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Saturday, July 20, 2019 • Vol. 64 • No. 29
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Man indicted in skimming scam involving area victims
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Kyle Rimel, a 53-year-old homeless man who usually sleeps under the Loop 610 overpass at Ella Boulevard, moved to Houston in 2017 from his home state of Indiana. He often asks passersby for food and money.
“(Some people) act like we’re a lower lifeform.”
Homeless man, area resident form unlikely friendship
Leader readers make their choices From Staff Reports
Every year, we ask readers to tell us their favorite spots in the community -from where to eat, where to go for a haircut to where to find a good book or a good record. And you never let us down. This week, The Leader is proud to announce the winners of our annual Reader’s Choice Awards. Over the course of the last few weeks, voters have cast their ballots for businesses of all types and sizes. Today, these top-notch businesses have a new trophy to put on their mantle. As your community newspaper, we love spotlighting these businesses and bringing their stories to you, the readers, because our mission is to help bring the community together. It’s more evidence that we’re all in this together. From longtime community staples such as Liberty Hoepfl Garage to relative newcomer The Pure Parenting Shop to everything in between, there is no shortage of quality businesses all around us. Congratulations to the winners! If you haven’t visited some of these businesses, today is a great time to start. You’ll find the complete list inside starting on page 5B.
THE INDEX.
Calendar/Church............................... 6A Classifieds.............................................. 7A Coupons................................................... 7B Food/Drink/Art................................... 1B Obituaries............................................... 6A Opinion..................................................... 5A Public Information......................... 2A Puzzles...................................................... 5A
Buying gas has become risky business for area drivers, who must remain on the lookout for pumps where credit card skimmers have been installed. Justice could be coming for several area consumers who already have fallen victim. Wilfredo ColumbieTellez, a 42-year-old man originally from Cuba, was indicted by a Harris County grand jury Wednesday for allegedly possessing and using more than Wilfredo 50 pieces of identifyColumbie-Tellez ing information that were obtained illegally. He has been charged with first-degree felony identity theft in state district court and, if convicted, faces 20 years to life in prison. According to a motion for $70,000 bond filed in court, a skimmer, credit card re-encoder, re-encoded credit cards and USB devices containing more than 750 credit card numbers were found in Columbie-Tellez’s Southwest Houston apartment when he was arrested in March. Robert Buss, a Harris County assistant disSee Skimmer, P. 10A
By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com
The insults start flying as soon as Brad McPhee approaches. Kyle Rimel first calls him a jezebel, then a twerp. He claims that McPhee harasses him, aggravates him and brings him bad luck. He even accuses McPhee of trying to poison him. But it’s all bluster, a way for Rimel to mask the way he really feels about McPhee, who laughs at the jabs and dishes out some of his own. They talk to each other like childhood friends who are catching up as adults. But their relationship dates back only to February, and it’s far from typical. Rimel is homeless, having spent the last 15 months living under the Loop 610 overpass at Ella Boulevard. McPhee lives in a house in
Photo by Adam Zuvanich
Area resident Brad McPhee, left, regularly interacts with homeless people and brings them food and supplies.
a nice neighborhood to the north, drives an SUV and makes periodic visits to see how Rimel is doing, bring him hamburgers or, as he did last week, deliver him a new wheelchair. “I love Brad to death. He’s like a brother to me,” Rimel said. “Well, he is my brother – in the Lord. I’d defend Brad just like he was my real brother. That’s why I give him heck all the time.”
Citywide effort helps homeless By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com Assisting those who need help is a responsibility most churches fulfill within their community. They also are tasked with keeping their members and their property safe. Sometimes those two objectives are at odds with each other. Robert Clark, interim pastor at Garden Oaks Baptist Church, said the complex at 3206 N. Shepherd Dr. is a popular gathering place for parishioners as well as children who attend Garden Oaks Baptist Early Learning Center. Situated on a major thoroughfare in close proximity to a freeway, it’s also a place where homeless people congregate. Clark said members of the area’s homeless community regularly walk past the church while making their way down Shepherd. Sometimes they seek help from the church in terms of food, clothing or money, and sometimes they find a covered corner on the property that makes for a good place to sleep.
Rimel, 53, is one of nearly 4,000 homeless people in the Greater Houston area, according to the Coalition for the Homeless. The nonprofit organization estimates there are about 100 in the six zip codes served by The Leader. McPhee, an unemployed petroleum engineer, is a regular churchgoer who has long had a soft spot See Homeless, P. 11A
HOMELESS
9,000 8,000 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000
8,538
Moon landing recalled with awe, fondness By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
An estimated 500 million people worldwide watched the historic Apollo 11 mission to the moon in July 1969. Ray Viator, the author of “Houston, Space City See related USA,” which is a pictorial story by celebration of the city’s Betsy ties to the U.S. space proDenson gram, relayed an observation from a fellow author: Page 9A Unlike other singular moments in history steeped in tragedy, like President John F. Kennedy’s assassination or the Challenger tragedy, the moon landing is a collective positive memory for those who watched it. Viator was on vacation with his family in Hot Springs, Arkansas, that summer, and his parents gathered him and his siblings around the television to watch the historic event.
7,356 6,359 5,351
2011
2012
2013
2014
See Apollo 11, P. 10A 4,609
2015
3,626
3,412
2016
2017
4,143
3,938
2018
2019
Graph numbers from 2011-16 represent total homeless population for Fort Bend and Harris counties. Montgomery County is included from 2017-19. Source: Coalition for the Homeless
Their presence is a concern to many church members, Clark said, so they regularly are asked to relocate. But the church also has provided assistance to many of them. “We’re trying to do our part to show God’s love to people who are obviously having great difficulties in their lives,” he said. “We feel like it’s part of being Jesus in the world today, and we want to contribute toward that. But at the same time, obviously there is a security concern, especially where small children and parents of those children are concerned. We want to ensure they’re as safe as possible.” According to the Coalition for the Homeless, a nonprofit that assists the homeless across the Houston area, there are about 4,000 home-
less people in the region and that number has fluctuated in recent years. The same is true within the six zip codes served by The Leader, with the estimated homeless population jumping from about 75 in 2017 to more than 200 in 2018, then dipping to about 100 this year. A longtime Garden Oaks resident who attends Garden Oaks Baptist Church and used to walk her two grandchildren to its neighboring preschool said she recently stopped doing that because she was concerned about a few homeless men who started congregating along Shepherd. A July 4 Facebook post on the page for Shepherd Park Plaza asked about an increased See Effort, P. 11A
Photo from Ray Viator A Lego astronaut greets a student at Garden Oaks Montessori Magnet in 2017.
