Recipes to Reenergize First-Class Dog Rescues Helping the Homeless: A Life’s Calling A Holocaust Survivor’s Story Lives On
Roderick Austin
A Passion for Cooking by Andria Dilling
Reflecting on New Year’s Resolutions We’re All Ears: Audiobooks Order the Cake Cindy Gabriel: Finding Hope in 2024 Houston, TX Permit No. 2047 PAID
Buzz Baby: The Announcement
US Postage PRSRT STD
Buzz Reads
EDITOR’S NOTE Happy January! After a holiday season full of indulgence, we dedicate most of this issue to featuring healthy recipes. We challenged Buzz residents Pam Morris and her daughter Sophie and family friend Roderick Austin, all passionate home cooks, to share some favorite, simple dishes. And Andria Dilling compiled recipes that have appeared on our online “Back Porch Table” column that are all healthy and delicious. But despite the focus on good-for-you meals, I have been absorbed in a new personal mantra: “Order the cake.” I recently listened to an interview with actor John Stamos talking about the loss of his dear friend Bob Saget. One quote from the interview struck me and has stuck with me ever since: “Order the cake.” You’ll have to read more in this month’s Back Porch column to understand. Here’s to a healthy, happy new year. And don’t forget to order the cake. joni@thebuzzmagazines.com
THE BUZZ MAGAZINES BELLAIRE • WEST UNIVERSITY • MEMORIAL • TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS Published by Hoffman Marketing & Media, LLC 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401 info@thebuzzmagazines.com • p: 713.668.4157 • f: 713.665.2940 Follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter thebuzzmagazines.com Editor-in-Chief Publisher Editor Associate Editor
Joni Hoffman Michael Hoffman Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld Caroline Siegfried
Design Manager Staff Writers
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 Karen Vine Fuller, Ben Portnoy Andrea Blitzer Leslie Little Jo Rogers
Contributing Writers Account Managers
On our cover: Roderick Austin loves to cook and often creates his own recipes based on what’s in the fridge, like Poached Pear French Toast. Cover photo by Nikky LaWell, lawellphoto.com The Buzz Magazines has made all reasonable attempts to verify the accuracy of all information contained within. Advertising claims are solely the responsibility of the advertiser. Copyright © 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 JANUARY 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 JANUARY 2024 5
MAILBAG
Your letters, thoughts, opinions Prego! We are grateful we had the opportunity to share the beauties of our region we miss so much [At Home in Two Worlds: The Melena-Maci Family by Tracy L. Barnett, Dec. 2023]. We thank all the staff of The Buzz for their kindness and genuine interest in our story. Copies of The Buzz magazine will arrive to Italy with us this Christmas and be shared with family and friends. We hope that our story from Abruzzo will trigger the curiosity of readers to explore other Italian regions not as famous as Tuscany or Sicily but still blessed with great history, arts, traditions, and natural beauty. Grazie! Annalisa Maci
Fan of Back Porch column I always read your article at the back of this magazine [Andria Dilling’s Back Porch column], and this one was my favorite by far [Saint: The Best Hanukkah Gift, Dec. 2023]. I love how you write; you are incredible. I feel like I know Saint [the Goldendoodle] well. Everything you said was cute and even self-deprecating, but also very funny. It was so poignant and sweet. Anita Gaylor
Meaningful moment What a pleasure to open The Buzz and see my cat, Simon! As Warhol said, we’re all famous for fifteen minutes; I guess that includes cats, too. Regarding the “kind, beautiful lady” mentioned in the first sentence of Simon’s confessions [Simon, age 14, Neighborhood Tails, Tanglewood/River Oaks, Dec. 2023]: She was released to hospice today, and so will almost certainly never see Simon in The Buzz. She’d have been absolutely thrilled. I’m glad she at least got to see that pic when I sent it to her a few weeks ago. She really loved Simon, and was grief-stricken when she had to give him away. It still chokes me up, even after several years, to recall how she had hurriedly toted him to my car in his carrier, not able to even look at him and say goodbye after she placed the carrier on my seat; she couldn’t bear to do anything but quickly walk away. If she were alert now, instead of sedated under morphine, she’d probably want, almost more than anything else, to just be able to give Simon a big squeeze. Anyway, thanks for letting Simon have his moment! Craig Edel Editor’s note: We were touched by Craig’s beautiful words, and sad to find out that Buzz reader Judy Shannette passed away the day after Craig wrote this letter.
Concert for a cause The article [Concert for a Cause: Remembering Tom Bres through music by Pooja Salhotra, Dec. 2023] is fantastic. You did such a great job. My mom and I both have gotten so much positive feedback about it and it’s already helping fundraising this year. Thank you so much for paying such attention and care to this story; I will truly cherish it forever! Meg Bres WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 6
Familiar with the ‘It Factor’ This is a wonderful story [The It Factor: Some people just have it – Not a Memoir, Part 9 by Cindy Gabriel, Dec. 2023]! I’ve had the [“makeover”] experience of which you speak! In fact, she [Sharon Trojan Hollinger] and [her husband] Gard visited us in Seattle. We met up for a dinner date. Sharon styled my hair in the hotel room (mind you, I had done it before I got there). She used a tool that creates volume that I had seen online, It looked great and I immediately ordered one. She’s one of a kind. We, (mostly her) have shared beauty secrets over our 30-year friendship. I can hear her voice as I read your story. I love her and you, Cindy Gabriel. Diane Beers Gabouer
Special story Great article, Michelle! [Ready to Launch: Supporting adults with special needs by Michelle Casas Groogan, Nov. 2023] I am so excited! You did a terrific job. I think it helps people understand the struggles parents [of children with special needs] go through from birth/diagnosis to adulthood. Thank you! Maribel Farish Send letters to info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Please include your name, address, phone number and email address for verification purposes. Letters are subject to editing for clarity and space. Views expressed in letters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Buzz Magazines, and The Buzz takes no responsibility for the content and opinions expressed in them.
What’s your story? We are looking for residents for upcoming articles who: • Know a Buzzworthy neighbor to feature. • Have a unique hobby or passion. • Have a milestone life event to share. • Have a compelling multi-generational story. • Have an interesting travel tale. 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 JANUARY 2024 7
NEIGHBORS Caroline Siegfried
by Ben Portnoy, contributing writer
It’s that Time Again Reflecting on New Year’s resolutions
H
ere we are again. It’s New Year’s time, and many of us consider our New Year’s resolutions. I think back to when I was 14. I was chubby then, and on New Year’s Eve I resolved to not eat candy or cake or ice cream or pies for the next year. I kept my pledge, and I lost weight. When the next New Year's rolled around, my pledge of no sweets was over, and boy did I have a good time. I’m not sure why we think it is important to make resolutions starting on January 1, but I guess there is some logic in starting with a new year. Still, I like to think that we humans are more creative than that. Why not make resolutions on Groundhog Day? Of course, there are lots of other starting dates you might choose – Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras) or Labor Day or Lincoln’s Birthday (now largely forgotten and replaced by Presidents’ Day). OK, let’s just stick with January 1. We make resolutions, but a study from Ohio State University released in February 2023 reports that these resolutions rarely last long. It reports that only 9 percent of resolutions are kept, and that seems like a high number to me. The same study claims that 23 percent of resolutions are broken by the first week and 43 percent by the end of January. This is not encouraging. And what do we resolve to do anyway? Google “New Year’s Resolutions” and a composite list of popular resolutions will include: lose weight, eat a healthy diet, save money, stop smoking, drink less alcohol, exercise more, and organize something. Oh please, no wonder we don’t keep these resolutions for very long. They are boring. They lack a spark that might last for a year or longer, much less for a month. While Googling, I found a list of unusual suggestions for New Year’s resolutions. The list started with “Cook something new each week.” I liked that one, but what if you stick with new cookie recipes? That wouldn’t fit with “Lose weight” very well, should that be a secondary goal of yours. On the same list was “Learn to love vegetables.” I have always admired cauliflower, but I don’t think I could love a cauliflower. Another suggested resolution was “Make time for cuddling.” That’s not bad. It’s an easy WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 8
WHAT TO RESOLVE Ben Portnoy considers eating more prunes in the new year.
one to keep, but what if you do not own a cat or dog? The end of the list added “Make your bed every morning.” OK, I guess that would not be hard to keep, but what if you already make your bed every morning or your significant other makes your bed every morning or you work nights, so you have to make your bed every afternoon? Oh well, surely there is more to New Year’s resolutions. In the interest of keeping New Year’s resolutions, I believe that the resolution should reflect an innovative spirit in the resolver. What about resolving to eat more prunes? That is a simple resolution and an easy one to keep. The California Prune Board would applaud your choice for 2024, and that same association claims that you would benefit greatly. They say that three prunes a day will lower your blood pressure and twice that number will lower it even more. The same dose of daily prunes reduces the level of LDL or “bad” cholesterol, too. Of course, this choice of resolutions attacks other health issues which we need not delve into at this point. Another approach to New Year’s resolutions might be to turn the entire concept on its head.
Why not resolve to do things that you really secretly want to do? Maybe you should resolve to quit exercising as it makes you all sweaty and achy? Besides, you haven’t lost any weight doing all that treadmill running and stretching. And those sessions of yoga in your tight Lululemon pants are kind of embarrassing. Or you could resolve to eat some chocolate every day. If you work from home and wear a nice shirt over your pajama bottoms, why not simply appear on Zoom in a robe for the next year. That would surely be more fun than trying to lose weight. I myself am puzzled about the entire question of New Year’s resolutions. It troubles me that I have not come up with something innovative and appealing to resolve this year. Surely there is some deleterious habit or salubrious goal I might address in a 2024 resolution, but I have to admit that such a goal has not come to my mind. I think I have the answer to this problem of New Year’s resolutions, and perhaps my solution will work for you, too. I hereby resolve that, starting on January 1, 2024, I will not make any New Year’s resolution at all. I bet I can keep that one for a whole year.
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 9
Cindy Burnett
ARTS by Cindy Burnett, staff writer
We’re All Ears The rise in popularity of audiobooks
I
n our busy world, many do not have time to sit down and read a book. Audiobooks have become a popular way to consume a good story while running carpool, folding laundry, or going on a walk. I even have one friend who listens while grocery shopping. I am a relatively new participant in the audiobook arena, but I have found that it is a great way for me to enjoy nonfiction. My mind tends to wander as I am walking or loading the dishwasher, so nonfiction works better for me than fiction because it usually does not matter if I miss a bit of the story. However, I am beginning to try listening to fiction as well because of the creative manner in which audiobooks can bring a story to life. Originally, audiobooks were available on cassette and subsequently on CD. Now, audiobooks are available to download from many places, including Spotify, Libro.fm, and the library through a free platform called Libby. If you like to shop local, Libro.fm is a great choice because it is an employee-owned social purpose corporation that shares profits from audiobook purchases with the purchaser’s chosen bookstore, giving individuals the power to support local bookstores. When you sign up, you designate which bookstore you want to support and then every audiobook you acquire benefits that store. In addition, it is a fabulous resource for finding your next audiobook because the site includes bookseller recommendations from across the country as well as detailed lists in various genres and themes. When I first started listening to audiobooks, I struggled with the slow pace of the narration, not realizing that most listeners bump up the speed. Once I was privy to this trick, I found that listening at 1.8 to 2.1 (depending on the narration) moves the book along at a good speed for me. My husband laughs when he walks into the room while I am listening because the rapid speech sounds funny if you are not the one immersed in the book. Narrators can make or break the success of an audiobook as well as a listener’s enjoyment of a book. Some of my friends that are diehard audiobook listeners find narrators that they love and track down other titles that they have worked on to listen to more by that individual.
TUNING IN Listening to audiobooks has become more widespread these days, especially as it’s easy to listen while on-the-go. Looking for your next great audiobook experience? Try Daisy Jones and the Six, which is read by a full cast of narrators.
My friend Kelly Hooker says, “A fantastic audiobook narrator can completely elevate the story. I often seek out voices that have become familiar to me like Julia Whelan and Karissa Vacker for an immersive reading experience.” AudioFile Magazine is an in-depth, comprehensive resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the narration of a particular book, information about narrators including the titles they have worked on and awards they have won, which books have entire casts for the audio, and awards for books that were spectacular on audio. AudioFile also reviews and recommends audiobooks and classifies books by narrator on one portion of its site. One benefit to listening to audiobooks is the extra content that can be provided in this format. Several months ago, I listened to It Was an Ugly Couch Anyway by Elizabeth Passarella, a collection of essays about her family’s life in New York City and their saga trying to buy an apartment owned by a widow who was struggling to let go of the property. At the end of the audiobook, Elizabeth included a compelling interview with this woman, which added an element that couldn’t be included in the physical book. While additional content is an added benefit, there can be downsides to listening versus reading a print copy of a book, such as the inability to view photos or maps or other content that must be digested visually. One of my recent favorite listens was Being Henry….the Fonz and Beyond by Henry Winkler, which Henry and his wife narrate. Hearing him relay his own story was delightful, but I did miss perusing the photos that are included in the physical book; the images add depth and a personal touch to his tale.
