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Inside Today: Pct. One Constables spread Christmas joy • 4B
Covering the Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest & the neighborhoods of North Houston
Saturday, December 27, 2014 • Vol. 60 • No. 08
Michael Silva
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With 2014 coming to a close, The Leader looks back on some of the sto-ries that made the most impact in our community throughout the year. In this issue, we count down with the first five stories that helped shape our commu-nity this year, and the list concludes with the final five next week.
10. White Oak Bayou improvements, Memorial Park Master Plan come to fruition
Houston Parks Board Executive Di-rector Roksan Okan-Vick called the Bayou 2020 Program a “game-chang-ing” inititiave for places like the White Oak Bayou. While officials unfortu-nately discovered a large sink hole in the Greater Heights which led to some construction delays, the city aims to improve trails, drainage and other as-pects along the city’s bayous and resi-
dents and business owners living along the White Oak Bayou throughout The Leader area will likely benefit from the greenways once the work has been completed.
The Memorial Park Master Plan was also unveiled this year, featuring a dra-matic number of changes focused on preserving much of the ecology and historical sites in the park. The plan would offer “cohesive park programs and experiences,” through a wealth of activities for nature lovers and sports enthusiasts alike, with a design process guided by a group of 70 archaeologists, historians and biologists among other professionals. While the design will take many years to complete, the plan represents a “tremendous opportu-nity” to establish a leading greenspace for Houstonians and for the rest of the nation. The Master Plan will be submit-ted to Mayor Annise and Houston City
Council in Spring 2015.
9. Southwaste Disposal, Tim-bergrove residents bump heads over ‘stink’
Timbergrove Manor residents re-mained steadfast in their opposition to a proposed expansion by Southwaste Disposal Company’s plant at 6407 Hurst St. as citizens say the smell is disrupting their quality of life.
State Rep. Sarah Davis (R-Hous-ton) organized an event in May for Timbergrove residents to meet with Southwaste Disposal officials to discus the expansion which would increase the plants production from 36 million gallons to 46 million gallons. Business owners and homeowners stood united in their opposition to the plant, which converts grease from local eateries into fuel. Residents were also con-cerned with the additional traffic in the
neighborhood should the plant expand, however Vice President of Operations Tim Cox explained that the company is going through all of the proper chan-nels and wants to work with the com-munity.
The application for the expansion remains under scrutiny by the Texas Commission on Environmental Qual-ity and hundreds of homeowners have written in letters and left comments online regarding their opposition to the plant. The TCEQ plans to hold another public meeting, likely in early 2015.
8. Residents demand answers over water pressure issues
Timbergrove and Lazybrook resi-dents are still posting on Facebook and other sites about continued issues re-
Leader of the YearEvery year, the Leader selects one person from within
the community to honor for their exemplary service to their fellow neighbors and their community. this year,
the Leader has selected bill baldwin – owner of boulevard Realty and Houston Heights Association member – as our
Leader of the Year. Find out in this issue more about baldwin and his impact on the Heights and beyond.
2014: Year in Review
A look back at the top 10 stories that shaped our year
Page 3A
See Top Stories, P. 5A
By Betsy [email protected]
The holidays will be a heartbreak-ing time for the family of a local man who was killed at the intersection of Rosslyn and West 43rd Dec. 11. As The Leader reported last week, the Houston Police Department arrested a Houston man on multiple charges following the accident which occurred just before 11 p.m.
Samuel Johnson was driving a white GMC Sierra pickup truck when he was allegedly involved in a traffic accident at the intersection of West 43rd and Ella. The police reported that Johnson fled the scene at a high rate of speed. As he approached the intersection of West 43rd and Rosslyn Road, Johnson then struck a black Chevrolet Tahoe.
The driver of the Tahoe, 40-year-old Chris Lopez, a married father of two who lived in Candlelight Estates, was on his way to work when he was struck. Lopez was taken to Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Johnson was treated and subsequently arrested for
DWI, first offender and failure to stop and give information.
Although drunk drivers are nearly impossible to guard against, the in-tersection at Rosslyn has long been a source of concern for residents. Local resident Jon Harvey noted that the
Fatal accident sheds light on Rosslyn, West 43rd intersection issues
Contributed PhotoChris Lopez, a married father of two and resident of Candlelight Estates, was killed Dec. 11 following an accident with an alleged drunk driver at the intersection of West 43rd and Rosslyn Road.
See Intersection, P. 5A
By Kim HogstromFor The Leader
Since 1996, Opera in the Heights, has been providing local audiences with high quality operatic performanc-es. By the measure of most, what was once a small, hit-or-miss community organization has grown into a remark-able regional artistic force in the last few years.
That is why it came as a surprise on Dec. 18, when the OH Board of Direc-tors chose to “take the organization in a different artistic direction.” This new
direction, identified in an OH press re-lease, included replacing acting artis-tic Director Enrique Carreón-Robledo with Eiki Isomura as interim conductor “effective immediately,” the press re-lease stated.
Carreón-Robledo was engaged as artistic director in 2011, following an extensive international search. The director came with impressive credits; he has acted as guest conductor for the University of London Symphony Or-chestra, the West Australian Ballet, the
The show must go on
Opera in the Heights to head in new artistic direction
See Opera, P. 5A
Contributed PhotoThe Opera in the Heights production of Hansel and Gretel.
(Left) Patrick Walsh, director of the city’s Planning & Development Department (left) and Rob Hellyer address members of the committee charged with improving the 2010 Historic Preservation Ordinance. The ongoing coverage by The Leader was one of the top stories of 2014. (Right) Mark Klein addresses members of the Garden Oaks Civic Club before voting on passing out surveys regarding the area’s drainage project. Representatives called the PWE’s move to collect input from residents for the multi-million dollar project “unprecedented. “
Self-sustained living
Read how some area homes are using “zero energy.”
