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FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 2021 • HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM • VOL. 120, NO. 171 • $2.00 HH

NCAA TOURNAMENT Michigan

FINAL FOUR • 2. HOUSTON (28-3) VS. 1. BAYLOR (26-2) • 4:14 p.m. SATURDAY AT INDIANAPOLIS • TV: CBS
seeing an
TO THE NEXT LEVEL ‘alarming’
case spike
Surge dimming hopes for
a quick end to pandemic
By Julie Bosman
NEW YOR K T I M E S

DETROIT — In a rural stretch of Mich-

igan along the shore of Lake Huron, co-
ronavirus outbreaks are ripping
through churches, schools and restau-
rants. For more than a week, ambulanc-
es have taken several hourlong trips
each day to rush severely ill coronavi-
rus patients to hospitals in Detroit, Sagi-
naw or Port Huron, where beds in in-
tensive care units await.
Even as the pandemic appears to be
waning in some parts of the United
States, Michigan is in the throes of a co-
ronavirus outbreak that’s one of the
largest and most alarming in the coun-
try. Infection levels have exploded in re-
cent weeks, in big cities and rural
stretches alike.
Ann Hepfer, a health officer for two
Surge continues on A12

Little input
on final draft
Karen Warren / Staff photographer of Senate’s
voting bill
Cougars guard DeJon Jarreau (3) gets a hug from Justin Gorham (4) after a win over Memphis last month.

After joining UH in 2014, Sampson rebuilt program ‘brick by brick’
By Joseph Duarte
STAFF WRIT E R
INDIANAPOLIS — In the
beginning, Kelvin Sampson,
armed with a bullhorn and a
small spirit band, would
walk around the University
of Houston campus to drum
up support for the men’s
basketball program.
Those three or four times
each month were called
“campus blitzes.” The mis-
sion: fill seats at Hofheinz
Pavilion.
Seven years later, Samp-
son no longer needs to go
door to door in search of
fans. In the school’s deepest
NCAA Tournament run in
nearly four decades, UH will
play Baylor in the national
semifinals on Saturday. Two
more wins will deliver UH its
first national championship,
a remarkable culmination of
a rebuild for a once storied
basketball program that
went to consecutive nation-
al title games with Hakeem
Olajuwon in 1983 and 1984
but had fallen on hard times
and become nationally irrel-
evant.
It is a long way from what
Yi-Chin Lee / Staff photographer Sampson saw in his first
Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson, center, fist- years at UH.
bumps his players before a home game in January. “In any good environ-
ment, it needs to have a
large student presence, and
Inside that just was not the case,”
» Before Phi Slama Jama, the Cougars had the ‘Big E’ and said Lauren Sampson, UH
the ‘Game of the Century.’ Page C1 Cougars continues on A12
By Jeremy Wallace
AUSTI N B UR E AU
In the dead of night, while most Tex-
ans were asleep, the state Senate voted
to approve a massive election bill that
virtually no one had a chance to read in
full after a flurry of amendments just
prior to the vote.
Even though the bill affects more
than 16 million voters in the state, law-
makers adjourned at 1:39 a.m. Thurs-
day, then reconvened one minute later
at 1:40 a.m. and declared it a new leg-
islative day, in order to comply with
public notice rules without slowing
down its passage.
“We just concluded Tuesday,” Lt.
Gov. Dan Patrick announced at 1:39
a.m. on Thursday (the legislative calen-
dar almost always conflicts with reali-
Senate continues on A14
» Voting bill full of new restrictions.
Page A14

Teachers in training learn remotely

then stream into local classrooms
By Shelby Webb
STA F F WRIT E R
Third-graders at Tomball ISD’s
Grand Oaks Elementary School
balked when student teacher
Grace Neal first joined their class.
They thought she might be a ro-
bot.
That smiling face on the laptop,
who would wave and say hello to
any student who passed by, is a
real person, teacher Sara Dvorak
told the kids. She just is not phys-
ically in the room with them.
Neal joins the class from her
College Station apartment and
streams into the classroom about
twice a week.
“Now I’ll ask, ‘Can you bring
Ms. Neal to me please?’ ” Dvorak
said, and a student will walk the
laptop streaming Neal’s face over
to her desk. “They love working
with her, and she’s already built
some relationships with them,
which is so important.”
Neal is one of about 120 Texas
A&M students doing some of their
student-teaching hours in Tomball
ISD remotely because of the coro-
navirus pandemic. While much
has been written about K-12 teach-
ers overhauling how they deliver
instruction to both in-person and
remote students this school year,
colleges across Texas and the Melissa Phillip / Staff photographer
country also have had to reinvent Third-graders Kelli Blair, 9, left, Jennifer Rosa, 8, and Niam
Teachers continues on A15 Patel, 8, talk virtually with Texas A&M senior Grace Neal.

Index
Business .........B1 Directory .......A2 Lottery ...........A2 Sports..............C1
Comics .........D21 Editorials.....A16 Markets .........B3 TV ..................D19
Crossword ..D18 Horoscope D20 Obituaries.....B7 Weather........B8

D
A2 | Friday, April 2, 2021 | HoustonChronicle.com | Houston Chronicle
CITY | STATE
DAILY DIGITAL
BUSINESS
‘SHE-CESSION’
Women were hit harder
during the pandemic-
driven downturn and face
challenges returning to the
workforce as the economy
recovers.
houstonchronicle.com/
shecession
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A: Go to HoustonChronicle.com/activate and follow the instructions to
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HARRIS COUNTY
Mom charged
in cocaine, meth
death of son, 6
A 25-year-old woman is
accused of killing her
6-year-old son with a toxic
mix of methamphetamine
and cocaine for insurance
money, according to Har-
ris County court records.
Ashley Marks was
charged Thursday in Har-
ris County court with
capital murder in the June
27 death of Jason Sanchez-
Marks, according to court
records.
The Harris County In-
stitute of Forensic Sciences
determined the cause of
death was the toxic effects
of chlorpheniramine,
dextromethorphan and
diphenhydramine with
methamphetamine.
AUSTIN
Crews save man
dangling from
skyscraper
Austin rescue crews on
Thursday saved a man
who was left stranded and
dangling from a rope on
the side of a downtown
Austin skyscraper, Austin-
Travis County EMS offi-
cials said.
EMS officials tweeted at
3:34 p.m. that a man was
on the side of the Ashton
Austin, a residential high
rise in downtown Austin.
Around 4:06 p.m., EMS
officials tweeted that the
man was saved by rescue
crews who pulled him in
from a nearby balcony,
adding that the man was
not injured and refused
being taken to a hospital.
BEASLEY
Child sex assault
suspect jailed,
in ICE custody
A man is in the custody
of the U.S. Immigration
and Customs Enforcement
after police say he sexually
assaulted a child under the
age of 11 for three years.
Ivan Lopez-Lopez, 45,
from Beasley, was arrested
by the Fort Bend County
Sheriff’s Office and
charged with aggravated
assault of a child.
According to Lopez-
Lopez’s warrant, the in-
vestigation began after the
victim confided in a friend
that Lopez-Lopez was
regularly assaulting her
and had been for years.
The victim’s friend then
told the victim’s mother
about the abuse.
On March 25, the victim
was taken to the Children’s
Advocacy Center of Fort
Bend for a forensic in-
terview. Lopez-Lopez was
arrested the following day.
Lopez-Lopez is being
held at the Fort Bend
County jail under the
custody of ICE.
LOTTERY RESULTS
POWERBALL
Powerball: 3/31 3-10-44-55-68
Powerball: 24 Powerplay: 2
Estimated jackpot: $20 million
Winning tickets: None
MEGA MILLIONS
MEGA: 3/30 11-37-47-53-56
Mega Ball: 15 Megaplier: 3
Estimated jackpot $152 million
Winning tickets: None
TEXAS GAMES
Lotto: 3/31 1-13-20-25-32-49
Estimated jackpot: $8.25 million
Winning tickets: None
Two Step: 4/1 10-14-28-34, 19
Chainsaw artist’s projects
create a buzz in Bay Area
Chainsaw artist James Phillips’ sculpture of a boy fishing stands beside a pond at Taylor Lake
Village Community Park. Another sculpture in the park depicts a NASA rocket.
Former industrial equipment salesman found a second career
with a pelican he ‘doodled’ on a tree stump in his front yard
Given a chainsaw and a tree,
most people would get to work
cutting down timber.
When James Phillips found
himself in the same situation
some years back, he was plan-
ning on doing just that. But he
paused and then set about start-
ing a new career.
“Fifteen years ago, I was cut-
ting a tree down in my front yard
and I was looking at these stumps
and thought it was interesting
stuff,” said the longtime Clear
Lake City resident. “I doodled on
it with a chainsaw and made a
pelican out of it. Then family and
friends would look at it and say,
‘Wow! Can you do that again?’
and I got obsessed and started
making stuff with all of my free
time.”
Carving that pelican was not
Phillips’ first foray into art.
“When I was a child, my moth-
er taught me how to draw, and I
could draw pretty well,” said
Phillips, 63. “In high school, I
fancied myself as an artist. Then I
didn’t make any art for 30-some-
odd years. I was a salesman. I
sold industrial equipment
around Houston.”
Phillips said he has sculpted
hundreds of pieces with his
chainsaws.
“But I’ve never counted
them,” he said.
He is putting the finishing
touches on his most recent work,
which can be found next to the
jogging trail in the Taylor Lake
Village Community Park where a
tree had fallen over but the root
ball was still embedded in the
ground.
The tree was cut back, but a
section about 8 feet long was left
behind for Phillips to get to work.
“I’m cutting it to make it look
Cash 5: 4/1 3-15-22-25-35
Pick 3 morn.: 7-4-6, Fireball: 9
Pick 3 day: 2-0-4, Fireball: 3
Pick 3 even.: 8-4-9, Fireball: 7
Pick 3 night: 1-5-7, Fireball: 0
Daily 4 morn.: 5-8-3-4, Fireball: 2
Daily 4 day: 7-2-1-9, Fireball: 1
Daily 4 even.: 1-1-5-5, Fireball: 8
Daily 4 night: 4-2-1-3, Fireball: 7
ALL OR NOTHING
Morn.: 2-4-5-6-8-11-
12-13-18-19-22-24
Day: 1-4-5-6-7-8-
9-15-17-18-20-24
Even.: 2-3-4-5-7-10-
11-12-13-17-18-24
Night: 2-3-5-6-7-8-
11-12-13-16-20-21
HH
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CITY|STATE SPORTS
POLITICS GETTING
PODCAST READY
Democrats warned Some things to know
Republicans in Texas that about the University of
the majority party is Houston before its Final
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AROUND THE REGION THE WOODLANDS
Speeding stop
reveals drugs,
two loaded guns
A Houston man is in
custody after Montgom-
ery County deputies
found him in possession
of several pounds of mari-
juana and loaded firearms
after a Saturday traffic
stop in The Woodlands.
Lorenzo Adrian Pala-
cios, 22, is charged with
delivery of a controlled
substance, possession of
marijuana and carrying
an unlicensed weapon,
jail records show.
Palacios was stopped
for speeding by a sheriff’s
deputy at a Dairy Queen
on Buckthorne Place. The
deputy smelled marijua-
na emanating from the
vehicle, according to the
sheriff’s office.
When the deputy tried
to detain Palacios, he fled
on foot. The deputy
caught up with and de-
tained Palacios. A search
of the vehicle found ap-
proximately 10 pounds of
John DeLapp / Correspondent
marijuana and a large
quantity of THC wax
along with two loaded
handguns, according to
the sheriff’s office.
He is also charged with
a Harris County parole
violation, jail and court
By John DeLapp said. “They like to climb on this records show.
C O R R E SP O N D EN T and they could get down, but
Palacios was being held
they kind of had to slide. It’s cool on a combined $66,000
like a tree,” the artist said. “But now that they have something
bond at the Montgomery
there will be two kids climbing that is easier to climb up.” County Jail, according to
on it.” Her husband, A.J., said the
jail records.
During a break in the action, sculpture will add much to the
the Liufau family paused to look park. LEANDER
at the work in progress. Phillips “It’s absolutely beautiful,” he
took some time to explain how said. “It’s another aspect of the Son charged in
he creates the piece and then park that will make people love it dispatcher’s
took out a can of spray paint to even more.” stabbing death
show where different features Phillips has two other sculp-
will be. tures in the park, one is of a boy The 53-year-old Lean-
“Right here there’s going to be fishing, the other is of a NASA der woman who police
say was killed by her son
a hollow and a bird will be here,” rocket.
on Wednesday worked
he said. “Then there’s going to be His tree sculptures are scat-
an animal coming out of this tered across the state. Several for the Police Department
hole. What kind of animal do you dozen photos of them can be as a dispatcher, officials
think it should be?” found on his InshoreSculpture- said Thursday.
He encouraged the Liufau kids .com website. Smaller pieces can Rowena Speight was
— Isaac, Owen and Noah — to be found at the Rene Wiley Gal- stabbed to death in her
climb up the tree and showed lery in Galveston. home, police said. Her
how the carving makes it easier son, 19-year-old Miles
to get to the top and also to de- DeLapp is a freelance writer. He Speight, has been
scend. can be contacted at charged with murder, a
“It’s so legit.” mom Aubrey texdelapp@gmail.com. first-degree felony pun-
ishable by up to 99 years
in prison.
“We are deeply sad-
dened to announce the
tragic loss of one of our
own, Telecommunica-
tions Officer Rowena
Speight,” Leander police
said Thursday in a Face-
book post. Speight served
as a dispatcher since 2016,
the post said.
“Rowena will be sin-
cerely missed, because
her smile was infectious
and her company always
welcome,” the post
said.The Leander Law
Enforcement Association
has established a memori-
al fund in her memory at
Bay Area resident James Phillips uses spray paint to sketch out bit.ly/2PuCeQm.
the areas he will cut away with a chainsaw in his latest sculpture. From staff and wire reports
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 CITY | STATE
HOUSTON CHRONICLE • FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 2021 • PAGE A3 HH

No change in school start date for HISD

Panel defeats plan that also would allow
changes involving vocational teachers
By Jacob Carpenter
STA F F WRIT E R
Houston Independent School
District’s school year will continue
to start in late August after a dis-
trict committee resoundingly re-
jected a proposal that included the
option to begin classes earlier in
the month.
Members of HISD’s District Ad-
visory Committee voted 21-10 last
week to shoot down a new District
of Innovation plan, which would
have allowed HISD to opt out of
state laws related to school start
dates, the hiring of noncertified
vocational teachers and minimum
requirements for in-class partici-
pation. The group is composed of
HISD staff members, parents and
community leaders, about half of
whom are appointed by school
board trustees.
HISD Interim Superintendent
Grenita Lathan had pushed for
adopting the plan despite calls to
focus on the COVID-19 pandemic
and resistance among leaders of
the Houston Federation of Teach-
ers, the district’s largest employee
union.
HISD administrators argued
that the plan would give them
more flexibility to move up the first
day of school, balancing out the
number of days in each semester.
HISD’s first semester typically lasts
nearly 80 days, while its second se-
mester approaches 100 days.
District leaders also said the cal-
endar change would provide stu-
dents more time with teachers be-
fore spring standardized tests,
such as the State of Texas Assess-
ments of Academic Readiness and
Advanced Placement exams.
In addition, HISD administra-
tors said the certification exemp-
tions would help in the hiring of
hard-to-staff vocational teaching
positions, while the participation
waiver would give students more
options to attend unique programs
outside the classroom.
The proposal faced strong op-
position from some employee
groups, who argued that it set a
bad precedent that could lead to
future changes they opposed. Oth-
er critics said HISD administrators
failed to provide enough informa-
tion about the plan, including why
the changes were necessary.
Maria Fernandez, a District Ad-
visory Committee member ap-
Schools continues on A8

Galveston ISD board accused of Jewish

violating Texas Open Meetings Act group
sues city
over deed
restraints
By Jasper Scherer
STA F F W R I T E R

An Orthodox Jewish congrega-

Carrie Hunnicut, an eighth-grade teacher who teaches in Galveston ISD’s virtual program, stands at the podium as the doors are
shut on Wednesday’s school board meeting that went into a closed session called by board President Anthony Brown.
Trustee: Teacher’s
complaints made
closed session legal
By Shelby Webb
STA F F WRIT E R
Galveston ISD trustees violat-
ed state open meetings laws
when they forced members of
the public out of a Wednesday
school board meeting for 14 min-
utes after a teacher speaking
during public comments criti-
cized the district’s new superin-
tendent, according to a govern-
ment accountability attorney.
Bill Aleshire, an Austin-based
attorney who also volunteers
with the Texas Freedom of In-
formation Foundation, said be-
cause there were no agenda
items relating to Superinten-
dent Jerry Gibson, controversial
comments he made in a Face-
book Live video or criticism
about him, the school board was
not allowed to discuss com-
plaints made about him at all.
“But they doubled down,”
Aleshire said. “They would not
have been able to discuss or de-
liberate the complaints being
made about the superintendent
Galveston ISD continues on A8
tion has sued the city after offi-
cials threatened to enforce a
deed restriction that would re-
quire the group to move its syna-
gogue.
The congregation, Heimish of
Houston, accuses the city in a fed-
eral lawsuit of violating religious
protection laws by selectively ap-
plying a deed restriction that on-
ly allows homes to be used for
habitation in the southwest
Houston neighborhood where
Heimish members meet.
A city attorney sent Heimish a
letter last July promising “further
legal action,” including a daily
fine of $1,000, if congregation
members continued to meet at
the single-family home it is using
for a synogogue, according to
Heimish’s petition filed last week
in the U.S. District Court for the
Southern District of Texas.
Photos by Mark Mulligan / Staff photographer According to its court filing,
Heimish was formed by members
who left another Orthodox Jew-
ish synagogue over “doctrinal is-
sues” more than two years ago.
The congregation has met in the
subdivision of Brays Oaks ever
since, with several members
moving to the neighborhood so
they could live within walking
distance of the synagogue. Driv-
ing on Shabbat, the Jewish Sab-
bath, is prohibited in Orthodox
Judaism.
The property also is located
within an eruv, a geographic loca-
tion in which those who practice
Orthodox Judaism can carry ob-
jects — such as house keys or reli-
gious texts — that they otherwise
Heather Foster, who has a first-grader in the district’s virtual would be prohibited from carry-
program, speaks during the public comment period. Group continues on A13

City analysts find What to know about eviction protections

fentanyl in ecstasy By Sarah Smith
STA F F W R I T ER
be strengthened; however, per
National Low Income Housing
Coalition President Diane Yentel,
expenses), 2) would become
homeless or need to double up if
evicted, and 3) have an income of
By St. John Barned-Smith “Texas and Houston have tra- The Centers for Disease Con- the extension did not come with less than $99,000 per year, didn’t
STA F F WRIT E R ditionally over the last decades trol and Prevention has extended changes. have to pay income tax in 2019 or
have had less of an opioid issue an order halting evictions for Here’s what you need to know: got a stimulus check.
Authorities in Houston on than other parts of the coun- nonpayment of rent through June
Thursday warned that they try,” Stout said. “I think there is 30. Who does the eviction order I qualify. How do I get pro-
have tested ecstasy pills that a casualness about the con- This is the third extension of apply to? tection?
contained fentanyl, a powerful cern, because we don’t really the eviction order, which was set The order applies to tenants Fill out the form at the end of
opioid blamed for a wave of have an opioid issue. And peo- to expire March 31. In a signed let- who 1) can’t pay their rent due to this order (it starts on page 33):
overdoses and deaths else- ple don’t think opioids, when ter, more than 2,300 advocacy the novel coronavirus pandemic https://s3.amazonaws.com/pub-
where in the United States in re- they think of drug abuse prob- groups had called for the order to (either loss of income or medical Eviction continues on A13
cent years. lems in Texas, but this stuff
While analysts from the here, it’s killing people here. …
Houston Fo- This isn’t off
rensic Sci- in Ohio Valley,
ence Center “People don’t think this isn’t Fallen
have previ- something trooper
opioids, when they
ously said that’s hap- honored
they had think of drug abuse pened in
found the problems in Texas, but Pennsylva- National Guard
drug in fake nia.” members pause
pharmaceuti-
this stuff here, it’s In greater work for one
cals and pow- killing people here.” Houston, minute Thursday
ders, Thurs- Peter Stout, president of the Houston
about 960 at Montgomery
day’s an- Forensic Science Center people died County’s COVID
nouncement from over- vaccination site at
marked the dose-related Woodforest Bank
first time they’ve discovered it deaths in 2020, said Assistant Stadium to salute
in pills marketed as ecstasy or Police Chief James Jones — 135 flags lowered to
other similar illicit drugs. more than in 2019. Authorities half-staff in honor
The news comes as some said fentanyl has also played a of slain state
80,000 people across the coun- greater role in those deaths. In trooper Chad
try died from drug overdoses 2019, for example, authorities Walker.
last year, said Peter Stout, presi- tracked 104 fentanyl-related
dent of the forensic science deaths. That number rose to Jason Fochtman /
Staff photographer
center. Fentanyl continues on A13

White House digs in on infrastructure plan
By Jeff Stein
and Tony Romm
WAS H I NGT ON P O ST
WASHINGTON — White House
chief of staff Ron Klain on Thurs-
day suggested the administration
is willing to advance its $2 trillion
jobs and infrastructure plan with
no Republican support, setting the
stage for another bruising spend-
ing battle in Washington.
While stressing that the White
House hopes to secure GOP sup-
port for the measure, Klain sig-
naled that the administration is
willing to use Democrats’ narrow
majorities in the House and Senate
to approve legislation aimed at re-
building the nation’s infrastruc-
ture and confronting climate
change.
Klain also repeatedly said that
the White House was optimistic it
Floyd’s girlfriend recalls pain, addiction
By Steve Karnowski,
Tammy Webber
and Amy Forliti
A S S OC I AT E D PRE SS
MINNEAPOLIS — George
Floyd’s girlfriend tearfully told a ju-
ry Thursday the story of how they
met — at a Salvation Army shelter
where he was a security guard
with “this great, deep Southern
voice, raspy” — and how they both
struggled mightily with an addic-
tion to opioids.
“Our story, it’s a classic story of
how many people get addicted to
opioids. We both suffered from
chronic pain. Mine was in my neck
and his was in his back,” 45-year-
old Courteney Ross said on the
fourth day of the murder trial of
former officer Derek Chauvin,
who dug his knee into Floyd’s neck
for 9 minutes, 29 seconds as he lay
face down in handcuffs.
She said they “tried really hard
to break that addiction many
times.”
Prosecutors put Ross on the
stand as part of an effort to human-
ize Floyd in front of the jury and
portray him as more than a crime
statistic and to explain the former
Houston resident’s drug use.
The defense has argued that
Chauvin did what he was trained
to do when he encountered Floyd
last May and that Floyd’s death was
caused by drugs, his underlying
health conditions and his own
adrenaline. An autopsy found fen-
tanyl and methamphetamine in
his system.
In other testimony, David Pleog-
er, a now-retired Minneapolis po-
lice sergeant who was on duty the
night Floyd died, said that based
on his review of the body camera
video, officers should have ended
their restraint after Floyd stopped
resisting.
He also said officers are trained
to roll people on their side to help
with their breathing after they
have been restrained in the prone
position.
“When Mr. Floyd was no longer
offering up any resistance to the of-
ficers, they could have ended the
restraint,” Pleoger said.
“And that was when he was
handcuffed and on the ground and
no longer resistant?” prosecutor
Steve Schleicher asked.
Yes, Ploeger replied.
Chauvin, 45, is charged with
murder and manslaughter, ac-
cused of killing Floyd by kneeling
on the 46-year-old Black man’s
neck after he was arrested on sus-
Police: California shooting suspect knew victims
By Stephanie Dazo
and Amy Taxin
A S S O C I AT E D PRE SS
ORANGE, Calif. — The gunman
who killed four people and criti-
cally wounded a fifth at a Southern
California office building knew all
of the victims and apparently be-
fore opening fire chained shut the
gates to two entrances, delaying
police from getting inside, author-
ities said Thursday.
Among the victims of the “hor-
rific massacre” Wednesday after-
noon was a 9-year-old boy found
cradled in the arms of a woman be-
lieved to be his mother, Orange
County District Attorney Todd
Spitzer said.
The woman was the only surviv-
or among those shot. The others
killed were a man and two women.
NATION
HOUSTON CHRONICLE • FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 2021 • PAGE A4 HH
could win GOP support for the
plan and would try to do so.
Republicans have balked at
President Joe Biden’s sprawling
initiative since its introduction
Wednesday, leveling particularly
fierce criticism at tax increases on
businesses that would reverse
much of a 2017 tax law.
“Let’s work together and see if
there’s a way for us to deliver this.
In the end, let me be clear, the
president was elected to do a job.
And part of that job is to get this
country ready to win the future.
That’s what he’s going to do,” Klain
told Politico. “We intend to deliv-
er.”
Lawmakers of both parties have
traditionally supported infrastruc-
ture investments, but Republicans
never have backed the extent of
clean-energy policies or tax in-
creases Biden’s new plan entails.
New police body camera footage of the arrest of George Floyd was shown to the court on the third
day of the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
picion of passing a counterfeit $20
bill at a neighborhood market. The
most serious charge against the
now-fired white officer carries up
to 40 years in prison.
Earlier, Ross said she and Floyd
first met in 2017 and struggled with
addiction to painkillers through-
out their relationship — testimony
that could help prosecutors blunt
the argument that drugs killed
Floyd.
Medical experts have said that
Investigators survey the scene at an office building after a
gunman killed four people in Orange, Calif., on Wednesday.
“Our hearts today go out to the
victims, and I’m here to tell you
If Republicans unify in oppos-
ing the measure, Democrats could
pass it through the Senate with
their narrow majority by using a
parliamentary procedure called
budget reconciliation that allows
them to avoid the 60-vote thresh-
old necessary to end a filibuster.
The 100-seat Senate is split 50-
50 between Republicans and law-
makers who caucus with Demo-
crats, though Vice President Har-
ris can cast a tiebreaking vote.
White House press secretary Jen
Psaki said Thursday the adminis-
tration would like the measure to
be passed “by the summer.”
The comments from Biden’s
chief of staff mark the beginning of
the difficult legislative wrangling
expected to ensue for months over
the White House’s major domestic
policy initiative.
Biden’s American Jobs Plan
while the level of fentanyl in his
system could be fatal to some, peo-
ple who use the drug regularly can
develop a tolerance to it.
Ross said they both had pre-
scriptions, and when those ran
out, they took the prescriptions of
others and used illegal drugs.
“Addiction, in my opinion, is a
lifelong struggle. … It’s not some-
thing that just kind of comes and
goes. It’s something I’ll deal with
forever,” she said.
Jae C. Hong / Associated Press
that we’re going to do everything
in our power in the Orange County
would devote more than $600 bil-
lion to infrastructure such as its
roads, bridges and highways;
about $400 billion in clean-energy
credits; more than $200 billion to
housing; and hundreds of billions
to fixing the nation’s electric grid,
high-speed broadband and lead
water pipes, among other mea-
sures.
Biden on Thursday said he has
asked five Cabinet members to
make the case for the jobs propos-
al to the American public. They
are Transportation Secretary Pete
Buttigieg, Energy Secretary Jenni-
fer Granholm, Housing and Urban
Development Secretary Marcia
Fudge, Labor Secretary Marty
Walsh and Commerce Secretary
Gina Raimondo.
Congressional Republicans
have panned the White House
plan, saying it’s full of wasteful
Pool Video via Court TV / New York Times
Chauvin attorney Eric Nelson
drove hard at Floyd’s drug use in
cross-examining Ross, asking
questions aimed at showing the
danger of overdose and death.
Under questioning from Nel-
son, Ross also disclosed that
Floyd’s pet name for her in his
phone was “Mama” — testimony
that called into question the wide-
ly reported account that Floyd was
crying out for his mother as he lay
pinned to the pavement.
District Attorney’s office to get jus-
tice for these families,” said Spitz-
er, who added that he’ll consider
seeking the death penalty.
The violence in the city of
Orange was the third major mass
shooting in just over two weeks.
Last week a gunman opened fire at
a supermarket in Boulder, Colo.,
and killed 10. A week before that,
six Asian women were among
eight people killed at three Atlan-
ta-area spas.
The suspect in the California
shooting was identified as Amina-
dab Gaxiola Gonzalez, 44, of near-
by Fullerton. He was critically
wounded, and it was unclear
whether he suffered a self-inflicted
wound or was shot by police.
The victims hadn’t been public-
ly identified as of Thursday after-
noon.
spending and would damage
American businesses. Biden’s pro-
posal would raise at least $2 trillion
in taxes by increasing the corpo-
rate tax rate from 21 percent to 28
percent and bringing the global
minimum tax to 21percent, among
other tax increases.
Speaking in Kentucky, Senate
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell,
R-Ky., blasted the proposed tax in-
creases Thursday as a “big mis-
take.” While GOP lawmakers sup-
port new infrastructure invest-
ments, McConnell said Congress
couldn’t afford to “whack the
economy with major tax increases
or run up the national debt even
more.”
“I think that package they’re
putting together now, as much as
we would like to address infra-
structure, is not going to get sup-
port from our side,” he said.
IN BRIEF
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Gaetz inquiry focusing
on payments to women
A Justice Department investiga-
tion into Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.,
and an indicted Florida politician
is focusing on their involvement
with multiple women who were
recruited online for sex and re-
ceived cash payments, according
to people close to the investigation
and text messages and payment
receipts reviewed by the New York
Times.
Investigators believe former
Seminole County, Fla., tax collec-
tor Joel Greenberg, who was in-
dicted last year on a federal sex
trafficking charge and other
crimes, initially met the women
through websites that connect
people who go on dates in ex-
change for gifts, fine dining, travel
and allowances, according to three
people with knowledge of the
encounters.
Greenberg introduced the wom-
en to Gaetz, who also had sex with
them, the people said. Gaetz de-
nied ever paying a woman for sex.
The Justice Department inquiry
also is examining whether Gaetz
had sex with a 17-year-old girl and
whether she received anything of
material value, according to four
people familiar with the investiga-
tion.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Calif. man accused of
using stun gun in riot
A California man was arrested
Wednesday and charged with
attacking a Washington, D.C.,
police officer with an electroshock
weapon during the riot at the U.S.
Capitol on Jan. 6.
Daniel Rodriguez, 38, of Fon-
tana, is also accused of smashing a
window of the Capitol and stealing
an emergency escape hood de-
signed to protect lawmakers
against chemical munitions.
The charge of assaulting a police
officer with a deadly weapon
carries up to 20 years in prison.
NEW YORK
Law ends long-term
solitary confinement
Gov. Andrew Cuomo an-
nounced Thursday that he has
signed legislation to end long-term
solitary confinement in state pris-
ons and jails.
Under the law, inmates won’t be
allowed to be held in solitary
confinement for more than 15
consecutive days. Solitary confine-
ment will be banned for categories
of prisoners including minors,
people over 55, pregnant inmates
and those with disabilities.
ILLINOIS
Suspect shot dead by
police was 13-year-old
A suspect fatally shot this week
by Chicago police in what the
department called an “armed
confrontation” was identified
Thursday as a 13-year-old.
Officers responded early Mon-
day to a report of gunfire and
spotted two suspects; one ran
away, and the officers chased him,
department spokesman Tom
Ahern said. The officers chased the
teen into an alley, where an officer
shot him in the chest. He was
pronounced dead at the scene.
“I want (to) know what hap-
pened,” said the boy’s mother,
Elizabeth Toledo. “I just want
justice for my son. That’s all.”
From wire reports
HH Houston Chronicle | HoustonChronicle.com | Friday, April 2, 2021 | A5

e y

¢

Russia says ties with U.S. have ‘hit the bottom’
By Vladimir Isachenkov
A S S OC I AT E D PRE SS
MOSCOW — Russia’s top diplo-
mat said Thursday that the coun-
try’s relations with the United
States and its allies have “hit the
bottom” and that no date has
been set for sending the Russian
ambassador back to Washington.
Russia recalled its ambassador
to the United States after Presi-
dent Joe Biden was asked in an in-
terview if he thought Russian
President Vladimir Putin was a
“killer” and replied, “I do.”
Addressing the issue Thursday,
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey
Lavrov called Biden’s remarks
“appalling” and said they had
forced Moscow to rethink its ties
with Washington.
Lavrov also voiced regret about
2 months after coup, Myanmar
teeters on the brink of civil war
Mourners make the three-finger salute Thursday as pallbearers carry the coffin of Kyaw Min Latt, also known as Poe Toe.
A S S OC I AT E D PRE SS
YANGON, Myanmar — Protest-
ers on Thursday marked two
months since this nation’s military
seized power by again defying the
threat of lethal violence and dem-
onstrating against the junta’s top-
pling of the country’s democrati-
cally elected government.
Security forces have been un-
able to crush the massive public
resistance to the Feb. 1 coup de-
spite their escalating violence, in-
cluding routinely shooting pro-
testers. International efforts in-
cluding sanctions imposed by
Western nations on the military
regime have failed to restore
peace.
In Yangon, the country’s big-
gest city, a group of young people
gathered shortly after sunrise
Thursday to sing songs honoring
the more than 500 protesters
killed so far. They then marched
through the streets chanting slo-
gans calling for the fall of the jun-
ta, the release of deposed leader
Aung San Suu Kyi, and the return
of democracy.
Protests were also held in Man-
dalay and elsewhere.
Black adviser quits UK government
after report finds no systemic racism
By Jill Lawless
A S S OC I AT E D PRE SS
LONDON — The most senior
Black adviser to U.K. Prime Minister
Boris Johnson has resigned, the gov-
ernment said Thursday, one day af-
ter a report on racial disparities con-
cluded that Britain has no systemic
racism.
The government denied any link
between the departure of Samuel
Kasumu and the much-criticized re-
port, which activists and academics
have accused of ignoring the experi-
WORLD
HOUSTON CHRONICLE • FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 2021 • PAGE A6 HH
Washington’s rejection of Putin’s
offer to arrange a quick public call
with Biden to help defuse the ten-
sion over the remarks.
“The confrontation has hit the
bottom,” the Russian minister
said in televised remarks. “But on
the other hand, there is a hope
that they are all grown-up people
who realize the risks linked with
inciting more tensions. I hope
that common sense will prevail.”
Lavrov said it would be up to
Putin to decide when Ambassa-
dor Anatoly Antonov returns to
Washington.
Biden has said the days of the
U.S. “rolling over” to Putin are
done. And he has taken pains to
contrast his approach with that of
former President Donald Trump,
who avoided confrontation with
Putin and frequently spoke about
The demonstrations followed a
night of violence that included po-
lice raids and several fires. In Yan-
gon, several shops owned in
whole or part by Myanma Eco-
nomic Holdings Ltd., an invest-
ment arm of the military, went up
in flames. The shops are also tar-
gets of boycotts by the protest
movement.
The crisis in the Southeast
Asian nation has expanded sharp-
ly in the past week, both in the
number of protesters killed and
with military airstrikes against the
guerrilla forces of the Karen eth-
nic minority in their homeland
along the border with Thailand.
In areas controlled by the Ka-
ren, more than a dozen civilians
have been killed since Saturday
and more than 20,000 have been
displaced, according to the Free
Burma Rangers, a relief agency
operating in the area.
The U.N. special envoy for
Myanmar warned that the coun-
try faces the possibility of civil
war.
That’s a stark reversal for Myan-
mar, which before the coup had
been making slow progress to-
ward greater democracy after de-
ences of minority Britons.
The prime minister’s office said
Kasumu would leave his job as a spe-
cial adviser for civil society and com-
munities in May, as had “been his
plan for several months.”
It denied the resignation was re-
lated to Wednesday’s publication of
a report by the government-ap-
pointed Commission on Race and
Ethnic Disparities. The panel of ex-
perts concluded that while “outright
racism” exists in Britain, the country
isn’t “institutionally racist” or
“rigged” against ethnic minorities.
Foreign
Minister
Sergey Lavrov
says the
ambassador
likely will not
be back.
the Russian leader with approval.
The Biden administration has
warned that Russia would face
sanctions soon over the massive
SolarWinds hacks and attempts to
influence last year’s U.S. presi-
dential election to help keep
Trump in the White House.
Russia’s relations with the U.S.
and the European Union already
had plunged to post-Cold War
lows after Moscow’s 2014 annex-
ation of Ukraine’s Crimea, elec-
tion meddling, hacking attacks
and most recently, the poisoning
cades of brutal military rule.
The U.N. Security Council late
Thursday strongly condemned
the use of violence against peace-
ful protesters in Myanmar and the
deaths of hundreds of civilians,
but it dropped the threat of possi-
ble future action against the mili-
tary.
A British-drafted statement ap-
proved by all 15 council members
after intense negotiations that be-
gan Wednesday expressed “deep
concern at the rapidly deteriorat-
ing situation” in Myanmar and re-
iterated the council’s call on the
military “to exercise utmost re-
straint.”
The original draft was much
stronger and would have ex-
pressed the Security Council’s
“readiness to consider further
steps,” which could include sanc-
tions. It also would have “de-
plored” the use of violence against
peaceful protesters and “con-
demned in the strongest terms the
killing of hundreds of civilians by
the security forces.”
But at the insistence of China,
Myanmar’s neighbor and friend,
the reference to “further steps”
was eliminated and the stronger
But Simon Woolley, a former gov-
ernment equalities adviser and a
member of the House of Lords, said
Kasumu’s exit was connected to the
“grubby” and “divisive” report.
“(There is a) crisis at No. 10 when
it comes to acknowledging and deal-
ing with persistent race inequality,”
Woolley said.
Kasumu had considered quitting
in February. He wrote a resignation
letter, obtained by the BBC, that ac-
cused Johnson’s Conservative Party
of pursuing “a politics steeped in di-
vision.”
and imprisonment of Russian op-
position leader Alexei Navalny.
“I’m aware of the comments of
the Russian foreign minister. I’m
also aware of the backdrop, and
that is what is important to us.
Why we are where we are in terms
of the bilateral relationship with
Russia,” said U.S. State Depart-
ment spokesman Ned Price.
“It remains true that we contin-
ue to look for a stable and predict-
able relationship with Russia. Just
because we have these profound
disagreements, just because the
relationship is where it is right
now, doesn’t mean that there
aren’t going to be any areas of tac-
tical alignment.”
Lavrov argued that the U.S.-led
pressure on Russia “has absolute-
ly no chance for success.” He also
blamed the European Union for
AFP
language, including the words
“killing” and “deplore,” was soft-
ened in the final statement, coun-
cil diplomats said.
The reference to “further
steps” was replaced in the final
statement with a sentence saying
council members “stressed that
they continued to monitor the sit-
uation closely and would remain
actively seized of the matter.”
The final council statement also
called “on all sides to refrain from
violence” — which diplomats said
Russia demanded — and “reiterat-
ed the need to fully respect hu-
man rights and to pursue dialogue
and reconciliation in accordance
with the will and interests of the
people of Myanmar.”
Also Thursday, Suu Kyi’s lawyer
Khin Maung Zaw said that she’s
facing a new charge of violating
Myanmar’s colonial-era Official
Secrets Act, which is punishable
by up to 14 years’ imprisonment.
He said Suu Kyi and Australian
economist Sean Turnell, who
served as her adviser and who al-
so was detained on the day of the
coup, were charged on March 25
in a Yangon court. He provided no
other details.
Pelicans in a park
A great white pelican shares a park bench with a man in
London on Thursday as other birds gather nearby.
the collapse of Russia-EU ties, de-
nying that Moscow ever tried to
sow discord among the bloc’s
member nations.
“We are interested in the EU
being strong and independent,”
he said, lamenting what he de-
scribed as the EU’s eagerness to
toe the U.S. line on Russia.
“We will always be ready to re-
store our relationship, to raise it
from the ashes,” Lavrov said. “But
we won’t knock on the closed
door.”
Lavrov also rejected the idea of
Russia using its energy supplies to
EU nations as political leverage.
He said Moscow never would cut
shipments even if the West
stepped up sanctions on Russia.
“We won’t engage in a situation
when we ‘freeze’ EU citizens,” he
said.
IN BRIEF
MEXICO
Gender-reveal plane
crashes, kills two
The small plane arced over a
blue lagoon near the Caribbean
Sea, flying low above a family in a
boat Tuesday afternoon. As they
clapped, it released a pink cloud
into the sky.
“Girl! Girl!” a man aboard the
boat yelled in Spanish, celebrating
the dramatic results of the elab-
orate gender-reveal stunt for a new
baby in the family. “It’s a girl!”
Seconds later, the family’s video
shows, the small aircraft plummet-
ed into the Nichupte Lagoon off
the east coast of Cancun as the
family and their guests watched in
disbelief.
“No way!” a man cried in Span-
ish with an obscenity. “It went into
the water.”
The pilot and the co-pilot, who
haven’t been named, were killed in
the crash. An investigation is un-
derway.
NETHERLANDS
Lawmakers censure
Dutch PM Rutte
Caretaker Dutch Prime Minister
Mark Rutte’s political future was in
doubt Friday after lawmakers
passed a motion of censure against
him that was filed by two parties in
his own outgoing coalition.
The politically damaging move
came at the end of a marathon
late-night parliamentary debate
about the stalled process to form a
new government after elections
last month. Opposition lawmakers
accused Rutte of lying and un-
dermining public trust in poli-
ticians. He narrowly survived a
motion of no-confidence.
The vote was called over allega-
tions that Rutte lied about trying to
sideline a political rival.
It was a stunning fall from grace
just over two weeks after his con-
servative party won the most seats
in parliament in the election,
putting him in line to form his
fourth governing coalition and
possibly become the country’s
longest-serving prime minister.
GERMANY
Over 55,000 animals
die in fire at pig farm
A fire at a pig-breeding facility in
northeastern town of Alt Tellin is
believed to have killed more than
55,000 animals, the operator said
Thursday.
The fire broke out Tuesday and
spread quickly, in part through
ventilation shafts, destroying the
stalls where the animals were kept.
Some 7,000 sows and 50,000
piglets were at the facility, and
only about 1,300 were rescued.
From wire reports
Leon Neal / Getty Images
HH Houston Chronicle | HoustonChronicle.com | Friday, April 2, 2021 | A7
A8 | Friday, April 2, 2021 | HoustonChronicle.com | Houston Chronicle HH

CITY | STATE

GALVESTON ISD However, Brown told the

From page A3
even in public, but they certainly
weren’t allowed then to close the
meeting to have deliberations
they couldn’t have in public.”
However, Board President An-
thony Brown, who is a commer-
cial and real estate attorney in
Galveston, said they were per-
mitted to go into closed session
because the teacher, Carrie Hun-
nicutt, who complained was a
district employee. He said he
consulted with the district’s gen-
eral counsel, who said going into
executive session was legal.
“What our agenda permits us
to do is go into executive session
under any matters acceptable
under the open meetings re-
quirements,” Brown said.
At issue were public com-
ments made at a Wednesday Gal-
veston ISD board meeting, in
which several parents and teach-
ers voiced displeasure with
changes and controversial com-
ments made about the district’s
virtual program, known as Stu-
dents Accessing Innovative
Learning or SAIL.
Proponents of the program
say Gibson abruptly changed
how it was run three weeks after
joining the district on Feb. 1. In a
Facebook Live video on Galves-
ton ISD’s account, Gibson said he
found out around 5 p.m. on Feb.
22 that SAIL teachers were work-
ing remotely. He said he decided
then that the teachers would
have to return to a campus build-
ing to do their virtual instruc-
tion. They were told to report to
a Galveston ISD facility by Feb.
24.
He added that he had heard al-
legations that some teachers
were only giving five minutes of
instruction a day or only working
a few days a week while their col-
leagues teaching in-person were
working full time.
“Yet on payday (the virtual
teachers) receive a full pay-
check,” Gibson said. “I’m not
sure if that’s fair; I’m not sure if
that’s consistent.”
Hunnicutt said she was offend-
Galveston ISD Superintendent Jerry Gibson and board President Anthony Brown listen to
community member Torrina Harris express her support for Galveston teachers.
ed by what she felt was an insinu-
ation that she and her colleagues
were doing subpar work and that
her students were doing poorly,
especially because Gibson had
not talked with her or most other
virtual teachers prior to making
the video. She had prepared a
three-minute speech to give at
Wednesday’s meeting, but be-
fore she could, Brown issued a
warning to those signed up to
speak during public comments.
“If what you say in your com-
ments could constitute as identi-
fying a district employee by
name or position, we will imme-
diately take that in closed execu-
tive session,” Brown said. “If any-
one starts, we will shut it down
and go into executive session.”
The other speakers avoided
mentioning Gibson by name or
title, as did Hunnicutt. She spoke
generally about the Facebook
Live video, and her frustration
with being accused of not doing a
good job.
“If the board can honestly say
that the person who was recently
hired —” she started.
“Wait, we’re going to go into
closed session,” Brown said just
before the livestream feed was
cut and everyone inside the
board chambers was told they
had to leave.
While Hunnicutt said she only
had about 42 seconds left to
speak, she stayed in the closed
session with trustees for 14 min-
utes. She said after she finished
her comments behind closed
doors, Brown asked if he could
respond and ask her questions.
She said they ended up talking
about everything from the super-
intendent search process, pre-
kindergarten curriculum and an
anonymous website. None of
those topics were on the meet-
ing’s agenda.
Aleshire gave his legal opinion
after a reporter described the
events in the school board meet-
ing.
Although Brown said the
board can discuss some of those
Mark Mulligan / Staff photographer
matters in closed session, Alesh-
ire said any subjects discussed in
closed session must be posted on
the meeting agenda ahead of
time. If the board discusses any-
thing not on the agenda, it’s a vio-
lation of the Open Meetings Act,
and doubly so if it’s done in
closed section. Violations for
those sections of the Texas Open
Meetings Act can carry criminal
penalties, including fines of up to
$500 and several months in the
county jail.
“The first hole he dug was he
thought they could deliberate a
topic that wasn’t noticed in the
agenda,” Aleshire said. “Then he
dug the hole deeper when he
said said we’re going to do it in a
closed meeting.”
Aleshire said school boards
and other government bodies
can adopt policies limiting what
can be discussed in public com-
ments, such as imposing time re-
strictions and sometimes wheth-
er speakers can mention employ-
ees by name.
Chronicle on Thursday that only
negative comments or com-
plaints made against district em-
ployees during public comment
would trigger a closed session in
Galveston ISD. He said if a speak-
er complimented, thanked or
said something neutral about a
school employee during public
comments, that would be per-
mitted because it wouldn’t vio-
late employee rights to due pro-
cess or internal grievance pro-
cesses.
Aleshire said complaints made
against government employees
are only exempted by the Texas
Public Information Act, which
governs the types of documents
agencies must release to the pub-
lic. They do not apply to open
meetings laws.
He said what’s more troubling
is that allowing speakers to say
nice things about employees but
censoring negative speech about
employees violates both the Tex-
as Constitution and the First
Amendment.
He added that it did not matter
whether the person speaking
was an employee of the district
or a member of the public.
“He digs the hole even deeper
by saying, ‘Well, if you want to
say something nice about gov-
ernment employee, you’re al-
lowed to speak. But if you criti-
cize a government employee,
you won’t be allowed to do that,”
Aleshire said. “That is a clear vio-
lation of free speech. It is a con-
tent-based restriction on free
speech.”
Hunnicutt, who teaches
eighth-grade history, said she did
not know that the closed session
of the Texas Open Meetings Act
and was surprised to learn she
would have been allowed to com-
pliment the superintendent pub-
licly.
“As a teacher who teaches the
American Constitution, I’m very
disappointed,” Hunnicutt said.
“I teach my students all about the
First Amendment. To realize
mine has been violated is aston-
ishing.”
shelby.webb@chron.com

SCHOOLS Much of the criticism cen-

From page A3
pointed by HISD Trustee
Anne Sung, said it was “not
clear to me what the actual
problem was we were trying
to solve.”
“I began to feel that the
DAC was being considered
as a rubber stamp,” said Fer-
nandez, the mother of two
sons attending HISD
schools. “We asked for addi-
tional information, we
asked for additional meet-
ings, we asked if we could
vote just on changing the
calendar date. And we
weren’t given a clear an-
swer.”
August Hamilton, HISD’s
general manager of strategy
and innovation, said he gave
committee members the fi-
nal plan in early March, held
a 90-minute briefing with
time for questions and an-
swered follow-up queries by
email. Also, the exemptions
sought by HISD have been
public since last May.
“To me, I just feel like it’s
kind of disingenuous to say
none of our questions were
answered, because there
were so many opportunities
to do that,” Hamilton said.
Texas legislators created
the District of Innovation
framework in 2015, allowing
school and community lead-
ers to seek exemptions from
certain state education laws
in the spirit of greater local
control. Plans must garner
majority support from a dis-
trict-appointed committee
and approval from two-
thirds of school board mem-
bers before taking effect.
All the Houston area’s
largest districts have ap-
proved District of Innova-
tion plans, with the excep-
tion of HISD and Cypress-
Fairbanks ISD. Each district
sought an exemption to
start the school year earlier
— state law says districts can-
not begin before the fourth
Monday in August — and
many included other provi-
sions related to teacher cer-
tification, attendance re-
quirements and class size
limits.
HISD trustees voted 7-2
last May to begin the District
of Innovation process, de-
spite early opposition from
the Houston Federation of
Teachers and reticence
from some board members.
tered on the proposal to al-
low the hiring of noncerti-
fied vocational educators,
with some teachers arguing
the move undermined their
credentials.
Although the plan speci-
fied that the exemption
would apply only to career
and technical education
teachers, some committee
members questioned
whether HISD would have to
legally opt out of certifica-
tion requirements for all
teachers under the state’s
District of Innovation law.
“I don’t think the dis-
trict’s intention necessarily
matters when you look at
the law,” said HISD teacher
Coretta Mallet-Fontenot, an
employee committee mem-
ber who voted against the
plan.
Hamilton said HISD ad-
ministrators received assur-
ances from legal counsel
that the exemption could
not spread to certification
requirements of nonvoca-
tional teachers.
Throughout the months-
long process, some District
of Innovation critics said
HISD would dramatically ex-
pand the scope of the plan if
it passed. At a hearing ahead
of the committee vote last
week, an opponent falsely
claimed that approval
would lead to the elimina-
tion of class size require-
ments and termination of
employee contracts.
Under state law, districts
must restart the District of
Innovation process before
changing, renewing or re-
scinding a plan.
Durrel Douglas, the exec-
utive director of the advoca-
cy group Houston Justice
and a District Advisory
Committee member who
voted for the proposal, said
the misinformation fueled
opposition to the proposal.
“Compared with what
some other districts are do-
ing, I didn’t figure it would
be that controversial,” said
Douglas, who was appoint-
ed by Trustee Kathy Blue-
ford-Daniels. “I thought it
was well-explained by folks
in the district. These are the
experts, this is what they
recommended and there’s
truth behind each of these
points that makes common
sense.”
jacob.carpenter@chron.com
HH Houston Chronicle | HoustonChronicle.com | Friday, April 2, 2021 | A9

Pfizer says
shot is still
potent after
six months
By Robert Langreth
B L O OM B E RG
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine
remained highly effective against
COVID-19 after six months, ac-
cording to new long-term results
that Pfizer said could be used to
seek an expansion of the shot’s
regulatory status.
Follow-up data from a final-
stage trial of 46,307 people
showed the vaccine was 91.3 per-
cent effective in preventing
symptomatic cases starting one
week after the second dose
through as long as six months. In
the U.S. alone, the efficacy rate
was 92.6 percent, according to a
report Thursday by the two com-
panies.
The six-month result is only
slightly lower than the 95 percent
efficacy rate that was originally
found for the vaccine, based on
much shorter- term results. The
two-shot vaccine also prevented
all or nearly all severe cases of the
disease over six months.
At the same time, the compa-
nies provided some of the first da-
ta on how their vaccine might
handle the immune-evading
B.1.351 variant that arose in South
Africa.
Nine of 800 trial participants
in that country got sick with CO-
VID, including six infected with
B.1.351. But all were in the placebo
group, suggesting the shot retains
efficacy against the variant.
The vaccine already has se-
cured an emergency use authori-
zation from the Food and Drug
Administration, which means it’s
in effect only until the emergency
ends and that it can be revoked or
changed at any time. Formal ap-
proval is for the long term.
U.S. OKs
two more
home tests
A S S OC I AT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — U.S. health
officials have authorized two
more over-the-counter CO-
VID-19 tests that can be used at
home to get rapid results.
The move by the Food and
Drug Administration is expect-
ed to vastly expand the avail-
ability of cheap home tests that
many experts have advocated
since the early days of the out-
break. The announcement late
Wednesday comes as U.S. test-
ing numbers continue to slide,
even as the number of new coro-
navirus infections is rising
again.
The FDA said Abbott’s Binax-
Now and Quidel’s QuickVue
tests now can be sold without a
prescription. Both tests were
first approved last year but
came with conditions that limit-
ed their use, including prescrip-
tion requirements and instruc-
tions that they be used only in
people with symptoms.
The home tests allow users to
collect a sample themselves
with a nasal swab that’s then in-
serted into a test strip. Results
are usually available in 10 to 20
minutes. Most other COVID-19
tests require a swab sample tak-
en by a health worker at a testing
location.
The agency authorized an
over-the-counter COVID-19 test
from an Australian company in
December, but it’s still not wide-
ly available.
Abbott said its test would be
priced in the “single digits” per
test and should be available in
“coming weeks” at pharmacies,
supermarkets and other chains.
The company can produce
about 50 million tests per
month.
Quidel didn’t disclose pricing
for its test.
129,461,490
Confirmed cases
worldwide
CORONAVIRUS HOUSTON CHRONICLE • FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 2021 • PAGE A10 HH
People wait to get vaccinated at the First Baptist Church of Glenarden’s Family Life Center in Upper Marlboro, Md., last month.
Maryland’s path shows challenges
in the push to vaccinate everyone
By Jennifer Steinhauer
and Abby Goodnough
NEW YO R K TIME S
UPPER MARLBORO, Md. —
The path to quickly vaccinating
the nation’s 250 million adults
will be paved with pharmacy
chains, hospitals and hulking
stadiums where uniformed
troops help inoculate thousands
of people a day.
But it also will rely on the
recreation center at the First
Baptist Church of Glenarden,
along with tiny storefront service
organizations and vaccine-
stocked vans that scour neigh-
borhoods for the unprotected.
Maryland offers a microcosm
of the issues states face as they
rush to open enough vaccination
sites to meet President Joe Bi-
den’s goal of making every adult
eligible for COVID-19 shots by
May 1.
The state has encountered
nearly all the geographic, demo-
graphic and human behavioral
challenges that come with a
public health task of this scale:
poor urban neighborhoods
where many lack access to reg-
ular care, wealthy Washington
suburbs whose residents have
National ads will target vaccine reluctance
By Annie Karni
NEW YO R K TIME S
WASHINGTON — The Biden ad-
ministration Thursday an-
nounced an ambitious advertis-
ing campaign intended to en-
courage as many Americans as
possible to be vaccinated against
the coronavirus.
The campaign, with ads in En-
glish and Spanish that will air
throughout April on network TV
and cable channels nationwide
as well as online, comes as the ad-
ministration is rapidly expanding
access to coronavirus vaccines.
President Joe Biden an-
nounced last week a new goal of
administering 200 million doses
by his 100th day in office, dou-
bling his initial goal. And last
month, in an address to the na-
tion, he announced a goal of mak-
ing all U.S. adults eligible for a
vaccine by May 1. Governors and
public health officials in more
than 40 states have said that
they’ll meet or beat that dead-
line.
But deep skepticism about the
vaccine remains a problem, par-
ticularly among Black people, La-
tinos, Republicans and white
evangelicals.
Coronavirus at a glance
30,538,007 2,786,642
Confirmed cases Confirmed cases
in U.S. in Texas
proved adept at vacuuming up
shots meant for other ZIP codes,
isolated rural areas and a sign-up
system that has so vexed resi-
dents that vaccine hunting has
become for many a part-time
job.
“We are going to push, but
we’re also going to have to pull,”
said Dennis Schrader, the state’s
acting health secretary, describ-
ing Maryland’s plan to not only
ramp up capacity at megasites
and pharmacies but also to “pull
people in” with smaller, more
targeted efforts.
Nearly every state now finds
itself in a perilous race between
vaccinating residents and suc-
cumbing to an onerous wave of
cases fueled partly by the emer-
gence of new coronavirus vari-
ants. As states rush to expand
eligibility for the shot, many also
are loosening rules on dining,
gathering and masks.
It will take extensive group
efforts across competing in-
terests to push states closer to
herd immunity. Efforts to track
who’s getting vaccinated and
where will become all the more
important so health officials can
quickly identify who’s being left
behind and shift their strategies
People wait in line for COVID-19 vaccinations last month at the
Ibn Sina Medical Wilcrest Clinic in Houston.
Administration officials ex-
pect to soon face the possibility
of supply exceeding demand if
many Americans remain reluc-
tant to be vaccinated. And wide-
spread opposition to vaccination
could set back a return to a more
normal way of life as the virus
continues to spread.
2,825,890
Deaths
worldwide
and resources accordingly.
In Maryland, the pent-up
demand for the vaccine is huge.
Only people 65 and older, some
types of essential workers and a
few other narrow categories
were eligible until late March,
leaving two-thirds of the pop-
ulation unprotected.
On Tuesday, Republican Gov.
Larry Hogan opened up vaccina-
tion to all who are 16 and older
and have certain medical condi-
tions. By April 27, everyone 16
and older will be eligible regard-
less of medical status.
But while Hogan has faced
criticism from local leaders
about the state’s middle-of-the-
road pace and for not doing
enough to reach Black and Lati-
no residents — who make up
more than 40 percent of the
state’s population but only 28
percent of those who have re-
ceived at least one shot — some
people now worry that the state
is speeding up too quickly.
The Hogan administration is
planning to open four more
mass vaccination sites by the
end of April, bringing the total to
12, and it has 320 pharmacies
administering shots. A federally
operated site will open at a sub-
Steve Gonzales / Staff photographer
The administration’s new pub-
lic awareness push will enlist 275
organizations — including
NASCAR, the Catholic Health As-
sociation of the United States and
the North American Meat Insti-
tute. Among the organizations
are many Catholic and evangeli-
cal groups that are expected to
553,117
Deaths
in U.S.
Erin Schaff / New York Times
urban metro station next week.
Hogan’s goal is to administer
100,000 shots per day by May,
up from an average of 57,000 a
day now.
The state has started adding
primary care doctors to the
effort, with the goal of having
400 practices administering
shots by May. It’s also working
with local health departments
and community partners, partic-
ularly churches, to open “pop-
up” vaccination sites aimed at
populations that might be geo-
graphically or socially isolated,
or distrustful of government and
large institutions.
Pastor John Jenkins at the First
Baptist Church of Glenarden
understood the role his church
could play as he drove down a
main drag in Prince George’s
County — a majority-Black area
that has had high COVID in-
fection rates but low inoculation
rates — past the snaking line of
cars leading to a mass vaccina-
tion site at the Six Flags amuse-
ment park.
“The people in those cars
didn’t look like people in the
county,” Jenkins said. “The peo-
ple in this community could not
get appointments.”
help address religious concerns
about the Johnson & Johnson vac-
cine, which uses abortion-de-
rived fetal cell lines.
The group is collectively called
the COVID-19 Community Corps,
administration officials said, and
participating organizations can
reach millions of Americans who
trust those individual groups.
A new poll by the Kaiser Fami-
ly Foundation this week found
that the number of Black adults
willing to be vaccinated had in-
creased substantially since Feb-
ruary. But 13 percent of respon-
dents still said they would “defi-
nitely not” get a vaccine. Among
Republicans and white evangeli-
cal Christians, almost 30 percent
of each group said they would
“definitely not” get a shot.
Administration officials said
their research showed that vac-
cine messaging from medical
professionals and community
leaders, rather than from celebri-
ties or the president, was often
more persuasive.
“We are not always the best
messengers,” White House press
secretary Jen Psaki said last
month when speaking about vac-
cine hesitancy among conserva-
tives.
47,522 Source: WHO,
CDC,
Johns Hopkins
Deaths University,
Texas DSHS
in Texas
 HH Houston Chronicle | HoustonChronicle.com | Friday, April 2, 2021 | A11
NATION

Court: Statues of 2 rebel generals in Virginia can go

By Matthew Barakat
and Michael Kunzelman
A S S OC IAT E D PRE SS
FALLS CHURCH, Va. — This
state’s highest court ruled Thurs-
day that the city of Charlottesville
can take down two statues of Con-
federate generals, including one of
Robert E. Lee that became the fo-
cus of a violent white nationalist
rally in 2017.
The state Supreme Court over-
turned a circuit court decision in
favor of a group of residents who
sued to block the city from taking
down the Lee statue and a nearby
monument to fellow Gen. Thomas
“Stonewall” Jackson. Charlottes-
ville’s City Council had voted to re-
move both.
White supremacist and neo-Na-
zi organizers of the August 2017
“Unite the Right” rally in Char-
lottesville said they went to the
city to defend the statue of Lee.
They clashed with counterprotes-
ters before a man plowed his car
into a crowd of people, killing a
woman.
The Jackson statue was erected
in Jackson Park in 1921, and the Lee
statue was erected in Lee Park in
1924.
Workers drape a tarp over a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, Va., in
2017, intended to symbolize mourning for a protester killed during a white nationalist rally.
City officials praised the ruling
in a statement Thursday and said
they plan to redesign the park
spaces where the statues are locat-
ed “in a way that promotes healing
and that tells a more complete his-
tory of Charlottesville.”
Mayor Nikuyah Walker thanked
the community “for their stead-
fastness and perseverance over
Associated Press file photo
the past five years. For all of us
who were on the right side of histo-
ry, Bravo!”
In Thursday’s decision, State
Supreme Court Justice Bernard
Goodwyn said both statues were
erected long before a1997 state law
that barred local governments
from removing them.
He wrote that the law shouldn’t
be applied retroactively; those
seeking to keep the statues in place
had argued that the Legislature’s
obvious intent was to do just that.
The 1997 law “did not provide
the authority for the city to erect
the statues, and it does not prohib-
it the city from disturbing or inter-
fering with them,” Goodwyn
wrote.
The state Supreme Court also
ruled that the circuit court erred in
ordering the city to pay $365,000
in attorneys’ fees and costs for the
plantiffs.
Braxton Puryear, one of the at-
torneys for the residents who
sued, said he hadn’t read the rul-
ing yet and couldn’t immediately
comment on it. Frederick Payne, a
Charlottesville lawyer who was
listed as the lead plaintiff in the
lawsuit, also declined comment
Thursday.
The Virginia Division of the
Sons of Confederate Veterans and
The Monument Fund also were
plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed
against the city in March 2017.

