Leader 12-20 A

THURSDAY | December 20, 2012 | Vol. 59 | No. 8 | www.theleadernews.com | @heightsleader

Inside Today: Parents adjust schedules, lives for on-time children • Page 6B

7A6A

THE INDEX.Public Safety 2AHipstrict 3ATopics 4AObituariesCouponsPuzzles 4ASports 9AClassifi eds 5B

www.preproperties.com

Your NeighborhoodFull Service

Real Estate Office

713-686-5454

PREMIERPROPERTIES

THE BRIEFS.sponsored by

3401 W. T.C. Jester713-957-1100

M-F 11am-9pm Sat 11am-5pm

Our Gift Certifi cates Make Great Stocking Stuffers

10570 NW Frwy • 713-680-2350Darlene’s

Sitting in a pew at St. Stephen’s United Methodist C hurch on Sun-day, O ak Forest resident M ildred G andin was surprised to hear her nam e called. In front of the congregation, she was presented with the Silver Torch Award, a U M C recognition to mark her 60 years of service to Boy Scouts of Am erica.

“Very few people earn the Sil-ver Torch award. It’s a national honor,” said U M C Scouting C o-ordinator Larry Lanz. “M ildred

has quite a resum e.”It is the resum e of a wom an

whose volunteer path in Boy Scouts was perhaps inevitable. W ith three sons and a husband, Bill, who received his own Sil-ver Torch award a couple years back, M ildred was always an un-abashed supporter of Scouting.

As Bill G andin tells it, M ildred was a tom boy who had to keep up with her two brothers. O ne of those brothers was in RO TC with Bill at Reagan H igh School and invited him hom e one day for a snack. M ildred and her sisters were in attendance.

“I came in and there were three beautiful young ladies on the sofa. I m ade up my m ind about M ildred right then,” Bill said.

“We walked to school togeth-er,” M ildred conceded. “I was having too much fun being a stu-dent for a while.”

Soon inseparable, they married seven months after Pearl H arbor but had to part ways when Bill enlisted in the Army to serve in the Army Air C orps, stationed both in Santa Ana, C alif., and Ro-swell, N .M .

Scouts honor Mildred Gandin for 60 years of serviceby Betsy Denson

[email protected]

see Gandin • Page 8A

Business owners and residents along the Washington Avenue C orridor will be receiving form al written notices any day now that they’re part of an 18-month pilot Parking Benefi t D istrict ap-proved last week, 15-2, by H ouston C ity C ouncil to better regulate traffi c and parking and to produce revenue to pro-vide improvements in the area. But – by design, to allow an orderly transition – it will be months before the district is actually fully oper-ational with park-ing meters, parking for employees, and perm its issued to residents who want them .

The city has 10 days to notify those affected – located in a wide swath extending from Westcott Street on the west to Houston Avenue, bordering downtown, on the east, and one block on either side of Washington Av-enue.

The plan, which will install 350 m e-ters along Washington Avenue’s popu-lar entertainment district by April 2013, is designed to help business owners, their patrons and employees and near-by residents co-exist more comfortably. Instead of cruising Washington and adjacent residential streets for parking, patrons will soon fi nd metered parking, which will cost $1 an hour daytime and $2 an hour at night, with the option for a nightlong pass for $7.

Each address is eligible to apply for one parking perm it for an annual fee of $25. The city has encouraged busi-nesses in the district to work out ar-rangements with owners of parking lots and garages in the area to secure park-ing for em ployees. That had been one m ajor point of contention, with both businesses and residents complaining that em ployees frequently took m ost of the prime spots, and employers con-cerned about where they fi t into the new district’s parking schem e.

The pilot was devised after a long process involving stakeholders who have been dealing with the problem

Washington gets relief, just not soon290 & 610

The nightmare of improvements

The Texas D epartment of Transportation (TxD O T) Hous-ton D ivision had plenty of schematics and maps when it host-ed a public m eeting last week regarding the U.S. H wy. 290 Interim D esign Phase Project – but that wasn’t the focus of m ost of the 250 in attendance.

The complaints raised by local residents had little to do with the roads, but rather the noise that a total of 29 elevated lanes/H O V lanes (including managed lanes/H O V lanes) would create for the com munity.

“This was a waste of tim e for people to com e out here and complain,” Timbergrove resident Ben C rabb said. “TxD O T has turned a deaf ear to us on our complaints about sound from D ay 1. They’ve said ‘Yes, your sound levels are going to get worse, and no, we’re not going to do anything about it’.”

C rabb is one of 10 plaintiffs in a lawsuit fi led in M arch 2011 in federal court by H ouston attorney C arol C aul.

Whether it’s concerns over the noise from elevated lanes, or businesses that have closed their doors, the improvements to U.S. 290 and IH 610 are not without their problems. (Photo by Jake Dukate)

M any of the businesses between M angum and 34th Street are feeling the effects of the TX D O T: U S 290 C onstruction Project.

Al’s Formal Wear, once located at 11290 Northwest Freeway, is “closed forever”, said a store as-sociate at the Bunker H ill location.

The M anhattan Life Building, located at 10700 N orthwest Free-way, is also closed and relocated to 10777 Northwest Freeway. A voice-mail recording for the offi ce of the Special O lympics, which was also located in the building, indicates that the offi ce has also relocated to this new address.

Peter Bergman, PC , former tenant of the M anhattan Life Building, has moved his law offi ce to 10500 N orthwest Free-way.

“It’s a lot different than the offi ce I was in before,” he said.Bergman said the M anhattan Life building was a fabulous.

“I loved that building. I almost cried when we had to move out

Residents ready to fi le suit Some stores won’t make itby Michael Sudhalter

[email protected] Ivee Sauls

[email protected]

see Lawsuit • Page 8A see Business • Page 8A

Carol Caul

by Charlotte [email protected]

“... It is critical that we balance the needs of residents, business owners and patrons.”

• Ellen CohenHouston City Council

District C

see Washington • Page 8A

Scouting is just a way of life for Mildred and Bill Gandin. Mildred was hon-ored with the prestigious Silver Torch Award last week. (Photo by Betsy Denson)

Kids say the darndest things, right? You haven’t seen anything yet. If you’ve never read a newspa-per full of Letters to Santa, today’s your lucky day.

In the second section of today’s Leader, we asked children from elementary schools in this area to share their holiday wish-list, and did they ever.

From books, to iPads, to cruise ships to, apparently, an X-ray machine, the youngsters in our community give you reason to pause and laugh a little this week.

Pages 1-4B

A Must-Read

Leader announcesholiday deadlines

In an eff ort to give our staff time with their families, The Leader’s deadlines will change for the next two weeks.

For the Dec. 27 edition, the deadline for advertising will be at noon on Thursday, Dec. 20. The deadline for all news copy will be 5 p.m. on Dec. 20.

For the Jan. 3 edition, advertis-ing deadlines will be 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 28. News submissions will have the same deadline.

After the Jan. 3 edition, The Leader will then move its publica-tion date to Saturdays, beginning with the Jan. 12 edition.

Readers and advertisers will receive more information on that in two weeks.

Bob Domec

Police Reports, Dec. 8-14

A • The Leader • December 20, 2012 • @heightsleader

[email protected]

now openand still serving Pie!

We have a new look and some new items but we still have all your old favorites and of course pies from

632 W 19th Street 713-864-3301

breakfast • lunch catering • private events

Mon-Friday 7am-3pmSat 8am-6pm & Sun 8am - 3pm

Table 19Table 19

Order Holiday Pies Early

PREMIER PROPERTIES

[email protected]

DEC. 8Theft 02:15 PM 1900-1999 TAYLORTheft 10:40 AM 2100-2199 TAN-

NEHILL DRTheft 08:23 PM 5000-5099 YALETheft 05:00 PM 200-299 ROSAMONDTheft 08:30 AM 2200-2299 MAN-

GUMAssault 05:30 AM 3200-3299

MANGUMAssault 08:30 PM 4800-4899

LAMONTE LNTheft 10:30 AM 7500-7599 NORTH

FWYTheft 03:30 PM 400-499 16TH STTheft 10:00 PM 700-799 WORTH-

SHIRETheft 07:00 PM 3700-3799 CENTER

STTheft 11:00 PM 5700-5799 KIAMTheft 11:00 PM 3000-3099 NORTH

LP WTheft 10:00 PM 3000-3099 NORTH

LP WBurglary 06:00 PM 200-299 ROSA-

MONDTheft 08:00 AM 1500-1599 DURHAM

DRTheft 12:00 PM 4100-4199 SHER-

WOOD LNTheft 04:30 PM 4400-4499 12TH STBurglary 03:30 PM 2000-2099

HEWITT

DEC. 9Theft 04:40 PM 2200-2299 AIRLINE

DRTheft 05:30 PM 4900-4999 MAXIERobbery 07:30 PM 4900-4999

SHEPHERD DRRobbery 01:15 AM 600-699 STUDE-

MONTTheft 11:10 AM 1900-1999 CHEST-

NUT STTheft 12:00 AM 3000-3099 NORTH

LP W SERTheft 10:52 AM 500-599 WELLING-

TONTheft 02:30 PM 9800-9899 HEMP-

STEAD HWYAssault 03:00 AM 2300-2399 43RD

STBurglary 07:10 AM 4400-4499

PINEMONT DRBurglary 02:07 PM 1500-1599

DURHAM DRTheft 09:18 PM 2800-2899 N

SHEPHERD DRTheft 09:03 PM 1800-1899 DURHAM

DRTheft 07:00 PM 1500-1599 NORTH

LP WBurglary 11:00 PM 5700-5799

MAXIETheft 11:30 PM 3900-3999 SHER-

WOOD LNTheft 09:00 PM 3200-3299 MAN-

GUMRobbery 11:00 PM 3200-3299

MANGUMTheft 02:07 PM 1500-1599 DURHAM

DRAssault 06:30 PM 7300-7399 WASH-

INGTON AVE

Assault 04:21 PM 2400-2499 ROY CIR

DEC. 10Assault 07:32 PM 200-299 20TH STTheft 01:00 PM 4000-4099 SHEP-

HERD DRTheft 03:30 PM 1200-1299 STUDERRobbery 03:45 PM 5000-5099 YALETheft 11:30 AM 8900-8999 HEMP-

STEAD HWYBurglary 08:15 AM 1700-1799

EVERETT STBurglary 01:00 PM 2200-2299 NINA

LEE LNTheft 06:30 AM 4100-4199

PINEMONT DRTheft 06:53 PM 3600-3699 MAN-

GUMBurglary 04:00 PM 4000-4099

WATONGA BLVDBurglary 11:42 PM 800-899 NORTH

LP WTheft 08:00 PM 1500-1599 WASH-

INGTON AVETheft 06:30 PM 2400-2499 JUDIWAYTheft 08:00 PM 4800-4899 34TH ST

DEC. 11Theft 02:00 PM 900-999 NORTH LP

WTheft 03:30 PM 900-999 N LOOP WAssault 12:10 AM 4300-4399 ROG-

ERSTheft 09:00 AM 700-799 JANISCH RDTheft 12:45 PM 4900-4999 SHEP-

HERD DRBurglary 12:30 PM 4000-4099 34TH

STTheft 02:00 AM 5900-5999 BEALL STTheft 02:00 PM 200-299 20TH STTheft 03:30 PM 900-999 NORTH LP

