Commentary: Can’t we find a tenant here?
by Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
When I read or hear my neck of the woods referred to as the new West U, I have to smile. That’s because I live less than a mile from the corner of 43rd Street and Rosslyn Road where there has been an empty 8,000-square foot building for the eight years that I’ve lived here, and probably longer. If this were West U, it would be a thriving
FBI investigating two bank robberiers
Two different branches of Chase Bank were the victims of robberies recently.
According to FBI spokeswoman Shauna Dunlap and those inside the bank, law enforcement believes it may have been the same person commiting both robberies.
The first occurred on Tuesday, Nov. 20, at the Chase location inside the Heights at 545 W. 19th St. According to the FBI, the suspect was described as a black male, about 35 years old, 5-foot-6, 180 pounds, and carrying a semi-automatic pistol.
The second robbery happened just after Thanksgiving, on Saturday, Nov. 24 at 3209 N. Shepherd Dr. According to witnesses, the suspect fit the exact description of the suspect in the first robbery.
No one was injured in either robbery. The FBI has not released a photo of the suspect.
WHAT: Toys for Tots
WHEN: Anytime, but specifically until Dec. 15
WHERE: Prudential Permier Properties, 1803 W. 43rd St.
HOW MUCH: Whatever your heart tells you to give
LEARN MORE: Contact Prudential Premier at (713) 686-5454
EDITOR’S TAKE: There are dozens and dozens of ways to help needy children during the holiday season, and nearly every one of them is legitimate and worthy of your help. Toys for Tots has been a fixture of the Christmas season for decades, and their value to the needy is as respected as any charity out there. ’Tis better to give than to receive.
strip mall by now – with a juice bar or maybe a pilates studio – at the very least, frozen yogurt place. A couple of years ago I got really excited. There was activity, people sprucing up the inside and setting up shop in one of the units. It turned out to be a hair salon, a Super Cuts type place, maybe even the one that’s now by the Starbucks. I don’t know. What I do know is that I was so thrilled there was a tenant I was going to go get a haircut to support
them. Then, after a week or so, there was some kind of fire. It’s been vacant, and increasingly desolate ever since, save for the people who come use the parking lot on weekends to sell their wares.
It’s not like I’m unaccustomed to disappointment, or maybe it’s just a protracted case of wishful thinking – like when the Food Land closed and people started talking about a
Definite areas where crimes are more likely
by Jonathan McElvy jonathan@theleadernews.com
by Jonathan McElvy jonathan@theleadernews.com
Joe Canino Jr. likely will be remembered for the name atop the produce market on Airline Drive. Those closest will remember him for the work he did to build that market.
Canino died last week at the age of 89. In his passing, stories of his ethic and gumption will live for generations.
Lawrence Pilkinton was seven or eight years old when he met Canino, and Pilkinton’s first encounter with his future fatherin-law may sum up Canino’s demeanor better than any other story.
“I walked up to him one time and asked him if he needed any help when he was outside gardening,” Pilkinton recalled. “He
Normally, crimes are published based on the date they are reported. That makes it difficult for those concerned about public safety to analyze the crimes and determine where and when they happen the most.
In this Leader Analysis, we have taken one week’s worth of crimes, plotted them on the adjoining map, and will provide some context below about the trends of crime in the Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest and North Houston. In doing so, we have taken one full week of crimes (Nov. 20-27), and we use information from SpotCrime.com, a service that aggregates all crimes reported by law enforcement, based on street address.
Canino
It should be noted that the reported crimes are not always a full representation of criminal activity. Police believe there are many crimes – usually thefts – that are not called in to law enforcement.
told me he didn’t. Well, I started helping him anyway.”
That display of loyalty may have won
In this analysis, we only looked at three specific categories of crimes: Thefts, burglaries and robberies. Thefts are crimes that occur outside of a home (e.g. your car is broken into and your golf clubs are stolen). Burglaries are considered illegally breaking into a building (e.g. your home). Robberies are defined as taking money or goods in the possession of another person in the presence of that person, using force or intimidation.
For the week of Nov. 20-27, there were 93 total crimes reported. There were 63
Tina Canino’s heart (she and Pilkinton were married in 1971), but it did just as much to endear him to Joe Canino Jr.
“He told me that he was thinking about buying [the market] and I asked him if I could go with him,” Pilkinton said. “He told me he was going too early, that he was leaving at 4 in the morning and that I wouldn’t be up. But I was there the next morning.”
Today, Pilkinton helps manage the market with his brother-in-law Bill. And the work ethic of both Bill and Lawrence is a direct off-shoot of Joe Canino’s brand of business.
“There were a lot of times he’d just sleep at the office,” Pilkinton said. “He was such a hard worker. I don’t think I’ve known anybody that worked as hard as he did.”
That’s a sentiment Joe Paul Wright shares.
For more than 20 years, Wright operated his insurance business on the same lot as Canino, and the two would trade services.
“I’d notarize things for him, and he’d give me a box of tomatoes or grapefruits. He had the best grapefruits,” Wright said. Beyond the great food, though, Wright’s recollections harken back to the way Canino handled difficulties at the business.
“I can tell you, he was a pretty feisty guy,” Wright said. “One time, he caught a shoplifter, and he didn’t wait on any police to fix the problem. Joe just accosted the guy right there outside the store. They got in a real fist fight, and Joe wouldn’t let him go.”
Then there was the story about one of the first banks Canino used for his business.
Jr.
The corner of Rosslyn and 43rd is often littered with illegal dumping.
Photo Illustration by Jake Dukate & Jonathan McElvy
Houston Police, using a sketch artist, released what the suspects in the string of AT&T robberies may look like. According to police, these men have worked across the Houston market – not just in the Heights and Oak Forest neighborhoods – and there may have been incidents where they robbed technicians outside of Houston.
(Submitted Photos: HPD)
HPD still looking for AT&T suspected robbers
As of The Leader’s press time, Houston police were still asking for the public’s help in identifying three suspects wanted in several robberies of AT&T employees in the Acres Homes area.
In addition, AT&T has offered a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individuals involved.
In at least five incidents, the suspects have approached AT&T employees working on junction boxes, threatened them with a pistol, and have stolen the employees’ personal belongings, as well as AT&T issued iPhones and iPads.
The suspects are believed to be involved in robberies at:
900 Lucky, Oct. 8, 12:40 p.m.
1700 Wilburforce, Oct. 19, 4:20 p.m.
2000 Gardenia, Nov. 6, 11:30 p.m.
Burglary 09:00 AM 1000-1099 PINEMONT DR
Theft 05:30 PM 2400-2499 JUDIWAY
Theft 09:25 AM 900-999 SHEPHERD DR
Theft 03:45 PM 900-999 NORTH LP W NOV. 27
Burglary 12:01 AM 1000-1099 22ND ST
Theft 02:10 PM 1300-1399 20TH ST
Theft 01:15 PM 4400-4499 YALE
Theft 08:19 AM 3600-3699 WILLIA ST
Theft 06:30 PM 3600-3699 WILLIA ST
Burglary 03:30 AM 3500-3599 OAK FOREST DR Burglary 07:00 AM 1200-1299 WILLARD
Theft 09:00 PM 3900-3999 CORTLANDT
Theft 08:00 PM 2800-2899 WHITE OAK
Theft 11:30 PM 2800-2899 WHITE OAK Theft 10:00 PM 2800-2899 MORRISON
NOV. 28
Theft 04:00 PM 2900-2999 SHEPHERD
Assault 05:20 AM 1100-1199 NEYLAND
Theft 06:00 PM 4300-4399 AIRLINE DR
Theft 09:00 PM 600-699 17TH ST
Theft 05:00 PM 900-999 NORTH LP W
Theft 08:00 PM 700-799 LAWRENCE Theft 04:00 PM 500-599 YALE Theft 07:45 AM 1900-1999 N LOOP W Theft 06:30 PM 400-499 HEIGHTS BLVD
NOV. 29
Theft 01:02 PM 900-999 N LOOP
EIGEL ST Assault 04:15 AM 1700-1799 SALFORD Robbery 03:15 PM 3200-3299 MANGUM Burglary 09:10 AM 4300-4399 VIKING Theft 04:00 AM 4900-4999 MILWEE ST
11:00 PM 600-699 MEMORIAL HEIGHTS DR
NOV. 26
Theft 03:45 PM 900-999 N LOOP WEST
Theft 03:00 PM 400-499 JANISCH RD
08:34 AM 1400-1499 STUDEMONT Burglary 06:45 AM 600-699 THORNTON Robbery 04:05 PM 5000-5099 YALE Burglary 02:10 AM 4600-4699 DACOMA Theft 05:00 PM 2700-2799 MANGUM
790 Little York, Nov. 7, 2 p.m.
1500 Tulane, Nov. 14, 10:45 a.m.
They are also believed to be involved in additional robberies outside the Houston city limits. All three suspects are described
only as black males. The first suspect is in his late teens to early 20s, about 5 feet 9 inches tall, and weighs between 200 and 230 pounds. The second suspect is also in his late teens to early 20s, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, and has
Mojdeh Zahedi, M.D. Family Medicine
a normal build. The third suspect is in his 20s, about 5 feet 6 inches tall and has a skinny build. Anyone with information on the identities of these suspects is urged to contact the HPD Robbery Division at 281-405-6500.
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Call 713.242.2980 or schedule online at memorialhermann.org
Introducing our newest location in the Heights! MHMG Heights 225 W. 19th Street Houston, TX 77008
Visit mhmedicalgroup.org to watch a video of Dr. Zahedi.
A couple of months back, Leader Eater got out of town for a gathering of old friends. One of the new gents to join our group has a rather novel profession. He is a full-time beer sommelier in New York City. That’s right; he spends his working hours poring over barleybased research to figure out the perfect technique, ingredients and flavors in a beer before pouring a pint to pair up perfectly with the restaurant’s menu. The very fact that a beer sommelier can exist and thrive as a profession shows beer has evolved from the punch of the proletariat to fulfilling the high-tasted palette.
You don’t have to be a hop head to realize that the craft beer phenomenon has taken Houston by storm over the past few years. Local brewers have mushroomed from a Saint Arnold’s dominated market to new names like Karbach, Buffalo Bayou, No Label, Southern Star and the anticipated start of 8th Wonder. Cevervizaphiles have been contented with independent brewer-heavy joints such as PetrolStation and the Creeks and now Cottonwood (to name a few in our end of town). And the as-far-as-the-eye-can-see line ups at last year’s Houston Beer Festival show the brew craze is on here.
The newest addition to the city’s malted metamorphosis is the growler filling and flipping depot Premium Draught. The much-anticipated storefront beside Antidote (in the old Kaboom Books) on Studewood opened last Wednesday with a dozen taps of craft beers. But beer flowing from them is not for pints with your buddies inside their establishment. Rather, it is for filling the beer-transporting glass jug known as a growler and taking it togo for your own enjoyment.
And these guys know their suds. Leader Eater swung through on a gorgeous Saturday and the two gentlemen manning the levers inquired right away about the conditions for my beer consumption: Where would I be drinking it? How many people would be joining me on the bounty of brew? What level of alcohol would I like? What would I be doing while tipping back the antithesis of Tecate that they are selling? They even let me sample a couple from their lineup of mostly Texas brewers in tiny, two-sip glass. (Premium Draught also sells every shaped beer glass you can imagine.) We settled on the Live Oak Pilz, a crisp, Eastern European-style beer from Austin with the light touch needed for an afternoon of
football watching.
Leader Eater came prepared with his own growler but the allure of Premium Draught is that they can get you equipped from tap to table with their own growler exchange program. For $6 you get a growler of your own: either a narrow and handsome 32 oz. container or the portly, economies-of-scale vessel of 64 oz. Prices for the beer filling the growler vary based on what kegs the boys at Premium Draught have flowing and how much you want to take home. Premium D will swap out to a different beer on each emptied keg and the selections will soon be listed and updated on the website. Once you have emptied out your growler, throw a quick rinse over it and bring it back and get a new, scoured growler for refilling.
There were some strange stares shot my way at the football party when I pulled the golf trophy-shaped growler from the cooler to top up my pilsner. But for someone bordering on beer snobbery (although Leader Eater does love an ice cold Tecate can in the sun), a hoppy beverage taken from a keg just hours before and poured on my own schedule is a unique treat. Hop heads rejoice!
Houston Arts Alliance (HAA), a nonprofit agency established by the City of Houston to advance the arts on its behalf and awards more than $3.2 million to Houston artists each year, announces the deadline for two HAA grants programs. Applications for the Individual Arts Grants are due in the HAA offices or submitted online by December 14 before 5:30 p.m. Arts Marketing Grant Program applications are due in the HAA offices or online by December 21 before 5:30 p.m.
Individual Artist Grant Program
The Individual Artist Grants (IAG) support the development of Houston’s emerging and established artists by enabling them to set aside time for artistic development or purchase materials for the creation of work. IAG Grants are awarded by a peer review panel process in recognition of exemplary artistic merit.
Arts
Marketing
Grant Program
The Arts Marketing Grants (AMG) provide funding to current HAA grantees with the purpose of promoting Houston as a tourism destination. The overall goal of the AMG is to increase visibility of arts organizations in Houston and therein positively impact tourism revenues. Funding is to allow organizations to develop, execute and evaluate effective marketing and promotional initiatives targeted towards attracting travel and tourism to the city.
Looking for a new place to have dinner and drinks, or maybe catch some live music? This week launched a new feature of the Hipstrict page called the Leader’s Thirsty Explorer. In this space, we’ll tell you about events in the Hisptrict (Washington, White Oak and other areas full of young folks), and we’ll include places where you might find a cocktail and some good company. If you’re a business and you’d like to be included in this section, shoot us an email at ivee@theleadernews.com.
Fitgerald’s 2706 White Oak 713-862-3838 Fitzgerald’s has provided live musical performances and events since 1977. The first floor of Fitzgerald’s has a full bar and smaller stage that leads to an expansive cobblestone back patio with another bar with seating. The main stage is upstairs with a full bar, a mezzanine with express bar overlooking the original wooden dance floor, with an outdoor anterior balcony. Here is a calendar of Fitzgerald’s concerts and events for the upcoming week: Thurs., Dec. 6, 8 p.m. Civil Twilight, Well Well Thurs., Dec. 6, 8 p.m. The Octopus Project, A.M.P., Giant Battle Monster Fri., Dec 7, 8 p.m. The Trimms with Tiziano Dominico and La Sien Fri., Dec 7, 8 p.m. The Bright Light Social Hour, Ishi Sat., Dec. 8, 8 p.m. Skeleton Dick CD Release Show Sat., Dec. 8, 8 p.m. Blood in the Alcohol Stream Sun., Dec. 9, 3:30 p.m. Gorilla Battle of the Bands & The Current Sun., Dec. 9, 7 p.m. Paper Route, Ashbury Keys Mon., Dec. 10, 7 p.m. The Eastern Sea, Second Lovers
Northwest adding new eateries
Restaurant news this week from the Northwest Management District. It announced that an outpost of Twin Peaks will open Saturday at 12830 Northwest Freeway. For those unfamiliar with the chain, Twin Peaks offers what it terms “hearty man food and ice cold beer,” served by waitresses who bear striking similarities to those at Hooters.
