Debbie Gary: Flying Pioneer
Gridiron Girls Bread is Magic Needlepoint Decorations A Happy 100th Birthday
by Michelle Groogan
Little Free Libraries Travel: Montana Moments Holiday Events Buzz Baby: Birth Order Houston, TX Permit No. 2047 PAID US Postage PRSRT STD
A Twist on Thanksgiving
PUBLISHER’S NOTE Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves. The 1985 duet belted out by the iconic Annie Lennox of the British pop duo Eurythmics and the almighty American singer Aretha Franklin became a feminist anthem. Nearly four decades later, Buzz neighbors are still proving it true. Mia Tuckwood, a junior at Episcopal High School, Addison Perry, an eighth grader at St. John’s School, and Emma Rodriguez, an 8year-old center for the SBMSA junior varsity Bulldogs, show their toughness on the field. All three are girls playing tackle football on otherwise all-boys teams. Meanwhile, Debbie Gary, a fearless 74-year-old pilot, continues to soar high in her bright yellow Piper Cub. She is so legendary that she taught her West U neighbor, a NASA astronaut and space station commander, how to fly acrobatic stunts; he calls her “a pioneer” who flies “like an artist.” They are among the trailblazing neighbors our writers spotlight in this issue. We’re singin with you. 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 Follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter thebuzzmagazines.com Editor Publisher Associate Editors Editorial Assistant Design Manager Staff Writers
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Joni Hoffman Michael Hoffman Cheryl Laird Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld Jenna Mazzoccoli John Duboise Tracy L. Barnett 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 Andrea Blitzer Leslie Little Jo Rogers
On our cover: Debbie Gary, 74, is a pioneering pilot who flew in air shows and still flies her own plane. Cover photo by Eric Forsythe, forsythefotography.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 © 2021 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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Your smile can last forever Anna Maria Salas, D.D.S., M.S. Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics
713-481-4885 3642 University Blvd. Suite 102 Houston, TX 77005 www.westuortho.com
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MAILBAG
Your letters, thoughts, opinions Everyone needs a champion Just read Telling Dad's Holocaust Story: Thanks to puppy walks and a new friend in the neighborhood by Andria Frankfort [October 2021]. I love historical biographies and will order a copy of Alan's book [Resilience: The Story of How My Father Survived the Holocaust, by Alan Schlesinger]. Kudos to Dee Dee Dochen on a job well done in encouraging Alan to write his father's memoir of survival and righteousness. Everyone needs a champion and encouragement. I had such a friend that encouraged me to write my book. For my birthday he gave me a round-trip ticket to New Mexico with the keys to his cabin in the Sandia Mountains and the stipulation that I couldn't come home without having a completed first draft for him to read. Sadly, Steve passed away from liver cancer before the book was published, but he provided many edits and challenges to my thinking and delivery before he departed this mortal life. By the way, the puppies are precious. Encouraging friends and puppies are both a blessing from God. Tim Phillips
Clarification for historical accuracy There are always interesting stories to read in your magazine. Among many in the last edition was Telling Dad’s Holocaust Story. It is a wonderful idea to write and publish a book with such stories for future generations. Though I just wanted to make a small historical correction as it is little misleading in the article. It is important to know that Auschwitz was a German concentration and extermination camp located in occupied Germany [in] Southern Poland. The Memorial and Museum of Auschwitz-Birkenau can be visited and serves as a memory of horrors of Nazism and Holocaust. Aggie P. Editor’s note: Aggie, it’s good to hear from you, and thank you for your close read. We mention that Auschwitz was in southern Poland but didn’t specify it was in a Nazi Germany-occupied region. For other readers who want more information, see auschwitz.org and the Holocaust Museum Houston at hmh.org.
Much in common Telling Dad’s Holocaust Story was a wonderful read. It seems that Alan [Schlesinger] and I have much in common. My Hungarian mother (of blessed memory) was in Auschwitz-Birkenau and three other death/concentration camps, and I am also a retired, dog-loving doc! How wonderful that [neighbor] Dee Dee Dochen encouraged Alan to write the book. Genie Landon
Not-so-spooky bedtime story I read Keep Your Friends Close: And keep your witches closer [by Meg Scott, October 2021] to my 9-year-old son James one evening when we got home late one evening and needed something to read together to wind down. We appreWEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ NOVEMBER 2021 6
ciated the descriptive language and photos! Thank you for the fun article and details on all the witches! I like to learn about the interests of my neighbors. Sheila Hall
Remember that sauce? Your article is fantastic on restaurants in Houston [Restaurant Memories: A look back at Houston’s dining past, by Russell Weil, November 2014]. I remember Kelley’s, I believe on Texas Ave.; over the years I have tried to find their recipe for pontchartrain sauce. It was fantastic – lemon butter creamy with shrimp and crab in it, served on broiled red snapper. Also they had flat hush puppies that were fried very crisp. Excellent. I believe over the years Christie’s bought them out. Christie’s moved into their location on South Main. I have asked Maria Christie, but she says she does not have the recipes. If you come across this please let me know. Minnette Carrabba Editor’s note: Writer Russell Weil said he doesn’t recall this dish but will look into this. If any of you remember this sauce or know where to find the recipe, please share it with us at info@thebuzzmagazines.com. See this popular story at thebuzzmagazines.com. 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? The Buzz Magazines is celebrating 20 years this January. We’d love to hear from you. • Have any special Buzz memories? • Recall a feature story that has stuck with you over the years? • Have a favorite Buzz writer you like to read every month? • Have a story of how a Buzz article connected you with a neighbor? If this sounds like you or someone you know, please contact us at info@thebuzzmagazines.com or 713.668.4157, ext 12.
Watch Their Smiles Grow
Oral healthcare for the growing & developing child Joel J. Vela, D.D.S. Bellaire Pediatric Dentistry, P.A. 6750 West Loop South, Suite 795 713.661.1100 • www.bellairesmiles.com
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NEIGHBORS by Cindy Burnett, staff writer
Little Free Libraries Leave a book, take a book
I
am a huge fan of Little Free Libraries, the colorful little boxes that are found in front of some people’s homes, at parks, and sometimes even businesses. I regularly restock the two closest to my home, at Colonial Park and in front of the Scout House in West U, with books that I have finished or duplicates that I have received. I love to see what others have left and sometimes find a new book to read myself. Little Free Libraries (LFLs) are tiny libraries created to provide a sheltered place for people to share the books that they have read and loved. The idea is to “leave a book and take a book.” People can donate books they have read and grab something new – it is a fun and adventurous way to do a book exchange. The program has a great website (littlefreelibrary.org) with details about some of the more than 125,000 libraries that are registered around the world, including one in Antarctica. There are now Little Free Libraries on all seven continents. In 2009 in Hudson, Wisconsin, Todd Bol built the first one modeled after a one-room schoolhouse as a tribute to his mother. Using wood, he crafted a much smaller version of the schoolhouse, 20 inches wide by 15 inches tall, and mounted it on a pole at the right height for people to reach into it and grab a book. He placed it in his front yard, and it was such a success, he built several more and gave them to his friends and neighbors. The initiative gained momentum, and the name Little Free Library was established in 2010 with the goal “to share good books and bring communities together,” and Todd subsequently turned it into a nonprofit. The website provides guidance on building and also sells $160-400 kits in various shapes and sizes, in wood or composite material, for those who want to get started quickly or who are not the building type. You can register your library, bought or home-made, and have it added to the global map to help anyone who wants to locate one nearby. In March, I wrote a Page Turners column on The Buzz’s website about a new Little Free Library in West University. The Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Brownie Troop 146153 decided to
TREASURES AT THE PARK A Brownie troop created a Little Free Library at the Jennie Elizabeth Hughes Park in West U. Pictured are (from left) West U Parks and Recreation Director Susan White, West U City Manager Dave Beach, Sofia Thompson, David Crow, Caroline Cozart, Caroline Larsson, troop leaders Mayor Susan Sample and Anne Marie Thompson, and Ellie Egan.
place one at the Jennie Elizabeth Hughes Park, a park created on the lot where Jim Hughes grew up in the heart of West U. When Jim Hughes died in 2016, he bequeathed the property to the city with funds to create a quiet park in his mother’s honor. The troop worked with builder David Crow
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(who donated his time) to design the library as a replica of the home that Jennie Elizabeth Hughes built in 1930 on the property, a traditional onestory cottage similar to those that originally populated the neighborhood, off Buffalo Speedway between University and Holcombe. The Brownie troop is the (continued on page 10)
Dr. Cooper-Newland and Dr. Thomas
Welcome to the practice Dr. Andrew Thomas! Improving Smiles and Changing Lives Experts in a full range of oral and maxillofacial surgery including wisdom tooth removal, pediatric oral surgery, oral pathology and dental implants. Accepting new patients Deborah Cooper-Newland, DDS, PLLC 5001 Bissonnet St., Suite 103, Bellaire, TX 77401 Tel: 713-592-9336 • Fax: 713-592-9337 • www.dcnoms.com
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Mary-Ellen Abshire Mary-Ellen Abshire
Katharine Stepanian
BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS Clockwise, from left: Susan Gallagher with her popular Little Free Library; the Palmers with theirs, acquired during Covid, and a glimpse into what can be regularly found at the Palmers’ little library. “People immediately started stopping by to exchange books,” Katherine Palmer says. (continued from page 8) steward of the tiny library
and makes sure there are always a variety of books there, including children’s books, popular adult books, and occasionally cookbooks. I recently spotted copies of The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah and Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty. Susan Sample and Anne Marie Thompson are the troop’s leaders, and current members include Sofia Thompson, Caroline Cozart, Caroline Larsson, Ellie Egan, Ellie Payne, Emmy Grace Benitez, Kelsey Yip, Lila Cooley, Paige Berry, Sona Raghavan, Sophie Burrow, Stella Grewal, Zara Alousi, and Zareena Rehman. In the River Oaks area, Katherine Palmer and her family maintain a bright blue Little Free Library that sits in their front yard by the sidewalk. Katherine had seen the one in Pumpkin Park, and she was excited about the idea of book sharing someplace other than the library, so she asked for her own for Christmas. She picked one out from the Little Free Library website, and when it arrived, she placed it in her yard. Katherine decided to “load it up
and see what happened.” “People immediately started stopping by to exchange books,” she said, “and while libraries were closed during Covid, it provided a wonderful sense of community.” Susan Gallagher opened her Braes Heights Little Free Library on Gramercy Street in 2016. Hers is red and in a shaded area in her front yard. She hosts events in her front yard by the library, including an annual “Eeyore’s Birthday Party.” She says her library “helps us meet our neighbors and build community. In a time when we seem very polarized and fragmented, it is such a joy to share positivity and friendship.” With no library nearby and a large Englishas-a-second-language population, John Burns started his Little Free Library in the Meyerland area for children attending the nearby elementary school and charter schools. There are two side-by-side, one for kids and one for adults, both a colorful lime green with thatched roofs. Recently, one of my favorite publishers,
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Celadon Books, has recruited bookstagrammers to participate in a country-wide book drop of one of their upcoming titles. They gather the Little Free Library locations that will be used by the bookstagrammers and create a map for anyone who wants to try and find a copy of the book being dropped. I have participated in several, and the most recent was for We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange, which I placed in the library run by the Palmers. If you are interested in creating your own tiny book nook for sharing, check out the Little Free Library website. And let me know via email (cindyhburnett@att.net) because I am happy to help contribute books to get it started! Editor’s note: Southside Place resident Cindy Burnett writes our monthly Buzz Reads column and our weekly, online Page Turners column. She hosts the Thoughts from a Page Podcast, is co-creator of the Houston literary event series Conversations from the Page, runs the Instagram account @thoughtsfromapage, and regularly speaks to groups about books.