WTheft 10:30 PM 3600-3699 BRINK-

MAN STTheft 05:00 PM 1600-1699 SPRINGTheft 08:30 AM 3700-3799 WA-

TONGA BLVD

DEC. 12Theft 4:15 PM 700-799 YALETheft 01:30 PM 900-999 TEMPLE STTheft 10:20 AM 1300-1399 34TH STTheft 12:20 PM 4000-4099 SHEP-

HERD DRTheft 05:45 PM 1800-1899 SHEP-

HERD DRBurglary 10:00 AM 1000-1099

ROSEPOINT

Burglary 01:48 AM 1900-1999 TAYLOR

Theft 10:25 PM 0-99 WAUGHTheft 06:20 PM 400-499 SHEPHERD

DRTheft 02:30 PM 1200-1299 43RD STTheft 04:00 PM 1300-1399 43RD STTheft 07:12 PM 1300-1399 43RD STTheft 08:20 AM 2600-2699 NORTH

LP WTheft 05:35 PM 2400-2499 JUDIWAYTheft 12:00 PM 800-899 CURTIN ST

DEC. 13Theft 10:30 AM 500-599 18TH STTheft 12:00 AM 1400-1499 LAIRDRobbery 09:45 PM 700-799 11TH STBurglary 08:00 AM 1200-1299

TIMBERGROVE LNBurglary 12:04 PM 4500-4599

OXFORD STTheft 03:00 AM 200-299 PATTON STTheft 06:30 PM 3600-3699 WILLIA

STAssault 02:00 PM 700-799 WASH-

INGTON AVETheft 01:30 PM 1300-1399 CROSS-

TIMBERSTheft 07:35 AM 1800-1899 43RD STTheft 02:00 PM 10200-10299

NORTHWEST FWY SERTheft 03:15 PM 2300-2399 SHEP-

HERD DRTheft 06:30 AM 1600-1699 34TH STTheft 07:00 PM 1600-1699 34TH STBurglary 05:30 PM 100-199 AN-

NETTE LN

DEC. 14Theft 12:00 PM 200-299 19TH STBurglary 12:19 PM 800-899 31ST STTheft 12:28 AM 1400-1499 20TH STTheft 09:45 AM 100-199 PAYNETheft 12:30 PM 5600-5699 WASH-

INGTON AVETheft 07:55 AM 600-699 DURHAM

DRTheft 02:30 PM 400-499 HEIGHTS

BLVDTheft 05:30 PM 400-499 HEIGHTS

BLVDBurglary 06:45 AM 4400-4499 NINA

LEE LNTheft 09:50 PM 1200-1299 AUSTIN

STBurglary 06:00 AM 9400-9499

ALCORN ST

U PAY LESS ~ U GET MORE!2830 HICKS • 713-869-8321 • ArnesWarehouse.com

★ BUY ★ SELL ★ TRADE

DON’T BE A VICTIM!

Licensed FFL/Class III Dealer

713-694-4867875 Wakefield Dr.

Monthly Concealed Handgun Class

BLACK GOLDGUNS & AMMO

Saturday, January 12

C rime Stoppers and investiga-tors with the H ouston Police D e-partm ent and the U S Postal In-spection Service are searching for the unidentifi ed suspect respon-sible for a robbery at a H eights post offi ce.

O n July 27, 2012, at about 5 a.m., an uniden-tifi ed black m ale suspect entered the post offi ce at 1050 Yale St. The armed suspect ap-proached a m ale victim in the loading dock, and forced his way into the storefront. There, the suspect dem anded cash and property from the postal employ-ees. C omplying with the suspect’s dem ands, the victim s surren-dered an undisclosed amount of postal property to the suspect. The unidentifi ed m ale fl ed the scene on foot.

The suspect is described as a black m ale, in his m id-twenties, standing 5’9” and weighing ap-proxim ately 140-160 lbs. W it-nesses described the suspect as skinny with an unshaven light beard.

A composite sketch of the sus-pect is attached.

Anyone with inform ation about the identity of the suspect is asked to contact C rim e Stop-pers of H ouston at (713) 222-TIPS (8477).

C rim e Stoppers will pay up to $5,000 for any information called in to the 713-222-TIPS (8477) or submitted online at www.crime-stoppers.org that leads to the fi l-ing of felony charges or arrest of the suspect in this case. Tips can also be sent by text message. Text TIP610 plus your tip to C RIM ES (274637). All tipsters rem ain anonym ous.

H ouston ISD reacted quickly to news of the m ass killings at an elem entary school in C on-necticut Friday, with a state-ment that the district “joins the nation in m ourning the tragic loss of life” that also rem inded the public of its own security system .

“C risis management proce-dures, which include cam pus lockdown protocols, are in place at every H ISD cam pus,” the statem ent read.

“The approxim ately 200 of-fi cers in the H ISD Police D e-partment receive regular crisis response training as well. The safety of students and staff is H ISD ’s top priority.”

All H ISD police are Texas-certifi ed peace offi cers, meeting the same requirements for edu-cation and training as regular law enforcem ent.

Late Sunday, the district’s m edia offi ce found itself fend-ing off some television stations, which had asked to broadcast live from cam puses during M onday morning dropoff. “We feel that live TV trucks would be unsettling for parents and chil-dren, and ask you to reconsider, if you’ve made such plans,” dis-trict spokesman Jason Spencer said in an em ail to m edia.

Instead, H ISD m ade avail-able Police C hief Jimmy D otson, the district’s elementary school chief and some of its lead coun-selors for interviews on M on-day, for media interested in a lo-cal angle to a national tragedy.

Spencer said later M onday m orning that he had not re-ceived reports of m edia at any schools.

– Charlotte Aguilar

In wake of shootings, HISD sticks to plan

Celebrate Our Location

Frida Mexican Kitchen

December 17 - 6am - 9pm

Original - Frida Mexican & Italian Cucina4002 N Main • 713-880-1564

Heights Location

Oakforest/Garden Oak Location

Ella Blvd.

P.O. robber still loose


Review: Sonoma guides you to good wine

Limit one coupon per table/per group.Cannot be combined with any other offer or discounts. Expires 1/20/13








New Certificates:• Solar Energy Technology• Wind Energy Technology

Programs available:• Biotechnology

• Chemical Engineering Technology

• Chemical Laboratory Technology

• Instrumentation & Controls Engineering Technology

• Petroleum Engineering Technology

• Process Technology

• HCC Northeast Weekend College

Financial Aid and Payment Plans are available for those who qualify.

RegisterNow

Spring classes begin January 14

Northeast Campus, 555 Community College Dr.North Forest Campus, 7525 Tidwell Rd.Northline Campus, 8001 FultonPinemont Center, 1265 Pinemont

For more information, visit: northeast.hccs.eduor call 713.718.8300

HCC Northeast, your choice for high-tech STEM and Energy training!

Check out video to learn more!

El G ran M alo, which means “The Big Bad” in Spanish, offers handcrafted tequila infusions, specialty margaritas and gener-ous selection of craft beers in a festive indoor atmosphere, as well as a relaxing garden patio.

El G ran M alo starts with 100 percent Agave tequilas and adds fresh, organic and often seasonal ingredients to create unique com-binations of fl avors to enhance the tequila and pique the senses.

It also offers a gastrocantina-inspired food menu by C hef G reg Lowry. The simple, yet fl avorful menu has a array of small plates that includes six types of tacos that can be ordered individually or by a bucket of three.

El G ran M alo is having a big bad End of El World Party Thurs-day, D ecember 20 at 5 p.m. with

earth shattering cocktails, in-cluding YO LO , M ega-Volcano vs M ega Ice-storm, and Z ombie Apocalypse.

The Houston Food Bank will be there with donation jars and a col-lection box for their most needed items: canned tuna or chicken, packed in water, canned stews and pasta/meat, peanut butter, packages of dried beans, canned fruits and vegetables, 100 percent juice cans or boxes, tomato sauce, soups, pasta, cereals.

Bravado Spice will attend with spicy wares that will be featured

on the “Last Meal” food and drink menu.

El G ran M alo is taking last re-quests for songs for the End of El World musical playlist on twitter at @elgranmalotx, by email at [email protected], on face-book, or spotify at elgranmalotx.

El G ran M alo is located at 2307 Ella Blvd. and is open M onday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m., with the kitchen open until 11 p.m., Friday from 4 p.m. until 2 a.m., with the kitchen open until 12 a.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., with the kitchen open until 12 a.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m., with the kitchen open until 11 p.m. There is a H appy H our every day until 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.elgranmalo.com or call 832-767-3405.

Staring down a wine list at a vino-centric bar can sometimes cause Leader Eater’s eyes to glaze over. At some wine joints, there are multiple pages with lines upon lines of selections from across the globe that can start to look more like a complex algorithm formula than an inviting wine menu. For Leader Eater, whose wine acumen is closer to dabbler than practi-tioner, attempting to branch out from a handful of default fl avors and vineyards when sitting down to have a glass of wine can be, well, a pain in the derriere.

Leader Eater has taken two ap-proaches when trying to broaden my wine-drinking horizons at a restaurant. The fi rst is the point and pray technique. As the name suggests, I fi nd a particular sub-section of wine taste on the menu (in most cases M albec) and drop my fi nger down on a random se-lection. I then give a try at prop-erly pronouncing the name and hope for the best when it hits my tongue. The other method is to engage the bar’s wine-slinger or restaurant’s waiter in what quickly becomes a game of C atch Phrase where we are trading terms such as earthy, oaky, fruity, leathery, etc. until they come up with a suggestion that is still just a shot in the dark on whether you are going to like it or not.

So, it was nice to saddle up at The H eights’ newest wine bar, Sonoma, and for them to have a page on the menu dedicated to helping out a novice sommelier

such as myself. Following on the concept employed at the original location on Upper Kirby, Sonoma has featured wine fl ights, taking a cue from whiskey and beer bars where you can get a sampling of fl avors in smaller-than-normal portions. The good folks at So-noma give you a taste-driven tour based on themes such as bubbles (for champagne), crisp, light and refreshing (for chilled whites), cherries and rose petals (featur-ing pinot noirs), fruits and vanil-las (malbecs and zinfandels) and a trio of digestifs dubbed stickies and sweets.

Leader Eater was drawn to the foursome of pinot noirs – three from C alifornia a fourth from O r-egon – and one of Sonoma’s ex-tremely knowledgeable and help-ful wine Sherpas lined up the same number of wine glasses across the bar. The order of glasses, with about two ounces in each, corre-sponded with the fl ight menu so even a wannabe vino enthusiast, such as me, could follow along. Although Leader Eater stuck to the liquid experience for his fi rst time in the dimly-light and crisp-

ly chic surroundings of Sonoma’s Studewood-facing bar, the res-taurant portion of the original location’s menu has been almost fully imported to The H eights wine lounge (with its grand open-ing set for next month). Sonoma has an impressive selection of full-fl avored cheeses and cured meats that are a must in accom-panying a wine-focused evening out. And there are the beloved pizzas, small plates, desserts and a fi ne selection of local craft beers for the non-wine drinker.

