Bay Area Houston Magazine June 2013

C OM MU N I T Y

N E W S

A N D

I N F OR M AT ION

June 2013

“Be the Best You Can Be.” Dr. Farid Noie, DDS, DICOI, FAGD

www.BayAreaHoustonMag.com

features 16

Choosing a nail and hair salon

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Whimsical and elegant gifts in League City

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Rotarians host and toast teachers

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Dr. Farid Noie -Unicare Center for Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry

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Your entertainment guide to the Bay Area Houston

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Ellen Ochoa addresses BAHEP

ON THE COVER

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Community approves $367 million bond referendum

Dr. Farid Noie of the Unicare Center for Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry amongst many of his awards and diplomas.

Photo by Brian Stewart.

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Dr. Hellyer earns Shirley B. Gordon Award

President & Chairman Rick Clapp

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Space Center Houston to pair modified 747 with shuttle replica

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Second woman ever to receive the National Space Trophy

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Planet Earth statue as garden’s colorful centerpiece

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Stephen J. Altemus tapped to help oversee programs

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Charles A. Jacobson Transportation Award

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Shuttle and Highway 146 seen as key

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Ensuring your special day doesn’t become a financial burden

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Publisher & Editor in Chief Mary Alys Cherry

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Executive Vice President Patty Kane Vice President & Art Director Brandon Rowan Director of Graphics Media Victoria Ugalde Sales & Marketing Shannon Alexander Patty Bederka Natalie Epperley Ashley Karlen Kathleen McNeil Debbie Salisbury Amber Sample

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Editorial Don Armstrong Mary Alys Cherry Michael Gos Capt. Joe Kent Betha Merit Pat Patton Dr. Edward Reitman

Photography Mary Alys Cherry Brian Stewart

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Community Affairs Director Lillian Harmon

Please address all correspondence to: Bay Area Houston Magazine P.O. Box 1032 Seabrook, TX 77586

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Be the Best You Can Be Let Us Entertain You JSC Now Focused on New Areas CCISD Bonds Get a Thumbs Up San Jac Chancellor Receives National Award Space Shuttle Exhibit Planned Senator Hutchison Honored at Space Gala Nassau Bay Town Square Space Sculpture Garden New JSC Deputy Director BayTran Honors Bob Robinson 8th Annual State of the Lake Tourism Address Trim Your Wedding Costs

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A grand night for celebrating space

Clear Lake Chatter

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The pros and cons of wade fishing

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2013 Truck of Texas: RAM 1500

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The consolation prize

The Admiral’s Log In Wheel Time Texas Meditations

in each issue

Bay Area Houston Magazine is produced monthly. All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced by any means whatsoever without written permission. Advertising rates are available upon request.

281.474.5875

CCISD Teachers of the Year

39 CLICK!

Twist and shout sock hop

Public Relations Alison Sidoran

www.BayAreaHoustonMag.com R.Clapp@Baygroupmedia.com

Glass Mermaids Now Open at New Location

columns

Director of Social Media Pierr Castillo

Distribution Chris Mirka Tim Shinkle

What Women Want

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Bay Area Houston Magazine | JUNE 2013

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Advertiser’s Index

17

Lakewood Yacht Club News and Events

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Education News

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Main Events

JUNE 2013

MAYOR EXTOLS HOUSTON’S VIRTUES

By Mary Alys Cherry

H Houston Mayor Annise Parker, right, stops to say hello to San Jacinto College Vice Chancellor Teri Crawford as she arrives to address the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership.

GB Tech owners Gale and Jean Burkett, from left, are happy to see ERC Principal Darryl Smith as they arrive at Bay Oaks Country Club for the visit by Houston Mayor Annise Parker.

City officials in the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership crowd that greeted Houston Mayor Annise Parker at Bay Oaks Country Club included, from left, Clear Lake Shores Councilwoman Amanda Booren, Nassau Bay Mayor Mark Denman and Kemah City Councilman Carl Joiner.

ouston Mayor Annise Parker came to Clear Lake the other day bearing good news as she spoke to the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership at Bay Oaks Country Club.

Houston has prospered the way no other American city has in the past few years, and the mayor made it clear she aims to keep it that way.

The city also offers great potential, because of the strength of its economy, she said, going on to tick off some of Houston’s attributes. “It’s the best place to start a new business. It’s the energy capital of the world. We are the largest exporting port. We have the largest medical complex anywhere in the world,” she said, adding that Houston was also one of the largest manufacturing complexes in the country – “a fact that largely goes unnoticed.

“Also with NASA and our aerospace component my understanding is that we have more engineers in Houston than any place on Earth.”

Houston has added 250,000 additional jobs in the past few months and thousands have sought permits to build new single family homes.

While she is fresh from passage of a $4.9 billion city budget with no new taxes, she could still remember her early struggles with a sinking economy and having to lay off several hundred city employees.

Today, as she told the crowd, while that is behind her, the city faces new challenges, and the challenges are clear.

“We are in competition with every city around the globe – not just in the United States. And the fact we are growing so rapidly, we have to be aware of air quality issues, water quality issues, transportation issues. But there are other challenges we are going to have to address: One is making sure the Port of Houston remains the No. 1 exporting port in the U.S., making sure we continue to

invest in dredging the ship channel so we can accommodate the ships coming to us from the enlarged Panama Canal when it opens next year.

“We have to remember we are the gateway to the heartland of the United States. We have to remember we are a destination port and we need to work with other regional ports to form a federation of ports.

The Port of Houston is the largest port for the country of Mexico.”

Approximately 20 percent of Houston’s population is foreign born. “We are attracting

“We have to remember we are the gateway to the heartland of the United States. a great number of highly skilled professionals, but we need to grow our own,” she said, pointing out that the city had added 250,000 One of her top concerns is Houston’s 8,500 homeless, which cost the city millions each year.

She said she hopes to bring these numbers down by working with veterans groups, which have already made headway in the drive to get the homeless into housing.

And, that is just a few of the city’s problems. She has a tough job. It was clear she’s handling it well.

Mary Alys Cherry Publisher

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Advertiser’s Index Alan’s Swampshack Page 41 www.theswampshack.com Amadeus Page 40 Battleground Golf Course Page 23 www.deerparktx.gov/battleground Baubles and Beads Page 25 Bay Area Kitchens Page 22 www.bayareakitchens.com Bayway Homes Page 52 www.baywayhomes.com Best Publications Page 51 Better Homes - Keith Owens Page 53 www.besttexashomes.com Big Splash Web Design Page 56 www.bigsplashwebdesign.com City of Dickinson Page 47 www.redwhiteandbayou.com Coastal Plastic Surgery Page 57 www.tadammd.com Cock & Bull British Pub Page 36 & 41 www.thecockandbullbritishpub.com Cullen’s Page 34 www.cullenshouston.com Dana Philibert Page 47 www.danaphilibert.com The Davenport Page 36 www.thedavenportlounge.com Dickinson BBQ Page 38 www.dickinsonbbq.com Don Julio’s Page 38 www.donjulios.com Dr. J. Derek Tieken Page 54 www.tiekensmiles.com Encore Resale Shop Page 47 Floyd’s Cajun Seafood Page 32 www.floydsseafood.com Fondren Orthopedic Page 2 www.fondren.com Frazier’s Concrete Page 21 www.fraziersconcrete.com Gentlemen’s Oasis Page 47 www.gentlemensoasisbarbershop.com Gina’s Italian Kitchen Page 38 www.ginasitaliankitchen.com Glass Mermaids Page 25 www.glassmermaids.com Green Links Page 42 www.greenlinksinc.com Gulf Coast Palapas Page 27 www.gulfcoastpalapas.com Head to Footsies Page 27 www.galveston.com/headtofootsies Houston Technology Center Page 9 www.houstontech.org Island Furniture Page 16 www.islandfurniture.net Jeter Memorial Funeral Home Page 47 www.jeterfuneralhome.com Johnny White, State Farm Page 24 johnny.white.b9vd@statefarm.com Kemah Boardwalk Page 12 www.kemahboardwalk.com Las Haciendas Page 40 www.lashaciendasgrill.com Latitudes Page 36 www.latitudes29.com Mamacita’s Page 41 www.mamacitasmexicanrestaurant.com The Man Cave Page 35 www.tmc-cigars.com Mantus Anchors Page 42 www.mantusanchors.com Martha Turner Properties Page 3 www.marthaturner.com Mary Mlaker Page 24 mary@texasbayproperties.com Massage Envy Page 51 www.massageenvy.com Meador Staffing Page 50 www.meador.com Mediterraneo Market & Cafe Page 40 Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy Page 10 www.medicineshoppe.com/1984 Memorial Hermann-SE Page 5 www.memorialhermann.org Nora’s Professional Cleaning Page 24 noragnewman@gmail.com Norman Frede Chevrolet Page 28 www.fredechevrolet.com Oasis Salon and Medispa Page 4 www.oasisclearlake.com Opus Bistro Page 40 www.opusbistro.net Park Avenue Showplace Page 25 Pirate’s Bay Waterpark Page 49 www.baytown.org/piratesbay Ron Carter Clear Lake Page 19 www.roncartercadillac.com Salon La Rouge Page 16 www.salonlarouge.org San Jacinto Methodist Page 49 www.methodistorthopedics.com Schlitterbahn Page 13 www.schlitterbahn.com Space Center Auto Page 21 www.spacecenterautomotive.com Star Toyota Page 55 www.startoyota.com Sunsation Tanning Page 24 www.clearlaketanning.com Supreme Lending Page 8 www.supremelending.com Texas Chiropractic College Page 59 www.txchiro.edu Texas Coast Yachts Page 16 www.texascoastyachts.com Texas First Bank Page 48 www.texasfirstbank.com The Hop Page 36 Unicare Dental Page 60 www.drnoie.com Wolfies Page 36 www.wolfiesusa.com

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Bay Area Houston Magazine | JUNE 2013

Take Him Home Today!

Second Chance Pets has adopted over 100 dogs and cats to date for 2013 thanks to the generous Bay Area Houston community. Please consider adopting one of our in-home-fostered pets this summer. Big Boy Shiner is an absolute sweetheart - quiet and laid-back! He’s good with other kitties and follows humans around the house like a dog. He was adopted as a tiny kitten and sadly returned because his family could no longer care for him. He is big cat at 14 pounds, long and tall. How tall, you say? Well, he will stand up on his hind legs to put his head in your hand for pets! He does NOT like adoption events and gets very stressed out at Petco. You will not see what an awesome cat he is until you take him home. A discount is offered if you are willing to give him a chance! SCP adoptions are held on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Clear Lake Petco on Bay Area Boulevard at Space Center Blvd. All pets are spayed or neutered, fully-vaccinated, de-wormed, treated for fleas, and micro-chipped. Cat adoption fee starts at $95. All cats are tested for FIV and Leukemia. If interested in one of our pets, feel free to complete an online application for pre-approval.

Visit www.secondchancepets.org or email pets2adopt@yahoo.com. SCP is a 501 (c)(3) animal welfare organization. All donations are tax-deductible.

Kids U registration under way at UHCL

New Expansion of Life Fellowship

Registration is now open for Kids U at University of Houston-Clear Lake, the annual summer offering of more than 90 classes for children ages pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

Along with its longtime favorites like Young Writers Camp, World Explorers Camp, Math Camp, and its Gifted Academy, UH-Clear Lake’s Center for Educational Programs is again hosting Early Childhood Preschool Summer Camps, new last year to Kids U. Children, ages 3-5, are invited to learn, grow and play in the university’s bright and colorful early childhood education model classroom, complete with eight learning centers including math, science, art, dramatic play, blocks, literacy, music and quiet space. Each session’s dedicated goal is that of purposeful play, which is carefully planned seamlessly interspersed with learning activities.

