Tanglewood/River Oaks Buzz - July 2024

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Our July issue, featuring the winners of our annual Buzz Photo Contest, always generates a lot of response from readers. With any contest like this, the process is inherently subjective. Our judges, all professional photographers with years of experience, take the judging seriously, and there is much discussion and debate. Often, my personal favorite photo entries are not selected as winning images, but I am not a professional photographer and do not act as a contest judge. I do, however, sit in on the judging and, therefore, have a good understanding of what the judges look for (read about this on page 22). Again, it is subjective. The same entries with different judges would yield different results. However, it is not all about the experts; our readers have a voice in the contest as well. The top 50 finalists were posted to our Facebook page, and the photos with the most likes became our Readers’ Choice winners. Thank you to everyone who entered, to our sponsors, and to our judges for their time and expertise. We hope you enjoy this visual feast and look forward to seeing more of your photos in next year’s Buzz Photo Contest, which will be our 20th. michael@thebuzzmagazines.com

THE BUZZ MAGAZINES

BELLAIRE • WEST UNIVERSITY • MEMORIAL • TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS

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Editor-in-Chief

Joni Hoffman

Publisher Michael Hoffman

Editor Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld

Associate Editor

Caroline Siegfried

Contributing Editor Pooja Salhotra

Design Manager John Duboise

Staff Writers Tracy L. Barnett

Sharon Albert Brier

Cindy Burnett

Andria Dilling

Angie Frederickson

Todd Freed

Cindy Gabriel

Cathy Gordon

Michelle Groogan

Dai Huynh

Annie Blaylock McQueen

Jennifer Oakley

Cheryl Ursin

Account Managers

Andrea Blitzer

Leslie Little

Jo Rogers

Interns Natalie French, Anna Galan, Gia Gaston, Lucy Walker

On our cover: David Holland, 69, snapped this leopard tree frog in a rainforest canopy of Costa Rica in December 2023. See the full, uncropped photo on page 28.

The Buzz Magazines has made all reasonable attempts to verify the accuracy of all information contained within. Advertising claims are solely the responsibility of the advertiser. Copyright © 2024 Hoffman Marketing & Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any portion of this magazine by any means without written permission is strictly prohibited. Printed on recycled paper. Please remember to recycle.

Your letters, thoughts, opinions

Kudos for the college issue

I get the West University edition of The Buzz and find the college issue [Class of 2024: Where are they headed? by Caroline Siegfried, June 2024] incredibly informative. It’s so interesting learning what schools the high school seniors attended and where they are going to college. I know it must take an incredible amount of time gathering all that information. On behalf of your readers, thank you!

Francis D. McWilliams

Bellaire cover girl

Thank you to the Bellaire Buzz team. I have gotten the sweetest texts from people who received their issue. My mom and my in-laws were so beyond excited. My mother-in-law has called every friend and relative to tell them that her granddaughter [Ava Noamouz] was on the cover of the magazine [June 2024]. This is something all of us will treasure forever. Ava feels so special and I am so thankful for this to commemorate a hugely bittersweet year.

Kristi Coffey

Traveling backpack

I was so honored when Lisa Beckman, featured in You Go, Girl: Women Traveling Solo [June 2024], told Cheryl Ursin that I was her inspiration because I had walked the Camino de Santiago in 2015 at the ripe age of 75. So, Cheryl called me for an interview and Abby, my daughter, supplied photos, etc. Then just three weeks ago, Lisa called to say that she, her husband, and son were going to spend a week walking part of the Camino and could she borrow my backpack. Again, I was thrilled. Not only was my backpack brought out of retirement but also all those wonderful memories. Lisa, after a great trek, just returned my backpack, newly washed. Something I had never thought of!

Sally McCandless

26 years later

Thank you for the lovely article The Power of Music [by Annie Blaylock McQueen, May 2024]. As I started reading this I stopped and ran to find one of our many guest books. One dated May 4, 1998 had Fred and Olga Bowyers’ names with their girls. Fred baptized his wife Olga and daughter Delyla in our swimming pool that evening. What a wonderful connection from 26 years ago. Seeing the photo of Katelyn with her husband and new baby was beautiful, as was the article. Thanks to Annie Blaylock McQueen. We love your magazine and read it cover to cover – so many interesting articles. Love the recipes and beautiful photos of so many friends and neighbors.

Don and Helen Bryan

Buzz love

First of all, a big thank you to The Buzz Magazines for providing Houston neighborhoods with a platform to share our heartfelt stories, and for giving me the opportunity to relay my family experience with our trip to my home island of Patmos, Greece [Roots Revisited: Unearthing family ties in Greece,

May 2024]. Also, thank you Tracy Barnett for doing such a beautiful job with incorporating the various interviews with my children and grandchildren as well as myself to personalize our odyssey. Most of all, I deeply appreciate the fact that you shed light on how Patmos is rooted in Biblical history and my family connection to this holy, unique, and special place. I am so thankful for The Buzz Carol Senkel

Keeping Adam's legacy alive

Thank you for sharing our story about Adam [Adam Elkhadem’s Legacy by Michelle Casas Groogan, May 2024]. Your uplifting words remind us that Adam's light will continue to shine bright. You won't walk past a glove on the street without thinking about Adam and the beauty that exists in the mundane. We hope to help more artists make their mark through assistance from the Adam J. Elkhadem Foundation. Your beautiful article will help our cause. Thank you again for ensuring Adam's legacy lives on.

Megan Lazarou [mother of Adam Elkhadem]

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

What’s your story?

We are looking for residents for upcoming articles who:

• Have special fall traditions and celebrations.

• Know a Buzzworthy neighbor to feature.

• Have a milestone life event to share.

• Have a compelling travel tale.

• Have a unique passion or hobby.

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

by Cindy Gabriel, staff writer

One Brave Man

In

the context of his times, a Fourth of July exercise

This spring I was rummaging through a drawer of loosely organized family pictures when one folded, yellowed letter emerged. It was dated May 6, 1955, on DeltaDemocrat Times stationary in Greenville, Mississippi, addressed to my mother, Sandra Wright, from Hodding Carter (Jr.), the editor.

Hodding Carter Jr. was well known by then in Mississippi and beyond. In 1946 he won The Pulitzer Prize for writing a series of articles that addressed various forms of racial and religious intolerance, including the internment of Japanese Americans following Pearl Harbor.

From this letter to my mother from 1955, it appears that Carter sparked a controversy closer to home. Apparently, my mother was among some 2500 others who wrote to Hodding Carter Jr., and one of several he chose to write back to personally.

I would have been around six months old on the date of this letter, my mother, only 20. We were living at her parents’ home in Biloxi, Mississippi while my father served in the army overseas in Korea and Japan. We would be reunited later that year in Rosenberg, Texas where my parents would take over a small family newspaper, the Fort Bend Reporter. (My father and I didn’t meet until I was nearly a year old.)

In the meantime, my mother, also a journalism major, was clearly keeping up with the news. In May of 1954, the year I was born, the Supreme Court ruled, in Brown v. Board of Education, that public schools must no longer be segregated by race. To put it mildly, this did not go over well in the South, least of all Mississippi.

Two months after that ruling, in a private home in the Delta town of Indianola, Mississippi, a group of white segregationists gathered to form the first “Citizens’ Council.” By then the extreme violence attributed to the Ku Klux Klan was becoming unpopular even among white southerners. The Council’s intent was to reinforce segregation in a more organized, non-violent way, such as evicting black residents from their homes, or removing them from their jobs, in lieu of lynching. Their crimes could be simply signing any kind of civil rights petition, being listed as members of the NAACP, or registering to vote.

While the Klan was considered more blue collar, the Citizens’ Council promoted an image among the business elite, country club types that drew community leaders, politicians, judges and clergy. The Citizens’ Councils spread like wildfire throughout Mississippi and most other southern states. Whites who were critical of their views were targeted as well. They were socially ostracized, and if they had businesses, they were boycotted.

This went doubly for newspaper editors, like Hodding Carter Jr., who dared to call the Citizens’ Council “The Uptown Ku Klux Klan,” in a 1955 article which appeared nationwide in Look Magazine. This prompted the Mississippi legislature to censure its Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist by a vote of 89 to 19.

with the knowledge that he could be shot any minute had taken a toll on his nerves.

On April 3, 1955, (one month prior to his letter to my mother) Mr. Carter followed up with a front-page article titled “Liar by Legislation,” in which Mr. Carter reverses the charge as follows:

By a vote of 89 to 19, the Mississippi House of Representatives has resolved the editor of this newspaper into a liar because of an article I wrote. If this charge were true, it would make me well qualified to serve in that body. It is not true. So, to even things up, I herewith resolve by vote of 1 to 0 that there are 89 liars in the state legislature.

By this time, Hodding Carter Jr. was used to receiving death threats and calls to boycott his newspaper. His son, Hodding Carter III, who became the editor of his father’s newspaper in the 1960s, said his father once famously heard a car backfire while eating with friends at a restaurant and told everybody to hit the floor. Living

There is a southern American story in the three generations of Hodding Carters. The first Hodding Carter was a respected member of the community despite his membership in the KKK. His son, Hodding Carter Jr., was willing to risk his life and livelihood poking and prodding against the notions of white supremacy –although not a believer in forced integration based on Brown v. Board, calling himself “a gradualist.” Finally, his son, Hodding Carter III, emerged in the 1960s as a full-fledged champion of civil rights, editor of his father’s newspaper, writer for PBS, and the Assistant Director of the State Department under the Jimmy Carter administration (no relation to the president).

My hope for this and future Fourth of Julys is that we continue to tell these stories of heroes – their courage, their progress and redemption, even if painfully gradual. As Martin Luther King famously said, The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. Happy Independence Day.

A LETTER IN A DRAWER Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Hodding Carter Jr. expresses gratitude to Cindy Gabriel’s mom for her letter of support at a heated moment in civil rights history.

by Andria Dilling, staff writer

Summer Sparkle

Cocktails that tame the heat

A little bit of summer’s what the whole year’s all about. – John Mayer, “Wildfire”

Looking for summer in a glass? Try one of these favorite hot-weather cocktails. Any one of them is sure to hit the spot and make you wish for summer all year long.

Friends since their days growing up in Tyler, Catharine Faulconer and Kim Martin (now longtime Houstonians) have always had a lot of fun together, whether they’re taking a girls’ trip or experimenting with cocktails behind Catharine’s bright, glittering bar. Through lots of the latter, they’ve come up with a favorite new cocktail: the Rose Queen, aptly named for their beloved Tyler Rose Festival and their new Queen Bee brand of vodka that they’re making from honey. This sparkly refresher couldn’t be simpler – or more perfect for a summer afternoon.

Rose Queen

Makes 1

1 ½ ounces vodka (such as Queen Bee Osmia)

½ cup Fresca

½ cup cranberry juice

Soda (such as Perrier or Topo Chico)

Lime for garnish

Fill a lowball glass with ice. Add the vodka, Fresca, and cranberry juice. Stir to combine. Top with soda and garnish with a lime wedge or wheel. If you’re feeling fancy, Catharine and Kim suggest garnishing the drink with rose petals.

It seems there is always a new fruity, frozen concoction that will be the “It Drink” of the summer. Frosé anyone? This summer may or may not be the year of the Mangonada, but that really doesn’t matter when you have a slushie this delicious in your repertoire. It can be yours and yours alone, or it can be the thing that brings everyone to your backyard.

Chamoy is a Mexican condiment made from chiles, lime, and fruit that is all at once sour, savory, and sweet. Layered in a Mangonada, chamoy not

only foils the sweet mango, it also gives the drink its bands of jewel red. A sprinkle of tajin – another sour, savory, sweet condiment, this one in a dried seasoning form – ups the zest factor.

Mangonada

Makes 4

4 cups mango cubes, cut from 2 ripe mangoes

Juice of 2 limes

¼ cup sugar

1 cup water

2 cups ice cubes

3 ounces tequila blanco (such as Casamigos)

Chamoy Tajin

Tamarind candy straws

Place all but ¼ cup of the mangoes and the lime juice, sugar, and water in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the ice and tequila and blend to a slushie consistency. Taste, adding more tequila if you like. Pour into a lidded container and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. To serve, spoon a tablespoon or 2 of chamoy into the bottoms of each of four glasses, then sprinkle with a pinch of

(continued on page 12)

PRETTY IN PINK Catharine Faulconer and Kim Martin shake up cocktails, including their Rose Queen, a cranberry-vodka drink named for the Tyler Rose Festival (Catharine and Kim grew up in Tyler, Texas together), and their Queen Bee vodka.

Chris Bailey Photography

Chris Bailey Photography

tajin. Pour about ½ cup of the mango slushie on top. Repeat with another tablespoon or 2 of chamoy, tajin, and mango slushie until the glasses are full. Top with another sprinkle of tajin. Garnish with the remaining ¼ cup mango cubes and tamarind candy straws.

The late Southern writer Julia Reed offered a recipe for a Strawberry Basil Mojito in her book Julia Reed’s New Orleans: Food, Fun, and Field Trips for Letting the Good Times Roll. The Garden & Gun columnist and author of eight books on hospitality and the quintessential Southern life knew a few things about traditions, cooking, and entertaining, so much so that the Mississippi Arts Commission named her a cultural ambassador for the state. In Julia Reed’s New Orleans, she wrote: “I use the word ‘mojito’ fairly loosely here, as I substitute lemon for the usual lime juice and basil for the mint. By any name, this is a refreshing cocktail that makes excellent use of the bounty of berry season.”

