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Saturday, November 20, 2021 • Vol. 66 • No. 47

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Photo by Landan Kuhlmannn Heights High School students and staff as well as members of the community gathered Nov. 10 for a candlelight vigil in honor of Brianna Rodriguez, the 16-year-old student who died Nov. 5 at Astroworld Festival.

Heights community honors life of fallen student

INSIDE.

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

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As mourners gathered on the evening of Nov. 10 for a candlelight vigil at Heights High School in honor of Brianna Rodriguez, her favorite song blared through the loudspeakers.

“Beautiful Crazy” by Luke Combs filled the nighttime air as hundreds of community members filled the stands, track and football field to celebrate the life of the 16-year-old Heights junior, who was one of 10 people who died Nov. 5 when there was a chaotic surge in the crowd at the Astroworld Festival headlined

by Houston rapper Travis Scott.

And as some of her friends put it, such a celebration is what Rodriguez would have wanted as she was said to be “vibrant” and the See related life of the party. column by Adam “Anytime there Zuvanich on was music, she would turn to Page 3A look at us – every time there was an artist that we both like, she would turn to look for us and start dancing with us,” friend and Heights RedCoats teammate Maite Rocha said. “Every time one of those songs come on now, we’re going to

think of her and how much we miss her, how much we love her. We’re sad that she’s gone, but she’s in a better place now.”

Rodriguez was a member of the Heights RedCoats, the school’s dance team, for three years, according to director Marissa Cantu-Harkless. And numerous speakers on her behalf Nov. 10 said there was hardly – if ever – a time when she was not smiling or trying to build others up.

“She was a true light to our team – our team’s hype man on any occasion, she took any opportunity she could to cheer on her teammates all See Vigil P. 5A

Bulldogs lose in heavy-hearted playoff game High marks for Hamilton. Children at Risk recognized a local school as pandemic-resilient.

Page 4A

Crawl around town. ArtCrawl Houston and a new event called Chalk Crawl are this weekend.

Page 7A

Garden Guru. A new column by Amy Williams provides gardening tips for local residents

Page 2B

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com The Heights Bulldogs’ football season ended last Saturday with a 21-6 loss to the Memorial Mustangs at Delmar Stadium.

But for at least some of the players with both Heights and Memorial, it was more than a football game. Both schools played with heavy hearts in the wake of losing students in the Astroworld Festival tragedy earlier this month. Heights student Brianna Rodriguez, 16, and 14-year-old Memorial High School student John Hilgert were honored with a ceremony during halftime of last Saturday’s game at Delmar Stadium. The two students were among 10 people who were killed during a crowd surge at the music festival headlined by Houston rapper Travis Scott.

“Don’t hesitate to tell (your family) that you love them, because at any point in time – no matter how young you are – God may call you home,” Heights head coach Stephen Dixon said when asked what he told Heights and Memorial players during a prayer huddle after the game.

“I told them to just be appreciative of life – this is only a game, even though we take it seriously. Losing a life is more powerful than any one game.”

Dixon said several of his players were close friends with Rodriguez, who was a member of the school’s RedCoats dance team. Receiver Xavier Neal briefly spoke at Rodriguez’s candlelight vigil at the school on Nov. 10.

Last Saturday, many of the Bulldogs’ players wore pink gloves and socks in Rodriguez’s memory. During See Bulldogs P. 5A

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com Her artwork portrayed winter weather, with bundled-up kids building a snowman, the ground blanketed in white and smoke billowing from a home in the background.

When she heard her name called Tuesday afternoon by Houston ISD superintendent Millard House II, as a winner in the district’s annual Holiday Greeting Card contest, Madison Mitchell and her art teacher at Oak Forest Elementary felt warm and fuzzy inside.

“I was not expecting this,” Mitchell said during a virtual awards presentation. “I’m very excited, though. I would like to say thank you to my art teacher, Mr. (Keith) Roy. See photos of It’s amazing.” local greeting cards at Mitchell, a fifth-gradtheleadernews. er, was the com district-wide winner in the elementary school category for her greeting card titled, “It’s Cold Outside.” Seventh-grader Ria Andavarapu of Rogers Middle School was the middle school winner for “The Gift of Giving,” while Westbury High School sophomore Jocelyn Ajucum won the high school category for “Happy Howlidays” - three years after winning the middle school category.

The three winners will have enlarged versions of their greeting cards displayed through Dec. 17 at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center at 4400 W. 18th St., and the cards are available for purchase both at the aforementioned HISD administration building and online through houstonisd.org. They also received prize packages that include boxed sets of their greeting cards that can be distributed to friends and family, an art kit from Jerry’s Artarama of Houston and a scholarship from The Glassell School of Art. “For 30 years, we have sponsored the superintendent’s Holiday Greeting Card contest for our district, and you have never failed to submit wonderful artwork, students,” Wenden Sanders, HISD’s director of fine arts, told the 19 finalists during the awards ceremony.

“We appreciate it. It was indeed a difficult task, looking at the submissions (and picking winners), and once again you excelled and did fabulous work.”

A total of 93 HISD campuses submitted a greeting card for the districtSee Contest P. 5A

Photo by Landan Kuhlmann Heights High school students hold a banner honoring Brianna Rodriguez during halftime last Saturday at Delmar Stadium.

Photo by Landan Kuhlmann Heights football players Xavier Neal, left, and DeMone Green hug before last Saturday’s bi-district playoff game against Memorial.

Contributed photo Oak Forest Elementary student Madison Mitchell stands with a large version of her greeting card, “It’s Cold Outside.”

Community giveaway provides free trees for Houstonians

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

THE INDEX. Church....................................................... 4A Classifieds.............................................. 5A Coupons................................................... 3B Food/Drink............................................. 1B Opinion..................................................... 3A Public Information......................... 8A Puzzles...................................................... 3A

Oak Forest student wins HISD contest for greeting cards

Photo by Landan Kuhlmann Volunteer Marc Rocke places a tree into a truck bed during Trees For Houston’s free tree distribution event last Saturday, Nov. 13.

Things may have seemed crazy outside Trees For Houston’s future campus last Saturday as the nonprofit organization hosted a community giveaway that saw lines of cars going down West 34th Street all the way to the intersection at East T.C. Jester Boulevard.

But according to Trees For Houston executive director Barry Ward, that was just par for the course. He said organization hosts

multiple free community events per month, with people often coming from at least 30-40 minutes away.

“We consistently have a long line of people trying to get these trees – and that really speaks to the need for this resource,” he said.

Trees For Houston was out at its future home at 2001 W. 34th St. giving out 1,000 trees. There were six types of trees that grow well in the Houston region – common persimmon, black cherry, eastern redbud, bald cypress, river

birch and pecan trees – during a free drive-through event.

One of those in need was Heights resident Dawn Meade, who picked up eastern redbuds for herself and her neighbor after they both lost a number of plants during the unexpected freeze that hit the area this past February.

“We lost a lot of our citrus plants. So we’re going to replace them with something that hopefully won’t die next time,” she said. “I See Trees P. 5A

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Page 2A • Saturday, November 20, 2021 • The Leader

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THE TOPICS. The Leader • Saturday, November 20, 2021 • Page 3A

Astroworld tragedy turns nostalgia into nightmare

A

stroWorld has long held a special place in the hearts of Houstonians, at least those of a certain age, who grew up making regular visits to the amusement park that operated from 1968 until 2005. I went at least once every summer as a kid and have vivid memories of sipping sugary drinks, being drenched by the Tidal Wave – both during the water ride and on the bridge afterward – and the constant creaking noises that came from the Texas Cyclone.

And who could forget Greezed Lightnin’ and the Sky Screamer, which sent your stomach soaring toward your throat but kept you coming back for more thrills?

Now, though, hearing or even reading the word “Astroworld” gives me chills and makes my gut churn for a much different reason. It also evokes the sound of panicked screams that would never come from someone enjoying a roller coaster ride.

The 57-acre property in Southwest Houston will forever be remembered for the awful, terrible, almost unthinkable tragedy that occurred the night of Nov. 5, when a surge among a packed crowd of concertgoers caused the deaths of

Adam

Zuvanich Editor

10 people between the ages of 9 and 27 while injuring hundreds more.

They were attending the Astroworld music festival headlined by Houston rapper Travis Scott, who performed as some of his fans were fighting for their lives.

The deadly event is being analyzed and agonized all across the world and especially here in Houston, and it’s had a direct impact on the community we cover at The Leader. One of the victims was Heights High School student Brianna Rodriguez, a 16-year-old member of the Heights RedCoats dance team.