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Aubrey Montgomery, Brey Photo LLC
NEIGHBORS by Cindy Gabriel, staff writer
Despite It All: They Do Wedding, Plan B, Take 2
T
his is the story of two weddings, one marriage, a pandemic, and a hurricane. It’s a swirl of a story that a blackboard and chalk would aid in the telling, a 2020 nuptial theme reflected in the bride’s vows to my nephew, Barry Tomasetti, a year and a half after Wedding: Take 1. “If the world falls apart, I can’t think of anyone I would rather be with than you.” – Ailee Levesque Tomasetti. It was Wedding: Take 2, Plan B, in the Brandywine River Valley area of Pennsylvania, an event I was honored to attend, though it looked doubtful at times. The date, Sept. 11, 2021, the 20th anniversary of 9/11, no less – the most open date for a caterer – though not, thankfully, the couple’s actual anniversary date. Wedding: Take 1, April 4, 2020, was simple and small, in front of that same Brandywine River. I wasn’t there, but my sister, Linda Tomasetti, said it was a heart-grabber – just a river, a grazing flock of wild geese, a minister, and immediate family. With the final “I do,” the geese took off across the river, as if on cue; summoning tears to the eyes of a small flock of humans peering above facemasks. Wedding: Take 2, Plan A was optimistically reset for August 2020, four months later at Morris Arboretum, in the heart of Philadelphia. But alas, it would be Covid-cancelled a second time as the couple’s first anniversary came and went. Ailee is the youngest of three children and was the last to refuse the offer to get married on the family’s Brandywine River Valley campgrounds, initially. “It just felt like getting married in my own backyard,” she said. I guess living in a forest rolling down to a sparkling river valley every day of your childhood can seem a tad ho-hum. Back in 1991, in a move that now looks ahead of the times, her parents, Gary and Lori Levesque, gave up their corporate careers, sold their large St. Louis, Missouri, home, and bought a 21-acre KOA camping franchise near Philadelphia in the Chester County town of Coatesville. Their first son, Ryan, was 2 at the time. “Gary and I saw it as an opportunity to
work together as a family venture,” said Lori. This is not your basic KOA campground on the side of the road. It’s a destination, with organized off-site tours, putt-putt golf, lodging, and space for RVs and tents. As the kids grew, they took on jobs at the camp. Ailee life-guarded and helped with arts and crafts. Brother FIRST A PANDEMIC, THEN A FLOOD Despite it all, Barry and Ailee Tomasetti Ryan worked the celebrate beneath a 9-foot line marking where Hurricane Ida remnants threatened a grounds, and sister third wedding attempt. Cara took on the school at the Rose-Hulman Institute of reservations/gift/convenience store. Technology in Indiana. In the present day, time was ticking. With the It was fun hearing his groomsmen rib him couple's second anniversary looming, Ailee with stories of his reputation for spilling things. warmed to the “backyard” ceremony idea. The It was also fun seeing Ailee’s Instagram post later September 11th date was set, and the “Let’s Try of Barry spilling a cup of iced coffee while boardThis Again” invitations arrived. ing the plane for their honeymoon. But there was one more hitch. Remember His mom, Linda Tomasetti, is my younger sisIda? That hurricane that missed us, picking on ter by nine years. Our mother died before her poor Louisiana before stretching up to boys were born. In Mom’s absence, I felt like a Philadelphia? It made a bullseye hit on the KOA junior mother/aunt who was failing at my job of campground. The morning of Sept. 1, 10 days knowing and appreciating her brood of boys. before Wedding: Take 2, Plan B, nine feet of Now at this Wedding, Take 2, Plan B, my own water spilled over the river banks right where tears also felt somehow our Mom’s, on her the wedding tent would be, with two washedbehalf, sensing her pride in the engaging, comout bridges leading to the grounds. Fortunately, fortable person Barry had become. the water went down quickly. Detours were Something about this wedding-not-wedding felt planned and wood chips were spread, just in right. Here’s how Barry put it. “The first time we time for our arrival. hoped it would work. Now we feel like we know it Seeing my nephew Barry, Jr., the first of my will.” Mom would have liked hearing that. sister’s three scholarship-prone, football-playing, It’s easy to see a world going wrong. It’s more math-wiz boys, raised so far away, evoked my work to notice a new authenticity emerging in own sense of water under a bridge. I had missed the detours, when old bridges wash out, along his transition to adult. Now he cocks his head with preconceived ideas. There’s more than one to the side and smiles like his father. He was way to get where life wants to take you. Here’s quarterback of his high school and college footto hoping that as the world falls apart, it is, also, ball teams, but I never saw him play. I missed his in some way, falling into place. graduation from that small but hard engineering
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Lewis Kalmans
NEIGHBORS by Andria Frankfort, staff writer
Thanksgiving in Stitches Creating heirloom decorations
K
ara Hilliard, who retired from nonprofit fundraising and is raising four children aged 14 and under, is an avid needlepointer. “I started before I had kids,” she says, “when my husband gave me a canvas for a bluebonnet pillow.” Kara never finished the bluebonnet pillow, but she has since started and finished many projects.
“Over the years, I’ve gone to classes,” she says. “Really, I taught myself through a stitch book. “It’s something I can do while I’m on an airplane or in carpool line. I’m pretty busy with four kids, but there are a lot of times I’m just waiting around. I keep my projects in clear plastic zip bags, with the canvas and the thread, and I can just pick them up and put them in whatever bag I’m using.” A few years ago, Kara was the Needlepoint Chair for the River Oaks Baptist School gala, where they auction off a set of finished needlepoint pieces stitched by parents, raising thousands of dollars for the school. “Everyone had always done Christmas decorations, so I wondered what we could do that ART OF RELAXING Elyse Kalmans (here, on vacation in Maine) has been needlewould be different pointing since her business school days and enjoys the process as much as the product. but would still be a includes 13 finished pieces. Other participating holiday people would want to bid on. We decidstitchers were Erin Hall, Dawn Krieg, Cheyanne ed to do Thanksgiving.” Leibe, Carmen Mach, Melanie Rothwell, and Kara stitched three of the pieces herself and Becca Wiegand. There (continued on page 16) was the winning bidder for the entire set, which
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W
hen talk turns to Thanksgiving, some of us turn to family-recipe books. But Elyse Kalmans unpacks the needlepoint turkeys, pilgrims, and pumpkins she’s stitched and used as heirloom decorations through the years. Her collection includes stand-up pilgrims and Native Americans, a turkey pillow that showcases complex, careful stitches, and another depicting doors decorated for fall – on that one there’s even a three-dimensional bushel of Indian corn with raffia “husks” sprouting from the cobs. “They sort of tell a story,” the community volunteer and mother of two girls in college and one in high school says, adding that each finished piece reminds her of a person or time. “I like the sentimentality of it. I remember I was needlepointing a Thanksgiving piece when my grandmother passed away. “I started needlepointing in 1993 when I was in grad school at Kellogg [School of Management at Northwestern University],” she says. “There were very few women there, and fewer single women. A friend had learned to needlepoint from her mother or grandmother, and she taught me. It was a good balance for the craziness of business school. It relaxed me.” Since then, Elyse has finished sets of Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Valentine’s decorations, among other projects. “No one makes anything these days,” Elyse says. “It’s sort of a lost thing. But with needlepoint, at the end of the day you have something to show for your time.” A big sports fan, especially of the Astros, Elyse enjoys being able to stitch and watch. “I’m not creative or crafty,” she says, “but I can follow instructions. And I figure it’s got to be good for my brain. Well, I don’t know that, but it makes me feel good.”
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LABOR OR LOVE Kara Hilliard cherishes the collection of Thanksgiving needlepoint figures she won at the River Oaks Baptist School gala. Kara stitched three of the pieces herself; other volunteer stitchers completed the set. (continued from page 14) were
pilgrims, Native Americans, a teepee, a table full of pies, and a canoe, she says, “everything you would have expected to see at the first Thanksgiving. “The whole thing was a labor of love. I started passing out canvasses to stitchers that summer, we turned them in in January, had them finished with beading on the edges, and the event was in April. We prepped for almost a year.” Kara now uses the intricately stitched, standup pieces, which Needle House finished with colorful, beaded trim, every Thanksgiving to decorate her dining room for the holiday. She says stitching for the auctions helped her learn to needlepoint more efficiently. “These school projects gave me an actual deadline. I
knew someone would be calling me!” Now, Kara is working on a square piece for the back of a jean jacket and another one she’ll have sewn into a tennis bag. “These are the first things I’ve done for me,” she says, having given pillows and ornaments to nieces, nephews, and godchildren. For her own children, she’s completed her first Christmas ornaments. “I finished them with little pockets, like smaller stockings, and we put teeny tiny notes into them about the year they were born, saying how excited we were they joined our family. We can pull them out every year. “When I started, I was like, ‘This is something my grandmother does,’” Kara says. But now she’s seeing younger people meeting to needlepoint
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at night “instead of a happy hour. I feel like there’s a needlepoint resurgence that came out of 2020. “People think they need formal training, but I just started with the book. Asking a needlepoint store for a stitch guide is really helpful. Once you start, you’ll want to challenge yourself” with different stitches and pieces. Elyse says, “Houston is amazing that we have five needlepoint stores. You can show up at a store, pick something you love, and sign up for a class or find a friend who can teach you.” Just be careful with the needles. “I know my family likes the finished product, and they like that I get a lot of happiness out of it,” Elyse says. “But every once in a while, they’ll sit on a needle…”
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SPORTS by Angie Frederickson, staff writer
The Girls of Football A new generation of talent
F
riday night lights look a little different at Episcopal High School. If you look closely during the kickoff, you’ll notice a long ponytail peeking out from the bottom of No. 20’s blue helmet. Mia Tuckwood, a junior (and a girl), takes her spot at the center of the 40-yard line with five teammates to her right and five to her left to start the varsity game with a kick into a field of all-male opponents. If it weren’t for the ponytail, you would think she was one of the guys because her 6-foot-2-inch stature blends in seamlessly with the rest of the team. Mia, 17, is the first girl to play football at EHS. A seasoned athlete, Mia has played club soccer since she was a young girl and has been on the Episcopal girls’ soccer team since her freshman year. She spent many football seasons in the bleachers watching her older brother, Ethan, play football for the Episcopal Knights, and she knows the game. She decided her athletic ability and kicking skills were as good as anyone else’s, so she approached varsity football coach Steve Leisz about joining the team. His response: “As long as you’re all in.” “I’m the kicker, so I go out on kickoff, and I do field goals and extra points,” said Mia. She wears the same uniform as the boys, participates in the same practices, and receives the same coaching. “Coach Leisz doesn’t treat me any differently,” she said. Football is an opportunity for Mia to do something new with her proven athletic ability. “I’m not doing it just to prove a point, but there’s definitely a point to be made,” she said. “It’s a space where I can go out and show what girls can do. That’s what I like about football. I hope other girls will look up to me and think, ‘If she can do that, then maybe I can, too.’” Mia says her teammates are welcoming and supportive, and her coach suspects it is because her athletic ability has earned an immense amount of respect. “She’s a grinder, and I mean that in a positive way,” Leisz said, laughing. Mia’s first days on the team were during the summer when the team does intense conditioning workouts. Typical of most summer outdoor-conditioning camps, the players fight against dehydration
KICKING DOWN BARRIERS Athletes Addison Perry, Emma Rodriguez, and Mia Tuckwood (from left) are the only girls on their tackle-football teams.
and exhaustion, and becoming physically ill is not unheard of. Mia walked onto the field being in exceptional shape from the soccer season and had no problem handling the football workouts. “She earned her spot on the team,” Leisz said. The male players are inclusive, but Mia concedes there are natural differences. “They’re accepting and supportive, but they’re also teenage guys, so I think it’s kind of weird for them at times,” she said. “It’s kind of hard to relate to some of the guys, but at the end of the day it’s just sports.” Simple logistics like where she changes into
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her uniform come into play. During home games, she can use the Episcopal girls’ locker room, but arrangements need to be made in advance for her to have dedicated space to use when they play away games at other schools. Mia says she doesn’t feel isolated or like she is missing out on team bonding, and she is able to join the boys in the locker room during halftime. “Sometimes I like being by myself in the girls’ locker room in order to get my own space,” she said.
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he St. John’s School eighth-grade football team also has a female (continued on page 20)
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Charles Tsang Dee Blevins
ON THE TEAM Top left: Addison Perry kicks a field goal for the St. John’s Mavericks. Bottom left: Mia Tuckwood cheers on her Episcopal High School teammates from the sidelines. Right: Emma Rodriguez, a center, takes a break during an SBMSA practice. (continued from page 18) kicker. Addison Perry,
who is roughly the same height as the male players, is in her second season as a football player after starting last year with the Southwest Football League (SFL) Orange Shamrocks team. The 2020 football season didn’t exist for many middle schools, so groups of players formed their own teams through SFL. The Orange Shamrocks needed a kicker, and Addison filled the gap. “I learned football with my dad and brother during quarantine,” said Addison. “My brother is a kicker for St. John’s varsity, and while we were all stuck at home he would go outside with my dad and kick. I thought it would be fun, and the next thing I knew I was kicking with them every night.” Sibling rivalry with her brother, Caden, played an important role in Addison’s training. “Kicking is always about being under pressure, so my brother and I teased each other to try to get in each other’s heads and have fun annoying each other while practicing,” Addison said. Like Mia, Addison says the school team is welcoming and supportive, and she enjoys being a girl on a “boys” team. “Last year I definitely got some looks from the other teams, though,” she said. “It was kind of funny to walk out on the field and see the reactions when they realized that I’m a girl.”
M
ia and Addison are part of a national trend of rising numbers of girls playing
football. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, 47 out of 50 states have seen significant increases over the last decade in the number of girls playing tackle football, and two states (including Texas) have created girls-only tackle leagues. Adding girls to the football landscape furthers the discussion around injuries and the overall safety of the sport for children. Addison’s mom, Angela, says even though her daughter has never been injured on the football field, it’s something that is in the back of her mind. “Right now, she’s only doing field goals, and she’s not really in a position to get hurt,” said Angela. Looking to the future, there might be an opportunity for kickoffs or punting, but Addison has not done those plays yet, and Angela isn’t in a hurry to see it happen. “There could be people out there who might target her on the field,” Angela said. Dr. Albert T. Hergenroeder, chief of adolescent medicine and sports medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and chief of adolescent medicine in the sports medicine clinic at Texas Children’s Hospital, says football is not inherently more dangerous for girls than for boys. “It has to do with their ability to compete,” he says. “If girls have the size, strength, and speed, then they probably have no more risk than boys do.” Younger players are usually at less risk of injury than older and larger players,
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regardless of gender.
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mma Rodriguez, 8, plays tackle football for the Spring Branch-Memorial Sports Association junior varsity Bulldogs team. The third grader began playing flag football this summer and is now the center for the boys’ tackle team. “I’m a big kid, and if I get hurt I get back up. I’m fine,” Emma said. “I can outrun any boy.” Like many other girls who play football, Emma has had lots of exposure to the game from watching her older brother. Gabriel, 10, also plays center for his team in an older division. Initially, Emma wasn’t thrilled about being tackled, but center is a very physical position to play, and she quickly became resilient. She enjoys being on the offensive end of tackling and because she is about the same size as the boys, she is equally as effective. If these girls decide to continue playing football, they have a role model at the collegiate level. In 2020, Vanderbilt University kicker Sarah Fuller made history on the football field as the first female to play in a Power Five game when she kicked off for the Commodores against the University of Missouri. Mia, the Episcopal kicker, is used to people asking if she was inspired by Sarah Fuller’s history-making moment. “She’s very impressive, but actually I was playing football before she was,” Mia said.
