The West University Buzz - February 2014 by The Buzz Magazines

Abbe Ulrich

Texans in Telluride by Tracy L. Barnett

Lost and Found Love Investigating Private Eyes Adventure Couples Growing Abroad Breaking Up With Your Hairdresser Houston, TX Permit No. 2047 PAID US Postage PRSRT STD

This Month in Dining: Noise Levels

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

aybe you’re familiar with the party game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, where you can link any Hollywood figure to Kevin Bacon in six or fewer connected film roles. At The Buzz, we often can do the same with people in our own community, linking any two residents in a few steps. Not a day goes by without a coincidental meeting or connection between residents, whether in person or through one of our stories. Take this month’s cover story on Telluride, by our wandering Travel Buzz writer, Tracy Barnett, in which my family found ourselves in the middle of our very own game of six degrees. We were a thousand miles from Houston and a world away in terms of beautiful scenery, and at every turn we ran into warm and welcoming residents from our Buzz coverage areas. We met new neighbors and made lasting new friends. And, yes, we all cut a little Footloose. michael@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 westubuzz.com • facebook.com/westubuzz Editor Publisher Associate Editors Vice President, Sales Staff Writers

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Joni Hoffman Michael Hoffman Cheryl Laird Annie Blaylock McQueen Jay Janecek Tracy L. Barnett Andria Frankfort Angie Frederickson Todd Freed Michelle Casas Groogan Dai Huynh Dave Schafer Cheryl Ursin Michelle Maresh Jordan Magaziner John Duboise Leslie Little Andrea Blitzer Darsey Swaim Erin Thompson Laura Callan Helen Hamilton Michele Luke

On our cover: West U’s Abbe Ulrich gets to reunite with family members at her parents’ Telluride condo. Cover photo by www.elevationimaging.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. Editorial content does not necessarily express the opinions of the publisher. Copyright © 2014 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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WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2014 5

MAILBAG

Your letters, thoughts, opinions Details matter Thank you for this very insightful article (Affording College, by Cheryl Laird, January 2014). I really appreciated the details and specific action items listed. Most articles regarding preparing for college are vague and high level and don’t provide any insight into a very daunting process. They simply tell the reader to do research. This article went above and beyond and actually listed very specific action items and examples. Thank you for a great article. Cecilia Heilmann Everybody read it The response to the trading article (Digital Garage Sale, by Annie Blaylock McQueen, January 2014) has been tremendous! Literally, I have received at least 75-100+ requests per day to be a member of the [Facebook West University Trading] site. Thank you, Annie, for a great article and an interest in our community. Jackie Sharbrough

Breastmilk sharing risky Your recent article on digital garage sales implied that sharing breastmilk with friends and neighbors is a good thing: “The group has come in handy for locating nearly impossible-to-find items, like breast milk. There was a mom who was looking for breast milk for a premature baby. At the time I had a three-month supply in our freezer. She was looking to buy it. I just gave it to her.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Breastmilk sharing is risky because breastmilk is a body fluid and may contain the same infectious agents that blood products can contain – hepatitis, HIV, CMV and others – and it is important to understand that unless you have donors who are screened with bloodwork, and the milk is pasteurized, you put your baby at risk by using the milk from your generous neighbor, and the neighbor puts herself at risk of being blamed for illness in the recipient baby. Most individuals who are CMV carriers do not know it, even if they are regular blood donors. I am sure that the recipient of the breastmilk in question did not ask the generous donor to get bloodwork before she accepted the offer of free milk. You owe it to the many young mothers who would do anything to promote the health of their infants to correct this misperception in your next issue and in your online edition. There are many online sources of breastmilk, and this is an area of increasing concern, as families are now freely sharing breastmilk with others and promoting its benefits. A recent study presented at the Academy of Breastfeeding medicine showed that most if WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2014 6

not all of these online sources of breastmilk shipped the milk improperly and that received milk not only had high levels of bacterial contamination, but often was received at room temperature and/or in leaking containers. Encourage women with extra breastmilk to donate to the Milk Bank in Austin [milkbank.org] or join the Mother’s Milk Cooperative (www.mothersmilk.coop), where donors are screened and milk is processed to remove the risk of infection instead. In addition, these organizations make sure that donor milk is available to the most vulnerable of infants, the very low birthweight infants whose own mothers are unable to produce sufficient milk to nourish them, the infants who are most likely to die from formula-related illness, such as necrotizing enterocolitis. Melanie Mouzoon, M.D.

Correction In January’s Tanglewood/River Oaks Buzz About Town column, Ed Wolff was misidentified as Beth Wolff’s husband. Beth and her son, Ed Wolff, were co-chairs of the Houston A+ Challenge Power of Network Dinner. The Buzz regrets the error. 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 easy gluten-free recipes to share. • Are planning a wedding or recently got married. • Have a personal photo with a meaningful story behind it. • Have stories from a girls- or guys-only trip. • Buried or celebrated the passing of a loved one in an unusual way. 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

Love Lost and Found

eorge Simons had an announcement to make at Thanksgiving 2012. With all three of his children and their families in attendance, including eight grandchildren ages 15 to 27, as well as Sammie Simons, his former wife and the mother of his children with whom he remained friendly, he had secretly planned to make the announcement after the Texans game. But as the game progressed into double-overtime, George grew fidgety and asked for the TV remote. He paused the game and stood to speak. With tears in his eyes, he told his family that after 20 years of being single he was getting married. To his first and only wife, their mother and grandmother. Again. “You hear stories like this,” says George and Sammie’s daughter Laurie, an accountant, “so it’s something I thought could happen. But I wasn’t going to count on it.” George and Sammie divorced after 31 years of marriage. “We hated to do it, but we had just grown apart,” Sammie, a homemaker, says. “It was amicable. Nobody was bitter.” George, a retired banker, says, “I made sure she was fine financially and never lacked for anything.” During their 20 years apart, the couple still got together at family events and holidays, and they even traveled to Europe together a year after they divorced. George and Sammie both dated. “For me, there was nothing serious,” Sammie says. “But George went with a lady for eight years. I was friendly with her because I still wanted to be a family. I even had her and George over for dinner.” A year or so after George and his friend broke up, he and Sammie started going to dinner more often. Daughter Laurie noticed that they were meeting friends every Saturday at the Bellaire Coffee Shop. “They just seemed to be really good friends,” she says. One day George called Sammie to tell her he wasn’t feeling well and ask if she would walk his dog. “I went to see him and I took Max for a walk,” Sammie says. “And then I asked, ‘When do you want me to go home?’” George’s response: “I never want you to go home.” Sammie likes to say that Max the dog WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2014 8

TAKE ONE, AND TWO Sammie and George Simons marry for the first time in 1956. Inset photo: They later divorced and, this December, got married again.

brought them back together. On December 23, 2012, 56 years to the day after their original wedding and 20 years after their divorce, George and Sammie married in front of their Christmas tree. With only George’s sister and her husband, a retired Methodist minister, in attendance, the Simons “just did it again,” as George says. That afternoon, the entire family gathered at their home to celebrate. Jana Harker, another Simons daughter and a teacher, says the family is “thrilled. There’s so much history, and there are grandkids. It’s such a nice ending to have two people you love together.” George and Sammie say they feel like newlyweds. Only smarter. “We’re more open and honest. And we’re wiser. We talk about what bothers us.” Lucy Richardson and John Moffitt are just starting out, but their relationship has gone through a similar on-off cycle. The two started dating their freshman year at Bellaire High School. “I saw her getting her freshman ID outside the library at Cardinal Camp and some-

thing hit me like a lightning bolt,” John says. For the next four years, the two were the perfect high school couple. As seniors, the school newspaper profiled them as sweethearts. Months later, Lucy and John broke up. “We were going to college and just wanted to have the whole experience and develop our own identities,” Lucy says. “If things were meant to be, we knew we’d find our way back to each other.” They kept in touch for a couple of years while Lucy was at TCU and John at LSU, then they stopped, going a year and a half without talking. “We both got back to Houston in 2010, and we went to dinner, and the rest is history,” Lucy says. Lucy, who works in the development office at MD Anderson Cancer Center, and John, a commercial lender at Amegy Bank, are engaged to be married this March. In a nod to their meeting spot at the Bellaire High School library, they’ll wed at the Julia Ideson Library. And a quartet of Bellaire students will play during the cocktail hour. “I’m grateful that we did it the way we did,” John says. “It was the right thing. The toughest part was being apart, but now we know ourselves better.”

