Clear Lake Chatter

LUNAR RENDEZVOUS IS BACK AND BIGGER

than ever!

Fashion Show Co-Chairmen Kathy Rea and Wendy Drapela greet court members and their families at kick-off to promote the July 20 style show. Emmeline Dodd radiates Caribbean Chic at the 56th Annual Lunar Rendezvous Festival Dining Night. 2019-2020 Royal Court members Lt. David Oliver, Queen Samantha Williams and Queen Alternate Ashley Leistad welcome the 2020 and 2021 Courts at the Lunar Rendezvous Kick-Off celebration. The Little Ladies in Waiting and Pages take a moment for a selfie with Little Court Co-Chairman Elizabeth Olin.

AFTER POSTPONING its 2020 season due to the pandemic, Lunar Rendezvous Festival is all systems go with the last fundraising event around the corner!

The event of the summer, the 56th Annual Lunar Rendezvous Fashion Show will be held at the San Luis Convention Center on Tuesday, July 20. Co-Chairmen Wendy Drapela and Kathy Rea will kick off the fun at 10 a.m. with activities including both a live and silent auction, a sit down luncheon, and a “Sweet as Sugar” fashion show coordinated by Houston’s leading fashion event producer, Lenny Matuszewski.

Tickets are available at https://www.lunarrendezvous.org/tickets.php. The public is invited to come join this exciting event. This is the “see and be seen” event of the year and you don’t want to miss it!

The season began as both the 2020 and the 2021 royal courts enjoyed a kick-off celebration April 18 at the League City Civic Center. Festivities included information tables for this year’s events, a selfie booth, a Kendra Scott pop up show, and the introduction of the 2020 Court, the 2021 Court, as well as the 2019-2020 Royal Court. Queen Samantha Williams, Queen Alternate Ashley Leistad, and Capt. David Oliver made a trip home from university to take part!

The 2019 king, Slade Lewis, was also introduced. Because they were unable to do so in 2020, the 2019-2020 Royal Court will preside over this year’s festivities.

The first fundraising event of the season was held on May 3 at Marais in Dickinson. Dining Night Chairperson, Mandie McMillan Crowder, hosted a Havana Night themed evening with fabulous food, live music by Andy & the Dreamsicles, livepainting by local artist Debi Starr, and a silent and live auction. The crowd came dressed in their Caribbean best with giving spirits. The live auction was a series of wildly successful bidding wars emceed by TJ Aulds of i45NOW.

MARY ALYS CHERRY

The 2021 Lunar Rendezvous Festival season will conclude July 24 at the San Luis Convention Center with the annual Coronation Ball.

The reigning Royal Court, 2020 and 2021 Little Ladies in Waiting, Pages, Princesses and Lieutenants will be presented. The announcement of the new Royal Court, which will consist of the 2020 and 2021 Queens, Queen Alternates, and Captains is the highlight of the evening.

This formal black tie event beautifully depicts the history, tradition and honor of the Lunar Rendezvous Festival.

There will also be an opportunity drawing at the Coronation Ball. Drawing I, generously sponsored by HomeTown Bank of League City and Brockway Realty, is a gift card extravaganza totaling $2,000 to local businesses.

Drawing II, generously donated by Lewis Jewelers, is $1,000 in store shopping spree at Lewis Jewelers. Opportunity drawing tickets are $20 each or 6 for $100 and may be purchased through any Court member, or by contacting Audra Bentley at audra@civetrealestate.com. “Don’t miss your chance to win one of these great prizes,” the chairmen said, adding that winners do not need to be present to claim prizes.

Clear Lake’s Lunar Rendezvous Festival is dedicated to providing community-based support including scholarships for higher education, youth development and educational programs, funding for the arts and historical preservation in the Bay Area Houston/NASA area.

Donations to the Lunar Rendezvous Scholarship Fund can be made at https://www.lunarrendezvous.org/tickets.php. The Lunar Rendezvous Festival is made possible by its generous donors and sponsors.

Those who would like to be a corporate sponsor should visit the website at https://www.lunarrendezvous.org/sponsorship.php

Jana and Richard Miller, left, celebrate his live auction win with Marais owner, Holly Lilley, who, with her husband Keith, donated a wine locker for a year, as well as several bottles of wine, to the Dining Night auction. Greg Ploss proudly shows off his winning live auction bid during Dining Night -- a guitar signed by Kenny Chesney -- as Pam Ploss and Michael Landolt look on.

Assistance League launches new year of helping the needy

By Mary Alys Cherry

CHARLENE DONOVAN is the new president of Assistance League of the Bay Area, which completed another year of helping the needy all around the Bay Area with its annual yearend luncheon, held May 17 at the Lone Star Flight Museum at Ellington Airport.

Her introduction came after President Brooks Cima gave her farewell address summarizing the nonprofit’s work this past year. Marie Keener was introduced as the new president-elect.

