Houston Style Magazine Vol 26 No 28 by Houston Style Magazine (HSM)

Houston Style Magazine July 9 - July 15, 2015

Houston’s Premiere Weekly Publication

Volume 26 | Number 28

Complimentary

Jesse Jackson

Obama’s Winning Record as President Becoming Clearer

Miko Branch

J.J. Watt

Houston Texan Voted #1 on NFL Network’s Top 100

Naturally Transforming An Industry, A People and A Culture Story by Jo-Carolyn Goode | Photo courtesy of Miko Branch

Twitter @HoustonStyle

Instagram @StyleMagazine

St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church 65th Anniversary

Jared Fogle

Facebook: Houston Style Magazine

Subway Cuts Ties with Superstar Pitchman

Teens 4 Pink Ambassador Luncheon

Latinos Continue to Climb Ranks

N E W S | C O M M E N TA R I E S | S P O R T S | H E A LT H | E N T E R TA I N M E N T

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July 9 - July 15, 2015

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08 Miko Branch 10 15 Jared Fogle J.J. Watt

Volume 26 | Number 28 | JULY 9 - JULY 15, 2015 EDITORIAL

FEATURE WRITERS Rebecca Briscoe Francis Page, Jr. National Entertainment Publisher and Editor Susie Stillwell - Entertainment fpagejr@stylemagazine.com Lan– Arts Mical Roy – Feature Jo-Carolyn Goode Yolanda Pope – Culinary Managing Editor Dr. Lovell Jones – Health Editor editorial@stylemagazine.com Kim Davis – Sports Lisa Valadez Erick Cork - Feature Hispanic Managing Editor Aiaina Mayes – Blogger lisa@stylemagazine.com Demez White – Feature Dawn Paul – Feature Brandon Caldwell Lindsay Buchanan – Fashion Online Editor bcaldwell@stylemagazine.com Burt Levine – Political Jade Gold – Entertainment Eric Ford – Editorial Intern DESIGN/WEB De’Neisha Bell – Feature Gabrielle Deculus – Trevor G. Piper Writer/Events Coordinator Creative Director/Graphics trevor@tpipermedia.com Keandra Scott – Entertainment Cecilia Smith - Entertainment Kermit Williams Erynn Haskins - Feature Web Master webmaster@stylemagazine.com Yvonne Guidry - Entertainment Raegan Allen - Arts Jeffery T. Crump, Jr. Abimbola Farinde - Health Chief Designer Sloan Hood - Sports webmaster@stylemagazine.com Jessica Crawford - Feature Marcus Carter - Culinary Willie Grace Web/Graphics Franceli Chapman - Entertainment CoCo Dominguez - Entertainment Dr. Kimberly McLeod - Education NATIONAL WRITERS Erica Ponder - Feature Sonia Zuniga - Feature Writer JESSE JACKSON jjackson@rainbowpush.org CIRCULATION VIDEOGRAPHY ROLAND MARTIN Martin Troupe www.rolandmartin.com Distribution Manager Reginald Dominique – 832.884.6716 Video/Social Media JUDGE GREG MATHIS reggiedominique@me.com Willie D. Scott, Jr. www.askjudgemathis.com 225.802.1593 Distribution Team 832.343.2992 PHOTOGRAPHERS Jay Weber Dale Lemar - Editing Distribution Team Vicky Pink 312.330.3866 vhpink@gmail.com Burt Levine 281.857.7635 ADVERTISING/SALES Distribution Team 832.496.0003 Roswitha Vogler Lisa Valadez advertising@stylemagazine.com photosbyrovo@gmail.com Vernon Nelson 713-748-6300 832.876.9541 Distribution Team 832.665.0979 William Ealy Williamealy1906@gmail.com Sametra Scott semetra@artistikrebelcreative.com Mike Munoz artrepreneur91@gmail.com

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dba Houston Style Magazine and StyleMagazine.com Phone: (713) 748-6300 • Fax: (713) 748-6320 Mail: P.O. Box 14035, Houston, TX 77221-4035

©2015 Houston Style Magazine, a Minority Print Media, L.L.C. Company. All Right Reserved. Reproduction in whole or within part without permission is prohibited. Houston Style Magazine has a 2007 audit by Circulation Verification Council (CVC). Houston Style Magazine is a member of the Texas Publishers Association (TPA), Texas Community Newspaper Association (TCNA), National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), Independent Free Paper of America (IFPA), Association of Free Community Papers (AFCP) and Members of Greater Houston Partnership(GHP). National Association of Hispanic Publications, Inc. (NAHP, Inc.), Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (HHCC), League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Latin Women’s Initiative (LWI), National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), Houston Association of Hispanic Media Professionals (HAHMP), National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), and Members of Greater Houston Partnership(GHP)

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COMMENTARY

Jesse Jackson

National Writer

he presidency is a bit like a baseball season. Players go through streaks and slumps, good days and bad days. Teams rack up wins and losses. It is only over the course of the long season that champions emerge, their record of accomplishment finally becoming clear. As President Obama’s second term heads into its final stretch, his accomplishments are becoming clear, rising above the daily skirmishes, wins and losses. As the first African-American president, Obama was always going to be an historic figure. But increasingly it is becoming clear that he will be remembered as a significant president not simply for winning office but for what he accomplished while holding it. The first inklings of the results are reflected in recent polls showing that 50 percent of Americans now think the Obama presidency has been a success -- an impressive number given the bitter partisan divide of our politics.

