The Leader • Saturday, May 2, 2020 • Page 1B
Ready or not, retailers reopen to customers By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Gatlin’s BBQ much like it has other Houston-area restaurants, which were forced to close their dining rooms for more than a month and saw dips in sales as a result. Eateries all across Texas were allowed to resume limited dine-in services on Friday, which for many was a welcome and long-awaited development. But Gatlin’s, an unassuming yet popular spot at the corner of Ella Boulevard and Judiway Street, decided to wait a little longer. Owner Greg Gatlin said Tuesday that he planned to keep his dining room closed and continue operating as a to-go-only restaurant, at least for another two weeks. He said restricting his restaurant to 25 percent occupancy, the requirement outlined in Phase 1 of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s plan to reopen the state, would not be cost effective for his business or comfortable for his customers. Gatlin also said he’s not convinced it is safe to start inviting local barbecue lovers back into his dining room. Earlier Tuesday, the Houston Health Department reported 61 new cases of COVID-19, the upper-respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, as well as four additional deaths among city residents. “I think it’s a little early,” Gatlin said. “To me, the risk-reward isn’t there.” For many other local businesses, being permitted to reopen is a reward in itself. The motherdaughter team of Janet Thuot and Koryn Wright moved their Threadfare Children’s Boutique to a new location on West 34th Street in February, and on March 24 they were forced to close along with other businesses deemed non-essential as part of the stay-at-home, work safe order issued by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo. Wright said Threadfare continued to make online sales and deliver products to customers, but the business suffered nonetheless. So reopening their store, even to just a few shoppers at a time, figures to provide a boost. “We are very grateful that Governor Abbott has tried to start doing this a little bit at a time,”
Photos by Adam Zuvanich Gatlin’s BBQ owner Greg Gatlin (top photo) said he will continue operating as a to-go-only restaurant despite Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order allowing dining rooms to reopen at 25 percent occupancy starting Friday. Meanwhile, Threadfare Children’s Boutique co-owner Janet Thuot (left photo) said her business is taking advantage of the opportunity to reopen to customers.
See Reopening, P. 3B
Heights businessman suing Abbott over executive orders By Adam Zuvanich
restrictions that served as the impetus for his lawsuit. He also said he has allowed his employees to work from home if they wish. Still, Adams said the measures implemented by elected leaders such as Abbott and Hidalgo have been “absolute overkill.” He said officials should not have the authority to make mandates of their citizens, even during a pandemic. “The governor can activate
azuvanich@theleadernews.com
Norman Adams is a staunch supporter of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. He’s also suing Abbott and is willing to take his case all the way to the Texas Supreme Court. Adams, the owner of Heights-based Adams Insurance Service, is among several plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed in mid-April in a Travis County district court. The suit, which lists Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton as defendants in their official capacities, alleges that Abbott has no legal authority to issue executive orders that suspend the state’s existing laws. The plaintiffs, many of whom are church leaders, claim their civil and religious rights have been violated by state and local elected officials who have mandated social distancing restrictions amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Per executive orders issued by Abbott and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, among others, non-essential businesses were forced to close in March and limits were placed on in-person church services. There also was a statewide stay-athome order in effect through Thursday. “I love Governor Abbott, but he’s dead wrong,” Adams said. “This is unconstitutional.” Adams, a 75-year-old resident of Timbergrove Manor, said he is glad the governor has begun to ease restrictions across the state as the number of COVID-19 cases appears to level off in communities such as Houston. The stay-athome order lapsed this week, and businesses such as restaurants, retail stores, malls and movie theaters were allowed to reopen Friday with limited occupancies. Still, Adams said he wants to make sure the governor and more local elected officials cannot issue similar orders in the future. He said the Disaster Act of 1975, a Texas law invoked by Abbott when he made his executive orders, goes against a Texas Constitution provision that says only the Texas Legislature has the power to suspend state laws.
Adams
The lawsuit seeks a temporary injunction against Abbott as well as compensatory damages. “Our expectation is that it’ll probably be denied at the first court level,” Adams said. “Our goal is to get the (Texas) Supreme Court to rule that’s all unconstitutional so we don’t have a repeat of this every couple years.” Adams said he thinks the economic damage caused by coronavirus-related restrictions is worse than the upperrespiratory disease, which has infected more than 26,000 Texans and caused at least 690 deaths across the state, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. In Houston and Harris County, officials had reported nearly 6,000 COVID-19 cases and 103 deaths as of Wednesday morning. Abbott said Monday that more than 1.6 million unemployment claims had been processed by the Texas Workforce Commission, which had paid out more than $2 billion in benefits during the pandemic. Adams said some of his insurance clients, namely a business that promotes concerts and other large events, have suffered significant financial losses and been forced to lay off employees. “I hear all the prayers going on. I pray for them, too, the people that have been infected,” Adams said. “The people I don’t hear enough prayers for are all the people that have been laid off. It’s a big, big deal.” Adams said he realizes the impact of COVID-19, in terms of the number of cases and deaths, could be greater if not for the social distancing
the guard. He can appeal to people to make sure, if you’re sick, you don’t go out,” Adams said. “But he can’t order you to shut down and choose which businesses can stay in operation and which ones go out of business. “We’ve been through wars,” Adams added. “People will respond to an appeal. We don’t need an order from a king. That’s what we’ve got right now.”
