Bay Area Houston Magazine April 2013

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A pril 2013 www.BayAreaHoustonMag.com

features

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ON THE COVER

The 2013 LiveWell Women’s Conference.

Design by Brandon Rowan.

President & Chairman Rick Clapp Publisher & Editor in Chief Mary Alys Cherry

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Executive Vice President Patty Kane

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Fifth Annual Aeros & Autos

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CHRISTUS St. John Hospital LiveWell Women’s Conference

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Relieving Low Back Pain

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Savannah Cafe & Bakery

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Totally Texas Festival

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League City Council Approves New Logo

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RNASA National Space Trophy

May 11th at Ellington Airport

May 16 featuring keynote speaker Naomi Judd Understanding symptoms and when to get treatment Fresh food and home made baked goods daily Celebrate Texas on April 13 in Deer Park City begins using logo immediately Eugene Cernan to present award to Senator Hutchison

UHCL Gets $1 Million from Houston Endowment Grant to help launch freshman class

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Clear Lake Chatter Elegant West Mansion dancing into new era

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In Wheel Time

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Texas Meditations

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The Admiral’s Log

Spring into an SUV Bending time Sharks: fear not, respect yes!

in each issue

Bay Area Houston Magazine is produced monthly. All rights reserved.

Material may not be reproduced by any means whatsoever without written permission.

Advertising rates are available upon request.

Please address all correspondence to: Bay Area Houston Magazine P.O. Box 1032 Seabrook, TX 77586

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Announces grand marshal Ad Unser, Jr.

16 CLICK!

Go Red for Women luncheon

Photography Mary Alys Cherry

281.474.5875

Keels & Wheels Concours d’Elegance

Clear Lake Shores Councilman Al Burns

columns

Editorial Don Armstrong Mary Alys Cherry Michael Gos Capt. Joe Kent Betha Merit Pat Patton Dr. Edward Reitman

www.BayAreaHoustonMag.com R.Clapp@Baygroupmedia.com

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Director of Graphics Media Victoria Ugalde

Distribution Chris Mirka Tim Shinkle

Dental Health

46 Finance

With investments, diversifying is key

Vice President & Art Director Brandon Rowan

Sales & Marketing Shannon Alexander Patty Bederka Natalie Epperley Ashley Karlen Debbie Salisbury Amber Sample

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Advertiser’s Index

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Lakewood Yacht Club News and Events

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CCISD News

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Main Events

APRIL 2013

Bay Area Houston Economy in Great Shape Story and Photos by Mary Alys Cherry

Dr. Robert Hodgin, left, holds up the plaque Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership presented him to recognize his 30 years of analyzing regional economic data at BAHEP’s annual State of the Economy Luncheon at the Clear Lake Hilton. With his is Dr. Jason Murasko, who took a look into our economic future after Hodgin gave the economic update.

BAHEP President Bob Mitchell, right, welcomes David Sawyer, center, of Sen. Ted Cruz’s office and Dennis Paul to the State of the Economy Luncheon at the Hilton.

Mayors Vern Johnson, left, of Clear Lake Shores and Mark Denman of Nassau Bay were among the many public officials at BAHEP’s State of the Economy Luncheon.

“We are in full recovery in this region. Unemployment is dropping drastically and we continue to grow jobs.”

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hose were the words of Dr. Robert Hodgin as he gave a 30-year perspective to the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership at its annual State of the Economy Luncheon at the Clear Lake Hilton.

In fact, he added, “we have more people working now than ever before.”

Joining him in predicting “What Lies Ahead?” was Dr. Jason Murasko.

Both are associate professors of economics at the University of HoustonClear Lake.

Hodgin first took the luncheon crowd back to 1980 when NASA Road 1 was only two lanes, most water craft was sail-powered, a drawbridge separated Seabrook and Kemah and South Shore Harbour was only a concept.

Clear Lake City Boulevard did not exist, Space Center Boulevard ended near NASA’s big swimming pool and travel from La Porte to Baytown was through an underground tunnel. But things began to change as the population grew an average of 3.3 percent annually and the population became better educated – growing from 21 percent with bachelor degrees in 1990 to 27 percent in 2010.

Today, with 36 percent of the population in management, business, science and the arts, 18 percent of our residents earn between $50,000 and $75,000; 13 percent between $75,000 and $100,000; and 17 percent between $100,000 and $150,000, Hodgin said. Approximately 5 percent earn $200,000 or more while a like number earn less than $10,000.

While the U.S. has a 7.8 unemployment rate, the Bay Area’s unemployment is only 6 percent with “employment opportunities abounding in the region – driven by health care expansion, increased maritime activity and specialty chemical products.”

Looking ahead, Murasko feels the economy, in the short term, “looks very, very good.”

Yet, there’s things to consider in the months ahead, he pointed out, such as the direction of aerospace, the long-term federal budget, the keystone pipeline, natural gas prices, the European economy and Middle East conflicts.

But with the Bay Area’s young and well educated workforce, the infrastructure is there to support modest growth in economic activity in the days ahead.

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Advertiser’s Index AC Collins Ford Page 59 www.accollinsford.com Art Consortium Page 53 www.artconsortium.org Amadeus Page 12 Assistance League Page 41 www.bayarea.assistanceleague.org Autos & Aeros Page 27 www.fly2houston.com/aerosandautos Battleground Golf Course Page 40 www.deerparktx.gov/battleground Baubles and Beads Page 43 Bay Area Kitchens Page 49 www.bayareakitchens.com Bayway Homes Page 51 www.baywayhomes.com Best Publications Page 52 Big Splash Web Design Page 55 www.bigsplashwebdesign.com Cabo Page 45 www.caboclearlake.com City of Dickinson Page 12 www.redwhiteandbayou.com CHRISTUS St. John Hospital Page 31 www.christuslivewell.org Clear Lake Greek Festival Page 13 www.clearlakegreekfestival.com Coastal Plastic Surgery Page 17 www.tadammd.com Cock & Bull British Pub Page 12 & 44 www.thecockandbullbritishpub.com Cullen’s Page 56 www.cullenshouston.com Dickinson BBQ Page 20 www.dickinsonbbq.com Don Julio’s Page 51 www.donjulios.com Dr. J. Derek Tieken Page 32 www.tiekensmiles.com Encore Resale Shop Page 48 Fatty’s Page 44 Floyd’s Cajun Seafood Page 57 www.floydsseafood.com Fondren Orthopedic Page 2 www.fondren.com Ginger Snaps Page 43 Glass Mermaids Page 43 www.glassmermaids.com Green Links Page 12 www.greenlinksinc.com Gulf Coast Palapas Page 39 www.gulfcoastpalapas.com Harbour Plastic Surgery Page 49 www.harbourplasticsurgery.com Houston Technology Center Page 47 www.houstontech.org Island Furniture Page 25 www.islandfurniture.net Jeter Memorial Funeral Home Page 50 www.jeterfuneralhome.com Keels & Wheels Page 26 www.keels-wheels.com Kemah Boardwalk Page 4 www.kemahboardwalk.com Las Haciendas Page 50 www.lashaciendasgrill.com Los Amigos Page 25 Mamacita’s Page 13 www.mamacitasmexicanrestaurant.com Marine Max Page 23 www.marinemaxseabrook.com Martha Turner Properties Page 35 www.marthaturner.com Mary Mlaker Page 41 mary@texasbayproperties.com Masa Sushi Page 45 www.masasushitexas.foodcoral.com Mattia’s Trattoria Piano Bar Page 45 www.italianpianobar.com MD Anderson Page 3 www.findyourmdanderson.com Mediterraneo Market & Cafe Page 52 Memorial Hermann-SE Page 5 www.memorialhermann.org The Meridian Page 48 www.themeridiangalveston.com Nora’s Professional Cleaning Page 41 noragnewman@gmail.com Norman Frede Chevrolet Page 28 www.fredechevrolet.com Oasis Salon and Medispa Page 37 www.oasisclearlake.com Opus Bistro Page 44 www.opusbistro.net Pasadena Strawberry Fest Page 41 www.strawberryfest.org Ron Carter Clear Lake Page 19 www.roncartercadillac.com Salon La Rouge Page 52 www.salonlarouge.org Savannah Cafe Page 36 www.savannahcafeandbakery.com Schlitterbahn Page 54 www.schlitterbahn.com Seabrook Rotary Page 13 Smoothie Shoppe Page 50 Space Center Auto Page 39 www.spacecenterautomotive.com Star Toyota Page 7 www.startoyota.com Sunsation Tanning Page 41 www.clearlaketanning.com Supreme Lending Page 10 www.supremelending.com Sylvan Beach Festival Page 25 www.laportechamber.org Texas Coast Yachts Page 25 www.texascoastyachts.com Texas First Bank Page 46 www.texasfirstbank.com The Hop Page 44 Totally Texas Festival Page 38 www.deerpark.org Tuscan Lakes Page 33 www.johnsondevelopment.com Unicare Dental Page 60 www.drnoie.com Wild Bill’s Page 21 www.wildbillsstore.com

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DENTAL HEALTH

Clear Lake Shores Councilman Al Burns The Councilman talks to us about his career, personal background and the dental health problems solved by the expertise of Dr. Farid Noie.

BAHM: How long have you lived in the Bay Area and what brought you here?

BAHM: What kind of dental work have you had done with Dr. Noie?

Councilman Burns: I have lived in the Bay Area since 1971. I was transferred by Exxon Marine to Houston in 1971 and never left.

At that time I was working for Exxon as Port Engineer.

Councilman Burns: I know that I was a serious challenge to Dr. Noie due to bone loss, infections and an opening into my sinus cavity.

After multiple surgeries the opening has been closed and Dr. Noie has now built up enough bone to allow dental implants and a new set of teeth. I can now smile comfortably again.

BAHM: What made you interested in politics and how long have you been councilman for Clear Lake Shores?

Councilman Burns: I have served two terms as councilman and I am running again for another term this year. I am interested in my community and have 30 years business experience that I feel is useful in helping make decisions for the city.

BAHM: Tell our readers about yourself and what you enjoy.

“I can now simply smile when I am around people with no embarrassment.

This has taken a load off of my mind.”

Councilman Burns: I grew up in the tidewater area of Virginia and became very interested in the marine industry early on. Went through the apprentice program at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock and then attended the United States Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point) engineering program. I sailed and worked for Exxon Marine for 16 years. I was part of the hand picked crew for the Exxon Manhattan and made the two epic trips across the Northwest Passage in 1969. By the time I left Exxon I was the youngest Port Engineer in its history. I left Exxon to take on the challenge of building machine shop repair businesses that specialized in turbomachinery repair, which I did for the next 30 years.

