The West University Buzz - July 2024

Houston, TX

2024 Buzz Photo Contest Winners

Permit No. 2047 PAID US Postage PRSRT STD

Tunnel Vision by Amy McPherson Fourth Place, People and Portraits

PUBLISHER’S NOTE Our July issue, featuring the winners of our annual Buzz Photo Contest, always generates a lot of response from readers. With any contest like this, the process is inherently subjective. Our judges, all professional photographers with years of experience, take the judging seriously, and there is much discussion and debate.

Often, my personal favorite photo entries are not selected as winning images, but I am not a professional photographer and do not act as a contest judge. I do, however, sit in on the judging and, therefore, have a good understanding of what the judges look for (read about this on page 26). Again, it is subjective. The same entries with different judges would yield different results. However, it is not all about the experts; our readers have a voice in the contest as well. The top 50 finalists were posted to our Facebook page, and the photos with the most likes became our Readers’ Choice winners. Thank you to everyone who entered, to our sponsors, and to our judges for their time and expertise. We hope you enjoy this visual feast and look forward to seeing more of your photos in next year’s Buzz Photo Contest, which will be our 20th. michael@thebuzzmagazines.com

THE BUZZ MAGAZINES BELLAIRE • WEST UNIVERSITY • MEMORIAL • TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS Published by Hoffman Marketing & Media, LLC 5001 Bissonnet St., 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-in-Chief Publisher Editor Associate Editor Contributing Editor Design Manager Staff Writers

Account Managers

Interns

Joni Hoffman Michael Hoffman Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld Caroline Siegfried Pooja Salhotra John Duboise Tracy L. Barnett Sharon Albert Brier Cindy Burnett Andria Dilling Angie Frederickson Todd Freed Cindy Gabriel Cathy Gordon Michelle Groogan Dai Huynh Annie Blaylock McQueen Jennifer Oakley Cheryl Ursin Andrea Blitzer Leslie Little Jo Rogers Natalie French, Anna Galan, Gia Gaston, Lucy Walker

On our cover: Amy McPherson snapped this photo of her 3-year-old son, Wesley, peering through a tunnel he constructed using Magna-Tiles. See the full, uncropped photo on page 35.

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

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 4

Your smile can last forever

Anna Maria Salas, D.D.S., M.S. Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics

3642 University Blvd., Suite 102 Houston, TX 77005 www.westuortho.com 713-481-4885

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 5

MAILBAG

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

Francis D. McWilliams

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

Kristi Coffey

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

Sally McCandless

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

Don and Helen Bryan

Buzz love First of all, a big thank you to The Buzz Magazines for providing Houston neighborhoods with a platform to share our heartfelt stories, and for giving me the opportunity to relay my family experience with our trip to my home island of Patmos, Greece [Roots Revisited: Unearthing family ties in Greece, WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 6

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

Carol Senkel

Keeping Adam's legacy alive Thank you for sharing our story about Adam [Adam Elkhadem’s Legacy

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

Megan Lazarou [mother of Adam Elkhadem] Email us at mailbag@thebuzzmagazines.com. Or send to Mailbag, The Buzz Magazines, 5001 Bissonnet St., Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401. Please include your name, address, phone number and email address for verification purposes.

Letters addressed to The Buzz Magazines become the property of the magazine, and it owns all rights to their use. Addresses, phone numbers and email addresses will not be published. Letters are subject to editing for clarity and length. Views expressed in letters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Buzz Magazines, and The Buzz takes no responsibility for the content and opinions expressed in them.

What’s your story?

We are looking for residents for upcoming articles who: • Have special fall traditions and celebrations.

• Know a Buzzworthy neighbor to feature.

• Have a milestone life event to share.

• Have a compelling travel tale.

• Have a unique passion or hobby.

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

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 7

NEIGHBORS

by Cindy Gabriel, staff writer

One Brave Man In the context of his times, a Fourth of July exercise

T

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

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

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

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

In the meantime, my mother, also a journalism major, was clearly keeping up with the news.

In May of 1954, the year I was born, the Supreme Court ruled, in Brown v. Board of Education, that public schools must no longer be segregated by race. To put it mildly, this did not go over well in the South, least of all Mississippi.

Two months after that ruling, in a private home in the Delta town of Indianola, Mississippi, a group of white segregationists gathered to form the first “Citizens’ Council.”

By then the extreme violence attributed to the Ku Klux Klan was becoming unpopular even among white southerners. The Council’s intent was to reinforce segregation in a more organized, non-violent way, such as evicting black residents from their homes, or removing them from their jobs, in lieu of lynching. Their crimes could be simply signing any kind of civil rights petition, being listed as members of the NAACP, or registering to vote.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 8

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

They were socially ostracized, and if they had businesses, they were boycotted.

This went doubly for newspaper editors, like Hodding Carter Jr., who A LETTER IN A DRAWER Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Hodding Carter Jr. expresses gratitude to Cindy Gabriel’s mom for her letter of support at a heated dared to call the moment in civil rights history.

Citizens’ Council “The with the knowledge that he could be shot any Uptown Ku Klux Klan,” in a 1955 article which minute had taken a toll on his nerves. appeared nationwide in Look Magazine. This There is a southern American story in the prompted the Mississippi legislature to censure three generations of Hodding Carters. The first its Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist by a vote of Hodding Carter was a respected member of the 89 to 19. community despite his membership in the KKK. On April 3, 1955, (one month prior to his letHis son, Hodding Carter Jr., was willing to risk ter to my mother) Mr. Carter followed up with a his life and livelihood poking and prodding front-page article titled “Liar by Legislation,” in against the notions of white supremacy – which Mr. Carter reverses the charge as follows: although not a believer in forced integration By a vote of 89 to 19, the Mississippi House of based on Brown v. Board, calling himself “a gradRepresentatives has resolved the editor of this newsualist.” Finally, his son, Hodding Carter III, paper into a liar because of an article I wrote. If this emerged in the 1960s as a full-fledged champion charge were true, it would make me well qualified of civil rights, editor of his father’s newspaper, to serve in that body. It is not true. So, to even things writer for PBS, and the Assistant Director of the up, I herewith resolve by vote of 1 to 0 that there are State Department under the Jimmy Carter 89 liars in the state legislature. administration (no relation to the president).

By this time, Hodding Carter Jr. was used to My hope for this and future Fourth of Julys is that receiving death threats and calls to boycott his we continue to tell these stories of heroes – their newspaper. His son, Hodding Carter III, who courage, their progress and redemption, even if became the editor of his father’s newspaper in painfully gradual. As Martin Luther King famously the 1960s, said his father once famously heard a said, The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends car backfire while eating with friends at a restautoward justice. Happy Independence Day. rant and told everybody to hit the floor. Living

Building Custom Homes and Remodeling in West U since 1989.

For information, please contact 713-524-6200 or Annette@ParkLaneBuilders.com

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 JULY 2024 9

Chris Bailey Photography

FOOD

by Andria Dilling, staff writer

Summer Sparkle Cocktails that tame the heat A little bit of summer’s what the whole year’s all about. – John Mayer, “Wildfire”

L

Chris Bailey Photography

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

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

Rose Queen Makes 1 1 ½ ounces vodka (such as Queen Bee Osmia) ½ cup Fresca ½ cup cranberry juice Soda (such as Perrier or Topo Chico) Lime for garnish Fill a lowball glass with ice. Add the vodka, Fresca, and cranberry juice. Stir to combine.

Top with soda and garnish with a lime wedge or wheel. If you’re feeling fancy, Catharine and Kim suggest garnishing the drink with rose petals.

