The West University Buzz - April 2018

Flower

Mundi Elam

Arranging Alcohol and Young Adults

by Jennifer Oakley

Chef’s Corner: Bobby Matos Olympic Journey to South Korea The History and Future of Loop 610 Treasuring Her Parents’ Art Catching Up with Dave and Laura Ward Houston, TX Permit No. 2047 PAID

Cooking Buzz: Spring Brunch

US Postage PRSRT STD

Back Porch: Podcasts

AND

Discover a better approach to managing your wealth with a PERSONALCFO.

JEFFREY RILEY JAMES WATERS

EDITOR’S NOTE Every year at the SXSW Interactive Festival in Austin, we listen for “the buzzword” of the conference – something we hear over and over. One year it was “authenticity,” another year, “transparency.”

This year it was “storytelling,” which resonated because that’s what we’re about here at The Buzz.

This month, as always, our neighbors share their fascinating stories. In Deborah Lynn Blumberg’s Art in Exile: Miriam Murphy’s treasures, you’ll read about art that survived the Holocaust and lives today in a Houston home, thanks to the dedication of a daughter. In The Road Much Taken: The history and future of Loop 610 by Cheryl Ursin, you’ll get a look at the “then and now” of construction on I-610, which will impact us for years. In Alcohol and Young Adults: Drinking through “the quarter-life crisis” by Cheryl Ursin, you’ll hear about what remains the most commonly abused substance. And, on a lighter note, in Jennifer Oakley’s In Bloom: The art of arranging flowers, you can find tips for creating floral designs. We want to hear your stories, too! joni@thebuzzmagazines.com

THE BUZZ MAGAZINES BELLAIRE • WEST UNIVERSITY • MEMORIAL • TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS Published by Hoffman Marketing & Media, LLC 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401 info@thebuzzmagazines.com • p: 713.668.4157 • f: 713.665.2940 Follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter thebuzzmagazines.com

Editor Publisher Associate Editors Design Manager Staff Writers

Contributing Writers Account Managers

Joni Hoffman Michael Hoffman Cheryl Laird Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld John Duboise Tracy L. Barnett Deborah Lynn Blumberg Sharon Albert Brier Andria Frankfort Angie Frederickson Todd Freed Cathy Gordon Michelle Casas Groogan Dai Huynh Annie Blaylock McQueen Jennifer Oakley Cheryl Ursin Amy Dunn Andrea Blitzer Leslie Little Kim Montgomery

On our cover: Mundi Elam keeps fresh flowers in her house year-round and enjoys making arrangements.

Cover photo by Nikky LaWell, lawellphoto.com The Buzz Magazines has made all reasonable attempts to verify the accuracy of all information contained within. Advertising claims are solely the responsibility of the advertiser. Copyright © 2018 Hoffman Marketing & Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any portion of this magazine by any means without written permission is strictly prohibited. Printed on recycled paper. Please remember to recycle.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 4

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 5

MAILBAG

Your letters, thoughts, opinions Started life-saving discussions Thank you for helping your readers understand the complexities of eating disorders [Eating Disorders: A quiet mentalhealth crisis by Andria Frankfort, February 2018] and for referring your readers to the National Eating Disorders Association. Eating disorders are the No. 1 killer of any mental illness, yet most of us don’t know the warning signs or who to turn to for help. Feb. 26-March 4 is National Eating Disorders Awareness week, so your article was certainly timely. I hope your readers will share this important article with family and friends. I know that it already opened life-saving dialogue for some of your readers.

Catherine Wile

kind words. A powerful panel of speakers discussed human trafficking in Houston. Search “Courageous Conversations” at thebuzzmagazines.com for more details and for resources on this important topic.

Ready for the photo contest My daughter enjoys entering your photo contest every year. She's been expecting to see an announcement soon of when submissions will begin being accepted, but so far have not seen any mention of your annual contest in recent issues. Are you planning to run the contest as usual this year?

Thanks in advance for your reply and any info on this.

Cynthia Welch Editor’s note: Thank you for your interest in our Buzz Magazines Photo Contest. This year will be our lucky number 13th year of running our popular contest. You can find a promo ad with details in this month’s issue (and in the March issue). You can enter through the form on the top right section of our website. See thebuzzmagazines.com. The deadline is May 15 at 11:59 p.m.

Winning photos will be published in our July 2018 print issues, and also on thebuzzmagazines.com.

One of best stories on subject This is one of the best, most comprehensive articles I have read on this topic [Shaking the Family Tree: New ways to research your roots, by Cheryl Ursin, February 2018]. Excellent job! We will be sharing this with all the legislators next session. I hope you will write more on this niche, but very important, issue.

Marci Purcell, Board President, Texas Adoptee Rights

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.

All ready for Asheville now A is for Arts, Architecture and Americana in Authentic Asheville [Travel Buzz, by Tracy L. Barnett, March 2018] – at the top of my “must see” list!

What a fantastic story about this gem of a town in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I’m ready to pack my bags. Equally stunning is the cover photo [West University Buzz, March 2018] of our friends, Mark and Martha Hablinski. Well done, Buzz peeps!

Claire Frazier Editor’s note: Thank you, Claire. We’re ready to pack our bags for Asheville, too, after reading Tracy’s travel story. If you missed it, see this story and lots of gorgeous photos at thebuzzmagazines.com.

Tackling human trafficking Thank you, The Buzz Magazines, for hosting Crime Stoppers and for featuring a subject that is not always discussed so candidly and honestly [Courageous Conversations: Human Trafficking in Houston, Buzzworthy blog, February 2018]. I've always been a fan of The Buzz, but now I'm an overwowed fan of your heart and commitment to our city and our citizens!

Tracy Faulkner Editor’s note: Thank you, Tracy, for attending our Courageous Conversations luncheon co-hosted with Crime Stoppers of Houston in February and for your WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 6

What’s your story?

We are looking for residents for upcoming articles who: • Have or know a graduating high school senior for our annual “Where are they headed?” feature.

• Had an extraordinary teacher.

• Have easy school-night dinner recipes to share.

• Know a compelling neighbor to profile.

• Enjoy unique hobbies.

If this sounds like you or someone you know, please contact us at info@thebuzzmagazines.com or 713.668.4157, ext 12.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 7

NEIGHBORS

Good Evening, Friends Catching up with Dave and Laura Ward

T

hat voice. Rich in tone. Perfect enunciation. It could recite a technical manual to a rapt audience.

“I’ve got to tell you,” says the man behind the signature voice, “when I first laid eyes on my wife, the closer I got, the prettier she got. When I got 10 feet away from her, the thought hit me, ‘That is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life.’ That is the absolute truth. She’s still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life.”

It’s one thing to have listened to Dave Ward report Houston news for more than 50 years as television’s KTRK Channel 13 anchor, a career that earned him a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records and Anchor Emeritus at the station.

But here, on this overcast afternoon at his Tanglewood home, it’s oddly disorienting hearing that voice in the context of casual conversation. There’s an instinctive urge to look toward his television set.

“His voice is something else,” says the ravenhaired object of his affection, wife Laura, who sits cross-legged on an ottoman in their den. “It’s that voice that people know and looked to all those years.”

But it only knows one volume, she deadpans, making hushed venues like church interesting.

“The man can’t whisper. And when he dictates, his voice booms throughout the house. You can’t escape it. He dictates like he’s on the anchor desk.”

“Maybe so,” agrees Dave, the son of a Huntsville Baptist preacher. The newshound exorcised his Texas twang early on through vocal cord stretching exercises. One has to wonder if whistling helped too. “He can whistle anything,” says Laura. “Perfect pitch.”

The community icon turns 79 next month, but the word “retired” isn’t in his vocabulary.

“He’s back physically 100 percent,” says Laura of her husband, who had a heart attack in November 2016, just months before leaving Channel 13. He underwent an aortic heart valve replacement and double bypass surgery.

Three months later, surgeons inserted a pacemaker to ensure normal heart rhythm. “The doctor considers him to be recovered, and Dave certainly feels that way,” his wife says. “He’s WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 8

lawellphoto.com

by Cathy Gordon, staff writer

back doing all the things he loves to do.”

In addition to speaking engagements and a yetto-be announced project he’s eagerly pursuing, the former anchorman is writing a book about his life and career, something he promised viewers. Jim McGrath, President George H.W. Bush’s postWhite House spokesman and speechwriter, coauthors.

Dave doesn’t lack material. This day, he rattles off memories with savant-like recall.

Fun facts are sprinkled about like candy toppings on a cupcake.

Here’s a taste.

Dash Crofts of the band Seals & Crofts, the softrock singer-songwriter duo of the AND THE WINNER IS Dave’s profile of singer-songwriter friend Steve Tyrell won 1970s, was his best him a 2007 regional Emmy. friend and band came in and made us sound good.” buddy in high school in Cisco, Texas. He’s got That friendship led to a regional Emmy for the skinny on why Darrell George Crofts is Dave, who profiled Tyrell’s career. The Emmy called Dash. “He has a twin, his sister Dorothy. statuette sits on the Ward’s living room mantle.

They call her Dot, so, it followed….”

This day, there’s also nostalgic talk of former And he’s been friends with noted singer-songcolleague Marvin Zindler, the irascible, flamwriter Steve Tyrell since the 1960s. Trumpetboyant, wig-donning “slime in the ice machine” playing Dave and his fellow Houston KNUZ consumer reporter whom Dave urged KTRK to radio staff recruited Tyrell to play with their cobhire. Zindler died of cancer in 2007. bled-together Seven Southern Gentlemen band.

“One time, Marvin was (continued on page 10) “We sounded terrible, just garbage. Steve

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 9

thing, and he bangs the set and says on air, ‘It’s time somebody grabbed the bull by the tail and does something about this!’” Dave recalls. “I said, ‘Well, thank you, Marvin. Now friends, having a bull by the tail is not to be confused with having a tiger by the horns.’ Marvin fractured every cliché he could.”

“Dave has the best stories about Houston and its people,” says Laura, who is intimately connected to the city as CEO and president of the Houston Children’s Charity, a non-profit organization that helps underprivileged, abused and disabled children. Dave, on its advisory board, emcees their annual gala.

“I couldn’t live without my cell phone. I’m on it 24/7,” says the crackerjack fundraiser.

She’s also good at keeping a secret.

Dave was stunned to find that Crime Stoppers of Houston, the non-profit crime tip organization, named its new headquarters at 3001 Main St. after him in recognition of his help establishing the program.

“But I knew about it for a year,” quips Laura, who raised funds for the building and secretly compiled photographs and all manner of memorabilia for a Dave Ward tribute wall in its lobby. “I was blown away,” says Dave.

The candy jar he routinely stocked with sweets at Channel 13 resides there too. News staff used to swarm it like proverbial bees to honey.

The couple smiles recalling how they met. It was 1989, and Laura called Dave cold turkey to see if he’d emcee a fundraising event featuring the Gatlin Brothers. “He did, and then every year after that I called him to emcee.” That professional relationship turned to romance several years later after both had divorced. They married in 2002. Between them, they have seven grown children and five grandchildren, with Elliott, 2, and brother Zayde, 9 months, the latest family additions.

“It’s a joy,” Laura says of the grandkids.

Another of Laura’s joys, cooking. She takes to the kitchen on Sunday, her only free day, since she’s out most nights fundraising. One of nine siblings growing up in Louisiana, she learned to cook “for an army.” Dave dines in most weeknights, feasting on things like her “famous” fried chicken, black-eyed peas and roasted corn.

Without fail, he hits Le Peep restaurant not far from their house for his first meal of the day.

He treated a loyal viewer to a meal there recently. The woman had reached out, expressing how much the anchor meant to her and her father who recently died.

And, of course, daily routine includes watching the news, “flipping all three channels, not just Channel 13,” says Laura. “I’ve got to tell the truth here,” says Dave, noticeably irked, “when I was there I’d tell our reporters, ‘Never refer to what we do as a show. We don’t do a show. We do a news broadcast or news program.’ They call it a show all the time now.”

He twirls his black BIC pen in his right hand as he says this, a nervous habit from early radio WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 10

days. “He can pop that pen out and start doing that and doesn’t even know he’s doing it,” Laura says. Which leads to the subject of shirts.

Always with a pocket.

For the pen. Even when wearing a tuxedo, there must be a pocket for the pen.

And for those who think Dave emerged from the womb wearing finely stitched Lucchese boots, he has discovered the world of casual shoes. “Never thought it would happen,” Laura says. “But he will always love his boots.”