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NEIGHBORS by Michelle Groogan, staff writer
Houston’s Fly Girl forsythefotography.com
A trailblazing pilot’s life in the clouds
FUEL FOR THE SOUL Debbie Gary, 74, seeks adventure from high above her Houston-area homes, one in town and one by an airstrip in Friendswood.
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ave you ever climbed aboard an aircraft with no destination in mind? Debbie Gary does it all the time, flying the open sky in her Piper Super Cub two-seater airplane. “It was like true love when I discovered flying,” said 74-year-old Debbie, who has had her pilot’s license for 54 years. Soaring above the landscape is where this fly girl feels most at home, but, in the interim
between joyful takeoffs and reluctant landings, there is the necessity of a residence – or two. She has a 1939 bungalow in West University as well as a two-story house in Friendswood equipped with its own private airplane hangar and community airstrip for quick access to fly every day. “We first moved to Houston in 1982. Before that I never lived in a place longer than six months,” said Debbie. Full of energy and
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always smiling, this grandma loves to tell stories. “I would be wherever the flying weather was good because that was the center of my life, and I would say the flying weather is pretty good here.” There are about 50 homes in this pilots’ paradise south of Houston, with airplane hangars that flank the 2,700-foot tarmac in an “uncontrolled” (no control tower) airfield. Debbie’s quarter-acre
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FLYING FRIENDS Top: Debbie Gary houses her Piper Super Cub airplane at her home in Friendswood, which has its own airplane hangar and a community airstrip. Bottom left: Leroy Chiao, a retired NASA astronaut, lands his plane, a Grumman Tiger single-engine four-seater. Bottom right: Leroy and Debbie are the best of friends and neighbors in both West U and Friendswood. He calls her “a pioneer” who flies “like an artist.”
lot has long been considered party central. Her home is adorned with whimsical designs and colorful art along with a pool and garden area boasting zinnias so hefty they can hardly stand up. And then her prized possession – the bright yellow Piper perched like a shiny trophy on an expansive black and white checkered tile floor in her 2,000square-foot hangar. Alongside it are pinned newspaper headlines, articles, and photos of her past loves – the Pitts S-2A biplane, SIAI-Marchetti, Bellanca Decathlon, CAP 232, and aerobatic Bonanza planes she has owned before. “I didn’t have a drive to become a pilot. I just love the wind and the sky and weather and maps and boys and packing in small spaces. Every single thing that had to do with flying I already loved, and so when I found flying I was like, ‘Oh yeah, this belongs to me.’”
What happened over the next 40 years are displayed on the walls of her hangar, highlights of a pioneering career in aerobatic avionics and proof of achievements in the air at the highest level. She flew in air shows, big outdoor parties where the planes seem to dance with thrilling twirls and pirouettes, loops and rolls, dives and glides. The shows attracted a creative and elite crowd of innovative pilots. “She's a pioneer! She's flown the Pitts biplane and the BD-5 mini jet in air shows professionally on two different teams,” said Leroy Chiao, Debbie’s good friend and neighbor in both cities. Leroy’s hangar, which houses his Grumman Tiger single-engine four-seater plane, is across the runway from Debbie. And they live across the street from each other in West U. Leroy’s expert praise is impressive, consider-
ing that he is a former NASA astronaut and former commander of the International Space Station. But it was Debbie who taught him flying tricks. “I’m more of a structured pilot, so when she was teaching me how to do these aerobatics, I was looking at the instruments, looking at the wingtips as reference points, where she's like, ‘Well, that's all great, but just let go of that and feel how to do it.’ She flies by feel,” said Leroy. “When she gets up in the sky, she is creating like an artist, and so she loves flying visually, whereas most of the time when I’m flying I’m looking at the needles and the gauges.” Adventure is in Debbie’s DNA. As a young girl, she, her parents, and older sister traveled and moved a lot, and in the ’50s, when she was 10, they moved to Trinidad (continued on page 24)
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LIFE OF ADVENTURE Debbie Gary was a trailblazing aerobatic pilot for almost 40 years. These days, she still flies her Piper Super Cub airplane, which she keeps at her second residence in Friendswood. Bottom left: Debbie checks the oil of her two-seater airplane, which she has owned since 1994. Adventure is in Debbie's DNA, and flying without a destination is how she prefers it. (continued from page 23) for two years. It was there
she remembers taking a ride on a twin-engine plane to a small island, and she got the thrill of sitting in the cockpit. But it was during her sophomore year in college at George Washington University in Washington D.C. that her dad got a job in the Virgin Islands, and she took a semester off and went with him. “That’s where I learned to fly. I spent every cent I had on flying, which means when I was taking lessons I could afford three days a week. It was very cheap then. It was $10 an hour to rent a plane with gas in it,” said Debbie. Within months, at the age of 20, she had her pilot’s license and her first job towing gliders in St. Croix. Before long she was learning to do aerobatics, and in 1971, at the age of 24, became
the first woman to fly on a formation aerobatic team, with the Jim Holland air shows. There is no end to her list of accomplishments. She was part of the Carling Aerobatic Team, a BD-5 Jet Team (an aircraft that holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s smallest single-seat, build-it-yourself jet, with fuselage not much bigger than a motorcycle), and the Bud Light Micro Jet Team. Debbie also performed solo routines and eventually became an aerobatic-flying instructor. After marrying and raising a daughter and son, Debbie returned to college in her 40s, earning a journalism degree from the University of Houston and embracing one of her favorite jobs of being a travel and adventure writer for Texas Skies Magazine. Her byline has also appeared fre-
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quently in Air & Space Magazine, an adjunct publication of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum. These days Debbie has many passions: gardening, traveling, writing, entertaining, and spending time with her grandchildren – but she still absolutely loves piloting her plane. No matter what grand adventure Debbie recalls, it inevitably revolves around flying. She describes it as a source of magic and beauty, the power of which seems to infuse her face with light. “From a certain altitude you have a beautiful view of the shape of the land and the cows and the deer and the long shadows at the end of the day and the river that looks like tomato soup or the waterfalls or the lakes ... so much to see.” At the age of 54, Debbie formed an all-
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FEARLESS Debbie Gary flew in daring aerobatic air shows and, later in life, even formed an all-woman wing-walking act. In her hangar are posters from her airshows, including one (middle) created by her daughter, and an ad campaign for Champion spark plugs that featured her.
woman wing-walking act – which, she says, was exciting and frightening. “That was the first time I was genuinely drymouthed,” said Debbie. “I spent time confronting fear and realizing that I couldn’t be afraid and perform. It gives you tunnel vision. I had an experience early on, just flying over the water between the two islands of St. Thomas and St. Croix, where I realized the engine sounded rough, and my perception had narrowed down, and so I realized I couldn’t be afraid in an airplane.” And the result was a lifetime of exploration. She has traveled around the world at least three times and recently returned from a trip to Iceland. Her marriage ended in divorce after 21 years. Debbie says she was able to harness the adversity as a source of growth.
While her last air show was more than a decade ago and she does not own an aerobatic airplane now, Debbie still longs for a blue canvas, clouds, and contrails for her acrobatic artistry. “The last air show I did was in 2009. The joke was I was always saying I’m going to retire, and then I did, and I went on some great adventures. My daughter went with me, and we flew to Alaska. I’ve been up there four times. That is the adventure of adventures, to fly yourself to Alaska,” said Debbie. “It is flyers’ heaven.” You might be wondering if there is anything this adventure-seeking pilot is scared to do. “I’ve been inverted low to the ground when my engine quits. I’ve had close calls on a runway. Lots of things go wrong. But I’m not afraid in that arena,” she said. “If you told me to go
river running by myself I would turn into a puddle of Jell-O, or if you told me I had to go skiing right now. There are a million things I wouldn’t want to do because I would be scared.” Debbie has a unique definition of adventure, which she sees more as a willingness to both make and learn from mistakes rather than an actual accumulation of experiences. “One of the key things, I was never afraid of screwing up. At my first lesson, my instructor let me check the oil and let me put the cap on. He said don’t make it too tight, but I didn’t tighten it enough, so we landed, the plane was covered in oil,” she said. “I wasn’t even embarrassed.” Hers has been, by all accounts, an extraordinary life so far, filled with courage, few regrets, and skies.
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ NOVEMBER 2021 25
NEIGHBORS by Andria Frankfort, staff writer
Happy 100th Birthday Dee Zunker
Dorothy Suman’s long life of love
A BIG DAY Dorothy Suman is celebrated in front of her longtime home by friends and family. From left: Barbara Pester, Sharon Silvers, Jerry Green, Sharon Suman Dodds, Melinda Wheeley, Missy Suman, Ana Laura Arriola, Ken Wheeley, Stella Dodds, Chip Green, Robin Green, Becky Green, Ellie Green, Beverly Green, Laura Arriola, Rodrigo Arriola, Linda Brannen, Jonathan Green, MacKenzie Green, John McNeeley, Mary Ann Hale, Flynn Dodds, Donny Suman, Becky Arnold, Bruce Barnes, Anu Reddy, and Byron Barnes. The 100th-birthday girl is front and center, holding flowers.
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’ll tell you one thing,” says Dorothy Suman. “You can’t mess me up too bad. I don’t hear as much, but my son will tell you, ‘She’s going to be 100, but let me clue you in – don’t mess with her mind.’” It’s an extraordinary thing to be that quick-witted when you turn 100. But Dorothy Suman has lived an extraordinary life. For almost 70 years, Dorothy was married to the love of her life, Don Suman. You might remember his name: He was a basketball coach at Rice University and the first general manager and vice president of the Houston Oilers. Dorothy, who moved with her parents to Houston, her mother’s hometown, from New Orleans when she was 2, was an enthusiastic sports fan before she ever met her husband. “In high school, I was a drum major of the Reagan RedCoats, when they were a fine thing to be a part of,” she remembers. (John H. Reagan High School became Houston Heights High School in 2016. The RedCoats are still a school-spirit dance troupe performing at sports events and pep rallies, only now they are called the Heights RedCoats.) When she started college at Rice, Dorothy
went to all the football games. “There were about 800 men and 250 women [in the student body],” she says. “You just waited to choose whoever you wanted to go out with.” In this case, Dorothy was the chosen one. “One day I walked in [to Rice’s Cohen House, an event space home to the Rice University Faculty Club], and Don, who was a football player, was playing ping pong with another football player. He stopped and asked his friend, ‘Who is that girl?’” Don thought Dorothy was cute. “Then he said, ‘I’m gonna marry her.’” Thus began a courtship of several years, while Dorothy lived at home with her parents. “In those days, girls couldn’t live on campus,” she says. “We got married on George Washington’s birthday, Feb. 22, [in] 1945.” Daughter Sharon Suman Dodds was born two years later, followed by son Don Ward Suman, Jr. When Sharon was a baby, Dorothy and Don moved to West University. “Don and I were driving around one Sunday,” Dorothy remembers. “Sharon was in the car with us, and we drove by this lot for sale. He pulled up and said, ‘I wouldn’t mind living here. Look at all the children Sharon could play with.’ Back then, we
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weren’t all walled-off. The next day, he went to the realtor’s office and bought it. We started working on plans to build with an architect from Rice, and before long, we had a house.” In 1948, the family moved into the home Dorothy still lives in on Arnold. Today, Sharon lives around the corner with her husband, Tony. Originally, the Arnold house was a typical West U bungalow. Over the years, it was expanded to deceptively fill the lot, while retaining its original façade. “After Donny was born, I had a baby bed in our room, which people used to do, believe it or not,” Dorothy says. “So we added another bathroom and bedroom, then two dens and a fireplace. You didn’t lock your doors. Kids came in and out of the house. If children wanted to ride their bike six or eight blocks, they did.” Sharon remembers, “When it got dark, all the dads had a different whistle. My dad would whistle, and we would come home.” Like many homemakers in the 1950s, Dorothy built her life around her husband and children. And sports. “Don was the head basketball coach at Rice,” she says, adding that he (continued on page 28)
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Dee Zunker Dee Zunker
70 YEARS IN HER HOME Clockwise, from left: Dorothy Suman on her 100th birthday; Don and Dorothy Suman met at Rice University and were married almost 70 years; Dorothy Suman brings her young daughter, Sharon Suman Dodds, to visit family in Oklahoma; The West University Fire Department sings a surprise birthday serenade to Dorothy Suman in the West U home she has lived in for 70 years. (continued from page 26) coached
a Southwest Conference championship and that same season coached Rice greats Gene Schwinger and Don Lance to All-American honors. Then, Bud Adams called. “He decided to start the American Football League and asked if Don would join. So my husband was the first vice-president and general manager of the Houston Oilers.” Dorothy supported her husband. “I went to the games and took the trips,” she says. “We got all kinds of wonderful invitations. The year the Oilers went to Hawaii, maybe it was spring training, I traveled with the team. We were entertained by Barron Hilton – he owned the Hilton. He had us to his home.” Sharon remembers being chased by reporters: “They thought they could ask kids information the adults wouldn’t give them, but we outran them.” Sitting in the living room she grew up in (which is pristine, thanks to Dorothy and a little help), Sharon says, “I remember Dad working on that dining room table with Bud Adams on the phone
and papers spread out. Donny has the American Football League championship ring. There’s also a Cotton Bowl watch around here somewhere.” “I never worked,” Dorothy says. “What always tickled me was that everybody knew Don. I’d be standing there beside him and wouldn’t know them. He told me, ‘If I know who I’m talking to, I will introduce you. But if not, you just step back.’” Sadly, Don passed away in 2015. Dorothy has one grandson, Flynn Dodds, and a great-granddaughter Stella. “She’s only eight years old,” Dorothy says. “She’s smart as a whip. But, of course, all grandchildren are smart. You know that.” On Oct. 3, Dorothy’s family came together at her house on Arnold to celebrate her 100th birthday. For weeks, Dorothy was polishing silver, dusting, even cleaning the walls of her home. When the day arrived, she was surprised by a giant yard sign, courtesy of her children, and a birthday serenade from the West University Place Fire Department. “The fire truck and ambulance came driving
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up with their sirens on to sing to Mom,” Sharon says, “at the same time her doctor arrived!” Dr. Sarah Selleck, on her way to celebrate with Dorothy, was startled by the sirens and went running to the door to be sure everything was okay. Sharon had, in fact, been concerned when she arranged the firefighters' visit that their mom, who had been a bit stressed out about the party, would "keel over" at the surprise. But brother Don thought she would love it and said, “Let’s do it.” When the firefighters burst in, Dorothy’s first thought was that they were going to arrest her, until her daughter reminded her, laughing, that firefighters don’t arrest people. The birthday girl ended up having a great time. "She was animated and had no problem being the center of attention. She came to party. She kept everyone in stitches." And when asked the secret to looking so young, Dorothy had an answer ready. "Tequila."