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Page 2B • Saturday, May 2, 2020 • The Leader
Planning your estate with social distancing in place For The Leader With many people staying at home nowadays, there may be more time to get items checked off the to-do list, such as reorganizing your kitchen. Again. You might also consider addressing your estate plan, but wonder whether it can be completed at this time with social distancing requirements. The good news is that you can. In Texas, a will must be witnessed by two people who are in the presence of the testator (the person making the will), and who are not beneficiaries under the will. Typically, once a will is witnessed, it is also made “self-proved,” by having the signatures notarized. A selfproved will eliminates the requirement that witnesses testify at the probate hearing after the person dies, so they are highly favored over wills that are not self-proved. Governor Greg Abbott recently issued an order allowing for wills, powers of attorney, and certain other documents to be notarized remotely, but unfortunately, the order did not eliminate the witness requirement. Despite this roadblock, there are options. 1. Get your plan drafted now. During this time, many attorneys have shifted to providing all services leading up to the signing ceremony through video or teleconference. Utilizing these resources, you can get the process started now. 2. Hold a “socially dis-
Jennifer Solak
tant” signing ceremony. The first priority is safety, but depending on your situation, you may also be able to have your will witnessed and self-proved at this time, if you have an attorney and two witnesses who are willing to participate in a signing on your behalf. Such signings can take place with everyone bringing their own pens, using masks and gloves, and respecting the required 6 feet of distancing. 3. Witness now, selfprove later. If you have a will drafted and two witnesses, you can sign your will and have it witnessed now, but make it self-proved later. To do so, the testator and two witnesses will have to reconvene in front of a notary at a later date. 4. Write a will entirely in your own handwriting. When a will is written wholly in the handwriting of
the testator, witnesses are not required. This is known as a “holographic” will and should be used only as a temporary measure until you can get a more comprehensive, printed will prepared by an attorney. If taking this approach, use caution if you have anything other than a traditional estate, such as a first marriage, joint children, a house, cars, and a few accounts. If you have children from a previous marriage or relationships, a business, or other valuable or unusual assets, the process can become more complicated. Also be aware that your will does not dispose of property that passes through beneficiary designations, such as IRAs or life insurance. Likewise, a will does not address assets governed by a transfer on death arrangement or anything owned with someone else as joint tenants with rights of survivorship. Those assets automatically pass to the other joint tenant. The information in this column is intended to provide a general understanding of the law, not legal advice. Readers with legal questions, should consult attorneys for advice on their particular circumstances. Attorney Jennifer Solak provides legal advice for families and businesses and may be contacted at clientservices@solaklegal. com. This article is part of The Leader Experts series, where companies pay for editorial content on topics important to the community. If you’d like to be a Leader Expert, contact us at 713686-8494.
St. Stephen’s providing meals to out-of-work Houstonians By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
A local church is doing its part to feed workers who have been furloughed or laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic. St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church at 2003 W. 43rd
St. has begun a new partnership called Furlough Kitchen Houston, which hands out meals to such workers in the Greater Heights and Near Northwest-area neighborhoods. On Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30-6:30 p.m., the church will be giving out 100
meals via curbside pickup to workers in need who sign up to reserve one. Those looking for a meal or who would like to make a donation in support of the ministry can do so online at furloughkitchenhouston.org. Follow us on social media @ FromTheLeader
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The Leader • Saturday, May 2, 2020 • Page 3B
Reader pleads for answer to pet piddling problems be causing her excitement urination.