The sessions, led by Early Childhood Education faculty and candidate teachers, run Monday through Thursday beginning in June with the last week of sessions beginning July 22.

For more information about Kids U, visit http:// kidsu.uhcl.edu or call UHCL’s Center for Educational Programs, 281-283-3530.

Life Fellowship has announced an expansion on 2020 Anders Lane, Kemah, TX 77565.

The increased attendance at Life Fellowship has created the wonderful opportunity for the church to expand beyond its current facilities. The continued growth of the Youth Ministry and the Children’s Ministry has created the need for more space.

The new building is located immediately behind the current church.

According to Senior Pastor Mark Johnson, “Our additional building is being designed and dedicated to meet the needs of our Children’s Ministry, ‘Kingdom Kidz’ and our Youth Ministry, ‘Kingdom Warriors.’ This expansion provides a greater opportunity to reach out to more families. Our mission (to develop, maintain and model personal intimacy with Jesus Christ) begins with our children.”

You are invited to bring your family and visit the expanded facilities. Sunday services are at 10 a.m. and Bible study is every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

Life Fellowship is a Bible based, Christ centered, worship driven church. www.lifefellowship.me 832-864-2800

Razzmatazz, the high school performing company of the Jill Rauscher School of Dance, pose in costume for their production of Alice in Wonderland, which was performed at Galveston’s Grand 1894 Opera House in May. Visit their website www.jrsod.com for Summer and Fall resgistration.

Stewart Elementary is taking water conservation seriously. The garden club at the Kemah elementary has a unique and environmentally friendly fundraiser. The eco-activists have been selling rainwater barrels to support their school and the environment. Here, some Stewart students show off the barrels.

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Johnson Space Center Director Ellen Ochoa, left, welcomes Houston Mayor Annise Parker to the 2013 Rotary Space Gala at the Downtown Hyatt Regency Hotel.

There were smiles all around the table as former Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison was honored at the Rotary Space Gala at the Downtown Houston Hyatt Regency. They are, from left, seated, JSC Director Ellen Ochoa NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, Senator Hutchison, Capt. Eugene Cernan, Joanne Macquire; standing, Dr. Ochoa’s husband, Miles Coe, and RNASA Gala Chairman Rodolfo Gonzalez and his wife, Anangela.

A grand night for celebrating space THE ROTARY Space Gala is always one of the grandest nights of the year for the space community, and this year was no exception as a black tie crowd of some 800 toasted the achievements of 2012.

And, saluted a very special lady, honoree Kay Bailey Hutchison – the former senator from Texas who has done so much for NASA and the Johnson Space Center.

“What are we going to do without her?” was the question on most everyone’s lips as they recalled battle after battle she waged and won for the space industry.

MARY ALYS CHERRY

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden jetted down from Washington to see her presented the National Space Trophy, as did Congressmen Pete Olson, while former NASA Administrator Michael Griffin and

Ted and Marianne Dyson look over the crowd at the Rotary Space Gala, hosted by the RNASA Foundation at the Downtown Hyatt Regency Hotel.

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Bay Area Houston Magazine | JUNE 2013

his wife, Rebecca, came up from Huntsville, Ala. All wore big smiles as Apollo astronaut Gene Cernan, the last man to set foot on the moon and a former National Space Trophy recipient, made the presentation before a glamorous crowd headed by Johnson Space Center Director Ellen Ochoa and her husband, attorney Coe Miles, that included Boeing VP and GM John Elbon, United Space Alliance President Virginia Barnes and her husband, Toby; Maj. Gen. (Ret) Joe Engle and his wife, Jeanie; and Lt. Gen. (Ret) Thomas Stafford.

Past National Space Trophy winner Eugene Kranz and his wife, Marta, join the crowd at the Rotary Space Gala at the Downtown Houston Hyatt Regency Hotel.

Early arrivals included Jacobs Engineering GM Lon Miller and his wife, Michele; Lockheed Martin VPs Cleon Lacefield and Richard Jackson, with their wives, Janice and Karen, and Richard Hieb; Sierra Nevada President Mark Sirangelo, Rebecca and Orbital Sciences VP Frank Culbertson; Carol and Anadarko Industries President Tom Short; Lori and Oceaneering VP and GM Michael Bloomfield; Honeywell Manager Brett McAlister; John and GeoControl Systems President Rose Zarcaro, Bastion Industries CEO Jorge Hernandez and COO Jayant

Dr. Pat Wilson, author of Eagle on Ice, congratulates Stellar Award winner Ven Feng, who was Pat’s second grade student at Ed White Elementary in El Lago, during Rotary Space Gala.

Special birthdays celebrated TWO WELL KNOWN Bay Area faces found themselves being honored recently as they marked a couple of special birthdays.

The first was in Kemah when former Councilwoman Kelly Williams hosted a houseful of friends to help husband, Paul, celebrate his big 5-0.

A few days later, several friends of long-time community volunteer Martha Ferebee were on hand to help her celebrate her 75th birthday.

Hard workers reap rewards Ramakrishnan and MRI Technologies partners Tim and Debbie Kropp.

Plus a crowd from JSC including Mission Operations Director Paul Hill and his wife, Pam; Engineering Director Lauri Hansen and her husband, Bob; External Relations Director Mike Kincaid and his wife, Holly; General Counsel Bernie Roan with wife Debbie; Flight Crew Operations Director Janet Kavandi and husband, John; JSC Planning Manager David Leestma and his wife, Patti; and ISS Manager Michael Suffredini, to name a few .

Gala Chairman and RNASA President Rodolfo Gonzalez and his wife, Anangela, were on hand to greet the arriving crowd, along with Space Center Rotary President Marilyn Musial and husband, Wayne, President-elect Sheryl Berg and husband, Stuart; and Rotarians Dr. Jean Walker, Susan and Bill Taylor, Geoff and Vivian Atwater, Ted and Marianne Dyson, Kippy Caraway, Frank and Rosalind Perez, Karen and Gary Johnson, Jordis and Bob Wren,

RNASA Foundation Vice Chairman Bill Taylor stops to say hello to pianist Victoria Reva Dosch as the Rotary Space Gala gets under way at the Hyatt Regency.

Daryl and Monique Smith, Mike and Tery Hernandez, Scott and Martha Rainey and Joyce and Rotary District Gov. Chris Schneider and District Gov. -elect Bob Gebhard and their wives.

In the crowd were several previous winners of the National Space Trophy -- Lt. Gen. Tom Stafford, Tommy Holloway, Dr. Glynn Lunney, Col. Eileen Collins, Gene Kranz, Capt.

Eugene Cernan and Dr. Michael Griffin – many with their spouses.

And, a number of astronauts, including Michael Fincke, William McArthur and Andrew Feustel with their wives, Renita, Cindy, Indira; Michael Foreman, Nicole Stoutt with her husband, Chris; Don Pettit, Ron Garan and Michael Fossum with their wives, Michelle, Carmel and Melanie; Lee Morin, Stephanie Wilson and Sandra Magnus.

Glancing around, you might also have spotted HomeTown Bank Senior VP Mike Duckworth and his wife, Barbara; Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership President Bob Mitchell

and his wife, Brenda; UH-Clear Lake Business Dean Dr. Ted Cummings and his wife, Leslie; the Brian Lunneys, Kim and Susan Morris, Hank and Helen Hartsfield and Pat and Wendell Wilson.

The Wilsons were pleasantly shocked when JSC engineer Ven Feng’s name was called out as one of the Stellar Award winners. Pat had taught Ven when he was in the second grade at Ed White Elementary in El Lago and had lost track of him and his wife, Dorothea, over the years.

“I was thrilled to be at the banquet and hear his name called--a great surprise!. Wendell always said that one day Ven would be an engineer.

Even as a second grader he would ride his bike in Clear Lake Forest to see our home being built, so we called him the “inspector.” Can you imagine a second grader being so interested in that?”

What an exciting get-together that was!

Officers of the Galveston-Bay Area chapter of Alpha Chi Omega social sorority hold a planning session at Perry’s Italian Grille. Enjoying the evening are from left, back row, Past President Kimberly Campbell, President Brandie Soenning, Vice Presidents Beth Hinte and Kimberly McFarland; front row, Secretary Ruth Beecher and Treasurer Janel Salmen.

SEVERAL LUCKY Clear Creek ISD seniors will be heading off to college with $16,000 scholarships provided by the Houston Endowment.

They were among the 320 Houston area students selected by the Houston Rotary Club as Jones Scholars with selection based on academic achievement, leadership skills, economic need, community service and character.

The 15 selected are: n Clear Springs High – Juan Chen, Syed Q. Hasnain, Rebecca A. Herpin and Haotian Wu; n Clear Lake High – Sung Kyung Cho, Kevin J. Cyr and Karen H. Yen; n Clear Falls High – Emily Hansen, Meghan Mistry and Kamiya Randolph; n Clear Creek High – Milton B. Millard and Rachel M. Petitti; n Clear Brook High – Burgundy Anderson, Christina W. Chan and John B. Pinard IV.

Paul Williams of Kemah, center, celebrates his 50th birthday with a houseful of friends including Chef Scott Campbell, left, and Bay Area Houston Magazine Chairman Rick Clapp at the Williams home in the bayside city.

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Bay Area Houston Magazine | JUNE 2013

News & Events Lakewood to host 3rd annual Hatteras Yacht Rendezvous

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Keels & Wheels Has Record Attendance

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ore than 15,000 guests visited the Lakewood Yacht Club for the 18th Annual Keels and Wheels Concours d’Elegance.

Keith Martin, publisher of Sports Car Market Magazine and star of the TV program “What’s My Car Worth?” served as emcee for the fifth consecutive year alongside the 2013 Grand Marshal Al Unser Jr. to welcome visitors as they experienced the beauty and rarity of 300 hand-selected classic automobiles and vintage wooden boats.

The diversity of entries allowed guests to view iconic cars such as Babe Ruth’s 1948 Lincoln Continental, Margaret Dunning’s 1931 Model A, the Houston Grand Prix’s Indy Car, and the international debut of the Allard J2X MkII. A Welcome Party hosted by the City of Seabrook’s Economic Development Corp. and Seabrook Mayor Glenn R. Royal kicked off the weekend on the 62-foot yacht Liberty Belle, owned by Concours President Paul Dunphey. La Porte Mayor Louis Rigby, Port of Houston Commissioner Jimmy Burke, Congressmen Steve Stockman and Randy Weber and Lakewood Yacht Club Vice Commodore Tom Collier were among the guests.

The opening of Keels and Wheels attracted a record-breaking number of guests, causing sold-out social events throughout the weekend. Competitors from 25 states, Canada, Australia and Sweden brought their cherished classic automobiles and wooden boats to the picturesque bay for judging in 61 classes.

Award ceremonies took place poolside for boats and for the STuTZ Club, which served as this year’s automotive marque. Chief Boat Judge Bob Van Guilder served alongside Tim Robinson, Brian Robinson, Terry Fiest, Paul Harrison and other distinguished judges to award Best in Show for the small boat category to Lloyd Kirchner of Houston for his beautiful 1949 Chris

Craft. Judges also prized a spectacular 1937 Trumpy Mathis owned by Scott Monroe of Seabrook for Best in Show in the big boat category.

