Leader1018 a

Inside Today: Enjoy these Fall treats in Food & Drink • 1B

Covering the Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest & the neighborhoods of North Houston

Saturday, October 18, 2014 • Vol. 60 • No. 50

��

��

��

��Darlene’s10570 NW Frwy 713-680-2350

��832.419.9969

AREA SPECIALIST

Public Information

THE INDEX.

Food/Drink

Opinion

Church

Puzzles

Classifieds

Coupons

Obituaries

6A

4B

5A

1B

7A

4A

2A

3A

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

ABOUT US3500 East T.C. Jester Blvd Suite A

(713) 686-8494

[email protected]

Facebook/THE LEADER.

By Betsy [email protected]

It’s becoming a fairly regular occurrence in The Leader area – the announcement of a restaurant or retail center, followed by excitement and anticipation of an opening at some point in the near future. Then a lull or stop (or in some cases, not even a start) in said development with the given explanation of – we know you know what’s coming – per-mitting issues.

It’s happened with Surfing Cowboys on Ella Blvd. Lance Fegen told The Leader this summer that they were delayed in starting work on the former That Pizza Place because the building wasn’t permitted properly for the live music they want to offer out back. The Treadsack group behind Down House recently told CultureMap that they wouldn’t be open-ing Hunky Dory/Foreign Correspondents this fall on N. Shepherd as originally planned because they’d just received their construction permits.

And the BerryHill on Ella? While franchise owner Park Blair hasn’t commented publically, there are plenty of on-line pontificators who speculate on the permitting issues he might have run into.

So what gives? Well, the short answer is that it’s a multi-faceted process to get a commercial construction process off the ground. And according to Senior Staff Analyst Alvin Wright with the City of Houston Public Works & Engineer-ing Department, that’s a good thing.

“Safety is a key,” he said. “We want businesses to have the most favorable place they can, but certain requirements have to be in place. We are a tool to keep them in busi-ness.”

It’s the length of time that takes, as well as the delays, that frustrates many.

“Five years ago, we told tenants it was 120 days from time of lease to build the space,” said one commercial developer. “Now they don’t have permits by then.”

Blame a booming city for part of the problem. Sheila Blake, an assistant director at Houston’s Permitting Center (HPC) said that from June 2012 through June 2014, the number of commercial plans reviewed each month rose from just under 1,600 plans to over 1,900. Blake said that in January 2013, there were an average of 600 plans that “spent the

night in the building”, meaning that they were on someone’s desk for review. In October 2014, that number had risen to 1,700. Interestingly, the commercial permits sold from 2012 to 2014 did not increase by much – from 1,616 to 1,785.

HPC staff numbers meanwhile have stayed steady at around 400. Blake said that they now have the funds to hire additional staff – the HPC has a separate city budget and is mostly self-sustaining – but because there is a learning

An In-Depth Report:

Photos by Betsy DensonOn Thursdays, city engineers meet with project managers ot answer specific questions about plans or provide a final review.

How local businesses are navigating the complex world of permitting

City aims to combat kush abuse with ban

By Jonathan [email protected]

Houston City Council members and law enforcement officials are hoping to combat the growing use of kush, also called synthetic marijuana, with the ap-proval of a new ban on the drug which took effect immediately last week.

City coun-cil voted unanimously to approve the ordi-nance, which p r o h i b i t s the “pos-session, sale, manufacture and distribution of illicit synthetic drugs (‘Kush’).” According to the ordinance, production of such synthetic drugs is rampant because “manufacturers contin-ually reconfigure the banned substances to produce new synthetic drugs not sub-ject to existing regulations.” The ordi-nance maintains that regulation of these drugs on a local level is necessary to help target substances and compounds that have evaded federal and state regu-lations.

Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen said use of kush has been on the rise in Houston for the last two years, particularly due to its availability and cheap cost when compared to other drugs. Kush can be found in convenience stores and smoke shops across Houston and the drug has found its way into The Leader area.

“I think we’re seeing its use grow across the board,” Rosen said. “The ones that actually manufacture it are trying their best to stay ahead of the laws and law enforcement by switching a little bit of the chemical structure of the drug so that it’s still technically legal.”

However, kush is far more addictive and potent than drugs like marijuana,

A permit-seeker arrives at the Houston Permitting Center with a cart of plans.

State Rep. Bohac cuts ribbon for new flyover

For The Leader

State Representative Dwayne Bohac (R-Houston) joined TxDOT officials and Houston-area representatives Oct. 10 to cut the ribbon on the new direct connec-tor between Highway 290 and I-10.

The new 1.4 mile flyover lane is scheduled to open in the next week and takes motorists coming inbound from Jersey Village on 290 directly to I-10 westbound towards Katy. According to a press release, the estimated cost of the connector is approximately $25 million, with much of the cost coming from the lane’s elevated steel infrastructure.

“Having represented this area of Houston for over a decade and having participated in numerous community TxDOT meetings regarding the design of this complex and challenging inter-change, it is particularly rewarding to take part in the ribbon cutting of this vitally important traffic improvement project,” Bohac said. “Everyone that has driven in northwest Houston knows that the I-10/610/290 mixing bowl is not only difficult to navigate, but can be dangerous. This new direct connector will mean that you can travel between 290 and I-10 without ever having to put

Garden Oaks residents to vote on options for local drainage project

Photo by Jonathan GarrisMark Klein, government liaison for the Garden Oaks Civic Club, addresses concerned residents regarding Houston’s proposed drainage project that could widen roads and add sidewalks.

By Jonathan [email protected]

Residents of Garden Oaks will have their voices heard regarding the streetscape designs for Alba Street and Golf Street as part of the Shepherd Forest - Gardon Oaks Storm Water Drainage Project, after the Garden Oaks Civic Club voted in favor of a $2,500 measure to mail surveys regarding the project’s design to approximately 1,400 homes in the community.

During a special meeting Tuesday evening at Garden Oaks Montessori School, the civic club’s leadership took a vote on the measure and also discussed the options pre-sented to the community. The survey, which had been previously requested by Houston City Council Member Ellen Cohen, could determine the redesign of Alba and Golf Streets during the $18.5 millon project.

See Drainage, P. 3A

See Permits, P. 3A

See Kush, P. 2A

See Flyover, P. 2A

LOOK INSIDE.

Like many other programs at local high schools, the Waltrip High School Ram Band is facing challenges regarding its fundraising and its ability to cover costs for instruments and equipment. While band of-ficials are hoping budgets might change in the future, the group may be facing an uphill battle

Waltrip High School band faces budget restrictions

See P. 6B

Pitfalls of Permits

Photo courtesy of National Institute on Drug Abuse

2013 HONDA FIT SPORT: A/C, all power, MP3, CD, new. Non-smoker. Excellent. 20k miles. $10,450 obo. 832-620-2853.

HOUSECLEANING: Honest, reliable. 30+ years experience. 713-539-3147.

HANDYMAN: Powerwash, any average size, one-story house, $65. Houstonian Don, 713-754-0923.

FOR LEASE: Four bedroom, two full bath, two-car garage. Non-smoker. No pets. $1,700/month. Mangum Manor. 713-702-9304.

FIND IT.