I play golf and watch football. My hobbies are many, because I like working with my hands. I like woodworking, stained glass and drawing in pen and ink. Like many men of my age group, I am really a jack-of-all- trades and my wife’s favorite handyman!

BAHM: What is your history of past dental experiences, problems, and dental works?

Councilman Burns: I have always seen dentists regularly but about four years ago I started having jaw bone issues (probably brought on by many years of smoking). I tried to work with several dentists but not until I met Dr. Noie did I get the help I needed. Dr. Noie had a plan that addressed my problems.

BAHM: How long have you been a patient of Dr. Noie?

Councilman Burns: I have been seeing Dr. Noie for over a year.

BAHM: Looking back, how would you describe your overall experience with Dr. Noie and dental implants?

Councilman Burns: Dr. Noie and his professional staff always make you feel comfortable, minimize pain and address any concerns or question you may have, but as an engineer I am totally impressed with his knowledge and determination to help his patients.

Going to a dentist like Dr. Noie takes away any worries you may have. As a matter of fact my wife is now a patient of Dr. Noie also and he is doing wonders for her as well. She has jaw bone loss due to osteoporosis and osteoporosis medications. He has helped her tremendously already which has improved her quality of life as well.

BAHM: I understand you like to smile a lot. How has your sparkling perfect smile and new dental Implants changed the quality of your life?

Councilman Burns: I can now simply smile when I am around people with no embarrassment. This has taken a load off of my mind. Most of all, eating is now a joy again.

Dr. Noie has been in private practice in the Bay Area since 1996. He is a Diplomate of Int’l Congress of Oral Implantologists, Fellow of Academy of General Dentistry, and Assoc. Fellow of American Academy of Implant Dentistry. He has completed his surgical training at New York University as well as Medical University of South Carolina, Temple University, and Wright state University School of Medicine. He completed his oral Anesthesiology training at University of Alabama in Birmingham. He is a member of American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

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M A R K E T P L A C E

M A R K E T P L A C E

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Photos by Mary Alys Cherry

Host Hakeem Olajuwon and Men Go Red For Women Chairman Santiago Mendoza Jr., center, pause for a photo during party at the West Mansion with, from left, Dr. Michael Lyons, Dr. Marcus Giacomuzzi, Matthew Emory and Dr. Patrick Briggs to raise funds for heart research and show off the newly decorated mansion.

Drs. Marcus Giacomuzzi, left, and Patrick Briggs check out Houston Rockets memorabilia in Hakeem Olajawon’s sports section in the West Mansion’s east wing during benefit party.

Basketball legend Michael Jordan stops for a photo-op with Herb and Charlene Miller of Taylor Lake Village in the North Carolina mountains.

Elegant West Mansion dancing into new era THE BEAUTIFUL West Mansion on NASA Parkway is alive and well and ready to dance again.

Owner Hakeem Olajuwon has simply outdone himself and spent a small fortune turning the mansion back into the “Grande Old Lady of the Lake.”

And, besides looking snazzy on the outside, she’s just plain gorgeous inside – like a majestic palace.

Several dozen community leaders got a look-see the other evening when Men Go Red For Women Chairman Santiago Mendoza Jr. and committee members Dr. Patrick Briggs, Ronald Castagno, Matthew Emory, Marcus Giacomuzzi and Rick Lammers joined Hakeem in showing off the mansion and the home of his new upscale clothing and accessories business, DR34M. Attorneys John Gay and Becky Reitz were in the crowd, as were Bay Area Houston Magazine Chairman Rick Clapp, Top Star Marketing Consultant Pierr Castillo, Tisa and Dr. Mitch Foster and Wealth Advisor Margaret Sucre Vail.

MARY ALYS CHERRY Men Go Red for Women is a dynamic and committed group of men rallying their resources to fight heart disease, the No. 1 killer of both women and men. “We’re standing behind the women we care about – wives, mothers, daughters, sisters and friends – by inspiring communities to provide funds for research and lifesaving programs,” Santiago said.

Before long, the basketball Hall of Famer invited all back to the East Wing for a short program by

First Financial Benefits President Rick Gornto, from left, stops to say hello to past Clear Lake Area Chamber Chairmen Jim Sweeney and Michael Divine at the Men Go Red for Women benefit at the West Mansion.

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Santiago on joining the Circle of Red, with CCISD Superintendent Dr. Greg Smith, Clear Lake Chamber Past Presidents Jim Sweeney and Michael Divine, Bay Area Regional Medical Center CEO Dr. Michael Lyons and his wife, First Financial Benefits President Rick Gornto in the crowd.

Many went on to make $1,000 donations to become members of the Circle of Red, including Hakeem, Santiago, Dr. Greg Smith, Rick Lammers and his wife, Jill Williams, Dr. Lyons, John Boettcher, Dr. Patrick Briggs, Dr. Marcus Giacomuzzi, John Gay, Earl Armstrong, Mike Gallagher, Michael Rosenblatt and Matthew Emory.

Creek grad tutors President Obama

Claude Harmon III with Arnold Palmer.

WHEN YOUNG Claude Harmon III was sitting in his classes at Clear Creek High School, dreaming of getting out on the nearby golf course,

Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre founder Lynette Mason Gregg visits with Bay Oaks Women’s Association President Jennifer Simmons, left, is Dr. Mitch Foster, left, and Clear Creek ISD Assistant Superintendent Dr. Alex happy to see Lisa Stiles, center, and Lea Bodie as they look for a seat Torrez during the Men Go Red for Women benefit party at the West Mansion. at the Mardi Gras luncheon.

Photo: Diana Dornak

Bay Area Museum Guild President Carole Murphy, right, assists Gail Ashby as she prepares to discuss jewelry at the Guild meeting at the museum.

Photo: Diana Dornak

Carol Wicklander, Pat Biddle and Nina McGlashan, from left, catch up on each other’s news as they await the start of the Bay Area Museum Guild meeting.

little did he know that some day he would be giving golf lessons to the president of the United States.

But there was Claude, along with his dad, world renowned golf instructor Butch Harmon, offering pointers to President Obama on how to improve his game. Both Harmons are golf coaches – assisting some of the world’s top golfers.

The president was the guest of Astros owner Jim Crane at Crane’s exclusive Floridian Yacht and Golf Club in Palm City, Fla., and played in a foursome with Butch Harmon’s former student, Tiger Woods, U.S. Trade Representative and former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk and their host.

Beforehand, the president got pointers from the Harmons, who formerly lived in Nassau Bay. Only recently, Claude was receiving congratulations on his first major victory as an instructor when Ernie Els won the British Open. In fact, Claude has quite the golfing pedigree.

His dad has coached Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and Greg Norman, to name a few. His grandfather, Claude Sr., won the 1948 Masters and his uncles, Craig

Wood Harmon and Bill Harmon are successful and well recognized golf instructors, as was his late uncle, Dick Harmon.

Tiger said later the match play was “a lot of fun for us,” adding that he thought it was “pretty cool” to be playing with the president.

Claude thought it was “an amazing experience,” especially getting to tutor the president, he told his mom, Lillie Harmon of Clear Lake, who is community affairs director of Bay Area Houston Magazine.

Basketball legend strolls by

TAYLOR LAKE VILLAGE residents Herb and Charlene Miller had quite a surprise while at their vacation home which overlooks the Champions Hills Country Club Golf Course in Hendersonville, N.C. A friend called to tell them to hurry down to the tee right below their dining room window and they just might run into none other than basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan. They did, Charlene with camera in hand, and got their photo made with North Carolina’s most famous citizen as she joked about “always taking

Ann O’Malley, Kippy Caraway, Dollie McAlpin, Alice Marinos and Norma Ballard, from left, look for their table at the Recherche luncheon at Cullens.

Glenna Crist, left, and Chris Howland, Bay Oaks Women’s Association Hospitality Committee members, greet the crowd arriving for the Mardi Gras luncheon.

my camera with me when I work in my flower garden.”

Michael seemed to enjoy the joke and took time to poise for a photo with the Millers, which they willingly shared with the world.

Coasting around….

BAY AREA MUSEUM GUILD learned about “Trends in Fashion Jewelry” when Gail Ashby presented the program, after which Cindy Kuenneke of the Guild’s hospitality team invited all over to sample the desserts everyone had brought. Next on the Guild calendar is a trip to the Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston Tuesday, April 23 . . . . Meanwhile, Recherche members were spotted lunching at Cullen’s while Bay Oaks Women’s Association members had a Mardi Gras theme for their monthly luncheon . . . . The Arts Alliance Center at Clear Lake plans to offer young artists some fun-filled opportunities to enhance their creativity this summer in the form of art camps in June and July.

Call Cindy Fischer, 281-335-7777 for dates, hours and costs . . . .

Recherche members Charlene Miller, Sharon Maaz, Pat Biddle, Mary Ann Shallberg and Barbara Phillips, from left, arrive at Cullen’s for their monthly luncheon.

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i n wheel t i m e

By D o n Ar m stro n g

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pring has to be one of the most popular times of the year in the Bay Area. The weather gets warm enough to clean up the watercraft and head out to Clear Lake and Galveston Bay for the first time since Halloween. With this annual renewal come pangs for a new vehicle, so we grabbed a couple of SUV’s from popular manufacturers and took them for a spin.

GMC Terrain Denali

The squared shoulders and stout lines of the GMC Terrain are a departure from the aero-look of many SUV’s driving off dealer lots this year and we like it. We also approve of the new for 2013, more powerful V-6 engine option as well as the Denali trim level.

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The Terrain is slightly larger than a compact, but not big enough to place it in the midsize category. Let’s call it a “tweener.” For most of us that want just a little more room, especially in the second row, here it is.

The Denali trim level is top-ofthe-line opulence for the GMC and now one of the nicest in the near-luxury category. It combines almost all of options that the lower trim levels offer.

The optional 3.6-liter V-6 engine delivers 301 HP, gets 17 MPG-city and 24-highway, which puts it in the class of the Lexus RX. Pricing starts at $34,925.

Detractors include Honda CRV, Kia Sorento and Ford Escape.

Hyundai Sante Fe Sport

Not that many years ago, the Hyundai brand lacked direction and had very questionable design philosophies.

Fast forward to 2013 and you’ll find the Hyundai brand well represented in most parking lots in the Bay Area.

The Hyundai Sante Fe has been around for a number of years and has become synonymous with value, dependability and now good looks, both inside and out.