New Mexico joins national recreational marijuana wave

By Morgan Lee
and Cedar Attanasio
A S S OC IAT E D PRE SS
SANTA FE, N.M — New Mexico’s
Democratic-dominated Legisla-
ture has sent a package of canna-
bis bills to a supportive governor
as the state prepared to become
the latest to legalize recreational
marijuana.
Lawmakers used a marathon
two-day legislative session to push
through marijuana legalization
for adults over 21 and a compan-
ion bill that automatically erases
many past marijuana convictions,
overriding skeptical Republicans.
By signing the bills, Gov. Mi-
chelle Lujan Grisham would ex-
tend legal recreational pot sales in
the Southwest by April 2022,
when the New Mexico legislation
kicks in, and join 16 states that
have legalized marijuana, mostly
through direct ballot initiatives.
California and Colorado were
among the first in the U.S. to legal-
awaiting the governor’s signature.
The New Mexico initiative,
passed late Wednesday, would re-
consider criminal drug sentences
for about 100 prisoners and give
the governor a strong hand in li-
censing the industry and monitor-
ing supplies.
New Mexico flirted with canna-
bis legalization in the 1990s, when
then-Gov. Gary Johnson chal-
lenged taboos against decriminal-
ization in defiance of Republican
allies. The state’s medical mari-
juana program, founded in 2007,
has attracted more than 100,000
patients.
The Legislature was reticent to
legalize until now. Several hard-
line opponents of legalization in
the state Senate were voted out of
Associated Press file photo office by Democrats in 2020 pri-
Korbin Osborn, left, works as a cannabis adviser at a medical mary elections in a shift that
marijuana dispensary in Santa Fe, N.M., in 2019. paved the way for Wednesday’s
historic vote.
ize marijuana, with Arizona be- New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo Under the legalization package,
coming one of the latest in the re- signed a legalization bill Wednes- New Mexico would levy an initial
gion to follow suit earlier this year. day, and a proposal in Virginia is excise tax on recreational mari-
juana sales of 12 percent that even-
tually rises to 18 percent. Posses-
sion of up to 2 ounces of marijua-
na would cease to be a crime, and
people would be allowed six
plants at home — or up to 12 per
household.
“The United States of America
is in the midst of a sea change
when it comes to this,” said Demo-
cratic state Rep. Javier Martinez of
Albuquerque, lead sponsor of the
legalization bill. “This bill begins
to repair the harms of prohibi-
tion.”
Republican state Sen. Gay Ker-
nan of Hobbs voted against legal-
ization and said she was amazed
that legislative colleagues would
support the freedom to buy mind-
altering drugs amid New Mexico’s
struggles with poverty and opioid
overdoses.
“I just think it’s terribly unfair
to impose this kind of significant
change in our way of life and areas
of the state that clearly do not wel-
come this,” Kernan said.
A12 | Friday, April 2, 2021 | HoustonChronicle.com | Houston Chronicle
FROM THE COVER
COUGARS
From page A1
basketball’s director for ex-
ternal operations and
Sampson’s daughter. “Our
whole deal was we were go-
ing to take our show to
them.
“Shock and awe a little
bit.”
In her office, Lauren
Sampson would print out
hundreds of invitations
(tickets are free to stu-
dents). Kelvin Sampson
would pass them out on the
45-minute walk that includ-
ed surprise visits to class-
rooms, plus a stop at the
student center and even a
few buildings where the
group was kicked out.
One time, the night be-
fore final exams, Kelvin
Sampson showed up at the
library with hundreds of
doughnuts.
“For the next 10 minutes,
free doughnuts,” Sampson
said over the intercom.
Students rushed for the
free food.
“Now come to our bas-
ketball game,” Sampson
said.
“You guys have a team?”
a student asked.
“I thought basketball
didn’t start until January,”
another student said.
The “campus blitzes”
lasted four years. By the
2017-18 season, the Cougars
were on the way to the
NCAA Tournament for the
first time under Sampson.
Word was out. Not only did
Houston have a basketball
team, but it soon would be
among the best in the coun-
try.
“My job is to recruit a
team,” Kelvin Sampson told
his daughter. “Your job is to
recruit this campus.”
“Once we got through
the first year, we just start-
ed adding pieces, and we
did it brick by brick,” Samp-
son said. “We weren’t in a
hurry. We didn’t try to cut
any corners. We did it brick
by brick.”
The UH program, which
had made Final Fours in
1967-68 and 1982-84, had
fallen off the radar after
Guy V. Lewis retired in 1986.
Before it could start the re-
construction, it had to
make the right head coach-
ing hire. Coach James Dick-
ey had brought stability to
the program, but the Cou-
gars remained at best a
middle-of-the-pack pro-
gram in Conference USA
and in the first season in the
American Athletic Confer-
ence. When Dickey stepped
down in 2014, citing per-
sonal reasons, then-athletic
director Mack Rhoades said
the challenge became to
find the “right guy” to re-
turn UH to national rele-
vance.
Sampson had been out of
college basketball since
2008, slapped with a five-
year ban by the NCAA for
making impermissible
phone calls at Oklahoma
and Indiana (those same
calls are now legal). He was
an assistant coach with the
Rockets when Rhoades
called about the UH open-
ing.
“Timing is everything,”
said Rhoades, now the ath-
letic director at Baylor.
“Kelvin needed Houston,
and we needed Kelvin. It
was like this perfect
match.”
Rhoades said Sampson,
the school’s seventh coach
since Lewis retired, owned
his mistakes and deserved a
second chance.
“I was convinced he had
learned from those things
and owned those things,”
Rhoades said. “He wanted
to rewrite his recent history
as a college basketball
coach.”
Investing in basketball
Even with a reputation
for winning, Sampson
knew this would not be a
quick fix. “The lower the
program was, the better for
me.”
What Sampson inherit-
ed: “Severe apathy. Terri-
ble facilities. Nobody really
cared.”
The first step was a $25
million investment through
HH
University of Houston cheerleaders fire up the crowd before a game in 2020. On
Saturday, the Cougars will play in the Final Four for the first time since 1984.
private donations for the
Guy V. Lewis Development
Facility, a 53,000-square-
foot combination of prac-
tice courts, locker rooms,
offices, film rooms and
“comfortable couches and
video games.” Two years
later, Tilman Fertitta, chair-
man of the school’s board
of regents and billionaire
owner of the Rockets, do-
nated $20 million to refur-
bish Hofheinz Pavilion into
what is now Fertitta Center.
Brick by brick.
Sampson put together a
coaching staff that included
son Kellen, his top assistant
and the program’s head
coach-in-waiting. He kept
Alvin Brooks, who has long-
time ties to the school and
was named Thursday the
new head coach at Lamar.
He brought in Quannas
White, a point guard on
Sampson’s Final Four team
at Oklahoma.
Sampson inherited a ros-
ter that, after an exodus fol-
lowing Dickey’s departure,
included five players. He
hurriedly recruited players
to fill out the rest of the ros-
ter. Predictably, the Cou-
gars went 13-19 in Samp-
son’s first season.
“I thought we could win.
I did,” Sampson said. “We
had to get through the first
year. That was important.
Because then we could
start building. The wins
were all pluses that first
year. The losses meant
nothing.”
Brick by brick.
By his second season,
Sampson added local high
school products Galen Rob-
inson Jr. and Chris Harris Jr.
and brought in transfers
Rob Gray Jr. and Damyean
Dotson. As the seasons
went by, the Cougars added
Devin Davis and Armoni
Brooks, Corey Davis Jr., Fa-
bian White Jr., Breaon Bra-
dy and Nura Zanna, Nate
Hinton, DeJon Jarreau, Bri-
son Gresham and Justin
Gorham, Caleb Mills, Mar-
cus Sasser, Quentin
Grimes, Reggie Chaney and
Tramon Mark. The list goes
on and on. Most were not
highly recruited out of high
school. But they were the
“right fit” for Houston,
Sampson said.
UH went 22-10 and 21-11 in
Sampson’s next two sea-
sons, both times reaching
the NIT. The breakthrough
came in the fourth season
when the Cougars went
27-8 and made the NCAA
Tournament for the first
time since 2010 and just the
second time since 1993. The
Cougars were eliminated in
the round of 32 on a buzzer-
beater by Michigan.
“I knew it wasn’t going to
be a one- or two-year (fix),
not if you are going to do it
right, not if you are going to
build it to last,” Rhoades
said. “We needed some-
body to take us to the next
level and be nationally rele-
vant.”
UH won a school-record
33 games and the AAC reg-
ular-season title in 2018-19,
losing to Kentucky in the
Sweet 16. Last year, the Cou-
gars were 23-8 and repeat-
ed as AAC champions be-
fore the postseason was
SURGE
From page A1
counties, is racked by wor-
ries: about families return-
ing from spring break trips
and about the Easter gath-
erings that will take place
this weekend, when fami-
lies are fresh off their trav-
els out of state.
“It makes me shudder,”
she said. “I never thought
we would see this at this
time. I thought we would
be over the hump.”
Michigan has more re-
cent cases per capita than
any other state and has
seen them soar in recent
weeks, to more than 5,300
cases a day from about
1,000 on Feb. 21. The na-
tion’s top three metro
areas in recent cases per
capita are all in Michigan:
Jackson, Detroit and Flint.
“It is absolutely alarm-
ing,” Emily Toth Martin, a
virus researcher at the Uni-
versity of Michigan School
of Public Health, said this
week. “Looking at num-
bers yesterday felt like a
gut punch. We’re going to
have to go through this
surge, and all this hard
work again, to get the num-
bers down.”
Americans have entered
a disconcerting phase of
the coronavirus pandemic.
They’re surrounded by
news that brings hope:
More than 2.8 million vac-
cines are being adminis-
tered every day on average,
the country is fast ap-
proaching vaccine eligibili-
ty for all adults, and a vac-
cine trial in adolescents
Mark Mulligan / Staff file photo
called off due to the corona-
virus pandemic. Sampson
is convinced that team
could have made a deep
postseason run. UH’s 111 vic-
tories since the 2017-18 sea-
son are the second most in
the country behind Gonza-
ga (123).
With each step, even the
losses, Sampson (167-63 in
seven seasons at UH) could
tell the program was not far
away.
“Those games told me
we’re getting close,” he
said. “We’ve just got to keep
swinging. We’ve got to keep
winning. We’ve got to keep
getting kids to believe.
That’s what we did. We
were getting closer.”
Brick by brick.
Long-term commitment
Along with sizable in-
vestments in facilities, UH
two years ago made a long-
term commitment to Samp-
son with a six-year deal that
pays more than $3 million
annually, making him
among the highest-paid col-
lege basketball coaches in
the country. He recently re-
ceived a two-year extension
that runs through the 2026-
27 season.
“He came here on the
promise of building some-
thing. … He didn’t have
very much. He didn’t have
the tools,” UH President Re-
nu Khator said. “Kudos to
him and his family for be-
lieving.”
UH athletic director
Chris Pezman said the in-
vestment in basketball has
been worth it. Fertitta Cen-
ter has been sold out, and
season ticket purchases of-
ten come with donations.
It’s too early to tell the fi-
nancial benefit of this sea-
son and postseason, Pez-
man said, but exposure is
something you can’t buy.
The visibility of playing
has been a spectacular suc-
cess.
The U.S. moved closer
Thursday toward vaccinat-
ing 100 million Americans,
with more than 99 million
people having received at
least one dose of the vac-
cine. More than 56 million
people — 17 percent of the
nation’s population — have
been fully vaccinated.
A total of 154 million vac-
cines had been adminis-
tered as of Thursday, well
on the way to meeting Pres-
ident Joe Biden’s new goal
of giving 200 million vac-
cine doses during his first
100 days in office.
Yet the uplifting devel-
opments have been tem-
pered by increasingly omi-
nous warnings about the
national picture from pub-
lic health officials.
On Monday, Dr. Rochelle
Walensky, director of the
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, said she
felt a sense of “impending
doom” about a potential
new surge in cases. Biden
said states should pause
their reopening efforts,
warning that the country
was “giving up hard-
fought, hard-won gains.”
Cases, deaths and hospi-
talizations remain well be-
low the peak levels seen in
January. But infection
numbers have started ris-
ing again, to about 66,000
a day, fueled mostly by per-
vasive outbreaks on the
East Coast and in the Upper
Midwest.
If any place offers a
glimpse at the threat of a
new surge, it’s Michigan.
Health officials partly at-
on college basketball’s big-
gest stage translates into
potential increases in dona-
tions and sponsorships and
is a chance for the universi-
ty to reasonably increase
ticket prices in ensuing
years, Pezman said.
“That’s what athletics
provide — a very visible op-
portunity for the universi-
ty,” Pezman said. “It’s a gal-
vanizing moment that
brings everybody together
for the community.”
The payoff
And although winnings
from the NCAA Tourna-
ment are shared and often
modest — Pezman noted
that each game a team
makes earns it a unit worth
$1.65 million, which is later
distributed among the con-
ference teams over six
years — that money still
ends up in UH’s revenue
stream, funding scholar-
ships and operating costs,
Pezman said.
In the most recent infor-
mation available, the UH
athletic department report-
ed $75 million in revenue
and $1.37 million in profit
for fiscal year 2019, accord-
ing to a copy of the school’s
financial report submitted
to the NCAA. Unlike some
of the schools in larger con-
ferences such as Texas and
Texas A&M whose budgets
are fully funded outside of
the university through me-
dia rights, ticket sales and
sponsorships, UH’s athletic
budget in 2019 counted
over 57 percent of its reve-
nues from direct support
from the school ($34.1 mil-
lion) or student fees ($8.7
million). That is on par with
schools in similar-size ath-
letic conferences.
Has UH’s investment
been worth it?
“You can ask any Cougar
today, any Houstonian —
yeah, it is worth it,” Khator
said “We are dancing with
the Four. The Final Four.”
Years later, Lauren
Sampson smiles when the
student section at Fertitta
Center — known as “The
Cage” — is packed and loud.
She also remembers those
days not so long ago, when
she would stand near the
tunnel at the old Hofheniz
Pavilion and look into the
crowd.
“It was sad,” she said.
“But we would look up and
see kids that we saw on the
(campus walks). They
would yell, ‘I made it!’ And
we would wave at them.”
Brittany Britto contributed
to this report.
joseph.duarte@chron.com
twitter.com/joseph_duarte
tributed the rapid rise in
cases to the B.1.1.7 variant
that was originally identi-
fied in Britain and is wide-
spread in Michigan. But
they also have observed a
broader return to pre-pan-
demic life seen in a relax-
ing of mask wearing, social
distancing and other strat-
egies meant to slow the
spread of the virus — many
weeks before a substantial
portion of the population is
vaccinated.
More than 2,200 corona-
virus patients statewide are
hospitalized, a figure that
has more than doubled
since the beginning of
March. Five hospitals in the
Henry Ford system in the
Detroit area had a total of
75 coronavirus patients
during the week of March
8; as of Tuesday, the hospi-
tals were up to 267 pa-
tients.
On Monday, the health
system announced it
would reinstate a policy
limiting visitors at several
hospitals in response to the
latest surge.
Dr. Adnan Munkarah,
chief clinical officer for the
Henry Ford Health System,
said more coronavirus pa-
tients are surviving the dis-
ease now than in 2020, in
part because they’re skew-
ing younger.
But he’s frustrated, he
said, and his staff is ex-
hausted.
“We were hoping that by
now we would have things
under better control,” he
said.
This report contains
material from the
Associated Press.

CITY | STATE
Heimish of Houston, an Orthodox Jewish congregation, is suing the city after
officials threatened to enforce a deed restriction that would require the group to
move its synagogue from this spot at 11811 Dandelion Lane.
GROUP
From page A3
ing outside the home.
“If it were forced to leave
the property, Heimish
would likely be unable to
find another suitable loca-
tion meeting these essen-
tial criteria,” the group’s
lawsuit reads.
The lawsuit also con-
tends that other businesses
and houses of worship, in-
cluding a Ghanaian church
and a Samskriti cultural
center, are allowed to oper-
ate in the same area.
Property records show
the church address is a sin-
gle-family home owned by
a church elder, while the
church itself is in a differ-
ent neighborhood. Re-
cords also show the ad-
dress listed for the cultural
center is being used as a
residence.
Shortly before receiving
the letter from the city,
Heimish also received no-
tice last July from an attor-
ney for the area homeown-
ers association, the West
Bellfort Property Owners
Association, of its apparent
violation of the deed re-
striction. The HOA board
decided not to take action
after hearing from Heim-
ish’s rabbi at a board meet-
ing, according to the law-
suit.
Mayor Sylvester Turner
did not immediately re-
EVICTION
From page A3
lic-inspection.federalregis-
ter.gov/2020-19654.pdf
Then, give it to your
landlord.
Do I still have to pay
back rent and late fees?
Unless your state, mu-
nicipality and/or landlord
say otherwise, yes. The or-
der doesn’t prevent tenants
from needing to pay rent
eventually or pay any late
fees. It protects people who
can’t pay from being put on
the streets.
I thought this was a
moratorium on evic-
tions, why are people
saying “order?”
Not quite. The order is
supposed to halt evictions
for qualifying tenants, but
evictions are still happen-
ing. Landlords can still post
FENTANYL
From page A3
286 in 2020. In response,
the Houston Police Depart-
ment has tasked several of-
ficers with investigating
overdoses and deaths, he
said.
The squad, a four-per-
son unit in the narcotics di-
vision, responds to non-fa-
tal overdoses to attempt to
direct victims to treat-
ment, and investigate fatal
overdoses to pursue cases
against drug suppliers. So
far this year, officers have
filed charges in six cases
and identified 30 other
dealers they are pursuing
cases against, he said.
“We are making a differ-
ence,” Jones said, acknowl-
edging that the initial
charges are “a drop in the
bucket.”
“But it’s our attempt to
actually address this prob-
lem.”
spond to a request for com-
ment. The city has yet to
file a response to Heimish’s
petition, according to
court records.
Heimish contends that
the city, by threatening to
enforce the deed restric-
tion, is violating a provi-
sion of the federal Religious
Land Use and Institutional-
ized Persons Act that says
no government “shall im-
pose or implement a land
use regulation in a manner
that imposes a substantial
burden on the religious ex-
ercise of a person, includ-
ing a religious assembly or
institution,” unless the en-
forcement furthers a “com-
pelling governmental inter-
est” and is the “least re-
strictive means” of further-
ing the interest.
Heimish argued in its
court filing that the city
would not be furthering a
“compelling governing in-
terest” by applying the
deed restriction and forc-
ing Heimish to move.
The congregation argues
that the city also is violat-
ing a similar provision of
the Texas Religious Free-
dom Restoration Act, along
with an anti-discrimination
clause of the Fair Housing
Act.
Vaughn James, a profes-
sor at Texas Tech Universi-
ty School of Law who spe-
cializes in religious law,
said the city’s defense is
weakened by the presence
notices to vacate, and some
people will leave upon get-
ting that notice even
though they’re protected.
Many tenants don’t know
about the order. Some-
times landlords ignore it.
Sometimes even eviction
judges don’t apply it.
What were the solu-
tions proposed in the let-
ter advocacy groups sent
to the Biden administra-
tion?
In a letter drafted by the
National Low Income
Housing Coalition and
signed by 2,300 other orga-
nizations, advocates urged
the Biden administration to
strengthen the order and
close its loopholes. While
the order allows landlords
who violate it to be prose-
cuted, there is no formal
mechanism for tenants to
file complaints.
The letter urges the ad-
ministration to create such
At the news conference,
DEA Houston Associate
Special Agent-in-Charge
Erik Smith said Houston-
based agents have seized
growing amounts of fenta-
nyl in recent years. In 2019,
for example, federal
agents seized about 50 ki-
lograms of fentanyl. Last
year, that number had
grown to 323 kilograms,
and so far this year, agents
have seized more than 200
kilograms.
Smith blamed the rise in
fentanyl seizures on a
flood of drugs from Mexi-
co, synthesized from
chemicals imported to
Mexico from China.
“They see this as purely
market share,” he said. “If
you think about what that
means … they’re getting
rich, off of death.”
As authorities warned of
a potential crisis, experts
said it mirrored past warn-
ings about other drugs that
overdramatized problems
HH Houston Chronicle | HoustonChronicle.com | Friday, April 2, 2021 | A13
Brett Coomer / Staff photographer
of other businesses nearby
and its failure to take action
against the synagogue until
well after Heimish began
practicing there.
James also said city offi-
cials will have to demon-
strate that the synagogue
presents some sort of prob-
lem to the area, and that
they gave Heimish an op-
portunity to address the is-
sue or pursued other solu-
tions before enforcing the
deed restriction.
“They’d have to show
that, OK, this is residential
and now you have a syna-
gogue in there and it’s caus-
ing some problem, where
you have traffic conges-
tion, you have noise —
which I don’t think a syna-
gogue would cause — or
you have kids running back
and forth, or whatever,”
James said.
Among the groups re-
presenting Heimish in the
lawsuit is First Liberty In-
stitute, a religious liberty
law firm based in Plano.
One of the attorneys on the
case, Jeff Mateer, served as
Attorney General Ken Pax-
ton’s top aide before he re-
signed last October and
joined six other high-rank-
ing employees in accusing
Paxton of abuse of office,
bribery and improper in-
fluence. Mateer now serves
as First Liberty Institute’s
chief legal officer.
jasper.scherer@chron.com
a mechanism, and to forbid
landlords from serving
eviction notices at all. It al-
so asks the Biden adminis-
tration to require landlords
to alert tenants about the
protections.
Does this apply only to
government-backed
housing?
No. The order applies to
private landlords as well.
Wait. I thought the De-
partment of Housing and
Urban Development han-
dled housing. Why is this
coming from the CDC?
It’s extremely rare for
the CDC to issue an order
like this, but this order cites
42 CFR 70.2, which says
that the CDC can intervene
if measures taken to pre-
vent a disease (like CO-
VID-19) “are insufficient to
prevent the spread of any
of the communicable dis-
eases.”
associated with them.
When fentanyl first
emerged on the national
landscape, for example,
many authorities reported
claims about negative side
effects or overdoses from
accidental skin contact
with a minuscule portion
of the drug — something
that experts say is virtually
impossible.
Leo Beletsky, a profes-
sor at Northeastern Uni-
versity in Boston who stud-
ies the health impact of
laws and policing, said that
much of the use of illicit
fentanyl today can be
traced to 2008 and 2009,
when the federal govern-
ment brought pressure to
bear on opioid producers
of drugs like oxycontin or
hydrocodone. That
pushed users toward hero-
in — and later, to fentanyl.
“We need to recenter
science in how we ap-
proach problematic sub-
stance use,” he said.
A14 | Friday, April 2, 2021 | HoustonChronicle.com | Houston Chronicle
FROM THE COVER
Voting restrictions bill clears Texas Senate
By Taylor Goldenstein
AUSTI N BU RE AU
Hours after midnight
Thursday morning, the Re-
publican-dominated Texas
Senate approved a bill that
will restrict voting access
in the name of preventing
fraud.
“This bill is about mak-
ing it easy to vote and hard
to cheat,” the bill’s author,
state Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-
Mineola, said in a video to
supporters about 2 a.m.
“We had a long debate.
Scores of amendments
were offered, and at the
end of the day, Texas
passed a strong election in-
tegrity bill that we can be
proud of.”
Yet Democrats repeated-
ly warned throughout the
debate of disproportionate
effects that Senate Bill 7
would have on minority
voters in a state that al-
ready has some of the most
restrictive voting laws in
the country. They also
characterized the bill as
part of a national GOP ef-
fort to clamp down on vot-
ing after the party lost the
White House and the Sen-
ate last year, even in the ab-
sence of evidence to sub-
stantiate claims of wide-
spread voter fraud.
“As I see this bill, it’s a
pure case of suppression.
There are some things in
here that are really offen-
sive,” said Sen. Borris
Miles, D-Houston. “This
hurts to the core.”
Despite those objec-
tions, the bill passed on a
party-line vote, with all 18
Republicans in favor and
all 13 Democrats opposed.
Just two parts of the bill
received bipartisan sup-
port — a requirement, plus
funding, for counties to
use voting machines that
produce a paper trail and
another for the secretary
of state to develop an elec-
tronic mail ballot tracking
system for counties.
The House has a similar
voting bill, House Bill 6,
that would raise penalties
for election fraud viola-
tions and impeding a poll
watcher.
The House Elections
Committee began to hear
testimony on the measure
early Thursday and contin-
ued to question witnesses
well into the evening, with
legislators and testifiers re-
peating many of the argu-
ments discussed in the
Senate.
Hughes denied that the
Senate bill was part of a na-
tional push by GOP-led
states, bringing attention
to a similar bill he authored
last session, SB 9, that in-
cluded some of the same
provisions.
“Texas has been work-
ing on this for some time,
years and years,” Hughes
said. “This is not part of
some national discussion.”
Here’s a rundown of the
major provisions of the
bill:
1. Allows partisan poll
watchers to video record
voters
The bill would allow par-
tisan poll watchers who
“reasonably believe” they
are witnessing election
laws being broken to re-
cord video or audio at the
polls and submit it to the
secretary of state for re-
view. The videos would not
be allowed to be released
publicly.
Poll watchers — volun-
teers assigned by candi-
dates and political parties
— also must be allowed to
be “near enough to see and
hear” election officers and
cannot be “denied free
movement.”
Democrats raised con-
cerns that the provision
would result in voter intim-
idation — especially of peo-
ple of color — by poll
watchers.
Toni Pippins-Poole, Dal-
HH
Bryan Hughes of Mineola, shown with fellow GOP state Sen. Angela Paxton of
McKinney, authored the bill on voting restrictions passed by the Texas Senate.
las county’s election direc-
tor, reported in 2018 that
poll watchers who insulted
voters and interrogated
them while they stood in
line created a level of ha-
rassment that was unlike
anything she’d seen in her
30-year career.
2. Puts new restric-
tions on polling place lo-
cations in large counties
Under the bill, large
counties would have to set
polling places and the
number of voting ma-
chines based on the num-
ber of eligible voters in a
given state House district.
“Isn’t it ironic that this
formula, just by happen-
stance, once again, just ap-
plies to urban counties that
are Democratic?” said Sen.
Royce West, D-Dallas.
Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-
Houston, said the provi-
sion would cause a “very
stunning discrepancy” in
the 14 House districts that
would lose polling loca-
Bob Daemmrich / CapitolPressPhoto
tions — of those, 12 are in
districts represented by
House members who are
Black, Latino or of Asian
descent.
“The intent of this is to
prevent either party to use
partisan advantage to
place polling places in a
way that favors their party
over the other party,”
Hughes said. “The idea is
to equalize based on eligi-
ble voters, not voter turn-
out, but eligible voters. We
cannot imagine a more ob-
jective criteria to use.”
3. Bans overnight and
drive-thru voting
These expansions were
pioneered by Harris Coun-
ty election officials in the
2020 election. SB 7 would
limit early voting hours to 6
a.m. to 9 p.m. and prohibit
drive-thru voting by clari-
fying that polling places
cannot be “in a tent or oth-
er temporary movable
structure or in a facility
primarily designed for mo-
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick delivers pizza and sodas to state senators just after
midnight, the start of a new day in the 2017 legislative session.
SENATE
From page A1
ty) before gaveling in all
over again.
Lawmakers went even
further to make like it was a
new day. They did a morn-
ing roll call and a prayer,
though just one minute
had passed since they ad-
journed and nobody had
left the Senate Chamber.
Thirty minutes later,
Senate Bill 7 was a done
deal. If approved by the
Texas House and signed by
Gov. Greg Abbott — who
has made voting legislation
a priority this year — its
provisions will arm parti-
san poll watchers with new
authority to capture video
of voters at the polls and re-
port them to authorities, a
measure decried by civil
rights groups that say it
reeks of Jim Crow.
It also adds new restric-
tions for voting by mail,
puts new restrictions on
polling places in large
counties — another feature
that will suppress voters of
color, opponents say — and
prohibits keeping polls
open late at night for those
who work 9-to-5 jobs.
Meddling with the clock
is a well-established cus-
tor vehicles.”
Hughes has said the pur-
pose of the ban is to ensure
that poll watchers are avail-
able.
Alvarado questioned the
motivation for these provi-
sions after citing estimates
from Harris County’s elec-
tion office that Black and
Latino voters cast more
than half of drive-thru and
extended-hour votes.
“There’s nothing in this
bill that has to do with tar-
geting specific groups,”
Hughes said. “The rules
apply across the board.”
4. Prohibits mass-
mailing of absentee bal-
lot applications
Another novel 2020 vot-
ing expansion by Harris
County election officials
targeted in the bill was the
attempt to send millions of
registered voters applica-
tions to vote by mail, an ef-
fort to make voters aware
of more convenient voting
options during the pan-
tom in the Texas Legisla-
ture to speed things up.
Over the years, the Senate
has used the procedure
late in the session when
they are running short on
time, said Brandon Rot-
tinghaus, a University of
Houston political science
professor.
But under Patrick, the
Senate has used the tactic
earlier in sessions. Patrick
has been somewhat of a
“racehorse” who wants to
get priority bills voted on
and sent to the House
quickly, Rottinghaus said.
Regardless of why law-
makers are moving faster,
the result is that the gener-
al public has less opportu-
nity to review changes to
important bills and to con-
tact their representatives
to voice support or opposi-
tion.
“There’s no way you’re
going to get input at 2
a.m.,” said state Sen. John
Whitmire of Houston, who
joined every Democrat in
the chamber in opposition
to SB7.
To be sure, the public
had many other chances to
speak on the legislation last
week. On Friday the Senate
State Affairs Committee
had a 13-hour hearing that
included hours of testimo-
demic.
Republicans sued over
the plan, saying it might
confuse noneligible mail
voters, and the Texas Su-
preme Court sided with
the party, forcing the coun-
ty to toss reams upon
reams of the paperwork.
A provision that would
have required voters with a
disability — one of the few
groups allowed to vote by
mail in Texas — to provide
backup documentation,
such as a doctor’s note or
Social Security Adminis-
tration paperwork, was re-
moved in an amendment
Thursday.
5. Requires paper-
work for drivers of curb-
side voters
The bill would require
nonrelatives who drive
three or more curbside vot-
ers to the polls at the same
time to fill out a form given
to them by the early voting
clerk that would be sent to
the secretary of state. Tex-
as law allows curbside vot-
ing only for voters who
physically cannot enter the
polling place without help
or the likelihood of injur-
ing themselves.
The form for drivers
would be made available
for the attorney general
“only if there’s an investi-
gation after there’s a com-
plaint from a voter,”
Hughes said.
Sen. John Whitmire, D-
Houston, said the provi-
sion “really doesn’t have a
lot to do with securing the
polls other than maybe in
some instance someone
gave someone a ride to the
poll if they’ll vote the way
they ask them.”
Hughes said it was add-
ed upon the recommenda-
tion of Starr County offi-
cials in the Rio Grande Val-
ley who had experienced
problems with curbside as-
sistants.
taylor.goldenstein@chron.com
Staff file photo
ny from the public on the
bill. But that testimony was
before the bill was rewrit-
ten after that hearing then
heavily amended again in
the wee hours of Thursday.
The Senate began de-
bate on the bill on Wednes-
day night around 6 p.m.
and went until 1:39 a.m. be-
fore flipping the calendar.
That did give lawmakers
more than seven hours to
debate the bill, even
though major portions of
the bill later were changed
during the debate. Patrick
also gave Democrats wide
latitude to question and de-
bate the legislation be-
cause he said he recog-
nized the bill’s impor-
tance.
The amendments al-
tered the language on how
the number of polling loca-
tions will be reduced, cut
provisions that could have
required people to get a
doctor’s note to prove they
are disabled and included
restrictions on how poll
watchers could use video
recordings at a polling site.
Thursday evening, the
Texas House was holding
its own marathon evening
on the legislation.
jeremy.wallace@chron.com
twitter.com/jeremyswallace

FROM THE COVER
TEACHERS
From page A1
how to teach aspiring teach-
ers virtually and get them
the classroom experience
they need to thrive after
graduation.
The pandemic has forced
colleges to get more cre-
ative, especially in states
where most schools have
been closed for more than a
year, said Gloria Ladson-Bil-
lings, president of the Na-
tional Academy of Educa-
tion and a retired professor
of education at the Universi-
ty of Wisconsin. In Madi-
son, for example, Ladson-
Billings created a tutoring
program that benefits low-
income students whose par-
ents work during the day, as
well as student teachers
who need practicum hours.
Still, Ladson-Billings
said, aspiring teachers who
are not in actual classrooms
are missing out on learning
about the “connective tis-
sue” of teaching, including
how to manage transitions
and how to keep students
on task. And tutoring pro-
grams such as hers in Wis-
consin still do not satisfy
many states’ prerequisites
for student-teaching hours.
“I think most state de-
partments of education and
teacher preparation pro-
grams have been scram-
bling about how to meet
these requirements,” Lad-
son-Billings said.
Texas was one of only
four states to require
schools to offer in-person
instruction last fall, so se-
niors in teacher preparation
programs here have had
more access to shadow and
work with teachers in face-
to-face settings. Many of
those students have been
spending their final year
learning remotely them-
selves.
The University of Hous-
ton’s College of Education,
for example, has been re-
mote since the pandemic
hit the United States last
March.
When what seemed like a
Third-graders Kelli Blair, 9, from left, Jennifer Rosa, 8, and Niam Patel, 8, participate in a virtual session
with Texas A&M senior Grace Neal during their class at Grand Oaks Elementary School in Tomball.
temporary switch to virtual
classes ended up lasting the
rest of the spring 2020 se-
mester, Shea Culpepper, di-
rector of teacher education
at UH’s College of Educa-
tion, felt the pangs of panic.
She worried the class of
2020 would be unprepared
to begin their careers in
Zoom chats instead of class-
rooms. There was no time
to go back and instruct
them how virtual teaching
might work, but she soon
realized the core of what
her students had learned re-
mained the same in remote
settings.
“What we have taught
them about what good
teaching is has not changed.
It’s still about understand-
ing student thinking and
building on that,” Culpep-
per said. “The foundation
hasn’t changed, but how
you deliver that instruction
has changed.”
Limitations to lessons
College students have
taken courses online for
years, but transitioning to
virtual classes entirely also
Neal is one of about 120 Texas A&M students doing
their student-teaching hours in Tomball ISD remotely.
gave instructors an oppor-
tunity to demonstrate how
it was done, said Robin
Rackley, a clinical professor
at Texas A&M’s College of
Education and Human De-
velopment.
She began to show stu-
dents the content manage-
ment system she used to
grade them and detailed
how she posted and
planned assignments for
their courses.
HH Houston Chronicle | HoustonChronicle.com | Friday, April 2, 2021 |
Photos by Melissa Phillip/Staff photographer
“I post material a week at
a time, so I’ll ask them why
they think I do that instead
of loading the whole semes-
ter at once,” Rackley said.
“What am I looking for
them to say? It could be
overwhelming to students
to see the whole semester.
What if they’re working on
an assignment and you see
they need more time? If we
haven’t loaded week two,
we could add that assign-
ment to week two, or if we
already know this concept,
we can move ahead.”
Those lessons have limi-
tations, however. Rather
than sit in on actual classes,
many seniors at UH and
A&M had to watch prere-
corded videos of teachers
giving lessons in different
content areas, such as math
and social studies. Students
could watch but were not
able to ask why the teachers
decided to use certain tech-
niques or how they were
able to recapture a distract-
ed student’s attention.
Some struggles
Justin Burris, a clinical as-
sistant professor who spe-
cializes in math education
at the University of Hous-
ton’s College of Education,
said he has been showing
his students how to teach
concepts, such as counting,
by doing it with them over
video calls. When his les-
sons are finished, his stu-
dents sometimes struggle
with how to take what they
just learned and apply it to a
virtual setting.
A15
“My students will ask,
‘How can I do this online?’
and I’m like, ‘We just did it
online,’ ” Burris said. “They
don’t always make that con-
nection, but they’re seeing
both sides of that coin.”
For Jennifer Martinez
and her mentor at Alief
ISD’s Outley Elementary,
this year has been like in-
venting a car while driving
it. Neither is particularly
tech savvy, but they have
managed to teach them-
selves and their students
how to use Zoom and the
online platform Schoology.
When kids returned to
school in October, they
worked together to estab-
lish best practices for teach-
ing in-person students and
remote students at the same
time.
Eventually, she began to
settle into a rhythm, thanks
largely to her mentor’s en-
couragement and lessons in
classroom management
and pedagogical tech-
niques.
“I feel that if you have
taught students remotely
and face to face at the same
time, it’s possible to achieve
anything, because it’s really
hard to engage the students
online, keep them on track
online and face to face,”
Martinez said. “It’s just a
hassle.”
Neal, the Texas A&M stu-
dent working remotely in
Tomball ISD, is just ready to
get into a classroom. She
will be able to do that next
fall in the Austin area as she
finished up her senior year
in December. She is eager to
learn more classroom man-
agement techniques and
the little things that cannot
be done via video calls —
checking students’ work
over their shoulders, lead-
ing educational games,
learning more about their
personalities and stories.
“Just being able to be
with them every day and to
get to know them,” Neal
said. “I want the full immer-
sion.”
shelby.webb@chron.com
twitter.com/shelbywebb
 OPINION
HOUSTON CHRONICLE • FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 2021 • PAGE A16 HH

EDITORIAL

Go Coogs, go!
For a pandemic-weary city, UH reaching the
Final Four is a reason to stand up and cheer.
It’s been a rough year for Houston
sports. The Texans tanked, the Rockets
lost their Beard and even an Astros
home run doesn’t seem to fly as high
after the sign-stealing scandal. Enter the
Coogs, who have managed to extend
our March Madness into April and have
given a pandemic-weary city a reason
to stand up and cheer.
The University of Houston Cougars
are in the Final Four of the men’s NCAA
championship. They are two wins away
from making school history and from
capturing a trophy that has eluded a
Texas team for more than 50 years.
They deserve our praise for coming this
far and our support as they take on
Baylor on Saturday.
“I’m proud of these kids, proud of
the heart, proud of battling through so
many things this year, whether it was
injuries or transfers or a tough loss here
or there,” said Coach Kelvin Sampson.
“For this team to be 28-3 and going to
the Final Four, this is one of the greatest
accomplishments I’ve been around.”
That is not an empty boast, but in-
spiring words from a coach who cele-
brated his 1,000th career game with a
win over Oregon State last week that
sent the team to the national semifinals.
The Cougars — led by starters Quentin
Grimes, Marcus Sasser, DeJon Jarreau,
Justin Gorham and Reggie Chaney — are
energetic and resilient, full of hustle
and heart. No wonder Houston is pay-
ing attention. Game recognizes game.
The team’s success did not come
overnight. Under Sampson, they’ve
been steadily working to get where they
are, with one of the stingiest defenses
in the country, allowing fewer than 58
points per game and out-rebounding
opponents by an average 11 boards a
game. This is the Cougars’ third appear-
ance in the Big Dance in as many years
— with a Sweet Sixteen bow in 2019 —
and represents a return to form after a
decades-long drought.
For almost 20 years, the Coogs were
in the national spotlight. Under legend-
ary coach Guy Lewis, the team made 14
trips to the NCAA tournament, reached
the Final Four five times and played in
the championship game twice. The
team’s final appearance was in 1984,
which marked the end of Houston’s Phi
Slama Jama heyday — spurred by future
NBA Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon
and Clyde Drexler — and the start of a
long slide into roundball irrelevance.
Sampson was hired in 2014 in what
turned out to be the perfect match
between a disgraced coach looking for
redemption and a school searching for
a savior. At the time, Sampson was an
assistant coach with the Rockets. He
had been a winning head college coach
at Oklahoma and Indiana before he ran
afoul of NCAA regulations — which were
later changed — and was practically
banned for five years over repeated
recruiting violations. Five years ago,
Sampson could be found in the UH
Student Center, sitting with students
over their Chick-fil-A, passing out swag
and urging them to come to games at
the then-Hofheinz Pavilion. Proof that
redemption is available for those who
seek it, now he’s restored our faith in
Houston sports.
If the Cougars can beat Baylor, it will
mean a first-time championship game
for Sampson and hopefully, a third-time
lucky try for Houston. But the Final
Four clash with the Waco-based power-
house is already one for the books.
Since 1939, only five times have teams
from the same state faced off in the
semifinals and no two Texas teams have
ever come this far in the same season.
Only one team from the Lone Star
State — Texas Western, now the Univer-
sity of Texas at El Paso — has ever won
it all, back in a historic run in 1966
against Kentucky.
Baylor is a formidable opponent and
oddsmakers pick the Bears to win, but
there’s more to sports than statistics
and we’re happy to root for the un-
dercat. Especially when the team’s
turnaround and championship dreams
come with a hashtag: For the City.
The Cougars are giving it their all for
all of us. A city that is used to facing
challenges and defying the odds should
return the favor.
Saturday can’t come soon enough.
Jamie Squire / Getty Images
DeJon Jarreau hoists the Midwest
Regional Champion trophy Monday in
the NCAA tournament in Indianapolis.
LETTERS
What’s in a name?
Don’t forget the past
Regarding “HISD to consider renaming
Wilson school.” (A3, March 31): Houston
ISD trustees and others who accept the
task of renaming institutions and other
prominent historical features would be
best served by remembering Winston
Churchill’s famous quotation, “A nation
that forgets its past has no future.”
Carol J. Rhodes, Texas City
The test of time
I will not opine on whether the name of
any city street, public school, university
building, hospital, parks, forest, seashore,
etc., should be changed because the origi-
nal owner of the moniker is no longer
viewed as being worthy of the honor.
That’s for our society as a whole to judge.
And that’s as it should be. But I will sug-
gest we, as a society, should stop naming
things after humans. Period. Never again.
Game over. No person’s behavior over her
or his lifetime will ultimately stand the test
of time. Everyone’s flaws and faults, large
or small, will eventually be rooted out.
And I’m not trying to be cute here. I just
think it’s time we learn something from all
this. I’m certain that today we — including
folks after whom stuff might be named —
engage in behaviors that most our society
tolerates but will offend our grandchildren
and great-grandchildren. So let’s just stop
this practice now and save future genera-
tions all the associated angst. That said, I
don’t know what names are safe from
later judgment. Again, not my job.
Gene Fisseler, Houston
Jury pay
Regarding “Clerk pitches sharp boost in
jury duty pay,” (A3, March 30): Based on
my experience as a trial lawyer at a major
Houston law firm, a former member of
City Council and as a would-be juror
showing up when summoned to jury duty,
I agree with District Clerk Marilyn Bur-
gess’ assertion that increasing the first day
Steve Gonzales / Staff photographer
Harris County District Clerk Marilyn
Burgess proposes to pay potential
jurors $50 on the first day of service.
jury duty pay will make a positive differ-
ence. Many Harris County citizens, partic-
ularly minorities and other low-income
county residents, cannot afford to miss a
day’s pay for a $6 stipend. If first-day pay
is increased to $50, the number of individ-
uals summoned to such service could be
reduced because the number who will
show up will increase substantially. Anoth-
er observation is that once a large and
diverse number of citizens are present
and ready to serve on juries, more cases
will be settled, because the unpredictabili-
ty of jury verdicts will lead plaintiff’s
lawyers, defense lawyers and insurance
adjusters to make the prudent decision to
negotiate their peace for a certain sum,
rather than “roll the dice” with a Harris
County jury. Settlements will reduce trial
dockets and the number of jurors re-
quired for the second and subsequent
days of trials. I believe that if Commission-
ers Court gives Burgess’ proposal a real-
istic try, it will find significant savings in
the long run.
Jim Greenwood, Houston
BIBLE VERSE
She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
Proverbs 31:17

The blame machine is running at full throttle

Kathleen Parker says creating an
independent body to investigate the
national response to the pandemic is
an important step.
No one likes the blame game — except
the blamer. Now that COVID-19 is spiking
again in the midst of massive vaccination
efforts, the blame machine is running at
full throttle.
During CNN’s documentary interviews
with Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx this
past weekend, the two scientists pointed a
finger or two at former President Donald
Trump for missteps that led, in Birx’s
estimation, to thousands, if not hundreds
of thousands, of unnecessary American
deaths. Trump responded in kind, blam-
ing Birx and Fauci for terrible ideas which,
he said, he prudently ignored.
But facts are facts, and there’s no dis-
puting that Trump’s actions and attitudes
during the first and second waves of the
pandemic were often driven by politics
instead of medicine. Birx pointed to the
time last April when Trump tweeted,
“Liberate Minnesota,” “Liberate Virginia”
and “Liberate Michigan,” encouraging
protesters to fight state orders in direct
contradiction to what the federal govern-
ment, via the coronavirus task force
(namely Birx and Fauci), was recommend-
ing.
Birx was careful to avoid saying that
Trump threatened her when she spoke up
last fall urging rural residents to take the
virus seriously. The president called her
afterward to reprimand her in a conversa-
tion Birx described as “uncomfortable”
and “hard to hear.”
“Uncomfortable” is an apt way to de-
scribe how Birx routinely looked during
those regular White House news confer-
ences with Trump during the pandemic’s
peak. Her colorful trademark scarves were
inadequate to distract from body language
that conveyed disbelief if not alarm at
what the president was saying. Memora-
bly, last April, Trump suggested that in-
jecting disinfectants into human beings
might kill the virus and turned toward Birx
for affirmation. “You’re going to look into
that, aren’t you?” he said.
If she wasn’t suppressing a scream, I
was. Why doesn’t she say something?, I
heard myself shouting at the screen. Why,
during all those months, as thousands
were dying, didn’t she say, “Enough! This
is ridiculous!”? Fauci, too, conveyed a
stoic’s resolve to reveal nothing of his
professional or personal thoughts as
Trump often rambled through the daily
data. Fauci told reporters in late January
that he felt liberated by Trump’s departure
from the White House.
That’s nice, but shouldn’t Fauci have
been more outspoken in disrupting
Trump’s stream-of-consciousness mental
meandering? Quitting a job to speak freely
seems nobler than being trapped in the
frame with a president so plainly out of his
depth. Trump had special words for Fauci,
too, after the CNN interview. In the docu-
mentary, Fauci described his decision to
go “all out” for the vaccines as “the best
decision that I’ve ever made.” Trump
insisted that he was responsible for expe-
diting development of the vaccines.
From Trump’s perspective, he saved the
economy from collapse by minimizing the
urgency of shutdowns; his science ad-
stantially reduced.” Those are strong
words aimed directly at Trump. But
visers’ view is that the shutdowns prevent-
ed out-of-control contagion and massive
shouldn’t Birx also accept some responsi-
bility for minding her tongue and allowing
death. Both views have merit, but econo-
mies are more easily revived than lives
the president’s pandemic to flourish?
When does knowing better but doing
lost. nothing become tantamount to complici-
Among other facts we know, thanks to ty?
Trump’s interviews with the Washington Interviews are interesting, but carefully
Post’s Bob Woodward, Trump knew in crafted guilt notes aren’t helpful to the
early February how deadly the virus was challenges ahead. Blame reaps no harvest.
and that it was transmitted through the What Americans need now is clarity and
air. Fauci also must have known since he fealty to facts.
joined Trump’s coronavirus task force on The recently proposed National Corona-
Jan. 29, 2020. Yet, for weeks thereafter, virus Commission Act is an important step
the government’s best advice was “wash in that direction. Bipartisan and bicamer-
your hands” and “don’t touch your face.” al, the legislation would create an inde-
Given the threat of a deadly airborne pendent body to investigate the nation’s
virus, the task force’s prescription was preparedness and response to the pan-
akin to telling children in the 1950s and demic in the fashion of the 9/11 Commis-
1960s to get under their desks in case of a sion. What I fear they’ll find is that Amer-
nuclear attack. ican lives were sacrificed to feed the appe-
Birx told CNN that the first 100,000 tite of an insatiable narcissist who, like the
deaths were nobody’s fault because no virus he minimized, cares only about
one understood what was happening self-propagation.
initially. After that, however, a lack of
federal policy caused subsequent deaths Parker is a columnist for the Washington
that could have been “mitigated or sub- Post.
F o u n d e d 1 9 0 1 • A H e a r s t N e w s pa p e r
John C. McKeon, Publisher | john.mckeon@chron.com
Jack Sweeney, Chairman | jack.sweeney@chron.com
Steve Riley, Executive Editor | steve.riley@chron.com
Maria Reeve, Managing Editor / Content | maria.reeve@chron.com
Mark Lorando, Managing Editor / Audience | mark.lorando@chron.com
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Michael Lindenberger, Deputy Opinion Editor | michael.lindenberger@chron.com
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OUTLOOK
‘Frugal design’ spurs
medical innovations
By Rebecca Richards-Kortum
and Theresa Mkandawire
Dr. Msandeni Chiume Kayuni found
herself in the middle of a supply crisis as
COVID-19 spread to Africa in April 2020.
As head of pediatrics at Kamuzu Central
Hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi, her team
faced a critical shortage of N95 and reg-
ular surgical face masks. Nurses and doc-
tors were striking.
“We had members of hospital staff put
their tools down because they did not feel
it was safe to practice,” she told us in an
interview.
Ingenuity kicked in. The Malawi team
purchased raincoats from the local mar-
ket to use as personal protective equip-
ment when they could not afford appro-
priate gowns that cost three times as
much. Unlike disposable gowns, the rain
gear could easily be sanitized in bleach
and reused.
Worldwide, as the global supply chain
for basic PPE, diagnostic tests and equip-
ment to treat critically ill COVID-19 pa-
tients buckled under the strain, medical
personnel improvised and engineers
began developing solutions almost over-
night. Engineering students used universi-
ty-based makerspaces to invent and pro-
duce new technologies — face shields,
automated handwashing stations, diag-
nostic testing equipment and respiratory
support equipment — that allowed health
care workers to safely deliver effective
care.
As engineers working in the U.S. and
Malawi to develop effective and afford-
able medical devices for low-resource
communities, we routinely practice and
teach this level of resourcefulness,
dubbed “frugal design.”
Spreading the light
Medical personnel reused available
N95 masks, intended to be used once, for
weeks or months, which required in-
novative ways to disinfect them, including
heaters, gas sterilizers and ultraviolet
light.
UVC — short-wavelength ultraviolet
light — kills or inactivates viruses, in-
cluding SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes
COVID-19. In the pandemic, scientists set
up UVC systems in spare rooms at hospi-
tals to sanitize masks.
The University of Nebraska Medical
Center equipped a room with UVC light
towers and coated the walls with reflec-
tive foil to maximize the dose of UVC
light. Dirty masks are clipped to rows of
clothesline strung across the UVC room.
An operator outside the room started the
lights, and a detector in the room ensured
the masks had received a virus-killing
dose of light. Masks can be disinfected
and reused multiple times without dam-
aging their integrity.
Engineers in Houston, Malawi and
Tanzania worked together to reduce the
cost of room-based UVC disinfection
systems to less than $800, and several
systems are now installed in hospitals in
Malawi and Tanzania. Engineers at other
locations built disinfecting stations by
adapting UV lights in the hoods normally
used to grow cells in culture or by repur-
posing the UV light in an aquarium san-
itizer.
Local innovation for PPE
Across the world, engineering students
used novel makerspaces at universities
with 3D printers and laser cutters to rush
new PPE designs into large-scale local
production. Students and staff at Malawi’s
two engineering schools, Malawi Poly-
Biden goes big, bold again in plan to overhaul America
Gail Collins says his whopper of an
infrastructure initiative is so large it’s
going to require a lot of pondering on
the part of serious citizens.
Maybe historians will look back on this
as the year of Old Power.
Think about it. Older people, who were
some of the first in line for the vaccine
shots, are now being celebrated as the
leaders of the post-COVID social scene.
“Good news: I just got vaccinated!” tweet-
ed Steve Martin. “Bad news: I got it be-
cause I’m 75.”
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden, 78, is
going like a house on fire. A few weeks
ago Congress passed his $1.9 trillion CO-
VID relief bill. Now he’s introducing the
world to his $2 trillion infrastructure
plan. Second big whopper of an initiative
from a guy lots of Americans expected to
be sort of … mild, like a mellow aging
uncle who might own a very nippy Ger-
man shepherd.
Everything Biden is big! This infrastruc-
ture plan is so large it’s going to require a
lot of pondering on the part of serious
citizens. Your first question is probably
going to be …
What exactly is a trillion?
OK, I know it doesn’t come up in your
normal check-balancing. A trillion is a
thousand billions, and the next thing after
that would be a quadrillion, which is
1,000 trillions. A quadrillion is … a lot. If
you traveled back in time a quadrillion
technic and the Malawi University of
Science and Technology, and at Tan-
zania’s Dar es Salaam Institute of Tech-
nology, adapted open-source designs to
produce face shields. They consulted with
clinicians at partner hospitals to improve
comfort and safety while using only local-
ly available materials.
Development organizations, including
UNICEF and the United Nations Devel-
opment Program, ordered over 52,000
face shields that were locally produced
and delivered to area hospitals.
Reinforcing ventilator supplies
In response to the global shortage of
ventilators in the first months of the pan-
demic last year, engineers designed sim-
ple devices to provide temporary breath-
ing support. Open-source plans for two
systems, one designed by the MIT Emer-
gency Ventilator Project and one de-
signed by students and staff at Rice Uni-
versity, are available online.
A global shortage of oxygen in low-
resource countries has led many health
care providers in those countries to fall
back on mechanical ventilation. Ventila-
tors are also in short supply, in part be-
cause of problems with a U.S. ventilator
donation program.
Students and faculty at the Malawi
University of Science and Technology
developed a system similar to the MIT
and Rice ventilators that can be assem-
bled using materials available in Malawi.
Students at Malawi Polytechnic worked
with local physicians to develop a ventila-
tor with more features.
Hygiene innovation
Public health officials emphasize the
role of handwashing, together with social
distancing and face masks, to curb the
continued spread of COVID-19. However,
many schools and even some hospitals in
low-resource settings do not have running
water and sinks allowing students and
patients to regularly wash their hands.
In response, Brenald Dzonzi, an engi-
neering student at Malawi Polytechnic,
designed a no-touch hand-washing sta-
tion. Small amounts of soap and water are
automatically dispensed from pre-filled
containers when a user stands in front of
the station. The system is made from
local materials and is now installed at a
local hospital. Up to 2,000 patients can
safely wash their hands before the system
needs to be refilled.
Dzonzi was awarded the UNICEF Youth
Challenge award to fund continued devel-
opment of the handwashing station.
When equipment is unsuitable for an
environment, because it can’t tolerate
hot, dusty conditions, for example, it
ends up discarded in equipment grave-
yards — serving no one. In contrast, suc-
cessfully executed frugal designs offer
sustainability and suitability for low-
resource environments.
Universities across the world are chang-
ing how they teach engineering — focus-
ing on frugal design and engaging stu-
dents like Dzonzi to invent solutions that
solve real problems. Though the pandem-
ic sparked a global need for frugal design,
the practice is important for narrowing
the health care gap between high- and
low-resource communities and bringing
health care services to underserved areas.
Richards-Kortum is a professor of
bioengineering at Rice University.
Mkandawire is an associate professor of
civil engineering at the University of
Malawi. This piece was published in The
Conversation.
seconds you’d be able to watch the Ant-
arctic ice sheet form. We’re talking about
31.7 million years.
The Biden infrastructure plan does not
go into quadrillions — some progressives
don’t think it even goes into enough tril-
lions. (“This is not nearly enough,” tweet-
ed Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.) But
still, it’s a hell of an ambitious enterprise,
one that would, as Jim Tankersley report-
ed in the New York Times, “overhaul the
economy and remake American capital-
ism.”
OK, question two — what exactly is
infrastructure? First, we tend to think
about roads. Everybody loves roads. Well,
maybe not the one they’re planning to
run right through your backyard. But the
ones you need to get to work, to school,
to drive to visit your friends and family.
Dwight Eisenhower will always be re-
membered as the president who gave us
the national highway system, and we still
look back on him as a good guy. (True, he
was also supreme commander of Allied
forces in Europe during World War II.
Take your pick.)
Will Biden be remembered as the su-
preme commander of the American Over-
haul? Besides fixing up 20,000 miles of
roads, he wants to do everything from
HH Houston Chronicle | HoustonChronicle.com | Friday, April 2, 2021 |
Coronavirus evolved
in nature, not in a lab
By Paul Klotman
This year, one of the great events in
biology takes place: the emergence of
the 17-year cicadas. These remarkable
creatures have managed to avoid extinc-
tion by creating an event every 17 years
in the Northeast and every 13 years in
the South. Their behavior has evolved
perfectly to avoid the crushing impact of
advancing and retreating glaciers and
predators over millions of years.
What does this have to with the emer-
gence of the novel coronavirus, SARS-
CoV-2? As I listened this week to Robert
Redfield, the former director of the
CDC, tell CNN correspondent Sanjay
Gupta that, in his opinion, SARS-Cov-2
came from a laboratory in China, the
association became clear. His reasoning
was that because the virus was so capa-
ble of infecting people, it must have
originated in a laboratory in China. He
believes well-intentioned researchers
may have selected out strains that are
easier to cultivate for their research, and
in this sense designed the deadly SARS-
CoV-2 that made its way into the general
population, even if accidentally. Based
on that reasoning, the 17-year cicadas
must also have been designed in a lab-
oratory somewhere on Earth.
This is Homo sapien hubris at its
worst. In fact, nature is a much more
talented biological engineer.
Of all the science that is available
about the origin of SARS-Cov-2, that it
originated in a laboratory or was a lab-
oratory accident is the least likely expla-
nation. The data is overwhelming that
the SARS-Cov-2 originated in bats and
acquired the spike protein in a recombi-
nant event in the pangolin, a scaly ant-
eater that some cultures like to use as a
medicinal. Once it was able to be trans-
mitted to other humans, the virus was
off to the races replicating, mutating and
constantly improving its ability to infect
a new person. This was done through a
process of selection, not human design.
And there is more evidence. There are
many, many more coronaviruses in bats
living in caves that might be future in-
fectious agents in humans. We know
these viruses have the ability to move
from bat to human because studies have
shown people living near horseshoe bat
caves have antibodies to bat coronavi-
ruses. In other words, they were infec-
electrifying the yellow school bus fleets to
getting rid of lead pipes that taint the
water supply to making a $400 billion
commitment to helping the elderly and
disabled.
“A Trojan horse for massive tax hikes
and other job-killing left-wing policies,”
steamed Mitch McConnell, 79. What
Mitch hates most is the fact that Biden is
actually paying for much of what he
wants to spend, through higher taxes on
corporations.
The Republican Party used to believe
in balanced budgets, but it’s been a while.
These days a new Republican president,
be he George W. Bush or Donald Trump,
starts off with a sweeping tax cut that
leaves the government sloshing in the red.
Ronald Reagan theorized that if he cut
taxes, Congress would automatically cut
spending to match the new bottom line.
He called it “starving the beast,” although
not a single beast even suffered a serious
burp.
“ ‘Starve’ didn’t work, no,” said Eric
Toder of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy
Center. “And by the time Clinton became
president, he was really hemmed in.”
So, expect resistance from the Repub-
licans on those tax hikes. But there’s a
whole lot of other stuff that they’re going
to find very attractive. It’s hard to imagine
politicians throwing their bodies in front
of a plan that’s going to fix their down-
town bridge and get broadband service
out to the folks in remote areas.
One of the many wonderful things
about Biden’s proposal is the way it dif-
fers from Trump’s. Remember the first
A17
ted and handled the virus but did not
infect others. It took two viruses ex-
changing parts in another species to
allow it to move from person to person.
And one of the most important muta-
tions that was acquired after human to
human transmission was the one that
allows the virus to enter cells in the
upper respiratory track more easily and
probably accounts for the asymptomatic
spread of the virus.
Why does it matter?
If we believe that SARS-Cov-2 is the
result of a laboratory accident, then the
solutions to prevent this from happen-
ing again are inspection of labs, en-
hanced national security measures and
open access to monitoring viral invento-
ries — none of which will protect us
from the most likely causes of the next
pandemic.
And this is not an excuse for China. I
agree that China was the origin of the
virus and that the Chinese government
suppressed the evidence early on in an
attempt to control it before anyone
found out. And that is why the World
Health Organization must have the au-
thority to act independently in all mem-
ber countries.
By clinging to the notion that it was a
laboratory creation or laboratory acci-
dent, it puts humans, not nature, in
charge of these events. It is human su-
premacy in a world where we are just
another species on a planet with a lot of
competing biologies that could wipe out
our species.
If we can realize the real threat is
nature and viruses, and not a laboratory
accident or political enemies, we will be
in a position to do what is needed to be
prepared for the next pandemic.
We need the WHO empowered, not
denigrated. We need active and aggres-
sive viral surveillance, viral sequencing
and study of animal reservoirs. We need
ongoing and well- funded vaccine devel-
opment and distribution networks. We
need a revised public health infrastruc-
ture and data tracking program. And we
need vaccine diplomacy and coopera-
tion between scientists from all coun-
tries because this is an entire planet
problem not an American problem.
Klotman, M.D., is president, CEO and
executive dean of Baylor College of
Medicine.
Trump Infrastructure Week? He couldn’t
quite figure out what to put in the pack-
age, so he started out with a call to privat-
ize the air traffic control system.
Didn’t work out, although Trump still
really loved talking about infrastructure.
And having Weeks! Like American Dream
Week, which he celebrated with a call for
a 50 percent cut in legal immigration.
In the end, that Infrastructure Week
was a bust for highways and trains and
such. But Trump figured he was a huge
success, since he counted all his spending
on the Mexico wall (“one of the largest
infrastructure projects in the history of
our country”).
Then, in 2019, Trump scheduled an
infrastructure meeting with Nancy Pelosi
and Chuck Schumer. They were invited to
discuss a $2 trillion plan! Shades of …
now. But when the president arrived at
the meeting, he refused to shake anyone’s
hand and said he wasn’t going to talk
about stuff like road repair until the Dem-
ocrats stopped investigating his relation-
ships with Russia.
“First he said he wanted to do infra-
structure. The minute he walked in he
backed off,” Schumer recalled.
Before the Democrats were totally
shooed out of the meeting, Trump’s staff
had set up a lectern with a big new sign
saying “No Collusion, No Obstruction.”
Small minds might refer to it as one of his
better construction projects.
Collins, a New York Times Op-Ed
columnist, writes about American politics
and culture.
A18 | Friday, April 2, 2021 | HoustonChronicle.com | Houston Chronicle HH

