Int may june 2018 (web) 4

houstonintown.com

MAY | JUNE 2018

11414 St Germain Way / Royal Oaks $1,825,000 MLS# 2885218

14331 Belle River Ln / Lakes of Parkway $1,775,000 MLS# 37968154

11406 Chartreuse Court / Royal Oaks $1,525,000 MLS# 55197677

4709 Bellview St / Bellaire $1,150,000 MLS# 92860235

2218 Summerblossom / Lakes of Parkway $969,000 MLS# 46543299

5301 Larkin St / Cottage Grove $524,999 MLS# 84335117

1806 Wrenwood Lakes / Upland Lakes $455,000 MLS# 70392822

With over $2 Billion in sales and over 45 years of combined experience, David and David have the knowledge and skills to provide the highest level of service to buyers and sellers of residential real estate.

Our complete digital marketing portfolio includes: Professional Photography * Drone Photos * Brochure Design 3D Tour Technology * Individual Property Websites * Social Media Marketing & Management

14201 Memorial Dr. Houston, TX 77079 David M Young - 713-320-6453 - david@youngrealtyhouston.com

You enjoyed a colorful 40-year career. Now you are working on your first greatest hit.

You never imagined moving to a community would be so inspiring, and now you couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. Be Inspired.

Four convenient locations:

CONTENTS + Events 8-10 Arts

12-13 Dining Out with Mom and Dad

14-16 John Raley:

A Profile in Perseverance

18-20 The Life & Death

of a Russian Poet

21 The Buzz 22-25 COVER STORY

Dr. Ronald DePinho: A Lifelong Devotion to Reduce Cancer Suffering

26-27 The Game:

Exclusive Interview with Jim Crane

28-29 Healthy Living:

Is Growing Old Alone Unhealthy?

Publisher’s Letter

E

ach year in May and June, we focus on parents. I look forward to Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, and feel fortunate to have loving, caring, supportive, and understanding parents. Whether it’s just a one-day get together or family trips, most of my memories are shaped and formed by them.

It is only fitting that we set aside a day for mothers and fathers and hopefully spend time with them to recognize and appreciate their influence. We have put together a list of some of our favorite spots in town that may help make their day special. Whether you want a quaint quiet place like a bistro or a bustling grand hotel brunch, we have you covered.

Stay in touch with more places to go and things to do this summer at our website www.houstonintown.com.

Because we know how big healthcare is, our focus on healthcare is paramount this issue. We recognize a transplanted New Yorker Dr. Ron DePinho who now finds his home in River Oaks. Dr. DePinho is a true pioneer and leader in cancer research and drug development.

The internet with its many faults provides us with key information about topics in which people are interested. We don’t know who you are; we don’t track your movements, and most definitely, we don’t resell any information for profit. We simply use your information to better serve our customers and advertisers. While all our ideas and party pics don’t make the magazine, we do have much more room for coverage on our website. It does not require or receive the vetting that goes into print. As I’ve said before, it is simple to delete something incorrect or false from the web. In print, it may get you sued.

Speaking of legal jargon, our other feature is a lawyer with a conscience and great story. If you haven’t already seen or heard about the Michael Morton story, John Wesley Raley is the lawyer who helped free the innocent man, Google “An Unreal Dream” on Amazon. Morton’s dream came true because of John Wesley Raley’s perseverance and his business partner Bobby Bowick who held their law practice together while he proved Morton’s innocence.

An unreal dream came true.

30 The Buzz

Intown houstonintown.com

PUBLISHER

M. A. Haines EDITOR

Lisa June

CONTRIBUTORS

Lindsay Mowad William Hanover Marene Gustin Evans Attwell Philip Berquist Minnie Payne

PRODUCTION

Web Design CSS Art & Design Layout & Graphic Design CSS Art & Design

For advertising rates and information: 713.525.8607 intownmagazine@gmail.com Space reservation deadline is 15 days prior to publication.

Photographer Wells Brown

Intown magazine is published bi-monthly by SNS Media. Articles are welcome and will be given careful consideration for possible publication. Intown magazine does not assume any responsibility for unsolicited materials. Materials submitted will be returned if accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Box 980757 Houston, TX 77098. You can also e-mail intownmagazine@gmail.com. Copyright 2018 by Intown magazine. All rights reserved. Content may not be reprinted or reproduced without permission from Intown magazine.

4 | Intown | May - June 2018

Val Arbona REALTOR, CLHMS, CRS RE/MAX Vintage (713) 562-4903 valarbona.com

Morad Fiki, MBA BROKER, CLHMS, TRLP, SMP Keller Williams Memorial (832) 610-4290 HoustonLuxuryRealEstate.com

4709 Bellview / Bellaire

List Price $1,150,000 | MLS# 92860235

Open first floor living with hardwoods throughout, high ceilings, formal living, dining & study (could be BR down). Gourmet island kitchen with granite counters, Dacor appliances - gas stove, 2 ovens, meal warmer & built-in refrigerator. Wetbar with wine fridge. 4 bedrooms, den & laundry on 2nd floor. 3rd floor gameroom (or 5thbedroom) with full bath. Large covered patio. Heart of Bellaire with easy access to 610, shopping, top schools. Per Seller - roof 2016 & 2 HVACs 2-3 yrs, High point on street. Never flooded.

David M. Young | John Daugherty REALTORS | 713-320-6453

Mariana Saldana Broker, CIPS Uptown Real Estate Group, Inc. (713) 629-7771 www.uptownhouston.com

David Michael Young BROKER, CNE, CLHMS, GREEN John Daugherty, Realtors (713) 320-6453 www.youngrealtyhouston.com

201 Merrie Way Lane | Memorial

List Price $1,580,000 | MLS# 73182365

Incredible unique opportunity to build on your own 24,650 sq foot dream lot in the highly prestigious Piney Point Village. Situated on a corner parcel of land and provides incredible potential for any investor or builder. Memorial Elementary, memorial High School and Spring Branch Middle School. Very limited lots and homes available and this lot has it all. Email for Survey! Watch our Virtual Tour Video!!

Mariana Saldana | Uptown Real Estate Group | Phone: 832-388-4040

Members and aďŹƒliates of the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing

Vi sit O ur

Website | Intown | 5 5 W W W. G REAT E R HOU STON LU X U RY. C OM March - April 2018

Wendy Cline CLHMS, SRES, ABR, CPRES Wendy Cline Properties Keller Williams Memorial (281) 858-3451 www.WendyClineProperties.com

Bree Knodel Business Development Officer Stewart Title - Kirby (281) 201-7261 bree.knodel@stewart.com stewart.com/houston

Sima Dalvandi Realtor Keller Williams Southwest (832) 630-7605 www.ezhomerealestate.com

Beverly Smith CLHMS, Lake Conroe Specialist Coldwell Banker United, Realtors (713) 569-2113 www.har.com/bevsmith

Paula Hagerman ABR, Realtor, GHLHC RE/MAX Vintage (713) 306-3557 www.har.com/paulahagerman

Weldon Rigby CRS, ABR Founding Member KW Luxury Keller Williams Realty Metropolitan (713) 621-2555 www.weldonrigby.com

Dionelle (Don) Davis Designated Broker Don Davis Luxe Realty (936) 494-5500 www.dondavisrealtygroup.com

James Brodnax CLHMS ABR GRI CPA Realty ONE Group (713) 822-3423 www.westandloop.com

18845 Harbor Side | Montgomery

11406 Chartreuse | Royal Oaks Country Club

Incredible home on an acre. Resort style outside living area includes a 55,000 gallon beach entry pool & infinity hot tub (salt water), covered outside kitchen with lush landscaping.