Page 1B
INSIDe.
‘Bin there, done that’
Find it on 1b
Leader contributor Cyn-thia Lescalleet speaks with local experts on the best ways to store holiday de-cor and other items while making the most of space. Find out some easy tricks for fending off that end-of-season and holiday clutter in this month’s edition of The Do-Over.
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17THBurglary 12:16 AM 700-
799 STUDEWOODTheft 11:15 AM 1200-1299
YALETheft 6 AM 1000-1099 E
23RDTheft 11:30 PM 1600-1699
SHEPHERDTheft 11:29 AM 1300-1399
W 43RDAssault 11:23 PM 5500-
5599 ARLINGTONTheft 1:51 PM 3100-3199
E T C JESTERTheft 6:38 AM 4600-4699
N SHEPHERD
DEC. 13Burglary 1:27 PM 700-799
W 22NDTheft 3:30 PM 3400-3499
N SHEPHERDBurglary 9:40 AM 700-799
E 10THTheft 4:51 PM 3400-3499
N SHEPHERDTheft 5 AM 300-399
NORTHWOODTheft 4 PM 1500-1599
SHEPHERDTheft 6 PM 900-999
THOMPSONTheft 5:30 PM 5600-5699
PATRICKTheft 7:39 AM 200-299 W
20THTheft 5 AM 600-699 YALETheft 1 PM 1800-1899
NORTHWOODTheft 6 PM 2600-2699
WHITE OAKAssault 11:16 AM 5000-
5099 YALETheft 6:10 AM 2100-2199
TANNEHILLTheft 7:01 PM 6000-6099
TRUROBurglary 4:37 AM 5100-
5199 N SHEPHERDBurglary 5:10 PM 3700-
3799 BRADLEY
DEC. 14Theft 11:04 AM 5300-5399
N SHEPHERD
Theft 3:30 AM 6600-6699 HASKELL
Burglary 9:08 PM 800-899 W COTTAGE ST
Theft 2 PM 500-599 THORNTON
Theft 9 PM 4600-4699 NETT
Theft 2:01 PM 3900-3999 WASHINGTON AVE
Theft 10 AM 100-199 W 20TH
Theft 2:30 AM 1000-1099 ROY
DEC. 15Theft 4 PM 0-99 WAUGH
DRTheft 1:30 PM 500-599 W
19THRobbery 11 AM 2700-2799
YALETheft 4:44 AM 1600-1699
SHEPHERDTheft 4:55 AM 100-199
YALETheft 5:35 AM 2800-2899
ELLABurglary 9:16 AM 3400-
3499 HOUSTON AVEBurglary 2:40 AM 200-299
PARKVIEWTheft 2 AM 2300-2399
TANNEHILLTheft 3:40 AM 2300-2399
W 18THTheft 4:24 AM 6800-6899
WYNNWOODTheft 3:04 AM 5600-5699
YALETheft 4 AM 600-699 22NDTheft 11:35 PM 2600-2699
PRINCETONTheft 12:30 PM 1100-1199
W 9TH
Theft 12:30 PM 600-699 HEIGHTS BLVD
Theft 5:30 PM 700-799 BAYLAND
Burglary 2 AM 1800-1899 SEASPRAY CT
DEC. 16Theft 6:18 AM 1200-1299
COLUMBIABurglary 6:17 AM 100-199
E 33RDTheft 8:39 AM 900-999 N
LOOPBurglary 10:24 AM 1600-
1699 NORTHWOODTheft 11:30 AM 4400-4499
SHEPHERDTheft 3 PM 6500-6599
WASHINGTONTheft 9:10 AM 1400-1499
MARTINTheft 4 PM 4000-4099 W
34THBurglary 5:04 PM 4300-
4399 SHERWOODTheft 8 PM 2200-2299
GOSTICTheft 5:35 AM 1100-1199
ROBBIETheft 4 PM 2600-2699
PRINCETONTheft 3:20 AM 500-599 W
33RDTheft 4:30 AM 500-599 W
33RDTheft 6 PM 1000-1099
26THTheft 2 AM 1400-1499
ROYTheft 4:30 AM 1200-1299
DURHAM
DEC. 17Theft 1 PM 200-299 W
19THTheft 2 PM 500-599 W
19THTheft 7 AM 400-499 N
LOOPBurglary 5:49 AM 400-499
31STTheft 1:34 AM 1100-1199
W 26THTheft 10:19 AM 1200-1299
W 20THTheft 7 AM 2200-2299
ELLA
Reports are provided by SpotCrime.com based on data from the Houston Police Department.
ThE publiC.Saturday, December 27, 2014 • page 2A
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Man found dead in driveway on West 16th
by Jonathan [email protected]
Investigators with the Houston Police Department are puzzled by a case involv-ing the death of a man found in the driveway of a home on West 16th Street Dec. 20.
Nearby residents reported the body during the morn-ing hours, which was lying in the 1500 block of West 16th Street. Officers at the scene could not say what caused the man’s death, and it is currently
unknown whether the death is a homicide or accidental. The identity of the man is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Sylvia Moreno, a friend of the man who died, was shocked at the news of his death. Moreno also said the man lived nearby
“He was a good man,” Moreno said.
Cynthia Heckert, a neigh-bor of the man, said learning of the man’s death has been “horrible for all of us.”
“He was a very nice per-son,” Heckert said. “He was one of the best.”
Another neighbor said the man lost his wife during the summer and had spent the previous evening with him.
“I couldn’t understand why he would be over here,” The neighbor said.
Investigators said a cause of death would likely be known upon completion of an autopsy and the death remains under investigation.
