The West University Buzz - March 2026

EDITOR’S NOTE

Since starting The Buzz 25 years ago, our mission has been to inspire and connect people in our communities by sharing their stories. In all those years, there has never been a story that hit everyone as hard as the tragedy of the 27 Camp Mystic girls who lost their lives in the July 4th floods. Everyone has a connection, in some way, to the girls and their grieving families. Time has gone by since the tragedy, but the grief and shock, for so many, hasn’t lessened. Many of us have wanted to do something to help but haven’t known how or what. In this issue, read One Step at a Time: Running for Heaven’s 27 by Andria Dilling featuring Team 27, a group who ran the Houston Marathon and Half Marathon, fundraising for the Heaven’s 27 organization in the girls’ honor. Special thanks to Buzz writer Annie McQueen for your involvement in and passion for Team 27 and for your help coordinating the story. joni@thebuzzmagazines.com

THE BUZZ MAGAZINES

BELLAIRE • WEST UNIVERSITY • MEMORIAL • TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS

Published by Hoffman Marketing & Media, LLC 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401

Editor-in-Chief

Joni Hoffman

Publisher Michael Hoffman

Editor Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld

Associate Editor Caroline Siegfried

Design Manager John Duboise

Staff Writers Tracy L. Barnett

Sharon Albert Brier

Cindy Burnett

Andria Dilling

Angie Frederickson

Todd Freed

Cindy Gabriel

Cathy Gordon

Michelle Casas Groogan

Dai Huynh

Annie Blaylock McQueen

Jennifer Oakley

Ben Portnoy

Cheryl Ursin

Accounting & Contract Administrator Meena Dost

Account Managers Andrea Blitzer

Jo Rogers

On our cover: Team 27 ran the Houston Marathon and Half Marathon in support of the Heaven's 27 Foundation. Cover photo by Michael Hart, hartphoto.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 © 2026 Hoffman Marketing & Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any

without

Your letters, thoughts, opinions

Far-reaching

The Buzz has done it again.

Your Feb. cover story [Hooves to Houston: The Desperados: traditions and tales on the Salt Grass Trail by Cathy Gordon] has created buzz – around town and, literally, across the globe.

This is not the first time I’ve been featured in The Buzz. I appeared on the cover in the early 2000s, for a holiday pie feature. I remember feeling hesitant, as I’m not someone who enjoys the spotlight. I naively thought, “No big deal – not many people will see it.”

I was astonished by how many reached out saying, “Hey! I saw you in The Buzz!”

So here we are again. This time, my family, friends, and I were featured in a beautifully written and thoughtfully presented story, enriched by current and historical photographs, capturing the family tradition that is the Salt Grass Trail Ride. Once again, the response has been a joy. Friends, neighbors – many reached out to say how much they enjoyed the article. Some didn’t know about the trail ride before reading the article, but you can be sure they’ll be paying attention this year.

In addition, The Buzz crossed an ocean. Rene Bennett’s niece, Jacqueline, who lives in Italy, received screenshots of the article from a friend in Tanglewood. Jacqueline exclaimed, “That’s my family!” Her friend responded, “It’s such an iconic family tradition.”

Michele DeGuerin Luke

Diane Keaton’s doppelgänger

Cindy, I enjoyed reading your latest article in The Buzz [Everybody Loves Diane Keaton: Especially 'women of a certain age' by Cindy Gabriel, Feb. 2026]. I always knew that Diane Keaton reminded me of someone, and I didn’t put two and two together until I read your article.

And you’re definitely not dumb. Keep up the good work and writing.

Bert Graham

A jolly holiday

Oh my. Readers, this is what happens when someone “turns you in” to The Buzz [featuring Leila Reynolds’ Christmas magic for the neighborhood in The House Where Santa Lives: A neighborhood’s beacon of Christmas cheer by Cathy Gordon, Dec. 2025].

After the initial visit from photographer Dylan Aguilar, you spend a delightful afternoon with writer Cathy Gordon walking down memory lane. At publication, Kleenex in hand, you read your beloved neighborhoods’ heartwarming comments. (There are no words to describe those moments!) Your children, in-state and out, receive many calls from friends,

witness to The Buzz’s loyal readership. Months later, the glow does not fade. Many thanks from an old lady in her Christmas apron to neighbor Carol Gilmore [who wrote in to The Buzz], to photographer Dylan Aguilar, to writer Cathy Gordon, and to The Buzz staff for a memorable Christmas 2025! Leila Poppen Reynolds

Correction

In “Headed to Austin” in February 2026 Buzz About Town, we mistakenly printed that Jack Behan signed to play baseball at UT Austin; his brother, Lawson Behan signed to play baseball at UT Austin. We apologize for the error.

Email us at mailbag@thebuzzmagazines.com. Or send to Mailbag, The Buzz Magazines, 5001 Bissonnet St., Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401. Please include your name, address, phone number and email address for verification purposes. Letters or emails addressed to The Buzz Magazines become the property of the magazine, and it owns all rights to their use for publication. Addresses, phone numbers and email addresses will not be published. Letters are subject to editing for clarity and length. Views expressed in letters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Buzz Magazines, and The Buzz takes no responsibility for the content and opinions expressed in them.

What’s your story?

We are looking for residents for upcoming articles who:

• Have a high school senior in the Class of 2026 who would like to be part of our annual “Where Are They Headed?” feature. Deadline: April 24.

• Know a Buzzworthy neighbor to feature.

• Have an interesting travel tale.

If this sounds like you or someone you know, please contact us at info@thebuzzmagazines.com or 713.668.4157, ext 102.

4 Editor’s Note

Mailbag: Letters from Readers

The Telepathy Tapes: Is the paranormal normal? by Cindy Gabriel

Popular podcast The Telepathy Tapes challenges the way we see the world.

These Boots are Made for What?: Getting in the Texas state of mind by Ben Portnoy

For native Houstonians, wearing cowboy boots is a normal part of life. For those who didn’t grow up here, it might take some adjustment.

When It Is Your First Rodeo: A beginner’s guide by Annie Blaylock McQueen

Attending RodeoHouston is a beloved tradition for Houstonians. Here is an informational guide to the 2026 Rodeo.

Oscars Watch Party: Bringing lifelong friends together by Andria Dilling

For 37 years, this group of childhood friends has reunited to watch the Academy Awards together.

From Our Archives: Wine Garden: Bordeaux with your bulls and barbecue by Michelle Casas Groogan

During RodeoHouston, the Champion Wine Garden offers a cozy refuge with award-winning wines. This story was originally published in March 2015.

Rumor Has It by Sharon Albert Brier

Buzz Reads by Cindy Burnett

Book reviewer Cindy Burnett recommends

or soon-to-be released titles.

One Step at a Time: Running for Heaven’s 27 by Andria Dilling

Team 27 ran the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon in support of the families of the 27 Camp Mystic girls who lost their lives in the July 4th Hill Country floods.

Travel Buzz: Four Years in Bangalore by Tracy L. Barnett

The Erich family took the opportunity to live in India for four years.

Chef’s Corner: In Rare Form: Houston’s steakhouse boom by Dai Huynh

Houston has better steakhouses than ever. Dai Huynh asked the experts where to dine (for a splurge and on a budget) and how to choose the best steak to cook at home.

SportzBuzz by Todd Freed

SportzBuzz Jr. by Annie Blaylock McQueen

Event Roundup by Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld

Festive March events around town.

Buzz Kidz: A fairytale, sung in Houston by Raasti Kayani

Neighborhood Tails by Pickle

Buzz About Town by Angie Frederickson

Back Porch: Travel Snacks by Andria Dilling

Looking ahead to spring break or summer travel plans: Find snack ideas for the road or when you’re in the air.

by Cindy Gabriel, staff writer

The Telepathy Tapes

Is the paranormal normal?

Imust be hanging with the wrong people. I seem to be the last to know when a podcast goes viral on the internet. What happened to the days when everyone watched All in the Family at the same time? Are we supposed to pick up programs by telepathy? Speaking of, have you heard of The Telepathy Tapes? It won a 2025 Webby Award for best Indie (Independent) Podcast, drawing a bigger listening audience in late 2024 than The Joe Rogan Experience

In Season One, documentarian Ky Dickens follows the families of non-verbal autistic children who believe they can read minds. But that’s just for starters. Some even are said to get together in a metaphysical chat room called The Hill and commune with each other. Given the nature of the subject, Dickens’ father worried she was throwing her hard-earned credibility away.

Dickens’ 2023 documentary Show Her the Money examined how women have been cut out of the venture capital world, earning five Best Documentary awards at various film festivals. In 2017, her film Zero Weeks on the family-leave issue was presented at the White House by Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama during the Obama administration.

Dickens says she has been advocating on behalf of kids with special needs since her high school days. She followed her heart on this one. But unlike her previous subjects, the funding for this documentary wasn’t materializing. There was no category for a topic such as The Telepathy Tapes. Just as she was about to give up, an idea popped into her head. Why not try a podcast?

The series opens with Dr. Diane Hennacy Powell, a Johns Hopkins-trained neuroscientist and former faculty member at Harvard, now in private practice. Powell started off studying savant syndrome in which people with significant mental challenges also have extraordinary knowledge or talents, ranging from concert piano playing to producing complex mathematical formulas. But Powell also came across some parents who reported they couldn’t hide birthday presents or candy in their homes without the telepathic knowledge of their non-verbal children.

Critics claim The Telepathy Tapes are based on pseudoscience. The main criticism is focused on the method used in the series to communicate

with the autistic non-verbal subjects. The technique is called Rapid Prompting Method (RPM or, in short, spelling. The child points to letters on a board, often held by a facilitator. Those who are able, type on a keyboard. The American Speech-Language and Hearing Association has published its long-held position that this is not a scientifically valid method of communication. It is closely related to the discredited technique called facilitated communication.

Autistic children who can’t speak are typically diagnosed with dyspraxia in which there is some kind of disconnect between their brains and their body, often leaving kids with a sense of being trapped in their body. Because of their limited motor ability, studies have suggested parents or facilitators are unconsciously prompting the subject, calling it the Ouija board effect

Dickens challenges this claim through repeated testing, lived experiences, and storytelling of the families she has come to know. On the podcast, one mother says her non-verbal child was able to describe her errands in detail, while he was at school. We hear a description of a blind child who can read an eye chart by reading his mother’s mind, as long as she is looking at the eye chart.

Even the skeptical podcast crew was baffled when kids being tested got onto their passwordprotected cell phones. As the series progresses, individual personalities emerge in their late teens and early 20s. A young man from Atlanta named Houston, along with friends John Paul and Lilly, were brought together through their mothers. The mothers all seem to agree that they meet up in a kind of telepathic chat box called The Hill

Dickens claims The Hill comes up among nonverbal autistic children worldwide. Sometimes it goes by different names, but the descriptions are similar. They share information and comfort one another in a metaphysical space. Houston reports that if you lie, you lose access.

John Paul’s family knows he’s in the chat room when he is sitting on his bed with as many as five pillows over his head. John Paul says it’s like the root systems of trees that communicate underground. We learn that John Paul calls Lilly the love of his life. There is a cute intimacy between them, more telepathic than physical due to the dyspraxia. Dickens describes Lilly as a pretty blond with a bit of a punk rocker vibe who knows how to read a room. Lilly calls us verbal types the voice users. But at times, more sarcastically, The Muggles. In the Harry Potter universe, Muggles are people with no magical ability, unaware of the hidden wizarding world.

Dickens says one non-verbal kid wondered why all the testing was needed. Can you test love? he asked. This prompted the question, what is love? His answer: anything that unifies.

Season Two of The Telepathy Tapes broadens the topic range from near-death experiences to how the human creative process works. The film documentary version of The Telepathy Tapes is expected to be released this spring. See thetelepathytapes.com for release dates and viewing information and to listen to the podcast for yourself. To read more about critiques of the series, see an article published in The Guardian in April 2025 (‘It can break you’: life for parents of autistic children can be exhausting. One podcast is offering hope. Is it real?).

by Ben Portnoy, staff writer

These Boots are Made for What?

Getting in the Texas state of mind

For you Texans who were born here and raised here, wearing cowboy boots probably seems natural. I, on the other hand, am transplanted from Ohio. When I see a person wearing cowboy boots somewhere besides the Rodeo, it jars my sensibilities of decorum. I admit that when I was 4 years old, I was photographed on a horse, but this was Cincinnati. I am sure I wore no cowboy boots then.

I recently attended a Bar Mitzvah at a local synagogue. Most men nowadays do not wear a tie, but I am old- fashioned enough to wear my usual bow tie. I sat down with my wife as the service began, and I glanced across the aisle and noticed a 70ish year-old man wearing black cowboy boots. His pants legs were pulled up enough so that I could see these boots were made of alligator leather. There was an intricate logo sewn onto the upper side of the boot. The boot wearer complemented his outfit with a kippah (skull cap) emblazoned with a Texas A&M logo. Later, when he stood up, I saw that he also wore a sport jacket with a Western cut. OK, I thought, this is Texas after all.

It got me wondering about cowboy boots. They are specifically designed for riding a horse. The heel is elevated and designed to hold the rider’s foot in a stirrup. I read that this heel was created only in the last 200 years or so. Before that, I guess, riders had trouble keeping their feet firmly in a stirrup.

So why are these boots made of such weird stuff? Plain old cow leather is certainly the most common material for cowboy boots, but I am aware that in addition to the alligator leather I observed at the synagogue, there are also boots made from ostrich, elephant, python, bison, goat, kangaroo, stingray, and who knows what else.

My 15-year-old granddaughter was visiting from California recently. She went to a Western store with my wife and her mother, and she came home with a dainty and pretty pair of boots. There was a floral design, and the boots had a kind of whitewash over the leather. I admit that when wearing them with some blue jean shorts, she did look pretty cute. But that is my granddaughter, not some gray-haired elderly man at a Bar Mitzvah.

