Houston Style Magazine Vol 34 No 9

BLACK-OWNED H-E-B IS PROUD TO SUPPORT Brands

JUST POPPIN GOURMET POPCORN

POPPIN’ WITH FLAVOR

Not all popcorn is created equal. Just Poppin Gourmet Popcorn offers an opportunity to taste the finer popcorns in life. Our perfected recipes, family-led business, and Southern roots manifest in every kernel we produce. Our 8 secret family recipes are handmade daily to give you a rich, tasty snacking experience.

SAVANNAH ROSE SWEET TEA PUNCH

TEA THAT PACKS A PUNCH

A veteran in the catering business, former postal worker and entrepreneur Brenda Powell transformed sweet tea into a delicious punch that keeps guests asking for more. After becoming one of the top 25 products selected in the H-E-B Primo Picks Quest for Texas Best competition, she’s now packaging and distributing Savannah Rose Sweet Tea Punch to H-E-B stores throughout Texas.

Learn more about these products and other Black-owned brands at heb.com/bethechange

Brenda Powell, Founder

Jerome and Danya Hall, Founders

Publisher Francis Page, Jr. fpagejr@stylemagazine.com

Associate Publisher

Lisa Valadez lisa@stylemagazine.com

Managing Editor

Jo-Carolyn Goode editorial@stylemagazine.com

Social Media Editor/Videographer

Reginald Dominique reggiedominique@me.com

Sports Editor

Brian Barefield brian_barefield@yahoo.com

Food Writer

Alex Jack alexandriajack1991@gmail.com

Arts Editor Kathleen Coleman kathleen@stylemagazine.com

NATIONAL WRITERS

Jesse Jackson jjackson@rainbowpush.org

Roland Martin www.rolandmartin.com

Judge Greg Mathis www.askjudgemathis.com

Erynn Haskins editorial@stylemagazine.com

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Vicky Pink vhpink@gmail.com

Mike Munoz artrepreneur91@gmail.com

ADVERTISING/SALES

AdVertising emAil advertising@stylemagazine.com

Reuel Williams reuel@stylemagazine.com

Layout Editor Cameron C. Lee thisiscam6@gmail.com

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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 Supporters of Greater Houston Partnership(GHP)

LEGAL NOTICE

COMMENTARY GREENE'S 'NATIONAL DIVORCE' WOULD BE DISASTER FOR THE SOUTH

By Jesse Jackson, National Political Writer

Rep.Marjorie Taylor Greene, now a major figure in the House Republican Caucus, is calling for a “national divorce,” that would “separate by red states and blue states and shrink the federal government.” Like her hero, Donald Trump, she claims widespread anonymous support for the idea: “Everyone I talk to says this. From the sick and disgusting woke culture issue shoved down our throats to the Democrat’s traitorous America Last policies, we are done.”

This is a call for secession. The last move for a “divorce” led to the Civil War, the bloodiest war in American history. If taken literally, it is treasonous. The conservative former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney reminded Greene that “our country is governed by the Constitution. You swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution. Secession is unconstitutional.” The right-wing Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox tweeted that “This rhetoric is destructive and wrong and – honestly – evil.” Republican Mitt Romney was more on point, calling it “insanity.”

Yet, as America’s politics gets more polarized and poisonous, with Donald Trump’s supporters sacking the Capitol in a failed effort to stop certification of his defeat and the vast majority of Republican voters buying into his Big Lie that the election was stolen, Greene’s drivel is echoed elsewhere. Delegates to the Texas Republican State Party convention, for example, recently called for a statewide referendum on whether Texas should secede from the Union. In the netherworld of right-wing extremists, talk about secession or of violent overthrow of the US government fuels murderous fantasies.

Greene is just vamping for the MAGA crowd, looking to create another splash to expand her audience on social media, and – not insignificantly – increase her online fundraising. She has offered no legislative proposal to divide the country, nor written up a declaration of independence. She’s just babbling for effect – but the babble is revealing.

Like the segregationists of the South, a first target is education. Red states after secession, she suggests, “would likely ban all gender lies and confusing theories, Drag Queen story times, and LGBTQ indoctrinating teachers and China’s money and influence in our education.”

Blue states “could have government-controlled gender transition schools,” or even “Antifa communist training schools.” Again, this is babble, but it is echoed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination, and his much-ballyhooed war on “woke,” including how Black history is taught, what books can be in libraries, even what Advanced Placement courses

are sufficiently politically correct for conservatives.

