Issuu

Dr. Rex Marco’s Unexpected Life

School Buzz: 2020-21 by Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld

The Jaunty Jalopy Golf Pilgrimage to Ireland It Started at Texas-OU

Caitlyn McConnell

Cindy Gabriel: Get Me Rewrite A Record-Breaking Fish Tale Guys Cooking in Quarantine

Houston, TX

Chef’s Corner: Beatriz Martines

Permit No. 2047 PAID US Postage PRSRT STD

Love in the Time of Covid

EDITOR’S NOTE We’ve been asking residents to share their stories for almost 20 years. There are times when their openness and courage amaze us. Such is the case with Dr. Rex Marco, a spine surgeon learning to live and work with quadriplegia after his mountain-biking accident in Memorial Park last year. His powerful story, told by Cathy Gordon, is a must-read. Also, this month, the always-lively Cindy Gabriel flashes us back a few decades to Houston’s Front Page era of investigative journalists and criminal-courthouse characters. Speaking of journalists, check out our talented 2020-21 School Buzz team of correspondents, who cover more than 25 area high schools. And we all love stories about friendship – how fun it is to read Andria Frankfort’s story about 13 guys who bonded in college over football, leading to an active 40-year friendship. Through the good and rough times, this dynamic group shows up for each other. Goals. joni@thebuzzmagazines.com

THE BUZZ MAGAZINES BELLAIRE • WEST UNIVERSITY • MEMORIAL • TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS Published by Hoffman Marketing & Media, LLC 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401 info@thebuzzmagazines.com • p: 713.668.4157 • f: 713.665.2940 Follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter thebuzzmagazines.com Editor Publisher Associate Editors Editorial Assistant Design Manager Staff Writers

Contributing Writer Account Managers

Joni Hoffman Michael Hoffman Cheryl Laird Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld Jenna Mazzoccoli John Duboise Tracy L. Barnett Deborah Lynn Blumberg Sharon Albert Brier Cindy Burnett Andria Frankfort Angie Frederickson Todd Freed Cindy Gabriel Cathy Gordon Michelle Groogan Dai Huynh Annie Blaylock McQueen Jennifer Oakley Pooja Salhotra Cheryl Ursin Russell Weil Erin Faulkner Andrea Blitzer, Leslie Little Jo Rogers

On our cover: Caitlyn McConnell, a junior at Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart, is an editor in our School Buzz program. Cover photo by Nikky LaWell, lawellphoto.com The Buzz Magazines has made all reasonable attempts to verify the accuracy of all information contained within. Advertising claims are solely the responsibility of the advertiser. Copyright © 2020 Hoffman Marketing & Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any portion of this magazine by any means without written permission is strictly prohibited. Printed on recycled paper. Please remember to recycle.

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MAILBAG

Your letters, thoughts, opinions Virtual living room Today the first thing my internist said to me: “I just read a great story about your Mom’s book” [And That’s Margie: Tales of love, loss and laughter by Cathy Gordon, September 2020]. It seems every day someone I know says they loved Cathy’s story on Margie. I am hearing from long lost friends, new friends and now my doctor. The Buzz is a true community connector – never more needed than now. When we can’t see one another, we can read about one another in Houston’s virtual living room: The Buzz. Thank you again for a great experience that keeps on giving. Toby Gilbert

Remembering the space landing I read your article about the lunar landing [When We Went to the Moon: Memories from 50 years ago, by Pooja Salhotra, July 2019] and swooned. My family and I are huge fans of NASA and the space program. My grandfather (mom’s dad) worked for NASA in the ’60s, and it was definitely a very exciting time. You captured it perfectly with the interviews! My grandfather helped design and build the first moon buggy, and he made the iconic flagpole that went to the moon. (My mom says that that is her family’s claim to fame. My grandfather’s signature is carved into the pole!) We are cleaning out my grandmother’s house now and finding all sorts of incredible memorabilia from NASA that was given to my grandfather. I just had a few things framed and need to find ways to display the rest to honor the work and legacy of my grandfather. It’s a labor of love for me this summer. Reading your article just brought back happy memories of my family’s dinner table conversations and so much more. I just had to thank you for the wonderful article! I shared it with my family via email since they are all over Texas now. It really warmed my heart. Kim McHugh Editor’s note: Thanks for sharing, Kim. This article ran in July 2019 in print and was re-promoted online on the anniversary of the lunar landing. See it at thebuzzmagazines.com.

Importance of diversity I enjoy your magazine; however, I would like to point out that the Bellaire edition does not represent the cultural diversity located within this great city. My neighborhood consists of families of many ethnic backgrounds and includes people of color, LGBTQ and many different nationalities; however, your cover always represents "white" families. In this time of cultural awakening, I feel it is time your publication properly represents the people of the city for which it is targeted. I encourage you to consider broadening the focus of your magazine that represents the diverse population that is present in Bellaire. Phillip Bowden Editor’s note: Phillip, thank you for your feedback. We agree it's highly imporMEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 6

tant to be inclusive, and we aim to feature neighborhood residents from diverse backgrounds throughout our four magazines (Bellaire, West University, Memorial and Tanglewood/River Oaks). We encourage our readers to reach out with story ideas spotlighting neighbors we haven't yet met.

Love for recipes Thank you [for including her recipe in Quarantine Bonus: Discovering recipes we'll keep, by Andria Frankfort, September 2020] – that’s so fun! Also, thank goodness for you all posting recipes online because I’m at our place in Aspen, and I really wanted to make the tortilla soup in The Junior League’s Stop and Smell the Rosemary (since it might snow today?!), but I don’t have that cookbook here, and sure enough, you all had posted it online a few years ago and saved me! It’s in my slow cooker as we “speak” – thank you for that service to our community! Tiffany Smith Editor’s note: Thank you, Tiffany, for sharing your “Trader Tiff’s Paleo Plus Almond Meal Muffins” – a homemade version of Trader Joe’s Almond Meal Muffins – with us. Find this recipe, plus years of past recipes, at thebuzzmagazines.com/recipes, which includes a Recipe Finder so readers can search by ingredient, recipe type, etc. Send letters to info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Please include your name, address, phone number and email address for verification purposes. Letters are subject to editing for clarity and space. Views expressed in letters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Buzz Magazines, and The Buzz takes no responsibility for the content and opinions expressed in them.

What’s your story? We are looking for residents for upcoming articles who: • Have creative ideas on how to celebrate the holidays in this “new normal.” • Have an inspirational story relating to neighbors. • Know a Buzzworthy neighbor to profile. • Have an interesting hobby. • Play a musical instrument and would like to be part of our “Name That Tune” video series online. If this sounds like you or someone you know, please contact us at info@thebuzzmagazines.com or 713.668.4157, ext 12.

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NEIGHBORS by Andria Frankfort, staff writer

It Started at Texas-OU Still friends after 40 years

exas-OU weekend – the annual football showdown between the UT Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners held in Dallas – is more than football and the State Fair. For a group of 13 fraternity brothers from The University of Texas at Austin, it was the start of a 40-year friendship more meaningful than any of them could have predicted. Stephen Berkman, Alfie Meyerson, Eric Blumrosen, Barry Zietz, Ralph Robinson, Michael Rubenstein, Richard Seline, Billy Freed, Jeff Genecov, Alan Luskey, Robert Glass, Brad Hacker and Lenny Davis joined ZBT as members of the same pledge class. Some knew each other; others met as pledges. It was 1976. “Texas-OU weekend in Dallas is crazy, and back in the late ’70s it was hard to get restaurant reservations,” Billy says. So starting his sophomore year, his parents Doris and Sol Freed hosted a catered, seated dinner at their home in north Dallas for the boys, who were already dressed up to go to a party afterward. The next year, they did the same thing. And the next. They would be hosting again this year, probably using the same caterer, had the pandemic not interfered. “The same crew has gone continuously for 40 years. This is the first year ever that there’s a question of who or what or how,” Billy says. “It’s evolved over time,” he says. Only “when the next generation started to show up” did everyone ditch their cocktail clothes and dress casually. The party “was a major focal point of our social gatherings even when we got out of school,” Ralph says. “It was one of our main reunion times, and it was annual. Everybody stopped what they were doing to make sure they got there.” Polly Robinson, Ralph’s wife, says, “The role Doris and Sol played in making sure the guys stuck together, it’s key to this group. Every year, while they were growing up and getting married and having babies, no matter what, there was that party.” Through the years, the friends have continued going to visit Doris and Sol. “We correspond regularly, and she always gets pictures of my children and grandchildren,” Polly says. Sol is now 91, and Doris is 89, and they celebrated their 70th anniversary in September. The MEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 8

RANCH DAYS Best friends for 40 years, this group of UT pledge brothers gets together every November at Billy Freed's ranch in Hondo. Pictured (at their inaugural ranch reunion in 2009) are back row, from left: Eric Blumrosen, Ralph Robinson, Lenny Davis, Richard Seline, Billy Freed, Barry Zietz, Alfie Meyerson and Michael Rubenstein. Front row, from left: Jeff Genecov, Alan Luskey and Stephen Berkman. Not pictured: Robert Glass and Brad Hacker.

party has moved to the party room in their highrise, but Campisi’s still serves dinner, and the same core group is there. The reunions don’t stop with the Texas-OU party. The group – now in Houston, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Florida and New Orleans – picks a weekend in November to gather at Billy’s ranch in Hondo, outside San Antonio. There, they’ll hunt, watch a UT away game (the football schedule determines the date for the annual weekend) and hang out in the wing of “hotel rooms” Billy built on the ranch. Billy named the group Pendejos, which roughly translates to “idiots.” “It was an appropriate name given the translation for the cast of characters involved,” he laughs. “It’s not a particularly complimentary term.” On a serious note, he says, “I can’t think of a significant life event, from children’s births to loss of parents, in the past 40 years, that we have not collectively been in attendance for.” Last year, Alan Luskey, who lived in Fort Worth, passed away, and the friends were all there. “We don’t miss anybody’s anything,” Polly says. “When Ike came through, Lenny drove down from New Orleans and came to us with a car full of gas and food, and turned right around and went home.”

About their wives, Ralph says, “All the guys married up.” “The girls wandered into this mess at various points, some in high school, some came well post-college, but they all got sucked into this vortex,” Billy says. “The bond the wives created among themselves made it easy for the guys to stay close. Clearly, without that support, something like this doesn’t happen.” “We travel together, just us wives, in groups of three or four or six,” Polly says. “The guys brought us together, but we are all as close as they are. We just don’t have the memories from 40 years ago.” The wives call themselves the Frat Sisters. The men stay in touch daily via GroupMe, a group texting app. Ralph laughs when asked what they talk about every day: “Oh, a little of this and a little of that” is as much as he reveals. “They look at their texts and giggle out loud,” Polly says. The pandemic has thrown off this year’s Texas-OU weekend plan. There have been thoughts of watching the game together in someone’s backyard, but nothing is solid yet. “We’ve been knocked to our knees,” Ralph says. “I was told if getting Covid at the football game didn’t kill me, my wife would. Neither is a good outcome.”