He has started to embrace social media too. This is a man who didn’t get a cell phone until recently and only because his wife said she could download a solitaire app on it. “So, it’s been a process,” she says.

He likes responding to fans on Facebook and can be found on Instagram too (both @davewardshouston).

And he has a website, davewardshouston.com.

“I’ve never had a website before,” Dave says. “Not sure what I’ll do on it, but I’ll find out.”

The history buff has always worn a small POST-ANCHOR FOOTWEAR Lucchese boot-loving Dave has discovered the American flag pin on world of casual shoes, says Laura, here in the den of their Tanglewood home. his suit lapel. He recentwhite when our steward Matthew told us there ly donated his library of 350 World War ll books was no air conditioning.” to the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs A horse-drawn carriage works though. She Medical Center. The books, autographed by accompanied Dave, grand marshal of the recent Dave, contained a message of thanks. “I guess Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Parade, as you could say my World War ll fascination is a the caravan passed adoring Houstonians downkind of hobby,” says Dave, who admits an obsestown, an “unbelievable honor” after working it sion with the History Channel, Smithsonian for decades from the sidelines, he says.

Channel and black and white Turner Classic “I just love this city. I am so grateful that movies. “I love anything about World War II.” Houston gave me the opportunity to do the job That, and trains.

I did all those years. I have my loyal viewers to “When I was a child, all I wanted to do was thank.” He recalls a passage from Walter grow up to be an engineer on a steam locomoCronkite’s book A Reporter’s Life where the legtive. I love being on a train. I’ve often said I don’t endary broadcaster refers to an encounter during care where it’s going as long as I can be on it.” post-CBS years.

Laura doesn’t share the sentiment.

“He wrote that a woman stopped him and said, A train trip on the Venice-to-London Orient ‘Pardon me sir, but didn’t you used to be Walter Express one summer left her less than impressed.

Cronkite?’ I keep waiting for someone to come up The train was beautiful, yes, but not air-condito me and say, ‘Didn’t you used to be Dave Ward?’” tioned. “I watched her face turn six shades of lawellphoto.com

(continued from page 8) in a tirade about some-

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 11

NEIGHBORS

The Road Much Taken

Dylan Aguilar

by Cheryl Ursin, staff writer

The history and future of Loop 610

A

ccording to the Texas Department of Transportation, the West Loop Freeway (I-610) is the most congested freeway in the state of Texas and the Southwest Freeway (I-59, now also called I-69) is the third.

And the interchange at which they meet? It will not surprise Buzz readers to hear that it’s “the No. 1 worst choke point for the entire state of Texas.”

That’s what Bruce Bugg, Jr., the chairman of the Texas Transportation Commission, said at the November groundbreaking for the interchange’s $287 million, 5-year reconstruction.

One of the reasons for building the Loop in the first place was the need to reduce congestion, recognized as early as 1931, on city streets.

Another reason was the military’s request for a clear route if it ever needed to deploy to protect the Houston Ship Channel, which is why the Loop in early planning documents is sometimes referred to as the Defense Loop. According to Houston Freeways, the definitive book of history

by Erik Slotboom, a bond issue was approved for the Loop in 1941, just months before Pearl Harbor was attacked.

Betty Janicek, who turned 94 last month and was the mayor of Bellaire in 1991 and 1992, can remember when the first part of the Houston freeway system, the Gulf Freeway (I-45), was built in 1948-49. She and her husband used to pile their kids in the car on Sunday afternoons after church and drive on it just for fun. But she said, “Even before it was finished, it was clear that it was inadequate.”

Houston freeway planners couldn’t probably have visualized how much and how quickly the city would grow. According to Slotboom, in 1968, when the main lanes of the West Loop were opened, its peak traffic was 96,000 vehicles per day. In 1971, a year after the Galleria opened, it was just over 146,000. Today, according to TxDOT, the interchange being reconstructed handles about 500,000 vehicles per day routinely. And TxDOT is eyeing forecasts that the population of the Houston metropolitan area will more than double, from 6.6 million to 14.2 million, by 2050.

With this newest construction project, which WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 12

has already started, TxDOT “will be touching every part of the interchange,” says Frank Leong, area engineer for the Houston district of TxDOT. The interchange is every way the two freeways connect with each other.

There are eight of these connectors.

All but one will be enlarged from one lane to two. The one ramp not enlarged – 59 southbound to 610 northbound – will still be reconstructed and improved.

There’s just not enough space to widen this ramp to two lanes.

The bridge where 610 crosses over 59 will also be A FREEWAY RUNS THROUGH IT Bellaire's mayors have long dealt with the impact of the West Loop and the Southwest Freeway on their community. From left: Betty adjusted, to allow Janicek, mayor of Bellaire 1991-92, and Andrew Friedberg, current mayor. room for the new congestion relief in the state’s five largest metroconnectors, and it will be given shoulders for politan regions. The West Loop/Southwest intersafety. change topped their list as the most congested.

The busyness of Houston’s freeways is a sign And it was always known, since its inception of the city’s economic health. At the ground(it opened in July 1962), that this interchange breaking in November, held overlooking the would be busy. When it was built, it was, interchange, traffic sounds, including a couple Slotboom says, the first modern “four-stack,” an of blaring truck horns, were loud. But, pointed interchange where roads cross each other at four out John Breeding, president of Uptown different levels, in the state of Texas.

Houston District, “What you hear is the very It was also, more ominously, the first place in economy of Houston.” the U.S. where “crash attenuators,” crash cushWhich isn’t to say that accommodating that ions, also sometimes referred to as “cowboy traffic isn’t a problem. cushions,” were used. These devices, such as In 2015, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott directed the plastic barrels filled with sand, are meant to disTexas Transportation Commission to create an perse the energy of a crash and protect the peoinitiative, called Texas Clear Lanes, to focus on

Photo courtesy of Erik Slotboom/Houston Chronicle Archives

A CITY OF HIGHWAYS Houston's history is intertwined with its freeway system. Here, the first section of the Southwest Freeway opened on July 26, 1961.

ple involved. These are placed, of course, where crashes are more likely to occur, such as the “gore points” on highways.

Incidentally, gore points are not named after blood and gore, but are the triangular slivers of land between a freeway and its ramps. The term comes from either the Old Norse word for “spear,” or from a dress-making term for the triangular pieces of cloth used to make certain styles of skirts.

“This interchange has been, frankly, dangerous for years and years,” says Bellaire Mayor Andrew Friedberg. “Many people have been involved in accidents there, including me.” The City of Bellaire fire and police departments respond daily to accidents there.

Building a freeway or even reconstructing part of it involves a lot of moving parts and a lot of different stakeholders. Betty Janicek can remember when the West Loop was planned in the 1950s. During the period when the freeway’s route was being decided, which lasted about two years “from the first whispers to the final announcement,” she says, “there was a lot of crying and carrying on and arm-waving.”

Without a doubt, many people’s lives were uprooted. Close to 200 families in Bellaire were forced out of their homes. “I didn’t feel like they were chiseled when it came to how much they were paid for their property,” says Janicek, “but these people were living in the homes and in the community they had planned to live in all their lives.”

According to Slotboom, there were times – such as when the West Loop, which split Bellaire in two, was being planned – when it was almost always impossible for a local community to put a stop to a freeway it disagreed with. Slotboom has, in his archives, an article from the Bellaire Texan, a weekly newspaper, dated April 1956, reporting

an exchange between a Bellaire resident and the county commissioner at a public meeting. “Then the freeway is a foregone conclusion. We’re here only to get our gripes off our chest,” said the resident, to which the commissioner replied, “That just about sums it up.”

On the other hand, according to Slotboom, once President Nixon signed the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, it became almost impossible to build a freeway if the local community objected.

In 1991, a widening of the West Loop between the Southwest and Katy freeways was proposed. It would have been major. The leading proposal was to make the West Loop, counting its feeder roads, 24 lanes across. This would have required the use of 3½ acres of Memorial Park. The proposal was strongly opposed – Slotboom described one TxDOT public meeting as becoming “more like an anti-freeway rally” – and was ultimately defeated.

A less drastic construction project, which did not add capacity but did make improvements, was done to the West Loop in the late ’90s, despite some opposition.

This time around is not as contentious.

“TxDOT at the end of the day can do what it wants. It doesn’t need our permission,” says Bellaire Mayor Friedberg, “but we were very pleased that they worked with us.”

Bellaire asked for – and got – three modifications to the original design. The ramps were made significantly lower. “We’d prefer them not to tower over our community,” says Friedberg.

Also, in the original plan, the Fournace exit was going to be permanently closed; now it will eventually reopen, though it is currently closed and will be for at least two years during construction.

Perhaps most importantly, the City of Bellaire struck a deal with TxDOT to improve the

drainage capacity under 610. While technically TxDOT is only responsible for handling any extra drainage problems caused by one of its construction projects, it has agreed to a shared-funding deal where the City of Bellaire will pay $1 million of the $3 million cost to put in a 10-foot by 8-foot box culvert running from just south of Westpark to Glenmont, to help with flooding.

This project started in September with utility work around South Rice, Westpark and the 59 North and 610 South frontage roads. The 59 HOV entrance and exit ramps at Westpark have been closed for the duration of the project. The HOV can be entered and exited at Edloe. Next up, starting in the spring, will be the construction of sound walls, on 59 southbound from Sage to Chimney Rock and on the West Loop South in two places, from Lehigh to Glenmont and from Fournace to Elm. The first connector to be rebuilt will be 59 North to 610 South, beginning sometime in the late summer or fall.

The entire project is scheduled to take five to six years.

Meanwhile, the construction company, Williams Brothers, will be working seven-day workweeks, with closures planned at night and during weekends. And TxDOT will be using new “smart work zone” technology. This is movable signage, placed before where traffic will snarl, that will be connected to sensors monitoring traffic conditions to give drivers real-time information about road conditions. “It’s a key warning system about speed, congestion and back-ups that can let drivers know what’s going on over the next overpass,” says Darrell Borchardt, senior research engineer at the Houston office of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.

“Yes, it’s going to be a pain in the elbow while it’s under construction,” says Betty Janicek, “but isn’t it going to be wonderful when it’s done?”

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 13

by Deborah Lynn Blumberg, staff writer

Art in Exile

lawellphoto.com

NEIGHBORS

Miriam Murphy’s treasures

I

n the years following World War II, Miriam Murphy crawled past canvases and tried to teethe on paintbrushes on the top floor of a bright Victorian home in northwest London.

As a child, she watched her artist parents fill canvases with color. One day, her father, Hugo Dachinger, painted a from-memory portrait of a forlorn-looking teen he had met years earlier in an English internment camp.

An Austrian Jewish refugee and burgeoning artist, Dachinger spent seven months in camps in the late 1930s as an “enemy alien” before England released him. He passed his days painting, using newspapers soldiers discarded, paintbrushes made from sticks and strands of his hair, and paints mixed from ash and mud.

“My dad did his best and most dramatic work at this camp,” said Murphy, now 72. When her father died, Murphy donated many of his pieces to the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool and a gallery on the Isle of Man, where her father was last interned. But she also shipped several crates of her parents’ artwork to herself in Houston, including the portrait of the teen. Her mother, Meta, was also a Jewish refugee who escaped Nuremberg, Germany. She specialized in painting watercolors.

Now, in a small extra room in the apartment Murphy rents, hundreds of her parents’ creations line walls and pile high on tables and shelves.

They used to be in the Bellaire home she lived in for over three decades that she now is selling. As Hurricane Harvey dumped water into her home, Murphy watched from a neighbor’s, petrified the artwork would not survive.

But in the days following the storm, Murphy was relieved to find that Harvey ruined only a few of her parents’ creations. The bulk of the collection survived and offers insight into the refugee experience. Murphy surrounds herself with her parents’ paintings and sketches as concrete signs of her Eastern European Jewish heritage, her family’s luck during the war, and a hopeful reminder that even war can’t squash the spirit of an artist driven to create.

It all started in 1941 at the London Transport’s Lost Property Office. Meta had left an umbrella on a bus; Hugo misplaced his art WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 14

portfolio.

Meta and one of her sisters recently had fled Germany for England and enrolled at the University of London.

Hugo, from Gmunden, Austria, had escaped to Poland days before the Anschluss (when Hitler rolled into Austria), then made his way to Denmark, and after that London.

He had recently been released from IRREPLACEABLE Miriam Murphy surrounds herself with her parents' artwork, family photos and keepsakes from England. She lives in an apartment now after her longtime the internment Bellaire home flooded during Hurricane Harvey. camp following a drawing, Hugo used pastel crayons and wax – in recommendation from the Royal Academy of purple, pink, orange and green – to draw artists Arts, and he was determined to make a career painting a model. A watercolor depicts an for himself as an artist.

