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Saturday, December 16, 2017 • Vol. 62 • No. 49
About Us 3500 East T.C. Jester Blvd Suite A (713) 686-8494 news@theleadernews.com www.theleadernews.com Facebook/THE LEADER.
By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com Neighbors and a prominent music spot on the Near Northside remain engaged in a contentious legal battle that began last year when residents labeled the venue a nuisance. In December 2016, neighbors near the White Oak Music Hall brought a lawsuit against the venue, saying the sound and music waves reverberated off their walls and disturbed the peace of
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Parties in music hall saga want new trial date their neighborhood. A judge subsequently granted the plaintiffs a temporary injunction this past January. Originally the case was scheduled to go before a court Oct. 16 before delays caused by Hurricane Harvey’s landfall; and Dec. 11 before parties purportedly requested a new date. Johnny So with White Oak Music Hall and Wayne Dolcefino -- speaking as a spokesperson for Feldman and Feldman law firm and the plaintiffs -- both confirmed that news Monday morning.
“It has always been our hope that we can resolve this issue in a way to protect the good people who are now forced to live around White Oak Music Hall and its outdoor concert venue,” Dolcefino said. “As long as there are good faith negotiations and discussions to possibly make that happen, we have mutually agreed to move the trial date.” And So says that is, in fact, occurring. See White Oak P. 5A
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Photo courtesy of White Oak Music Hall (Facebook) Shown is the exterior of White Oak Music Hall. The legal battle involving the venue was scheduled for Monday, but both parties requested a new date.
Santos elected as District 1 Trustee
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Cancer survivor receives dream play spot By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com Gus Maxson is already a superhero to many for the battle he won. Now, he’s got the digs to suit that title on the corner of Lehman Street thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and a local construction company. In March, Gus was diagnosed with ependymoma, a rare tumor of the brain or spinal cord. He spent the summer undergoing surgery and recovery, and is just your normal child – a giant ball of never-ending energy, in an endless search of ways to expend that energy. And Gus had a dream come true Dec. 8 that perfectly suits his excitable nature. “I walked in the door and thought ‘Whoa, there’s a treehouse right there!’ Now I can play there while my parents are sleeping,” exclaimed the bubbly 7-year-
inside.
2017
old who had always wanted a treehouse of his very own. That treehouse, courtesy of a partnership between Houstonbased McCarthy Building Companies and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, came to fruition over the course of just three days Dec. 6-8 in Gus’ backyard on Lehman Street as builders fought the Texas elements to construct his play spot, imagined the previous sum-
mer. “I think for him, with what he’s gone through and the pain he’s experienced, this is just a special day for him, and it makes all the hard work we’ve done here really worth it,” said John Banks, McCarthy Construction Companies project superintendent. “We build a lot of projects around town, but we want to focus on the communities we serve. We want to focus on the families we surround ourselves with and make sure they know we’re here to make a difference.” And seeing Gus bound towards the structure told bystanders all they needed to know – it was beyond the family’s wildest dreams. “This just absolutely blew me away. I mean, they worked three days in the cold and the rain, but they had it all figured out. I was
The voters have spoken, and our local schools will soon officially have a new face on the HISD board of trustees. Elizabeth Santos, garnered nearly 61 percent of the vote Saturday night, and prevailed despite just 5 percent of registered voters coming out to the polls. Santos is a product of HISD, attending Janowski and Herrera elementary schools, Burbank Middle School, and Sam Houston Math, Elizabeth Santos Science and Technology Center. She has also spent the last decade as a teacher in HISD. “Knowing a group of community members, leaders, teachers and everyone from different parts of Houston could come together and stand for something made me proud, and hopeful,” she said following the win. “I’m hopeful becase of the fact that even with all the divisiveness happening right now, we could still come together as a community.” A new hope Even though the election is finished, Santos said the work has only begun. “Our community has spent time, money, and effort fighting for me. Now, I am ready to fight for our community,” she wrote Sunday afternoon. “We have much to do and many distractions and obstacles to navigate around, but I know that if we are focused on our vision of achieving equitable access to enriching educational experiences for all children, we will succeed.” Santos said times are changing, and feels a simultaneous sense of relief and excitement moving forward knowing there is now an educator’s perspective on the board -- particularly from District 1 -- to work with superintendent Richard Carranza to best meet the community’s needs. “We’ve built so many relationships from this campaign – it was more than a campaign. People from all corners of District 1 came together and took part in something larger than we are – that’s what our campaign represented. There’s a new hope,” she said. “I think that was an amazing feat that a community could come together with a powerful message that resonated with our district
See District 1 P. 2A
See Tree House P. 6A
Market at Houston Heights huge for North Shepherd By Betsy Denson For The Leader Best Select. Serving up a select group of dishes from this year’s top voted restaurants.
Page 1B
The INDEX. Church....................................................... 5A Classifieds.............................................. 6B Coupons. ................................................. 6A Food/Drink/Art................................... 1B Obituaries.............................................. 5A Opinion. ................................................... 4A Public Information......................... 2A Puzzles...................................................... 4A
Capital Retail Properties partner Anderson Smith is a Heights resident who also knows how few big tracts of land exist in the area for development. “Most are in the 5,000 square foot range,” he said. That’s why when the opportunity presented itself to purchase a 75,000square-foot parcel from an individual who had pieced it together over time, Smith and his partners made their move. In a press release, Smith announced the plans for the space, called the Market at Houston Heights, on the west side of the street at 1533 North Shepherd. Developed by Capital Retail Properties in partnership with Randy Wile of Wile Interests, Inc., the Mar-
Contributed rendering The 30,000-square-foot development is described as a “lifestyle destination” which will offer both restaurants, retail, and service oriented tenants.