Awesome kitchen opens to the living room & breakfast room. Huge formal dining and study/library. Large open master suite down with split plan up with a cat walk connecting 3 bedrooms,2 full baths, game/TV room upstairs. Upgrades throughout! Located in the highly desired Montgomery ISD. Quick access to great shopping, fabulous restaurants.

What a view! Stunning custom home on secluded cul-de-sac with panoramic views of signature island green #6 & fairway #7 – best views in ROCC. Backyard paradise with infinity edge pool, 2 covered patios, outdoor kitchen, fire pits. Island kitchen features stainless steel Viking appliances, breakfast bar, 2 buffet areas & huge walk in pantry. Master has fireplaces in bedroom and bath, opulent spa inspired bath, large dressing area & 2 walk in closets. Gameroom up has surround sound,, wet bar & covered terrace. Ceiling speakers in most rooms, 4 fireplaces, motorized lift system from garage to attic. Tons of storage.

List Price $549,000 | MLS# 69730613

Beverly Smith | Coldwell Banker United Realtors | Phone: 713-569-2113

List Price $1,585,000 | MLS# 55197677

David M. Young | John Daugherty REALTORS | 713-320-6453

Members and affiliates of the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing

| March - April 2018 6 | Intown intown 6 intown 6 W W W. G REAT E R HOU STON LU X U RY. C OM

Vi sit O ur Website

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Marilyn Arendt Broker - Owner Marilyn Arendt Properties (281) 433-9113 mma@castle2sell.com

Ken Jacobson CMPS NMLS# 215044 Vice President/Sr. Mortgage Planner Hometrust Mortgage Company (713) 369-4040 www.kenjacobson.com NMLS# 149932

11414 St Germain Way / Royal Oaks Country Club List Price $1,825,000 | MLS# 2885218

Exceptional custom home in the gated “Estates” of Royal Oaks Country Club overlooking the 12th fairway. Highly sought-after courtyard design around private pool, spa and outdoor kitchen. The Tuscan design features an open floor plan with 5 bedrooms, master suite down, study, game room and 2nd study up. Private Casita and bath off the courtyard. Large family room with soaring ceilings, private dining and wine grotto. The private courtyard entry with pool/spa and Casita is breathtaking.

Covered loggia offers fireplace, summer kitchen and dramatic lighting. Pool & golf course views from many rooms.

David M. Young | John Daugherty REALTORS | 713-320-6453

2904 Suffolk Drive | Highland Village

14331 Belle River Ln | Lakes of Parkway

HIGH and DRY! Home DID NOT FLOOD!! Absolutely GORGEOUS contemporary modern home with unique architecture make this home ''one-of-a-kind!'' 3 stories with nice stone and stucco exterior. Kitchen Aid Stainless Steel Appliance package that includes a French double door refrigerator, double oven, built-in microwave, dishwasher, 36 gas cooktop, wine cooler, Ice maker. Coyote 36 stainless steel BBQ grill and a separate two burner unit with a stainless steel sink at the rear 2nd-floor balcony

Exceptional Kickerillo custom home on prime lake front lot in guard-gated Lakes of Parkway. Resort like backyard with pool, spa, outdoor kitchen, expansive covered terrace, and many palm trees. 19x27 Living Room with 2-story ceiling, huge picture windows to backyard/lake, open to kitchen, breakfast, and foyer. Master has 2-story ceiling, 2 huge walk-ins with custom build outs, study and bonus room attached. Two bedrooms down, 4 bedrooms up + game room and fully finished out media room.

List Price $1,547,000 | MLS# 84049354

Morad Fiki | Keller Williams Memorial | Phone: 832-610-4290

List Price $1,775,00 | MLS# 37968154

David M. Young | John Daugherty REALTORS | 713-320-6453

Members and affiliates of the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing

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| | March - April 2018 Website Intown 7

Arts +

EVENTS URBAN HARVEST EASTSIDE FARMERS MARKET SaturdayS 8am - noon

3000 Richmond MUSIC & DANCE ARS LYRICA May 19

A Day with Marie Antoinette

DA CAMERA May 02 13

June 01 06

A little Day Music: Beethoven for All Beethoven for all: Houston Youth Symphony Dianne Reeves A Little Day Music: Beethoven for All

HOUSTON BALLET May 04 24

Mixed Repertory Program Global Movements

26-27 June 01-03 Global Movements 07 Don Quixote 09-10, 15-17 08 Play 23-30 Swan Lake

HOUSTON SYMPHONY May 04-06 A German Requiem 10-13 Brahms and Sibelius 18-20 Ax Plus the Rite of Spring 25-27 One Hit Wonders June 15-17 Harry Potter and the

Prisoner of Azkaban

RIVER OAKS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA (ROCO)

THEATER A.D. PLAYERS May 1-13

The Lilies of the Field

ALLEY THEATER May 11-13 Picasso at the Lapin Agile 15-20, 22-27, 29-31 June 01-03 Picasso at the Lapin Agile 22-24 Holmes and Watson 26-30

The Catastrophic Theatre

Match Small Ball ongoing thru May 13 The Strangerer

May 17-June 3

Jim Lehrer and the Theatre May 18 -June 2

The Tamarie Cooper Show June 29 - August 12

Dirt Dogs Theatre Co.

Match The Graduate

May 25 - June 9

Inaugural Student Playwright Festival June 6

PINCH YOURSELF!

TEXAS BLUE CRABS ARE BACK!

BBQ BLUE CRABS marinaTED in homemade creole bbq sauce & deep fried BOILED BLUE CRABS SeRVED WITH 2 NEW POTATOES, CORN & LEMON GARLIC BUTTER

WWW.RAGIN-CAJUN.COM 8 | Intown | May - June 2018

Main Street Theater

Match Pinkalicious

June 16 - July 29

THE ENSEMBLE THEATER

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom May 10 - June 3rd

Sistas: The Musical

June 28 - July 29th

HOBBY CENTER May

Hamilton Ongoing through May 20 05 Miss Saigon 19 Marie Antoinette 20 Beatles vs Stones A Musical Showdown 24 Wynton Marsalis

“PICK-2” SAVINGS EVENT

OUR BIGGEST SALE OF THE YEAR! For a limited time only. Wood-Mode is offering unbeatable savings on their premium cabinetry— customers will enjoy 100 percent off their first premium, and 50 percent off their second premium.

