Heights Magazine

bestofheights.com january + february 2021

Frontliners

Person(s) Of The Year

Now Scheduling VIRTUAL and IN-PERSON Appointments – at Your Place or Ours!

Whether you’re new to the Kelsey-Seybold family or a longtime patient, you have a choice of where you can safely get care. Call our 24/7 Contact Center at 713-442-0000 to schedule a same-day or next-day virtual Video Visit or, for non-respiratory illnesses, an in-person appointment at our Downtown at The Shops at 4 Houston Center location.

OUR SPECIALTIES • Cosmetic Services

• Internal Medicine

• Podiatry

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Schedule your appointment today – 713-442-0000!

Downtown at The Shops at 4 Houston Center: 1200 McKinney, Suite 473 ● Houston, TX 77010 ● 713-442-4700 ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS and more than 50 HEALTH PLANS, including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Humana, and UnitedHealthcare. kelsey-seybold.com/downtown |

The Story of

Southampton

Assisted Living and Memory Care Now Open.

Schedule your visit today.

january + february 2021 Send comments, thoughts or ideas to intownmagazine@gmail.com

18

14 10

ON THE COVER 20

22

20

8 PUBLISHER’S LETTER 12 ARTS + EVENTS

14-16 HOUSTON FOOD BANK’S

BRIAN GREEN

18-19

CELEBRATING ARCHITECT JOHN S. CHASE

20-21 LIFE: BEWARE! PUTTING ON

EXERCISE SHOES

22-23 FINANCIAL FOCUS

PRODUCTION

PUBLISHER

M. A. Haines EDITOR

Lisa June

bestofheights.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Lindsay Mowad William Hanover Marene Gustin Evans Attwell Philip Berquist Minnie Payne

Web Design CSS Art & Design Layout & Graphic Design CSS Art & Design

For advertising rates and information: 713.525.8607 intownmagazine@gmail.com Space reservation deadline is 15 days prior to publication.

Graphic Designer Cris Bell Photographer Wells Brown

Intown Magazine is published bi-monthly by SNS Media. Articles are welcome and will be given careful consideration for possible publication. Intown magazine does not assume any responsibility for unsolicited materials. Materials submitted will be returned if accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Box 980757 Houston, TX 77098. You can also e-mail intownmagazine@ gmail.com or call 713.525.8607. Copyright 2021 by Intown magazine. All rights reserved. Content may not be reprinted or reproduced without permission from Intown Magazine.

6 | HEIGHTS | January + February 2021

Hello, 2021!

HTX Living Is Moving To 4521 N. Main.

Follow us @RealtyinHTX on Instagram to watch our office transformation.

IVE

T AC

11O7 Fugate

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812 Fisher St Unit K

IVE

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LD

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515 E. 37th St

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Does Your Space Work For You In 2021?

(713) 408-3185 | HTX-Living.com

Frontliners Person(s) Of The Year

combat, experiencing the most immediate, intense action with the enemy.

They formed a military line of the most advanced tactical combat units. Our frontliners in healthcare and many other essential businesses that must deal with the public are modern-day combat units. ne of the year’s best quotes and biggest understatement was that this year didn’t require a pivot but a pirouette.

From the pandemic, we have learned how vital our frontline workers have always been. During this pandemic, the fearlessness and determination of our frontline workers cannot go unrecognized. Nurses and doctors have felt a unique pressure to help save the lives of their fellow neighbors.

This year Frontliners are our Persons of The Year.

Thank you for your sacrifices.

You have made a difference.

Many frontline workers must live in fear during a once in a lifetime event. Many doctors and nurses thrive in these conditions, and for that, we are thankful.

The term frontliner (or frontline worker) refers to anyone who provides an essential service and can’t perform their job from home. A frontliner works on the frontline of a business or organization, performing its public-facing work.

Frontliner was used in the late 1800s to refer to soldiers fighting on the frontline of 8 | HEIGHTS | January + February 2021

Frontliner became more popular in the 1990s and was used in the same way as a frontline worker, referring to customer service employees who had direct contact with clients.

Many other essential workers have been and still are risking their lives to make ends meet.

We honor all those who have been brave facing the unknown and wonder when it will all end. Hopefully, in 2021 it will end. It may take awhile before we are back to normal, but hope springs eternal.

We all should feel inspired and try and do the right thing to make our frontliner jobs as painless as possible.

State and local governments have been dealt a difficult hand in balancing the difficulty of keeping people safe and not shutting down our economy and allowing the right for people to work. I commend their tireless efforts in what seems like a no-win scenario.

This disease has been relentless. Thankfully, frontliners, with their implacable nature, have shown their courage and help lead us to a better day. It has never been more evident than in 2020.

Welcome, 2021!

