds to help, she followed up with an email to his office. “Mac, as we call her, loves being outdoors and taking walks in the neighborhood,” Frauenberger wrote. “We are very fortunate that she is an extremely happy little girl.” The track would not just benefit Maclaren, Frauenberger notes, but also provide easy access to the park for local residents and from every
Photo from Facebook Oak Forest Park, which was renovated last year, is getting another improvement in the form of an asphalt trail.
vantage point. “Strollers and wheelchairs are much easier to maneuver on a hard surface,” she said. “My youngest has softball lessons at the park. I walk around on the street while she is practicing. Having a designated pathway, instead of walking through the grass, is easier and safer.” Dennis Johnston, the parks director for Harris County Precinct 4, said Cagle has a special place in his heart for children with autism and was more than happy to get involved. Cagle talked with Mayor Sylvester Turner about a partnership to complete the project between the city and Precinct 4. This week, the Houston City Council approved an interlocal agreement for the Trailblazers to get to work. Johnston said the Trailblazer team started doing trail
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Online ancestry trees can be a mixed bag of tricks. How can you use the trees on ancestry.com safely and effectively in your Paper and DNA Trail genealogy research? Suz Bates will focus on topics including security, sources, data fields, uploads, other’s trees and more. Learn how to create and use Ancestry trees safely, securely, effectively, and efficiently. Suz Bates has been a family history researcher for over 45 years and a private consultant for 25 years. Combining her extensive genealogical research experience with her teaching and lecturing skills, she has developed a genealogy career of speaking, researching, and consulting in an easily understood manner with enthusiasm and a wealth of knowledge. The webinar is provided free of charge to HGF 2021 members. Become a member and register for the webinar on the website, www.hgftx.org. Membership is $25/individuals and $35/family of 2. Please register by April 30.
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St.each James Lutheran Church, ELCA Bible Studies For All Ages ... 9:30am In light of theSunday COVID-19 outbreak, please check with church below for updated Morning Worship ............... 10:45am • Worship (English) ..... 10:00 am - 11:00am information Wednesday about services and are temporarily restricted. Bible Studies For Youth,events. Children In-person services • Learning Hour ........... 11:00am 12:00pm MANNA
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clude scavenger hunt items. Riders will receive a clue list the day before the rally that describes sights or objects visible along the route, and the person or team that correctly identifies the most items will win the scavenger hunt and accompanying prize. Completed scavenger hunt forms must be turned in by 5
p.m. May 31 at the Houston Heights Fire Station, located 107 W. 12th St. Winners will be announced June 2. The event is being spread out over three days to help allow for social distancing. Participants must provide their own water and find their own restroom facilities. Registration can be completed online at https://www. bikesignup.com/Race/TX/ Houston/13thHoustonHeight sBicycleRallyScavengerHunt. The cost before 5 p.m. May 22 is $20 for the 5-mile ride and $25 for the 15-mile ride. Beginning May 23, the cost is $25 for the shorter course and $30 for the longer course. For more information, visit houstonheights.org.
Houston Genealogical Forum presents A Webinar Presentation by Suz Bates “Using Ancestry Trees Securely and Effectively” Saturday, May 1, 2021, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
clearing, repairs and construction about 14 years ago and have worked on miles of trails. “Our Trailblazers put down an asphalt trail using three basic layers, identical to road construction,” he said. He said their material costs run approximately $52 per linear foot and as they will be adding about 1,200 feet of new asphalt trail, the estimated cost is $62,000 for materials. “Equipment and labor are brought to the table by our very experienced Trailblazer team and the design was done by Harris County engineering,” Johnston said. Horvath said the Friends of Oak Forest Park community group is thrilled about the collaboration with Harris County at Oak Forest Park. “Having a track was a community priority on our 2014 survey, and now it is coming to fruition,” she said.
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available to Texas’ open-enrollment charter schools. The Texas Association of School Boards explains that a DOI designation gives districts local control to customize a plan for either a level of school, grade level or a single campus. The particulars of a custom plan do not have to be approved by the TEA, but a district is accountable to its plan particulars. The district previously held a virtual public hearing on pursuing DOI status. Had the DOI been implemented, HISD would have joined 893 other districts across Texas in becoming a District of Innovation for the 2021-22 school year. HISD recently released its 2021-22 academic calendar. The start date for students is Aug. 23.
Registration open for Heights’ annual bike rally
Heights chamber awards scholarships Eighteen high school seniors from the area have been awarded college scholarships by the Greater Heights Area Chamber of Commerce. The chamber’s education committee recognized the scholarship recipients, along with 17 local students who plan to enlist in the United States Armed Forces, during an outdoor awards ceremony Tuesday afternoon. The scholarship recipients are Gabriella Taverna from Heights High School; Kennedy Hawkins from Houston Christian; Ethan Waiser and Christian White from Lutheran
that the DOI would allow districts to deprofessionalize the teaching profession by allowing uncertified teachers to teach students. “Its exemptions make room for larger class sizes. It lengthens the school year to open up the opportunity for more STAAR test preparation,” she said. “A district of innovation is anything but innovative.” The DOI concept, adopted by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in 2017, gives traditional independent school districts most of the flexibility
GET Purposeful Living OVER IT!
t goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: “we have all made mistakes.” As Alexander Pope so aptly put it: “To err is human, to forgive, divine.” We should remember this the next time we make a mistake. Most certainly, we must learn from our mistakes, and hopefully not continue to repeat them, but we should also forgive ourselves. While it can be hard enough to forgive others for their mistakes, it can sometimes feel almost impossible to forgive ourselves. We sometimes cannot bring ourselves to forgive something we’ve done, and we may punish and harangue ourselves for years, or even decades, over youthful indiscretions. In addition, some of us may not be able to forget the sins of our past. And although that may prevent us from repeating them, we must be charitable and forgive ourselves, just as we should forgive others. So, we should make a real effort in the coming days and weeks to forgive the offenses of others as well as our own. Sometimes, it helps to just forget about them; that is, to try to put them out of our mind and stop repeatedly mulling over them. One of the reasons we use the phrase “forgive and forget” is because sometimes that is the only way to forgive, i.e., by forgetting. But far better, and more divine, is to be able to forgive even while remembering the offense. So, we should let go of those unforgiving, vindictive, shameful feelings about the past, and get over it! Corrie ten Boom, who survived incarceration in a Nazi prison camp said, “Forgiveness is to set a prisoner free, and to realize that the prisoner was you.”
