✯NEWSServing the Neighborhoods of Aldine, Greenspoint, US59 Eastex, Beltway 8 and North Forest for over 42 Years

VOL. 45, NO. 21 TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2019 HOUSTON, TEXAS www.nenewsroom.com

NORTHEAST

MARKETPLACE – Please Mention the NORTHEAST NEWS when you visit our Advertisers.

FEATURED IN THISISSUE:

• PurchasingPower• Aldine’s History

SEE PAGE 8 FOR ALLTHESE STORIES INCOLOR

HARRIS COUNTY, TX– May 14th - Commission-er Adrian Garcia has pro-posed to invest one milliondollars in a new LandTrust pilot program thatcould give Harris Countyresidents an opportunity toown a home.

On Tuesday, Commis-sioner Garcia requestedthe court discuss and ap-prove the establishment ofa Land Trust Program forUnincorporated HarrisCounty. Under the currentproposal, the programwould operate as a Com-munity Land Trust (CLT)nonprofit owned by thecounty and will have theability to acquire land, in-cluding accepting land cur-rently owned by the county.The acquired land will beused to develop affordablehousing, which will bemade available to low- andmoderate-income families

Suspect sought infatal shooting atKeith-Wiess Park

Renovations, majorinvestments and areaimprovements, a$500+ millioninvestment

HOUSTON, TX (May14, 2019) - The NorthHouston District, at the in-tersection of Interstate 45North and the Sam Hous-ton Parkway, is changingits landscape. New compa-nies are moving in and de-veloping innovative spacesand others are investinghundreds of millions in anew look. Exciting thingsare happening in theNorth Houston Districtand Greenspoint areas andthese are some of theprojects underway.

Coca-Cola SouthwestBeverages, an ArcaContinental Company

In September, Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages,a Dallas-based subsidiary

Pct. 2 CommissionerAdrian Garcia hostsCommunity Meetings

Commissioner AdrianGarcia’s Advisory Boardis hosting a series ofcommunity meetings inPrecinct 2.

The meetings are agreat opportunity forresidents to share theirvision for Precinct 2 andgive input on topics suchas education, health,flooding, housing andthe environment.

The upcoming meet-ings will take place atdifferent locations.

Please see below forthe full list and Topics.

•Thursday, May 306:30 to 7:30 p.m.Northeast Communi-

ty Center10918 1/2 Bentley -

Houston, TX 77093TOPIC: HEALTH

Comm. Garcia proposes1 million dollars for county-wide land trust program

at below-market rates. TheCounty will continue toown the land and lease itto the homeowner. In ex-change for purchasing aCLT home at an affordableprice, buyers agree to re-sell at a price that is af-fordable for futurelow-income owners. A like-

Commissioner AdrianGarcia

•Monday, June 36:30 to 7:30 p.m.Martin L. Flukinger

Community Center16003 Lorenzo, Chan-

nelview, TX 77530TOPIC: HOUSING

•Monday, June 36:30 to 7:30 p.m.San Jacinto Commu-

nity Center604 Highlands Woods

Drive, Highlands, TX77562

TOPIC: FLOODING

•Thursday, June 66:30 to 7:30 p.m.Baldree Community

Center13828 Corpus Christi

St, Houston, TX 77015TOPIC: HEALTH

ly scenario would includea 99-year lease that may berenewed and inherited.

“My Precinct has thehighest percentage of rent-ers among all 4 precincts.Most residents rent be-cause they cannot afford toown and I want to changethis. This type of programmakes homeownership ac-cessible to those who maynot be able to do it other-wise,” said CommissionerGarcia.

“One of the most signif-icant driving factors ofgentrification in HarrisCounty is the cost of land.By offering the opportuni-ty to own and pay taxes ononly the improvementsand providing the land fora low-priced lease, HarrisCounty will be providing

See Land TrustProgram, Page 3

If you are passionateabout dance, music,drama and love toperform, then the AldineISD Summer Dance andPerforming Arts Camp isfor you! The camp is open toyoung people betweenthe ages of 6 and 17 whowill receive the opportuni-ty to experience the magicof performance throughclasses in various styles ofdance. Two sessions of thecamp will be offered. Thefirst will be held June 3-6and the second will beoffered June 10-13. Thecamp will be held at theCarver High School DanceRoom (2100 South VictoryDrive). Pre-registration will beheld now throughMonday, May 27 at thePerforming Arts Office inthe M.O. CampbellEducational Center from 8a.m.-4 p.m. On-siteregistration for Session Iwill be held on Monday,June 3 at 8:30 a.m. andon-site registration forSession II will be held onMonday, June 10 at 8:30a.m. The cost is $75 persession. Payments must bemade in cash. Individualscan also pay online athttp://aldine.revtrak.netand then select Elementa-ry Performing Arts, selectAldine Dance Co., selectsummer camp options,add to cart and then makeyour payment. Parents are asked tobring their child’s lastreport card to registrationto verify grade level.Sessions will run from 9a.m. until 2 p.m.Female campers need towear black leotards, whilemale campers need towear black pants and a

Aldine ISDDance andPerformingArts Camp set

See Art Camp, Page 2

North Houston District/Greenspointannounces: “Exciting Things AreHappening Here” Campaign

of Mexican Coca-Cola ArcaContinental, broke groundat Pinto Business Park, inthe southwest corner of theNorth Houston District.The company will consoli-date its Houston facilitiesand open a

$250 million productionand distribution facility.The 1-million-square-footfacility will be the first newCoca-Cola plant built inthe U.S. in a decade.

Skyline ChangesOne of the most obvious

changes in the area is ofthe “Greenspoint” or newNorth Houston Districtskyline. A giant CityNorthsign now stretches alongone of the buildings thatmake up its north Houstonskyline near Bush Inter-continental Airport.