I have an old pair of boots that I bought in 1976 when I went with my wife and then 3year-old daughter to a dude ranch in Colorado. The ranch did not insist that you have boots, but they recommended it. Those boots are leather but have no design. The heel is only elevated a little, and I have used them over the years for other occasions when I have had a horse experience. The boots have been through mud and gravel and piles of branches. They are scratched up some, but after all these years they are quite functional.

However, I have been here in Texas long enough that I felt I should have some real, authentic cowboy boots. After more than 50 years in Houston, you would think that I ought to wear cowboy boots sometimes. Also, I have an orthopedist friend who always wears cowboy boots when he is not in the operating room. I had a backache a few years ago, and he advised me to wear cowboy boots. He said the elevated heel would relieve some pressure on my back. Now that was a good excuse to buy some cowboy boots. I went to the store. I admit that I had a gift certificate from something I cannot remember, but the money from it was the stimulus to acquire boots. I went with my wife, and she helped pick out boots that she felt were goodlooking. I tried on several, and they felt awful. I

HOWDY, Y’ALL The author at age 4 at home in Cincinnati. He was clearly destined to end up a Texan.

was about to give up when I put on boots that fit perfectly. Sold! I put my shoes in the box the boots came in, and I wore my new boots home. When I got home, I experienced the struggle that probably most cowboy-boot wearers have experienced: taking them off. I finally accomplished that, and I glanced inside the boot to note that my genuine cowboy boots were made in China. Oh well. Probably most of my bow ties are made in China, too.

by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer

When It Is Your First Rodeo

A beginner’s guide to one of Houston’s favorite events

For many Houstonians, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is more than an annual outing. It is all about community, volunteerism, agriculture, and youth education.

It is where children learn about farming, maybe for the first time, watch their first live concert, and create memories that last beyond a trip to NRG. It is where Houston parents reconnect with their own childhood and pass traditions to the next generation.

For long-time residents, it is second nature. The boots and hats come out of closets. Everyone enjoys discussing the concert lineup, carnival food, and parking ideas.

For first-time visitors, however, the experience can feel overwhelming. Where should you park? What are the must-see attractions? How do you fit livestock shows, rides, shopping, and concerts into a single day?

With these questions in mind, we gathered some insights from Buzz residents to create a beginner’s guide to rodeo.

Rodeo 2026

The 2026 Rodeo will run March 2-22 at NRG Park, beginning with the World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest, Feb. 26-28 (see the full nightly concert lineup at RodeoHouston.com).

Rodeo is organized by tens of thousands of volunteers. Scholarship programs and youth competitions are the core mission of the annual event.

What to Wear and Bring

Dressing comfortably can make a big difference during a visit to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Lightweight layers are recommended and closed-toe shoes are best for navigating crowds. If you plan to wear cowboy boots, be sure to break them in ahead of time to avoid blisters (ouch). Visitors should also review entry policies before arriving at RodeoHouston.com. Outside food and snacks are typically not allowed, and only sealed water bottles or empty reusable bottles are permitted.

A Day at Rodeo

Stop 1: AGVENTURE

Families often begin at AGVENTURE and

the Livestock Show, where prize-winning cattle, sheep, and goats can be seen.

For the Auwarter family, visiting the Rodeo has become a spring break ritual. Rachel Auwarter brings her children each year, planning an entire day to explore the grounds. Their first stop is the AGVENTURE inside NRG Center.

Her son Miles, a second grader at Condit Elementary, has his own favorites. “I love seeing the heifers, baby chicks, bunnies, and the birthing center,” Miles said.

Rachel said enjoying food in the main arena and ending the day with a concert in NRG Stadium have also become part of their tradition.

For first-time visitors, AGVENTURE is often the easiest place to begin a day at Rodeo. It is in Hall A of NRG Center, and open daily, 9 a.m.9 p.m. It features free agricultural displays where children can meet miniature horses and donkeys in the We’re Small Y’all Barn, explore honeybee and fisheries exhibits, and learn about poultry, rabbits, and horticulture, and more.

The petting zoo allows visitors to feed goats, pigs, and lambs for a small fee. Nearby, the birthing center offers scheduled demonstrations and educational programs, giving families a close-up look at animal care.

Shopping areas such as the Rodeo

Marketplace inside NRG and The Hideout have Western apparel, jewelry, souvenirs, and even tractors for sale.

For parents, NRG center is also one of the most air-conditioned and stroller-friendly areas of the grounds.

Stop 2: The Junction

After AGVENTURE, many families head right outside to The Junction, located on the east side of NRG Park. Strollers are permitted on all grounds of the Rodeo, including inside NRG Stadium.

The area combines hands-on activities with live entertainment and carnival attractions. Most exhibits are included with grounds admission. Food vendors offer everything from Texas barbecue, corn dogs, funnel cakes, brisket tacos, international fare, and more.

At Fun on the Farm, children can try out “milking” a cow, gathering eggs, and planting crops. Afterwards, they can receive a token to use at the General Store and visit Goat Mountain and see a small herd of live goats.

Mutton Bustin’, outside of the arena, one of the most popular youth events, gives children aged 5 and 6 who meet weight requirements the chance to ride real sheep. Registration is done on-site and fills up quickly

(continued on page 16)

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so arrive early.

Together, AGVENTURE and The Junction can easily fill an entire morning or afternoon.

Stop 3: Inside NRG Stadium

Rodeo competitions inside NRG Stadium nightly feature bull riding, barrel racing, team roping, steer wrestling, and more. After the events, fans can enjoy one of the favorite parts: the concert. The lights go out, and the crowd goes wild. The Rodeo is a great first concert experience.

School Rodeo Memories

For many students in Houston, the Rodeo becomes a highlight of the school year. Many schools celebrate Go Texan Day at school, encouraging students to dress up like cowboys and cowgirls in the rodeo spirit. The day helps students understand the cultural roots of the Rodeo and the role agriculture plays in the state’s history.

Rummel Creek Elementary students dress up every year. In 2025, Madison Perrien, Sofia Chinchilla, Eleanor Hasselkus, and Ainsley Hasselkus dressed in boots and hats for Go Texan Day at school, which typically falls on the last Friday of February. The downtown Rodeo parade with the trail riders coming through town officially kicks off rodeo season. Last year, the group of friends attended Rodeo

during spring break and enjoyed singing along at the concert after the rodeo events.

Student artwork is on display in the Hayloft Gallery, part of a school art program dating back to 1964. The student art contest gives young artists the chance to showcase their creativity while celebrating Western heritage.

It is open to students from Pre-K through 12th grade, and encourages young artists to honor Texas roots, with thousands of entries submitted each year and recognition considered a major achievement. This year, several Memorial High School students earned top honors: senior Kassia Tan received Best of Show for Doting Mama and juniors Arkana Anwar and Annabelle Cai both earned Gold Medals for The Quiet Cup and Peek A Boo. Last year, Pin Oak Middle School student Skylar Barragy won a Gold Medal award for her piece entitled Timmy

What’s New in 2026

There are updates to this year’s Rodeo season. A few notable changes:

• Organizers have expanded the entertainment lineup, adding more first-time performers alongside returning fan favorites.

• The schedule has been extended to 21 days, up by one additional day, giving families more

days to make their plans.

• The Rodeo has also increased its investment in scholarships and youth programs and has surpassed $30 million in annual support.

Getting There: Driving, Rideshare, or Public Transportation

For newcomers, transportation is often a concern. There are a lot of options.

Official parking lots surround NRG Park. Prices vary by location and day, and weekend evenings tend to fill quickly. Arriving early is strongly recommended.

Public transportation is another option. The METRO offers Park and Ride service from multiple locations. Rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft operate from designated zones. For more information, see rodeohouston.com/planyour-visit/parking-transportation/.

As rodeo season ramps up, the city once again prepares for three weeks of boots, buckles, and memories, and for the newcomers, the beginning of a lasting tradition. Yeehaw, Houston.

Editor’s note: For more information on each event and attraction, including schedules and details, visit RodeoHouston.com. Or download the RODEOHOUSTON Mobile App.

by Andria Dilling, staff writer

Oscars Watch Party

Bringing lifelong friends together

Everyone who loves the movies seems to have an Academy Awards ritual. From watching all the films nominated for Best Picture before the awards, to stopping time on Oscars Sunday afternoon to watch the red-carpet arrivals, to serving movie theater snacks in front of the TV, we’ve got our things.

Lifelong friends Julia Humphreys, Laura Cox Harvey, Lisa Margraves, Rachel Hudgins, Catherine Randall, and Sarah Porter take it a step further. The women became friends in elementary school and at summer camp. For 37 years, they have gathered to watch the Academy Awards together.

It started when they were all college students: Lisa, a student at LSU, was visiting the others at UT in Austin for Presidents’ Weekend, back when the Academy Awards were broadcast on a Monday (they transitioned to Sundays in 1999). “It was accidental,” Julia says. “Sarah, Catherine, and I lived together, and Lisa was still there on a Monday night, so we watched the show together. We had so much fun!” So much so that when they moved to Houston after graduation, Julia says, “We were like We’re doing this. We picked up La Madeleine, and then it was off,” Julia says.

“When we started,” Laura says, “we were taking shots and having fun. There are definitely some fuzzy memories.”

Through marriages, careers, eight children, losses of parents and spouses, and empty nests, their Oscars gathering is still going strong.

Julia explains: “At first, we always met in one of our homes. Now, maybe we’ll go to someone’s farm or beach house. But we’ve never rented anything or gone anywhere exotic.” These days, with three of the friends living in Houston, two in Austin, and one in New York, it takes a little more effort to get together.

Still, they make it happen. “Maybe one person has missed once,” Julia says. “Or someone will come for one night because they have a new job or whatever, but it’s pretty tried and true. I’ve never missed.” When Covid precluded travel, the group had a NOscars weekend, watching the show from afar. And Laura remembers missing when her twin boys were babies in the

NICU: “I couldn’t go, but I was on the phone with them!”

Rachel, a professional photographer who Julia says is notorious for not taking photos (“The weekend is really not documented,” she laughs.), travels the farthest, coming to Texas from New York. “Often there’s overlap with Rodeo season,” Julia says, “and Rachel likes to come for that, and her mom lives here, so that’s a good excuse. She gets the award for traveling.”

“That’s the best part of getting together – the belly laughs. You just can’t beat it.”

Instead of La Madeleine, the grownup version of the friends’ Oscars watch party includes a “giant” charcuterie board to be nibbled on alongside requisite Grapefruit Margaritas, made from an Ina Garten recipe. Of course, because the night is about movies, there’s lots of movie theater candy, specifically big boxes of Junior Mints, Nestle Buncha Crunch, Milk Duds, Skittles, Hot Tamales, and Whoppers.

“At some point,” Laura says, “things evolved to us cooking nice dinners and drinking good wine. We grew up.”

Julia says, “Now we’re like the Golden Girls

and we sit around in our sweats and eat too much cheese.”

As for guests, there are none. “No spouses ever are invited, nor are children,” Julia says. “The game is locked. They are welcome any other weekend.”

She’s not kidding about “the game.” The group competes with one another to pick the winners. “It’s all for bragging rights,” Julia says. “There are no awards, you just know you are superior that year.

“We’ve made up categories of who you think is going to win versus who you want to win, because that’s often very different.” The final winner is determined by who picks the winner for Best Live Action Short Film and Best Film Editing. “These are the dark horses, the ones that are not obvious,” Julia laughs. “How do we know how to judge film editing?”

She adds, “We’ll just totally guess the winners. Somebody might like the color of an actor’s dress and say I’ll vote for them!”

Julia is the ballot-maker and the keeper of the travelling “Oscar box,” which includes shot glasses and a giant stand-up Oscar statue. “You know how cute she is,” Laura says. “She’s the coordinator of all that stuff.” Everyone has a monogrammed clipboard to which a ballot is attached. Before the show starts, they’ll determine their picks. In the early days, they would have watched some, if not all, of the Best Picture-nominated movies. “But there have been years when the only thing I saw was Finding

Nemo,” Laura laughs. “Or maybe Toy Story 3,” Julia says.

“It’s really not about the show, because you know that can drag on and on,” Julia says. “It might be all about Jimmy Kimmel.”

Or it might be about the countless inside jokes the group has amassed over almost 40 years. “We have things that somebody said 20 years ago that we still laugh about,” Laura says. “Nothing we should put in print.” She says the thriller Silence of the Lambs is, ironically, one of the movies that makes them laugh the most. “Lisa rented it from Blockbuster back when you had to rent movies, and she forgot to return it. So she wound up owning it and we would watch it all the time, and then it just started to make us laugh,” Laura says. “That’s the best part of getting together – the belly laughs. You just can’t beat it.”

Even though the friends text regularly throughout the year, the Academy Awards is the one thing that pulls them all into the same

room. “What makes it all so perfect is it’s not a holiday, but we make it one,” Julia says. “We make it work. It’s not about the movies, it’s about being together.

“These are safe friendships. They know where all the bodies are buried, and they love you anyway.”

The 98th Academy Awards will be broadcast on ABC Sunday, March 15, at 6 p.m., with Conan O’Brien hosting. The nominees for Best Picture are: Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Sinners, and Train Dreams. If you are interested in attempting to pick the “dark horses,” nominees for Best Live Action Short Film are: Butcher’s Stain, A Friend of Dorothy, Jane Austen’s Period Drama, The Singers, and Two People Exchanging Saliva. Nominees for Best Film Editing are: F1, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Sentimental Value, and Sinners. See www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2026.

To celebrate like Julia, Laura, Lisa, Rachel, Catherine, and Sarah, whip up a pitcher of pink

grapefruit margaritas, grab your favorite movie theater candy, and settle in.