ket at Houston Heights plans to deliver space to tenants for build out in the fall of 2018. The 30,000-square-foot development is described as a “lifestyle destination” which will offer both restaurants,
retail, and service oriented tenants. It will be a far cry from the used car lot, food machinery company, and other businesses that reside there now. The release also touts the development’s proximity to the recently
opened Heights Bier Garten, the nearly complete Lowell Street Market, and the new concept for the former Hunky Dory/Bernadine’s complex - Chef Ford Fry’s Tex-Mex concept, Superica, which he already owns and operates in Atlanta. Michael Hsu Office of Architecture will do the design for the Market. The release states that “the decision was not only based on the firm’s creativity and aesthetic, but also their impact and imprint on Austin’s South Congress neighborhood, which Smith notes as having many similarities to this section of The Heights.” Smith tells The Leader that Capital Retail Properties currently has 250,000 square feet under construction around See Market P. 5A
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The public. The Leader • Saturday, December 16, 2017 • Page 2A
Police Reports • Dec. 4-7 DEC. 4
Theft 10:30 AM 3800-3899 CORTLANDT Theft 4 AM 600-699 WESTCROSS Theft 5:25 PM 1000-1099 N SHEPHERD Robbery 11:57 PM 600-699 W 26TH Theft 9 AM 700-799 28TH Burglary 2 PM 500-599 W 10TH Theft 3:37 AM 700-799 E 8TH Theft 3:52 PM 5300-5399 LARKIN Theft 2:10 PM 100-199 YALE Theft 11:50 AM 100-199 YALE Theft 10:19 AM 300-399 BYRNE Theft 6:45 AM 1000-1099 DOROTHY Robbery 10:30 AM 4400-4499 AIRLINE
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Thef 8:47 AM 100-199 E CROSSTIMBERS Theft 1:30 PM 500-599 W 19TH Theft 12:30 PM 700-799 W CAVALCADE Theft 5 PM 700-799 E 41ST Theft 3 PM 800-899 E 40TH Burglary 9 PM 1600-1699 W 21ST Theft 1 PM 2900-2999 HICKS Theft 8 PM 1700-1799 N LOOP W Theft 9:25 PM 4800-4899 WASHINGTON Theft 5 PM 4800-4899 LILLIAN Reports are provided by SpotCrime.com based on data from the Houston Police Department.
District 1 from P. 1A – it’s not politics or business as usual. It’s a hopeful change for our students to have education first and not politics.” Santos said her door will always be open to those wishing for their voice to be heard in the coming days. “I will need your ideas, your observations, your insights and opinions, and your support to make the dream that we voted for a reality. I urge you to do everything you can to strengthen your voice in the halls of power. I will do everything I can to enable you in those efforts, so please reach out to me,” she said. However, where there is a winner, someone must always be defeated, as Heights competitor Gretchen Himsl bowed out. “I would like to thank our supporters for their votes and voice during our campaign
and congratulate Elizabeth Santos on her win and wish her the best,” Himsl said. “While I am disappointed we didn’t achieve our goal, I am happy to have met so many
amazing, dedicated parents, teachers and Houstonians that care deeply about our children and our schools and look forward to continue to work with them in the future.”
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The Topics. The Leader • Saturday, December 16, 2017 • Page 4A
For some reason, you keep investing in us
T
here are only so many ways to say “Thank You,” but let me try an unconventional method. Each week, for better or worse, our company publishes a newspaper (and a related website and fairly strong social media page), and you won’t find our business anywhere close to a Forbes index of top-notch companies in the world. Heck, forget the world. If Forbes narrowed its geographical boundaries to this city block, I’m pretty sure The Leader would rank third among the three businesses in our complex. Our neighbors are a construction company and a dance studio, and you should see how many kids pop out of minivans wearing all kinds of funky clothes and downright giddy smiles. If you’re an investor, you’d probably place most of your capital in construction, a little fun money in the dance studio, and you’d run like mad from the newspaper. You wouldn’t be alone. For starters, we deliver our publication on real, live paper taken from trees. (Actually, our paper has been recycled a couple of times, but I promise it once came from trees.) Then, we hire a team of drivers, in real, live cars that burn real, live gas, to drive around our neighborhoods and deliver these dead trees, rather than just zipping you a PDF across a fiber-optic cable buried deep below
Jonathan McElvy Publisher
the ground. But those aren’t even the reasons you’d run from an investment in newspapers. In 2017, it is projected that the tag team of Google and Facebook – GooBook – will account for $52 billion in advertising revenue. To put that in perspective, the entire advertising spent in the United States last year was $183 billion, of which The Leader received exactly .000005 percent. I know, that’s a whole lot of zeros, and they happen to be on the wrong side of the whole number. The digital titans aren’t the only ones that have hurt our industry. It turns out, our industry’s forefathers – the ones that came about a decade before my foray into ownership – are the real culprits here. In 2008 and 2009, when our nation went through our Great Recession, newspaper owners made two horrendous mistakes. First, they decided they couldn’t stand to make less profit (and they were making a ton of it back then).
Every year, we get the most wonderful letters from readers, encouraging the work we do at The Leader.