Photo by Jonathan Garrispolice investigate the driveway of a home on West 16th Street where a body was found.
police Reports • Dec. 11 - Dec. 17
By Jonathan [email protected]
If there’s one thing Bill Bald-win wants his fellow neighbors to know, it’s that his door is al-ways open – figuratively and, more often than not, literally.
“It has a great sense of his-tory,” Balwin says about his home on Bayland Avenue. “There are many things I’m very passionate about and I want to be able to make some impact in the community when it comes to helping those in need.”
Opening his home is one of the largest ways Baldwin is able to help charitable orga-nizations or individuals. The Bayland Avenue residence was first built in the early 1900s, and Baldwin has opened his home for a variety of different venues for a number of char-ity and neighborly activities. In fact, in 2014 alone, Baldwin said he has opened his home as the venue for over 100 so-
cial, charitable and commu-nity events.
In doing so, Baldwin said he highlights the example of the rewards of historic preserva-tion and community re-invest-ment in the Heights. His pas-sion for historic preservation is perhaps best reflected in his work as the VP of Finance and Operations for the Hous-ton Heights Association and his efforts to coordinate the revitalization the Heights Fire Station on 12th Avenue and Heights Boulevard.
“I dedicated a lot of time and effort for three and a half years for that project,” Bald-win said. “Finishing the Fire Station has been a monumen-tal task.”
HHA President-elect Mark Williamson said Baldwin has been very helpful and support-ive of the organization and its Fire Station revitalization.
“[Baldwin] provided incred-ibly useful contacts and help us get a general contractor for
the restoration,” Williamson said.
Baldwin’s sponsorships, through his own Boulevard Realty, also help bring atten-tion to a variety of other local organizations.
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Congratulations Bill Baldwin...You are truly a Leader in our Community and an inspiration for all!
Sylvester TurnerState Representative • District 139
paid political ad • Sylvester Turner Campaign
It is my honor to congratulate Bill Baldwin,
the 2014 Northwest Houston Leader of the Year.
I am thankful for your service to
the community.
Congratulations to this year’s Leader.
Jessica FarrarState Representative, District 148
CongratulationsBill Baldwin
2014 Northwest Houston Leader of the Year
Paid for by the Jessica Farrar Campaign - John Farrar, Treasurer
Thank you for your leadership, dedication, and service to the
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Houston District Office • (713) 691-6912www.jessicafarrar.org
Bill Baldwin named Leader of the Year, reflects on 2014 in the Heights
Photo by Jonathan GarrisBill Baldwin called it an honor to be named the 2014 Northwest Houston Leader of the Year.
See Leader, P. 7A
The Topics.Saturday, December 27, 2014 • page 4A
Cousin Eddie had a wonderful line in that timeless holiday classic, “Christmas Vacation.”
(If you haven’t seen the movie, don’t worry, my wife hasn’t either.)
Eddie described a horrible Christmas gift – membership to a Jelly-of-the-Month Club – as “the gift that keeps on giving.”
I haven’t had too many horrible Christmas gifts in my life, but as we all enjoy this week with family, maybe opening a few presents, I can’t resist the urge to share a little about my “gift that keeps on giving.”
By “gift,” what I really mean is my stink bomb of a son, Hank, who is 15 months old and recently discovered that toilets are the only logical place to store toothbrushes. And when I say toothbrushes, I mean we’re mail-ordering the things in bulk because a certain someone disposes of at least two a week.
Here’s my only deduction, which I’m sure science would bear out with enough research: Meghan and I make it a practice to brush our teeth. Call us trend-setters if you like, but these days, Hank runs into three walls if we don’t let him rip up his gums at the same time we do. He’s an imitator.
We take great pride in our son’s hygiene. What we’re trying to de-termine is why, when Hank finishes with his toothbrush, he walks to the toilet, slightly opens the lid, and moans hysterically when Mr. Colgate makes a splash.
He does not discriminate, either. Mom’s hair brush has been “bathed.” I lost a belt. A shoe has been rescued and dried. And he’s not just putting things in the toilet. I found three Christmas ornaments in the kitchen trash. I found a sippy cup in a vase. We have a pool. When Hank is outside, there is nothing (sticks, golf balls, rocks) that doesn’t go for a swim.
The obvious question you might ask is why, as semi-intelligent par-
ents, Meghan and I don’t just watch him better. When we see him placing things in completely inappropriate storage containers, why don’t we stop him?
Oh, you silly person. What we’ve learned about Hank – and we must assume about all children his age – is that our son could be sitting in his high chair one moment and actually be walking down our driveway 12 seconds later. The boy moves in mysterious ways.
And speaking of mysterious, have any of you bought toys for a youngster recently? Who are the evil geniuses inventing these needy creatures?
I grew up with Sesame Street. I did not grow up with that high-pitched creep Elmo, and if I had, I would have boycotted the bird and cookie destroyer until they got rid of that whiny, red-headed goblin.
Obviously, Hank has an Elmo doll, and I can see the educational ad-vances of such figures. Elmo counts, he explains shapes, and he says his ABCs. But like most children still learning how to use all 10 fingers, Hank easily bores with the red-headed runt, thus dispensing him in a corner.
Out of nowhere, three minutes later, we’ll hear a voice from that same corner. “Hey, want to keep playing?”
That was the unmistakable screech of Elmo, instilling a sense of neediness in my son. And Elmo isn’t the only depressed toy we have.
Hank has a plastic guitar in the shape of a dog. For a few minutes, Hank enjoys strumming the strings and pushing the musical buttons, but he also tires of this obnoxious toy. Five minutes after it has been dispatched to its respective corner, we’ll hear the whine of a puppy dog, begging to be played again.
While Fisher-Price continues to build emotionally sensitive toys, which many of you naively buy for unsuspecting parents, I have found one gift my precious Hank contin-ues to give his parents, and it’s our favorite yet.
