Inside Today: Make the most of your property tax breaks - Page 2
GIFTS FOR YOUR VALENTINE. FEB. 14TH IS COMING SOON! Flower & Gift Shop
Covering the Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest & the neighborhoods of North Houston
10570 NW Frwy ❖ 713-680-2350
Saturday, January 25, 2025 • Vol. 70 • No. 4
ABOUT US 713-371-3600 news@theleadernews.com www.theleadernews.com Facebook/FromTheLeader
Leader’s Choice BEST ATTORNEY
2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 5005 W. 34th Street, Suite 104A Legal Services For Wills, Probate Estate Planning & Real Estate
PHYLLIS A. OESER Attorney At LAw 713-692-0300
INSIDE.
Enzo leaves rare winter scenes, disruptions By STEFANIE THOMAS editor@theleadernews.com Winter Storm Enzo swept through the Houston area overnight on Jan. 20-21, bringing rare snowfall and icy conditions, along with disruptions to businesses, schools, and city operations. While the Houston Heights/Garden Oaks/ Oak Forest area experienced some snow accumulation, official totals south and southwest of the city reached 4-6 inches in some areas. Alongside the picturesque snowfall came widespread challenges, in-
cluding treacherous roads, power outages, and citywide closures. CenterPoint Energy reported scattered power outages affecting thousands of residents, though crews worked through the night to restore electricity and reported that 99 percent of customers had power by morning. Many restaurants, including several Heights-area favorites, remained closed on Jan. 21 due to hazardous road conditions and staff safety concerns. The city also shut down non-essential operations, including the Houston Municipal Courts and METRO bus
and rail services. By the afternoon on Jan. 21, mostly sunny skies and rising temperatures led to gradual snowmelt, in contrast to the overnight freeze. Residents in the Heights enjoyed the rare sight of melting snow, many taking the opportunity to stroll through the neighborhood. Kids didn’t miss the opportunity to dot the neighborhood with snowmen. With another hard freeze overnight into Jan. 22, many businesses and schools remained closed Wednesday.
Staff photo
COINS OF KINDNESS
By CHARLIE HARDWICK The Leader News Contributor
Enzo Photos: Snowmen and powdered roads
Houston’s blind athletes continue to impress our community with expanding participation in numerous sporting events. Long-time Oak Forest resident and native Houstonian Ronnie Bruns reflects on his time as one of the original members of the Bayou City Bombers, a Beep Baseball team that competes nationally with other blind athletes. The team first began playing in 1976 and Bruns joined the team two years later in 1978. The team has since changed it’s name to the Bayou City Heat and is still going strong today, competing on a national level with other teams as far away as Taiwan.
Page 2
Houston Arboretum hosts Arbor Day Celebration Saturday
Page 4
HISTORY
Elijah Knight with the younger siblings he adored. This young man was on a path to accomplish great things.
Submitted photo
Young boy’s legacy lives on through Heights nonprofit Pet of the Week: Meet Teddy, the handsomest charmer
Page 5
TV Show Review: The beat on Beast Games
Page 6
Original Beep Baseball for the Blind athlete champions the human factor
By STEPHANIE SHIRLEY The Leader News Contributor On a stormy weekend in 2018, the bright light that was 14 year-old Elijah Knight was extinguished irrevocably and far too early. A Heights-based nonprofit was created in his honor and is doing everything it can to make certain that his legacy lives on. Elijah Knight was born to Stephen and Courtney Knight. He was the eldest of three siblings who all thrived within a close and loving family unit. “Brilliant, creative, intuitive, empathic and loving; these are all adjectives that best describe Elijah,” said his father, Stephen. Those are not merely the prideful outpourings of a loving father. It was, in fact, the way the rest of the world saw Elijah. He was bright, artistic and talented. He felt like everything could be fixed, he felt that everything in life
One of a Kind(ness)
Photo by Stephanie Shirley
“Start everything with kindness and the end will be okay” was the motto Elijah lived by.
was redeemable. The mantra and lasting legacy that is forever attributable to his memory, is “Start everything with kindness and the end will be okay.” Rather than simply the idealistic ideology of a young teenager, it was the perceptive, visceral guiding principle that he lived by.
Elijah was born on January 21, 2004, and he would have celebrated his 21st birthday this month. The occasion provides another opportunity for remembrance and appreciation of his short life. In June 2018, Elijah Knight was on a Boy Scout camping trip in Georgia. A storm rolled in and in an aberrant moment of fate, a tree came down on his tent during a storm, ending his life. All these years later, his parents and siblings have still not fully recovered from their profound loss. The laughter and joy that once characterized their household still often remains elusive. However, they have found a semblance of solace and peace in the nonprofit they created in his memory. Elijah’s family’s mission is simple and two-fold. They want nothing See ELIJAH P. 2
Beep Baseball is a form of baseball that is a competitive sport for the blind and visually impaired that utilizes a ball that beeps. The game was originally created as a non-competitive activity for blind children. In 1973 a Pacific Bell employee named Ralph Rock adapted the rules of baseball to avoid collisions, making the game a safe competitive sport. When the new “Ralph Rock” rules became officially established, the first game of competitive Beep Baseball was played in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. In 1976, as interest spread amongst the adult blind community nationwide, the National Beep Baseball Association (NBBA) was formed. Today, the NBBA organizes local, state and regional tournaments annually, culminating in a world series game every August. Every year a See BEEP P. 6
Photo courtesy of Bayou City Heat Archives
The Bayou City Heat team gears up for another great season.
Camp For All to host Heartfelt Finds Market to aid children and adults with disabilities Art Valet: Farewell and hello!
Page 8
THE INDEX. People ���������������������������������������2 Topics ����������������������������������������4 Classifieds ���������������������������������7 Local Culture �����������������������������8
By LISA MORALES The Leader News Contributor The Houston area is home to more than 760,000 individuals living with disabilities, and Camp For All, a local nonprofit, is dedicated to transforming the lives of children and adults living with challenging illnesses, disabilities, or special needs. Known for its unique barrier-free environment, Camp For All provides a place where campers can discover life beyond their limitations. On Feb. 12, 2025, Camp For
All will host its first-ever Heartfelt Finds Market at The Juliana, located at 101 W. 18th St. The event will run from 3-8 p.m. and feature: • Fashion from popular Houston influencers Courtney Zavala, Elly Brown, Britny Robinson, Jenny Sanchez, and Demi McCormack • Family-friendly activities with Sensrly Fun, Fleurette D’Amour and Fox and Darling Aura Portrait Photobooth • Festive drinks and tasty treats Mostly Chocolate will have artisan chocolates for sale A portion of the proceeds will
benefit Camp For All, helping to send children and adults to camp in 2025, most of whom will attend cost-free. The event promises a fun and festive atmosphere while supporting an impactful mission. The event is free to attend. Activities, refreshments and valet parking will be available for purchase. Camp For All, located on a sprawling 206-acre property in Burton, Texas, is not just accessible. With adaptive programming and innovative design, the camp See CAMP P. 5
Submitted photo
Camp For All will hosts its inaugural Heartfelt Finds Market Smiles on Feb. 12. Portions of the event’s proceeds will help the nonprofit organization provide barrier-free experiences for campers with disabilities.
H E L P SUPPORT Scan this QR code to make a donation through Paypal today!