Greene also argues that after secession, red states could control their own elections. Then they would have “one day elections with paper ballots and require voter ID with only the red state citizens or even red state taxpayers voting.” Anyone from a blue state moving into a red state would have to wait five years or so to vote, time for his or her cultural attitudes to acclimate to red state views.

This too is echoed in the systematic effort of Republicans – particularly in red states where they have a legislative majority – to suppress the vote, making it harder for urban and young voters to cast a ballot, to gerrymander districts to lock in partisan advantage, to purge election rolls to throw off minority voters, to open the floodgates to corporate and dark money and more. And it’s enforced by the rightwing justices on the Supreme Court gutting the Voting Rights Act and removing restrictions on big money in our politics.

Greene probably doesn’t realize it, but secession would leave

most Southern states even more impoverished. Over one-third (37.7 percent) of Georgia’s revenues come from the federal government. Red states constitute eight of the top 10 states that gain much more revenue from the federal government than they pay to the federal government in taxes.

Citizens in several red states already suffer from more medical debt, worse medical care and lower credit ratings – and thus pay higher interest rates – largely because their Republican governors have refused to extend Medicaid to their citizens out of opposition to Obamacare. It's easy to dismiss Greene who is just, as they say, “building her brand,” saying outrageous things to get attention like a petulant adolescent. But there is a real menace in the fear and loathing that she spews.

After the Civil War stopped the last secession, the plantation class used the Ku Klux Klan, a reign of terror and lynching to retake control, strip the newly freed slaves of their rights, and institute segregation – legal apartheid – on the South. They justified this with the kind of lies and slanders that Greene traffics in today. Their purpose was to suppress democracy and implant one-party rule – and for more than a century they succeeded. Greene’s performance may be “insanity” as Mitt Romney says, but it feeds fears and hate that are a far greater threat to a democracy.

You can write to the Rev. Jesse Jackson in care of this Newspaper or by email at: jjackson@rainbowpush.org

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Republican members of Congress react as President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023, in Washingrton, D. C.

LIL NAS X, TIM MCGRAW, KEITH URBAN, LITTLE BIG TOWN, MAGGIE ROGERS & MICKEY GUYTON TO PERFORM AS PART OF THE 2023 NCAA MARCH MADNESS MUSIC FESTIVAL IN

By StyleMagazine.com - Newswire

HOUSTON MARCH 31-APRIL 2

The NCAA and Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Live Events, alongside official NCAA Corporate Champions Coca-Cola and Capital One, today announced an incredible line-up of artists performing as part of the 2023 NCAA March Madness Music Festival in conjunction with the 2023 Division I Men’s Final Four. The free, three-day event is set to take place March 31April 2, at Discovery Green Park in Houston.

This year, the March Madness Music Festival will provide fans access to hype-worthy entertainment and more via registration for each day’s events. Fans can register for free music festival tickets at ncaa.com/marchmadness/ musicfest.

On Saturday, April 1, GRAMMY® Award-nominated artist/producer/ performer Maggie Rogers will tip-off the day’s festivities from the Move by Coca-Cola Stage. GRAMMY® award-winning American rapper and musician Lil Nas X will close out the concert in star-studded fashion. Registration for tickets to Move by Coca-Cola begins today at 1p.m. ET.

On Sunday, April 2, Capital One JamFest® will be co-headlined byGRAMMY® Award-winning artists

Tim McGraw and Keith Urban, two of the industry’s most dynamic live performers. GRAMMY® Award-winning group Little Big Town and GRAMMY® nominated “Lay It On Me” singer Mickey Guyton will kick off the day’s event making for a can’t-miss festival experience.

Capital One debit and credit cardholders, excluding private label cards, will get exclusive early access to free tickets for Capital One JamFest® on Wednesday, March 8, at 10 a.m. ET through Friday, March 10, at 10 a.m. ET or as supplies last. Registration for the general public will go live on Friday,

March 10, at 10 a.m. ET. In addition to getting first access to the free tickets, cardholders will receive instructions on arrival times, where to line up for festival entry, and important day of information.

Performers and registration information for the AT&T Block Party on Friday, March 31, will be announced at a later date.

Fans will be able to stream Sunday’s live performances on ncaa. com and bleacherreport.com. For more details about the weekend, fans can stay up to date by visiting ncaa.com/ marchmadness/musicfest, following @ MFinalFour on Twitter, or downloading the Men’s Final Four app presented by AT&T.

