Bay Area Houston Magazine November 2018 by Bay Group Media

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November 2018 DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY COLLECTORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S EDITION SPONSORED BY

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ON THE COVER This special issue commemorating NASA’s 60th anniversary is brought to you by Leidos and Bay Group Media, proud publishers of Bay Area Houston Magazine and Gulf Coast Mariner.

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

Graphic Designer Kelly Groce

Editorial Don Armstrong Mary Alys Cherry Sumer Dene Michael Gos Betha Merit Ange Mertens Xander Thomas Photography Mary Alys Cherry MoonBridge Media NASA Distribution Shinkle Distribution

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

281.474.5875

NASA is born

What does it take to be an astronaut?

Explorer 1

Apollo 7

One giant leap for mankind

The magnificent marvels of NASA

U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame

The Space Shuttle program

Leidos nears 50th anniversary

Former astronaut continues practice of ER medicine

Roberts Wealth Management

The Best Bites of the Bay

The final frontier in implant dentistry NASA opens for business 60 years ago Do you have the right stuff? America’s first satellite The race heats up Apollo 11 takes us to the moon NASA improves lives through technology Inductees to the Hall of Fame at the Kennedy Space Center 1981-2011 Leidos nears 50 years as NASA celebrates 60 William Fisher of Elite Care ER A pursuit of excellence Restaurant and entertainment guide

The Room

Primos Coffee

Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre

Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership

Service to mark anniversary of WW I’s end

Social Media Dangers

League City’s new poker club and lounge Farm to table fresh coffee from Nicaragua A highly unique and evolutionary performance experience State of Counties Address draws large crowd Bay Area Veterans Memorial in Seabrook The cost of 24/7 connectivity

75 Thankfulness By Blaine Ochoa

www.BayAreaHoustonMag.com r.clapp@baygroupmedia.com

Dental health

50 Salata Local restaurant is becoming national chain

Vice President & Creative Director Brandon Rowan

Sales & Marketing Judy Gaines Joe Machol Dana McDonald Amber Sample Matthew Sweatt Robyn Weigelt

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

Healthcare

The challengers

Houston Methodist Clear Lake to expand Leader in Me program Meet those challenging incumbents for congress

columns 64

Clear Lake Chatter

Movers & Shakers

Lakewood Yacht Club News & Events

In Wheel Time

Texas Meditations

Main Events

Bay Oaks Country Club marks 30th anniversary John Baumgartner LYC members repeat as J/44 champs Luxe love

Vacations Bay Area Houston calendar of events

I n reco g nition o f t h e 6 0 Since the dawn of time man has often looked up at the night sky and wondered, “What’s out there? Are we alone?” Wondering what lies beyond what we know has driven civilizations to risk everything to explore not only this planet but to venture beyond our atmosphere and into the solar system. On July 29, 1958, America committed to a national effort to explore and understand what lies beyond our own world and ensure a thorough defense of our nation. When it began operations on Oct. 1 of that year, NASA began the unification of diverse projects and programs that made progress independently but could now make an unprecedented leap forward working in close collaboration on a shared mission. Through this shared purpose and American innovation, NASA has become the global leader in space exploration and in translating developed technologies, products, and programs into a better life for all Americans. Many of the pioneers that have made NASA a success, like Armstrong, Aldrin, and Glen, have become household names that are recognizable throughout the world. Others like Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and all of the women who served as human computers have been hidden figures in our history and are just now getting the recognition that they deserve for their legacy of brilliance and strength. NASA has brought out the best in everyone who has joined the visionary mission to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research, and, as of this year, search for life’s origin, evolution, distribution, and future in the universe. It is a mission that unites our great nation and has strengthened relationships with partner nations worldwide. It is a program that unites us and gets to the heart of humanity’s desire to understand and be understood. The men and women of the space program have demonstrated tremendous courage and determination over the last 60 years. Their passionate belief in NASA’s mission has given America the strength to overcome every challenge and continue this important work. Because of their optimism and grit, I was proud to author the bipartisan NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2017 which reaffirmed our belief in the work of the space program and committed to supporting NASA with stability and security in its mission. As the chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness, we have used NASA’s anniversary to not just look back on past accomplishments but to lay the groundwork for a return to the lunar surface and a mission to Mars. NASA’s brightest days are in its future, and when American boots step onto the surface of Mars, we will define a new generation. It is with great pleasure that I congratulate NASA on the impact it has made over the last 60 years and join my fellow Texans in looking forward to the discoveries to come. As we take our next steps in this extraordinary undertaking, I wish everyone at NASA the very best. Per aspera ad astra.

Ted Cruz United States Senator

A nniversary o f N A S A

To my friends at JSC, What an honor it is to join with you in celebrating the 60th anniversary of NASA. Since President Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act into law in 1958, NASA has proven to be one of our country’s most innovative institutions. In the decades since, our collective imagination has been fueled by NASA’s inspiring work; indeed, the space race has framed the memories of entire generations. While the image of man walking on the moon is perhaps NASA’s most iconic, its work closer to home has helped shape our modern society and many of the technologies we now take for granted. While meeting the demands for space travel, NASA scientists and engineers have created innovations like: smart phone technology; artificial limbs; CAT scans; home insulation; and many others. NASA has a home and enthusiastic partner in the state of Texas. JSC continues to lay the foundation for a new era of deep space exploration and eventual manned missions to Mars through partnerships with private and public entities, including Texas universities. The Space Center Houston has over a million visitors a year and an annual impact of $73 million on the greater Houston economy. In the past six years, Texas companies have received $44.4 million from NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research/ Small Business Technology Transfer program. The High School Aerospace Scholars program educates hundreds of Texas students on the immense opportunities of STEM careers and gives them the chance to see NASA employees at work during a weeklong immersive experience on the JSC campus. NASA embodies the best of what we can be as Americans. As one who grew up in the shadow of JSC and whose friend’s parents were the pioneering astronauts, engineers, flight controllers and administrators, it is my particular honor to represent JSC in Senate District 11. I wish the dedicated men and women of NASA a hearty congratulations on this milestone. May the next 60 years of NASA’s work be as illuminating as the last.

Larry Taylor Texas State Senator As Mayor of Pasadena, it is my honor to congratulate the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on its 60th Anniversary. NASA is not only a vital part of our local and state economy, but also a great source of pride for our entire nation and a worldwide leader in science, engineering and technology. From the moment operations officially launched in October 1958, NASA has continuously represented the very ideals that make our country great and also inspired the imaginations of decades of students around the world. Thank you, NASA, for 60 years of exploration, innovation and dedication. The United States shines brighter because of you. Jeff Wagner Mayor of Pasadena

As mayor of the City of Houston, I congratulate NASA on 60 years of successful space exploration and ground-breaking contributions in the fields of engineering, science and technology. Houstonians are proud of your service to our community and our country. On July 29, 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, and on Oct. 1, 1958, NASA officially opened for business. Since then, Houston has maintained a special partnership with NASA, as the home of the Johnson Space Center, Mission Control and the training ground for astronauts. Houstonians have supported each one of NASA’s missions and lauded the agency’s vision to reach beyond the planet and over the horizon to see into the future. Together, we have celebrated successful missions and shared the heartache of loss and disappointment. Moreover, NASA has taught each one of us to see beyond ourselves and face the future with courage and anticipation of the undiscovered. As we mark the 60th anniversary of NASA, let’s remain dedicated to space exploration and continue to reach for new heights for humankind. On behalf of the City of Houston, we salute NASA and wish for its continued success.

Sylvester Turner Mayor of Houston NOVEMBER 2018 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

DENTAL HEALTH

The final frontier in Implant Dentistry

uring the Civil War, the requirements to enlist for military service was only two opposing teeth -- to tear off the end of the musket cartridge, if the soldier had to fire a musket, and none for foot soldiers. During World War II enlistment that requirement increased to only three opposing back teeth and three opposing front teeth. All decayed and questionably repaired teeth counted. According to the Center for Disease Control, over the last 60 years, average tooth loss among 40+ adult Americans has been reduced from 17+ out of 28 to less than 3. The advancement in Americans’ oral health has been nothing short of extraordinary over the past few decades. American Dental Association deserves a lot of the credit for conducting a longterm nationwide educational and awareness campaign on importance of daily oral hygiene routine and semiannual maintenance and checkup. Such awareness, along with the use of fluoride, significantly reduced prevalence of gum disease and tooth decay. Root canal therapy, while still only 75-80% effective, further extended the life expectancy of our dentitions. With public oral health under control, dental professionals began focusing on more than

36 million Americans who do not have any teeth, and another 110 million who are missing multiple teeth. Dental bridges, while offering a short-term replacement solution, turned out to be fundamentally flawed in terms of damage to post teeth, over-loading of teeth beyond their tolerance, and creation of plaque traps. Besides, dental bridges were only effective for smaller gaps and did not help people with few or no teeth. Dental implants finally provided a real alternative to natural teeth. Unlike root canal therapy and dental bridges, they have an extremely high long-term survival rate. Over the last 20 years, dental implants have been further perfected and fine-tuned. Today it’s possible to replace one or more hopeless teeth with dental implants in just a few hours while under deep IV sedation and eat dinner with them that night. This “ALL on 4” concept was introduced over a decade ago. It provided a quick and simple answer for patients who have been suffering from wearing false teeth (dentures) for years. “ALL on 4” was originally designed for long-term denture wearers with severe jawbone loss. The simplicity of this technique spread among the public and increased its demand. Dental professionals naturally

responded to this demand and the “All on 4” technique became standard for “Teeth in a day” style, even for patients who had ample jawbone. Unfortunately, we soon learned that the “All on 4” technique needs at least 16 mm available inter-arch space, which is no problem for longterm denture wearers with resorbed jaw, while patients with existing hopeless teeth or small mouth and stature often lacked that space. As a result, a lot of patients reported constant breakage. Some dental professionals corrected the problem by removing a significant amount of jawbone to make room for “All on 4” prosthesis. Others began sounding the alarm and expressing concern. Basically, the same problem that plagued long-span bridges was also causing breakage on “All on 4”

Happy 60th anniversary NASA!! Thank you for redefining the word “Possible”! prosthesis that was placed on only four implants. Furthermore, our profession has long known that the absence of natural teeth leads to jawbone atrophy due to lack of stimulation exerted on the jawbone while masticating. That’s why I chose to modify the “Teeth in a day” technique from four to eight dental implants,

which provides the foundation for four sets of three units fixed bridges per arch. That approach eliminated fractures on limited spaces and preserved bone density and volume completely. Even better, patient satisfaction with the new “All on 8” technique was overwhelmingly positive. They loved the fact that their teeth were made with best quality porcelain as opposed to the “All on 4” technique that utilized the same plastic teeth that are used in traditional denture. I continued to restore my patients with my new modified “All on 8” technique until one day my hygienist, Laurie asked me why did I skip every other tooth? “Wouldn’t it be better for our patients and their jawbone preservation to replace every missing tooth?” she asked. And just like that, “All on 12” was born. I decided to modify my “Teeth in a Day” technique to include 12 dental implants that are restored the same as natural teeth. This revolutionary technique will replace all your natural teeth from molar to molar! Even better, for a limited time, my patients will receive “All on 12” for the same price as “All on 4.” And YES, you will still get your teeth in just ONE visit while in deep sedation! To take advantage of this amazing opportunity and see if you are a candidate for this technique, please contact Unicare Center for Cosmetic & Implant Center at 281-332-4700 to schedule a free consultation with me! Happy 60th anniversary NASA!! Thank you for redefining the word “Possible”!

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.

NOVEMBER 2018 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

NASA IS BORN 60 Years Ago: NASA Opens for Business

n Oct. 1, 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration officially opened for business. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed into law the National Aeronautics and Space Act the previous July, creating NASA to lead America’s civilian space program in response to Soviet advances in space exploration. The new agency incorporated elements of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, founded in 1915 to advance aeronautics research in the United States. NASA also absorbed three NACA research laboratories -- Langley Aeronautical Laboratory in Hampton, Va., Ames Aeronautical Laboratory in Mountain View, Calif. and Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory in Cleveland, Ohio – as well as elements of the Army Ballistic Missile Agency in Huntsville, Ala., and the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. In December 1958, NASA gained control of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., a contractor facility operated by the California Institute of Technology. Over time, the agency established or incorporated additional centers and

“Just 10 days after opening its doors, NASA launched its first spacecraft.”

facilities to meet the growing needs of the nation’s space program. Today, 10 field centers across the nation work together to accomplish NASA’s varied missions. President Eisenhower nominated T. Keith Glennan, president of Case Institute of Technology in Cleveland, Ohio, and Hugh L. Dryden, director of NACA, to be NASA administrator and deputy administrator, respectively. Glennan served until 1961, Dryden until 1965. The Dolley Madison House on Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C., served as the first headquarters of the new space agency (until 1961).

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Sputniks in 1957 and Sputnik 3 in 1958, the U.S. government saw space as an important new political, if not military, battlefield and began to lay the course for a longterm space plan. “It was almost as if a bomb had fallen” on Capitol Hill, congressional staffer Eilene Galloway said in a 2000 oral history interview, “because we were so surprised that the Soviet Union was first. Both the United States and the Soviet Union had space projects in the International Geophysical Year, but our project was very small. It was a satellite that weighed a little more than three pounds, and the Soviet satellite [weighed 184 pounds and] really opened up outer space as the new environment, (Top Left) NASA Deputy Administrator Hugh L. Dryden, added to land, sea and at left, and NASA Administrator T. Keith Glennan, air.” second from right, being sworn in as President Eisenhower, second from left, looks on. Scientists pushed (Left) The Dolley Madison House on Lafayette Square President Eisenhower to in Washington, D.C., housed the first HQ for NASA. make any new agency charged with overseeing In April 1959, NASA introduced space exploration a civilian agency, the seven Mercury astronauts to fearing military control would mean the world at an event in the house’s research only into military priorities. ballroom. As the agency grew, its Congressional hearings on the headquarters relocated to more matter, chaired by Senate Majority spacious accommodations in the Leader Lyndon B. Johnson (Dnation’s capital. TX), began in November 1957 Just 10 days after opening its and continued for six weeks. doors, NASA launched its first Johnson asked Galloway, a defense spacecraft. Part of a program of lunar analyst with the Legislative orbiters inherited from the U.S. Air Reference Service, to summarize Force, Pioneer 1 blasted off aboard the congressional testimony. Her a Thor-Able rocket from a fledgling report, titled “The Problems of launch facility at Cape Canaveral, Congress in Formulating Outer Space Fla. Although it did not achieve its Legislation,” recommended several intended mission to orbit the Moon options including creation of a new due to a rocket malfunction, Pioneer civilian agency to lead America’s 1 did reach a then record altitude space efforts. of about 70,000 miles. The probe On April 2, 1958, President returned scientific data confirming Dwight D. Eisenhower sent a draft the existence of the Van Allen law to Congress that called for a radiation belts until it burned up on civilian National Aeronautics and reentry in the Earth’s atmosphere 43 Space Agency, based on the existing hours after launch. National Advisory Committee for In the subsequent 60 years, NASA Aeronautics to oversee the U.S. space has launched spacecraft to unlock the program. Twelve days later both the mysteries of the universe, dispatched Senate and the House introduced probes to make close up observations versions of a bill to establish such of every planet in the solar system, an organization, with hearings sent men on voyages to the Moon, beginning the next day. Galloway and built a space station to maintain a successfully lobbied to designate the permanent human presence in space. new organization an administration Although NASA is best known for rather than an agency to give it 60 years of engineering and scientific broader authority to coordinate with achievements, it originally came into many other government agencies. being as a matter of national security. After the Soviets flew the first two

What does it take to be aN astronaut? By Mary Alys Cherry We all admire the astronauts – their bravery, hard work, toughness and their smarts. Many even hope to be an astronaut. In fact, some 6,000 applied to be a part of the class of 2017, when only about a dozen were chosen. But what exactly does it take to be an astronaut?

Strength

They must be strong enough to lift themselves out of a capsule while wearing a full space suit, in case of an emergency.

Height

They must be a certain height, although this could change, as it has over the years. Applicants currently cannot be taller than 6 feet 3 inches and shorter than 5 feet 2 inches.

Vision

Their vision must be correctable to 20/20, whereas, in the past, the space agency used to exclude candidates who had undergone corrective eye surgery.

Education

There was a time in the early days of the space program when astronauts had to be military test pilots, but this no longer holds true as NASA tries to reach a broader spectrum of people – engineers, scientists, teachers, veterinarians and doctors. Just so an applicant holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering, math, chemistry, science, physics, he or she may try out.

A new era in space flight began on April 12, 1981, when Space Shuttle Columbia, or STS-1, soared into orbit from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

NASA History Overview

he National Aeronautics and Space Administration is responsible for unique scientific and technological achievements in human spaceflight, aeronautics, space science, and space applications that have had widespread impacts on our nation and the world. Forged in response to early Soviet space achievements, NASA was built on the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and other government organizations, as the locus of U.S. civil aerospace research and development. When NASA opened for business on Oct. 1, 1958, it accelerated the work already started on human and robotic spaceflight. NASA’s first high profile program was Project Mercury, an effort to learn if humans could survive in space. This was followed by Project Gemini, which used spacecraft built for two astronauts to perfect the capabilities needed for the national objective of a human trip to the Moon by the end of the 1960s.

