leader0511a

SATURDAY | May 11, 2013 | Vol. 59 | No. 28 | www.theleadernews.com | @heightsleader

Inside Today: SPX baseball, softball one step away from State • Page 9B

8A7A

THE INDEX.Public Safety 2AHipstrict 3ATopics 4AObituariesCouponsPuzzles 4ASports 9BClassifi eds 6B

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Everyone who knows Ivonne Higuera from her job at Tecate Mexican Restaurant on Ella knows about her kids. Son Joel

is a senior at the University of Texas at Austin who plans to become a research-er in social neurosciences, daughter Jazmym is a beautiful 16-year-old who is into make-up and nails and 9-year-old Jaymez, or Junior, is a ju-jitsu star.

Celeste Zamora and husband Jaime have been going to Tecate at least once a week since their now 19-year-old twins were in high chairs. Higuera is often their waitress and Zamora says that the pride she takes in her children is apparent.

“It’s not a negative bragging but very sincere,” she said. “You can tell that her number one priority is her kids.”

Divorced from her children’s father eight years ago, Higuera answered an ad in 2008 for a waitressing job at Tecate and has worked there ever since. She says that she has met so many people through her work and enjoys talking to them.

“Ivonne always takes a minute to say something nice and makes you feel at home,” echoes Zamora. “She’s always positive and gets to know the custom-ers.”

Her positivity is something Joel Martinez appreciates about his mom. Although times have not always been easy for the family, he says her outlook inspires him. “I really look up to her in how she perseveres through the hard times,” he said. “I know my brother and sister will be fi ne.”

And although she likes to brag about the accomplishments of her kids, Higuera is modest about her contribu-tion to their success.

She describes Joel as a very inde-

Thank you, MomsWaitress’ fi rst job is being a mother

by Betsy [email protected]

Ivonne Higuera, with her son, Joel Martinez, has kept her focus on raising her children to be successful, even while keeping a full-time job. (Submitted Photo)

More about Mothers inside today’s LeaderA mother and daughter’s bond grows

even stronger when the mother, a survivor of breast cancer, watches her

daughter face the same battle.• B

Our publisher off ers thoughts on his mother, the lessons she taught,

and how all of our mothers impactthe lives we touch each day.

• Page 4A

see Mothers • Page 9A

Help with preserving historic homes

The city of Houston’s Planning & De-velopment Department will conduct a historic preservation fair from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. May 18 at the Houston Permitting Center, 1002 Washington Ave.

The free public event is targeted for those who own or renovate historic homes and will off er workshops on:

•Researching historic properties to document a building or neighbor-hood’s history;

•Historic preservation and sustain-ability, to assess the environmental and economic savings of building rescue vs. demolition;

•What tax breaks are available to owners of historic properties;

•Navigating the historic district and landmark designation processes and available resources;

•Houston archaeology, exploring some of the city’s most interesting historical sites.

•Repairs, alterations and additions, including historic windows.

Deadline for registration is noon May 15. To sign up or for informa-tion, go to http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/HistoricPres/hist_pres.html or call 713-837-7963.

ROOFING BY SERNA BROS.: Serv-ing northwest Houston since 1973. Free estimates. 713-688-3277.

CLAYTON LEE PLUMBING: Com-plete plumbing service. Residential and commercial. Repairs on water heaters, faucets, tubs, water and gas lines, pipe breaks and leaks. Great prices. 713-864-1700.

MOVING IN/MOVING OUT? Call Frank to haul off trash/junk. 281-312-9795.

FREE CHOCOLATE BROWN GUINEA PIG: Complete with large cage, rolling stand. 713-688-0941.

What

YOU CanFind Inside

Attorneys’ report into ex-Waltrip principal reveals money, drug woes

The big question, after reading a 73-page independent investiga-tion of Steve Siebenaler, who led Waltrip High School for a decade as prin-cipal, is how he held onto that position for so long.

The probe, ordered by Houston ISD and conducted by the law fi rm of Callier & Garza, paints the picture of a man who wore his demons – a troubled personal life, health issues, mon-ey problems – on his sleeve and

whose behavior became increas-ingly erratic and obvious start-ing in 2010. It concludes that his use of prescription painkillers – some of them obtained from colleagues – made him “unavail-able or unable” to fulfi ll his du-ties as principal.

Whether Siebenaler will face criminal charges or be retroac-tively fi red by HISD is still up in the air, the district’s chief spokes-man told The Leader on Tuesday. Jason Spencer said the district’s inspector-general, Bob Moore, is reviewing the report to see whether it warrants further in-vestigation by the Harris County District Attorney’s Offi ce, and

Siebenaler at a 2012 meeting with alumni. (Photo from Waltrip Alumni Association)

by Charlotte [email protected]

HISD names new principal

to lead Waltrip

• Page 5A

see Probe • Page 9A

On WashingtonParking ruleshave changed

• Page 5A

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��An offer of weapons training and a free gun made

to Oak Forest-area residents recently has propelled the community into the New York Daily News.

An article Monday centered on the Armed Citi-zens Project’s training session at an indoor gun range that reportedly was attended by nine women and one man from the Oak Forest area, trying to qualify for a free $200 weapon.

“You know about gun buybacks,” the lead to the story read, “Well, Texas has gun giveaways.”

The Houston-based Armed Citizens Project plans a move into the New York City area, according to the

report, which forecasts a challenging reception for the organization.

When The Leader did the story for its May 4 edi-tion, the Armed Citizens Project said it was target-ing communities with crime problems. Oak Forest recently experienced a series of robberies of resi-dents outside their homes – most of them armed robberies – and endured a similar series of robber-ies last fall.

For more, go to http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/texas-give-gun-free-article-1.1335946?localLinksEnabled=false

Oak Forest makes news in NY with gun giveaway

These reports come from SpotCrime.com based on data from the Houston Police Department.

Keep on top of crimeStay in touch with The Leader

online at www.theleadernews.com and through THE LEADER Face-book page and @heightsleader on Twitter for the very latest in crime news from your neighborhood.

We’ve added a Fighting Crime section, available by clicking on the menu bar on our website, that includes a Community Crime alert, where you can post your own crime information, in addition to what we learn and make available as quickly as possible.

It’s not “offi cial” reporting (a very slow and complex process), but it is grassroots, immediate news. Among the items reported in recent days: Two robberies in the Heights with a description of the robbers, a robbery at knifepoint of workers in Timbergrove Manor, and a break-in at a Lazybrook home where the homeowner chased off the intruder with a gunshot.

We’ve also provided the lat-est crime fi gures in the Greater Heights and Washington Avenue corridor beats, provided by HPD, that shows alarming increases in burglaries of motor vehicles in the Heights and assaults along Wash-ington.

We’re the only news source that provides this kind of fast, compre-hensive reporting on what’s going on in your community. Because informed neighborhoods are safer neighborhoods, you can trust The Leader to look out for you.

Photo from NY Daily News website, www.nydailynews.com


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After four years of attending the Art Car Parade, the Tyska family of Oak Forest took it up a notch – a very big notch – by entering a car of their own creation. And so, “The Car With Ping Pong Balls On It” was born.

“We decided that we wanted to enter a car that was different, but that we could actually make,” said Mary Tyska. “My husband John came up with the concept, and my son Alex drew a rendering of the car. We sent off the application to the Orange Show in February of 2008. Between the application and the actual parade, we had to figure out the details of how we could do it.”

Tyska’s 1995 Mercury Tracer was the “canvas.” After sanding it, Mary drew a grid on the car with a Sharpie to get the spacing right. The bases and springs are from plastic headbands, or “head bop-pers,” with ping pong balls in place of the original glitter stars and hearts.

They glued the bases on with E6000, a permanent bonding ad-hesive, and painted the Tracer with

Rust-Oleum. John, Mary, Alex and daughter Elizabeth worked on the project a little at a time in the weeks before the parade. The crowning touch was the ping-pong balls –– 691 of them to be exact.

While Mary is the one who mostly drives “The Car With Ping Pong Balls On It” around the neighborhood, John is behind the wheel during the parade. Mary, Elizabeth, an eighth-grader at Johnston Middle School, and Alex, a junior at Waltrip High School, are also along for the ride.

On parade day, artists and cars begin lining up at 9 a.m. on Al-len Parkway. Tyska notes that the

morning is a great way to preview the parade, since the streets are blocked off and spectators can walk to see the cars, talk to the art-ists and take pictures.

