GRADUATION 2020
Creative commencement The Leader • Saturday, May 30, 2020 • Page 1B
St. Pius X seniors celebrated with ceremony at drive-in theater By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com
HOCKLEY – Jo Ann Uriegas waited 18 years to see her first grandchild graduate from high school. When the day finally arrived, it was nothing like she expected. Uriegas sat in a parked vehicle in a grassy, gravelly field while the oldest of her 10 grandchildren, Anthony Acuna, walked to a concession stand to receive his diploma from St. Pius X. She watched the crowning moment as it was projected onto a giant wooden screen, and she heard his name called on the car radio. Hundreds of other proud parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins shared the experience last Saturday night at The Showboat Drive-in Theater, where St. Pius X held a unique commencement ceremony for its 153 graduates. Everyone in attendance was required to wear a mask, and those who are not related stayed at least 6 feet away from each other for most of the evening. “I’m a little disappointed because of this COVID(-19),” Uriegas said before the ceremony. “But by that same token, I’m glad I’m going to be able to see my grandson … walk, drive, I’m not quite sure what to expect. But he’s going to get his diploma today, and for that I’m happy.” The pandemic that forced schools all across Texas to close in mid-March also caused St. Pius X, a private Catholic school at 811 Donovan St., to depart from its traditional graduation ceremony. The school had planned to hold its commencement at Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Northwest Houston, but pivoted to a drive-in theater about 30 miles from campus at the suggestion of some parents.
Photo by Adam Zuvanich St. Pius X High School graduate Brandon Davenport poses for a photo before last Saturday’s commencement ceremony at The Showboat Drive-in Theater in Hockley. He was one of 153 students to receive diplomas as part of a non-traditional graduation event.
St. Pius utilized both screens at the rural drive-in theater, with students and their immediate families parked on one side of the property and other relatives stationed in front of the other screen. There were pre-recorded video speeches from school administrators, valedictorian Gia Cabacungan and salutatorian Xiya “Victoria” Yu. Then all the graduates, wearing caps and gowns along with their protective
masks, were spaced a few feet apart as they walked from their vehicles to the indoor foyer of the concession stand, where they walked across a makeshift stage and received their diplomas from Head of School Carmen Garrett Armistead. “It definitely feels different. It’s not your traditional high school graduation,” said Acuna, who sat in the bed of a pickup truck with his younger
brother, Tristan. “Everybody’s 6 feet apart. Everybody has to remain in their vehicles. I can’t conversate with my friends too much.” Acuna said he was enjoying himself, though, and he appreciated his school’s creativity as well as its commitment to honoring the class of 2020. Many other schools, including those See St. Pius X, P. 3B
St. Pius X recognizes top scholars By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
When St. Pius X High School celebrated its graduation on Saturday, May 23 at The Showboat Drive-in Theater in Hockley, two of the school’s top scholars were honored. Valedictorian Gia Cabacungan and salutatorian Xiya “Victoria” Yu had pre-recorded speeches that attendees watched on a big screen and listened to in their cars. “I’m glad we (could) do something that brings us together,” Cabacungan said. Her speech was about obstacles the senior class had overcome, with Hurricane Harvey their sophomore year and the COVID-19 pandemic this year. Cabacungan found out about her honor at a recent Friday school parade where principal Diane Larsen gave her the news. “They don’t rank us,” Cabacungan said, noting that she just knew she was in the top 6 percent of her class. Cabacungan, who lives in Vistas at Klein Lake, has attended St. Pius since her freshman year. She attended St. Edwards Middle School in Spring. She will attend the University of Texas at Austin, ma-
joring in biology, specifically plant biology. Her interest in the subject was driven by her favorite St. Pius teacher, Sister Kelly Biddle. “She is my inspiration,” Cabacungan said. “She talked about the research she did in college. We did a plant unit in biology, (and) I really enjoyed it.” Cabacungan might want to focus on crop research and how to make crops grow stronger in less welcoming environments, or she may want to manage a botanical garden. She was a percussionist in the band for four years and said Robert Carlin, the band director, is also someone she greatly values. “He really pushed me and encouraged me as a leader,” she said. Cabacungan also served on student council and the honor board. She was a member of the National Honor Society and Key Club. At school, she said her biggest challenge was time management, balancing band practices with her commute to and from school as well as her studies. Her biggest lesson? “Learning not to worry about what other people think,” she said.
confident. “My friends really helped me to talk and hang out,” she said. Her biggest lesson was try out for the things she wanted to do.