After sipping the four fl avors in the C herries and Rose Petals fl ight, Leader Eater mistakenly veered away from Sonoma’s accommo-dating approach to broadening my wine horizons and defaulted back to the point and pray process when it was time for choosing a full glass. The 2010 C hateau du C edre H eritage, a French M albec, didn’t excite Leader Eater and I realized that in order to shed my amateur wine connoisseur status, I should have stuck with the sug-gestions of The H eights’ newest wine experts.

Sonoma Wine Bar801 Studewood

www.sonomahouston.comWine Flights: $15-$25

Cheese & Charcuterie: $6-$28Pizzas: $13-$18

Kid Friendly: wine and munchkins rarely mix well in public

LE’s pick: Cherries & Rose Petals Wine Flight

Editor’s Note: Eater was full this week (actually out of town); new reviews are back next week.

THIRSTYEXPLORERR

If the world is really ending, maybe you should visit El Gran Malo


Your letters have brought humility to our entire office

get involved on this page!If you want to send us a letter, we might edit it a little, and we won’t let you personally attack your pesky neighbor. But we’ll publish as many letters as our readers choose to write. (One a

month from a specifi c author.) Send to [email protected]

And if you’re one of those who gets your kicks from making other people laugh with creative Tweets, we’re happy to publish those in our selected Neat Tweets section. In order to do that, send

us a Tweet or, better, follow us: @heightsleader

SUDOKU

CLUES ACROSS

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

42. About lizards 45. Treat with contempt 48. Million barrels per day (abbr.) 49. Place to sleep 51. Harsh criticism or disapproval 54. Wipe out recorded information 56. Pesetas 58. Pitcher Hershiser 59. Pronouncements 60. Dodge truck model 61. A coniferous tree 62. Ludicrously false statment 63. Lyric poem 64. Determine the sum 65. Fixed in one’s purpose

ACROSS Cont...

1. Mexican wattle & daub hut 2. __ Green: playwright 3. Building for autos 4. Rum and lime or lemon juice 5. Two spiral-horned African antelopes 6. Jubilant delight 7. Cyclic 8. Fiddler crabs 9. Vehicle carrying many passengers11. Dream sleep13. Afghan Persian language16. Gnawing small mammal18. B1 de ciency disease21. Not out24. Chancellor Von Bismarck26. RCO group of atoms27. Cony29. Makes a gas less dense30. Instances of disease34. A story35. Surmounted36. Cloisonned37. Counterfoil38. Kept cattle together39. Computer screen material43. Ancient calculator44. Cuddle46. District nurse47. Employee stock ownership plan50. Distributed game cards52. Murres genus53. Tear apart violently55. Umbrella support56. Athlete who plays for pay57. Small amount

22. Bottled gas 23. Dutch painter Gerrit 25. An invasion or hostile attack 28. Misbeliever 31. South American Indiana 32. Bone cavities 33. Hound sounds 34. Turtle carapace 39. Wash or ow against 40. Cross a threshold 41. Pitch symbol

1. Army legal branch 4. Dekagram 7. Underwater ship 10. 6th Jewish month 12. __ lang syne, good old days 14. European money 15. Remover of an apple’s center 17. The content of cognition 18. Bleats 19. “l836 siege” of U.S. 20. Inquiries

CLUES DOWN

The original plan for today’s colum n was to answer two very interesting phone calls I received

last week. Instead, I need to answer the more than 500 very humbling letters we received.

A couple of weeks ago, we delivered a newspaper that included a letter asking that you consider a voluntary contribu-tion to your com munity newspaper.

The reason for the letter was fairly sim ple. First, we felt there m ay be read-ers who wanted to support The Leader who otherwise can’t. We also thought that if people were interested in seeing the newspaper continue to grow, this would be a small investment they could m ake to be part of that growth. And last, we wanted to do something special for the people who faithfully prepare and deliver your newspaper each week by giving them a tip with som e of the proceeds.

I have to be honest. O nce we decided to launch the program in this com mu-nity, I thought we m ight receive 100 or so responses. Am ong those, my guess was about 20 of them would tell us to fl y a kite, in a m anner of speaking.

W hat I didn’t expect was the let-

ter from one lady that read, in part, “I cannot send any money this month, but plan to in the future. The Leader has always been a good newspaper for our area, but with all the extras, it’s becom e an excellent newspaper.”

That returned envelope did not include a contribution, but I read it to our entire staff. It was from an elderly woman who can’t afford to send money right now, but who took the tim e to stam p an envelope and thank my great colleagues here at The Leader.

As of this writing (which is always a few days before the paper is actually delivered), we have received more than 500 letters and m ore chill bum ps than you can im agine.

We got a $10 bill from a junior in

high school who loves his hom etown paper and had the idea that we add a horticulture article. It’s a great idea and, based on the beautiful yards in our area, something many folks would probably enjoy. If you know an expert in that fi eld, send m e an em ail.

We received another uplifting letter that our entire staff also read. It ended with this hum bling paragraph: “Your com munity-focused publication has joined the Wall Street Journal and the Sunday Chronicle on my M ust-Read list. I just mailed a check to answer your call for support.”

I’ve used the word hum bling a couple of tim es, and there’s a reason. When you’re in the newspaper business – any m edia business, for that m atter – you get rejected m ore tim es than an awkward high-school freshm an. For every one advertisem ent that runs in the paper, 20 people tell you to shove off. In any diffi cult story a journalist writes, there are plenty of sources who won’t take your call or comment for something important to our readers. O n top of that, we get weekly calls from neighbors who don’t want the newspaper thrown in their yard.

But for some reason – and there can’t be a scientifi c explanation – the unbe-lievable people in our offi ce still come to work every day, still pick up the phone, and always respond with kindness and class.

So you m ight im agine that when a fl ood of letters comes to our Post O ffi ce Box, and all of them have some nice note like, “Keep up the good work,” there’s an incredible sense of hum ility that overcom es you.

To top it all off, one of the m ajor TV stations in our m arket, FO X 26, spent a couple of hours at The Leader last week to feature our business because it is growing and bucking the print trends of larger newspapers around the nation.

Even though this is technically the col-um n before C hristm as, I can’t help but write this note of thanksgiving to the people who support The Leader. I am so thankful for the opportunity to help lead the folks at our newspaper who m ake phone call after phone call checking up on the successes (and failures) of local businesses. I am indebted to the people who write the stories for our newspa-per – som e of them m ore interested in telling your stories than in receiving a

pay check. And I am truly blessed this C hristm as because I’ve found a com -munity that really cares about the news and people who m ake up the H eights, G arden O aks, O ak Forest and N orth H ouston.

I’d imagine every person in this offi ce would like to say “thank you,” and next week in The Leader, we’ll give them that chance. Until then, I’d like to thank every person that sent us an envelope – from the one with $3 to the ones that were am azingly generous.

With that, and on a much lighter note, I’d like to mention one last thing before we end this colum n: The publication date on this newspaper is Thursday, D ec. 20, 2012. According to the M ayans and the pet calendar they published in 3114 BC , tomorrow is offi cially our last day on earth – unless you’re one of the sm art souls who built a bunker made of M ayan kryptonite.

If this happens to be the last edition of The Leader because the power is out for-ever, it’s been a fun ride. If not, we’ll see you back here next week. And I wish you and yours peace and joy this C hristmas.

Email [email protected]

JONATHAN

MCELVY

Publisher

“Poor Mexico: so far from G od, and so close to the United States,” M exican President Porfi rio D iaz reportedly said. The old dictator was correct. N ot only do we buy M exico’s drugs and, in turn, send cash and guns south across the border, this country also took over that country’s nam e. N ow that m ay change. I shall explain: The recently departed Mexican Presi-dent Felipe C alderon tried once more to change his country’s of-fi cial name from Estados Unidos Mexicanos or the United Mexican States to sim ply M exico.

In his fi nal news conference, C alderon noted that the nam e was originally taken because, back in 1824 after Mexico became free from Spain, the United States of America was an example of de-mocracy and liberty for the newly independent nations in the Amer-icas. N ow, he said, his nation no longer needs to copy the gringos’ title. (H e didn’t really say gringo, but the title fi ts.) “It’s tim e for M exicans to return to the beauty and simplicity of the name of our country, M exico. A name that we chant, that we sing, that m akes us happy, that we identify with, that fi lls us with pride.” Inciden-tally, the title M exico was a word fi rst used by the Aztecs in their original nahuatl language. They founded a city called Tenochtitlan but it was changed to Mexico C ity because Tenochtitlan wouldn’t fi t on license plates (the D F was added later).

C alderon fi rst proposed the nam e change as a congress-m an in 2003, but the bill did not m ake it to a vote. Even today his idea doesn’t have much chance of success, since his replacement, President Enrique Pena Nieto, has other priorities such as fi ghting drug wars which claimed at least 47,500 victims during C alderon’s term in offi ce. Then there is that nation’s rising poverty rate and chances of M exico m aking it to the World C up. “Forgive m e for the expression, but M exico’s name is Mexico,” C alderon added, and he has a point. M ost people, including Mexicans, don’t use the offi cial title. You have to hunt for state docum ents, currency and obscure legal parchments even to fi nd the Spanish-language version of the United M exican States.

North of the Rio, we usually re-fer to our own country as Ameri-

ca, although it isn’t clear why we should monopolize the name of two continents. A C anadian Es-kim o or a Patagonian shepherd has just as much right to call him-self an Am erican as does the Tea Party. Indeed, a M exican can call him self an Am erican, but pride would prevent it. Still, Am erica and Americans are handy names, just like when we refer to the Neth-erlands as H olland when H olland is only a part of that country. We say England when we mean Brit-ain but actually that land of tea and press scandals is offi cially the United Kingdom of G reat Britain and N orthern Ireland which is not the same as the United King-dom or U K. The old Soviet Union was not Russia, but that’s what we called it even though Russia was one of 15 nations under one des-pot.

N ot all nam e changes are for the better. W hat ever happened to Bombay and Burma? G oodbye Peking, hello Beijing. Remember the song, “Istanbul not C onstanti-nople”? That Turkish city’s name changed in 1930, after several cen-turies, for no particular reason. The famous Battle of Stalingrad took place in today’s Volgograd, its original nam e. Leningrad is once again Saint Petersburg, but what can we expect from a coun-try that celebrates its “great O cto-ber revolution” in N ovem ber?