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 10
Celebrity memoirs frequently show up on the audiobook bestseller charts. Notable titles from the last few years include The Woman in Me by Britney Spears (narrated by Michelle Williams), Being Henry….the Fonz and Beyond by Henry Winkler, If You Would Have Told Me by John Stamos, Will by Will Smith, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry, and I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy. All of these, except the Britney Spears memoir, are narrated by the celebrities themselves; I love hearing these individuals tell me their story. Full-cast narrations also create an enjoyable listening experience. Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid and The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff are two standouts that worked well for me and that I hear people mention regularly. The boom in audiobooks has led to the creation of new content such as Audiobook Originals – stories only available on audio. Authors are experimenting with this method by adding shorter stories to a long-standing series. In addition, companies such as Emerald Audio are launching serial podcasts, fictional stories relayed over a number of episodes, much like the radio serials created before the advent of television. Looking to try an audiobook? Libro.Fm lists these as some of the bestsellers of 2023: I Have some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai Yellowface by R.F. Kuang Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto Tom Lake by Ann Patchett The Wager by David Grann
Pre-K4 - Grade 8
OUR STUDENTS ARE
PREPARED FOR TOMORROW
APPLY BY JANUARY 12, 2024 LEARN MORE AT TRAFTON.ORG
4711 MCDERMED DR. HOUSTON, TX 77035 713-723-5888 ADMISSIONS@TRAFTON.ORG
Watch Their Smiles Grow
Oral healthcare for the growing & developing child Joel J. Vela, D.D.S. Bellaire Pediatric Dentistry, P.A. 6750 West Loop South, Suite 795 713.661.1100 • www.bellairesmiles.com WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 11
NEIGHBORS by Cindy Gabriel, staff writer
Finding Hope in 2024 With a little fantasy and Native American lore Julia Gabriel Weber
I
f I were in charge of the world, which clearly I am not, I would ask us all to sit in a circle and do an ommmmm chant. We would hear how we harmonize, sopranos, altos, Republicans and Democrats, into one voice because we are human. In between, there would be silence. We would close our eyes and listen to our breathing. We would suspend our thinking, in my fantasy, giving our troubled minds a momentary reset. But this wouldn’t be much of a story if the world got fixed that easily. Next, I would stand by and watch while most would become bored, start pulling out their cell phones, arguing politics, blah, blah, and the whole thing would fall apart. One reason I’m not in charge of the world is that I wouldn’t know what to do after that. I’m not sure that the actual people supposedly in charge know what to do either. Some days it just seems like the ogres of the world have the upper hand. Back to my fantasy: Just when I think all is lost, a few people, maybe three percent, would say, “that omming thing was nice. Let’s do that again.” Omming (if that’s an actual word) produces a vibration in the roof of your mouth that goes straight to the frontal lobe of your brain. It’s around your temple. Interesting word for a part of the human body. Are we hardwired with our own internal temples? There is something soothing about that om sound. It has found its way into words like cOMfort. It also lives in words like hOMe, mOM and welcOMe. The strange thing is the same people in my fantasy who liked the omming weren’t all alike. They looked a bit like a melting pot of the whole world – young, old, rich, poor, all ethnicities, with a spectrum of religious and political views that normally would make them suspicious of one another. They just happened to all simply like this one little “omming” thing. Somebody said, “Hey, why don’t we call ourselves the Ommish.” That made everybody laugh, thinking of the real Amish people. But it didn’t take long before these omming types realized that the last thing they wanted was to label themselves as a new category. Some of them had family and friends on opposing sides in wars across the ocean. Each wept over the misfortunes of the other. In
IS IT A SIGN? Native Americans were known to help point the way to springs and low water crossings by bending trees to mark the location much like this one near Leakey, Texas. Pictured: Laura Gabriel Gentile poses next to the Oak tree.
between they would share music, food, and words of peace from their own religions and cultures. A sense of relief swept over the group as they no longer felt the urge to judge each other. Finally, with the world on the brink of disaster, the omming increased as people feverishly looked for things that brought them together. It was as if their very lives depended on it. Suddenly outbreaks of peace spontaneously erupted throughout the earth and a great healing began. “You are not a drop in the ocean, you are an entire ocean in a drop,” said Rumi the Sufi poet. Since it was hard to come up with a picture of my fantasy world, I asked my daughter, Laura Gabriel Gentile, who was visiting over the holidays from Bend, Oregon, to stand by a very old L-shaped Oak tree on some family-owned property in Leakey, Texas. We think there is a story behind that Oak, yet to be proven. My son-in-law, Morgan Weber, thinks it may
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 12
be something called a Marker Tree, twisted into this shape perhaps by Comanche Indians. Arrowheads found on the property are clues. Native Americans are believed to have tied flexible young trees downward then left to grow upward towards the sun, as a way of pointing out something crucial for survival, like a low water crossing or a spring. This tree points directly to the Frio River, both a spring and a low water crossing. You can see the water behind it. It would have been bent to provide key survival information to whoever came by in days or years to come. I see it as an act of love from one person or group to people they may have never met. I’m going to look for acts of love in 2024, and hopefully create some myself. There is more going on in the world than just what you see on the news. May peace break out in your world in 2024. “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I’ll meet you there.”– Rumi
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 13
lawellphoto.com
NEIGHBORS by Cathy Gordon, staff writer
A Heart in Bloom Helping the homeless, a life’s calling
G
aye Jackson exudes an energetic glow, eyes full of sparkle and passion, her smile as soothing as a warm ocean wave. She’s a people person. There’s an electricity to her hugs, a visceral connection, as if she’s powering up the recipient with positive, megawatt vibes. She’s always felt a sense of service, even as a florist many years ago, through the power of flowers. Bringing a smile to a face with a lush bouquet. Etching lasting memories for a bride. An artist’s instinct animated her 25-year floral career. She was the go-to shop, Gaye Jackson’s Flowers in The Heights, offering arrangements that were anything but cookiecutter. The ubiquitous symmetrical dome of blossoms? Not her thing. With a keen eye and deft hand, she’d create unexpected juxtapositions – wisps, bursts, and combinations of blooms – crafted like a poem for the person in mind. “Artists can paint. My palette is arranging flowers. That was my gift,” says the Tanglewood resident. “I was never that FTD kind of florist. If somebody had said ‘Make this bouquet look like that picture,’ I probably would have revolted. Everything I sent out had to be unique, special.” Births, graduations, weddings, anniversaries. Deaths. She was an emotional emissary to people’s highs and lows in life. And she’s still on the front lines, serving people, albeit, in a different way. “This is my last chapter, kind of like my directive, my calling,” she says, of a mission that stirs her soul. Helping the homeless. “It’s my heart.”
G
aye sits in her den this chilly day, fireplace blazing, her dachshund, Mabel, burrowed under a blanket at her side. She’s talking about her role as executive director of the Houston chapter of the Washington D.C.-based nonprofit, Entryway, a program that partners with the apartment industry to provide homes and jobs for the situationally homeless – people who lost housing due to job loss, domestic violence, a
medical emergency, natural disaster, a myriad of reasons. The program, in several cities, acts as a bridge between the apartment industry and social service sector, matching participants with mentors, providing job training, and connecting them to job interviews at multifamily properties that discount their housing costs, also waiving the deposit and first month’s rent. Houston’s CORT Furniture gifts participants with furniture, bedding, pots and pans, all household needs. Placements in the program receive 65 pounds of food twice a month through the Houston Food Bank’s stability program. “Gaye is the right fit to lead Houston’s efforts,” says Entryway CEO David Williams, LIKE MOTHER, LIKE SON Gaye Jackson’s passion for helping others has trickthe Make-A-Wish- led down to her 16-year-old son Jackson Price, who feels a sense of service in his future. And their little wiener dog Mabel does her part as the most loyal protector America former chief and instigator in the family. executive who 40 years people they’ll ever get. Because they are wantago helped found the Houston Food Bank. “I ing that hand-up, to keep that apartment and think the first thing I saw was how entreprethat job. Their families have been unsettled. neurial she is, having that floral business that All they want is stability. They are so grateful was very successful. She’s very people-orientand work hard!” ed. She wants to make an impact. That’s the “She’s an angel. She’s my angel,” says Victoria kind of person you want representing your Majdecki, now a maintenance technician for organization.” Arise Equity Management, one of Entryway’s Entryway opened its Houston chapter in June industry partners. Majdecki and her son Jayden, 2021, with Gaye as executive director. She hit 7, were new to Houston a year ago when she the ground running. “Part of my job is to go found herself with no place to go. She had been around and convince industry partners that if staying in a shelter with her son after ending a they hire one of our people, they are going to 20-year relationship with (continued on page 16) get the most grateful, hard-working, determined
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 14
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 15
SUCCESS STORIES Nonprofit Entryway partners with the apartment industry to provide jobs and homes for the situationally homeless. Left photo: Tony Steptoe gets a thumbs-up from Entryway Houston’s executive director Gaye Jackson and other participants, upon news of a job offer and home. Top right: Victoria Majdecki (on left), who went from a shelter to a job and home through Entryway’s job training, is all smiles with Gaye at their annual luncheon, held at the Junior League of Houston. Bottom right: Tony Steptoe (on right) and Keith Carter (on left), Entryway Houston's first placement who celebrates his second anniversary as a maintenance technician with IMT Cinco Ranch in April, had a lot to be happy about at the program’s Homecoming Harvest Luncheon in November. (continued from page 14) his father that turned
toxic. “I had to call the police on him for domestic abuse,” she says. Gaye encouraged her through the training program when doubts started creeping in. “If not for her, I don’t know where I’d be.” Jayden’s school is across the street from their apartment, the perfect setup. Costs of after-school care aren’t needed, as he stays in her office with her after school, doing homework. “When I’m off work, we go to our apartment together.” “The fact that she’s so happy almost brings me to tears,” says Gaye. “She’s been a rock star in her job. They just love her. As a single mom, I know how important it is to be there for your child, to pick them up from school and be there every single day. I worked my job around that, and now Victoria can do the same thing. “I have a friend who is a mentor to Victoria,” she continues. “When Victoria and Jayden moved into their apartment, they were crying. We all were crying. That friend turned to me and said, ‘I get it now, Gaye. This is your payday.’”
“I’m proud of my mom and how she’s always helping others,” says her son Jackson, 16 – full name, Jackson Price – from Gaye’s second marriage. Gaye had Jackson at age 50. “My pride and joy.” “I really think it has impacted me and rubbed off on me,” says the sophomore at Strake Jesuit. He took an American sign language course during summer camp and is interested in starting a club to teach it. “I think it would be a good thing to raise awareness about it. And it’s so fun to learn.”
J
ust as Jackson learned kindness and giving from his mother, Gaye learned subliminally through her parents, Faye and Frank Jackson. “I saw it every day,” she says. Faye, 95, living with Gaye now, has retained her kind demeanor through the years. “She patterns the way someone should age,” says her daughter, blowing a kiss at her mom. As if on cue, little red wiener dog, Mabel, streaks through Faye’s bedroom, intent on getting her share of affection. “She kind of runs the
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 16
household,” says Gaye, laughing. “And she’s Mom’s protector. She loves my mom. My mother has always had this great spirit about her. She was creative, did things for people all her life, was very involved in the church. She’s just a giver. Need a casserole? She was that person.” Her dad, in the steel business, had anything but a steely personality. Kind to the core. “When he died, I heard all these stories from people about his generosity. They were both that way.” She named Jackson after the family surname, in honor of her father, who died decades ago, at 67. “Jackson’s first name is my last name. It’s a good name,” she quips. “Dad was always so supportive, always told me I could do anything I wanted to do,” says Gaye, who pursued a psychology degree at Texas A&M. “I wanted to save the world.” But the idea of flowers danced about in her head. She had worked part-time for a florist while a student at Spring Woods High School. Loved it. “I was doing flowers for friends, parties, people getting married. I thought ‘I (continued on page 18)
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 17
doesn’t work out, I’ll get a real job.’” It worked out. And during the lowest of times, it was her solace. She married in her early 30s. Mr. Wonderful, she called him. “He swept me off my feet.” Under a cascade of balloons at a Denver hotel, he proposed. Their marriage was short-lived. He died by suicide. “I think the more we go through, the more understanding and compassion we have for others,” says Gaye. “When life throws things at you, you keep going. And sometimes you must look for ways to distract.” The young widow threw herself into work. “That’s when my business grew so much,” she says of her shop that eventually morphed into three locations. “I didn’t mind working weekends because I was sad. I didn’t want to stay home because I was sad. I put my energy into my flowers.” All the while, nonprofits always tugged at her heartstrings. She sat on the board of Houston Hospice for many years. They cared for her dad – indeed, the entire family’s needs – when he was dying of colon cancer. “They taught Mom how to write a check. Dad had always done that,” she says of the organization. A couple of years after his death, Gaye approached the hospice board. “I remember telling them ‘I really want to do something for you, like an event of some kind,’ and they said, ‘We tried it once and we lost money.’ I said ‘No! We aren’t going to spend money on it, we are going to raise it!’ And we did.” She called up noted businessman Jim McIngvale from TV’s Mattress Mack ads, asking him to auctioneer the event. He did, flashing his “We will save you money!” wad of cash. The gala was a success, earning $40,000, a sizeable sum, considering this was three decades ago when the concept of hospice wasn’t as well known. “That was the start of me thinking ‘This is what you can do if you try.’ Get great people and friends to help and you can do things. It snowballs. It works.” Buoyed, she and a group of friends operated a volunteer group for several years, Friends for Kids, raising money through events and parties, gifting the proceeds to charitable children’s organizations. Volunteering in this way was her beacon. “I knew I would one day work for a nonprofit,” she says. “I always knew that.” Eventually, she phased out of the floral business. It was a great run. Top wedding florist for nine years straight, one of the fastest growing businesses in Houston for a time. But another chapter called.