English soldier drinking a beer in a pub.

“My mother didn’t find her umbrella there, Murphy’s father told her Sigmund Freud himbut she found her future husband,” said Murphy, self posed for a 1941 charcoal sketch Hugo did in who, in her apartment living room, sets a cup of a London café. Many of Hugo’s drawings docuproper English tea on the coffee table. A long ment daily life in the English internment camp – strand of pearls hangs from her neck, well past detainees eating meals and Jews praying. At camp, her short gray hair. he organized an exhibition entitled “Art Behind For Murphy’s mother, it wasn’t love at first Barbed Wire,” and after his release, 40 of his works sight. But then Meta visited Hugo’s art studio. were exhibited in a top London gallery. Murphy’s “She fell in love with his art, and then eventumother painted less, usually nature scenes. ally with him,” Murphy said. “My parents highly Murphy’s father excelled in art school, taught respected each other’s work.” art and created thousands of paintings and drawTogether, Murphy’s parents survived the Blitz, ings; his early work was lost in Austria during the German bombing offensive against Britain the war. He eventually took on work making in 1940 and 1941, often by huddling in the novelty gifts to insert into women’s magazines, London Underground. Murphy remembers the such as a set of flat, plastic crochet needles. But overgrown lot next to her home where she he never stopped painting. played still had a scorched smell. (Murphy, who After his death, Murphy found an Austrian ended up working as a school teacher in London, art gallery owner who put together a book of her met a Texan studying in London, married him father’s work. Her mother’s work has not been and left for Houston. She has since divorced.) widely shown. But one day, her daughter hopes Many of Murphy’s father’s paintings are remto share her parents’ combined collection in a iniscent of French artist Henri Matisse, marked U.S. gallery. by vivid colors and strong lines. In one 1942

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 15

NEIGHBORS

by Jennifer Oakley, staff writer

lawellphoto.com

In Bloom The art of arranging flowers

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s a young girl growing up in South Texas, Martha Britton had a zinnia garden. “I think that garden really became my first memory of being interested in arranging flowers,” says Britton, who would cut the colorful blooms and work them into arrangements.

“Aesthetically, nothing makes a room pop more than flowers. It’s a really easy way to bring Mother Nature’s artistry indoors.”

Britton is one of three Buzz-resident floral enthusiasts who shared their tips on the art of flower arranging.

Debbie Robinson: community volunteer, The Garden Club of Houston member Is it difficult to get started flower arranging?

Dive in! You can't go wrong! The hardest part is to just start. Floral design really is no longer about traditional mass designs and formulas, although it can be. Create whatever makes you happy. Keep it simple. There is nothing wrong with a beautiful rose in a bud vase – or 10 of them. Line them down the dining room table.

Make it fun!

What tools should people have on hand to start the process?

Clippers, floral snips, floral tape, glue dots, kenzan [a floral frog pin holder, which keeps flowers in place at the bottom of a vase]. I always wear an apron so my tools can fit in the pockets, and it does not matter if it gets dirty or wet. I also have a tool box for all my floral tools.

Can you recommend types of arrangements for specific events like Mother’s Day or holidays?

These events always lend themselves to traditional designs, but I like to mix it up a bit. Try a mercury glass vase with pine greenery and branches and white roses for a wintery feel. Or a long-stemmed orchid floating in a tall cylinder with river rocks for Easter.

Can you recommend types of flowers for people to work with?

I love working with calla lilies, anthuriums and orchids. But carnations get a bad rap – they are super fun to work with and last forever.

Do you have any good suggestions for keeping flowers fresh once they are arranged?

If you are purchasing flowers from the grocery WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 16

A LIVING HOME Mundi Elam makes these arrangements to show how flowers can decorate a home. She says flowers make people feel welcome and special.

store you can use the little packets of floral food that come with them. Or use an ounce of vodka!

Can people mix in things from their own yards into arrangements?

Absolutely! I use boxwood, pittosporum and aspidistra all the time. And garden roses are beautiful.

What about flowers for parties and proms? Can you make them at home?

Once you get the hang of it, boutonnieres are super easy to make. A garden rose, boxwood and green floral tape are all you need. I can't tell you how many I have made over the years with my four kids going through high school with a mom

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BRINGING THE GARDEN INDOORS At left: Debbie Robinson brings in clippings from her garden to make arrangements and boutonnieres. At right: Martha Britton uses roses and other flowers in three colorful designs. She says flowers connect people with nature and make them feel good.

who is always last minute and doesn't make the order deadline with a florist. Plus, it is your own design. Try a little succulent and rosemary instead of roses.

Mundi Spiers Elam: caterer/party planner, The Garden Club of Houston member What kinds of vases can people use for their flowers?

Be creative! You can use pitchers, jars, tea cups, vases or bottles. Any container that is water tight works. Try a silver urn or mint julep cups. A collection of vases doesn't have to match either; use a bunch of small blue vases, and then put yellow flowers in them.

What should people look for when purchasing flowers from a store?

Make sure the leaves are fresh and not brown because leaves are often the first thing to show decay. Just like choosing the freshest produce, look for flowers that appear the freshest.

What’s the first thing to do once the flowers are home?

Have some clippers and a work space, along with a trash can and some plastic buckets. If you are busy, just place all the flowers in the buckets of water until you have time to arrange them later.

When you are ready to work with the flowers, take all the leaves off the stems as they will cause bacteria to grow. All cut flowers eventually deteriorate, but the leaves under water deteriorate quicker. Take the flowers and trim stems an inch or half-inch at an angle. When you trim at an angle it allows the flowers to best absorb the water.

How often does water need to be changed in a vase?

You need to change the water when it gets cloudy. For some flowers that will be one day, and for others it can be three or four days. When you change the water, cut the stems again so they can continue to absorb the water.

Do you have any good suggestions for keeping flowers fresh once they are arranged?

You want to add FloralLife to the flowers. Or, you can add sugar, Sprite or gin to the water to increase the life of the flowers. Put in one-half teaspoon per gallon of water.

What’s your advice for starting a floral arrangement?

A lot of it is trial and error. Sometimes you have to practice a little bit. Bring home some flowers from the grocery store and see how it works. Don’t be discouraged. You can cut some nice greenery from your yard – cut off a little bit

of your bushes or your vine – and then go to Central Market for $1 Rose Tuesday and add them in and see how it works. Experiment and have fun and a sense of humor.

What are some easy arrangements for beginners?

Try an arrangement of all the same color flower. For example, choose all yellow flowers with different textures and then put them together. Or, pick three different kinds of flowers and arrange them in clusters of color blocks.

Try five pink roses, one big, white hydrangea and a bunch of yellow Gerbera daisies. One easy arrangement is to choose a bunch of the same flowers. Try 18 pink roses; take all the leaves off, and put them together in a vase.

What do flowers bring to a home?

Flowers fill the space because they are cheery, and they transform rooms. Flowers make you happy. And fragrant flowers are enticing – they draw you in.

Martha Britton: mom of three, River Oaks Garden Club member What’s a good way to start flower arranging?

At a grocery store, on your way before checkout, go pick up one or two (continued on page 18) WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 17

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IN FULL BLOOM At left: Martha Britton, here with her arrangements, says flowers connect people with nature. Top right: Mundi Elam makes these arrangements to show how flowers can decorate a home. Bottom right: Debbie Robinson makes boutonnieres using elements from her garden. (continued from page 17) bunches of flowers that

you think look good together. I feel like the grocery stores have expanded their diversity of flowers and have tons of selections.

What tools should people have on hand to start the process?

You need sharp clippers. And because roses are the grande dame of flowers, I also recommend a stem trimmer to take off the thorns when you work with roses. All thorns and leaves below the water line need to be removed.

What can you do to help preserve the life of the cut flowers?

Some flower arrangers believe you are supposed to put a penny in water with tulips because the oxidation helps tulips live longer.

Hydrangeas, a popular flower to buy at the store, require tons of water. Stay on top of their water because they are one of the thirstiest flowers. If WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 18

they stay hydrated they can live longer.

Are there some rules of thumb about vases?

I think it is important to keep in mind the scale of your container. That is something you have to visualize. If you are doing an arrangement for a dining table, you want to look at the top of your fist to your elbow. Place your elbow on the table with your fist up; your flowers should not be higher than the top of your fist so people can see one another across the table and no views are blocked.

What kinds of vases are good to use?

I really love to have flowers in my house all the time. But to have flowers in your house at all times, you need an assortment of vases. I think it is nice for people to collect vases as they see them; if something strikes your fancy, pick it up. I have gotten so many from my grandmother, and I cherish them. I keep my vases in

a closet, and I have bud vases all the way up to 6-inch glass bowls. When I bring home flowers, I can go in there and grab a vase that works well.

Do you have suggestions for working with items from your yard?

I always enjoyed having some kind of flowers or bush or plant that would produce flowers, like a camellia bush or gardenia bush. It’s nice to go into your own yard and take some clippings and bring flowers into your everyday life. I love magnolia leaves; they look great for larger scale decor. Just take a bunch of small magnolia branches and put them in an urn – it looks really artsy and organic.

What’s your feeling about flowers?

The apex of Mother Nature’s artistry is condensed into a flower. Into this compact, little item, so many people are inspired. I marvel.

How can Mother Nature make these? Flowers are so gorgeous.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 19

NEIGHBORS

by Cheryl Ursin, staff writer

Alcohol and Young Adults Drinking through “the quarter-life crisis”

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 20

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W

hen Jay Magness, now 26, was growing up in Tanglewood, he drank beer and smoked marijuana, and it was, he says, OK. In high school, “I played football, basketball and baseball, and I had so many extracurriculars, it was just on the weekends.”

But when he got to college, at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, he had far fewer obligations and other drugs were available.

“I tried pain pills [opiates], and I really liked that.” Soon, Magness was “doing pretty much anything and everything,” and when he had to do schoolwork, he’d take the ADHD focusing medicine Adderall. “I’d have this 10-hour period where I got all my things done, and then I could go back to what I was doing before.”

But by junior year, he says, “I had very clear feelings that I didn’t want to do this anymore, but I couldn’t stop. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to talk to anybody because I was ashamed. I thought, ‘Well, I guess I’ll just be doing this the rest of my life.’”

Morgan Tijerina, now 31, was also fine as a teen in Memorial. And she was fine in college, she says, even though she went to parties and drank. “It wasn’t until after college, when I was living on my own,” that it got bad, she says. “A kind of insanity took over. I might, on my way back to my table at a restaurant, stop at the bar and have a shot.” At work when she was 23, she would drink at lunchtime. “As I sat in my car one day, I realized that my backseat was filled with empty beer bottles and I had just drunk a six-pack for lunch. I thought, ‘Wow, I have a problem.’ I didn’t do anything about it then, though. It took until I had way more to lose.”

With all the news about the national opioid epidemic and the dangers of synthetic marijuana and the prevalence of methamphetamine use in Texas, you might not be hearing as much about alcohol abuse, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a problem. Alcohol, because it’s legal, socially acceptable and readily available, remains the most commonly abused substance. Alcohol, according to studies, is by far the most common gateway drug, and even if someone goes on to abuse other substances, it often remains in the mix.

And young adulthood can often be a time

QUARTER-LIFE CRISIS The busy, transitional years between 18-35 have been dubbed “the quarter-life crisis." The pressure can lead to substance abuse.

when alcohol abuse rears its head. Young adulthood, ages 18 to 35, has been dubbed “the quarter-life crisis.” A lot can happen in this period of life, perhaps more than in any other: attending college and graduate school, leaving home, becoming independent, launching a career, having serious romantic relationships.

There’s more pressure now too, says Patricia Daza, senior psychologist at the Menninger Clinic and program director for its Compass Young Adult Program, a six- to eight-week program for people, 18 to 30, who are having problems transitioning to adulthood. According to Daza, about 60 to 70 percent of the participants misuse substances. “It’s a different culture for millennials: one of instant gratification, of social media with its constant comparisons, of high expectations, of fewer social relationships,” she says.

As it did for Magness, college often offers less structure and more freedom and access to drugs.

Researchers have called college campuses “abstinence-hostile environments,” with one study finding that young people attending college are twice as likely to use marijuana as young people

who do not. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 72 percent of people will experience a three- to four-year period during young adulthood – peaking from 18 to 24 – where they will drink more heavily than at any other point in their lives. Most will mature out of this phase, but some do not.