Americans – that’s us – no lon-ger have New Amsterdam (N YC ) or Pig’s Eye (St. Paul, M inn.) or Fort Raccoon (D es Moines, which is French for Fort Raccoon). H ot Springs, New Mexico, is gone. To-day it is Truth or C onsequences. In 1950, Ralph Edwards, the host of a radio quiz show, “Truth or C onsequences,” announced he would air the program from the fi rst town that renamed itself af-ter the show. H ot Springs won the honor. C an we look forward to Yes, Virginia (there is a Santa C laus) or D ancing with the Lone Stars,

Texas? For years the United States was

called just that, but were consid-ered plural. “The United States are….” The idea was that they were a bunch of states which were sort of united, thus States was/were plural. Appom attox fi xed that, although the C onstitutional amendment abolishing slavery in 1865 refers to “the United States, or any place subject to their juris-diction.” Their, not its.

H ave you ever been to the states of M assachusetts, Virginia, Kentucky or Pennsylvania? D on’t bother. They aren’t states at all, but commonwealths, which sounds communistic: “common wealth” – let’s share everything. N o won-der O bam a did so well there. In Rhode Island there is a movement to shorten that state’s name from The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations to just Rhode Island because Plantations sounds so “G one With The Wind.” Not proper for a state whose early residents m ade their fortune in the slave trade. (Brown of Brown University, etc.)

Texas was originally Tejas or C oahuila y Tejas or Tejas y C oa-huila, depending on who got top billing. Before there was a H ous-ton there was a H arrisburg. D allas stands on land that was called Pe-ters C olony. Fort Worth was called West of D allas. Waterloo was changed to Austin because “Keep Waterloo Weird” just didn’t stick. San Antonio was originally San Antonio de Bejar which somehow became Bexar, as in Bexar C oun-ty, pronounced “riverwalk.” D on’t complain, the Indians called the place Yanaguana. The Yanaguana Spurs?

El Paso was El Paso del N orte, Pass to the N orth, only the town was originally on the south side of the Rio. Amarillo was O neida. A border town was called Fort Texas until M ajor Jacob Brown got him-self killed defending it during the United M exican States-Am eri-can War, so the fort’s nam e was changed to Brownsville. I like Fort Texas better. As for changing the name of poor M exico, so close to these United States, we can only wish good luck to form er Presi-dent Felipe C alderon and all the other folks in Tenochtitlan.

Ashby is renamed at [email protected]

Sometimes, it’s a good thing we decided on new names

ASH BYAT

LARG E

Built byLEE BURGE, PUBLISHER FROM 1957-1969

TERRY BURGE, PUBLISHER FROM 1969-2012

Jonathan McElvyPublisher & President

[email protected]

Jane BroylesBusiness Manager

[email protected]

Charlotte AguilarEditor & General Manager

[email protected]

ADVERTISING INFORMATION

[email protected]

Carolyn MooreOutside Sales Executive

Jeanette BlackInside Sales Executive

Myra SchellingOutside Sales Executive

Sandy RoigInside Sales Executive

DESIGN INFORMATION

Jake DukateGraphics Manager

[email protected]

Lucy DukateSales Coordinator

[email protected]

3500 East T.C. Jester Blvd, Suite AP.O. Box 924487

Houston, TX 77292-4487Phone: (713) 686-8494

Fax (713) 686-0970

www.theleadernews.com facebook.com/THE LEADER.

@heightsleader

Any erroneous statement which may appear in The Leader will be corrected when brought to the atten-tion of the publisher. In the event of errors or omissions in The Leader advertisements, the publisher does not hold himself liable for damages further than the amount received by him for such advertisements. The

Leader’s distribution is independently audited by the Circulation Verifi cation Council.

© Copyright 2012McElvy Media LLC

Circulation: 34,800 copies weeklyNEWS DEADLINE:

2 p.m. FridayCLASSIFIED WORD AD DEADLINE:

10 a.m. MondayRETAIL AD DEADLINE:

5 p.m. Friday

Ivee SaulsOutside Sales Executive

OUR STAFF


No Deposit No Late Fees Controlled Access Lighted & Secure

Lowest Pricesin Town!

Aztec StoragesWest 34th St.

(Between Ella & T.C. Jester)

Call us and compare our prices to

ANY OTHERFACILITY!

713-681-1383

COVERED STORAGE NOW AVAILABLE 12'X30'

CURLSFOR GIRLSEdie’s3712 Alba

Garden Oaksbetween Shepherd

and Ella

713-692-CURL713-692-2875

Mary Teinert

FEATURING

HAIR STYLISTFormerly with

Lazybrook HairSalon

Forest WestForest West Animal ClinicAnimal Clin ic

Hours: M-F 7am-6:00pm Sat. 8am-12 Noon

5315 Antoine@ Pinemont 713-688-9625

New Well Puppy & Kitten Exam

Call About Cat Vaccines

* With Wellness Exam

Dog Rabies Vaccination$875

FREERoutine Male Cat Neuters$49

*

28Years

of quality care for your family

pets

Sincere thanks to Tera Lyn of G arden O aks who very thought-fully donated som e G irl Scout item s used by her daughters who are now in college as well as useful craft supplies to the G irl Scouts in the Twin O aks Service Unit. Thanks for making a differ-ence, Tera.

O ak Forest resident Melissa Barnes graduated from Texas State University on Saturday, D ec. 15. M elissa’s parents, Susan and Chuck Barnes, sisters Jenna Barnes and Christa Barnes Cheney, and num erous fam -ily and friends are thrilled about Melissa’s achievements. Look out world, here she com es!

C ongratulations to Allison Russell who was graduated cum laude from the N ursing School of Texas Women’s University re-cently. Parents Gary and Kathy along with sisters Leah and Tere-sa are very proud of Ali. She has accepted a position at a hospital in the Texas M edical C enter. Way to go, Ali.

Tina Sabuco, Terry Jeanes, and Georgia Lister brought back Santa at the G azebo in G arden O aks after a three year absence. They were very excited to see an excellent turnout for the two nights of the event. You can still go visit the beautifully decorated gazebo at Sue Barnett and 42nd which is a perfect spot for C hrist-m as photos.

G irl Scout Troop 24130 in the Twin O aks Service Unit bridged to C adette G irl Scouts recently on a weekend trip to Lake Livings-ton. The girls planned a m ean-ingful bridging ceremony which occurred out on a dock overlook-ing the Lake. O ne by one, the girls told the Troop and its guests their favorite moment in G irl Scouting up to this point, and then shared with everyone som ething they look forward to doing or accom-plishing as a C adette G irl Scout. After that, each girl walked across the dock to the other side in what-ever creative way she wanted to – and if I know girls, there were som e funky dances, giant leaps and silly steps involved. Way to go, girls!

H appy birthday to Hal Bow-man, husband of Georgia Lister and owner of Teach Like a Rock Star, who will be celebrating his 45th birthday on the D ec. 28.

H appy, happy birthday to Robin Griffi th who blew out her candles on D ec. 10. Fam ily and friends wish you many more happy birthdays and hope all your wishes com e true.

H appy birthday to Zachary Villarreal who will celebrate his 8th birthday on D ec. 20 with lots of cake and ice cream . Z achary brings a great deal of love and laughter to his family who appre-ciates him in all his guises – Iron-m an, the Incredible H ulk, and Indiana Jones. H e can be seen fi ghting mighty foes who are in-visible to the naked eye and, while to passersby it m ight look as if Z ach is kicking air, rolling on the ground all by him self, and, after fl inging his body about strangely, landing in a fi ghting stance, he is really practicing to save the world … or fi ghting a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

St. Rose of Lim a C atholic School is celebrating Los Posa-das this week. Los Posadas is a M exican C hristm as tradition which has becom e a tradition at St. Rose. Pre-K and Kindergarten classes dress up as angels and shepherds to follow “M ary” and “Joseph” as they look for room in an inn. The group goes from classroom to classroom asking if there is room for them and each classroom tells them they have no room. Eventually, the children end up in the church where they fi nd a place that has room for them . The children then gather on the altar for a live nativity scene. The rest of the school par-ticipates in the Los Posadas as lo-cations that had no room. Those classroom s also follow the pro-cession into the church. O nce ev-

eryone is in the church, they sing “Silent N ight” together before going back to their classroom s. I rem em ber when my three girls participated in Los Posadas years ago as young students at St. Rose; they and their classm ates were precious and so very proud to be leading the procession as M ary, Joseph, angels and shepherds. Be sure to hug and kiss your chil-dren today as they are the great-est treasure you will ever know. Thanks to Juli Crow, m other of Lauren, for sharing the informa-tion about Los Posadas.

Lulu M . Stevens Elem entary is holding a book drive for gen-tly used books in English and Spanish which are appropriate for PreK-4 thru 5th graders. If you would like to donate books, please contact N ora Loera at [email protected] for more in-form ation.

We have som e truly creative neighbors in Leader C ountry and one of them , Tiziano Her-nandez, lead singer of the band Tiziano D omenico, is recording his fi rst single with bandm ates Matt Wilhelm (bass guitar), Omar Felker (lead guitar), and Pastor Oropeza (drum s). After a month of studio work, the guys will play at M ango’s on Jan. 17 and Rudyard’s on Jan. 26. If you enjoy live music, m ark your cal-endars for an excellent show. Tiz-iano, or Sano as he is known by friends and fam ily, is engaged to the lovely Patricia Strohl, works at U H D during the day, is an ac-complished painter and exhibitor of his personal work, and spends most of his free time working on his music career. Sano’s parents, Gary and Josie Hernandez, and the rest of the fam ily consider Sano their own personal renais-sance m an. G o check out the band, you’ll be glad you did.

Mojdeh Zahedi, M.D.Family Medicine

Memorial Hermann Medical Group benefits:

Memorial Hermann Medical Group is a uniquely advanced team of primary care doctors and specialists. Our singular focus is to practice evidence-based medicine while delivering the highest level of collaborative, quality patient-centered care.

Call 713.242.2980 or schedule online at memorialhermann.org.

Introducing our newest location in The Heights!MHMG The Heights225 W. 19th StreetHouston, TX 77008

Visit mhmedicalgroup.org to watch a video of Dr. Zahedi.

OUR NEWEST DOCTORWILL SEE YOU NOW.

by Elizabeth [email protected]

Neighbors: Local releasing fi rst single

Wedding

M ike and C athey (Behrend) Bachmann of Northwest H ous-ton are pleased to announce the upcoming marriage of their son M ichael Wayne Bachm ann Jr. to Ashlie N icole C egelski, daughter of Larry and Sandra C egelski of C happell H ill, Texas.

Ashlie is a 2004 graduate of Brenham H igh School and a 2009 graduate of Sam H ouston State University. M ichael is a 2003 graduate of Jersey Village H igh School and a 2007 graduate of Texas State University.

A spring wedding is planned at St. Stanislaus C atholic C hurch in C happell H ill, Texas. The couple will reside in C ypress, Texas following a honeym oon to St. Lucia.

