PRSRTSTD USPostagePAID PermitNo. 2047Houston,TX toRecipesRelishby Andria PrivateFrankfortSchool Directory 80 is the New 50 Chef’s Corner: Degust Learning Spots for Little Ones Making a Difference in Tanzania An Alzheimer’s Journey Henry the Harvey Rescue Pup
Account Managers Andrea Blitzer Leslie Little Jo Rogers
THE BUZZ MAGAZINES
Food styling by Carla Buerkle, carlabuerkle.com
Cover photo by Michael Hart, hartphoto.com
EDITOR’S NOTE
Editorial Assistant Caroline Siegfried
Editor Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld
I should have a sign in my kitchen that says: “My favorite thing to make for dinner is reservations.” Over the past 20 years, The Buzz has featured countless incredible recipes. I have yet to make a single one – cooking is not my thing. Thankfully, Michael doesn’t mind. But I enjoy reading about these recipes (I keep telling myself this will be the one I make) and I love reading about the talented chefs behind those recipes. Sometimes, neighbors share beloved family recipes that have been passed down from generation to genera tion; other times, professional chefs have been willing to share their fivestar recipes with our readers. In this issue, we highlight some outstanding recipes from foodie neighbors Julia Hellums, who has worked alongside Martha Stewart, and Chris Catechis, who inherited his love of cooking from his dad. Whether you relish experimenting in the kitchen or prefer to peruse The Buzz while ordering takeout, we hope you find some delicious inspiration in this issue. Bon appétit. joni@thebuzzmagazines.com
On our cover: Julia Hellums’ Crispy Balsamic Duck Breast works as well for weekdays as it does for company.
Publisher Michael Hoffman
Design Manager John Duboise
Staff Writers Tracy L. Barnett Sharon Albert Brier Cindy
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Editor-in-Chief Joni Hoffman
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 4
Peachy keen
We are looking for residents for upcoming articles who:
• Have a unique hobby.
[submitted by Nancy Beck] with peaches and blueberries and a bit less of the flour than called for in the recipe, and it was good. However, I want to try it again with much less flour in the fruit mixture. Thanks for your Food section. I always enjoy the recipes and photos. Keep up the good work.
Helen Young
Dubravka Romano
• Know a Buzzworthy neighbor to feature.
I have received nothing but positive feedback about being featured in this month’s issue [The Garden Code: Gifts grown in Grandpa’s garden by Michelle Casas Groogan, Aug. 2022]. Being on the cover of a magazine [The West University Buzz] has always been one of my goals. I am so grateful to the wonderful people at The Buzz who have made this dream come true. Thank you for sharing my story.
Editor’s note: Carmelita, we appreciate you reaching out and sharing positive feedback. We’re glad you liked seeing the winners of our 2022 Photo Contest. View all of these photographs at thebuzzmagazines.com.
Past story hits home today
Thank you for the wonderful article about my dad, Damon Slator, and his 100th birthday celebration [Happy 100th birthday!, Buzz About Town by Angie Frederickson, West University Buzz and Tanglewood/River Oaks Buzz, May 2022]! The memories last, and your article stirred them up again, which I treasure! And since I live in Austin, it has been fantastic hearing from the friends I grew up with in Tanglewood who now know about his big milestone! A heartfelt thanks to you and The Buzz team!
Send letters to info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Please include your name, address, phone number and email address for verification purposes. Letters are subject to editing for clarity and space. 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.
Carmelita Groff
If this sounds like you or someone you know, please contact us at info@thebuzzmagazines.com or 713.668.4157, ext 12.
MAILBAGYour letters, thoughts, opinions
Dream come true
Editor’s note: Dubravka, we’re glad you stumbled upon this story and that it made an impression on you. See thebuzzmagazines.com to read (or reread) this story.
Marilyn McDonald
• Have special holiday traditions.
• Have a funny or sweet parenting story.
As for Ivy [the app Jones created], it releases August 13, 2022 – the day after my 18th birthday.
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 6
Jones Mays
Cindy – we don’t know each other, and I don’t make it a habit of messaging random strangers on social media, but I just ran across your “When I’m 64” article in The Buzz [When I’m 64: Comfortable in my own skin by Cindy Gabriel, Nov. 2018] and it hit me right on the gut. I am reaching the end of my 64th year and celebrating that Medicare birthday next month. I am also retiring from a job and career I love. So lots of changes. Your article is exactly what I needed today. I know you wrote it three years ago, but I just wanted to let you know it still hits the mark. Thank you!
Kudos on July issue
Editor’s note: Jones, congratulations on your app and we appreciate you sharing your story with us! See thebuzzmagazines.com to read this story. Search the Apple store to check out Ivy.
Celebrating a centenarian
• Have an interesting travel tale.
I wanted to let you know I loved the July 2022 issue. It was absolutely marvelous. One of the best issues. I know people take the time to make complaints about things, but I think you ought to hear kudos. I loved the issue. It was gorgeous. The photography contest – I really enjoyed it. I believe in acknowledging. People will tell you what they think is wrong but not what’s right.
What’s your stor y?
Hi Andria – your Just Peachy recipes in the July 2022 food section [by Andria Frankfort] look delicious! I tried the Apricot Raspberry Crumble
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 7
The people were Jack’s favorite part of the experience. “You make wonderful friendships and connections. We had a wonderful time.”
But as a padel enthusiast, Jack wanted the newer sport to get the placement he felt it deserved in the Maccabi Games. “In Spain, there are more padel players than tennis players, and that’s the land of [Rafael] Nadal and all those great tennis players,” Jack says of the sport that began in Acapulco in 1969 and has since become popular worldwide. “I pushed to get padel accepted into the [Maccabi] Games as an event, and it was a great success,” Jack says, sharing his excitement about the sport’s first appearance in the Games.
“I told him, ‘It’s like the Oscars – you tried out and you made it, even if you didn’t win the outcome you wanted,’” Jack’s daughter-inlaw Melissa Rubenstein Levin says. “Your bucket list still gets checked off.” In that spirit and despite not being able to play tennis in the Games, Jack and Leorah had a great trip.
Staying Active to Stay Young
And the camaraderie is what keeps him play
a member of the tennis team and as the padel chairman was a dream for Jack. “I was really looking forward to it, had always wanted to do it,” he says of playing in the Games (he and Leorah had visited Israel many times before). Sadly, Jack suffered a shoulder injury playing tennis three days before departing for Israel.
“About 20 years ago, I started playing padel. It’s not pickleball, which is all the rage, but it’s a sport [that’s] growing tremendously in Europe, Argentina, Mexico. It’s played on a smaller court, and you play outside, but you’re enclosed in glass on the sides.” Jack’s become a champion of the sport, both on the court and in the back rooms of competitive play.
In
ing. “I’ve been playing with the same tennis group for 30 or 40 years,” Jack says of Jorge Barer, Mark Russell, Marc Mattsson, and Don Woo. “Jorge, I met 46 years ago, and we’re still playing together.
“It was really exciting; President Biden attend ed the opening ceremony with all the countries marching in to music and fanfare. The activities took place in five cities. We were in Netanya in a hotel, and in our hotel was the US women’s basketball team,” Jack says. “Leorah is beautiful and looked really wonderful, and she and I started talking with these young women, she was regaling them with stories. The girls just took a shine to her, so we would have breakfast together and went out together and watched them play. They got a gold medal and called us onto the court for pictures.” Melissa says Leorah and Jack became the “unofficial parents” for the team.
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 8 SPORTS by Andria Frankfort, staff writer
“There were four courts set up, 14 countries entered. I would have liked to play, but there was no age division for me, so I would have been playing against 25-year-olds.” Instead, Jack became the international chair of padel for the MaccabiAttendingGames.the 2022 Maccabi Games both as
Like the Olympics, the next Maccabi Games will be held in three years (Covid changed the typical four-year schedule). Jack says he’s looking forward to competing. “By then they will have age divisions [for padel],” he says. “Maybe not 80s, but 40s and 50s, so it won’t be too much of a drop for me.”
TEAM PLAYER Jack Levin has been playing tennis since his teenage years and recently traveled to Israel as part of the US tennis team in the Maccabi Games.
Jack had already qualified to play tennis in this past summer’s Maccabi Games. Held in Israel, the Maccabi Games brought 10,000 Jewish ath letes from 60 countries together to compete in what has been called “the Jewish Olympics.”
80 is the new 50
Jack Levin’s world, 80 is the new 50. In fact, this 80-year-old CPA is more active than a lot of 50-year-olds. He’s working fulltime, playing tennis and padel four times a week (padel is a cross between tennis and squash), and he’s just returned from a trip to Israel, where he was a member of the American tennis team at the Maccabi Games. Jack says it’s all the activity that keeps him young.
“I’ve been hitting balls basically all my life,” Jack says. “My interest started at 12 or 13, in South Africa. As a teenager, I played competitive table tennis, and I drifted to tennis as an adult.” Jack and his wife Leorah moved to Houston 46 years ago and raised four boys here, all grown with families of their own.
“I’ve been blessed by these tremendous friendships. We’ve vacationed together. About four years ago, they all [and their wives] came to South Africa with me and I was the tour guide for Cape Town, where I’m from.”
“One step at a time,” I thought. His feet didn’t touch the ground until they were in the bathtub. Here he passively submitted to a longoverdue bath. Then, he let me plop his wet torso on a towel, in my lap for a clump-by-clump scis sor cut, letting me move his legs back and forth, looking like an old man relaxing through his spa treatment.Finally, he and Annie, the Yorkie-Poo, met on the floor, two blondes of the opposite sex, about the same height, noses touching, tails
Earlier that day, Joanna fished this shivering mass of fur out from under a car near her Meyerland home. She suspected he was a rare, expensive breed. Her first stop was to the vet, to see if he was microchipped.
About three months into this relationship, I met Stan-the-(Hu)Man. It was my first date since my husband, George, died in 2013. Stan had two mixed-breed waist-high dogs. We would meet up with all four dogs most Saturdays at the dog park to see how everybody got along.
by Cindy Gabriel, staff writer
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 10 PETS
real owner showed up. But by month two, I gave in, hoping he would calm down. He didn’t, but it made it easier to try the dog park. Henry was by far the fastest runner, from end to end. Then he would skid into his turn like a racecar, leav ing a cloud of dust.
“I like the name Henry,” Stan said. “My father’s name was Henry.” But what he didn’t say that we both knew, was we can’t have four dogs between us. Each week, Henry caught someone’s eye who wanted to know more about him. There were many offers to take him. I couldn’t give up my little buddy to just anybody. “One step at a time,” I thought.
Next month: How Henry finds his forever home.
Henry the Harvey Rescue
“I can’t keep him. I have a houseful of cats,” she rightly said. Donna basically runs a Senior Living Community for cats from back when she took it upon herself to collect the feral cats in the neighborhood and had them spayed or neutered. Those she couldn’t place remain with her to this day. Her niece Joanna Drennen has the same admittedly admirable “condition” only involving dogs.
To put it mildly, Henry started feeling more and more comfortable by the day. He acted as if he had never lived inside a house, jumping from the sofa to the coffee table to the dining table and barking at that dog in the mirror, running to find him on the other side. And, as Donna warned, walking him on a leash was like having a hyena on a bungee cord.
Five Septembers ago, just before meeting Stan-the-Man, I was in a relationship with a younger guy with more hair. We met in September of 2017, about a month after Harvey floods nearly drowned us all. It wasn’t exactly love at first sight. All I could see was a panting pink tongue dangling through a disheveled mass of mud and fur. It was all my petite next-door neighbor Donna Drennen could do to hold him standing on my driveway.
IT’S A DOG’S LIFE This high-class pooch is living his best life five years post-Harvey.
I tried to leave him unneutered in case the
Part one of a two-part saga
him, from pictures Joanna posted on Nextdoor, but somebody had seen him with another dog like him, only with grey markings. The two were crossing S. Braeswood when the other dog was clipped by a car. Joanna searched for his grey companion, most likely a littermate, to no avail. Perhaps they belonged to a breeder.Mydaughter Laura took it upon herself to employ her social media skills to do a thorough online search. There were plenty of takers, but no actual owner.
wagging; I had a feeling this was going to be more than a one-night stand.For some reason, the name Henry popped into my head. He fanned out on the floor spread-eagle, with Annie politely curled nearby. It was an almosthuman position, or maybe that of month.likehisIful,frumpyhadtobackdog,double-jointedawithfrontandlegssplayedeachside.Henrygonefromtobeautibutexhausted.wonderedwhatlifehadbeenforthepastNobodyclaimed
Joanna’s dog-inn was full, plus I suspect, her home was reserved for those not so easily placeable. I felt honored to host His Royal Highness his first night inside in perhaps a month. “He acts like he’s never seen a leash,” Donna said, handing him to me.
No chip, no collar, no tags, and unneutered. But the vet did confirm that he was indeed a Coton de Tuléar, known as the Royal Dog of Madagascar, an island republic off the coast of East Africa. These small fluffy dogs, known for being affectionate and intelligent, usually cost an average of $3,000.
“The sweetness of the roasted tomatoes and shallots in the Tarte Tatin are well balanced by this combination of peppery and bitter greens,” Julia writes, “which also works just as well with the richness of the crisp skinned duck breast.”
5 tablespoons olive oil
and endive evenly; add more salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4-6.
Arugula and Endive Salad with Lemony Dressing
Julia Hellums knows food. She’s been a cook book editor, a food stylist, and a cooking teacher working in New York, London, and Houston. She’s edited local chef Hugo Ortega’s cookbooks, and she’s worked alongside Martha Stewart. Julia thoughtfully shared some favorite fall
2 to 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
12 shallots, peeled
¼ cup water
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. With a sharp paring knife, cut the core out of each tomato and cut an X on the opposite side. Place the tomatoes in a large bowl and pour boiling water over them to cover. Let the tomatoes stand one minute or less just until the skin peels easily; drain and peel all skins from the tomatoes.
Line a 9 ½ inch round cake pan or Pyrex dish with parchment paper. Warm sugar and water in a heavy bottom sauce pan over medium heat, stirring until sugar melts. After the sugar has melted, raise the heat to high. Do not stir with a spoon but swirl the pan to prevent burning until the mixture turns a light golden brown. Pour the caramel immediately into the parchment-lined pan.
Cut the peeled tomatoes in half length-wise and place cut-side down on an oiled half-sheet pan. Sprinkle the tomato halves evenly with 4 tablespoons oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper. Bake one Arrangehour.thepeeled shallots on a separate oiled
There’s
1 head yellow endive, trimmed*
In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Separate the endive into leaves and, in a medium salad bowl, toss together with the arugula and red onion slices. Toss with dressing to coat all the arugula
1 head red endive, trimmed*
TWIST ON A CLASSIC Food writer and stylist Julia Hellums has made a classic dish new by switching in tomatoes for apples in her Tomato Tarte Tatin.
half-sheet pan. Sprinkle with remaining 2 table spoons oil, salt, and pepper. Bake 20 minutes.