Strawberry Basil Mojito

From Julia Reed’s New Orleans: Food, Fun, and Field Trips for Letting the Good Times Roll

Makes 6

2 cups white rum (such as Old New Orleans Crystal Rum)

2 cups Strawberry Basil Syrup (recipe follows)

Club soda

Strawberry halves and basil sprigs for garnish

In a large pitcher, stir the rum and berry syrup together to mix well. Pour into highball glasses over ice and top each one with a splash of club soda. Garnish with two or three strawberry halves and a leafy sprig of basil.

Strawberry Basil Syrup

4 cups strawberries, washed, stemmed, and halved

Juice of 2 lemons

2 ¼ cups sugar

1 bunch basil

Place the berry halves in a large bowl and crush them using a potato masher (or pulse briefly in a food processor). Place the crushed berries in a large, heavy-bottomed pan. Add the lemon juice, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes until the fruit is very soft.

Strain the mixture into a medium saucepan, pressing as much juice from the berries as possible with a ladle. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the sugar. Stir until the sugar is just dissolved.

Remove from heat and add the basil. Let steep for about 20 minutes. Remove the basil and strain the syrup into a pitcher. Any leftover syrup can be refrigerated for up to two weeks.

In recent years, Ranch Water has emerged as the unofficial cocktail of Texas. Some say it

originated in the ’20s when Alfred Gage, the West Texas rancher who opened the Gage Hotel in Marathon, needed a cold drink as a foil to a hot, dusty summer. Others say the drink came about later, maybe concocted by an Austin bartender in the ’90s. Any way you see it, Ranch Water is a current luminary in the world of cocktails.

Spicy Ranch Water

Makes 1

2 ounces tequila blanco

1 ounce fresh lime juice

2 to 3 slices fresh jalapeños

Crushed ice

Topo Chico

Stir the tequila and lime juice together in a highball glass. Add the jalapeño slices and stir again. Fill the glass with crushed ice and top it off with Topo Chico and another stir.

COOL AND REFRESHING Julia Reed's Strawberry Basil Mojito (pictured, top photo) is a summery take on the classic; a frozen Mangonada (pictured, bottom photo) marries sweet and spice.

Andria

by Cathy Gordon, staff writer

The Cunningham Chronicles

Neighborhood blacksmith to wordsmith

It was the early 1960s in wood-paneled suburbia. The era of avocado-green kitchen appliances and television’s classic, The Twilight Zone. A time of unbridled innovation in space, art, music and design.

Young Richard Cunningham was innovating up a storm, much to his parents’ chagrin.

“Somebody gave me a lawnmower that didn’t work, and I fiddled with it till I got the engine working,” recalls the West University Place resident of his tinkering obsession in the family’s Westbury garage, at age 13. “I took the engine off, and I traded somebody something for their old bicycle, and I mounted that engine on that bicycle.”

His mother, startled by the sound of an engine, looked out to find her son zooming down the road. Panicked, she called a neighbor. Can you come by? Richard’s on some machine, and he’s riding down the street!

The neighbor, an engineer, came down, and was soon zipping past on the contraption. “Look!” he yelled gleefully. “Richard built a motor bike!”

Wordgot around. I was like the village blacksmith,” recalls Richard, of his collection of lawnmower engines and bike parts in his family’s garage.

Now, words are his parts.

“For me, writing is like building something. The words on a page aren’t just a bunch of words. It’s a structure. It’s something you build. Part of my brain is always working on building stuff,” says Richard, 77, a freelance science and technical writer whose latest work is a labor of love, a book about West University Place. The community has been his home, all told, for 28 years. He lived here during the 1980s with his first wife and son. He loved it so much that he returned in 2007 with second wife Lily Ann.

Images of America: West University Place comes out on July 15, part of Arcadia Publishing’s series that celebrates the history of neighborhoods, towns, and cities across the country. The book follows West University Place’s evolution from a treeless farmland to one of the most livable small towns in Texas, cele-

brating its centennial this year.

His son Brittain is the smiling child on the left on the book’s cover, on a Wier Park merry-goround. Richard, on the city’s parks and recreation board, snapped the shot decades ago.

Richard and Lily Ann, a retired University of Houston art history teacher, live in a remodeled 1948 one-story bungalow they aptly named “Cunningham Cottage.”

HISTORY OF HOME Longtime West University Place resident Richard Cunningham’s book Images of America: West University Place, by Arcadia Publishing, comes out July 15, detailing the city’s evolution from treeless farmland to one now celebrating its centennial year.

The home is a testament to the creative compass that guides their life. It’s outfitted with a fusion of sculptures and fine craft of every variety, much by their own hand, some by friends.

“I can’t think of a single thing in this house that doesn’t have personal meaning to us,” says Richard, flipping through a thick three-ring binder of interviews and research, the meat of his book. He talks of the circuitous route that led to his favorite craft, writing.

As an adolescent, when he wasn’t working with engines, he was equally fascinated by typewriters. He mowed lawns at $2 a pop, edged for another $2, saving $50 to buy a portable typewriter. “Thinking back, a weird thing for a 13year-old, but I was fascinated with it,” Richard says. He took typing class at Westbury High School, so his fingers would learn to fly across the keys.

He enjoyed that class, the others not so much. “My parents were terribly afraid because all my grades were so bad. I didn’t get a lot of positive reinforcement when doing things like building a motor bike. It was more like they were terrified.” His mother had him tested. Results? Mechanical aptitude in the top percentile.

His dad, an international manager for Continental Carbon Company, moved the family to the Netherlands during Richard’s senior year. With money he’d saved, Richard bought

his first real motor bike, soaking in the country’s beauty.

College years lit a fuse. Richard exceled at Oklahoma State University. He majored in journalism and was a photographer for the yearbook. Always with the thought that he would work for himself one day.

With war raging in Vietnam, he expected to get drafted the summer of 1969, after graduating. His medical physical put a stop to that.

“The doctor put a finger to my face and asked me to focus. I said, ‘Sorry, that’s one thing I can’t do,’” recalls Richard, born with nystagmus or “dancing eyes,” a condition he had surgically corrected five years ago. Nystagmus causes repetitive, uncontrolled eye movements.

The doctor slapped a 4F on his card, a military term meaning not qualified for service. “I was stunned because I had not counted on anything other than going into the army.”

He was offered a full-time job at the same company that employed his father, having worked there summers. He wrote, illustrated, photographed, and did anything they needed in advertising. He stayed for two years, then aboutfaced with a decision – perhaps the most freeing of his life – that set his parents on edge. Again.

A co-worker friend, Bill Wilson, confided that he soon planned to quit to take a cross-

Dylan Aguilar

country, summer-long road trip before starting grad school. Would Richard want to come?

Oh, I couldn’t do that!

A few minutes later…

Heck, why not? I’m unattached. Now’s the time!

Off they went. Richard owned a sweet ride those days, a Triumph 650 Bonneville motorcycle, a beauty in bright red. He sold it for $700 to fund his trip.

An old Ford Econoline van was their ride, with a shape as square as a box of crackers, windows all the way around. Richard’s sister adorned it with red, white, and blue U.S.A. curtains and Richard painted “Psychiatric help: 5 cents” on the vehicle’s backside. The previous owner had outfitted it with homemade bunks, a Coleman stove and ice chest. Perfect.

“It was so freeing, life-changing in a way,” says Richard of the 1971 trip, covering 15,000 miles.

Richard had $60 in the bank upon return to Houston. He spent it on drinks and chips for a party he hosted, announcing his return.

Richard’s parents had been terrified their son would have no job prospects upon his return. But they needn’t have worried. Through a connection, Richard landed a contract with Almeda Mall. Before long, he was making promotional posters for the mall, and more malls came calling. Richard had a handful of retail clients, then some industrial clients, too. Industrial eventually won out. He found his niche.

Six months into his freelance career, Richard rented office space in a house on Norfolk, just off Shepherd Dr. “It was one of the best things that ever happened to me,” he says. He shared space with commercial artists and graphic designers who mentored him. “Sometimes I’d accept a job and then ask the guys in that house how to do it.”

He did a lot of work for Shell, but when industrial work dried up in 1986, he turned to commercial and event photography to make a living. He eventually wound his way back to industrial clients and was traveling internationally, having the time of his life. He’s collected many friends along the way. A handful of them meet weekly in person and via Zoom for what they call “geezer and curmudgeon” chats.

“He’s like an in-born shepherd. He gathers people and people meet because of him,” says Lily Ann of her husband.

“Richard does that every day of his life, with everyone,” says friend Don Stalinsky. The West University resident has known Richard since the 1980s and has worked with Richard on projects for ExxonMobil, Noble Energy, and Chevron. But it’s not all work. They battle it out on the racquetball court nearly every week.

“He’s a naturally affable soul. He’s the most capable, gentle person I know with not an angry bone in his body. Unless you hit him with a racquetball,” Don deadpans.

“You can never ask him for any kind of help

that he won’t say ‘yes’ to, which is a rarity in human beings,” says his friend of 50 plus years, Bob Lapsley, 82. The commercial artist was a founding member of the Houston Society of Illustrators and a former teacher at the Art Institute of Houston.

Richard got his master’s in science and technology journalism at Texas A&M University in 2002. “I had been writing for so long. I wanted to get my master’s to see if I was doing things right,” says Richard. “Turns out that a lot of what I was doing was right. And that was important because it gave me more self-confidence. In the back of my mind, I was thinking it would be so cool to write a book with my name on it.”

He self-published two historical mystery novels set in Galveston and Houston, Maude Brown’s Baby and Three Good Leads, two books in a trilogy. He’s working on the third.

Writing a book about West University Place, highlighting its evolution from farmland to city, was fun, says Richard. “West University is fortunate to have a series of very capable leaders and volunteers through the years who made it what it is,” he says. “Celebrating 100 years, that’s a pretty big deal.”

Editor’s note: To find more books about Houston’s history, check out "Houston Reads: Books for the city’s natives and newcomers" by Cindy Burnett, on page 16.

RIDING AND WRITING Left photo: Richard, 24 here, spent a good part of his life on motorcycles, parting with this one, a Triumph 650 Bonneville, to fund a crosscountry summer trip with a friend in 1971. Right photo: A photograph Richard snapped decades ago of his son Brittain (at left) with two others on a Wier Park merrygo-round was used as the cover for his book about West University Place.

by Cindy Burnett, staff writer

Houston Reads

Books for the city’s natives and newcomers

Houston is a vibrant city with a lot to offer and more to do than people often realize. This month, I am highlighting some books that cover Houston’s history as well as its secret haunts, quirky fun facts, and lost buildings. Some of these reads also dig into how certain neighborhoods developed and where you can find the city’s oldest businesses and locales. Lost Houston by William Dylan Powell –Lost Houston is part of a series on various U.S. cities that examines how their institutions and buildings have changed over the years and highlights the ones that were lost along the way. It is a beautiful coffee table book that focuses on buildings that no longer exist. Each building discussed in the book has a two-page

spread with photos and plenty of history about that place and its role in Houston’s development. Some popular structures that were demolished and completely lost to time are Luna Park, Sam Houston Coliseum, and the Metropolitan Theatre. Other buildings were incorporated into new structures. The Astros' ballpark (Minute Maid Park), for example, was built in the space once occupied by Union Station's platforms and the Houston-to-Dallas Texas Rocket train. Other standouts include Houston High School, which burned in 1919, Houston Lyceum and Carnegie Library, which was demolished in 1926, The Majestic Theatre, which was razed in 1972, and Kress Building, which was repurposed into lofts.

Photos of Houston by Betty

Chapman – Though smaller than Lost Houston, this gem would also make a nice coffee table book. The book tracks the construction of our unique city through photos chronicling life, government, events, and people important to Houston. The book is divided into sections by time period, starting with Houston’s earliest years and making its way to the 1970s. A page at the beginning of each chapter is devoted to the city’s progress during those years. It provides a wonderful glimpse into the early years of Houston through rare photos that had not been seen prior to the book’s publication in 2007, including photos of beautiful buildings that are sadly long gone. Highlights include photos of

Historic

Trapp

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN Lost Houston is a stunning coffee table book that focuses on various buildings that were integral to Houston history and no longer exist.

Cindy Burnett

when the Heights was developed in the 1890s as “the [city’s] first suburban neighborhood,” Humble Oil and Refining Company’s first filling station at Main Street and Jefferson Street from 1919, Luna Park which contained the city’s first rollercoaster, and Methodist Hospital in what almost looks like a large house. Some of the book’s details are a bit dated, but this read will still appeal to those wanting to better understand Houston’s history.