POLITICAL By

n a year with two Hispanic U.S. Senators from the old South running for United States President and a former first Hispanic Sheriff of Harris County as a contender to become Houston’s first Hispanic Mayor, Latinos are on a rapid rise in the political sphere. A workshop was held at west Houston’s Tracy Gee Community Center Tuesday night featuring heroes in Texas’ Latino circles to celebrate their climb and discuss its importance in minority politics. Eva Guzman, running for re-election as Texas’ first Latina Supreme Court Justice, highlighted the forum. She commended her parents that never propelled past elementary school, for earning their citizenship and teaching her and her siblings the value of self-reliant hard work, love for God and family. “To be successful, be the catalyst for the constructive change, you want to see around you,” said Guzman, who graduated from east Houston’s Austin High School before she earned degrees from the University of Houston and South Texas College of Law. Guzman continued by highlighting how her background played a role in her political career. “Tony and I’ve been married 25 years. Tony is a just retired Houston Police Sgt. Our daughter just graduated from Harvard.

The president inherited an economy that was in free fall, losing hundreds of thousands of jobs a month. Now he presides over an economy that has created 12 million jobs, witnessed the fastest economic growth in a decade and set new records for the longest uninterrupted period of job growth. The U.S. recovery has far outstripped that of Europe, and this was accomplished despite the unrelenting obstruction of the Republican opposition, which committed itself from day one to opposing everything Obama attempted. Health care reform -- with the Affordable Care Act reaffirmed once more in the Supreme Court --has provided a big step forward. Some 15 million Americans have gained insurance, even as health care costs have risen at the lowest rates in this century. Nonetheless, partisan opposition led 22 states to refuse Medicaid expansion, denying millions from protection. On the environment, the president is the most important leader since ... well, since Nixon. His stimulus plan provided a major boost to renewable energy. He used regulation and executive order -- particularly the gas mileage standards and the soon-tocome carbon emission standards -- to boost energy conservation and limit carbon emissions. He will carry a strong hand into this year’s round of climate negotiations in Paris.

On immigration, the Congress has stymied comprehensive reform. But by executive order, the president has provided some hope for the millions left in the shadows. On social issues, the president has been more observer than actor. Yet on his watch, the Supreme Court has ratified gay marriage. After the publicity about police shootings garnered attention, a bipartisan turn against mass incarceration has gained momentum with the Justice Department weighing in. As for inequality, President Obama used his bully pulpit to put the issue in front of the American people. In the budgetary wars, he has succeeded in raising taxes on the rich. He sought, with little success, to increase investment in the most vulnerable. Inequality has grown more extreme on his watch, but any hopes of redressing it were blocked by Republican opposition to any and all efforts to take on the rigged rules that feed the inequality. In foreign policy, the president’s effort to extricate us from the sectarian wars in the Persian Gulf have been largely frustrated. Troops are going back into Iraq, now to take on the threat posed by the Islamic State. Obama has emerged as a defender of presidential prerogatives in national security. His administration has continued to police the world, while deploying drones

across the Middle East. By opening relations with Cuba, the president has created the basis for a new start with our neighbors in this hemisphere. Much, of course, remains to be done. The president remained wedded to the failed trade policies of the past decades. There has been no clear policy for urban development or for targeting the most vulnerable communities. Government has grown more corrupted, not less. Big money dominates our politics more than ever before. The president’s education policy, with its emphasis on high stakes testing, has been a disappointment. But this president has faced unprecedented obstruction, insult and venomous hatreds. He has more than survived; he has a record of accomplishment to be proud of. And he has forged a potential majority political coalition that could insure -- if its members show up at the voting booth -- that reform accelerates. You can write to the Rev. Jesse Jackson in care of this newspaper or by email at jjackson@rainbowpush.org. Follow him on Twitter @RevJJackson. Share this story online at www. stylemagazine.com.

Texas Supreme Court to Stafford MSD Latino Input Gets Lift

Burt Levine, Political Writer

Obama’s Winning Record as President is Becoming Clearer

Eva Guzman + Xavier Herrera

Tony’s dad was a Prisoner of War in World War II. From those men I learned the private value of honorable public service for community and country. I took those values with me to the court house in downtown Houston when Gov. Bush appointed me to the Family Court. Then following my winning elections when Gov. Perry appointed me to the Fourteenth Court of Appeals Gov. Perry appointed me to the Texas Supreme Court,” she said.