Saturday, April 1 – Move by Coca-Cola

Performances from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. local time

Lil Nas X Maggie Rogers

Sunday, April 2 - Capital One JamFest®

Performances from 2:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. local time

Tim McGraw

Keith Urban

Little Big Town

Mickey Guyton

Specific media event credentials will be issued for Friday, Saturday and Sunday (March 31 – April 2) at Discovery Green Park. Men's Final Four game credentials will not be accepted. The NCAA March Madness Music Festival is an activation extension of the NCAA’s Corporate Champions and Partners marketing program, which Warner Bros. Discovery Sports and CBS Sports license and collaborate on as part of an agreement with the NCAA.

Read more at: StyleMagazine.com

CITY OF HOUSTON AWARDED FEDERAL RECONNECTING COMMUNITIES PLANNING GRANT FOR GULFTON AND BEYOND STUDY

The United States Department of Transportation announced the City of Houston will receive $552,160 in federal funding through the Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) grant program for the Reconnecting Communities: Gulfton and Beyond Study.

The grant will fund a community-driven planning process to engage residents and design future connections between Gulfton and crucial destinations currently separated by freeways and busy thoroughfares. This study directly supports the City of Houston’s Gulfton Complete Communities Action Plan and will build from recently completed improvements to Hillcroft Avenue.

“Gulfton is Houston’s most densely populated, diverse, and transit-dependent neighborhood, but its residents face many physical barriers in getting around their neighborhood,” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said in reference to the Southwest Freeway, Westpark Tollway and other busy throughfares. “I thank the United States Department of Transportation for committing funds to address these barriers and propose workable solutions.”

Reconnecting Communities is the first-ever federal program dedicated to reconnecting communities like Gulfton that were previously cut off from economic opportunities by transportation infrastructure. The study will allow the City of Houston Planning and

Development Department to conduct a 12-month planning process to study and design connections across these barriers by working with residents and agency partners.

The Reconnecting Communities: Gulfton and Beyond Study will build from the recently completed Gulfton streets with new crossings, bikeways, and transit stops. The study will propose future extensions of this project to connect to crucial destinations including: with new crossings, bikeways, and transit stops. The study will propose future extensions of this project to connect to crucial destinations including:

Wisdom High School

Hillcroft Transit Center

Mahatma Gandhi District

Brays Bayou Greenway Trail

“Gulfton is a vibrant part of Texas’ Seventh Congressional District, and I am thrilled that the U.S. Department of Transportation will award the City of Houston more than half a million dollars for the Reconnecting Communities: Gulfton and Beyond Study,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher.

“This investment in Houston’s most dense and transit-dependent neighborhood will enhance multimodal accessibility, increase economic opportunities, and improve overall wellbeing for surrounding communities, enabling Houstonians to travel safely to and from work, school, and other destinations,”

sulting firm Tripp Umbach to measure its economic impact and community benefit.

“This report allows us to provide our peers, community leaders and general public with specific details and verified data that illustrate the productive role Harris Health plays in the overall economic landscape of this county and the state,” says Harris Health President and CEO Esmaeil Porsa, MD. “Such a positive economic impact is extraordinary, especially when considering the challenges facing our hospitals and clinics over the past three years during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fletcher said. “I was glad to partner with City and Gulfton community leaders to advocate for this grant, and I look forward to continuing our work with together to bring improvements of all kinds back home.”

During the grant application process, the City of Houston worked in collaboration with the following elected officials, community partners and stakeholders:

U.S Representative Lizzie Fletcher (TX-7)

Texas State Senator Borris Miles (District 13) Texas State Representative Gene Wu (District 147)

City of Houston Council Member Edward Pollard (District J)

employers in our community, and the report clearly shows the substantial financial benefit to the community that Harris Health’s hospitals and clinics provide.”

The report’s key takeaways, include:

Every $1 Harris Health receives in ad valorem tax revenue generates $5.89 within the county’s economy

Harris Health supports 34,396 direct and indirect jobs throughout Texas, with 29,237 of those jobs in Harris County.

City of Houston Council Member

Tiffany Thomas (District F)

Harris County Precinct 4

Texas Department of Transportation

Harris County Toll Road Authority

Southwest Management District

Gulfton Management District

Gulfton Super Neighborhood Council

Connect Community

Air Alliance Houston

BikeHouston

LINK Houston

Neighborhoods to Trails Southwest

Learn more about the Reconnecting Communities: Gulfton and Beyond Study.