Other notable boat winners included the featured Yellow Jacket class Corinthian Award and Best of Class winner Jeff Scott of Doyelstown, Ohio for his 1960 Yellow Jacket Capri and 1959 Yellow Jacket Riveria respectively. The event also featured the “Blonde Decked” class where Paul Hastings of Little Rock, Ark. and his 1911 Life Boat won the Corinthian Award alongside Best of Class winners Buck and Amy Beasley of Kemah, with their 1950 Chris Craft.

The event included a raffle drawing for a brand-new 2013 Mercedes-Benz C Class Sedan, courtesy of the Presenting Sponsor Alex Rodriguez Mercedes-Benz Dealership. The raffle, as well as proceeds from the event, benefitted the Boys and Girls Harbor, whose mission is to provide a home and safe environment for abandoned and abused children and healthy, comprehensive care for children and families in crisis.

Boating seminars by David Kanally and Clay Thompson taught guests about the “History of Yellow Jacket Boats” and “Varnishing Techniques.”

Children also had a chance to participate hands on in the “Kids Build a Boat” event in which the finished boat with oars was given to one of the participating builders through a raffle drawing. Following these events, the car award ceremony took place midafternoon where Concours Chairman Bob Fuller, Bill Warner, founder of the Amelia Island Concours, Peter Squire, Alexander Webb, and other distinguished judges awarded Ken Dougherty of Houston with the Best of Show - European award for his 1960 Maserati Birdcage and Richard & Irina Mitchell with the Best of Show - American award for their 1931 STuTZ “M” Victoria. The full winner’s list is available at www. keels-wheels.com.

akewood Yacht Club Fleet Capt. Don Mitchell has announced that the club will host the third Hatteras Rendezvous from Thursday, June 27 – Sunday, June 30. “We are very pleased to once again host this fun event for all Hatteras owners around the Gulf Coast. One does not need to be a Lakewood member in order to participate,” Mitchell stated.

“The Hatteras Rendezvous Committee consisting of Lesley Hurley, Brannon Young and Asa Lockhart has been diligently working for the last few months on a variety of activities for the weekend.”

Thursday night will begin with an informal gathering for early arrivals in the Inner Harbor. The Friday night buffet will include the return of the steel drums and dancing by the swimming pool. Saturday will feature a full array of informative seminars on topics of interest to Hatteras owners, followed by a Hatteras Rendezvous Fashion Show sponsored by West Marine’s flagship store in League City.

All club members and their guests are invited to join the group in the lounge for this show.

Saturday night the Rendezvous Committee has arranged for music by Bourbon Street, again, for everyone whether or not they are participating in the Rendezvous. Rounding out the weekend will be Lakewood’s Sunday Champagne Brunch in the ballroom and music by the pool.

For registration information, please contact Lesley Hurley at lesleymlhurley@yahoo.com

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By Capt. Joe Kent

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ne of the most frequently asked questions from readers is about wade fishing. This form of fishing appeals to a variety of anglers especially those who do not have the use of a boat to enjoy their pastime.

Questions run the gamut; however, most frequently they center on how to get started and where to wade fish around the Galveston Bay Complex. While those questions are often specifically answered in fishing articles, I want to address the overall concept of wade fishing and discuss the pros and cons. For beginners to the this style of fishing, hopefully it will give enough insight for you to make the decision as to whether you want to pursue it.

First, let’s address the benefits. One of the biggest benefits to wade fishing is that you do not have to have the use of a boat to enjoy it. This in itself is the reason well over half of the participants choose to make the investment in time and equipment to enjoy the sport.

Compared to maintaining a boat, it is much less expensive and offers availability to fishing grounds that are not easily accessible by boat. During peak times of the year when boats are running wild over fishing grounds, wade fishing allows you to escape the crowds and fish more remote locations that are out of reach by boat. This especially is true during holiday weekends and during the summer.

Fishing in the water is quite different than fishing on the water or from docks and piers. Battling a fish, while you are face to face with it, offers some incremental enjoyment that netting one into a boat

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Bay Area Houston Magazine | JUNE 2013

Wade fishing under the right circumstances can provide patient anglers with rich rewards, as demonstrated by Daniel Popvich with a big speck.

or on land does not. The challenge is greater in that you are in the water with the fish.

One of the attractions that bring many anglers to wading is the ability to get off to yourself and fish secluded waters. Just roaming through the marsh trying to sneak up on a wall-hanger sized fish is a thrill in itself. This can be a much more relaxing style of fishing and the choice is yours as to what pace you fish.

“Wade fishing allows you to escape the crowds and fish more remote locations that are out of reach by boat.”

Now that we see many of the benefits of wade fishing, let’s take a look at the negative aspects.

Generally, it is a physically challenging sport in that it requires a certain level of stamina. Selecting less stressful locations, such as hard bottoms versus soft, can control the level of endurance. Except for wading the surf, a lot of energy is required to cover the territory necessary to find fish. Often long walks with your equipment are required to get from the parking area to the water.

Fishing soft, muddy bottoms will multiply the physical stress needed to move around.

While physical endurance is required, that is not the biggest problem. The dangers associated with wade fishing are notable.

Stingrays probably are the number one concern for injury and jellyfish pose a nuisance and can cause enough discomfort to cut a trip short. While sharks generally are not a big problem in the shallow waters, the situation is different in the surf.

Each year surf waders are hit by sharks mistaking their leg for a fish, especially when a stringer of fish is close behind.

Now comes the biggest danger in wade fishing and that is drowning. Burdened with heavy waders and fishing equipment, waders could encounter a deep drop off and in many instances drown.

For those of you who want to continue, here are a few suggestions that will minimize your risk of injury or death.

First and foremost, wade fish in tandem with another angler. This probably is the best preventive measure to avoid drowning and offers a prompt response to your rescue in other emergencies.

Wear protective leggings to avoid or minimize stingray hits. If you are not wearing waders, dress in long pants to eliminate the effects of contact with jellyfish.

While pulling a stringer of fish, whether on an actual stringer or in a donut type fish carrier, use plenty of line to keep the fish a number of yards away.

For those of you who want to proceed with learning to wade fish, we will address the basics here in a future edition of Bay Area Magazine.

i n wheel t i m e

By D o n A r m st ro n g

2013 Truck of Texas

RAM 1500

Is it any surprise that Texas is home to the biggest truck market – in the world?

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ith that kind of clout, it’s no wonder that truck-makers covet winning the big Truck of Texas trophy from the Texas Auto Writers Association.

Once a year about 50 of us card carrying members gather at the Knibbe Ranch, just north of San Antonio. We test about 65 trucks, SUV’s and CUV’s to see which are the best-of-the-best in each category. In the truck bracket, the writers decided the 2013 Ram 1500 topped everything competitors could muster and was, after two grueling days of punishment, ceremoniously handed the big silver cup.

President and CEO of Ram Truck Brand and Chrysler de Mexico, Fred Diaz said, “We changed every area of the truck – from a newly designed frame with air suspension, to a new eight-speed

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transmission to a new interior with the next-generation Uconnect® system.

“With best-in-class towing and payload, best-in-class ride and handling and best-in-class aerodynamics, the 2013 Ram 1500

“Users can remotely lock or unlock doors or start their vehicles from any distance via the web or a Smartphone application.”

Bay Area Houston Magazine | JUNE 2013

delivers unmatched content, performance and capability to our customers.”

2013 Ram Outdoorsman The new 3.6-liter Pentastar Designed for hunters, fishermen, V-6 engine offers 305 campers and boaters. horsepower, 269 lb.-ft. of About RamBox torque and best-in-class fuel RamBox provides secure storage options economy for V-6 trucks, 17for tradesmen, craftsmen, sportsmen, athletes city and 26-highway. and outdoorsmen. RamBox can store golf clubs, fishing rods, sports gear, tool boxes and more.

The 2013 Ram 1500 retains Two weatherproof, lockable, drainable, its ruggedly handsome lighted storage bins that run the length of the appearance with all-new pickup bed and are as wide as the wheel well, interior and exterior designs, creating a total of 8.6 cubic feet of space. improved aerodynamics and all-new, technology.

The Uconnect systems grain with a unique burl that provide the Ram 1500 with was unintentionally created by a built-in wireless connection, ranchers using trees as fence posts allowing vehicle occupants to for barbed wire. Eventually, the be automatically connected to trees grow over the rusting metal a variety of new services. Users wire, creating a swirl coloring can remotely lock or unlock pattern and tone that is not found doors or start their vehicles from anywhere else. any distance via the web or a We could go on and on about Smartphone application.

To compliment the range of Ram the new Ram 1500, but if you’re in the market for a light duty pickup, 1500 models, the interior design I encourage you to visit your team created new, individualized favorite Ram dealership to see and themes with different colors experience what we journalists and materials. For the Laramie think is the best truck for Texas.

Longhorn, the design team Pricing starts at $22,590. sought out a very rare Walnut

JUNE 2013 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

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texas m e di tat i o n s

By M i c ha el Gos

El Paso, Texas It had been an exhausting year.

I’d been running non-stop for months with work, house stuff and academic writing. I needed to get away from it all for a while—far away. And nowhere in Texas is farther away than El Paso. Unfortunately, it was October and I was in mid-semester, so I could steal only three days. That meant I had no choice; I had to fly. It would be my first flight since 9/11. I’ve always hated flying anyway, but the attacks gave me a socially acceptable excuse for staying on the ground.

Like everyone else who is forced to fly these days, I had the thoroughly rewarding experience of waiting in a long line, barefoot, both hands holding up my baggy jeans so they wouldn’t slide down around my knees while my belt and shoes went on their adventure through the x-ray machine. It went downhill from there. I got my nude photo taken and then got thoroughly groped by a large, burley guy in uniform who wasn’t my type at all.

When that ordeal was over, I chased down my clothes, dressed as quickly as I could and ran to escape Checkpoint Hell. I suppose if you are a regular flier, you get used to all this fun. I wasn’t.

When I finally made it to the plane, I squeezed into

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Bay Area Houston Magazine | JUNE 2013

a seat that was too small for even a skinny guy. I made up my mind it would be a long time before I did this again.

But as the sun was setting, I rode past The Equestrian statue at the exit of the El Paso airport in my rented Jeep and thought, “There, now I can play.”

It didn’t happen that way. First I had to find my hotel. That in itself proved to be a real ordeal. It was full dark before I got all my luggage to the room and was finally ready to venture out and find that small Mexican restaurant the lady at the rental car counter told me was known only to locals. Finding a place you’ve never been to, especially in a city with one-way streets, is not an easy trick in the daylight. At night it can be close to impossible.

After a full hour of driving, I pulled into the right place. I was surprised to find I could see my hotel from the parking spot. Sometimes things just go that way.

It was worth the trouble. The place wasn’t much to look at, but I know from experience that appearance of the building has little to do with the quality of the food. A plate of exquisite green enchiladas and a couple of margaritas later I headed back to the hotel.

The return trip took less than five minutes.

The next morning I headed into New Mexico to approach the Franklin Mountains from the west.

I wasn’t disappointed. The road led into a deep cove with mountains on three sides. Every time I thought I was nearing the end of the pavement and approaching the trailhead, I came around a bend and found that the road kept going. Finally, a half

hour into the cove, I came to the gravel parking area at the trailhead. There was room for maybe three cars if everyone parked carefully, but I was the only one there.

The trail didn’t disappoint me. It was a long, gradual climb that wasn’t too steep. I only had to stop to catch my breath two or three times on the way up. But something was wrong. The scenery was indeed spectacular, the autumn day was cool but sunny, and yet, instead of relaxing and enjoying where I was, I found myself planning for tasks on my to-do list. Even after the rough year I’d had, there was no relief on the horizon. Life promised to stay hectic and crazy for at least another six months.