What are the red flags? The major signs, of course, are serious: trouble at work or school or with the law. People who are not abusing alcohol “do not drink secretly at home. Hiding liquor around the house is a huge warning sign,” says Tijerina, who now works as the director of marketing for Serenity Light Recovery, a treatment center. “There’s a fine line between ‘Do I just like to go out?’ and ‘Am I using alcohol as a crutch, just to leave the house?’”

A mom whose 21-year-old daughter is in recovery says that, though her daughter’s problems started in high school, “Her grades didn’t change. I saw personality changes. She was angry all the time and didn’t seem happy.” In college, it is not uncommon for a friend, a roommate or a boyfriend or girlfriend to contact parents when

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ROCK BOTTOM Experts say that alcohol, because it’s legal, socially acceptable and readily available, is the most commonly abused substance, especially in young adulthood.

they are concerned. The signs are usually “a sudden change in behavior,” says Menninger’s Daza.

“It might be that they usually call and then you notice you’re not hearing from them at all, or it can even be sometimes that they are calling home more because they’re feeling anxious or are struggling. They might come home on a break and you notice they’ve had six drinks at dinner, that they have more of a tolerance.”

“On paper, I looked fine. I had graduated in four years. I had a job,” says Magness, “but I was miserable inside.”

What should you do? Think about what they need: They need to admit to their problem; they need someone to talk to. For these conversations, “taking the hard line doesn’t work,” says Susan Delaney, adolescent services manager for the Center for Recovering Families at the Council on Recovery. “Yelling, shaming, ordering them to stop or to go into rehab doesn’t work.”

If possible, “the best approach with a youngadult child is to have an open conversation. Say ‘I’m concerned’ and express what you’ve been seeing. Say, ‘I’m not telling you how to live your life, but if you ever think you are having a problem, you can talk to me,’” says Robert Park, founder and CEO of Luna Recovery.

Magness says his parents got “the most important thing” right: “I knew they loved me, it was unconditional, they were at my side.” When he finally did admit he had a problem, his mother said, “It must feel good to get that off your chest.”

“And it did: it was a huge weight off,” he says.

But there was something his parents didn’t know to do. “I admitted my problem on a Tuesday,” remembers Magness, who now works as the director of business development at Luna Recovery, “but I didn’t go into treatment until

the following Sunday.” Five days may not seem like a long time, but when someone is willing to go into treatment for substance abuse, most professionals try to get them in even that same day, so they don’t go back into denial.

How do you find treatment? Luckily, Houston has many resources. “Houston has services like no place else,” says the mom with the daughter in recovery. “Other cities look to us to copy us.”

Community organizations such as Jewish Family Service and the non-profit Council on Recovery are a great place to start. “JFS wants to make sure that individuals who are facing addiction, as well as their families, have a clear path to treatment and support,” says Linda Burger, CEO of Jewish Family Service.

Every person is different, and the first step should be a professional assessment, to determine what treatment is needed. Some people abusing alcohol (or opiates) will need to be “detoxed.” Stopping use of those substances when a person is physically addicted can be dangerous and needs to be done under medical supervision. Some people need residential treatment, 30-90 days, though some do not and can start with what’s called intensive outpatient therapy, usually three hours per day multiple evenings per week for several weeks, while not leaving their homes and jobs. Once through treatment, many maintain their connection to the support of the recovery community through groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous.

“The hardest part of treatment is showing up,” says Tijerina, who went through a 30-day residential program, “and the second hardest part is staying.”

“The first day is pretty bad,” says Magness.

“Depending on what you’ve been using, you

might feel physically bad. After seven to ten days, I started feeling better physically and started hearing things that made sense.” He tells people to use their time in treatment to soak up everything they can, to learn and to focus on taking care of themselves.

While addiction is a disease, often the reason a person started using alcohol or another substance was because it seemed to help with a problem. Perhaps alcohol helped with social anxiety, for instance. A large part of treatment focuses on teaching people other ways to cope.

“The thing is, nothing is going to kick down your anxiety as fast as a shot of whiskey. That’s just the truth,” says Daza. “In therapy, we teach skills such as mindfulness and interpersonal effectiveness, but those take time.” The period when someone has stopped using but has not yet developed other ways to cope is referred to as “white-knuckling it.”

Magness, who has been sober for four years and is about to get married, remembers being newly sober as a time when everything – going out on a date, hanging out with coworkers without drinking – felt like he was doing it for the first time. Tijerina, now 31, is happily married with two children, ages 4 and 10 months.

The mom with the 21-year-old in recovery reports that her daughter is working, going back to school and living on her own. “She has worked very, very hard and done a really good job. She’s phenomenal,” says the mom. “This does not have to be the end of the world.”

MORE ONLINE See this story at thebuzzmagazines.com for recovery resources, including a link to a quiz on whether your drinking habits are risky.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 21

KIDS

by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer

Buzz Baby

Birthday-party themes

Buzz Baby is a column about life with little ones.

Writer Annie McQueen has three children under the age of 4.

B

irthday parties for babies and toddlers are a fun way for parents to get creative juices flowing. Besides, as children get older, they’re usually seriously opinionated about their birthday parties, so you might as well use your decision-making power in the short time you have it.

When photographer Erin Beckwith’s son, Bennett, turned 1, Erin and her husband, John, a coach and teacher, threw him a Pinterest-worthy first-birthday party themed “My First Rodeo” in their home.

It wasn’t the couple’s first rodeo. They threw a “Winter ‘One’derland” first birthday party for their daughter Miller (now 3) and a felinethemed “Are You Kitten Me?” party at the venue MajestKids for her second birthday.

Miller’s third birthday party was a picnic on the tables at Hermann Park after a visit to the zoo.

“It's a really fun creative outlet for me and a way for me to celebrate them for weeks leading up to their big day,” said Erin. She spends weeks planning and executing all of the details. “My husband is a saint for putting up with me during the craziness of planning our children's birthday parties. He usually just lets me do my thing while offering some encouragement, but he's also up for helping.”

She said the “My First Rodeo” theme was just masculine enough, not “too babyish” and a nod to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

Erin constructed a mini western town out of cardboard boxes and hand-painted them. John used a ruler and painted “Jail” and “General Store” and “Bank” on the front.

They had to come up with ideas to keep 16 toddlers and young children entertained inside their house since they were worried about rain that day. They moved their furniture around and set up the western town in their living room.

They had stick-horse barrel racing, bull riding (on a bull bounce toy) and a pretend “roping” setup.

Erin spared no creative detail. “Since I'm a photographer and I have millions of pictures of my kids, I always try to incorporate pictures I've WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 22

Erin Beckwith Photography

.

ONE IS FUN Left: Bennett Beckwith’s (pictured) parents, Erin and John, held a “My First Rodeo” first birthday party. Right: Halley Willis’s (pictured) parents, Bo and Ashley, hosted a crawfish-boil birthday bash for her first birthday.

taken of them in the party decorations. I'm a sucker for a real paper invitation that's stamped and addressed.” She used John Wayne and cowboy-legend stamps.

For Miller’s “Winter ‘One’derland” in January 2015, Erin set out reindeer-shaped cookies, white-chocolate covered pretzels and Frosted Cheerios. Kids played outside in a ball pit.

Miller’s second birthday – the “Are You Kitten Me?” one – was a nod to her love of cats. Kitty décor covered the room, including a basket of stuffed animal cats with an “Adopt a Kitty Corner” sign as party favors. Erin had custom cat cookies and put labels over small milk cartons with whiskers (something you’d see out of an old Tom and Jerry cartoon). Of course, the birthday girl had whiskers drawn on her face for the party.

Miller’s third birthday was a “Party Animal” picnic on the grounds near the Houston Zoo at Hermann Park. There was a scavenger hunt, games, and party-animal party favors.

Another creative Buzz mom, Ashley Willis, and her husband, Bo, a native Louisianan, decided to throw a crawfish-boil birthday party

for their daughter Halley’s first birthday in April 2017. Ashley sent out custom invitations that read, “Pinch me! Halley is 1.”

The couple had just moved into their new home and decided to throw Halley’s birthday party there. They set up tables decorated with red crawfish-themed Mardi Gras beads. They spray painted trash cans red and painted the rims white to make them look like red Solo cups (popular at outdoor parties and crawfish boils).

They borrowed a bouncy house from a friend and set up a ball pit to keep all of the kids busy.

Bo and his buddy from Baton Rouge prepared 130 pounds of crawfish for the party guests. To their surprise, the baby loved the food. “Halley is a very picky eater, but she loves her daddy’s spicy crawfish.”

After singing happy birthday, family and friends gathered around to watch as Halley dug into her “smash cake,” complete with an icing crawfish drawn on it. Ashley didn’t want to spend a lot on the cake, so she went to her local grocery store. “The sweet Kroger lady drew the crawfish on the cake from her invitation.”

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 23

TRAVEL

.

by Tracy L. Barnett, staff writer

Travel Buzz

Olympic journey to South Korea

J

ohnny So had been to Seoul many times.

His parents took him to the land of their birth to celebrate Korean Thanksgiving (“Chuseok”), Christmas, the Lunar New Year (“Soellal”) and family gatherings; most of his extended family still lives in Seoul. But this year was different: first and most obviously, because of the 2018 Winter Olympics. But secondly, because it would be his first chance to share his parents’ homeland with his wife, Claire Sewell.

“Both of us have always watched the Olympics for most of our lives,” Claire said. “I grew up watching as a kid with my parents, and so did he. We started dating during the 2008 Olympics, and we watched them together the entire two weeks.”

Johnny and Claire were both born and raised in the Pasadena area and now live in West University, and Johnny’s parents had a pipeline supply business on the same street as one of Claire’s longtime friends. Claire saw Johnny’s profile on Yelp and reached out to him, and the rest, as they say, was history.

Johnny had been to Korea a couple of times since the couple’s marriage in 2014, but Claire, now a librarian at Fondren Library at Rice University, could never manage to get off work at her previous library. When they learned that the 2018 Winter Olympics would be in PyeongChang, South Korea, it was a no-brainer.

Together they would celebrate one of their favorite passions, and Johnny could finally share the experience of South Korea with his wife.

They took off on Valentine’s Day on the Western calendar and landed on New Year’s Day on the Asian lunar calendar, in time to catch a traditional dance performance.

The Olympics “When we were planning the trip in the U.S. we were kind of worried,” said Johnny. With three different venues, each of them 20 miles apart, how would they get from place to place?

They needn’t have worried; South Korea’s world-class mass transit was up to the task.

“The really remarkable thing is how well thought out it was from an infrastructure standpoint,” said Johnny. “You get on the bullet train WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 24

OLYMPIC MOMENT Claire Sewell (left) and Johnny So stop in the falling snow for a selfie in Seoul, walking back to their hotel after a late night at the Olympics.

in Seoul and it gets you to the grounds in 90 minutes. To get you between the actual Olympic venues there are three different stops on the bullet train, and it was only 10-15 minutes between locations. They made it really, really easy to move between the venues.”

Once you got to the location, you still had to get to the event venue. But there was a constant stream of buses to shuttle passengers to the venues. Helping hands seemed to be everywhere; they never wanted for an answer to their questions, delivered with a smile. “Everyone that was volunteering or working for the Olympics seemed genuinely happy to be welcoming us to their country,” he said.

Claire likes figure skating, while Johnny goes for the extreme sports. The pair came to a compromise where they’d see a couple of snowboarding events and then pair that with figure skating, and then go to some events they both favored, like speed skating.

“For me the most eye-popping event was the snowboard big air,” said Johnny. “It’s where the snowboarder comes down a huge ramp, spins in the air and then lands – that’s pretty much as

extreme a sport as you can have. It’s very different to see that in person versus television, how they’re able to launch themselves into the air.”

A particularly poignant moment came when a group of around 70 North Korean cheerleaders came out to perform at the speed skating arena.

They were part of a 400-strong contingent of North Korean athletes, support personnel, and cheerleaders who attended the event.

“We showed up at the short track speed skating finals – one of the Olympics’ biggest events – and we found a huge section of seats that were just empty,” said Johnny. “Later during the program, the North Korean cheerleaders ended up filing in and filling up that whole section.”

“It was poignant, from the standpoint that they were cheering for the South Korean athletes – which I thought was very touching,” said Johnny.

“It was a reflection of their view that there really is one Korean people.” He downplayed political tensions, finding the “saber rattling” over the past year to be a familiar theme and not unexpected given that the U.S., North Korea and South Korea are all simultaneously under new leadership.