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The Shoppes at Memorial Villages 1022 Wirt Road #308 Houston, TX 77027 NE corner of I-10 at Wirt 713.627.8970 May - June 2018 | 9 cabinetsanddesigns.net

Arts +

EVENTS

June 12-17 Guys and Dolls 19-24 23-24 The Book of Moron 06-30 Champions of Magic

7 9 10

JONES HALL

SPORTS Houston Astros Minute Maid Park

May 12 Ira Glass June 01-03 Sound of Music 08 Penn and Teller

(Rescheduled from 10/13/17)

THEATRE UNDER THE STARS June 12- 24 Guys + Dolls

STAGES REPERTORY THEATRE

The Great American Trailer Park Musical May 2nd through July 22 WORTHAM CENTER CONCERTS & EVENTS TOYOTA CENTER May 23-25 Justin Timberlake 27 Luis Miguel June 2 Paul Simon

10 | Intown | May - June 2018

Harry Stiles Shania Twain Maroon 5

May 1-3 NY Yankees 11-13 Texas 18-20 Cleveland 22-23 San Francisco 31 Boston June 1-3 Boston 5-6 Seattle 18-20 Tampa Bay 22-24 Kansas City 25-27 Toronto

Houston Dynamo BBVA Compass May 5 LA Galaxy 25 NY City FC June 9 Colorado Rapids 29 Monterrey

MUSEUMS ASIA SOCIETY TEXAS CENTER

Zheng Chongbin: Clusters of Memory Ongoing through July 8, 2018 MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS HOUSTON

Modernism on the Ganges: Raghubir Singh Photographs Ongoing through June 3 Michelangelo and the Vatican: Masterworks from the Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte, Naples Ongoing through June 10

CONTEMPORARY ARTS MUSEUM HOUSTON

Right Here, Right Now;San Antonio Ongoing thru August 5 Cary Leibowitz: Museum Show Opens May 12 through August 26 HOLOCAUST MUSEUM HOUSTON

Human Rights Art Ongoing through June 3 Faces of Syrian Refugees June 22 through August 26 MENIL COLLECTION

Francis Alys: The Fabiola Project Ongoing Through May 13, 2018 HOUSTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE

Peacock in the Desert: The Royal Arts of Jodhpur, India Ongoing through August 19 Arts of Islamic Lands: Selections from The al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait Joris Laarman Lab: Design in the Digital Age Opens June 24

Knights in Shining Armor Ongoing through May 13, 2018 Vanishing Arts: Highlights from the Beasley-Hwang Collection Ongoing Exhibit Cabinets of Curiosities Ongoing Exhibit Faces From the Southern Ocean Ongoing Exhibit Tourmaline Treasures Ongoing Exhibit

Prime Italian Steakhouse Chef Alberto Baffoni Distinguished by Esquire’s Guide to Italy in America, Houston Business Journal.

Twice been named a “Modern Master” by Southwest Airlines Magazine.

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INTOWN MEAL SPECIAL

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Hours of Operation 11 am-2:30 pm Mon-Fri 5 pm-10 pm Mon-u • 5 pm-11 pm Fri-Sat Closed on Sunday

224 Westheimer Road | Houston Texas 77006 832.804.8064 | www.bisteccahouston.com

Bistro Menil

by Marene Gustin

1513 W. Alabama St. 713.904.3537 bistromenil.com Yes, this airy café on the Menil campus does serve Sunday brunch (and some of the best scrambled eggs in town) but why not treat Mom to a Sunday afternoon tea? It starts with a glass of bubbly before the teapot arrives and continues with elegant plates of finger sandwiches, a demitasse cup of soup, wild mushroom and walnut pate and a chocolate mousse. At $45 per person you’ll be the favorite child offering this special treat. Just reserve early.

W

hat better way to say thanks for everything than to take the parents out to brunch on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day? Mom’s special Sunday is coming up May 13 and then Father’s Day is right around the corner on June 17.

We’re pretty sure your parents would rather you host them at a nice restaurant (preferably one that serves mimosas) than leave a mess in the kitchen when you try to cook breakfast for them.

Here are a few Intown spots that do brunch right.

Just remember: Make those reservations early!

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar

Backstreet Café

1103 S. Shepherd Dr. 713.521.2239 backstreetcafe.net Mom will love Sundays at Backstreet Café. For May 13 the restaurant offers a special three-course brunch for $49 per person with live jazz from Bob Chadwick. It starts with cheese biscuits and lemon blueberry muffins then it’s on to your choice of starters (we suggest the smoked crab and corn chowder), an entrée, perhaps the Gulf Coast shrimp and cheesy grits (a Southern classic) and finish with a fruit cobbler. Add a toast to Mom with a glass of bubbly.

12 | Intown | May - June 2018

Bistro Menil

2405 W. Alabama St. 713.520.5959 flemingssteakhouse.com Fleming’s River Oaks will open for brunch at 10:00 a.m. just for Mother’s Day and will offer a special three-course menu for Mom for $47.

Courses are appetizer, entrée (with sides) and dessert. There are some “brunchy” choices such as a crab cake eggs Benedict but the porcini-crusted filet mignon with Gorgonzola cream would be a great treat for Mom. There are some featured beverages but since this is a wine bar, opt for one of many bottles of wine Flemings offers.

FOOD

Grace’s

3111 Kirby Dr. 713.728.6410 gracesonkirby.com Besides a beautiful dining room decorated with collectables from Granny’s kitchen, the menu at Grace’s is everything a Texan could want for brunch. Try the biscuits and jalapeño gravy with a side of crispy wood-smoked bacon or waffles and wings drenched in thick syrup. You want Tex-Mex? You’re also in luck with the spicy beef and chorizo picadillo and the pork guisada tacos with breakfast potatoes. Add a pitcher of mimosas and you’ll make both parents happy.

Hotel Granduca Houston’s Ristorante Cavour

161080 Uptown park blvd.

713.418.1000 granducahouston.com This may be the most elegant Mother’s Day brunch in town.

Mom will swoon at the old world charm of Ristorante Cavour in the Hotel Granduca. For Sunday brunch they set out a beautiful spread of Italian classics and brunch favorites. Seventy five dollars per person on Mother’s Day allows you to enjoy an even larger feast fit for an Italian contessa including tables laden with pan-roasted salmon, stuffed chicken and slow-roasted prime rib with horseradish sauce. There’s also an omelet station where you can customize your egg dish and a table just for breakfast sweets. Or Mom may prefer the luxurious pâtés and smoked seafood, either way she’ll love being treated like royalty.

State of Grace

3258 Westheimer Rd. 832.942.5080 stateofgracetx.com This showy eatery in River Oaks hosts weekly Sunday brunch but we think both parents would enjoy being treated here on their special days. Must-trys are the big biscuit sandwich with country ham and sweet jam, the smoked salmon hash topped with a dollop of trout roe and the roasted oysters.

There are also some Tex-Mex items to choose from and brunch standards like shrimpy grits and deviled eggs.

Tony Mandola’s Gulf Coast Kitchen

1212 Waugh Dr. 713.528.3474 tonymandolas.com This Gulf Coast legend opens at 10:00 a.m. on Sundays so it makes a nice early spot for either Mom or Dad. Brunch is served until 3:00 p.m. Known for its fresh seafood dishes, Tony Mandola’s brunch menu offers a mean crawfish Creole omelet and a lobster tail or crab cake eggs Benedict. Pair with a Cajun Bloody Mary and your folks will be happy for the rest of the day.

May - June 2018

| Intown |13

A repertoire of adjectives describe Houston attorney John Wesley Raley of Raley & Bowick, L.L.P, but one stands out –“persevering.”

By Minnie Payne Raley, a civil trial lawyer whose firm focuses mostly on commercial litigation is not afraid to take on murder cases when he believes the accused is actually innocent and suffered injustice. One such noteworthy case involved Michael Morton, who spent nearly 25 years in prison before being exonerated by DNA evidence through Raley’s efforts.“Very few people can look to somebody and say that you owe your life to him,” Morton says. “I can point to him [Raley] and say, ‘That’s the guy. That’s the guy who got me out. He’s my friend. He’s my brother. When somebody does something like that for you, you’re never the same.”

Raley received a phone call in 2004 from the New York based Innocence Project and was asked to handle Morton’s case pro bono. Morton had been convicted in 1987 in Williamson County, Texas for the murder of his wife Christine. His defense at trial was that she was murdered by an unknown home intruder while he was at work.

