Residents petition for bayou space to become parkland

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

As a proposed plan to elevate Interstate 10 in the Heights area continues to move toward fruition, a group of local residents is petitioning to have a portion of White Oak Bayou greenspace designated as parkland in efforts to keep the project from running through the popular greenspace.

Residents of the Woodland Heights have created a petition that is asking the city of Houston to formally acquire and designate the White Oak Greenway along the bayou as a city park. By doing so, the petition says the space will be protected from being used for development when the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) begins the project within the next year or two.

As of Tuesday, the petition at actionnetwork.org/petitions/create-white-oak-bayou-park had more than 3,800 signatures. The goal for the petition is to garner at least 6,000 signatures.

“White Oak Bayou greenway continues to be threatened by plans to elevate and widen the freeway,” the organization wrote on Facebook Jan. 27.

During the most recent public meeting in July 2022, TxDOT revealed more about

Leader breaking out new special sections

Staff Reports

When you pick up your paper this week, it may look a little fuller and feel a little heavier. And there’s a reason for that. In this week’s paper, you will find not just our typical community coverage on sports, food and drink, the arts, and more.

You’ll also find the first of what is to be several special sections throughout this upcoming year. Some of what we have planned, we have done before – but we’re always trying to do it better and improve our coverage to bring you the most timely and relevant news on topics important to our community. And others, like this week’s Home and Garden section, are new and part of our approach to try and be the best resource for the community we hold so dear.

Commissioners’ court approves partnership for local apprenticeship programs

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Harris County has approved a contract that it says will increase union opportunities and apprenticeships in the building and construction trades as well as the entertainment and transportation industries around the city, including the Heights, Garden Oaks/ Oak Forest, and other surrounding areas.

On Tuesday, the Harris County’s Commissioners’ Court unanimously approved a $9.1 million contract to increase local apprenticeship opportunities and create new ones in partnership with the Texas Gulf Coast Labor Federation. It is part of the County’s broader Apprenticeship Advantage initiative, according to the county, which is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

The program will provide ap- prenticeship training to more than 1,500 people in the construction, public transportation, and live entertainment industries in the county, according to Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis.

“Working people deserve a safe workplace, good benefits, strong wages and the opportunity to build a better life for their families,” Ellis said. “A skilled and empowered workforce is key to a thriving, resilient Harris County economy.”

The program, the county said, was initially established to provide opportunities for those that have been traditionally underrepresented in apprenticeships – underemployed, unemployed, dislocated workers, opportunity youth, people of color, women, and those without college degrees.

According to the Texas Gulf Coast Labor Federation, the 11 participating apprenticeship programs that the partnership funds will recruit, train, and place 665 new apprentices with employers over the next two years, while also making efforts to improve the skills of current apprentices and workers.

The new transportation industry apprenticeship will be led collaboratively by Houston METRO and Heights-based Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 260,

This week’s special section is a new one, our Home and Garden section. In it, you will find articles in which we attempted to bring you informative helpful articles for those who might be interested in new or revamped landscaping, or for those who are looking to repair or remodel their home on a budget. We dive into those topics and more, so be sure to flip all the way through.

And this week is just the beginning of a big year of coverage that our staff here at The Leader has in store for you, our loyal and dedicated readers. After all, that’s our number one goal – bringing you the news that is the most relevant and timely for the Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest, and all these other neighborhoods of north Houston that we continue to have the pleasure of covering week in and week out.

We still plan to bring you the same weekly dose of sports, food and drink, the arts, and news about city and county government that you are used to reading each week. But we’re also doing our best to bring you expanded coverage and continue to serve as your weekly resource.

So we hope you enjoy this week’s Home and Garden section.