July 9 - July 15, 2015

Another Latino rising in politics is Xavier Herrera. Another Houston eastside native and Austin High alum that studied at UH, Herrera served on his hometown Stafford Planning Commission as Vice Chair. Professionally he has worked for a series of Houston and Harris County officials at the highest levels. Now he serves as Stafford School Board member after beating the 17-year incumbent Stafford School Board President Ettienne Zak in the highest turn out Stafford City election ever. “As a long time tax payer and resident of Stafford with a wife and three children I›ve been an active volunteer leader in our local Holy Family Catholic Church and in our Stafford Parent and Teacher Organizations,” said Herrera as he talked about his commitment to his community. “I grew up on my own without parents but knowing the importance of faith, family and freedom I committed myself to working hard to provide that for my children and others throughout the community, city and county around me,” said Herrera. Herrera cares about his community, especially the children in his area. “I’m particularly concerned about the higher high school dropout rates in the Hispanic community specifically and

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minority communities in general,” he said. He boasted about how proud he was last month as an elected trustee he was to personally hand out high school diplomas to his son Brandon and other graduates throughout Stafford. Also speaking was Judge Debra Ibarra Mayfield. Seeing Latinos come up on the political front gives her great pride, especially when she remembers her father. Though he had no political aspirations, he had his hand in political history. The former U.S. Marine sheet metal worker placed the star atop the courthouse downtown where she recently became Gov. Greg Abbott’s first judicial appointee. “He never lived to see me make it as a Texas A&M and South Texas College of Law graduate to earn appointments and win elections as a judge.but I know he’d be proud of my family including my husband a U.S. Army Captain and our two children,” said Mayfield, who explained she began in politics as an elected precinct chair. She suggest any one interested in politics should start as an elections judge like she did to begin their involvement. Share this story online at www. stylemagazine.com.

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BOOK REVIEW

Balm: A Novel

M By

by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Terri Schichenmeyer, Literary Writer

usic almost always does it for you. After a long day, nothing makes you feel better – especially when you pair soft tunes with hot bath and solitude. You might even add a glass of something tasty and a novel you’ve been dying to read. But in the new book “Balm” by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, the only thing that soothes is forgiveness and restitution. Moving to Chicago had never been part of Sadie’s plan. She’d supposed, instead, that she’d live in Pennsylvania after the War ended, and go on with her life as though there was never any war. Her parents had seen things differently, however: she was hastily married to a wealthy man she barely knew because it was safer that way. Sam purchased a house in Chicago, furnished it, and hired staff in anticipation of having a wife to display; Sadie might have even fallen in love with him, had he not been killed in a train accident. She couldn’t mourn; she barely knew Sam, which made the staff uncomfortable. As they deserted her, Sadie knew she needed a maid. The voice in her head – an insistent voice that said he was a soldier once – sent her to Madge. Born to a woman who was more interested in being a root doctor than in being a mother, Madge left her Tennessee home as a teenager – unloved by her Mama but knowing how to use plants and seeds to heal. She couldn’t say she liked working for Sadie, but assisting with séances left Madge with plenty of time to build her apothecary and a little business. It also gave her guilty time to spend with Hemp Harrison, who said he was a married man.

Long before the day when raggedy Rebel soldiers came down the plantation road looking for trouble, Hemp had fallen for Annie, and they married. Though he’d done something unthinkable, he loved her so much; after she was sold away in chains, he vowed to find her and make things right. With the War over, it was said that “millions” of former slaves had somehow landed in Chicago but was Annie among them? Was it right to move on without her? Set during America’s spiritualist movement of the post-Civil War years, “Balm” is a bit of surprise: it’s not exactly a love story, not exactly a ghost story, not exactly a novel of amends. It’s closer to all three, and that only works sometimes. While it’s true that author Dolen PerkinsValdez writes with extraordinary beauty, those flowingly gorgeous words can slow the story down, which often mars the romantic aspect of it. I enjoyed the ghosty storyline – I found it interesting and accurate, but the spirit’s brother annoyed me beyond all reason and left me feeling restless. This isn’t a terrible book, no. It’s slow, but it has three great main characters going for it and the overall authenticity will make historical novel fans happy. But if you’re looking for something snappier and with more finality, “Balm” just won’t do it for you. Share this story online at www.stylemagazine. com.

c.2015, Amistad $25.99 / $31.99 Canada 273 pages

STARTS FRIDAY, JULY 10 6

July 9 - July 15, 2015

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UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENTS AN APATOW PRODUCTION A JUDDMUSIC APATOW FILMEXECUTIVE “TRAINWRECK” AMY SCHUMERPRODUCEDBILL HADER BRIE LARSONCOLIN QUINN JOHN CENA WITH TILDA SWINTON AND LEBRON JAMESWRITTENBY JON BRION PRODUCERDIRECTEDDAVID HOUSEHOLTER BYJUDD APATOW p.g.a. BARRY MENDEL p.g.a. A UNIVERSAL PICTURE BY AMY SCHUMER BY JUDD APATOW <50=,9:(3 :;<+06:

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LOCAL BRIEFS

Change Happens! Continues to Empower Families with Annual Kids’ University Graduation

hange Happens! will hold its 12th Annual Kids’ University Graduation at The University of Houston Change Happens Alumni Center. For over 25 years this local nonprofit has been helping children and families in and around the Houston area. A future that includes college is a dream that Kids’ University attempts to instill in children who reside in area homeless shelters and at-risk youth. This year, Change Happens! (formerly FUUSA), along with children ages 6- 17 will converge on the campus of the University of Houston on July 13th for the 12th Annual Kids’ University, a five day event that affords participants a simulated college experience. Youth participants will attend classes focused on developing student awareness of careers in the math and science fields and will follow a collegetype schedule; which includes special activities. For more information please visit www.changehappenstx. org.

her Sock Out Poverty campaign. To date, she has collected over 1,500 pairs of socks Jackson Family with and doesn’t plan on Mayor Parker and CM Boykins stopping. In fact, she plans to expand her efforts to Beaumont and other places. Councilman Dwight Boykins with Mayor Annise Parker presented a proclamation to Jackson naming July 7th Princess Jackson Day. Jackson is the youngest female recipient to be presented with a proclamation by Councilman Boykins. For more information, visit www.princessjjackson.com.

Cardboard Boat Regatta Keeping Girls’ STEM Career Dreams Afloat

ophomore, junior and senior girls of Chavez High School know math and science. The ladies used their knowledge to design, construct Chavez High Team and operate a boat made entirely of cardboard. The event is called Cardboard Boat Regatta and it is through a mentoring assistance program from Rice University graduate students, GE Oil & Gas volunteers, and Chávez High School faculty. The girls were split among eleven teams and raced their boats in the new signature event of the three-year-old Rice University Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering (IBB) Girls STEM Initiative. The winning boat was named “Mushu,” after the red dragon in a Disney movie. For more information, visit the HISD Blog at www.blogs.

1/4-Page HISD - BUS DRIVER AD TEMPLATE Local Girl Honored for Helping Homeless

ouston City Council honored 12-year-old Houstonian Princess Jackson for her work with the homeless. For the past three years, Jackson has collected socks and given them to the homeless with

Bus Drivers needed

We’re Going Places. Help us get there.

www.DriveHISD.org HISD is looking for Bus Drivers to become a part of our transportation team. We offer: • • • • • • • • •

$250 sign-on bonus $900 attendance incentive Free training Competitive hourly wages starting at $15.40 (guaranteed minimum of 5 hours per day) Health, dental, vision and other benefit options Teacher Retirement System participation 403(b) retirement plan option Special trip pay options Referral incentive bonuses

To become an HISD Bus Driver, apply online at www.DriveHISD.org or call 713.613.3073. “All applicants are subject to verification of work experience, certification, references, drug testing and criminal history check. It is the policy of the Houston Independent School District not to discriminate on the basis of age, color, handicap or disability, ancestry, national origin, marital status, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or political affiliation in its educational or employment schedules and activities.” Equal Opportunity Employer

July 9 - July 15, 2015

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houstonisd.org.

Online Dating Scheme Shooting Has Additional Victim

ohnathan Winston and Philman Harper were victims of an online dating scheme that left one of them with gunshots wounds. Seeking love, the men were lured to an apartment complex to met a young lady they met on the dating Davis website Plenty of Fish. Only when they arrived at the set location to meet the young lady she told then to wait. Several minutes later they were ambushed and several unidentified men shot one of the men. Both men say the young lady that set them up was Brittany Davis. However, Davis is claiming that it was her younger sister. Her crying panic face mug shot became a viral sensation when she was arrested and charged. For more information, visit abc13.com.

J.J. Watt Voted No. 1 on NFL Network’s Top 100

ouston Texans J.J. Watt has yet another honor. He was voted as the number one player on the NFL Network’s J.J. Watt Top 100. This was a jumped from fifth place that he received two years ago. This made him the first defensive player to top the list. Watt received this distinct honor for his amazing season on the field. He is the first player in NFL history to have a record of 20 or more sacks in two seasons. Watt is a powerhouse on the field and Houston is grateful to have him on the home team. For more information, visit www. houstontexans.com.

