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Elizabeth Villarreal

Heights icon Cohen dies at 98

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

The Heights is a beloved part of Houston because of its style and charm, historic character and balance between being elegant and down to earth.

Those were all qualities embodied by Melvalene Cohen, who helped shape the neighborhood into what it is today.

Cohen, who died Monday at age 98, opened a grocery store in the Heights in the 1950s and remained in the area throughout the rest of her life. She helped revital-

ize the neighborhood along with her husband, Carl, as founding members of the Houston Heights Association (HHA) in the 1970s, and she also was active with the Houston Heights Woman’s Club, for which she once served as president.

Melvalene Cohen was politically involved as well and helped to beautify the Heights while nurturing its children. She did so while often dressing to impress and charming friends and neighbors with a quick wit and easy smile.

“We wouldn’t be here today

if it wasn’t for people like Melvalene. We wouldn’t be here at all,” said Heights resident Laura Virgadamo, a friend and fellow member of the woman’s club.

“The Heights would be nothing or nobody. It would be torn down and there wouldn’t be any history.

They’re the kind of people that fought to preserve this neighborhood.”

Cohen, affectionately known as a “grande dame” of the Heights, Photo from Viula Torgerson was a recipient of the Leader of the Year honor, awarded by The Melvalene Cohen, a founding member of the Houston Heights Association and longtime member of the Houston See Cohen P. 4A Heights Woman’s Club, died Monday at age 98.

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Photo by Adam Zuvanich Facing the outdoor nursery and parking lot at Wabash Feed & Garden, 4537 N. Shepherd Dr., is a mural painted by Houston artist Emily Ding. It aims to beautify the street while making use of a long-dormant billboard on the property.

Perfect 10. An exhibit showcasing 10-inch by 10-inch paintings is scheduled for Saturday.

Page 7A

Blood needed. There are several upcoming blood donation events in the area.

Page 2B

Flying high. Two talented forwards lead Booker T. Washington’s boys basketball team.

Page 4B

Wabash commissions murals to beautify street

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com Kayla Johnson noticed something different about Wabash Feed & Garden when she arrived at the store late Tuesday afternoon. The two-sided billboard on the southeast edge of the North Shepherd Drive property – which recently became a two-sided mural – immediately caught her attention.

Painted on the south side are the heads of two hens with a green background. On the north side, facing the Wabash parking lot, are colorful flora and fauna, along with two bees and a butterfly.

“That was the first thing I saw when I got out of the car, so it definitely draws your eye to it,” said Johnson, a former Independence Heights resident who had been to Wabash a couple times before. “It looks really, really nice.”

That’s the kind of reaction Wabash owner Betty Heacker was hoping for when she decided a couple months ago to turn the billboard, which had long been painted white, into a work of public art. One of her employees at Wabash is roommates with muralist Emily Ding, who was commissioned to do the work, finishing the north side before the end of December and the south side earlier this month.

It’s part of an ongoing effort to beautify the property and make improvements at Wabash, 4537 N. Shepherd Dr., which in December also acquired the lot imme-

By Adam Zuvanich

Church....................................................... 4A Classifieds.............................................. 5A Coupons. ................................................. 3B Food/Drink............................................. 1B Obituaries.............................................. 8A Opinion. ................................................... 3A Public Information......................... 2A Puzzles...................................................... 3A Sports. ....................................................... 4B

Janavi Folmsbee is intertwined with everyone and everything, and they are intertwined with her. That’s the way she views it, at least.

The 34-year-old Oak Forest resident and artist has had a deep fascination with the world’s waterways and their ability to help connect people and worlds - no matter who someone is or where they’re traveling from - since growing up near the Indian River in Mumbai, India. And by the end of next summer, she hopes to make international travelers feel invited and welcomed into Houston with a mural inspired by that spirit of mutual connection.

“My work is all about how our oceans and waterways connect us all,” Folmsbee said.

On Dec. 29, Folmsbee was one of 10 artists selected to complete sitespecific art commissions across Houston airports as part of the Houston Airports public art program and the City of Houston’s Civic Art Collection.

Beginning in May, Folmsbee and her team will create a 240-foot-long marine biology-inspired mural inside the International Terminal Connector Tunnel between Terminal D & Terminal E at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH).

She and the other nine artists’ proposed pieces were selected out of nearly 350 applicants.

“I’m really excited,” she said.

See Folmsbee P. 5A

Photo by Adam Zuvanich The south side of a billboard on the property of Wabash Feed & Garden, 4537 N. Shepherd Dr., features a mural of two hens that was painted by Emily Ding.

diately to the north. Heacker said she plans to use the 41,000-square foot space, where used cars previously were sold, for customer parking, storage and eventually a place to hold gardening classes and community meetings.

Manager John Berry said Wabash has seen an uptick See Wabash P. 5A

Photo by Jay Marroquin Oak Forest’s Janavi Folmsbee is creating a mural at Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Dirt piles aim to deter trail users during construction azuvanich@theleadernews.com

THE INDEX.

Oak Forest resident’s art commissioned for IAH terminal

The grassy mounds of dirt that have spent months atop part of the White Oak Bayou Trail are taller than Jonathan Moore and stretch across the concrete path he likes to use when jogging.

On Tuesday evening, though, they didn’t exactly get in his way.

Moore, a Heights resident who said he had run more than 4 miles to the north and was

starting to head back home, merely stepped off the trail to the side to avoid the series of mounds on the section north of West Tidwell Road.

Then, after running past each mound, he veered back onto the paved path.

“I think it’s more annoying than anything,” Moore said. “I just run around it.”

The reason the dirt piles are there, according to a spokesperson for the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD), is to deter people

like Moore from using the trail.

It runs along the west side of a bayou that is under construction, with the flood control district making channel restorations and improvements as part of two related flood mitigation projects.

More than $33 million in federal funding is being used to restore White Oak Bayou to its originally designed conditions, according to HCFCD spokesperson Sheldra Brigham, who said the conSee Trail P. 4A

Photo by Adam Zuvanich Heights resident Jonathan Moore sidesteps a dirt mound while jogging Tuesday on the White Oak Bayou Trail north of its intersection with West Tidwell Road.

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The Leader • Saturday, January 15, 2022 • Page 2A

Man accused of assaults arrested in Northside

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

The Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office said it arrested a man last week after finding out he had a warrant out for his arrest during a traffic stop in the Northside area.

Erik Vasquez, 24, remains in jail on two felony aggravated assault charges, a felony burglary of a habitation charge and a misdemeanor charge of

carrying a handgun in a motor vehicle, according to Harris County court records. His bond has been set at $175,000, court documents show.

The constable’s office said its deputies encountered Vasquez during a traffic stop in the 500 block of Hohldale Street just after midnight Jan. 5 and arrested him after discovering the warrant.

Court records show that

Vasquez has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon as well as aggravated assault of a family member - both stemming from incidents in 2019. He also was charged with burglary of a habitation in September, a month after being charged with carrying a handgun in a motor vehicle while allegedly being in possession of marijauna, according to court documents.

Vasquez

Man dies in Near Northside house fire

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Arson investigators are working to determine the cause of a fire that left a man dead in Near Northside earlier this month, according to the Houston Fire Department.

The victim, identified as 34-year-old Rudy Cabrera by the Harris County medical examiner, was found dead inside the home after the fire, according to the department.

HFD said crews responded to a home in the 2700 block of Cochran Street in Near Northside just before 6:30 a.m. Jan.

2 to find fire coming from a small onestory home. Crews extinguished the fire within a few minutes, HFD said, but later found the victim dead inside the home.

Arson investigators are working to determine the cause and origin of the fire, HFD said, which also caused an estimated $20,000 in damage to the home.

Theft 11 PM 1200 BLOCK W 19TH

JAN. 2

Assault 2 PM 400 BLOCK CORTLANDT Theft 12 PM 1400 BLOCK N LOOP

JAN. 3

Vandalism 7 PM 5300 BLOCK EGBERT Theft 6 PM 300 BLOCK W 19TH Theft 10 PM 700 BLOCK W 26TH

JAN. 4

Theft 10 AM 3700 BLOCK HARVARD Assault 1 PM 2100 BLOCK YALE Burglary 1 PM 2100 BLOCK YALE Burglary 6 PM 1100 BLOCK STONECREST Theft 12 AM 500 BLOCK TABOR Other 1 PM 00 BLOCK E CROSSTIMBERS Assault 1 PM 1600 BLOCK W 21ST Vandalism 4 AM 3600 BLOCK E CROSSTIMBERS Theft 9 PM 500 BLOCK THORNTON Theft 6 PM 600 BLOCK W 19TH

JAN. 5

Theft 11 AM 00 BLOCK E CROSSTIMBERS Theft 7 AM 200 BLOCK HEIGHTS BLVD Theft 1 PM 400 BLOCK 24TH Theft 7 PM 500 BLOCK YALE Burglary 11 AM 800 BLOCK W 26TH Theft 10 PM 200 BLOCK ORIOLE Vandalism 12 PM 300 BLOCK E 13TH

JAN. 6

Theft 6 AM 700 BLOCK YALE Robbery 12 PM 8200 BLOCK NORTH FWY Theft 1 PM 1100 BLOCK W 23RD Assault 9 AM 200 BLOCK E 37TH Assault 3 PM 800 BLOCK LAWRENCE Theft 1 AM 1000 BLOCK W T C JESTER Burglary 10 PM 600 BLOCK HEIGHTS BLVD Assault 3 PM 1400 BLOCK E 33RD Theft 12 PM 600 BLOCK W 20TH