Dear Tabby, Since we’ve been at home so much and having lots of deliveries coming to our door, we’ve discovered something about our dog. Every time the doorbell rings, not only does our 1-yearold dog bark, but she also pees on the floor! With paper towels being scarce, we’re getting tired of cleaning up after her! Can you help? Piddle Problems in Woodland Heights Dear Piddle Problems, What you’re describing is referred to as “excitement urination.” Excitement urination is very common among puppies younger than 1 year old. Once a puppy turns a year old, the incidences of excitement urination typically greatly diminish. Since your dog is a little older, there’s still a good chance she could outgrow it, but there are also a few other things that could
First stop: Vet visit First things first: Have your vet rule out any conditions that could be causing your dog to urinate when excited. Once your vet has given your dog the all clear, then the real work begins. With a little training, you should be able to keep the excitement urination from ruining your relationship with your dog (and from ruining your rug as well).
seem cruel? It’s not really as it gives your pooch a chance to calm down on her own. Ask guests to do the same. Praise ‘normal’ peeing When the dog pees while out on walks, give her praise and treats. The same goes for when the dog pees in designated areas (which is not the rug or the designer bed-
spread). All of these things should not only help your pooch break her habit of peeing when excited, but will also help you to cultivate a calmer, more confident dog. Do you have a burning question for Tabby? If so, email her at deartabbyquestions@gmail. com.
Annual Heights bike rally, scavenger hunt moved to Memorial Day weekend
Pet of the Week Meet Petula
Get outside To help your dog with this issue, try keeping all playtime outside, or on a specially prepared area of newspaper and puppy pads. This way, if there is a little accident due to overexcitement, it doesn’t have to be a big deal. When there is an accident, do not reprimand or punish your pup. Simply clean it up quietly and leave the dog alone. Give your dog treats when she pees in the correct place, and keep all greetings to a minimum. You may even want to ignore the dog when you arrive home. Does this
By Landan Kuhlmann
until May 22, after which it will increase to $25 and $15, respectively. Prior to the scavenger hunt, each entrant will be issued a rally map and a scavenger hunt clue list describing a sight or object that can be seen along the rally course. Participants will have until 5 p.m. May 25 to complete the event. For more information or to register for the rally, residents can visit the event page at runsignup.com/Race/TX/ Houston/13thHoustonHeig htsBicycleRallyScavengerH unt.
landan@theleadernews.com
Petula is the perfect dog! This sweet girl is loving, playful and gets along with other dogs beautifully--the total package. Petula loves to cuddle and watch tv, too, so if you’re looking for your new best friend to share your quarantine time with, Petula is your gal. To learn more about Petula or other adoptable pets visit www. animaljusticeleague.org.
Registration is now open for the Houston Heights Association’s 15th annual Bicycle Rally and Scavenger Hunt, which has been moved from the fall up to Memorial Day weekend May 23-25. Beginning at 1802 Heights Blvd., the self-paced ride is open to cyclists of all ages. There is a 15-mile course available for seasoned riders as well as a 5-mile course designed for kids. Registration is $20 for the 15-mile course and $10 for the 5-mile course
Reopening, from P. 1B Thuot said. “Because if we’re going to wait until we have a vaccine, there won’t be a store.” As part of the executive order Abbott issued Monday, all malls, movie theaters, restaurants and retail stores along with libraries and museums could reopen their doors to customers on Friday. Those businesses must adhere to social distancing guidelines that require at least 6 feet of separation between people who are not part of the same household along with taking other precautionary measures to keep customers and employees safe from COVID-19. If the relaxed restrictions do not result in spikes of cases, deaths and hospital admissions, Abbott said his plan is to allow those business to operate with increased occupancy while phasing in other kinds of busi-
nesses that can reopen. The governor said that could happen as soon as May 18. “It’s a good first step,” said Travis Weaver, the owner of Manready Mercantile on West 19th Street in the Heights. “The thing is, it’s a learning curve. … Now we’re in the sanitizing and safety business.” Abbott has issued specific guidelines for reopening different types of businesses. For retailers such as Threadfare and Manready Mercantile, which sells general goods with a focus on products for men, they must screen employees for illness, train them to clean and disinfect frequently touched services and make hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes or soap and water readily available to customers and workers. Restaurants must do the same
Photo by Adam Zuvanich Federico Cavatore, owner of Cavatore Italian Restaurant, said reopening is welcome but will come with challenges.
while using disposable menus, serving condiments only upon request and in single-use portions and limiting tables to six customers or fewer. “There’s a lot of work to be done. This isn’t going to be an easy thing for us to do,” said Federico Cavatore, the owner of Cavatore Italian Restaurant near the intersection of Ella Boulevard and East T.C. Jester Boulevard. “Every restaurant, every business that’s opening Friday is going to have to do things as lot differently.” But that’s OK, according to Cavatore, who said it’s time to reopen and provide a boost to an economy that’s been crippled by COVID-19. He said he was anxious to see how the restaurant would fair over the weekend – Cavatore had taken 20 reservations for Friday night as of Tuesday
afternoon – and curious to see how the general public would respond to having more options to get out after several weeks of staying in. Gatlin said customers and businesses alike must create a “new normal” and get there gradually, which means being flexible. Even though he’s not yet opening his dining room and will use to-go packaging for all orders, he said customers may be allowed to sit down and eat as long as they’re being safe and not bothering anyone else. “I think we have to kind of create those normals rather than saying, ‘I want things to go back to the way they were,’ ” Gatlin said. “They’re not necessarily going to go back to the way that they were per se. But we can create that normal of whatever we want that to be going forward.”
