Bay Area Houston Magazine - MAY 2024

May 2024

NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT) crew members Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore

Leading

to KEEP YOU MOVING

Our sports medicine specialists can help keep your body in motion.

At Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, we know every movement matters. Our board-certified sports medicine specialists offer:

• The latest imaging and technology

• Advanced nonsurgical treatments

• Minimally invasive procedures

• State-of-the-art physical and occupational therapy

Whether you’re suffering from simple aches and pains or dealin with a complex injury, we can get you back on your feet — and keep you moving.

CHARACTER

VISION

WISDOM

WIT POSITIVITY ENCOURAGEMENT

Honoring the Life and Legacy of Bill Holbert

While Bill’s time with us was short, his impact was large. We celebrate the life lessons, practical wisdom and humor he imparted to all. To his customers, he shared his expertise, business acumen and creative solutions to help businesses thrive. To his colleagues, he was a leader and mentor throughout his banking career. To his community, he dedicated his time, talent and resources to serve others. To his family and friends, he was a loving husband, dedicated father and genuine friend. His positive and encouraging words made a difference to everyone he met and our memory of him will last forever.

Friday, May 24, 2024

6:30 PM – 10:30 PM Webster Civic Center

GEORGE W. S. ABBEY

Emmeline Dodd & Ron Ammons

“No Pain, No Gain” is NOT normal

Common phrases such as “no pain, no gain” and “feel the burn” have us believing that it is completely normal, and somewhat expected, to experience pain and discomfort when exercising. While slight pain and discomfort during and slightly after exercising is normal and often a good sign, you should not be experiencing extreme muscle soreness or joint pain or any type of pain that lasts for hours or even days.

Experiencing extreme muscle soreness after workout sessions can be avoided. Learn more about how pain and exercise are related, how to relieve sore muscles after workout sessions, and discover some things you can do to prevent muscle and joint pain.

Are Sore Muscles a Good Sign After Exercising?

To determine if sore muscles after exercising is a good sign or a bad sign, you must consider two factors: severity of the pain and how long the soreness lasts.

Minor muscle soreness while working out is a good sign. It indicates that the muscles in your body are getting stronger. This “good pain” should be extremely minor and it should only occur while you are working out and for a very brief period after you have finished exercising. If the pain interferes with your regular daily activities or it lasts for several hours or even days, it is no longer considered “good pain” and is instead considered “bad pain”. At no time, during, or after workout sessions, should you experience any type of extreme muscle soreness. In addition to muscle soreness, you should also not experience any type of joint pain or discomfort.

Pain, either of the muscles or the joints, that occurs after your exercise is often caused by inflammation. There are several reasons why the muscles and joints in the body become inflamed after exercising. Some of the reasons why you may be experiencing moderate to extreme muscle soreness and joint pain after exercise include:

*Overtraining

*Not properly warming up before exercising

*Performing exercises or movements that your body is unprepared to do

*Failing to allow the body proper time to heal before working out again

*Not working out regularly – prolonged periods in between workout sessions can cause the muscles in the body to weaken. When you do exercise again, the muscles will need to build up strength which results in you experiencing pain and discomfort.

*Underlying health problems or conditions such as osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis

Tips on How to Avoid Extreme Muscle Soreness and Joint Pain After Exercise

To avoid extreme muscle soreness and joint pain you have to think of exercising as a process and not a single activity. When you think of it as a process, you are encouraged to look beyond the activities and movements and instead focus on what you are doing before, during, and after your exercise session. By focusing on what you are doing before, during, and after, you can make sure you are doing specific things that help to prevent muscle soreness and joint pain.

Some of the things that you can do before, during, and after exercise to help you avoid extreme muscle soreness and joint pain include:

*Staying properly hydrated – with proper hydration your body will be able to fight off inflammation. Proper hydration will also help your muscles get the essential nutrients they need to properly heal after exercising.

*Carefully plan out your exercise routine – try to mix up your exercise routine. For example, one day work on core strengthening and the next day work on arms or legs. By mixing up your routine, you give the muscles in your body time to rest and heal. This can help you to avoid feeling any soreness or pain.