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Yu got a call from Larsen the evening of the parade because she hadn’t been able to attend. She also was at St. Pius for all four years and attended St. Jerome Catholic School in eighth grade. Before that, Yu lived in China. Her parents are still there. Since Yu’s speech was pre-recorded, she hopes her parents will be able to see it, too. “I talked about how COVID doesn’t stop us from moving forward,” she said. Yu also named Sister Kelly as a favorite teacher, having her for freshman year biology. “(She) really took care of me,” Yu said. “I was nervous.” Her sophomore honors English teacher, Mrs. Hibbs, was another favorite. “She was very hard (and) graded really hard, but I im-
proved my English,” she said. Yu plans to attend either the University of California in San Diego or UCLA. She has not decided on a major but is thinking about economics or business administration. While at St. Pius, Yu was president of the International Club, introducing fellow students to other cultures through various events, and was also a member of the Student World Affairs Council, attending offcampus meetings and lectures. She served on the Color Guard her sophomore year. Yu said her biggest challenge in high school was the language barrier. “I was so shy and my English was horrible,” she said. By junior year, though, Yu was more familiar with the culture of the school and more
HISD’s top students from local schools By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
Valedictorian Aaliyah Duffy, Booker T. Washington High School Bellaire resident Duffy, who will attend Notre Dame to major in Electrical Engineering, initially came to Washington as part of the High School for Engineering Professions program. She has attended the school for three years. Favorite classes for Duffy include Electrical Engineering classes, AP Language and PreCalculus. Favorite teachers are Mr. Duong and Mr. Smith. At Booker, Duffy was involved in softball, soccer, the Oceanettes dance team, concert band, the EMERGE college program and student council. Duffy found out about her ranking in January of this year. She said she has completed and recorded her speech in preparation for Houston ISD’s virtual graduation. “I spoke about each year of high school and the major transition that took place in
“High school is really short,” Yu said. “I remember my first day.” Yu expressed her gratitude to the St. Pius community. “They helped me out with everything I needed,” Yu said.
Duffy
Stafford
my family in the years prior to coming to Booker T. Washington from Louisiana,” she said. Duffy said her biggest high school challenge was AP Science. “My biggest lesson was knowing it is OK to take time for myself and self-care,” she said. Salutatorian Josephine Stafford, Booker T. Washington High School Stafford, who lives in Independence Heights, has attended Booker T. Washington for four years. Stafford has narrowed her college options down to Texas Southern Uni-
versity, the University of Oklahoma and Texas A&M. She plans to major in biology. Classes she really enjoyed included AP Physics and AP Literature. Teachers Ms. Ward, Mr. Duong and Dr. Nnjiofor were all favorites. Stafford was a member of the Mademoiselle Service & Social Club. She said that she was surprised to find out she was the school’s salutatorian. “I had previously been No. 3,” she said. Her speech was about leaving the school’s engineering program and having to overcome the struggle of the AP
class load that followed. “I also spoke about being thankful to all of my teachers and administration on campus for all of the support I received,” she said. Stafford said her biggest high school lesson is that she is in control of her life – “no matter what happens around me.” Valedictorian Yash Shahi, Waltrip High School Brookwoods Estates resident Yash Shahi will attend Rice University to major in economics and finance. A 4-year attendee at Waltrip, Shahi especially enjoyed his AP Calculus, Health, and AP Economics classes. “All of the teachers were stellar,” he said. “I don’t have any particular favorite ones in mind. Everyone inspired me to work hard and constantly improve.” Shahi was a member of Atlas Scholars where students work to complete a number of projects oriented in the energy industry, as well as the college See Scholars P. 4B
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Page 2B • Saturday, May 30, 2020 • The Leader
Parents of local kids offer grab bag of summertime ideas Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
So summer is almost here, which may not feel that different to you than the past six weeks – but at any rate, the traditional school year is over. That means parents are thinking about ways to keep their kids busy, or at least occupied during the summer months. Here are some ideas to get you going. Old school My favorite replies from an online query had to do with old-school summer ideas. “My son is almost 2 and he has been loving the inflatable kiddie pool in the backyard,” Rebecca Berens said. “The more time we spend outside, the less he asks to watch TV.” Stella Stevens said her kids’ summer will be a flash back to 1986 – “where you get bored. They are going to pool hop and that’s about it.”