“Over the last 60 years NASA has continued to push the boundaries.”

O n l y 1 2 m e n h a v e w a l k e d o n t h e Moo n

Skills

They also have to be able to multi task and demonstrate they are skilled with their hands and can, for example, fix broken instruments while simultaneously communicating with mission control.

Personality

Just as important as smart, talented people, is one with an easygoing personality. A nice person with whom one wouldn’t mind spending a month or more in a small, confined area and sharing a toilet. Or six months to a year on the International Space Station.

Project Apollo achieved that objective in July 1969 with the Apollo 11 mission and expanded on it with five more successful lunar landing missions through 1972. After the Skylab and Apollo-Soyuz Test Projects of the mid-1970s, NASA’s human spaceflight efforts again resumed in 1981 with the Space Shuttle program that continued for 30 years. The shuttle was not only a breakthrough technology, but was essential to our next major step in space, the construction of the International Space Station. Over the last 60 years NASA has continued to push the boundaries with cutting edge aeronautics research that has dramatically changed the way we build and fly airplanes. NASA has also completed the reconnaissance of our solar system, with intense investigation of all the planets. Using orbital spacecraft like the Hubble Space Telescope, NASA has also dramatically changed our understanding of the universe around us, as well as our own planet. NASA’s early work on launch vehicles, communication satellites, and weather satellites has fundamentally changed daily life and created whole new industries. As a catalyst for international cooperation, NASA has also changed how and why humanity conducts space exploration. Now, NASA is preparing to take humankind farther than ever before, as it helps to foster a robust commercial space economy near Earth, and pioneers further human and robotic exploration as we venture into deep space. The NASA History Office Program publishes a quarterly newsletter, as well as an array of books (print and digital), hosts social media, provides fellowships, and runs the Historical Reference Collection (our version of an archive) to assist the public in finding more information on aeronautical and space history. In addition, the staff produces the Aeronautics and Space Report of the President. The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 directs NASA to produce an annual report that includes a “comprehensive description of the programmed activities and the accomplishments of all agencies of the United States in the field of aeronautics and space activities” during the preceding year.

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

July 1969

Neil Armstrong

Buzz Aldrin

July 1971

David R. Scott

James B. Irwin

N ovember 1 9 6 9

Charles Conrad Jr.

Alan L. Bean

April 1972

John W. Young

Charles M. Duke Jr.

F ebr u ar y 1 9 7 1

Alan B. Shepard Jr.

Edgar D. Mitchell

D e c ember 1 9 7 2

Eugene A. Cernan

Harrison H. Schmitt

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NOVEMBER 2018 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

Explorer 1

Becomes America’s First Satellite

Launch of Explorer 1 on the Juno rocket. Photo: NASA

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

he year 1958 held much promise for the United States space program. Both the U.S. and the Soviet Union were preparing to orbit a satellite as part of the International Geophysical Year (IGY), a series of activities planned between July 1957 and December 1958, intended to allow scientists around the world to study the Earth and space through coordinated observations. Given the Cold War competition between the two superpowers, the first to launch a satellite could claim technological pre-eminence. The Soviet Union leaped ahead of the U.S. and stunned the world when it orbited Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite, on Oct. 4, 1957. The U.S. response to Sputnik was two-fold. The first was to accelerate the Vanguard program, a joint National Academy of Sciences/U.S. Naval Research Laboratory project, which unfortunately resulted in the spectacular and embarrassing launch failure of Vanguard TV3 on Dec. 6. By that time, the Soviets had already achieved their second success with Sputnik 2, carrying a dog named Layka, the first live animal in space. The second response was to resurrect the Army Ballistic Missile Agency’s (ABMA) Jupiter-C rocket program, which had involved Wernher Von

Braun’s team and the California Institute of Technology’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory testing reentry vehicles in sub-orbital launches. JPL designed and built the Explorer satellite.

BUILT IN 84 DAYS The ABMA and JPL completed the job of modifying the Jupiter-C to the Juno rocket and building Explorer 1 in 84 days, and it was hoped that 1958 would start off much better than 1957 had ended. The Juno rocket could trace its ancestry back to the German V-2 rocket, which Von Braun had also designed. Once working in the U.S. after World War II, he used the V-2 to develop the Redstone intermediate range ballistic missile, from which he developed the Jupiter-C as a highperformance three-stage rocket. The addition of a fourth stage created the Juno rocket, capable of launching a satellite into orbit. Explorer 1 successfully launched from Cape Canaveral’s Pad 26 on Jan. 31, 1958. A team of women mathematicians at JPL computed Explorer’s trajectory and were able to confirm that it was indeed in orbit around the Earth, although its orbit of 224 miles by 1,575 miles was somewhat higher than planned.

WEIGHED 30 LBS

FIRST IN SERIES

Explorer 1 weighed 30 pounds of which more than 18 pounds were scientific instruments developed under the direction of James Van Allen of the University of Iowa. The instrumentation consisted of a cosmic-ray detector, five temperature sensors and two micrometeoroid detectors. The cosmic ray detector indicated a much lower cosmic ray count than expected. Van Allen postulated that the instrument was giving these readings because it was actually saturated by energetic charged particles originating mainly in the Sun and trapped by Earth’s magnetic field. Explorer 1’s discovery of these trapped radiation belts, subsequently named after Van Allen, is considered one of the outstanding scientific discoveries of the IGY. Explorer 1 continued to record and transmit data until its batteries died on May 23, 1958. By then it had been joined in orbit by Explorer 3, also launched on a Juno rocket on March 26 (Explorer 2 failed at launch). Although no longer active, Explorer 1 remained in orbit until March 31, 1970, when it burned up on reentry over the Pacific Ocean.

It was not only America’s first satellite in orbit, but also the first of a long-running series of scientific satellites that returned a wealth of useful information about the Earth, its environment, and interactions with the Sun. The competition between two separate groups to independently develop and orbit the first American satellite contributed to the recognition for the need of a single civilian space organization to plan future efforts. Following lengthy committee hearings, Congress passed the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 on July 16, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it July 29, establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA officially began operating on Oct. 1, 1958. A fully-instrumented flight backup of Explorer 1 is on display at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Air and Space Museum’s Milestones of Flight Gallery, as is a model of a Juno rocket. A mockup of a Juno rocket also is on display at Kennedy Space Center Visitors Center.

The three men responsible for the success of Explorer 1, America’s first Earth satellite, which was launched Jan. 31, 1958. At left is Dr. William H. Pickering, former director of JPL, which built and operated the satellite. Dr. James A. van Allen, center, of the State University of Iowa, designed and built the instrument on Explorer that discovered the radiation belts which circle the Earth. At right is Dr. Wernher von Braun, leader of the Army’s Redstone Arsenal team, which built the first stage Redstone rocket that launched Explorer 1. Photo: NASA

NOVEMBER 2018 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

The Apollo 7 prime crew, from left to right, are astronauts Donn F. Eisele, command module pilot, Walter M. Schirra Jr., commander; and Walter Cunningham, lunar module pilot. Photo: NASA

Apollo 7: The race heats up By Bob Granath NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida

n O c t. 11 , 1 9 6 8 , three American astronauts launched to Earth orbit aboard Apollo 7. It was the first piloted mission of the spacecraft designed to meet President John F.

Kennedy’s challenge to land on the lunar surface. The 11-day flight took place as the race to the Moon was heating up between the United States and the Soviet Union. A month earlier, the Soviets launched the unpiloted Zond 5, a simplified version of their Soyuz spacecraft designed for

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

cosmonauts. The capsule became the first to circle around the Moon and return safely to Earth. Both nations also were recovering from tragic losses. Three Apollo 1 astronauts perished in a launch pad fire on Jan. 27, 1967. That same year, the lone cosmonaut aboard Soyuz 1 died when the spacecraft crashed on April 24. Following almost two years of Apollo spacecraft redesign and testing, Paul Donnelly, Launch Operations manager at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, expressed confidence in the men and women who worked tirelessly to prepare for the flight. “We have a great group of specialists from government and industry trained to work as a team,” he said. “Just as the astronauts are ready to fly to orbit, we are ready to get them there.”

COMMANDER Serving as commander of Apollo 7 was NASA veteran Wally Schirra, a U.S. Navy aviator and captain. He flew Mercury 8 on Oct. 3, 1962, and commanded Gemini VI on Dec. 15-16, 1965. Schirra was joined by two members of the third astronaut class, both making their first spaceflight.

Command module pilot Donn Eisele was a U.S. Air Force colonel and test pilot. Walt Cunningham had been a colonel and fighter pilot in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Although there was no lunar module on this flight, as the third member of the crew, Cunningham was designated LM pilot. Following a flawless liftoff atop a Saturn 1B rocket from Launch Complex 34 at Cape Kennedy (now Cape Canaveral) Air Force Station, the command-service module (CSM) separated from the second stage. Eisele then practiced a simulated LM docking. During launch with a LM, it would have been housed inside the adapter between the second stage and the CSM.

KEY OBJECTIVE A key objective of Apollo 7 was testing spacecraft systems, especially the crucial service propulsion system (SPS) engine at the base of the spacecraft. On lunar missions, the SPS would be used to place the spacecraft in lunar orbit and later, fire the crew on a trajectory back home. On Earth orbital flights, the SPS would be fired to slow Apollo for reentry. The first test of the powerful SPS took place on flight day two. When it fired with 20,500 pounds of thrust,

“We had a tremendous workout of the service propulsion system,” he said. “I believe that is more than any space propulsion system has ever been used in any one flight”

WORLD WATCHES

Following launch, the Apollo 7 crew photographed the expended Saturn launch vehicle’s second stage, called the S-IVB. NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and Cape Kennedy (now Cape Canaveral) Air Force Station are visible on the lower left. The round, white disc inside the open panels of the S-IVB is a simulated docking target similar to that used for docking with a lunar module.

Schirra radioed that it was a real kick. “Yabbadabbadoo,” he exclaimed in a favorite saying of the television cartoon character Fred Flintstone. “That’s like a ride and a half!” George Low, manager of the Apollo Spacecraft Program Office at NASA’s Manned Spacecraft Center (now Johnson Space Center) in Houston, later noted that all eight firings of the SPS went extremely well.

Another goal was broadcasting live television from the spacecraft. Three days after liftoff, the Apollo 7 camera was turned on, allowing Mission Control and viewers around the world to watch the crew in orbit. “I can see Eisele there,” said spacecraft communicator Tom Stafford, a fellow astronaut. “He’s holding a sign and it says, ‘From the lovely Apollo room, high atop everything.’ “ The crew fired the SPS engine on Oct. 22, splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean eight miles from the recovery aircraft carrier, the USS Essex. After the flight, Schirra described the Apollo CSM as “a magnificent flying machine.” Lt. Gen. Samuel Phillips, director of NASA’s Apollo Program Office, considered Apollo 7 a perfect mission. “We were able to accomplish a major step in our progress toward the lunar landing,” he said. “I have every confidence that the progress of this mission will let us accomplish that by the end of next year.”

NASA Administrators T went y-t wo men have headed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration since its founding in 1958. Some held the post as acting administrators and then were permanently appointed by the president of the United States. Some only served as acting administrator. Two of the longest serving administrators were Maj. Gen. Charles Bolden, who served 2,744 days, and Daniel Goldin, who held the post 2,922 days. Dr. Hugh Dryden was acting administrator for only 24 days. Three astronauts also have headed NASA – Vice Adm. Richard Truly, Col. Frederick Gregory and Maj. Gen. Charles Bolden Jr.

T. Keith Glennan – Aug. 19, 1958 - Jan. 20, 1961 Dr. Hugh L. Dryden – Jan. 21, 1961 - Feb. 14, 1961 James E. Webb – Feb. 14, 1961 - Oct. 7, 1968 Dr. Thomas O. Paine – Oct. 8, 1968 - Sept. 15,1970 Dr. George M. Low – Sept. 16,1970 - April 26, 1971 Dr. James C. Fletcher – April 27, 1971 - May 1, 1977 Dr. Alan M. Lovelace – May 2,1977 - June 20,1977 Dr. Robert A. Frosch – June 21,1977 - Jan. 20, 1981 Dr. Alan M. Lovelace – Jan. 21,1981 - July 10,1981 James M. Beggs – July 10, 1981 - Dec. 4, 1985 Dr. William R. Graham – Dec. 4, 1985 - May 11,1986 Dr. James C. Fletcher – May 12, 1986 - April 8,1989 Dale D. Myers – April 8, 1989 - May 13,1989 V. Adm. Richard H. Truly – May 14, 1989 - March 31, 1992 Daniel S. Goldin – April 1, 1992 - Nov. 17, 2001 Dr. Daniel R. Mulville – Nov. 19, 2001 - Dec. 21, 2001 Sean O’Keefe – Dec. 21, 2001 - Feb. 11, 2005 Col. Frederick D. Gregory – Feb. 11, 2005 - April 14, 2005 Dr. Michael D. Griffin – April 14, 2005 - Jan. 20, 2009 Christopher Scolese – Jan. 21, 2009 - July 16, 2009 Maj. Gen. Charles Bolden – July 17, 2009 - Jan. 20, 2017 Robert M. Lightfoot Jr. – Jan. 20, 2017 - April 23, 2018 Maj. Jim Bridenstine – April 23, 2018 -

NOVEMBER 2018 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

u ly, 1 9 6 9 . It’s a little over eight years since the flights of Yuri Gagarin and Alan Shepard, followed quickly by President Kennedy’s challenge to put a man on the moon before the decade is out. It is only seven months since NASA’s made a bold decision to send Apollo 8 all the

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

way to the moon on the first manned flight of the massive Saturn V rocket. Now, on the morning of July 16, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins sit atop another Saturn V at Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. The three-stage 363-foot rocket will use its 7.5 million pounds of thrust to propel them into space and into history.

OFF TO THE MOON At 9:32 a.m. EDT, the engines fire and Apollo 11 clears the tower. About 12 minutes later, the crew is in Earth orbit. After one and a half orbits, Apollo 11 gets a “go” for what mission controllers call “Translunar Injection” -- in other words, it’s time to head for the moon. Three days later the crew is in lunar orbit. A day after that, Armstrong and Aldrin climb into the lunar module Eagle and begin the descent, while Collins orbits in the command module Columbia.

Collins later writes that Eagle is “the weirdest looking contraption I have ever seen in the sky,” but it will prove its worth.

ALARMS SOUND When it comes time to set Eagle down in the Sea of Tranquility, Armstrong improvises, manually piloting the ship past an area littered with boulders. During the final seconds of descent, Eagle’s computer is sounding alarms. It turns out to be a simple case of the computer trying to do too many things at once, but as Aldrin will later point out, “unfortunately it came up when we did not want to be trying to solve these particular problems.” When the lunar module lands at 4:18 p.m EDT, only 30 seconds of fuel remain. Armstrong radios “Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.” Mission control erupts in celebration as the tension breaks, and a controller tells the crew “You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue, we’re breathing again.” Armstrong will later confirm that landing was his biggest concern, saying “the unknowns were rampant,” and “there were just a thousand things to worry about.”

FIRST STEP At 10:56 p.m. EDT Armstrong is ready to plant the first human foot on another world. With more than half a billion people watching on television, he climbs down the ladder and proclaims: “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” Aldrin joins him shortly, and offers a simple but powerful

description of the lunar surface: “magnificent desolation.” They explore the surface for two and a half hours, collecting samples and taking photographs. They leave behind an American flag, a patch honoring the fallen Apollo 1 crew, and a plaque on one of Eagle’s legs. It reads, “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon. July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.”

HEADING HOME Armstrong and Aldrin blast off and dock with Collins in Columbia. Collins later says that “for the first time,” he “really felt that we were going to carry this thing off.” The crew splashes down off Hawaii on July 24. Kennedy’s challenge has been met. Men from Earth have walked on the moon and returned safely home. In an interview years later, Armstrong praises the “hundreds of thousands” of people behind the project. “Every guy that’s setting up the tests, cranking the torque wrench, and so on, is saying, man or woman, ‘If anything goes wrong here, it’s not going to be my fault.’” In a post-flight press conference, Armstrong calls the flight “a beginning of a new age,” while Collins talks about future journeys to Mars. Over the next three and a half years, 10 astronauts will follow in their footsteps. Gene Cernan, commander of the last Apollo mission leaves the lunar surface with these words: “We leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace, and hope for all mankind.”