I

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

Chamoy is a Mexican condiment made from chiles, lime, and fruit that is all at once sour, savory, and sweet. Layered in a Mangonada, chamoy not WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 10

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

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

Mangonada Makes 4 4 cups mango cubes, cut from 2 ripe mangoes Juice of 2 limes ¼ cup sugar 1 cup water 2 cups ice cubes 3 ounces tequila blanco (such as Casamigos)

Chamoy Tajin Tamarind candy straws Place all but ¼ cup of the mangoes and the lime juice, sugar, and water in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the ice and tequila and blend to a slushie consistency. Taste, adding more tequila if you like. Pour into a lidded container and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

To serve, spoon a tablespoon or 2 of chamoy into the bottoms of each of four glasses, then sprinkle with a pinch of (continued on page 12)

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 11

Andria Dilling

(continued from page 10) tajin. Pour about ½ cup of

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

T

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

Andria Dilling

Strawberry Basil Mojito From Julia Reed’s New Orleans: Food, Fun, and Field Trips for Letting the Good Times Roll Makes 6 2 cups white rum (such as Old New Orleans Crystal Rum) 2 cups Strawberry Basil Syrup (recipe follows) Club soda Strawberry halves and basil sprigs for garnish In a large pitcher, stir the rum and berry syrup together to mix well. Pour into highball glasses over ice and top each one with a splash of club soda. Garnish with two or three strawberry halves and a leafy sprig of basil.

Strawberry Basil Syrup 4 cups strawberries, washed, stemmed, and halved Juice of 2 lemons 2 ¼ cups sugar 1 bunch basil Place the berry halves in a large bowl and crush them using a potato masher (or pulse briefly in a food processor). Place the crushed berries in a large, heavy-bottomed pan. Add the lemon juice, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes until the fruit is very soft.

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

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

I

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

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 12

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

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

Spicy Ranch Water Makes 1

2 ounces tequila blanco 1 ounce fresh lime juice 2 to 3 slices fresh jalapeños Crushed ice Topo Chico Stir the tequila and lime juice together in a highball glass. Add the jalapeño slices and stir again. Fill the glass with crushed ice and top it off with Topo Chico and another stir.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 13

Dylan Aguilar

NEIGHBORS

by Cathy Gordon, staff writer

The Cunningham Chronicles Neighborhood blacksmith to wordsmith

I

t was the early 1960s in wood-paneled suburbia. The era of avocado-green kitchen appliances and television’s classic, The Twilight Zone. A time of unbridled innovation in space, art, music and design.

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

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

His mother, startled by the sound of an engine, looked out to find her son zooming down the road. Panicked, she called a neighbor.

Can you come by? Richard’s on some machine, and he’s riding down the street!

The neighbor, an engineer, came down, and was soon zipping past on the contraption.

“Look!” he yelled gleefully. “Richard built a motor bike!”

W

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

Now, words are his parts.

“For me, writing is like building something.

The words on a page aren’t just a bunch of words. It’s a structure. It’s something you build.

Part of my brain is always working on building stuff,” says Richard, 77, a freelance science and technical writer whose latest work is a labor of love, a book about West University Place. The community has been his home, all told, for 28 years. He lived here during the 1980s with his first wife and son. He loved it so much that he returned in 2007 with second wife Lily Ann. Images of America: West University Place comes out on July 15, part of Arcadia Publishing’s series that celebrates the history of neighborhoods, towns, and cities across the country. The book follows West University Place’s evolution from a treeless farmland to one of the most livable small towns in Texas, celeWEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 14

brating its centennial this year.

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

Richard and Lily Ann, a retired University of Houston art history teacher, live in a remodeled 1948 one-story bungalow they aptly named HISTORY OF HOME Longtime West University Place resident Richard “Cunningham Cottage.” Cunningham’s book Images of America: West University Place, by Arcadia Publishing, comes out July 15, detailing the city’s evolution from treeless farmland The home is a testament to one now celebrating its centennial year. to the creative compass his first real motor bike, soaking in the country’s that guides their life. It’s outfitted with a fusion of beauty. sculptures and fine craft of every variety, much by College years lit a fuse. Richard exceled at their own hand, some by friends.

Oklahoma State University. He majored in “I can’t think of a single thing in this house journalism and was a photographer for the yearthat doesn’t have personal meaning to us,” says book. Always with the thought that he would Richard, flipping through a thick three-ring work for himself one day. binder of interviews and research, the meat of With war raging in Vietnam, he expected to his book. He talks of the circuitous route that get drafted the summer of 1969, after graduating. led to his favorite craft, writing.

His medical physical put a stop to that.

As an adolescent, when he wasn’t working “The doctor put a finger to my face and asked with engines, he was equally fascinated by typeme to focus. I said, ‘Sorry, that’s one thing I can’t writers. He mowed lawns at $2 a pop, edged for do,’” recalls Richard, born with nystagmus or another $2, saving $50 to buy a portable type“dancing eyes,” a condition he had surgically writer. “Thinking back, a weird thing for a 13corrected five years ago. Nystagmus causes repetyear-old, but I was fascinated with it,” Richard itive, uncontrolled eye movements. says. He took typing class at Westbury High The doctor slapped a 4F on his card, a miliSchool, so his fingers would learn to fly across tary term meaning not qualified for service. “I the keys. was stunned because I had not counted on anyHe enjoyed that class, the others not so thing other than going into the army.” much. “My parents were terribly afraid because He was offered a full-time job at the same all my grades were so bad. I didn’t get a lot of company that employed his father, having positive reinforcement when doing things like worked there summers. He wrote, illustrated, building a motor bike. It was more like they were photographed, and did anything they needed in terrified.” His mother had him tested. Results? advertising. He stayed for two years, then aboutMechanical aptitude in the top percentile. faced with a decision – perhaps the most freeing His dad, an international manager for of his life – that set his parents on edge. Again.

Continental Carbon Company, moved the famA co-worker friend, Bill Wilson, confided ily to the Netherlands during Richard’s senior that he soon planned to (continued on page 16) year. With money he’d saved, Richard bought

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 15

RIDING AND WRITING Left photo: Richard, 24 here, spent a good part of his life on motorcycles, parting with this one, a Triumph 650 Bonneville, to fund a crosscountry summer trip with a friend in 1971. Right photo: A photograph Richard snapped decades ago of his son Brittain (at left) with two others on a Wier Park merrygo-round was used as the cover for his book about West University Place. (continued from page 14) quit to take a cross-coun-

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

Oh, I couldn’t do that!

A few minutes later…

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

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

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

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

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

Richard’s parents had been terrified their son would have no job prospects upon his return. But they needn’t have worried.

Through a connection, Richard landed a contract with Almeda Mall. Before long, he was making promotional posters for the mall, and more malls came calling. Richard had a handful of retail clients, then some industrial clients, too. Industrial eventually won out. He WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 16

found his niche.

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

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

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

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

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

“You can never ask him for any kind of help that he won’t say ‘yes’ to, which is a rarity in human beings,” says his friend of 50 plus years, Bob Lapsley, 82. The commercial artist was a founding member of the Houston Society of Illustrators and a former teacher at the Art Institute of Houston.

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

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

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

Editor’s note: To find more books about Houston’s history, check out "Houston Reads: Books for the city’s natives and newcomers" by Cindy Burnett, on page 18.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 17

ARTS

by Cindy Burnett, staff writer

Houston Reads Cindy Burnett

Books for the city’s natives and newcomers

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

H

ouston is a vibrant city with a lot to offer and more to do than people often realize. This month, I am highlighting some books that cover Houston’s history as well as its secret haunts, quirky fun facts, and lost buildings. Some of these reads also dig into how certain neighborhoods developed and where you can find the city’s oldest businesses and locales.