“I’ve adopted a mentality like a lot of South

FEEDING THE FLAME Johnny So and Claire Sewell were surprised to see an Olympic torch on display at the DMZ.

Koreans, that North Korea is what it is, but it’s not going to affect how we go about our daily lives,” he said. “I think most South Koreans don’t see North Korea as a threat; they think of it more as an oddity.”

The Culture Besides the Olympics, there was time for sightseeing. Strangest was the visit to the Demilitarized Zone, on the border between the two Koreas, at war for more than half a century.

“It’s kind of an unusual thing, because someone had the idea we should provide tours of what is the most heavily fortified military border in the world – so when you see that, it emphasizes that North and South Korea are still at war; you see the barbed wire, you see the warning signs, you hear about the landmines, you hear the propaganda coming from the speakers – but at the same time, there’s a tour.

“So it’s a strange, surreal type of tour.”

Other stops were decidedly more typical. They toured two ancient palaces dating to the days when Korea was its own empire. They visited the 14th century Gyeongbokgung Palace during Lunar New Year, when cultural performances of traditional Korean music and dance were in the offing. Many visitors dressed in their hanboks (traditional Korean dress). The National Folk Museum of Korea is also located inside the complex, so they visited that as well. Outside they had a free postcard event going on so they sent home some postcards decorated with Soohorang, the white tiger mascot for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

They were surprised to see thinner crowds than normal; Johnny speculated it was because many people took advantage of the Lunar New Year to

go on vacation, as Koreans traditionally use the time to visit their family and hometowns.

But one time-honored tradition took them to some decidedly more modern shrines to commerce: department stores such as Shinsegae, the world’s largest at more than 3 million square feet.

“Koreans take their shopping very seriously, and Seoul is kind of famous for its very elaborate department stores,” said Johnny. Typically eight stories tall, they have every high-end designer you can imagine all in one place: Burberry, Fendi, Gucci, Prada, all at your fingertips. Another major department store doesn’t close until 5:30 a.m. – and it’s open again less than five hours later.

Much has been written about South Korea’s “economic miracle” that transformed an undeveloped backwater into one of the world’s richest countries. And along with that wealth, there is an expectation that Koreans deserve to live the good life.

But along with that wealth comes stratification, as is the case in capitalist societies throughout the world, Johnny reflected. “You see these brand-new, 40-story skyscraper condominiums that have been built, and they are extremely expensive – $500,000, $600,000 minimum to buy a small condominium. So they’re dealing with lots of social issues, like how do young people get their start when they can barely afford housing?

So these places are very nice and very fancy, but the question is: Who can afford to live in them?”

Commercialism may have risen to glitzy heights in South Korea, but tradition runs just as deep. And try as he might, Houston-born Johnny can’t quite nail the cultural nuances.

“It’s little things – like the proper way to hold your cup, the proper way to place your silver-

ware, the way you’re supposed to use two hands to do something instead of one hand – they’re very forgiving, they don’t make a big deal about it, but it’s obvious I’m a cultural outsider.”

On the other hand, there are certain traditions – like the Confucian emphasis on education, and the deep respect for filial piety – that have infused Johnny to the core. That’s what led him to graduate from Rice University and go on to get his law degree at The University of Texas.

It’s also what led him to give up that career after nearly seven years to join his parents in the family pipeline supply business.

To Johnny, the biggest cultural take-away he wanted to share with Claire was the East Asian community-based philosophy. It’s something Claire picked up on right away, and one she wishes she could bring back home with her.

“What that means for me is that many of the people in Korea view community assets as belonging to the people,” she said. “What that translates into is if you travel on the subway, for example, no one is putting graffiti on anything; no one is vandalizing. There’s a mentality that, ‘Why would we vandalize something that belongs to everybody?’

“There’s also an implicit concept of trust; we took the bullet train 16 times and no one checked our tickets once…. There are convenience store stalls in the subway where they just had the beverages out in a cooler right in the pedestrian corridor.

“Anyone could walk up and grab a drink and walk away in the blink of an eye; the employee is behind the counter and couldn’t even see – it’s just implied, no one is going to steal. It’s a real paradigm shift.”

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 25

FOOD The Junior League of Houston

by Amy Dunn, contributing writer

Cooking Buzz Spring brunch Cooking Buzz is produced in partnership with the Junior League of Houston, a women’s charitable and education organization founded in 1925.

S

pring breathes new life into the world around us. One of my favorite spring events is brunch, a leisurely meal served between breakfast and lunch and savored at a much slower pace. Whether hosting a shower or spending time with friends and family, brunch is a perfect way to enjoy a spring weekend.

I always do as much preparation as possible the day before since there is not a lot of time to prepare everything before guests arrive. Bright seasonal flowers with mixed greenery arranged in unique vases and crisp white plates and linens provide a fresh and relaxing atmosphere.

Nothing sets the tone for a good celebration better than a themed drink. A casual brunch for girlfriends is a perfect time to enjoy the Champagne Punch from the Houston Junior League Cookbook. Make this the day before so it will be frozen when served. It is fun to display and can be garnished with fresh fruit for a pop of color. The punch can be served in traditional champagne flutes or in mason jars.

Since brunch combines the best flavors of breakfast and lunch dishes, I like to choose menu items that offer hints of both to give guests options depending on their mood.

For the breakfast eaters, you cannot go wrong with a hearty egg dish, and the Hash Brown Quiche from Stop and Smell the Rosemary is an excellent choice. While this requires preparation immediately before serving, it will definitely lure your guests back for seconds.

The Mini Whipping Cream Biscuits filled with Diced Chicken Pecan Salad with Cranberries from Stop and Smell the Rosemary are always a hit and a nod to lunchtime fare.

The chicken salad can be made the day before and is delicious served with the warm biscuits, which are very easy to prepare as they require only two ingredients.

The Poached Egg Spinach Salad from Peace Meals is a lighter option and is perfect paired with the Cold Tomato Soup from The Star of Texas. The crisp salad is refreshing, and most of WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 26

WARM AND COLD The Poached Egg Spinach Salad from Peace Meals is a refreshing brunch option, perfect when paired with Cold Tomato Soup from The Star of Texas.

the soup can also be made ahead of time. You can add some fresh basil on top of the soup for a nice spring touch.

No brunch menu is complete without something to satisfy your sweet tooth. The Blueberry Pine Nut Coffee Cake from Peace Meals will melt in your mouth, especially when offered with fresh coffee.

This brunch menu can be served buffet style and enjoyed for several hours. Your guests will leave filled, grateful and ready to take on the rest of their beautiful spring day.

Editor’s note: To buy a Junior League of Houston cookbook, see jlh.org or call 713.871.6608.

Poached Egg Spinach Salad From Peace Meals 1 scant Tablespoon olive oil 2 ounces (about six thin slices) pancetta, chopped 2 small cloves garlic, minced 1 ounce pine nuts 2 Tablespoons golden raisins 6 ounces fresh baby spinach Balsamic vinegar 4 eggs, poached Freshly shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper Warm the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sauté until it begins to brown, sitting almost

continuously. Add the garlic and continue to cook for one or two more minutes. Stir in the pine nuts and cook until just golden; add the raisins and cook until they swell. Remove the pan from heat. Divide the spinach among the salad plates and drizzle with the vinegar; top with the warm pancetta mixture. Top each serving with a poached egg and cheese.

Season with salt and pepper. Serve while the eggs are warm.

Champagne Punch From Houston Junior League Cookbook 2 cups sugar 2 cups water Juice of 6 lemons 2 cups apricot nectar 1 can (6 ounces) frozen orange juice concentrate 2 cans (12 ounces each) apple juice 2 cups pineapple juice 2 bottles (12 ounces each) ginger ale 2 fifths champagne Boil sugar and water for one minute and cool.

Add juices. Freeze. Thaw 1-1½ hours before serving. Add ginger ale and champagne. Serve over block of ice in punch bowl. Makes approximately six quarts of punch.

MORE ONLINE See thebuzzmagazines.com for more recipes mentioned in this article.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 27

DINING

by Dai Huynh, staff writer

Chef’s Corner

Bobby Matos Julie Soefer

Find out about your favorite chefs in our Chef’s Corner column. This month, restaurant writer Dai Huynh interviews chef Bobby Matos.

H

aving conquered Atlanta with nine restaurants, James Beard Award nominee Ford Fry decided to open his first concept restaurant somewhere besides Georgia’s capital.

What better place than his hometown of Houston?

In 2015, the H-Town restaurant scene was exploding, and Fry had the space and the name: State of Grace. Now all he needed was a chef who could execute his vision of a menu that married Fry’s Southern sensibilities with his global curiosities.

Local James Beard Award winner and Theodore Rex chef-owner Justin Yu suggested Bobby Matos. “He’s your guy! No ego, just a super solid cook and leader,” the Atlanta-based chef recalled Yu telling him. Fry set up a meeting with Matos, a California native who at the time was working at Tony Vallone’s popular Ciao Bello. “So, Bobby shows up to our first, spur-of-the-moment meeting in flip-flops!” Fry said. “At that point, I knew he was the guy!”

Matos is sitting in the oyster room at State of Grace (3258 Westheimer), sipping steaming black coffee and lamenting that his home on Lake Buchanan flooded after a water pipe broke from the freeze. “We got a phone call on Friday from our neighbor, saying, ‘There is water flowing out your house,’” the normally laid-back chef said. “There was an inch of water across the whole house. Dealing with insurance is always fun, so I’ve decided I’m going to lay the tiles myself, so if it ever floods again, it won’t be a problem. No more carpet.”

It’s this can-do attitude and undimmed energy that have helped State of Grace become a popular destination. Here, Matos offers some culinary-school advice to wannabe chefs, as well as where to go for Mexican.

How did you become interested in food?

It’s a generic story, really. My dad is fullblooded Puerto Rican, and my mom is Italian and Polish. And all our family gatherings always seemed to center around food – lots of food. I WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 28

BOBBY MATOS State of Grace executive chef Bobby Matos oversees an eclectic menu anchored by Southern and world-inspired dishes.

started as a dishwasher when I was 15 and just gravitated toward the kitchen. I really like the camaraderie and the team aspect of the kitchen.

What was it like?

I walked into one of the busiest restaurants in

Riverside, Calif., where I grew up. It was a Southwestern-style restaurant, and I was the dishwasher. I would start around 5 and worked until 2 in the morning. I came home soaking wet, with shards of metal underneath my nails. My mom

Julie Soefer

OCEAN OF TASTE A State of Grace seafood tower has oysters, shrimp and lobster.

would make me leave my clothes outside.

Was that when you decided to go to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York?

Not yet. First, I went to Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. I was getting a degree in commercial tourism and event planning. It was me and 99 percent girls in our major. In my junior year, everyone had to do a senior project. I did a research analysis on culinary education in job placement. I compared the first-year salary of people who didn’t go to culinary school to the people who did. That basically told me I should go to culinary school.

Was there a big difference in pay scale?

You’re going to make more money quicker coming out of culinary school, but really, in the long run, you’re not.

The truth is I will hire anyone who is driven, will listen, and be willing to learn and work hard, culinary school or not. The difference is just getting your foot in the door with your higher-tier restaurants, who will look at you versus someone who doesn’t have a culinary degree.

But that’s changing because the price of culinary school is just ridiculous. It’s about $90,000 now.

It’s crazy, for what the students are getting. So, now my recommendation is to find a chef you want to put in your time with, someone good and someone with a little recognition. Put in

your time and save yourself 90 grand. If you put in 10 years with that person, you’ll be way ahead of the curve, and you’ll still be able to get in the doors at these top-tier restaurants.

How do you and Fry collaborate on the menus at State of Grace?

In the beginning, we sat down with the vice president of culinary and Ford to hash out a roadmap of what we wanted to see. I remembered looking at the original menu; it was all over the place. There were all these different cuisines in this one restaurant. I thought it was crazy, but then I started seeing the idea here and the appeal.

But the way Ford operates his business is to give the restaurant over to myself and general manager Matt Crawford. We have corporate in Atlanta who does our paperwork, but we operate as an individual unit. This allows us to keep the restaurant true to Houston and true to the Gulf Coast, to Texas. The food needs to be fun, but recognizable, so we focus on techniques and very good products. The rule is no tweezers, no swishes, no swipes.

With the success of State of Grace, thanks partly to you, will Fry be expanding his footprint in the Bayou City?

This year, Ford will open La Lucha and Superica on North Shepherd, where Hunky Dory used to be. Superica is Ford’s popular TexMex concept. They’re still working on La

Lucha, but it will focus on the Gulf Coast.