A week ago, in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, we reported the news of Rodriguez’s death and the outpouring of support for her family. Prominent in this week’s edition of The Leader are stories about

how the community continues to grieve and try to cope, having honored Rodriguez with a candlelight vigil on campus and then at Heights’ football playoff game last Saturday against Memorial – which also lost a student at Astroworld, 14-year-old John Hilgert.

The whole thing is just horrible and heartbreaking. I can hardly imagine what it’s like for the families and friends of Rodriguez, Hilgert and the other young people whose lives were cut way too short. And for what? Because fellow concertgoers got too hyped up and wanted to be closer to the stage?

We don’t yet know all the circumstances that contributed to the series of deaths and injuries, and it might be a while before we do. But plenty of fingers have been pointed and lots of blame has been thrown around.

There already have been dozens of lawsuits filed against Scott, fellow Astroworld performer Drake and event organizers. A lawsuit filed earlier this week by high-profile Houston attorney Tony Buzbee, on behalf of more than 100 clients, reportedly also names Apple Music, Epic Records and the Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation,

Are we having funds yet?

THE BANK – “Sign here, and here. Do you have an ID like your birth certificate, passport from the last week or three witnesses to testify that it’s really you?” The bank clerk readies his truth serum and lie detector. It’s not that the South Bank of the Bayou doesn’t trust us, it’s that the bank doesn’t trust us. And this is all of their doing. My wife and I received a letter a few weeks ago saying the bank is closing this branch, which we had been using since the stagecoach was held up by the Dalton Gang.

So we needed to come get the contents from our safety deposit box. We came here with a bag to empty our family jewels – a high school class ring and photos of our late dog.

The two Texas Rangers were gone. Not to get sidetracked, but last year this bank was robbed twice in two weeks, so the mother bank hired two Texas Rangers to stand at the front door. Did you know you can rent-aRanger? That’s another story.

Anyway, I ask the clerk: “You have maybe a hundred safety deposit boxes here. What do you do with the stuff nobody claims?” She smiles. “We drill holes to break into the boxes and take the contents away.”

“Take the contents away.”

Do you happen to know where? Apparently the State of Texas has a big vault, or more probably a rented warehouse outside Round Rock, where officials store all of the unclaimed baggage they receive with no apparent owner. There is even an agency that handles the problem: the Unclaimed Property Division which is part of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Those folks track down unsuspecting Texans and force money on them.

How much? They approved and paid $285 million in unclaimed property claims during the past fiscal year.

Comptroller Glenn Hegar wrote in a press release: “I am proud to have returned nearly $2 billion dollars to Texans since becoming Comptroller.” All told, Texas has returned more than $3 billion in unclaimed property to its rightful owners since the unclaimed property program began.

According to the comptroller, that $285 million represents more than 538,000 properties. These belongings include things such as forgotten utility deposits or other refunds, insurance proceeds, payroll checks, cashier’s checks, dividends, mineral royalties, dormant bank accounts and abandoned safedeposit box contents. Businesses turn property over to the unclaimed property program after it has been considered dormant for one to five years. But there is generally no time limit to claim property the state holds. This turnover is sort of new. For years banks, utility companies and loan sharks held uncashed checks, utility deposits and such with no owner. Some-

Lynn Ashby Columnist

one had put money in, then had died, been kidnapped or run as a Democrat in Texas and totally disappeared. So the companies would make a “good-faith effort” to find the owners (hehehe), then keep the cash. In 1962, the Texas Legislature finally passed a law requiring any account that had been dormant for between one to five years must be turned over to the Texas comptroller who would seek out the heirs and send them a check. Incidentally, be aware that Texas is different than most states in the fact that the state charges a 1.5-percent handling fee for any claim above $100.

Now we must wonder just how hard it is to find someone or some institution. The chief of police of the City of Houston is owed a total of $990.62. The City of Houston has all kinds of cash coming. Can’t find Houston?

Hey, Comptroller Hegar.

Houston is a big city near the Gulf. It’s on all the maps. So is Harris County, which has $484.33 owed. Shell Oil is owed almost $15K by Sears Roebuck. Too late. Sears is out of business. The University of Texas at Austin has six pages of unclaimed funds. Baylor University has 12 unclaimed funds. Billionaire and Shark Tank investor Mark Cuban has two claims totaling $532. His wife, Tiffany, has three claims totaling $577. Former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has one claim from 2016 from Tiffany’s totaling $124.49.

The Dallas Stars’ hockey player Tyler Seguin has $5,997.16 from 2019. I just checked on me and found somebody owes me $100.

The debtor is not revealed, but usually if anyone owes me, say, $5, I collect. My wife is owed $38.22. Probably I’m the IOU. A few years ago my own search turned up a $1,200 check for me. That’s an entire day’s income.

OK, so how do you find out if you are the long lostheir to the Spindletop fortune or want to locate your great uncle’s gold bars that he put in a safety deposit box in Pampa? Go to the Comptroller’s unclaimed property website, ClaimItTexas.org, or call 800-3212274 (CASH). You will have to fill out a form. Don’t write in “Joe Spindletop.” Specify exactly what you claim, like “any extra cash you have.”

You’ll be given a number and just do as told. According to Unclaimed Money News, Texas as a state has over $5 billion in missing money sitting in its coffers since the unclaimed property program began. The number of claims that were returned was over

700,000 with an average of nearly $400 per claim. Like most states Texas also collects physical property and uses Ebay to auction it off periodically. Items in the vault include a $130,000 gold bar, gold coins from Mexico, a math book by Sir Issac Newton and a framed lock of John Lennon’s hair.

Now start hunting for that loot. Remember that I get a finder’s fee. Act quickly because, at the next session of the Texas Legislature, as usual, our lawmakers will start looking for more money. It is only a matter of time until one of them proposes, “Hey, right down the street the state is sitting on $5 billion with no takers. So my idea is….”

Ashby is almost rich at ashby2@comcast.net

which operates festival site NRG Park, as defendants.

County leaders have been questioned for their potential role in the severity of the tragedy, and so have the Houston Police Department and Houston Fire Department, which were helping to provide security and emergency services.

Millions if not billions of dollars will be awarded to the victims and their families once the litany of lawsuits make their way through the court system. And both the career and reputation of Scott, the 30-year-old Houston native who is known for riling up his fans and holding rowdy concerts, might be permanently tarnished if not outright ruined.

It would be hard to say any one person or company or governmental agency is solely responsible, although many may deserve to be held accountable for the parts they played in this disaster. We certainly cannot fault the victims and other concertgoers who bought tickets and went to the festival expecting to have a good time, even if the fun went too far.

I can’t help but wonder, if I were of high school or college age, if I would have been there on that fate-

ful Friday night. Perhaps a lot of Houstonians who grew up listening to rap music – and going to AstroWorld – are grappling with that same thought.

One thing is for sure: The legacy of AstroWorld has forever been altered and damaged, which is a shame.

But it’s not remotely as much of a shame as the loss of 10 precious lives at a concert: Those of Rodriguez, Hilgert, 21-year-old Axel Acosta Avila, 27-year-old Danish Baig, 9-year-old Ezra Blount, 23-year-old Madison Dubiski, 20-year-old Jacob Jurinek, 21-year-old Franco Patino, 23-year-old Rudy Pena and 22-yearold Bharti Shahani.

Their families are broken, and the focus should continue to be on them and helping them grieve the loss of their loves ones and helping them find a way to move forward. It also should be on ensuring that something like this never happens again.

As for the AstroWorld site, maybe it can be transformed into a memorial for those who died there. It sure as shoot shouldn’t house any more roller coasters or host any more concerts.

Email azuvanich@theleadernews.com

THE READER. Neighborhood bar fire sparks outpouring of support Dear Editor: I am a smoker, and I am absolutely livid at the careless smoker who caused the fire at the historic Henderson Heights Pub building! I’ve seen too many smokers cockily flick their butts without a care as to where they might land. What is wrong with these people who won’t do the most sensible thing at the very least - simply dropping the butt to the ground and stepping on it to make sure it’s out? I’m sure it’s far too much to ask of them to pick up the extinguished butt and dispose of it properly. I feel for Ms. Long and her employees. The business struggled and survived the pandemic but was done in by one smoker’s senseless act. I wish for Ms. Long only the very best and hope her pub is up and running in May! Marilyn K. Tweaks to 11th Street plan to be discusssed at upcoming meeting Dear Editor: The proposed 11th St Bikeway will make

our neighborhood streets less safe. Reducing traffic lanes on 11th St from 4 to 2 between Shepherd and Yale and installing a concrete barrier that will eliminate left turns at all but two streets in that stretch will divert frustrated drivers off of the primary east-west traffic artery in the Heights and onto small neighborhood streets….. like the one I live on with my family. Drivers frustrated by the snarled traffic that will result from the 50% lane reduction will instead travel down small neighborhood streets at elevated speeds - endangering kids, cyclists, pedestrians, and other drivers. And if that wasn’t scary enough, ‘road diets’ can also slow down emergency vehicle response times - not something anybody in a critical life saving situation can bear. Making our neighborhood streets safer, more walkable, and more cyclistfriendly are worthy goals - but the proposed 11th St Bikeway wouldn’t deliver on any of these.