The 12 who have headed Johnson Space Center Dr. Robert R. Gilruth: Nov. 1, 1961 - Jan. 17, 1972 Dr. Christopher C. Kraft Jr: Jan. 17, 1972 - Aug. 7, 1982 Gerald D. Griffin: Aug. 8, 1982 - Jan. 14, 1986 Jesse W. Moore: Jan. 23, 1986 - Oct. 2, 1986 Aaron Cohen: Oct. 12, 1986 - Aug. 20, 1993 Dr. Carolyn Huntoon: Jan. 6, 1994 - Aug. 4, 1995 George W.S. Abbey: (Acting) Aug. 4, 1995 - Jan. 23, 1996 George W.S. Abbey: Jan. 23, 1996 - Feb. 23, 2001 Roy Estess: (Acting) Feb. 23, 2001 - April 1, 2002 Gen. Jefferson D. Howell Jr: April 1, 2002 - Nov. 23, 2005 Michael L. Coats: Nov. 23, 2005 - Dec. 31, 2012 Ellen Ochoa: Jan. 1, 2013 - May 25, 2018 Mark Geyer: May 25, 2018 - current

NOVEMBER 2018 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

T h e M a g ni f icent M arvels o f N A S A

leaders. The space station is built piece-by-piece in orbit with the help of many nations. The modules are built in separate countries and first meet in space to be assembled. Friday nights at the space station, astronauts and cosmonauts join Sumer Dene together to watch with a Space Exploration movies and share Vehicle cuisine. They become (SEV), which family with an is designed outlook that reaches to safely navigate beyond our scope. harsh terrain.

Educating the world Improved technology in robotics can lead to minimally invasive surgeries, safer cars, and mass harvesting of fruits and vegetables. Robotics engineer Lucien Junkin says, “The purpose of the Robotics Education program is to gather knowledge and spread it to the public. Failures are meant to teach you; the most important philosophy in engineering is safety, commitment and hard work.” Young adults

By Sumer Dene

onder is experienced, it can’t be taught. Through exploration and research, aerospace changes everything. NASA celebrates 60 years of encouraging passionate, dedicated individuals to go above and beyond what they see. The Johnson Space Center, home of human spaceflight, made Bay Area Houston the thriving waterfront city it is today. Furthermore, NASA is voted year after year the best place to work in the federal government. The International Space Station improves lives through education and innovation to strengthen relationships with academia, government and private sector

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National Security but also camaraderie with other nations Advanced technology to be simple, portable and efficient Research on a global scale Interactive and disciplined programs for youth to stimulate imagination, focus and creativity

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

Astronauts and Cosmonauts enjoy the pre-release of ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi at the International Space Station.

overcome challenges with collaborative effort to reach competitive goals. NASA offers free educational programs and scholarships to help empower education in STEM. The Robotics Education program is in need of young leaders to build the future in technological development. The highly-respected professionals involved in aeronautics push forward courageously in pursuit of a new frontier. NASA Public Affairs Officer Gary Jordan develops and hosts Houston’s first space podcast, “Houston, we have a podcast.” The podcast discusses many influential aspects of space travel live at Johnsons Space Center. It is released every Friday with various guests, sometimes including astronauts in orbit. Questions can be asked using hashtags #askNASA and #HWHAP on various social media accounts. “NASA shows that we are all connected. We are on the same mission and happy to explore new ways to make our lives better on Earth. It is important to communicate that with the public. Society is shaped by what we do today.” We have come a long way.

NASA is working on robonauts to help human astronauts complete simple, repetitive and dangerous tasks in space.

NASA improves lives through technology Through the years, the space agency’s research and development has led to hundreds and hundreds of inventions that have not only helped NASA but greatly improved lives all over the world. One example is a medical procedure known as laser angioplasty, which is a procedure to open coronary arteries and prevent heart attacks. A few of the others:  Scalp coolers that prevent hair loss in cancer patients  International search and rescue team  Small barcode labels found on virtually every supermarket product in the country

What has changed? In the early 60s, it was easy to imagine space exploration. The lives of people and how they communicated was vastly different. A peaceful movement began to end all wars, remove barriers and expand consciousness through music and language. The youth wanted to end all wars so people would realize we are all parts to a greater whole. Traveling across the galaxy in an intergalactic world to save the human race was something first seen in black and white fantasy films. NASA developed in 1958 during a crisis in the last “idealist” time in America. Hate, fear and propaganda spread through the use television and radio. Sixty years later, we long to connect, have our voices heard and be a part of something greater than us. Now, our generation faces many more distractions. “Hope” first begins with “Focus.”

The Vision NASA looks forward to the future with a goal to solve pertinent problems and coexist peacefully. Intensive research help people live a better quality life and find answers to meaningful questions. The space center influences medical and technological advances, as well as society’s culture. Dr. Liz Warren is a NASA scientist who investigates

 Clean water filtration systems  Artificial limbs  Truck aerodynamics to reduce fuel consumption

“We explore because we want to push ourselves further to learn, grow and make an impact.” how human physiology changes in microgravity. She leads a team to implement experiments in space. Cells change to a spherical, 3D structure and protein crystals grow perfectly in space, leading to a perfect environment for groundbreaking research in all life and physical sciences. “Our bodies are capable of enduring and adapting to new environments. We explore because we want to push ourselves further to learn, grow and make an impact. We want the next generation to feel inspired.” Space research discovers ways to combat endemic disease, understand how the planet is evolving, and harness energy and resources sufficiently. Space exploration has helped us

understand human psychology. “The Overview Effect” is coined by Frank White as the cognizant shift in awareness some astronauts experience when viewing earth from the lunar surface. He describes space exploration as the “inevitable steps in the evolution of human society and consciousness.” On Earth, conflicts and differences divide people as our navigation system judges distance from our feet to the ground. Astronauts see 16 sunsets and sunrises each day and orbit earth every 90 minutes. In space, distance is measured expansively as the speed of light. There are no borders to separate the universe and humankind, opportunities are limitless when we work together on a mission.

 Wind turbines  Velcro, which holds many things together  Improved fire-resistant polymer fabrics  Shock absorbers for buildings and bridges  Tensile fabrics used for architecture in pavilions, museums and airports  Vehicular controllers for handicapped people  Speech aids for the hearing impaired  A computer reader for the blind  GPS and satellites used for broadcasting, internet and cellular phones  Digital image sensors for picture and video  Scratch resistance sunglasses  Invisible braces  Memory foam mattresses  Survival blankets  Ingestible toothpaste that eliminates choking

NOVEMBER 2018 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

A statue of Alan Shepard, the first American in space, at the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Photo: NASA

U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame Inductees

s its inaugural class in 1990, the Hall of Fame, located at Kennedy Space Center, inducted the United States’ original group of astronauts: the Mercury Seven. In addition to being the first American astronauts, they set several firsts in American spaceflight, both auspicious and tragic. Alan Shepard was the first American in space and later became one of the 12 people to walk on the Moon. John Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth, and after his induction went on, in 1998, to become the oldest man to fly in space, aged 77. Gus Grissom was the first American to fly in space twice and was the commander of the illfated Apollo 1, which resulted in the first astronaut deaths directly related to spaceflight preparation. Thirteen astronauts from the Gemini and Apollo programs were inducted in 1993. This class included the first and last humans to walk on the Moon – Neil Armstrong and Eugene Cernan; Ed White, the first American to walk in space (also killed in the Apollo 1 accident); Jim Lovell, commander of the famously near-tragic Apollo 13; and John Young, whose six flights included a moon walk and command of the first Space Shuttle mission. More were to take their place in the Hall of Fame through the years with recently retired astronaut and former Johnson Space Center Director Dr. Ellen Ochoa joining Michael Foale in the Class of 2017.

May 11, 1990 Malcom Scott Carpenter Leroy Gordon “Gordo” Cooper Jr. John Herschel Glenn Jr.

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

Virgil Ivan “Gus” Grissom Walter Marty “Wally” Schirra Jr. Alan Bartlett “Al” Shepard Jr. Donald Keat “Deke” Slayton

March 19, 1993 Edwin Eugene “Buzz” Aldrin Jr. Neil Alden “Buzz” Armstrong Frank Frederick Borman II Eugene Andrew “Gene” Cernan Michael “Mike” Collins Charles Peter “Pete” Conrad Jr. Henry Charles Gordon James Arthur “Jim “ Lovell Jr. James Alton “Jim” McDivitt David Randolph “Dave” Scott Thomas Patten “Tom” Stafford Edward Higgins “Ed” White II John Watts Young

October 4, 1997 William Alison “ Bill” Anders Alan LaVerne “Al” Bean Vance DeVoe Brand Gerald Paul “Gerry” Carr Roger Bruce Chaffee Ronnie Walter “Walt” Cunningham Charles Moss “Charlie” Duke Jr. Donn Fulton Eisele Ronald Ellwin “Ron” Evans Owen Kay Garriott Edward George Gibson Fred Wallace Haise Jr. James Benson Irwin Joseph Peter Kerwin Jack Robert Lousma Thomas Kenneth “Ken” Mattingly II Edgar Dean Mitchell William Reid “Bill” Pogue Stuart Allen “Stu” Roosa Harrison Hagan “Jack” Schmitt Russell Luis “Rusty” Schweickart John Leonard “Jack” Swigert Jr.

Paul Joseph Weitz Alfred Merrill Worden

William McMichael “Bill” Shepherd James Donald “Jim” Wetherbee

November 10, 2001

June 4-5, 2010

Robert Laurel “Bob” Crippen Joseph Henry “Joe” Engle Frederick Hamilton “Rich” Hauck Richard Harrison “Dick” Truly

Guion Steward “Guy” Bluford Jr. Kenneth Duane “Ken” Bowersox Frank Lee Culbertson Jr. Kathryn Ryan “Kathy” Thornton

June 21, 2003

May 7, 2011

Daniel Charles “Dan” Brandenstein Robert Lee “Hoot” Gibson Franklin Story Musgrave Sally Kristen Ride

Karol Joseph “Bo” Bobko Susan Jane Helms

April 30, 2004 Richard Oswalt “Dick” Covey Frederick Drew “Fred” Gregory Francis Richard Scobee Kathryn Dwyer “Kathy” Sullivan Norman Earl “Norm” Thagard

April 26, 2005

May 5, 2012 Franklin Ramon Chang-Diaz Kevin Patrick “Chili” Chilton Charles Joseph Precourt

April 20, 2013 Curtis Lee “Curt” Brown Jr. Eileen Marie Collins Bonnie Jeanne Dunbar

Joseph Percival Allen Charles Gordon Fullerton Bruce McCandless II

May 3, 2014

May 6, 2006

May 30, 2015

Charles Frank “Charlie” Bolden Jr. Henry Warren “Hank” Hartsfield Jr. Brewster Hopkinson Shaw Jr.

John Mace Grunsfeld Steven Wayne Lindsey Kent Vernon Rominger Margaret Rhea Seddon

May 5, 2007

Shannon Matilda Lucid Jerry Lynn Ross

Michael Lloyd “Mike” Coats Steven Alan Hawley Jeffrey Alan “Jeff” Hoffman

May 13-14, 2016

May 2-3, 2008

May 19-20, 2017

John Elmer Blaha Robert Donald “Bob” Cabana Bryan Daniel O’Connor Loren James Shriver

Colin Michael “Mike” Foale Ellen Lauri Ochoa

May 1, 2009

Brian J. Duffy Scott Edward Parazynski

APRIL 21, 2018 Scott D. Altman Thomas D. Jones

George Driver “Pinky” Nelson

It’s rare to find yourself surrounded by astronauts, yet that’s what happened to Bay Area Houston Magazine Editor Mary Alys Cherry, second from left, when she arrived at the 1999 JSC Director’s Holiday Party. As she wandered around taking photos of the party guests, she stopped to say hello to three astronauts, from left, Dr. Bonnie Dunbar, Katy Coleman and Eileen Collins as someone snapped this picture. All three have since retired from the space agency.

NOVEMBER 2018 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

NASAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

Space Shuttle Atlantis

Space Shuttle Discovery

Space Shuttle Endeavour

Between the first launch on April 12, 1981, and the final landing on July 21, 2011, NASAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s space shuttle fleet -- Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour -- flew 135 missions, helped construct the International Space Station and inspired generations.

Remembering the crew of the Challenger STS-51-L

The NASA family lost seven of its own on the morning of Jan. 28, 1986, when a booster engine failed, causing the Shuttle Challenger to break apart just 73 seconds after launch. STS-51-L crew: (front row) Michael J. Smith, Dick Scobee, Ronald McNair; (back row) Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, Judith Resnik

Remembering the crew of the Columbia STS-107

On February 1, 2003, the Columbia suffered a catastrophic failure upon reentering the atmosphere, due to a breach that occurred during launch when falling foam from the External Tank struck the Reinforced Carbon Carbon panels on the underside of the left wing. The orbiter and its seven crewmembers were lost. The crew of STS-107 in October 2001. From left to right: David Brown, Rick Husband, Laurel Blair Salton Clark, Kalpana Chawla, Michael Anderson, William McCool and Ilan Ramon.

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

(Left) Leidos’ Benjamin.T.D.Minish, Jon Reyna, Wesley Tarkington and Carlos Aguilar. Photo: Moonbridge Media (Below) Kimberly Johnson of the plan/train/fly contract with a cold stow box.

“Through our heritage and deep understanding of the customer’s mission, we have built a track record of success at NASA centers and within the engineering and scientific community” Hardin said. A resident of Houston, Hardin manages the Leidos teams supporting the Cargo Mission Contract, the Integrated Mission Operations Contract, the Human Health and Performance Contract and the Research Engineering Mission Integration Services Contract.

SECOND GENERATION

Many Leidos employees supporting today’s NASA contracts are the second generation to do so. Jon Reyna, a quality team lead, explains that

Leidos nears its 50th anniversary while NASA celebrates its 60th By Xander Thomas

eidos is a relatively new company name for some, but not altogether a new company. In fact, it has a 50-year anniversary coming up in 2019 -- just after the 60th anniversary of NASA this year. And it has a long history in the space industry. “At Leidos, our mission is to make the world safer, healthier and more efficient through the application of information technology, engineering and science,” Leidos NASA programs division manager Nan Hardin said. The Fortune 500 company, she explains, is actually a combination of Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems and Global Solutions (IS&GS) and national security and commercial portions of SAIC before the company’s split in 2013, both entities with a legacy of technical support to NASA and the space industry.

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

family almost moved up there, Tarkington said, but instead, his father transferred to a different department and became mission manager for the Space Shuttle Program. Tarkington currently supports the Human Health and Performance contract, which provides medical health services in support of all the astronauts. “In my current role within the human health performance contract, I manage a task order that includes support services and personnel for NASA’s crew health and safety program and also includes NASA’s integrated medical model, lifetime surveillance of astronaut health program and the life sciences data archive,” He said. He described his role saying he has a team of medical, scientists, and PhDs who monitor and try to identify common conditions that have occurred with crew members as a result of their exposure to space flight.

PROUD MOMENTS

“We are here to help do three things: Innovate, provide NASA with a top tier work force, and deliver on our corporate commitment to accomplish NASA’s mission.” on the current Cargo Mission Contract they “plan, coordinate, prepare and pack standardized containers for all of the International Space Station cargo missions at NASA, international partners and commercial hardware vehicles.” “We have different layout requirements for each vehicle, so there are no two cargo missions that are alike,” Reyna said. The cargo, he said, usually includes things like food, clothing, crew provisions, soft goods, computer hardware and other electronics gear, batteries, cameras, and experiments. Reyna’s father also worked for NASA; he was involved in working with mission patch designs and on documentation for flight controls as a graphic artist. His dad worked for multiple NASA contractors and retired at the end of the shuttle contract.

Tyler Minish and Kimberly Johnson, both with the Integrated Mission Operations Contract that is known as the plan/train/fly contract, also followed in their parents’ footsteps. Both of Minish’s parents worked right here in Houston at the Johnson Space Center. His mother worked in the reconfiguration group, helping train astronauts. She helped with the computer programs of the motion simulators, and later moved over to help support the International Space Station. His father first worked writing software for the shuttle motion simulators before moving into the crew training office and then to the International Space Station. Minish’s father still works in the mission controls center. In similar fashion, Johnson calls herself a “second gen space cadet” because her mother worked for NASA during the Apollo/Gemini era as a secretary for the engineering director in the Space and Life Sciences Directorate. Johnson was hired on in 1992 by Lockheed Martin, and over the course of her career, she was a crew procedures engineer helping write and format flight data file documentation on shuttle missions. “I got to watch the astronauts get trained and execute the procedures that I was a part of,” she said. When she was hired, she was a Russian technical specialist flight controller, and she said that being a part of the generation when the U.S. and Russia worked together was a great feeling, knowing that previous tensions between the countries prevented the collaboration. Like Minish and Johnson, Wes Tarkington is also a 2nd generation employee. His father worked at Johnson Space Center for 33 years. He had been hired early in the Gemini program, worked through Apollo, and was part of Space Station Freedom when it was transferred to Virginia. His

Tarkington said that one of the accomplishments he is most proud of is getting the “Treat Astronauts Act” signed into law. Basically, this bill gives astronauts a legal right to medical care beyond their time working in space flight, in case of any issues that the work may have caused. In return, NASA retains the data over what damage may or may not be caused for use with future flight crews. Another one of Tarkington’s favorite memories working in support of NASA, he said, was meeting his now-wife of 13 years. “That’s obviously a memorable moment in my career here at NASA,” he said. For Johnson, one of her proudest moments came when she was working in Moscow in support of the MIR program. “I received a call down from astronaut Dave Wolf recognizing my effort where I scheduled out his day as a planner,” she said.