OCT. 3Burglary 7:53 AM 2400-2499

OXFORD DRRobbery 9:11 AM 800-899 E

29TH STTheft 8:45 AM 3900-3999 N

SHEPHERD DRTheft 2:40 PM 200-299

HEIGHTS BLVDTheft 11 AM 200-299 YALETheft 10 AM 3000-3099 N

LOOP WTheft 12:18 PM 1000-1099

HERKIMERTheft 2:20 PM 5400-5499

LARKINTheft 12:21 PM 800-899

SLEDGERobbery 7:20 PM 3000-3099

ELLA BLVDTheft 2:25 PM 5400-5499

WASHINGTON AVETheft 1:25 PM 1000-1099

PINEMONT DRTheft 10:33 PM 900-999

SNOVERTheft 11 AM 700-799 JANISCH

RD

OCT. 4Theft 8:45 AM 200-299 E

30TH STTheft 12:01 PM 3000-3099

YALETheft 12:03 PM 1100-1199

DART STTheft 3 AM 2200-2299 N

SHEPHERD DRTheft 3:41 AM 1500-1599

BEVIS STBurglary 6 PM 5300-5399

NOLDATheft 8:30 PM 4200-4299

SHERWOOD LNTheft 2 PM 5700-5799 LARKINTheft 7:30 AM 5600-5699 N

SHEPHERD DR

OCT. 5Theft 6:06 AM 1500-1599

RUTLAND STTheft 10:40 AM 700-799 E

24TH STBurglary 12 PM 700-799 E

20TH STTheft 6 PM 1100-1199 WA-

VERLY STTheft 11:35 AM 1000-1099

NICHOLSONTheft 5:44 AM 4400-4499

MARINA STTheft 10:51 AM 100-199 E

CROSSTIMBERSBurglary 5:30 PM 700-799

JANISCH RDTheft 5:24 AM 400-499 W

17TH STTheft 3:11 AM 400-499 W

17TH STTheft 3:35 AM 600-699 BAY-

LAND AVETheft 5 PM 1100-1199 WA-

VERLYBurglary 7:30 PM 10800-

10899 NORTHWEST FWYTheft 8 AM 300-399 E WHIT-

NEY ETheft 9:30 PM 4500-4599

WASHINGTON AVETheft 2 PM 1100-1199 ROY STBurglary 10 PM 1200-1299

LAMONTE LNTheft 10 AM 5400-5499 N

SHEPHERD DR

OCT. 6Theft 2:22 AM 1100-1199

HEIGHTS BLVDBurglary 1:49 PM 6300-6399

KURY LNRobbery 6:47 PM 200-299 E

JANISCH RDTheft 4:34 AM 1800-1899

SALFORD DRTheft 9 AM 1500-1599 HER-

KIMERTheft 3:35 PM 200-299 W

28TH ST

Theft 12:07 AM 800-899 ENID ST

Theft 5:30 AM 100-199 E CROSSTIMBERS

Theft 11 PM 200-299 S HEIGHTS BLVD

Theft 2:17 PM 1100-1199 BINGHAM ST

Theft 4 PM 200-299 S HEIGHTS BLVD

Theft 4 AM 1900-1999 MAIN

STBurglary 11:21 AM 200-299 E

33RD STTheft 5:30 PM 200-299 S

HEIGHTS BLVDTheft 5 PM 200-299 S HEIGHTS

BLVDTheft 8:30 AM 2700-2799 W T

C JESTER BLVD

OCT. 7Burglary 5:56 PM 300-399 W

32ND STTheft 6:59 AM 1400-1499 N

DURHAM DRBurglary 7:04 AM 400-499 E

32ND STTheft 7:26 AM 1400-1499

WALTONTheft 1:51 PM 5000-5099

CORNISH STTheft 8:19 AM 400-499 SIKESTheft 3:02 PM 200-299

HEIGHTS BLVDTheft 9:40 AM 100-199 YALEBurglary 3 AM 200-299 S

HEIGHTS BLVDBurglary 3:49 PM 5100-5199

ALBA STTheft 11:23 AM 5600-5699 N

SHEPHERD DRArrest 2:50 PM 100 BLOCK OF

W 18TH STTheft 6 PM 1900-1999 ALTHEA

DRTheft 10:55 PM 4400-4499

CREEKMONT DR

Reports are provided by Spot-Crime.com based on data from the Houston Police Department.

Garden Oaks Montessori Magnet School will be institut-ing a new policy for collecting students’ electronic devices af-ter a student found a boy’s re-cording device inside a chang-ing room at the school.

The Leader news partner KHOU spoke with the 7th grade girl, Isamary Fajardo, who found the device which she identifed as a Playstation Portable game console. The handheld console is capable of recording video and she told KHOU that sh esuspects

that’s why it had been placed in the area where girls change clothes.

The young girl immediately told her teacher what she had found and the school subse-quently sent letters home to parents, saying the device be-longed to another student at the school.

“I knew what it was because I’ve seen him playing with it before and I’ve seen him play-ing with it outside school,” Isamary Fajardo told KHOU. “[My classmates] are worried

about it. They don’t have too much trust and stuff.”

The letter states that no compromising images were found on the device and tells parents that students’ electri-onics will be collected a thte beginning of each school day. The device in question has been securied and will not be returned to the student, ac-cording to the letter.

“They’re kids and do stu-pid stuff,” Local parent Emily Ward told KHOU. “I wouldn’t put it past a kid at any other

school to take an inapporpri-ate picture. I think it’s cool that the school is taking a stand against it.”

The school is reportedly en-forcing disciplinary action in accordance with HISD policy.

THE PUBLIC.Saturday, October 18, 2014 • Page 2A

2830 Hicks 713-869-8321 arneswarehouse.com

We’re located at 2830 Hicks St. From Texas Medical Center campus – go North on Montrose/ Studemont, cross Allen Pkwy., after underpass go to 1st street on right, Hicks Street, turn right.

We’re located at 2830 Hicks

COSTUMES, PARTY SUPPLIES AND MORE!

We’re located at 2830 Hicks St. From Texas Medical Center campus – go North on Montrose/ Studemont, cross Allen Pkwy., after underpass go to 1st street on right, Hicks Street, turn right.

We’re located at 2830 Hicks We’re located at 2830 Hicks St. From Texas Medical Center campus – go North on Montrose/ Studemont, cross Allen Pkwy., after underpass go to 1st street on right, Hicks Street, turn right.

We’re located at 2830 Hicks

U PAY LESS - U GET MORE!U PAY LESS - U GET MORE!U PAY LESS - U GET MORE!

TREAT YOUR PET!We also carry a wide variety of pet brands at more affordable prices.

Do You Need A Job? Interview with area employers for full time, part time and

seasonal opportunities at Near Northwest Community Job Fair

LOCATIONAdvent Lutheran Church

5820 Pinemont Dr., Houston, TX 77092

DATE & TIMEWed., Oct. 22 2014 | 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

Come dressed to impress!Bring 10 copies of your resume • Free Parking

Near Northwest Management District5740 W. Little York Rd.

P.O. Box 391Houston, TX 77091

“Building A World-Class Workforce”Near Northwest Community Job Fair

If you have any questions, please contact Ruby Glass,

at (713) 895-8021

S P O N S O R E D B YThe WorkFaith Connection | Advent Lutheran Church | Near Northwest Management District

PREMIER PROPERTIES ��[email protected]��

��

��

��

��

��

Large master on first floor w/large walk-in closet and jacuzzi tub. Large living area w/crown molding and plantation shutters. Covered patio off living area with hot tub, pool, waterfall and palm trees. Upstairs has 4 bedrooms, 2 full baths, media room and covered balcony.

��

��

MLS# 54047229

NEW LISTING - MUST SEE

��

��

Jan Clark, J.D.

The Right Agent...

[email protected]

Whether you are buying, selling or building choose the agent that’s right for you.

A 2013 Top producer

Juan and Alicia Gar-cia, of Houston, Tex-as are pleased to an-

nounce the engagement of their lovely daughter, Julia Josephine Garcia to Michael David Skra-bacz, Jr., son of Michael and Karen Skrabacz of Southern Maryland. The couple met in Petaluma, California and were en-gaged in Seattle, Wash-ington. Both Julia and Michael have served in the U.S. Coast Guard for the past 5 years and are currently attending the University of Maryland. A Spring 2015 wedding is planned.

��

��

��

��

GRAND OPENING!

��

Girl finds camera in school changing area

Flyover, from P. 1A

Kush, from P. 1A

Police Reports • Oct. 3 - Oct. 7

DON’T BE A VICTIM!

Licensed FFL/Class III Dealer

713-694-4867875 Wakefield Dr.

Concealed Handgun Classes

BLACK GOLDGUNS & AMMO

WE BUY ALL GUNS

★ BUY ★ SELL ★ TRADE

PERSONAL DEFENSE WEAPONS

Rosen said. While it may be marketed as incense and often “not for human consumption,” the reality is that the drug can have severe side effects on its users and can exacerbate ex-isting health issues.

“The real dangerous part about the drug is that there is no consistency in the manu-facturing process,” Rosen said. “We’re finding a lot of the manufacturers don’t measure how much they actually put in, so the experience for each per-son differs in many ways.”

According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, syn-

thetic marijuana is popular among young people, and has now become the second most-used drug by high school seniors. The drug can cause increased heart rate, vomit-ing, agitation, confusion and hallucinations, leading to un-predictable and aggressive be-havior, Rosen said.

“We have made numerous arrests due to the effects of people taking these drugs,” Rosen said. “

While the onset of kush across Houston occurred rap-idly, Rosen believes the ban is a step in the right direction in

attempting to control the sale of illicit synthetic drugs. Due to the nature of city ordinanc-es, penalties for those with synthetic drugs would likely be class C misdemeanors un-til the Drug Enforcement Ad-ministration steps in to do a similar, sweeping ban, Rosen said. However, the ban does give law enforcement greater authority and ability to take action regarding those who manufacture, possess or sell the drugs.

“I’m really happy the city took this approach to banning these substances,” Rosen said.

one single tire on Loop 610. Along with other improve-ments coming online to this interchange, this innovative connector will play a critical role in enhancing safety and improving traffic mobility.”

The flyover lane, along with an additional one open-ing in 2016, are part of the Highway 290 project, which aims to extend 38 miles from the Harris & Waller County lines to the 610 Loop. The entire project will cost $4.7 billion and includes a paral-lel Hempstead Tollway along the Hempstead Highway with additional reserve that can be designated for rail according to the release.

curve associated with the jobs, it will be a while before cus-tomers see the benefit.

“People say [the process] is byzantine,” said Blake. “But most buildings are a one off custom product. It’s very com-plex.”

Ironically, the HPC, which opened in June 2011 and consolidated the majority of the city of Houston’s permit-ting and licensing entities, is a product of the process itself.

How it worksLast week, The Leader took

a tour of the HPC and also sat down with Alvin Wright, Shelia Blake, Deputy Assistant Direc-tor and Head of Plan Review Earl Greer, and Marketing Lead Katie Hassett to learn more about the process.

A condensed timeline of a major commercial renovation or new commercial construc-tion, which Wright provided, shows that the whole process from the purchase of land to the certificate of occupancy is estimated to take between 30-36 months. About two-thirds of that time is under the owner’s control – the middle portion is where the HPC does its work.