As part of its many ren-ovations, owner, LincolnProperty Company, updat-ed the facade of its build-ing 2, which overlooks the

north beltway, for a newlook to match its millionsof dollars in improve-ments.

CityNorth consists of sixbuildings with more than2 million SF of office andretail space. Lincoln Prop-erty Company plans to in-vest $100 million onimprovements to attractand retain companies.

North Houston BikePark

And for children andfamilies, another place foradventure is in the works.The North Houston BikePark is located at I-45North at Kuykendahl Rd.,next to the North HoustonSkate Park, and will be aone-of-a-kind park inHouston. Scheduled for asoft opening this summer,the park will draw BMX

See North HoustonDistrict Investment,

page 2

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See Land-TrustProgram, Page 3

Police are searching fora suspect seen in a sur-veillance video, after a ho-micide in Keith-WiessPark.

Houston Police saidthat a body was founddead near a p ick-uptruck. the Harris CountyMedical Examiner identi-fied the victim as Arnal-do Moreno. The incidento c c u r e d o nT u e s d a y ,M a y 1 4 a tabout 7 pm. Amotive for theshooting, anddetails lead-ing up to it,a r e n o tknown at thistime.

Witnessesreported see-i n g a m a nrunning fromt h e s c e n e ,a n d d i s a p -pearing intot h e w o o d salong Aldine-

Westfield at Keith-WiessPark.

The suspect is de-scribed as an Hispanicmale in his early 20s,wearing a light-coloredshirt and tan shorts.

Anyone with informa-tion on the case is askedto call HPD at 713-308-3600, or Crime Stoppersat 713-222-8477.

HPD released this surveillance video ofa man running from the scene of thehomicide in Keith-Wiess Park. He iswanted for questioning.

*No passes on these movies ** No passes accepted for 3D movies. ID Required for R rated movies.*New Releases, no passes accepted for the first two weeks ***Sorry No Passes CLOSED CAPTION

**Policy prohibits admission of ANY child 6 or under to any R-rated movie after 6pm. NO EXCEPTIONS.

PRICES: Early Bird Special - First Show Mon-Fri: $4.75Children & Seniors $5.50 • Matinee $5.50 all shows before 6 pm

General Admission $7.50 • 3D additional $2Major Credit Cards Accepted BOX OFFICE OPENS AT 11:30 A.M.

GREENSPOINT MALL 12300 North Freeway #400 Houston, TX 77060Movie Hotline: 281-873-8888 • Theater 281-874-1141 • www.pccmovies.com

* A DOG’S JOURNEY (PG) -1:00pm, 4:00pm, 7:00pm, 10:00pm* JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 -PARABELLUM (R) 12:25pm, 3:15pm,6:15pm, 9:15pm* JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 -PARABELLUM (R) 12:20pm, 3:20pm,6:20pm, 9:20pm Spanish Dubbed* POKÉMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU(PG) 12:25pm, 4:30pm, 9:30pm* POKÉMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU(PG) 12:30pm, 5:30pmSpanish Dubbed* POKÉMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU3D (PG) 2:00pm, 7:00pm* POKÉMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU3D (PG) 3:00pm, 8:00pmSpanish Dubbed* TOLKIEN (PG-13) - 9:00pmEL CHICANO (R) -12:30pm, 3:30pm, 6:30pm, 9:30pm

FRIDAY–WEDNESDAY 5/17-5/22

MOVIES have Stadium Seating &Closed Caption & Audio Description

THE INTRUDER (PG-13) - 12:00pm,2:30pm, 5:00pm, 7:30pm, 10:00pmUGLYDOLLS (PG) - 12:00pm, 2:15pm,4:30pm, 7:00pm, 9:15pmAVENGERS: ENDGAME (PG-13) - 3hr. 2 mins. 12:00pm, 3:45pm, 7:45pmSpanish DubbedAVENGERS: ENDGAME (PG-13) - 3hr. 2 mins. 12:30pm, 1:00pm, 4:15pm,5:00pm, 8:00pm, 8:45pmTHE CURSE OF LA LLORONA (R) -12:15pm, 2:30pm, 5:00pm, 7:30pm,9:45pmTHE CURSE OF LA LLORONA (R) -12:30pm, 2:45pm, 5:00pm, 7:15pm,9:30pm Spanish DubbedLITTLE (PG-13) - 12:00pm, 2:30pm,5:00pm, 7:30pm, 10:00pmDUMBO (PG) - 12:00pm, 6:00pm* DUMBO 3D (PG) - 3:00pm

Opens THURSDAY, May 23* ALADDIN (PG) 2D - 6:00 3D - 9:00

NORTHEAST NEWSPage 2 TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2019

C O M M U N I T Y / S C H O O L N E W S

CitizenshipWorkshop•SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2019EAST ALDINE DISTRICT5333 Aldine Mail Route.HOUSTON, TX. 77039REGISTRATION STARTS AT9:00AMOUR SERVICES:For Volunteers:- Informational Presentationand Training to CompleteNaturalization Applications.For Citizenship Applicants:- Legal Pre-Screening.- If Eligible, Assistance inCompleting NaturalizationApplications.- One on One Legal Assis-tance, if needed.- Information about Citizen-ship Classes.- DACAALL THE CITIZENSHIPAPPLICANTS MUST BRING ALLOF THE FOLLOWINGDOCUMENTS / INFORMA-TION TO THE WORKSHOP:(You may access this list byvisitingwww.bondingagainstadversity.org)TO REGISTER PLEASE TEXT :281-906-4214FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMA-TION, PLEASE CALL: 281-799-9076.WWW.BONDINGAGAINSTADVERSITY.ORGMARIANAS@BONDINGAGAINSTADVERSITY.ORG

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Approximately 113 Aldi-ne ISD TAFE (Texas Asso-ciation of FutureEducators) seniors signedletters of intent to returnto Aldine to teach oncethey have completed theircollege degrees.