By Pastor Will Cover
Arise Baptist Church 803 Curtin St. Houston TX 77018 713-659-9697 • www.arisebaptistchurch.org
Y
ou matter. Everyone matters. You matter because God created you with a purpose. As long as you are here on this earth you have the opportunity to live out the purpose God has given for you. God is not done with you yet. Whether therefore Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn yeyoueat orbedrink orforgive, whatsoever not, and will not condemned; you will be forgiven... yeanddo, do all to the glory of Luke 6:37 God. R.S.V. I met someone the other day who was going through an extremely difficult time in life. Sometimes life feels so difficult that it seems like there could be no good come out of your situation. When you are living life according to God’s plan, He promises that all things work together for good. My measure of good is
not what matters. God gets to determine what is good. Living life for God’s purpose means developing a personal relationship with Him. If you don’t have a relationship with Him you will never be able to understand God’s purpose for your life. Even with that relationship in place there will be times that you will struggle with God’s plan. The relationship with Him gives you the confidence that even when things don’t make sense that His love is still with you. I want to spend my life living for God’s purpose. I want to help you discover your purpose and live for him as well. Those who struggle with God and His work in this world should take more time to get to know Him. He has revealed Himself to us in the Bible. If I can answer your question or help you in any way please let me know.
The Leader • Saturday, April 24, 2021 • Page 5A
Waltrip from P. 1A
Lemoine from P. 1A
sage. Jump said there are 19 Houston ISD high schools that compete in the Houston Urban Debate League (HUDL), and there were 30-plus teams competing along with Moreland and Weltin in the public forum category. They advanced through the tournament rounds and were named top speakers in their category while arguing about why the National Security Agency should end its surveillance of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents, according to Jump. Jump said high school debate teaches skills that would serve students well in careers such as law or politics, including the ability to research, put presentations together, recognize logical fallacies and think on their feet. She also said it can provide inner-city kids with a voice they might not otherwise have. “Even the ones that don’t compete are getting an introduction to real-world issues and how the government works, how the economy works, how relations with other countries work,” Jump said. “Even if they’re not actually competing, they’re still getting a glimpse of worldly issues
fit different occasions. “If someone is having people over for tacos, a traditional board isn’t going to pair,” Lemoine said. “If they’re having Spanish food, I’ll make the board more Spanish. I’m trying to provide a lot of variety but still making it fun for me.” Cheese by Cassie offers a variety of boards, including a traditional board featuring hard, soft and semi-soft cheeses, charcuterie (cold cooked meats), fruit, olives, nuts and crackers; an Italian-inspired board featuring aged parmesan, mozzarella, prosciutto, capicola, grapes and traditional Italian crackers; a southern-inspired board featuring blue cheese, sharp cheddar, gouda, cheddar sausage, salami, green grapes, strawberries, seasoned pretzels and honey roasted pecans; a Spain-inspired board featuring manchego, cana de cabra, chorizo, jamon iberico, grapes, slice baguette, olives and marcona almonds; and a picnic board which is similar to the traditional, but with a twist. It features hard and soft cheeses, berries, peppered and regular salami and crudité. The options come in three standard sizes. A small is a 12-inch round plate for $50 and feeds 2-3 people. The medium is a 15-inch by 10-inch platter for $75 that feeds 4-5 people. The large is a 22-inch by 12-inch platter for $90 and it feeds 6-8 people. Lemoine doesn’t plan to give up teaching, even if her business grows. “In the summer I’m going to push the business and see how it grows and then take a step back if I need to,” Lemoine said. Find Lemoine’s cheese boards on Facebook or Instagram @CheesebyCassie.
that they wouldn’t get in a normal classroom.” Jump said she’s “excited” about the prospect of having Moreland and Weltin in her debate program for three more years. She also hopes the statewide recognition provides a boost for a Waltrip program that last qualified for the University Interscholastic League’s state tournament more than a decade ago. Area middle school students who display a passion and talent for debate have historically gone to HISD high schools with more established programs, Jump said, so she hopes those debate-inclined students will now be encouraged to stick with their neighborhood school. “It’s great for me, because Frank Black Middle School feeds into us. They have a great program there,” Jump said. “Those kids, when they’re really bitten by the debate bug, they want to go to Bellaire and Lamar and Carnegie (Vanguard) and those schools that are known for debate. So when they hear that Waltrip has a successful squad and is getting recognition, that’s just going to help.” Follow us on social media @FromTheLeader
Contributed photo Cheese by Cassie’s Southern Board includes blue cheese, sharp cheddar, gouda, cheddar sausage, salami, green grapes, strawberries, seasoned pretzels and honey roasted pecans.
McGee, from P. 1A than a decade at Hamilton Middle School, made a oneyear stop at Waltrip High School and then served for 27 years as an assistant principal at Scarborough, where he also was the nighttime building administrator for Houston Community College. McGee, who retired in 2004 and moved to a Hill Country town called Hunt, continued to leave a lasting impression on those he met in Houston. His wife, Linda McGee, said she and her family have been comforted by a flood of notes and fond remembrances from former Scarborough students and teachers since her husband’s April 11 death from cancer. Ten days beforehand, when Joe McGee turned 80 as his health was in decline, his wife said he received 47 birthday cards. In the days following his death, Linda said her family came across more than 450 comments about Joe on a Facebook page for Scarbor-
ough alumni. Linda said many of the notes were about Joe’s quick wit, infectious smile and easygoing, fun-loving personality. “It’s shocking to think that many people take the time to write something about you,” she said. “I knew he was loved. I knew the teachers loved him. But it’s amazing to me. I do hope he can see down here and know he’s gotten all those.” Deep ties to area Linda became enamored with Joe at a young age as they attended Hamilton and Reagan High School together and married after they graduated college. They have two adult children, Kim and Greg, along with one grandson, and Linda said a great grandchild is due in late May. Joe was born on April Fools’ Day and lived up to the billing, with Linda saying he “always made me laugh” with
wry quips, sometimes during otherwise serious situations. She said her husband also liked swimming in the Guadalupe River and tending to their spacious yard. And while he liked to look at the lighter side of life, Linda also described Joe as a hard worker who typically left home by 6 a.m. and would not return until late at night because of his responsibilities and involvement at Scarborough. He also worked a second job as a youth sports official, according to his wife. Linda said the disciplinarian part of being an assistant principal was tough on Joe, who still handled it gracefully, according to Smithers. He said his friend and former colleague endeared himself to Scarborough students and parents alike because he was fair, understanding and genuinely concerned about them and their well-being, making it a point to learn their names and take an interest in their lives outside of school.
