Leader Christmas Drive a Huge Success Through Jan
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MMerryerry CChristmashristmas Celebrating our 40th year of covering the South Belt community Voice of Community-Minded People since 1976 Christmas Edition 2015 Email: [email protected] www.southbeltleader.com Vol. 40, No. 47 Area holiday closings set South Belt-Ellington Leader The Leader will be on a holiday schedule Leader Christmas drive a huge success through Jan. 3, with no Dec. 31 edition. The Leader and South Belt Graphics will close The Leader‘s annual Christmas program was massive load took more than fi ve pickup-truck headed by Precinct 2 Lt. Mike Kritzler and Sgt. surance also donated items to the program. Tuesday, Dec. 22, and be open on Monday, a huge success, providing assistance to roughly loads to deliver the items to the Leader offi ce. Robert Sanchez, who solicited fi nancial dona- A group of residents with the Sagemont Civic Dec. 28, and Tuesday, Dec. 29, from 10 a.m. 70 area families in need. Other participating schools included Moore, tions from local businesses, then used the funds Club, dubbed “Santa’s Helpers,” selfl essly vol- to 4 p.m. Several local organizations, schools, business- Frazier, South Belt and Atkinson elementaries, to buy gifts, focusing primarily on gifts for older unteered hours of their time organizing toys and The Leader will reopen at on Monday, es and residents stepped up to the plate, mak- Melillo Middle School and Beverly Hills Inter- children and teens. Participating businesses in- food. Volunteers included Alvin Dillard, Julius Jan. 4, at 9 a.m. ing this year’s drive the most successful in the mediate. Pasadena Independent School District cluded Scarsdale Eye Care, the Scarsdale Chev- Schindler, Kay Barbour, Gilbert De Leon, Sandy This will be the last issue of 2015, and the event’s history. personnel and members of San Jacinto College’s ron, Tom’s Automotive Repair, State Farm agent Robb and Stacey Waugh. Two others working first edition of the new year will be available Students from Dobie High School donated Business and Technology Division also donated to Thuy Epperson, Vela Tire and Auto, Donut Ha- hard for the project were Sandra Williams of Thursday, Jan. 7. more than 11,000 food items to the drive, marking the drive. ven, the Scarsdale Dairy Queen, the Shell sta- Central Hardware and Jay Do, a Dobie student Items for publication may be sent to the largest donation in the program’s 33-year his- Harris County Precinct 2 Constable Chris Di- tions at 10330 Blackhawk and 10999 Scarsdale who volunteered for the National Honor Society. [email protected]. tory. School offi cials held a contest as an incentive az’s offi ce was, once again, responsible for the and the Scarsdale Kwik Kar Lube. Multiple members of the Clear Brook City Area Libraries to encourage students to donate to the drive. The largest donation of toys. The effort was spear- American Legion Post 490, Veterans of Foreign Municipal Utility District also volunteered their In observance of the holiday, the Parker Wars Post 5619, Cub Scout Pack 692 and J&B In- time to help spread holiday cheer. Williams Branch Library will close at 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 24, and will remain closed until Monday, Dec. 28. Diaz donates holiday gifts JFD student inspires hospital program The Parker Williams Branch Library will A new program at Memorial Hermann South- There are 22 different beads marking accom- also be closed Friday, Jan. 1, and Saturday, east Hospital will allow parents in the Neonatal plishments ranging from taking their fi rst bath to Jan. 2. Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to mark their baby’s the red heart handed out to a baby when they are The Bracewell Neighborhood Library will milestones in a lasting and meaningful way. discharged from the NICU. be closed Thursday, Dec. 24, through The Babies Excelling and Developing Sweet is a member of Girl Scout Troop 8015 Saturday, Dec. 26, and for the Christmas (BEAD) program is the brain child of Dobie and completed the program as part of her Girl holiday. High School senior Sydney Sweet. Scout Gold Award. Sweet has a personal con- The library will reopen Tuesday, Dec. 29. Families choosing to participate in the free nection to the project having started her life as a The Bracewell Neighborhood Library will program are given a bead to welcome them to NICU graduate. also be closed Friday, Jan. 1, for New Year’s the NICU. As babies encounter challenges or “There were no programs like this when I was Day. The library will reopen Saturday, Jan. celebrate milestones a corresponding bead can a baby,” Sweet said. “This will give families a 2. be added to their string. quick reference diary of their baby’s experiences Clear