It happened to us one beautiful morning, when the birds chirped and the monitor began screaming because Hank wanted some whole milk.
Shortly after changing a morning diaper that felt like a Thanksgiv-ing Day newspaper pulled from the bottom of a lake, I asked Hank if he had a good night’s sleep. Why I ask my son these questions, I have no idea. Turns out, on that morning, he was ready to answer. In Chinese. Or maybe it was Mandarin.
My son, who– up to that point – had grunted his way through life, began a soliloquy of strange consonants and interspersing vowels he apparently dreamed up during 11 solid hours of sleep. (Smart kid.) He had a definite name for me, and there wasn’t a “D” or an “A” any-where in the word. He looked at the floor-length mirror in his room and I’m pretty sure he followed his “Q” with a “U.”
We made it downstairs, to the warm bottle of milk, and after turn-ing that thing into a funnel any frat boy would envy, Hank rolled off my lap and began walking around the room talking to anything that would pretend to listen.
He had a comment for the coffee table that got in his way – I believe that was his Mandarin curse word. He talked to a basketball, golf ball and soccer ball – I hope he told the soccer ball that it represented a stupid sport and he never wants to play it. Ever.
But the greatest moment of Hank’s new language came a couple of weeks ago, when I took the bruiser to interact with a few furry goats.
The moment I set Hank down in the petting zoo, I might as well have been a pebble in his path to discovery. He bolted straight for a trilogy of patient goats that looked at him and ducked their heads. (They must be experienced with 15-month-olds.) While Hank wanted to touch their fur, what he really wanted was a conversation with them. He’d walk up to one, order something very seri-ous, walk seven steps away, and then walk right back to the same goat and say the same thing again.
Obviously, I have no idea what he was saying. The goats didn’t either. They just stayed there, heads bowed. For 10 minutes, my son gave direc-tives, walked away, then came back with the same directive.
I may not know why my son hides spoons in sock drawers. I don’t know what he sees in Elmo. And no psychologist could ever decipher his unique language. But as we celebrate the birth of Christ this week, I’m constantly reminded of the miracu-lous gift of my son.
He keeps on giving.
Email [email protected]
Our son is the gift that keeps on giving
Jonathan
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hank has created his own language, which even the goats at a petting zoo don’t fully understand.
What a year it was! Military victories, pa-rades, the troops came home, there was peace on earth and prosperity in the land. The year I am speaking of is 1945, of course, because 2014 was a real downer. Here in Texas, we elected or re-elected some strong arguments for Santa Anna’s return. The happy folks among us are those goofballs who won their elections and the Austin press corps, which is going to report on one of the most colorful (i.e. ridiculous, vindictive and insulting to our intelligence) legislative terms in eons.
So let’s honor those who made 2014 what it was, whatever that is. Our famed The ER to Avoid Trophy goes to Texas Health Presby-terian Hospital in Dallas which sent an ailing Eric Duncan home with aspirin to take for his illness. Turns out Duncan had Ebola and died soon afterwards. The mistake cost the City of Dallas $155,000 including $27,000 to quarantine and observe the dog of a nurse who became infected. In addition, the hospital said it lost $1.8 million in revenue. Moving on, police in Lufkin arrested 37-year-old Evelyn Hamilton after she called them to complain about the quality of the marijuana she had purchased from a dealer. Mind Your Pees and Qs: Robert Durst, the eccentric millionaire who beat a grisly Galveston murder trial, was charged with urinating on a cash register and candy display at a Houston drug store.
A Twitter, briefly sent out by ultra-con-servative state Sen. (and soon to be our Lite Guv) Dan Patrick, read: “MARRIAGE = ONE MAN & ONE MAN.” All in caps. Choice Words Dept.: Texas governor and potential presidential candidate Rick Perry said people could decide whether or not they wanted to be homosexual just as “I may have the genetic coding that I’m inclined to be an alcoholic, but I have the desire not to do that.”
Biggest Bomb: Battleground Texas, an attempt to sign up voters for Democratic can-didates. Some 34,000 volunteers blanketed the state, but the GOP swept everything. “I feel like road kill,” said one Battleground leader. “Nothing worked.” Nothing worked for most of the Texas Democratic Party, either. Wendy Davis & Co. got clobbered, so the GOP wins our coveted Elephant in the Room (and House and Senate) Trophy. After a lengthy review, members of the Republican National Commit-tee narrowed the field for their 2016 national convention to two finalists. Dallas was beaten out by – ready? -- Cleveland.
Just your luggage was lost? Dallas-based Southwest Airlines pilots landed at the wrong airport in Missouri. They told investigators they were confused by the small airport’s run-way lights, believing it to be a larger airport in nearby Branson which is 7 miles away. Charif Souki, CEO of Houston-based Cheniere, received $142 million in cash and stocks, more than any other CEO in America. His company lost $507 million last year and has never made a profit. Omar J. Gonzalez of Copperas Cove broke into the White House, causing havoc in the ranks of the Secret Service and cost its head her job.
Most Missed Teasips: Harley Clark, UT head cheerleader credited with inventing the Hook ‘Em Horns sign, although I used to get constant letters from some guy in Beaumont who claimed it was his idea. Actor Eli Wallach
died at age 99. Although from New York, he attended UT-Austin “because the tuition was $30 a year.” While in Texas, Wallach learned to ride horses which served him well in movies such as “The Magnificent Seven.” In his first Curtain Club role when he was a UT student, Wallach played a corpse. The part of the doctor was played by Walter Cronkite. Gray Matters: UT-Austin thought it had lost its minds. About 100 human brains kept in jars were missing. Later the school said the brains had been destroyed years ago, but not everyone believes that.