Kevin Long, www.gulfcoastshots.com

SWEETHEARTS After time apart during college, John Moffitt and Lucy Richardson are engaged to be married this March.

TRAVEL

by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer

Adventure Couples

ould you consider it romantic to schlep gear, without a shower or much sleep for days on end, up a 19,000-foot volcano? How about camping in Africa while lions circle your campsite? Or, closer to home, training for and running a full marathon together? For some Buzz-neighborhood couples, this is romance. Adventure junkies Ces Guerra, a realtor, and his photographer wife, Laura, got engaged in 2005 on a hike in the Smoky Mountains. They have tackled Mount Everest Base Camp, Kilimanjaro, the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu and don’t plan to stop climbing any time soon. “Going to see museums in Paris is a great way to travel but this kind of hiking, when it’s an adventure, is so much more rewarding because you have such a high,” said Laura. “There’s nothing like it.” Framed photos of their trips are sprinkled around their home. As music plays softly in their den and a fire rumbles, Ces leans back in his wingback chair to reminisce. “I always talk about climbing up to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in the middle of the darkness, through the wind, the cold and the sleepiness, when I looked back at Laura and asked, ‘Laura, are you ok?’” Laura interrupts, laughing, “I know what you are going to say, Ces, and it’s so cheesy.” He smiles, and continues. “She said, ‘I am just thinking of the day we got married and our friends and family.’” Ces says he nearly gave up and quit because of pure exhaustion the day before they reached the summit. “I wanted Laura to keep going if I stopped.” Nonetheless, they made it to the top and snapped a photo of them holding a flag of Ces’ alma mater, Louisiana State University. In the end, they both agreed the happy thoughts of their lives at home helped power them up the final difficult push. Ces and Laura have made friends along the way, like local retiree and active volunteer Joan Hessidence and her husband, geophysicist Rick Wall, whom they met in the United Airlines lounge at Bush Intercontinental Airport. Joan and Rick have lived in Norway and

EXPLORERS Danielle and Josh Batchelor, here in Aspen with kids Coulson, 7, and Beckett, 5, love embarking on new adventures together.

London and traveled over the course of their 30 years together. “When we were dating in 1984, we did a 21-day bicycle trip in China,” said Joan. “For us, [traveling] is an affirmation of some of the things, the common values, that brought us together to begin with,” said Joan. “We met each other at a YMCA in New Orleans, so an active lifestyle is something is very important to us.” Oil and gas professionals Iliana and Greg Romero say exploring is “in their blood.” They have lived in and traveled to New York, Europe, Latin America and Dubai, among other places. “We did a safari camping in the bush in Botswana, Zambia and Namibia. It was a pitchyour-own-tent, shower-every-couple-days type of safari,” said Iliana. “But it was one of the most magical experiences.” Iliana says the rustic safari helped her appreciate basic amenities. “The bathroom was a hole in the ground 50 yards away from our campsite. Walking to it was frightening, especially when you have a pride of lions walking through camp,” she said, laughing. While some couples prefer sipping mai tais on a sunny beach, the Romeros chose to bike around France for six days on their 16th wedding-anniversary trip. “We biked through Dordogne and Bourdeaux, and [biked] a high of

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55 miles a day,” said Iliana. When traveling together, said Greg, “we’re creating memories together, and when you create memories and experiences together, that always creates a great foundation for a relationship.” Danielle Batchelor, a business owner, and her husband Josh, a private equity investor, met in high school in Oklahoma City and married in 2000. Since then, they have lived in San Francisco and New York and now call Houston home. They have traveled to France, Italy, Ireland, Thailand, Vietnam, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, the Bahamas and the British Virgin Islands. While traveling, they always find time to enjoy one of their passions: running. “You can see so much more on foot and such a different perspective,” said Danielle. “We ran the Houston Marathon in 2013 together. It was such a different kind of adventure,” said Danielle. “We would joke the training was like these long dates. You don’t have cell phones or television,” said Danielle. “There are adventures away but there are also wonderful things you can do in your own backyard.”

MORE ONLINE For more photos of these travels, see this story online at westubuzz.com.

www.hartphoto.com

TRAVEL TREASURES Ces and Laura Guerra decorated their backyard with Nepalese prayer flags. Here, they wear trekking vests they received from their Mount Kilimanjaro guide, Dean Cardinale.

NEIGHBORS

by Michelle Casas Groogan, staff writer

Growing Abroad

n “expat” is a brave soul, someone who has left behind home and culture for adventure and work in another country. Since Houston is a huge player in global trade, chances are good you know an expatriate. Jenny and Wes Vestal sold their Meyerland home in 2012 and moved to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates for Wes’ new position as director of human resources with Baker Hughes. It was cultural exposure the couple wanted for their three young girls, Molly, Lucy and Caroline, who attended Horn Academy. “It’s been exciting to learn what makes us different, seeing men and women in their traditional Muslim Arabic clothing,” said Jenny. Jenny writes a funny blog for friends and family about Middle Eastern life and her family’s adjustments. She posts about her encounters with driving and high-rise living. But some of her funniest stories are about shopping. “As an expat, you sometimes take to hoarding. When you find American luxury food items, like Wheat Thins, or vanilla Oreos in a store, you will never see it there again, literally, because here American brands are unpredictable imports. So, when you find those items, you buy them all. Like today, I found Wheat Thins, and bought all eight boxes,” she said. Another expat couple, Hina and Rajiv Pandya, have a senior and sophomore at Bellaire High School, and even though they call Houston home, their teenage daughters, Shivani and Janvi, have spent most of their lives living in other countries. When the girls were just 4 and 2, the family moved to Thailand for Rajiv’s job with Dow Chemical. It was a welcome break for Hina, who was a physician with Kelsey-Seybold at the time. “We had very busy and very stressful lives,” said Hina. “Managing our schedules and daycare… I was overwhelmed with these two little kids. We couldn’t even get our laundry done, and when he said how about going to Thailand, I didn’t even think twice about it.” They fell in love with Thailand, even though they spent the first two years living in a community with other expats. “We didn’t only get to know the culture of

Thailand, but we got to know people from all over the world. We celebrated everyone’s holidays,” said Hina. They spent the last two years of their Thailand assignment living in a high-rise building in downtown Bangkok, getting a real cultural experience. They returned to Houston in 2004 for a short time before jumping at the chance to take another expat assignment in Shanghai, China, where they lived five years. This time Hina was able to obtain her own work visa and practiced medicine. Each time the couple TIME ABROAD Sherri and Simon Dullingham, with their daughter Victoria, are moved they took every- from West University and currently live in Cyprus. thing with them, leavnotice, this has been difficult for me.” ing nothing behind. They wanted total immerBut Shelli says the perks outweigh the inconvension in the culture. Now, their Bellaire home is iences. The small island has beautiful beaches and like a museum filled with personal, handpicked easy travel opportunities. Education hasn’t been a treasures from countries all over the world. concern either; Victoria is thriving in the small and “The people that enjoyed being an expat the personal American International School. most were the ones that treated their time there The expat journey extends both ways. as an adventure, and they were very tolerant Houston is the new home for Australians about the culture,” said Rajiv. “They didn’t try Richelle and Craig Dennis and their two young to force their home-country norms – they were daughters. Settling into Bunker Hill, the family really flexible with the understanding that we’re wanted to be part of the local community, but it guests in this country.” hasn’t come without adjustments. Shelli and Simon Dullingham call West “The biggest culture shock for us is realizing University home. But their expat life took them just how casual Australians are in all forms, parto Singapore in 2008 and now to the ticularly with the girls at school and with friends. Mediterranean Sea. The couple, along with Here everyone is ‘Mrs.,’ whereas at home everytheir 9-year-old daughter, Victoria, have estabone is on a first-name basis,” said Richelle. lished a household on the small island of Cyprus. Cultural quirks have caused them a few “The main challenge for me here is organizing embarrassing moments too – for example, when my day; most stores and businesses close every she talks about her or her daughter’s thongs. In afternoon from 1 to 4,” said Shelli. “For an Australia, that is the word for flip-flops. American, able to buy anything on a moment’s