*Properly warm-up before exercising – immediately jumping in and performing strenuous or vigorous exercises can be stressful to the body. Warming up reduces the amount of stress your body experiences by preparing the muscles and joints for exercise.

*Alternate between intense and light workouts – after an intense workout, your body needs time to rest and heal. That doesn’t mean you should avoid all exercise. Instead, do a lighter workout next such as yoga or stretching.

*Massage the muscles after a workout – gently massage the muscles either by hand or with a foam roller after a workout

*Maintain a proper diet that is rich in vitamins and minerals

*Get the proper amount of sleep

*Focus on practicing good technique while exercising – if you aren’t properly performing a specific move or activity you could strain the muscles which will result in pain and discomfort

*Take a turmeric supplement to help the body naturally fight against inflammation

How to Relieve Sore Muscles Fast

Sometimes no matter how hard you try to avoid muscle soreness and joint pain after exercising, it still happens. If you happen to experience moderate to extreme muscle soreness or joint pain after working out, you can try the following things:

*Rest – if you experience extreme muscle soreness or joint pain it signals that you have overworked the body. Cut back on the intensity of your workout until the pain and discomfort have gone away.

*Apply ice - the cold from the ice reduces inflammation and helps reduce pain and discomfort

*Take an Epson salt bath – Epson salt helps encourage the muscles in the body to relax

*Take a natural supplement that has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities

How to Treat Sore Joints After Exercise with Turmeric Supplements – A Natural Anti-Inflammatory

Taking a natural turmeric supplement daily can help you find relief for joint pain especially if it occurs after exercising. A turmeric supplement, like Nuvothera’s SuperMicronized Turmeric Curcumin, provides you with relief from muscle soreness and joint pain by working as a natural anti-inflammatory. When looking for a turmeric supplement that helps you avoid joint pain and extreme muscle soreness after a workout, you want to find one that has the following qualities:

*Use of all-natural ingredients

*Contains no absorption enhancers such as black pepper or other chemical additives

*Uses whole root turmeric and full-strength curcuminoids

*Formulated to be quickly absorbed by the body, Nuvothera’s Super-Micronized Turmeric Curcumin Supplement has all of these qualities. It uses advanced micro-particle technology to deliver rapid and maximum absorption. The use of this advanced technology makes this turmeric supplement 100 times more potent than leading supplement brands.

Add a daily turmeric supplement to your routine and you will start to notice that after you exercise your joints and muscles aren’t so stiff and painful. Order Nuvothera’s Super-Micronized Turmeric Curcumin Supplement and feel confident that you may find relief from joint pain and stiffness because you are taking the best natural turmeric anti-inflammatory supplement.

The Junkyard Pearl The Junkyard Pearl

Which Story?

By Pastor Brad Heintz

Stories are one of the most powerful means of communication that we have.

A story can make us smile, bring encouragement, emote tears, give prospective and give us one of those “aha” lightbulb moments people call epiphanies. Stories can also distract, demoralize and demolish that which is good in our lives.

Have you ever thought that life is really like a story? Yeh, I know what you are thinking. That seams a bit flaky. But is it? Some lives are like murder mysteries, or fantasy epics, or suspense novels or poetic prose. Neuroscientists are discovering the science of how the human brain organizes information. One theory is that the brains uses the form of narrative to store information. Think about it. It does make sense. What do we remember most? The stories our grandparents told us, fables, fairy tales and Jesus’ parables.

So if our brain organizes around stories, than it makes sense to ask what story are we letting our brain focus on right now? Is it the story we are hearing from Washington DC, from Hollywood, from Madison Ave, from Bourbon Street, from Wall Street? Don’t let all these narratives drown out God’s Story. God’s Story is the one that inspires, heals, forgives, and loves. It is the story of

Jesus who gave his perfect life in service to others all the way to the cross and through the grave, so that we to may have a new life focused on a story that gives an eternal future.