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THE PUBLIC. The Leader • Saturday, May 2, 2020 • Page 4B
Heights home fire ruled incendiary By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
A fire in a Heights home and residence last week that caused more than $27,000 in damage was ruled to have an incendiary cause by the Houston Fire Department, according to a Tuesday news
release by the department. HFD personnel responded to the 400 block of Heights Boulevard just after 7:30 a.m. April 20 to find smoke coming from a three-story residence and office, where they later found a porch on fire. Arson investigators ruled the
cause as incendiary, meaning the fire was caused by a person or fire-starting device. No injures were reported in the incident, according to HFD, which said more than $1.4 million in estimated property was saved by extinguishing the fire.
Lightning strike causes fire at Northside apartment complex By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
Fire department personnel say a lightning strike was the cause of a fire last week at a Northside apartment complex that caused more than $10,000 in estimated damage.
Nobody was injured in the incident, according to a Monday news release from the Houston Fire Department. According to HFD, crews responded to the Mayfair Park Apartments at 7450 N. Shepherd Dr. just before 11:30 a.m. April 19 in response to a re-
port of a lightning strike to the apartment building. HFD said the strike caused wire and gas pipe insulation to melt, subsequently causing a ceiling joist and other structural members in an attic to catch fire before crews put it out.
Police Reports • April 20 - 26 APRIL 20
Theft 5 PM 1200 BLOCK N DURHAM Arson 7 AM 400 BLOCK HEIGHTS BLVD Robbery 5 AM 700 BLOCK STUDEWOOD Theft 12 PM 400 BLOCK S HEIGHTS BLVD Robbery 10 PM 5000 BLOCK E CROSSTIMBERS Theft 10 AM 1600 BLOCK SHEPHERD
APRIL 21
Theft 2 PM 1900 BLOCK ASHLAND Theft 8 PM 500 BLOCK YALE Theft 6 PM 200 BLOCK W 20TH Theft 8 AM 400 BLOCK S HEIGHTS BLVD
APRIL 22
Theft 4 PM 2300 BLOCK YALE Burglary 4 PM 300 BLOCK W CROSSTIMBERS Burglary 9 AM 1200 BLOCK HARVARD Assault 5 PM 900 BLOCK W 24TH Assault 12 AM 300 BLOCK S HEIGHTS BLVD
APRIL 23
Theft 3 PM 500 BLOCK E 42ND Theft 8 AM 3000 BLOCK ELLA
CAVALCADE Theft 11 AM 2200 BLOCK DETERING Theft 1 PM 100 BLOCK YALE Theft 12 AM 100 BLOCK HEIGHTS BLVD
Theft 4 PM 100 BLOCK W 20TH Assault 5 PM 2700 BLOCK YALE Theft 12 PM 800 BLOCK E 36TH Arrest 3 PM 500 BLOCK E 42ND Theft 9 AM 900 BLOCK EUCLID Theft 10 PM 1800 BLOCK SHEPHERD Arrest 2 PM 2900 BLOCK N SHEPHERD Assault 5 PM 700 BLOCK MARTIN Theft 12 PM 100 BLOCK E CROSSTIMBERS Theft 4 PM 600 BLOCK W CAVALCADE Theft 3 AM 1000 BLOCK EUCLID
Assault 8 AM 1300 BLOCK E 36TH Theft 7 PM 4500 BLOCK YALE Theft 9 AM 1400 BLOCK STUDEMONT Theft 6 PM 100 BLOCK YALE Robbery 12 AM 2800 BLOCK AIRLINE
APRIL 24
APRIL 26
Vandalism 11 AM 20TH ST Robbery 7 AM 100 BLOCK W
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Assault 9 PM 2900 BLOCK YALE Assault 12 PM 900 BLOCK E 39TH Assault 11 AM 7800 BLOCK N SHEPHERD Vandalism 5 PM 100 BLOCK HEIGHTS BLVD Assault 5 PM 100 BLOCK COTTAGE Assault 9 PM 800 BLOCK OAK Arrest 3 AM 1800 BLOCK AIRLINE Arrest 1 AM 4300 BLOCK N SHEPHERD
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