Recipes to Relish
15 to 20 ripe plum tomatoes (small to medium6sized)tablespoons
New dishes to try this fall
½ cup sugar
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
Arrange the roasted tomato halves neatly over the caramel. Top with the shallots in between the tomatoes so the tart is tightly packed. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top of theRollvegetables.outthe puff pastry into a circle slightly larger than the cake pan; prick with a fork to make holes for steam to escape. Place the pastry loosely over the tomatoes and shallots, tucking in the edges around the sides of the dish. Brush the pastry with melted butter. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden.
3 cups arugula leaves, washed ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
Julia says this is a “delicious change of pace from the everyday burger or pork chop dinner.” She likes roasting in a cast-iron pan in the oven because, she says, it creates a good sear and a crisp skin.
Tomato Tarte Tatin
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Remove from the oven and cool for five min utes before turning the Tarte Tatin out of the pan. To do so, run a knife around the edge of the pan; place a warm plate over the top and turn the tarte upside down and onto the plate. Gently peel off the parchment paper and garnish with basil leaves. Serve warm with a green salad. Serves 4-6.
8 ounces prepared puff pastry, defrosted according to instructions on package ½ cup grated parmesan 2 tablespoons butter, melted Basil leaves, for garnish
carlabuerkle.comBuerkle,CarlabystylingFood/hartphoto.com (continued on page 14)
by Andria Frankfort, staff writer
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Crispy Balsamic Duck Breast
5 tablespoons balsamic
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 12 FOOD
*If you cannot find red and/or yellow endive, use your favorite greens.
olive oil, divided 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
something about a faint hint of fall in the air that makes some of us run to our kitchens. If you are thinking ahead to some cool-weather cooking, you are in the right place. Read on for a little inspiration from some neighbors.
“Inrecipes.Houston, we sort of have a second tomato season in the fall,” she says, “so I thought a Tomato Tarte Tatin would be a fun thing to make. And then I’m including a duck recipe that can be done in the oven or on the grill, because a lot of people will be duck hunting in the fall.” The salad she includes, she says, goes well with the Tomato Tarte Tatin to make a lovely vegetarian meal, or as a base on which to serve sliced duck.
Julia notes that the tomatoes and shallots can be roasted up to two days in advance of assem bling and baking the Tarte Tatin. For the puff pastry, her favorite brand is Dufour. Julia adds that the Tomato Tarte Tatin can be made the day before and reheated in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes before serving.
4 faux crab legs
Put 5 tablespoons vinegar in a shallow dish just wide enough to fit the four breast halves. Place the duck breast halves into the vinegar skin side up. Cover and marinate 20 minutes at room temperature (or 2 hours in the refrigerator). Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
drainedToprepare
A NEW FAVORITE Crispy Balsamic Duck Breast served over an Arugula and Endive Salad with Lemony Dressing is a beautiful change of pace.
the rice paper, soak one sheet in a bowl of lukewarm water for about 20 seconds. Do not over-soak, as it will become too limp to handle. When the rice paper is just pliable, remove it from the water and lay it out to remove any wrinkles. Add the ingredients: let tuce, cilantro, carrot, cucumber, and vermicelli. Be sure to leave about an inch on either side of the paper. Slowly bring the bottom edge of the paper up and fold, squeezing the ingredients tight. Then fold the sides in like a burrito. Add 3 slices of crab. Fold the remaining paper over to form a log shape. It will hold together nicely for the finished product. Serve with Peanut Sauce (recipe follows). Serves 4.
taste. Serve with your choice of sautéed greens or over a bed of green salad (see recipe above). Serves 4.
1 teaspoon creamy peanut butter
carlabuerkle.comBuerkle,CarlabystylingFood/hartphoto.com (continued from page 12)
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
With a sharp knife, cut diagonal parallel slashes 1-inch apart through the skin of each duck breast half. Cut slashes in both directions, making a diamond pattern. Be sure to make cuts in the skin only, being careful not to pierce the flesh. These slashes will allow the skin to crisp.
Chris’ recipe is supremely adjustable: “The ingredients are just about anything you want to fill the rice paper,” he says.
Preheat a cast-iron skillet with an oven-proof handle over medium heat until almost smoking. Add the duck breasts to the hot pan skin side down and cook until crisp, about five minutes. Turn the breasts and place the pan in the oven for about 8 minutes for medium-rare, 10 minutes forAfterwell-done.removing from the oven, cover the duck with foil and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into thin slices; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange the slices on a plate and drizzle with additional balsamic vinegar to
Peanut Sauce
Kong Market)
½ cup Asian-style salad dressing (Chris likes Newman’s Own Sesame Ginger Salad Dressing)
Whisk the dressing and peanut butter together. Adjust the amount of dressing and peanut butter to achieve the consistency you like. Serves 4. (continued
1 head Boston lettuce, leaves washed, separated, and dried
12 round rice papers (Chris buys his at Hong
Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce
1 package rice vermicelli, cooked according to package instructions until just tender and
2 carrots, shredded
on page 16)
1 cup chopped cilantro
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 14
1 cucumber, cut into matchsticks
vinegar, plus extra for drizzling4duck breast halves
Chris Catechis is a real estate investor and a great cook. Vietnamese Spring Rolls are one of his favorite “recipes” to make for his children (one in college and one who just graduated) and nieces, because “they’re easy, they’re fun, and there are really no calories.” He goes so far as to say eating spring rolls is “like eating a nice salad all wrapped up,” and then adds, “Each one at the grocery store will cost a couple of dol lars. These can’t be more than 35 cents each, so pennies instead of dollars. My motto is saving money is making money, so the more I eat of these, the more money I make.”
(continued on page 18)
I do have one confession. You might want to serve the Beef Bourguignon over mashed pota-
6 ounces pancetta, chopped
2 onions, chopped
Beef Bourguignon
Chris’ father, Anastasios (later called Bill, after someone in this country renamed him), passed down his love for cooking to his children. “This is one of his truly great recipes for preparing fish for the family,” he says.
Juice of ½ lemon
½ cup olive oil
2 ½ pounds chuck roast, cut into 1 ½-inch cubes, patted dry Kosher salt
1 750-mililiter bottle dry red wine
carlabuerkle.comBuerkle,CarlabystylingFood/hartphoto.com (continued
Dad’s Fish Plaki in Red Sauce
1 15-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes, plus 1 canSaltwaterand pepper
Cooked
1 14-ounce bag frozen pearl onions
½ cup white wine
Choppedricefresh oregano and/or parsley, for garnish
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 16
1 bay leaf
2 cups beef broth
1 ½- to 2-pound whole red snapper or redfish, or another white, flaky fish
Freshly ground pepper
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spoon enough sauce into a glass baking dish to cover the bottom of the dish by about ½ inch. Place the fish on top of the sauce, then pour in the white wine and lemon juice. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the fish is opaque or internal temperature reaches 130 to 135 degrees (larger fish will take longer). Serve with rice, spooning the juices over the rice and the fish. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh oregano and/or parsley. Serves 2-4.
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons flour
½ pound cremini mushrooms, sliced thick Italian parsley, chopped, for garnish
3 small or 2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Season the meat with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Set aside. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until it is crisp, about 10
GREEK TRADITION Chris Catechis’ Dad’s Fish Plaki in Red Sauce is a family favorite passed down from generation to generation. from page 14)
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, sliced thin
Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medi um heat. Sauté the onion slices until they are translucent, then add the garlic, tomatoes, and water. Season with salt and pepper and add the bay leaf. Simmer on low for about 2 hours. If the mixture looks too dry, add a little more water.
If you are more of a meat-and-potatoes type, we’ve got you covered. Last fall we came up with a new favorite: Beef Bourguignon. As we tested this recipe, I thoroughly surprised a table full of die-hard steak-and-potatoes fans; they were delighted by the outcome.
Chris also generously shared the recipe for his father’s Greek baked fish. “My father was born in Greece on the island of Corfu,” Chris says. “He immigrated to this country at the age of 13 and landed in New York during the… Great Depression. He was drafted into the service during World War II. Since he was Greek, he was assigned to work as a cook in the kitchen.”
This braise, steeped in red wine, beef broth, and fresh thyme, is fall food at its true best. Layers of flavors that are complex and sophisticated, but also cozy and comforting. It’s delicious on a random Tuesday, or a company Saturday. Either way, nobody will be sorry.
toes, or alongside some crispy ones. I tried pass ing off mashed cauliflower as potatoes (which I personally adored). Trust me and stick with potatoes.
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic, minced
From Gramercy Tavern pastry chef Miro Uskokovic, published in Food & Wine, August 2020
(continued from page 16)
8 ounces almond paste, at room temperature, crumbled, divided
½ cup sliced almonds
1 ¾ cups bleached cake flour
FRESH AND SIMPLE Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce are portable – great for picnics – and require no cooking.
Almond and Plum Snack Cake
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, divided 4 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook the chopped onion and carrots in the same pot, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes or until the vegetables soften. Stir in 1 ½ teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste, and then the flour, and cook 1 minute more. Return the meat and pancetta to the pot, including any juices that have accumulated. Add the wine, broth, thyme, and bay leaf, and stir, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer, then cover with a tight lid and cook in the oven for 1 ½ to 2 hours, until the meat is tender when you poke it with a fork.
Toss together the plums and lemon juice in a medium bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Line a 13-by9-inch baking pan with parchment paper; light ly grease with cooking spray. Spread batter in the prepared pan, smoothing it with an offset spatula. Sprinkle remaining crumbled almond paste over batter. Arrange plums over top, and sprinkle with almonds and remaining 2 tablespoons
unsalted butter, softened
Bring the stew to a boil on the stove, uncovered. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for another 15 minutes. Garnish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley. Serves 6.
Whisk together the cake flour and all-purpose flour in a large bowl. Add the sugar mixture to the flour mixture; whisk just until all dry ingredi ents are incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, fold the batter to thoroughly combine ingredients.
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 18
Editor’s note: For more recipes, see Andria Frankfort’s weekly blog, Back Porch Table, at thebuzzmagazines.com.
The
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine 1 ½ cups sugar, butter, ½ cup almond paste, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor. Process until light, creamy and smooth, about 45 seconds. With the processor running, add eggs, one at a time, incorporating fully after each addition. Mixture should look thick and fluffy. Add the sour cream, and process until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed.
carlabuerkle.comBuerkle,CarlabystylingFood/hartphoto.com
1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Bakesugar.thecake until lightly browned and a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer the cake in the pan to a wire rack, and let cool completely, about 2 hours. Serves 12-14.
4 medium-sized red plums, cut into ¾-inch wedgesCooking spray
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
Sear the meat in the same pot, in batches. Increase the heat to medium-high, and in a single layer, sear each side of the meat until it is browned. Transfer the seared meat to a bowl and set aside, repeating with the remaining meat.
1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided1¼cups
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the pearl onions and mushrooms, and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Let the onions and mushrooms sit, untouched, for about 5 minutes, until they start to brown. Stir them and repeat until they are soft and browned in spots. Add them to the meat.
1 cup sour cream
minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
Almond and Plum Snack Cake from Gramercy Tavern pastry chef Miro Uskokovic is stellar, like This might be the best cake you’ve ever made stellar. It’s dense, moist, sweet but not too, and the plums on top sort of melt into jam-like fruit with a sweet-tart flavor. This is a delicious cake to make for Rosh Hashanah, but it is also an excellent justbecause cake. Snack, dessert, even breakfast –this one is a winner.
by Michelle Casas Groogan, staff writer
(continued on page 22)
“She couldn't walk. She couldn’t get in and out of her bed by herself,” said Mary, an ethics lawyer and single mother rearing two young sons at the time. Describing her mom toward the end of her life: “She didn't know who I was, although I feel like she knew I was familiar. It really is a devastating disease to watch your loved one go Alzheimer’sthrough.”isaprogressive neurological disorder that causes brain cells to die. For many people it starts with mild cognitive impairment; a person could still live independently, and the disease could go unnoticed because changes are subtle at first.
“My mother lived so close (1.4 miles away in Tanglewood); I would see her all the time, but she would run errands and take a really long time,” said Mary. “We were also in denial, and we didn’t know about the first stage of Alzheimer’s.”JaneP.Moreland was a teacher as well as a published poet and author of many short stories. She was a past winner of the Iowa Review contest and judge for PEN America’s southwest fiction contest. She and her husband, Jon Moreland, lived in Tanglewood, an exclusive inner-city oasis. They were the original owners of their signature, sprawling ranch-style home on Shadywood, building it in 1976. Mary was just six years old when they moved in and that’s where Jane lived until 2015, about four years after the diagnosis when it became clear she needed more care. Jane moved to assisted living at Belmont Village.
“There’s actually a lot of joy for a long part of the disease,” said Mary. “You just have to meet your relative where they are even if you can’t enjoy exactly the same things that you used to.
Mary offers an intimate account of that diffi cult journey in her autobiographical book, The Gap Between: Loving and Supporting Someone with Alzheimer’s
MAKING MEMORIES Jane Moreland and daughter Mary Moreland focused on enjoying time together during Jane’s 10-year-journey with Alzheimer’s.
Mary is blunt about the cruelness of the dis ease. The book takes you from diagnosis to deathbed touching on topics no one wants to
June
“Ibelongings.thinkthejuxtaposition of a book about her losing her cognitive abilities next to these poems that are so thought-provoking and smart,” said Mary. “It’s just such a contrast.”
2, 2012. The day longtime Briargrove resident, Mary Moreland, experienced a pro found change. It was the day her father died and her “third child,” Jane, was born. Jane is Mary’s once nurturing mother who transformed into a deeply dependent daughter.
My mother, even after diagnosis, was still writ ing short stories. She was laughing; she was enjoying her grandchildren. She used to come to events at school, to see her grandsons in plays. There still can be a lot of life, despite someone’s Alzheimer’s.”Janediedin 2020. After her mother’s death, Mary met virtually with a therapist who encouraged her to write. With the support of her sons, Henry Prendergast, now a freshman at Rice who graduated from Kinkaid in May, and James Prendergast, a junior at Kinkaid, she took leave from her career of international law and cross border transactions to write about her family’s decade-long battle with Alzheimer’s.
An Alzheimer’s journey
talk about: behavior, diapers, caregiving, and grief. But there, between the chapters, she brings to life an elegant Southern lady who charmed everyone and gives us a glimpse into her brilliant mind. Mary was able to include a collection of unpublished poems she found among her mother’s
Mary and her family didn’t have to look far to get support when her family finally accepted the diagnosis. Jane had been longtime friends with Carolyn Wimberly, who founded the Alzheimer’s Women’s Auxiliary for Resources and Education (AWARE), a group that helps raise funds for caregivers. Carolyn’s daughter, River Oaks resi dent Sarah Ray, is on the
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 20 NEIGHBORS
Remembering Jane
“I’m really proud of Mary for writing it,” said Sarah, who says it will take people like her to knock down a stigma that has persisted. “It would be nice if people understood more, just like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum in the grocery store. Most moms who have had toddlers will empathize with that mom, rather than thinking, ‘Oh, that's a horrible child or a horrible mother.’ We're not quite there yet with Alzheimer’s.” Mary hopes a naked glimpse at Alzheimer’s will have a long-lasting effect.
tasks
She cheers the hall arrangement,
She calls me to the kitchen as she arches stems to widths and heights defined by a porcelain urn. I watch in silence my mother working at our shared obsession, thinking how in the gap between us, someone could plant sequoias.