Ina Garten’s Pink Grapefruit Margaritas

1 lime, cut in wedges, optional

Kosher salt, optional

1 cup ruby red grapefruit juice

½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (4 limes)

1 cup orange liqueur, such as Triple Sec

2 cups ice

1 cup white tequila

If you like a salt rim on the glasses, rub the lime around the edge of the glass and then dip the rim of each glass lightly in a plate of kosher salt. Set aside to dry. Combine the grapefruit juice, lime juice, orange liqueur, and ice in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into a large pitcher and stir in the tequila. If you’re not serving the margaritas in salted glasses, stir ¼ teaspoon of salt into the pitcher of margaritas. Serve ice cold. Makes 4.

by Andria Dilling, staff writer

One Step at a Time

Running for Heaven’s 27

For eight months, every day has been a “putting one foot in front of the other” moment for the families of the 27 Camp Mystic girls who lost their lives in the July 4th Hill Country floods. Since that day, friends and strangers alike have felt helpless as so many of us have wanted to do something to make things better, but just haven’t known how. January’s Chevron Houston Marathon weekend presented an opportunity people had been looking for.

Just a few weeks after the tragedy, longtime friends Lexie Boudreaux and Annie McQueen sprang into action. Lexie, a stager and corporate housing realtor, and Annie, a writer for The Buzz, always run into each other at the start of the Aramco Houston Half Marathon. Lexie says, “I texted Annie and said, ‘Let’s run for the girls.’ I knew she would be up for it.”

One thing led to another, and before they knew it, Lexie and Annie had formed an Instagram page for Team 27 (@team27htx), named for Heaven’s 27, the collective name for the girls who were lost. It grew overnight. People quickly came forward to join the team and offer support. In October, a training event for Team 27 at Eastern Glades in Memorial Park drew runners and volunteers, including avid marathoners Sara Hudgens, a teacher and crosscountry coach at The Kinkaid School, and Kinkaid mom-of-two Whitney Hinton. Many immediately offered to help.

Ryan DeWitt’s daughter Molly is one of the Heaven’s 27. Soon after Team 27’s Instagram page went live, he found it. “Our Heaven's 27 group is cautiously optimistic,” Ryan said. The group assumes good intentions, but Ryan says they verify everything. “So, when I saw Team 27 on Instagram, I was like This is really nice, and thank you for thinking of our girls, but I needed to know who was behind it. When I found out it was Annie and Lexie, immediately I was like Oh this is awesome.” Annie’s daughter Georgia and Molly were buddies and neighbors, and Lexie’s family and the DeWitts are old friends.

Ryan, a vice president with Sysco foodservice, is a self-described “endurance nut” who has completed two full and three half Ironman races (a 2.4-mile swim followed by a 112-mile bike, fol-

A TRUE TEAM Top photo: Team 27 runners gather under the “H” banner at George R. Brown Convention Center the morning of the Chevron Houston Marathon and the Aramco Houston Half Marathon; bottom photo: supporters cheer for the runners. Funds raised will go toward the Heaven’s 27 Foundation, which will divide donations among each girl's memorial fund. Beneficiaries encompass a range of causes, including special education, homelessness, and animal shelters.

lowed by a marathon). The DeWitts – Ryan, his wife Elizabeth, owner of Elizabeth Garrett Interiors, and their daughters Annie and Molly –would turn the races into family vacations. Since July 4th, Ryan has pledged to complete all seven of the world’s major marathons: Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York City, and Tokyo. (He completed Chicago in October, with two good friends, Joel Gittemeier and Adam Day, by his side running as Molly’s Marathoners.)

With that experience, Ryan stepped in to help, connecting Annie and Lexie with the fundraising platform Haku and the running apparel company rabbit, who designed shirts for the team of around 250 runners and walkers. “Ryan had the vision to be official,” Annie says. Soon, friends and strangers were finding out about Team 27. Ashley and Chip Cavanaugh saw the page on social media and signed up to run the half together. “I know several of the moms and aunts from college, through UT or Theta or Hardin House,” Ashley says, noting that her 9-year-old daughter Greer was attend-

ing her first summer at Camp Longhorn during the flood. “They got out July 5th,” Ashley says. “This was very relatable.”

Chip, who is in sales, has run some 18 half marathons, and Ashley had run a few but had stopped in favor of balancing a law career with being mom to two young daughters. “If I was ever going to run again, I couldn’t think of a better reason than to support these families,” she says. “I signed up within days of hearing about the team.”

Whitney Burns works full-time in commercial real estate at Hines and is raising two young boys. She is lifelong friends with Jennie Getten (Ellen’s mom), Patricia Bellows (Margaret’s mom), and Ellen Sheedy (Margaret’s mom). Whitney ran a full marathon in 2022, running a couple of halves in preparation. “I trained really hard for that, which takes a lot of work, and I already work a lot. It wasn’t something I was going to repeat. But when I heard this was getting put together, it was a no-brainer.

“There’s only so much you can do [for the

families]. You can surround them with love, deliver meals, pick up groceries. But you’re grasping at straws. There’s nothing that makes it better. So, I said, How can I help? What can I do? Put me to work.” She organized marathon shirt orders and pickups, helped with fundraising events like a sold-out $100-a-mat Pilates class, and organized parking in one of Hines’ downtown buildings. And she started training. “Every training run was a chance to think about the girls, think about their families.”

Jenn Welker says of the families, “There were so many connections, so many ties running deep. But even people who didn’t know anyone personally were deeply affected.” There were nine Houston campers, plus two counselors, lost. Through her store Golden Thread, Jenn created the Team 27 collection – headbands, hats, scrunchies, bracelets, and shirts for supporters to wear along the racecourse and beyond – with proceeds going to the Heaven’s 27 Foundation. As the friends and volunteers and supporters prepped for the race, the Heaven’s 27 families

came together in Houston the weekend of January 11, starting with a Friday dinner hosted by Mystic counselor Katherine Ferruzzo’s family. Then there was the We Are Houston 5K on Saturday morning, in which many siblings and

“...even people who didn’t know anyone personally were deeply affected.”

friends ran, followed by the marathon Sunday morning, which began at 6:27 a.m. with a prayer led by Ryan inside the George R. Brown Convention Center. The team met under the “H” banner.

“There were 27s everywhere that weekend,” Annie says. “We reached our goal of $270,000

on the day of the 27th week since the flood. The out-of-towners were put on the 27th floor of the Marriott Marquis.”

Camp Mystic counselor Chloe Childress, one of the 27 whose lives were lost in the flood, ran alongside her father, Matthew, in the 2025 Aramco Houston Half Marathon. This year, Matthew returned to the Aramco Houston Half Marathon on his own. The race happened to mark his 27th career race.

The morning, Whitney says, felt spiritual. “The whole time, I thought about the girls and their sweet little lives. It was very emotional.”

“No dry eyes,” Annie says.

At almost every half-mile marker, people were set up with signs, cheering. “The whole city knew who Team 27 was and who the girls were,” Lexie says.

Volunteer Katie Daily organized an official cheer station for the full marathon, complete with a balloon arch and her husband dressed up as Elvis. Another large group gathered on Kirby and Westheimer, support- (continued on page 22)

(continued from page 21)

ing the half-marathoners. After the race, everyone gathered at sports bar Wakefield Crowbar to celebrate the run and $345,000 raised. In all, about 30 volunteers made the weekend happen.

“There were moms running who had never run a 5K, surrounded by entourages of friends,” Annie says.

Whitney says, “I have known Jennie [Getten, Ellen’s mom] for 30 years, and I would never say she was a runner. But she ran the entire 13 miles nonstop. There was just a lot of love and a lot of energy that carried everyone through.”

“The coolest part was seeing people with Team 27 signs, and I would think I knew who they were, but 75 percent of them I didn’t even know,” Ryan says. “It just reemphasized the amazing community we have. Most importantly, it made clear that our girls aren’t going anywhere.”

Tania Hernandez, who knows the Landry family – who lost Lainey – through St. Michael’s Catholic School, actually ran alone in Memorial Park the weekend prior to the marathon to honor the girls. Tania’s children had an out-ofstate swim meet during the marathon, but she still wanted to participate. “When the actual marathon happened,” she says, “people were

sending pictures and videos. You could feel the atmosphere even from a distance.”

“Everyone had a great day,” Lexie says. “Even if they were smiling just in that moment, that was good.”

Jenn says, “It’s been the most heartbreaking year. It wrecked our community, and it will

“It just reemphasized the amazing community we have. Most importantly, it made clear that our girls aren’t going anywhere.”

never be the same. It’s unthinkable, but something steady continues to rise.”

That something is support for the Heaven’s 27 families. “We just need to remember that they need our love and support today, tomorrow, 10, 20 years from now,” Whitney says. “We will keep lifting them up.”

Team 27 is already organized for the Austin, Fort Worth, Dallas, and San Antonio marathons. All money raised will go toward the Heaven’s 27 Foundation, which will divide donations among the individual legacy funds established to honor each of the girls who died. Beneficiaries run the gamut from special education to homelessness to animal shelters. Already, the girls have made a tremendous impact: Their parents led the fight to pass the Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act, which is the first comprehensive bill that holds camps to strict guidelines protecting campers in their care.

“We’re going to be doing this for a long time,” Ryan says. “These little girls have reached more lives in the past eight months than most will reach in their whole lives. They are changing the world every day, and their light is shining even brighter than it did when they were here.”

Follow Team 27 HTX on Instagram at @team27htx. Join Team 27's Family Fun Run Sat., April 11 at Houston Sports Park. To join the team for the 2027 Houston Marathon, go to haku.ly/team27tx. There, you’ll also find links to the pages for Austin, Fort Worth, and San Antonio. To donate directly to the Heaven’s 27 Fund, go to Heavens27.org.

FROM OUR ARCHIVES

by Michelle Casas Groogan, staff writer

Wine Garden

Bordeaux with your bulls and barbecue

This story was originally published in March 2015.

Editor's note: Over the years, we have published dozens of Rodeo-related stories, spotlighting various aspects of the HLSR experience: dedicated volunteers, competitive cowboys and cowgirls, special events, and more. This month, we're revisiting this story on the Wine Garden, originally published in March 2015. Some of the details - and Wine Garden committee members - have changed since this story was published, but the cozy, lively vibes of the Wine Garden remain the same.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is known for its rogue broncs, side-winding bulls, cold brew, carnival and barbecue – it would seem more than a hair far-fetched to also stumble onto a sublime Pinot or a monster Merlot.

But those boot-wearing guests craving a blowout Bordeaux can go ahead and pinch themselves. Because sandwiched between NRG Stadium and the Astrodome in the sculpture garden of Carruth Plaza, among bronzes depicting Western heritage, is the Champion Wine Garden. A surprise to some of those who stumble across it, this quaint outdoor seating area with live music is home to divine vintages from across the globe.

“Most people have the wrong impression about it. They think it’s only going to be Texas wines,” said Wine Garden Committee member Chris Merkl, a neuropsychiatrist who discovered the Wine Garden as a customer. He was sold and joined the volunteer committee, starting out as a greeter. “Their eyes just light up because they just didn’t expect that kind of thing at the rodeo.”

The Wine Garden is open every day of the rodeo. Admission is free to anyone who already has a park admission or a rodeo ticket. Wine is purchased with $2 tickets. The wine doesn’t have to be consumed in the Garden; you can walk around the rodeo grounds with it, but chances are you might want to just sit and relax.

“The setting is so pretty. We have fountains and the horse statues and really incredible live entertainment every day,” said John McAleer,

the owner of Buffalo Grille who joined the committee in its infancy and is now vice chairman of shifts. “A lot of people just end up staying out there. Once the rodeo show starts you would expect the place to clear out. We announce to them (customers) that the show is starting. And they say you know, we’re pretty happy right here.”

It was just 11 years ago [2004] the Houston rodeo embraced the vintner’s craft as an event. What started out as a single wine committee back then has now branched out into four different committees: Wine Competition, Winery Relations, Wine Sales and Events, and Wine Garden.

The Wine Garden came along just eight years ago with a single 400-square-foot tent and a dozen small tables. There were evenings where no more than a dozen bottles of wine were sold. But like a good Cabernet that matures with age, so has the Wine Garden. Now it encompasses 60,000 square feet, with five tents and bars, a sponsor tent and more than 175 tables. Last year, the Wine Garden sold more than 20,000 bottles of wine in the three weeks it was open.

This year [2015], the Champion Wine Garden will feature 67 of the award-winning wines from the Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition held in November. There were more than 2,500 entries, including wines from 43 Texas wineries and 16 different countries. A representation of those wines are selected and sold at the garden, including the Grand Champion Best of Show, a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon called Diamond Selection from Rombauer Vineyards, which will sell for $80 a bottle. The Top Texas Wine, Driftwood Estate Winery Longhorn Red, will also be for sale in limited supply for $70 a bottle. Other wines on the list – sparkling, whites, reds and dessert – will cost $18-100 per bottle, tax included.

“I do try to keep the pricing reasonable,” said Wine Garden Committee chair J.W. Daubert, an accountant by day who devotes unlimited hours of his numbers-sense to making sure the Wine Garden is a fruitful experience for guests. “It’s really easy to put high-end wines on the list that are popular. But we also

need to be cognizant of the folks who are going to equally enjoy an $18 bottle of Prosecco.”

And make no mistake about those reasonably priced bottles. All the wine here has been carefully sampled and selected. Joe Van Matre is the vice president and officer in charge of Rodeo Uncorked! He is an oil man, realestate investor and one of the original wine committee members. He knows a thing or two about wine, with thousands of bottles in his own personal cellars.

“To really appreciate the wine garden it helps to know where it came from. It is part of a long process and the work of all the other wine committees, from the wine competition to wine sales to the wine events,” said Van Matre. “Hundreds of volunteers who serve on these other wine committees assist with an elaborate process of registering entries, judging, coordinating and then buying and selling.”

It all leads to the Wine Garden, where trained volunteers focus both on the patrons who know what they want, an award-winning Pinot or buttery Chardonnay perhaps, to those who want to try something new.

Buzz -area resident Robyn Hoban sells software for a technology company. It’s a demanding job but she clears her schedule in March so she is available for multiple shifts as in the Wine Garden as a table server and bartender. Her job requires a lot of travel to California; so she thought she was

familiar with wine until she started her education at Rodeo Uncorked!

“This has been an opportunity for me to learn a lot more about wine. We take classes, and once we get the list of the wines we will be serving, we have wine tastings. We had one recently at our team captain’s house. Everybody brought a bottle that’s on the list so when we’re in the Wine Garden we can actually tell people about the wines we are featuring. A lot of the people know what they want and they are very wine educated, but other people are there to learn and try something new.”