STATE

Texas Lottery Introduces Newest Scratch-Off Game Benefiting Texas Veterans

exas Lottery® players can show their support for Texas veterans by purchasing Neon 9’s, the newest scratch-off game benefiting the Texas Veterans Commission’s Fund for Veterans’ Assistance. The $2 game features nine top prizes of $25,000 and more than $12 million in total prizes. The overall odds of winning are one in 4.42 for any prize including break-even prizes. Players interested in finding the game in their area can use the Scratch-Off Game and Store Locator on the Texas Lottery website. Since the first veterans’ themed scratch-off game was launched in 2009, the Texas Lottery has contributed more than $39 million for programs benefitting Texas veterans. The Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans’ Assistance makes grants available to eligible charitable organizations, local government agencies, and Veterans Service Organizations that provide direct services to Texas veterans and their families. With 1.7 million veterans spread across the state, it is important to have programs in the community providing financial assistance, transportation services, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder counseling and housing assistance. About the Texas Lottery Beginning with the first ticket sold in 1992, the Texas Lottery has generated $23 billion in revenue for the state and distributed $46 billion in prizes to lottery players. Since 1997, the Texas Lottery has contributed $17 billion to the Foundation School Fund, which supports public education in Texas. As authorized by the Texas Legislature, certain Texas Lottery revenues benefit state programs including the Fund for Veterans’ Assistance. The Texas Lottery provides several entertaining games for lottery players including Powerball®, Mega Millions®, Lotto Texas®, All or NothingTM, Texas Two Step®, Pick 3TM, Daily 4TM, Cash Five® and scratch-offs. For more information visit us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube or at www.txlottery. org. About the Texas Veterans Commission The mission of the Texas Veterans Commission is to advocate for and provide superior service to Veterans and their families in the areas of disability claims assistance, employment services, education benefits and grant funding. Over 200 skilled counselors in 75 cities provide one-on-one guidance to Veterans and their families to ensure they receive all of the benefits to which they are entitled. For more information about the Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans’ Assistance, please visit http://www.tvc.texas.gov/Fund-for-VeteransAssistance.

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FEATURE

By Jo-Carolyn

Goode, Managing Editor

Miko Branch: Naturally Transforming An Industry, A People and A Culture

ears prior to 2000, Miko Branch had done everything to hair to take her curly coils and make them straight. In that time that was the way for African American women. Many had been conditioned to think that the curly, kinky, wavy hair that they were born with was not pretty and society looked at that type of hair in a negative connotation and referred to it as nappy. Investments were made by women in hot combs to press the hair that resulted in singed ears and foreheads and chemicals to relax (make it straight) the hair that left marks from chemical reactions with the skin. All this was done in the name of beauty. Miko fell victim to the trend. Her goal was to have straight hair that she could swing like her Japanese mother. However, all that was involved in straitening her hair took a lot of time and effort. Time that she needed once her son was born in 2000. Not being able to keep up with her hair routine, Miko decided to embrace what we now call natural hair. Here is when the problem started. Natural hair then was not popular. There were no custards, puddings and milk shakes to care for natural hair. What was a sistah to do? Solve the problem by creating a product of her own. Miko along with her sister Titi Branch went to work in the kitchen reflecting back to their younger days in the kitchen with their grandmother Jessie. In the downstairs of their New York brownstone they mixed a little bit of this and a little of that until they perfected a product that worked with their mane. Loving the results it gave their own hair, they started experiencing with their customers who patron their salon. Soon their customers were requesting to take the product home with them. When product and demand

Miko Branch

meet a business is born. The two sisters who were salon owners were now beauty supplies with the launch of their company, Miss Jessie’s. During the day Miko and Titi were beauticians and at night they were chemists. Products would be mixed at night and shipped out in the morning and before the pair knew it they had transformed an industry, a people and African American culture. African American women began to see the beauty in their natural hair and embrace every curl, kink and wave. As African American women looked at their hair differently they began to make others do the same. Coils and twists were no longer looked at as bad hair and nappy but were embraced in a positive light of celebrating your roots. Miko and Titi started the movement of women of color accepting all of themselves. With the new acceptance came, an increase for products to care for natural grew. In turn Miko and Titi’s Miss Jessie’s brand branched out from selling online

July 9 - July 15, 2015

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to selling in some of the nation’s top retailers around the country. Though Miko and Titi’s story is beautiful within itself, the real beauty is that seven years later the multimillion-dollar business of Miss Jessie is still owned outright by the original owners. The Branch sisters never had investors or took out loans from banks or anyone. They didn’t get greedy trying to grow too big too soon. It wasn’t that they were thinking small but they wanted to take their time to do things right on their own, without cutting corners, and be free in their mind. That type of thinking was something that was ingrained in them early on in life by their father. He taught them the importance of being free in your mind. He instilled in them the concept of total independence by being a success on your own terms and creating your own rules. The story of how the Branch sisters transformed an industry, a people and a culture is chronicled in their new book Miss Jessie’s: Creating A Successful Business from Scratch – Naturally. Filled with business advice, hair care tips, and family memories, Miss Jessie’s is a story that is relatable on so many levels for its essence to capture the American dream. For more information, visit www.missjessies. com.