Smithers also said Joe had a knack for relating to youngsters by “speaking their language.” For example, if a student had a habit of skipping class, Smithers said Joe might joke with them about it as a subtle way of letting them know he was paying attention and would be addressing with issue eventually. Joe also liked to roam around the campus instead of sitting in his office, according to Smithers, who said that made him an even bigger presence at school and made him more relatable. “In all those years, I’ve never seen him yell at a student, never seen him publicly reprimand a student,” Smithers said. “He showed a lot of respect for those students, and that’s why those students loved Mr. McGee. He showed them respect and dignity. “Mr. McGee was very humble,” Smithers added. “He knew he had authority to do a lot of things, but he
didn’t abuse it.”
at Grimes Funeral Chapels in Kerrville. “He was very influential in my success today,” Smithers said. “Mr. McGee always pushed me for education and professional development and to go further. He taught me about finances. He taught me about life lessons I was going to be facing as a young man. “Now I’m in my 50s. Everything Mr. McGee talked about, I implemented those things. That’s why I’m a better person today.” In lieu of flowers, the McGee family requests that memorial contributions be made to Hunt United Methodist Church, PO Box 137, Hunt, Texas, 78024; K’Star, an emergency shelter for children at 1117 E. Jefferson St., Kerrville, Texas, 78028; or another charity.
Returning the favor He also kept his promises, according to Smithers. He said McGee vowed to attend his graduation ceremony when he received his master’s degree in criminal justice and leadership and management from Sam Houston State University in 2012. The ceremony was at 10 a.m. in Huntsville, which is about 270 miles away from Hunt. McGee left before sunrise to make the nearly 5-hour drive, managed to find his way backstage to congratulate Smithers, and then made the trek back to the Hill Country. Smithers said the gesture “meant a lot,” and he regrets not taking up the McGees on their standing offer to visit them in Hunt. But he plans to make up for it this Saturday by making his own day trip to attend Joe’s funeral, which is scheduled for 4 p.m.
Follow Adam Zuvanich on Twitter @AZuvanich
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Page 6A • Saturday, April 24, 2021 • The Leader
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The Leader • Saturday, April 24, 2021 • Page 7A
Art Valet: Bayou Beacon beckons appreciators of Houston art Mitch Cohen Art Columnist
An immersive art experience was once only described by visionaries and science fiction writers. Today the technology has caught up and now artists are bringing to life what we could once only imagine. The Bayou Beacon will be unveiled free to the public from 5-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday inside the Train Shed at Sawyer Yards’ Art Alley, 1502 Sawyer St. The Bayou Beacon is an environmental light sculpture designed by Falon Land Studio, a Houston-based interdisciplinary practice in public art and landscape architecture. Falon Mihalic is an interdisciplinary artist, licensed landscape architect and founder of Falon Land Studio. Fuko Nara is the assistant designer at Falon Land Studio, and led the creative coding and tech-
nology components as well as created the animation and hand-built the scaled model prototypes for previous iterations of the installation. Falon Land Studio is located at Sabine St. Studios. The Bayou Beacon is supported in part by the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance. Imagine turning the water fluctuations of White Oak Bayou into a fully immersive animated light show, and you’re in the middle of it. I can’t speak with authority on this yet (talk to me next week!), but it sounds a lot like experiencing a planetarium, only you can walk through it and turn around, etc. The Beacon expresses the water fluctuations of White Oak Bayou as it monitors historic water quality data and then projects a dynamic, parametrically designed light animation onto suspended semitransparent fabric panels. The Bayou Beacon will be located in the Train Shed, a former train repair station left intact adjacent to the iconic grain silos of Arts District
Contributed photo Fuko Nara shows where her code work turned animation will be presented, in the Train Shed at Sawyer Yards.
Houston. At 100 feet long, the interior of the train shed provides an industrial setting for the light art. Projected onto a bluish scrim, the installation creates a fluid experience of the water flow of the bayou. “Non-traditional exhibition spaces such as the Train Shed allow for artists to experiment and see their visions unfold,” said Grace Zuniga, Sawyer Yards’ creative director. “These opportunities allow
artists to grow their practice, challenge their parameters of art-making and give the community a chance to experience art in a tangible and exciting way.” To experience the piece, visitors can meander through, sit in provided chairs or lie down on padded mats to watch a projected visualization of a few of Houston’s recent record-shattering floods. The animation pulls from White
Oak Bayou’s stream gage data, then renders swarms of water droplets that express the cubic feet per second of water flowing past a single point in the Bayou Beacon. A portion of the animation specific to Hurricane Harvey’s influx shows dramatic jumps in the size of water droplets as if they are pulsing toward you. This movement represents the massive spikes in water flow Houstonians experienced over three days as the rains from Harvey flowed through the bayous. I asked Mihalic where she got her inspiration. “Bayou Beacon is inspired by the fluctuating water flow of our incredible bayous and the expressive qualities of water as a natural force,” Mihalic said. “The bayous course through our city daily and their form creates the framework for our city’s ecology. I want to express and experience what that shifting water flow is like and so the animation is generated from a water droplet algorithm using real historic flood data from White Oak Bayou.” And the train shed?