Lost Houston by William Dylan Powell – Lost Houston is part of a series on various U.S. cities that examines how their institutions and buildings have changed over the years and highlights the ones that were lost along the way. It is a beautiful coffee table book that focuses on buildings that no longer exist. Each building discussed in the book has a two-page WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 18

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

Historic Photos of Houston by Betty Trapp Chapman – Though smaller than Lost Houston, this gem would also make a nice coffee table book. The book tracks the construction of our unique city through photos chronicling life, government, events, and people important to Houston. The book is divided into sections by time period, starting with Houston’s earliest years and making its way to the 1970s. A page at the beginning of each chapter is devoted to the city’s progress during those years. It provides a wonderful glimpse into the early years of Houston through rare photos that had not been seen prior to the book’s publication in 2007, including photos of beautiful buildings that are sadly long gone. Highlights (continued on page 20)

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 19

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

Houston Culture Shock: Quirks, Customs, and Attitudes of H-Town by William Dylan Powell – Houston Culture Shock is about the everyday quirks of living in Houston that are not often covered in standard guidebooks. Powell looks at the lifestyle, cityscape, tips for getting around, nature, events, and local heroes, and the book reads like a cheat sheet for what it’s like to live here. He weaves in fascinating facts like how the Alley Theatre got its name, our obsession with anything fried (even Oreos and Twinkies), and how Houstonians use nicknames for all the highways. (Note: For more on William Dylan Powell, check out my Q&A with him titled “Local Author Highlights Houston's Characteristics and Quirks” on thebuzzmagazines.com) Oldest Houston by Lydia Schrandt and Biju Sukumaran – While Houston has often allowed buildings to come down in the name of progress, this wonderful book highlights all that has survived. It tells the stories of the city’s oldest brewery, musical hall, recording studio, paved brick street and more. The book is divided into sections based on areas of the city, so you can explore each neighborhood and find the businesses, buildings, and places that have survived and often thrived. Whether you’re new to Houston and looking for an entertaining introduction, or a longtime resident digging deeper into your favorite haunts, Oldest Houston will give you a fresh take on our city’s history.

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

Images of America series by various authors – The Images of America series “celebrates the history of neighborhoods, towns and cities across the country.” In Houston, the series includes books on River Oaks, Southside Place, the Heights, Spring Branch as well as plenty of others. West University Place (Images of America) by WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 20

Cindy Burnett

(continued from page 18) include photos of when

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

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

Here are a few other books that may appeal to people who want to learn more about specific aspects of the city: The Houstonian Dictionary by James Glassman - A bit outdated but great for those new to Houston or fun to peruse as a long-time local.

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

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

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

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 21

NEIGHBORS

by Cathy Gordon, staff writer

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

I

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

The movie became a breakout hit, landing Hoffman stardom and an Oscar nomination.

“But at the time, he didn’t know if it would be a success. The movie hadn’t been released yet,” explains Bob, 83.

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

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

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

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

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

The Memorial home he shares with wife, Sandy, a former MD Anderson Cancer Center executive, holds a treasure-trove of iconic images – pictures of The Beatles, Marilyn WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 22

hartphoto.com

The life of a LIFE photographer

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

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

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

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

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

He recalls the president-elect inviting him and another photographer inside to watch the Army-Navy game. They’d been stationed outside his Georgetown home, hoping to capture shots of newly appointed cabinet members.

Running on little sleep, Bob dozed off. “The other photographer shook me awake and said ‘Bob, Navy won. Kennedy has gone to bed. I think we should go outside now.’”

He took some good-natured ribbing over it from Kennedy when their paths crossed over the years.

“He’d point at me and smile, and I’d turn beet red.”

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

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

One of Bob’s favorite and most lucrative shots is of civil rights activist Malcolm X taking a picture of Cassius Clay the night he knocked out Sonny Liston to become heavyweight boxing champion.

Its current market value is $3,000 for a print.

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

Ali, infirm from Parkinson’s Disease, got up from the table and walked up and down the line of autograph-seekers, showing off the print.

Then he stared sternly at the picture, back up at Corey, down at the picture again and said, “You still ugly,” Bob recalls, laughing. He then graciously posed as Corey took a photo of daughter Madeleine on his lap.

“That was Ali. Very funny. A considerate guy.”

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

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

So he attended the (continued on page 24)

Bob Gomel

THE FAB FOUR AND MORE The Beatles pose for Bob Gomel in Miami, relaxing during the height of Beatlemania. On next page: A young Dustin Hoffman, unaware of imminent stardom, files for unemployment benefits after completing the movie The Graduate. Bob’s son, Corey, has fun on champ Muhammad Ali’s lap. President John F. Kennedy is captured in stride at Cape Canaveral in 1962 where he spoke to NASA personnel before giving his famous speech at Rice University about going to the moon. (continued from page 22) teacher’s weekly photo club.

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

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

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

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

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

His last station with the Navy was in Port Isabel, Texas, 25 miles from the Mexico border.

Bob traded in his Ford convertible for an economical 80-octane, junk-gas Morris Minor and headed for Mexico to hone his craft. He shot pictures continuously for a year till money ran out then returned to New York City, ready to hit up the big magazines.

Ironically, it was a riveting series of photos chronicling his family’s own reaction to tragedy WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 24

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

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

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

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

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

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

stardom hadn’t affected them.”

As time wore on, the nation eventually looked to television over magazines for coverage. Bob moved on too, pursuing advertising work, helping to introduce Merrill Lynch’s Bullish on America campaign and photographing for Bulova, GTE, Audi and Renault.

Commercial photography led him to Houston in 1977. Campaigns for Shell, Houston Power and Light, Compaq and Exxon, among others, benefitted from his sharp eye.

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

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

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

I know a good picture when I see it.”

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

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

Bob Gomel Bob Gomel

Bob Gomel

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 25

ARTS

The Buzz Magazines’ 2024 Photo Contest

A

lthough The Buzz Magazines’ annual photo contest is not for professionals, the quality of photos we receive astounds us each year.

With any contest like this, the process is inherently subjective.

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

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

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

Congratulations to all our winners, and especially to our grand prize winner, Donnie Marion, for his winning image, Best Sign in Rodeo. Donnie will receive a Canon EOS R10 digital camera and lens kit from Houston Camera Exchange and a staycation package compliments of Blossom Houston hotel.

This contest would not be possible without the generosity of our contest sponsors, Houston Camera Exchange and Blossom Houston hotel.

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

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

Judges’ comments: Best Sign in Rodeo is a visual delight with action, color and storytelling. There are so many wonderful factors coming together in this “perfect timing” capture.

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

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 26

sponsored by

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 27

Category: Animals

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

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

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 28

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

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

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

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 29

Category: Landscapes

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

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

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 30

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

Fourth Place, Unusual Sightings at the Pecos River Bridge Loyd Dalton, 76, says he discovered the Pecos River Bridge, the highest highway bridge in Texas, on a trip to West Texas.

“I traveled all the way to that bridge with a friend in order to take Milky Way images using the bridge as a foreground. I used a low-level light to light up the underside of the structure and used a long exposure in order to bring out the Milky Way in the image. The unusual part of the image is the perception that an asteroid or meteor is screaming across the scene with a light trail behind. But in reality, the planet Mars is the bright spot and its location that night just happened to be at the end of a wispy cloud when I took the shot. It made it appear to be a star streaking across the sky! Sometimes you just get lucky!”

Loyd also notes, “taking images of the Milky Way in total darkness in an unfamiliar area is not for the faint of heart…

In order to take this image, my friend and I climbed down from the highway to the underside of the bridge to get into position to take the image. As we began to set up and take some images, unknowingly, a small herd of wild goats silently moved in very close to us and they let out a series of loud bleats that pierced the night air. Talk about wanting to run! Whew!

I lost ten years of my life that evening!”

Fifth Place, Stormy Sunrise over Pleasure Pier Loyd Dalton says, “Of all the landscape compositions that I have taken in my photography life, my most cherished, anticipated and the ones that give me the most joy are the sunrises.