9 DOW: 33,153.21, up 171.66 (+0.5%) |
Oil prices soar despite end to OPEC curbs
International energy cartel set to ramp up
output; West Texas rig count inches up
By Paul Takahashi
STA F F WRIT E R
Oil prices soared Thursday
even as OPEC said it would gradu-
ally increase production in May,
ending months of production cuts
that supported crude’s recovery
during the global pandemic.
West Texas Intermediate, the
Racist Mortgage rates inch up amid recovery
language
in deeds
nears end
By R.A. Schuetz
STA F F WRIT E R
Texas moved one step closer to
making it easier for neighbor-
hoods to remove racist language
that lingers — no longer enforce-
able but difficult to remove — in
real estate documents that restrict
to whom a home can be sold.
The state Senate voted unani-
mously Wednesday to pass a bill
that would allow a property owner
to file a form with the county clerk
to remove the language, which is
found in the governing documents
of many Houston neighborhoods,
including Woodland Heights,
Eastwood and Oak Forest.
“No part of said premises shall
ever be conveyed, transferred, de-
mised, leased or rented to any per-
son or persons of African de-
scent,” reads Woodland Heights’
restrictions.
“Removing the racist language
found on many deeds in Texas is
the right thing to do, and I am
proud that the Senate has taken
action to correct this offensive lan-
guage,” said Lt. Gov Dan Patrick in
a statement, praising Democratic
state Sen. Royce West of Dallas,
who introduced the bill.
The bill was sent Thursday to
the House, where it would have to
be passed before being signed into
law.
Deed restrictions are common
in planned developments across
the country, but they have special
prominence in Houston, where, in
a city famous for its lack of zoning,
they have been the only way to
regulate a neighborhood’s charac-
ter.
Restrictions drafted by develop-
ers establish guidelines on topics
ranging from a subdivision’s
hedge heights to permitted uses;
they often fend off denser, less ex-
pensive housing by limiting neigh-
borhoods to single-family homes
of a certain size. And before 1948,
they frequently restricted the race
of a community’s homeowners
and occupants.
Though race-based restrictions
have been unenforceable since
they were struck down in a U.S. Su-
preme Court ruling 70 years ago,
they contributed to housing dis-
parities affecting the city today
and still remain in many older as-
sociations’ documents, putting
those neighborhoods in a bind.
While most want to remove the
language from neighborhood
rules known as deed restrictions,
doing so is an arduous process en-
tailing hiring a lawyer and gather-
ing signatures from the majority of
Deeds continues on B6
Dual-branded hotel
opens near Galleria
Houston-based American
Liberty Hospitality opened a
dual-branded Holiday Inn Ex-
press and Staybridge Suites, a
14-story hotel at 2351 W. Loop
South in the Uptown area.
Nick Massad Jr., CEO of Amer-
ican Liberty Hospitality, cut the
ribbon on the 319-room hotel at
a Wednesday ceremony attend-
ed by employees of the family-
run business, members of the
financing, construction, design
teams and Houston First Corp.,
the city’s convention arm.
Massad said the opening,
BUSINESS
HOUSTON CHRONICLE • FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 2021 • SECTION B HH
9 S&P: 4,019.87, up 46.98 (+1.2%) |
U.S. crude benchmark, jumped
nearly 4 percent to settle in New
York at $61.45 Thursday. Prices
jumped even as the Organization
of the Petroleum Exporting Coun-
tries and its allies agreed Thurs-
day to gradually increase crude
production by 350,000 barrels
per day in May and June and by
400,000 barrels per day in July.
The average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 3.18 percent, more than half a percentage point higher than in January.
Homebuying frenzy
in pandemic shows
signs of slowing
By R.A. Schuetz
STAFF W R ITER
The housing market has been
on a tear.
Months of social distancing and
working from home had people
desperate for more space, home
offices, swimming pools, back-
yards. And money was cheap — a
combination of the economic un-
certainty caused by the pandemic
and federal policy had driven
down mortgage rates to record
lows. Some were able to secure 15-
year mortgages for as little as 2
percent, the target inflation rate,
said Frank Nothaft, chief econo-
mist for real estate analytics com-
pany CoreLogic.
Abbott names ex-Senate aide to empty PUC board
By Marcy de Luna
STAFF W R ITER
Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday
nominated a former state Senate
staffer to the vacant Public Utility
Commission of Texas.
Will McAdams, president of
the Associated Builders and Con-
tractors of Texas, would be the
lone member of the three-seat
PUC, which regulates the state’s
which was de-
layed from Janu-
ary to allow time
for the hotel
market to im-
prove, coincides
KATHERINE with a rebound in
FESER leisure and busi-
Real Estate
ness travel na-
tionwide.
The hospitality industry has
been hard hit by the coronavi-
rus pandemic, with occupancy
rates in Houston falling to 42.3
percent in 2020 from 62.9 per-
cent in 2019, according to re-
9 OIL: $61.45, up $2.29 (+3.9%) |
Saudi Arabia, which unilaterally
reduced production by 1 million
barrels a day earlier this year, will
bring back 250,000 barrels per
day in May, 350,000 barrels per
day in June and 400,000 barrels
per day in July.
Ultimately, this agreement
means the oil market will see an
influx of an additional 2 million
barrels per day over the next three
months, Norwegian energy re-
search firm Rystad said.
“The decision by OPEC+ shows
Now, as vaccines are rolling out
and the economic outlook im-
proves, the frenzy is showing
signs of slowing.
The average rate for a 30-year
fixed-rate mortgage in the week
ending April 1 was 3.18 percent,
more than half a percentage point
higher than in January, according
to a survey by the government-
sponsored mortgage-finance
company Freddie Mac.
And while it is still a seller’s
market, with home prices rising
quickly and mortgage rates still
comparatively low the higher
rates are having an effect.
“It’s softened a little bit,” said
real estate agent David Atkins. “At
least as far as people going, ‘I’ll
take anything, and anything, and
anything I can get my hands on.’”
A lot of that change in attitude, he
explained, is tied to mortgage
rates’ recent rise.
electric, telecommunications,
water and sewer utilities. He
must be confirmed by the Sen-
ate.
The PUC has been without a
commissioner since March 16,
when Chairman Arthur D’An-
drea was forced out in the wake
of a leaked recording obtained by
Texas Monthly on which D’An-
drea reportedly promised out-of-
state investors he would stop ef-
American Liberty Hospitality’s new Staybridge Suites and Holiday
Inn Express hotel adds a new building to the Galleria-area skyline.
9 NATURAL GAS: $2.64, up 3 cents (+1.2%)
that patience was exhausted
among many producers, who
could not accept that some coun-
tries — and mainly Russia — was al-
lowed to constantly hike their pro-
duction while others kept it flat,”
Rystad’s oil markets analyst Lou-
ise Dickson said. “The output rise
is not likely to be detrimental, es-
pecially for June and July as de-
mand will likely also rise, and that
is reflected in the market reaction,
which is not a panic one to slash
price levels.”
On the rise
The average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is climbing steadily.
3.5%
3.33%
4/2
3.0%
2.88%
8/6
2.5%
APR MAY JUN JUL AUG
2020
Source: Freddie Mac
That, coupled with a surge in
home prices — Houston homes
this February sold for a median
price of 12.6 percent more than
the year before — has pushed af-
fordability out of reach for some
who would otherwise be consid-
ering their first home, Nothaft ex-
forts to reverse billions of dollars
in charges for wholesale electric-
ity during February’s power cri-
sis.
D’Andrea had been elevated to
PUC chair after Commissioner
Shelly Botkin and Chairman
DeAnn Walker resigned in the
wake of the crisis caused by the
unprecedented winter storm.
McAdams has worked in state
government for more than 10
Courtesy Michael Anthony
OPEC’s decision surprised ana-
lysts who had expected the inter-
national oil cartel would not in-
crease production in May, as some
countries suffer vaccine setbacks
and impose more lockdowns to
slow the spread of new COVID-19
variants. OPEC’s technical com-
mittee and Saudi Arabia’s Energy
Ministry had earlier cautioned
members about ongoing uncer-
tainties surrounding the econom-
ic recovery from the pandemic.
Oil continues on B6
John Raoux / Associated Press
3.18%
4/1
2.66%
12/24
2.73%
2/4
SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
2021
Staff graphic
plained. An increase in home
prices means an increase in both
the down payment that needs to
be saved and in the monthly pay-
ments that will have to be made.
“There’ll be some homebuyers
who will say, ‘Oof, it’s gotten too
Mortgage continues on B6
years, most recently as adviser to
Speaker Dennis Bonnen for Busi-
ness and Regulated Industries,
according to the governor’s of-
fice.
Before joining Bonnen’s staff,
McAdams served in several se-
nior staff positions for the state
Senate, including director for the
Committee on Business and
Commerce and legislative direc-
PUC continues on B6
search firm STR. Revenue per
available room fell by 46 per-
cent to $34.21 in 2020.
The moderately priced prop-
erty inside Loop 610, just north
of Westheimer, has a medical
grade air filtration system and
keyless check-in process.
Massad said ALH has been
trying to build a hotel in the
Galleria area for seven or eight
years. Three other sites fell
through before securing the
West Loop property and financ-
ing.
Plains Capital Bank and Arte-
mis Real Estate Partners provid-
ed construction financing.
Houston-based Arch-Con Corp.
served as the general contractor
and MCS Architects designed
Real estate continues on B6
B2 | Friday, April 2, 2021 | HoustonChronicle.com | Houston Chronicle
BUSINESS
BRIEFS
Frontier is
latest airline
to try IPO
The pandemic is far from over,
but some airlines believe the
travel business is already on an
upswing.
On Thursday, Frontier Air-
lines, a budget carrier that is
based in Denver and known for
putting images of wild animals
on its planes, became the second
airline this year to list its shares
on a stock exchange. Before
trading began, Frontier said it
expected to raise $266 million by
selling 15 million shares at $19
each on Nasdaq under the sym-
bol ULCC, a nod to its strategy as
an “ultra-low-cost carrier.” An-
other 15 million shares will be
sold by Frontier’s existing stock-
holders.
On Thursday, shares in Fron-
tier, which has a $4 billion mar-
ket capitalization, closed down
less than 1 percent.
Unlike the largest airlines,
budget carriers do not rely on
corporate or international travel,
which are not expected to
bounce back soon.
“The time is now,” Barry Bif-
fle, the airline’s president and
CEO, said in an interview. “If you
look, the vaccine is unlocking the
demand, and you’re seeing it
everywhere. You’re seeing it in
restaurants, you’re seeing it in
hotels.”
Frontier, the last of the na-
tion’s 10 largest airlines to go
public, said it planned to use the
A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that climate change demands political rather than legal action. The ruling is a warning sign for
those trying to use the courts to hold the industry responsible for a problem that could cost taxpayers trillions of dollars in coming years.
Oil giants win climate suit in N.Y.
By Chris Dolmetsch
and Erik Larson
B L O OM B E RG
New York City suffered another
setback in its effort to make Exxon
Mobil, BP and other energy com-
panies help cover the public costs
of dealing with climate change, as
a federal appeals court ruled the
global problem demands political
rather than legal action.
The ruling Thursday by the U.S.
Court of Appeals in Manhattan is a
warning sign for those trying to
use the courts to hold the indus-
try responsible for a problem that
could cost taxpayers trillions of
dollars in coming years. Chevron,
Royal Dutch Shell and Conoco-
Phillips were also sued in the
case.
The court said global warming
Supreme Court backs FCC’s easing of local media ownership limits
By Mark Sherman
A S S OC I AT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — The Supreme
Court on Thursday unanimously
upheld federal regulators’ deci-
sion to ease ownership limits on
local media, rejecting a claim that
the change would hurt minority
and female ownership.
The court said the Federal Com-
Budget carrier Frontier Airlines, which is based in Denver, is
the last of the 10 largest U.S. airlines to go public.
money it raised to buy equip-
ment, invest in sales and market-
ing, repay debt and shore up its
cash reserves. The offering is
expected to close Tuesday.
The airline earned $251 million
in 2019 before losing nearly as
much last year. It has about $1
billion in cash or cash equiv-
alents and employs about 5,000
people.
CONSTRUCTION
February spending
posted a decline
U.S. construction spending fell
in February after several months
of steady gains, likely because of
unseasonably cold weather and
winter storms in the South.
The Commerce Department
said Thursday that spending on
building projects slipped 0.8
percent in February, after a 1.2
percent gain in January. The
drop was driven by lower spend-
“is a uniquely international con-
cern” that requires the federal
government to step in rather than
judges. Only the U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency has the
authority to regulate domestic
greenhouse gas emissions, the
unanimous three-judge panel
held.
New York City “sidestepped”
federal procedure with a state-law
tort suit against the energy com-
panies even though their com-
mercial activity of selling fossil
fuel products around the world is
“admittedly legal,” U.S. Circuit
Court Judge Richard Sullivan
wrote for the court.
“In so doing, the City effective-
ly seeks to replace these carefully
crafted frameworks — which are
the product of the political pro-
cess — with a patchwork of claims
munications Commission acted
reasonably in 2017 when it modi-
fied rules predating the internet.
The old rules prohibited a single
entity from owning a radio or TV
station and a daily newspaper in
the same media market. They also
limited how many radio and TV
stations one company could own
in a single market and restricted
the number of TV stations a com-
HH
Associated Press file photo
ing on apartments, hotels, hospi-
tals and educational facilities.
Public construction spending
also dropped sharply, declining
1.7 percent.
Homebuilding has been a
bright spot for construction in
the pandemic, as more people
have sought larger living spaces
to work from home and for chil-
dren to attend school online. But
residential construction shrank
0.2 percent last month, mostly
because of bad weather. The
drop was driven by a decline in
apartment construction, while
single-family homebuilding rose
slightly.
FIREARMS
Background checks,
companies’ stocks rise
Gunmakers Sturm Ruger and
Smith & Wesson rose Thursday
after the FBI’s National Instant
Criminal Background Check
under state nuisance law,” Sulli-
van wrote.
A lower court judge in 2018
tossed out the lawsuit on similar
grounds, ruling that the federal
Clean Air Act governs carbon di-
oxide emissions and blocks law-
suits. New York City’s press office
didn’t immediately respond to a
message seeking comment.
“As we’ve said from the begin-
ning, lawsuits like New York City’s
do not belong in the courts and do
nothing to advance meaningful
efforts that address climate
change,” Exxon spokesman Casey
Norton said in an email. “We sup-
port global efforts from policy-
makers, companies, and individ-
uals to develop real solutions.”
“Today’s unanimous opinion
by a distinguished panel of judges
appointed by presidents from
pany could operate in one media
market.
“The FCC considered the re-
cord evidence on competition, lo-
calism, viewpoint diversity, and
minority and female ownership,
and reasonably concluded that the
three ownership rules no longer
serve the public interest,” Justice
Brett Kavanaugh wrote for the
court.
System showed U.S. unadjusted
criminal background checks rose
25 percent to a record in March
from a year ago.
Unadjusted checks climbed to
4.69 million from 3.74 million in
March 2020 and rose 36 percent
from 3.44 million in February.
Six days in March made the list of
the top 10 highest days for back-
ground checks since 1998.
Sturm Ruger climbed as much
as 2.8 percent, while Smith &
Wesson rose 3.8 percent.
While gun sales aren’t tracked
in the U.S., NICS data is consid-
ered a proxy for sales by the
firearms industry. A background
check doesn’t mean a gun sale
occurred.
REAL ESTATE
Agents in Midland
had highest wages
When you think of markets
with the highest-paid real estate
agents, West Texas doesn’t jump
to mind.
Still, that’s what researchers
who compared median annual
real estate agent wages found in
a nationwide survey.
The new report by Stack-
er.com — a data journalism web-
site — and Sundae Inc. put Mid-
land at the head of its list of the
highest-wage real estate agent
markets in the country with a
median annual salary of $94,100
— more than Los Angeles’ $61,160
or New York City’s $81,660.
The report was done using
Bureau of Labor Statistics’ occu-
pational data for 2019.
Metro areas with more real
estate agents often mean the
median income is reduced. Mid-
land boasts only 180 agents,
according to Stacker.com. Those
Associated Press file photo
both parties explains in clear de-
tail why the U.S. climate tort law-
suits are meritless, applying es-
tablished law as agreed upon by
the Justice Department under the
previous two U.S. administra-
tions,” Chevron General Counsel
R. Hewitt Pate said in a statement.
About a dozen cities, counties
and states across the U.S. have
sued Exxon, Chevron, BP, Royal
Dutch Shell and their peers. The
suits seek to reimburse taxpayers
for the costs of adapting to climate
change — from building multibil-
lion-dollar sea walls to repairing
damage from powerful storms
and, perhaps soon, moving whole
communities inland.
Minnesota and Baltimore are
among the other state and local
governments that are pursuing
climate litigation.
The decision comes as newspa-
per and broadcasting industries
say they need the changes to deal
with growing competition from
the internet and cable companies.
The FCC adopted the changes
on a party-line, 3-2 vote, with three
Republican-appointed commis-
sioners in the majority. The dis-
senting Democratic appointees
and other critics said the changes
wage numbers include full- and
part-time real estate agents.
The Dallas-Fort Worth area
ranked 11th on the list, with a
median income of $71,380. Hous-
ton ranked 14th, with a median of
$68,560.
Declines in the oil and gas
industry last year significantly
affected Midland’s housing mar-
kets. Home sales in Midland fell
about 12 percent last year from
their record of 2,905 in 2019,
according to the Texas Real Es-
tate Research Center.
SEAFOOD
Groups call for ban
on trade with Mexico
Environmental groups called
Thursday for an international
ban on trade in a range of Mex-
ican seafood and wildlife, seek-
ing to force Mexico to do more to
save the vaquita marina por-
poise, the world’s most endan-
gered marine mammal.
The U.S. already has an em-
bargo on imports of shrimp from
the upper Gulf of California. Also
known as the Sea of Cortez, the
body of water is the only place
where the vaquita lives, and as
few as 10 remain.
The Natural Resources De-
fense Council, the Center for
Biological Diversity and two
other groups said in an open
letter that Mexico has failed to
enforce a ban on fishermen using
gill nets, which trap vaquitas.
The nets are set to catch totoaba,
an endangered fish whose swim
bladder is considered a delicacy
in China and is worth thousands
of dollars.
There was no immediate com-
ment from Mexico’s government.
From wire reports
Refineries
still feel
effects of
the freeze
By Barbara Powell
B L O O M B E RG
Texas’ refining complex is most-
ly back from last month’s crippling
cold blast, but lingering freeze-re-
lated issues continue to plague a
number of production units.
More than six weeks after the
arctic storm took down at least 18
of the state’s 30 refineries and al-
most 5 million barrels a day of
crude-processing capacity, two of
the plants still haven’t restored op-
erations.
But at a number of sites, equip-
ment ranging from fluid catalytic
crackers to crude units are still
struggling. It’s an old story: Refin-
eries don’t respond well to being
restarted after unplanned total
shutdowns, be it from winter
storms, hurricanes or flooding.
Refiners are anxious to restart
because after cutting processing
rates for more than a year due to
the pandemic, the market now
beckons with gasoline demand at
its highest since October and profit
margins rising.
Total’s Port Arthur refinery had
to shut its sole gasoline-making flu-
id catalytic cracking unit, or FCC,
on March 26 because it couldn’t
keep a charge. It’s estimated now
that the FCC may be down three to
four weeks for repairs. Total’s
smaller crude unit will be down
with it because it has nowhere to
put the gasoil it would normally
send to the FCC.
At Deer Park on the Houston
Ship Channel, the 270,000 barrel-
a-day DU-2 crude unit, which re-
started March 17, reported a relief
valve issue Thursday. Deer Park is
fully operational now, spokesman
Curtis Smith said. The refinery,
however, is still trying to fix prob-
lems related to the freeze on the
70,000 barrel-a-day DU-1 crude
unit, a companion vacuum distilla-
tion unit and a gas oil hydrotreater,
a person familiar with operations
said.
Chevron’s Pasadena refinery on
the Houston Ship Channel still
needs to complete the restart of a
catalytic reformer, FCC and light
cycle oil hydrotreater.
would encourage consolidation
and hurt diversity.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if this
decision opens the floodgates to
more consolidation for media con-
glomerates. But that doesn’t mean
the FCC has to approve every
merger that comes knocking on its
door,” said Yosef Getachew, Media
& Democracy Program director
for Common Cause.
 HH Houston Chronicle | HoustonChronicle.com | Friday, April 2, 2021 | B3

MARKET SUMMARY
ENERGY FUTURES BLOOMBERG COMMODITY PRICE OUTLOOK ENERGY PRICES ETFs - $1,000 INVESTED IN EACH
Prices in U.S. dollars per unit for energy commodities for the contract closest to The median price of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg: Cash price in U.S. dollars paid at delivery for Performance of various index-based investment products:
delivery: various commodities:
2021 Forecast 2022 Forecast 2023 Forecast
ENERGY
Name C Date Open High Low Settle Chg Unit Name Last Price Pvs Day Unit $1K $1K $1K
Lt Sw Crude May 21 59.49 61.75 58.86 61.45 2.29 barrel Crude oil 59.00 58.69 59.00
Unleaded Gasoline - NY 1.99 1.94 gallon return return return
Natural Gas 2.75 2.73 2.80 Ticker Name 1mo 3mo 1yr
Natural gas May 21 2.61 2.66 2.58 2.64 0.03 MMBtu North Sea Brent 64.03 62.41 barrel XLE Energy Select Se 1,029 1,342 1,922
Gas blend May 21 1.96 2.04 1.96 2.02 0.06 gal W. Texas-Int. - Cushing 61.45 59.16 barrel XES SPDR Oil & Gas E 918 1,244 2,683
Heating oil May 21 1.77 1.84 1.77 1.83 0.06 gal Nat Gas - Henry Hub 2.50 2.49 MMBtu USO US Oil Fund 1,031 1,267 1,194
Ethanol Apr 21 1.91 1.91 1.91 1.91 0.02 gal
METALS
$1K $1K $1K
BLOOMBERG/CHRONICLE ENERGY INDEX return return return
Ticker Name 1mo 3mo 1yr
Top and bottom performers among Houston-based and other major energy companies: Performance of a basket of Houston-based and IAU iShares Gold T 1,002 908 1,085
Last Last other major energy companies over the past 12 62.79 SLV iShares Silver T 941 942 1,778
Tick Name Price % Chg Volume Tick Name Price % Chg Volume months:
CDVIQ Cal Dive International 0.00 25.7 379,525 CKH SEACOR Holdings Inc 40.57 -0.4 139,757 Aug. 2007=100 SOFT/LIVESTOCK/GRAIN
TTI TETRA Technologies Inc 2.80 16.7 1,603,638 LNG Cheniere Energy Inc 71.80 -0.3 1,329,466 $1K $1K $1K
68 return return return
MRO Marathon Oil Corp 11.79 10.4 52,555,912 HDYNQ Hyperdynamics Corp 0.01 0.0 7,143 Ticker Name 1mo 3mo 1yr
OII Oceaneering International 12.36 8.2 807,930 CNP CenterPoint Energy Inc 22.65 0.0 1,843,296 JO DJ-UBS Coffee 909 943 961
DVN Devon Energy Corp 23.50 7.6 2,256,792 BHP BHP Group Ltd 69.54 0.2 2,010,544 CORN Teucrium Corn 1,020 1,113 1,372
IO ION Geophysical Corp 2.30 7.5 1,144,614 GEL Genesis Energy LP 9.40 0.6 386,030 52 CANE Teucrium Sugar 941 1,036 1,342
CVI CVR Energy Inc 20.60 7.4 673,060 WMB Williams Cos Inc/The 23.90 0.9 6,352,152 CATL ETFS Live Cattle 1,022 1,023 1,107
AE Adams Resources & Energy 29.89 6.7 4,057 BP BP PLC 24.58 0.9 14,508,441 COW iPath DJ-UBS Liv 1,055 1,105 1,241
HFC HollyFrontier Corp 38.02 6.3 2,843,268 CVX Chevron Corp 105.75 0.9 1,881,555 37
*Trades on London Stock Exchange
MUR Murphy Oil Corp 17.42 6.2 449,324 PAA PlainsAllAmericanPipeline 9.19 1.0 4,383,073 A M J J A S O N D J F M A

S&P 500 breaks 4,000 for the first time

By Damian J. Troise
and Alex Veiga
A S S OC IAT E D PRE SS
Wall Street kicked April
off with a milestone Thurs-
day, as a tech company rally
helped drive the S&P 500
past the 4,000 mark for the
first time.
The benchmark index
finished 1.2 percent higher a
day after closing out the first
three months of the year
with its fourth straight quar-
terly gain. Microsoft, Apple,
Facebook and Google’s par-
ent company were among bond yields make stocks and with the quarter end- day-shortened week for the cans who filed for unem-
the winners, along with seem more expensive by ing, it looks like people are stock market. U.S. stock ex- ployment benefits rose to
smaller companies, which comparison, and tech finding new ways in a new changes will be closed in ob- 719,000 last week from
stand to benefit from a stocks are among the most quarter to find opportuni- servance of Good Friday. 658,000 the previous week.
quickly growing economy. expensive after their signifi- ties.” Consumer sentiment has That figure was expected to
Health care, household cant rise last year. Microsoft The S&P 500 rose 46.98 been improving along with decline. The government
goods and utilities were the rose 2.8 percent, Facebook to 4,019.87. The index’s lat- construction spending and will release its monthly jobs
only laggards. gained 1.4 percent, Ama- est all-time high is its second other measures. The im- report Friday.
Technology stocks bene- zon.com added 2.2 percent in seven days. The Dow proving economy is “The employment mar-
fited from another drop in and Google parent Alphabet Jones Industrial Average prompting investors to shift ket is going to be the thing to
bond yields, which have closed 3.3 percent higher. gained 171.66 points, or 0.5 more money into compa- watch,” said Ross Mayfield,
been the driving force for “What a great way to start percent, to close at 33,153.21. nies and sectors that will investment strategy analyst
the market for several the second quarter,” said J.J. The technology-heavy benefit from people getting at Baird. “We’re kind of in a
weeks. The yield on the 10- Kinahan, chief strategist Nasdaq climbed 233.23 back to some semblance of a transition period, and at
year U.S. Treasury note fell with TD Ameritrade. points, or 1.8 percent, to pre-pandemic normal. some point we’re going to
to 1.69 percent from 1.73 per- “There’s money out there 13,480.11. The Labor Department need to see improvement
cent the day before. Higher looking to be put to work, The rally capped a holi- said the number of Ameri- there.”

S&P 500 MOVERS MARKET INDEXES

Top and bottom performers based on one-day percentage change in stock price: Daily close of the Nasdaq Composite index and the S&P 500 over the past six months:
DAILY GAINERS DAILY LOSERS
Last 1-month Last 1-month NASDAQ 13,480.11 1.8% S&P 500 4,019.87 1.2%
Tick Name Price % Chg % Chg Volume Tick Name Price % Chg % Chg Volume
FANG DiamondbackEnergy 81.22 10.5 10.3 1,443,068 KMX CarMax Inc 123.31 -7.0 1.6 933,218
MRO Marathon Oil Corp 11.79 10.4 5.3 8,179,038 PVH PVH Corp 100.98 -4.5 0.8 343,410 15,000 4,100
DVN Devon Energy Corp 23.50 7.6 5.7 2,256,792 RL Ralph Lauren Corp 119.94 -2.6 -0.3 306,885 4,000
LRCX Lam Research Corp 639.30 7.4 6.8 708,717 DVA DaVita Inc 105.44 -2.2 2.5 317,487
WDC Western Digital 71.37 6.9 -1.2 2,127,095 SIVB SVBFinancialGroup 483.33 -2.1 -9.0 268,493
HFC HollyFrontier 38.02 6.3 -0.4 696,264 LUMN LumenTechnologies 13.11 -1.8 4.8 3,359,552 3,800
AMAT Applied Materials 141.52 5.9 15.8 4,535,048 KMB Kimberly-Clark 136.98 -1.5 6.7 737,653
TER Teradyne Inc 128.81 5.9 -3.9 941,030 HBI Hanesbrands Inc 19.37 -1.5 6.8 1,843,654
QRVO Qorvo Inc 192.90 5.6 5.8 681,158 HUM Humana Inc 412.82 -1.5 7.2 272,614 3,600
APA APA Corp 18.85 5.3 -3.4 2,441,690 DXC DXC Technology Co 30.83 -1.4 18.8 540,903 12,000

BLOOMBERG HOUSTON CHRONICLE 150

11,000 3,400
The Bloomberg Houston 150 includes major companies based in Houston and significant employers in the area.
Last Chg % Chg 52W Div Last Chg % Chg 52W Div
Name Ticker Price Day YTD 52W Low High Yld Name Ticker Price Day YTD 52W Low High Yld
10,000 3,200
AcdmySprts ASO 29.04 2.05 40.1 12.05 29.37 - Luby's Inc LUB 3.32 0.02 16.9 0.56 3.43 -
AdmsRes & AE 29.89 1.88 24.0 18.36 37.70 3.21 LyndllBsll LYB 105.55 1.50 15.2 44.33 112.73 3.98 O N D J F M A O N D J F M A
AllgncBncs ABTX 40.89 0.35 19.8 20.88 43.34 1.17 Macy's Inc M 15.72 -0.47 39.7 4.38 22.30 -
Amazon.com AMZN 3161.00 66.92 -2.9 1889.15 3552.25 - MainStCap MAIN 39.85 0.70 23.5 16.40 39.85 6.17
AmerNatGrp ANAT 108.88 1.01 13.3 63.93 116.01 3.01 Marthn Oil MRO 11.79 1.11 76.8 3.02 13.29 1.02 U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL STOCK INDEXES
APA Corp APA 18.85 0.95 32.8 3.86 23.85 0.53 MgnlOil & MGY 12.19 0.71 72.7 3.45 13.35 -
Archrock AROC 9.78 0.29 12.9 3.15 10.80 5.93 MRC Global MRC 9.64 0.61 45.4 3.50 10.00 - Daily close and change in value for selected stock indexes:
AT&T Inc T 30.47 0.20 5.9 26.35 33.24 6.83 NatEnSvcsR NESR 12.69 0.32 27.8 4.04 14.25 -
U.S. INDEXES
BHP Group BHP 69.54 0.15 6.4 35.68 81.82 5.81 NblMdstPrt NBLX 14.70 0.20 41.1 3.02 15.63 5.11
Index Last Price Chg. % Chg YTD
Bk of Amer BAC 39.49 0.80 30.3 19.51 39.97 1.82 Nbrs Indst NBR 98.79 5.34 69.7 9.79 133.61 -
Dow Jones Ind. 33,153.21 171.66 0.5 8.3
BkrHghsCo BKR 21.73 0.12 4.2 9.44 25.64 3.31 NewparkRes NR 3.35 0.21 74.5 0.65 4.08 -
Nasdaq Composite 13,480.11 233.24 1.8 4.6
BlckStnMin BSM 9.13 0.41 36.7 4.33 10.13 7.67 NineEnSvc NINE 2.25 -0.05 -17.3 0.73 6.59 -
S&P 500 4,019.87 46.98 1.2 7.0
BncBlbVzcy BBVA 5.25 0.03 6.3 2.49 5.86 - NOV Inc NOV 14.19 0.47 3.4 7.70 17.50 -
BBG Houston 150 639.66 11.40 1.8 10.8
BnchmrkElc BHE 31.35 0.43 16.1 17.87 32.16 2.04 NOW Inc DNOW 10.47 0.38 45.8 4.03 11.98 -
DJ US Total Stk 42,138.31 535.66 1.3 7.4
Boeing Co BA 252.96 -1.76 18.2 113.89 278.57 - NRG Energy NRG 37.46 -0.27 -0.2 25.30 44.08 3.47
Russell 2000 2,253.90 33.38 1.5 14.1
BP PLC BP 24.58 0.23 19.8 14.74 28.57 5.13 NtrlResPrt NRP 16.21 0.08 17.9 9.56 19.52 11.10
BristowGrp VTOL 26.65 0.77 1.3 10.50 30.82 - NxTrOlfldS NEX 3.87 0.15 12.5 1.04 5.74 -
Cactus Inc WHD 31.19 0.57 19.6 10.52 39.07 1.15 OccdntlPtr OXY 27.38 0.76 58.2 8.52 32.52 0.15 INTERNATIONAL INDEXES
Index Last Price Chg. % Chg YTD
CadenceBcp CADE 21.22 0.49 29.2 4.63 23.88 2.83 Ocnrng Int OII 12.36 0.94 55.5 2.45 15.40 -
FTSE 100 6,737.30 23.67 0.4 4.3
Cardtroncs CATM 38.90 0.10 10.2 15.71 42.09 - OilSttsInt OIS 6.39 0.36 27.3 1.77 9.49 -
Hang Seng 28,938.74 560.39 2.0 6.3
Carrg Svcs CSV 36.14 0.95 15.4 13.54 38.22 1.11 OrionGroup ORN 6.14 0.07 23.8 2.01 6.67 -
Mexico IPC 47,246.26 -658.74 -1.4 7.2
CbtOil & G COG 19.09 0.31 17.3 15.43 22.67 2.10 OssMdstPrt OMP 21.99 -0.37 87.5 3.70 22.61 9.82
Nikkei 225 29,388.87 210.07 0.7 7.1
CBTX Inc CBTX 30.75 0.03 20.5 13.82 32.21 1.69 ParPacific PARR 15.35 1.23 9.8 5.91 20.18 -
S&P/Toronto SE 18,990.32 289.65 1.5 8.9
CenterPtEn CNP 22.65 0.00 4.7 13.06 25.39 2.83 Penn VA PVAC 14.23 0.83 40.2 2.23 20.18 -
ChampionX CHX 21.57 -0.16 41.0 5.25 25.59 - Phillips66 PSX 83.16 1.62 18.9 43.27 90.59 4.33
Chevron CVX 105.75 0.96 25.2 65.16 112.70 4.88 Phllps66Pr PSXP 33.18 1.51 25.6 21.28 48.51 10.55
ChnrEnPrtn CQP 42.30 0.75 20.0 24.96 44.63 6.19 Plains GP PAGP 9.49 0.09 14.6 4.51 12.00 7.59
CllnPtrCo CPE 40.70 2.15 209.3 3.90 42.31 - PlnsAllAme PAA 9.19 0.09 11.5 4.61 12.35 7.83
WHAT A U.S. DOLLAR IS WORTH IN . . .
CmdnPropTr CPT 111.26 1.35 11.3 70.37 113.22 2.98 PROS Inc PRO 43.42 0.92 -14.5 24.55 51.83 -
Value of the U.S. dollar in selected currencies:
CmfrtSysUS FIX 76.05 1.28 44.4 27.54 76.40 0.60 PrsprtyBnc PB 76.20 1.31 9.9 43.68 83.02 2.57
CntngOil & MCF 4.10 0.20 79.0 1.09 5.56 - Pttrsn-UTI PTEN 7.35 0.22 39.7 1.61 9.74 1.09 Currency Last 1-Mo Ago 6-Mo Ago 1-Yr Ago
Comcast CMCSA 54.75 0.64 4.5 32.05 58.59 1.83 Pwll Indst POWL 33.73 -0.14 14.4 21.05 37.09 3.08 Australian Dollar 1.31 1.29 1.39 1.65
ConcPhllps COP 54.02 1.05 35.1 27.53 61.14 3.18 QnxBldngPr NX 27.10 0.87 22.2 8.97 27.81 1.18 Brazilian Real 5.72 5.63 5.65 5.25
Conn's Inc CONN 21.33 1.88 82.5 3.13 21.80 - QuantaSvcs PWR 89.17 1.19 23.8 28.71 90.22 0.27 British Pound 0.72 0.72 0.78 0.81
CrstwdEqyP CEQP 28.32 0.40 49.2 3.83 28.53 8.83 RylDtchShl RDS/A 40.19 0.98 14.4 23.07 44.50 3.31 Canadian Dollar 1.26 1.26 1.33 1.42
CrwnCstlIn CCI 174.46 2.33 9.6 133.80 180.00 3.05 SchlmbrgrN SLB 28.10 0.91 28.7 12.17 30.41 1.78 Chilean Peso 717.50 722.16 787.13 861.32
CVR Energy CVI 20.60 1.42 38.3 9.81 27.02 - ShllMdstPr SHLX 13.94 0.60 38.3 8.17 16.18 13.22 Chinese Ren (yuan) 6.57 6.47 6.79 7.10
CVS Health CVS 74.30 -0.93 8.8 54.07 77.23 2.69 SlctEnSvcs WTTR 5.21 0.23 27.1 2.60 7.58 - Colombian Peso 3,659.52 3,620.34 3,845.67 4,084.34
Devon En DVN 23.50 1.65 49.8 6.05 25.93 1.87 SlrsOlfldI SOI 12.82 0.55 57.5 4.81 15.08 3.28 Euro 0.85 0.83 0.85 0.91
DPntdeNmrs DD 78.13 0.85 9.9 31.52 87.27 1.54 SnnvEnInt NOVA 41.06 0.24 -9.0 8.66 57.70 - Indian Rupee 73.44 73.55 73.14 76.28
DR Horton DHI 91.05 1.93 32.1 31.20 91.17 0.88 Spark En SPKE 10.64 -0.04 11.2 5.29 12.40 6.81 Japanese Yen 110.64 106.76 105.53 107.17
Dril-Quip DRQ 33.77 0.54 14.0 22.25 40.62 - SprtofTXBn STXB 22.90 0.59 36.3 8.96 24.50 1.57 Mexican Peso 20.29 20.66 21.83 24.24
DXPEntrpr DXPE 30.49 0.32 37.2 10.69 35.98 - SthwstrnEn SWN 4.85 0.20 62.8 1.55 4.88 - Norwegian Krone 8.53 8.56 9.30 10.46
EntrprsPro EPD 22.27 0.25 13.7 13.29 23.71 8.08 StrlngCnst STRL 23.14 -0.06 24.3 6.72 24.49 - S. African Rand 14.63 15.00 16.61 18.23
EOG Res EOG 75.34 2.81 51.1 31.22 77.15 2.19 StwrtInfoS STC 53.04 1.01 9.7 22.86 55.93 2.49 S. Korean Won 1,131.88 1,120.85 1,162.05 1,230.73
Exterran EXTN 3.57 0.21 -19.2 3.23 8.93 - Sunoco LP SUN 32.44 0.60 12.7 14.10 33.00 10.18 Singapore Dollar 1.34 1.33 1.36 1.44
ExxonMobil XOM 57.39 1.56 39.2 31.11 62.55 6.06 Svc Int/U SCI 52.37 1.32 6.7 33.93 54.67 1.60 Taiwan Dollar 28.53 27.88 29.02 30.29
Fltk Indst FTK 1.75 0.07 -17.1 0.66 3.09 - SWArlnsCo LUV 61.30 0.24 31.5 22.47 62.76 -
Fluor Corp FLR 22.99 -0.10 44.0 5.77 24.79 - Sysco Corp SYY 77.99 -0.75 5.0 37.20 83.97 2.31
FrmEnTech FET 19.60 1.06 64.7 3.04 24.93 - Talos En TALO 12.92 0.88 56.8 5.00 16.81 - TREASURIES, INTEREST RATES
Frprt-McMR FCX 33.76 0.83 29.7 6.14 39.10 0.89 Targa Res TRGP 32.10 0.35 21.7 5.50 35.27 1.25
GenElctrCo GE 13.28 0.15 23.0 5.48 14.42 0.30 Target TGT 200.72 2.65 13.7 90.17 201.96 1.36 Yields for the most recently issued securities:
Genesis En GEL 9.40 0.06 51.4 3.30 12.08 6.38 TC Energy TRP 46.81 1.06 15.0 38.80 49.95 5.88 TREASURIES
Gespc Tech GEOS 9.01 -0.11 5.3 5.00 12.40 - Team Inc TISI 12.01 0.48 10.2 3.75 13.84 - Last Yld Pvs Yld 1Day Yld Wk Yld Mo Yld 3-Mo Yld Yr
Bill/Note Yld Day Clo Net Chg Ago Ago Ago Ago
Godrch Ptr GDP 10.31 0.85 2.2 3.77 13.30 - TechnipFMC FTI 7.98 0.26 14.1 3.80 9.70 -
3-month t-bill 0.02 0.02 0.00 0.02 0.03 0.07 0.07
Grp 1 Auto GPI 156.63 -1.16 19.4 34.19 175.04 0.79 TETRA Tech TTI 2.80 0.40 225.0 0.22 3.08 -
6 month t-bill 0.03 0.03 0.00 0.03 0.05 0.08 0.13
Hess Corp HES 74.48 3.72 41.1 30.58 76.24 1.34 Tidewater TDW 13.00 0.47 50.5 4.09 15.92 -
2-year t note 0.16 0.16 0.00 0.14 0.12 0.12 0.21
Hess Midst HESM 23.48 1.06 20.0 8.73 23.69 7.62 TOTAL SE TOT 46.38 -0.16 10.7 28.65 50.41 6.77
5-year t note 0.91 0.94 -0.03 0.84 0.70 0.36 0.35
Hllbrtn Co HAL 21.92 0.46 16.0 6.23 24.74 0.82 Transocean RIG 3.64 0.09 57.6 0.65 4.81 -
10-year t note 1.74 1.74 -0.06 1.64 1.42 0.92 0.58
HlxEnSolGr HLX 5.28 0.23 25.7 0.99 6.76 - Untd Arlns UAL 57.82 0.28 33.7 18.18 63.70 -
30-year t bond 2.39 2.41 -0.08 2.36 2.19 1.65 1.22
Howrd Hghs HHC 97.33 2.20 23.3 41.64 103.00 - UntdPrclSv UPS 171.28 1.29 1.7 88.35 178.01 2.38
HstnWire & HWCC 5.25 0.03 88.2 2.00 5.68 - US Silica SLCA 13.02 0.73 85.5 1.21 15.38 -
Huntsman HUN 29.47 0.64 17.2 12.81 29.79 2.21 Valero En VLO 75.30 3.70 33.1 35.44 84.39 5.21 PRIME, FED FUNDS
Rate 6-month change 1-year change
HwlttPckrd HPE 15.70 -0.04 32.5 8.29 16.14 3.06 Verzn Comm VZ 58.30 0.15 -0.8 52.16 61.95 4.31
Bloomberg Prime Rate 3.25 0.00 0.00
IES Inc IESC 53.44 3.03 16.1 15.97 55.30 - W&T Offsh WTI 3.80 0.21 75.1 1.35 5.00 -
Insperity NSP 85.65 1.91 5.2 30.88 95.78 1.87 Walmart WMT 135.62 -0.21 -5.9 111.80 153.66 1.62 Fed Funds Target 0.25 0.00 0.00
IONGeophys IO 2.30 0.16 1.9 1.05 4.97 - Wast Cnnct WCN 109.38 1.40 6.6 73.29 111.04 0.75
JcbsEngGrp J 129.95 0.68 19.3 69.17 131.24 0.65 Waste Mgmt WM 129.28 0.26 9.6 86.90 131.38 1.78 COMMODITY PRICES
JPMrgnChs JPM 153.71 1.48 21.0 82.40 161.69 2.34 WhtstnREIT WSR 9.70 0.00 21.7 4.71 10.43 4.43
Closing values for the most active contract of various commodities:
KBR Inc KBR 37.18 -1.21 20.2 16.64 38.79 1.18 WlgrnsBtsA WBA 54.75 -0.15 37.3 33.36 56.78 3.41
Kindr Mrgn KMI 16.84 0.19 23.2 11.45 17.97 6.24 WllsFrg & WFC 39.63 0.56 31.3 20.76 41.54 1.01 METALS
Kirby Corp KEX 60.23 -0.05 16.2 35.10 70.00 - WngrtnRlty WRI 27.39 0.48 26.4 12.01 27.95 4.38 Name C Date Last Price Pvs Close Day % Chg YTD % Chg Unit
Kraton KRA 37.31 0.72 34.3 7.41 45.89 - Wstlk Chem WLK 91.55 2.76 12.2 34.02 97.26 1.18 Copper May 21 3.99 4.00 0.3 13.7 usd/pd
Kroger Co KR 35.95 -0.04 13.2 29.83 42.99 2.00 WstlkChemP WLKP 24.12 0.10 1.2 13.68 25.02 7.82 Gold Jun 21 1,728.40 1,715.60 0.8 -9.1 usd/oz
LGI Homes LGIH 153.00 3.69 44.5 33.00 154.32 - WstrnMdstP WES 19.08 0.49 38.1 2.90 20.90 6.52 Palladium Jun 21 2,655.80 2,619.90 1.7 8.3 usd/oz
Platinum Jul 21 1,208.60 1,191.50 1.4 11.6 usd/oz
BLOOMBERG HOUSTON CHRONICLE 150 MOVERS Silver May 21 24.95 24.53 1.7 -5.7 usd/oz
Daily Gainers Daily Losers
Last 1-day 1-month Last 1-day 1-month AGRICULTURE
Tick Name Price % Chg %Chg Volume Tick Name Price % Chg %Chg Volume
TTI TETRA Technologies Inc 2.80 16.7 11.6 1,603,638 KBR KBR Inc 37.18 -3.2 18.1 1,724,476 Name C Date Last Price Pvs Close Day % Chg YTD % Chg Unit
MRO Marathon Oil Corp 11.79 10.4 5.3 52,555,912 M Macy's Inc 15.72 -2.9 2.6 16,083,048 Live Cattle Jun 21 1.23 1.23 -0.2 6.9 usd/pd
CONN Conn's Inc 21.33 9.7 45.0 1,839,559 NINE Nine Energy Service Inc 2.25 -2.2 -31.4 118,194 Coffee May 21 1.22 1.24 -1.5 -6.6 usd/pd
GDP Goodrich Petroleum Corp 10.31 9.0 5.5 66,919 OMP Oasis Midstream Partners 21.99 -1.7 10.1 158,814 Corn May 21 5.60 5.64 -0.9 15.7 usd/bu
PARR Par Pacific Holdings Inc 15.35 8.7 -18.0 463,998 CVS CVS Health Corp 74.30 -1.2 7.2 6,928,466 Cotton May 21 0.78 0.81 -3.6 -1.0 usd/pd
OII Oceaneering International 12.36 8.2 -3.7 807,930 GEOS Geospace Technologies 9.01 -1.2 -13.4 32,474 Lumber May 21 1,012.60 1,009.10 0.3 57.6 usd/bd ft
ASO Academy Sports & Outdoors 29.04 7.6 20.2 3,568,410 SYY Sysco Corp 77.99 -1.0 -3.6 2,349,764 Orange Juice May 21 1.10 1.11 -0.6 -12.7 usd/pd
DVN Devon Energy Corp 23.50 7.6 5.7 14,068,673 CHX ChampionX Corp 21.57 -0.7 -5.5 1,681,451 Soybean May 21 14.02 14.37 -2.4 7.3 usd/bu
IO ION Geophysical Corp 2.30 7.5 -20.6 1,144,614 GPI Group 1 Automotive Inc 156.63 -0.7 -0.2 123,263 Wheat May 21 6.11 6.18 -1.6 -4.9 usd/bu
CVI CVR Energy Inc 20.60 7.4 -6.5 673,060 NRG NRG Energy Inc 37.46 -0.7 -7.2 2,428,567
B4 | Friday, April 2, 2021 | HoustonChronicle.com | Houston Chronicle
CAUSE NUMBER
2017-78329
Plaintiff(s): MARCUS
TYRONE GORDON
vs.
Defendant(s): OUIDA
BROWN AND TAMMY
MICHELLE DAVIS
IN THE 269TH JUDICIAL
DISTRICT COURT OF
HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS
CITATION BY
UBLICATION
THE STATE OF TEXAS
To any Sheriff or any
Constable within the
State of Texas:
GREETINGS:
You are hereby command-
ed to cause to be publish-
ed once in the newspaper
in generation circulation
in Harris County, Texas,
said publication being not
less than 28 days before
the return day thereof,
exclusive of the date of
publication a copy of the
following citation:
THE STATE OF TEXAS
COUNTY OF HARRIS
To any unknown heir of
Ouida Brown, Deceased,
their executors, adminis-
trators, heirs and assign-
ees and to all persons in-
terest in the Estate of the
Deceased. Know ye that
an Original Petition has
been filed by Marcus
Tyrone Brown, that the
same is now pending in
the District Court of Har-
ris County, Texas under
Cause No. 2017-78329 in
the 269th District Court
and styled Marcus Tyrone
Gordon v. Ouida Brown
and Tammy Michelle Da-
vis and the general nature
of the proceeding is to
determine declaratory
relief and to quiet title of
the property located at
210 Blueberry Street,
Houston, Texas (“the
Property”)
This Citation by Publica-
tion is returnable to said
Court on the first Monday,
following 42 days, but not
less than 28 days, after
date of publication, exclu-
sive of the date of publi-
cation, being Monday, the
12th day of APRIL, 2021.
All unknown heirs and
persons interested in the
property should make a
defense of this pleading
no later than 10:00 AM
the first Monday after the
expiration of forty-two
(42) days from the first
date of publication. Upon
failure to do so, Plaintiff,
as the party seeking Serv-
ice of Process by Publica-
tion, will proceed to court
in order to obtain their re-
lief sought.
Given under my hand and
seal of said Court, at my
office in Harris County,
Texas, this 24th day of
February, 2021.
Newspaper: HOUSTON
CHRONICLE
Issued at the request of:
HALL, TREVOR
Address: 909 FANNIN
STREET SUITE 2300
HOUSTON, TEXAS 77010
(713) 951-5600
Bar#: 24078617
MARILYN BURGESS,
District Clerk
Harris County, Texas
201 Caroline, Houston,
Texas 77002
P. O. Box 4651, Houston,
Texas 77210
By: ____/s/________
Rhonda Momon Deputy
District Clerk
HH
Harmony Public Schools (HPS), dba Harmony Science Academy – Brownsville,
open-enrollment charter schools, will be accepting competitive sealed proposals
for a roof replacement project per project specifications
(#HPS2021_HSABR_RR) in Brownsville, TX. The project scope of work consists
of but not limited to: removal of existing roof membrane(s), insulation, flashings,
and abandoned roof curbs down to the roof deck; repair of roof deck, as re-
quired; Installation of new thermal insulation and coverboard to meet a R-25
thermal value, and installation of a white reflective roof membrane fully adhered
to coverboard insulation; gutter and downspout replacement; and HVAC work
necessary to accommodate the roof replacement. Sealed proposals must be re-
ceived by 2 p.m. on April 27, 2021 through Harmony’s ebid system, and will be
opened at 2 p.m. on April 27, 2021 via video conference, refer to bid package or
send an email for invitation. HPS reserves the right to reject any or all proposals Boothe, Deceased, were issued on February 11, 2021,
or waive any or all irregularities. For further information, please contact Mr. Luis in Court Number 477435, pending in the Probate
De Hoyos at Ldehoyos@harmonytx.org. Proposers may log in to view the bid
package and submit their responses at: https://harmonytx.ionwave.net/Login.
aspx
Harmony Public Schools (HPS), open-enrollment charter schools, will be ac-
cepting proposals for Substitute Teaching and Para-Professional Employment
Services (#HPS2122_SUTE) and Onsite Security Services (#HPS2122_SESE).
Proposals for both bids must be received by 11 a.m. on April 23, 2021 through
the Harmony’s ebid portal and will be opened at that date and time virtually (htt Diaz, Dependent Administrator of the Estate of Jo-
ps://harmonytx.zoom.us/j/4262331357). HPS reserves the right to reject any seph K. Boothe, Deceased, within the time and man-
or all proposals or waive any or all irregularities. For further information, please ner prescribed by law.
contact Dr. Mehmet Bayar at purchasing@harmonytx.org. Proposers may log in DATED the 31st day of March, 2021.
to view the bid packages and submit their responses at:
https://www.harmonytx.org/purchasing.php
INVITATION TO BID
FM 1409 OVERPASS AT IH 10
CHAMBERS COUNTY, TEXAS
The County of Chambers solicits bids on the following project: OVERPASS AT
IH 10
Contract to furnish labor, equipment, materials and incidentals as required for:
OVERPASS AT IH 10 Sealed bids in triplicate will be received in the office of
the County Judge, on the second floor of the County Courthouse at 404
Washington Ave., Anahuac Texas 77514 until 2:00 P.M. on 04/20/2021.
Bidders are specifically advised that any bid delivered after this time will be
returned unopened. Also make sure that you have your notarized non- collu-
sion affidavit in your packet or it will not be accepted.
Submitted bids will be publicly opened on 04/20/2021 at 2 :00 P.M. in the
Chamber County Conference Room office located on the second floor at 404
Washington Ave., Anahuac, Texas 77514.
All bids must be marked on the outside of the envelope: OVERPASS AT IH 10
Bidder’s name and return address should be on the outside of the envelope.
Plans and specifications may be obtained from Dannenbaum Engineering Corpo- O1708, Application No. 31158, to authorize
ration, 3100 Alabama, Houston, Texas 77098, telephone (713) 520-9570.
A non-refundable $175.00 deposit will be required for each set of plans and
specifications.
Proposals will be completed on the forms and proposal sheets provided. The net electronic map of the site or facility’s general
price will be delivered to Chambers County, including all freight or shipping
charges.
Each proposal must be accompanied by a Certified or Cashier’s Check
or acceptable Bidder’s Bond in the amount of 2% of bid, not to exceed one
hundred thousand dollars ($100,000. 00), as a guarantee that, if awarded the 9 5 . 0 4 4 7 2 2 & z o o m = 1 3 & t y p e = r .
contract, within sixty (60) days from the date of bid open ing, the bidder will
enter into a contract and execute any required Performance and Payment
Bonds.
Jimmy Sylvia
Chambers County Judge
LEGAL NOTICE
Choice Partners (CP) a division of Harris County Department of Education
(HCDE), is a national cooperative that will be accepting proposals in response to not authorize new construction. The executive
the following Request for Proposals (RFP).
• 21/040SG for Automotive Equipment, Tires and Related Services
Proposals are due Tuesday, April 27, 2021 @ 2:00pm central time.
• 21/041LS for Ice Cream Products
Proposals are due Monday, May 3, 2021 at 2:00pm central time.
• 21/042MJ for Moving, Storage and Related Items
Proposals are due Friday, April 30, 2021 @ 2:00pm central time.
Interested proposers may go to www.choicepartners.org and register to down-
load the solicitation or call 713.681.6052 or 713.696.8213 or 713.316.4259.
MWBE, SBE, and HUB vendor participation is encouraged. It is HCDE policy not
to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, limited English Texas 77023-1452; and the La Porte Public
proficiency or handicapping condition in its programs.
Request for Proposal - Houston-Galveston Area Council – Data Services –
Agency Cloud Migration Consultant – ED-DS-CLOUDSVC-2021-04
The Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) is seeking a qualified contractor
for the planning, analysis, and development of H-GAC’s infrastructure migration relevant supporting materials for the draft
strategy. The proposed solution should alleviate current challenges in the agen- permit, as well as the New Source Review
cy’s phone system, SharePoint Environment, Financial, Accounting, and Human
Resources applications, and Geographical Information Systems (GIS).
To view/download the solicitation documents visit
https://www.h-gac.com/procurement
Response Deadline: May 13, 2021 @ 2:00 P.M. CST
NOTICE OF COMPETITIVE BIDS
Harris County is requesting offers for the projects listed below. Offer require-
ments, including item description(s), submission due dates and times,
type of pricing, payment method, and any bonding requirements, may
be obtained on line at https://purchasing.harriscountytx.gov, or in the
Purchasing Agent’s office. Return offers to Harris County Purchasing Agent,
1001 Preston, Suite 670, Houston, Texas 77002, no later than 2:00 p.m.
local time in Houston, Texas on specified due dates.
Bids/Proposals Due April 5, 2021
Job 21/0040 Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning Upgrade and
Chilled Water Line Installation
Job 21/0059 Road Reconstruction at Crosby-Lynchburg (Phase 3)
between Magnolia Drive and Lochness Drive, Precinct
Job 21/0064 Security Equipment and Monitoring Services and Related
Items
Job 21/0067 Fire Door Inspections and Related Items
Job 21/0068 Renovations to Barbara Jordan Community Center,
Precinct 1
Job 21/0069 Enterprise Document and Records Management Solution
Job 21/0070 Expansion of the Atascocita Branch Library
Job 21/0071 Service Awards and Related Items
Job 21/0073 Towels for Inmates
Job 21/0080 Pipe Access Gates and Related Items
Job 21/0081 Manual Immunochemical Fecal Occult Blood Test Kits
Bids/Proposals Due April 12, 2021
Job 21/0046 Printing and Fulfillment Services
Job 21/0058 Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Upgrade and
Chilled Water Line Replacement at Annex 60
Job 21/0060 Armored Car Services
Job 21/0063 Parking Access and Revenue Control System
Job 21/0075 Two-Way Radio Antennas, Towers, Power Supplies, and
Related Items
Job 21/0076 Document Translation Services and Related Items
Job 21/0077 Road construction on Fry Road at Longenbaugh Road,
Precinct 3
Job 21/0078 Construction at P518-11-00 detention basin (Phase 1)
Job 21/0079 Remodeling of the Seventh Floor of the Harris County
Administration Building
Bids/Proposals Due April 19, 2021
Job 21/0032 Implementation of the Immigrant Legal Services Fund
Job 21/0072 Automated Fingerprint Identification System
Job 21/0074 Water Treatment Chemicals and Related Items
Job 21/0083 Lease of Ambulances
Job 21/0084 Construction Equipment Services and Related Items
Job 21/0085 Repair/Replacement of Concrete Pavement, Curbs,
Driveways, Sidewalks, and Related Items in the Harvey
Camp Area, Precinct 4
Job 21/0086 Psychologist and/or Psychiatrist Examinations
Job 21/0091 Sale of Surplus/Salvage Petroleum Products and Related
Items
Bids/Proposals Due April 26, 2021
Job 21/0087 Renovation of the Existing Mercer Arboretum Visitor
Center, Precinct 4
Job 21/0088 Next Generation Data Center Solution
Job 21/0089 Guardrail and Bridge Railing Repairs and Related Items at
Various Locations, Precinct 1
Job 21/0093 Elevator Modernization at 600 N. San Jacinto (Peden
Building)
Bids/Proposals Due May 3, 2021
Job 21/0082 Custodial Cleaning Services at Region 2
Job 21/0090 Professional Engineering Services for the Permanent
Transition of Toll Road Operations to an All-Electronic
Roadway Environment
Job 21/0092 Electrical System Upgrades at Ben Taub Hospital
DeWight Dopslauf, C.P.M., CPPO
Purchasing Agent
THE STATE OF UTAH TO DEFENDANT LIGHTNING ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE,
LLC:
You are hereby required to file an Answer to a Complaint that is on file in the
Third Judicial District Court, in and for Salt Lake County, State of Utah, Civil No.
210900927, Judge Randall Skanchy. Your Answer must be filed with the Clerk of
the Court at 450 South State Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114 and mailed to
Andrew D. Wright and Kaileen M. Balzano, Strong & Hanni, PC, 9350 South 150
East, Suite 820, Sandy, Utah 84070. If you fail to file an Answer within 30 days
after the publication is made in this newspaper, judgment by default will be
taken against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint.
NO. 477435
IN THE PROBATE COURT OF NO. 2
HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS
ESTATE OFJOSEPH K. BOOTHE,
DECEASED
NOTICE TO ALL PERSONS HAVING CLAIMS
AGAINST THE ESTATE OF JOSEPH K. BOOTHE
Notice is hereby given that original Letters of De-
pendent Administration for the Estate of Joseph K.
Court Number Two (2) of Harris County, Texas, to De-
pendent Administrator, Amneris Naid Diaz.
The address of Dependent Administrator, Amneris
Naid Diaz’ Attorney is Kate Broussard Thorne,
MehaffyWeber, P.O. Box 16, Beaumont, Texas 77704.
All persons having claims against the Estate which is
currently being administered are required to present
them to the above address in care of Amneris Naid
MEHAFFYWEBER, P.C.
Attorneys for Dependent Administrator
By: Kate Thorne
Kate Broussard Thorne
State Bar No. 24097265
KateThorne@MehaffyWeber.com
One Allen Center
500 Dallas, Ste. 1200
Houston, Texas 77002
Telephone: (713) 655-1200
Telecopier: (713) 655-0222
TEXAS COMMISSION ON
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Notice of Draft Federal Operating Permit
Draft Permit No.: O1708
Application and Draft Permit. Gulf Coast
Authority, 910 Bay Area Blvd, Houston,
TX 77058-2604, has applied to the Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality
(TCEQ) for a renewal of Federal Operating
Permit (herein referred to as Permit) No.
operation of the Bayport Facility, a Sewage
Treatment Facilities facility. The area
addressed by the application is located at
10800 Bay Area Blvd in Pasadena, Harris
County, Texas 77507-1718. This link to an
location is provided as a public courtesy
and not part of the application or notice. For
exact location, refer to the application. You
can find an electronic map of the facility at:
http://www.tceq.texas.gov/assets/public/
hb610/index.html?lat=29.612777&lng=-
This application was received by the TCEQ on
September 16, 2020.
The purpose of a federal operating permit is
to improve overall compliance with the rules
governing air pollution control by clearly
listing all applicable requirements, as defined
in Title 30 Texas Administrative Code §
122.10 (30 TAC § 122.10). The draft permit,
if approved, will codify the conditions under
which the area must operate. The permit will
director has completed the technical review
of the application and has made a preliminary
decision to prepare a draft permit for public
comment and review. The executive director
recommends issuance of this draft permit.
The permit application, statement of basis,
and draft permit will be available for viewing
and copying at the TCEQ Central Office,
12100 Park 35 Circle, Building E, First Floor,
Austin, Texas 78753; the TCEQ Houston
Regional Office, 5425 Polk St Ste H, Houston,
Library, 600 S Broadway St, La Porte, Texas
77571-5320, beginning the first day of
publication of this notice. The draft permit
and statement of basis are available at the
TCEQ Website:
www.tceq.texas.gov/goto/tvnotice
At the TCEQ central and regional offices,
permits which have been incorporated by
reference, may be reviewed and copied.
Any person with difficulties obtaining these
materials due to travel constraints may
contact the TCEQ central office file room at
(512) 239-2900.
Public Comment/Notice and Comment
Hearing. Any person may submit written
comments on the draft permit. Comments
relating to the accuracy, completeness, and
appropriateness of the permit conditions may
result in changes to the draft permit.
A person who may be affected by the
emission of air pollutants from the permitted
area may request a notice and comment
hearing. The purpose of the notice and
comment hearing is to provide an additional
opportunity to submit comments on the draft
permit. The permit may be changed based on
comments pertaining to whether the permit
provides for compliance with 30 TAC Chapter
122 (examples may include that the permit
does not contain all applicable requirements
or the public notice procedures were not
satisfied). The TCEQ may grant a notice and
comment hearing on the application if a written
hearing request is received within 30 days
after publication of the newspaper notice.
The hearing request must include the basis
for the request, including a description of how
the person may be affected by the emission
of air pollutants from the application area. The
request should also specify the conditions
of the draft permit that are inappropriate or
specify how the preliminary decision to issue or
deny the permit is inappropriate. All reasonably
ascertainable issues must be raised and all
reasonably available arguments must be
submitted by the end of the public comment
period. If a notice and comment hearing is
granted, all individuals that submitted written
comments or a hearing request will receive
written notice of the hearing. This notice will
identify the date, time, and location for the
hearing.
Written public comments and/or requests
for a notice and comment hearing should
be submitted to the Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality, Office of the Chief
Clerk, MC-105, P.O. Box 13087, Austin,
Texas 78711-3087, or electronically at
www14.tceq.texas.gov/epic/eComment/
and be received within 30 days after the
date of newspaper publication of this
notice. Please be aware that any contact
information you provide, including your name,
phone number, email address and physical
address will become part of the agency’s
public record.
A notice of proposed final action that
includes a response to comments and
identification of any changes to the draft
permit will be mailed to everyone who
submitted public comments, a hearing
request, or requested to be on the mailing
list for this application. This mailing will also
provide instructions for public petitions to the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to
request that the EPA object to the issuance of
the proposed permit. After receiving a petition,
the EPA may only object to the issuance of
a permit which is not in compliance with the
applicable requirements or the requirements of
30 TAC Chapter 122.
Mailing List. In addition to submitting public
comments, a person may ask to be placed on
a mailing list for this application by sending a
request to the Office of the Chief Clerk at the
address above. Those on the mailing list will
receive copies of future public notices (if any)
mailed by the Chief Clerk for this application.
Information. For additional information
about this permit application or the
permitting process, please contact the Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality, Public
Education Program, MC-108, P.O. Box
13087, Austin, Texas 78711-3087 or toll free
at 1-800-687-4040. Si desea información en
Español, puede llamar al 1-800-687-4040.
Further information may also be obtained
for Gulf Coast Authority by calling Mr. Shaun
Austin at (281) 226-1132.
Notice Issuance Date: March 12, 2021
NOTICE OF SALE
HARRIS COUNTY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT NO. 494
(A Political Subdivision of the State of Texas
Located within Harris County, Texas)
$4,715,000
Unlimited Tax Bonds, Series 2021
Bids to be Submitted: 10:30 A.M., Central Time
Bids to be Opened: 12:00 P.M., Central Time
Tuesday, April 13, 2021
Place and Time of Sale : The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Harris
County Municipal Utility District No. 494 (the “District”) will receive and pub-
licly read bids for the purchase of its $4,715,000 Unlimited Tax Bonds, Series
2021 (the “Bonds”) at a Board meeting to be held on Tuesday, April 13, 2021,
at 12:00 P.M., Central Time. Said meeting will be take place via
videoconference and telephone conference call in accordance with Texas Gov-
ernment Code Section 551.125, as amended, and as modified by the tempora-
ry suspension of various provisions thereof effective March 16, 2020, by the
Governor of the State of Texas (the “Governor”) in accordance with the
Texas Disaster Act of 1975, all as related to the Governor’s proclamation on
March 13, 2020, concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. To join the meeting by
videoconference, please go to https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/3723178
85. The conference call-in number will be 1-866-899-4679 and the passcode
will be 372317885#. This telephone conference call is authorized in compli-
ance with the suspension of certain provisions of Chapter 551 of the Texas
Government Code pursuant to the March 16, 2020, Declaration by the Gover-
nor (the “Declaration”). Should the Declaration expire or be revoked, this
meeting will be held instead at 1300 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 1400, Hous-
ton, Texas 77056.
Address of Bids : Bids, which must be submitted in duplicate on the Official
Bid Form and plainly marked “Bid for Bonds,” should be addressed to “Presi-
dent and Board of Directors of Harris County Municipal Utility District No.
494” and delivered to the District’s Financial Advisor, Robert W. Baird & Co.
Incorporated, 1331 Lamar Street, Suite 1360, Houston, Texas 77010 prior to
10:30 A.M., Central Time on the date of the bid opening. Any bid received af-
ter 10:30 A.M., Central Time, on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, will not be accepted
and will be returned unopened. All bids must be accompanied by a Bank
Cashier’s Check in the amount of $94,300 payable to the order of the District
as a good faith deposit.
Information : The Bonds are more completely described in the “Official No-
tice of Sale” and the “Preliminary Official Statement” which may be obtained
from Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, 1331 Lamar Street, Suite 1360,
Houston, Texas 77010; Financial Advisor to the District. The District reserves
the right to reject any and all bids and to waive any and all irregularities ex-
cept time of filing. This notice does not constitute an offer to sell the Bonds
but is merely notice of sale of the Bonds as required by law. The offer to sell
the Bonds will be made only by means of the “Official Notice of Sale,” “Preli-
minary Official Statement,” and the “Official Bid Form.”
Board of Directors
Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 494
THE HARRIS CENTER for Mental Health and IDD (formerly known as
MENTAL HEALTH MENTAL RETARDATION AUTHORITY OF HARRIS
COUNTY) will be accepting proposals for the following:
9401 SOUTHWEST FREEWAY INTEGRATED CARE CLINIC RENOVATION
Specifications may be secured from THE HARRIS CENTER, Purchasing Serv-
ices located at 9401 SW Freeway, Houston, Texas 77074; telephone (713)
970-7279, THE HARRIS CENTER website www.theharriscenter.org or the
Electronic State Business Daily Site https://portal.cpa.state.tx.us/ beginning
Tuesday, April 6, 2021. Deadline for prospective vendors to submit ques-
tions to this RFP is Tuesday, April 13, 2021. Proposals must be submitted to
Purchasing Services, 9401 SW Freeway, Houston, Texas 77074 by 10:00
a.m., Thursday, April 29, 2021 in a sealed envelope marked "PROPOSAL -
DO NOT OPEN UNTIL – THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 2021, 9401 SOUTHWEST
FREEWAY INTEGRATED CARE CLINIC RENOVATION" . Any questions per-
taining to this solicitation should be addressed in writing to Sharon Brauner,
Purchasing Manager and Nina Cook, Purchasing Director, via E-mail to
sharon.brauner@theharriscenter.org cc: nina.cook@theharriscenter.org or fax
at (713) 970-7682. Historically Underutilized Businesses, including Minority--
Owned Businesses and Women-Owned Businesses are encouraged to partici-
pate. THE HARRIS CENTER reserves all rights to reject any and/or all pro-
posals, to waive formalities and reasonable irregularities in submitted docu-
ments as it deems to be in its best interests, and is not obligated to accept
the lowest proposal.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
CITY OF OLMOS PARK, TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION FACILITIES
CORPORATION
TAX-EXEMPT REVENUE NOTE
(ST. ANNE CATHOLIC CHURCH)
Notice is hereby given of a telephonic public hearing to be held by the City of
Olmos Park, Texas Higher Education Facilities Corporation (“Issuer”) and St.
Anne Catholic Church, a canonical public juridic person (“SACC”) on April 12,
2021 at 10:15 a.m. Interested parties may join the public hearing on the date
and the time indicated above by dialing 1-866 512-4865 (US Toll Free) and,
when prompted, entering the participant passcode 646782#.
The public hearing is regarding a plan of financing for the issuance of a tax-
exempt revenue Note (the “Note”) to be issued by Issuer in an aggregate prin-
cipal amount not to exceed $6,000,000 to be issued as a qualified 501(c)(3)
bond under Section 145 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(the “Code”). The proceeds of the Note will be loaned by Issuer to SACC for
the following purposes:
(1) refinancing certain costs of planning, permitting, acquiring, construct-
ing, improving, furnishing, and equipping educational facilities for SACC locat-
ed at 2140 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77098 (the “Project”), including
the refunding of an existing loan from the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
Diocesan Savings & Loan; and
(2) paying the costs of issuing the Note.
The Project will be owned and operated by SACC and used in an integrated op-
eration of SACC. The Note is not payable out of taxes and is secured by and
payable solely from funds to be provided by SACC and a Guaranty from the
Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
All interested parties are invited to telephonically attend such public hearing
to express their views with respect to the Note and the Project. Questions or
requests for additional information may be directed to Adam Harden, Locke
Lord LLP, 600 Congress Avenue, Suite 2800, Austin, TX 78701 (telephone:
512-305-4820). Any interested persons unable to attend or participate in the
public hearing may submit their views in writing to Adam Harden before the
date scheduled for the public hearing.
This notice is being posted and the public hearing is to be held in satisfaction
of the requirements of Section 147(f) of the Code regarding the public appro-
val prerequisite to the exemption from federal income taxation of the interest
on the Note
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
CITY OF OLMOS PARK, TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION FACILITIES
CORPORATION
TAX-EXEMPT REVENUE NOTE
(EPIPHANY OF THE LORD CATHOLIC CHURCH)
Notice is hereby given of a telephonic public hearing to be held by the City of
Olmos Park, Texas Higher Education Facilities Corporation (“Issuer”) and Ep-
iphany of the Lord Catholic Church, a canonical public juridic person (“ELC-
C”) on April 12, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. Interested parties may join the public
hearing on the date and the time indicated above by dialing 1-866 512-4865
(US Toll Free) and, when prompted, entering the participant passcode
646782#.
The public hearing is regarding a plan of financing for the issuance of a tax-
exempt revenue note (the “Note”) to be issued by Issuer in an aggregate prin-
cipal amount not to exceed $9,000,000 to be issued as a qualified 501(c)(3)
bond under Section 145 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(the “Code”). The proceeds of the Note will be loaned by Issuer to ELCC for
the following purposes:
(1) refinancing certain costs of planning, permitting, acquiring, construct-
ing, improving, furnishing, and equipping educational facilities for ELCC locat-
ed at 1530 Norwalk Drive, Katy, Texas 77450 (the “Project”), including the
refunding of the 2017 ELCC tax-exempt revenue note issued by Public Finance
Authority; and
(2) paying the costs of issuing the Note.
The Project will be owned and operated by ELCC and used in an integrated op-
eration of ELCC. The Note is not payable out of taxes and is secured by and
payable solely from funds to be provided by ELCC and a Guaranty from the
Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
All interested parties are invited to telephonically attend such public hearing
to express their views with respect to the Note and the Project. Questions or
requests for additional information may be directed to Adam Harden, Locke
Lord LLP, 600 Congress Avenue, Suite 2800, Austin, TX 78701 (telephone:
512-305-4820). Any interested persons unable to attend or participate in the
public hearing may submit their views in writing to Adam Harden before the
date scheduled for the public hearing.
This notice is being posted and the public hearing is to be held in satisfaction
of the requirements of Section 147(f) of the Code regarding the public appro-
val prerequisite to the exemption from federal income taxation of the interest
on the Note.
 HH Houston Chronicle | HoustonChronicle.com | Friday, April 2, 2021 | B5
BUSINESS