“It is a very fun challenge to work with the metal train shed with its 25-foot tall ceiling and 100-foot long space,” Mihalic said. “The shed dimensions intensify the wind blowing through and I like that because the artwork is really about rain and weather and how the bayous respond to storms. The sound component to the piece was produced from my recorded rain and chirping frog audio samples and mixed by artist Matt Hettich into a droning, intense reverberating wave of sound that fills the train shed space.” To see other projects by Falon Land Studio, visit its website at https://falonland. com. For details on parking and a campus map, visit SawyerYards.com. The train shed is located on the south side of the grain silos in the Silos at Sawyer Yards parking lot. Cohen is an artist and founder of the First Saturday Arts Market and the Market at Sawyer Yards. Find him at ArtValet.com for additional highlights and artist’s stories.
Review: Pho Ben serves Vietnamese flavors at low prices Zarah Parker Managing Editor
From the outside, Pho Ben Vietnamese Restaurant is a nondescript section of a shopping center off North Shepherd Drive. But that doesn’t stop the lunch crowd from congregating there to enjoy Vietnamese flavors. The inside of the space is decorated nicely, with greenery and comfortable booths and tables. During my recent lunch out at the spot, I also got firsthand experience of the great service the restaurant provides. My table had a main server, but other servers happily stopped by the table to check in or help with anything that was needed, which meant I never felt like I had to flag anyone down. The menu has a list of different types of spring rolls and egg rolls to serve as appetizers. My lunch partner and I went with the fresh spring rolls, which included steamed pork, shrimp, rice vermicelli noodles, lettuce and bean sprouts wrapped in rice paper, and an order of the grilled chicken spring
rolls, which were the same, just with chicken. Both were served with peanut sauce. The spring rolls didn’t take long to be placed in front of us. The chicken had a distinct grilled flavor, which was good, but what really sold me was the peanut sauce. It was smooth with nutty undertones, but it wasn’t like a peanut butter. With the spring rolls, the peanut sauce added a nice roasted element. The same goes for the spring rolls with pork and shrimp. I noticed the rice paper was a little thicker than I’m used to, making the outer layer chewier. When deciding which pho to order, the server suggested the pho that comes with lean brisket, well-done flank, fatty brisket, soft tendon and white beef tripe because it’s a popular dish. Since it has so many different cuts of beef, it also allows the customers to try a variety of what the restaurant has to offer. All of the meat was pretty good, but my favorite was the lean brisket. It was thin and easy to eat along with the noodles. The extra meat also gave the soup an extra savory layer I enjoyed. The noodles seemed a little too overdone. Pho noodles are
Photo by Zarah Parker Pictured is the banh mi with chargrilled chicken and veggies on French bread from Pho Ben.
soft, but it was like they had sat in the broth too long. The banh mi I tried was chargrilled chicken and veggies on French bread. The bread was fresh, soft on the inside with a crispy crust. The chicken was similar to the chicken in the spring rolls, but thicker, and the sauce it was cooked with seemed more present. To wash it all down, I ordered milk tea. Tapioca is optional, but the restaurant was out. The milk tea had a good balance of sweet and milky, with that underlying layer of black tea. While I enjoyed it, I recommend
Photo by Zarah Parker Pictured is pho with lean brisket, well-done flank, fatty brisket, soft tendon and white beef tripe from Pho Ben.
drinking it after the meal, because its creamy, sweet flavor didn’t complement the food. Pho Ben offered a solid lunch at a small price, and that I can always appreciate. Pho Ben Vietnamese Restaurant Address: 935 N. Shepherd Dr. Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday Pricing: $3.99-$8.60 Kid-friendly: Yes Alcohol: No Healthy options: Yes Star of the show: Pho
Photo by Zarah Parker Pho Ben’s fresh spring rolls include steamed pork, shrimp, rice vermicelli noodles, lettuce and bean sprouts wrapped in rice paper.
Food Briefs: Slim Thug’s Chick’nCone gives back By Zarah Parker zarah@theleadernews.com
Rapper Slim Thug has partnered with Chick’nCone, 1919 N. Shepherd Dr., to raise funds for the youth in low-income families within the Houston community. Inspired by Slim Thug’s favorite Kickin’ Ranch flavor and Mac & Cheese topping, the restaurant created the “Still Tippin’ Cone” and will donate $1 for every cone sold to the Boss Life Foundation, Slim Thug’s nonprofit that focuses on education programs for young men ages 8-24. Slim Thug will be at the Heights restaurant for a fan meet-and-greet at 4 p.m. April 22 and May 6. The “Still Tippin’ Cone” will be available those two dates and during the weekends following. Heights House Hotel’s new restaurant opens This Friday marks the opening of Space Cowboy, a restaurant at the Heights House Hotel, 100 W. Cavalcade St., according to Eater Houston. The restaurant leans into the tropical vibe, with fruit cocktails and food options like huli huli chicken and grilled octopus. The restaurant will operate from 4 p.m.-2 a.m. daily.
Urban Eats picnic options Urban Eats, 3414 Washington Ave., is celebrating National Picnic Day this Friday with a selection of gift baskets. One basket includes Prasek’s Meat & Cheese, crackers, bacon jam, olives, pimento cheese and two S.Pellegrino waters for $35. Another includes Prasek’s Meat & Cheese, crackers, bacon jam, olives, pimento cheese, the choice of one panini sandwich or one truffled egg salad/chicken salad sandwich and Mumm Sparkling Wine Split or two S.Pellegrino waters for $50. The other basket includes Prasek’s Meat & Cheese, sliced curred meats, Beechers Sharp Cheddar, Ava Crisps, crackers, bacon jam, olives, house-roasted nuts, pimento cheese, the choice of one panini sandwich or one truffled egg salad/ chicken salad sandwich, a bottle of sparkling wine and two S.Pellegrino waters for $75. The restaurant can also customize to specific needs. You can order a basket in person at the restaurant or by email at info@feasturbaneats.com. Urban Eats needs 24-hour notice on baskets. Some items might be substituted out based on availability.