HEALTH By

Affordable Summer Tips to Get Kids Active

Family Features

a re-sealable bag filled with dry rice or head to the neighborhood pool for some aquatic races. Make sure to hold a medal ceremony afterwards to celebrate everyone’s success. Host your own community run Races are a great way to get your family moving outside, but the registration fees can add up. Gather a few friends and family and create your own fun run. You can use a nearby neighborhood track or just mark off the course on the sidewalk around your house.

s the school year comes to a close, it’s up to parents to make sure their kids’ summers are filled with opportunities for them to stay active. Summer programs and sports leagues are great, but they often require expensive participation fees. In fact, a recent survey conducted by Dr Pepper Snapple Group found that nearly half (52 percent) of parents said the cost of sports equipment and participation is a barrier to getting their family active. Despite the challenge staying active sometimes poses, it’s important that parents make sure their kids get the active play they need, because play provides more than just fun. It helps kids maintain healthy lifestyles and also contributes to the development of motor skills, control, coordination and strength, according to research by the nonprofit group

KaBOOM! Tips for a playful summer Inserting active play into your family’s summer fun doesn’t have to be expensive. Here are a few creative and cost-effective ways to inspire play in your family this season from Let’s Play, a community partnership led by Dr Pepper Snapple Group to get kids and families active nationwide: Create your own field day tournament Rather than spending money on pricey sports equipment, reuse household items to create your own competitive events for your family. For example, set up a field hockey game using brooms as sticks and a tennis ball as a puck. Create your own shot-put using

Set up a neighborhood play equipment swap As they say, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. While your kids may be bored with the play equipment they already own, the equipment is brand new to others. Organize a play equipment swap in your neighborhood to give your gently used items a new home. Your family will also benefit by receiving some new toys and sports equipment to inspire them to get out and be active. There are also several nonprofit organizations, such as Good Sports, that provide communities and organizations in need with sports equipment grants. To nominate an organization for a grant, visit LetsPlay. com, where you’ll also find more inexpensive play ideas organized by age, group size and season. For more information, visit LetsPlay.com. Photo courtesy of Getty Images

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BEAUTY

5 Reasons Why Relaxers are Unhealthy

By Bell, Feature Writer

t is safe to say that today the amount of women wearing their natural hair is at an all time high. Although women have been embracing their natural hair for years, the world has seen a dramatic increase (especially in the western world) in women going chemical free. Some think that this is just a movement and that women will eventually get tired of the day in and day out hassle of taking care of their natural kinky/curly/coily locks. This might have some truth to it, even I a five year “naturalista” (a cool way to say young modern-day natural) have contemplated returning to my old friend the “relaxer” and getting that straight silky no hassle look. However, when I think about the damage and harm that I am actually placing myself in I quickly reconsider. What harm you ask? Well lets discuss a few reasons. Here are 5 reasons why relaxers are unhealthy. 5. It’s Five O’clock. Do You Know Where Your Edges Are? That’s right edges are the first to go due to THINNING. Of course, you don’t see this immediately because of one simple word: Gradualism. Naturals, especially those who have been chemical free for years, still talk about how they are struggling to get their edges back. Perms/relaxers eat away at the hair shaft causing the hair to thin, especially along the hairline, because we want to get those edges smooth and straight. We also want it to last because our edges are the first to

“Go Back” (revert to natural texture). So we leave that perm on a little longer and smooth it with the rat-tail comb. Huge mistake! Have you ever seen someone with mid-back length hair in a ponytail that’s the circumference of pool stick? That’s the effects of a relaxer. 4. It’s Getting Hot in Here! Your first chemical burn is like a rite of passage when getting relaxers. How flawed is this logic! Yet in still, many mothers, sisters, aunts etc. over look the fact that if something is causing your skin to BURN maybe it shouldn’t be used. A key component, sodium hydroxide or Lye, is found in drain cleaners of all places! Why would you put this on your body at all? So then you say, ‘Well, they have no lye relaxers with guanidine hydroxide.’ No lye is just a marketable way to say less harmful. It does the same thing just in a slower manner. Professionals and families (if you were like my family and relaxed our own hair) use a petroleum base on the scalp to act as a barrier between the chemical and your scalp. This too is flawed as your head gives off natural heat as well as the chemical causing the petroleum to melt and allow your scalp to still come into contact with the chemicals in the relaxer. A big FAIL is what I call it. The safest way to avoid chemical burns is to not use a relaxer.

Relaxers cause your hair to dry out and your ends to split causing breakage. Again two main things to remember : 1) Breakage usually starts along the hairline and it is a gradual process. 2) Breakage from your first perm is not so uncommon, however; it usually happens due to a bad perm or a nonprofessional applying the perm. Usually you notice breakage when you are a year or more into getting perms on virgin hair (hair that has not had chemicals on it) depending on application and your hair type. Either way you can be sure to experience breakage. Think about it, you are putting ingredients used to clean drains on your hair once a month (on average). There isn’t any amount of conditioning that could combat that. 2. Risky Business! Permanent hair loss is highly possible. You are playing Russian Roulette with your hair each and every time you apply a perm. Remember those scalp burns? They scab over and can cause a permanent bald spot in your head. The chemical is eating away at your skin. It is not a guarantee that your hair will grow back. From experience, I remember getting chemical burns within

Isn’t Growing! 1/4-Page3. My– Hair HISD AD Wrong! Your hair isTEMPLATE breaking.

