january/february 2011 intown
1
2 intown
january/february 2011
january/february 2011 intown
3
Peter C. Marzio, The Game Changer These Boots are Made for Walking Houston Renovator: A Better Life La Colombe d’Or Mansion Arts and Entertainment Investment World Food for Thought Valentine’s 2011 The Buzz 4 intown
january/february 2011
intown
houstonintown.com intownmagazine@gmail.com
january/february 2011 intown
5
contributors Gracie Cavnar
Writer, philanthropist, founder and CEO of Recipe for Success, Gracie Cavnar is a fresh addition to the Intown writing team. Her columns, like her life, focus on “up living.” That is, eating, thinking and generally living well – and if anyone knows how to do that, it’s Gracie.
M.A. Haines PUBLISHER
Tess Regan EDITOR
Marene Gustin
For more than 20 years Marene Gustin has written about Texas culture, food, fashion, arts and even Lone Star politics and crime for publications locally and nationwide, through the mediums of print, web and television. As Marene puts it, “if it’s Texas culture, I’ve got it covered.”
Irene Yang WEB & LAYOUT DESIGN
Elaine Brown Katheryn Houk
General Manager for John Moore Renovation, LLC is a professional and accomplished interior designer. She holds several prestigious designations from the National Association of Homebuilders including Certified Graduate Remodeler (CGP), Certified Green Professional (CGP) and Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS). Her previous experience included leadership roles in energy management and marketing leadership roles across diverse industries.
Roseann Rogers
Houston’s “Buzz Lady” has been on the social scene since her days at KPRC Channel 2 in the mid-1990s. You’ve seen her on television and the social pages of pretty much any publication in the city. Suffice to say, if it’s a great party or charity function, Roseann is there.
LAYOUT DESIGN
Jay Ford WEB DESIGN
CONTRIBUTORS Buddy Bailey Gracie Cavnar Brenda Jackson Nancy Kerschen Marene Gustin Katheryn Houk Carrie Kaufman
ADVERTISING 713.525.8607 intownmagazine@gmail.com
Carrie Kaufman
Carrie Kaufman is one of Intown’s newest writers. She has contributed two stories so far with more on the way. A go-getter for sure, Kaufman juggles two jobs while pursuing her writing career, one of which includes performing with the Houston Rockets Power Dancers.
Nancy Kerschen
Houston native Nancy Kerschen is a certified sommelier whose unconventional life in the wine lane has allowed her to work in New Zealand, Napa Valley, and France. She’s the newest addition to the Intown contributing staff and brings with her a wealth of knowledge on the wine industry in Texas and around the globe.
6 intown
january/february 2011
Intown Magazine is published bi-monthly by SNS Media at 1113 Vine St., Suite 220, Houston, Tx 77002. Articles are welcomed and will be given careful consideration for possible publication. Intown Magazine does not assume any responsibility for unsolicited materials. Material submitted will be returned if accompanied by a stamped, self addressed envelope. You can also email intownmagazine@gmail. com. Copyright 2011 by Intown Magazine. All rights reserved. Content may not be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission from Intown Magazine. Space reservation deadline for all issues is 15 days prior to publication date. Final closing deadline for ads that are not camera-ready is the 5th of the preceding month.
january/february 2011 intown
7
Lone Star Wine Shines Bright
I
t’s no secret that when the rest of the world thinks of Texas, they often envision the sterotypes- belt buckles, beef, and a tasty bottle of...wine? Okay, not yet, but we’re getting there. Although winemaking in Texas has been around for over 350 years, modern wine making in the Lone Star State is relatively new. Its history dates back to 1970, when commercial viticultural practices were beginning to take root, so to speak. However, the last decade has really seen a growth spurt in the Texas wine industry and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
by Nancy Kerschen
In 2001, our wine industry was given a significant boost when state legislators passed House Bill 892, “The Texas Wine Marketing Assistance Program,” which originally designated $500,000 for two years of wine marketing to the Texas Department of Agriculture. The program proved to be a successful endeavor, because in 2005, the stipend leaped to five million. Since the creation of Go Texan Wine, the catchy moniker for the TDA marketing program, the public as well as winery insiders have direct access to information and education under one roof. Not to mention, part of the budget is allocated to yearly grape-growing grants to improve practices and increase viticultural acreage. The state stands at 5th in the nation as far as production goes, and has grown to a $1.35 billion industry, visible in the explosion in the Texas winery count: from 42 in 2003 to over 250 currently. Much has been accomplished in the last decade; however, it’s only the dawn of a new era. Like the proud Texans we are, first on the agenda for our vinicultural future is to take pride in our state. Our climates and soils differ immensely even intrastate, let alone from the rest of the country, so why try to imitate those regions? For the
8 intown
january/february 2011