The first stop for the proj-ect manager is what Blake calls the “racetrack” where the clock starts and where a HPC representative receives a per-mit application and complete construction plans. Plans must be at construction stage to be considered.

At the racetrack, the permit seeker gets an affidavit nota-rized signifying that they are either the owner or designated agent of the property owner and that the property either doesn’t have deed restrictions, or that the requested improve-ments to the property don’t violate existing restrictions.

The plan review process ac-cording to the HPC takes an estimated two to six months, depending on the scope of the project. First it moves through the following appropriate ex-ternal departments (Traffic & Transportation, Health, Plan-ning Department, Fire Mar-shall, Water/Sewer, and Flood Plain). Then the project cycles through what one local student of the process good-naturedly

calls the “seven-headed hydra” – the internal departments of structural, electrical, plumb-ing, HVAC, storm drainage, sprinklers and utility review.

The clock stops when the plans are rejected by one or more of the internal depart-ments during the day 11 through day 21 review who kick them back to the permit seeker to be corrected for ei-ther code or ordinance compli-ance.

The project manager may be the owner of the develop-ment, the architect or engi-neer involved in design – an estimated 50% of commercial projects are required by state law to have architect and en-gineer involvement – or the general contractor.

Blake said they get their fair share of newbies who come in “with a design on a napkin” to seek advice and informa-tion. There is also a thriving business of plan/permit run-ners too who charge as much as $5,000 to shepherd plans through the process.

“They know which line to stand in,” said Blake. “Many of them are savvy about the process.”

Pitfalls and ProgressWith so many steps that

need to be followed, it is no surprise that not every per-mitting path runs smoothly. But there are those that move more quickly than others. Lo-thar Hofbauer and wife Tiffany are the owners of the Pengu Swim School in Garden Oaks, who served as their own gen-eral contractors during permit-ting and construction.

They submitted their permit in December of 2012 and were approved by February 2013. HPC’s Earl Greer said the total approval process took 41 cal-endar days, with two revisions along the way; the city had the plans for 22 days and the Hof-bauers for 19.

Compare that to one Leader area restaurant, still in limbo, who got their two requests for revisions back from HPC be-tween 10 and 20 days. The res-taurant waited three months each time to resubmit their plans. Blake said that some-times with cases like this fund-ing for the requested changes

could be the issue. Or, as with many restaurateurs, they have a lot of irons in the fire.

With Pengu, the Hofbau-ers hit two unexpected issues during the process. One, they had to hire their own private inspector to evaluate the qual-ity of their concrete – Blake said that there are several such special inspections that the HPC can’t use a city inspector for – and two, a city inspector didn’t approve their surface drain, which had already been approved by HPC. The dis-agreement was due to a differ-ent interpretation of the code and was resolved at a HPC review meeting. It pushed the opening back from September to mid-December.

One of the biggest, and most expensive, snafus that a developer can run into is the matter of easement – which is the right to cross or otherwise use someone else’s land for a specified purpose.

Oak Forest archictect Ryden notes that the city’s setback is 25 feet from the street. Blake said that in some plans that come across their desk the project manager doesn’t show an encroachment, so although the plans may be approved, the issue comes to the forefront in the field.

Some conjecture that it was an encroachment issue or something similarly major that has caused the delay at Berry Hill. The restaurant applied for a building permit in 2011 and

construction has been sporadic for the last two years. Their last approval for a restaurant addi-tion was in February of 2014.

Ryden sums up the situa-tion – at least with regard to our hopes – perfectly. “Social media has accelerated expec-

tation, while reality, in the form of greater building code re-quirements, financial require-ments and oversight and per-mitting hurdles has grown and increased the time required.” In other words, patience, grasshopper.

For an extended look at this re-port, and to find more resources, read more online at our website at www.theleadernews.com

��

��

��

�� 1. Nuclear near reach weapon 5. Delicately beautiful 11. Queen of the gods 12. Reordered letters 15. Representation 16. 24th state 17. Irritated 19. Large black dog breed 24. Atomic #18 25. Followed 26. Ivy University 27. Equal, prefi x 28. Cablegram (abbr.) 29. Affront 30. 7th Hindu month 31. Competed 33. Slur over 34. Shape before marketing 38. Comes into being 39. White House architect 40. Brazilian dance 43. Somalian super model 44. Yield 45. Electric Cobra model 80 48. Local area net- work (abbr.) 49. Substitution 50. “Thornbirds” actress Ward

53. Not out 54. Male ice dancing champion 56. Tops of birds’ heads 58. Carrier’s invention 59. Children’s author Blyton 60. Anise liqueur 63. Listing 64. Adult females 65. Yellow Dutch cheese

�� 1. Emit light 2. Not long past 3. Casually inspect 4. Masculine 5. Wish harm upon 6. Capable of soothing 7. Farm state 8. Initials of HLN legal host 9. Planets 120 degrees apart 10. An enclosed fi eld 13. Initials of one of the Olson twins 14. Coastal 18. Remote control aircraft (pl.) 20. Oersted (abbr.) 21. Blue Hen school 22. Praise

23. Vestment 27. Egyptian goddess 29. Atomic #21 30. Boxer Muhammad 31. Fast gallop 32. Indicates position 33. Geological time 34. Elizabeth’s Prince 35. Balkan nation 36. Israeli politician Abba ___ 37. Indicates ability 38. Universal recipient blood group 40. Clairvoyant 41. Blandish 42. Of I 44. Former OSS 45. Deviously plan 46. Polished shoes 47. Visual processing membrane 49. Tibet’s capital 50. 2nd musical tone 51. Expression of sympathy 52. Bog Labrador-tea 54. To furnish with a ceiling 55. Frosts 57. Natural logarithm 61. -__, denotes past 62. Atomic #22

Answers found in this week’s Classifi ed section

Ad # 36774

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'

www.aikibudo-aikido.com

Classes Enrolling NowJapanese Martial Arts

40 yrs experience8th Degree Black Belt

AIKIDO & SELF DEFENSE

��

Saturday, October 18, 2014 • Page 3A

For The Leader

The Friends of Woodland Park are encouraging lo-cal residents to help raise funds for the park Oct. 17 as the greenspace celebrates it centennial.

Originally named High-land Park, the park dates back to 1900 and was the inspiration for William Wil-son’s decision to develop the Woodland Heights neighbor-hood, according to a press release. It became the city’s second public park in 1914, and the Friends of Woodland Park are aiming to use funds to refurbish and restore the park.

Attendees can enjoy food, drinks, a silent auction and music during the park’s Trails at Twilight celebration, which will be hosted from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Woodland Park Community Center, lo-cated at 212 Parkview. More than 50 auction items will be available, including va-cations, like a historic visit to Philadelphia, a romantic

weekend in Napa Valley, gift certificates to Heights eater-ies and businesses, theme baskets, flags flown over the US and Texas capitals and other items.

Tickets can be purchased at www.friendsofwoodland-spark.org/shop or by check at $100 per person to: The Friends of Woodland Park, P.O. Box 71, Houston TX 77001. Honorees for the event include Houston Parks & Recreation Department Director Joe Turner, Mr. and Mrs. Tony Montalbano and Bridgestone Americas.

The park was originally more than 30 acres on Little White Oak Bayou, the park featured a lake for boating, a water slide and a pavilion that hosted weekend dances, according to the release. Freeway construction shrank its borders and eliminated the lake, but the remaining nearly 20-acre track near Houston Avenue offers a microcosm of wilderness for Houston residents.

Woodland Park to celebrate centennial

Drainage, from P. 1A

Permits, from P. 1A

The city originally proposed to widen both Alba and Golf to 27 feet, add curbs and gutters, add five foot sidewalks on both sides with 2 feet between the curb and the sidwalks and also widen the total streetscape to 41 feet from sidewalk to side-walk, over the current approxi-mately 20 foot width.

Mark Klein, former civic club president and current government liaison, said the opportunity to provide direct feedback to the Public Works & Engineering Department is “unprecedented.”

“The city is going to com-plete a storm water drainage project,” Klein said. “That’s it. But we have a chance to pro-vide our input with completing these surveys.”

Garden Oaks resident Shellye Arnold said the change in tone from the PWE has come primarily from a change in leadership.

“While this may or may not give us the chance to truly influence this project, at least

people are listening to us,” Ar-nold said.

The survey would likely be sent out in the next week to Garden Oaks residents, GOCC President Sheila Brio-nes said. Residents will have the option to select a choice of streetscape wide for both Alba and Golf streets based on choosing zero, one or two sidewalks.

The first streetscape width would be from 23 feet to 30 feet, which is similar to the existing streetscape, or the 27 foot to 41 foot city standard design. The latter would offer added curbs and gutters and both designs would replace the existing speedbumps.

Technical concerns regard-ing drainage and easement space would be gathered into a separate document which would also be sent to the PWE, Klein said. Surveys would also likely be needed by Nov. 10.

More information can be found online at www.gardeno-aks.org.

THE TOPICS.Saturday, October 18, 2014 • Page 4A

THE CAFÉ – Ah, yes, a little French music, French soup, croissants, and I can’t under-stand a word the yuppies at the next table are saying. Is this Paris? No. Louisiana? Not exactly. This is Olive + Gour-mando on the corner of some street names I can’t pronounce. This is Montréal, which most Americans also mispronounce. We say mon-tree-ALL. The name comes from that big hill over there, the royal mountain, or mont-ree-ALL, as in Texas’ royal road, Camino ree-ALL. Why are we here? To enjoy the fall foliage, and you can, too, if you hurry. All the leaves are changing from green to red. The Canadian fl ag has a big maple leaf on it, and the leaf is now red, as well.