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THE PUBLIC. The Leader • Saturday, July 20, 2019 • Page 2A
Man reported missing from area From Staff Reports Houston police are asking for help in their search for a man who hasn’t had contact with his family for more than two weeks. John Mark Frost was last seen by family June 27 in the 14000 block of the Northwest Freeway and had his last contact with family over the phone July 1, according to a July 11
news release from the Houston Police Department. HPD said Frost is a 56-yearold white man who is 6-foot-2 and approximately 180 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. Anyone with information about Frost and his whereabouts is encouraged to call HPD at 713-884-3131 or 832394-1840. John Mark Frost
Police Reports • July 5 - 16 JULY 5
Theft 7 AM 1300 BLOCK RUTLAND
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Assault 7 PM 1000 BLOCK YALE Theft 11 PM 700 BLOCK E 42ND
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Theft 8 AM 500 BLOCK W 28TH Vandalism 9 PM 900 BLOCK STUDEWOOD Theft 11 PM 4600 BLOCK NETT
JULY 8
Theft 12 AM 1500 BLOCK N LOOP Assault 10 AM 4300 BLOCK AIRLINE Assault 8 PM 600 BLOCK E 38TH Burglary 3 AM 4500 BLOCK OLD YALE Theft 3 AM 2900 BLOCK N SHEPHERD Burglary 3 AM 2900 BLOCK N SHEPHERD
JULY 9
Theft 1 AM 1500 BLOCK N LOOP Theft 6 AM 100 BLOCK E 27TH Theft 1 PM 900 BLOCK N LOOP Other 9 AM 1800 BLOCK AIRLINE Assault 12 PM 300 BLOCK NEYLAND Theft 1 PM 4000 BLOCK N SHEPHERD Burglary 1 AM 1300 BLOCK ENID Vandalism 7 PM 400 BLOCK E CROSSTIMBERS
JULY 10
Theft 7 PM 1100 BLOCK COLUMBIA Vandalism 7 PM 2300 BLOCK BEALL Theft 2 PM 300 BLOCK W 22ND Theft 2 PM 900 BLOCK N LOOP Assault 3 PM 800 BLOCK W
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Assault 3 PM 800 BLOCK W 24TH Theft 5 PM 600 BLOCK W 22ND Assault 8 PM 1300 BLOCK E 27TH Assault 7 PM 300 BLOCK ORIOLE Assault 7 AM 4400 BLOCK OXFORD Robbery 5 AM 4300 BLOCK AIRLINE Theft 5 PM 2100 BLOCK ELLA
JULY 12
Arrest 11 PM 200 BLOCK N LOOP Assault 11 PM 800 BLOCK SARA ROSE Theft 3 AM 100 BLOCK W 20TH
JULY 13
Vandalism 5 PM 2000 BLOCK SHEPHERD Theft 2 PM 1600 BLOCK W 34TH
Assault 8 AM 700 BLOCK YALE Other 4 PM 4000 BLOCK OXFORD Vandalism 4 PM 4000 BLOCK OXFORD Assault 4 PM 4000 BLOCK OXFORD Vandalism 10 PM 00 BLOCK E CROSSTIMBERS Theft 6 AM 5200 BLOCK PETTY Assault 3 AM 4200 BLOCK E CROSSTIMBERS Other 10 AM 1600 BLOCK BASS Assault 7 PM 100 BLOCK W CAVALCADE Vandalism 1 PM 2200 BLOCK ELLA
JULY 14
Theft 11 PM 700 BLOCK CORTLANDT Theft 6 PM 400 BLOCK OXFORD Theft 6 PM 1400 BLOCK SUE BARNETT Burglary 3 PM 6800 BLOCK N SHEPHERD Vandalism 3 PM 6800 BLOCK N SHEPHERD
JULY 15
Theft 10 PM 3200 BLOCK WHITE OAK Vandalism 6 PM 400 BLOCK S HEIGHTS Assault 12 PM 400 BLOCK OXFORD Theft 11 AM 600 BLOCK ARCHER Assault 10 PM 4600 BLOCK FULTON Theft 10 PM 100 BLOCK YALE Theft 5 PM 1000 BLOCK N SHEPHERD
JULY 16
Other 12 AM 1300 BLOCK IDYLWILD Reports are provided by SpotCrime.com based on data from the Houston Police Department.
The Leader • Saturday, July 20, 2019 • Page 3A
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Thank you for choosing us as your Best Hospital and Best Urgent Care!
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Page 4A • Saturday, July 20, 2019 • The Leader
Plan for road diet still in works amidst opposition By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com
A plan that would significantly alter traffic flow on a major Heights thoroughfare is on the verge of being implemented. If not for the vocal and persistent opposition of some area residents, a reconfiguration of 11th Street might already be underway. Timbergrove Manor Neighborhood Association president Chris Elliott and Leigh Killgore, another Timbergrove Manor resident who is president of Super Neighborhood Council 14, are among the Heightsarea homeowners against the “road diet” proposed by Houston Public Works and the city’s Planning & Development Department. The plan calls for the restriping of 11th Street between North Shepherd Drive and Michaux Street to convert it from a four-lane configuration, with two lanes of traffic going in each direction, into one lane going in each direction with a center left-turn lane and bicycle lanes on the outside of the road. A median refuge island, which would provide protection to cyclists and pedestrians using the Heights Hike and Bike Trail that crosses 11th at Nicholson Street, also would be installed at that intersection. It was identified by Houston bike advocates as one of the most dangerous spots in the city. The changes would be funded as part of the Houston Bike Plan, which was adopted by the city council in 2017 and allocates $1.1 million per year to projects aimed at making the city safer and more accessible for cyclists. “The only reason that the City of Houston is looking at this is because there’s money to do a bike lane,” Killgore said. “A road diet doesn’t make people safe. It just slows people down.” According to representatives from public works and the planning and development
department, slowing down traffic is a means of making the street safer. At Heights community meetings held in March and May, they cited studies and traffic models that show the proposed road diet would have little impact on congestion while reducing speeding, sudden lane changes, other forms of aggressive driving and, ultimately, collisions. Jennifer Ostlind, assistant director of the planning and development department, said about two-thirds of the community feedback she’s gotten since March is supportive of the plan and she’s leaning toward moving forward with it. She said July 9 that she expected to make a final decision within a “couple weeks.” Still, opposition from community members such as
Killgore is at least partly why Ostlind continues to deliberate. She said she and Ian Hlavacek, a public works engineer involved with the proposal, are considering Killgore’s claim that the city’s traffic models aren’t adequately factoring in projected growth in the area. Based on platting information she found on the public works website, which suggests upwards of 2,000 homes could be added to the area immediately west of Shepherd, Killgore said there could be at least 16,000 more vehicles in the area within the next five years. Ostlind said it wouldn’t necessarily be reasonable to expect most of those vehicles to travel east and use 11th Street, but the theory is being evaluated See Road Diet, P. 6A
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THE TOPICS. The Leader • Saturday, July 20, 2019 • Page 5A
Local love (and golf courses) prevail in Scotland
T
here’s no better way to begin the trip of lifetime than to stand at the Wheel of Baggage-Claim Fortune and hit bankrupt. United Airlines may fly friendly in the sky, but they’re a migraine on the ground. More than a decade ago, I found two golfing buddies in Houston who became two of my dearest friends. About a year into our golfing “relationship” (because there is such a thing), the elder statesman of the threesome, Beau, threw out the idea that we plan a golf trip to Scotland, a.k.a. the “Home of Golf.” That was nine years ago. Then, on March 28, 2018 – yes, I still have the email – Beau sent Mickey and I a 3-paragraph sales pitch for finally making the trip in July 2019. A lot had changed in the nine years we had discussed this trip. Namely, I now had a wife and two sons (and a third on the way), which limits a fellow’s ability to take a 12-day excursion to some of the greatest golf courses on earth. As such, my reply to Beau went something like this: “Beau, I think you’ve addressed this email to the wrong person. The correct addressee is a beautiful woman named Meghan. She has final say over these sorts of
Jonathan McElvy Publisher
decisions.” Without all the gruesome details, Meghan gave me her blessing because she knew I’d pay a year of penance for every day I spent slogging over grass-covered sand dunes chasing expensive golf balls. And on June 27, Mickey, Beau and I set off on what we knew would be the golfing trip of all trips. We arrived at Bush Airport with golf bags under the 50-pound limit and carry-ons stuffed with socks, slacks and rain gear. Even better, we checked in for our flight more than two hours ahead of our departure time, which apparently also happens to be the exact time United Airlines began its catastrophe of operations. Mickey and I flew from Houston to Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C., with a final destination of Edinburgh, Scotland. Beau, who now
lives in Alabama, took a different route, but would land in Edinburgh one hour before our arrival. As we soon learned, it wouldn’t have mattered if Mickey and I checked our bags 10 hours before our flight. Nope, as we stood at that vaunted Wheel of BaggageClaim Fortune at our final destination and watched similar golfer after similar golfer walk away with golf bags, the baggage-claim belt came to a stop with nary a bag for Mickey nor I to claim. If you want to know how to not start the golfing vacation of a lifetime, it’s pretty much like this: Walk to the customer care center in baggage claim, show them the bar code for your bags, and watch the Scottish agent squint his eyes and then tell you that it appears your golf clubs never left Houston. I’ll give United the credit it deserves: They found our bags, loaded them on a plane the next day, and paid a courier to drive four hours north of Edinburgh to deliver our clubs in time for our second round of golf. What happened over the next nine days was a mixture of utter heartache and unrivaled euphoria. The details of my actual golf game are too gruesome to share. As the father of three children under the age of six, and a lower back
Lynn Ashby Columnist
Austin has a lot going for it. Centrally located in the middle of Texas, it has the constant and predictable money coming in for the state government. The UT athletic program has more money to spend than any school in the nation -- $170 million a year last I heard. Speaking of the Longhorns, each fall Austin brings in the best and the brightest young people from East Jesus who spend four years and a lot of their parents’ money to blow on parties, South By Southwest and boating on Lake Travis. Do you really think that, after those four years, they really want to go back to work at their father’s shoe shop? It’s an artificial skimming of top talent. (College Station doesn’t have that problem.) One more plus: Austin has fine local TV news (except for their focus on Dallas), with few stories on car wreaks, shootings and apartment fires. Apparently there aren’t any. No wonder the city ranks first. But what about the rest of Texas? In U.S News’ rankings, San Antonio comes in at 34: “It offers big-city amenities and world-renowned attractions coupled with a relaxed and inviting atmosphere. Most famously known as the home of the Alamo, the spirit of the region expands beyond its tourist labels, offering a community rich in Spanish and Old West heritage.” Dallas-Fort Worth is Number 21: “Offering both big-city excitement and quiet, suburban living, the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area offers an interesting mix of Texas pride and cosmopolitan offerings. The cowboy life still exists in Fort Worth, while Dallasites love the trendy local bars and numerous retail shops.” Houston is Numero 30: “The Houston metro area attracts people with an entrepreneurial spirit and those who want to work at some of the country’s largest companies. Not only is Houston the hub of the oil and gas industries, but it’s also a major center of manufacturing and health care. The region has weathered the economic downturn better than similarly sized metro areas in terms of bouncing back from lost jobs. As the country recouped, Houston was able to gain all of its lost jobs back, and has gone on to add two jobs for every one lost.” We might take umbrage with this survey. Remember when some magazine rated Houston as the nation’s fattest city? I never bought that insult, although you can see