No two sunrises are alike: each has its own personality, character, and uniqueness. I have been known to travel hundreds of miles to take just one sunrise, hoping for that perfect image.

Getting up before daylight on a cold morning and traveling hours to your special sunrise spot and braving the cold sometimes pays off. That February morning on Galveston Beach at the Pleasure Pier was one of those mornings. Every element one looks for in a perfect sunrise composition unfolded as the sun peaked over the horizon. Dynamic clouds, intense color, subtle sunrays, reflections in the water, and lots of interest in the scene. On that day, I’m so glad I made the effort because this sunrise image is my favorite – so far.”

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 31

Category: Nature

First Place, Colorblind Owl Payman Karimi, 56, photographed this young barn owl sitting on a stand perch in April 2024, at Carl Barton Junior Park in The Woodlands. He says it was “entertaining to watch how this young owl was getting easily distracted – in a playful way – with every noise in the surrounding woods; whether other birds, creaking branches, etc... I was attending a bird photography workshop where a non-profit organization was not only demonstrating different ’injured’ birds but more importantly providing educational information about preserving beautiful birds of our planet. It was fascinating to see upclose how beautiful each of those birds were – even in their injured, but well taken care of, conditions. I learned during this session that it is a common belief that owls are color blind, seeing only shades of black, white and gray.

Being color blind myself, this connected with me, and I thought to myself, ‘what if I turn this photo to black and white?’ My attempt was to take away color distractions and bring the attention on the delicate textures around the face of this beautiful owl. And to somehow hint this message about the owl's limitation in seeing colors.”

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

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 32

Third Place, Singing in the Rain David Holland photographed this vibrantly colored bird in Costa Rica in December 2023.

“This resplendent quetzal (Costa Rica's most prized bird) male perched on this curved limb with his beautiful long tail on a similar curve.

The combined leading lines went right to this iconic bird and I took the shot. A light December '23 rain began to fall and he chirped away hoping for a female response. I used a Nikon Z9, 400mm, f2.8, ISO 1000 and 1/2500.”

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

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

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 33

Category: People and Portraits

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

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

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 34

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

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

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

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 35

Category: Sports, Action, and Miscellaneous

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

Taking out my drone, I was able to get this top-down photo of him in the aftermath of a big wave.”

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

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 36

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

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

Fifth Place, Who’s Open?

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

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 37

Category: Readers’ Choice

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

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

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 38

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

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

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

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

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 39

Judges’ Bios

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

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

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 40

Jack Opatrny is an award-winning Houston photographer whose experience ranges from portraits and fashion photography to architectural, commercial, and food photography. Originally from Ohio, Jack relocated to Houston in 1990 and quickly established himself as a distinguished fashion and business photographer, locally and nationally. With more than 25 years of experience, his achievements have included top honors at the Art Directors Club of Houston’s Annual Show and many other industry publications.

His talent has been recognized in projects in fashion, high-end portraits, renowned commercial products, architecture, and humanitarian causes. In addition, Jack is a talented musician. His personal interests include charitable causes that range from animal rescue, environmental protection, and breast cancer awareness. His heartfelt love for dogs inspired his recent project, “Street Dogs of Mexico,” highlighting the massive problem of homeless dogs.

Proceeds benefit local animal rescue and adoption operations. www.jackophoto.com jackophoto@gmail.com

Terry Vine, recently named one of the 200 Best Ad Photographers Worldwide by Lürzer’s Archive, is an advertising and lifestyle photographer who specializes in creating custom images for the healthcare, hospitality, and corporate industries. His ability to capture the essence of an experience as it relates to a destination has landed him assignments around the world and earned numerous awards. His work has been featured in Communications Arts, Graphis Photo, Print, American Photography, Applied Arts, and PDN Photo annuals.

Terry’s fine art images are in many museum and private collections around the country. Having grown up in Ohio, Terry now lives in Texas with his wife, two children, and a rambunctious Golden Retriever named Ranger. www.terryvine.com terry@terryvine.com

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 41

KIDS

.

by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer

Buzz Baby

International Travel, Plus Kids

Buzz Baby is a column about life with little ones.

Writer Annie McQueen is a mother of four children under the age of 9.

T

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

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

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

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

In the early days, Lisa says she relied on parenting blogs for advice on traveling with children.

Today, she uses social media to find out what other parents are doing. “Now I like to watch YouTube videos, and then when I have a specific product I am leaning toward, I search TikTok to see how

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

One search led her to YouTube, where she found reviews that led her to choose the OVERNIGHT FLIGHT The Garcia family takes long-haul overnight flights each year to visit family in Greece. Mom Lisa’s top tip is to pack in-flight activities such BabyZen Yoyo stroller. as coloring books, extra snacks, and pajamas for the flight. Pictured are T and The stroller has a five- Ezra Garcia. point harness and To manage overnight flights, Lisa has created a canopy cover, great for airport layover napping. routine to help her children sleep. “I like to put my It’s pricey, though: $400-$700 depending on the kids into their pajamas just after the meal service,” model and accessories. The reviews of fellow parshe said. The routine includes a trip to the bathroom, ents convinced her; they swore by it as lightweight a diaper change, and brushing teeth, to replicate the and compact, but still full featured. usual night routine at home as closely as possible. Lisa “I was hesitant to spend the money since this is said this method has proven effective in helping the my last kid, but aside from being able to use it on the kids sleep through most of the long flight. plane, I knew it’d be useful to have a compact stroller While flights are a significant source of anxiety, for the car and the train once we arrived,” she said.

Lisa finds that things are easier once they reach The most critical component of the Garcia famtheir destination. “We usually meet up with other ily's travel strategy? Snacks. “Bring all the snacks,” family and we take things very slow,” she said.

Lisa says. She prefers fruit pouches and snacks for This approach allows the family to acclimate and take-offs and landings to help with ear pressure. enjoy their time together without the pressure of Her experience on a particularly challenging a strict itinerary after flying. flight from Houston to New Jersey reminded her Remember to make your appointment for your how important it is to expect the unexpected. child’s passport as early as possible. See “One time, there was bad weather in New travel.state.gov to read about obtaining a passport Jersey, and a ground stop. We were in the air for for a minor. seven hours, and when we finally landed, we had Despite the challenges, travel adventures not to refuel in Philadelphia. We missed our connectonly enrich children’s lives, but also create lifelong ing flight and were stuck at the airport,” she memories for the whole family. “Traveling with recalled. Despite the ordeal, her daughter mankids is never easy, but the memories we create are aged the situation with remarkable calm, happily priceless,” Lisa says. watching TV throughout the extended flight.

International Travel Checklist for Flying with Small Children • Passports, visas (if required), copies of important documents.

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

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

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

• Baby carrier or sling.

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

• Even more snacks.

• Patience.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 42

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 43

ARTS

by Cindy Burnett, staff writer

Buzz Reads

Five picks for July

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

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

The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby by Ellery Lloyd (mystery/thriller) – This twisty mystery by husband and wife duo Ellery Lloyd revolves around a cursed wealthy family and the Surrealist painting which is linked to three suspicious deaths over the course of many years.

The book weaves together mystery/thriller elements, art history and the world of art, love affairs and tragedy, family history, and the strong driving force of obsession, along with an examination of how women’s stories are often left out of history. I thoroughly enjoyed the focus on an artist whose one famous work went missing, as well as the strong characters and numerous engaging mysteries. This one will appeal to readers who enjoy multiple-timeline tales, art, and clever mysteries.