So instead of understanding that a few bad years, and maybe a dip of the stock, weren’t the worst things in the world, they cut the legs out from under their own companies. These big papers took a machete to their newsrooms, sending thousands upon thousands of journalists out into the streets, where they found better jobs working for public relation shops or, gasp, digital companies. When newspapers threw out their content creators – their journalists – they also completely ruined the one product they had to sell: Their content. Crazy, right? But that was only the first of the
How to be Radio Active “They are nothing but bunch of traitors and dirty rotten scoundrels. It’s unbelievable.” That’s Sean Hannity. He’s on the radio all afternoon and has an hour show on Fox TV at night. He spews forth hate, divisiveness and cynicism. Forbes says he earns roughly $36 million a year. Rush Limbaugh, who preaches much the same sermon, is in the middle of a five-year contract which is paying him $250 million. You may or may not be in their audience, indeed, you may hate the hate, but in the words of the Kennedy family, don’t get mad, get even. In this case, get rich. Yes, you, too, Mr. or Mrs. Occupant, can cash in on the current polarization and frustration running rampant in America. It goes like this: Not since the Civil War has this nation been so divided, to the point where anything that comes along means we choose up sides. Maybe it’s the NFL, global warming or Donald Trump’s income taxes, we are ready to fight over it. And we are ready to pay the sponsors who pay the ringmasters who pander to our worst instincts. So clip and save this to make Big Bux. To be radio active, start low. Hannity began by calling into talk shows, then became an unpaid intern at a campus radio station. Limbaugh started out as a DJ. You can begin by listening and watching these programs to see how the experts work. Notice how they have filters to keep out any caller who doesn’t agree with the host. To get on the air, the caller must be a worshipful disciple. “It’s wonderful to talk to you. I’m in awe of your brilliance.” Don’t try to sneak into the program by telling the filter you are a zealot worshiper and then, once on the air, start lambasting the host. They are smarter than that, and have a 15-second delay switch. Your angry words will never be heard on the air. These programs are not a debate or exchange of ideas. They are a church service. If someone with a different opinion does get through, he’ll get cut off. Dan Patrick, as a Houston radio host, would simply shout insults at the caller and then hang up. Patrick did so well at bad manners that he ended up as Texas lieutenant governor, and is already picking out his desk for the governor’s office. Try to call into a program, but don’t become frustrated if you don’t get in. Hannity has 13.5 million listeners to his radio program and receives more than 1,000 calls per line minute. I’m not sure what “per line minute” means, but it sounds like a lot. Bone up on your own alternative facts. Today I heard Limbaugh again deny that global warming is for real. Find a sympathetic polar bear who agrees. Jay Leno once explained, “Global
Lynn Ashby Columnist
warming is already over. It’s called winter.” Keep harping on the same story, no matter whether it’s total nonsense. Nazi Minister of Propaganda (a great title) Joseph Goebbels, observed, “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” Thus we have Hillary and Benghazi, Obama the Kenyan and sex maniacs hiding in school bathrooms. You need enemies. Us against them. Illegal immigrants have already been taken. Pointed-headed college professors are not very interesting. The press is always a good target. (Hannity describes mainstream reporters as “disgustingly biased, ideological and corrupt.”) This resounds well among those who never read a newspaper or watch PBS, but can tell you who won the rose in “The Bachelor.” Conspiracies. Your audience is paranoid, and you can’t prove a non-happening, so black helicopters, the deep state and who really killed Cock Robin are always good. Even the grassy knoll can be dragged out on occasion. Fake news is a must. On Mike Huckabee’s talk show in October, Trump said, “One of the greatest of all terms I’ve come up with is ‘fake,’ ” In fact, the phrase “fake news” has been around for more than a century, but never mind the truth. Don’t get too sophisticated with subjects like the national debt or details in Obamacare. Again, remember you are pandering to the lowest common denominator. Along with enemies comes strawmen – people or events that have no importance or don’t even exist, like Texas Democrats. Keep the attention on yourself. A guest on Bill O’Reilly’s show said, “You’re interrupting me.” To which O’Reilly replied, “I’m paid to interrupt you.” Alas, no more. Another tip: Never invite someone on your show who knows more about a controversial subject than you do. She may make you look like an idiot. Never have on anyone who disagrees with you, and always ignore anything you said in the past that has proven you wrong. Do not mention Vladimir Putin, Michael Flynn or even Russia. Open your show with patriotic music or, on TV, also have an American flag on the screen. It shows you are a true God-fearing patriot. You may be wondering who is going to pay you for such drivel, which brings us to commercials. Listen and watch closely for commer-
cials. You don’t find Ford or Busch advertising on these programs. No, you get plugs for dog food, erectile dysfunction, tax cheats and aluminum siding. Don’t be too proud. Their money is as good as anyone’s and, as we can see, there is plenty of money going around in this circus. Well, there you have the playbook for how to cash in on America’s anger, angst (don’t use fancy words either) and demagoguery. But don’t let it bother you that you may be doing more harm than good. Jon Stewart accused Tucker Carlson and Paul Begala on the TV show “Crossfire” of tossing aside meaningful public discourse in favor of an angerfueled partisan brawl, saying, “Stop, stop, stop, stop hurting America.” Who cares? You can cry all the way to the bank, as Joseph Goebbels probably said. Ashby conspires at ashby2@comcast.net
double-edge idiocy. Back in 2009, newspaper owners saw all things holy about the internet. Ownership got addicted to getting pageviews on their websites so they could boast to the rest of the world that they had more people reading them than ever before. Except internet advertising is peanuts compared to real, live, printed on paper, tangible advertisements. So instead of covering issues important to their communities, these newspaper websites started posting videos of cats jumping at the sight of cucumbers. I know, I know, you all love cats. That’s right, our industry killed our own products more than any other outside influence – including digital. If you don’t believe me, go take a look at the book industry. Did you know that in 2016, in the United States alone, the sale of e-books (digital books for your tablets) declined 18.7 percent, while the sale of paper books increased 7.5 percent? It’s not just about having everything on a screen all the time. Sometimes people like picking up a real copy of something. And if the content is good, people will pay for it. Which is a long way of getting back to my unorthodox thank-you. Every year, I write a personal letter to our readers asking them to consider taking part in our Voluntary Pay Program. We do this because