S
he remarried in her late 40s, moved to Dallas, and became a mom. As a florist she had worked closely with brides, organizing all facets of their big day. So, wedding planning fell
lawellphoto.com
(continued from page 16) can do this! And if it
A SUBLIMINAL KINDNESS Compassion and giving are stamped in Gaye Jackson’s DNA, qualities she saw in her mother every day growing up. Faye, 95, lives with Gaye now, an incomparable duo, full of warmth and laughter.
comfortably in her lap in her new city. And she coordinated her Dallas neighborhood’s annual Swiss Avenue Historic District Mother’s Day tour. She divorced when Jackson was quite young, moving back to Houston in the middle of his first-grade school year. Gaye’s heart of gold is as transparent as a clear, glass windowpane, say Dallas friends and neighbors. Mezzo soprano singer Virginia Dupuy, one of the nation’s finest concert and recital voices, and a professor at SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts, can’t sing Gaye’s praises enough. “Gaye has more energy than anybody I’ve ever known. And she truly has a servant’s heart,” says her Dallas neighbor. “She is super passionate about human rights and helping people. She exudes that love with everybody. She is so fearless with this task, helping the homeless, that she has taken on. She certainly has had challenges, but she’s able to maintain her vision through all the ups and downs and I think that is just an amazing characteristic.” Challenges have, indeed, built strength and resilience, says Gaye, who underwent successful treatment for breast cancer just a few months after taking on her role in the homeless program. Gaye recalls a drive with Virginia, where the calling to help the homeless was minted on her heart, like a stamp. “We’d gone to see a neighborhood of tiny houses built for the homeless in Dallas. “I looked at Virginia and I said, ‘I don’t know why exactly I’m going back to Houston, but I’m
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 18
going to do something for the homeless there.’ It stayed on my heart. And it didn’t happen for a while when I got back to Houston. It was eight years later. But here I am now!” The stars aligned, positioning Gaye in just the right place to help a whole lot of people, says military veteran Tony Steptoe, who lost his home and job while hospitalized for a prolonged illness. His smooth-as-silk voice spent years behind the microphone as a radio broadcaster, a job he lost when the station changed formats. “Lost my apartment, too. I remember people saying ‘I’m just a couple of checks away from being homeless’ and that’s true. That’s how long I lasted. Two checks.” He remembers meeting Gaye at the beginning of the Entryway program’s training program. She embraced all the participants with hugs. “I was standing next to another participant and asked ‘Did you feel that? Did you notice that, or was it just me?’ This woman really cares. It was that powerful.” Tony graduated from the program and now has a full-time maintenance technician job for Oak Leaf Management and lives in Lake Jackson. He’s just minutes from his 12-year-old son and a grown daughter. When his phone pings, sometimes it’s Gaye. “She asks how the weekend went, what I’m doing. She’s an angel, a true friend.” Gaye, modest, isn’t in it for praise. Helping the homeless is the mother lode, her richest source of happiness, she says. “It’s just my little piece. I’m blessed to have this opportunity. It makes my heart sing.”
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 19
lawellphoto.com
FOOD by Andria Dilling, staff writer
A Passion for Cooking Starting young
T
welve-year-old Sophie Bach had a dream of competing on the TV show Chopped, where contestants are presented with baskets full of unrelated ingredients and charged with turning those ingredients into appetizers, entrees, and desserts in short time. Sophie and her mom, Pam Morris, who is a teacher specialist at Kolter Elementary, would bake and cook together. “Then I started watching cooking shows,” Sophie says, “which got me even more into cooking. It was all I ever wanted to do when I was younger.” But the reality of being on Chopped superseded the dream. “There was a lot of difficulty to getting on [the show],” Sophie says. “First, the amount of time they have to cook. The majority of my recipes take longer than an hour, and I’m not comfortable with time limits. Also not knowing what’s in the baskets. Those people have their recipes memorized; I don’t. “The dream has faded,” Sophie says. Instead, Pam and Sophie hosted a Choppedthemed party for Sophie’s 11th birthday. “Mom took care of the baskets, and we randomized teams. We tried to think of things that would be easy to make and then put those ingredients in the baskets.” Beyond the shows and parties, Sophie makes dinner for her mom, dad David Bach, and younger brother Alex Bach about once a week, although, her mom says, “Seventh-grade homework sometimes gets in the way.” Some of her specialties are turkey burgers, lo mein, lemon pepper chicken, “without a lot of pepper,” Pam adds. Parmesan crisps, brownies with pretzelpecan topping, and grilled cheese on whole wheat are some other favorites. Sophie peruses cookbooks that have been gifted to her, and she also was especially inspired by a grandparent gift: a year-long subscription to Raddish Kids, which provided her with a monthly recipe and kitchen tool. Pam enjoys the hunt, too. “I look online for recipes a lot,” she says. “I love the blog ‘Once Upon a Chef.’” Sophie and Pam have put their own spin on a zucchini parmesan crisp recipe from Food Network that has become a staple in their family. “It’s simple,” Pam says. “I had made it before and
KITCHEN COMPANIONS Pam Morris and her daughter Sophie Bach, 12, enjoy spending time together in the kitchen.
thought it would be a perfect recipe to give to Sophie. It’s a little time consuming to make, and Sophie like to be detail oriented.” “Every time I make it, the prep work seems to go faster and faster,” Sophie says, explaining that she added panko breadcrumbs to the mix for extra crunch. “It’s fun,” she says, “because you get the crunchiness of the panko on the outside and the softness of the zucchini on the inside, which you don’t expect. I like the different textures.”
Sophie Bach’s Zucchini Parmesan Crisps Based on a recipe from Food Network 2 medium zucchini 1 tablespoon olive oil ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (3⁄4 ounce) ¼ cup plain dry breadcrumbs ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs 1 ⁄8 teaspoon salt Freshly ground black pepper Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 20
Slice the zucchini into ¼-inch thick rounds (thin enough to crisp but not too thin to burn). In a medium bowl, toss the zucchini with the oil. In a small bowl, combine the parmesan, breadcrumbs, panko, salt, and a few turns of pepper. Dip each zucchini round into the parmesan mixture, coating it evenly on both sides. Press the coating to stick, and place in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until browned and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove with a spatula and serve immediately with Sophie’s yogurt dip, if desired.
Sophie Bach’s Yogurt Dip From Raddish Kids ¼ cup fat-free Greek yogurt 3 tablespoons mayonnaise (the Bach family likes olive oil mayonnaise for its reduced fat content) 1 teaspoon dried dill 1 teaspoon dried or fresh chives ¼ teaspoon garlic powder 1 ⁄8 teaspoon salt 1 ⁄8 teaspoon pepper Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.
lawellphoto.com lawellphoto.com
lawellphoto.com
HANDS ON Sophie Bach's favorite recipe is Zucchini Parmesan Crisps, which she likes to serve with yogurt dip flavored with dill and chives.
R
oderick Austin, a partner in a software company, has a passion for cooking that started not long after he learned to walk. “My aunt was going through the French Cordon Bleu,” he says, “to learn to be a chef. She lived with us, and when I was a toddler, we would get together in the mornings when everyone else was still asleep and we’d make pancakes.” Something clicked, Sophie and Pam attest: “He’s a ridiculously good cook,” Pam says. Roderick’s wife Amanda went to St. John’s School with Pam’s husband, David’s college roommate, and they’ve remained friends. “Baking is my first love,” Roderick says. “My grandmother was a huge baker and would throw big dinner parties. My mom and dad were not so much into it, it wasn’t a passion of theirs. But my grandmother and aunt were big inspirations. My grandfather couldn’t cook worth a damn, but he enjoyed it so much. He experienced life through food.” The inspiring aunt has moved on to other career paths and lives in London, but she still
loves to cook. “Recently I was in London,” Roderick, who was born in South Africa, says, “and we did some cooking together.” At home, the kitchen is Roderick’s domain. Of his wife Amanda, a PhD student at University of Houston, Roderick says, “She cooks when she has to, but she doesn’t do it for enjoyment.” So Amanda and their boys, Avery, 12, and Everett, 7, mostly leave Roderick to it (although Everett steps in to assist his dad every once in a while). “When I’m not traveling, I’m cooking almost every day, whether it is baking something or making a meal or fulfilling my children’s request to satiate their hunger,” he says. “That is usually breakfast, because they love pancakes and waffles and crepes. I’ve probably made millions of crepes. They love all the derivatives of egg, flour, milk, and sugar.” For recipes, Roderick turns to social media, noting that he doesn’t really follow the recipes but uses them as inspiration. Some of the accounts he likes: “A French-trained pastry chef out of San Diego, Bruno Albouze
(@brunoalbouze on Instagram), I think is fantastic. Then Jules Cooking (@jules_cooking on TikTok) is very, very good. He operates at a higher level, meaning he is pretty sophisticated, technique-driven. I wouldn’t refer him to a beginner. The Notorious Foodie (@notorious_foodie on TikTok) is more relatable with things most people can make in their kitchen. I probably find 80 percent of my inspiration there.” Roderick calls his pork chop recipe a “happy accident.” He explains, “We had some friends and family over for dinner and we made some guacamole for snacks. I remembered many years ago, I don’t know where, I had guacamole with mango in it and really loved it. So I made it a few times and the boys really enjoyed it because they love fruit and will eat pounds and pounds of it a week. So it was a huge hit with them. I had some leftover, and I had made these pork chops, which I enjoy a lot, and wasn’t in the mood for a pan sauce. I saw the mango guacamole and wondered, I know you can pair pineapple with pork chops. (continued on page 22)
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 21
lawellphoto.com
lawellphoto.com
lawellphoto.com
RECIPE WHIZ Roderick Austin creates his own recipes based on what's in the fridge, like these Pork Chops with Mango Guacamole and Parsnip Puree (top right) and Poached Pear French Toast (bottom right). (continued from page 21) It turned out to be spec-
tacular. The combination was so exceptional it made it onto my roster that sticks in my mind that I’ll make with some frequency.” Most of the time Roderick makes something and moves onto the next experiment. “The French toast comes from my boys’ absolute love of breakfast foods. It gets a bit exhausting to make pancakes or waffles every weekend. Beat the eggs, put in a little milk and some bread, and off you go. So one weekend we had some leftover brioche bread. The boys had been asking for crepes. I thought about combining those two things, so I ended up using sort of a custard base for the toast, and I also had some candied orange peel left over from something I had made, and I mixed that into the custard base. Then I had a couple pears in the fridge just starting to get a little overripe. It was really just this happy combination of a custard base inspired
by crepes, with some leftover brioche and these pears…when it all came together, it was an absolute winner.”
1 clove garlic, crushed 4 to 5 sprigs of fresh herbs (such as rosemary, oregano, and/or thyme)
Roderick Austin’s Pork Chops with Mango Guacamole and Parsnip Puree
In a small bowl, stir the mango and avocado together. Add lime juice and stir in the cilantro. Set aside. Place the parsnips, 2 tablespoons of butter, and a generous pinch of salt in a heavy saucepan. Add ½ cup water, cover, and cook over medium-high heat until the parsnips are very soft, about 10-15 minutes. Add water as needed to prevent the parsnips from browning or burning. Once they are soft, use an immersion blender to puree until smooth. Add a little milk to thin the puree to the desired consistency. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Warm 2 tablespoons oil in an oven-proof skillet over high heat. Dry the pork chops very well on both sides. When the oil is shimmering, care-
For the Mango Guacamole: 1 mango, peeled and finely diced 3 avocados, peeled and finely diced Juice of 1 lime ¼ cup chopped cilantro For the Parsnip Puree: 3 parsnips, peeled, cores removed, roughly chopped 4 tablespoons butter, divided Kosher salt 3-4 tablespoons milk For the Pork Chops: 2 pork chops 2 tablespoons neutral oil (avocado, grapeseed, or peanut)
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 22
lawellphoto.com
lawellphoto.com
TOP CHEF The kitchen is Roderick's domain; his wife, Amanda, and sons enjoy Roderick's cooking and mostly leave him to it. Every once in a while, Roderick can count on his younger son, Everett, 7, to stand in as sous chef. Here he helps to make Poached Pear French Toast (bottom left). The final step of his family's beloved French toast: spooning the pears and reserved pan sauce over the top (top left).
fully place the pork chops into the skillet and sear for 3-5 minutes until browned. Flip the pork chops and repeat on the other side. Do not overcook. Slide the skillet into the oven and cook for another 5-7 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the center of the pork chop reads 130 degrees. Remove the skillet from the oven and place back on the stovetop. Add 2 tablespoons butter, the garlic, and fresh herb sprigs to the pan. Cook over medium heat to melt the butter and infuse it with garlic and herbs, about 3 minutes. Use a spoon to baste the pork chops with the flavored butter. Remove from the heat and let the pork chops rest 5 minutes with the garlic and basting herbs on top. To serve, spoon some of the pureed parsnips into the center of a plate and top with a pork chop. Dollop some guacamole on top, and drizzle pan sauce from the skillet over and around the pork chop.
Roderick Austin’s Poached Pear French Toast Brioche bread, sliced thick 3 eggs ¼ cup cream ½ cup whole milk ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons Cointreau and/or amaretto, optional 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 pear 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons maple syrup, optional Mascarpone or crème fraîche, optional Make the custard. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, then whisk in the cream, milk, and sugar. If using, whisk in the Cointreau, amaretto, and/or vanilla. Refrigerate for 1 hour (not required, but recommended).
Peel and quarter the pears, and remove the cores. Place 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons sugar in a skillet. Add the quartered pears, cover with a lid, and cook over medium-high heat, turning the pears occasionally, until they are soft, about 10 to 15 minutes. Midway through, drop in a tablespoon of water to steam the pears, making sure the sauce doesn’t stick or burn. Remove the pears from the skillet and set aside. Pour the pan sauce into a bowl, and if you are using the maple syrup, stir it into the pan sauce. Place the bread slices in the bowl with the custard and let them soak for a few minutes on each side. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter is sizzling, remove the soaked bread from the custard bowl and place it in the skillet. Cook on each side for several minutes, moving the bread around the pan to absorb the butter, until the bread is browned. Place the French toast on a platter and, if using, top with a dollop of mascarpone or crème fraîche. Spoon the pears and reserved pan sauce over top.
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 23
PETS by Karen Vine Fuller, contributing writer
First-Class Dog Rescues hartphoto.com
Father-son duo flies paw-sengers to forever homes
FATHER-SON FLIGHTS Stuart and Jay Jackson volunteer their time and their six-seat 1996 Beechcraft A-36 to fly rescue dogs to new homes. Here, they’re pictured with their dog, Paco, who found his forever home with their family 12 years ago.