JAN. 7

Burglary 5 PM 1600 BLOCK AIRLINE Theft 4 PM 1300 BLOCK CROSS-

TIMBERS Theft 12 PM 100 BLOCK W 20TH Assault 9 AM 100 BLOCK AURORA Other 12 PM 6700 BLOCK E CROSSTIMBERS Theft 5 PM 2100 BLOCK ELLA BLVD Theft 8 PM 00 BLOCK E CROSSTIMBERS Theft 1 PM 5300 BLOCK CORNISH

JAN. 8

Other 2 AM 700 BLOCK W 43RD Burglary 8 AM 4500 BLOCK N SHEPHERD Theft 8 PM 5600 BLOCK KANSAS Theft 8 AM 1400 BLOCK BLAIR Other 4 PM 1300 BLOCK CORTLANDT Theft 2 PM 700 BLOCK W 26TH Theft 6 PM 1000 BLOCK NEYLAND Other 7 PM 5000 BLOCK E CROSSTIMBERS Theft 8 PM 3700 BLOCK ALBA Vandalism 3 PM 4000 BLOCK KOEHLER Other 11 AM 200 BLOCK CAVALCADE Arrest 12 AM 800 BLOCK E 24TH

JAN. 9

Vandalism 04:00 PM 600 BLOCK CORTLANDT Other 02:00 PM 1400 BLOCK LAWRENCE Theft 10:00 AM 500 BLOCK CROSSTIMBERS Theft 02:00 PM 00 BLOCK E CROSSTIMBERS Theft 04:00 AM 1500 BLOCK W 18TH Vandalism 04:00 AM 1500 BLOCK W 18TH Arrest 04:00 AM 6100 BLOCK FULTON Arrest 11:00 AM 100 BLOCK YALE

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THE TOPICS. The (Long) Horns of a dilemma The Leader • Saturday, January 15, 2022 • Page 3A

Dear Loyal Longhorn -- As we begin the New Year, we know you will once again be a generous donor to your alma mater. Please send it as soon as possible, as every gift counts. Specifically, the money you send will endow a chair in our Chemistry Department, add 5,000 books to our library and finish off six suites in the Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial StadiumNFL Subsidiary. – Your Friends at The University of Texas at Austin Dear Loyal Longhorn -- We know how busy the holiday season can be with all the parties and such. No doubt you have simply overlooked that usual generous donation to your beloved alma mater. We are looking forward to the next mail delivery. -- Your Friends at UT-Austin Dear Texas Longhorn -- Somehow we have not yet received your donation. Perhaps you have lost our address. In that case, just mail your check to: That Place in Austin With a Big Tower. We have letteropeners standing by 24/7. -- Your Friends at That Place in Austin With a Big Tower.

Dear Longhorn. With Valentine’s Day approaching, you will want to remember the school you love with a sweetheart gift. Please no red, heart-shaped box of chocolates, no flowers or funny valentine. Just the check. – UT-Austin Hook ‘Em Longhorn -- I am Dr.

Lynn Ashby Columnist

Bias Cliché, professor in the UT School of Advanced Intergalactic Communications and Media Scholarship, or SAIC&MS. When you were a student here it was called the School of Journalism or simply J School, but the Hearst Foundation wouldn’t make a donation to any institution with such a “blue collar name” as J School. Remember those wonderful student days when you took News Slanting 101, Throwing Heavy Sunday Papers Lab and Hair Spray for TV Anchors 303? Some professors still remember you, but let’s keep this positive.

The SAIC&MS is raising funds for a cutting-edge course: Fake News.

It will be taught by me using, as textbooks, The New York Times and MSNBC, relying on my experience teaching Ethics of Journalism at Trump University. You, being an alumni of the “J School,” will no doubt want to make a hefty donation to underwrite this course, my salary and my upcoming sab-

batical to work on my book, “Make America Great Again – A Gift From God.” Potential Donor -- Ten years ago, the UT System endowment was around $11 billion. Last year, that sum was $19.5 billion. Today, at $31 billion it’s second only to Harvard which has $53 billion. Are you gonna let some fancy-pants Ivy League school beat us?

Hey, Longhorn – Would you like a personal, one-on-one visit with a real-live student? You can be that lucky person with only a donation to the Student Loan Forgiveness Fund. You will meet a religious philosophy major with a minor in Peruvian poetry who, for some reason, is having trouble getting a part-time job to pay off his $345,000 student loan. You can hear his heart-breaking story while buying him dinner – and help pay off his loan. – Austin People Longhorn – You may ask why we keep dunning you for money.

That question is fully explained in our alumni magazine, the Alcalde, among other such articles as “Give Till It Hurts,” “Money Makes Your School Go ‘Round” and “Your Health Status – Remember UT in Your Estate Planning.” Since you have shown no interest in making a huge donation, perhaps a lesser amount would suffice. With your help, we can endow a test tube in our Chemistry Department, add

five books to our library and put in 50 more bleacher seats. – Your Acquaintances at UT-Austin.

Alumni -- Want to a BFB? Best Friends of Bevo? Just put a hefty check in the enclosed envelope and you are a member. That allows you to become a unique and select fan along with the other 95,594 spectators at the DKR-MS-NFLS. True, the stadium held 100,119 from 2009 to 2018, but we had to take out some cheap seats to make room for more suites with bar, TV and personal cheerleader, for those who truly love the university and – unlike others – make a generous donation to our athletic budget which is a measly $183.5 million this year, second -- we repeat – second behind those hayseeds at College Station who lead the nation with a $192.6 million athletic budget. Our new coach, Steve Sarkisian, is guaranteed to make at least $34.2 million throughout his six-year contract. Over at College Station, Jimbo Fisher has a four-year contract extension that increases to more than $9 million annually. We are so embarrassed to have our coach get paid less than someone named “Jimbo.”

T. Boone Pickens gave the athletic department at his alma mater, Oklahoma State U., more than $400 million, the largest donation to a university’s athletic program in collegiate history. At halftime

during a game at (where else?) T. Boone Pickens Stadium, he was asked by a TV reporter, on the air, why Pickens hadn’t given some money to, for example, the school’s English Department. “Because if I had given that money to the English Department you wouldn’t be interviewing me now.” How does “(your name) Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium-NFL Subsidiary” sound? We’ll throw in a TV interview.

Possible Donor -- Time is running out to meet our drive to build our own Superconducting Super Collider, but we are about $6.4 billion short. Can we count on you support? – The Obscure Science Department.

Former Friend -- After checking our records, we find that you made one lousy payment to us for $14 to cover a library book, “Streaking During Winter,” that you never returned. Then there is that scholarship money you failed to refund when we discovered you weren’t actually a combat veteran and never received a Medal of Honor.

Dear Deadbeat -- You may ask, “Why do I have to renew my Lifetime Membership?” Well, that’s a long (or Longhorn) story. For a full explanation, just send a check to….

Ashby endows at ashby2@comcast.net

THE READER. Thank you for article about MKT bridge Dear Editor: Thank you for writing the informative article about the delayed repairs of the MKT bridge. I immediately emailed Abbie Kamin (my district C councilwoman), Mayor Turner and the Houston Parks Board, expressing my concern over the delayed repairs. I hope many other Leader readers do the same, and maybe we’ll get some action. I am a faithful reader of your newspaper and appreciate the local information, editorials, and advertisements. Thank you for your great work.

Peggy Tinkey

Dear Editor: I very much appreci-

ate The Leader bringing local news to my doorstep.

I moved to the Greater Heights two years ago after a career working and living overseas and every week I look forward to the information and nostalgia reading a physical newspaper.

Thank you for highlighting an issue that I care about, the MKT bridge. Houston’s flat terrain and mild climate are great for cycling.

Cycling infrastructure has greatly improved recently, however it is sorely lacking in maintenance and connectivity. I’m reminded of projects I’ve seen across the developing world where construction contracts are awarded, ribbons are cut and no or little funding is allocated for maintenance or

incremental improvements.

These projects all too often crumble, are forgotten and become an incredible waste of public funds.

Let’s keep up the momentum towards making Houston a Gold Tier bike friendly city. Our local leaders need to continue to support both bike infrastructure and critically important maintenance. This is a first step towards making our community healthier and more a pleasant place to live.

Happy trails, John Benoit

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the leader Puzzlers.

Answers found in this week’s Classified section

SUDOKU

aCrOss 1. Austrian river 4. Type of lunar crater 7. Taoism 8. German landscape painter 10. Big players do this 12. Nose cone 13. Islamic republic 14. Press against 16. Where you find corn 17. Battery cell 19. Score 20. Swiss river 21. The Babe’s real name 25. Use it to clean 26. Supervises flying 27. Surfboard fin 29. Aggressive dogs 30. Makes computers 31. Buddy 32. Existing everywhere 39. Cheek 42. Comes in bags 43. British hip hop artist

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Page 4A • Saturday, January 15, 2022 • The Leader

County’s COVID threat level raised to red

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Monday raised the county’s COVID-19 threat level to red - the highest level - as the numbers of cases and related hospitalizations continue to spike across the Houston region.

The red threat level signifies a severe and uncontrolled level of COVID transmission and recommends that unvaccinated residents or those experiencing symptoms should minimize contacts with others and avoid leaving home except for essential reasons such as to obtain food or medicine. Hidalgo said in a

news release that gatherings “should be held outdoors and ideally with masking.”

Monday marked three weeks since Hidalgo raised the county’s four-tier threat level from yellow - the second-lowest level - to orange.

More than 10,000 new cases were reported in the region last Friday, Jan. 7, according to data at readyharris.org, compared to 443 new cases one month earlier.