HARRIS HEALTH SUPPORTS MORE THAN 34,000 DIRECT AND INDIRECT JOBS; PUMPS $5.7 BILLION INTO HARRIS COUNTY AND TEXAS ECONOMY By StyleMagazine.com - Newswire

generated and the ripple effect in other businesses throughout the economy are tremendous, providing a more than 5-to-1 return on local tax investment. The study clearly demonstrates that Harris Health is a major player in economic health of Harris County and Texas.”

Areport released by Harris Health System shows its public healthcare mission to be a prominent contributor to the Houston-area economy with an economic impact of $4.8 billion to Harris County alone, and another $900 million in impact spread across the state of Texas.

To quantify the economic impact generated by Harris Health within Harris County and the state of Texas, Harris Health retained independent con-

“We’ve always measured the health interventions we’ve provided members of our community, but this is the first time we’ve looked at what our system means to the economic health of our community.”

“Hospitals act as economic engines and generate huge financial impacts for the communities they serve,” says Patrick Jankowski, chief economist, Greater Houston Partnership. “In this instance, they are one of the largest

One in every 70 jobs held by persons in Harris County is directly or indirectly related to Harris Health.

Harris Health in FY2022 saved more than $1.8 billion in healthcare costs, resulting in $2.30 in healthcare cost savings to Harris County taxpayers for every $1 in county taxes collected.

“These numbers show our hospitals and clinics do much more than just provide quality medical care,” adds Porsa. “The employment and income

Titled “The Economic Impact of the Harris Health System on Harris County and the State of Texas,” the study can be found on the organization’s website: harrishealth.org. The 30-page report measured Harris Health’s direct and indirect impact in the following categories:

Business Volume Impacts (capital expenditures, operational expenditures and payroll)

Direct, indirect and induced employment impacts

State and local tax impacts

Read more at StyleMagazine.com

Harris Health President and CEO Esmaeil Porsa, MD

The 2023 Rodeo Uncorked! Champion Wine Auction & Dinner was held at NRG Center today. Enthusiastic supporters gathered for the annual event, where winning wines from the 2023 Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition were auctioned.

The 2023 Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition Grand

2023 RODEO UNCORKED!® INTERNATIONAL WINE COMPETITION WINNERS CELEBRATED AT

THE

CHAMPION WINE AUCTION & DINNER

By StyleMagazine.com - Newswire

Champion Best of Show sold for a Rodeo record $325,000. Le Chemin du Roi Brut, Champagne AOC, NV, was purchased by J. Alan Kent Development - Julie and Alan Kent, Randa and Ray Gilliam, Andrea and Bruce Bryant, and John M. Cotterell.

HOUSTON FORWARD TIMES - 11.625” X 10.4”

The 2023 Reserve Grand Champion Best of Show, Bernhardt

Winery Antiquity Chardonnary Reserve, Danube Plain, 2020, was purchased by Sire Spirits, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson for $165,000.

The 2023 Rodeo Uncorked!

International Wine Competition featured 3,071 entries from 18 countries, including Argentina, Bulgaria, France, Israel, Italy, South Africa and Spain.

Of those entries, 531 entries were from Texas wineries, and 160 entries came from this year’s featured region, Australia, an established wine-growing region with a reputation for excellence in wine production.

For more information on the Rodeo Uncorked! visit rodeohouston. com/wine.

MAYOR TURNER ALARMED BY STATE TO TAKEOVER HISD

ouston Mayor Sylvester Turner ran late on Wednesday morning, March 1, 2022, for the Houston City Council. Over the weekend, he met with several people, including legislators and Commissioner of Education Mike Morath, to discuss the future of the Houston Independent School District (HISD). The commissioner did not give him a definitive answer. However, the legislators did inform him of the state's intention to takeover HISD. According to Turner, Texas Education Agen (TEA) has intentions of replacing the Board of Education, Superintendent Millard House, and taking over the en-

"I find that totally alarming, totally alarming. HISD has 273 schools: nearly 190, 000 students. How do you come in and takeover the largest school district in the state of Texas? How do you do that? And do it successfully," a puzzled Mayor Turner said. " So what I have been doing this morning is checking to see if there is any successful model in the country and there is none. There is not a successful model of this

Mayor Turner was visibly upset as he spoke about the takeover that could happen sometime next week. Before city council, Mayor Turner questioned what standard of measure the state use would

to run HISD since none of the managers are known to anyone nor or they elected officials.