HEALING WORDS Left: Mary Moreland titled her book The Gap Between after a line in one of her mother’s poems, A Visit, printed below. Right: Jane Moreland, pictured here in the ’80s, was a teacher, writer, and prize-winning poet.
• problems with words in speaking or writing things losing the ability to retrace
“People who have Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia, you can’t control their behavior; it’s completely unpredictable and can be embar rassing,” said Sarah. “Even though my dad was extremely intelligent, he could still do math in his head, he then would turn around and think a poker chip was an Oreo and try to eat it.”
• Misplacing
board of directors for the Alzheimer’s Association Houston and Southeast Texas Chapter. Sarah and Mary grew up around each other; the families would vacation together. Sarah, a retired corporate securities attorney, knows the affliction of Alzheimer’s all too well, losing her dad to it in 2019.
steps • Decreased or poor judgement • Withdrawal from work or social activities • Changes in mood and personality
Poems by Jane P. Moreland
A Visit
Early
The Progress of Grief
• planning or solving
Mary is donating a percentage of profits from her book sales to AWARE.
Grief is at first private, fallen acorns held tightly within lacquered shells, stone-hard pears and pomegranates that cannot release sweet tears.
It becomes the somber pigeon released every dawn and home by dusk to find you in umber shade of live oak, follow your escape through scars into the private hollow that could split
problems
• completing familiar
• understanding visual images and spatial
three shades of red poppies in a blue vase, I put there half to mock her.
Thrift
Houston Southeast Texas Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association offers support for people affected by Alzheimer’s disease and works to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. SeeThealz.org/texas.Alzheimer’s Association Helpline operates 24/7, with knowl edgeable people available to talk anytime. Call 800-272-3900.
(continued from page 20)
like your heart, spill tears like rain to run widening through shallows and remembered crevices, abrade your inner landscape, wash you in cold currents over deep floors and out into sunlight, where you find yourself crossing fields on a murky fast canal that is the bold stroke across canvas that severs then from now, life as absolute before the blurry gold becoming.
• loss that disrupts daily life
She tours my house, noticing dracaenas, angel wing begonias in terra cotta pots, soil visible, root hairs exposed at old fissures, doesn’t miss ivy, russet coleus rooting in muddy crystal bowls. I know her silence: thick smoke of disapproval.
and
She comes in with a box of blue iris and white penstemon, wires and shears: the tools of control.
Challenges
Trouble
Jane P. Moreland was a published poet and author of short stories. In Mary Moreland's The Gap Between, she printed a collection of unpublished poems found among her mother’s belongings, including the poems below.
Waste Not, Want Not is where it comes from, my grandmother’s cross-stitch sampler, code that raised me. Bake with sour milk. Plait strips of outgrown skirts into rugs. Save coins in secret jars. Don’t waste one precious drop of you.
Memory
Recognizing Alzheimer’s
Difficulty
Resources
relationships
• Confusion with time or place
New
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 22
“I put my feelings and heart on a platter and not everyone’s gonna like it, not everyone’s going to relate to it,” said Mary. “But hopefully it will help some people.”
signs and symptoms include:
Source: the Alzheimer’s Association
They ask why I speak when you can’t hear me, why I stay since even if you see you won’t remember. I should leave for fresh air. In your rarefied sky, you won’t miss me.
This list is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all Houston private schools. Instead, our goal is to provide readers with a snapshot of each participating school, as a starting point in the research process. Find and share the online version of this directory at thebuzzmagazines.com/private-school-directory.
Co-ed • Est. 2022
The Awty International School
Private School Directory
Early Learning / Lower School / Middle School / Upper School Co-ed • Est. 1956 7455 Awty School Ln., Houston, Texas 77055 713-580-0579 • admissions@awty.org • www.awty.org
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 24
Molly Khalil, Director of Admission
The British International School of Houston is an international and diverse private school with research based and contemporary pedagogy. Our inter nationally recruited teachers and caring and inclusive environment produce outstanding IB results and excellent academic progress. Serving children from Pre-K3 to 12th grade, learning and achievement are supported by collaborations with The Juilliard School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and UNICEF. Inquire to learn more about the future of education today!
Open House Dates: Early Learning, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 21, 2022, 11 a.m. Oct. 21 | Lower School, 9 a.m. Oct. 14 | Middle/Upper School, 2 p.m. Nov. 13; French Program (All Grades), 12 p.m. Oct. 20 The Awty International School, Houston’s premier international school, educates over 1,700 students, from PK3 through 12th grade, to become responsible world citizens. The leader in international education, Awty is a diverse community of students and teachers hailing from over 50 nations. In the culminating grades, our students pursue either the French Baccalauréat or the International Baccalaureate. Visit our website to learn more about Awty.
Pre-K3 through 12th grade Co-ed • Est. 2000 2203 North Westgreen Blvd., Katy, Texas 77449 713-290-9025• info@houston.nae.school • www.bishouston.org
Open House Dates: Call to schedule a tour.
4600 Bellaire Blvd., Bellaire, Texas 77401 713-364-8224 • admissions@dbahouston.org • www.dbahouston.org
Haleistock.com/Courtney
Open House Dates: Applications open and tour registration begins Aug. 15. Annunciation Orthodox School offers an educational experience that extends beyond academic excellence and includes the development of strong char acter in an Orthodox Christian environment. Every day, we celebrate the distinct talents and diverse backgrounds of our students, cultivating empathy, resilience, confidence, and agape (unconditional love in action) while fostering a joy of learning. Our students mature into grounded and compassionate members of society, prepared for future challenges.
Annunciation Orthodox School
Co-ed • Est. 1970 3600 Yoakum Blvd., Houston, Texas 77006 713-470-5600 • admissions@aoshouston.org • www.aoshouston.org
Eric Lerch, Head of School
Jane Chastant, Director of Admissions
Middle School
Finding
Open House Dates: Please contact admissions@dbahouston.org to schedule a visit. Dietrich Bonhoeffer Academy is an independent middle school providing students a truly unique and transformative learning experience. Built on the core values of teamwork, imagination, and courage, our innovative classroom engages young people through dynamic learning activities and outstanding
British International School of Houston
Erika Benavente, Acting Director of Admissions
Also, check out buzzworthy stories about local schools and students on our Schools section at thebuzzmagazines.com/schools and read stories written by local high school students on our School Buzz blog at thebuzzmagazines.com/columns/school-buzz.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer Academy
Early Childhood / Lower School / Middle School
The Buzz Magazines Private School Directory, for early learning through high school, has been a valu able resource to our readers since 2016, and has been even more beneficial in helping families navigate the changing landscape of in-person, virtual, and hybrid learning.
the right fit for your child’s education is vital to their academic, social, and personal growth. Buzz-area residents are fortunate in that Houston is home to many of the nation’s top private schools, most of which are located right here in our neighborhoods.
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
HSES offers engaging, inspiring education for infants through 8th grade in the heart of West Houston. A place with vivid engagement and vibrant experience through hands-on learning, real-world problem solving, and exciting moments that spark curiosity, feed resilience, and fuel wonder. And our students carry that energy with them into high school, college, and life itself. HSES is a place where an early love of learning can last forever.
Episcopal High School
From day one, Episcopal High School was designed to be different. A place where students fearlessly test out new waters. Take intellectual risks. Make great leaps of faith. Our curriculum, the Four Pillars, stretches students in bold new directions – academically, artistically, athletically, and spiritually. At EHS, students uncover their God-given gifts and discover their purpose along the way. Because we believe that when you know who you are and what you’re capable of, you can do extraordinary things.
18 months through Kindergarten Co-ed • Est. 1977 4610 Bellaire Blvd., Bellaire, Texas 77401 713-723-3856 • info@gmshouston.org • www.gmshouston.org
Ginger Montalbano, Head of Enrollment Management
High Co-edSchool•Est. 1983
individual support. With an emphasis on developing strong executive functioning skills, DBA’s exceptional academic program meets the unique needs of middle school students while preparing them for success in high school and beyond.
Open House Dates: Middle School, Oct. 30, 2022; Upper School, Nov. 9, 2022 The Emery/Weiner School is a private, college-preparatory middle and high school offering an exceptional education in a supportive, hands-on, experiential environment, framed by and infused with progressive and pluralistic Judaism. Our unique, inclusive culture values diversity and encourages students to pursue a wide range of academic, athletic, and artistic interests while developing a strong sense of self and community. A robust Experiential Education program inspires collaboration, resilience, and camaraderie among students and faculty. Small class sizes allow for talented teachers to help students grow in confidence and competence. Emery students graduate with a profound sense of moral self-reliance, empowered to advocate for themselves and others.
Goldberg Montessori School combines a rich Secular and Judaic Studies curriculum for children 18 months-Kindergarten. We offer a Year-Round Program. Dr. Montessori emphasized that the hand and the brain work together. The specially prepared classroom environment supports the child’s independence, coordination, sense of order, self-discipline, and concentration. Teacher guidance and lessons support the child’s freedom to explore and discover, which leads to positive self-worth, self-direction, and self-advocacy. The overall objective is to foster a love of Judaism and joy in lifelong learning.
Infants through 8th grade Co-ed • Est. 1962 12535 Perthshire Rd., Houston, Texas 77024 713-468-5138 • admissions@hses.org • www.hses.org
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 25
Caroline Sarnoff, Director of Admissions
Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart
Pre-K / Lower School / Middle School / Upper School Girls • Est. 1960 10202 Memorial Dr., Houston, Texas 77024 713-468-8211 • admissions@duchesne.org • www.duchesne.org
4650 Bissonnet St., Bellaire, Texas 77401 713-512-3400 • cwasden@ehshouston.org • www.ehshouston.org
Carol Wasden, Director of Admission and Financial Aid Open House Dates: Oct. 26, 2022, 7-9 p.m.
Open House Dates: Oct. 5, 2022, 9 a.m.; Feb. 1, 2023, 9 a.m.
Goldberg Montessori School
Holy Spirit Episcopal School
Kelly Broaddus, School Director
PRIVATE SCHOOL DIRECTORY (continued on page 26)
Open House Dates: Grades 9-12, Oct. 23, 2022, 1 p.m.; Pre-K3-8th Grade, Nov. 6, 2022, 1 p.m. Leading and teaching with Sacred Heart values in mind, Duchesne Academy challenges students to embark on intellectual journeys and seek an active faith. As Houston’s only all-girls Catholic Pre-K3 through 12 school, our single-sex education fosters a vibrant campus community that provides the support, challenges, and freedom needed for our girls to succeed. At Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart, backed by a global network, we teach our students the importance of community, how to put social awareness into forthright action, and how to develop independence.
The Emery/Weiner School
Middle School / High School Co-ed • Est. 1978 9825 Stella Link Rd., Houston, Texas 77025 832-204-5900 • csarnoff@emeryweiner.org • www.emeryweiner.org
Helene Lubel, Head of School Open House Dates: To be announced.
2700 W Sam Houston Pkwy. N, Houston, Texas 77043 713-580-6020 • adalton@houstonchristian.org • www.houstonchristian.org
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
LEAH Schools North Academy
(continued from page 25)
Open House Dates: Week of Jan. 23, 2023. Days/times vary depending on the age of your child. Please call the office for more information. We share our Christian faith through an atmosphere of love and concern for our students and families. Our curriculum is age appropriate and holistic, focused on developing each child’s social and emotional skills, as well as academics. Our goal is to support each child in early development so he or she can become a confident learner and a self-sufficient and caring individual.
Kindergarten through 8th grade Co-ed • Est. 1997 1 Chelsea Blvd., Houston, Texas 77006 713-523-0660 • admissions@thejoyschool.org • www.thejoyschool.org
12751 Kimberley Ln., Houston, Texas 77024 713-467-9358 • www.pinespresbyterianpreschool.com
Anne Dalton, Admissions
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 26
Developing outstanding, Confident scholars
Open House Dates: Oct. 3 and Nov. 7, 2022, 7 p.m. Houston Christian is an exemplary, college preparatory high school providing outstanding academic and leadership programs aimed at preparing each student for collegiate study and beyond. HC offers a distinctive curriculum and a spiritual focus, all while giving students the opportunity to compete and perform in award-winning sports and fine arts programs. Located in the heart of Houston’s growing west side, HC is housed on a 45-acre collegiate-styled campus.
My Le Vo, M.Ed., School Director
Open House Dates: Please call to schedule a private tour.
LEAH Schools North Academy (formerly Lutheran High North) is a fully accredited college-preparatory school presenting a newly developed sevenyear sequence of quality academics that provide a strong foundation on literacy and Christian education. North Academy is now enrolling students from 6th-12th grade for the fall ’22-23 school year. Students who enroll at North Academy join a diverse community and culture which will help develop them spiritually, intellectually and socially. We are ranked among the top 15 percent most diverse private schools in Texas. We welcome you to discover and join our community.
Grades 6-12 Co-ed • Est. 1980 1130 W. 34th St., Houston, Texas 77018 713-880-3131 • admissions@leahnorth.org • www.lutheranhighnorth.org
Pines Presbyterian Preschool
Co-ed • Est. 1970
The Joy School
Shara Bumgarner, Head of School Open House Dates: See website for bi-weekly tours. The Joy School prepares students with learning differences to return to traditional classroom settings by enabling them to reach their academic and social potential in a safe, supportive environment.
Houston Christian High School High Co-edSchool•Est. 1997
Courtney Adkinson, Director of Admissions and Marketing
Montessori Learning Institute
3 months through 8th grade Co-ed • Est. 1987 5701 Beechnut St., Houston, Texas 77074 ● 713-771-5600 (3 months - 3 years) 5812 Maple St., Houston, Texas 77074 ● 713-774-3793 (3 years - 8th grade) info@montessorilearninginstitute.com ● www.montessorilearninginstitute.com
18 months through Kindergarten
Connie Pike, Executive Director
Open House Dates: 3 months-3 years, Sept. 27, 5 p.m., Beechnut Campus; 3 years-8th grade, Sept. 29, 5 p.m., Maple Campus. Please call for a school tour. We respect each child’s uniqueness and inspire him/her to develop a strong mind and caring heart. Our safe, stimulating environment with small student ratios and dedicated, talented teachers nurture confident, responsible scholars. Our students have a record of high achievements and respectful conduct at distinguished high schools and colleges.
Montessori Learning institute
Early Childhood / Lower School / Middle School Co-ed • Est. 1988 40 Oakdale St., Houston, Texas 77006 713-520-0284 • kbrown@pshouston.org • www.pshouston.org
Ashley Krug, Admissions Director
If you want your children to achieve and be happy while they do it, send them to Presbyterian School. It’s the future of education, with a faculty, curriculum, building, and location that make the most of the best new research about how students learn and how they can thrive while doing it. All of this in a Christ-centered setting. Come and see why we believe our way is not merely different – it’s better.