it’s expensive to print a newspaper every week, and GooBook continues to take our advertisers. And every year, you can’t imagine how humbling it is to see envelopes (and online donations) come back to our office. In a sense, it feels like our readers are investing in us. I’m not sure there’s any way to explain how gratifying that is for someone like me, who constantly walks around our office telling our employees that what we do really does matter. It’s not hard to tell people why they shouldn’t invest in newspapers. But without fail, you – our readers – continue to invest in us every, single year. You send notes of encouragement. You tell us to “Keep Lynn Ashby.” You tell us that you look forward to The Leader every week. You tell us that you’re new to the neighborhood and you can’t wait to get a paper. I’m not sure what we do differently around here, but your support literally raises the hair on my arms every year, and this year has been no different. For those of you who have supported The Leader once again, thank you, from the bottom of my heart. If you’d still like to help, we’ll try to give you a return on that investment. Email jonathan@theleadernews.com
The reader. Reader encourages Reagan and Davis grads to vote for Santos
Dear Editor: Whilst wondering WHERE I am going to spend my $8 social security raise, WHAT I really want to address is the runoff for the HISD position Anna Eastman (WHO) abandoned after seeing to it Reagan, Davis, etc. schools changed their names. WHEN the current RayGun H.S. Principal – a Ray Gun grad – showed token interest in “saving the name(s)” I wondered WHY. (Kinda looks like maybe she sold out for a promotion in HISD?) I noticed Ms. Himsl was endorsed by Ms. Eastman. Therefore, Ms.Santos is not. I know who I am going to vote for – I would hope all Reagan and Davis grads eligible to vote in this election will choose Ms. Santos. Pass the word, gang! R. Lee Young
Slowpokes landlord plans renovation of 34th and Alba
Dear Editor: My family watched Slowpokes build out the patio with permits for months. Our neighbors and friends were so excited to finally have a safe, fully fenced in patio area where our children could play safely while we got to know our neighbors over coffee or a great meal. To say the unpermitted destruction of the space at 4 p.m. two Fridays ago was heartbreaking to the neighborhood. I was there having a coffee while my son kicked a soccer ball on the grass when men with chainsaws started sectioning the fence. There wasn’t a permit for this and the work was purposely done when the landlords knew a city official would not be free to come out. Many of us have pictures of the electrical company truck and the workers who
Email us your letters: news@theleadernews.com came to do the work. Many have video. I was also there the next day (Saturday) when they stared pulling wires for the exterior of the building and along the fence line. The landord does. I understand that not one of us who are terribly upset have a dime invested in Slowpokes. We are just saddened that we lost the only place like it in our neighborhood. It was taken away to spite the tenant. BUT, it hurt the community residents more. I would like to know why the owners of Alba Food mart do not understand that? I go in to Slowpokes daily and every time I am there I hear conversations by people sitting and eating about what a disservice was just done to all of us. I have photos of the trailer that backed in to the gravel area where many of us were sitting the following today. To remove the overhang patio cover. I was there when a patron outside called 911 because she and her assistant were sitting right where the man was pulling wires from the ground and the power was not cut off to the building. The landlord’s wife was there instructing. I have photos. She told the fire department she had necessary permits. She lied. The proof was the red tag placed on Monday by the city. I have contact information from many other witnesses who have no other interest in this other than losing something we loved. Please contact me with any questions, more testimony of events, videos or photos needed. Please help us let Mornin know that the neighborhood will protest with our wallets. So many will never set foot in his mini mart again. BUT WE LOVE SLOWPOKES and will continue to give them our business. Leader, can you please cover this from a resident’s point of view? We would love to be heard. Jillian
the leader Puzzlers. Answers found in this week’s Classified section
SUDOKU
aCrOss
1. Leg shank 5. Small amount 8. Roman emperor 10. Having ears 12. Innocent young woman 14. No wrinkles 16. Small coin (French) 17. 19 hundred hours 19. A way to inform 21. A seal or signet 22. Tobacco smoke residue 23. Tai language branch 25. Set afire 26. Partridge FamilyÕs actress Susan 27. Canadian flyers 29. Faculties of perception 32. A light two-wheel carriage 34. Was ___ (looked at) 35. Appear with 37. Natives of Thailand 39. Hill (Celtic) 40. Runs PCs 42. Visualizes 44. Mistake
45. Riding horses 47. Point of purchase 49. Armless Aphrodite 53. Having negative qualities 54. Protective visual folds 55. Crystallized calcium carbonate mineral 57. Beach grains 58. One who presents a bond for payment 59. Car mechanics group 60. & & &
dOwn
1. Small paddle boats 2. Usual 3. Economic consumption 4. Without (French) 5. Powder mineral 6. Fleshy seed covering 7. Indicates 8. Stone lined grave 9. Feels remorse 10. Chemical structure 11. Decomposition 13. Morally base 14. Joins
15. Danish krone 18. Breastplate 20. Lesson reader in church 24. 1921 Turkish/ Armenian Treaty 26. In a way, refutes 28. Zoftig 30. Fish, hair or inter 31. Mains 33. Fathers 35. Transparent eye membranes 36. Stray 38. Seafowl 39. 3 pip cards 41. Invests in little enterprises 43. Placards 44. 1st woman 45. Finds a sum 46. Thick piece of something 48. River in Hesse, Germany 50. Inner forearm bone 51. 1 of 2 contesting groups 52. Olive tree genus 56. Metal container
WORD SCRAMBLE
The Leader • Saturday, December 16, 2017 • Page 5A
The calendar. WALTRIP BARBECUE/CONCERT Waltrip Ram Band Due to HISD closing for the Astros parade, the barbecue dinner has been rescheduled for the same night as the winter concert, Dec. 15. The dinner is 5-9 p.m. and the concert is from 6-9 p.m. Tickets sold for the original night will be honored, plus tickets will be sold at the door. All band members have tickets to sell. Dinner is $10. The Winter concert is free. The band will be performing and fundraising Dec. 16, at Shipley’s Donuts from 9 p.m. to midnight. Shipley’s is graciously donating all sales for the band. Information: 713-545-0892. COUNTRY SOCIAL Dance Heights Dance Heights, 1987 W. T.C. Jester, will hold a Country Social, Dec. 16. Intro 2 Step workshop with Linda Cook will be from 8:30 p.m., followed by the social from 9:30 p.m.-midnight. The cost for the workshop and social is $20, the social only is $10 (cash or credit). Show off your holiday attire. Liquor is BYOB. No coolers please. Information: 713-8386148, www.facebook.com/dance-