The camaraderie among art car drivers, even those not in the pa-rade, is something Tyska really ap-preciates. “I really felt ‘cool’ when a low-rider acknowledged me at an intersection,” she said. “No mat-ter what, if you put yourself ‘out there’– you are part of the art car family.”

Alex Tyska also helps artist Mark David Bradford, aka Scrapdaddy, in his studio. Bradford created “The Green Man”, which won the

Mayor’s Cup at last year’s parade, as well as other fantastical vehicles and fixed, metal sculptures.

In March 2010, the Tyskas were down but not out when the engine on the Tracer died and could not be fixed. They purchased a 1999 Ford Taurus from Craigslist a week before the event and worked over-time to get it ready.

“It was actually finished on Fri-day afternoon before the parade,” said Tyska.

Their current car has 430 balls. Tyska is pretty much an expert on ping pong balls at this point. She buys them in bulk from Interna-tional Billiards on Washington because they constantly have to replace them.

Celebration of quirkinessArt Car festivities kick off at 11

a.m. Saturday at Allen Parkway and Taft with live music and a chil-dren’s zone, where youngsters can create their own art work.

More than 300,000 spectators are expected to line the parade route for the 1 p.m. procession, which begins at Allen Parkway. For information, visit www.thehous-tonartcarparade.com.

Ross and Cathy Clark will mark their final day in business at Windwater Gallery at 548 W. 19 St. in the Heights Sunday, after 11 years at that location and 16 in Houston selling exquisite Asian art, furniture and ac-cessories. They’ve been gra-cious hosts to the First Saturday Arts Market since its inception, too. Lots of people sad to see them go.

Hot market for artists’ rental spaceRented studio space for artists

is almost hotter than our real es-tate market. Waiting lists to get a spot are just expected. What you’ll find at open studios are artists in their working environment. What could be cooler than that? Check out where the magic happens. Art receptions tend to coincide with the open studios, so check out the websites in advance.

Movies for new parents (with baby)14 Pews, the microcinema at

800 Aurora St. (near North Main), is hosting Cinemoms, a special parent-baby screening each Friday at 1 p.m. The next one on May 17 is the documentary “Trash Dance.” There’s no cost for members; $11 for nonmembers. The theater’s lights will be dimmed so that baby can still be attended to, and there

will be a special area for feeding and changing. For more, go to www.14pews.com

Friday May 10Dis*qui*et - solo show with

Michael Wooten, East End Stu-dio Gallery, 6-10 p.m., 708 Tele-phone Road, Suite C 77023. h t t p s : / / w w w. f a ce b o o k . co m /events/103231636545633

Visual Arts Alliance 30th Juried Open Exhibition One and Three Allen Center, 500 Dallas, 77002 6-8 p.m. On view thru June 16, 2013. http://www.visualartsalliance.org

All Weekend: Houston Art Car Ball/Parade and other activities can be found here: http://www.thehoustonartcarparade.com

Saturday May 11Pop Shop Houston, Indie Craft

Fair, Art and Music Festival at Spring Street Studios May 11-12. Spring Street Studios, 1824 Spring St. 77007 http://www.pop-shophouston.com/

BBQ Benefit for the Elizabeth Hold Reyna Scholarship Endow-ment at the University of Hous-ton, Conrad N. Hilton Founda-tion. Noon at El Potro Loco Bar 7315 Lyons Ave., Houston, Texas 77020 http://www.facebook.com/events/239217646221849. Fam-ily and friends of Elizabeth Hold Reyna are raising the minimum of 12,500 by July 31, 2013 to estab-lish an endowed scholarship in her name. Liz was anincredible young woman. She lived in the Heights with her husband and volunteered for many different groups.

Sunday, May 12Craftacular at Hello Lucky, 1025

Studewood st. 12noon-4 p.m. This event has been moved to Sunday for this month only to offer some Mother’s Day shopping. www.face-book.com/pages/Craftacular-Sec-

ond-Saturdays/199141436773250 Don’t let this corner market fool you, the artists are great, this show is put on by a different artist each month.

It’s not hyperbole to say that the new Ruggles Green in the Wood-land Heights is the most anticipat-ed restaurant opening in this part of town. The ardent expectations for Ruggles Green’s introduction into the dining scene isn’t so much for its novel menu; it is, after all, the fourth franchise for the city’s pop-ular salad and sandwich special-ists. Rather, agony over its opening came from watching the space on the corner of 11th and Studewood sit idle for so long. Everyone knew it was going to be a Ruggles Green, and everyone heard the specula-tion on its delays – but it seemed to sit there with boards over the windows and tarps over the brick walls for months upon months.

It was worth the wait, if not for the aesthetics alone. The inside looks nothing like the old 11th Street Café – its blown-out, free-flow spaciousness is ideal for the order-at-the-counter-and-get-your-chow-delivered approach to service.

The semi-exposed kitchen gives you a peek into the pizza- and pas-ta-making process without giving away all the secrets. The fresh and crisp interior furnishing and vault-ed ceilings, which hold a striking chandelier of what looks like hun-dreds of glued-together ping pong balls, give an organic feel to match its proudly green certified menu. And the biggest appeal, particu-larly over the past couple of weeks of ideally al fresco weather, is the comfortable patio that is fixed up with heaters, fans and plastic coverings to handle our famously mercurial weather.

However, the problem with an-ticipation is the ensuing response when a place like Ruggles Green finally opens its doors. So finding a table on the weekend afternoon that Leader Eater came turned into a crafty endeavor (you don’t have to be so shrewd to park, though, with an extended lot off 11th Street). But once The Bomber (my

five-year-old going on 15) and The Winnebago-Driving Parents from the North got settled in, you wouldn’t have known the place was packed out.

The folks at Ruggles Green were Johnny On The Spot with the kid’s burger and fries (one of a half dozen decent choices on the children’s menu) and had it out in a flash, with our order of Veg-gie Lettuce Wraps hot on its tail. These little herbivore tacos were the appropriate pick to match with the preservative-free feel of the menu (although The Bomber wasn’t much interested in them). Leader Eater could manage one of the wraps single-handed, but they were rammed full of flavor – a dar-ing lineup of mushrooms, peppers, onions, cilantro, zucchini and corn with flattering quinoa strips and a charismatic dipping sauce that had what seemed like a time-released nudge of spice on the back end. But the trick with the wraps is not to lose half the vegetable garden out the sides of the flimsy butter lettuce like trying to carry a load of laundry in your arms without dropping a sock.

Leader Eater settled on the Buf-falo Burger, and got what I expect-ed from it – a leaner version of its beefy brethren with slice of melted Swiss in between a whole wheat bun. The sweet potato fries were a little lazier than I like, but the Technicolor cousins of the regu-lar potato fry are Ruggles Green’s modus operandi and are hard to stop knocking back, one after the other. The rest of table indulged in a Cuban Pork Sourdough Panini and Texas Caesar Salad and were all drawn to the mildly addictive Maine Root organic soda flavors.

When we got up from the patio, there was no shortage of folks to fill our seats as cars and bikes and strollers all seemed to be flock-ing to this corner of the Heights, hoping to get a glimpse of a long-awaited restaurant makeover.

Ruggles Green748 E 11th St

www.rugglesgreen.comStarters: $8-$10

Salads, Tacos & Pasta: $8-$17Sandwiches, Burgers & Paninis:

$9-$15Kid Friendly: Good for the young’uns

– inside and outLE’s Favorite: Veggie Lettuce Wraps

Teams are forming for the sum-mer season of the Oak Forest Pub Challenge Bowling League to be-gin from 7-9 p.m. May 31 at Del Mar Lanes, 3020 Mangum Road.

Each week the teams will rotate to a different team’s watering hole after bowling for a drink. There will be a 43-inch trophy for the champion team, which will ro-tate to the next season champion’s sponsored watering hole.

The four person teams must be sponsored or represent a local pub, bar or ice house. Participating Oak Forest area pubs include the Oak Forest Chill, Crazy J’s Ice House, T A’s Cargo Club, NJ’s, Red’s Coun-try Place and The Dutchman.

Proceeds will fund an end of season blow-out at the champion’s home watering hole. There are

limited team slots available, so act now before the roster is filled. For more information, contact Tommy at [email protected] or call 832-623-2715 on weekends or evenings.

2013 AmericanCraft Beer Week

Craft beer connoisseurs and beginners will come together for the eighth annual celebration of American Craft Beer Week May 13-19. With the tagline “Big Week, Small Breweries,” ACBW is an opportunity to toast to the more the 2,400 small and independent American craft brewers who con-tinue to make the U.S. the world’s most diverse brewing destination.