A MATTER OF TRUST

According to Carlos Aguilar, a business development manager supporting NASA programs, many of the accomplishments being made right now are due to trust and collaboration between Leidos and NASA. “Our management team really works hard to make sure that our performance is consistent,” Aguilar said, “we’ve also worked to have clear and open dialogue channels with NASA so we can get the feedback we need on our performance and make any course corrections.” He said that Leidos strives to achieve a partnership, but they want NASA to be the judge of whether it really is. He continued to say that it is not easy to keep pace with an agency like NASA, but he says that Leidos aims to help with innovations and improvements however they can. “We are here to help do three things: Innovate, provide NASA with a top tier work force, and deliver on our corporate commitment to accomplish NASA’s mission.” Leidos is the proud sponsor and underwriter of Bay Area Houston Magazine’s special issue celebrating NASA’s 60th Anniversary. Kudos to Leidos for all they do to support the manned space program. [article export control #20196]

NOVEMBER 2018 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

Former astronaut continues practice of medicine with Elite Care ER

i l l i am F. F i s h e r i s an American physician and a former NASA astronaut. Fisher went into space in 1985 on board the Space Shuttle. He retired from NASA in 1992 and returned to the full-time practice of medicine. His time at NASA coincided with that of his former wife and fellow astronaut Anna Lee Fisher. Fisher was born April 1, 1946, in Dallas, TX He graduated high school in Syracuse, NY, then attended Stanford University before entering medical school at the University of Florida. He married fellow physician and later fellow astronaut, Anna Lee Fisher of St. Albans, NY on Aug. 23, 1977. They have two daughters, Kristin Anne (b. July 29, 1983), who is a Washington D.C.based correspondent for the Fox News Channel, and Kara Lynne (b. Jan. 10, 1989) who received her MBA degree in May, 2017 from SMU in Dallas. Dr. Fisher collects Bill Graham Fillmore, Family Dog, and other rock/concert music posters from the 1965-1973 time frame. He is an amateur luthier, specializing in making, repairing, and refinishing Neapolitan-style mandolins. Dr. Fisher is also the owner of Twenty-First Century Arms, a sporting goods company, and is both a Federal Firearms Licensee and NFA Firearms Dealer. After graduating from Stanford in 1968, he served as a mountaineering instructor in Leysin, Switzerland. Following his graduation from medical

school in 1975, he completed a surgical residency from 1975 to 1977 at Harbor–UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, California. He entered private practice in emergency medicine in 1977. He also attended graduate school at the University of Houston from 1978 to 1980. He has logged over 2,000 hours in prop, rotary-wing, jet aircraft and spacecraft. Fisher was selected as NASA astronaut in 1980. His technical assignments included: scientific equipment operator for high altitude research on the WB-57F aircraft (1980–1981); astronaut medical support for the first four Shuttle missions (1980–1982); astronaut office representative for Extravehicular Mobility Unit (spacesuit) and Extravehicular Activity (EVA) procedures and development, including thermal vacuum testing of the suit (1981–1984); astronaut office representative for the Payload Assist Module (PAM-D) procedures and development (1982–1983); Astronaut office representative for Shuttle Mission Simulator (SMS) development (1983); support crewman for STS-8; CAPCOM for STS-8 and STS-9; Remote Manipulator System (RMS) hardware and software development team (1983); Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) development team (1983); Deputy Director of NASA Government-furnished and Contractor-furnished Equipment (1982–1983); Chief of Astronaut Public Appearances (1985–1987); Member of the U.S. Air Force Scientific Advisory Board (1986–1991); NASA Medicine Policy Board (1987–1991); Astronaut Office Space Station Manned Systems Division, and Health Maintenance Facility (1987–1989); Astronaut Office

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

representative on space crew selection and retention standards for Space Station (1989–1991). Fisher also continued to practice Emergency Medicine in the greater Houston area in conjunction with his Astronaut duties. Fisher was a mission specialist on STS-51-I, which launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Aug. 27, 1985. STS-51-I was acknowledged as the most successful Space Shuttle mission yet flown. The crew aboard Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Discovery deployed three communications satellites, the Navy SYNCOM IV-4, the Australian AUSSAT, and American Satellite Company’s ASC-1. They also performed a successful on-orbit rendezvous with the ailing 15,400 pound SYNCOM IV-3 satellite, and two EVAs (space walks) by Fisher and van Hoften to repair it, including the longest space walk in history (at that time). Discovery completed 112 orbits of the Earth before landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California, on Sept. 3, 1985. Fisher logged over 170 hours in space, including 11 hours and 52 minutes of Extravehicular Activity (EVA). After leaving NASA, Fisher returned to the practice of emergency medicine. Currently, Dr. Fisher practices full-time at Elite Care 24/7 ERLeague City. (281) 337-7500 2530 Gulf Fwy. South League City, TX 77573 www.elite24er.com

A Pursuit of Excellence By Sumer Dene

oberts Wealth Management

opened its offices in Biloxi, Miss. almost 25 years ago. Since expanding to the Houston area 10 years ago, the Houston team has operated with integrity and success in the Bay Area.

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

The Houston Bay Area team, led by Summer Roberts-Hager, has grown tremendously and attributes its growth to their client-centric approach. “Over 46% of our new business comes from existing clients, so we must be doing something right,” says Summer. The firm focuses on income, investment, insurance and charitable planning. Summer Roberts, CEO of the firm, says, “We’d like to celebrate NASA’s 60th Anniversary and how it shaped this community. Their philosophy compares to how we visualize and operate. Like NASA, we engineer a solid, respectable team to best represent who we are. We are progressive and in pursuit of excellence.” Roberts Wealth Management maintains a

client-oriented based business model that is thoughtful, strategic and organized. “We don’t want to be everything to everyone, we want to be everything to a few clients. Our goal is to help as many individuals and families in the Houston Bay Area as we can,” Roberts stated. No matter if it is space exploration or financial planning, the goal is the same; achieve positive results, grow together as a company and family. Roberts Wealth Management uses integrative software technology in an internal system to be quick and efficient so they can direct focus on personal relationships with the customer. They want their clients to understand their finances to best prepare for a confident financial future. “I truly care about my clients and they see that, it’s very clear,” stated Roberts. Her father, Paul Roberts, taught her about the business and to live

“It is never too late, or too early, to begin a life savings plan.” with integrity. His number one rule was, “Do what you say you’re going to do, or don’t say it.” Roberts Wealth Management finds strategies to help clients achieve financial independence. They work directly with attorneys, CPAs and other strategic business partners on the client’s behalf to help form a holistic retirement plan. Roberts Wealth Management founder, Paul Roberts, has over 40 years experience in the financial services industry, including 22 years as a practicing CPA. During his time as a CPA, Paul noticed that very few of his clients consistently made money in the stock market, which inspired him to start a firm that creates detailed financial plans to best suite individual or family specific needs. Their proven experience and insight allowed the company to explore innovative ways to help people gain financial independence. As an independent financial retirement planning firm, they require tools to help protect assets and grow good, solid wealth. “We have a sense of urgency to satisfy clients needs right away. We designed and engineered the right team that understands the growth of the clientele directly represents the growth of the company,”

LO C AT I O N S •

Houston – Bay Area

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Houston – West

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Sugar Land

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MS Gulf Coast

info@RobertsWealthTexas.com

Phone 281-549-6515 Fax 832-864-3605 RobertsWealthTexas.com

concluded Summer Roberts. Roberts Wealth Management thrives because its team is disciplined, professional and strategic in decision-making. Most importantly, they believe in overcoming challenges through integrity and hard work. “We take our job very seriously and work personally with

clients. They are friends and family to us.” Roberts continued. The firm’s close relationships with clients is what sets it apart from others. I asked Summer, “Why choose Roberts Wealth Retirement planning firm?” Roberts replied, “I’m really wonderful, haha. But really, we are on top of things.” It is never too late, or too early, to begin a life savings plan. Come visit for a coffee and meaningful conversation about your financial goals. Roberts Wealth Management can be reached by phone at 281.549.6515 email info@RobertsWealthTexas.com or online at RobertsWealth.com. Investment advisory services offered only by duly registered individuals through AE Wealth Management, LLC (AEWM). AEWM and Roberts Wealth Management are not affiliated companies. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. Any references to protection benefits or security generally refer to fixed insurance products, never securities or investment products. Insurance and annuity product guarantees are backed by the financial strength and claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. Neither the firm nor its agents or representatives may give tax or legal advice. Individuals should consult with a qualified professional for guidance before making any purchasing decisions. 637653

NOVEMBER 2018 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

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Grazia

Sawa

Salata Masa Sushi

r l e a

l a k e

South Shore Grille

El Tiempo MichiRu

Cabo

Jackie’s Brickhouse

A GUIDE TO THE BEST BITES AND BREWS IN THE BAY

Crazy Alan’s Bakkhus

Sundance

Ocean Sushi

Nobi

Tookie’s Seafood

Hubcap Grill

Scotty’s

Mediterraneo

Franca’s Noon & Mirch

Avenida Brazil

Pappa’s Delta Blues

Boondoggles

Villa Capri

888 Chinese

Angelo’s

Habanero’s

Chelsea Wine Bar

g a l v e s t o n

b ay

Skallywag’s

T-Bone Tom’s Playa Maya

Floyd’s Red River BBQ Main St. Bistro

Stomp’s Burgers

Gilhooley’s

AMERICAN ASIAN BBQ CAJUN ITALIAN MEDIT. MEXICAN PUB/FUSION SEAFOOD STEAK

AMERICAN 1. Jackie’s Brickhouse 1053 Marina Bay Dr, Kemah, TX (832) 864-2459 jackiesbrickhouse.com 2. Main St Bistro 615 E Main St, League City, TX (281) 332-8800 3. Red Oak Cafe 6011 W Main St a106, League City, TX (832) 905-3150 redoakcafe.com 4. Stomp’s Burger Joint 3107 TX-146, Bacliff, TX (281) 339-0785 stompsburgerjoint.com 5. South Shore Grille 2800 Marina Bay Dr, League City, TX (281) 334-7700 soshoregrille.com 6. T-Bone Tom’s 707 TX-146, Kemah, TX (281) 334-2133 tbonetoms.com 7. Cabo Bar & Grill 2513 NASA Rd. 1, Seabrook, TX (281) 532-2691 caboclearlake.com 8. Hubcap Grill 1918 E NASA Pkwy, Seabrook, TX (281) 339-7116 hubcapgrill.com ASIAN 1. 888 Chinese 16744 El Camino Real, Houston, TX (281) 990-8888 888chinesetx.com

Red Oak Cafe

Tight Ends

Topwater Grill

Gumbo Bar

Marais

Dickinson BBQ

Gio’s

2. Masa Sushi 977 E NASA Pkwy, Webster, TX (281) 486-9888 masasushitexas.com

3. Little Daddy’s Gumbo Bar 1615 FM 646, League City, TX (281) 524-8626 littledaddysgumbobar.com

3. Sawa Mediterranean 16608 El Camino Real, Houston, TX (281) 990-0817 sawarestaurantgrill.com

5. Chelsea Wine Bar 4106 E NASA Pkwy f, El Lago, TX (281) 326-5282 m o s e s chelseawinebartexas.com

3. Michiru Sushi 20911 Gulf Fwy, Webster, TX (281) 338-9988 michirusushi.com

4. Marais 2015 FM 517 Rd E, Dickinson, TX (281) 534-1986

4. Olympia Grill 2535 I-45 S.League City, TX (832) 738-1877 www.olympiagrill.com

6. Tight Ends Sports Bar 2502 Gulf Fwy S, League City, TX (832) 769-4330 tightendssportsbar.net

4. Noon & Mirch: Cuisine of India 505 E NASA Pkwy, Webster, TX 5. Ocean Sushi 3020 Marina Bay Dr Suite A2, League City, TX (281) 957-9122 oceansushigrill.com BARBEQUE 1. Dickinson BBQ 2111 FM 517 Rd E, Dickinson, TX (281) 534-2500 dickinsonbbq.com 2. Pappas Delta Blues 19901 Gulf Fwy, Webster, TX (281) 332-0024 www.pappasdeltablues.com 3. Red River BBQ 1911 E Main St Suite B, League City, TX (281) 332-8086 CAJUN 1. Crazy Alan’s Swamp Shack 310 Texas Ave, Kemah, TX (281) 334-5000 crazyalanswampshack.com 2. Floyd’s Cajun Seafood 20760 Gulf Fwy, Webster, TX (281) 332-7474 floydswebster.com

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

I TA L I A N

MEXICAN 1. Angelo’s Pizza & Pasta 400 Bay Area Blvd A, Webster, TX (281) 332-2404 angelospizza-pasta.com 2. Gio’s Flying Pizza & Pasta 650 FM 517 W. Dickinson, TX (281) 337-0107 giosflyingpizza.com 3. Grazia Italian Kitchen 1001 Pineloch Dr #1100, Houston, TX (281) 486-2083 graziaitalian.com 4. Villa Capri 3713 NASA Rd. 1, Seabrook frenchiesvillacapri.com (281) 326-2373 5. Franca’s Real Italian 1101 E NASA Pkwy, Houston, TX francasrealitalian.com (281) 488-2207 MEDITERRANEAN

1. El Tiempo Cantina 20237 Gulf Fwy, Webster, TX (713) 802-1580 eltiempocantina.com 2. Habanero’s Tacos 1908 Hialeah Dr #2, Seabrook, TX (281) 474-4400 habanerostacos.com 3. Playa Maya Tacos 1415 TX-146, Kemah, TX Phone: (281) 532-6986 playamayakemah.com PUB/BAR/FUSION 1. Nobi Public House 241 E NASA Pkwy, Webster, TX (832) 932-5111 nobipub.com 2. Scotty’s Pub 3202 Marina Bay Dr, League City, TX (281) 339-7474 www.scottyspubhouston.com

1. Bakkhus Taverna 605 6th St, Kemah, TX (281) 538-1800 bakkhustaverna.com

3. Skallywag’s 600 6th St, Kemah, TX (281) 538-8877

2. Mediterraneo Market & Cafe 18033 Upper Bay Rd, Houston, TX (281) 333-3180 mediterraneomarket.com

4. Boondoggles Pub 4106 E NASA Pkwy, El Lago, TX (281) 326-2739 boondogglespub.com

l a k e

7. Preamble Lounge & Craft House 20801 Gulf Fwy #12, Webster, TX (832) 905-2927 preamblelounge.com SEAFOOD 1. Gilhooley’s Oyster Bar 222 9th St, San Leon, TX 77539 (281) 339-3813 2. Tookie’s Seafood 1106 Bayport Blvd, Seabrook, TX (281) 942-9445 tookiesseafood.com 3. Topwater Grill 815 Avenue O, San Leon, TX (281) 339-1232 4. Sundance Grill II 800 Mariners Dr, Kemah, TX (281) 535-5350 sundance-grill.com S O U P/S A L A D/ D E L I 1. Salata 1780 E NASA Pkwy, Houston, TX (281) 532-6988 salata.com STEAK 1. Avenida Brazil 201 Bay Area Blvd, Webster, TX (281) 557-9999

NOVEMBER 2018 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

S A L ATA Local restaurant is becoming national chain By Xander Thomas

t se e m s t hat for t he past few years, eating healthy has been somewhat of a challenge for busy people. Business professionals, college students, single parents and so many more have had the dilemma of how to eat quick and/or cheap but also not consume too many calories or fill their diet with too many fats. “We know what’s going on in the food industry, we know what’s going on with nutrition, we can offer you those healthy options that are not going to be your everyday soup and salad bar,” said Salata franchise owner for the Bay Area, Yasmin David. Salata – which loosely translated means salad -- is what Yasmin refers to as a “fast casual” restaurant; it has most of the perks of a fast food restaurant, quick, cheap and easy, without the negative connotation connected with those words. A person on the go can run in, grab some food and go about a busy day, or have a nice atmosphere to sit and eat a tasty meal alone while working. Or eat with friends and still have a good time without the regret and

brick-in-the-stomach feeling later. “The way people are eating and dining is very, very different from the way they used to dine,” Yasmin said. “People don’t necessarily want fast food because of the stigma and the health concerns revolving around it, but they want something fast.” The growing chain was born right here in Houston, Texas in 2005. Salata co-founder, Berge Simonian owned a downtown tunnel restaurant, and he noticed that his guests were beginning to favor fresher, healthier options more and more with his ancillary offering - a side salad bar. From this, he and his brother-in-law Tony opened the first, of the now

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

national, sensation that is known as Salata. Salata is the only salad concept that is gluten-free certified and completely customizable. Guests choose from an array of lettuces, vegetables, fruits, cheeses, seeds, nuts, chicken, seafood and vegan proteins, and all of Salata’s dressings, soups and sauces are house-made and preservative-free. The restaurant also offers a selection of signature teas and lemonades, which are made in-store as well. “All of our vegetables and fruits are chopped daily here in our restaurant. The protein selection is consistently fresh, lean and sourced from local farms. What sets us apart has always been our house-made dressings that are created daily in our brand new Houston-based headquarters’ commissary and shipped out to each store. Yasmin’s husband, John, discovered Salata while at work, and according to her, he ate there every day and sometimes twice a day before convincing her to try it... but she was less than excited to go out and pay for a salad, which she thought was something that she could easily make at home. She was surprised to learn that she was wrong. “One day, on my day off, I went up and met him for lunch. We had Salata” she said. “I tried it and I was like ‘oh my gosh, this is crazy good!’” she recalled with a fondness in her voice. Before long, the couple were looking

into franchise opportunities. They chose Bay Area, initially opening only one store in 2014, and eventually realized that their territory could take on a few more. They now own four – Clear Lake, Friendswood, League City, and Pasadena - locations in the area, and two in North Houston (Kingwood & Generation Park). Yasmin says that it is the dressings that keep people coming back, adding “We are excited to expand our menu and dressing portfolio with the hiring of a nutritionist and chef.” One of the things Yasmin says she loves about the company is the way it adapts to new audiences. One example of this can be seen at the League City store with the unveiling of the new logo, interior design and the first wine on tap system. “The Pinnacle Park development will soon transform into a destination Town Center for League City and we are excited to participate in creating a lifestyle for this community. We look forward to hosting happy hours for our guests to try the wine on tap. We also have a newly installed “selfie wall” that’s perfect for those ever popular Instagram moments.” Yasmin adds, “Being a part of the community in each of our locations is key to our success. We are grateful to have always been welcomed with open arms and look forward to being

active participants in our growing communities.”