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NEIGHBORS

by Dave Schafer, staff writer

Investigating Private Eyes

ot him. The cat-and-mouse chase had encompassed six years and four countries, but private investigator John Moritz finally tracked down the con man he was chasing. After being charged with swindling victims out of millions and pleading guilty in 2004 to money laundering, Harris Dempsey “Butch” Ballow had jumped bail. He fled to Mexico, where he continued his scams, according to clients who hired Moritz. Finally, in 2010, the Houston-based licensed private investigator was able to use computer surveillance to locate Ballow at a country club in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Moritz posed as a potential investor and went inside to make sure. Then he called authorities and waited as they took Ballow away in handcuffs. Eventually, Ballow was extradited to the United States, sentenced to 10 years in prison for the previous conviction and charged with other crimes. “It was gratifying that we were finally able to put an end to the chase, and he wouldn’t be able to screw anybody else,” said Moritz, a 20-year veteran whose firm has six full-time workers and 12 part-time investigators. A private investigator’s job isn’t always so jetsetting glamorous. Despite what Raymond Chandler would have you think, there are few dead bodies, cracks upside unsuspecting heads or shoot outs. Instead, the job is about online-database research, running background and pre-employment checks, covert surveillance and locating people and disappeared assets. P.I.s may not even carry a gun – although Moritz, a Harris County officer, does when he’s in the United States. They work civil and criminal cases, building a file for a client and then sometimes handing the file over to police. They often testify at trial, so a good relationship with law enforcement is important. “The police just don’t have the resources to stay on a case for multiple days, unless they have a really hot lead. So we fill the gaps,” Moritz said. To get a private-security license from the Texas Department of Public Safety, a P.I. must

have a four-year degree in criminal justice or three years’ experience as an investigator with a privateinvestigation company or as a police officer, and must pass a written TDPS exam. Even a secretary who does an online search for a client needs to be licensed, Moritz says. But he said his team constantly runs across unlicensed investigators. If caught, they face penalties and ON THE CASE Houston's private eyes usually track down missing people or property possibly criminal online first before hitting the streets. charges. cases, investigating spouses, tracking down missInvestigators are paid by the hour. Forensic ing people and runaways and running backwork generally costs the most, while surveillance ground checks on fiancés and lovers, about 10 costs less. years ago because he wanted to work with every“We have resources that the public doesn’t day people. “It keeps it real,” he said. McMahon have, and we know how and where to look and has been a licensed investigator for 30 years, how to follow a trail,” said John McMahon, often working legal and corporate support and owner of John McMahon & Associates. personal-injury defense. In 85 to 90 percent of cases, McMahon says, He’s careful not to invade privacy, he said. “I he’s able to find someone within four hours of have no interest in doing something that is in a being hired, by using online databases, some of gray area or, even legal, that will drag me in into which are restricted to people in law enforcea lawsuit.” He won’t take pictures through winment, security and licensed investigation. dows, for instance – others might – and won’t Licensed private investigator Dave Pazda spebug a phone or plant GPS on someone’s vehicializes in corporate electronic-espionage councle. termeasures – a Bondian term for searching He will videotape an “injured” worker trimmeeting rooms for listening devices. ming a tree or photograph a man spending the In one case, Pazda swept more than 30 rooms night in the same house as his new wife’s chilafter a client found a device in a board room – dren – even though the man has a conviction it turned out to be an electronic fart generator, for child abuse. more a modern-day Three Stooges than a Moritz also does surveillance and used to have Professor Moriarty. a customized van, but now he uses U-Haul Pazda avoids domestic investigations because trucks. “Nobody gets suspicious,” he said, “if they “they tend to be messy.” see a U-Haul parked on the side of the road.” But McMahon says he began taking on those

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Allergy… and immunology Allergies make you more susceptible to getting sinus infections because when nasal tissue is inflamed and swollen, it’s easier for a tiny infection to wall itself off in a space that can’t easily drain. Therefore, the virus that gave you a cold allows one random bacteria to become 2, then 4, then 8, then 16, then millions. That is why allergy treatment often reduces the frequency and severity of sinus infections. Reducing that inflammation lets the infection drain so your body can heal itself. But some patients may also have an immune system that can’t fight off viral or bacterial infections optimally. In this group, running some blood tests looking for specific antibodies against the most likely bugs to cause sinusitis, bronchitis and pneumonia can give clues as to how to improve the function of the immune system. You’ve probably heard of Pneumovax, the pneumonia vaccine that is recommended for those age 65 and older. Pneumovax is good, but not awesome. It immunizes against 23 serotypes (a serotype is basically a “cousin”) of Streptococcus pneumonia (Strep pneumo), but it uses 1970s technology. In 2011, the FDA approved the pediatric pneumococcal vaccine, Prevnar-13, for use in adults. Prevnar-13 only has 13 serotypes, but utilizes three different components of your immune system to optimize your ability to fight this important bacteria. Strep pneumo is the No. 1 bacterial cause of sinusitis, bronchitis and pneumonia. Wouldn’t it be great if there were also a vaccine for the No. 2 bacterial cause of those three infections? Well, there is! It’s called ActiHIB, and it strengthens the immunity to Haemophilus influenzae Type B. Did some-

body just say influenza? Is this a “flu shot” or influenza vaccine? No, and no. Influenza is a virus that gives you “the flu.” Haemophilus influenzae is a bacteria that some idiot named the flu just to confuse us all. Just kidding. Haemophilus was isolated in the 1890s, and was thought to be the cause of the flu until the influenza virus was discovered in the 1930s. Would you benefit from any of these vaccines? The best way to find out is through consultation with a board-certified allergist, who can assess if you have an immune deficiency and if your immune system can be taught how to fight bugs more effectively. Real allergists are certified by the American Board of Allergy and Immunology. That last part, “…and Immunology,” is one other distinction that separates us from bootleg allergists. No one nose allergies like we do.™ Note: Information contained in this article should not be considered a substitute for consultation with a board-certified allergist to address individual medical needs. David B. Engler, M.D., The Allergy Clinic, 7707 Fannin, Suite 100, Houston, Texas 77054, 713.797.0993, *1200 Binz, Suite 180, Houston, Texas 77004, 713.522.9911, www.allergyclinic.com, *Operating as Houston Allergy & Asthma Clinic

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TRAVEL by Tracy L. Barnett, staff writer

Travel Buzz Texans in Telluride www.elevationimaging.com

uzz editor Joni and publisher Michael Hoffman often find that work follows them everywhere they go. Even so, what happened in Telluride over the holidays took them by surprise. They’d booked a room at the Fairmont Heritage Place’s Franz Klammer Lodge and were looking forward to a winter escape. They also were on a mission: They hoped to meet another family from the Buzz readership area to interview for this story. They needn’t have worried. They hadn’t been on the shuttle from the airport more than five minutes when it began. Michael and Joni struck up a conversation with the woman who shared their shuttle. Abbe Ulrich was her name, and it turned out she hailed from West University in Houston; she was there to meet up with other members of her far-flung family. Her parents had fallen in love with Telluride eight years ago and invested in a condo at the Fairmont so they could make that the family’s point of reunion. They exchanged information, and Abbe said she would be happy to have her photo taken during her stay. Mission accomplished, the Hoffmans set about installing themselves in the Fairmont. They thought the lodge offered just the right blend of rustic and luxury, and Telluride was quaint and beautiful. But it wasn’t long before they discovered their networking was far from over. The next morning they got up to go skiing and a young man approached their son Matt. “Did you go to Bellaire High School?” he asked. It turned out they had taken a class together. That was Aman Narayan, who was there with his parents, Rakesh and Swati, and his two brothers, Deven and Milan, and family friend Arjun Ramsunder. Even their dogs had made a connection, as they later discovered; the Narayans’ yellow lab, Shehalia, was being boarded at Rover Oaks Pet Resort along with the Hoffmans’ two golden retrievers, Duke and Bailey. Joni invited the whole family to be included in the following day’s photo shoot. Then, as Michael made his way up the mountain on the chairlift, he met Julie and David Brown. “Oh my God, we’re in The Buzz this

BAYOU CITY CONVERGENCE Some Houstonians met on a recent trip in Telluride. From left, standing: Abbe Ulrich, David Brown, Julie Brown, Ashley Brown, Rakesh Narayan, Aman Narayan, Arjun Ramsunder and Deven Narayan. Kneeling: Christopher and Caroline Brown. Seated: Madeline Brown.