On May 15, Local Pour will be

celebrating ACBW with a Rahr & Sons Summertime Wheat cask tapping. Be sure to stop in at 1952 West Gray for a pint of the cask-conditioned strawberry hibiscus wheat ale. Yum!

New for 2013 is the American Craft Beer Week Coast to Coast Toast. For the first time ever, ACBW will be commemorated by a simultaneous nationwide craft beer toast at 7 p.m. May 16.

El Gran Malo DowntownEater Houston reports that El

Gran Malo will be opening a sec-ond location in the former Cabo/Pepper Jack’s location at 419 Tra-vis St. in downtown Houston. The new location will boast 10,000 square feet and an expanded gas-

trocantina menu that will include lunch offerings.

El Gran Malo offers 60 tequi-las including sotol and mescal, 50 house-crafted tequila infusions, which change weekly and season-ally and 30 craft Texas and Mexi-can beers.

Created by Steve Sharma and Lea McKinney, El Gran Malo’s original location is at 2307 Ella Boulevard.

– Ivee Sauls

Art a la Carte: Fond farewell to friends at Wind Water

Pub league ready to bowl you over

Thirsty Explorer

Thirsty Explorer

Good news for Indian food loversFilling the Indian food void for a number of curry-craving diners these days is the

recently opened Rasoi Indian Cuisine, located at 13147 Northwest Freeway, Suite 140. The restaurant features a lunchtime buffet and a full menu of Indian specialties from soup (Mulligatawny and more) to desserts (standbys such as ras malai and creative offerings such as chocolate samosas).

Since it’s not open on Sundays, Rasoi will be celebrating Mother’s Day on Saturday with a special buffet featuring items prepared as you wait. For more visit their Facebook page Rasoi Houston or website at www.rasoihouston.webstarts.com

Sweets for the sweet at BRShawn Salyers, owner of the Baskin Robbins at 1354 W. 43rd St. in Oak Forest, tells The

Leader that Mother’s Day is by far the most popular occasion for BR’s ice cream cakes. He’s extending the custom ordering through close of business Friday, he says, and he’ll have extras on hand – which his staff can still customize with personalized messages – until they run out. You can call Baskin Robbins at 713-290-0877 or visit their Facebook page at Baskin Robbins Oak Forest.

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Mitch CohenArts Columnist

Having a ball creating an Art Carby Betsy Denson

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Mary Tyska with “The Car With Ping Pong Balls On It.” (Photo by Betsy Denson)


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CLUES ACROSS

The Puzzles.Solutions in this issue’s classsi ed section.

44. Point midway between N and NE 45. Refers to a female 46. Tears down (archaic sp.) 48. Increases motor speed 49. Nocturnal winged mammal 50. Integrated courses of studies 54. Goat and camel hair fabric 57. Papuan monetary unit 58. Extreme or immoderate 62. Free from danger 64. Musician Clapton 65. French young women 66. Auricles 67. Foot (Latin) 68. Pre x for external 69. Allegheny plum

ACROSS Cont...

1. Founder of Babism 2. “A Death in the Family” author 3. One who feels regret 4. Maine’s Queen City 5. Research workplace 6. A division of geological time 7. Paid media promos 8. Abdominal cavity linings 9. Apportion cards 10. Ranking above a viscount 11. Not idle 14. Former SW German state 15. Constrictor snake 21. Pica printing unit 23. Where wine ferments (abbr.) 24. Egyptian goddess 25. Boils vigorously 26. Oral polio vaccine developer 27. Master of ceremonies 29. Fr. entomologist Jean Henri 30. Scottish hillsides 31. Islamic leader 32. Bakker’s downfall Jessica 34. TV show and state capital 38. A citizen of Belgrade 42. Supervises ying 45. Sebaceous gland secretion 47. Conditions of balance 48. Ancient Egyptian sun god 50. Part of a stairway 51. Time long past 52. Hawaiian wreaths 53. Resin-like shellac ingredient 55. Semitic fertility god 56. 60’s hairstyle 59. Honey Boo Boo’s network 60. Soak ax 61. Volcanic mountain in Japan 63. Point midway between E and SE

26. Bosnian ethnic group 28. Longest division of geological time 29. Hoover’s organization 32. Thigh of a hog 33. Fabric woven from ax 35. Upper limb 36. Basics 37. Satis es to excess 39. The cry made by sheep 40. Go quickly 41. Allied headquarters in WWII 43. Paradoxical sleep

1. Fishing hook end 5. A jump forward 9. Girl entering society 12. Largest toad species 13. Measure = 198 liters 15. Jeff Bridges’ brother 16. Past participle of be 17. SE Iraq seaport 18. Paddles 19. Biotechnology: ___ onomics 20. Perfectly 22. Japanese sash 25. Flower stalk

CLUES DOWN

A mother’s love cannot be duplicated anywhere on earthAllow me a departure from script.

No controversies, no analysis. Just a neighbor sharing a story.

I think I remember the exact day I looked at my Mother and realized I couldn’t have found one better – not if you lined up a million of them. My shorts didn’t fit, my right shoe had a hole in the toe, and my baseball glove was the best on the team. It was just me and Mom, alone, in a dusty parking lot, wait-ing on the rest of my teammates to arrive.

What we said to each other those few minutes, I really don’t remember. (Let’s face it, the best mothers don’t analyze batting mechanics.) What I vividly remember is that Mom, a hundred places to be, sat there, with me, in a scorched, silver Chevette, not a shred of angst in her fingers. And she wasn’t just there with me. She was there for me. Because of me.

That hardly sounds like a profound moment between a mother and her son. You’re right. Not without context.

I was eight years old when my Mom dropped me off at that baseball practice, and I remember it so clearly because it was just the two of us in her car. That was rare. My older brother was across town chasing soccer balls, my younger sister

needed a ride home, and my biological father had gone Home three years earlier, a victim to cancer’s cruelty.

Somehow, and for reasons I can only be grateful for today, I realized – in that brief moment – my Mother had the abil-ity to escape every panic in her life, turn her smile to me, and by sheer presence, offer me a love found nowhere else on earth. If there was no father at home, we’d be all right. If the car struggled to start, we’d find our way. My Mother would be there when I went to bed, wake me the next morning, and no matter how tired or tried she was, she would always have that melting look of love reserved only for me.

Mothers have that, you know. They

have a look, a smile, unique for every child. Maybe they have a glare, as well, but I suppose most children don’t re-member that. My Mom’s gentle face, in the midst of the greatest challenge such a fragile woman could stand, appeared that afternoon outside a barren baseball field, and I will never forget it for as long as I live.

That was 30 years ago, and a lot has changed since then. A wonderful man came along a few years later and rescued our family. He married Mom, adopted me and my siblings and, to this day, he is the greatest man I have ever known. But as years creep by, and as I look back on days like that summer afternoon at a baseball field, I become more and more convinced that a mother’s legacy of love, at least on earth, cannot be matched. And what’s most amazing is that so many of of us – me included – never stop and truly grasp how that selfless, God-like love forms the fiber of nearly every good thing about us.

My Mother cooked dinner nearly every night. I learned to serve.

My Mother worked any job she could find. I learned an ethic.

My Mother stood up for me when I

was right. I learned protection.My Mother disciplined me when I was

wrong. I learned fairness.My Mother laughed. And she cried. I

learned to communicate.My Mother went to church. She let me

find God.I sometimes wonder if I’ve done

enough to repay my Mother for every les-son she taught, every hug she gave, and every moment she spent devoted to me. I wonder if I was ever there with her. For her. Because of her.

The answer, unequivocally, is no. I can-not repay her for the years she spent with her arms wrapped around me, no matter what words I write or flowers I send. But I think that’s the beauty of a mother’s love. I don’t think it’s meant to be repaid. It is meant to be passed forward, to share and to spread to the people in our lives.

I can speak to men, because I am one. Our mothers taught us how to be good husbands. They taught us about undying service. They taught us protection. They taught us fairness. They taught us com-munication. Our fathers may have taught us to be men, but our mothers taught us how to be husbands, and I sure wish I did a better job.

I can also speak to sons, because I am one. No, not every mother is perfect, and there are too many examples of young men who didn’t have what I had as a child. But I wonder if sons today have any idea what their mothers sacrificed. I sure wish I had understood sooner.