Eli Millican Email us your letters: news@theleadernews.com

the leader Puzzlers.

Answers found in this week’s Classified section

SUDOKU

aCrOss 1. Power measurement 4. Christian hip-hop duo 7. Licensed for Wall Street 10. Belonging to us 11. Anger 12. They __ 13. Ribonuclease 15. Former AC/DC singer Scott 16. Fate 19. Hall of Fame forward 21. Omission 23. American state 24. Not sunrises 25. British school 26. The boundary of a surface 27. Young women 30. Sitting 34. Canadian cheese 35. Aussie TV station 36. Resembles rummy 41. Baked good 45. Gravy is a type of one 46. About aviation 47. Unit of data size 50. Rugged mountain ranges

54. With three uneven sides 55. Cut or carve 56. It can be benign 57. One’s mother (Brit.)

59. Conrad __, American poet 60. Midway between northeast and east 61. Before 62. Originally called 63. Former broadcaster Barber 64. Not pale 65. Not even

dOwn 1. Surfers need one 2. Eskimo dogs 3. Bishop 4. People of Libya 5. In favor of 6. Origins 7. Ingredients 8. Trumpets and trombones 9. Large nest 13. Baseball stat 14. Leavened bread 17. Bon __: witty remark 18. Belgian municipality

20. Reactive structure 22. Methaqualone pill (slang) 27. Medical practitioner 28. Alias 29. Someone 31. 007’s creator 32. Martial artists wear one 33. Midway between north and northeast 37. Edible mollusk 38. ___ up: quit a substance 39. Taiwanese city 40. Make an effort 41. Fielders 42. Restrain 43. Herb 44. Agonized 47. Time zone 48. Abandoned European money 49. Plays video games 51. Hit well in baseball (slang) 52. Expresses good wishes 53. Congressman (abbr.)

58. Small constellation

WORD SCRAMBLE

Page 4A • Saturday, November 20, 2021 • The Leader

Hamilton receives high marks from statewide nonprofit

By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com

Hamilton Middle School in the Heights was recognized

by Texas nonprofit Children at Risk as one of the Houston area’s most resilient campuses to the educational challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hamilton, a Houston ISD school at 139 E. 20th St., was ranked as the region’s seventh-most pandemic-resilient middle school by Children at Risk, which for more than a decade has ranked and graded Texas public schools based on academic performance and socioeconomic factors. This year, in lieu of its traditional school rankings, the nonprofit focused on resiliency amidst the ongoing pandemic.

Children at Risk recognized 107 of the 1,347 Houston-

area schools it evaluated as “Pandemic Resilient Schools.”

These are campuses with at least 75 percent of their students classified as economically disadvantaged that also received A or B performance ratings in 2018-19, and they have maintained or improved their academic performance since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020.

Hamilton was one of 15 HISD schools, including five at the middle school level, to be ranked among the Houston area’s top 10 at either the high school, middle school or elementary level.

“When I think of the words ‘pandemic resilient,’ our HISD community immediately comes to mind,” HISD Superintendent Millard House II said in a statement released by the district. “Our communities came together during

this tough time and worked diligently to put our scholar’s education and safety first. We are pleased that these efforts are now being recognized by Children at Risk.”

According to Children at Risk, 64 percent of public schools across Texas saw a decrease in enrollment from the 2018-19 academic year to 2020-21. And among the nearly 8,000 schools evaluated by the nonprofit, 27 percent experienced a decrease in academic performance during that same time span. The 2021 State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) results released in June showed the number of students not meeting gradelevel standards increased in almost every grade level and subject area.

Children at Risk’s list of “Red Flag Schools” this year

Photo from Facebook Hamilton Middle School in the Heights was recognized by Children at Risk as one of Houston’s most pandemic-resilient campuses.

are those that received A or B performance ratings in 201819 and saw the most significant decreases in academic performance in 2020-21. There were

By Adam Zuvanich Harris County is softening its stance on the Interstate 45 expansion project, at least for the time being.

Harris County commissioners voted Monday to direct county attorney Christian D. Menefee to negotiate a temporary pause of the county’s federal lawsuit against the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) over its North Houston Highway Improvement Project. Menefee filed the suit in March, asking the court to require TxDOT to give greater consideration to environmental and civil rights concerns raised by the county and its residents.

The purpose of pausing the lawsuit is so county and TxDOT officials can negotiate about the proposed project, which calls for widening I-45 between downtown and Beltway 8 while displacing more than 1,000 homes and businesses in communities such as Acres Homes, Independence Heights and Northside.

“The pause is a show of good faith by the county to remind TxDOT that we’re in this to find solutions and address community concerns,” Menefee said in a statement

released by his office. “We expect TxDOT to work alongside us to achieve the same.

If that does not happen, the county will resume the suit and we’ll let the courts decide.”

TxDOT has put the estimated $7 billion project on hold at the direction of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), which is investigating the environmental and civil rights concerns that have been raised. Harris County claims in its lawsuit that TxDOT’s design for the I-45 expansion does not follow federal law and give proper consideration to air quality, flood mitigation and other impacts to the communities along the proposed new route.

Texas Transportation Commission chairman Bruce Bugg said during an August meeting that if the FHWA does not complete its investigation and lift the pause by Nov. 30, then the commission will remove the project and its funding from TxDOT’s Unified Transportation Plan, a 10-year plan for the state’s highway system.

“Commissioners court has spoken, but I want to be clear that this temporary stay does not mean that we’ve dismissed our lawsuit, nor

For more information and the complete list of pandemicresilient and red flag schools, visit https://childrenatrisk. org/resilient-schools-21/.

City offering prizes to turn off home sprinkler systems

County commissioners vote to suspend lawsuit over I-45 project azuvanich@theleadernews.com

three HISD schools in the red flag lists for the Houston area, but none from the Heights, Garden Oaks or Oak Forest areas.

will it impact the federal government’s pause of the (project),” Menefee said. “The county’s goal is the same as it’s always been — a project that addresses the concerns of communities and is in the best interest of Harris County residents.”

Among other changes to the existing freeway, which was built more than 50 years ago, TxDOT’s plan calls for expanded express-lane capacity on I-45 between downtown and Beltway 8 along with re-routing the freeway near downtown, including making it parallel with I-10 on the north side.

TxDOT has said the purpose of the project is to improve traffic flow, hurricane evacuation routes and stormwater drainage, along with accommodating highoccupancy, electric and selfdriving vehicles. “(Monday’s) action by the Harris County Commissioners Court supports TxDOT’s request to the Harris County Attorney to, at a minimum, support an abatement of the lawsuit to allow for further discussion between Harris County and TxDOT on this project,” TxDOT spokesperson Bob Kaufman said in a statement to KPRC-TV.

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Houston Public Works is asking residents to turn off their automatic home sprinkler systems through Feb. 28 while offering potential prizes in return.

According to the city, grass is dormant in the winter and does not need regular watering.

Residents can complete a seven-question online survey at bit.ly/wintersprinkler to let the city know they have turned off their sprinkler

system. Once the form has been submitted, residents will be entered in a drawing to win potential prizes that include a 50-gallon rain barrel, a FLUME monitor device to track water usage and soil moisture meters.

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Sunday Services: @ 11 AM ◆ s t s u m cIn-person 2003 W. 43rd St. ◆ 713-686-8241 .org

1822 W. 18th

(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

Houston, TX 77092

GET Satisfaction & Thankfulness OVER IT!

By Pastor Will Cover

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.”

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

It is hard to be thankful if you are not satisfied. To be thankful means to be content with what you have.

For example, if I am thankful for the meal that I am eating it does not mean that I wouldn’t enjoy any other meal, but that I am satisfied with the meal that I have been given. When I am satisfied with something, I don’t need something Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and will not be toyou replace it.condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven...

Have you ever had a time where R.S.V. Luke 6:37 you struggled to be thankful? Last week we looked at the Bible verse that instructs us to give thanks always. I don’t know about you, but there have been times where I didn’t feel very thankful. As I study God’s Word, I have learned that thankfulness is not a feeling.

Rather, thankfulness is a choice.