Houston Culture Shock: Quirks, Customs, and Attitudes of H-Town by William Dylan Powell – Houston Culture Shock is about the everyday quirks of living in Houston that are not often covered in standard guidebooks. Powell looks at the lifestyle, cityscape, tips for getting around, nature, events, and local heroes, and the book reads like a cheat sheet for what it’s like to live here. He weaves in fascinating facts like how the Alley Theatre got its name, our obsession with anything fried (even Oreos and Twinkies), and how Houstonians use nicknames for all the highways. (Note: For more on William Dylan Powell, check out my Q&A with him titled “Local Author Highlights Houston's Characteristics and Quirks” on thebuzzmagazines.com)

Oldest Houston by Lydia Schrandt and Biju Sukumaran – While Houston has often allowed buildings to come down in the name of progress, this wonderful book highlights all that has survived. It tells the stories of the city’s oldest brewery, musical hall, recording studio, paved brick street and more. The book is divided into sections based on areas of the city, so you can explore each neighborhood and find the businesses, buildings, and places that have survived and often thrived. Whether you’re new to Houston and looking for an entertaining introduction, or a longtime resident digging deeper into your favorite haunts, Oldest Houston will give you a fresh take on our city’s history.

Secret Houston: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure by William Dylan Powell – This is a great book for anyone who thinks they know everything there is to know about Houston. It explores Houston’s off-thebeaten-path highlights including a location for a secret rendezvous, a mysterious gravesite from the 1800s, an abandoned World War II munitions facility, a secret suite at the Museum District’s Hotel Zaza where guests can request to stay, and much more. This book is a must-read for locals and natives alike. Powell covers places that many locals are not aware of; some of these secrets you can still enjoy today, while others are merely shadows of the city's past.

Images of America series by various authors – The Images of America series “celebrates the history of neighborhoods, towns and cities across the country.” In Houston, the series includes books on River Oaks, Southside Place, the Heights, Spring Branch as well as plenty of others. West University Place (Images of America) by

Richard Cunningham publishes this summer, and like the others in the series, it charts the history of the title neighborhood with photographs and plenty of historical detail. Both Southside Place and West University Place are celebrating their 100th anniversaries making these books great reads for this year as well as great gifts for residents. (Editor’s note: You can read more about writer Richard Cunningham, a native of West University, in “The Cunningham Chronicles: From blacksmith to wordsmith” by Cathy Gordon, on page 14).

Here are a few other books that may appeal to people who want to learn more about specific aspects of the city:

The Houstonian Dictionary by James Glassman - A bit outdated but great for those new to Houston or fun to peruse as a long-time local.

It is a good introduction to the terms and slang used here for roads, place names, and key things about the city, as well as some of the people who helped Houston become the city it is today.

Life and Times Around Bellaire, Texas,1909-2013 by J. Michael McCorkle –This is a spiral-bound collection of anecdotes and photographs about the City of Bellaire that provides a history of the title city.

Historic Houston Streets: The Stories Behind the Names by Marks Hinton – This gem of a book is organized alphabetically by street name and gives the history about why a particular name was chosen. It is out of print but can be found used through online marketplace Abe Books (abebooks.com), Historic Houston (historichouston1836.com) or at Houston public libraries.

SPACE CITY LEGACY Cindy Burnett highlights various books that cover Houston’s history as well as its secret haunts, quirky fun facts, how certain neighborhoods developed, lost buildings, and where you can find some of the city’s oldest businesses and locales.

by Cathy Gordon, staff writer

Behind the Lens

The life of a LIFE photographer

Editor’s note: In our 23 years we have never reprinted an article, until now. Bob Gomel’s historical Life magazine images are timeless. So, it seems fitting to revisit this beautifully written profile by Cathy Gordon (originally printed in our Nov. 2016 issue) on renowned photographer Bob Gomel in the same issue as our annual photo contest. Bob recently received a proclamation from Houston Mayor John Whitmire declaring April 23, 2024 as Bob Gomel Day in recognition of his contributions to photojournalism in Houston and beyond.

It was a crisp fall day in New York City, 1967, when LIFE Magazine photographer Bob Gomel hit the streets with Dustin Hoffman. The littleknown actor was fresh from filming The Graduate, playing mentally adrift, nebbish misfit Benjamin Braddock who was uncertain about his future.

The movie became a breakout hit, landing Hoffman stardom and an Oscar nomination. “But at the time, he didn’t know if it would be a success. The movie hadn’t been released yet,” explains Bob, 83.

So on that day some 50 years ago, with intrepid photographer Bob in tow, Hoffman went about his daily business. He signed up for unemployment insurance.

“The funniest thing is we went there in a studio limousine,” Bob says of Hoffman, whom he snapped leaning against a counter, sharing lighthearted banter with the clerk. “I thought that was hysterical.”

If a picture is worth a thousand words, Bob’s body of work is one heck of a read.

From 1959 to 1969, he was part of an elite cadre of LIFE photographers with access to some of the most powerful world leaders, bigger-thanlife athletes and mesmerizing movie stars and celebrities of the day.

There’s a reason The University of Texas Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, tasked with documenting historical treasures, offered to archive his entire photography collection. “The biggest thing that’s ever happened to me,” Bob says.

The Memorial home he shares with wife, Sandy, a former MD Anderson Cancer Center executive, holds a treasure-trove of iconic images – pictures of The Beatles, Marilyn

the Kennedys, Cassius Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali), Warren Beatty and Richard Nixon, to name a few.

Rich stories come with each photo, some light-hearted and funny, others summoning the most somber of times.

His image of President John F. Kennedy’s casket, light streaming upon it in the Capitol Rotunda, defined a nation’s grief in the fall of 1963. In his quest to record the day’s emotion, the inventive photographer found the perfect vantage point for the shot, two stories up.

“I started walking around and saw this door open, and I went up this stairwell and ended up on this balcony looking down at the scene. Then this beam of light comes straight down and I took the picture. I credit it to divine intervention. It wasn’t 20 or 30 seconds later that the light was gone,” says Bob, who knew Kennedy personally from covering his run for the presidency.

He recalls the president-elect inviting him and another photographer inside to watch the Army-Navy game. They’d been stationed outside his Georgetown home, hoping to capture shots of newly appointed cabinet members. Running on little sleep, Bob dozed off. “The other photographer shook me awake and said ‘Bob, Navy won. Kennedy has gone to bed. I think we should go outside now.’”

He took some good-natured ribbing over it from Kennedy when their paths crossed over the years. “He’d point at me and smile, and I’d turn beet red.”

Muhammad Ali (formerly Cassius Clay) was another favorite subject. But don’t confuse the person with the persona, Bob says. “I got to know him well. His carrying on was a clever way to build up attendance or interest in the fights,

especially early on. He was not at all like the public persona that we were all exposed to.”

One of Bob’s favorite and most lucrative shots is of civil rights activist Malcolm X taking a picture of Cassius Clay the night he knocked out Sonny Liston to become heavyweight boxing champion. Its current market value is $3,000 for a print.

But it’s another Ali picture that really tugs at his heart, one of Bob’s oldest son Corey as a toddler, sitting on the champ’s lap. Years later, Corey, now a Houston attorney, took the print to an autograph signing at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Ali, infirm from Parkinson’s Disease, got up from the table and walked up and down the line of autograph-seekers, showing off the print. Then he stared sternly at the picture, back up at Corey, down at the picture again and said, “You still ugly,” Bob recalls, laughing. He then graciously posed as Corey took a photo of daughter Madeleine on his lap.

“That was Ali. Very funny. A considerate guy.” Stories behind the pictures amaze. Bob’s 1969 LIFE cover shot of Dwight D. Eisenhower lying in state was taken by foot-switch at ground level, zip-cord linked to his Nikon, suspended nearly 200 feet high in the Capitol rotunda dome. But it’s a simple black and white picture taken by his science teacher in the Bronx that tells the tale of how he first fell in love with the craft.

“I was in grade school. There was this picture on the wall. I can see it as clearly today as if it were right in front of me, a picture of a cobblestone street, the center of which had a manhole cover with a pigeon on it. I looked at that all term long and thought, ‘That’s what I want to do.’”

So he attended the

(continued

Monroe,

A PHOTOGRAPHER’S LIFE Iconic photographs lining the hallway of Bob Gomel’s Memorial home reflect a prolific life behind the camera. At right: Bob captured this 1969 photograph of President Dwight D. Eisenhower lying in state in the Capitol rotunda via a floor switch, rigged by zip-line to his camera 200 feet high in its dome.

hartphoto.com

(continued from page 18)

teacher’s weekly photo club. A job delivering groceries by bicycle paid for his first camera with controls, a Ciro-flex. His optometrist dad and teacher mom allowed him to convert a closet in their Bronx home into a darkroom.

“I spent the next four years in high school in the closet,” Bob quips. He learned photography by trial and error and read Popular Photography cover to cover.

As a NYU journalism major, he joined the newspaper, covering school games at Madison Square Garden. The press corp in New York covered the games too. He befriended many of the photographers, tagging along on their nightshift assignments, soaking up tricks of the trade.

By 1955 his photography was largely on hold for a stint as a Navy pilot. But he still managed to snap pictures from time to time, winning an All-Service award for a photo of Japanese fishermen. He also had work published in Popular Photography. By 1958, his Navy stint up, his dream of becoming a professional photographer took on new vitality.

“It’s the first time I actually thought I could possibly make it a career.”

His last station with the Navy was in Port Isabel, Texas, 25 miles from the Mexico border. Bob traded in his Ford convertible for an economical 80-octane, junk-gas Morris Minor and headed for Mexico to hone his craft. He shot pictures continuously for a year till money ran out then returned to New York City, ready to hit up the big magazines.

Ironically, it was a riveting series of photos chronicling his family’s own reaction to tragedy

that got him a foothold at LIFE

His younger brother was in a car accident, the passenger killed. Bob was behind the lens, profiling his family through the worst, even taking pictures in the operating room when surgeons removed one of his brother’s lungs.

The spread ran as a Fourth of July cautionary tale about accidents and driving, he recalls.

Through the years, images of raw emotion have been his favorites. He points to a neatly framed photograph in his hallway, circa 1961, that of a little girl, tears welling as she anxiously awaits her father who has been away on the USS Triton, the first atomic submarine to circumnavigate the globe under water.

He refers to another, a gleeful pile-on scene of boys playing Little League ice hockey. “I needed a picture that made a statement about how much they loved the game, so I lined up the two teams opposite on the ice and put a $5 bill under a puck. I got up on a ladder and blew a whistle. They came charging.”

Especially memorable is a photo session of a relaxed John, Paul, George and Ringo at a private pool, away from swarming fans during the height of Beatlemania. The joy on their faces is palpable as they frolic in the pool and relax in lawn chairs. The photos weren’t published in the magazine, the editors picking different ones, but the images are displayed at Monroe Gallery in Santa Fe, where his work is represented.

“They were the whitest white boys I’ve ever seen when they took their shirts off,” Bob says of the Fab Four. “And nice and friendly. Their

stardom hadn’t affected them.”

As time wore on, the nation eventually looked to television over magazines for coverage. Bob moved on too, pursuing advertising work, helping to introduce Merrill Lynch’s Bullish on America campaign and photographing for Bulova, GTE, Audi and Renault. Commercial photography led him to Houston in 1977. Campaigns for Shell, Houston Power and Light, Compaq and Exxon, among others, benefitted from his sharp eye.

In recent years, he and wife Sandy, boasting eight grandchildren and one great grandchild, have focused on traveling. Of course, always a camera in hand. They chart a course, hire a driver and “look for the places not yet invaded by McDonald’s or Coca-Cola,” he says. They hope to set off for a second trip to China and Mongolia early next year.

“The thing I love about Bob is he may be 83, but he’s open to new adventures always,” says his wife.

“And Sandy, by osmosis, has picked up a lot of the things I preach in photography,” responds Bob. “She took the picture of me on my Wikipedia page. It’s a really wonderful picture. I know a good picture when I see it.”

Editor’s note: For more about Bob and his work, check out the 2020 documentary film Bob Gomel: Eyewitness available on Amazon Prime.

MORE ONLINE

See this story at thebuzzmagazines.com for more of Bob Gomel’s photos.

THE FAB FOUR AND MORE The Beatles pose for Bob Gomel in Miami, relaxing during the height of Beatlemania. On next page: A young Dustin Hoffman, unaware of imminent stardom, files for unemployment benefits after completing the movie The Graduate. Bob’s son, Corey, has fun on champ Muhammad Ali’s lap. President John F. Kennedy is captured in stride at Cape Canaveral in 1962 where he spoke to NASA personnel before giving his famous speech at Rice University about going to the moon.

Bob Gomel

Bob Gomel

Bob Gomel

Bob Gomel

ARTS

The Buzz Magazines’ 2024 Photo Contest

Although The Buzz Magazines’ annual photo contest is not for professionals, the quality of photos we receive astounds us each year. With any contest like this, the process is inherently subjective. However, there are basic principles of photography that must be met, such as lighting, focus, exposure, and composition. Each judge prioritizes different factors in their deliberation, but they all look for images that are purposeful, powerful, and stand out in terms of the uniqueness of the shot. The judges consider the level of skill required to capture each photo and take the time to scrutinize the smallest intricacies. And there are personal elements to consider, some difficult to define: a photograph’s essence, the emotions it evokes, the artful nature of its expression. Judging for the photo contest is blind, as the judges do not see names or information about the photographers.

Always, there are excellent photos left behind. We’d like to thank all the talented photographers who submitted images, and our expert judges for their careful deliberation, time, and expertise.

The final results are not all up to the experts: our readers have a voice in the contest as well. Each year, the top finalists are posted to our Facebook page, and the photos with the most likes become our Readers’ Choice winners. The top 50 finalists were posted to our Facebook page, and the photos with the most likes became our Readers’ Choice winners.