The Wine Garden committee is made up of 375 volunteers, mostly young professionals. There are bigger committees like the Corral Club, which runs all the bars at the rodeo and boasts a whopping 2,600 members. But Wine Garden was No. 1 first choice for more than 250 volunteers who were wait listed. And that’s out of 108 committees available.

Rookie Tracy Glesby, who works in real estate, was lucky enough to be one of those granted a badge and can’t wait to serve. “Inside of me is a tiny little Jewish woman who loves to cook for 20 people at once and host dinner parties and entertain. The Wine Garden Committee is that on steroids. I cannot wait to serve people and entertain. I love wine, so this is my kind of crowd,” said Glesby.

Wine Committee volunteers, like other volunteers, contribute to the rodeo’s charitable

efforts to raise money for scholarships.

“I do love wine, and volunteering on the committee satisfies my social needs. But mainly I get a spiritual boost from helping the kids in need and helping to fulfill their dreams,” said Buzz-area resident Susan C., who volunteers on the Wine Garden, Scholarship Judging, and Wine Sales and Events committees.

“When you get an opportunity to meet someone who has received a rodeo scholarship and they tell you that it made a difference between them getting a higher education or not and they have no reason to lie to you about it,” said Daubert, “that’s what makes those nights standing out in the cold and rain worth it.”

Not all rodeo-goers tromping past cow patties and cotton candy will bypass a Bud to enjoy a stemless glass of wine. But plenty will. And who would have thought school artwork would have generated the millions it does for rodeo scholarships either? Wine and art at the rodeo – perhaps rookie Glesby said it best. “I think our Houston rodeo is a classier version of any rodeo. Everything about it is first class.”

Editor’s note: The Buzz Magazines would like to thank the McAleer family for letting us take photos at the beautiful Frost/McAleer Pecan Acres Ranch. Buffalo Grille owner John McAleer’s grandfather, Vernon Frost, was a lifetime rodeo vice president who rode on the early Salt Grass Trail Ride and proposed changing the name of the then-Fat Stock Show.

Visiting the Champion Wine Garden – Updated for 2026

The Champion Wine Garden, located in Carruth Plaza at NRG Park, offers the chance to enjoy more than 75 award-winning wines. Visitors are able to purchase drinks by the glass or by the bottle. Make a reservation for a table or book a tent if you're looking to host a private event; reservations are available from 4-9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 2-9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Live music will take place Mondays-Thursdays, 4-11 p.m.; Fridays, 2 p.m.-midnight; Saturdays, 11 a.m.-midnight; Sundays, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. See www.rodeohouston.com/rodeo-uncorked-wine/champion-wine-garden.

. by Sharon Albert Brier, staff writer

Rumor Has It

Not an ordinary book review. Of note – quite literally – the conversation hit a high pitch once everyone navigated the brainy maze of neurological terms. A standout refrain: Music therapy helped Joni Mitchell find her way back after a stroke, eventually returning to performance. The Houston Symphony League’s book discussion was deftly orchestrated by Robert Chanin, featuring I Heard There Was a Secret Chord: Music as Medicine by Daniel Levitin, co-chaired by Dr. Keli Cohen Fein and Diane Gendel at the Gendels’ art-filled home. The harmony didn’t stop there: Diane’s father, Herman Shoss, was a first violinist for the Symphony who moonlighted as a published country-western songwriter. Her son Keith once played bass for Papas Fritas, while daughter Jackie leads graduate painting studies at RISD. This gathering was music to everyone’s ears.

Silk and brandy. Omana and Sam Abraham set sail from Venice on a Viking cruise that quickly proved you can take the travelers out of India, but not India out of the travelers. Viking happily added Indian dishes, culminating in a sari-and-shawl night. In Dubrovnik and Split, they bravely endured wine and brandy tastings for “serious” cultural research. Most memorable: learning doctors during the Plague wore long-nosed masks, demonstrating that even centuries ago, people trusted doctors… but still wanted them six feet away.

Pizza and gelato. Phyllis Crowell’s European adventure was pure delight with seasoned traveler Harry Bassist by her side. Every stop brought surprises, from Greece to Croatia, Montenegro, Sicily, Italy, Spain, and France. They joined Harry’s San Diego friends aboard the Celebrity Ship, where a friend was in charge of the entertainment. In Naples, they rolled up their sleeves to make pizza, and throughout Italy they sampled gelato at every turn. By journey’s end, Italy won their hearts, with Phyllis declaring Taormina her favorite. A cruise filled with laughter, flavors, and friendship – truly a trip to treasure!

Surprise and sassy. The ever-stylish Cynthia Mills thought she was headed to her Tuesday mah jongg match – until a “quick stop at Tony’s” turned into a dazzling birthday

ambush. Her chic crew outdid themselves: designer shoe sculptures strutted across the table, while a “Table of Honor” displayed Cynthia’s life in snapshots – from babyhood to bride, with a cheerleading cameo as Kingsville’s own Cindy Lou. Guests left richer (two rolls of quarters for mah jongg given by Cynthia) and wiser, thanks to a guessing game of All About Cynthia. The grand finale? A stunning Alexis Bittar necklace. Cynthia doesn’t just play mah jongg – she wins at life, in style.

Chili, chaos, and cake. At a dinner party last fall, Mary Maxey learned that two of the guests shared a birthday with the Round Top Family Library Chili Cookoff. That was all Mary needed to know to assemble a talented cookoff team comprised of Bob Milz, Camille Samara, Daniel Marks, and James Webb for a Big Lebowski Birthday dubbed The Dudes. Mary Lou Marks unveiled an Italian Cream cake big enough for 96 forks, while Yvette Webb kept White Russians flowing. Debra Samara sweetened the scene with pineapple upside-down cake for the birthday boys. Ever the hype woman, Mary lured Houston friends Deborah Dunkum, Billie Sue Parris, Martha Hill Jamison, Jan Woodward Fox, Carol and Leo DeLeon, Lucy Moorman, Lia and Dave Campbell, Linda and Leon Alvarez, Kelle and Jim Hill, and Betty and John Hrncir to vote for The Dudes. Proof chili tastes better with friends. Immersion. It was an evening that lived up to its name. Hosted by Ken and Mady Kades, the event offered guests a rare behind-the-scenes peek into the training of the University of Houston’s School of Theatre & Dance students. Under the guidance of director Sharon Ott, the evening unfolded as an interactive journey –

part performance, part classroom, part magic trick. Singers sang inches away, dancers leapt through living spaces, and actors transformed rooms into moments. Guests didn’t just watch the art; they wandered through it, applauded it, and left newly immersed in the passion, discipline, and sheer joy of young performers finding their voice.

Olé! Boxing Day in Southgate involved far more than recycling gift wrap. Neighbors spilled into the street for the now-legendary block party that began in 2021 when Marta Galicki decided her 70th birthday required a mariachi band. Naturally. Husband Alan Galicki sealed the deal with margaritas and tacos, and a tradition was born. Music bounced off the pavement in front of Doug and Anne Culver’s house, where Doug played bartender, shaking his famous margaritas like a pro. Tables of food and desserts lined the curb near the Galicki home, thanks to generous neighbors. Clark Trantham and Melinda Clark, along with Dr. Tiana ShiverBonderer and husband Michael Bonderer, added contributions and time to wrap up the holidays perfectly.

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

. by Cindy Burnett, staff writer

Buzz Reads Five picks for March

Buzz Reads is a column about books by reviewer Cindy Burnett. Each month, Cindy recommends five recently or soon-to-be released titles.

Blood Relay by Devon Mihesuah (mystery/thriller) – Choctaw Detective Perry Antelope and her partner Sophia Burns are called in to investigate the disappearance of Dels Billy, a beloved women’s Indian Horse Relay rider. Together they uncover connections between Dels’s disappearance and a series of unsolved abductions of Native women from across the state. But as the perpetrator continues to elude the duo, Perry races to solve the cases while also protecting herself and her family. This fabulous mystery grabbed me from page one. I loved learning more about the Choctaw people and their culture, food, and way of life as well as learning about Indian Relay Racing and other tribal Nations in Oklahoma. The female characters are strong and fierce, and the dialogue, plot, and setting are all well-crafted. Blood Relay is for fans of Indigenous stories, strong female characters, and solid mysteries.

Cleopatra by Saara El-Arifi (historical fiction) – Everyone knows the name Cleopatra, but few understand who she truly was. In this novel, El-Arifi brings to life the real woman: her humanity and life story in all of its many facets and complexities as told by Cleopatra herself. As the novel opens, Cleopatra is thrust upon the throne after her father’s death, and the story follows her for the next 20 years as she rules Egypt and fends off threats from within and abroad. This epic, fiercely feminist tale is rooted in African history and culture and told with a shimmer of magic as a nod to her followers who believed her to be an actual goddess. Cleopatra narrates her story, which works beautifully, and the time period and setting leap off the page. This book is a great fit for fans of a strong sense of place, powerful women, and lyrical writing.

Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser (fairy tale retelling) – Lady Tremaine is a clever reimagining of Cinderella told from the perspective of the infamous “evil stepmother.” Twice widowed, Etheldreda struggles to raise her two children and a haughty and overly pious stepdaughter with lit-

tle money and a dilapidated house. Refusing to give in to her misfortune, Ethel believes that her family’s respectability will land her daughters’ desirable marriages. When a royal ball is announced, she risks everything to make sure her daughters will be invited, only to see her spoiled stepdaughter catch the prince’s eye. This book was a joy to read from beginning to end, and I constantly marveled at the way Hochhauser reframed the story so skillfully to make Lady Tremaine a more sympathetic character. Readers will delight in all of the references to Cinderella and relish the way Hochhauser casts details from the original story in a new light. This book will appeal to fans of reimagined fairy tales and stories about strong women who chart their own course.

Nonesuch by Francis Spufford (magical realism) – This time-bending story opens in the summer of 1939 as Iris Hawkins enjoys a spontaneous evening with Geoff, an engineer involved with the latest technology of television. This one-night encounter pulls her into another realm where time bends, otherworldly spirits can be beckoned, and history permanently altered. While London burns on the midst of the Blitz, in the warped passages between past and present, a fascist fanatic is hoping to rewrite history, and Iris is the only person who can stop her. This urgent and enthralling story feels very timely and is an incredibly immersive read. One particular standout – Spufford vividly describes what it must have been like in London during the Blitz – the sleeplessness, the ruins, the noise, and the raids alongside the demands of ordinary life. This book will appeal to fans of strong settings, history, speculative fiction, and unique tales.

Wait for Me by Amy Jo Burns (historical fic-

tion) – Folk singer Elle Harlow is at the height of her career in 1973 with two wildly popular albums and a devoted fan base. After performing on the iconic Grand Ole Opry stage, Elle simply vanishes. Twenty years later, 18-year-old Marijohn Shaw is spending her summer writing songs, missing her mother, and pumping gas at her family’s gas station. When a meteor lands in the woods near Marijohn’s small Pennsylvania town, an item tied to Elle Harlow surfaces, setting in motion events that will upend everything Marijohn thought she knew. Burns’ writing is outstanding, and I found myself constantly reflecting back on entire passages. Music lyrics, which are sprinkled throughout the book, meld seamlessly into the story. This will be one of my top reads of the year. Wait for Me is perfect for those who love stories about music and musicians, found family, and second chances.

Editor’s note: Book reviewer Cindy Burnett also writes our weekly Page Turners column at thebuzzmagazines.com. She hosts an award-winning book podcast entitled Thoughts from a Page Podcast www.thoughtsfromapage.com, runs the Instagram account @thoughtsfromapage, and regularly speaks to groups about books.

. by Tracy L. Barnett, staff writer

Travel Buzz

Four Years in Bangalore: A Houston Family Finds a Bigger World

When geoscientist Jennifer Erich told her family she had been offered a position in Bangalore, India, her daughter Miranda was incredulous.

“I remember being like, what? That doesn’t even sound real – it sounds like a movie,” Miranda said.

At the time, Miranda was 14, and finishing eighth grade at Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart in Houston. She had never moved anywhere before – much less halfway around the world.

“I didn’t really think she would take the job at first,” she said. “I thought it was just something that comes and goes.”

But the idea didn’t go away. And in 2021, as the world was still reeling from Covid, the Erichs – Jennifer, her husband Andy, and Miranda – made the decision to go.

What followed would transform how they saw the world – and themselves.

A leap taken in uncertain times

The timing was anything but easy. India was in the grip of devastating Covid waves, with images of overwhelmed hospitals filling global news.

“All of the paperwork that we were doing, and getting our minds wrapped around going to India – and that was when we saw these images on the news of really, really bad Covid [cases] in India,” Jennifer said.

Miranda, meanwhile, did what many teenagers would do: She Googled the worst-case scenarios.

“Of course, everyone has their own stereotypes about India,” she said. “I was assuming it was just dirt roads, no real houses. I really didn’t know much about it.”

Friends reinforced those fears. “Everyone thought I was going to live in a mud hut and not have water,” she said. “That’s what I thought too.”

But the fear was offset by curiosity, and a sense of intrigue. For Andy, the decision came with trepidation, but also clarity.

“How can I not take this opportunity?” he asked himself. “There really will not be another chance to go and live in another country and to really experience the other side of the world.”

In the end, the family decided that uncertainty wasn’t a reason to stay put – it was a reason to go. In late 2021, they packed up their Houston life and boarded a plane bound for southern India.

First impressions: loud, colorful,

overwhelming

The southern city of Bangalore would be their base: a sprawling, fast-growing city of more than 12 million people – home to multinational tech firms, research centers, and international schools, and a major Asian hub of ExxonMobil, Jennifer’s employer.

Often described as India’s Silicon Valley, it combines global business culture with deeply local traditions, making it a common landing place for expat families – and a sharp contrast to the rural images many Americans still associate with India.

Jennifer arrived first, stepping off the plane in the wee hours, exhausted and jet-lagged. Bangalore surprised her immediately.