Steven R. Turner, Jr., Head of School
14 months through High School
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 27
Pre-K3 through High School
Pre-K / Lower School / Middle School
Open House Dates: 14 months-Grade 6, Oct. 1, Dec. 1; Grades 7-12, Oct. 6, Dec. 6 Post Oak challenges the norm. We don’t teach to a test. Instead, we guide our students as they learn how to learn – not for the sake of grades, but to help them develop social and academic skills for creating their own bold pathways through life. Post Oak’s two campuses are engaging Montessori environments, culminating in the IB diploma program and year-round internships for high school students at partner institutions throughout Houston.
on page 28) PRIVATE SCHOOL DIRECTORY
Rebecca Rautio, Director of Admissions
Co-ed • Est. 2015
Kristin Brown, Director of Admission
Open House Dates: Visit www.theREGISschool.org/Admissions.
Preschool / Lower School / Middle School Co-ed • Est. 1955 2300 Willowick Rd., Houston, Texas 77027 713-623-6938 • admission@robs.org • www.robs.org
The Saint Constantine School
Open House Dates: Visit our website for available dates and registration links. ROBS melds ambitious academics with abiding Christian values, preparing students to identify and solve nuanced problems in an ever-changing world. Through our student-centered approach, ROBS will challenge your child to be the example of an eager mind guided by a faithful heart. Our graduates become leaders in Houston’s top high schools, premier boarding schools, and beyond. If your hopes for your child include intellectual curiosity and a strong moral compass, apply now.
Kealey Johnson, Director of Admission
Co-ed • Est. 1963 4600 Bissonnet St., Bellaire, Texas 77401 1010 Autrey St., Houston, Texas 77006 713-661-6688 • admissions@postoakschool.org • www.postoakschool.org
Open House Dates: TBD
With a commitment to small classes and outdoor learning and play, we are ready to handle the challenges of on-campus learning in our changing world. Because edu cation is a pursuit for the whole person, our teachers provide students with excellent classroom instruction balanced with time to play, wonder, and explore. Students in our Lower School spend many hours outside in our natural playground and garden each day, and are not burdened with take-home busywork afterwards. Older students receive rigorous instruction in dual-credit courses, giving them a head start in college and preparing them for life as independent adults. (continued
River Oaks Baptist School
Open House Dates: Private tours available by appointment. Applications for 2023-24 will be available Nov. 1.
Presbyterian School
The Regis School of the Sacred Heart
The Post Oak School
The Regis School of the Sacred Heart is Houston’s only all-boys 3 Pre-K through eighth-grade school, educating scholars and gentlemen in the Sacred Heart tradition since 1991. Through a unique mix of challenging academics and the values of the Sacred Heart, Regis empowers students of all faiths to become lifelong scholars and authentic, compassionate leaders.
Boys • Est. 1991 7330 Westview Dr., Houston, Texas 77055 713-682-8383 • questions@theregisschool.org • www.theREGISschool.org
7177 Regency Square Blvd., Houston, Texas 77036 832-975-7075 • admissions@saintconstantine.org • www.saintconstantine.org
(continued from page 27)
15 months through Fifth Grade Co-ed • Est. 1982 5600 North Braeswood Blvd., Houston, Texas 77096 713-270-6127 • tgassett@shlenker.org • www.shlenker.org
Sara Sornson, Admissions/Registrar
Tara Gassett, Director of Admissions and Development
Open House Date: To schedule a tour, please contact the director of admissions and development. Families choose The Shlenker School because of the school’s commitment to an outstanding secular education with integrated Jewish studies. Our curriculum fosters the whole child in a developmentally appropriate learning environment that is both nurturing and challenging. When you visit our campus, you will feel the warmth of our community and see why students and families strongly believe in the foundation that The Shlenker School provides. Shlenker students graduate with confidence, knowing that they are prepared for the next stage of their academic life and beyond.
Second Baptist School
4900 Jackwood St., Houston, Texas 77096 713-666-3111 • admissions@stes.org • www.stes.org
Open House Dates: For open houses and visit information, go to www.stes.org/visit.
School of the Woods
Preschool / Pre-K / Kindergarten / Elementary School / Woods Middle School / Woods High School Co-ed • Est. 1962
Dawn Martinez, Principal Open House Dates: Visit www.stannecs.org for information on tours.
Since 1930, St. Anne Catholic School has been committed to teaching the Basilian philosophy of “Teach Me Goodness, Discipline, and Knowledge,” in a nurturing environment. The St. Anne philosophy embraces the uniqueness of the whole child and celebrates the diversity of the student body. In collaboration with the family as a partner, St. Anne endeavors to provide an opportunity for the optimal growth of each child, while celebrating our Catholic heritage.
The Shlenker School
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Saint Thomas’ Episcopal School (STE) is celebrating its 68th year as a preschool through 12th grade Christian college preparatory school offering a classical education. STE students have won recent state awards in quiz bowl, mock trial, language competition, soccer, basketball, swimming, cross country, orchestra, choir, and yearbook. We also offer a world-renowned Scottish Arts program that includes bagpiping, drumming, and Highland dance. Graduates attend universities throughout the nation, with recent acceptances from MIT, Cornell, Georgetown, Boston University, Rice, Penn, Colorado School of Mines, UT, and Texas A&M. Be sure to visit our renovated campus and new three-story academic building.
Open House Dates: Open houses in November and January. See our website for dates, or call the office to schedule an appointment for a tour. School of the Woods is Houston’s oldest continuously operating Montessori school and is non-profit, independent, and non-sectarian. It is accredited by Cognia, the Texas Education Agency, and is an American Montessori Society member school. The school provides students with a college preparatory Montessori curriculum from ages 2 1/2 through high school in an interactive learning environment, through individualized curriculum personalized by credentialed Montessori teachers. Educational programs encompass: Early Childhood-Kindergarten, Elementary, Upper Elementary, Woods Middle School, and Woods High School. Auxiliary programs include After School Care, Dance, Gymnastics, Music, Sports, and Summer Theater Camps. All children are eligible for enrollment regardless of race, color, creed, or national or ethnic origin.
Elementary School / Middle School Co-ed • Est. 1930 2120 Westheimer Rd., Houston, Texas 77098 713-526-3279 • admissions@stannecs.org • www.stannecs.org
Pre-K3 through Grade 12 Co-ed • Est. 1946 6410 Woodway Dr., Houston, Texas 77057 713-365-2314 • admissions@secondbaptistschool.org • www.secondbaptistschool.org
Andrea Prothro, Director of Admissions
Preschool / Elementary School / Middle School / High School Co-ed • Est. 1955
1321 Wirt Rd., Houston, Texas 77055 713-686-8811 • www.schoolofthewoods.org
St. Anne Catholic School
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 28
Danny Kahalley, Director of Admissions
Saint Thomas’ Episcopal School
Open House Dates: Visit secondbaptistschool.org/admissions for information on tours and events for prospective families. The mission of Second Baptist School is to equip students to think critically, live biblically and lead courageously to impact the world for Jesus Christ.
High Co-edSchool•Est. 1956
St. Francis Episcopal School
14 months through 12th grade Co-ed • Est. 1966 9821 Timberside, Houston, Texas 77025 713-665-2195 • enrollment@stcathmont.org • www.stcathmont.org
Pre-K / Lower School / Middle School / High School Co-ed • Est. 1952
Piney Point Campus (Lower and Middle School): 335 Piney Point Road, Houston, Texas 77024 Couper Campus (Primary and Upper School): 2300 S. Piney Point Road, Houston, Texas 77063 713-458-6100 • jglover@stfrancishouston.org • www.stfrancishouston.org
Open House Date: Nov. 5, 2022 (all divisions). Primary School Tour Dates: Sept. 26, Oct. 20, Nov. 11, Dec. 9, Jan. 9, 2023; Lower School Tour Dates: Sept. 30, Oct. 19, Nov. 16, Dec. 8, Jan. 11, 2023; Middle School Tour Dates: Sept. 30, Oct. 19, Nov. 16, Dec. 8, Jan. 11, 2023; Upper School Tour Dates: Sept. 28, Oct. 17, Nov. 15, Dec. 5, Jan. 12, 2023.
Open House Dates: Primary and Lower School, Oct. 15; Middle School, Nov. 12. Visit our website for tour details.
Jeff Matthews, Principal
As a Catholic Montessori School, St. Catherine’s is dedicated to an educational experience which awakens in our students the awareness of their gifts and responsibilities as individuals in relationship with Jesus Christ and as stewards of the global community.
Lina Delgado, Head of School
Open House Date: Dec. 11, 2022
Open House Dates: Nov. 29, 2022. Individual tours are also available by appointment. Our mission at St. Cecilia Catholic School is the ongoing Catholic formation and education of the whole child in mind, heart, and spirit, in preparation for an adult life of commitment and service.
Early Childhood / Elementary School / Middle School Co-ed • Est. 1960
Founded as a parish school of St. Francis Episcopal Church, St. Francis Episcopal School is an accredited, college-preparatory school serving students age 2 through grade 12. We support growth not just in mind, but also in body, soul, and heart, in an environment that is at once challenging and supportive. Our students develop a healthy tolerance for wise risk-taking, celebrate earned success and good choices, and learn resilience and reflection by turning occasional missteps into opportunities.
St. Pius X High School
St. Catherine’s Montessori
3816 Bellaire Blvd., Houston, Texas 77025 713-667-7030 • aduplantis@stmes.org • www.stmes.org
St. Pius X is Houston's premier co-ed Catholic high school. Founded in 1956 by the Dominican Sisters of Houston, SPX is recogni zed for its strong academic programs, its tradition of champions in athletics and fine arts, and its wide range of co-curricular activities . Education at SPX is rooted in the Four Pillars of the Dominican charism Prayer, Study, Community and Preaching. St. Pius X is a welcoming community that embraces diversity.
Open House Dates: In-person tours begin Sept. 19, 2022.
811 W. Donovan St., Houston, Texas 77091 713-692-3581 • mislehj@stpiusx.org • www.stpiusx.org
Johnny Misleh, Enrollment Management
(continued on page 30) PRIVATE SCHOOL DIRECTORY
St. Mark’s Episcopal School
St. Cecilia Catholic School
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 29
At St. Mark’s Episcopal School, we strive to be a place where students from 18 months old through 8th grade cultivate intellectual curiosity and a fearless pursuit of knowledge. Encouraged to take ownership for their own learning, our students grow into confident young people who are excited to discover new passions and are able to advocate for themselves and others. We are an inclusive, diverse, and engaged community that believes in the partnership between home and school. Join us at St. Mark’s and be known and celebrated for the unique person you are.
Pre-K3 through Eighth Grade Co-ed • Est. 1958 11740 Joan of Arc Dr., Houston, Texas 77024 713-468-9515 • admissions@saintcecilia.org • www.saintceciliacatholicschool.org
Amanda Duplantis, Director of Admission
Jennifer Glover, Head of Admissions and Enrollment Management
Office of Campus Life Open House Dates: Visit ssesh.org/admission/tours to sign up for a tour. St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, Houston is a private school located in the Montrose area near the Museum District and Rice University. We serve students from 15 months old through 8th grade. We are a progressive Episcopal school, rooted in our values, accepting families of all faiths, backgrounds, and lifestyles. At St. Stephen’s, students enjoy individualized work plans featuring hands-on, project-based learning founded on Montessori pedagogy and STEM in our makerspace – the da Vinci Lab for Creative Arts & Sciences. Our core curriculum is enriched with vibrant classes in robotics, film, fine arts, performing arts, and Spanish.
Open House Dates: Open House coffees are Pre-K4-Grade 3 Oct. 25, 9 a.m.; Grades 4-8 Oct. 26, 9 a.m. Trafton Academy provides the environment and opportunity for the maturation of each child into a well-adjusted adult, equipped to succeed in the world in which we live. Education is student-centered; each child is recognized as an individual with unique interests, needs, and abilities. Students learn most effectively in a low student-teacher ratio environment, and class sizes do not exceed twenty students. The staff is dedicated to cultivating a love-of-learning in students while helping them develop organizational skills, a strong work ethic, team spirit, discipline, and self-worth.
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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
St. Thomas High School is a Catholic college preparatory institution for young men in grades 9-12. With more than 120 years of teaching tradition, the Basilian Fathers’ sacred mission of teaching goodness, discipline, and knowledge inspires faith-filled, lifelong learners who think critically, communicate effectively, and prepare thoroughly to excel personally and professionally. A man of St. Thomas actively serves his community and integrates Christian morality into all aspects of his life.
College Preparatory Boys • Est. 1900 4500 Memorial Dr., Houston, Texas 77007 713-864-6348 • admissions@sths.org • www.sths.org
Pre-K / Elementary School / Middle School Co-ed • Est. 1971 1800 Sul Ross St., Houston, Texas 77098 713-821-9100 • admission@ssesh.org • www.ssesh.org
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 30
St. Thomas High School
St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School
Pre-K / Elementary School / Middle School Co-ed • Est. 1943 6802 Buffalo Speedway, Houston, Texas 77025 713-666-2345 • rmccurry@svdp-edu.org • www.saintvincentschool.org
St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School is a 2016 Blue Ribbon and fully accredited school. Its mission is to develop students to their fullest potential in an environment permeated with Gospel values.
Olivia Jolet, Admissions Director
Pre-K / Elementary School / Middle School Co-ed • Est. 1973 4711 McDermed Dr., Houston, Texas 77035 713-723-5888 • admissions@trafton.org • www.trafton.org
Renee McCurry, Director of Admissions
St. Theresa Catholic School
St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
Trafton Academy
Pre-K3 through 8th grade Co-ed • Est. 1947 6500 Durford St., Houston Texas 77007 346-335-1706 • K.mccarty@sttheresa.cc • www.sttheresaschool.cc Kelly McCarty, Admissions Director Open House Dates: Oct. 23, 2022; Jan. 29, 2023. Check website for times. St. Theresa School is a diverse educational community rooted in the Catholic faith and committed to providing students with a comprehensive, creative, and challenging program of studies. In a nurturing environment, students are encouraged to discover their full potential and to generously put their gifts at the service of God and others.
Maxwell Holmes, Director of Admissions Open House Date: Dec. 4, 2022, 1 p.m.
Open House Dates: Please visit our school website for admissions information.
Kim Berger, Assistant Head of School
Open House Dates: Oct. 19, 2022, 9 a.m.; Jan. 25, 2023, 9 a.m.
Open House Date: Nov. 8, 2022
Veritas Christian Academy of Houston
Xavier Educational Academy
Westbury Christian School
Richard de la Cuadra, Founder and Headmaster
Janet Howard, Principal
Veritas is an independent Christian school in the classical tradition that prepares students for lives of service and learning through academic excellence, character development, Biblical literacy, and intentional engagement opportunities.
Yorkshire Academy
The Village School
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 31
Nathan Wagner, Head of School
Open House Dates: Oct. 23, 2022 and Jan. 22, 2023, 2-4 p.m. Please register at www.westburychristian.org/visit. Westbury Christian School is a Christ-centered college preparatory school for students from age 3 to 12th grade. Since 1975, we have provided our students a safe and diverse environment with challenging academics taught from a Biblical worldview and personalized instruction. WCS strives to support families in Christian education and cultivate relationships that build a strong sense of belonging within our community. Students are encouraged to find their God given talents by participating in our student led clubs, athletics, and fine arts programs. WCS develops students to become Christian servants, compassionate leaders, and lifelong learners who are prepared for here and eternity.
