Inside Today: Local real estate market update Page 7
s, Flower Gifts ns & Fashio y
’s !Da r e h t o M May 12th
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Flower & Gift Shop
Covering the Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest & the neighborhoods of North Houston
10570 NW Frwy ❖ 713-680-2350
Saturday, May 11, 2024 • Vol. 69 • No.19
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Crime Stoppers seeks assistance in local cases COMMUNITY REPORTS Crime Stoppers may pay up to $5,000 for information leading to the charging &/or arrest of the suspects in these cases. Information may be reported by calling 713-222-TIPS (8477), submitted online at www. crime-stoppers.org or through the Crime Stoppers mobile app. Only tips and calls DIRECTLY TO Crime Stoppers are anonymous and eligible for a cash reward.
you’re reading this, so are your potential customers call today to advertise!
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Who is this burglary suspect? Crime Stoppers and the Houston Police Department’s Property and Financial Crimes Division are seeking the public’s help in identifying the individual responsible for a recent Business Burglary. On Thursday, April 4, 2024, an unidentified perpetrator broke into a business situated in the 200 block of W 20th St. in Houston, Texas. The suspect forcibly entered the premises and made off with items valued at
Special Victims Division need the public’s assistance locating fugitive Juron Shimark Lott who is wanted for Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child and Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child Under 14. On Saturday, December 9, 2023, the Houston Police Department received a report of Sexual Abuse that occurred in the 12800 block of Northwest Fwy. in Houston, Texas.
approximately $1,300. After the incident, the suspect departed in an undisclosed direction. Description of the Suspect: The individual is described as a White or Hispanic male, sporting a cap bearing an unfamiliar emblem, a jacket with an unidentified logo, and cargo shorts. Where is Juron Shimark Lott? Crime Stoppers and the Houston Police Department and Harris County
See BURGLARY P. 5
PAST, MEET FUTURE!
Blue Tuba Euro-Tex Cuisine to debut in Houston Heights, blending European flavors with Texas charm
INSIDE.
By LISA MORALES The Leader News Contributor Communities in Schools supports students’ mental health
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Heights woman receives mayoral proclamation at DACAMERA gala
Page 2 A rare, exclusive glimpse inside the old buildings that hundreds of people pass daily.
Weekend at a Glance: Things to do around town
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OPINION: A psychiatrist’s thoughts on marijuana
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UHD offers summer programs for high schoolers
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Photo courtesy of Radom Capital
Developers team up to breathe new life into Heights relic By STEPHANIE SHIRLEY The Leader News Contributor
imagine and design a very unique and vibrant new space.
Nearly a decade after the old Missouri-Kansas-Texas (M-K-T) Railroad tracks were extracted in the late 1990s, the City of Houston’s Parks and Recreations department completed a network of hike and bike trails that sprawl their way through the Heights and adjacent neighborhoods. At that time, there was little development to the south of the former tracks between Yale and Shepherd. However, a large abandoned refinery complex still remains where Waverly Street once ended. From the early 1900s, the Swift & Co. Refinery building complex had been a substantial part of the community. Today, however, it has been reduced to an eyesore that still stubbornly stands. It has been compromised by years of neglect leading to interior deterioration and exterior decline, as evidenced by substantial vandalism, broken glass and a profound amount of graffiti.
THE PAST. Swift & Co. was once a force in the Houston Heights. The property’s original structure was built as a cottonseed oil refinery back in 1917. Cottonseed oil had become a main ingredient in shortenings around the turn of the 20th century. By 1912, approximately 80-90 percent of oil used for vegetable shortenings was sourced from cottonseed oil, a product largely considered to be waste during the previous century. To take advantage of this economic opportunity, Swift constructed a fivebuilding complex on the nearly 10 acres it had acquired. But, as the economy wavered and demand changed, they divested land, renovated, and rebuilt their facilities to accommodate a meat-packing plant, which would prove to be far more lucrative. The buildings that remain today are two
Photo by Stephanie Shirley
Distant view of the Swift Bldg on Waverly
Rather than opting to graze the buildings and start from scratch as so often happens in this Heights, two developers have teamed with the shared vision of preserving the integrity of its historical relevance by renovating and utilizing the existing structures to re-
See SWIFT & CO. P. 5
A few days ago on May 1, Blue Tuba Euro-Tex Cuisine opened its doors at 350 W 19th St Suite E. This exciting new culinary venture, occupying the esteemed upstairs space that was formerly home to Harold’s in the Heights, promises a unique fusion of European-inspired delicacies with a Texas twist. Spanning a spacious 5,141 square feet, Blue Tuba offers inside dining and a cozy rooftop deck with captivating views of 19th Street. Accommodating 150 guests, including 40 al fresco diners, patrons of Blue Tuba can look forward to innovative homestyle cuisine and creative cocktails created by bar manager Vincent Campos (formerly of Lombardi Cucina Italiana), and Guatemalan sommelier Gabriela Benecke. For those looking to entertain clients or guests, an intimate 16-seat private dining area is also available. The brainchild of proprietors Giga Leszayova and acclaimed former rockerturned-chef, Vlado Kolenic, both hailing from the former Czechoslovakia, Blue Tuba represents the culmination of their culinary journey. Following their successful stint at Bettola, an Italian eatery in New York City’s Upper West Side from 2016-2022, the dynamic duo set their sights on the diverse culinary landscape of Houston. “I wanted to be a cowboy”, jokes Kolenic, when asked what brought him to Houston. “I cook in my cowboy hat and have one rule in my kitchen -- if you cook with me, you have to be an See BLUE TUBA P. 5
Submitted photo
Proprietors Vlado Kolenic and Giga Leszayova on the patio of their new restaurant in the Heights with the trademark blue tuba.
Nature’s Clean-Up Crew Hits the Meadow: Goats return to the Houston Arboretum May 20 End of an Era: Last Market at Sawyer Yards to take place May 11
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THE INDEX. People ���������������������������������������2 Topics ����������������������������������������4 Classifieds ���������������������������������6 Local Culture �����������������������������8
By STEFANIE THOMAS editor@theleadernews.com Goats are making a comebaaack at the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center starting May 20, ready to tackle the dense vegetation in a 3-acre area just south of the Meadow between the South Meadow Trail and the Muscadine Trail along the Outer Loop. These familiar goats from Renta-Ruminant® Texas last graced the Arboretum in May 2023, where they efficiently grazed on vegetation and invasive species around the Wildflower Trail near the administration building.
This upcoming visit marks their fifth appearance, with their debut dating back to 2020. During their stay, the public is encouraged to observe the goats at work, although guests are asked not to touch, engage with, or feed the animals for their safety and that of the visitors. Access to the grazing area is available from either entrance, but it entails a walk of between a ¼ and ½ mile depending on the chosen trails. Around 120 goats, under the direction of Rent-a-Ruminant® owners Kyle and Carolyn Carr, will be diligently chewing away at the vegetation.
“In the absence of woodland browsers (animals that eat leaves from woody vegetation such as deer), the understory of these areas has become very overgrown,” says Stephen Benigno, Ph.D., conservation director for the Houston Arboretum. “Over time, this will negatively impact tree diversity by preventing saplings from growing through this dense vegetation layer. The goats will create space in the understory for more diverse vegetation to thrive.” See GOATS P. 3
Photo by Anthony Rathbun
A single goat can devour 4-10 pounds of vegetation daily. There will be around 120 goats mowing at the Houston Arboretum.
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