The Queen's Faithful Companion: A Novel of Queen Elizabeth II and Her Beloved Corgi, Susan by Eliza Knight (historical fiction) – This endearing and unique novel is told in three perspectives: that of a young Queen Elizabeth; that of Hanna Penwyck, the fictionalized Keeper of the Queen’s dogs; and that of Susan, the Queen’s Corgi, who was Elizabeth’s beloved companion. Susan is the actual dog that originated the long line of the Queen's corgis and her WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 44

exploits in the story are fictional but based on real events and history.

Telling a portion of the story from Susan’s perspective worked surprisingly well, and Knight weaves in fascinating details about Elizabeth’s early years while showing a more human side of the Queen.

The Queen's Faithful Companion will resonate with those who have beloved pets or who follow the WHAT TO READ This month's selections include a cutting-edge science British royals.

Under Your fiction/thriller, a mystery centered on art and a long-missing artist, historical fiction about Queen Elizabeth and her favorite corgi Susan, a fabulous romantic comedy Spell by Laura set in the UK, and a thriller focused on heir property laws.

Wood (romantic recently died. She uncovers an issue that dates comedy) – The daughter of a self-absorbed older back to the Reconstruction era. I was unfamiliar rock star finds herself unexpectedly “babysitting” with heir property rights until I read this book, the most popular (and handsome) musician in and I am glad Morris is shining a light on this the world and is unsettled when their relationissue, which still exists in the U.S. today. Heir ship becomes more personal – especially since property refers to land that is passed between she swore she’d never, ever date someone generations of family members without a will or famous. This book is so much fun, and I adored formal estate plan and often impacts those on the focus on music as well as the forced proximthe lower end of the economic spectrum. Coity story line. Wood’s dialogue is laugh-out-loud owners often have limited rights over the propfunny without feeling forced, and the main erty, and a sale can be triggered when any cocharacters’ banter is spectacular. The sibling owner wants to sell. In addition to the property dynamic among the three sisters is a great addiissue, I enjoyed the ghostly perspectives and the tion to the book as well as the way Wood crafts low country setting. a strong sense of place with the English countryside setting. This will be my favorite rom-com Editor’s note: Southside Place resident Cindy of the year. Those who like engaging and sweet Burnett also writes our weekly Page Turners colromances, as well as well-crafted characters, will umn at thebuzzmagazines.com. She hosts the really enjoy this one. award-winning Thoughts from a Page Podcast, is What You Leave Behind by Wanda M. co-creator of the Houston literary event series Morris (mystery/thriller) – This engaging Conversations from the Page, runs the Instagram thriller follows a lawyer who returns to her account @thoughtsfromapage, and regularly speaks hometown and finds herself caught up in the to groups about books. disappearance of a local resident whose sister Cindy Burnett

.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 45

Jake Eschelman

DINING

by Dai Huynh, staff writer

Chef’s Corner

Greek Traditions, with Little Twists

K

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

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

Like some folks, I might roast a chicken but prefer to leave the sides to the experts. When short on energy, I’ll leave the entire meal to Kriti chef-owner Mary Cuclis. Why not, when her food tastes delicious, and her uniquely crafted dishes consist of carefully chosen ingredients?

Take keftedes, or meatballs, made with traditional ground beef and served with dill yogurt sauce; or the gluten-free, vegan-version, comprised of quinoa and sweet potatoes with parsley pine nut dip. With Kriti, I’ve had the chance to sample almost all the items on both the menus of its counter-service café and its convenient “Heat & Eat” section. This dual concept allows me to grab a lamb or chicken wrap on tender, homemade whole-grain flatbread for lunch and an eggplant moussaka from the refrigerator for dinner, all in one visit. Mary’s moussaka doesn’t contain potatoes. I’d always assumed they were required in the Greek version. “Not always,” she says. I always learn something new about Mediterranean cuisine from Mary. I’ve come to appreciate her deeply rooted understanding of home-style Greek cooking specifically.

Anita Jaisinghani – Mary’s former boss and James Beard Award-nominated author – doesn’t hesitate telling people that Mary was her alltime favorite employee. “She was the only female who became a tandoor cook and did it cool as a cucumber. Do you know how much we struggle to find someone to work the tandoor?

People are so scared of it,” says the chef-owner of Pondicheri, a modern Indian restaurant.

In 2022, Mary left Pondicheri to open Kriti.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 46

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

You once worked for the El Bulli of Hong Kong, Bo Innovation chef-owner Alvin Leung, who is the “Demon Chef” because he deconstructs traditional Chinese dishes KRITI KITCHEN Kriti chef-owner Mary Cuclis lives in West University with her and gives them a modern, husband, Scott Gilliland, and their kids, Owen and Addie. if somewhat futuristic, amazing. I applied to work at Indika, but Anita interpretation. How did you end up in the kitchen said she didn’t need me there. She was about to of this world-acclaimed toque? open Pondicheri. She asked if I would like to My parents lived in Hong Kong for eight work there. I said, ‘Yes!’ years. When I was off from Trinity University in I was part of the founding crew there, and what San Antonio, I would go to Hong Kong and try I thought would be a six-week endeavor to figure the most amazing food. At the time, I majored out my life ended up being my life. I was there for in marketing and art, but I also loved cooking, 10 years. Anita was an incredible mentor, both so one summer, I got an internship at Bo personally and career-wise. She pushed me in the Innovation, a Michelin-starred restaurant in best way to come out of my shell. I was very shy.

Hong Kong. I worked 12-hour shifts six days a Do you still collaborate with Anita? week; I learned a lot. The first week, they Anita helped me with the baklava cookies. trained me in pastry, then told me that the pasShe’s a cookie master. I told her I wanted a try chef was going to leave for a week for vacabaklava, but I wanted it to be a cookie, so she tion, and I was in charge. And, ‘Oh, the suggested a shortbread cookie on the outside and Michelin star guy is in town, so make sure you baklava filling. do everything right.’

Your time with Anita clearly impacted your Talk about high pressure. Bo Innovation is approach to food. But your food is unique because known for molecular cooking, right? it’s rooted in your Greek heritage. Take, for It was fascinating, meshing science with food. instance, your Cretan mountain tea blend, which Everything had to be very precise. I remembered contains dittany, a therapeutic and aromatic marjohaving to debone fish, very, very small fish. He also ram-like perennial that grows wild only on the asked me to cut strawberries into squares. I rememmountainsides and gorges of the Greek island of ber thinking, ‘How do I do that?’ But I learned. I Crete, aka Kriti. You opened Kriti Kitchen, inspired also learned about plating and presentation. by the idyllic summers you spent visiting Chania on Fast-forward to 2012, when you graduated from the island of Crete. Can you give us more backcollege and are back in your hometown, Houston. ground about your inspiration?

I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do. I My grandfather came from Crete, the largest always loved food, and every career I ever had of the Greek islands. When I visit my relatives, was tied to food. My favorite restaurant at the you don’t get the Greek food you get in the U.S. time was Indika, Anita’s first place. I loved how In America, it’s more like street food. When I she could transform vegetables; to this day, it's

Jake Eschelman

Jake Eschelman

Jake Eschelman

Jake Eschelman

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

visit my relatives, I have this kind of homestyle Greek food that I could never find in the U.S. And I was like, ‘Why don’t people have this?

This is so good.’ So, the idea was to bring that homestyle Greek food here.

Give an example.

When you travel to Greece, a lot of times, you’ll visit tavernas, local places where they’ll be cooking stifados, which are stews. Often, they’ll be open kitchens, almost like someone’s home kitchen. And they’ll say to you, ‘Come, smell these stews. Which one do you want?”

They’ll have chicken stifado, vegetable stifado, pork, all different kinds. I loved that. And they’ll have vegetable accompaniments, like horta, which we have as a side. Horta is a variety of wild greens picked off the side of the mountains.

Ours are seasonal greens from the market and may include dandelion and amaranth.

You don’t often see stifado on U.S. Greek menus.