month!” exclaimed Julie when she learned who Michael was. The Browns are from Tanglewood and have owned a home in Telluride since this past spring, when they fell in love with the town during a fly-fishing expedition. Julie and family were invited to join the photo shoot, as well. By the time they made it to the morning photo shoot, the group numbered 11. But that wasn’t all. The Hoffmans’ friends, Myrna and David Engler from Bellaire, had come to join them, along with their daughters Kelly and Amy. They were all dining together at Allred’s, Telluride’s flagship restaurant at the top of the gondola. It was the very last reservation of the night on the last night of the Hoffmans’ trip, and the place was nearly empty except for them and the piano player. Kelly, who is in the musical theater program at Northwestern University, began to sing along. “So we’re listening to Kelly and the piano player, and all of a sudden a couple sitting at the fireplace came around the corner; they were

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enjoying hearing Kelly singing,” Joni recalled. They struck up a conversation; it turned out the man was Chuck Horning, owner of the Telluride Ski and Golf Resort. “Oh, yes, we love Houstonians,” Horning told them with a laugh. He had just had dinner with Susan and Mike Plank, who live in Memorial. The couple had bought a second home in Telluride seven years ago and had been celebrating the holidays here for more than a decade. “It was amazing,” Joni said later. “The thing is, in order for us to be able to include people in the magazine, they can’t just be from Houston, but they have to be residents in the Buzz readership areas – West U, Bellaire, Tanglewood, River Oaks and Memorial.” Susan and Mike completed the quartet. “What we like about it is that it’s very laid back,” Susan said. “You don’t have to get dressed up to go out; it’s not a frou-frou resort.” Added Mike, “And it certainly doesn’t hurt that it just happens to be the most gorgeous mountain set-

Melissa Plantz

ting in North America.” Susan says there’s no room for pretentiousness, even given the town’s status as a hangout for the stars. Dennis Quaid had been on the mountain skiing two days earlier; on other occasions they’ve run into Tom Cruise or George Strait. Equally unusual is the complete lack of paparazzi. Abbe, too, has grown accustomed to Telluride’s star quality. “Yesterday I rode in the elevator with Kelly Ripa; one year I saw Jerry Seinfeld and his family, and once I saw Ben Stiller.” On Christmas Eve her family goes to Mass, and Kelly Ripa is always there. This year, she gave out communion. Parents say they like the sense of safety and connectedness; they can relax while their kids explore the towns of Telluride and the neighboring Mountain Village, which are linked by a 13minute ride on a free gondola system. “The kids can take the gondola and go into town, get ice cream and come back by themselves,” Susan said. For the Browns, too, the public transportation has been a huge boon. They have three daughters: Ashley, 21; Madeline, 19; and Caroline, 18; and a son, Christopher, 25, and they can go out at night and ride the gondola home with no worries. The town has a tempting offering of fine restaurants and a lively nightlife, which the kids love. Julie often prefers to cook at home. On the way in from the airport in Montrose, they usually stop at City Market and the big box stores to stock up on groceries and supplies; she also frequents Telluride’s vibrant Village Market for fresh meat and produce. For the Englers, who were here for the first time, the true test of Telluride would be whether it was worth the trip if you couldn’t ski. Kelly had stepped on a broken glass and sliced open her foot right before the trip, an injury that required a trip to the emergency room and eight stitches, and would necessitate crutches or a wheelchair for the duration of her stay. Bad luck it was, but the family pulled together and made the most of it. Telluride passed the test with flying colors. “It was very quaint, with gorgeous weather – just perfect,” said Myrna. “Riding on the gondola was great, whether we were going out to dinner or sightseeing, and the hotel was magnificent.” Amy spent some time out on the slopes, but Myrna, David and Kelly spent their time exploring. They went into town, went shopping, ate out and saw the sights, taking turns pushing the wheelchair – a task that the Hoffman boys, Andy and Matt, stepped up for, as well. There was no shortage of things to do, as it turned out, and Telluride, despite its location on a mountainside, was enormously accessible. The gondola, which has a ramp and accommodates wheelchairs, met Kelly’s needs without a hitch. One of most memorable activities came on their last day, when they scheduled a horse-

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SMILES The Plank family enjoys their second home in Telluride. From left: Kendall, Mike, Susan and Jared, with their dog Oakley.

drawn sleigh ride with Roudy the Cowboy. “They call him Roudy for a reason – he’s a hell raiser,” said Myrna with a laugh. For the Nayarans, too, it was the first time to Telluride, and it probably won’t be the last. They also stayed at the Fairmont, and they loved it. The Narayans take a ski vacation every winter, usually choosing a different destination each year – but after their visit to Telluride, they’ve decided to go back and do it again. When Rakesh rattles off a list of the resorts he’s been to, it sounds like Ski Magazine’s Top 10: Beaver Creek, Steamboat, Whistler, Deer Valley, Mont Tremblant in Montreal. In Telluride, he was impressed by the convenience – a short flight, then a short shuttle ride – and, like the Englers,

appreciated the short lines he encountered everywhere he went. “It’s a very nice place, nice and quiet – I was expecting it to be very crowded,” he said. “It’s much quieter than I expected. You could walk into restaurants at lunchtime or dinnertime, and you didn’t have to wait.” The constellation of Houstonians came as no surprise to Chuck Horning. “This is just the tip of the iceberg,” he said in a telephone interview. “There’s kind of a love relationship between Telluride and Houston, and I don’t fully understand it, but I love it. They create fabulous energy and they add a lot to this place. They aren’t just visitors; they’re fully engaged. They’re high-energy people. It’s really a wonderful relationship.”

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2014 17

HOME

by Michelle Maresh, contributing writer

Buzz Home: Master Bed and Bath

elcome to Buzz Home, a column spotlighting readers’ homes. This month we’re taking a look inside the master bedroom and bathroom of George and Paige Hagle’s 1939 house. Let’s take a look inside to see what they did.

Editor’s note: Michelle Maresh is the publisher of Houston Design Resources. To submit homes for consideration, email info@thebuzzmagazines.com.

OLD AND NEW Bottom left: All of the cabinetry was provided by George’s company, Leedo Cabinetry, in an espresso finish. Top right: The designer created a soft contemporary style, mingled with luxury and functionality, to complement the 1930s architectural-design details of the home. Middle right: With more than 3,500 square feet of living space, the Hagles’ home on Wickersham Lane has lots of room for the family of four. Their two children, Emma, 14, and George IV (aka G4), 10, attend St. John’s School, where their parents attended as well. Bottom right: The Hagles commissioned interior designer Punita Valambhia to transform their bathroom and bedroom into a serene retreat in their 2010 remodel. WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2014 18

Junk drawer financial planning Hopefully, each of us has made careful financial decisions. Unfortunately, financial decisions are usually made independently from each other, at different times. When we purchase a home, we make a decision about how large a down payment to make and whether to take a 15- or 30-year mortgage. When we obtain employment or start a business, we consider the retirement plans available to us and how much to contribute. Investments are chosen based upon rankings and what our friends and neighbors are doing. Stock options are exercised based upon projections of the anticipated direction of the stock. 401(k) contributions are set initially and then never reviewed to determine if wealth is being maximized and taxes reduced over our lifetimes. Over time, our financial plan becomes a hodge podge of uncoordinated items – just like our kitchen junk drawer. One strategy or investment may have been selected to reduce income taxes while another strategy or investment in our drawer may be inadvertently increasing our taxes. We may have fixed income or equities in one financial envelope when they’d be better positioned in another. We may be overinsured in one area and underinsured in another. If our financial affairs are working in harmony and maximizing wealth over time it’s by happenstance. In fact, some financial strategies we have employed may actually be contradictory – the equivalent of having one foot on the gas and another on the brake simultaneously. A good financial planner can help organize our financial junk drawers

and keep them organized as time goes by. A kitchen appliance or tool or investment that may have been useful at one time can be discarded or traded in. By coordinating the useful items, trading in duplicative items, and throwing out the real junk, we provide ourselves the possibility of wealth maximization and concomitant debt and tax reduction. This material is intended for educational purposes only. Please consult your investment professional or tax advisor for specific information pertaining to your situation. All information contained herein is derived from sources deemed to be reliable but cannot be guaranteed. Investing involves risk including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee or profit or protect against loss. Securities and advisory services offered through SagePoint Financial, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Insurance services offered through Park Place Financial, which is not affiliated with SagePoint Financial or registered as a broker-dealer or investment advisor. SagePoint Financial, Inc. does not offer tax or legal advice. Legal advice provided by Christopher J. Maurer. 6750 West Loop S, Suite 920, Bellaire, Texas 77401. Christopher J. Maurer, J.D., CFP® is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ in Bellaire, with over 20 years of experience. He can be reached at cmaurer@parkplacefinancial.co or 713-667-4884.