“I had never handled a criminal case before, but the Innocence Project heard about me from a friend who saw me try a brain damage case in Houston,” Raley explains. “I read Michael’s case file and realized there was no solid evidence of guilt. I visited Michael in prison, and was incredibly moved 14 | Intown | May - June 2018

by his honesty. I came home and told my wife, Kelly, ‘My God, he’s innocent! We have to get him out!’

She looked me squarely in the eyes and said, ‘Then do it.’”

It was a six and one-half year fight in state and federal courts to obtain DNA testing on a bloody bandana found near the murder scene, opposed by the local DA every step of the way. Raley promised Morton he would never quit.

When Raley finally won the right to test the bandana’s DNA, the results proved Morton innocent, identified the actual murderer, and solved the case of another murder committed by the same man. Michael Morton was declared “actually innocent” under Texas law. Raley and the Innocence Project also figured out that Morton’s original prosecutor(who by the time of Raley’s involvement had become a District Judge) concealed important evidence of Morton’s innocence during the 1987 trial. This resulted in the former prosecutor’s removal from the bench, disbarment, and serving of time in jail. The “Michael Morton Act” now requires all Texas prosecutors to disclose their investigations to the court and defense counsel.

Raley thanks his law partner, Bobby Bowick, for carrying the firm when Raley was away on the Morton case. “I could not have done it without him,” said Raley. Raley adds that in the firm’s bread-and-butter complex commercial

THE EVOLUTION OF A BETTER EXPERIENCE

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At Stewart Title we are constantly evolving to provide you with a better experience. At our new office on Richmond Avenue, you’ll enjoy closings that meet the unique needs of your customers. That’s how we turn transactions into celebrations and deliver experiences that honor this milestone in their lives.

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Bree Knodel Business Development Officer Houston Division Stewart Title Company – Kirby 2925 Richmond Avenue, Suite 1500 Houston, Texas 77098 713.528.5007 office 281.201.7261 main bree.knodel@stewart.com stewart.com

© 2018 Stewart Title. All rights reserved. | 233003989

May - June 2018

| 15

cases, including patent infringement, Bowick (who has two engineering degrees) “tries very hard to explain science to me.” “This is often humorous, but we get it done.”

When asked if he were in charge of making the laws of Texas, what changes would he enact, he replied that he is absolutely opposed to governmental decisions that discriminate against any group of people. “Equal rights, and equal justice under the law, are bedrock principles,” he proclaims. “I am concerned that these fundamental values are eroding.”Several influential Texans recently tried to persuade Raley to run for statewide office, including U.S. Senator and Attorney General. He politely declined, saying that although it would be a great honor to represent Texans, it was not the right time for him and his family. “It is something I may consider in the future,” he said.

Raley earned a B.A. in Letters (History, Literature, and Philosophy) summa cum laude from the University of Oklahoma, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, played Offensive Guard on the O.U. Varsity football team, and was a Rhodes Scholarship finalist. While earning his J.D. at Oklahoma University Law Center, he served as Note Editor of the Oklahoma Law Review and was named“Best Speaker” in the school-wide moot court competition. He was awarded a Rotary Fellowship, and obtained a LL.M. from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.

Fulbright and Jaworski, L.L.P. interviewed Raley during law school. He thought he would “come to Houston for a few years of top flight training and then return to Oklahoma.”However, “Kelly and I fell in love with Houston and put down roots. It was a great place to raise our children.” Raley was a litigation partner at Fulbright many years. Later teaming up with his law partner, Bobby Bowick, lead to verdicts, judgments, and recovered settlements exceeding $200 million. Raley has been first chair trial counsel in over 40 jury trials in complex civil matters. His tenacity and skill are internationally recognized, and he has been featured in or interviewed by 16 | Intown | May - June 2018

Left, Raley on “60 Minutes”. Right, Raley and law firm partner Bobby Bowick

CNN, FOX News, Texas Monthly, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, Katie Couric, and 60 Minutes. He has represented several celebrity clients, including Maya Angelou, Brian Bosworth, Richard “Racehorse” Haynes, and Hilary Duff.

Raley’s advice to recent law graduates: “Find an area of practice you are passionate about, then roll up your sleeves and go to work. No matter what, preserve your integrity. A good reputation can take years to build and be lost in an instant.”

Raley enjoys teaching adult Sunday School at Chapelwood United Methodist Church. He also loves acting in local

theaters. “It is my ‘empty nester’ hobby.

It’s a great deal of fun and, like all art, deeply therapeutic.”

A successful marriage of 33 years proves that he and wife Kelly are doing something right. His advice: “Have a sense of humor, especially about yourself. Don’t go to bed angry. Find a way to discuss issues calmly and work them out. Important matters should be jointly decided. Remember that true love is manifested in action, in deeds that show that you care more for your partner than yourself. Be honest, always. **More on the story of Morton’s fight for justice can be seen in the documentary, “An Unreal Dream”.

The Raley Family - Will, Kate, Kelly, John and Wesley

May - June 2018

| 17

The Life and Death of a Russian Poet

By Philip Berquist

18 | Intown | May - June 2018

O

n April 1 one year ago, the world lost a great voice.

Doubtful that many Americans noticed, but all Russians did! Yevgeny Yevtushenko lived a long and fruitful life, full of creative writing as well as controversy. A man who stood up to and backed down from Khrushchev, met Nixon in the White House, knew the Kennedy’s, was published in Playboy Magazine, and was on the cover of Time Magazine.

I last talked to him a couple of weeks before he died. He never mentioned his final illness. I was on my way to a consular event out of town when the Consul General of Russia, Alexander Zakharov, called me and told me, some twenty minutes after he passed.

Yevgeny Yevtushenko (“Zhenya”) was a force of nature, born in Siberia. The people intimately aware of his huge output of words usually fell into one of two categories - great admirer, or great detractor, I was, and remain, firmly in the first category.

I first saw him on July 18, 1993, in St. Petersburg, Russia, his 60th birthday (actually 61st - for some reason he let the mistake pass, too many 1933 birth references in books I suppose). I was there on vacation with some friends. After checking into our hotel, I found a magazine in English, “What’s Going on in St. Petersburg.” There it was - “A Literary Evening with Yevgeny Yevtushenko, a national celebration of his 60th birthday” to be held that evening in Otyabrsky Concert Hall. I was familiar with Yevtushenko via my love of the music of Dmitri Shostakovich, who had written two major works to his poetry. I begged my friends to go, they said that I should go and that they would drink. I went, they drank.

Every seat, 3,727 in all, was filled and it was being televised all over Russia. There was intermittent music, sung to his poems, but the main event was Yevtushenko himself. I was totally unprepared for what I experienced. First of all, I did not speak Russian, not to mention that this was my first poetry reading. But I knew the words to his greatest work, “Babi Yar”, the title piece of Shostakovich’s 13th Symphony. The mood of the crowd changed with each poem - laughter, chilling silence, tears, whispers, flowers and personal notes sent to the stage. Yevtushenko was a large man, 6’2” and about 225 pounds. Like a heavyweight champion boxer he ripped the poems out of his chest with his long arms, whispering some lines, shouting others, running up and down the stage.

To say that Yevtushenko was charismatic is an understatement.

Dressed always outlandishly with brightly colored ties, shirts, and suits, he was a flamboyant spectacle to see. To witness him performing was spellbinding.

I headed back to the hotel. My buddies were at the bar, and I did not even try to tell them about it. “Butilka Piva, pozhulaysta”, “a bottle of beer, please” was all that I could say, and I sat there with my beer and thoughts.