There also has been a sharp uptick in COVID-related hospitalizations, according to data from the Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council, which tracks medical trends in the region. It reported 1,880 COVID patients

in Harris County hospitals as of Monday, compared to 381 patients one month earlier.

“We’re finding ourselves again at a point in this pandemic where hospital staff are being stretched way too thin,” Hidalgo said. “We owe it to our nurses, doctors, and teachers to take steps to protect ourselves and give them a break. If you have been on the fence about getting vaccinated, now is the time to roll up your sleeve. We are in the midst of a COVID-19 tsunami and our best defense are vaccines and booster shots.

We’ve been here before, but this time we have more tools available and a better understanding of this virus.”

Since the local onset of the pandemic in March 2020, there have been more than 352,000 COVID cases among Houston residents, and there are 60,000 active cases, according to readyharris.org.

Nearly 4,000 Houstonians have died of the disease, with nearly 289,000 patients having recovered.

There are 6,912 active cases in the six zip codes served

by The Leader - 77007, 77008, 77009, 77018, 77091 and 77092 - compared to 3,966 cases one week ago.

For information about receiving COVID-19 tests and vaccinations, visit houstonhealth.org or readyharris.org.

Photo from Twitter Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo speaks Monday at Booker Elementary in Spring ISD.

HUD halts dispersal of Harvey aid funds Revive sells Ella Oaks Shopping Center

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

For the Greater Houston region, Hurricane Harvey in 2017 was an event residents would like to forget – though many likely never will. And many could likely be impacted by the recent halting of a federal funds distribution that was aimed at helping the region and its residents recover and mitigate future flooding events.

On Jan. 7, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that it had halted the dispersal of nearly $2 billion in Harvey aid that was previously earmarked for flood mitigation projects in Texas, according to a report from Houston television station FOX26.

The report said HUD is halt-

ing the dispersal because it claims the Texas General Land Office (GLO), while applying for the funds, did not provide a required analysis of how the state’s racially and ethnically diverse areas – areas deemed most at risk for future flooding in major events – would stand to benefit from receiving its portion of allocated funds.

The GLO had previously announced plans to award $750 million to Harris County, according to FOX26.

“Ensuring resources for people and communities to mitigate risk from future disasters is our priority, and we are hopeful that Texas will take the steps needed to begin muchneeded, forward-looking mitigation projects in the state,” HUD said in a statement.

Brittany Eck, a spokesperson

for Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, responded by saying the agency already provided more than 600 pages in its Community Development Block Grant Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) Action Plan that should satisfy the requirements laid out by HUD, according to a report by ABC13.

“This is a purely political move by HUD,” Eck said, according to ABC13. “… The partisan political game being played by the Biden administration is putting Texans at risk.

HUD must approve this funding now, before the next storm hits.”

The state has 45 days from HUD’s rejection notice to submit the required amended paperwork for approval, according to the news reports.

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

A prominent shopping and retail center in the Garden Oaks and Oak Forest area is under new ownership.

Fifth Corner announced Jan. 6 that the Houston-based company had purchased the Ella Oaks Shopping Center at the southwest corner of West 34th Street and Ella Boulevard from Heights-based Revive Development. Revive originally developed the property and put it up for sale, according to Monica Danna, Revive’s vice president for leasing and marketing.

This is the second local transaction between the two companies as Revive previously sold the strip center at the northeast corner of 34th and North Shepherd Drive to Fifth Corner.

“It’s always a bittersweet part of our business when we complete a project and turn it over to a new owner. We care so deeply about our tenants and they will always be a part of the Revive family,” Revive said in a statement.

Cohen, from P. 1A

Trail, from P. 1A

Leader, and became the fourth recipient of the HHA’s Pioneer Award in 2019. She and Carl, who owned and operated the Studewood Food Market, helped found the HHA in 1973, with Carl serving as its first president, and were recognized three years later as its Citizens of the Year.

The Carl and Melvalene Cohen Plaza on the Heights Boulevard esplanade was first dedicated by the City of Houston in 1999, the year Carl died, and includes the Lombard Lamp, which was gifted to Houston by the city of Hamburg, Germany, in 1979. Melvalene served on the Houston Arts Commission at the time and, according to friend and former HHA president Paul Carr, was instrumental in having the decorative street lamp placed in the Heights instead of Hermann Park.

“The Houston Heights Association is deeply saddened to learn about the loss of Melvalene Cohen,” the HHA said in a statement. “She was a pillar of the Houston Heights and one of the last surviving founding members of our association. Our community is still reaping the rewards of her pioneering efforts, and we plan to continue working diligently on living into her vision. Our condolences go out to her family and friends.”

According to her online obituary, Cohen grew up in the East Texas town of Garrison and married Carl Cohen four years after graduating from high school. She is survived by two sons and two grandchildren, among other rela-

tives.

She spent the last few years of her life at The Village of the Heights, an assisted-living retirement community at the northwest corner of East 14th Street and Studewood Street. It’s the same property where the Studewood Food Market was located.

“Melvalene made jokes before she passed away that she was now living in their produce department,” Carr said.

Heights historian Anne Sloan, who founded the evening group of the Houston Heights Woman’s Club, said Cohen provided essential guidance and support. In a Facebook post, the woman’s club described Cohen as a dedicated, gracious and valuable member, having been renowned for her affability, sewing skills and refined cucumber tea sandwiches.

“For me personally she was a confidante, a sister, a mother and my dearest friend,” Sloan wrote in an email. “Her business acumen was outstanding, her energy phenomenal, and her kindness knew no bounds. There is a hole in my heart.”

Cohen’s impact stretched beyond the Heights, and Houston, all the way to the state capitol in Austin as she had a hand in the initial election of the longest-tenured member of the Texas Senate.

John Whitmire, a Democrat who represents the Heights area, said the Cohens supported him and offered advice when he first ran for the Texas House in 1972.

Whitmire said he won the precinct that includes Timbergrove,

where the Cohens lived for many years, because of their support and influence. He has kept in contact with the family over the years and said he got a call from Melvalene as recently as a couple months ago.

“I can’t tell you what it meant for a 22-year-old candidate for the legislature to have them support me,” he said. “They did it, I believe, because they were always helping young people. I being a Waltrip High graduate, they really identified with me and really endorsed me.”

Cohen was involved in area schools and a longtime den leader for a local troop in the Boy Scouts of America, according to Carr, who said the scouts mentored by Cohen picked up trash after a former annual festival that was held on Heights Boulevard. Carr said his lasting memory of Cohen is of her wearing a long blue dress with a Boy Scouts pin on the collar.

Fashion often was at the forefront for Cohen, who dressed her best for costume parties and events held by the Houston Heights Woman’s Club. Those who knew her say her style was infectious, as was her personality and dedication to the Heights neighborhood.

“She was a wise, warm and witty lady of the first order, ever glamorous, and a profound asset to our community,” said former Leader publisher Terry Burge, also a founding member of the HHA. “Like countless others, I cherish my friendship with her.”

Which Way?

By Pastor Will Cover

Arise Baptist Church 803 Curtin St. Houston TX 77018 713-659-9697 • www.arisebaptistchurch.org

L

“Fifth Corner is a partner who Revive has history with in the neighborhood, and we trust them to be good stewards of the community we built at Ella Oaks.”

The 28,056-square foot, 2.46-acre property is home to 15 different tenants, including BB’s Tex-Orleans Café, Aladdin Mediterranean Grill, Specialized Bikes and Oaks Point Pediatric Dentistry. The property is valued at more than $6.5 million, according to the Harris County Appraisal District.

“Garden Oaks and the Greater Heights is one of the most dynamic submarkets in Houston,” Fifth Corner said. “When we land in the middle of the 5D’s of our investment framework with the wind in the sails of the community, we usually find opportunities better than we expected … and I think Ella Oaks is just that.”

For more information about Fifth Corner, community members can visit its website at www.fifthcorner.com or contact Chad Braun at chad@fifthcorner.com.

ife is full of choices. Which shirt should I wear today?

Which house should I buy?

Which investment is the best?

Which medicine should I take for my sickness? The decisions are endless and sometimes seem very complicated. While your decisions will have many variables to consider, there is a very simply way to look at the decisions in life. A friend of mine, Ken Collier, says it this way, “There are just two choices on the shelf, pleasing God, or pleasing self.” When it comes to making decisions, it is important to start with the most basic choice, “Am I doing this to please God, or am I doing this to please myself?”

In Psalm 1 the Bible says, “Blessed is the man that walks

not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in the law of the Lord he meditates day and night.” The influences you allow in your life will dictate many of the decisions you make. You will choose either to follow God, or go against God. Later in the psalm, there is a beautiful picture of a fruitful tree that describes the life of the one who chooses to follow God. The one that goes his own way is described as chaff that is blown away by the wind. Which way should you go? While your life may be very complicated and your decisions may be equally so, I would encourage you to begin with God. Study His Word.

Spend time in prayer about the situation. Seek to follow God and you will find that He will guide and direct your choice to be what is both pleasing to Him and best for you!

struction work covers the stretch of trail from Cole Creek just south of Tidwell to FM 1960 to the northwest. Construction has been ongoing since November 2020 between 1960 and Hollister Street to the southeast, with work starting last June between Hollister and Cole Creek.

In both instances, Brigham said HCFCD’s contractor initially placed street-closure barricades and trailclosed signs in the construction areas, which must otherwise remain open so the contractor can access the bayou.

And in both cases, she said the barricades were removed on an almost daily basis by people who used the trail anyway.

So the series of dirt mounds were placed atop the trail – roughly 100 yards apart – and will remain there until the construction work is complete. Brigham said that is expected to happen this summer, at which point the dirt piles, which in most cases are topsoil from the banks of the bayou, will be returned to the side slopes of the channel during the final grading.