NOVEMBER 2018 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

NOVEMBER 2018 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

Spa c e C en t er R ota ry C lub ’s Sh r i m p or ee @ C l e a r L a k e Pa r k

Rotarians Bob Wren, left, and Ken Gurry, right, welcome Bay Area Houston Magazine CEO Rick Clapp, a former Rotarian, along with Sumer Dene, to the 45th annual Shrimporee in Clear Lake Park’s Landolt Pavilion. Clapp, a former Rotarian, recalled the times he helped produce Shrimporees in the past.

Walt Huff, right, has a little fun with Joe Matthews while working in the Clear Lake Park “shrimp kitchen,” getting a big smile from Ken Gurry, who just keeps on working and preparing shrimp.

Space Center Rotary President Nancy Anderson, center, Rotary District Gov. Carmen Cuneo, Rotarian Art Wood, and Past District Gov. Eric Liu and his wife, Sandra.

Rotary members John Branch, Carl Joiner, Bob Wren and Randy Straach, from left, invite the crowd to sample craft beers to go along with their shrimp and barbecue at the 45th annual Shrimporee in Clear Lake Park.

Shrimporee Chairman Mike Porterfield, right, and his cochairman, Gary Renola.

CCISD’s Dr. Greg Smith, left, talks with realtor Jonathan Cottrell.

Clear Creek Education Chairman Jill Reason, left, and Executive Director Deborah Laine.

B AY A R E A HO U S TON M A G A Z I N E C O V E R PA RT Y @ LON E S TA R F L IG H T MU S E UM

The party was held in the Lone Star Flight Musuem’s impressive hangar.

Karen Mignola and Richard Presley

Sumer Dene

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

Gene Hollier and Emmeline Dodd

Joe Machol

Robyn Weigelt and Amber Sample

Brandon Rowan, Darrell Weigelt and Michael Womack

NOVEMBER 2018 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

There’s A New Game In Town By Xander Thomas

new poker club and lounge, opening soon in the heart of South Shore Harbour, will be catering directly to local lifestyle. A major question surrounding this – is it legal? “We operate within accordance of Texas law,” said Keith Taylor, managing partner of The Room. Keith says that Texas is “one of

the biggest exporter of gamblers in the U.S.,” so it just makes sense to have a place in town where people can go play their card games, instead of constantly traveling across state borders. He also explained that there are three major rules to being able to open a business like this in Texas: it must be a private place, no one can receive a profit outside of personal winnings – in other words, the house cannot take a rake from the game,

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

and the odds of winning and losing must be equal between all players – other than luck and skill, of course. “There is no way to lose to the house,” Keith said. While poker is a large part of what they do, the guys at The Room would like people to know that it is more than just a place for card players. “You could be playing Tiddlywinks, Monopoly, whatever,” he said. The Room is a private club that has more than just tables to offer its members. They have TVs, a conference room and even have a cigar lounge, which can double as a banquet hall for private tastings member events. They were conscious in the design of the area to make sure that the entire place does not fill with smoke. “We engineered the air conditioning with negative pressure in there and positive pressure out here so that air is pushed into that room when you open that door.” Keith said, adding that they will have viewing events for game days, and members can always just come in and hang out, even if they don’t play games or use the tables at all. They will even have a night devoted to bringing women in; every Tuesday night is ladies’ night. They

offer free sangria, wine and beer, and have separate tables for regular players and beginners. “Don’t be scared to come try it,” Keith said. They are encouraging beginners and advanced players alike to check it out and just have a good time, maybe even use it as a date night idea. They offer lessons on Friday nights, as well, so that people of all skill levels can join in the games. The grand opening of The Room is on Saturday, Nov. 10, and they say that there will be free beer, cigars, smoked meats, an event for charity, even a prize drawing. There will be separate tables for beginners, so that new players don’t have to feel intimidated. You can follow them on Facebook or sign up on their website at www.theroomleaguecity.com for more info.

NOVEMBER 2018 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

“Primos Coffee is planted in fertile, rich soil at an elevation over 4,000 feet in the gorgeous, emerald green rainforest of the Nicaraguan mountains.”

Primos’ 1,100 acre farm in Nicaragua.

Primos Coffee: Farm to table fresh By Rick Clapp

ay Area Houston is proud to boast about the many small, unique international businesses that are located in our community. Primos Coffee Company is one of these organizations. Primos is becoming a legend in its own time. It is the perfect example of a responsibly operated, socially conscious company. The roots of this company began in 1929 when Don Felipe Blandon started growing high-quality Arabica coffee beans on his farm in the lush, green mountains of Jinotega, Nicaragua. Over the years, the hard-working Blandon family perfected the process to ensure they produce only the finest specialty coffee in Central America. Don Felipe’s grandson, Gustavo Blandon, grew up on the 1,100

acre farm and now runs the day-to-day operations. Primos Coffee is planted in fertile, rich soil at an elevation over 4,000 feet in the gorgeous, emerald green rainforest of the Nicaraguan mountains. The coffee plants are protected from the direct sunlight by shade trees and from the strong winds by cornflower plants. The colorful coffee cherries are so named for the bright, red color they produce as they slowly ripen over seven months. This enhances the sugars within the fruit and results in the pleasant flavor. The harvest is hand-picked by local Nicaraguan migrant families that have worked on the farm for generations. The picking season coincides with the school year, and so the families come and live on the farm during that time to tend the fields. They are provided lodging, food and shelter for those months. Once harvested, the coffee cherries are wet milled daily with clean spring water. The seeds of the cherries are naturally dried by the sun and fresh Nicaraguan air. Next, the seeds, or “beans” as commonly referred to, are exported to the Port of Houston, which has become one of the largest import coffee centers in the world. The green coffee beans are sent to a rustic but state-of-the-art roasting facility in Cove, Texas, operated by Gustavo’s wife, Betty Ann Blandon, and her brother, Steve Coggins. Thousands of pounds of high-quality coffee are drum roasted in small batches using distinct profiles carefully

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

developed for the medium bodied coffee. This low acidic coffee boasts smooth, as well as sweet, characteristics with citrus notes. After brewing the roasted-to-order coffee, your delicious cup of Primos is ready for you to enjoy and savor. Primos Coffee Company is true to its name. In Spanish, “primos” means cousins and there are many cousins descending from Don Felipe. Now, in Texas, Betty Ann’s children and Steve’s children form a new line of cousins in the coffee business. The word “primos” also signifies the very best, which is exactly what Primos Coffee Company strives for in producing coffee. Equally important to the company is implementing sustainable farming practices. Nothing goes to waste on the working farm; the skin of the coffee fruit is used for compost, the tree trimmings are used for firewood, and the processing water is cleaned and recycled. Primos Coffee Company was and is committed to not only producing the finest quality coffee but also to maintaining the highest social, economic and environmental standards. The Blandon family works diligently to protect their country’s rainforest and natural resources. Primos Coffee is sold on their website primoscoffeeco.com and also on Amazon. Their Amazon sales have exploded, and Primos Coffee became Amazon’s Best Seller and Amazon’s Choice for unroasted green coffee beans as well as Amazon’s Choice for French press coffee. Primos Coffee Company sells over 4,000 pounds of coffee per month, locally and nationally. The whole beans or ground are available in a medium or dark roast and also in single serve, Keurig compatible cups. Orders may be made online at primoscoffeeco.com or through Amazon. Enjoy your morning, noon or evening with an aromatic, flavorful cup of Primos Coffee.

NOVEMBER 2018 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

Photos by Mary Alys Cherry

Bay Oaks Country Club executives, who hosted the club’s 30th Anniversary Celebration, prepare to welcome the arriving crowd. They are, from left, General Manager Stephen Morris, Member Relations Director Cassandra Brown, Head Golf Pro Scott Olsen, Private Events Director Ashley Williams and Golf Course Superintendent Kyle Brown.

Sue Laabs, from left, stops to chat with Mary Colombo and Darla McKitrick while walking around during the Bay Oaks Country Club 30th Anniversary Celebration.

Jodi Schnabel, immediate past president of the Bay Oaks Women’s Association and her husband, Kirby, right, are happy to see Kathy and John Costanza at the country club’s 30th Anniversary Celebration.

Bay Oaks Country Club marks 30th anniversary BAY OAKS Country Club in Clear Lake is turning 30 years old this year, so club executives hosted a black tie gala for members to mark the occasion and joined them in celebrating the milestone. It was quite a party! General Manager Stephen Morris joined Head Golf Pro Scott Olsen, Member Relations Director Cassandra Brown, Private Events Director Ashley Williams and Golf Course Superintendent Kyle Brown in welcoming the crowd, which included Board of Governors Chairman Julia Gallagher and her husband, Abe, and Bay Oaks Women’s Association President Susan McCoy and her husband, Mike.

John and Jeannette Koerschner, who are among the original members of Bay Oaks Country Club, were among those celebrating the anniversary.

MARY ALYS CHERRY

John and Jeannette Koerschner, Mike and Sharon Phelps and George and Glenna Crist were among several there who have been members for 30 years, so you can imagine what fun they had thinking back over all the great events at the club through the years. Early arrivals included Board of Governors members John Whalen,

Teresa Albuerne, from left, visits with Eileen Hult and Chris Howland during the Bay Oaks Country Club 30th Anniversary Celebration.

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

Eileen Hult, right, and Mary Alys Cherry are happy to see the big crowd celebrating Bay Oaks Country Club’s 30th anniversary.

with his wife, Patty; Jim Maultsby, with his wife, Cheryl; Yvonne Perrin, Perry Laabs and his wife, Sue; and Jodi Schnabel and her husband,

Country club board members John Whalen and Yvonne Perrin prepare to drink a toast to Bay Oaks as the crowd celebrates the 30th anniversary.

Kirby; plus Murry and Sandy Lantz, John and Roemehl Dewey, Glenn and Carlene Langford and Craig and Cindy Zook. Still others joining in the celebration were Russ and Mary Colombo, Dane and Darla McKitrick, Luis and Teresa Albuerne, Ron and Bo Lohec, Joseph and Carol Base, Sue and Everett Lyons, Marty and Amy Schweers, Mitzi and Dr. Mike Romanko, Malcolm and Sue Franklin, Danele and Jack Buehler, Joseph and Sue Kazda, Ray and Shiva Landry, Annette Dwyer and Pat Monks and Gene and Eileen Hult, to name a few. Quite a celebration for a place we’ve all enjoyed so much through the years.

Julia Gallagher, left, chairman of the Bay Oaks Country Club Board of Governors, and her husband, Abe, stop for a photo with board member Adrianne McKnight and her husband, Greg, during the 30th Anniversary Celebration.

Chelsea Turnham, left, and Ashley Williams and Cassandra Brown, at right, with Bay Oaks Country Club, join Christy Jullien of House of Hough and Teresa Vencil of Haute Flowers & Finds to send “Greetings from Palm Springs” at the Bay Area Museum Guild’s Just A Pretty Table.

Pretty tables another big success FEW EVENTS remain as popular year after year as the Bay Area Museum Guild’s Just A Pretty Table. Credit Angie Weinman for that. Year after year for over a decade she had lined up some of our community’s most talented ladies. Each picks a theme for their table, gets a crew of helpers, each contributing ideas and – voila! -everyone is amazed. Plus, proceeds

Ann Wismer, standing, with former Clear Lake resident Martha Ferebee, front. Sitting with them are Jackie Thomas and Stacy Mendenhall.

Jana Miller, Marie Sharp, Jill Reason and Stashia Hardman, from left, all dressed in pajamas, have fun setting up their “Warm and Cozy” table at the Just A Pretty Table Luncheon.

Just A Pretty Table volunteers get together for a photo as the crowd begins arriving at Bay Oaks Country Club for the popular event. They are, from left, Sandi Allbritton, Jan Larson, Ava Galt, Chairman Angie Weinman, Jannine Galt and Anita Fogtman.

help support the charming little Bay Area Museum over in Clear Lake Park. Some of the tables are just jaw-dropping beautiful – the kind you’d love in your home – while some are humorous but always memorable. Usually, those sitting at the table carry out the theme in their dress. If you haven’t attended, make next year a must-see. Angie and her team of volunteers -- Sandi Allbritton, Jan Larson, Ava Galt, Jannine Galt and Anita Fogtman – have already started working on the 2019 event. See you there. Table designers line up for a quick meeting as the crowd soon will be arriving for the luncheon at Bay Oaks Country Club in Clear Lake.

Marcy Fryday, Jane Sweeney, Shelley Rogers and Mary Ellen Arledge, from left, prepare to drink a champage toast to Angie Weinman, chairman of the Pretty Tables Luncheon, and Bay Area Museum Guild for sponsoring the event.

These pretty cowgirls sit for a photo at the Bay Area Museum Guild’s Just A Pretty Table Luncheon. They are, from left, Courtney Myers (standing left), Ashton Garrison, Virginia McMullen, Mary McMullen, Tracey Webb and Stacy Bush Lyon.

NOVEMBER 2018 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

Movers &Shakers Name: John Baumgartner

Someone I’d like to meet: Jesus

Occupation: League City’s city manager

My favorite performers are: James Taylor or anything sports

As a youngster, I wanted to grow up to be: Lawyer, but math was better than English, so I went to engineering school

Hometown: Juneau, Alaska

I like to spend my leisure time: Relaxing with family

You’ll never catch me: Cheating at golf

Family: Wife, Dee Dee; Children: Dallas 26, Robert 26, Emily 22, and Daci 14

If I could travel any place, I’d go to: Alaska in the summer and Hawaii in the winter

The thing that bugs me the most is: Dishonesty

What do you like about your job: The great people working together to make League City the very best!

My favorite meal is: Anything my mother cooks, but a great steak and salad with her apple pie is the best

Current home: League City

My favorite movie is: Forrest Gump Few people know: I ran the Boston Marathon when I was skinny

Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre

F Hope Village Casino Party banks nearly $60,000 for Villagers

Lois Lenox and her son, Troy Davis, couldn’t be happier after finding out they had the highest bid during the live auction at the Hope Lounge Casino Party held recently at Hope Village in Friendswood. The Lennox family took home “The Divine Dinner Party” that includes a wine tasting and a delicious Italian meal prepared in their home by the Executive Chef of Grazia Italian Kitchen for 10 people -- all donated by Visiting Angels and Grazia Italian Kitchen. The Casino Party and live auction raised close to $60,000 that will help fund the Tuition Assistance Program. For more information or to make a donation to the Foundation for Hope Village, contact Kat Clemons, director of Community Development at 281-400-2011 or kat@hope-village. com. Hope Village is located at 15403 Hope Village Road off of FM 2351 in Friendswood and serves youth and adult with intellectual disabilities.

o u n d e d i n 1 976 , Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre strives to be a destination for artists and audiences seeking a highly unique and evolutionary performance experience which combines the rich heritage of the classics with the excitement and limitless possibilities of contemporary dance, theatre and performance art. The company produces a season each year in its performing residence, the University of Houston– Clear Lake, which includes an eclectic array of classical ballet, contemporary dance and a musical. BAHBT was founded by Lynette Mason Gregg and unfortunately the Clear Lake community lost this artistic visionary but her vision of the arts is clearly ongoing in our community. Besides full stage productions, the company performs at various local events such as the Panhellenic, Go Texan, Macy’s, and Lunar Rendezvous fashion shows, Bay Area Turning Point, Education Foundation events, Mardi Gras Balls, and many events in the Houston area. Appearances at these and other community events are done on a pro bono basis to demonstrate the company’s support and interest in collaborative projects and interactive experiences that are mutually beneficial for both organizations and particularly the entire Bay Area Houston. Since its beginning, BAHBT has brought many world renown performing artists and choreographers to work and perform with the company. The 2003-2004 season marked the evolution of the company with the addition of professional dancers to the roster. Each year these high caliber performers stretch the growth of the company and provide the professionalism needed to take BAHBT to the next level. The most significant artistic advance came when Nelson Madrigal was appointed BAHBT’s Ballet Master. Madrigal and his beautiful wife, Lorna Feijóo, performed with BAHBT for four seasons as guest artists. In addition to an impressive and highly regarded career with the

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

Boston Ballet, these two relocated from Boston to the Houston areaMr. Madrigal to become BAHBT’s artistic director, and Ms. Feijóo to open The Feijóo Ballet School, which is the training ground for many of our company dancers. BAHBT Associate Artistic Director Natalie Zundel has deep roots with BAHBT. She performed with the company from a young age, became one of their first full-time professional Artists in Residence and came full circle becoming the associate artistic director in June of 2016. Each year, BAHBT creates a season to entice our community and showcase the arts. Our 2018-2019 season “Deep Roots, New Branches” will not disappoint! Parisian Night/Ballet Bites was a complete sell out last week and highlighted the strength of our dancers, as well as our season. The ballet’s annual fund raiser, Breakfast with the Sugar Plum Fairy will be held on November 17th at South Shore Harbour Resort to a sellout crowd. The Nutcracker opens on Nov. 30 with 14 performances. In February, the company will present the classical ballet, La Sylphide. The highlight of the season will be the ballet’s partnership with the Bayou Theater at UHCL and full stage musical Willy Wonka, directed by Alex Malone in April. BAHBT is proud to continue its long-standing commitment to bringing cultural enrichment to Bay Area Houston while providing an incubator for the aspiring artists of tomorrow. Support from many city entities such as The City of Houston, Nassau Bay, League City, Seabrook, and Webster, the Houston Arts Alliance, Lunar Rendezvous Festival, George and Mary Josephine Hammon Foundation, as well as our wonderful community, be it financial donations, attendance at performances or participation in our annual fund raising events, is greatly appreciated. Please visit our web site www.bahbt.org for further information, ticket sales or to make a donation!