Bill Delbrugge, Head of School
Grades 5 through 12 Co-ed • Est. 2007 1001 West Loop South, Suite 300, Houston, Texas 77027 832-533-2652 • info@xavieracademy.org • www.xavieracademy.org
Open House Dates: Jan. 26, 2023, 5-7 p.m.; Open House Coffee, Jan. 27, 2023, 10 a.m. Yorkshire Academy, a private school located in the Memorial area, was established in 1984, with its primary goal being to create an environment in which children can develop to their fullest potential at their own individual rate. Students range in age from 18 months to Grade 5. Yorkshire’s extensive afterschool enrichment program offers classes as diverse as coding, tennis, chess, piano, tae kwon do and dozens more. Its summer program consists of academics, over 50 enrichment camps, theme-based camps for little ones, and full time care. These programs are open to the community, and attract families from all over the Houston area. Yorkshire invites you to visit to see for yourself why its tagline, “A Little School Making a Big Impact,” rings so true.
Pre-K / Elementary School / Middle School / High School Co-ed • Est. 1966 13051 Whittington Dr., Houston, Texas 77077 281-496-7900 • admissions@thevillageschool.com • www.thevillageschool.com
Open House Dates: Call for information. At Xavier, our mission is to cultivate each of our students to realize their greatest potential through highly individualized learning practices that foster their passions by promoting a collaborative teaching experience that deeply respects and honors each child’s unique value while providing a nurturing, safe, and stimulating environment that encourages every child to embrace their truest selves.
Preschool / Elementary School / Middle School Co-ed • Est. 2002
PRIVATE SCHOOL DIRECTORY
The Village School has a tradition of rigorous and highly personalized learning paired with hands-on innovative methods of teaching. Located in the Energy Corridor of Houston, Village offers an American educational experience to its diverse and international student body who represent six continents and more than 80 countries. The Village School is known for its excellence in math and science and utilizes a collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to enhance its widely recognized STEAM curriculum. The Village School is a proud member of Nord Anglia Education’s network of schools.
7000 Ferris St., Bellaire, Texas 77401 713-773-9605 • admissions@veritasca.org • www.veritasca.org
Pre-K3 through 12th grade Co-ed • Est. 1975 10420 Hillcroft St., Houston, Texas 77096 713-551-8100 • admissions@westburychristian.org • www.westburychristian.org
Preschool through Elementary School Co-ed • Est. 1984 14120 Memorial Dr., Houston, Texas 77079 281-531-6088 • admissions@yorkshireacademy.com • www.yorkshireacademy.com
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 32
Cheers to you! Tom and Elizabeth Netting first met on June 1, 1990 at The Flamingo Club in Montrose. His sense of humor on stage instantly won her over. After accepting his date request, yet concerned about her safety, she suggested they meet for dinner. He replied, “A gentleman always picks up a lady,” and then sent a limousine for her. Once she arrived at Rainbow Lodge, he opened her door with a glass of champagne for her. Thirty-two years later, on their 30th anniversary, they celebrated at the same location of their first date. The restaurant name may no longer be the same, but the memories still exist at Brenner’s on the Bayou.
NEIGHBORS
Truck stops out of this world. One in Croatia looked like a spaceship with monsters inside and one in Serbia was epicurean with gourmet selections that included Viennese bak ery. These were some of the surprises Roberta Grossman and her cousin Shelley Cyprus experienced as they cruised on an AmaWaterways ship on the Danube starting in Bucharest and ending in Vienna. They went to Croatia, Serbia, and Bulgaria and saw thousands of miles of sunflowers in several of the countries. Right before Covid, they were on the same cruise but started in Bucharest and ended in Prague – in which case, are they coming or going?
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Amore. What’s not to love about Italy? A taxi strike in Rome did not slow Valerie Holladay and Stan Whitfill down during their six days there before a private tour to Pompeii and a cruise for 11 days to Sorrento/Amalfi/Ravello. Pottery shops, quaint cafes, and the church where Michael Corleone married were part of the fun as they experienced the Vatican, Sicily, Malta, Corfu, Saint Tropez, Monte Carlo, Provence, Palamos (Spain), and ended in Barcelona. Valerie said they enjoyed a 4-euro bottle of homemade wine that may put several of the finer bottles to shame. Saluti.
Tick not Tok. When Mary and Bill Mayo went to visit their son William (Max) Mayo when he attended Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont for the summer as an ana lyst intern for Information Warfare, they went to Mansfield Mountain for a hike. As Mary describes it, “We almost died three times.” Although they were happy to be back in their hotel room, she discovered a tick on her temple. Note to readers: Take it out ASAP, clean it antiseptically, and take antibiotics within 36 hours. Max is back at Columbia School of International and Public Affairs to complete his last semester. Tick-tock goes the clock.
ONCE IN A DECADE A group of Houstonians were happy to participate in a once-in-a-decade pilgrimage to Oberammergau, Germany, which had been postponed due to Covid. The travelers also toured Vienna and Prague. Pictured is the group from St. Luke’s Methodist Church in Prague.
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 34
Rumor Has It
. by Sharon Albert Brier, staff writer
See Rumor Has It at thebuzzmagazines.com for additional photos. Have some good news to share? Email us at info@thebuzzmagazines.com.
Castles, gardens, and Mozart’s house. A group of eager Houstonians were excited to finally see The Oberammergau Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany, a once-in-adecade pilgrimage postponed in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid. Although organized separately, travelers left Houston on the same planes and vis ited the same sites and hotels on their Oberammergau trips. The Chapelwood United Methodist Church group was led by Senior Pastor John Stephens and wife, Stephanie, and the St. Luke’s United Methodist Church group was led by Senior Pastor Tom Pace and Associate Pastor Michelle Manuel. Stephanie sang her favorite Sound of Music tunes for the Chapelwood bus as they approached Austria. Some of those on the blessed trip were Carol Brejot, Jana Phillips, Alice and Randy Helms, Carol and Joel Mohrman, Kelly Underwood, Sherry Ritcheson, and Martha and Bruce Jamison and Jo Reid. Carol and Jana took a cab to Szentendre, a quaint town on the Danube with shops and restaurants. Will anyone go back in 10 years?
Betty Gonzales were in the hip crowd. Daughter Allana Webb was in Barcelona for Spanish classes.
Take it back to 1962. As 100 friends and family members arrived at the party barn in Round Top to celebrate Yvette Webb’s groovy milestone birthday, they immediately gravitated to the vintage VW, Big Daisy, for a photo opp. Yvette “wigged” out in ’60s attire and James Webb channeled Willie Nelson. Good Vibrations were felt with the Austin band Highway 90. Friends Melissa Roberts, Suzanne Coppola, Renae Abbott, Jane and Gary Swanson, Patti and Lyndall Harrison and VIP
Boozy Bingo Night! The winners, Dana McAlister, Whitney Sharman, Sara Bosco, and Vicki Staff at a Boozy Bingo party had some luck as they won gift cards and dined on quesadillas. Bingo Master Stephanie Javor called out the numbers and Bingo Checker Lorraine Abercrombie made sure they were correct. The players enjoyed the festive cups Dani Tierney created. With everyone working hard, it was finally a time for the friends to wind down and mingle and just B.
Learning around town
by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer
Mom-of-two Amy Ostfeld has taken her two kids to the Children’s Museum Houston for years. “The museum exhibits change all the time,” she said. “Every time I go, there is something new.” She says the museum always has something fun to engage all ages.
KIDSBuzz
Houston Arboretum.
The popular Tot Spot inside the Children’s Museum, an open-play area for babies and toddlers only, up to age 35 months, has a muchanticipated reopening this month after being closed during the pandemic (be sure to call to verify the date, 713-522-1138).
brings the start of fall and school time. We set out to find Houston places to visit that are geared towards a child’s learning, places where parents can bring their babies or toddlers to stimulate their imagination and engage their senses.
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The Houston Arboretum and Nature Center is tucked away, close to downtown Houston. It has over 150 acres of nature, and walking trails filled with outdoor learning. The Arboretum is a fan tastic spot for a young child to learn all about plants, ecosystems, birds, and more, and it’s free to visit. After outdoor exploration, there is a Discovery Room that has wildlife, and ways to learn about plants and animals up close and personal through exhibits, microscopes, and games.
There are lots of free toddler and baby story times around town at local library branches. The Spring Branch Memorial Library, located near Hedwig Park, hosts different story times each week, and has a “baby hour” reserved for babies only. Discover the many events on the Houston Public Library website or on social media.
Edith L. Moore Sanctuary is privately owned and managed by Houston Audubon and admis sion is free to the public. The reserve allows vis itors seven days a week and has walking trails with birding, and live streaming bird cameras. It is an excellent spot to take a tot to learn all about nature and birds in a toddler-friendly out
The Children’s Museum Houston offers exhibits and programs for a range of ages, includ ing a “Kids’ Committee” (for ages 8-13), a program to help improve the museum’s programming and exhibits through the perspective and opinions of kids. (Museum admission is $15 for adults and kids ages 1+; free for kids under 1.)
Two popular Bellaire-area spots are Evelyn’s Park Conservancy , which has five acres of green space. The open outdoor space allows families to escape from the city and connect with family. Nearby, the Nature Discovery Center has many programs to instruct young children on the importance of nature including printable scavenger hunt pages for kids.
OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM Houston offers many educational places to visit. Benny and Elliott Smith (pictured, from left) like to explore the trees and lake at Memorial Park.KeelyMusePhotography
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The area allows babies and toddlers room to explore and interact with other little ones and their parents, focusing on developmentally appropriate sensory exploration, problem-solv ing, and imaginative play.
September
There are countless outdoor educational spots for children, including a favorite of many Buzz families – Edith L. Moore Sanctuary. Driving down Memorial Drive, just west of Beltway 8, one might pass by without knowing an 18-acre nature reserve lies just west of Memorial United Methodist Church near Rummel Creek Elementary.
doorOneenvironment.
Buzz Baby is a column about life with little ones. Writer Annie McQueen is a mother of four children under the age of 8.
thing for everyone,” she said. “A lake with fish and ducks, trails to explore, an open field to kick a soccer ball, and food trucks.”
Another educational spot great for toddlers and small children is the Houston Museum of Natural Science. A toddler-friendly area is the butterfly exhibit – children can experience the lifecycle of a butterfly and walk through a towering indoor exhibit where one might even land on their shoulder. (Museum tickets are free for children ages 2 and under, $16 for kids ages 311, and $25 for ages 12+.)
A child’s desire to explore the world around them becomes even more fun when you visit exciting places that encourage learning. If you look around the city, there are endless ways to head out on an adventure to spark learning, explo ration, and a little adventure in day-to-day life. Where will your next educational adventure be?
Baby
Buzz dad, who has three daughters who attend Rummel Creek aloutdooryears,”comingWeorifEdithlunch,hood.theirthehesanctuary.naturerecentlyElementary,wentonahikeattheHesaysenjoyshoweasyaccessisfromneighbor-“WeeatthenstopbyMooretoseewecanfindbirdsothercritters.havebeenhereforhesaid.Anotherfavoriteeducationspotisthesprawling
One of Houston’s largest natural areas is Memorial Park Buzz mom Kate Smith says she is a huge fan of taking her three kids to Memorial Park to check out the towering trees, especially her 20-month-old who enjoys the freedom to roam. “There is a little bit of some
Five picks for September
WHAT TO READ This month's selections include a fast-paced thriller set on a Greek island, two historical-fiction titles, one set during World War II and the other about Jacqueline Bouvier's time in Paris, a fun contemporary-fiction tale set in New York City centered around designer shoes, and a collection of new stories about Agatha Christie's Jane Marple.
Buzz Reads is a column about books by reviewer Cindy Burnett. Each month, Cindy recommends five recently or soon-to-be released titles.
A Shoe Story by Jane L. Rosen (contempo rary fiction) – Following college, Esme put her life and dreams of moving to New York City and pursuing a career at an art gallery on hold to care for her father when he had a terrible car crash. Seven years later, she is offered a month-long job dog sitting in a beautiful Greenwich Village apartment. Even better, the apartment’s owner has an amazing collection of designer shoes, which Esme asks to borrow. Every day, she tries a new pair as she works to make friends, regain her old life, and decide how much of her old dreams are still relevant to her now. The added element of the fabulous shoes was a really fun addition, and each chapter is entitled a different pair of shoes, tying in that pair with what happens in each chapter. The intergenerational relationships, the focus on friendship, and the shoes make this a standout tale.
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often glossed over; this book will appeal to those who love histori cal fiction.
Marple: Twelve New Mysteries definitely falls in the former camp, mainly because of the all-star lineup of the 12 authors who con tributed Miss Marple tales – Naomi Alderman, Leigh Bardugo, Alyssa Cole, Lucy Foley, Elly Griffiths, Natalie Haynes, Jean Kwok, Val McDermid, Karen M. McManus, Dreda Say Mitchell, Kate Mosse, and Ruth Ware. Each author creates their own take on Miss Marple and the settings, additional characters, and actual mysteries solved by Miss Marple vary widely which makes the collection very engaging to read. The authors clearly did their research on Miss Marple and the cases she solved, and it was so interesting to see the many different directions that they went with that knowledge. The definite standouts were the stories by Ruth Ware, Jean Kwok, and Elly Griffiths; a couple of the mysteries fell a little flat for me, but I think that is always the case in collections like these. Overall, it is a highly engaging book, particularly for those who love mysteries and Agatha Christie.
Buzz Reads
Jacqueline in Paris by Ann Mah (historical fiction) – 20-year-old Jacqueline Bouvier spent her junior year abroad in postwar 1949-1950 Paris, and in Jacqueline in Paris, Mah brings to life Bouvier’s time there, and its impact on the rest of her life. Thrilled to be away from the societal pressure of New York and her mother’s prying eyes, Jacqueline falls in love with Paris’s social scene – the cafes, theatre, and art – while slowly realizing that the city is struggling with the aftermath of World War II. Spies abound while communism is taking a foothold in French politics, and no one is who they seem. Mah charts the beginning of Bouvier’s long love affair with Paris as well as bringing the City of Lights to life post-World War II. This beautifully writ ten story transported me to a Paris with which I was unfamiliar and focused on a lesser-known time in Jackie Kennedy Onassis’s life that is
The short chapters, stellar pacing, and sun-filled setting combine to make this page-turning thriller a compelling read.