The choice to be thankful comes along with the choice to be satisfied with what I have received. Paul the apostle wrote from a prison cell to

the church at Philippi and said, “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” These words instruct us in how to be thankful even when circumstances are terrible. Thankfulness based on your circumstances may be difficult or impossible. Thankfulness to God is always possible if you find your contentment in Him, rather than in your situation.

This Thanksgiving season may be difficult for you. Your circumstances may not lend themselves to giving thanks. You may have lost someone very dear to you or may be facing a family or financial crisis.

Remember that God is with you. He is on the other side of this struggle as well.

Find your strength by reminding yourselves of His promises and His presence.

The Leader • Saturday, November 20, 2021 • Page 5A

Bulldogs from P. 1A

Vigil from P. 1A

the halftime ceremony, Heights students also wore pink to honor Rodriguez, while Memorial students and representatives wore green ribbons and clothing – Hilgert’s favorite color, according to a report from KHOU – alongside them. Heights students also carried flowers to the center of the field, later placing them in the shape of a heart on the field.

Memorial City was also set to have a green LED light display from Bunker Hill to Beltway 8 in memory of Hilgert beginning at dusk Tuesday and staying lit through Wednesday, according to KHOU. Neal racked up 110 total yards receiving in the game, and pointed toward the sky in celebration following his touchdown catch in the second quarter, which accounted for Heights’ only score of the game – presumably in memory of Rodriguez.

And though the on-field results were not the desired outcome, Dixon said it was likely about more than the final score for some of his players.

“I know a couple of (them) were close to Brianna – sometimes I think for guys that love football, and sports period, sports is a safe haven to kind of take your mind off of some hurt feelings and hurt hearts,” he said. “Sports can be healing – I think some of those particular young men getting back on the field was part of the healing process.”

the time,” Cantu-Harkless said.

“She was a beauty to watch, on and off the field.”

It was immediately evident that Rodriguez’s spotlight shined across a far greater swath than just the dance team. Throughout the ceremony, the crowd of many hundreds strong would cry “Long live Bri!” in unison every so often – a testament to her shining star within the school.

Other students spoke to the same sentiment – whether they be longtime friends or new acquaintances, Rodriguez made everyone feel welcome, according to her friends.

“I just met Bri this year,” said Xavier Neal, a Heights senior and wide receiver for the school’s football team who transferred from Lutheran High North. “And she touched my heart - like nobody else could.”

Grief counselors will continue to be available for students on campus as long as they’re needed, Heights principal Wendy Hampton previously said, as the Heights family continues to

mourn the loss of one of their own, a person who was described as a light to the school and community.

“Our team is feeling this a lot, but I’m truly overwhelmed by the sense of love and support that the community has shown to us,” Cantu-Harkless said.

HISD Superintendent Millard House II echoed the same sentiment, and said the most important thing now is for the students to focus on love – their love for Rodriguez, and their love for each other in a time of grief.

A GoFundMe account set up to help Rodriguez’s family with funeral costs raised more than $71,000. Scott pledged to cover funeral costs for all the victims at his concert, according to multiple reports.

“This is a time of understanding, a time of peace, a time of ensuring that our young people at this school and community are wrapped around with the support that needs to be around them,” House said. “We’re deeply thankful to ... this community

Photo from Twitter Community members gathered at Heights High School on Nov. 10 to celebrate the life of Brianna Rodriguez, a 16-year-old junior who died Nov. 5 at Astroworld Festival.

coming together to ensure that we honor this family and honor this young lady in the manner that she deserves. ... They love this young lady, and they love each other.”

Now with each passing day,

Trees from P. 1A

Rodriguez will live on in the hearts and minds of the RedCoats and the Heights community at large.

“She was like a sister to us,” Rocha said.

Contest from P. 1A

think (this event) is great, though I wish the line was a bit shorter. But it’s free, so I’m not complaining.”

And that was the beauty of the event, according to Trees For Houston development director Randi Koenig, who said there typically are people from dozens of different zip codes who make their way out to various giveaways. Every one of the 1,000 allotted trees for Saturday’s giveaway was gone by morning’s end.

“People want to be outside, plant at their homes or their schools – so getting a free tree is pretty appealing,” Koenig said.

Also out and about for the event were Maria Rangel and her husband, who came from East Houston to get trees for a 3-acre plot of land at their home. It was the second time the couple has come out to a Trees For Houston giveaway.

“This is an amazing opportunity with them giving away trees, and we really appreciate that,” Rangel said.

Trees For Houston says planting and re-planting trees has environmental benefits such as beautification and heat reduction, and can also serve as an effective form of flood mitigation in many areas – especially those outside the fed-

erally regulated 100-year flood plain that were damaged from events such as Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

The organization has plans to hit every demographic and geographic region in Houston within the next six or seven years with regards to community giveaways, according to Ward.

“We’re drawn to places that are beautiful – and to a vast majority of people, ‘beautiful’ means nature, trees, shade and more,” he said. “What we’re doing is simply one element of that. When you add in all the environmental benefits, there’s no reason not to plant more trees.”

That certainly has an appeal to Bill Burhans and Brett Byers with the Willow Waterhole Greenspace Conservancy, who were out gathering trees for their annual tree-planting days. The organization facilitates development of amenities at the Willow Waterhole Greenway in Southwest Houston through partnerships with Houston schools, environmental organizations, the Harris County Flood Control District, Harris County Precinct 1, the Houston Parks and Recreation Department and more.

Burhans said Trees For Houston is

one of the organization’s biggest partners in such undertakings, thus he has frequented giveaways like Saturday’s.

“We have some (planting days) coming up now since it’s winter, so we’re getting ready for it,” Burhans said. “We love this type of event – they’re serving the community, and planting trees is about the best things you can do right now for the Earth.”

Last year, Trees For Houston planted or re-planted 26,000 trees in the Houston region, according to Koenig, and annually provides at least 20,000 plantings or re-plantings along with 2-3 community giveaways per month.

Koenig said many of the giveaways will happen at its 34th Street hub, though they will shift to other hot spots once construction begins in April 2022 to continue serving the needs of the Houston community.

“We plant in the whole Greater Houston region, because we think every community deserves trees,” she said. “… We try to mix it up so we can appeal to just about anyone.”

For more information on Trees For Houston, visit its website at treesforhouston.org/.

wide competition, including five schools from the Heights, Garden Oaks and Oak Forest areas. In addition to Mitchell from Oak Forest Elementary, the greeting card contest included submissions from Garden Oaks Montessori Magnet eighth-grader Tamalpriya Kurusamy (artwork titled “Joyful”), Helms Elementary third-grader Liliana Mangual (“Holiday Magic”), Hogg Middle School eighthgrader Kashona Gilbert (“The Holiday Journey”) and Sinclair Elementary fifth-grader Anna Filip (“Santa’s Other Helpers”).

Filip’s submission was the first from Sinclair, which has a new art program led by teacher Sarah White.

“Interest in this contest continues to grow annually,” said House, who picked the winners after HISD’s area superintendents selected the group of 19 finalists. “This year we have 13 campuses that are

Contributed photo Sinclair Elementary fifth-grader Anna Filip, right, holds her greeting card artwork, “Santa’s Other Helpers.” At left is Sinclair art teacher Sarah White.

first-time participants.

“It was extremely difficult (to pick winners),” House added, “because we have some great talent and great artists in our school system.”

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Page 6A • Saturday, November 20, 2021 • The Leader

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The Leader • Saturday, November 20, 2021 • Page 7A

Art Valet: Crawl around town to celebrate city’s creatives Mitch Cohen Art Columnist

The 29th annual ArtCrawl Houston returns this Saturday, Nov. 20 from 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

The focal point of the multiparticipant, self-guided studio tour is of course John Runnels and Charlie Jean Sartwelle’s Mother Dog Studios, founded in 1984 and located at 720 Walnut St. ArtCrawl Houston has the distinguished honor of staking claim as being the original art crawl in Houston. Located in the old warehouse district just north of downtown, the century-old buildings, mixed with warehouses and modern apartment buildings seem to tell the story of Houston itself.

Along with Mother Dog Studios, participating spaces and sponsors at this year’s ArtCrawl include Bisong Art Gallery, Hardy & Nance Studios (with an outdoor market, too), m ARCHITECTS, NDT Seals, Cake Life Co. and Reef Parking. All events and tours are free and open to the public.

What is unique about ArtCrawl is that all of the spaces are artist-run and have been since its early days when the area was ignored by the city and public alike. Leave it to artists to unassumingly lead the gentrification of an unpopular area. The artists are still holding on and this week-

end is as much a triumph as it is an opportunity for the public to see where an art movement was born and continues to thrive.