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Richard Carson
EVENTS by Jenna Mazzoccoli, staff writer
Holiday Happenings Where to go,what to do
GOBBLE Cheer on the H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade as it winds through downtown.
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t’s that time again, and this year we actually get to go places. In case you have forgotten what is out there in the world, after too long of hiding out at home, we’ve pulled together some ideas for what you can do over the holidays. For details and links to websites, plus more events, see our events calendar at thebuzzmagazines.com.
Nov. 12-Jan. 2, 6-10 p.m. Galaxy Lights at Space Center Houston is an interactive and technologically advanced light display. The attraction takes you on a walking path through different parts of the Space Center, both inside and out. Allocate at least 90 minutes to walk through the entire light display and exhibit. Admission: $20-25
Texas Renaissance Festival 21778 FM 1774, Todd Mission Weekends, through Nov. 28, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. The Texas Renaissance Festival started in October and will run through Nov. 28. On 77 acres of permanent fairgrounds in the woods, interact with street performers, eat, drink, shop, and see plays, comedy acts, falconry, and jousting. For the most fun, wear your own Renaissance costume. During the last three days, the fairgrounds are transformed into a Christmas wonderland. Presale tickets at a reduced price are available, or purchase tickets the day-of at the box office or online. Admission: $12-40
Zoo Lights Houston Zoo, Hermann Park Nov. 15-Jan. 9 Zoo Lights is back this year. Tickets will not be available at the gate, so purchase online in advance. As you stroll through the zoo, thousands of lights illuminate your way. You can stop and snap a picture in the giant ice throne and take photos as Santa prepares for the holidays in his workshop. Admission: $13-25
Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market NRG Center Nov. 11-12, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Nov. 13, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Nov. 14, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market, celebrating its 40th anniversary, is back in-person this year. You can find gifts and décor from 200-plus vendors. A portion of the merchandise sales will benefit the Houston Ballet Foundation. Admission: $18-20 Santa’s Wonderland 18898 Hwy. 6, College Station Nov. 12-Dec. 30 Santa’s Wonderland, a seasonal amusement park in College Station, celebrates a Texas-sized Christmas. Venture through the expansive property of Santa’s Wonderland and see the Trail of Lights, meet Santa, race down the toboggan chute, enjoy live music, or take a carriage ride. Admission: $45-50 Galaxy Lights Space Center Houston, Clear Lake
The Alley Theatre presents A Christmas Carol Alley Theatre’s Hubbard Theatre, 615 Texas Ave. Nov. 19-Dec. 29 This family-friendly production retells Charles Dickens' classic story following Ebenezer Scrooge's journey with the three ghostly spirits who visit him on Christmas Eve. All guests are required to wear a mask and must show a negative Covid test within 72 hours prior to the performance or proof of vaccination. Admission: $27-121 Holiday in the Gardens 1 Hope Blvd., Galveston Nov. 20-Jan. 2 Holiday in the Gardens features several holiday attractions at one venue, from the Arctic Slide to 3D holiday films, train rides, and gardens decked out in 2 million lights. Get a picture with Santa or watch the Cirque Joyeux Holiday Show. Admission: $18-40 Lightscape at Houston Botanic Garden 1 Botanic Lane Wednesdays-Sundays Nov. 20-Jan. 2, 5:45-11
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p.m.; Additional dates: Dec. 20-21 Lightscape is new to the Houston Botanic Garden this year. Walk through at night and enjoy the magical light displays along the winding paths. Availability cannot be guaranteed at the door, so buying tickets in advance is advised. Admission: $20-27 A.D. Players presents The Christmas Shoes George Theater, 5420 Westheimer Rd. Nov. 24-Dec. 23 The best-selling novel The Christmas Shoes is being adapted for the stage in this world-premiere holiday play about a young boy from a loving family who crosses paths with a workaholic lawyer and gives him a much-needed wake-up call. Masks are required. Some sections are socially distanced while others are at full capacity. Purchase tickets online in advance or at the box office. Admission: $30-75 BakerRipley Houston Turkey Trot Galleria Dillard’s Nov. 25, 7:30 a.m. On Thanksgiving Day, the BakerRipley Turkey Trot is back in person. Race start times are from 7:25 to 9 a.m. Sign up in advance for the 10k, 5k, or 1k Kid’s Run, or show up to cheer on the runners. Admission: $15-40 72nd Annual H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade Downtown Houston Nov. 25, 9 a.m. Houston’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is one of the oldest in the country. The parade, consisting of floats, marching bands, and more, will travel 20 blocks around downtown. The public is invited to line the streets of downtown to cheer on the participants and floats. Admission: Free Uptown Holiday Lighting Post Oak Boulevard from West Loop to Richmond Nov. 25, 4-7 p.m. The Uptown Holiday Lighting is back this
Richard Haughto
MERRY AND BRIGHT Lightscape at Houston Botanic Garden is new to Houston this year. The light display will be open throughout the holiday season, ending Jan. 2.
year. Kick off the holiday season with live entertainment, a visit from Santa Claus, fireworks, and a light show of 300 new, 20-feet-tall holiday trees that line the boulevard this year. Admission: Free Houston Ballet presents The Nutcracker Wortham Center’s Brown Theater, 501 Texas Ave. Nov. 26-Dec. 24 Houston Ballet presents The Nutcracker. In this traditional holiday tale, Clara and Drosselmeyer travel together to the Land of the Sweets where the Sugar Plum Fairy is reunited with her Nutcracker prince and discovers a world of magic. Masks are required. Purchase tickets online in advance or at the box office. Admission: $27-153 Holiday in the Plaza CityCentre, 800 Town and Country Blvd. Nov. 27, noon-5 p.m. The CityCentre plaza will be full of holiday cheer. Bring an unwrapped toy to be donated to The Salvation Army in exchange for a picture with Santa. Admission: Free Holiday in the Park Bellaire Town Square, 7001 5th St. Dec. 2, 6-8:30 p.m. Santa will listen to the holiday wishes of children. Pictures with Santa will be available for purchase. The evening will also include music from local choirs, food, family activities, and a giant snow slide. Admission: Free Dickens on the Strand The Strand, Galveston
Dec. 3-5 Experience the architecture, sights, and sounds of a Victorian holiday, and dress up for extra fun. Interact with time-period performers, watch live entertainment, and shop from local vendors. Admission: $9-18 Southside Winter Carnival Fire Truck Park, 3742 Garnet St. Dec. 4, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Bring the family, as well as four-legged friends, for a photo with Santa, carnival games, face painting, fun on inflatables, and – most important – snow. Admission: $20 Handel’s Messiah Jones Hall, 615 Louisiana St. Dec. 10, 8 p.m.; Dec. 11, 8 p.m.; Dec. 12, 2:30 p.m. The holiday tradition of Handel’s Messiah returns to Jones Hall. The Houston Symphony, chorus, and guest soloists perform this beloved holiday classic. Masks are required. Some sections are socially distanced while others are at full capacity. Purchase tickets online in advance or at the box office. Concert livestream video is also available. Admission: $29-140 10th Annual Rudolph Run CityCentre, 800 Town and Country Blvd. Dec. 11, 7:30 a.m. Register for the Dasher 10k, Rudolph 5k, or Cupid 1k at CityCentre. Proceed benefit Firefighters Helping Firefighters. Costumes are encouraged, and the best Christmas outfit will win a prize. Santa will be available for photo opps as he cheers on the runners. Admission: $18-40
12th Annual Gingerbread Build-Off Levy Park, 3801 Eastside St. Dec. 11, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Architecture Center Houston will host the Gingerbread Build-Off at Levy Park. Competitors will design and build edible masterpieces. The public is invited to attend and cheer on the teams. Santa will also be at the park watching the competition and greeting visitors. Admission: Free; team registration is $200 Trans-Siberian Orchestra Toyota Center Dec. 12, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Trans-Siberian Orchestra will perform at the Toyota Center during their Winter Tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of their popular album Christmas Eve and Other Stories. Admission: $50-90 Houston Symphony presents Very Merry POPS Jones Hall, 615 Louisiana St. Dec. 18, 2:30 and 8 p.m.; Dec. 18, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. The Houston Symphony performs holiday classics like “Feliz Navidad,” “O Holy Night,” “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Masks are required. Some sections are socially distanced while others are at full capacity. Purchase tickets online in advance or at the box office. Concert livestream video is also available. Admission: $29-154
MORE ONLINE See our events calendar at thebuzzmagazines.com for details, links, and more holiday events.
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KIDS
by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer
Buzz Baby
Birth order
Buzz Baby is a column about life with babies. Writer Annie McQueen is a mother of four children under the age of 7.
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y second-born child, Georgia, now 4, was fighting the labor and delivery nurse during her first bath mere hours after her birth. She literally kicked her. I remember, in my foggy sleep-deprived memory, hearing the nurse say, “Wow, Mom, this one is strong.” Four years later, she is still strong, with that same feisty personality she had only a few hours after birth. Birth order is considered by researchers and psychotherapists to be one of the most influential components to personalities, along with gender, genetics, temperament, and parenting styles. Alfred Adler, a 19th- and early 20th-century Austrian psychotherapist, studied birth order and how it affects personalities. He found firstborns to more often be high achievers, leaders, and determined, middle- or second-born children to be more flexible, free-spirited, and competitive, and the youngest to be more charming, outgoing, and persistent. My husband and I have four children under 7, and, as my second-born showed in the hospital, their personalities are constantly in line with their birth order. Our oldest in the household are boy-and-girl twins, so while we do not have one oldest child, the twins tend to alternate between taking on the role as the oldest. Cash, 7, tends to be a strong leader for his siblings in our household. He is outspoken and plays tough. He helps with his baby brother, our laid-back, fourth-child Hank, who turns 2 this month. Hank has been dragged to every game, carpool line, and outing, as you can imagine a fourth child would be. I feel that affects his personality in a good, positive way. Lila, Cash’s twin, is capable. She is always dressed for school on time, makes her own snacks when she is hungry, and has her outfit picked out for school the night before. However, she is also determined. She can spend an entire hour trying to talk us into buying her a concession-stand snow cone at her brother’s games – even after we have said no five times. Meanwhile, Georgia, in her second-born state-
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of-mind, will be running around the same sports game in a princess costume, with Sharpie marker on her face, unaware of Lila’s relentless requests. Much to the surprise of their young children, parents were kids once too. They landed in a birth order that shaped their personality as well. Parenting style is often shaped by a parent’s birth order and where they are in the family tree. Mom-of-four and lifestyle photographer Erin Beckwith, the oldest of her own family, agrees that birth order has an impact on personality – she says she OLDEST TO YOUNGEST Erin Beckwith says her children, Miller, 6, Bennett, 4, Briar, 2, and Bowe, 8 months, definitely have personalities that match their sees it daily with her birth order. own children. She has older two were. Perhaps it is due to a more four children under 6 years old – Miller, 6; relaxed parenting style and spreading the Bennett, 4; Briar, 2; and Bowe, 8 months. attention over four. Miller, the oldest and only girl, is the responMom-of-two Kelsey Beasley, a former teacher sible one, the “typical firstborn” child, as she and the youngest of her own family, says her parcalls her. “She's a little mama already and keeps enting style has changed to correspond with the her brothers in line,” said Erin. “She's helpful, birth order of her own two boys. Parker is 4, and self-motivated, and trustworthy.” Jordan is 5 months. Recently, Erin found Miller up at 6 a.m. with She says, so far, the second time around the her brother in the living room. She had made parenting block is a bit more relaxed for her and herself and her little brother breakfast and her husband Brad. They are feeling more confiturned on a television show for them to watch. dent, like they know what they are doing. They Erin says second-born Bennett, while very don’t stress about nap schedules, germs, or milesweet, can fall into the role of a typical middle stones. Perhaps as a result, Kelsey says, baby child. She makes sure he does not feel left out Jordan is falling into a second-born personality, and gives him special attention when he needs also more relaxed. it. “It's a challenge to parent a middle kid “It was very easy to become overly worried because they're constantly testing boundaries [with our first] whenever little issues came up and getting in trouble, but you feel so guilty simply because we lacked experience,” said because they feel like they're always in trouble,” Kelsey. “With our second time, it has been said Erin. much easier to shrug or laugh off things because Briar, 2, and his baby brother, Bowe, are we have been down this road before.” definitely “more capable” at this age than the
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ARTS
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by Cindy Burnett, staff writer
Buzz Reads
Five picks for November
Buzz Reads is a column about books by reviewer Cindy Burnett. Each month, Cindy recommends five recently released titles.
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or November, I am spotlighting several worthy titles that I missed earlier in 2021.