Unemployment claims up
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

CITY OF OLMOS PARK, TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION FACILITIES

CORPORATION
but stay near COVID lows
TAX-EXEMPT REVENUE NOTE By Ben Casselman job growth in April, said Jay
(ST. ROSE OF LIMA CATHOLIC CHURCH)
N EW YO R K T I ME S Bryson, chief economist for
Notice is hereby given of a telephonic public hearing to be held by the City of
Olmos Park, Texas Higher Education Facilities Corporation (“Issuer”) and St. Wells Fargo.
Rose of Lima Catholic Church, a canonical public juridic person (“SRLCC”) on A year after they first “If you don’t get a barn
April 12, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. Interested parties may join the public hearing on
the date and the time indicated above by dialing 1-866 512-4865 (US Toll rocketed upward, jobless burner in March, I think
Free) and, when prompted, entering the participant passcode 646782#.
claims may finally be return- you’re probably going to get
The public hearing is regarding a plan of financing for the issuance of a tax-
exempt revenue Note (the “Note”) to be issued by Issuer in an aggregate prin-
ing to earth. one in April,” he said.
cipal amount not to exceed $7,000,000 to be issued as a qualified 501(c)(3) More than 714,000 peo- The biggest risk to the
bond under Section 145 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(the “Code”). The proceeds of the Note will be loaned by Issuer to SRLCC for ple filed for state unemploy- economy is as it has been for
the following purposes: ment benefits last week, the the last year: the virus itself.
(1) refinancing certain costs of planning, permitting, acquiring, construct- Labor Department said Virus cases are rising again
ing, improving, furnishing, and equipping educational facilities for SRLCC lo- Thursday, and claims in- in much of the country as
cated at 3600 Brinkman, Houston, TX 77018 (the “Project”), including the
refunding of an existing loan from the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston Dio- creased in Texas for the states have begun easing re-
cesan Savings & Loan; and
third week in a row, climb- strictions. If that upward
(2) paying the costs of issuing the Note. ing near 84,000 last week. trend turns into a full-blown
The Project will be owned and operated by SRLCC and used in an integrated Both were up slightly from new wave of infections, it
operation of SRLCC. The Note is not payable out of taxes and is secured by
and payable solely from funds to be provided by SRLCC and a Guaranty from the week before but still Wes Frazer / New York Times could force some states to
the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. among the lowest weekly to- A stylist trims a customer’s hair in Birmingham, reverse course, which could
All interested parties are invited to telephonically attend such public hearing tals since the pandemic be- Ala. A pickup in business activity has fed hopes act as a brake on the recov-
to express their views with respect to the Note and the Project. Questions or
requests for additional information may be directed to Adam Harden, Locke gan. that workers’ prospects are improving. ery, Bryson warned.
Lord LLP, 600 Congress Avenue, Suite 2800, Austin, TX 78701 (telephone: In addition, 237,000 peo- But few economists ex-
512-305-4820). Any interested persons unable to attend or participate in the
public hearing may submit their views in writing to Adam Harden before the ple across the country filed ment is ahead as the vaccine strongly, a sign that manu- pect a repeat of last winter,
date scheduled for the public hearing.
for Pandemic Unemploy- rollout accelerates and facturers are likely to step when a jump in COVID-19
This notice is being posted and the public hearing is to be held in satisfaction ment Assistance, a federal more states lift restrictions up hiring to meet rising de- cases pushed the recovery
of the requirements of Section 147(f) of the Code regarding the public appro-
val prerequisite to the exemption from federal income taxation of the interest program that covers people on business activity. Fewer mand. into reverse. More than a
on the Note. who do not qualify for state companies are laying off Economists will get a quarter of U.S. adults have
benefits programs. That workers, and hiring has more complete, albeit less received at least one dose of
number, too, has been fall- picked up, meaning that timely, picture of the job a coronavirus vaccine, and
NOTICE OF VIRTUAL PUBLIC HEARING ON
PROJECT CONCERNING HERMANN PARK ing. people who lose their jobs market Friday, when the La- more than 2 million people
The City proposes to convey an easement to CenterPoint Energy Houston Elec-
Jobless claims remain are more likely to find new bor Department releases da- a day are being inoculated.
tric, LLC for the construction, maintenance, repair, replacement, removal, and high by historical standards ones quickly. ta on hiring and unemploy- That should allow economic
operation of a transmission tower and overhead utility lines that will connect
existing transmission lines to the planned substation at 1115 S. Braeswood. and are far above the norm “We could actually finally ment in March. Forecasters activity to continue to re-
(the “Project”). The Project requires taking approximately 4.33 acres
(188,614.8 square feet) of Hermann Park located in Harris County along
before the pandemic, when see the jobless claims num- surveyed by FactSet expect bound.
MacGregor Way/Braeswood Blvd. from the existing transmission/distribution around 200,000 people a bers come down because the report to show that U.S. Still, Pollak cautioned
lines crossing Bray’s Bayou near the City’s lift station and continuing general-
ly westerly to the proposed substation to be located at 1115 Braeswood Blvd. week were filing for bene- there’s enough job creation employers added more than that the job market would
fits. Applications have im- to offset the layoffs,” said Ju- 600,000 jobs last month, not return to normal over-
Notice is hereby given that the City Council of the City of Houston will hold a
virtual public hearing on the Project beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, proved only gradually — lia Pollak, a labor economist the most since October. night. Even as many compa-
April 14, 2021, through Microsoft Teams. Persons wishing to speak at the vir-
tual public hearing should call the City Secretary’s office at 832-393-1100 be- even after the recent de- at the job site ZipRecruiter. Even better numbers nies resume normal opera-
fore 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, to be registered. Microsoft Teams clines, the weekly figure is There are other signs that probably lie ahead. The tions, others are discovering
meeting information for the virtual public hearing will be published on the
City Council Public Info page one week prior to the public hearing at https:// modestly below where it the economic recovery is March data was collected that the pandemic has per-
www.houstontx.gov/council/meetingsinfo.html. was last fall. Some 18 million gaining momentum. The In- early in the month, before manently disrupted their
people in total are receiving stitute for Supply Manage- most states broadened vac- business model.
CITY OF HOUSTON, TEXAS
By: Pat Jefferson Daniel, City Secretary jobless assistance, many of ment said Thursday that its cine access and before most “There are still a lot of
them through programs manufacturing index, a Americans began receiving business closures and a lot
that extend benefits beyond closely watched measure of $1,400 checks from the fed- of layoffs that have yet to
the 26 weeks that are offered the industrial economy, hit eral government as part of happen,” she said. “The re-
CAUSE NUMBER: CAUSE NO. 2020-73534 CAUSE NUMBER: in most states. its highest level since 1983 in the newly passed relief percussions of this pandem-
2020-20993 Plaintiff: FLORES, CLAU- 2020-38479
RECEIPT NO: 910190, $8, DIA (INDIVIDUALLY AND Plaintiff(s): DANIELA But economists are opti- March. The report’s em- package. Those forces ic are still rippling through
VBF A/N/F OF J R CORTEZ AND JULIO mistic that further improve- ployment index also rose should lead to even faster this economy.”
02/02/2021 AND I A)(MINORS) MENDOZA
TR#82954212, EML vs. vs.
In The Interest of: Defendant: PINTO, JOSE BRENDAN OKOLO,
STEPHEN MICHAEL IN THE 151 ST JUDICIAL TWIN CITY SECURITY

Relief package boosts economic outlook

BURGE JR
MINOR CHILD(REN)
In the 247TH
Judicial District Court of
Harris County, Texas
CITATION BY
PUBLICATION
THE STATE OF TEXAS
COUNTY OF Harris
TO THE SHERIFF OR ANY
CONSTABLE OF TEXAS
OR OTHER AUTHORIZED
PERSON
TO: BURGE, STEPHEN
(THE PARENT OF STE-
PHEN MICHAEL BURGE
JR) AND TO ALL WHOM
IT MAY CONCERN,
RESPONDENT(S)
You have been sued. You
may employ an attorney.
If you or your attorney do
(does) not file a written
answer with the Clerk
who issued this citation
by 10:00 a.m. on the
Monday next following
the expiration of 20 days
after you were served this
citation and FIRST
AMENDED PETITION FOR
CHANGE OF NAME OF
CHILD, a default
judgement may be taken
against you. The Petition
of, BURGE, ELIZABETH
ANA (THE PARENT OF
STEPHEN MICHAEL
BURGE JR) Petitioner,
DISTRICT COURT OF
HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS
CITATION BY
PUBLICATION
THE STATE OF TEXAS
County of Harris
To: PINTO, JOSE
(Whose residence and
whereabouts are
unknown)
YOU ARE HEREBY
COMMANDED to be and
appear before the 151st
Judicial District Court of
Harris County, Texas in
the Courthouse in the city
of Houston, Texas at or
before 10:00 o’clock A.M.
Monday, the 3RD day of
MAY 2021, being the
Monday next after the
expiration date of forty-
two days after this cita-
tion is issued, and you
are hereby commanded
and required then and
there to appear and file
written answer to the
Plaintiff’s Second Peti-
tion Amended Petition
Requests for Disclosure
Interrogatories Produc-
tion and Admission, filed
in said Court on the 11TH
day of December 2020,
in a suit numbered 2020-
73534 docket of said
court, wherein the Plain-
tiff, FLORES, CLAUDIA
INC AND
DANIEL PENA-ALFARO
IN THE 269th JUDICIAL
DISTRICT COURT OF
HARRIS COUNTY,
TEXAS
CITATION BY
By Josh Boak omy as good, up from the ther after he signed his economic forecasts, Biden
PUBLICATION and Hannah Fingerhut 37 percent who felt that landmark relief package in- suggested last week that
THE STATE OF TEXAS
County of Harris A SSO C I AT ED P R E SS way last month. Views of to law. growth this year could top 6
To: BRENDAN OKOLO the economy had tanked at Just 15 percent of Demo- percent — the strongest per-
WHOSE RESIDENCE
AND WHEREABOUTS WASHINGTON — Views the onset of the pandemic crats felt positive about the formance in 37 years.
ARE UNKNOWN
YOU ARE HEREBY COM- of the nation’s economy are in April last year, when 29 economy in December, but The poll shows 54 per-
MANDED to be and ap- the rosiest they’ve been percent said it was in good 41 percent did in February. cent of Americans approve
pear before the 269TH
Judicial District Court of since the pandemic began shape. Among Republicans, posi- of the economic relief law,
Harris County, Texas in more than a year ago, Fifty-eight percent of tive views plummeted from while 25 percent disap-
the Courthouse in the city
of Houston, Texas at or buoyed by Democrats feel- Democrats now describe 67 percent in December to prove. Large majorities ap-
before 10:00 o’clock A.M.
Monday, the 10TH day of ing increasingly optimistic economic conditions as 35 percent by February. prove of many of the law’s
May 2021, being the as President Joe Biden’s $1.9 good, compared with 35 Americans’ improved components, including
Monday next after the ex-
piration date of forty-two trillion relief package is dis- percent of Republicans. outlook generally reflects vaccination funding, direct
days after this citation is
issued, and you are here- tributed across the country. Democratic sentiments the favorable impressions payments of $1,400 and ex-
by commanded and re- A new poll from the As- about the economy im- of Biden’s relief package tended unemployment in-
quired then and there to
appear and file a written sociated Press-NORC Cen- proved after Biden re- and the mass vaccinations surance, funding for
answer to the PLAINTIF-
F’S FIRST AMENDED ter for Public Affairs finds placed Donald Trump in that have allowed more schools to reopen, aid for
PETITION AND 46 percent of Americans the White House, with opti- schools, offices and retail- families and housing pay-
REQUEST(S) FOR
DISCLOSURE TO overall now view the econ- mism increasing even fur- ers to reopen. Based on ment assistance.
DEFENDANTS, filed in
said Court on the 15TH
day of OCTOBER 2020,

was filed in the 247TH
District Court of Harris
County, Texas, on the 1st
day of FEBRUARY, 2021.
Against Respondent,
BURGE, STEPHEN (THE
PARENT OF STEPHEN
MICHAEL BURGE JR),
numbered, 2020-20993
and entitled “In the Inter-
est of” STEPHEN MI-
CHAEL BURGE JR, A
child (or children).
(INDIVIDUALLY AND
A/N/F OF J R AND I
A)(MINORS) and the
Defendants PINTO, JOSE
AND CARLOS CASAS
the nature of plaintiff’s
demand and the said
petition alleging: Motor
Vehicle Accident
This matter pertains to
damages Plaintiff sus-
tained in a car wreck
caused in part by the
Monsters
in a suit numbered 2020-
38479 docket of said
court, wherein CORTEZ,
DANIELA AND JULIO
MENDOZA, the
Plaintiff(s), BRENDAN
OKOLO the Defendant,
the nature of plaintiff’s
demand and the said
bringing
swagger
petition alleging: MOTOR
VEHICLE ACCIDENT
This matter arises due to
a motor vehicle accident

The suit requests
THE NAME CHANGE OF
STEPHEN MICHAEL
BURGE JR. TO STEPHEN
MICHAEL FRANCO AS
alleged negligence of
Defendant, JOSE PINTO,
the operator of the motor
vehicle involved in the
motor vehicle collision
back to
that occurred in Harris
County, Texas on or
about October 20, 2018,
due to the negligence of
Defendant Brendan

STATED IN THE FIRST
AMENDED PETITION FOR
CHANGE OF NAME OF
CHILD.
The date and place of
birth of the child (chil-
dren) who is (are) subject
of the suit
NAME: STEPHEN MI-
CHAEL BURGE JR; DOB:
MARCH 7, 2015, PLACE
OF BIRTH: HARRIS
COUNTY AT MEMORIAL
HERMAN NORTHEAST
HOSPITAL 18951 MEMO-
RIAL DRIVE, HUMBLE TX
77338. RESIDENCE
WHEN CHILD WAS
BORN: 2727 BEN’S
BRANCH DR, #413 KING-
WOOD, TX 77339
CURRENT PLACE OF
RESIDENCE: 12000
HARDWOOD TRAIL,
AUSTIN, TX 78750
“THE COURT HAS AU-
THORITY IN THE SUIT TO
RENDER AN ORDER IN
THE CHILD’S (CHILDRE-
N’S) INTEREST THAT
WILL BE BINDING ON
YOU, INCLUDING THE
TERMINATION OF THE
PARENT-CHILD RELA-
TIONSHIP, THE DETER-
MINATION OF PATERNI-
TY AND THE APPOINT-
MENT OF A CONSERVA-
TOR WITH AUTHORITY
TO CONSENT TO THE
CHILD’S (CHILDREN’S)
ADOPTION, THE CHILD’S
(CHILDREN’S) CHANGE
OF NAME.”
ISSUED AND GIVEN UN-
DER MY HAND AND THE
SEAL OF SAID COURT AT
HOUSTON TEXAS ON
THIS THE 26TH Day of
FEBRUARY, 2021.
NEWSPAPER: HOUSTON
CHRONICLE
Issued at request of:
MAY C. BURKETT
ADDRESS: 109 N POST
OAK LANE, STE. 425
HOUSTON, TX 77024
BAR NO # 24096280
(SEAL)
MARILYN BURGESS,
DISTRICT CLERK
Harris County, Texas
201 Caroline, Houston, TX
77002
PO Box 4651, Houston,
TX 77210
BY /s/ Lonya Porter
LONYA PORTER, Deputy
that occurred on or about
March 6, 2019 at or near
C. E. King Parkway, in
Houston, Tx.
Notice hereof shall be
given by publishing this
Citation once a week for
four consecutive weeks
previous to the day of
May 3RD, 2021, in some
newspaper published in
the County of HARRIS, if
there be a newspaper
published therein, but if
not, then the nearest
county where a newspa-
per is published , and this
Citation shall be returned
on the 28TH day of
APRIL, 2021, which is
forty two days after the
date it is issued, and the
first publication shall be
at least twenty-eight days
before said return day.
HEREIN FAIL NOT, but
have before said court on
said return day this Writ
with your return thereon,
showing how you have
executed same.
WITNESS: Marilyn
Burges, District Clerk,
Harris County Texas
GIVEN UNDER MY HAND
AND SEAL OF SAID
COURT at Houston, Texas
this 17TH day of MARCH
2021.
(SEAL)
NEWSPAPER: Houston
Chronicle
Issued at request of:
Andrew Birdsell
Address: P O Box 1599
Gilmore, Texas 75644
(903)843-2323
Bar Number: 24077966
MARILYN BURGESS,
District Clerk
Harris County, Texas
By: /s/ Brittany Hall
Deputy District Clerk
Okolo.
Notice thereof shall be
given by publishing this
Citation once a week for
four consecutive weeks
previous to the 10TH day
of MAY 2021, in some
newspaper published in
the County of Harris, if
there be a newspaper
published therein, but if
not, then the nearest
county where a newspa-
per is published, and this
Citation shall be returned
on MAY 7, 2021 which is
forty two days after the
date it is issued, and the
first publication shall be
at least twenty-eight days
before said return day.
HEREIN FAIL NOT, but
have before said court on
said return day this Writ
with your return thereon,
showing how you
have executed same.
WITNESS: MARILYN
BURGESS, District Clerk,
Harris County Texas
GIVEN UNDER MY
HAND AND SEAL OF
SAID COURT at Houston,
Texas this 26TH MARCH,
2021.
(seal)
Newspaper: HOUSTON
CHRONICLE
Issued at the request of:
ARNOLD, BRETT
WILLIAM
Address: 1311 BINGHAM
STREET, UNIT "E"
HOUSTON, TX 77007
(713) 805-6637
Bar Number: 03140100
Marilyn Burgess, District
Clerk
Harris County, Texas
201 Caroline, Houston,
Texas 77002
P.O. Box 4651, Houston,
Texas 77210
By: Rhonda Momon
Deputy District Clerk
box office
By Jake Coyle
A SSO C I AT ED P R E SS
NEW YORK — Once again,
mayhem and mass destruc-
tion is back at the box office.
It’s almost like old times.
“Godzilla vs. Kong,” one
of the few tentpoles to dare
release during COVID
times, is poised this week-
end to set a new high in tick-
et sales during the pandem-
ic. It won’t be the kind of
blockbuster business such a
big-budget release would
typically manage, but ex-
perts forecast a launch of at
least $25 million.
Opening-day ticket sales
on Wednesday for “Godzilla
vs. Kong” totaled $9.6 mil-
lion, Warner Bros. said
Thursday — a single-day
pandemic record and more
than most 2020-2021 open-
ing weekend hauls. Last
weekend, the monster
mash pulled in an impres-
sive $123.1 million interna-
tionally. In China, where
moviegoing is close to pre-
pandemic levels, the movie
made about $70 million,
double the debut of 2014’s
“Godzilla.”
For the first time in a long
time, there’s the faint hint of
a hit at the box office.
“It’s a good omen that the
tastes of the consumer have
not shifted so much that
“Godzilla vs. Kong,” one of the few tentpoles to dare release during COVID-19
times, is poised this weekend to set a new pandemic-high in ticket sales.
there’s no possibility of re-
starting the movie busi-
ness,” says Joshua Grode,
chief executive of Legend-
ary Entertainment, which
produced “Godzilla vs.
Kong.” “This tells every-
body: the moviegoing busi-
ness is here, and, yes, it may
be different post-pandemic.
But there is a viable indus-
try there.”
Huge challenges remain
to the revival of moviegoing.
With so many cinemas shut-
tered for nearly an entire
year, many moviegoers are
out of the habit. Some are
unlikely to return to sitting
indoors with strangers until
they’re vaccinated or the
pandemic has ebbed. And
even those who have been
convinced of the safety of
moviegoing by theaters’
health protocols, they now
have only more in-home op-
tions. “Godzilla vs. Kong” is
streaming simultaneously
on HBO Max in North Amer-
ica.
“The issue is less con-
vincing consumers to go to
the movies than it is con-
vincing studios to open
their movies,” says Rich Gel-
fond, IMAX’S chief execu-
tive. “There’s been a hesi-
tancy on the part of Holly-
wood studios to release
movies because they
haven’t been convinced the
demand is there. What I
really hope this weekend
shows is that there is a lot of
demand there and it con-
vinces them to open a lot of
movies that have been sit-
ting on the shelf.”
Recently, ticket sales,
while still far below their
usual levels, are ticking up-
ward. The best debut of
2021 was “Tom & Jerry,”
with $13.7 million in late
February. The pandemic-
high belongs to “Wonder
Woman 1984,” which
launched with $16.7 million
in December. Each were
Kevin Winter / Getty Images
Warner Bros. releases that
landed simultaneously on
HBO Max — a once contro-
versial release plan that has
helped theaters stay afloat
and proved an interesting
test case for how viewers
prefer to see, and pay for, a
movie.
Helping theaters get back
to business, Gelfond be-
lieves, are large-format
screens “that differentiate
the couch as much as they
can.” IMAX accounted for 14
percent of the Chinese box
office for “Godzilla vs.
Kong.” This weekend, the
film will be playing on 1,170
IMAX screens worldwide.
The box office might not
quite roar again this week-
end, but “Godzilla vs. Kong”
may show it has a little bite
left. Says Grode: “In years
from now, when people
write about coming back to
the movies, I’m very proud
that ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ will
be in that history.”
B6 | Friday, April 2, 2021 | HoustonChronicle.com | Houston Chronicle HH

BUSINESS

High court backs Facebook, limits robocall ban PUC

By Greg Stohr
B L OOM B E RG
The U.S. Supreme Court
limited the reach of the de-
cades-old federal ban on ro-
bocalls, siding with business
groups and throwing out a
lawsuit that accused Face-
book Inc. of repeatedly
sending unwanted text mes-
sages.
The unanimous decision,
which overturned a lower
court ruling, said a key pro-
vision in the 1991 Telephone
Consumer Protection Act
OIL
From page B1
“Until the evidence of re-
covery is undeniable, we
should maintain this cau-
tious stance,” Saudi Ara-
bia’s Energy Minister
Prince Abdulaziz bin Sal-
man said in his introducto-
ry statement Thursday.
“The waves are still tall and
the sea remains rough.”
However, many mem-
bers found it too difficult to
accept that Russia and Ka-
zakhstan are allowed to in-
crease their output while
others are bound to curtail-
ments, Rystad said.
A technical OPEC com-
mittee on Wednesday
warned that oil demand re-
mains fragile, downgrading
its growth outlook to 5.6
million barrels per day in
2021, below Rystad’s expec-
tation of 5.7 million barrels
per day and Wood Macken-
zie’s 6.2 million barrels per
day.
Analysts expect U.S.
shale production will re-
main muted even as crude
prices hover around $60 a
barrel. That’s because U.S.
shale producers have
promised to keep drilling
and production flat until
next year and beyond to fo-
cus on restoring battered
balance sheets and woo
MORTGAGE
From page B1
expensive for me,’” Nothaft
said. “‘Either I can’t save up
the money upfront, or, even
if I have that, the mortgage
payments now have gotten
too high — it’s going to bite
into my monthly income too
much.’”
That will have an impact
on the rate of home price
growth by the second half of
the year, he said. CoreLogic
forecasts home prices will
stop surging by the double
digits year over year and set-
tle to something more in line
with wage growth.
However, Nothaft be-
lieves inventory added by
applies only to calling sys-
tems that use a random or
sequential number genera-
tor, an approach that Face-
book told the court has be-
come all but obsolete.
The ruling will give tele-
marketers, companies and
political parties freer rein to
use computer systems to
call or text mobile phones
without first getting con-
sent.
The ruling doesn’t affect a
separate provision of the an-
ti-robocall law that protects
residential phones from
Drilling rigs are returning to the oil patch as crude prices climb and demand recovers. In the Permian Basin
of West Texas, the nation’s top-producing shale play, the number of rigs rose by three to 224.
back skeptical investors.
Drilling rigs are return-
ing to the oil patch as crude
prices climb and demand
recovers. Oil-field services
firm Baker Hughes and re-
search firm Enverus said
Thursday that the number
of rigs in operation nation-
customers who held their
homes off the market until
they could get vaccinated
will help home sales contin-
ue apace. Atkins, for exam-
ple, had one customer in
her late 70s who had waited
until she received both her
COVID vaccination shots be-
fore putting her home on
the market.
Rising mortgage rates al-
so shrinks the pool of home-
owners who can benefit
from a refinance. The num-
ber of homeowners that
Black Knight, a mortgage
technology and data provid-
er, believes could benefit
from a refinance has shrunk
to 11.1 million (218,000 in the
Houston region), the small-
est it has been since March
calls that use artificial or re-
corded voices. It also leaves
intact the federal do-not-call
registry that individuals can
use to try to block telemar-
keting calls to home phones.
But the decision will have
an especially big impact on
small businesses that use
mobile phones, leaving
them vulnerable to unwant-
ed calls and texts, said Mar-
got Saunders, a lawyer with
the National Consumer Law
Center.
“Texts, including tele-
marketing texts, to cell
ally rose by 13 this week,
pushing the U.S. rig count
to 430 — still 234 fewer than
this time last year.
In the Permian Basin of
West Texas, the nation’s
top-producing shale play,
the number of rigs rose by
three to 224.
of 2020. The Mortgage Bank-
ers Association said refi-
nance applications in the
week ending March 26 had
fallen 32 percent from the
year before.
Mortgage rates fell to all-
time lows during the pan-
demic and the accompany-
ing recession because of
economic uncertainty.
When investors are con-
cerned about the future of
the economy, they seek saf-
er investments and pour
money into government
bonds and mortgage debt,
driving rates down.
With the latest stimulus
bill pumping money into the
economy, the Fed has sig-
naled its willingness to toler-
ate some inflation and inves-
phones used by small busi-
nesses will not have restric-
tions on them whatsoever,”
Saunders said. She said con-
sumer advocates would
turn to Congress to strength-
en the law.
The ruling is a defeat for
Noah Duguid, the man who
sued Facebook. Duguid said
he received repeated texts in
2014 notifying him of an at-
tempted log-in, even though
he didn’t have an account.
Facebook said Duguid prob-
ably had a recycled phone
number that had once been
Still, U.S. production is
expected to decline by a
half-million barrels per day
in 2021, and is not in a posi-
tion to grab market share
from OPEC, said Ann-Lou-
ise Hittle, Wood Macken-
zie’s vice president of mac-
ro oils.
tors are moving back into
the stock market, allowing
rates to adjust to more nor-
mal levels. They still remain
relatively low — a year ago,
the average for a 30-year
mortgage was 3.33 percent,
and the year before that, it
was 4.08 percent.
“Investors welcomed the
rise in private employment
numbers and consumer
confidence with a shift to-
ward stocks, driving mort-
gage rates up,” said George
Ratiu, senior economist
with the listing website real-
tor.com, in an email.
Erika Bierschbach, who
majored in economics and
works in the energy indus-
try, was following just those
factors when she decided to
associated with an account.
The lawsuit sought class ac-
tion status.
Writing for the court, Jus-
tice Sonia Sotomayor said
Duguid was pressing such
an expansive interpretation
of the robocall law that it
would have covered some
calls and texts placed by
modern mobile phones.
Duguid’s interpretation
“would take a chainsaw to
these nuanced problems
when Congress meant to
use a scalpel,” Sotomayor
wrote.
Eli Hartman / Associated Press
“The agreement is sup-
portive of oil prices, yet
should also help avoid a
sharp spike upward as oil
demand picks up,” Hittle
said.
paul.takahashi@chron.com
twitter.com/paultakahashi
pull the trigger on a refi-
nance. Throughout most of
2020, she watched as the re-
cession kept rates low. “We
were waiting to see what
would happen with the pan-
demic,” she said. Then at the
beginning of the year, with
vaccinations rolling out, the
stock market soaring and a
new stimulus bill on the ho-
rizon, she began shopping
around for mortgages.
She closes on the refi-
nance, which will save her
upward of $600 a month,
this Friday. “Wow is right,”
she said. “I just don’t believe
we’ll be down at these levels
again for some time.”
rebecca.schuetz@chron.com
twitter.com/raschuetz
From page B1
tor for Republican Sen.
Charles Schwertner.
“Will McAdams will
bring a fresh perspective
and outstanding leadership
to the Public Utility Com-
mission of Texas,” Abbott
said in a Thursday release.
“Will’s wealth of experi-
ence in public service and
state government make
him the ideal leader to car-
ry out the PUC’s mission to
protect customers, foster
competition, and promote
high quality infrastructure
across Texas. Will is com-
mitted to charting a new
course for the commission
and restoring trust with
Texans.”
McAdams did not re-
spond to requests for com-
ment Thursday.
Walker and Botkin re-
signed amid backlash over
last month’s winter storm
and power crisis that left
more than 100 Houston-
area residents dead when
temperatures dipped be-
low freezing and blackouts
left millions of Texans with-
out power.
Environment Texas Ex-
ecutive Director Luke
Metzger said in a Thursday
statement that McAdams
has his work cut out for
him.
“The PUC is a shipwreck
right now,” Metzger said in
a release. “The previous
commissioners disbanded
the Oversight & Enforce-
ment Division, refused to
ask the Legislature for the
funding they need and
oversaw the atrophy of Tex-
as’ energy efficiency pro-
grams. Commissioner McA-
dams has an opportunity to
right the ship and help Tex-
as build a cleaner, more re-
liable electric grid.”
Despite being the com-
mission’s lone board mem-
ber, McAdams can hold
meetings and execute or-
ders. Abbott has not said
when he will appoint com-
missioners to fill the PUC’s
two remaining vacancies.

DEEDS white race,” it cost upward

From page B1
homeowners.
When Old Braeswood
successfully removed in
2019 vestigial language ban-
ning “any person not of the
of $6,000 in attorney and
filing fees and took four
months to collect all the
necessary signatures. That
cost created some anxiety
among members who wor-
ried there may be more
pressing matters for the
neighborhood associa-
tion’s limited funds, ac-
cording to Julie Cohn, presi-
dent of the Old Braeswood
Property Owners Associa-
tion at the time. “This
would take that out of the
equation,” she said.
Cohn said it was “terrif-
ic” that the bill to fix the
process received such bi-
partisan support in the
state Senate.
“That tells you have valu-
able it is,” she said. “I’m
thrilled it finally broke
through the noise and be-
came a clear and easy thing
to do. And I have no doubt
that the events of this past
year that shone a light on
racial disparities and chal-
lenges put it on the map for
some of the legislators.”
rebecca.schuetz@chron.com
twitter.com/raschuetz

REAL ESTATE Friends reunite for café

From page B1
the hotel.
The hotel has a shared
front desk and 150 extend-
ed stay suites with kitch-
ens, dishwashers and
flexible workspaces, on
one side of the building.
On the side closer to West-
heimer, the Holiday Inn
Express has 169 standard
hotel rooms. Both brands
are franchises of InterCon-
tinental Hotel Group.
Nick Massad III, vice
president of development,
said the hotel reflects
large-scale projects done
by the company as it has
grown. His parents devel-
oped their first property
from the ground up in
Angleton with a 40-room
hotel in 1986.
American Liberty Hos-
pitality has 20 properties
in markets throughout the
Southwest. The new hotel
is the company’s second
dual-branded hotel in
Houston. It opened down-
town’s Hampton Inn/
Homewood Suites in 2016.
Agnes Café & Provi-
sions, a venture of child-
hood friends Molly Voor-
hees and Carolyn Dorros,
will take over the space
previously occupied by
Tropicales at 2132 Bisson-
net in the Boulevard Oaks
neighborhood near Rice
University.
Voorhees, president of
Becks Prime and Choco-
late Bar, and Dorros, exec-
utive vice president of
Houston-based real estate
development firm Wolff
Cos., both live in the area
and attended St. John’s
School in Houston.
Agnes Café & Provisions
leased 2,225 square feet in
the retail and office build-
ing developed by Platform
Investment Group at
Shepherd Drive for an
all-day café and boutique
grocery. Michael Hsu
Office of Architecture
designed the building,
which opened with all-day
café Tropicales as a tenant
in 2019. That restaurant
closed about a year ago as
the pandemic kept people
at home.
Molly Voorhees, left, and Carolyn Dorros plan to open
Agnes Café & Provisions at 2132 Bissonnet in June.
Set to open in June, the
new restaurant will offer
indoor and outdoor din-
ing with counter service
during the day for past-
ries, breakfast and lunch
and table service at night.
The menu will feature
Mediterranean food with
influences from Spain,
France and Turkey, cock-
tails, beer and hard-to-
find wines.
Maury Bronstein and
John S. Wall Jr. of 1912
Ventures represented the
tenant in the lease. Steve
Dana Kelly Photography
Ybarra of Platform In-
vestment Group repre-
sented the landlord, Hous-
ton Bissonnet Shepherd
LLC. The initial term is
five years with options for
renewal, Voorhees said.
Sean Garrison and Levi
Lemaster of Garrison
Design Office were tapped
to design the interior,
500-square-foot patio and
grocery retail space,
which will sell gifts, grab-
and-go items, baked goods
and cookie dough.
Voorhees will draw
upon the operating team
of Becks Prime, a locally
owned restaurant chain in
business for 36 years, to
facilitate operations of the
new restaurant, which
will employ about 25
people.
“There’s a huge ad-
vantage to having a team
that already knows what
they’re doing,” Voorhees
said.
Meritage buys land
Meritage Homes has
purchased 24 acres near
the Grand Parkway and
Westpark Tollway in west
Houston for Grand Trails,
a community of 129 homes
priced in the mid
$200,000s. The commu-
nity and model home are
projected to open in May.
Homes will range from
1,477 to 2,800 square feet
and be built on 45-foot by
120-foot lots. The neigh-
borhood, which is zoned
to Lamar Consolidated
ISD, is east of Peek Road
near Beechnut.
katherine.feser@chron.com
twitter.com/kreser

Eby, David
Edwards, Leigh
LEIGH SMITHERMAN EDWARDS
1956-2021
Leigh Smitherman
Edwards (born September of
1956) passed away peacefully
at home surrounded by her
family on March 30, 2021.
Born in Houston to Betty
Jo and Gene Smitherman,
Leigh was the eldest of three.
From an early age Leigh was
known for her big heart, end-
less kindness, creative flair,
and hilarious sense of humor,
all of which would become
her signatures. Leigh’s
early knack for writing led to
awards in journalism at Lee
High School where she was
editor of the newspaper; she
also later was a writer for the
Vanderbilt University news-
paper. It was at Vanderbilt
that her love for art devel-
oped and flourished. After
graduation she returned
to Houston and started in
the art business working
with Larry and Marjorie
Kauffman; she also began a
lifelong commitment to her
Bible study, a place where she
lead, participated, inspired,
and made enduring friends.
Her magnetism was not lim-
ited to those dear friends as
Leigh managed to turn down
four marriage proposals
before meeting the love of her
life, Bob Edwards, through
a mutual friend. The couple
was so engrossed in conversa-
tion during their first date
that the restaurant kitchen
closed before they ordered;
unsurprisingly marriage
followed eleven months later,
in January 1989. Bob was
OLIVIA GRAY HERVEY
1938-2021
Mrs. Olivia Gray Hervey
was born February 27, 1938
in Crandall, Texas to Wilmer
and Ocie Gray. As a child, she
attended Good Street Baptist
Church in Dallas, Texas.
Olivia excelled in school
graduating at the top of her
Lincoln High School class in
1956. Her academic excel-
lence continued at Prairie
View A&M University. She
majored in Business Admin-
istration with a Minor in
English, graduating at the top
of her class in 1960. Upon
graduation, she married Billy
T. Hervey. Career opportuni-
ties led them to Dallas, Texas,
Altus, Oklahoma, Baltimore,
Maryland, Washington, D.C,
and Cocoa, Florida finally
settling in Houston, Texas in
1965.
Olivia started her career as
an educator teaching English
at Lincoln High School,
Dallas, Texas, Altus High
School, Altus, Oklahoma and
Phillis Wheatley High School,
Houston, Texas. Her federal
government career began at
the General Services Admin-
istration (GSA) in Baltimore,
Maryland and later Wash-
ington, DC. She also worked
at Patrick Air Force Base,
Brevard County, Florida.
Olivia worked at the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs
Regional Office advancing to
her position as an Assistant
Director. She retired in 1999.
Her retirement years were
filled with travel throughout
the United States, Canada,
Mexico, Europe, Asia,
Australia, and the Caribbean.
BILLIE ANN STEGENT
1939-2020
Billie Ann Stegent 81,
passed away on December
28, 2020 in Houston, Texas.
She was born in Chappel Hill
Texas on September 15, 1939
to parents: Albina Pawlowski
and Theodore Stegent.
Billie graduated from
Houston Vocational Tech
High School and attended
Houston Community College
and North Harris County
College. She worked for the
Maritime Assoc. ILA Pension
and Welfare Fund for 30
years. She retired as their
Claims manager in January of
1994. After retiring she spent
much of her time at the bay
house in Bastrop Bayou with
her companion Sonny, fish-
ing, and entertaining friends
and family. She enjoyed time
spent with family during
any special occasion and all
holidays.
Billie is preceded in death
by her father, Theodore
Stegent; her mother, Albina
Stegent; her brother, Daniel
Stegent; her sister, Jo Ann
Baebel; brother-in-law
Arthur Babel; her longtime
companion, K.W. (Sonny)
Kuehn and his son Mark
Kuehn. She is survived by her
sister-in-law, Theresa Ste-
gent; her niece Dana Johnson
and her husband Brad and
Epherson, Richard
Hervey, Olivia
Leigh‘s perfect match -- he a
sharp engineer turned busi-
nessman with a goofy sense
of humor and mischievous
side, while Leigh a natural
cheerleader with a core talent
for finding joy and happiness
in every nook and cranny of
life. Leigh encouraged Bob to
take a leap of faith and apply
to Stanford University for
a Master’s degree by saying
“it’s just the cost of a postage
stamp”, while Bob encour-
aged Leigh to find success in
running her own art consult-
ing company. That postage
stamp led to three beautiful
years at Stanford and lifelong
friendships. The couple
welcomed their two daugh-
ters, Alston and Francie, in
Palo Alto, followed shortly by
their son, Teddy, in Houston.
While Leigh experienced suc-
cess in every facet of her life,
her greatest joy was in her
role as a mom to her three
children. Leigh was known
throughout the family and
her West U neighborhood
for her creative games, art
projects, and make-believe
stories. She volunteered to
teach students throughout
Houston about art, hoping to
instill in them her same pas-
sion that she had developed
as a college student. When
Bob’s career took the family
first to Singapore and then to
London, Leigh looked at the
opportunities as new adven-
tures. From Singapore they
explored most of Southeast
Asia, and in London, Leigh
She became a successful real
estate broker selling proper-
ties in the MacGregor and
Southwest Houston areas.
Olivia was a faithful member
of Trinity United Methodist
Church where she sang in
several choirs. In addition,
she served in several leader-
ship positions within the VA
Toastmasters club and she
was a dedicated member of
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
Olivia was a devoted and
loving mother. She is survived
by three children: Jewel
Hervey, Marcus Hervey, and
Patrick Hervey, two daugh-
ters-in-law, Tracie Shelton
Hervey and Carolyn Hurst
Hervey, five grandchildren,
Mckenzie, William, Theodore,
Lauren and Landon; five
brothers, Brucy Gray, Edward
Gray, Maceo Gray, James
Gray and Everette Gray; one
sister, Mary Gray Batts, and
a host of nieces, nephews and
relatives.
In lieu of flowers, the family
prefers donations to be made
to Olivia Gray Hervey’s En-
dowment Scholarship Fund at
Prairie View A&M University,
Office of Development, PO
Box 393, Prairie View, Texas
77446.
their sons Blake and Daniel;
her niece Krisen Ashworth
and her husband Monroe and
their sons, Quint and Wells;
stepson Ken Kuehn and his
wife Debra and their children,
Alicia Austin, Eric Austin and
wife Kristy and their daugh-
ters, Kailyn and Mikella, and
Parker Kuehn; stepdaughter
Chere Caram and husband
Joe and their children, Kath-
leen and Joshua.
The family of Billie Ann
Stegent wish to express our
appreciation and gratitude
to the staff at The Addington
Place of Clear Lake and
Divinity Hospice for their
exceptional care and compas-
sion for her during her last
days.
A graveside memorial ser-
vice will be held on Monday
April 5, 2021 at 9:30 AM at
St. Joseph Cemetery 8022
Airline Drive Houston, Texas
77037.
Kilpatrick, Leo
Sharp, Isaac
made some of her dearest
friends in her pub club and
her running group. After
London, the Edwards family
moved to Dallas where Leigh
became an active volunteer in
the St. Mark’s School of Texas
community. With character-
istic grace and faith, Leigh
fought Early Onset Alzheim-
er’s disease for over a decade,
remaining joyful and positive
through to the end. She is
survived by her husband,
Bob, her children, Alston
White and husband Jordan,
Francie Chomic and husband
Max, and Teddy Edwards and
fiancé Mary Hinton. In the
last year and half of her life
Leigh experienced the ulti-
mate joy of greeting her three
grandchildren: MaryLeigh
Chomic, Lily Edwards, and
Emory White. In addition,
she will be missed by her
siblings, John and Lois Smi-
therman and their children,
Eben and Marylynn, and
Mary Nell and Bill Brown-
ing and their children Mary
Bell and Gregory Clement
LEO F. KILPATRICK
1928-2021
Leo F. Kilpatrick died on
March 27, 2021 at his home
in Seabrook, Texas. He visited
with his three grown children
on Friday evening, expressed
his delight at having the fam-
ily all together and went to
sleep at peace.
Survivors include his
spouse of 50 years, Blanche C.
Kilpatrick and their children.
Children are Charles C.
Kilpatrick, MD and spouse
Lubna Chohan Kilpatrick,
MD, Hugh W. Kilpatrick and
his spouse, Jennifer Kilpat-
rick, Sara Kilpatrick Baker,
CPA and her spouse David
Baker. Grandchildren are
Wilder and Ella Kilpatrick
and Maya and Eli Kilpatrick.
Lee was the last surviving
sibling of eight born and
raised in Philadelphia, Penna.
Lee grew up in the Italian
neighborhood of South Philly
and always declared himself
part Italian. After graduating
high school, Lee entered St.
Charles Seminary and charted
his course to include studies
in Philosophy, Theology,
Church History, Latin, Greek,
German and Italian. Lee
loved his work with the choir
and its director, Monsignor
De la Pica. He was ordained
in 1955 and went on to serve
in the Allentown diocese as
assistant, choir coordinator
at several parishes and then
as pastor in Pine Grove and
his final assignment, Jim
Thorpe. With hope in his
heart, he then went on to
create not just a parish family,
but a family of his own with
children who could call him
father. After marrying, Lee
and Blanche moved to Texas
where Lee began his career
in sales in the petro-chemical
field. He worked for Electro-
Chemical, I.W Industries
and Sentry Polymers. He met
clients by day and renewed
his chemistry study in the
evening as to become profi-
cient in recommendations
for coatings, linings, flooring,
etc. Travel was a large part of
the job and he and Blanche
mapped the roads together
and continued in that vein
until their second child was
born. Lee went through the
MICHAEL TOM THOMAS
1952-2021
Michael Tom Thomas
August 18, 1952 ~ March 25,
2021
Mr. Thomas peacefully
entered the Gates of Heaven
on Thursday, March 25, 2021.
He is survived by his wife of
48 years, children, grand-
children, siblings, family, and
friends.
His life will be celebrated at
a Wake Service, Friday April
2, 2021 from 6:00-9:00 pm
followed by a grand salute
honoring his Life, Love, &
Legacy at 11:00 am on Satur-
day, April 3, 2021.
Services will be held at
Spirit of Life Ministries 485
Maxey Rd. Houston, Texas
77013.
HH Houston Chronicle | HoustonChronicle.com | Friday, April 2, 2021 |
Stegent, Billie
Thomas, Michael
and Ina Browning; and her
sister-in-law and brother-in-
law, Carol and Jim Snodgress
and their children Sarah and
Ryan Eppehimer and Kelly
and Mike Snodgress. It is
impossible to describe not
just how much she will be
missed by her family and
friends, but also how very
much she added to their lives.
The family wishes to express
their sincere gratitude to the
many caregivers for the kind-
ness and care they provided
Leigh from the minute they
met her. In lieu of flowers,
donations in Leigh’s honor
may be made to the Glas-
sell School of Art Annual
Fund Drive, www.mfah.org/
give/glassell-school-annual-
fund, providing access to
art education to children in
the Houston community. A
service celebrating Leigh’s
life will be held at River Oaks
Baptist Church on Saturday,
April 3 at 11:00am. To join
via livestream: https://zoom.
us/ Meeting ID: 913 6391
6861 Passcode: 139714
laicization process and they
were married by the future
Bishop Joseph Fiorenza.
After many years studying,
selling and advancing ideas
in the petro-chemical field,
he retired at age seventy.
That provided more time for
family, cooking, travel , yard
work, reading and cheer-
ing on his favorite Houston
Astros.
Kids and their friends were
always a part of the family
activity from early morn-
ing rides to swim practice,
to baseball and basketball
games to Friday night rides
with a group of his daughter’s
giggling girlfriends playing
“red light” and stopping for
ice cream. He wore them out
and watched over them with
a father’s heart. Lee was never
at a loss to tell a story that
usually had a lesson if you
were tuned in.
The family wants to thank
friends ,neighbors and
extended family who always
engaged in life with Lee and
left him with a smile and a
glint in his eye.
The funeral Mass will be
held at St. Marys Catholic
Church in La Porte, Texas on
Wednesday, April 7 at 2 p.m.
Family will be in church for
greeting at 1 p.m. In view of
covid, no formal reception
will follow the Mass . Masking
and safe spacing are required
in church
For those wanting to
remember Lee with charity,
donations may be made to St.
Vincent DePaul society at St.
Marys or to St. Jude’s Chil-
dren’s Hospital. And on an
individual note, make a call
to an old friend you haven’t
touched base with in awhile.
Funeral arrangements are
entrusted to Clayton Funeral
Home in La Porte.
COVID protocols will be
enforced. Masks are required.
www.frazier-mitchell.com
B7
Wallace, Andre
Westby, Timothy
ANDRE M. WALLACE
1982-2021
Andre Matthew Wallace,
39 expired (Saturday) March
20, 2021 Public Visitation
will be held (Saturday) April
3, 2021 from 9-10:45 a.
m., Private Funeral Service
(due to limited seating) will
be begin at 11:00 a.m. both
services will be held at New
Sunlight Baptist Church,
515 V. E. Washington Ave.
(Lake Charles, LA), Rev. A. L.
Williams, II, Pastor/Officiat-
ing, Interment Consolata
Cemetery (Lake Charles, LA).
ISAAC DENNIS SHARP, JR. RICHARD A. EPHERSON
1936-2021 1959-2021
Richard departed on March
18, 2021. Funeral services will
be held Saturday, April 3rd at
Pruitt’s in the Heights, 7518
North Main. Visitation begins
at 2 pm followed by services
at 3 pm. In lieu of flowers, the
family asks that you donate to
the mental health organiza-
tion of your choice.
Isaac Dennis Sharp, Jr.
expired (Saturday) March 20,
2021 A Walk Through Visita-
tion will be held (Friday)
April 3, 2021 from 5-7p. m.
at Crestmont Park U.M.C.,
11503 M.L.K. Blvd., Funeral
Service will be held (Saturday)
April 3, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. at
The Crossing Church, 3225
W. Orem, Rev. Curley Laster,
Officiating, Interment Hous-
ton Memorial Gardens.
DAVID F. EBY
1936-2021
David Eby went to be with
his Lord and Savior March
28, 2021,He loved the Lord,
his family and friends im-
mensely. We were blessed to
have this Native Houstonian,
fun loving, eternal optimist,
proud Aggie, Class of 1958 as
a devoted Husband, Father,
Grandfather. Great Grandfa-
ther, Uncle and Cousin in our
lives. He is now experiencing
his well deserved Heavenly
reward with a new body in
Christ. Memorial Service ton, Tx 77005. Service will be
Friday, April 2 at 10:00 a.m., livestreamed at https://youtu.
West University Baptist be/YRpVCsKUL-U. Please
Church, 6218 Auden, Hous- wear Maroon and masks
TIMOTHY WESTBY
1964-2020
Tim Westby, a beloved
husband and father, passed
away after a fifteen year battle
with stage IV renal cell cancer
on April 2nd, 2020.
Tim is survived by his his
parents; his wife, Christine,
his children, Ashley, Isaac,
Alex and Abby Westby; and
his sister, Jill Iverson and his
nephew, Devon Iverson.
Tim was born in Kenmere,
North Dakota on February
6th, 1964 to Coleen Olaf and
Marlow Westby. He gradu-
He retired in the post of Di-
ated from the University of
rector of Global Engineering
North Dakota with a degree
Services but would have loved
in Chemical Engineering,
to work until his last day.
and eventually moved down
While it is with great sad-
to Texas. He never stopped
ness we say a final goodbye to
loving his home state and
Tim, he was a man of infinite
credited his work ethic and
faith and truly believed he
never say die spirit to being a
was going home. It wasn’t
‘farm boy’.
himself he feared for, only
In Texas, Tim met Christine those who he would be leav-
Arnecke, who he would go
ing behind. It was this well
on to marry in December of
of belief he drew on in weak
1990. Together they shared
moments, and what he truly
30 years of love and devo-
believed extended his life far
tion, and the difficult, but
beyond expectations.
rewarding task of raising four
The family would like to
children.
thank the many doctors at
Shortly before meeting
MD Anderson who helped
Christine, Tim began his
Tim throughout his cancer
career at LyondellBassell. He
journey. We feel certain that
worked in many capacities, Dr. Tannir and Zita extended
his most treasured being his life, and we are forever
Plant Manager in La Porte.
grateful.
B8 | Friday, April 2, 2021 | HoustonChronicle.com | Houston Chronicle HH