You offer several stifados, including a white bean version. You also shared the recipe for the chicken stifado, a popular freezer item. Why choose this dish?

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

archaeologist who specialized in ancient foods, specifically of Minoan times. He said carobs were used in stews; it was a commonly used ingredient.

That got me thinking. When I add it to the stifado, it adds a richness, almost like a mole, a depth that you wouldn’t expect. That, in combination with the rosemary, is just a really fun, unique flavor. It’s not the easiest ingredient to find, but you can get it at nuts.com, or you could use cocoa powder. It just might be slightly more bitter.

Kriti’s Chicken Stifado For marinade: 1 pound chicken thighs 1 teaspoon paprika ½ teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon chopped garlic 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon yogurt ½ teaspoon salt For stew: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 2 carrots, chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped 1 tablespoon chopped garlic ½ cup tomato puree

1 tablespoon carob (see note) 2 cups chicken stock or water 1 cinnamon stick 1 chopped fresh rosemary Salt and ground black pepper to taste Cut chicken thighs into 1 ½-inch cubes. In a mixing bowl, prepare the marinade by combining paprika, black pepper, garlic, olive oil, yogurt, and salt. Toss in chicken thigh, coating the meat evenly with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight.

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

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

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

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

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 47

SPORTS

.

by Todd Freed, staff writer

SportzBuzz W

ith its 5-1 victory over rival Kinkaid in the SPC final, the Episcopal Knights secured a remarkable seventh consecutive SPC Softball Championship.

“The SPC conference was the toughest that I can remember, so our girls really had to step up and play at another level,” said Episcopal softball coach Caitlyn Cain. “It’s always tough when you have a target on your back, but the girls handled it well. Our lone senior was Allie Williams and she really led the team.”

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

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

W

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

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

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

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 48

SPC CHAMPIONS The St. John’s Mavericks dominated the SPC Golf Tournament, winning their seventh straight SPC Championship. The Mavericks finished in first place by a 34-stroke margin.

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

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

W

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

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

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

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

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

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 49

SPORTS

.

by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer

SportzBuzz Jr. W

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

WUSA All-Stars This year, West University Softball Association celebrated its inaugural AllStar Games (ASG) for each division, marking a new tradition in the league. The 10U division had 22 players and two alternates selected by the division managers, split into the red and blue teams, coached by JB McAllister and Rhett Davis, respectively. "We had some incredibly competitive, highly skilled games that were a lot of fun to watch," said outgoing league president Daniel Pesikoff. The red team emerged victorious in a hard-fought match against the blue team. The league officials plan to make this exciting event an annual highlight. Hays McAllister was awarded MVP for her sportsmanship and talent displayed throughout the game. Pictured (top row, from left) after the game are players Carson Frels, Emily Stasio, Keelie Cordova, Hays McAllister, Savannah Beinart, Natalia Cotton, Gemma Baird, Connelly Martin-Harvey, Emma Hughes, Lizzie Baudin, Frances Prescott, Cate O'Neill, Olivia Taschery; (front row, from left) Shiloh Landrum, Gemma Vu, Natalia Baltodano, Sloane Nicodemus, Meg Wright, Macey Liebl, Pippa Beasley, Annabeth Kirklin, and Sami Cooper.

Mira Su Whaley, a rising fifth grader at West University Elementary School, lined up with hundreds of fellow racers at 6 in the morning to check off a goal she has long been preparing for. She raced for her fourth time in the Houston Texans Kids Triathlon presented by Texas Children’s. Mira’s fans cheered her on as she crossed the finish line of the annual race, which just completed its 11th year. The race took place at the Typhoon Texas Waterpark in Katy. The triathlon consisted of swimming, biking, and running, with different courses based on age and ability. Mira Su says she enjoys racing in the triathlons for “the excitement and the festivities.” West U Elementary has a triathlon team that practices together throughout the year under the management of coach Amanda Jehn.

Congratulations to Mira and the entire team on crossing the finish line.

District Champs, again The Lanier Middle School Girls Soccer Team won the 2024 District Championship. The team has been undefeated for five consecutive seasons and won four consecutive district titles. The team won 10-0 this season with a 64-4 goal differential. Pictured (front row, from left) Johanna Dorn, Danielle Harris, Tatiana Duque, Charlotte Eschleman, (middle row, from left) Maezie Liaw, Faustine Llorca, Simone Latchett, Kayla Zhou, Autumn Lam, (top row, from left) Coach Niv Regev, Abbey Knight, Faith Branum, Alexis Janner, Lilly Cabell, Colette Mallinson, and Adela Kusinski.

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 JULY 2024 50

Alan Ross

A great Tri

A

D

V

E

R

T

O

R

I

A

L

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

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

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

Disinheriting a child tends to bruise all the survivors, not just the rotten ones. Your will is the last word any of them hear from you, and harsh words or consequences have an outsize impact on everyone, sometimes more so on the good kids, who have been known to restore the rotten ones’ share.

They i) may disagree with your decision, ii) are okay with it but others they love are not, or iii) just want to get the whiners out of their hair.

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

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

a well-managed trust appreciated 4.5% a year (after inflation, taxes, and investment advisory fees), that meant 2 of every 3 dollars of growth went to the trustees rather than to the beneficiary. I explained that to one client and asked, “Is it really worth it?”

“You’ve never met my children,” he responded. “My grandchildren will inherit nothing otherwise.”

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

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

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

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 51

GIFTS FROM THE HEART Fiona Bodmann and Genevieve Ederle, sophomores from St. John’s School, reflect on how their crochet hobby turned into a way to give back.

KIDS

by Fiona Bodmann and Genevieve Ederle, age 15

Buzz Kidz

Fuzzy Friends

W

e first found a shared love for crocheting in middle school when we became friends in track and field. We spent hours scouring YouTube together, finding tutorials to feed our new hobby. The craft made us happy, and the crocheted stuffed animals we created became the perfect gift for loved ones.

Because some of our family members are doctors, we expanded our horizons to pediatric hospital settings, meeting kids struggling with medical issues and giving them crocheted stuffies.

Realizing a homemade gift from the heart can make a world of difference for someone else, especially a sick kid, we found a sense of purpose in those small moments of joy and decided to use our love for crochet towards the good of others.

Naming our new project "Fuzzy Friends," we

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 52

planned a way to bring crocheters in our school community together to make stuffed animals for kids in hospitals. We revived the crochet club at our school, using it to build a foundation of students for our community service project. We hosted meetings each week, even teaching beginners the basics of crochet in the hopes they could pitch in.

We brought in various yarns and hooks, found easy and quick animal patterns on YouTube, and began collecting participants from all grades. As our club garnered attention, we even looped in a fourthgrade class at our school, providing supplies and directions. They eagerly participated in our project as a fun activity at the end of the school day, and the combined contributions of all students allowed us to collect a large number of stuffed animals.

Our efforts over the school year not only

allowed us to turn our hobby into a way to comfort kids struggling with their health, but it also allowed us to build new connections with kids of all ages, showing students that every contribution is an important one. We appreciate the leadership and communication skills we are gleaning along the way and hope to continue extending our reach through the community, introducing kids to the world of crochet and community service one stuffed animal at a time.

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.

A

D

V

E

R

T

O

R

I

A

L

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

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

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

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

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

For some patients, nasal steroids sprays such as Nasacort or Flonase can be helpful. Sometimes surgery is required when the polyps get severe.

Unfortunately, even with surgical removal, polyps usually grow back.

Some patients have had multiple surgeries yet polyps grow back. With each surgery, the risks of surgical complications go up.