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NEIGHBORS by Cindy Gabriel, staff writer

Get Me Rewrite When life feels like a movie script

must have been about 4 years old, standing in the yard, holding my mother’s hand, watching my father start the car. It did not explode, so we got inside. Dad was doing a series of undercover investigative stories on organized crime in Galveston, which prompted some surprise raids by the Texas Rangers on Galveston gambling joints in the age of the celebrated Balinese Room, resulting in threats on Dad’s life. I spent many “takeyour-daughter-to-work” days in the late 1950s at our family-owned newspaper in Rosenberg, Texas, The Fort Bend Reporter, run by my parents, Sandra and Clymer Wright, who met on their college newspaper staff. Some 20 years later, I would find myself being introduced on the air my first day on the job at an all-news radio station, KEYH. I headed out to my first assignment, a press conference at the Houston Press Club, then located at the top of 2016 Main. In the middle of the press conference, much to my horror, I was paged to the phone. The deep-throated voice of David Fowler, my boss of fewer than two hours, went to the pit of my stomach. “Cindy, you just missed the police. They heard your name on the air and arrived with handcuffs out and a warrant for your arrest.” I apparently was wanted for more than $4,000 worth of parking tickets. The previous year, I had “paid my dues” by working for almost nothing, for Houston News Service, dubbed “Jack Cato’s outfit.” Jack was a beloved police beat reporter many remember from KPRC-TV, Channel 2. Jack had decided to take a break from TV and start his own local wire service with virtually no money. All he needed were some manual typewriters, used teletype equipment, a ratty office, and inexperienced “kids” like me, who would do anything to break into the news business. Jack said parking was a non-issue because of his arrangement with the police department. It was understood that we could park at a meter, get a ticket and turn it into the trusty cigar box on Jack’s desk, and it would be “handled,” or, in my case, apparently not. My boss directed me to stay put, that the police were combing downtown looking for me and MEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 10

IN TRAINING Little Cindy Wright sits at her first typewriter, which looks a whole lot like one she would use 20 years later while working for Jack Cato.

would boot my car if they found it. After several hours of frantic phone calling, Jack finally surfaced and “resolved” my dilemma, thus saving my job. Jack is one of many classic characters in Houston lore mentioned in a new e-book called Special Crimes: Memoirs of a D.A. Investigator, by Kenny Rodgers (not the singer). Rodgers spent nearly 20 years in the ’70s and ’80s finding evidence to aid prosecutors in some of Houston’s most notorious crime stories. Back when Houston was a two-newspaper town, a community of reporters, prosecutors, defense attorneys, police investigators and judges formed a hub of pre-internet energy that became the stuff of books and movies. Competition was stiff to get the scoop or win the case, making fierce friends and competitors among everyone involved. The stories that emerged in this atmosphere resulted in books like Blood and Money by Tommy Thompson and The Cop Who Wouldn’t Quit by Rick Nelson. My own experience as a reporter inside the courtroom involved Fort Worth multimillionaire T. Cullen Davis. Texas Justice by Gary Cartwright would recount the tale. This story, along with Blood and Money, helped solidify the reputation of Houston’s Richard “Racehorse” Haynes as an internationally celebrated defense attorney.

“Covering stories in Houston in the ’70s and ’80s was like being in the middle of a scene from the movie The Front Page,” said Tom Kennedy, who covered the courthouse for The Houston Post. Kennedy helped his buddy, Rodgers, edit Special Crimes. “It’s as close to a biography on Johnny Holmes as you will ever read,” Kennedy said. Holmes, the handlebar-mustached district attorney from 1979 until 2001, appointed Rodgers as his chief investigator. Holmes appointed the precise, detail-oriented Bert Graham as his first assistant, a position he would hold under every DA until Graham’s retirement in 2008. According to Rodgers, “He had the distinction of having won convictions in 54 consecutive contested felony cases.” Rodgers devotes his first chapter, “The Black Widow,” to one of Bert’s more intriguing cases, along with a chilling follow-up on where Catherine Mehaffey Shelton is today. Gary Taylor, a journalist, authored Luggage by Kroger, which gives a jaw-dropping account of Taylor being shot while trying to flee the “black widow’s” apartment, also recounted on CBS’s 48 Hours. Special Crimes (self-published, available on Amazon) is written like Kenny talks, with humor, colorful language and unfiltered frankness about a time in the Harris County criminal courthouse that was anything but boring.

NEIGHBORS by Michelle Groogan, staff writer

A Fish Tale From stingray prey to trout victor

he water is always calling Sam Hix. It calls when he’s crunching numbers as a tax partner at Deloitte in Houston or at home raising three kids with wife Nicole. Fishing is in Sam’s blood and has been ever since he was little. He fishes off his 25-foot ShearWater boat at his bay house in Tiki Island, and since high school, he has helped a friend’s dad crew a shrimp boat at the opening of every season. But five years ago, he tried a new kind of fishing – fly fishing – and was hooked. “It’s the only thing I've ever done that can really draw all my attention and focus,” said Sam. “I don't think about anything else except the fly fishing.” In fly fishing, delicate flies are made to look like real insects. The fly is cast using a long, thin, flexible rod, reel and weighted lines. Fly fishing takes practice and patience to become skilled. Sam often practices out on the lawn. What happened in August, on the last day of his annual four-day fishing trip with friends on Idaho’s Snake River, is one for the record books – literally. Sam and friends Brandon Bingham, Kevin Reed and David Smith were with guides from the Lodge at Palisades Creek, a fly-fishing lodge located at the banks of the South Fork of the Snake River in Irwin, Idaho. “We had fished up and down the river all that day. We got to a spring, and as soon as she took it [the nymph fly], I saw her,” said Sam. “She came up, and then she started running down the spring. And when she started running, the lines were blowing. We knew it was a massive fish.” Sam caught a Yellowstone cutthroat trout (a freshwater fish in the salmon family) with a girth measuring 15 inches at its widest point and a tail span of eight inches from tip to tip. It later was confirmed by the Idaho Fish and Game department to be 30.5 inches long, setting a new catch-and-release state record. Sam described reeling the trout in as “pandemonium.” There’s already some disagreement as to how long it took, somewhere around 10-20 minutes. “It was like winning the Super Bowl. We were all high-fiving and pretty excited,” he said. But at the same time, they took care for the MEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 12

FLY-FISHING TEXAN This summer, Sam Hix of Bellaire caught an enormous Yellowstone cutthroat trout on Idaho’s Snake River, setting a state record.

fish, who was out of the water only long enough to be measured and photographed. Sam gives all the credit to guides Josh Heileson and Jason Pruett. “When I was finally able to get the fish in, I was shaking because it was such a big fish. Some of those guides have been fishing the area their whole life, and that's one of the biggest fish they’ve ever seen. It was really an unbelievable, unique, lifetime fishing experience.” What makes this prize catch even sweeter for Sam is that it was his first time back in the water since April. He was wade fishing in the West Bay of Galveston when something in the murky water below attacked, piercing his rubber wading boots. Sam felt instant and intense pain, “like a hot iron sticking through your heel.” He couldn’t even swim back to his boat, which was only 25 yards away. His friend pulled him in and pulled off his boot. There was a lot of blood and a hole through the back of his ankle just centimeters from his Achilles tendon. Doctors say Sam was likely barbed by the venomous spine of a large stingray. Nicole Hix was home helping their kids navigate remote learning while teaching AP World History at St. Agnes Academy. “It was terrifying,” said Nicole. “I got this call saying, ‘Hey, I just

dropped Sam off at the ER. They won’t let me in.’” She and the kids unplugged and hurried down to Galveston. To her surprise, Sam was released, but Nicole was convinced the wound didn’t look right. “It was the nastiest thing you had ever seen. You couldn’t even see his toes because it was so swollen,” said Nicole, who insisted Sam go to an emergency room at a Houston hospital. “This time, doctors said you’re not leaving. They said it was a ticking time bomb if he didn’t have surgery right away.” Adding to the anxiety was being in a hospital in April, when so little was known about Covid19. Nicole describes it as one of the worst experiences of her life. And this family is no stranger to unlucky events. They flooded during Harvey, and last year the whole family had to get rabies shots after a small colony of bats moved into their home. Sam ended up in a cast and couldn’t walk for two months, but other than some nerve damage, the foot is healing well. He’s got a new nickname now, “Old Salt,” a term for experienced mariners who have lived to tell stories about their adventures – and redemption on the Snake River.

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lawellphoto.com

NEIGHBORS by Cathy Gordon, staff writer

The Jaunty Jalopy A family’s cranky, loveable Model T

e’s cantankerous and loud, belches in public and is slow to cooperate unless finessed and cajoled. But his family loves him anyway, despite the ruckus he caused at a fast food drive-thru. “We had to stop going through the fast-food places because of the noise level. We’d have to scream our order because of all the sputtering and chugging,” says West University resident Will Rice, who forgives his oldest family member’s foibles. Because when you’re a 100-year-old handcranked Ford Model T, you’ve earned the right to be set in your ways. “It’s like a grumpy old man with bad hygiene. Modern cars have mufflers and catalytic converters, so you don’t have as much odor and noise. This car doesn’t have either of those. When we drive it, we’re basically fumigating the neighborhood,” quips Will of the heirloom that commands attention wherever it goes. The jalopy belonged to Will’s grandfather, Tracy Rice, back in the day. By the time he died in 1982, the car had puttered through The Great Depression, WWII, the fun ’50s, turbulent ’60s and beyond. Now, Abercrombie Flavus XIV – yes, he of the pedigree name – chugs about West University streets, looking quite dapper in matte black with blue pinstripes. Occasionally, he shouts an ahooga. “I love this car. It definitely has character,” extolls Will, assistant principal at Westbury High School. His children, Mackenzie, 14, Matthew, 9, and Max, 5, nod in agreement. “It’s definitely a cool car. I’m glad we had it restored. It sat in our garage for years, a bit rusty,” joins in wife Tabitha, senior vice president at Texas Children’s Hospital. She’s grown accustomed to her husband’s Model T tutorials. “When we take it to a restaurant, we usually go in to get a seat while Will stays in the parking lot and talks to people about it,” Tabitha says. “People are intrigued.” “The joke is, when you have a car like this, any place you drive is a parade, and any place you park is a car show,” Will says. “There have been a few times when I’ve gone to Home Depot just to pick up something quick, and I get into a MEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 14

SO JAUNTY Abercrombie Flavus XIV, the jaunty jalopy with a fine pedigree name, fits the Rice family to a T. From left: Tabitha, Max, Matthew, Will and Mackenzie.

20-minute conversation in the parking lot. One time, a guy got out of his car when the light turned green and wanted to have a full-on conversation about it in the middle of the intersection!” On May 19, 1920, this little car that could rolled off an assembly line in Highland Park, Mich., bound for Tracy Rice’s car dealership, Auto Sales Company, in the small town of Whitehall, Wis. It didn’t reside there long. Smitten with Henry Ford’s invention, Tracy doled out $850 and kept it. His customers were smitten, too, especially when prices for the car eventually dropped to less than $300. Model Ts were putting America on the road. Abercrombie Flavus XIV, with a front and back seat and convertible top, was an instant hit about town where gregarious Tracy served as mayor. It became a fixture in parades with his wife Sylvia riding shotgun, their black Labrador retriever running alongside. “My grandmother was a Latin teacher, and I think she came up with the car’s name. Maybe they were driving around town one time and the fumes got to them and that name stuck,” Will says, chuckling. When the Great Depression hit, the car underwent a conversion. The back seat was removed and a wooden bed installed, making it into a truck. “My grandfather knew that if it was a truck you could claim it as farm machinery and be exempt from taxes,” explains Will, who recently replaced the rotted bed with gleaming planks of maple. His granddad’s old license plates are affixed to the side of the bed. Indeed, the Model T sits pretty these days, restored to its former glory. A Model T expert in College Station performed the overhaul, installing a modern electrical system. “Of course, Model Ts don’t have a water pump or a fuel pump. There are no brakes on the front wheels

and no speedometer or seat belts. And, yeah, no air conditioning,” Will explains, pointing out a large glass visor on the front that can be appropriately positioned to usher in a breeze. Cranking the car is an athletic ordeal. “You have to crank it three times to get the gas into the engine. You’ve got to listen and be sensitive to waking it up. Driving is more of a cooperation. It’s kind of like a horse, I guess. You want it to obey, but the car might protest if you aren’t doing things just right.” Speaking of obedience, Model Ts don’t do steep hills… unless they’re driven in reverse. Gasoline is gravity-fed from its tank beneath the front seat, which is higher than the engine. If driven up a hill that’s steep enough to position the engine higher than the gas tank, it stops. Hooray for Houston’s flatness. Matthew and Max often help their dad start the car, finessing the priming lever, throttle and key in a defined sequence to get it whirring. “Yeah, Max is probably the only 5-year-old kid in Houston that knows how to start a 100-yearold car,” Will deadpans. On a good day, the car hits 45 miles per hour. “Of course, it takes a while to accelerate to that, and, with its kind of brakes, it takes a while to stop from that.” Even a seasoned car enthusiast is humbled while learning to drive a Model T. An array of pedals, levers and switches look downright confusing compared to the operations of modernday cars. There’s no gas pedal, for example. You pull down a lever on the steering wheel to give it gas. Three pedals serve as first and second gear and the brake. “So many things to learn,” says Will, who is quite the accomplished driver. “But you should have seen me the first time I had to put it in reverse and back it off of a U-Haul trailer in my driveway. A hairy situation.” (continued on page 16)

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FANCY SCHMANCY This car’s got bling with fun, pinwheel-like blue spokes, a fancy new hood ornament and a back bed of license plates that belonged to its original owner, Will’s grandfather. Will and Abercrombie Flavus XIV look quite dapper after a ride about West University.