I
t is not every day that one finds themselves in the back of an airplane, helping a dog who suddenly goes into labor. Especially a dog that no one knew was pregnant. When 16-yearold Jay Jackson found himself in that exact situation, he handled it like a pro, helping to keep the Catahoula-mix mama dog calm and comfortable. The new mom – who everyone had thought was just a little plump – delivered four healthy boy puppies soon after the flight landed. “I was a bit worried as I have no birth delivery experience, but there is always a first time for everything,” he said. Jay, a junior at Memorial Private High School, and his dad, Stuart, volunteer their time and the family’s six-seat 1996 Beechcraft A-36 to transport needy dogs for adoption. There are often too many animals in big city shelters, like
in Houston, and not enough in rural areas and certain states, particularly in the north. Plus, many bigger, furrier dogs, like Huskies, are a good match for colder climates. Stuart obtained his pilot’s license in the early ’90s when he was a bachelor living in Galveston during his residency in anesthesiology. He had wanted to take flying lessons since he was a kid but had never been able to afford it until then. Three decades later, Stuart is an instrumentrated pilot and enjoys flying with his family. Stuart and Jay started transporting rescue dogs to their new homes in 2021. “The opportunity to become a dog pilot volunteer started when an animal rescue group called me up out of the blue and needed some help transporting a dog that day,” Stuart said. “Being newly retired, bored, and bugging my wife constantly,
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 24
I took the trip. I enjoyed it so much I decided to go on more flights.” The father-son duo has traveled to smaller airports throughout Texas, and into Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma transporting Beagles, Terriers, Retrievers, Huskies, and every breed in between. Stuart commands the controls up front while Jay makes sure their paw-sengers are happy and calm in the back. The Jacksons have taken approximately 40 trips and have saved about 100 dogs. Jay goes on the flights as often as possible when he is not busy with school or rugby. Stuart calls Jay the dog whisperer. Jay unloads the pups from the car into the plane, making sure they have water and are comfortable. He pets them and talks to them to help keep them calm during the flight. Jay especially likes that volunteering in this
hartphoto.com
FUR-EVER HOMES Top left: The Jackson family – Rebecca, Stuart, Julie, Jay, and Paco the Beagle – find joy in helping transport dogs in need to their new homes. Top right: Stuart helped fly Lucky, a homeless Pitbull from Texas, to his new home in Connecticut. Bottom left: Lucky’s new family feel lucky to have such a sweet dog in their lives. Bottom right: Now all grown up, the black and white dog, Pope, was one of the puppies whose mom went into labor on a rescue flight with Stuart and Jay. Here, Pope is pictured with his two new brothers.
way gives him the opportunity to bond with his dad. "My friends think my dad is cool because he is a pilot. To me, it is just my dad being my dad. But after seeing him help all these animals find new homes, I agree – he really is cool!”
M
any flights are arranged through Pilots N Paws, a nonprofit whose mission is to connect animal rescue groups with volunteer pilots. Stuart said, “Pilots N Paws facilitates communication between animal shelters, fosters, and people who have animals that need to be placed with volunteer pilots that can fly them, and the new happy homes for the relocated animals. It has also helped connect me with other volunteer pilots and animal rescues with whom to partner.” Pilots N Paws was founded in 2008 to help
tackle the huge pet overpopulation problem in the United States by transporting animals to new homes via the website (pilotsnpaws.org). Today the organization has reached more than 5,000 pilots, 12,000 volunteers, and saved thousands of animals’ lives. For further-away destinations like the Northeast, volunteer pilots along the route will fly a leg of the trip. Stuart often flies the first leg to states bordering Texas. Stuart said, “Pilots N Paws has a good web interface that allows you to select your trips: pickup spots, distance to fly, and that sort of thing. We get daily emails about available trips. Once that is set up, the local shelter/rescuer will contact me, and we’ll work out the details. Some of the local rescues (and even national ones) will con-
tact me directly if we’ve worked together before.” The father and son have coordinated with a variety of organizations over the last few years. Stuart said he is impressed with the dedication of the staff and volunteers. “They all undergo significant personal sacrifices to care and rehome the animals.” One local group the Jacksons have worked with is Save Some Souls, which was co-founded by West University resident Trisha Ray. Last fall, the group went into action after seeing a post on a West U Neighbor online group requesting assistance for dogs living in an unhealthy situation. Stuart had helped the organization before, so Trisha reached out to him directly. Stuart facilitated a happily-everafter for a shy young (continued on page 26)
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 25
DELIVERED WITH LOVE Left: Rescue dog Hella, enjoying a head rub from Stuart, is cozy on her new blanket that Julie sewed. Middle: Julie was excited to give aviationrelated names to sweet puppies Amelia (Earhart) and Orville (Wright). Right: One of Jay’s favorite trips was with four chihuahuas, who snuggled in Jay’s lap during the flight. (continued from page 25) German Shepherd named
Cowgirl, who he flew to Shreveport, Louisiana. Additional pilots finished the journey to her new forever home in Delaware. Trisha said, “These dogs came from a terrible place, full of abuse and neglect. It was not possible to move them to their further-away forever homes with vans. We are so grateful to Stuart and all the pilots for taking them in such a short time. Stuart is so kind and generous and always offers to help whenever he sees there is a need for a pup to fly out of Houston.” Stuart and Jay also work with city animal control offices, including Beeville in south Texas. Rhiannon Isbell, Animal Control Officer in Beeville, said, “Stuart and Jay are always kind when they arrive. Our pups that the Jacksons have transported never show signs of being frightened. Animals are good judges of character. I think it’s awesome how Stuart uses this time to spend with his son and that they care enough to devote their personal aircraft to save animals’ lives.” The Jacksons have also assisted the animal control offices for the city of Groveton, located in Trinity County, northeast of Houston. Stuart smiled, “The Groveton animal control folks always bring me a hot cup of coffee and some fresh donuts.” The Jacksons keep their plane at the West Houston Airport; Stuart said they are thankful for Woody Lesiker, airport manager, director of operations, and the crew. Stuart said, “This is my home airport, and they are great about supporting Pilots N Paws and various other volunteer flying organizations in substantive ways. They are always kind about the dogs being out by the planes.” Woody responded, “I don’t really do that much. I just see Stuart being nice to the dogs and I make sure to point out where the grassy area is for his four-legged friends!”
R
ecently, Stuart got creative persuading a shy, three-month-old Pitbull pup out of her crate and onto the plane. The pup had been
neglected and abandoned, and was nervous. “We could have just plucked her out, but it would have been traumatizing and cruel, so I used ‘baconization.’ Being a Saturday morning, the airport was having a free pancake and bacon breakfast. Let’s say those items aren’t on my diet so I put my plate (extra bacon provided by the airport!) on the ramp and within a few minutes that bacon smell overrode her anxiety, and she popped out, gobbled down the bacon and got picked up for a hug! Dogs do like bacon!” Stuart flew a leg of the pup’s journey to her new home in Connecticut. “The shyness melts away from these dogs fast when they sense they are in their forever homes. I truly do not know how they sense it, but they do.” Appropriately, the pup was later named Lucky, and is doing well these days. One of Jay’s favorite trips was with four Chihuahuas. “They started out very scared but began to get comfortable and wouldn’t leave me alone. By the end of the flight, all four of them were sitting in my lap!” Another one of Stuart’s standout trips was with a senior, partially blind Basset Hound from South Texas. “When we picked up the dog in McAllen, the dog was lethargic and depressed, but by the time we landed in Beaumont he was wagging his tail, finding food and water by smell (or, hopefully, eyesight not as bad as advertised). The dog stayed a few weeks with a foster lady in Beaumont, who specializes in rehabilitating rescue dogs. She fattened him up and treated his skin issues. I was so happy to hear that the Basset Hound was relocated to his new home by a beach in New Jersey and is loving it.” Sometimes dog-rescue flights are a family affair, with wife Julie and daughter Rebecca joining in the fun. Rebecca, a 2023 graduate of St. Francis Episcopal High School, is a journalism student at the University of Missouri, so she doesn't get to take part in flights often, but she said she’s proud of her dad and Jay. Although mom Julie does not always join for the flight, she often sends gifts for the dogs.
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 26
“Most of the time, we are with the dogs for just one leg of their journey and never get to meet their new owners. Stuart started giving the dogs toys and blankets for the trips to make them as comfortable as possible. It was not long before Stuart asked me if I would make the dogs personalized blankets, so their new owners knew they were receiving a special dog.” Julie sews flannel blankets and uses her embroidery machine to add whimsical artwork, such as a plane. If Stuart is given the dog’s name before a flight, Julie will add that too. Julie’s favorite memory of a dog rescue was when she got to name two adorable puppies. “It was my first time to get to name dogs; they usually come with their own names. Since it was their first flight, I thought they needed aviationrelated names, so I decided on Orville (Wright) and Amelia (Earhart). We were happy that the names stuck with the new families!” Paco, the Jacksons’ Beagle, knows firsthand how great the Jacksons are since he was lucky enough to find his forever home with them through Houston Beagle & Hound Rescue. Paco was a puppy when he joined the Jackson family, and has been part of the family for 12 years. Jay and Stuart are happy they can help other pups find their forever home too. The Catahoula-mix mama dog they helped in labor, along with her four puppies, have all been adopted. All five dogs were named after characters from the TV series Animal Kingdom. The mom is Smurf, and the puppies are named after the boys on the show: Deran, J, Pope, and Craig. The Jacksons especially like that one of the pups is named J, like Jay their “labor nurse.” Smurf (the mama dog) and Craig went to New York; they live close to each other and play daily. Deran was a New York adoption too. J was adopted by a family in Fulshear, and Pope went to California to a horse ranch. Stuart said, “Jay and I love helping families welcome a nice new pooch into their homes and we have a lot of fun doing it.”
FOOD by Andria Dilling, staff writer
Refresh and Recharge Andria Dilling
Recipes to start the year
CITRUS SEASON Choose your favorite citrus fruits for this salad, topped with a honey vinaigrette, and sprinkle with little bits of kalamata olives, cilantro, and toasted hazelnuts.
I
f the holidays are the most wonderful time of the year, January holds the most promise. A fresh start with a whole year ahead. Endless possibility. All that optimism calls for recipes of the kind that will refresh and recharge, energizing us for what’s to come. And while we love our cookie and cocktail season, resolution season, in its own way, can be just as much fun. Like our own personal, grown-up back-to-school. Here are a few super yummy recipes from the recent reserves of our weekly online column
“Back Porch Table” – that are as delicious as they are restorative. Wishing all health and peace… Happy 2024!
Citrus Salad with Hazelnuts and Honey Vinaigrette I’m not sure which one is more exciting – cookie season or citrus season. Seeing all the thousands of yellow and orange orbs of all sizes piled up high at Central Market’s Citrus Fest gets me every year. From the tiniest kumquats to the heaviest Rio Grande Valley grapefruit
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 28
and everything in between, we are into it. Kalamata olives give this “salad” a little salty kick, cilantro gives it depth, and hazelnuts give it toasty crunch. Yes, this all fits nicely into our resolutions for the new year. But you’ll want to eat it anyway. 5-6 assorted citrus fruits, such as ruby red grapefruit, pomelo, navel oranges, and blood oranges ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon honey 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 to 4 kalamata olives, seeded and minced
To peel the fruit, first cut off the ends so that you can stand the fruit on one of the flat sides. Using a sharp serrated knife, slice off the peel and pith, following the shape of the fruit. Slice the peeled citrus into rounds about ¼ inch thick. Arrange the slices on a platter. Whisk the vinegar, honey, and olive oil together in a small bowl. Drizzle it over the fruit. Sprinkle the olives, cilantro, and hazelnuts over top and serve. *To toast the hazelnuts, heat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the nuts on a sheet pan and roast for about 10 minutes, until they start to brown. Take them out of the oven and place the nuts on a dishtowel. Fold the dish towel over the nuts to envelop them, then roll them around between the dish towel. The skins will fall off.
Andria Dilling
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro ½ cup toasted hazelnuts*
Here is a recipe that, on paper, might sound a little simple. Boring, maybe? But that’s just on paper. Because when you take a bite of the White Mushroom Salad that chef John Russ and his pastry-chef wife Elise serve at their San Antonio restaurant Clementine, you’re going to understand why John was one of five James Beard Foundation finalists in the category of best Texas chef for 2023. (Also worth mentioning: He was the only finalist in San Antonio.) In this salad, super-thin slices of plain old button mushrooms take a bath in a lemony-tart dressing, transforming them into something many of us might have never guessed was possible: raw mushrooms you can’t stop eating. Toss in all the parsley, some paper-thin red onion slices, crunchy radishes (also thin), pomegranate seeds, and shaved pecorino or parm, and you have a salad that is as surprising as it is delicious. 8 ounces fresh white button mushrooms, sliced as thin as you can manage 4 ounces good olive oil 4 ounces freshly-squeezed lemon juice, preferably Meyer lemon 1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped fine ½ red onion, sliced as thin as you can manage 2 small red radishes, sliced as thin as you can manage 2 lemons, cut into segments minus the skin and pith 1 cup pomegranate seeds 3 ounces pecorino cheese (parmesan can substitute), shaved with a vegetable peeler Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the cheese. Toss gently. Shave the cheese over the top of the tossed salad just prior to serving.
