Bay Area Houston Magazine November 2016

LEADING AND INFORMING OUR COMMUNITY SINCE 1999

November 2016 BayAreaHoustonMag.com

NOVEMBER 2016

features

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Vice President & Creative Director Brandon Rowan

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Sales & Marketing Debbie Salisbury Editorial Don Armstrong Mary Alys Cherry Rod Evans Michael Gos Capt. Joe Kent Betha Merit Pat Patton

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Administration Lillian Harmon Tammy Lipsey 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.

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

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Joyce Abbey to be honored Nov. 5

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Your Bay Area Houston gift guide

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Bay Area Houston community photography

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Elegant occasions, memorable events

Dental Health CCISD Announces Citizen of the Year The Twelve Gifts of Christmas The Passing Scene...

Di Amici Upscale Events

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Elizabeth Smart Opens Up About Kidnapping Smart speaks at It’s Your Time Women’s Conference

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2016 Rotary Shrimporee Shrimporee draws a big crowd

Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership Celebrating the celebration

Lunar Rendezvous Dinah Matthews to chair festival

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Fashion and gifts from The Clotheshorse

Celebrate the Season!

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Bazaar to benefit local women’s shelters

Santa’s Helpers Bazaar

columns

Photography Mary Alys Cherry Brian Stewart

281.474.5875

Teeth in a Day 18 years later

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Executive Vice President Patty Kane

www.BayAreaHoustonMag.com r.clapp@baygroupmedia.com

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Publisher & Editor in Chief Mary Alys Cherry

Distribution Shinkle Distribution

Boeing Starliner

34 Education

Staples to exit as UHCL president in 2017

President & Chairman Rick Clapp

Graphic Designer Kelly Groce

Excitement over at JSC

32 Healthcare New Clear Lake Regional CEO named

ON THE COVER Di Amici Upscale Events in Seabrook is a full service venue for all your elegant and memorable occasions.

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Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2016

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Turning Point Gala

Clear Lake Chatter

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Holiday road trip

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Galveston Bay fishing in November

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A different country

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Bay Area Houston calendar of events

In Wheel Time The Admiral’s Log Texas Meditations Main Events

Photos by Mary Alys Cherry

Johnson Space Center Director Dr. Ellen Ochoa and Boeing Deputy Manager Chris Ferguson listen to a question as the media gathers at the Jake Garn Mission Simulator and Training Facility at JSC.

Astronaut Suni Williams works on the Boeing mission simulator at JSC as Boeing Deputy Crew Manager Chris Ferguson and Training Systems Lead Gail Barnett look on in the background.

Boeing’s Starliner project stirs excitement over at JSC

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xcitement is beginning to build over at the Johnson Space Center as the date for a trip to the International Space Station by American astronauts grows closer and closer.

You can feel it in the air as you walk up and down JSC’s halls and in the eyes of those working to make it a reality.

Boeing and NASA marked the installation of its new CST-100 Starliner spacecraft simulator systems by inviting area media to the historic Jake Garn Mission Simulator and Training Facility at JSC, where they were welcomed by JSC Director Dr. Ellen Ochoa and Boeing Commercial Crew Program Deputy Manager Chris Ferguson.

“There’s a lot going on in the

Commercial Crew Program,” Ochoa said, “many operational aspects are being tested. . . procedures are being developed. And, we are starting to see these things coming to fruition.”

“It’s handy for astronauts to have their offices just right across the

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way from the simulators. It makes it easy to do their training here, and we’re just really glad to see this come forward,” she added, going on to mention the unique relationship JSC has with Boeing through other current and past contracts.

Others joining in the welcome included astronauts Suni Williams and Bob Behnken, JSC Commercial Crew Program Deputy Manager Steve Stich and Boeing Space Vehicle Program Manager Pete Meisinger.

Boeing, awarded a $4.2 billion contract to develop the Starliner and one of two companies NASA’s Commercial Crew Program contracted to return crew launch capability to the United States — the other is Space X -- invited media representatives to participate in a roundtable discussion with NASA and Boeing representatives and also observe astronauts operate the Starliner Crew Trainers.

The training devices, Boeing officials explained, ensure mission success by providing realistic

B U S I N E S S Barrios employees rose to the challenge in supporting the less fortunate in the community by donating $91,188 to the United Way. Among those leading the drive were, from left, Senior Relationship ManagerDonor Relations Allison Wilden; Barrios United Way Campaign Coordinator Tracey Escamilla, Barrios Technology CEO Sandy Johnson, United Way President and CEO Anna Babin and Director-Donor Relations Yvonne H. Thornburg.

Astronaut Bob Behnken prepares to answer a media question during simulator training demonstration at the Jake Garn Mission Simulator and Training Facility at JSC.

rehearsals for all scenarios that may arise between launch and recovery of the space capsules. “Astronauts learn how to handle any situation that could arise in the hash environment of space, even with a spacecraft that is designed to be autonomous.”

“This is a big project for Boeing,” Ferguson, a former astronaut said, explaining that Boeing also was training the astronauts for the journey to the space station.

Currently, astronauts are training on Part-Task Trainers, which replicate flight conditions, including rendezvous and docking with the ISS, while the company is constructing a full-scale, high-fidelity Starliner simulator in St. Louis that will allow astronauts to practice all the aspects of a mission. Delivery to JSC is expect in early 2017.

Besides Williams and Behnken, astronauts Eric Boe and Douglas Hurley also have been selected

by NASA to train for the U.S. Commercial Crew missions.

B U Z Z Allegiance Bank recently celebrated its second anniversary with an open house in the bank’s newly expanded lobby.

Allegiance Bank President Ray Vitulli, center, and Executive Bank Office President Frank Law, right, greet Jeffery Cook of Stellar Financial. Photo

by Patty Kane

NOVEMBER 2016 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

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DENTAL HEALTH

“Teeth in a Day” 18 years later

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ental Implants continue to make headway and change lives as they evolve to completely replace natural teeth.

They have come a long way from their humble beginnings when only a select few pioneering oral surgeons made history by surgically inserting and fixating titanium rods to human jawbone and used them as foundation for artificial teeth that act and feel like natural teeth.

The process that was accidentally discovered by Dr. Per-Ingvar Branemark in the 1950s ultimately led to development of the technique known as ALL-On-4. In 1998 Dr. Paulo Malo successfully treated the first patient with a technique he later called the All-on-4® concept.

While the technique had some definite advantages for people who suffered from weak teeth all their lives, it also pushed the boundaries of biological integration to new territories.

It contradicted one of the most fundamental “bone to titanium” integration that requires complete immobility during the initial healing phase. It also drew criticism from many traditional surgeons (such as myself) for its aggressive bone reduction requirements.

Many professionals and consumer watchdogs warned that the most expensive piece of ALLON-4 treatment is an individually customized one piece prosthetic that fixates to four equally distributed dental implants that are positioned on an angle to avoid vital landmarks such as maxillary sinus and jaw nerves.

Other professionals believed tilted position of dental implants causes uneven force distribution on the jawbone. Bio-physics tells us uneven load distribution can cause bone loss on areas receiving the largest portion of the force over time, therefore undermining stability and health of tilted dental implants prematurely.

Many dental surgeons

“It has become a premium option for people who are in danger of losing all their teeth and considering dentures.” (including myself) questioned longevity of this invasive and pricy treatment. Scientific literature predicted tilted positioned dental implants will eventually fail. Failure of even one single implant out of four, will lead to failure of the entire unit and requires repair or replacement of the failed dental implant as well as the customized prosthesis bridge that is the most expensive piece of the treatment.