"Who are they accountable to?" said Mayor Turner.

From the looks of things, the state will be accountable to no one. This is what Mayor Turner is calling a bad model, as he recalled when the state took over the Nort Forest School District and placed it under HISD without the needed resources.

"It is not good for the students. It is not good for the parents. It is not good for the teachers, the faculty. Neither is it good for the City of Houston. It will create a great deal of uncertainty and will generate a lot of worry by a lot

of parents saying, "Who now will be responsible and accountable?"”

In his more than ten-minute remarks, Mayor Turner noted the improvements HISD made. Around 2019, Phllis Wheatly High School had been in bad shape for more than seven years. There were also about 50 schools that ranked as D or F schools. However, under Superintendent Millard House and the new board, vast improvements have been made. According to new reports looking at the last three years, 40 of the 50 low-performing schools are no longer classified as D or F. HISD has even improved overall as a district. The eighth largest district in the US is now a B+ school district, up from their

For more information, please visit haul.org/eodgala or contact Brandi Ledet | bledet@haul.org | 713-393-8783

When meeting with Commissioner Morath, Mayor Turner asked, "How does the state come and in takeover an entire school district of 274000 students?" TEA wants to move out one superintendent to bring in another without telling the people who will select this new superintendent and by whom will regulate the state to make sure they are doing right by students.

The mayor seemed to be almost in tears as he made his next comment. "We cannot be silent on this one. The state is overreaching on this one. And I don’t want to hear this argument that it Is mandatory by the law that was passed and mayor you were there, and you voted for it. Well, let’s backup cause, I was there, and that amendment was attached to a bill with no discussion," he said. So don’t hold that against him.

Mayor Turner challenged Commissioner Morath to change what was happening right now since legislation is in session. There is no word on whether Mayor Turner’s words will have any bearing on any future decisions.

Dusty Baker

ck Excellence in Sports Leadership General Manager Houston Astros

Dr Reginald DesRoches

Dr Loren Blanchard President University of Houston-Downtown President Rice University Dr LaTonya Goffney Superintendent Aldine ISD

Sylvester Turner, Houston City Mayor

Damian Lillard set an NBA record in his monster scoring night on Sunday, racking up 71 points in 39 minutes, including 13 three-pointers, as the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Houston Rockets 121-114.

With his effort, Lillard became the first player in NBA history to score more than 70 points in under 40 minutes and just the eighth player to hit the 70-point mark.

He is also the only player on that elite list to score 70 over the age of 30, and the first to do so with 10 or more three-pointers.

"I enjoy those moments in the game when I'm just going after people," the NBA All-Star said after the game. "That's all it was tonight. I wanted to be in attack mode. I got it going and stayed aggressive."

Lillard came into the game averaging 37.6 points in his previous 18 games and continued that stellar run with a league-wide, season-high mark, equaling Donovan Mitchell's 71 points against the Chicago Bulls in January.

DAMIAN LILLARD BECOMES FIRST PLAYER IN NBA HISTORY TO SCORE OVER 70 POINTS IN UNDER 40 MINUTES IN PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS' WIN OVER HOUSTON ROCKETS

By Alasdair Howorth, CNN/StyleMagazine.com Newswire

Lillard started the scoring early, with 41 points, including eight three-pointers at halftime. Whether driving into the paint or dropping shots from distance, the Blazers guard was unplayable.

He made all 14 of his free throw attempts and had a magnetic relationship with the basket when shooting -even sinking a ludicrous, 36-foot jumper in the second quarter.

He ended the game shooting 22-of-38 from the field, making 13 three-pointers from 22 attempts -- just one off Klay Thompson's record 14 3-pointers set in 2018.

Lillard's teammates continued looking for him in the closing minutes to try and get ahead of Mitchell's total, but after missing a couple of shots, he came off the court exhausted with 44 seconds left the clock.

"It really, really was a masterful performance," Portland coach Chauncey Billups said of his star's game. "It was a piece of art. That was incredible."

With that performance, Lillard entered a pantheon of NBA greats. His 71-point haul is tied for the eighth-most points scored in a game in NBA history, though still some way off Wilt Chamberlain's record of 100 points set in 1962.