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July 9 - July 15, 2015

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the first five minutes of getting my hair relaxed, that spot continued to burn for the next 15-20 minutes while the rest of my hair was getting chemically treated. That spot on my head would crust over and each time I tried to care for it, I would pull out more and more hair. Biology 101, cells do stop repairing and duplicating themselves. Do you want to risk it on a hairstyle? 1. Serious Matter! Relaxers have been linked to cancer, fibroid, respiratory, stomach issues, and more. While the pictures of silky shiny straight hair are enticing, the health risks are overwhelming and not advertised nearly as much as they should be. Hair breakage, going bald, stunted hair growth, scalp infection, thinning hair, respiratory and GI problems, and the risk of cancer – seems like a big price to pay for having straight hair. I get it, for some people it is hard to maintain a straight style with natural hair. I sweat in my head HEAVY! I even sweat while sleeping. It is hard for me to straighten my hair without having to worry about frizz, humidity, rain, my own body (sweat), and more. However, when I weigh those problems against the health risk that come along with putting chemicals on my hair and scalp, those annoyances automatically win. Again this is your life and you choose what you want; however it is always advantageous to do your research. Now that you have read this article, what will you choose? Share this story online at www. stylemagazine.com.

NATIONAL

By CNN/Stylemagazine.com

S.C. Governor Signs Bill to Remove Confederate Flag From Capitol Grounds

outh Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has signed a bill authorizing removal of the Confederate battle flag from State House grounds. She said nine pens she used will be given to the families of the nine victims of the Charleston church massacre. The flag will be lowered at 10 a.m. Friday. A long struggle over a polarizing symbol in South Carolina will end at 10 a.m. Friday. That’s when the Confederate battle flag, a fixture on statehouse grounds for half a century, will be lowered, according to a tweet from Gov. Nikki Haley’s deputy chief of staff. Haley will sign the bill authorizing the flag removal at 4 p.m. Thursday. “It is a new day in South Carolina, a day we can all be proud of, a day that truly brings us all together as we continue to heal, as one people and one state,” Haley said in a statement. The legislation calls for the flag to be taken down within 24 hours of her signing of the bill and moved to the state’s Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum for display. Early Thursday morning, the South Carolina House of Representatives voted -- 94-20 -- to take down the flag, giving final approval to a bill that passed the state Senate earlier in the week. For more information, visit www.cnn.com

EvEry OnE IS IMPOrTAnT. You can help keep your child healthy with regular checkups and vaccines. Every one is important. And they’re free with Children’s Medicaid. Your child will also get other health benefits like free prescription drugs, dental care, eye exams, and glasses. Even rides to and from the doctor or dentist’s office. Call today or visit our website to apply.

T O A P P L y : www.CHIPmedicaid.org 1-877-KIDS-nOW C h i l d r E n w i t h M E d i C A i d C A n g E t f r E E r i d E s to t h E d o C to r o r d E n t i s t ’ s o f f i C E . C A l l 1 - 877 - M E d - t r i P to l E A r n M o r E .

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ST.FRANCIS CATHOLIC CHURCH HOUSTON, TEXAS

St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church 65th Anniversary Photography by Vicky Pink

n Friday, June 26, 2015, Houston Style Magazine was on hand at the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church for the Eucharistic Banquet. Joy filled the church as many parishioners gathered to celebrate the 65th Anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. Some in attendance were Dorothy Webb, Kristopher Goodly, Most Reverend George A. Sheltz, Rev. Fr. Edmund Nnadozie, Deacon Ignatius Joseph, Deacon Michael St. Julian, Gregory Gomez, Matt Matthews, Christopher Roberts, Jeri Galloway-Masterson, Dena LaVigne, Abel C. Rodriguez, Mary Jane Joseph, Cathy St Julian, Javier Ruiz, Bonita Taylor, Cassie Taylor, and Howard Sampson III.

GRACEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HOUSTON, TEXAS

Teens 4 Pink Ambassador Luncheon Photography by Vicky Pink

n Monday, June 29,2015, Houston Style Magazine was on hand at Graceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for the Teens 4 Pink Ambassador Luncheon. Pink was the color of the day at the affair that highlighted the Teens 4 Pink program at Change Happens. The Teens 4 Pink (T4P) program is a national initiative of Sisters Network Inc. designed to educate teen girls on the importance of breast health. Some in attendance were Sisters Network Inc. Founder and CEO Karen Jackson, T4P Houston Coordinator Cheryl Solomon, and Houston City Councilman Dwight Boykins.