Matthew 13:34-35 in the Message Paraphrase says, “All Jesus did that day was tell stories—a long storytelling afternoon. His storytelling fulfilled the prophecy: I will open my mouth and tell stories; I will bring out into the open things hidden since the world’s first day.”

What story are you actually believing? Who is the bad guy? How do you explain evil in the world? To whom or what are you looking to save the day?

Where is hope in your story?

John Eldridge says in Pause App 30 Days to Resilient, “The story of God, the story of Jesus has been, is now and always will be the story of the world. Because God is sustaining and ruling everything. The sun still comes up every morning, The Caribou still run, the birds eagles still fly.”

Is God’s story in Jesus absolutely central in your narrative?

John 8:31-32 Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Pastor Brad Heintz is the founding pastor of Living Word Church in Taylor Lake Village, Texas, a vibrant family-style, non-denominational gathering of believers who take a pure, simple and real approach to faith and life. www.LWCBA.org

Lunar Rendezvous kicks off its 59th annual festival

Lunar Rendezvous -- yes, it’s back again, ready to offer the Bay Area some summer fun and frivolity. And, as always, the first festival event, the Kick-Off, held at the University of Houston-Clear Lake, got the 59th annual festival underway as the new festival king – elected by our former kings – was introduced, along with all the little ladies-in-waiting, princesses and lieutenants.

Lunar Rendezvous Festival Board of Directors Chairman Michael Landolt, from left, 2023 Lunar Rendezvous King Lenny Matuszewski and 2024 King Dr. Derek Tieken are ready for the annual party to begin.

Kick-Off Co-Chairmen Demerle Monks, left, and Renee Adams are happy to welcome the 2024 festival king and other members of the royal court to the first festival party.

Former Festival Chairman Karen McCorkle, left, and Dr. Peggy Clause, who now serve on the Festival Advisory Board, talk over old times.

Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre Chairman of the Board of Directors Brooks Cima, from left, receives a grant from 2024 Advisory Board Chair Terri Dieste and Advisory Board member Michelle Holland

Festival General Chairman Elizabeth Byrd Olin, right, and her “top lieutenant,” General Vice Chairman Katie Jones can hardly believe the festival is almost here.

Assistance League President Rebecca Saavedra, from left, is presented a grant from 2024 Lunar Rendezvous Advisory Board Chairman Terri Dieste and Advisory Board member Michelle Holland during the Kick-Off Party,

Advisory Board members, from left, Jana Miller, Jill Reason, Kippy Caraway and Wendy Drapela welcome Lori Tieken to the Festival Kick-Off at UH-Clear Lake.

Photos by Clayton Lau Photography

2024 King Dr. Derek Tieken, from left, joins 2023-2024 Queen Savannah Bullock, 2023-2024 Queen Alternate Katie Best, 2023-2024 Captain Sebastian Vivero at the Kick-Off Party..

Dr. Derek Tieken named Lunar Rendezvous king

With all the new families moving into the Bay Area over the past 25 years, it’s difficult to find a Bay Area native. Yet a local dentist is not only a native, he has been elected to serve as the 2024 Lunar Rendezvous King.

Meet Dr. Derek Tieken DDS, who is proud to be a native of the Bay Area. He graduated from Dickinson High School, and went on to attend Baylor University before returning to study at the University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston.

Dr. Tieken has been recognized as a top general and cosmetic dentist by the Galveston Daily News, Bay Area Houston Magazine, and the Houston Chronicle and is proud to have been serving the Bay Area for over 30 years. He is not only passionate about taking care of people and creating healthy, beautiful smiles, he enjoys giving back to the community that has been so good to him. He has been part of the Give Back a Smile campaign to help battered women in our area, hosted Tieken Team Cares, and Dentistry from the Heart, providing free dentistry days.

The new festival king created the Bay Area Makeover Team which provided services to deserving people who were unable to afford treatment to improve and boost their self-esteem and confidence. He has also donated time to local schools to educate students on oral hygiene, and has taken part in dental health

month programs. Dr. Tieken doesn’t just give back to the community with his team’s dentistry. He also helps collect donations for the Galveston County Food Bank, underprivileged kids at Christmas, and sponsors local sports teams. Dr. Tieken is also passionate about giving to the American Heart Association and Star of Hope.