Brook City MUD “I think this program will offer a lot of encour- and accomplishments that chronicles their fi rst The offices of Clear Brook City MUD will agement to parents,” said Julie McCarthy, child journey in life.” be closed Thursday, Dec. 24, and Friday, life specialist, Memorial Hermann Southeast. “A Sweet worked with her church, New Life Lu- Dec. 25, in celebration of the Christmas holi- baby’s journey through the NICU can often be theran Church in Pearland, to provide the NICU day. a roller coaster. The beads will serve fi rst as a at Memorial Hermann Southeast with enough They will reopen on Monday, Dec. 28, at reminder to parents of the challenges their baby supplies for the year. 8 a.m. faced and the obstacles they overcame and also Memorial Hermann Southeast has a Level III The offices will also be closed Friday, Jan. as a wonderful keepsake to refl ect back on their NICU. A Level III NICU is capable of caring for 1, 2016, in observance of New Year’s Day, child’s earliest days.” the smallest and sickest of newborn babies. and will reopen Monday, Jan. 4, at 8 a.m. Residents will have regular trash service on Thursday, Dec. 24, and Thursday, Dec. 31. To avoid late fees, payments may be left Schwerdtfeger Christmas lights dazzle in the drop box located on the drive-through side of the building. Lady Longhorns host bingo Harris County Precinct 2 Constable Chris Diaz (second from left) once again donated toys to the Leader’s annual Christmas drive. Shown above with the constable are, left to right, The Dobie Lady Longhorns Booster Club Precinct 2 Chief Clerk Kim Bellotte, program recipient Monika Jones and her son Anthony will hold a bingo fundraiser Friday, Jan. 22. (who serves as a drum major for the Dobie band), Precinct 2 Assistant Chief Clerk Mary Doors open at 5 p.m. Bingo games will run Ann Carrion and Precinct 2 Lt. Mike Kritzler. Photo by Marie Flickinger from 6 to 10 p.m. Tickets can be purchased through a Dobie soccer player or a booster club member. The event serves as one of the pri- mary fundraisers to help cover costs associated Ellington receives $3 million grant with the Dobie soccer program throughout the school year. For more information, direct The Houston Airport System received noti- repair the current tower and, while emergency email to [email protected]. fi cation that it has been awarded a $3.1 million repairs were made, the existing tower still is vul- state grant to assist in building a new air traffi c nerable and cannot likely sustain the impact of control tower at Ellington Airport. future storm force winds. Local library events set The Defense Economic Adjustment Assis- Without an operating control tower, the con- Parker Williams Branch tance Grant will help cover the cost of design- tinuation of all Ellington Joint Reserve Base The following events are scheduled for the ing and constructing the new tower, including a military and aviation missions, and all other Parker Williams Library, 10851 Scarsdale utility building, utility yard and parking area and general aviation activities, will be in question. Blvd. the purchase and installation of navigational and The Ellington JRB is utilized by the Texas Air Computer classes will begin again in Janu- communication equipment necessary for effec- National Guard, Texas Army National Guard and ary. Classes offered will be: Computer Basics tive operation. the Coast Guard as aviation operational centers on Jan. 6, Internet Basics on Jan. 13, Files & The grant will help cover $2 million of the con- and hubs of distribution supporting federal and Folders on Jan. 20, and Email Basics on Jan. struction cost; more than $1 million will help cover state civil authorities. 27. All classes will start at 2:30 p.m. and end the cost of equipping the facility. The fi nal estimat- The newly constructed tower will enable the Clear Brook Meadows residents Damon and Jennifer Schwerdtfeger, along with their chil- by 4 p.m. Registration is required. ed cost of the project is more than $7 million. JRB to provide air traffi c services and ensure dren Hailey, Dylan and Kyan, went above and beyond this year to decorate their home in Wednesdays – Preschool Story Time, The current tower at Ellington was built in timely and safe establishment of aviation opera- the 10400 block of Claybrook Drive for Christmas. The residence has drawn several visitors 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. the mid-1950s and sustained structural damage tional centers by the military services, as well as who have come to view the elaborate display, which took roughly seven weeks to set up. Thursdays – Toddler Story Time, 10:30 a.m in 2008 during Hurricane Ike. City of Houston support the continuation of all aviation missions, Photo submitted Saturdays – Vietnamese Storytime.