Gegleski, Bachmannplan spring wedding

Pictured are members of the Houston Heights Association and the Rotary Club of Houston Heights preparing to deliver groceries to 100 families in need, as selected by Family Services of Greater Houston, on Wednesday, Dec. 12, at the Fire Station on Heights and 12th. (Photo by Ivee Sauls)

The ladies (and gentlemen) of Prudential Premier Properties had their an-nual Toys for Tots drive at their offi ce on West 43rd Street, with neighbors, agents and vendors all contributing this year. Pictured, from left, are Becky Boudreaux, Karen Vicknair, Nancie Espinoza (in front), Kim Fischer-Thomas and Diane Smith. (Submitted Photo)

Holiday Spirit

The folks at Tommie Vaughn Ford brought Santa in for a bike giveaway on Saturday, Dec. 15, at their store on Shepherd Drive. Along with Santa, Steve Garbs and Anthony Hoekstra led the event that put 20 youngsters on new bikes. They also had a Toys for Tots drive that collected several 8-foot boxes of toys for youngsters this year. (Photo by Jake Dukate)


COUPON CODE: 7946

COOLSPECIAL

$$7799997316 W. Tidwell

@ Hollister(713) 895-7434

www.wetzonecarwash.com

• Vacuum Interior • Windows Cleaned• Wipe Dash & Door Panels

• Clean Cup Holder • Towel Dry

Reg. $12.99

FULL SERVICE WASH

EXPIRES 12-26-12

WASH CAR

OPEN Monday - Saturday 8am - 10pm & Sunday 8 am - 4pm

Authentic Mej icano Cuisine

Mexican Restaurant

Buy 1 Dinner and 2 Drinks, Get 1 Dinner Free (up to $10.00)

2615 Ella Blvd. @ 27th ◆ 713-868-5232

✓ DAILY LUNCH SPECIALS✓ BAR FACILITIES

✓ TAKE-OUT ORDERS AVAILABLE

One coupon per tableDine In Only After 3:00 pm • Expires 12-29-12

www.WeBuyGoldCenter.com

BONUS COUPON

“With This Coupon. Not Valid With Any Other Offer. *Written Veri able Quote On A Letterhead. From A Similar Type Of Local Area Competitor

Within One Mile Radius With Current Date Required. Valid For Metal Value Only. Limited To 20-DWT Maximum.”

Code # LDR051711073111 Expires 12/31/12

We GUARANTEE the HighestPrice by 5%

US 290 @ 34th St.11200 NW Fwy. Ste 700

281-888-0508

HWY 290 @ TIDWELL13482 NW Frwy.281-653-7162

HWY 290 @ FM 196012149 FM 1960 W. Ste. L

281-653-7162

30%MORECASH

with this coupon

HOLIDAY OFFER

FREE DONUTS 2 KOLACHESFREE

Good at this location only. One coupon per visit. Tax not included. Not valid in conjunction with other coupons.

With purchase of one dozen glazed donuts.

Get 1/2 dozen glazed donuts FREE with purchase of one

dozen donutsor more.

FREE DONUTSBuy 6 Glazed Donuts Get 6 Glazed Donuts

FREE!

3410 Ella Blvd. at 34th St. (713) 682-4343

EXPIRES 12-26-12. EXPIRES 12-26-12.EXPIRES 12-26-12.

• Not available on Senior Citizens or Kids Menu • One coupon per table / one coupon per familyORIGINAL COUPON ONLY! No copies accepted• Must be presented before ordering • Expires 12-26-12.

FREE DIN NERBuy 1 Dinner Get 1 Dinner FREE

4618 Dacoma(Between Hwy. 290 and Mangum)

(713) 680-0825

* Lunch Specials Daily* Take Out Orders Available* Complete Bar Fa cilities

* Party Room Available

Dine-In Only. No Takeout Orders. Good 3-10 p.m. only.

(Seats 85)Happy Hours: Mon-Thur 4-8

Coupon value up to $4.95

Open Sunday - Thursday 11 am - 9 pm, Friday and Saturday 11 am - 10 pm

6476 West Little York at Bingle ..........832-467-3360351 Greens Rd ...........................................281-872-7152

WELCOME ANY TIME AT ANY OF OUR TWO LOCATIONS!

$5.00 off any purchase of $20.00 or more or

$2.50 off any purchase of $15.00 or more

Valid for Lunch or Dine In only

Coupon must be present at ordering time, one per party please. Not valid for “To Go” orders.

www.littlebittyburgerbarn.com5503 Pinemont 713-683-6700

M-F 10 AM-9 PM • SAT 11 AM-9 PM • SUN 11 AM-5 PM

$999999Includes 2 Quarter Pound

Basic Burger Baskets & 2 Drinks

Voted Best Burger Joint by Michael Berry Show

The

Original‘‘TWOTWO CAN DINE’ CAN DINE’

Kids Eat Free On Wednesdays!5:00 - 8:00 pm

OFF SECOND ENTREE

Coupon good at all 3 locations. Open Mon.-Sat. 11-10, Sun. 11-9

2728 West T.C. Jester @ 610 • 713-680-8011

Buy 1 dinner and get $5 Off second dinner of equal or lesser value.

11550 Louetta • 281-251-0206

JuanitaJuanita’s’sMexican Res taurant & Cantina

$5ENJOY OUR

HAPPY HOURMonday - Friday 11am - 7pmSaturday & Sunday - All DayFrozen Jumbo Margaritas $5.95

or 10 oz. $2.95 - regular or avored -

• Dine-In Only • This coupon good Mon.-Fri. 3 p.m.-10 p.m.• This coupon also good all day Sat. & Sun. • One coupon per party • Excludes alcoholic beverages • Not valid with other

specials, special dinner menu or half orders • Expires 12-26-12

IWO AMIGOS14121 N.W. FREEWAY 713-462-4321

Highway 290 @ Fairbanks North Houston in Kroger Center

$5 OFF• Dine-in-only • 1 Coupon per table, please • Present coupon when ordering

• Offer good Monday thru Friday 3:00 PM - 9:30 PM only Saturday and Sunday 11:00 AM - 9:30 PM • Expires 12-29-12 • Full bar and open air patio

Buy One Dinner And Receive $5 Off Second Dinner of Equal or Lesser Value. (Includes Fajitas for 2 Special)

1820-1 W. 43rd. St. (713) 290-1905We Accept Medicare, Medicaid & Insurance, WORKERS COMP.

I’M IN PAIN...CAN CHIROPRACTIC HELP ME?

HUDSON CHIROPRACTICSe Habla Español

• Headache • Arthritis • Loss of Sleep • Scoliosis • Leg & Arm Pain & Numbness • Backache

• Tension •Whiplash

EXAM & X-RAYSMust present ad at

time of ap pointment.Expires December 31, 2012.

$2995

CONDITIONS THAT ARE DANGER SIGNALS

Reg.$140.00

Buy One Dinner And Re ceive $5 Off Second Din ner Of Equal Or Less er Value.WITH THIS COUPON

DINE IN ONLY.VALID MON.-FRI. 3 PM TIL CLOSING

AND ALL DAY SAT. AND SUN.NOT VALID WITH OTHER OFFERS.OFFER EXPIRES 12-26-12

FAJITASFAJITASFOR TWOFOR TWO

5305 Antoine @ Pinemont713-682-3853

Mexican Restaurant

MexicanRestaurant

$$11339955

DINE IN ONLY. THIS COUPON GOOD MON. THRU FRI. 3PM TIL CLOSING. THIS COUPON ALSO GOOD SATURDAY AND SUNDAY 11:00 UNTIL CLOSING.

EXCLUDES ALCHOLIC BEVERAGESNOT VALID WITH OTHER OFFERS. OFFER EXPIRES 12-26-12

$5 OFF DINNER

Full Service Bar - 13 oz. Regular Margaritas $2Weekdays & Saturdays 3:00-6:00 pm. Sunday - All Day

Party Room Available

• LIMIT THREE COUPONS PER TABLE •

To place an ad on the most popular page in the Leader, give us a call at (713) 686-8494 d k f f f i l l i

A • The Leader • December 20, 2012 • www.theleadernews.com

MAKE A DIFFERENCEWe should ask ourselves every day what we can do

to make a positive change in the world. This doesn’t mean that we have to do something earth-shattering or

radical every day, but we should do what we can, remembering that more is expected of those to whom much is given. Sometimes a positive change can come from something as simple as a smile or a kind word, and other times it may require signi cant effort or risk. One way to bring about positive change is to be a good role model or a mentor. If you work as a teacher or in the creative arts, you have a tremendous power to change people’s lives. But even if you simply work in some area where you interact with people regularly, you can have a tremendous impact, for good or ill. If you have bigger plans about how to make a positive change in the world, such as doing volunteer work or starting a charitable organization, get started immediately, rather than waiting until you feel ready. Chances are, you will never be absolutely ready or know everything you need to know in order to get started without a hitch. We learn best by jumping in and doing. So, don’t wait to change the world. Now is the time to start and you are as ready as you need to be to make a difference in the world.

“As the body without the spirit is dead, so faithwithout deeds is dead.”

~ James 2: 26 ~

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

OaksOaksPresbyterianPresbyterian

ChurchChurch

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

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

OBITUARIES NEWS FROM YOUR PEWSCommunity caroling presented at Heights Christian

H eights C hristian C hurch will offer community caroling to be pre-sented in the N oah’s Ark playground at 6 p.m . Saturday, D ec. 22.

Members of the popular Upstage Theatre, which performs in Heights C hristian Lambert H all, and the M ilburn Singers will perform. The com munity is welcom e.

H eights C hristian C hurch is located at 1703 H eights Blvd.

St. Stephen’s to hold Christmas EveCandlelight Communion Service

St. Stephen’s welcomes the community to the C hristmas Eve C andle-light C ommunion service at 7 p.m. M onday, D ec. 24. This very special worship service will include a number of traditional C hristmas hymns, as well as special music performed by St. Stephen’s choir and musicians, and a special moment for children. The nursery will be available during the service.

M ake plans to ring in the New Year at St. Stephen’s. O n D ec. 31, the fun will begin at 8 p.m. with fellowship, games and snacks in the fellowship hall. A N ew Year’s Eve Watch N ight service will be held at 11:30 p.m. in the sanctuary. Breakfast will be served in the fellowship hall following the service. There is no charge and all are welcom e.

St. Stephen’s United Methodist C hurch is located at 2003 W. 43rd St., between T.C . Jester Boulevard and D onna Bell. For information, call 713-686-8241, or visit www.stsum c.org.

Two Christmas Eve services at St. Matthew’s UMCThe community is welcome to participate in one of two C hristmas

Eve services. The fi rst service will be at 5 p.m ., and is especially de-signed for the children, allowing parents with younger children to get them home and to bed early. The Youth will be providing the music for the early service.

The more traditional C andlelight Service will start at 7 p.m. with H oly C ommunion being part of the worship service, along with lighting of the candles on departing the sanctuary as Silent N ight is being sung.

Sunday morning worship and C hildren’s C hurch starts at 9:30 a.m., followed by 10:30 a.m. Sunday School for all ages. A Wednesday evening Prayer and Praise Service starts at 6:30 p.m. and offers those attending a time for meditation, prayer and singing. Visitors are always welcome.