“Barricades were put in place for the safety of residents and to keep the work area safe,” Brigham said. “However, the barricades were being moved, which is a concern and posed a risk to those who might enter the trail unaware that active construction is underway. Out of an abundance of caution, dirt piles were placed to deter people from entering the trail during active construction.”

Moore said he would not use the trail if he saw active construction work, which there was not on Tuesday.

Joe Cutrufo, the executive director of nonprofit BikeHouston, said he and other cyclists started noticing the dirt

mounds a few months ago and did not initially know why they were there. He said he wondered if they had been put there without regard for trail users.

After learning about the purpose of the dirt piles, Cutrufo said he wished there had been better communication about the work and its timeline along with signage explaining why that part of the trail is closed.

“It’s a solution that has people pretty upset,” Cutrufo said. “Now there are no more trail-closed signs. People are riding up there, and you see these giant mounds of dirt.”

When the construction work on the bayou is done, Brigham said there will be a complete trail between Cole Creek and Jones Road that is 10-feet wide with below-bridge crossings. She said there also will be new trails, with public access points and parking lots, around the detention basins that are being constructed as part of the project.

The channel work on the bayou includes the installation of new outfall pipes, concrete weirs and reinforcements to the bridges that cross White Oak Bayou that aim to reduce erosion from flowing water, according to Brigham. She said the project will reduce structural flooding risks near the bayou and remove many homes from the current 100-year flood plain.

In the meantime, the flood control district hopes runners, walkers and cyclists remove themselves from that part of the trail.

“The trails are closed,” said Matt Zeve, the deputy executive director of the flood control district. “We need people to stay out of the active construction areas.”

CHURCH D I R E CTO RY Sunday

I

St. James Lutheran Church, ELCA

Bible Studies For All Ages ... 9:30am

In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, please check with each •church below..... for Morning Worship ............... 10:45am Worship (English) 10:00 updated am - 11:00am Bible Studies For Youth, Children • Learning Hour........... 11:00am - 12:00pm MANNA are information Wednesday about services and events.

In-person services temporarily restricted.

• Worship (Spanish) .... 12:30 pm - 1:30pm and Adults............................ 6:15pm Sponsor 1822 W. 18th • 713-864-1470

1602 West 43rd St. • Houston, Tx 77018 • 713-686-1577

Gethsemane Lutheran Church St. James Lutheran Church, ELCA

Weekly Sunday Services

4040 Watonga • 713-688-5227

We invite you to worship with us!

t 8PSTIJQ &OHMJTI BN BN Preschool Program • Mon. - Fri. 9-2 p.m.

MANNA t -FBSOJOH )PVS BN QN Ad # 32285 t 8PSTIJQ 4QBOJTI QN QN 4QPOTPS Weekly Worship Services 9:00 a.m.

Sunday School & Bible Classes 10:30 am www.gethsemanelutheran.org

• Bible Study: 9:15 a.m.

• Morning:10:30 a.m.

• Evening: 4:15 p.m.

Say a Prayer Today!

1700 West 43 rd at Rosslyn 713-682-4942 Pastor – Dr. Richard Walters

Candlelight Church of Christ 8FTU SE 4U t )PVTUPO 5Y t Sunday Morning Worship 8:30 and 11:00 Sunday School for Children, Youth and Adults 9:40

Ministries for All Ages Please visit School our website Home of Johnson Memorial for Littleat: Children Sund Rev. Nathan Lonsdale Bledsoe, Pastor

Join us for Services in English or Spanish

Sunday Worship 10am & 5pm Sunday Bible Classes 9am Wednesday Bible Study 7pm

4215 Watonga Blvd. • 713-681-9365 2003 W. 43rd www.lazybrookbaptistchurch.org St. ◆ 713-686-8241 ◆ s t s u m c . o r g for the following: Houston, TX 77092

1822 W. 18th

Wed Sunday Services: In-person @ 11 AM (Live stream during service) Bible Studies: From Homepage, click on • 713-864-1470 Connect/Small Groups

Gethsemane Lutheran Church Pastor Jerry McNamara 4040 Watonga • 713-688-5227

We invite you to worship with us!

Weekly Worship Services 9:00a.m.

Online services can be reached through the website below at 9:00 am. www.gethsemanelutheran.org

O

t goes with made mist err is hum this the next must learn fr to repeat them it can be hard can sometim We sometime we’ve done, for years, or addition, som our past. And them, we mu we should for the coming d as well as our them; that is, repeatedly m the phrase “fo the only way more divine, i the offense. vindictive, sh it! Corrie ten prison camp to realize that

Judge not, not, and

The Leader • Saturday, January 15, 2022 • Page 5A

Wabash, from P. 1A

Folmsbee, from P. 1A

in business since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, during which there has been a renewed interest in gardening, home improvement and the selfsustainability that raising chickens can provide, which enabled the store to buy the additional property and bring life to the long-dormant billboard.

“It feels like a great step for us, because it’s a lot of security for our future here on North Shepherd,” Berry said.

“It’s a great neighborhood to be in, and now we definitely have the space to be here as long as we want.”

Heacker said she came up with the idea for the mural after learning about the connection on her staff to Ding, and because beautifying the corridor has been a goal of the North Shepherd Community Alliance, of which Heacker is a member. She said she hopes other businesses on the street are inspired to make similar improvements.

It also was a simple, cost-effective way to make use of the billboard, which had been used for advertising before Wabash moved to the property from Washington Avenue in 2017. Heacker said the business would need to obtain a license from the City of Houston, along with paying annual fees, if it had wanted to put the Wabash name on the sign.

“That’s why there’s nothing on there that says ‘Wabash.’ We’re putting this up as public art,” Heacker said. “I’m hoping, we’ll see, this may fall under the guise of, ‘Better to ask forgiveness than permission.’ I knew not to go to the sign administration. They would have a very hard time figuring out what we should do. So we put it up.”

Berry said Ding’s artwork “looks a thousand times better than an empty billboard ever looked,” and it created a buzz among the Wabash staff while the murals were being painted. He said the store’s 20 or so employees charted its progress in online messages to each other.

The recent acquisition of the adjacent property also has generated excitement among the employees at Wabash, according to Berry, who said they are in the process of fixing it up. It is mostly pavement, with a small office building in the middle.

Customers like Johnson also are taking notice of Wabash’s new look.

“It’s nice to see that kind of art around the city,” Johnson said.

Growing up in Mumbai, Folmsbee said she was always drawing – in school, on family trips, no matter where she was or what else she was doing. From her childhood home overlooking the Indian River - where she stayed until graduating high school - to attending art school in Chicago across from Lake Michigan, she was always around water and became fascinated by how it connects so many people.

But in her early 20s, she said she was disconnected and struggling to find who she was as she moved between different countries, cities and continents – which led to taking up scuba diving.

She was instantly at home in the water and exploring the worlds of marine life, she said, and her experiences from dives all around the world now manifest themselves through her artistic passion. Marine life heavily influences her work, as she draws inspiration from her experiences with scuba expeditions and with the ocean itself to help others see the “beauty and connectivity” of water.

In addition to working on the airport project, she is also preparing for her first U.S. solo exhibition entitled “Calm Water Color Storm” that will debut on Feb. 26 at Heidi Vaughan Fine Art, 3510 Lake St. “The way I feel when I’m down in the water is that I’m ‘one’ with my breath and guided to new and beautiful things – I’m not a part of this world, but I’m invited to it,” she said. “I want to create that experience for my art’s viewers every time when they see my work.”

All connected Folmsbee is hoping that’s the sentiment travelers will get after next summer when her mural is complete. The design for Aquarius Art Tunnel, as the project has been coined, is intended to replicate the experience of being part of the underwater world in the Flower Gardens Banks National Marine Sanctuary, which is about 80-100 miles off the Texas coast of Galveston Bay. It will involve fine art murals as well as designs on the floor and ceiling, and there will also be light, sound and augmented reality. Ad-

Contributed artist’s rendering Oak Forest resident Janavi Folmsbee has been commissioned to create a 240-foot mural in the international terminal tunnel between Terminal D and Terminal E at Bush Intercontinental Airport.

ditionally, signage at one of the terminal’s vestibules will have the word “Aqua” written in multiple languages.

“I want to create a space that reflects the way all of us are internationally connected,” she said.

“This is a work of art that also reveals who I am as a global citizen: a proud Houstonian, a worldwide scuba diver, a marine conservation artist and a woman who was born and raised in Mumbai, India.”

The title for Folmsbee’s installation at IAH also has a unique origin story. Her inspiration for the project and its title, she said, comes from the constellation Aquarius – the water-bearer. From there, Folmsbee broke that into three words: “aqua,” representing water; “ri,” – inspired by the Hindi word “humari,” (which translates to “ours”); and “us.”

In all, she said the title means “Water is ours, and for all of us.”

It is inspired by her dives at the Flower Garden Banks.

brate this experience and to know that their daughter created it.”

There are likely not many other spots Folmsbee could have imagined that are more perfect for her airport art dream to become a reality - and it is just the latest in a long line of achievements. From her first solo exhibition in India at the age of 16 to a time when she has since been commissioned to do artwork for events such as the 2017 Super Bowl, 2019 Houston Chevron Marathon and the 2024 FIFA World Cup, she knows she has come a long way.

She also believes there to be a certain air of destiny to the fact that her mural will come to life in a place termed “The Bayou City” with all of its interconnected waterways, given her lifelong fascination and reverence for the world’s oceans.

“Everything really does come full circle,” she said. “I feel like my journey is just beginning.”

“It’s meant to remind us that our oceans are for us to protect and love,” she said.