If Whole Foods, Specs, Central Market and even Fiesta carry an expansive array of Texas wine, it’s because they recognize the bright future of the industry here. sake of producing premium wine, winemakers are making bold moves to honor the grapes that do well here by experimenting with multiple varietals. Grapes with French origins such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Viognier aren’t new to our state’s vineyards, and are increasingly joined by vines that hail from the warmer climates of Italy and Spain such as Tempranillo, Vermentino and even Madeira. Instead of planting varietals that only flourish in cool climates, growing grapes that are symbiotic with our state’s warm temperatures is a necessity for producing high-quality wine. Makes sense, doesn’t it? From the Red River to the Rio Grande, Texas vino is also becoming more accessible to consumers. As entertaining as it may be, no longer are you required to take a trip to the winery to purchase bottles because many local supermarkets have designated a separate Texas wine section on their shelves. If Whole Foods, Specs, Central Market and even Fiesta carry an expansive array of Texas wine, it’s because they recognize the bright future of the industry here. The Park Lane and Highland Park Whole Foods in Dallas even goes as far as carrying Texan wine on tap, a Vermentino and Montepulciano, both from award-winning Duchman Family Vineyards in Dripping Springs. At last summer’s San Francisco International Wine Competition, Duchman came home with a double gold medal for their 2008 Dolcetto, and they’re not the only Texan winery with bragging rights. Becker, Bernhard, Haak, McPherson and Flat Creek, to name a few, have all been making waves at contests from coast to coast, bringing well-earned attention to the Lone Star State’s wine industry. Staying true to the Texas spirit, our state has taken the bull by the horns, and is aggressively constructing a solid wine industry here. We Texans eagerly embrace a good challenge and the progress that’s been made over the last decade is proof that we’re on our way to building a noteworthy name for ourselves in the expansive world of wine. Equally graced by our deep vinicultural past as well as our optimistic can-do attitude, it won’t be long before our state is globally recognized as a veritable wine-making powerhouse. So, my fellow proud Texans, tip your hat and raise your glass to the prosperity and posterity of the Lone Star State of Wine. january/february 2011 intown
9
The
Game
Changer by Tess Regan
Peter C. Marzio
I worked closely with Peter Marzio at the MFAH for close to 18 years. One way to convey the enormous impact of his work is to compare the museum that I first saw in 1984, just one year after Peter had become director, with what was there when I moved away from Houston in 2003. From a small, regional museum, the MFAH had become one of the best art museums in the United States. The size and range of the collections, the museum campus, and the educational and public programs had grown phenomenally, creating a welcoming, beautiful, and artistically important center for Houston and visitors from around the world. This was due to Peter’s great vision for the institution and the city. Peter believed art had the power to change people’s lives and he communicated this credo to board members and staff alike. He was much loved and will be much missed.
10 intown
january/february 2011
T
hose are the words of Janet Landay, executive director of the Association of Art Museum Directors and former assistant to Dr. Peter Marzio, who lost his fight with cancer in December of 2010. Janet’s statement echoes those of all who knew Dr. Marzio. To put his accomplishments in the simplest of terms, Dr. Marzio was success personified. During his nearly 30-year tenure as director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, it rose from 30th to the sixth largest in the nation. Marzio doubled the museum in size with the Audrey Jones Beck building, added a sculpture garden designed by Isamu Noguchi as well as a four-and-a-half-acre estate dedicated to European art, more than tripled the permanent collection from 20,000 objects to 62,000, and increased the endowment eighteenfold, via relationships forged with wealthy art lovers like Caroline Wiess Law and Lily Jamail. But perhaps more important than his ability to bring in the bucks was the direction in which he chose to point them. He believed that art was for the people—all of them, and supported exhibits of art from all over the globe, as a way to both educate and include. He knew art had a power, because he was himself changed by it, and wanted to give all people the chance to experience it. As a young student, Marzio was inspired by Goya’s “The Forge” at the Frick Museum in New York. He claimed that the painting had a transforming effect on him, and that, in that moment, he was able to understand the formal elements of the painting. These beliefs are reflected in Marzio’s past, which was as varied as it was rich. He was born on Governor’s Island in New York City in 1943. The first member of his family to finish high school, he earned his bachelors degree at Juniata College in 1965 in Pennsylvania with the help of a football scholarship. Just a year later he got his master’s from the january/february 2011 intown
11
Clockwise from top left: v Peter Marzio receiving check from Meredith Long of Houston Art Dealers Association, April 1984. v With Isamy Noguchi in the Cullen Sculpture Garden, January 1986. v Informal portrait with modern painting behind him, early 1990s. v President George Herbert Bush greeted by Peter and Frances Marzio, July 1990. v With Rafael Moneo outside the Law Building, 1990s. v Peter Marzio with Alfred Glassell, October 1995. v Receiving IMLS Award for Museum Service from Fisrt Lady Hilary Clinton at the White House, September 1997. v Caroline Wiess Law and Peter Marzio at Beck Building opening day, March 2000. v With Roy Cullen and Isabel Brown Wilson at sculpture garden anniversary event, April 2006. v Peter Marzio, Carlos Cruz-Diez, and Cornelia Long, May 2008. v Signing “Masterpieces from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston: Director’s Choice,” February 2010. v Peter and Frances Marzio at the “German Impressionist Landscape Painting: Liebermann-CorinthSlevogt” dinner, September 2010.