Jeny Burrell adds the weekly bike ride to get a treat to the mix. “We are sorting all our Legos back into their original kit with the instruction book,” Burrell said. “Lofty but I have a one hour a day minimum commitment from both of them.” Jennifer Rodriguez adds lots of water balloons and water gun action. Time to dust off the slipand-slide or maybe invest in an above-ground pool, although I hear they are hard to come by right now. Outdoors This is a variation on the old-school item, but in light of emerging evidence about the relative low risk of being outdoors, many are looking out their windows. “I plan on finding as many places that I can to keep the kids outdoors, near water and not in crowds,” Vanessa Woodfin said. “Fishing, crabbing,
beaching, paddling and swimming.” My family has visited two state parks this spring with plans for more coming up. To reserve day passes – the park service is limiting them this summer – visit https://tpwd. texas.gov/state-parks/. Other parents have booked tennis lessons at Lost Forest Tennis Club or golf lessons at Acorn Golf or Memorial Park. DIY Summer jobs With many summer jobs not available this year, many kids are starting their own. Kimberly Sadberry reports that her two older kids started a lawn care business which involves six lawns. Candice Croker’s high schooler is working with a friend to offer baseball “lessons” for two kids at a time in their own front yards – “with lots of COVID safety guidelines, obviously.” Angela Pennington and
daughter Catherine are making a different kind of DIY effort. “We are going to start working on a handmade Christmas this year,” she said. “Learning to sew, especially to make some goodies for the family.” Online options One of the online options I’m hearing a lot about – and one that keeps popping up on my Facebook feed – is Outschool.com, which offers live online classes for ages 3-18, some as low as $5 per class. “We’ve found some awesome classes on Outschool,” Marcie Turrin said. “The ones for 11-year-olds ranged from fun-looking classes on the expected school subjects to all kinds of art, history, music, environmental, debate, how to be a good human/live well with others, just so much cool stuff. It’s all tele-learning, and most classes we’ve found don’t have homework, so it’s just for enjoyment, for the pleasure of
learning. Our first class, ‘This Week in History’ is taught by a Women’s’ Studies professor. All the teachers have bios.” Elizabeth Arredondo has scheduled a virtual creative writing camp with J. Mark Price studio, virtual Mathnasium, virtual guitar lessons, (and) a book club.” Many specialty camps are taking June off with the hope of returning in July. This includes the Arboretum, which is offering the first five weeks of summer camp in a completely virtual format. And HITS in the Heights which is doing online theatre classes in June. The Houston Holocaust Museum is all online this summer and has some intriguing options, like a Model UN, at https://hmh.org/education/ summer-programming/. In-person camps St. Thomas is not doing its camps for middle schoolers this summer, but St. Pius X is
doing in-person offerings starting in July. See https://www. stpiusx.org/summer/summercamps for more information. Museums and Zoo The Houston Zoo will reopen for members June 1 and for the public on June 3, but you must register in advance. They will only be selling tickets online. No tickets will be sold on-site. The Houston Museum of Natural Science is open at 25 percent capacity with visitors 10 and older required to wear a mask. New exhibits include Stonehenge: Ancient Mysteries and Modern Discoveries. The Houston Museum of Fine Arts is also open with a number of safety protocols. Amy McCormick looks forward to taking her kids to the Holocaust museum for the first time this summer. “I’ll probably do that later this summer when we know more about COVID,” she said.
City to reopen golf courses, Area YMCA to reopen Monday keep pools closed for now with limited range of services By Adam Zuvanich
By Landan Kuhlmann
azuvanich@theleadernews.com
Memorial Day weekend is typically when the City of Houston opens its swimming pools to the public. That did not happen this year. So kids and adults all across the city must find other ways to cool off, at least for the time being. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said last week that the city will keep its 38 pools and 27 splash pads closed until further notice, citing concerns about the potential spread of COVID-19. Among the impacted locales is T.C. Jester Park in Oak Forest. “I know that this decision may disappoint some families, but it is the responsible thing for the city to do,” Turner said. “It is impossible to enforce social distancing in public pools and impossible to protect children and others from the viral spread. There is no vaccine and no cure for the coronavirus, so we’d rather be more cautious, especially as it relates to our children, at this particular point in time.”