But this was not the place for that kind of thinking. I walked, took a few photos, but always found myself obsessing about how I was going to handle all the stuff that was coming up. I tried to force myself to quit having those thoughts. Every time one of them snuck in, I banished it in favor of just looking at the magnificence around me. But in just seconds, the thoughts were back—my thinking had become pathologic.

I sometimes marvel at how much time and effort we spend working toward goals. Not just the big, long term goals we all need to have, but small goals that accompany all the minutia in our lives. I want to get the lawn fertilized, get four pages written on my next project, get two classes’ papers graded, prep a lecture for a conference three weeks down the road and get the garage painted.

In the midst of laying out my schedule, an armadillo crossed the path in front of me. I froze in place so as not to scare him off. They don’t see very

well so if you stay still, you can often watch them for an extended period of time. He looked around, sniffed a lot, rooted a bit, and then casually moved on. I thought about how his life was so different from mine. He lives on a beautiful mountain, doesn’t know about deadlines, never has to deal with traffic and doesn’t even own a watch.

Both of the dominant philosophies of our day, existentialism and nihilism, share a premise that life is of dubious value. We can’t win, we won’t get out of this alive and most of us will die alone. With this premise in mind, several philosophers have offered ideas for trying to find some value and meaning in life. One notion that is widely shared is to see life as merely a preparation, a trial, a period of working toward an ultimate reward that makes it all worthwhile. Plainly put, we struggle in this life so we can have a better, maybe even perfect, afterlife.

I guess I’d never given it much thought before this day. I always saw myself working feverishly to get to a better time in this life. But as I get older, I’m starting to question how likely that is to happen.

Will I always be working toward a better tomorrow until I finally run out of tomorrows? If that turns out to be the way it happens, the existentialists might be right. Maybe life ends with us still striving for that better tomorrow.

I thought again about the armadillo. I think he is probably pretty typical of his fellow animals, and I suspect I might be fairly representative of my human brethren. We humans struggle all our

lives for a better tomorrow and then come to a sad end. But we cling to hope right to the end. Man is the only creature who enjoys the consolation prize of believing in an afterlife. I’m not so sure that is a good thing. All the other animals enjoy the consolation of not having to think about an afterlife at all.

I think that is why, in my wisest moments, I am running off to get away from the normal human

“Will I always be working toward a better tomorrow until I finally run out of tomorrows?” striving. I climb a mountain in El Paso, sit on the Frio River bank and eat Chicken Earl’s, drink beer and listen to the music at Luckenbach, or just sit at the outdoor bar at Sam’s Boat in Seabrook, taking in the sunset over Clear Lake. If I were really as smart as I wish I were, I’d be doing a lot less striving and a lot more of this kind of thing right now.

When you think about it, we’re all running out of sunsets.

JUNE 2013 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

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Glass Mermaids now open at new location

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hether you are looking for whimsical or elegant, Glass Mermaids has it. If you don’t already know, owner Debi Sullivan has moved the shop across the lake to a new location at 2098 Marina Bay Drive in League City. Debi and her staff held an open house recently to celebrate Glass Mermaids’ new home and spotlight the new and beautiful store.

The shop is like a one

stop shop for home, garden and gifts for all occasions. There are many hand decorated, one of a kind items.

Chandeliers, wall art, furniture, rugs, placemats, napkins, napkin rings, bar

wear and serving pieces are a few of the home decorating items you’ll find.

If you need a special gift or just something wonderful for yourself, the shop features lotions, soaps, bath salts, picture frames, candles, jewelry, and a new line of colorful scarves and coordinating tunics.

There is a great selection of nautical themed items, great for Father’s Day gifts. And for the children there are books, beachwear and all sorts of fun things.

Greeting cards and complimentary gift wrap complete your shopping experience.

Glass Mermaids has been voted Best of the Bay gift shop for four years and you will know why once you visit the shop and see all the vast array of beautiful items.

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Photos by Mary Alys Cherry

Rotarians toast CCISD Teachers of the Year

By Mary Alys Cherry

J

illian Howard, a third-grade teacher at Landolt Elementary School, has been named Clear Creek ISD Elementary Teacher of the Year, and Betty McCullock, a sixth-grade science teacher at Clear Creek Intermediate School, is the recipient of the Secondary Teacher of the Year Award.

They, along with the 2013 Campus Teachers of the Year representing each of CCISD’s 44 campuses, were honored during a special luncheon hosted by the Rotary Clubs of Space Center, League City and Seabrook at South Shore Harbour Resort Monday, May 20.

They were among six finalists awarded $500 each by the Rotarians with the two winners receiving an additional $500 each.

The other finalists were Andrea Donovan Hull, Mossman Elementary art teacher; Kathryn Hoffman, Ross Elementary fifth grade teacher; Shannon Simonds, Clear Falls High biology teacher; and Matthew Thomas, Clear Springs biology teacher.

“These teachers represent the best of Clear Creek ISD,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Greg Smith. “Their teaching style and ability to engage children in lessons earned them this important designation.”

Smith also praised the work of the three area Rotary Clubs that were named

CCISD Partner of the Year at the school district’s annual Partnership Breakfast.

“This recognition…was long overdue.

These outstanding volunteers provide an enormous support system to our students,” he said, listing several projects such as providing meals in backpacks so children don’t go hungry on weekends, supporting our teachers, spending countless hours reading to our students, etc.

“This award cannot possibly encompass the profound impact our teachers have on the future of our many children, but I do hope it signifies our deepest appreciation for what teachers do every day in the classroom,” said Smith.

“CCISD is home to more than 2,600 exceptional teachers. We are pleased to honor the 2013 Campus Teachers of the Year. Beyond educating students, the following teachers have also been identified as a leader on their campus, working collaboratively with co-workers to improve the school culture.

“This award cannot possibly encompass the profound impact our teachers have on the future of our many children, but I do hope it signifies our deepest appreciation for what teachers do every day in the classroom,” said Smith.

Teachers of the Year Jillian Howard, center, and Betty McCullock are congratulated by CCISD Superintendent Dr. Greg Smith at the luncheon in their honor at South Shore Harbour Resort.

Presidents Jeremy Hood of Seabrook Rotary, Marilyn Musial of Space Center Rotary and Kim Buttrum of League City Rotary, from left, hosted the Teacher of the Year Luncheon South Shore Harbour Resort.

The teachers honored as Campus Teachers of the Year were: ELEMENTARY TEACHERS Armand Bayou Elementary Debra Moreno Bauerschlag Elementary Sydnee Polk Bay Elementary Judy Poole Brookwood Elementary Susan Smith Clear Lake City Elementary Michelle Cates Falcon Pass Elementary Sheri Sheppard Ferguson Elementary Glenna McRaith Gilmore Elementary Nancy Meengs Goforth Elementary Sherri Draper Greene Elementary Amber Conner Hall Elementary LaToya Mills

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Hyde Elementary Lori Holloway Landolt Elementary Jillian Howard League City Elementary Charlotte Aalund McWhirter Elementary Keri Dean Sandra Mossman Elementary Andrea Donovan-Hull North Pointe Elementary Natashia Elstad Ralph Parr Elementary Mary Sutula Robinson Elementary Misty Williford Ross Elementary Kathryn Hoffman Stewart Elementary Erika Leal Ward Elementary Denise Seiberling Weber Elementary Susie Ortiz

Bay Area Houston Magazine | JUNE 2013

Wedgewood Elementary Suzanne Schaefer Whitcomb Elementary Cynthia Ramsey Ed White Elementary Wendi Vermillion INTERMEDIATE TEACHERS Bayside Intermediate Ryan Abraham Brookside Intermediate Andie Troutman Clear Creek Intermediate Betty McCulloch Clear Lake Intermediate Emily Incerto Creekside Intermediate Larah Orzabel League City Intermediate Alexses Fitzgerald Seabrook Intermediate Katharine Moore Space Center Intermediate Kent Sullivan

Victory Lakes Intermediate Derek Cain Westbrook Intermediate Kristal Funk HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS Clear Brook High School Carey Petersen Clear Creek High School Wendell Harris Clear Falls High School Shannon Simonds Clear Lake High School Michael Horstmeyer Clear Horizons Early College Valerie Foskit Clear Path High School Rosemary Paul Clear Springs High School Matthew Thomas Clear View High School Cindy Cunningham

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EDUCATION

2013 Clear Creek ISD Graduation Dates Thursday, 6/6 - Clear Lake HS 7:30 p.m.

Veterans Memorial Stadium

Friday, 6/7 - Clear Creek HS 7:30 p.m.

Veterans Memorial Stadium

Saturday, 6/8 - Clear Springs HS 9 a.m.

Veterans Memorial Stadium

Saturday, 6/8 - Clear Horizons HS 2 p.m.

Carlisle Field House

Saturday, 6/8 - Clear Falls HS 7:30 p.m.

Veterans Memorial Stadium

Sunday, 6/9 - Clear View EC 2 p.m.

Carlisle Field House

Sunday, 6/9 - Clear Brook HS 7:30 p.m.

Veterans Memorial Stadium Please note: Veterans Memorial Stadium and Carlisle Field House are located at 2305 East Main St. in League City (next to Clear Creek High School)

The National Champion Clear Lake High cheerleaders line up for a photo with their jackets and National Cheerleaders Association First Place trophy and banner after winning four major competitions this year to become the best of the best. While Lake always places in the top five, it has not won the event in nine years. Pictured are from left, front row, seniors Brooke Kattner, Braden Efird, Madi Kolodgie and Laney Whitney; second row, Makenna Krist, Kenall Sheehy, Sydney Jenkins, Caroline Cook, Ellie Little, Lindsey Guener, Amy Stanley, Corky Whley, Neha Grover; third row, Sydney Sobotik, Sarah Juenke, Nicole Dluzniewski, Julianna Boyle, Elise O’Bert, Lizzie Fender and Cassidy Chu. Coaches are Kathy Thiessen, Cassie Thiessen and Amy Lardie with Nicloe Leago and Joe Shaw serving on the University Cheer Staff.

12 named Gold Key Winners in Art Scholastic Competition A dozen Clear Creek ISD students have been named Gold Key Winners in the district’s annual Art Scholastic Competition. They were recognized at a recent school board meeting. The winners are:

Clear Brook High

Nicolas Ortiz – drawing Andrew Galvan – mixed media James Jowers – mixed media This Top Citizen is proof positive that heroes come in all sizes!

Falcon Pass Elementary second grader Isaiah T. was recognized as a “Top Citizen” by the Houston Police Department for helping his family and calling 911 during an emergency.

Clear Creek High

Marley Foster – ceramic and glass Bryn Ray – jewelry Alexandra Bercich – sculpture

Clear Falls High Emily Hansen – art Kristine Spicer – jewelry Rayne Porter – sculpture Andrew Stephens – sculpture (2 gold keys)

Clear Lake High

Hannah Kelly – drawing Hannah Kelly – sculpture

Clear Springs High

Elizabeth Wood – drawing Elizabeth Wood -- sculpture

EDUCATION

6 honored as Presidential Scholar candidates

Area students vie for Tommy Tune Awards

P Ben Chang Clear Lake High

Stephanie Hoffman Clear Lake High

Laura Holzenkamp Clear Creek High

Amanda Pinchbeck Clear Brook High

Kristin Sambell Clear Lake High

Joan Zhang Clear Lake High

Six Clear Creek ISD students were selected this spring as candidates for one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students – being named a Presidential Scholar, and one has just been named a semifinalist.