12 intown
january/february 2011
Houston is by contrast conservative, it is a city of individualists, and those individualists are both thought-filled and tolerant. That type of community was the perfect breeding ground for a world-class art museum. University of Chicago and his doctorate in history three years after that. He lived and studied in Rome on a senior Fulbright research fellowship in 1973. During this time he also taught at the University of Maryland and was research assistant to Daniel Boorstin on his book, The Americans: The Democratic Experience, which won the Pulitzer Prize that same year. After that he served as curator of prints and chairman of the cultural history department at the Smithsonian Institution, where he was editor and an author for their book, A Nation of Nations, in 1976. In 1978, he was named director and CEO of the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. In 1982 Marzio moved to Houston to head the then fledgling fine arts museum. Though it was inevitable that such an accomplished name as his would appear on the short lists of candidates when vacancies popped up at top museums in other cities, including MOMA in New York City, Marzio was dedicated to what he had started in Houston. He once said that while Houston is by contrast conservative, it is a city of individualists, and that those individualists are both thought-filled and tolerant. That type of community was the perfect breeding ground for a world-class art museum, which is what Marzio created. The next in line of the many highprofile international exhibitions that he arranged is the French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Masterpieces from the National Gallery of Art, which opens February 20th. january/february 2011 intown
13
La Colombe d’Or Mansion A Little Gem Dazzles in Montrose by Marene Gustin
N
estled among towering ancient oak trees, and often overlooked even by Houstonians, La Colombe d’ Or Mansion is an oasis in the midst of Montrose, one of the few remaining oil baron mansions in the area. Built in 1923 by Texas architect Alfred C. Finn for W.W. Fondren, Sr., founder of Humble Oil and Refining Co. — now ExxonMobil, the mansion almost didn’t survive. After her husband died, Mrs. Fondren moved into a home in a new little subdivision called River Oaks in 1949 and gave the Red Cross a 25-year grant to the mansion. The Prairie School-style building housed the organization’s home for mentally challenged children and then visiting nurses over the next two decades. By 1979, the Red Cross had moved out and the family sold the building
14 intown
january/february 2011
for the cost of the land to Steve Zimmerman, an attorney and law teacher at nearby St. Thomas who had been buying up land along Montrose Boulevard at the advice of his friend Mrs. de Menil. “The architecture of the mansions built near downtown around the turn of the century was amazing,” he recalls. “ And I was interested early on in someday buying one.” But Zimmerman feared the one he bought would be a teardown, until he began demolishing the interior — ripping out tacky vinyl and florescent lights — and the bones of the original building emerged. Antique hardwood floors, marble mantels and stunning, intricately paneled walls and ceilings were all still there, hidden underneath the 70’s renovations. To his credit, Zimmerman abandoned any ideas of razing the building for townhomes, and restored the mansion to its former elegance. La Colombe d’ Or Mansion opened to the public in 1980 as one of the world’s smallest luxury hotels. And the restaurant, with its French cuisine, stellar service and delicate china, became wildly popular. And it made a national name for itself when the oil bust hit and Zimmerman starting selling lunch for the price of the day’s barrel of oil. Since then it’s been a favorite of energy CEOs, lawyers, Republicans and even ladies who lunch. In 1996, Le Grand Salon was added, built with 300-year-old artifacts from the country chateau of Comte Henry Greffulhe and Princess Elisabeth de Caraman-Chimay, La Comtesse Greffulhe. The addition of the ballroom made the tiny hotel a perfect spot for weddings and parties. Over the years, everyone from royalty to Madonna to Bishop Desmond Tutu has stayed at La Colombe d’ Or.
“In 1997 President Clinton stayed here,” remembers Zimmerman’ s 26-year-old son Dan, who along with his younger brother Mark, is now working in the family business. “I was 13 and we got to wear little suits to school instead of our uniforms. Police cars came to pick us up from school that day and bring us to the hotel to meet him. I’m not sure the other kids believed we were going to meet the president.” That’s just one of the special memories he and many other Houstonians have of this historical mansion. Today, the mansion has undergone an elegant facelift and the restaurant has been rebranded as Cinq, in honor of the five rooms in the hotel, the five dining areas in the restaurant and the five senses. New executive chef Jeramie Robison has left some of the traditional dishes such as the lobster bisque and rib eye, while adding some new menu items like his melt-in-yourmouth braised short ribs with wild mushrooms. Three decades after opening, the dining room and downstairs bar are more popular than ever, and the five exquisite suites on the second floor offer luxury accommodations including a dining alcove on what were once sleeping porches, necessary since there was no air conditioning when the home was built. On the third floor, the 2,000-square-foot penthouse suite is now an art gallery available for special events. If you’ve never been to this little gem, or haven’t been in a while, it’s certainly time to enjoy a fine meal and revel in some of Houston’s history. La Colombe d’Or, 3410 Montrose, 713.524.7999 For more information, visit: lacolombedorhouston.com. january/february 2011 intown
15
Valentine’s 2011 V
by Carrie Kaufman