“All the senses are accosted at once,” she said. “The noise, the color, the burning smell. And there’s just so many more people.”

She had expected oppressive heat. Instead, she found a city at higher elevation – windy, cooler, and buzzing with life. The burning smell near the airport soon dissipated, but the rest of the sensory overload – the vibrant colors, the

noise and bustle – would become an accustomed part of their new life.

Her first mission was to find an apartment that would feel like home. After a careful search, she found it: a 7,000-square-foot flat that occupied the entire 10th floor of a high-rise of a lively, modern neighborhood with a mall and all the conveniences.

“It had white, beautiful marble floors – actual marble floors,” Jennifer marveled. “The landlords had painted all the walls white, and the floors were white.”

It was as far from the mud hut stereotype as one could get.

Andy and Miranda were delayed when one of their cats failed a required microchip scan, forcing the entire pet travel process to restart. Not wanting Miranda to make the journey alone, Jennifer flew back to Houston to bring her daughter with her, while Andy stayed behind with the cats.

He finally arrived weeks later, under much more challenging circumstances; India reinstated mandatory Covid testing while he was already in the air. Landing in the middle of the night, exhausted after more than 24 hours of travel, he was funneled through crowded testing lines before he could even leave the airport.

“My first moments on the ground in India were really awful,” Andy said.

School shock – and transformation

Miranda had some surprises in store as well –delightful as well as challenging. Her new school, Stonehill International, was an hourand-a-half drive from home through Bangalore’s dense traffic. The school followed the rigorous International Baccalaureate curriculum. The student body was global, with classmates from India, Korea, Japan, France, Kenya, Egypt, and beyond.

“I thought that they would all be judging me because I was a foreigner, but actually they were all super kind, and I made a lot of friends pretty quick,” she recalls. “Everyone was really curious about why I was there and where I was from.”

Still, the adjustment was jarring.

“I remember my first math test in India,” Miranda said. “I actually cried during the test because I’d never learned that [type of math] before, and everyone else knew what was going on.”

Academically, she was suddenly lagging. “In the U.S., we were learning basic algebra,” she said. “In India, they were already way past that.”

But the challenge forced rapid growth. “I had to learn time management,” she said. “There was always something due the next day.”

Socially, the experience was transformative. Sleepovers with a best friend from Korea; hanging out at the mall with friends from Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, Japan.

“High school really prepared me for life,” she said. “There was always something you had to get done, and you just learned how to handle it.”

A different rhythm of daily life

Life in Bangalore followed a rhythm unlike anything the family had known in Houston. Jennifer worked second shift to align with U.S. colleagues, while mornings became a pocket of freedom.

“I wouldn’t go to bed until after midnight, but I loved not waking up to an alarm,” she recalled.

Time differences led to small, surreal moments. “We’d watch American football on Monday morning,” Andy said. “Pajamas and coffee instead of chicken wings and beer.”

Andy, unable to work due to visa restrictions, embraced the role of household anchor – and language learner.

Inspired by household staff members who spoke five or six languages, he committed to learning Hindi, studying at least an hour a day for years. “If they can speak five, I can learn one,” he said.

Accidental celebrities

One of the family’s most unexpected discoveries was their visibility.

“Everywhere we went, people wanted to take our picture,” Jennifer said. “We must be in hundreds of people’s photos. Even grandmas would come up and grab their phone for a selfie.”

For Andy, the phenomenon reflected something cultural. “I think a lot of it is a status thing,” he said. “It was like, ‘I know foreigners. I know Americans.’ That’s important to some people.”

For Miranda, the attention was startling at first.

“I remember stepping out of the airport and there were just so many people staring at me,” she said. “I learned later it was just because I’m super pale and obviously a foreigner.”

What might have felt unsettling quickly became familiar. “They were just really curious.”

That curiosity often turned into warmth. “There were so many times when people were staring at me, and I would just wave at them,”

Miranda said. “Then they’d smile and start talking to me.”

India as a gateway to the world

Living in India also changed the family’s relationship to travel. From Bangalore, destinations that once felt impossibly far became weekend trips.

“The Maldives was a 90-minute, $200 flight,” Jennifer said. “We went six times in four years.”

Within India, they explored palaces, temples, and Himalayan landscapes. “Mysore Palace is one of the most beautiful, colorful buildings I’ve ever seen,” Jennifer said.

They also ventured across Asia – to Sri Lanka, Japan, Thailand, and beyond – taking advantage of their location in the Eastern Hemisphere.

“We would never fly to the Maldives from the U.S. for a week,” Andy said. “But from India, it made sense.”

What they brought home

Now back in Houston, the Erichs are still unpacking the experience.

“Living in India has completely changed my appreciation for what wearing a bright color is,” Jennifer said. “In the U.S., we’ve become taupe, gray, black, navy, beige. When you walk through anywhere in India, everyone is in some of the brightest colors I’ve ever seen.”

That shift wasn’t just visual. For Miranda, it became personal. “Me and

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my mom, we went shopping a lot,” she said. “All the storekeepers were like, ‘You should try this one on.’” She began wearing saris regularly to weddings and events.

“They love when foreigners try to dress how they would,” she said. “I definitely have like a billion saris in my closet now.”

But the deepest changes weren’t visible.

“Living in India helped me be a more openminded person than I previously was, living in Houston my whole life.”

Now a freshman at the University of Iowa,

Miranda says the experience can feel oddly invisible.

Explaining it isn’t easy. “It’s hard to put it in simple terms for people to understand,” she said. “They don’t really know what to ask.”

Sometimes, she finds herself noticing the gaps. “I remember being in class and someone asked if everyone knew where India was,” she said. “Not many people did. And someone said Africa was a country. I was like, guys, it’s literally a continent.”

Then came the realization.

Tips from Our Travelers

“I realized that might have even been me if I never lived overseas,” she said. “I’m looking at someone I could have been if I never lived there.”

That awareness, she says, is the gift she carries forward. “I just think it taught me so much about the world that I never even comprehended before I moved.”

And when she does meet someone who’s lived abroad, the connection is immediate. “Once I realize someone lived outside the U.S.,” Miranda said, laughing, “I’m like, what’s your name? We need to be friends right now.”

By Jennifer Erich

Worth the splurge: Gems! Some of the nicest and lowest-cost gemstones I’ve ever seen (emeralds, sapphires, rubies and so much more!)

Don’t miss: Tea plantations of Sri Lanka

Favorite restaurants: Leela Palace has some of the most creative and 5-star dishes I’ve ever tasted.

Currency exchange: Crazy good for the dollar. Almost 90 rupees to the USD.

Packing: Must bring good sunscreen of 50+ and Deet bug spray.

Don’t bring: Too many clothes.

Don’t forget: Do not drink the water! Always drink bottled water and shower with your mouth closed.

Avoid this local scam: Always bargain! Tourists are charged at least double for everything (carpets, jewelry, cashmere etc.)

Local favorite: The ginger chai is life changing.

Safety tip: No street food, ever!

Not really worth the trouble: Visiting the rest of Agra. You only go there to see the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort.

Unexpected hit: We rode camels in the desert. The mount and dismount is not for the faint of heart, must hold on with very stiff arms.

But the ride was really memorable and fun!

by Dai Huynh, staff writer

Chef’s Corner

In Rare Form: Houston’s steakhouse boom

One minute, I was loitering at the valet stand when Eric Aldis, the chef at King Steak, burst through the door in pursuit of a white Range Rover, calling out, “José! Wait!” Seconds later, he was back, a little winded, half-laughing after thanking José. “The guy left a $400 tip. His tab was only $300.”

Steakhouses are sirens, calling diners toward excess they’d apologize for anywhere else. Scientists will tell you there’s chemistry at work: rich food and protein, like exercise, trigger the release of dopamine and serotonin, the body’s opiates. But that isn’t why the steakhouse holds a special place in American life or why visitors from abroad make reservations before they book hotels.

“The steakhouse is American. We created that. Steakhouses are aspirational,” restaurateur Benjamin Berg said. “You hear about your boss going, your parents going. Celebrations. Deals. The American steakhouse has always been a place for major moments. We’re not curing cancer, but we’re there for the best of times and sometimes, for the worst. That’s a huge responsibility.”

The steakhouse has outlasted fads and diets by doing one thing well: delivering primal pleasure. Gilded opulence or mid-century cool, diners know the deal – steak, whipped potatoes, creamed spinach, or another side. It’s a reassuring template. Chef Mark Cox once told me that in uncertain times, people crave comfort food. Cattle prices have risen, but beef demand remains strong. What’s more grounding than a well-marbled steak? It explains the steakhouse boom here and nationwide.

When I last surveyed Houston’s steakhouse scene a decade ago, the landscape felt familiar: Pappas Bros. Steakhouse (5839 Westheimer) with its clubby ease, Brenner’s (10911 Katy Freeway) drawing the old guard, Del Frisco’s Double Eagle (5061 Westheimer) handling the power-lunch crowd, and Taste of Texas (10505 Katy Freeway) feeding generations with Texas swagger – all seasoned pros.

But Houston doesn’t stand still. New players have muscled in, each with distinct ideas about sourcing, aging, and what luxury should look like on a plate. I wanted a closer look, with the help of experts – who know marbling as well as

sommeliers know Burgundy – to understand what’s changed and what hasn’t. Almost immediately, something struck me: A few high-end steakhouses weren’t advertising USDA Prime. They didn’t mention grades on the menu at all. What gives?

To find out, I assembled a crew of experts to help decode the modern steakhouse menu, choose the best ribeye at the grocery store, and find affordable, unconventional places for steak – the kind of intel that separates tourists from locals. Ultimately, what I learned is that Houston’s steakhouse boom isn’t just about meat. It’s about theater, and a city that still believes in old-school luxury.

fueled by caviar, foie gras, cold martinis, and $340 Japanese Kobe beef. This is the grown-ups’ table. “I have two and a half hours to make your life better,” Benjamin said. “People want to be transported out of their normal world. It’s a splurge, but it’s an experience.”

Benjamin Berg understands this better than most. In 2015, when he opened B&B Butchers (1814 Washington) in a former bakery, he turned it into the place diners wanted to be on Saturday nights. The room has a physical warmth – the low thrum of conversation, seared beef and butter wafting toward the bar. It’s a meat market, chophouse, and theater all at once. Beyoncé and Jay-Z might be lingering in a private room while a few feet away, a Tanglewood resident sips his dirty martini.

So, when Benjamin opened two more steakhouses in 2024, it felt inevitable. Turner’s Cut (811 Buffalo Park Dr.) in Autry Park pays tribute to the abundance of bygone Manhattan, with full white-glove service and Gilded Age polish. Prime 131 (2505 W. 11th St.) at The Docks at Timbergrove lures diners with a surfand-turf offering, live-fire steaks, specialty sushi rolls, and sashimi.

Prime 131 has enough fun, interactive dishes, like tableside s’mores, noise, and an openkitchen theater, to keep parents and kids engaged. Turner’s Cut registers differently. It is a reprieve from spreadsheets and traffic jams,

The steakhouse census has climbed, with recent additions including Mexican-inspired Toca Madera (1755 Allen Pkwy), King Steak (2200 Post Oak Blvd.), and Drake’s Hollywood (1100 Westheimer Rd). And when things go sideways, some restaurateurs have lately pivoted to beef.

Earlier this year, Fielding’s River Oaks rebranded as Fielding’s Steak (3750 Westheimer Rd.). The upscale Creole restaurant The Warwick morphed into Winsome Prime (5888 Westheimer Rd). They’re joining a formidable circuit: Steak 48 (4444 Westheimer), Toro Toro (1300 Lamar), Doris Metropolitan (2815 S. Shepherd), Mastro’s (1650 W. Loop S.), Georgia James (3503 W. Dallas), Marmo (888 Westheimer), and Guard and Grace (500 Dallas St.). More are coming. Chef Austin Simmons is opening Charolais at Hughes Landing in The Woodlands, while Sparrow Italia in the Galleria area readies its debut with a Calabrian chili–rubbed New York strip.

Atlanta-based chef Ford Fry is set to open his second Star Rover (1801 N. Shepherd) this month in the space that housed Superica, the seven-year-old Tex-Mex spot whose wood-

grilled fajitas once packed the room. The casual concept – a hit in Nashville – reaches back to Fry’s Texas childhood and dive-bar steakhouses like Hoffbrau, where a steak dinner meant salad, a buttered roll, and family. Star Rover is his love letter. “You shouldn’t have to pay $75 for the steak and then get nickel-and-dimed for everything else,” he said. His solution: steaks from $28 to $55, each with salad, a roll, fries, and onion rings. He added that the 12-ounce ribeye is a reasonable portion, not a 24-ounce slab, made with choice beef aged 28 to 36 days for tenderness and flavor. He couldn’t make the numbers work with USDA Prime. Too expensive. Lately, restaurateurs can’t stop talking about beef prices. A few months back, costs hit near-record highs, thanks to the smallest U.S. cattle inventory in 70 years. They’ve eased slightly, chefs tell me, but not enough to matter.

I’m paying higher prices everywhere – restaurants, grocery stores – and I want to understand what I’m buying. So, I asked Ford about “prime,” the term grocers and restaurants slap on packages and menus to justify those prices. Most diners assume it means USDA Prime. Does it?

Ask your waiter or butcher to be sure. “Prime is a mixed bag at grocery stores and steakhouses,” Ford said. “If a place advertises ‘Our signature prime steaks’ without saying USDA Prime, run.”

Without those four letters, “prime” may be just marketing, part of a name, a brand, whatever. Official USDA Prime is the top grade, characterized by heavy marbling, and accounts for roughly three percent of beef production. But for Ford, age matters as much as grade. To get your hands on his recommended choice steaks aged 28 to 36 days, try a local specialty butcher or order online from outfits like 44 Farms or Snake River Farms – easy to do these days.

Ronnie Killen’s Killen’s BBQ (3613 Broadway St., Pearland) and Killen’s (101 Heights Blvd.) both earned Michelin Guide Bib Gourmands for “good quality food and good value.” Now he’s aiming for a Michelin star for Killen’s Steakhouse (6425 Broadway St., Pearland), despite accolades from Food & Wine and Travel + Leisure designating it as one of the “Top 10 Best Steakhouses in the U.S.”