Meant to be Beyond fulfilling her nearly lifelong artist dream to create airport art, Folmsbee said the international terminal where her artwork will soon come to life holds a particularly special sentiment. It was the only one of the 10 Houston airport terminal openings that she applied for, because it’s where she catches her flights home to Mumbai.

It’s also where she will soon be able to welcome her own family – long her biggest supporters – to Houston, where they and other international passengers will be both greeted and sent off by her creation.

“This is a win for my community. I want every South Asian to rejoice in it,” she said. “And the most special (part) of all is, I can’t wait for my father and mother from India to fly down to Houston to cele-

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Page 6A • Saturday, January 15, 2022 • The Leader

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The Leader • Saturday, January 15, 2022 • Page 7A

Art Valet: Scheme to enjoy art themes, music this Saturday Mitch Cohen Art Columnist

Themes. We’re all familiar with them. In fact, I’d be willing to propose they rule our lives.

Look at fashion, for example. In Houston we’ve gone through all the seasons in just the past week, some on the same day. Fall, winter, spring and summer fashions have been the theme this week and last. Prove me wrong!

10” by 10” is the theme for this Saturday’s art show from 5-9 p.m. at Hardy and Nance Studios, 902 Hardy St. Artists submitted one or more works of art measuring 10” by 10” inches.

Heather Gordy, an artist and the show’s curator, told me they were overwhelmed with the 10” by 10” paintings dropped recently. Enough 10” canvases, in fact, to fill the gallery space and the long hallways at Houston’s only artist-managed working art studios.

Themed art shows are a thing, you know. Normally the theme is an emotion such as passion or love, but in the case of a painting size, you’ll see every medium and subject, ready to take home the same night.

The artists are present and handle their own sales and there’s a limit of $150 per painting. Now you know in advance the size and budget. That’s my kind of theme.

Hardy and Nance has open studios on third Saturdays every month, too, so this promises to be a busy, fun night. I did not submit my own painting as promised in last week’s column, but I promise, this will not be “my theme” for the year.

Last Saturday’s theme at The Market at Sawyer Yards turned out to be rain. Undeterred, the artists and exhibitors will return to try it again this Saturday. Artist neighbors at Silver Street Studios host their own open studios on third Saturdays, so we will be in good company.

Arts District Houston helping musicians When the pandemic shut down bars, restaurants and coffee shops in 2020, musicians that performed at these venues found themselves

Contributed Photo “The Egg of Raven,” a watercolor on papered panel by Heather Gordy, is part of the 10” x 10” Art Show on Saturday.

Contributed Photo Nearly 700 artworks are entered in the 10” by 10” Art Show scheduled for 5-9 p.m. Saturday at Hardy & Nance Studios, 902 Hardy St.

Contributed Photo “Radiant Skies” by Angela Rose Walling is in the 10” x 10” Art Show.

Contributed Photo Trio Fórte is, from left, Rangel Morao, Charlie Perez and Lucio Alvarez. The band is scheduled to perform Saturday at The Market at Sawyer Yards.

out of work. Arts District Houston secured a grant to put some of these musicians back to work and The Market at Sawyer Yards, being outside, was a good fit. Being outdoors does have its perks.

Enter native Houstonian Charlie Perez, an HSPVA and UH graduate, percussionist, band leader and 20-year veteran in the music business.

Perez brought many of the musicians that performed at nearby Cafeza (since closed, regrettably) with him to bring a wide variety of genres (themes again).

With a new grant, Arts District Houston collaborated to bring Perez and crew back to the market starting this Saturday from 1-4 p.m. Trio Fórte will start the music series and continue at the February and March markets.

Trio Fórte performs latin world fusion mixing it up with latin jazz, salsa, son, bachata and pop. Follow Perez on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/htown_charlie.

Parking for The Market at Sawyer Yards is at 2101 Winter St. and will be open from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

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.

Contributed Photo “Like A Tree By Water” by Jo Edwards is in the 10 x 10 Art Show.

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Page 8A • Saturday, January 15, 2022 • The Leader

Spacewalk into ‘The Infinite’ with new virtual reality experience

By Stefan Modrich smodrich@mcelvypartners.com

A new one-of-a-kind exhibit has rolled into town, and it’s a breathtaking way to remind yourself why Houston earned the nickname “Space City.”

“The Infinite Experience” at Silver Street Studios in Sawyer Yards, 2000 Edwards St., is a virtual reality (VR) journey through the International Space Station (ISS) and it is an astonishingly realistic and gripping simulation of life in orbit almost 250 miles above our Earth.

Visitors are dispatched in small groups and greeted by staff who walk you through the process of putting on your VR headset, adjusting to comfortably fit on your head and face and ensure you can properly see out of it before you are sent off to explore “The Infinite.”

Before donning my headset, all I saw was a vast and empty room with glow-in-the dark green dots. When I put the headset on, I was able to see other people appear as white silhouettes with blue dots in the middle of their bodies. Staff at the exhibit are marked by green dots and are scattered across the building to ensure guests are safe and comfortable during the VR experience. If you at-

GOOFy GETTING

Stefan Modrich

in the

GREATER HEIGHTS See related video at

theleadernews.com tend with at least one other person, your headsets will be programmed so that people in your party are marked with yellow dots that only appear on your headset so you won’t lose them if you get separated.

While I was fully confident and grounded in the reality of the present moment, the immersion of the VR world was so total that I felt a bit like Bambi walking across a frozen pond as I made my first strides across a cavernous pitch-black sky blanketed with stars in the distance.

The exhibit, which debuted in 2021 in Montreal, uses video footage captured by the astronauts for the 2021 Emmy Award-winning film “Space Explorers: The ISS Experience.” It is, according to a news release,

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the largest production ever captured in space. It was produced by Felix & Paul Studios in association with TIME Studios, NASA and the ISS National Lab. The footage included the first cinematic spacewalk ever to be captured in 3D, according to a news release.

The story of these astronauts is told in seven chapters from liftoff to returning to Earth, beginning with sweeping views of Earth from space and the opportunity to maneuver around a virtual representation of the ISS as if you were an astronaut floating outside it.

The first 35 minutes of the 60-minute experience are spent in the VR world, with the latter 25 spent observing installations from Japanese artist Ryoji Ikeda, including “The Universe Within The Universe,” which features a mirrored light show meant to resemble space travel.

Inside the station itself, there are bubbles which you can physically tap with your outstretched hand to open

up 360-degree videos that depict astronauts describing everyday life aboard the ISS, from installing lithium batteries to sitting shoulderto-shoulder with a team of astronauts as they eat a dinner of brie cheese, crackers and chutney.

The graphics and art rendered for this VR experience

was impressively designed, as were Ikeda’s installations which simulate returning to Earth through a wormhole and depict nature scenes meant to be appreciated in a new light after your voyage

through space.

Tickets are $36, and the exhibit runs through Feb. 20.

For more information, visit theinfiniteexperience.world.

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Contributed photo “The Infinite Experience” runs through Feb. 20 at Silver Street Studios in Sawyer Yards, 2000 Edwards St. It provides visitors with a virtual reality tour of the International Space Station.

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A

gnes Frances McConnell was born (Agnes Frances Dubec) on March 11, 1933, in Littlefield, Texas, to Joseph and Frances Dubec. She was one of eight children. In 1955, she married Paul McConnell in Needville, Texas. The day after their wedding Paul received his draft notice and three weeks later shipped out. The newlyweds rejoined at Fort Sill in Oklahoma, where they stayed until his next transfer. She returned to Texas and stayed with family for the duration of his service. Following the birth of their first child, they relocated to the Houston Heights to be closer to the medical center due to the needs of the newborn.

Remaining in the Heights area, they purchased a home close to church and schools. Along with being a homemaker and a mother

to 4 children, Agnes ran a daycare out of her home, becoming a symbolic mother to many more children through the years. Once her children were older, she began her career working in the insurance industry and after 20 years of service retired to spend time with her husband Paul and all of her children and grandchildren. Agnes’s energy and love of children quickly returned her to the workforce, when she accepted a position in the neighborhood at Immanuel Lutheran Church’s daycare.

Agnes is preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Frances Dubec; sons, Lloyd McConnell, Emil McConnell and Allan McConnell; brothers, Joseph Dubec, Frank Dubec and Jerry Dubec; and sister, Martha Drabek. Agnes is survived by her sisters, Frances Janca & Adele Hundl; brother Emil Dubec, daughter, Diane McConnell; son, Alvin McConnell and his wife Cara; daughter-in-law, Rhonda McConnell; grandchildren, Jamie McConnell and his wife Becky, Kristie McConnell, Corrie Weichert and her husband Brandon, Nicholas McConnell and Trista McConnell. Services are currently being arranged, please check the Heights Funeral Home web site for scheduled services.

IN MEMORIAM

Rufus "Joe" Mask

R

JULY 22, 1929 – JANUARY 3, 2022

ufus was born to Lois McCain Mask and Rufus Worthy Mask on July 22, 1929, in Alexander City, Alabama. Upon graduation from Alexander City High School, he turned down a scholarship to Auburn University and joined the U.S. Navy, serving during the Korean War as an Aviation Machinist.

After being stationed at Cabiness Field in Corpus Christi, Texas, he met Margaret Lillie Zdansky, his beloved wife of 56 years, who went to her heavenly home in 2006.

Before settling in Houston, Margaret and Rufus lived in Corpus Christi, Sinton, and Beeville. Rufus had a successful career in the natural gas industry, serving as a Pipeline Superintendent and Pipeline Consultant for Houston Natural Gas/Entex and CenterPoint Energy. As a member of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, he served on the Men’s Club for several years, where he enjoyed participating in many activities to support church ministries.