alentine’s Day is around the corner and for some this could be exciting… for others, maybe not so much. Perhaps 2010 wasn’t your best year and you’ve had to eliminate some people in your life. That’s okay because this guide is dedicated to all those people who want to make February 14 special, and those who just want it to be over. Whether you are single and looking, in a relationship or married, Valentine’s Day can be special for you this year. All it takes are a few ideas and a bit of planning to have a fun Valentine’s Day. Here are some ideas and tips to make this Valentine’s Day a win-win situation for all relationship statuses. Leave the Houston city limits and the same old restaurants behind and take a two-hour cruise on a Star Fleet Yacht in Clear Lake or Galveston Bay. You can either take that special someone for a night they won’t forget or hang out with your friends and enjoy great food, complimentary wine and beer (cocktails too at the cash bar), magnificent views and live music. The yachts are made with high ceilings and beautifully decorated interiors to make dining an elegant experience. Dine and dance under the stars, stroll the deck and watch the sun go down across the water. The live band will make you want to dance with your loved one or cut a rug with your pals. Star Fleet Marina 280 Grove Road 281-334-4692
16 intown
january/february 2011
13 Celsius is a wine bar and retail shop in Midtown that stores its wine in an actual cellar, at 13 degrees Celsius. The environment is a 1920s Mediterranean-style building similar to wine bars and cafes in Europe. They offer a unique wine-centric experience for the connoisseur and novice alike. You can choose wines from the ever changing and expanding list by the glass, half glass or bottle, as well as fine ports, sherries and beers. Artisan meats and cheeses from the antique deli cooler enhance your wine experience as well as handmade paninis and tapas. If you’re not looking for wine, try the vintage Italian espresso machine that dispenses frothy espresso and perfect cappuccino. If you’ve found your perfect wine and can’t leave without it, don’t sweat it… all wine is available for retail to-go at $5 off. 13 Celsius 3000 Caroline St. 713-529-8466 www.13celsius.com Take advantage of Houston’s year-round mild climate and enjoy outdoor dining or walks in one of the city’s many parks. Take a stroll at Discovery Green Park, Hermann Park or Sam Houston Park. Be sure to check the events calendar for the Miller Outdoor Theatre as well. There are always free events and it’s fun to bring your own wine and have a picnic with your special someone or enjoy a picnic with friends. Don’t forget about Houston’s open patio restaurants. A few places to visit for a nice brunch or evening dinner out on the patio are: Backstreet Café 1103 S Shepherd Dr Houston, TX 77019 www.backstreetcafe.net The Grove 1611 Lamar St 713-337-7321 www.thegrovehouston.com Ibiza Food and Wine Bar 2450 Louisiana St. (McGowen St.) 713-524-0004
Ibiza Food and Wine Bar
So, for those of you in love, you know Valentine’s Day is near, but for those of you who are out of love and single, then you’re aware that Cupid’s day is coming about. Here is how we suggest avoiding the reminders of being single or the pressures of being perfectly romantic. Throw an Anti-Valentine’s Day Party. We know, it’s not the first time you’ve heard this… but hey, it works! Take the pressure off you and your friends by cooking up some tasty treats, delicious drinks, cranking up the music and getting your groove on. Get physical. Okay, not THAT kind of physical. Instead of packing on the pounds with chocolates, candies and fancy dinners, hit the gym for some physical activity. You can even create an AntiValentine’s Day play list on your iPod to burn those calories. Whatever your relationship status is for Valentine’s Day, be creative and enjoy yourself. After all, February 14 is just another day on the calendar.
january/february 2011 intown
17
18 intown
january/february 2011
january/february 2011 intown
19
20 intown
january/february 2011
VINE STREET STUDIOS Prime Downtown Office Space
www.thevinestreetstudios.com 713.203.4600
Free Parking, Close to courthouse, Storage available
january/february 2011 intown
21
These Boots are Made for (more than) Walking The Art of Custom Cowboy Boots by Marene Gustin
A
s rodeo time approaches, Houstonians’ thoughts turn from winter wear to Western wear. And bespoke boots — custom made footwear — are one of those wonderful things all Texans should buy at least once in their lives. Pretty much every Texan has heard of San Antonio’s Lucchese Boot Company, makers of custom cowboy boots since the 1880’s, but there are some local bootmakers who are pretty famous, too, like Rocky Carroll at R J’ s Boots, who fashions footwear for the power elite. R J’ s has been in business since 1938 and Carroll and his father have made boots for everyone from Dale Evans to Elizabeth Taylor (Taylor had her White Diamonds perfume logo on them in real diamonds at a cost of $40,000). President George H. W. Bush has 60 pairs of Carroll boots and his son President George W. Bush as 45 pairs. But in today’s digital world of instant gratification, handmade boots are a dying art. “It’s hard getting young people to do this,” says Carroll, 72. “I love what I do, I made my first boots at six and I don’t ever plan to retire. But there’s no school for this. You have to get into a store and apprentice to learn the trade. The only way I get new bootmakers is to recruit them from El Paso.” El Paso, with its border proximity, is the home of custom cowboy boots with such well-known outfits as RocketBuster Boots, Tres Outlaws and The Stallion Boot and Belt Company. Getting a custom-made boot is a process. Once you’ve had your feet measured, chosen your design and skin, it can take months or more than a year to get them from a custom bootmaker. And they aren’t cheap. Prices range from $500 up to several thousands, mostly depending on how exotic the skins are and how intricate the design. The wait at Wheeler Boot Company, opened in Houston in 1960, is currently more than a year. The family operation, now run by Dave Wheeler, admits it is slow, painstaking work. But work he loves. Unfortunately, Houston lost one of its oldest custom boot compa-
22 intown
january/february 2011
Photos courtesy of Tejas Boots