heights. VENA ASHLEY’S ART SHOW Rockstar Gallery State of the Art Show’s Founder and RockStar Gallery’s Curator, Vena Ashley’s Solo Art Show will be from 5-9 p.m. Dec. 16. The theme of the show is “a plane, a train, a bus, and a boat...” Come visit Paris, Italy, Amsterdam and Luxembourg through Vena’s lens. Rockstar Gallery is located at 5700 NW Central Dr. (77092). Information: 832-868-0242, facebook.com/ events/737073769822540/ FREE INTRODUCTION TO MODERN SQUARE DANCING Memorial Drive Lutheran Church Healthy, social fun, square dancing is friendship set to music. Fairbees Square Dance Club welcomes the community to experience the fun and fellowship of Square Dancing at two free fun night events on Jan. 11, from 7:30-9:30 p.m., and Jan. 18, from 7- 8 p.m. No prior dance experience needed, no partner required, older children and teenagers welcome. Classes are held at
White Oak from P. 1A Memorial Drive Lutheran Church, in the fellowship hall, 12211 Memorial Dr. (77024). Park rear of church. Information: 713-9572762, 281-495-2397. ACADEMY FOR LIFELONG LEARNING Lone Star College-Victory Center The Academy for Lifelong Learning at Lone Star College-Victory Center, 4141 Victory Dr., will hold an Open House from 1-3 p.m. Jan. 25. The Academy for Lifelong Learning is a membership community that offers free and low-cost classes, events and activities for adults age 50 and older. Choose from technology, health and wellness, financial planning, community service projects, literary discussion groups, genealogy, arts and crafts and more. Information: 281-8105680, www.lonestar.edu/all.htm. ECONOMIC FORECAST LUNCHEON GHACC Reserve a table and invite your clients to this valuable luncheon. Hear from one of the Nation’s leading economists about the
economic outlook for Houston, our state, our nation and our world. Dr. Gilmer will discuss business, employment, interest rates, energy and real estate. The luncheon will be at the Sheraton Houston Brookhollow Hotel, 3000 N. Loop West, from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Jan. 25. To purchase tickets or to sponsor, call 713-861-6735 or heightschamber.org. PANCAKE BREAKFAST/SILENT AUCTION Garden Oaks Montessori Magnet One of the community’s most popular traditions and annual gatherings returns for the 24th year when the Garden Oaks Montessori Pancake Breakfast and Silent Auction serves up thousands of pancakes from 8-10:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, at the HISD magnet school, 901 Sue Barnett Dr. To underwrite a portion of the annual breakfast or to donate auction items, please contact Silent Auction Coordinator Mandy Leal at mandy.leal@gmail.com. Information: 713-696-2930.
From the Pews. St. Mark’s UMC hosts annual Christmas Pageant St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, located at 600 Pecore St., will present the Annual Christmas Pageant 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, and 11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 17. Complimentary refreshments will be served. St. Mark’s brings dramatic life to the traditional Nativity story reenacted outdoors on the front grounds of the church for both performances (weather permitting). Call 713-861-3104 or visit www.smumc.org for information.
Church Heights A.B. Anderson Academy will perform their violin concert during the 10:30 a.m. worship service Dec. 17, at First Church Heights, 201 E. 9th St. Christmas in the Heights will be at 7 p.m. in the sanctuary and will feature music and sing-a-longs, an encouraging message and a short play, “That Makes Two of Us,” along with several surprises. Refreshments will be served afterwards in the fellowship hall. Call 713-861-3102 or visit fbcheights.org for information.
Christmas musical at Oak Forest Baptist Oak Forest Baptist, 1700 W. 43rd St., will present a Christmas musical, “Come Let Us Worship The King,” at 4:15 p.m. Dec. 17. The community is welcome. A church wide Christmas party will follow. Christmas Eve Communion and Candlelight Service will be held at 4:15 p.m. Dec. 24. Call 713-682-4942 for information.
Vesper services at Heights Presbyterian Vesper services will be at 6 p.m. Dec. 20, at Heights Presbyterian, 240 W. 18th St. The sanctuary will be open for meditation and prayer. Christmas Eve candlelight service is at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 24. For information, call 713861-1907 or visit www.heightspc.org.
A.B. Anderson Academy Violin Concert at First
Advent study at Hope Episcopal Hope Episcopal Church, 1613 W. 43rd St., will have
Advent study of the Book of Revelation on Wednesday Dec. 20. The dinner will be at 6 p.m. followed by the 6:30 p.m. program. All in the community are welcome. Call 713-681-6422 for information. ‘A Christmas Carol’ reading at St. Matthew’s St. Matthew’s welcomes the community to join in the fun to hear “A Christmas Carol” reading at 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 23. This reading will have a funny twist to the original Dickens’ story. Both children and their parents will enjoy the reading. Christmas refreshments will be served during intermission. The church will change Sunday worship and Sunday School times beginning Dec. 24. Sunday School will start at 9:15 a.m., followed by 10:17 a.m. worship. St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church is located at 4300 N. Shepherd Dr. Call 713-6970671 or visit the website at www.stmatthewsmethodist. org.
St. Stephen’s The children will present a musical performance, “Out Standing in their Field”, 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 24. Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion services will be held at 4:30 and 7 p.m. The nursery will be available for children age 4 and under for all services. A special Lessons and Carols service will be held 10:30 a.m. Dec. 31. The service will tell the Christmas story through nine Scripture lessons with carols sung between each lesson. St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church is located at 2003 W. 43rd St. For information, call 713-686-8241 or visit www.stsumc.org and the church’s Facebook page.
Experience and Knowledge... A Powerful Combination
Avelina Ernestina Gutierrez, 84, born Dec. 28, 1932, died Dec. 5.
Vida Mae Hillin, 88, born
Sept. 25, 1929 in Maysfield, Texas, died Dec. 7. She is survived by her daughters, Peggy Taylor, Barbara Reed, and Beverly Conner, five grandchildren, and four great grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.
Elma Victoria Hoffman,
94, born Nov. 17, 1923 in Hufsmith, Texas, died Dec. 7. Hoffman was a long time member of Immanuel Lutheran Church. She is survived by her daughter Bonnie
Thomas, two grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to Immanuel Lutheran Church.