Accessibility for oral hygiene was also questioned since the dental implants in this technique are a barrier under the prosthesis and hard to clean. The annual maintenance trips to dentist can also be significantly more (300 to 400 percent) than the traditional teeth cleaning.

As above concerns kept many experienced dental surgeons at bay, other surgeons endorsed the technique for its simplicity and relatively easier than traditional techniques that often required surgical site preparation and guided bone and tissue regeneration. It was easier, faster and most importantly, people loved it.

Slowly but surely ALL-ON-4 gained clinical history. Now, 18 years later, this relatively simple surgical technique has continued to turn unbelievers such as myself into believers. It has defied conventional science and has certainly pushed the envelope of what is possible in medicine. Most ALL-ON-4 or Teeth in a Day placed nearly two decades ago are still functioning.

Along the way, this ALL-ON-4 technique improved as it evolved.

It is now common to place 6 dental implants, as opposed to 4, to better distribute the jaw

forces and to avoid replacing the premium bridge in case a single implant fails. The design of the prosthesis has also been improved to avoid food and plaque accumulation under the Bridge.

Today, ALL-ON-4 or “Teeth in a day” technique is improved and time tested. It is not perfect and certainly not for everyone.

But, it has become a premium option for people who are in danger of losing all their teeth and considering dentures. To learn more about “Teeth in a day” treatment option, feel free to contact our office at 281-332-4700 for a complimentary CT-Scan and analysis, as well as personal consultation by me to find out if this treatment option is right for you.

Dr. Noie has been in private practice in the Bay Area since 1996. He is a Diplomate of Int’l Congress of Oral Implantologists, Fellow of Academy of General Dentistry, and Assoc. Fellow of American Academy of Implant Dentistry. He has completed his surgical training at New York University as well as Medical University of South Carolina, Temple University, and Wright state University School of Medicine. He completed his oral Anesthesiology training at University of Alabama in Birmingham.

He is a member of American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

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Movers &Shakers Name: Bob Mitchell

If I could switch places with someone for just one day, I’d choose: The President of the United States

Occupation: President of Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership

My favorite performers are: Earl Thomas Conley

Hometown: Houston Current home: Pearland Family: Three sons: Nathan, 36; Greg, 34; and Mark, 32 My favorite writer is: Bill O’Reilly Someone I’d like to meet: Ronald Reagan

I like to spend my leisure time: In the country or Rockport fishing If I could travel any place, I’d go to: Alaska My favorite meal is: Seafood

As a youngster, I wanted to grow up to be: A police officer You’ll never catch me: Wearing clothes that are not ironed The thing that bugs me the most is: People who procrastinate. Make a decision and move on My favorite movie is: The Bridges of Madison County Few people know: I have lived on my own since I was 14 years old

CCISD announces 2016 Citizen of the Year Joyce Abbey to be honored Nov. 5

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ach year the Clear Creek School District takes great pride in naming and honoring a Citizen of the Year who has consistently demonstrated a commitment to the district and excellence in public education through their volunteer efforts.

The 2016 Citizen of the Year is Joyce Abbey, who is both a CCISD alumna and known advocate for the advancement of STEM programming in public education.

“Joyce’s service to this district and community is a full circle success story of a Clear Creek High School graduate who takes every opportunity she has to advocate for what a good education can mean to a child,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Greg Smith said.

As the Citizen of the Year, she will be honored at the Clear Creek Education Foundation’s Gala Saturday, Nov. 5 at South Shore Harbour Resort, along with the Foundation’s selected honorees.

As the SAIC employee communications and external relations director, Abbey is also known for her championing of human spaceflight. She spearheads the Aerospace Teacher Extern Program which equips teachers to connect educational skills with

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what is happening in the workplace and industry, and the vast number and variety of career options available to students.

The nomination reads in part: “A well-known ‘spark starter,’ Ms. Abbey advocates for support of STEM initiatives to her aerospace, and nonaerospace counterparts alike, rallying both businesses and volunteers onboard to support their local school district and student programs.” Abbey is also visibly dedicated to the greater community through her long-time support of many non-profit programs and organizations including Special

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2016

Olympics, Hope Village, Feds Feed Families and Help Our Military Endure (HOME), to name a few.

Other awardees to be honored at the 2016 gala, “From Inspiration to Reality” include:

CCISD Superstar Award • Jerry Smith • Dale Jensen, CCISD Secondary & Region 4 Teacher of the Year • Kristi Roney, CCISD Elementary Teacher of the Year

George G. Carlisle Distinguished Service Award • Scott Rainey

Citizen of the Year • Joyce BK Abbey

Distinguished Alumni Award • Janet Norman Brown • Thomas W. Horton • Riley Salmon • Dr. Brian Woods

Dennis Johnson Memorial Small Business Award • Carol & Jim Saxe – Putt Putt Fun House Valor Award • Lt. Col. Kyle B McCarthy, USMC (Ret.)

For information contact CCEF Executive Director Kaci Hanson at 281.284.0031.

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Photos by Mary Alys Cherry

Ann and Jim O’Malley arrive at South Shore Harbour Resort, where they were among those honored at the Bay Area Turning Point 25th Anniversary Gala.

Jim and Diane Overman, Brian and Danette Spriggs and Ann and Kevin Brady, from left, are ready to party as they arrive at South Shore Harbour Resort for the Turning Point gala.

Priscilla Ennis and Frank Perez join the crowd at the Bay Area Turning Point’s 25th anniversary celebration at South Shore Harbour Resort.

Turning Point CEO Diane Savage, who has headed the Bay Area shelter its entire 25 years, with her husband, Lakeview Police Chief Tom Savage at the Purple and Teal Ball.

Turn ing Poi nt g a la marks 25 t h ann i versary TWENTY-FIVE YEARS ago some three dozen Bay Area residents gathered at the Flying Dutchman in Kemah to plan for a haven for abused women.

Many of them were in the crowd and wearing big smiles when Bay Area Turning Point celebrated its 25th anniversary Oct. 8 at a big gala at South Shore Harbour Resort – the Purple and Teal Ball.

Among them was Diane Savage, BATP co-founder who has headed the organization since its beginning and is still soldiering on today, with the moral support of her husband, Lakeview Police Chief Tom Savage – providing a shelter and “turning point” for abused women and children.

Besides celebrating, the Turning Point honored several who have been so much a part of its success with the

MARY ALYS CHERRY

Cornerstone Award:  Marvis Carmichael, who has led the “Fill the Truck Food Drive” for the past two decades, raising $280,000 and collecting more than a million pounds of food for the shelter;  Pamela Merrill, BATP co-founder and attorney who did the preliminary work to set up the Turning Point, recruited Diane Savage, and with her created the agency’s framework;  Ann and Jim O’Malley, who founded one of BATP’s fundraising mechanisms, the Men and Women of

BATP Co-Founder Pam Merrill, center, receives congratulations on being a Cornerstone Honoree at the Purple and Teal Ball by emcee Carla Medlenka, left, and Ball Chairman Lisa Dishman.

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Heart Gala, which over 11 years raised more than $1 million for the shelter;  Ramona Hairston, who has long been a BATP Partner and a $100,000 donor; Other Cornerstone Award honorees were Sister Edwin and the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott – all of whom have contributed greatly in various ways to BATP over the years.

The gala -- chaired by Lisa Dishman and emceed by Carla Medlenka, who came with their husbands, Curtis and Galen -- drew a large crowd of long-time residents, who remembered BATP’s founding, including State Rep. Dennis Paul and his wife, Eliza; Seabrook Mayor Glenn Royal, Allen and Myrna Baker, Mary Ann Shallberg, Lou and Alice Marinos,

Drs. Tom and Glenda Murphy, left, and Dennis and Betsy Salbilla prepare to toast Bay Area Turning Point at the Purple and Teal Ball at South Shore Harbour Resort.