nies last year when Maida’s Black Jack Boot Company, in business since 1902, closed its doors. But there’s still a little shop in town where you can get your boots. Tejas Custom Boots’ shoe box-sized store in Montrose is a real old school shop, where ancient sewing machines share tables piled with cowhides, ostrich and sharkskins. Here they make everything from Houston Police Department motorcycle boots to leather humidors for Snoop Dog. And, of course, custom cowboy boots, many made from alligators that store owner Mike Kuykendahl kills himself. Here, soles are fastened with lemon wood pegs — not nails — and customers can choose from a variety of toe boxes, scallop tops and heel designs. “You’ d think in a town like Houston there would be more than three or four bootmakers,” says Kuykendahl. “ But young people just aren’t interested in going into the business, it’s hard work.” But the beauty of having a custom-made boot is in the comfort. Designed to fit your every bunion, toe and heel measurement, these boots slide on like a fine glove and there’s practically no break-in time. Plus, as Kuykendahl says, anyone can get a boot off the rack but then there are 10-20 boots out there that look exactly like yours. “ With a custom boot you can have your initials or name on it, your college or corporate logo.” In other words, these are your boots. And nobody else will have a pair just like them. Even though Tejas is expanding this spring — more than doubling its size since the storefront next door became available — Kuykendahl admits the art form is fading. Which just means you better pony up the money now, and get your one-of-a-kind, perfect-fit boots. In time for this year’s rodeo. Tejas Custom Boots 208 Westheimer Rd. 713-524-9860 tejascustomboots.com Customers: Pres. Bush (41), the presidents of Ethiopia and Honduras and Deke Mutombo Wheeler Boot Company 4115 Willowbend Blvd. 713-665-0224 wheelerboots.com Customers: Dr. Red Duke, Dick Cheney and defense attorney Dick DeGuerin january/february 2011 intown
23
INVESTMENT world Are Cash Balance Pension Plans Right for Your Business?
A
Cash Balance Plan is an ERISAqualified defined benefit pension plan. It takes maximum advantage of higher benefit levels available to such plans under federal law. If you and other highly-compensated employees are currently maximizing contributions to your 401(k) and profit-sharing plans, it can be a valuable new plan addition to your retirement program. Cash balance plans are subject to minimum funding standards, and must provide a specified accrued benefit at retirement. However, hypothetical “individual accounts”, such as in 401(k) plans, are used to communicate the current value of each participant’s accrued benefit. Participants receive periodic statements showing the accumulation of “contribution credits” based on compensation, age and service, and “interest credits” based upon a market rate of return. Actual contributions are based upon actuarial projections, and actual earnings are credited to the funds based upon actual investment performance. Distributions from cash balance plans are normally paid as an annuity from a defined benefit plan because their payouts are determined by formulas in pension plan documents. Lump sum benefits may also be available to vest-
24 intown
january/february 2011
ed participants (with consent from spouses) upon termination of employment or retirement Plan assets are protected from creditors by ERISA in the event of bankruptcy or lawsuit. Defined contribution plan amounts are designed to help accelerate “catch-up� savings. For 2010, the maximum annual 401(k) deferral is either $16,500, or if the person is age 50 or older, $22,000. With a profit-sharing plan, these individuals can defer an additional $32,500 for a total of $49,000 ($54,500 for those over age 50). A Cash Balance Plan allows the business to make tax deductible contributions for eligible employees determined under a nondiscriminatory formula which may exceed the dollar limits for defined contribution plans. Cash balance plan contributions are in addition to amounts contributed for an employee to a defined contribution plan.
view your current plan design to make sure you are fully maximizing your tax savings and retirement contributions. For More Information If you would like to explore if a Cash Balance Plan would be suitable for your business, or if you would like assistance reviewing your current plan, please call Brenda Jackson at 713-968-3092. This article is published for general infor-
mational purposes only and is not an offer or solicitation to sell or buy any securities. Any particular investment should be analyzed based on its terms and risks as they relate to your individual circumstances and objectives. Investments and services offered through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, member SIPC. Submitted by: Patrick Lesley and Brenda Jackson. Š 2010 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney.
Ideal candidates are companies with owners, partners or other highly compensated employees who may have neglected retirement savings to either grow their business or otherwise desire to catch up on savings. Businesses should have consistent cash flows and profits since contributions are required on an ongoing basis to meet the minimum funding standards of the internal revenue code. Since the rule changes in 2006, groups most likely to implement cash balance plans include medical and dental practices, law firms, family businesses and certain sole proprietorships. Cash balance plans require the services of an actuary to determine appropriate funding levels. The Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA) created an opportunity for you and your highly compensated employees to enjoy additional tax benefits by adding a Cash Balance Plan to your retirement program. PPA introduced a faster minimum vesting requirement of 100% after three years of service beginning with the 2008 plan year. In addition, safeguards against age discrimination due to cessation or reduction of benefit accruals have been introduced. New conversion rules from traditional pension plans to cash balance pension plans prevent loss of benefits.