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

Revolutionary Treatment for Arthritis and Tendonitis

this allergic inflammation and asthma began to be explored as treatment for nasal polyps.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Two locations to serve you: 9150 S. Main St., Suite A-3, Houston, TX 77025 • 713.630.8181 2610 W. Sam Houston Pkwy. South, Houston, TX 77042 • 713.343.6750 www.sjmctx.org

Sanjay Mehta, MD, DABR Board Certified Radiation Oncologist WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 53

A

PETS

Neighborhood Tails Foster, age 13, English Springer Spaniel, Villanova St. Hi, I’m Foster, a 13-year-old English Springer Spaniel. I found my home on Villanova in 2013 after my family found me at the Houston Cocker Spaniel Rescue. I absolutely love exploring and supporting my city. I was literally named after former Texans running back Arian Foster! Colonial Park is my favorite place to stroll and meet new friends.

Buffalo Grille’s bacon is to die for and is my favorite treat followed by a a puppuccino. Lastly, the Astros are my favorite sports team! I bleed orange and blue and love to wear my Astros scarf no matter the weather. I’m the sweet and docile child year-round except for the holiday season. No presents can be kept under the tree because I love to tear up any packages, especially if there is tissue paper. Between you and I though, I know I’ll always be the favorite in the family. I love my sweet life in West University!

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

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 54

D

V

E

R

T

O

R

I

A

L

Meet Bruno: he’s paw-some!

Get ready to meet the newest rockstar on our team: Bruno, the therapy dog extraordinaire! Every Friday, Bruno struts his stuff at the office, spreading love and fuzzy vibes.

Here at PurePediatrics, we're all about turning doctor visits into a party, and Bruno's tail-wagging enthusiasm adds an extra sprinkle of magic.

Bruno's superpowers are truly remarkable.

Acting as a chill pill for anxiety, Bruno’s zen energy helps kids relax and feel at ease during appointments. So you can say goodbye to nervous jitters! His playtime perks up spirits, turning medical visits into happy memories for little ones.

The mood-boosting magic of snuggling with Bruno releases feel-good hormones, keeping emotions sunny even on cloudy days. Bruno's charm opens up kids to chat with our team, paving the way for top-notch care and lasting bonds.

Swing by and say hi to Bruno! PurePediatrics is your go-to for stress-free and smile-filled healthcare adventures. With Bruno’s help, we make doctor visits enjoyable and comforting for your family with a personalized touch.

We look forward to seeing you on Fridays for a fluffy dose of fun and the exceptional care your child deserves!

Roshni Sambasivan, M.D., PurePediatrics, Bellaire, Memorial & River Oaks; 6750 West Loop South, Suite 465, Bellaire; 7700 San Felipe, Suite 470, Memorial; River Oaks opening Summer 2024, 3355 W. Alabama, Suite 400. www.purepediatrics.com. 832.431.4336.

A

D

V

E

R

T

O

R

I

A

L

Summer dog safety tips Unfortunately, our pups don’t have the efficient ‘cooling system’ that us humans have – sweat. Therefore, they can easily become overheated and even suffer a heat stroke! Here are some tips for keeping your pup cool and safe while giving them adequate exercise and activity this summer: KEEP YOUR DOG HYDRATED One of the easiest and most effective ways of cooling off your pup is by keeping them hydrated with some fresh and cool water. You can do this by carrying around a portable, collapsible water bowl and bottles of cold water. It is important to ensure your pup is drinking water every hour when exposed to hot weather conditions.

ENJOY SOME WATER ACTIVITIES What better way to help your pup beat the heat than by going for a swim or enjoying some water play activities? A kiddie pool or a yard sprinkler are great ways for your pup to get in some much-needed exercise while enjoying the summer weather.

AVOID THE MIDDAY HEAT Avoid taking your pup out during the midday heat by going on earlymorning and late-evening walks. Asphalt and sand can become very hot, so be sure to test out the temperature before taking your pup out as the hot surfaces can burn your dog’s paws.

PROVIDE FROZEN TREATS A tasty frozen treat such as frozen broth cubes, frozen yogurt, frozen banana popsicles, and frozen peanut butter can help refresh your warm pup.

You can also find dog-friendly iced creams at various pet stores. Just be sure to take those extra calories into account when prepping your pup’s meals!

KNOW THE SIGNS OF HEATSTROKE AND WHAT TO DO Heatstroke is a serious danger to pups during hot summer days, especially to those with health issues. Take note of the following signs of heatstroke in your dog: • Excessive panting and salivating / clear discomfort • Vomiting and diarrhea • Disorientation • Seizures If you witness any of these warning signs, immediately get your pup into a cooler environment and call your veterinarian. Sometimes, problems from heatstroke only appear several days later, however, immediate veterinary care can prevent serious or life-threatening complications.

TAKE YOUR FURRY FRIEND TO DOGTOPIA Bring your pup to Dogtopia, now open in West University, for a fun-filled day of safe play in our climate-controlled playrooms. We keep your pup comfortable in the perfect temperature during playtime with our specialized filtered air systems that also help keep the air fresh and clean. You can rest at ease knowing that your dog is enjoying the safe – and cool – exercise, education, and socialization they need to become a healthy, well-rounded pup.

Dogtopia, 3184 Bissonnet St., Houston, Texas 77005 (behind Bering’s), 346.803.3030, dogtopia.com/houston-west-university

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 55

Jacob Power

NEIGHBORS

.

by Angie Frederickson, staff writer

Buzz About Town www.andrewsphoto.com

Remembering Randy Bullard

eight unique homes and a shopping market with 25 local vendors. Home tour committee members Sarah Nelson, Kate Doke, Annika Bermudez, Laura Hobeika (pictured, from left), and Megan Davis organized the sold-out fundraising event that highlighted the work of interior designers, architects, builders, and real-

Meredith Chastang and Liz Anders for their years of support of Bo’s Place.

Regatta champ

Randy Bullard (pictured, in a photo taken for a 2007 Buzz article), hometown hero and former head of West University Little League (WULL) umpires, passed away at the age of 79. A staple on the baseball fields for 25 years, Randy will be missed by players, coaches, and families. The beloved umpire was always the players’ biggest fan and followed WULL All-Star teams on their journeys to district, sectionals, state, regionals, and even the Little League World Series. He loved baseball and the kids who play the game, and he was honored with his name on a Pee Wee field.

When WULL started a Challenger Baseball Division in 2005 – so children with special needs could play baseball – Randy helped secure volunteers in the concession stand every weekend. He also joined the Challenger team in Washington, D.C. when then President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush invited them to play a game on the White House South Lawn. Those who knew Randy say he is now an angel in the outfield for WULL.

The homes of West U The West University Elementary PTO hosted the West U Home Tour and Market, featuring WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 56

tors. Guests viewed the latest trends in interiors across a variety of styles of homes in both West U and Southside Place, with ticket proceeds benefiting the PTO. After the event, homeowners and sponsors were treated to a wrap-up event at the newly opened Mexican restaurant, Maximo.

Run for the roses Derby-finest attire filled the room at The Post Oak Hotel for the Hats, Hearts, and Horseshoes event benefiting Bo’s Place. Laurie Sanders and Chelsea Collmer (pictured, from left) were among the 400 guests at the Kentucky Derbythemed affair that raised a record-breaking $360,000 for the nonprofit bereavement center for children, adults, and families. The afternoon of champagne, mint juleps, and live and silent auctions was chaired by Fady Armanious and Bill Baldwin, Amanda and Terry Boffone, and Jayne and Garrett Johnston and featured emcees Chita Craft and Stephen Lewis.

