Voice of Community-Minded People since 1976 Aug. 6, 2009 E-mail: [email protected] www.southbeltleader.com Vol. 34, No.27 Win Schlitterbahn tickets The Leader will award tickets to Schlitterbahn in Galveston to the best vaca- Bank robbery suspect remains at large tion photos submitted. See related photos and story on page 6A. By James Bolen cut through the backyard of a Sagehollow home the offi cer. Fearing for his life, McGee fi red at School but did not graduate from the school. He The FBI is still on the hunt for Matheos (aka that backs up to the bank. least once at the suspect, who then fl ed into the has an extensive criminal record, including con- Dobie band registrations set Metheos, Matt) Pitikas. In addition to the FBI, more than 20 vehicles area’s storm drainage system. victions for criminal trespassing, DWI, multiple The Dobie band will hold mandatory stu- Pitikas, 24, is wanted in connection with the from the Houston Police Department, the Har- It is unclear if Pitikas was struck by a bullet. drug possession charges and evading arrest. dent registration nights. The first registration July 25 robbery of the Chase Bank in the 11200 ris County Precinct 2 Constable’s offi ce and the Both a K-9 unit and a helicopter combed the The Leader has received reports that Pitikas will be for returning members only on Friday, block of Beltway 8 near 45. While Pitikas has Harris County Sheriff’s Offi ce responded to the area searching for the suspect, but he remains at was spotted in the Sagemont Park subdivision in Aug. 7, at 6 p.m. in the band hall. A parent or yet to be arrested, he has been charged with ag- incident. large. the days following the robbery. This, however, guardian must attend and sign forms for the gravated robbery with a deadly weapon. His bail HPD Offi cer S. McGee, the fi rst to arrive at McGee was placed on three days leave. As is has not been confi rmed. student to receive a uniform. All band related has been set at $30,000. the scene, spotted a suspect, believed to be Piti- customary in offi cer-involved shootings in the Contrary to other news reports, the FBI de- items can be purchased, and fees are to be paid According to police, Pitikas arrived at the kas, sitting under the Sageglen bridge less than city limits, this case is being investigated by the scribes Pitikas as being white, not Hispanic. The at this time. The second registration, for new bank around 1:30 p.m. without a vehicle. He ap- four blocks away from the bank. HPD Homicide and Internal Affairs Divisions FBI has not released Pitikas’ photograph. members (including freshmen), will be held proached two tellers, brandished a handgun and McGee told the suspect repeatedly to show his and the Harris County District Attorney’s Of- Anyone with any information on his where- Friday, Aug. 14, at 6 p.m. in the band hall. demanded money. Pitikas then fl ed on foot with hands. The suspect, however, pulled out what is fi ce. abouts is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 713- an undisclosed amount of cash and reportedly believed to have been a pistol and pointed it at Records show that Pitikas attended Dobie High 222-TIPS. Meador preregistration set Meador Elementary will hold early regis- tration from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Aug. 11, South Belt Elementary readies for 1st day of school for pre-kindergarten students only. On Aug. By Matt Griesmyer The walk to the principal’s offi ce still seems something, they have that availability. They boards and a computer lab, enabling students to 12 and 13, preregistration will be for new stu- At just under 100,000 square feet, with 40 like an eternity. have closed doors on the entrances to the pods, learn with modern technologies. With facilities dents in kindergarten through fourth grade. teachers, 13 paraprofessionals, 12 service staff “We are opening with fi ve teachers per grade, so when they are closed they are able to oper- for around 750 students, each student will take For those who wish to register for the pre- and a principal and assistant principal, South with the exception of kindergarten, which will ate in an isolated fashion. Each pod is the same, a weekly course to introduce him or her to the kindergarten program, the child must be pres- Belt Elementary School, a part of the Pasadena have six,” Howard said. “We are also starting there’s always a common area, seven class- technology that will be available. ent with parent/guardian to register, and stu- Independent School District, is having the fi nal with bilingual kindergarten for this fi rst year, rooms, storage area, sinks, teacher workroom, Registration for the 2009-2010 school year dents must qualify for the program as bilin- touches placed on