The new-from-the-ground-up 2013 Sante Fe Sport is a five-passenger crossover that incorporates Hyundai’s “fluidic design” sculpture. From nose to tail, this is one sharp dresser.

Inside you find abundant soft touch materials, a richness to the dash and intuitive controls.

Hyundai Sante Fe comes in the 6 or 7-passenger “stretched” version or the 5 passenger Sport.

The capable base engine is a 2.4-liter inline 4 that delivers 190 horsepower and get 21 MPG-city and 29-highway. A turbo and V-6 are also available.

Pricing begins at $24,450 for the Sport and $28,350 for the larger Sante Fe.

texas m e di tat i o n s

By M i c ha el Gos

Bending Time Castroville, Texas Have you ever noticed our most powerful memories are associated with the sense of smell? When I smell Chantilly perfume I am immediately transported back to a time with my first girlfriend in high school. The smell of diesel exhaust takes me to the steel mills in my college summers. And a cigar…well, I’m ten years old and at Wrigley field with my dad, watching a Cubs’ game.

I’ve heard lots of reasons why scent memories are so strong. The most common explanation is that the olfactory nerve is located close to the part of the brain associated with memory. In fact, when brain damage impairs memory, we also lose the ability to differentiate smells. I chose to ignore the science and instead enjoy the romance of my memories of smells. f I was on my way to Uvalde and decided to do something completely out of character. I had driven highway 90 through here dozens of times and every time I passed through Castroville I’d see Haby’s bakery and wonder what it was like in there. You see, I avoid places like that to protect me from myself—from my lack of self-control. In fact, I hadn’t been in an old-fashioned

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bakery since I was a child. I can’t say why, but on this day I felt compelled to stop.

I pulled in, shut off the Jeep and went inside.

Immediately upon opening the doors it hit me. It was 1960 and I was in Sockitt’s Bakery on Fifth Avenue in Gary, Indiana. I stood at the door for a few minutes, just taking it all in. Two of the women behind the counter looked my way from time to time, probably wondering why this lunatic was just standing there blocking the door. Other customers came in, squeezed around me and found their way to the counter. I continued to stand there.

After a few minutes of being bumped into by other customers trying to enter, I moved out of the doorway and started meandering through the store. By examining the vast selection of breads, rolls and pastries, I found I was able to prolong my stay. I continued doing that until my nostrils became accustomed to the smell and I could barely detect it. As my ability to experience the scent diminished, I started to analyze what happened. I was amazed when I came to the conclusion that, after all these years, I still remember that smell perfectly.

Then came the real shock—that memory was from 53 years ago! It was like getting hit in the face with a door.

When I think about an event in the past, the memory is often vivid and fresh. I know, for example, that I was in grad school until just recently. But then I think about it for a minute and realize that was in the 1980s. I worked as a sports writer only a few years ago—but that was in the 70s. And I just recently moved to Texas— twenty-one years ago! When I do the math and think

“I’m starting to think that, in many instances, we chose, subconsciously perhaps, to distort time.” about those numbers, I am staggered. Could it possibly have been that long ago?

Modern physics has some interesting takes on this idea of how we experience time. There seems to be a general agreement that our view of time as linear (past, present future) is a completely artificial construct that we humans have created to make it easier to understand our lives and to organize our thinking about the world we live in. In one view, time and space are not two separate things; rather there is a single thing called the space-time continuum.

Yet another view is that all times exist simultaneously.

Take for example, a DVD. While we can put it into a machine and buy into an artificial idea of time by watching a two-hour movie, the reality is that every second of those two hours exists there in the moment we hold that DVD in our hand. It is all there at that same instant.

If that is true, then time might be anything we want it to be. “Time flies when you’re having fun,” but what happens to it when you are in the waiting room of a doctor or dentist? Apparently, time runs at different speeds on different occasions.

I’m starting to think that, in many instances, we chose, subconsciously perhaps, to distort time. This manipulation allows us to engage in alternative interpretations, ones more palatable perhaps, as we look back on our lives. What the clock or the calendar says may not reflect the reality that we “know” about ourselves. The calendar says I am in my sixties. My internal clock tells me I still feel like a man in his 20s, insecurities and all. After all, weren’t my twenties just a few short months ago?

Why would we do this? I think it might be a form of self-protection. If I can feel like I just left grad school instead of it being more than 20 years ago, I can avoid feeling old, or worse, having to accept that I might be getting close to the end. But when you do the math, reality comes roaring back.

Still, even when the truth is staring me in the face, I have choices. I can choose to be shocked at how long ago seemingly recent events really were. That was the choice I made at the bakery. Or I can choose to feel angry, or sorry for myself because it took me so long to understand something so critical to happiness and fulfillment in life—that it all goes by so fast!

But I think there are better ways of looking at this. I can ask a different set of questions. I might start with “have I made the most of it up until now?” Most of us would probably be disappointed, maybe even horrified, by our answer.

But perhaps there is another, yet more important question we should ask.

“With this new-found realization of how short life really is, will I do better from now on?”

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are hit-and-run incidents and often only result in cuts and bruises, which may require stitches but are not considered serious injuries.

But this is not always the case. Sometimes shark bites can cause serious injuries and can on rare occasions even be fatal. There are precautions you can take to reduce your risk of encountering a shark and reducing your risk of a shark attack. NOAA Fisheries encourages all beachgoers to “swim smart.”

Remember that when you swim in the ocean you are a guest in a wild habitat and you should respect that habitat and its creatures, much like you would if you were camping at Glacier National Park where wild grizzly bears live. And just like putting on sunscreen when swimming in a swimming pool and storing food wisely when camping in grizzly bear territory, taking precautions to ensure your health and safety in the ocean is the best way to enjoy your summer beach vacation The last recorded fatal shark attack along the Texas Gulf Coast occurred in the 1930’s, over 70 years ago.

While one of the most aggressive sharks known to man, the bull shark, is common along the Texas coast, very few major attacks have occurred.

Recreational shark fishing today is a specialty among fishing guides and, up until recently, there were few restrictions on retaining sharks. Killing sharks and

Swimmers along beaches in The Gulf of Mexico probably fear nothing more than the word “shark.” While many potentially harmful creatures swim in the same waters as humans, none get the attention that sharks command.

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he movie “Jaws,” released close to 40 years ago, increased the awareness of sharks in ocean waters and probably did more harm to the specie than any other movie or documentary about creatures of the sea.

Following the release of the movie, shark hunting became popular, with the idea to rid the water of the dangerous and aggressive fish. While shark tournaments have been around for decades, more and more cropped up following the movie. At the same time, the demand for shark fins (used in Asian dishes) increased and, in no time, sharks appeared on the list of threatened species of fish.

Lots of misinformation has been spread about sharks and hopefully we can eliminate some misunderstandings and phobias about this graceful swimmer.

The ocean is a vast wilderness, home to thousands of awesome and wonderful creatures, and, when you visit the beach this summer, you are a guest in their environment. Like swimming in a swimming pool, you need to be aware of potential dangers and some precautions to ensure your safety.

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Just like in a swimming pool, the biggest danger to humans who swim in the ocean is the potential for drowning. Many of the same precautions you should take to prevent drowning in a swimming pool also apply to swimming in the ocean.

However, the ocean is wild and other potential dangers exist there that do not exist in a swimming pool. Those dangers include getting caught in a riptide, getting knocked over by a large wave, getting stung by a jellyfish, cutting a foot on a shell, or getting bitten by a shark.

The majority of ocean creatures are harmless to people, but some animals can and occasionally do injure humans. Usually, when an ocean animal hurts a human, it is a defense measure -- like the jellyfish that stings or the crab that pinches -- because the animal perceives the human as a threat.

When a shark bites a human, it is usually a case of mistaken identity. The shark thinks the human is a fish and takes a bite expecting to have dinner. When the shark realizes that the person is not a tasty fish, it lets go and swims away. This is why most shark “attacks”

“Remember that when you swim in the ocean you are a guest in a wild habitat and you should respect that habitat and its creatures.” discarding them is now prohibited. In fact if you are interested in catching a shark, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has imposed some tight regulations on the bag and size limits. There are two categories of regulations, one called prohibited shark species and the other allowable shark species. Only one allowable shark per angler is the bag limit and the minimum size is 24 inches for Atlantic sharpnose, blacktip and bonnethead while all other allowable sharks have a 64-inch minimum size.

The prohibited species include Atlantic angel, Basking, Bigeye sand tiger, Bigeye sixgill, Bigeye thresher, Bignose, Caribbean reef, Caribbean sharpnose, Dusky, Galapagos, Longfin mako, Narrowtooth, Night, Sandbar, Sand tiger, Sevengill, Silky, Sixgill, Smalltail, Whale, and White.

This is the first of two articles on this subject. Next month we will address fishing for sharks around the Galveston Bay Complex.

News & Events

Heald Bank Race

Scheduled for April 20-21

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akewood Yacht Club Race Committee Chairman Gerhard Wittich has announced that this year’s Heald Bank Regatta has been scheduled for the weekend of April 20 – 21.

This is the first race of a series to determine the winner of the Texas Offshore Racing Circuit (TORC).

The second event is an offshore regatta hosted by Houston Yacht Club while the final event is the Galveston Bay Cruising Association’s Texas Race Week.

At the conclusion of Race Week, the prestigious Texas Navy Cup will be awarded to the TORC spinnaker champion using PHRF with spinnaker handicapping.

This year, 2013, marks the 50th anniversary of the TORC which was founded in 1963. In celebration of this, there is an effort underway to establish a new perpetual trophy for the TORC non-spinnaker championship using PHRF handicapping and counting all three events.

The Heald Bank Regatta, which is open to the public, is held offshore in the Gulf of Mexico starting

Watt and Gavin O’Hare race a Snipe on San Francisco Bay in the Snipe National Championship Regatta.

at the Galveston jetties, marker 11. The race begins on Saturday afternoon and finishes early on Sunday morning. In addition to the PHRF spinnaker and non-spinnaker classes, boats may enter in cruising fleets or in a multihull fleet. Cruising class boats will receive a handicap assigned by the race committee and are not required to provide a PHRF certificate.

Multihull boats will need to have a handicap certificate issued by the Texas Offshore Multihull Association (TOMA). All spinnaker boats will sail a triangle course of approximately 90 nautical miles while the non-spinnaker boats will sail a two leg course of approximately 60 nautical miles.

“This should be one of the most fun nights of racing that one can experience offshore south of Galveston,” related Wittich. “It is also a good warm up for the longer distance races held later on in the Gulf such as our popular Harvest Moon Regatta coming up October 17 - 19 of this year,” he added.