Five months later I was in Portland, Oregon on business. I again found a magazine, “What’s Going on in Portland” and Yevtushenko was to be at Portland State on Thursday night. I called my wife, Lisa, in Houston and told her that I would stay longer as I had to meet this guy. And I did.

In what I would personally experience many times myself, Yevtushenko had a local person, in this instance, a professor of poetry at Portland State, accompany him on stage for his read-

ing of “The City of Yes, and The City of No.” First Yevtushenko reading a stanza in Russian, following by the poor poetry sap reading the same lines in English. To ensure that there was no confusion as to who was the boss, Yevtushenko would playfully mock the professor at his “lack of emphasis, style, diction, emotion...” He would do that to me later when I was the poor sap, telling delighted audiences that I was a “silly Houston banker who cannot read poetry properly...” Lots of laughs at your expense was what you got when you played the straight man to Zhenya!

After the reading I met him at the autograph table and asked him if he had ever read in Houston, he said no, and that I should invite him. A performance at Rice University soon followed.

Over nearly twenty five years Zhenya sometimes stayed in our garage apartment and would write. He was always writing.

I was fortunate to have him often ask me for advise on what he was trying to say interpreting his latest works in English.

Again, I might be able to order a beer in Russian and know the lines to “Babi Yar” but that was about it. Still, when asked, I would give him my suggestions. In a significant program book for the Baltimore Symphony, he graciously included my name as one of three interpreters. What an honor.

The 13th Symphony, “Altered Lines” and His Detractors Regarding the Shostakovich Symphony 13, background is necessary.

“Babi Yar” (Old Women’s Ravine”) is in Kiev, Ukraine. In late September, 1941, the Nazi’s marched into Kiev. A series of booby-trapped bombings by the retreating Russian army killed numerous German senior officers, setting into motion a most horrifying weekend - 33,771 Jews were machine-gunned to death at the ravine. Twenty years later, in 1961, Zhenya visited Babi Yar and found that it was being used as a garbage dump.

There was no memorial of any kind to acknowledge the tragedy of twenty years earlier. He immediately wrote a poem condemning the lack of a memorial as being symbolic of Russian anti-Semitism. Due to the political times of the Soviet Union, the poem was not allowed to be published. It was circulated via

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“samizdat” which some of us remember as blue lithograph pages. While the poem was “underground” it was quickly known all over the Soviet Union.

Composer Shostakovich read the poem and wanted to put it to a score for symphonic orchestra, bass soloist, and a choir of basses. He tried repeatedly to get Yevtushenko on the phone at his mother’s apartment in Moscow. They thought that they were prank calls. Finally Zhenya took the telephone and realized that it was, indeed, Dmitri Shostakovich. Shostakovich asked permission to set the poem to music and Zhenya immediately granted it. Shostakovich then invited him over to his apartment to hear it - he had already written it!

Soon, Shostakovich expanded the cantata to a full-blown symphony using four more of his poems. Within a year, the now-five movement 13th Symphony was ready for performance. Or was it?

Since the poem was still not allowed to be published, it should not surprise that a symphony by Shostakovich and Yevtushenko criticizing Soviet anti-Semitism and life in general in the USSR would stir major concerns for Russian Premiere Nikita Khrushchev in the Kremlin. This was a very dangerous situation for both men. Great pressure was put to bear that the performance not take place at all. The Soviet conductor, who had premiered nearly all of Shostakovich’s symphonies, became “indisposed”, as did his replacement. Finally Kirill Kondrashin agreed to conduct. Similarly, the bass soloist became “ill” as did his replacement. A third soloist was secured and the performance took place to a full house at the Great Conservatory in Moscow in front of many KGB officers watching the crowed reaction, who applauded, who did not, etc. Still, the first performance took place.

Then another problem as the Soviets demanded that some of the lines of “Babi Yar” be changed. After all, they claimed, Babi Yar had also been a place of execution by the Germans of Russians, gypsies, homosexuals and medical “misfits.” There was “no reason” to state that only Jews were murdered. To have another performance, the Soviets demanded that some new lines be substituted. In an exhausting showdown, both Shostakovich and Yevtushenko finally consented in order to save the symphony. A few other performances were given before the Kremlin outlawed others. A manuscript with the original lines was smuggled out of the USSR in 1970 and the West premiere was given that year by the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy but the 13th was still not performed until Gorbachev allowed it during “Peristroika” in the late 1980’s in the Soviet Union. The altering of the lines caused many to become Yevtushenko detractors.

Speaking of great admirers and detractors, I heard the 13th performed in London by the London Symphony, conducted by the famed cellist and maestro Mstislav (Slava) Rostropovich. He and his wife, Galina Vishnevskya, prob20 | Intown | May - June 2018

ably the greatest Russian soprano of the 20th century, were great friends and confidants of Shostakovich. They had even hidden him at their dacha when the composer was in grave danger. As for Zhenya, Slava was a great admirer and Galina was a great detractor. I went backstage after the concert and whispered to Rostropovich that I brought him greetings from Yevtushenko. He was startled, hugged me and kissed me on both cheeks. Very Russian. He told Galina, the great detractor, who was standing next to him, about my greeting and I have never been stared at so coldly. Seeing his wife’s response Slava ignored it and immediately introduced me to the woman next to Galina, none other that Irina Antonovich Shostakovich, Shostakovich’s widow. What a night!

In 2008, I convinced the Houston Symphony to perform the 13th, original lines, naturally. Music Director Hans Graf was a big Shostakovich fan and a Yevtushenko admirer.

Regularly I would call Zhenya from our fire-pit late in the evening to talk to him (actually, it was usually him talking to me). He lived alternatively in Tulsa and Moscow. He taught at the University of Tulsa for twenty five years. Once I asked him “why Tulsa” and he told me, “First, Tulsa reminds me of my birthplace in Siberia, and secondly, they let me teach on Tuesday’s only, allowing me to travel for performances and still get home by Monday night.”

Health issues started coming to him, including an ankle replacement in Moscow that became infected and finally resulted in the amputation of his leg. Then cancer came calling.

Yevtushenko was laid to rest last April in the artist’s dacha colony of Peredelkino, some 45 minutes south of Moscow. His grave is near that of Boris Pasternak (author of Dr Zhivago), his friend. I have been to Perdelkino for Zhenya’s 75th (76th) birthday and know his resting place well. I hope to visit again.

The

BUZZ

By Lindsay Mowad

Bob Devlin & Kendra Rohrer

Janet and Bill Swanstrom

Stephany Olsen LeGrand and Curt Karges

Eileen and Kase Lawal

Society for the Performing Arts Presents 2018 Gala

Paul and Katherine Murphy

The SPA recently held their annual gala, In the Garden of Good and Evil.

Chairs for the evening were Linda and Willie Chiang, Melanie Gray and Mark Wawro, (Elizabeth and Tim Vail and Sharon and Tim Taylor were unable to attend).

ConocoPhillips was the Honoree and has been a proud supporter of the SPA for more than three decades.

Bergner & Johnson transformed the ballroom into a magical New Orleans Garden District, complete with lush hedge of boxwood that surrounded the stage, cascading greenery and beautiful crystal chandeliers.

There were over 300 guests in the crowd that were led into the ballroom with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

The entertainment for the evening was OFF THE REKORD Band and guests danced until late in the night.

The SPA 2018 Gala will help ensure that Houston remains an important cultural hub for our region, and that over 100,000 Houstonians of all ages have access to world class performing arts experiences each year.