Irene Stella Kovar, 88, born Jan. 22, 1929, died Dec. 7. She was a graduate of Reagan High School. She is survived by her children, Warren Kovar, Karen Illian, Wayne Kovar, Wendel Kovar, nine grandchildren, many great-grandchildren. Georgia Kasper Lee, 98, born Aug. 8, 1919 in Shiner, Texas, died Dec. 7. She married the love of her life Harvey and they were happily married for 44 years. They loved to dance at SOKOL Houston, SPJST club and the Bill Mraz dance hall. In her early work career she was a manicurist and hair stylist in
Houston. “We’re very active,” he said. “We only do retail.” The Market at Houston Heights, however, will be Capital’s first project in the Heights. Smith says he and his partners analyzed the area and waited for a long time for the right opportunity to enter the market here. Smith also says he is very aware of the uniqueness of the area and the need for more pedestrian friendly space. “In Houston, there’s not a lot of walkability, but there is in the Heights and Montrose,” said Smith. “We’re going to have a ton of bike racks and an expanded sidewalk. We will do parking in the back and bring the sidewalk closer to the street. We really want to be more than the typical development.” According to Capital’s press release, the Market at Houston Heights will feature a one-story 4,000-square-foot structure allocated to dining, a two-story 26,000-square-foot mixed-use building and 160 parking spaces. In addition to serving as
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Richard Scullen Lettice Jr., 73, born Dec. 30, 1943, died Dec. 4.
Francis F. Plata, 89, born Oct. 4, 1928, died Dec. 5. Jimmie Tillmon, 73, born Sept. 27, 1944, died Dec. 10.
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downtown Houston at the Ralph Rupley beauty salon. She was also a member of Phi Beta Fraternity, Chapter Alpha Epsilon. Lee was a lifelong supporter of the ASPCA animal foundation. She is survived by sons Sonny Montalbano and Ronnie Lee, three grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to ASPCA or American Cancer society.
a guest gathering space and weekend market area, a landscaped, a 3,000-square-foot central plaza with seating will be able to accommodate tenant and community events. Smith tells The Leader that plans are still in flux and the patio might be as big as 5,000 square feet. The current plan is to have two anchor restaurants and a carefully thought out mix of boutique retail and services. He describes the vibe as “very family oriented and pet friendly.” “Retail has changed and we’re cognizant of that,” Smith said. “People want to shop online. We are starting to talk to interested tenants and want to be purposeful about who’s here.” Smith likes having the new H-E-B as an anchor tenant on the street. “It’s an added benefit,” he said. At the end of the process, Smith hopes to provide the Heights a destination where they can go and hang out. “People don’t want to leave the Heights, and we don’t want them to have to,” Smith said.
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least two days written notice of when sound checks on the lawn will begin and 72 hours’ notice for any events on the patio. A judge also ordered sound levels could not exceed 75 decibels at 15 Hz, and sound-monitoring devices must be installed on all sides of the property. The owners were also required to submit weekly reports of the results of those measurements to the court and the plaintiffs’ attorney. This past June, the group revised their suit, adding the city of Houston as a defendant and claiming the city has failed to properly enforce the sound ordinance.
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The Obituaries. Carl “Red” Echols Sr., 90, born July 21, 1927, died Dec. 4.
“The parties continue to work in good faith towards a potential resolution and will continue that work in the coming days; in the meantime, they have requested a trial postponement,” he said. Neither party wished to elaborate any further on the framework of a potential resolution. As of press time, parties had not yet received word from a judge on the later date; only that it would not be happening this week as previously scheduled. According to the current injunction, White Oak was permitted to continue concerts ahead of the rescheduled trial date if they provided at
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Why Shepherds? By Pastor Will Cover
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Arise Baptist Church 803 Curtin St. Houston, TX 77018 713-659-9697 • www.arisebaptistchurch.org
First FirstChurch Church Heights
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Gethsemane Lutheran Church 4040 Watonga • 713-688-5227
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Why shepherds? Of all of the people that the angels could have announced the birth of Christ to, why did they choose shepherds? In fact, understanding that angels are messengers sent from God, then why did God choose to send the angelic birth announcement of His only Son to shepherds watching sheep in the middle of the night? Could God have chosen a better recipient for this good news? While we don’t have a definitive reason given for us in Scripture, we are given some important information that can inform the answer to this question. The statement of the angel after telling the shepherds to not be afraid was this. “’Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.” Shepherds were part of the lowest and poorest classes of people in their day. One reason for shepherds was that an announcement of good news for all people made sense to take that announcement to the lowest social classes to demonstrate that the good news was truly for all people. Another reason for the choice of the shepherds can be found in their response to the news. Think about it. Would you want to send an announcement of your child’s birth or a special Christmas card to someone who would just take that card, glance at it, and quickly dispose of it. No, when you send a special message you want the recipient to treat the information in a special way. When God made this announcement of the good news of the birth of the Savior to the shepherds, they quickly responded by leaving their sheep in the middle of the night and going down to Bethlehem to see for themselves what the angel had announced to them. Once they had seen the Christ child they left glorifying and praising God for what they had seen and telling everyone about their experience that night. Why shepherds? Because they were common folk that represented “all people” and they were excited enough about the good news to go and see and to go and tell others about it. What will you do with the good news of the Savior Jesus Christ? Will you listen and respond?