So as we all stop to celebrate our mothers this weekend, I can only hope that most of you had the same wonderful gift I had. More than anything, I hope we all take time to thank them for a love that cannot be duplicated, ever.

I cannot begin to thank my Mom enough for the moments she likely does not even remember, but I can try. Thank you for giving me every opportunity a young boy could want. Thank you for living on pennies so that your children thought they were living on dollars. Thank you for your smile, for your eyes, for your laughs and for our cries. Thank you for the protection you gave that I never knew, and thank you for the free-dom to let me grow into a young man. More than anything, thank you for being my Mother. If you lined up a million of them, I’d choose you every time.

Email [email protected]

JONATHAN

MCELVY

Publisher

Should we really shut down the red light district?THE INTERSECTION – I’m

waiting for the traffic light to turn green while listening to some knuckle-dragger on the radio explain that global warming is due to Daylight Saving Time “because we now have an extra hour of sun-shine.” The traffic light changes, but every Texas motorist knows not to spring out into the intersec-tion unless you first notify your next-of-kin. I slowly ease out into the crossroads which are more like crosshairs and... GOOD GRIEF! A pickup comes barreling across my bow doing about 70, clearly running the red light. It’s a good thing we’ve got video cameras up there on poles which will snap a photo and....

Wait. We don’t anymore. They were mounted at the most wreck-prone intersections, but the good voters in my community canceled the system. Clearly, a majority of motorists around here likes to be splattered like Jell-O, or maybe they like to splatter others. Either way, not only am I in danger every time I venture on to the roads, my car insurance rates keep going up. Your rates, too.

In case you just moved here from Chad, such cameras are timed to photograph the license plates of cars going through red lights. The cameras can also shoot pictures of the drivers. The photos show the date, time, location and length of time the light had been red when the vehicle sailed through. Later, the motorist re-ceives a letter containing a traffic ticket and a copy of the incrimi-nating photograph.

There are many questions in life which defy answers. Why would anyone who makes more than $500,000 a year vote Democratic, and why would anyone who makes less than $500,000 vote Re-publican? How did Davy die? Why do fools fall in love? To quote JFK, why does Rice play Texas? And why would anyone be opposed to video cameras taping the lunatics who run through red traffic lights threatening to kill us? Maybe they like my splattered Jell-O theory.

We have seen those shots on TV of wrecks caused by vehicles running red lights. Usually they T-bone the other vehicle – hitting the side door, the most vulnerable part of the machine. And, again, we are all paying hard money

for it, unless you are among the millions of Texas drivers who don’t have car insurance. More than 100,000 crashes and 1,000 fatalities are caused by motorists running red lights each year, ac-cording to the Texas Department of Transportation. Studies show a sharp drop in the number of traf-fic accidents where the red-light cameras are used, but we shall not let facts get in the way of cherry-picking the laws we wish to obey and those which are simply an ignored nuisance.

Opponents say the cameras are intrusion into their lives. If so, to be consistent they must avoid all banks, especially ATMs, which cover customers 360 degrees 24/7. Next time you go into a conve-nience store smile, because you are on Candid Camera. Local TV news shows love to run those grainy shots of some guy entering a Stop-N-Rob wearing a ski mask, gimme cap and dark glasses, wav-ing a gun while the TV anchor intones, “If you recognize this person, call 1-800 HANDS UP.” Recognize him? That could be my brother and I wouldn’t know it. We live in a recorded world, as Tamerlan Tsarnaev told his own brother, Dzhokar.

London is supposedly the camera capital of the world, with the devices located on virtually every street corner. If you don’t want them taking your picture, don’t wear a London Fog. Also, don’t go into any liquor store, police station, airport terminal and most elevators. Casinos are full of cash, customer crooks and sticky-fingered employees. Stay away from them, plus hospitals and office building lobbies. Don’t use toll roads. They are lousy with cameras. Actually, it seems hypocritical for opponents of the red light cameras, citing video intrusion of their privacy, to leave their house.

“It’s merely a way for the city

to get more money,” we are told. Then we can assume these people don’t frequent parking meters, or pay their water bill. They avoid pro sports events because tax dol-lars paid for most of the stadiums and arenas. It is argued that the owner of the car may or may not be the actual driver. Tell that to the owners of vehicles receiving parking tickets.

There is the objection that the camera systems are supplied and operated by private companies, thereby usurping the duties of the government. Are these the same critics who are constantly clamor-ing for privatization, smaller government and run it like a busi-ness? Indeed, a private company picks up my garbage, although some days they deliver. The main, and unspoken, reason for oppos-ing the cameras is simply that the whiners want to break the law and don’t want to get caught or pay the consequences (a fine), or even be inconvenienced. These arguments for opposing a com-mon-sense device that could save lives and clear up a lot of lawsuits are totally transparent. But they are winning. Estimates are that at one point nearly 700 cities in the nation used cameras. Now it’s 530. Currently 21 states and Washington, D.C., use automated cameras at traffic intersections to catch violations. Opponents have one more way to break the law untouched: They can buy clear, plastic shields that blot out their license plate from cameras. The shields are rather like ski masks for cars.

Here in Texas, roughly 60 cit-ies have the camera programs. Montgomery County and League City are dropping systems already in place. If you go there, avoid all intersections. Houston had video systems from September 2006 until voters banned them in November 2010. Good, because Houston has no traffic accidents to speak of. This decline in colli-sion cameras means the T-bone terrorists have won. They are also correct in saying that we don’t need seat-belt laws, mandatory helmets for motorcyclists and child-proof medicine bottles. And, yes, Daylight Savings Time causes global warming.

Ashby sees red at [email protected]

ASHBYAT

LARGE

THE READER.Citizens on patrol – but how?

I have been doing CP for a number of years and and asking for clarification on a section of this article, i.e., “In addition to driving, the CP walks and rides bi-cycles. They’re identifiable to their neighbors by shirts that they wear and stickers on their car.” Are these CP members walking and riding bicycles when they are wearing the CP shirts or jackets? If so, it is a violation of HPD policy. Can you get some answers?

Love The Leader. I pay for the Chronicle but get more news out of The Leader and am a faithful reader. I just wish my neighbors would appreciate it as much and pick it up every week.

Lillian Jolliffe via www.theleadernews.com

Response:You’re right about HPD policy being cars-only.

We’ve been hearing it’s common for this patrol and others to use their training to keep an eye on their neighborhoods on foot and on bikes, too. They don’t wear their shirts or claim the hours, but they do use the expertise they’ve gained to help keep the streets safe. And thanks for the nice comments about The Leader.

Charlotte Aguilar, Editor

Crime hikes in Greater HeightsYes, but we have parking meters on Washington

Ave. now. That will stop crime.Kevin Furlow via THE LEADER Facebook page

Armed Citizen ProjectOR…this will encourage break-ins when thieves

are certain that no one is home! Guns are the #1 most stolen items in burglaries.

Just as brilliant as I’d expect from an NRA knock-off; thanks for making me feel even LESS SAFE.

MBT via www.theleadernews.com

Just one more reason to like The Leader. Thanks for spreading this news.

David Pokorny via THE LEADER Facebook page

How do I get a shotgun?Richard Bradley via www.theleadernews.com

Where can my wife and I register for the weapon?Juan Hernandez via www.theleadernews.com

Where do I sign up?Sylvia Perea Tijerina via THE LEADER Facebook

page

No Apollo program for WaltripI am a parent of a upcoming 9th grader and was so

glad to hear Waltrip will not be a Apollo school.Anthony S via www.theleadernews.com

Scrutinizing social mediaJonathan, perhaps in your haste to be self-con-

gratulatory, you did not do the research necessary. I don’t think, with respect to Sunil Tripathi, “…that police interrogated this guy and found that he wasn’t connected, in any way, to the attack.” In fact, Sunil Tripathi left his apartment on March 16 and never returned and his body was found last week. The police never interrogated him in connection with Boston.

I agree with you that social media was wrong in accusing Sunil. It is also a fact that Sunil was not connected to the attack. However, if you are going to champion “filtering” information, perhaps you should have done some basic research on this national story. Your posturing and hypothesizing in saying “It could simply be coincidence. It also could be much worse.” when those statements are not based on fact is bad.

I think you should retract this column. Be a respon-sible journalist.

SS, via www.theleadernews.com

Response: SS-I get a lot of comments on my column, and most

times, the disagreeing comments are because of a dif-ference in philosophy, rather than an egregious error.