Dr. Tieken has been married to his wife, Lori, for 31 years, and they have both been involved in Lunar Rendezvous for most of the past 25 years. Their daughter Haleigh was even on the court, and was also a Little Lady in Waiting. Haleigh currently lives in Nashville and is working in public relations. In his spare time, Dr. Tieken enjoys traveling with his wife. He also likes to read and write and is the author of two books, “The Million Dollar Smile: Changing Lives With Cosmetic Dentistry,” and, “Mind, Body, Soul, and Smile: A Holistic Approach to Dentistry.” He continues his passion for helping people get healthy through his other businesses, Sleep Well Southeast Texas and Tieken Aesthetics.

Dr. Tieken says he is beyond honored to be recognized as the 2024 Lunar Rendezvous King!

2024 Lunar Rendezvous King Dr. Derek Tieken

Photos by Clayton Lau Photography

Meet the Crew Embarking on NASA’s Boeing Starliner Historic Mission

NASA astronauts Sunita "Suni" Williams and Barry "Butch" Wilmore are poised to make history as the first people to fly aboard the Starliner spacecraft. Their launch to the International Space Station is targeted for May 6, 2024, on NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission. The crew will command the new spacecraft and lead the hands-on in-flight testing of its various systems and capabilities, including maneuvering and docking. “We’re the first ones to see the spacecraft integrated in simulations,” said Wilmore. “We’ve learned a lot about systems integrated testing that will pay benefits going forward and lay the groundwork for future missions.”

Wilmore, commander of the Boeing CFT mission, has a distinguished career as a fighter pilot, U.S. Navy captain, and astronaut with two spaceflights to his credit. Beyond his accomplishments in aerospace, Wilmore dedicates his time as a pastor, leading weekly Bible studies and participating in mission trips throughout South and Central America to aid medical professionals. He is a skilled craftsman, creating everything from entertainment centers to elaborate tables and sheds for his church.

Growing up in Tennessee, he says his faith helps him in all aspects of life, including the unknowns of flying. A retired U.S. Navy captain herself and pilot of the Boeing CFT mission, Williams has accumulated two spaceflight missions and ran the Boston Marathon aboard the space station. She is qualified as a helicopter pilot and basic diving officer.

Becoming an astronaut never crossed Williams’ mind until a visit to Johnson Space Center later in life changed everything. There, she met astronauts like John Young, who shared stories of Moon landings and vertical landing simulators. “It sparked me as something that would help us develop a further project to go back to the Moon and continue exploration,” she said. “I had the opportunity to meet people and realize that everything can be solved step by step and you just have to apply yourself to reach those goals. We all play a part.”

Williams enjoys spending time with her rescue Labrador retrievers, Gunner and Rotor. “One of the things I missed when I was in space was walking the dogs,” she said. “In those moments, you stop and realize how cool Earth is.” In their honor, she is bringing their dog tags to the space station. Williams’ message for the next generation of explorers is, “There are no limits. Your imagination can make something happen, but it’s not always easy.” She added, “You have to get the qualifications, understand the problem, and show up as proficient as you can be and take on those big jobs. Why not? You can do it!”

Wilmore encourages the next generation with a call to action: “Strap on your work hat and let's go at it!” He emphasizes that tenacity and perseverance are essential for achieving anything of value. Motivated by a sense of patriotic duty and a desire to help those in need, Wilmore sees his astronaut role as a commitment to both his country and humanity at large. Wilmore believes he’s challenged every day at NASA. “There’s certainly high expectations and teamwork required to work at NASA,” he said. “Doing the right things for the right reasons is what motivates me.”

For Williams, Wilmore, and the team supporting them, the Boeing CFT mission marks the beginning of a new chapter in the story of space exploration — one filled with challenges, discoveries, and the unyielding dream of reaching beyond the known horizons.