What’s Down, Doc? Baylor College of Medicine was placed on probation for 14 “ar-eas of concern” by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. The Susan G. Komen Race for Cure Houston, named for Susan G. Komen who was Jewish, scheduled its annual race fund-raiser for Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. Didn’t go over very well with the rabbis. Just Barge Right In: 168,000 gallons of thick oil spilled into Galveston Bay after a barge collided with a ship.
Now let’s look at sports. For the first time in 76 years (1937) UT-Austin did not have a single player picked in the NFL draft. Central Florida, ranked 15th, was a 17-point under-dog against the 8th-ranked Baylor Bears in the Fiesta Bowl. The Bears were humiliated 52-42. It gets worse. Baylor along with TCU were snubbed from the first College Football Playoff. Happy gays are here again: Hitchcock native and Missouri standout football player Michael Sam announced before the NFL draft that he is gay. Nevertheless, he was taken by the St. Louis Rams – briefly.
In our Unsportsmanlike Conduct Category, NFL and Vikings superstar Adrian Peterson, now living in The Woodlands, was convicted of child abuse. J.J. Watt, the $100 million man, must feel lonely among his mediocre teammates. For the third straight season the Houston Astros had a dismal year, finishing next to the bottom in their division, 28 games out of first place. Only the Texas Rangers were worse – 31 games out. Nevertheless, manager Bo Porter was fired. The Rangers manager was also fired.
On a clear day you can see your feet: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality toxicologist Michael Honeycutt came out against tougher smog restrictions because “most people spend more than 90 percent of their time indoors.” Therefore, they are “rarely exposed to significant levels of ozone.” Clean-ing up the air, the TCEQ official wrote, would cause natural gas and electricity prices to rise.
That about wraps it up for the year. Texas Monthly, feel free to steal from our list for your Bum Steer Awards -- again.
Ashby is a year older at [email protected]
Let’s call 2014 the ‘Year of the Rat’
Lynn
Ashby
Columnist
The reader.
Mr. Mcelvy,I read with interest your column in last week’s The
Leader regarding theft of Christmas decorations. I have a suggestion for homeowners who put out decorations and , if found, can be returned to them.
For many years now, I have put a display of the manger in my front yard. One Christmas season, I went out to get the morning paper AND…Mary had been stolen from the display!
Afterwards my children purchased a new set for me and at that point I began putting my address on the various figures and yard decorations. Several years later, I had a rather large wood Christmas item stolen from my yard…but this time my address was on the back! I got a call several days later from a fa-ther with a teenage son, who said his yard was filled with all kinds of signs and Christmas decorations but MINE WAS THE ONLY ONE WITH ANY ID (AN ADDRESS) ON THE BACK! He told me his son would
return it to me! Several days later, it reappeared incognito on my porch! I was glad to have it back! SO, I suggest that homeowners put some ID on their decorations and maybe it will/can be returned.
Name Withheld
Dear editor: We’re hearing all over creation that Hillary Clinton
will be the Democratic Party nominee for the 2016 presidential election. Who will be her VP running mate? It certainly can’t be anyone smarter, stronger, more clever or nicer looking than she -- someone who might outshine Hillary in any manner, or contradict her wisdom, authority and gravitas in any fashion. Golly. Can you just imagine the sort of sycophantic fawning toady lickspittle apple-polish-ing yes-man lapdog nebbish they’ll have to dredge up, to run with her?
J. Reynolds
iD on outdoor christmas decor might help; running mate for hillary in 2016
There might still be a slim chance christmas decor might be returned if there is identification on the item.
Saturday, December 27, 2014 • Page 5A
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garding water pressure, which was covered in a series of articles beginning in March. The Timbergrove Civic Club welcomed Michael Neese, the City of Houston’s Assistant Director of Water Operations, and Jason Iken, the city’s Se-nior Assistant Director for Wastewater Operations, to one of its meetings to address the concerns of residents and Neese told those in attendance that a $78,000 emergency pur-chase had been for the North-east Water Plant, intended to improve water pressure in the following months. He also in-dicated that a multi-million dollar expansion of the plant
would be a more permanent, long-term solution, however residents continue to voice their concerns and claim to continue to have considerable issues with water pressure in their community.
7. 610 Highway construction causes headaches for local drivers, homeowners
While the changes to the US 290 and Loop 610 interchange might be sorely needed for the future, there is no denying that the continued construction along the highway throughout The Leader area has created frustration and headaches for
drivers throughout the area. While drivers have experi-enced a variety of delays from construction traffic, the project passed a variety of milestones big and small, including prep-aration for upcoming demoli-tion and pavement repair work into 2015. The $4.7 billion project has work occurring on ten program projects from 610 to Mason Road and the entire project is anticipated to be completed before 2017.
A group of homeowners in the area also filed lawsuits against the Federal Highway Administration and the Texas Department of Transporta-tion, focusing on the noise the
interchange would produce for those living near the inter-change.
6. Gatlin’s moves to become part of potential Ella ‘restaurant row’
One of the later, breaking stories in The Leader shed light on news of Gatlin’s BBQ’s move from 1221 West 19th Street to a new center at 3510 Ella Boulevard. Along with the anticipated opening of the Berry Hill at Ella and 43rd Street by mid-January, Gatlin’s signed a five year lease ac-cording to NewQuest Proper-ties leasing agent Danny Mc-Cormack. Gatlin’s BBQ has
remained a staple of Houston barbecue and the move to Ella Boulevard represents part of a greater focus from develop-ers and restaurateurs to gain a foothold along the boulevard.
5. Northwest Mall gets listed
Once a shopping icon in Northwest Houston, the Northwest Mall was listed for sale in September. The nearly 50-year-old mall sits on 52 acres of property nestled be-hind the massive construc-tion at the 610 Loop and US 290. The store had previously been anchored by several ma-jor stores and different chains
since it’s opening in 19680, however the mall has seen a steady decline in merchants and other stores, with the clo-sure of JC Penney in 2000, the departure of other food court merchants, and damage from Hurricane Ike in 2008.