Photo contributed Rapper Slim Thug will appear at Chick’nCone, 1919 N. Shepherd Dr., on the afternoons of April 22 and May 6.
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Photo contributed Pictured is Slim Thug’s “Still Tippin’ Cone” at Chick’nCone, located at 1919 N. Shepherd Dr.
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Page 8A • Saturday, April 24, 2021 • The Leader
Local restaurants offering picnic baskets benefiting Buffalo Bayou By Zarah Parker zarah@theleadernews.com
In an effort to get people outside on National Picnic Day this Friday, restaurants around Houston, including local spots, have teamed up with the Buffalo Bayou Partnership. Restaurants have put together unique picnic baskets available to purchase for a picnic this weekend, and proceeds from each basket will go toward Buffalo Bayou Partnership. “Buffalo Bayou is literally the heart of Houston and is so important in the everyday life of Houstonians,” said chef Bobby Matos of La Lucha, 1801 N. Shepherd Dr. “Helping the bayou succeed into the future enables Houstonians to continue to have beautiful green space for recreation, exercise and events for years to come.” Buffalo Bayou Partnership is a nonprofit dedicated revitalizing Buffalo Bayou from Shepherd Drive to the Port of Houston Turning Basin. The proceeds from National Picnic Day will support Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s continued efforts to create and care for the green spaces included in that area. “(That) includes Buffalo Bayou Park, developing the bayou trail system, operating an on-water cleanup program and present public art, volunteer activities and recreational opportunities that enrich the quality of life in Houston,” said Leigh McBurnett, chief development officer at Buffalo Bayou Partnership. Local restaurants participating are La Lucha as well as Common Bond, 449 W. 19th St., and Postino Wine Café, 642 Yale St. Common Bond’s picnic basket includes one Trio of Bruschetta with spring pea and mint, ricotta and radish, and eggplant and goat cheese; one meat, fruit and cheese plate, a choice of two sand-
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Contributed photo For National Picnic Day, Postino Wine Cafe’s picnic package includes appetizers, a bruschetta board and a bottle of wine.
wiches: ham and cheese on a baguette, tomato and burrata, smoked salmon on a croissant or tarragon chicken salad on a croissant, with chips on the side; and lastly, a pack of snickerdoodle cookies, all packaged in a tote bag. The picnic costs $50. For more information, visit https://www. commonbondcafe.com/ store/product/Picnic-tote/. La Lucha’s picnic serving takes savory on-the-go. The pack includes eight pieces of fried chicken, a salad, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, four biscuits with honey sambal and jam and a bottle of Bisol Prosecco. When ordering, the restaurant will need at least 30 minutes to prepare the food, and it will be available for $59.95 all weekend. “The choice was easy. What goes better in a picnic than fried chicken?” Matos said. “Fried chicken is great hot or cold and with the sides, bubbles and biscuits you have a complete meal ready to go.” Postino’s picnic package focuses on “snacky things,” including appetizers like salad
Elvira “Vera” Flores Castillo
E
lvira “Vera” Flores Castillo
was called home by our Lord Jesus Christ on Monday, April 5, 2021. She was a devoted wife to William “Bill” Castillo, a loving mother to Carol Lynn (Castillo) Doud and Veronica Ann (Castillo) Robertson along with their husbands, Ronnie G. Doud Jr. and Scott Robertson, as well as a loving sister (in-law), aunt, Godmother, friend, teacher, and colleague to countless others.
Photo by Andrew Thomas Lee La Lucha, 1801 N. Shepherd Dr., is offering a picnic basket for National Picnic Day that includes fried chicken and sides.
or meatballs, as well as its signature bruschetta board, for $35. For an additional $15, customers can add a bottle of wine from Postino’s Lucky
Seven Lineup. The picnic package will be available all day Friday and orders can be placed over the phone or in person.
A Houston Texas native, she grew up in Bonita Gardens where she met and married Bill on August 20, 1967 at Our Lady of St. John Catholic Church. She and Bill lived in Oak Forest for 53 years, where they raised their two daughters and attended weekly mass: first at St. Rose of Lima and ultimately St. Patrick Catholic Church. A lifelong learner, Vera earned an Associates’ Degree in Child
Development (with High Honors) at the age of sixty-two. She worked different jobs in her life, but her ultimate passion was teaching Kindergarten and The Word of God at both St. Rose of Lima and Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Schools for thirty plus years. She was loved by many and will be greatly missed by all... forever and a day. Visitation & Rosary Thursday April 22,2021 Funeraria Del Ángel Crespo 2516 Navigation Blvd. Houston, Tx 77003 Visitation: 5:00pm-9:00pm Rosary at 7:00pm Catholic Funeral Mass Friday April 23, 2021 at 11:00am St. Patrick Catholic Church 4918 Cochran St. Houston, Tx 77009 Interment immediately after Mass Brookside Memorial Park 13401 Eastex Freeway Houston, Tx 77039
LEADER LISTING The Leader • Saturday, April 24, 2021 • Page 1B
Weingarten acquired by Kimco Realty Corp. By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
A publicly traded and locally based real estate investment trust was recently part of a major merger in the commercial real estate industry. Supermarket News reported that grocery-anchored shopping center owner Kimco Realty Corp. would acquire Weingarten Realty Investors, a Houston-based company with its headquarters in the Shady Acres area, in a $3.87 billion deal. The transaction creates one of the nation’s largest public owner-operators of open-air, grocery-anchored shopping centers and mixed-use properties. Their combined portfolio will include 559 such shopping centers and developments — many of them in Houston and the surrounding area — and encompass about 100 million square feet of leasable area. “Combining these highly complementary platforms is a win-win for shareholders of both companies,” Weingarten chairman, president and CEO Andrew “Drew” Alexander said in a news release. “After examining the deal from every angle, it became increasingly clear that the potential of the integrated business is much greater than the sum of its parts. The combined company’s increased size and scale, together with its financial strength, should drive an advantageous cost of capital, allowing the combined company to more readily pursue value creation opportunities. We are excited to deliver this transaction to our shareholders, who will realize compelling and immediate value while also benefiting from the upside potential associated with owning the industry’s preeminent open-air shopping center and mixed-use REIT.” Weingarten, headquartered at
Photo by Betsy Denson The Kroger shopping center near the intersection of West 43rd Street and Ella Boulevard is among the local properties owned and managed by Weingarten Realty Investors, a Houston-based firm that recently was acquired by New York-based Kimco Realty Corp.