And there’s a new fast-food restaurant adding to its Houston locations. The district reports that Carl’s Jr. is breaking ground on a new location at 290 and Pinemont.
Tues., Dec. 11, 7 p.m. One-Two Tuesdays Wed., Dec. 12, 8 p.m. Open Mic
Sawyer Park Houston 2412 Washington Avenue
713-398-8442
Sawyer Park is touted as Houston’s Best Sports Bar on Washington, offering lunch, dinner and drinks.
The Clubhouse Room features a big screen projector, a 42” plasma TV for sports games or PowerPoint presentations, and a private bar. Available for exclusive events, the Clubhouse Room can accommodate 20 seated guest and up to 40 standing. On Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m., the Running Group meets and receives a Club Card that rewards with food and drink specials.
Little Woodrow’s 2631 White Oak 713-861-2653
Houston is the hometown of the original Little Woodrow’s, with five locations. The Heights Little Woodrow’s has a laid-back patio and full bar with a wide variety of beers, including local microbrews and imports from all over the world. Customers can watch the big games on many screens.
Thursdays: Ladies’ Night with $5 House Specialty Cocktails
Fridays: “Best Heights Happy Hour” with Happy Hour until 7 p.m.
Saturdays: 3 Dollar Day with Bloody Mary’s, Micheladas, Mimosas, Dos Equis and Blue Moon until 7 p.m.
Sundays: Draft Manina 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.: $3 Bloody Mary’s, Micheladas, Mimosas, Dos Equis and Blue Moon; 7 p.m. to Close: $3 Pints, $2 Wells
Mondays: Texas Night with $3 Texas Beers and $4 Texas Spirits Tuesdays: Two Can Tuesdays with all cans between $2 and $2.75
Wednesdays: Geeks Who Drink Trivia from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Trivia and Big Ass Beers with 23 oz. Pilsners between $2 and $5.
Happy Hour Monday through Friday 2 to 7 p.m.
Christian’s Tailgate 2820 White Oak 713-863-1207
Christian’s Tailgate has been a Houston tradition for over 70 years.
Thrusdays: Ladies nite
Fridays: Karaoke Fridays
Saturdays: Karaoke Saturdays
Mondays: Greek night/ Industry Night
Tuesdays: Geeks Who Drink TRIVIA NIGHT, 2 for Texas Tuesdays Wednesdays: STEAK NIGHT$1 per oz.
People
One month ago, I asked readers to give their opinion of The Leader – what you like and dislike about your community newspaper. We received tremendous feedback and, interestingly, a number of our letters and emails included a request to share what other people had to say.
There were five over-arching themes that we need to improve.
First, we must do a better job of covering our local businesses. We will tell their stories more often.
Next, it’s apparent that you all like to eat, and you’d appreciate it if we included more local food information (on top of the wildly popular LeaderEater).
You’d like us to publish more weddings and engagements. That means we need to improve our marketing to you because we really do want to publish them, and all we need is for you to send them to us.
Fourth, you love our coupons and you’d like us to have even more of them. That means our sales people need to take more time to explain the value of those coupons, and we need to encour-
JONATHAN MCELVY Publisher
age more advertisers to use that space.
Last, you’d like to read more history about our area. I’ve always viewed a newspaper as the keeper of history more than the reporter of history. The bulk of our reporting needs to be focused on the here and now, but there is a balance of talking about the past, and we’ll work to bring some of that balance back.
That’s probably the best way to summarize the majority of your letters. There were two, however, that deserve the most attention. Two very kind writers suggested that The Leader become more diverse in its coverage. One asked that we cover the African-American community better. The other asked that
get involved on this page!
If you want to send us a letter, we might edit it a little, and we won’t let you personally attack your pesky neighbor. But we’ll publish as many letters as our readers choose to write. Send to news@theleadernews.com
So Bick Benedict says: “You all think that the glory happened here in the East, don’t you, with Valley Forge and Bunker Hill? Do you know about San Jacinto? Have you heard about the Alamo?” Well, the East is hearing about the Alamo along with oil, cattle, that white trash Jett Rink and Bick Benedict, one of those rich Texans who hates Tejanos. Mind your memories, Cats. There is no tomor row, tomorrow, Annie. Be afraid, Virginia Wolfe, because “Giant” has arrived in New Yawk City. YEE-haw! Yes, “Giant,” that clear-eyed documen tary of the average Texas family is sing ing and dancing its way across the stage of the off-Broadway Public’s Newman Theater in the Big Apple. Do we really need this? Didn’t “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” seal our reputation as sophisticated intellectuals? No. Remember, an intellectual in Texas is someone who can hear the William Tell Overture and not think of the Lone Ranger. The stage version is the work of some of the hottest talents on Broadway. I never heard of any of them but am assured they are all Tony toters. But getting near the Great White Way was a rocky trip, and I’ll make it short. The play began as an incredibly long four-hour, three-act production. It was first staged three years ago at the Signature Theater
we begin including more gay coverage in the newspaper. Neither wrote with an angry tone, and neither suggested that we become bastions for the cause. Both, fairly, asked that we give more credence to differing races and creeds.
I’d like to publicly answer those letters, because my assumption is there are many people who would agree. And as writers often do, I’d like to answer those suggestions with a story.
The most formative years of my journalism career were during my time as the editor of a newspaper in Selma, Ala. For those who slept through history class or don’t remember the horrific images of Bloody Sunday, fire hoses and state troopers blocking the Edmund Pettus Bridge, Selma was the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement. Today, Selma is both liberated and imprisoned by its history.
As editor of the Times-Journal, I initially thought striking a delicate balance among readers was impossible. If we had a black person on the front page, we received phone calls from white readers who asked why we always had a
Contentment with Modest Means
Recently I saw an ad on TV from an investment firm that crystallized something I had been thinking about. The ad showed a tall office building at night, with lights shining in some of the lower-floor offices. A male voice spoke of the expected pattern for people in our society, which was to start our economic lives at presumably a lower or middling level and to work up over the years. At the voice droned on, the lights in the windows of the office building moved up floor by floor until the top was reached. The ad conveyed a standard for American life that we all know, which is to advance monetarily in the course of our lives. The standard says that a person cannot really be happy unless he or she has this aspiration to grow materially, and that those of a
Fruit and Vegetable Production as a Crime Deterrent
The criminals are quite active lately in Leader country. Growing fruits and vegetables at home certainly does not eliminate crime. However, criminals do not seem to like an audience. Fresh fruits and vegetables are a reward for working hard and when citizens are actively involved in fruit and vegetable production on their property the benefits are numerous.