The seniors who are in-terested in a teaching ca-reer signed their letters ofintent during the FutureEducators Signing Cere-mony held in their honoron Tuesday, May 16 at theChild Nutrition Center.

Aldine ISD Superinten-dent Dr. LaTonya M.Goffney encouraged the se-niors to think seriouslyabout becoming teachersbecause of the profoundimpact teachers make inthe lives of others.

“Teaching is a callingand I invite you to acceptthis calling,” Dr. Goffneysaid. “If it wasn’t for teach-ers, I wouldn’t be standing

Signing ceremony held forAldine ISD TAFE seniors

MacArthur High School TAFE (Texas Association of Future Educators)student Olivia Lopez and two of her classmates sign their letters of intentto return to Aldine to teach once they have earned their college degrees.The signing ceremony was part of the Future Educators Signing Ceremony,held Tuesday, May 14 at the Child Nutrition Center.

here today.”Dr. Goffney added

teachers play a vital role insociety.

“Our profession makesall other professions possi-ble,” she said.

Davis High School grad-uate Arrietna Farris, aformer TAFE student, andcurrent TAFE studentPaula Cancino of Mac-Arthur High School deliv-ered special remarks.

“Go to college and enjoyyour four years,” Farrissaid, who was a member ofthe first graduating classat Davis High School.

Cancino said she haswanted to be a teachersince she was a little girland will spend the nextfour years preparing forher future as an educator.

“I knew what my pas-sion was and I’ve alwayswanted to be a teacher,”she said. “The TAFE pro-

gram allowed me to growas a person. This programhas solidified my goals ofwanting to become a teach-er.”

Scott Corrick, director ofstaffing in Human Re-sources, challenged the se-niors to earn their degreesand return to Aldine toteach.

“We hope this is thestart of an exciting jour-ney,” he said. “Stay driven,stay committed and followyour plan. Aldine wantsyou back.”

Franklin Higgins, direc-tor of career and technicaleducation, delivered thewelcome and Brooke Mar-tin, program director ofcareer and technical edu-cation, introduced Farrisand Cancino and an-nounced the 113 TAFE stu-dents who attended theFuture Educators SigningCeremony.

white T-shirt. Campers alsoneed to have a pair ofblack tights (footless orfooted), ballet shoes, HipHop attire, and have theirhair arranged neatly andout of their face. Camperswill not be allowed towear jewelry of any kind.Campers also need tobring a sack lunch andbottled water every day tocamp.The Summer Dance andPerforming Arts Camphave been created tosatisfy the artistic needs ofkids of all ages. Studentsof all dance abilities arewelcome to attend.Participation in the campoffers each student theopportunity to developexisting talents or torealize new, undiscoveredtalents within themselves.

Art Camp,CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

The camp’s goal is tomotivate children toachieve their true poten-tial in dance within apositive and encouragingenvironment.At the camp, students willreceive training in dancewarm-ups, strengthbuilding, flexibility,cardiovascular fitness andbasic injury prevention.Also during Session II,auditions for the AldineDance and PerformingArts Company will beheld. Students will benotified after Session II ifthey have made it to thefinal round of auditions.The Aldine Dance andPerforming Arts Companyconsists of students fromAldine ISD. These studentsreceive many perfor-mance opportunities to

demonstrate their talents.They are invited to performfor numerous events inand out of the city ofHouston. In the past thecompany has traveled toSan Antonio and Dallas toperform, in addition toperforming at district andcommunity events.Additionally, companymembers will compete inat least one major competi-tion per year.Auditions for the AldineDance Company areseparate from the AldineISD Dance and PerformingArts Camp. Attending thesummer camp does notguarantee placement inthe Aldine Dance andPerforming Arts Company.For more information,contact Emma Quiroga at(281) 985-6108.

and mountain bikers ofevery skill level.

It will include a BMXtrack, 25,000 SF of con-crete bike bowls, a perfor-mance pavilion with largeevent lawn, an urbanriding plaza, large andsmall pump tracks, a tottrack, a dirt jumps track,and off-road trails withbreak-out areas for variousskill work.

Also, trail enthusiastswill be able to walk or ridethe trails.

Hotel RenovationsTwo airport hotels will

be keeping up with currentdesign trends as DriftwoodHospitality Managementexpects to spend $100 mil-lion on extensive renova-tions and upgrades to theproperties.

Driftwood HospitalityManagement, a NorthPalm Beach, Fla.-basedhotel management compa-ny, purchased the 480-room Hilton HoustonNorth and 390-room Hous-ton Marriott North in No-vember. All rooms andpublic space will be reno-vated at the Hilton atriumlobby, and the food-and-beverage and arrival areaswill be reimagined. TheHouston Marriott Northwill go through completerenovations as well.

“Driftwood HospitalityManagement has growntremendously in the pastcouple years, and we areeager to expand our foot-print across the state ofTexas,” said David Budde-meyer, president of Drift-wood HospitalityManagement.

The Hyatt RegencyHouston IntercontinentalAirport Hotel is also in-vesting in major changes.

Last year, it trans-formed its rooms with

North HoustonDistrict Investment,CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

modern furnishings anddecor, and this year it’sworking on the exterior.“We are renovating andupdating our hotel en-trances and our tropicalstyle pool area,” says HyattRegency General ManagerTom Jamison. “This in-cludes new tile flooring,new railings, lighting andlandscaping.

Public SafetyImprovements

Keeping the area safe isalso a top priority for theDistrict, and after in-creased efforts to reducecrime, the area hasdropped from 3rd to 19thplace for violent crime.This has continually im-proved from 2014 to 2018.

As of last year, theNorth Houston Districtfunds $200,000 a year forHouston Police Depart-ment’s new North Belt Di-vision at 100 GlenboroughDr., improving police sur-veillance in the area.