2600 Citadel Plaza Dr. #125, owns and manages the Kroger shopping centers near the intersections of West 43rd Street and Ella Boulevard in Oak Forest as well as West 20th Street and Yale Street in the Heights. Those properties, along with its headquarters, total nearly 450,000 square
feet and are valued at nearly $58 million, according to Harris County Appraisal District records. Weingarten also owns the River Oaks Shopping Center, where the beloved and historic River Oaks Theatre closed last month after it could not come to terms on a new lease
Real Estate Roundup
with the real estate company. Jericho, N.Y.-based Kimco said the merger with Weingarten expands its geographic footprint in markets such as Houston, Miami, Phoenix, Atlanta and Orlando, Fla. “This combination reflects our conviction in the grocery-anchored
shopping center category, which has performed well throughout the pandemic and provides last-mile locations that are more valuable than ever due to their hybrid role as both shopping destinations and omnichannel fulfillment epicenters,” Kimco CEO Conor Flynn said in a statement.
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Photo by Betsy Denson The Ellison Heights high-rise apartment complex recently opened at 510 W. 20th St. in the Heights. It features a 12th-level sky deck, with apartment rentals ranging from $1,795-$8,725 per month.
Ellison Heights opens on 20th By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
Ellison Heights, a development of studios as well as one-, two- and three-bedroom apartment residences and penthouses, recently opened at 510 W. 20th St. Amenities include a 12thlevel sky deck with private dining, a fitness club, a business lounge, pool and clubhouse with kitchen. Rentals range between $1,795 and $8,725. “We knew there was a place for a boutique high-rise in the Heights,” said Brian Herwald, managing director of development at Greystar, in a statement to CultureMap. “With a coveted address in the heart of one of Houston’s most exciting neighborhoods, Ellison Heights defines sophisticated living in a way that hasn’t been done before in this historic area. The contemporary mix of amenities and interior finishes, along with it being the newest luxury high-rise in the Historic Heights area, makes it truly one-of-a-kind.” Braun buys office building from Houston Eye Associates BizNow reports that 7155
Old Katy Realty, an entity of Braun Enterprises, purchased a two-story, 90,400 square foot, multi-tenant office building at 7155 Old Katy Rd. in the North Loop West office submarket. The property was previously owned by Houston Eye Associates. The building is on 4.17 acres. The buyer represented itself in the transaction, while Colliers International’s David Carter and Taylor Wright represented the seller. Good Spot Storage on Mangum sold Merit Hill Capital purchased Good Spot Storage, a 30,000 square foot, self-storage facility at 3735 Mangum Rd., as reported by BizNow. Marcus & Millichap’s Dave Knobler marketed the property on behalf of the seller, a private investor. Hartman launches BIZSUITES for small businesses Hartman Income REIT Management Inc. has launched BIZSUITES, a new business entity which addresses the post-pandemic workplace needs of Texas-based
small businesses and owneroperators, according to a news release. It will roll out in eight locations across Houston, Dallas Fort-Worth and San Antonio, with more locations coming on board later this year. BIZSUITES says it is responding to the rising number of inquiries from small businesses that are now ready to move their operations from home – and away from Zoom. “As a result of the pandemic, businesses are becoming more flexible in the way they work,” Hartman CEO and president Al Hartman said. “Small businesses, particularly start-ups may not need a dedicated front desk staff, a long-term lease, or a custom-designed office - they need convenience and flexibility.” BIZSUITES will also offer networking opportunities. “Our goal is to provide a professional space to work in great buildings and surround small business owners with other like-minded individuals,” Hartman said. If you have something for Real Estate Roundup, please email betsy@theleadernews.com.
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Page 2B • Saturday, April 24, 2021 • The Leader
Market Update
Local home sales boom continues in March By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
Many local zip codes have seen booming home sales figures to begin the year, with the trend continuing last month. Each of the six zip codes in the area served by The Leader saw yearover-year March increases of at least 30 percent, with multiple areas seeing at least an 80 percent spike, according to the most recent data from the Houston Association of Realtors. As a result, all local markets are at least 15 percent ahead of last year’s sales pace. Many area markets saw a mixed bag as far as year-over-year pricing trends for both average and median home prices. 77018 A zip code that includes Oak Forest, Garden Oaks, Shepherd Park Pla-
za and part of Independence Heights saw a particularly fruitful month. There were 96 homes that came off the market in this area last month, an 81.1 percent spike compared to March 2020. Year-to-date, there has been a 36.7 percent increase compared to the same period last year, with 201 homes sold so far. Prices held fairly steady with little movement in either direction in this market. Average prices rose 0.6 percent to $505,199, while the median price dropped 1.2 percent to $415,000. 77092 Just to the west, the area that includes part of the Central Northwest and Greater Inwood neighborhoods saw 34 homes sold in March – a 61.9 percent increase from the same month last year. There have been 79 homes to come off the market so far in 2021, a 46.3 percent year-over-
year rise compared to 2020. This zip code was one of only two local markets to see a significant year-over-year rise in home prices. The average buyer paid 6.6 percent more ($317,157) compared to last year, while median home price rose 13.2 percent to $314,000. 77091 On the northern edge of the area, agents in the zip code including parts of Greater Inwood and Acres Homes experienced a 77.8 percent yearover-year rise in sales. There were 32 homes sold in this area last month, compared to just 18 the year before. The area is also pacing local markets in terms of year-to-date sales, with the 69 homes sold representing a 91.6 percent increase when compared to the same time last year. It was also the only market to see a drop in both average and median prices. The average home cost was
down 19.7 percent to $265,962, while median home price dipped 2.7 percent to $272,450. 77008 In the Greater Heights, Shady Acres and Lazybrook/Timbergrove areas, it was one of the best months among local neighborhoods. Buyers took 144 houses off the market, an 80 percent spike over last March. To date, there have been 291 homes sold in the area – outstripping last year’s pace by 63.5 percent through the same period. There wasn’t much movement in pricing, with the average home cost going up 1 percent to $597,175 and median home price rising 0.4 percent to $505,500. 77009 In the Woodland Heights, Sunset Heights and Northside Village areas, home sales were up 31.9 percent as 62 homes were sold in March.