landan@theleadernews.com
Photo by Betsy Denson The public pool at T.C. Jester Park will remain closed until further notice because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While city-operated pools are remaining closed, Houston’s 380 municipal parks are remaining open. Steve Wright, the director of the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, said the city also plans to reopen three of its golf courses, all five of its disc golf courses and three of its tennis court complexes on June 1, albeit with social distancing restrictions. The recently renovated golf course as well as the tennis courts at Memorial Park are among those slated to reopen. Among the disc golf courses
to reopen is the 21-hole course at T.C. Jester Park. In the meantime, Wright encouraged city residents to visit municipal parks. He also asked prospective visitors to wear masks and maintain at least 6 feet of separation from people who are not part of the same household. “This is something that all of us as Houstonians need to embrace and understand,” Wright said. “All of our actions affect the lives of others as well.” For more information, visit houstonparks.org.
Kid camps open for summer By Zarah Parker zarah@theleadernews.com
June 1 will mark the 76th day that the Harriet and Joe Foster Family YMCA’s doors have been closed for traditional health and wellness activities at 1234 W. 34th St. That same day will mark the beginning phase of the YMCA once again offering those kinds of activities as well as kids’ day camps during the summer. While the YMCA is “reopening” for wellness activities, it’s been operating throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, providing food access to thousands in the community, childcare to essential employees and providing virtual athome wellness and family content online. “With the YMCA reopening, we want to reengage this idea of community,” said Sarah Grai, executive director for the local YMCA. “We want to provide a safe space where individuals can gather — socially distant appropriate — to make their health the priority.” At least one other area business that holds youth camps, Discover Gymnastics at 747 N. Shepherd Dr. #400, is reopening June 1 per the executive order by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
And the summer camps will look different than in previous years. The local YMCA’s youth summer day camps will have smaller group sizes and health screenings throughout each day, including temperature checks, scheduled handwashing and access to hand sanitizer. The staff will wear masks and social distance will be practiced. Registration is open now at www.ymcahouston.org/programs/camps/registration. The camps at Discover Gymnastics will be following the current statewide guidelines and open at 25 percent building occupancy, allowing a total of 45 campers in the facility. Social distancing protocols will be followed, temperatures will be checked, campers will wash hands between every rotation, and coaches will regularly clean the mats, tables, chairs, restroom and other surfaces. To register or learn more about camp regulations, visit www.discovergymnastics.com/programs/camp/. HITS Theatre, 311 W. 18th St., is planning to open its doors to students for summer programming in July. Currently the theatre is offering registration for its program “Once on This Island Jr” in an online format.
Amenities at several YMCA locations throughout Greater Houston, including the one that serves the Garden Oaks, Oak Forest and Heights areas, will resume operations in a limited capacity on Monday, June 1. Outdoor group exercises, lap swimming, childcare for essential workers and summer day and teen camps will reopen to the public at the Harriet and Joe Foster Family YMCA, located at 1234 W. 34th St. All centers will comply with orders and safety recommendations set forth by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local officials, according to a news release from the YMCA of Greater Houston. During the initial reopening phase,
safety measures to be implemented include, but are not limited to, the following: - There should be 10-12 feet between outdoor exercise participants - Chemical checks conducted in aquatic environments every hour, sanitizing pool decks daily and regularly cleaning touchable surfaces - Members will be required to register for classes online and check in upon arrival - Members are encouraged to wear facemasks while checking in and waiting for their activity to begin, and a majority of staff will be required to wear facemasks - Lockers, showers and changing facilities will not be available, but toilet facilities will be available for use - Community water fountains and bottle fillers will be closed - Members should bring
their own towel and yoga mat, and will be temperature checked upon entry Rules for summer camps will include: - Restricted access to childcare/camp spaces to only staff and participants - Small group sizes with a significantly reduced capacity for the entire camp program and social distancing throughout the entire program - Separate rooms for each group of children with the same staff each day - Multiple temperature checks and health screenings each day - Scheduled handwashing and access to hand sanitizer as well as increased cleaning and disinfecting processes For more information, call the YMCA at 713-869-3378 or visit ymcahouston.org. Follow us on social media @ FromTheLeader
The Leader • Saturday, May 30, 2020 • Page 3B
Dog’s obsessive licking turning into pet peeve more prone to this skin condition, especially during warmer months when it is humid. To keep your pet’s itching and scratching from causing an even deeper skin infection, Diesel said it is best to have a hot spot evaluated by a veterinarian right away. Dear Tabby, Our dog is driving us crazy! She is licking certain spots on her body obsessively and causing irritation (which only makes her lick the spots more!). What is going on and how can we get her to stop? Bugged by the licking in Woodland Heights
Breaking itch-scratch cycle “Treatment often relies on breaking the itch-scratch cycle, addressing the infection, and keeping the pet from further traumatizing the wound,” Diesel said. “This may involve a combination of anti-inflammatory medications, topical antiseptics, and a local treatment for
Dear Bugged, It sounds like your dog has a “hot spot.” When a dog continually chews and licks at a certain spot, this behavior can lead to an infection in the upper layer of the skin otherwise known as pyotraumatic dermatitis, or a “hot spot.”