“There’s so many cool things that we can invent to solve problems and I think that’s one of the joys of working in the space program,” said Williams. “It makes you ask questions and solve hard problems. The endless possibilities are what gets kids engaged in STEM.”

Williams and Wilmore will launch aboard Starliner on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket and dock at the orbiting laboratory, where they will stay for about a week.

NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT) crew members Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore conduct T-38 pre-flight activities at Ellington Field. Credit: NASA / Robert Markowitz

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore sit inside a T-38 trainer jet at Ellington Field. Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

Over 30 Years Experience

Protected: How This Personal Injury Firm Is

By StoryStudio

Sitting on the 10th floor of their Uptown offices while taking in the many accomplishments of Thurlow & Associates, it’s easy to get the impression their law firm doesn’t have much left to prove. Widely considered one of the most successful personal injury attorneys in Texas history, Thomas N. Thurlow paved the way for personal injury law everywhere. After graduating from the University of Texas as a proud Longhorn, Thurlow first went into oil and gas law. He spent the better part of a decade as a jack of all trades in the legal world, serving in areas such as criminal law and other legal matters. At one point, Thurlow handled north of 100 divorce cases per year. When one particular mediation came all the way down to a heated battle over which ex-spouse got the “pewter duck,” Thurlow knew it was time to bow out of divorce law and redirect his full-time efforts toward the area in which he was most passionate: personal injury.

Making Houston a Safer Place One Client at a Time

“What attracted me most to personal injury was helping people that have been injured and have severe problems,” Thurlow recalls. “It’s very sad to hear about people who have been taken advantage of by insurance companies.”

While every generation frequently proclaims the world is getting worse than the era before them, such theories might not be as accurate as people think. In numerous ways, a law firm like Thurlow proves the world is much safer today than it was before the advent of personal injury cases, hearkening back to a time when people were repeatedly taken advantage of over and over again with no representation on their behalf.

For example, one of Thurlow’s cases went all the way to the Supreme Court. The client, Juanita Cazarez, had worked at Continental Coffee for close to 20 years as a janitor. One day, she was hurt on the job and rendered unable to continue with standard physical duties. She filed for worker’s compensation and then was fired very soon thereafter.

“Texas is 1 of only 3 states that do not require workers comp for their employees,” Thurlow explains. “If they don’t have workers comp, they face more obstacles as employers to defend themselves.” Once Cazarez was able to get in touch with Thurlow & Associates, they sued the company directly. After going before the Supreme Court, the case versus Continental Coffee became the start of litigation for wrongful termination and changed the way workers would be treated after filing for compensation. The Supreme Court laid out rules and procedures for employees to sue their employer when they were fired for filing a state workers compensation. “It laid out the law for ways a person who is injured on the job can still recover even when their company does not have workers comp,” Thurlow says, acknowledging how this was the beginning of a series of cases tackling the issue where primarily blue-collar workers were being wronged by employers trying to save on their premiums. “It really opened up the area of non-subscriber workers compensation. Now you cannot fire somebody so easily due to Thurlow & Associates taking this case all the way to the Texas Supreme Court.”

Over $300 Million Achieved in Settlements

During their time in Houston, the team at Thurlow & Associates have accumulated over 100 years of combined experience, obtaining a whopping $300 million in settlements and verdicts for their clients. “We know what we’re doing,” Thurlow laughs humbly, aware of what an understatement this is. Quickly perusing a legal archive like VerdictSearch, anyone can access a host of cases over the years in which Houstonians had their lives drastically damaged by unfortunate incidents, only for Thurlow to step in and fight in their corner. One man was making a delivery in Kroger when he was victimized by a faulty dolly, costing him over $100,000 in medical bills, plus countless more in lost wages. Thurlow obtained $576,000 on his behalf. Another case involved a factory worker with negligent supervision who had both his back and earning capacity destroyed by a wrenching pipe. The verdict Thurlow managed to get: $407,600.