Race Sponsorship Chair Charles Phillips reports that

sponsors making this race possible are Hays: Marine, Energy & Logistics Insurance, Little Yacht Sales, Ron Hoover RV and Marine Centers along with Bay Access.

Bay Access is a not-for-profit organization created to foster youth and adult amateur sailing.

There is a skippers meeting and TORC kick-off on Friday, April 19, 7:30 p.m. in the Chart Room at Lakewood Yacht Club, 2425 NASA Parkway, Seabrook, TX, 77586. Trophies for this race will be presented during the Shoe Regatta Awards Ceremony which will be held the evening of Sunday, May 19.

To register for the Heald Bank Regatta, please go to Lakewood’s website at www.lakewoodyachtclub.com Or, for questions, one can call the club’s office at 281-474-2511.

Lakewood to Host Snipe North American Championship

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or the first time, Lakewood Yacht Club will host the Snipe North American Championship Regatta from Wednesday, April 17 to Sunday, April 21. The husband and wife team of Watt and Priscilla Duffy, who race Snipes, will be co-chairing the event.

“Many sailors in the area have sailed a Snipe in years past. This Regatta would be a great chance to come visit old friends and see how the new modern Snipe has changed,” related Watt Duffy.

The Snipe is a 15 ½ foot, two person, one design racing dinghy with a rich history. Designed by William Crosby in 1931, it has evolved into a modern, tactical racing dinghy with fleets around the world in more than 26 different countries.

Although the Snipe Class has some of the best competition in the world, and is included in the Pan American Olympic Games, the class has not lost sight of the importance of social events. The essence of the class is summed up by its registered motto: “Serious Sailing, Serious Fun.” To obtain the Notice of Race and to register on-line, go to www.lakewoodyachtclub.com and hit the Regatta Information button

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APRIL 2013 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

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Keels & Wheels Concours d’Elegance Announces

2013 Grand Marshal: Indy 500 Champion Al Unser, Jr.

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he 18th Annual Keels & Wheels Concours d’Elegance, benefiting The Boys & Girls Harbor, announced that two-time Indy winner Al Unser, Jr. will serve as the 2013 Grand Marshal. Unser will be on the grounds throughout the weekend of May 4-5, 2013 at the Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook, TX meeting participants and visitors, signing autographs, and participating in the awards programs.

Unser has accumulated a tremendous record of success as a race car driver throughout the last 30 years. Continuing his family legacy, Unser Jr. won the Indy 500 championship in 1992 and again in 1994, making him the first second-generation Indy 500 champion.

In addition to Unser’s two Indy 500 wins, he is a two-time CART champion (1990, 1994), two-time Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona winner (1986, 1987), and two-time IROC champion (1986, 1988). Unser has also competed in NASCAR events, including the Daytona 500, and was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2009.

Unser continues to embody the racing spirit through his driving clinic program called “The Al Unser Jr. Racing Experience”, the Race Clinic for Paralysis charity and speaking engagements.

Keels & Wheels Concours d’ Elegance is a classic car and vintage wooden boat show that takes place over the course of one weekend each spring at the Lakewood Yacht Club in picturesque Seabrook, Texas and attracts more than 15,000 attendees. The exhibitors and spectators come from every part of the United States, contributing to the more than $1 million that the Concours has raised to date for local charities.

To schedule a media interview with Al Unser, Jr., please contact Kim Padgett at The Padgett Group at 713-590-3770 or via email at Kim@ThePadgettGroup.com.

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Bay Area Houston Magazine | APRIL 2013

For more information about the 18th annual Keels & Wheels Concours d’Elegance, please contact Bob Fuller at (713) 521-0105 or visit www.keels-wheels.com and our Facebook.

About Keels & Wheels Concours d’Elegance: Keels & Wheels Concours d’Elegance is a weekend-long, nationally acclaimed classic car and vintage wooden boat show that takes place each spring at the Lakewood Yacht Club, at 2425 NASA Parkway, in beautiful Seabrook, Texas. Founded by Lakewood Board Members Bob Fuller and Paul Merryman in 1995, today Keels & Wheels welcomes approximately 200 cars and 100 boats, and has raised more than $1 million for local charities, while drawing thousands of participants and spectators from all over the U.S. and Europe.

Judging for the Concours event is held Saturday for both boats and automobiles.

Nearly 60 car judges and 20 boats judges evaluate approximately 40 classes for cars and 20 classes for boats. The boating side of the event is sanctioned by the Antique and Classic Boat Society, an International organization established to standardize the judging procedure. The awards ceremony takes place on Saturday for the boats and Sunday for the cars, with main categories including Best of Class and Runner Up, as well as Best of Show for both cars and boats. Further awards include Corinthian Awards for noteworthy entries, Emeritus Awards for individuals who have contributed significantly to the event, and People’s Choice Awards.

Proceeds from the 2013 event will again benefit the Boys and Girls Harbor, whose mission is to provide a home and safe environment for abandoned and abused children and healthy, comprehensive care for children and families in crisis. For more information please visit www.keels-wheels.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Fifth Annual

AEROS & AUTOS May 11th, 2013 at Ellington Airport To Benefit Lions Camp and USO

By Betha Merit

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ack for its fifth year, Aeros & Autos will be hosted by the Houston Airport System on May 11th, 2013 at Ellington Airport from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Presented by Texas Flying Legends Museum and Ellington Air Commerce Center, this annual family-friendly community event features car shows, static aircraft displays, kids corral, gift drawings, food, shopping, live entertainment, and the Houston Half Mile Shootout. The Aeros & Autos website is www.fly2houston.com/ aerosandautos or check them out at www.facebook.com/pages/Aeros-Autos-at-EllingtonAirport/204996842845099 .

The Half Mile Shootout, sponsored by Hennessey Performance, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fly your automobile or motorcycle down the runway, to see if you can clock the fastest time. Last year, a Volkswagen Beetle entered and clocked at 97 m.p.h.

The fastest overall was 212 m.p.h. for an auto, and just slightly less than that for a motorcycle. Registration specifically for the Shootout must be made in advance at www. houstonmile.com.

Proceeds (100%) from the show will benefit two charities. The first is Texas Lions Camp, an organization focused on assisting physically disabled, hearing/vision impaired, and diabetic children from the State of Texas (www.lionscamp.com). Additionally supported is The United Service Organization or better known as the USO, whose mission is to support U.S. troops by providing morale, welfare, and recreation-type service to our men and women in uniform and their families (www.uso.org ).

Aeros & Autos is the brain child of Shawn Chittum, operations supervisor at

Ellington Airport, five years ago when he sat with a group of combined municipal employees to trouble shoot a new and novel way to provide a community event that would connect with the public and allow the airport to give back. Aeros & Autos is well received by the participating community, sponsors, and vendors. When you mingle automobiles with airplanes, food, shopping, contests, gift drawings, and diversions for kids (including snow cones), it comes up to a winning combination.

“Over $100,000 has been raised for charities in the past four years,” says Chittum, “and we expect to surpass that this year.” With an ever-increasing list of sponsors and vendors, the experience for participants as well as spectators and their families will provide something for everyone all day long. “Our major sponsors have dedicated time and money to facilitate planning and set-up, and with many new contributors, the family fair atmosphere we aimed to achieve will be realized,” says Chittum.

The aircraft on display will feature everything from WWII planes to Vietnam War jets to modern day aircraft. Helicopter and aircraft rides will be available, and shopping for novelties and necessities, as well as a kid corral area with free air slides. The car shows will feature everything from street rods and muscle cars to lowriders and imports, with trophies awarded to those judged as the elite. Registration for the car show is $30, and due on the day of the show only. It includes one admission, a goodie bag, a 4 x 6 inch photo of your vehicle with a military aircraft, and an event t-shirt.

Admission is $5 for adults and free for children aged three and younger. Gates will open at 8 a.m. and close at 4 p.m. The address for Ellington Airport and for the event is 6011 Farley Road, Houston, Texas 77034.

APRIL 2013 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

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Education

UH-Clear Lake ad campaign a winner

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niversity of Houston-Clear Lake’s “The Choice is Clear” advertising campaign gained recognition during the American Advertising Federation-Houston’s 51st Annual ADDY® Awards.

The campaign, designed and written by Houston-based agency Richards/Carlberg, received three gold and three silver awards as well as a certificate of excellence and an excellence in copywriting award for different aspects of the campaign. Launched in 2012, the campaign included billboards, print ads, signs and more featuring various slogans such as “What do you call a UHCL grad? Boss.,” “Created for NASA in 1974. Still Launching Careers.” and “We Never Made the List of Top Party Schools.”

In anticipation of its first freshman class in fall 2014, UH-Clear Lake also added taglines such as “Be First. Accepting Freshmen Fall 2014.”

• The awards received include the following: • Gold ADDY® for UHCL Billboard Campaign; • Gold ADDY® for UHCL Billboard (“Party School”) • Gold ADDY® for Elements of Advertising: Copywriting on UHCL Billboard Campaign • Silver ADDY® for UHCL Integrated Campaign (Billboards, Mall Signs, Brochures) • Silver ADDY® for Out-of-Home Exterior (Pearland Center Wrap) • Silver ADDY® for Out-of-Home Interior (Mall Signs) • Certificate of Excellence for UHCL Billboard (“Boss”) • Brett Elliott Excellence in Copywriting Award to Richards/Carlberg copywriter Josh Powers for writing on the UHCL Campaign.

“We were very pleased to learn about the ADDY® Awards and not surprised that ‘The Choice is Clear’ campaign received the accolades,” says UH-Clear Lake President William A. Staples. “It has been a pleasure working with the talented Richards/Carlberg staff on this campaign.”

Founded in 1971, Richards/Carlberg is a Houston-based affiliate of The Richards Group, the largest independent branding agency in the nation. Other clients include the Houston Airport System, Mahindra Tractors and Tarkett flooring.

“I always say, it takes great clients to make great advertising,” says Chuck Carlberg, principal of Richards/Carlberg. “And, we thank UHCL for being such a great client to work with, and having Richards/Carlberg conduct our spherical branding workshop with UHCL’s faculty and staff, so that we could come up with the Choice is Clear Campaign.”

To find out more about the campaign, visit www.uhcl.edu/egret/ marketing. For more information about UH-Clear Lake, visit www.uhcl. edu.

Clear Lake High School students won first place in Texas in the Real World Design Challenge. They are, from left, senior Aalisha Maknojia and juniors Amar Harris, Jayant Leal, Mason Kepp and Junaid Maknojia. Their teacher is Lillian Wilson.