the wound. In addition, some sort of mechanical barrier, such as an e-collar or T-shirt, can help stop the pet from causing a deeper infection.” Hopefully your dog’s itchy problem will get resolved soon. In the meantime, consider new changes that have occurred in your dog’s routine, such as a new food or new grass in your yard that may be causing the reaction. Hopefully your dog’s itch can finally get scratched once and for all! Do you have a question for Tabby? Email her at deartabbyquestions@ gmail.com.
Pet of the Week
Allergies, insect bites could be culprits Dr. Alison Diesel, clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, explained what commonly causes these areas of raw, red skin. “Hot spots are typically caused by an inflammatory insult, including allergies, insect bites or other causes of itch in dogs and cats,” Diesel said. “We most commonly see hot spots on the back or rump of dogs due to flea-allergy dermatitis and behind the ears, due to underlying and unaddressed ear infections.”
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Long-haired breeds more prone While hot spots can occur in just about any breed of dog or cat, dogs with longer hair coats seem to be
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St. Pius X, from P. 1B within Houston ISD, are holding virtual ceremonies that only can be viewed online. Another local private school, St. Thomas, was scheduled to have a similar commencement at The Showboat Drive-in on Sunday. But Armistead said that one was rained out. “I’m glad it’s in person, at least, and not like a virtual graduation,” Cabacungan said. The weather cooperated for St. Pius X, with a sunny day giving way to a comfortable, breezy evening. And Armistead said the ceremony “went great,” even though there was a technical problem that briefly paused the procession of graduates. The live feed malfunctioned on one of the screens, leaving some graduates standing in a long line outside the concession stand for several minutes. During the delay, some small groups of students broke the social distancing protocols and chatted with each other. Armistead applauded Showboat owner Andrew Thomas and his staff for fixing the problem fairly quickly and allowing the ceremony to otherwise go off without a hitch. “I think for the most part, (the students) all cooperated. Kids are kids,
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and some of them had not seen one another in eight weeks,” Armistead said. “Had that technical glitch not been there, I don’t think we would have had the milling around that we had. As long as 14 days go by, if no one who was out there is ill, it will have been a success.” Armistead said the goal of the creative commencement ceremony was to show the graduates how much they have meant to St. Pius X and to satisfy their families. She said Tuesday that the overwhelming majority of the feedback she had received from those families was positive. As for planning and executing the event, Armistead said she had never been more nervous or more exhausted before a graduation ceremony. So even though she felt good about how her school’s night at the drive-in played out, it was not an experience she wants to duplicate. “I hope not,” she said with a laugh. “I mean, oh my gosh, I hope we never have to do that again. I hope next May we’re back in our traditional Catholic church with a Mass, everything that has been our tradition. “The other side of it,” Armistead added, “is this class will never forget their graduation.”
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Photo by Adam Zuvanich St. Pius X High School valedictorian Gia Cabacungan, center, plays Uno with some of her relatives before the school’s commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 23 at The Showboat Drive-in Theater in Hockley.