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2016

Elaine and Gary Renola, Kevin and Ann Brady, Gary and Sandra Mossman and Kathy and Charles Harlan.

Drs. Tom and Glenda Murphy were in the crowd of about 300, as were Rita and Jim Armstrong, Holly and Mike Kincaid, Charlene Miller, Betty, Earl and Barbara Phillips, Robert and Melba Heselmeyer, Martha and Scott Rainey, Laurie and Dr. David Gordon, John Gay and Becky Reitz and Frank Perez and Priscilla Ennis.

Along with John and Rose Zarcaro, Dennis and Betsy Salbilla, Gloria Wong, Darrell and Fay Picard, Brian and Danette Spriggs, Lisa and Bob Davee, Dee Scott, Mike and Sherrie Matula, Rosebud Caradec, Alice Steele and Pat and Wendell Wilson, to name a few – all enjoying being a part of our history.

Former Seabrook Mayor Gary Renola and his wife, Elaine, and Taylor Lake Village Councilman Robert Davee and his wife, Lisa, arrive at Bay Area Turning Point’s Purple and Teal Ball.

Jackie Daley, left, and Ileana Desalos join the crowd at the Bay Oaks Women’s Association Fall Coffee.

Huntsville – a gated community since 1845 was the backdrop Missy Rorrer, left, and Jana Miller used for their table theme, “She Had a Checkered Past,” for the Just A Pretty Table Luncheon.

Pretty Tables and then some IT’S CALLED the Just a Pretty Table Luncheon, but as most Bay Area folks know, it’s so much more.

It’s hours of work thinking up a theme, getting all the needed people and pieces and then molding it all together into a pretty picture before you get to sit back and enjoy the final product.

And, after 11 years, it is still as jaw dropping as the first one when Angie Weinman introduced us all to “Pretty Tables.” You just cannot imagine what the ladies of our community will come up with each year. They are just so talented!

We walked in to find Kimberly Weathers dressed

as Marie Antoinette, Ann Wismer Landolt and Kippy Caraway dressed as beautiful witches, Robyn Weigelt and Era Lee Caldwell looking like Audrey Hepburn, while Marie Sharp, Kristy Tankersley, Jill Reason and Michelle Richards appeared ready to head to the Indian reservation.

Some of the others adding their talent included Tracey Webb, Cathy Osoria, Barbara Clariday, Nancy and Raven Sanders, Stacy Mendenhall, Gail Ashby, Lori Ray, Cindi Canino, Terri Dieste Peggy Heinrich, Karen McCorkle, Jill Williams, Kathleen Courville, Dr. Cindy Castille, Janice Gornto, Lynn Smith, Nell Veazey, Diana Dornak, Brandi Corrao, Rosemary White, Diane Vest, Ahsley

Gala Chairman Angela Bivins, center, along with Bay Oaks Women’s Association President Jodi Schnabel, left, and Vice President Karen Reed, take time out for a photo as they plan the BOWA Gala, coming up Nov. 5 at the country club.

Just A Pretty Table committee members line up for a photo as the event gets underway at Bay Oaks Country Club. They are, from left, Sandy Allbritton, Chairman Angie Weinman, Ava Galt, Jan Larson, Janine Galt and Anita Fogtman.

Williams, Chelsea Turnham and Cindy Lewis.

Later, they honored photographer Pam Culpepper – not only for her delightful photography but for all she has given the community. And, then after lunch, many mingled among the tables, just enjoying it all.

If you haven’t seen it, don’t miss the next one. Fun!

BOWA Fall Coffee A fun event for all BAY OAKS Women’s Association members, along with the Bay Oaks Wine Committee are busy these days planning their annual gala, which is scheduled Friday, Nov. 5.

It was all the talk as members gathered for their

annual Fall Friendship Coffee and enjoyed some delish refreshments and heard a program by Billy Marberry.

President Jodie Schnabel welcomed the crowd, that included Trisha Gunn, Mary Colombo, Janet Greenwood, Amy Roppolo, Margaret Sucre-Vail, Cindy Zook, Karen Reed, Darla McKitrick, Sharon Phelps, Angela Swint, Ann Dooley, Glenna Crist, Ruth Beecher and Angela Bivens, who is chairing the gala.

Others you might have spotted were Priscilla Ennis, Diane Halloway, Sally Duren, Pat Young, Karen Gandy, Sylvia Resch, Emmeline Dodd and Marilyn Lunney, who had Jenny Brayley and Amori Lunney as her guests.

Three Indian maidens, Michelle Richardson, Lisa Peters and Jill Smith, from left, say “It’s All About Our Reservation” as they enjoy the Museum Guild’s Pretty Tables luncheon.

Pam Culpepper, right, receives congratulations from Jan Larson after being honored by the Bay Area Museum Guild at its Just A Pretty Table Luncheon.

New members Pam Clary, left, and Lori Purvis were introduced to the crowd at the BOWA Fall Coffee.

Julie Jones, Becky Richey, Carolyn Spears, Era Lee Caldwell (seated) and Robyn Weigelt arrive at the Just A Pretty Table Luncheon dressed as Audrey Hepburn.

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Clear Lake Shores City Councilwoman Amanda Fenwick, from left, stops to say hello to Kemah Mayor Carl Joiner, Financial Consultant Peggy Zahler of PZ Consulting and JSC Federal Credit Union President Mike Brown at a recent Clear Lake Chamber luncheon at Lakewood Yacht Club.

Seabrook Mayor Glenn Royal and City Manager Gayle Cook arrive at the Clear Lake Area Chamber Luncheon at Lakewood Yacht Club, where he updated members of the Highway 146 expansion project.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, second from left, and City Councilman Jack Christy, right, get a warm welcome from Space Center Rotary President Darryl Smith, left, and Program Chairman Kippy Caraway, as they arrive at Bay Oaks Country Club for the Rotary Luncheon, which featured a speech by the mayor.

Council Members David Robinson, Amanda Edwards and Michael Kubosh also came down to Clear Lake for the luncheon.

State Rep. Dennis Paul, left, stops by to greet Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner when he arrived to address the Space Center Rotary Club. Both served together in the last legislative session.

Councilman Dave Martin, right, welcomes his fellow Houston City Councilman Dave Robinson, left, and Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership Executive Director Special Initiatives Dan Seal, to his Town Hall Oct. 13 at Space Center Houston. Topics discussed included updates on Super Bowl activities, the proposed Coastal Spine, which has been endorsed by Mayor Turner, and upcoming road projects and traffic enhancements.

Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre was well represented at the Clear Lake Area Chamber Luncheon

by Associate Artistic Director Natalie Cannon Zundel, Artistic Director Nelson Madrigal at right, Board Chairman Clarence Wilson and board member Ellen King.

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Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2016

Breakfast With the Sugar Plum Fairy is coming up Saturday, Nov. 19, with Melissa Ludwig as the Sugar Plum Fairy. Here, she is holding pretty little Sophia Pine.

Nassau Bay Mayor Mark Denman, right, presents a proclamation to members of the Sam Houston Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution as they celebrated U.S. Constitution Week. With him are chapter members, from left, Sue Warters, Deborah Gammon, Mary Ann Shallberg, Commemorative Events Chairman Ilana Blomquist and Regent Susan Adams. League City and Taylor Lake Village also presented the chapter with proclamations.

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Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2016

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NOVEMBER 2016 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

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Space Center Boulevard needed repairs begin

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uch needed road repair work on Space Center Boulevard in Clear Lake City is now underway, Houston City Councilman Dave Martin has announced.