You are absolutely correct in your comment, and while I don’t think it was haste to pat our staff on the back, I think the rush of news about the bombings found a way of getting mixed. I’ve talked to our editor, and we both recall the same story. It was obviously wrong.

That said, I have corrected the column online to indicate such. I also believe that, ultimately, it does not detract from the overall point, and it may even bolster the same. There’s so much information out there, and sorting fact from fiction is difficult for all news consumers.

It’s also a very good thing that my second-to-last paragraph started with “newspapers cannot cast the first stone.”

Thanks for taking the time to reply and to help set this record straight.

Jonathan McElvy, Publisher

by Charlotte [email protected]

Andria Schur, currently principal at Houston ISD’s Barbara Jordan High School for Careers, has been named the new principal of em-battled Waltrip High School. She will become the fi rst female principal since the school opened in 1959.

HISD Spokesman Jason Spencer said she will begin splitting her time between the two campuses starting next week, and will come on board at Waltrip after the school year ends.

Schur, 38, has led the Jordan campus – which features HISD’s only career magnet high school – for about two years. Before that, she was with the Clear Creek Independent School District, where she held positions as at-risk coordinator and as dean of instruction at Clear Horizons Early College High School. That school’s last TEA rating was “ex-emplary,” with students achieving near-perfection on state tests in reading, math, science and so-cial studies, and the campus was named to national lists of “best” high schools.

Schur fi lls the vacancy created by the sudden resignation in Feb-ruary of Steve Siebenaler, who had led Waltrip for a decade. Al-though he claimed to resign for “personal reasons,” The Leader learned that Siebenaler was being investigated for borrowing money from his staff and other suspicions about his personal conduct.

In addition to the tumult over Siebenaler, Waltrip’s two-phase $50 million-plus renovation was halted in December, only about halfway through the fi rst phase, due to districtwide problems with the contrac-tor.

And the Waltrip community was galvanized in recent days by Supt. Terry Grier’s announcement that he was going to put Waltrip into the Apollo 20 turnaround program for underperforming schools. That decision was reversed this week after strong pushback from parents and staff. HISD said it had concerns about seriously low scores on ninth-graders’ fi rst STAAR state end-of-course exams, and that other factors, including declining enrollment.

Schur was introduced to the faculty and staff at a reception last week and was scheduled to meet the community at a meet-and-greet Wednesday, past The Leader’s deadline.


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MollyDiaries

The

by Cynthia LescalleetFor The Leader

Freeland Historic District residents in the Heights are hoping friendly negotiation and preservation education will prevent new hom-eowners from razing and replacing the vintage bungalow they purchased earlier this year.

A demolition sign has appeared at 525 Fra-sier St., prompting swift-but-neighborly in-tervention -- with an outcome yet to be deter-mined.

The property-in-limbo, purchased in March, sits on a triangular lot (HCAD shows it at 6,850 sq. ft.) that abuts the Heights Hike and Bike Trail.

HAHC, Houston Archaeological and His-torical Commission previously denied an ini-tial plan to expand the 1,106-sq.-ft. home by enlarging the fi rst fl oor and adding a second level. The demo permit appears to be Plan B.

Freeland Historic District’s two-block neigh-borhood – described in signage as “Living in the Past & Loving It!,” is located south of White Oak Drive and east of Oxford Street. The in-tact concentration of updated ‘20s-built homes received historic district designation in 2008. Most of its homes are single-story bungalows of 1,000 sq. ft. to 1,400 sq. ft. on urban-scale lots of 5,000 sq. ft.

The neighborhood’s grassroots response to this recent lot-use challenge seems more low-

key than when a builder in 2009 wanted to put two four-story homes on one of the streets, according to accounts in Houston Heights’ Association newsletter. That land use dispute spawned a campaign of successful protests and yard signs reading: “No to Demolition & In-compatible Structures!”

More to trackThe fate of the raze-or-redo property in Free-

land Historic District was among the develop-ment topics discussed at Monday’s monthly meeting of Houston Heights Association’s Land Use Committee.

Freeland’s micro-neighborhood of narrow streets is also in the path of long-languishing Emes Place condo project, wedged on a 1.3-acre parcel with access challenges. Long-term LUC members said owners of the stalled proj-ect tend to spin various fates for the site and its access every few years. Of late, a park-minded group reportedly has funded a property valua-tion with an eye to making an offer to buy it for future use as park. That private effort’s status is also pending, LUC offi cials said.

Meanwhile, the status of Trammell Crow Residential’s high-end, high-density apartment complex on Yale Street at 6th and 7th Streets was also on the agenda. TCR was expected to mail letters to nearby residents this week, but what that letter reveals was not apparent in ad-vance, said Mark Williamson, an HHA board

member who led the meeting in lieu of LUC chairman Bill Pellerin.

TCR has remained quiet on its project since February; Houston’s Planning Commission denied a variance seeking to re-plat two single-family lots on the block, which affected the project’s footprint. Similarly, a traffi c impact study was submitted and reviewed by the city’s Public Works and Engineering department.

Contents of the letter were not available in time for The Leader’s deadline Tuesday. TCR did not respond to requests for information.

Given the amount of land along Yale Street, TCR’s proposed complex is likely the fi rst of many higher-density projects to come, ob-served Kent Marsh, one of the half-dozen LUC participants this month.

Another project mentioned was the low-rise Skylane Central Apartments at Taylor Street bridge near Woodland Heights. The 2-acre site is reportedly under contract by apartment de-veloper Greystar.

As in previous months, LUC discussion shifted to enforcing deed restrictions and cre-ating design guidelines that are unique within each of the Height’s three historic districts.

Marsh, who lives in the Houston Heights East Historic District, continues to spearhead efforts for easier access to city sources related to development review and historic preserva-tion so that community response to proposed renovations can be timely and informed.

by Molly Sue McGillicutty@TheMollyDiaries

Sometimes that is the question. Everyday, litters of kittens show up in shelters as kind, well-intentioned people “rescue” the (seemingly) poor, defenseless little babies, in an effort to help them. Sadly (and perhaps counter-intuitively) rescuing a litter of kittens by taking them to a shelter is very rarely in the kittens’ best interest. In most cases, leaving kittens with their mother is the very best thing you can do for them. My friend and co-worker here at The Leader, Jane, is our resi-dent expert on cats. She offers us several steps in determining if you really do need to rescue a litter of kittens:

1. Observe and assess the situation: Are the kittens clean and con-tent? There’s a really good chance that mom is nearby, perhaps, taking a break to get something to eat. Unless the kittens are in danger (due to bad weather or a predator) wait for a few hours and see if mom comes back to tend to the babies. Sometimes, in the process of mov-ing her litter, you’ll fi nd one of two kittens momentarily left behind. Again, wait and see. Mom will very likely be back to get the stragglers. However, if the kittens are crying, dirty or wet, something might have happened to their mom, in which case, you might need to step in and offer assistance. If this is the case, what do you do?

2. Bring the kittens inside; keep them warm and dry: Consult someone or do some research to determine if the kittens need to be bottle fed. Jane cautions us to never feed a cold kitten. Their normal body temperature is about 100 degrees so it might take 30 minutes or so to get their body temperature back to a normal range--then it’s safe to feed them. During this step, continue to keep an eye out for mom, in case she’s come looking for her babies. (By the way: If mom does return and it appears as though all is well, it might be a good time to start considering trapping mom and babies and getting them fi xed. Trap/Spay/Release programs are a reasonable option for dealing with our feral cat population)

3. Avoid taking the kittens to a shelter: This is a stark fact, but most shelters will euthanize kittens who aren’t above a certain weight or weaned. Houston’s only no-kill shelter (Friends For Life) is usually at capacity and will encourage you to foster the kittens yourself. The good news is that most of the shelters and rescue groups in our area are more than happy to offer advice and support on fostering and caring for the kittens yourself. They’ll also let you register your kittens with their organization and help you get the word out that you have adorable kittens looking for a home.

Help (again)!Now Friends For Life needs DRY cat food! I wonder if you could

help? They’re located at 107 E. 22nd St., 77008.

Follow Molly on Twitter @The MollyDiaries.

New era at Waltrip:

Wait-and-see continues on Heights construction projects

First female principal named

Schur

The tough question: Do you rescue or not

THE CALENDAR.ALL ABOUT ORGANIC FERTILIZERSHeights Plant Farm10-11 a.m. May 111422 Yale St.713-868-7990www.heightsplantfarm.com

Michael Serant, president of the Organic Horticulture Benefi ts Alliance and owner of MicroLife’s Houston plant, San Jacinto Environmental, will speak in the picnic area of the farm on how to have beautiful and safe organic yards.