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THE PUBLIC. The Leader • Saturday, May 30, 2020 • Page 4B
New COVID-19 testing site opens at library By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com A free COVID-19 testing site opened Tuesday at the Collier Regional Library, 6200 Pinemont Dr. The drive-through site, which will administer tests through Saturday, May 30, is being operated by Kroger Health in partnership with the Houston Health Department. It will be open daily from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. or until reaching its daily capacity of 175 tests. Appointments must be made by visiting krogerhealth.com/covidtesting. The Houston Health Department and its partners are operating several other testing sites throughout the city. The other locations in or near the area are at Delmar Stadium, 2020 Mangum Rd.; Avenue 360 Health and Wellness, 2150 W. 18th St.; and Spring Branch Community Health Center, 1615 Hillendahl Blvd., Suite 100. The Delmar Stadium site is free and open to anyone, even those without symptoms of the contagious disease caused by the new coronavirus, and now operates Monday through Saturday. The site is open until its
Contributed photo Heights-area residents Joaquin Dulany, left, and his sister, Catalina, hold up a map while participating in the Houston Heights Association’s 15th Annual Bike Rally and Scavenger Hunt last weekend.
HHA enjoys strong turnout for annual scavenger hunt By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com Photo by Roxanne Werner A COVID-19 testing site opened Tuesday at Collier Regional Library, 6200 Pinemont Dr.
daily capacity of 500 tests has been reached. Those who wish to be tested must obtain an access code by calling 832-393-4220 between 7 a.m.-4 p.m. The Avenue 360 and Spring Branch sites are Federally Qualified Health Centers in which patients pay what they can afford, based on income and family size,
Police Reports • May 16-26 MAY 16
Theft 8 PM 700 BLOCK W 38TH Other 11 AM 3600 BLOCK E CROSSTIMBERS Theft 10 PM 4700 BLOCK MAXIE Burglary 2 PM 2200 BLOCK YALE
MAY 17
Assault 5 PM 4400 BLOCK CASTOR Vandalism 3 AM 400 BLOCK OXFORD Theft 9 PM 5400 BLOCK KANSAS Burglary 12 AM 800 BLOCK NADINE Theft 4 PM 400 BLOCK GARDEN OAKS BLVD Theft 9 PM 800 BLOCK E 32ND Other 1 AM 900 BLOCK WINSTON Burglary 6 PM 1000 BLOCK W 30TH Burglary 11 AM 4400 BLOCK HAYGOOD Theft 6 PM 300 BLOCK ENID
MAY 18
Theft 12:00 PM 700 BLOCK HEIGHTS BLVD Theft 4 PM 500 BLOCK HESLEP Assault 9 AM 1400 BLOCK E 40TH Theft 2 PM 100 BLOCK W 20TH Assault 8 PM 2800 BLOCK W T C JESTER Other 5 PM 1500 BLOCK N LOOP Theft 1 PM 1400 BLOCK W 20TH Other 2 PM 1500 BLOCK W 34TH
MAY 19
Theft 2 AM 4300 BLOCK EIGEL Burglary 4 PM 1600 BLOCK TANNEHILL Other 10 AM 400 BLOCK W 19TH Other 9 AM 200 BLOCK W 20TH Theft 4 PM 500 BLOCK E 28TH Theft 4 AM 1000 BLOCK CORTLANDT Burglary 4 AM 1000 BLOCK CORTLANDT Assault 10 PM 900 BLOCK WINSTON Arrest 4 PM 500 BLOCK CROSSTIMBERS Other 4 PM 00 BLOCK E CROSSTIMBERS Arrest 1 PM 4400 BLOCK AIRLINE Other 9 PM 4500 BLOCK NETT Theft 5 PM 100 BLOCK YALE
MAY 20
Theft 5 PM 2300 BLOCK ELLA Assault 4 PM 2800 BLOCK E CROSSTIMBERS Theft 11 PM 00 BLOCK E CROSSTIMBERS Burglary 10 PM 3600 BLOCK KATY FWY Theft 3 AM 800 BLOCK E 32ND Other 4 PM 3800 BLOCK AJAX Assault 10 AM 500 BLOCK E 43RD Assault 4 PM 2700 BLOCK WHITE OAK Other 3 PM 1300 BLOCK NEYLAND Arrest 3 PM 200 BLOCK HEIGHTS BLVD Assault 10 AM 4400 BLOCK AIRLINE
MAY 21
Assault 10 AM 1500 BLOCK HEIGHTS BLVD Assault 2 AM 200 BLOCK W 25TH Other 11 PM 1600 BLOCK W LOOP Theft 5 PM 1400 BLOCK NORTHWOOD Vandalism 12 AM 300 BLOCK CROSSTIMBERS Robbery 9 AM 3500 BLOCK
and are not denied service because of a lack of insurance or inability to pay. To schedule an appointment, call 713-426-0027 for Avenue 360 or 713-462-6565 for the Spring Branch location. For a complete list of city testing sites, visit houstonemergency.org/covid19.