About the NorthHouston District

Created in 1991 by theTexas Legislature, theNorth Houston District isa business improvementdistrict that leverages pub-lic and private partner-ships to provide enhancedservices in transportationmobility, public safety,beautification and recre-ational development, mar-keting and strategicplanning and develop-ment. Minutes from BushIAH, the District’s 12-square-mile service areahas 20 million square feetof office, retail and indus-trial properties. The Dis-trict includes 3,800businesses, 61,500 employ-ees and 117,000 residents.For more information, vis-it www.northhouston.org.

(AUSTIN) — Texas fam-ilies and businesses cansave on the purchase ofcertain water- and energy-efficient products duringthe state’s Water-EfficientProducts and ENERGYSTAR® sales tax holidays.Both take place Saturday,May 25, through Monday,May 27.

The Texas Comptroller’soffice estimates shopperswill save about $12.6 mil-lion in state and local salestaxes during the Memori-al Day weekend sales taxholidays.

“Inefficient appliancesand outdated water sys-tems can put a tremendousstrain on our power gridsand water supplies,” TexasComptroller Glenn Hegarsaid. “By taking advantageof these sales tax holidays,Texans can make upgradesthat will help alleviatethose pressures and lowertheir utility bills — whilesaving money on state andlocal sales taxes.”

This is the fourth yearfor the Water-EfficientProducts Sales Tax Holi-day. Products displaying aWaterSense® label or logocan be purchased tax-freefor personal or businessuse. These include shower-heads, bathroom sink fau-cets and accessories,toilets, urinals and land-scape irrigation controls.

Sales Tax Holidaysfor water-efficient andenergy star productsset for May 25-27

The sales tax holidayalso applies to lawn andgarden products that helpconserve water outdoors.Items qualifying for theexemption include soakeror drip-irrigation hoses;moisture controls for asprinkler or irrigation sys-tem; mulch; and plants,trees and grasses. Theseitems can be purchasedtax-free for residential useonly.

There’s no limit to thenumber of water-efficientor water-conserving prod-ucts you can purchase tax-free. For more informationon the Water-EfficientProducts Sales Tax Holi-day, visit the Comptroller’swebsite.

During the ENERGYSTAR Sales Tax Holiday,certain energy-efficientproducts displaying theENERGY STAR logo canbe purchased tax-free, in-cluding air conditionerspriced at $6,000 or less, re-frigerators priced at$2,000 or less, ceiling fans,fluorescent light bulbs,dishwashers, dehumidifi-ers and clothes washingmachines.

Estimated annual ener-gy and water savings foreligible products are listedbelow.

ENERGY STAR® Appliance vs. ConventionalAppliance Type Energy Savings Water SavingsCentral Air Conditioners 8%Room/WindowAir Conditioners 10%Refrigerators 9%Ceiling Fans 40%Compact FluorescentLight Bulbs 70%Clothes Washers 25% 33%Dishwashers 12% 30%Dehumidifiers 30%

Source: U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency.

Page 3TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2019 NORTHEAST NEWS

C O M M U N I T Y N E W S

Ashley Turner, seated, the daughter of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turnerrecently visited Carter Academy to read to first graders and encouragethem to develop a love for reading. She’s pictured here with Carter studentEliana Castillo as the two read aloud to Eliana’s classmates. Ms. Turner,who is also the First Daughter of the City of Houston, read two books tothe students and had a number of them participate by showing off theirreading skills to their classmates. She also answered questions from thestudents.

Aldine ISD Chief of Police Craig Goralski addresses local law enforcementpersonnel during a barbecue lunch held in their honor during NationalPolice Week and Peace Officers’ Memorial Day. Police officers from AldineISD, Klein ISD, Spring ISD, the Harris County Sheriff’s Department and theAldine Fire Department were treated to a BBQ lunch, which was providedby the Aldine ISD PD, the Aldine Noon Optimist Club and Burns BBQ. Inaddition, Solid IT donated a number of gift cards that were given away toofficers via a random drawing. National Police Week and Peace Officers’Memorial Day honor law enforcement officers who have given their livesin the line of duty and celebrates those who “protect and serve.”

Land Trust Program,CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

an opportunity for housingthat will remain affordablein perpetuity,” said Com-missioner Garcia

Commissioners Courtauthorized Harris County

Engineering, the Commu-nity Services Department,and the County Attorneyto establish the land trust,and create policies andprocedures to determine

Aldine ISD Police Departmenthosts BBQ in honor ofNational Police Week

Aldine ISD Capt. Kevin Northey and volunteers served lunch to local lawenforcement officers during a barbecue lunch held in their honor duringNational Police Week and Peace Officers’ Memorial Day. The event wasorganized by the Aldine ISD Police Department and Hinojosa EC/Pre-K/KSchool Principal Denise Meister.

Mayor’s daughter encouragesCarter Academy students todevelop love of reading

Haunted Rooms America plansovernight ghost hunts on theUSS Battleship Texas

USS Battleship Texas

A leading ghost huntingevents company secureshighly sought after his-torical location

HOUSTON, TX, May9th, 2019: Haunted RoomsA m e r i c a(www.hauntedrooms.com),a leading ghost huntingevents company, today an-nounced two new dates forthe exclusive ghost huntingevent at one of most histor-ic locations in the UnitedStates - the USS BattleshipTexas.

Quote, Wesley McDer-mott (Owner of HauntedRooms America): We’rehonored to be the first com-pany to run a ghost huntof this historic ship. Therehas been rumors of haunt-ings for decades, so we’relooking forward to hopeful-ly proving those rumorscorrect!