A quick tour of this city, which is quite nice – sort of New Orleans’ French Quar-ter without all the vomit left by last night’s drunk tourists – and it should be on your bucket list. The main attrac-tion is the food, and it is deli-cious. One of my sons says Mont-ree-ALL has the best food in North America. This café, Olive + Gourmando, for instance, is supposed to have wonderful croissants. I order two. They are sold out of them and it’s only 11 a.m. It seems the bakers get up at 3 a.m., start baking, and lines form to buy out the place shortly after opening. I order some to be held tomorrow. Elsewhere up and down the street there are cafes and restaurants and wine shops almost shoulder to shoulder. Even the Montréal Casino has a great restaurant on top, with a splendid view of the skyline.

The next time you come here, make reservations ahead for Restaurant Lemeac, a short distance from Old Montréal. Order the smoked salmon. Then there is L’express, very crowded and very French. One day my wife and I took a long walk around town and needed a good lunch. We found a very un-French café with no atmo-sphere, but we were desperate. Wonderful salad and every-thing goes well with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. Between meals, check out some really interesting places, like the Mu-seum of History of Montreal which is currently featuring “Scandale!” -- the sordid his-tory of this city from 1940 to the 1960s when it was sort of

Chicago North. Some of the biggest criminals were the police and politicians. (A new report said a recent mayor’s administration was corrupt.) Also, the Cathedral of Notre Dame, absolutely beautiful.

Canada almost became part of the U.S. with Benjamin Franklin leading the charge.

Franklin and others thought it was logical the French-Cana-dians would like to throw off the British grip, and he came to Montréal to make his case. During the American Revolu-tion, the Continental Army invaded and captured the city, but the locals didn’t like that, and after seven months the Americans left. John Wil-kes Booth spent some time in Montréal, and reportedly once drunkenly gallivanted through-out the city telling anyone who would listen of his plan to kill Lincoln. After the Civil War, Confederate President Jeffer-son Davis stayed at a manor house here.

Despite the French Que-becers refusal to become our northern state, since then there have been tensions be-tween them and the Anglos here. During WWII Mayor Camillien Houde protested against army daft conscrip-tion, and was put in a prison camp from 1940 until 1944. Even so, at that time Montréal bank vaults were used as the secret hiding place for the gold bullion of the Bank of England and the British Crown Jewels. The face of QE II still smiles from Canadian currency.

After centuries of Montréal being the largest and most important city in Canada, in the 1980s and 90s the Que-bec separatists began a drive to leave the nation and make Quebec an independent coun-try. So worried were the Ang-los that large banks, business-es and others fl ed. Between 300,000 and 400,000 Anglos left Quebec, many for Toronto, which is now Canada’s largest and most important city. May-

be the Quebecers should stop pretending they’re French. I’ve told this story before, but it’s worth repeating. Once, when fl ying back from Paris to Houston, our plane went right over Montréal. I turned to a Frenchman sitting next to me and said, “Do you know that Montréal is the second-larg-est French-speaking city in the world?”

He nodded and replied, “Yes, and isn’t it a shame.”

A few things we should know about our neighbor to the north: We are each other’s Number 1 trading partners. The 1976 Olympics were held here, and they put Montréal on the map. However, expens-es put the city $1 billion into debt. From 1969 to 2004 there were the Montréal Expos ma-jor league baseball team. To-day they are the Washington Nationals. Montréal is cur-rently the largest North Amer-ican city without a baseball franchise. Alexander Graham Bell, Rachel Roberts, Barena-ked Ladies (apparently a most interesting hockey team), Jim Carey, Michael J. Fox, Celine Dion and Justin Bieber are from Canada. So are/were Art Linkletter, Keanu Reeves and Alex Trebek. Except for the French Quebecers, the Cana-dians speak a form of English, but they say things like “aboot” and “shed-yule” and they go “on holiday.”

Speaking of holidays, the province of Quebec, which in-cludes Montréal, has a unique event: Moving Day. It began when the province mandated fi xed terms for leases of rental properties, and falls on July 1, which is also Canada Day. To-day the vast majority of leases are still a year long, and in 2004, approximately 120,000 households moved on or around July 1, about 4 percent of the population. Don’t come here then.

So this young man is ap-plying for a job. The prospec-tive employer says, “Sorry for keeping you waiting but I was just on the phone to Canada.” The young man says, “Can-ada? All they have are loose women and hockey players.” The maybe-boss replies, “I’ll have you know my wife is from Canada.” “Oh? And what team did she play for?”

Ashby is aboot at [email protected].

Put some northern exposure on bucket list

LYNN

ASHBY

Columnist

THE READER.Historic preservation clarity

Dear Editor:Protected Historic Districts are vibrant living

neighborhoods of legacy architecture, mature trees, bikeways, families, empty nesters and professionals. Protected historic districts make up one per cent of the entire Houston area. The beauty of protected historic districts are verdant gardens, and abundant mature trees. I applaud the Historic Commission for their vision and foresight to preserve the protected historic districts from un-compatible construction that destroys the in-trinsic and valuable essence of our neighborhoods. Those desiring over sized and multi family options have many options and opportunity in the remain-ing 99 percent of Houston and greater region.Angela DeWree

Businesses serving customersDear Editor:Once again my compliments on [Jonathan

McElvy’s] timely, important editorial. I have a diff erent perspective and would like to add a few points that I use to decide whether I will continue to patronize a business.

One of my fi rst considerations is personal safety. If a business is located in an area where I feel inse-cure, I avoid it unless I am with someone else. That includes shopping after dark. If I am exiting a store laden with packages, I ask for someone, preferably a man, to accompany me to my car. That to me is a big plus and speaks to a business that considers the safety of its customers.

I do admit to using Amazon. I can shop in the privacy and safety of my home and have the benefi t of many choices by virtue of a key stroke. However, that does eliminate the touch factor which is at times important. Let me give an example of a customer opportunity lost. I am a knitter. Like most knitters, I love the feel of beauti-ful, soft, luxurious yarn. I love looking at pattern books and matching yarn to a new project. A few years back, my lys (local yarn shop) on Shepherd closed. I was bereft. A fellow knitter told me about another knit shop about two miles away. I decided to check it out. When I entered the shop I received a friendly greeting. So far so good. I said I was new to the shop and would like to look around. The shop did not carry a couple of my favorite brands, but did have a good selection. I purchased a pack-age of needles and during the check-out process bemoaned the fact that my lys had closed and I

was happy to fi nd another shop. The salesperson asked for my email which I provided and I said that I was interested in participating in knitalongs and other shop activities. I never heard a word from that shop. Now, it might be that my email was misplaced in the course of the day’s business. Fast forward a year. My granddaughter who had just started college wanted an afghan in her school colors. A very specifi c request of a Nanna who is only too happy to move heaven and earth to please her grandchild. I decided to wipe the slate clean and went back to the shop as if it was my fi rst visit. The person who approached me was not very helpful with regard to fi nding the color I needed, but I decided that I liked the quality of a certain yarn even though the color wasn’t perfect and made my purchase. The cost was $120. Not cheap, but I wasn’t looking for cheap, I was fi lling a request. About a week later, I was on my computer and received an email from an online yarn shop. Just out of curiousity, I typed in the brand of yarn that I had purchased. Lo and behold, there was the exact yarn in the perfect color and for half the price. I did order from the online shop and my granddaughter received a beautiful afghan for Christmas. I never went back to the shop in town, not because of the price. I never went back be-cause of service. My former yarn shop would have checked to see if the right color was available and given me the choice of purchasing a full bag, which I would have been happy to do. This shop went for an immediate sale and lost a permanent customer.

Recently, I attended a holiday market at a local church. There were about 50 vendors. The variety of merchandise, the quality of the merchandise and the ease of going from one vendor to another made for a very successful start to Christmas shopping.

Other considerations which I look for, conve-nient parking, good lighting and sales help that is familiar with the merchandise. Businesses need to remember that the population is aging but older folks prefer to shop in person. In order to attract and keep that segment of society businesses should accommodate them with extra chairs, perhaps an area for a bored husband or wife to sit and read while the other shops and especially in hot weather, a cool environment and the off er of a cool drink.

Just one person’s opinion.Marianna Jayson

About once every year, I try to give you all a good talking-to about the importance of the electoral process,

why it’s important for you to vote, and why our little triangle of the metropolis needs more accountability from our elected of-fi cials.

For the few of you who follow this column, you know I’ve often bemoaned the embarrassing voter-turnout numbers (somewhere in the high single digits or, if we’re lucky, low teens), and I’ve done all but offer each of you a stipend if you’d take a few minutes to go fi ll in the ScanT-ron sheets down at the local school house.

This week, my calendar says we have just more than two weeks until our next election, and as a member of the respected media (cough, cough), I need to once again educate our readers about the importance of this election cycle.

So I opened my personalized sample ballot (which you all can do by visiting the Harris County Clerk’s website), and I nearly lost my lunch.