Congratulations to all our winners, and especially to our grand prize winner, Donnie Marion, for his winning image, Best Sign in Rodeo. Donnie will receive a Canon EOS R10 digital camera and lens kit from Houston Camera Exchange and a staycation package compliments of Blossom Houston hotel. This contest would not be possible without the generosity of our contest sponsors, Houston Camera Exchange and Blossom Houston hotel.

The Buzz Magazines’ annual photo contest is open to local amateur photographers. If you have a knack for photography, keep our contest in mind this upcoming year. Look out for our call for entries on our website, social media, and in our March 2025 print issue.

Grand Prize, Best Sign in Rodeo

Donnie Marion, 65, captured this image of an unknown cowboy calf roping at the Gilroy Ranch Rodeo in Gilroy, California, on Aug. 6, 2023. “It was a hot day, and there was a trailer next to the arena where I hoped the calves would run and be caught right in front of me. Planning makes it look simple, being lucky makes it look cool. Being close to the ground gives a different perspective.”

Judges’ comments:

Best Sign in Rodeo is a visual delight with action, color and storytelling. There are so many wonderful factors coming together in this “perfect timing” capture. While some of the details that caught our eyes might have been serendipitous, this was a technically challenging image to shoot. Light and shadow are well balanced, and strong diagonal lines lead the viewer through the story, dropping compositional gems along the way. We loved the low camera angle; it looks like the photographer was almost down in the dirt, allowing for a great composition with the rider right in the middle of the Gilbert Rodeo sign. It’s framed perfectly. The harsh, crisp lighting throws the rider’s face in shadow, creating a little mystery and highlighting the action of the horse. The shadow in the bottom third adds a balanced contrast to the clear blue Texas sky. The dynamic action and tension of the moment was caught at precisely the right moment: the calf fighting the force of the rope, and the hooves of both animals turning up the dust and dirt. You can only plan that out to such a degree; there is some pure luck involved. Just a great image all in all.

Category: Animals

First Place, Sunset Run Michele Wright, 54, took this idyllic shot of a group of Camargue horses in the Camargue, which is on the southern coast of France. “I had been dreaming of photographing these horses for many years. They are beautiful grey/white horses living in that region of France, and I think they are stunning. They live naturally in this marshy region and have been in that area for hundreds of years. I love how the evening’s setting sun lit up all of the dust. The horses were so powerful and a bit frightening as they ran straight up to me.”

Second Place, Elk in the Rocky Mountain Mist Luke Chapman, 22, took this photo of an elk he came across in Rocky Mountain National Park. “This past summer in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, we were hiking and it started to rain… Then a whole herd of elk came out of the woods, which was awesome. This one in particular posed well. There was good light shining on her face, and the leaves framed her well.”

Third Place, American Bison

Scott Kinsel, 46, caught this herd of bison approaching on a snow-covered road during a blizzard in February 2024. He says the temperature was -20 degrees Fahrenheit. “I was there [in Yellowstone National Park] with a ranger photographing the reintroduced wolf packs. The entire herd moved slowly past us without incident. Behind them were two males from the Wapiti Lake Pack.”

Fifth Place, Three's a Crowd

Luke Chapman took this photo of three bighorn sheep. “This was this past summer in the front range of the Rockies in Colorado. I was driving down a mountain road when I saw some rocks fall onto the road from the cliffs above and looked up to see a whole group of bighorn sheep on the steep cliff. It had just begun to rain so the atmosphere was great for taking photos of these strong animals, although nailing focus was hard through the trees on the mountainside.”

Fourth Place, Snek

Chip Charlton, 17, found this snake hiding in a small bush while on a hike in Rocky Mountain National Park in July 2023. “I took this photo because I enjoy taking photos [of] nature and animals. I had also gotten a macro lens that I wanted to try out, and the snake was a good subject for it.”

Category: Landscapes

First Place, Nightfall on the Lake

Elaine Matte Mut grabbed this shot at the end of March on Lake Ouachita in Arkansas. “My husband Alan Mut and I have been coming to the lake since the 1990s and he has been camping on the lake since he was a boy. We now enjoy houseboating here year-round, and no matter the weather or time of day, the views are always special. While sunsets are usually the most spectacular captures of our stays, this scene communicated the serenity I feel here. Although light pollution is a growing problem for viewing the night sky, in this case I took advantage of the glow from a city about 20 miles away to illuminate the clouds and trees. Android phones often get a bad rap, but my 4-year-old Samsung has often proved to be just the right tool for the job!”

Second Place, Worlds Colliding

Darren Inoff, 56, captured this photograph of a sunrise in the Tetons, a Rocky Mountain range in Wyoming, one early morning in October. “Sunrises in the Tetons are magical. You have to keep getting up early because you never know what you will see – as evidenced by this photograph. I’ve never quite seen a sunrise like this. The sun came over the horizon behind me and lit up the wall of clouds to my right. It reminds me of a dust storm advancing towards the Tetons. Almost like two worlds about to collide.”

Third

Place, Tre Cime

Seth Miller, age 46, shot these three distinct mountain peaks – known as the Tre Cime di Lavaredo – framed by an elevated cave. The Tre Cime are located in the Dolomites of northeastern Italy. Seth took this photo in August 2023 after hiking up to the cave with his family. He says he had seen other attempts of photographing the Tre Cime and wanted to try it himself.

Fourth Place, Unusual Sightings at the Pecos River Bridge

Loyd Dalton, 76, says he discovered the Pecos River Bridge, the highest highway bridge in Texas, on a trip to West Texas. “I traveled all the way to that bridge with a friend in order to take Milky Way images using the bridge as a foreground. I used a low-level light to light up the underside of the structure and used a long exposure in order to bring out the Milky Way in the image. The unusual part of the image is the perception that an asteroid or meteor is screaming across the scene with a light trail behind. But in reality, the planet Mars is the bright spot and its location that night just happened to be at the end of a wispy cloud when I took the shot. It made it appear to be a star streaking across the sky! Sometimes you just get lucky!” Loyd also notes, “taking images of the Milky Way in total darkness in an unfamiliar area is not for the faint of heart… In order to take this image, my friend and I climbed down from the highway to the underside of the bridge to get into position to take the image. As we began to set up and take some images, unknowingly, a small herd of wild goats silently moved in very close to us and they let out a series of loud bleats that pierced the night air. Talk about wanting to run! Whew! I lost ten years of my life that evening!”

Fifth Place, Stormy Sunrise over Pleasure Pier

Loyd Dalton says, “Of all the landscape compositions that I have taken in my photography life, my most cherished, anticipated and the ones that give me the most joy are the sunrises. No two sunrises are alike: each has its own personality, character, and uniqueness. I have been known to travel hundreds of miles to take just one sunrise, hoping for that perfect image. Getting up before daylight on a cold morning and traveling hours to your special sunrise spot and braving the cold sometimes pays off. That February morning on Galveston Beach at the Pleasure Pier was one of those mornings. Every element one looks for in a perfect sunrise composition unfolded as the sun peaked over the horizon. Dynamic clouds, intense color, subtle sunrays, reflections in the water, and lots of interest in the scene. On that day, I’m so glad I made the effort because this sunrise image is my favorite – so far.”

Category: Nature

First Place, Colorblind Owl

Payman Karimi, 56, photographed this young barn owl sitting on a stand perch in April 2024, at Carl Barton Junior Park in The Woodlands. He says it was “entertaining to watch how this young owl was getting easily distracted – in a playful way – with every noise in the surrounding woods; whether other birds, creaking branches, etc... I was attending a bird photography workshop where a non-profit organization was not only demonstrating different ’injured’ birds but more importantly providing educational information about preserving beautiful birds of our planet. It was fascinating to see upclose how beautiful each of those birds were – even in their injured, but well taken care of, conditions. I learned during this session that it is a common belief that owls are color blind, seeing only shades of black, white and gray. Being color blind myself, this connected with me, and I thought to myself, ‘what if I turn this photo to black and white?’ My attempt was to take away color distractions and bring the attention on the delicate textures around the face of this beautiful owl. And to somehow hint this message about the owl's limitation in seeing colors.”

Second Place, Motionless Survival

David Holland, 69, snapped this leopard tree frog in a rainforest canopy of Costa Rica in December 2023. “It climbed to this spot and struggled a bit to get atop this stem and seemingly stared right at me. I immediately took this photo. I shot this with a Nikon Z9, 105mm, f18, 1/250, ISO 800 and handheld with a flash.”

Third Place, Singing in the Rain

David Holland photographed this vibrantly colored bird in Costa Rica in December 2023.

“This resplendent quetzal (Costa Rica's most prized bird) male perched on this curved limb with his beautiful long tail on a similar curve. The combined leading lines went right to this iconic bird and I took the shot. A light December '23 rain began to fall and he chirped away hoping for a female response. I used a Nikon Z9, 400mm, f2.8, ISO 1000 and 1/2500.”

Fourth Place, Pink Rose

This rose was captured by Mauricio Recinos, 53. “The picture is of a pink rose from a bouquet I gave my wife for our wedding anniversary. My wife put the bouquet in a vase and took it out to the balcony to spray some water on it. I asked her to keep the flowers outside for a moment. It was late on a sunny afternoon, and the natural light was good enough for a good picture. Flowers are always kind to photographers. When I got ready to take the picture, I noticed one of the roses had a single water droplet. One rose and a water droplet: sometimes the simplest of things are the most beautiful ones.”

Fifth Place, Social Butterfly

John Anguay, 45, spotted this black swallowtail butterfly in front of his son Christopher. “This was taken in front of our house in West University Place on May 28, 2023. We had planted Milkweed from the Houston Arboretum the previous year and these were really attracting butterflies. This one seemed to be following my son. I think it was his pink shirt. Christopher is shy except when it comes to interacting with animals. That is when he becomes a social butterfly.”

Category: People and Portraits

First Place, Distorted Ally Killgore, 21 and a graduate of Memorial High School, took this photo as an assignment for her photography class. She says it’s a twist on traditional portrait photography that is coined “distorted water portraiture.” “I focused my concentration on portraiture because it captures so many more details than the naked eye can process at a glance. What truly prompted me to explore this form of portraiture is how it challenges the observer not only to look at a person but to interpret their form. Distorted portraiture fascinates me because of how the water and glass work together to magnify certain features and minimize others, enticing the observer to take an active role in analyzing and understanding the photo. What I truly love about this photo is the message behind it, touching on the theme of self-image and judgment. By nature, people judge others by their appearance when what can be seen is not always all that is there.”

Second Place, Blown in Your Face

Payman Karimi, 56, spotted this local boy on a busy street in Havana, Cuba, making large bubbles with his chewing gum until one blew in his face. “When I initially noticed the boy, he was standing on a corner leaning against a wall full of graffiti and making large bubbles with his chewing gum. It was a crowded street so by the time [I] positioned myself to get a clear view of him, he moved to the middle of the street. I started snapping photos while aiming to capture a moment when a large bubble covered his face. I knew which picture would be my favorite pick when this huge bubble blew back on his nose. Our eyes crossed at that moment, and we both just exchanged a smile and departed as two strangers with fun memory.” He took the photo in April 2024. “We visited Cuba as part of the Support for the Cuban People travel category with the intention of having meaningful connection with ordinary Cubans and supporting civil society in Cuba.”

Third Place, Lost in a Good Book

Dhara Agrawal, 15, took this self-portrait of her face blended into a stack of books for her photography class. “I took this photo in my room, in January. I take a photography class at Bellaire High School, and my teacher had recently assigned a self-portrait assignment. I was stumped until I saw my bookshelf. Books and photography make up major parts of my life, and I wouldn’t be who I am today without them. Photography is how I express myself to the world, and books are my [refuse] from the world. This photo is a way for me to combine the two completely different sides of myself.”

Fourth Place, Tunnel Vision

Amy McPherson, 39, snapped this photo of her 3-year-old son, Wesley, peering through a tunnel he constructed using Magna-Tiles. “I took this photo in late July of last year, capturing a moment on our floor, likely amidst a sea of MagnaTiles and Hot Wheels – after all, he is one of four boys. As adults, we often forget to embrace our childlike nature, to appreciate the little things, stay curious about the world, and be present in the moment. At the time this photo was taken, my house was probably a mess, noisy and chaotic, and stressing me out as I rushed around trying to manage everything. But as I peered through that rainbow tunnel at my 3-year-old at his request, I was reminded of what mattered. That tunnel transported me out of my world into his.”

Fifth Place, Elena

Bob Rosenberg, 71, captured this moment of little Elena lighting a Menorah at his son’s Hanukkah party. His son Aaron and wife Lauren have a Hannukah party for their children each year, and invite cousins and friends, like their niece Elena. “I was moved by Elena being mesmerized by the holiday lights and the grace of the candle lighting… Each child was assigned a Menorah, either theirs or one supplied by the family. Many of the Menorahs were child themed, such as a dinosaur, three bears and Noah's Ark. Each child lights candles signifying which night of the holiday is being celebrated, as is traditionally done. I think this is a beautiful depiction of an ancient holiday tradition by Elena.”