Moored just outsideHouston at La Porte Texas,the USS Battleship Texaswas commissioned by theU.S. Navy in 1914, becom-ing the most powerfulweapon in the world at thetime. It played an activepart in both World Wars,firing on the Nazi defenseson D-Day, and providinggunfire support and anti-aircraft fire to the landingson Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

The ship was decommis-sioned in 1948 after it waspurchased by the state ofTexas, becoming a memo-rial ship. Today the ship isa National Historic Land-mark, operating as a float-ing museum and is the lastremaining battleship ofher kind!

The Battleship Texas isrumored to be one of themost haunted locations inTexas, but it has never al-lowed an investigation likethis before.

Tickets for this exclu-sive overnight ghost huntare on sale now for twodates - Saturday, June15th, 2019, and SaturdayJuly 13th 2019.

Tickets are $179 perperson and include over-night accommodation andbreakfast, in addition to:

•A hybrid History/Para-normal Tour of the Battle-ship Texas,

•A documentary screen-ing about the ship,

•Access to the mosthaunted areas of thishaunted battleship,

•Psychic Mediums inattendance

•Group Vigils with ex-perienced investigators,

•Lone Vigils,•Overnight Ghost

Hunt,•Use of our paranormal

equipment which includes,trigger objects, EMF Read-ers, spirit boxes and manymore,

•Free time to explorethis location and to under-take your very own privatevigils,

•Unlimited Refresh-ments, Including Coffee,Tea, Hot Chocolate, Bot-tled Water and Soda,

•Selection of high-qual-ity snacks.

Join the HauntedRooms America team forthe first event of its kindaboard this historic ship.

Tickets available viawww.hauntedrooms.com/battleship-texas and avail-ability is limited for thisvery rare event.

About Your Company:Haunted Rooms Americaruns ghost hunts for thepublic at America’s mosthaunted locations.

Operating approximate-ly 100 events per year, theHaunted Rooms Americateam of experienced para-normal investigators andpsychic mediums invitemembers of the public toinvestigate with them atthe most haunted locationsin the country!

Members of the mediawho wish to attend thisevent are invited to emailwes@hauntedrooms.com

how it will work. HarrisCounty would be settingaside one million dollarsfor the program with eachPrecinct receiving$250,000.

NORTHEAST NEWSPage 4 TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2019

O P I N I O N P A G E

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Published each Tuesday by GrafikPress Corp. Any erroneous statement whichmay appear will be corrected when brought to the attention of the publisher.Liability for errors is limited to the reprinting of the corrected version. Sub-missions are encouraged, in person, by mail, by Fax, or by email, tonenewsroom@aol.com

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STATE CAPITALHIGHLIGHTS

By Ed Sterling

✯TEXAS

SENATE NEWSBy Richard Lee

Take Pride in ourCommunity

Keep itClean

SocialSecurityMattersby AMAC Certified SocialSecurityAdvisorRussell GloorAssociationof MatureAmericanCitizens

A controversialcitation program thatcan put drivers in acycle of escalating fineswould be eliminatedunder a bill approvedunanimously by theSenate on Wednesday.The Drivers Responsi-bility Program (DRP)has been unpopularamong lawmakerssince its creation in2003, but because itsupports the statetrauma fund, it's beendifficult to do awaywith. "The TexasLegislature has con-templated replacingthe DRP for more than15 years, but we havebeen hesitant tochange the programbecause it is tied toFund 5111, which isdedicated to supportingTexas trauma care,"said Houston SenatorJoan Huffman. "Thisaccount assists in thetreatment of approxi-mately 130,000 individ-uals each year inmedical facilitiesthroughout Texas."She proposed a mea-sure, HB 2048, whichwould repeal the DRPwhile implementingnew revenue sources tomaintain the hundredsof millions of dollarsthe program sent to thestate trauma fundevery biennium.

Under the DRP,when a person is citedfor a traffic violation,they begin to accruepoints on their license.Each violation adds apoint, and points stayon a driver's record forthree years. If theyaccumulate six points,they must pay the statea $100 annual sur-charge, with each pointabove six addinganother $25. It alsoincludes much steeperfees for DWI convic-tions, as well as $250for driving without alicense or insurance.Failure to pay thesesurcharges can resultin license suspension,trapping drivers in asystem of endlesslycompounding fees andfines. "Because thissuspension exists, anddriving with a suspend-ed license is an eligibleoffense under the DRP,certain drivers findthemselves in a never-ending cycle of charg-es," said Huffman.

In order to cover the$300 million in bienni-al revenue collectedthrough the DRPtoday, the bill wouldturn to three newsources. It wouldincrease the base statetraffic fine by $20, upto $50, and increasesthe fee charged onevery auto insurancepolicy issued in Texasfrom $2 to $4. It would

AUSTIN — Texas law-makers have yet to cast fi-nal votes on the marqueeissues of the 86th regularsession of the Legislature:the state budget, school fi-nance reform and proper-ty tax relief.

Conference committeesnamed by House SpeakerDennis Bonnen and Lt.Gov. Dan Patrick, who pre-sides over the Senate, mustcomplete their work on thestate budget and the othertop issues hastily in orderto meet deadlines and de-liver the finished productsto their respective cham-bers. While little time re-mains for the bodies toaddress other issues, manymeasures can make itthrough both houses ifBonnen and Patrick want.

The largely ceremoniallast day of the session willbe Monday, May 27 — Me-morial Day.

Meanwhile, here is arandom sampling of billspassed by the House andSenate that have eitherbeen signed into law byGov. Greg Abbott or are onhis desk, waiting for him totake action on them:

—HB 302 by Rep. Den-nis Paul, R-Houston, andsponsored by Sen. BryanHughes, R-Mineola:Amends law relating to thecarrying, storage or posses-sion of a firearm or firearmammunition by certainpersons on certain residen-tial or commercial proper-ty.

—HB 547 by Rep. TerryCanales, D-Edinburg, andsponsored by Sen. CharlesPerry, R-Lubbock: Amendslaw by allowing Texans touse as proof of a huntingor fishing license a digitalimage of the license ontheir phone.