This year ArtCrawl Houston is collaborating with a new event called Chalk Crawl. The inaugural Chalk Crawl Houston is quite unique. Obviously there will be chalk artists creating, but this day-long ticketed event has options.

Chalk Crawl has three ways to participate: a scavenger hunt, where clues lead you to the next artist; purchase a map and walk the area; and for anyone in the world, watch highlights on a private YouTube channel later in the week. At the final Chalk Crawl location, to be disclosed on Saturday to ticket holders, is a festival with activities for the entire family including live performances, games, food trucks and art activities.

I spoke to co-founder and co-producer Corie Fairchild Pierson, and she has quite a compelling story behind this event and how it got started, after the demise of another loved festival, Via Colori, hosted by the Center for Hearing and Speech to raise money for its programming.

She said the 200-plus artist volunteers became like family and she even met her husband, Kenneth Pierson, there nine years ago. Corie Pierson describes the artists as performers, because in a way they are creating before a live audience.

“This July, another former Via Colori artist, Shawn Artis, and myself were talking about

how COVID has taught us to be very creative about providing ourselves with gigs,” Pierson said. “I told him that I always thought a chalk festival that included a scavenger hunt would be so cool. That is when Chalk Crawl was born!

We got with about a dozen other former Via Colori artists and all chipped in $25 to get the production started and here we are. We have over 200 attendees signed up and we expect around 500, and to grow exponentially each year

we hold the festival by adding more and more chalk artists and activities.”

The artists haven’t forgotten how it all got started either.

“We are donating 20 percent of Chalk Crawl ticket sales to the Texas Hearing Institute (formerly known as the Center for Hearing and Speech) as a thank you for getting us started in our chalk art careers,” Pierson said. “The other 80 percent of ticket sales go to arts advocacy: They pay the featured artists, buy art

lessons for the guest artists, and pay the musical and other performing artists.”

The list of activities exceeds the space I have here, I can confidently say, you will not be bored. Pierson did tell me that she envisions that Chalk Crawl will introduce a new audience to ArtCrawl Houston and the charming enclave of the original and oldest surviving artists’ warehouse district.

The ArtCrawl Houston website, artcrawlhouston. com, has all the details, includ-

ing a map, venue addresses and web links.

Chalk Crawl Houston tickets, maps and times are at chalkcrawl.com.

The Piersons are artists, too. Follow them on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ Kpandcorieart.

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 Corie Pierson, left, and John Runnels prepare for Saturday’s ArtCrawl and Chalk Crawl.

Help make a child’s Christmas a little brighter!

Constable Alan Rosen’s

TOY

DRIVE WHEN: December 1 TIME: 7 a.m. to Dark LOCATION: Dr. Gleem Car Wash & Lube Center 3103 Ella Blvd.

Donate an unwrapped toy valued at $20 or more and receive a free car wash and BBQ.

Please join Constable Alan Rosen and Dr. Gleem in contributing gifts to children whose families could use a little assistance this holiday season.

CONSTABLE ALAN ROSEN HARRIS COUNTY CONSTABLE PRECINCT 1

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The Leader • Saturday, November 20, 2021 • Page 8A

Acres Homes murder suspect arrested

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

A man accused of fatally shooting another man in Acres Homes earlier this month was arrested Monday, according to Harris County court documents.

The Houston Police Department said 20-year-old Tyree Hector has been charged with murder in connection to the death of 41-year-old Lonnie Day, who was pronounced dead inside an Acres Homes

residence with multiple gunshot wounds on Nov. 4.

According to Harris County court records, two of Hector’s uncles told police they were with Hector and Day at a home at 2108 Hampton St. around 11:30 p.m. Nov. 3. The witnesses told police that one of them saw Hector allegedly enter Day’s room and allegedly shoot him multiple times. Court documents also show that, according to the witnesses, Hector allegedly left and returned to Day’s room two more times

Hector

and allegedly fired more gunshots before fleeing the scene.

Hector was arrested on Monday, according to court records, and remained in jail with his bail set at $100,000. At the time of Hector’s arrest, he also was facing misdemeanor charges of Failing to Stop and Give Information and evading arrest, according to court records. Court records also show that Hector pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault in July and was sentenced to 75 days in county jail.

Man shot while breaking up fight Altercation outside local outside Acres Homes gas station

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

A man trying to break up a fight was hospitalized after being shot in the back near an Acres Homes convenience store last weekend, according to the Houston Police Department.

Police said the victim, 64-year-old Johnny Newsome, was taken to an area hospital in critical condition.

Witnesses told police that Newsome had attempted to break up a fight between several women outside the Sunco

Marketplace gas station and convenience store at 8015 De Priest St. just after 11:30 a.m.

Saturday, Nov. 12, when he was shot multiple times in the back, according to HPD. The suspected shooter, described only as a Black man by HPD, then fled the scene in a car of an unknown make and model, police said.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact HPD’s Major Assaults & Family Violence division at 713-308-8800 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.

Whataburger turns deadly

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

A man was shot to death last weekend following an altercation with multiple people near a local fast food restaurant, according to the Houston Police Department.

HPD said the man was pronounced dead at the scene, and his identity is pending verification by the Harris County medical examiner.

Police said the victim was

involved in a fight with multiple people near a Whataburger at 444 W. Little York Rd., just outside Acres Homes, shortly before 11 p.m. last Saturday, Nov. 12.

The man was later shot in the parking lot of the restaurant, according to HPD. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact HPD’s Homicide division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-2228477.

Police Reports • November 9 - 16 NOV. 9

Theft 12 PM 800 BLOCK MERRILL Burglary 7 AM 2500 BLOCK YALE Theft 7 PM 1200 BLOCK W 34TH Theft 3 PM 400 BLOCK W 19TH Theft 5 PM 1800 BLOCK AIRLINE

NOV. 10

Theft 8 PM 200 BLOCK W 25TH Burglary 9 AM 800 BLOCK E 42ND Burglary 3 PM 700 BLOCK T C JESTER Theft 6 PM 2600 BLOCK HARVARD Theft 10 AM 300 BLOCK W 21ST Theft 11 PM 1000 BLOCK COLUMBIA Burglary 11 AM 2100 BLOCK AIRLINE

Theft 6 PM 700 BLOCK T C JESTER BLVD Burglary 11 AM 3100 BLOCK CROSSTIMBERS Theft 2 PM 4600 BLOCK YALE

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Theft 6 PM 1300 BLOCK W 24TH Theft 6 PM 1400 BLOCK BEALL Theft 7 PM 2100 BLOCK ELLA

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Theft 3 PM 1400 BLOCK LAIRD Theft 5 PM 900 BLOCK E 26TH Burglary 8 AM 800 BLOCK E 37TH Robbery 10 PM 1300 BLOCK CROSSTIMBERS Theft 1 PM 1000 BLOCK WYNNWOOD Theft 8 AM 800 BLOCK E 37TH Theft 10 PM 500 BLOCK YALE

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The Leader • Saturday, November 20, 2021 • Page 1B

Service, atmosphere key to success of local Southern food restaurants Stefan Modrich

Three distinct restaurants in the Heights area are illustrative of the landscape of local Southern cuisine. The common thread that binds them together is a dedication to neighborly camaraderie and superior service that has set them apart in a place with many outstanding restaurants within the Southern genre.

Along with The Barbecue Inn, La Lucha and Harold’s Restaurant, Bar & Rooftop Terrace, other local restaurants that specialize in Southern fare include Esther’s Cajun Cafe & Soul Food, Field & Tides, Killen’s in the Heights, Preslee’s, Moonshine Deck and South HTX. Dave Skrehot, 60, owner of The Barbecue Inn, 116 W. Crosstimbers St., and his father, Wayne Skrehot, 80, represent the old guard. The legendary purveyor of fried chicken and post oak-smoked meat and seafood opened in 1946.

One employee in the kitchen has worked for The Barbecue Inn since 1951, and several servers have worked with the restaurant for at least 25 years. And while the customer base skews older, it is also made up of families who have made The Barbecue Inn a destination.

“It’s starting to be five generations (of customers coming in),” Dave Skrehot said. “It’s really something to see. There’s lots of stories of people getting engaged here.

People come back to celebrate their 60th anniversary. They come back every year.”

The family has done so largely through word of mouth.

“We have had a great customer base for years and years,” Skrehot said. “And for a long, long time, you didn’t have social media. So the only means of advertising we had was just word of mouth, because we really didn’t advertise.”

Bobby Matos, the chef at La Lucha, 1801 N. Shepherd Drive, said the restaurant owned by Ford Fry was inspired by the former San Jacinto Inn (which was open from 1918-87) near the U.S.S. Texas and the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site.