On Nov. 4, or earlier if you qualifi ed for one of those mail-in ballots that I still don’t understand, your ballot is going to ask you to choose candidates for 93 different races. You’ve got your bog boys, or girls, on the ballot, such as the Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General and Commissioner of the General Land Offi ce – as opposed to the Specifi c Land Offi ce, which is not on your ballot this year.

You also have the wonderful opportunity to re-elect Sheila Jackson Lee, although I noticed she does have opposition from a Republican, a Green Party and Indepen-dent candidate. If any of you have heard of (or from) Sean Seibert (GOP), Remington Alessi (Green) or Vince Duncan (Inde-pendent), would you please call our offi ce immediately. I visited Seibert’s offi cial cam-paign website and found that the last time he updated the news from his campaign was in 2012. Apparently, he’s on the ballot and running a vigorous campaign.

There are other important races on this ballot. Kim Ogg and Devon Anderson are in a heated campaign to win the District Attorney’s seat, and the way we prosecute criminals in Harris County rides heavily on

who wins this election.Then you’ve got Jack Cagle up for re-

election on the County Commission, while Chris Daniel and Stan Stanart are trying to keep their seat at the District and County Clerk offi ces, respectively.

But as I scrolled through this year’s bal-lot, here’s what almost made me toss my lunch: Of the 93 individual races on this ballot, 74 of the positions we’re supposed to elect are judges. Who even knew we had 74 judges in all of Texas?

You’ve got 29 district judges you need to elect, eight family district judges, county criminal judges, probate judges, justices of the peace, chief justices and just regular old Supreme Court justices.

In our make-believe lecture hall, may I ask those of you in attendance to raise your hand if you had an actual interaction with a judge this year? (Attorneys, please remain in your seats.)

If most of us are run-of-the-mill, law-abiding citizens, how many times in our lives are we actually going to stand before a judge? I can imagine we’ve all tried to get out of a speeding ticket. For those of us lucky enough to have found wedded bliss, maybe we’ve stepped inside the probate judge’s offi ce. And I guess there are those of you who lost your wedded bliss and needed to pay a visit to the family judge. But my informal poll (better known as a guess) says most of us spend almost no time in front of a judge each year, yet our ballot for this Nov. 4 election has us elect-ing 74 of them.

I reached out to a couple of political consultant types to fi nd out what in the world I’m supposed to tell our readers this

week. How, with any sort of responsibility, can I tell you all how to make an informed decision at the ballot box?

As you might have guessed, I was told to send you to the lawyers. That’s right, if you want to know which judges to elect, just ask the Houston Bar Association. They do a poll of the lawyers who ac-tually appear before these judges, and they’ll tell you how to vote. Sounds Democratic enough for me.

“Whatever you do,” one political insider told me, “tell people that this straight-ticket voting is not a good thing.”

Consider it done.So I visited the HBA’s website,

where they kindly posted a copy of the anonymous poll of lawyers in Houston. They offered up suggestions for 58 of the races on your ballot (including the At-torney General race), and to no one’s surprise, it appears most of the lawyers voted straight-ticket. In these 58 races, lawyers in Houston support 51 Republicans and seven Democrats. Hope that clears things up for you.

I am the son of a lawyer, the husband of a lawyer and the brother, nephew and cousin of lawyers. I know lawyers and I can only thank the Good Lord that I am not one of them (just kidding, Dad). Apparently, though, reaching out to lawyers for election guidance may be the best option we have left. Consider this: There are 100 members of the U.S. Senate and 55 declare “attor-ney” as their occupation. I bet it’s more. There are 156 lawyers in the U.S. House of Representatives. Just for fun, there are also two physicists, six engineers, one microbi-ologist, three pilots, fi ve software company executives and two almond orchard owners in Congress.

Sorry folks, the lawyers take the cake. Ask them about Nov. 4.

Email [email protected]

You’ll need some lawyerly advice for this election

JONATHAN

MCELVYPublisher

week. How, with any sort of responsibility, can I tell you all how to make an informed

As you might have guessed, I was told to send you to the lawyers. That’s right, if you want to know which judges to elect, just ask the Houston Bar Association. They do a poll of the lawyers who ac-tually appear before these judges, and they’ll tell you how to vote. Sounds Democratic enough for me.

“Whatever you do,” one political insider told me, “tell people that this straight-ticket voting is not a good

So I visited the HBA’s website, where they kindly posted a copy of the anonymous poll of lawyers in Houston. They offered up suggestions for 58 of the races on your ballot (including the At-torney General race), and to no one’s surprise, it appears most of the lawyers voted straight-

lawyers in Houston support

I am the son of a lawyer,

know lawyers and I can only thank the Good Lord that I am not one of them (just kidding, Dad). Apparently, though, reaching out to lawyers for election guidance may be the best option we have Of the 93 races on the Nov. 4

ballot, 74 of those are asking the general population to elect judges. Based on completely unscientifi c evidence, the majority of us ap-pear before actual judges about zero times each year. In other words, how are we supposed to responsibly elect offi cials with whom we never interact. Ac-cording to one political insider, our best bet is to simply ask the lawyers.

Built byLEE BURGE, PUBLISHER FROM 1957-1969

TERRY BURGE, PUBLISHER FROM 1969-2012

Jonathan McElvyPublisher & President

[email protected]

Jane BroylesBusiness Manager

[email protected]

Jonathan GarrisEditor

[email protected]

Carolyn MooreOutside Sales Executive

Jeanette BlackInside Sales Executive

Myra SchellingInside Sales Executive

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

© Copyright 2014McElvy Media LLC

NEWS DEADLINE:5pm on Mondays

CLASSIFIED WORD AD DEADLINE:5 p.m. Tuesday

RETAIL AD DEADLINE:5pm on Mondays

Ivee SaulsOutside Sales Executive

OUR STAFF

Frank VasquezAssociate Publisher

[email protected]

Phil StewartOutside Sales Executive

Christina MartinezManaging Editor

[email protected]

Any erroneous statement which may appear in The Leader will be corrected when brought to the attention of the publisher. In the event of errors or ommissions 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.


��

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.

��Buy 6 Glazed Donuts Get 6 Glazed Donuts

FREE!

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

EXPIRES 10-31-14. EXPIRES 10-31-14.EXPIRES 10-31-14.

99¢2211 West 43rd 713-686-7078

ONLY

BUY ANY BREAKFAST SANDWICH OR TACO

OR BURGERGET ANOTHER FOR

expires 10-31-14

Sun -Wed 7am-9pm • Thur-Sat 7am-10pm

• 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 10-31-14.

FREE DINNERBuy 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 Facilities

* 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 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 10-31-14

Buy One Dinner And Receive $5 Off Second Dinner Of Equal Or Lesser 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 10-31-14

FAJITASFOR TWO

5305 Antoine @ Pinemont713-682-3853

Mexican Restaurant

MexicanRestaurant

$1445

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 10-31-14

$5 OFF DINNER

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

Party Room Available

• LIMIT THREE COUPONS PER TABLE •

��

Salon HoursTues-Fri 8am-10pm

Sat 9am - 4pm2910 Antoine Dr. A-107

Houston, TX 77092

For Services or Appointments Call

713-680-9164

��Is offering Quality Services At 50% Off Salon Prices!

Free Manicure with this coupon

Weaves • BraidsHighlights Hair Color

Relaxers • PermsHaircuts • Styles

Manicures • PedicuresFacials

All services performed by supervised senior students.

®

Free Chick- l-A®

Chicken Sandwichwith purchase of large Waf e Potato FriesTM and large drink.

© 2006 CFA Properties, Inc. Coupon not valid with any other offer. Coupon not for sale. One coupon per person per visit. Closed Sundays. Chick- l-A®, C Stylized & Design® and Waf e Potato FriesTM are trademarks of CFA Properties, Inc.

N. Loop 610 & Shepherd in the Home

Depot parking lotExpires Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Redeemable at:

Courtesy of: Joe Glynn

Anypurchase

of $25 or more

��

$5 OFFOrder Online at

www.goldenhunan.com

��

Golden Hunan

Dur

ham

Dr

She

pher

d D

r.

Washington

I-10

1801 #3 Durham Dr. • 713-880-1688

FREE DELIVERY with order of $15 or more

��

With purchase of another Sundae of equal or greater value.

With this coupon. One coupon per customer. This location only.

Expires 10-31-14

��

��

Available for Any Occasion or Holiday

��

This Saturday, another type of art has my attention: food. We’d be nowhere without it and it is certainly an art form preparing and serving it, don’t you agree?

On that note, I am volunteering as a server Saturday at the 2014 Din-ner on the Farm Fundraiser. Ben-efi ting Last Or-ganic Outpost and Central City Co-Op, the fi ve course farm to fork meal served alfresco style comes with a brief description before each serv-ing by Chef Jeremy Goodwin of Single Man’s Kitchen.

Things like where the food was sourced from, explaining the ingredients and why they were chosen. Artisan cheeses, local produce and organic lamb!

For shopping and eating local food that is sustainably raised and free of pesticide residues, synthetic hormones, genetically modifi ed organ-isms, and questionable addi-tives; it doesn’t get better than this. Last minute tickets will probably be available, I have details to follow. Bon Appétit!