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 38
ARTS BurnettCindy
The Codebreaker’s Secret by Sara Ackerman (historical fiction) – The Codebreaker’s Secret is a fabulous addition to the World War II historical fiction subgenre. After helping crack the German Enigma code, Isabel Cooper is sent to Pearl Harbor’s Station HYPO, its code breaking center, to help break the Japanese Magenta codes that are being grabbed from the airwaves in an attempt to win the war. Angry that her brother was killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor, Isabel believes the only way she can avenge her brother’s death is to crack these codes, but she quickly learns that life may have more in store for her when she meets her brother’s best friend, a pilot with his own secrets. Two decades later, a young journalist is sent to Hawaii to cover the opening of the Rockefeller’s latest project, the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, and is roped into the hunt for a prominent guest who goes missing. While searching for the guest, she uncovers a wartime secret that she must work to unlock. This dual timeline tale merges together seamlessly, and the Hawaii setting and focus on breaking Japanese codes during the war make this a unique and worthwhile read.
One of the Girls by Lucy Clarke (thriller) –Set on a fictional Greek island during a bache lorette party, One of the Girls follows six women who slowly realize they are stuck on the island with a murderer. Lexi invites five women to cel ebrate her upcoming nuptials, an eclectic group who all know Lexi well but who are not really friends with each other. They all have their own agenda, and as the story progresses, the women’s secrets are revealed as it slowly becomes clear that someone does not want Lexi to get married.
Editor’s note: Southside Place resident Cindy Burnett also writes our weekly Page Turners column at thebuzzmagazines.com. She hosts the 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.
Marple: Twelve New Mysteries (short story collection) – Story collections by a group of authors on a shared topic are either fabulous or unexceptional.
by Cindy Burnett, staff writer
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Dr. Richard Jackson was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2020, he knew he wanted to use the time he had left to make a difference in the world. He and his wife Sandy had gone to Tanzania on safari in 2006, and they left that country grateful for the natural and cultural mar vels they had experienced but haunted by the poverty and deprivation that they saw.
. by Tracy L. Barnett, staff writer
The retired medical doctor had already founded his own non-profit in 2010, Mali Nieta, which translates to “looking ahead to the future,” focused on helping in education and health-related issues throughout Africa. Now he decided to join forces with Donna and help amplify her efforts to provide a better education to the Maasai children.
But then, thanks to an excellent medical team and a determined
His grandfather’s cancer took a toll, especially during Covid. “It was really hard for a while, see ing him lose his hair, no energy, not being able to see him because of Covid – just doing Zoom calls, and he had to leave early because he didn’t even have enough energy to talk.”
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 40 TRAVEL
“When I came down with cancer in 2020, I wanted to do something big – I wanted to build a library for the school,” he said. And so Promise Village Academy was born as a project of the two respective nonprofits.
INAUGURATING A DREAM Sandy and Richard Jackson on the patio of the library and media center they founded at Promise Village School in Tanzania, surrounded by some of the Maasai children who will be making use of it.
Manyara District in Tanzania. She was looking for help to ship some school uniforms for the village’s school. Richard was impressed with what the organization was doing and happily helped with that, but he wanted to do more.
Travel Buzz Making a difference in Tanzania
For grandson Jackson Kane, 16, his grandfather’s cancer diagnosis came as a shock.
“We’re very close, and I’ve been traveling with him since Day 1,” said Jackson. Richard and Sandy had opened the doors of the world to him and to sister Shayley, 13. They had taken the kids to Mexico and to Costa Rica, and for Jackson’s 12th birthday, he got to choose the destination – he chose Switzerland, because he loves hiking in the mountains.
When the cancer diagnosis sharpened his focus on leaving a legacy, his mind went back to Tanzania, to an educational project he had col laborated with some years before. Years ago, a friend had put him in touch with a woman named Donna Gunn, from Austin, Texas, who had started a nonprofit called Africa’s Promise Village aimed at improving the lives of children in the indigenous Maasai territory of the
When
“We expected him to show up around 10 or 10:30,” said Richard, with some amusement. “He was two hours late, which is apparently common for Africa time.”
spirit – and perhaps a miracle – Richard’s cancer went into remis sion. In October 2021, a scan showed no trace of the cancer.
The library building was started in December of 2020 and was finished in August of 2021. It was designed by Houston architects Keith and HarryAndGendel.soitwas that in June, at the close of the academic year, Richard and Sandy took the whole family to Tanzania to celebrate the library’s official inauguration. And then, since they would be in the middle of the Manyara Region south of Arusha, the family would go on safari.
As he put his mind to the task of building a library for the village, Richard tapped into the Caring Bridge network – a social network for people with cancer and their families. “I had 170 to 180 people following me,” he said. He was able to tap the network to raise the money to buy books, and the solar panels necessary to power the donated computers. Ultimately, he was able to raise the money to buy 7,000 books for the library and procure 20 computers for the media center, powering the computers with solar cells and providing a satellite internet connection to the remote village.
Tanzania offers a universal free education to all children, but the quality of that education is severely impaired by lack of funding. Students and teachers in the public schools commonly deal with class sizes of 60 to 80 children, and there are often only four or five textbooks for the whole class.
nity’s muddy, contaminated water for drinking.
To donate funds or gently used children’s books meaningful to African children, see www.malinieta.org.
Jackson was enchanted with the idea of going to Tanzania. “It’s the best trip I’ve ever been on,” he said. “Seeing all the animals in person, seeing the different cultures, going to the library, meeting the kids – it was all just amazing.”
The library’s grand opening was June 7, and the family was all there. A number of local gov ernment people turned out for the event, and the district commissioner oversaw the proceedings.
they will send their children to school knowing it would be very, very beneficial to them.
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“The first time was more touristy,” she said. “This time we saw more of the real Tanzania.”
After the library’s dedication ceremony, the family was ready to climb into some Land Rovers and see some of those animals for themselves, so they headed on safari to Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire National Park, and Lake Manyara, home to huge herds that graze the lush grasses.
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 42
So, Richard has already set his sights on the next project: to build a dormitory and more teacher housing, hopefully early next year. “And when that happens, we’ll be boarding children to allow them more school time, and we’ll fence the whole area so as to make it safe for them – it will be a wonderful oasis in the middle of absolutely nowhere.” His nonprofit is also working on a project with Procter & Gamble to donate thousands of packets of the company’s water purification product, to clarify the commu
“The children are expected to take a test in English after fourth and seventh grade, and if they don’t pass, their education is over,” said Richard. “The professor speaks in English, and most children are at a disadvantage.”
Richard was delighted with the success of the library project, but he realized he had only begun to make a dent in the need that pervades the area. Most children throughout the region don’t have access to the school because there are no buses, and even if there were, the roads are terrible, especially during the rainy season, when they become impassible to anything but Land Rovers or something similar. The chil dren are walking from one to five miles a day to reach the school, through the wilderness of Tanzania, sometimes among the same giraffes, cape buffaloes, wildebeests, and lions that the tourists come to observe from the safety of their Land Rovers.
Gerald gave Jackson his camera. Jackson was entranced with the ability to zoom in and take pictures. They were able to see zebras and giraffes, cape buffalo and wildebeests, even a leopard in a tree and a lion tearing into a large animal.
“You see them on TV and it’s awesome because they are so beautiful,” said Jackson. “But you see them in person and they are just majestic.”
“To me, it really solidified my resolve to try and help people, and I just picked this part of the world to work in,” he said, smiling. “It makes my heart glad; it’s heart healthy. And it makes my retirement meaningful.”
For Sandy, the trip was a real eye-opener, especially compared with the 2006 safari with her husband and some friends. She had seen some people of the Maasai ethnic group, but it was mainly in a tourism context, observing dances and handicrafts, but there was little interaction.
Editor’s note: Buzz travel columnist Tracy L. Barnett is a Lowell Thomas travel journalism award winner and longtime travel and environmental writer. Email her at info@thebuzzmagazines.com to share your own travel tales.
Richard had hoped to make an impact, and he clearly did – not only on the Maasai, but on his own grandchildren.
Richard and Sandy invited both of their daughters, Emily Jackson and Tracey Kane, and Tracey’s husband Eddie Kane, and their two children, Jackson and Shayley. They also invited their longtime friend Gerald Merfish, an important supporter of the Promise Village Academy.
“He said you’ve just done a wonderful job here and I’d like to bring more government peo ple to see what you are doing.”
The commissioner’s tardiness, however, was not an indication of his lack of interest. “He was so surprised at the quality of the classrooms, the books, the happy children,” said Richard. “When we took him to the library, he was so very surprised he didn’t realize what these people had –he spent 20 minutes telling them in Swahili, their native language, that he hadn’t seen this anywhere else in his district, that they had some thing that was so unbelievable that he hopes
As for Richard, the project has been the best medicine he could have.
“I can just describe it as the most impactful experience of my life, so far – the best trip I could have had, and the best experience all around,” said Jackson. “It kind of opened me up to the other parts of the world and to other cul tures, and made me feel grateful for my life and how I’m able to have all these things and have a great life. I would love to help just like my grandfather did later in my life.”
TANZANIA IN THE HEART When it came time to inaugurate the new Promise Village Library and media center, Richard Jackson (far right) invited (pictured, from left) longtime friend and Mali Nieta supporter Gerald Merfish, son-in-law Eddie Kane, grandson Jackson Kane, granddaughter Shayley Kane, daughter Tracey Kane, daughter Emily Jackson, and wife Sandy.
Diners arrive 20 minutes before the 6 p.m. seating, followed by another service at 8:30 p.m. But before the first guest arrives on Thursday night, Javi, Rico, and their sous chefs Morgan
On
ny, announced plans to open a 12-seat omakase room at the former Southside Espresso space on Westheimer this winter.
As diners savor honey-laced eggplant chips dabbed with silky red pepper Romesco sauce, the chefs – in unison – use long needles to plate crispy duck confit with fresh apricot and hazelnuts nestled in a swirl of avocado puree and peppery micro-greens: “It’s a ballet. Every step was planned and timed, so everything flows,” Rico says.
Degust.TonyBullard
Maître d’ David Smith passes out glasses of a sparkling Spanish Cava to guests in the waiting room, with painted blue skies overhead and the walls lined with flowering plastic vines. Once everyone is accounted for tonight’s sold-out tast ing, each party is escorted into the dark, adjoining dining room with cushioned high-top chairs around two gleaming white bars that form elliptical rings around an open kitchen with overhead lights.
Conliff and Joaquin Mendizabal spend Tuesday and Wednesday prepping. Because the restaurant is open only on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, it can operate with a small team of six and no waitstaff. Javi and Rico plate the food and serve 10 courses plus an intermezzo, usually a refreshing fruit lollipop coated in homemade tajin seasoning. Javi and Rico appreciate the interaction with diners, allowing them to see guests’ reactions firsthand rather than rely on a waiter’s reports. It’s a nightly motivator to tweak and create new dishes to keep diners engaged, particularly regulars like Susan Brown, who has been to a dozen or more Degust tastings.
Degust’s Javi Becerra and Rico Mackins
by Dai Huynh, staff writer
Back at Degust (7202 Long Point Road), chefs Javi and Rico are surveying the 12-plot garden next to their squat pale-gray building encircled by iron fencing and a big parking lot: “I was thinking about getting a few go-karts and charging people to drive around the parking lot,” jokes Rico, who adds that the eastern end of Spring Branch is a tough location for highend food: “But we are up to the challenge, and the area is gentrifying.”
Tonight, each person has paid $140 for din ner. Wine pairing is an additional $65. In times like these, there’s little room for error. Degust has one shot to captivate, and restaurants, whether prix-fixe or à la carte, rely on repeat business to thrive. Executive chefs Javier “Javi” Becerra and Erico “Rico” Mackins know this, and they reiterate that “guests are here for the food, but they’re also looking for an experience.” In short, it’s food theater.
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one end of the dining room is a blackframed picture of Dorothy – arms crossed, brows raised – and a quote at the bottom: “Go to sleep, sweetheart. Pray for Brains.” Nearby are photos of her cohorts –Rose, Sophia, and Blanche, i.e., “The Golden Girls.” Their familiar faces and witty quotes help set the tone and break the ice because expectations are high as couples and groups of four drift through Degust’s wooden-and-glass doors.
Since Javi and Rico took over Degust, they’ve charted a
Along this scrappy stretch of fast-food restau rants, washeterias, taquerias, and apartments, it’s easy to drive by the nondescript restaurant. You must squint to see the small glowing emerald-green letter signage near the front door, with its triangleshaped “u” in Degust, a shortened version of the French dégustation, which means “tasting.”
DINING
Chef’s Corner
“It might be more. I’ve been to so many, I’ve lost count,” the chemist admits. “I’ve been to all the tasting rooms in town by myself and with large groups of friends, but I always come back to Degust. Some of those tasting places leave you feeling a little hungry. Do you know what I mean? That’s not the case with Degust. I feel satiated.”
(continued on page 42)
Degust seats only 20 diners and is among the new crop of multi-course tasting rooms that have opened in the past couple of years, joining the likes of March, Hidden Omakase, Neo, and 5Kinokawa. Some chefs credit the emergence of tasting-centric establishments to the rise of omakase, in which you leave multi-course choices of sushi and sashimi in the hands of the chef. These days, New York City is awash with omakase spots, and it’s trending in Houston. Hai Hospitality, Uchi’s Austin-based parent compa-
DEGUST Co-chefs Erico “Rico” Mackins and Javier “Javi” Becerra prep for their weekly tasting menu at
Javi is by-the-book and exact, while Rico thinks outside the box but relies on Javi to rein him in. Together, they come up with unique twists on familiar dishes, like ceviche, with an interpretation rivaling New York’s threeMichelin-star Le Bernardin, famous for its faultless seafood preparations.
Dinner is drawing to a close. Throughout the evening, Javi and Rico have taken turns intro ducing and explaining each dish. Rico takes the stage – normally cool, calm, and collected, but now laughing nervously: “This next dish always makes me nervous because there is always some one who doesn’t like blue cheese no matter what. So, if you don’t like blue cheese, please just take a bite just to ease my mind.”
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Bite by bite, the room is silent, then diner Jeramy Roddy glances at a neighboring diner’s barely eaten Basque-style blue cheesecake topped with a dollop of preserved tomatoes, framed by tiny, thin slices of fresh red tomatoes.
Editor’s note: Buzz dining columnist Dai Huynh is a James Beard food-journalism award winner and longtime Houston-based restaurant writer.
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course that has earned them word-of-mouth buzz and kudos from Esquire. Last November, the magazine named March (1624 Westheimer) and Degust among the Best New Restaurants in America for 2021. Esquire’s editors wrote that with its autobiographical menu, Degust “is just the right type of weird,” and that its imaginative olive babayogurt bread is “true brilliance.”
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to describe their menu, he would call it Modern American because it encompasses many cultures andGladysinfluences.Knight’s soulful Midnight Train to Georgia is followed by disco era icon Vicki Sue Robinson belting out Turn the Beat Around. Chefs Javi and Rico follow the rhythm as they ladle Texas peach gazpacho into wide-rimmed round soup bowls. Music helps the chefs to focus and calm nerves. Meanwhile, their guests bounce to the beat as they chat and smile, wait ing for the next course.
co-executive chefs.