Page 6A • Saturday, December 16, 2017 • The Leader
Tree House from P. 1A
Reader tired of playing host to neighborhood cats
Dear Tabby, We have lots of neighborhood strays who frequent our yard. While I like the fact that they help control the rodent population, I’m not keen on them being in my yard all of the time. Any advice on how to make our yard less-hospitable for the neighborhood strays? Unhappy Hosts in The Heights Dear Unhappy Hosts, You’ve got a very common problem on your hands, unfortunately. According to Citizens for Animal Protection, feral cats are the largest cause of pet overpopulation in Houston. Thousands of feral cats are born into homelessness every year, often right in our own neighborhoods. Left unattended, feral cat colonies can grow out of control. We’ll discuss ways to help control the feral cat
population in a bit, but first, here are a few tips from the website Realtor.com on how to keep stray cats from frequenting your yard: 1. Cover the sandbox: Keep a lid on your kid’s sandbox to discourage cats from using at as their personal toilet. Also, the lid will protect the sandbox from rain, leaves and other things that can cause the sand to get dirtier more quickly. 2. Plant fragrant herbs: Plants herbs like rosemary, lavender and lemon balm all around your yard to discourage the cats from visiting. Cats do not like the scent of these herbs. You can also spray diluted lemon juice around the yard to further deter the cats. 3. Lock the lids on the garbage: If a cat can get into your delicious garbage, they’ll keep coming back for more. Attach bungee cords to the lid to make your cans impenetrable to cats and other creatures of the night 4. Inquire about a trap/neuter program in your neighborhood. Citizens for Animal Protection (CAP) has an active trap-neuter-return (TNR) program and can help you tackle your cat problem.
According to CAP, TNR is the most humane and effective strategy for reducing the feral cat population. It has been proven that trapping and euthanizing feral cats only contributes to the population problem. Cats are territorial and when cats are removed and euthanized from a location, new cats will move in and the survivors will breed to capacity. This well
documented phenomenon is called the vacuum effect. TNR stops the problem because it stops the breeding and the colony will gradually diminish over time. To learn more about CAP’s Trap-Neuter-Return program, visit their website at www.cap4pets.org. Do you have a question for Tabby? If so, email her at deartabbyquestions@gmail. com
Pet of the Week Meet Ponzu. Ponzu is a super sweet kitty who has been at the shelter for a couple of months. She is about 3 years old and get along well with other cats and gentle children. Ponzu is considered a “special needs,” gal because she is missing most of her front paw--but this doesn’t slow Ponzu down one bit! If you’re looking for a kitty to spend the holidays with this year, Ponzu is your girl! To learn more, visit www. cap4pets.org.
wondering how the heck people put together a treehouse in their backyard,” said Kelly Maxson, Gus’s mother, of the search for a treehouse and Make-A-Wish. “It’s been an amazing experience, and they’ve been so generous in looking for what he wants specifically. I literally can’t believe it.” “I think he was shocked – we’ve been lying to him all week about it, so he was amazed to see it,” she added with a small chuckle. “He had no clue. He didn’t ask any questions why we couldn’t stay here; he just thought we were painting the bedroom.” But it was so much more. ‘Gus’ Imagination House,’ as the play structure is affectionately known, is tailored to the vision of its creator – the boy himself. Make-A-Wish and McCarthy’s creation sports everything from electricity and bunk beds in the cabin to a hammock underneath, a trap door, a rock wall and pictures of the boy’s favorite superheroes. It even has its own street moniker – Batman Boulevard. “He had the plan, the color, all the things he wanted all planned out – he knew. I mean, he even wanted electricity. He told us ‘I just want a place where I can play with my friends’,” Wish Granter Yvonne Worzel said. “To see him come up the driveway and lay eyes on that, was so precious – I’m just at a loss for words at how grateful we are as volunteers. I mean, we got to make his wish come true.”
The plans were so elaborate one might initially believe the ideas were from Gus’s family or friends or the minds of McCarthy, but Worzel and fellow wish granter Brenda Oden insisted the novelty came from the boy himself. “[Gus] didn’t just want a treehouse – he wanted a superhero tree house. That’s what he wanted, and that’s what he got. They covered everything he wanted, and then some,” Oden said. One might also think someone at that age might shy away from cameras – but not Gus. He soaked up every moment with every camera, his bubbling personality ever present. And to hear Worzel and Oden tell it, that’s just Gus – a special, gifted child with a charisma all his own that immediately tugs at the heartstrings. To see the typically upbeat boy light up even more Friday afternoon, his mother said, was nearly indescribable. “He’s so animated, and we’re just so blessed, because we get to meet all these amazing kids like Gus though these projects,” Oden said. And now, thanks to Make-A-Wish and McCarthy, Gus is sure to be the talk of the neighborhood. The smile seemingly permanently etched across his face Friday afternoon said it all. “It was definitely a good day,” he said.