Cafe than at Starbucks. The shoppers visited boutiques because the strip centers with national brands were nowhere on a map. And from a personal standpoint, I saw something I didn’t even know existed anymore: No matter in a pub, a coffee shop or a street corner, people in Scotland still love their newspapers. Sure, they all have phones rested neatly next to their salad forks, but they don’t scour their tiny screens relentlessly. They hold larger-than-life newspapers, scanning page-by-page, for the latest gossip of the town. That day is likely long gone in these parts, but for a trip that was built around golf, the lasting impression I’ll take from Scotland centers more on the kindness of the people, the support for local business, and the attitude of the people who walk the streets – gruff but always kind. Of course, I’ll also file away the risks of flying across the Atlantic with an airline that should allow passengers the right to load their own bags. Meanwhile, I need to stop writing so I can get back to whatever my wife asks of me next. It’s not lost on me a bit: I’m one lucky man. Email jonathan@mcelvymedia.com
THE READER.
Austin-tatious, Texas AUSTIN – These hot, summer days find our capital city quiet if not dead. The Legislature has gone home, along with the lobbyists, journalists and camp followers. UT is on summer break, East 6th Street is dormant and it’s too hot for tourists. Who would think sleepy old Austin is the best place to live in America? Well, the locals do. So does U.S. News & World Report. Each year it releases a list of the 125 best places to live in America. The magazine looked at five metrics: job market, value, quality of life, desirability, and net migration. The survey reported: “For the third year in a row Austin tops the list based on the area’s value for the money, strong job market, high quality of life and being a desirable place to live. (It’s also considered one of the top U.S. cities in which to start a small business.)” Another survey, this one by something called CompTIA, of IT professionals and students found that 78 percent of those surveyed said they would move to another city for a better lifestyle and, of course, more money. Their Number 1 choice? Austin. On the other hand, some don’t think Austin is so great. Merck walked away from a tentative agreement giving the pharmaceutical giant almost $7 million in local and state money to set up a big operation in Austin. It was just as well. As usual with such deals, Merck kept cutting back on its promised hiring and investment. Even though Austin is closer to Houston than to Dallas, this town is Big D-centric. My local monster grocery store has a sports shop (along with a bank, florist and pharmacy) that is divided into Longhorn orange-and-white paraphernalia and Dallas Cowboy junk. I can get the Dallas Morning News but not the Houston Chronicle. The Austin newspapers and local TV news cover the Dallas sports scene, but the Astros have to win the Super Bowl to get a mention. Getting back to the U.S. News survey: “The Austin metro area has always performed well across the board,” real estate editor Devon Thorsby told CNBC, “but the details that keep it at the top are its population growth due to net migration and desirability. Not only do U.S. residents say they’d like to live in Austin through our annual desirability surveys, but many appear to be acting on it as well.” Indeed, the locals keep complaining that too many people want to move here – the city gains about 50 new residents daily. The city places Number 11 among the nation’s population, but may soon rank in the Top 10, giving Texas the only state with three in the Top 10. Derisively called the Peoples Republic of Austin because of its liberal politics,
problem that, at times, is crippling, I probably had no business playing 180 holes of golf and walking 115 miles over 10 days. Then again, to play golf courses opened in the 1800s, set against the North Sea and the Firth of Clyde, with 30-mph winds blowing balls into gorse and heather and sand bunkers built for wars, I didn’t much care which direction a Titleist left my 7-iron. For the golfer-readers of the group, we played iconic courses like Muirfield, Carnoustie, Turnberry, Royal Troon and Royal Dornoch. We played coastal, more Americanized courses like Kingsbarns and Castle Stuart. And we played spectacular and quirky courses like Prestwick and North Berwick. For the rest of the readers – the ones who will never care about golf or the names of Scottish courses – my great impression from the entire trip, and one that seems so fitting coming back to our area of Houston, was a unique quality in the small, Scottish towns where we stayed. From Tain to Ayr to Gullane and St. Andrews, what I saw in every town was a dedication to all things local. Sure, there were brandnamed stores scattered about, but more people stood in line at Bibi’s
Turner and Jackson Lee have an obligation to protect legal citizens
a whole lot of Houstonians who occupy their own ZIP code. If U.S. News had compared our January morning with that of, say, MinneapolisSt. Paul, Minnesota (Number 6), the Bayou City might do better, if they overlook the fact that some of our bayous occasionally cover the city. Would you really rather live in Fayetteville, Arkansas, (Number 4) than River Oaks? What about San Antonio’s rating? They have let the sacred Alamo Plaza turn into a carnival midway. Dallas? Do you really want to compare the Cowboys to the Oilers? Houston was named for a president of Texas who was elected in 1836. Austin was named for the guy who got beat. What other city has not one but two domed stadiums, OK, maybe one and a half ? And finally, you never heard, “Austin, the Eagle has landed.” Ashby is rated at ashby2@comcast.net
Email us your letters: news@theleadernews.com
Dear Editor: I recently observed with dismay as Houston’s mayor, Sylvester Turner, and the congresswoman from my district, Sheila Jackson Lee, both proclaimed their support for providing protection to illegal immigrants from raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). As elected officials, they each have taken oaths to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and represent the needs of the citizens of Houston, and, as such, have a solemn obligation to protect the citizens of this city and this country. They are duty bound by their oaths of office to set aside any personal biases and defend the laws of this country and protect and provide for the citizens of Houston. To divert resources from legal citizens, their constituents, is a violation of their oaths of office. I am compelled to ask: What is the motivation of the mayor and congresswoman? It appears, based on the firefighter pay problem, that the city cannot properly care for the needs of its citizens. So why are these two individuals and their sycophantic cronies willing to illegally divert hard-earned taxpayer money to non-citizens that have violated our sovereignty by illegally crossing our border? Why do they so casually cast aside their responsibilities to this country and this city? Are they allowing their political beliefs to dissuade them from performing their sworn duties? One needs only to stroll through any number of blighted areas throughout Houston to know that the money illegally diverted from our own citizenry is depriving them of the quality social services to which they are entitled. If the mayor and congresswoman cannot or will not respect the
laws they are sworn to uphold, perhaps it is time for them to find employment elsewhere. Oh, by the way, where was the outrage when the Obama administration was deporting illegals at a record rate? Jeff Przybyla and David Ross
Helpful advice for portable equipment
Dear Editor: Response to letter in The Leader (July 13). Just a thought: Businesses spend thousands of dollars on equipment that’s portable. I do not understand why they do not put tracking devices on their equipment. The first thing I think of for tracking would be LoJack and I’m sure there are many others. I have read stories about landscape companies that had tracking devices on their trailers and they are recovered right away. Joe Smith
Fast food on Ella makes for unlikely happy place
Dear Editor: I am much older than you look– Stevens/Black/ Waltrip 1973! Our family tradition was that every report card day my mother would take me and my best friend Elaine to the Dairy Queen on Ella for either an order of French fries or a chocolatedipped soft serve cone. Although Shipley’s #1 on North Main is now my favorite, my dad used to buy donuts there to take to the preacher’s house on Saturday morning. I’m not sure those visits were always welcome. Good times. Thanks for the memories. Melinda
the leader Puzzlers. Answers found in this week’s Classified section
SUDOKU
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1. Chinese mountain range 5. Adjust 10. Mad Men’s Don 12. Mali capital 14. One who restores 16. __& J 18. Defunct PlayStation game 19. __ King Cole, musician 20. Rock fragments 22. Breeze through 23. Languishes 25. German courtesy title 26. Bunko game 27. War film ‘___ Boot’ 28. Title of respect 30. He ‘sang’ with Rob 31. Abba __, Israeli politician 33. Erase 35. It’s a wrap 37. Has required courage 38. Spoke 40. Monetary unit 41. Scatter 42. Pouch 44. Have already done 45. They ring receipts 48. Fixed charges
50. Hell 52. Pay this before leaving 53. Alternating turns on the roads 55. Pick up 56. Wrath 57. Northeast 58. She launched ‘Just Say No’ 63. Cigar 65. Frozen spike 66. Unusual 67. Type of number
dOwn 1. David Alan Grier 2. Someone who copies the words or behavior of another 3. Franklin is one 4. Where rockers play 5. Reduces 6. Datong Yungang Airport 7. Andy’s partner 8. A way to dry 9. Taka 10. Large constellation 11. Regrow 13. What a surgeon does 15. Cool!
