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Inside Today: Waltrip keeps pace atop District 9-5A standings • Page 2
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Covering the Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest & the neighborhoods of North Houston Saturday, October 15, 2022 • Vol. 67 • No. 40
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Heritage Classical Academy attempts to secure charter again By Matt deGrood news@theleadernews.com
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As the old adage goes, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. At least, that seems to be the theme those behind a controversial proposed charter school as they seek state authorization to open for the third time in four years. “The story of Heritage Classical Academy is one of determination,” said Kathryn Van Der Pol, secretary of the board for the proposed charter school. Essentially, school leaders must
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secure a charter from the state board of education in order to open, Van Der Pol explained. But each time the school has come before the board previously, the board has always vetoed giving it authorization to open. Heritage Classical Academy, if approved, would be a tuition-free public charter school somewhere in the 77092 zip code area of Houston, according to the school’s website. The school would begin with students in kindergarten and first grade classes, and would grow each year until it is a full kindergarten through eighth grade
school that uses a classical model for learning, according to the website. The school has come under controversy during previous attempts to secure final authorization because administrators planned to use a curriculum developed by Hillsdale College, a conservative college in Michigan, according to a June Texas Tribune article. But Van Der Pol rejected those claims in a conversation this week with the Leader, arguing the issue previously was that too many See Heritage P. 3
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INSIDE.
Staff Reports
Spirit of the season Casa Ramirez has several Dia de los Muertos displays planned in store.
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Contributed photo Pictured is Odd Fellows Lodge 225 in the Heights, which will celebrate 100 years of service and activity next year.
Odd Fellows Lodge 225 coming up on century of service By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
Five stars A trip to ORG Pizza Garden had reviewer Sonia Ramos transported to the Italian countryside.
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Nibbles and Sips Heights and Co. has a new brunch menu, and Central City Co-Op is now open. See that and more inside today.
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THE INDEX. Sports............................................................. 2 Church........................................................... 3 Coupons....................................................... 4 Classifieds.................................................. 6 Food/Drink...............................8
For nearly a century, the Odd Fellows Lodge 225 has stood tall near the corner of Yale Street and East 14th Street in the Heights as a place for all comers to gather and enjoy the fellowship of each other’s company. Such places, some members say, are becoming almost a thing of the past – especially places that have continuously been active in membership and the community. But Lodge 225, they say, has and will continue to stand the test of time as a beacon of fellowship in the neighborhood. “The number of places where people can gather and socialize in the real world is small, and getting smaller,” Paul Jennings said. “They can sit down and just enjoy each other’s company. We
provide that.” The history of Odd Fellows in the Heights is a long one. In 1905, a group of Odd Fellows residing in Houston Heights petitioned the Grand Lodge of Texas to charter a lodge in their area. And by 1912, it had become of the most active lodges in the Houston area. Eventually, the group was able to build a
building of their own on April 12, 1923 at its current spot at 115 East 14th Street. It had 43 active members during its first full year of membership in 1923, and currently has about 70 active members according to Past Grand Ken Hoge. And from the heyday of the lodge in the 19th century and the falling away of other lodges
that began around the turn of the 21st century, Lodge 225 has remained. There used to be separate branch with female members called the Rebekahs, Hoge said, but the two merged in the early 2000s. The Lodge, Hoge said, has hosted events from See Odd Fellows P. 4
Do you have that one spot that is a favorite or a go-to destination. Maybe it’s the coffee shop where the barista knows your order by heart, or a restaurant where the wait staff goes the extra mile to make sure you have the best dining experience possible. Or maybe it’s even the little mom and pop auto shop you trust with your vehicle’s longevity more than anyone else. If so, then within the pages of this week’s print edition is sure to be a treat. It’s time again for our annual Readers’ Choice Awards, in which community members vote for their favorite businesses and service providers in the Heights, Garden Oaks and Oak Forest areas. Find the ballot on Page 7. Inside today, readers and community members will see a full list of nominees for this year’s Reader’s Choice Awards, chosen by you and for you. Over the course of the next month or so, readers will be able to go online and select 1st, 2nd- and 3rd-place winners in more than 100 categories that cover a wide range of industries, from restaurants, bars and grocery stores to physicians, dentists and veterinarians to real estate professionals and attorneys to boutiques, gift shops and specialty stores. Schools, churches, fitness centers and auto shops are also among categories to be voted on. The ballots for this year’s Reader’s Choice awards are located inside the pages of today’s paper. So take a look, gather your friends, and vote for those spots you believe to be the best in the neighborhood. After all, it’s the dedication of readers and community members like you that help these businesses thrive year in and year out. And for the time you take to vote either in person or online, all of us here at The Leader would like to say “thank you” in advance for your time.
Wabash Feed and Garden restarting turkey visits By Matt deGrood news@theleadernews.com Tom has plans to renew an old tradition and visit elementary classrooms across the area in coming weeks to get scores of children into the Thanksgiving spirit. But Tom is no scientist or Thanksgiving advocate, he’s a five-month-old Royal Palm Turkey, according to Betty Heacker, the owner of Wabash Feed and Garden, who is helping to coordinate the event.
And the hope is that Turkey Tom’s visits to local elementary classrooms will help children learn visually about animals and serve as a perfect visitor ahead of the holiday, she said. “We’ve found few children growing up in the area have seen a real-life turkey,” she said. While Heacker and others are attempting to restart the tradition this year, Wabash Feed and Garden used to host a similar event years ago, she said.
Contributed photo Tom the Turkey is making visits to local classrooms.
Each year, interested teachers would sign up to borrow the turkey and would use it as an opportunity to teach children about turkeys in a handson environment, Heacker said. Interest reached such a height that schools would begin calling to book the turkey as early as September, and the feed store would send the animal to between 20 and 25 schools, she said. Wabash stopped hosting the event when the original See Turkey P. 3
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