COMMUNITY BLOOD DRIVEPrudential Premier Properties2-6 p.m. May 131803 W. 43rd St.713-686-5454www.preproperties.com

Prudential Premier Properties is hosting a blood drive at their offi ce.

MONTHLY STEAK NIGHTAmerican Legion Post 5606 p.m. May 173720 Alba Road713-682-9287

Enjoy a steak dinner with baked potato and salad for $13. The entertainment will be provided by MiragemobileDJ.com.

CRAWFISH BOILSons of the American Legion Post 560Noon May 18 3720 Alba Road713-682-9287

The Legion will be selling three pounds of crawfi sh, potato and corn for $12. A plate of sausage, potato and corn is $5, and a dozen oysters on the half shell are $8.

CHARLOTTE’S WEBMain Street Theater-Chelsea Market1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Through May 184617 Montrose Blvd.713-524-6706mainstreettheater.com

Ticket prices are $12-16. Tickets are on sale in person at the Main Street Theater Box Offi ce at 2540 Times Blvd. in Rice Vil-lage or by calling or visiting the website. Recommended for pre-kindergarten and up. No children under 3 allowed in the theater (including sleeping babies).

SPJST HOMECOMINGSPJST Lodge 8811:30 a.m.-6 p.m. June 21435 Beall St. 713-869-5767www.lodge88.org

A fun fi lled day with lunch served from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Grilled chicken and sau-sage, potato salad, pinto beans and cole slaw plates are free to members with paid dues, $7 for guests and $4 for guest chil-dren. Live entertainment will be provided by the SPJST Orchestra and Choral Group. A barbecue pit and gift cards will be raffl ed. Tickets are six for $5 or $1 each. There will be a water slide for the children. The dance will be from 2-6 p.m. with music by The Ennis Czech Boys band. The price for the dance is $10 per person.

GLASSELL SCHOOLSUMMER SIGNUPSJune 3-Aug. 55100 Montrose Blvd. 713-639-7700www.mfah.org/juniorschool

Registration is now open at The Glassell Junior School at the Museum of Fine Arts,

Houston. Classes and workshops are off ered year-round for children of all skill levels and interests, ages 4 through 18. Registrations are accepted by mail, by fax and in person during Junior School offi ce hours.

SUMMER PERFORMING ARTS CAMPHouston Family Arts CenterJune 10-Aug. 2410760 Grant Road281-685-2623www.houstonfac.com

Houston Family Arts Center announces its 2013 Summer Performing Arts Camps featuring dancing, singing, acting and performance opportunities especially designed for young performers grades 1-12. Call to register.

WALTRIP CLASS OF 1973 REUNIONAug. 9-10www.waltripclassof73.com

There are many activities planned for the weekend including a golf tourna-ment and casual mixer Aug. 9 and the main event Aug. 10. Visit the website for information.

WALTRIP CLASS OF 1963 REUNIONSept. 20-Sept. 22713-466-9030, [email protected] [email protected]@gmail.com, password Rams

Many activities are planned for the reunion weekend including golf tourna-ment, casual happy hour and get together Sept. 20. A tour of the school and a seated dinner and dance is Sept. 21. The reunion concludes with a goodbye breakfast Sept. 22.

Cost for the dinner is $60 per person. Payment must be received no later than June 1. Checks or money orders should be made out to: Waltrip Class of ‘63 50th Reunion. Call or e-mail for payment mail-ing information.

EVERY WEEK

OAK FOREST RUNNING CLUBOak Forest Chill6 p.m. Tuesdays3542 Oak Forest Dr.281-685-9929

The Oak Forest Running Club meets each Tuesday evening. Food is provided by Brother’s Pizzeria. This social running club is free, but neighbors are encour-aged to join the Oak Forest Homeowners Association.

JOB CORPS MEETING8:30 a.m. Mondays1919 N. Loop West, Ste. 477713-880-2454

Free meetings are held every Monday. The program is recommended for students between the ages of 16-24. One can choose from more than 20 trades or earn a G.E.D. or high school diploma and degree. This program is funded by the Department of Labor.

LAUGHTER YOGAHeights Library11 a.m.-noon Saturdays1302 Heights Blvd. www.houstonlaughteryoga.com

Laughter Yoga is breathing and play-based movement exercises practiced for health and wellness by people of all professions/ages/abilities.


548 W. 19th St. in the Heights

713-426-4885www.windwatergal lery.com

Friday, May 10 6:00 - 10:00 PMSaturday, May 11 10:00 AM - 10:00 PMSaturday, May 11 4:00 PM Lion Dance

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Youth lead services on Mother’s Day Bring Mom to worship at St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church, 2003 W. 43rd St., May 12. The youth of St. Stephen’s will lead both the 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. services.

The Loving Hands Sewing Cir-cle meets at 10 a.m. May 13, in the fellowship hall. Bring a machine and a sack lunch.

Call 713-686-8241 or visit www.stsumc.org for information.

End of school family nightOur Redeemer Lutheran

Church, 215 Rittenhouse, will hold an end of school family night from 6-9 p.m. May 15 in the fellowship hall. There will be food and Bingo with prizes.

Call 713-694-7433 for infor-mation.

Rummage sale at Our Savior Lutheran

A rummage sale and craft ba-zaar fund-raising event, spon-sored by The Lutheran Women Mission League, will be held at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 5000 W. Tidwell, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. May 18.

A bake sale and a car wash will also be held, sponsored by the OSL Youth Groups to raise funds to attend a youth conference and a mission trip.

There are booths still available for purchase. Call 713-686-4601 for information.

Bereans Baptist celebrates anniversary

Bereans Baptist Fellowship Church, 9615 N. Houston-Ross-lyn Road, celebrates its third an-niversary 4 p.m. May 19.

The theme is “Empowered by the Spirit!” The Rev. Bobby Mor-gan of Abiding Faith Missionary Baptist Church will be the fea-tured guest.

Call 832-978-9872 or visit www.bereansbaptistfellowship.org for information.

Life Line Screening at St. Matthew’s

The Memorial Hermann Life Line Screening will be at St. Mat-thew’s United Methodist Church, 4300 N. Shepherd Dr., from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. May 24. The screenings will include stroke/carotid artery, heart rhythm, ab-dominal aneurysm, peripheral arterial disease and osteoporosis. Each test will cost $60 each or a four test package for $149. Call 1-800-324-9458 to schedule an ap-pointment.

Sunday morning worship and a special Children’s Church be-gins at 9:30 a.m., followed by 10:30 a.m. Sunday School for all ages. A Wednesday evening 6:30 p.m. prayer and praise service is available, along with Holy Com-munion.

For information, visit the web site at www.stmatthewsmethod-ist.org or call 713-697-0671.

Charity car and cycle show at First Baptist Heights

First Baptist Church Heights, 201 E. 9th St., is sponsoring a Custom and Classic Car and Cycle Show benefiting Jeff Hale, from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. May 25. There will be live music, food, games and a silent auction.

Entry fee is $25 per car or cycle. There will be a free display area for non-judged cars.

Longtime Woodland Heights resident Jeff Hale suffered a mas-sive stroke Nov. 8, 2012. He lacks insurance and a means of income. His 9 year old son, Taylor, attends Travis Elementary.

One can donate items for the silent auction or make a mon-etary donation to Citizens Na-tional Bank, P.O. Box 127, Chan-dler, Texas 75758. Make checks payable to: Friends of Jeff Hale. Online donations can be made at http://www.gofundme.com/1rf4sw. Click on “Friends of Jeff Hale.”

Call 713-397-9336 for infor-mation.

Women’s study atOak Forest Baptist

Oak Forest Baptist Church, 1700 W. 43rd St., is offering a women’s Bible study class. James: Mercy Triumphs is an eight-week Beth Moore Bible Study with flexible participation to be held Thursday mornings from 10 a.m.-noon through May 30.

James, the brother of Jesus was a skeptic, an unbeliever, who later became a disciple. Small group study will be from 10-11 a.m. followed by a video presentation from 11 a.m.-noon. Homework is optional. One can participate in both activities or attend either the small group study or the video.

For information, call the church office at 713-682-4942.

Kidventure Campsat St. Theresa’s

St.Theresa’s Catholic Church and School, 6623 Rodrigo St., will be hosting Kidventure Camps. Camps are scheduled from June 10 through Aug. 2 for Pk3-8th grade.