Clear Lake High Takes First in Texas Real World Design Challenge

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lear Lake High School students won first place in Texas in the Real World Design Challenge. They are senior Aalisha Maknojia and juniors Amar Harris, Jayant Leal, Mason Kepp and Junaid Maknojia. Their teacher is Lillian Wilson.

The RWDC is a project-based annual high school competition run by a public-private partnership with the goal of sustainably increasing the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce. RWDC provides students with the opportunity to apply the lessons of the classroom to the technical problems that are being faced in the workplace.

Partners include NASA, the Department of Defense, the National Governors Association, and numerous university and industry partners.

Two industry partners, PTC and Mentor Graphics provide up to $1 million worth of professional software and training to each team that competes, and employees of the partners serve as team mentors and judges. RWDC is free to compete, and challenges teams with real design problems, using professional engineering tools, with team members playing real roles.

This year’s challenge was to design a Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems, which includes one or more aircraft and control station, and to develop a business plan in support of commercial applications based on the following mission scenario. Teams had to design an aircraft system to search for a missing, injured and immobilized child with a blue jacket in a designated 2-mile radius circular search area.

The team then refined the vehicle design, sensor payload selection, search pattern, best altitudes for the selected sensor payload, and associated ground equipment to find the child in the minimum time while also minimizing cost. The final product was an engineering notebook including the business plan.

Representing Texas, the Clear Lake High School team now heads to the national championship in Washington DC in April.

The challenge for the national competition is to refine their initial design to find the child in the minimum time while also minimizing cost. The National Challenge requires a comprehensive re-evaluation of the design process. They will present their final designs and business plan to a panel of industry experts.

Education

Clear Creek ISD trustees call for $367 million bond vote on May 11

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he Clear Creek ISD Board of Trustees voted unanimously to accept the Citizens Facility Advisory Committee’s recommendation to call for a $367 million bond referendum in order to address CCISD facilities, instructional technology, and co-curricular and extracurricular programs.

Contents of the school bond package were prioritized by a 30-member facility committee consisting of parents, local citizens, business leaders and educators.

Over the course of several months, the committee studied a district-wide facility assessment, enrollment projections, and district financial information as well as toured schools. The committee used this information and input from the public to finalize its recommendation.

What’s included in the Bond?

The proposed bond will touch all CCISD schools and eight support facilities in some capacity. The bond will: 1. Address aging or overcrowded campuses and infrastructure, improve energy efficiency, reduce energy costs and increase the life expectancy of existing facilities.

2. Improve safety and security systems at many campuses.

3. Upgrade wireless infrastructure and expand access to technology in every classroom.

4. Construct or expand facilities to support co-curricular and extracurricular programs.

What’s the tax impact on property owners?

The estimated tax increase of this bond is $0.1125. If approved by voters, a homeowner of a median home would see an initial $5.12 increase per month in property taxes with a maximum annual payment of $172.72. A median home in CCISD is $177,400. Homeowners 65 years and older would not see a tax rate increase as their property tax rates are frozen by law. Election Day will be Saturday, May 11. Early voting will begin April 29 and end May 7. The last day to register to vote in this election will be April 11.

Clear Lake High School: $ 98,606,691 • Major rebuild of 1972 building • A comprehensive, two story high school to accommodate 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th grade in one building • Improve safety and security • Eliminate the use of a 9th grade center • Proposal excludes field house, gyms, pool and science wing Clear Creek High School: $ 24,227,219 • Complete the rebuild of Clear Creek High School (1956) which was not included in the 2004 bond • Includes career and technical education, athletics and fine arts areas Seabrook Intermediate: $ 11,773,351 • Replace portables with permanent addition • Expand cafeteria, library and stage to accommodate student enrollment McWhirter Elementary: $ 30,804,660 • Complete rebuild of 1956 and 1971 buildings • Campus currently has 72 exterior doors • Proposal is to build a smaller and energy efficient campus

Improvements to the following 40 Year old + facilities: $ 16,663,402 Clear Lake City Elementary, Ross Elementary, Ed White Elementary, Whitcomb Elementary, Clear Lake Intermediate, Clear Path Alternative School , Clear View Education Center, District Assessment Center Student Safety, Priority Repairs, and Growth: $87,000,000 Clear Brook High School: $ 20,879,208 • Secure entrance • Repair foundation and structural damage • Expand commons and other areas for growth Creekside Intermediate: $ 8,251,469 • Permanent addition to accommodate enrollment • Defers need for an additional intermediate on the Westside of the District Greene Elementary: $5,700,355 • Permanent addition to accommodate enrollment • Expand cafeteria and core areas Clear Creek High School & Clear Springs High School third gyms to accommodate enrollment: $ 8,636,277 • Relieve scheduling conflicts during school day • Standard for 5A high schools is 4 gyms per high school Safety upgrades and priority repairs to the following schools: $43,052,825 Armand Bayou Elementary, Bauerschlag Elementary, Bay Elementary, Brookwood Elementary, Falcon Pass Elementary, Ferguson Elementary, Gilmore Elementary, Goforth Elementary, Hall Elementary, Hyde Elementary, Landolt Elementary, League City Elementary, North Pointe Elementary, Robinson Elementary, Stewart Elementary, Ward Elementary, Weber Elementary, Wedgewood Elementary, Brookside Intermediate, Clear Creek Intermediate, League City Intermediate, Space Center Intermediate, Westbrook Intermediate, Main Transportation Center, Support facilities, replace 40 school

buses with more than 200,000 miles, replace musical instruments and replace emergency communications equipment Instructional Technology: $45,000,000 • Improve wireless access in all classrooms • Provide classroom equity with projectors and interactive whiteboards in classrooms • Start-up investment only for student and teacher tablet computers for online learning, textbooks, and enrichment • Replacements for 6-8 year old computer labs and desktops Co-curricular and Extracurricular: $ 49,000,000 Second District Stadium: $ 39,079,651 • Second stadium to accommodate five 5A high schools and ten intermediate schools • 9,500 seat steel structure with track and field house for graduation staging and student events • Does not include media scoreboard • Land purchased for a stadium in the 2004 bond • Alleviate traffic and scheduling conflicts at Clear Creek High School and Clear Creek Intermediate • Eliminate Thursday evening home games Veterans Memorial Stadium: $2,026,581 • Replace bleacher railings for safety • Replace end of life-cycle turf Westside Agriculture Center: $ 2,922,089 • Expand facility to accommodate program growth among three high schools Eastside Agriculture Center: $ 3,552,687 • New facility at a new location to accommodate program growth and two high schools Music Instrument Replacements: $ 1,800,000 TOTAL PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATION: (Rounded to even number) $ 367,000,000 • 1% of total for bond issuance costs • Project management costs

Country Music Icon Naomi Judd Takes Center Stage at CHRISTUS St. John Hospital’s LiveWell Women’s Conference, May 16

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hen country music icon Naomi Judd speaks, anyone within earshot gets a hearty dose of humor, tell-it-like-it-is candor, hard-won wisdom and a heap of inspiration -- with a few surprises along the way.

Judd will take center stage as the keynote speaker at the CHRISTUS St. John Hospital’s LiveWell Women’s Conference, taking place Thursday May 16 on the campus of the University of Houston Clear Lake. The event delivers a day of presentations and workshops that address the physical, mental and spiritual health of women.

It’s the perfect venue for Judd to share the insights she’s gained throughout her colorful life. Judd freely shares her personal experiences as a country music legend, a TV personality, a best-selling author, an actress, a humanitarian, a former R.N. and a mother of two.

She also talks openly about surviving her life-threatening battle with Hepatitis C and other struggles she’s faced throughout her life.

From humble beginnings as a single mom in a small Kentucky town to her meteoric rise as a country music superstar and American icon, Naomi Judd’s lifelong journey is an inspiring story of overcoming the odds through optimism and hard work.

“I’ve had a very colorful life, a big adventure with lots and lots of stories,” Judd says. “I’m very open about all I’ve learned and how it’s benefited me.”

With her focus on health, living and aging well and the power of the mind-body-spirit connection, Judd is an ideal keynote speaker for the annual conference, says Nancy Pittman, Chief Operating Officer and Chief

“Many women are so good at taking care of everyone else that they put their own health and well-being at the bottom of their priority list.”

Nursing Executive at CHRISTUS St. John Hospital.

“Hearing Naomi speak will definitely be a highlight of the day,” Pittman says. “Naomi’s inspiring story is something that will stay with participants long after the event is over.”

Judd first stepped into the national spotlight as half of the mother/daughter duo, The Judds. The duo reached unprecedented success throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s, selling 20 million records, scoring 15 #1 hits and receiving over 60 industry awards, including six GRAMMY’s. The Judds were named the Country Music Association’s “Duo of the Year” for seven straight years.

At the pinnacle of her career, she was forced into early retirement as Hepatitis C threatened to end not just her hard-won career, but also her life. When she was diagnosed at the in 1990, doctors initially gave her three months to live.

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She credits her miraculous recovery to her passionate study of the connection between mind, body and spirit, along with her sense of humor and her faith. After recovering, she transitioned into life as an author and motivational speaker, addressing audiences across the U.S. with her rare combination of intellect and candor.

In late 2010, she and Wynonna reunited once again for the first time in a decade to record new music and take to the stage for “The Last Encore Tour.” Along for the emotional journey were Oprah’s OWN cameras that entered the private lives of the famous duo as they worked to heal their relationship, reconnect with fans and share the spotlight once again.

Most recently, Naomi found herself back in the familiar role of radio host with her six-week SiriusXM radio series “Think Twice” and has also made a return to the small screen in the movie “Nearlyweds,” which aired on the Hallmark Channel in January 2013.

Judd also remains dedicated to continuing her humanitarian efforts and social causes, which have included the Naomi Judd Research & Education Fund for Hepatitis C, which she founded, the American Liver Foundation, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Parents Television Council and Habitat for Humanity.

THE LIVEWELL WOMEN’S CONFERENCE Judd’s inspiring message is a perfect fit for the CHRISTUS St. John Hospital’s LiveWell Women’s Conference, says Pittman. The event is a day designed just for women, with a variety of engaging speakers and workshops addressing physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

“Naomi Judd’s life offers many examples of how to not only survive, but thrive despite personal difficulties,” Pittman says. “As she says, peace of mind isn’t the absence of problems, it’s in finding the proven ways to deal with them.”

The event encourages women to spend one day focusing on themselves to recharge their batteries and discover ways to enhance their own health and wellbeing.