17. Indigenous people of N. Africa 18. Goes great with cheese 21. Contains allusions 23. A supporter 24. __ Caesar, comedian 27. Some are great 29. Interpreted 32. Hits a pitch 34. Local area network 35. Soaking 36. Stimulates 39. Dash 40. Female sibling 43. Annul 44. Scattered fragments 46. Chili con __ 47. Relative biological effectiveness (abbr.) 49. Adult male 51. Not night 54. Starch 59. Zero 60. French coins 61. Ventilate 62. Greatest common devisor 64. Touchdown
WORD SCRAMBLE
Page 6A • Saturday, July 20, 2019 • The Leader
THINGS TO DO. The Arts Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears Saturday, July 20 7 p.m. The Heights Theater – 339 W. 19th St. Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears are performing at The Heights Theater with Walker Lukens. Tyler Ramsey Tuesday, July 23 6 p.m. The Heights Theater – 339 W. 19th St. Tyler Ramsey is performing at The Heights Theater with Carl Broemel. Shake Russell & Michael Hearne Thursday, July 25 7 p.m. The Heights Theater – 339 W. 19th St. Shake Russell & Michael Hearne are performing at The Heights Theater. Tunes in the Tap Room Tuesday, July 23 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. Harold’s Retaurant & Tap Room – 350 W. 19th St. Enjoy live music in Harold’s Tap Room every Tuesday night. Koe Wetzel Friday, July 19 6 p.m. White Oak Music Hall – 2915 N. Main St. Koe Wetzel is performing at White Oak Music Hall with Parker McCollum. Oceans of Slumber Saturday, July 20 7 p.m. White Oak Music Hall – 2915 N. Main St. Oceans of Slumber is performing at White Oak Music Hall with Hinayana, Vex, and Warlung. Del Castillo Saturday, July 20 8 p.m. White Oak Music Hall – 2915 N. Main St. Del Castillo is performing at White Oak Music Hall. Julia Holter Tuesday, July 23 7 p.m. White Oak Music Hall – 2915 N. Main St. Julia Holter is performing at White Oak Music Hall with Ana Roxanne. The Mowgli’s Wednesday, July 24 7 p.m. White Oak Music Hall – 2915 N. Main St. The Mowgli’s is performing at White Oak Music Hall with Petal and Arms Akimbo.
The Markets Eleanora’s Market Saturday, July 20 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Cavatore – 2120 Ella Blvd. There will be local growers, makers, designers, artisans and food producers. Little White Oak Night Market Saturday, July 20 4 – 8 p.m. Sideout Volleybar – 2623 Keene St.
Road Diet, from P. 4A
The Little White Oak Night Market brings together local farmers, craft merchandisers, and artists. The Farm Stand at Petrol Station Saturday, July 20 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. 948 Wakefield Dr. The Farm Stand at Petrol Station features goods from local vendors. Heights Morning Market Sunday, July 21 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. 3106 White Oak Dr. Heights Morning Market gathers local talented artisans, farmers, and entrepreneurs to bring you closer to the goods you need. Stop by to shop and stay to brunch, drink mimosas, and listen to live music at Onion Creek.
The Pews Women’s Bible Study Group Monday, July 22 5:30 p.m. YMCA –1234 W. 34th St. The Women’s Bible Study meets every Monday at the Harriet and Joe Foster YMCA. The study is called The Faithful, which explores crucial moments in the lives of five Old Testament figures--Queen Esther, Gideon, Hosea, Malachi, and Nehemiah. Guests and new members are welcome to attend this non-denominational Bible study. Email scripturesharing@earthlink.net for information. Men’s Scripture Sharing Group Thursday, July 25 7 a.m. YMCA –1234 W. 34th St. The Men’s Scripture Sharing Group meets every Thursday at the Harriet and Joe Foster YMCA. There will be music, Bible study and fellowship. Guests and new members are welcome to attend this non-denominational Bible study. Email scripturesharing@ earthlink.net for information. Senior Event Tuesday, July 30 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. First Church Heights – 201 E. 9th St. The First Church Heights is hosting a senior event on July 30 in its fellowship hall. The speaker is Tina Williams and the topic is A Healthy Me, You, and Community. Vineyard Summer Nights Wednesday, July 24, 31 and Aug. 7, 14 6 p.m. Vineyard Church of Houston – 1035 E. 11th St. Join the Vineyard for dinner and programs for the entire family. Dinner is served at 6 p.m. and classes will begin at 7 p.m. Adults and high school students can choose from five different classes (Advocacy, Reading a New Testament Text, Good $ense: Freed Up Financial Living, Movement, and iPhone Photography). Nursery, elementary, and middle school ages will have their own selection. You can register here: https://forms.gle/ btd6eFy3PXF33DGw7, or call at 713-869-9070. Lazybrook Baptist Church Events June 2 – Aug. 25 6:30 p.m.
Black Joe Lewis and The Honeybears will perform Saturday night at The Heights Theater, 339 W. 19th St. Lazybrook Baptist Church 1822 W. 18th St. Lazybrook Baptist Church is sponsoring the Young Adult Summer Book Club Fellowship, “Welcome to Adulting- Navigating Faith, Friendship, Finances, and the Future� by Jonathan “JP� Pokluda, which will be at the home of Sean and Vonda Bonte. They will start with a meal and then have discussion from the book. Vacation Bible School at Lazybrook Baptist Church will be July 8 – 12, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. for kids who have completed Kindergarten - 5th grades. Theme: In the Wild, Amazing Encounters With Jesus. VBS is free. Call 713-864-1470 to register or for information about the events.
Bingo at SPJST Lodge 88 is held every Thursday night. Bingo pads are $5 each. Doors open at 5:15 p.m. Early bird special starts at 7 p.m. with regular bingo games beginning at 7:30 p.m. Oak Forest Originals Mix & Mingle Friday, August 9 6 p.m. – midnight American Legion Post 560 – 3720 Alba The admins of the Facebook group Oak Forest Originals are inviting all members of the group out for a night of mingling at the American Legion. There will be pizza and a food truck onsite. To secure a spot email mikebenestante@yahoo.com.