The scope of work includes removal and replacement of several sections of roadway along Space Center Boulevard from Clear Lake City Boulevard to Bay Area Boulevard. Construction is anticipated to be completed by early Spring 2017.

The City of Houston›s Public Works and Engineering Department planned to start repairs on the southbound lanes first and then move to the northbound lanes. During construction, two lanes on one side of the street will be closed from one median to the next median. Traffic will then be diverted to the other side of one lane in each direction near the construction area.

Since being sworn into office, Councilman Martin has been contacted by the community about the condition of this road and has worked with the Public Works and Engineering Department on implementing long-term effective repairs.

The goal of this effort is to preserve, as well as to prolong, the life of the road base while providing a smoother riding surface and safety for pedestrians within our community. Although, construction activities behind closed areas may occur from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., construction equipment movement in the driving lanes will be limited between the hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. One lane in each direction will remain open and the traffic flow will not be impeded during 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Martin’s office said.

During the project, drivers should expect impeded traffic speed through the channelized areas. However, there will be access to business at all times. To ensure driver and worker safety, traffic control measures will be in place at all times. The District E office has also contacted the Houston Police Department’s Clear Lake substation to ask that officers monitor the location and provide assistance with traffic control as needed.

For more information on the upcoming repairs on Space Center Boulevard, contact the District E office at 832-3933008 or via email at districte@houstontx. gov.

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s the Family Truckster

on its last leg? In this issue of Bay Area Houston Magazine, we look at two, affordable crossovers that will help make the miles zoom by on your Thanksgiving trip to Aunt Mary’s.

Nissan Pathfinder Sporting a smart-looking new grille and a boatload of updates, the 2017 Pathfinder brings the stylish, Nissan interpretation to the overcrowded CUV market.

The interior wins the “makes sense” award for its clean, straight-forward design and easy-to-use controls and readouts on the dash. When ordered with the Almond interior, either cloth or leather, a touch of sophisticated elegance is added to the ambiance.

The Pathfinder’s touchscreen is larger now and its brain is more powerful and easier to use than those from 2016.

Should you opt for the third row of seating, expect adults to complain, it’s a kid-only zone due to its tight quarters.

The revised engine delivers 284-horsepower to the front wheels through a CVT transmission that simulates shifts like a smooth 6-speed.

Fuel mileage is now on-par with competitors, 20 MPG-city and 27-highway.

You’ll be able to haul a trailer-load of turkeys with the Pathfinder’s 3-ton towing capacity Ride quality has also been refined, or should we say redefined, with better handling and a nice, seat-of-the-pants feel.

Pricing gets good marks too, starting at $29,990.

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2016

Dodge Journey Making its debut in 2009, you may say the Dodge Journey is one of the oldest models in the midsize category. But once you look a little closer, it may be just what the accountant ordered for budget conscious families.

If there were a “most-forthe-money” category, the 2017 Journey would probably win the “Major Award,” starting at $20,995. Do we have your attention now?

The Journey’s bold exterior styling sets it apart from most others. Front or all-wheel drive is available on most models.

New this year is a GT trim level that heaps on the muscularity beginning with a 3.6-liter V-6 engine, 19-inch wheels, body-colored grille, sport-tuned suspension,

perforated leather seating with red stitching, premium sound and the 8.4-inch U-Connect touch screen that we love.

The Dodge Journey’s 4-speed automatic transmission seems a bit antiquated in today’s world of 6, 8 or 10-speed automatics. V-6 mileage figures are 17-city and 25-highway.

Like others in this mid-size category, there is an available 3rd row of seats that bring total occupancy up to 7, but we’d keep it reserved as a kids-only zone.

Galveston Bay Fishing in November

By Capt. Joe Kent

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f you took a survey of boaters in the Seabrook area and asked which month they found to be the most enjoyable on the water, the answer most likely would be either October or November. While both months are enjoyable to be on the water, November likely would get the edge.

Barring cold fronts, the weather is normally very stable and temperatures a far cry from the summer and early fall heat.

While conditions are pleasant to be on the water, anglers enjoy both the climate and the fishing, as fishing often is at its best during November.

“The Seabrook Flats and other locations all the way to Sylvan Beach are known as trout territory in the fall and winter.”

Flounder are usually on the move and just about any fishing spot around the Seabrook, Clear Lake area is a good candidate to find flat fish.

All along the Clear Creek Channel and its offshoots, like the marinas and boat basins, flounder will be found close to the pilings and bulkheads.

This same scenario holds true for areas surrounding the mouth of the channel where it empties into Galveston Bay. Shorelines on both sides of the mouth produce some nice flat fish during early November, as flounder are leaving the back bays and lakes to make their winter home in the Gulf of Mexico.

While flounder gigging is a popular method for taking the flatfish, during November it is outlawed and the

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Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2016

daily bag limit for pole and line anglers is reduced from five to two.

While anglers are limited to two fish per day, the size is larger on average than at other times of the year.

While flounder get the attention of numerous anglers, speckled trout and reds are the focus of the majority.

The same areas around Clear Lake that are noted for flounder also are good for red fish. One area that seems to turn on in the fall, especially in November, is the cut from Clear Lake into Lake Pasadena or Mud Lake as it once was called.

While the best odds for speckled trout are going to be in Galveston Bay, reds also will be found schooling near them, especially in active feeding areas.

The Seabrook Flats and other locations all the way to Sylvan Beach are known as trout territory in the fall and winter.

Anglers fishing Sylvan Beach say that November is the best month to find specks schooling in that area.

East of Kemah, along the shores of Galveston Bay, trout will be found feeding all throughout the late fall and winter.

During the time when the HL&P Power Plant was in operation at Bacliff, trout and reds would be caught in good numbers outside of the plant’s spillway.

As November progresses, many anglers opt to make the trip across the bay from the Kemah-Seabrook area to fish Trinity Bay. Thanksgiving is one of the best times to fish that area and the ride over there is not that long.

Among popular choices for Trinity Bay are the numerous gas well shell pads that exist throughout the bay, the shell reefs near Beach City and the north shoreline close to the mouth of the Trinity River.

While November is one of the most active months for many people, hopefully you can find time to enjoy some of the excellent fishing and crabbing that are prevalent in the Galveston Bay Complex.

W I T H LI S A D I S H M A N

Find Life’s Turning Points–Silence Will Not Protect You Bay Area Turning Point, Inc.

the cause and speaking out.

Every person in the Houston Bay Area can (www.bayareaturningpoint. begin to create change by org) provides recovery speaking up. BATP is about services for survivors of uncovering life’s turning domestic violence and sexual points and changing attitudes assault and facilitates violence that perpetuate the cycle of prevention strategies for abuse. Finding the courage societal change in partnership to speak up may make you with our community. feel terrified and alone. But I have experienced silence will not protect you, it firsthand, advocating for “Finding the only protects the violator. ending violence against Acknowledge the warning courage to women, children, and men signs if you or someone you speak up isn’t the most “warm and know are a victim of abuse by may make fuzzy” of campaigns in our ending the silence. Reaching you feel community. Supporting terrified and out to Bay Area Turning Point this cause is to face and is the first step in saving alone. But acknowledge the repulsive silence will yourself, your children and side of humanity. In truth, not protect our world. Receive lifesaving the wall of silence and you, it only services that provide critical interdiction surrounding protects the turning points. Call the 24 violence and the severity Hour Crisis Hotline 281-286violator.” of this most widespread of 2525, a safe place to talk. human rights’ issues often Let’s champion and revere become an obstacle. It’s a our community for breaking the barrier that prevents some people silence against violence! from getting actively involved with

NOVEMBER 2016 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

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A Different Country

By Michael W. Gos

Kountz, Texas

S

ometimes I think I was born 150 years too late. It seems like most of the things that I love were from another era—a time when the world was more pure and life was simpler. I guess it shows in the way I live my life.