St. M atthew’s United M ethodist C hurch is located at 4300 N . Shep-herd D r. at C rosstimbers. For information, visit the web site at www.stm atthewsm ethodist.org.

Come gather at Unitarian Fellowshipfor Christmas Eve activities

Unitarian Fellowship of H ouston will have a C hristmas service at 7 p.m. D ec. 24. There will be readings from C harles D ickens’ ‘A C hrist-mas C arol’ plus songs of the season. C ome gather to meet and greet and bring C hristm as cookies to share.

Unitarian Fellowship of H ouston is located at 1504 Wirt Road, across from Kroger. C all 713-686-5876 or visit the website at www.ufoh.org for inform ation.

Help those in need by donating to St. Giles Food Pantry The St. G iles Food Pantry is open from 10 a.m. to noon Monday, Tues-

day, and Friday. In addition to peanut butter, items especially needed are boxes of cornbread mixes and macaroni and cheese. With cold weather coming, socks for the homeless are always needed. C all 713-680-9976 to reach the pantry.

The community is welcome to recycle newspapers and magazines in the recycle bin at the back of the church parking lot. N o cardboard boxes please.

St. G iles is located at 5900 Pinemont D rive. C all 713-681-0515 for in-form ation.

Refuge Temple Ministries to holdwomen’s prayer breakfast

Refuge Temple M inistries, in H umble, will be holding a C hristian Women United in Prayer “Power of Praise” prayer breakfast from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 2.

The cost is $20. Please note that tickets will not be sold on the day of the event. Tickets are available online at http://www.refugetemple.net/.

Refuge Temple M inistries is located at 1500 O ld Humble Road, Hum-ble, Texas 77396. C all 281-441-1031 for inform ation.

Neva Batterson Dupuis, Dec. 25, 1924 - Dec. 5, 2012. On Dec. 5 while everyone was decorating for the upcoming holiday season, the heights com-munity lost one of its brightest shining lights. Neva Dupuis died from a heart ailment. As was typical of Neva’s many years as an HHA volunteer she worked at the fi re station selling home tour tickets four days before she died. She would have been 88 on Christmas Day.

Over the years, Neva served on the board of directors of the HHA several times. She also served as treasurer and was voted Citizen-of-the-Year in 1981. Neva was married to Joe Dupuis, a charter member of the HHA. During the years of the Heights Festival, it was common for Joe and Neva to host festival work committee meetings at their business, the Yale Pharmacy. Joe and Neva’s heights friends took delight in teasing Joe about the scandalous way he had pursued the Batterson widow at the Heights Association Croquet Tournament, on the boulevard in 1980. Joe died on Dec. 6, 2011.

Neva was known for her witticisms. In the early days of the HHA, it was common for members to plan group travel adventures. There were train excur-sions to Galveston and New Orleans. (Yes, there was a train from the Heights to Galveston). On one of these outings, a Big Bend Raft Trip, in a temperature of over 100, Neva said “These damn things should be called Torture Tours.” Ever since that day, Neva’s friends refer to travel adventures as Torture Tours.

Another one of her witticisms that many have heard at heights social func-tions that have run long was “Darling! When is this Parteee over?”. For many of Neva’s large circle of heights friends, the Partee ended on Dec. 5, 2012.

Angeline Cortez Bearden (Michalak), 71, died Dec. 5. She was born Sept. 5, 1941, in Houston, Texas to John and Janie Michalak. As a girl, she attended St. Agnes Academy and St. Pius High School. She then went on to work for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company. After leaving Southwestern Bell, she went into the medical records fi eld for Yale Clinic and Spring Branch Memo-rial Hospital. Throughout her life, Angeline was a practicing Catholic at the St. Rose of Lima Parish. She is preceded in death by her husband Arthur Cortez Sr., parents John and Janie Michalak, and brothers Sonny and Junior Michalak. She was a devoted loving mother, grandmother, and great grandmother survived by her two children, Connie Cantu (Manuel) and Arthur Cortez Jr. (Virginia), her three cherished grandchildren Arthur Cortez, Manuel Cantu, and Alyssa Cantu, and treasured great granddaughter Ava Cantu. She is also survived by her three sisters: Dorothy, Mary, and Jenny.

Betty Chaney, 52, died Dec. 7.

Thomas W. Christian, 78, was born Aug. 5, 1934 in Houston, died Nov. 18. He served proudly in The Marines during the Korean War. Thomas is preceded in death by his parents, Thomas Ralph Christian and Mattie V. Christian. He is survived by his two sons, Thomas E. Christian and John R. Christian; grandchil-dren, Christopher Christian, Tayler C. Christian, and Karlie L. Christian, and one great-granddaughter, Sophia Christian.

Sybile Berry Connor, 87, died Nov. 23. She was born in Dallas Aug. 14, 1925, to Leonard L. and Romie C. Berry. During the Great Depression the family, including sisters Evelyn and Dimple lived in Henderson County. Sybile gradu-ated with honors from Lufkin HS in 1943 before attending and graduating with honors from Business School.

While working as the company secretary for Wyatt Industries, Sybile met Joseph J W Connor, a company engineer on Christmas Eve in 1945. They married in 1947, parenting fi ve children along the way.

She and Joe were members of Advent Lutheran Church. Sybile is preceded in death by her husband Joe, daughter Roxane Payan, son

David and sister Evelyn Green.She is survived by son Jim, and daughters Cynthia and Faith and sister Dimple

Brinkus.

Charles William “Bill” Danquard, 79, died Dec. 6. He was born April 29, 1933 to William and Edna Danquard in Temple, Texas. Bill was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Ernest G. Danquard. He is survived by his son, Charles W. Danquard, Jr.; daughter, Mary Elizabeth Gerloff ; sister, Mary Joe Danquard and two grandchildren.

Jovita Peresich Falgout M.D., 92, born Feb. 15, 1920, died June 28, in Houston. Complete obituary can be found by searching the online obituaries at www.heightsfuneralhome.com.

Matias Garcia Jr., born Nov. 27, 1936, died Dec. 9, in Houston. Arrange-ments are entrusted to: Heights Funeral Home, 1317 Heights Blvd.

Bobbie Whiteing-Jacobs, died Dec. 10.

Michael S. Katz, 62, Born Dec. 27, 1949, died Dec. 9. Michael is survived by his parents Jack and Shirley Katz and brother Gary.

Travis A. McNatt, 88, born June 17, 1924, died Dec. 12. Preceded in death by parents, Solon and Odessa McNatt; brothers, James Leonard and Thurman; son, Billy McNatt and grandson, Brad Morgan. Survived by wife of 69 years, 11 months, Geraldine Greene McNatt; daughter, Shirley Morgan; son-in-law, Bill Morgan; grandchildren, Jeff Morgan, Julie Richard and Tonia Washington; great-grandchildren, Brooke, Blake, Megan and Taylor Richard, Allison and Kristen Morgan and Kirsten, Nicholas and Logan Washington; one brother, two sisters, two sisters-in-law and a number of nieces and nephews. Condolences may be expressed online at www.pathfoleyfuneraldirectors.com.

Christopher Miles, 47, died Dec. 8.

Pete Ognowski, 88, died Dec. 9. He was born to Pete and Pearl Ognowski Nov. 11, 1924, in Chappell Hill, Texas. He was a member of All Saints Catholic Church in the Heights, and was retired from Armco Steel. Pete is preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Regina Ognowski, and his grandson, Scott Ognowski. He is survived by his sister, Gertrude Zientek; his children, Geraldine Ulicnik and husband David, Beverly Peska, Mary Sierra and husband Paul, Gary Ognowski and wife Janice, and Sharon Ognowski and husband Scott Thompson; 10 grandchildren; 1 great-grandchild, and many other loving family members and friends.

Nick J. Santikos, 70, died Dec. 7, after fi ghting a courageous battle with cancer. Nick was born in Corpus Christi, Texas Nov. 14, 1942. He is preceded in death by his wife, Ruth, his parents James and Clara Santikos, brother Arthur, and nephew P.J. Nick is survived by his sister Kiki, and brothers John, George, Pete and wife Sharon, and many nieces, nephews and friends. In lieu of fl owers, contributions may be made to Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral or the charity of your choice

Jack Allen Schulze Sr., died Oct. 31. Preceded in death by his wife, Shirley Schulze, and parents Frank and Charlotta Schulze. He is survived by his daugh-ters Cheryl Hartung and husband, Roger; Jeri Weller and husband, Rick and his sons, Jack Schulze Jr. and wife, Linda, Robert Schulze and wife, Yvonne, Randy Schulze and wife, Wendy; seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren along with other relatives and friends. A memorial service was held Dec. 9, at Don Jose’s Restaurant.

Alma Smith, 90, died Dec. 9.

Beth Cotton Stephenson, 64, died Dec. 12. She was born Dec. 27, 1947, at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Houston. She died peacefully at her home in Houston with her husband and two sons by her side.

She was preceded in death by her father, J.P. “Pat” Cotton, and mother, Tina Cotton. She is survived by her husband of 42 years, Jim; her sons, Brian Patrick and Timothy James, both of Houston; her brother, Joe Cotton and his wife, Chris, of Boerne; her mother-in-law, Marie Stephenson, of Missouri City; and her sister-in-law, Sally Benedict and her husband, Michael, of Bastrop.

Alicia L. Tyler-Baker, died Dec. 9.

Ludma Schmalz-Wells, 90, died Dec. 13. Lou is preceded in death by her parents Paul and Anna Kovar, her husbands Edward Lee Roy Schmalz and Grant Edward Wells, son Edward Lee Roy Schmalz Jr., daughter Edith Faye Schmalz and all her sisters and brothers.

Lou was a loving and devoted mother, grandmother and great grandmother. Her greatest passion was her family and her most enduring legacy is the love

and dedication she gave to her family. She is survived by her children Leota and Franklin Rice of Conroe, Ty Schmalz of Houston, Royce and Vicki Schmalz of Springfi eld, VA, her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

A special thank you to the nurses at Heritage Oaks in Conroe, who took such loving care of Lou.

Wanda Sue Wiese, 72, died Dec. 2. Visit www.pathfoleyfuneraldirectors.com for service information.

LaMerl Young, 86, died Dec. 11. She was born April 14, 1926, in Center, Texas to James and Josephine Green. LaMerl is preceded in death by her loving husband of 30 years, Edwin Young. LaMerl is survived by two loving daughters, Debbie Miller, and Carol Metze; two sisters, Martha Eubanks, and Alma Green; two grandchildren, Eric Metze, and Jennifer Metze; many nieces, nephews, other relatives, and a host of friends.


MORE WAYS TO SEARCH.MORE WAYS TO FIND.

YP Real Yellow Pages, YP.com and YP.com on your mobile. Only from AT&T.