WEATHER

HOUSTON’S SEVEN-DAY FORECAST | Go to AccuWeather.com COASTAL FORECAST

GALVESTON BAY: Wind from
69 70 73 76 82 83 82 the east at 8-16 knots today.
46 54 56 62 66 68 62 Seas 2 feet or less. Visibility
generally unrestricted. Tonight:
TODAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY Wind from the southeast at
Sunshine mixing with Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy, a Pleasant with clouds Breezy with periods A t-storm possible in Partly sunny, a t-storm 7-14 knots. Seas 2 feet or less.
some clouds shower possible and sun of sun the afternoon possible Clear to partly cloudy.
MATAGORDA SHIP
METRO AREA NORTH AMERICA TODAY INTERNATIONAL CHANNEL TO HIGH ISLAND
OUT 20 TO 50 MILES: Wind
OUTLOOK Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day. Today Sat.
from the east at 8-16 knots
TODAY: Sunshine mixing with 110s Vancouver Calgary Saskatoon Africa
Cairo 70/50/pc 75/57/s today. Seas 2 feet or less.
some clouds. High 66 to 71. 100s Regina Visibility generally unrestricted.
Winds east-southeast 7-14 Seattle Cape Town 71/55/pc 78/59/s
90s Winnipeg Casablanca 70/55/pc 68/53/pc Tonight: Wind from the
mph. TONIGHT: Clear to partly Thunder Bay
80s
Montreal
Dakar 77/66/s 77/66/s east-southeast at 7-14 knots.
cloudy. Low 44 to 49. Winds Johannesburg 78/59/s 79/54/s Seas 2 feet or less. Rather
70s Portland Ottawa
southeast 4-8 mph. Lagos 92/78/pc 91/78/pc cloudy.
60s
Minneapolis Toronto Asia/Pacific
50s Boston Beijing 64/53/c 62/39/c
40s Detroit Ho Chi Minh City 95/79/sh 92/80/t
AIR QUALITY 30s New York Hong Kong 84/75/pc 84/74/s
Salt Lake City Islamabad 82/54/s 85/60/s
Today’s forecast for the entire Chicago
20s Jakarta 90/76/t 86/77/sh
metro area by the TCEQ: San Francisco Washington
10s Denver Karachi 104/74/s 105/75/s GALVESTON TIDES
0s
Kuala Lumpur 94/77/t 92/78/t Highs Feet Lows Feet
Manila 95/76/s 95/78/s
-0s New Delhi 91/62/pc 93/64/pc 10:57 a.m. 1.6 2:07 a.m. -0.2
Ozone watch -10s Los Angeles Seoul 74/57/c 62/48/r --- --- --- ---
Phoenix Little Rock Shanghai 71/60/r 71/51/c
Good Unhealthy Atlanta Singapore 91/78/t 89/77/t
T-storms
Sydney 76/61/s 78/64/s
RIVERS, CREEKS AND
Moderate Very unhealthy Rain Dallas
Unhealthy Hazardous Showers
El Paso Taipei 87/72/pc 83/71/pc BAYOUS
Tokyo 66/54/pc 67/58/pc Flood Latest 24-hr.
for sensitive Snow Houston Canada Location stage stage chg.
groups New Orleans Calgary 54/30/pc 55/35/pc
Flurries Hermosillo
Chihuahua Edmonton 47/25/c 49/31/c Brays Bayou South Main 54 16.71 -0.02
Ice Brazos River Bryan 43 7.72 -0.26
POLLEN AND MOLD Jet stream Monterrey
Miami Montreal
Toronto
38/24/pc
40/25/s
47/33/s
48/36/c Hempstead 50 10.86 -0.05
Yesterday’s readings by the Vancouver 50/39/c 49/41/r Richmond 48 9.69 -0.10
Houston Health Department: Havana Winnipeg 58/26/c 55/30/pc Buffalo Bayou Piney Point 50 28.20 +0.05
Countpercubicmeterofair Europe Shepherd Dr. 23 1.75 -0.47
Cancún Amsterdam 50/39/pc 49/38/pc
Tree pollen Heavy 803
Guadalajara Athens 66/53/s 68/56/s
Clear Creek Friendswood 12 1.96 +0.33
Mérida
Weed pollen None 0 Anchorage Berlin 55/37/s 49/29/pc Colorado R. Austin 29 10.98 +0.02
Mexico City
Grass pollen None 0 Veracruz Copenhagen 49/36/pc 47/33/s Bastrop 25 2.38 -0.03
Mold spores Medium 10740 Villahermosa Forecasts and
Dublin 50/36/s 52/37/pc La Grange 32 2.47 -0.07
Honolulu Acapulco Belmopan Frankfurt 60/40/s 55/33/pc Columbus 34 9.58 -0.11
graphics provided by Geneva 71/44/pc 56/36/s
Low Heavy Cold Warm Stationary
AccuWeather, Inc. Istanbul 56/49/pc 62/53/pc Wharton 39 8.25 +0.09
front front front
Medium Extremely heavy ©2021 London 53/40/pc 51/35/pc Bay City 44 3.08 -0.68
Madrid 65/45/t 71/41/t Greens Bayou Eastex Fwy. 61 39.09 +0.13
Note: No measurements on weekends; Moscow 45/29/sn 46/31/pc
charts in Sunday and Monday papers reflect
Guadalupe R. Hunt 12 7.67 -0.08
forecast ratings from the previous Friday. FOR THE RECORD TEXAS NATIONAL cont. Paris
Prague
60/40/s
51/36/pc
55/38/s
46/30/pc
Comfort 26 3.40 -0.07
George Bush Intercontinental Today Sat. Today Sat. Rome 66/47/pc 65/46/pc Spring Branch 36 2.12 -0.03
Airport through 3 p.m. yest. Abilene 69/51/pc 68/54/c Cleveland 40/29/s 58/45/pc Stockholm 46/30/pc 45/33/pc New Braunfels 13 9.60 +0.01
COMFORT INDEX Amarillo 68/44/pc 75/48/s Columbus 46/26/s 59/43/pc Vienna 61/42/sh 50/35/pc Gonzales 31 11.60 -0.11
The comfort index takes into
Temperature Degrees F Austin 72/49/pc 69/53/c Denver 73/41/s 75/46/pc Warsaw 52/36/s 47/31/sh Cuero 20 7.88 -0.06
account how the weather will High 71 Beaumont 65/46/s 68/55/c Des Moines 63/45/s 71/45/s Zurich 66/36/sh 52/31/s
Low 45 Brownsville 73/60/pc 76/65/c Detroit 48/30/s 60/41/pc Victoria 21 5.75 +0.77
feel based on a combination of Latin America
Bryan/College St. 70/49/pc 70/55/c Duluth 52/36/pc 61/39/s Dupont 20 8.40 -0.89
factors. A rating of 10 feels very Normal high 77 Bogota 65/51/t 62/50/t
comfortable while a rating of 0
Corpus Christi 71/60/c 75/64/c Fairbanks 14/14/c 33/29/sn Buenos Aires 73/66/s 74/66/s Little River Little River 30 1.45 +0.06
Normal low 56 Dallas/Ft. Worth 69/51/s 68/56/pc Great Falls 67/40/s 68/40/c Cameron 30 1.46 -0.15
feels very uncomfortable. Caracas 85/73/t 86/72/sh
Record high 89 in 1939 El Paso 85/55/s 84/55/pc Hartford 42/27/pc 53/33/s Havana 75/67/sh 77/63/s Navasota R. Easterly 19 4.16 +0.03
Today Sat. Sun. Mon. Tue. Wed. Record low 38 in 2019 Galveston 65/58/s 70/64/c Honolulu 82/69/pc 82/69/pc Kingston 86/76/pc 85/77/t
Kingsville 72/59/c 74/63/c Indianapolis 49/32/s 62/43/s Neches River Evadale 19 9.70 +0.45
10 8 10 10 10 9 Precipitation Inches Lima 74/65/s 74/68/pc
Pine Island B. Sour Lake 25 12.27 -0.04
Laredo 76/59/c 76/62/c Jackson, MS 61/35/s 67/43/pc Rio de Janeiro 83/72/pc 83/73/pc
24 hours through 3 p.m. yest. Trace Longview 65/41/s 66/49/pc Juneau 40/25/c 40/30/pc San Juan 83/74/sh 85/74/s Sabine River Bon Wier 30 15.26 -3.24
UV TODAY Month to date 0.00 Lubbock 68/44/s 71/49/pc Kansas City 67/47/s 72/51/s San Salvador 91/69/pc 89/67/s Deweyville 24 22.64 -0.76
McAllen 73/59/c 76/64/c Las Vegas 87/63/pc 91/62/pc
Values indicate the exposure to Normal month to date 0.10 Midland/Odessa 70/50/pc 68/52/c Little Rock 59/37/s 65/45/s
Santiago 77/50/pc 83/52/s Orange 4 0.44 -1.54
the sun’s Ultraviolet rays. Sao Paulo 73/61/pc 76/62/pc Burkeville 43 12.47 -0.57
Year to date 5.55 San Angelo 72/52/pc 67/54/c Los Angeles 79/55/s 76/54/pc St. Thomas 86/76/sh 85/76/s
8 a.m. 10 a.m. Noon 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m. Normal year to date 10.09 San Antonio 72/52/pc 71/57/c Memphis 57/37/s 65/46/s San Bernard R. E. Bernard 17 6.79 -0.05
Texarkana 65/46/s 69/53/pc Miami 76/63/pc 73/65/c Mexico E. San. Jac. R. Cleveland 19 4.65 +0.01
1 4 8 8 4 1 Other readings Acapulco 94/72/s 90/73/s
Victoria 72/53/pc 72/60/c Milwaukee 50/40/s 64/43/s W. San. Jac. R. Conroe 116 94.05 -0.02
Waco 70/47/s 67/54/c Minneapolis 59/41/s 68/47/s Cancun 77/73/t 80/73/sh
0-2, Low 8-10, Very high Top wind speed 18 mph Guadalajara 85/56/s 87/56/pc San Jacinto R. Sheldon 10 1.35 -0.63
Nashville 54/30/s 65/39/s
3-5, Moderate 11+, Extreme High barometer 30.52 in. Guanajuato 76/43/s 79/44/t Sims Bayou Telephone Rd. 30 1.80 -0.24
Low barometer 30.40 in. NATIONAL New Orleans
New York City
63/50/s
42/31/pc
70/57/pc
54/42/s Mazatlan 82/57/pc 81/55/s Trinity River Goodrich 36 13.66 +1.96
6-7, High Today Sat. Merida 79/66/pc 84/65/pc
High dewpoint 37° Oklahoma City 67/47/pc 70/51/s
Mexico City 69/47/s 76/47/pc Liberty 26 14.04 +0.52
Low dewpoint 29° Albany, NY 38/23/c 50/32/s Orlando 65/48/s 70/51/pc
Puerto Vallarta 86/64/c 84/63/s Village Creek Kountze 20 4.26 -0.10
SUN AND MOON Average dewpoint 32°
Albuquerque 73/48/s 77/51/s Philadelphia 45/30/pc 54/41/s
Tampico 73/66/c 77/69/pc White Oak B. Heights Blvd. 48 8.14 +0.07
Anchorage 25/17/pc 33/31/c Phoenix 92/65/s 96/66/s
Last New First Full Veracruz 79/70/t 80/69/pc
quarter moon quarter moon High humidity 65% Atlanta 57/35/s 64/40/s Pittsburgh 41/23/s 53/41/pc
Low humidity 20% Baltimore 47/29/pc 56/40/s Portland, OR 62/42/pc 65/46/c Middle East TEXAS LAKES
Billings 72/44/s 75/45/pc Sacramento 81/45/pc 73/45/pc Baghdad 84/56/pc 72/52/pc
Birmingham 58/32/s 65/39/s St. Louis 57/39/s 70/50/s Beirut 60/56/sh 65/53/sh Full Latest Release
Boise 75/48/pc 76/51/pc Salt Lake City 74/48/s 78/55/s Dubai 92/75/s 94/75/s pool level cfs
Apr 4 Apr 11 Apr 20 Apr 26 KEY TO CONDITIONS Boston 43/29/pc 49/34/s San Diego 71/54/s 71/54/pc Jerusalem 53/49/pc 57/44/pc Canyon Dam 909 902.96 83
s-sunny r-rain Buffalo 40/25/pc 48/37/pc San Francisco 65/49/pc 61/51/c Kabul 65/37/s 69/45/s Conroe 201 201.01 0
Sunset tonight 7:41 p.m. pc-partly cloudy sf-snow flurries Charleston, SC 55/34/s 62/38/s Santa Fe 73/41/pc 75/43/s Mecca 92/64/s 95/66/s
Sunrise Saturday 7:08 a.m. c-cloudy sn-snow Charlotte 54/30/s 60/36/s Seattle 55/41/c 57/43/c Riyadh 101/74/s 90/64/pc Houston 41.73 42.22 N.A.
Moonrise today 12:27 a.m. sh-showers i-ice Chicago 52/39/s 66/46/s Tucson 89/58/s 91/61/pc Tehran 74/56/pc 66/49/s Lake Travis 681 658.52 241
Moonset today 10:56 a.m. t-thunderstorms Cincinnati 49/29/s 61/42/s Washington, DC 48/33/s 57/42/s Tel Aviv 63/59/sh 66/53/pc Livingston 131 131.61 N.A.
 SPORTS
HOUSTON CHRONICLE • FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 2021 • SECTION C HHHH

OPENING DAY 2021

Facing the music ASTROS 8, ATHLETICS 1

is part of season Opening day

JEROME SOLOMON
Commentary
When the Astros were
introduced as a team at
RingCentral Coliseum in
Oakland, Calif., on Thurs-
day, boos dominated the
night.
The sweet sounds of
baseball are back, baby.
The Astros heard the
music last season, but
thanks to COVID-19 re-
strictions, they didn’t have
to face it.
Sounds were pumped
into ballparks as per nor-
mal, but with cardboard
cutouts replacing people
in the seats, the Astros,
like every other team,
played much of the season
in relative silence.
That was a relief of
sorts, considering just
before 2020 spring train-
ing, Major League Baseball
commissioner Rob
Manfred released a damn-
ing report that found the
Astros guilty of an elec-
tronic sign-stealing
Solomon continues on C7
win streak at 9
By Chandler Rome
STA F F W R I T E R
OAKLAND, Calif. — Bat
met ball and the ballpark
had no chance to hold it.
Noise quieted for only a
Ezra Shaw / Getty Images moment in this rancorous
The Astros’ Yordan Alvarez reacts after hitting a environment, one the As-
two-run double in the sixth inning. tros will witness 80 more
times on their journey this
season. Alex Bregman am-
Astros update bled up the first-base line.
Thursday: Astros 8, Athletics 1.
He stared for two seconds
Record: 1-0. into the night. The base-
Today: at Athletics, 8:40 p.m. ball he bludgeoned flew
Starting pitchers: Cristian Javier (0-0) vs. Jesus Luzardo 418 feet. Bregman began a
(0-0). deliberate jog around the
TV/radio: ATTSW; 740 AM, 1010 AM (Spanish). bases. The crowd collected
Deadline passes
» Carlos Correa is likely
headed for free agency. C7.
itself and unleashed more
abuse.
For the thousands who
feel no amount of abuse or
reckoning is adequate,
Thursday signaled just the
beginning. A brutal road
lies ahead for the Astros,
spared from furious fans
for more than a year after
their sign-stealing scandal
surfaced. The Astros made
Astros continues on C7

NCAA TOURNAMENT

FINAL FOUR • 2. HOUSTON (28-3) VS. 1. BAYLOR (26-2) • 4:14 P.M. SATURDAY AT INDIANAPOLIS • TV: CBS

COUGARTOWN AGAIN Drew

Final Four run
builds
brings to mind
legendary UH
joyous
teams of the ’60s culture
By Dale Robertson By Brent Zwerneman
C ORRE SP ONDENT STA F F W R I T E R

Elvin Hayes looks back in Baylor’s first 18 days in the

neither sadness nor anger.
His University of Houston
Cougars of the late 1960s
didn’t need championship
rings to prove their merit,
their historic greatness. After
all, who’s to say they weren’t
the second best college bas-
ketball team of all time?
Because the only team to
defeat them in games that
truly mattered over Hayes’ fi-
nal two seasons was UCLA,
led on the court by Lew Alcin-
dor and coached by John
Wooden. Those Bruins, of
course, were arguably the
best team ever, winning 88 of
90 games during the Alcin-
dor era. Where, Hayes asks,
is the shame in losing to such
an outfit?
“I’m proud we got to play
them twice in a row (in con-
secutive national semifinal
games),” he said. “But we had
some injuries (most signifi-
cantly in the 1968 rematch).
We were missing people,
people we needed, so we
came up a little short.”
And, Hayes is quick to add,
hadn’t the Cougars beaten
the Bruins in what was, with-
out any doubt, the most im-
portant college basketball
game ever? Right, “The
Game of Century” in the As-
trodome on Jan. 20, 1968.
UH’s 71-69 victory, account-
ing for Wooden’s only defeat
from mid-February 1966 until
early March 1969, was played
before a crowd of 52,693 in
the first nationally televised
prime-time basketball game,
UH continues on C3
Elvin Hayes says he wouldn’t trade his team’s win in the “Game of the Century” in
1968 over UCLA for an NCAA title. Houston lost to UCLA in consecutive Final Fours.
NANTZ’S MOMENT
» UH alum pledges to call
Saturday’s game down the
middle. Page C2
NO SIBLING RIVALRY
» NFL quarterback Russell
Wilson cheers sister Anna
and Stanford . Page C4
Staff file photo
AURIEMMA ‘REBORN’
» Arkansas loss refocused
Huskies to earn 13th straight
Final Four trip . Page C4
NCAA Tournament bubble in
Indianapolis mirrored coach
Scott Drew’s first 18 years in
Waco.
“Scott has done such a
great job of allowing staff and
our young men to enjoy the
moment,” Baylor athletic di-
rector Mack Rhoades said
Thursday. “He’s done an ex-
ceptional job of balancing the
time to have fun and the time
to lock in and focus. It hasn’t
been just a grind every mo-
ment and every day for the
players. There’s been time for
joy.
“That’s part of the culture
that Scott has built at Baylor:
There’s going to be joy within
the program.”
The joy has arrived in
waves for the Bears and their
fans this season, with Baylor
(26-2), a No. 1 seed, preparing
to take on Houston (27-3), a
No. 2 seed, at 4:14 p.m. Satur-
day in the Final Four.
Eighteen years ago, in the
aftermath of a murder and
scandal that shook college
basketball, the joy Baylor is ex-
periencing as a Final Four par-
ticipant for the first time since
1950 seemed unimaginable.
Then the unflappable Drew,
32 at the time, strolled into the
Ferrell Center.
“I prayed about it. I felt led
to come here,” Drew recalled.
“I really believed in the vision
of the school, from the presi-
dent and the administrators
during that time, and what
they wanted Baylor to … be-
come. I wanted to be a part of
Baylor continues on C2

TEXAS

Beard takes over for Longhorns

After rejuvenating Texas Tech, coach returns the opening since Shaka Smart ac-
cepted a job to become Mar-
to his alma mater after Smart’s departure quette’s coach on March 26. And
while Beard earned his bachelor’s
By Nick Moyle to Hearst Newspapers. degree from Texas in 1995 and
STA F F WRIT E R By 5 p.m., Beard already had worked as a student assistant for
deplaned in Austin, accompanied coach Tom Penders, skepticism
AUSTIN — Texas Tech fans by Texas athletic director Chris endured over whether he’d will-
wanted desperately for Thursday Del Conte, whose successful pur- ingly cast aside the once-mori-
morning’s news about Chris suit somehow was both stunning bund program he transformed in-
Beard to be a cruel April Fool’s and expected. to a Big 12 power.
Day prank. “I’m thrilled and excited to be Turned out Del Conte just had
But after Stadium’s Jeff Good- coming back to Austin and back to to wait for the right day.
man broke the story on Texas the Longhorn family,” Beard said On April 1, Beard’s contract
poaching Beard, more reports in a statement. “I can’t express buyout for accepting a position
surfaced confirming the develop- how excited I am for this opportu- with another Big 12 or in-state Di-
ment. Shortly after the initial nity and the journey that lies vision I school dropped from $5 Michael Conroy / Associated Press
break, a source within the athletic ahead.” million to $4 million. It’s still a sig- Chris Beard led Texas Tech to three NCAA Tournament
department confirmed the hiring Beard, 48, had been linked to Beard continues on C3 appearances, including the championship game in 2019.
C2 | Friday, April 2, 2021 | HoustonChronicle.com | Houston Chronicle HH

NCAA TOURNAMENT
MEN’S FINAL FOUR

A shining moment for Nantz

UH alumnus has ties to program, but CBS broadcaster promises to also give Baylor its due
By David Barron FINAL FOUR
CORRE S P ONDE NT AT INDIANAPOLIS

Jim Nantz was at a reception

celebrating the 2014 debut of the
University of Houston’s football
stadium — specifically, the stadi-
um press box named in honor of
his mother, Doris Nantz — when
he was approached by Kelvin
Sampson, the Cougars’ new bas-
ketball coach.
Nantz had known Sampson
from his years calling the NCAA
Tournament, but this was a con-
versation unlike any other. It fea-
tured a bold promise that, seven
years later, is on the verge of be-
coming reality.
“Kelvin said, ‘Jim, I’m fully
aware of how much you love this
basketball program and how it’s
been a part of your life and all
you’ve done for the program. I
know it’s important to you,’ ”
Nantz said.
He said Sampson continued, “I
want to tell you something. I
promise you that I am going to
take this program back to the Fi-
nal Four, and we are going to win a
championship.”
And now it’s 2021, and Nantz
will be courtside with Grant Hill
and Bill Raftery when CBS airs the
NCAA Tournament semifinal
game Saturday in Indianapolis be-
tween the Houston Cougars and
Baylor Bears, with the winner
moving on to Monday night’s
championship game.
“Kelvin has lived up to his
promise,” Nantz said. “He gave
me his word. He had such an in-
tense look when he said. ‘We are
going to take this program back to
the Final Four.’ And here we are.”
The use of the word “we,” by
the way, is all inclusive. Nantz
pledges that old school ties will
not play a role in Saturday’s tele-
cast.
Even though Nantz’s connec-
tion to UH basketball dates to his
days as a student, working as the
public address announcer at Hof-
heinz Pavilion and hosting coach
Guy V. Lewis’ weekly television
show from 1979 through 1981, he
said he will offer equal praise and
attention to the Bears and Cou-
gars on Saturday.
“I know how to call a game
down the middle,” he said. “I have
tremendous respect for (Baylor
coach) Scott Drew, the Baylor
people and their athletic director
(former Houston AD Mack
Rhoades).
“The Baylor nation has nothing
to fear. (Raftery) or Grant may
make an allusion to UH being my
alma mater, but I have nothing but
respect for Baylor. They will get
equal love.”
Nantz has yet to call a Houston
HOUSTON (28-3)
VS. BAYLOR (26-2)
When: 4:14 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium.
TV: CBS.
GONZAGA (30-0)
VS. UCLA (21-9)
When: 7:34 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium.
TV: CBS.
CHAMPIONSHIP
AT INDIANAPOLIS
When: 8 p.m. April 5
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium.
TV: CBS.
Eric Christian Smith / Contributor and continued after he left the golf
CBS Sports broadcaster and UH alum Jim Nantz, calling a Houston game last year against team through graduation in 1981.
Memphis, will be behind the mic for Saturday’s Final Four game between the Cougars and Baylor. In 1983, while working in Salt
Lake City, he rode with the Cou-
Brooks returning to Lamar as its coach of the stadium and sat down as Or- gars to The Pit in Albuquerque for
egon State hit a 3-pointer to tie the the fateful game with North Caro-
INDIANAPOLIS – University of Houston assistant coach Alvin
game. lina State, sat near the CBS booth
Brooks has been named the new head coach at Lamar, the school
announced Thursday.
“I started having flashbacks,” and watched Brent Musburger re-
Brooks returns to his alma mater, where he was a two-year starter he said, “It was like, ‘Are you kid- hearse the pregame show and
at point guard from 1979-81 and part of the Cardinals’ Sweet 16 team. ding me?’ We’ve had enough then rode back with the team in si-
“I am excited to be coming home to my alma mater, Lamar Univer- heartbreaks with the (1979) Cot- lence after the Cougars lost in a
sity!” Brooks said in a statement. “The Beaumont and Golden Triangle ton Bowl against Notre Dame or memorable upset.
communities have always held a special place in my heart, and I am the national championship game He represented Lewis when
looking forward to reconnecting. The timing could not be better.” against North Carolina State. the longtime coach was selected
Brooks is in his 11th season as an assistant at Houston, including the “Thankfully, for we Houston for induction into the Naismith
last seven on coach Kelvin Sampson’s staff. He has been associated faithful, the game turned around. National Basketball Hall of Fame
with UH for 23 years, including as head coach from 1993-98. I took a video of the team celebrat- in 2013, and he collaborated with
Joseph Duarte ing and then hightailed it back. former suitemates Blaine McAlis-
They were looking for me, but I ter and Fred Couples to fund UH’s
made it back on time, we did the first endowed basketball scholar-
game, and I was riding high.” ship.
game in the Tournament this year “Scott Drew’s rebuild at Baylor After working the Baylor-Ar- This year, the Three Amigos
but had Baylor’s game against Ar- may be the greatest ever in college kansas game, Nantz flew Tuesday scholarship is held by Marcus
kansas on Monday night and was basketball,” Nantz said. “I know morning to Houston, where he Sasser, who will be a key element
amazed by the fast pace of the that sounds like a lot, but Baylor joined family members in cele- in UH’s drive for a long-awaited
Bears’ offense. had no program when he took brating his mother’s 90th birth- national title.
“It was shocking to see the over. Now they’ve been one of the day. He was off to Indianapolis on If it happens for UH, you’ll hear
movement on the floor, the quick- most consistent for quite a while. Thursday and will be holed up in about it first from Nantz. But if it
ness. They’re a blur,” he said. “Ev- I’m blown away with how they his hotel room until he’s cleared doesn’t, he’s proud of the Cou-
erything moves, and it’s so coor- play in sync.” to be courtside Saturday. gars’ accomplishments this sea-
dinated. It’s amazing to watch. While Nantz has not called any Of course, Nantz is hardly the son.
They’re so good. of UH’s Tournament games, he only broadcaster who has had an “The University of Houston is
“And then you’ve got Houston was on hand Monday night for the off-air rooting interest over the going to take on a great basketball
with its stifling defense and ability first half of the Cougars’ regional years in NCAA Tournament ac- program in Baylor,” he said. “Who
to dictate these ballgames be- final against Oregon State before tion. The business is lousy with knows who is going to win. Any-
cause they are able to take teams walking to the other end of Lucas Syracuse graduates who annually one who is there has a chance.
out of their game. Can they do Oil Stadium to prepare for the follow the progress of the Orange “But this has been a massive
that with Baylor and show down Baylor-Arkansas game. under coach Jim Boeheim, and achievement, whatever happens.
that quickness and speed and effi- “As we were going through the other schools have their adher- Anyone who walks away feeling as
ciency?” graphics, I glanced at a monitor ents mikeside as well. if it’s anything less doesn’t under-
While styles of play differ, Bay- and saw that the (UH) game was Nantz, though, will stack up his stand how far (UH) has come and
lor and Houston have enjoyed getting tight,” Nantz said. undergraduate ties to the Cougars what it has taken to get there.
similar revivals under Drew and “I asked our producer, Mark to those of any of his counterparts “Whatever happens, I’ll be tru-
Sampson, both of whom have re- Wolf, when he needed me next, from other schools. He began ly happy for whichever team wins
built programs that were far from and he said I had 20 minutes.” working with the Cougars basket- to represent the state of Texas on
Final Four material. Nantz hurried to the other side ball team while playing golf for UH Monday night.”

BAYLOR bation and a big-time cut in schol-

From page C1
that.”
He did give the situation fur-
ther review. Following a lone and
quite successful 20-11 season at
Valparaiso in his home state of In-
diana in 2002-03, Drew scanned
the Baylor roster he inherited
from the deposed and denigrated
Dave Bliss.
“Once you found out that most
of your team were walk-ons and
most of them weren’t over 6-
foot-2, then you realized it might
be tougher than you originally
thought,” Drew said with a slight
smile. “But the goal was always to
build a program that could con-
sistently compete and have an
opportunity to play in March.”
In June 2003, two months be-
fore an unnerved Baylor turned
to Drew for an unprecedented re-
build, Bears forward Patrick Den-
nehy was shot in the head by
teammate Carlton Dotson in a
field about four miles from cam-
pus, following what Dotson later
described as an argument be-
tween the two. It was one of the
few documented instances of
one teammate killing another in
any sport.
Dotson is currently serving a
35-year prison sentence. Bliss
was forced to resign for myriad
misdeeds relating to the murder,
including urging players to claim
Dennehy was a drug dealer as the
coach tried to cover up that he
had helped pay for his tuition.
Drew, son of revered former
Valparaiso coach Homer Drew
and brother to former Rocket
Bryce Drew, now head coach at
Grand Canyon, arrived to a stag-
gered program hit by NCAA pro-
arships.
“You think about where this
program was when he took it
over,” said Rhoades, who arrived
at Baylor from the same AD role
at Missouri in 2016. “The scandal
has been well-documented, and
it’s got to be one of the most — if
not the most — prolific rebuilds in
all of college sports. Not just bas-
ketball, but in all of college
sports.”
Baylor did not play a noncon-
ference game — which programs
use to tune up for league action —
in 2005-06 under NCAA penalty
and went 4-13, all against Big 12
foes. Two years later, the Bears
finished 21-11 and lost in the first
round of the NCAA Tournament
to Purdue — a big-picture victory
for an imminently patient Drew.
“This team has accomplished
a tremendous amount this year,”
Drew said following the loss in
the 2008 opening round. “It’s
something they can be proud of
the rest of their lives.”
Since that time Drew, 50, has
directed Baylor to unparalleled
success. The Bears made the Elite
Eights in 2010, 2012 and this year
and are in their first Final Four in
71 years. With two more victories,
Baylor will own its first national
title in men’s basketball. How has
the former Butler University stu-
dent manager done it? It starts
with an upbeat approach to tack-
ling any issue, large or small.
“He’s genuine and enthusias-
tic. Scott never has a bad day,”
Rhoades said. “If he ever does
have a bad day, he is elite at cov-
ering it up, because you never see
it. He’s one of the most selfless
people, not just selfless coaches,
that I know. All the success he’s
had — and he’s always thinking
Scott Drew took over a scandal-wracked Baylor team in 2003
and has led the Bears to unprecedented success.
about others before he thinks
about himself.
“He takes great joy in others’
success rather than his own. He’s
just a good dude.”
Jay Wright, who’s led Villanova
to two national titles and lost to
Baylor in the Sweet 16 this season,
simply dubbed Drew a “great
coach.” CBS analyst Seth Davis
said Drew has engineered “one of
the greatest building jobs I’ve ev-
Andy Lyons / Getty Images
er seen in sports.”
Drew’s relentless recruiting,
including a willingness to add tal-
ented transfers, has led to Bay-
lor’s perhaps possessing the top
trio of guards in basketball this
season.
“I’m really happy for coach
Drew. He’s been here 18 years,”
said one of those guards, MaCio
Teague. “He has the biggest
comeback story — to come back
from nothing. People need to talk
about that. He’s spent a lot of
time, dedication, hard work,
blood, sweat and tears building
this program.”
Leading to this weekend’s Fi-
nal Four, one national writer
dubbed Drew a “little bit of a
corny guy at times” in a question
to Teague, prompting a grin from
the guard and then a defense of
his coach who seems straight out
of Mayberry, the mythical town
of the old Andy Griffith Show.
“He connects with us because
he cares about us,” Teague said of
the married father of three.
“When I first got here, honestly, I
was unsure of the guy. When you
get recruited, coaches kind of
switch (approaches) when you
get to a school. They show you all
the good stuff (in recruiting), and
then when you get to school,
they’re not really catering to you
as much.
“As time went on, I understood
that coach Drew truly cares
about his players. … He tries to
get to know his players and tries
to keep that connection. … He
builds trust, and not just for bas-
ketball.”
Teague recounted witnessing
Drew send a player from more
than a decade ago, Matt Sayman,
a care package to let the former
Bear who was part of the early re-
build know he was remembered
by his appreciative coach.
“Coach Drew truly cares about
people and the program and try-
ing to put (us) in the best situa-
tion possible,” Teague said.
“That’s the reason he connects
with people — because we feel
that he cares about us.”
brent.zwerneman@chron.com
twitter.com/brentzwerneman

UH
From page C1
pro or college.
The sport would never be the
same.
“That made us known around
the world,” Hayes said. “Every-
body knew about UH basketball
after that. It made college basket-
ball a marketable sport and
brought a lot of people into the
Houston family. I wouldn’t trade
that win, even the national cham-
pionship.”
Nonetheless, Hayes admits
having some jewelry to show off
today would be nice. And now,
the way he sees it, Kelvin Samp-
son’s 2021 Cougars, playing in a
national semifinal of their own
Saturday against another team of
formidable bruins — Baylor’s
Bears — have positioned them-
selves to offer a satisfying mea-
sure of atonement, to finish what
he and Guy V., and later the Phi
Slama Jama fraternity, started so
many seasons ago.
“These kids can put rings on
the fingers of everybody who was
ever a Cougar,” Hayes said. “They
can do what we didn’t. They’re
building something special out
there, like we did, and they’re
bringing some happiness to Hous-
ton. Man, we need it.”
Do we ever. No need to bring
the reeling Rockets or the tattered
Texans into this happy conversa-
tion, and the Astros are still
months away being able to put
lasting smiles back on our faces.
The 28-3 Cougars, however, are
on the clock. Hayes can relate to
that. His Cougars, 58-6 over his fi-
nal two seasons, were easily the
best show in town, too, during the
late 1960s.
The 1967 Oilers lost the only
playoff game the franchise experi-
enced over a span of more than a
decade by a 40-7 score. The na-
scent Astros, having made their
debut in 1962, would place no
higher than eighth in the 10-team
National League through their
first seven seasons and, in 1968,
remained more than a decade
away from their first postseason
appearance. The Rockets? They
were still in San Diego — fortunate-
ly, considering how bad they
were. (Yep, history repeats.)
It’s worth noting how the cur-
rent Cougars already settled one
score for the Big E when they took
out Oregon State 67-61 Monday
night, booking the school’s first
Final Four reservation since 1984.
Late in his sophomore season
(1965-66), Hayes’ Cougars went
on a 12-1 tear that made them nom-
inal favorites in the West Region.
But the Beavers pulled off a 63-60
upset in the semifinals, depriving
Hayes of what would have been
the first of three consecutive Final
Four appearances — and a possi-
ble showdown against the eventu-
al national champions from Texas
Western College.
The Miners remain the lone
Texas team to prevail since the
NCAA Tournament began in 1939,
and they were the only one be-
sides UCLA to cut down the nets
between 1964 and 1973.
What an intriguing matchup
that would have been, pitting
Hayes against David Lattin, who
had been Houston’s first consen-
BEARD
From page C1
nificant sum, but Texas was at
least spared from paying what
would have been a $7.1 million
buyout for Smart when he depart-
ed for Marquette following six ca-
pricious seasons on the Forty
Acres.
“He’s a highly regarded coach
and also a person who is so well
thought of in his profession and
beyond, and in our talks with him
and those who know him well, we
came away extremely im-
pressed,” Del Conte said of Beard
in a statement.
Beard spent the past five sea-
sons positioning Texas Tech
among the upper echelon of Big 12
and Division I hoops. Under his
stewardship, the Red Raiders
qualified for the NCAA Tourna-
ment in three out of four years —
the 2020 tournament was can-
celed because of the COVID-19
pandemic — and reached the 2018
Elite Eight and 2019 national
championship game.
A two-time Big 12 coach of the
year and the 2018-19 Associated
Press coach of the year, Beard
now will be tasked with repairing
a program that hasn’t won an
NCAA Tournament game since
2014.
Those snake-bitten outings hit
a nadir this year in Texas’ first-
round loss to Abilene Christian on
NCAA TOURNAMENT
Guy V. Lewis is carried off the court at the Astrodome after his team’s 71-69 win over UCLA in
1968. Lewis led UH to five Final Fours, including three straight from 1982-84.
A crowd of more than 50,000 was in the Astrodome on Jan. 20, 1968. It was the first nationally
televised game that put college basketball and UH on the map.
sus high school All-American and
the player Guy Lewis had long tar-
geted to be the first Black Cougar.
But Lattin graduated from Wor-
thing, not far from the UH cam-
pus, a couple years too soon for
the university’s integration time-
table — it had decided the football
program would go first in 1964 —
and Lattin rejected Lewis’ en-
treaties to bide his time in a junior
college program.
As a result, it would be Hayes
and the lanky 6-5 guard Don Cha-
ney, another NBA star-in-the-mak-
ing and a future Rockets coach,
who broke the Cougars’ color bar-
rier together. Interestingly,
though, Lewis declined to let
them room together. Instead, he
had Chaney bunk with John Tra-
cy, a little-used reserve. Hayes
moved in with Howie Lorch, the
student manager.
Hayes admits transitioning
from Rayville, a tiny, hardscrab-
ble town in northeastern Louisi-
ana, to the big city wasn’t easy.
Being uncomfortable in his new
surroundings made him a down-
right unpleasant fellow at times.
But during a much needed heart-
to-heart early on with Lewis, he
recalled “Coach looking me in the
eye and asking me, ‘What did I ev-
March 20, now one of the most
consequential days in program
history. That flop in Indiana trig-
gered a chain reaction, leading
Smart to Marquette and Beard to
the Longhorns.
It’s unlikely any of that move-
ment occurs if the Longhorns had
scored just two more points
against the Wildcats and ad-
vanced to the second round. But
after six Marches without an
NCAA Tournament victory, Smart
and Texas agreed it was time for
an amicable and mutually benefi-
cial split.
From that point, the hiring pro-
cess hinged on Beard’s willing-
ness to leave Lubbock. Though
other candidates, like Brooklyn
Nets assistant and Texas hoops
alumnus Royal Ivey, interviewed
for the job, Del Conte made little
effort to conceal his desire for an-
other splashy hire one year after
poaching women’s basketball
coach Vic Schaefer from Missis-
sippi State and three months after
landing football coach Steve Sar-
kisian.
Del Conte loves “grinders,” as
he’s mentioned often when intro-
ducing new hires. All Beard ac-
complished at Texas Tech, and
how he accomplished it, aligned
with the AD’s vision of what a
coach should be.
“We’ve all seen what he’s done
in building Texas Tech into a na-
tional force, recognize his wealth
of knowledge and experience,
HH
MEN’S FINAL FOUR
er do to you, Elvin? All I’m trying
to do is help you.’ That changed
everything. After that conversa-
tion, I was all in.”
No, Lewis never claimed a
championship. But only one of his
five Final Four losses was to a less-
er team, North Carolina State in
1983. And the role he played in af-
fecting social change in the South
can’t be overstated. Hayes, now
75, entered the Basketball Hall of
Fame in 1990 immediately upon
becoming eligible. But as the
years passed and Lewis kept be-
ing snubbed by the Hall’s voters,
the Big E began boycotting its
events. Guy V. wouldn’t finally get
his due until 2013, two years be-
fore he died at 93.
“He was one of the greatest
coaches I ever had the opportuni-
ty to play for,” Hayes said. “And he
was a good man. He opened doors
for a lot of people. Coach Samp-
son is here because of people like
coach Lewis.”
That first Hayes team stayed
largely under the radar, going un-
ranked all season, but by the mid-
dle of his junior year the Cougars
had climbed to No. 3, good
enough for Sports Illustrated to
feature them in a story by Curry
Kirkpatrick that ran under the
As Texas Tech’s coach, Chris Beard and the Red Raiders won
seven of the last nine games against Shaka Smart’s Texas team.
and his track record at every
place he’s been is extraordinary,”
Del Conte said in a statement.
“His success is well documented,
and he’s a Longhorn at heart who
cut his teeth in the business as a
student assistant coach under
Tom Penders.”
Tech made Beard the nation’s
fourth-highest paid men’s basket-
ball coach, ranking behind only
Kentucky’s John Calipari, Duke’s
Mike Krzyzewski and Villanova’s
Jay Wright — current or future Hall
of Famers with a combined eight
national titles and 21 Final Four
Houston Chronicle | HoustonChronicle.com | Friday, April 2, 2021 |
Associated Press file photo
Staff file photo
headline “Elvin, Melvin and the
Duck” (Hayes, Melvin “The Sav-
age” Bell and Chaney, respective-
ly). Kirkpatrick portrayed Lewis’
team as a rollicking, brawling
bunch with rough edges but plen-
ty of fire in its belly and boundless
confidence.
He quoted Hayes saying,
“(Wilt) Chamberlain, (Bill) Russell
— I think I’m as good as any of
them. And I’ll always think so un-
til they come down here, put on
some shoes and show they can
whup me good.”
The Big E, of course, backed up
his brash talk through the years,
twice earning consensus first-
team All-America honors, then
appearing in 12 NBA All-Star
games and being named one of
the top 50 players ever as part of
the NBA’s 50th Anniversary cele-
bration. He finally won a champi-
onship, too, as a Washington Bul-
let in 1978.
“Life is not all fun and games
with the strong and tough Cou-
gars,” Kirkpatrick wrote, noting
how 10 of them stood at least 6-5.
“Their practices are, in a word,
murderous — no place for faint
hearts. Stories about the work-
outs are rapidly passing into exag-
gerated legends, but it is true that
Gregory Shamus / Getty Images
appearances. Texas has not re-
vealed contract specifics, but
Beard is expected to receive an
annual base salary in line with or
in excess of the $5 million he was
scheduled to earn this season.
That exorbitant price tag will
be worth it if Beard can work his
magic in Austin. Del Conte’s bet
feels like a sound one considering
the new hire’s track record.
In the five seasons before
Beard was hired, Texas Tech shuf-
fled through three coaches and
skidded to a 65-93 overall record
with a .244 winning percentage in
C3
last year Hayes beat bloody one
teammate who first badgered him
and then made the mistake of
challenging The Big E.
“Another player, Bob Hayward,
a 6-foot-6, 225-pound veteran of
four years in the Navy, is said to
have put Elvin up against the wall
in practice one day, threatening to
punch him out. ‘That was no
fight,’ says Howie Lorch with dis-
gust. ‘We have those kind several
times a week. I don’t consider it a
fight until a man is cut or until I
see blood. And I’ve seen plenty of
that around here. Coach doesn’t
mind it. ‘Wipe it off. Let’s go,’ he
says.”
The Cougars were 9-1 when the
story appeared. Citing UH’s errat-
ic shooting — Lewis: “It’s our of-
fense that worries me” — and its
frenetic but sometimes flawed
zone-trapping defensive scheme,
Kirkpatrick suggested that one
defeat (86-75 at Michigan despite
the Cougars taking 100 shots and
grabbing 80 rebounds) should,
but won’t be, the only one they
will lose, “a forecourt on the high
side of 700 pounds notwithstand-
ing.”
He was right. Two defeats fol-
lowed in the next three games.
But then the Cougars reeled off
nine W’s in a row before their 73-
58 semifinal loss to UCLA, a game
in which they hit only 26 of 75
shots. They wouldn’t lose again,
going 32-0 until they again faced
off against the Bruins in the na-
tional semis the next year. Had
the NCAA used seedings for the
pairings rather than geography in
those days — No. 1-ranked UH had
won the Midwest Regional, No. 2-
ranked UCLA the West Regional —
they likely would have played for
the title.
In what became a revenge-driv-
en 101-69 UCLA rout, the Cougars
outdid themselves in the brick de-
partment, making only 22 of 78
shots. But as Hayes noted earlier,
the Cougars didn’t have their ace
sixth man, George Reynolds, and
a hobbled Theodis Lee stayed on
the court for only 21 minutes, go-
ing 2-for-15 from the field.
Hayes, who had dropped 39
points on the Bruins in the Astro-
dome victory, with Alcindor play-
ing despite a severely scratched
cornea that had rendered him
half-blind, would be flummoxed
by a “triangle and two” defense
devised by Wooden, who not for
nothing was called “The Wizard
of Westwood.” With Alcindor to
his rear and Lynn Shackleford
fronting him, Hayes managed just
10 shots and made only three, fin-
ishing with10 points. All five of the
Bruins’ starters outscored him.
But again, the Big E long has
since made his peace with how
things played out for him and the
Cougars. He harbors no regrets.
“There’s nothing but happi-
ness in my heart,” he said. “We
gave ourselves two great opportu-
nities. We had a really terrific bas-
ketball team.”
So, he added, does Sampson.
“I enjoy being around these
kids, watching how they’ve
bought into what he’s teaching,”
said Hayes, who stays connected
by being part of the radio team.
“They’ve given themselves a great
opportunity. They deserve to be
where they are, like we did. I’m
proud of them.”
Big 12 play and an 0-1 record in the
NCAA Tournament. During
Beard’s stint at Tech, the Red
Raiders went 112-55 with a 49-40
conference record and a 9-3
NCAA Tournament record. He al-
so went 8-5 against Smart’s Long-
horns and won seven of the last
nine meetings.
As masterful as Beard is when it
comes to exceeding expectations,
he’s facing a difficult project at
Texas.
Senior forward Royce Hamm Jr.
and guard Donovan Williams are
transferring. Breakout sopho-
more Kai Jones declared for the
NBA draft, and freshman Greg
Brown will soon do the same. Se-
niors Matt Coleman, Jericho Sims
and Jase Febres are not expected
to return. And 2021 four-star sig-
nee Tamar Bates requested a re-
lease from his letter of intent.
But Texas wouldn’t have need-
ed Beard if everything was in or-
der. Del Conte believes the alum-
nus who transformed Texas Tech
into a national championship
contender in just three seasons
can achieve the same in Austin.
“It’s been a whirlwind of a day,”
Beard said. “Our top priority will
be embracing our players as soon
as we get to campus, and I look
forward to starting this journey
together toward our champion-
ship goals.”
nmoyle@express-news.net
twitter.com/nrmoyle
C4 | Friday, April 2, 2021 | HoustonChronicle.com | Houston Chronicle
NFL star’s younger sister steps into national spotlight ahead of Stanford’s semifinal showdown
ANN KILLION
Commentary
The television cameras can’t
get enough of Russell Wilson.
The NFL quarterback is on his
feet, decked out in his Stanford
gear, exhorting the Cardinal,
encouraging the other Stanford
fans, high-fiving his wife Ciara,
yelling loudly for his sister Anna.
Cameras love a superstar. But
the road to the spotlight is often
done in the shadows.
Within the Wilson family and
now outside of it in a Final Four
showcase, Anna Wilson is a star.
The fifth-year senior is, as her
head coach Tara VanDerveer
says, “what college sports is all
about.”
About overcoming adversity,
growing and maturing. About
becoming a leader both on and
off the court. About persevering.
Wilson’s reward comes Friday,
when her team will play South
Carolina in a semifinal in San
Antonio, with a chance to ad-
vance to the national champi-
onship on the line.
“What goes on right now, is
that a lot of players want instant
success,” VanDerveer said this
week. “And basketball is kind of a
slow-cooking game. It’s not in-
stant oatmeal. It’s the slow kind.
“And Anna is a great example
of someone dealing with ad-
versity, being resilient and deter-
mined and being persistent and
staying with it.”
Slow-cooking oatmeal can be
one of women’s basketball’s
greatest selling points. The men’s
game is a turnstile to the pros,
with fewer and fewer players
whom fans can recognize from
season to season. The women’s
game creates beloved story lines,
of growth and development and
following a player’s path. The
excitement of seeing freshmen
like UConn’s Paige Bueckers,
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark and Stan-
ford’s Cameron Brink mature
UConn’s Auriemma set for 13th straight trip
By Mike Anthony
CON N E C T IC U T P O ST
Before the usual late-season
surge came to be or even seemed
possible, before Geno Auriemma
began to appreciate that this
UConn team would rejuvenate
the program with its stubborn in-
nocence, there was a long winter
stretch of dark and seemingly
helpless moments.
That, in part, is why the Hus-
kies’ latest of 13 consecutive Final
Four appearances is so reward-
ing. Because Auriemma couldn’t
always see it on the horizon.
That is why this collection of
relatively inexperienced players
has been such a breath of fresh
air. Because it first threatened to
suck the life out of him.
“Every day was excruciating,”
Auriemma said. “And maybe be-
cause of that … having gone to
those depths and come out of it, I
think that’s what all the fun and all
the joy and the life comes from.
Because I was drowning there for
a long time. I’m not afraid to ad-
mit it. I was drowning. And ever
since the Arkansas game, I feel
like I’ve been reborn.”
Auriemma was referring to
UConn’s only loss, Jan. 28 in Fay-
etteville, Ark. There, the Huskies
hit bottom. It’s OK to lose. That’s
not what really frustrated Au-
riemma or players. It was the way
they lost, drifting from everything
that was important and had been
worked on for months.
UConn was embarrassed, Au-
riemma said. The project wasn’t
in shambles but it felt like it was
teetering. If the team had gone on
to perform poorly three days later
and lose at DePaul, too, the sea-
son might have been marked by a
free fall instead of another climb
to the No. 1 ranking.
The Huskies won, 100-67, like a
lost group rounding the dark side
of the moon and suddenly head-
ed back in the right direction.
What followed were among the
most uplifting couple of months
in Auriemma’s 36-year UConn ca-
NCAA TOURNAMENT
Passing the torch
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson called younger sister Anna “a winner by nature”
as the Stanford star prepares for her Final Four game against Arizona on Friday.
over the coming seasons will be a
huge draw.
And then there are stories like
Wilson’s. Almost 10 years youn-
ger than her famous older broth-
er (they also have an older broth-
er, Harry), Wilson was in grade
school when their father died
from complications of diabetes at
55.
She moved during high school
to Seattle — to be near Russell —
where she was a standout basket-
ball player. She accepted an offer
to Stanford, but then suffered a
concussion in the McDonald’s
All-American Game and dealt
with concussion symptoms
through her freshman year. Her
brother connected her with a
specialist in Florida. As she was
getting better, she suffered a foot
injury and was on the bench
during Stanford’s last Final Four
run, in 2017.
She rarely started and found
her value on defense, coming on
the floor as a stopper. She began
UConn’s Geno Auriemma has won 11 national championships
during his 36-year career as Huskies coach.
reer.
Getting there took patience. It
required Auriemma to ride out
growing pains with a young team
that he was close to losing.
“This is one of the tightest knit
groups that we’ve had in a long,
long time, off the court,” Auriem-
ma said. “They are very, very,
very close off the court. And that
might be pandemic-influenced,
that they’ve had to spend so much
time together. On the court, in the
beginning, it was lots of fun
watching the newness of it. After a
while, that wore off. … There
were moments in December and
January where I didn’t want any
part of this team. Because they
were so good off the court, they
were so tight, they were so togeth-
er — off the court. And they were
everything but that on the court.
“And then you realize, every-
body is trying but they’re going in
20 different directions. So every
day for me was just one frustra-
tion after another. It didn’t matter
what we were trying to teach, it
wasn’t working. It didn’t matter
what you would say. By tomor-
row, it would be gone. It didn’t
matter how much progress you
HH
WOMEN’S FINAL FOUR
to take a leadership role last
season and, coming into her
own, decided to apply to the
NCAA for a fifth year. Her request
was rejected, a decision she was
going to accept until Russell
urged her to appeal.
She did. And then the pan-
demic hit.
She moved in with Russell and
worked out with him. She was
granted her fifth year. And she
has leaned into her leadership
role.
“I am so thankful her appeal
was approved,” VanDerveer said.
“She has matured as a player and
as a person. She’s doing a great
job as a leader.”
Now, Wilson is taking all those
challenges and struggles and
years of growth and applying
them.
“When the word ‘persever-
ance’ comes to mind, Anna is the
first person I think of,” Russell
Wilson told Michelle Smith of
Pac-12.com. “She has persevered
Photo by Brad Horrigan/ Hartford Courant
had made in three days. The
fourth day, you’d have to start at
the beginning.”
Until late-January.
By early-March, after winning
the Big East championship, Au-
riemma was proudly saying that
this team made him change the
way he coaches, adding, “They’re
going to be what they’re going to
be and I have to look at all the pos-
itives.” He met these players half-
way and they carpooled to the Fi-
nal Four.
Auriemma was laughing Wed-
nesday, saying of interactions
with players, “No point in getting
mad. They don’t listen [to me]
anyway.” He’s been laughing like
this a lot lately.
“I’ve never seen him have this
much fun in a long time,” Diana
Taurasi said. “I think he really en-
joys coaching this team. I think
there’s a flare about this team and
an edge about this team that he
really loves. And you can tell. You
can tell he’s engaged.”
The Huskies face Arizona Fri-
day in a national semifinal having
harnessed the kinetic energy of
their collective personality. The
national championship game is
Cody Glenn / Getty Images
through so much, from being
young when our dad passed
away, to juggling so many differ-
ent things, to being a McDonald’s
All-American and then getting a
concussion and not being able to
play.
“It was really tough on her,
physically, emotionally and spiri-
tually. But she is a winner by
nature. It’s in the bloodline.”
Wilson and the team’s other
two seniors — Kianna Williams
and Alyssa Jerome — took owner-
ship of the Cardinal, starting
small group chats during the
pandemic and forging bonds.
That closeness served them well
as they embarked on the chal-
lenging odyssey of the 2020-21
season.
“Being able to stay together,
making sure we’re not just sitting
in our room alone,” Wilson said
this week. “There are a lot of
things that could have gone on
this season, especially around
mental health. Our team being
Sunday.
Auriemma needed the jolt this
group has offered. He had to learn
to accept it, though, learn how to
accept it. He had to filter out the
shake-your-head frustration that
comes with coaching a team of
seven freshmen and no seniors.
He had to embrace all the new
personalities and styles, warts
and quirks and all. He seemed to
figure this group out once he
stopped trying to figure this
group out.
He started to enjoy the ride,
even the bumps. Paige Bueckers
started looking more like the best
player in America. Christyn Wil-
liams showed needed maturity in
her game. Aaliyah Edwards and
Olivia Nelson-Ododa became a
formidable post duo. Nika Muhl
shook off early discomfort and
turned into a backcourt bull. Evi-
na Westbrook remained a calm-
ing presence.
The team has won 18 games in a
row since the Arkansas loss. They
breezed through NCAA Tourna-
ment games against High Point
and Syracuse. Auriemma, who
missed those games while home
with COVID-19, was mobbed
when he arrived in San Antonio,
players screaming “G!” and ruf-
fling his hair. Down the stretch of
a 20-point victory over Iowa,
Bueckers slapped an unsuspect-
ing Auriemma on the butt.
Monday in the Elite Eight
against Baylor, the Huskies were
down nine. Auriemma gathered
the group, told them, “You either
do the things that we do every day
or we go home.” The Huskies
went on a 19-0 run to hold off the
Bears in a stressful game that
showed the team’s inexperience,
and luck.
“The beauty is that, generally
speaking, they really believe that
they’re better than they are,” Au-
riemma said. “That’s why, some-
times, it’s hard to talk to them. So
when things don’t go well on the
court, there’s almost this, ‘Yeah, I
got it.’ Except there was a look on
their face in the Baylor game, ‘Uh,
FINAL FOUR
AT ALAMODOME
S. CAROLINA (26-4) VS.
STANFORD (29-2)
When: 5 p.m. Friday.
TV: ESPN.
UCONN (28-1) VS.
ARIZONA (20-5)
When: 8:30 p.m. Friday.
TV: ESPN.
CHAMPIONSHIP
AT ALAMODOME
When: 5 p.m. Sunday.
TV: ESPN.
able to (stay engaged) for 10
weeks has served us well in the
time here.”
Like her brother, Wilson ex-
hibits a rare maturity and per-
spective. She is not taking any-
thing for granted.
“Pressure is a funny thing to
talk about,” she said when asked
about a potential title. “This is an
opportunity for us to do some-
thing really special. Pressure is
people who are struggling from
this past year, just regular life
with COVID and all the other
viruses in the world.”
Wilson spoke of the weirdness
of being tested nine times a
week, of not seeing family, of
being isolated.
“I think with that framework,
it allows you to play much more
loose and in the moment,” she
said. “I was saying today, be
where your feet are. That’s the
most important thing. Staying in
the moment.
“We’re having fun. It’s just
basketball.”
The slow-cooking kind of
basketball. For Wilson, the tim-
ing has been perfect.
Ann Killion is a columnist for
The San Francisco Chronicle.
akillion@sfchronicle.com
twitter.com/ annkillion
Coach, we don’t have it.’ Oh, now
you need me, huh? All this other
time, ‘Coach, I got this. I’m good.’
Now you’re looking at me like,
‘Coach, can you help me out
here?’ Oh, I see. So I just want to
be there for when they come to
their senses and actually ask me,
‘Coach, can you help me out ?’
That’s basically what my job is
right now.
“Because you know what? This
is the worst part. I said [after the
Baylor game], ‘Paige, you know
you almost cost us because you
didn’t wait for that screen?’ And
she walked away and goes, ‘We
won.’ That was her answer to ev-
erything. Didn’t argue with me,
didn’t do anything. I said, ‘Paige,
you could have cost us in that out-
of-bounds.’ She said, ‘We won.’
She walks away.”
Auriemma has won 11 national
championships and been to 20
other Final Fours. That doesn’t
mean there aren’t trying years or
months or weeks or days or hours
or minutes or even seconds.
He’s had all of that recently.
Three Final Four losses to follow
the 2016 championship were bru-
tal, two at the overtime buzzer to
Mississippi State and Notre Dame,
another to Notre Dame in a game
the Huskies led by nine in the
fourth quarter.
The death last year of Kobe Bry-
ant and his daughter, Gianna,
were emotional blows. Last sea-
son was cut short due to the pan-
demic. The program moved from
the American Athletic Confer-
ence to the Big East. This season
has been a COVID tightrope walk.
Auriemma didn’t know where
the team was headed until he
stopped worrying about every
pivot in the wrong direction. The
season’s only loss seemed to get
everyone on the same page.
“We were embarrassed as indi-
viduals and as a team,” Auriemma
said. “I think that kind of a coming
together and saying, ‘Hey, that’s
unacceptable.’ To me, that’s
where the change really took
place.”
 HHHH Houston Chronicle | HoustonChronicle.com | Friday, April 2, 2021 | C5
PRO BASKETBALL

NBA AT A GLANCE ROCKETS

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Utah
Phoenix
W
36
33
L
11
14
Pct
.766
.702
GB

3
_
L10
8-2
8-2
Str
W-7
W-4
Home
20-2
17-8
Away
16-9
16-6
Conf
16-6
19-8
Additions share connection
L.A. Clippers 32 18 .640 5 1⁄2 7-3 L-2 17-8 15-10 18-10 By Jonathan Feigen
Denver 30 18 .625 6 1⁄2 8-2 W-4 14-9 16-9 16-11 STA F F W R I T ER
L.A. Lakers 30 18 .625 6 1⁄2 5-5 L-1 16-11 14-7 19-10
Portland 29 18 .617 7 7-3 W-4 14-9 15-9 15-12 Avery Bradley and Kelly
Dallas 25 21 .543 10 1⁄2 6-4 W-2 11-10 14-11 15-14 Olynyk had been on the
San Antonio 24 22 .522 11 1⁄2 4-6 L-1 12-15 12-7 13-17 floor for 81 seconds Wed-
Memphis 22 23 .489 13 5-5 L-1 11-14 11-9 11-17 nesday when Olynyk began
Golden State 23 25 .479 13 1⁄2 4-6 L-1 14-9 9-16 12-14 posting up James Harden,
Sacramento 22 26 .458 14 1⁄2 7-3 L-1 12-12 10-14 10-12 moving across the lane
New Orleans 21 26 .447 15 6-4 L-1 14-12 7-14 12-17 with a slow dribble and a
Oklahoma City 20 27 .426 16 4-6 W-1 9-15 11-12 11-18 long look around.
Houston 13 34 .277 23 2-8 L-2 6-17 7-17 9-17 Bradley took off across
Minnesota 12 36 .250 24 1⁄2 4-6 W-1 7-17 5-19 8-21 the baseline, Olynyk not
even turning his head as he
EASTERN CONFERENCE
delivered his pass to him at
W L Pct GB L10 Str Home Away Conf
the rim for a layup.
Brooklyn 34 15 .694 _ 8-2 W-4 20-6 14-9 18-10
Philadelphia 33 15 .688 1
⁄2 7-3 W-1 19-4 14-11 23-7
No play had been called,
Milwaukee 30 17 .638 3 7-3 W-1 18-7 12-10 18-9
which was a good thing,
Charlotte 24 23 .511 9 5-5 L-1 13-9 11-14 13-10
Bradley said, because nei-
Miami 25 24 .510 9 4-6 W-3 13-12 12-12 15-15 ther has had time to learn
New York 24 24 .500 9 1⁄2 5-5 L-2 14-9 10-15 17-15 the Rockets’ plays. They
Atlanta 24 24 .500 9 1⁄2 6-4 W-1 11-9 13-15 13-12 do, however, know each
Boston 23 25 .479 10 1⁄2 3-7 L-2 13-9 10-16 16-13 other.
Indiana 21 25 .457 11 1⁄2 5-5 L-2 8-13 13-12 13-15 As they return to Boston
Chicago 19 27 .413 13 1⁄2 3-7 L-5 9-16 10-11 9-11 on Friday as teammates for
Toronto 18 30 .375 15 1⁄2 1-9 L-4 9-12 9-18 12-17 the first time since they Mark Mulligan / Staff photographer