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by Todd Freed, staff writer

SportzBuzz A

fter leading St. Thomas High School to its first undefeated regular football season in 70 years, as well as a second straight district championship, Eagles head coach Tim Fitzpatrick was honored as the Coach of the Year at the Touchdown Club of Houston Private High School Football Awards dinner. “Coach Fitzpatrick has created a real energy and personality for our program,” said St. Thomas athletic director Mike Netzel. “We’ve won 21 of 24 games since he took over the program. The kids expect to go out there and win football games.” Another big award winner from St. Thomas was senior Joseph Lowery, who was named Lineman of the Year after securing 64 tackles and nine sacks this season. Meanwhile, St. Pius X receiver Brian Newman capped off a brilliant career for the Panthers by winning the Offensive Player of the Year award. On the other side of the ball, Kinkaid Falcon John David Johnson won the Defensive Player of the Year award, while Houston Christian’s John Clarke, who was both a standout receiver and defensive back, took home the Ironman of the Year Award. In basketball, the St. John’s Mavericks captured the 74th annual HISD basketball tournament for the second straight year, beating out a 32-team field to win the championship. St. John’s won six games over a tough three-game stretch, including victories over HISD powers Bellaire and then Wheatley in the championship final. St. John’s is only the second private school ever to be a two-time champion of the HISD tournament. “It’s really a huge deal for our school to win that tournament once again,” said Mavericks head coach Harold Baber. “Not a lot of people know about St. John’s basketball, but with a high-profile player such as Justice Winslow and then beating some of the city’s top programs, we’re bringing some great exposure to the school. Justice kind of took over in the last two games, but he had great support from a lot of our guys.” As for Winslow, the Duke University signee was spectacular in the championship game vic-

Kevin Long, www.gulfcoastshots.com

SPORTS

tory over Wheatley with 27 points, 22 rebounds and five blocked shots. “It was extremely special to win that tournament,” said Winslow. “A victory like that gives us great momentum leading into conference.” “It’s really awesome to win it again,” added Mavericks senior Risher Randle. “We don’t get a chance to play schools such as Bellaire and Wheatley once we get into conference play. It’s a pretty neat private vs. public school type of rivalry, and it gives us some good bragging rights.” In girls basketball, it’s a new era at Bellaire High School under first- REPEAT FOR ST. JOHN'S St. John’s senior Risher Randall helped lead the Mavericks to the HISD tournament championship. St. John’s is only the second year head coach Lamar private school in tournament history to win on two separate occasions. Simon, who succeeded a big leader on this team, while Armani and longtime Cardinals head coach Michael Emani are a huge presence down low at the post Kramer. Kramer led the Cardinals to four position. Emani was injured early in the season, regional Final Fours over his 18 seasons at but once she’s gets back, that’ll be huge for our Bellaire. “I was an assistant to Coach Kramer the team. She’s a big girl who’s light on her feet. She last four seasons, and it’s been a joy to follow in does all the dirty work for us.” his footsteps. He’s still a mentor to me,” said In addition, Simon had high praise for standSimon. out freshman Ireneshia Johnson. “She’s tall and Admittedly, it’s been a season of transition for very athletic. I expect her to be a major force for the Cardinals, who graduated four standout the next four seasons. As a whole, I strongly players, three of whom are playing major college believe the winning tradition will continue for basketball. “It’s definitely been a season of the Bellaire girls basketball program. I’m excited change, but we’re coming along fairly well,” said about our future.” Simon. “We’re 15-8 and 5-0 in district, which isn’t bad at all.” Editor’s Note: Todd Freed is the Emmy AwardThe Cardinals feature plenty of talent, winning co-host and producer of the KUBE including a trio of seniors Simon expects to play SportsZone, which airs Saturday and Sunday at 6 college ball next season. “Angel Williams, p.m. on Channel 57-KUBE. To submit high school Armani Asberry and Emani Hamilton are sports news for possible inclusion in SportzBuzz, extremely talented basketball players,” said please email todd@thebuzzmagazines.com. Simon. “Angel is a two-year starting guard and

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2014 20

NEIGHBORS

by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer

Buzz About Town Hashtag fashion

A new phone app created by Kathy Harrison, called WhatWeWearWhere, recently made its debut at a shopping party benefitting Girls Inc. of Greater Houston, a nonprofit organization

that helps young women be more self-sufficient and responsible. It’s a free interactive app and wardrobe guide that enables users to view and share real outfits worn by real people. Seen at the party were (pictured, from left) Anna Parkey, Carrie Cowan, Hilary Mundinger and Hannah Lockwood. Others there were Julie Bortnick, Monica Abney, Sarah Gruber, Katy Atlas, Bethany Buchanan, Donna Baughman, Margaret Schuster, Jacky Meacham, Lesley Arbuckle, Robin Harrison, Peppi Lausen, Natasha Helm, Luke Fertitta, Betty Gerecht, Jenny Dean, Jonas Fertitta, Trevor Thompson, Mandy Rogers and Kimberly Bayley.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2014 22

Be my Valentine A special Valentine’s Day event for West U seniors is scheduled for Feb. 4 at 4:30 p.m. at the West U Senior Center. Girl Scouts from Troop 25239 are creating hand-made invitations and centerpieces. At last year’s party, the girls baked pigs-in-a-blanket and prepared strawberry shortcake and lemonade and played bingo with conversation-heart bingo markers. This year is sure to be filled with even more fun.

Houston Event Photos

S’more fun

Camp For All hosted its inaugural Camp Culinary Challenge at Winter Street Studios. Eight Houston chefs put their own spin on mac ‘n’ cheese and s’mores. The event raised $30,000 to send children and adults with chronic illnesses and special needs to Camp For All. Winner of the s’mores challenge was Three Brothers Bakery for its chocolate cake with marshmallow butter cream icing, sprinkled with graham cracker crumbs and topped with a chocolate-covered graham cracker. Haven took home the mac ‘n’ cheese championship for its wild boar chili mac n’ cheese served classic Texas-style in a Fritos corn chips bag. The event was co-chaired by Jessica Nimon and Sarah Mullins. Pictured (from left) are Whitney Mears, Mark Montgomery, Kathi Mosbacher Wheeler, Freda Montgomery, Katie Mears and Sandy

Robertson. Also seen in the crowd were Katie and Whitney Mears, Jamie and Nolan Moulle, Taylor McDaniel, Way Denkler, Jordan Kerensky, Jaclyn Popeil, and Liz and Robert Rigney. Also, be sure to mark your calendars for Feb. 28 for Camp for All’s Chicken Fried Gala at the Hilton Americas. See campforall.org.

Baseball banquet

The highlight of the second annual Skeeter's Hot Stove Banquet was the introduction of the 16member All-Greater Houston Preseason High School Baseball Team. Among the 2014 honorees were Tucker Cascadden, Lamar High School; Matt Collins, Memorial High School; Michael Rodgers, St. Thomas High School; and John Henry Styles (pictured), Episcopal High School. Styles, a left-handed pitcher, has committed to play at Stanford University next year.

Helping homeless pets The Houston Humane Society recently received a donation from courier service Hot Shot Delivery. A truck arrived carrying nearly 500 pounds of dog food, cat food, kitty litter, leashes, towels, treats and a $500 check. The donation was the culmination of “Delivering Houston,” a month-long campaign to raise awareness about local charities. Beginning on Nov. 15, Houstonians were invited to visit deliveringhouston.com and vote for a charity among the

three participating organizations: Houston Children’s Charity, Houston Food Bank and Houston Humane Society. Houston Humane Society earned more than 6,600 votes and first place. Pictured (from left) are donation helpers Jennifer Roth Bucci, Phil (continued on page 24)

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2014 23

(continued from page 23) Walters, Eric Donaldson,

Paul Davis, Adriana Martinez, Pat Carns and Monica Schmidt.

March 1 Galveston parade is open to the public. See mardigrasgalveston.com.