The family takes the car out frequently, two to three times a week, with Max, Matthew and Mackenzie employing hand signals for left, right and stop. They wave as onlookers ogle and point. They make the rounds to the grocery store, Home Depot, all sorts of local haunts. And the car’s good for hauling pumpkins and their Christmas tree each year. The assistant principal has also taken the Model T to work. It serves as testament to the industrial revolution for Westbury High School history students. Auto mechanic students marvel at its engine’s simple genius. Tabitha and their kids throw “about 50 pounds of candy” from the back of it during the annual Bellaire July 4th parade. “My favorite thing I like about riding in it is the bumps!” exclaims Max. “Yeah, and it’s not the fastest car,” adds Matthew, of its hotrod companions at car shows. Will and family love participating in car shows. The Model T was featured at the

(continued from page 14)

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entrance to the Houston Auto Show at NRG Center earlier this year, a prominent contrast to the gaggle of Maseratis and other luxury sports cars featured. “People loved it,” says Will. That includes police officers. “I’m coming back from Home Depot a few years ago, Mackenzie in the car with me, and a West University policeman is sitting there. I’m thinking ‘Uh oh. He sees that we don’t have seatbelts, which in any other car would be illegal. So, I have it rehearsed in my mind: ‘Officer, this is an antique car, and it’s grandfathered that you don’t have to have seatbelts or tail lights because it was manufactured without those things.’ But he drives up next to us, pulls out his camera, takes a picture of the car and zooms off. Whew! I wasn’t in deep trouble at all.” If the Model T is being driven on an outing more than a couple of miles away, Tabitha follows with the children in another car, everyone appropriately secured with seat belts. “No slight to this car, but it does lack today’s safety fea-

tures,” Will says. Though it creaks and grumbles and generally has a mind of its own, the jalopy is much loved, says Will, who would like to pass it on to his children one day. “They might have to fight over it.” There’s one other means of transportation that will likely be passed down as well: an 18-foot handmade canoe that’s taken up residence in the family’s garage, Will’s latest construction project. Made of cedar with accents of walnut and maple, it was a quarantine project when the coronavirus pandemic had everyone staying at home. Tabitha and Mackenzie designed its aesthetics, color coordinating the wood. Matthew and Max helped with glue and other manual chores. It will take to the water soon, a Rice family original, destined to become an heirloom one day. “That’s the intention,” says Will. “If done right, it should last 100 years or so. And it’s far less complicated getting it started than my little Model T over there. I mean, all it has to do is float.”

COOKING by Andria Frankfort, staff writer

Cooking Through It These guys have a new quarantine hobby

ayne Kearney is not a cook. He’s a father, husband, Rice University graduate and managing director at Aon, but he is not a cook. Still, during the pandemic, he was intrigued when his Rice buddies Joe Reilly, who lives in Los Angeles, and Jay Williams, in Houston, took up pizza-making. “Joe started getting into cooking and found this website called BakingSteel.com, which is like a steel version of a pizza stone,” Wayne says. “You put it in the oven, and the theory is that it holds heat more consistently than a stone. Joe got into making pizzas and got our friend Jay involved. Then Jay started making pizza, which evolved into making sourdough, English muffins…. Joe even just sent me a picture of beignets he made. They started getting into this baking, and I was like, ‘I want to do that.’” Now, Friday nights are pizza night at the Kearneys’. “The Baking Steel was backordered, so it took about six weeks for me to get one. In that six weeks, I started studying recipes online. There’s a thing called a 72 Hour Pizza Dough, so that’s what I started with. The problem is since I was in Colorado, I had to research how to modify the recipe to bake at 9,000 feet.” Wayne and his family live in both Houston and Crested Butte. “Now I make the dough on Tuesday night, and then Thursday night you cut it up, knead it into dough balls and put it into plastic deli containers.” The dough then goes through a rising process, and Wayne makes the pizza on Friday. “The first time, I made a mess – the inside of the oven was a disaster. I basically was using too much flour,” Wayne says. “The second time was much neater. “I don’t cook that often, and the pressure was not to disappoint everybody. I didn’t want to screw up and have to order pizza. It’s not Star Pizza, but it’s remarkably easy to do and actually doesn’t take that much time. “Now I’m thinking, ‘I can do pizza, so what else can I do?’ Joe and Jay and I keep sending pictures about what we’re doing. Now we’re all trying to one-up each other.” MEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 18

72-Hour Pizza Dough From Baking with Steel 7½ cups bread flour 4 teaspoons fine sea salt ½ teaspoon active dry yeast 3¼ cups water In a large bowl, whisk together the bread flour, salt and yeast. Slowly add the water, and mix with a wooden spoon just to combine. Once the mixture is moistened, lightly flour a countertop or large cutting board and remove the dough from the bowl with lightly oiled or wet hands (to discourage sticking). Knead for 2 to 3 minutes to remove clumps. The dough won't become elastic but should easily form a loose ball. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp, clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out and developing a skin. Place PIZZA NIGHT Top photo: Never a cook, Wayne Kearney picked up pizzait on the counter and let making as a quarantine challenge. Bottom: Wayne’s homemade pizzas are a sit 24 hours at room new Friday tradition. temperature. It will douplace them in the fridge for 48 to 96 hours. ble in size, and you may see bubbles forming on Remove from the refrigerator at least 1 hour the surface. before use to allow the dough to come to room Lightly flour a large cutting board or your temperature; this lets the gluten relax and makes kitchen countertop, and place the dough on it. the dough malleable. Wet or lightly oil your hands again. Divide the dough into seven equal portions and make dough balls. Place the dough balls into oiled cylindrical airtight containers (deli takeaway containers are ideal), date the containers, and

ike Wayne, Brandon Jalnos, a 30-year-old tax attorney, is also not a cook. But during quarantine, he found him- (continued on page 20)

MEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 19

LABOR OF LOVE Left photo: Brandon Jalnos spends six days on each of the pastramis he makes to share with friends weekly. Right: Brandon (in front) reserves enough homemade pastrami each week to take to his socially distanced golf game with (from right) Kyle Golding, Michael Friedlander and Matt Steinfeld. (continued from page 18) self bored.

“A lot of hobbies were eliminated, and I couldn’t see my friends all the time,” Brandon says. “I was thinking about what I could do that would consume eight hours of my time.” Brandon’s solution to all of it – filling time, developing a new hobby and seeing friends – was teaching himself to smoke pastrami. “The first time I tried to use my smoker was last year, and it was not a really good result,” Brandon says. “So I thought, I’ve got nothing but time. I’ve always wanted to try something like this.” Brandon started with some YouTube research. “I use a pellet grill [a grill that uses hardwood pellets], a Traeger,” he says. “They have an app and a website with all these recipes, so I started with their recipe and adapted it based on more research, trial and error and friends’ comments.” The comments come often. Brandon makes his pastrami once a week, starting on Sunday, and on Friday evening he portions it out, puts it in Ziploc baggies and drops it off to family and friends. “Friday morning, after [the brisket has] brined all week, I wake up at 3:30,” Brandon says. “I take it out of the fridge to get to room temperature, and I’ll set my smoker up. I have it on the grill by 4 a.m. Then I work all morning and have a perfectly cooked hot pastrami ready for lunch.” He has a specific plan for the rest: First, he sets aside two pounds for himself and his three golfing buddies. “I put [the] pastrami in four Ziplocs, half a pound each, to make this activity Covid-friendly. Someone will pick up rye bread from Three Brothers. I put it in a cooler and give everyone their separate bag at the driving range before we play. Some of the guys make a breakfast sandwich, but we generally try to see if we can make it to the eighth or ninth hole before eating it.” The rest goes to a route of 10 to 15 houses MEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 20

Friday evening. “I drop the pastrami in their mailboxes. I’ll see my friends from a distance, and we’ll talk for a minute. “I use my friends as guinea pigs. They let me know what I can do better, and it’s a good way to see my friends. And my friends are loving getting all this free meat.” So much so that Brandon now has friends asking to be on his route. “Every couple of days, they’re asking for it,” he says. “I’ve been sending out pictures, and I’ll tell them first come, first served. The first 20 people to text me, I’ll have it for them. “I would add more houses, but I’m going to need a bigger smoker.”

Brandon Jalnos’ Smoked Beef Pastrami Oak wood (do not use hickory or mesquite) 6 quarts water 1 cup kosher salt ¾ cup sugar 2 ⁄3 cup light brown sugar 3 Tablespoons pink salt or other curing salt 1 Tablespoon pickling spice 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 8 cloves garlic, crushed 1 7-pound flat-cut beef brisket, fat cap trimmed to 1⁄3 inch Spicy brown mustard ¼ cup whole black peppercorns 2 Tablespoons coriander seeds Equipment: 1 box Ziploc 4 X-Large Big Bags; zip ties In a large pot, combine the water with the kosher salt, sugar, brown sugar, pink salt, pickling spice, mustard seeds and garlic. Simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the salts and sugars have dissolved. Pour the brine into a large bowl and let it cool.

Refrigerate until chilled. Using a metal skewer, poke holes all over the brisket. Pour the brine into the Ziploc Big Bag, then add the brisket. Squeeze all the air out of the bag, and twist the top of the bag. Use a zip tie to keep the top of the Ziploc twisted. The goal is to have the brisket fully submerged in brine. Then put the bag, with all the contents, into a large roasting pan. Put the roasting pan with the bagged brisket in the refrigerator. Let the brisket cure for 5 days, turning it once a day. Remove the brisket from the brine and rinse the surface of the brisket to remove the excess salt. Pat dry with paper towels. Place the brisket fat side-up on a rack set on a rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate uncovered for 24 hours. Remove the brisket from the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature. When you are ready to cook it, preheat a smoker to 225 degrees. Rub the entire brisket with spicy brown mustard. In a spice grinder, coarsely grind the peppercorns with the coriander seeds. Cover the fat side of the brisket with the peppercorncoriander mixture. Place the brisket directly on the grill grate, spiced side-up, in the center of the grill. Close the lid and smoke the meat at 225 degrees until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the brisket registers 160 degrees. This will take 3 to 4 hours. Remove the brisket from the smoker and wrap it in foil, making sure to seal it very well. Place the wrapped brisket back on the smoker and continue cooking for another 3 to 4 hours, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 204 degrees. Remove the brisket from the smoker and let it rest, wrapped in foil, for at least 30 minutes before slicing. If you want cold pastrami, allow it to cool completely, then refrigerate it. Slice and enjoy!

MEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 21

NEIGHBORS

When Life Has Other Plans A spine surgeon’s journey with quadriplegia

n the shadow of the Bayou City, trails snake through a latticework of elms, oaks and loblolly pines. Up and down, they meander, past prickly vines and hollies, overseeing rainforged ravines. Tree roots invade the paths like giant arthritic fingers, knobby and gnarled. Mountain bikers take to the Orange Trail in Memorial Park for its winding curves and dips, a welcome break from Houston’s flatness. Rex Marco would be one of them this hot, sunny day, 14 months ago. But first, there was work to do. The world-renowned spine surgeon and musculoskeletal oncologist from Houston Methodist Hospital had recently excised a patient’s tumor from their cervical spine, whole, leaving the spinal cord unscathed. That afternoon, he met with his research coordinator to transcribe a medical narrative about the case. “After work was finished, I was really excited for my ride,” recalls Marco, 55, who joined mountain bikers from the 12-step recovery group, Cornerstone Team Counseling, most Sundays. The outings were a salve for the senses. He knew the stress and heartache of watching loved ones struggle. The program taught him to meditate and practice mindfulness to de-stress and clear mental clutter. “When you feel like the world is falling apart, you get out there, and all you think about is what's 20 feet in front of you and how many roots there are. It’s a very mindful activity,” says friend David Hanson, who biked with the doctor that day. The group played “no dabs,” riding without putting a foot down for balance. For each dab, bikers would do a pushup at trail’s end. Honorsystem rules. “I loved pushups, but I also didn’t want to put my feet down,” Marco says. At a fork in the trail, the doctor turned left to avoid a branch. His tire stuck – on what, he doesn’t know – hurling him over the handlebars. “It happened so fast. I heard a crack. I wasn’t sure if it was from my helmet or my neck.” Hanson, an engineer, arrived at the same fork, noticing a straight-line object glinting from a wooded slope: handlebars. He then saw a bike seat. Feet. Pant cuffs. He knew it was Marco. MEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 22

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by Cathy Gordon, staff writer

The methodical surgeon wore long pants and sleeves to avoid scratches from brush. He clambered down the slope to a brambly patch to get to him. “He was basically just dangling there, held up by branches and little trees. If not for the bramble of stuff, he would have slid down the side. He could have gone a long way.” Calmly, but in full doctor mode, Marco instructed Hanson how to support his neck until help arrived. He asked him to DOCTOR AS PATIENT World-renowned spine surgeon Rex Marco, paralyzed in a mountouch his hands tain-biking accident, navigates a different world now. “Life has a plan for me,” he says. and feet, see if they He instructed Hanson to call his ex-wife – in were moving. the day of cell phone memory dials, the only full “Are you touching them?” number he could remember. By speaker phone, “Yes, I’m touching them.” he informed her there’d been an accident. Please The doctor’s voice grew weak, his breathing call his physician assistant Jerry Buchert, he said. more labored. A wave of radical acceptance Tell him to call David Hanson’s number. washed over him. July 21 of last year, 7 p.m. It was Buchert’s “I knew I had broken my neck, and I was parbirthday. He called Hanson’s number. He alyzed,” he says. “It was important to accept that. remembers the punch of Marco’s words. There was no turning back.” “He said ‘Jerry, I’m a quadriplegic. My neurologic function is out. I need you to call Dr. he spinal cord is a delicate bundle of nerve Prasarn and see if he will take care of me.’ And fibers that transmit messages from the brain they said that the ambulance had been called.” to the rest of the body and back, regulating sensoWithin two hours, he was undergoing surgery at ry, motor and autonomic function. The higher the Houston’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, surgeon injury to the vertebral column, the more function Mark Prasarn at the helm. “We were partners is affected. The doctor knew time was critical. together about eight years ago. He was one of the “As soon as David touched me, and I first people I thought of to help me,” explains couldn’t feel, I knew I probably would never Marco, who reviewed his own x-rays, consulting hold my unborn baby,” says the father to four on the surgical plan to stabi- (continued on page 24) sons whose infant is now 1 year old.

MEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 23

IT TAKES A VILLAGE At left: Surgeons in Kenya benefited from Dr. Rex Marco’s expertise during his mission trip there a few years ago. Here, they look over a patient’s films. At right: Friends and colleagues packed a fundraiser in February to show support for the doctor. Organizer Yvonne Spolane is all smiles with Marco. (continued from page 22) lize his spine.

For Buchert, his physician assistant of 16 years, the evening was a blur of activity, calling friends, colleagues. They gathered at the hospital, waiting, hoping to wake from what surely was a nightmare. “It’s still a shock to a lot of his patients who come in for a yearly follow-up on their tumor or spine and haven’t heard what happened to him. Almost everyone cries,” says Buchert, who was trained by Marco. The pair have performed countless surgeries together, including trips to Kenya and earthquake-ravaged Haiti, helping patients with catastrophic spine and neck injuries. “Mindfulness was a major part of his practice in recent years,” Buchert continues. “He would talk about it with patients who had chronic degenerative problems, but didn’t want to have them. The problem is, there’s not a fix to some of those things to make them totally go away. And screws and rods don’t necessarily just change your life for the better immediately, as you can imagine.”

r. Marco sits in a wheelchair in his apartment, not far from Houston’s Texas Medical Center (TMC) reflecting on his surgical career. Prior to the accident, it was at its peak. As one of only a handful of surgeons in the world with expertise in complex spinal disorders and musculoskeletal tumors, he treated patients with the worst of medical maladies. He draws strength from them. “I clearly have a totally different understanding of how difficult and devastating this injury is, how quadriplegia and paraplegia affect you,” he says, recalling months on a ventilator when panic gripped like a vice. Surgeons had performed a tracheostomy as MEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 24

access-way for the ventilator to do its job. Breathe for him. He was on the machine for nearly three months till respiratory muscles gained strength. His condition mandated a twoweek stay in critical care, then rehabilitation at Memorial Hermann’s TIRR until Nov. 6. “In the past, if I was feeling fear or anxiety, I’d take deep breaths until it went away. But I couldn’t breathe after the accident,” he says. “Life took my breath away.” So, he would meditate and pray. “I’d stop, try to breathe, try to smell, listen, taste and feel what I could. It helped me.” In medical terms, Marco is an incomplete quadriplegic. He can’t move his arms and legs, but has regained some feeling in his hands and feet, fingers and toes. His right bicep muscle flickers. His back muscles sometimes twitch. He can feel pain. “I’m grateful to feel pain.” While happy for the sensation he’s gained, walking again is not likely this far out from the accident, he says. “In my experience, I’ve never seen anyone walk again if they don’t gain a lot of motion within six months.” His eyes well up when recalling his mom, Lily, at the hospital. “I’ve never seen her cry. I’ve seen her sad. But not crying. She cried that day.” The catastrophic nature of Marco’s injury brings enormous expense. He requires 24-hour care, approximately $150,000 a year. And certain necessities are called for when a patient’s arms and legs no longer work. Thanks to a February fundraiser and other donations, he’s now in a “standing” wheelchair that allows him to slowly angle from sitting to standing position. The benefits are many, he explains. He can load-bear bones, strengthening them. He operates it by chin to a foam-tipped joystick. The chair can be programmed to help him control his tele-

vision, computer mouse and cell phone. The wheelchair also allows for better weightshifting, preventing bedsores and helping lung function and digestion. Violent, involuntary leg spasms that jolted him awake at night have decreased since getting the chair, too. He will soon receive a robotic arm that attaches to the chair, assisting in personal grooming tasks, eating, grabbing things. “Maybe walking a dog.” He’s hoping for a service dog one day. And he’s waiting for modifications to be completed on a home he purchased in Highland Village. A one-story, close to TMC. “The fundraiser in February was a packed house,” says organizer Yvonne Spolane, a former operating-room nurse at Texas Children’s Hospital who has worked with Marco. “There’s a lot of things he needs, and insurance doesn’t cover a lot of things. But every time I see him, he’s upbeat. He’s amazing. Driven.”

t surprises no one that Marco is back doing work while quarantining during the Covid-19 pandemic. He’s nothing if not driven, say colleagues. “Why me?” doesn’t cross his mind. Life has a plan, the doctor says. “I know there’s a plan for me. I don’t clearly know what it is yet, but I’m getting more clarity.” “We do bi-monthly conferences in which we do case studies, and Rex had been coming to those in his wheelchair before the pandemic,” says spine surgeon Christoph Meyer, a faculty member with the TMC Spine Fellowship, a training program Marco founded 18 years ago to train physicians as specialists in spine surgery. “Here he is a year out, totally dependent on other people, yet giving talks, continuing research projects. We had a (continued on page 26)

Roland Johnson

Faith In Practice Faith In Practice

GOD’S WORK Top left: Rex Marco and fellow spine surgeon Chip Davis operate in Guatemala during a volunteer mission trip with the Christian non-profit group, Faith In Practice. Bottom left: Marco (right), interpreter Gilberto “Gil” Velazquez and physical therapist Ashley Trautschold tend to a patient in Guatemala. Right: Rhonda Johnson, nine years cancer-free, credits the surgeon with saving her life by amputating her leg. He surprised her by wearing red scrubs for the operation, the hue she chose as her “positive energy color.” He wore a red tie for all her office visits. (continued from page 24) research symposium back

in June of this year, and he had his name on three papers, I think. He’s not giving up, and he never will give up.” Not an option, says Marco, who is eager to get back to clinic one day, seeing patients. He’d also like to help in some capacity with the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, supporting its mission to find cures for spinal cord injuries. “For me, Rex is larger than life. It was hard to adjust to the thought of him being a quadriplegic. But he’s the same person,” says Adrianne Morse, who did a residency in orthopedic surgery years ago, Marco as her mentor. “He’s always been strong of mind. It’s crazy when you think about the horrible irony of all of it.” He no doubt will continue to accomplish great things, says the Rev. Linda McCarty, president and CEO of Faith in Practice, a Christian non-profit that brings medical, surgical, dental and other health-related services to the poor of Guatemala. “We treat the whole person, not just the body. It’s not just your hands, it’s your heart. Rex has a unique specialty, but he also has a very speMEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 26

cial heart. He was a natural fit for us,” she says of the doctor who had become a team leader for the group. Before the accident, he’d been organizing another Guatemala trip. She recalls something his mother said at the hospital. “She said, ‘God has always done beautiful and wonderful things through Rex, and I know that’s going to continue to be the case.’ And she’s right.” Rhonda Johnson thinks back to a time when she put her life in Marco’s hands. A cancerous tumor in her right pelvic floor had destroyed her hip socket, causing 52 hairline fractures. It could not be treated or replaced. Marco proffered two surgery options. One was a hemipelvectomy, the removal of her leg, hip and half her pelvis. She’d have less of a chance of recurrence with that option. But he sent her home to contemplate. She met him a week later with her decision. Amputation. The day of surgery, she was surprised to find that the doctor had gone out and purchased red scrubs, the “positive energy color” she chose to get her through her cancer battle. During chemotherapy treatments, prior to ever meeting

the doctor, she’d taken a red blanket to chemotherapy treatments; clipped a short, red hair extension as bangs to her head scarves and hats. “He heard about it and wore those scrubs for me. And in all my office visits with him, he’d be wearing a red tie. That’s the kind of compassion he has.” She spoke at the February fundraiser, Marco beaming. “I wanted him to know that we are all there for him,” Johnson says. “He saw me through it. I’ll see him through this. I’ll never forget what he told me when I said I wanted him to take my leg. He hugged me and said, ‘I would only hope that if something happened like this to me, I could be as brave and strong and courageous as you.’” Marco remembers that conversation. But most of all, her courage. “It inspired me throughout my career,” he says. “Especially now.” Editor’s note: To donate to the BCI Charitable Relief Fund benefiting Rex Marco, see teambcirelieffund.org/rex-marco.

MEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 27

KIDS

School Buzz

Dan McKenna

by Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld, staff writer

Meet our 2020-21 correspondents

hen The Buzz’s editorial team considered the new class of correspondents for the 2020-21 School Buzz blog – our program for high school students to report on what’s happening at their campuses – we realized it wouldn’t be like any other year. This fall, some students and teachers are in physical classrooms, wearing masks; some are learning virtually only; some are taking a hybrid approach. (And who knows if things will have changed by the time this issue goes to press?) Every fall for the last seven years, The Buzz has coordinated a group photo shoot to kick off a new year of School Buzz, a fun excuse to meet the new student reporters and editors in person and catch up with those returning from the previous year. This fall, we skipped the group photo shoot due to Covid-19 concerns. In our communication with the 2020-21 correspondents, we shared our belief that this group’s articles for School Buzz will be more important than ever. Their stories, capturing students’ perspectives on school during the pandemic, will be even more valuable and interesting to the larger community, and we encouraged them all to take advantage of this opportunity through their reporting. And already, they have begun. At thebuzzmagazines.com/school-buzz, you’ll find stories about ways students have stepped up to help, learned new skills and transformed school traditions, clubs and events. Through this blog, students have a platform to highlight their schools, friends, teachers and viewpoints and share them with all of us. Check out the School Buzz blog to read their stories. Here, some of our correspondents reflect on how they spent their extra time during quarantine and what they’re looking forward to reporting on this year:

Kevin McKenna Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, sports reporter “Coronavirus precautions caused the cancellation of my summer volunteerism as a counselor at Camp Blessing, which helps special-needs youth. My brother Carter [who’s also on the Strake School Buzz team] and I wanted to make a difference in our community but realized we would have to accomplish MEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 28

this through safe boundaries. We created an outreach program called “Men for Elders” to connect with Strake Jesuit’s oldest alumni (Class of 1965-69) via emails, phone calls and letters. Our goal was to provide a listening ear during times of social distancing, but it has become a program we want to continue regardless of the public health climate. Many of our alumni enjoyed the companionship, evidenced by calls often lasting over 30 minutes. Carter’s Buzz article about our program was shared by Strake Jesuit FINDING THE STORY Kevin McKenna, a senior at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, through social has contributed to School Buzz throughout his high school days. His brother, Carter, media and on the has followed in his footsteps and is on the School Buzz team as well. Jesuit’s national Twitter account with 30,000 followers. Recognition Zoe Kass aside, I am pleased to do something positively Bellaire High School, co-editor impacting our community.” “A few months ago, I was content not to think about taxes until I was, well, a tax-payMizuki Kai ing adult. That is until I joined fellow menBellaire High School, co-editor strual equity advocates to establish the Texas “The pandemic brought an unexpected Menstrual Equity Coalition – a group of indireunion of my family. My freshman year, my dad viduals and organizations fighting to end perimoved away to Tokyo for his job. Now, he od poverty. During the pandemic, we have works in Boston, and I only get to see him once been meeting virtually with lawmakers about a month. With this pandemic, my dad flew into writing and refiling a bill ending the Tampon Houston mid-March and has been staying with Tax. I've spent my summer researching Texas's us since, working at home. My mom has also budget, trying to wrap my head around why been working at home, along with me and my billboard rent, dandruff shampoo, and archibrother with online school. My family has tectural fees are tax-exempt, but pads and tamgrown closer than ever before, and this pandempons are not! I've learned that lawmakers are ic brought us together for my final year of high rarely excited about tax cuts and are more school before I leave for college.” than happy to use a pandemic as a reason not

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Whitney Walsh

MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA Eshaan Mani of The Kinkaid School, Sutton Walsh of The Post Oak School and Bailey Maierson of St. John's School are among more than 80 students who write about their high schools on our School Buzz blog.

to make them – even when this unconstitutional tax hurts their already suffering constituents. My ‘taxing’ summer has broadened my horizons and kept me socially connected; I just hope it pays off (literally)!”

Miriam Yampuler Carnegie Vanguard High School, editor “Wake up at 5:30 a.m. to run. Catch the bus by 6:30. Read and answer any emails during the 1.5-hour ride. Take classes until 4, using lunch periods to study and run clubs. Go to dance until 6. Walk to a coffee shop to do homework and make it home by 9 to do more work. This nonstop lifestyle was all I was used to. When Corona threw a wrench in my plans, everything stopped at breakneck speed. Now with days filled with family and work instead of school, this pause in life has allowed me to understand that productivity does not estimate my worth. I am learning that so many things in life matter more than accolades and constant studying: family, friends and health.”

Caitlyn McConnell Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart, editor “This summer was supposedly my last as a camper at Camp Lonehollow. I was looking forward to escaping the harsh reality of our world today and spending time with friends who were not on a screen. When our camp permanently closed because of Covid, I turned to my passion in film – watching countless movies and writing a screenplay inspired by my camp experiences. Next year, I’m proposing a classic film club at Duchesne, to collaborate with my

Duchesne classmates who share a love of movies. Time will tell if my screenplay is any good. The thing I most look forward to is getting back on campus with my classmates and sharing experiences in person!”

Abby Cowan The Emery/Weiner School, reporter “The best thing the Covid-19 pandemic gave me was time – to learn, to think, and most importantly, to try new things. Before the pandemic, I was stuck in the rut of my routine. I would go to school, then tennis practice, do my homework, and do it all again the next day. Weirdly enough, the pandemic brought me time to pursue endeavors I always wanted to try but never could find the time to before. Rather than make life more mundane, the stay-at-home order became the impetus for change that I was craving. With the cancellation of my summer plans, I had to seek opportunities at home. I got a job, an internship at The Buzz Magazines, and finally started a passion project, an Instagram food blog called @abbysapron. I had never carved out the time for these pursuits before the pandemic, and without Covid-19 I may never have.”

Eshaan Mani The Kinkaid School, editor “In 2020, the world has become more dependent on technology than ever before. Despite the minor annoyances, I think we can all say that we’re grateful for technology. Imagine doing ‘this’ (by which I mean school from home, WFH and pretty much everything contactless) without the help of tech, even 10

years ago! During the coronavirus pandemic, I've had a chance to create my own studio with my family, a technological endeavor I would never have had the chance to undertake if it had not been for the events of 2020. I bought a dualmic setup, one for recording and one for podcasting, a green screen (for Zoom pranks and for recording fun videos), and a lighting kit. And I've had the chance to shoot and edit over 20 videos on four different platforms and use my studio nearly twice a week since setting it up in late June. It’s truly been a unique and fun experience, from collaborating with family members for the setup to recording videos and playing around with editing.”

Lauren Koong Lamar High School, editor “We have been in quarantine for almost half a year now. In this time at home, I have learned a lot, both about myself and new skill sets, but, most importantly, to look on the bright side. The Covid-19 pandemic negatively impacted hundreds of thousands of families across the United States, but it allowed the Black Lives Matter movement to gain the global traction that it did. As most people were at home, with little to nothing to do, Americans were able to collectively focus on the issue of police brutality and come together to incite positive social change. With all this time in quarantine on my hands, I was able to educate myself about Black history in the United States and the racial injustices that plague America. While the coronavirus pandemic has caused much suffering and pain, (continued on page 30) MEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 29

(continued from page 29) let us focus on the good

that has come out of it.”

Sutton Walsh The Post Oak School, reporter “During this time of frustration, separation, and Holy cow, did I forget my mask again?, my family was viewing the pandemic as the contagious curse of the century. In an effort to spur conversation at Family Dinner #93, my mom suggested that we create a list of the positive things that have come out of the quarantine. I didn’t think my eyes could have rolled further back into my head, but to my surprise, 10 minutes later, the list was growing faster than local Covid-19 cases. From reorganizing our entire house to a new ritual of daily walks with our puppy, we discovered that what we had originally considered to be a downer was, in fact, quite the opposite. The pandemic had turned us upside down by shifting our view away from meaningless distractions and revealing to us that our true priorities lie in our own home.”

Maya Harpavat St. Agnes Academy, editor “As Houston was shut down by the coronavirus, I found myself more interested in creative writing. This is something that I picked up more in high school, as I became the editor of the SAA School

Buzz team, but over quarantine, I explored creative writing much more. I love historical fiction and taking a setting or a character and rewriting the story from a different perspective that was previously unthought of. During quarantine, I founded a nonprofit called Write The Future to spread my love of writing to kids in my neighborhood. We met on Zoom for two weeks, and seeing how people who previously hated writing began to enjoy it was probably the highlight of my summer!”

Bailey Maierson St. John’s School, co-editor “This summer, while reading Toni Morrison’s Beloved for my English class on ‘Dreams and other Archetypal Schemes,’ I learned a valuable life lesson: that while in troubled times we inevitably look to the future as a source of optimism, it’s also important to be present and look for some source of happiness each day. When I recall the last few months of my junior year before quarantine, my memories feel bittersweet. Reflecting on joyous times often made me anxious about the state of the pandemic and whether I possibly could have a somewhat normal senior year. Similar to the novel, I learned to adapt to my surroundings and try to live in the moment. I worked to make the most of my summer by spending time with my brother before his return to college and take up

new hobbies, like sewing and embroidering. In this unprecedented time, Morrison and her powerful novel provided me with a temporary respite from my current mental state.”

Lauryn Kapiloff St. John’s School, reporter “As an editor-in-chief of the St. John’s yearbook, I have seen how the pandemic has impacted plans for this year's book. From school starting virtually to the cancellation of sports seasons, fine arts events, and other extracurricular activities, the content that is usually included in the yearbook has been greatly reduced. In the midst of the disappointing outcomes of the pandemic, I recognize that this year will be one for the books, and it is important to produce a yearbook that reflects this. The process has not been easy, but it has taught me to stay resilient and creative when faced with a challenge. I look forward to seeing the product of my staff’s hard work at the end of the year, as well as looking back on what will be a very unique senior yearbook for years to come.” Editor’s note: If you’re in high school and love to write or take photos, it’s not too late to join the program this year. See thebuzzmagazines.com/school-buzz and contact Buzz associate editor Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld with any questions at jordan@thebuzzmagazines.com.

Our 2020-21 correspondents The Awty International School Zach Daube Vivian Wu Bellaire High School Zaid Ali David Bournat Sophia Hernandez Mizuki Kai Ritsuki Kai Zoe Kass Abbi Turner The Briarwood School Blake Maillet Rachel Phillips The British International School of Houston Viola Holmes Sana Malhotra Alexis Westlake Carnegie Vanguard High School Tracy Huang Riya Keswani Tina Li Jessica Lin Nitin Manian Zehra Mirza Surya Ramakrishnan Gabriela Rodriguez Dhruv Tekumalla

Miriam Yampuler Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart Katie Giveon Halliday Mafrige Caitlyn McConnell The Emery/Weiner School Abby Cowan Ryan Diamond Rachel Gittleman Lauren Haas Simone Newar Cassidy Rubenstein Episcopal High School Chris Lahoti Houston Christian High School Ashley Joyce Incarnate Word Academy Lily Cromeens Lauren Fuller Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts Anna Magdalena Galli Jaylenn Holmes The Kinkaid School Eshaan Mani Lamar High School Lauren Koong

MEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 30

Ethan Martinez Kathryn Stone Franklin Wu Memorial High School Ellen Baik Megan Benz Orianna Fong Hannah Kothari Keeley Moore Tulsi Parikh Memorial Private High School Grace Stupel Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions Roohie Sheikh Jasmine Sidhu Abby Von Eik Post Oak High School Charlie McGill Sutton Walsh Saint Thomas’ Episcopal School Mary-Ellen Abshire Caitlyn Hsu Laura Newcomer Eleanor Yowell Second Baptist School Willow Bullington

St. Agnes Academy Ysabel Born Anna Frederickson Maya Harpavat Lilly Jarlsjo Ava Phillips Bailey Raymond Anika Shethia St. John’s School Emily Burnett Laney Chang Lauryn Kapiloff Bailey Maierson Wellsley Moore Claire Pedrick Rahul Rupani Julia Smith St. Pius X High School Louis Eagleton Libby Nunez St. Thomas High School Augustus Boettcher Strake Jesuit College Preparatory Rushil Chetty Carter McKenna Kevin McKenna The Village School Aditi Iyer Hursh Jha Maria Morkas