Five members will serve as vice presidents this coming year – Jayne Dannecker, membership; Melanie Lovuola, philanthropic programs; Sharon Guzzino, resource development; Jill Smitherman, marketing; and Patty Southmayd, operations.

Other new officers include Treasurer Cindy Senger Lewis, Secretary Valerie Piercy, Assisteens Liaison Priscillia Magnuson, Education Chairman Linda Byrd, Strategic Planning Chairman Rebecca Saavedra, Finance Chairman Sandra Kelver, and Parliamentarian Ann Hammond.

The Flight Museum provided the perfect setting for the luncheon which had the theme, “Rising to New Heights” -- appropriately chosen for the record-breaking year against all odds during the Covid-19 pandemic. Celebrations abounded as members and community supporters were presented with awards and appreciation. The 2020-2021 President Brooks Cima welcomed members and guests, which included Assistance League Advisory Council members, local journalist Mary Alys Cherry, Cottrell Realty owner Jonathan Cottrell, who was recently elected to the Clear Creek ISD School Board, and Texas City ISD District Social Worker and Homeless/Foster Care Liaison Rita Baldwin.

Other guests included Dr. Thomas Thomas of NASA Vision Center and his wife, Ann; Garry Charter,

Massive fire destroys Nassau Bay condos

By Mary Alys Cherry

It will probably be many months before the victims of the massive fire in Bayfront Towers in Nassau Bay can move back in their condos. A mountain of charred debris was all that remained days after the large condominium fire on Lakeside Lane in Nassau

Bay, and that was to be hauled off one day soon as longtime residents of Bayfront Towers try to put their lives back together. In the debris were cars that were parked under the building when it collapsed, plus a lifetime of memories.Damages are expected to be in the millions.

In all, 16 of the 74 units in the condo complex

a longtime friend of Assistance League and Joshua Acevedo, director of Macy’s Baybrook Sales and Customer Experience.

Jill Williams presented the Stuart Williams HOPE award, Heroes of Positive Endeavors, to Dr. Thomas for providing vision services to children referred by the chapter and Garry Charter, a longtime friend, donor, and supporter. Joshua Acevedo was presented the Glass Slipper Award for eliciting Macy’s donation of 500 prom dresses to the chapter’s Operation Cinderella program. The National Operation School Bell Award was remotely presented to the Leslie L. Alexander Foundation for its tremendous financial support to this year’s programs. As a result of this donation, the chapter increased budgets for Operation School Bell and Operation Support Our Schools and created a new program for Texas City ISD that has already provided 840 meals to students with nutritional needs. President Cima shared some of the chapter’s successes such as spending $226,074 dressing 1,839 needy students in area school districts and providing dental and vision care assistance. She noted the willingness of the chapter members to adapt to the everchanging struggles of COVID, hurricane threats, flood, and unprecedented winter storms (to serve community members in need) as the most significant factor in the chapter’s accomplishments.

Assistance League of the Bay Area is an allvolunteer, nonprofit organization that changes lives through philanthropic programs in the Houston Bay Area community. For more information on how one can help change lives, visit the website at www. assistanceleagueba.org

Marie Keener, far right, is the new President-elect of the Assistance League. Joining her for a photo are, from left, Parliamentarian Ann Hammond, Treasurer Cindy Senger Lewis and Vice President Philanthropic Programs Melanie Lovuola.

Outgoing Assistance League President Brooks Cima, right, passes the gavel to 2021-2022 President Charlene Donovan at the chapter’s year-end luncheon at the Lone Star Flight Museum at Ellington Airport.Assistance League

Meet new Assistance League President Charlene Donovan, second from left, who just took office and is already busy, busy, busy. Some of those who’ll serve with her are, from left, Secretary Valerie Piercy, Vice President Membership Jayne Dannecker, Assisteens Liaison Priscilla Magnuson and Vice President Marketing Jill Smitherman.

Assistance League officers and elected chairmen for the coming year include, from left, Vice President Resource Development Sharon Guzzino, Strategic Planning Chairman Rebecca Saavedra, Finance ChairmanSandra Kelver, Vice President Operations Patty Southmayd and Education Chairman Linda Byrd.

by Clear Lake were destroyed and multiple units suffered smoke and water damage. Although all escaped the flames unhurt, most were left with nothing but the clothes on their back at the time the massive fire broke out about 3:50 p.m. A Nassau Bay public works employee did suffer smoke inhalation while going door to door alerting residents of the flames. According to Nassau Bay Fire Marshal Tony Russo, the cause of the fire is still under investigation. It is believed to have started on the porch of an upstairs unit, but the question is still how. The building was mostly of wood construction and didn’t have a sprinkler system, which wasn’t required when the building was built years ago. Strong winds at the time also helped the blaze spread.

One hundred firefighters from 14 agencies, including the Nassau Bay Department, the city's fire marshal's office and police department, the Houston Fire Department, Seabrook, Webster, Forest Bend, Kemah, Friendswood, Port of Houston, League City, and Houston Constables’ Office helped battle the blaze.