La Lucha, which opened in 2018, translates to “the fight,” a direct reference to the Battle of San Jacinto won by the then-Republic of Texas led by

Photo from Facebook Harold’s Restaurant, Bar & Rooftop Terrace owner Alli Jarrett has stayed true to her South Carolina roots with her Thanksgiving menu.

A guide to a Southern Thanksgiving feast

By Stefan Modrich smodrich@mcelvypartners.com

Photo from Facebook Shrimp and grits is one of the most popular items at Harold’s Restaurant, Bar & Rooftop Terrace.

Sam Houston over Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna’s Mexican army in 1836.

The San Jacinto Inn, Matos said, served exclusively seafood, and was “a place where families would drive all the way from Houston every weekend and sit down to this big, elaborate family meal. It was essentially an all-you-can eat place.”

While La Lucha doesn’t do a buffet, it kept the basic menu pillars of Gulf seafood and oysters and added fried chicken.

Fried chicken at The Barbecue Inn, meanwhile, requires patience. Your reward for waiting 25-30 minutes is freshlyfried chicken that doesn’t enter the fryer until your order is placed.

“When you go to a fast-food chicken place, they have it ready right under a warming light,” Skrehot said. “That’s why ours is better. Because it’s fresh, it hasn’t been sitting there for an hour, drying out under the heat lamp. And pretty much everything you eat in here is cooked to order.”

Skrehot takes pride in The Barbecue Inn’s curation of only wild-caught Gulf shrimp

and farm-raised catfish, sourcing all of his seafood from American shores.

Matos takes a similar approach to his seafood.

“We skirt the idea of trying to be somewhat traditional,” Matos said. “Anything essentially off the Gulf from, I would say from South Texas on the Mexican border all the way to Louisiana is in my view kind of fair game as far as cuisine goes.”

One dish that has been on the menu at La Lucha since the beginning is its crawfish bread, which is a popular snack served by vendors at the New Orleans Jazz fest.

“It’s simply toasted bread stuffed with crawfish, cheese, mayonnaise and mustard,” Matos said. “We elevate that a little bit without making it too far from the original by getting some local bread from Royal Bakery down in Montrose. It’s pressed with a ton of butter and then served with a little bit of a pickle salad on the side to compliment and offset all the richness that that bread is.”

Alli Jarrett, owner of Harold’s Restaurant, Bar & Rooftop Terrace, 350 W. 19th St. Ste. C, is proud of her South

Carolina upbringing, where pulled pork is king.

Harold’s opened in 2013, and shortly thereafter, Jarrett and her chef, a New Orleans native, put their heads together to produce a dish using fresh Gulf shrimp that was a blend of two different strands of Southern fare.

“I will put our shrimp and grits up against anyone,” Jarrett said. “I just love it. I think it’s a classic dish.”

Harold’s has done some experimenting based on customer requests and found creative ways to utilize unorthodox ingredients in Southern cooking.

Just a few weeks ago, Jarrett was catering for a party that asked for butternut squash soup. But to use the remaining quantity of the squash, Jarrett’s team ended up mixing it with Prasek’s Sausage to make a Cajun staple — dirty rice.

What was intended to be a seasonal menu item that happened nearly by accident has now been kept in the restaurant’s regular rotation.

“Being able to turn it into something else that ends up being a winner is a lot of fun,” Jarrett said.

Review: Millie’s offers refreshing take on seafood from Gulf Coast

By Stefan Modrich

should be the main focus. I thought the texture of the shrimp from Millie’s lived up to this, with a slight crispiness and sweet and salty flavors coming through the breading upon digging in.

While shrimp is usually my favorite seafood dish, the highlight for me was the buttery and soft sea scallops. These tender and delicate shellfish had a slightly almond-like flavor and subtle sweetness that make them a must-try for any Millie’s guest.

smodrich@mcelvypartners.com

Now is the time to take advantage of the warm days and cool evenings that are most optimal for outdoor dining.

Millie’s Kitchen & Cocktails, 3542 Oak Forest Drive, is a great place to do that in a shaded patio setting, though indoor dining is an option as well.

One adjustment right off the bat is the use of the Roovy App, which you’ll need to download before ordering at Millie’s if you haven’t already.

If Roovy is not for you, make sure you have someone who is tech-savvy who can handle your order.

I found Roovy to be painless, convenient and easy to navigate, and I especially appreciated not needing to wait for a server to play the tennis game of bouncing back and forth between my table to collect my payment, then go back inside to a computer to swipe my credit card and return to sign for a check. While Millie’s was not busy when I was there around 5 p.m on a Wednesday, if you’ve ever been at a very busy restaurant and waited an

Photo by Stefan Modrich The grotto combo from Millie’s Kitchen & Cocktails, 3542 Oak Forest Drive, features cod, wild-caught shrimp and sea scallops.

excessive amount of time to get the bill and pay, you’ll definitely appreciate this aspect of Millie’s.

I knew I was in the mood for seafood when I chose to visit Millie’s, and there are nearly an overwhelming amount of choices.

Thankfully, there are options like the grotto combo ($14.95), which can give you a sampling of a variety of fish without needing to break the

bank.

The grotto combo from Millie’s features breaded cod, wild-caught shrimp and sea scallops served alongside fries and tartar and cocktail sauce.

The cod was flaky and mild, but it was also juicy and improved by a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

I prefer shrimp to be thinlybreaded, enough to create a thin layer that doesn’t detract from the shrimp itself, which

Millie’s Kitchen & Cocktails Address: 3542 Oak Forest Drive Dining Options: Dine-in, curbside pickup Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Friday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday Entree prices: $10.95-$28.95 Kid-friendly: Yes Senior discount: No Alcohol: Yes Healthy options: The Hampton salad ($11.95) Star of the show: Sea scallops Rating: 4 out of 5 bites

What does a Southern Thanksgiving look like? We surveyed some restaurant owners and chefs specializing in Southern cuisine across the Greater Heights of various backgrounds to learn about what Thanksgiving offerings they’re serving customers this year and what they and their families have traditionally served at their own dinner tables over the years.

Bobby Matos, the chef at La Lucha, 1801 N. Shepherd Drive, said while a fried turkey is a signature Southern Thanksgiving staple, he has a creative way to make holiday leftovers with a Cajun and Gulf Coast spin.

“I like taking all those bones and carcasses and turning around and making a stock with that and making gumbo the next day,” Matos said. “That’s my go-to. Or you can skip the (whole) turkey all together and put it in the gumbo and have a turkey gumbo for Thanksgiving.”

Alli Jarrett, a South Carolina native and owner of Harold’s Restaurant, Bar & Rooftop Terrace, 350 W. 19th St. Ste. C, said her family tradition is a “three-meat” Thanksgiving with turkey, ham and Carolina-style pulled pork, cooked with vinegar.

“My grandmother had to follow her rules of getting up in the middle of the night and putting (the turkey) in the oven,” Jarrett said. “My uncle, though, would always fry a turkey. And so we’d have the best of both worlds with that.”

She said her grandmother’s cornbread dressing is served slightly differently at Harold’s, but the quality of the dressing as well as other popular sides like sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans and butter beans remains high because her produce is shipped fresh daily from Atkinson Farms in Spring.

Harold’s is offering its usual Thanksgiving catering packages this year, but Jarrett said she might consider offering an in-person dining option for the holiday in future years.

“We’ve never done dine-in for Thanksgiving because it’s such a family holiday,” she said. “But we may start to reconsider that moving forward because several staff members have expressed an interest to be able to serve others on that day.”

Dave Skrehot, owner of The Barbecue Inn, 116 W. Crosstimbers St., does not serve Thanksgiving meals at his restaurant. But like his restaurant, his Thanksgiving meals were often a family affair.

“What I grew up with was traditional baked turkey or smoked turkey and dressing,” Skrehot said. “We had cornbread dressing and green bean casserole. Mashed potatoes, of course, with brown gravy. That’s a big deal.”

Matos also makes “spoon bread,” a cornbread that can be made into a casserole with corn, mushrooms and peppers.

“You can even use it as an accompaniment to a main dish,” Matos said.

Matos also likes to prepare seafood sides, like an oyster casserole or oyster stuffing.

When it comes to dessert for the Matos family, he said his wife takes the lead.

“She makes a killer banana pudding, which is always a crowd pleaser for everybody,” Matos said. “I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like banana pudding.”

Jarrett said pecan pie, pumpkin pie and “granny’s cake,” a coconut cream-based cake, are also hits at Harold’s that are based on her family’s recipes.

Pecan pie was also an essential dessert around the Skrehot family table, as was his aunt’s cherry pie along with chocolate cream pie and apple and blueberry cobbler.