Chicken with Burst Tomatoes, Peppers, and Mozzarella This chicken and veggie situation all rolled into one skillet makes easy work of putting a
Andria Dilling
Clementine’s Mushroom Salad
FULL OF FLAVOR Top: Chef John Russ – a James Beard Foundation finalist in the category of best Texas chef for 2023 – and his pastry-chef wife Elise serve this savory White Mushroom Salad at their San Antonio restaurant Clementine. Bottom: Chicken with Burst Tomatoes, Peppers, and Mozzarella is a beautiful, healthy, and easy-to-put-together family dinner.
beautiful and healthy dinner on the table. Add a simple salad and maybe some crusty bread, and you are so good to go. The most time-consuming step is to slow-cook the tomatoes and peppers in a garlic, thyme, and basil-infused olive oil, but if you get those cooking you’ll be free to do other things like help with homework or go through the mail or – gasp – sit down for 20 minutes and do nothing at all (save giving the tomatoes a quick stir every so often). This is one that will look and taste like you really did something. Let’s keep the reality a secret. 2 tablespoons plus ½ cup olive oil, divided 3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled, divided 4 chicken cutlets (or 2 boneless, skinless
chicken breasts cut in half horizontally) 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided ¾ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided 4 sprigs fresh thyme 12 fresh basil leaves, sliced thin, plus more for garnish 1 pint small tomatoes, such as cherry or grape 1 yellow bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional) 2 cups bocconcini (fresh mozzarella pearls) Balsamic glaze, for garnish (buy it where you buy balsamic vinegar) Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add 1 smashed garlic clove and cook, stirring, for (continued on page 30)
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 29
Andria Dilling
(continued from page 29) 1 minute. Season the
chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook in the skillet for 5 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate. Reduce the heat to low, and warm ½ cup olive oil in the same skillet. Add the remaining 2 smashed garlic cloves, thyme, and basil. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, pepper, red pepper flakes (if using), 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper, and stir to coat the tomatoes. Cook for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the tomatoes burst. Remove the thyme sprigs. Warm the chicken in the skillet with the tomatoes. To serve, top the chicken with the tomatoes and a drizzle of the oil from the skillet. Add the mozzarella and more torn basil leaves. Taste for seasoning, adding a little flaky salt and freshly ground pepper if you’d like. Drizzle with a little balsamic glaze.
French Onion Chicken with Mushrooms Think of this as a big scoop of the insides of a bowl of French onion soup with the additions of tangy marinated chicken and mushrooms. The recipe is adapted from one created by Yasmin Fahr for NYT Cooking, and it is a winner. Super-soft caramelized onions get that way in a dry skillet – no oil. A dry sauté is a little counterintuitive for anyone used to warming oil and adding onions, but amazingly, it works. The key is to give them a quick stir every minute or so, and to otherwise leave them alone to do their thing. The chicken gets marinated in a bright mix of vinegar, Dijon mustard, and honey, and the beautiful part of this is that there’s no thinking ahead – the marinating happens while the onions and mushrooms cook. It’s all a one-pan thing when you push the onions and mushrooms to the side to brown the chicken, and then let it all cook together while you boil some egg noodles to use as a base for the yummy, soup-less “onion soup.” 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (balsamic or white wine vinegar would also work) 2 teaspoons honey 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3-inch pieces 2 medium yellow onions, sliced thin ¾ pound cremini mushrooms, sliced thin ½ cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped Cooked egg noodles, for serving In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of the oil, the vinegar, honey, mustard, and 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Pat the chicken dry and add it to the marinade, coating it well. Set aside at room temperature, stirring a couple of times while you make the onions. Heat a large cast-iron or heavy skillet over
FRENCH ONION CHICKEN Think of this as a big scoop of the insides of a bowl of French onion soup with the additions of tangy marinated chicken and mushrooms. The recipe is adapted from NYT Cooking, and it is a winner.
medium-high heat until very hot, about 2 minutes. Add the onions in an even layer. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook, mostly undisturbed, for 4 minutes, stirring every minute or so. Add the mushrooms, season with a pinch more salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Cook, mostly undisturbed, until the mushrooms shrink and start to brown, about 4 minutes, stirring every minute or so. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and allow the onions and mushrooms to cook until they start to color, stirring and lowering the heat as necessary to avoid burning, about 4 minutes. Push the onions and mushrooms to the edges of the skillet, and add the chicken pieces to the center. Pour any remaining marinade (there will be very little) over the onions and mushrooms. Cook undisturbed for 4 minutes, then turn the chicken to brown on the other side for another 4 minutes or so. When the chicken is browned, stir it together with the onions and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes more. (Reduce the heat to medium if the onions look like they are burning at any point.) Serve over the noodles, topped with a sprinkle of parsley.
Tex-Mex Bowl with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
family version of their SuperMex Bowl, which is now our Tex-Mex Bowl with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette. This is a super easy meal. Buy the chicken already grilled, the pico already chopped, the pepitas already roasted. Heat up some black beans and brown rice, run the blender to make a quick, just-spicy-enough dressing, and throw everything in a bowl. We’ve added and deleted according to our own tastes: one of us doesn’t like avocado, another isn’t crazy about corn, another loves tangy feta on Mex. All of that is to say that our Tex-Mex Bowl is super-customizable. Just add or subtract what you like and what you don’t. As long as you keep a base of finely chopped kale, brown rice, and cumin-spiked black beans, you will wind up with a bowl so full of texture and tang that you might wind up like us: obsessed. 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper 4 cups finely chopped kale 1 cup cooked brown rice 1 cup pico de gallo 2 grilled chicken breasts, cubed ¼ cup crumbled feta ¼ cup roasted pepitas Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
This bowl is an obsession at our house. It’s inspired by the SuperMex Bowl at Los Tios. Before Los Tios opened in West U (yay), the trip across town daunted us into making our own
Place the black beans in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the cumin, salt, and pepper, and cook for about 5 minutes, just until
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 30
Andria Dilling
Andria Dilling
NUTRITIOUS AND DELICIOUS Left: This Tex Mex Bowl, inspired by the SuperMex Bowl at Los Tios, is easy to put together and customize to your taste. Right: Crisp-Skinned Seed-Crusted Salmon with Ginger-Cilantro Cauliflower Rice, tweaked from NYT Cooking, includes depth of flavors and textures to make an impressive, restaurant-quality meal.
the beans are warm. Divide the black beans evenly among four bowls, then top with equal amounts kale, rice, pico de gallo, chicken, feta, and pepitas. Drizzle Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette over the bowls. Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped 1 small garlic clove, chopped 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped Juice of 1 lime ½ teaspoon cumin ½ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ cup olive oil Place the cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, lime juice, cumin, and salt in a blender, blending to combine. Add the olive oil and blend until the dressing is smooth.
Crisp-Skinned Seed-Crusted Salmon with Ginger-Cilantro Cauliflower Rice Crisp-Skinned Seed-Crusted Salmon with Ginger-Cilantro Cauliflower Rice is a light dinner that tastes like something you might have been served at a restaurant. Yogurt, lime, and herbs meet a mix of seeds, transforming into a yogurt so unique and delicious that you will want to keep extra on hand to eat, maybe alongside crudité or crackers, or maybe on its own. It’s truly delicious. Ginger and cilantro flavor cauliflower rice (or use regular white or brown rice
if you prefer) to become a stand-alone side. When everything comes together with crispskinned salmon, you’ve got layers forming a dish that is nothing less than fantastic. We’ve adapted the salmon from Ali Slagle’s recipe in NYT Cooking. While she does all the cooking on a stovetop, we’ve finished ours under the broiler to get the top toasty and crisp while keeping the yogurt topping intact. We’ve also added the bed of Ginger-Cilantro Cauliflower Rice, which adds extra texture and taste to an already yummy dinner. 1 lime, juice reserved, zest finely grated 1 cup Greek yogurt ¼ cup chopped dill ¼ cup chopped mint ¼ cup chopped cilantro 1 tablespoon sesame seeds 1 ½ teaspoons fennel seeds 1 ½ teaspoons cumin seeds 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided 4 6-ounce skin-on salmon filets, rinsed and pat dry with paper towels 1 teaspoon olive oil Preheat the oven broiler. In a small bowl, stir the lime zest and yogurt together. Stir in ½ of the herbs, the seeds, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Season the salmon on both sides with ½ tea-
spoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Spread 3 tablespoons of the yogurt over the top of the salmon (the side without skin). Coat a large nonstick skillet with olive oil. Add the fish skinside down, and place over medium heat. Cook undisturbed until the skin is crisp and the salmon is opaque ¾ of the way up the sides, about 10 to 12 minutes. Finish the salmon in the oven, broiling for about 3 minutes, or until the top begins to brown. Thin the remaining yogurt with the lime juice until it is the consistency of a sauce. Serve the salmon on top of the Ginger-Cilantro Cauliflower Rice (recipe below), drizzled with the yogurt sauce and sprinkled with the reserved herbs. Ginger-Cilantro Cauliflower Rice 2 cups cauliflower rice ¼ cup chopped cilantro 1 teaspoon grated ginger 1 tablespoon olive oil ¼ teaspoon kosher salt Stir all ingredients together in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir and let stand for 1 minute before serving. Editor’s note: For more recipes, see Andria Dilling’s Back Porch Table online every Friday at thebuzzmagazines.com/columns/back-porch-table.
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 31
KIDS
.
by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer
Buzz Baby
The Announcement
Buzz Baby is a column about life with little ones. Writer Annie McQueen is a mother of four children under the age of 9.
A
nnouncing a pregnancy to the world can be one of life’s sweetest and most memorable moments. For one Buzz couple, sharing the news of their first pregnancy was double the fun. In July 2018, Katie and Kyle Garoni attended what they thought would be a routine ultrasound appointment, blissfully unaware that their lives were about to take an unexpected turn. They waited anxiously for the appointment, excited to deliver the news to their families. As the ultrasound technician began to scan, the couple's initial nerves turned to astonishment when she disclosed that not one, but two babies were on the way. “Twins,” Katie says she can still hear over and over. Their lives forever changed in that appointment. Kyle recalls the shock as well. “I have never experienced anything like that before,” said Kyle. They left, excited to tell the world. Recovering from the initial shock, the couple eagerly resolved to share their news with their loved ones creatively rather than just making a phone call. Katie picked up a book on what to expect with twins, and started to think of fun ideas. They decided to make the twin announcement a family affair with a twist. They handed out wine bottles as a gift to each of their family members. At first glance, it seemed like a straightforward gift – however, each bottle had a wine label with tiny baby feet, which Katie had ordered custom-made from Etsy. Later, they asked everyone to gather at their house for a gender-reveal party. Katie enlisted the help of her sister, Jenny Mueller, to set the plan in motion. The reveal would involve not one cake, but two. Jenny called the bakery to place the orders. With family gathered and cameras rolling to capture every emotion, the moment of truth arrived when Kate and Kyle cut into the cake, revealing pink. “It’s a girl!” Everyone was smiling and hugging. Moments later, they brought out a second
cake, and everyone gasped when they saw it was adorned with a sign that read “It’s twins.” Shock and excitement filled the room, leading to a burst of excitement with laughter and tears. The twins, Avery Michelle and Hazel Grace, made their debut at Texas Children’s Hospital in early January 2019, marking the beginning of the parenting chapter for the Garoni family. The twins are now approaching their PROUD BIG SISTERS For Katie and Kyle Garoni, sharing the news of their first pregfifth birthday. nancy was double the fun. In July 2018, the couple surprised their family with the news of their now 5-year-old twins (pictured, Hazel and Avery, from left). The Garonis are Katie says twin life now expecting a baby boy in early 2024. has not always says the biggest comment echoing through the been easy as an introduction to parenting, but room, was “Are you sure there’s just one?!" she feels grateful that she knew it was twins so Some say it takes a village to raise a child, and early on. This was a luxury her great-aunt did not Katie recalled the support that filled their lives have when she unexpectedly welcomed fraternal after they announced they were going to weltwins in the 1960s. “She did not know she was come two. They had waited five years to expand having twins until she delivered,” said Katie. their family after marriage and it was sure to be a The Garoni family recently shared more big change doubling their family size overnight. exciting news about the impending arrival of a During the pre-daycare days, family and baby boy in early 2024. friends took shifts, ensuring that Katie had the When it came time to tell Kyle’s family about help she needed before returning to work. this pregnancy, they wrote the news inside a Diapers and clothes arrived as if on cue, easing Father’s Day card. The baby news left them the burden of ordering all the gear. The Garoni ecstatic, and even with a little bit of disbelief family found themselves blessed by the overthat there could be more after the initial surprise whelming generosity of their loved ones. of twins. For Katie’s family, they chose a sentiAs they eagerly anticipate the arrival of mental date to break the news – her late grandtheir baby boy, the Garonis reflect on a jourfather's birthday. At Jax Grill, one of their ney that has been defined by love and support favorite spots, the girls walked in proudly wearand some memorable pregnancy announceing Big Sister shirts. ments with family. They are memories to cherIt took a moment for the news to register, but ish for a lifetime. when it did, the room erupted with joy. Katie
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 32
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 33
.