To earn a Michelin star for his high-end steakhouse, he’s sparing no expense – thousands on matching silverware, tableware, and glassware, and an in-house laundry for perfect tablecloths. But the Texan has always been strictest about one thing: USDA Prime certification. “I owe that to my guests – something certified. Everything we buy, wagyu or USDA Prime, comes with the snout, breed, and slaughter date. Some people skip that. Yes, it costs more. But we owe it to our guests.”

Steakhouses like Killen’s are a splurge I save for celebrations or the occasional indulgence. My family of three eats steak twice a week – I’ve shared my go-to recipe below– but we can’t always drop $150 on dinner. My solution? Ask chefs where they go. Turns out, the people cooking

fancy food don’t eat it out nearly as often as you’d think. They’re on a budget, too. And when they do, they want honest spots with no fuss. Here are three that deliver: great steak, zero cleanup.

Chef Bryan Hawes and his secret seasonings draw crowds to Mojo Meat Steak Nights – Tuesdays through Thursdays, 6:30-11:30 p.m., at Pimlico (810 Waugh). When the weather cooperates, you can watch him work the grill: 12-ounce prime steaks, Australian lamb chops, pork chops. The food’s good enough to lure other steakhouse chefs on their nights off. Bryan swears by his pork chops ($20). I’m sold on the lamb – meaty, tender, ridiculously juicy ($34-$36). Steaks run $35-$40, market-dependent. You can also take a bottle of his secret seasonings home for $5.

Blood Bros. BBQ (5425 Bellaire Blvd.) was born from steak nights at a downtown bar. Brothers Robin and Terry Wong and pitmaster Quy Hoang used to grill ribeye to draw crowds on slow nights, then they figured, “Why not open a barbecue spot instead?” But old regulars kept asking about those juicy steaks. So now they’re back: $35 12-to-14-ounce ribeye with two sides, salad, and a roll, every second week of the month, 5-9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Reserve early. They go fast.

For a global spin, head to Traveler’s Table (520 Westheimer). On Tuesdays, starting at 5 p.m., the restaurant offers three internationally inspired beef dishes at $30 each. The standout: Thai Crying Tiger Tenderloin, charred just right, with coconut-lemongrass sticky rice cake and green papaya and green beans salad. The accompanying tamarind-lime dipping sauce, laced with bird’s-eye chili and fish sauce, delivers an umami punch that keeps you wanting more. Also to consider: a Spanish-style tenderloin with piquillo pepper sauce; a top sirloin, Brazilian picanha with biquinho pepper compound butter and chimichurri; and, for an additional $8, a 12-ounce cast-iron-seared ribeye. The other day, Ronnie texted me a photo of a ribeye he cooked for himself. Ironically, when buying steaks to cook at home, he doesn’t always

buy USDA Prime and advised shoppers to ignore the label. He said, “Don’t buy the most expensive steak – just look at the color. The lighter the steak, the less grass the cattle have eaten, and the more tender it’ll be. You’ve seen those red steaks, almost maroon? You don’t want that.” He added that veal proves the point – that pale pink promises fork-tender eating.

As for marbling, both Ford and Ronnie agree that “lots is good,” though it’s tough for the untrained eye to judge. But former Georgia James steakhouse executive chef Philippe Schmit said, “You don’t have to buy expensive Prime. A little technique and patience can bring up your game.”

The French chef will buy choice ribeye, cure it the night before with a seasoning mix of herbes de provence, freshly cracked black pepper, a spice mixture of choice, and just the tiniest pinch of salt. “Not too much salt,” he cautioned, “because it draws out blood, and blood is flavor. I’ll wait until tomorrow, just before cooking, to really season it well with kosher salt. This will give you the best results.”

Everyone has their own preference when it comes to seasoning. Most chefs keep it simple: salt, black pepper, optional MSG, and other flavorings such as onion pow- (continued on page 36)

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der and garlic powder. They all agree the pan must be “ripping” hot before you put the steaks in. Ford, Benjamin, and Ronnie like to render some of the beef’s own fat before searing the steaks in a cast-iron skillet over high heat. Ronnie shoots for medium rare plus, which is 143 degrees. They all have their own idea of the temp. But everyone agrees that steaks must rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting them for the juiciest results.

Cast-iron Ribeye with Crispy Garlic

I keep it simple, avoiding heavy seasonings that mask the beef’s flavor. The recipe draws from past conversations with chefs Chris Shepherd, Robert Del Grande, Marco Pierre White, and Gordon Ramsay.

1 teaspoon ground coriander

Kosher salt (see note)

Freshly cracked black pepper

Pinch MSG (optional)

20-24 cloves garlic, peeled

4 tablespoons canola oil

2 ribeye steaks, at least 1 1/2 inches thick, about 1 pound

5-6 tablespoons French butter

3-5 rosemary sprigs

Remove the steaks from the refrigerator and let them reach room temperature, about 30 minutes. In a bowl, mix coriander, 3 teaspoons of salt or to taste,

black pepper to taste, and MSG. At this point, add your favorite spice blend if you wish. Adjust the kosher salt if your blend contains sodium (see note below).

In a cast-iron skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat and add the garlic cloves. Cook until deep golden brown, lowering the heat to medium if necessary. Don’t allow the garlic to burn. Not only are you infusing the oil with garlic

Steakhouses are sirens, calling diners toward excess they’d apologize for anywhere else.

to make your steaks, but these slightly crispy garlic pieces are delicious with steaks. When done, transfer into a small bowl and set aside. Remove garlic bits from the pan. Pat steaks completely dry with paper towels. Coat the steaks with some canola oil, then sprinkle all sides evenly with the salt mixture. Return the pan to the stove and heat the oil over high heat. When the pan is almost smoking, add the steaks, or, if you choose, render the fat you trimmed off the meat, with the oil, then cook the steaks (personally, I find this adds

a lot of flavor). Cook for 3-4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steaks. Don’t flip or move the steak. Give it a chance to form a nice, deep, golden-brown crust before flipping it.

Make sure it is browned on all sides, including edges. Do this by holding it sideways with tongs. Two to three minutes before done, add the butter and 1 or 2 rosemary sprigs if using. Spoon the butter onto the steaks.

Steaks are done when the internal temperature has reached 110°F for rare or 130°F for medium. Keep in mind, steaks will continue to cook for 6 to 12 minutes after they are removed from the heat, depending on their thickness. Remove from the pan and let them rest for 10 minutes before cutting. Arrange the steaks on a wooden cutting board, season with more kosher salt and fresh-cracked black pepper, if desired, and sprinkle crispy golden garlic cloves on top and around the steaks before serving. Serves 2.

Note: My general rule is about 1 ½ teaspoons of kosher salt for a pound of steak, give or take. If I’m using Penzeys Quebec Beef Spice, I’ll adjust my seasonings accordingly. I’ll omit black pepper and coriander, but I’ll add more kosher salt to taste with the Quebec Beef Spice. Although you can cook the steaks immediately after seasoning with salt and pepper, when using the Quebec Beef Spice, it is best to let the ribeye marinate for at least 15 minutes, or even better 40 minutes.

SportzBuzz SPORTS

. by Todd Freed, staff writer

In the wake of a remarkable, historic career for the Strake Jesuit Crusaders, senior running back John Hebert officially signed to play college football for the hometown Houston Cougars.

Hebert was joined by Strake Jesuit teammates Cannon Aramburo (Washington University in St. Louis), MacGregor Byers (Wyoming University), Dario Contreras (Washington University in St. Louis), and JC Martinez (MIT) for the school’s National Signing Day ceremony at the Crusaders’ competition gymnasium.

“It’s really special to sign with Houston,” said Hebert. “Just the culture and all the great players they are bringing into the program is really exciting. The coaches over there know how to develop football players and know how to win football games. Coach Fritz has turned the football program around.”

This past season, Hebert rushed for 3,668 yards with 44 touchdowns, which ranks as the third highest single season rushing total ever for a Houston-area running back. In addition, Hebert’s 8,090 career rushing yards goes down as the fourth highest total in the history of Greater Houston high school football.

“I’m just really blessed,” said Hebert. “Playing football for Strake Jesuit was just so much fun. I’m going to hold on to those memories for the rest of my life. Looking back, I’m just happy with the success I’ve had and just grateful. To have my family here today is also really special. I wouldn’t be here today without all their support.”

Just last month, Hebert played in the Navy All-American Bowl and was also recently named the Greater Houston Offensive Player of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Houston, but even with all the accolades, it’s the relationships Hebert built at Strake Jesuit that stand out most for the Crusaders senior.

“Playing with all my great friends that I’ve made on this team is what I’ll cherish the most,” added Hebert. “These guys are my brothers. Being with them for every practice, every single game, and every team meal is something I’ll always remember.”

Elsewhere on National Signing Day, the University of Houston also landed one of

SUPER SIGNEE Strake Jesuit Crusader John Hebert was joined by family members for the school’s National Signing Day Celebration. Hebert’s 8,090 career rushing yards is the fourth highest total in the history of Houstonarea high school football.

the area’s standout defensive players with Stratford Spartans cornerback Johnathan Joseph Jr. signing to play for the Cougars. Joseph is the son of former Houston Texans defensive back Johnathan Joseph

“Johnathan is an explosive athlete who’ll do great things at the next level,” said Stratford head football coach Todd Rankin. “He’s also a great weapon on offense as a wide receiver and as a return man on special teams. Great things typically happen when Johnathan gets his hands on the football.”

In addition to Joseph, Spartans senior offensive lineman Foard Polley signed to play at the University of Pennsylvania and running back Davis Kendall is heading to the Air Force Academy. “Last year we had running back Javier Denson sign with Air Force, so it’s pretty cool for Stratford to have running backs go to play for the Air Force Academy in back-to-back years,” said Rankin.

“Foard is a high-academic kid who chose Penn over several other collegiate offers. He’s 6-foot5, 290 pounds, and should make a big impact at the next level. He’s also following quite nicely in the footsteps of his older brother Hawkins, who plays tight end for the Baylor Bears.”

TheLamar Texans had five players sign to play collegiate football including quarter-

back Cade Mansour, who’ll join his brother and fellow Lamar football product Cole Mansour in suiting up for Southwestern University in Georgetown. In addition, Robert McFarland (Sam Houston State), Martin Davis-Wheatfall (Texas Wesleyan), Cruz Herrera (Trinity University), Charles Toussiant (Texas Lutheran), and Deverick Stone-Hubbard (Garden City Community College) will all represent the Texans at the next level.

“This class of seniors is an exceptionally hardworking group,” said Lamar head football coach Mike Lindsey. “These guys came in somewhat undersized and overlooked so it’s really cool to see how they’ve grown into the players they are today.

“I would describe them as self-made kids who’ve also made great grades and just gotten better and better over the course of their varsity careers. I’m just extremely proud of their accomplishments and I also expect to have several other guys from this senior class make their collegiate choices official in the weeks to come.”

Editor’s note: Todd Freed is the host and executive producer of H-Town High School Sports, which airs Saturday at 10:30 p.m. on CW39 and Monday-Thursday on AT&T SportsNet SW. To submit high school sports news for possible inclusion in SportzBuzz, please email todd@thebuzzmagazines.com.

. by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer

SportzBuzz Jr.

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

Tournament success

The 10U West University Softball Association Breakers Tournament Team capped off a successful fall season with a runner-up finish at the Alvin All Stars Tournament, following a hard-fought championship game against Texas Kaotic. The Breakers played 32 tournament games during the fall season in addition to their regular WUSA recreational schedule. The extended season provided game experience and opportunities for growth, teamwork, and development on and off the field. Their second-place finish reflected months of dedication to their demanding schedule. Pictured (from left) are Eleanor Mize, Grace Newhook, Annabelle Landrum, Mila Middleton, Cyan Lee, Sophie O’Neal, Abbie Hunt, Kat Westin, Delaney Donovan, Emma Watts, Lily Murland , and Sabrina Scheet ; not pictured: Jo Oska . West University Softball Association serves athletes ages 5 to 18. The organization remains committed to providing a positive environment that promotes skill development, sportsmanship, and a lifelong love of the game.

Podium finishes

Pin Oak Middle School eighth graders Evelyn Faykus and Maya Brito Schmitz (pictured) held strong performances at the Top Speed Elite Annual XC Meet. Evelyn placed first in the girls 4000-meter race and Maya finished third, leading a group of Pin Oak runners who earned top finishes in a competitive field. The team is coached by Patrick Harvey and Corinne Shank. The POMS XC program emphasizes endurance, consistency, and goal setting, and helps student-athletes develop both competitively and personally. The early-season meet provided an opportunity for runners to measure their progress and gain experience against athletes from across the region.

Nothing but net

The Pin Oak Middle School eighth-grade girls basketball team put together a strong and consistent season marked by steady improvement and competitive play. The team earned second place at the San Jacinto Invitational Basketball Tournament after tough competition. Throughout the season, the girls balanced practices with team bonding. Pin Oak finished the year with a six-game winning streak and closed the season with a 21–0 victory over The Rice School. Coaches emphasized fundamentals, communication, and accountability, creating an environment that allowed players to grow individually while contributing to team success. Pictured are (back row, from left) Coach Crystal Krolczyk, Charlotte Marino Hunn, Catherine Cune, Laney Ripper, Katherine George, Lila Byrd, Michelle Gaw, Audrey Bougaieff, Lorelei Niggli, Coach Astaire Carter; (front row, from left) Jentry Byrd, Giuliana Ruiz, Jane Butler, Lily Hughes, and Anna Claire Dykoski

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.

by Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld, staff writer

Event Roundup

March means spring – and Spring Break! – and includes RodeoHouston, St. Patrick’s Day, and lots more fun. Here’s a sampling of some Buzzworthy events happening this month:

Winter Festival “Year of the Horse” Sun., March 1, 1-5 p.m.