Let it fly

The night of knights The Knights of Momus, Galveston’s oldest Mardi Gras Krewe, will present its royal court, King Frivolous XCIX and his queen at the invitation-only Knights of Momus Coronation Ball and reception on Feb. 22 at The Grand 1894 Opera House in Galveston. Beverly and Jim Dowling will serve as ball chairs, says Steve Conner, president of the Knights of Momus. Duchesses include Alex Beckham (pictured), Madeleine Bricker, Cody Brooks, Kelsey Brooks, Madison Deal, Katie de Alvarez, Annie Duckworth, Emily Flynn, Lauren Graham, Becca Johnson, Katie Larkin, Becca Little, Kimmy Matthews, Elle Moody, Nikki Osso, Dale Potts, Taylor Robinson, Lauren Rothwell, Madeline Stewart, Kamilah Todd and Ali Valach. Alex Beckham is the daughter of Roy and Don Beckham of Houston. She is a junior at The University of Texas, where she is majoring in finance and accounting and is a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. The

Pershing Middle School is one of the first middle schools in HISD to offer Ultimate Frisbee as an after-school club. Ultimate is an exciting, noncontact team sport that mixes features of soccer and football into a fun and demanding game. Pictured from left are (back row) coach Doug Clifton, Leni Negron, Samantha Goldenberg, John Capelli, Ethan Kayl, Noah Diano, Joshua Rassin, Trey Pokorey, Noah Ryan, Lucia Ruiz, Chris Murphy, Margaret Schatte, Kate Faris, Heoluwani Omidiran, coach Pete Buis, (middle row) Alex Bujnowski, Demo Kouzounis, Cullen Baker, Sam Kennedy,

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Adam Pinto, Max Schaffer, Alexa Slater, Allan Diaz, Bennett Howell, Faith Rodriguez, Shelby Tilghman, (front row) Drew Leach, Jason McAdams, Madeline Ryan, Bianca Sendra, Kayla Williams, Charlotte Goldenberg, Lauren Eby, Sebestyen Uray, Christopher Rota and Mariano Ramirez.

30 years Episcopal High School supporters commemorated 30 years of auction success at a recent reception at the school. Former auction chairs and volunteers from as far back as 1984 reunited for an evening of fellowship and fond memories to kick off this year’s auction, A Blue Ribbon Knight: Celebrating our 30th Anniversary. The party was hosted by former auction leaders

Holiday fun

What a year

Priscilla Dickson

The Children’s Assessment Center Friends Guild Board hosted its sixth annual holiday coffee get together on Dec. 12. Hostess and board member Ericka Bagwell opened up her home

Nancy Moncrief, Lisa O’Leary and Melanie Meeks to honor past volunteers and to introduce the 2014 auction chairs Cindy Cook, Leigh Smith and Lisa Erwin. Pictured from left are (front row) Beth Reeves, Pam Sengelmann, Lynette Cone, Cindy Cook, Leigh Smith, Lisa Erwin, DeDe Bertron, Michelle Neal, (second row) Katina Jackson, Gretchen Anderson, Carol Austin, Kristen Perry, Carol Vickery, Dru Cone, Marcy Margolis, Melinda Abell, (third row) Linda Bischoff, Kay McIntyre, Nancy Gordon, Nancy Epley, Elaine Knight, Melanie Meeks, (back row) Kay Watson, Lisa O’Leary, Sylvie Crum, Lisa McCollam, Bridget Wade, Michelle Stewart and Kristin Miller.

for the festive occasion to gather supporters of the CAC. Other board members in attendance included Anne Carl, Tena Faust, Nancy Golden, Ursaline Hamilton, Amy M. Lee, Stephen C. Lewis, Kim Moody, Bruce Padilla, Stephanie Perkins, Alicia Smith and Merele Yarborough. The mission of the CAC is to provide treatment to sexually abused children and their families and to serve as an advocate for children in the community. Pictured (from left) are Lucinda Loya and Donae Chramosta.

Nearly 150 Alley Theatre patrons, including (pictured) Scott and Lori Wulfe, celebrated the Alley’s successful 2013 season. Guests sipped on “white poinsettias,” the sparkling specialty cocktail of the evening, and tasted passed hors d’oeuvres. In attendance were Gregory Boyd, Patty Hubbard, Jim Daniel and Margaret Alkek Williams, Rocky and Grace Holmes, Jerry and Nanette Finger, Tom and Barbara Gros, Bob and Eve Harrell, Phil and Josephine John, Ken and Mady Kades, Kathryn Ketelsen, Britt and Beth Langford, Tom and Florence Langford, Jesse and Cathy Marion, and Ron and Demi Rand. Be seen in Buzz About Town. Send your high-res photos and community news to info@thebuzzmagazines.com or 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, TX 77401. Items are published on a space-available basis.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2014 25

AN AVID ARCHER Jeremy Pustilnik, a senior at Xavier Educational Academy, likes to blow off steam with a bow and arrows.

KIDS by Jeremy Pustilnik, age 17

Buzz Kidz M

When the arrow finds its mark

y body is like a machine: I can only do so much work before it overheats. I can give it a temporary boost by snacking or listening to music, but eventually I have to cool down. So to blow off steam, I pick up a bow and head down to the local indoor archery range. Even before I start the physical activity, the adrenaline is pumping. I’m already thinking about drawing back the string as I walk from my car to the firing line, mount the red-dot sight on the opaque, carbon-colored tournament bow, screw in the long carbon-fiber stabilizer, and strap the quiver filled with thick black and red arrows to my waist. I wait for any other shooters to call “clear” before I step over the line that separates the range from the waiting area with my paper target. As I walk to and from the backboard that is

shredded from countless arrow piercings, my quiver jostles about noisily by my side. I wait for any other people to cross over the line that separates safety from certain death before strapping the trigger mechanism to my wrist and hooking an arrow onto the bowstring. With the loaded weapon still drooping to the floor, I align my feet perpendicular to the backboard, one foot in front of the line, one behind. I take a deep breath, hook on the trigger mechanism, and draw back the string in one smooth motion. I can feel the power of the bow pulsating through every screaming muscle in my arms as I touch the string to my nose and align the red-dot over the bull’s eye. I hold the position for a moment, and when my instincts tell me, I click the trigger. In the blink of an eye, the string retracts,

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sending the arrow cutting through the air. All I hear is a pop as the arrow bores a hole through the little X. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice other people staring at my target. Instant gratification. It took many frustrating years to get to this level, but it was so worth it. 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, TX 77401.

Savings bonds in probate U.S. savings bonds were the signature investment of America’s greatest generation. First issued in 1935, a $25 Series A bond cost $18.75. Series B, C, and D bonds soon followed. President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced Series E Defense Savings Bonds in early 1941. Series F and G, announced the same time, were discontinued in 1952. Series H, later replaced by Series HH, paid interest every six months. Now, Series EE and I may be tax-free if used to pay tuition and fees at eligible schools. IRS Publication 970, “Tax Benefits for Higher Education,” explains. Series I is indexed for inflation. Treasury (not savings) bonds were issued for estate taxes. So-called flower bonds were sold at a discount, but “blossomed” and were redeemed at face value on death. The last flower bonds matured in 1998. Savings bonds remain available in denominations as small as $50. On death, even small bonds must be valued, disclosed on the probate inventory, and either collected or retitled by the executor. Savings bonds may avoid probate with a co-owner, a living trust, or a beneficiary. The best option is not always obvious. When husband and wife register a bond as co-owners and one dies, the other inherits the entire bond. Federal law preempts Texas community property and probate law, which otherwise leaves half the bond in the first spouse’s estate. This can wreak havoc on blended families that planned on community property. For others, the same result is a great convenience. For yet others, joint ownership leads to double estate taxation.

Since 2012, Treasury generally issues electronic rather than paper bonds. Existing paper bonds may be converted, a good task for adult children helping their parents. SmartExchange explains how: treasurydirect.gov/readysavegrow/start_saving/converting_bonds.htm. Executors must still search for paper bonds. Electronic conversion is not mandatory, Series H and HH cannot be converted, and the IRS continues to offer paper Series I bonds as income tax refunds. To search for lost bonds, begin at Treasury Hunt: treasurydirect.gov/indiv/tools/tools.htm. This article was not intended or written to be used, and it cannot be used by the taxpayer, for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer. We write wills and go to probate court. We offer no-obligation initial interviews for estate planning and administration, so it costs nothing to hear specific recommendations that suit your needs. Foreign nationals and international families welcome. Russell W. Hall, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Board Certified–Estate Planning and Probate Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 6750 West Loop So. Ste. 920, Bellaire, Texas 77401, 713.662.3853, www.rwhpc.com

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DINING GUIDE by Dai Huynh, staff writer

This Month in Dining: Noise Levels Restaurant Listings $ (under $10) $$ ($11-$30) $$$ ($31-$60) $$$$ (over $60) Prices include drink, tax and tip per person Dai Huynh is a James Beard food-journalism award winner and longtime restaurant writer. Her visits to restaurants in our Buzz Dining Guide were anonymous, and she paid for her meals to maintain objectivity. We’d love your thoughts too. Write to info@thebuzzmagazines.com with your own dining opinions and suggestions. Also, you can contribute in the Comments section under the online version of this story at westubuzz.com.