July 9 - July 15, 2015

www.StyleMagazine.com

BUSINESS BRIEFS Yes! Blue Bell Starts Production Again

he day we have all waited for has come. Blue Bell has finally started preliminary production of their famous ice cream at its Alabama creamery after a nationwide Listeria contamination. The announcement was made via Blue Bell’s Twitter. The Alabama Department of Public Health confirmed that ice cream production could begin July 20th. However, Blue Bell has not verified any date. The preliminary production will be a trial for Blue Bell to test new procedures, facility enhancements, and employee training. It will still be some time before consumers will be able to get their hands on any Blue Bell as the product will still not be sold to consumers. For more information, visit www. bluebell.com.

Whataburger Bans ‘Open Carry’ Weapons

pen weapon carry may be legal in the state of Texas but that is not the case at Whataburger. The company’s CEO Preston Atkinson said that they support the gun carrying company but they are putting the concern for their employees and customers first who for various reasons uncomfortable with those openly carrying weapons. “We’ve had many customers and employees tell us they’re uncomfortable being around someone with a visible firearm who is not a member of law enforcement, and as a business, we have to listen and value that feedback in the same way we value yours,” said Preston. Whataburger is not restricting licensed concealed carry. For more information, visit www.whataburger.com. Time Warner to Pay Woman $230,000 for Robocalls

ompanies who used robocalls to get in touch with customers take note. A federal judge is a making an example of Time Warner ordering them to pay Texan Araceli King $229,500 as a violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991. King was called 153 times by Time Warner even though she complained to the company that they had the wrong number. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein said the company’s harassment of King was egregious behavior and tripled the $1,500 penalty for each call. For more information about your rights as a consumer contact the FCC by calling 888-225-5322. Share this story online www. stylemagazine.com.

Taco Bell Now Delivers Direct to Your Door

ustomers no longer have to leave the comforts of home to have their Taco Bell. It can be delivered. Taco Bell launched a new on-demand delivery service this week that is only available for now in selected cities in California and Texas. The service is through a partnership with

DoorDash iOS, Android or website. The company plans to expand the service to more cities and welcomes customer feedback. For more information on locations where Taco Bell delivery is available and how to provide feedback on where it should come next, visit www.tacobell.com/delivery or www. doordash.com.

Starbucks Raises Prices Up to 20 Cents

our favorite cup of coffee just got more expensive. Starbucks is raising the prices of most drinks from anywhere between 5 – 20 cents per cup. Increases in prices is said to be Starbucks way of balancing their expenses for rent, labor, marketing, etc. with the cost of coffee. Starbucks spokesperson Lisa Passe said this is the first increase in two years “for the majority of impacted beverages, such as Tall brewed coffee and Grande Latte.” Food, packaged coffee, or and some drinks such as a Frappuccinos and Grande-sized brewed coffees will not be affected. But Tall and Venti brewed coffee will go up by 10 cents in most markets. For more information, visit www.starbucks.com.

San Antonio Inventors Launch World’s First Floating Pool Umbrella

an Antonio entrepreneurs Jeremy and Erica Sloan are the husband-and-wife team behind Shade Science, LLC, and inventors of Pool Buoy, the first and only floating pool umbrella. The unique design of the weighted buoy keeps the umbrella stable in both wind and waves, and the shade provides sun protection while floating freely in the water. The seven-foot beach-style umbrella is made from sturdy aluminum and covered in fabric with an Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) of 95 for guarding against sun damage. It fits precisely into the patent-pending buoy topped by a tray and five cup holders. It’s created to be durable and withstand significant wind and wave turbulence without tipping. The entire unit weighs less than 15 pounds and assembles in five easy steps. Pool Buoy is available for direct purchase online at www. MyPoolBuoy.com.

Subway Cuts Ties with Pitchman Jared

ared Fogle has pitched Subway for 15 years using his inspirational story of losing weight by only eating at Subway. That partnership came to an end this week when Subway official suspended Jared Fogle ties with their pitchman after the FBI raided his home for unknown reasons. Even though Fogle has not been charged and is fully cooperating with authorities, Subway still dropped him saying in a statement that both Subway and Jared agreed that it was the appropriate step to take. This is a developing story. Find out more information online at www. stylemagazine.com.

Latino Cable Channel Launches New Initiative Targeted Towards Aspiring Entertainers

atino-focused cable channel El Rey Network last week unveiled The People’s Network, a new digital platform for aspiring directors, writers, and

creators to showcase their talents. Partly owned by filmmaker Robert Rodríguez, El Rey is an English-language network based in Austin, Texas that targets Hispanic audiences, The People’s Network targets all U.S. viewers. Kurt Volk, El Rey Network’s creative director, states that the long-term goal of The People’s Network is, “to be able to tap into this emerging talent and bring them on-board and collaborate with us on our original content – content that goes on the air. For more information, visit www. elreynetwork.com.

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