Val Arbona

REALTOR, CLHMS, CRS

RE/MAX Vintage (713) 562-4903 valarbona.com

David Michael Young Broker Associate, CLHMS, CNE, GREEN

Compass RE Texas

(713) 320-6453 www.youngrealtyhouston.com

Beverly Smith

CLHMS Lake Conroe Specialist

Coldwell Banker Realty

(713) 569-2113 www.lakeconroebeverlysmith.com

10 Magnolia Woods | Deer Ridge Estates

63 Fairway Park | Bentwater

Grand 12,708 SF estate on 3.85-acre lot in guard gated Deer Ridge Estates. Grounds include huge pool, secluded hot hub, many covered patios, two kitchens, fountains, fire pits, palapas and a walking trail through the woods.

David M. Young | Compass RE Texas | 713-320-6453

Country Club home features a courtyard pool and Casita.

Summer kitchen poolside in a gated community close to The Woodlands Mall and Market Center. Three car plus golf cart garage.

Beverly Smith | Coldwell Banker Realty | 713-569-2113

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List Price $565,000 | MLS #31596584

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Donielle (Don) Davis Designated Broker

Don Davis Luxe Realty

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Dan Monson

Branch Manager/ Mortgage Banker/NMLS 302692

Sente Mortgage

(713) 480-1061 dan.monson@sentemortgage.com

Lisa Fay

CLHMS, GRI, ABR, The Woodlands Specialist

Coldwell Banker Realty (832) 447-7718 lisafayrealestate.net

Marilyn Arendt

Joanne Naponic Broker/Owner

Naponic Properties

(713) 515-3805 JoanneNaponicProperties.com

Michelle Hinton

Broker - Owner

RealtorÂŽ, CRS, MCNE, CLHMS

(281) 433-9113 mma@castle2sell.com

(832) 795-2246 www.hintonhometeam.com

Marilyn Arendt Properties

Compass Real Estate

114 Starlight | The Woodlands

5410 Morning Breeze | Lakes on Eldridge

Beautiful award-winning CA mission style home backing up to the preserve. Custom Rueby home features beamed ceilings, arched doorways, a gourmet kitchen and stone floors. Saltwater pool, & spa, and full home generator.

Lisa Fay | Coldwell Banker Realty | 832-447-7718

Custom built by Mitchell Carroll, this 7 bedroom lakefront estate is a masterpiece of Italian design. Boasting more than 8,600 SqFt and a resort-like pool & spa, this sprawling estate with endless water views is the epitome of luxury living.

Michelle Hinton | Compass Realty | 832-795-2246

List Price $1,825,000 | MLS #78829913

List Price $1,550,000 | Coming Soon!

Real Estate Professionals Serving the Houston Luxury Home Community w w w. g r e a t e r h o u s t o n l u x u r y. c o m

Ken Jacobson

Mariana Saldana

Republic State Mortgage

Keller Williams Realty Metropolitan

Genevieve Rowland

CMPS NMLS# 215044 Branch Manager

REALTOR, MCNE, CLHMS Multimillion Dollar Producer, ILHM

(281) 369-5535 www.kenjacobson.com

Keller Williams Memorial

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Broker Associate

(832) 338-4040 www.uptownrealestategroup.com

10038 Briar Drive | Briargrove Park

2619 Newman St | Upper Kirby

Magnificent Modern Masterpiece secluded in well-established, sought-after Houston neighborhood. Stately custom gate, garden, & custom iron & glass door entrance. Soaring Ceilings and beautiful vista of the deck & pool all overlooking a serene meadow.

Genevieve Rowland | Keller Williams Memorial | 281-904-7014

Immaculate custom home with clean, modern finishes in Upper Kirby with 4 bedrooms and open living areas on the second floor. Located on coveted horseshoe-shaped street (no thru traffic). Balconies with western views and a large patio.

Elevator capable.

David M. Young | Compass RE Texas | 713-320-6453

List Price $1,111,111 | MLS # 88024987

List Price $799,900 | MLS #56369829

Dan Monson Mortgage Banker | NMLS# 302692

713.480.1061

dan.monson@sentemortgage.com

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ARTS +

EVENTS

Artupdate houston published every two weeks by houstonintown. Go to website and sign up for newsletter to receive free update.

MUSEUMS Asia Society Texas Center Thru Jan. 24 ARTISTS ON SITE

FEATURING AHRA

CHO, LAUREN DREY,

BRANDON THO

HARRIS, AND ROYAL SUMIKAT Museum Of Fine Arts Houston

Thru Jan. 3

GLORY OF SPAIN:

TREASURES FROM THE

HISPANIC SOCIETY

MUSEUM & LIBRARY Thru Jan. 10 THE MARZIO YEARS:

TRANSFORMING THE

MUSEUM OF FINE

ARTS, HOUSTON, 1982–2010 Thru May. 31 BETWEEN SEA & SKY:

BLUE & WHITE

CERAMICS FROM

PERSIA AND BEYOND Opens Feb. 21 HOCKNEY-VAN GOGH Thru June 20 THE JOY OF NATURE Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