Rufus was an avid sports enthusiast and loved camping and fishing. He studied the almanac for the best fishing and always enjoyed planning fishing/ camping trips with his family members (especially his mother). His favorite sports

were baseball and football, and he could tell you anything you ever wanted to know about professional and collegiate players/ teams past and present. Of course, his favorite teams were the Houston Oilers, Houston Astros, and Texas A&M Aggies. Rufus enjoyed listening to music of all genres, and he liked creating original songs that included things about his childhood.

Rufus was a strong, kind, loving father, uncle, brother, husband, and friend. His knowledge and guidance were the foundation for his immediate and extended family. He leaves his daughters Vicki Swenson, Elaine Boullion, Barbara Johnson, and their families, including one granddaughter, four grandsons, and seven great-grandchildren.

He is also survived by his caring and loving companion, Margie Randolph. Visitation will be at Pat H. Foley Funeral Home, 1200 W. 34th Street, Houston, TX. on Thursday, January 13th at 1:00 PM, followed by a Memorial Service at 2:00 PM. On Saturday, January 15th, Visitation at 9:00 AM, Rosary at 9:30 AM, and Memorial Service at 10:00 AM, followed by interment will be at Seaside Funeral Home and Memorial Park, 4357 Ocean Dr., Corpus Christi, TX.

The Leader • Saturday, January 15, 2022 • Page 1B

Shepherd unveils Underbelly Burger at Houston Farmers Market Stefan Modrich

Chris Shepherd moved to Houston in 1995 from the Midwest as an impressionable 23-year-old without a grand plan or vision to imprint the sort of cultural and culinary footprint that he has indelibly left across the Houston food scene to date.

His connection to the tradition-rich Houston Farmers Market is inextricably linked to the progression of his career, which has taken him from Clear Lake to Montrose and downtown to coming full circle back to 2520 Airline Dr. with the launch of Underbelly Burger last Thursday, Jan. 6.

“This was the first place that I came to,” Shepherd said. “My parents came to pick me up and right off the plane, they brought me straight here. So it’s always been a special place for me.”

The opportunity to open a fast-casual burger stand next to a butcher shop, R-C Ranch, was a “no-brainer,” Shepherd said. He said the proximity to North Loop 610, the Heights, Garden Oaks and downtown was also an important factor in his decision to set up shop at the market.

R-C Ranch supplies the wagyu beef for Underbelly’s wagyu burger, and 44 Farms in Cameron provides the angus cuts for Shepherd’s angus burger.

“They literally walk it over on a daily basis,” Shepherd said. “And that’s been the Underbelly criteria forever: understanding where our meat comes from, understanding our farmers, and understanding what kind of impact we have. When we talk about, ‘How are we going to source? What are we going to use? Where’s it going to come from?’ Those are very important questions to us.”

Shepherd and his team made a slight tweak to Hay Merchant’s popular “cease and desist” burger that was a tongue-in-cheek nod to a notice from In N’ Out Burger’s lawyers, who took exception to the “double-double” name used for the burger, which the California chain had trademarked.

“Every human wants double meat and double cheese,” Shepherd said. “Those are the things that that burger gives you. We changed it, we put a little sauce on it with Creole sea-

soning and mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup.

But in essence, it’s the same burger.”

Shepherd is excited for the future of the newly remodeled Houston Farmers Market, with Wild Oats, a concept from chef Nick Fine, focusing on traditional Texas fare expected to open next month. He said he’s looking forward to developing relationships with new and longstanding market vendors alike.

“I’m very loyal,” Shepherd said. “I buy pecans from the same pecan person every other day, and my mole from the same people. There’s a lot of burgers out there. But as we start to build this market more and more, people will understand that this impacts local farmers and local communities.”

Contributed photos Burgers with double meat and double cheese are featured at Underbelly Burger, located in the Houston Farmers Market at 2520 Airline Dr. It opened Jan. 6 and is chef Chris Shepherd’s first venture in the Greater Heights. The Houston Farmers Market was part of his introduction to Houston in the mid-1990s.

Review: Mykuna whips up compelling blend of Latin, Asian flavors

By Stefan Modrich smodrich@mcelvypartners.com

During my recent outing at Railway Heights Market, I had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with nikkei cuisine — Peruvian ingredients prepared using Japanese techniques.

This culinary discipline has its roots in the late 19th century when Peru became the first Latin American nation to enter into diplomatic relations with the Japanese empire, according to an article from the Spanish news agency EFE. Mykuna’s namesake is derived from “mikuna” the word for “food” in the indigenous Ecuadorian language of Quichua. The concept from Ecuador native and chef David Guerrero is a bold an interesting one in that many of its dishes make perfect sense on paper, like the pork belly

bao ($11), a Latin style pork belly in a bao bun toasted with sweet-spicy aioli on a bed made from a house-blended salad.

From the grill, there is the chicken yakitori anticucho skewer ($14) with Peruvian yellow chili marinated chicken thighs, green onions and a Chinese chimichurri sauce.

These sorts of cross-cultural ingredients are such complimentary pieces that when combined they produce something that almost seems intuitive, as if their best and highest purpose was to be melded together.

My opportunity to test this theory came in the form of the lomo saltado ($17), a succulent slab of beef tenderloin stir-fried in a wok with red onion, Peruvian yellow chili pepper, tomatoes, fries and white rice, representing the Asian el-

ement of this dish. Saltado, of course, is the Spanish word for stir-fried, with lomo, or “loin” representing the beef tenderloin.

The beef has the same exact texture and consistency as you’d want for a perfect beef stew, and the roasted tomatoes and spicy chili pepper definitely enhanced the meal to that effect.

The early returns from Guerrero’s work with Mykuna are impressive, and it’s something to keep a close eye on if you’re a fan of either Latin or Asian cuisines, especially if you’re looking to try them in a format you might not have considered possible before.

Photo by Stefan Modrich Pictured is the lomo saltado ($17) from Mykuna, featuring beef tenderloin stir-fried in a wok with red onion, Peruvian yellow chili pepper, tomatoes, fries and white rice.

Nibbles & Sips: Old Tom Gin Bar opens in Garden Oaks

By Stefan Modrich

Facebook page. The new restaurant will be known as Le Cafe Josephine, and will maintain its current Mediterranean and Moroccan menu while adding an expanded menu when completed.

The restaurant did not respond to several phone calls, emails or messages from The Leader.

smodrich@mcelvypartners.com

A new gin bar opened last week inside Avonak Distillery, 3831 Golf Dr. Old Tom Gin Bar, a concept from Night Moves Hospitality owner Greg Perez, made its debut Jan. 5 in Garden Oaks, and it is the latest entry near the stretch of Wakefield Drive that has been a launchpad for innovative food trucks, distilleries, restaurants and bars in the area.

Perez said he’s known Kyle Wray, owner of Avonak, for several years. Wray sold Perez Avonak spirits when Perez worked at Edison & Patton, which is now Trash Panda Drinking Club, another Night Moves concept.

Perez said Wray approached him about consulting on Avonak’s tasting room.

“And that’s kind of where it turned into, ‘Hey, why don’t you just manage it for me, and kind of just do your own thing?”’

Perez said.

“It was one of those things where we knew each other, he liked my work, he saw what I was doing. It was mutually beneficial.”

Gin is not mainstream in Texas, unlike the “holy trinity” of tequila, vodka and whiskey, he said.

But Old Tom is not just mixing up gin and tonics. Perez’s bartenders are whipping up cocktails like the Berry Berry Cra-

Mykuna Address: 8200 W. Washington Ave. Ste. 215 Dining Options: Dine-in, takeout Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. WednesdayThursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Friday-Saturday Entree prices: $14-$17 Kid-friendly: Yes Senior discount: No Alcohol: Yes Healthy options: Kimchi wok edamame ($11) Star of the show: Lomo saltado Rating: 4 out of 5 bites

Photo from Facebook Old Tom Gin Bar, a concept from Night Moves Hospitality owner Greg Perez, made its debut Jan. 5 inside Avonak Distillery, 3831 Golf Dr. in Garden Oaks.

zy with vodka, mixed berry shrub, house orgeat and lemon juice, the New Beginnings with vodka, basil, tart cherry syrup, lemon cordial, lemon juice and lemon foam, or the True Texas Old-Fashioned with browned butter fat-washed Avonak bourbon, toasted pecan turbinado syrup and black walnut bitters.

“Cocktails are a way to introduce liquor to people,” Perez said. “They make it approachable and tasty. If you like to drink, then odds are you might like the liquor that’s behind this.”

Neo Baguette rebranding Neo Baguette, 201 E. 20th St., is in the midst of a rebrand, according to its

First Watch coming to Heights A casual sit-down breakfast chain is coming to the Heights area this spring.

Construction on First Watch, 2799 Katy Freeway, Ste. 110, is expected to begin March 14 and end May 3, according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).

Construction on the 4,500-square foot space is estimated to cost $495,000.

For more information, call 281-8166542.

Three Dog Bakery expanding A local bakery chain specializing in treats for pets in Rice Village is expanding northward with a storefront planned for the Heights later this year.

Three Dog Bakery, 1141 E. 11th St., is scheduled to renovate its 1,500-square foot space from Feb. 1-May 31 at an estimated cost of $175,000, according to a TDLR filing.

For more information, call 512-4706368.

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Page 2B • Saturday, January 15, 2022 • The Leader

Flooding can do major damage to crops Amy Williams

G

arden uru

Hey Garden Guru, We were hit pretty badly during the storm last week. Our garden was under water, but it did drain quickly. What can we do to recover from any potential damage from flooding?