MFAH

Free admission for the festival activities and the MFAH permanent collections; $10 all-access tickets for special exhibitions or free for ages 12 and under Celebrate the Year of the Horse at MFAH’s family-friendly Winter Festival. Enjoy art-making activities, watch musical and dance performances, and indulge in foods representing a variety of Asian cuisines, available for purchase from local vendors.

RodeoHouston

Mon., March 2-Sun., March 22

NRG Park

Price varies

It’s Rodeo season, which includes a plethora of entertainment, music, food, carnival rides, concerts, and more. See www.rodeohouston.com for the concert lineup and more details. Download the RODEOHOUSTON mobile app to purchase or access tickets, load up on carnival packs, and find out what’s happening at the Rodeo grounds.

88th Biennial River Oaks Garden Club Azalea Trail

Fri., March 6- Sun., March 8, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Bayou Bend Collection & Gardens, Rienzi, The Forum of Civics Building and Garden, plus four home gardens

$35/ticket grants access to seven gardens and can be used over multiple days; free admission at The Forum; kids under the age of 14 are free Tour beautiful gardens, each one offering an abundance of inspiration, stunning floral displays, emerging trends and creative concepts. Proceeds from the Azalea Trail support local landscape and beautification projects, horticulture awareness, conservation, and education projects related to horticulture or conservation.

Moonlight Movies: “Time Travel”

Fridays, March 6, 13, and 20, 8 p.m.

Roof of the Glassell School of Art in the Amphitheater on The Brown Foundation, Inc. Plaza.

$20

Experience classic movies under the stars at the MFAH. Travel back in time with screenings of Back to the Future (March 6), Time Bandits (March 13), and 13 Going on 30 (March 20). Sit on the sloping roof of the Glassell School of Art in the Amphitheater on The Brown Foundation, Inc. Plaza. Stroll past the sculpture garden and get comfortable with a complimentary bag of popcorn. Signature cocktails inspired by the evening’s film are available for purchase. Headsets are provided for premium sound quality.

2026 World Baseball Classic

Classic Pool B Games: Fri., March 6-Weds., March 11; Quarterfinal Games: Fri., March 13Sat., March 14

Daikin Park

Tickets vary

The 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B games are being hosted by the Houston Astros at Daikin Park, March 6-11, and the Quarterfinal games on March 13 and 14. The Pool B matchups at Daikin Park feature teams from Great Britain, Italy, Mexico, the United States, and Brazil. The Quarterfinals in Houston will be played on March 13 and 14. Daikin Park will host the teams advancing from Pool A and Pool B. If Team USA advances to the Quarterfinal round in Houston, their game will be played March 13. See astros.com/wbc.

Children Museum Houston’s Spring Break Blast

Sat., March 7-Sun., March 22, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Children’s Museum Houston

General admission: $19.95/adults and children ages 1+

Children’s Museum Houston hosts a full schedule of fun and educational activities, entertainment, and excitement during Spring Break.

Highlights include Giddy Up to celebrate the Rodeo (Sat., March 7); Festival of Colors to celebrate Holi (Sun., March 8); MAR10 Day (Tues., March 10); 21st Annual Pi Day fun (Sat., March 14); and Block Party (Sun., March 15). Entertainment includes a juggler, a daily Confetti Blast Party, Human Hamster Balls, a dance floor party, and Bungee Trampolines (for kids ages 5-16). See www.cmhouston.org.

Spring Break at LSFM

Sat., March 7-Sun., March 15, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Lone Star Flight Museum

General admission: $18/adult; $15/youth (1217); $12/child (5-11); free for children 4 and under Lone Star Flight Museum offers a Spring Break week full of exciting, educational activities and programs. Each day has a different theme (Helicopter Day, Women in Flight Day, Wings and Things Day, Wacky Weather Day, Lift Off! Space, Fly High Tech Day, Pi Day on March 14) and includes programming that’ll interest visitors of all ages. See lonestarflight.org.

13th Houston Kosher Chili Cookoff Sun., March 8, 12-4 p.m.

Beth Yeshurun Synagogue

$20/adults, $5/children (4-12)

The Houston Kosher Chili Cookoff, the largest kosher food event in Houston, includes the opportunity to sample delicious chili, enjoy familyfriendly activities, music, and more. Celebrity judges select the winning chili. Funds go toward nonprofits in the Houston Jewish community.

Saint Arnold Pup Crawl & Pet Expo Sun., March 8, 3-6 p.m.

Houston Arboretum & Nature Center

$45/adults 21+ (includes 4 beers and 1 commemorative glass); registration required

Celebrate 10 years of great beer and fur-ever friends out on the trails at the Arboretum. After four special beer stops surrounded by nature, you and your pup will have the opportunity to enjoy local pet vendors at the expo and win raffle prizes.

Proceeds support the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center and BARC Animal Shelter & Adoptions.

Jazzy Sundays in the Park

Sundays, March 8, 15, 22, and 29, 5-7 p.m.

Discovery Green Free

Every spring, Emancipation Park, Discovery Green, and Buffalo Bayou Park team up to present free jazz concerts. Bring a blanket or lawn chair. Food and drink will be available for purchase. A pop-up market will be on site. See discoverygreen.com for the March lineup.

FUNomenal Spring Break Presented by EOG Resources

Mon., March 9-Thurs., March 12, 12-4 p.m.

Discovery Green, Jones Lawn Free

Spend Spring Break at Discovery Green with fun, educational S.T.E.A.M. activities and cultural performances. See discoverygreen.com for the schedule.

Moon 2 Mars Festival

Weds., March 11-Sat., March 14

Space Center Houston

General admission: $34.95; concert + general admission: $85; concert only: $69

Space Center Houston’s Moon 2 Mars Festival, presented by Wellby Financial, features an out-of-this-world spring break experience, including cutting-edge space tech, great food, and more. Join for two live concerts: The Wallflowers (March 13) and 311 (March 14).

65th Annual Houston St. Patrick’s Parade

Sat., March 14, 12 p.m.

Downtown Houston Free

Houston's St. Patrick’s Parade is one of the largest in the U.S. Dress in festive green attire and enjoy colorful floats and fun entertainment for the family.

22nd Annual Houston Jewish Film Festival

Sat., March 14-Sat., March 28

Venues across Houston

Tickets vary

Exceptional, award-winning films will be featured during the two-week festival, bringing Jewish lives and stories to the big screen. See www.erjcchouston.org/filmfest for the lineup.

Girls on the Green

Sat., March 21, 4-9 p.m.

Discovery Green, Anheuser-Busch Stage

Free

Dress in pink and celebrate Women’s History Month with the third annual Girls on the Green. The event kicks off with live music from Houston’s own Garbage Girlfriend followed by an inspiring panel featuring women leaders. Enjoy themed photo ops, explore a curated flea market filled with women makers, and end the

evening with a special outdoor screening of Wonder Woman.

54th Annual Buffalo Bayou Partnership

Regatta

Sat., March 21, 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Starting Line: 7700 San Felipe

Registration fee, excluding boat rental: $60/person; free for spectators

The largest canoe and kayak race in Texas begins along Buffalo Bayou at San Felipe and Voss and ends at Allen’s Landing. The race supports Buffalo Bayou Partnership.

Bellaire Holi Fest

Sat., March 21, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Bellaire-Zindler Park

$10/adults; free for kids under 10; $5/color packet Celebrate Holi at a fun, colorful, familyfriendly celebration, including music and dancing, food, and games.

2026 Plant and Book Festival

Fri., March 27-Sat., March 28, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Spring Branch Memorial Library

Free

During Spring Branch Memorial Library’s annual fundraising event, select from a wide variety of bedding plants, blooming shrubs, herbs, and native plants. Gently used books of all genres will be for sale along with a selection of gift cards from area restaurants and retailers. Proceeds will go toward enhancing the library’s book collections and providing educational and enrichment programs.

West U Easter Spring Festival

Sat., March 28, 9-11 a.m.

Colonial Park

Free

The City of West University Place Parks and Recreation Department hosts its annual Easter celebration at Colonial Park, including activity

booths, face painting, and free photos with the Easter bunny.

Bayou City Art Festival Downtown

Sam Houston Park

Sat., March 28- Sun., March 29, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

$20/adult; general admission weekend pass/$30; children are free

Bayou City Art Festival, produced by Art Colony Association, Inc., returns downtown and will benefit five local nonprofit partners. View the works of 300 artists in 19 different categories. Meet exhibiting artists, browse unique art, enjoy food, music, and entertainment. The featured artist is Lijah Hanley.

16th Annual Wine & Tapas Gala

Sat., March 28, 6-11 p.m.

Bellaire Parks and Recreation Center

$175/ticket

The 16th Annual Wine and Tapas Gala, themed “Everything That Glitters Is Gold,” will bring attendees into the dazzling era of the roaring ’20s. Enjoy an evening of glitz, glamour, music, and great food and wine, in support of a world-class, all-abilities multigenerational playground at the Evergreen Complex. The Bellaire Business Association will be honored at the gala.

Bark in the Park x Bellaire Open Air Market

Sun., March 29, 12-4 p.m.

Evelyn's Park

Free

Bring your furry BFFs to Evelyn's Park for the one day of the year dogs are welcomed at the park. In addition to the monthly market, there will be dog-related vendors and organizations.

Editor’s note: Events are subject to change. See this article at thebuzzmagazines.com for links. Also, find more events at thebuzzmagazines.com/calendar and see our weekend roundup online every Friday.

by Raasti Kayani, age 13

Buzz Kidz

IFOLLOW THE BREADCRUMBS Raasti Kayani, a seventh grader at The Kinkaid School, sang as part of the Children’s Chorus in the Houston Grand Opera’s Hansel and Gretel. The show ran Jan. 30 - Feb. 15.

A fairytale, sung in Houston

t’s 5:15 p.m. on a school night, and I’m enveloped in rush-hour traffic. Our car crawls through the Theater District as we hurry to rehearsal. When I arrive, I clutch my sheet music to my chest, and dart up the backstage entrance of the Wortham Theater. Riding the elevator to our rehearsal room, I hear the soft sounds of instruments tuning.

I’m one of 24 kids (8-18) in the Children’s Chorus for Hansel and Gretel with the Houston Grand Opera (HGO). Based on a classic fairytale, it is a fully sung opera with a live orchestra. Of the seven shows, five were in German, a language I had never sung in, and two were in English for families and students.

My journey began last August when my voice teacher suggested that I audition. Dozens of children and parents filled a room with excited chatter and palpable nerves. I sang my prepared

piece, then was asked to sing “Happy Birthday” thrice, each time a bit higher to test my range. When I found out that I got in, I was elated.

When rehearsals began in December, I started seeing Hansel and Gretel billboards along Houston’s highways. That’s when it started to feel real. It felt so grown-up.

For the months leading up to the show, we rehearsed several times a week under the guidance of chorus director Karen Reeves. We met in a brightly lit rehearsal room dotted with photos of HGO alumni. Sopranos and altos harmonized to music played on a grand piano. Ms. Reeves showed us how to round our vowels, stress clear consonants, and sing with emotion even when the words sounded foreign.

As we approached our final week of rehearsals, we moved to the big Wortham stage,

with its opulent red velvet mezzanines towering over us. We sang “Erlöst, befreit, für alle Zeit” (“saved, freed, for all time”) to celebrate Hansel breaking the Witch’s spell and setting us, the gingerbread children, free.

This process has shown me how much work goes in to a professional opera, and how beautiful it is when it comes together. Hearing Hansel and Gretel’s powerful voices soar has shown me the incredible range and power of the human voice, and how much I have to learn. Experiencing opera in my own city and being part of a professional production is an experience I will always cherish. And now, showtime!

Want to be a Buzz Kid? Email approximately 350 words, a high-resolution photo and caption to info@thebuzzmagazines.com.

Enter The Buzz 2026 Photo Contest Deadline May

15, 2026

Submit photos for our 21st annual Photo Contest. Deadline May 15.

To submit photos, and for contest rules, visit thebuzzmagazines.com/photocontest Winning photos will be published in our July issue and on our website. To view our 2025 winners, visit thebuzzmagazines.com/2025-photo-contest

Our grand prize winner will receive a Nikon Z 30 compliments of Houston Camera Exchange. The Z 30 is Nikon’s smallest, lightest Z series mirrorless camera—incredible image quality, full compatibility with 40+ interchangeable NIKKOR Z mirrorless lenses, amazing creative effects, and easy setup via your smartphone.

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PETS Neighborhood Tails

Pickle, Maltipoo, age 5 months, Grennoch Ln.

Hey guys! My name is Pickle and I’m almost 5 months old! I live with my parents and two tiny humans (Claire, 6, and Jack, 18 months), which I love because they have a lot of toys that double as snacks for me. I’m not the best learner when it comes to potty training, but I am great at snuggling and giving lots of kisses! I love people, treats, and going on walks around the neighborhood until my little legs tire out. I’m not a huge fan of the freezing temperatures, but I’ve been told it doesn’t stay cold for long here in Houston. Growing up is hard work, so after long days of playing, I love to curl up for long sleeps. I love meeting new people, so please say hi if you ever see us walking in the neighborhood!

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.

Probate if Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone

Without a will, Mom may be disinherited on Dad’s death, and you may share Dad’s estate with siblings you never knew. This is a growing reality, thanks to direct-to-consumer DNA testing like Ancestry.com or 23andMe that determine parentage. In Texas, Mom keeps half the community property anyway, but that’s little comfort when she expected 100 percent. Texas has no forced heirship law, though, and the simplest will suffices to disinherit biological children, known and unknown, in favor of Mom, their descendants, or anyone else Dad favors.

Consumer testing services can identify half-siblings, first cousins, and other relatives, enabling adult children who never knew a biological parent to identify them in weeks, and without the cooperation or knowledge of Dad and family. Although Ancestry.com and 23andMe don’t share data with each other, the curious can upload their own reports to an aggregator like GEDmatch, which can identify hundreds of millions more Americans.

No Texas statute of limitation cuts off a child’s right to determine their parentage, even if they waited 40 years. No DNA evidence today? No problem! Just wait a few years and technology will catch up, and for less than a tank of gas.