the building in preparation and every year after we will add another bilin- and boys’ and girls’ bathrooms.” will be Aug. 12-13, with classes beginning Aug. gual, ESL or low income. Bring the following for the fi rst day of class. gual grade.” Howard further explained that the pod ar- 25. The school will hold a meet-the-teacher items to register: original birth certificate; The school, located at 1801 Riverstone Ranch The school features classrooms for pre-K rangement of the school will aid in keeping a night Thursday, Aug. 20, with kindergarten original Social Security card; immunization Drive, is the 35th elementary school in the dis- through fourth grades and individual pods for safe environment on the campus. through second grades meeting from 6 to 6:45 records showing the required shots are up-to- trict and will serve students from Frazier and each grade level. To begin with, the school will All classrooms are equipped with document p.m. and third and fourth grades meeting from date; two proofs of residency: must be a cur- Moore elementary schools. not offer pre-K classes but does have rooms for cameras, wireless internet, interactive white- 7 to 7:45 p.m. rent apartment lease or a mortgage agreement Principal Candy Howard has been a principal such programs in the future. on a house, and a current utility bill; and the last for 10 years, most recently at Jensen Elemen- “The big room that is in the middle of the report card for grades first through fourth. tary, and has already moved into her offi ce as grade pod is the common room,” Howard said. Health fair at Easthaven head of South Belt Elementary. “If they want to get all the kids together to do Daigle receives Purple Hearts Easthaven Baptist Church Nurse and Wo- men’s Ministry will sponsor a community- PISD, CCISD get FEMA money wide health fair on Aug. 8 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Easthaven Baptist Church, 11300 Ten months after Hurricane Ike, the Pasadena eral fund account to reimburse the district for Beamer Road. Independent School District will receive public expenses incurred to dry out and dehumidify Health care providers from the South Belt assistance grants from the Federal Emergency the schools in the weeks following Ike’s land- community, Pearland and the Houston area Management Agency for emergency protective fall. The money will then be distributed to Dobie will be present with valuable information for measures taken to prevent the growth of danger- High School, which will receive $1 million, and preventive and early detection screenings ous mold, while in the Clear Creek Independent Pasadena High School, which will receive nearly which address various health issues. A crime School District, repairs are almost complete due $1.4 million. prevention specialist from the Harris County to FEMA money. Because the work was for protective mea- Sheriff’s Department will also be in atten- J. Frank Dobie and Pasadena high schools suf- sures, the FEMA grants cover 100 percent of the dance. For more information, call the church fered serious water intrusion as a result of roof costs. office at 281-922-5520. damage and wind-driven rain during Ike. “The Pasadena school district took immediate The FEMA grants will go into PISD’s gen- steps to prevent mold growth and thus safeguard Sagemeadow meets Aug. 13 its students after the hurricane,” said Brad Harris, federal coordinating offi cer. “These grants dem- The Sagemeadow Maintenance Committee Police seek 2 - 3 onstrate FEMA’s strong support for the district’s will meet Thursday, Aug. 13, from 7 to 9 p.m. efforts.” at the Sagemeadow Utility District Building Once FEMA reimburses the state of Texas, it on Hall Road and Blackhawk. For more infor- robbery suspects is the state’s responsibility to manage the funds, mation, visit www.sagemeadow.org, e-mail which includes making disbursements to lo- [email protected] or call 281-485-3548. Houston police are investigating a robbery that took place Monday, Aug. 3, near Almeda cal jurisdictions and organizations that incurred Mall. costs. St. Luke’s children register The victim, a 71-year-old man who had just The obligated funds are a portion of more than St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church, is undergone heart-transplant surgery, was leav- $1.2 billion in total public assistance disaster providing registration for the upcoming Faith ing the Plus4 Credit Union in the 9900 block of funds sent to the state since September 2008. In Formation year 2009-10, on Aug. 11 and Aug. Almeda Genoa when a male suspect asked him all, federal assistance to Texas for the Hurricane Former South Belt resident James Daigle was recently awarded two Purple Hearts and a 12 in English, and Aug.