The day begins at 8 a.m. with a light continental breakfast. Throughout the day, participants will choose from a variety of workshops that include physician-led discussions of current health issues, and topics ranging from spirituality to skincare. Workshops resume after lunch and the keynote presentation by Judd, with an afternoon tea following. Market Square, a bazaar combining wellness information, free health screenings and boutique-style shopping, will be open throughout the day.

“We offer a wide range of topics and activities so that women can customize their day based on their own needs and interests,” Pittman says. Sessions like: Cooking on a Dime in No Time, Hormone Replacement Hocus Pocus, Muffin Tops & Metabolism and Nature Nearby. All designed for a full day of information and inspiration.

The conference also includes a Professional Development Track which offers attendance credit hours for select sessions, and may assist women working fulltime in attending with registration costs covered by their employer.

Visit www.christuslivewell.org to register or call 281-333-8899 for more information.

The CHRISTUS St. John Hospital’s LiveWell Women’s Conference is one of the signature annual events sponsored by the LiveWell Women’s Network, a free online resource designed especially for women to easily connect to important information for the health of themselves and their families.

“We created the network to give women a quick, easy, go-to resource that would get them the information they need for their own health and well-being while also providing helpful connections within the local community,” Pittman says.

So far, more than 2,000 women in Southeast Texas have tapped into the CHRISTUS LiveWell Women’s Network. The interactive site makes it easy to get realtime information on a variety of health-related topics, with physicians, dietitians, clinicians and other experts blogging on the site, providing up-to-the-minute content and opportunities for interaction with members.

To join or to learn more about the network, visit online at www.christuslivewell.org.

Both the network and the conference are muchneeded tools to help women focus on their own health, Pittman says.

“Many women are so good at taking care of everyone else that they put their own health and well-being at the bottom of their priority list,” Pittman says. “Both the conference and the network are great resources to inspire women to take better care of themselves and show them the steps to take to improve their overall quality of life.”

RELIEVING Low Back Pain Understanding the Symptoms and Knowing When to Get Treatment

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f you have low back pain, you’re certainly not alone. According to the American Spinal Decompression Association, at least 80 percent of Americans will experience pain in the lower back at some point in their lives. And it could be debilitating. Low back pain can happen at any time – to anyone – and that includes children, workers, and active individuals between the ages of 35 and 55. But the population most at risk is older adults.

Although the source of low back pain isn’t always easy to figure out as you age, there are some things you can do to help alleviate mild to moderate discomfort and determine when it’s time to see a doctor.

Understanding Your Aging Spine

“As you get older, the body undergoes a series of anatomic changes related to the repeated stresses of everyday living,” said Joseph Hsieh, M.D., clinical director of neurosurgery for Mischer Neuroscience Associates at Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital.

Over time, discs can lose elasticity and water, and begin to wear down and bulge. Ligaments can become hypertrophied or swollen. And the bones can form calluses and become larger, taking up more room in the spine. If you are a female or have osteoporosis, those bones can become weak as well.

“In addition to increasing the risk of injury, these factors can cause added pressure against the nerves in the back, which can lead to pain in other parts of the body, and that can make it much more difficult for an individual to pinpoint the source of the discomfort without proper medical attention,” explained Dr. Hsieh, who is also an assistant professor in the Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) Medical School.

Whoever you choose to see, keep in mind that your doctor should present you with several options to consider to determine if the spine can heal itself first before exploring surgical options. Alternatives to surgery could include steroid injections and aqua therapy in addition to prescription or over-the-counter medications – and, of course, rest.

“In some people, there may be something anatomic that’s causing the problem,” said Dr. Hsieh. “It could be a common diagnosis associated with the aging spine, such as degenerative discs or spinal stenosis, or it could be something more complex.”

When to Rest and When to See a Doctor

Common Conditions and Treatment Methods

Rest and over-the-counter medications may be all your body needs to get your back on track. But if you find yourself with pain that hasn’t subsided within a matter of a few days, it may be time to get an evaluation – and that requires a physician or possibly a specialist, depending on the severity of the problem.

Degenerated discs are the most frequent cause of low back pain. It happens when the spinal discs, which are soft and act as the “shock absorbers” of the spine, deteriorate and begin to lose the cushion they provide between the vertebrae in the spinal column.

If left untreated, degenerated discs are likely to become herniated or ruptured – also known as a slipped disc. That can put pressure on the nerves in the spine, which may result in pain or numbness in the legs or feet.

Another common source of low back pain is spinal stenosis, where the canals in the spine that hold the nerves become tight.

People with the condition actually begin to walk in a hunched-over position to open the canals and relieve the pain. They prefer sitting down, rather than standing upright, and may be challenged by walking long distances.

“Each condition will cause people to exhibit symptoms differently, which is why it’s important to see a specialist if traditional therapies don’t provide relief.”

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“In both conditions, severe pain or lasting loss of feeling or function may require surgery to ease the affected area,” said Dr. Hsieh.

Surgical treatments for low back pain can range anywhere from decompressions, where anything that may be compressing the bone or nerve is removed, to fusing the adjoining vertebrae to prevent further damage and relieve pain. Procedures can be done with or without instrumentation, minimally invasively, or through an open approach.

“There are almost a countless number of options for therapy, but the right approach will ultimately be determined by patients’ unique indications and an understanding of what their needs really are,” Dr. Hsieh explained. “Each condition will cause people to exhibit symptoms differently, which is why it’s important to see a specialist if traditional therapies don’t provide relief.”

Dr. Hsieh is a fellowship-trained, board-eligible neurosurgeon with expertise in neurosurgical treatment of disorders of the spinal column and cord. He specializes in complex spinal reconstruction as well as minimally invasive approaches. His specific areas of interest include: deformity, disc herniation, fracture, infection, myelopathy, radiculopathy, spinal AVMs, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, spondylosis and tumor.

If you need to see a doctor for your aching back, call 713.222.CARE today to make an appointment with a physician affiliated with Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital.

Savannah Café & Bakery Offers Fresh Food and Home Made Baked Goods Daily in Your Neighborhood

By Betha Merit

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avannah Café & Bakery makes just about everything daily from scratch, and with fresh ingredients. From their favorite casserole selections such as Chicken Spaghetti to the St. Charles Panini, specialty salads with home made dressings to hearty soups, and the wafting scent of warm from the oven baked goods, you know you have found the place to bring back that hours-in-the-kitchen experience to your meals without spending those hours yourself. Thank you Savannah Café & Bakery.

Founding Owner Trey Kendrick purchased Magnolia Café & Bakery in Lewisville, Texas in 2007 and began adapting the menu and business model to eliminate frozen ingredients and bring in high end, fresh, quality product and prepared on-site meals and bakery goods. He successfully opened Cafés in Pasadena, Carrollton, and Webster, Texas since then, to great success. Their business model includes dine-in facilities with a loyal staff that know customers by name, a take-out serve yourself refrigerator case for purchasing ready made meals, and a catering/delivery service for groups from six to 600.

Additionally, Kendrick renamed the business Savannah Café & Bakery in 2012, and is gearing up to offer franchises starting in late 2013. With almost straight word of mouth marketing, the success has been monumental. Who knows, instead of meeting your friends or business associates at a famous coffee shop from Seattle, you might be scheduling your rendezvous at a Savannah Café & Bakery just down the street. You might even own one.

“You can taste the difference in our food,” says Josh Pressly, regional manager, “and that’s the reason for our success.” Pressly has assisted with opening, running, and recipe adaptation for the last three Cafés. Many of the recipes are family favorites, and

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have been adapted by the Savannah Café food artisans to ensure quality of ingredients, taste, and freshness. “And we start our baked goods the right way,” says Pressly, “with butter, sugar, and eggs.” The Buttermilk Pie recipe is 100 years old and passed down through the owner’s family.

Another way that Savannah Café & Bakery is like your own kitchen, is that they don’t make everything on their menus every single day. With 24-hour notice, they will meet a specific request, but due to their freshness requirements, they limit their offerings to fresh available ingredients. Most of their sandwiches, paninis, and salads, are available daily. And the bakery will always have a large variety of cakes, cookies, pies, and baked goods. With 15 casserole and 15 cake choices, made fresh daily, they rotate the choices, just like mom or grandma used to do.

Seasonal foods are another highlight at Savannah Café & Bakery. Honey-glazed spiral cut hams are smoked and glazed in-house and available for holiday orders.

Seasonally decorated sugar cookies and baked goods will appear on the menu, and items such as cranberry chicken salad or turkey pot pie, depending on the holiday.

Menus are available online at www.savannahcafeandbakery.com and information about their catering and delivery services, and Savannah Society, a membership for customers.

The philosophy behind the Café extends to supporting local businesses and the community. “We consider ourselves a neighborhood bakery,” says Pressly, “therefore we purchase our products and services from local vendors when at all possible.” Even the artwork is by local artists. The paintings are not for sale, but Josh says they will gladly pass on their contact information. They contract their special panini bread recipe to a local bakery for each Café location for daily delivery.

Savannah Café & Bakery is a neighborhood bakery where the owners and management grew up locally, live locally, and the loyal staff recognizes your face. “3/4 of the kitchen staff have been here from the start, and we train all our own people,” says Pressly. They hire part time staff from the local high schools, have free wi-fi, and encourage you to eat dessert first. You can admire the chef and baker through the glass window into the kitchen, and the whole atmosphere is upscale but welcoming.

It might not look exactly like mom or grandma’s kitchen, but one bite of that Italian cream cake or Dutch beef noodle casserole or French dip panini, and you will remember how food is supposed to taste.

Celebrate TEXAS!

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he Birthplace of Texas will host New this year is the George Watt the Totally Texas Festival on Commemorative Chili Cook off, April 13. The festival celebrates presented by the Deer Park Chamber, the Battle of San Jacinto, the the Channelview Senior Citizens and decisive 18-minute skirmish that gave the the Smokin 44’s Cooking team. There is Lone Star State its independence from $1,800 in prize money for the best beans, Mexico. chili and people’s choice On April 1, 1836, the winners.

Texas Army, led by Gen. Musical entertainment Sam Houston ambushed will play throughout the the Santa Ana-led Mexican festival beginning at 9:15 forces. Although they a.m. were outnumbered twoThe parade begins at 11 Killin’ Time to-one, the Texans swept a.m. with the route starting 10:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. through the Mexican at Abshier Stadium and The Fantastics camp suffering only nine ending at the Jimmy Burke 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. casualties.

Activity Center, where most Kelly Dean Band General Houston met of the festivities are being 1:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. with Santa Ana in the held.