We had selected Kountz to be our base camp for a few days. It was centrally located to many of the park properties on the south end of the Big Thicket where we planned to explore. We had read about a bed and breakfast there that consisted of a few log cabins scattered throughout the woods. It sounded like my kind of place, so we jumped at the opportunity.

I have always been fascinated by the past. I think you could even go so far as to say I romanticize it to some degree. I suspect most of us do. After all, every society on earth has as part

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of its myth package the archetype of the garden. Basically, this is an image of Eden, when the world was young and completely unspoiled. In most cases, that archetype shows up in a society’s art and entertainment as an image of the wilderness. In desperate situations, when all wilderness is gone, we sometimes see it appear as a small, artificial copy of Eden— the planted garden, instead. But wherever you go on earth, and in whatever time period you choose to examine, the image of the garden is there. Carl Jung says all societies share this archetype because deep inside, we all have a suspicion that life was better in the past than it is today.

From the time I was in early grade school, I fantasized about living in a teepee or a log cabin. I guess today that manifests itself in the places I choose to stay when on the road. In San Antonio, I skip the Riverwalk hotels in favor of the Menger. In Austin, I bypass the high-rises in the

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2016

Arboretum in favor of the Driscoll.

And my favorite hotel of all is the Gage in Marathon. In small towns or out in the country I look for old log cabins. I’ve even stayed in a stone cabin built by the CCC. When I stay at places like that, I always feel closer

to the earth and to the old days, the days that feel right for me.

For the most part, I think that is harmless. After all, things were indeed better in the past. The world was more pristine, less developed and people seemed to have a greater

sense of morality. Life was slower; we lived and worked in the same place, or at least in close proximity and as a result, children had role models of both sexes every day when growing up. We even had free speech back then. Ah, yes…the good old days.

And if you think about it, some of us even romanticize our own, not-so-distant past—our glory days. The fact is, dwelling on the past can be pleasant. The time spent there makes us happy. And isn’t that the purpose of life?

But sometimes I wonder if the old days were really that much better than today or if maybe that’s just the way we choose to view them looking back. I do know most of us share the tendency to see them that way. In fact, this idealized view of the past is not even unique to our own time. Back in the 19th century Judge Roy Bean was becoming increasingly

disenchanted with the “progress” that was coming to the lands West of the Pecos. He saw it as ruining the life he knew and loved. It got so bad that, when he finally couldn’t take it any more, he went on a three-day binge and drank himself to death. He just couldn’t reconcile who he was as a human being with the dystopian life he believed was coming.

“The past is another country.

They do things differently there.”

And yet, in spite of the fact that humans all tend to share this idealized view of the past, do any of us really want to live there? On this afternoon in Kountz, I pulled up to the cabin in the woods in a Jeep, not on a horse. It was July; I was delighted that the cabin was air-conditioned and had ceiling fans over the beds. Last year when I had pneumonia, I was thankful for antibiotics. And I often wonder if I could really be as happy if I couldn’t

spend Saturday afternoons watching Purdue football and basketball games on TV here in Houston. None of that would have been possible in the 1850s.

I guess no era is perfect—but some times were definitely better than others, so what do I have to lose by indulging my longings? If I prefer Baroque music and the French Impressionists or cowboy poetry and Elmer Kelton novels to their modern counterparts, no one is hurt by it.

Why not dwell on the good old days gone by?

Some would point out that the time we spend thinking about the old days is time that can be used in more productive ways. That doesn’t seem like a very good argument against the practice to me. That very thought is a part of the problem with life today.

The idea that hard work and a fast pace are what is required in life is what some philosophers have called the “Western Disease.” (To be fair, others have called it the “Western Glory.”)

The fact is, though, we may indeed be harmed by our romanticizing of the past. Think about this: the more time we spend lamenting and idealizing a world long lost, the less

satisfied we are with our present world. Even more important perhaps, the time spent dwelling on the old days is time we can’t be in the present. If there is one thing certain, it is that the present is where our lives are lived. If I’m not in the now, not satisfied with my present, how can I be happy?

After a couple of nights in the cabin and a couple of days walking around the Big Thicket, it was time to head back home, back to my life in the present. I wasn’t sure I was ready for what was waiting for me there. I wasn’t sure I ever would be. But I knew it had to be done.

Sometimes I have to remind myself that the past is another country. They do things differently there. But is different necessarily better? The truth is, I’ll probably continue idealizing the past to some degree, but at the same time, I suspect I would be better off if I could accept it for what it is, a pleasant distraction to be engaged in every now and then, and choose to actually live in the now, full-time.

NOVEMBER 2016 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

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Todd Caliva named Clear Lake Regional Medical Center CEO

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odd Caliva has been named chief executive officer of HCA-affiliated Clear Lake Regional Medical Center, effective Oct. 24.

Caliva is regarded in the industry as a consummate healthcare professional and has more than 24 years of experience, including a decade at the multi-facility level, Villarreal said, adding that Caliva has been with HCA in Houston since 1997.

Since 2006, Caliva has served as chief executive officer of HCA-affiliates West Houston Medical Center, East Houston Regional Medical Center and The Woman’s Hospital of Texas, and as administrator of Sugar Land Medical Center Surgical and Diagnostic Center.

“With solid roots in the Clear Lake area and our division, Todd’s knowledge of the community’s healthcare needs will advance the strong foundation that has already been laid over 40 years,” Villarreal said. “His enthusiasm and passion for working with physicians and staff

will have a positive impact in the overall delivery of care and patient experience, making him the ideal CEO for Clear Lake Regional Medical Center.”

“I am excited to join Clear Lake Regional Medical Center at a crucial time in its growth, and have the opportunity to work with such an exceptional group of physicians and employees that are truly committed to making the lives of our patients better,” said Caliva.

Caliva’s robust community involvement includes co-chairing the Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council Cardiac Care Committee, an organization that is committed to improve the overall care for heart attack patients across the region; serving as the president/chairman of the Educational Foundation of the Southeast Texas Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives, as well as currently serving as the interim regent of the Southeast Texas Chapter; and serving on the board of the Houston West Chamber of Commerce.

Put an end to loose, slipping dentures

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f you’ve struggled and are

frustrated with traditional dentures -- dentures that simply sit on top of your gums – they have their own limitations. Chewing capacity is significantly lower compared to natural teeth, and there are problems talking, food issues and sore mouth.

Traditional dentures are not stable and do not function like natural teeth.

These issues go beyond comfort.

Since dentures float on the gums, they fail to stimulate the underlying bone. If the jawbone is not “exercised” through stimulation, it begins to dissolve and shrink.

There is a solution: Implant Supported Dentures What are Implant Supported Dentures?

Unlike traditional dentures, these dentures are attached to a set of dental implants using a bar-retained or ball-retained attachment mechanism.

Instead of floating on the gums, an implant denture snaps onto the implants. This keeps the dentures in place without the need for adhesives and paste, thereby providing much more stability than traditional dentures.

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Initial Consultation: At your initial exam, you will see a prosthodontist or a dentist experienced in implant placement.

Initial consultation with a dentist will determine if you are a right candidate for Implant Supported Dentures or not.

Impressions and x-rays are taken, so that models can be created. The dentist will recommend a CT Scan of your jaw, to evaluate a jaw bone quality, and to locate your sinus cavities and nerves.