s
Your current retirement program may not be taking advantage of the Pension Protection Act of 2006 changes which favored Cash Balance Plans. Now is the time to rejanuary/february 2011 intown
25
.com
HOUSTONEVENTSCALENDAR
Lawndale Art Center Hollis Cooper “Narcissus, 2010”
Museums
THE
26 intown
Bayou Bend 1/16 Family Day: Remember the Ladies – Women in America 1/30 History Series: Living Spaces - Making a House a Home 2/6 History Series: Living Spaces - Making a House a Home 2/13 History Series: Living Spaces - Making a House a Home Blaffer 1/15 – 4/2 Johan Grimonprez: It’s a Poor Sort of Memory that Only Works Backwards 1/15 – 4/2 First Take: Okay Mountain Contemporary Arts Museum Ongoing – 1/2 Perspectives 172: Kirsten Pieroth Ongoing – 1/23 Benjamin Patterson: Born in the State of FLUX/us Holocaust Museum Houston 1/10 – 2/28 Whoever Saves a Life… Rescuers of Jews During the Holocaust Houston Center for Photography Ongoing – 1/9 Rose Marasco: Projections Ongoing – 1/9 Artist Dialogue Lawndale Art Center Ongoing – 1/15 The Adoration of the Mystic Dog by Maria Smits Ongoing – 1/15 Fugitive Emissions by David Sullivan Ongoing – 1/15 Where Pigeons Dare by Rachelle Vasquez Ongoing – 1/15 In and Out of Whack by Kimberly Hennessy & Deb Karpman 1/28 – 3/12 When I saw you last… by Josephine Durkin 1/28 – 3/12 Natural Resources by The Bridge Club 1/28 – 3/12 Working Space by Hollis Cooper 1/28 – 3/12 M4M by Mark Aguhar Menil Ongoing - 1/30 Kurt Schwitters: Color and Collage Ongoing – 2/20 Vija Celmins: Television and Disaster, 1964-66 Ongoing – 2/20 Kissed by Angels: A Selection of Work from Southern California Ongoing – 4/3 Tony Smith: Drawings
january/february 2011
Museum of Fine Arts Ongoing – 1/9 Dynasty and Divinity: Ife Art in Ancient Nigeria Ongoing – 1/9 Teach Me to Sea Ongoing – 1/17 Intimate Settings and Public Spaces: Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Drawings and Prints Ongoing – 1/23 For the Love of Books: Celebrating the New Kitty King Powell Library and Study Center at Bayou Bend Ongoing – 1/30 Form Follows Function: Celebrating 10 Years of the American Institute of Architects, Houston Design Collection Ongoing – 1/30 Richard Misrach: After Katrina Ongoing – 2/6 Cosmopolitan Routes: Houston Collects Latin American Art 2/6 – 7/4 Carlos Cruz-Diez: Color in Space and Time 2/13 – 5/18 Romancing the West: Alfred Jacob Miller in the Bank of America Collection 2/20 – 5/23 Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Masterpieces from the National Gallery of Art Museum of Natural Science Ongoing – 1/2 Secrets of the Silk Road Ongoing – 1/9 Big Bend Photos Ongoing – 2/6 Real Pirates! Ongoing – 2/20 Forgotten Gateway Museum of Printing History Ongoing – 1/15 Literary Effigies: Woodcuts by Charles Jones Ongoing – 1/29 Poems and Pictures: A Renaissance in the Art of the Book (1946 – 1981) Ongoing – 3/5 The Workshop of Ernest F. deSoto, Master Printer 2/3 – 5/21 Paraphrase of the Bayeux Tapestry by Susanne Thea Rienzi 1/15 Sketching the Galleries 2/17 Gallery Talk 2/18 - 19 Houston Grand Opera Recital: “Fairest Isle, or Across the Pond” 2/19 Sketching in the Galleries
Arts & Theater A. D. Players 2/23 – 4/3 An Inspector Calls Alley Theatre 1/7 - 1/30 God of Carnage 2/1-27 A Weekend with Pablo Picasso 2/18 – 3/13 August: Osage County Broadway Across America 1/12-23 West Side Story 2/23 – 3/13 Billy Elliot – The Musical Company OnStage 1/14 – 2/19 Guilty Conscience Da Camera 1/22 Stefon Harris and Blackout 1/29 Sarah Rothenberg’s The Blue Rider: Kandisky and Music 2/5 Lionel Loueke Trio 2/25-27 Music for Rothko DiverseWorks 1/15 – 2/27 Parody of Light Houston Ballet 2/24 – 3/6 Marie Hobby Center 1/8 Real and Imagined 1/12-23 West Side Story 2/5 Lewis Black: In God We Rust 2/10-12 Mixed Winter Rep 2/12-13 Madagascar Live! 2/18-27 Sunday in the Park with George 2/23 – 3/13 Billy Elliot Houston Grand Opera 1/22 – 2/6 Heggie/McNally’s Dead Man Walking 1/28 – 2/11 Donizetti’s Lucia Di Lammermoor Houston Symphony 1/7 –9 The Music of Frank Sinatra 1/14-16 Tchaikovsky’s Winter Daydreams 1/20-23 Verdi’s Requiem 2/3-6 Gil Shaham Plus Beethoven 2/11-13 Ravel’s Spain With Bolero 2/18-20 Kenny Loggins 2/19 Music from the Lion King 2/24-27 Beethoven’s Piano Concerto 3 Main Street Theater 1/6-23 A Catered Affair 1/27 – 2/13 The Year of Magical Thinking Opera in the Heights 1/27 – 2/5 Verdi’s Don Carlo Radio Music Theatre Ongoing – 1/15 A Fertle Holiday 1/20 – 4/30 A Fertle Farewell Texas Repertory Theatre Company 1/27 – 2/20 Bus Stop Theatre Suburbia 1/7 – 2/5 Sex Please, We’re Sixty
Events Arena Theater 1/7 Styx 1/29 Legacy Fighting Championship MMA
1/30 Julieta Venega 2/19 Adal Ramones George R. Brown Convention Center 1/1-2 High Caliber Gun & Knife Show 1/8-9 Bridal Extravaganza 2011 1/22-25 Halloween & Party Expo 2011 1/27 Just Desserts 1/28-30 2011 Houston Marathon 2/3-5 2011 Star of the South 2/3-5 2011 Handy’s Spring Market 2/5-6 2/11 High Caliber Gun & Knife Show 2/12 Mardi Gras Ball 2/19 HHF 25th Annual Career & Education Day 2/25-27 HADA Spring Antique Show Reliant Park 1/7-16 Houston International Boat, Sport & Travel Show 1/21-23 TRISTAR Collectible Show 1/26-30 Houston Auto Show 2/2-3 Build Expo 2/4 H-Town Blues Festival 2/5 Monster Jam 2/6 Quince & Bridal Expo 2/24-26 World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest Toyota Center 1/2 Mickey’s Magic Show 1/18 Ozzy Osbourne 1/29 Harlem Globetrotters 2/5 Linkin Park