© 2011 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, AT&T logo and all AT&T related marks are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks are the property of their respective owners12-20002 PNT_01/05/2012

Are you earning enoughon your savings?

www.edwardjones.comMember SIPC

Danyel T Ramelow - Financial Advisor3818 N Shepherd • Houston, TX [email protected]

5022 PINEMONT832-767-0085

SUNDAY BRUNCH 11AM - 1PM

CRAZY J’s HAPPY HOUR5PM - 7PM EVERYDAY

$2.00 DOMESTIC BEER • $3.00 DRAFT BEER

We Build Custom Aluminum Window Screens

Our knowledgeable staff is here to meet your needs

TEXAS HARDWARE& SUPPLY, LLC

(100 yards West of Ella on Left) • Mon. - Fri. 7:30am - 5:00pm

3339 Pinemont • 713-864-2644

We Carry A Full Line ofSimpson Strong Tie Products

We Carry 40 Different Sizes of AC Filters

Formerly United Lumber & Supply

16 Gallon Shop Vac 12 Volt 1/4 Impact Driver SALE $149.99 SALE $99.99

Good Christmas Gift Ideas

Medicare-Medicaid-Free Delivery*

(713) 880-40001714 W. 18th Street (At Ella Blvd)

Houston, TX 77008Se Habla Espanol

www.CompleteMedicalSupply.net

Bring this coupon for:

All Medical SuppliesNot Valid On Rentals, Uniforms, or Special Orders

Bring this coupon for:ing this coupon for

All Medical SuppliesNot Valid On Rentals, Uniforms, or Special OrdersNot Valid On Rentals, Uniforms, or Special Orders

Complete Medical Supply

Monday - Friday (9am-6pm) Saurday (10am-5pm)

• Wheelchairs • Walkers • Canes • Ostomy • Wound Care• Diapers/Underpads • Pillows • Braces • Bath Safety

• Nebulizers • Support Socks • Scrub Sets $9.99

Deluxe Rollators with Seat,Brakes, and Basket!

Available in 4

colors

(*10% coupon not valid on $99 Rollator Special)

10% OFF

For a limited time only

BIOFREEZEAll sizes in

stock and 10% offwith the coupon below$99

Regular $129.99

Your Neighborhood

Realtors®

713.703.5807

Paul & Sandra CannonMon-Fri 7 am - 6 pm, Sat 8 am - 3 pm

1765 W. 34th • 713-682-8785

Alterations & Dry Cleaning

Chris’ Since 1978

In the m eantim e, M ildred worked at the H um ble Refi n-ing C om pany – her husband’s form er em ployer – in the ac-counting department before she announced her intention to join him in Roswell.

“She told m e she was com -ing out to be with m e,” Bill said. “And then she showed up on the bus.”

Back in H ouston after the war, they both went for Boy Scout training. “W hen I was in the mil-itary I recognized the difference in people who had Scout train-ing and those that didn’t,” Bill said. “We wanted our sons to be Scouts.”

And Scouts they were. Bill, Paul and D avid all earned Bronze, G old and Silver Palm s awards. For seven years, M ildred was the den mother for Pack 604 and then president of the M other’s C lub of Troop 604 for an additional four years.

A two year m ove to Libya in the 1960s for Bill’s job with Exxon didn’t slow her down with the Scouts either – while he was the BSA scout coordinator there, she saw a need for additional adult training and then set about equipping others to serve as pack leaders, den m others and com -m ittee m em bers.

In her Scouting life, she was an administrative staff volunteer at the Sam H ouston Area C ouncil for eight years and chairm an of the C ouncil’s “Sisters of the Silver Skillet” for 25 years, recruiting workers and selling tickets for the annual C ouncil banquet.

In 1971, G andin received the highest form of recognition that a local council can bestow on a vol-unteer, the Silver Beaver Award.

H er other service in the com -munity was wide-ranging. “W hatever the boys were doing, she was doing,” said Bill.

M ildred served as president of

the Waltrip H igh School PTA and was awarded PTA life m em ber-ship in 1967.

A m em ber of St. Stephen’s United M ethodist C hurch since 1953, she was a Sunday School teacher for 25 years and also served as Sunday School super-intendent there. M ildred was a member of the church’s evange-lism committee and president of United M ethodist Women at St. Stephens U M C for fi ve years.

M arried 70 years this past July, the G andins have both spent most of that time involved in Scouting.

“They tried to get me involved in G irl Scouts,” she said. “But I had a lot of fun with those boys. I really enjoyed it.”

Gandin • from Page 1A

as the Washington Avenue C or-ridor has grown with clubs, res-taurants, retail and high-density residences, along with nearby streets of single-fam ily hom es.

“The Washington C orridor has the opportunity to become a sig-nature entertainment and busi-ness destination in our city,” said D istrict C C ity C ouncilmember Ellen C ohen in a statement follow-ing council approval. The area is largely in her district. “PBD s have been proven to give back to the com munity as well as increase business, and in order to sustain the viability and vitality of this unique area, it is critical that we balance the needs of residents,

business owners and patrons.”O ne enticement for all parties

is a provision that 60 percent of revenues from the m eters and perm its will be returned to the district, where a committee repre-senting businesses, residents and the city will decide on funding for improvement projects that could include shuttles, sidewalks, public parking garages, lighting, land-scaping or security m easures.

The other 40 percent will be retained by the city to pay for the meters, two parking enforcement offi cers and maintenance for the m eters and other related costs, such as signage.

“(The lawsuit) is our best shot to get TxD O T’s attention,” C rabb said. “Right now, the noise levels are at m aximum level they can be. (This project) is going to include our noise levels. It’s just helping someone who lives 30 m iles out of town get home 5-6 minutes quicker.”

Another plaintiff in the law-suit is Brookwood Estates resi-dent Sue Jackson. “M y m ain concern is noise and pollution,” Jackson said. “I go in my back-yard, and it’s noisy. They say they can’t do anything about it.”

C aul, who fi led the lawsuit against the Federal H ighway Administration (FH WA), wants residents in the U S 290/I-610 area to be free of excessive noise from nearby highways.

“This (lawsuit) is about relief, not about making some politi-cal point,” C aul said.

C aul said she fi led a lawsuit a few years ago when her neigh-borhood, Lafayette Place near the I-610 and I-10 interchange, faced sim ilar issues.

She spoke at the m eeting at the Sheraton Brookhollow dur-ing the public com m ents ses-sion, which took place after a 15-minute video showing how the new U.S. 290 would appear.

M ost of the speakers dur-ing the public comments came from Jersey Village, concerned about noise. Among them were

C ity C ouncil m em ber Sheri Sheppard and C ity M anager M ike C astro.

W hile m ost of the public com m enters pointed out that they agreed that the U.S. H wy. 290 project is good overall, be-cause it would solve traffi c and congestion issues, they were still concerned with how the noise would affect quality of life.

TxD O T public information offi cer Karen O thon said the $1.8 billion joint project with H arris C ounty Toll Road Au-thority (H C TRA) will include longitudal tining on the roads, which decreases the sound to the neighborhood.

M any of those raising issues say that it won’t do enough to decrease the noise and that som ething like an eight-foot wall won’t do anything to de-crease noise for a two-story home. The 610/290 portion of the project is scheduled to be completed by 2016, said O thon.

She said TxD O T welcom es the feedback from the com -munity and pointed out that much of it has been positive. O thon said she can’t comment on pending litigation but noted that “everything we do is up to federal standards.”

“We’re all about getting the public involved,” O thon said. “We want to bring the public in and show them what our plans are.”

of that building... It was really gor-geous. I really hated m oving.”

D espite his fondness for the for-mer offi ce building, Bergman says the move wasn’t too bad. “TxD O T paid for everything, arranged for m overs, packed and m oved ev-erything and reset everything.”

When asked if his business was affected by the m ove, Bergm an said “M y client base is com ing from the sam e ways as before.”

Bergm an thinks the changes that will be made by the construc-tion project will be good once it is com pleted.

One legacy endsThis was not what C asa O le

O wner Bob D omec, Jr. expected after 16 years of service to the com munity.

In an email titled “LETTER O F RESIG N ATIO N : O ffi cial 2 week notice”, D om ec announced to friends, family and patrons, who he calls “John Q . C ustomer”, that Sunday, D ecember 23 will mark the end of 16 years of operations at the C asa O le 290 location.

“We sent out a letter in Sep-tem ber, letting the public know that the inevitable was coming,” said D om ec.

That letter stated, “O ur inten-tions could not be clearer; we want to see you at least one more time. Until then, we will continue

to have an O LE D ay EVERYDAY until we are forced to do other-wise.”

“We found out on D ec. 3 that we were going to have to be va-cated by Jan. 3,” said D om ec. “So we set a date of D ec. 23, which basically gave us two weeks. So, being creative, I cam e up with a letter of resignation – my two-weeks notice to customers as well as to our em ployees.”

Telling em ployees the news was tougher than any busy day at the restaurant.

“The hardest day of my career was Friday - The day I had to give the fi nal date to my em ployees. They knew it was coming. There was a letter attached to their checks... I never heard this place get so quiet so fast,” he said. “I thought the hardest day was in-form ing we would close – that was a hard day, but Friday topped it,” said D om ec.

Like m any business owners in the area, D om ec didn’t want to leave an area that has been so successful for business.

“I wish we were able to stay and I could hold out because what I feel is that, in the long run, this is going to be a very prosperous area... It will be a very prosper-ous area. It rem inds m e of when 59 was expanding and what hap-pened to West U and Rice Uni-versity,” he said.

Business • from Page 1ALawsuit • from Page 1A

Washington • from Page 1A

Road construction is always bitter-sweet. Bitter when four lanes become two and work trucks throw rocks at your windshield. Sweet – and oh so sweet – when the work is complet-ed and a former traffi c nightmare becomes a com muter’s dream .

M ost people look at this construction on an individual basis, where thousands of in-dividual drivers are affected by the work. But few, less owners and patrons, think about the impact this work has on businesses adjacent to the construction.

If you can im agine cranes and concrete slabs in front of your business, you know those things aren’t exactly welcom e signs. And for m any folks along U.S. 290 and 610, the welcom e signs are actually turning into “C losing” signs. So is there fi nancial relief for those shuddered businesses? Is there insur-ance that might help an owner recoup some of the lifetime savings that get buried under

ground gravel and poles of rebar?The answer, m ost tim es, is no.“We do as much as possible to work with

business and property owners,” said Karen O thon, a spokeswoman for TxD O T. “We have a dedicated right-of-way staff that meets with property owners, and we even provide them with relocation agents, if that’s what they need.”

There are provisions to help business own-ers, but only if those people also own the property. If you lease from a landlord, and road construction drives all customers away, there’s not much that can be done to help.

John Prince, who writes business insurance policies at Adams Insurance, said there are no insurance policies that would cover a business for road construction losses. He said TxD O T is required to maintain access to all businesses, and if that changes, then a business owner would have the option of fi ling suit against the contractor.

“The access has to be there during working hours,” Prince said. “But the state absolutely

has the right to im prove and m aintain the road system .”

O thon could not answer questions about whether a business leasing property would have provisions for breaking a lease with a landlord if construction negatively impacted that business. In m ost cases, that would be determined on a case-by-case basis or, in this instance, a lease-by-lease basis.