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NEIGHBORS

by Sharon Albert Brier, staff writer

Rumor Has It In the mountains. A family trip in Colorado celebrated Amy Richards’ birthday, arranged by her husband, Brad Richards. They stayed at Glen Eyrie Castle and Conference Center, a peaceful Christian retreat with many hike-and-bike trails. Appropriately, it is near the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. Other surreal experiences came from their trip to The Stanley, paranormal central and site of a couple of notorious films, The Shining and Dumb and Dumber. They also met up with Kelly and Clark Mapes. Amy and Kelly were in each other’s weddings and were college roommates at Colorado State University. They discovered they had not changed a bit. Family members Jennifer Rossi and Neal and Emery (Gullickson) Richards, with children Ennie and John, enjoyed the change of pace. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. When Ali Hoffman planned weeks in advance for her hubby and Star Wars fan Austin Hoffman’s 35th birthday surprise, this New Jersey gal didn’t know hurricanes could get in the way. The drive-by parade to wish Austin the happiest of happy was canceled due to The Force of another nature, the projected Laura-cane. The plan got more complex as this modern-day Leia hero got 30 friends to upload a video of wishes to a site for her Luke Skywalker guy, Austin, to watch on TV. The drive-by was still a surprise because Ali postponed it a week. Your focus determines your reality. Choice decision. With the new reality, Harriet and Bill Choice decided to move Marie, their monohull, from Fort Lauderdale to the Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook to take advantage of it more. Bill and a friend sailed it to The Keys first but had to wait out bad weather, about a week. It took another five days to get Marie home. Months later, Bill had to cut a trip in Colorado short, when hurricanes threatened, to secure Marie further. As long as Harriet is first choice, Marie can come in second. Relatively speaking. With relatives so scattered about in Canada, New York and Israel, it was a joy for Sheila Train to celebrate with 35 of them on Zoom for her 80th birthday, arranged by two nieces in Toronto. It was the first time that some of the cousins had ever seen MEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 32

HEADED NORTH Amy Richards celebrated her birthday at Glen Eyrie Castle and Conference Center in Colorado. From left: Drew and Jennifer Rossi, Neal Richards with Ennie (in arms), Amy and Brad Richards, and Emery Gullickson Richards with John (in arms).

each other. Sheila’s husband of 60 years, Dr. Louis Train, had a cake and balloons for the 11 a.m. Zoom (7 p.m. in Israel). That evening, he treated her to a sumptuous dinner on the gorgeous patio by the pool at the Bloom & Bee at the Post Oak Hotel. Boing! Luke Kinsel bounced into his 5th birthday in his front yard with a bouncy house to start off the day. The Camp Kinsel playground is always a hit with the neighborhood children, who frequently find their way there. It was the same tribe of children that joined in to share giggles with Luke on his birthday. The cake, a Mario Kart theme, was enjoyed by all the adults as well. Parents Angie and Scott Kinsel, Max and Penelope (Poppy) and new pet Cosmo, a Havanese, had giant balloons for the party boy. The good doctors. There can never be enough thanks for those on the front line of fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. Dr. Bruce Edison, president of the Retired Physicians Organization of Harris County (a membership of over 600 retired physicians), Becca Kerr of Little Kitchen, and Courtney Hoyt of Tangible Gifting/Harris Health System organized 80 lunches to sent to three hospitals (LBJ, Ben

Taub and Memorial Hermann Greater Heights) for their workers. A doctor do-good deed indeed. Be a hero. Consider sponsoring a family that’s had unexpected expenses with a child battling cancer. You can help with presents at the Holiday Heroes Celebration Dec. 13. Many more children this year will be impacted, with parents losing their jobs. Last year, 114 families were helped. A donation of $150 supports gifts for a family of four (add $50 per extra person). If the party is not live this year at the Merfish Teen Center, a pickup location for the families will be created. The families are selected by social workers in partner hospitals. Sponsors shop, wrap the gifts, and present them to their “adopted” family at the festive party with food, arts/crafts and activities. Families have fun and try not to think about cancer for a couple of hours. Some of the volunteers are James Miller, Jackie Sheahan Miller, Lauren McCulloch and Karen Wiseman. To participate, see heroesforchildren.org or call 214-256-5616.

MORE ONLINE See Rumor Has It at thebuzzmagazines.com for additional photos. Have some good news to share? Email us at info@thebuzzmagazines.com.

MEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 33

KIDS

by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer

Buzz Baby

Pumpkin Carving 101

Buzz Baby is a column about life with babies. Writer Annie McQueen is a mother of four children under the age of 6.

othing makes you feel more like a kid in October than hand-selecting a pumpkin and creating a jack-o’-lantern – sticking your bare hands inside to pull out ooeygooey stringy guts and seeds and breathing in the smell of fall and Halloween. A lot of Buzz families make it into an annual tradition – they order pizza, gather up all of the pumpkin-carving tools on old newspapers in the yard, and even do a dress-rehearsal run with their Halloween costumes. My neighbors have an annual cousin night. The weekend before Halloween, they gather to carve pumpkins together and have a cousin sleepover. They line their finished pumpkins down the front walkway of their home to display their craftsmanship. The creativity gets a little competitive. Jeremy and Myra Bowyer also carve pumpkins each October. The three Bowyer boys – Grant, 8, Cole, 7, and Beau, 4 – all get involved with the process. When Grant turned 2, Jeremy started the tradition of letting the kids design their pumpkins, and then he helps to carve the design. The annual tradition will continue, they say, despite what happened last year, when the Halloween frights arrived early and in real life. Jeremy was carving their pumpkins when he accidentally sliced his hand. He needed a trip to the emergency room to get checked out, so Myra put the boys in the car and called her nearby parents. “I told them to expect three kids in their front yard in one minute,” she said. Jeremy had to have surgery the following day. Still, the show went on, and the family trick-or-treated on Halloween night, as usual, and Myra continued with her plans to fly to New York City to run the New York City Marathon the day after Halloween. The Bowyer family says that while last year’s trick was definitely not a treat, it will not stop them from carving again this year. They will just be extra careful.

Pumpkin-carving tips Select a pumpkin with a stem, preferably a MEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 34

thick green stem that indicates the pumpkin is fresh off the vine and has thick side walls – so, when you cut into the pumpkin, it holds up. Here is the messy part: cleaning your pumpkin. Believe it or not, it is ideal to leave the stem on (rather than cutting a circular opening at the top), so it can stay healthy longer, since the stem provides moisture to the pumpkin. Rather than cut the trap door for the light at the top, move it to the back of the pumpkin. Do this by cutting a hole in the back of the pumpkin to clean it out, remove the AT THE PATCH Pumpkin patches are a good first step to making jack-’o-lantern memseeds and filling, ories. Here, Georgia McQueen has her pick at Blessington Farms. and then place which was popular when they played in the your light inside from the back. World Series back in 2017? It is not a bad idea To have a fresh Halloween pumpkin, don’t to have a few back-up pumpkins in case you carve it too early. Another trick is to keep the mess up. pumpkin cool. Use a LED battery candle rather Grocery stores always have pumpkins. If than an actual candle. you’re looking for an excursion, there are pumpFind your inner artist and have fun with it. kin patches around Houston, such as Plan out your design and use a thin black pen to Blessington Farms, Dewberry Farm, and the draw – or print a template from Pinterest. Get pumpkin patch at Old Time Christmas Tree creative with your pumpkin-carving tools. One Farm, that offer additional fall fun with hayrides, Buzz dad used a drill bit to get the “perfect-shape petting zoos and more. eyes.” You can use any kitchen tool, such as largWherever you get yours and whatever you er spoons, smaller screwdrivers and lemon zesters. choose – yellow, green, lumpy and bumpy, Think beyond a jack-o’-lantern smile, with Cinderella or old-fashioned orange – congratutriangular-shaped eyes and nose. How about lations on making it to fall. Olaf and Elsa from Frozen II? Or an Astros logo,

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NEIGHBORS

by Cindy Burnett, staff writer

Buzz Reads

Five picks for October

Buzz Reads is a column about books by reviewer Cindy Burnett. This month, Cindy recommends five recently released titles.

lone Together: Love, Grief, and Comfort in the Time of COVID-19 edited by Jennifer Haupt – Paralyzed by anxiety during the early days of the coronavirus outbreak, Haupt decided to rally authors, asking them to contribute an essay, poem, or interview about their experiences during the pandemic. The anthology would benefit struggling independent booksellers through the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (Binc). The responses were swift – 69 authors wrote pieces for the print book, and another 22 are in the ebook and audio editions. Certain contributions resonated with me, including those about spending time with family and reaching one’s limit. However, the beauty of this collection is that, just as the pandemic has impacted each of us differently, the essays and poems will also speak to each reader in a unique way. The Cold Millions by Jess Walter – In this tale about two brothers, Jess Walter turns his attention to the labor movement in Spokane, Wash. The Cold Millions transports readers to another era when the United States was in the midst of significant upheaval, eerily similar to 2020, but soon after the turn of the 20th century. Walter vividly details life, including vaudeville stars, suffragettes, hobos, union agitators, Pinkerton detectives and tycoons, through the eyes of brothers who strive to move past their upbringing and survive. With his insight into the American experience and events that have built the country, Walter cements his spot as one of the U.S.’s great writers. She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs by Sarah Smarsh – Smarsh, National Book Award finalist for Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth, returns with an exploration of Dolly Parton and her role in standing up for under-represented women. Throughout her career, Dolly Parton has upended societal norms, fought for what she believes in, and taken on strong female roles in MEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 36

films including 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolias. Smarsh highlights Parton’s songs, such as “Just Because I’m a Woman” and “Coat of Many Colors.” Dollywood – which she started against advice – has contributed about $1.5 billion annually to East Tennessee. Parton’s decades-long ability to remain relevant while staying true to herself is a bright spot in a world where those in the spotlight struggle to stay authentic. When We Were Young & Brave by Hazel Gaynor – In her WHAT TO READ This month's picks include a mystery set on the Rosebud latest work of historical Reservation in South Dakota, two nonfiction books about timely issues and two fiction, Gaynor brings historical-fiction titles. One is about a British missionary school in China during World War II, and one tackles the labor movement in Spokane, Wash., following to life teachers and stu- the turn of the 20th century. dents at a British-opermystery series starring Virgil Wounded Horse, a ated missionary school in Chefoo, China. vigilante enforcer on the Rosebud Indian Inspired by a true story, the tale chronicles the Reservation in South Dakota who is hired by group’s experience as captives of the occupying those seeking justice when the American legal Japanese army during World War II. The system or tribal council fails them. Heroin has Chefoo School educated the children of misturned up, and its presence has personally sionaries and diplomats, and in peaceful times, impacted Virgil. He heads to Denver to find the the teachers were tasked with not only educatheroin’s source and piece together seemingly ing but also serving as stand-in parents to chilunrelated events. Weiden’s crisp writing examdren whose parents sometimes left them there ines life on a reservation today. A member of the for months or years. When Japan declared war Sicangu Lakota nation, Weiden details a broken on Britain and the United States, the Japanese criminal justice system and challenges faced by forces (who had already invaded China) took those preserving cultural identity while finding control of the Chefoo School and eventually a place within their larger community. moved it to an internment camp, requiring the teachers to help their students weather unimagEditor’s note: Southside Place resident Cindy inable adversity. Alternating between two charBurnett also writes our weekly Page Turners column acters, teacher Elspeth Kent and student Nancy at thebuzzmagazines.com. She hosts the Thoughts Plummer, Gaynor vividly portrays the horrors of from a Page Podcast, is co-creator of the Houston war, life in captivity, the resilience of humans, literary event series Conversations from the Page, and the importance of relationships. runs the Instagram account @thoughtsfrompage, Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli and regularly speaks to groups about books. Weiden – Winter Counts is the first book in a new

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TRAVEL

by Tracy L. Barnett, staff writer

Travel Buzz

Golf pilgrimage to Ireland

he Keating family is about as IrishAmerican as it gets. St. Patrick’s Day was a day (and long night) of craic. Growing up, the seven children were more familiar with The Clancy Brothers than The Beatles. William Butler Yeats has been recited for generations of eulogies. The family is from Counties Cork and Wexford, and if you drive around southeast Ireland, you’ll see car dealerships, pubs, real estate agencies and other businesses carrying the family name. Brothers John Jr. and Michael grew up in Spain, not Ireland, but as kids, they got to travel there, kiss the Blarney Stone, see The Cliffs of Moher, toss a penny from the Ha’penny Bridge in Dublin, get outfitted in the ubiquitous wool sweaters, and do other tourist things that are expected of a visitor to Ireland. But it wasn’t until John Keating Sr. retired that the family’s flirtation with Ireland became a longterm commitment. Indeed, as John Jr. wrote years later, the annual odyssey would become sacrosanct, “a borderline religious pilgrimage.”