Friday Fancy – A Jewelry Show

5:30 p.m. Texas Art Asylum 1719 Live Oak, Unit L, Hous-ton, Texas 77003.

Irene Adame, Molly Block, Taylor Clendennen, Rachel Goodman, Kimberly Irvin, Helen Kent, Debbie Neu-man, Lorraine Rich-ardson, Joan Son, Sam VanBibber and Jane Ward.

“Undead but not Unloved” Group Exhibition 6 − 9 p.m. East End Studio Gal-lery 708 Telephone Rd Suite C, Houston, Texas 77023. One

night only. Art inspired by Zombies, and other undead related creatures. Join in with a zombie makeup contest.

This Mirror is Broken 7 − Midnight at The Hardy and Nance Street Studios main gal-lery, 902 Hardy Street, Hous-ton, Texas 77020. The three artists approach self refl ection and growth through painting and drawing. Em Connor, Al-lison Currie and Stacy Smith. Continues Saturday during the open studios event.

SaturdayAnnual Fall Festival 9 a.m.

- 2 p.m. St. Mark’s United Methodist Church 600 Pecore, 77009 benefi ting local hunger missions. Pumpkin patch, an-nual blessing of the animals at 10 a.m. and arts, crafts, bulb and bake sale.

Rain Date: Craftacular 2nd Saturday - 1025 Stude-wood in the Heights at Hello-Lucky. Noon to 4 p.m. Pop Shop hosts. This is an indy pop up market on the sidewalk sur-rounding Teresa O’Conner’s store, Hello-Lucky.

Texas Fresh: Beyond Or-ganic - Dinner on the Farm 4 − 9 p.m. Last Organic Outpost 711 N. Emile Street, 77020 tickets are $75.

Come savor a meal in sea-son with foodie friends and farmers. Experience dining family style in the urban oa-sis of Emile Street Discovery Farm. Proceeds go to Last Organic Outpost and Cen-tral City Co-Op. By Chef Jer-emy Goodwin of Single Man’s Kitchen. Check the website for availability and details www.centralcityco-op.com.

Glass Free Grounds Over The Bayou 7 − 9 p.m. Wil-low Street Pump Station 811 N. San Jacinto Houston, TX 77002. Opening reception. Art-ist Mark Nelson with children and adult volunteers collected

1500 pounds of broken glass bottles from 18 parks and turn it all into marbles! The art will be on view through November 22. Loreta Kovacic and the Alchemist Piano Theatre per-forms.

Hot Mamas - Women On Fire 6 − 9 p.m. 18 Hands Gal-lery 249 W 19th Street Hous-ton, TX 77008. Five women ceramists who use wood to fi re their work. Work includes both functional and sculp-tural by nationally known Tara Wilson, Linda Christian-son, Joy Tanner and JoAnne DeKeuster will have work displayed along with Hous-ton artist Michelle Matthews. www.18handsgallery.com, [email protected], 713-869-3099.

The Afternoon of Escap-ism 12 − 3 p.m. John Palmer Art Gallery & Studio 1218 Heights Blvd., Houston, Texas 77008.

Graduation of the 2014 Es-capist Artists: Sue Donaldson,

Joseph Reinholtz, Amy Lin and Lulu Fang. Original art pieces by Palmer and his 2014 Escapist Artists. The mission of the Escapism program is to forever destroy the stereotype

of the struggling artist.

Cohen is the founder and manager of First Saturday Arts Market. Contact him at [email protected] or visit him

Art a la Carte: Plan an in season meal with Dinner on the Farm

��

Hours: M-F 7am-6:00pm Sat. 8am-12 Noon5315 Antoine@ Pinemont 713-688-9625

New Well Puppy & Kitten Exam

Call About Cat Vaccines

* With Wellness Exam

Dog RabiesVaccination��

��Routine Male Cat Neuters��

*��

��of quality care for

your family pets

Mitch CohenArts Columnist

Art by Joy Tanner.

Spaghetti dinner at St. Ambrose

The Men’s Club at St. Am-brose Catholic Church, 4213 Mangum Rd., will host a spa-ghetti dinner from 5-7 p.m. Oct. 17, in the school cafeteria.

Tickets are $8. Takeout will be available and deserts will be sold. Advanced tickets only, no sales at the door.

For tickets or information, call 713-686-3497.

Fall Festival at St. James Lutheran

St. James Lutheran Church, 1602 W. 43rd St., will hold a festival and fundraiser featur-ing music, food, a raffle, and various activities for children. The event will be held from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 18.

In addition to pupusas, bar-becue, enchiladas, and mole dinners will be sold for $8. Children’s activities will in-clude a jumping castle, face painting, and games.

Dinner tickets can be pur-chased ahead of time by calling 713-686-1577 or e-mailing the church office at [email protected], or at the festival.

Fall Festival at St. Mark’s UMC

St. Mark’s United Methodist

Church, 600 Pecore, will hold a Fall Festival from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 18. A Blessing of the Animals will be at 10 a.m. the day of the festival. The pump-kin patch will also be open daily from noon to 6 p.m. be-ginning Oct. 18 through Oct. 31. Proceeds go toward the Heights Interfaith Ministries Food Pantry.

For information, call 713-861-3104 or visit www.smumc.org.

Pumpkin patch at Gospel Truth

Gospel Truth Church, 1624 W. 34th St., will have a com-munity day in the pumpkin patch at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 19. There will be free food and family activities. The pumpkin patch will be open Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and 1-6 p.m. through Oct. 31.

There is free admission Oct. 31, to Trunk or Treat held from 6-8 p.m. For information, call 713-686-7689 or visit www.gospeltruthchurch.org.

Spooktacular event at St. Stephen’s

St. Stephen’s United Meth-odist Church, 2003 W. 43rd St., will hold Spooktacular, a fun and safe Halloween event for children of all ages and

thier parents. The free event will be from 3-5 p.m. Oct. 26, in the fellowship hall.

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

MANNA hosts its inaugu-ral fundraiser

MANNA is hosting its in-augural barbecue and silent auction fundraiser to be held 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 1, in the parking lot of MANNA.

The Leather Apron Foun-dation is sponsoring the din-ner. Tickets are $15 (pre-sale) or $20 (at the door) and can be purchased at MANNA’s Resale Store located at 1806 W. 43rd St. or online at www.eventbrite.com/directory and search MANNA for the event.

Silent auction items are also needed. To donate or to vol-unteer for the event or serve on the committee, please contact Patricia Dornak at 713-504-5486 or email her at [email protected].

MANNA will also be host-ing an Ice Cream Social from 2-4 p.m. Nov. 9, at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, located at 3600 Brinkman.

Trinity Lutheran celebrates 135th anniversary

Trinity Lutheran Church

and School, located in down-town Houston since 1879 will celebrate their 135th anniver-sary at a special celebration service at 10:45 a.m. Nov. 9. The Rev. Donald G. Black will be the speaker. Former mem-bers and school graduates are welcome to attend. Children’s activities are planned from noon to 2:30 p.m.

Trinity Lutheran Church is located at 800 Houston Ave. Call 713-224-0684 for infor-mation.

FROM THE PEWS.

��

7151 Fairbanks N. Houston(1 mile North of HWY 290)

Always call your Vet if you have any concerns or questions

(713)-937-7274W W W . F A I R B A N K S . V E T S U I T E . C O M

We Can All Help Prevent Drug Resistant Germs

Preventative Medicine helps to Prevent antibiotic overuse, this Prevents drug resistant germs.

Obviously, proper shelter, water, nutrition, hygiene, cleaning, and waste man-agement are key to germ control. Fewer antibiotics are used if good practices are in place. As for Veterinary Preventative Medicine, we can prevent antibiotic overuse by promoting: 1. Proper Vaccine programs 2. Internal Parasite Control Programs - Heartworms/worms3. External Parasite Control Programs - Fleas/Ticks & others4. Dental Care Programs - Both professional and HomeCareThese programs would significantly reduce respiratory, intestinal, skin, periodontal, and many other preventable infections veterinarians must treat everyday with antibiotics. If we are responsibly concerned about antibiotic resistance, then we will take proactive measures to best prevent parasites and disease in the fi rst place.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of antibiotics overused.

Emerging antibiotic resistant germs are a real concern to the human and animal healthcare communities. Yes, we will need better drugs in the future, but at the front line of this never-ending battle, we primarily need responsible people so germ mutations never start. The overuse of antibiot-ics is dictated by doctors but driven by everyday people. Doctors prescribe unnecessary amounts due to lifestyles that could be improved upon for the benefi t of all.

Prepared as a public service to promote better dental health. From the office of: Chase Baker, D.D.S.,

3515 Ella Blvd., 713-682-4406.

Chase Baker, D.D.S.

If you’ll be waiting for a crown to be fitted to a tooth, chances are you’ll be given a temporary crown until the

permanent one is ready. The “temporary” will have cosmetic value in maintaining the appearance of your mouth. It will also serve some important functions, such as maintaining the proper space and bite relationships with adjacent and opposing teeth. Often the temporary crown will be made of acrylic mate-rial of the exact shade to match your other teeth. But it is not intended to last very long, only until the permanent crown is in place to give the tooth long-lasting protection. Sometimes a temporary crown may have to last several months. This can happen if other work has to be completed before the crown is put in place. If this is the case, a longer-lasting temporary crown can be made. The temporary crown is usually cemented in with a very weak cement so that it is easily removed. If it should come off before the permanent crown is ready, be sure and tell your dentist. An unprotected tooth could cause further problems.