T

he candidates are Ben Chang – Clear Lake High; Stephanie Hoffman – Clear Lake High; Laura Holzenkamp – Clear Creek High; Amanda Pinchbeck – Clear Brook High; Kristin Sambell – Clear Lake High; and Joan Zhang – Clear Lake High.

Zhang, is the semifinalist, it was announced at the May school board meeting. She plans to attend Harvard.

The United States Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964 by President Lyndon Johnson to recognize and honor some of our nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors.

Up to 141 students are honored annually as the program selects one male and one female student from each state (as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Americans living abroad), along with 15 at-large students and up to 20 students in the arts on the basis of outstanding scholarship, service, leadership, and creativity through a rigorous selection and review process administered by the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars and the US Department of Education.

Over the years, more than 6,000 of our nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors have been honored.

“While distinguished by diverse backgrounds, experiences, and interests, the candidates are united

by many common qualities. They share a devotion to family and heritage, display genuine spirit in their schools and clubs, radiate seemingly boundless energy, demonstrate leadership in their communities, civic groups, and places of worship, and make practical their hopes of improving the world,” a Presidential Scholars Foundation spokesman said.

Among them are scientists, volunteers, artists, class officers, inventors, athletes, mentors, linguists, deacons, musicians, cadets, poets, dancers, entrepreneurs, coaches, Scouts, journalists, survivors of life-threatening illness, advocates, and teachers.

“By age 17 these astonishing young people have mastered multiple languages, worked for NASA and the Air Force Research Lab, played with the New York Philharmonic, conducted cancer research, issued scholarly papers, placed in most major national and international competitions, and launched their own companies. They have devoted thousands of hours to bettering the lives of others in their communities.

“They go on to attend the nation’s top colleges and universities, and to exercise their gifts on behalf of our country and the world. From debate to bull riding, from archeology to politics, from rocketry to the environment, they pursue their passions and convictions with joy, dedication, curiosity, and inspiring results. ”

earland High School walked off with top honors in the Tommy Tune Awards at the Hobby Center, while a Clear Spring High student, Stephen Louis, was named Best Featured Performer for his role in Curtains.

Pearland High’s musical South Pacific won Best Musical, Best Choreography, Best Crew and Technical Execution as Pearland actor Nathan Agnew was named Best Supporting Actor and Allison Anderson took Best Leading Actress honors, both for their roles in South Pacific.

Since its inception in 2002, the Tommy Tune Awards have grown to be the largest celebration of high school musical theatre in the Houston area. The annual awards ceremony recognizes excellence of students and teachers throughout the nine-county metropolitan area. A total of 45 high schools participated this year.

Clear Creek ISD students earned a host of nominations for the coveted awards with the cast and crew of Clear Springs High School’s Curtains receiving 10 nominations and the cast and crew of Clear Falls High’s Once Upon a Mattress receiving five.

Springs students won nominations for Best Musical, Best Direction, Best Musical Direction, Best Scenic Design, Best Lighting Design, Best Crew and Technical Execution, Best Ensemble/ Chorus, along with Mark Mendell as Best Leading Actor, Libby Hart as Best Leading Actress and Stephen Louis as Best Featured Performer.

Falls students were nominated for Best Choreography, Best Scenic Design, Best Costume Design, Best Lighting Design and Best Crew and Technical Execution.

Y

our smile and oral health will be the best they can be because Dr. Noie is committed to being the best he can be.

It’s a win-win situation.

Services offered begin with a personalized treatment plan when you visit their spa-like offices. “First and foremost, we see the individual,” says Dr. Noie. A leading cosmetic dentistry in the greater Houston area, Dr. Noie and the Unicare Center for Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry provide a full range of general and cosmetic dental treatment. Some of their services include: • Guided Oral Maxillofacial Bone and Tissue Regeneration, including Sinus Lift and autogenous block graft procedure and laser assistant soft tissue regeneration and repair

Be the Best You Can Be Dr. Farid Noie, DDS, DICOI, FAGD Unicare Center for Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry

By Betha Merit

The Unicare Center for Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry offers comprehensive services that reflect the excellence and thoroughness of Dr. Farid Noie, who lives his life with a passion for learning and providing state of the art procedures that are proven safe and effective.

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Bay Area Houston Magazine | JUNE 2013

•

Cosmetic Dentistry (Lumineers, porcelain veneers, all-ceramic crowns, smile makeovers, orthodontic, and Invisalign)

•

Dental Implants (single tooth or full mouth implants). And now, Teeth in a day

•

Sedation Dentistry (IV sedation and Nitrous Oxide)

•

Preventative Dentistry (routine checkups, cleanings, and oral hygiene measures)

•

CAT Scan and digital smile makeover at no extra charge.

Dr. Noie and The Unicare Center for Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry have strong roots in the Bay Area Houston neighborhood, with over 18 years in the same location. Their satisfied patient list totals over 20,000. Dr. Noie has a huge breadth of education.

He is a Diplomate, International Congress of Oral Implantologists; Fellow, Academy of General Dentistry; Associate Fellow, American Academy of Implant Dentistry; Member, American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry; Pankey Trained and more.

We asked Dr. Noie to update us on his current status and also his future vision.

Q: What is new at Unicare Center for Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry this year?

Dr. Noie: The field of dental implantology is continuing its rapid growth. Recently the “Teeth

in the Same Day” style of implant supported teeth has become much more predictable. This process is beginning to reach the reliability of the “two to three month integration time” method. For years I have been monitoring the long-term predictability of “Teeth in the Same Day” technique closely. I am now confident enough about their long-term prognosis to offer it to my patients.

Almost every American will experience loss of a natural tooth at least once in his or her lifetime.

How to replace lost natural teeth with something adequately compatible has been the 800-pound gorilla in our field. With the introduction of titanium implants, for the first time we had a formidable challenger to reverse the cascade effects of tooth loss. We no longer need to grind two or more healthy teeth to make room for fixed bridge, or over time lose the teeth that were formerly used to anchor removable partial dentures.

Q: Please highlight a few memorable patients and what procedures you performed.

Dr. Noie: There are too many stories and each of them is special and memorable in a unique way.

One of the commonly recurring themes in our office is when a patient feels and bites with implanted teeth after suffering with dentures and ingesting high quantities of denture paste over many years.

The experience is so emotional and usually involves lots of tears and hugs. We are all overcome with so much joy and happiness, every single time.

Q: Your education resume is astonishing. Is there any other area of study that you will pursue, formally or informally?

Dr. Noie: There is so much more to be done.

Even though dental science has found many ways to repair damaged teeth, there comes a point where we can’t save a tooth. To further complicate the problem, loss of a natural tooth is followed by loss of jaw bone volume and porosity due to lack of physical stimulation of that segment of jaw bone.

Such significant loss greatly compromises one’s ability to chew and break down food properly.

Most people adopt a softer diet, which can lead

to more gastrointestinal malfunction. In addition, strokes, cardiac conditions, diabetes, stomach ulcers, and pneumonia have all been shown to be more prevalent or worsen in those suffering from gum disease and uncontrolled oral bacterial population. While dental implants have managed to become a suitable replacement for natural teeth, they can’t prevent them. The destruction of tooth and gum structure by harmful bacteria remains an unsolved puzzle. I don’t consider my role as

approach to aid in Africa. They are a non-profit organization that focuses on empowering small villages in remote parts of Mozambique. They coach villagers to help themselves by adopting better social structures and teaching them new abilities, as opposed to just giving them financial aid without improving their infrastructure.

Q: And how are your wonderful daughters?

Dr. Noie: They are absolutely the love of my life, and I feel very blessed to be such a big part of their lives. There are, however, some troubling signs on the horizon. They are getting to an age where their social life is more time consuming. Hanna (9) is really getting into gymnastics, drama and dance. Nikki (12) is going through a serious growth spurt. She is already 5’3” and is drawn to volleyball, swimming and piano. I am seatbelting myself in dreadful anticipation of teenage-hood mania, which is just around the corner.

Q: What else would you like our readers to know about you or Unicare Center for Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry?

Dr. Noie: My team and I consider ourselves fortunate to be able to make a difference in the lives of so many Houstonians, as well as many out of town patients who find us either through referral from our existing patients or word of mouth.

As a young child I was exposed to the devastating effects of tooth loss by watching my dad suffer at the dinner table. Eating supper is supposed to be a joyous event, but for my dad it was more of a necessary chore and agony.

Unfortunately, my dad passed away before I could complete my training. However, his pain made me realize the daily misery endured by a denture wearer. I wouldn’t have been able to feel that deep sympathy any other way at such a young age (eight or nine). While I could not improve the quality of his life, I am determined to do so for as many other denture wearers and teeth sufferers as possible.

Unicare Center for Cosmestic and Implant Dentistry is located at 20814 Gulf Freeway, Suite 40, Webster, TX 75598; 281-332-4700; www.drnoie.com.

“I was able to give back in some of the most deprived parts of the world.

It was the toughest job I ever loved.” an oral healthcare provider complete until we find a way to eliminate this serious disease from its microbiological origin and make tooth decay and gum disease a thing of the past.

Q: On a personal note, will you update us on your involvement with “Relief Network Ministries” (www. reliefnetworks.org) Dr. Noie: Yes. That medical mission trip was extremely fulfilling. I was able to give back in some of the most deprived parts of the world. It was the toughest job I ever loved. I also appreciated how difficult it is to provide medical care in a place where the most basic hygiene protocols such as washing hands with soap before eating or drinking and clean running water, are non-existent.

Currently, I am in communications with “Mercy Ship” and “Care for Life.” They both conduct humanitarian missions in Africa in different forms.

Mercy Ship, in my opinion, is the safest way to provide medical relief in a region where infectious diseases such as HIV, Hep B and C, malaria and typhoid are prevalent, and adequate infection control for any invasive procedure is a real challenge. I also like “Care for Life” and their

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Latitudes Restaurant & The Pirate Dog Bar Cook Your Own Catch, Daily Specials, Live Music, Poker, and more

By Betha Merit

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atitudes Restaurant & The Pirate Dog Bar is your go-to place in sunny San Leon, where you can meet your friends or bring your family for excellent food, ice-cold beverages, and be made to feel like you are right at home. With a spectacular waterfront view overlooking Dickinson Bay, a boating ramp, and 400-foot fishing/ boating pier open to the public, you can arrive by boat, motorcycle, car, or on foot. Just get here.

“Cook your own catch” is offered every day of the week. “You can bring your own fish caught by boat, or fish off the Latitudes pier with bait from our own bait camp. A cleaning station is on the premises for you to fillet that catch, and we cook it up for you for $5.99 a person including two side dishes,” says Austin Mains, a wait-staff team member at Latitudes.

There is always something fun and new going on at Latitudes. A variety of fishing tournaments are held throughout the year and Latitudes is open for special events for everything from birthdays to anniversaries and more. Every Wednesday is poker night, with a $20 buy-in for Texas Hold ‘em and Big Ball Beer night, where a 32-ounce mason jar delivers up your beer for just $2. Live music is featured on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. “We are always looking to audition and book new live bands,” says owner, Kurt Vossler.

Happy Hour in the Pirate Dog Bar is a mainstay for locals and visitors alike, Monday through Friday from four to seven p.m. with seating both indoors and outdoors. Domestic Beers are $2, Craft and International Beers are $2.50 and well drinks are $4. Latitudes boasts

10 different beers on draft, and a large variety of bottled beer. Besides a full service bar and wine list, they also offer signature rum drinks that emphasize their waterfront, resort-style attitude with names like, “Pirate Dog,” “Latitude,” and “Longitude.”