The Woodward/Roberts family resides in Shepherd Park Plaza. This family has grown fruit and vegetables on their property for the nine years that they have lived there. Producing fruits and vegetables requires hours of effort providing their neighbors a de facto security guard. Criminals do not seem to work well when they have an
ASHBY AT LARGE
Leslie Benedict: “Money isn’t everything, Jett.” Jett Rink: “Not when you’ve got it.” You no doubt want to dig to the back of your closet to find your boots and 10-gallon and head for NYC, but before you spend $85 per seat (the cheap seats), let us discuss how that mighty 447-page novel by Edna Ferber, a Pulitzer Prize winner but not for that, went from paper to the silver screen to the stage. When the novel first came out in 1952 it was met with scorn and ridicule by most Texans. I remember my mother telling the joke that Ferber, while flying over Texas, asked the pilot to go lower so
black person featured. If we had a white person on the front page, blacks decried our favoritism of whites.
There wasn’t a specific epiphany, but as angry readers continued to pile on the editor, I think I realized there was only one way to cover a community with the diversity of Selma: Be as blind as possible to everything except the story.
Let’s be clear. You cannot be blind to race – anyone who says so is dishonest. You cannot be blind to creed or sexual preference – we are humans. But a newspaper’s job is to tell stories to its readers, and the moment a newspaper loses focus of the story, it loses the respect of its readers.
I’m still a relatively new owner of The Leader. We make changes and (hopefully) improvements to this newspaper every week. As we continue to grow, this is the pledge I can make to readers who care about fair coverage of races, creeds and sexual preferences.
Our job is to tell you about our neighbors as they strive to build livable, safe and prosperous communities. Our job is to report what we see and hear, and we
comparatively low economic stature either are or should be discontented.
This point of view is implicit in the TV ad for a firm providing credit reports, in which service employees of Long John Silver’s are singing their complaints about how they wished they had checked their credit scores because not having done so, look where they are!
As Henry Thoreau reminded us in Walden in the 19th century, the personal standard of continually increasing material growth is a blueprint, for many people, for a miserable life. From what we are told nowadays by economists – that higher education may soon be out of reach for an increasing number of people, that highpaying work may be consequently harder for many people to attain, and that service-sector jobs may increasingly become the standard employment for a large percentage of the
audience.
Mr. Woodward does the majority of the work in the garden. He is a full time father that educates his children at home. The older teens in the home are now spending some time at community college; but, they still assist in the garden from time to time. Colleen Roberts, his lovely wife, works in the property tax protest business; but, she too works in the garden from time to time. Spending time outside working in the gardens has afforded the family many opportunities to meet and chat with their neighbors. Knowing their neighbors has increased feelings of security on their street.
Beautiful butterflies, hummingbirds, and birds visit the property because the family has planted vegetation that the airborne wildlife needs to survive.
The beauty of the natural world can create positive feelings in a person.
Ferber could pick up some atmosphere about Texas for her book.
When this stage production opened in November, (it was delayed by Storm Sandy) the critics generally liked it. The Wall Street Journal: ‘‘‘Giant’ is the most important new musical to come along since ‘The Light in the Piazza.’ It’s a show of immense and fully realized promise – and it deserves to move uptown.’’
From Entertainment Weekly: “Michael John LaChiusa’s ambition is as big as Texas, which seems appropriate for his sprawling and terrific new musical... the composer has crafted one of the finest new American musicals in recent memory.’’ However, the very influential New York Times sighs, “But the countervailing weight of condensing a multitude of themes and plot points keeps pulling this show down to earth, and even threatened to bury it.” What can we expect from an effect corps of impudent snobs? (Thank you, Spiro Agnew.)
Some facts you may not know about “Giant” and its various versions: The movie was made for $5.4 million and brought in $35 million. The American Film Institute listed it as one of the 100 best American movies ever made, number 82 between Charlie Chaplin’s “Modern Times” and Oliver Stone’s “Platoon.” Grace Kelly was considered for the
must do it fairly, accurately and timely. If we cover this community with professionalism, we do not pick and choose the stories we want to tell. We publish the stories you want to tell. We cannot, and must not, limit ourselves to the events and people who are comfortable to us. If a group of volunteers feeds the homeless, is the story about the volunteers or the act of kindness?
If a brave young man rushes into a burning home and rescues an infant, is the story about the young man or his valor?
If a small organization of men and women march from Selma to Montgomery, demanding that archaic laws be changed, is the story about the leader of that group or the laws that were changed and their impact on the future of our nation?
The people we cover will always be important. But its the stories they tell, the events that happen, and the impact on our community that really matters. And if we don’t cover those things well, then we are not a medium worth reading. Email jonathan@theleadernews.com
population – Thoreau’s warning is all the more relevant today. From an economic standpoint, we may be headed for a society with a large percentage of seriously dissatisfied people. However, it is encouraging to look about us without bias at people working in jobs of modest income and to note how many of them seem very sensibly not to swallow the supposedly obligatory get-rich standard. I have been impressed by a particular waitress at Denny’s, for example, who manages her modest income well and lives independently. She enjoys her work and is friendly, helpful, and cheerful. She has family members she cares for. She is obviously a self-respecting and contented human being. A particular worker for Molly Maid impresses me in the same way. She is strong and enjoys her work. Just as the waitress at Denny’s, she manages her money well,
Excitement over seeing a common yellowthroat, pipe vine swallowtail, or a ruby throated hummingbird is just something one must experience to truly understand the benefit. These natural wonders do motivate the family to spend even more time outside.
Mr. Woodward, like Gladys Kravitz of the Bewitched television program, is always watching what is going on. He does not want anyone helping themselves to the fruit he has grown in his front yard. Woodward is happy to share with those that pass by. If Mr. Woodward sees someone is walking down the street that he does not recognize you can be certain that the person will be under surveillance until he is out of sight.
The families’ computer is placed strategically in front of a bay window at the front of their home. This affords family members the opportunity to
role of Leslie Benedict. Rumor was that once her engagement to Prince Rainier of Monaco was announced, however, M-G-M decided not to loan her out for the movie.
Clark Gable was considered for the role of Bick Benedict, but was rejected as too old by producer Jack L. Warner. Another version is that Rock Hudson was given a choice between Elizabeth Taylor and Grace Kelly to play Leslie. Hudson chose Taylor. At the time, few people outside of Hollywood knew that Hudson, that great big macho heart throb, was gay. He died of AIDS.
Actually, most of the participants have expired. Chill Wills, the only real Texan in the movie, died of cancer in 1978. Sal Mineo, who played Angel Obregón, was murdered. Elizabeth Taylor, who was hospitalized more than 70 times, and had at least 20 major operations, died at age 79, having outlived most of the cast. This was the last of James Dean’s three films as a leading actor. He was killed in a car accident before the film was released. The actor Nick Adams was called in to do some voice-over dubbing for Dean’s role. That was an easy job because Dean mumbled throughout the entire film.
The music was composed by Dimitri Tiomkin, and the theme should be
having a car and her own apartment and living independently. She is very bright and enjoys Jane Austen, Thomas Hardy, and other historically acclaimed British novelists. Most importantly, though, she respects herself and enjoys her life.
The great Tibetan teacher, Chogyam Trungpa, said, “The key to wealth, or the golden key, is appreciating that you can be . . . unmoneyed and still feel good, because you have a sense of wealthiness in any case, already. That is the wonderful key to richness and the first step in ruling [one’s own life satisfactorily]: appreciating that wealth and richness come from being a basically decent human being.” Now isn’t that something better to aim at than hankering after more money all one’s days?