Washington 17 30 .362 16 3-7 L-2 10-15 7-15 7-22 played together for the Kelly Olynyk, right, is one of the veterans brought in to help mentor young
Orlando 17 31 .354 16 1⁄2 4-6 W-2 10-15 7-16 10-17 Celtics for most of four sea- players. He reunited with Avery Bradley when he joined the Rockets.
Cleveland 17 31 .354 16 1⁄2 3-7 L-4 11-13 6-18 13-13 sons, their familiarity with
Detroit 14 34 .292 19 1⁄2 4-6 W-1 9-14 5-20 10-21 one another stands out. Rockets vs. Celtics Seattle area as Kevin Porter
No Rockets teammates Jr.
Results/schedule When/where: 6:30p.m.; TD Gar-
have played more games Additionally, Rockets as-
den, Boston.
Wednesday’s results Friday’s games together than Bradley and TV/radio: ATTSW; 790 AM, 740
sistant coach Will Weaver
Brooklyn 120, Houston 108 Golden State at Toronto, 6 p.m. Olynyk, the veterans ac- AM, 1010 AM (Spanish). was a Longhorns assistant
San Antonio 120, Sacramento 106 Dallas at New York, 6:30 p.m. quired last week when the when Bradley played at
Portland 124, Detroit 101 Houston at Boston, 6:30 p.m. So far: Rockets 13-34; Celtics 23-
Miami 92, Indiana 87 Charlotte at Indiana, 7 p.m. Rockets sent Victor Oladi- 25. Texas in 2009-10, two years
Dallas 113, Boston 108 Minnesota at Memphis, 7 p.m. po to the Miami Heat. It Lately: The Rockets’ loss in Brooklyn on Wednesday after Augustin.
Minnesota 102, New York 101 Atlanta at New Orleans, 8 p.m. shows. dropped them to 2-4 since their 20-game losing streak. “It feels good,” Bradley
Oklahoma City 113, Toronto 103 Chicago at Utah, 8 p.m.
Utah 111, Memphis 107 L.A. Lakers at Sacramento, 9 p.m.
“We definitely have a lit- The Celtics have lost the first two games of a five-game said. “A lot of people would
Phoenix 121, Chicago 116 Milwaukee at Portland, 9 p.m. tle bit of familiarity,” Oly- homestand, rallying from down 23 to within two before think this is a tough situa-
Milwaukee 112, L.A. Lakers 97 Oklahoma City at Phoenix, 9 p.m. nyk said. “I know his game. falling to the Mavericks on Wednesday. tion seeing I came from the
Thursday’s results Saturday’s games He knows mine. That Lakers and then Miami. But
Atlanta 134, San Antonio 129 (2OT) Dallas at Washington, 6 p.m. helps. I know what he’s go- SCOUTING THE SCOUTING THE I look at it as a positive. I’m
Philadelphia 114, Cleveland 94 Cleveland at Miami, 7 p.m. ing to do, where to look for ROCKETS CELTICS hoping I can stay here for
Detroit 120, Washington 91 Minnesota at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Brooklyn 111, Charlotte 89 New York at Detroit, 7 p.m. him, his spots. You don’t The Rockets offensive rating The Celtics led by as the long term and hopeful-
Miami 116, Golden State 109 Indiana at San Antonio, 8 p.m. really lose that. in the past eight games, since much as 36 points with ly finish my career here. I
Orlando 115, New Orleans 110 (OT) Orlando at Utah, 8 p.m. “That’s kind of a crazy beginning to get some reg- the Boston bench scor- love being back in the state
Denver 101, L.A. Clippers 94 Milwaukee at Sacramento, 9 p.m.
Oklahoma City at Portland, 9 p.m. stat that me and him have ulars back in the lineup, has ing 63 points in a rout of of Texas, and I love the or-
played more together than ranked 14th in the NBA. In the Rockets last month ganization so far.
any other two teammates fourth quarters in that in Toyota Center. … The “I’m still figuring out my
on our team. We’re moving stretch, they have scored just Celtics rank 21st in de- role here, but I can say so
NBA BOX SCORES/LEADERS forward with it. Hopefully, 96.9 points per 100 pos- fensive rating, 21st since far I’ve loved being with
we can bring that chemis- sessions, tied for last. … The the All-Star break. … these guys. I feel like it’s my
76ers 114, Cavaliers 94 Heat 116, Warriors 109 try.” Rockets make a league-worst The Celtics are the job to help (Porter) im-
Philadelphia: Green 3-8 2-3 11, Harris 4-7 4-4 12, Scott Golden State: Green 7-13 1-1 16, Wiggins 7-16 4-6 23,
With Christian Wood 34.8 percent of their shots, second-most efficient prove every single day on
1-5 0-0 2, Curry 7-15 0-0 19, Simmons 2-111-3 5, Howard Wiseman 1-5 2-2 4, Curry 9-19 13-13 36, Oubre Jr. 4-11 0-1
6-7 6-9 18, Korkmaz 2-8 2-2 7, Milton 10-14 2-2 27, Reed 8, Bazemore 2-2 2-2 6, Lee 1-3 0-0 3, Looney 2-4 0-0 4,
back after missing Olynyk’s 25.6 percent of their 3-point- scoring team in transi- the court and off the court.
1-3 0-0 2, Thybulle 2-6 0-0 5, Joe 0-1 0-0 0, Maxey 2-8 2-2 Toscano-Anderson 0-0 0-0 0, Mannion 0-0 0-0 0, Mulder
ers in ‘clutch situations’ (with tion in the NBA but rank
6, Tucker 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 40-93 19-25 114. 0-0 0-0 0, Poole 3-9 0-0 9. Totals 36-82 22-25 109. first two games with the That’s my main role: bring-
Cleveland: Okoro 4-4 1-3 9, Wade 6-14 1-1 16, Love 4-10 Miami: Ariza 3-6 2-2 10, Butler 7-13 7-9 22, Adebayo 5-13 a margin of five or fewer 19th in fast-break scor-
2-213, Garland 3-8 0-0 6, Sexton 7-15 9-9 24, Hartenstein 9-919, Oladipo 2-8 2-5 6, Robinson 8-151-121, Bjelica 3-6 Rockets, Houston often will ing that leadership.”
5-9 1-3 12, Osman 2-4 1-2 6, Prince 2-9 1-1 6, Stevens 1-2 0-0 8, Iguodala 3-6 2-2 10, Herro 8-13 2-2 20, Vincent 0-2 points in the final five min- ing. … The Celtics are
pair Bradley and Olynyk, The Rockets hope filling
0-0 2, Dellavedova 0-4 0-0 0, Thomas 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 0-0 0. Totals 39-82 25-30 116. utes), while playing in in the third in the NBA in of-
34-80 16-21 94. Golden State 24 30 27 28 — 109 playing them along with fewest games (16) with fensive rebounding
the floor with a mix of vet-
Philadelphia
Cleveland
31 27 27 29 — 114
31 25 17 21 — 94
Miami 23 36 27 30 — 116 D.J. Augustin in a veteran- clutch situations. … The Rock- percentage, but rank erans and young players —
3-point goals: Golden State 15-37 (Curry 5-11, Wiggins
3-point goals: Philadelphia15-37 (Milton 5-7, Curry 5-10, 5-11, Poole 3-6, Lee 1-2, Green 1-3, Oubre Jr. 0-3), Miami heavy second unit. The ets ranked 11th in the NBA in 12th in second-chance rather than just develop-
Green 3-7, Korkmaz 1-3, Thybulle 1-4, Scott 0-2, Maxey 13-39 (Robinson 4-11, Ariza 2-4, Bjelica 2-5, Herro 2-5,
0-3), Cleveland 10-35 (Love 3-6, Wade 3-11, Osman 1-3, Iguodala 2-5, Butler 1-3, Vincent 0-2, Oladipo 0-4). Re- Rockets, amid a season of defensive rating before the points per game. … mental players — will help
Prince1-4, Sexton1-4, Garland 0-3). Rebounds: Philadel- bounds: Golden State 46 (Curry 11), Miami 37 (Adebayo constantly changing line- All-Star break, 29th since. … Guard Jaylen Brown is Porter and rookies Jae-
phia 55 (Howard 15), Cleveland 40 (Wade 8). Assists: 8). Assists: Golden State 23 (Green 8), Miami 30 (Butler
Philadelphia 27 (Simmons 5), Cleveland 26 (Garland 8). 8). Total fouls: Golden State 26, Miami 22. A: 0 (19,600) ups and rotations, can use Guard Kevin Porter Jr. has averaging career-bests ’Sean Tate and KJ Martin. It
Total fouls: Philadelphia 19, Cleveland 24. A: 4,100
(19,432) Hawks 134, Spurs 129 (2OT) any advantage that might scored at least 20 points in or 24.5 points, 3.7 as- is not just that the players
Pistons 120, Wizards 91
Atlanta: Hill 1-4 0-0 3, Snell 2-5 0-0 6, Capela 9-15 10-10
28, Bogdanovic12-17 0-0 28, Young11-23 4-6 28, Gallinari
come with their familiarity five of his 10 games with the sists and 48.5 percent added have been around;
Washington: Avdija 4-10 2-5 11, Hachimura 5-11 0-1 10, 5-12 4-416, Huerter 0-4 0-0 0, Okongwu 4-6 2-410, Good- with one another. But there Rockets. He is averaging 20 shooting. In his past 10 they are particularly savvy,
Len 7-12 0-2 14, Robinson 0-3 0-0 0, Westbrook 7-16 1-6 win 3-4 0-0 8, Williams 3-10 1-2 7. Totals 50-100 21-26
16, Hutchison 2-5 1-2 5, Lopez 7-10 2-3 16, Bonga 1-4 0-0 134. could be additional bene- points on 46 percent shoot- games, he has made versatile players.
2, Mathews 1-2 0-0 3, Neto 4-7 0-0 9, Winston 2-4 0-0 5. San Antonio: DeRozan 14-26 8-10 36, Johnson 2-8 0-0 5,
Totals 40-84 6-19 91. Poeltl 6-8 2-3 14, Murray 7-13 2-3 16, White 10-20 2-3 29,
fits from their example. ing as a starter. … Forward 40.7 percent of his 3s, “We didn’t just bring in
Detroit: Bey 3-8 4-4 11, Grant 4-14 3-4 12, Plumlee 6-11 Vassell 2-6 1-1 6, Eubanks 1-2 0-0 2, Gay 6-16 3-4 18, Mills “I feel like we have some Danuel House Jr. has scored averaging 3.9 per game. veteran guys,” coach Ste-
1-2 13, J.Jackson 13-211-2 31, Lee 3-7 2-2 8, Cook 2-5 0-0 1-10 0-0 3. Totals 49-110 18-24 129.
4, Stewart 2-7 0-0 4, Sirvydis 1-1 0-0 3, Ellington 4-8 0-0 chemistry,” Bradley said. in double figures in six of his … Forward Jayson Ta- phen Silas said. “We
Atlanta 32 22 30 26 9 15 — 134
11, F.Jackson 4-6 3-4 13, Joseph 3-6 4-4 10. Totals 45-94
San Antonio 22 26 32 30 9 10 — 129 “Not only that, but Kelly is a past seven games played, tum, averaging a career- brought in character veter-
18-22 120.
Washington 22 22 24 23 — 91
3-point goals: Atlanta 13-24 (Bogdanovic 4-5, Goodwin
smart player. He plays the making 60 percent of his best 25.3 points per an guys who are willing to
2-2, Young 2-2, Gallinari 2-4, Snell 2-4, Hill 1-3, Huerter
Detroit 32 31 24 33 — 120 0-3), San Antonio13-40 (White 7-13, Gay 3-8, Vassell1-3, right way. And I look at my- 3-pointers in that stretch. … game, is making 45 sacrifice, are willing to pull
3-point goals: Washington 5-19 (Mathews 1-2, Neto 1-2, Johnson 1-5, Mills 1-8, Murray 0-2).
self the same way. We try to Center Christian Wood has percent of his attempts guys aside and teach. They
Avdija 1-4, Westbrook 1-5, Bonga 0-2), Detroit 12-29 Rebounds: Atlanta 56 (Capela 17), San Antonio 46
(J.Jackson 4-7, Ellington 3-6, F.Jackson 2-3, Grant 1-4, (Poeltl 10). made just 25 percent of his for a third consecutive
Bey 1-6). Fouled out: Washington None, Detroit 1 (Stew- Assists: Atlanta 28 (Young12), San Antonio 25 (DeRozan make the right plays. When do things the right way. To
3-pointers in his seven games season. … After missing
art). Rebounds: Washington 40 (Westbrook 11), Detroit 9). Total fouls: Atlanta 22, San Antonio 22. A: 2,949 we’re on the floor together, have those three guys, es-
48 (Plumlee11). Assists: Washington 25 (Westbrook12), (18,581) since returning from a all 10 of his shots in his
Detroit 31 (Joseph, Plumlee 7). Total fouls: Washington it just makes the game that pecially, is very important
21, Detroit 18. A: 750 (20,491) Nuggets 101, Clippers 94 sprained ankle. He had made first game with the
Denver: Gordon 6-13 1-4 14, Porter Jr. 7-11 5-5 20, Jokic much easier. 42.1 percent before the injury. Celtics, guard Evan
for our building, growing.”
Nets 111, Hornets 89 6-16 0-014, Barton 7-14 2-319, Murray 9-18 2-2 23, Dozier
“We even spoke about Silas said he hopes “the
Charlotte: Hayward 5-11 2-2 13, Washington 3-11 1-1 8, 0-3 0-0 0, Millsap 2-4 0-0 5, Green1-10-0 3, Campazzo1-1 … Center Kelly Olynyk has Fournier went 3 of 6
Biyombo 1-4 0-1 2, Graham 3-9 5-5 13, Rozier 4-11 2-4 12, 0-0 3. Totals 39-81 10-14 101. that. It always helps having averaged 18.3 points on 62.5 against the Mavericks connection” Olynyk and
Bridges 3-9 2-2 10, Ca.Martin 0-3 0-0 0, Co.Martin 1-7 0-0 L.A. Clippers: Leonard 10-22 2-2 24, Morris Sr. 2-9 2-2 8,
3, McDaniels1-2 0-0 2, Zeller 2-3 2-2 6, Richards 0-0 0-0 0, Zubac 3-5 2-2 8, George 5-15 5-6 17, Jackson 3-8 0-0 7, guys that know how to play. percent shooting in his three on Wednesday. He is 0 Bradley bring will carry
Darling 0-0 0-0 0, Monk 4-110-011, Wanamaker 3-5 2-2 9. Batum 2-7 0-0 6, Coffey 0-0 0-0 0, Mann 8-10 1-2 18, Pat-
Totals 30-86 16-19 89. terson1-4 2-2 4, Oturu 0-0 0-0 0, Kennard1-5 0-0 2. Totals Right now, me and Kelly games with the Rockets. for 7 on 3s with Boston. over. That chemistry was
Brooklyn: Green 8-17 0-0 21, Harris 3-10 0-0 9, Aldridge
4-10 2-2 11, Brown 7-10 0-0 14, Irving 7-17 0-0 15, A.John-
35-85 14-16 94. don’t even know any of the forged in Boston, with Fri-
Denver 31 31 19 20 — 101
son 1-1 0-0 2, Luwawu-Cabarrot 0-2 0-0 0, Claxton 1-2 1-2
L.A. Clippers 20 29 21 24 — 94
plays. We’re just out there day’s return offering a re-
3, Perry 2-4 0-0 4, Chiozza 0-1 0-0 0, Shamet 6-10 0-0 17,
T.Johnson 5-7 0-0 15. Totals 44-91 3-4 111. 3-point goals: Denver13-25 (Barton 3-6, Murray 3-6, Jok- playing basketball and try- minder of when they were
ic 2-3, Porter Jr.1-2, Gordon1-4), L.A. Clippers10-34 (Ba-
Charlotte 11 37 17 24 — 89 tum 2-4, Leonard 2-4, Morris Sr. 2-6, George 2-7, Jackson ing to make the right plays. NUMBER INJURY/STATUS young players trying to find
Brooklyn 32 36 24 19 — 111 1-5, Patterson 0-3, Kennard 0-4). We can help these guys. I TO NOTE REPORT their way.
3-point goals: Charlotte 13-38 (Monk 3-5, Bridges 2-5, Rebounds: Denver 38 (Murray 8), L.A. Clippers 45 (Leon-
feel like it’s our job as veter- “It’s where it started for
8
Graham 2-6, Rozier 2-6, Wanamaker 1-2, Co.Martin 1-3, ard 12). Assists: Denver 28 (Jokic 7), L.A. Clippers 17 Rockets: Guard John Wall (left
Hayward 1-4, Washington 1-4), Brooklyn 20-45 (Shamet (George 5).
5-7, T.Johnson 5-7, Green 5-12, Harris 3-9, Irving 1-4, Lu- Total fouls: Denver 16, L.A. Clippers 19. A: 0 (18,997) an players to help these knee effusion) is questionable. both of us,” Olynyk said.
wawu-Cabarrot 0-2, Perry 0-2).
Leaders younger players under- Forward David Nwaba “We both got drafted here,
Rebounds: Charlotte 43 (Washington 8), Brooklyn 56 (Ir- Rockets and Celt-
ving 11). Through March 30 stand the game faster.” (sprained right wrist), guard played a good chunk of our
Assists: Charlotte 22 (Monk 4), Brooklyn 34 (Irving 8). ics players that
Total fouls: Charlotte 9, Brooklyn 18. A: 1,773 (17,732)
Scoring That job description has Eric Gordon (strained right careers here. It’s a pleasure
played on Wed-
Magic 115, Pelicans 110 (OT) Beal, WAS
G
41
FG
449
FT
296
PTS
1284
AVG
31.3
changed dramatically for nesday who either
groin) and guard Dante Exum being back.”
Orlando: Ennis III 6-9 0-013, Okeke 3-9 2-2 8, Birch 0-2 0-0 Lillard, POR 44 404 319 1310 29.8 both with the trade. Brad- (right calf strain) are out. More than just playing in
0, Bacon 5-13 4-5 14, Randle 5-16 2-2 15, Carter Jr. 8-13 were on other
5-5 21, Porter Jr. 2-8 2-2 6, Ross 8-21 2-3 19, Bamba 5-9
Curry, GS 40 386 202 1162 29.1
ley was with the Lakers last Celtics: Forward Semi Ojeleye Boston, Bradley said, “I be-
Doncic, DAL 40 403 217 1141 28.5 teams or in the G
1-2 11, Hampton 3-6 2-2 8. Totals 45-106 20-23 115.
Antetokounmpo, MIL 43 442 288 1222 28.4 season, though he opted (left side strain) and center came a man here, drafted
New Orleans: Hart 4-11 5-6 14, Johnson 5-11 4-4 17, Ad- League when the
ams 4-8 0-0 8, Alexander-Walker 13-24 1-2 31, Bledsoe LaVine, CHI 45 442 200 1238 27.5
out of the NBA bubble. He Tristan Thompson (health and at 19. This will always be
5-13 1-2 14, Hayes 4-7 2-2 10, Iwundu 2-7 3-3 7, Lewis Jr. Jokic, DEN 47 497 195 1260 26.8 Rockets faced the
Williamson, NO 44 444 264 1160 26.4 and Olynyk were on the safety protocols) are out. home for me.”
4-13 0-0 9. Totals 41-94 16-19 110. Celtics March 14.
Orlando 27 25 19 30 14 — 115
Harden, BKN 40 329 268 1043 26.1
team the Lakers beat for Jonathan Feigen Yet after two games with
Leonard, LAC 40 376 209 1038 26.0
New Orleans 26 19 31 25 9 — 110
3-point goals: Orlando 5-25 (Randle 3-7, Ross1-5, Bacon
Mitchell, UTA
James, LAL
44
41
387
388
206
168
1131
1042
25.7
25.4
the championship. The the Rockets, he sounded as
0-2, Bamba 0-2, Okeke 0-2, Porter Jr. 0-4), New Orleans
12-29 (Alexander-Walker 4-7, Johnson 3-5, Bledsoe 3-6,
Young, ATL 45 343 350 1144 25.4 Rockets were 12-31 on the if he felt at home again, in
Tatum, BOS 41 380 161 1036 25.3
Lewis Jr. 1-3, Hart 1-6, Iwundu 0-2). Booker, PHO 42 388 189 1051 25.0 day of the trade. the Rockets, who hold a ed 13 years of friendship part because of a partner-
Rebounds: Orlando 49 (Carter Jr. 12), New Orleans 55
(Hart 17).
Fox, SAC 46 416 224 1141 24.8 Bradley, however, said team option on his con- with John Wall, going to the ship with a familiar face.
Brown, BOS 43 398 147 1055 24.5
Assists: Orlando 20 (Ross 5), New Orleans 26 (Bledsoe
6). Vucevic, CHI 46 454 95 1122 24.4 he is happy with the re- tract next season and be- same high school, Findlay
Total fouls: Orlando 20, New Orleans 23. A: 3,700 Sexton, CLE
Ingram, NO
40
46
353
391
184
205
957
1097
23.9
23.8
vised role and indicated he yond. Besides his years Prep, as Christian Wood jonathan.feigen@chron.com
(16,867)
would welcome a return to playing with Olynyk, he cit- and being from the same twitter.com/jonathan_feigen

NBA

Aldridge guides Nets to win in debut

NEW YORK — Jeff Green
outscored Charlotte by
himself in Brooklyn’s over-
powering first quarter
before finishing with 21
points, and the Nets got a
strong debut from LaMar-
cus Aldridge in a 111-89 rout
of the Hornets on Thurs-
day night.
Aldridge started at cen-
ter and had 11 points, nine
rebounds and six assists
Landry Shamet scored
17 points and Kyrie Irving
Adam Hunger / Associated Press had 15 points, 11 rebounds
Nets center LaMarcus Aldridge had 11 points, nine and eight assists.
rebounds and six assists in a win over the Hornets.
HAWKS 134
SPURS 129 (2OT)
Clint Capela had 28
points and 17 rebounds,
Trae Young had 28 points
and 12 assists, and Atlanta
overcame two late melt-
downs to beat host San
Antonio.
NUGGETS 101, CLIPPERS 94
Jamal Murray scored 23
points, Nikola Jokic added
14 points, 7 assists and 7
rebounds and Denver beat
Los Angeles on the road.
HEAT 116, WARRIORS 109
Jimmy Butler scored 22
points, Duncan Robinson
scored 21 and Miami held
off visiting Golden State to
win its third straight out-
ing and move back over
the .500 mark at 25-24.
Tyler Herro scored 20
points.
MAGIC 115
PELICANS 110 (OT)
Terrence Ross hit two
key jumpers late in over-
time, Wendell Carter III
had 21 points and Orlando
beat host New Orleans.
PISTONS 120, WIZARDS 91
Josh Jackson scored 19 of
his season-high 31 points in
the first half and Detroit
went on to rout Washing-
ton at home.
76ERS 114, CAVALIERS 94
Shake Milton scored 27
points, Dwight Howard
had 18 points and 15 re-
bounds, and Philadelphia
finished a six-game road
trip without injured star
center Joel Embiid with a
win in Cleveland.
From wire reports
C6 | Friday, April 2, 2021 | HoustonChronicle.com | Houston Chronicle HHHH

PRO BASEBALL

MLB AT A GLANCE MLB BOX SCORES

AMERICAN LEAGUE Tigers 3, Indians 2

Cleveland ab r h bi bb so avg
West Division W L Pct GB L10 Str Home Away Luplow cf 3 0 0 0 0 1 .000
Los Angeles 1 0 1.000 — 1-0 W-1 1-0 0-0 Gamel ph-cf 1 0 0 0 1 1 .000
Houston 1 0 1.000 — 1-0 W-1 0-0 1-0 Hernandez 2b 4 0 1 0 1 0 .250
Ramirez 3b 3 0 1 0 1 0 .333
Seattle 0 0 .000 ½ 0-0 0 0-0 0-0 E.Rosario lf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .250
Oakland 0 1 .000 1 0-1 L-1 0-1 0-0 F.Reyes dh 3 0 0 0 1 0 .000
Texas 0 1 .000 1 0-1 L-1 0-0 0-1 Naylor rf-ph 4 0 1 0 0 1 .250
Chang 1b 2 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Central Division Bauers ph-1b 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Detroit 1 0 1.000 — 1-0 W-1 1-0 0-0 A.Rosario ph 1 1 1 0 0 0 1.000
Kansas City 1 0 1.000 — 1-0 W-1 1-0 0-0 R.Perez c 2 1 1 2 2 1 .500
Gimenez ss 4 0 0 0 0 1 .000
Chicago 0 1 .000 1 0-1 L-1 0-0 0-1 Totals 32 2 6 2 6 5
Cleveland 0 1 .000 1 0-1 L-1 0-0 0-1 Detroit ab r h bi bb so avg
Minnesota 0 1 .000 1 0-1 L-1 0-0 0-1 Grossman lf 1 0 0 0 3 0 .000
East Division Candelario 3b 4 1 1 0 0 3 .250
W.Castro ss 4 0 1 0 0 1 .250
Tampa Bay 1 0 1.000 — 1-0 W-1 0-0 1-0 Cabrera 1b 4 1 1 2 0 0 .250
Toronto 1 0 1.000 — 1-0 W-1 0-0 1-0 H.Castro 1b 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
Baltimore 0 0 .000 ½ 0-0 0 0-0 0-0 Schoop 2b 3 0 1 0 1 2 .333
Mazara dh 4 0 0 0 0 2 .000
Boston 0 0 .000 ½ 0-0 0 0-0 0-0 Ramos c 3 0 0 0 1 3 .000
New York 0 1 .000 1 0-1 L-1 0-1 0-0 V.Reyes rf 4 1 0 0 0 2 .000
Jones cf 3 0 1 1 0 1 .333
NATIONAL LEAGUE Totals 30 3 5 3 5 14
West Division W L Pct GB L10 Str Home Away Cleveland 000 000 002 — 2 6 1
Colorado 1 0 1.000 — 1-0 W-1 1-0 0-0 Detroit 210 000 00x — 3 5 0
San Diego 1 0 1.000 — 1-0 W-1 1-0 0-0 E—Ramirez (1). LOB—Cleveland 9, Detroit 8. 2B—Her-
nandez (1), Jones (1). HR—R.Perez (1), off Soto; Cabrera
San Francisco 0 0 .000 ½ 0-0 0 0-0 0-0 (1), off Bieber. RBIs—R.Perez 2 (2), Cabrera 2 (2), Jones
Arizona 0 1 .000 1 0-1 L-1 0-0 0-1 (1). SB—Grossman (1). Runners left in scoring position-
—Cleveland 3 (E.Rosario, Chang, Ramirez); Detroit 3
Los Angeles 0 1 .000 1 0-1 L-1 0-0 0-1 (W.Castro, Mazara). RISP—Cleveland 0 for 6; Detroit 0 for
Central Division 5. GIDP—F.Reyes. DP—Detroit 1 (W.Castro, Schoop, Ca-
Gregory Shamus / Getty Images
brera).
Milwaukee 1 0 1.000 — 1-0 W-1 1-0 0-0
Pittsburgh 1 0 1.000 — 1-0 W-1 0-0 1-0
Cleveland
Bieber, L, 0-1
ip h r er bb so np
6 5 3 3 3 12 95 4.50
era Miguel Cabrera, center, homered through the snow in his first at-bat of the
St. Louis 1 0 1.000 — 1-0 W-1 0-0 1-0 Shaw 1 0 0 0 1 1 13 0.00 season, helping lead the Detroit Tigers to a 3-2 win over the Cleveland Indians.
Karinchak 1 0 0 0 1 1 17 0.00
Chicago 0 1 .000 1 0-1 L-1 0-1 0-0 Detroit ip h r er bb so np era
Cincinnati 0 1 .000 1 0-1 L-1 0-1 0-0 Boyd, W, 1-0 5 ⁄3 3 0 0 4 2 92 0.00
2
Royals 14, Rangers 10 Padres 8, Diamondbacks 7 Rockies 8, Dodgers 5
Cisnero, H, 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 14 0.00
East Division Norris, H, 1 1 1⁄3 1 0 0 1 1 21 0.00
Texas ab r h bi bb so avg Arizona ab r h bi bb so avg Los Angeles ab r h bi bb so avg
Philadelphia 1 0 1.000 — 1-0 W-1 1-0 0-0 Soto, S, 1-1 1 2 2 2 1 0 27 18.00 Kiner-Falefa ss 5 3 1 0 1 0 .200 Rojas ss 5 0 0 0 0 3 .000 Betts rf 6 1 2 0 0 1 .333
Dahl lf 5 2 3 0 1 2 .600 Marte cf 5 2 4 1 0 1 .800 Seager ss 3 0 2 1 2 0 .667
New York 0 0 .000 ½ 0-0 0 0-0 0-0 Inherited runners-scored—Cisnero 1-0. WP—Bieber(2),
Boyd(2). Umpires—Home, Greg Gibson; First, Lance Gallo rf 3 1 2 2 3 0 .667 Walker 1b 4 1 1 0 1 0 .250 Turner 3b 4 1 1 1 0 0 .250
Washington 0 0 .000 ½ 0-0 0 0-0 0-0 Barksdale; Second, Will Little; Third, Ryan Wills. T—3:03. Solak 2b 5 2 1 1 0 3 .200 Peralta lf 5 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Bellinger cf 4 1 2 1 1 0 .500
Atlanta 0 1 .000 1 0-1 L-1 0-0 0-1 A—8,000 (41,083). Lowe 1b 6 1 2 4 0 3 .333 Cabrera 3b 5 1 2 3 0 1 .400 Muncy 1b 4 0 2 1 1 1 .500
Holt 3b 2 0 1 0 3 0 .500 Escobar 2b 4 1 0 0 0 2 .000 Taylor lf 3 0 1 0 2 1 .333
Miami 0 1 .000 1 0-1 L-1 0-1 0-0
Blue Jays 3, Yankees 2 (10) White dh 4 0 2 2 1 2 .500 P.Smith rf 2 0 1 0 0 0 .500 Lux 2b 4 0 2 1 0 1 .500
Late game not included Taveras cf 5 0 0 0 0 4 .000 Locastro ph-rf 2 1 1 2 0 0 .500 Rios ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000
Toronto ab r h bi bb so avg
Trevino c 5 1 3 0 0 2 .600 Vogt c 4 1 1 1 0 2 .250 Barnes c 2 0 0 0 2 0 .000
Thursday’s results Semien 2b 5 0 0 0 0 2 .000
Totals 40 10 15 9 9 16 Bumgarner p 2 0 1 0 0 1 .500 Kershaw p 3 1 2 0 0 0 .667
Biggio 3b 5 0 0 0 0 3 .000
American League National League Bichette ss 4 0 0 0 0 2 .000 Kansas City ab r h bi bb so avg Mathisen ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000 McKinstry 2b 1 1 1 0 0 0 1.000
C.Kelly ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 1.000 Beaty ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000
Houston 8, Oakland 1 Pittsburgh 5, Chicago Cubs 3 Hernandez rf 4 2 3 1 0 1 .750 Merrifield 2b 5 2 3 2 0 0 .600
Guerrero Jr. 1b 2 0 1 0 2 0 .500 Benintendi lf 5 2 1 0 1 2 .200 Totals 40 7 12 7 1 12 Totals 36 5 15 5 8 6
Toronto 3, N.Y. Yankees 2 (10) Milwaukee 6, Minnesota 5 (10)
Gurriel Jr. lf 4 0 1 1 0 2 .250 Santana 1b 3 2 1 1 3 0 .333 San Diego ab r h bi bb so avg Colorado ab r h bi bb so avg
Detroit 3, Cleveland 2 Philadelphia 3, Atlanta 2 (10) Tellez dh 4 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Perez c 4 2 0 1 1 2 .000 Pham cf 4 0 1 0 0 1 .250 Tapia lf 5 0 1 2 0 0 .200
Milwaukee 6, Minnesota 5 (10) Tampa Bay 1, Miami 0 Davis pr-dh 0 1 0 0 0 0 --- Soler dh 2 2 2 2 2 0 1.000 Tatis Jr. ss 5 1 1 0 0 3 .200 Fuentes 3b 5 0 1 1 0 1 .200
Tampa Bay 1, Miami 0 San Diego 8, Arizona 7 Grichuk cf 4 0 2 1 0 1 .500 Dozier 3b 4 1 0 1 1 2 .000 Machado 3b 5 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Story ss 5 0 2 0 0 0 .400
Kansas City 14, Texas 10 St. Louis 11, Cincinnati 6 Jansen c 4 0 1 0 0 2 .250 Alberto 3b 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Hosmer 1b 4 1 3 3 0 1 .750 Blackmon rf 3 1 0 0 1 1 .000
L.A. Angels 4, Chi. White Sox 3 Colorado 8, L.A. Dodgers 5 Totals 36 3 8 3 2 13 Isbel rf 5 1 3 2 0 2 .600 Myers rf 3 2 1 1 1 0 .333 Cron 1b 4 2 2 0 0 0 .500
New York ab r h bi bb so avg Taylor cf 5 1 3 3 0 0 .600 Cronenworth 2b 2 3 2 0 2 0 1.000 Diaz c 4 0 1 0 0 2 .250
San Francisco at Seattle, late San Francisco at Seattle, late Lopez ss 4 1 2 1 0 0 .500 Profar lf 2 0 0 1 1 0 .000 Owings 2b 3 3 3 1 1 0 1.000
LeMahieu 2b-1b 4 0 0 0 1 0 .000
Baltimore at Boston, postponed N.Y. Mets at Washington, postponed Judge rf 5 0 1 0 0 2 .200 Totals 38 14 15 13 8 8 Caratini c 4 0 2 3 0 1 .500 Hampson cf 3 2 1 1 1 0 .333
Hicks cf 4 0 0 0 1 3 .000 Darvish p 2 0 0 0 0 2 .000 Marquez p 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Texas 512 001 001 — 10 15 3
Friday’s games Stanton dh 5 0 0 0 0 3 .000 Kansas City 502 300 31x — 14 15 0
Kim ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Daza ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Totals 32 8 10 8 5 10 McMahon ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000
American League Torres ss 4 1 1 0 1 2 .250
E—Trevino (1), Kiner-Falefa (1), Taveras (1). LOB—Texas Totals 35 8 11 5 3 4
Urshela 3b 4 0 0 0 0 2 .000 Arizona 100 060 000 — 7 12 0
Baltimore (Means 0-0) at Boston (Eovaldi 0-0), 1:10 p.m. 13, Kansas City 13. 2B—Kiner-Falefa (1), Dahl (1), Lowe
Sanchez c 3 1 2 2 1 0 .667 (1). HR—Taylor (1), off Hearn; Soler (1), off Cody; Merri- San Diego 023 101 10x — 8 10 1 Los Angeles 001 012 010 — 5 15 2
Tampa Bay (Yarbrough 0-0) at Miami (Lopez 0-0), 6:10 p.m. Bruce 1b 3 0 0 0 1 1 .000 field (1), off Allard. RBIs—Solak (1), Lowe 4 (4), White 2 E—Tatis Jr. (1). LOB—Arizona 7, San Diego 7. 2B—Bum- Colorado 002 022 20x — 8 11 0
Chicago White Sox (Keuchel 0-0) at L.A. Angels (Heaney 0-0), 8:38 p.m. Wade 2b 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- (2), Gallo 2 (2), Perez (1), Isbel 2 (2), Taylor 3 (3), Lopez garner (1), Marte (1), P.Smith (1), Hosmer (1). 3B—Cro- E—Seager (1), Turner (1). LOB—Los Angeles 14, Colorado
Houston (Javier 0-0) at Oakland (Luzardo 0-0), 8:40 p.m. Frazier lf 3 0 2 0 1 0 .667 (1), Santana (1), Soler 2 (2), Merrifield 2 (2), Dozier (1). nenworth (1). HR—Marte (1), off Darvish; Cabrera (1), off 7. 2B—Bellinger (1), Betts (1), McKinstry (1), Cron (1).
San Francisco (Cueto 0-0) at Seattle (Paxton 0-0), 9:10 p.m. Gardner pr-lf 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- SB—Gallo (1). SF—Lopez, Merrifield. Runners left in Darvish; Locastro (1), off Hill; Vogt (1), off Hill; Hosmer 3B—Muncy (1), Owings (1). RBIs—Bellinger (1), Lux (1),
Totals 35 2 6 2 6 13 scoring position—Texas 8 (Kiner-Falefa, Taveras 3, (1), off Bumgarner; Myers (1), off Bumgarner. RBIs—Ca- Turner (1), Muncy (1), Seager (1), Hampson (1), Fuentes
National League Lowe); Kansas City 8 (Merrifield, Dozier, Perez, Santana, brera 3 (3), Marte (1), Locastro 2 (2), Vogt (1), Caratini 3
Toronto 010 001 000 1 — 3 8 0 (1), Tapia 2 (2), Owings (1). SB—Owings 2 (2). CS—Story
Tampa Bay (Yarbrough 0-0) at Miami (Lopez 0-0), 6:10 p.m. Lopez, Alberto). RISP—Texas 10 for 21; Kansas City 6 for (3), Hosmer 3 (3), Myers (1), Profar (1). SF—Profar. Run- (1). SF—Turner. S —C.Gonzalez. Runners left in scoring
New York 020 000 000 0 — 2 6 0 17. Runners moved up—Solak. DP—Kansas City 1 (Tay-
L.A. Dodgers (Bauer 0-0) at Colorado (Senzatela 0-0), 7:40 p.m. ners left in scoring position—Arizona 4 (Escobar, Rojas, position—Los Angeles 5 (Muncy, Betts 2, Turner); Colora-
LOB—Toronto 6, New York 10. 2B—Grichuk (1). HR—Her- lor, Perez, Taylor). Cabrera, Bumgarner); San Diego 4 (Tatis Jr., Myers 2). do 3 (Blackmon, Fuentes, Hampson). RISP—Los Angeles
Arizona (Kelly 0-0) at San Diego (Snell 0-0), 9:10 p.m. nandez (1), off Cole; Sanchez (1), off Ryu. RBIs—Gurriel Texas ip h r er bb so np era RISP—Arizona1for 9; San Diego 4 for10. Runners moved 3 for 16; Colorado 4 for 12. Runners moved up—Turner,
San Francisco (Cueto 0-0) at Seattle (Paxton 0-0), 9:10 p.m. Jr. (1), Hernandez (1), Grichuk (1), Sanchez 2 (2). Gibson 1
⁄3 4 5 5 3 1 32 135.00 up—Profar, Machado. GIDP—Profar. DP—Arizona 1 (Ro- Kershaw, Betts, Tapia 2. GIDP—Barnes, Turner, Lux.
SB—Tauchman 2 (2). CS—Grichuk (1). Runners left in Hearn 2 1⁄3 4 2 2 1 2 50 7.71 jas, Cabrera, Walker). DP—Colorado 3 (Fuentes, Cron; Fuentes, Owings, Cron;
scoring position—Toronto 2 (Jansen, Biggio); New York 4 Cody, L, 0-1, 1 4 3 3 1 2 38 27.00 Arizona ip h r er bb so np era Owings, Story, Cron).
(LeMahieu, Urshela, Judge, Torres). RISP—Toronto 2 for BS, 0-1 Bumgarner 4 7 6 6 3 6 91 13.50 Los Angeles ip h r er bb so np era
8; New York 0 for 9. GIDP—Gurriel Jr., Judge. DP—Toronto Sborz 1 ⁄3 0 0 0 1 2 28 0.00
1
Ginkel 1 0 0 0 1 1 13 0.00 Kershaw 5 2⁄3 10 6 5 1 2 77 7.94
THURSDAY’S GAMES 1 (Biggio, Semien, Guerrero Jr.); New York 1 (Urshela, Le-
Mahieu, Bruce).
King
de Geus
1 0 0 0 0 0 11 0.00
1 1 3 3 2 0 26 27.00
Crichton, H, 1 2
⁄3 1 1 1 1 1 13 13.50
Young, L, 0-1, 1 1⁄3 2 1 1 0 1 25 6.75
L, 0-1
Knebel 1
⁄3 0 0 0 0 1 4 0.00
Toronto ip h r er bb so np era Allard 1 2 1 1 0 1 15 9.00 BS, 0-1 Nelson 2
⁄3 1 2 2 2 1 28 27.00

Blue Jays slip past

Ryu 51⁄3 4 2 2 1 5 92 3.38 Kansas City ip h r er bb so np era Clarke 1 0 0 0 0 1 7 0.00 Alexander 1 1⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 22 0.00
Chatwood 2
⁄3 0 0 0 1 1 15 0.00 Keller 11⁄3 9 6 6 2 0 51 40.50 San Diego ip h r er bb so np era Colorado ip h r er bb so np era
Phelps 1 2 0 0 1 0 22 0.00 Zimmer 2
⁄3 0 0 0 1 2 15 0.00 Darvish 42⁄3 8 4 4 1 6 93 7.71 Marquez 4 6 1 1 6 2 92 2.25
Dolis 1 0 0 0 1 2 18 0.00 Hernandez, W, 1-0 3 3 2 2 1 5 44 6.00 Hill 1
⁄3 2 3 0 0 1 16 0.00 C.Gonzalez, W, 2 5 3 3 1 2 42 13.50
Romano, W, 1 0 0 0 2 2 23 0.00

Yankees in opener
Hahn, H, 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 23 9.00 Kela 1 1 0 0 0 1 12 0.00 1-0
1-0 Barlow, H, 1 12⁄3 1 0 0 2 4 36 0.00 Pagan, W, 1-0 1 0 0 0 0 1 20 0.00 Almonte, H, 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 12 0.00
Merryweather, 1 0 0 0 0 3 11 0.00 Holland, H, 1 2
⁄3 1 1 0 2 1 25 0.00 Pomeranz, H, 1 1 1 0 0 0 3 21 0.00 Kinley 1 2 1 1 0 0 20 9.00
S, 1-1 Davis, S, 1-1 2
⁄3 0 0 0 0 2 8 0.00 Melancon, S, 1 0 0 0 0 0 7 0.00 Bard, S, 1-1 1 1 0 0 1 2 24 0.00
New York ip h r er bb so np era T—4:26. A—9,155 (37,903). 1-1 Inherited runners-scored—Knebel 2-0, Alexander 1-0.
Cole 5 1⁄3 5 2 2 2 8 97 3.38 Inherited runners-scored—Young 2-1. HBP—Bumgarner HBP—Bard (Smith). WP—Nelson(2), Alexander, C.Gon-
Green 1 2⁄3 1 0 0 0 0 17 0.00 Pirates 5, Cubs 3 (Pham). Umpires—Home, Ted Barrett; First, Angel Her-
NEW YORK — Randal Grichuk led off the 10th with an Loaisiga 1 0 0 0 0 1 8 0.00 Pittsburgh ab r h bi bb so avg nandez; Second, Stu Scheuwater; Third, Jose Navas.
zalez. T—3:46. A—20,570 (50,445).
O’Day 1 1 0 0 0 1 22 0.00 Leaders
RBI double, and the Toronto Blue Jays took advantage of Nelson, L, 0-1 1 1 1 0 0 3 15 0.00
Frazier 2b 4 1 2 2 2 0 .500 T—3:26. A—8,773 (40,209).
Hayes 3b 5 1 1 2 1 1 .200 Through Thursday’s early games
the second year of starting extra innings with a runner Inherited runners-scored—Chatwood 1-0, Green 1-0. Reynolds lf 4 0 1 0 1 0 .250 Cardinals 11, Reds 6 American League
Umpires—Home, Mark Carlson; First, James Hoye; Sec-
on second to beat the New York Yankees 3-2 on Thursday ond, Jordan Baker; Third, Chris Segal. T—3:44. A—10,850
Moran 1b
Newman ss
2
5
1
0
0
2
0 3 1
0 0 0
.000
.400
St. Louis
Edman 2b
ab r h
5 1 1
bi bb so avg
0 0 0 .200 Batting: T.Hernandez, Toronto, .750; Frazier, New York,
in the major league opener. (47,309).
Polanco rf 4 1 0 0 1 2 .000 Goldschmidt 1b 5 3 4 1 0 0 .800
.667; Sanchez, New York, .667; Kepler, Minnesota, .600;
Grichuk, Toronto, .500; Guerrero Jr., Toronto, .500; Perez,
Stallings c 4 0 2 1 1 2 .500 Arenado 3b 5 1 2 1 0 2 .400
Fans returned to Yankee Stadium for the first time Rays 1, Marlins 0 Alford cf 3 1 0 0 2 3 .000 DeJong ss 5 1 1 1 0 1 .200
Cleveland, .500; Simmons, Minnesota, .500.
Tampa Bay ab r h bi bb so avg Runs: T.Hernandez, Toronto, 2; 14 tied at 1.
since 2019. Capacity was limited to 20 percent because of Tsutsugo 1b 3 0 0 0 1 1 .000
Kuhl p 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 O’Neill lf 4 2 1 2 0 1 .250 RBI: Perez, Cleveland, 2; Buxton, Minnesota, 2; Sanchez,
Fowler ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 1.000 Molina c 4 1 0 1 0 0 .000
coronavirus protocols, and the attendance was an- Meadows lf 4 1 1 1 0 1 .250 Gonzalez ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Carlson cf 3 1 1 3 1 2 .333
New York, 2; Cabrera, Detroit, 2; Jones, Detroit,1; Grichuk,
Toronto,1; Gurriel Jr., Toronto,1; Meadows, Tampa Bay,1;
Fairbanks p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
nounced as 10,850. Castillo p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
Perez ph
Totals
1
35
0
5
0
9
0 0 1
5 11 10
.000 Williams rf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .000 T.Hernandez, Toronto, 1; Arraez, Minnesota, 1; Kepler,
Flaherty p 1 1 0 0 2 0 .000 Minnesota, 1.
Jordan Romano escaped trouble in the ninth with the Arozarena rf
Lowe 2b
4
3
0
0
1
1
0 0 1
0 1 1
.250
.333 Chicago ab r h bi bb so avg Carpenter ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Home runs: Perez, Cleveland, 1; Buxton, Minnesota, 1;
Sanchez, New York,1; Cabrera, Detroit,1; Meadows, Tam-
help of third baseman Cavan Biggio. After pinch-runner Diaz 3b 3 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Happ cf 3 0 0 0 1 1 .000 Totals 37 11 10 9 3 7
pa Bay, 1; T.Hernandez, Toronto, 1.
Kiermaier cf 4 0 1 0 0 2 .250 Contreras c 3 2 0 1 0 1 .000 Cincinnati ab r h bi bb so avg
Michael Tauchman stole two bases, he was thrown out at Adames ss 4 0 1 0 0 2 .250 Rizzo 1b 3 0 1 1 0 1 .333 Winker lf 4 2 2 0 1 2 .500
National League
the plate by Biggio trying to score on a grounder by AL Zunino c 3 0 0 0 1 1 .000 Bryant 3b
Pederson lf
3
2
0
0
0
0
0 1 1
1 1 2
.000
.000
Castellanos rf 5 2 3 2 0 0 .600
Batting: Cronenworth, San Diego, 1.000; Goldschmidt,
Glasnow p 2 0 0 0 0 2 .000 Votto 1b 5 0 1 1 0 0 .200
batting champion DJ LeMahieu. Romano then struck out Margot ph-lf 2 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Baez ss 4 0 0 0 0 3 .000 Suarez ss 3 1 1 1 2 1 .333 St. Louis, .800; K.Marte, Arizona, .800; Hosmer, San Die-
Heyward rf 4 0 0 0 0 3 .000 go, .750; Castellanos, Cincinnati, .600; 10 tied at .500.
Aaron Judge to strand two runners. Totals 32 1 5 1 3 12
Bote 2b 1 0 0 0 1 1 .000
Moustakas 3b
Senzel cf
2
1
0 0
0 0
1 2 0 .000
0 0 1 .000
Runs: Cronenworth, San Diego, 3; Goldschmidt, St. Louis,
Miami ab r h bi bb so avg 3.
Nick Nelson relieved to begin the 10th and with pinch- Dickerson lf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Duffy ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Naquin ph-cf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 RBI: Carlson, St. Louis, 3; Caratini, San Diego, 3; Hosmer,
Sogard 2b 2 1 1 0 0 0 .500 Aquino ph-cf 3 0 0 0 0 1 .000
runner Jonathan Davis on second, Grichuk lined his Detwiler p 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- Totals 26 3 2 3 4 13 India 2b 4 0 2 0 0 1 .500
San Diego, 3; Shaw, Milwaukee, 3; A.Cabrera, Arizona, 3.
Home runs: Sandoval, Atlanta, 1; Locastro, Arizona, 1;
Cimber p 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---
second pitch over Judge in right. Marte cf 4 0 0 0 0 4 .000 Pittsburgh 210 010 100 — 5 9 2 Barnhart c 1 1 0 0 0 0 .000 Carlson, St. Louis, 1; Myers, San Diego, 1; Suarez, Cincin-
Blandino ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000 nati, 1; Hosmer, San Diego, 1; O’Neill, St. Louis, 1; Vogt,
Julian Merryweather struck out Aaron Hicks, Giancar- Aguilar 1b 4 0 2 0 0 0 .500 Chicago 101 000 010 — 3 2 0
Farmer ph-lf 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Arizona, 1; A.Cabrera, Arizona, 1; Castellanos, Cincinnati,
Duvall rf-lf 4 0 0 0 0 1 .000 E—Frazier (1), Stallings (1). LOB—Pittsburgh 15, Chicago
lo Stanton and Gleyber Torres on 11 pitches for the save. Anderson 3b 3 0 0 0 0 0 .000 4. 2B—Stallings (1), Frazier (1), Rizzo (1), Sogard (1).
Stephenson c 3 0 1 0 0 0 .333 1; Hayes, Pittsburgh, 1; K.Marte, Arizona, 1.
Totals 34 6 10 5 5 8
NATS-METS POSTPONED OVER COVID: Washing- Chisholm Jr. 2b 3 0 0 0 0 0 .000 HR—Hayes (1), off Hendricks. RBIs—Hayes 2 (2), Frazier 2
Alfaro c 3 0 1 0 0 1 .333 (2), Stallings (1), Pederson (1), Rizzo (1), Contreras (1). St. Louis 610 400 000 — 11 10 0
ton Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo says the team Rojas ss 3 0 0 0 0 1 .000 SB—Frazier (1), Fowler (1), Alford (1). CS—Alford (1). Cincinnati 102 120 000 — 6 10 2
SF—Pederson, Rizzo, Contreras. S —Hendricks.
has three players who have tested positive for the coro- Alcantara p
Sierra ph
1
1
0
0
0
0
0 0 1 .000
0 0 1 .000 Runners left in scoring position—Pittsburgh 10 (Hayes
E—Suarez 2 (2). LOB—St. Louis 3, Cincinnati 9.
MLB REPORT
2B—Goldschmidt 2 (2), Winker (1), India (1), Castellanos
navirus and a fourth considered a “likely positive.” The Totals 30 0 3 0 1 9 2, Stallings, Reynolds, Frazier, Polanco, Alford); Chicago 3
(Baez, Happ, Heyward). RISP—Pittsburgh 3 for 20; Chica-
(1). HR—Carlson (1), off Castillo; O’Neill (1), off Bedrosian;
Nationals’ season-opening game against the visiting New Tampa Bay 000 000 010 — 1 5 0 go 0 for 5. Runners moved up—Newman, Reynolds, Gon-
Castellanos (1), off Flaherty; Suarez (1), off Flaherty.
RBIs—DeJong (1), Molina (1), Carlson 3 (3), Arenado (1), COLORADO ROCKIES
Miami 000 000 000 — 0 3 0 zalez, Polanco, Happ.
York Mets that was scheduled for Thursday night was LOB—Tampa Bay 8, Miami 4. 2B—Lowe (1). HR—Mea- Pittsburgh ip h r er bb so np era
Goldschmidt (1), O’Neill 2 (2), Castellanos 2 (2), Suarez
The club brought back
(1), Votto (1), Moustakas (1). SF—Moustakas. S —Castil-
postponed. Rizzo said it was not known when that game dows (1), off Garcia. RBIs—Meadows (1). SB—Alfaro (1). Kuhl
Underwood Jr.
3 1 2 1 3 2 63 3.00
1 0 0 0 0 3 18 0.00
lo. Runners left in scoring position—St. Louis1(O’Neill); Jhoulys Chacin, agreeing to
Runners left in scoring position—Tampa Bay 5 (Kier- Cincinnati 4 (Barnhart, Aquino 2, India). RISP—St. Louis 6
will be made up — other than that it would not be played maier, Adames, Margot); Miami 1 (Dickerson). RISP- Holmes, H, 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 12 0.00
for 12; Cincinnati 3 for 11. Runners moved up—Castella- a one-year deal with the
Howard, W, 1-0 1 0 0 0 0 3 13 0.00
Friday. He did not identify any of the players involved. —Tampa Bay 0 for 5; Miami 0 for 1.
Tampa Bay ip h r er bb so np era Bednar, H, 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 12 0.00
nos. LIDP—Castellanos. GIDP—DeJong. DP—St. Louis 1
(O’Neill, Edman, O’Neill); Cincinnati 1 (Moustakas, India, RHP on the eve of opening
ROCKIES 8, DODGERS 5: On an afternoon Cody Glasnow 6 1 0 0 0 6 76 0.00 Stratton, H, 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 19 9.00
Votto). day.
Thompson, W, 1 1 0 0 0 1 12 0.00 Rodriguez, S, 1-1 1 0 0 0 1 2 14 0.00
Bellinger had a homer negated because of a baserunning 1-0 Chicago ip h r er bb so np era
St. Louis
Flaherty
ip h r er bb so np
41⁄3 6 6 6 2 4 94 12.46
era
He was added to the
mistake, host Colorado played plenty of small ball to Fairbanks, H, 1
Castillo, S, 1-1
1 1 0 0 1 0 20 0.00
1 0 0 0 0 2 12 0.00
Hendricks, L, 0-1
Workman 2
3 4 3 3 3 4 63 9.00
⁄3 1 0 0 2 0 23 0.00
Webb 2
⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 7 0.00
active roster before the
Helsley 1 3 0 0 0 1 17 0.00
beat defending World Series champion Los Angeles. The Miami ip h r er bb so np era Brothers 2
⁄3 1 1 1 1 1 16 13.50 Cabrera 1 0 0 0 2 0 18 0.00
opener Thursday against
Adam 1 1 0 0 2 1 38 0.00 Gallegos, W, 1 0 0 0 0 2 19 0.00
Rockies scored runs courtesy of a squeeze play, two wild Alcantara
Floro
6 2 0 0 2 7 83 0.00
1 0 0 0 0 2 12 0.00 Winkler 1 ⁄3 1 1 1 1 2 31 5.40
2
1-0 the defending champion
Chafin ⁄3 1 0 0 1 0 14 0.00
pitches, a groundout, an error and three RBI singles.
2
Garcia, L, 0-1 1 1 1 1 0 1 15 9.00 Reyes 1 1 0 0 1 1 21 0.00
Detwiler 2
⁄3 2 0 0 0 2 14 0.00 Tepera 1
⁄3 0 0 0 1 1 12 0.00
Cincinnati ip h r er bb so np era Los Angeles Dodgers at
TIGERS 3, INDIANS 2: Miguel Cabrera homered Cimber ⁄3 0 0 0 1 0 14 0.00 Mills 1 0 0 0 0 1 17 0.00
Coors Field.
1
Castillo 3 1⁄3 8 10 8 2 0 73 21.60
T—4:00. A—10,343 (41,649).
through the snow in his first at-bat of the season, then Inherited runners-scored—Cimber 2-0. HBP—Alcantara (L, 0-1)
(Diaz). Umpires—Home, Jerry Layne; First, Hunter Wen-
Brewers 6, Twins 5 (10)
Bedrosian 2
⁄3 1 1 1 0 1 9 13.50 Chacin, 33, spent the
added a sparkling play at first base to lift host Detroit to a delstedt; Second, Mike Estabrook; Third, Quinn Wolcott. Romano 2 0 0 0 1 2 26 0.00
T—2:44. A—7,062 (36,742). Minnesota ab r h bi bb so avg Fulmer 2 0 0 0 0 2 23 0.00 first six years of his major
victory over Cleveland. Arraez lf-3b 5 0 2 1 1 1 .400 Doolittle 1 1 0 0 0 2 15 0.00
RAYS 1, MARLINS 0: Austin Meadows’ homer in the Phillies 3, Braves 2 (10) Donaldson 3b 1 0 1 0 0 0 1.000 Inherited runners-scored—Webb 3-1, Bedrosian 1-1.
league career in Colorado
eighth inning was all Tampa Bay needed, and the reign- Atlanta ab r h bi bb so avg Cave lf 4 1 0 0 1 3 .000 HBP—Castillo (O’Neill), Flaherty (Barnhart). WP—Flaher- (2009-14) after being
Acuna Jr. rf 4 0 2 0 1 1 .500 Polanco 2b 4 0 0 0 1 2 .000 ty, Castillo. Umpires—Home, Jim Reynolds; First, Tony
ing AL champion started its season with a win at Miami. Albies 2b 5 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Sano 1b 4 1 1 0 1 3 .250 Randazzo; Second, Todd Tichenor; Third, Chad Whitson. signed by the Rockies on
BREWERS 6, TWINS 5: Lorenzo Cain scored the Freeman 1b 4 0 0 0 1 0 .000 Kepler rf 5 1 3 1 0 0 .600 T—3:31.
Sept. 27, 2004, as a non-
Ozuna lf 5 0 1 0 0 2 .200 Buxton cf 3 1 1 2 2 2 .333
winning run in the 10th after Travis Shaw sparked a d’Arnaud c 4 0 1 0 0 2 .250 Garver c 5 0 0 0 0 3 .000 Angels 4, White Sox 3 drafted international free
Chicago ab r h bi bb so avg
ninth-inning comeback, and Milwaukee beat visiting Swanson ss 4 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Simmons ss
Maeda p
4
1
1 2
0 0
0 1 1
0 0 0
.500
.000 Anderson ss 4 1 1 0 0 2 .250 agent. He ranks ninth in
Riley 3b 3 0 1 0 0 0 .333
Minnesota. Pache cf 4 1 1 0 0 2 .250 Cruz ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Eaton rf 4 1 1 2 0 1 .250 franchise history in in-
Garlick ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Abreu 1b 4 0 1 0 0 2 .250
PIRATES 5, CUBS 3: Ke’Bryan Hayes hit a two-run Fried p
Sandoval ph
2
1
0
1
0
1
0 0 1
2 0 0
.000
1.000 Astudillo ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Moncada 3b 3 0 2 0 1 1 .667 nings pitched (672.0),
homer, and Pittsburgh’s relievers dominated in a two- Adrianza ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Totals 39 5 10 4 7 17 Grandal c
Garcia lf
3
4
0
0
0
0
0 1 1
0 0 2
.000
.000
games started (109) and
Totals 37 2 7 2 2 10
hitter, helping the Pirates beat Chicago at Wrigley Field. Milwaukee
Wong 2b
ab
3
r h
2 1
bi bb so avg
0 1 2 .333
Robert cf 4 1 1 0 0 1 .250 strikeouts (514). He’s also
Philadelphia ab r h bi bb so avg
PHILLIES 3, BRAVES 2: Jean Segura hit an RBI single McCutchen lf 4 1 1 0 1 2 .250 Hiura 1b 5 1 0 0 0 2 .000
Collins dh 4 0 0 0 0 0 .000
10th with 38 wins.
Madrigal 2b 3 0 1 0 0 0 .333
with two outs in the 10th inning to lift host Philadelphia Hoskins 1b 5 1 1 0 0 3 .200 Yelich lf
Garcia rf
4
5
2 2
0 2
1 0 1 .500
0 0 1 .400
Totals 33 3 7 2 2 10 Chacin spent spring
Harper rf 4 1 1 0 1 1 .250
to a victory over Atlanta. Realmuto c 4 0 2 1 0 0 .500 Shaw 3b 4 0 2 3 1 0 .500 Los Angeles ab r h bi bb so avg training with the Yankees
Fletcher 2b 4 1 1 0 0 2 .250
ROYALS 14, RANGERS 10: Michael A. Taylor homer- Bohm 3b 3 0 0 1 1 1 .000 Cain cf
Narvaez c
5
5
1 1
0 2
0 0 1 .200
1 0 1 .400 Ohtani dh 4 1 0 0 0 1 .000 before being released.
Gregorius ss 4 0 1 0 1 3 .250
ed, drove in three runs and threw out two players at the Segura 2b 5 0 2 1 0 0 .400 Urias ss 2 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Trout cf 2 1 1 1 2 1 .500
Vogelbach ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Rendon 3b 3 0 1 0 1 1 .333
plate from center field, leading host Kansas City past Haseley cf
Quinn cf
3
1
0
0
1
0
0 0 1
0 0 1
.333
.000 Arcia ss 2 0 0 1 0 0 .000 Upton lf 3 0 1 1 1 1 .333 LOS ANGELES ANGELS
Texas in a wild season opener. Nola p 2 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Woodruff p 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Pujols 1b 4 0 0 1 0 0 .000
Infielder David Fletcher
McKinney ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 1.000 J.Iglesias ss 4 0 0 0 0 0 .000
PADRES 8, DIAMONDBACKS 7: Eric Hosmer had a Miller ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Bradley Jr. ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Stassi c 3 1 2 1 0 1 .667 agreed to a five-year, $26
Totals 36 3 9 3 4 13
homer among his three hits and drove in three runs, Atlanta 000 000 200 0 — 2 7 1
Robertson ph-3b 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Fowler rf 3 0 0 0 0 3 .000
million contract before the
Totals 40 6 11 6 2 9 Totals 30 4 6 4 4 10
newcomer Victor Caratini also had three RBIs, and San Philadelphia 101 000 000 1 — 3 9 1
club’s season opener
Minnesota 002 100 200 0 — 5 10 2 Chicago 010 020 000 — 3 7 1
Diego gave up four long balls in the fifth inning to blow a E—Freeman (1), Hoskins (1). LOB—Atlanta 9, Philadel-
phia 12. 2B—Acuna Jr. (1), Pache (1), Hoskins (1), Real- Milwaukee 001 010 003 1 — 6 11 0 Los Angeles 000 110 02x — 4 6 0 against the White Sox.
five-run lead before beating visiting Arizona. muto (1). HR—Sandoval (1), off Nola. RBIs—Sandoval 2 E—Simmons (1), Colome (1). LOB—Minnesota 13, Mil- E—Madrigal (1). LOB—Chicago 5, Los Angeles 6.
Fletcher’s deal could be
(2), Bohm (1), Realmuto (1), Segura (1). SB—Segura (1). waukee 12. 2B—Donaldson (1), Kepler (1), Shaw (1). 2B—Robert (1), Moncada (1). HR—Eaton (1), off Bundy;
CARDINALS 11, REDS 6: Paul Goldschmidt and new- Stassi (1), off Giolito. RBIs—Eaton 2 (2), Upton (1), Stassi
SF—Bohm. S —Nola. Runners left in scoring position- 3B—Kepler (1). HR—Buxton (1), off Yardley. worth up to $41 million
comer Nolan Arenado combined for six hits in a boosted —Atlanta 5 (Albies, d’Arnaud, Pache); Philadelphia 7 RBIs—Kepler (1), Arraez (1), Buxton 2 (2), Shaw 3 (3), (1), Trout (1), Pujols (1). SB—Robert (1). CS—Madrigal
(Gregorius 3, Hoskins 2, Miller). RISP—Atlanta 1 for 8; Narvaez (1), Yelich (1), Arcia (1). SB—Buxton (1). (1). Runners left in scoring position—Chicago 2 (Rob- because it includes two
St. Louis lineup, and the Cardinals roughed up Luis Philadelphia 3 for 14. Runners moved up—Freeman, S —Maeda. Runners left in scoring position—Minnesota ert); Los Angeles 3 (Pujols, J.Iglesias). RISP—Chicago 0 for
Realmuto. DP—Philadelphia1(Quinn, Realmuto, Quinn). 7 (Kepler, Garver, Sano 2, Cave); Milwaukee 6 (Urias, Cain 2; Los Angeles 2 for 7. Runners moved up—Garcia, Pujols. club options worth $8
Castillo for six runs in the first inning to beat host Cincin- GIDP—Upton. DP—Chicago 1 (Moncada, Madrigal,
Atlanta ip h r er bb so np era 2, Hiura, Vogelbach). RISP—Minnesota 3 for 12; Milwau-
million in 2026 and $8.5
nati in a chilly opener. Fried 5 6 2 2 2 8 94 3.60 kee 6 for 15. Runners moved up—Polanco, Garcia. Abreu).

ANGELS 4, WHITE SOX 3: Mike Trout delivered the

Matzek 1 1 0 0 1 1 17 0.00 Minnesota ip h r er bb so np era Chicago
Giolito
ip h r er bb so np
51⁄3 2 2 2 2 8 87 3.38
era million in 2027.
Minter 1 0 0 0 0 0 7 0.00 Maeda 4 1⁄3 6 2 1 2 5 88 2.08
tying single, and Shohei Ohtani scored the go-ahead run Martin 1 1 0 0 0 1 13 0.00 Duffey 2
⁄3 2 0 0 0 0 11 0.00 Heuer, H, 1 1 ⁄3 2 0 0 1 1 20 0.00
2
Fletcher is a former
Smith 1 0 0 0 0 3 14 0.00 Stashak, H, 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 10 0.00 Bummer, L, 2
⁄3 2 2 0 1 1 28 0.00
on Albert Pujols’ groundout in the eighth inning, leading Jones, L, 0-1 2
⁄3 1 1 0 1 0 6 0.00 Rogers, H, 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 10 0.00 0-1, BS, 0-1 sixth-round pick who was
Los Angeles’ rally to a win over visiting Chicago.
Philadelphia ip h r er bb so np era Robles, H, 1
Colome, BS, 0-1
1 0 0 0 0 2 12 0.00
1 2 3 0 0 0 17 0.00
Foster
Los Angeles
1
⁄3 0 0 0 0 0
ip h r er bb so np
5 0.00
era
born and raised in Orange
Nola 62⁄3 6 2 2 0 6 84 2.70
RED SOX-ORIOLES RAINED OUT:The Boston Red Bradley 1
⁄3 0 0 0 1 0 7 0.00 Dobnak, L, 0-1 0 1 1 0 0 0 3 0.00 Bundy 6 6 3 3 1 6 88 4.50 County, Calif. He is a ca-
Alvarado 1 1 0 0 1 3 21 0.00 Milwaukee ip h r er bb so np era Slegers 1 1 0 0 0 1 12 0.00
Sox postponed their opener against the Baltimore Ori- Neris 1 0 0 0 0 1 15 0.00 Woodruff 4 6 3 3 2 5 78 6.75 Mayers, W, 1-0 1 0 0 0 1 1 17 0.00 reer .292 hitter with 10
oles at Fenway Park on Thursday because of rain. The Brogdon, W, 1 0 0 0 0 0 7 0.00 Peralta 2 2 0 0 3 6 53 0.00 R.Iglesias, S,
1-1
1 0 0 0 0 2 8 0.00 homers and 92 RBIs in his
1-0 Yardley 1 2 2 2 0 0 18 18.00
game will be made up Friday. IBB—off Jones (Gregorius). HBP—Fried (Realmuto), Al- Feyereisen 1 0 0 0 1 2 15 0.00 Inherited runners-scored—Foster 2-0. WP—Bundy. three big league seasons.
varado (Riley). Umpires—Home, Bill Miller; First, Doug Lindblom 1 0 0 0 1 1 14 0.00 PB—Grandal (1). Umpires—Home, Larry Vanover; First,
From wire reports Eddings; Second, Brian Knight; Third, Gabe Morales. Hader, W, 1-0 1 0 0 0 0 3 11 0.00 Marvin Hudson; Second, Dave Rackley; Third, Edwin Mos- From wire reports
T—3:33. A—8,529 (42,792). T—4:14. A—11,740 (41,900). coso. T—2:51. A—13,207 (45,517).