Latitudes serves great food, and there is always a special going on. Every day is All You Can Eat Fried Shrimp and/ or Catfish with sides that include their signature shrimp coleslaw (to die for!) for $15.99. Monday boasts $2.99 per pound crawfish (yes, you read that right).

Tuesday is Steak Night with a 16-ounce ribeye and sides for $12.99. Thursday is Pork Prime Rib or Cajun Stuffed Pork Chop with sides for $9.99. The regular menu offers a wide variety of finely prepared seafood and Cajun influenced dishes.

Breakfast is served on Saturdays and Sundays beginning at 7 a.m. On Sundays drink specials start at 10 a.m. through 1 p.m. with Bloody Marys, Screw Drivers, and Mimosas for $2.50. You can bring your friends, family, kids and fishing gear and maybe catch your meal right off the pier, as well as participate in other outdoor activities. “We searched far and wide to find the most experienced and friendly wait staff and bartenders to make your visit memorable,” says Vossler.

Latitudes offers fine dining and personal attention with a relaxed atmosphere, so you will enjoy your experience and return soon.

You can keep up with events, live music schedule, and menu/bar specials on their website at www.latitudes29.com or on facebook (Latitudes San Leon).

They are located at 1817 Avenue K, San Leon, TX 77539; 281.339.1110.

lattitudes story

You might meet your knight in shining armor at The Cock & Bull.

Hanging out with friends at Don Julio’s!

Baytown’s best gather at Amadeus Italian Restaurant and Piano Bar.

Don’t forget The Hop plays the best hits.

Wolfies is home to great burgers and beer!

How about a Gina’s Italian Kitchen party pizza!

The Davenport’s martinis were voted the best in Houston!

Come to Cullen’s for great atmosphere and cocktails.

Latitudes in San Leon has great food, bay views and more!

Enjoying a relaxing dinner at Mamacita’s.

Johnson Space Center Director Ellen Ochoa gets a warm welcome as she arrives at the Nassau Bay Hilton to address the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership. Greeting her are, from left, Griffin Partners Chairman Fred Griffin, League City Mayor Tim Paulissen and BAHEP President Bob Mitchell.

JSC now focused on new areas

By Mary Alys Cherry

T

he space shuttle may be retired but not the Johnson Space Center workforce.

Instead of arranging shuttle trips to the International Space Station, work at the center is focused on ferrying supplies to the ISS, possibly landing on an asteroid and testing new spacecraft for journeys into deep space, new JSC Director Ellen Ochoa says.

In other words, they have plenty on their plate. And, oh yes, dealing with federal budget cuts.

Speaking to the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership, she explained that the next step for Orion, which was specifically designed to take us beyond low Earth orbit, will be its first flight in 2014 with its first joint test flight with the rocket that will be used for the space launch in 2017.

Meanwhile, JSC continues its partnership with 15 countries running the space station, doing research into medicine, material science, even earthquakes, that is beneficial to people back on Earth and serving as a test bed for medical experiments, she said.

Biggest problem is, of course, the 13 percent cut in the budget, with more expected.

“However, given all the constraints on the federal budget, I think NASA and JSC did well,” she said, adding that they “did not account for sequestration, so obviously that is one of the things we will have to follow closely in the next few months.

“Certainly, it did have an impact on us and we still don’t have the

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Bay Area Houston Magazine | JUNE 2013

final numbers. But we did take a five percent cut across NASA with sequestration. Despite not having the final numbers, we do think we can continue with Orion and the ISS this year as planned. However, between now and next year, overall we are expecting to take about a 13 percent cut in our maintenance and operations budget at JSC.” To meet this, she said, JSC had closed one of its gates, cut back on its custodial staff, and cut out salary increases. “It’s been a lot of little changes like that, but my goal is to preserve those things that are most important such as human space flight.”

Along the way, the cuts have resulted in the loss of 200 civil servants with a projected 52 more needed each of the next three years. “It also affects many of our contractors.

“Now the goal is to do things differently, reaching out and forming partnerships in many different directions so we can continue to move human space flight forward.”

The asteroid is about 40,000 miles on the other side of the moon – which is about 250,000 miles from Earth -- and would take about four to five days to reach, she said in response to a question from the audience at the conclusion of her speech.

On a personal note, Dr. Ochoa told how she had lived here in Clear Lake for the past 23 years, that her husband, Coe Miles, is a former engineer who had become an intellectual property attorney. They have two children, ages 13 and 15.

CCISD bonds get a thumbs up

By Mary Alys Cherry

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n what turned out to be a landslide vote, the Bay Area community gave the $367 million Clear Creek ISD bond referendum its approval during the May 11 election with more than 68 percent voting “for” the bond package.

It was one of about a dozen elections held around the area.

The school funding will be used to rebuild or improve 40+ year old schools such as Clear Lake High and McWhirter Elementary; address student safety, security systems, repairs and enrollment growth; build another stadium; and improve wireless infrastructure and access to technology for 21st century learning.

“Overall, I think it’s terrific,” school board President Ken Baliker said. “It’s because we went about this in the correct way and we got the community involved.”

Superintendent Dr. Greg Smith was equally happy as the final returns came in.

“I would like to thank the community for supporting our mission to prepare students for their future, not our past,” said. “Today’s vote is a win for your children, your community, and your schools.”

Meanwhile, Pasadena Mayor Johnny Isbell was re-elected, as were Kemah Mayor Bob Cummings and Clear Lake Shores Mayor Vern Johnson, and a number of city councilors.

CCISD Trustee Ann Hammond was re-elected in a hard-fought race with Nick Long and Laura Dupont won the seat vacated by Trustee Robert Davee, who chose not to run again.

In Taylor Lake Village, Council will have to name a new mayor to replace Lilian Norman Keeney, who was elected despite her death April 2, as it was too late to change the ballot.

Some cities such as Baytown, League City and Houston hold their city elections in November.

In cities where candidates had no opposition, such as Nassau Bay and El Lago, and trustee elections such as Dickinson ISD and Deer Park ISD, an election was not held. The two candidates with the highest number of votes are elected to the Clear Lake Shores City Couincil.

Here are the unofficial returns in case you missed them.

THE CANDIDATES Clear Creek ISD Dist. 1 – Gary Renola Dist. 1 – John P. Hermann Dist. 1 – Laura DuPont At-Large B – Ann Hammond (i) At-Large B – Nick Long

821 385 1047 5201 4510

Clear Lake Shores Mayor -- Vern Johnson (i) Mayor – Anthony Berry Council – Jan Bailey Council – Debbie Smith Council – Travis Croft Council – Al Burns (i)

174 45 180 22 52 170

Deer Park Mayor – Jeff Pound Mayor – Jerry Mouton Mayor – Larry Cernosek Pos. 1 – Bennie Boles Pos. 1 -- Sherry Garrison Pos. 2 – Thane Harrison (i) Pos. 3 – Chris Richey

1009 1415 324 1184 1496 2083 2122

Dickinson Pos. 2 – Bruce Henderson Pos. 2 – Louis Gill Pos. 4 – Mark Townsend (i) Pos. 4 – Wally Deats Pos. 6 – William H. King III (i) Pos. 6 – Greg Bridges Friendswood Pos. 4 – Patrick J. McGinnis (i) Pos. 4 – Jim Barr Pos. 6 – Carl Gustafson] Pos. 6 – Tawni Slaughter Kemah Mayor -- Bob Cummins (i) Mayor – Matt Wiggins Pos. 2 – Pat Buchanan (i)

San Jac chancellor receives national award

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an Jacinto College Chancellor Dr. Brenda Hellyer is one of 21 community college presidents to earn the prestigious Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction.

Hellyer accepted the award at the Phi Theta Kappa convention in San Jose, Calif. College presidents and campus CEOs are selected for this award on the basis of outstanding efforts given toward promoting the goals of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.

“I am most honored to receive this award, but the recognition goes to the outstanding work of our PTK faculty sponsors and students,” said Dr. Hellyer. “I share this honor with the entire San Jacinto College community. Our faculty and staff work diligently every day to ensure our students succeed in the classroom and receive the education and training they need to transition to a four-year

university or enter the workforce.”

Since being named chancellor of San Jacinto College in 2009, Hellyer has seen the college grow to serve 30,000 credit students and more than 5,000 continuing education and workforce training students. Under her leadership, San Jacinto College has also received national recognitions which include being named an Achieving the Dream leader college, one of the top community colleges in the U.S. by the Aspen Institute, ranked eighth in the nation for Hispanics earning associate degrees by the Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine, and a Military Friendly School by G.I. Jobs Magazine.

She holds a B.S. in Accounting from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kan., an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin, and a doctorate degree in community college leadership from the

508 320 368 450 463 380

1158 771 1136 791

270 179 190

Pos. 2 – Wanda Zimmer Pos. 4 – Wayne Rast Pos. 4 – Robin Collins

255 220 231

Pasadena Mayor -- Johnny Isbell (i) Mayor – Gilbert Pena Dist. A – Ornaldo Ybarra (i) Dist. A – Bruce Walters Dist. B – Richard Serna Dist. B – Bruce Leamon Dist. B – Barbara Legler Dist. C – Don Harrison (i) Dist. C – Rick Guerrero Dist. D -- Pat Van Houte (i) Dist. D – Ronald Whitley Dist. E – Leroy Stanley (i) Dist. E – Cody Ray Wheeler Dist. F – Phil Cayten Dist. G – Steve Cote Dist. H – Darrell Morrison

3599 751 380 103 88 222 178 270 176 308 87 402 435 543 297 646

Pearland Pos. 1 – Tony Carbone Pos. 1 -- Gary Moore Pos. 1 -- Quentin Wiltz Pos. 5 – Greg Hill (i) Pos. 5 – Yvonne Durba Pos. 5 – Mark Solano

1705 732 657 2266 492 239

Taylor Lake Village Mayor – Lilian Norman Keeney Pos. 2 – Doug Blanchard Pos. 2 – Mike Robertson Pos. 4 – Einar Goerland

243 253 104 281

Webster Pos. 3 – Mel Donehue (i) Pos. 3 – Lawrence Tosto Pos. 4 – Carlos Villagomez Pos. 4 – Doug North Pos. 5 – Natalie Dolan

40 136 75 110 137

University of Texas at Austin.

She is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in Texas.

Dr. Hellyer received the Distinguished Graduate Award from the College of Education at UT- Austin in Spring 2009. She was recognized in 2012 as a “Woman of Distinction” by The Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Inc., as “Citizen of the Year” by the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, and is one of Houston Magazine’s 2013 “Most Influential Women.”

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society is the largest honor society in higher education with 1,285 chapters on college campuses in all 50 of the United States.

JUNE 2013 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

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Photo: Pat Patton

Space shuttle exhibit

RNASA Space Communicator Award Winner Veronica McGregor receives her award from previous winner, Miles O’Brien, at the Rotary Space Gala.

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hey say that everything is bigger in Texas and that certainly goes for Space Center Houston’s newly announced space shuttle exhibit.

Richard Allen, CEO of Space Center Houston, which serves as the official visitor center for NASA’s Johnson Space Center, announced plans at the 8th annual State of the Bay Tourism Address to display its full-size space shuttle mockup atop the historic jumbo jetliner that ferried the real orbiters after their return from space and delivered them to their museum homes.

NASA transferred ownership of its original Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747 jet, to Space Center Houston on May 2, setting in motion the visitor center’s plans to pair the replica shuttle it received last June with the airplane that landed in Houston five months later.

“This is an exciting day for Texans, as we accept the SCA from NASA and assume the awesome responsibility for its modifications, showcasing its legacy and adding a one-of-a-kind experience to our complex,” Allen said.