Sports Houston Aeros 1/1 vs. San Antonio Rampage 1/7 vs. Lake Erie Monsters 1/9 vs. San Antonio Rampage 1/15-16 Grand Rapids Griffins 1/21 vs. Texas Stars 1/28 vs. Abbotsford Heat 2/4 vs. Texas Stars 2/17 vs. Chicago Wolves 2/22 vs. Milwaukee Admirals 2/25 vs. Texas Stars 2/27 vs. Rockford IceHogs Houston Rockets 1/5 vs. Portland Trail Blazers 1/8 vs. Utah Jazz 1/12 vs. Oklahoma City Thunder 1/14 vs. New Orleans Hornets 1/17 vs. Milwaukee Bucks 1/19 vs. New York Knicks 1/22 vs. Orlando Magic 1/26 vs. Los Angeles Clippers 2/5 vs. Memphis Grizzlies 2/8 vs. Minnesota Timberwolves 2/12 vs. Dallas Mavericks 2/14 vs. Denver Nuggets 2/16 vs. Philadelphia 76ers 2/26 vs. New Jersey Nets Houston Texans 1/2 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
F &G L a n d s c a p e Design • Installation • Maintenance
713-667-7198
www.fandgdesign.com 5110 Elm Street Houston, TX 77081
For more information on Advertising Please call 713-525-8607 or email: intownmagazine@gmail.com january/february 2011 intown
27
thebuzz
1
2
The Frank Billingsley Golf Tournament benefiting Legacy 1) L to R: Frank Billingsley, Chree Boydstun, Bruce Culpepper, Marvin Odum, Don Pastorini, Jesse Saldivar.
Magnums Make a Difference Fundraiser for Making It Better 2) Josette Edwards, Jerry Davis, Monica Pope 3) Dimitri Fetokakis, Jerry Davis
Pure Body Grand Opening Celebration 4) Kirsten Vollrath and Lisa Pounds 5) Amy Nong and Sanita Stafford
Una Notte in Italia
5
6) Debbie Festari and Millette Sherman 7) Joella and Steve Mach
4
3
The Children’s Assessment Center’s Annual Holiday Coffee 8) L to R: Lucinda Loya, Lisa Holthouse and Erin Maggi.
Intown Magazine Christmas Party 9) Artist, Ron Burns, Mimi Sperber-Off the Wall Art Gallery and guest
5
Launch Party at Café Bello for local Author Linda Gayle Thompson’s new book Hookers, Midgets, and Fire Trucks
6
8
7 6
10) Aabha Brown and Kristin Rodriguez 11) Mother-daughter-duo Tiffany Travis and Linda Gayle Thompson
Consular Forum Ladies Tea 12)Reny Khator and Izzy Anderson 13)Kristin Robbins and Lauren Nolasco
9 9
Party at the Gallery at River Oaks benefiting The Leukemia Society 14) Paintings for donation 15) Olga Vernik and Billy Sue
13
15
28 intown
january/february 2011
14
12
11
10
MED CENTER JOURNAL Advancements for Age With the arrival of the New Year comes the realization that we are all a little older, and some the worse for wear. So here are some medical procedures that doctors specialize in right here in Space City to turn back the clock—physically, at least. Memorial Park Dental - Healthy teeth lead to heart health and appearance. Nothing ages you like a set of yellow choppers, so if yours are looking a little lemon, you might want to consider a whitening. Dr. Nishano Thomas and her associates at Memorial Park Dental offer free teeth whitening and massage for all patients. No going wrong there. Foundation Surgical Hospital – Joint replacement is hardly a teeth whitening and a massage, but unfortunately, joint pain is a problem for many Americans, and one that does not improve over time. Luckily for Houstonians, there is a state-of-the-art orthopedic and neuro-spine facility right in Bellaire providing some of the best care available. The Cooper Institute-- with the increasing numbers of late marriage and late start of the family, more and more women have been told that they are unable to bear children because they have reached premature menopause or they can only produce old or damaged eggs. They may receive donor eggs- so long as they are healthy, able to carry out a pregnancy and willing to take on the responsibility of parenthood. Patient’s friends or relatives are occasionally brought in to donate eggs, but most patients prefer an anonymous donor. In addition to using the traditional paid donors, Cooper has developed an affordable approach, the Egg Sharing Program. Some women are in need of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) to become pregnant. If they do not have ovulation problems, and are willing to donate half of their eggs from retrieval procedures, they can be matched with a recipient. The recipient will pay a portion of the IVF charges for the donor, and there will be no egg donor compensation fee of $5,000 as in the traditional paid donor program. Cooper selects only those donors who are otherwise healthy, bright, and are free of genetic and communicable diseases, and deemed psychologically healthy. The egg donation process allows a child to be biologically related to the intended father and gestated by the intended mother. january/february 2011 intown
29
by Gracie Cavnar
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
