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Saturday, July 20, 2024 • Vol. 69 • No.29
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Greater Houston Disaster Alliance launches Hurricane Beryl Recovery Fund for severely impacted residents
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By STEFANIE THOMAS editor@theleadernews.com
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In response to the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Beryl, the Greater Houston Disaster Alliance, a joint initiative by the Greater Houston Community Foundation and United Way of Greater Houston, has established the Hurricane Beryl Recovery Fund. This fund aims to assist households severely impacted by the hurricane that struck Greater Houston on
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July 8, 2024. Early contributions to the fund include $1 million each from the Sarofim Foundation, H-E-B, and the CenterPoint Energy Foundation, with additional support from Shell and Wells Fargo. Following the storm, the fund’s leaders gathered data to assess the regional needs, including: • Texas Department of Emergency Management iSTAT Damage Survey: Collected 15,228 surveys with 2,540 homes reported
as destroyed or severely damaged. • 211 Texas/United Way HELPLINE: Received 10,856 calls from the fourcounty region between July 9-14, highlighting needs for shelters, cooling centers, electric service repairs, mass feeding services, and more. • Connective Needs Assessment Survey: Recorded 2,536 reports of disaster-related needs, including 193 damaged homes and primary See RECOVERY FUND P. 4
BERYL’S IMPACT AND AFTERMATH
INSIDE.
Big Chicken grand opening brings Shaquille O’Neal’s signature flavors to 107 Yale St. By LISA MORALES The Leader News Contributor
Houston food bank needs volunteers to help feed the hungry
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Waltrip graduate, movie actress Shelley Duvall has died
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Submitted photo
Parishioners at All Saints Parish celebrated Mass in the dark in the wake of Hurricane Beryl on July 14, 2024. Fr. Elias Lopez said the church was without electricity for 6 days.
Powerful storm leaves Weekend Houston powerless Events Weekend calendar: events and happenings for July 20-21
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Pet of the Week: Say hello to Scooby Duke
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The Heights neighborhood recently welcomed a sizzling new restaurant addition with the grand opening of Big Chicken at 107 Yale Street. Founded in 2018 and backed by an impressive team of partners — including JRS Hospitality, Authentic Brands Group, and Hall of Fame basketball star Shaquille O’Neal — Big Chicken promises a dining experience that fuses O’Neal’s home-cooked childhood favorites with today’s trending flavors. The grand opening celebration on Sunday, July 14, offered free chicken for a year to the first 34 customers, honoring O’Neal’s iconic jersey number, by way of a $10 weekly credit to a Big Chicken gift card. DJ MC Fade kept spirits high and the crowd entertained with lively music. Big Chicken has transformed the former Corner Bakery space featuring an NBA Jams arcade game and foosball table, alongside a full bar, making it a perfect spot for both families and friends to gather and enjoy. The menu at Big Chicken is a testament to O’Neal’s larger-than-life personality and culinary preferences. It includes crispy chicken sandwiches and tenders, Cheez-It crusted mac n’ cheese, and hand-crafted ice cream shakes. See BIG CHICKEN P. 5
By STEFANIE THOMAS editor@theleadernews.com
Electricity provider CenterPoint has emerged as the villain an entire city seemingly loves to hate in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, which took out the power of 2.7 million in the Houston area at its peak on July 8, 2.2 of which were CenterPoint customers. As of Monday morning, July 15, a full week after the storm, more than 176,000 CenterPoint customers were still without power. Beryl’s death toll in the Houston area has climbed to 13 as of Monday, with at least three of them heat-related. The utility provider has projected power restoration as late as July 19 for some. That’s 12 days of potentially life-threatening heat. With tempers growing as boiling hot as the temperature inside many homes, reports have trickled in of
Submitted photo
The Timbergrove neighborhood pitched in to raise money and provide sandwiches from Kojak’s deli on W 18th St, snacks and drinks to the linemen repairing utilities. “It was a ton of fun for everyone,” said Courtnie Hays, who sent in this photo. “They were all working so hard!”
angry residents cursing at or even attacking power restoration workers, thousands of whom arrived from other states in Beryl’s aftermath in a show of mutual assistance.
Residents of the Houston Heights/ Garden Oaks/Oak Forest area have had a particularly rough time, dealing with See BERYL P. 2
Photo by Lisa Morales
Customers line up in hopes of receiving free chicken for a year at the grand opening of Big Chicken on Yale July 14, 2024.
A new market springs up: How a local couple turns lemons into lemonade Lemon Drop HTX Brings a Promising New Small Business to Historic Independence Heights By STEPHANIE SHIRLEY The Leader News Contributor HAR localized housing data by zip code
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A young couple is at the cusp of transforming a struggling remnant of their family’s heritage into a rewarding small business opportunity with their unwavering dedication and vision. Lemon Drop HTX is conveniently located just north of 610 at 3319 Airline Drive. Even though the property has been in the family for over a quarter of a century, it had fallen into a state
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of disrepair and deterioration started around the time of the pandemic in 2020. The property had been leased out, but was unmonitored. As a result, it fell into a profound state of disrepair and suffered significant maltreatment and neglect by its tenants. Determined not to let this be the final chapter of the property’s long Independence Heights history, Davar Ghiyassi and his wife Jessie singlehandedly began systematically clearing and cleaning, all the while with a dream of finding a renewed life for the property. The property was originally owned in partnership by Davar’s uncle and father, who had emigrated from
Photo by Stephanie Shirley
Davar and Jessie Ghiyassi in the charming outside seating and entertainment area of their market venue.
Iran. Convinced they could do something beneficial for the community, they explored different options, based on the space and location. They looked at different business models trying to find an avenue that would let them create something new and unique for the neighborhood. Ultimately, that’s their end-game. Though they have been constantly challenged by the onslaught of obstacles that most new business ventures encounter, their business plan remains flexible and fluid, enabling them to continue to grow and evolve. Davar and Jessie actually met on a See LEMON DROP P. 6
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