When not cooking at State of Grace, where do you and your native-Houstonian wife, Jessica, like to dine out?

With two kids, we don’t do that too much anymore. I really enjoy trying out new places. I rarely go to the same places more than once. I think the place I do go more than once is Pass & Provisions (807 Taft), which I really enjoy.

My wife always goes there for the cheese plate.

They make their own bread, and their cheeses are amazing. Their pastas and pizzas are great. I need to go to Justin Yu’s new place, Theodore Rex (1302 Nance St., Unit A). As for the kids, they’re pretty adventurous. My son has found a liking for sushi.

My wife always takes him to Oishii (3764 Richmond Ave.). They have a great lunch special. We’ll eat a lot of Mexican food. There is a hole in the wall, or, I should say, lesser known place, Tostada Regia (10066 Long Point Road).

We always go for breakfast. I always get the menudo, and I always put in way too many jalapeños. Growing up in Southern California, I remember fond days of playing tag football, then going across the street to eat menudo.

Editor’s note: Buzz dining columnist Dai Huynh is a James Beard food-journalism award winner and longtime Houston-based restaurant writer.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 29

SPORTS

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by Todd Freed, staff writer

SportzBuzz T

he Houston Christian Mustangs wrapped up a spectacular season in boys basketball by defeating the rival Episcopal Knights 67-53 in the championship final of the Southwest Preparatory Conference. With the victory, the Mustangs finished the season with an overall 31-6 record and a top five ranking among all large private schools in the state.

“From start to finish this entire season, this group of guys showed a daily pursuit of excellence,” said Mustangs head coach Ron Crandall. “It’s something we preach constantly.

Plus, we have great senior leadership and an extremely talented group of basketball players.”

So talented, that a trio of Houston Christian seniors, Miller Kopp (Northwestern), Blake Foley (Wheaton College) and Jalon Clark (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) will play college basketball next season. Plus, highly rated junior guard Sahvir Wheeler has already committed to play for the Texas A&M Aggies, with yet another season of high school ball to play.

“This championship really meant so much to us,” said Kopp. “We worked so hard for the last four years, and now we’re seeing the fruits of our labor.” In the SPC final, Kopp, Wheeler, Clark and Foley all were major contributors, while junior guard Sam Torn connected on a series of three point baskets in the second half to help secure the victory. “I feel like this team can compete for a state championship at any level of basketball in the state,” said Crandall. “We defeated several large school powerhouse programs this season. We’d be a scary team for anyone to play.”

It was high drama on National Signing Day at the Episcopal High School Centennial Gymnasium, as Knights senior wide receiver Jaylen Waddle prepared to make his muchanticipated collegiate choice. To add to the suspense, Waddle placed five hats on top of a table

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 30

representing the schools he had selected as his collegiate finalists (Florida State, Texas A&M, TCU, Alabama and Oregon).

As the anticipa- HISTORIC TITLE The Houston Christian Mustangs celebrated the school’s first SPC Boys tion grew before an Basketball Championship with a 67-53 victory over rival Episcopal in the SPC Final. audience of hunpositive person to be around.” dreds of classmates, teammates, family and In the relays, Bobo teamed with junior Kyle media, Waddle proudly took hold of and put on Storemski, junior Dean Rathgeb and junior the hat of the Alabama Crimson Tide. “I’m not Cole Oliphant to finish second in the 200-yard going to lie; it wasn’t an easy decision,” said freestyle relay. Plus, Bobo, Storemski, Rathgeb Waddle. “There’s a bunch of great schools, and and freshmen Max Zuanich won a bronze in the I met a lot of terrific people through this entire 200-yard medley relay. “It was a really good meet process. A lot of thought and prayer went into for our entire team,” added Hoskovec. “We’re the decision, and ultimately Alabama was my one of the smallest Class 6A schools in the state, choice – Roll Tide.” and for us to bring back a banner as a top five Rated as one of the nation’s top five receiving finisher is quite an accomplishment. prospects, Waddle had been recruited by virtuMeanwhile, it was also a tremendous meet on ally every major football program across the the girls side for Stratford junior Emma country. “I had one college scout tell me that Stephenson. Stephenson won the gold medal Jaylen is the best receiver he’s ever seen coming in the 50-yard freestyle in a blazing time of 23.04 out of high school,” said Episcopal head football seconds. It also marked her second gold medal coach Steve Leisz. “Alabama definitely landed at state, with Stephenson also winning the 100a great player and a terrific kid.” yard buttery at the Class 5A state meet back as Led by another spectacular meet from senior a freshmen. “Emma had the eye of the Tiger,” sensation Clayton Bobo, the Stratford Spartans said Hoskovec. “She’s done anything and everyfinished fourth overall at the UIL Class 6A thing to win a state title. It’s just awesome to see State Swimming and Diving Meet. With his a kid go out there and earn a championship.” gold-medal victories in the 50- and 100-yard freestyles, Bobo, who will next swim for Texas Editor’s Note: Todd Freed is the Emmy AwardA&M, closed out his decorated high school winning co-host and producer of the KUBE career with five individual state titles over the SportsZone, which airs Saturday and Sunday at 6 last three seasons. “To see the impact Clayton p.m. on Channel 57-KUBE. To submit high school has made on this swim program and his teamsports news for possible inclusion in SportzBuzz, mates has been fun to watch,” said Spartans please email todd@thebuzzmagazines.com. swim coach Mike Hoskovec. “He’s just such a

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Avoid these tax traps It’s nice to live in Texas, a place that is generally pro-business and taxfriendly. But that’s no reason to be complacent. Today many of us lead mobile lives, and that can bring us into contact with tax jurisdictions that wait like a death trap in an Indiana Jones film. Without knowledge and expert guidance, anyone could fall victim.

Among its fiscal attractions, Texas has no state income tax. But most states do, and just living here doesn’t guarantee you will avoid owing income tax somewhere else.

For instance, do you travel on business? While rules vary by state (making compliance a real nightmare), when you earn money from work in another state, you may be expected to file and pay income tax in that state, even if you don’t live there. The Mobile Workforce State Income Tax Simplification Act – federal legislation to help standardize the patchwork of state rules on this issue – has some bipartisan support in Congress, but has yet to become law.

Texas also lacks its own estate tax, sometimes called a death tax by opponents. The federal estate tax still exists, though the recent Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) signed into law by President Trump roughly doubled the exemption to $11.2 million for individuals and $22.4 million for couples.

(Exemptions will revert to the pre-TCJA amounts – indexed for inflation – in 2026 unless there is new legislative action.)

A number of states also have their own estate tax, often with much lower exemptions. If you own real estate in one of those places, and its value exceeds that state’s threshold (only $1 million in the case of Massachusetts

and Oregon), your passing could trigger a tax liability there.

Another potential trap relates to the federal estate tax itself. As mentioned, it only applies to estates valued at over $22.4 million per couple. But if one spouse dies, the other must file an estate tax return claiming “portability” of the deceased spouse’s share of the threshold.

Otherwise, when the surviving spouse passes, he or she will only qualify for the individual exemption of $11.2 million.

That is just a quick sampling of the traps that exist in tax codes as large and complex as those we face in the U.S. And we haven’t even touched on the subject of local tax jurisdictions!

It may be enough to make you want to support tax simplification initiatives.

But in the meantime, it’s critical that you have a tax advisor whose job is to understand taxes and how to minimize their effect on your family’s well being.

You should also have someone who oversees the full spectrum of your family’s wealth, not just taxes, while making sure that any other advisors you have – from tax accountants to estate attorneys to insurance brokers – are working collaboratively for your benefit.

James Waters, CFP®, PARTNERSINWEALTH, 3400 Bissonnet, Suite 145, Houston, Texas 77005, 713.964.4028, jrw@partnersinwealth.com, www.partnersinwealth.com

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WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 31

SPORTS

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by Angie Frederickson, staff writer

SportzBuzz Jr. W

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

Elite gymnasts After recently advancing from Level 5, gymnasts from H-Town Elite (top photo) placed first in Level 6 at Chow's Challenge in Galveston. The team score of 115.8 helped them finish the season as the third-ranked L6 team in the country (and the only L6 team in Texas with a top-10 score).

Along with their teammates, Kairey Marks, Caroline Wood, Scarlett Dubose, Elena Pipkin, Rebecca Priske and Amelia Williams (pictured, from left) train year-round, and are now preparing for next season’s Level 7 competition. The girls are in the gym 16-plus hours each week, in addition to travelling throughout the state for meets, and most have been competitive gymnasts for about five years.

Record-breaking swimmers Duchesne Academy’s middle school A-relay team (middle photo) broke two of the school’s swim records at the 2018 Houston Junior Preparatory Conference (HJPC) swimming championship. Eighth grader Lindsey Regan, seventh grader Marie Walsh, seventh grader Brynn Bond and eighth grader Sofia DeMeo (pictured, from left) broke the school record in both the 200-yard individual medley relay and the 200-yard freestyle relay. The HJPC championship swim meet was held at Lamar High School, and was hosted by St. John’s School and Second Baptist School.

Eight middle schools competed at the meet, and Duchesne Academy placed third, overall.

Like father, like son Condit Elementary third grader Abdur Rahman Qaiser (bottom photo, left) won the under-9 finals at the Life Time Houston Junior Silver 2018 Squash Tournament. After losing the first game, he rebounded to win the tournament in a best-of-five match. Abdur began playing regularly about a year ago, and now practices twice or three times each week. What he loves best about squash is that he is in constant motion, without any idle time on the court. Abdur’s interest in the enclosedcourt racquet sport began when he was a toddler, and held a racquet and ventured into the court while his father, Qaiser Bashir (pictured, on right), played at The Downtown Club at the Met. After playing in father-son fun matches, Abdur was ready to advance to competition.

Squash has been called “the world’s healthiest sport,” so that entitles him to splurge on candy and chocolate.

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.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 32

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4 reasons why you should try group therapy Has anyone ever suggested that you might benefit from group therapy?

If so, you might have thought, if not actually said, “Thanks, but I think I’d rather have a root canal.”

It’s natural to feel nervous about walking into a group of strangers and talking about yourself and your problems. However, there are benefits to participating in group therapy that you can’t get anywhere else.

Isolation hurts - According to John O’Neill, EdD, LCSW, LCDC, CAS, clinical director of Menninger’s Outpatient Services in Bellaire, many individuals with a substance use issue or mental health concern try to pursue recovery on their own. “Unfortunately, that rarely works,” he said. “We need relationships with others to help us on our path to recovery.”

Skilled facilitators - Most people are surprised that they feel relieved when they start group therapy, and quickly become comfortable with their fellow members. This often happens when the group is facilitated by a skilled group therapist who knows how to manage the group’s dynamics.

“Skilled facilitators know how to guide the group through conversations and help make it a safe environment for everyone,” said O’Neill.

Validation is key - Most group therapy participants find it very comforting, even validating, to realize that others have similar problems, issues and experiences. Finding out that you (and your problems) are not as unique or unusual as you may think is a powerful experience and can help in your recovery. In addition, having the chance to offer validation to others is powerful as well.

Practice helps - In groups, your peers offer feedback about how you think

about and cope with your issues. This helps you recognize and deal with your perceptions and feelings differently. A safe group makes it easy to try out new skills and practice different ways of interacting with others. As part of this process, social anxiety is often reduced, while communication skills and empathy are enhanced.

Join a group - You are welcome to join one of the groups offered by Menninger’s Outpatient Services at any time: ● Recovery group – This group, which is for adults who want to embrace a sober life, meets twice weekly. It’s led by licensed chemical dependency counselors. ● Adolescent group – This group is designed for 14- to 18-year-olds, who meet weekly to discuss issues affecting family relationships, school success and friendships. The facilitator is a licensed clinical psychologist. ● Family dynamics – Adults who are eager to examine family roles and learn how to improve family relationships meet weekly for this group, which is led by a licensed clinical social worker.

To learn more about our groups, call 713-275-5634. To learn more about Menninger, visit www.MenningerClinic.com.

The Menninger Clinic, 12301 S. Main Street, Houston, Texas 77035, www.MenningerClinic.com

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 33

THE CURTAIN CALLS Skylar Gross, a fifth grader at West University Elementary School, has attended plays and musicals since she was 2.

KIDS

by Skylar Gross, age 11

Buzz Kidz

A big fan of theater

I

love seeing shows at Main Street Theater. I have been going to see shows there since I was 2. My mom is an actress, so I got introduced to theater sooner than most people do.