Samba Nova cabin home of George The Jimmy Burke 3:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Moffitt Patrick in what Activity Center will be SJC Steel Band became Deer Park where the epicenter for activity.

5:00 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. the initial treaty outlining With thousands of festival Mexico’s surrender was and fun run participants drafted. congregating in one spot, “From a historical aspect, the festival parking options will be scarce at the teaches families about the history of the actual Burke Center site. However, there community, but it also benefits Deer will be free shuttle services from three Park economically, bringing visitors in large lots around town on Saturday. to support local businesses,” said Nicole Free parking will be available at Clyde Garvis, communications coordinator for Abshier Stadium and Dollar General. the Deer Park Chamber of Commerce.

A shuttle bus will run from each of the There will be plenty of events, concerts locations to the Jimmy Burke Activity and fun throughout the day at the Jimmy Center. Abshier Stadium is located at Burke Activity Center, 500 W. San 710 W. San Augustine behind Deer Augustine St. in Deer Park.

Park High School South Campus. The April 13 with the Strides for Schools Houston Area Safety Council is located Fun Run sponsored by Shell Deer on the corner of Thirteenth Street and Park. Registration and packet pick up Georgia Avenue. Dollar General is begins at 7 a.m. with the race starting located at the intersection of Center and at 8:15 a.m. The fun run benefits the X streets.

Deer Park Education Foundation. More For more information on the Totally information on the fun run can be found Texas Festival including a full schedule of at www.shelldpfunrun.com. events as well as a map of the parade route The arts and crafts booths open for and applications for the competitions visit shoppers at 9 a.m. and remain open until the Deer Park Chamber of Commerce 7 p.m. website, www.deerpark.org.

CONCERT LINEUP

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League City Council Approves New City Logo

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eague City Council has approved a new city logo.

Destination Development International designed the new logo, which depicts stylized sailboats and waves, in January 2011 as a part of the city’s Branding, Development and Marketing Action Plan.

The plan included several recommendations in regards to a Main Street master plan, beautification and special events as well as the recommendation of the use of the new logo.

The city will begin using the new logo immediately, but will incorporate the logo using a phasedin approach to avoid a large expense.

The city seal, a circle with an oak tree in the center, will continue to be used on official city documents.

“League City is excited about the opportunity to utilize this new logo as we continue to brand our city as a destination for recreational lifestyles,” said Mayor Tim Paulissen.

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“We are also very pleased to continue to honor our heritage with our continued use of the oak tree in our official City seal.”

Councilman Todd Kinsey placed the item on the Council agenda for consideration.

His goal was an image that represented the City’s recreational lifestyle brand.

“As a student of history, I wanted to pass a measure that would allow us to preserve our city’s history by maintaining the oak tree as our city seal but would allow us to market our city as a coastal community,” said League City Councilman Todd Kinsey. “The new imagery adopted by council will provide the city greater flexibility in reaching out to the business community and to growing its tourism base.”

The city’s previous logo was created and approved for use in January 2009. The tagline “Live it. Love it.” with the stylized tree symbolized the City’s traditional roots with the aim to progress and move forward.

Bay Area Houston Magazine | APRIL 2013

SUPPORTS CHARITY GOLF Totally Texas Golf Tournament The Battleground Golf Course is celebrating Texas’ Independence with the Inaugural Totally Texas Golf Tournament on Saturday, April 13th. The tournament will tee off at 8 a.m. and you don’t want to miss it. With Texas History at every hole, there is no better way to celebrate Texas’ Independence.

Proceeds from the tournament will go to support the Battleship Texas. For more information, call 281-478-2079.

Project Blue Golf Tournament Project Blue will have a golf tournament on May 8th at South Shore Harbour Golf Course in League City starting at 8:30 a.m. 100% of the proceeds will benefit Seabrook Police Officer Leon Waltman who has been diagnosed with cancer is currently in treatment. For more information, visit www.project-blue.org or call 832-767-8535.

Keep Kids in School Golf Tournament The Keep Kids in School Golf Tournament will be held at the Bay Oaks Country Club on April 22nd. The tournament will benefit the Communities In Schools-Bay Area dropout prevention program serving Clear

Creek and Dickinson Independent School Districts. Legend Physical Therapy and Rick and Janice Gornto have been announced as underwriters. For tournament sponsorships and information, contact Angela Jenkins at angelaj@cisba.org.

Judge Holly Williamson Hawaiian Golf Tournament The Judge Holly Williamson Justice of the Peace Pct 8 Place 1 Hawaiian golf tournament and luau dinner will be held on May 10th at the Battleground Golf Course in Deer Park. Registration is at 10:30 a.m. and the shotgun start is at noon. The luau dinner and awards will immediately follow after the tournament. For more information, call 281-478-2079.

Sentinels of Freedom Gulf Coast 5th Annual Golf Tournament The Sentinels of Freedom Gulf Coast will hold its 5th annual golf tournament fundraiser at Canongate at South Shore Harbour Country Club on April 24th.

Proceeds to benefit Sentinels. For more information, call 281-334-0525 or visit www.sentinelsoffreedomgulfcoast.org.

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Eugene Cernan to present National Space Trophy to Senator Hutchison

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pollo astronaut Eugene A. Cernan will present a National Space Trophy to recently retired Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison at the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement Foundation’s annual gala at the Houston Hyatt Regency, Friday, April 26.

“Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison is certainly one of the most deserving of those who have ever received the Rotary National Space Trophy,” Cernan said. He was honored with the award in 2008 and now serves on the RNASA Foundation’s Board of Advisors. “Throughout her career in the U.S. Senate, she has been a devoted and passionate supporter of our nation’s space program.”

Hutchison was nominated by Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company Executive Vice President Joanne Maguire as a “long standing champion of NASA and DoD space programs,” citing her advocacy of the three-year 2010 NASA Authorization Act, the International Space Station

Program, the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle, the Space Launch System, and commercial space transportation.

Cernan added, “Senator Hutchison continues to be a strong advocate, in hopes of America regaining our preeminence in the world, thus inspiring the dreamers of tomorrow. I am sincerely honored to have the opportunity to introduce a dear friend, one whom I admire and respect, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, at the 2013 Rotary National Award for Space Achievement.”

Cernan was born in Chicago, Illinois, and will be 79 this March. He earned a BS in electrical engineering from Purdue in 1956 and a MS in aeronautical engineering in 1963 from the U. S. Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, California. Cernan was one of fourteen astronauts selected by NASA in 1963. As the pilot of Gemini 9 in 1966, Cernan became the second American to walk in space. He was lunar module pilot of Apollo 10 that came within eight miles of the lunar surface in May 1969. In December 1972, he commanded Apollo 17—the last mission to the Moon in the 20th century. Cernan left the Navy and NASA in 1976 and served as Executive Vice President, International, and Director of Coral Petroleum until 1981. His autobiography, The Last Man on the Moon, was published in 1999. Cernan resides with his wife Jan Nanna Cernan in Houston, Texas. They have three daughters and nine grandchildren.

The RNASA event will also honor Veronica McGregor, manager of news and social media at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, with a Space Communicator Award.

RNASA Advisor, former Space Communicator Award recipient, and PBS NewsHour Science Correspondent, Miles O’Brien, will present the award to McGregor.

The Foundation is also pleased to announce that

B U S I N E S S Jacobs awarded $1.9 billion pact

NASA has selected Jacobs Technology for an engineering, technology and science contract at Johnson Space Center that begins May 1 and has a potential value of $1.93 billion.

Major subcontractors include Barrios Technology, Hamilton Sundstrand, GeoControl Systems, MRI Technologies, ERC, Aerodyne Industries, HX5 and Oceaneering Space Systems.

Exxon to expand Baytown facility

Exxon Mobil plans to expand its Baytown complex to boost its capacity to turn natural gas into petrochemical building blocks.

The company expects the plant expansion will create 10,000 area jobs during its construction and about $870 million of economic activity annually. The Baytown complex now employs about 6,000 workers, and the expansion will add 350, the company said.

The ExxonMobil Baytown Area is the largest petroleum and petrochemical complex in the United States. “Our sites in the Baytown area are highly integrated – working together to make our plants and our products more efficient,” Exxon

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said in announcing the multibillion dollar expansion.

The project will take about three years, and Exxon Mobil says the plant could be up and running by the end of 2016.

“The project is going to be an expansion of our Baytown project, which is already the largest integrated refining complex in the country,” said Steve Pryor, president of ExxonMobil Chemical Co. Technological advances in recent years have helped producers unlock natural gas and oil from tight shale formations.

The expansion will increase the Baytown plant’s capacity to convert ethane, a natural gas liquid, into the chemical building block ethylene, and from that to produce the plastic polyethylene.

Pasadena Chamber elects new officers Gary Nickelson is the new chairman of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce with Rick Guerrero as the new chairman elect.

Other officers are Vice Chairmen Bill Simmons, Danny Hickey, Cary Bass, Sherry Bufkin, Denise Jennings and Ken Unfried.

Directors are Greg Albert, Vijay Barreto, Jeanna Bernard, Greg Clary, Paul Davis, Bruce Dockall, Shelley Fuller, Pedro Garcia, George Gonzalez, Debbie Ibargo,

Bay Area Houston Magazine | APRIL 2013

Houston Mayor Annise Parker will welcome attendees to the black-tie event. Chief Executive Officer of the Space Foundation, RNASA Advisor, and former Space Communicator Award winner, Elliot Pulham, will serve as emcee.

Pianist Victoria Reva-Dorsch will perform during the reception. Dr. David Fannin, Pastor, Nassau Bay Baptist Church, will perform the invocation. The Colors will be presented by an all-female Color Guard from Clear Springs High School JROTC. The cadets are: Eryn Behne, Amber Carter, Erial Marshall, and Deanna McFeron.

Nominations for Stellar Awards are currently being reviewed by a Stellar Awards Evaluation Panel consisting of Dr. Christopher C. Kraft Jr., Dr. Glynn S. Lunney, Arnold D. Aldrich, and new this year, Gen. Kevin Chilton, USAF (Ret.). Winners in four categories will be announced at the event.

Following the award presentations, Cernan’s Apollo 10 Commander, Lt. Gen. Thomas Stafford, USAF (Ret.) will present an OMEGA watch to Senator Hutchison.

RNASA Foundation Chairman Rodolfo González said, “We’re very thankful for the participation of so many outstanding individuals in our program, as well as the volunteers from the Space Center Rotary Club and the continued support of our corporate sponsors who all play a critical role in honoring U.S. space achievements.”