The potential sale of the mall represents a changing landscape not only for Hous-tonian’s shopping habits but also for The Leader area in general, with the much of the surrounding property on the other side of the highway con-sisting of residential develop-ments.
shattered glass from acci-dents never gets fully cleaned before there is more to take its place.
Denise Quick said that there needs to be a turn light off of 43rd to Rosslyn: “I’ve seen many people try to beat oncoming traffic just to make the turn.”
Cisco Hernandez can’t count the times someone has run the red light. “These aren’t yellow lights but straight on red and they speed past,”
he said. “My neighbor was t-boned in that intersection and the guy took off. Usually I wait a second or two before hitting the gas.”
Yoscel Shannon is another resident who also had a close call there. “I nearly got killed by a truck that ran the red light at that intersection. Very dangerous, I got home with my knees trembling.”
Councilwoman Ellen Cohen told The Leader last spring that if people have specific traffic
or intersection concerns, the first step is to contact her of-fice directly.
“We know what was asked to be done and we can be on top of it,” Cohen said.
Alvin Wright, Senior Staff Analyst for the Department of Public Works, said that the planning of the timing of traf-fic lights as well as the place-ment of stop signs is carefully planned out. He said that the city follows the Texas Mu-nicipal Traffic Control Device
Manual which incorporates a great deal of data about traf-fic patterns.
Wright said that the timing of lights is designed to give drivers going east and those going west equal time, and also the department takes into account the volume of traffic. Volume is measured by a rub-ber strip on the ground as well as by eyewitness counts.
Anyone can ask for the se-quence of timing of a given light by calling 3-1-1 and
sending a request to the city’s traffic operation division. If someone believes that an in-tersection is unsafe, they can submit an application to the city’s Neighborhood Traffic Management Program. The program requires three pub-lic meetings, two traffic stud-ies and final approval by City Council for significant chang-es to be made.
Wright also said that if the public regularly observes unsafe traffic behavior, they
can request that HPD Traf-fic Enforcement come out to police the area and write tick-ets. Residents have requested this, as well as constable help, at West 43rd and Alba with some success.
The friends of Chris Lopez have set up a Christopher “Pepe” Lopez Memorial ac-count at http://www.gofund-me.com/isb010 to help the family.
Stuttgart Ballet, the National Opera of Hong Kong and many others.
The reviews of perfor-mances offered by OH under Carreón-Robledo’s three-year direction ranged from “better than you’d expect,” to “thrill-ing, “ to “world-class.”
“There was never an issue with quality,” Chairman of the Directors for Opera in the Heights, David Douglas, said. “We at OH have not done a good job of giving voice to
our mission, to be an inte-gral part of Houston’s artistic community. As part of OH’s new plan, we’ve decided to focus on collaborations with some of the wonderful artistic members of the community: Houston Grand Opera, the University of Houston, Rice University and Houston Bap-tist University and support lo-cal artists.
“Houston and the Heights too, have become such a vital center for the arts; there are
some remarkably talented graduates coming out our col-leges, and we are committed to providing them a platform and with work,” Douglas said.
Does this mean we will not see the visiting performers from places such as New York or San Fransisco, as offered by OH in the past? Douglas says no.
“We may bring in one in the future,” Douglas said. “You just wont be seeing six or sev-en at a time any longer. When
we bring in visiting talent, we have to pay their travel ex-penses, and their lodging is our responsibility too. There is a large pool of talent here in Houston. Funding for the arts is challenging enough, without these additional ex-panses.”
The OH press release an-nouncing this change noted that Carreón-Robledo “is leaving to pursue other artis-tic opportunities.” When The Leader caught up with Car-
reón-Robledo to ask about his future artistic opportunities, the artist was gobsmacked.
“It’s a great loss to me, and I am almost in shock,” Carreón-Robledo stated. “I poured myself into it. What we all built together? I am overwhelmed. Not one mem-ber from the board of direc-tors has ever questioned my work. There were never any concerns expressed to me.”
Did Carreón-Robledo have responsibility for the budgets?
Were there arguments? “Well, there are always ar-
guments in this profession,” Carreón-Robledo said. “But what I do know for certain is that for that last year, I have been shut out of absolutely everything that was not ar-tistic. When you have been in this profession as long as I have, you experience things like this. It should not surprise me, but it still does.”
Top Stories from P. 1A
Intersection from P. 1A
Opera from P. 1A
Page 6A • Saturday, December 27, 2014
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Knowing Many Things
Modern technology has made it possible for virtually everything that is known to be accessible at the push of a few buttons. Just ask your question and the
search engine provides you with an assortment of answers. And, with “smart phones” it’s almost literally true that all of human knowledge can fit in your pocket. But, what has this access to instant knowledge gained for us? Are we better off because we can settle factual disputes quicker, and has this knowledge made us wiser, or just lazier? Those of us who remember spending hours, or even days or weeks, in the library researching for our term papers are likely to feel that the younger generation has grown soft and doesn’t appreciate how easy they have it when it comes to accessing information. But, the more important question is whether this instant knowledge makes us better human beings, and here I think the answer has to be that it can, by making us more aware of the suffering and plight of people around the world, and able to reach out to them, charitably or otherwise, at a moment’s notice. And while having access to such vast amounts of information can make us lazier about acquiring knowledge the old-fashioned way (by reading or doing our own research), it also allows us to have a broader, more synthetic view and to be more connected to the rest of humanity. And we should always remember that truth is One. Knowing many things can blind us to the ultimate fact about our existence, that we owe our very being to the one true God.
Prepared as a public service to promote better dental health. From the office of: Chase Baker, D.D.S.,
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Chase Baker, D.D.S.