“We look forward to accepting the challenge of raising funds for this amazing endeavor as we prepare for the next phase of this major expansion.”

The new $12 million outdoor complex, named “The Shuttle and 747 Carrier,” is to open to the public in February 2015.

“The Shuttle and 747 Carrier will give visitors the world’s first and only all-access pass to an authentic and realistic journey through the inside of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft as well as an unforgettable experience aboard the full-scale shuttle model,” Space Center Houston said.

“The up close and personal access to American aviation history will reveal the shuttle program’s amazing ingenuity, clever innovation and awe-inspiring complexity.”

An artist’s rendering of the planned exhibit shows the 747 jumbo jet, known by its tail number “NASA 905,” parked outside Space Center Houston, where the shuttle mockup sits today. A gantry-like structure sits next to the air- and spacecraft combo that will provide visitors the opportunity to climb inside both vehicles.

The carrier aircraft is currently at Ellington Field, home to Johnson Space Center’s aircraft operations. To get the aircraft to the visitor center, its wings and tail will be removed, and its fuselage will be sectioned in three.

The jumbo jet is expected to be in place at Space Center Houston by this November. The work to hoist the 130,000-pound (60,000-kilogram) shuttle mockup atop the airplane will follow during the first quarter of 2014.

The shuttle mockup arrived in Houston last summer by barge from the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, where it debuted in 1993. Known then by the name “Explorer,” it was designed and built by aerospace replica manufacturer Guard-Lee, Inc. using schematics, blueprints, and archival documents provided by NASA and the shuttle contractors.

Space Center Houston plans The Shuttle and 747 Carrier exhibit to be more than a public attraction, but also serve as the centerpiece for new educational programs to inspire students to consider careers in math and science fields.

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Bay Area Houston Magazine | JUNE 2013

National Space Trophy Winner Kay Bailey Hutchison poses with Capt.

Eugene Cernan who presented the trophy to her and Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co. Executive Vice President Joanne Maguire, who nominated her.

Sen. Hutchison honored at Rotary Space Gala

By Marianne Dyson

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he Rotary National Awards for Space Achievement Foundation presented the National Space Trophy to former Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison before a black-tie crowd of 800 at the Downtown Houston Hyatt Regency Hotel on Friday, April 26.

She is the first senator to ever receive the award and only the second woman.

Former Apollo astronaut and a former National Space Trophy winner, Gene Cernan, presented her with the award.

NASA Jet Propulsion Lab’s News and Social Media Manager Veronica McGregor was the recipient of the Space Communicator Award, and Stellar Awards was presented to 23 individuals and seven teams at the gala.

After a reception featuring pianist Victoria Reva-Dorsch, the colors were presented by an all-female color guard from Clear Springs High School Army JROTC -- cadets Eryn Behne, Amber Carter, Karina Rubio, and Deanna McFeron.

Houston Mayor Annise Parker welcomed the 800 guests to the event. She noted that “many who live and work in Houston contribute to our ongoing dream of space.”

She said that “no one could have advocated better for the Houston region” than Senator Hutchison, and she thanked her for serving “with honor, distinction, courage, and tenacity.”

RNASA Chairman Rodolfo González recognized previous Trophy winners Lt. Gen. Tom Stafford, Tommy Holloway, Dr. Glynn Lunney, Col. Eileen Collins, Gene Kranz, Capt. Eugene Cernan, Dr. Mike Griffin, the Board of Advisors and other attendees including NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, Congressman Pete Olson, and Rotary District 5890 Governor and Governor Elect, Chris Schneider and Bob Gebhard.

The program kicked off with a year-in-

review film

by Space City Films that Emcee Elliot Pulham, CEO of the Space Foundation, noted reminded us “of all the many wonderful, marvelous things that people in this industry are doing.” Some highlights included the first SpaceX cargo launches to the space station, the delivery of the space shuttles to museums, and Curiosity’s landing on Mars.

RNASA Advisor and PBS NewsHour Science Correspondent Miles O’Brien presented the Space Communicator Award to Veronica McGregor, who is the “voice” of the Curiosity rover on Mars. Astronauts Michael J. Foreman and Nicole Stott then announced the Stellar Award winners and presented them with trophies donated by ATK. Cernan, in presenting the National Space Trophy to Hutchison, said the space program is “what the future is all about,” praising her for her dedication to “education, science, and technology,” and for being “bold and visionary” in her promotion of the space program.

Hutchison said that during her work on the NASA budget, “we wanted to assure that we wouldn’t give up the future for the present.

We wanted to assume full funding for NASA and … be ready to go beyond low Earth orbit.” She stressed that, “America was built on bigness and boldness and greatness. … We are going to achieve things we haven’t even thought of today because we will never take second place.”

U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Thomas Stafford, USAF presented Hutchison with a ladies Omega Seamaster watch donated by the company, with diamonds and mother-of pearl.

Nassau Bay Town Square space sculpture garden a salute to its neighbor

New JSC deputy director

By Mary Alys Cherry

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By Mary Alys Cherry

N

assau Bay and the Johnson Space Center have been long-time neighbors nodding at one another across NASA Parkway for many years.

Now, after a 50-year friendship, they have something new to smile about – a space sculpture garden created in the center of Nassau Bay Town Square by developer Griffin Partners as a tribute to the space agency and all it has meant to the Bay Area Houston community.

Focal point of the space garden, which includes flowers, fountains and space sculptures, is a 10-foot high statue of Earth that rotates with the wind.

Johnson Space Center Director Dr. Ellen Ochoa called it an honor to dedicate Space Walk Plaza, praising developer Fred Griffin “for his work ethic to dream big, work hard and never give up.”

She said she hoped the Town Square centerpiece and its space symbols will become a focal point in the area, along with Space Center Houston, going on to recognize the artist, Eric Ober.

Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership President Bob Mitchell also praised Griffin for “his vision and his passion that pushed the development project over the hump.

“Fred and Griffin Partners went out on a limb with this project – something that takes an incredible amount of courage. But he was committed to getting it done and now he’s got it done and we’re so proud of this complex.”

Statue of Planet Earth, rotating with the wind near the entrance of the space sculpture garden, is one of the most colorful on the Town Square plaza.

“We started on this a little over six years ago, and it has been a labor of love. The original concept was changed numerous times.” But working with former Mayor Don Matter, Planning Director Dr. Roscoe Lee, former City Manager John Kennedy and current City Manager Chris Reed, “we settled upon the 17th or 18th (concept) you see here today.

“Once we got to a plan that looks pretty much like this, we realized we had a great opportunity to do something in that space in the middle – an opportunity to salute that neighbor across the street.”

Besides all the current and future businesses surrounding the space sculpture garden, the 31-acre

Jacobs Engineering Vice President and General Manager Griffin Partners President Ed Griffin and his father, Chairman Fred Griffin, second and Lon Miller, right, stops to visit with Clear Lake Area Chamber third from left, welcome Nassau Bay Mayor Mark Denman, left, and City Councilman President Cindy Harreld and Space Center Houston Jonathan Amdur to Nassau Bay Town Square space sculpture garden dedication.

President Richard Allen at the dedication of the space sculpture garden at Nassau Bay Town Square.

Mitchell also called attention to another point – redevelopment.

“In my opinion, the most important part of a community’s development is redevelopment. This is the first redevelopment project in our area.”

Nassau Bay Mayor Mark Denman welcomed the crowd to Space Walk Plaza and told how the new Town Square and all the new businesses are bringing in an extra $36,000 in sales tax to his city each year and how property values had increased from $2.6 million to $72 million.

Griffin Partners President Ed Griffin gave the crowd a little history.

Nassau Bay Town Square development includes the new 145-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel that opened last year, the 313-unit Voyager luxury apartment complex that is almost 100 percent occupied, three office buildings offering 500,000 square feet of office space, a conference center and a new Nassau Bay City Hall.

The development sits on property that once housed Nassau Bay City Hall and about a dozen mostly vacant office buildings Griffin purchased and demolished in order to build the $150 million development.

tephen J. Altemus has been named deputy director of the Johnson Space Center, helping oversee its human space flight plans and programs and its 11,000 civil servants and contractors.

In his new post, the former JSC director of engineering will direct human space flight architecting efforts identifying affordable concepts for taking humans to the edge of deep space while growing the U.S. technological economy and continuing international competitiveness, providing the nation with a sustainable and flexible approach to addressing the major challenges of human space flight, JSC Director Ellen Ochoa said in making the announcement.

“I am extremely honored to be selected as the JSC deputy director,” Altemus said. “This is an exciting time for NASA as we continue to develop new spacecraft, capabilities and technologies.

“JSC continues to be at the forefront of human space exploration, and I look forward to helping guide its future in this new role,” he added.

Altemus served as director of engineering from July 2006 until his recent promotion, leading some 2,800 employees through the conceptualization, design, development and evaluation of aerospace systems for use in human, robotic and automated space flight and both low earth orbit and deep space missions. Dr. Ochoa called him “a visionary and accomplished leader with tremendous ability to formulate and execute insightful strategic initiatives that drive excellence and advancement in human space flight for our nation’s space programs.”

He received his B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, he now serves on the Engineering Advisory Board and has a Master of Science degree in Engineering Management from the University of Central Florida.

In 1989 he joined the Space Shuttle Program at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, where he held progressively more responsible positions working in Space Shuttle operations, launch, and landing activities. He served as the Columbia Reconstruction Director after the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia on Feb. 1, 2003. In January 2005, he joined JSC serving as the deputy director of engineering and was subsequently selected as director in July 2006.

He is also a recipient of the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, NASA Federal Engineer of the Year Award, Presidential Executive Rank Award, and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal.

JUNE 2013 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

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Photo by Mary Alys Cherry

BayTran honors Bob Robinson Photo by Guidry News Service

Bob Robinson is presented the Charles Jacobson Award by Bay Area Houston Transportation Partnership Chairman Karen Coglianese at the annual BayTran State of the Counties Luncheon.

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highlight of the 14th Annual Bay Area Houston Transportation Partnership State of the Counties Address event was the presentation of the Charles A. Jacobson Transportation Award to Bob Robinson for his many hours of work on the area’s transportation needs.

BayTran Chairman Karen Coglianese made the presentation of “the well-deserved honor” to the former Seabrook mayor and past BayTran chairman who still serves as vice chairman of the transportation organization A delighted Robinson said, “this award means so much to me because it is given to me by my colleagues at BayTran, the people that I work with, I strategize with, plan with, and sometimes argue with.

“I don’t think that an award from anyone else would mean nearly as much as an award from my colleagues from BayTran,” he told the crowd of about 200 community leaders, elected officials and BayTran members at the annual event at the Downtown Aquarium.

The award is named for long-time Bay Area community leader Chuck Jacobson, who founded BayTran.

BayTran President Barbara Koslov welcomed the crowd and keynotes speakers Judge Ed Emmett of Harris County, Judge Mark Henry of Galveston County and County Commissioner Matt Sebesta of Brazoria County updated the crowd on changes and developments occurring in each of their counties, focusing on transportation.

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Participants in the 8th annual State of the Bay Tourism Address included, from left, South Shore Harbour Resort General Manager Roy Green, Kemah City Administrator Rick Beverlin, Kemah Mayor Bob Cummins, Galveston County Commissioner Ken Clark, Clear Lake Area Chamber Chairman Mike Furin, Convention and Visitors Bureau President Pam Summers, League City Mayor Tim Paulissen, Clear Lake Chamber President Cindy Harreld, Nassau Bay Mayor Mark Denman, Harris County Commissioner Jack Morman, Seabrook Mayor Glenn Royal and Mike Giangrosso, chairman of Bay Area CVB and Seabrook city councilman.