Eagle Engineering is sponsoring space artist Pat Rawlings to paint the National Space Trophy winner’s portrait which will be displayed at Space Center Houston and appear on the cover of the souvenir program.

Companies interested in sponsoring tables or individuals interested in tickets should contact RNASA Vice Chairman Bill Taylor at sales@rnasa.org. The deadline for reserving space in the souvenir program is March 8, and the deadline for reserving tables or tickets is March 29, 2013.

More information, a longer biography of Capt. Cernan, photos, and updates to the agenda for the gala, please visit the RNASA website: www.rnasa.org.

B U Z Z

Kirk Lewis, Robert Merino, John Mrozek, Monica Perry, Jack Rodriguez, Commission Jack Morman, Nathan Rorick, Ryan Sitton, Jacqueline Spigener and Vance Townsen.

Space Station pact awarded

NASA has selected Teledyne Brown Engineering of Huntsville, Ala., for its International Space Station missions operations and integration contract.

The contract, which began March 1, is valued at about $120 million and has a potential performance period of five years.

Under the contract, Teledyne Brown will provide operations in support of the International Space Station at NASA’s Johnson and Marshall’s space flight centers. Support entails all phases of flight, including mission preparation and crew and flight controller training.

$100 million plant in Alvin

Gov. Rick Perry has announced that Ascend Performance Materials Texas Inc. will construct a new propane dehydrogenation facility in Alvin, creating 100 jobs and a $1.2 billion capital investment.

The state is providing $1 million through the Texas Enterprise Fund to finalize the

deal on this expansion and job creation.

Execution of the state’s agreement is contingent upon finalization of a local incentive package.

Ascend is a global leader in proprietary technologies used in the production of chemicals.

Ellington seen as future spaceport

While the Houston Airport System has to deal with sequestration in the near term, Houston Airport System Director Mario Diaz sees Ellington Field as a future spaceport – one of the nation’s first.

It would not launch rockets but instead send “small, reusable space vehicles,” such as those advanced by Virgin Galactic, that will take people 60 miles into space and on three-hour journeys from here to the Far East.

A feasibility study showed Ellington could be equipped to launch small spacecraft for rides out over the Gulf of Mexico at a cost between $48 million and $122 million, Diaz said at the annual State of the Airports address, adding that HAS is applying to license Ellington as a spaceport and hopes to create “a cluster of aviation and aerospace companies” at the airport along Highway 3.

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19th Annual Men Who Cook

BAHM March Cover Party at the Cock & Bull

Chefs Alan Callaway, Bryan Bobb and Rick Clapp. from left, share a laugh and recipes at the 19th Annual Seabrook Men Who Cook.

Jackie Powers, left, and her husband Joel, far right, visit with friends, Judy and David Fuqua.

David Walker, owner of the Cock & Bull British Pub Men Who Cook Chefs Glenn Robinson, left, and with his statue of the Queen’s Guard, gave the Men David Goode take a break from serving the Who Cook event a taste of “Merry Old England.” hungry crowd.

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With Investments, Diversifying is Key

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ver wonder why Mom and Pop stores sell wildly unrelated products side by side, like umbrellas and sunglasses, or Halloween candy and screwdrivers?

Customers probably would never buy these items on the same shopping trip, right?

That’s exactly the point. By diversifying their product offerings, vendors reduce the risk of losing sales on any given day, since people don’t usually buy umbrellas on sunny days or sunglasses when it rains.

The same diversification principle also applies in the investment world, where it’s referred to as asset allocation.

By spreading your assets across different investment classes (stock mutual funds, bonds, money market securities, real estate, cash, etc.), if one category tanks temporarily you may be at least partially protected by others.

You must weigh several factors when determining how best to allocate your assets: Risk tolerance. This refers to your appetite for risking the loss of some or all of your original investment in exchange for greater potential rewards. Although higher-risk investments (like stocks) are potentially more profitable over the long haul, they’re also at greater risk for shortterm losses. Ask yourself, would you lose sleep investing in funds that might lose money or fluctuate wildly in value for several years; or will you comfortably risk temporary losses in exchange for potentially greater returns?

Time horizon. This is the expected length of time you’ll be investing for a particular financial goal. If you are decades away from retirement, you may be comfortable with riskier, more volatile investments. But if your retirement looms, or you’ll soon need to tap college savings, you might not want to risk sudden downturns that could gut your balance in the short term.

Diversification within risk categories is also important. From a diversification standpoint it’s not prudent to invest in only a few stocks. That’s why mutual funds are so popular: They pool money from many investors and buy a broad spectrum of securities. Thus, if one

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company in the fund does poorly, the overall impact on your account is lessened.

Many people don’t have the expertise – or time – to build a diversified investment portfolio with the proper asset mix. That’s why most 401(k) plans and brokerages offer portfolios with varying risk profiles, from extremely conservative (e.g., mostly treasury bills or money market funds) to very aggressive (stock in smaller businesses or in developing countries).

Typically, each portfolio is comprised of various investments that combined reach the appropriate risk level. For example, one moderately conservative portfolio offered by Schwab consists of 50 percent interest-bearing bond funds, 40 percent stocks and 10 percent cash equivalents. Usually, the more aggressive the portfolio, the higher percentage of stocks it contains (i.e., higher risk/higher reward).

Another possibility is the so-called “targeted maturity” or lifecycle funds offered by many 401(k) plans and brokerages. With these, you choose the fund closest to your planned retirement date and the fund manager picks an appropriate investment mixture. As retirement approaches the fund is continually “rebalanced” to become more conservative.

Although convenient, this one-sizefits-all approach may not suit your individual needs; for example, you may want to invest more – or less – aggressively, or may not like some of the funds included.

These may seem like complicated concepts, but the Security and Exchange Commission’s publication, “Beginner’s Guide to Asset Allocation, Diversification and Rebalancing,” does a good job explaining them (www.sec.gov).

This article is brought to you by a partnership between Visa and Texas First Bank and was authored by Jason Alderman, who directs Visa’s financial education programs. For more information, follow Texas First Bank on Facebook, Twitter and You Tube or visit us at www.texasfirstbank.com.

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UHCL gets $1 million from Houston Endowment to launch freshman class

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o prepare for its first freshman and sophomore students, the University of Houston-Clear Lake has received muchneeded support through a $1 million grant from Houston Endowment for a proposal highlighting the university’s four-year initiative.

The payments will be presented in two $500,000 increments in March 2013 and 2014 and will assist UH-Clear Lake by extending services and support for the first- and second-year students.

“We are always happy to hear when a grant is funded, but this grant came at a special time in our university’s history making the news even more exciting for us,” says UHCL President William A. Staples. “This grant will allow UHCL to provide the valuable programming and activities necessary to welcome and sustain our new students.”

The grant proposal requested funds for adding new activities and expanding existing programs in enrollment management and student services. It included academic advising, transition services and tutoring needs. Specifically, the grant explained the need for a centralized academic advising structure to allow for freshman and sophomore students to meet regularly with advisers. Components of the transition services include orientation, which is now optional for upper-level students but would be mandatory for first-year students and would include a parent/family program. Other portions of the transition services would be the addition of a mandatory first-year

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seminar course that provides skills for student success.

Tutoring services provided will include additional programs for the Student Success Center to help students be successful in the classroom and a peer mentoring program that allows “seasoned” students to mentor new and returning students. The request contains information about extended programs, services and tutors in the Math and Writing Centers as well.

The proposal also highlighted the addition of a Veterans Services Office to provide advising, counseling, career information and educational assistance to those who have served in the military but are now ready to begin their education.

UHCL received approval in 2011 to allow the addition of freshman- and sophomore-level classes to its roster in 2014 and has been working to prepare for them since that time. This muchneeded financial boost will help during the second most significant event in the university’s 39-year history, with the first being its creation as a university in 1974.

This latest grant from Houston Endowment follows recent grants from the foundation of $400,000 for the arts and $200,000 for the university’s Neumann Library archives and JSC History Collection.

“UHCL is grateful to Houston Endowment for their support in making our transition to a traditional four-year university a little smoother,” says Staples.

To find out more about educational opportunities at UHCL, visit www.uhcl. edu or call 281-283-2500.

Bay Area Houston Welcomes

Wolfies of Clear Lake

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he Bay Area is fortunate to have a new Wolfies franchise open at 463 Bay Area Blvd.

This family friendly sports bar is unique and is one of seven franchises located in the Houston area.

Wolfies specializes in mouth watering boiled crawfish, using their special blend of spices. Other menu favorites include fried catfish, a large selection of delicious sandwiches, succulent burgers and more.

The ambiance is upscale casual, and features an outdoor patio and large bar. “We cater to a professional audience of all ages and enjoy serving families as well,� says General Manager Randall Harmon.

Woflies of Clear Lake offers their busy corporate clients and valued customers orders to go. For reservations, orders or more information, call 281-480-WOLF (9653) or e-mail wolfies7@hotmail.com

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Banker Mike Duckworth is new League City Chamber chairman

By Mary Alys Cherry

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anker Michael Duckworth, the new chairman of the League City Chamber, has been a part of the Bay Area Houston fabric for many years – three decades, in fact.

Originally from the tiny town of Nocona in far northeast Texas, the University of North Texas graduate moved to the Clear Lake area in 1983 and has played a key role in business and civic affairs ever since.

Now senior vice president of HomeTown Bank in League City,

Duckworth is also a graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking and has spent the past 30 years in the Clear Lake banking arena.

Besides his work with the League City Chamber, he is active in the Clear Lake Area Chamber and Space Center Rotary.

Over the years he has served on the board of directors of the Ed White Memorial Youth Center, Clear Creek Education Foundation and Communities in Schools-Bay Area.

He and his wife, Barbara, have five children and nine grandchildren.

Bay Area cities honored

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he cities of Seabrook, Nassau Bay and Webster were each presented an Excellence in Emergency Management Award at the 6th Annual Emergency Management Association of Texas Symposium in San Marcos.

The trio of cities was honored for their collaboration and preparedness during the NASA shuttle move this past summer from the dock at the Nassau Bay Hilton up NASA Parkway to Space Center Houston.

The theme for the symposium was Flowing into the Future.

The Excellence in Emergency Management Award honors outstanding state and local emergency management projects, activities and campaigns that further the goals of saving lives and protecting property by mitigation, preparing for, responding to, or recovering from disasters and emergencies in Texas.

EMAT honored all award recipients at the 2013 EMAT Awards Program at the General Membership Meeting and Awards Banquet.

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