ASTROS
Free agency is likely Correa’s next step
By Chandler Rome
STA F F WRIT E R
OAKLAND, Calif. — The philo-
sophical chasm between the As-
tros and Carlos Correa is wide,
inviting serious doubt whether
retaining the former first overall
pick is even possible. Correa’s
self-imposed deadline for a con-
tract extension came and went
Thursday with nothing resem-
bling a middle ground, meaning
another Houston superstar will
wade into free agency.
Dallas Keuchel, Gerrit Cole
and George Springer have de-
parted in the last three winters.
Correa sounded like he could be
the fourth.
“We didn’t get close at all,”
Correa said before Thursday’s
opening-day game against the
A’s. “There were not really any
negotiations.”
Correa said the Astros offered
him two deals: a six-year exten-
sion worth $120 million and, af-
ter that, a five-year deal worth
$125 million. Neither approached
Correa’s asking price.
Both offers are within the
realm of what owner Jim Crane
has doled out to his superstars in
the past. Jose Altuve received a
five-year, $151 million extension
before the 2018 season. A year
later, Alex Bregman signed a six-
year, $100 million pact.
Correa is looking at another
stratosphere, one the Astros in-
formed him they never intend to
occupy.
“They made it very clear to
me. They said, ‘We don’t believe
in long contracts. We don’t be-
lieve in big contracts,’ ” Correa
said. “Once I hit free agency, I’m
going to look for a big, long con-
tract. They made it very clear
that they did not believe in that.”
Crane can not be accused of
not spending money. Houston
ASTROS
From page C1
themselves targets. Players can
portray poise, but what festers
inside is a whole other matter.
Bregman heard invective for
more than three hours. An an-
nounced crowd of 10,436 fo-
cused its anger on him, Jose Al-
tuve and Carlos Correa — the
three faces of Houston’s 2017
team. Deafening boos preceded
each of their plate appearances.
Every ball struck to them in the
field arrived with similar angst.
Children with high-pitched voic-
es called them cheaters. Correa
got hit by a pitch in the fourth
and it drew the loudest applause
of the night.
How the team accepts the ran-
cor could determine their sea-
son. Allowing it to affect them
may mean disaster. Accepting it
is the Astros’ way. Calming these
crowds may be almost impossi-
ble. Winning despite it is their
objective. One game in, the As-
SOLOMON
From page C1
scheme.
The Astros probably didn’t
benefit from the sign-stealing to
the extent they would not have
won the 2017 World Series with-
out the so-called cheating, but it
was obvious from the reception
in Grapefruit League ballparks
last spring that opposing fans
were going to be vicious.
The once loveable Astros had
become the most hated team in
the sport.
Even some Astros season
ticket holders sued the ballclub,
claiming various levels of disgust
or alleged fraud over having
bought tickets and enjoyed the
2017 championship run only to
have it tainted a couple years
later.
Morning Consult, a tech com-
pany that does market research,
said the Astros went from being
among the 10 most-liked teams
in baseball to the least-liked in
just two weeks.
A Seton Hall University poll
last year found a majority of
respondents believed the Astros
should be stripped of their title.
Amazingly, they were more
bothered by the Astros breaking
the rules than they were by
politicians doing so.
When you rank lower than
politicians …
The turn on the Astros was so
ridiculously over the top that
OPENING
Shortstop Carlos Correa, who finished 1 for 3 with a walk in Thursday’s opening day game, said
the two deals the Astros offered didn’t approach his asking price.
exceeded the $210 million com-
petitive balance tax threshold
last season and is perilously
close to doing it again in 2021.
Most of the money, though,
came via trade acquisitions, con-
tract extensions or homegrown
talent. The longest and most lu-
crative free-agent deal in Crane’s
10-year ownership tenure re-
tros accomplished the task.
Their 8-1 win against the A’s gave
them nine straight opening day
victories. Only four other teams
since 1900 have similar streaks.
Michael Brantley struck three
hits in four at-bats. His home run
off sidewinder Adam Kolarek in
the eighth began an avalanche.
Bregman followed with his blast
five pitches later. He admired the
absolute bomb that allowed his
dugout to exhale. Bregman
touched home plate and per-
formed a choreographed hand-
shake with Correa. Altuve stood
nearby when they finished. All
three smiled despite the hellish
surroundings.
Bregman and Brantley teamed
for five of the Astros’ nine hits.
Yordan Alvarez added an oppo-
site-field double during the sixth
off A’s reliever Yusmeiro Petit.
Two runs scored, widening the
Houston lead to three for depart-
ed starter Zack Greinke.
Greinke brought a brutal
opening day pedigree to the
park. During four previous starts
some youth leagues banned
Astros as a team nickname.
With all of that mess swirling
around the franchise — whose
championship general manager
and manager were fired — one
only can imagine the vitriol the
Astros would have faced had
they run onto the field opening
day before a huge, hostile
crowd.
Well, not just Day 1, but Day 2,
Day 3 and so on. As long of a
year as the regular season
turned out to be — the Astros
finished with a sub-.500 record
for the first time since 2014 — it
could have been worse.
It should be easier now, as
we’re a year removed from the
breaking news, but you could
tell by the crowd in Oakland for
Thursday’s season opener that
fans aren’t likely to move on so
quickly. And just wait until the
Astros visit Dodger Stadium in
August.
With their 8-1 victory Thurs-
day, the Astros have won nine
straight season openers, just the
fifth team since 1900 to accom-
plish the feat, according to the
Elias Sports Bureau.
The streak dates to 2013,
when MLB forced owner Jim
Crane to move the Astros out of
their longtime home in the Na-
tional League.
As unpopular as the move was
among Astros faithful, the suc-
cess in recent years has erased
all fear of the Yankees and Red
Sox.
HHHH
DAY 2021
mains the four-year, $52 million
deal Josh Reddick signed before
the 2017 season.
Correa commands a contract
far larger than that. He is the
youngest member of a star-stud-
ded shortstop class this winter
that includes Corey Seager, Javy
Baez and Trevor Story. Francisco
Lindor set a benchmark for all of
in season-openers, the veteran
righthander yielded 17 earned
runs in 182⁄3 innings pitched. An
8.20 ERA in such a small sample
size reflects nothing, but
Greinke’s endurance issues at
the start of last season invited
wonder whether Thursday could
turn catastrophic.
Greinke allayed any concerns
across six scoreless innings. He
stymied a pesky A’s lineup with
four pitches, mixing at will and
in any count. Oakland mustered
three hits against him. Just one
runner reached scoring position
while he worked. Fifty-six of
Greinke’s 82 pitches were
strikes.
Initial inefficiency threatened
Greinke’s evening. Matt Olson
battled him in an 11-pitch at-bat
during the first. Greinke elevated
a four-seam fastball to strike him
out and end the frame. Elvis An-
drus’ two-out, ground-rule dou-
ble during the third represented
Oakland’s only threat against
him. Greinke extinguished it
with a nine-pitch punchout of
More than a year removed from the fallout of the sign-stealing
scandal, the Astros are hearing it from opposing fans.
The Astros are the big boys.
The A’s might have won the
American League West last year,
but that was in a shortened
season. Not only did the Astros
rebound to top Oakland in the
playoffs, they believe over the
true long haul of a 162-game run,
they will prove to be the better
team.
Alex Bregman used the word
“excited” about 20 times in a
five-minute media session Wed-
nesday. It is that time of year.
“I would grade the mood of
the club probably at 10 out of
10,” Bregman said. “Everyone is
excited, ready to go. Ready to
Houston Chronicle | HoustonChronicle.com | Friday, April 2, 2021 |
Ezra Shaw / Getty Images
them Wednesday night, agreeing
to a 10-year, $341 million exten-
sion with the New York Mets.
Correa called Lindor, his Puer-
to Rican countryman and close
friend, Wednesday night. The
two spoke for nearly an hour. In
February, Correa said he and
Lindor were the only two soon-
to-be free agent shortstops “that
Mark Canha. The leadoff hitter
flung his bat in disgust.
Greinke departed the mound
with 48 pitches and just nine
outs. He required 34 to get the
next nine. Chad Pinder poked a
first-pitch single against him in
the sixth while Enoli Paredes be-
gan to warm in the bullpen.
Greinke got Andrus to ground in-
to a 4-3 double play before Canha
flew out. Five pitches later, the
threat disappeared.
Greinke only got up to 88
pitches during Grapefruit
League play. The six innings he
gave Houston on Thursday were
something of a surprise. In his
first start of 2020, Greinke only
finished 31⁄3 innings. He tossed
just 58 pitches.
Thursday, manager Dusty Bak-
er opted not to have Greinke face
the menacing middle of Oak-
land’s order a third time. He
tabbed Paredes to pitch the sev-
enth, handing him a two-run
lead in a foreign environment.
Paredes made himself a lever-
age reliever during a standout
Ezra Shaw / Getty Images
compete. Ready to get back to
playing baseball. Excited to have
fans in the stands.
“(We’re) looking forward to
competing for a division title
against some good teams in our
division. We’re excited.”
Surely Bregman was still excit-
ed when he stepped into the
batter’s box to boos raining
down from the just over 12,000
fans at the coliseum (limited to
26 percent capacity because of
California health requirements).
That is the new normal. And it
isn’t unprecedented.
Good players have had to deal
with such treatment before.
C7
can do both, offensively and de-
fensively, at a high level.”
“He deserves every penny of
it,” Correa said. “I talked to him
for about an hour last night and
congratulated him. He set the
market for every shortstop com-
ing after him. It’s always great to
see a great player get rewarded
like that.”
In January, Correa told an As-
tros-run radio show he “would
love to be an Astro for life.” He
reiterated the desire in almost
every appearance since, but not
for anything he considered be-
low his value. Correa established
opening day as a deadline for any
contract extension negotiations
and said he would “absolutely
not” soften the deadline.
“He’s been very up front, obvi-
ously publicly and with us, that
once we get to opening day he
wants to focus on winning anoth-
er championship for the city of
Houston, and we respect that,”
general manager James Click
said Thursday, before Correa
spoke.
Correa said there are “no hard
feelings” toward Crane, Click or
the Astros’ front office. He spoke
Thursday with his usual affinity
for the city, club and fans, claim-
ing Houston “will always be my
second home.”
“Hopefully, we can pick it
back up at the appropriate time,”
Click said concerning a reunion.
“Our door is always open.”
Correa seemed to not view it
that way.
“In terms of a long contract
and a big contract, they closed it
right away,” Correa said. “It de-
pends on what that means. I’m
focused on playing baseball. It is
opening day, and I could not be
more excited.”
chandler.rome@chron.com
twitter.com/chandler_rome
rookie season in 2020. He
pitched in empty stadiums for all
of it. Adrenaline coursed
through his tiny frame then — it
does for any rookie — but nothing
can compare to a three-deck sta-
dium with seething fans hellbent
on making a night miserable.
Beneath them, Paredes’ com-
mand wavered and his energy
wilted. Yuli Gurriel dropped a fly
ball in foul territory to compli-
cate matters. Ramon Laureano
launched a double to start the
frame. Paredes sandwiched
walks of Matt Olson and Mitch
Moreland around Matt Chap-
man’s sacrifice fly.
The go-ahead run came to the
plate twice. Paredes struck both
men out. Jed Lowrie succumbed
to a slider. Sean Murphy, too.
When he did, Paredes leapt from
the mound. He balled his fists.
He let out a yell. The crowd,
again, calmed for a moment as
the Astros celebrated.
chandler.rome@chron.com
twitter.com/chandler_rome
Some even thrived on it.
Darryl Strawberry told me
once he would rather have been
booed than have fans moan,
“D-a-a-a-ryll! D-a-a-a-ryll!” every
time he stepped to the plate.
Still, he got so used to it that
he sometimes tipped his cap and
smiled.
Fan treatment will be less of a
factor in the Astros’ success or
failure than the attention it will
receive, but it will be interesting
to watch when players have the
standard in-season slumps.
One thing is certain: The
Astros will have to play through
it because fans won’t run out of
energy.
When Bregman hit into a
double play to close out the first
Astros half-inning of 2021, it
wasn’t because of the boos. (And
I assume that in the first inning
the boos weren’t because of the
booze.)
Yet it is impossible to con-
vince fans they don’t affect win-
ning and losing.
A good percentage — more
than half, according every poll I
could find — have unfavorable
opinions of the Astros.
Opposing fans are going to
enjoy this season unless the
Astros silence them.
On the road, the Astros are
hoping for the silence of 2020.
The sweet sounds of champi-
onship baseball.
jerome.solomon@chron.com
twitter.com/jeromesolomon
C8 | Friday, April 2, 2021 | HoustonChronicle.com | Houston Chronicle HHHH

FOR THE RECORD | ETC. Sports editor, reid.laymance@chron.com | 713-362-2734 | sptletters@chron.com @chronsports Houston Chronicle Sports

SCOREBOARD ON THE AIR GOLF

America’s Line Ted Potter, Jr.........................................................39-37—76

Bronson Burgoon...................................................37-39—76 Television
Home team capitalized Scott Brown...........................................................39-37—76 Col. baseball Washington at UCLA (2) Pac-12 2 p.m.
American League Rhein Gibson..........................................................39-37—76
Kramer Hickok .......................................................39-37—76 Col. baseball Clemson at N. Carolina St. ACC 6 p.m.
Favorite Odds Underdog Brian Gay................................................................40-36—76 Col. baseball Kentucky at Mississippi St. SEC 6 p.m.
ANGELS -$110 (8 1⁄2) White Sox Nate Lashley..........................................................39-37—76
ATHLETICS -$138 (8) Astros Hank Lebioda ........................................................39-37—76 Col. baseball TCU at Oklahoma Bally SW 6:30 p.m.
Luke Donald...........................................................39-38—77 Col. baseball Stanford at Washington St. Pac-12 7 p.m.
National League Danny Lee ..............................................................38-39—77
Scott Stallings........................................................41-36—77 Col. baseball Vanderbilt at LSU ESPN2 8 p.m.
Favorite Odds Underdog
Dodgers -$260 (111⁄2) ROCKIES Austin Eckroat .......................................................38-39—77 Col. basketball South Carolina vs. Stanford (w) ESPN 5 p.m.
Byeong Hun An .....................................................37-40—77
PADRES -$230 (8 1⁄2) Diamondbacks
Cameron Champ ...................................................39-38—77 Col. basketball Arizona vs. Connecticut (w) ESPN 8:30 p.m.
InterLeague Andrew Putnam....................................................39-38—77 Col. soccer Stanford at Arizona (w) Pac-12 10 p.m.
Jim Furyk ................................................................38-39—77
Favorite Odds Underdog Rob Oppenheim ....................................................40-37—77 Col. softball Arkansas at Auburn SEC noon
Rays -$118 (7 1⁄2) MARLINS Mac Meissner .........................................................40-37—77 Col. softball Notre Dame at Florida St. ACC 4 p.m.
MARINERS -$125 (8) Giants Henrik Norlander ...................................................38-40—78
J.J. Spaun...............................................................38-40—78 Col. softball Kentucky at Tennessee ESPNU 4 p.m.
Favorite Odds Underdog
RED SOX -$170 (9) Orioles
J.J. Killeen ..............................................................38-40—78 Col. softball Texas Tech at Texas LHN 6 p.m.
Austin Cook............................................................36-42—78
J.B. Holmes ...........................................................40-38—78 Col. tennis Oklahoma St. at Oklahoma (w) Bally SW+ 4 p.m.
NBA
Xinjun Zhang .........................................................40-39—79 Col. volleyball Michigan at Wisconsin (w) ESPNU 2 p.m.
Favorite Pts O/U Underdog Nick Watney ...........................................................38-41—79
t-Warriors 2 1⁄2 228 1⁄2 RAPTORS Phil Mickelson ........................................................38-41—79 Col. volleyball Illinois at Purdue (w) Big Ten 8 p.m.
Jed Jacobsohn / Getty Images
CELTICS 10 NL Rockets Sam Bennett .........................................................40-40—80 Golf ANA Inspiration Golf 11 a.m.
Mavericks 4 1⁄2 214 1⁄2 KNICKS Sean O’Hair ............................................................41-42—83
Patrick Grimes........................................................43-42—85
Golf 6 p.m. 21-year-old Patty Tavatanakit took a one-shot lead
PACERS 4 223 1⁄2 Hornets
GRIZZLIES 6 1⁄2 231 1⁄2 T’Wolves
Golf Valero Texas Open Golf 3 p.m. in the first round of the ANA Inspiration.
Hawks 1 1⁄2 NL PELICANS
LPGA Tour — ANA Inspiration Horse racing America’s Day at the Races FS2 noon

Wie West, Feng

JAZZ 11 NL Bulls
Thursday’s first round
At Rancho Mirage, Calif. Pro baseball Tampa Bay at Miami MLB 6 p.m.
SUNS 121⁄2 219 1⁄2 Thunder
Bucks 3 1⁄2 236 1⁄2 BLAZERS Patty Tavatanakit .................................................34-32—66 Pro baseball Astros at Oakland ATTSW 8:30 p.m.
Leona Maguire.......................................................34-33—67
KINGS 4 223 1⁄2 Lakers
Shanshan Feng......................................................33-34—67 Pro basketball Rockets at Boston ATTSW+ 6:30 p.m.

shine in return
t-Tampa, Florida Megan Khang ........................................................33-35—68 Pro basketball Dallas at New York NBA 6:30 p.m.
College basketball Moriya Jutanugarn ................................................34-34—68
Ariya Jutanugarn ...................................................34-34—68
Pro basketball Milwaukee at Portland NBA 9 p.m.
NCAA Tournament Anna Nordqvist .....................................................34-34—68 Pro hockey Washington at New Jersey NHL 6 p.m.
Favorite Odds O/U Underdog Mirim Lee................................................................35-34—69
Connecticut 131⁄2 127 1⁄2 Arizona Jessica Korda .........................................................34-35—69
Surfing Newcastle Cup FS2 5:30 p.m.
Stanford 6 134 South Carolina Jennifer Kupcho.....................................................34-35—69 Tennis Miami Open Tennis noon RANCHO MIRAGE, all the par 5s in two,
Jin Young Ko ..........................................................35-34—69
Wrestling U.S. Olympic Trials NBCSN 6:30 p.m.
NHL Georgia Hall ...........................................................35-34—69 Calif. — Michelle Wie birdieing three of them.
Favorite Odds O/U Underdog
Charley Hull............................................................36-33—69
Bronte Law.............................................................34-35—69
Radio West was back on a ma- “It was a pretty calm
Capitals -$180/+$160 51⁄2 DEVILS Yuka Saso...............................................................36-33—69 Pro baseball Astros at Oakland 740 AM 8:30 p.m.
Maple Leafs -$135/+$115 6 JETS Sarah Kemp ...........................................................35-35—70 In Spanish 1010 AM jor championship leader- and relaxing day today,”
OILERS -$140/+$120 6 Flames
AVALANCHE -$220/+$180 51⁄2 Blues
Gerina Piller............................................................36-34—70
Sophia Popov ........................................................38-32—70 Pro basketball Rockets at Boston 790 AM 6:30 p.m. board Thursday at the Tavatanakit said. “I just
KINGS -$120/even 51⁄2 Sharks Inbee Park..............................................................35-35—70 In Spanish 1010 AM ANA Inspiration. So was stuck to my game plan
Coyotes -$110/-$110 51⁄2 DUCKS Dani Holmqvist......................................................35-35—70 .
Azahara Munoz......................................................34-36—70 Shanshan Feng in her and didn’t get too greedy
Colleges Pornanong Phatlum .............................................36-34—70
Carlota Ciganda.....................................................33-37—70
first tournament in 14 out there. I know it’s a
Football Christina Kim .........................................................35-35—70 months. major, it’s tough, the
Thursday’s results Cheyenne Knight ...................................................34-36—70
Lydia Ko..................................................................34-36—70 TAPPS 5-II Transactions Playing for the second course is really tough. I
South Amy Yang...............................................................35-35—70 Second Baptist 2, The Woodlands Christian 0 BASEBALL straight week after a was just being really
Sam Houston St. 24, Northwestern St. 16 Lexi Thompson ......................................................35-35—70
Michelle Wie West.................................................34-36—70 Non-district American League 21-month break, Wie patient and I was waiting
Southwest Pajaree Anannarukarn ..........................................35-36—71 Cinco Ranch 9, Milby 1
E.C. Oklahoma U. 21, Tarleton St. 14 Jaye Marie Green....................................................34-37—71
BALTIMORE ORIOLES: Placed OF D.J. Stewart on the10-
day injured list and RHP Shawn Armstrong on paternity
West shot a 2-under 70, for putts to drop, and
Friday’s game Jenny Shin ..............................................................34-37—71 Softball list. Optioned RHP Travis Lakins Sr. to Norfolk (Triple-A leaving her four strokes they did on the back
N. Iowa at South Dakota, 6 p.m. Lauren Stephenson ...............................................36-35—71 Thursday’s scores East). Placed INF Chris Davis and RHP Hunter Harvey on
Saturday’s games Ally Ewing...............................................................36-35—71 the 60-day injured list. behind leader Patty Tava- nine.”
Kelly Tan .................................................................34-37—71 District 15-6A
East Yui Kawamoto........................................................35-36—71 Klein Oak 23, Klein Forest 0
BOSTON RED SOX: Placed LHP Eduardo Rodriguez and
RHP Ryan Brasier on the 10-day injured list. Recalled RHP
tanakit after the morning
Sarah Schmelzel ....................................................34-37—71
Villanova at Maine, 11 a.m.
Albany (N.Y.) at Delaware, 11 a.m. Ryann O’Toole ........................................................36-35—71 District 16-6A Tanner Houck from the alternate training site.
CHICAGO WHITE SOX: Placed OF Adam Engel and LHP
wave. Villegas in front
Jeongeun Lee6 .......................................................36-35—71 Cypress Woods 14, Cypress Falls 2 “Came into the day
Lehigh at Lafayette, 11:30 a.m.
Bucknell at Holy Cross, Noon
New Hampshire at Rhode Island, Noon
Sung Hyun Park .....................................................35-36—71
Madelene Sagstrom ..............................................32-39—71
Bridgeland 12, Langham Creek 1
Cypress Ranch 4, Cypress Lakes 2
Jace Fry on the 10-day injured list and OF Eloy Jimenez on
the 60-day injured list. Selected the contracts of OF Billy
Hamilton and INF/OF Andrew Vaughn from Schaumburg like, ‘OK, no stress today, after first round
Mi Jung Hur ............................................................34-37—71
Colgate at Fordham, 3 p.m.
Nelly Korda.............................................................35-36—71 District 17-6A (Triple-A East). Assigned LHP Nik Turley outright to
Schaumburg.
easy golf,’” Wie West Camilo Villegas
South Yu Liu ......................................................................36-35—71
Mel Reid..................................................................36-35—71
Memorial 8, Jersey Village 7 DETROIT TIGERS: Placed RHP Rony Garcia on the 10-day said. “And the first cou- chipped in twice to high-
James Madison at Richmond, 11 a.m. injured list. Selected the contract of LHP Derek Holland
Presbyterian at Stetson, Noon Hannah Green........................................................35-36—71 District 18-6A
from Toledo (Triple-A East). Designated OF Christin Stew- ple holes were not easy light a nine-birdie round
Stephanie Meadow ...............................................35-36—71 Westside 9, Westbury 0
Robert Morris at Kennesaw St., Noon
The Citadel at Wofford, Noon Nicole Broch Larsen ...............................................36-35—71 Houston Heights 15, Math Science & Tech 0
art for assignment.
HOUSTON ASTROS: Placed RHP Andre Scrubb, Josh
golf. I’m just happy to see that earned him an 8-
Nicholls at McNeese St., Noon Perrine Delacour ....................................................35-37—72
Kristen Gillman ......................................................37-35—72 District 20-6A James and Austin Pruitt and LHP Framber Valdez on the my name on the first under 64 and the first-
Monmouth (N.J.) at Gardner-Webb, Noon 10-day injured list.
ETSU at VMI, 12:30 p.m. Eun-Hee Ji ..............................................................36-36—72 FB Dulles 8, FB Clements 4 KANSAS CITY ROYALS: Designated C Meibrys Viloria and page of the leaderboard. round lead at the Valero
Sei Young Kim .......................................................36-36—72
SE Missouri at UT Martin, 1 p.m.
Tennessee St. at Tennessee Tech, 1:30 p.m. Xiyu Lin...................................................................37-35—72 District 21-6A RHP Scott Blewett for assignment. Selected the contracts
of CF Kyle Islbel from Quad Cities (High-A Central) and
That’s really special to Texas Open on Thursday.
Danielle Kang.........................................................37-35—72 Atascocita 10, Humble 0
SC State at Alabama St., 2 p.m.
Cristie Kerr ..............................................................37-35—72
LHP Jake Brentz from Northwest Arkansas (Double-A me. Been a long time Sung Kang, a 33-year-
Murray St. at Austin Peay, 2 p.m. District 22-6A Central).
Furman at Mercer, 2:30 p.m. Nanna Koerstz Madsen ........................................36-36—72
Dobie 3, Channelview 2
LOS ANGELES ANGELS: Agreed to terms with INF David since I’ve seen that.” old South Korean, is two
William & Mary at Elon, 3 p.m. Pernilla Lindberg....................................................34-38—72 Fletcher on a five-year contract.
Ark.-Pine Bluff at MVSU, 3 p.m. Alena Sharp ...........................................................37-35—72
District 23-6A OAKLAND ATHLETICS: Selected the contracts of LHP
Feng birdied three of shots back with Cameron
Angel Yin................................................................34-38—72
Southern U. at Jackson St., 4 p.m.
Brittany Lang.........................................................37-35—72 Dawson 21, Hastings 0 Reymin Guduan and INF Jed Lowrie from Las Vegas (Tri- her last five holes for a Tringale after each had a
Lamar at SE Louisiana, 6 p.m. ple-A West). Optioned LHP A.J. Puk and RHP Daulton Jef-
Gardner-Webb at Charleston Southern, ppd. Hyo Joo Kim...........................................................37-35—72
Angela Stanford ....................................................34-38—72
District 24-6A feries to the alternate training site. Placed RHPs Mike Fiers bogey-free 67. The Chi- 66 at TPC San Antonio’s
and Trevor Rosenthal on the 10-day injured list. Designat-
Midwest Minjee Lee ..............................................................37-35—72 Brazoswood 6, Dickinson 2
ed OF Skye Bolt for assignment. nese star hadn’t played a Oaks Course. Jordan
Jodi Ewart Shadoff ...............................................38-34—72 Clear Creek 7, Clear Brook 4
Jacksonville St. at E. Illinois, 1 p.m.
Valparaiso at Drake, 1 p.m. So Yeon Ryu...........................................................35-37—72 District 16-5A
TAMPA BAY RAYS: Placed RF Brett Phillips and1B Ji-Man
Choi on the 10-day injured list.
competitive round since Spieth, whose struggles
Morehead St. at Butler, 2 p.m. Hinako Shibuno .....................................................36-36—72
Caroline Inglis.........................................................36-36—72 Huntsville 12, Jacksonville 0 TEXAS RANGERS: Selected the contracts of RHP Matt November 2019 because the past three years
S. Dakota St. at N. Dakota St., 2:30 p.m. Bush and INF Charlie Culberson from Round Rock (Triple-A
Youngstown St. at W. Illinois, 7 p.m. Gabriela Ruffels .....................................................36-36—72 District 19-5A West). Recalled LHP Kolby Allard from Round Rock. of the coronavirus pan- appear to be subsiding
Jennifer Song .........................................................35-37—72
Southwest a-amateur Magnolia West 4, Brenham 2 Placed RHP Demarcus Evans, LHPs Brock Burke, Brett
Martin and Joely Rodriguez, C Sam Huff, OFs Willie Cal-
demic and a recent visa after four top-10 finishes
Alabama A&M at Prairie View, 2 p.m.
Korn Ferry Tour District 20-5A houn and Khris Davis on the 10-day injured list. Assigned delay. the past two months, is
Lake Creek 5, New Caney 1 RHP Hunter Wood and LHP Hyeon-jong Yang to the al-
West Emerald Coast Classic Dayton 14, New Caney Porter 4 ternate training site. Designated INF Rougned Odor for as- “I was kind of nervous three back (67) with
Davidson at San Diego, 2 p.m. Thursday’s first round
Weber St. at S. Utah, 3 p.m. At Destin, Fla. District 21-5A
signment.
TORONTO BLUE JAYS: Selected LHP Tim Mayza and INF
last night,” the 10-time Seung-Yul Noh and Hide-
E. Washington at UC Davis, 4:04 p.m.
Idaho at Idaho St., 5 p.m.
Andrew Novak.......................................................33-29—62 Barbers Hill 17, Galena Park 0 Joe Panik from Buffalo (Triple-A East). Recalled RHP Joel LPGA Tour winner said. ki Matsuyama.
Hayden Buckley.....................................................33-33—66 Payamps from the alternate training site. Optioned LHPs
Austin Smotherman .............................................34-32—66 District 22-5A Travis Bergen and Anthony Kay to the alternated training “But I said to myself, Phil Mickelson
Golf Josh Hart.................................................................35-31—66
Stephan Jaeger......................................................34-33—67
Friendswood 4, Texas City 3
La Porte 14, Galveston Ball 0
site. Placed RHPs Thomas Hatch, Kirby Yates and Nate
Pearson, LHP Robbie Ray and OF George Springer on the ‘Hey, it’s OK. Think about dropped to 15 shots back
PGA Tour — Valero Texas Open Wade Binfield ........................................................34-33—67 10-day injured list. Designated C Reese McGuire and INF you’re just an old rookie. when he had a 10 on the
Thursday’s first round Rico Hoey ...............................................................34-33—67 District 24-5A Breyvic Valera for assignment.
At San Antonio Nicolas Echavarria .................................................34-33—67 Angleton 0, FB Willowridge 0
National League
Everything is new for you 18th hole — he took two
Camilo Villegas.......................................................31-33—64 Fulshear 15, Fort Bend Kempner 3
Sung Kang..............................................................31-35—66
Adam Svensson.....................................................33-34—67
Brandon Harkins....................................................35-32—67 ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS: Recalled RHP Riley Smith here and just have no penalty shots and anoth-
District 21-4A
Cameron Tringale ..................................................34-32—66 Kevin Dougherty....................................................33-34—67
Liberty 4, Hardin-Jefferson 0
from Reno (Triple-A West). Placed RHP Zac Gallen and RF
Kole Calhoun on the 10-day injured list.
expectation. Try your er three strokes trying to
Jordan Spieth.........................................................35-32—67 Steven Alker...........................................................34-33—67
Seung-Yul Noh.......................................................33-34—67 David Lipsky...........................................................33-35—68 Splendora 7, Livingston 1 CHICAGO CUBS: Placed RHPs Jonathan Holder and Row- hardest, 100 percent on get away from a green-
Hideki Matsuyama ................................................33-34—67 Alex Cejka...............................................................33-35—68 an Wick and C Austin Romine on the 10-day injured list.
Scottie Scheffler....................................................33-35—68 Brandon Crick.........................................................34-34—68
District 24-3A CINCINNATI REDS: Optioned 2B Max Schrock, LF Mar every shot and enjoy the side stream — and ended
Tom Hoge...............................................................36-32—68
Sebastian Munoz...................................................34-34—68
Alex Prugh..............................................................33-35—68 East Bernard 12, Wallis Brazos 1
Danbury 7, Hempstead 0
Payton to the alternate training site. Designated RHP Ed-
gar Garcia for assignment. Placed CF Shogo Akiyama,
process.’ That was what I with a 79.
Joey Garber ............................................................33-35—68
Kevin Stadler .........................................................33-36—69 Zach Wright ...........................................................34-34—68 Non-district
RHPs Sonny Gray and Michael Lorenzen on the 10-day in- did, actually.” Villegas won the Tour
Matt Wallace .........................................................36-33—69 Alex Chiarella .........................................................35-33—68 jured list. Selected the contract of 3B Jonathan India from
Vincent Whaley .....................................................36-33—69 Huffman Hargrave 4, Klein Collins 0 Chattanooga (Double-A South). Activated 1B Joey Votto Tavatanakit, the 21- Championship in 2008
Hole-in-one Willis 4, Conroe Grand Oaks 1 from the 10-day injured list.
Kyoung-Hoon Lee..................................................33-37—70
Brendan Steele......................................................35-35—70
(Name, course, hole, yards, club) Needville 15, Stafford 0 COLORADO ROCKIES: Signed RHP Jhoulys Chacin. Desig- year-old former UCLA and the Wyndham Cham-
Gary Cordell, Lakeside CC, 4, 114, 9-iron
Rafa Cabrera Bello ................................................34-36—70 Navasota 15, Brookshire Royal 0
Manvel 1, Houston Sterling 0
nated RHP Jairo Diaz for assignment. Placed LHP Kyle player from Thailand, pionship in 2014. His two
Padraig Harrington................................................35-35—70 Freeland and 2B Brendan Rodgers on the 10-day injured
Martin Trainer ........................................................34-36—70 High schools list. closed with a birdie on top-10 finishes this year
Matt Kuchar...........................................................36-34—70
Pat Perez................................................................38-32—70
Boys soccer playoff pairings Hockey LOS ANGELES DODGERS: Placed RHP Brusdar Graterol
on the 60-day injured list and RHP Joe Kelly on the 10-day the par-5 18th for a bo- include a tie for eighth at
Adam Hadwin........................................................35-35—70 Regional quarterfinals NHL injured list. gey-free 66. She reached the Honda Classic.
Brandon Hagy........................................................34-36—70 Class 6A East GP W L OT Pts GF GA MIAMI MARLINS: Placed RF Jesus Sanchez and RHP
Denny McCarthy.....................................................36-35—71 Washington 36 23 9 4 50 125 112 Jorge Guzman on the 10-day injured list.
Anirban Lahiri.........................................................36-35—71 Region II N.Y. Islanders 37 23 10 4 50 114 88 MILWAUKEE BREWERS: Placed RHPs Bobby Wahl and
Sepp Straka............................................................35-36—71 Klein Forest 2, Langham Creek 0 Justin Topa, C Jacob Nottingham, RF Derek Fisher on the
Pittsburgh 37 24 11 2 50 121 95
Bridgeland vs. Aldine MacArthur
Ryan Moore ............................................................36-35—71
Erik van Rooyen .....................................................36-35—71 TBA
Boston 33 18 10 5 41 89 81 10-day injured list.
NEW YORK METS: Placed RHPs Carlos Carrasco, Drew AROUND SPORTS
Philadelphia 35 17 14 4 38 107 129
Cameron Davis .......................................................35-36—71 Region III Smith and Seth Lugo on the 10-day injured list and INF

Williams retires
Tompkins vs. Seven Lakes N.Y. Rangers 36 17 15 4 38 115 96
Gary Woodland ......................................................36-35—71 Jose Martinez on the 60-day injured list.
7:30 p.m. Friday at Rhodes Stadium New Jersey 34 13 16 5 31 83 106 PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES: Selected the contract of 2B
Corey Conners.........................................................36-35—71
Humble vs. Channelview Buffalo 36 7 23 6 20 79 126 Ronald Torreyes from Lehigh Valley (Triple-A East). Desig-
Wesley Bryan..........................................................36-35—71
Keegan Bradley......................................................38-33—71 7 p.m. Friday at Maddry Stadium Central GP W L OT Pts GF GA nated LHP Kyle Dohy for assignment and then assigned
Jersey Village 5, Cinco Ranch 1 him outright to the alternate training site.

from N. Carolina
Patton Kizzire.........................................................37-34—71 Tampa Bay 36 25 9 2 52 127 87
Vaughn Taylor ........................................................37-34—71 Elsik 4, North Shore 2 Florida 37 24 9 4 52 122 101 PITTSBURGH PIRATES: Selected RHP Clay Holmes to
Rory Sabbatini .......................................................35-36—71 Carolina 35 24 8 3 51 117 89 the 40-man roster. Placed LHP Steven Brault on the 60-
Zach Johnson .........................................................35-36—71
Class 5A day injured list, RHP Cody Ponce on the 10-day injured list
Nashville 38 19 18 1 39 96 113
Kyle Stanley ...........................................................35-36—71 Region III Chicago 38 17 16 5 39 109 119 and RHP Kyle Crick on the COVID-injured list.
Charl Schwartzel....................................................35-36—71 Kingwood Park vs. Pflugerville Weiss ST. LOUIS CARDINALS: Placed RHP Dakota Hudson and
Columbus 38 14 16 8 36 96 121
Doc Redman ..........................................................35-37—72 7 p.m. Friday at Merrill-Green Stadium Miles Mikolas, LHP Kwang Hyun Kim and CF Harrison Bad-
Abraham Ancer .....................................................39-33—72 Foster 1, Sharpstown 0 (SO)
Dallas
Detroit
34
38
12
12
12
21
10 34 95 92
5 29 82 122
er on the 10-day injured list. CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- and Garza averaged 24.1
Jason Dufner..........................................................37-35—72 Friendswood 2, Galena Park 0 SAN DIEGO PADRES: Placed RHPs Austin Adams, Dan
Brice Garnett..........................................................38-34—72 West GP W L OT Pts GF GA Altavilla, Javy Guerra, Pierce Johnson and Dinelson La- The last time Roy Wil- points to rank second
Class 4A
Ryan Palmer ..........................................................38-34—72 Colorado 35 23 8 4 50 127 80 met, C Austin Nola, OF Jorge Ona, RF Trent Grisham on
the 10-day injured list and RHP Michel Baeez on the 60-
liams left North Caroli- nationally and 8.7 re-
Jimmy Walker ........................................................35-37—72 Region III Vegas 35 24 9 2 50 112 82
Brandt Snedeker....................................................34-38—72 Brookshire Royal 2, Giddings 0 Minnesota 35 22 11 2 46 102 88 day injured list. na, he was a virtually bounds.
Chris Kirk ................................................................35-37—72 East Chambers vs. Huffman Hargrave SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS: Placed LHP Alex Wood on the
Roger Sloan............................................................38-34—72 6 p.m. Friday at Kyle White Stadium
St. Louis
Arizona
35
36
16
16
13
15
6 38 100 113
5 37 95 112 10-day injured list. Assigned RHP Trevor Gott and Nick Tro- unknown assistant who • Oklahoma State
Rafael Campos ......................................................36-36—72
John Huh ................................................................37-35—72
Sealy 3, Salado 1
Splendora vs. Columbia
Los Angeles 34 14 14 6 34 96 96
peano, LHP Conner Menez, C Chadwick Tromp and OF La-
Monte Wade Jr. to the alternate training site.
was getting his first shot freshman Cade Cunning-
San Jose 35 15 16 4 34 99 120
Will Gordon ............................................................35-37—72 6 p.m. Saturday at Splendora Wildcat Stadium
Anaheim 37 11 20 6 28 83 123 BASKETBALL as a college head coach ham, named a first-team
K.J. Choi .................................................................36-36—72
Martin Laird............................................................36-36—72 Girls soccer playoff pairings North GP W L OT Pts GF GA NBA at tradition-rich Kansas. All-American, declared
Si Woo Kim ............................................................36-36—72
Keith Mitchell.........................................................37-35—72
Regional quarterfinals Toronto
Winnipeg
36 23 10
37 22 13
3 49 119 92
2 46 120 102
BROOKLYN NETS: Signed F Alize Johnson to a 10-day Now Williams is leav- for the NBA draft. Cun-
Class 6A contract.
Chase Seiffert ........................................................35-37—72 Edmonton 37 22 14 1 45 122 107 INDIANA PACERS: Signed F Oshae Brissett to a 10-day ing the Tar Heels again ningham is projected to
Akshay Bhatia .......................................................36-36—72 Region II Montreal 33 16 8 9 41 108 88
Joseph Bramlett ....................................................37-35—72 Klein Cain vs. Tomball Memorial Calgary 37 16 18 3 35 96 112
contract.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS: Signed G Jeff Teague to a rest of
with a resume chock full be one of the top picks.
Tom Lewis ..............................................................37-36—73
Bernd Wiesberger..................................................37-36—73
6 p.m. Friday at Klein HS
The Woodlands vs. Tomball
Vancouver 37 16 18 3 35 100 120 season contract. of honors — as a retiring
Ottawa 37 12 21 4 28 95 139 FOOTBALL FOOTBALL
Ben Martin .............................................................38-35—73 6 p.m. Friday at Woodforest Bank Stadium
Note: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Hall of Famer with more
Charles Howell III...................................................36-37—73 Region III
Danny Willett.........................................................38-35—73
Tyler Duncan..........................................................34-39—73
Cy-Fair vs. Seven Lakes
The top four teams in each division will qualify for playoffs
under this season’s temporary realignment.
NFL
ATLANTA FALCONS: Re-signed DE Steven Means. Signed
than 900 wins, three NFL considers
7:30 p.m. Friday at Legacy Stadium national championships
D.A. Points.............................................................35-38—73
David Hearn ...........................................................36-37—73
Beaumont West Brook 1, Clear Lake 0
Memorial 5, Stratford 1
Wednesday’s results
Buffalo 6, Philadelphia 1
OL Josh Andrews and DT Jonathan Bullard.
BALTIMORE RAVENS: Re-signed LB L.J. Fort to a one- and a legacy built on rule changes
Peter Malnati.........................................................36-37—73 Toronto 3, Winnipeg 1 year contract.
Clear Creek 1, Brazoswood 0
Greyson Sigg ..........................................................37-36—73 Colorado 9, Arizona 3 CHICAGO BEARS: Signed OT Germain Ifedi. more than three decades The NFL is considering
Michael Gligic.........................................................38-35—73 Class 5A Los Angeles 4, Vegas 2 DETROIT LIONS: Signed CB Corn Elder.
Tain Lee ..................................................................37-36—73 Region III
San Jose 4, Minnesota 2 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: Re-signed WR T.Y. Hilton. of success at two of col- a rule change that would
Calgary at Vancouver, postponed Signed DT Al-Quadin Muhammad, FS Sean Davis and OG
Luke List .................................................................36-37—73
Harold Varner III.....................................................37-36—73
Magnolia vs. Austin Anderson
Thursday’s results Chris Reed.
lege basketball’s most allow teams to maintain
7 p.m. Friday at College Station HS
Scott Harrington....................................................35-38—73 Foster 2, Manvel 0 Montreal 4, Ottawa 1 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: Agreed to terms with RB Bos- storied programs. possession of the ball
Brian Stuard...........................................................36-37—73 N.Y. Rangers 3, Buffalo 2 (OT) ton Scott on a exclusive rights contract.
Tony Finau..............................................................35-38—73
Friendswood vs. Port Neches-Groves
7 p.m. Friday at Goose Creek Memorial HS Tampa Bay 3, Columbus 2 PITTSBURGH STEELERS: Signed DE Tyson Alualu. The school announced after a score by sub-
N.Y. Islanders 8, Washington 4 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: Signed DB Jason Verrett.
Nick Taylor..............................................................36-37—73
Adam Long ............................................................37-36—73 Class 4A Pittsburgh 4, Boston 1 WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM: Signed WR DeAndre the decision Thursday, stituting one offensive
Matthew NeSmith ................................................34-39—73 Region III Florida 3, Detroit 2 (OT) Carter. some two weeks after the play for an onside kickoff
Chesson Hadley.....................................................36-37—73 Dallas 4, Nashville 1 HOCKEY
Lucas Glover...........................................................36-37—73
Lake Belton 5, Bellville 1
Bay City 3, Little Cypress-Mauriceville 2
Carolina 4, Chicago 3 70-year-old Williams attempt.
Minnesota 3, Vegas 2 (SO) NHL
Ryan Brehm ...........................................................39-34—73
Adam Schenk ........................................................36-38—74 Baseball Friday’s games
closed his 18th season Other potential chang-
NHL: Fined Colorado F Nathan MacKinnon for unsports-
Ryan Armour..........................................................37-37—74 Thursday’s scores Washington at New Jersey, 6 p.m. manlike conduct against Arizona F Conor Garland during with the Tar Heels after a es include adding a loss
Graeme McDowell .................................................38-36—74 Toronto at Winnipeg, 7 p.m. and March 31 game. Suspended Vegas F Chandler Ste-
Bo Van Pelt............................................................39-35—74
District 13-6A Calgary at Edmonton, 8 p.m. phenson for three-games for elbowing LA Kings D Tobias highly successful 15-year of down for a second
D.J. Trahan.............................................................37-37—74 College Park 2, Willis 1 St. Louis at Colorado, 8 p.m.
Sebastian Cappelen..............................................34-40—74 Arizona at Anaheim, 9 p.m.
Bjornfot in a March 31 game.
NHLPA: Named Sean Bergenheim European affairs repre-
run with the Jayhawks. In forward pass from be-
District 14-6A
Harry Higgs.............................................................37-37—74
Westfield 12, Nimitz 2
San Jose at Los Angeles, 9 p.m. sentative and Ron Hainsey assistant to the executive di- all, Williams won 903 hind the line and for a
Joel Dahmen..........................................................36-38—74 Saturday’s games rector for sports projects and development initiatives.
Russell Knox...........................................................37-37—74 Aldine Davis 4, Aldine 3 Detroit at Tampa Bay, Noon EDMONTON OILERS: Waived LW Tyler Ennis. games in a career that pass thrown after the ball
Hunter Mahan .......................................................37-37—74 MacArthur 10, Dekaney 0 Pittsburgh at Boston, Noon
Beau Hossler..........................................................36-38—74 Chicago at Nashville, 2 p.m.
LOS ANGELES KINGS: Waived RW Matt Luff.
NASHVILLE PREDATORS: Recalled D Tyler Lewington
included those three returns behind the line
District 15-6A
Jhonattan Vegas....................................................41-33—74
Doug Ghim .............................................................38-36—74 Tomball Memorial 5, Klein 0
Columbus at Florida, 6 p.m. from the minor league taxi squad. Assigned D Frederic Al- titles, all with the Tar and to ensure the en-
Dallas at Carolina, 6 p.m. lard to the minor league taxi squad.
Kris Ventura............................................................36-38—74 District 16-6A N.Y. Rangers at Buffalo, 6 p.m. CAROLINA HURRICANES: Assigned LW Max McCormick Heels, in 2005, 2009 and forcement of all accepted
Sam Fidone............................................................38-36—74 Ottawa at Montreal, 6 p.m.
Sam Ryder .............................................................38-37—75 Cypress Woods 5, Langham Creek 0
Philadelphia at N.Y. Islanders, 6 p.m.
to Chicago (AHL) on a conditioning loan.
NEW JERSEY DEVILS: Waived RW Nikita Gusev.
2017. penalties committed by
Cypress Ranch 4, Bridgeland 1
Andrew Landry ......................................................35-40—75
Branden Grace .......................................................36-39—75
Minnesota at Vegas, 8 p.m.
St. Louis at Colorado, 8 p.m.
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS: Assigned LW Carsen Twarynski In other college bas- either team during suc-
District 23-6A and C Connor Bunnaman to Lehigh Valley (AHL). Recalled
Kevin Chappell.......................................................36-39—75
Pearland 4, Strake Jesuit 3
San Jose at Los Angeles, 9 p.m. F Tanner Lacynski and F Linus Sandin from the minor ketball news: cessive try attempts.
Aaron Wise.............................................................37-38—75 Vancouver at Edmonton, 9 p.m. league taxi squad.
Patrick Rodgers......................................................38-37—75 District 19-5A • Michigan coach Ju- In other NFL news:
SOCCER
Kiradech Aphibarnrat............................................39-36—75
Robby Shelton.......................................................37-38—75
College Station 7, Brenham 1 Tennis wan Howard was • The sister of Los
MLS
Sam Burns..............................................................38-37—75 District 20-5A Miami Open FC DALLAS: Agreed to terms with MF Thiago Santos on a
named the Associated Angeles Chargers con-
Kelly Kraft ..............................................................40-35—75
Henrik Stenson ......................................................39-36—75
Kingwood Park 9, New Caney 0 Thursday at Miami permanent transfer agreement to Gremio (Brazil). Press coach of the year, trolling owner Dean
Davis Love III ..........................................................38-37—75 District 21-5A Men’s singles SOUNDERS FC: Named Craig Waibel senior vice president
Lanto Griffin...........................................................38-37—75 of soccer operations and sporting director. and Iowa’s Luka Garza Spanos is petitioning a
Barbers Hill 12, Crosby 2 Quarterfinals SPORTING KANSAS CITY: Acquired F Dani Rojas from
Charley Hoffman...................................................38-37—75
Hubert Hurkacz (26), Poland, def. Stefanos Tsitsipas (2), AFC Richmond on loan for 2021 season. was named the AP player California court to put
Carlos Sainz Jr........................................................37-38—75 District 24-5A
Bo Hoag .................................................................37-39—76 Angleton 7, Lamar Consolidated 4
Greece, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.
COLLEGE of the year. Howard led one-third of the team’s
Cameron Percy.......................................................40-36—76 Women’s singles TEMPLE UNIVERSITY: Named Chris Jones senior associ-
the Wolverines to the ownership stake up for
Troy Merritt.............................................................41-35—76 District 25-4A ate administrative director/assistant vice president for de-
Semifinals
Rickie Fowler..........................................................39-37—76
Michael Kim ...........................................................38-38—76
Stafford 10, Columbia 2 Ashleigh Barty (1), Australia, def. Elina Svitolina (5),
velopment. Elite Eight in his second sale.
Satoshi Kodaira......................................................41-35—76 Ukraine, 6-3, 6-3.
season and a No. 1 seed, From wire reports
 A P R I L 2 - 8 , 2 0 21 H H

T H E H O U S T O N C H R O N I C L E ’ S W E E K LY I N S I D E R ’ S G U I D E

Springing into
Summer films
HERE ARE SOME OF THE MOVIES
YOU’LL BE TALKING ABOUT OVER
THE NEXT FIVE MONTHS. 12-14

WHERE THE FAMILY CAN ENJOY EASTER FUN. | 3

D2 | Preview Houston | April 2-8, 2021 | PreviewHouston.com

CONTENTS

3 7
F A M I LY SHOPPING
A roundup of Easter activities. Thorn & Moon Magickal Market
is back.

4
CONCERTS
9
Live music options around T H E AT E R
Houston for the week. Alley Theatre’s eight-minute
production.

6
ARTS PICKS
10
Houston Symphony’s “A Bach H L A V AT Y
Easter” among the fine-arts Pondering life a year into the
choices. pandemic.

Eliot Lee Hazel

The new album from Tune-Yards is a critical best bet. Page 5

Preview editor Calendar coordinator Preview advertising

Cary Darling, 713-362-6168, Ana Khan, 713-362-1508, Paula Phillips, 713-362-2514,
cary.darling@chron.com ana.khan@chron.com paula.phillips@chron.com

Features editors Features digital manager On the cover

Melissa Aguilar, Julie Takahashi It’s almost time for the
melissa.aguilar@chron.com season of summer films.
Preview designer
Jody Schmal, Illustration
Clarissa Rubio
jody.schmal@chron.com by Ken Ellis / Staff
Gladys Ramirez

HOUSTON SYMPHONY:
A BACH EASTER
Celebrate the season with music
of Bach, including the Concerto
for Oboe and Violin with principal
oboe Jonathan Fischer and
Yoonshin Song, two of Bach’s
great sacred cantatas with
vocalists Yulia Van Doren and
Elizabeth DeShong and the
well-known Suite No. 2.
When: 8 p.m. April 2-3
Where: Jones Hall, 615 Louisiana
Details: $20-$84;
houstonsymphony.org
YOUNG AUDIENCES OF
HOUSTON: HARLEM
RENAISSANCE
PAINTERS
Young Audiences of Houston is
offering interactive workshops at
Levy Park that involve YAH artists
and ensembles, crossing genres
of dance, visual arts, theater,
music and literary arts. This
week’s workshop features Judy
Malone-Stein.
When: 1-2 p.m. April 3
Where: 3801 Eastside
Details: free;
levyparkhouston.org
EASTER AT
DOWNTOWN
AQUARIUM
Downtown Aquarium’s Easter
weekend celebration includes a
“Breakfast with the Easter
Bunny” on Saturday and an
“Easter 4 Course Menu” on
Sunday. Reservations required.
When: April 3-4
Where: 410 Bagby
Details:
aquariumrestaurants.com/
downtownaquariumhouston
THE RINK: CHEAP
SKATE NIGHTS
On select Mondays, skate around
The Rink Rolling at Discovery
Green for $8 per person. Masks
are required to skate.
C E L E B R AT E E A S T E R AT D O W N T O W N A Q U A R I U M .
When: 5-10 p.m. April 5
Where: Discovery Green, 1500
McKinney
Details: $8; discoverygreen.com
FAMILY STORYTIME &
CRAFT
Family Storytime, held under
Levy Park’s pavilion, features a
socially distanced reading
followed by a craft that
accompanies the book. All craft
supplies are included as a part of
this free program.
When: 10 a.m. April 6
Where: 3801 Eastside
Details: free;
levyparkhouston.org
GALVESTON
EASTER BRUNCH AT
MOODY GARDENS
HOTEL
The Easter Brunch at the Moody
PreviewHouston.com | April 2-8, 2021 |
FA M I LY F U N
Gardens Hotel features a buffet
with an omelet and carving
station, a seafood display,
cheese, assorted fruits and
desserts.
When: 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. April 4
Where: 7 Hope Blvd.
Details: $29-$59;
moodygardens.com
KATY
EASTER ON THE
RANCH
Smith Ranch’s celebration
features egg hunts, the Easter
bunny, a petting zoo, paddle
boats, bounce houses and
concessions.
When: 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. April 3
Where: Smith Ranch, 25440
Beckendorff
Details: $10;
smithranchkaty.com/
special-events.html
Landry’s
KEMAH
EASTER WEEKEND AT
KEMAH BOARDWALK
Kemah Boardwalk’s Easter cele-
bration features activities for chil-
dren, Easter bunny photos, balloon
artists, rides and amusements.
When: April 2-4
Where: Kemah Boardwalk, 215
Kipp
Details: kemahboardwalk.com/
featuring/easter-weekend/
index.asp
RICHMOND
EASTER AT GEORGE
RANCH HISTORICAL
PARK
George Ranch Historical Park will
host a family egg hunt, and
guests are also encouraged to
bring a blanket and lunch to
picnic out in the park. Activities
include games and natural egg
Preview Houston | D3
dyeing demos.
When: 10:30 a.m. April 3
Where: George Ranch Historical
Park, 10215 FM 762
Details: $10-$15; georgeranch.org
SUGAR LAND
EVELYN RUBIO
Sugar Land Town Square hosts
an outdoor live set featuring
award-winning
vocalist/saxophonist Evelyn
Rubio.
When: 7:30-9:30 p.m. April 3
Where: 15958 City Walk
Details: Free;
sugarlandtownsquare.com
THE WOODLANDS
THE WOODLANDS
CHILDREN’S MUSEUM:
EGGTIVITIES
Snap a picture with the Easter
bunny and enjoy two days of
Easter-themed arts and crafts at
The Woodlands Children’s
Museum.
When: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. April 2-3
Where: 4775 W. Panther Creek,
No. 280
Details: $7;
woodlandschildrensmuseum.org
WALLIS
EASTER
EGG-STRAVAGANZA
Blessington Farms hosts two
days of Easter egg hunts, along
with access to the Farm Funland
with hayrides, barrel trains, giant
slides and animal encounters.
When: 9 a.m. April 2-3
Where: 510 Chisolm Trail
Details: $15-$20;
blessingtonfarms.com
ana.khan@chron.com
D4 | Preview Houston | April 2-8, 2021 | PreviewHouston.com

RE
VI
RE

VI
E
P

W
•

CONCERTS
•
IC M
S U
U SI
• M • PR
C
EVIEW

While some venues have wel- at McGonigel’s Mucky Duck,

comed live performers back to 2425 Norfolk; 713-528-5999.
their stages, most are still follow-
ing COVID-19 guidelines, includ- WEDNESDAY
ing reduced capacity, social dis-
tancing and masks.
PAT BYRNE
FRIDAY Irish singer-songwriter. 5 p.m.
at McGonigel’s Mucky Duck,
2425 Norfolk; 713-528-5999.
GIO CHAMBA
A unique H-town blend of punk, LUBA’S BACKYARD
electronic, hip-hop and cumbia. RAMBLE
8 p.m. at House of Blues Restau-
A night of freewheeling Amer-
rant, 1204 Caroline; 888-402-
icana. 7 p.m. at The Continen-
5837.
tal Club, 3700 Main; 713-529-
9899.
BRI BAGWELL
Texas country. 8:30 p.m. at the WILLIAM CLARK
Dosey Doe Big Barn, 25911 In- GREEN
terstate 45 N., The Woodlands;
Texas country. 8 p.m. Wed-
281-367-3774.
nesday and 8:30 p.m. Thurs-
day at the Dosey Doe Big
ANCIENT CAT SOCIETY Barn, 25911 Interstate 45 N.,
Houston trio whose sound The Woodlands; 281-367-
branches out from folk to other 3774.
interesting places. 7 p.m. at
McGonigel’s Mucky Duck, 2425 THURSDAY
Norfolk; 713-528-5999.
GIO CHAMBA
BONNIE BISHOP COOPER WADE
Grammy-winning Americana Texas country singer-song-
singer and songwriter from Tex- writer in the vein of George
as. 8:15 p.m. at The Heights Strait and Merle Haggard.
Theater, 339 W. 19th; 214-272- Bhavin Misra
8:30 p.m. at the Dosey Doe
8346. Big Barn, 25911 Interstate 45
N., The Woodlands; 281-367-
CHARLIE AND THE 3774.
REGRETS JO JAMES Interstate 45 N., The Wood- SUNDAY MADAM RADAR
Alt-country band from Houston. Austin singer and songwriter. 7 lands; 281-367-3774.
7 p.m. at The Continental Club, Americana, country and
p.m. at McGonigel’s Mucky
3700 Main St.; 713-529-9899 Duck, 2425 Norfolk; 713-528- HAYDEN BAKER JAKE HOOT blues. 7 p.m. at McGonigel’s
“The Voice” Season 17 winner. 7 Mucky Duck, 2425 Norfolk;
5999. Texas country. 8:45 p.m. at the 713-528-5999.
SATURDAY Dosey Doe Breakfast, BBQ & p.m. at the Dosey Doe Big Barn,
DAVE SCHER Whiskey Bar, 2626 Research 25911 Interstate 45 N., The
Forest, The Woodlands; 832- Woodlands; 281-367-3774. BEETLE IN THE
CTS BAND — QUEEN OF Austin blues. 9:30 p.m. at BACKYARD
McGonigel’s Mucky Duck, 2425 823-4414.
TEJANO TRIBUTE &
LATIN Norfolk; 713-528-5999. TUESDAY Beetle plays on the outdoor
BLAGGARDS stage. 7 p.m. at The Continen-
Selena and other Spanish-lan- tal Club, 3700 Main; 713-529-
guage hits. 8 p.m. at House of VINYL ARCADE Houston-based Irish rock ’n’ roll. SHAKE RUSSELL 9899.
Blues Restaurant, 1204 Caroline; ’70s and ’80s covers. 8:30 p.m. 7 p.m. at The Continental Club,
Texas singer-songwriter. 7 p.m.
888-402-5837. at the Dosey Doe Big Barn, 25911 3700 Main; 713-529-9899. joey.guerra@chron.com
 PreviewHouston.com | April 2-8, 2021 | Preview Houston | D5

1. Tune-Yards, ‘Sketchy’

2.
The title of the latest album
from Tune-Yards, the celebrated
California duo of Merrill Garbus
and Nate Brenner, may be
“Sketchy” but the contents are PREVIEW
anything but. Their fractured,
experimental but totally in- P I C KS
fectious avant-pop — brimming
with a globe’s worth of influ-
ences and hooks aplenty, as in
the R&B sway of “Hypnotized”
— often deals with hot-button
topics (“Homewrecker” is about
gentrification, for instance) but
it never feels like a lecture.
Because you’re too busy digging
the grooves.