The COVID-19 pandemic did not dampen the Houston Heights Association’s 15th Annual Bicycle Rally and Scavenger Hunt, which was held last Saturday through Monday and included nearly 500 area residents. In a Tuesday Facebook video announcing the event winners, HHA executive director Emily Guyre said there were 240 participants in the 15-mile course and 237 entrants in the 5-mile course. They all were given clues as part of scavenger hunts along each course, with prizes awarded to the riders who correctly identified the most sights or objects. “It was so fun to see all the bikes rolling around the Heights neighborhood during this
difficult time,” Guyre said. “We hope everyone had a great event.” The top three finishers in each scavenger hunt received gift cards to either Blue Line Bike Club at 1504 Yale St., Wandering Star Adventure Emporium at 1504 Yale St. Suite B or Dolce Neve Gelato at 4721 N. Main St. Suite H. A team called Pike’s Posse won the 15-mile event, while Ross Coburn placed second and receiving a $150 gift card to Blue Line Bike Lab and a $50 gift card to Wandering Star Adventure Emporium. Ross Coburn placed second and Lauren Ryan was third. Harry Rave and his father won the 5-mile event, with Molly Day finishing second and Katie Busby third.
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BLACK GOLD GUNS & AMMO Licensed FFL/Class III Dealer BAYOU DR Robbery 3 AM 1500 BLOCK W 18TH
MAY 22
Assault 10 PM 4000 BLOCK AIRLINE Vandalism 12 PM 1800 BLOCK HEIGHTS BLVD Assault 10 PM 1300 BLOCK OF HEIGHTS BLVD Theft 9 AM 100 BLOCK W LOOP Assault 2 PM 3500 BLOCK YALE Theft 11 AM 900 BLOCK HIGHLAND Assault 6 PM 4200 BLOCK E CROSSTIMBERS Assault 6 PM 1500 BLOCK DROXFORD Robbery 2 AM 2800 BLOCK E CROSSTIMBERS
MAY 23
Arrest 5 PM 400 BLOCK W 19TH Theft 7 AM 4000 BLOCK NORHILL Theft 7 PM 400 BLOCK E ROGERS Theft 3 PM 4000 BLOCK N SHEPHERD Robbery 8 PM 4400 BLOCK YALE Theft 10 AM 2400 BLOCK JUDIWAY Burglary 4 AM 1800 BLOCK N SHEPHERD Theft 1 AM 200 BLOCK HEIGHTS BLVD Assault 3 AM 4200 BLOCK AIRLINE
MAY 24
Assault 11 PM 1100 BLOCK OXFORD Arrest 3 PM 400 BLOCK W 20TH Assault 9 PM 2800 BLOCK AIRLINE Vandalism 9 PM 2800 BLOCK AIRLINE Theft 8 AM 1500 BLOCK N LOOP Theft 4 AM 1300 BLOCK OF ENID Theft 7 AM 1000 BLOCK STUDE Theft 7 AM 1800 BLOCK SHEPHERD
MAY 25
Theft 9 PM 3300 BLOCK WHITE OAK Assault 4 AM 1500 BLOCK N LOOP Other 7 AM 4000 BLOCK AIRLINE Theft 6 AM 5000 BLOCK E CROSSTIMBERS Theft 12 PM 1000 BLOCK STUDE Theft 10 PM 200 BLOCK S HEIGHTS BLVD Theft 1 AM 4700 BLOCK ALLEN Theft 12 PM 100 BLOCK YALE Burglary 12 AM 200 BLOCK W 19TH
MAY 26
Burglary 1 AM 4200 BLOCK YALE Reports are provided by SpotCrime.com based on data from the Houston Police Department.