The shows there can be funny, serious, exciting or uplifting. Some shows are for pre-K and up, some are for first or third grade and up, and then there are shows for older kids, like me, which are fifth grade and up.

I loved when they did A Charlie Brown Christmas this past holiday season. I am a big fan of the movie, so it was exciting to see it onstage.

I loved the tap-dancing in it too! I really liked seeing The Wizard of Oz last summer there too.

It had so many special effects, and the actors, costumes and makeup were amazing. Some other favorites of mine have been Mockingbird, Shrek

The Musical and Superfudge.

I see shows at other theaters here too. This year, I have been to see TUTS’ productions of The Secret Garden and Sleeping Beauty at The Hobby Center. We have been to every show of the Houston Symphony Family Concert Series at Jones Hall since I was 2. There are four shows a year, and they are different-themed and always have kids from a local high school, middle school or even elementary school performing along with the symphony onstage!

I also like to go to see shows at middle schools and high schools too. I liked seeing Legally Blonde the Musical and Fiddler On The Roof at The Emery/Weiner School and Beauty and the Beast at Friendswood High School. I can’t wait to see Into The Woods at Episcopal High School

this April with my mom.

Theater is captivating. I love the sets, costumes, makeup, choreography and, of course, the actors. I even love to read the playbills over and over again when I get home. Seeing plays is one of my favorite hobbies, and if you haven’t seen a play lately, you should.

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.

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Why allergy shots don’t work Claritin, Zyrtec, Xyzal, Allegra, Nasonex, Flonase, Singulair. All treat allergy symptoms, but none actually makes you less allergic. You stop the medicine, and it soon stops working. Allergy shots are unique in that if taken at the right dose for at least three years, they can continue to provide beneficial immunologic effects after you stop taking them.

Frequently, though, people say allergy shots don’t work. Why is that?

Most likely, it’s an inadequate dose. To a point, the higher the dose, the better the protection it gives you. Ask your allergist, “How many micrograms of Der p 1 does my maintenance dose for dust mites contain?”

Higher doses are associated with increased side effects, but most reactions are mild – itchy arms, local swelling. Taking antihistamines before getting the shot or applying ice to the site of the shot usually works.

Rarely, high effective doses of allergy shots can cause serious reactions – wheezing, throat tightness, hives all over, even anaphylaxis. That’s why we monitor each patient with a digital timer after each shot, and then send patients out with their own EpiPen or Auvi-Q to use if they have a late reaction. Why else don’t allergy shots work? It’s important to split up some components into separate vials. For example, mold extract can digest grass extract. If you are allergic to several things, but your allergy serum is all in just one vial, it is possible that some of its contents are being degraded. There is enormous variability in how allergy shots are formulated, and how they are dosed. Many allergists continue to follow recommendations made 30 or 40 years ago. At Houston Allergy and Asthma Clinic, we base our recipes on guidelines published

in 2011. Maybe that is why we hear “these shots have changed my life” more often than “these allergy shots don’t work.” Need quick relief? Look into our RUSH procedure. Don’t like needles?

Allergy drops that go under the tongue may be a good choice. Though drops are not FDA approved (and therefore not covered by insurance), they are safe, effective and legal.

The cost of $192/month is a lot of money, but consider the time you save not having to go to the doctor’s office to get shots, and that you can take them with you when you travel. Bootleg allergists may offer drops for less money, but you have no certainty that their recipes have any input from physicians certified by the American Board of Allergy & Immunology.

No one nose allergies like we do.™ Note: Information contained in this article should not be considered a substitute for consultation with a board-certified allergist to address individual medical needs.

David B. Engler, M.D., The Allergy Clinic, 7707 Fannin, Suite 100, Houston, Texas 77054, 713.797.0993, *1200 Binz, Suite 180, Houston, Texas 77004, 713.522.9911, www.allergyclinic.com, *Operating as Houston Allergy and Asthma Clinic

Get Your Morning Buzz

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.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 35

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Peaches, age 13, American Cocker Spaniel, Rice Blvd.

Hi. My name is Peaches, and I am a 13year-old American Cocker Spaniel. I never stray too far from my home on Rice Boulevard because I am so happy there. My two dog neighbors on either side of us are Jett and Gaucho; sometime we talk through the fences. I sit and watch people and dogs go down the sidewalk from my favorite couch – sometimes I bark. Sometimes I don’t. I enjoy watching my mom cook because if she drops something on the floor I get to help her clean it up. Because of my age I do not hear very well, but thank goodness I am great at charades! Hopefully soon they will invent hearing aids for dogs. My favorite hobbies are sleeping, guarding the house sometimes, sleeping and doing tricks for treats.

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Orthotics are shoe inserts that are meant to correct an abnormal, or irregular, walking pattern. They are designed to make walking, running, and standing more comfortable and efficient by altering slightly the angle at which the foot strikes a walking or running surface. Since your feet are unique, in most cases a customized orthotic would be created that takes the biomechanics of your feet into consideration.

There are different types of orthotics, depending on what type of shoe you choose to wear them in.

Some people prefer to wear them during their workout, thus being made for tennis shoes. While others want them for their dress or everyday shoes.

Orthotics are made from special lightweight materials that are extra comfortable and cool.

Research has shown that some back problems can be traced to a foot imbalance. Therefore, some patients may benefit from wearing a customized foot orthotic, while also helping to alleviate their back problems.

Don’t take another painful step . . . call for your consultation today.

Bellaire Podiatry/Nail Laser Center of Houston, Dr. Barry P. Weinstein, 4909 Bissonnet, Suite 120, Bellaire, Texas 77401, 713.721.5500, www.BarryWeinsteinDPM.com

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Moving forward from Harvey Rice University’s SSPEED Center recently presented a two-day Urban Flooding & Infrastructure Conference: Moving Forward from Harvey. Some of the best minds and most experienced hands in the nation gathered to share and discuss the latest on Hurricane Harvey’s impact, lessons learned, and the way forward.

For this flood victim, it was both disturbing and encouraging. I learned that the flood risk has been woefully understated, and we’ve been busting our infrastructure budget on projects that will prove inadequate. The current Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) are largely based on 1969 meteorology, yet we know rainfall rates are considerably greater now, and will continue to increase.

We’ve had the information but not the will or the budget to update the FIRMs, and it may be 2-3 years before we do so now. Even when finally updated, the FIRMS will reflect current but not future flood risk.

The encouraging part: anyone who flooded already knew the system was broken. Every speaker at the conference largely agreed on the problem, even if they offered different solutions. I felt better knowing we’ve been willfully indifferent rather than merely ignorant. Thankfully, updated precipitation maps for Texas will be published in 2018 as Volume 11 of the NOAA Atlas 14. Harris County is already preparing to process the new data. www.chron.com/news/politics/houston/article/Harris-County-preparing-for-changes-to-12505050.php.

Whether the federal government will be as nimble remains to be seen.

Soon after Harvey, the director of the Office of Management and Budget released a letter that FEMA was withdrawing flood insurance on new construction in the 100-year flood plain in 2020, a potentially devastating

change for homeowners along Braes and Buffalo bayous. FEMA sent a deputy associate administrator, Roy Wright, to SSPEED’s conference who wryly said he only wished he could withdraw federal insurance from the flood plains, but that there was no statutory or other authority to do so and he was unaware of any move afoot to change that.

Harvey’s exact scenario may not repeat in our lifetimes, but other scenarios that are as bad or worse are expected. They may not have the regional impact of Harvey, but if you flood, it’s a personal disaster all the same.

Thanks to the SSPEED Center (sspeed.rice.edu/sspeed/) for hosting Moving Forward from Harvey. Co-director Jim Blackburn invited all those concerned to sign up with the Bayou City Initiative (www.bcinitiative.org), a non-profit committed to designing a flood-resilient Houston. I did, and encourage other homeowners to do so, too.

We write wills and go to probate court. We offer no-obligation initial interviews for estate planning and administration, so it costs nothing to hear specific recommendations that suit your needs. Foreign nationals and international families welcome.

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

Celebrate special occasions with...

... we’ll help you make a lasting impression.

• Administrative Professionals Day is April 25 • Mother’s Day – May 13 • Senior Prom – Corsages & Boutonnieres • Graduation Parties Whether it’s for your clients, employees or personal needs, call or visit our website.

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Have your child photographed with the famous Bellaire Bunnies Limited April sessions available. Reserve yours now. $150 fee includes mini photo session and one 8”x10” gallery portrait A portion of your purchase will be donated to the Bellaire Nature Discovery Center

A Portrait Remembers 713.523.4916 nikky@lawellphoto.com www.lawellphoto.com

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A minute with Maisie

Autism and ABA Therapy

Many clients ask me, “What type of documents do I need to prove my claim of separate property?� The Texas Family Code provides a presumption that all property owned by either party is community property.

However, a party can rebut that presumption by proving that the property was 1) owned prior to the marriage, 2) inherited or 3) a gift. To prove any one of these, documents are typically required. For example, to prove property ownership of a bank account prior to marriage, it is incumbent on the proponent to produce ALL the account statements beginning at least one month prior to the marriage through the date of divorce. Therefore, for long-term marriages, this can be quite the task. Retaining documents is imperative in cases where there is no pre-nuptial or post-nuptial agreement.

Maisie A. Barringer is a partner at Jenkins & Kamin, L.L.P., a full-service, boutique, family-law firm specializing in divorce, child-custody modifications, grandparent access, paternity, adoption, and premarital and postmarital agreements. Maisie A. Barringer has been recognized as a Texas Rising Star by Texas Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters service printed in Texas Monthly magazine for 2008, 2009, 2010 , 2012, 2013 , 2014 and 2015.

Jenkins & Kamin, L.L.P., Maisie A. Barringer, Partner, Board Certified in Family Law, Two Greenway Plaza, Suite 600, Houston, Texas 77046, 713.600.5500, www.jenkinskamin.com

Autism Spectrum Disorders is a neurological disorder that affects 1 in 66 children. Children with Autism often have deficits in communication and social skills and may engage in repetitive or ritualistic behaviors. To date, ABA Therapy is the most effective treatment for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Although not a cure, ABA Therapy can be used to teach new skills such as language development, fine and gross motor skills, play skills, social skills and more. ABA Therapy is also an effective treatment for decreasing problem behaviors such as aggression, tantrums, self-injurious, self-stimulatory behaviors, feeding struggles and other behaviors that can negatively impact a child's life.

ABA Therapy is not a "bag of tricks." It is a science and should always be performed under the supervision of a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Quality ABA programs provide individualized treatment that offer a natural environment and discrete trial training.

The wait-and-see approach is not recommended. If you suspect your child has Autism Spectrum Disorder, it is best to seek services as early as possible.

For more information about our ABA Therapy services, contact us at info@thereasonforhope.com.

The Reason for Hope, 5959 West Loop South, Suite 202, Bellaire, Texas 77401, 832.632.2177, www.thereasonforhope.com

Point. Click. Win. Enter The Buzz 2018 Photo Contest DEADLINE MAY 15TH The Buzz Magazines is pleased to announce our thirteenth annual Photo Contest.

Winning photos will be published in our July issue and on our website beginning July 1.

Our grand prize winner will receive an Olympus TG-Tracker Action Camera.* To submit photos, and for contest rules, visit thebuzzmagazines.com and click on the banner at the top of the home page.

You can also view our 2017 winners online.

Sponsored by

Grand Prize, Olympus TG-Tracker Action Camera (*or camera of equal value)

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 38

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Joint-pain relief

New SMFM president

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 76.2 million, or 26 percent, of Americans suffer from chronic pain – and more than half of those have some form of arthritis or related condition.

While over-the-counter and prescription pain medicines can be effective if used properly, there are possible risks whenever you take a pill, so many people want to explore alternative pain-relief therapies.

Gels, creams and patches that are applied to the skin supply sodium channel blockers, such as lidocaine. Prescription NSAIDs that come in gels or patches are also becoming popular. Steroid injections can reduce inflammation quickly.

However, long-term frequent use can weaken ligaments and tendons.

Wearing flexible shoes may best relieve pain from osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee and perhaps the hip. Physical therapy can improve posture, strength, function and range of motion and reduce pain. It boosts energy and mood as well. Try tai chi, yoga and aquatics therapy. You can apply heat with heating pads, warm compresses, heat patches, warm baths or even hot wax. Numerous studies have found that regular meditation practice reduces the brain’s response to pain. Acupuncture increases the production of endorphins, morphine-like substances that are natural pain relievers. Try foods that are anti-inflammatory, like berries, whole grains, green tea, citrus fruits and foods rich in omega 3s like mackerel, salmon, tuna, olive oil and nuts. Wishing you great health!