Mike Keller
easily see who is coming and going in Shepherd Park Plaza. In addition to preventing potential criminal activity, the family has also assisted neighbors chasing down escaped pets. Spending time outside in the gardens on their property has afforded the Woodward/Roberts family numerous opportunities to interact with their neighbors. Sharing vegetables and fruit with their neighbors has built up goodwill that is instrumental in keeping neighbors vigilant in watching out for each other and their homes and property. It is not certain that if the Woodward/Roberts family were not engaged in the production of fruits and vegetables on their property that criminal activity in their area would increase. However, having more people outside their homes will at least provide witnesses. Dennis Woodward
played as a march by the Longhorn Band at every UT football game. It would sure intimidate the opposition. “Giant” won the Academy Award for Best Director, George Stevens, and was nominated in nine other categories. Edna Ferber met Glenn McCarthy (aka Jett Rink) when she booked a room at his Shamrock Hotel (known as the Shamrock Hilton after 1955) in Houston which the fictional Emperador Hotel was based in the book and the film. The movie, partially filmed in Marfa, was released 56 years ago and remains to this day the most important thing that ever happened in Marfa. The next time you visit New York and someone asks, as a Texan, if you ride a horse and live on a ranch, tolerate them. Explain that your horse is named Ford Mustang and your ranch is the Double Bar Star Sliding J Rocking W. No, you don’t have many cattle because they can’t survive the branding. Your wife is named Billie Jean or your husband is Carl Roy. The kids are Travis, Austin, Houston and Billie Jean Junior. You are armed and dangerous, believe global warming is a communist plot, will vote for Rick Perry till you die and hate minorities. Do them that favor, because it’s what they want to believe. YEE-haw!
Ashby is gigantic at ashby2@comcast.net
Neighbors: Births, birthdays and achievers
by Elizabeth Villarreal elizasgarden@sbcglobal.net
Welcome to the world to precious little Jacob Stanley Parkman who was born on Nov. 20th. Jacob weighed in at 6 lbs., 13 oz., and was 20 inches long. His proud parents are Lisa and Jim Parkman. Ecstatic first time grandparents are Debbie Kotzur and Raymond Kotzur, and delighted great-grandmother is Barbara Dobson. Debbie said, “I have had a wonderful time spoiling him! There is no feeling like a grandchild! The Parkman/Kotzur household definitely had a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving!” Congratulations to Lisa and Jim on the birth of their first son. The walkers of Candlelight Park would like to wish a happy birthday to Ruth Furtwengler (known as Miss Ruth of Candlelight Park ). Her birthday was Dec. 2nd. Ruth has lived across the street from Candlelight Park for over 50 years and she walks in the park daily. She knows all the regular park walkers and all the new young couples with their babies. She brings kindness and a smile to all who walk in Candlelight Park. Happy birthday from your neighbors!
Happy birthday to William Bravenec who celebrates his 60th birthday on Dec. 7. William now runs the family business, Bravenec Electric, which has been in business in Leader Country since 1953. Your mother, Gertrude Bravenec, and the rest of your family send lots of love and happy birthday wishes your way.
Happy, happy birthday to Sharon Sillavan Halliburton Sharon blew out her candles on Dec. 2nd. Friends and family send their love and hopes that all your birthday wishes will come true. Happiest of birthday wishes to Jane Ann Roberts who celebrated her birthday on Dec. 2. Rumor has it she was spotted wearing a gigantic sombrero that evening. Jane Ann is a true friend who loves people unconditionally and she is a treasure in our community. She has that amazing quality of making each
individual she touches feel he or she is special and unique. Jane Ann, your neighbors send you warmest wishes and bear hugs for your birthday.
Happy birthday to Robert Oncken who celebrated his special day on Nov. 27 with his lovely ladies, wife Patty and daughters Lindsay and Alyssa Congratulations to Oak Forest resident Jonathan Simmons who was recently selected as a member of the Mayor’s Youth Council. Simmons took the oath of office during an inauguration ceremony held in City Hall’s Council chambers last month. Houston City Council member Ellen Cohen administered the oath of office to 44 youth who will serve on the Council for a term running October 2012 to April 2013. Simmons was selected by a panel of advisors from a pool of over 300 applicants. Jonathan is a freshman at Lamar High School and is serving in an At-Large position. The Mayor’s Youth Council started in 1998 with the mission of providing high school students the opportunity to develop leadership and citizenship skills while learning about city government. Modeled after the elected City Council with a Chair, City Secretary, and At-Large and District Council Members with Senior Aides, the MYC provides valuable insight into how the city operates. Congratulations Jonathan! Some of our neighborhood kiddos from both Reagan and Waltrip High Schools enjoyed a weekend trip to Carolina Creek Christian Camp recently for a
Young Life retreat. Taylor Hernandez, Alex Hernandez, Carey Webb, and Abby Villarreal had a blast and want to thank the Young Life leaders who work so hard to keep the spirit alive in Young Life and who are making a real difference in Leader Country. Will Otto is the area director.
While I was visiting with Donna Webb and Micayla Hernandez recently in the Kroger parking lot, Laura Facundo Harnden drove by and stopped after we recognized each other across the parking lot. It was wonderful to reconnect. Laura’s daughter Maria is beautiful and I was very glad to meet her. Get well soon wishes go out to Paul and McCoy Kucherka and quite a few other neighbors who are suffering from the upper respiratory bug that seems to be making its way around Leader Country.
Revival Market on Heights Blvd. is serving up some unique donuts! A good number of our neighbors stood in a long line Saturday morning to try these tempting flavors: brown sugar and Christmas spice, Valhrona chocolate and malted milk, smoked pilconcillo (that’s Mexican brown sugar for the uninitiated), Heights Meyer lemon and sour cream, and blackstrap molasses rum and eggnog. Just reading this makes you want one, doesn’t it?
Lights in the Heights is Saturday night, Dec. 8, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm in Woodland Heights. This has become a much anticipated tradition in our family since the beginning,
OFHA needs candidates for board positions
The Oak Forest Homeowners Association will hold it’s board elections on Monday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. at the Candlelight Community Center. But before that can happen, the association still needs a number of candidates who can fill important positions.
In order to be a candidate, you must be a resident property owner and have paid your 2012 dues on or before July 31, 2012. Each board term lasts for one year, and in order to be placed on the ballot, you must let organizers know immediately.
The OFHA is one of the largest in the city of Houston, serving 5,500 homes and around 10,000 people.
The positions still open for candidates, along with a brief description, are below:
President
• The president is the leader and manager of the community and is the official spokesperson for the board and the association.
• Leads board meetings and establishes the meeting agendas.
• Ensures that the conduct at meetings follows the agenda.
• The president is not required to be an expert on everything; rather, he or she should delegate to knowledgeable people and enlist the support of professionals, such as attorneys and CPAs.
1st VP
• In the absence of the President, the First Vice President shall serve in his/her stead.
• Stays up-to-date with all the latest developments to be prepared to chair a meeting in case of emergency.
• Chairman of Program Committee.
2nd VP
• In the absence of the First Vice President, the Second Vice President shall serve in his/her stead. In the absence of the President and the First Vice President, the Second Vice President shall serve in his/her stead.
Treasurer
• The treasurer is responsible for maintaining the financial records of the association and for ensuring the financial stability of the association.
• Reviews and understands financial records.
Secretary
• The secretary is responsible for taking and maintaining accurate minutes of board meetings.