[BAY AREA HOUSTON ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP]

Photos by Mary Alys Cherry

BAHEP President Bob Mitchell, from right, welcomes Galveston County Judge Mark Henry, TXU Energy Business Director Jason Schultz and Tiger 21 Chairman Rick Gornto to the State of the Counties Address Sept. 27 at Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook.

Houston City Councilman Dave Martin chats with Norman Frede Chevrolet General Manager Joan McKinney.

Mayors Mike McNamara of Clear Lake Shores, Mike Foreman of Friendswood, Louis Rigby of La Porte, Thom Kolupski of Seabrook and Michel Bechtel of Morgan’s Point, from left. Mayors Pat Hallisey of League City and Carl Joiner also attended.

State of Counties Address draws large BAHEP crowd By Mary Alys Cherry

alveston County Judge Mark Henry and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett probably grow tired of giving speeches, but one attending Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership’s State of the Counties Address Sept. 27 at Lakewood Yacht Club would never know it. Both reeled off things foremost in the public’s mind, and, interlacing their remarks with a sprinkling of humor, provided BAHEP members with a quick look at the projects and problems at hand. Judge Emmett spoke first, expressing his pleasure over the passage of the $2.5 billion Harris County flood bond referendum, noting that having the money on hand is necessary to getting matching federal dollars for Harvey

Harriet Pilgrim, BAHEP membership director, center, welcomes new BAHEP members Duke Dirksmeyer and Bernadette Bujanowski, owners of Duke’s Premium Meats.

improvements, going on to stress that “we need more accurate flood plain maps.” He also discussed indigent healthcare, a cost borne by property

Early arrivals at the BAHEP State of the Counties Address included, from left, businessman John Collins, AM Agency CEO Victoria Edgington, Moody Bank Senior Vice President Mike Huss and Pelican View Drone Services owner Chuck Nelms.

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

owners that will probably be even more costly in the future. “We’ve got to get away from the county jail being the largest healthcare facility in the county,” he said, explaining that we’re turning a lot of bad kids into bad criminals instead of trying to rehabilitate them. “They get out of prison but can’t get a job because they have a prison record,” he said, “and eventually end up back in jail.” Judge Henry reeled off a number of headline-type facts for the crowd, including the news that a Coastal Spine study by the seven-county group is due next month. Other items of interest:  Work on the expansion of State Highway 146 will begin in January 2019.  A total of 20,000 Galveston County homes were damaged during Hurricane Harvey.  The Highway 646 overpass will be destroyed in January 2019.

League City Regional Chamber President Steve Paterson, center, visits with chamber member Tom Linklater, left, and Archer Group Realtor Simon Urbanic at the BAHEP State of the Counties Address Sept. 27 at Lakewood Yacht Club.

 Friendswood is growing with a big new development under way.  Galveston is getting a third cruise line and a record number of tourists this summer.  League City’s population is now approximately 120,000.  La Marque is the county’s fastest growing city, because of a big new development. Area mayors attending included Pat Hallisey of League City, Carl Joiner of Kemah, Mike McNamara of Clear Lake Shores, Mike Foreman of Friendswood, Louis Rigby of La Porte, Thom Kolupski of Seabrook and Michel Bechtel of Morgan’s Point, along with State Rep. Dennis Paul, Councilmen Dave Martin of Houston and Larry Millican of League City and Mayor Pro-tem Amanda Fenwick of Clear Lake Shores.

Harv Hartman, a founding director of the Manned Space Flight Education Foundation, and San Jacinto College Vice Chancellor Teri Crawford.

Lakewood Yacht Club members repeat as J/44 sailing champions

USODA Midwest Champs @ Lake Geneva WI. Pictured left to right are James Pine, 3rd overall 1st White; Nathan Pine, 2nd White, Coach Bernat Galí Bou; William Baker, 2nd overall, 1st Blue; and Ava Anderson, 3rd Red and Top Girl

Pictured left to right are Mike McGagh, Bill Zartler, Karen Lewis and Chris Lewis

Lakewood members Chris & Karen Lewis outsailed the competition on Kenai for the 2nd year in a row to repeat as J/44 North American Champions in late September. The Lewis’ along with crew and fellow LYC members Mike McGagh & Bill Zartler took a hard-fought win over secondplace winner Lenny Sitar on Vamp and third-place finisher Bill Ketchum on Maxine in

the six-race series hosted by American Yacht Club Sept. 22-30. “Kenai sealed the series in the last race crossing the fleet on port with one other boat on her weather hip that eventually had to tack away as we headed to the favored side of the course,” Chris Lewis commented. “We finished 1,1,1,1,2, 4 discarding a 5 to take the series by only four points. Although not a large

fleet the series was hard fought in identical boats with the same forestay lengths and using class owned sails,” added Lewis. With Kenai now having traveled over 30,000 bluewater miles, the Lewis’ are planning a trip to South Florida to participate in the Southern Ocean Racing Conference series beginning in mid-November.

Lakewood congratulates Clear Falls Sailors on win at girls regatta

Asher is pictured seventh from the left.

Seabrook youth Asher Zittrer finishes 14th in world, 1st among U.S. sailors Lakewood youth sailor Asher Zittrer spent the better part of August in Kiel, Germany training and competing in the 2018 Laser Radial Youth World Championships, where he took 14th overall and 1st among his American peers. Nearly 300 boys and 100 girls ages 19 and under were selected by their respective countries to be their country’s representatives in this event. In the U.S. those selections are based on the radial point system of the North American Laser Association. The U.S. was allocated 15 spots at the championship based on the sailor’s point ranking from the year prior. U.S. Sailing further selected four young men as its official delegation to the

event, providing high-level coaching and some cool U.S. Sailing Team gear. Zittrer was amongst that official delegation. Sailors competed for six full days with no more than two races to be sailed each day on the open waters of the Baltic Sea. Conditions varied from mild to a water spout on the water which tossed around a few boats on the last day and wind from nearly all directions over the course of the week. At one point in the event, Asher held 8th overall, but could not hold onto his top-10 spot in the final challenging days of Gold Fleet racing. Out of 11 races finished, he took 14th place overall and was the top American boy.

Four Clear Falls High School sailors won the South East District of the Interscholastic Sailing Association’s first ever New Orleans Yacht Club Girls Regatta. Grace Bates, Kelly Bates, Holland Duffy and Maggie Schuler traveled to the New Orleans Yacht Club on Sept. 8 to compete in the event and came home winners. With five boats per fleet, racers from two downtown New Orleans high schools sailed against the Clear Falls team. “We began racing in 3 knots of shifty wind which increased to 12 knots by the end of four races. The wind conditions were challenging. The foreboding thunderstorms had developed after four hours of racing and sent the sailors to shore to end the one-day regatta,” Grace said. Grace took the lead organizing practices prior to racing with the help of Coach Watt Duffy. The girls stuck diligently to the motto, “Go, Fight, Win.” Clear Falls won A fleet and B fleets with six bullets and two second-place finishes, bringing home the first trophy for the 2018-2019 season.

Lakewood Youth sailors bring home a slew of recent trophies Lakewood Yacht Club is proud to announce that its Seahorse Sailors have made their mark at recent regattas. ‘’September 2018 has proven to be the busiest month I’ve had as a coach since I joined Lakewood almost three years ago,” says Coach Bernat Gali Bou. Lakewood sailors traveled as far as Los Angeles, Milwaukee, and Dallas last month, and then to USODA Regattas in Atlanta and Newport racing in October. “Our Opti Team has been extremely busy since the season started, attending three TSA events and 4 USODA Regattas in the last five weeks,” added Coach Gali Bou. “This is a great way to prepare for the upcoming Spring Team Qualifiers, to be held in New Orleans in late November.” Below are the results our sailors accomplished this past month. TSA Rock the Rock 1st Scott Mather 4th Tanner Ward USODA Pacific Coast Championship 5th Gil Hackel 6th Stephen Momeier 9th Lucas Tenrreiro TSA Jr Ol’ Man of the Sea 1st Tony Slowik 4th Scott Mather 5th William Baker USODA Midwest Championship 2nd William Baker 3rd James Pine 9th Ava Anderson 13th Nathan Pine TSA Pirates of the Corinthian 1st Stephen Momeier 2nd Scott Mather USODA Southeast Championship 1st James Pine 3rd Elliot Lipp 7th Nathan Pine 8th Maddie Janzen 2nd Ian Farley (Green Fleet) USODA New England Championship 9th Lucas Tenrreiro 17th Tony Slowik 22nd William Baker 45th Ava Anderson

NOVEMBER 2018 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

Luxe Love By Don Armstrong

Cadillac CT6

Think American luxury sedans and chances are good that Cadillac comes to mind. More than just another full-size luxury machine, the 2018 CT6 can now be equipped with Cadillac’s Super Cruise semi-autonomous driver control, that can take you down a road not experienced by many. Cadillac’s Super Cruise uses multiple cameras and sensors that work in tandem to help keep the car traveling in the highway lane you put it in, alerting the driver and releasing control when it “sees” something that can get you in trouble. No, it’s not completely autonomous, yet, but it’s easy to see where Cadillac is heading. The body of the CT6 is ultramodern up front with sharp-cornered lighting that bookend’s the large Caddy emblem center grille. The rear fascia is ultra conservative. Somehow, it works. Motivating this beauty is an optional 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 that delivers 404-horsepower to all four wheels. A turbo-4 is standard. The conservatively designed interior is cutting edge with a large, easy-to-use infotainment screen. All of Cadillac’s latest and greatest techno is there too. Materials and workmanship are top notch. Pricing starts $54,095. Our loaded

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

CT6 with Premium trim was a touch over $100,000.

Lexus LS 500h

You are either a lover or hater of the Lexus “spindle” grills. Either way, it certainly makes a statement, and so goes the LS grille. The Lexus LS is the brand’s fullsize model and we think it’s a beauty, particularly the interior. And really, isn’t that what matters most? This Lexus comes with sumptuous, perforated leather seating with reclining and massaging functions in back along with real wood trim and the optional 23-speaker Mark Levinson sound system. The dash is very different with many shapes and forms coming together in a museum quality work of art. There’s even a backlit piece of eye candy for the front passenger to enjoy. If there is a drawback it would be the finger touch control pad for the infotainment screen. We could make-do though. Lexus no longer offers a V-8 engine in the LS. Instead, you’ll get the naturally aspirated V-6 or the hybrid that whispers 354 horsepower through a continuously variable transmission to the rear wheels. Allwheel drive is available. The ride is what you’d expect, like a cloud and worthy of at least 10-hours behind the wheel or as a lucky passenger. Pricing begins at $79,510.

Service to mark 100th anniversary of World War I’s end on Nov. 11 By Joe Machol

orld War I was initially started when Serbian terrorist Gavrilo Princip, who had ties to the secretive military group known as the Black Hand, assassinated Archduke Ferdinand of the Austria-Hungarian Empire on June 28, 1914. But it was a month later before the war officially started on July 28, 1914, with Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria, the Central Powers, against the Allies, which included Britain, France, Russia, Italy and the United States. It did not end until Nov. 11, 1918. But, while it was a century ago, American veterans have not forgotten. The Bay Area Veterans Memorial on Main Street in Seabrook is planning a ceremony to honor the 100th Anniversary of the end of World War I on Sunday, Nov. 11, at 11 a.m. sharp. The community is invited to join in the remembrance of the Great War and the War to end all wars. The United States did not enter the war until April 6, 1917. Most Americans at the time did not want to go to war in Europe, and they wanted the U.S. to stay neutral. Records show that 116,708 U.S. soldiers died during the war. Another 204,000 soldiers were wounded during the war, which led to the new surgical procedure of plastic surgery to fix the bad facial wounds caused by shrapnel from the bombs. The black and white film depicting soldiers climbing out the trenches with the landscape of mud and broken trees has been shown for years. But these films were made during the war and with modern media, they make the soldiers look like they are running abnormally fast. Remember this war was fought in color like all wars. These men saw the horrors and came back with the same trauma as today’s soldiers. All of the WWI veterans are long gone now, as we get set to honor the hundred anniversary of the end of the war on Nov. 11, 2018. The Armistice was signed in the Compiegne Forest West of Paris, France and was effective at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918. With Maj. Gen. John J. Pershing leading the way, the United States entered the war as the eighth largest power in the world; when it ended, America was the world’s Super Power. Many heroes came out of WWI -- the likes of Alvin C. York, a

conscientious objector who earned the Medal of Honor when he led an attack on a hill, taking a German machine gun nest while killing at least 25 enemy soldiers and capturing 132 enemy soldiers. Eddie V. Rickenbacker was an American fighter pilot and ace during the war with 26 enemy kills. He also earned the Medal of Honor, along with many other medals for Valor during aerial combat. The LaFayette Escadrille was a U.S. Air unit formed in 1916 under the French command, made up of volunteers who came to fight for France. The U.S. 369th regiment, also known as the Harlem Hellfighters, was an all African-American unit that also fought closely alongside the French. The regiment was highly decorated, earning two Medals of Honor and many Distinguished Service Crosses. In May 1918, Pvt. Henry Johnson, nicknamed the “Black Death,” and Pvt. Needham Roberts singlehandedly fought off a 24-man German patrol, killing four and wounding as many as 30. Johnson was awarded the French Croix de Guerre, the first American to receive the honor. The United States has sent many of its young men to Europe over the years to help fight for freedom and keep the peace. Most gave some and some gave all. They are buried in American cemeteries all over Europe, Aisne Marne, Meuse-Argonne, Somme American Cemetery, Flanders Field, St. Mihiel, OiseAisne American Cemetery, Brittany American Cemetery, Epinal and Lorraine American Cemetery. The Bay Area Veterans Memorial is planning a ceremony to honor the 100 Anniversary of the end of World War I on Sunday Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. sharp. The community is invited to join in the remembrance of the Great War and the War to end all wars. NOVEMBER 2018 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

Vacations By Michael W. Gos King Ranch, Texas

e learn a lot of valuable lessons from our parents. Work hard. Don’t tell lies. Never punch out a moose. And most of those lessons serve us well in life. But we also learn some, shall we say, “less helpful” lessons. One of those is about vacations.

We were spending a bit of time on the King Ranch. For me it has always been a place with a two-fold draw. First, of course, is the historic angle. It was the largest ranch in America and it still is the most famous one today. Most of us have heard the stories of “Captain” King and how the ranch got its start. He bought the first grant (15,500 acres) at just under two cents an acre and then grew the ranch into the 825,000 acres it is today. Imagine, a single ranch larger

than the entire state of Rhode Island. King Ranch gave us the first American cattle breed, the Santa Gertrudis. King’s cowboys (the kinenos) also worked with the mustang horses they found roaming the Wild Horse Desert and through steady improvement of the breed, the ranch became famous for quarter horses and thoroughbreds. In 1946, they even had a Triple Crown winner,

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

Assault, who is buried there at the ranch. But there is also another, far more important reason I love this place. Out here I can just sit for a while in my boots and cowboy hat and feel like I belong. This place suits me. I wouldn’t mind just staying here for a few days, or months, hanging out in a small cabin and just spending my days ambling around the back forty.

In many parts of the ranch there is no cell phone service. I could drive here (with a cooler of beer, of course), park my Jeep somewhere where I can’t see it, and just do whatever felt right at the moment. For a month of so, I would hope to see no signs of the 21st century urban world at all. That is my idea of the perfect vacation. My wife wants to take a trip to Italy. I am okay with that. I’d love to

see the art and architecture of Rome and Florence. Like everyone else, I’d like to do the gondola ride under the Bridge of Sighs in Venice. But I don’t want to do a two-week Grand Tour. I want to experience life there. Tuscany might be a good home base, but I’d want to live there for at least a year. Clearly, I am not—and never will be a tourist by nature; I am a vacationer…a long vacationer. Unfortunately, that is often not how it turns out for me. More commonly, when it is vacation time, there are flights involved. I don’t particularly enjoy flying even under the best of circumstances. Even worse than the flight itself are the airports. Parking issues, hauling heavy luggage, long hours sitting and waiting, and eating very bad, over-priced food are all less than pleasant. And then, of course, there is the ultimate depravity: security. Every time I enter an airport I think about that morning, sitting nude (well, bottomless anyway) for a half hour on a cold metal chair in a tiny “room” at the Hobby Airport security area, my cell phone confiscated while the screeners were off somewhere doing something with my knee brace. It was beyond unpleasant. None of this matches my idea of a fun way to spend some time off.