Shuttle, Highway 146 seen as keys to Bay Area’s future

By Mary Alys Cherry

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he state of the lake is quite good, and will only get better and better with the opening of the Space Center Houston space shuttle and when the expansion of State Highway 146 is complete.

That was the consensus from area officials who spoke at the 8th annual State of the Lake Tourism Address hosted at South Shore Harbour Resort by the Clear Lake Area Chamber, South Shore Harbour and the Bay Area Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Both Harris County Commissioner Jack Morman and Galveston County Commissioner Ken Clark were among those introduced, along with Mayors Glenn Royal of Seabrook, Louis Rigby of La Porte, Tim Paulissen of League City, Mark Denman of Nassau Bay and Bob Cummins of Kemah, plus Kemah City Administrator Rick Beverlin.

“I think Highway 146 is going to happen soon,” Mayor Royal predicted. “We’ve all come together to work on this so they’re hearing one voice.”

“We’re making real progress by working together. I expect work to start in three to four years.”

Bay Area Houston Magazine | JUNE 2013

Commissioner Morman agreed. “We’re making real progress by working together. I expect work to start in three to four years,” he said, going on to tell the crowd how Sylvan Beach is being revitalized and a new boardwalk is being installed at Armand Bayou Nature Center.

Space Center Houston President Richard Allen topped off an afternoon of good news with the announcement that NASA was donating the Boeing 747 that ferried all the space shuttles around the country to the visitor center, which will display its full-size space shuttle mockup atop the historic jumbo jetliner.

Some points the various speakers brought out: n Kemah is not only the Houston area’s No. 1 tourist destination, per the Houston Business Journal, City Administrator Rick Beverlin described it as “the happiest two square miles in the western hemisphere.” n La Porte actually began as a tourist town back in 1892, Mayor Louis Rigby told the crowd. n Nassau Bay property values have zoomed to $75 million with construction of Nassau Bay Town Square, Mayor Mark Denman said. n League City is seeing no let up in its growth with 377 new homes being built this quarter, Mayor Tim Paulissen reported.

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eddings have always been big business, but I was shocked to see how expensive they’ve become in the 17 years since my wife and I got married. According to the annual Real Weddings Study, the average wedding in the U.S. now costs $28,427, and that doesn’t even count the honeymoon.

Wait, it gets worse.

Among the more than 17,500 surveyed brides who got married in 2012, the average amount paid for a wedding dress was $1,211. On average they also spent $204 per wedding guest and dropped $12,905 for the reception venue.

There are many ways to rein in wedding-related costs while still having a memorable event. Here are a few suggestions: Create a budget. Unless you’re a professional wedding planner, you’ll probably be floored by how many expenses weddings can amass, including: wedding and engagement rings, invitations, postage, marriage license, clergy and location fees, flowers, bridal gown and groom’s tuxedo, rehearsal dinner and reception, photography, catering, DJ or band, limousine, parking attendants, tips, gifts for wedding participants and honeymoon expenses.

Shop around. Bridal expos are a good way to meet a lot of vendors and gather ideas. Just don’t get caught up in the excitement and commit to anything before you’ve done follow-up research. Some tips: • Bring along someone from the wedding party as well as a trustworthy friend who isn’t emotionally and financially connected to the wedding.

• You may feel pressured by vendors to sign contracts or put down deposits, but it’s probably wiser to take their contact information and research them first.

• Create a separate email account for wedding vendor communications. Once you sign up for one offer or contest, believe me, your inbox will be swamped.

After you’ve settled on vendors, get signed contracts that specify dates, products, prices, deposit and payment terms, cancellation policies, liability insurance and whether tax

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Bay Area Houston Magazine | JUNE 2013

and gratuities are included.

Here are a few suggestions for trimming costs: • Date flexibility. You’ll get more bang for your buck offseason – a June wedding might cost 20 to 30 percent more than one in April or October.

• Have your florist use in-season flowers.

• Daytime weddings are often cheaper than evening events.

• Instead of a hotel, consider less-costly alternative reception venues like community centers, museums, city park clubhouses or other public facilities looking to earn extra income. Ask whether they have their own tables, chairs, sound and lighting systems; if not, add equipment rental costs into the equation.

• A buffet dinner reception could save you $15 or more per guest compared to a plated dinner, because you’re not paying for table service. Save even more by hosting an afternoon reception and serving lunch or hors d’oeuvres.

• If you’re hosting a large reception, have a smaller display cake for the cutting ceremony, with a sheet cake stored in the kitchen.

• Serve wine, beer and one signature cocktail, instead of offering a full bar.

• Consider renting or buying a second-hand wedding dress from a consignment shop, or an online specialty site. The same goes for grooms wear.

• Hiring a disc jockey instead of a live band will save hundreds of dollars; plus you get a broader selection of music and a built-in emcee to move things along.

One last budgeting tip: Limit the number of guests to ensure you can have a meaningful interaction with each. Remember, spending just one minute apiece with 300 guests would take five hours.

This article is brought to you by a partnership between Visa and Texas First Bank and was authored by Jason Alderman, who directs Visa’s financial education programs. For more information, follow Texas First Bank on Facebook, Twitter and You Tube or visit us at www.texasfirstbank.com.

JUNE 2013 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

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Job Seeker’s Market Meador Staffing Services works to match qualified candidates with ideal positions

By Rod Evans

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he landscape for Texas companies doing business in the staffing services industry has flipped nearly 180 degrees since Ben Meador founded Meador Staffing Services in the late

1960s.

“Back then, companies were growing rapidly and there seemed to be an adequate supply of job candidates for all positions, so companies could pick and choose,” Meador says. “Now we’re seeing a sizable increase in job openings, but companies are having a difficult time finding qualified candidates.”

Meador, who founded the company in 1968—it was originally called Meador-Brady Personnel Services Inc.—says the employment picture is drastically different in Texas from most other parts of the country that are dealing with high unemployment rates and a dearth of job openings largely because of the strength of the oil and gas and petro-chemical industries. But emerging fields such as healthcare and information technology are also playing a role in making southeast Texas a job seeker’s market.

But while numerous companies are looking to hire qualified employees, Meador says many potential job seekers lack the educational background to secure the in-demand jobs.

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Bay Area Houston Magazine | JUNE 2013

“I think it goes back to education. A number of people are coming out of high school not adequately qualified,” he said. “Community colleges are filling a void, as many people have to be retrained because, for example, the company they worked for went out of business, but there are many reasons behind it (the lack of qualified candidates). The perception is that unemployment is high and there are just not enough jobs, but that’s not true around here.”

With eight locations, including offices in Clear Lake, The Woodlands, Pasadena and Pearland, Meador Staffing Services places candidates in positions ranging from entry level jobs to CEO positions in companies across the region and the country. The company has three primary divisions: direct hire, temporary help and contract, and placed employees in positions with companies in 21 states over the past year.

“Our people are specialists. For example, the people who place engineers, many of them are degreed engineers, and the folks who place accountants are degreed accountants,” Meador says.

Meador Staffing Services also uses technology to help connect candidates to potential openings through its Talent Network, in which candidates can log onto Meador.com, join the service and send their resume to potential companies or access the extensive database of companies looking to hire full time, temporary or contract professionals.

“We look at ourselves as career managers and trusted advisors on the job market. We have deep relationships with the clients we serve, some of which go back to the time when we first got into the business,” he said.

Meador has been an influential figure in the

employment and economic development arena in southeast Texas throughout his career. He served as the president of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce in the mid 1980s, founded Inter-City Personnel Associates (IPA) and was one of the key developers of the Houston Port Economic Alliance in the 1980s. But while Meador Staffing Services now has an international reach, it remains a family business at its core.

Ben’s wife, Janice, is the company’s vice president of administrative services. Their daughter, Melinda Torrison, is the executive vice president, while younger daughter, Morgan Sheen, is the director of communication. Youngest son, Ryan, heads up the company’s recently launched corporate wellness division.

Meador says the importance of giving back to the community is a vital element of the company’s mission statement.

“We encourage all of our employees to be involved in community service, but it’s not because of what we can get out of it; it’s what we can give back. We require everyone to donate a minimum of 40 hours of community service time per year, so all of our people are involved in multiple charity, church or civic groups,” he said.

With 85 employees spread across its eight locations and up to 5,000 temporary employees on assignment in any given year, Meador believes the outlook for qualified job seekers in southeast Texas is bright.

“The projections show that in this area we’re not going to have enough candidates available for the large number of jobs created,” he said. “We’re as busy as we’ve been in a long time and it’s been that way for the past nine to 12 months.”

Massage Envy Spa - Kemah is under new ownership!

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Massage Envy Spa is a membership he Massage Envy Spa located at 243 Marina Bay Dr in based franchise offering therapeutic massage and healthy skin facials. It Clear Lake Shores has a new owner. Marla Honeycutt is the world’s largest employer of massage therapists and estheticians, purchased the franchise May 1, 2013. helping to revolutionize the industry.

Marla moved here from Beaumont, TX and has over 20 years of business Massage Envy’s vision, “Better lives.

Better Families. Better communities. experience in publishing. Marla said she choose to purchase the Spa after A better world…through our hands,” falling in love with the Kemah & Clear Lake Shores area. She “We currently employ and her daughter, Brittany are elated to be a part of the 29 people and have very Massage Envy family. Marla said she wanted to get involved talented massage therapists with Massage Envy because it and estheticians on staff.” is a great way to help people,” after researching the company I learned the healing effects of massage and touch are astounding, I has brought massage therapy to wanted to be a part of people’s health nearly 900 locations nationwide and and well-being.” Marla’s first priority their memberships are honored at all will be to improve the member locations.

Please join us in welcoming experience & customer service. “We Marla Honeycutt, the new owner currently employ 29 people and have very talented massage therapists and of Massage Envy Spa Kemah to our community. We know she will estheticians on staff and are looking to add up to 15 more therapists to our be an asset to the business and the community alike. team.”

JUNE 2013 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

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Chris Premont and Denise Stanley of Ron Carter Cadillac Hyundai present Jacob Arend with his scholarship check.

Ron Carter Clear Lake Presents First of Five College Scholarships Jacob Arend, a distinguished senior from Clear Brook High School, is the first of five recipients of the 2013 Ron Carter Cadillac Hyundai Achievers Scholarship. Jacob, who will be attending Texas A&M University to study Chemical Engineering, will receive a $1000 Scholarship from Ron Carter Clear Lake.

While Jacob has maintained an exemplary academic record and multiple part-time jobs to fund his college ambitions, he has also committed himself to serving others through church activities, volunteer coaching, and serving on various committees such as Project Graduation and offering his time and talents to the anti-bullying group Safe School Ambassadors.

Each year, Ron Carter Clear Lake recognizes the hard work and dedication of college bound Greater Clear Lake Area high school seniors by awarding five college scholarships to deserving applicants.

One outstanding recipient will be selected for each month starting in March and ending in July. This scholarship is open to high school seniors in the Greater Clear Lake Area and surrounding areas that reside in Clear Creek ISD, Alvin ISD, Deer Park ISD, Pasadena ISD, Dickinson ISD, LaPorte ISD, Pearland ISD and Friendswood ISD. Applicants may be students of public, parochial or home schools. Applications and requirements may be found at www.roncarterclearlake.com.

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Bay Area Houston Magazine | JUNE 2013

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Bay Area Houston Magazine | JUNE 2013