Call 713-864-4536 or visit the website at www.sttheresa.cc for information.

Everywhere Fun Fairat Fairbanks UMC

Everywhere Fun Fair is a glob-al celebration that will be held at Fairbanks United Methodist Church, 14210 Aston St., from 6:30-8:30 p.m. June 17-21.

Activities include interactive Bible storytelling, global games, music, super science, crafts, and more. This free event is open to children 3 to 11 years old.

Register online at www.fair-banksumc.org or call 713-462-3206.

Walter E. “Gene” Albright, 81, died May 2, in Houston. He worked for Pan American Airways for 17 years and Santa Fe Southern Railway (formerly Southern Pacific) for 26 years until his retirement. Albright was a member of Northwest Baptist Church and United Transportation Union. He served as a Radioman Second Class in the U.S. Navy during the Korean Conflict. Albright is survived by his wife of 54 years, Marie Albright; children Malynda, Charlotte and Glenda; sister Betty House and five grandchildren. Me-morial contributions may be made to The Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kan. 66675.

Camille Tilotta Farrar, 95, died May 2. She was born Feb. 20, 1918 in Houston. Farrar is survived by her daugh-ters Carol Brittain and Nancy Thompson, son Thomas, sister Jennie Sexton, seven grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchil-dren.

Ernie Laura Jatzlau Jackowski, born Nov. 15, 1918 in Fedor, Texas, died May 5. She is survived by sons Robert and Patrick Jackowski, six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

Barbara Ann Kansteiner, 78, died May 4. She is survived by sons, Ron-nie, Gary and Keith; and six grandchildren.

Hector “Red” Perez, also known to his siblings as Tito, 77, died April 27. He was born Aug. 5, 1935, in Santunce, Puerto Rico. Perez was a proud member of the U.S. Air Force, serving honorably as a Korean veteran. He was a co-founder, along with his wife, of Oaks Dads Club and Northwest National Little League. Perez is survived by his wife of 51 years, Arlene; sons, Mark, Kenneth and Charles; daughters, Teresa S. Tarin, Toie L. Gomez, Pauline A. Perez, Eileen H. Hernandez and Kristina L. Marshall; sisters, Judith Arquillo, Sonia Benedetto, Ruthie Acevado, Zoraida “Zippy” Cabello; and brother Carlos Perez; 18 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Jane Perkins Scott, died April 28. She was born June 8, 1936 in Beaumont. She was a R.N. at U.T. Galveston. Scott is survived by daughters Donna Krumblis and Mary Deiss, son Bill Scott, sister Charlene Hood, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to Clumber Spaniel Rescue Charitable Trust, c/o Sue

Carr, 41 Compton Court, Basking Ridge, N.J. 07920-2737.

Leonard Felix Sebesta, Sr., 81, died April 30. He was born Oct. 29, 1931 in Monaville, Texas. He served proudly in the U.S. Army and retired in 1987 after 31 years of service with the Metropolitan Transit Authority. Sebesta is survived by his wife of 52 years, Lucy; sons Leonard, Jr., Thomas and Roger; sisters Cecilia Cegielski and Stella Mayfield; and four grandchildren.

OBITUARIESNEWS FROM YOUR PEWSA • The Leader • May 11, 2013 • @heightsleader

LOVE IS BETTER SHOWN

THAN SAIDLove is sometimes more clearly shown in actions than

in words. Small acts of kindness or generosity are often better expressions of love than owery words. There is

nothing wrong with telling others that we love them, but, we should be sure that our words are not contradicted by our actions. It is easy to say that we love our families, friends, and our fellow human beings while showing utter contempt or disregard for them. Often the more time we spend with people, the harder it may be to act in a kind and loving manner towards them. The man who must isolate himself in order to stay on good terms with his fellow man probably lacks the loving disposition of the saint who can actually live in the world amongst her fellow humans and still show them kindness and love. We would all do well to work harder at showing our love, especially to those who may be dif cult to love, instead of merely saying those three easy words.

“My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed andin truth.”

~ New K.J.V. 1 John 3:18 ~

Church GuideMESSAGE OF THE WEEK

“The Heart of the Heights”1245 Heights Blvd.

Sunday School . . . . . . . 9:30 AMSunday Worship . . . . . 10:45 AM

Nursery ProvidedReverend Hill Johnson, Pastor

Grace UnitedMethodist Church

713 862-8883Food Pantry, Thurs. 2-4:30 PM

www.graceintheheights.org

Preschool Program • Mon. - Fri. 9-2 p.m.www.gethsemanelutheran.org

4040 Watonga • 713-688-5227

Member of MANNA

Worship Services 8:00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. (Nursery Provided)

Sunday School & Bible Classes 9:15 a.m.

GETHSEMANE LUTHERAN CHURCH

Reverend John Cain, Pastor

Sunday School - 9:30 a.m.Sunday Worship - 10:30 a.m.

Nursery ProvidedMinistering to the Oak Forest

Community since 1948

(713) 682-25561576 Chantilly @ Piney Woods

OaksPresbyterian

Church

Reverend Noelie Day

Gospel Truth Church

1624 W 34th • 713-686-7689www.gospeltruthchurch.org

Sunday 10:30 amWorship and The Word

Children’s ChurchWednesday 7:30 pm

Life Equip classes for all ages

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713-864-4447 � Website www.gobc.orgInterim Pastor Dr. Bob Overton

Sunday Worship Servicesat 8:30am & 11:00am

3206 N. Shepherd

Pastor Jim Daniel

Bible Study 9:30 am

Sunday Worship Service 10:45 am

Sunday - Bible Study For All Ages .. 9:30am Morning Worship ............ 10:45am Age Graded Zones ...........6:15pmWed. - Prayer Meeting & Missions Organization .....................6:15pm

Dr. John W. Neesley - Senior Pastor

713-864-14701822 W. 18th

Member of MANNA

1216 Bethlehemat Ella Blvd.

(713) 688-7761Sunday School 9:30 AM

Morning Worship10:45 AM

��(Disciples of Christ)

Pastor Don Joseph

www.oakscchouston.orgVisit us on FaceBook

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Rev. Herschel Moore, PastorA House of Hope and Prayer in the Heart of Houston

First Baptist Church

Sunday Worship 10:30am Wednesday 6:00pm

Friday Youth 6:00pmSunday School 9:30 am

201 E. 9th St. • Houston TX 77007Spirit Led Worship 713-861-3102

Nursery Provided

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Families enjoyed a beautiful spring day on Cinco de Mayo last Sunday at St. Rose of Lima’s annual spring fiesta. (Submitted photo)

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355 W. 19th ß 713.864.4411(Next door to Eclectic Home)

pendent child who always loved school. “When he was little he said he was going to college and he did,” she said. Graduating at the top of his class from Cypress Ridge High School, Martinez applied for a scholarship to UT on his own and received one. His parents found out about it at his graduation.

“We were really emotional,” said Higuera. “I am truly proud of him. It is something that I can’t put into words.”

Martinez, a psychology major who will graduate this spring, plans to work in a lab for a year before going on to graduate school to earn his PhD. He says that while he was always “inherently interested in learning,” his mom’s support has been very important to him, especially when he came out to her as a gay man.

“That was the biggest thing, when I finally opened up to her. She has this really accepting nature,” said Martinez. “Her acceptance allowed me to move forward.”

He also remembers Sunday trips to the flea market as a child as well as her good Mexican cooking. The cultural connection is something that has become more important to Martinez, who grew up in Houston, as he grows older.

Higuera says that her favorite thing is to be a mom and that it is “awesome” that her three kids are so different. She enjoyed taking them to the park when they were young and emjoys dancing with them now, whether it be the merengue or the cha-cha.

“She can keep up with me,” said Martinez.Higuera met her fiancé Nicholas Palumbo in a poker

group, although she says they’ve switched to bingo now. Her happiness in all aspects of her life comes across to her friends at Tecate. “I believe she lives in the moment, and appreciates life and all it has to offer,” said Zamora.

Mothers • from Page 1A

how HISD should discharge Siebenal-er, who has yet to have a determination made on his departure status.

“There’s a different burden of proof on [human resources] matters, such as termination, and on what consti-tutes criminal behavior,” Spencer said. “There are a lot of gray areas here.”

Siebenaler resigned suddenly in Feb-ruary, citing “personal” reasons. But The Leader learned that HISD had al-ready launched its own internal inves-tigation of him by then to learn more about growing suggestions that he was borrowing money from colleagues without repaying it and other rumors about his actions.