t all began casually enough. “Dad called me up after retiring and said, ‘Hey, want to do a couple weeks in Ireland and Scotland?’” recalled John. The year was 1987, and the trip was beautiful. They putted their way through the region’s best golf courses, ending at Ballybunion. The name refers to a tiny town of about 1,600 people, but it also refers to the adjacent golf course, a piece of visual poetry on the shores of southwest Ireland. But as enjoyable as the journey was, John never dreamed it would be the starting point of a 33year love affair – not just with Ireland, but with an Irish town, its traditions and all its inhabitants. “Dad decided we needed to resolve whoever the Keating champion would be every year,” said John. “He joined the Ballybunion Golf Club, and the second year my brother, Dad and I went all together. Then, a few years later, a couple brothers-in-law came along.” By the sixth or seventh year, more extended family and friends joined in, and the Keating Championship took on a life of its own. After a day on the links, they would spend their time walking around town and visiting the Ballybunion pubs, getting to know the townsMEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 38

people. John Keating Sr., with his largerthan-life personality, became a regular, and some said he became more popular than the town’s mayor. “For one week each year, hundreds of the town’s residents knew the mayor as John Keating Sr.,” wrote GREAT CRAIC John Keating Sr. (center) on his last day ever at Ballybunion in July Michael Keating, now 2019, flanked by sons John (left) and Michael. the publisher of to 2020’s event and working to prepare for the GolfStyles, an international golfing magazine. physical demands of an oceanside links course. Their favorite hotel, the Cliff House, has But he died Nov. 2 in his Houston home. become the official locale for the championship An Air Force fighter pilot, Lt. Col. Keating events. Proprietors Kevin and Fiona was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. O’Callaghan became fast friends, as did local The funeral home saved some of his ashes for the musician Noel Nash, who came to Houston family, though. And next year, when the periodically to play at the Mucky Duck. Keating Championship resumes, John Jr. will The Irish-American Challenge began in carry a small urn in his suitcase, and he and his 2011, when members of Ballybunion played brother will sprinkle a bit of their father’s remains their U.S. visitors in a one-day match. It became on the greens of his beloved Ballybunion. an annual day of intense competition, followed “To give you an idea of what kind of a dignitary by a night of international camaraderie. my dad is in Ballybunion, we were going to have a “That’s become a big deal in the town,” said John. memorial service there, and Noel Nash was going “It’s evolved from being a bunch of Americans over to play,” said John. “Covid put an end to those there to us becoming a part of the town and a part plans. But the show will go on next year. We plan of the club. It’s very much a family situation. We go on keeping it going as long as we’re alive.” over there, and we feel like we’re home. “In Ballybunion, we walk into a pub, and reland’s west coast is notoriously known for we’re talking to Les or Jimmy, and they’re just its wet and windy conditions. Still, despite fellow citizens living in a small town,” said John occasional hurricane-force winds and torrential Jr. “The Irish really appreciate that. They see a rain, no round of the Keating Championship lot of tourists coming through a day or two, but has been cancelled, much less postponed, spanthen they never see them again. We’re there all ning some 170 rounds over 33 years. It’s a very week and renew friendships every year.” serious tournament played by USGA rules This year was a strange one for the Keating regardless of the weather. clan. It was the first year in 34 that there was no “You can get all four seasons in one day in Ireland. pilgrimage to Ballybunion. No championship, no You could have sun and beautiful weather, and sudlate-night pub crawls, no regaling one another denly a storm comes in from the Atlantic, then 10 with memories of years past. In part, it was because minutes later you’ll see a rainbow,” said John. of Covid-19. But there was something else, too. They never missed a round, even with 70John Keating Sr.’s last round was in the summph gusts of wind and rain – “because that’s mer of 2019. At 79, he was still going strong – why we’re there. It’s not like we can say, ‘Let’s even with 10 vertebrae fused after a terrible accido it next week,’” said John. (continued on page 40) dent just seven years ago. He was looking forward

MEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 39

A WHALE OF A TIME Clockwise from upper left: John Keating Jr. on Ballybunion No. 3 in 2015; father John Sr. and sons John and Michael at Ballybunion in 1989; Ballybunion is a true links course, hard by the Atlantic ocean and routed through the natural dunes; the iconic graveyard adjacent to Ballybunion’s opening hole.

Of the 60 contestants who have played in the Keating Championship, they own more than a combined 100 holes-in-one on other courses – although most would trade all aces for one on the world-renowned Ballybunion. Meanwhile, this year, in honor of the founder of the Keating Championship, we share a few anecdotes. First, a few from John: One year they were on the fifth hole, and it started raining. By the time they got to the sixth hole, “marble-sized hail was coming down, and we were in the fetal position. When it passed, we were on a par 3, and the green had two inches of ice from hail. It was still 60 degrees. We waited 10 minutes, it melted, we putted out and moved on.” One of the stories they love to tell is about a group of goats that lived on the course. If the goats came in and huddled under the overhang of the roof, you don’t play golf. “The goats would go to the same place anytime the weather got bad, but we would keep playing,” said John. “They said the goats were smarter than we were.” Michael, for his part, owes the game and its tradition to a reconciliation with his father after a few years of estrangement. Now, he’s become the patri-

(continued from page 38)

MEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 40

arch of planning for the trip, just as his father was. “Golf was a way for them to come together. I think if he didn’t have that it would have been hard to put aside the less important differences they had,” said John. “It was a platform for them to come together.” Asked to share a few anecdotes, Michael, the golf journalist, submitted his in writing. “In our less enlightened days, one participant decided to do a pub crawl, not knowing the small town had 37 of them. He didn’t make them all, but he tried. He went from his last pub to the first tee, drilled his opening shot down the middle then whiffed his next five attempts. He was ordered back to the car, where he was found five hours later, to put it politely, sound asleep. “The Cliff House hotel is the annual host to the Keating Championship contingent. The proprietors have noted that they sell more wine the week Keating & Co. are in town than any other week (and most months) of the year. “We’re not saying the Keating Championship is a big deal, but in 2002, there was a disagreement over a rules infraction during the tournament. When the issue was finally resolved, on the day of departure, the pilot of our U.S.-bound United

Airlines flight announced the decision mid-flight. “A ritual of the Keating Championship was enjoying a few pints at the bar and discussing current affairs or days of past. An oft-trivial disagreement could last hours. Then one year our most tech-knowledgeable participant brought a Google machine with him. Now, when disagreement arises, two or three will simultaneously look toward gadget-man and say, “Larry . . .”, who is already getting the answer from Google. And within a minute, the sustenance of the debate and the certainty of being right is gone. “John Keating Sr. joined Ballybunion in 1988 for $1,500. A few years later, John and I tried to join but we’re put on a decade-long waiting list. In 2004, we were welcomed as fellow members – for $15,000. For most, that’s a high price for a once-ayear (sometimes twice) visit to a golf club. For three-plus decades of memories, friendships, and an unbreakable bond with our father, it’s peanuts.” Editor’s note: Buzz travel columnist Tracy L. Barnett is a Lowell Thomas travel journalism award winner and longtime travel and environmental writer. Email her at info@thebuzzmagazines.com to share your own travel tales.

MEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 41

DINING

by Dai Huynh, staff writer

Chef’s Corner

Beatriz Martines

n the restaurant biz, the number of female executive chefs is small. Even fewer are female corporate chefs. H Town Restaurant Group corporate chef Beatriz Martines would like to see more women in the kitchen, but she knows the challenges. Only 22 percent of chefs and head cooks are women, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Joanna James’ 2018 award-winning film A Fine Line examined why fewer than 7 percent of executive chefs and restaurant owners are women. The female chefs in the film said it is tough balancing work and childcare. For Beatriz, 38, this means getting up at 5:30 a.m. and making breakfast and dinner for her family, along with doing a load of laundry. If she can’t eat with her children, she can be with them through her food. Then she leaves to meet with her boss, chef-owner Hugo Ortega, or oversee the menus and kitchen at Backstreet Cafe, Hugo’s, Caracol and Xochi. Growing up in Guadalajara, Mexico, who taught you to cook? My grandmother had a fonda, where she would sell all types of homey food, like enchiladas, sopes, tacos and moles. She had six daughters and three sons, and they all helped. When I was 7, I started flipping tortillas. I never looked at it as being work. For me, it was fun. You married your husband, Juan, at a young age. How did you both end up in Houston? My husband is from here, but his family vacationed in my hometown every summer. His house was three, four houses from ours. We married when I was 18; he was 21. When we had our first kid, he asked me, ‘How do you see yourself in five years?’ I told him I wanted to go to culinary school, but, with the baby, that was over, right? He said, ‘Why?’ You failed the English proficiency test to get into the Art Institute of Houston’s Culinary Arts program the first time, but you passed on your second attempt. How were you able to juggle motherhood, a full-time job at a school cafeteria, and the cost of a $70,000 degree? I’m almost done paying off my loans. At the time, I was working as a lunch lady and catering for friends on the weekends to earn money for MEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 42

school. By then, I had two kids. I would get them ready at 5 a.m., bring them to my mother-in-law by 6, then head to the cafeteria. I had to be there by 6:30. I would get home at 3 p.m., make the kids’ dinner, then go to the bus station for an hour ride to the Art Institute. I would get home around 11:30 p.m. You interned with a reality star, Mexican chef Aquiles Chavez, who promoted you to be his sous chef at La Fisheria while you were still in school! You received a culinary arts diploma in 2013, followed by a baking and pastry degree in 2014. Shortly afterward, you CHEF BEATRIZ MARTINES Corporate chef Beatriz Martines works closely departed for Catalonia, with James Beard Award-winning chef Hugo Ortega on the H Town Restaurant Spain, for an apprentice- Group menus. ship at the renowned and even harder when you’re a woman. Some three-star Michelin El Celler de Can Roca. men don’t like to take orders from a woman or El Celler was intimidating. Everything had to be their superior…, but over time, I earned be perfect. After this, I am not afraid to work in everybody’s trust by showing them that I know any kitchen. I saw more experienced chefs go what it takes to do the job. outside to throw up when it got to be too much, You love Hugo’s because it reminds you of the but I didn’t leave my babies for three months to food from Mexico. What are other favorites? fail. I didn’t understand Catalan, so I taught You can find me every other Sunday morning myself the basics and learned to work faster, betat Fonda Santa Rosa (9908 Beechnut) drinking ter. One day, someone said, ‘Hey, two chefs from café de olla and eating chilaquiles. It’s a hidden Houston are here; you may know them.’ Whoa, gem, very delicious authentic homemade food. it was chef Ruben [Ortega] and chef Hugo For margaritas and fajitas, I enjoy dining at [Ortega]. Chef Hugo told me later that he called Patrón Grill (9710 FM 1960 Bypass Road W, his wife and told her that there is a girl here he Humble). My favorite taco spot is Tacos del wanted to hire. His wife replied, ‘Well, what are Julio (24441 Katy Fwy #500, Katy). The al pasyou waiting for?’ tor are delicious. Five years ago, you started as his culinary director, then he promoted you to corporate chef. The Editor’s note: Buzz dining columnist Dai Huynh kitchen is a very competitive field. What is it like for is a James Beard food-journalism award winner and a woman to be in charge? longtime Houston-based restaurant writer. It is hard when you’re one of the new ones,

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FOOD Photo courtesy of the Junior League of Houston

by Erin Faulkner, contributing writer

Cooking Buzz A fresh fall feast Cooking Buzz is produced in partnership with the Junior League of Houston, a women’s charitable and education organization founded in 1925.

t’s hard to believe that spring and summer have come and gone. Nothing has been normal this year. The last moment that I felt truly connected with the seasons was in March. Then the coronavirus stole our routines and celebrations. There was no big Easter brunch, Memorial Day barbecue or American flagthemed cake for the Fourth of July. Celebrations help us navigate the present, and even if there isn’t a big guest list, they are more important than ever. With that in mind, let’s celebrate fall. Not only are cooler temperatures here, but a new set of fresh flavors are available to grace our plates. From the garden comes pumpkin, butternut and acorn squash. In the Gulf of Mexico, fall is the best time for wild-caught redfish. Come November, fresh venison is on the menu. Start the party off with a savory and sweet appetizer with Venison Meatballs in Sherried Chutney Sauce. The hot Italian sausage mixes with the venison to create simple, bite-sized meatballs that pack some zing. For the main course, Redfish in Creole Sauce brings together a mild fish with a complex, tomato-based sauce. For our side, we went with a Junior League favorite; the Creamy Pumpkin Polenta is rich and creamy and nothing but decadent. No party is complete without a signature cocktail. Pomegranates are in season from the end of September through November. Marry the flavor with champagne in Champagne Pomegranate Punch.