Category: Sports, Action, and Miscellaneous

First Place, Fighting the Waves Luke Chapman, 22, took this photo of a college friend surfing off the coast of Massachusetts last December. “I went with a friend to take photos and videos of him surfing off the coast of Massachusetts. The waves and the weather were pretty rough, so he really had to fight hard to get out past the breakers before he could catch a wave. Taking out my drone, I was able to get this top-down photo of him in the aftermath of a big wave.”

Second Place, Echoes of Loss

Dana Katz, 47, took this photo in June 2023 during her family's visit to Auschwitz in Poland. “Amidst a pile of tattered, black shoes – echoes of the loss endured by those who perished – a single red shoe stands out. This vibrant, yet haunting, red shoe symbolizes the individual lives lost among the masses. There are approximately 110,000 shoes in the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum's (former German Nazi extermination and concentration camp) collection, a mere fraction of the millions who perished during the Holocaust.”

Third Place, Dive In Twelve-year-old Thatcher Goss captured this moment of his younger sister diving into their pool in his backyard this April. “All of my siblings were swimming in our pool when I remembered this photo contest. I thought it would be a neat shot of my sister diving into our pool. I promised to split the prize with her if I win.”

Fourth Place, View from the Cradle – Jamail Skatepark Bruce Biundo, 55, took this perspective-bending photo in April. “The photo is of a skateboarder riding through ‘the big cradle’ at Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark, just outside of downtown Houston. I like this angle of the skaters seemingly defying gravity, frozen in time, with the downtown skyline in the background.”

Fifth Place, Who’s Open?

Luke Chapman snapped this shot of a soccer player on MIT’s women’s soccer team. “This is from this past fall at Williams College in Massachusetts. That semester I did a lot of sports videography for nearly all of MIT’s fall sports teams, and I took this photo of one of their players as she looked to throw in the ball after it went out of bounds. You can see the fall foliage colors that are all over the northeast during this time.”

Category: Readers’ Choice

First Place, Tre Cime

Tre Cime by Seth Miller received Third Place in our Landscapes category, and First Place in our Readers’ Choice contest.

Second Place, Echoes of Loss Echoes of Loss by Dana Katz received Second Place in our Sports, Action, and Miscellaneous category, and Second Place in our Readers’ Choice contest.

Third Place, Best Sign in Rodeo

Our Grand Prize winner, Best Sign in Rodeo by Donnie Marion, also won Third Place in our Readers’ Choice contest.

Fourth Place, Lost in a Good Book

Lost in a Good Book by Dhara Agrawal received Third Place in our People and Portraits category, and Fourth Place in our Readers’ Choice contest.

Fifth Place, Will I Make Eight or Will I Hit Dirt?

Donnie Marion caught this pensive cowboy and student at the Cannon Bareback Riding School on April 23, 2023, in Brenham, Texas. “I noticed the light from the morning sun, with a young cowboy between me and the light. I wanted to work on a silhouette. When I looked at his face, I could imagine he was thinking through his upcoming ride. Sun and straw hats make an interesting combination.”

Judges’ Bios

Eric Forsythe has been a fulltime photographer for over 15 years. His work has been featured in several magazines and regional journals, including Time, The Ferrari Club Magazine , and Success magazine. His images have been shared on Larry King Live, Piers Morgan Live, Good Morning America, and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon , to name a few. Eric’s clientele includes automotive icons such as Ferrari, Porsche, and Lamborghini, as well as entertainment companies like MGM, Paramount Pictures, Capitol Records, and Integrity Music. He is based in Houston, but his passion guides him to continuously explore in search of optical stimuli. He believes that photography is not motionless and tries to establish a sense of movement in his photos. www.forsythefotography.com eric@forsythefotography.com

Nikky LaWell, certified professional photographer and master craftsman photographer from the Professional Photographers of America, holds a BFA in photography from the University of Houston and owns a boutique studio specializing in family portraits with a personal perspective. Nikky has been the keeper of memories for the most important of moments, from babies and graduations to weddings and promotions. She is known for listening closely to her clients and coming up with ideas for intimate and creative photography sessions. Her awards include “Best Portrait of a Senior Professional” from the Professional Photographers Guild of Houston, “Best Wedding” from the Southwest Professional Photographers Association, “Best Wedding” from the Texas Professional Photographers Association, and the illustrious Kodak Gallery Award. lawellphoto.com nikky@lawellphoto.com

Jack Opatrny is an award-winning Houston photographer whose experience ranges from portraits and fashion photography to architectural, commercial, and food photography. Originally from Ohio, Jack relocated to Houston in 1990 and quickly established himself as a distinguished fashion and business photographer, locally and nationally. With more than 25 years of experience, his achievements have included top honors at the Art Directors Club of Houston’s Annual Show and many other industry publications. His talent has been recognized in projects in fashion, high-end portraits, renowned commercial products, architecture, and humanitarian causes. In addition, Jack is a talented musician. His personal interests include charitable causes that range from animal rescue, environmental protection, and breast cancer awareness. His heartfelt love for dogs inspired his recent project, “Street Dogs of Mexico,” highlighting the massive problem of homeless dogs. Proceeds benefit local animal rescue and adoption operations. www.jackophoto.com jackophoto@gmail.com

Terry Vine, recently named one of the 200 Best Ad Photographers Worldwide by Lürzer’s Archive, is an advertising and lifestyle photographer who specializes in creating custom images for the healthcare, hospitality, and corporate industries. His ability to capture the essence of an experience as it relates to a destination has landed him assignments around the world and earned numerous awards. His work has been featured in Communications Arts, Graphis Photo, Print, American Photography, Applied Arts, and PDN Photo annuals. Terry’s fine art images are in many museum and private collections around the country. Having grown up in Ohio, Terry now lives in Texas with his wife, two children, and a rambunctious Golden Retriever named Ranger. www.terryvine.com terry@terryvine.com

. by Sharon Albert Brier, staff writer

Rumor Has It

Asian delights. The Silver Moon set sail from Tokyo to Singapore, carrying a Houston group of friends that included Deborah Dunkum, Mary Maxey, Ann Laird, Susan and Dick Hansen, Pam and Bill Sengelmann, Lucy and Hal Moorman, Kathy and John Orton, Mary and Randy Wilson, and Connie and Tommy Wright. Stops were made in South Korea, Hong Kong, and Vietnam. The group celebrated milestones, attended Destination Lectures by “Scholar at Sea” Dr. John Freedman, and learned shopping tips from “Shopaholics Anonymous” lecturer Carole Klein. Carole hosted a “Shop and Tell” gettogether on the final cruise day, and the Houston group were proud to show off their treasures.

Aerodynamic. May in Houston was dreary with flooding, but for Cynthia and Mickey Mills, Miami was sizzling with torque at the Grand Prix. With over 200,000 race enthusiasts, the modern and luxurious Paddock Club with gourmet cuisine and free flowing champagne was home for the Mills. They luxuriated in the owner’s suite with outdoor balconies directly over the Start/Finish Line. They saw celebs like Marc Anthony and Camila Cabello, as well as professional athletes.

WIT reunion. Eva Archer Smith, Ginny Gremillion, and Suzanne Kerr were having lunch one day and discussed having a reunion of the WIT (Women in Transition from jobs and locations) group. All it took was an email –20 members gathered for dessert and wine at Four Leaf Towers. By the time the two hours were over, a few officers were selected to manage quarterly get togethers. Some in the circle dishing on the last five years since they were together were Sally Dwyer, Jo Reid, Sue Bennett, El Matha Wilder, Sandy Wotiz, and Susan Cooley. Their former leader, Susan Lieberman, resides in California. Missed but not forgotten. Artistic birthday. Where would an artist celebrate his 40th birthday? His studio, of course! Friends and family arrived at 5 p.m. for Vincent Fink’s 40th. His wife Tina Fink created her own art with hors d’oeuvres. World class muralist Anat Ronen gave Vincent a special gift bag of her art and Kyle Fu brought his well-known origami.

Some of the many artists at Winter Street Studios that helped “paint the town” were Rhonda Lanclos, Olga Porter, Olga Tarasova, Monique Weston, Eddie Hall, Pius Knight, and Crystal Park. If you have seen the mini mural rooster painted on an electrical box at Little York and Hirsch, it was finished by Vincent during his birthday week. Something to crow about!

Eclipse. They had the GPS set on the back roads for their eclipse adventure to Canyon Lake near San Antonio. Geoff Russell and friend Nancy Younger Kruka rented a recently remodeled double wide Airbnb. Nancy brought enough food for ten people, which they only ate about half of, according to Geoff; they enjoyed two great Italian meals in Canyon Lake. The eclipse itself was pretty amazing, despite it being overcast. When they took their glasses off, they realized that the area was almost completely dark, in a wonderful way. They plan to go to the next one with less food.

SHOPAHOLIC HEAVEN Admitted shopaholics on their Hong Kong trip were (from left): Deborah Dunkum, Mary Maxey, Ann Laird, Susan Hansen.

Busy bees. It was quite a scene of colony building at the Houston Racquet Club for the Houston Junior Forum’s 2024-2025 Executive Committee Installation. The president, “Queen Bee” Susan Rosenbaum, handed the gavel to the new master beekeeper and queen, Krista Parker. Krista has an admiration for worker bees and knows her new board will have those traits. The new hive consists of president-elect Sharon Cook, treasurer Diana Root, vice presidents Jaye Keepers, Dale Kurtz, Rita Barry, Lauri Wasmuth, Deanna Belanger, and Susan Fisher, and secretaries Amelia Alder, Keleigh Sale, and Linda West. Newly elected members to the Recruitment & Admissions Council are Dawn

Amithor, Gena Castilla, Ivonne Delgado, Charlotte Howell, and Lisa Laumbach Home away from home. Doctors Osama and Lillian Gaber founded Nora’s Gift Foundation in honor of their seven-year-old daughter Nora who, after a fatal accident, donated several organs. The Foundation went on to create Nora’s Home: 32 family suites and support for pediatric patients traveling to Houston for solid organ transplant. This year, chairs Shazma and Arshad Matin oversaw the Nora’s Home Gala “World of Wonder” with belly dancing, and performances from International Voices Houston and Rhythm India. The event raised $820,000 from over 500 supporters. Dr. George Malloy got a standing ovation after a patient whose life he saved was interviewed. In the crowd were Ann and Karl Stern, Carla and Cole Dawson, Drs. Katherine and Peter Pisters, and Susie and Joe Dilg

MORE ONLINE

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

. by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer

Buzz Baby

International Travel, Plus Kids

Buzz Baby is a column about life with little ones. Writer Annie McQueen is a mother of four children under the age of 9.

Traveling with young children can be a challenge, especially if it’s an overnight, international flight with a squirmy toddler.

Parents Lisa and Moises Garcia have turned it into an art. The couple has three children – T, 8, Ezra, 4, and Alex, 1. Their international adventures started when T was just a baby. This month, this travel pro mom provides some valuable insight into navigating flight connections, longhaul flights and travel with babies and toddlers.

Lisa, a commercial property insurance underwriter, and Moises, a petroleum engineer, have a rich cultural background that brings a lot of travel to their lives. “My family is Greek, and my husband is Mexican, so we have been traveling with our kids since my oldest was about 4 months,” Lisa said. Their plans to see family frequently take them to Athens, Greece, often with layovers in New Jersey or Frankfurt.

Even with their travel experience, each trip presents new challenges. “Every kid, and the more you add, brings a different vibe, so even with baby number three, I am still doing research,” says Lisa.

In the early days, Lisa says she relied on parenting blogs for advice on traveling with children. Today, she uses social media to find out what other parents are doing. “Now I like to watch YouTube videos, and then when I have a specific product I am leaning toward, I search TikTok to see how

‘real people’ are using the product,” she said.

One search led her to YouTube, where she found reviews that led her to choose the BabyZen Yoyo stroller.

OVERNIGHT FLIGHT The Garcia family takes long-haul overnight flights each year to visit family in Greece. Mom Lisa’s top tip is to pack in-flight activities such as coloring books, extra snacks, and pajamas for the flight. Pictured are T and Ezra Garcia.

The stroller has a fivepoint harness and canopy cover, great for airport layover napping. It’s pricey, though: $400-$700 depending on the model and accessories. The reviews of fellow parents convinced her; they swore by it as lightweight and compact, but still full featured.

“I was hesitant to spend the money since this is my last kid, but aside from being able to use it on the plane, I knew it’d be useful to have a compact stroller for the car and the train once we arrived,” she said.

The most critical component of the Garcia family's travel strategy? Snacks. “Bring all the snacks,” Lisa says. She prefers fruit pouches and snacks for take-offs and landings to help with ear pressure.

Her experience on a particularly challenging flight from Houston to New Jersey reminded her how important it is to expect the unexpected.

“One time, there was bad weather in New Jersey, and a ground stop. We were in the air for seven hours, and when we finally landed, we had to refuel in Philadelphia. We missed our connecting flight and were stuck at the airport,” she recalled. Despite the ordeal, her daughter managed the situation with remarkable calm, happily watching TV throughout the extended flight.

To manage overnight flights, Lisa has created a routine to help her children sleep. “I like to put my kids into their pajamas just after the meal service,” she said. The routine includes a trip to the bathroom, a diaper change, and brushing teeth, to replicate the usual night routine at home as closely as possible. Lisa said this method has proven effective in helping the kids sleep through most of the long flight.