2011 chimes in, bubbly champagne effervesces, glasses clink, and we tuck into a midnight supper of edible fortune. Hedging our bets for a New Year of good luck, we have devised our own menu featuring a worldwide potpourri of traditionally fortunate foods. After all, why count on just one ingredient to carry the luck load? Every culture has its own culinary enticements for prosperity, but most boil down to a list of legumes, pork, greens of any kind, fish and cakes. Our family’s centerpiece is the blackeyed pea. After all, we are sons of the South. Since the Civil War when withdrawing Northern troops stripped Vicksburg, Mississippi of everything edible but the lowly cowpea, southerners have considered them very, very lucky. We aren’t the only ones. Beans, peas and lentils symbolize money around the world— coins that expand when cooked in hopes that fortunes will too. Germans, Brazilians, French and Japanese are among the many cultures that cook up legumes to ring in the New Year. Local urban farmer Lola Daniels offers three or four kinds of fresh cowpeas at the Farmers Markets in season, so New Year’s isn’t’ the only time we will be eating this lucky dish. But, New Year’s tradition calls for a serving of one pea for every day of the year, so 365 protein rich treasures it is, each chockablock with antioxidants. Hoppin’ John is a wildly popular southern dish using blackeyed peas and the recipe conveniently incorporates pork, ticking two lucky foods off the list. Revered throughout Europe as harbinger of wealth and prosperity, pork is admired because pigs root around, always moving forward, not to mention being rich in fat. Spanish, Hungarians, Austrians, Portuguese and Cubans consider pork an indication of good luck. I use a smoked ham hock from a Jolie Vue Farms Berkshire hog. But,
I will not be making Hoppin’ John, because we are not crazy about the rice the recipe calls for—makes the dish too much like a casserole. Preferring a soupier consistency, we opt to replace the rice with more good-luck food: collard greens fresh from our own garden. Greens are considered extremely auspicious from Denmark to China, because they look like folded money. Ours are a rich, deep green—bound to be helpful in the coming year. Fish has been considered lucky since the Middle Ages, particularly cod. We choose to go local, so nosh on Texas farm-raised catfish instead, simply broiled with a dusting of cumin and served with a squeeze of lemon. Cake always signals good luck and many traditions call for baking in a surprise gold coin to give one person an extra boost. Instead of dessert cake, we throw our charm into a sweet skillet cornbread, which you have to admit is heavenly with black-eyed peas. This year we are pitching in a new ingredient for fine fortune: twelve fresh grapes each. Though there was some consternation to discover that drinking them doesn’t count. The idea is to eat one grape for each coming month to predict how the year will unfold. This tradition was brought from Spain and spread throughout the colonies. It’s a little late in the season for local Muscadines or wild grapes, so we have to settle for store-bought. The grapes warn us to expect a bitter February, but signal that August will be particularly sweet. Thankfully we can sweeten February with Valentine’s chocolate and add in loving dishes to soften the blow. We decide to pop in a thirteenth grape now for good measure like they do in Peru. You can’t be too careful! Wishing you and your family an excellent year of luck and local eating.
Cavnar’s Lucky New Year’s Soup Ingredients:
(Serves four as main course, eight as a side dish) 1 tablespoon olive oil + extra for garnish 1 medium white onion, chopped 1 smoked ham hock 16 ounces chicken broth 1 pound fresh, hulled black-eyed peas, washed (or ½ pound dried peas) 1 head of garlic, papery outer skin removed 1 dried bay leaf 3-4 sprigs fresh oregano 1 bunch of fresh collard greens, washed salt and pepper to taste ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
30 intown
january/february 2011
• Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed stockpot set over medium high. • Add chopped onions, stir and cook until translucent. • Add ham hock and brown on all sides. • Pour in half the chicken stock to deglaze the pan, scraping up all the stuck and browned bits. • Remove pan from heat and allow it to cool completely. • Add fresh peas, balance of chicken broth and enough water to cover everything by one inch. • Nestle garlic head in the middle of the peas and lay oregano on the top. • Cover pan, set over lowest heat and allow it to slowly come to a boil. • Continue to cook fresh peas for 30 minutes (dried peas take about an hour and a half— make sure to add more liquid to keep dried peas covered as they swell.) • While peas are cooking, remove tough ribs from collard greens and roughly chop. • When peas are almost done (al dente), stir in the fresh greens and cook until just tender— about 15 minutes more. • Taste and add salt and pepper as desired. • Spoon into serving bowls, sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan and drizzle with olive oil.
january/february 2011 intown
31
32 intown
january/february 2011