However, the majority of Thurlow’s cases over the past few decades have revolved around auto accidents, including crashes where 18-wheelers and other commercial vehicles were at fault. A senior citizen was riding in a Liberty Cab in Harris County when the taxi was broadsided at an intersection. She was awarded $325,000. One particular case in Sealy, TX even involved a railroad crossing where Thurlow unequivocally proved that people should have seen her vehicle but did not. The firm brilliantly proceeded to win her $2 million dollars.

Why Call an Attorney Before Trusting Your Insurance Provider

When you’ve been involved in any form of accident and the insurance company cuts you a check, it’s a good idea to consult with an attorney before signing or cashing anything – even if the amount offered is more than you were expecting. “If the insurance company will offer you top dollar after getting hurt, then hiring an attorney will get you at least 3-5 times what the insurance company will offer you, even after the fees,” Thurlow states matter-of-factly.

Additionally, Thurlow has never charged a fee unless your case is won. You read that correctly – if the case is lost, clients see zero billing. For Thurlow, the goal is to “protect everybody,” not just those who can afford the best legal representation possible.

Direct Praise from a Recent Client

Brendon Oliver is now one of Houston’s leading real estate agents, but prior to this, he was still waiting tables as he jumpstarted his career in realty, relying on physicality to help him make a living. One day at the gym, the machine he was using malfunctioned, and a harsh fall knocked him unconscious. Flash forwarding through an ambulance ride to the ER and extensive back surgery, Oliver was in bad shape, to say the least. “My previous attorney gave the case over to another attorney, who dumped me during the pandemic,” Oliver recalls, noting that he at first felt the situation was hopeless. Then during a therapy session, his chiropractor mentioned how outstanding Thurlow & Associates is at getting results. Oliver made the call and never looked back.

“They picked up my case right from that point on and kept the momentum,” he says of Thurlow. “They always kept me informed on the happenings of the case. It was monumental service and I want to give them a shoutout in any way possible because of the work they did.”

As for the settlement itself, part of the agreement included a non-disclosure, but Brendon Oliver is able to admit the amount was a great result. “It was life-changing,” he says. “The outcome improved my ability to move forward from the incident.”

Perhaps most importantly, Oliver is glad that a financial outcome like this has resulted in the providers of these facilities doing a better job of checking their equipment to make sure everything is in good working order. This will ultimately prevent future injuries at Houston health clubs.

The Firm’s Mission Continues

Back on the 10th floor, Thomas N. Thurlow sits behind the desk in his corner office overlooking thousands of cars whizzing by on the 610 Loop, many of them speeding recklessly, others nearly parked bumper-to-bumper at a standstill. When viewed from up above, you just know how many innocent men, women and children are destined to be wronged while driving daily on those highly dangerous roads. And when those Houstonians are hurt, Thurlow will be waiting for the phone to ring so he can help make things right.

Thurlow & Associates can be found at 4900 Woodway Dr #1040, Houston, TX 77056. For a free consultation with no obligation, call 713.224.6774 or visit

Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership Spotlight

ONE STOP TENTS & EVENTS

One Stop Tents & Events is an Event Rental Company located in Webster on Highway 3. We are a local, family-owned business that is rooted in the community and offers superb customer service with high-quality product. Our team members are experts in their field with several years of service at One Stop Tents & Events. We have always been family owned and operated since 1968. We were known as RentWay, located on El Camino Real and owned by Ron Ammons.

Rent-Way grew to own many locations in the area and included a division of Party Rental. Ron sold Rent-Way to one of his son’s and kept the Party Store division, renamed One Stop Party Shop. In 1994 Ron’s daughter, Karen Keesler bought the business. One Stop Party Shop quickly outgrew the El Camino location, and Karen purchased land on Highway 3, where we continue to reside today. In 2012, we expanded and rebranded to accommodate the Rental needs of the community. We have evolved over the years from a “Party Shop” to a company with an extensive inventory of Tents and Event equipment and are deserving of our name “One Stop Tents & events”.

We pride ourselves as a full-service Event Rental Company specializing in Backyard Parties, Weddings, Festivals, Luncheons, Gala’s and Industrial application. We provide our services from Houston to Galveston and everywhere in between! Our customers are always excited when our trucks pull up to their event!