Bhardwaj Health, Primary Care Physicians, Rishi Bhardwaj, M.D. and Manoj Bhardwaj, M.D., 6800 West Loop South, Suite 228, Bellaire, Texas 77401, 832.412.1600, www.BhardwajHealth.com

The new president of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) is West U resident Sean Blackwell, M.D., high-risk pregnancy specialist with UT Physicians and professor and chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston (UTHealth).

Blackwell, who sees patients at UT Physicians Maternal-Fetal Medicine Center – Texas Medical Center, has a strong clinical background in high-risk pregnancies. He has clinical and scientific expertise in preterm birth, medical complications of pregnancy, the role of obesity in pregnancy outcomes, pregnancy in women with physical disabilities, fetal brain injury and shoulder dystocia.

“I am honored to serve this organization, which leads the way in research-based practice, advocacy and meeting the challenges of providing the very best care for high-risk moms and their babies,” said Blackwell, chief of service for OB/GYN at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital.

Blackwell will oversee guidelines and policies used in the care of pregnant women facing various maternal and fetal conditions across the world. His responsibilities include setting policies in obstetrical care; advocating for clinical practice, education and research in obstetrics; and directing other advocacy efforts and education initiatives. Blackwell previously served on the SMFM Board of Directors and as the chair for the SMFM Publications Committee.

Sean Blackwell, M.D., UT Physicians Maternal-Fetal Medicine Center, 6410 Fannin, Suite 250, Houston, Texas 77030, 832.325.7133, UTPhysicians.com

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 39

NEIGHBORS

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by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer

Buzz About Town Eat, drink and be Murphy

Daria Ratliff Photography

Family and friends looked on as bride Kylie Fichter walked down the aisle at St. Michael Catholic Church toward her high-school sweetheart, Pace Murphy. After the couple said, “I do,� guests enjoyed a reception in the ballroom of The Junior League of Houston. Shaon and the Girls with Success from New Orleans kept the dance floor busy. A Louisiana-style secondline parade, led by the band and complete with hankies to wave, beads and confetti, took the wedding party through the crowd, down the drive and to the St. Regis Hotel. Pace, a gradu-

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 40

ate of Strake Jesuit and Northwestern State University, plays football for the San Francisco 49ers. Kylie, a graduate of St. Agnes Academy, graduated from the University of Mississippi last May. The couple met in the fall of 2010 while in high school. Even with the miles between them in college, their relationship flourished.

After honeymooning in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, they planned to return to Texas for a short time before making their home in Santa Clara, Calif., with their new chocolate Lab puppy, Tex. Parents are Mark and Joni Fichter and Texas state Rep. Jim and Dr. Kathleen Murphy.

A stand-up guy The Broach Foundation for Brain Cancer Research is hosting its seventh annual Stand-Up for Brain Cancer Gala on (continued on page 42)

5427 Bissonnet, Suite 400 713-665-2222 • www.genesissteakhouse.com Please check our website for our expanded winter hours.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 41

(continued from page 40)

April 19 at River Oaks Country Club. On August 2011, James Broach was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer, a grade IV astrocytoma, also known as a glioblastoma. This came 10 months after his previous diagnosis of a grade II astrocytoma during a surgery. He endured surgeries, radiation, chemo treatments and experimental trials. Along with his wife, Jamie, he decided to join the effort of pursuing a cure for the disease. The Broaches, along with the executive board, established The Broach Foundation for Brain Cancer Research to raise funds and awareness for adult brain cancer research. To date, the foundation has raised over $4 million. Pictured (from left) are Jeff Byrd, Jamie Broach Byrd and Parker Broach.

Stand-up comedian Nate Bargatze will perform at the fundraising gala. To reserve a table, email info@thebroachfoundation.org.

Say it with emojis

Alpacas and antiquing West University resident Barbara Massey (pictured) was spotted petting and feeding some alpacas during an outing with the West University Community Building group to the Peeka Alpaca Ranch in Brenham. The group is

Support for El Centro Cyndy Garza Roberts, Diane Englet, Gwen Emmett and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett (pictured, from left), along with 300 other supporters, gathered at Hotel ZaZa Museum District for the 11th annual Making a Difference Luncheon, benefiting El Centro de CorazĂłn (El Centro), which addresses healthcare issues in the community. Englet and Garza Roberts chaired the event, which raised over $120,000. Leisa Holland-Nelson and Leila Perrin were the honorary chairs. Art Rascon of KTRK ABC13 emceed. A first-time award, the 2018 Champion Award was presented to Emmett and his wife Gwen for their work in the Houston community.

West University Elementary students earned first place in the Odyssey of the Mind regional tournament. The students worked creatively in groups to solve problems and will move on to the state competition. Pictured (from left) are Isabella Dodig, Mira Pemmanda, Neha Ravi, Juliana Scheibner and Clara Rowsey. The team solved a non-verbal problem by using emojis. Odyssey of the Mind is a volunteer-led organization that fosters creative thinking among children using out-of-the box thinking to creatively solve problems.

planning a trip to Round Top on April 5 for some antique shopping. To sign up, contact senior services at 713-662-5895. The cost of the trip is $9.

Matters of the heart

The Houston Junior Forum recently held its annual fundraiser, Conversations from the Heart. Honorees this year were Gary and Mopsy Andrews, for their longtime volunteer efforts. This year’s guest speaker was Dr. Renu Khator (pictured, at right, with chair Debbie Berner), chancellor of the University of Houston System and president of the University of Houston. Ernie Manouse, senior producer for Houston Public Media, was master of ceremonies and guest interviewer. Forum president Karen Hardin and Berner and her committee welcomed the 400 guests with a silent auction, raffle and lunch.

The right chords Incarnate Word Academy choir student Audrey Moffet, along with other students from IWA and the St. Thomas High School choir, were inspired by British vocal ensemble VOCES8. Voces8 brought (continued on page 44) WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 42

www.vbaf.com • Family Owned Since 1952

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 43

More than 80 guests gathered for the kickoff to the annual Judy’s Mission Possible Luncheon, planned for May 4 at the Houstonian Hotel.

Supporters of the ovarian cancer research organization were welcomed by David Peck and his wife Michelle Phillips. Pictured (from left) are Phillips, Peck and Susan Baker. Baker will be the luncheon speaker and will share her journey as a survivor of ovarian cancer. Proceeds will benefit Judy’s Mission early-detection awareness programs as well as ovarian cancer research at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Also there were Betty Hrncir, Klinka Lollar, Carolyn Alban, Julie Phillips, Pamela Weems Coughenour, Marjorie Clark and Shamika Johnson.

Pershing alumni wed Josh and Dever Hanchera met at Pershing Middle School, where they took drama and WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2018 44

Bellaire with parents Jack and Claire Lorenz and her three younger siblings, Lee, Libby and Jack Jr. Josh grew up in West University with parents Dan and Mary Hanchera and his three younger siblings, Gabby, Rachel and Michael. All eight Lorenz and Hanchera children attended Pershing, where Dever's mom is a teacher. Dever went to Bellaire High School, and Josh attended Lamar High School, and both went to Texas A&M. The couple married at West University Methodist Church with their former youth

leader, Josh Arrington, assisting in the ceremony.

After a reception full of Pershing Pandas, Aggies and family, they honeymooned in Ambergris Caye, Belize.

Support for musicians Wilson Parish

Daniel Ortiz

Ovarian cancer awareness

Spanish together in seventh grade. They were also involved with the West University Methodist youth group and went on a mission trip to Costa Rica together. Dever grew up in Samantha Paul

their educational method and unique vocal exercises to IWA's downtown performing arts studio for a combined practice with the two choirs. The school choirs are directed by Joshua Wilson.

(continued from page 42)

David and Viviana Denechaud and Lillian and Cyrus Irani, along with nearly 350 others, gathered at Jones Hall for the Houston Symphony’s annual Wine Dinner and Collector’s Auction chaired by Elizabeth and Alan Stein. The black-tie event began with a cocktail hour, during which guests enjoyed hors d'oeuvres and perused the Collector’s Auction. The evening’s honorary chair was Beth Madison, auction chair was Bob Weiner, and committee members included Ann Ayre, Dr. Devinder Bhatia, Darlene Clark and Edwin C. Friedrichs, Ron Holley, Dr. I. Ray Kirk, Helen and Jim Shaffer, Rebecca and Chad Spencer, Dr. Tom D. Nichols and Robert Sakowitz. The event raised nearly $570,000 for education and community activities for the musicians of the Houston Symphony.

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.

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Watch Their Smiles Grow

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behance.net/runamokstudios

NEIGHBORS

by Andria Frankfort, staff writer

Back Porch

A world of podcasts

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t wasn’t until maybe six months ago that I had any idea what a podcast was. Sure, I’d heard of the “digital audio files” when friends talked about what they’d listened to on NPR’s funny, current events quiz-cast Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me! or the addictive, reporter-told murder story they followed on Serial. But mostly I’d just smile and nod, secretly thinking I would never listen to a podcast, probably because I wouldn’t have been able to access one – on my computer? on my phone? – if I’d been paid to do so.

That all recently changed, thanks to Misha Laird, a friend and the yoga program coordinator at The Houstonian Club, who is something of a podcast whiz. She showed me exactly what to tap on my iPhone to set up my podcast app so I could start listening to the modern equivalent of radio shows, just on my own schedule. Misha then showed me how to “subscribe,” so that new episodes would be delivered to my phone, and then she set me up with two of her faves: 10% Happier with Dan Harris and Fresh Air. “I was bamboozled by my learning curve at first,” Misha says. “But eventually it started to make sense.” I have to agree – podcasts aren’t quite as intimidating as I’d thought. And there is something exciting about being able to listen to really smart people talk about any subject you can imagine, all on demand.

River Oaks resident Karen Terrell started listening to podcasts because her friends were talking about TED Talks. “They were learning a lot and greatly entertained. So I slothed through – it wasn’t that intimidating – and downloaded a lot of podcasts on my phone. I’ve been-theredone-that with the morning shows of movie star interviews.” When asked how she finds podcasts that interest her, Karen says, “NPR or The New York Times might mention, ‘You might be interested in this podcast.’”

In addition to podcasts, Karen says, “I have really gravitated toward books. I like to listen in my car. Even if I don’t get every detail, at least I know the books people are talking about.

OverDrive and Hoopla are library apps that are free. You borrow books, and if they’re all out, you can put them on hold.”

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sister Julie Walter has become a podcast junkie. “I listen in the bathroom while I’m getting dressed. I especially like Freakonomics.”

(She’s an econ major.)

I asked Julie how she manages to find time to listen, and she said, “I do it at one-and-a-half times.” Meaning, she clicks the number at the bottom left of her screen so that the podcast plays at 1.5 times its original speed. “Two is too fast for me,” she says. You can also slow the speed PLUGGED IN There's a podcast for everyone, from world news to science to interdown to half-time views by Oprah. with the same click. energy of the people around you by giving On Misha says, “When everything is so contentious, Being an hour of your time each week.”

I appreciate the world podcasts create. You listen, Living Homegrown: “Reminds us of ways to and you feel like these people are friends. Everyone connect with nature and traditions.” has a story, and that’s what this is all about.”

Awesome Etiquette with Lizzie Post & Dan Some of Misha’s favorites: Post Senning: “Required listening for my kids Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me! and Ask Me because it’s everything I didn’t teach them. I canAnother, both from NPR: “These are games, not say enough about this – it’s so relevant and and they are just hysterical,” she says. “These should be required listening 30 minutes a day!” clever, quick people I went to school with at Science Friday: “Fascinating.”

Rice are now all on this!”

How I Built This from NPR: “I had never The Daily from The New York Times: “One heard of Kendra Scott [the jewelry designer], 20-minute news story a day.” and then I heard her story and now she’s my best Tara Brach and 10% Happier with Dan friend!”

Harris: “Know more about meditation.”

Planet Money from NPR: “Everything about This American Life: “I usually start out havmoney.” ing no interest in these stories, then I can’t put Hidden Brain from NPR: “Fantastic people them down.” connecting with other fantastic people.”

Fresh Air: “Phenomenal interviews!”

On Being with Krista Tippett: “Oh my gosh…just listen!” The Atlantic says, “If you For more podcast suggestions and tips on how to can’t be bothered to meditate or read literature, listen, see this story at thebuzzmagazines.com. make yourself more attuned to the emotional

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