TEMPORARYCROWNS

1820-1 W. 43rd. St. • (713) 290-1905

Specializing in the treatment of • Headache • Arthritis • Sleep Loss • Scoliosis • Leg & Arm Pain & Numbness • Tension • Whiplash

EXAM &X-RAYS

We accept Medicare, Medicaid & Insurance, Workers Comp.

��

GET ACQUAINTED OFFER

Expires October 31, 2014

$140.00Value

$2995

832-884-4169

��Fredrick’s

IF NOT CALL ME!”

“If you have a good honest mechanic

- Keep him.

w w w. d r n a f t i s . c o mMathew Naftis, D.D.S.

$70

FAMILY DENTISTRY

Exam, X-Ray & Clean ing

1214 W 43rd Ste 300 713-682-7939CARECREDIT

Regularly $100

NEW PATIENT SPECIAL��NEW PATIENT SPECIAL��

State-of-the art pro ce dures,instruments & techniques

“One of Houston’s Top Dentists” — HTexas Magazine 2004-2014

[email protected]

ELLIOTT

713-906-5481

Selling, Leasing & Property

Management

Realty Associates

BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRITIt may seem odd that the very first of the beatitudes bestows

a blessing on the poor in spirit and promises that the kingdom of heaven is theirs (Matthew 5:3). Should we not

seek spiritual riches rather than spiritual poverty? One chapter later we are told to store up treasure in heaven, for “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). The blessing for the poor in spirit is not meant to denigrate spiritual treasures but rather to elevate the spirit of poverty and humility. Jesus says repeatedly that he did not come to call those who are already saved, but rather to save the lost. The healthy do not need a doctor, but the sick do. We would do well to remember here that the scribes and Pharisees were paradigms of virtue, rich in spirit and proud of their piety, but, didn’t seem to need or heed Jesus’s message. Jesus had vastly more to offer the weeping adulteress who was thrown at His feet than he did to her accusers. And He had more respect for the impoverished widow who humbly put her two small coins in the temple treasury than the wealthy who made a show of putting in larger amounts. God loves the poor, and those who are poor in spirit even more, so we should count it a blessing when we are feeling lowly and humbled.

��

��

��◆��

��

��

��

��

��

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

Ad # 22283

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

��

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

��

��

��

��

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

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

Nursery ProvidedMinistering to the Oak Forest

Community since 1948Reverend Noelie Day

(713) 682-2556

��

��

1576 Chantilly @ Piney Woods

��

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

Sunday 10:30 am Worship and The Word

Children’s ChurchWednesday 7:30 pm

Life Equip classes for all ages

Join us for Services in English or Spanish

Sunday Worship 10am & 5pmSunday Bible Classes 9am

Wednesday Bible Study 7pm

4215 Watonga Blvd. • 713-681-9365 Houston, TX 77092

��

Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble

yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.James 4:9-10

3712 Alba Rd713-692-CURL

713-692-2875

CFG

3415 Oak Forest Dr.

[email protected] 10A - 8P • Sat 9A - 3P

832.291.1216

Check out our reviews

Get A Cut - That’s Causing

Talk!

like us

Joey is fabulous!!! I have been to many high end salons ($), and

Joey’s haircut was better

Richard Taylor

MASTER STYLIST38 Years Experience

Specializing InCorrective Colors

& Perms

THE OBITUARIES.

Page 6A • Saturday, October 18, 2014

Stacie Lynn Arzymanow, 42, born in Bartlesville, Okla. in 1972, died Oct. 1. Arzymanow is survived by her husband, Nick, two children Hayden and Kaitlyn, parents Beth and Terry Ivey, and sister Angela Eggleston.

Norma Gail (Carson) Baucum, 75, born June 3, 1939 in Broken Bow, Okla., died Oct. 8. She is survived by her loving hus-band of 45 years, Douglas Clayton Baucum, son Wade D. Baucum, twin daughters, Amy Sue Baucum and Amanda Gail Baucum, and two grandchildren.

Kenneth Wayne Boudny, 77, born March 8, 1937 in Taylor, Texas, died Sept. 25. He is survived by his daughter, Kim-berly Boudny Drawdy, sister Betty Hurst and one grandson.

Carol Rose Godair Cle-ments, 76, born Sept. 19, 1937 in Des Arc, Ark., died Sept. 17, following a decade-long battle with cancer. In 1955, Clements graduated from Carlisle High School where she lettered in basketball all four years and took her team to state. She then moved to Houston, where she met and married the love of her life, James “Jim” Richard Clements. They were married for 42 years when he passed away in 1998. She is survived by her daughter Carmen Jarl, sons Kyle and Stephen Clements, brothers Gordon, Homer and Truman Godair, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Memo-rial contributions may be made to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center for ovarian cancer research, P.O. Box 4486, Houston 77210-4486 or The Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch, 12526 County Road 3806, Murchison, TX 75778.

Emily Portele Gillis, 81, born March 2, 1933 in Marlin, Texas, died Oct. 6. Gillis attended All Saints Catholic Elemen-tary School and Incarnate Word Academy and was a cheerleader for St. Thomas High School. She

was a member of the Catholic Daughters of America, and sang with the St. Ambrose Church Choir. She is survived by her lov-ing husband of 62 years, George Gillis; daughters, Rose Anne Sims, LaVerne Garcia, Emily Stepchinski and Mary Gillis Larson; sisters Ann Kurtin and Lillian Goodwin, 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Thomas Kraig Kelley, 55, born June 8, 1959, died Oct. 1.

Wilma Louise Kelley, born in Bremond, Texas, died Sept. 26, at Vintage Park in Ottawa, Kan. Kelley lived all but the previous three years of her life in Houston at 6722 Limestone St. She is survived by her son J.C. Kelley, brother Kay Weaver Jr., two granddaughters, and three great-grandchildren.

Iva Dell Pou, 99, born Oct. 7, 1914, died Oct. 6, one day shy of her 100th birthday.

Nathan J. Romeo, 58, born Feb. 16, 1956 in Houston, died Sept. 30. Romeo was employed by the Veterans Hospital for more than 30 years and was a long-time member of the Knights of Columbus. He is survived by son, Freddy Romeo, brother Anthony Romeo, sister Diane Lamonte, and one granddaughter. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 11454, Alexandria, VA 22312 or call 1-800-DIABETES.

Stanley H. Upchurch Jr., 88, died Oct. 12 in Eustis, Fla. Upchurch was from Leesburg, Fla., and formerly of Houston. A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, Oct. 16, at 11 a.m. at Page-Theus Funeral Home Chapel, Leesburg, Fla., with Inurnment to follow at a later date at Houston Na-tional Cemetery, Houston, Texas. Services have been entrusted to Page-Theus Funeral Home, Leesburg, Fla. Online condolences and memories may be shared by

visiting www.pagetheusfuneral-home.com.

Birdie Frances Vodehnal, 78, born Feb. 19, 1936, died Oct. 1.

Gloria Waychoff, 89, born May 20, 1925 in Webster, S.D., died Oct. 3. In the 1940s she spent the early part of her career working for the family circus, the Sheelar Troop, as a trapeze artist. She was also an active member of the local VFW chapter and a passionate loves of cats. She is survived by numerous nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews.

Charlotte Eleanor Whit-worth, 97, born Feb. 10, 1917 in Kellogg, Idaho, died Sept. 28. Whitworth is a 1935 Old Sam Houston High School Downtown graduate. She retired from Texas Commerce Bank of Houston after 34 years. She graduated from the American Institute of Banking, and was active with the Board of Governors and chairman of vari-ous committees during her bank-ing career. She was past president of Houston Heights Women’s Club, and a 50 year member of Fraternal Order of Eagles Auxil-iary #63, Past Presidents Club, and Retired Eagles Activity Club, District II. She is survived by her sister-in-law, Hazel Whitworth. Memorial contributions may be made to the Fraternal Order of Eagles State Project Shriners Burned Institute in Galveston.


HOMEHOMEHOMESweet HomeOpening Soon! 45% Pre-Leased! Select Your New Home Today!

Please join us for an informative presentation to learn more about

The Village of the HeightsAssisted Living and Memory Care

currently under development in the Heights and opening Fall 2014

October 225:30 - 7:30 pm

Houston Heights Fire Station107 W. 12th Street

Houston, TX 77008

RSVP by Oct. 20 to 713-802-9700

Refreshments will be provided

��www.villageoftheheights.com

of The He i g ht s

License Pending

��

��

��

��

St. JamesFall Festival

Saturday, October 18,2014

11:00 A.M. TO 3:00 P.M.

St. James Front lawn &Fellowship Hall

1602 West 43rd Street

Houston, TX 77018

FoodEntertainment RaffleDJ/Live Music featuring ,“Nick Gaitan, Robert Rodriguez,The Umbrella Man”Children’s Activities

For more information please contact us at 713.686.1577 or email us at [email protected]

THE CALENDAR.STEAK NIGHTSons of Legionaires Post 560

Come by the American Legion Post 560, 3720 Alba, for the last steak dinner of the year Oct. 17. Food will be served from 6 p.m. until sold out and entertainment will be provided by Ron and Reta Rebstock. Information: www.americanlegionpost560.org, 713-682-9287.