Venison Meatballs in Sherried Chutney Sauce From Stop and Smell the Rosemary 1½ pounds ground venison or lean ground beef 1 pound ground spicy sausage Flour 1 cup light sour cream 1 jar (8 oz.) mango chutney ½ cup dry sherry MEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 44

FALL FLAVORS The Creamy Pumpkin Polenta from Peace Meals is a decadent dish that feels like fall.

Combine venison and sausage. Roll venison mixture into 1½-inch meatballs. Roll in flour to lightly coat. Sauté meatballs in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until cooked. Drain. Combine sour cream, chutney and sherry in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until blended. Add meatballs and heat thoroughly. Sauce may be thinned with extra sherry. Serve warm in a chafing dish. Makes 75 cocktail meatballs.

Redfish with Creole Sauce From Houston Junior League Cookbook ½ cup chopped onion ½ cup chopped celery 1 clove garlic, crushed ½ cup cooking oil 2½ cups canned tomatoes 2 cans (8 oz. each) tomato sauce 1 cup cold water 1 redfish or Gulf red snapper (about 5 lbs.) Salt Freshly ground pepper Cayenne Chopped green onion tops Chopped parsley 1 lemon, thinly sliced In a heavy pot, sauté onion, celery and garlic in oil for 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water. Cook for 20 additional minutes. Meanwhile, fillet fish and season with salt, pepper and a few grains of cayenne. Arrange fish in baking dish. Pour tomato mixture over fish. Bake in 325degree oven for 30 minutes, basting often. Garnish with onion tops, parsley and lemon slices. Serves 6.

Creamy Pumpkin Polenta From Peace Meals 2½ cups milk 2 cups water or vegetable broth ¾ cup canned pure pumpkin 2 teaspoons coarse salt 1¼ cups instant dry polenta 1 cup fresh-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese ¼ cup mascarpone cheese ¼ teaspoon cinnamon 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil ¼ cup freshly shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Bring the milk and water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the pumpkin and salt. Reduce heat to low and gradually whisk in the polenta. Cook for 1 minute or until thickened and remove from heat. Add the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, mascarpone, cinnamon and basil, stirring until the cheese melts. The consistency should be thick but creamy. Serves 8.

Champagne Pomegranate Punch From Peace Meals 3 liters ginger ale, divided ½ cup brandy 1 cup pomegranate juice 1 cup peach schnapps 3 bottles brut Champagne or sparking wine The night before or at least 6 hours prior to serving, make ice cubes or an ice ring by pouring 1 liter of ginger ale into the desired container and freezing. Pour the brandy, pomegranate juice, and schnapps into a large punch bowl. Just prior to serving, gently add the Champagne and the remaining 2 liters of ginger ale. Float the prepared ice cubes or ring in the bowl.

MEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 45

SPORTS

by Todd Freed, staff writer

Gina Johnson

SportzBuzz W

ith the coronavirus pandemic having taken a heavy toll on high school sports dating back to the cancellation of the UIL state basketball tournament in March, the month of October offers new hope, excitement and a fresh start for local football teams who returned to game action for the first time since the start of the pandemic. “I think the excitement for the season is at an all-time high,” said Lamar Texans head football coach Mike Lindsey. “While there’s certainly a lot of nerves on how all this might go, we’re just happy to be playing football again.” With a scheduled season opener against The Woodlands Highlanders Oct. 2, the Texans have been facing a new set of challenges to prepare for the first game. “For starters, we are looking at practicing only outside the school day around 4 p.m., as opposed to previously having an athletic period. We are testing kids every day with temperature scans, Covid questionnaires, while having the players wear masks when they’re not actively working out. The coaches are wearing masks at all times. We’re also not sharing water bottles and doing so much more to be as safe as possible. We’ll find a way to make it all work and adjust accordingly.” With some collegiate football conferences canceling their seasons, the concern for the fate of the high school seasons certainly was heightened. “We definitely were worried when some of those conferences announced they weren’t playing this fall. Fortunately, we have had good communication with our HISD athletic director, and the UIL has done an excellent job of communicating a plan for the season,” said Lindsey. “Still, we need cases to continue to drop in Houston to give us more confidence for the entire season to be played. Also, in the coaching profession, we have to be just as careful. What happens, for example, if I came down with a case? Then we would be without a head football coach for about two weeks.” With the Southwest Preparatory Conference canceling its fall sports championships in the wake of Covid-19, local SPC schools such as Episcopal, Kinkaid, Houston Christian and St. John’s are doing their best to navigate through

MEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 46

MOVING FORWARD The St. John’s Mavericks are eager to return to the gridiron for plays like this in last season’s game versus the Episcopal School of Dallas. Mavericks running back Miles Masterson goes for a big gain behind the block of offensive lineman Eric Johnson. Also shown blocking for St. John’s is senior lineman (#65) Mansfield Owsley.

these uncertain times. “Our administration is taking a phased approach, with the goal of some sort of competition as we get into the later part of fall,” said St. John’s head football coach Kevin Veltri. As of press time, it remained unclear on just how many games would happen or if there would even be a football season for the Mavericks. “We haven’t set a target date. Our administration is taking the safest possible approach. The school definitely recognizes the benefits of athletics, and they’re trying their hardest to make it happen,” said Veltri. As for the cancellation of the SPC fall championships, which also affects volleyball, cross country and field hockey, Veltri says it’s a disappointment on multiple levels. “We have great relations with these schools, and to not compete for a championship is tough. I put myself in my shoes when I was a high school athlete, and sports was everything to me. However, I do not envy anyone who has to make these difficult decisions. We’re also trying to show our kids that while it may be a disappointment right now that there are also life lessons to be learned.” It is a new era for the Bellaire Cardinals volleyball program, with Nicole Blakeman taking

over as the Cardinals’ new head coach. Blakeman replaces retiring, long-time head coach Ap Clarke, who led the program to 19 consecutive playoff berths, including numerous district championships. As if those aren’t tough enough shoes to fill, taking over as a first-year head coach in the wake of a pandemic certainly presents its own unique challenges. For starters, Blakeman wasn’t even able to meet with her new players in person for the first time until a couple of weeks before the start of the season. “It’s a whole new experience for everybody,” said Blakeman, whose 25 years of head-coaching experience includes nine years at Clear Lake High School and, more recently, three years at Navarro High School. “The biggest challenge is the same challenge we’ve all been dealing with, in the constant fluidity of the situation. We had to cancel and reschedule repeatedly throughout the summer. I’m just excited to be back in Houston and coaching at a really good volleyball program here at Bellaire.” Editor’s note: To submit high school sports news for possible inclusion in SportzBuzz, please email todd@thebuzzmagazines.com.

MEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 47

SPORTS

by Angie Frederickson, staff writer

elcome to SportzBuzz Jr., a column spotlighting neighborhood athletes in elementary and middle school.

Practice makes perfect Players from the Spring Branch-Memorial Sports Association (SBMSA) varsity Bears team (top photo) practice during the summer 7-on-7 football league. Carter Foltz, Jake Arnold, Giancarlo Ortega, Will Arriaga, Chase Bob, Preston Pendley and Alex Granger (pictured, from left) ran a practice play while staying safe, under the direction of coach Giancarlo (John) Ortega. Athletes were grateful to have the opportunity to play, and SBMSA had a record number of kids registered. During “normal” seasons, SBMSA teams practice and play on fields owned by the Spring Branch Independent School District, through a partnership that is approaching 60 years together. This year, the teams found alternate locations and abided by the league’s Covid-19 policy to ensure everyone was able to participate in a safe manner.

Bringing their A-game Girls from around the SBMSA district participated in soccer tryouts and were placed on teams for the fall season. Kylie Torr, Ana Kate Mayhew, Courtney Whittaker, Magee Ferguson, Peyton Walsh, Sloane Miller and Melissa Saueressig (middle photo, from left) were among the girls who participated in the senior-girls division tryouts, held at the Spring Branch Education Center. Masks and social distancing kept the players safe, as they arrived at the fields to participate in various skills-assessment activities. Coaches sat on the sideline to observe the athletes as they showcased their abilities in shooting, timed dribbling around cones, small-group drills and mini scrimmages.

Ready to play 7 on 7 Wilchester Elementary fourth graders head to the field to play with their SBMSA 7-on-7 football team. Henry Nogueira, Westin Sharp, Lane Luton, Jay Squillante, Wyatt Robertson, Tommy Amis, Will Long, Parker Garin, Qyone Harris and Jackson Dieringer (bottom photo, from left) arrived with water bottles and face coverings to stay safe. As one team of 30 across three age groups, the boys participated in the league’s relaxed, developmental, summer program aimed at getting the players ready for the fall season. The summer was a success, and the boys now participate in the league’s fall season with a great turnout of kids and coaches who are committed to following health guidelines to make sure everyone can play safely. Editor’s note: Send your best high-resolution photos and behind-the-scenes stories about young local athletes, in both team and individual sports, to SportzBuzz, Jr. at info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Include all contact info, names, ages, grades and schools. Featured athletes must live in Buzz-circulation neighborhoods. Items will be published on a space-available basis. MEMORIAL BUZZ OCTOBER 2020 48

Matt Bennett

SportzBuzz Jr.

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HOOKED Blake Maillet, a senior at The Briarwood School, who’s also a School Buzz reporter, remembers a picturesque summer day.

KIDS by Blake Maillet, age 18

Buzz Kidz

Island days

nder a setting orange sun, a maze of “beach” houses sits along jagged concrete canals. There is a house, though, that does not sit on a canal, but rather at the mouth of one that leads to a small bay. Near this house I sit, with a fishing rod in hand, slouching in a comfy lawn chair. I wait with eagerness and annoyance as croakers and bottom feeders steal my bait. Relaxation and pleasantness are present. Every once in a while, I leave the comfort of my chair to battle it out with a fish. None of the battles are large. The big fish that have the guts to bite down on the bait are also smart enough to steal the bait. After I lose my bait for the hundredth time, I pull up the bait holder so I can hook another shrimp. The shrimp usually accept their fate and put up little fight, but there are oth-

ers who deny this inevitability. These shrimp are slippery and kick and slap. If I lose my grip, they slip between the cracks in the wooden dock to freedom. This is the first time I curse out a shrimp. I listen to the waves slapping the sides of the docks as the foam water rushes past. In the center of the blue bay, there is an island with some noisy inhabitants. These winged wonders move and fly around squawking to ensure that everyone around the bay can hear them, for on the island sits a bird sanctuary where birds of all kinds fly to and from to join the nonstop island party. I try to stay awake in hopes that I’ll be the first in my family to catch a legally sized, edible fish. Every once in a while, a low humming motorboat or a brightly colored jet ski passes by.

That was what once was. Now, I find myself sitting at a desk staring into a computer screen at my fellow classmates and teachers. The summer is gone, and school blows back into everyday life. Want to be a Buzz Kid? Email approximately 350 words, a high-resolution photo and caption to info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Or mail it to The Buzz Magazines, 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401.

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