When you walk in our showroom, you will be greeted by one of our Event Specialist who will assist you in planning your perfect event. Visit our design center, the perfect spot to create the look you need for your special day. Create a wish list by visiting our website, onestopparty.com and one of our team members will prepare a proposal for you.

We can say with confidence that our Delivery/Set Up team are the best in the industry. Our team has pride, dedication and experience, as well as, truly caring about our customers. Another feature we offer is a “Will Call” option. When you arrive to pick up your order, our experienced team will assist you in loading and unloading your items, making sure you have everything you ordered.

One Stop Tents & Events has established strong relationships within our community and has become an integral part of various prominent events and organizations. Being trusted by major events such as the Wings Over Houston Air Show, The Grand Kids Festival in Galveston and Keels and Wheels demonstrating the confidence they have in our services. Volunteering and supporting local Chambers of Commerce further solidify our commitment to the community’s economic development. We have proudly been a member of Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership since 2003 and have served on the Banquet Committee each year.

We are thankful to organizations, like BAHEP, for all their support and hard work to keep our community growing and prosperous.

Dai

Art and Marcia Having fun at Pier 6 Seafood

John and Rick enjoying lunch at Pier 6

Little Leaguer ready for his big game

Perfect patio weather at Pier 6 Seafood

GO RED FOR WOMEN 100th ANNIVERSARY

RICK'S PICKS #2

TOYOTA GR COROLLA

SIMILAR BUT DiFFeREnT

By Don Armstrong

When it comes to cars, it’s difficult sometimes to know what’s going on beneath their skins. In our case, we recently drove a docile, compact SUV and a new little hot rod, both looked similar but oh what a difference in drivability.

SUBARU CROSSTREK

Looks can be deceiving, and the Subaru Crosstrek owns the title, albeit a good one. Here is a reimagined Subaru Impreza that has been lifted 4 inches giving it substantially more ground clearance and the ability to go offroad. The new Wilderness edition adds to the “look,” with body side cladding and roof rail tie-downs.

The interior reflects the offroad swagger starting with the dash, transitioning to the soft materials, and through to its rugged cargo area. This is a two-person, camper’s delight and the infotainment system provides the latest tech with connections.

The optional 2.5-liter boxer-style engine delivers 182 horsepower and provides a lower center of gravity, important to the offroad clan. The full-time all-wheel drive system is a mainstay among all Subaru’s and proves its worth in an offroad setting. Combined mileage is a respectable 27.

The Crosstrek works on Bay Area streets, and freeway concrete. The ride is comfortable and compliant, parking lots are easy to navigate, and it notifies the neighbors of your sporty mindset.

Pricing starts at $32,213.

TOYOTA GR COROLLA

Are you a REAL auto aficionado, one who is engaged in a true driving experience? One that understands power, performance, balance, style, and finesse, and ready to dive into a weekend autocross, and then commute to work on Monday. We may have found your car, the 2024 GR Corolla, a hot hatch that is more fun than a barrel of screaming monkeys.

Based on the Corolla Hatchback, the GR, which stands for Gazoo Racing, is a step into a gathering of 20-something-year-olds who put their cash into mostly JDM cars, some of which can put the quash on a powerful Corvette.

The interior of the GR is relatively stark but does include a modest amount of tech, tight-fitting race seats, and a 6-speed manual transmission. Tested your clutch mastery lately?

Powering the GR is a turbocharged, 1.6-liter, 3-cylinder gasoline engine that yells out 300 horsepower and gets 24 mpg.

Call us when the smile on your face allows you to talk again and let us know what you think.

Starts at $36,500

On a recent trip to the east Texas town of Jefferson, we spent a rainy afternoon on a walking tour of the town’s high spots. One of those spots was the Carnegie Library. I have always been fascinated by these libraries because a sort of myth has grown up around them and the fact that one man built 2,500 of them around the world.