“She did the lacing on the top and everything,” Skrehot said.

“It’s just a beautiful (cherry) pie and it’s very, very good.”

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Page 2B • Saturday, November 20, 2021 • The Leader

It’s not too late for fall gardens Editor’s note: This is the first installment of a new biweekly column called Garden Guru, in which local gardener Amy Williams writes about gardening topics and answers gardening-related questions from community members.

Amy Williams

G

arden uru

Dear Late in Lazybrook, I think we can all relate to a busy schedule. Not to worry, I have good news: You’re not too late!

There are plenty of things you still have an opportu-

Hey Garden Guru, I’ve noticed a few fall gardens sprouting up in the last few weeks.

With my busy schedule, I’m worried I’ve missed the opportunity to plant our fall garden. Am I too late, or is there anything I can still plant?

Sincerely, Late in Lazybrook nity to plant for a fall and winter garden. This is also a great time to prep for spring.

There is so much you’re right on time for with this question, so let’s dive in.

If you want to start now

with pre-sprouted seedlings (the small plant starts you’ll buy from a nursery) for our mild winter climate, I recommend broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, Swiss chard, mustard greens and collard greens seedlings. Although many gardeners in our area may have started these six weeks ago, yours will still flourish and these cultivars are hardy enough to withstand a light freeze (which our area may see before they reach their full maturity).

I recommend visiting Wabash Feed & Garden, 4537 N. Shepherd Dr., for your plant starts as they are knowledgeable about which varieties grow best in our climate.

When picking out your plants, look for larger, healthy seedlings free of yellow or brown leaves, and those with at least three

to four “true leaves.” True leaves have the appearance of the plant you are planting as opposed to the narrow, more rounded sprouting leaf.

If you are looking to grow from seeds, I recommend starting with carrots, English peas, radishes, beets, lettuce and spinach. With the mild winter that is predicted this year, you can even plant kale and Swiss chard from seeds if you are unable to find seedlings.

You can still grow herbs, too. Herbs like cilantro, mint, lavender and dill do well in cooler temperatures and, remember, rosemary and sage are perennials which will also survive a light freeze.

Fall is also garden maintenance time.

Besides planting, there are a few upkeep tasks you will want to complete now so

that your spring garden will be successful.

First, you will want to cut back any perennials that have died in your garden.

Note that I recommend an exception to this when it comes to the sunflowers, Black-eyed Susans and echinacea. These will be a food source for birds and squirrels during the winter months, so please leave them.

Now is the perfect time to plant bulbs like tulips, crocus and daffodils for spring.

Luckily, we do still have a little time for bulbs as heat is their biggest enemy. You do, however, want to make sure that they are in the ground before the first frost.

If you’re looking for a wildflower garden in the spring, you’ll want to plant those seeds now. We all love photo opportunities with

bluebonnets in the spring time, so make sure and get those seeds in the ground this fall!

Lastly, I recommend mulching your garden this month before it gets too cold in December. Not only will this protect the roots, but it will also help to maintain moisture levels and keep you from having to weed during the cold months. I highly recommend putting your fallen leaves into your garden beds versus bagging them. Not only is this better for wildlife, but it provides beneficial microbes and is a great source of carbon to balance out nitrogen.

See you in the garden!

Do you have questions for the Garden Guru? Email Amy at underhillurbanfarmco@gmail. com.

Poison Pawns play fast chess at Slowpokes

By Stefan Modrich smodrich@mcelvypartners.com

Edgar Acosta has been playing chess ever since his sister taught him to play at 7 years old and he learned to struggle through games against his experienced father.

“My dad used to tick me off and whip my butt all the time by just reading a book while he was playing,” Acosta said. “But that doesn’t happen nowadays.”

The Montrose resident used to live a stone’s throw away from Slowpokes, 1203 W. 34th St. Ste. D, where he and I sat across a table from one another on a recent Wednesday evening. He discovered the coffee shop when he was living along Alba Road, and about five years ago, Acosta decided to start Poison Pawns, a chess club for players of all ages and ability levels.

Noting the presence of large posters depicting snails and turtles on the wall, Acosta muses about the contrast between his style of play and the chill vibes of the coffee shop, where the group’s flag, featuring a poisonous blue ring octopus, hangs above the bar.

“We’re considered a blitz club,” Acosta said. “So we play fast. Five-minute games, three minutes, two minutes. And this place goes slow. Yeah, so the irony is hilarious.”

Acosta, 50, said he is “semiretired” now, running a company he started with a friend

GOOFy GETTING

in the

Stefan Modrich

GREATER HEIGHTS See related video at

theleadernews.com that sells virtual reality gear that Acosta said is “going really well.”

Traveling through Europe on business trips allowed Acosta to play chess against strangers in smoky bars and coffee shops, and said the vibe at Slowpokes reminds him of those experiences.

“I used to go and play chess at casual chess places around the world when I traveled,” Acosta said. “So I have an affinity for coffee houses like that.”

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, he said he would regularly get 20-30 players to join at Slowpokes each week between 6-10 p.m. About a dozen players ranging from grade school age to adults in their 50s showed up to play through the first two hours of the recent session.

“Actually, I’m kind of glad (about the lower turnout),” Acosta said. “It’s (usually) hard to find a seat.”

One regular player, Marc

Ybarsabal, said he’s been attending Poison Pawns meetups since the club began holding events regularly. He said the group enjoys getting together because it has formed an environment of healthy competition where players help make each other better.

“I most enjoy the energy and atmosphere of the clubs,” Ybarsabal said. “Chess clubs can feel very sterile (when people are meeting strictly for chess) but our club is lively and social. It helps that we meet at a coffee shop and wine bar, so people can also eat, drink and be merry.”

Ybarsal, who lives near North Shepherd Drive and Pinemont Drive, said Poison Pawns has previously held pop-up events at Saint Arnold Brewing Company and elsewhere.

In May, Acosta opened The Houston Chess Studio at 250 Patton St. Suite H, near Northside Village.

There, he’s been able to give the community a permanent home where they can have weekend tournaments and events four nights per week.

Occasionally, the matches there are streamed on a plat-

Photo by Stefan Modrich Two members of Poison Pawns play chess Nov. 10 at Slowpokes in Garden Oaks.

form called Twitch, which is popular with video game aficionados and analog gamers like chess players.

Earlier, I chatted with some players as I waited for Acosta to arrive, and even got in a game with someone who told me they came down to Garden Oaks from Spring Branch.

Other players have come from as far away as Clear Lake.

My first bad move was allowing my rook to be captured by my opponent’s knight, and I found myself in check a few moves later. It was an adjustment playing with a clock like serious players with Poison Pawns do. You push the button to stop your timer and start your opponent’s timer

Nibbles & Sips: Cochi’s Taquiera opens in Heights

By Stefan Modrich

Local chef hosting Heights pop-up markets A local chef is launching a food truck in the Heights.

Jane Wild, formerly of The Dunlavy, is set to serve her “wild wurst” bratwurst, sausages and other “picnic bites” from 5-9 p.m. Thursday at MK-T, 600 N. Shepherd Drive, from her food truck called Phyllis Jane.

From 9 a.m-1 p.m. Sunday, she will bring the truck to the Asch Building, 825 Studewood St., for the Asch Sunday Vendor Market.

For more information, call 832-314-4443.

smodrich@mcelvypartners.com

A new truck serving Mexican street food made its debut last week in the Heights.

Cochi’s Taquiera, 2155 Durham Drive, opened Nov. 10.

Owner Victoria Elizando also owns Cochinita & Co., 5420 Lawndale St. Ste. 400.

For more information, call 713-309-6410.

Moon Rabbit making jump to Heights A Vietnamese eatery that garnered a following through its limited menu served only via UberEats deliveries now has plans to launch a full-service restaurant in the Heights.

Moon Rabbit, 605 W. 19th St., is the latest project of the group behind Tikila’s, 2708 N. Shepherd Drive, including Jason Lowery and Sammy Saket.

The new restaurant will replace the now defunct-Vietnam Restaurant in the space.

Photo from Facebook Cochi’s Taqueria, 2155 Durham Drive, opened Nov. 10. The taco truck serves tacos and Mexican street food similar to that of its brick-and-mortar Lawndale location.

Dallas pizza chain headed to Washington Avenue A late-night pizza chain with several locations across the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex is opening soon along Washington Avenue.

Zalat Pizza is set to open at 4802 Washington Ave., according to commercial real estate firm Orr Commercial, the property owner.

It will be the second Houston location for Zalat, which opened in Midtown in April.

at the end of each move, and if you run out of time before your opponent, you’ve lost the game.