The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman – Richard Osman returns with the follow-up to his sleeper hit from last year, The Thursday Murder Club. This engaging, big-hearted, and humorous series features four individuals (Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron) living at Cooper’s Chase, a retirement community in the English countryside. Elizabeth is contacted by an agent with whom she worked when she was in MI5. He has been accused of stealing $20 million worth of diamonds and needs a safe place to hide out, so Elizabeth agrees to shelter him at Cooper’s Chase. Filled with entertaining and well-drawn characters and a clever mystery, The Man Who Died Twice is a joy from start to finish, and I am already anticipating Book 3. While this book is the second in a series, it can be read as a standalone as well. The Speckled Beauty: A Dog and His People by Rick Bragg – In The Speckled Beauty: A Dog and His People, Bragg chronicles how his life was forever changed by the arrival of a half-blind and poorly behaved stray dog he eventually names Speck. At age 60, he finds himself recovering from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and heart and kidney failure and having to live in his mother’s basement. When Speck arrives, Bragg doesn’t know what to make of him but eventually realizes he has been granted the gift of an unruly and hilariously poor behaved dog that loves him unconditionally. From a chapter about the perfect dog he wanted (“The Dog I Had in Mind”) to one about how the dog kept tripping him up (“Tumbling, Tumbling Down”), Bragg brings to life his adventures with Speck and how the rescuer ultimately becomes the rescued. We can all learn from Speck about how to live a life of unbridled joy and to love with abandon even when life has knocked us down. And thankfully, unlike many dog books, Speck is still alive
and terrorizing people (and other animals) in Alabama. These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant – Kimi Cunningham Grant’s new compelling and haunting thriller stars a father and daughter duo who have been living in a remote cabin off the grid for eight years in the northern Appalachian woods. Lacking electricity and running water, Cooper and Finch’s only connections to the outside world are Cooper’s WHAT TO READ This month's books include two spine-tingling mysteries, a story about an unruly dog, a historical-fiction title about a trip across 1937 Europe, friend Jake, who owns and a compelling family drama. their cabin and brings We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange – them supplies once a year, and a mysterious This terrific contemporary drama follows the older AK-47-toting neighbor named Scotland. Brennans, an Irish Catholic family whose bonds But when Jake does not show up with supplies and livelihood are tested when estranged daughand Finch begins to push back on their isolated ter Sunday Brennan is involved in a drunk drivlifestyle, a series of events are set in motion that ing incident and returns home to New York to will challenge the life Cooper has created for recover. Five years prior, Sunday had fled to them. This tension-filled story kept me on the California with no explanation to her family edge of my seat until I had turned the last page; and long-time boyfriend Kale. While she is hapI read it in one sitting, and it is one of the best pily and immediately welcomed back into the thrillers that I have read in a long while. family fold, her arrival slowly triggers a release Three Words for Goodbye by Hazel Gaynor of long-held secrets, which spark a chain of and Heather Webb – Estranged sisters Clara and events that require the Brennans to put aside Madeleine Sommers agree to set out on a trip their differences to keep their family intact. We together at the request of their dying grandmothAre the Brennans is a beautifully rendered story er Violet and deliver three goodbye letters to that highlights the importance of family and friends from Violet’s past. Unable to put their perthat reminds us there are consequences no matsonal conflicts aside, the women, constantly ter the choices made. clashing with each other, make their way across 1937 Europe to Paris, Venice, and Vienna amid Editor’s note: Southside Place resident Cindy rising political tensions, learning startling family Burnett also writes our weekly Page Turners column secrets as they go. When they finish their delivat thebuzzmagazines.com. She hosts the Thoughts eries, the women leave the turmoil in Europe and from a Page Podcast, is co-creator of the Houston head home aboard the Hindenburg, making for a literary event series Conversations from the Page, tense and dramatic ending to this fantastic book. runs the Instagram account @thoughtsfromapage, The book’s strong sense of place and authentic and regularly speaks to groups about books. characters made this a standout read for me.
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TRAVEL
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by Tracy L. Barnett, staff writer
Travel Buzz
Montana moments
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or Sue Needle, the flight to Montana spelled a chance to beat the Houston heat and bond together as a family. For veteran saltwater fisherman Paul Magaziner, it was a chance to enjoy some camaraderie with other anglers and learn a new style of fishing. For both, it ended up being the adventure of a lifetime.
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aul quickly confesses he knew nothing about the sport. But when his business partner, Joe Castellano, told him he’d be taking a fly-fishing trip with buddy Greg Greenway and invited Paul to come along and bring a friend, he couldn’t resist. He called up friend Sam Akers. Soon the two – both in their early 70s – were about to learn some new tricks. “Truthfully, I am not a fly fisherman,” said Paul. “I am not capable of taking a fly rod and putting on waders and going into a river … I can’t even see the flies, they’re too small.” With a good guide between them in the canoe, however, it didn’t matter. The first trip was to Arkansas, and they liked it so much they decided to take it to the next level: Craig, Montana, where the Missouri River flows cold and clear and is home to some of the finest trout in the country. Just an hour from the headwaters of America’s longest river, the town has become a fly fishing mecca. They were on the water by 9 a.m. – Sam on one end, Paul on the other, and guide Jeremy in the middle. There was no motor; the guide would steer their boat with a paddle. “You want to imagine yourself in the movie, and you’re Brad Pitt,” said Paul, referring to the 1992 Robert Redford film, A River Runs Through It. “But Sam and I are the pretenders – without that guide in between me and Sam, we’d probably starve to death.” Floating down the river, you can see anything: mountain goats, deer, elk, moose, bald eagles. “You’re not in Houston anymore, I’ll tell you that – and you’re not in Memorial Park.” But there isn’t much time for sightseeing, since the eyes must be constantly trained on the bobber, and you have to be ready to react in a split second. “When Sam and I cast, both of us have on hats and sunglasses. And we’re just as
likely to hook each other as to get it out there to the fish.” They got a taste of authentic Montana culture with their guides, who, like a lot of people in Craig, make their living in the five months of fishing season before the early Montana winter closes in. “They take this FOUR AMIGOS Top, from left: Joe Castellano, Greg Greenway, Sam Akers, and Paul very seriously; they Magaziner enjoy the "grilling balcony" of their cabin overlooking the Missouri River in Craig, Montana. Bottom: Joe displays a rainbow trout he had just caught in the cold clear waters really want you to of the upper Missouri River. catch the fish, and to do fishing right from your cabin,” he said. it gets really interesting when you don’t, or Paul came away from the trip deeply when you lose the fish,” said Paul. “They start impressed with the place and its people. yelling at you – ‘What are you doing?’ But the “My advice would be to see America, and fly whole thing is fantastic and good fun.” fishing is one way to do it,” he said. “As you Both ended up catching some fine-looking meet the people in Montana, you see how much trout – brown as well as rainbow. But this being they respect the land and how important it is to a fish-and-release stream, they just let them back them and keeping it the way it was. Going to into the river – and Paul was fine with that. Montana is just as spectacular as Europe or any They paid a visit to the Lewis and Clark other place, except that you’re in America; you National Historic Trail Interpretive Center, get to see what it was like 300 or 400 years ago which gave them pause for reflection on the difin this country. They’ve done a fabulous job of ficulty of that historic expedition as well as the taking care of the place.” fate of the original inhabitants of these lands. “I walked out of the Lewis and Clark museum, ue, a longtime United Airlines business and what really occurred to me is back then you analyst, was looking for a summer escape for didn’t know where you were going, you didn’t her family when the nonstop flight to Kalispell, know what you were going to see, and you had Mont., caught her eye. Husband Jonathan liked to carry your boat with you,” said Paul. “The the idea, and so did 19-year-old Noah and 16American Indians got a really bad deal – because year-old Hannah. So it was that in a little under they were here first.” 4 hours, they were landing at Glacier National The beauty of the land won their hearts, as did Airport – the gateway to Glacier National Park, the chance to hang out and enjoy some guy time a 1,500-acre wilderness along the Canadian – their cabin, rented through The Trout Shop, border in Montana’s Rocky Mountains. On the had two balconies, one for grilling and the other other side of that border is Canada’s counterthey called the cigar balcony – and it was right part, Waterton National Park; together, the up next to the river. For $400 a night – $100 per two form the Waterton-Glacier International person – it was as good a spot as Paul could imagPeace Park. (continued on page 38) ine. “If you rent the right facility, you may be able
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IN THE WILD Clockwise, from left: The view from Paul's cabin of the Missouri River, where a neighboring fisherman is reeling in his prey; Noah Needle learns to paddleboard while Jonathan and Hannah canoe on the serene Lake McDonald, a huge lake formed by Ice Age glaciers; the family on one of many nature trails – this one was at the eastern portion of the park which had drier ecology; Hannah and Noah at Logan Pass, which is on top of the famous Continental Divide.
The weather was sublime for mid-August – lows in the 50s, highs in the 70s – and the views were stunning. The area is a hot destination for cyclists, and the Needles ended up booking a cabin at the Montana Bike Hostel & Camping in nearby Columbia Falls. A half-hour drive to the west entrance of the park, it was the perfect base. Many of their adventures began with Goingto-the-Sun Road, a 50-mile route that crosses the Continental Divide, passing waterfalls and glaciers, peaks and valleys, alpine tundra and bunchgrass prairie – and frequently, wildlife. They canoed and they paddleboarded, and in the nearby towns, explored a museum and a rodeo. And perhaps the biggest adventure, at least for Sue, was the hike to the glacier-fed Avalanche Lake. Darkness was already beginning to fall as they wound their way upward through the cedar and hemlock forest, mist falling around them. They reached a gorge and a sign that said it was four miles to Avalanche Lake. “There weren’t many hikers at that point, and we didn’t know whether we could make it all the way to Avalanche Lake,” said Sue. “So I told my son, who’s a bit more athletic, to just run up and take a look, run around it and come back and tell us if it’s worthwhile.” They continued their walk at a leisurely pace, when suddenly they saw a black bear. “I said, ‘We just have to keep on walking. Let’s not pay any attention to it. We can look
(continued from page 36)
at it through our peripheral vision.’” The bear went on about its business, and so did the hikers. Realizing that Noah wasn’t coming back anytime soon, they decided to just keep going – up, and up, and up. Almost to their destination, Noah finally appeared; it had taken him that long to walk around the lake and make it back to the trail. When they finally arrived, they were amazed at what they saw: a lake at the top of the mountain, level with the ground around it, almost like a natural infinity pool. “The misty lake was so heavenly, and the water was a teal color,” she said. “I just felt like it was a little bit mythological. Something I’d find in a movie, maybe.” By the time they finally got back to the car, it was dark, and they were relieved to have made it back. Sue added, “There are a lot of incidents in national parks, and people going missing. Even a couple weeks after we came back, they found a woman who went on a hike with her dog and got lost. She didn’t make it.” Avalanche Lake was the highlight for Sue and Hannah; for Jonathan, it was the opportunity to relax and spend time with the family, although he also enjoyed hiking on Whitefish Mountain and the Kalispell Rodeo. For Noah, it was learning to paddleboard, a sport he’d never had the chance to practice before. And he did it atop the depths of Lake McDonald, a 500-foot-deep lake formed by Ice Age glaciers. The official moniker is Lake McDonald, but what
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will stay with them was the name used by the indigenous Kootenai people who originally inhabited these lands and practiced lakeshore ceremonies on its banks: Sacred Dancing Lake. The glaciers also left an impression on the family, and more importantly, their disappearance. A display of one glacier showed how it was only 25 percent of what it used to be in 1850, a sobering reminder of the ongoing process of climate change. Of the 150 glaciers that the park once held, only 25 remain, and those are predicted to be gone in a decade. The memories are mostly happy ones, however: marveling at the 360-degree views from the heights of the ski lift at Whitefish Mountain Resort; picking huckleberries along the trail and making huckleberry pancakes; driving through a wild cherry grove along Flathead Lake and eating their fill of wild cherries. The one thing they did not do was to go biking. They checked out the bicycle rentals along the way and almost did, but they ran out of time. So they are already planning their return, next spring – and next time, it will be a bicycle trip on Going-to-the-Sun Road – in May, when the road is only open for cyclists. 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.