by Cindy Burnett, staff writer
Buzz Reads
Cindy Burnett
ARTS
Five picks for January
Buzz Reads is a column about books by reviewer Cindy Burnett. Each month, Cindy recommends five recently or soon-to-be released titles. Everyone But Myself by Julie Chavez (memoir) – Everyone But Myself opens with the author chronicling her first panic attack and goes into her subsequent mental health crisis, followed by her personal journey to understand, manage, and ease her debilitating anxiety. Like many moms, self-care took a back seat to everything else in her life eventually leading to her struggle with the aftereffects of her panic attacks and her questioning what would happen next. On this journey, she finds her way back to a healthy and happy life with the help of family, friends (old and new), and some additional tools and resources. For those mothers who are feeling overwhelmed by today’s family responsibilities and all that they entail, Julie’s story will provide comfort and encouragement as well as some much-needed laughter. Family Family by Laurie Frankel (fiction) – Laurie Frankel’s latest family drama, Family Family, centers around adoption in its many forms. India Allwood is a larger-than-life TV star seeking to transition to movies, but finds herself embroiled in all sorts of drama when she speaks out against her latest project. The movie is based on the standard adoption stereotypes, and India knows from her own experiences that adoption is not one size fits all – people choose to give up children for adoption and people choose to adopt for many reasons. As an adoptive mom, India wants everyone to understand that family doesn’t have to mean that you are blood related and that no matter what . . . family is complicated. After speaking out, India finds herself in the middle of a massive crisis, fielding criticism from all sides and fighting those calling for her to be “canceled.” When her twin 10-year-olds decide to call in reinforcements, India’s past decisions come to light, adding fuel to the already blazing fire. Frankel’s short chapters and hilarious dialogue create such a propulsive and engaging tale, and her message that family takes many forms is an important and timely one. First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston (thriller) –
This addictive, unique, and twisty thriller is a standout in the genre. Evie Porter is a con woman (Evie is an alias) who works for Mr. Smith, her mysterious boss who communicates with her via postal boxes. He sends her the latest target with little initial knowledge about the ultimate goal, and she insinuates herself into the target’s life and then waits for her next instructions. The story is flawlessly plotted, and the twists and turns WHAT TO READ This month’s selections include a memoir about dealing come at just the right with anxiety and motherhood, a propulsive thriller, the start to a fabulous new mystery series set in Wisconsin, a magical tale about a woman tackling her points in the story. Every familial curse, and a contemporary title about adoption. time I thought I had it a book, June Farrow descends from a long line of figured out, the plot went in a different direction. women saddled with a mysterious curse that I recommend going in blind to not have anything makes them see and hear things that are not there. spoiled. First Lie Wins will be a huge hit for those Following her grandmother’s death, she’s left some who enjoy well-executed thrillers that keep the clues that appear to be related to this familial reader guessing until the very end. curse, but the clues raise more questions than they Northwoods by Amy Pease (mystery) – answer. As she sets out to unravel the mysteries Northwoods is a stellar start to a new mystery series from her past, her journey sends her decades back set in a small lakeside resort town in Wisconsin. in time where everyone recognizes her, but no one The main character, Eli North, is saddled with seems happy to see her. Racing against time and PTSD after returning home from Afghanistan factors outside her control, June is intent on endand self-medicates to make it through his days. ing the family curse no matter the cost to her. His wife has filed for divorce, and the only reason While the book starts slow, the pacing picks up as he has a job at the local sheriff’s office is because the book progresses, and it becomes an exceptionhis mom is the sheriff. When a teenager’s body is al blend of mystery, magical realism, and romance. found and another teenager is missing, Eli and his The Unmaking of June Farrow is a memorable read mother begin working the case with the help of that will stay with me for a long while. an FBI agent who clearly knows more than she is willing to share with the local sheriff’s office. Editor’s note: Southside Place resident Cindy Pease’s depiction of Eli’s addiction is visceral and Burnett also writes our weekly Page Turners colinsightful and allows the reader to sympathize umn at thebuzzmagazines.com. She hosts the with Eli’s personal struggles and the way in which award-winning Thoughts from a Page Podcast, is his mother tries to help him. The mystery is co-creator of the Houston literary event series strong and relevant to today’s world, and I am Conversations from the Page, runs the Instagram already eagerly awaiting book two. account @thoughtsfromapage, and regularly speaks The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne to groups about books. Young (magical realism) – In this mind-bender of
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 34
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 35
TRAVEL
.
by Tracy L. Barnett, staff writer
Travel Buzz
A Holocaust Survivor’s Story Lives On
J
oe Keselman was 7 or 8, living in his native Poland in the late 1950s, when his father Szulim shared with him that he had written a memoir of his harrowing escape from the Nazis during World War II. He brought out two school notebooks filled with his writing, and he read those notebooks to young Joe over the course of a few months, a couple of pages at a time. At 17, Szulim lost his whole family during World War II, in the Nazi “Holocaust by Bullets” perpetrated in Ukraine. He survived by fleeing the Lokacze ghetto in his native town right before its massacre, initially hiding in surrounding forests, and later, with the onset of severe winter, being given shelter and sustenance by a Polish farming family. The story made a huge impact on the boy. “I really didn't know anything about what happened to him or to his family,” recalled Joe. “And after that story, I was marked for life, because clearly that story and then the Holocaust as a whole has become kind of an obsession.” Young Szulim fled to the forests near his town of Lokacze, where he lived for several months on what he could forage. With the onset of a harsh winter, he knew that would no longer be possible, and in desperation, he sought shelter at a local farmhouse. His father, who had owned a small shoe shop, had come to know the Stemporowskis and spoke of them as very fine people. Szulim had never met them, but he sought them out. The Stemporowski family took him in, hiding him in a hayloft and bringing him hot food every day for four months in 1942-43. Their cousin Loda Szalinska joined them in the effort, putting themselves in the line of fire; if the Nazis had discovered them, the entire family would have been shot. After the war, Szulim remained in Poland and married Lidia in 1951. They had a boy they named Jozef, who was to be their only child. Szulim and his family emigrated to the United States in 1963, when Joe was 11. But first, he took them to meet the Stemporowski family on their farm. Joe befriended the Stemporowski children in a relationship that would carry on through the generations. Joe went on to become a civil engineer and
RIGHTEOUS AMONG THE NATIONS Descendants of the Stemporowski and Szalinska families join with the Keselmans for a photo after receiving the honor for the courage of their forebears.
married Kayoko, whom he met in Japan. He took her to Poland several times, even taking her to the Stemporowski farm. For their honeymoon in 1984, they went to Joe’s hometown of Wroclaw, a beautiful city on the Oder River, where she met Joe’s grandmother. On a subsequent visit, Joe took Kayoko to meet the Stemporowskis, and during their visit, they spotted a pair of storks nesting on the chimney of the greenhouse Joe’s father had helped them to fund. “The Stemporowskis said that was a good sign, so I was very cheerful,” said Kayoko. “And the next year, Julie came to us.” When their daughter, Julie, was old enough to travel, they took her to meet Joe’s grandmother in Wroclaw. They went on to have another daughter, Alissa, and they raised both girls to appreciate both their Polish and Japanese heritage. But life was busy, and it wasn’t until last summer when the girls, now grown and with careers and husbands of their own, were able to really see their father’s homeland for the first time. Szulim passed away in 2006. Over the past few years, Joe has been immersed in following up on his father’s World War II memoir. He had the book published in Polish in 2022, and has gone on to translate it into English and seek a publisher in the United States.
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 36
In a parallel process, he sought to honor the Stemporowskis with the Righteous Among the Nations honor, the same one that was granted to Oskar Schindler who was credited with saving the lives of 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust; his story is told in the 1993 Stephen Spielberg film, Schindler’s List. And so it was that last summer, on the family trip of a lifetime, the girls met the descendants of the families whose sacrifice had made their own lives possible. “They’ve been fortunate in knowing and experiencing much more from the Japanese side of their heritage,” said Joe. “So when this opportunity came around, I thought, ‘I want to combine this and spend a few days in my birthplace and show them around, show them the neighborhood where I grew up, and then after that, we would travel to Warsaw. And in Warsaw would be an opportunity to, first of all, meet the Stemporowski and Szalinska families. “And I also looked at it as a chance to pass the torch. You know, if Julie and Alissa hit it off and made friends, there might be a chance that this very special friendship and relationship would carry on after our generation.” Together they celebrated the success of that initiative, a ceremony to honor the Stemporowski and Szalinska families with the
PEAK MOMENTS IN POLAND Clockwise, from upper left: Stemporowski and Szalinska family representatives receiving the Righteous Among the Nations honor; Joe's father Szulim Keselman's World War II memoir, published last year in Poland; Wroclaw's Market Square, with the famous Gothic Town Hall illuminated in the background, from left: Alissa, Vanya, Kayoko, Anya, and Julie; Joe Keselman, center, with his two daughters, Alissa and Julie, to his right, and Joe's Ukrainian cousin Vanya with his wife Anya, on his left.
titles of Righteous Among the Nations by Israel’s Yad Vashem. These titles are granted to nonJewish individuals who, at ultimate risk to their lives and without any recompense, saved Jews from Nazi persecution during World War II. “By the time my dad had finished translating Grandpa's diary, I really felt like I was old enough to digest it, and it was almost like meeting a younger version of him,” recalls Julie, now a massage therapist and marketing professional at 33. “And I have, from a fairly young age, understood that my existence was contingent upon his survival and the kindness of others.” Those “others” became flesh and blood people during their journey and, by the time the trip was over, friends who would come to share a special bond for life. They also began to understand the sensitivity and beauty of their father’s culture in a way they had never had a chance to fully comprehend. “I was just so moved by their graciousness,” said Julie. “We were being treated almost like
guests of honor when really, in my worldview, we were the ones who had everything to thank them for. Some of the people were crying when they met us. And we were embraced more warmly than I know how to embrace the people who are close to me.” The ceremony honoring the two families was an eloquent testament to Poland’s deep connection to its history. It was held in the historic Belvedere Palace in the nation’s capital of Warsaw, with the Stemporowskis and the Szalinskas being just two of the many families to be honored that day for having risked their lives in similar circumstances. “And what was really wild was that the one thing I did not know before the ceremony was that they rescued more people; they were honored not just for saving my grandfather's life, but for saving the lives of two other people.” They were pleasantly surprised to find that many of their Polish counterparts spoke flawless English. The ceremony that ensued, which was
simultaneously translated, was a powerfully moving event. Mietek, one of the grandsons of Julian and Julia Stemporowski, spoke briefly but profoundly on behalf of the family. Julie paraphrased the comments from her recollections. “He said, ‘Obviously my grandparents can't be here to speak, but I'll try my best to imagine how they would have received this.’ And he said that they would not have viewed what they had done as anything special, that it was just what you do as a human. The idea of celebrating it with a ceremony or receiving a reward for those acts of service would have been beyond their comprehension, let alone expectation.” For Julie, the takeaway was tremendous. “I wish everyone could experience such closure for wartime… I mean, very few people get to survive and then get to maintain connection and carry it through multiple generations, and then really honor the best outcome of a horrific circumstance in such a special (continued on page 38)
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 37
WROCLAW MEMORIES From left: Wroclaw's impressive Gothic-style Old Town Hall, which has stood at the heart of the city’s rynek, or town square, since the late 13th century; Alissa, Julie, and Joe Keselman; Wroclaw's famous Market Hall (Hala Targowa), designed in the early 1900s. (continued from page 37) way.”
She shared a quote from her grandfather’s memoir as a reflection of the sentiment she felt from the descendants of the Stemporowski and Szalinska families: "We realized that only an exceptional person, with a noble and courageous heart, would agree to shelter a Jew in those times. Especially since I did not possess anything, not even to pay for my food." The girls are staying in touch with their new friends via email, and in one case, Instagram. And Joe couldn’t be happier. It’s been nearly 70 years since those two families took the ultimate risk to save Joe’s father and several others. “And then that act keeps on giving, so to speak,” said Joe. “And it's bringing people together from very different walks of life, different cultures, different places. And it just kind of illuminates their relationships.”
In the Footsteps of their Father During their trip to Poland for the Righteous Among Nations award ceremony, Julie and Alissa joined their parents on a tour of Warsaw and their father’s hometown, the beautiful river city of Wrocław, the capital of Poland’s Silesia region. Situated on the Oder River, the city has more than 100 bridges and an abundance of parks and forests. Wroclaw, which was known as Breslau when it was under the control of Germany, looks back on more than a thousand years of history; it has been a part of the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Poland, the Kingdom of Bohemia and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, all of which contributed to a multicultural heritage and a cityscape that is a feast for all the senses. Joe took his family to tour the quiet neigh-
borhood where he grew up, with its market and its school, the grassy park near the Odra River, the fish store, and the air raid shelter where he would play with his friends. Then they went to the heart of the city’s history in the Market Square, with its ornate Old Town Hall, a showcase of bourgeois Gothic architecture, and also the Gothic St. John the Baptist Cathedral. “The Market Square is very charming, with stone streets and colorful facades of the buildings… Not quite as punchy as what you would see in Mexico, but very, very cheerful, bright colors.” Other architectural and historic standouts included Ostrow Tumski, or Cathedral Island (where the city was originally sited), and Centennial Hall, an architectural masterpiece and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, renowned for its pioneering use of reinforced concrete and its iconic, soaring dome. Home to 22 universities, the city has a youthful and vibrant feel, with a lively arts community as well as a historic foundation in the sciences: the University of Wroclaw has produced nine Nobel Prize winners. What stood out most to Julie about both Wroclaw and Warsaw was the way that both cities rebuilt after being destroyed by bombing in World War II. “The cities were rebuilt to be perfect replicas essentially of what was there before,” she said. “Both cities have modernized some, but there is so much care taken with restoration and preservation because what was already there was so special. I loved seeing that; it was so uplifting, especially given the destruction that is rampant right around them. It gave me a lot of hope.” The girls were a little nervous about dining options because Julie is gluten intolerant and Alissa is vegetarian, so they were anticipating
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 38
challenges and had come up with a backup plan. “But that was not a problem at all. It was so easy to eat, and the food was wonderful.” One thing she noticed was that certain vegetables had a much more potent taste. “The potatoes we ate in Poland had such a strong taste compared to here, and they were really great. One of the dishes that was new to me that I loved was a soup that was served at the (Belvedere) Palace, and it looked just like a cream soup. And I was expecting it to be like potato soup. But it tasted like pickles; it was a creamy pickle soup and it was delicious. And I'm going to try to replicate that as soon as possible.” One of the city’s most endearing features was the collection of brass dwarves placed around the city in a variety of contexts. Originally, they were crafted to represent the city’s laborers and commemorate the Orange Alternative, a Polish anti-communist movement that employed absurdist art as a highly effective tool of resistance. Now more than 600 brass dwarves draw tourists on “dwarf hunts” throughout the city; you can buy a map from the tourist agency for 10 złoty, or about $2 USD. The dwarves all have shiny spots, said Julie, because they are said to bring good luck and make wishes come true, so everyone rubs their heads and noses. The family had an especially poignant moment when Joe’s Ukrainian cousin Vanya and his wife Anya were able to make it through the war-torn country and cross the border into Poland for a brief respite. “They traveled 21 hours on a bus to meet us, and they had never left Ukraine before,” said Julie. “And we all rubbed the top of one of the dwarves’ heads and we made a wish to meet again in Ukraine. They said, ‘We wish to have you at our home.’”