Kirby and Stephanie Shanks

Linda and Willie Chiang

June and Steve Christensen

Edward and Theresa Mallett

Theresa Einhorn and Don Yurewicz

Melanie Gray and Mark Wawro Joel Kalmen and Chree Boydstun John and Ellen Rutherford

May - June 2018

| Intown | 21

Healthcare Focus

Dr. Ronald DePinho

Cover

DePinho at mayoral proclamation ceremony

Physician Scientist with a LIfelong Devotion to Reduce Cancer Suffering

By William Hanover

Recently, Mayor Sylvester Turner recognized the contributions of Ronald A. DePinho, M.D. to our community and the world at a City Hall ceremony. I have since learned more about the person and leader that inspired the Mayor’s Proclamation.

Ron is an internationally renowned physician-scientist whose name is often associated with significant scientific discoveries in the field of cancer and aging.

He is often described around the world as a scientist, innovator, healthcare leader, entrepreneur, patient advocate, and a collaborator all rolled up into one person. The significance and breadth of his research contributions and the impact of his leadership are notable.

Most recently, Ron served with distinction as MD Anderson Cancer Center’s fourth president from 2011-2017.

A change-agent, he was recruited to this top post for his innovative skills and entrepreneurial thinking with the goals of elevating the quality of research and care.

22 | May - June 2018

At the nation’s top-ranked hospital for cancer care (MD Anderson), Ron conceived and launched a highly ambitious Cancer Moon Shots Program designed to more rapidly convert knowledge into dramatic reductions in cancer suffering and death. This multi-billion dollar initiative has yielded many practice-changing advances in a number of cancers and inspired the national moon shots program launched by former Vice President Biden. During his six-year tenure, Ron also dramatically expanded and improved basic research and training programs, recruited many world class faculty including cancer immunologist Jim Allison, modernized MD Anderson’s digital research and patient care infrastructure, secured record philanthropy of more than $1.2B and clinical revenue of $3B over a 5 year period, and expanded MD Anderson’s global network to 34 institutions in 24 countries which collectively reach one-third of the global population.

Today he is in a new place with a freedom to propagate his ideas as a world leader in trying to cure cancer, extend lives and reduce suffering of peo-

STORY

ple as they age. He believes in education and prevention as a healthy aging tool.

He believes that up to 50% of cancers are preventable by lifestyle changes (see top ten tips).

Ron’s sense of urgency continues today as a faculty member in the Department of Cell Biology at MD Anderson where he leads a 20 person research lab pushing the frontiers of science, helping indigent and VIP patients alike. Ron has returned to his entrepreneurial roots launching a new biotech company developing critical drugs for patients in need.

He is helping to build a global collaboration framework to better coordinate efforts across the many diverse stakeholders in the cancer community (funders, patient advocacy groups, academia, biopharma, policy, and government) to accelerate progress in the prevention and treatment of cancer in many countries.

In this month alone, he visited with leaders in Beijing, London and the Vatican.

Born into a family of poor immigrants from Portugal, Ron was the third of the five children of Alvaro and Celeste DePinho who, in 1939, settled into the Bronx, New York. The family’s first home in America was located near the gates of the Fordham University campus. When Ron graduated summa cum laude and Salutatorian from Fordham in 1977,

MD Anderson facility circa 1941

with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, he fulfilled his father’s dream for his children to have a better life through hard work and higher education. Taking his father’s dream one step further, Ron received his medical degree with distinction in microbiology and immunology in 1981 from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where he later received its distinguished alumnus award.

With an early curiosity to understand the “why” of disease, Ron did an internship and residency in internal medicine at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. He then devoted the next stage of his career to learning science and working in the laboratory at Albert Einstein.

He would later take this knowledge and insight to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard and apply what he learned to medicine on a global scale.

His journey became personal when his father was fighting cancer—as he told Jim Dwyer, writer for The New York Times, “I had just gotten recognition for all these fancy schmancy papers, and I couldn’t do anything for this person I loved. I vowed that it wasn’t just about doing science. It was about making sure that those scientific discoveries drove to things that would actually help patients.”

Driven by the loss of his father to colon cancer, Ron is determined to end stories of lost loved ones for other families – particularly the underserved.

For those who know him well, he is described as an eternal optimist and a passionate, visionary thinker. His efforts to impact the cancer problem have ranged from conducting breakthrough research, educating the next generation of physicians and scientists including the current NCI Director, promoting public health through advocacy and policy, founding new biopharmaceutical companies, and catalyzing cross-sector collaborative programs such as the MD Anderson Cancer Moon Shots Program and its Global Program.

In his spare time, Ron studies martial arts and has risen to the rank of 6th degree black belt becoming a national champion in the 1970s. He resides in River Oaks with his wife and three children.

Exclusive Interview with the Doctor Intown: While leading MD Ander-

son you created the ambitious Moon Shots program at MD Anderson to cure certain cancers. Is this program still viable and progressing and what major advancements if any have you seen?

Yes, it is moving full steam ahead and has now catalyzed a national movement. I expect even greater progress under our outstanding new president, Dr. Peter Pisters. In the 5 years since we launched the program at MD Anderson, we have established unprecedented platforms including the development of new drugs through the Institute for Applied Cancer led by Dr. Phil Jones, new drug approvals driven by our world leading clinical trials program, incredible advances in our immunotherapy platforms led by Drs. Jim Allison and Pam Sharma. The progress of our team is real.

I: Is there a way to get all cancer research and hospitals working together to advance the process of curing cancer?

Yes, absolutely. But it won’t be easy – we need to recognize the needs of the players while recognizing our shared mission to help humanity. To impact the cancer problem, we must all work together, we all need to recognize that discovery is not enough. We need to convert these amazing advances into clinical impact in the way that really helps patients in the form of new prevention policies, early detection such as inexpensive blood tests and curative therapies for everyone, everywhere. And the solution for these grand challenges will require collaboration first and foremost – collaboration that is across academic institutions as well as other stakeholders.

I: You are a director of Act for NIH and the Eliminate Cancer Initiative. What can you tell us about what might come from these efforts.

With Act for NIH, we worked with MD Anderson’s board member, Jed Manocherian, to launch a research advocacy organization that has inspired Congress to increase funding for lifesaving research. Jed worked closely with MD Anderson’s board of visitors, resulting in successive years of increased research funding to the National Institutes of Health.

The ECI represents a new, first-of-its-kind global, initiative enabled by strategic funding designed to encourage the global community to coordinate and contribute their specific strengths. ECI’s audacious goal is to make cancer non-lethal for the next generation.

To date, our inaugural efforts in Australia, China, and the UK are bringing together an unprecedented collective of researchers, oncologists, institutions, decision-makers (corporate and legislative), philanthropists, patients and families to identify and enable projects with population level impact. These projects harness scalable digital technology, legislative action, mass public awareness, global clinical trials and more. In all of its efforts, ECI’s prime directive is to stand with patients in their cancer journey as opposed to the interest of specific organizations or nations. Over the first few months, we have focused on a few flagship projects including one focused on lethal brain cancers, such as the type that took the life of Beau Biden and Ted Kennedy.

I: Do you still view yourself as a New Yorker or are you now a Texan?

New York will always be in my blood - That being said after 7 years now in Texas its hard to not think of myself and the family as Texan – the people, the history and incredible medical care set Houston apart in so many ways. It has been a most welcoming community for my family. While we may not have the accent down, we feel that we are a part of the community – a special group that has welcomed us with open arms. I love and admire Houston.

May - June 2018

| 23

Cancers are preventable

By Ronald DePinho, M.D.