Javi and Rico map out their menu’s specifics based on their harvest, with slight variations in their dishes each week. Degust’s menu has been described as Spanish- and Mexican-inspired dishes with a Japanese influence. Guests eat with chopsticks, but Degust’s food isn’t really Spanish, Mexican, or Japanese. The chefs hate to label their food because it’s eclectic and inventive, but with familiar flavors. If Javi had
Rico, 45, washed and cooked in restaurants around Minneapolis since he was 16. Then, the graduate of Le Cordon Bleu moved to Houston to get out of the cold and landed in the kitchens of chefs Robert Del Grande and Ryan Pera. Meanwhile, Javi, 35, spent his mid-20s as a successful but unhappy commercial lawyer in Mexico City. In 2012, Javi applied to the Culinary Institute Lenôtre in Houston and never looked back, landing his first culinary job a year later as lead cook for chef Fritz Gitschner at his now-defunct 60 Degrees Mastercrafted. He then spent about three years as BCN’s chef de cuisine, followed by a yearlong stint in Tokyo opening a high-end Mexican restaurant. Upon his return, Javi helped open MAD in River Oaks with BCN executive chef Luis Roger.
Last January, Javi and Rico started working as sous chefs at Degust, a concept from opening chef Brandon Silva and the Kirby Group, which operates Wooster’s Garden and Heights Bier Garten. Then six months later, Silva abruptly left, and the Kirby Group asked the duo to take charge. They agreed, but only if they could be
“You don’t like it?” the Upper Kirby resident asks the nearby guest with an untouched cheesecake. “Oh man, I could have it for breakfast –every day.”
See this story at thebuzzmagazines.com for recipes from Degust’s chefs.
Javi and Rico putter in their garden, harvest ing ripe tomatoes, eggplants for their chips, and Fresno and jalapeno peppers for their menu. Above them are fragrant rows of seven-foot-tall licorice-like Mexican hoja santa, which they use in the blue corn and Texas beans entrée on their vegetarian tasting menu. Holy basil, Mexican peppermint, marigold, green chives, fennel, elderberry, Malabar spinach, and lavender plants scent the humid summer day. For the chefs, Tuesday afternoon usually starts by surveying what herbs and vegetables are at their peak. More than half their dishes rely on the bounty from their garden.
Degust’s ceviche comprises plumb, juicy limecooked lobsters, and crispy cucumber batons bathed in a tangy coconut mole sauce. Teensy, tiny flower-shaped mango, and slivers of pearl onion and chili peppers add color and contrast: “Rico and I complement each other,” Javi said. “Besides, I’m a twin. I’m used to sharing.”
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CULINARY EXPERIENCE Left: Degust offers a front-and-center view of its four-member kitchen team preparing the dishes for 20 guests. Right: Chefs Javi and Rico harvest vegetables and herbs from their garden.
(continued from page 44)
The multi-course menu mirrors the authors’ diverse backgrounds: Javi was born and raised in Mexico City, and Rico – proud of his Native American, Norwegian, and African American heritage – is a Midwesterner.
In addition to Rosenthal, the Texans offense is spearheaded by talented junior wide receiver Tristen Brown, who already has collegiate offers from Texas Tech and UTSA. “Tristen is a great kid with a high GPA, who is very much an elite receiver and playmaker,” said Lindsey.
With the return of 13 starters from a team that went 10-2 last season, it has all the makings of a big season ahead for the Stratford Spartans. “The whole focus of our off-season program was how do we go from good to great,” said Stratford head coach Todd Rankin. “There’s a lot of really good mojo around here.”
TOUCHDOWN TEXANS Lamar Texans quarterback Kenneth Rosenthal is one of only three quarterbacks selected to the Touchdown Club of Houston All-Greater Houston Pre-season Football Team. Rosenthal is seen here scoring a touchdown in last season’s playoff game against Cy Fair.
winning its 12th district champi onship in the last 13 seasons, the Lamar Texans again have lofty expec tations as the 2022 football season gets under way. “It’s definitely the best team talent-wise since I became the head coach here at Lamar five seasons ago,” said Mike Lindsey. “Our expectations are pretty high.”
The Spartans offense will be ignited by quar terback Nash Rankin, who broke legendary Stratford quarterback Andrew Luck’s single season passing records with 2600 yards and 26 touchdowns a year ago. “He has the ‘it’ factor when making plays,” said Coach Rankin when
SPORTSSportzBuzz
Elsewhere on offense, the Knights have added a pair of major playmakers in junior quarterback Karson Gordon and junior wide receiver Andre Thompson. “Karson is a dual threat quarterback with tremendous arm accuracy and an ability to score with his feet,” said Leisz. “He already has multiple offers to play at some of the nation’s top college football programs.”
talking about his son. “He’s had a knack for it his whole life. Nash can run, throw with accuracy, and has a special on-the-field leadership.”
Per tradition, the Knights will feature an extremely large and dominating offensive line including 6-foot-3, 245-pound senior Hutch
After
On defense, the Knights return one of their top players in senior defensive end Jason Otah, while Leisz had high praise for the defensive backfield foursome of Breylan Thompson, Sean Thompson, Brayden Crow, and Garon Sampson.
The Episcopal Knights enter the season with a lofty number two state ranking among all private schools across Texas. “To be a pre-season number two in the state is pretty special,” said Knights head coach Steve Leisz. “Our whole community is extremely excited.”
WilsonKeith
Rankin will have a special target to throw to again this season with the return of tight end sensation Hawkins Polley. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound senior has committed to play college football at Baylor University. In addition, the Spartans are loaded with wide receiver talent in junior Luke Rives, senior Jake Brand, and senior Triston Williams. “It’s a great receiving corp,” said Coach Rankin. Also on offense, 6-foot-4, 260-pound lineman Hudson Perroni has collegiate offers from SMU, TCU, Texas Tech, and others.
“Carson is very athletic and one of our top leaders,” said Lindsey. “He’s being recruited by Ivy League schools and is just a super individual.” As for Butler, Lindsey says the 6-foot, 275-pounder is strong and extremely explosive. “Jarvis had a great season last year and is also one of our team leaders. He can squat 560 pounds and will also play college football.”
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 possi ble inclusion in SportzBuzz, please email todd@thebuzzmagazines.com.
On defense, the Spartans bring back linebacker Cooper King, who was the District 176A Defensive MVP last season. “Cooper is a tackling machine who gives 100 percent on every single play,” said Rankin. Other top players on defense, according to Rankin, include linebacker Antwone McDonald as well as linemen Hunter Jones and Austin LaRue.
. by Todd Freed, staff writer
Coward, 6-foot-4, 280-pound junior Billy Wheless, 6-foot-3, 260-pound junior Cullen Witt, 6-foot-2, 312-pound sophomore Alex Lozada, and 6-foot-3, 245-pound senior Makai Wong.
Those expectations are bolstered by the return of senior all-district quarterback Kenneth Rosenthal, who also earned all-district honors in basketball this past season. “Kenneth is special,” said Lindsey. “He’s a polished passer and runner as well as a great decision maker on the football field. He is also one of only three quarterbacks across the area named to the Touchdown Club’s All-Greater Houston Pre-Season Football Team.”
On defense, the Texans welcome the return of a pair of standout players in senior linebacker Carson Skotak and senior defensive tackle Jarvis Butler.
As for Thompson, the junior receiver is also being heavily recruited by the nation’s premiere collegiate programs. “Andre is incredibly quick and agile. He has about 15 offers from so-called powerfive football conferences.” Leisz also says he expects fellow receivers Lane Linebarger and Jackson Chavis to play football on the collegiate level.
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TANGLEWOOD/RIVER
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.
A family affair
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 50
Lacrosse champions
Welcome to SportzBuzz Jr., a column spotlighting neighborhood athletes in elementary and middle school.
Young fencers
In Spring Branch-Memorial Sports Association this summer, four cousins (pictured, second from left) Morris DeVon, Sullivan Salinas, Levon Bertillion, and Sebastian Salinas, coached by their dad and uncle Joe Salinas (pictured, left) came together to battle against many other new comer ballers on the Chihuahuas team. The laid-back season was a first for all four cousins. They had a good time and were mostly all bark and not much bite. The summer games were hot and intense, but the boys battled through. In the final game, Morris and Sullivan were 3 for 3 with a collec tive 4 RBIs, and Levon ended the season with an in-the-park homerun and the game ball. Though they came up short in their final game, there is noth ing a post-game cousin dinner could not fix. These Chihuahuas are all chomping at the bit for next season.
SportzBuzz Jr.
. by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer
SPORTS
Students including (pictured, from left) Alexander Liu and Samuel Imrek from local fencing club Alliance Fencing Academy brought home 16 medals from the largest fencing tournament in the world. The USA Fencing Summer Nationals and July Challenge (Summer Nationals) was held in Minnesota. Alliance fencers brought home two gold medals, two silver medals, one bronze medal, and 11 top-8 medals. Based on year-long results, four Alliance fencers earned positions on the United States Fencing Teams for the upcoming year including Tokyo Olympian Anna Van Brummen, who will fence on the Women’s Epee Senior World Championship team, and Samuel and Alexander will fence for USA’s Cadet World Championship team; Yasmine Khamis will join the team, too (Women’s Epee).
The Iron Horse Houston 2030/31 Club Lacrosse Team won The Aloha Texas-Two Step Lacrosse Tournament outside of Dallas. The team went undefeated in pool play, winning all three of its games, outscoring their opponents by a combined score of 27-2. In sudden death overtime, Andrew Peters buried the game-winning goal to help advance the team to the championship game. In the tournament championship game, the team fought through adversity, overcoming an early 4-1 deficit, winning by a score of 10-7. Zach Peters received the championship game MVP, while Jacoby Hobbs was named overall tournament MVP. Pictured (top row, from left) are coaches Justin Rich, Mark Machado, and players (back row, from left) Gray Johnson, Landon Armenta, Max Kitchens, Dylan Bellinger-Spivey, (middle row, from left) Liam Thacker, Michael McBride, Hudson Rich, George Jamail, Zach Peters, Coleman Hill, Andrew Peters, Knox Barron, Aidan Reed, Jacoby Hobbs, (kneeling, from left) Finley Cook and Grant Summers.
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 51 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. Sign up to find out what we’re buzzing about at thebuzzmagazines.com/morning-buzz. Get Your Morning Buzz
by Dani Barg, age 15
SERVE & Sweat
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Through Generation SERVE, I began involving myself in small online projects, assisting nonprofits such as Meals on Wheels, Send a Smile Today, and Casa de Esperanza. However, it is my most recent project that truly impacted me: the very first teen SERVE & Sweat Camp.
Until then, taking the first step to initiate contact with an organization seemed impossible. Group volunteering helped alleviate that hesitation. Now I have five organizations with connections to return to!
At first glance, this was just another one of my new school’s graduation requirements, listed along with a slew of other courses, credits, and policies. But my view changed when I discovered Generation SERVE, a nonprofit that aims to empower youth to make a difference.
NOT JUST HORSIN’ AROUND Dani Barg, a sophomore at The Emery/Weiner School, participated in several volunteer opportunities with SERVE & Sweat, including caring for horses at the Houston Police Mounted Patrol barn.
Moreover, getting to interact with the benefi ciary at every project made the work worthwhile. Staying into a lunch break to finish a food assem bly, taking an extra load of mulch, or joking with the YMCA kids as they raced through a soccer station became something I looked forward to daily.
“Upper School students are required to com plete 30 hours of service each year.”
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.
KIDS
together. Throughout the week, we went from caring for horses at the Houston Police Mounted Patrol, to packing food for distribu tion at Bethel’s Heavenly Hands, and even to assisting in running the first Rice Owlympics, in which Rice University partnered with YMCAs to give underprivileged children access to their top-notch sports facilities. Additionally, we re-mulched pathways at the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center, and served lunches and stocked grocery shelves for the homeless at the Emergency Aid Coalition.
Buzz Kidz
SERVE & Sweat reinvented my outlook on community service, turning me into a confident volunteer. I encourage all teen volunteers, hopeful or hesitant, to sign up for Generation SERVE programs: you won’t regret it!
SERVE & Sweat allowed me and 16 others to sample-volunteer for five different organiza tions, building relationships with nonprofits
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 53 Create a buzz for your biz. Mailed to 58,000 homes monthly. To advertise in The Buzz Magazines, contact us at 713.668.4157, ext. 11 or advertising@thebuzzmagazines.com WESTTANGLEWOODRIVERMEMORIALBELLAIREOAKSUNIVERSITY Every service is backed by our 2-year warranty • Houston’s premier appliance service provider • Family-owned and operated • Service every major brand • We service all appliances, including wine cellars and outdoor grills • Specializing in Sub-Zero, Viking, Dacor, Thermador, CellarPro and La Cornue 281.758.9978 • www.uptownappliancerepair.com
Gorilla Sherman, age 2, Cockapoo, Troon Rd.
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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.
I told her how a Hoyer Lift could safely lift him. His rehab therapist had never mentioned the device, and then, after I suggested she ask them about it, they told her it would take three weeks to get the lift. After hearing that, I called a local medical equipment company, and the lift arrived the next day.
“What do I do? I can’t handle him anymore,” she said.
I personally talk to clients’ family members often to get updates or give advice. And I draw on my 27 years of experience working in healthcare to solveClientsproblems.andfamily members don’t pay extra for that 24/7 responsiveness and knowledge; it’s just part of our approach at S. Gerber & Associates.
Hi! I’m Gorilla. My friends call me Rilla for short. I’m from Ohio (go Buckeyes!) but now I live in Houston with my parents. Well, I guess I’ll start by sharing my life motto: “treats and snoozin’; snoozin’ and treats.” But life isn’t just about snacking and taking naps, it’s also about playing fetch and getting tummy pets. My mom says that if there was a fetch category in the Olympics, I’d be the top pick for team U.S.A. I can catch little-sized balls, slightly larger than little-sized balls; I can bounce balls off my nose like a dolphin; I can kick balls with my paws and nose; I can hide balls under furniture… Let’s just say, I’ve got skills. My best friends are my cousins, Nugget and Noodles, even though they are not as good at ball as I am. My grandpa, Tucker, is pretty cool too. He definitely can’t ball, but he outshines me in snoozin’, for sure.
Recently, the wife of a client called me on my cell phone at dinner time. She was frustrated because she and the caregiver were having difficul ty getting her 61-year-old, 6-foot, 2-inch tall, 220pound husband out of his bed and chair. It was becoming risky that he would fall on them and injure her or the caregiver.
S. Gerber & Associates, 3730 Kirby Dr., Suite 1200, Houston, TX 77098, 713.857.3227, sid@personalcaregiving.com
HolisticADVERTORIALcaregiving
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That holistic approach sets S. Gerber & Associates apart from other caregiving agencies. Those agencies send someone to babysit your loved one, and the only time they communicate with you is when placing the caregiver or when the caregiver doesn’t show up. Their communication revolves around the agency caregiver’s needs and situation, not around the family’s.
Heirs are a problem. Dad remarries, and the kids fear for the inheritance. The new wife fears she’ll be turned out on Dad’s death. Spouses that both bring money into the marriage can just disinherit the other. But most couples pool resources, especially as they spend down in retirement. Leaving all to the surviving spouse is often a necessity. A trust can provide for the surviving spouse, delaying distribution of the decedent’s remaining assets until the survivor dies.