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DINING
by Dai Huynh, staff writer
Chef’s Corner
Artisanal bread Kirsten Gilliam
B
read is magic. The baker is the wizard. Flour, salt, water, and yeast are the ingredients in the cauldron. Time is important, too. Top-quality artisan bread dough ferments for at least 18 hours to develop a tangy, winelike complexity. The result of such simple ingredients is captivating. First, a ball of dough – soft and supple as a baby's butt – is transformed by radiating heat into a dark chestnut-brown round, or boule in French. Then, still warm from the oven, the country bread – weighing 1¼ to 2 pounds – is broken apart by hand, and out comes a whiff of the gentle flavors of wheat and fermentation. It is one of the great pleasures of life. All you need is good European butter to slather on the soft interior crumb and coffee to start the morning. It has gotten easier for Houstonians to buy this kind of artisanal bread with the advent of several new bakeshops. Magnol French Baking, Badolina Bakery & Café, and White Elm Café & Bakery have joined the stellar lineup of Kraftsmen Baking (611 W 22nd St.), Artisana Bread (965 Pinemont Dr.), French Riviera Bakery (3100 Chimney Rock Road), French Gourmet Bakery (2250 Westheimer Road), Common Bond Bistro & Bakery, and Three Brothers Bakery. (The last two have several outlets.) And, of course, we need to mention the wholesalers, such as Cake & Bacon, Slow Dough Bread Co., and Bread Man Baking Co. With this kind of momentum, we anticipate more artisanal-bread shops to open. Meanwhile, here are three to explore. Badolina Bakery & Café (5555 Morningside Dr.) is a 1,500-square-foot, made-from-scratch gem in Rice Village. This tiny bakery has only three tables inside. So instead, most customers are on the verdant patio, sipping gourmet coffee and savoring an amazingly moist and aromatic glutenfree, dairy-free orange cake or another dessert. Various Israeli baked goods are available from executive pastry chef Michal Michaeli, such as spinach-and-cheese burekas and sambusak, a softball-sized, hand-held bread "empanada" stuffed with eggplant, tahini, tomatoes, and a boiled egg. In addition, Badolina preciously displays five or so rustic breads inside round wall
HOW TO CHOOSE Named after a popular book in Israel, Badolina Bakery & Café showcases six rotating, rustic-style breads daily, including seeded sourdough, blackberry-poppyseed, and classic, as well as a seeded French baguette.
cubicles. A unique offering is the sourdough bread, a dusky orb with sour cherries to balance the smoke. Challah is available only on Fridays, along with babka, an Eastern European yeastrisen coffee cake. "This project is born out of passion," says partner Itai Ben Eli of Sof Hospitality, which also operates Doris Metropolitan. "In Israel, you can find a bakery on every corner. Buying bread is a daily ritual. I remember my father waking up early to buy fresh buns to make sandwiches. Having day-old bread is almost a crime." Magnol French Baking (1500 N. Post Oak Rd.) buzzes with activity on a recent Sunday morning. A crowd of people waits to get inside. The line wraps around the red-brick building. It is only 8:30 a.m. Houstonians rarely pack into restaurants and cafés before 10:30 a.m. on the weekend. But these folks know to get here early because Magnol frequently runs out of its popular double-baked almond croissants. Before his expansion, Magnol chef-owner Otto Sanchez recalled people lining up as far as Hempstead Road, leading to the bakery. He
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hadn't planned on this when he opened his wholesale bakery in March 2019. The goal was to sell organic, rustic boules and oblong batards and baguettes to restaurants only, and then in the second year, he might test the water by retailing croissants. In the third year, he might add a few more pastries and maybe even desserts. After all, Magnol, tucked deep into a nondescript office strip, isn't visible from Hempstead Road. It would take time to build a retail business, or so Sanchez thought. Within three months of opening, he and partner Matthieu Cabon started selling plain and chocolate croissants to the public. It snowballed, and now, there is a glass case brimming with tarts, cookies, eclairs, canneles, and madeleines. Nearby are trays of freshly baked croissants and shelves with baguettes and other styles. The terms boule and batard refer to the bread's shape. A boule is round, and a batard is oblong. Recently, Magnol expanded its 250-squarefoot retail lobby to 750 square feet and added a 300-square-foot patio. Magnol has built a loyal following of foodies and (continued on page 42)
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Kirsten Gilliam Kirsten Gilliam
AND THAT'S A YES Both Badolina and Magnol French Baking offer outdoor seating. Counter-clockwise: French croissants and special-blend coffee drinks; Badolina’s verdant patio; and Magnol’s all-organic French baguette. (continued from page 40) chefs through word-of-
mouth, even if its prices are a few bucks more than other bakeries. But it's worth it, fans say, because it's all in the fine details. The butter in the croissants comes from Normandy. The Mariage Frères teas are flown in from Paris. The olive oil and kalamata olives for the bread are carefully sourced from Greece by a small purveyor. Sanchez's flours – six different kinds – are freshly milled, less than two weeks old upon arrival. But the key is "The Mother," the source of his levain, the fermented starter he adds to bread dough. The Mother is seven years old, and the older the "Mother," the more complex the flavor of his naturally leavened rustic bread. The crust crackles when you slice Sanchez's French country bread. But it's not tough or chewy. The crumb – or tender interior – is soft, moist, and riddled with holes created from the expanding fermentation gasses during proofing. It tastes yeasty, nutlike, and underlined with a subtle tang that lures you back for another bite. White Elm Café & Bakery (14079 Memorial Dr.) is the brainchild of Chico Ramirez, who sold his share of Field & Tides in the Heights to open a 3,445-square-foot, chef-driven concept in the
Memorial area. It was an ambitious project. Ramirez wanted an in-house bread and pastry program, which involves bread economics. Will it pay off? This question is what drives the majority of restaurants to buy their loaves and baked goods. Still, Ramirez strongly believed making your bread would fill an empty niche in the Memorial area. He also wanted to control the quality of his products, so he hired 29-year-old executive pastry chef Jamie Orlacchio. On most days, diners in the cozy private dining room can fork into sky-high, tender quiches while watching Orlacchio prep, roll dough, and simmer chocolate sauce through a large window with a view of the pastry kitchen. Orlacchio wanted to be an optometrist, but then the baking bug bit, and she enrolled in the pastry program at the Culinary Institute LeNotre. She credits French master chef and Etoile Cuisine owner Philippe Verpiand for her brioche. Later, she worked with chef Otto Sanchez at La Table, just before he opened Magnol. These days, she fills White Elm's pastry case with 20-plus baked goods, including croissants, scones, tarts, and muffins. Generally, she offers four different soft loaves, including pain de mie
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(plain white bread) and pumpernickel. Her bestsellers are the cranberry walnut loaf and French baguette. She says one of her favorite things is to tear off a piece of baguette and slather it with Jif peanut butter and apple butter. Here is a recipe for apple butter and White Elm's muhammara, a tasty red pepper spread that can be used on sandwiches or as a dip and even added to soups and stews for an added kick and complexity.
Muhammara This delicate spicy red pepper spread has its roots in Lebanon and North Africa. It goes great with bread and pita. This recipe is from Chez Nous chefowner Stacy Simonson, who designed White Elm Café & Bakery's menu. For your holiday party, spread muhammara on a sliced baguette and top it with creamy feta. 2 (12 ounces) jars of roasted red peppers 1 cup walnut ½ cup breadcrumbs ¼ cup chopped garlic 4 Tablespoons pomegranate juice 2 teaspoons molasses 1 teaspoon salt (continued on page 44)
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Shannon O'Hara
Shannon O'Hara
Shannon O'Hara
MADE IN-HOUSE Clockwise: Cinnamon buns at White Elm Café & Bakery; the bread counter and bread wall at the full-service restaurant; and homemade focaccia bread with rosemary, tomatoes, and red onions.
In a food processor, chop red peppers for 20-30 seconds. Add walnuts, breadcrumbs, garlic, pomegranate juice, molasses, and salt. Continue to process until you have a semi-smooth consistency. Don't over process, and you'll want a little bit of texture to the spread. Season with more salt to taste. Transfer to a large or two mason jars. Seal the jars and store them in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Makes 2 cups.
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Apple Pear Butter White Elm Café & Bakery executive pastry chef Jamie Orlacchio grew up slathering apple butter on warm toasts. Set it out in a bowl with cheeses and bread for the holidays or put it into mason jars to give as gifts.
1¼ pounds tart cooking apples, such as Granny Smith (about 4 medium) 1 pound ripe pears (about 2 medium) 1½ cups apple cider or apple juice 1 cups granulated sugar 1 Tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice, strained 1-2 cloves ¼ teaspoon ground cardamon Half of a cinnamon stick Core, peel, and cut apples and pears into quarters. Place apples and pears into a 4- to 6quart heavy pot or Dutch oven with apple cider. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Press apple-and-pear mixture through a food
mill or sieve. (You should have 3½ to 4 cups.) Return pulp to pot, and stir in sugar, lemon juice, cloves, cardamon, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cook, uncovered, over very low heat for about 1 to 1½ hours or until thick enough that mixture mounds onto a spoon. Stir often to prevent scorching. Place the pot in a sink filled with ice water; stir apple butter to cool. Ladle into halfpint freezer containers, leaving a 1/2 -inch headspace. Seal and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze up to 6 months. Freezing may darken apple butter. Makes 2 to 3 half-pints. Editor’s note: Buzz dining columnist Dai Huynh is a James Beard food-journalism award winner and longtime Houston-based restaurant writer.
Toast appetizers Hors d'oeuvres are a must for any cocktail party, but it's no fun to grind over tiny finger foods. Our pastry gurus and chefs say toast appetizers are quick and easy. They're also great for using up dayold bread. Slice the bread into triangles or use a cookie cutter to make circles before toasting. Allow the bread to cool completely, then go crazy. Below are 10 super easy inspirations from our chefs, many straight from the cupboard. 1. Hummus (storebought or homemade) topped with caramelized onions or chopped fresh jalapeños. 2. Almond butter with thinly sliced Granny Smith apples. 3. Basil pesto topped with cherry tomato halves and shaved Parmesan cheese.
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4. Finely chopped smoked salmon sprinkled with chopped chives and a dollop of crème fraîche. 5. Thinly sliced prosciutto sprinkled with Aleppo pepper and drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil. 6. Mashed avocado, seasoned with garlic salt and black pepper, then topped with sliced hard-boiled eggs. 7. A spoonful of goat cheese, topped with sliced, riped figs and drizzled with syrupy balsamic vinegar. 8. Sliced brie topped with sliced pear or apple, then drizzled with honey and seasoned with fresh cracked black pepper. 9. Slices of Stilton blue cheese topped with a teaspoon of either raspberry preserve or onion jam. 10. Ricotta cheese with sliced strawberries and drizzled with honey.
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Kevin Long/Gulf Coast Shots
SPORTS
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by Todd Freed, staff writer
SportzBuzz W
ith a thrilling 23-19 victory over Calhoun, the Second Baptist Eagles secured an impressive win over a larger UIL Class 4A program, while also raising its record to 4-1 midway through the season. “I would say it was a game that we circled on our schedule as a measuring stick to see how our program has progressed, and our kids responded well to the game,” said Eagles head football coach Terry Pirtle. The Eagles have responded quite well in recent seasons, with three straight trips to the TAPPS Division 2 state semifinals, while again looking on track for another deep playoff run this season. “On offense, we’re led by running back Eli Smith,” said Pirtle. “Eli is running the ball hard while breaking tackles and extending plays. He’ll play next season at Villanova University.” Also on offense, Pirtle says, sophomore quarterback Turner Murdock has shown big improvement each week, while wide receiver and four-year starter Grayson Kim has been a major contributor. “Defensively, we’ve played great all season,” added Pirtle. “All-state safety Everett Skillern is having a tremendous year. Everett will play in the Ivy League next season at Brown University.” Other key contributors include linebackers Austin Courtney and Kyle Kollmorgen as well as senior defensive lineman Colin Hedges.
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n volleyball, it’s been another powerhouse season for the St. Agnes Academy Tigers, who carried a 26-7 record deep into the regular season. Along the way, the Tigers defeated several of the area’s premier Class 6A UIL programs, including state-ranked Ridge Point and Klein. “We’ve defeated some really great large public school teams,” said Tigers head volleyball coach Cydryce McMillian. “We’ve challenged our girls by going up against and being successful against these big-name volleyball programs.” Now in her third season as the Tigers head coach, McMillian guided St. Agnes to the TAPPS 6A state championship in 2019 and then the state finals last season, with this year’s team right on track to making another deep playoff run. “We have some seniors who were part of that state-title team two years ago, along with a strong junior class that played on last sea-
son’s state final team. We’ve also sprinkled in some younger players, and it’s all come together really well this season,” said McMillian. Among the returnees for the Tigers is senior sensation Sophia Agee, a two-time all-state player for the Tigers, as well as second-team all-state player Piper Stephenson. In addition, senior outside hitter Alexis Visintine and seniors Grace Webber and Nicole Dworaczyk are three-year starters for the Tigers. Also, junior Ariel Francis, who is a threeyear varsity player, and LEADER OF THE PACK It’s been a dominant high school career for St. John’s junior NiMya Maruska cross country and track and field sensation Emmanuel Sgouras. In addition to his many victories for the Mavericks, Sgouras also finished first at the Balkan 18U are key contributors. Championships in the 3,000-meter race. “The big thing for us is McNeil Invitational while covering the 3.1-mile continuing to polish our system and execute at an course in a scorching fast time of 15:01. extremely high level,” said McMillian. “That was a phenomenal victory for Emmanuel,” said Mercado. “It was the same ith nationally ranked runner Emmanuel course where the UIL runs its state cross country Sgouros setting the pace, the St. John’s meet, with four of the eight top runners in the School Mavericks figure to be making a run at state making up the field.” Sgouros will be the an SPC boys cross country championship this clear favorite to finish first at this month’s SPC season. “Emmanuel has worked really hard the cross country championship, but he very well last two years and is a force both in cross country could lead the Mavericks to a team championship. and track and field,” said St. John’s boys cross “We’ve got a really good group,” said Mercado. country coach Richie Mercado. “Wilson Bailey ran a personal best at the McNeil With his father being from the Island of Crete, Invitational, and we had a big team victory at the Sgouros has spent many of his summers in Woodlands Christian meet. If we can stay healthy Greece, where he’s run internationally for the and run as a team, we’ll have a shot at challenging Greece Junior National Team. This summer, St. Mark’s for the team championship.” Sgouros raced to victory at the Balkan U18 Championships in the 3,000 meters. He then Editor’s note: Todd Freed is the host and execureturned home to Houston in time to lead the St. tive producer of H-Town High School Sports, which John’s foursome of Sgouros, Danny Wasserman, airs Monday through Thursday on AT&T William Thames, and Wilson Bailey to victory SportsNet SW. To submit high school sports news in the Greenhill 6-Mile relay race. for possible inclusion in SportzBuzz, please email In September, Sgouros dominated a field of todd@thebuzzmagazines.com. many of the state’s top runners to win the
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SPORTS
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by Angie Frederickson, staff writer
SportzBuzz Jr. W
elcome to SportzBuzz Jr., a column spotlighting neighborhood athletes in elementary and middle school.