While flights are a significant source of anxiety, Lisa finds that things are easier once they reach their destination. “We usually meet up with other family and we take things very slow,” she said. This approach allows the family to acclimate and enjoy their time together without the pressure of a strict itinerary after flying.

Remember to make your appointment for your child’s passport as early as possible. See travel.state.gov to read about obtaining a passport for a minor.

Despite the challenges, travel adventures not only enrich children’s lives, but also create lifelong memories for the whole family. “Traveling with kids is never easy, but the memories we create are priceless,” Lisa says.

International Travel Checklist for Flying with Small Children

• Passports, visas (if required), copies of important documents.

• Diapers and wipes, extra clothes for children and parents, baby blankets, pacifiers, bottles and formula/breast milk, sippy cups or bottles, plastic bags for trash or diapers.

• Favorite toys or comfort items (stuffed animals, blankets), tablet with kids' shows already downloaded, headphones, books or small toys, pajamas for overnight flights.

• Any necessary medications, basic first-aid kit (band-aids, antiseptic wipes).

• Baby carrier or sling.

• Small bag or backpack for each child with essentials, entertainment for layovers, toys, and games.

• Even more snacks.

• Patience.

. by Cindy Burnett, staff writer

Buzz Reads Five picks for July

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

The Family Experiment by John Marrs (science fiction) – Due to overcrowding and a financial crisis, an ever-increasing number of people cannot afford to start families. As an alternative, in the U.K., a company has created virtual children to raise in the Metaverse. To advertise this product, the company launches a reality TV show that follows 10 couples raising virtual children while competing to win the right to keep their virtual child or be given the money to raise a real baby. Marrs’ use of short chapters that frequently end with cliffhangers propels the story along, and his premise feels all too real. He also addresses our obsession with reality TV and its impact on society, as well as our mental health. This unique plot line kept me captivated.

The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby by Ellery Lloyd (mystery/thriller) – This twisty mystery by husband and wife duo Ellery Lloyd revolves around a cursed wealthy family and the Surrealist painting which is linked to three suspicious deaths over the course of many years. The book weaves together mystery/thriller elements, art history and the world of art, love affairs and tragedy, family history, and the strong driving force of obsession, along with an examination of how women’s stories are often left out of history. I thoroughly enjoyed the focus on an artist whose one famous work went missing, as well as the strong characters and numerous engaging mysteries. This one will appeal to readers who enjoy multiple-timeline tales, art, and clever mysteries.

The Queen's Faithful Companion: A Novel of Queen Elizabeth II and Her Beloved Corgi, Susan by Eliza Knight (historical fiction) –This endearing and unique novel is told in three perspectives: that of a young Queen Elizabeth; that of Hanna Penwyck, the fictionalized Keeper of the Queen’s dogs; and that of Susan, the Queen’s Corgi, who was Elizabeth’s beloved companion. Susan is the actual dog that originated the long line of the Queen's corgis and her

exploits in the story are fictional but based on real events and history. Telling a portion of the story from Susan’s perspective worked surprisingly well, and Knight weaves in fascinating details about Elizabeth’s early years while showing a more human side of the Queen. The Queen's Faithful Companion will resonate with those who have beloved pets or who follow the British royals.

WHAT TO READ This month's selections include a cutting-edge science fiction/thriller, a mystery centered on art and a long-missing artist, historical fiction about Queen Elizabeth and her favorite corgi Susan, a fabulous romantic comedy set in the UK, and a thriller focused on heir property laws.

Under Your Spell by Laura Wood (romantic comedy) – The daughter of a self-absorbed older rock star finds herself unexpectedly “babysitting” the most popular (and handsome) musician in the world and is unsettled when their relationship becomes more personal – especially since she swore she’d never, ever date someone famous. This book is so much fun, and I adored the focus on music as well as the forced proximity story line. Wood’s dialogue is laugh-out-loud funny without feeling forced, and the main characters’ banter is spectacular. The sibling dynamic among the three sisters is a great addition to the book as well as the way Wood crafts a strong sense of place with the English countryside setting. This will be my favorite rom-com of the year. Those who like engaging and sweet romances, as well as well-crafted characters, will really enjoy this one.

What You Leave Behind by Wanda M. Morris (mystery/thriller) – This engaging thriller follows a lawyer who returns to her hometown and finds herself caught up in the disappearance of a local resident whose sister

recently died. She uncovers an issue that dates back to the Reconstruction era. I was unfamiliar with heir property rights until I read this book, and I am glad Morris is shining a light on this issue, which still exists in the U.S. today. Heir property refers to land that is passed between generations of family members without a will or formal estate plan and often impacts those on the lower end of the economic spectrum. Coowners often have limited rights over the property, and a sale can be triggered when any coowner wants to sell. In addition to the property issue, I enjoyed the ghostly perspectives and the low country setting.

Editor’s note: Southside Place resident Cindy Burnett also writes our weekly Page Turners column at thebuzzmagazines.com. She hosts the award-winning Thoughts from a Page Podcast, is co-creator of the Houston literary event series Conversations from the Page, runs the Instagram account @thoughtsfromapage, and regularly speaks to groups about books.

Cindy Burnett

by Dai Huynh, staff writer

Chef’s Corner

Greek Traditions, with Little Twists

Kriti Kitchen satisfies your Greek food cravings, but also caters to your need for convenience.

In March, I found myself bi-weekly in this diminutive Minoan fresco-adorned space, stocking up on moussaka, bone broths, beef keftedes, spanakopita, and various Hellenic offerings in the frozen and cold sections. My oldest stepdaughter, Shelby, just had her first baby, and we kept her and my brood fed on a steady diet of ready-to-eat food from Kriti Kitchen (4010 Bissonnet Street) and Tres Market Foods (2620 Joanel Street and 12699 Memorial Drive). I was able to feed two families and keep sane.

Like some folks, I might roast a chicken but prefer to leave the sides to the experts. When short on energy, I’ll leave the entire meal to Kriti chef-owner Mary Cuclis. Why not, when her food tastes delicious, and her uniquely crafted dishes consist of carefully chosen ingredients? Take keftedes, or meatballs, made with traditional ground beef and served with dill yogurt sauce; or the gluten-free, vegan-version, comprised of quinoa and sweet potatoes with parsley pine nut dip. With Kriti, I’ve had the chance to sample almost all the items on both the menus of its counter-service café and its convenient “Heat & Eat” section. This dual concept allows me to grab a lamb or chicken wrap on tender, homemade whole-grain flatbread for lunch and an eggplant moussaka from the refrigerator for dinner, all in one visit. Mary’s moussaka doesn’t contain potatoes. I’d always assumed they were required in the Greek version. “Not always,” she says. I always learn something new about Mediterranean cuisine from Mary. I’ve come to appreciate her deeply rooted understanding of home-style Greek cooking specifically.

Anita Jaisinghani – Mary’s former boss and James Beard Award-nominated author – doesn’t hesitate telling people that Mary was her alltime favorite employee. “She was the only female who became a tandoor cook and did it cool as a cucumber. Do you know how much we struggle to find someone to work the tandoor? People are so scared of it,” says the chef-owner of Pondicheri, a modern Indian restaurant. In 2022, Mary left Pondicheri to open Kriti.

Here, the 37-year-old Lamar High School graduate talks about the concept, her stint with one of China’s most famous chefs, and how food became a lifelong journey.

You once worked for the El Bulli of Hong Kong, Bo Innovation chef-owner Alvin Leung, who is the “Demon Chef” because he deconstructs traditional Chinese dishes and gives them a modern, if somewhat futuristic, interpretation. How did you end up in the kitchen of this world-acclaimed toque?

My parents lived in Hong Kong for eight years. When I was off from Trinity University in San Antonio, I would go to Hong Kong and try the most amazing food. At the time, I majored in marketing and art, but I also loved cooking, so one summer, I got an internship at Bo Innovation, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Hong Kong. I worked 12-hour shifts six days a week; I learned a lot. The first week, they trained me in pastry, then told me that the pastry chef was going to leave for a week for vacation, and I was in charge. And, ‘Oh, the Michelin star guy is in town, so make sure you do everything right.’

Talk about high pressure. Bo Innovation is known for molecular cooking, right?

It was fascinating, meshing science with food. Everything had to be very precise. I remembered having to debone fish, very, very small fish. He also asked me to cut strawberries into squares. I remember thinking, ‘How do I do that?’ But I learned. I also learned about plating and presentation. Fast-forward to 2012, when you graduated from college and are back in your hometown, Houston. I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do. I always loved food, and every career I ever had was tied to food. My favorite restaurant at the time was Indika, Anita’s first place. I loved how she could transform vegetables; to this day, it's

amazing. I applied to work at Indika, but Anita said she didn’t need me there. She was about to open Pondicheri. She asked if I would like to work there. I said, ‘Yes!’

I was part of the founding crew there, and what I thought would be a six-week endeavor to figure out my life ended up being my life. I was there for 10 years. Anita was an incredible mentor, both personally and career-wise. She pushed me in the best way to come out of my shell. I was very shy.

Do you still collaborate with Anita?

Anita helped me with the baklava cookies. She’s a cookie master. I told her I wanted a baklava, but I wanted it to be a cookie, so she suggested a shortbread cookie on the outside and baklava filling.

Your time with Anita clearly impacted your approach to food. But your food is unique because it’s rooted in your Greek heritage. Take, for instance, your Cretan mountain tea blend, which contains dittany, a therapeutic and aromatic marjoram-like perennial that grows wild only on the mountainsides and gorges of the Greek island of Crete, aka Kriti. You opened Kriti Kitchen, inspired by the idyllic summers you spent visiting Chania on the island of Crete. Can you give us more background about your inspiration?

My grandfather came from Crete, the largest of the Greek islands. When I visit my relatives, you don’t get the Greek food you get in the U.S. In America, it’s more like street food. When I

KRITI KITCHEN Kriti chef-owner Mary Cuclis lives in West University with her husband, Scott Gilliland, and their kids, Owen and Addie.

Jake Eschelman

visit my relatives, I have this kind of homestyle Greek food that I could never find in the U.S. And I was like, ‘Why don’t people have this? This is so good.’ So, the idea was to bring that homestyle Greek food here.

Give an example.

When you travel to Greece, a lot of times, you’ll visit tavernas, local places where they’ll be cooking stifados, which are stews. Often, they’ll be open kitchens, almost like someone’s home kitchen. And they’ll say to you, ‘Come, smell these stews. Which one do you want?” They’ll have chicken stifado, vegetable stifado, pork, all different kinds. I loved that. And they’ll have vegetable accompaniments, like horta, which we have as a side. Horta is a variety of wild greens picked off the side of the mountains. Ours are seasonal greens from the market and may include dandelion and amaranth.

You don’t often see stifado on U.S. Greek menus. You offer several stifados, including a white bean version. You also shared the recipe for the chicken stifado, a popular freezer item. Why choose this dish?

There’s an ingredient in here called carob. It’s a pod. It’s a naturally sweet pod, similar to cocoa powder. But it isn’t bitter in its raw form. Six years ago, when I brought my son to visit my relatives in Crete for the first time, there was an

archaeologist who specialized in ancient foods, specifically of Minoan times. He said carobs were used in stews; it was a commonly used ingredient. That got me thinking. When I add it to the stifado, it adds a richness, almost like a mole, a depth that you wouldn’t expect. That, in combination with the rosemary, is just a really fun, unique flavor. It’s not the easiest ingredient to find, but you can get it at nuts.com, or you could use cocoa powder. It just might be slightly more bitter.

Kriti’s Chicken Stifado

For marinade:

1 pound chicken thighs

1 teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon yogurt

½ teaspoon salt

For stew:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

½ cup tomato puree

1 tablespoon carob (see note)

2 cups chicken stock or water

1 cinnamon stick

1 chopped fresh rosemary

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Cut chicken thighs into 1 ½-inch cubes. In a mixing bowl, prepare the marinade by combining paprika, black pepper, garlic, olive oil, yogurt, and salt. Toss in chicken thigh, coating the meat evenly with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place chicken on a sheet tray and cook for 10 minutes; set aside when done.

Add olive oil to a medium-sized pot over low heat. Sauté onions on low heat until caramelized and brown. Add carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook for about 2-to-3 minutes. Pour in tomato puree and carob, then chicken stock, then cinnamon, rosemary, pepper, and salt. Cook until reduced and slightly thick.

Add the chicken and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with sautéed greens and nice, crusty bread. Makes 4 servings.

Note: Carob powder can be found at Nuts.com, or cocoa powder can be substituted.

GOOD-FOR-YOU GREEK Clockwise, from top left: grilled lamb chops with tzatziki yogurt sauce and lemon potatoes; quinoa keftedes with smoked eggplant dip and cucumber-tomato salad; various dips – pomegranate tahini, tzatziki, and parsley pine nut – with handmade flatbread; Greek avgolemono soup with seasonal salad.

Jake Eschelman

Jake Eschelman

Jake Eschelman

Jake Eschelman

SportzBuzz SPORTS

. by Todd Freed, staff writer

With its 5-1 victory over rival Kinkaid in the SPC final, the Episcopal Knights secured a remarkable seventh consecutive SPC Softball Championship. “The SPC conference was the toughest that I can remember, so our girls really had to step up and play at another level,” said Episcopal softball coach Caitlyn Cain. “It’s always tough when you have a target on your back, but the girls handled it well. Our lone senior was Allie Williams and she really led the team.”