Through the end of the month, there have been 135 homes sold in this zip code – 15.4 percent ahead of last year’s pace. The average home buyer paid 10.4 percent less ($475,429) compared to last March, while median price rose 1.5 percent to $446,500. 77007 On the southern edge of the area, which includes the Washington Avenue corridor, there were 113 homes sold in March, representing a 46.8 percent year-over-year increase. Through the end of the month, the 227 homes sold in this zip code was 20.7 percent ahead of last year’s pace during the same period. On the pricing front, this was the second local market to show significant increases. The average cost of a home went up 16.6 percent to $604,512, while median home price was 7 percent higher at $460,000.
REALTOR SHOWCASE Oakington’s Bocchetto treating all clients as equals By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
A
bigail Bocchetto knows the home buying or selling process can be difficult for her clients to navigate even under normal circumstances considering it is not an everyday transaction. And the changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have not changed her approach, which is to treat each client as an equal – whether it’s a first time buyer/seller or a returning client. Bocchetto comes from a long line of family invested in the realty business. From real estate attorneys to aunts and uncles who specialize in lending or do the same work she now does, she never lacked a support system or background for her transition into real estate despite lacking previous knowledge of the business before starting at Oakington in 2015. Nearly six years later, her clients run the gamut, from buyers and sellers all the way to builders seeking new plots of land for building or new developments inside Beltway 8. Her hot spots include the Heights, Garden Oaks and Oak Forest, along with Montrose, Spring Branch and others. She has also expanded into Meyerland and Westbury. And in that time, her philosophy has not changed. “I like to make sure I pay attention to details every step of the way, and make sure I explain the process regardless, because you don’t do it every day,” Bocchetto said. “You need a professional to help guide you and explain things along the way, even if you’ve done it before.” Whether you are moving to Houston, or changing neighborhoods, part of real estate from Bocchetto’s perspective is what your area of town can provide for your lifestyle. And in the time of COVID-19, that lifestyle has begun to shift slightly according to Bocchetto. “I’ve noticed that people are starting to appreciate outdoor space, even if that is on a townhouse or a condo – people are
Abigail Bocchetto really focused on having space outside,” she said. “So I think the idea of having builders build those with no outside areas at all will probably go away and they’ll have to focus on giving people a little more space outside even though that’s hard to do inside the city.” The other thing, she said, is that consumers in her target neighborhoods are coming to grips with is that prices in Houston are going up. “There’s not as much room for negotiation or hard-balling for buyers lately just because there’s so little inventory on the market,” she said. “And with new construction, prices have definitely gone up, and that is impacted by the cost of materials skyrocketing.”
With that aforementioned inventory decrease, Bocchetto said, has come a shift in how quick she gets her clients to the seller’s market or onto a property for viewing. If she doesn’t, she said her client’s dream home could be gone. “Working with buyers recently is a matter of staying on your toes and getting them to go view properties the day they hit the market and make sure they see everything that’s available as soon as possible,” she said. “If they wait even three or four days, it potentially will be gone if it’s ready to move.” Another phase of her approach, Bocchetto said, has been pushing for her clients to conduct in-person home viewings as often as possible. Though she utilized virtual viewings at the beginning of the pandemic, she said she has gone with a full-court press on the matter. Doing so, she said, is crucial to a buyer’s ability to accurately inspect the home in a way simply not feasible via Zoom or Facetime. “It’s really hard to make one of the biggest financial choices of your life (virtually)…It’s hard to actually get a feel without walking into a property,” she said. “I would encourage my clients to mask up, wear gloves, etc. so you can feel comfortable walking through a home. You’ve got to be in there in order to feel the house. Being one-on-one and engaging with someone and being at a property in-person helps you really see any type of potential issues you could not on a photo or video.” For six years, her approach has not wavered, and she said the payoff is well worth it. “My favorite part is when they text me or send me a picture of their new place – I love getting those messages of thanks – that makes me feel good, and feel that they really are confident in the choice that they’ve made,” she said. “I would feel horrible if someone regretted how they sold their home or the home they ended up purchasing.” To buy or list a home with Bocchetto, call 713-882-2244 or email her at abby@oakingtonrealty.com.
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The Leader • Saturday, April 24, 2021 • Page 3B
Follow these tips to make cross-country moves easier for all Dear Tabby, We will be moving across the country this summer with our pets. We’ve never moved with pets before and so we want to make sure that we can make it as stress-free as possible for them (and us!). Any tips? Moving Away in Woodland Heights Dear Moving Away, Moving can be both very exciting, but also super stressful for humans and animals alike. You’re a kind pet owner to consider the needs of your pets during this busy time in your life and there are certainly a few things you can do, ahead of your move, that might make the process go as smoothly as possible for everyone involved. Here are a few of my favorite moving tips for pet owners: Tag/Microchip update Be sure to update your contact info on all of your pets’
tags and microchips. Since you will be living in a new area, if your pets escape, you want to make sure people can find you to reunite you and your pet. Make sure to put this task at the top of your moving to-do list. Acclimate pets to crates Your pets’ crates will be very useful before, during and after the move. So, if your pets aren’t already familiar with their crates, now is the time to do that. Pull them out of storage and leave them accessible in your current home. Encourage your pets to get inside and rest/play. This will ensure that, come moving day, your pet has a familiar place to be.
them together for the move (or close by in separate crates if traveling by plane), so they can comfort one another. Conversely, if you have pets who don’t particularly enjoy one another’s company, keep them apart. The stress of the move can cause animals to act out more than normal and you don’t want to run the risk of having an animal fight during your move.