• Give timely notice of all regular monthly meetings and prior
so many years ago – strolling the beautifully decorated streets and enjoying the sweet music of choirs, soloists, and musicians is a wonderful way to spark the Christmas spirit and you’ll run into old friends and neighbors as well. Holiday revelry at its best. Bayland Avenue and Highland Street as well as cross streets between Norhill Boulevard and Florence Street will be closed to vehicles so you can mosey along, taking in the sights and sounds. It is best to plan to park a few streets away and walk in … so make sure you put your walking shoes on and bring a travel mug of hot cocoa to enjoy along the way. Thank you to our Woodland Heights neighbors for sharing their own beautiful Christmas traditions and celebrations.
Yummy, yummy in my tummy – all you can eat breakfast at Applebee’s at 18th Street and 610 N. Loop West on Saturday, Dec. 8th from 8 – 10 a.m. Cost is $10 per person and kids under five eat free. Call (832) 712-1320 to get your name on the ticket list. Santa will be there to visit with kiddos, so bring your camera to take your own free photos. The meal is sponsored by Waltrip’s PTA to benefit senior class college scholarships.
If you have not already, please log in to Facebook and keep an eye on Oak Forest Homeowners’ Association’s page as well as the Inner Loop Houston Crime Alerts page. Also, become a fan of The Leader’s Facebook page, where we pass along everything we can. Every day there are reports of crime happening –sometimes minutes after crimes have occurred – with important details and information that can help us all identify thieves in our area. After reporting incidents to HPD, neighbors are reporting license numbers and excellent descriptions of vehicles as well as physical descriptions of the suspected criminals on Facebook for our benefit. There were kick in burglaries on Althea and Gardenia last week, a car
stolen in Woodland Heights, and the guys in the white Cherokee robbed a woman during the day last week as well, among other scary events. These stories fall off the front page news over time, but unfortunately new stories happen every day. Communicate with your neighbors, be careful and stay alert!
notice as specified in the Bylaws for all specially called meetings.
The Parliamentarian
The Parliamentarian shall advise the President and other officers, committees and members of Parliamentary procedure.
Sergeant-at-Arms
The Sergeant-at-Arms shall assist the President; shall keep the peace, regulate and control entrance to all sessions, welcome guests and members at meetings.
If you are interested please let OFHA know ASAP so the Nominating Committee can get your info. Please email Blake Krause bkrause@ofha.org or call 713688-6342 and leave your detailed message so OFHA can get in touch with you. Ad # 36774
Maribel Ussery, Carrey Bonner, Arne Brennan, Joette Martin, Galen Joseph, Annette Miranda and Ulyana Gavchak
Jacob Stanley Parkman Jonathan Simmons
Whole Foods or H-E-B. Or when someone said there was a Spaghetti Western moving in near Plonk.
And of course there’s a lot of good stuff happening in the area
(e.g. Pink’s Pizza, Shepherd Park Draught House, Plonk, Cottonwood, and the supposed Berry Hill in which case they better not be messing with me about coming here). It’s just that with all the talk of increasing home prices and the viability of this area, I’m getting greedy.
So back to the corner in question. According to the Harris County Appraisal District, the building at 4301 Rosslyn Road is owned by Susana Z. Zarazua. The site is coded Retail Multi-Occupancy and as of January 1, 2012 is valued at $206,721 – $94,960 for the land and $ 111,761 for improvements. Interestingly, the same property was valued at $350,000 in 2009 and has decreased every year since.
The real estate agent for the owner is Stacy Mathews with the Prudential office across the street, who is eager to see something happen with the property. Mathews confirms that the asking price to buy ‘as is’ is $695,000. He says it’s also available ‘as is’ for lease with some flexibility on the price if the person who leases makes improvements.
I talked to two people who looked at the space for a restaurant. One who said that he was discouraged because he couldn’t sell beer or wine because of the site’s proximity to nearby churches and schools. The other potential owner I talked to, who didn’t want to be named, was discouraged by the asking price and wanted to lease it a few years ago for a BYOB pizzeria. (I know, nirvana.)
At that time he says the lease price was pretty set with no proposed enhancements. He also speculated that the owner was going to sit on the property until the day he could get his asking price, or better.
The 4301 building is not the only non-utilized real estate on the corner. There’s empty space next door to the Family Dollar which according to owner Souad Mekdessi, who leases to both the Family Dollar and Manna, is available for .60 per square foot. The 3,000-square feet of available space in the small office complex behind Dean McNeely’s Salon Studio is going for $11 per square foot. And there’s the empty lot across the street between the Valero and the Prudential building which is listed at $350,000.
The disparate prices for all these properties is a reflection of the area’s commercial and residential hodgepodge. The mixed bag that is 43rd between Rosslyn and TC Jester includes the upscale Salon Studio, churches, an apartment complex, T&T Washateria, multiple auto parts stores, a car wash, food mart and the beloved Mytiburger, among others.
So if a restaurant on that corner ever were to open, I don’t see why it wouldn’t have as good a chance as anything around here. Houston is no stranger to random pairings as any parent who has ever taken their 6-year old to Juanita’s and been asked to explain what’s going on in the strobe-lighted building next door can attest.
The current tenants on the corner of Rosslyn and 43rd are a lot less likely to generate questions from your kids. The Family Dollar does a brisk business and the Manna is even busier. Their endurance and steady flow of traffic indicate that they provide a needed service to residents in
KTRK reporter Demond Fernandez did a story about the trash at the intersection and, within 12 hours, the city of Houston’s Solid Waste Department had removed the items.
the area. The illegal dumping that was happening there was just as troubling to them as it was to everyone else. (See sidebar.)
The right tenant at 4301 might curb the dumping of trash as well as the graffiti that frequently appears. Right now, the parking lot in front of the building is also used as overflow parking for the adjacent Oak Forest Place apartments.
As a point of comparison, just down 43rd toward Ella is the Oak Forest Shopping Center which is leased by Weingarten Realty. The last available 1,400-square foot space in the center, next to Super Cuts, is being offered for $3,000 a month.
On the Weingarten website, it states: “This center serves a highly desirable area undergoing upscale home remodeling with over 110,000 people within a 3mile radius.” The traffic count at 43rd and Ella is undoubtedly higher and the units are new and well maintained, but the population served would still be the same down the street.
For the record, I don’t want to be the new West U. I’m perfectly happy being the current Oak Forest/Candlelight Estates. And I like Baskin Robbins so I’ll forgo the frozen yogurt. I just patiently wait for the day when I’ll drive by and see something stirring at 4301 Rosslyn. Whatever goes there, short of the Solid Platinum part deux, I’ll patronize it.
Betsy Denson is a mother, journalist, and resident of a Leader neighborhood who is always looking for good story ideas. If you have one, please e-mail her at betsy@theleadernews.com.
J. Black, Z. Graham
Jennifer Michelle Black and Zane Peter Graham Jr. were united in marriage March 5 in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. The bride is the daughter of Jeanette Black and the late Joseph Black, and the granddaughter of the late Sam Todaro Sr. and Ann Todaro of Garden Oaks. Jennifer is a graduate of St. Pius X High School in Houston. The groom is the son of Zane and Deb Graham of South Lake Tahoe, California, and the grandson of the Crawfords and the Santos families of Hawaii. Zane is a graduate of South Tahoe High School in South Lake Tahoe, California. The bride’s sister, Jacquelyn Black, was maid of honor and Ashley Blackburn was matron of honor. Serving as bridesmaids were Nikki Klander, Sharra Galik, Alicia San Felipe and Betsy Assad. Gary Graham, brother of the groom, was best man. Johnny Klander served as groomsman. After a beautiful wedding on the beach in Jamaica, celebrated with many friends and family, the couple now resides in Jersey Village.
thefts, 24 burglaries and six robberies. It is also interesting to determine when these crimes occurred. Of the 93 reported, 54 percent of them occurred during “daylight hours,” defined as any time between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. That means 46 percent of the crimes happen during “nighttime hours,” or between 6:01 p.m. and 6:59 a.m.