Special Events
Fun & Games
Booker T Washington Class of 1989 Friday, July 26 Calling all Booker T Washington / High School for the Engineering Professions Class of 1989 grads.  Please join the class for a weekend of 30-year reunion activities, July 26 – 28. It’s been 30 years and we would love to see and reconnect with fellow classmates. For more information, see any of the following FB pages:  Booker T. Washington’s c/o 89, High School for the Engineering Professions Friends, BTW/HSEP Alumni Group (Houston, TX). You may also contact Shawn Emerson Simmons (altegoses@yahoo.com) or Octavia Jones Jackson (Octavia.jackson@ live.com) for more information and to get your tickets.Â
Steak Night Friday, July 19 6 p.m. American Legion Post 560 -  3720 Alba Rd. Come by and enjoy a steak dinner with all the fixings. Plates will be served from 6 p.m. until they run out. Battle of the Hands Contest Friday, July 19 7:30 p.m. Eureka Heights Brew Co. – 941 W. 18th St. Wicket Awesome ESB presents the first ever Battle of the Hands contest at Eureka Heights. People will battle hand to hand in a series of fights that includes thumb wrestling, rock-paperscissors and hot hands aka slaps. All contestants must be over the age of 18 and must sign a waiver. Contestant signup begins at 6 p.m. the day of the event, in person and at the brewery. Each contestant will be randomly distributed amongst a bracket system and will go head to head until there is only one winner. Our grand hand champion will go home with a $100 gift card to Eureka Heights and more.
Waltrip High School Class of 1984 Saturday, August 3 7 p.m. Karbach Brewing Co. – 2032 Karbach St. The Waltrip High School Class of 1984 35-year reunion is August 3. The meet and greet begins in the back Biergaarten area. The theme is “Red Out� - wear red! Donations will be accepted for future reunions. Light snacks provided. Cash bar.
Prost Y’all Crawl Wednesday, July 24 6 p.m. Mellow Mushroom – 1919 N. Shepherd Dr. Join Mellow Mushroom during its Prost Y’all Crawl for some fun. There will be pizza, beer specials and giveaways.
Waltrip High School Class of 1979 Saturday, October 5 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. The Whitehall Hotel – 1700 Smith St. The Waltrip High School Class of 1979 40th Reunion is this October. Please make your check payable to Waltrip Class of 79 for $60 per person before September 15 is you plan to attend. Mail your check to: Lisa Trigg Mendel, PO Box 16611, Houston, TX 77222. If your name has changed since high school, please include your high school name with your payment.
Open Mic Night Tuesday, July 23 9 p.m. Heights Vinyl – 3301 Cline St. This is a free flowing, “tap in,� share the mic event where everyone is welcome. Thursday Night Bingo Thursday, July 25 7 p.m. SPJST Lodge 88 - 1435 Beall St.
CHURCH
nonetheless. “We want this to work. We don’t want to put something out there that’s going to cause gridlock,� Ostlind said. “So we’re taking our time. There’s no reason to rush it.� Whether or not 11th Street gets a road diet, Elliott and Killgore said a pedestrian hybrid beacon would be a more effective, safer option for the intersection of 11th and Nicholson. Hybrid beacons are traffic signals activated by pedestrians who press a button at a crosswalk to activate a temporary red light for vehicles. One recently was installed at Shepherd and 10th Street in response to the March deaths of pedestrians Lesha Adams and Jesse Perez, who were struck and killed by a woman driving a car while trying to cross Shepherd. Killgore said she often drives on that stretch of Shepherd, which is a one-way street going north. “I think the issue is that 11th street needs to stay with the same number of lanes and a beacon light should go in there,� Killgore
said. “If you do a beacon light, I don’t think you need a road diet and I don’t think you need an island.� That appears unlikely, though. Hlavacek said in May there is a law prohibiting the installation of a hybrid pedestrian beacon within 100 feet of a cross street or driveway, which would take that option out of play at 11th and Nicholson. Ostlind said a beacon also would be more costly than the existing plan. It’s a plan that seems to be inching toward fruition, even though it has some opposition. Killgore said she agrees that 11th, particularly at its intersection with Nicholson, needs to be made safer. She also said she’s glad that Hlavacek and Ostlind have been willing to consider her concerns. Ostlind described Killgore as the “most tenacious� of the plan’s dissenters and meant that as a compliment. “That’s what makes communities good are people out there that are doing stuff about it,� she said.
THE OBITUARIES. Veronica Albino, 38, born April 25, 1981, died on July 13 in Houston, Texas. Pete Balcerowicz, 96, born May 15, 1923 in Brenham, died July 7. Balcerowicz served in the Army during World War II where he received several medals. He is a member of the VFW Post 581 and St. Ambrose Catholic Church. He is survived by nephews; Larry Bronikowski, and Michael Balcerowicz, nieces; Evelyn Rosenbaum, Debby Garst and Betty Matthews, and several great nieces and nephews. Betty Jane Bryant, 101, born Nov. 27, 1917, died July 13. She is preceded in death by her husband Robert. She is survived by her sisters; Lois Peterson, Margaret Luttrell and Judy Schnebelt and children, Bruce Bryant (Lucy), Eddie Bryant (Mary) and Carrie Canzoneri (David), 10 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren and one great great grandchild (Luke). A memorial service is scheduled for August 3rd at 2pm at Oak Forest Baptist Church. In lieu of any flowers, a memorial fund has been set up in memory of Betty Bryant at Oak Forest Baptist Church.
Notice of Public Sale Pursuant to Chapter 59 of the Texas Property Code, EDC Moving Systems, Inc., located at 2228 Wirtcrest Ln, Ste A, Houston, TX 77084, will hold a public auction of used personal household goods for Yecenia Caban - Jimenez, being sold for non-payment of storage charges. Sale will begin at 10:00 am on July 24th, 2019. Seller reserves the right to not accept any bid and to withdraw property from sale.
Joshua Isidore Gonzales, 45, born May 31, 1974,
died July 14, in New Braunfels.
Leon Patrick Gottselig,
72, born April 28, 1947, died on July 11. He is survived by a daughter Kimberly Pavlock and son-in-law Jason Pavlock, grandchildren Jackson and Lauren Pavlock and son Steven Gottselig and daughter-in-law Megan Gottselig, and grandchildren Miller and Laurel Gottselig.
Timothy Lee Granger,
67, born April 22, 1952, died on July 9.
Virginia Dawe Thompson, 93, born May 30, 1926
in Pontiac, Michigan, died July 5. Thompson graduated from Bowling Green University and later married and moved to Houston in 1951. She was a long term member of St. Marks United Methodist Church and Houston Heights Rotary where she served for years as a “Rotary Anne� assisting her husband and son in projects to improve Houston Heights. She is survived by her sister, Margery Papenguth, five sons Kent, Scott, Jeff, Dan and Mike Thompson, 10 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
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a holiday that we as Americans have enjoyed for generations. peopleyourself are looking to time spent Have you Many ever found in forward a difficult situation withproblem family, time offjust fromwished work, a big feast, football, or and that youwatching could get out catching the biggest sales of the years, to a different place? The Bible tellsand theprobably story ofmany the others things weekend. Thereto willthe be children of during Israel this as Thanksgiving they left Egypt to head some people whothat will God struggle during the them this time of holiday promised land went before in the pillar as they remember lovedthe ones whoofthey havebylost, or close of fire by night and pillar cloud day. This companions that are unable totobe because of the must have been incredible seetogether God’s direct leading schedule or the logistics. way, have Thanksgiving be a in their lives. How niceEither it must been towill follow time when thinking happy or sad God not bypeople faith are buteither by sight. That was thoughts true however, thoughts about until God led something. them to the edge of the Red Sea. This When I was a boy, I remember mother saying, “Don’t sea was too wide to swim my across and much too forget deep to say thank you.� The She was reminding me was to bepursuing thankful tothe my to walk across. Egyptian army grandmother for the to wonderful or them to my children of Israel captureThanksgiving them and meal, return family member that gave a special gift, or to my situation. friend who to their slavery. Thismewas an impossible invited me toGod theirhad birthday party.the Most people want teach Following brought Israelites to atoplace their children be thankful. I think mostEven peoplethough would agree where they to were out of options. the that being thankful is important, it is alsomade true that it is for not Israelites had nowhere to go, God a way always across to be thankful depending what we are going through. them the Red Sea. Ifonyou know the story, you The Bible says in Ephesians 5:20a“Giving thanks always forthe all know that God performed miracle by parting thingsSea untoand Godcausing and the Father in thetoname of our Red the water stand up Lord in a Jesus wall Christ.� I would encourage you, could no matter how you feelon during on either side so the people walk through dry this holiday season to remember that you can bethrough thankfulon to ground! Did you catch that? They walked God.ground He gavethat up His only Son to die a cruel death on the cross dry wasn’t even muddy! so that anyone whoare trusts himamazing can be forgiven theirGod sins and While there many thingsofthat did have eternal life.it Don’t forget to saytothank in this story, is interesting noteyou! that before the If you would like to discuss this further or have amazing happened, the children of Israel werequestions, led into Pastorimpossible Will Cover can be reached at Arise Baptist Church at their situation by God himself. God means 803 you Curtin www.arisebaptistchurch.org, oryou 713-659-9697. for toSt., beorwhere you are right now. If are in a
difficult situation, trust God. If you put yourself in the difficult situation, trust God. Follow God and do right. He doesn’t ever allow anybody to be anywhere that is outside where He can’t reach.