—HB 793 by Rep. PhilKing, R-Weatherford, andsponsored by Sen. BrandonCreighton, R-Conroe:Amends the law relating tocertain government con-tracts with companies thatboycott Israel.

—HB 1785 by Reps. Gio-vanni Capriglione, R-Southlake and SarahDavis, R-Houston, andsponsored by Sen. JoanHuffman, R-Houston:

Lawmakers remain on thresholdof passing major legislation

Amends the law relating tothe information requiredto be disclosed in a regis-tration form for lobbyists.

—SB 450 by Sen. Bever-ly Powell, D-Burleson, andsponsored by Rep. WillMetcalf, R-Conroe:Amends the law by chang-ing from Feb. 1 to April 1the annual deadline bywhich the board of direc-tors of a Type A or Type Beconomic development cor-poration is required to sub-mit a certain annual reportto the comptroller of pub-lic accounts.

—SB 726 by Sen. JudithZaffirini, D-Laredo, andsponsored by Rep. StanLambert, R-Abilene:Amends the law by raisingthe cap on the aggregate ofcommunity developmentinvestments to 15 percentof a state bank's unim-paired capital and surplus.

—SB 999 by Sen. Don-na Campbell, R-NewBraunfels, and sponsoredby Rep. John Zerwas, R-Richmond: Amends to thelaw to require the Depart-ment of State Health Ser-vices to create a state planfor education on and treat-ment of Alzheimer's dis-ease and related disorders.

Focus: hurricanedangers

Gov. Abbott on May 7

issued a proclamation toraise awareness about thedangers of hurricanes andthe precautions Texans cantake as hurricane seasonapproaches.

Abbott proclaimed theweek of May 5 to May 11as Hurricane Prepared-ness Week, and in doing socalled Texans to take stepsto protect families, commu-nities, neighborhoods andlocal economies.

Abbott suggested Tex-ans visit https://gov.texas.gov/hurricane tolearn more about the stepsthey can take now to pre-pare for hurricane season,such as:

—Put together an emer-gency supply kit;

—Create a communica-tion plan with your fami-ly; and

—Know where to go.

Bush: Think aboutpets, too

In observance of Nation-al Animal Disaster Pre-paredness Day on May 11,Texas Land CommissionerGeorge P. Bush urged Tex-ans to plan for the wholefamily, including pets,when preparing for severeweather.

“Hurricane Harvey dev-astated communities andleft thousands of pets inneed of rescue,” Bush said.“When severe weather is inthe forecast, make sureyour pets are prepared bycreating an emergencykit.” A kit would includesuch items as:

—Adoption informationpapers;

—Collars and leashes;—Medicine; and—Pictures of you and

your pet together.“Remember, many tem-

porary evacuation sheltersdon’t allow pets, so makesure you have a plan inplace for your whole fami-ly,” Bush added.

Comptroller sendsrevenue

Texas ComptrollerGlenn Hegar on May 8 an-nounced he would send cit-ies, counties, transitsystems and special pur-pose taxing districts$867.7 million in localsales tax allocations for themonth of May.

The amount is 0.7 per-cent more than the month-ly distribution for May2018.

Sales tax allocations arebased on sales made inMarch by businesses thatreport tax monthly, andsales made in January,February and March byquarterly filers.

MEMORIAL DAY 2019

Senate approvesrepeal of “vexing”driver penaltyprogram

also create new finesfor those convicted ofDWIs that are equal tocurrent DRP surcharg-es. Those currentlyowing surcharges orthose with a licensesuspended strictly dueto DRP non-paymentwould have theirlicenses restored andsurcharges forgiven."Everyone will bemoving forward with anew slate," said Huff-man. The proposedrevenue sources wouldactually put moremoney into the statetrauma fund, with theLegislative BudgetBoard estimating abiennial gain of almost$7 million for 2020 and2021.

When the Senateversion of this bill washeard in the FinanceCommittee in April,chair and FlowerMound Senator JaneNelson told Huffmanthat while she support-ed the repeal, anysolution must ade-quately fund traumacare. "If we do anythingto change this, thattrauma funding isgoing to be replaced,"she said then. The billoffered Wednesday wonher approval. "It's whatwe should've done allthose years ago," saidNelson. "I thank youfor fixing this horribledriver responsibilityprogram and putting inplace a trauma fundingsystem that will workstatewide for allTexans."

Nelson was among anumber of Senatorswho rose to thankHuffman for her workon this troublesomeissue. McAllen SenatorJuan "Chuy" Hinojosasaid he opposed theoriginal legislationcreating the DRPduring the 78th Ses-sion. "We've madecriminals out of a lot ofpeople that couldn'tafford it and created adebtors' prison byissuing arrest warrantsfor thousands of peoplein our state," he said."I do support traumacare funding. It'simportant, but at thesame time I don't wantit funded on the backsof poor people whocan't afford to pay thefines…thank you forworking on this bill." Ahandful of technicalamendments wereadded to the bill, so itmust go back to theHouse where Represen-tatives can vote toconcur in Senateamendments or requesta conference committeeto negotiate compro-mise language.

The Senate willreconvene Monday,May 20 at 11 a.m.

Ask Rusty – WhatSocial SecurityBenefit Will MyWife Get If I Die?

Dear Rusty: I am 69 andhave been holding off oncollecting my Social Securitypayment until I’m 70 on theassumption that my wifewould collect my benefit if Idied first. My thought was thatshe would collect the monthlybenefit I will earn at age 70 inthe event of my death. Now aSocial Security employee istelling me she would only beentitled to what my benefitwould have been at age 66(my full retirement age). Thatis about an $800 drop inmonthly benefits from what Ithought it would be. My wife isa year younger than me,much healthier than I am, hasmostly worked part time andshe started collecting her SSat age 62 and gets about$700 a month. So, is theSocial Security employeecorrect? Signed: ConcernedHusband

Dear Concerned: TheSocial Security employee youspoke with might havemisunderstood your question.It sounds like the answer youwere given pertained to thebenefit your wife is entitled toas your spouse while you areliving, which is based uponyour “primary insuranceamount,” or “PIA” (your PIA isthe amount you were due atyour full retirement age, or“FRA”).