Keep your routine Moving is a weird and sometimes unstructured time, but if at all possible, try to walk your dog during the day and feed all of your pets at their regular times. This will help to keep some normalcy in their lives and comfort them.
One last trip to vet Make one last appointment with your current vet for a checkup for everyone and a refill on any prescriptions they might need. This will buy you some time in your new city to get acclimated and find a new vet. Best of luck on your new adventures! I’m certain you and your pets will settle in nicely and be out and about exploring your new city in no time! Besides, what better way to make new friends in a new city than by exploring dog parks and hiking trails?
Keep buddies together and enemies separate If you have pets who are bonded, make sure to keep
Do you have a question for Tabby? Email her at deartabby questions@gmail.com.
Third date set for Marmion Park concert series By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com
The Music @ Marmion outdoor concert series will continue next month, with The Allen Oldies Band performing from 3-5 p.m. May 15 at Marmion Park, located at 1800 Heights Blvd. The mid-May show, with the Marmion
Park gazebo serving as the stage, will be the third free concert this year in an ongoing series sponsored by the Houston Heights Association and underwritten by Greenwood King Properties. The events are open to the public. Concert goers are encouraged to bring their own food, beverages, chairs and blankets.
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BASEBALL/SOFTBALL ROUNDUP
Heights baseball clinches playoff berth with big wins By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
In a year full on uncertainties, the Heights High School baseball program recently made sure its playoff track record did not become one of them. The Bulldogs will be postseason participants once again after beating Westbury 4-1 and 15-0 on April 13 and April 16, respectively, to clinch their fifth consecutive playoff berth under head coach David Petty. And though a playoff berth is secured, Heights (9-12, 8-2 district) still has much for which to play. The Bulldogs sat in third place in District 18-6A ahead of Tuesday’s scheduled matchup against Westside and a game-and-a-half behind district-leading Bellaire with four district games to go as they seek the program’s first district title since 2012. In other public-school action, Scarborough had two wins last week over Booker T. Washington, winning via forfeit on April 14 before taking a 14-4 decision on Monday. The Spartans (10-8, 9-1 district) were in first place in District 23-4A ahead of two games against second-place Furr on Wednesday and Saturday. The Waltrip Rams had their three-
game winning streak halted last weekend with a 4-3, non-district loss to Katy on April 17, but are still 9-7-2 overall and 5-0 in District 23-5A. In private-school action, St. Pius X (14-11, 4-6) bounced back from a loss to Bellaire Episcopal on April 14 with a 6-5 win over Concordia Lutheran on April 17, but then fell to rival St. Thomas 8-3 on Tuesday night. The Eagles beat Concordia Lutheran 3-2 on April 13 and defeated Beaumont Kelly 10-0 on April 17, but were denied a district title-clinching win when they lost 7-0 in a rematch against Concordia Lutheran on Monday night. However, St. Thomas (169-1, 8-2) clinched it with the win over SPX on Tuesday. Lutheran High North halted its sixgame losing streak with a 9-7 victory over Huntsville Alpha Omega Academy on Tuesday. Jonah Erazo led the Lions (3-6, 1-5) with four hits, while Isaiah Greenhouse (three hits, two RBIs) and Cameron Herrera (two hits, two RBIs) also had strong games. Softball In public-school action, the Heights Lady Bulldogs bounced back from a loss to Lamar on April 13 with a 9-1 win over Chavez to close out district
play. Ava Martinez, Sarah Salas and Alyssa Morris each had two hits for Heights, while Salas had three RBIs. The Lady Bulldogs will enter the playoffs as District 18-6A’s top seed after going 13-6 overall and 10-2 in district play. The Waltrip Lady Rams, meanwhile, are 7-2 overall and in District 23-5A competition following a 15-0 win over Sharpstown on April 13. They have won seven of their last eight games. On the private-school circuit, Brooke Landry and Alexis McGregor each had two hits for the St. Pius X Lady Panthers against Kelly Catholic in a 16-0 win on Monday. Jennifer Schmalz then had two grand slams and eight RBIs as the Lady Panthers (16-9, 8-0) clinched the TAPPS District 4 title with a 14-3 win over Katy St. John XXIII on Tuesday. Dear did not allow an earned run in 10 innings of work in the circle last week for SPX while striking out 12 hitters in two appearances. Lutheran High North’s April 15 game against Huntsville Alpha Omega Academy was rained out, and the Lady Lions were scheduled to face Covenant Christian at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Photo from Twitter Heights’ Robert Robinson prepares to swing during a tournament game earlier this season. Robinson had two hits in the Bulldogs’ 15-0 win over Westbury on Monday.
St. Thomas football to play in inaugural showcase game By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
The St. Thomas High School football team will have the chance to participate in a select privateschool showcase early next season. The Eagles were selected to play Plano St. John II on Sept. 4 in Frisco as part of the inaugural four-team Catholic Bowl, the school said in an April 16 news release. Its game, which will be St. Thomas’ second of the 2021 season, will be played at the Ford Center at The Star indoor stadium connected to the headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys.
The showcase, which is being hosted by international football promoter Global Football, will also feature Fort Worth Nolan Catholic and Little Rock Catholic from Arkansas as part of a doubleheader. St. Thomas is coming off a 7-3 season that produced the program’s third straight district title and a trip to the TAPPS 6A state semifinals. “St. Thomas is proud to team with Global Football to not only present our school to a much broader audience but also partner in what will quickly develop into a premier event,” St. Thomas athletic director Mike Netzel said in a news release. “Our
scholar-athletes are thrilled about the chance to play in an outstanding venue. We’ll travel and participate in a way that resembles a college bowl game experience.” Since 1996, Global Football has produced games and tours in more than 20 countries on six continents, according to its website. In 2012, 2014 and 2016, the organization staged high school and college showcases in Ireland alongside major NCAA college football games that were held in Dublin. For more information on Global Football or the showcase, visit globalfootball. com/.
Photo from St. Thomas High School Twitter The St. Thomas football team has been selected to play in the inaugural Catholic Bowl private school showcase against Plano St. John II. The game will take place on Sept. 4 in Frisco.
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