Bite Macarons RISTORANTE CAVOUR Ristorante Cavour at Hotel Granduca charms with its quiet, Old European setting.

n restaurants, noise has become part of the show. These days, restaurateurs don’t think of it as noise, but rather excitement. Diners are looking for energy, a good vibe, says Shepard Ross, who owns the Glass Wall and the Brooklyn Athletic Club. A lively bar scene conveys popularity. Conversations, music and clinking glasses infuse energy. Without noise, a place might feel “dead.” It is tough finding a quiet restaurant, says Memorial physician Cathi Walsh. The best you can hope for is a background “buzz” that allows you to converse without yelling, “What?” The Buzz decided to take on the challenge of finding places where the decibels didn’t inch toward 80, just under the level audiologists consider damaging to hearing after continual, long-term exposure of eight hours or more. It wasn’t easy. Many restaurants we visited hovered around the high 70s to low 80s, which researchers compare to being in a room with a vacuum cleaner 10 feet away or a noisy urban area. Only one-third full, Nino’s (2701 W. Dallas) was at 76 decibels, while next door at Vincent’s, the decibel level climbed to 87, even though the stone-floored dining room was half empty on a recent evening. Étoile (1101 Uptown), Mark’s (1658 Westheimer), Mockingbird Bistro (1985 Welch), Bistro Provence (13616 Memorial Drive) and Costa Brava Bistro (5115 Bellaire) inched toward the high 70s on busy nights. Provisions bustles at 81. Meanwhile, its fine-dining counterpart, The Pass, occupying the other half of 807 Taft, percolated at 73 – typical of many high-end restaurants. Normal speech is at about 70. So often, even at the most expensive haunts, you have to raise your voice just a tad. Not so typical is Ristorante Cavour (1080 Uptown), which is where Walsh goes for quiet conversations, and lovers toast to future possibilities. This sliver in Hotel Granduca evokes elegant Old Europe, with gorgeous rose bouquets and upholstered furnishings. Here, the sound level rarely pushes past 57. At its quietest, our meter flashed 43 decibels (comparable to a quiet suburban neighborhood at night). Another quiet gem is Olivette (111 N. Post Oak) at The Houstonian. Here, upholstered booths absorb sound waves, and the noise level jumped only to 62. WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2014 28

French pastries Neighborhood: West University Making macarons is a dare, especially in Houston’s soggy climate. These delicate orbs in a multitude of colors and flavors are finicky. Their golden, smooth crust turns into dud-like chews at the hint of humidity. Macarons also demand surgical precision in the sifting of superfine sugar and ground almonds, combined with the beating of egg whites. A misstep and the result is a gritty fistful of chalk. And so, it was a treat (and surprise) to bite into the puffedup salted caramel and pistachio renditions from Bite (recently opened in the Kroger shopping center). At last, the search for macarons “almost” like those from the venerable Ladurée in Paris is over. Granted, the weather was perfect that day – hardly a hint of humidity, nor a disappointed face at this charming white-gloss dessert-coffee house. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sun. 5172-B Buffalo Speedway, 713-664-2483. $

Bombay Sweets Indian vegetarian Neighborhood: Sharpstown The buffet steams with aromatic basmati, vegetable curries and sautés. Patrons also come

for chaats, such as samosas, idly rice cakes, lentil doughnuts and pani puri, a crispy hollow pastry filled with chili-spiked potatoes. A salty, sweet and tart explosion detonates when you pour the accompanied spice-fueled tamarind water into the shell. The chaser? Soothing masala chai. Lunch & dinner Mon.-Sun. 5827 Hillcroft St., Houston, 713-780-4453. $

Brooklyn Athletic Club Modern American Neighborhood: Museum District Food and play go hand-in-hand at this concept influenced by Shepard Ross’ childhood in Brooklyn, where bocce ball highlighted family gatherings. The fork-tender pork osso bucco and robust pasta and meatballs are made more enjoyable watching friends challenge each other at croquet. Lunch & dinner Tues.-Sun. 601 Richmond Ave., 713527-4440. thebrooklynathleticclub.com. $$

Canopy Creative Gulf-Coast cuisine Neighborhood: Montrose When the weekend arrives, Houston’s motor shifts into idle, and Canopy greets its favorite meal – brunch. The austere space with blond furniture bubbles with conversations as Claire Smith’s reliable kitchen sends out baby-spinach salads with pulled chicken that is peppy with a dessert-wine vinaigrette, apples and roasted red

grapes. Try, too, eggs benedict on sweet potato English muffins and an earthy four-mushroom pot pie. Breakfast, lunch & dinner Mon.-Sun. 3939 Montrose, 713-528-6848. canopyhouston.com. $$

Coppa Osteria Artisanal pastas and pizzas Neighborhood: Rice Village Like Coppa Ristorante Italiano, this casual rendition applies the principles of Italian cooking by allowing ingredients to speak with minimum interference. Chef Brandi Key’s clarifies ingredients and judges flavors finely. Pizzas shine. Creamy burrata shimmers with peppery extra-virgin olive oil. Spaghetti carbonara crackles with black pepper and the creaminess of raw eggs and Parmesan cheese. Calabria chili and Meyer lemon brighten shrimp linguine with parmesan cream. Lunch & dinner Mon.-Sun. 5210 Morningside, 713-5223535. coppaosteriahouston.com. $$

Del Frisco’s Grille Casual American classics Neighborhood: Upper Kirby This casual offshoot of the high-end steakhouse features sandwiches and salads, along with a patio for al fresco dining or energetic tykes. At brunch, over chicken-fried steak and eggs, sip a carafe of build-your-own Bloody Marys with Tito’s Vodka and a plate of fixings that includes pickled green beans, olives and lime wedges. Lunch & din-

ner Mon.-Sun. 2800 Kirby Drive, Suite A-132, 832-623-6168. delfriscogrille.com. $$$

Étoile Authentic French Neighborhood: Galleria area When several talented French chefs urge you to try the food at Étoile, it’s hard to dispute their keen taste for the food of their homeland. Just as they said, the flavors here are true, and ownerchef Philippe Verpiand and wife Monica Bui have created an alluringly warm showcase for a hearty coq au vin and tender sole meunière with lemon caper sauce, fingerling potatoes and roasted cauliflower – both brunch items. Briny mussels flavored with tomatoes and onions are served with homemade pomme frites and garlic aioli. The beauty of this place is almost everything is made from scratch, including the crusty baguettes. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sun. 1101 Uptown Park Blvd., 832-668-5808. etoilecuisine.com. $$

Island Grill & Juice Bar Smoothies and burgers Neighborhood: West University/Tanglewood Granted, the smoothies with natural juices at Island Grill are pretty lush. The Island Oasis is ripe with sweet pineapples, strawberries, coconut juice and vanilla yogurt. The juices – from wheatgrass to coolers made with (continued on page 30)

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Lucille’s Creative Southern Neighborhood: Museum District The fried green tomatoes – lightly crisped and anointed with a rich, bright-orange remoulade sauce – know few peers around town. This and a glass of New Zealand sauvignon blanc, in this refurbished brick building, would do just fine for lunch. That and a side order of chef-owner Chris Williams’ hot rolls. Look around. You’ll see many breaking bread while waiting for shrimp and grits and the pan-roasted white fish on a pile of pancakes, surrounded by candied-sweet cherry tomatoes. Lunch and dinner, Tues.-Sun., 5512 La Branch, 713-568-2505. lucilleshouston.com. $$$