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 39
SPORTS
.
by Todd Freed, staff writer
SportzBuzz W
ith an epic 72-63 victory over Plano’s Prestonwood Christian Academy, the St. Thomas Eagles advanced to the state championship final in football for the first time since 2001. The Eagles quest for a state title ultimately came up just short a week later in a 40-29 defeat to Dallas’ Parish Episcopal School in the TAPPS Division 1 state championship game. “The fact that we were able to make it further than any St. Thomas team in 22 years with my original freshmen class is what makes it so special,” said senior running back Johann Cardenas. The Vanderbilt commit rushed for a remarkable 459 yards and seven touchdowns in the Eagles state semifinal victory over Prestonwood Christian. “This group of seniors have put in so much work and have taken such pride to get to this point,” added Eagles Head Coach Rich McGuire. “They’re great players and great kids. They had so much fun playing together. I’m going to miss them.” “The journey was amazing,” said Eagles quarterback Donte Lewis. “I couldn’t have asked for a better coaching staff and a better family here at St. Thomas.” Off the playing fields, Lewis was the winner of the Greater Houston Offensive Player of the Year at the 12th annual Touchdown Club of Houston’s Private High School Awards Dinner. In a sensational senior season, Lewis accounted for 3,521 yards of offense and 42 touchdowns in leading the Eagles to their first undefeated regular season since 2013. In the wake of winning the SPC football championship, Episcopal Knights head coach Steve Leisz received the Coach of the Year award, while Knights linebacker Ty Blevins was named the Private School Defensive Player of the Year. “It’s very special,” said Blevins. “I’m in elite company with these guys and I’m blessed to be here.” Before heading off to play football at Rice University next season, there was also big honors for Second Baptist Eagle Charlie Shears, who received the Lineman of the Year award. “I just think back to my freshmen year, and I never
STATE CHAMPS With its 55-22 victory over Austin Veritas Academy, The Emery/Weiner School Jaguars celebrated the TAPPS Division 1 state championship in six-man football.
expected I would get this type of opportunity,” said Shears. “I’m just humbled and thankful to my coaches, my family, and to God.” The Ironman of the Year Award went to Kinkaid Falcon senior Miles Roeder, who was a key contributor both on offense and defense for the Falcons. “It means the world to be recognized for the hard work I’ve put forth and also seeing all these great players that I’ve been honored to play against the last four years,” he said. In addition, Preston Kyle of St. Pius X was the winner of the Special Teams Player of the Year. “It’s definitely an honor,” said Kyle. “I had the support of my coaches, my family, and a lot of others who believed in me. It’s been a dream come true.”
F
or the fourth time since 2015, The Emery/Weiner School Jaguars are state champions in six-man football. Emery/Weiner defeated Austin’s Veritas Academy 55-22 in the TAPPS Division 1 six-man state final to lock down the title while capping off another magnificent season for the Jaguars. “We lost a heartbreaker in the state semifinals last season on a Hail-Mary play, so the guys came out this season especially focused and motivated,” said Jaguars head football coach Samuel Castello. “We also got better and better each week and played great football in the playoffs.” The Jaguars were led all season by standout
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 40
junior quarterback Bennett Grossman, who had four passing touchdowns as well as a rushing touchdown in the state final victory. “Bennett is a dynamic player both running and passing,” said Castello. On the ground, senior Zac Laviage rushed for 150 yards in the state championship final. “Zac and our other running backs Matthew Newman and Harrison Zimmerman gave us a really nice running attack during the final stretch of the season and especially in the state semifinal and state title games,” said Castello. On the other side of the ball, linebacker Daniel Gordon was a major contributor including 11 tackles and a fumble recovery in the state final. “We just have a great culture here at Emery/Weiner when it comes to our football program,” added Castello. “We embrace sixman football, and our kids begin playing in our program when they’re in middle school. We’ll be back in the weight room in January to start getting ready for next season.” 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 JANUARY 2024 41
SPORTS
.
by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer
SportzBuzz Jr. W
elcome to SportzBuzz Jr., a column spotlighting neighborhood athletes in elementary and middle school.
Wave win The 8U Wave showcased their skills at the Gobble ’em Up Tournament in Channelview, building on their recent second-place triumph. The team executed impressive double plays, precise tags at all bases, and powerful hits to the outfield, securing a commendable third place in their final fall tournament. Their promising performance has sparked anticipation for the 2024 season. The girls have grown their skills throughout the season and are ready to take to the softball fields for the next season. Pictured (back row, from left) are coaches Danny Hughes, Shannon Westin, Lacey Grimm, Josh Landrum, and Lee Donovan; (middle row, from left) players Evie Hirvensalo, Amelia Pallares, Kat Westin, Reagan Grimm, Mona Swaminathan, Gabby De Lisi; (front row, from left) Penny Hughes, Annabelle Landrum, Rachel Yip, Delaney Donovan, and Sally Carver.
6-0 season The eighth-grade Pershing Middle School football team concluded their season with a 6-0 record, earning the title of District Champs. They have secured the title of undefeated District Champs the last four years (Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021, and Spring 2021 after a postponed 2020 season). Coached by David Burgan, Sam Hinman, Dexter Harmon, and Mike Woods, the team demonstrated effective teamwork and sportsmanship throughout their season, both on and off the field. The team included (pictured, back row, from left) Marcus Williams, Kyle Behan, Henry Bauch, Dylan Harris, Travis Washington, Jacob Young, Cameron Woody, coach Burgan; (third row, from left) Jacques Shepard, Johnny Solomon, DeShawn Gloston, Javyon Daniel, Angel Amaya, Khairi Kidd, Marcus Peters; (second row, from left) coach Hinman, Dedrick Wolford, Keith Lemell, Brandon Theus, Deamone Sanders, Koli Nelson, Joshua Godfrey, Sean Myers; (front row, from left) coach Harmon, Barrett Bedortha, Eaden Jones, Jeremiah Ray, Diego Castillo, Zadkiel Galaz-Dorame, Clarence Washington, and coach Woods.
Fall ball fun In the West University Softball Association Fall Ball 12U league, Team Force secured second place in the championship game, capping off a commendable season for a roster of both new and returning players. The players demonstrated tenacity and grit throughout their season, working hard to build momentum for their season. They demonstrated sportsmanship and friendship and had fun. Pictured (back row, from left) are coaches David Hamilton, Jarred King, Jorge Castillo; (front, from left) players Karis Lim, Kathryn Damiani, Ariel Striegold, Annabelle Hamilton, Eliana Palomo, Callan McKay, Ava Castillo, Cece King, Eliya Palomo, Loren Pryor, and Layla Fedee. WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 42
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.
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 JANUARY 2024 43
BEE AWARE Gavin Yue, an eighth grader at River Oaks Baptist School, is motivated to share information about bee conservation after learning about it as a member of the Houston Zoo's Zoo Crew.
KIDS by Gavin Yue, age 14
Buzz Kidz T
The power of pollinators
he use of single-use plastics and pesticides may be convenient, but their aftereffects aren’t. Mainly, the use of plastics and pesticides destroys honey-bee hives across the world due to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Although honey bees seem to be a small part of society, they play extremely crucial roles in our ecosystem and economy. Pollinators across the world produce 1⁄3 of the world’s food supply, which honey bees are 80 percent responsible for. Along with this, 1⁄3 of the country’s honey-bee hives have already collapsed. The result is a much smaller food supply and looming hyper-inflation. Honey bees are also responsible for 15 billion dollars’ worth of crops and vegetables in the U.S. The ecosystem of many plants and animals are also disturbed by a diminishing amount of food to sustain themselves.
I became interested in this predicament due to the horrible effects it has on the ecosystem and economy. Saving honey bees not only saves animals around the world, but also saves money for everyday people as well. There are multiple ways we can save honey bees: 1. Pesticide Reduction: Minimize the use of neonicotinoid pesticides, which have been associated with bee health problems. Neonicotinoid pesticides are front runners in destroying honeybee hives across the world. Several kinds of neonicotinoid pesticides have been banned in the European Union due to their detrimental effects on our environment. 2. Promote Organic Farming: Buying organic food products can also save the environment because you are promoting organic farming. An
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 44
added plus is that you can control the harmful chemicals that enter your body when pesticides are used. 3. Plant a Garden: Planting a garden creates a habitat for honey bees in your community. Along with that, planting a variety of plants not only creates a stunning array of colors, but also allows honey bees to have varying sources of nectar and pollen year long. Save honey bees today! Any effort will help honey bees thrive in their environment. At the very least, try to use less pesticides and help promote organic farming. 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
Keeping vehicles out of probate As a rule of thumb, anything worth less than $50,000 isn’t worth a lawyer. The State of Texas agrees, and the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) offers free forms to keep cars, campers, trucks, trailers, and motorcycles out of probate. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has different rules and forms for boats and boat motors. The FAA regulates aircraft and drones and recognizes Texas nonprobate agreements (at least for aircraft) but does not promulgate forms. Some things to know about the DMV forms: all newer Texas certificates of title come with an ownership survivorship agreement pre-printed on the front, on the lower left. If both spouses sign, the survivor can sell the car with the decedent’s death certificate. No notary is required, and the agreement is enforceable even if not witnessed or recorded. Three signature lines on the lower right suggest this also works if a child or others sign, too, but that’s wrong. Section 501.031 of the Transportation Code limits the certificate of title ownership survivorship agreement to spouses, single persons who provide an affidavit regarding marital status, and one spouse if the other gives an affidavit that the vehicle is separate property. The form works well for spouses who both sign (it even works if only one spouse is on the title), but it’s an unfair trap for others who thought they could use the form without realizing they’re ineligible or an affidavit is required. When a right of survivorship is desired among unmarried owners, use Form VTR-122, Rights of Survivorship Ownership Agreement for a Motor Vehicle. No notary or affidavit is required; it works for most situations, and robust, reliable instructions are included.
Rights of survivorship attract Medicaid transfer penalties, punishing those otherwise eligible for needs-based government benefits. For millionaires, this is not a concern. For the rest of us, there’s Form VTR-121, Beneficiary Designation of a Motor Vehicle. Section 115.004 of the Estates Code protects the owner’s eligibility for public assistance. Filing fees and a trip to the county tax assessor are mandatory, making a beneficiary designation less convenient than a survivorship agreement. Unlike the survivorship agreement, a beneficiary designation can always be changed without the beneficiary’s consent. If an owner dies without planning, the heirs can sign Form VTR-262, Affidavit of Heirship for a Motor Vehicle. A notary is required, the transferee must have proof of liability insurance, and any lien must be paid off. Form VTR-262 includes an agreement not to probate any will. Resist the temptation to use the form to dump the car before offering the will for probate. 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 JANUARY 2024 45
PETS
Neighborhood Tails Amanda, age 10, Maltipoo, Quenby St. I’m Amanda, and my mission is to bring love and comfort to terminal patients. Every Wednesday, I accompany my mom Ginger, who volunteers as a chaplain at Omega House hospice in Montrose. In this photo, I’m wearing my uniform – Ginger’s altered t-shirt emblazoned with angels from the city of Puebla de los Ángeles, Mexico. Before I was born, my parents, Mark and Ginger, lived in Puebla for 15 years. When they moved to Houston, they brought along Marisol, their Mini Schnauzer. After Marisol died, they could not bear to be “dogless.” They found me cooped up inside a small cage at Poodle Rescue of Houston. I was already toilet-trained and felt sad that my prior owners gave me away – I was too bouncy for them. My parents changed my name to Amanda, which means “worthy of love”. Mark and Ginger delight in my ability to bounce as high as their heads, especially when I’m climbing tree trunks to chase pesky squirrels. 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.
The Buzz Magazines 2023 Pet of the Year Contest Winners
Harley Ham Second place
Ginger Third place
Congratulations to Delta, The Buzz Magazines 2023 Pet of the Year! Here, Delta is pictured with his parents, Greg and Francis. They feel lucky to have Delta as the top dog in their lives. The Buzz will make a donation to the Houston Humane Society in Delta’s honor. A big paws-up to Harley Ham, our second-place winner, and Ginger, our third-place winner. Buzz readers cast nearly 67,000 votes in this year’s contest – although we
Delta only had three winners, all our furry, feathered, and scaled friends are First place champions to us. Cheers to a tail-wagging 2024!