Here are some tips to reduce your risk*

DRINK IN MODERATION.

STOP SMOKING.

Smoking is responsible for 30% of all cancer deaths and can shorten your life by a decade or more.

70% of smokers want to quit but self-quit success is only 6% while tobacco treatment programs can reach 45%. If you are a smoker, learn how to quit at smokefree.gov.

MANAGE STRESS. Chronic unrelenting stress accelerates aging and increases incidence of age-related diseases including cancer. Proper sleeping habits, coupled with coping strategies such as mindfulness training, are effective in quelling stress.

CATCH CANCER EARLY.

It is critical to get screened, know your Many diets come family history and and go but certain control what you can. core principles Best practice screening remain. First, limit includes: Colonoscooverall calorie intake pies for both men and to maintain your BMI women starting at age in the normal range.

50 (in some cases you Weigh yourself should start earlier); daily with a scale that Mammograms after age measures weight and 40; Pap smear every percent body fat. Secthree years from 21 to ond, diets should be 65 (highly effective way rich in fruits, fish and to screen for cervical vegetables, minimize cancer). See the Amerired meat particularly can Cancer Society site charcoal-charred for complete recommenmeats, and avoid dations – cancer.org. processed foods and sugary drinks.

EAT WELL.

24 | May - June 2018

Excessive alcohol consumption – more than 2 glasses for men, 1 KNOW YOUR FAMILY HISTORY. glass for women daily Learning about your family’s cancer history can -- is associated with help you. Cancers such as breast, colorectal, several lethal cancers ovarian, prostate and uterine can run in families. including cancers of If cancer exists in your family, you should review the breast, liver and your ancestry and family cancer history (blood esophagus. relatives, age of onset of cancer, type of cancer) GET VACCINATED. with your physician, preferably in consultation with a cancer geneticist. In some cases, genetic Human papilloma virus (HPV) and testing will be recommended. While only 10% Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) of cancers are hereditary (from an inherited account for many cangene mutation), those carrying the cancer gene cers globally. Safe and are at much greater frequency for development effective vaccines now of certain cancers. Knowledge of your genetic exist for these viruses. risk can guide personalized screening and preSince nearly all adults ventive measures. will become infected

by HPV, boys and girls TAKE DAILY ASPIRIN and VITAMIN D. should be vaccinated A daily baby aspirin (81 mg) not only reduces optimally at age 11. the incidence of cardiovascular events such as HBV vaccination is heart attacks and stroke but also reduces a numimportant, particularly ber of cancers including colon cancer. Vitamin in endemic areas such D supplementation (1000IU) can prevent numeras parts of Asia. ous diseases including neurological conditions, cardiac disease and some cancers. Get your EXERCISE. Vitamin D levels checked.

Just 15 minutes of

UV PROTECTION.

Skin cancers are the most common cancers in the United States and most result from excessive UV exposure. Avoid tanning beds, adopt sun safety habits (sunscreen), and get an annual skin exam from a board-certified dermatologist. Children are particularly vulnerable.

(*Check with your physician)

daily moderate exercise (brisk walk) can increase your life-expectancy by 3 years and reduce cancer and other age-related diseases. 30 minutes is even better.

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| Intown | 25

Healthy

LIVING

Is Growing Old Alone Unhealthy?

RCM COO David Keaton speaks from experience

By William Hanover

M

ore people in the United States are living alone today, particularly the aging baby boomers.

Retirement Center Management (RCM) COO David Keaton can attest through his own experience with his parents that being alone may not be a healthy choice.

From 17 percent of loners in the 70s to nearly 30 percent today, the elderly live alone. According to The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), one in five people are isolated. Living alone more than ever is not by choice.

Baby boomers are at their peak. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, residents age 65 and over grew from 35.0 million in 2000, to 49.2 million in 2016, accounting for 12.4 percent and 15.2 percent of the total population, respectively. Almost 25 percent of this group is childless and live in big cities such as New York and Houston. Between 40 to 50 percent of seniors own their own home and live alone. Sadly, AARP estimates that the one in five people older than 50 who are isolated suffer from dementia, depression, and chronic diseases.

After considerable deliberation David Keaton’s dad was recently relocated

26 | Intown | March - April 2018

to the Villages of Meyerland. David had visited California over the last few years where his dad lived and found him suffering more and more from weight loss and general deteriorating health. He decided to bring him to Houston’s Villages of Meyerland property, one of the many properties he oversees for RCM. He has found the results have been life changing.

Keaton believes the interaction and more active lifestyle at the Villages of Meyerland has brought his dad “back to life.”

Keaton can literally can speak from experience as to how living alone was taking a negative toll on his father. Since coming to Meyerland, his dad gained weight and his interaction with others has helped him both physically and mentally, taking a huge worry off David and his mom.

Although David’s mother was still very active, after two years she was completely worn out and needed a break. ”Mom and Dad talk every day, and she visits regularly,” says Keaton. A plus for his dad is David gets to visit more regularly and check on his dad’s business and sees for himself just how well his father is being treated.

David Keaton

Bridgewood Begins Construction on Luxury High-Rise Senior Living Community in Southampton Place

B

David Keaton is the Chief Operating Officer of Retirement Center Management (RCM), which provides oversight of the Villages of Meyerland daily operations, including strategic, financial, operational, and marketing for the company’s properties: Villages of Tanglewood, Villages of Meyerland, River Oaks, The Heights, and their newest, the Villages of Southampton Place.

Prior to joining Retirement Center Management, Mr. Keaton served as Corporate Vice President with Greystone in Irving, Texas. Over a career of nearly 30 years in the industry, Mr. Keaton served in numerous operational capacities, including management consulting and operating communities as the Executive Director. He earned his Master’s Degree in Health Services Administration from Saint Mary’s College of California.

ridgwood Property Company today launched construction on the company’s newest luxury senior living property, the innovative high-rise Village of Southampton.

The community is located at 5020 Kelvin Street between Robinhood & Quenby in the historic, prestigious Southampton Place neighborhood, the newest addition to Bridgwood Property Company’s industry-leading senior community housing portfolio is one block from Houston’s best-in-class Rice Village shopping and dining district.

The Village of Southampton is expected to be completed in Spring 2020, bringing independent living, assisted living, and memory care services to the neighborhood.

High-rise senior living is an emerging trend in the senior living market. The model enables more senior living communities to locate in areas with costly urban real estate, allowing urban seniors to stay in the city in which

they have always lived. Highrise senior living also provides residents with high-quality apartment homes and amenities, highly personalized services, and opportunities for ongoing connection with their communities.

“One of our primary considerations in identifying an appropriate location for a new senior community is enabling prospective residents to stay in the neighborhoods where they have always lived,” said Jim Gray, President and Founder of Bridgewood Property Company. “We saw that this well-loved, long-established Houston enclave was very much underserved in quality senior living options.

The Village of Southampton will fill a distinct gap in this market, enabling seniors to Life Life Well® without having to relocate away from neighbors, friends, churches, or families.”

The Village of Southampton will primarily serve residents of Southampton, West U, Bellaire, Rice Universi-

ty, and Braes Heights. The project will deliver 17 floors with beautiful skyline views of downtown Houston, Rice University, Herman Park, and The Texas Medical Center.

Amenities include an indoor heated pool and spa, fitness center, movie theater, full-service salon, outdoor terraces, secured garage parking for residents and guests, valet and concierge services, formal and private dining, Bistro, and sky lounge.