When you claim yourincreased benefit at age 70your wife can apply for herspousal benefit, which will bebased on your FRA benefitamount (not the increasedamount you’ll get by waitinguntil age 70 to claim). Shegets that spousal benefit if itis more than she is receivingon her own work record,which from what you’ve toldme it will be. What actuallyhappens is that she willcontinue to get her ownbenefit and she will also get asupplemental amount tomake her total Social Securitybenefit equal to what she isentitled to as your spouse.That amount will be a bit lessthan half of your FRA benefitbecause she took her ownbenefit at age 62 (claimingSocial Security early doesn’tonly affect one’s own benefit,it affects their spousal benefitalso). The spousal benefityour wife gets when you claimat age 70 will continue for aslong as you are living.

But the Social Securitybenefit rules are different foryour wife as your widow andyour survivor. If you prede-cease your wife, her spousalbenefit from your work record,as described above, willdiscontinue and she will beswitched to her survivor’sbenefit. That survivor’sbenefit will be 100% of thebenefit amount you werereceiving at your death,instead of the lower amountshe was receiving as yourspouse when you were living.So, your original assumptionis correct – as your widowyour wife will get 100% of theincreased benefit you werereceiving when you pass. TheSocial Security employee wasincorrect by telling you that, ifyou pass, your wife will onlyget what you were due at yourfull retirement age; insteadshe’ll get the full amount ofyour current Social Securitybenefit (your full age 70benefit, plus any COLAadjustments made after yourclaim).

Page 5TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2019 NORTHEAST NEWS

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HOUSTON (May 16,2019) – In homage to the“Queen of Tejano Music,”The Houston Symphonyunder the direction ofguest conductor AndrésFranco, brings the iconicmusic of Selena to life in away audiences have neverheard it before: backed bya full, world-class sympho-ny orchestra. The Music ofSelena is part of the Bankof America SummerSounds Series at JonesHall, on July 12 & 13 withsensational vocalist IsabelMarie Sánchez.

An acclaimed young re-cording artist, vocalist, andexperienced performer,Sánchez recently gaveshowstopping interpreta-

The music of Selena fills Jones Hall this summer as the HoustonSymphony pays tribute to the queen of Tejano music

tions of Selena’s music atthe annual Fiesta de laFlor festival, a celebrationof the life and legacy ofSelena Quintanilla, in Cor-pus Christi. Formerly acontestant on Telemundo’sLa Voz Kids, Sánchezmakes her Houston Sym-phony debut in The Musicof Selena. She currentlyrecords for Q-ZoneRecords, the label foundedand owned by AbrahamQuintanilla, Selena’s fa-ther.

“I really feel honored toperform her songs,” saidSánchez, “especially withthe Symphony. It’s going tobe beautiful. I just can’twait to hear all the instru-ments bring it to life.”

Sánchez will perform

Selena’s iconic hits like“Dreaming of You,” “ComoLa Flor,” “Bidi Bidi BomBom,” and many more. Au-diences can enjoy drinksand photo ops in the lobbyprior to the performance.

The Houston Symphonyencourages concertgoers todress up in their favoriteSelena inspired outfit.

Created under the aus-pices of the Symphony’sHispanic Leadership

Council_which aims to pro-vide meaningful musicalexperiences to all seg-ments of Houston’s diversecommunity_The Music ofSelena celebrates the time-less and classic songs of“The Queen of Tejano Mu-sic.”

The Music of Selenatakes place at Jones Hallfor the Performing Arts,615 Louisiana Street, inHouston’s Theater District.For tickets and informa-tion, please call713.224.7575 or visithoustonsymphony.org.Tickets may also be pur-chased at the HoustonSymphony Patron Servic-es Center in Jones Hall(Monday–Saturday, 12–6

p.m.). All programs andartists are subject tochange.

About the HoustonSymphony

During the 2018–19 sea-son, the Houston Sympho-ny celebrates its fifthseason with Music Direc-tor Andrés Orozco-Estradaand continues its secondcentury as one of America’sleading orchestras with afull complement of concert,community, education,touring and recording ac-tivities. The Houston Sym-phony, one of the oldestperforming arts organiza-tions in Texas, held its in-

See Houston Symphony,Page 7

Vocalist Isabel Marie Sánchez.

Page 7TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2019 NORTHEAST NEWS

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augural performance atThe Majestic Theater indowntown Houston June21, 1913. Today, with anannual operating budget of$33.9 million, the full-timeensemble of 88 profession-al musicians presentsnearly 170 concerts annu-ally, making it the largestperforming arts organiza-tion in Houston. Addition-ally, musicians of theorchestra and the Sympho-ny’s four Community-Em-bedded Musicians offerover 900 community-basedperformances each year,reaching hundreds of thou-sands of people in GreaterHouston.

The Grammy Award-winning Houston Sympho-

ny has recorded under var-ious prestigious labels, in-cluding Naxos, KochInternational Classics, Te-larc, RCA Red Seal, VirginClassics, and, most recent-ly, Dutch recording labelPENTATONE. In 2017,the Houston Symphonywas awarded an ECHOKlassik award for the liverecording of Alban Berg’sWozzeck under the direc-tion of former Music Direc-tor Hans Graf. Theorchestra earned its firstGrammy nomination andGrammy Award at the60th annual ceremony forthe same recording in theBest Opera Recording cat-egory.

HoustonSymphony,CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Nita Earlene WestbrookNancy M HundtWalter James Bartlett

NORTHEAST NEWSPage 8 TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2019

This is Part 2 of a 3 part series covering the History of East Aldine.

