INSIDE: Houston Junior Forum holding annual fundraiser • Page 9
Smart choices last a lifetime.
Come Shop with the Easter Bunny and Fill Your Baskets
713.688.8669
Lane Lewis Agency Flower & Gift Shop 17500467
LLewis@FarmersAgent.com 2200 North Loop W Ste 136 Houston, TX 77018
Covering the Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest & the neighborhoods of North Houston
10570 NW Frwy ❖ 713-680-2350
Saturday, April 1, 2023 • Vol. 68 • No. 13
ABOUT US 2020 North Loop West Suite 220 (713) 686-8494 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
HISD declines to appeal TEA takeover ing the appeal after about 10 minutes of discussion. Trustees Dani Hernandez, Kendall Baker, Bridget Wade, Judith Cruz, and Sue Deigaard voted against the appeal, while trustees Myrna Guidry, Kathy Blueford-Daniels, Patricia K. Allen, and Elizabeth Santos voted in favor of filing it. Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath announced that the state will be taking over Houston ISD, seemingly putting an end to a battle
By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
The Houston ISD Board of trustees has declined to file an appeal of the Texas Education Agency’s impending takeover of the district and its board, narrowly voting against the motion during Monday night’s special meeting. Trustee Patricia K. Allen made the initial motion, and trustees later voted 5-4 against fil-
Hat in the ring
PHYLLIS A. OESER Attorney At LAw 713-692-0300
By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
Serving coffee, tea, wine, beer, savories and sweets 7 am to 9 pm daily.
1030 Heights Blvd, Houston,TX 77008
713-434-6923
INSIDE.
Page 3
Open mic Houston’s oldest open mic poetry event is back this weekend. See Art Valet for more information
Page 10
New on the block Leading Nibbles and Sips this week, Korean BBQ spot Chi’Lantro will open next week
Page 10
THE INDEX. Public.............................................................. 2 Sports............................................................. 3 Church........................................................... 4 Classifieds.................................................. 8 Local Culture..........................10 Food/Drink.............................10
Staff file photo Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee speaks at a Memorial Day event. The local congresswoman, who represents much of the area in the United States House of Representatives, has announced she intends to run for mayor.
Jackson-Lee intends to run for mayor By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
A longtime congresswoman who represents much of the area in Washington, D.C. has said that she will soon be running to become its new top elected leader later this year. Over the weekend, local congresswoman Sheila JacksonLee announced her intent to file to run for mayor of Houston this November. She made the announcement during a church service at City Cathedral Church in Houston, according to multiple reports, appearing to end months of speculation that she would throw her hat into the ring. Multiple email requests to Jackson-Lee’s media liason for additional comment were unreturned as of publication. Jackson-Lee, a Democrat, has represented parts of the Heights, Garden Oaks and Oak Forest areas as part of the 18th Congressional District of Texas in the United States House of Representatives for nearly 30 years. She is currently serving
Sheila Jackson-Lee
her 14th term and has not been unseated since first being elected in 1995. A formal announcement is expected in the coming weeks or months, accordig to reports. With her intended inclusion in the upcoming November race, Jackson-Lee joins a crowded field that includes former Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins as well as former city councilmembers Robert Gallegos and Amanda Edwards. Also throwing their hats in the ring have been state Sen. John Whitmire and Gilbert Garcia, who was
previously a chairman on the city’s Metropolitan Transit Authority board. Current incumbent mayor Sylvester Turner will be vacating the position at the end of this term due to term limitations. And Rice University political science professor Robert Stein says that if Jackson-Lee enters as planned, it could have a major impact on the field. Potential impacts, according to Stein, include that in his opinion she would instantly would become the strongest challenger to Whitmire - an early frontrunner accordin to multiple reports - with her existing support, among other changes. “Congressperson JacksonLee’s decision to run for Houston Mayor changes the dynamics of this election in several ways,” he said. The filing deadline for the election is Aug. 21, and Election Day will be Nov. 7.
A student at a local private high school could soon potentially earn a prestigious academic recognition in the coming weeks. According to the school, St. Pius X High School senior Stephanie Birkelbach has recently been named as one of 15,000 finalists in the 2023 National Merit Scholar Program. She was selected as a semifinalist from more than 50,000 initial nominees before being selected as a finalist earlier this week. The NMSP said high school juniors entered the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2021 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/ NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The resulting semifinalists, the organization said, represented less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors. And Birkelbach is among that group. “This is a significant achievement and provides a robust foundation of opportunities from the NMSC as well as other organizations and universities,” the school said in a news release. After becoming a finalist, Birkelbach and the school had to submit a scholarship application that includes information on the student’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated See Merit P. 9
Contributed photo St. Pius X High School senior Stephanie Birkelbach was recently named as a finalist in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program.
Helms Elementary unveiling geology garden Saturday By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
A local elementary will soon unveil a project to the public that is aimed at giving its young students a creative space to further aid their learning in a dedicated outdoor field of study. This Saturday, Helms Elementary in the Heights will unveil its Geology Garden to the public with a cleanup day
We empower people to thrive. S TE LL A R . BA N K NML S # 4 5 1 3 1 2
See Takeover P. 9
SPX student named National Merit finalist
Your neighborhood living room in The Heights
Bulldog bite Heights’ baseball and softball teams are in first place. See how they and others fared in our weekly recap
that has waged on for four years. Earlier this month, the district withdrew its lawsuit against the TEA. The motion narrowly failed after several minutes of intense discussion among trustees. And as evidenced by the narrow vote, opinions varied on what the viability would be of filing the appeal. “I think if this is an opportunity for us to make our last ap-
from 9-11 a.m. at the school, 503 W. 21st St. in the Heights. Helms is a Dual Language Spanish Immersion school and the only school in HISD to have a geology garden according to Helms PTA member Jessica Bodnar. The approximately 20’ x 30’ space at Helms features rocks from the three major geologic classifications - igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. There are 17 total boulder-
type rocks representing the groups in the garden, Bodnar said, that were brought in from all over the United States to place in the garden. “Teachers are encouraged to use this addition to our school often and creatively,” Bodnar said in an email. “… Our goal is that this unique and interactive learning space will inspire future generations See Helms P. 9
Photo from Helms PTA website Helms Elementary will unveil its new geology garden to the community on Saturday.
Allegiance Bank and CommunityBank of Texas have come together as Stellar Bank. While our name has changed, our commitment to serving our customers and supporting our local communities will stay the same. We look forward to a bright future together.
2222 North Durham | 281.517.8760 Margaret Vandever, Bank Office President Cecilia Rodriguez, Office Manager