The report was provided to The Leader as part of an Open Records re-quest to HISD.

Investigators found ample evidence of the money-lending – a number of incidents with amounts totaling more than $6,000 – as well as Siebenaler freeloading off a subordinate when his first marriage crumbled and he needed a place to live. There were accounts from colleagues that he had asked them to cover up those loans if they were asked.

According to the report, investiga-tors also:

• Uncovered multiple cases where Siebenaler had asked for and received prescription painkillers –– Tramadol and Vicodin, both powerful narcotics –– from colleagues;

• Detailed first-person accounts of the principal’s red eyes, slurred speech and sometimes nonsensical behavior at meetings;

• Cited unrecorded absences by the principal, frequently after he had taken the prescription drugs. A colleague be-gan surreptitiously documenting those absences in the 2011-12 school year. They included arriving to Waltrip late, leaving early or simply not reporting to campus at all. At times, according to testimony, he lied to colleagues that he was elsewhere in the district on busi-ness.

“Interviews confirm the allegation that Siebenaler…was unavailable, or unable, to discharge principal respon-sibilities due to ingestion of narcotic pain medication,” the report read.

The one rumor the investigation did not confirm was that Siebenaler had used compensatory time off to repay employees who loaned him money.

The entire report can be viewed at www.theleadernews.com.

Probe • from Page 1A

City officials and community members worked diligently for months to develop a pilot pro-gram that would work to allevi-ate parking issues on Washington Avenue, and the results of their efforts took effect last week.

Last December, the City Coun-cil voted 15-2 to approve the Washington Avenue Parking Ben-efit District that has now added meters to the popular nightlife corridor that’s filled with restau-rants and bars, but often short on parking spots.

District C Councilmember Ellen Cohen was instrumental in bringing sides together, and she hopes the project will ben-efit business owners, residents and patrons. “We worked long and hard on putting the plan to-gether, and we tried to have every interested party involved,” Cohen said. “We want to make (Wash-ington Avenue) more accessible, less dangerous, get cars in and out, and keep the business com-munity vibrant.”

Jane Cahill West, the former Super Neighborhood Council 22 president, is on the advisory committee.

“I understand they’re only go-ing to write warning tickets for a two week period,” West said. “We supported the creation of the district to improve the park-ing experience for everyone - the patrons and the businesses…I’m optimistic that it’ll be success-ful.”

Mayor Annise Parker appoint-

ed a community advisory com-mittee made up of three residents and four business owners, along with ex-officio non-voting mem-bers. The committee will provide feedback to Don Pagel, the city’s deputy director for parking man-agement.

“The pilot is designed for 18 months,” Pagel said. “(After that), we have a responsibility to go to city council and talk about it. We’ll let it continue as pilot, dis-solve it or make it permanent.”

The revenues generated from parking tickets will go back to the community, with the committee “deciding what to do with those funds,” Pagel said.

Some of the revenue will go toward sidewalk repairs, extra lighting and extra security along Washington.

“This is the first (parking ben-efit district) we’ve done in this city,” Pagel said. “They’ve be-come popular throughout the country.”

The meters are located on the entire avenue, from Houston Av-enue near downtown to Westcott Street to the west.

Prior to the meters, there had been signs for the parking. But the digital meters let motorists know how long they can park in the area.

The internal costs of the proj-ect include two parking enforce-ment officers, who will be able to assist Houston Police Depart-ment officers, Pagel said.

“We’ll have more eyes on the street on a regular basis,” Pagel said. “We took a look at crime, and it has escalated over the past

couple of years. (There’s been) an awful lot of circling by people looking for parking.”

Patrons will have the option of paying hourly or paying a flat rate for the evening. If they leave their vehicle in the spot overnight without paying, it will be ticketed and towed.

The city is working to identify potential lots for Washington Av-enue employees, since employees taking the majority of the free spots near the businesses had been an ongoing problem.

There’s also a shuttle, “The Wave,” that eases traffic and park-ing along Washington. Pagel said the Metro Rail may be interested in expanding to the Washing-ton area, but Metro officials are waiting to see the progress of the fledgling parking plan.

Some adjacent streets are also included in the district, where each address will be allowed to apply for one permit to park on the side streets from 6 p.m.-2 a.m. Thursday – Sunday at a cost of $25 plus tax annually. Those streets had experienced a lot of spillover traffic issues from Washington.

Not everyone is in favor of the Parking District. Councilmember Helena Brown voted against it.

“I don’t know if it’ll help or make matters worse,” Brown said. “If business is impacted in a negative way, that will affect the residential.”

To apply for the permit or to learn more about the parking district, go to http://www.hous-tontx.gov/parking/washingto-navenue.html

Smart Financial Credit Union will be holding a grand opening of its new, state of the art finan-cial institution on frontage road at 2510 North Loop West on Satur-day, May 18 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Rain or shine, the event will feature food trucks, a photo booth and a money grab booth.

The 4,350 square foot “smart branch” is the first of its kind, with all ATMs in the tellerless drive-through, allowing for transactions 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In addition to the grand open-ing, members utilizing the drive

through ATMs have the opportu-nity to double their deposit up to $1,000 now through May 31.

The open concept of the new branch was designed with mem-bers in mind. The previous loca-tion was destroyed by Hurricane Ike within the first 90 days of opening, making it difficult for members to have access to Smart Financial services.

With its new location, Smart Financial Credit Union can now provide members with the qual-ity service they are known for with ease. This is especially beneficial

to select employee groups such as Houston Independent School District, Christus Health, and Boy Scouts of America, which are headquartered in close proximity to the new location.

There are 8,800 members that are associated with this branch of Smart Financial Credit Union, which has been in this area since 1995. Smart Financial Credit Union has been in business since 1934, with 18 locations in Texas and Louisiana, and currently has nearly 80,000 members and $500 million in assets. It was named as

one of the Best Places to Work by the Houston Business Journal.

Smart Financial Credit Union has a full range of financial ser-vices, which include mortgage lending, business and commercial services. They also offer very ag-gressive auto loan rates and will beat any rate on the market or members will receive $100.

To become a member of Smart Financial Credit Union, applicants must live or work in Harris Coun-ty or be a part of a select employee group. For more information, visit www.smartcu.org.

Smart Financial Credit Union grand opening set for May 18

In a city without zoning, the Livable Centers projects dotted around Houston neighborhoods are providing community-in-volved planning for the next 30 years –– and the wildly develop-ing Washington Avenue Corridor now has its own 250-page vision.

The final Washington Avenue Livable Centers report, crafted af-ter more than a year of public ses-sions between planners and stake-holders, went public last week.

Among the recommendations:•Creation of a state-approved

management district that would coordinate future planning and development;

•Redesigning Washington Av-enue itself as an “urban corridor” with improved aesthetics and convenient, multiple options for transportation;

•Encouraging development of neighborhood-friendly small business and a variety of housing options, improvement of parking (with some recommendations al-ready fulfilled by implementation last week of a Parking Benefits District), parks and sidewalks;

•Creating an underpass on Shepherd Drive below the freight rail tracks that will improve traffic flow in the area;

•Establishing a formal Arts Dis-trict in the area that’s increasingly becoming a home to studios in converted warehouses;

•Within 15-30 years, establish-ing a streetcar along Washington Avenue, possibly with a dedicated lane.

The Houston-Galveston Area Council, BetterHouston and di-rectors of the Tax Increment Rein-vestment Zone 15 (TIRZ) have led the development of the plan, with the guidance of Asakura Robin-son, a design firm, and other ur-ban planners.

The area covered is about four miles long and bounded by In-terstate 10 at the north, Westcott Drive at the west, Buffalo Bayou at the south and Interstate 45 to the East. It encompasses much of the

city’s Super Neighborhood 22, in-cluding all or most of the First and Sixth Ward, Memorial Heights, West End, Magnolia Groves, West-wood Grove, Rice Military, Wood Crest and Cottage Grove.

Jane Cahill West of SN 22 said she is “generally happy” with the recommendations and “anxious for the city to finally approve it.”

One tweak she’d like to see: “…(that) the city expand one ex-tra stop to the light rail line that’s coming east-west, to bring it up to Washington Avenue. I think that would be a benefit.”

The entire final report can be viewed at http://www.asakuraro-binson.net/portfolio-view/wash-ington-avenue-livable-centers-study/

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Washington gets a masterplanby Charlotte Aguilar

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