The First Surgery: During your first surgery, implants will be placed into your jawbone. After making a small incision, your dentist will drill a hole in an exposed bone, place an implant, and close the incision

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2016

Memorial Hermann opens new Bay Area facility

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emorial Hermann brings a new level of healthcare to the Bay Area and surrounding communities with the opening of a new facility in Webster.

Located at 19419 Gulf Freeway, near the intersection of Interstate 45 and Bay Area Boulevard, urgent care, primary care, as well as sports medicine and rehabilitation services are now offered in the Baybrook Passage Shopping Center.

“This facility is another example of our commitment to serve the growing healthcare needs of this community on every level,” says Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital CEO Kyle Price. “Families need high quality care that’s close to home. We believe these new facilities will provide a convenient entry point into the wide range of medical expertise available through the Memorial Hermann Health System.”

Memorial Hermann Urgent Care Clear Lake will provide walkin care for non-life-threatening

with stitches. You’ll be required to wait 3 to 4 months before you can have the second surgery; this period of time allows the implants to fuse to your jawbone.

The Second Surgery: The second surgery exposes the implants through gum tissues. Once exposed, a healing cap or collar is placed on each head to help guide healing. Next, healing caps are replaced with regular abutments. Your dentist will make another impression to help create your denture framework and artificial teeth.

Insertion: The Final Step Finally, a metal bar or attachment is placed on the abutments, and you will try on your denture framework and artificial teeth. If everything fits, the set of teeth snaps on your implant with the receiver ball secured into the cap. The dentures then become the workhorses of your mouth, doing all the chewing (and smiling). Your dentist will show you how to care for your new Implant-Supported Dentures, and schedule follow-up appointments.

Benefits of Implant Supported Dentures •

More stability than traditional dentures

health conditions. The clinic will be staffed by board-certified family medicine physician Heather Peniuk, M.D., and occupational medicine physician Kamran Shabtai, M.D., from the Memorial Hermann Medical Group (MHMG).

Memorial Hermann Urgent Care offers convenient hours from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. For appointments call 281.316.0885.

People looking for continuity of care can schedule an appointment at Memorial Hermann Medical Group Clear Lake. Family medicine physician Marlyn Generillo, M.D., sees patients from 8 a.m. until noon and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Dr. Generillo treats patients for a wide array of issues including women’s health and chronic disease management. For appointments call 281.316.1000.

Those seeking the highest level treatment in physical and occupational therapy can schedule an appointment at Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation -Webster. Therapists are seeing patients from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday. For appointments call 281-488-2815.

• • •

Secure and comfortable fit Help prevent jaw bone loss Restores ability to eat and speak properly and gain confidence.

Learn More If you have lost few or all of your teeth on your upper or lower jaw, Implant-Supported Dentures offer an incredible alternative to conventional dentures or partial dentures. To find out more about how ImplantSupported Dentures can benefit you, call 832-284-4484 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Darshi Patel at Blossom Dentistry.

Dr. Patel is a prosthodontist (a dental specialist in implant, restorative and prosthetic dentistry, as well as general dentistry) with vast experience in dentistry and prosthodontics. She brings experience and knowledge to her patients at Blossom Dentistry. After receiving her DDS, Dr. Patel expanded her education in prosthodontics from the University of Texas Dental Branch. Her education, training and commitment to the patients she treats makes her the dentist that you would want to choose for yourself and for your family -- for a lifetime.

Kidnap victim Elizabeth Smart, now a wife and mother, addresses the “It’s Your Time Women’s Conference.”

Kidnap victim Elizabeth Smart opens up about tragic ordeal

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ay Area residents who likely were horrified back in 2002 when Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped at knifepoint from her Salt Lake City bedroom as her little sister lay sleeping beside her and was held captive for nine months, now know the story has a happy

ending.

She is now a well adjusted housewife and mother, she told the crowd attending the recent “It’s Your Time Women’s Conference” sponsored by Houston Methodist St. John Hospital and the League City Regional Chamber at South Shore

Police give pointers on how to survive shooter

By Mary Alys Cherry

W

ith shootings becoming a part of our lives most every day and many losing their lives to deranged gunmen in mass shootings, several local organizations decided to offer help to the frightened public – setting up two public seminars.

Clear Lake Area Chamber and Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership hosted one in the South Shore Harbour Resort’s Marina Ballroom while Houston Methodist St. John Hospital hosted another to help both the public and the clergy deal with the problem. The hospital hosted

League City Police Lt. Cliff Woitena, center, accompanied here by League City Mayor Pat Halliey, left, spoke recently at two local seminars to educate the public on how to deal with an active shooter. The first, on keeping sacred spaces safe, was hosted

by Houston Methodist St. John Hospital with about 60 clergy and religious leaders attending and was led by the Rev. Richard Maddox, right, director of spiritual care at St. John. The second at South Shore Harbour Resort, and hosted by the Clear Lake Area Chamber and the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership, open to the public.

nearly 60 clergy and religious leaders, representing 30 local churches, mosques, temples, and synagogues, for an informative session on “Active Shooters in Sacred Spaces.”

League City Police Lt. Cliff Woitena

Harbour Resort.

It has taken years to get over it, but she is now opening up about her tragic ordeal, which made headlines across the country. It came to an end in 2003 when her kidnappers, Brian David Mitchell and Nicole Bellow, left, a League City Regional Chamber ambassador, thanks Elizabeth Smart for telling her story at the “It’s Your Time Wanda Barzee, Women’s Conference.” took her into town shopping — warning her During her speech at the they would kill her if she tried to flee conference, she spoke about her — and a policeman recognized her kidnapping experience, but more and rescued her. from the perspective of a new parent, Her recovery from the months of going on at explain how her mom’s rape and death threats were not easy. advice had been so vital in helping But now she is finally speaking out her move forward. She also talked about the horrors to which she was about how parents can/cannot subjected. prepare their kids for something like She has not just survived, this. she’s making giant strides in her Today Mitchell, 62, is serving a life recovery. In 2012, she married sentence in the U.S. penitentiary in Matthew Gilmour, who like her is a Tuscon, Ariz. Barzee,70, received a devout Morman, and they have an 15-year sentence.

18-months-old daughter, Chloe.

conducted both seminars, offering advice on what to do in case one is confronted with an active shooter.

“The problem is everywhere,” he said.

“We can’t prevent it, but we can prepare for it,” he said, pointing out that it is important to calm down, to take a deep breath and try to relax – no matter how hard that may be.

This helps get our brains functioning better, improves our stress response, he explained.

Some things to remember if you find yourself in a place with an active shooter: Run, hide, fight. Forget your personal belongings – they can be replaced. If you hear noise that sounds like firecrackers, it isn’t.

People don’t shoot off firecrackers in schools, malls, offices. It’s likely gunfire, and, if you can’t get out safely, find a hiding place. Get behind a large object. Turn out the lights and try to stay calm.

Most likely places of occurrence are 1. Businesses 53 percent of the time; 2. Educational facility, 24 percent; 3.

Outdoors, 13 percent; and Other, 12 percent.

“You need to be prepared; you need to have a plan. It takes the police an average of three minutes to get there,” Woitena said, “and they want you to make the best use of your time while they are on the way.” Playing dead may work one time, but is not the best way to save your life, he added.

“Don’t hide and hope under a desk either.”

Situational awareness of surroundings is the key. See where the exits are if you are in a large facility – a mall, a school, a supermarket or an office building. If you’re in a room, lock the door, put something against the door, turn off the lights, get out of sight and turn off your phone.