Advisory Board member Kathy O'Neil presented the Champion of Hope Award to sisters

Lanier Middle School seventh grader Caleb Liu (pictured, second from left, with Joshua Pullara, coach Paul Barnes, and Derek Purdue) won first place in the Optimist division at the Battleship Texas Regatta. More than 80 sailors competed at the Houston Yacht Club in the fundraising event to support the Battleship Texas Foundation’s efforts to restore the historic Battleship USS Texas BB-35 Museum in Galveston. Young competitors participate in the club’s Ragnot sailing program where they learn to sail in a variety of weather conditions and learn the safety skills required to navigate on the water. Caleb is new to competitive sailing and has attended numerous (continued on page 58)

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 57

the last year. Looking to the future, he hopes to continue to advance and represent the nation at international events.

David Shutts

Hear with you

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

A special wedding kneeler

in San Francisco, which was followed by a reception at the Golden Gate Club in the Presidio, a national park and former army base with views of the Golden Gate Bridge. The bride, daughter of Lee and Glenn Newick, and the groom, son of Annette and Kevin Long, met in 2014 while attending the University of Virginia. The couple lives in San Francisco, but Grace’s family brought a special touch from home for the ceremony: a needlepoint-stitched wedding kneeler from the Newick family’s church, West University United Methodist Church. The kneeler, made by stitchers Patrice Brewer and Jeanne Maher, was part of a project during the church’s 2007 renovation and was intended to travel when church members marry at a different location. The handmade wedding kneeler is stitched with two joined gold rings with a cross in between.

A toast to the coast

Nature Discovery Center’s (NDC) 29th Annual Twilight: A Toast to the Coast in Russ Pitman Park. Longtime ABC 13 anchor and NDC neighbor Tom Koch emceed the event, where guests dined and danced surrounded by native wildflowers, greenery, coastal coral and turtle shells, and twinkling fairy lights. Marybeth Flaherty and Meredith Flaherty-Symonds led the silent auction featuring photo ops in Mermaid Grotto with “Ms. Mermaid” and among the Center’s wildflower gardens with a fluttering “Ms. Butterfly.” Other featured guests included NDC’s animal ambassadors Clover the Dutch rabbit and Blaze the bearded dragon who were available for encounters with guests. This year’s Twilight guests raised more than $40,000 to support NDC’s nature education programs and refurbish raised sensory garden beds.

Walk with Oliver

Stephanie Fleischer-Bell, Amie and Corbett Parker, and Meghan and Kenneth Lutschg (pictured, from left) celebrated at the Bellaire

Brianna Myers, A Perfect Impression

Stephen Long and Grace Newick (pictured) tied the knot at St. John’s Presbyterian Church

Jared Meche of JP Meche Media

(continued from page 56) Texas sailing races over

Oliver Cole, Benjamin Cole, Kim Pizzitola, and Courtney Cole (pictured, from left) participated in the 13th annual (continued on page 60) WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 58

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 59

hosted by Easter Seals Greater Houston at the Houston Zoo. Oliver, a former Easter Seals Ambassador, raised nearly $5,000 in donations for Easter Seals and ranked as a top fundraiser among thousands of participants. The Cole family relied on Easter Seals’ Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) services when Oliver was born with challenges, and they are forever grateful for their impact on his life. This year, Oliver and his family joined the noncompetitive 5K Family Fun Walk to support families living with disabilities in the community. In addition, Oliver’s grandmother in Germany, Christa Cole, recently celebrated her 75th birthday and requested Easter Seals donations instead of gifts.

Christa collected the individual donations from her friends and family, and the total amount became the largest single contribution Oliver's campaign received this year.

Farewell to St. Mark’s A group of eighth grade boys and moms (pictured) celebrated the end of their years at St. Mark’s Episcopal School with a trip to Florida.

Fifteen mother-son duos hit the beach for a last hurrah before they scatter to various high schools in the fall. Many of the families have been at St. Mark’s for more than 10 years.

Headmaster Garhett Wagers wrote the boys a note about the gentlemen they are becoming, which was the perfect wrap-up to their time as students at the school. Pictured are (top row, from left): Sidney Hatfield, Luke Killian, Leigh Killian, Lukas Metzen, and Sara Ruppelt; (middle row, from left): Sam Friedberg, Jennifer Friedberg, Allyson Cunius, Kyle Cunius, Hudson Herr, Bryson Blasingame, Timothy Davidson, Anna Davidson, Starlee WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 60

Sykes, Emily Spalding, Roxy Evans, Kirti Saxena, and Krish Saxena; (bottom row, from left): Beth Hatfield, Cathy Herr, Kristy Burt, Maria Villamil, Martin Villamil, Cade Waligura, Walker Evans, Ben Spalding, Jude Calarge, and Lilian Dindo-Calarge.

For a healthy Houston Geraldina and Scott Wise (pictured) joined fellow supporters for the Memorial Hermann No Mountain High Enough Gala at the Hilton Americas-Houston. Chaired by Hallie Vanderhider and honoring Melinda and Greg Armstrong, Linda and Willie Chiang, and Jane and Harry Pefanis, the event raised $4.8 million. Before chef Aaron Bludorn’s four-course

dinner was served, a choir of Memorial Hermann clinicians and staff, alongside the Ernest Walker Band, performed “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” setting the stage for the evening’s program. Guests also heard from Dr. David Callender, president and chief executive officer of Memorial Hermann Health System and Anne Neeson, Memorial Hermann Foundation executive vice president and chief executive officer the hospital system’s efforts to benefit the health of Greater Houston.

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.

Johnny Than

(continued from page 58) Walk with Me event

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 61

NEIGHBORS

by Andria Dilling, staff writer

Back Porch

The Game of the Summer: Mahjong takes over

T

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

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

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

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

Dragons? And blanks? What?

The rules are contrary to those in onze or gin or spades. At a lesson early on in my mahjong career (like a few months ago), one woman I was learning with – who happened to be from China – said, “I have a string of consecutive numbers in the same suit. I should be able to use these.”

Alas. You must cull “hands” of tiles that correspond to the mahjong card of the year’s approved winning hands.

Which brings us to this: In order to keep up with the year-to-year scramble of what tiles constitute winning hands, you have to buy a new, trifold mahjong card every year. For $15.

Which, my friends and I imagined, guaranteed that a bunch of mahjong-expert grannies in New York had a steady income, year after year.

In reality, the National Mah Jongg League gives proceeds from the cards to charities.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JULY 2024 62

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

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

“It’s nice,” she says, “because we’re from all different walks of life, our kids are different QUICK LEARNER Whether it’s mahjong or Monopoly, multi-generational ages, at different games are one of the joys of summer. schools. It’s fun and ask me if I was going home to knit quilts social and you can hang out and drink and avoid after mahjong. But now it’s exploded, and your family for a while, and you’re somewhat all of them are playing, or they want to play. using your brain. Like pickleball but you don’t It’s just a great excuse to commit to being have to get sweaty.” with friends.”

Having started playing just a few months ago, Which is, I guess, what finally got me in the Jacqui says, “I’m very late to the trend. And I’m game. Although I do have to remind myself not playing to win. If someone wants to cheat, every few minutes which tiles correspond to be my guest.” which suits.

That’s not to say there aren’t sticklers.

For players like me, Jacqui says she knows Heather Consoli, who started playing a couseveral women whose full-time jobs are teachple of years ago and now plays every Thursday, ing people how to play mahjong. “I don’t know explains: “The difference in mahjong players is if they’re killing it,” she quips, “but they look like the difference between HLTA [Houston like they eat.” If Jacqui’s group’s summer uptick Ladies Tennis Association] tennis and in playtime is any indication, the mahjong Memorial [League] tennis. Memorial, everyone coaches will be eating lobster and wagyu this wants to know about your kids. HLTA is more summer. like we’re gonna beat you and don’t talk to me. I’m Jacqui thinks a little more and adds, “Nobody Memorial League.” has a knitting club anymore. Mahjong is the The sorority rush consultant says, “I have new knitting club.” a lot of younger friends who would laugh and behance.net/runamokstudios

.