But that is just the start. Once you get to your destination, there is travel from the airport to the hotel. Do you go through the hassles of renting a car or do you look for a shuttle? Then there is the hotel check-in process. Don’t even get me started there. Of course, once at your destination, there are all the “sights” you came to see. The travel to them, the long lines and the fact that I am getting grumpier by the minute make this not only unpleasant for me, but for

phone calls and emails don’t stop just because you are “on vacation.” No one cares, or even believes that you are truly “away from work.” For many of us, our daily life is unpleasant enough that we will spend thousands of dollars and endure the inevitable indignities the travel industry forces on us just to be able to spend ten or twelve days beyond the reach of those responsibilities. Our lives have degenerated into 50 weeks of

Our lives have degenerated into 50 weeks of unpleasantness... then we try to do all of our living in the two (or three, or four) weeks we call “vacation.” all around me. (Poor Jill. When you see her, give her your condolences.) And when it is all over, you return home exhausted and needing another week’s rest before you can even face the prospect of going back to work. I do understand that many people have jobs that are not only unpleasant but also demanding in terms of their time and attention. Sometimes we just have to run away. Taking a week or two off and staying home is often not an option. Even if you can walk away from work (and most of us can’t), work will find you. The

unpleasantness, or as Curley said in City Slickers, “getting knots in our rope.” Then we try to do all of our living in the two (or three, or four) weeks we call “vacation”. This vacation business is tough, but before you say it is worth it, think again—you’re not going to get off that easily. Before you can leave on this vacation, you get the inevitable bonus of increased stress due to the need to get extra work done before your exodus. The whole time you are gone, you are entertained by worries about what a mess you will return to

when it is finally over. What I find most amazing is that this problem is ubiquitous. Somewhere along the line, it has become the norm. What I described is not surprising to anyone; we all live it—and do it, willingly. You, and just about everyone you know, are doing it. How did that happen? They say the best way to impose an idea on someone is to start when he is still a child. I suspect that is what happened here. We grew up seeing this vacation scenario as “the thing we do.” Just as brushing our teeth, sleeping at night or taking a bath are normal because they are what we grew up doing, this mode of vacationing is what we were taught was normal. Many of us never considered an alternative. I remember the novelty of the “staycation” when that word was first coined a few years ago. We found it interesting because “we never thought about that.” Yes, some of those lessons our parents taught us turned out to be extremely valuable in life. But some are less helpful. At the top of that second list is the way we vacation. It sort of makes you question other things you were taught growing up. But I still won’t punch out a moose.

NOVEMBER 2018 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

By Sumer Dene

hen I was a model

in New York and LA, being sized up by photographs on social media was a part of the business. I was asked how many followers I had at every casting and told by managers and agents to delete photos that didn’t portray an idealistic lifestyle. I developed chronic anxiety from the pressure to be picture perfect. Finally I realized it wasn’t real, it was part of a game filtered and curated around a false reality. We simplify our highly complex lives into a small screen to be judged by our presence online. When you compare yourself to the highlights of others peoples lives, you live in a world of constant despair. Many young people battle with low self esteem and lack the education and coping mechanisms to manage stress. We are distracted and put filters on the real issues we face, creating an environment to think less, focus

less and question less. The question is, why do we check our phones so often? I took a break from social media and noticed a tremendous difference in the quality of my life. I used time efficiently and became more productive and confident. I spent time in nature, reflected on goals and developed new interests and meaningful relationships. I was happier, more cognizant and energized. Our lifestyle is encompassed through the use of our phones for communication, entertainment, shopping, games and news. When you scroll through pages of endless information, what do you really see? Are you perceiving reality clearly? If we are unable to experience life offline, we risk stunting our growth and development. It has become a habit, a reflex and a way of life. We are so connected to the digital world that it has become a part of us, leading to tangible effects on mental health and wellness. The average person will spend more than five years of their lives on social media, according to a study by influencer marketing agency Mediakix. Phones are affecting our intellectual and emotional depth, sleep cycles, and connections to the world around us. We are sold

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

quickly to the fast-paced content that constantly seeks social validation, it becomes easy to fall down the bottomless hole of entertainment that promises fulfillment. External obligations disrupt significant moments of our lives and drains energy, individuality, intelligence and creativity. It is not acceptable that people aren’t aware of this

“When you compare yourself to the highlights of others peoples lives, you live in a world of constant despair.” beforehand, especially young people who are easily influenced. Next time you scroll through the internet, ask yourself, how is this beneficial to my well-being and quality of life? The truth is, moments that truly matter don’t happen online. Time well spent is timeless and requires your conscious attention. Living in the moment is about enjoying the natural wonders of life through your own eyes. If you’re not looking at your phone, you get a chance to appreciate the simplicity around you. There is no limit to what can be accomplished with the profound capabilities of technology. However, tech companies must be willing to take accountability and pursue active resolutions to innovate how

apps are created and developed. Early Facebook investor and founding president Sean Parker states the influential social network is “exploiting a vulnerability in human psychology” as these apps are designed to be addictive and grab your attention. Tech experts built a “feedback loop” to keep users coming back for more. This behavior is driven by chemicals in our brain. Notifications are red to stimulate excitement and signal a dopamine rush to the brain. Incessant interruptions release adrenaline and cortisol, which alters the brain’s chemistry to make you feel systemically anxious and stressed. You are exposed to content that agrees with what you already believe and advertised products based on data gathered from browsing habits and preferences. Computer algorithms focus on stimuli that fuel immediate reactions. Algorithms search for instant responses and not personal engagement, therefore amplifying negativity. This leads to misinformation and hateful messages to spread across the internet for the sake of higher engagement levels. We end up with intermittent attention spans, trust issues and an inability to overcome depression and anxiety. Consequently, relationships with family and friends are drastically affected. Children and pets suffer the most because they are hypersensitive to their surroundings. These innocent beings thrive on eye contact and authentic connection, they can feel your emotions unbeknownst to you. When they see caregivers too involved in their device it causes them to become stressed and act out in order to grab moments of your undivided attention. We can change the business model of social media to establish a platform for social good. There is power in ‘logging off’ to rethink the relationship you have with your phone. We can’t ‘outsource’ our means of happiness. We have to create it ourselves. Who are we as human beings if we can’t sit still and reflect on our lives and inner thoughts? True character and identity is found within. Furthermore, find purpose in social media to share your vision and spread awareness on topics that interest you. Positive messages can reach a larger audience when a relationship and trust is built within a community. Life is defined by the moments we share, not the moments we post. Reclaim your life and pursuit of happiness.

Adjust your Focus By Lilli Heintz

F Thankfulness By Blaine Ochoa

s we enter into the Holiday season and celebrate Thanksgiving, I want to bring attention to this beautiful time of the year, and to focus on what it truly means to be thankful. To be thankful for what we have been given, and to live in America, a country where we are free and have certain liberties. In today’s society, I feel we get caught up in wanting more - wanting to be more successful, wealthier, prettier, smarter, and stronger. We always want more. There is nothing wrong with wanting more and wanting to be better, but it becomes detrimental when that is all we focus on. We tend to forget the important things in life, and forget how blessed we are. I have seen firsthand people who have nothing, and yet they still have joy in their hearts and are thankful for the simplest of things. A few years ago I had the opportunity to travel to the beautiful country of South Africa. Going on a mission trip to Africa was always a dream of mine and something I was passionate about doing. I went through an organization called Global Expeditions, and it was my junior year of college at Texas State University during my Christmas and New Years Break. I flew out of Houston and met my team in Washington D.C. and we flew to Johannesburg, South Africa. I was there for two weeks. We went into the impoverished squatter camp communities of Kya Sands and Diepsloot. While there, my team and I were able to share our Christian faith, pray with the people, bring water, and help with daily tasks needing to be done. We saw how another part of the world lived. Dirt roads and dirt floors with tiny houses made of cardboard, mud, and wood. It was humbling and

heartbreaking. I saw people who had nothing, but were grateful. They were thankful for a hug, a helping hand, water, and shelter. I remember the tears, the smells, the sounds, and the hearts of people I met. We were able to love on the children and adults, sing songs and dance. We volunteered with Impact Africa and helped with their Impact Kids program. It is a non profit organization that provides quality Christian education to underprivileged and at risk children who are in preschool. The organization also has an Impact Baby Rescue program. This program rescues babies that are abandoned when moms are unable to care for their child. On my flight home I remember thinking about all I had experienced and seen. My eyes were open to a whole new meaning of life and a new perspective of being thankful for what I had - to live life with joy, abandonment of fear, and to thank God for all that he has given me. After getting back to the States I decided to sponsor a little girl’s education through Impact Africa. She lived in Kya Sands, one of the villages I visited, and her name is Ayanda. Being able to sponsor her while back in the States was very meaningful to me. I recently started sponsoring a little girl named Amanda from Guatemala through the organization, Food For The Hungry. I am passionate about child sponsorship because I have seen the places and the children who are positively effected by child sponsorship organizations in the world. My friend and role model, Joanne King Herring says, “help people help themselves”, to teach, uplift and encourage others to be the best they can be. Nelson Mandela once said, “education is the most important weapon in which to change the world”, aside from love. I went to South Africa in hopes of changing lives and helping others; however, it was my life and my heart that was changed. This Thanksgiving I want to encourage everyone to be thankful for what you have. Be thankful that you have a roof over your head, food, clean water, and healthcare. Be thankful for your home, your education, and your job. Be thankful for your family, friends, and loved ones. Be thankful for this one precious life that you have and never forget how very blessed you are. If you would like to contact me please email blainejanell@gmail.com or go to my website www. beautywithblaine.com Also, if you would like to sponsor a child’s education or provide food for a child in need, please contact me and I can recommend incredible organizations through which to do so.

ocus is a strange thing. We try to focus on an image, a person, a thought, a perspective. Do we focus on just the big things that take up a lot of time and energy or do we focus on the small things that don’t take a lot of effort or energy? Recently there has been many big things that I’ve been trying to focus on that have taken a lot of energy out of me. One of those big things is modeling. If you don’t know me and my story, I have been modeling for five years now and have recently moved to New York to live out my biggest dream and to share the light and love of God. The modeling industry is really hard in New York. There can be twenty to five hundred girls at a casting and you just have to hope that you have the look that the client is wanting. I have to adjust what I eat, workout more then I want to, and I just have to stay healthy physically and mentally. Which is harder said than done. That’s when focus comes to play. I have to constantly remind myself that this is my dream and I have worked too hard to get where I am. Yes, there is always going to be a model that’s prettier, taller, skinnier, and has a better walk, but I need to focus on the qualities that I have to offer. Even though there is a ton of competition and people trying to tear you down in this world, there is always something better to focus on. That’s when I start to focus on the little things. Little thoughts and opinions are always crowding my mind. If you can change your perspective, those thoughts actually aren’t that bad. I focus on my small qualities that I enjoy like my freckles, my eyes, and my forever changing personality. Realizing your worth and finding who you are as a person should be what we focus on instead of what other people think of us. What is something small that you have put a ton of your focus on instead of focusing on the big things? We are in a constant battle of focusing on the small things that really won’t matter to us in a year. Adjust your focus to the bigger things that make a difference and will help to build you to the person you should be. Focus on the people who are in your life to build you up and support you, not the people who are trying to tear you down and make you miserable. Focus on your health, your family, your job but also adjust your focus to the things you love and that make you happy. Watch a sunset, go see a movie, go out on a date. When we adjust our focus, perspective, and values to how they will make us a better person, then we can grow and be happy. Be better people. Adjust your focus, you never know where it will take you.

NOVEMBER 2018 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

Watching the game with Zaira Contreras

Hangin’ with Tom and Matthew Witte.

Hangin’ with Allegiance Bank’s Frank Law and Steve Retzloff at Frank’s retirement party.

Top notch bartenders at Jackie’s Brickhouse: Macy, Ariel and Zamra. Sumer Dene with some proud Texans fans, sporting pink for breast cancer awareness month in October. The tailgating was great before the Texans/ Cowboys game.

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

NOVEMBER 2018 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

[Healthcare]

Houston Methodist Clear Lake Pledges $500,000 to expand Leader in Me program

Memorial Hermann Baylor, Scott & White announce merger Two giant Texas healthcare organizations -Memorial Hermann Health System and Baylor Scott & White Health -- have announced the signing of a letter of intent to merge. Together, the two systems include 68 hospital campuses, more than 1,100 care delivery sites, nearly 14,000 employees and physicians. The systems said they decided on the merger “to further strengthen communities, advance the health of Texans and transform the delivery of healthcare.” “Together, we believe we will be able to accelerate our commitments to make care more consumer centric; grow our capabilities to manage the health of populations; and bend the unsustainable healthcare cost curve in the state,” Memorial Herman President and CEO Chuck Stokes said. Both Baylor Scott & White Health and Memorial Hermann will continue to operate under their strong, highly regarded brands in their respective service areas. Reportedly, a unified board will be formed comprised of an equal number of appointees from both organizations. Ross McKnight, current chairman of the Baylor Scott & White Holdings Board, will serve as the first chairman of the proposed combined system’s board. Memorial Hermann Health System Board of Directors will appoint a vice chairman who will become chairman when McKnight’s twoyear term ends. Baylor CEO Jim Hinton will be the CEO of the combined system and will be joined in the Office of the CEO by Chuck Stokes and Baylor President Pete McCanna. The newly proposed system will rebrand and the new name will take effect before the deal closes. Now that letter has been approved, the systems are immersed in exclusive negotiations as well as the standard regulatory reviews. A definitive agreement is slated for completion in 2019.

Joining in to celebrate the CCISD Leader In Me Houston Methodist announcement at the Clear Creek Education Foundation Kick Off Breakfast were Armand Bayou Elementary students, from left to right, 5th grader Miller Skowron, 4th grader Sophia Tamayo, 5th grader Carmen Evans, and 1st grader Violet Van Haaren; along with Port Commissioner John Kennedy, who serves on the Houston Methodist Board of Directors; CCISD Superintendent Dr. Greg Smith and attorney Levi Benton with Mahomes Bolden PC and on the hospital Board of Directors and CCEF Board of Directors.

ouston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital has committed half a million dollars to the Clear Creek Education Foundation in support of the Clear Creek School District’s planned expansion of The Leader In Me program in 14 schools over the next five years. The announcement was made at the Clear Creek Education Foundation’s Community Kickoff Breakfast held at the CCISD Challenger Columbia Stadium Fieldhouse. Clear Creek ISD is in its third year of progressively implementing The Leader In Me program at its schools. The Leader In Me program is a whole school transformation process that teaches 21st century leadership and life skills to students and creates a culture of student empowerment based on the idea that every child can be a leader.

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

This mindset leads to tangible improvements in the academic, behavioral and social wellbeing of participating students. With funding made possible by the Clear Creek Education Foundation, Falcon Pass Elementary and Armand Bayou Elementary schools were the first two CCISD campuses to introduce The Leader In Me program into their school culture. Both campuses have seen the trajectory of their school’s academic performance rise along with student achievement and positive behaviors. Over the next five years, the Houston Methodist Clear Lake contribution will have the power to substantially increase the footprint of The Leader In Me in CCISD and positively impact an additional 13,000 students in grades pre-k through 12 throughout the District. “The impact of Houston

Methodist’s generous commitment will be both measurable and immeasurable for years to come,” said Superintendent Dr. Greg Smith. “Our students will be even better equipped to achieve their full potential, build the skill-set necessary for success in the 21st century and access more opportunities for a better life.” The announcement comes on the heels of a similar commitment of $60,000 over three years by Space Center Rotary Club to begin the program at Space Center Intermediate. Based on Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, The Leader in Me allows administrators, faculty, staff and students the opportunity to practice and celebrate the 7 Habits daily, learning how to be proactive, set goals and collaborate with others. The Leader In Me is aligned with many national and state academic standards and the process teaches students the skills needed for academic success in any setting. These skills include critical thinking, goal setting, listening and speaking, self-directed learning, presentation making and the ability to work in groups. “The Leader In Me cultivates the qualities and attitudes employers look for in today’s highly competitive environment,” said Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital CEO Dan Newman. “Self-management, independent thinking, problem-solving and other important skills like these empower our students with the tools they need to achieve success. I applaud CCISD’s innovation and its commitment to adopt The Leader In Me. Houston Methodist Clear Lake is proud to play a role in providing this unique opportunity to potential future leaders.” The District plans to continue to expand the program into even more schools until every CCISD campus and student has the opportunity to experience The Leader In Me and unleash their full potential. Business, government and community organizations interested in becoming a Leader In Me underwriter and partner may contact Deborah Laine, executive director of the Clear Creek Education Foundation (a 501c3 organization) at 281.284.0031 or at dlaine@ccisd.net.