As for Williams, the senior centerfielder connected on a school record 14 home runs this past season. She will next play collegiate softball at the University of New Mexico. Another major contributor offensively for the Knights was junior third and first baseman Gianna Lewis who hit for a batting average of over .400. “Gianna was a real catalyst for our offensive attack,” said Cain. “She was sort of a protector for Allie in the lineup.”

On the mound, the Knights were led by an outstanding season from junior Reagan Moriarty who had 79 strikeouts in 82 innings of work this past season. “Reagan started both of our victories at the SPC tournament and did a really nice job and then sophomore Jordan Bey came in and picked up the saves,” added Cain.

While Episcopal was winning its seventh straight SPC title in softball, the St. John’s Mavericks girls golf team secured its seventh consecutive SPC Championship. The Mavericks dominated the SPC golf tournament in winning the championship by a lofty 34-stroke margin over second place John Cooper School.

“The girls played really well,” said Mavericks golf coach Jack Soliman . “We played the tournament at the Golf Club of Houston which is the toughest course we have played all season. It’s where they used to play the Shell Houston Open.”

With the Mavericks in full control of the team title by the end of the first day, the biggest suspense down the home stretch of the two-day tournament was a fierce battle for the individual title, with St. John’s senior Brielle Burns finish-

ing in first place by a tight two-stroke margin over Emily Zhang of Houston Christian. The St. John’s sisters tandem of Kenna and Kendace Lee, finished tied for third just four strokes back of Burns. In addition, St John’s teammate Audrey Liu finished tenth overall giving the Mavericks four of the top ten finishers.

“Brielle, Kenna, Audrey, and Lily Veazey are all part of a truly special senior class for us,” added Soliman. “We have had some really talented golfers come through here over the last dozen years, but this group is as strong as any of them.”

With an impressive late season surge, the Second Baptist Eagles came on strong to win the TAPPS Division II State Baseball Championship. The Eagles secured the seventh baseball championship in school history with a 10-7 victory over Southwest Christian School in the state final at UT-Arlington. Eagles sophomore Christian McCleary was named the championship game MVP. The Eagles were also bolstered by a strong outing from starting pitcher Ethan Eschweiler in the title victory. In the Eagles 6-1 state semifinal victory over Beaumont Kelly, Wes Baker connected on a key 3-run homer and was named the game’s MVP.

“We had to win our last two regular season games against Fort Bend Christian just to even

get in the playoffs,” said Eagles head baseball coach Rayner Noble. “We got great pitching from Carson Bratcher and that fueled our momentum. We had a conversation with the guys on what direction we needed to go, and the mentality of our team switched. The team put it into another gear and the rest is history.”

“I truly believed from the start that we were capable of this,” added Eagles senior Ben Kalife. “It was just a matter of putting all the pieces together to be successful and we got there. Towards the end of the season we started really clicking and our bats got especially hot in the playoffs.”

The Eagles caught fire in a playoff run that included victories over San Antonio Christian, St John’s XXIII, Beaumont Kelly, and then the title victory over Southwest Christian. “Coming away with a state championship victory to end my high school baseball career was incredibly special and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” added Kalife. “It really was a storybook ending.”

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

SEVEN IN A ROW The Episcopal Knights won the SPC Softball Championship for the seventh consecutive season. The Knights defeated rival Kinkaid 5-1 in the SPC final to wrap up this year’s title.

. by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer

SportzBuzz Jr.

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

Charger nation

The Spring Branch-Memorial Sports Association 10U Chargers softball team, coached by (back row, from left) Stuart Jolly, Grayson Wallace, Aaron Boudreaux, and Darren Van Delden, had an outstanding season. The team, made up of third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade girls, advanced to the Gold Bracket playoff games after their regular season. Head coach Aaron delivered a special shoutout for each player at their end-of-season party. “Aaron did a wonderful job coaching and motivating the girls; he kept the parents engaged so everyone felt a part of the Chargers. It was a special season,” said a team parent. Their achievements in the league are secondary to the lifelong friendships the girls have formed over their love of the game. Pictured are (middle row, from left) Aubrey Brooks, Danielle Kurtz, Caroline Wallace, Rose Jolly, Annie Boudreaux, Riley Ann Reid, Gia Smith, Liv Van Delden; (front row, from left) Libby Suszko, Colette Marchesani, Sienna Weidemann, and Maggie Perry.

Wolves win

The 2024 St. Francis Episcopal School Boys Baseball Team won the Houston Junior Preparatory Conference Championship for the first time since 2013. The Wolves defeated Kinkaid 5-4 in the quarterfinals, beat St. John’s School 2-1 in the semi-finals, and beat Second Baptist 6-4 in the championship game. Congratulations to the Wolves on a great championship season! Pictured (from left) are George Swallen, Currie Bechtol, Hayes Comarda, Nickson Wissmiller, Jake Miller, James Little, Sted Grigsby, Brody August, Kylar Glass, Charlie Bookmyer, John Rosser, Hutch Burrow, and Parker Prather

Silver champs

The Spring Branch-Memorial Sports Association 8U Oakland A’s finished out a great season with a knock-out in the Silver Bracket of the final playoff games. The team was comprised of players from Rummel Creek Elementary School. Pictured (front row, from left) are players Phillip Gillespie, Micah Scarborough, Rhett Freidman, Markus Patterson, Harrison Lui, Hunter Nguyen; (second row, from left) Minu Dempsey, Wyatt Gentry, Holden Nguyen, Lion Neikirk, and Grant Morgan. Coaches are Phil Morgan and Will Dempsey (back row, from left). Players Minu Dempsey and Grant Morgan secured themselves a place in the Home Run Derby, where all the home run hitters compete to see who can hit it out of the park. The Derby brought another great season of SBMSA baseball to a close.

Editor’s note: Send your best high-resolution photos and behind-the-scenes stories about young local athletes, in both team and individual sports, to SportzBuzz, Jr. at info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Include all contact info, names, ages, grades and schools. Featured athletes must live in Buzz-circulation neighborhoods. Items will be published on a space-available basis.

Every weekday morning, enjoy your coffee + the buzz in your inbox. Our e-newsletter, Morning Buzz, features buzzworthy stories about neighbors every day, Monday-Friday.

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Buzz Kidz KIDS

by Advay Arashanapalli, age 15

FUN RUN FOR A CAUSE Advay Arashanapalli, age 15, came up with the idea to host a fun run after he volunteered at the Woodlands Marathon this year.

Home run for the community

Irecently organized the inaugural Home Run

Hitters Fun Run, along with a couple other volunteers, and it was a truly inspiring event. The race brought together runners of all ages and abilities for a fantastic cause: Home Run Hitters International. HRH is a non-profit dedicated to creating increased opportunities and fostering fun interactions for individuals with disabilities. HRH has been serving the local Houston community for more than 14 years. Of those individuals that HRH serves, 69 percent are from low to moderate income households, 78 percent are from minority communities, and 35 percent are from single parent homes.

As is commonly said, every great idea starts with a spark. My spark was when I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Woodlands

Marathon in February this year. It occurred to me that a 5K run for the HRH community would be a fun activity. I bounced the idea with Dr. Carr who is the founder and executive director of HRH, along with my dad. Dr. Carr, liked the idea instantly, and provided the required support to make it a reality. The HRH Fun Run isn't just about competition. It's a celebration of inclusivity and community. It was a joy to see the kids, volunteers, and parents gather, and walk around beautiful Memorial Park full of energy. Seeing the smiles on everyone's faces, regardless of their pace or ability, was truly heartwarming.

The success of the HRH Fun Run is a true testament to the dedication of the organization's staff, volunteers, and the entire commu-

nity. The funds raised through the event go directly towards supporting the programs at HRH such as Camp M.I. Way (my favorite), Away Weekends, and Switch-a Thon. With continued support, Home Run Hitters International can keep hitting home runs for those who need it most.

If you're interested in learning more about Home Run Hitters International, getting involved in future events, or donating to their cause, visit their website at homerunhitters.org.

Want to be a Buzz Kid? Email approximately 350 words, a high-resolution photo and caption to info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Or mail it to The Buzz Magazines, 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401.

Nasal polyps

Can’t appreciate the bouquet of a nice Merlot? Having to heavily season or spice your food to get a glimmer of taste? Suffer from nasal congestion? You may have something obstructing your nasal passages.

Nasal polyps can present as congestion and/or decreased sense of smell/taste. They can be associated with drainage, mouth breathing, snoring, sneezing, headaches or facial pain.

Nasal polyps can be associated with asthma, sinus problems and or sensitivities to aspirin or NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen…). Nasal polyps can be involved in some cases of sleep apnea.

Cases can be seen in most age groups but nasal polyps are more common in adults, 40 years old and older. The overall incidence in children is roughly 0.1% (higher in children with Cystic Fibrosis). Among adults, the incidence is between 1 and 4%.

Nasal polyps are inflammatory overgrowths of mucus membranes of the nose and sinus tissue. We don’t know why some people get polyps but we know it is tied to a type of inflammation (type II inflammation) that we are experienced in dealing with.

For some patients, nasal steroids sprays such as Nasacort or Flonase can be helpful. Sometimes surgery is required when the polyps get severe. Unfortunately, even with surgical removal, polyps usually grow back. Some patients have had multiple surgeries yet polyps grow back. With each surgery, the risks of surgical complications go up.

In the last few years, newer approaches have become available. As the cause of polyps seems to be tied to type II inflammation, medications for

this allergic inflammation and asthma began to be explored as treatment for nasal polyps. Several medicines that had been previously FDA approved for asthma for example have now been shown to be effective for nasal polyps. The FDA has now approved several for polyp patients. At this time, Xolair, Nucala and Dupixent are available for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. We have been administering some of these agents for asthma for two decades at The Allergy Clinic and thus are very experienced with their use.

If you are troubled with persistent nasal congestion or if you have asthma and are sensitive to aspirin/NSAIDs, or if you have been told you have nasal polyps, come see us for an evaluation. We can investigate to see if you indeed have nasal polyps and which treatment might benefit you.

No one nose allergies like we do.™

Note: Information contained in this article should not be considered a substitute for consultation with a board-certified allergist to address individual medical needs.

Anthony J. Weido, M.D., The Allergy Clinic, 7707 Fannin, Suite 100, Houston, Texas 77054, 713.797.0993, *1200 Binz, Suite 1400, Houston, Texas 77004, 713.522.9911, www.allergyclinic.com, *Operating as Houston Allergy and Asthma Clinic

Neighborhood Tails

Gus, age 1.5, Chocolate Labrador, Brentwood Dr.

Hi, I’m Gus, an 1.5-year-old Chocolate Labrador. Ever since my dad adopted me from a breeder in Conroe, we have been inseparable! You know how they say a dog is a man’s best friend? Well, my dad and I are living proof of that. He goes to The University of Texas, so I do too! I live with my dad in Austin during the school year and love it, but I love coming back home to River Oaks even more. My dad put me in camp for three months in Sealy so that we could go hunting together! I specialize in bird hunting and love when my dad takes me to the ranch. I love going for runs and playing with all my friends at school. My favorite activity though is swimming because Texas weather is no joke, especially Houston! I’m so happy to be in Houston for the summer, but I’ll always bark Hook ’Em!

Got a cute critter? Email a picture of your pet with approximately 150 words to info@thebuzzmagazines.com or mail it to The Buzz Magazines, 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401.

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all the things my hands have held, the best by far is you.” - Andrew McMahon

Photographing treasured moments for over 25 years A Portrait Remembers

713.542.8040 nikky@lawellphoto.com www.lawellphoto.com

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Rotten kids

In Texas, it is legal to disinherit a child. To do so, make a will leaving their share to someone else. Revoke beneficiary designations and terminate survivorship agreements that favor the child.

Are you yourself a trust beneficiary? Does your remaining share go to your children on your death? If you have a power of appointment, exercise it against the rotten kid.

The share of a child that is disinherited has to go somewhere. One option is to leave their share to the other children. Do you intend to disinherit the rotten kid’s children? If not, a second option is to leave it to those grandchildren.

Disinheriting a child tends to bruise all the survivors, not just the rotten ones. Your will is the last word any of them hear from you, and harsh words or consequences have an outsize impact on everyone, sometimes more so on the good kids, who have been known to restore the rotten ones’ share. They i) may disagree with your decision, ii) are okay with it but others they love are not, or iii) just want to get the whiners out of their hair.

Instead of disinheriting anyone, leave their share to them in trust. The trustee can make distributions only as needed. This ensures a rotten kid is never a burden to others, that they have a dignified retirement, and that the good kids get minimal flak from the rotten one. This looks good on paper, but it’s horrible in practice if the trustee is a sibling. A corporate trustee is best, but expensive. If it’s any consolation, the expense is born only by the rotten kid.

Corporate trustees used to charge 3% of the trust corpus per annum. If

a well-managed trust appreciated 4.5% a year (after inflation, taxes, and investment advisory fees), that meant 2 of every 3 dollars of growth went to the trustees rather than to the beneficiary. I explained that to one client and asked, “Is it really worth it?” “You’ve never met my children,” he responded. “My grandchildren will inherit nothing otherwise.”