To have your pet considered for Neighborhood Tails in 2024, please submit a high-resolution photo and 150 words from your pet’s perspective to info@thebuzzmagazines.com WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 46
A
D
V
E
R
T
O
R
I
A
L
Update on dog allergy A few years ago, I wrote about whether there really was such a thing as a hypoallergenic dog. The answer was “sort of.” Breeds that claim to be hypoallergenic, like a Bichon, produce just as much dog allergen per square inch of body-surface area as Golden Retrievers. But Goldens are bigger than Bichons, so one Bichon produces less allergen than one Golden. Also, Bichons shed a lot less than Goldens, so the dog allergen stays on the dog, and doesn’t spread all over the house. What if you’re allergic to your dog? It’s best not to have the pet you’re allergic to, but dogs become part of the family, and it can be hard to part with them. Allergy shots work great for dog allergy, if your allergist is following the latest Practice Parameters for Allergen Immunotherapy. Unfortunately, that’s a big “if.” Most allergists only test for one dog allergen, either Acetone Precipitated (AP) dog, or dog epithelium. AP dog is great because it has about 50 times more of the most important dog allergen than dog epi has. But using it alone isn’t good enough. AP dog doesn’t have any of the minor dog allergens. That’s why we test for and treat for both AP dog and dog epi. I can’t tell you how many patients we have seen where their previous allergist told them, “You’re not allergic to dog,” and then find out they’re just allergic to the other dog allergen. Now we even have a blood test to confirm if using AP dog, dog epi, or both is best for an allergy shot recipe. The test also tells us if you’re allergic to dog prostate antigen (Can f 5), in which case you should stick with female dogs or get a neutered male. Sometimes, the patient who has allergy symptoms around the dog really
isn’t allergic to dog at all. Dogs go outside to walk and do their business, and their fur is good at trapping pollen grains and mold spores and bringing them inside. And mostly inside dogs who use the same soft bed usually share that bed with lots of dust mites. Dust mites aren’t picky; they don’t mind eating shed human skin or dog dander. Dust mite-avoidance tips should be applied to the dog’s bed, too; wash the bed covering in hot water once a week and prevent the humidity from getting too high where the dog sleeps. If possible, keep your bedroom free of pets. If that’s not possible, then at least keep the dog out of your bed. And if despite the avoidance measures listed above you are still having allergy symptoms when around your dog, then it’s time to make an appointment to see us. No one nose allergies like we do.™ Note: Information contained in this article should not be considered a substitute for consultation with a board-certified allergist to address individual medical needs. David B. Engler, M.D., The Allergy Clinic, 7707 Fannin, Suite 100, Houston, Texas 77054, 713.797.0993, *1200 Binz, Suite 1400, Houston, Texas 77004, 713.522.9911, www.allergyclinic.com, *Operating as Houston Allergy and Asthma Clinic
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 47
Daniel Ortiz
NEIGHBORS
.
by Angie Frederickson, staff writer
Buzz About Town Un magnifique soirée
100 years of Miller Outdoor Theatre It was a celebration 100 years in the making. More than 200 guests gathered at River Oaks Country Club for Les Grandes Dames gala to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Miller Outdoor Theatre. Jessica Olmos, Miriam Meyers, and LT Cameron (pictured, from left) enjoyed the event that honored longtime Miller Theatre Advisory Board managing director Cissy Segall
Daniel Ortiz
Julie Sudduth, JP Ramirez, Christina Jeffcoat, and Victoria Villarreal (pictured, from left) were among the 300 guests at the 8th annual Storybook Gala hosted by the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation’s Young Professionals Group. Around the World with Madeline, chaired by Grace and Tom Gosnell, Courtney and Zac Harmon, and Victoria Villarreal, was held at Union Station at Minute Maid Park and raised more than $225,000 for childhood literacy initiatives. Emcee Matt Rogers welcomed guests to the event that featured a few of the places beloved character Madeline traveled in the well-known children’s
books, including Paris, France and Texas. Guests mingled among live Madeline characters, a scaleddown Alamo replica, a pair of 5-foot-tall custom cowboy boots, and a 14-foot-tall Eiffel Tower.
Davis who will retire at the end of the year. Event co-chairs Danny and Robin Klaes, David and Christine Underwood, and June Deadrick put together a memorable evening that included a seated dinner with music from the Jazz Houston Youth Orchestra Quintet and a frontrow seat to a conversation between featured guest Rita Moreno and Houston Public Media’s Ernie Manouse. Moreno, the 91-year-old EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) award-winning actress, told stories about performing on Broadway, her movie career including starring in 80 for Brady, and her time on the children’s classic television show The Electric Company.
Lauren DeFrehn Photography
Camping out under the stars
The 17th Annual Fathers & Flashlights event, hosted by Friends of West University Parks, was held on the fields surrounding West University Elementary School. Caroline, Jonathan, Grant, and Natalie Reagan (pictured, from left) gathered with more than 500 (continued on page 50) WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 48
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 49
parents for an urban campout with record-breaking attendance. 2023 Fathers & Flashlights cochairs Kelly Beth Hapgood, Megan Nicodemus, and Katy Turner, along with more than 240 parent volunteers, worked to put on the cherished neighborhood event that raised $182,000 for West U parks. After a cold, rainy start to the week, the clouds parted for perfect weather for pitching tents and activities including crafts, rides, exotic animal visits, face painting, catch-and-release fishing, a t-shirt tie dye station, inflatables, snow cones, dancing to tunes from a DJ, and a magic show.
Priscilla Dickson
Razzle dazzle for breast cancer
Amalia Stanton, Tony Bradfield, and Amy Pierce (pictured, from left) joined more than 500 mostly women attendees at the annual Razzle Dazzle luncheon hosted by Memorial Hermann Foundation. Luncheon chairs Amy Pierce, Kristina Somerville, and Stephanie
Tsuru put together a successful afternoon at The Post Oak Hotel that honored Whitney Crane and Tony Bradfield. The ballroom was decked out in feminine décor including pink and orange floral arrangements for the luncheon, live auction, and raffle that raised more than $900,000 for breast cancer early detection and outreach programs at Memorial Hermann. KHOU-CBS affiliate traffic anchor Jennifer Reyna served as mistress of ceremonies and interviewed actress Connie Britton on stage to discuss her work with breast-cancer awareness and the loss of her mother to the disease at age 62.
Love beyond hoops Jenny Antill
(continued from page 48) other children and 250
Learning the city ropes Each fall, the City of West University Place gives residents an opportunity to see, firsthand, how the city operates. The Citizens Academy program provides a closer look at day-to-day city operations, including how services are provided and what it takes to run a city of 15,000 people. The five-week program includes hands-on activities, tours, and presentations from the city’s administration and finance departments, Parks and Recreation Department, Public Works Department, police department, and fire department, and ends with a graduation ceremony at the City Council meeting. Recent participants include (top row, from left): Mayor Pro Tem John Montgomery, council member Matt Hart, Mayor Susan Sample, Ben Wells, Christina Propst, Mary Beth Gilbert, Andrew Hung, Darren Chapman, council member Clay Brett, council member Shannon Carroll; (bottom row, from left): Ian George, Rebecca George, Robin Burks, Stephanie Magers, and Emily Alderen.
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 50
Maureen Higdon and Major Carolynn Web (pictured, from left) enjoyed the sold-out 2023 Love Beyond Hoops luncheon benefiting the Salvation Army of Greater Houston at River Oaks Country Club. This year’s event, chaired by Dorothy Nicholson and honoring Joe and Cathy Cleary, raised more than $725,000 for social-services programming. Guests enjoyed hearing from keynote speaker Michael Redd, who serves on The Salvation Army National Advisory Board and is a (continued on page 52)
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 51
(continued from page 50) champion leader for The
Salvation Army’s Love Beyond Hoops national campaign. Redd, a former NBA player, shared his personal and professional story including highlights from playing for the Ohio State Buckeyes on their journey to the Final Four in 1999, his 12-year career in the NBA, and playing for the 2008 Olympic Gold Medal Team.
Ride with refugees
Hotel. Kevin Steinhart, Frank Karkowsky, Michael Garfield, Lewis Kalmans, and David Steinhart (pictured, from left) were among the supporters who raised $380,000 for Periwinkle’s camps, art, and survivor programs for children, teens, and their families facing cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. Wine chair Sean Beck and sommelier chair Lara Lack welcomed 13 of Houston’s top sommeliers for a wine tasting and competition. Judges Mark Rashap, Joseph Samso, and Alison Smith Story evaluated selections from the panel of sommeliers, and crowned Chris Havens from Pappas Bros. Steakhouse the 2023 Iron Sommelier champion. The people’s choice award went to Rachel Van Til from The Clubs at Houston Oaks.
Supporters of the Partnership for the Advancement and Immersion of Refugees (PAIR) Houston hit the road for the seven-mile Ride with Refugees bike ride to raise funds for student programming. PAIR Houston board member Meredith Kottler (pictured, with her family) participated in the family-friendly event that included music, food, and games. More than 400 refugee students receive academic mentoring and afterschool programming through PAIR Houston to help them adjust to American life. Funds from the Ride with Refugees event will help the nonprofit continue its work to give refugee youth the skills and support they need to thrive in their new city.
Iron Sommelier
Dr. Devinder Bhatia and honoree Gina Bhatia (pictured) attended the seventh-annual Women of Substance luncheon at the Post Oak Hotel. Gina was honored alongside co-honorees Laura Davenport, Elsie Eckert, Debbie Festari, Leisa Holland-Nelson Bowman, Kathy Givens, April McGee, Jordan Seff, Elizabeth Stein, Paula Sutton, Stephanie Tsuru, and Rini Ziegler, at the event that raised more than $500,000 for Houston reVision. Charles Rotramel, chief exec-
Nearly 600 supporters joined Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston at the annual Tapestry Gala honoring Susan and Dan Boggio at the Hilton Americas-Houston. Susanne and Randall Evans (pictured) enjoyed this year’s event, Welcome to the World, featuring globalthemed art exhibits, costumed mocktail servers,
Dave Rossman
The Iron Sommelier competition benefiting the Periwinkle Foundation brought more than 450 wine aficionados together at The Post Oak
Women make a difference
Priscilla Dickson
Quy Tran Photography
Serving together
and a multi-faith invocation. Houston Public Media’s Ernie Manouse served as Master of Ceremonies and introduced the team of multifaith leaders who provided a shared prayer: Imam Mohammad Haq, Rabbi Steve Gross, Nadia Tajalli, Ray Tran, Atul Kothari, and Father Orrin Halepska. Event co-chairs Karen and Jay Harberg and Tehmina and Dr. Faisal Masud, and honorary chairs Brigitte and Bashar Kalai, put together the successful evening that raised more than $730,000 to support the organization’s efforts to benefit people in Greater Houston.
utive officer of Houston reVision, spoke to the more than 420 guests about the organization’s work to connect volunteers, case managers, mental health professionals, and faith communities with under resourced youth in the Gulfton neighborhood of Houston. Supporters also heard from co-emcees KHOU Channel 11 Great Day Houston host Deborah Duncan and Houston Public Media’s Ernie Manouse, who introduced luncheon co-chairs Sippi Khurana and Amy Pierce. Cora Sue Mach received the Lifetime of Substance award from 2022 lifetime honoree and best friend Sidney Faust. 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.
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 52
• Full service interior design • Remodeling/new construction 713.419.4200 • wkinteriordesigns.com
St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School PK4 – 8th Grade NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL RELIGIOUS EDUCATION, ADVANCED ACADEMICS, S.T.E.M. CERTIFIED, FINE ARTS, AFTERSCHOOL ENRICHMENT & ATHLETICS
Application Deadline January 12, 2024 • www.saintvincentschool.org
6802 Buffalo Speedway, Houston, TX 77025
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 53
.
by Andria Dilling, staff writer
Back Porch H
Order the Cake: Slowing down to savor it
ooray, you’ve made it through 2023 and the crazy holiday season! It is true that, in typical January fashion, we have been discussing healthy recipes in this issue and how they are going to help us power through our New Year’s goals and resolutions. Yay! Still, we are living real life here. And a lot can be said for “balance” being a big part of “healthy.” In a circuitous way, that’s kind of what John Stamos was trying to say in his new book If You Would Have Told Me: A Memoir. No, this is not a book on how to live your best life; it’s a memoir from the Full House TV heartthrob Uncle Jesse. But his “order the cake” lesson could be Number One on a list of how to live your best life. In the book, Stamos (who, besides being everyone’s crush in the ‘80s, is also an accomplished Broadway actor, musician, and now a bestselling author) shares the story of the last time he saw his best friend and TV brother, comedian Bob Saget (Danny Tanner in Full House). In a November book release interview with Willie Geist on Sunday Today, Stamos recalls his last dinner with Saget: “We’re always in a hurry,” Stamos said. “You never think This is the last time I’m going to see my best friend. “That night, we’re with our wives, we were like How did two saps like us get lucky enough to have these two beautiful – inside and out – women? I was thinking We got to go, and then he said Let’s order the cake.” So they ordered the cake, and coffee, too, and everyone took just a little more time that night to sit and visit. It was the last time the best friends saw each other. Saget passed away suddenly in March of 2022 after a head injury resulting from a fall. “When you’re with someone you love, that you care about,” Stamos told Geist, “slow down, take it easy, order the cake.” And that’s the one story Geist said he would remember over all the others in the book. Busy-ness is everywhere. Carpools, deadlines, meetings, housework. Making a point of slowing down to listen and appreciate each other – and the cake – can feel almost impossible. But even the late Queen Elizabeth, who, as a
behance.net/runamokstudios
NEIGHBORS
90-year-old, carried out 306 engagements in a year (21,000 in her lifetime), found time for the cake. Her favorite was a simple, no-bake confection combining rich tea biscuits (similar to graham crackers) with chocolate. She would have a small slice with tea in the afternoon, and another the next day, and again until the cake was gone. Queen Elizabeth so loved the cake that it would travel with her from palace to palace so that she could savor it as long as it would last. ENJOY THE CAKE Even Queen Elizabeth – one of the busiest people in the Queen Elizabeth – world – made time to slow down and savor a favorite treat. one of the world’s Beat the butter and sugar until light and busiest people – found time for the cake. Maybe fluffy. Melt the 4 ounces of dark chocolate either with Stamos and Saget as reminders, we will too. in the microwave (in 30-second spurts, stirring in between) or in a double boiler, and add to the Queen Elizabeth’s Favorite butter mixture, beating to combine. Beat in the Chocolate Biscuit Cake water, then fold in the biscuit pieces to coat with from A Royal Cookbook: Seasonal Recipes from chocolate. Buckingham Palace Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake For the cake: ring or springform pan. Carefully but firmly push ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature, plus the mixture down with the bottom of a drinking extra for greasing glass to create an even texture. Refrigerate for at ½ cup sugar least 3 hours. 4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped Place the 8 ounces chopped chocolate into a 2 tablespoons warm water bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, 8 ounces rich tea biscuits or graham crackers, bring the cream to a simmer, then pour it over broken into small (almond-sized) pieces the chopped chocolate, stirring until the chocoFor the ganache: late melts and the ganache is smooth. 8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped Remove the cake from the refrigerator and ½ cup heavy cream from the cake ring or springform pan. Place it Special equipment: on a wire rack with a tray beneath to catch the 6-inch-by-2 ½-inch cake ring or springform pan excess ganache. Carefully pour the warm ganache over the cake, smoothing it with an offLightly grease the cake ring or springform pan set spatula. Allow the cake to sit at room temwith butter, and place on a baking sheet on top perature to set. of a sheet of parchment paper.
WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ JANUARY 2024 54