The financial disincentives to marriage can hit older couples hardest. Spouses have a duty of support, which is ruinous at the end. A federal income tax bonus for couples with disparate incomes becomes a penalty for couples with similar incomes (think two retirees on Social Security). Some pensions and Social Security benefits are lost on remarriage.
Whatever the preferred solution, community property is not intuitive, and thwarts casual plans. On death, the presumption is that every asset, both his and hers, is community property, and so is split 50:50. That sounds fair, but both spouses’ assets must be disclosed and divided, not just the decedent’s. This is a great upset to surviving spouses, especially the wealthier ones. A marital agreement avoids the problem by defining all assets and income as separate, so that, dead or alive, what’s his is his and what’s hers is hers.
Remarriage and estateADVERTORIALplanning
From 2015 until the Supreme Court’s recent Dobbs decision, we thought the same rules applied to same-sex marriage. Regardless, the estate planning tools used before then still serve traditional and nontraditional couples that have committed to not commit: make a will to provide for the ones you love most, do med ical and statutory durable powers of attorney to give your partner priority over next of kin, and sign an appointment of agent to control remains. Over-achievers may consider a cohabitation agreement, to express the intention not to marry, and to provide for a division of property on death or other end of the relationship.
Not marrying can avoid the marriage penalties and the community property drama. No paper required, just a little discipline. Marriage, with all its
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
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 55
benefits and burdens, can be created casually. Some states call it a common-law marriage; Texas calls it an informal one. All that’s required is an agreement to marry, cohabitation, and holding out as married. There is no common-law divorce. Do not casually call each other husband or wife if you’re not.
Late-life marriage is proof that hope springs eternal. There are pitfalls which can be minimized but not eliminated. Some couples will prefer to cohabitate without marriage.
We write wills and go to probate court. Foreign nationals and international families welcome.
Back to school, in style
Charity Guild is No. 1
(continued on page 58) PhotographyTranQuy
Both women have received the abc13’s Women of Distinction Award. For more information on the Houston SPCA’s Howl-O-Ween Ball, visit HoustonSPCA.org.
PhotographyRossmanDave
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The Houston SPCA announced that Zane Carruth and Cheryl Byington (pictured, from left) will serve as the 2022 Ball co-chairs for the Houston SPCA’s Howl-O-Ween Ball that will be held on Oct. 28. Carruth and Byington are well known for their commitment to many notable causes, but both hold a special place in their hearts for animals in need. Carruth is an award-winning children’s author and marketer who serves on the Houston SPCA board of directors and the capital campaign committee. Byington retired after 41 years with BP and has held leadership roles in more than 60 Houston-community organizations.
ParishWilson
NEIGHBORSBuzz About Town
MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital and The Galleria rolled out the red carpet for the 10th annual back-to-school fashion show celebrating the start of another school year. This was the first time in three years for the event to be held in person, and more than 300 people attended. The models (pictured), including pediatric cancer patients and their siblings, styled the season’s most popular back-to-school trends on the runway. The show featured looks from Macy’s, Kids Atelier, Levi’s, PAIGE, ZARA, Buckle, and Psycho Bunny. Sabirah Rayford, KPRC-TV anchor and emcee at the event, was joined onstage by Dr. Branko Cuglievan, MD Anderson’s assistant professor and Leukemia/Lymphoma Section Chief, and Keyana Williams, principal of MD Anderson’s K-12 accredited private school. In addition to watching the runway, families enjoyed a variety of activities including face painting, balloon artists, a coloring station, and a special appearance from Diesel, Houston Dynamo FC’s and Houston Dash mascot, sporting his official MD Anderson Cancer Center jersey.
Dressed in their Sunday best and ready for the “best hat” contest, honoree Dr. Melanie Johnson and Children at Risk president and CEO Dr. Bob Sanborn (pictured, from left) joined nearly 300 other guests at the Ballroom at Bayou Place for the annual Big Brunch: Building Blocks to the Future – a Celebration of Early Childhood. Hosted by statewide organization Children at Risk, the guests enjoyed culi nary creations from some of Houston’s best chefs from 1751 Sea and Bar, Ballroom at Bayou Place Catering, Bludorn, Calavera Golfstrommen, Chivos, Frank’s Americana Revival, and Heads & Tails Seafood. Children at Risk president and CEO Dr. Bob Sanborn and KPRC-2 journalist and meteorologist Khambrel Marshall emceed the program that honored champions of early childhood education, Collaborative for Children, SEARCH’s House of Tiny Treasures, and Small Steps Nurturing Center. Event chairs Steve and Laura Jones helped raise more than $150,000.
Big brunch for children
Ready for Howl-O-Ween
Charity Guild of Catholic Women president Elizabeth Jordan and publicity chair Kathleen Falcona proudly accepted an honor on behalf of the organization at the Houston Chronicle’s Best of the Best gala. The Charity Guild was voted the No. 1 consignment store and the No. 1 antique store in Houston. Members of the Charity Guild are especially
. by Angie Frederickson, staff writer
The Allergy Clinic is pleased to welcome Dr. Anthony J. Weido to our practice. Dr. Weido will be seeing patients in our Fannin, Pasadena and Pearland locations. Our Fannin office is now open Monday through Saturday. Established 1956 • All doctors are board certified by ABAI Most insurance providers accepted 7707 Fannin, Suite 100, Houston, TX 77054 • 713-797-0993 *1200 Binz, Suite 1400, Houston, TX 77004 • 713-522-9911 6243 Fairmont Parkway, Suite 102, Pasadena, TX 77505 • 281-991-6750 10223 Broadway (FM 518), Suite L, Pearland, TX 77584 • 713-436-9009 www.allergyclinic.com *Operating as HoustonAllergy andAsthma Clinic NO ONE NOSE ALLERGIES LIKE WE DO™
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WELCOME TO OUR PRACTICE, DR. ANTHONY J. WEIDO
Sharing a love of reading
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prised and excited to receive books to take home. The three Curiosity Cruisers were purchased by the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation’s Ladies for Literacy Guild and are staffed and run by the Harris County Public Library with the goal of building children’s home libraries. Pictured are CCSC’s CEO Michelle Shonbeck (left) and Ladies for Literacy Guild member Sandra Shenkir (right).
grateful to receive this honor during Charity Guild’s centennial year celebration, commemorating 100 years of dedicated work for Houston youth. Pictured at the shop are (from left) board members Frannie Gary, Ellen Goodrich, Mary Broussard, Kelly Mooz, Judy Thompson, Rebecca LeBlanc, Jane Howerton, Clare Friedman, Margie Bacile, and Elizabeth Jordan. Charity Guild will celebrate 100 years of service at their festive Centennial Ball on Sat., Oct. 22 at The Ballroom at Bayou Place. See charityguildshop.org.
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Nantucket, Mass. was the perfect setting for Jonathan Newar to propose to Ansley Walker and then celebrate with friends and family. The couple met as neighbors in Athens, Ga. while attending the University of Georgia. When Jonathan was looking for a date to his fraternity trip in New Orleans, he remembered the girl who would swing by his backyard to play with his dog, Ladie. The two hit it off and began dating. After graduation they continued dating,
Andrew Smith (pictured), a member of Cub Scout Pack 730 and a St. Anne Catholic School fifth grader, recently received the prestigious Dr. Charles H. Townes Supernova medal. The Cub Scout Supernova award recognizes superior achievement by a Cub Scout in the fields of sci ence, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The rigorous requirements include completion of research studies, scientific projects, and engineering activities. In one of Andrew’s science experiments titled “Fast or Friction,” he analyzed and tested chemical properties of lubricants to optimize the speed of Pinewood Derby race cars. That work also
Engaged in Nantucket
There was food for the body and books for the mind when the Ladies for Literacy Curiosity Cruiser pulled up at a Christian Community Service Center (CCSC) food fair. While parents received groceries, the children were sur-
long distance, when Ansley moved to Austin and Jonathan was in Houston. The wedding will be in Austin and parents Jay and Clare Walker, and Adam Newar and Evi Marnoy can’t wait to start planning.
Cub Scout supernova
TozerCary
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Houston Junior Woman's Club (HJWC) is preparing for Holiday Happening 2022, which
will be held on Oct. 31. The annual fundraising event benefits Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, MFAH, Ronald McDonald House Houston, Texas Children’s Hospital Cancer and Hematology Centers, and select children’s charities. Guests will enjoy a live auction, silent auction, and big board in addition to plenty of holiday shopping. Tickets may be purchased in advance by contacting Nina Lambright at 713906-3318 or email nnl@lambrightlaw.com. Pictured are past HJWC fundraising committee chairmen (from left): Janice Whalen, Rhonda Van Liew, Jan Dunn, Nancy Douglas, Liz Niven Rome, Cheryl Maddox, Pat Schaefer, Paula Morris, Maddi Cormier, Mary Ellen Verbois, Carolyn Klevenhagen, Marilyn Mogas, Dianne Demney, Donna Jackson, Debbie Gravatt, and Nancy Bond
(continued from page 58) alexandersportraits.com OrtizDaniel
The Salvation Army in Houston is pleased to welcome new leaders, Majors Rob and Carolynn Webb (pictured, from left). They came to Houston from San Antonio where they were responsible for the programs and services of the Salvation Army for the San Antonio metropolitan area for the last five years. Majors Webb have been serving as Salvation Army officers for 27 years, and have held various leadership roles in Alexandria, Va., Washington, DC, Atlanta, Ga., Tampa, Fla., and San Antonio. They were both commissioned as Salvation Army officers and ordained as a Ministers of the Gospel in 1995. Since arriving in Houston, Rob and Carolynn have settled into their new surroundings and are looking forward to meeting the community and advancing the ministry of The Salvation Army.
After a two year in-person hiatus, supporters of Legacy Community Health Services dusted off their feather boas, gathered their tambourines and glow sticks, and danced the afternoon away at the 20th annual Mint Julep event. Tony
Preparing for the holidays
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An afternoon at Moulin Rouge
The Salvation Army welcomes newofficers
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.
Bravo and Richard Werner (pictured, from left) joined a packed house for “An Afternoon at Moulin Rouge” at the White Oak Music Hall honoring retired Legacy CEO Katy Caldwell and longtime Legacy supporters Domenic Cusano and Felicia aka Scarlett St. John Roberts, Tony Bravo, and Ray Purser chaired the event that raised more than $120,000 for HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention, and treatment programs at Legacy. The event featured more than 25 performers including Alexa Bouvier, Ivanna Cupcake, Marcia Mink Gill, and Angela Mercy who welcomed guests with Lady Marmalade-Moulin Rouge. Crystal Rae Lee Love was a staple performer at previous Mint Julep events but passed away earlier this year. Her friends Kimberly Anne O’Neil and Martinique Bouvier performed a tribute in her memory to the song Send in the Clowns
resulted in a second-place award for the citywide Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston Science Fair competition.
TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ SEPTEMBER 2022 61 imgfinancialgroup.com In today’s complex world, the expertise and clear vision of a financial professional can help you reach your financial goals. Over 1.3 billion of assets under our administration and over 3.7 billion of life insurance in force. 4550 Post Oak Place, Ste 125, Houston, TX 77027 Securities and Investment Advisory services offered through Securian Financial Services Inc. member FINRA/SIPC. IMG Financial Group is independently owned and operated. TN 3460964 DOFU 3/2021 As of Jan 2022
Other series with nominations in the doubledigits are: Only Murders in the Building (17), Euphoria (16), Barry (14), Dopesick (14), Severance (14), Squid Game (14), Ozark (13),
SMALL SCREEN LINEUP The Emmy Awards are coming up – what are your picks for best TV shows of the
year?behance.net/runamokstudios
See the full listing of 2022 Emmy nominees at emmys.com.
Who
And count on Tracy Pesikoff to lighten up a series about a financial planner gone awry, his family, and the Mexican drug lord he’s having to pay off. She quips, only half-joking, “As the self-appointed president of the Jason Bateman fan club for the past four decades – Derek Taylor of Silver Spoons fame was my first crush – I’m thrilled that Ozark is getting so much recogni tion. It’s dark and crazy with tidbits of subtle humor. But I could just as well sit all day simply watching Jason Bateman watch paint dry.”
So much to watch. So little time.
On the darker side, Anita Gaylor recommends Maid, about a young, single mother struggling to support her daughter and put herself through college by cleaning homes. “It was intense and a bit dark,” Anita says, “but wonderfully done. Andie McDowell plays the crazy, hippie, stoned mother, and her real-life daughter plays her daughter (the main character).”
Stranger Things (13), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (12), and Pam & Tommy (10).
Currently in its third season, Succession garners the most Emmy nominations – 25 of them – for its look into the lives of a “highly dysfunc tional dynasty,” as a family’s successful patriarch prepares for retirement. Four siblings have four entirely divergent plans for themselves and their family business, with drama ensuing. Shelly Blalock gives the thumbs-up to Kieran Culkin’s nomination for Supporting Actor, Drama, say ing, “He is hilarious!” She adds, “Make sure you are caught up on your sleep when you start it! It is hard to quit.”
Mother and son Brooke and William Halverson say they are “on pins and needles waiting for new Only Murders in the Building episodes each week.” Martin Short (Oliver Putnam), Steve Martin (Charles-Haden Savage), and Selena Gomez (Mabel Mora) live in New York’s Upper West Side and share a fascination with true crime. It’s the perfect storm when someone dies in their building, and the three set out to solve who’s responsible. The Halversons would have applauded a nomination for Selena Gomez, but she did not receive one.
. by Andria Frankfort, staff writer
NEIGHBORSBack Porch
With the 74th Emmy Awards airing Sept. 12 (NBC, 7 p.m.), our answer to what to watch is this: Tune in and learn about all the shows that are winning awards. And for free extra credit: Brush up on these shows before they win the big awards, because we’ve gathered some opinions on some of the best.
Both The White Lotus and Ted Lasso were the second top nominees, with 20 nominations each. With a recognizable cast, The White Lotus comically and insightfully breaks down a picture-perfect Hawaiian resort to get to the reality of the deeper emotions of its employees and guests. It’s a six-episode series spanning one week at the resort. In Ted Lasso, Jason Sudeikis is Ted Lasso, an eternally optimistic, disarmingly cheerful American football coach who goes to stiff-upper-lip England to coach a British soccer team. Laura McCullough says she especially loved this show. “[It was] so funny. A bright, positive light during the pandemic.” She also recommends the 17-time nominated Hacks, which is the story of a Las Vegas comedic legend and her offbeat, entitled, and much younger writer. “So funny,” she says, “Looks like they got a lot right on the Emmys list!”
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else is overwhelmed by all the shows available to watch on TV (or should I say stream to our screens?)? It’s hard to keep up when everyone is back-andforthing about how much they’re loving this show or that one.
Number one on the list for Best Comedy, and again for Supporting Actress, Comedy (twice) and Writing in a Comedy Series is Abbott Elementary, which Barbara Catechis says she is enjoying. “It’s a clever show written by a young woman who also has a lead role. Charming, thoughtful, and funny. My daughter is a new second-grade teacher, so this show really rings true.”
What to Award-winingwatch:TV