THE CLASSIFIEDS.
The Leader • Saturday, July 20, 2019 • Page 7A
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The Leader • Saturday, July 20, 2019 • Page 9A
CASTILLIAN Upholstery, LLC
Moon landing comes full circle for local artist By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
Local sculptor Bridgette Mongeon was 8 years old when Apollo 11 landed three American astronauts on the moon on July 20, 1969. “I remember sitting in front of the television and thinking, ‘This is significant,’ ” Mongeon said. Fifty years later, she is preparing to begin work on a sculpture of the astronaut who made the small step for man and giant leap for mankind – Neil Armstrong. As The Leader reported in April, Mongeon has been commissioned to create two life-sized sculptures of Armstrong. One will go to Space Center Houston and the other to Ethnomir, a park 75 miles outside of Moscow which highlights the achievements of key individuals from around the world. In 2012, a Russian group gave Houston a sculpture of cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space. That sculpture sits outside the former Manned Spacecraft Center Headquarters in southeast Houston – now the home of Houston Parks and Recreation – along with a panel of John Glenn in honor of both space pioneers. Sophya Tabarovsky, a Russia native who runs Kindness Without Limits, which is a cultural nonprofit affiliated with the Russian School in
Contributed photo A Neil Armstrong sculpture by local artist Bridgette Mongeon, which sits outside th Houston Parks and Recreation Department.
Houston, was involved in the placement of the Gagarin statue and has been fundraising for the current Armstrong effort for seven years. “The Space Center Houston has already designated a spot,” Mongeon said. “Believe it or not, there are no sculptures of astronauts at Nassau Bay. Armstrong would be the first.” Mongeon is also closer to nailing down the process by which she will create Armstrong. “I’m hoping to get permission from NASA to get a 3D scan of the actual suit,” Mon-
geon said. “The Smithsonian did 15 different prints of the suit. One will be located at our Minute Maid Park. The data of this space suit is almost like gold.” Mongeon said she often uses 3D data created by 3D scanning to create an armature for her clay. However, in the case of the space suit, with permission to use the scan data, she has a vendor that could 3D print the suit to size. “It is not necessarily less work, but different,” she said. In Mongeon’s sculpture of Armstrong, he will be carry-
ing his helmet and she will have to revise the data to accommodate for that. She will still need to traditionally sculpt the base where he will set foot on the moon as well as create Armstrong’s hands and head. Whatever process Mongeon uses, she is committed to accuracy. “If I don’t have that spacesuit correct, someone is going to say something,” she said. Traveling the circuit to promote the project, Mongeon said she’s enjoyed meeting many astronauts and NASA officials. George Abbey Jr., the son of former Johnson Space Center director George William Samuel Abbey, has been a great resource, according to Mongeon, along with Dr. Kyle Sprecher, another member of the fundraising team. Mongeon said it is significant for both Russia and Houston to have the Armstrong sculpture because the space race was a challenge that she thinks inspired great minds. Now the two places are united in space with cosmonauts and astronauts working together. “When you’re in space, there are no geographical boundaries,” Mongeon said. “It’s just the earth and the moon. I wish we could all see that.” Find out more information at www.unitedinspace.com.
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wners Jim and Kathy Stratton and Duane Myers purchased C&D Hardware in 1999 from Mrs. Alice Dailey. The store, located at 314 East 11th in the Heights, was once the site of record shop & jukebox business owned by Pappy Daily and his sons. With its small-town appeal, C&D Hardware still prides itself on being a family-owned and operated business serving the Heights since 1951. The store has grown through
the years and is constantly adding products to keep up with customers’ needs and expectations. C & D Hardware carved out a niche for itself long ago and continues to strive to maintain outstanding customer service. Although C & D Hardware prides itself on being a full-line hardware store, the store also carries a large selection of home and garden decor. Looking for a gift? Browse through the unique selection of gifts for wine enthusiasts, Jim Shore collectibles, candles and scented oils, seasonal decorations, crosses and
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Page 10A • Saturday, July 20, 2019 • The Leader
Street sign toppers mark Yale Green Corridor By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
Donna Bennett, a member of the Houston Heights Association Urban Forestry Committee, sees the Yale Green Corridor Sign Toppers as the culmination of a lot of hard work. Bennett, along with fellow committee members Jonathan Smulian, Mark Williamson and Angela DeWree, worked to get a 1.5-mile portion of Yale Street — from 6th Street to 19th Street — designated as the city’s first green corridor in 2017. “This is the first use of Houston’s 1991 green corridor ordinance, which has the potential for the creation of similar green corridors in many districts citywide,” Smulian said in a HHA news release. “It was difficult and we didn’t have a lot of time,” added Bennett, who said they had to inventory and measure the trees and also get 70 percent of business property owners along the street to buy in to the idea. “A lot of the businesses were owned by thirdparty investors and we had to
track them down.” Still, Bennett said a belief in the cause made it easy to explain to the owners why a green corridor would be a benefit to them. As Smulian told Houston Public Media in 2016, the trees “act as a buffer on the street
and are important to the environment and ambiance of the whole neighborhood.” Smulian related the history of the trees, the majority of which are live oaks planted in 1987 by the community in partnership with Trees for Houston.