Corporate trustees charge less if all the assets are liquid. One approach: make a good kid the executor, so they can sell the house and cars and deliver nothing but cash and securities to the distributees, including the problem child’s trustee. The fee base for the trustee will be limited to that one child’s trust, and the rate can be much lower than 3%. The good kid is off the hook, and the corporate trustee gets the rotten kid.

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

Russell W. Hall, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Board Certified – Estate Planning and Probate Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 6750 West Loop South, Suite 920, Bellaire, Texas 77401, 713.662.3853, bellaireprobate.com/blog

Buzz About Town

Chinquapin roots run deep

Sherwood Gil and Susan Walker (pictured, from left) celebrated with nearly 400 other guests, including 70 alumni, at the Chinquapin Preparatory School’s spring gala. The Roots Run Deep event was held at The Revaire and was chaired by a large group of Chinquapin alumni and their spouses. Mily Pérez, the school’s first alumna director, spoke to the crowd and gave a special tribute to supporters of the school, which provides educational opportunities to lowincome students. Special guests Bruce Longaker, Steve McCarthy, Peter Morris, Tricia and Alan Ratliff, and Paul Teten were honored for their ongoing support of Chinquapin students and alumni.

Ladies who lunch

The Latin Women’s Initiative (LWI) welcomed 900 fashionable supporters to the 22nd annual

LWI fashion show and luncheon to raise funds for services for Houston’s Latino community. Board president Patrica Garcia, honorary chair Becky Reyes, and event chair Jolene Trevino (pictured, from left) joined other fashionistas in the Hilton Americas ballroom for the sold-out Brazilian Carnival-themed event emceed by KPRC 2’s Daniella Guzman. The marketplace shopping event began at 10 a.m. and was packed with ladies shopping and sipping curated tequilas. Saks Fifth Avenue’s general manager Heidi Turney led the fashion show with a personal appearance from featured designer Patricia Bonaldi, founder and creator of PatBo. The event was the most successful in the luncheon’s history, raising more than $550,000.

Run for the roses

Derby-finest attire filled the room at The Post Oak Hotel for the Hats, Hearts, and Horseshoes event benefiting Bo’s Place. Luke and Megan Hotze (pictured) were among the 400 guests at the Kentucky Derby-themed affair that raised a record-breaking $360,000 for the nonprofit bereavement center for children, adults, and families. The afternoon of champagne, mint juleps, and live and silent auctions was chaired

by Fady Armanious and Bill Baldwin, Amanda and Terry Boffone, and Jayne and Garrett Johnston, and featured emcees Chita Craft and Stephen Lewis. Advisory Board member Kathy O'Neil presented the Champion of Hope Award to sisters Meredith Chastang and Liz Anders for their years of support of Bo’s Place.

For a healthy Houston

Scott and Lorraine Wegmann and Jamie and Suzanne McCarthy (pictured, from left) joined fellow supporters for the Memorial Hermann No Mountain High Enough Gala at the Hilton Americas-Houston. Chaired by Hallie Vanderhider and honoring Melinda and Greg Armstrong, Linda and Willie Chiang, and Jane and Harry Pefanis, the event raised $4.8 million. Before chef Aaron Bludorn’s four-course dinner was served, a choir of Memorial Hermann clinicians and staff, alongside the Ernest Walker Band, per-

(continued on page 58)

. by Angie Frederickson, staff writer

Jacob Power

Michelle Watson

Hung

Truong

Daniel Ortiz

formed “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” setting the stage for the evening’s program. Guests also heard from Dr. David Callender, president and chief executive officer of Memorial Hermann Health System and Anne Neeson, Memorial Hermann Foundation executive vice president and chief executive officer about the hospital system’s efforts to benefit the health of Greater Houston.

Sip and support

Kelly Anzilotti and Sherri Zucker (pictured, from left) were among the more than 125 partygoers who came out to sip tequila for a great cause at the Chancellors Family Center. The tequila tasting was the first-ever fundraiser for Spectrum Fusion, a nonprofit founded by Dr. Heidi Stieglitz Ham that provides employment for adults on the autism spectrum. Supporters helped raise $42,000 to go towards hiring additional members of Spectrum Fusion’s media team, which includes film editors, videographers, copywriters, and graphic designers. The program began with emcee Fox26 News’ Greg Groogan who welcomed guests and explained what Spectrum Fusion is all about, mentioning his son Garrett Groogan, a member of Spectrum Fusion’s media team who hosts “Literacy Corner” online. Guests then enjoyed five flights of different sipping-tequilas and mezcals paired with tapas while listening to a performance by media team member Kyle Cousins, who is also a professional musician known for performing in the Billy Joel tribute performance “Big Shot: The Billy Joel Experience.”

Hope grows here

The Hilton Americas-Houston was packed with 800 supporters at the annual Promise Ball benefiting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Houston. Kevin and Matalee Gentry, Brian and Jordan Amis, Karen and Tom Gentry, and Jill Leandro (pictured, from left) enjoyed the Hope Grows Herethemed event that raised $2.8 million to support children living with Type 1 diabetes (T1D). Emcee and host of Houston Texans TV Drew Dougherty welcomed guests to their tables for dinner. The program provided estimated carbohydrate counts for each menu item because indi-

viduals who live with T1D must count every carb consumed to help control their blood-sugar level. Dougherty invited event chairs Jordan and Brian Amis, along with their son Charlie, to the stage and the couple shared their experiences with JDRF when then 10-month-old Charlie (now 15) was first diagnosed with T1D. The Amises then introduced honoree Dr. Pam Carmain and she joined them on stage with her son Grant and daughter Kate. Guests wrapped up the evening on the dance floor with fanfavorite cover band Skyrocket!

Kicking off the MS 150

Nabil Joubran, Mike Yates, Monique Nolk, Mike Sailor, Katie Brass, AJ Brass, and Lisa Sailor (pictured, from left) were among the supporters at Steak 48 to kick off the 40th annual Bike MS: Texas MS 150. Hosted by Greg Hill, president and chief operating officer of Hess Corporation, and National MS Society president and chief executive officer Cyndi Zagieboylo, the evening featured Houston

John

who spoke to the crowd. The race takes bike riders from Houston to College Station over two days to raise funds for the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society. This year’s event included nearly 6,000 riders and more than 300 teams and concluded with a crowd of 12,000 people at the College Station finish line.

An evening at the Azalea Gala

Tom Pace, Suzie Sinclair, Michelle Shonbeck, and Don Sinclair (pictured, from left) enjoyed the 27th annual Azalea Gala supporting the Christian Community Service Center (CCSC). More than 750 supporters gathered to honor Dr. Tom Pace, senior pastor of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, and raised more than $865,000 for CCSC’s social service programs that provide emergency food, financial assistance, employment coaching, and vocational training for people in the community. Guests were welcomed by emcee KHOU 11’s (continued on page 60)

Mayor

Whitmire

C.J. Martinez

Henrich Perez

Alex Montoya

Revolutionary Treatment for Arthritis and Tendonitis

Dr. Mehta has successfully treated thousands of patients with cancer over the past 25 years using focused radiation therapy.

He is now pioneering the use of low-dose radiation to treat arthritis and tendonitis in the US, using techniques that have been well proven in Europe. Six very small doses of radiation are delivered precisely to the areas of pain in the hands, feet, knees, elbows, shoulders, etc.

Low dose radiation is 90% effective in reducing or eliminating this pain. This proven treatment is covered by Medicare and most insurances.

Sanjay

Shern-Min Chow and enjoyed live music from Grace and Jim Roman of St. Luke's United Methodist Church and Marvin Gaspard of St. Luke's Presbyterian Church. CCSC board chair Deacon Larry Vaclavik of St. Theresa Catholic Church presented Dr. Pace with the Azalea Gala 2024 Honoree Award celebrating Dr. Pace's partnership with CCSC to help local impoverished families.

Wishes come true

John and Carly Whitehurst and Claudia and Brad Freels (pictured, from left) served as

honorary chairs for the 2024 Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana gala. The Wish Ball was held at The Post Oak Hotel and welcomed more than 750 guests. Celebrating 40 years of granting wishes, and honoring Kay and Tommy Austin , the black-tie affair raised more than $1.7 million to fulfill wishes for children with critical illnesses. The evening held a special meaning for elementary school teacher Carly Whitehurst, the daughter of Claudia and Brad Freels as 2024 marks the 10-year anniversary of her wish to attend the Country Music Awards. Emcee Deborah Duncan welcomed guests to the gala, and supporters enjoyed surprise videos from JJ Watt and Charles Barkley, who granted wishes for two children. The crowd was also entertained by former Make-A-Wish children Franklin Ingalls who played the grand piano and Andrew Marshall , a finalist from The Voice who sang several songs for the crowd.

Hear with you

Ginny and L.E. Simmons (pictured) were honored at the Texas Hearing Institute’s annual Hear with You! Gala at The Post Oak Hotel. More than 300 guests joined the celebration chaired by Jenny and Clay Williams and featuring guest speaker Jim Kyte, the first and only legally deaf person to have played for the National Hockey League (NHL). Gala guests enjoyed a cocktail reception and silent auction, followed by dinner and a live auction. The successful event is the institute’s largest fundraising event and generated $866,000 for specialized medical services and education for children who are deaf and hard of hearing.

Be seen in Buzz About Town. Send your high-res photos and community news to info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Items are published on a space-available basis. Also share your upcoming-event listings on thebuzzmagazines.com.

(continued from page 58)

Daniel Ortiz

. by Andria Dilling, staff writer

Back Porch

The Game of the Summer: Mahjong takes over

There’s an old new game in town, and I think I might be one of the last to jump in and play.

Mahjong is a centuries-old game that came to the United States from China in the 1920s – I remember my grandmother playing. Without knowing how to play the game, I loved stacking the solid white tiles engraved with beautiful and mysterious-to-me Chinese characters and symbols. More than 100 years after its American debut, mahjong is less granny glasses and more Aperol spritzes.

It was some 15 years ago when my (then) very young daughters’ grandmother taught them how to play. She gave one of them a sparkly pink mahjong set (glitter-coated tiles, pink acrylic tile racks, and a big pink bag to keep it all organized, all of which no eight-yearold could resist) and regularly pulled together games to entertain the girls. Mahjong requires four players (unless, I know now, you play with “Beulah,” the invisible extra who gives away jokers willy-nilly, because she isn’t real and doesn’t have a brain), so sometimes I would be drafted into the game. I was not interested.

If you haven’t played, mahjong is truly another language, one that takes a little concentration to master – more than I had in reserves as a young mom. Bams, cracks, dots? Flowers? Dragons? And blanks? What?

The rules are contrary to those in onze or gin or spades. At a lesson early on in my mahjong career (like a few months ago), one woman I was learning with – who happened to be from China – said, “I have a string of consecutive numbers in the same suit. I should be able to use these.” Alas. You must cull “hands” of tiles that correspond to the mahjong card of the year’s approved winning hands.

Which brings us to this: In order to keep up with the year-to-year scramble of what tiles constitute winning hands, you have to buy a new, trifold mahjong card every year. For $15. Which, my friends and I imagined, guaranteed that a bunch of mahjong-expert grannies in New York had a steady income, year after year. In reality, the National Mah Jongg League gives proceeds from the cards to charities.

Like so many hobbies, mahjong gained huge popularity during and after quarantine, when people had more down time and were craving connection.

“I think the appeal really is that it brings people face to face,” says Jacqui Kneese, a realtor at Compass. Jacqui is part of a group that gets together at the Houston Racquet Club every other week; although this summer, with more free time and kids who are a little more independent, they’ve gotten together as much as every other afternoon.

“It’s nice,” she says, “because we’re from all different walks of life, our kids are different ages, at different schools. It’s fun and social and you can hang out and drink and avoid your family for a while, and you’re somewhat using your brain. Like pickleball but you don’t have to get sweaty.”

QUICK LEARNER Whether it’s mahjong or Monopoly, multi-generational games are one of the joys of summer.

Having started playing just a few months ago, Jacqui says, “I’m very late to the trend. And I’m not playing to win. If someone wants to cheat, be my guest.”

That’s not to say there aren’t sticklers. Heather Consoli, who started playing a couple of years ago and now plays every Thursday, explains: “The difference in mahjong players is like the difference between HLTA [Houston Ladies Tennis Association] tennis and Memorial [League] tennis. Memorial, everyone wants to know about your kids. HLTA is more like we’re gonna beat you and don’t talk to me. I’m Memorial League.”

The sorority rush consultant says, “I have a lot of younger friends who would laugh and

ask me if I was going home to knit quilts after mahjong. But now it’s exploded, and all of them are playing, or they want to play. It’s just a great excuse to commit to being with friends.”

Which is, I guess, what finally got me in the game. Although I do have to remind myself every few minutes which tiles correspond to which suits.

For players like me, Jacqui says she knows several women whose full-time jobs are teaching people how to play mahjong. “I don’t know if they’re killing it,” she quips, “but they look like they eat.” If Jacqui’s group’s summer uptick in playtime is any indication, the mahjong coaches will be eating lobster and wagyu this summer.

Jacqui thinks a little more and adds, “Nobody has a knitting club anymore. Mahjong is the new knitting club.”