McHugh Tea

CANOPY Canopy serves bacon-wrapped Texas quail with a fig-goat cheese tart, arugula-fennel salad and onion marmalade. (continued from page 29) veggies and fruits – are

refreshing. But surprisingly, this neighborhood joint is noted for breakfast bagel sandwiches, pita sandwiches and muscular 8-ounce Angus burgers on soft buns. Breakfast, lunch & dinner Mon.-Sun. (closes 4:30 p.m. Sun.), 4024 Bellaire Blvd., 713665-5388. 5709 Woodway, 713-334-4036 islandgrillhouston.com. $$

chew that bursts with forceful flavors from beef grilled over mesquite fire. The lamb, too, while tender, is resilient with its characteristic gamey nuances. Meats are good by themselves even with the standard sides of smoke-kissed beans, skin-on fried potatoes and three-alarm salsas. Lunch & dinner, Mon.-Sun., 322 Westheimer, 832-623-6467. lacasadelcaballo.com. $$$

Kenny & Ziggy’s New York deli Neighborhood: Galleria area Kenny & Ziggy’s is a wood-panelled delicatessen plastered with movie posters, memorabilia and anything else that might invoke Broadway. Homesick New Yorkers line up for pickled herring, bagels, lox, potato pancakes, and pastrami and corned-beef sandwiches, which owner Ziggy Gruber stacks with hand-sliced, triple-smoked beef. While packed for lunch, breakfast draws a much smaller crowd. But hearty morning fare is Kenny & Ziggy’s best-kept secret. The two eggs any style are a bargain at $7.95 and with enough food to share with your best friend. Huge servings are the standard here. Even so, the Texas-size bowls of homemade matzo ball soup empty quickly. These tender orbs have won competitions all over town. Breakfast, lunch and dinner Mon.-Sun. 2327 Post Oak Blvd., 713-8718883. kennyandziggys.com. $$

La Casa Del Caballo Mexican steakhouse Neighborhood: Montrose Gregarious Latin voices ring through this Mexican steakhouse that buys its premium beef from the storied Allen Brothers in Chicago. Owner-chef Carlos Abedrop butchers a whole rib rack himself to ensure the right cut. The steak here isn’t the buttery, tender sort American diners have come to expect. Here, it has the kind of

Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot Northern Chinese Neighborhood: Galleria/Uptown Paper-thin slices of lamb bob in bubbling broth fragrant with herbs and spices. Friends gather around, wielding chopsticks to cook meats and vegetables at this interactive Chinese-fondue establishment, famous in China but under the radar here except among China natives in the know. Houston is lucky to have one. Platters of raw ingredients (beef, chicken, lamb and seafood) arrive with a ying-yang hot pot divided by a mild broth in one side and a fiery chili-infused broth in the other. Meats are dipped in the broths, followed by noodles, tofu and vegetables. Lunch and dinner, Mon.-Sun., 5901 Westheimer, 713-9750687. littlesheephotpot.com. $$

Local Foods Chef-driven gourmet deli Neighborhood: Rice Village Hand-crafted sandwiches and salads from chef Dylan Murray draw a diverse crowd. Savor duck confit smothered with melted brie, aioli and cranberry preserves on wheat bread. Shrimp-and-crab on ciabatta with green goddess dressing is another must-try. Sandwiches come with two sides that include Tuscan kale with golden raisins and potato chips speckled with Old Bay seasonings. Lunch & dinner Mon.-Sun. 2424 Dunstan, 713-521-7900. houstonlocalfoods.com. $$

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Teahouse and more Neighborhood: Bellaire This shabby chic corner charms with its English ambiance illuminated by tea-cup chandeliers, refurbished tea sets and ornately framed photos of famous tea sippers, including Marilyn Monroe, Elvis and Michael Jackson. Fragrant organic teas – hibiscus blossom oolong, masala chai and cabernet assam – gently brew in glass orbs while regulars fork into lemon and chocolate pies topped with solidly crisp, snow-white meringue. The Southwestern pulled-pork quiche with shortbread-like crust is the envy of other chefs. Lunch & dinner, Tues.-Sat., 5305 Bissonnet, Bellaire. 713-218-6300. mchughtea.com. $

Osteria Mazzantini Upscale rustic Italian Neighborhood: Galleria/Uptown Whipped lardo butter arrives with pillowy potato bread. If diners don't succumb to chefowner John Sheely's opening act, then they'll likely fall for his house-made ravioli, stuffed with earthy sweetbreads and kale, then lightly tossed in seared browned butter dotted with aged balsamic vinegar. The flavors are appealing – caramelized saltiness shot through with sweet and sour notes. Desserts are creative but grounded in Old World flavors, such as a mousse made with limoncello and an orangeolive oil cake with olive oil ice gelato and zabaglione. Lunch and dinner, Mon.-Sun., 2200 Post Oak Blvd. No. 140, 713-993-9898. osteriamazzantini.com. $$$$

Pass & Provisions Inventive modern fare Neighborhood: Fourth Ward A duo eatery in one space – white-tablecloth Pass and bustling Provisions. Pass is a caviar affair, while Provision serves casual edibles, including smartly donned sandwiches and billowy pizzas with such toppings as kale with pork sausage and duck confit with potato and pickled currants. There are some crossovers of dishes and kitchen playfulness between the two menus.

Provisions, lunch & dinner Mon.-Sat; Pass, dinner only. 808 Taft, 713-6289020. Passandprovisions.com. $$-$$$$

Post Oak Grill Gulf Coast classics Neighborhood: Tanglewood Happiness exists in a bread basket at this popular outpost for business lunches. The basket usually cradles oven-fresh biscuits fragrant with green onions, bacon and cheddar cheese. One really isn’t enough; nor is two or three. Slow down, though, or you’ll fill up before the perfectly grilled rainbow trout arrives, glistening lightly with butter-caper sauce. Polo Becerra is a classic chef with a timeless approach of keeping ingredients simple and clean, with just a sheath of sauce to elevate the flavors of beef and seafood. Lunch & dinner, Mon.-Sat., 1415 S. Post Oak Lane, 713-993-9966. postoakgrill.com. $$$

Quattro Contemporary Italian Neighborhood: Downtown Talented chef Maurizio Ferrarese brings the flavors of his native Italy to Quattro at the Four Seasons Hotel. The dining room is an elegant affair. Quality is high, and almost everything is made in-house. Just as engaging is the adjoining Vinoteca Quattro bar where an eclectic group of downtown workers unwind over Italian beers, wines and Italian small plates during happy hour. From 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, guests can purchase a wine or cocktail and all-you-can-eat antipasti for $18. Breakfast, lunch & dining Mon.Sun. 1300 Lamar, 713-650-1300. quattrorestauranthouston.com. $$-$$$$

Sparrow Bar + Cookshop Modern American Neighborhood: Midtown Monica Pope is forever reinventing herself and her restaurant concept. Her latest incarnation, the Sparrow Bar + Cookshop, applies beautiful, subtle flavors to farm-fresh local ingredients. Bronzed Texas quail nestles on warm yellow-corn grits hinting of orange zest. Caramel miso and blossom butter enhance hanger steak. Creativity carries over to a dynamic cocktail menu. Pope grasped the value of using fresh fruits and herbs in drinks long before it became a trend. Her hand-crafted cocktails push boundaries to offer new, exciting flavors, such as a vodka creation with roasted red bell pepper puree, shiitake mushroom vermouth and jalapeño syrup. Lunch and dinner, Tues.-Sat., 3701 Travis, 713-524-6922. sparrowhouston.com. $$$

The Lemongrass Café Asian fusion Neighborhood: Bellaire Polite service and a thoughtfully conceived menu endear Lemongrass Café to Houstonians. Chef-owner Fah Vorarittinapa marries the flavors of Chinese, Thai, Japanese, French and American cooking. Her signature dish remains the juicy tiger shrimp, stuffed with bacon and swaddled in crisp kataifi noodle, anointed by a sweet, spicy tamarind sauce. Pad thai is given a twist with a Japanese egg crepe. Her trio soup sampler is a composition of the soup of the day, French mushroom consommé and Thai tom yum chicken. Lunch & dinner, Mon.-Sun., 5109 Bellaire, 713664-6698. lemongrass-cafe.com. $$

Teotihuacan Tex-Mex originals Neighborhood: Northeast Houston Diners pack in day after day for grilled steaks, chiles rellenos and flautas in a room decorated with festive streamers. Co-owner Silvia Galvan applies soy sauce and black pepper to make fajitas and juicy sirloins with grilled onions. A must try: grilled shrimp, bathed in garlic butter, particularly satisfying wrapped in homemade corn tortillas and a dollop of lush guacamole. Breakfast, lunch & dinner Mon.-Sun. 4624 Irvington, 713-695-8757. teomexicancafe.com. $

MORE ONLINE For more restaurants and to comment, see this story online at westubuzz.com. WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2014 31