“They watered them for two years,” Smulian told Houston Public Media. “We have a real stake in what happens to these trees.” In 2008, the oaks were in danger when the city was talking about widening Yale. Ultimately, the city improved the
street but did not widen it and the trees were preserved. Following the designation of the green corridor, Bennett and committee members brainstormed the best way to mark it. Ultimately the sign toppers were the winner. “The city has (the process) down pat,” Bennett said. “You do have to buy and install them. We got a design approved by (Houston) Public Works.” In addition to its own fundraising, the Houston Heights Association Urban Forestry Committee was awarded a $5,000 matching grant by Mayor Pro Tem Ellen Cohen through the Department of Neighborhoods. The green corridor street sign toppers installation was completed in mid-June. The mature trees 15
with an enlarged, modified fuel tank that, according to the district attorney’s office, is common to a scam that involves buying diesel fuel with stolen credit card numbers and then selling the fuel to operators of 18-wheelers. Court documents say Dalton determined the pickup truck was registered to ColumbieTellez and followed him from his apartment Jan. 29. The DPS agent said he watched Columbie-Tellez drive the truck to two gas stations near his apartment before driving to an East Houston truck yard, where Columbie-Tellez and a passenger stayed for more than an hour. Columbie-Tellez then drove the truck to another gas station, where Dalton said he purchased fuel with a debit
card number later determined to belong to a Dallas woman who had not provided authorization for it to be used. Court records show PinoSubiza was charged in February with fraudulent use of identifying information and is now in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Columbie-Tellez is a U.S. citizen, according to court records. Mark Loeffler, communications director for the Texas Department of Agriculture, is familiar with skimming scams and said they often are part of Cuban organized crime. “This is not some guy sitting in his underwear deciding to go put a skimmer in. This is organized crime,” Loeffler said. “There is lots of money to be made with this illegal in-
formation, and so it’s definitely part of a network. It is nationwide, but it is hitting Florida and Texas particularly hard.” Buss said the crime is especially prevalent in Houston. At a conference he attended that was hosted by a company that provides payment processing and information management services, Buss said he was told there are more credit cardrelated identity theft cases in Houston than any other city in the country. Buss also saw a demonstration by a convicted criminal who installed a credit card skimmer in a gas pump in 30 seconds. He said in some cases it is nearly impossible for consumers to tell whether a pump contains a skimmer, and information can be obtained from the skimmers wirelessly
and without having to remove them. Buss said a “mixed bag” of stations are victimized by skimmers, and pumps that aren’t easily visible to store employees are especially vulnerable. According to information from the Houston Police Department, obtained through an open records request, at least 10 gas stations in the Heights, Garden Oaks and Oak Forest area had skimmers found in their pumps in 2018. “I’ve had other news people ask me how people can avoid this happening to them. Unfortunately, it’s mostly being reactive,” Buss said. “You can’t spot these devices from looking at the gas pumps. You just have to go watch your card and make sure you know all
a rocket and parachute for each of us,” Obenhaus said. “As we recited our multiplication tables our rockets would move up the board and our parachutes would drift back to ‘Earth’ as we learned division. The first time NASA launched a manned spaceship was also the first time a TV was brought into the classroom so we could watch it live. So by the time we landed on the moon, I was attending Waltrip and remember going out in the backyard alone and looking up at the moon with a sense of wonder that there was a man on the
moon.” Brenda Thompson Askins remembers that it was her 16th birthday. “We watched the moon landing on TV rather than party however 16-year-olds partied in 1969,” she said. Reader Joyce Dedman was a little bit closer to the action. “I had a temp job in Nassau Bay typing the dictaphone message from the landing and the voices of the astronauts for Japanese reporters to report to Japanese viewers,” she said. “It was my summer job before sophomore year at the Univer-
sity of Houston.” Fifty years later, the wonder of it all remains for many people who were watching. “I was sitting in my living room watching TV and at the same time looking out the living room window to a beautiful, huge, full moon,” area resident Pat Walker said. “The night was very clear. As they were making that ‘first step’ I looked out the window at the ‘real moon’ and the tears started.”
Contributed photo Yale Street, which is lined with trees, is designated as a green corridor by the City of Houston. As part of that, special toppers were recently added to street signs.
inches in diameter and greater are now protected in the rightof-way with the green corridor designation on Yale Street. “The toppers clearly define the Yale Green Corridor and will help to identify it as a special place,” Smulian said. “The corridor exemplifies the actions we need to take to nurture and sustain the street trees that are so important in both giving us shade and creating the special character of our historic neighborhood. The city’s support for this venture has been admirable and we are now undertaking the first phase of an initiative to introduce new trees to fill gaps in the tree cover on all Heights streets.”
the charges, which is unfortunate.” Buss said it is “unique” for his office to prosecute skimming cases as extensive as the one involving ColumbieTellez. If he’s convicted, it could spell justice for several victims of identity theft, including some in the area. But Loeffler, whose department has regulated gas pumps throughout the state, said the skimming issue remains expansive. “It’s a bigger problem than just one guy, for sure,” Loeffler said. “As long as that technology exists to be able to do that, it’s going to continue to be a problem for consumers in Texas.” Follow Adam Zuvanich on Twitter @AZuvanich
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Skimmer, from P. 1A trict attorney who specializes in identity theft and is prosecuting the case, said victims continue to be identified. As of Tuesday, Buss said he had identified at least 20 victims from the Heights area. “It’s a significant identity theft case,” Buss said. “This is fairly sophisticated.” Ian Lloyd, who according to court documents is the public defender assigned to defend Columbie-Tellez, did not respond to a voice message left in his office last week. According to court records, special agent Leah Dalton with the Texas Department of Public Safety initiated a credit card fraud investigation into another Cuba native, Reynier Pino-Subiza, in December. Pino-Subiza was seen driving a silver Ford F-150 outfitted
Apollo 11, from P. 1A Here are some other memories from readers: Shannon Leigh wasn’t born until October 1969, but her baby book has a photograph of a TV shot that says, “Live from the Moon.” “It was to mark what was happening in history within the same year,” Leigh said. Carol Obenhaus, who was in grade school at the time, remembers her “very clever teacher” at Oak Forest Elementary who made the space program part of the curriculum. “She had a felt board with
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Homeless, from P. 1A for the homeless. He said he initially approached Rimel thinking he was another homeless man he already knew and ended up talking to him for an hour. McPhee said Rimel, who counts a Bible among his few possessions, is unique in that he knows Scripture “about as well or probably better than 90 percent of the people that I go to church with.” That was the tie that bound them. McPhee, who said he was laid off from his job about a month ago, also understands that homelessness can be circumstantial and not just a product of poor choices. “There are people that are homeless that have engineering degrees and worked for banks,” McPhee said. “I’m just trying to do what I can do to help.” Rimel said he once worked as a heavy machine operator and drove a truck in his native Indiana. He said he moved to Houston in 2017 to be with a woman he had met a few years earlier, but it didn’t work out and he had nowhere else to go. He said he initially stayed in two Houston homeless shelters and was taken to the hospital three times in a two-month span to treat some of his array of medical conditions. Rimel said he suffers from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, congestive heart failure, diabetes, hypertension, neuropathy, rheumatoid arthritis and sleep apnea, conditions that have largely gone untreated since April 2018. That’s when Rimel said he was discharged from Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital. He wheeled from there to the nearby intersection of 610 and Ella, where he has been stationed ever since. Rimel panhandles during the day, attempting to attract passersby with a series of hand gestures such as clasping his hands, spooning from an imaginary bowl and holding his index finger and thumb close together to indicate he wants just a little bit of food or money. He said he can collect $50 or more on a good day, whereas some days, particularly when the weather
is bad, he gets nothing and doesn’t eat. He said a few of the nearby fast-food restaurants will set out extras for him and the other homeless people in the immediate area – Rimel knows most of their names, backstories and tendencies – and he also relies on generous people like McPhee. “You get a lot of good people that stop and give us money and food,” he said. “But then we get the butt munchers that call us names, flip us off, tell me to get up off my lazy butt and get a job.” Downs and ups Rimel said he cannot hold down a job because of his physical ailments and mental health issues, which he cited as bipolar disorder, manic depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. He said he also has suicidal thoughts and has made attempts to kill himself. “I’ve started to, like me being in a wheelchair, waiting for a truck or somebody to come flying around that curve, then just roll myself out in front of them,” he said. “But it seems like every time something like that happens, they drive real slow. So I can only blame the Lord almighty for that.” Despite his Christian faith and knowledge of the Bible, a copy of which he keeps with him, Rimel is no saint and not without vices. He doesn’t drink alcohol but smokes cigarettes when he can and admits to using drugs on occasion, including methamphetamine. Rimel said he once sold meth in Indiana and spent more than 14 years in prison there, first for transporting stolen firearms across state lines and then for selling other drugs. He said he also experienced homelessness in his home state. While he still lives on the streets and is prone to self-medicating, Rimel seems to have found higher moral ground since migrating to Houston. He talks about looking after his fellow homeless people, even ones he has arguments with,
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Photo by Adam Zuvanich Kyle Rimel, left, and Keith Thomas rest last week under Loop 610.