Thefts
Of the 63 reported thefts in this analysis, 46 percent happened during daylight hours and 54 percent happened during nighttime hours. In other words, there is not a huge statistical difference between the two, and criminals seems to be equally opportunistic during the day as they are at night.
The greatest pockets of problems for theft are the Heights proper, especially between 11th and 19th Streets, to the north and south, and between Shepherd and Yale to the west and east. Woodland Heights and the Washington Avenue corridor also had a higher degree of thefts than other neighborhoods in this coverage area.
Burglaries
From a time standpoint, the burglaries in this week of reports showed that the majority of them happen during the day. Of the 24 total reported burglaries, 17 of them happened between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. That makes sense because most burglaries occur when people are away from their homes. As Capt. Tom Runyan, head of the Houston Police Department’s North Division said, burglars look inside your home to plan whether they will burglarize you. And they like to do it quickly and when you aren’t there.
During the week reported, there were two areas where burglaries happened most often: the Pinemont and north Yale areas, just along North Shepherd Drive, and the T.C. Jester, Mangum and Watonga areas.
Robberies
The sample size of just six robberies makes it difficult to place any real credence on their trends. Just three weeks ago, the hardest hit areas were in Oak Forest.
During the week of Nov. 20, when four happened at night and two happened during the day, the greatest areas of concern were along the 610 corridor. The all happened north of 19th Street and south of 34th Street.
Interesting Perspective
If you break down the time of crimes even more, it is interesting to see how many of them occur between 7 a.m. and noon.
Of the 93 total crimes, only 15 percent of them happened in the morning hours, after most people are awake. There were only eight thefts, six burglaries and zero robberies before lunch. That seems to be an indication
that streets are safer during that time, although this is only one week of reporting and a greater sample would be needed to make that determination.
The second interesting note is the lack of crime in the Shepherd Park Plaza neighborhood. Of the crimes reported during this week, there were no thefts, burglaries or robberies. That isn’t the case every week, but SPP is known to have a strong constable program, and this small sample would give a slight indication that the constable program works. As mentioned earlier, this analysis should not be taken to mean anything other than what one week’s worth of crime reports shows. It does not mean streets are safer at any specific time of the day, and more importantly, it does not mean you should let your guard down in the wrong situations.
Mary Ann and Ginger
Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip that started from being strays, now in search of ownership. Mary Ann, a dachshund/ pug mix, and her sister Ginger, a chihuahua mix, are bonded castaways on the island of Friends For Life. Will you rescue them into your home? Contact Friends For Life at 713.863.9835 to set up a visit or check them out at www.nokill1.org.
NEWS FROM YOUR PEWS
Oaks Christian presents Live Nativity
Oaks Christian Church welcomes all the community to join in their Live Nativity on Dec. 16, around dusk. There is a Family Festival scheduled at 5 p.m. with a gathering to make Christmas ornaments. The live Nativity will follow.
Oaks Christian Church is located at 1216 Bethlehem at Ella. For information, call 713688-7761.
St. Stephen’s to hold
Christmas Basket Food Drive
The Christmas Basket Food Drive continues at St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church through Dec. 11. Donations of non-perishable food, as well as financial donations will be collected during the worship services through Dec. 11. The baskets, which include clothing and gifts for the children, will go to needy families in the community.
An evening Advent study will continue through Dec. 19 on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. in Room 101. The study, based on the book, “Christmas Is Not Your Birthday” by Mike Slaughter, is led by Rev. Cathy Meyenberg.
St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church is located at 2003 W. 43rd St., between T. C. Jester Boulevard and Donna Bell. For information, call the office at 713-686-8241, or visit www. stsumc.org.
St. Giles hosts many Christmas activities in December
Prime Timers will meet in the church fellowship hall at noon Saturday, Dec. 8. Entertainment for the day will be the Memorial Drive Lutheran Church Hand Bell Choir directed by Carol Mungavin. Ham will be provided; bring a dish to share for the Christmas luncheon.
All adults of the community 50 years and older are welcome!
The annual Living Nativity will be held from 6-8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16. Dressed in the costumes provided, family pictures can be taken in the outdoor stable setting with the donkey and sheep. Hot soup will be provided for all who attend. There will also be toys for young children. Members of the community are welcome.
The St. Giles Food Pantry is open from 10 a.m. to noon Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. Especially needed are boxes of cornbread mixes and macaroni and cheese. With cold weather coming, socks for the homeless are also needed. Due to recent demands on the pantry, supplies are low, so all donations are welcome. Call 713-680-9976 to reach the pantry.
The community is welcome to recycle news-
papers and magazines in the recycle bin at the back of the church parking lot. No cardboard boxes please.
St. Giles is located at 5900 Pinemont Drive. Call 713-681-0515 for information.
Greater New Hope MBC celebrates 100 years
Greater New Hope Missionary Baptist Church is celebrating their 100th Anniversary with a service scheduled for 3 p.m. Dec. 9.
The church is located at 7818 N. Main St. Call 713-957-5191.
St. Matthew’s UMC abuzz with many December activities
The St. Matthew’s sanctuary is now ready to celebrate Christmas. On Sunday, Dec. 9, 6 p.m., a birthday party for Jesus will be held in the fellowship hall. The community is welcome to participate in stories, games, crafts and good food for this event.
The choir is preparing special music, lessons in carols and bells, to be performed Sunday, Dec. 16, during the morning worship service.
It’s that time of year when the church is abuzz with many activities to prepare for Christmas. Members are asked to donate canned goods each Sunday for donation to the MANNA Food Pantry.
Sunday morning worship and Children’s Church begins at 9:30 a.m. followed by 10:30 a.m. Sunday School. The Youth (MYF) meets at 6 p.m. Sunday evening.
During the week, a quilting group meets Tuesday mornings, along with the Senior Adults game day. A 6 p.m. Wednesday evening Prayer and Praise Service is available.
St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church is located at 4300 N. Shepherd Dr. at Crosstimbers. For information, call 713-697-0671 or visit the web site at www.stmatthewsmethodist.org.
Hope Episcopal and Gulf Coast Blood Center host blood drive
The Gulf Coast Blood Center and Hope Episcopal Church are hosting a blood drive from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, in the parish hall. The community is welcome to come out to “help save a life” by donating blood.
Hope Episcopal Church is located at 1613 W. 43rd St. For information, call 713-681-6422.
St. James Church ELCA celebrates first year of redevelopment
St. James Church ELCA celebrated its first year of redevelopment with family, friends and guests on Nov. 25, with Rev. Pedro Suarez, Director of Evangelical Mission representing the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod of the ELCA. The celebration included historical highlights of St. James from its 1952 inception, as well as pictorial highlights of its first year of redevelopment. A reception to commemorate this joyous occasion concluded the event.
The St. James Family Life Center’s First Annual Fundraiser and Silent Auction held in late October and supported by the contributions of the St. James family, local residents and area merchants raised sufficient funds to begin a pilot program of its Adult Literacy, ESL and GED programs in early December. The program will continue to expand as additional funds and contributions are raised.
Upcoming events for the Christian Education of St. James is a Christmas Camp, Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 15 and Dec. 16, for children ages 4 to 12. Cost is two cans of food per child. Call the church office for information.