And remember: first responders are not there to help the injured; they are looking for the shooter. Just be patient. Help will arrive. You can survive.

“And, if by chance you are shot, don’t give up. You don’t have to die.

Make a decision to live,” Woitena urged. “And, mostly likely you will.”

NOVEMBER 2016 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

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[EDUCATION]

Staples to exit role as UHCL president in 2017

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r. William A. Staples has

announced this will be his final year as president of the University of Houston-Clear Lake, a position he has held for more than 20 years.

During his tenure, UHCL has reached major milestones and undergone considerable transformation, including going from an upper-level institution to a four-year university in 2014, being ranked by U.S. News & World Report in the “Best Regional Universities in the West” category (2016 and 2017), the opening of the UHCL Pearland Campus in 2010, approval of UHCL’s first doctoral program in 2007, entry into the Texas Medical Center with healthcare administration programs and the 2004 opening of the new classroom building.

“I am, of course, disappointed President Staples will no longer be providing the enlightened and effective leadership that has allowed UHCL to move steadily

forward toward excellence during his remarkable 22year tenure,” said UH System Chancellor Renu Khator.

“But, on a personal level, I understand his desire to take a very well-deserved retirement from the position, and I am very happy for him in that regard. “ Staples is the fourth president of UHCL, which opened its doors in 1974. He joined the faculty in 1979 as an associate professor in the then-School of Business and Public Administration. He served as professor of marketing, program director, associate dean and dean of the school before becoming president of the university in 1995. In that time, the institution has achieved notable success in a number of areas and graduating 2,000 students each year.

“I am very proud of what has been achieved at UHCL through the hard work of university faculty, staff and administration.

These accomplishments will make the university a very attractive opportunity for the next president,” said Staples. “I applaud their work and commitment to excellence and for reaching major milestones in UHCL’s history.”

In addition to leading UHCL to academic excellence, Staples has also built vital partnerships.

He has served a number of civic and higher education organizations, including serving on the board of trustees for the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools from 2009 to 2011.

UHCL is a five-time recipient of the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll and has been recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching for community engagement.

UH-Clear Lake renames schools

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HE University of Houston-Clear Lake renamed its four academic schools Sept. 1 to the College of Business, College of Human Sciences and Humanities, College of Education and College of Science and Engineering.

“The new names reflect a tradition in higher education to organize universities into academic colleges,” said UHCL President William A. Staples. “Our goal is to create consistency and clarity.

Updating these names is a small but important way to accomplish that goal.”

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Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2016

Clear Lake High getting a new look. Photo by Mary Alys Cherry

CCISD plans new Student Learning Support Center

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hen the dust settles

and the state-of-theart Clear Lake High School is complete, the adjacent Clear Lake 9th Grade Center will be repurposed as a hub of student collaboration and community partnerships.

In 2018, The 9th grade center will be used to support special programs such as Gifted and Talented’s Alpha, Special Education’s HEARTS, Clear Creek ISD’s dual credit, and Robotics competitions in lieu of a 2007 board decision to convert the school into an intermediate school.

“The enrollment trends in this part of the school district simply do not support the need for an intermediate school without an enormous shift of attendance boundaries that would negatively impact hundreds of CCISD students from League City to Houston,” said Greg Smith, Superintendent of Schools.

“We needed to get creative to ensure the building is used at its maximum capacity with the shared understanding that when future enrollment trends in the Clear Lake area require an intermediate school, we can turn it into a traditional school for grades 6-8.”

In 2007, the community supported the conversion of the Clear Creek 9th Grade Center and Clear Lake 9th Grade Center into two intermediate schools. The Clear Creek 9th Grade Center did transition into an intermediate school but the school district held off on converting the Clear Lake 9th Grade Center so it can be used during the rebuild of Clear Lake High.

On Sept. 27, the school board approved a plan to use the 9th grade center as a student learning support center, essentially giving adequate space to district-wide programs that have either outgrown their existing space or did not necessarily have a central location.

The district’s Alpha program, which provides enrichment opportunities to CCISD’s gifted and talented students in grades 4-5, will be moved to this location once the Clear Lake High rebuild is

completed and the school is no longer using the 9th grade center.

Currently, Alpha is housed out of University of Houston-Clear Lake; however, access to space and days have been reduced due to the downward expansion of the university. “We are grateful to Dr. William Staples and the UHCL team for providing these enrichment opportunities to our students,” said Smith.

The Helping Each Adult Reach Transition Services (HEARTS) program is for CCISD graduates with special needs. The state-recognized program is currently spread out at each of the high schools, limiting access to a variety of career-readiness resources. Under this plan, these students will be able to receive real work training so that they can lead a quality life and contribute to the local economy. “We envision the student learning support center will have an operational café and print shop that can serve the community,” said Cyndi Short, executive director of special services.

“This program has been such a vital part of a young adult’s life and to be able to expand our workforce development services to them will be a life changer for these young men and women who we serve until they are 22 years old.” The facility will also be used as the district’s special education administration office.

In the area of community partnerships, the school district has offered muchneeded lease space to Operation School Bell, a philanthropic program of the Bay Area Assistance League. The Assistance League has been serving CCISD students for many years, providing new clothing to needy children. This will allow the program to serve more students with ample dressing room and storage space.

The school district anticipates the student learning support center to open in 2018, following the completion of Clear Lake High. The new Clear Lake High will serve grades 9-12 under one roof with a capacity of 2,500 students.

Photos by Mary Alys Cherry

2016 Shrimporee draws a big crowd

Scott Rainey has a hug to welcome Sheryl Berg, left, and Donnie Johnson to the Rotary Shrimporee in Clear Lake Park.

All three are former Space Center Rotary presidents.

Clear Horizons High School students Shahrukh Lalani, left, and Noah Mendoza, right, assist Rotarians Bill Geissler, Ken Gurry and Walt Huff, back, from left, in preparing the shrimp for the Rotary Shrimporee.

Silent Auction Chairman Teri Crawford, center, and CoChairmen Dr. Greg Smith and Janice Albro breathe a sigh of relief as the last basket is lined up for the arriving crowd at the Space Center Rotary Shrimporee.

Jim Saxe, left, and Mike Brown, both long time Rotarians, share a light moment as they take a break from slicing beef at the Space Center Rotary Shrimporee.

Constable Phil Sandlin stops by to check out young Grayson Brown’s painted face as he and his mother, Kristy Caraway Brown, enjoy the Rotary Shrimporee.

Come on over and join the fun!

Rotarians Bill Taylor, Bob Wren, Mary Alys Cherry and Dr. Ted Cummings, from left, stop for a photo while working on their Space Center Club’s annual Shrimporee in Clear Lake Park.

Shrimporee Administrator Gary Renola, right, and Rotarians Kaci Hansen and Judge Rafael Lugo, from left, thank Brian Ellis, third from left, for all his help preparing the barbecue for the event in Clear Lake Park.

NOVEMBER 2016 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

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[BAY AREA HOUSTON ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP]

Hosts Pat and Wendell Wilson welcome Diane Gillebaard to their Seabrook home for the dinner party honoring the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership Anniversary Planning Committee.

Dr. Glenn Freedman, winner of BAHEP’s Presidential Award, and his wife, Sara, visit with BAHEP’s Jane Gayle, who stopped to congratulate him at the dinner party.

Celebrating the celebration

By Mary Alys Cherry

I BAHEP President Bob Mitchell thanks Communications Director Kathryn Paradis for all her hard work writing the BAHEP history for the 40th anniversary celebration.

t isn’t everyday one gets to plan a 40th anniversary celebration. So it is little wonder that those on the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership planning committee took their task quite seriously.