Peppa Pig takes gold Team Peppa Pig (top photo) was the big winner at the first annual Future Cardinals volleyball camp held at Bellaire High School (BHS). About 40 young players attended the camp that was coached by members of the BHS varsity, junior varsity, and freshman volleyball teams. The third- through sixth-grade girls worked on passing and serving skills, and then took their new volleyball knowledge into tournament play to close out the camp. After friendly competition, team Peppa Pig, coached by senior BHS player Lexi Martin, won first place. The camp was a success, and BHS plans to continue the Future Cardinals camp each year. The Peppa Pig winners are (pictured, from left) Lexi Martin, Hazel Grace Dagley, Callie Hodges, Olivia Zager, Anna Scott, Sarah Garber, and Jessie Whitley.
Aggies on the field The Southwest Football League (SFL) Junior Aggies 7 on 7 football team (middle photo) kicked off the fall 2021 season. This team began playing five years ago at the YMCA and relocated to the SFL last year when the pandemic canceled YMCA sporting events. The boys, ages 10 through 13, look forward to an exciting season with games played on the SFL fields at South Campus and even a game at Rice Stadium. Head coach Paul Pinkston and assistant coaches Hugh Hamilton and Paul Kerlin are working hard with the boys for a successful run under mostly normal circumstances. The Aggies are (pictured, from left) Cully Jenkins, Hank Young, James Horton, Hudson Herr, Jack Hamilton, Ben Stagg, Jack Evans, Drew Evans, Cole Stagg, Connor Kerlin, and Luke Pinkston; not pictured: Leo Blossom and Andrew Garland.
Sixth graders on the court The Emery/Weiner School added a sixth-grade volleyball team (bottom photo) to its athletic roster this season. Originally planned to debut in 2020, the new team held off for a year due to the pandemic and this year’s sixth graders are proud to be the inaugural team. Coached by Angi Boudreaux, the girls have a full game schedule and are competing against other schools in the Greater Houston Athletic Conference (GHAC). The players are (top row, from left) Lani Banks, Sabrina Sen-Roy, Shirli Hochman, (middle row, from left) Aviva Key-Cohen, Grace Cutrer, Emily Arieli, Renana Machol, Mia Laviage, Marki Goott, Sami Berzin, Sydney McIngvale, Rebecca Silberlicht, (bottom row, from left) Laine Spector, Avery Wigder, Darya Domakhina, Stella Farber, Savannah Radoff, Charlotte Cutrer, Sadie Schwartz, Lauren Getz, and Mia Powers. 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. WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ NOVEMBER 2021 48
St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School PK-4 - 8th Grade National Blue Ribbon School, STEM Certified Religious and Advanced Academics Open House - Tuesday, November 9 at 6pm To RSVP - Please visit our school website For more info and to apply online visit saintvincentschool.org 6802 Buffalo Speedway, Houston, TX 77025
Get Your Morning Buzz Every weekday morning, enjoy your coffee + the buzz in your inbox. Our e-newsletter, Morning Buzz, features buzzworthy stories about neighbors every day, Monday-Friday. Sign up to find out what we’re buzzing about at thebuzzmagazines.com/morning-buzz.
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ NOVEMBER 2021 49
MAKING PEOPLE HAPPY Emma, a sixth grader at the Mandarin Immersion Magnet School, created an art character named Ava Avocado last year, and now she sells her avocado art at festivals and a gallery.
KIDS by Emma, age 11
Buzz Kidz I
The rise of Ava Avocado
n fifth grade, I created a character named Ava Avocado. I liked her so much I just kept drawing her in different poses with different expressions. Then the pandemic happened. When my elementary school closed during the pandemic last year, I was sad and stressed. Drawing helped me escape my worries and forget all the bad stuff going on. It was during lockdown that I expanded my Ava Avocado art collection by a lot! Seeing her come alive on my screen with her funny expressions made me feel a lot better. I’ve always told my mom that I wanted to be an artist when I grow up, and she told me not to give up on my dream and helped me start selling my avocado art at festivals and art markets. My first art festival was the Houston Music and Arts
Festival. I was so nervous the night before. I was afraid no one would like my art. To my surprise, a lot of people did like my art and bought a lot, too. My mom says she thinks it’s because my avocados make people laugh and smile, and people need a smile nowadays. I consider that a success because the goal of my Ava Avocado art is to make people happy. After the festival, I applied to be a vendor at The Silos at Sawyer Yards. I was surprised my art portfolio got approved, and I started selling at The Silos at Sawyer Yards. It was there the owner of Artbinsters discovered my art, and now she sells my avocados in her art gallery! I like to donate the money I make to local charities. Recently, I’ve been donating to the Star of Hope. Next, I want to help save the bees! If
you want to see what I’m up to next, you can follow me on Facebook and on Instagram @emmasdoodleart. 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.
Celebrate family By appointment only Studio or outdoor sessions available A Portrait Remembers 713.523.4916 • nikky@lawellphoto.com • www.lawellphoto.com
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Bees, wasps, hornets... We all owe a great debt to our insect neighbors. Bees pollinate 400 agricultural crops. Some plants such as blueberries and cherries are 90 percent dependent on bees. Almonds are 100 percent dependent! Sometimes, however, we and our insect neighbors don’t always get along. While many of us enjoy time outdoors, no one likes ants invading their picnic or mosquitoes ruining back yard games with family. Mosquitoes can bite us or our loved ones, leading to pain and itching. Common ants may give a painful bite if we mistakenly step in their mound. Either of these can be very bothersome, but luckily it won’t be life-threatening. However, some insects who sting us can indeed lead to great misery that could be, for some unfortunate folks, a truly life-endangering event. Fire ants, bees, wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets are commonly found in our region. When an encounter leads to a sting, it can cause great pain and swelling (and this can last for days). For some unfortunate individuals, for reasons not fully understood, stings can lead to a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). One may get hives, swelling of body parts, such as eyelids, lips, or the tongue. Additionally, some may have swelling of their airway/trouble breathing. It is also possible to have a drop in blood pressure, even to the point of passing out. Obviously, avoiding future encounters is ideal. There are steps one can take to steer clear. Yellow jackets are notoriously found around garbage cans or trash. They are also known to dive into an open cola container for a taste (and if you then go to take a drink…). Bees are attracted to flowers and fragrance (perfume wearers, beware). Fire ants build mounds when the soil is moist and
soft (popping up in our yards in the spring). Wasps and hornets typically make a nest under an eve or porch ceiling. Unfortunately, avoidance is not always doable. A local sting with no symptoms anywhere else in or on one’s body might respond to ice and an antihistamine. If one has a history of reactions beyond a small local bump, more aggressive care may be necessary. Self-injected adrenaline/epinephrine, for example, might be prescribed. Fortunately, we allergists have enough understanding of the allergic process to identify patients at risk for severe reactions, identify the culprit insect(s) and treat with immunotherapy, or “allergy shots.” Immunotherapy is about 95 percent effective in preventing or at least greatly minimizing future reactions. It is a proven technique that we truly can rely upon. 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. Anthony J. Weido, M.D., The Allergy Clinic, 7707 Fannin, Suite 100, Houston, Texas 77054, 713.797.0993, *1200 Binz, Suite 1400, Houston, Texas 77004, 713.522.9911, www.allergyclinic.com, *Operating as Houston Allergy and Asthma Clinic
Provides livable luxury with styles inspired by the simplicity of nature
www.vbaf.com • Family Owned Since 1952 2504 Bissonnet Street • 713-528-2404
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sponsored by
PETS
Neighborhood Tails Toby, age 1, Mini Schnauzer, Serenity St. I'm Toby. I have lots of humans in the house who love me very much, especially my human mommy. I am a 1-year-old mini Schnauzer. I have a very exciting life as a pup. I wake and cry my heart out to be let outside to play. The most exciting part of my day is when I play with my buddy, Roscoe, and when our house cleaner comes. I love her so much. I enjoy watching television too. I also enjoy taking walks in the country. I see everyone every day except when they all leave and put me in my kennel. Then I just nap. At night, I get to play in the hose before bed, which is one of my favorite activities. Then I go to bed with my favorite toy, Clara the rhino. Got a cute critter? Email a picture of your pet with approximately 150 words to info@thebuzzmagazines.com or mail it to The Buzz Magazines, 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401.
Have a Buzzworthy Day For more stories each day – neighborhood happenings, local events, books, recipes, fun things to do around town, and more – visit thebuzzmagazines.com/buzzworthy.
thebuzzmagazines.com
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Who inherits? Who has not learned of a relative’s death and listened respectfully to the informant, all while the thought flickers, “Do I get anything?” First, shame on you. Second, it depends. Regardless whether the deceased left a will, nonprobate assets come off the top. Beneficiary designations and survivorship agreements trump both your will and the laws of intestacy. Typical nonprobate assets include IRAs, 401(k)s, life insurance, annuities, brokerage accounts, and accounts with designated beneficiaries. Survivorship agreements are common on bank accounts and CDs, but appear on vehicle titles, too. A death certificate may be all that is needed to collect nonprobate assets. What is left goes through probate. The usual probate estate includes a house, car, bank accounts, and personal property. Less common are mineral interests, rental property, time shares, a farm, closely held businesses, and certificated securities, e.g., paper bond or stock certificates. Expenses, creditor claims, and allowances for the surviving spouse and children are paid from the probate estate first, which is usually exhausted before creditors reach nonprobate assets. What’s left passes according to the will. If the will omits you, you don’t get anything. If you die without a will, the State of Texas has written one for you, sometimes called the laws of intestacy, or the laws of descent and distribution. The Estates Code provides several alternate plans for anyone who dies intestate, depending whether the decedent was married, left children or grandchildren, or left descendants by someone not the surviving spouse. Each
heir’s share varies with community, separate, real, and personal property. It gets complicated quickly. Texas Estates Code chapter 201 has the detail. The Harris County Probate Courts’ handout, Texas Descent and Distribution, makes it understandable. Google “Harris County Probate Descent” for your own copy. The laws of descent and distribution are cruelest to surviving spouses. Most spouses make wills leaving all to each other, then the kids. Look at the first page of the chart. Without a will, the surviving spouse loses two thirds of the separate property to the children. If the decedent left one child by someone else, the surviving spouse also loses half the community property. The law reads as if anyone who doesn’t make a will hates their spouse. Even with the chart, determining your share still takes a family tree, a very detailed list of assets, and an accounting of expenses and claims. Probate’s almost done before an heir’s exact cut is known. Unlike Louisiana, Texas does not enforce heirship. You are free to disinherit all your family, and by any combination of beneficiary designations, survivorship agreements, and wills. We write wills and go to probate court. 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 South, Suite 920, Bellaire, Texas 77401, 713.662.3853, bellaireprobate.com/blog
Instagram - @forsythefotography www.forsythefotography.com 832-878-8967
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Welcome, Dr. Andrew Thomas
Holistic caregiving
Dr. Deborah Cooper-Newland is pleased to introduce Dr. Andrew Thomas, who is joining her practice of oral and maxillofacial surgery in Bellaire. Dr. Thomas was born in Denver, Colorado, and relocated to Katy, Texas, where he grew up. He attended Texas A&M University, where he graduated summa cum laude with a baccalaureate degree in biology. He then attended the UTHealth School of Dentistry in Houston and received his doctor of dental surgery degree in 2016. He began a residency in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at UTHealth School of Dentistry, which he completed as an honors graduate in June of 2021. After an exhaustive interview process, Dr. Cooper-Newland asked Dr. Thomas to join her practice based on his outstanding academic credentials and his commitment to patient-centered care. Dr. Cooper-Newland is confident that Dr. Thomas will continue her practice philosophy of always putting the needs of the patient first. Dr. Thomas is a member of the Greater Houston Dental Society, Texas Dental Society, American Dental Society, and American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Dr. Thomas and his wife, Dr. Christina Noblett-Thomas, a general dentist, are proud to call Bellaire their home. Together, they enjoy the great outdoors. Andrew especially enjoys hunting and fishing. Welcome, Dr. Andrew Thomas. You will be an excellent addition to our practice. Dr. Deborah Cooper-Newland, D.D.S., 5001 Bissonnet St., Suite 103, Bellaire, Texas 77401, 713.592.9336, www.dcnoms.com
Recently, the wife of a client called me on my cell phone at dinner time. She was frustrated because she and the caregiver were having difficulty getting her 61-year-old, 6-foot, 2-inch-tall, 220-pound husband out of his bed and chair. It was becoming risky that he would fall on them and injure her or the caregiver. “What do I do? I can’t handle him anymore,” she said. I told her how a Hoyer Lift could safely lift him. His rehab therapist had never mentioned the device, and then, after I suggested she ask them about it, they told her it would take three weeks to get the lift. After hearing that, I called a local medical equipment company, and the lift arrived the next day. That holistic approach sets S. Gerber & Associates apart from other caregiving agencies. Those agencies send someone to babysit your loved one, and the only time they communicate with you is when placing the caregiver or when the caregiver doesn’t show up. Their communication revolves around the agency caregiver’s needs and situation, not around the family’s. I personally talk to clients’ family members often to get updates or give advice. And I draw on my 27 years of experience working in health care to solve problems. Clients and family members don’t pay extra for that 24/7 responsiveness and knowledge; it’s just part of our approach at S. Gerber & Associates. S. Gerber & Associates, 3730 Kirby Dr., Suite 1200, Houston, TX 77098, 713.857.3227, sid@personalcaregiving.com
Sharing your stories for 20 years The Buzz Magazines is celebrating 20 years this January. We’d love to hear from you. • Have any special Buzz memories? • Recall a feature story that has stuck with you over the years? • Have a favorite Buzz writer you like to read every month? • Have a story of how a Buzz article connected you with a neighbor? Please give us a buzz at info@thebuzzmagazines.com or 713.668.4157, ext 12.