SINCLAIR FALL FESTIVALSinclair Elementary School

Come enjoy a fun-fi lled Fall Festival, Silent Auction and Pumpkin Patch from 3:15-7 p.m. Oct. 17, on Sinclair’s campus located at 6410 Grovewood. Individual participant wristbands are $20 at the door. Pumpkins in the Pumpkin Patch will also be available for purchase. The Pumpkin Patch will also be open to the community from 3:15-7 p.m. Monday through Friday, Oct. 17-Oct. 31. Information: [email protected].

COMMUNITY AND PET APPRECIATION DAYResource One Credit Union

A day of fun for both pet and owner. Pet perks include low cost vaccinations and micro-chipping, grooming, adoptions, and pet costume contest. The event will be held from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Oct.

18, at Resource One Credit Union, 1400 W. 43rd St. Information: 281-720-0550.

BOOK OF LIFE FREE SCREENINGAARP Movies for Grown Ups

The movie will be shown at 2 p.m. Oct. 18, at Edwards Houston Marq’E Stadium 23 Imax and RPX, 7620 Katy Frwy. Call or access the RSVP link to reserve tickets. AARP membership is not required to get tickets. Information: 1-877-926-8300, aarp.cvent.com/BOO-KOFLIFE_Houston.

FALL FESTIVALOak Forest Park

The Oaks Business Association in partnership with The Hartman and Associates Famous Pumpkin Patch, will hold a Fall Festival, from 5-9 p.m. Oct. 25, at Oak For-est Park. Featured are a bouncy house, dunking booth, hay ride, face painting, vendor booths and food trucks.

HALLOWINE PARTYHYPO Come to The Corkscrew, 1308 W. 20th St., for Hallowine 2014, which will have costume contests, food, drinks, and dance music. The free event will be held at 6 p.m. Oct. 31. Information: www.heightschamber.com, 713-861-6735.

FALL FESTIVALCollier Regional Library

The library, located at 6200 Pinemont Dr., will be hosting its annual Fall Festival from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Oct. 31. Come to the library to make crafts and treats, play games, and enjoy face paint-ing. Prizes will be given to the best costumes. Information: 832-393-1740, [email protected].

MANNA INAUGURAL FUNDRAISER

The fund-raising event will be held from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 1, in the parking lot of the MANNA Resale Store, 1806 W. 43rd St. This event will be a BBQ dinner and silent auction. Tickets are $15 pre-sale or $20 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at the store or online. Information: 713-504-5486, [email protected], www.manna-houston.org.

RENAISSANCE FALL FESTIVALOak Forest Elementary

Oak Forest Elementary, 1401 W. 43rd St., will have a Renaissance themed Fall Festival which will be held 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Nov. 15. Wristbands are $20 presale and $25 the day of the festival and can be purchased online beginning Oct. 29. Information: 713-613-2536, www.oakforestpta.com.

Reunions

WALTRIP HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1974 40TH REUNION

The reunion will be the week-end of Oct. 17 and Oct. 18. The mixer at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17, at Wakefi eld CrowBar and reunion party at 7 p.m. Oct. 18, at Hous-ton Liederkranz, 5100 Ella Blvd. Visit the website to RSVP and purchase tickets. Information: www.waltripclassof74.com.


The reunion will be at 7 p.m. Oct. 18, at the Cadillac Bar party room, 1802 Shepherd Dr. Free admission. Casual attire. Other Waltrip classes are welcome to attend. RSVP by email. Informa-tion: 713-417-4407, 281-620-9603, [email protected].


The reunion will be at 7 p.m. Oct. 25, at Whitney Oaks, 816 E. Whitney St. 77022. Dinner will be served, and a cash bar is available for beer and wine. Liquor BYOB. The cost is $40 per person. Visit the website to register. Informa-tion: www.waltrip1969.com.

��

Neighbors: greetings and gratitude from AfricaBy Elizabeth Villarreal

[email protected]

Several columns ago, you read about our Shepherd Park Plaza neighbor Jackie Mad-den, when I wrote about her request for assistance in send-ing desperately needed medi-cal supplies over to Liberia where she spent two years as a missionary in the recent past. Jackie’s experience there has opened a window for us to a community full of loving, hardworking and dedicated neighbors (sound familiar?) half a world away who, before Jackie’s reaching out to and sharing with the community here, were just nameless faces on the nightly news. Jackie would very much like to share this heartfelt note of thanks with everyone who contribut-

ed. Jackie writes, “I received the most wonderful email this morning. The medical supplies that were collected the past month have been received in Liberia, they are very, very, very, happy! It was a group ef-fort with many many generous

hearts involved. Please con-tinue to pray for the people of West Africa. God bless.”

The email Jackie received from Africa reads: “The final pallets of 6 arrived Friday-were cleared today, from the airport and delivered to

Sr. Barbara Brilliant, FMM. These make up the total ship-ment of 7 pallets. Attached is a photo of the unpacking of the first pallets: That is me in the middle assisting the men. The SMA Community Liberia joins the church of Liberia to express thanks and gratitude for these much needed ma-terials. I assure you that this will help the local church in its contribution to saving lives and preventing the spread of this deadly virus that is kill-ing so many of my people. The Archbishop Lewis Zeigler will send his personal appre-ciation. You are all in our daily prayers and ask that you keep praying for us in these difficult times. God Bless you! Rev. Fr. Matthew Abu B. Cole, SMA Parish Priest, St. Mulumba Parish, Monrovia.”

Contributed photoRev. Fr. Matthew with the first of seven pallets of aid supplies sent from Houston to Liberia.

4500 Memorial Dr. Houston, TX 77007

November 91:00 p.m.

Houston’s 114-year all-boys Catholic college preparatory high school, a socio-economically and ethnically diverse community teaching Christ’s message

while upholding human dignity and fostering a just society.

St. Thomas ignites minds and promotes life-long learning in the Basilian Fathers’ tradition of Goodness, Discipline and Knowledge.

Open House

w w w. s t h s . o r g

Schedule a tour today.Please call 713-864-6348

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

1720 West Loop North Next to Whataburger

��

��

610

W 18th

Hempstead

Next to Whataburger

��

��

832-867-1076We Repair phones, screens & laptops

Page 8A • Saturday, October 18, 2014

Preparing your pet for moving day

Dear Transferred,First, we’re sorry to see you

go but please know that you can always read my highly-informative and utterly-witty column online at: www.the-leadernews.com.

Secondly, moving is hard. It’s hard on everyone in your

home. Moving is considered a major life stressor and it’s just as rough on the animals in your life. If possible, when choosing the new area that you’ll live, try to keep your pets in mind. If you have a dog, good parks and good dog-walking areas are important. For cats, finding a home or apartment with lots of windows and ample places for them to stretch out is im-portant.

Unfortunately, when renting, it’s often difficult to find a land-lord who will allow pets. There are several helpful websites that offer directories of pet-friendly rentals, such as www.peoplewithpets and www.pe-trealtynetwork.com. Discuss-ing your pets with a potential landlord is an important first step when researching new rental properties. You’ll never win by trying to keep a secret pet in your new rental.

Ahead of your move, it’s a good idea to go ahead and compile a stack of references from old landlords, your vet, your pet sitter and whoever else can vouch for you and your pets’ responsible ways. This might help prove your case to a potential new land-lord. Also, many landlords and

apartments require a hefty pet deposit and oftentimes, extra rent tacked on to accommo-date your pets. So, you might want to start scrapping togeth-er your pennies for this pos-sible unexpected expense.

If you’ve secured a pet-friendly rental and are prepar-ing to make the move, there are a few ways to ease the transition for your pets. The ASPCA suggests the follow-ing, “You can help your cats (and skittish dogs) adjust to the moving process by bring-ing in moving boxes early, and by keeping your furry friends in a familiar room you plan to pack up last. On moving day, keep your pets in a quiet room with the door shut, or at a friend’s house. This will ensure that your cat or dog won’t get scared and try to make a quick getaway while the movers load up the truck.”

Once you arrive at your new place, the ASPCA recommends slowly introducing your pets to the new home, one room at a time, as opposed to letting them run freely right away. This will reduce the stress of the new place and allow your pets to explore slowly while still being able to head back to

their one-room, “home base” when needed. Hopefully with-in a few days, your new “digs” will feel more like home to ev-eryone.

Have a question for Tabby? Email her at dear [email protected].

Dear Tabby,I’m going to be moving soon

and there are a few things that I’m concerned about: First, I’m very concerned about finding a pet-friendly rental. Secondly, I’m concerned about how to prepare my pets for the move and lastly, I’m going to miss reading your column in The Leader! Can you help to alleviate my concerns?

Being transferred in Timber-grove

Meet Bobbie. This stun-ning, four month old kitten was living with brother Luigi, dangerously close to a busy street. Luckily for these kitties, a concerned animal lover swooped in and whisked them off to a safe, warm foster home. Life in the foster home is good, but a forever home would be grand. Wouldn’t Bobbie (and possibly even Luigi too?) be the perfect fit for your fam-ily? If so, contact Save A Cat rescue at: www.saveacatres-cue.org.

Pet of the Week

Documents

Leader1018 a