Jayhawks’ Roost and The Great Storm- by EAMD Staff

We mentioned Kansans and newspaper databases. In late 1899, many of theformer began to appear in entries in the latter. Small-town personal notices like theseabound:

“Miss Bessie Poteet left Tuesday for Aldine, Texas.” Miami Republican (Paola,Kansas), November 24, 1899.

“Miss Cora Young arrived in Paola from St. Louis last week and will remain here abrief time, from where she will go to Aldine, Texas.” -- Miami Republican, February16, 1900

“Ferris W. Colby, wife and daughter, left today to make their future home atAldine, Texas.” -- Paola Times, March 8, 1900

“F.W. Colby returned Thursday from Aldine, Texas. He says the Paola people areall contented and happythere.” -- Miami Republi-can, March 23, 1900

“Attorney John C.Carpenter, with hisfamily, will soon move toAldine, Texas, where heproposes to engage inthe fruit business.” --Olathe Tribune, Olathe,Kansas, August 10, 1900.

Colby would say thePaola people were allhappy whether they wereor not -- he was the developer who talked them into moving there. Perhaps unfairly,he was branded a wolf in sheep’s clothing by an Irish-born, Kansas-bred reporter.

Sheridan suspected Colby of concealing his capitalistic motives beneath a thickveneer of Christian moralizing. The Irishman thought it especially rich that Colbyportrayed Paola, Kansas as a Sodom-on-the-Plains, when every right-thinking Kansansimply knew that Texas was a backward doomscape of gun-toting hotheads, fallenwomen, drunken judges, and failing, if even existing schools. (Kansas paperszealously reported every Texas murder, riot, and bar-room brawl as if they werepersonal attacks on every Jayhawk from Kansas City to Colorado.)

With more than a wee dram of sarcasm, Sheridan characterized Colby’s evangeli-cal sales pitch, one he finally arrived at after long sermons blasting Kansas as aninfernal Babylon, in these words:

“Texas is the land where thistles grow figs and the ozone is temperance andvirtue; where all become centurions; where Sam Houston had to kill a Mexican tostart a grave yard; where gallinippers make honey and centipedes give sweet milk;where swamp lands yield grapes and desert plains answer the simoon with ten applecrops a year; where civilization’s refinement relishes a man for every breakfast and

the ranches and the gospel mills resound with the music of the Winchester whilethe short, sharp strains of derringers inspire such as angels as Colby to missionarywork in heathen Kansas!” (Editor’s note: “gallinippers” are large mosquitoes and a“simoon” is a “a hot, dry, dust-laden wind blowing in the desert, especially inArabia.”)

Sheridan went on to mock what he claimed was Colby’s scheme to make Aldinean inland port and his “calling upon Paola people to flee from this Gomorrah erethe brimstone rain of resubmission comes.”

Few heeded Sheridan’s mockery -- he fired off that screed in early 1899, and bythe end of the year, Paola people were heading south to Aldine in droves.

Some of them had cause to regret that migration, if only for one awful night, andone hopes Sheridan was man enough to resist a round of “I told you so’s” inSeptember 1900, when the weakened but still dangerous Great Hurricane rippedthrough Aldine and destroyed much of what the Kansans had built.

One of them, Carrie Canfield, sent a report back home ten days after the storm.“A night of horror,” she called it, with the winds whipping the rains right throughtheir little house. “The house rocked back and forth as a cradle and we expectedevery moment to be whirled into the seething waters. Sleep did not enter manyhomes here that night.” The next day revealed that almost all of their worldlypossessions were ruined -- either soaked by the rains or blown to the ground. Theirhouse survived, as did their horses, even though they had to be dug out of the fallentimbers that had been their barn. But the family survived intact, and Canfield’s lettercloses on a note of optimism, like those of so many residents of the storm-wrackedTexas coast in the years to come. You learn that there is always somebody sufferingworse than you:

“Although we suffered quite a loss, we were thankful to escape with our lives. Itis something terrible to know of the suffering and loss of human life that is allaround us. The loss at Galveston cannot be estimated, as there were so manybodies washed into the gulf that can never be recovered. Houston, too, sufferedsevere damage. It was theworst storm ever along thispart of the coast, and thosewho experienced it willnever forget that terriblestorm.”

(It seems odd to us, giventhat thanks to The Wizard ofOz, Texans associate Kansaswith terrible storms, to seethese Jayhawks fleeingTornado Alley only to run intothat mightiest of storms.)

Canfield’s letter then pivots on a dime. Despite what was then and remains todaythe deadliest natural disaster in American history, life goes on. Their potatoes,turnips, and green beans were all thriving, and roses were still in bloom. Theirneighbors’ crops of strawberries were outstanding, making up for the Storm’sdestruction of that year’s crop of figs. Canfield looked forward to more bountifulyears to come, ones more like 1899 that saw them jarring 40 quarts of the sweet andsticky fruit’s preserves.

And that’s just what happened. The very next year, the Olathe newspaper notedthat John Carpenter, the local attorney who moved to Aldine a few weeks before theStorm with dreams of fig production dancing in his head, mailed back several jarsof preserves to his friends. “John and his father now own several fine pieces of fruitland there and they expect to go into fruit production on a large scale,” the paperwent on to report.

They did. By the following year, he was selling preserves by the jar to railwaydining cars and hotel restaurants, and by 1915 Carpenter had a fig cannery inAldine that employed dozens after harvest. The Hurricane of 1915, blight, andWorld War I’s sugar rationing (you need lots of sugar to preserve them) put an endto large-scale commercial fig-growing in Aldine.

East AldineDistrict

NEWS REPORTHistory of Aldine

ALDINE LAND FOR SALECARPENTER’S FIG CANNERY IN ALDINE