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Innovating today for a healthier tomorrow The Houston medical community is well-known for quality care and breakthrough research. But its influence may soon impact patient populations around the world, due to efficiencies some may consider anomalous in the healthcare sector. HCA Houston Healthcare's numerous access points sprawl across the region through a connected system that drives efficiencies for staff, physicians, and, of course, patients. Through decades-long relationships that include methodical investments in partnership, physical and virtual points of care, and enhanced training for nurses and physicians, HCA Houston Healthcare helps sustain the social, economic, and health profile of the region. Globally connected through HCA Healthcare, our network includes the largest clinical data management system in the healthcare field, used in part to find ways to reduce infection, improve pregnancy outcomes, and further cancer research. We apply proven results from one part of the country to every other applicable patient encounter. HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center is conveniently located in the beautiful Museum District. Since its acquisition in 2017, HCA Houston Healthcare has committed millions of dollars in improvements throughout the facility. The hospital has more than 25 construction projects planned within the next year and a half that will help the hospital match the aesthetics of the Museum District. “There’s going to be a major transformation of this facility,” says Chris Osentowski, chief executive officer at HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center. “The capital investment that HCA Healthcare put into this hos-
pital shows that we want it to be something Houstonians are proud of.” HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center is a boutique surgical hospital that specializes in complex cardiovascular services along with surgical oncology, colorectal, bariatrics, and minimally invasive robotic procedures. The healthcare industry sometimes has a reputation for being too complex to innovate quickly. But the value of an expansive, globally connected system is operational efficiency. Best practices are disseminated quickly, physicians have expedient access to millions of data points, and ultimately, the potential for improved patient outcomes is not just possible, but plausible. "Our team at HCA Houston Medical Center has had the distinct honor and responsibility of introducing some of Houston's most elite physicians to this model," says Osentowski. "We're able to give them a platform to provide care at a level this city has not yet seen." One of the largest healthcare systems in the country has synced scale and skill in the heart of the healthcare capital of the world. If you pay attention to what's going on at HCA Houston Medical Center, you'll see the future of Houston healthcare unfolding in real time. HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center, 1313 Hermann Drive, Houston, Texas 77004, 713.527.5000, HCAhoustonhealthcare.com/medical-center
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Wilson Parish
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by Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld, staff writer
Buzz About Town Sparking creativity
Supporters of Writers in the Schools (WITS) celebrated at the “Writing the Future” garden party held at Evelyn’s Park. The event featured Houston Poet Laureate Emanuelee "Outspoken" Bean, performances by members of the youth slam team Meta-Four Houston, and an address by the organization's new executive director, Angela Flowers. The event included custom “insta-poems” from Houston poets and a silent auction. Funds raised will support K-12 students through creative-writing programs. See witshouston.org. Pictured are (from left) Amelie Carlton and Seema Mir.
Nutcracker Market’s 40th
written by Leticia Loya, and excerpts from fan favorites including Divergence and Play, as well as a tribute to principal dancer Melody Mennite’s 20th anniversary with the Company. This year’s event raised nearly $250,000, a record-breaking success. Pictured are Jo and Jim Furr. See houstonballet.org.
Houston Ballet is back
The Woman in the Mirror
The Margaret Alkek Williams Jubilee of Dance Onstage Dinner, chaired by Jamie and Mark Loveland, celebrated the Company’s return to the Wortham Theater Center and the opening of the 2021-22 season. After 18 months, Houston Ballet returned to the stage with opening remarks by County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Houston Ballet Board president Leigh Smith. Nearly 200 guests attended the Margaret Alkek Williams Jubilee of Dance performance and post-performance dinner, which took place on the Brown stage. This year’s performance included the onstage premiere of artistic director Stanton Welch AM's In Good Company, under-
When Radio Hall of Famer Dayna Steele’s mother, Fran Nicholson, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2013, Steele began sharing updates on Facebook detailing her family’s journey with honesty and humor. Her posts transformed into a therapeutic support community drawing thousands of followers, and was the inspiration for her best-selling memoir Surviving Alzheimer’s With Friends, Facebook and a Really Big Glass of Wine. This month, Dayna will take to the stage at MATCH, the Midtown Arts & Theater Center, for the debut of The Woman in the Mirror: A Dark Uplifting Comedy About Surviving Alzheimer’s With (continued on page 58)
Buz Marvins
The Nutcracker Market, offering home décor, gifts, food, apparel, toys, and accessories, signals the kickoff to the holiday season for many
Houstonians. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the 2021 market – “The Redo” – will be held Nov. 11-14 at NRG Center. Proceeds from tickets, plus 11 percent of purchased merchandise, go to the Houston Ballet Foundation. The 2021 market is chaired by Mignon Gill, longtime Houston Ballet Guild and Nutcracker Market committee member. The committee has more than 120 volunteers, many of whom have served for more than 20 years. Pictured, at River Oaks Country Club, are committee members at a kickoff coffee event hosted by Gill. General-admission tickets are $20 at the door; see houstonballet.org/about/nutcracker-market.
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(continued from page 56) Friends, Facebook, and a
Really Big Glass of Wine, a play based on her book. For the play’s premiere, Dayna will star as herself along with Chris King, who will play the role of best friend and confidant. The Woman in the Mirror is written and directed for the stage by Marley Singletary and is co-produced by Dayna, Marley, and public relations professional Melissa Stevens, whose husband succumbed to Alzheimer’s in 2010. The play will run Nov. 414, and each performance will be followed by a short Q&A session with Dayna and local Alzheimer’s experts. Tickets are $35-50.
Pictured are (on left) Dayna and (on right) Melissa and the much-needed glass of wine. See matchouston.org.
Foodie fest for a cause The 15th International Risotto Festival, a gourmet strolling event, will take place Nov. 14, 26 p.m. at the Houston Design Center. The afternoon will feature Italian foods and wines, music and entertainment, an exotic car display, activities for kids, and designer-showroom tours. Some of Houston’s top chefs will compete. Over the years, this event has raised more than
$750,000 for charitable causes. This year, the charity beneficiary is the nonprofit Second Servings of Houston, which works to fight hunger and end food waste. Pictured are (from left) auction committee members Mary Nurre, Kristin Torrez, Sabrina Engel, and Karen Bookstaff. Event chairs for the 2021 festival are Fran Zandstra, Tony Greisinger, and Jennifer Greenberg, and honorary chairs are Tom and Robin Segesta. Tickets are $100-200, free for children under 12. See risottofestival.com.
Revelry for ROCO ROCO’s 9th annual Revelry Gala drew more than 300 to celebrate the 2021-22 concert season at the new downtown venue Post HTX. ROCO’s gala was the venue’s big debut. Chairs Shawn Stephens and Jim Jordan (pictured) worked to make the in-person event safe and memorable. ROCO Revelry raised $280,000, kicking off with a live performance from the chamber orchestra of excerpts from their opening concert conducted by Mei-Ann Chen. The performance was followed by dinner and conversation with ROCO musicians. The event honored Mike Stude, an arts advocate, and Rick Lowe, founder of Project Row Houses, received the Wildcatting in the Arts Award. ROCO’s 17th season is called “Musical Threads.” Performances will take place in a variety of venues across Houston, including Asia Society Texas Center, Holocaust (continued on page 60)
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Daniel Ortiz
Outfitters benefited The Children’s Assessment Center. Held at the Greater Houston Sports Club, the event included friendly competition on a challenging 12-station course. The tournament kicked off with four-person teams participating in a round of team flurries and a welcome by The CAC’s executive director Kerry McCracken. The event concluded with a program that included guest speaker Teresa Helm, a sexual abuse survivor. The event raised funds to support The CAC’s prevention training, forensic interviews, family advocacy, medical services, and mental-health services. “Team Wells,” (pictured, from left) George Ball, John Eddy Williams, Jeff Bagwell, and Ken Wells, won first place in the tournament.
Celebrating 150 years of SVdP (continued from page 58) Museum Houston, Czech
Center Museum Houston, and more. See roco.org.
Daniel Ortiz
Storybook soiree
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston celebrated 150 years at the River Oaks Country Club. The sesquicentennial event honored the late Marek brothers – John, Bill, and Ralph, who were longtime supporters. The anniversary gala was co-chaired by Bruce and Stan Marek. The event raised $450,000, with a surprise announcement of $5 million in endowment support. An endowment was set up in honor of Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza and will benefit the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Stan and Bruce Marek volunteered to co-chair and lead
The Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation’s Young Professionals Group hosted its Storybook Gala kickoff at Tootsies. Following the theme of this year’s gala, “An Evening in Wonderland,” the store was transformed into a whimsical Alice in Wonderland setting, including a butterfly-adorned photo wall, a Mad Hatter, and tunes from DJ Paul. Co-chairs Jeff Carnrite and Joselyn Tego joined the gala host committee to celebrate the kickoff of the 6th annual Storybook Gala. VIP guests included Houston Texans players Whitney Mercilus and Justin Reid. The annual black-tie gala will be held Nov. 12 at Hotel ZaZa in the Museum District. Pictured, at the kickoff event, are Amy and Kyle McCully. Proceeds from the gala will benefit the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation. See bushhoustonliteracy.org.
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the fundraising of the endowment campaign. Pictured are Larry and Susan Massey. The Society’s local network includes 58 local chapters, 21 food pantries, two resale shops, and 1,850 Vincentian volunteers as well as 1,400 community volunteers. See svdphouston.org. Be seen in Buzz About Town. Send your high-res photos and community news to info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Items are published on a space-available basis. Also share your upcoming-event listings on thebuzzmagazines.com.
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by Andria Frankfort, staff writer
Back Porch
A tiny twist on tradition
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very family’s Thanksgiving menu is sacred. Still, for the cooks among us, a slight twist on tradition can make the prep – and the meal – a bit more exciting. That’s why we asked a few neighbors, all great in the kitchen, for their “very best” Thanksgiving recipes. We hope they spark some creativity in your kitchen this November.
Cranberry Salsa From Peace Meals Dena Prasher, chair of The Junior League of Houston’s Peace Meals cookbook, says this Cranberry Salsa is a Texan twist on a holiday classic. “I get major kudos every time I make this.” Serve alongside turkey, or go to thebuzzmagazines.com for the full recipe with brie, pistachios, and baguette. 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries ½ cup chopped green onions 2 small jalapeños, seeded and chopped ½ cup sugar ¼ cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish 2 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice Rinse the cranberries and discard any that are soft. Reserve several of the whole cranberries for garnish. Place the remaining cranberries in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped (do not overprocess). Transfer to a bowl and stir in the remaining salsa ingredients. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours.
Smoked Turkey Mary Clark and Chris Granberry owned a finemesh sieve before any of us knew what that was. Twenty-five years later, Chris’s cooking hobby is his Big Green Egg, which, for the past five years, he has used to smoke a Thanksgiving turkey. “It was an experiment,” Mary Clark says, “and then we were like, ‘This is really good!’” 8 quarts water 2 cups kosher salt Small handful whole cloves 1 head garlic, cloves separated, peeled, and smashed Giant Ziploc bag
12- to 14-pound turkey Boil the water. Stir in the spices until the salt dissolves. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature (this can THANKSGIVING Try these traditional but updated recipes. take a while). Put the bacon and onions just before serving. turkey into the Ziploc; pour the brine into the bag. Chill for at least 24 hours. Pumpkin Bread Pudding Heat the grill to 225 degrees. Remove the From Peace Meals turkey from the brine and pat dry. Cover with Dena suggests this as “a decadent and delicious your favorite barbecue rub (Chris likes Killen’s). twist on traditional pumpkin pie.” We agree. Place a roasting rack on the smoker and put the 1 loaf brioche or challah, cubed turkey on top of it. Smoke 12 minutes per pound 4 eggs (2½ to 3 hours), until internal temperature 4 cups heavy whipping cream reaches 165 degrees. Remove from heat; wrap 2 cups sugar tightly in foil. Place wrapped turkey in a sealed 3 cups canned pumpkin cooler for an hour. Remove the turkey and carve. 1½ teaspoons cinnamon 1½ teaspoons allspice Smoked Gouda Mashed Sweet 1½ teaspoons ground ginger Potatoes ¼ teaspoon salt From Peace Meals Mary Clark says these are “a great savory option Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butversus the marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes we ter a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Place bread grew up with. They are so yummy my mouth waters cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until thinking about them!” golden; set aside. In a large bowl, mix together 4 Tablespoons butter eggs, cream, sugar, pumpkin, and spices. Slowly 3 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream, divided add the bread to the mixture, allowing it to ½ teaspoon kosher salt absorb the liquid (do not stir into mush). When 1 teaspoon sugar bread is saturated, place mixture into prepared ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 20 min2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into utes. Uncover and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, ¼-inch slices until crisp and brown. ½ cup shredded smoked gouda cheese 6 strips bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled The Party Favor 2 green onions, chopped Ilse Rassin calls the Pumpkin Bread from Jenn Segal of Once Upon a Chef wonderful. “I make Heat butter, 2 tablespoons cream, salt, sugar, mini-loaves and wrap them with little notes for our cayenne, and sweet potatoes in a large sauté pan family saying why we are thankful for each of them.” over medium-low heat. Once the butter has Ilse’s mini-loaf pan makes 4 loaves; she bakes them melted, stir to coat the potatoes. Reduce the at 325 degrees for 40 minutes. See the Buzz website heat to low, cover, and cook until potatoes are for the recipe. very tender, about 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add cheese and remaining tablespoon of cream. Cover for 1 See this story at thebuzzmagazines.com for more to 2 minutes until the cheese melts. Mix thorrecipes. oughly to mash the potatoes. Top with the
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