St. James Church is led by the Ministry team of the Rev. Raymond LeBlanc, and Aura Suarez, Minister for Outreach.
For information or to volunteer at the Center, call Robert Rivera, Director of the St. James Family Life Center at 713-686-1577. St. James Church is located at 1602 W. 43rd St.
Find Comfort When
Christmas Hurts Dec. 11
To assist those feeling pain during the typically joyous holiday season, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church will host a very special “Comfort When Christmas Hurts” service on Tuesday, December 11.
The service will begin at 6:30 pm and include Scripture readings, prayers, music and meditation. The Christmas season can be a very lonely, depressing time for those grieving the loss of loved ones, a broken relationship, the insecurity of unemployment, or the loss of a dear family pet. Any or all of these can contribute to a feeling of being alone. All are welcome to participate in this special service. Members of the St. Andrew’s pastoral care team will also be available after the service for persons wishing to share or seek additional support.
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church is located at 1819 Heights Boulevard at 19th Street. For more information, call the church office at 713-861-5596 or visit www.saintandrewsepiscopal.org.
A number of people wonder how News from the Pews is created each week, and others often wonder why their church news is not included in this section. All stories that appear in this section are submitted by individual churches and/or their members. The Leader does not have a full-time church writer, and this section is completely reliant on the submissions of our readers. That means we are thrilled to run news from any church in our coverage area. If you would like to have your church news included, simply send us a few paragraphs about upcoming events and we will be happy to publish it for others to see. The best way to have your church news published is to email it to us at: news@theleadernews.com
Church Guide
MESSAGE
nd our careers meaningful, and our families, friends, and recreational activities provide essential sources of meaning or signicance. But, sometimes people have accidents or illnesses which call all of that into question. If an accident or illness prevents you from working, you may feel an overwhelming sense of meaninglessness. Likewise, parents whose lives are made meaningful by their children may feel a tragic sense of meaninglessness if they lose their children. The heartache of losing a loved one or a signicant other is partly a sense that our life has lost something essential to it. In these cases, it is imperative that one nd meaning elsewhere in one’s life. While this is not always simple or easy, it is possible, even in the worst of cases. Imagine how drastically your life would change if you suffered a brain or spinal cord injury that left you paralyzed or unable to function as you once did. This sort of injury can be a tremendous challenge, and yet the vast majority of people who suffer these injuries are resilient. They bounce back and somehow nd meaning in their life. There is always hope, and even if the hope is not for a full recovery, at least it can be for a meaningful life.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD,“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
~ Jeremiah 29: 11 ~
Confused about 290? Attend this meeting
by Jonathan McElvy
A public meeting for the ongoing construction on U.S. 290 and Interstate 610 has been schedueld for Tuesday, Dec. 11, beginning with an open house at 6 p.m. and a presentation about the changes coming that will begin at 7 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Sheraton Brookhollow at 3000 North Loop West – right in the middle of all the mess.
Mike Zientek, who handles public outreach for HNTB Engineering, said the purpose of the meeting is to show interested members of the public how an interim managed lane project on U.S. 290 will work.
“We’ll have a wider 290 during this process, and there will be a tollroad along the Hempstead
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“Joe got mad at his bank one time, and he wasn’t sure if they counted all of his money right. So one day, he just decided to move all of his money out of the bank and go somewhere else. I think he took $300,000 out of that bank,” Wright said. “And what really made him mad was that the bank never once called him to find out what happened.”
The Canino market, known for cheap produce and hand-shake deals, wasn’t exactly a non-profit business. And Wright said Canino loved to have the best things he could find.
“He had a Rolls Royce, and one day, he asked me what I thought was the best car out there,” Wright said. “I told him I thought it was a Mercedes. So wouldn’t you know, the next day, he drives up in that very Mercedes.”
For the stories of playing hard but working even harder, both Pilkinton and Wright say what made Canino so successful was that he was a “workaholic. And all of his kids are just like him,” Wright said.
In the end, Canino went as peacefully as a man could hope.
“You know, he just finally ran out of gas,” Pilkinton said. “He wasn’t in any pain. He just drifted off.”
Obituary Information
Canino enlisted in the United States Army in October 1942 serving in the Asiatic-Pacific during WWII as a Military Police officer. He was honorably discharged in December 1945 at the rank of
Highway,” he said, adding that there will be two interim lanes from Highway 99 (the Grand Parkway) to Highway 6, and three lanes from Highway 6 to the 610 loop.
While it’s a bit confusing to keep up with all the road projects taking place in northwest Hous-
Sergeant with an American Theatre Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and a Phillippine Liberation Ribbon with one bronze star. After working at Reed Roll-a-Bit and Epps Food Market, he co-founded Canino Produce Company in 1958 on Airline Drive, where the familyowned business continues today. He worked at “The Market” nearly every day for over 50 years and was well respected in the Heights Community. He loved working in his yard winning numerous awards and accolades. He was always planting flowers, mowing the grass, watering his plants, and caring for his fish pond, where we can all imagine him at peace today. He was a member of the Sacred Heart Society; and since 1972, a member of St. Bar tholomew Parish in Katy, TX. He was a devoted family-man and will be remembered by many as the hardest working man they’ll ever know.
He was preceded in death by parents Joe and Christine Canino and son Baby Canino; siblings, John Canino, Petrina Cuccerre, Vita Monakino, Ginetta Klieman, and Nancy Klieman; and greatgrandson Evan McCauley. He is survived by his adoring wife Maria Rosario Canino; chil dren, William Canino and wife, Cynthia; Kristine and husband, Lawrence Pilkinton; Michael Canino; Carlos Mendez; Mary Canino; and Joe Paul Canino and wife, Meagan; grandchildren, Kimberly and Marvin Atkins, Lyndsay and Larry Pilkinton,
ton (not to mention the confusion in driving those roads), Zientek explained that there are two key projects that impact people in this area.
The first is Project K, which is the construction of a bypass from U.S. 290 to Interstate 10. The second is Project J1, which
Danielle and Kevin Pilkinton, Kristie Pilkinton, Natalie and Kris McCauley, Billy Canino, Nadia and Brett Canino, Chase and Caleb Canino, and Ashley and Alexis Mendez; great-grandchildren, Aidan, Emily, Lauren and Caroline Atkins; Gage, Henry, Gavin, Brian, Katherine and Mekaela Pilkinton; Nadia and Owen McCauley; Benjamin Canino, and Rilan Mendez. He is also survived by numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.
Pallbearers were Joe Paul
is the connector between Interstate 10 to U.S. 290. And the third is Project J2, which is work done on U.S. 290 near the 34th Street/ Pinemont exit.
According to a release from the organization www.my290.org, the purpose of the public meetings is to discuss the proposed interim design, “which would incorporate a reversible managed lane (toll) facility on U.S. 290 from SH 99 to IH 610.”
The 290 managed lane facility, they expect, will be in operation until the Hempstead Tollway portion is built.
“These public meetings are being held in order to give interested persons an opportunity to express their views concerning the proposed interim design for the U.S. 290 Corridor project,” the release said.
Canino, Carlos Mendez, Larry Pilkinton, Kevin Pilkinton, Billy Canino and Tom Krolczyk. Honorary Pallbearers were Alfred Froberg, Mike Atkinson, Mark Scamardo, Jesus Perez, Brett Canino and Edison Dewar.
Canino
Photo by Jake Dukate
A public meeting on Dec. 11 will explain how a managed-lanes program will work on U.S. 290 as some of the work is expedited.