Loud snoring by itself is only a social problem. If the person that sleeps with the snorer can tolerate the noise, then there
is no concern. If, however, the snoring is accompanied by periods of time when the person stops breathing completely, then the snorer may have a serious medical condition known as obstruc-tive sleep apnea.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep-related, breathing disorder in which nasal and oral airflow ceases completely despite continued efforts by a person’s diaphragm to inhale air. The airflow is blocked by the base of the tongue and/or the soft palate falling back against the back and sides of the throat when the person is asleep and the muscles are relaxed. The more the person tries to inhale, the tighter the seal becomes in the throat. Finally, the oxygen concentration in the brain falls to such a low level that the person will arouse from their sleep enough to gasp for air. The oxygen level will momentarily rise, the person will relax again, and the obstructive sleep apnea cycle will begin again.
This can happen over and over, sometimes hundreds of times each night. The continued interruption of one’s sleep and the constant fluctuation in the oxygen level in the body can have very significant health risks. Excessive daytime sleepiness is common and can cause car wrecks and poor job performance. Hyperten-sion, cardiovascular disease, stroke, impotence, gastric reflux and depression are all associated with OSA. It is a serious medical condition, often undiagnosed, that needs treatment.
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new YeAr’s eVe dAnceKnights of columbus odin hall
Come welcome in the New Year and dance to the music of Mark Halata and Texavia from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Knights of Columbus Odin Hall, 607 E. Whitney St. Doors open at 8 p.m. The cost is $30 per couple in advance and $35 per couple at the door. Sau-sage, black-eyed peas and corn-bread will be served at midnight. Information: 281-356-3535.
commUnItY town hAll meetInGcentral nw super neighborhood (sn12)
Central NW Super Neighbor-hood (SN12), which encompasses Oak Forest, has scheduled a community meeting/town hall regarding the high-speed rail so residents can voice any concerns about the project. The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 5, at Lutheran High North, 1130 W. 34th St. Elected leaders and other speakers have been invited to attend this meeting. Information: www.ofha.org.
AFternoon moVIecollier regional library
Come by Collier Regional Li-brary at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, at for an afternoon movie show-ing of Maleficent. Popcorn and
lemonade will be served. The li-brary is located at 6200 Pinemont Dr. Information: 832-393-1740, [email protected].
JennIFer mAY reIlAnd solo eXhIBItIonredbud Gallery
Brooklyn-based Houstonian, Jennifer May Reiland, announces her first U.S. solo show at Redbud Gallery, 303 E. 11th St. Titled “Veronicas,” the show runs Jan. 10 though Feb. 3, featuring watercolor paintings and draw-ings that reflect the overlap of fantasy and reality in the digital age. Information: 713-862-2532, www.redbudgallery.com.
BreAKFAst connectIonGreater heights Area chamber of commerce
Start out the New Year right and get involved in the Chamber. Come meet some new people, learn about their business, and tell them about yours. Enjoy a delicious breakfast and find out about upcoming events. The event will be at the Sheraton Houston Brookhollow Hotel, 3000 N. Loop West, from 6:45-8:30 a.m. Jan. 8. The cost is $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Register online. In-formation: www.heightschamber.com, 713-861-6735.
memorIAl PArK mAster PlAn meetInGmemorial Park conservancy
Residents are welcome to attend the next public input meeting from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Jan. 12, at Moody Park Community Center, 3725 Fulton St. The focus will be on the progress of the
Memorial Park Master Plan to restore, preserve and enhance Memorial Park. The hosts will be Mayor Pro Tem Ed Gonzalez (District H) and Council Member Stephen C. Costello (At-Large Position 1). Information: www.memorialparktomorrow.org; www.memorialparkconservancy.org.
economIc ForecAst lUncheonGreater heights Area chamber of commerce
Join the Heights Chamber of Commerce at the Annual Eco-nomic Forecast Luncheon to hear Dr. Bill Gilmer, Director at the Institute for Regional Forecasting, C.T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston, discuss the future of Houston business, employment, interest rates, energy and real estate. The event will be from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Jan. 22, at Sheraton Houston Brookhollow Hotel, 3000 North Loop West. Information: 713-861-6735, www.heightschamber.com.
renoVAtIon toUrsPat h. Foley & company
Stop by for a special guided tour as renovations begin and meet the staff. There will be refreshments. Tours will be at 3 p.m. every Friday. Pat H. Foley & Company is located at 1200 W. 34th St. Information: 713-869-6261, www.pathfoleyfuneral-directors.com.
senIor GAme dAYcandlelight Park
There will be two senior game days on Wednesday and Thursday each week beginning at 9 a.m. at Candlelight Park, 1520 Candle-light Dr. Call 281-989-4589 or 713-682-3587 for information.
oAKs BUsIness AssocIAtIon meetInG st. James lutheran church
The Oaks Business Association meets every third Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. at St. James Lutheran Church, 1602 W. 43rd St. The executive committee meets every second Tuesday of the month. David Lorms is presi-dent. Information: [email protected].
oAK Forest rUnnInG clUBoak Forest chill
This free social running club, part of the Oak Forest Homeown-ers Association, meets at 3542 Oak Forest Drive at 6 p.m. each Tuesday. Brother’s Pizzeria pro-vided post-run food. Information: 281-685-9929.
lAUGhter YoGAheights library
Laughter Yoga utilizes breath-ing and play-based exercises for health and wellness by people of all professions/ages/abilities. Meet from 11 a.m.-noon Saturday at 1302 Heights Blvd. Informa-tion: www.houstonlaughteryoga.com.