They didn’t just meet once or twice and leave most of the work to the hotel staff; over a period of months they met weekly sometimes and bi-weekly others, examining every minute detail, determining what would work at the site (the South Shore Harbour Resort Crystal Ballroom) and what would not by meeting there and trying things out.

Jim and Jane Sweeney, left, and Marvis and Marie Havican enjoy the dinner party celebration at the Wilsons’ bayfront home in Seabrook.

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Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2016

They went out to UH-Clear Lake to look through historical documents, to be sure their history was correct.

They rummaged through hundreds of photographs that told much of their story. They talked with those who played key roles in the beginning. Then they invited them to the celebration.

And, when it was over, BAHEP President Bob Mitchell couldn’t stop smiling. He couldn’t think of a thing that should have been done differently. Everything had gone as planned. Just a perfect evening with many of those who worked to get BAHEP started 40 years ago on hand to reminisce and look forward to the 50th anniversary.

Such a success that Pat and Wendell Wilson decided they all needed to celebrate. So they hosted a dinner party at their bayfront home in Seabrook, where many committee members reflected on the fun they had had planning the event and began thinking of the big 50.

Eva deCardenas joins Jon Pilgrim, Harriet Lukee, and Jack and Marcy Fryday, from left, on the Wilsons’ porch to enjoy the view of Galveston Bay as they celebrate a successful 40th Anniversary Celebration.

NOVEMBER 2016 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

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Dinah Matthews to chair Lunar Rendezvous Festival as an aerospace engineer at NASA and her mother was a fourth grade school teacher in Clear Creek ISD. She graduated from Clear Lake High and went on to earn a BBA in Marketing at Texas A&M University.

“I was so fortunate to watch history unfold around me while growing up in this area during the 60s and 70s when the space program was in its infancy. I chose to raise my family here because our roots are deep, and I wanted my children to experience the unique, awe-inspiring aspects of this community.

“I am humbled to have this opportunity to add to the body of work that has been done by the Lunar Rendezvous Festival to provide scholarships and to preserve the rich

By Mary Alys Cherry

D

inah Parker Matthews, who has deep roots in the Clear Lake area, has been named general chairman of the 52nd annual Lunar Rendezvous Festival and is already hard at work planning next summer’s extravaganza.

The festival not only offers an array of athletic and social events for the enjoyment of the community, its proceeds provide several dozen college scholarships for Bay Area students, and funds to help support Bay Area Museum and local arts organizations. Over the years, its donations have totaled more than $500,000.

A list of this year’s scholarship winners and donations will be announced during the holidays, Dinah said, adding that she was proud to lead such an historical event after growing up here and working on the festival for the past 10 years.

Her family moved to Clear Lake in 1965, when her father started work

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“I am humbled to have this opportunity to add to the body of work that has been done by the Lunar Rendezvous Festival to provide scholarships and to preserve the rich history of the Clear Lake area, which is close to my heart.”

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2016

history of the Clear Lake area, which is close to my heart.”

She has volunteered to work on the festival for the past 10 years, serving as auction chairman in 2006, 2010, 2013 and 2016; fashion show chairman in 2007; cultural arts evening chairman in 2008; wrap-up party chairman in 2009; and raffle chairman in 2011. She has also been an active volunteer with the Clear Creek Education Foundation — serving on its board for two terms and as chairman or co-chairman of its annual fashion show for eight years.

Dinah is married to Joe Matthews, who recently retired after 40 years as an oil and gas executive and now spends his time fishing and volunteering with Sailing Angels and CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates).

They have two daughters, Holly, who recently graduated from the University of Texas with B.S. in Biology, and Natalie, a UT-Austin sophomore studying corporate communications. Earlier, both also graduated from Clear Lake High.

Celebrate the Season with Fashions and Gifts from The Clotheshorse!

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he Clotheshorse

upscale ladies boutique, located “under the oaks” in the historic district of League City, has been proudly dressing and accessorizing the Bay Area’s best dressed for more than 18 years. Shopping in a relaxed, fun atmosphere has customers coming back again and again!

The shop carries fashions for a casual lifestyle as well as clothing for

the professional woman and elegant looks for the holidays. Sizes range from 2-16. Designer brands include Joseph Ribkoff, Lior, Lynn Ritchie, NYDJ, and lots more.

The Clotheshorse can dress you from head to toe with accessories from Brighton, Kendra Scott, and Waxing Poetic, just to name a few.

Need a gift? You’ll find lots of great gift items as well.

The store keeps up with the most current styles and trends, and participates in many local style shows, including Go Texan, Lunar Rendezvous, The Bridge, and Hope Village.

Informal fashion shows for local women’s groups are a specialty for the shop. If you need a fun addition to your next event or luncheon, call The Clotheshorse at 281-332-2384.

Owner Sandy Carney will be happy to accommodate you.

Why fight the mall traffic? Shop local. Shop stress free. Come by the store at 809 E. Main St. and experience convenient front door parking, free gift wrap, and in-store alterations specialist. Let The Clotheshorse spoil you with its outstanding customer service from a knowledgeable sales staff.

NOVEMBER 2016 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

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[ LET US ENTERTAIN YOU! ]

[ LET US ENTERTAIN YOU! ]

Ballet magic coming up soon

B

ay Area residents can enjoy the holiday

season with the beautiful traditions of the Bay Area Houston Ballet, which will host its 26th annual Breakfast with the Sugar Plum Fairy in November and 41st season of The Nutcracker in December.

Start the holidays with an enchanting Breakfast with the Sugar Plum Fairy and her kingdom of sweets court on Saturday, Nov. 19 at South Shore Harbor Resort.

Festivities include a delicious brunch, ballet vignette from The Nutcracker, an opportunity to have your child photographed with the Sugar Plum Fairy, Nutcracker Boutique shopping and more. For information and tickets call 281-480-1617 or email office@bahbt.org In December, you don’t want to miss the magic of the The Nutcracker. It’s a wonderful experience for audiences of all ages. Performances are Dec. 2-4 and Dec. 9-11 in UH-Clear Lake’s Bayou Theatre.

For more information and to purchase tickets, go to www.bahbt.org

Pat Grissom, Myrethia Wood, Lisa Smith and Diane Savage, from left, work on their Santa’s Helpers Bazaar, coming up Nov. 10-12 in Friendswood to benefit area women’s shelters.

Bazaar to benefit local women’s shelters

P

at Grissom and Myrethia Wood are hosting Santa’s Helpers Bazaar to benefit area women’s shelters. They are a mother-daughter team that believes in using their talents to help others.

Wood makes cozy fleece blankets.

Over the past decade, she has donated over 600 blankets to the homeless.

Grissom wrote Too Much Gold to Flush, a memoir in which she shares her journey from victim to victor after her husband of three months decided he was in love with someone else.

The books and blankets sell for $25 each and half of the sales price will go to the shelter that the buyer designates.

There will be many other handmade items as well. Last year Grissom and Wood raised over $1,000 for Bay Area Turning Point.

The bazaar will be held Nov. 1012, Thursday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 63 Hideaway Drive in Friendswood.

As a college professor, Pat celebrated the positive impact of education, so she started a crowd-funding project - Empowerment through Education.

One-third of every dollar donated goes to a college fund for women’s shelters and the other two-thirds provides copies of her book to women in shelters.

The campaign ends Dec. 15, in time to deliver books to the shelters for Christmas presents. To donate go to https://try.tilt.com/empowerment To read reviews and to purchase copies of Too Much Gold to Flush go to www.patgrissom.com Half of the sales price will go to the shelter designated.

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Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2016

NOVEMBER 2016 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

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Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2016