Surprise children don’t inherit when Ancestry.com says so, but if Dad left no will, they do take if parentage is presumed (Dad was married to the mother or listed on the birth certificate) or adjudicated (old divorce decree or a new judgment declaring heirship). Adoptions are a special case. Natural parents do not inherit from a child adopted by another, but that same child inherits from the natural parents, unless the adoption

order provides otherwise.

Every father should make a will naming their children, whether they inherit, and when. Most name a spouse as the sole beneficiary and their common children as remainder beneficiaries. Some will include stepchildren by Mom or prior spouses. Thoughtful wills for young parents provide for future children of the marriage.

Without a will, an heirship determination is standard. The applicant’s burden of proof is by a preponderance of the evidence (51 percent?).

A child whose parentage was not presumed or adjudicated before has a higher burden, at least in probate court: clear and convincing evidence (closer to 75 percent?). There is little incentive to adjudicate paternity if Dad left a will that cuts out unidentified children anyway.

Because people are rotten, even when a happy family loses a parent who died without a will, heirship applications are scrutinized by a court-appointed attorney ad litem, who conducts an independent investigation. The additional delay and expense quickly outstrip the money saved by not making a will, even absent any surprise heirs.

We write wills and go to probate court. Foreign nationals and international families welcome.

Russell W. Hall, Bellaire Probate, Attorneys at Law, 6750 West Loop S. Ste. 920, Bellaire, Texas 77401, 713.662.3853, bellaireprobate.com/blog

. by Angie Frederickson, staff writer

Buzz About Town

West University mail carrier and neighborhood icon Oliver Chick Eaglin (pictured) retired after 38 years of service to local residents. Oliver joined the Unites States Postal Service in 1987 and delivered mail and packages to families in the 77005 zip code until his recent retirement. Oliver said he has developed some friendships throughout his years delivering mail in West U, and even ran a few Houston Marathons with some of his patrons. He said he enjoyed watching West U kids grow up, some of whom now have children of their own. Neighbor Joanne Belfort held a celebration at her home, attended by about 50 neighbors, Oliver’s family members, and postal-worker colleagues. As a special tribute, Joanne and her daughter Sarah Belfort created a “newspaper” with a headline that read, “EXTRA! EXTRA! Best Mail Carrier in Texas Retires After 38 Years.” Oliver shared, “People tell me that I will that I will be missed and that means a lot to me. I will not miss delivering mail in this Houston heat, but I will truly miss seeing my friends.”

Disco rodeo

Melinda and Matt Mogas (pictured) enjoyed Disco Rodeo: A Boots & Boogie Ball benefiting Camp For All. The annual event was held at The Revaire and raised $1.2 million for Camp

For All to provide camp experiences for children and adults with challenging illnesses, disabilities, or special needs. Disco Rodeo was chaired by Kendall and Matt Chuchla and Lauren and Conrad Gibbins, and honored The Charles Jago Elder Foundation and trustees Sarah Hastings, Mary Fleming, and David Lummis, and immediate past Camp For All board chair Julie Taetz. The celebration included the announcement of Camp For All Chappell Hill, a second camp location opening in 2027, that will feature adaptive recreational environments, fully accessible cabins, and medical facilities.

A Versailles-inspired evening

Elsie Eckert, Kirk Kveton, and Marilu Garza (pictured, from left) attended the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Southern Texas Chapter’s annual Women of Distinction Winter Ball at The Post Oak Hotel. Event co-chairs Elizabeth DeLuca and Alice Mao Brams and design chair Lauren Gow welcomed 370 guests to the blacktie event that raised $675,000 to support

research, education, and patient-support programs for people living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. This year, nine Women of Distinction were honored for their leadership and volunteer efforts in the community: Kristen Cannon, Lauren Gow, Jennifer LeGrand Howard, Robin Klaes, Michelle Lilie, Linda Sagarnaga Magill, Desrye Morgan, Pitsami Norm, and Karen DeGeurin Remington Guests enjoyed an evening inspired by the gardens of Versailles that included a cocktail reception, a three-course dinner, and a program honoring the 2026 Women of Distinction.

Under the big top

Kassia and Chris Yanosek and Ann and Phillip Fox (pictured, from left) celebrated at the 51st annual Spindletop Community Impact Partners Under the Big Top ball at The Post Oak Hotel. More than 500 supporters attended the circusthemed, black-tie evening that raised more than $1 million for nonprofit partners that support atrisk youth in Houston. Three honorees were recognized for their support of the organization: Richard Lynch received the Spindletop Award, Lee Womble received the Spindletop Founders Award, and Gabby Jacoby received the Constance White Volunteer Service Award. Guests enjoyed a silent auction and live auction, led by auctioneer Brittany Hebert Franklin, as well as a special performance of the National Anthem sung by second-

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and sixth-grade students from Étoile Academy Charter School, and a dance performance by The Ensemble Theatre’s Young Performers.

Shopping extravaganza

Laura Williams, Kate Schneider, Amber Vaughn, Renee Kennedy, and Britta Christenson (pictured, from left) chaired The Sale, an annual shopping event presented by Houston Tri Delta Philanthropies, Inc. Nearly 1,800 shoppers took over Bayou City Event Center for The Sale’s three-day event featuring more than 50 of Houston’s favorite boutiques. The Sale kicked off with a preview shopping party featuring an exclusive VIP lounge, open bar, and gourmet bites, before opening the doors to the public for two full days of shopping. This year’s event raised more than $475,000 benefiting pediatric cancer research at Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center. Since its inception in

2015, The Sale has raised more than $2.9 million for a range of pediatric cancer research projects.

The future is bright

Tiffany Pham and Shubhra Endley (pictured, from left) enjoyed barbecue while supporting Communities in Schools (CIS) of Houston. The CIS Brighter Futures BBQ was held at The Pit Room’s Memorial City location and raised $100,000 to support students in Greater Houston. Jen Espey, CIS board member, and Jen Moss, former CIS mentor, chaired the western-themed party that welcomed guests dressed in boots and hats to celebrate and feast on a family-style spread including chicken, ribs, brisket, turkey, mac n’ cheese, baked beans, potato salad, spicy green beans, and all the fixings. Donna Wotkyns, CIS Director of Development, welcomed supporters and shared recent successes of the organization. Funds raised at the Brighter Futures BBQ will support students at 147 different schools by contributing to staffing full-time

CIS student-support specialists who provide academic support, counseling, and other services.

A Scottish tradition

The Houston Public Library Foundation hosted its inaugural Robert Burns Supper at the historic Julia Ideson Building, honoring the first-ever Fellows of the Houston Public Library. The Burns Supper, an internationally recognized tradition honoring the life and work of Scottish bard Robert Burns, was a festive way to celebrate the new fellows and raise funds to support the Library. Guests enjoyed traditional Scottish music and poetry, including the debut of a new poem from City of Houston poet laureate Reyes Ramirez titled “Ode to Houston.” The first cohort of fellows includes Dr. Ruth Simmons, Fellow of Humanities & Letters, Dr. Peter Hotez, Fellow of the Sciences, Leigh McCranie Smith, Fellow of Arts & Culture, Laura D. Bellows, Fellow of Industry & Commerce, and The Honorable William H. White, Fellow of Law & Civic Life. Pictured are (from left) Nicolas Jimenez, Dr. Ruth Simmons, Leigh Smith, City of Houston Mayor John Whitmire, Sandy Gaw, Laura Bellows, Bill White, Peter Hotez, and Nicholas Sawicki.

Schmoozing for a cause

Chree Boydstun, Ilda Andaluz, Tamisha Jones, Rebekah Le, and Robert Palussek (pictured, from left) were among the crowd of 150 supporters at Legacy Community Health’s Holiday SCHMOOZE event. This year’s beloved annual party was hosted at the home of Kari Findley and Ken Sill and raised more than $100,000. Guests mingled through the home that was decked out for the holiday season, while enjoying festive cock-

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tails and a buffet. Founded by Jackson Hicks, Holiday SCHMOOZE benefits The Jackson Hicks Endowed Fund for the Awareness, Prevention, and Treatment of HIV/AIDS at Legacy Community Health.

Remembering Miles

Mackenzie Ward, Jackie Wertheimer , and Claire Weddle Silberman (pictured, from left)

completed the Aramco Houston Half Marathon in memory of Jackie’s dad, the late Miles Wertheimer . The trio decided to run together and raise funds for Seven Acres Jewish Senior Care Services, an organization very special to Miles. Their fundraising efforts were successful, and they donated more than $5,000 to Seven Acres. Miles passed away in October 2025 and is remembered for his kind-

ness and hospitality. He was known to welcome friends into the home he shared with his wife, Mindy, for any occasion over the years, big or small, and always greeted people with a smile. “Whether it was for a study session in high school, hosting of a Friendsgiving, the annual Hanukkah party, or just to hang out, Miles was there and he made our togetherness special,” says Claire.

A salute to bravery

Michael Miles and Alexandra Stevens (pictured) joined more than 400 guests at The Royal Sonesta Hotel for the fifth biennial Turn It Gold gala: A Salute to Bravery. It was a record-breaking evening that generated $740,000 for the Turn It Gold Foundation, founded by Mike and Angela Dina, to support children and families affected by cancer. A Salute to Bravery honored Kiera and Katrina Nathaniel with the Bravery Award for Kiera’s brave battle against pediatric cancer and the Brave Life Honor was awarded to Bryan, Ali, and Jameson Massey, remembering the life of the late Mark Massey who fought an aggressive form of brain cancer. Mike Marrie and event chairwomen Jeannette Muecke, Cathy Blundell, Katherine Gring, and Joslyn Paris were presented with Bold Awards for their work to fight childhood cancer. Entertainment for the evening included musician Will Dempsey, who gave an acoustic performance, followed by dancing to live music from country music star Drew Baldridge

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.

. by Andria Dilling, staff writer

Back Porch

Travel Snacks: Beyond bananas

Last fall, I found myself wandering around the DFW airport before boarding a plane for a 13-hour flight. It was mid-morning, and a friend and I thought we had better grab a snack before settling in. With all the restaurant outposts at DFW, how was it that all I could find to buy was a banana?

Yes, there were baked potatoes stuffed with barbecued brisket, slices of cheesy pizza, and Whataburgers, but risking a tummy ache (or worse) on the plane? Not worth it. On the slightly lighter side, there were sandwiches packed in little plastic wedge containers (soggy), crinkly bags of trail mix (why are they all so gigantic?), and pickles packed in squishy bags (just yuck).

So what’s a traveler to do as we look spring break and summer plans straight in the face? The answer: Carefully consider our travel snacks.

I know, anyone who knows me would probably say of course everything comes back to food. Admittedly, yes. But also, doesn’t it?

In order to not get stuck in DFW or the equivalent – or in the car – with nothing but a banana to eat, I asked some resourceful friends for their best travel snacking advice.

Elyse Evans, who has produced thousands of fabulous events through her long career in the event planning world, says, “Well, don’t bring boiled eggs!” Because nobody wants to be the person who opens that, or a tuna sandwich, or a Subway with onions in the confines of a plane.

In the “do bring” category, Elyse cites truffle almonds and trail mix as no-offense, easy-to-eat snacks. She also shares the clever idea of packing a “snackle” box with all manner of dried snacks – fruit, meat, veggies. “Like a charcuterie to go,” she says. Google “snackle box,” and you’ll find that there are actually lots of options for lunchbox-like containers that are divided into small compartments perfect for toting cheese cubes, raisins, blueberries, nuts, or anything else small and snackable. You could even slice a turkey stick into bite-sized pieces and pack them in. A friend who has raised three boys says, “The boys always wanted Lunchables when they were little, but I wouldn’t send them to school with

them. So I would get little divided containers from the Container Store and make what felt like their own Lunchables. Great for flying!”

Scentless sandwiches are another option, especially if you cut them into quarters to keep things compact and neat. The same mom of three boys says half the success of a travel sandwich is in the packing: Lay a piece of foil big enough to wrap around a sandwich on the counter, then lay a paper towel on top of that. Make the sandwich directly on top of the paper towel or napkin, and use the foil to wrap up the paper towel and sandwich. You’ll have makeshift insulation for the sandwich to keep it on the chilly side, and you’ll have a napkin to clean up with. When all is said and done, you can wrap the used paper towel and any leftover sandwich in the foil and toss. Sandwich ideas that won’t disturb your neighbors: simple ham and cheese on a croissant; a thin spread of peanut butter with honey on a sturdy whole wheat like Dave’s Killer Bread; cucumber, cream cheese, and dill (don’t forget a sprinkle of salt) on thin white bread; or prosciutto in a lightly buttered, thin baguette.

DON'T GO BANANAS There are lots of snacks nobody wants to see unwrapped on an airplane (tuna sandwich, anyone?), but with a little thought you, too, can be a travel snacking pro.

un- or very lightly-scented hand lotion, and you will be good to go. Without going bananas. Happy traveling!

Dark Chocolate and Apricot Travel Mix

½ cup roasted, salted almonds

½ cup roasted, salted cashews

½ cup chopped dried apricots

½ cup yogurt-covered raisins

4-ounce dark chocolate bar, chopped

M&M Travel Mix

More easy-to-pack and easy-to-eat ideas: The Only Bean Crunchy Roasted Edamame (comes in flavors like Wasabi, Buffalo, Ranch, and more) for a healthy crunch and dose of protein; a couple of Mini Babybel Snack Cheese with some crackers; Ile de France Mini Brie Bites with sliced apples tossed in a little lemon or orange juice; whole dates, pitted, with a teaspoon of almond butter stuffed inside.

Slip some lavender or eucalyptus hand sanitizer into your bag, and maybe a small tube of

1.69-ounce bag peanut M&Ms (this is the standard convenience store individual package)

½ cup mini pretzels

½ cup Chex cereal

½ cup mini marshmallows

½ cup raisins

Grownup Travel Mix

½ cup roasted, salted almonds

½ cup roasted, salted pepitas

½ cup chopped dried apples

½ cup chopped dried pears

½ cup cacao nibs