Virtus workshop at st. rose
St. Rose of Lima Catholic Community, 3600 Brinkman, will be holding a virtus work-shop for adults. The Archdio-cese of Galveston-Houston program is called “Protecting God’s Children.” The purpose of the program is to educate clergy, staff and volunteers who work with children and youth about child sexual abuse and the ways to create a safe environment. Online pre-registration is required. The workshop will be held from 9 a.m.-noon Jan. 17, in the par-ish hall.
Call 832-320-4139 or visit www.virtusonline.org for in-formation.
celebration Kwanzaa at mt. Ararat Baptist
Mt. Ararat Baptist Church, 5801 West Montgomery Road, 77091, presents Celebration Kwanzaa, at 7 p.m. Dec. 30. This event is sponsored by The One Heritage Society Ministry of the church. There will be drummers, vendors, a storyteller (griot), food, fun and fellowship.
For information, call 713-535-9901.
A chance to Feast in 2015 at new mount calvary Baptist
The community is welcome to attend A Chance to Feast in 2015 and Watch Night services from 7-8:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Dec. 31. The theme is “An-other Year, Another Chance.” Breakfast served immediately following service. The Rev. Christopher Moore is Senior
Pastor.New Mount Calvary Baptist
Church is located at 4711 Kel-ley St., 77026. Call 713-635-1955 or visit www.nmcbc.org for information.
mAnnA brings new services to the community
MANNA will offer a free Financial Management Class from 6-7 p.m. Jan. 21, at St. James Church, 1602 W. 43rd St.
Beginning Feb. 3, MANNA will provide assistance in ap-plying for/managing social service programs (SNAP, Medicaid, etc.) every Tuesday from 9 a.m.-noon, at St. James Church.
Christus Health Bus will be at the Community Food Fair for free health screenings from 9 a.m.-noon, Feb. 21, at Tem-ple Oaks Baptist Church, 2101 W. 34th St.
For information, contact Pa-tricia Dornak at 713-504-5486 or email her at pdornak@
gmail.com.
mAnnA needs volunteersMake a difference in your
community. Ministry Assis-tance of the Near Northwest Alliance (MANNA), a coalition of churches and community partners, provides social ser-vices in near Northwest Hous-ton, is seeking volunteers for the Assistance Program, Food Pantry, and Resale Store.
Students at least 16 years of age are welcomed. Volunteers must attend a training and ori-entation session.
MANNA is also available to pick up your gently used dona-tions. Call the Resale Store at 713-686-6440 to schedule a pick up.
For information, contact Pa-tricia Dornak at 713-504-5486 or email her at [email protected].
Visitors welcome at heights christian church
Heights Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, 1706
Heights Blvd., is a friendly, small congregation. If one is looking for a church home, it is recommended to come visit on the second Sunday of each month, which is fellowship Sunday. A meal is served in the fellowship hall, and is a good way to become acquainted.
For information, call 713-861-0016, or visit www.hc-chouston.org.
Saturday, December 27, 2014 • Page 7A
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Congratualtions to Bill Baldwinthe 2014 Leader of the Year
Why wait in line?
“There’s not a lot I can do about the issues in places like Russia or China,” Bald-win said. “But I can make an impact on the quality of life here in Houston, whether it’s influencing decisions made on traffic and mobility, or the quality of the air to music in schools.”
In 2014, he and Boulevard Reality were a Platinum-level sponsor of the HHA, provided sponsorships for civic club and neighborhood associations of West University Place, Gar-den Oaks, Oak Forest, Norhill, Sunset Heights and Mandall Place, sponsored the Opera in the Heights and supported
the St. Thomas High School Booster Club.
Baldwin had also previously been named the 2011 Citizen of the Year by the HHA, for his continued efforts to grow the Constable Patrol Program and for his advocacy work in political and civic circles.
In the presentation of the award, Anne Culotta had nothing but kind words for Baldwin.
“[Baldwin] is also one of the kindest, most generous people you will ever meet,” Culotta stated. “Every one of us here has, whether or not you know it, benefited from Bull’s quiet but constant generosity.”
“The Heights is an amazing area,” Baldwin said. “I feel that we all continue to have the re-sponsibility to make this city a better and cleaner place to live and we can all pitch in a help with those kinds of things.”
Among his plans for 2015 will be his efforts to better document the many other charitable organizations and groups that have benefited from his work in the commu-nity.
“I want to help inspire peo-ple to love the city with the same passion I do and share in the same sense of commu-nity involvement that I have,” Baldwin said.
Photo by Jonathan Garris
Leader from P. 3A
Page 8A • Saturday, December 27, 2014
YMCA Mission: To put Judeo-Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all. Everyone is welcome.
BE HEALTHY. BE STRONG.BELONG.Come see how the Y can offer the support you and your family need to learn, grow and thrive. Programs offered include Les Mills GRITTM, CrossFit, free Child Watch*, and over 80 free Group Exercise classes per week.
ymcahouston.org/foster-family
text YMCAHoustonto 41411
YMCA OPEN HOUSEJanuary 1010 am-1 pmJoin between December 29 and January 12 and pay no joining fee.
*For those who have an adult with children facility membership.
Vince M., Y Member
1801 HEIGHTS BLVD. 713.864.0888 WWW.GREENWOODKING.COMGREENWOOD KING
Choose A KnowledgeableGreenwood King Agent
With Experience and Expertise
GREAT NEW AREA LISTINGS
Rich Anhorn Lauren Baker Alex Berry Shirley Foreman Emily Brandenberger Jennifer Gangeri Karen Keplinger Stowers
Soo Kim Chris Larson Juli Moore Sasha Van Nes Brittany Zalman Felicia Zbranek
Amanda Anhorn Caroline Schlemmer Nancy Jane McMillan Brigette Larson
Linda King & Julie Greenwood
412 Aurora 2207 Oxford 2702 Haverhill412 Aurora 2207 Oxford 2702 Haverhill