and warns that not all homeless people are as friendly as he is. Rimel said he’s been assaulted and robbed during his short time in Texas. He’s also seen homeless people get aggressive while panhandling. “About 85 to 90 percent of us are OK,” he said. “You get ones that are violent and crazy, but they’re very few.” Rimel hopes to become a different kind of statistic by eventually leaving Houston’s homeless community. Ana Rausch of the Coalition for the Homeless, the lead agency for a regionwide partnership called The Way Home, said the organization helped house more than 2,700 homeless people in 2018 and has housed about 17,000 since 2011. Rimel has been assessed by case workers and put on a waiting list for either permanent or temporary housing. Rausch said Houston-area homeless people are prioritized based on need and vulnerability, with preference given to those with veteran status, children, physical disabilities or mental health issues. During a phone interview, Rausch said she searched an online database and found a 53-year-old man named Kyle whose location was listed as 610 and Ella. She said records indicated that an outreach team looked for the man about two months ago and “couldn’t find him.” When told that on Tuesday, Rimel said, “Everybody knows where I’m at. Even my ex
knows where I’m at.” Until Rimel reconnects with case workers who might help him get a home, he’ll continue to make do under the overpass. On the night of July 11, he had a rug and pillow to lay on, a small collection of food and drinks, his Bible, a cell phone that works in places with free WiFi and the new wheelchair brought by McPhee. He also had the company of Keith Thomas, a friend and fellow homeless man who said he was working his way through a “bad spell” in life. They had to worry about ants, spiders and the mice that scurried in and out of the concrete foundation of the freeway. There also was the letter that had been dropped off by the Houston Police Department, which said they were in violation of the city’s encampment law and could face a $500 fine or be arrested if they had “too much property” in their possession. The letter said wheelchairs were exempt, but more dropoffs by McPhee could be problematic. Still, Rimel would probably accept whatever his friend offers, so long as it doesn’t contain mayonnaise or sour cream, which would cause an allergic reaction. That’s unlikely, though, because McPhee knows better by now. “Brad’s got a good heart. He’s a good person,” Rimel said. “He’s here to do the Lord’s work, and a lot of us appreciate that.”
is counterproductive to the region’s organized effort. Rausch said donating to any of about 100 homeless service providers would be more beneficial, because the money would go toward housing the homeless and not just food or clothing. “If people get their needs met on the street, they won’t come in and engage with any of our partners,” Rausch said. “It makes it hard for us to house them.” Clark said Garden Oaks Baptist Church has a policy under which it provides financial assistance to a homeless person only once per year. But its interaction with the homeless is regular and occasionally causes concern among its members. Clark, who has worked for the church for about a year, said he isn’t aware of any incidents in which a homeless person caused harm to a church member or church property. So during that time, the church has not felt compelled to contact authorities to address an issue with a homeless person. Clark said the church tries to strike a balance between being a safe haven for those inside its building while being kind and generous to those outside. “Homelessness is very, very complex,” Eichenbaum said. “As much as I wish there was a magic wand for a very simple
solution, the reality is it’s a complex issue that has a complex solution. But with hard work, it can be done.”
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Effort, from P. 1A number of homeless people at the intersection of Shepherd and Loop 610, prompting more than 50 comments. Ana Rausch, a senior research project manager with the Coalition for the Homeless, said the region-wide homeless population has decreased by more than 50 percent since 2011. But she and Marc Eichenbaum, the special assistant to Mayor Sylvester Turner for homeless initiatives, both said urban development has created shifts in the location of homeless people and made them more visible within certain communities. “There’s less people than there were before,” Eichenbaum said, “but they’re now more visible than ever before.” Rausch said the coalition, the lead agency for a region-wide partnership called The Way Home, manages $38 million annually in federal funding and has helped house about 17,000 homeless people since 2011. Last year, she said more than 2,700 were housed either permanently or temporarily. Rausch said the cost to house a homeless person is about half of the cost associated with that person living on the street, because of the typical costs needed for shelters, outreach, medical emergencies and instances in which homeless people are arrested and jailed.
“What the city and its partners are interested in is breaking the cycle between shelter, jail and the streets by the use of housing to permanently solve the issue,” Eichenbaum said. Rausch said homeless people can seek housing and other forms of assistance by registering through a program called Coordinated Access. There are multiple locations throughout the city where homeless people can connect with case workers, who also hit the streets to connect with the homeless. Homeless people who are veterans, have children or cope with physical disabilities or mental health issues are given priority, Rausch said. Some are placed in “Permanent Support Housing,” which includes supportive services after move-in, and those with less need and more resources of their own are placed in “Rapid Rehousing.” Since homeless people tend to be transient, Rausch said locating them after they enter the system can be challenging. “Everyone gets placed on a waiting list,” Rausch said. “We don’t have resources to place someone immediately.” Although many citizens with homes and jobs provide help to homeless people on an individual, case-by-case basis, Eichenbaum and Rausch both said donating to panhandlers
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Page 12A • Saturday, July 20, 2019 • The Leader
Oak Forest couple creates pollinator’s paradise By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
Oak Forest resident Lauren Simpson didn’t set out to become a champion of pollinators. Initially, it was the practicality of a drought-tolerant lawn that appealed to her and her husband, Iain Simpson. “After the droughts following 2011, we had a tough-love policy with our yard,” Lauren Simpson said. “Almost everything died. When we started over on our home garden, we wanted something drought tolerant and also wanted flowers because we knew we liked butterflies.” What they ended up with was St. Julian’s Crossing, which is a certified wildlife habitat with the National Wildlife Federation, a monarch waystation with Monarch Watch and a certified butterfly garden with the North American Butterfly Association. The gardens have welcomed 48 species of butterflies, at least 20 species of syrphid flies and around 30 species each of bees and wasps, among other pollinators. It didn’t happen overnight, however. “(The first garden) looked pretty, but we had all the wrong plants,” Simpson said. Aside from milkweed, the one plant on which monarch butterflies lay their eggs, Simpson said she and her husband didn’t have a lot of plants native to this part of Texas. That’s when Simpson started to network online with the Oak Forest Community of Gardeners, linking up with another person who did butterfly gardening. She also joined the Houston Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas and the North American Butterfly Association, Butterfly Enthusiasts of Southeast Texas chapter. “We started getting critters,” Simpson said. As Simpson doesn’t have an entomology degree, she photographed the pollinators she found and shared them online for help with identification. She learned a lot along the way. “There are around 4,000
Photo courtesy of University of Houston LawCenter Oak Forest resident Lauren Simpson and her husband’s tough-love yard policy has led to St. Julian’s Crossing, a garden that has become certified with multiple wildlife organizations.
and the Native Plant Society’s Wildscapes Workshop. Simpson said she educates about pollinators, their conservation and the wildscapes supporting them. She believes there is a way to transform the traditional landscape in a way that is pleasing to people and supportive of pollinators. “Critters and community are my passion,” said Simpson, who works at the University of Houston Law Center teaching legal writing. Most nurseries don’t sell a wide variety of native plants, so Simpson harvests the seeds from her own garden and gives them out, with instructions, at her talks. Recently, she recruited area teens to help her package seeds. “I talked to them about what they were doing and why they were doing it,” Simpson said. “I told them that ‘this is for you.’ They are going to be the ones who are still around.” Simpson is now working on rolling out a website. She also looks to marry her legal skills with her passion by educating people about the statutes,
rules and ordinances they should know when starting their own gardens. “Things like what deed restrictions say and knowing which plants aren’t water hogs if water conservation is an issue,” Simpson said. “I call it ‘know your rights,’ because it might affect what homeowners decide to do.” In that same vein, she is helping with curriculum related to Level 4 of the Native Landscape Certification Program of the Native Plant Society of Texas. Simpson said the garden they’ve created still brings a lot of joy. When naming their monarch waystation, Simpson’s husband came up with St. Julian’s Crossing. “St. Julian the Hospitaller is the patron of hotel keepers and travelers, which is perfect because the pollinators are our travelers,” Lauren Simpson said. And the Simpsons are excellent innkeepers. For more information, visit “St. Julian’s Crossing - wildlife habitat” on Facebook.
Contributed photos The Simpsons’ garden has welcomed nearly 50 species of butterflies, at least 20 species of syrphid flies and approximately 30 species of bees and wasps, among other pollinators.
species of native bee species in North America and about 1,100 in Texas, but the honey bee is not one of them,” Simpson said. “They came from Europe.” In addition to the type of plants the Simpsons chose for their yard, a lot of their suc-
cess attracting wildlife had to do with changing the way they gardened. For example, they adopted a “no pesticides and no blowers” policy. As her own education continued, Simpson started to educate others. In 2015, she started a Facebook page for St.
Julian’s Crossing and recently got on Instagram and Pinterest. She does talks and presentations for a variety of groups such as the North Shepherd Community Alliance and the Oak Forest Homeowners Association. She has presented at the Texas Pollinator Powwow
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