“Before construction starts, we do as much as possible to let people know what is com -ing,” O thon said. “We put out signs ahead of tim e, and when it’s possible, our project m anagers walk in to every business and talk to the m anagers.”

Even O thon realizes road construction can hurt local businesses, and she’s still working on ways to alleviate som e of the problem s.

“Right now, I’m working on a plan to do a business roundtable,” she said. “I’m reaching out to as m any of them as I can, and m aybe we can start meeting monthly or every other month to give them updates and see where we can help.”

www.robertsfloorsinc.com

• Carpet • Tile • Vinyl • Wood Floors • Granite Counter Tops

Robert’s Floors INC.

Convenient shop at home serviceServing families for 20 years

GREAT GRANITE COUNTERSGREAT GRANITE COUNTERS

Showroom: 708 E. Tidwell (Near 1-45)713-699-5951

12 Month Interest Free Financing

Adult & Childrens’ Foot & Ankle Disorders• Nail Laser Treatment • Sports Injuries• Ingrown Toenails • Corns • Calluses• Warts • Bunions • Heel & Arch Pain

• Hammertoes • Orthotics • Diabetic Foot Care

713-680-1979www.barryweinsteindpm.com

www.NailLaserCenterHouston.com

TOTAL FOOT CAREBarry P. Weinstein, DPMNail Laser Center Of Houston

4234 Ella Boulevard • Houston, Texas 77018

10% OFF1124 N. Shepherd Suite A

(Near Ross)Stylist - Angeles

Cuts • Fades • Flat Tops • Wax • Blow Dry

• Manicure

713-371-7206

New Clients • With this ad

NOW OPEN

Open Tues - Sat 10AM-7PM

by Jonathan [email protected]

Relief limited for impacted businesses

CLINICIANSRay Cowart - 20 Year Factory Player, National Batting Champion,

7 Time National ChampionCindy Cowart - Former NCAA Player, 2 Time National Champion

Start Off 2013 With The Right Foundation To Build UponTo Sign up please contact: Cindy Cowart at: 713-864-1500

Both Sessions:$100/day per player

[includes lunch & a clinic t-shirt]

Cost: $50/Sessionper player

[includes clinic t-shirt]

WHEN: January 3rd and 4th 2013WHERE: 4613 Creekmont Drive Houston, TX 77091

• Bunting • Slapping • Power Walking• Hitting Mechanics - “5 Step To A Great Swing”

AFTERNOON OFFENSE PACKAGE[Check in - 1:00] 1:30 - 5:00

This is an “ALL-DAY ONE-DAY”

PROPER OVERHAND THROWING TECHNIQUE[Most young ladies do not throw correctly

Because nobody ever took the time to teach them]

INFIELDFootwork, Approach, Follow Through and Secondary Plays

OUTFIELDApproach, Tracking, And Footwork

MORNING - DEFENSE PACKAGE[Check in - 8:30] 9:00 - 12:30

WHO: Girls Ages 6-12From beginner to current select ball players.

** note The Clinic will be the same format each day **

SKILLS & DRILLS

or go to the website www.juicepowersoftball.com

Fall in love with the game of softball event.

CLINICSKILLS & DRILLS

CLINIC

A • The Leader • December 20, 2012 • www.theleadernews.com

The University of St. Thomas men’s basket-ball team proudly sports warmup jerseys that say “H oU STon Basketball” to emphasize the program’s hometown talent.

“M ost of the guys are from H ouston,” C elts head coach Todd Smith said. “We couldn’t compete in this league if we weren’t in the middle of H ouston, with so many great ath-letes.”

Two of those athletes are U ST point guards Travis Lampley, a 2008 Reagan H igh gradu-ate, and Sean Edwards, who graduated from Waltrip H igh last spring.

Both arrived at U ST on the recommenda-tion of longtime Waltrip head boys basketball coach D an Kelly.

“Sean played for me for three years,” Kelly said. “H e was a part of that team when we up-set Strake Jesuit. H e had a great career for us. H e’s a student-athlete, and he takes his aca-demics seriously. I always liked Travis’ game. I always thought he played hard and had a nice feel for the game. H e epitomizes what a student-athlete is all about.”

Lampley, a senior four-year starter, joined the inaugural U ST men’s basketball team as a freshman in 2009-10.

“It’s been fun to be part of something new,” Lampley said. “We’re building a strong pro-gram.”

For Lampley, the opportunity to play close to home was a great one.

“All of my family is at the game,” said Lam-pley, who fi nished with 12 points, 10 assists, six rebounds and three steals in the C elts’ 71-66 win over Wiley C ollege last Thursday at Jerabeck Activity and Athletic C enter. “It’s a small community. All of the students come to the games. It’s a great atmosphere.”

Lampley’s younger brother, Reagan senior guard Sterling Lampley, is helping the Bull-dogs compete for a C lass 4A-D istrict 21 C ham-pionship. Lampley said his younger brother may consider playing for U ST next year.

Against Wiley, Lampley made a free throw with 3.5 seconds remaining to seal the victory over the conference rival.

“We were struggling to win close games,” Lampley said. “It was good to fi nish one at

home.”Lampley’s unselfi sh play gives him the op-

portunity to earn a triple-double on any given night.

“H e’s made me a good coach and made us a good program,” Smith said. “H e likes to pass the ball as much as he likes to shoot the ball. That’s invaluable. You don’t see that much anymore.”

O ne of the program’s signature wins was a 72-59 triumph over Rice University, an N C AA D ivision I member of C onference U SA, on N ov. 10. U ST is an N AIA D ivision I member of the Red River Athletic C onference.

Smith had been an assistant with the O wls prior to accepting the U ST position.

“It was a big accomplishment,” Lampley said. “The previous two years, they beat us. We went at them and played hard.”

More importantly than basketball, Lampley is on schedule to earn his Accounting degree from U ST in M ay and plans on a career in Ac-counting or Finance.

Before Lampley graduates, Edwards hopes

to learn a thing or two from the former Rea-gan point guard.

In fact, Edwards – who helped lead Waltrip to the second round of the playoffs in 2011 – already has picked up some pointers from Lampley.

“It’s good to learn from him,” said Edwards, who chose U ST over Texas Lutheran. “H e’s a great player. I learn a lot of stuff in practice and games from him. I’m very grateful to play behind him and learn. I want to follow in his footsteps.”

Edwards hit a key 3-pointer in the win over Wiley C ollege and is continuing to improve his skills.

“H e’s going to be a good basketball player here,” Smith said.

Like Lampley, Edwards enjoys the oppor-tunity to play home games in front of friends and family. H e’s studying Engineering and plans on graduating in the spring of 2016.

“I’ve built a bond here,” Edwards said. “It’s like a second family. If I need anything, my teammates are always there.”

The St. Pius X boys basketball team shared the district champi-onship with rival, St. Thomas, last season, after fi nishing second in district in 2010 and 2011, respectively.

N ow, the Panthers are ready to win the district crown outright. And fourth-year head coach H enry Sims plans on accomplishing that feat the old-fashioned way.

“O ur offense is kind of predicated on our defense,” Sim s said. “D efense com es fi rst. We’re an up and down kind of tem po team . We have very athletic kids.”

SPX has already earned 11-point non-district wins against district opponents, St. Thomas and Tomball C oncordia Lutheran, respec-tively. They also defeated Lutheran N orth twice.

The Panthers (9-11) are currently on break for fi nal exams, but Sims expects big things from his team when it returns to competi-tion on D ec. 27-28 in the Kingwood Tournam ent.

Jordan Jackson, Jonathan W iley and C ypress Springs transfer C ameron C oleman are the key leaders for SPX, which will benefi t from the addition of football players Will Lockett, Avery Sims and D arius Law.

Wiley has been out with a broken thumb but is expected back af-ter C hristm as Break.

The Panthers will open the N ew Year by hosting their annual in-vitational tournam ent.

“O ur biggest win was against (D allas) Bishop Lynch,” Sims said. “We lost to them and then came back and beat them. We’re looking forward to getting that signature win.”

SPX has three seniors, four juniors and two sophom ores on its roster. It’s a young team but one that Sims believes can make a run to the state tournam ent.

Last season, the 16-12 Panthers lost to state semifi nalist C orpus C hristi John Paul II in the opening round of the playoffs.

“This is one of our better shots of a state cham pionship,” Sim s said.

– Michael Sudhalter

The St. Thomas High soccer team (0-2-2) will compete in the St. Louis Showcase in Lake Charles, Mo. -- near St. Louis, Mo.

Last season, the Eagles fi nished 11-14-1, losing to Dallas Bishop Lynch in the fi rst round of the TAPPS Division I playoff s.

Second-year head coach Kenny Martin is ready for a successful season, which includes the Dr. Pink Tournament, Jan. 10-12, in Frisco (near Dallas) and a non-district match vs. Strake Jesuit on Jan. 15.

“Overall, I expect us to improve greatly from last year,” Martin said. “We have gotten out of the gate a little slow, but we should compete and win district. I fully expect us to make the Final Four. Then, it’s

anyone’s game from there.”Senior midfi elder Diego Saavedra, and juniors Alex

Adrion (defender) and Stephen Luther (goalkeeper) will be key players for the Eagles.

Senior Cameron Arndt and junior Doug Sauter will play soccer this winter. Both players were members of STH’s district championship football team.

Lamar looks for spot in history The Lamar High School football team could make

history this weekend in Arlington.The Redskins (15-0) have a chance to become the

fi rst state football championship from Houston ISD since Yates High accomplished that feat in 1985.

Lamar hasn’t won a state championship since 1953. They’ll face Allen (14-1) at 8 p.m. Saturday at Cowboys Stadium in the UIL Class 5A, Division I State Championship Game.

The Redskins defeated San Antonio O’Connor, 15-7, last Saturday in Austin.

Longtime LHS head coach Tom Nolen was honored last week as the Touchdown Club of Houston Coach of the Year.

Last season, a three-loss Lamar team reached the regional quarterfi nals for the fi rst time in eight years, losing to then-defending state champion Pearland.

– Micahel Sudhalter

SPX ready for district pushLocal hoops stars leading UST

Notebook: St. Thomas High School Eagles ready for a big soccer season

by Michael [email protected]

At left, University of St. Thomas senior point guard Travis Lampley, a 2008 Reagan High graduate, is a four-year starter for the Celts. Above, University of St. Thomas freshman point guard Sean Edwards joined the Celts’ team after a stellar career at Waltrip High.

(Photos Courtesy of UST)

Clearance items. Selection varies by store. Discount based on original prices. Exclusions apply.

Shop early for the best selection and get free shipping with no minimum purchase.SAVE BIG ON WINTER CLOTHING FOR MEN, WOMEN & KIDS!

SAVE UP TO

ON WINTER CLOTHINGFOR MEN, WOMEN & KIDS

50%

GALLERIA 713.353.2582 WILLOWBROOK 832.237.8833

SHOP YOUR WAY | 100+ STORES | REI.COM | MOBILE

Leader 12-20 A

Documents

Transcript of Leader 12-20 A