Read more at: StyleMagazine.com

CULLUD WATTAH AT STAGES FEBRUARY 10-MARCH 31

Kathleen Coleman, Arts Editor

family ever be able to filter out the truth?

This family drama shares the stories of people navigating life through obstacles that feel inhumane and the hideous choices that people living on the margins of poverty are forced to make. This is a piece of poetry about the human price we all pay for those realities.

After appearing at The Public to widespread acclaim, this gorgeous, emotional play makes one of its first appearances outside New York at Stages. Winner of the 2021 Smith Blackburn Prize, cullud wattah follows three generations of Black women living through the current water crisis in Flint, Michigan. It’s been 936 days since Flint has had clean water. A third-generation General Motors employee, Marion is consumed by layoffs at the engine plant.

When her sister, Ainee, seeks For this show, Stages is partnering with Bayou City Water Keepers to create a discussion about water access in Houston. Justice and restitution for lead poisoning, her plan reveals the toxic entanglements between the city and its most powerful industry, forcing their family to confront the past-present-future cost of survival. As lead seeps into their homes and bodies, corrosive memories and secrets rise among them. Will this

Meet the Playwright and Director Erika Dickerson-Despenza (Playwright) is a New Orleans-based Blk radical leftist poet-playwright and womanist cultural memory worker. Afrosurrealism, magical realism, narrative re/memory, kinesthetic imagination, and Black queer women's interiority and erotic fugitive are conceptual preoccupations of her work. Erika's primary thematic foci are Black land legacies, Black apocalyptic rituals, and environmental racism. Her work occupies sites of intimate reckoning, a situating rupture in traditionally sacred or “safe” spaces to make invisible systems of environmental oppression and cultural trauma visible and ultimately ask us to consider abolitionist political ecologies.

Rachel H. Dickson (Director)

Rachel is excited to return to Stages, having directed Lady Day At Emer-

son’s Bar and Grill in 2021. Rachel has been a professional artist in the Houston Community for over 20 years. She has worked as an actor, director, playwright, dramaturg, educator, producer, technical staff, and artistic consultant. Rachel is honored to currently serve as the BOLD Associate Artistic Director at The Ensemble Theatre. Rachel holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Missouri-Columbia, a Master of Fine Arts Theatre from the University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign, and a Master of Social Work from the University of Houston.

For this show, Stages is partnering with Bayou City Water Keepers to create a discussion about water access in the city of Houston.

The play is 2 hours and 20 minutes long with a brief intermission. Make plans to attend one or more of the performances.

Wednesday - Thursday, 7:00pm Friday, 7:30pm Saturday, 7:30pm and 2:00pm Sunday, 2:00pm

For more information, visit stageshouston.com.

Cullud Wattah

Toyota's Tacoma has been a staple in the midsize truck class for decades, but make no mistake: This isn’t your grandad’s pickup. The rugged-yet-stylish truck known for durability, off-road capabilities, and endless customizations has the comfort and reliability you’d expect from a Toyota. And let’s be honest: These vehicles are designed to last until Jesus returns/the end of time.

Toyota could have rested on its

TOYOTA TACOMA TRD PRO: BUILT TO PUSH THROUGH

By Fred Navarre

laurels with the 2023 model. Instead, the automaker continued to perfect the best-selling pickup in the midsize truck segment with style that would give the most penny-pinching accountant new car smell fever.

The 2023 Toyota Tacoma TRD PRO shown in this year’s exclusive color, Solar Octane, comes well equipped with a 3.5-liter V-6 engine, 278 horsepower, 18 mpg, 265 lb.-ft. of torque, and a towing capacity of 6,400 lbs. All-black

appointments, including exterior badging, 16-inch wheels, and protruding fender flares, give the truck the sporty off-road look you would expect from a Tacoma.

The black TRD badging continues on the full LED headlamps, undermounted skid plate with 9.5-inch ground clearance, upper control arms, wheels, hood scoop, frontseat headrests, and single-side exit exhaust. TRD PRO is also carved into the rear body panel for an added touch.

The heritage front grill has a front mounted camera designed to assist with the 360-degree view and a radar for Toyota Safety Sense™. Its features include Pre-Collision/Pedestrian Detection, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert, Automatic High Beams, Lane Tracing Assist, Road Sign Assist, and Proactive Driving Assist. Turn signals are included on side mirrors with blind spot monitors undermounted cameras to enable the 360-degree view. The 5-foot composite truck bed comes with a power outlet, an all-weather mat, and a side pocket for storage. The bed’s exterior houses parking sensors and towing connections.