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The Leader • Saturday, December 16, 2017 • Page 7A
What A Wonderful Christmas Morning! Author Unknown In September 1960, I woke up one morning with six hungry babies and just 75 cents in my pocket. Their father was gone. The boys ranged from three months to seven years; their sister was two. Their Dad had never been much more than a presence they feared. Whenever they heard his tires crunch on the gravel driveway they would scramble to hide under their beds. He did manage to leave $15 a week to buy groceries. Now that he had decided to leave, there would be no more beatings, but no food either. If there was a welfare system in effect in southern Indiana at that time, I certainly knew nothing about it. I scrubbed the kids until they looked brand new and then put on my best homemade dress, loaded them into the rusty old 51 Chevy and drove off to find a job. The seven of us went to every factory, store and restaurant in our small town. No luck. The kids stayed crammed into the car and tried to be quiet while I tried to convince whoever would listen that I was willing to learn or do anything. I had to have a job. Still no luck. The last place we went to, just a few miles out of town was an old Root Beer Barrel drive-in that had been converted to a truck stop. It was called the Big Wheel. An old lady named Granny owned the place and she peeked out of the window from time to time at all those kids. She needed someone on the graveyard shift, 11 at night until seven in the morning. She paid 65 cents an hour, and I could start that night. I raced home and called the teenager down the street that babysat for people. I bargained with her to come and sleep on my sofa for a dollar a night. She could arrive with
her pajamas on and the kids would already be asleep. This seemed like a good arrangement to her, so we made a deal. That night when the little ones and I knelt to say our prayers, we all thanked God for finding Mommy a job. And so, I started at the Big Wheel. When I got home in the mornings I woke the baby-sitter up and sent her home with one dollar of my tip money-- fully half of what I averaged every night. As the weeks went by, heating bills added a strain to my meager wage. The tires on the old Chevy had the consistency of penny balloons and began to leak. I had to fill them with air on the way to work and again every morning before I could go home. One bleak fall morning, I dragged myself to the car to go home and found four tires in the back seat. New tires! There was no note, no nothing, just those beautiful brand-new tires. Had angels taken up residence in Indiana I wondered? I made a deal with the local service station. In exchange for his mounting the new tires, I would clean up his office. I remember it took me a lot longer to scrub his floor than it did for him to do the tires. I was now working six nights instead of five and it still wasn’t enough. Christmas was coming and I knew there would be no money for toys for the kids. I found a can of red paint and started repairing and painting some old toys - then hid them in the basement so there would be something for Santa to deliver on Christmas morning. Clothes were a worry too. I was sewing patches on top of patches on the boy’s pants and soon they would be too far gone to repair. On Christmas Eve, the usual customers were drinking coffee in the Big Wheel. There were the truckers, Les, Frank, and Jim, and a state trooper named Joe. A few
musicians were hanging around after a gig at the Legion and were dropping nickels in the pinball machine. The regulars all just sat around and talked through the wee hours of the morning and then left to get home before the sun came up. When it was time for me to go home at seven o’clock on Christmas morning, to my amazement, my old battered Chevy was filled full to the top with boxes of all shapes and sizes. I quickly opened the driver’s side door, crawled inside and kneeled in the front facing the back seat. Reaching back, I pulled off the lid of the top box. Inside was a whole case of little blue jeans, sizes 210! I looked inside another box: It was full of shirts to go with the jeans. Then I peeked inside some of the other boxes. There was candy and nuts and bananas and bags of groceries. There was an enormous ham for baking, and canned vegetables and potatoes. There was pudding and Jell-O and cookies, pie filling and flour. There was a whole bag of laundry supplies and cleaning items. And there were five toy trucks and one beautiful little doll. As I drove back through empty streets as the sun slowly rose on most amazing Christmas Day of my life, I was sobbing with gratitude. And I will never forget the joy on the faces of my little ones that precious morning. Yes, there were angels in Indiana that long-ago December. And they all hung out at the Big Wheel truck stop.
St. Mark’s United Methodist Church presents the Glory of Christmas Outdoor Pageant Saturday, Dec. 16, 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 17, 11 a.m. at 600 Pecore, in the Woodland Heights. A live representation of the Christmas story featuring beautiful music to celebrate the season, with live animals and little angels and shepherds. Performance outdoors, weather permitting, check online at www.smumc.org. From Left to Right Chad Williamson, George Russell, Steve Phillips and Oliver, Angel Audrey Murdock, Chelsea, Collin and Rose Ratcliff. Photo by Mark H. Scheyer.
C elebrate C hristmas at St. Matthew’s UMC Come celebrate the season with us at 4300 N Shepherd Drive! We have special services in Advent to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior.
A C hristmas C arol Live Reading
Saturday, December 23, 4 PM This event features several talented church members reading Charles Dickens’ classic tale A Christmas Carol. Hot chocolate, wassail, and Christmas cookies will be served during intermission. Free admission!
C hristmas Eve Services Sunday, December 24 10:17 AM – Christmas Eve Service A service for all ages. We will sing Christmas Carols and Pastor Wall will share a Christmas message. Communion and candlelight joy will be a part of this service. We will celebrate with birthday cake for Jesus after the service. This is also the ďŹ rst Sunday morning worship at our new service time! 7 PM – Traditional Candlelight Service Our classic Christmas Eve service features our spectacular choir, organist, and conventional candlelight ending. *Nursery provided at both services for children starting at 3 months!*
Peace on Earth, Good Will to All!
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service 5:30pm 240 W. 18th www.heightspc.org
First Church
Gethsemane Lutheran Church welcomes you to join us in celebrating our Savior’s birth!
Heights
the place where YOU belong December 15th @ 7pm “Be Encouraged� – Christmas in the Heights! Music, a play and fellowship. December 17th @ 10:30am A.B. Anderson Academy Violin Performance December 24th @ 9:15am Sunday School & 10:30am Worship
201 E. 9th St 713-861-3102 www.fbcheights.org Follow Us On Pastor C David Harrison
JOIN US IN CELEBRATING THE CHRISTMAS SEASON!
Christmas EvE
8:15am & 10:30am Holy Communion 6:00pm Lessons and Carols 211 Byrne • www.holytrinityrec.org
In addition to regular 9am Sunday morning services, seasonal services include:
Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship Sun. Dec. 24, 7:00pm
Christmas Day Worship
Mon. Dec. 25 9:30am
New Year’s Eve Worship
Sun. Dec. 31, 7:00pm 4040 Watonga Blvd. Houston, TX www.gethsemanelutheran.org Find us on Facebook!
I bring you Good News of great joy for all people Outdoor Christmas Pageant Saturday, December 16, 7 PM Sunday, December 17, 11 AM
SUNDAYS
HOLYEucharist EUCHARIST Holy 8:30 AM & 10:30 AM Sundays AM & 10:30 AM Rhythms at of8:30 Grace 2 PM (special needs service) CHRISTMAS EVE CHRISTMAS EVE December 24 at 5:30 PM & 10:30 PM 10:00 AM, 3:00 PM, 4:30 PM & 10:30 PM CHRISTMAS DAY Rhythms of Grace 1:00 PM
December 25 at 10:00 AM
Live presentation of the Christmas story with beautiful music and live animals.
Christmas Eve - Candlelight, Carols & Communion Choir, String Quartet & Saxophone
4 PM Family Service 7 PM Traditional Service Children always welcome, nursery for all services
CHRISTMAS DAY 10:00 AM
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church 1819 Heights Boulevard | SAECHEIGHtS.orG
7OODLAND (EIGHTS s 0ECORE s SMUMC ORG
Page 8A • Saturday, December 16, 2017 • The Leader
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