Students starting the new school year will soon begin receiving grades on their various assignments. At the same time, parents and other community members are able to see if their local schools and campuses are making the grade in a fresh update to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) rating system of all public school districts. [...]
In spring 2021, Houston Police Department Chief Troy Finner promoted Commander Yasar Bashir to be one of his eight assistant chiefs. Bashir oversees patrol operations in southwest and northwest Houston, including the International District, and the department’s citywide mental health unit. He is the first Muslim to ascend to the rank of HPD assistant chief. We [...]
Plant It Forward Farms has long been known for selling weekly boxes of fresh and flavorful local produce farmed by refugees through its Farm Share program. Now you can add more color and sweet smells to your “farm share" in the form of bright and beautiful bouquets of flowers grown and picked at a local [...]
Alief playground and south facade The long-awaited Alief Neighborhood Center is nearing completion, as a team of design professionals, construction workers and City of Houston staff work to finalize the one-of-a-kind project at Alief Community Park. The new public facility at 11903 Bellaire Blvd. will include three soccer fields, tennis courts, football fields, [...]
Two hours before closing time, the pork and salted egg yolk sausages that Katy Truong and Steve Ong make on site were sold out for the day. Customer demand for the unusual product was validation that the young married couple’s ambitious business plan is working. Not yet 30 years old, they launched their Houston Sausage [...]
Thuy Nguyen behind shielded counter A steady stream of customers flowed through the Duc Huong storefront one recent day between lunch and dinner time, picking out traditional Vietnamese prepared meat products and other take-home delicacies made in-house. But compared to what happens in the two weeks before the Asian Lunar New Year, the [...]
Artist Matt Manalo has made his mark on the Alief community – literally – through his passion for art and inclusion. In 2019, he bought a shipping container and set it up at the corner of Alief SPARK Park and Nature Center, next to the Alief Community Garden, at Beechnut and Dairy View Lane. He [...]
When some Asian food businesses along Chinatown’s Bellaire Boulevard bloom into popular crowd-pleasers, they open a second or third store near downtown Houston, mainly to appeal to new customers. Examples include Mala Sichuan Bistro and Kamalan Bakery & Cafe, which have expanded to locations on Westheimer Road in the urban Montrose neighborhood. Sherry Ngo did the opposite. Four [...]
Meet Kendrick Deon Thomas, assistant principal at Hicks Elementary School in the Alief Independent School District. The native of Shreveport, La., is on a mission to motivate and empower boys and young men of color to succeed despite obstacles they face in their daily lives. Thomas, 41, explained his journey with the International Management District. [...]
What’s for lunch? How about Beef Bourguignon — slow-roasted beef tenderloin in a demi-glace served with whipped potatoes, sautéed button mushrooms and warm baked bread, accompanied by freshly whipped butter? And for dessert, what about a simple “tarte au citron meringuée” (lemon tart with Swiss meringue)? Is your mouth watering yet? This was the recent lunch special [...]