Shahi
application process. He was also elected vice president of his senior class, and was the captain of Waltrip’s varsity swim team. “In addition, I had the opportunity to serve in an elected position as the Governance Chair of HISD Student Congress,” he said. “Volunteering at Junior Achievement of America over the summer to promote financial literacy amongst underprivileged children was the most gratifying experience.” Shahi said he was surprised to learn of his achievement. “There are a lot of smart students at Waltrip High School,” he said. His speech was about not taking things for granted, and staying grounded regardless of the situation. He also expressed his gratitude to all the teachers, support staff and employees at Waltrip. “I would also like to thank the Waltrip High School leadership, including Principal Mr. Michael Niggli and my assistant principal Mr. Rolando Gonzalez for a great senior year,” Shahi said. “All the faculty in school truly care about us and are our well-wishers going into the future.” Salutatorian Logan Ramirez, Waltrip High School Ramirez will attend the University of Texas at Austin with a major of Philosophy/ Economics. Valedictorian Benjamin Brown, Scarborough High School Brown, who lives in Candlelight Oaks, was accepted into the University of Virginia and University of Notre Dame but plans on attending Notre Dame, which awarded him a university scholarship of $30,650 and a provost scholarship of $3,750. He attended Kashmere High School for his freshman year before transferring to Scarborough. His favorite classes at Scarborough were Integrated Sports, AP Biology, Chemistry, Business Management, and Spanish 1. “Even though I have many, some of my favorite teachers are Mrs. Safovich, Mr. Taylor, Mr. McCall, Mr. Niejadlik, Ms.
L. Ramirez
Brown
Rosales
E. Ramirez
Gonzalez
Ray, and Mr. O’Neal,” he said. At school, Brown was involved in the college readiness program, EMERGE. He was also a part of the Ascending to Men program, a member of the XY-Zone, and a member of the National Honors Society. “I knew that I had a great chance to become my school’s Valedictorian from the beginning, but I was not completely sure since the unofficial salutatorian during the first semester of school had a GPA extremely close to mine,” Brown said. His speech pays homage to the people in his life who supported him on his journey to where he is today, as well as Hurricane Harvey and its effect on his life. “My biggest challenge in high school has been managing my time efficiently,” he said. “The lesson I learned is to never procrastinate.”
Williamson and Colonel King, who were always very fun to be around and taught me several life lessons,” she said. “(And) my English teacher Mr. Horne, with whom I could talk about anything, (including) Astros games. Ms. Nadine and Ms. Riser helped me throughout my time at Scarborough.” She served as the team’s commander of the JROTC’s Unarmed drill team as well as president of the Scarborough High School National Honor Society. “I was very excited to share the (salutatorian) news with my family as they have always been supportive of me and my future,” she said. Rosales said her biggest high school challenge was dealing with the negative side of success – “the harder I worked in school the more people would try to bring me down because I was successful. It bothered me until I learned that negativity can be a vital part of life. Instead of capitulating, I learned to use negativity to motivate me not to let them or anything stop me from accomplishing what I want to achieve in life.”
at Yale, Columbia, Brown, Dartmouth, Duke, Stanford, Wellesley, Pomona, and Rice. The fact that Ramirez’s sister also attends Harvard was a deciding factor in her college choice. “I have been looking forward to our graduation ceremony since the start of my senior year, especially after I made valedictorian,” Emily said. “It’s a little disheartening not sharing this moment with our classmates, teachers, families, and mentors who helped us. Nevertheless, this is an accomplishment that I’ve worked toward for years, and even if I don’t get to celebrate it in the way I originally planned, I’m grateful for what I learned, both in and out of the classroom.” As a senior class officer, Ramirez worked with her principal, student activities coordinator, and classmates to come up with ways to keep their senior class engaged. Ramirez is the chair of the City of Houston Mayor’s Youth Council, the president of ZIA Sisterhood, the director of St. Jerome Teen ACTS Retreat Group, the secretary of her senior class, and an EMERGE Fellowship Ambassador. She enjoys hand-lettering, playing guitar, and volunteering. Ramirez credits the EMERGE college readiness program for supporting her throughout this process. “Their support during my college application process was invaluable,” Ramirez said. “They taught me to dream bigger and work harder, and that as long as I am willing to work for it, I can reach any goal.”
Valedictorian Emily Ramirez, Heights High School Ramirez will attend Harvard University to major in government. She was also accepted
Salutatorian Daniel Gonzalez, Heights High School Gonzalez will attend Boston University to major in Computer Science.
Salutatorian Magaly Rosales, Scarborough High School Rosales, who lives in Langwood, has attended Scarborough since her freshman year. She will major in nursing at the University of Houston. She says she particularly enjoyed her JROTC, Chemistry, AP Physics, College Algebra, and Dance classes. “My favorite teachers at Scarborough are my JROTC instructors Sergeant Major
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