Upcoming weight loss seminars Patients Medical Center announced the opening of the Weight Loss Center now offering advanced and comprehensive medical care and services for severely obese patients, including surgical and non-surgical options, minimally invasive procedures, highly specialized physicians, and the latest technology. “We’re thrilled to open the Weight Loss Center and attend the need of the community with this state-of-the-art program,” said Dr. Rizwan Chaudhry, a laparoscopic, bariatic, and general surgeon at the facility. Two upcoming weight loss seminars will be held at the Weight Loss Center: Wednesday, Nov. 7 - 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5 - 12:15 p.m. For more information:

CHIStLukesPMC.org/WeightLoss PMCbariatrics@stlukeshealth.org 713.948.7050 4600 E. Sam Houston Pkwy S. Pasadena, TX 77505

Local residents, physicians and staff help celebrate the grand opening and League City Chamber ribbon cutting at Houston Methodist Physician Clinics located in Tuscan Lakes.

Houston Methodist opens League City clinic

Dr. Rizwan Chaudhry Board-certified by the American Board of Surgery, Dr. Chaudhry trained at some of the most prestigious institutions in the nation prior to starting his practice in Houston. He completed his General Surgery residency at the worldfamous Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He then went on to complete a fellowship in Advanced Laparoscopic and Bariatric Surgery at the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio.

A large turnout of local residents, physicians and staff helped celebrate the recent opening of Houston Methodist Physician Clinics – a new primary and specialty care facility in League City. “In spite of the rain, we were glad to see so many members of the community come out to celebrate this event,” said Dan Newman, Houston Methodist St. John Hospital CEO. “We’re excited to be bringing leading medicine to their neighborhoods.” Houston Methodist Physician Clinics – located at 2220 E. League City Pkwy. – brings orthopedics, sports medicine, physical and occupational therapy, X-ray services and primary care to families living in Tuscan Lakes and surrounding areas. The new clinic also includes a sports performance turf

lane for throwing, running and agility rehabilitation and training, as well as a vertical jump training machine. The multi-disciplinary team of primary care and specialty care physicians at the new facility include Dr. Anika Bell-Gray, a family medicine specialist with Houston Methodist Primary Care Group, as well as Dr. Javier Rios and Dr. Gillian Wooldridge, primary care sports medicine specialists; Dr. Jamie Alexander, an orthopedic hand surgeon; and Dr. Juan Serrato, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist, all with Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine. Outpatient physical therapy is also located at the Physician Clinics. Visit houstonmethodist.org/ appointments or call 281.523.3110 to learn more or to schedule an appointment.

NOVEMBER 2018 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

THE CHALLENGERS You know those running for re-election to Congress. Now meet some of the challengers: Candidate: Sri Preston Kulkarni of Houston, Democrat Seat: District 22 congressional seat held by Republican Pete Olson of Sugar Land Occupation: Diplomat in U.S. Foreign Service for 14 years, serving in Russia, Jamaica, Iraq, Israel and Taiwan; most recently served as a foreign policy and defense advisor on Capitol Hill, assisting Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand with her work on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Education: B.A. from University of Texas in Austin with honors, Masters in Public Administration from Harvard University. Background: Grew up in Houston. His Indian American family immigrated in 1969 to Louisiana, where he was born in 1978, and moved soon thereafter to Houston, where he grew up. Key quote: “I have spent my career trying to reduce conflict in other countries, but right now hostility and conflict are being inflamed in our own country, through the politics of anger and demagoguery, demonization of specific ethnic and religious groups, threats to rule of law, degradation of women, and an undermining of democratic institutions like a free press. The greatest danger to our country right

now is not a foreign power, but the internal divisions in our society. That is why I am coming home to Texas to serve. “With your support, I promise to be a strong voice in Congress for returning to real Texas values, such as truth, fairness, generosity towards others, and respect for the dignity of the individual. With your help, we can make America decent again.”

three rescue dogs and one rescue cat. Key quote: “Healthy people with education and training have an easier time finding work,” observes Steele, “and working people are the backbone of our district. If we can make healthcare and education available to all, economic prosperity is a natural result.”

Candidate: Dayna Steele of El Lago, Democrat Seat: District 36 congressional seat held by Republican Dr. Brian Babin Occupation: Best-selling author, motivational speaker and broadcast personality Background: Dayna Frances Nicholson was born and raised in Houston, and after graduating from Dulles High majored in Pre-Med at Texas A&M University in College Station, before beginning a career as a major market radio disc jockey and becoming known as the “First Lady of Rock ‘n Roll.” In 2010 she was inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. Family: She has lived in Seabrook for over 27 years. She has been married to NASA research pilot and author Charles Justiz, Ph.D., for over 25 years, and the pair have three sons. The eldest, Cris, is married and now resides in Colorado with his wife, Elizabeth. Middle son Dack is a college student, currently participating in an internship program in New York, while his younger brother, Nick, is a high school senior. The family includes

Candidate: Adrienne Bell of Pearland, Democrat Seat: District 14 congressional seat held by Republican Randy Weber Occupation: Second grade teacher with

Houston ISD Education: Bachelors in Business Management - Our Lady of the Lake University; Master’s in Education Houston Baptist University; Doctoral student in Higher Education - Texas Southern University Background: Adrienne Bell is a Houstonian who grew up in the South Park community. Her father, who had a 6th grade education, was a car attendant for the Houston Police Department. Her mother, who had a 10th grade education, worked as a waitress and a maid. Adrienne grew up believing in the American dream, and has worked hard to fulfill its promise in her life. She wants to be a voice for the people ignored in our current political climate. Family: She has two children and six grandchildren. Key beliefs: She believes healthcare is a human right, and vows to fight against the loss of protections for pre-existing conditions or coverage for mental illness by pursuing

Medicare for all. She has plans for new investments through federal grants to revitalize the port cities, rebuild infrastructure, and create green jobs across the district. She will push legislation to secure equity in education, because she believes an education should not be based on a student’s zip code. She believes in a woman’s right to choose, and will fight for criminal justice reform. Candidate: Alex Karjeker of Houston, Democrat Seat: District 129 legislative seat held by Republican Dennis Paul Background: A native Houstonian, Karjeker grew up in the same district he is running to represent. Occupation: Karjeker’s career experience includes several years working in Silicon Valley, most recently as a research analyst with Uber, where he worked with both political parties to pass statewide regulations for ridesharing, which the Texas Legislature passed in 2017. Education: He studied mathematics and economics at the University of Texas and earned master’s degrees in public policy and economics from Georgetown University in 2012. Key quote: “If our smartphones can get better every two years, our government should be able to as well,” Karjeker says. “We need a better system to start making progress on important issues like flooding, public education and transportation.”

CIS-Bay Area honors two ‘Everyday Heroes’ at kickoff By Diane Gillebaard

ore than 200 supporters

CIS-Bay Area Board President Bob Davee greets attendees Janine Visentin, left, and Frances Jurisich.

Honoree Rick Gornto tells his story of growing up at risk.

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

attended the recent annual campaign kickoff honoring “Everyday Heroes” Rick Gornto and the late Blanche Stasny at Lakewood Yacht Club. CIS-Bay Area Executive Director Peter Wuenschel introduced Jerry Smith and Scott Gornto, who traced the honorees’ long-time commitment to the dropout prevention program that serves Clear Creek and Dickinson ISDs. The late Blanche Stasny was a founding board of directors member who worked for CIS-Bay Area, as well as the Clear Lake Symphony, for more than 30 years. She opened the first Sylvan Learning Center in Clear Lake, also. As a further tribute to Stasny, the Clear Lake Symphony trio entertained attendees at the CIS event.

She continues to support the area›s at-risk students through a yearly commitment from her estate. Rick Gornto came to the CIS-Bay Area board of directors with a visionary idea of the Keep Kids in School Golf Tournament. Since 2008, the golf tournament has raised more than $1.2 million in funding. His passion for golf, along with his leadership, have impacted the lives of thousands of children in CCISD and DISD. Looking around the crowd of supporters, you might have spotted Laura Rodriquez, Jayme Sanchez, Richard Simmons, Aaron Glenn, Jamieson Mackay, Barry Beck, Jeanne deVezin, Lyza Postell, Becky Reitz, Martha Bowles, Scott Rainey, Sara and Glenn Freedman, Ann and Michael Landolt, Emmeline Dowd, Anita Fogtman, Darryl Smith, Robert Cobb, Jamie Harbuck, Janine Visentin, Bob Davee, Joel Trevino, and Frances Jurisich.

UHCL president investiture formalizes her appointment

niversity of HoustonClear Lake President Ira K. Blake celebrated her formal investiture Sept. 20 as the university’s fifth president. As the first woman and African-American president at the university, she said she is living proof of the American Dream. “I am the daughter of cotton sharecroppers with elementary school educations, who believed that, despite their own lived hardships, this nation could provide opportunity for better outcomes for their children,” she told students, faculty, staff, UH System regents and other honored guests – including her mother and eponym, Ira Kincade. She said her parents valued “the promise of education, and encouraged all of us children to go as far as our potential and interests would take us – believing simply that education is the key to a better future.” For the trust and encouragement

University of Houston System Chancellor Renu Khator presents the presidential medallion to University of Houston-Clear Lake President Ira K. Blake during the university’s investiture ceremony – an event that marks the official moment when the torch is symbolically passed to a new leader. UH-Clear Lake faculty, staff and students joined other UH System administrators, regents and city leaders on stage. The medallion was worn by UH-Clear Lake’s first chancellor, Alfred R. Neumann, 44 years ago.

from all those who invested in her, she is impelled to do the same for others, she said. She shared advice she often heard from her late husband, Vaughn Richard Downey Blake, Sr., “who reminded me that I had a responsibility to help change the lives of regular, everyday people in order to make the world a better place for everyone. In essence, I also had a responsibility – to – the American Dream.”

A university investiture traditionally takes place within the first year of a new president’s appointment. It formally marks the transference of authority and symbols of the office to the new president. The investiture capped a week of UHCL events surrounding the ceremony. The cities of Houston and Pearland declared Sept. 20 “Ira K. Blake Day,” commemorated in mayoral proclamations. U.S. Rep.

Pete Olson and State Reps. Greg Bonnen and Dennis Paul sent their congratulatory greetings. Olson’s greeting included a congressional resolution. Kemah Mayor Carl Joiner was among the guests. Pearland Mayor Tom Reid spoke in behalf of invited government representatives, and cited his city’s partnership with the university in opening UHCL Pearland Campus and its past president. But, as Reid said referencing President Blake after the past president’s retirement, “we were so, so fortunate to gain a rock star. She is something very special.” “I knew she would fly high and fast as your new president,” said Bloomsburg University President Emeritus David L. Soltz. “She has studied and learned so much about the university and community, and the many challenges and opportunities that face UH-Clear Lake and all of public higher education.” UH System Chancellor Renu Khator congratulated President Blake on the accomplishments of her first year, “made possible because of her leadership, but most definitely because of your support. Yours. Yes. Faculty, students, staff, alumni and community partners. It takes a village.”

NOVEMBER 2018 | Bay Area Houston Magazine

Clear Lake

Style show Nov. 2. Clear Lake Area Panhellenic will hold its “Around the World in 80 Days” Fashion Show Luncheon at 10:30 a.m., Friday, Nov. 2, in South Shore Harbour Resort’s Crystal Ballroom. Tickets range in price from $75-$125. For reservations, call Sheryl Williams at 281-851-4007 or email her at sherylwilliamstx@ gmail.com CCEF Gala Nov. 3. The Clear Creek Education Foundation will host its annual gala, at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, in the South Shore Harbour Resort’s Crystal Ballroom, honoring 10 individuals. For ticket information, visit www. clearcreekeducationfoundation.org BOWA Gala Nov. 3. The Bay Oaks Country Club Women’s Association will host its annual gala, Saturday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. at the country club with Chinese dancers entertaining and music for dancing by the Main Street Band. At UHCL’s Bayou Theatre. Multiethnic Latin pop songstress, Gina Chavez will be featured Nov. 10 at UHCL’s Bayou Theatre while rising country singer John King will take the stage Nov. 16. For tickets and more information, visit www.uhcl. edu/BayouTheater BAWNC meets Nov. 15. Bay Area Welcome Neighbors Club will meet at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 15 at Bay Oaks Country Club for a luncheon and program by accomplished actress/monologist and speaker Mary Margaret Mann. For luncheon reservations, contact Nancy Guthrie at membership.bawnc@gmail.com or call 281.333.3055. Ballet breakfast Nov. 17. Breakfast With the Sugar Plum Fairy, hosted by Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre, will be held from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. in the South Shore Harbour Hotel’s Crystal Ballroom. Plus, a Slumber

Party with Clara the evening before. For tickets, visit BAHBT.org Nutcracker opens Nov. 30. The classic ballet, The Nutcracker, presented by Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre will begin a three-day run Friday, Nov. 30 with 7:30 p.m. performances Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. matinees Saturday and Sunday. A second three-day run is scheduled the following weekend, Dec. 8-10. For tickets, call 281-480-1613. Toyland Fantasy Dec. 1. Bay Area Museum Guild will host the annual Toyland Fantasy breakfast for the wee set at Bay Oaks Country Club. For tickets, which are $35, contact Anita Fogtman at 281-794-2764.

Dickinson

Affair,” at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3 in South Shore Harbour Resort’s Crystal Ballroom when it honors 10 outstanding individuals. The community is invited to attend the gala, and tickets, which are $125, are available at www. clearcreekeducationfoundation.org

Bay Road, on Friday, Nov. 30 and continues until Dec. 16 with curtains at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. matinees on Sundays. Tickets are $15 for adults and $13 for seniors and students. For reservations, call 281-335-5228.

Garden Club meets Nov. 14. The League City Garden Club will meet Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 10:30 a.m. at the League City Civic Center.

Reception Nov. 13. The Pasadena Chamber will host an Elected Officials Reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 4000 Pasadena Freeway.

Ballet breakfast Nov. 17. Breakfast With the Sugar Plum Fairy, hosted by Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre, will be held from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. in the South Shore Harbour Hotel’s Crystal Ballroom. Plus, a Slumber Party With Clara the evening before. For tickets, visit BAHBT.org

Comedy at the Playhouse. The Dixie Swim Club, a hilarious and touching comedy, will be playing at the Bay Area Harbour Playhouse, 3803 Highway 3, through Nov. 9-18 with curtains at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 2:30 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 19. Tickets are $17 for adults, $12 for students and seniors and $6 for children 12 and under. For tickets, call 381-337-7469.

Chamber lunch Nov. 24. Arturo Manchuco, general manager of Ellington Airport will be the keynote speaker at the League City Regional Chamber Luncheon, at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 24, at the Civic Center, 400 W. Walker St. Reservations, which are $25 for members, may be made by calling the chamber, 291-338-7339.

Friendswood

Nassau Bay

Chamber luncheon Nov. 1. The Friendswood Chamber will hold its monthly luncheon Thursday, Nov. 1 at 11:30 a.m. at the Green Event Center, 2000 W. Parkwood. For reservations, which are $25 for members and $30 for non-members, call 281-482-3329 or email info@ friendswoodchamber.com

La Porte

Holiday Market Nov. 29. Bay Area Turning Point will hold its annual Holiday Market Thursday, Nov. 29 from 10:30 to 2 p.m. at Sylvan Beach Pavilion.

League City

CCEF Gala Nov. 4. The Clear Creek Education Foundation will host its 18th annual gala – “A White Haute

Bay Area Houston Magazine | NOVEMBER 2018

Pops concert Nov. 30-Dec. 1. The Clear Lake Symphony’s annual Christmas Pops Concert is Friday, Nov. 30, and Saturday, Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. in the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church Auditorium, 18220 Upper Bay Road, when the musicians present a fun evening of seasonal favorites and featuring the Gloria Dei Festival Choir. The orchestra will be led by Robert Wall, in his 25th year as associate conductor of the symphony. Tickets may be purchased (cash or checks only) in Clear Lake at Eye Trends, 515 Bay Area Blvd., Suite 300 -- $13 adult, $10 senior (55 and up) and $8 student – or at the concert. Holiday drama Nov. 30. Miracle on 34th Street opens at the Clear Creek Community Theatre, 18091 Upper

Pasadena

Pearland

Chamber luncheon Nov. 8. Matt Buchanan of the Pearland Economic Development Corp. will give an update at the monthly Pearland Chamber luncheon Thursday, Nov. 8 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn, 12101 Shadow Creek Parkway. For reservations, call 281485-3634.

Seabrook

Feliz Navidad Nov. 16. Lakewood Yacht Club Ladies Association will host their annual Feliz Navidad holiday market, which is free and open to the public, Friday, Nov.16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the club ballroom. Mexican lunch served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for $18.

Texas City

Now playing at COM. The ridiculous chaotic farce Noises Off is now playing at the College of the Mainland’s Theatre through Nov. with performances at 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and at 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Tickets, which range in price from $11 to $23 – with discounts for seniors and students -- may be reserved by calling 1-888258-8859, ext. 8345.

Webster

Singles group meets Mondays. New Directions is a singles group for those over 50. Meetings are the first and third Monday’s at the Webster Presbyterian Church, 201 W. NASA Parkway, at 6 p.m.