Acosta said he believes chess should be taught in schools because of its ability to help students think critically and perform better on tests through process of elimination and deductive reasoning.

He’s also hoping to grow the game locally by working with local parents of schoolage children to hold fundraisers to build concrete chess tables and benches at parks and school playgrounds.

Players can purchase a chess board for $15 or pay a $35 membership fee to support the studio, but Acosta in-

sists the group is a community built on a “labor of love.”

“We’re not trying to corner the market on anything,” Acosta said. “It’s not that kind of business. I tell people if they like it, they can support it. And if not, we understand.

This isn’t for profit.”

To learn more, visit www. poisonpawns.club.

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The Leader • Saturday, November 20, 2021 • Page 3B

Is adult or baby pet best fit for your family?

They’re often easier By adopting a mature pet, you might miss the boat on those difficult stages of development that often include extreme energy, chewing and potty training. Adult pets will often come to you with a more calm demeanor and they might have worked through a fair amount of the bad behaviors that often come along with puppies and kittens. Some dogs who have been owned by other people or been in a foster home might even come to you being fully potty trained and even knowing commands.

Dear Tabby, We are ready to adopt a pet.

My wife really wants a puppy or a kitten, but I’m leaning toward an adult pet. Can you help me to convince her that an adult will be easier to add to our family?

Adopting in Woodland Heights Dear Adopting, I think we can all agree here: There is nothing cuter than a puppy or a kitten. This is why puppies and kittens are often the first to get adopted from shelters. Who can resist those tiny bodies, adorable faces and the promise of a clean slate? I get it. And, obviously, adopting a young animal means that you’ll (hopefully) have the maximum amount of time to love them as you’re bringing them into your home (and your heart) at such a young age.

But, there is something to be said for adopting an older pet, too. Here are some ideas to help convince your wife that an adult pet might be the way to go.

You know their personality With more mature dogs and cats, you can get a better sense of what their personality is and what it will continue to be. Puppies and kittens are a blank slate so, while you can often mold them into the type of pet you want, an older animal’s temperament is already more established and you can pick and choose the animal that best fits your home and family.

You’re saving a life Like I said before, puppies and kittens have the best chances in a shelter for being adopted, but older pets often

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By adopting a more mature pet, you are saving not only their life, but also helping the shelter to make space to bring in more needy pets who desperately need a place to go.

They’re more affordable When you first get a puppy or kitten, you might feel as though you’re spending all of your time and your money at the vet’s office. Baby animals need lots of care in that first year -- from vaccines to spay and neuter -- and this can get expensive. If you choose an older pet, they will very likely already be fully vetted as well as fixed. All you’ll have to budget for is food and maybe a quick well-check to establish them as a patient at your vet.

Whether you decide to go with a baby or an adult pet, adopting is still the way to go.

By adopting, you are lessening the strain on area shelters and saving countless animals’ lives in the process. Thank you for considering adoption over purchasing from a breeder and I know that whomever you choose as your new fourlegged family member will be so lucky to share their life with you!

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

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Page 4B • Saturday, November 20, 2021 • The Leader

Perkins, Sanborn lead SPX girls hoops to undefeated week

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

The St. Pius X Lady Panthers entered the 2021-22 basketball season with high expectations on the heels of a playoff season with multiple starters returning.

And at least through the first week of the season, they lived up to the expectations that had them ranked 10th among TAPPS 6A private schools by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches thanks to returning stars Breelyn Sanborn and Zachara Perkins. SPX defeated Bellaire Episcopal 73-60 on Nov. 9 and Second Baptist 57-47 last Saturday to start 2-0.

Milla Rossini led the Lady Panthers with 22 points against Bellaire Episcopal, while Perkins had 21 points to go along with 10 rebounds, five assists and two blocks. Sanborn, who recently committed to play at

the University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio, also had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Perkins had 25 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks in the win over Second Baptist, while Sanborn had 14 points and six rebounds.

The Lady Panthers were set to play in the St. John’s tournament this weekend, beginning with a matchup against host St. John’s School on Friday.

The Lutheran High North Lady Lions improved to 3-0 with a 79-39 win over Salt and Light Homeschool on Tuesday.

Dalanna Carter led the Lady Lions with 23 points, while Jade Miller poured in 20 points.

Public school girls The Booker T. Washington Lady Eagles started last week’s Peggy Whitley Tournament in Clear Creek with a 56-39 win over Fort Bend Ridge Point, but then lost to Shadow Creek (79-

16), host Clear Creek (73-26) and Bridgeland (58-19). However, the Lady Eagles rebounded with a 50-21 victory over Sterling on Tuesday to move to 2-5.

Waltrip started the season with a 22-21 victory over Houston Math, Science and Tech on Nov. 9, while Heights dropped to 0-2 with a 67-21 loss to Klein Collins on Nov. 9.

Scarborough’s Lady Spartans began their season with a loss against Northbrook on Tuesday.

Boys In private school action, St. Thomas opened its season with a 69-65 victory over St. Thomas Episcopal last Friday, Nov. 12 and was scheduled to be back in action against Fort Bend Christian Academy on Thursday.

St. Pius X (1-2) was idle last week, but returned to the court at 6 p.m. Friday for a local battle with Lutheran High North. The Lions (3-0) are led by junior

forward Zion Harper, who is averaging 17.7 points and 16.7 rebounds through three games.

LHN has five players who are averaging at least 12 points.

On the public school side, the Booker T. Washington Eagles took down Bellaire Episcopal 74-73 last Saturday to open their season. Chris McDermott had 34 points and 16 rebounds for the Golden Eagles, while Kenneth Lewis added 13 points and nine rebounds. Andre Walker II had 10 points and seven assists.

Waltrip lost 80-53 to MacArthur its Nov. 12 opener, but evened its record with Tuesday’s 66-54 victory over Houston Math, Science, and Tech.

The Heights Bulldogs opened their season with a 58-56 win over Houston Northside on Nov. 12, while Scarborough lost 66-26 in last Saturday’s season opener against Houston Math, Science, and Tech.

Local high school athletes sign college letters of intent

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

It was a banner Nov. 10 for several high school athletes in the area as five signed letters of intent to continue their careers at the college level.

St. Pius X led the way for local schools, with four signees on National Signing Day. Girls basketball standout Breelyn Sanborn (13.4 points, 5.5 rebound per game last season) committed to play at the University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio, while Panther baseball player Trent Caram signed with Wharton Junior College. Kaid Nygren will play lacrosse at Colorado Mesa University, while Max Bright will play rugby at Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina.

Lutheran High North girls basketball player Jade Miller will also be continuing her career at the college level, after signing with Dillard University in New Orleans on Nov. 10.

Photo from Twitter Lutheran High North girls basketball player Jade Miller, left, signed with Dillard University in New Orleans on Nov. 10.

SPX falls to Prestonwood Christian

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

St. Pius X High School entered the TAPPS football playoffs with two consecu-

tive wins.

But that momentum – and the Panthers’ season – came to an end in the TAPPS Division I area round last Saturday, Nov. 12 in Plano, where

they lost 45-7 against Plano Prestonwood Christian. SPX finished the season with a 5-6 overall record.

Jackson Mobley caught his eighth touchdown pass

of the season on a fourthquarter throw from quarterback Bryce McKeon to account for the Panthers’ lone score.

Photo from Twitter The St. Pius X High School girls basketball team started its season with two wins last week.

IN MEMORIAM

Diane Sylvia Ramos SEPTEMBER 30, 1942 NOVEMBER 14, 2021

D

iane Sylvia Ramos, 79, of Houston, TX, passed away on November 14, 2021.

She was born on September 30, 1942 in Houston, TX, the daughter of Leonard and Aileen (Gonzales) Ochoa.

She is survived by her children, John Villareal and partner Rosemary Torres; Joann Villareal, Vincent Ramos and wife Sonya; grandsons, Taylor Villareal, Connor Villareal, and Ivan Cruz Ramos; and sister, Gloria Golick.

Preceding her in death are her parents; and her son, Michael Villareal.

Diane worked 25 years at Weingarten on 43rd and Ella. She was known for her outstanding customer service at the courtesy booth. She dedicated her life to her children and grandchildren. She

loved taking care of them and always kept an open door for them to visit. Diane was also proud to keep her yard and landscaping in amazing shape. She would work out in her yard as much as she could well into her 70’s.

Visitation will be on Friday, November 19, 2021 from 5-8pm with a Rosary service at 6:30pm at Pat H. Foley & Company. Funeral Mass will be on Saturday, November 20, 2021 at 10:30 am at St. Ambrose Catholic Church, 4213 Mangum St. Houston, TX 77092. Interment will follow at Brookside Memorial Park.

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