This push-start vehicle with keyless entry and a smart key makes life super-convenient. The driver’s side door is equipped with automatic front window controls and space for two water bottles. The all-weather mats are essential for keeping the truck in showroom condition. Power leather heated seats are included for the driver and passenger, but only the driver’s seat has lumbar support. Nestled in the instrument cluster is a 4-inch display with customizable features for Toyota Safety Sense ™ and Multi-Terrain. The 8-inch in-dash touch screen

offers a number of infotainment and connectivity options, including Apple CarPlay® and Android AutoTM. Analog controls are included for heated seats, dual zone climate, 4-wheel drive selector, blind spot monitor, ECT power, and rear windows. These controls aren’t the most modern aesthetically, but they’re easy to use. There’s also a wireless phone charging pad under the controls. The sunroof is standard size with no panoramic option. There are controls in front of the sunroof to lock the rear differential and adjust the multi-terrain select feature. The JBL® Premium 6 Speaker Audio System is so powerful, even the rocks will cry out while you’re jamming offroad. The Panoramic View Monitor is designed to help you maneuver with ease, but it’s very difficult to view in inclement weather. The interior center console includes USB-A and USB-C outlets, but the console itself is small compared to other trucks in this class.

The Tacoma TRD PRO is fun to drive. It’s decent size, smooth ride, and fuel economy make it a solid truck for daily trips or making hills come alive. But the Tacoma could use a serious interior refresh. Luxury shouldn’t be compromised for durability — especially for a massive machine that costs around $52,000. But, can you really put a price on pleasure and performance? So, who cares if the pavement ends? The Toyota Tacoma TRD PRO is built to push through.

MEMORIAL PARK

S. PICNIC LOOP

MARCH 24-26 2023

FRIDAY - SUNDAY

10 AM TO 6 PM

FEATURED ARTIST DEWEY JAMES

■ 300 National & International Artists

■ 19 Disciplines of Art

■ 2 Entertainment Stages

■ Active Imagination Zone

■ Craft Beer & Wine Garden

■ Art Installations & Exhibits

■ Food Truck Park

■ VIP Hospitality Lounge

HReception Honoring Massey Villareal’s New Role H

Family, friends, and well-wishers gathered for an exclusive reception in honor of Massey Villareal, who has been named Chairman of the Texas Association of Business (Commonly known as TAB). The reception hosted by Elizabeth Gonzalez Brock, Cindy Clifford, and Jacob Monty had such guests as Mayor Sylvester Turner, Dr. Laura Murillo, Christian Menefee, HFD Chief Samuel Peña, and Houston City Councilman Robert Gallegos. In this new role, Villareal has goals to strengthen TAB’s trade, protect the economic climate, and push back against federal overreach. In addition, he wants to harness the connectivity of the chamber network to grow the capacity for small business in Texas.

HDelta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.® HAC’s Golden Girls H

It was an afternoon of golden elegance for those attending the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.® Houston Alumnae Chapter’s 2023 Golden Girls affair. Under the theme “Golden Elegance,” the ladies honored their member who have served in the sorority for 50 years or more. All honorees were decked out in their finest gold attire. Some in attendance were Brenda Kinner-Sandles, Karen Hinton-Reese, Tina Jones, Pam Davis, Diane Servance, and Jenee’ Pierre.

H Celebrating You, Inc.’s Transition to College & Vision Board Party H

High schools got the opportunity to map out a plan for their life after high school at the Celebrating You, Inc.’s Transition to College & Vision Board Party. Business and life coach, author and speaker, Sonjia Pelton-Sam, helped students create a vision board and set goals for their future. In addition to Pelton-Sam, featured presenters were speaker and author Blake Simon, moderator and songstress Jayla Rivers, and mime dancer Kaylin Lyons. Some in attendance were Celebrating You, Inc.’s Founder and Executive Director Lisa Stillwell, Iris Pelton-Hamlett, Keosha Pope, Charlette Gamble-Perry, Godiva Anderson, Collette Conner, Ricky Stoner, James Morning, Lj Henderson, Angela Warren, Vicki Semander, Kathy Washington, Cynthia Pommier Smith, and Amy Taylor.