Sincerely, Soggy on Seamist Hey Soggy, I feel your pain. Our whole area seemed to be hit with a storm that came out of nowhere.

Storms like the one we ex-

perienced can wreak havoc on backyard gardens and damage crops. There are a few protocols you can follow to recover from a severe storm and minimize potential risks.

Immediately, you want to take note of crops that were submerged under water for any amount of time. Unfortunately, flood waters contain many contaminants including sewage, industrial runoff and pollutants. Without proper safeguards, these crops are not fit for consumption and need to be discarded immediately. This is especially true for leafy vegetables like lettuce, chards and kale or any produce that would be eaten raw or undercooked.

The only exception to this would be produce that will be thoroughly cooked, yet it will still need proper sanitation, especially for soft skin produce that is more difficult to clean.

Although there are recom-

mendations for sanitizing vegetables in a chlorine bleach solution, it is not recommended by the FDA or CDC and can be dangerous if not properly rinsed.

This method may be used to kill bacteria on vegetables: 1. Prepare a 1-and-3 vinegar and water mixture.

2. Soak vegetables in the mixture, ensuring that any leafy vegetables are separated and thoroughly coated with the mixture (cabbage and lettuce heads will need to be separated).

3. Rinse thoroughly with cool water while rubbing with hands or a soft brush.

4. Cut away any bruised or damaged parts 5. Cook produce thoroughly.

Root vegetables that are several months from harvest as well as produce grown from flowers (like peppers and tomatoes) that come after a flood will not need any addi-

Stock photo Being submerged under water can cause irreparable damage to certain kinds of food crops.

tional precautions and can be harvested as usual.

Flooding may impact your garden long term as well. The roots of many plants cannot withstand flooding conditions.

In the coming weeks you may see plant growth stunted,

seedlings die off or entire plants that were previously healthy suffocate and die. Remove the affected plants from the garden and dispose of them in the trash.

Flood waters can wash away important nutrients in

the soil. Now is the time to replenish your garden with fresh soil and fertilizer. Take note of any dead or dying leaves and prune them away, but hold off on pruning branches. Although they may look dead, there’s a good chance they will come back.

Moisture and flooding is synonymous with fungus. The most important step you can take after the flood waters subside it to get ahead of a fungal outbreak. Treat for fungus before you see any symptoms of it. I recommend using copper fungicide or Neem oil to keep a fungal infection at bay in the garden.

See you in the garden!

Do you have questions for the Garden Guru? Email Amy at underhillurbanfarmco@gmail. com. Also visit underhillurbanfarmco.com and follow them on Facebook and Instagram @UnderhillUrbanFarmCo.

Increased demand for blood donations prompts surge of pop-up drives

By Stefan Modrich smodrich@mcelvypartners.com

In response to a surging demand for blood donations, pop-up collection events are springing up across the Greater Heights.

Cameron Palmer, spokesperson for the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center (GCRBC), said there has been an increase in hospital usage for blood and blood products now that elective surgeries that were postponed in the earlier stages of the COVID-19 pandemic have mostly returned, as well as surgeries for trauma patients.

“Overall, we’ve seen about a 10 percent increase from our blood products and about an 8 percent increase just for red blood cells alone,” Palmer said.

Sarah Goodman, another spokesperson for GCRBC, said the organization needs to collect 1,000 units (roughly a pint in volume) per day to meet the demand to supply the Houston region, which is anchored by the largest medical center in the U.S. She said the blood shortages some facilities are experiencing are in part due to a reluctance of many at-home workers to venture out into the community.

“Going in and having some kind of medical procedure taking place is scary enough,” Goodman said. “From having a swab shoved up your nose (for COVID-19 testing) it’s scary to go then maybe have a needle put in your arm (for a vaccination). But from our experience, the majority of our donors come from people

in the workplace and our high schools, and those were the two places that shut down over the last two years.”

And with many adults still working from home because of the pandemic, Palmer said the GCRBC is encouraging athome workers to donate blood twice in 2022.

Palmer also said all GCRBC staff members are vaccinated and wear masks, and donors are socially distanced whether they are at a brick-and-mortar donor center or at a mobile donation site.

“We’re trying to get the community to come out and try to get some more blood on the shelves,” Palmer said.

Palmer said the GCRBC partners with hundreds of different businesses and organizations to host blood donation events.

The Houston Heights Association has held regular blood donation events since shortly after the start of the pandemic and has two more planned for this month from 10 a.m.-2:15 p.m. Jan. 18 and Jan. 25 at the Historic Heights Fire Station, 107 W. 12th St. For more information and links to reserve donation time slots, visit the association’s Facebook page @ HoustonHeightsAssociation.

Momentum Indoor Climbing, 1401 Silver St., hosted a blood drive Tuesday. Marika Mohr, an employee of the rock-climbing gym, said Momentum hasn’t done blood drives often, but it has usually drawn large crowds like the one it welcomed Tuesday. Momentum offered free climbing

passes for visitors who signed up to donate blood after their climbing session.

Alexis Legg, who owns and operates the Oak Forest location of Children’s Lighthouse, an early childhood education center and daycare center at 2109 W. 34th St., said she is happy to host blood drives to help those who are in need, especially for parents who won’t have to search for another site and risk being exposed to people who they aren’t normally around.

“I have a rare blood type and my husband’s is O negative, so he has a universal blood type,” Legg said. “So he’s always in demand, and he donates a lot.

It’s just something that means a lot to both of us personally.”

Through Jan. 14, donors at GCRBC centers or partner sites received a Star Warsthemed hoodie for their blood donations. Goodman said people who donate blood twice this year can receive a $5 gift card for retailers like Starbucks and Amazon.

There are several blood drives scheduled in the coming days and weeks across zip codes served by The Leader, according to GCRBC’s search tool. Christ The King Catholic Church, 4419 N. Main St., is hosting its blood drive from 9:30 a.m.-1:45 p.m. Sunday.

St. Theresa Catholic Church, 6622 Haskell St., is hosting one from 8 a.m.-2:15 p.m.

To schedule a blood donation appointment or for more information, visit giveblood. org or call 713-791-6373.

Contributed photo A physician speaks with a blood donor at a Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center Drive. The organization is encouraging Houstonians to donate blood twice this year.

Contributed photo A patient donates blood at a Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center Drive. The organization says there is increased demand for blood and therefore a greater need for donations.

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The Leader • Saturday, January 15, 2022 • Page 3B

Can you spay during pet’s heat cycle?

Dear Tabby, We recently saved a young female cat from the streets. We have her appointment to get spayed setup but now it looks as though she is coming into heat. Is it possible to spay an animal while they are in heat?

Stop the Caterwauling in Woodland Heights Dear Stop the Caterwauling, Bless you for rescuing this cat off of the mean streets!

Since she is apparently going into heat, by rescuing her and by scheduling her spay surgery, you are hindering her from reproducing and further contributing to the pet overpopulation. You are an angel on earth and this sweet kitty is lucky that you found her when you did!

Hold off, if possible According to experts, while it’s not ideal, a cat who is in heat can be spayed during her heat cycle. The reason that vets are slightly hesitant to perform this procedure while a cat is in heat is because blood vessels and tissues can become engorged during heat and this can raise the risk of bleeding during surgery. This can also cause more complications as well as a more expensive procedure if your vet has to take extra measures to ensure a good outcome.

Some good news But, there is some good news. First of all, a cat’s heat cycle only lasts from 4-7 days on average, so if you can handle having a loud, agitated cat in your home for a few extra days, you might be able to wait out this heat cycle and get her spayed immediately after it is over. Just make sure not to wait too long because cats can come back into heat shortly after a heat cycle, so you don’t want to miss your window of opportunity.

What about dogs?

The same rules apply to dogs in heat. While it’s not necessarily an ideal time to perform a spay surgery on a female dog, it is possible. And, weighing the benefits of getting her spayed sooner and avoiding unintended pregnancies might outweigh the risks of spaying during a heat cycle.

Your vet will be able to tell that your pet is in heat and can take all of the possible precautions to make the procedure as safe as possible for her.

The main thing to consider is keeping your pet safe while she is in heat. Animals in heat have an intense drive to mate and will look for every possible way to escape in order to find a “boyfriend.” Until you can get your cat spayed, be sure to keep her safely in your home and wait out the inevitable personality quirks that accompany a heat cycle.

It will all be worth it once she’s fixed and safe from future unplanned pregnancies.

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

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Page 4B • Saturday, January 15, 2022 • The Leader

Fearsome forwards driving Golden Eagles hoops

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Booker T. Washington High School basketball coach Vincent Grayson already knows what he has in forwards Kenneth Lewis and Chris McDermott.

And if their current level of play continues, it might not be long before the rest of the Houston area - and the state of Texas - knows about the Golden Eagles’ high-flying duo that has propelled them toward the top of Class 4A as they cross the season’s midway point.

“That’s a great one-two punch, man,” Grayson said last week as he gestured toward the pair. “I think that’s one of the best one-two punches in the city.”

There is ample evidence to back up Grayson’s assessment of his two stars. Entering play this week, the Golden Eagles sported a 16-4 overall record and 7-0 mark in District 234A – which has vaulted them to fourth in the latest 4A state rankings compiled by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches.

Lewis and McDermott are a big reason why.

“They’re really hard to stop, there’s no jealousy, and they share the ball with each other,” Grayson said. “They both have the same goal, and that’s simply winning, and they work hard every single day.”