About Bridgewood Property Company

Bridgewood Property Company develops and manages premier senior living communities in carefully selected markets. The Bridgewood team has developed more than 4,500 independent, assisted living, and memory care units, representing more than $1 billion in asset value. Known for caring professional staff and providing excellent resident care, the company’s overarching goal is to enable our residents to Live Life Well®.

For more information, visit http://www.bridgewood.us.

May - June 2018

| Intown | 27

The

GAME

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH

Houston Astros Chairman Jim Crane W A phone call.

By Barry Warner

The phone call from the president?

Barry Warner When did it really hit you that you owned the team that won the World Series?

Jim Crane Well, listen it was not an easy ride. We worked hard to get there and going down to the last game.

It took a couple of days to sink in, but you know, it’s still sinking in. So, I mean it’s still sinking in. It’s a great feeling and again, with the fans and the city all behind us, it’s really a lot of fun.

W Yes.

Yeah. So, we were in the White House and Mr. Trump, President Trump’s good friends with Barry Levine, the president of the Yankees and they’ve known each other a long time and he called his assistant as we were getting pictures in the Oval Office and he said get them on he line and he got them on the line. He said, Hey Barry, I’m here with your friends, the Astros. He said, Oh yeah, they’re really good people. He was kind of stunned I think to be on the line.

And he says, yeah. He said, these are the guys that kicked your ass and then, he said a couple of other things and hung up on him. So, the president was ribbing his New York friends up there that the Astros beat them.

W World Series rings and I believe you told me the other night; I want to make sure I heard it correctly.

You have purchased 900 rings.

Well, I just got an audit today and it’s more than that. It’s 1100.

W

Wow. We got it down really well. We’ll take some time to thank everybody for their contribution, you know, including all the part time workers in the ballpark.

And so, it’s a great feeling and I think everyone’s excited and very proud to have one of those.

W So, you mean to tell me that someone who’s an usher, someone who is one of the groundskeeping crew got a replica of the World Series ring?

That’s correct. And they look nice too. You know, those people have worked hard. We’ve had some people in there for 30, 40 years working there and I wanted to make sure that they got rewarded just like everybody else.

W Now Jim, you can’t give an usher or someone in the grounds crew or the ticket office a ring valued the same as you’re giving to the Verlander’s or Jose Altuve. So how did you break it down?

It’s pretty easy. I mean, you know, we’ve got a few different types, but the 28 | Intown | May - June 2018

W

front line rings are very expensive.

W You’d care to reveal a ballpark figure?

I’d rather not but I would say we spent millions on the ring, put it that way.

W I had heard from one of the insiders

over in your office that the bill may be approaching a four and a half million.

That’s pretty close.

W Jim, I understand that when you were at the White House something rather funny that was not reported occurred, could you please tell us on the other side of the nation’s first tweeter?

What are you referring to?

The architect of the team that you hired. Was it Peter Ueberroth, one of your good friends and members at Pebble Beach that gave you the tip?

He told me when I saw him one time playing golf out there. He says, I’ve got your next GM, but you won’t ever find him when you get a hold of a team. He says, give me a call and I’ll put you in touch with them. That was Jeff Luhnow.

W And you met Luhnow and how soon

after meeting Jeff did you guys come to a deal?

He actually flew down the next morning after I called him. He had a 21 page book on how to fix the Astros’. We ended up, interviewing a lot of potential GMs with experience. Jeff was not at that level yet in St Louis. He was head of the baseball development and a couple of steps away from a GM job at least. He just came across as he had some business experience and he has an MBA from Kellogg. He is very bright guy and articulate and I looked at all the candidates

and I just felt comfortable with the hire.

I liked his demeanor and the way he handled himself. And I liked the plan and I thought it would work. So we hired him within a week.

W

Is it safe to say that you have extended his contract and he will be here for a good long time, Jim? We’re working on it. We don’t have an announcement yet, but he’ll definitely be here for a while. Don’t worry about that.

W You don’t have worry about another team coaching and giving him a piece of the deal?

I don’t think so. No, I don’t think that’s in the cards. I think we’ve got them locked down for quite a while and hopefully we’ll get something out pretty soon.

W

The very first time that we interviewed you after purchasing the team, you are a steward for the city of Houston and I never heard that term before.

Could you amplify on that please?

When you own a ball club it’s kind of like the fans club. What I’m really proud of is what we’ve been able to do with the foundation. We’ve really been able to raise a lot of money for some very good causes. We’ve got thousands of kids playing baseball that wouldn’t be playing where we’ve been able

to do some things for the homeless and that’s really important and you know, our fans get behind that and we really appreciate their support, but you know, giving back is key to this ball team and the sport.

And I think it’s our job to do that. We’ve renovated a lot of city parks or a lot of ball fields that got damaged with the flood so the kids could get back playing this spring. It’s good stuff and we appreciate the support of the fans on that.

W So what was it like when you nego-

tiated with the Darth Vader of the industry and Scott Boras who represented Jose Altuve?

Well, Scott’s a very strong personality and he’s been an agent for a long time.

He has a lot of experience. And listen, he had one opinion on what should get done and we felt strongly that we wanted Altuve to be here a long time. We don’t have the same amount of resources as New York and LA and Chicago. So the decisions we make in that regard with that amount of money, I have to be very precise. And so, you know, we felt comfortable with the amount of money and we felt comfortable with the amount of years, but Scott wanted more years. A good deal is one that’s good for both sides and I think it’s great for the team and I think it’s great for Jose and he’ll be here a long time and Scott didn’t probably have as much influence on the final decision. It was Jose’s decision.

W What’s it like though when you look at that massive of a number $151,000,000?

It’s a lot of money. It’s a good thing we don’t pay it all at once. But listen the team has done well, we’ve been able to increase the payroll like we said we would all along when the time was right and we’ve invested a lot in the team and the ballpark.

May - June 2018

| Intown | 29

The

BUZZ

By Lindsay Mowad

Rachel Crochel, Matt and Lisa Kornhauser, Bree Knodel and William Swallen Home Equity

Bill Knapik, John Daugherty and Kim McCall

Stewart Title Celebrates Its New Location at Kirby Grove

Anne White, Seita Jongebloed and Michele Scheffer

Stewart Title celebrated its move to its new location at Kirby Grove, located at 2925 Richmond. This 7,000 plus square-foot state of the art office will join more than 30 offices in the Houston area, and focus on larger residential transactions, as well as commercial closings.

“Our decision to move our Kirby office to a new location was to introduce a more contemporary style of closing experience for our customers,” said Larry Warren, Senior Division President, Houston.

Guests toured the office on the 15th floor overlooking Levy Park. “Our main focus was on providing an experience that would be warm, inviting and comfortable for everyone from the associates to our customers,” said Kim McCall, Operations Senior Manager.

Steve Lindstrom, Vice President, Property and Lease Management, ensured this office was meticulously designed by the architectural firm of CDI Douglass-Pye. Find more information at http://www.stewart.com; subscribe to the Stewart blog.

Bill Knapik, David M. Young, Bree Knodel, and John Daugherty

Seita Jongebloed, Bree Knodel, and Paul and Barrett Kilian

Lara Bell and Richard Ray

Cheri Fama, and Bree Knodel

Lauren Reid

Aashish Kiran Shah, Mayra Moreno, Joe Chapa, and Brenda and Bobbie De La Rosa

| May | March 30 - June 2018 30 ||Intown Intown - April

2018

Ali Gilan

Roseann Rogers, Sanford Reel, Larry Warren and Bree Knodel

Jim Vann