Details: Available on streaming

services and record stores.
Cary Darling

2. Oscar Nominated Short

Films
You know it’s getting into Acad-
emy Awards season when the
days start getting longer and
the Oscar-nominated short
subjects get their rare turn on
the big screen. They are divided
into three categories — ani-
mated, live-action and docu-
mentary — with the first two
screening at AMC Willowbrook
24 and all three streaming
through Museum of Fine Arts, Tomer Shushan / ShortsTV
Houston. And they are a varied
lot, ranging from the dramatic
derpinnings. But such is the prob- enjoyed success on both sides
stolen-bike story “White Eye,”
lem with music and labels: An- of the singer and songwriter
(pictured) which has picked up
cient Cat Society’s earthy music equation. She’s had songs

a ton of filmfest honors, to the
comedic “The Letter Room,”
starring Oscar Isaac, and the
documentary “Hunger Ward,”
set in midst of the war in Ye-
men.
When/Where: Opens April 2 at
AMC Willowbrook; streams
April 2 to May 2 through the
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Details: Streaming is $12 for
each category or $30 for a
bundle; mfah.org/virtualcinema.
Cary Darling
3. Ancient Cat Society
Houston’s Ancient Cat Society
could get filed under folk for
convenience and because some
of their songs have folky un-
is also quite restless and progres-
sive, with little moments of soul,
rock, pop and electronic threaded
through. Though the group fea-
tures members of Buxton, Dolly
Barnes and VODI, Ancient Cat
Society emerged with a dis-
tinctive sound of its own and is
anything but a side project.
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: McGonigel’s Mucky Duck,
2425 Norfolk
Details: $120 for a table of four,
$30 for virtual show; 713-529-
5999, mcgonigels.com
Andrew Dansby
4. Bonnie Bishop
Texas native Bonnie Bishop has
4.
covered by Bonnie Raitt, among
others, and also enjoyed suc-
cess on her own, with a fluid
mix of country, soul and folk
music. She likely would’ve
passed back through Houston
regularly last year to plug her
2019 album “The Walk,” but we
all know how 2020 went for
touring musicians. But better
late than never, she’s headed
back to her old stomping
grounds.
Details: 8:15 p.m. Friday
Details: The Heights Theater,
339 W. 19th
Details: $22; theheightsthea-
ter.com
Andrew Dansby Courtesy photo
D6 | Preview Houston | April 2-8, 2021 | PreviewHouston.com
1. ‘Medea’
If Euripides’ hope for “Medea”
was that the play might outlive
him, consider it a success. In-
formed by a mythology teeming
with jealousy and murder, it still
puts the “tragedy” in Greek trag-
edy (it was also Greek, so it puts
that in there, too) nearly 1,600
years later. And after all this
time, the story of Medea and
Jason continues to thrill, with a
psychological and thematic
depth that carries it across cen-
turies and cultures. The Alley
Theatre presents the ageless
play with company member
Elizabeth Bunch in the title role.
When: Through April 11
Details: free, with registration at
alleytheatre.org
Andrew Dansby
2.
Andrew Schaff
Soprano Yulia Van Doren
2. ‘A Bach Easter’
Vocalists Yulia Van Doren and
Elizabeth DeShong will join the
Houston Symphony for two of
J.S. Bach’s cantatas (No. 51 and
No. 170 if you don’t like surprises)
as part of “A Bach Easter,” a
program built around the com-
poser’s work. Also in the bill is
the Concerto in C minor for Oboe
and Violin, which will spotlight
Houston Symphony principal
oboe Jonathan Fischer and con-
certmaster Yoonshin Song.
When: 8 p.m. Friday and Satur-
day
Where: Jones Hall, 615 Louisiana
Details: $29-$84; 713-224-7575,
houstonsymphony.org
Andrew Dansby
ART
P I C KS
3. Carmen Herrera
Just a few weeks remain for a
wonderful dual exhibit by
Carmen Herrera, the storied
Cuban American artist who is
a mere 104 years old. Inside
the Museum of Fine Arts
Houston is “Structuring Sur-
faces,” comprising nearly
three dozen paintings, draw-
ings, prints and other objects
that span the 1960s to pres-
ent. That exhibit closes April
25, just two days after “Car-
men Herrera: Estructuras
Monumentales” — a collec-
tion of large sculptural pieces
— vacates Buffalo Bayou
Park. Her work is bold, bright
and beautiful, befitting the
arrival of spring.
“Structuring Surfaces”
When: Wednesdays through
Sundays through April 25
Where: Museum of Fine Arts
Houston, 1001 Bissonnet
Details: $12-$19; mfah.org
“Estructuras Monumentales”
When: Through April 23
Where: Buffalo Bayou Park
between Allen Parkway and
Memorial
Details: free; buffalobayou.org
Andrew Dansby
4. 43rd annual MFA Thesis
Exhibition
Looking for the next great
5.
Studio Vandrasch Fotografia, Milan / Collezione Ramo, Milan
American artist? The University Details: free, reservations high-
of Houston School of Art 43rd ly recommended;
Masters of Fine Arts Exhibition blafferartmuseum.org/
is a great place to scout. Candi- Amber Elliott
dates from five studio art pro-
5. Symposium on Italian
grams — graphic design, in-
Drawings
terdisciplinary practice and
The Menil Collection is hosting
emerging forms, painting, pho-
a three-day, online symposium,
tography and digital media, and
beginning April 7, on Italian
sculpture — take over the Blaff-
drawings from the 20th century.
er Art Museum each spring.
The series is organized to tie in
Admission is free, though it
with “Silent Revolutions: Italian
requires advance planning.
Drawings From the Twentieth
Make a reservation to guarantee
Century,” which is on exhibit at
access to view what could
The Menil through April 11.
become the next big thing.
When: April 7-9
When: Through April 11
Where: 1533 Sul Ross
Where: Blaffer Art Museum,
4173 Elgin Details: free; menil.org
Cary Darling

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GOTH MARKETPLACE
THORN & MOON TO REOPEN
Before Houston shut down for
the ongoing COVID pandemic, the
most goth place to be was at the
monthly Thorn & Moon Magickal
Market. The stalls full of oddities
and art have been packed away in
the name of safety, until now, as
the market reopens at The Raven
Tower on April 3.
“I’ve waited this long to bring it
back because I had a lot of inhibi-
tions with the pandemic,” says
owner Jessica Anderson, who also
manages an apothecary shop and
the Kitchen Witch Spice Company.
“People have been asking me to do
it since last June. We’ve got this
wonderful community. Hopefully,
an outdoor event will make it saf-
er.”
Previously, the market was held
at Avant Garden, just down the
street from the traditional goth
stronghold of Numbers. Anderson
still loves the venue but feels that
the smaller areas and compart-
mentalized interior remains unsafe
for the event, even as vaccination
rates soar in the state. Her team
will still be requiring masks and
social distancing.
“We didn’t agree with the gover-
nor’s decision to lift the mask
ordinance,” she says. “I can only
hope that people are going to be
responsible.”
Thorn & Moon is the largest
collection of macabre and morbid
vendors in the city, most of whom
have had no in-person place to ply
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CHRISTOPHER RICH, FROM BEAUTIES IN A BOTTLE,
I S R E A DY F O R T H O R N & M O O N T O R E O P E N .
their wares since March of last year.
In addition to the bazaar, the new
Thorn & Moon will also include a
free performance by the Bewitched
Burlesque troupe, specialty witch-
themed cocktails and the Cosmo
Flamingo food truck.
One of the people most looking
forward to getting back into meet-
ing people is Daniel Cesspooch,
owner of Redcale. He specializes
in taxidermy of large insects and
makes startlingly beautiful mosa-
ics from beetles and other bugs.
He’s also a cancer survivor in
remission and has barely left the
house in a year. Cesspooch has
been vaccinated and feels ready to
go out now.
“I’ve been selling online, but it’s
PreviewHouston.com | April 2-8, 2021 |
not the same,” he says. “There’s no
interacting, no education. I’m highly
introverted, but when I’m in my
element, you can’t shut me up. I
love to watch people’s disgust turn
to wonder when they see these
animals. I’ve really missed that. I
hope this can be a regular thing
again. It was my only outlet.”
Another biological artist antici-
pating the return is Lilly Westcott,
owner of Obscure Houston. She
makes jewelry, mostly out of bone
and horn. All of her work is ethically
sourced, usually from friends that
run ranches and animal sanctu-
aries when animals die of natural
causes.
“When you’re the Dead Thing
Lady in your circle, you’d be sur-
Courtesy photo
prised how many calls you get
about corpses,” she says.
Westcott, who is newly preg-
nant, hasn’t been vaccinated yet.
She recognizes that attending the
market, even as the fight against
the coronavirus appears to be
going well, is a risk, however, she
has confidence in Anderson’s
promise of a safe environment.
“With Thorn & Moon, there is
such a strong sense of community.
It’s the only place I’ve gone to since
high school where I can know 50 to
100 people and be friends. It’s a
different head space,” she says. “At
some point the universe tells you to
stop letting opportunities pass you
by, even when you’re being safe.
I’ve missed the forced creativity.
Preview Houston | D7
THORN & MOON
MAGICKAL MARKET
When: 6-11 p.m. April 3
Where: Raven Tower,
310 North St.
Details: magickalmarket.com
You know you’re doing it so some-
one will smile or get excited and
put it on their house. The person-
to-person factor has always driven
my art. If there’s not a person
loving it, what’s even the point?”
Christopher Rich can’t wait to be
back at the market. A retired Type 1
diabetic who lives just outside the
Texas Medical Center, he was part
of the most vulnerable population
when it comes to COVID. He has
been in strict quarantine, but
armed with the vaccine, he’s ready
to meet people again.
Rich runs Beauties in a Bottle, an
assemblage art company that
combines plants with antique dolls
and toys. These include herb gar-
dens made out of doll heads, and
terrariums with succulents and
dollhouse furniture. He sees the
return of the market as the light at
the end of the tunnel.
“I think it’s like saying, ‘Hey, we
made it,’ ” he says. “I lost some
people and so many got sick. I
wasn’t able to go be with them and
be helpful. This is a new fresh
start.”
Jef Rouner is a Houston-based
writer.
D8 | Preview Houston | April 2-8, 2021 | PreviewHouston.com
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TANGO COMPOSER’S LEGACY
LIVES ON IN COMPETITION
In the centenary year of Astor
Piazzolla’s birth — and nearly three
decades since his passing — a new
international online music compe-
tition will celebrate the composer’s
rich legacy and shine light on the
enduring influence of his musical
oeuvre, including such beloved
works as “Libertango” and “Oblivi-
on.”
Open to instrumentalists and
ensembles alike, the inaugural
Piazzolla Music Competition will
provide contestants of any nation-
ality, ages 13 and older, with the
opportunity to vie for their own
musical futures through perfor-
mances of the composer’s work.
The endeavor is presented by
PARMA Recordings and Fundación
Astor Piazzolla in collaboration
with the composer’s widow, Laura
Escalada Piazzolla, grandson
Daniel Villaflor Piazzolla and friend
Gary Burton, a Grammy-winning
musician and the competition’s
honorary president.
To enter, video recordings,
featuring at least six minutes of
music, must be submitted with
the application fee by April 18. All
proceeds will benefit the Playing
for Change Foundation, a global
nonprofit organization, dedicated
to creating a positive impact
through arts education, that cur-
rently operates 15 music programs
in 11 countries.
Qualifying submissions will
proceed to a rigorous adjudication,
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TA N G O C O M P O S E R A S T O R P I A Z Z O L L A
in which a panel of 12 jurors, one of
whom is Houston’s Arthur Gott-
schalk, will use a 30-point system
that takes performance, technique
and interpretation into equal con-
sideration. Headed by the former
pianist of Piazzolla’s legendary
quintet, Pablo Ziegler, the diverse
jury will also include bandoneonists
Héctor Del Curto and Daniel Binelli,
tango singer Sandra Rumolino,
performing arts manager Paolo
Petrocelli and artist consultant
Masae Shiwa, among others.
The batch of finalists — com-
prised of each juror’s three highest-
scoring contestants from the solo-
ist and ensemble categories — will
be announced May 18, and the
winners will be revealed June 15.
“Most young musicians try to
make their mark by putting as
many competitions into their résu-
mé as they can, but this one, I
think, is a little different,” said
Gottschalk, an award-winning
composer and longtime professor
of music composition at Rice Uni-
versity’s Shepherd School of Music.
“It’s not just the usual cash prize
and a couple of press releases.”
Rather, the two grand prizes,
given to the champions of each
category, include a monetary
award, a gold medallion, an album
release on PARMA’s label Navona
Records and a subsequent concert
tour throughout China. The latter,
Gottschalk said, is not only benefi-
cial for a young career in terms of
exposure but also for “building up
some chops.”
AFP via Getty Images
In addition to first, second and
third place, there will also be four
special prizes, for which all finalists
will be eligible. While the winner of
the Pablo Ziegler Award will receive
seven days of virtual coaching
sessions with the Grammy-winning
pianist and composer himself,
three other contestants will be
selected to partake in performanc-
es with the Zagreb Philharmonic
Orchestra, the Grosseto Symphony
Orchestra and the Athens Phil-
harmonia Orchestra, with travel
and lodging expenses covered.
In celebration of Piazzolla’s
100th anniversary, this effort to find
and elevate undiscovered talent is
a fitting way to pay homage to the
man who revolutionized tango, as it
was, in fact, a contest that proved
PIAZZOLLA MUSIC
COMPETITION
When: Submission deadline,
April 18; finalists announced, May
18; winners announced, June 15
Details:
piazzollacompetition.com
to be one of the turning points for
his own artistic career, explained
Daniel Villaflor Piazzolla, vice presi-
dent of Fundación Astor Piazzolla.
As the victor of the 1953 Fabién
Sevitzky competition, Piazzolla
received a scholarship from the
French government to study with
the legendary Nadia Boulanger in
Paris, where he embraced the
opportunity to truly hone his craft.
Infusing traditional tango with
elements of jazz and classical
music, he became the pioneer of a
new genre, known as nuevo tango.
Boulanger encouraged Piazzolla
to concentrate on and advance the
music of his place and time — an
approach that Gottschalk said
resonates with him in his own work.
“I’m a big fan of Piazzolla’s
methods and music, so it doesn’t
bother me that this might result in
more performances and the great-
er dissemination of his work,”
Gottschalk said. “It’s a great way
for a younger generation to be-
come exposed to this great man’s
great music.”
Lawrence Elizabeth Knox is a
Houston-based writer.
 PreviewHouston.com | April 2-8, 2021 | Preview Houston | D9

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ALLEY MINI-PLAY GRAPPLES

WITH EL PASO SHOOTING B Y C H R I S G R AY | CO R R ES P O N D E N T

Isaac Gómez’s “El Chuco Town Forever”

that community, and they’re still grieving.”
is a forthright glimpse at the wake of a
Much of the friction in “Chuco Town”
mass shooting long after the media spot-
comes from the different ways Janie and
light has faded.
Miguel grieve. She is resilient and guarded,
“I hope it’s a reminder that once the
reluctant to let on how much the shooting
news stops, these people still have to go
has affected her, most likely so she won’t
on living,” says director Laura Moreno, “and
be forced to relive it. Miguel, by contrast, is
this kind of grief lasts forever.”
more outwardly emotional (Moreno calls
The eight-minute play, presented digi-
him as a “teddy bear”) and welcomes the
tally by the Alley Theatre between April 2
opportunity to publicly share in his com-
and July 4, considers the aftermath of the
munity’s grief.
August 2019 El Paso Walmart massacre
Their reactions to the tragedy add yet
through the eyes of Miguel and Janie, two
more baggage to a relationship between
employees at a neighboring store. A few
two people who, explains Moreno, “know
months have passed, and they’re debating
each other intimately but aren’t a couple.”
whether or not to attend a memorial ser- O R L A N D O A R R I A G A S TA R S I N “Janie is strong and tough and doesn’t
vice for the victims.
show her emotions; and then you’ve got
“Chuco Town” is an appendix of sorts to
“EL CHUCO TOWN FOREVER.” Miguel, who’s trying so very hard to con-
“Wally World,” Gómez’s 2018 play about
nect with her,” she says. “I think there’s this
employees at a superstore much like the
need or want to also take care of her, but
one where his mother worked for decades Victoria Beauray Sagady
she’s like nails sometimes. Like to hold her
— which happens to be the next Walmart
is to hurt as well.”
over from the site of the shooting. In the “EL CHUCO TOWN FOREVER”
duction, she saw an article in a local El All of this sounds like a lot to squeeze
play, Janie (Briana J. Resa) and Miguel What: A play by Isaac Gómez; directed by
Laura Moreno Paso paper (“it wasn’t national news”) into eight minutes of dialogue and preg-
(Orlando Arriaga) are left to reckon with
When: April 2-July 4 about one of the last survivors being re- nant pauses, doubly so considering Janie
what might have happened had the gun-
Where: Online at alleytheatre.org leased from the hospital, multiple surgeries and Miguel’s past history.
man not taken the wrong exit on the free-
Details: Free later. Although nothing in the play is overtly “It can be a bit of a challenge, but
way. The words “he missed the exit” weigh
political, she explains, the message is clear there’s also this beauty of (showing) a
heavily on both of them.
enough, especially on the heels of last slice of life,” says Moreno. “You don’t have
“It could have been them,” says Moreno,
in the hospital. The suspect, a 21-year-old month’s shootings in Boulder, Colo., and to commit to the hour and a half, you just
who took over as managing director of
man who had driven 11 hours from North Atlanta. get to see these little elements.
Catastrophic Theatre this week. “And for a
Texas, faces a variety of state and federal “I think it’s important to see (how) every “There’s something wonderful about
lot of people in that situation, they didn’t
charges, including capital murder. Due in element within the story shows the after- that — especially in modern life, where
let themselves feel that, or process that.
part to the pandemic, it could be several math of this tragedy: that we, as humans, we’re moving so fast that we don’t have
And for some, they did, and they don’t feel
more months or even years before a trial have to heal and pick up the pieces, and the time or the attention span,” she adds.
lucky. There’s a survivor’s shame and guilt
begins. although the news stops reporting on it, “There’s something really wonderful about
along with that, too.”
Moreno says she was struck by the that doesn’t mean that the tragedy is over eight minutes.”
In all, 23 people were killed that Satur-
lingering effects of the shooting when, and that some will live with this for the rest
day, including one man who died the fol- Chris Gray is a Galveston-based writer.
shortly before “Chuco Town” began pro- of their lives,” she says. “It really did shock
lowing April after more than eight months
D10 | Preview Houston | April 2-8, 2021 | PreviewHouston.com
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A YEAR INTO THE PANDEMIC
I got my Johnson & Johnson
vaccine shot weeks back, a gift
from the city of Houston and my
faithful friend hypertension.
Driving to the vaccination site, I
thought how odd it was that the
past year of stress, sadness and
isolation had led to a short, 10-
minute drive. Toilet paper mania,
the stink of hand sanitizer, mask
etiquette, imperiled businesses
and social-media pseudoscience
all culminated with a dull ache in
my deltoid. I only felt a mild sense
of relief, another square to cover
on my pandemic bingo card.
Nothing fundamentally changed
after posting a picture of my shot
card on Instagram. No balloons,
no songs, just a Band-Aid and a
bottle of water.
Soon I melted like a brick of
Velveeta cheese as the vaccine
made itself at home in my body. I
hadn’t slept so contentedly in
ages — a sublime, nearly narcotic
fatigue taking over. As I drifted
between naps, walking to the
bathroom and the kitchen, dodg-
ing my blind, elderly pup, vivid
vignettes of the past year ran on a
loop in my head. What did I have
to show for the past 365 days?
I don’t think I had ever really met
myself until 2020. I didn’t quite get
around to “me” until the world
slowed to a crawl. I had been hoof-
ing it from one scene to the other,
searching for validation without
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C R A I G H L A V AT Y K E E P S H I S V A C C I N AT I O N C A R D O N H A N D .
taking a beat to rest. Always hunt-
ing for the next story, the next set
of clicks, the next new hassle.
When you can’t go to that
mythical, wonderful social “out,”
you find time for life inside your-
self. I dove into the analog mo-
ments all around me. I became
my dog’s own paparazzo. I made
squirrel calls with my mouth and
took photos of flowers that
caught my eye. I got into comic
books again, diving back into
strange worlds I left behind when
puberty hit. I rediscovered pencils,
in all their metaphorical glory.
H L AVAT Y
After making plans in ink for years,
a pencil with an eraser seems
easier. I didn’t just find my spiritu-
al side again, I created a custom,
meditative model of my own.
Houston photographer Mike
Rathke embraced the outdoors
with his family. His wife and their
daughter began enjoying nature
more than ever inside area parks
and their own backyard. Rathke’s
father took him hiking and bird-
watching as a child. The quality
time showed him how to connect
with nature while respecting it. He
knew just where to go when soci-
Craig Hlavaty / Contributor
ety went sideways.
“Our energy changes immedi-
ately when we step outside, and
all of our stress seems to float
away,” Rathke said. “Our fix was
stepping away from screens and
going to nature to get recentered.
It’s medicinal, man.”
Many friends say they loosened
the death grips they had held on
life for so long and opted for
serenity. Getting off the hamster
wheel was an awakening.
“I am much less career-ori-
ented than I was a year ago,” said
Pearland mother of two Cristina
Bahm, currently waiting on child
number three. “I gained a new
appreciation for being a stay-at-
home mom.”
Her job as a trainer for a major
cosmetics company is now virtu-
al. Once her maternity leave ends,
she will do more in-person clas-
ses, but not like before, that is, if
she can help it.
“I’m finally enjoying the ‘mom’
part of my life. Sadly, work used
to give my kids competition for
my time,” Bahm said. “I realized
what a workaholic I used to be.”
When we do return to a cosplay
version of normal, I hope we don’t
forget the yearnings we experi-
enced in 2020. For me, as re-
strictions ease, there is a real fear
that we won’t learn any lessons
from the past year.
I hope we’ve learned to support
small businesses, the backbone
of our city, when times get tough.
The way that hugs from your
parents and loved ones mean
more as the years pass, realizing
that they are not always in infinite
supply.
I’ve made peace with imper-
manence, appreciating what we
have while we have it and that’s
probably as useful an emotional
tool as any for a Houstonian.
Craig Hlavaty is a Houston-based
writer. He can be reached at
craig.hlavaty@gmail.com
 PreviewHouston.com | April 2-8, 2021 | Preview Houston | D11

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BY CARY DARLING “Sulthan”

STA F F W R I T E R
Here are some of the new films
being released in theaters or for
streaming, rental or purchase
this week.
“Assault on VA-33”
Sean Patrick Flanery (who lived
in Houston for several years)
plays a veteran with post-
traumatic stress who, while at
the VA hospital, finds himself in
the middle of a terrorist take-
over.
Rated R. Opens April 2 at Stu-
dio Movie Grill Pearland; Star
Cinema Grill, Richmond.
“Awaken”
Executive produced by Terrence
Malick and directed by cinema-
tographer Tom Lowe, this im-
mersive, 4K documentary ex-
plores the wonder of the world.
It was shot in 30 countries over
the course of five years.
Unrated. Begins streaming April
2 on Apple TV, Amazon and
other platforms.
“Concrete Cowboy”
Idris Elba plays an urban horse
rider in Philadelphia who has to
school his estranged and trou-
ble-prone son in the cowboy
way.
Rated R. Begins streaming April
2 on Netflix.
“Every Breath You Take”
Thriller, starring Casey Affleck,
Sam Claflin and Michelle Mon-
aghan, about a psychiatrist
who makes the mistake of
introducing the surviving broth-
er of a client who committed
suicide to his wife and daugh-
ter.
Rated R. Opens April 2 at Stu-
dio Movie Grill Pearland; begins
streaming April 2 on various
platforms.
“French Exit”
Drama, featuring Michelle
Pfeiffer and Lucas Hedges, in
I D R I S E L B A , L E F T, S TA R S I N “ C O N C R E T E C O W B O Y. ”
which a fading New York so-
cialite moves with her son to
Paris. Imogen Poots and Tracy
Letts co-star.
Rated R. Opens April 2
throughout Houston.
“The Girl Who Believes in
Miracles”
A just-in-time-for-Easter story
about a girl whose prayers
really come true and the trou-
bles that arise after media
attention turns her into a celeb-
rity.
Rated PG. Opens April 2
throughout Houston.
“Irul”
Mystery-thriller from India
about a stranded couple and a
stranger who find a dead body.
Unrated. Begins streaming April
2 on Netflix.
“Just Say Yes”
Dutch rom-com focusing on
two sisters. One finds her plans
for the perfect wedding unrav-
eling while the other is getting
engaged.
Unrated. Begins streaming
April 2 on Netflix.
“Lamb of God:
The Concert Film”
Easter-themed musical event
featuring the work of com-
poser Rob Gardner.
Unrated. Opens March 26 at
Cinemark 17, The Woodlands.
“Live from the Artists Den:
The Lumineers”
Colorado folk-rockers The
Lumineers, of “Ophelia” and
“Ho Hey” fame, are featured
in a live performance.
Unrated. Screens at 9 p.m.
April 2 at Cinemark Tinsel-
town 290, Houston; Cinemark
Memorial City, Houston; Cine-
mark 18, Webster; Cinemark
19, Katy; Cinemark 17, The
Woodlands; Cut! By Cinemark
Express, Cypress.
“Oscar Nominated Shorts”
The films competing in the
animated, documentary and
Netflix
live-action short-subject cate-
gories are being screened in
advance of the Oscars.
Unrated. Opens April 2 at AMC
Willowbrook 24, Houston;
streams April 2-May 2 at
mfah.org/virtualcinema.
“Roe v. Wade”
Nick Loeb co-directs and co-
stars in this drama, featuring
Jon Voight, Robert Davi, Stacey
Dash, Corbin Bernsen, Jamie
Kennedy, Steve Guttenberg and
Joey Lawrence, about how the
Roe v. Wade Supreme Court
case came to be.
Rated PG-13. Available on
iTunes April 2. For future
screenings, go to roevwademo-
vie.com.
“Shiva Baby”
Emma Seligman’s comedy and
film festival favorite is set at a
Jewish funeral where a young
woman runs into both her ex-
girlfriend and sugar daddy.
Unrated. Begins streaming April
2 on various platforms.
Tamil-language action-drama
from India.
Unrated. Opens April 2 at Cine-
mark Tinseltown 290, Houston;
Star Cinema Grill, Richmond.
“The Unholy”
Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert,
masterminds behind “The Evil
Dead” franchise, co-produced
this horror film about a hear-
ing-impaired girl who believes
she has been visited by the
Virgin Mary and can hear, speak
and heal the sick as a result.
But when horrifying things start
happening, was it really the
Virgin Mary or something else?
Rated PG-13. Opens April 2
throughout Houston.
“Violet Evergarden:
The Movie”
Japanese anime about a girl
living in the aftermath of war. It
won animation of the year at
the Tokyo Anime Awards.
Rated R. Screens at 2 p.m. April
3 and 11:50 a.m. and 2:40 p.m.
April 4 at Alamo Drafthouse
LaCenterra, Katy.
“We Work: Or the Making and
Breaking of a $47 Million
Unicorn”
Documentary looks at the
revelations about the frat-boy
culture behind the scenes at
the company We Work.
Unrated. Begins streaming April
2 on Hulu.
“Wild Dog”
Telugu-language drama from
India about the bombings in
Hyderabad in 2007.
Unrated. Opens April 2 at Cine-
mark 19, Katy.
“Yuvarathnaa”
Kannada and Telugu-language
film from India.
Unrated. Opens April 2 at AMC
First Colony 24, Sugar Land;
AMC Katy Mills 20, Katy.
cary.darling@chron.com
D12 | Preview Houston | April 2-8, 2021 | PreviewHouston.com
COVER
STORY
SUMMER MOVIE MADNESS
These looks ahead at the up-
coming spring/summer film
season always end with the
caution that release dates are
subject to change. It’s wise going
into this summer to start with the
warning. As the pandemic is still
playing havoc with the studios’
best-laid plans — “Black Widow”
just moved (again!) from spring
to July — be aware that every-
thing is still in flux. A good num-
ber of the films that follow were
B Y CA RY DA R L I N G | STA F F W R I T E R
due for release last year on the big
screen and now they may show
up in theaters, on streaming or
both. Things are looking up, sort
of. Some Regal Theatres reopen
this weekend. So here are just
some of the films you should be
talking about this summer. Or
maybe fall. Or winter. Or spring
2022 …
NOW
Godzilla vs. Kong — The title says
ANTHONY RAMOS AND MELISSA BARRERA
it all for this monster face-off
that’s in theaters and on HBO
Max. Director Adam Wingard
made a much smaller film in
2014, “The Guest,” that was
one of that year’s best films.
French Exit — Michelle
Pfeiffer, Lucas Hedges and
Imogen Poots star in a drama,
based on Patrick DeWitt’s
novel, about a downwardly
mobile New York socialite who
moves to Paris with her son.
S TA R I N “ I N T H E H E I G H T S . ”
APRIL 9
Voyagers — East Texas native Tye
Sheridan (“Ready Player One,”
Cyclops in the “X-Men” series)
leads an ensemble cast of young
actors in a sci-fi drama about
teens sent into space to establish
a new society on a distant planet.
It’s directed by Neil Burger (“Lim-
itless”).
APRIL 23
Mortal Kombat — This big-screen
Warner Bros. Picures
take on the videogame promises
lots of martial-arts mayhem, as it
stars Lewis Tan (“Into the Bad-
lands,” “Wu Assassins”) and Joe
Taslim (“The Raid: Redemption”).
APRIL 30
Limbo — This British movie, a film
festival favorite that’s nominated
for two BAFTA Awards, including
outstanding British film of the year,
tells the story of a Syrian musician
stuck on a Scottish island waiting
 PreviewHouston.com | April 2-8, 2021 | Preview Houston | D13

for word of his asylum request. It

stars Amir El-Masry (“The Night
Manager,” “Rosewater,” the TV
series “Industry”).
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
— Animated comedy about a
family that has to take on an army
of rebellious robots. The voice cast
includes Olivia Colman, John Leg-
end, Maya Rudolph, Conan
O’Brien, Chrissy Tiegen, Eric Andre
and Danny McBride.

MAY 7
Wrath of Man — Coming off last
year’s “The Gentlemen,” director
Guy Ritchie returns with an action-
thriller starring Jason Statham as
the mysteriously named H.

MAY 14
Spiral — The universe of the
“Saw” horror franchise expands in
this film featuring Chris Rock,
Samuel L. Jackson and Max Ming-
hella. Director Darren Lynn Bous-
man directed the second, third and Paramount Pictures
fourth iterations of the “Saw” Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in “Top Gun: Maverick.”
films, so he knows the territory.

MAY 21
Army of the Dead — Zack Snyder
just birthed his four-hour version of
“Justice League” (the so-called
“Snyder Cut”) and now he has this
Netflix zombie thriller set in Las
Vegas. This is sort of a homecom-
ing for him, as his breakthrough
feature was the 2004 remake of
George A. Romero’s “Dawn of the
Dead.” Dave Bautista, Omari Hard-
wick (“Power”) and Tig Notaro
star.
Lionsgate Paramount Pictures
The Dry — Eric Bana returns to his
native Australia to play a federal Chris Rock in “Spiral” Emily Blunt in “A Quiet Place Part II”
investigator digging into an un-
featured in a live-action take on film, though this one is a musical story. This one is set in Italy and anticipated sequel with Tom
solved murder in his drought-
the Cruella de Vil character from based on songs from “Hamilton” explores the friendship between a Cruise, Val Kilmer, Ed Harris, Jenni-
stricken Outback hometown.
“101 Dalmatians.” Directing is Craig creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. boy and a sea monster disguised fer Connelly, Miles Teller and Jay
James Frecheville (the original
“Animal Kingdom”) co-stars. Gillespie (“I, Tonya,” “Lars and the as a human. Ellis should finally land in time for
Real Girl”). JUNE 11 Independence Day.
In The Heights — Miranda has JUNE 25
MAY 28
JUNE 4 been busy. He also co-wrote the F9 — The “Fast & Furious” crew JULY 9
A Quiet Place Part II — John
Spirit Untamed — This animated Broadway musical upon which this returns, and it’s an all-star effort. In Black Widow — May this be the
Krasinski’s sequel to his smash hit
DreamWorks film tells the story of film, about a New York City bode- addition to regulars Vin Diesel and real opening date for this Marvel
takes the central family, terrorized
a girl who becomes friends with a ga owner, is based. Anthony Ra- Michelle Rodriguez, we’ve got Cinematic Universe entry starring
at home in the first film by aliens
mustang named Spirit. Walton mos (“A Star Is Born”) stars. Charlize Theron, Cardi B, Helen Scarlett Johansson. Most notable
who hunt by sound, into the out-
side world, where there are other Goggins, Julianne Moore and Jake Mirren and John Cena. is that it’s directed by Australian
Gyllenhaal are part of the voice JUNE 18 Cate Shortland, whose résumé up
dangers.
cast. Luca — On the heels of “Soul,” JULY 2 to now has been filled with smaller
Cruella — Emma Stone, Emma
Vivo — Here’s another animated Pixar returns telling a very different Top Gun: Maverick — The much- films, such as “Somersault, “The
Thompson and Mark Strong are
D14 | Preview Houston | April 2-8, 2021 | PreviewHouston.com
“Luca” explores the friendship between a boy and a sea monster disguised as a human.
Berlin Syndrome” and the gripping
“Lore,” one of the best films of
2012. “Black Widow” will now
release in theaters and on Disney+
simultaneously.
JULY 16
Cinderella — Kay Cannon (“Block-
ers”) takes on the classic story
with a musical update, starring
Camilo Cabello, Billy Porter, Idina
Menzel, Pierce Brosnan, Minnie
Driver and James Corden.
Space Jam: A New Legacy — In
the original, the Looney Tunes
characters recruited Michael Jor-
dan to help them win a basketball
game. Now, they’ve got LeBron
James in a film directed by Mal-
colm D. Lee (“Girls Trip”).
JULY 30
Jungle Cruise — Spanish director
Jaume Collet-Serra (“The Shal-
lows,” “The Commuter”) brings the
Disney theme-park ride, about an
endangered riverboat, to the big
screen in a feature with Dwayne
Johnson, Emily Blunt and Edgar
Ramirez.
AUG. 6
The Suicide Squad — Harley
Quinn (Margot Robbie) revived this
franchise’s fortunes with “Birds of
Prey,” and now she’s back in the
next chapter, directed by James
Pixar Michael Ochs Archives / UMG
“The Velvet Underground” examines the band’s influence.
Mogul Mowgli — Speaking of
Gunn of “Guardians of the Galaxy”
Houston directors, we’re still
fame. The supporting cast is pretty
awaiting the release of the fea-
mighty: Idris Elba, Viola Davis, John
ture debut from Bassam Tariq,
Cena, Taika Waititi, Pete Davidson,
which opened in the UK last fall.
Alice Braga, Michael Rooker, Syl-
Riz Ahmed, fresh off his Oscar-
vester Stallone, Jai Courtney and
nominated role in “Sound of
Joel Kinnaman.
Metal,” plays an up-and-coming
hip-hop star facing a health crisis.
AUG. 13
The Last Letter From Your Lover
Free Guy — Ryan Reynolds plays a
— Dallas-based director Augus-
bank teller who realizes he’s actu-
tine Frizzell, whose debut was the
ally a nonplayer character in a
2018 Texas teen film “Never Goin’
videogame. Shawn Levy (“Night at
Back,” returns with something
the Museum”) directs.
very different. Set in London and
Respect — On the heels of Cyn-
based on the Jojo Moyes novel,
thia Erivo playing Aretha Franklin in
the Netflix drama stars Shailene
the “Genius” TV series comes Marvel Studios Woodley, Felicity Jones and Joe
Jennifer Hudson playing her in this
Scarlett Johansson, left, and Florence Pugh in “Black Widow” Alwyn in a story about a journalist
biopic. Forest Whitaker and Audra
who stumbles across a batch of
McDonald co-star.
curious letters from the 1960s.
from Houston-born director Wes
Jordan Peele collaborated on this The Truffle Hunters — Ac-
AUG. 20 Anderson features a stellar cast
update of the legend from the claimed and award-winning
Bios — Tom Hanks stars in this (Bill Murray, Timothée Chalamet,
1992 horror film of the same name. documentary about the elderly
science-fiction film set on a post- Frances McDormand, Elisabeth
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (“The Trial men of Piedmont, Italy, who
apocalyptic Earth where a robot Moss, Willem Dafoe, Saoirse Ro-
of the Chicago 7,” “Watchmen”) spend their days looking for the
learns about humanity. It’s direct- man, Tilda Swinton, Ed Norton,
and Teyonah Parris star. expensive and rare white Alba
ed by Miguel Sapochnik, who Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Ben-
truffle.
made some of the most memora- icio del Toro, Christoph Waltz, Liev
TBA The Velvet Underground — The
ble “Game of Thrones” episodes, Schreiber) in a story of an Amer-
Berlin Alexanderplatz — This impact of the influential late
including “Hardhome,” “The Long ican newspaper in France during
update of the 1929 novel, which ’60s/early ’70s New York band,
Night” and “Battle of the Bas- the early 20th century.
has previously been made into a which included Lou Reed and
tards.” I Carry You with Me — Documen-
miniseries, updates the story and John Cale, is examined in this
tary filmmaker Heidi Ewing (“Jesus
sets in the world of an African AppleTV+ documentary by Todd
AUG. 27 Camp”) makes her feature debut
immigrant struggling to make a life Haynes (“Carol,” “Dark Waters”).
Candyman — Director Nia DaCos- with a drama about a chef who
in Germany.
ta (“Little Woods”) and producer leaves behind the love of his life to
The French Dispatch — The latest cary.darling@chron.com
pursue a career in New York City.

‘GODZILLA VS. KONG’
IS ULTIMATE GRUDGE MATCH
Director Adam Wingard knows
how to deliver what a movie titled
“Godzilla vs. Kong” should be.
Audiences watch Godzilla movies
because we want to see the big
lizard crush a bunch of buildings,
perhaps while fighting another
creature, not for deep myth-
making or rich character study.
Yet, the past three films in the
MonsterVerse franchise that have
led to this clash of the Titans,
“Godzilla,” “Kong: Skull Island”
and “Godzilla: King of the Mon-
sters,” have been heavy on the
lore and characters, setting the
stage for this matchup. Wingard
knows the appeal of this film is
two beloved movie giants pulver-
izing a city, and he offers that
spectacle dripping in neon and
techno. Break out the glow sticks,
it’s time for the kaiju rave that is
“Godzilla vs. Kong.”
When last we met our fair
Godzilla, the monster had
unexpectedly become humanity’s
savior, fighting off the
triple-headed King Ghidorah.
Which is why Godzilla’s attack on
Apex Cybernetics Pensacola
comes as a rude awakening. Who
ya gonna call? King Kong, living in
a kind of Skull Island “Truman
Show” biodome. The screenplay
by Eric Pearson and Max
Borenstein is both simple and
ridiculous, and most importantly,
it gets Kong off the panopticon of
B Y K AT I E WA L S H | T R I B U N E N E WS S E RV I C E
G O D Z I L L A B AT T L E S K O N G I N
ACT I O N A DV E N T U R E F I L M “ GO DZ I L L A VS. KO N G. ”
the Skull Island simulation and
plants him where he belongs:
walloping Godzilla from the
parapets of a skyscraper.
As befitting the franchise,
entirely too many actors have
been cast to run around the feet of
Godzilla and Kong spouting
vaguely scientific dialogue.
Alexander Skarsgard plays a
scientist, with a special knowledge
of “Hollow Earth,” who is tapped
to lead an expedition there to
bring Kong to the Earth’s core to
find some kind of energy source
PreviewHouston.com | April 2-8, 2021 |
REVIEW
“GODZILLA VS. KONG”
Rated PG-13: for intense se-
quences of creature violence/
destruction and brief language
Running time: 113 minutes
Where: Playing at theaters
throughout Houston and stream-
ing on HBO Max.
H H H (out of 5)
that can be used as a weapon
against Godzilla. Accompanying
them are Kong chaperone Ilene
(Rebecca Hall) and her adopted
daughter, Jia (Kaylee Hottle), an
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indigenous Iwi girl who
communicates with Kong via sign
language. Also along for the ride is
Maya (Eiza Gonzalez), a sleazy
Apex scion, who certainly won’t try
to do anything nefarious with any
mysterious energy source, nope,
not at all.
Meanwhile, a disgruntled Apex
employee-turned-podcaster,
Bernie (Brian Tyree Henry), has
hooked up with teen Godzilla fans
Madison (Millie Bobby Brown) and
Josh (Julian Dennison) to infiltrate
Apex and find out why Godzilla
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attacked. Through a series of
unfortunate and befuddling
events (Skullcrawler egg trans-
port stowaway; Godzilla blasting
a hole into Hollow Earth with
atomic breath), all the Titans and
all the humans end up in Hong
Kong, as Kong and Godzilla wreck
stuff against a vivid urban night-
scape. Kong has the richest and
most tragic backstory and the
more expressive face with which
to empathize, and while the film
seems firmly Team Kong, we’d
never have to choose between
these two titans (the villain is
always capitalism anyway).
What makes “Godzilla vs.
Kong” worth watching is Ben
Seresin’s cinematography.
Though every scene seems to
take place at night, underwater,
on a barge or underground, the
non-CGI moments are lit with
contrasting colors gleaming on
metal and moisture, rendering the
human-scale scenes as visually
interesting as the massive sky-
scraper-crumbling brawl. The
score by Tom Holkenberg, aka
trance DJ/producer Junkie XL,
enhances the futuristic disco-
clash aesthetic.
If it’s vibes (and destruction)
you seek, “Godzilla vs. Kong”
delivers. Now to convince the
powers that be to let Wingard
direct a “Tron” movie, the ultimate
electro-neon vibe-out franchise.
D16 | Preview Houston | April 2-8, 2021 | PreviewHouston.com
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‘GANGS OF LONDON’
IS ACTION AT ITS BRUTAL BEST
There’s a moment near the end
of the debut episode of “Gangs of
London,” the hyper-violent,
sprawling crime saga co-produced
by Gareth Evans, who made two
of the greatest action movies of all
time with “The Raid: Redemption”
and “The Raid 2,” when things go
from merely disturbed to frothing-
dog insane in a heartbeat.
Elliot Finch (Sope Dirisu), a
low-level London hood with a
secret, wants to make an impres-
sion on Sean Wallace (Joe Cole,
“Peaky Blinders”), the scion of
Britain’s premier crime family,
who’s in a rage over who had the
guts to gun down his drug-lord
father, Finn (Colm Meaney), out-
side some dingy flat. Elliot has
figured out there are a few guys
down at a nearby pub who might
have some answers — though
they might take a little bare-
knuckle persuasion.
From the moment he pushes
through the doors, that’s when
“Gangs of London” — already
available on premium AMC+ and
debuting on regular AMC April 4 —
goes completely off, as these last
few minutes rank as one of the
best action scenes staged for
television. It’s pure Evans, who
directed the first two episodes, at
his most punishingly persuasive: a
ballet of fists, feet and heads on
hard wood that will even have
casual viewers checking them-
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B Y CA RY DA R L I N G | STA F F W R I T E R
L E E C H A R L E S , L E F T, A N D S O P E D I R I S U G O
T O E -T O -T O E I N “ G A N G S O F L O N D O N . ”
selves for cuts and contusions. In
other words, if you thought “No-
body” was off the rails, “Gangs of
London” is over the embankment
and down in the river. (Let’s not
even mention the totally bananas
faceoff Elliot has in episode two
involving a half-naked guy and a
cleaver.)
“Gangs of London,” has an
uneasy path to walk, but it’s most-
ly successful at navigating it. On
the one hand, it’s an absorbing
drama about a wealthy, viciously
unethical family on the cusp of
generational change, as Finn’s
death leaves a power vacuum.
Think “The Godfather” or “Suc-
REVIEW
“GANGS OF LONDON”
When: 9 p.m. Sunday
Network: AMC
Rated: TV-MA
H H H H (out of 5)
cession.” Now, combine that with
enough lethal firepower and mar-
tial-arts mano a mano to give
Jason Statham pause, and you’ve
got “Gangs of London.”
And just as it can be wantonly
brutal, it can also be tortuously
suspenseful, as in the opening 15
minutes, in which Wallace, on the
hunt for his dad’s killer, is hanging
some poor soul from a rooftop. It’s
AMC
an agonizing way to kick off the
series and a chilling counterpoint
to the frenetic action at the epi-
sode’s end.
But even the moments not
based on someone getting thrash-
ed, or about to get thrashed, are
fascinating for the picture of con-
temporary London they paint. See,
the Wallaces are a blended family
in the most obvious way possible.
Finn, an Irish immigrant, and Ca-
ribbean immigrant Ed Dumani
(Lucian Msamati), from groups
looked down upon by upper-class
Brits, decided to team up to build
a criminal empire that would have
all of London at their feet.
A generation later, they are a
success, with sons Sean and
Alexander (Paapa Essiedu, “I May
Destroy You”), who were pretty
much raised as brothers, ready to
take over when the time comes.
As with such other recent British
series as Steve McQueen’s “Small
Axe” and Michaela Coel’s “I May
Destroy You,” “Gangs of London”
is set in an England that has little
to do with any lingering “Downton
Abbey” stereotypes. This is a
different, multicultural Britain —
with its mix of Albanians, Turkish
Kurds, South Asians, Nigerians
and Irish Travelers — and it’s
loose-limbed, loud and alive.
Sure, the electric tension that
courses through the best of
“Gangs of London” doesn’t main-
tain itself through the entire nine-
episode run. And, no doubt, some
viewers who come for the solid
ensemble acting in a gripping
backstabbing family drama may
be put off by the actual stabbing
and vice versa.
“Gangs of London” was a raging
success in the UK, and a second
season has been ordered. Sadly,
Evans won’t be directing any of
the new season’s episodes, so
who knows how it will compare.
But, for now, Americans should
just tune in, hang on and hold
tight.
cary.darling@chron.com
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MICHELLE PFEIFFER GIVES

‘FRENCH EXIT’ A LIFT
B Y M I C K L ASA L L E | STA F F W R I T E R

“French Exit” is worth seeing

but frustrating. It’s worth seeing
because it gives a juicy role to
Michelle Pfeiffer, who is, as she is
often, something to marvel at. Yet
it’s frustrating because, as a
whole, “French Exit” is not nearly
as good as its central perfor-
mance.
Pfeiffer plays a widowed Man-
hattan socialite who, in the first
minutes of the movie, finds out
that she has run out of money. Her
accountant, who has been warn-
ing her of this for years, asks her
why she never listened to him. M I C H E L L E P F E I F F E R A N D L U C A S H E D G E S S TA R I N “ F R E N C H E X I T. ”
What was her plan? Her plan, she
tells him, was to die before the
money ran out.
Pfeiffer’s response, the way Sony Pictures Classics
tells him that she’d hoped not to
outlive her money, is the first of “FRENCH EXIT” friend, played by Susan Coyne — have been necessary because the going to see “Hamlet” and getting
many line readings to savor. In this Rated R: for language and sexual gives Frances and her grown son reader is privy to the thoughts of 20 minutes on Osric. It’s cute, it’s
moment, she’s sad, embarrassed, references (Lucas Hedges) an apartment in the characters. But here, we keep fine, and it’s who cares?
Running time: 110 minutes
amused, confiding, horrified — it’s Paris to use indefinitely. So by waiting for the story to move Maybe the fault is with Pfeiffer.
Where: Opens April 2 throughout
many emotions at once, and it’s normal human standards, things forward. Maybe director Azazel Jacobs
Houston
indicative of what Pfeiffer consis- H H H (out of 5) don’t look so bad, but the enig- It never does. Instead, it moves couldn’t rein in his lead actress.
tently does over the course of the matic Frances says that she plans laterally. There’s a psychic. There’s Maybe “French Exit” was sup-
movie. Pfeiffer plays a woman to kill herself when the money a cat that might contain the spirit posed to be a light, supernatural
who is mannered and self-protec- way to the end of the movie. If you runs out. And she must be anxious of Frances’ dead husband. There’s comedy and Pfeiffer destabilized
tive. She has a volcano inside her, do that, you will get everything to kill herself, because she keeps a diffident, hard-drinking widow the whole enterprise by acting as
but she is never going to show it. there is to get from the film, with- giving money away — 100 euro (Valerie Mahaffey) who wants to if in a tragedy.
But every few minutes, something out minding much that the story is tips on a cup of espresso, etc. be friends with Frances. And there All of that is entirely possible,
bubbles up and breaks through. something of a dead end. Written by Patrick deWitt and are difficulties in the son’s on- but it doesn’t change the fact that
That’s one way to watch and In any case, through sales of her based on his novel of the same again, off-again romance with his Pfeiffer is the best thing about
enjoy “French Exit.” These Pfeiffer artwork and other possessions, name, “French Exit” needed an fiancée (Imogen Poots). The “French Exit” and the only reason
moments are like ice floes that Frances (Pfeiffer) is able to get extra turn, some other element, audience wants to know about to see it.
you can step on, from one to the some money to live on, and a perhaps what’s called “a third Frances, and instead, it gets the
next, and ultimately make your friend — an amazingly generous act.” In a novel, this might not zany cast of characters. It’s like mlasalle@sfchronicle.com
D18 | Preview Houston | April 2-8, 2021 | PreviewHouston.com

WORD SLEUTH JUMBLE DAILY CROSSWORD

Find the listed words in the diagram. They run in all directions — forward,
backward, up, down and diagonally. ©2021 King Features Syndicate Inc.
ACROSS 53 Sigma follower 24 Formal agreement
1 Honshu drama 54 Shorebirds related 25 Four Corners state
Thursday’s unlisted THINGS CANADIAN 4 Words before a to stilts 28 Roget entry: Abbr.
clue: M. MANTLE. recap 55 Crux
Friday’s unlisted clue
29 Dress, with “up”
11 Audi rival 57 Cards 30 Le Monde article
hint: FURRY DAM
14 Boise-to-Billings 59 Up on the latest 31 Auto additive with
BUILDER.
dir. 60 Sax type a red oval logo
Caribou 15 “Raging Bull” 61 “And look ahead.” 37 Seaweed product
Flannel boxer 64 Force featured on 38 Quite often
Football 16 Infamous Vietnam “Bosch,” for short
42 Supermarket
Hockey War site, My __ 65 “So close!”
17 “Take my advice: 66 Oodles chain with a red
Lakes
Lumberjack no use crying over 67 They often take oval logo
Maple syrup spilled milk ... ” turns 43 Overhauls
Moose 20 Compact part 44 Put away
Outdoors 21 Greet warmly DOWN 45 Titania’s Husband
Parliament 22 Spumante source 1 __ Own Organics 46 Serving as a
Politeness 23 PC core 2 Where “The Man symbol
Poutine 26 Spot to get a bite With the Hoe” 47 Fin. neighbor
Provinces
on the street carried the world, 48 Loyalty
Rubaboo
27 Rockets’ org. in an Edwin 49 Start
Skiing
28 Low cloud Markham poem 50 “Human beings
32 Two-__: half-price 3 Great sadness ... may hide
opportunity 4 Plus their feelings,
SUDOKU CRYPTOQUIP 33 Pouch 5 Iraq’s __ City but __ does not”:
Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains
34 With 36-Across, 6 Brief “I think” Hemingway
the numbers 1 to 9. ©2021 King Features Syndicate, Inc.
The Cryptoquip is a substitution cipher in which one letter
stands for another. If you think that X equals O, it will equal
“There’s no going 7 Oceanus, to Gaia 51 Fjords, e.g.
O throughout the puzzle. Single letters, short words and back ... ” 8 Snacked
52 Teach privately
words using an apostrophe give you clues to locating vowels. 35 Ship letters 9 “How sweet __!”
Solution is by trial and error.
36 See 34-Across 10 Sprint 53 Foolish sort
©2021 King Features Syndicate, Inc. 39 Brewery vessel 11 Lose it 56 Superskinny
40 Celestial feline 12 Public policy 58 Battle of
41 Snoots put them declaration Normandy town
on 13 Cookout fare 60 Claim
45 Other, in Oaxaca 18 One less than tetra- 62 Actor McKellen
48 “Put everything 19 OB or ENT 63 Andean root
behind you ... ” 23 Rock’s Mötley __ vegetable

party, that’s a mirth-shattering occasion.

©2021 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc. ANSWER: If a spoilsport comes along and ruins a really fun

YESTERDAY’S ANSWERS ATHLETES WITH SAME FIRST

AND LAST INITIAL

By Jeffrey Wechsler ©2021 Tribune Content Agency 4/2/21


What
to watch
FRIDAY
April 2, 2021
All times Central. Start times can vary based
on cable/satellite provider. Confirm times on
your on-screen guide.
Concrete Cowboy
Netflix  Original Film
In this Western drama that made its premiere
at the Toronto International Film Festival last
year and is based on Greg Neri’s novel Ghetto
Cowboy, 15-year-old Cole (Caleb McLaughlin)
moves from Detroit to North Philadelphia to
live with his estranged father. Upon arriving,
Cole discovers the world of urban horseback
riding.
The Serpent
Netflix  New Series
Inspired by shocking real events, this crime
drama reveals the story of serial con man
Charles Sobhraj (Tahar Rahim) — who
murdered young tourists traveling along the
“hippie trail” of South Asia in the mid 1970s —
and the remarkable attempts to bring him to
justice.
The Barbarian
and the Troll
Nickelodeon, 6:30 p.m.  New Series
In this new live-action puppet comedy series,
a bridge troll named Evan, who is looking
for adventure, and Brendar, a fierce female
CATCH A CLASSIC
Ben-Hur
TCM, 7 p.m.
Turner Classic Movies’ “31 Days of Oscar:
Oscars From A to Z” event hits the letter “B”
today, and that lineup of “B” titles includes
this iconic, 3 1/2-hour-long 1959 religious epic
that is anything but a B-movie. An unheard-of
11 Oscar wins out of 12 nominations, including
Best Picture, went to the film, which is an
adaptation of the Lew Wallace story set in
Palestine during the time of Christ. Best Actor
‘Concrete Cowboy’
warrior, team up to vanquish the evil demon
holding Brendar’s brother captive.
MacGyver
CBS, 7 p.m.
Mac (Lucas Till) and members of his team go
undercover during a royal Indian wedding to
protect a princess whose policies could put her
life in danger in the new episode “Royalty +
Marriage + Vivaah Sanskar + Zinc + Henna.”
My Lottery
Dream Home International
HGTV, 7 p.m.  New Series
This spinoff of My Lottery Dream Home
features lauded British interior designer
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen as he helps lucky
winners newly flush with cash search for
properties that reflect their wealthier status.
Oscar winner Charlton Heston stars as Judah
Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince who is sent to the
galleys after being falsely accused of trying
to murder a Roman governor. His road to
vengeance against Roman nobleman Messala
(Stephen Boyd), the childhood friend who
betrayed him, leads Ben-Hur to compete in
a dangerous chariot race, depicted in one of
cinema’s most legendary and thunderously
breathtaking action sequences. Best Director
Oscar winner William Wyler masterfully
gripped the reins while filming that scene and
everything else in this movie that epitomizes
old-school Hollywood filmmaking on the
grandest scale. — Jeff Pfeiffer
PreviewHouston.com | April 2-8, 2021 |
NETFLIX
The series, which covers dream-home searches
in the United Kingdom and other countries in
Europe, will satisfy die-hard real estate voyeurs
who are curious about life abroad, and it will
showcase every type of home from charming
cottages to posh estates worthy of royalty.
The Blacklist
NBC, 7 p.m.
In “Rakitin,” The task force’s determination to
identify a Russian asset in the U.S. government
puts Cooper (Harry Lennix) and Red (James
Spader) in increasingly treacherous positions.
Magnum P.I.
CBS, 8 p.m.
When a Marine veteran’s SUV is stolen with her
service dog inside, Magnum (Jay Hernandez)
and Higgins (Perdita Weeks) must track down
the thief in the new episode “Dark Harvest.”
EVERETT COLLECTION
Preview Houston | D19
ACES ON BRIDGE
By Bobby Wolff
In today’s deal, declarer made
use of a subtle extra chance to
bring home a delicate slam.
As a rebid of three clubs over
two spades would be a second
negative, North’s two no-trump
promised some values. When
North raised three spades to
four, South took a shot at slam
and bought an apparently use-
less dummy on the lead of the
diamond queen.
Cover up the East and West
cards to see if you can find your
best chance here. If West held
the trump king, the spade eight
might represent an entry to
dummy, so after winning his
diamond ace, declarer cashed
the club ace and was about
to lead a low trump toward
dummy before reassessing the
position.
Would leading the trump queen able to follow low smoothly, de-
be better? This would succeed clarer would have faced a guess
as to whether to overtake. But
against a singleton trump king
or 2-2 trumps. So far so good when West played the six, it let
... declarer was about to lead South overtake with dummy’s
the spade queen when he went eight.
the extra mile for a better plan. If East withheld the spade king,
Suddenly, he had a flash of
inspiration and led the spade
declarer would be in dummy,
so East won and returned a
heart. Declarer rose with the
seven instead of the queen.
The logic here is that this card ace, crossed to dummy with the
spade five and took his discard
would succeed whenever the
queen would, but it would
on the master club.
also bring home the contract
if West held a singleton six in
the trump suit. Had West been
LEAD WITH THE ACES ANSWER: One would normally
give preference with this shape,
but this hand is so weak that,
especially facing partner’s
likely club shortness, it is highly
unlikely you have a game. It is
better to pass, preventing part-
ner from pushing the bidding
higher. With the same hand and
the heart king instead of the
three, you would surely give
false preference to two spades
here.
©2021 Dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication for UFS
LOOKING BACK BIRTHDAYS
1982: several thousand Today’s Birthdays: Actor
troops from Argentina Sharon Acker is 86. Actor
seized the disputed Dame Penelope Keith
Falkland Islands, located is 81. Actor Linda Hunt
in the south Atlantic, from is 76. Singer Emmylou
Britain. (Britain seized the Harris is 74. Actor Roselyn
islands back the following Sanchez is 48. Actor
June.) Michael Fassbender is 44.
1986: four American Actor Jaime Ray Newman
passengers, including is 43. Rock musician Jesse
an 8-month-old girl, her Carmichael (Maroon 5)
mother and grandmother, is 42. Actor Bethany Joy
were killed when a terrorist Lenz is 40. Actor Drew Van
bomb exploded aboard a Acker is 35. Actor Briga
TWA jetliner en route from Heelan (TV: “Great News”)
Rome to Athens, Greece. is 34.
D20 | Preview Houston | April 2-8, 2021 | PreviewHouston.com
DEAR ABBY
Dear Abby:
At the age of 30, I re-
cently had to move back
with my parents. I am not
the tidiest person in the
world, but I thrive on the
saying, “Dust, not dirt.” ABBY
I recently went on vaca-
tion. I knew my room was
a little messier than I’d like, but I
also knew I’d return from vacation
ready to tackle the pile of laundry
and sweep and mop the floor. Lo
and behold, when I walked into my
room, it was clean and organized!
Abby, I felt my privacy had been
invaded.
I was embarrassed and ashamed,
but also hurt because my parents
had trespassed beyond my closed
door.
I feel betrayed and like my person-
al privacy was undermined. What
should I do?
— Invaded Space
Dear Invaded:
I’m glad you asked. I think you
should get over it, and fast. I assume
you are staying rent-free in your
parents’ home.
You are no longer a teenager, and
nobody trespassed. While you are
under their roof, make an extra
effort to keep the room you occupy
free from dust and a pile of dirty
laundry. If you act like a gracious
HINTS FROM HELOISE
Dear Heloise:
We have discovered a great
use for last year’s Christmas
tree. We placed it outside,
as close as possible to the
birdfeeder. The birds used it
as shelter between feedings.
HELOISE
It also served as a prop for
suet cake holders, which the
birds love.
Of course, here in New England we
make sure the birdfeeders are down
no later than March 31 so as to be gone
before the black bears come out of hiber-
nation.
Bears love the seeds almost as much as
the birds.
— Paul S., Middlebury, CT
guest instead of a spoiled child,
there will be no reason to feel em-
barrassed or ashamed.
Dear Abby:
I’m married and the mother of
two kids, ages 5 and 7. My husband
is a very involved father and partner
in our marriage. My complaint is
that he’s too trusting of other people
and doesn’t keep an eye on the kids
in public places.
He’ll take them to the grocery
store and let them hang out in the
toy department while he’s getting
groceries.
They will be 100 yards away from
each other.
I have told him several times that
I’m not comfortable with this, yet he
continues to do it. I’m not sure what
to do about it anymore. Have you
any suggestions?
— Nervous in Nebraska
Dear Nervous:
Yes. Because your husband can’t
be trusted to watch the children
when they accompany him shop-
ping, talk to the kids and impress
upon them the importance of stay-
ing close to their father. However,
if this doesn’t work, then YOU will
have to take over the errands until
the children are older.
www.DearAbby.com
Andrews McMeel Syndication
Dear Heloise:
In this icy weather, a lot of people are
unhappy about letting their faucet drip
all night long. It’s an increase in their
water bill and in many ways, a waste
of good, clean water. I always place a
large pitch under the faucet to catch the
water, then use it to make my morning
coffee or water my plants, etc. This way
I use it rather than waste it.
— Marcia M., Delaware, Ohio
Marcia, what a terrific way to conserve
water! Water is such a valuable resource
that we must all take care to use it wisely
and you have. This was a very good hint.
— Heloise
Heloise@heloise.com
King Features Syndicate
ARGYLE SWEATER
ROYAL STARS
Your Horoscope for Friday, April 2
ARIES (March 21-April 19) HHHH
Take advantage of a few hours when you
have no obligations. Search online for
an out-of-print or rare book you have
wanted to purchase.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) HHH
Your emotions may be on overdrive.
Feeling joyful will infect everyone
around you. Don’t give in to irrational
fears.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) HHHH You
may have second thoughts about a com-
mitment you made too hastily. Take time
to negotiate the terms and conditions.
CANCER ( June 21-July 22) HHHH
Give your pet special attention. Find a
home for a stray at an animal shelter.
Teamwork saves you from a monotonous
job.
LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22) HHH Lay the
groundwork for fulfilling an artistic vi-
sion. A mentor can steer you in the right
direction.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) HHHH Ex-
plore real estate for fun. Visit interesting
neighborhoods or places you might want
to live. Make your workspace at home
practical and comfortable.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) HHH Brush
up on time-management skills. You may
have to rely on them if overloaded with
too many projects. Set limits for yourself
and stay true to them.
HOCUS FOCUS
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) HHHH
Make healthy lifestyle choices a family
affair. Join a gym or take power walks
together. Purchase weights so you can
work out at home.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) HHH
Use your charisma to get your foot in
the door. Take the lead even though you
don’t always like being in charge.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) HHHH
Carve out a space for alone time. Just say
“no” to parties and social events. Friends
will understand. Use your imagination.
AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18) HHH
Get together with friends who make you
laugh. Keep the conversation light. A
serious talk is for another time.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) HHHHH
Share ideas with people you respect but
whose views are different from yours.
Incorporate those concepts into your
work and think outside the box. Reward
yourself for your efforts.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY (April 2) Funny,
sharp and vigorous, pursue your dreams
no matter how far-reaching they seem.
This year, you initiate changes you never
thought possible. Keep your day job but
use your spare time to fulfill physical and
creative challenges. Be mindful of financ-
es since your extracurricular activities
may run over budget. If single, you will
attract someone who thinks like you. If
attached, don’t hide anything from your
partner. GEMINI humors you.
King Features Syndicate
 PreviewHouston.com | April 2-8, 2021 | Preview Houston | D21

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM BEETLE BAILEY

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE CURTIS

BREWSTER ROCKIT: SPACE GUY! B.C.

GARFIELD REX MORGAN, M.D.

SHERMAN’S LAGOON PHANTOM

D22 | Preview Houston | April 2-8, 2021 | PreviewHouston.com

FAMILY CIRCUS ZIGGY ZITS

WALLACE THE BRAVE

MUTTS

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE

RHYMES WITH ORANGE

DILBERT

F MINUS

BABY BLUES
PEANUTS
 PreviewHouston.com | April 2-8, 2021 | Preview Houston | D23

BIZARRO BLONDIE

HEART OF THE CITY CRANKSHAFT

HI & LOIS FUNKY WINKERBEAN

BALDO LUANN

SALLY FORTH RED & ROVER

D24 | Preview Houston | April 2-8, 2021 | PreviewHouston.com