Lewis, a 6-foot-7 slasher who led 23-4A in scoring as a sophomore last season at nearly 27 points per game, is putting up another banner campaign in averaging 24.6 points per game – the 13thbest mark in Texas, according to MaxPreps, regardless of classification. Meanwhile,

the 6-8 sophomore McDermott is averaging 21.8 points per game along with 15.5 rebounds, which is third-best in the state, according to MaxPreps.

“We both can play inside and outside,” McDermott said. “We’re both tall and long, and we just do what the team needs.”

Dynamic duo Grayson has leaned on Lewis and McDermott hard this season, particularly Lewis. He was on last year’s team, which bowed out of the playoffs with a first-round loss to Navasota – a disappointing outcome for a squad that reached the regional quarterfinals each of the previous two seasons. “(Kenneth) vowed to me after that game, ‘Coach, we’re not going out that way next year. We’re trying to get deep in the playoffs, Coach,’” Grayson said. “And (that desire) is what he’s been showing all season. He shows up every day and goes to work.”

Lewis echoed the sentiment, saying a big part of his offseason development was focused on trying to become more of a leader for the team based on last season’s experience.

“I got some of that (leadership) from the guys last year, and I have more players around me this year that are ready,” he said.

According to his coach, Lewis’ growth and buy-in to his role as a leader caused a domino effect for McDermott’s development. McDermott played just three games last season as a freshman, but has excelled in a much more prominent role as a sophomore.

“Kenneth has accepted

Photos by Matthew Blue The Booker T. Washington High School boys basketball team is off to a strong start this season thanks in large part to star forwards Chris McDermott, left photo, and Kenneth Lewis. The Golden Eagles are ranked fourth in Class 4A by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches.

Chris and respects him so much,” Grayson said. “He told him, ‘I need you to go to work.

We can’t just depend on me.’

He respects Chris like that, and Chris stepped in and went to work. They respect each other so much, and that made Chris work even harder and want to get better.”

Their cohesiveness has not just paid off for the Eagles with Lewis and McDermott’s high-flying dunks and scoring prowess. It has also earned the duo some significant recruiting attention. Both Lewis and McDermott hold college scholarship offers from Georgetown and Texas A&M,

while Lewis has additional offers from TCU, Lamar and Prairie View A&M, according to 247sports.com.

The star forwards, who model their games after current NBA stars like Kevin Durant and Paul George (Lewis) as well as past stars Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett (McDermott), have come a long way in just a short time.

Each said he started out playing football in elementary or middle school, then gradually grew into basketball over the next several years through travel and AAU ball.

“Someone told me I should try playing basketball, so I

gave it a shot. I played on an AAU team, and I started liking it,” McDermott said. “…

In seventh grade, everybody just started wanting me to play for their team, because they thought I was good. It just made me realize to keep working.”

As good as they are, however, both know there is always room to grow, and have higher aspirations than being high school standouts. Both said they’ve been working to improve their ball-handling on the perimeter, while McDermott said he has also been putting extra work in on his outside shot.

As far as the rest of their season goes, there is no complicated rhyme or reason as to what they need to do if they want to make strides toward winning Washington’s first boys basketball state title since 1946 – stick with the process that has helped them reach this point.

“I tell them all the time to stay humble and do what they did to get them here,” Grayson said.

His stars echoed the sentiment.

“We’ve just got to want it,” McDermott said. “And then go get it.”

State-ranked Eagles asserting dominance in district play

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

The Booker T. Washington Eagles have already secured their fourth consecutive boys basketball season with at least 15 wins and have become a consistent playoff contender over the last several years.

They likely have their sights set on higher goals this season as they continue to be a force in Class 4A. The Eagles, who the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches have ranked fourth in 4A entering play this week, might be able to make a push for their first state championship since 1946.

Washington (16-4, 7-0 District 23-4A) has made quick work of most opponents this season and did so again last week with a big wins over Mickey Leland College Prep on Jan. 5 and North Forest on Saturday to run its winning streak to five games. Chris McDermott had his 17th double-double of the season with 29 points and 18 rebounds along with three blocks to lead the charge for the Eagles in the 73-54 win over Mickey

Leland, while Kenneth Lewis poured in 29 points in the 9868 win over North Forest.

The Heights Bulldogs split a pair of games last week, beating Chavez 53-40 on Jan. 4 before lossing 66-58 in overtime against Lamar on Jan. 7. Heights (11-11, 2-1) will return to the court Saturday against Houston Math, Science, and Tech.

Waltrip is 3-11 following an 86-71 loss to Madison on Jan. 5, while Scarborough is 0-11 after dropping a 78-27 decision to Kashmere on Friday. McKeytrick Irving had 20 points for the Spartans against Kashmere.

In private school boys action, the St. Thomas Eagles dropped to 6-7 with a 74-56 loss to Houston Christian despite another stellar performance from star forward Jake Pike. Pike had 28 points and 16 rebounds in the loss, adding four blocks and a steal.

Lutheran High North dropped a 60-54 decision against Tomball Rosehill Christian early last week before rebounding with an 8146 win over Lake Houston Homeschool on Jan. 7. Zion

Photo by Landan Kuhlmann Dalanna Carter, shown dribbling during a 2021 game, and the Lutheran High North Lady Lions went 2-1 last week. Carter had 26 points in Tuesday night’s victory over Conroe Covenant Christian.

Harper had 28 points and 17 rebounds for the Lions (15-3) against Lake Houston, while Edwin Preston Jr. had 15 points and four assists.

Emeka Williams II added 14 points to go along with six assists and four rebounds, and Daylon Henson had 10 points.

St. Pius X is 5-9 after splitting a pair of games last week and dropping their first game this week. The Panthers dro

pped a 57-32 decision to St. John’s on Jan. 4 before bouncing back with a 5951 victory over Galveston O’Connell on Friday. They then lost 49-46 against Christian Homeschool Academy on Tuesday night.

Girls The Heights Lady Bulldogs are 3-2 in District 18-6A competition after sweeping

a pair of games last week.

Heights defeated Houston Math, Science, and Tech 5913 on Jan. 5 before beating Houston Westbury 63-36 on Saturday. Jazmyne Gilbert paced Heights with 16 points against Houston Math, Science and Tech, while Tatianna Brown had 12 points.

Janaiya Johnson had a strong all-around game with 10 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals.

Booker T. Washington’s Lady Eagles improved to 7-12 overall and 4-1 in District 23-4A with a 57-13 win over North Forest last Saturday.

Scarborough is 0-7 following a pair of losses last week to Wheatley (90-14) and Kashmere (73-4).

On the private school side, the St. Pius X Lady Panthers split two games last week.

Zachara Perkins had 21 points and 15 rebounds for the Lady Panthers (14-7, 1-1 district) in a 42-32 win over Concordia Lutheran on Jan. 5, then added 18 points and 11 rebounds in their 51-39 loss to the Village School on Jan. 7. Farren Donald-Wright added 12 points against the Village School.

Lutheran High North’s Lady Lions defeated Tomball Rosehill Christian 59-42 on Jan. 4 before dropping a 58-35 decision to Houston Kinkaid on Friday. LHN then beat Conroe Covenant Christian 79-41 Tuesday thanks to 28 points from Jade Miller and 26 points from Dalanna Carter, improving to 10-8 on the season.

St. Thomas soccer wins title at Fort Worth tournament

By Landan Kuhlmann

Saturday against La Grange.

On the private school side, the St. Pius X Lady Panthers beat Incarnate Word Academy 2-0 on Jan. 6, then fell 3-1 to St. Agnes Academy on

landan@theleadernews.com

The St. Thomas Eagles’ boys soccer team has been a consistent TAPPS Division I contender in recent seasons, having made it to at least the state semifinals in three of the last four seasons. And with their performance so far this season, it would likely not be a huge surprise to see them back there again.

St. Thomas continued to excel last week, sweeping through the Castleberry Tournament in Fort Worth from Jan. 6-8. The Eagles went 5-0 to win the title while allowing just two goals in the process. St. Thomas is 13-3-2 on the season and had a final non-district tune-up against Houston Christian scheduled for Wednesday.

Freshman Alejandro Tello was the star of the tournament for the Eagles, scoring seven goals in five matches.

He scored in each game, including multi-goal efforts against Celina on Jan. 7 and in the tournament championship match against South Hills on Saturday.

Ben Garcia, Evan Crosswait and John Brooks also scored in a 4-0 win against Lake Worth on Jan. 6, while

Tuesday. The Lady Panthers were scheduled to be back in action later this week as part of the I-10 Shootout that runs Thursday through Saturday.

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Photo by Wayne Donnelly St. Thomas’ Santiago Labarthe dribbles up the pitch during a 2020 match against St. Pius X. Labarthe and the Eagles recently won the Castleberry Tournament in Fort Worth.

Nico Gleason found the back of the net against Celina for the Eagles, who have won seven of their last eight matches.

On the public school front, the Heights Bulldogs went 0-3 at the Pearland/ Pasadena Cup with losses to Goose Creek Memorial, Fort Bend Dulles and Dobie.

They looked to rebound with a local battle against Waltrip

scheduled for Tuesday.

The Rams were 0-2 last week, dropping a 2-1 decision to Bellaire on Jan. 3 and losing 4-1 against Clear Brook on Jan. 7.

Girls The Heights Lady Bulldogs went 1-1-1 at the Waller Tournament last week, splitting a pair of games against Richmond Foster and Salado

on Jan. 6 and Jan. 7 before playing to a scoreless draw against Fulshear on Jan. 8.

At the same tournament, the Waltrip Lady Rams went 1-1-1 with a 5-1 win against Brazosport on Jan. 8 after a scoreless tie against Needville and a 1-0 loss against host Waller.

Scarborough lost its season opener to Sterling 6-2 on Jan. 5 and will be back in action

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