We walked around the outside, studying the architecture, then went inside. The first floor held the library collection and looked pretty much like any small library. The second floor was uniquely Carnegie. It was one large community room where townspeople would gather for meetings and celebrations. Our little tour brought back memories of other libraries I had seen that were donated to small towns across America by steel magnate and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. I’ve seen these buildings in Palestine and Bryan here in Texas and in several cities across Indiana and while they each have their own distinctive architecture, they all have that same purpose and feel—a place for learning, culture and community building for small towns that, prior to his donation, had little chance of obtaining such assets.

Carnegie was born in Scotland in 1835 into a family of “labor activists” working in the handloom industry. When looms became mechanized and the economy crashed, Carnegie’s father moved the family to the U.S and settled near Pittsburgh where young Andrew quickly became “Americanized.” After a brief stint in the railroad industry, he decided the future of America lay in steel. He founded the Carnegie Steel Company which would eventually become United States Steel. He produced the metal that built America, created thousands of jobs, and in the process, grew his net worth to $350 million, most of which was donated to various education causes. The libraries were a major part of the legacy he left behind.

It's not clear exactly when Carnegie decided his legacy was going to be education and particularly libraries for the masses, but we know he began building them in 1883 and the work continued throughout his life and then, through the Carnegie Foundation, long after his death in 1919. I think

it is important to note that Carnegie did not die and leave a will that distributed all his holdings to friends, family, or charitable organizations to use as they see fit. Instead, early on, he decided what his legacy would be, and he acted on it.

•

The notion of leaving a legacy opens one to a broad range of possibilities. For some, it means raising fine children who, over their lifetimes, will make the world a better place. There is a great deal of comfort knowing that you are giving to the world a future generation that will do great things. For others, the legacy might be to do great things themselves (think Shakespeare, Frank Lloyd Wright or Thomas Edison for example). These are the people whose names we all remember generations after they are gone. For still others, it might be to amass a great fortune and then use it to better the world in a way they see fit. Andrew Carnegie chose that last option.

"We are all given the opportunity to create our own legacy."

He understood a truth that many people overlook. Each of us gets the opportunity to choose our own legacy and to do it early on in our adult years. Yet many of us simply opt out of making that choice and leave it to others to decide what our legacy will be, or if there will even be one at all. Whether this is because we are lazy and choose not to make a decision or because we are not aware that we can control our own legacy, the results are the same. At best, we will simply slip into obscurity until, over time, all traces of us disappear.

TEXAS MEDITATIONS

By Michael Gos

Creating Your Legacy

Since we are all given the opportunity to create our own legacy, the next question becomes, how do we go about it? Several philosophers have described a two-step process for success in this quest.

First, decide! Writer and sometimes politician Clare Boothe Luce embraced the idea of a life sentence, what she called "a statement summarizing the goal and purpose of one's life." This best occurs at the beginning of the legacy building process; otherwise, we simply flounder around with no direction.

Once that statement is made and committed to, the second step is to stay focused on today. It is easy to get so hung up in long term future plans that we miss the only real assets we have in this, or any quest—the now. Pay attention to the way you relate and inspire others today, keep your life sentence in mind and things will naturally fall into place.

While all of this can certainly give us direction for a positive life and legacy, to me, it all seems somewhat . . . impersonal. What do we really know about Andrew Carnegie? He made steel, believed in education for the masses and was very rich, yes. But what do we know about HIM, the man? What was he really like? How did he laugh? What was his favorite color? Was he open and free to show his true self to all or was he reserved? Did he have any endearing mannerisms?

Questions like these lead me to think that the most important legacy we can leave, though it may not be as permanent as the options already discussed, is the memories that others will carry forward for the rest of their lives and the stories they will tell about us in the future. This is the most personal way of “living on.” Whether the stories grow over time into myths or stay simple and true, they will capture our true selves in a way that philanthropy or the production of progeny will never be able to do.

I suspect this is the legacy that most of us would wish to pass on. In this way, the “you” that lives on is closest to the true “you.” Best of all, even with this option, the two-step process works effectively: create a life sentence, then stay focused on today, always acting in a way you want to be remembered.

Jefferson, Texas