Closed but open virtually at www.camh.org Holocaust Museum Houston

Thru Jan. 3 MANDELA: STRUGGLE

FOR FREEDOM

Opens Jan. 9 STORIES OF SURVIVAL: Thru Apr. 19 OBJECT. IMAGE. MEMORY. Thru Jun. 20 MENIL COLLECTION

ALLORA & CALZADILLA: SPECTERS OF NOON Thru Jul. 3 VIRGINIA JARAMILLO:

THE CURVILINEAR

PAINTINGS, 1969–1974 Thru Apr. 11 SILENT REVOLUTIONS:

ITALIAN DRAWINGS

FROM THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

Houston Museum Of Natural Science

Special Exhibits Thru May. 31 MOON BY LUKE JERRAM

BODY WORLDS & THE CYCLE OF LIFE

Thru Jan. 18 STATE OF WATER: OUR

MOST VALUABLE RESOURCE DEATH BY NATURAL CAUSES TOURMALINETREASURES

Permanent Exhibits

ALFRED C. GLASSELL, JR. HALL CULLEN HALL OF GEMS AND MINERALS EARTH FORUM FARISH HALL OF TEXAS WILDLIFE FRENSLEY/GRAHAM HALL OF AFRICAN WILDLIFE HALL OF ANCIENT EGYPT HAMMAN HALL OF TEXAS COASTAL

Heights Epicurean Farmers Market Every First Saturday of the Month 1245 Heights Blvd Urban Harvest Farmers Market Saturdays 8am-noon 2752 Buffalo Speedway Elanor’s Market Sat and Sun 9 am until 1 pm 2120 Ella Blvd.

ECOLOGY HERZSTEIN FOUCAULT PENDULUM JOHN MCGOVERN HALL OF THE AMERICAS LESTER & SUE SMITH GEM VAULT MORIAN HALL OF PALEONTOLOGY STARKE HALL OF MALACOLOGY WIESS ENERGY HALL WELCH HALL OF CHEMISTRY

Check with theatre for updates

Houston Ballet

Check houston.broadway.com

MUSIC & DANCE

Digital Events Available HOUSTON Symphony

Jan 8, 9, 10

THE MOOD A BIG BAN

NEW YEAR Jan 15, 16, 17 MIDORI PLAYS BEETHOVEN

THEATER

A.D. Players

Opens Jan. 22 PHOTOGRAPH 51 Thru Feb 7

ALLEY THEATRE

Jan. 15-Feb. 7 THE STRONGER Jan. 22-Feb. 14 A HALF SHEET OF PAPER Feb. 12-Mar 14 THE MAN WITH THE

FLOWER IN HIS MOUTH

Broadway Across America Hobby Center

STAGES REPERTORY THEATER

Jan. 27-Feb.7 ANN Feb. 16-Feb.28 SIN MUROS: A LATINX

THEATER FESTIVAL

THE ENSEMBLE THEATER

Check ensemblehouston.com for updates Theatre Under the Stars

Check tuts.com for updates

LOUISIANA CRAWFISH SEASON IS HERE!

4302 RICHMOND AVE HOUSTON, TX 77027 12 | HEIGHTS | January + February 2021

WORTHWHILE CONVERSATIONS

WHAT NOW? WEALTH PLANNING AFTER COVID-19…

J. Harold Williams, CPA/PFS, CFP®, and Lauren Rich, CFP®, discuss wealth planning strategies during uncertain market conditions.

DOES THE COVID-19 EXPERIENCE MEAN THAT WEALTH PLANNING IS NOW TOTALLY DIFFERENT? No, not necessarily. Market and economic conditions continue to change, but good wealth planning comes from being consistent in making sound decisions.

HOW CAN YOU MAKE SOUND DECISIONS WHEN THE FUTURE IS SO UNCERTAIN? In 50 years of wealth planning, we have worked with families who can personally recall terribly uncertain conditions. In 1962, the United States and the Soviet Union were staring each other down over nuclear missiles in Cuba and plenty of people felt it could be the end of civilization. In 1974, a sitting U.S. President resigned from office in disgrace and the average citizen’s faith in our government reached an all-time low. There have been times, of course, when the future looked bright. In 2000, we ushered

in a new Millennium amidst great optimism, following a decade that saw the fall of the Iron Curtain and a peace dividend.

SO, WHAT IS YOUR POINT? Certainty, or uncertainty, about the future is an unreliable basis for building wealth. Ryan Patterson, CFA, CFP®, our Chief Investment Officer, puts it this way: “When everyone is feeling good about the future, the prices of financial assets are higher, reflecting that feeling.

When few people feel good, prices are discounted and opportunities are greater.” If you invested in U.S. stocks during the month of the Cuban missile crisis, you were 30% richer one year later. If you put money to work in U.S. stocks during the month Richard Nixon resigned the Presidency, you were 250% richer ten years later. If you waited for the optimism of the new Millennium to put your money to work in U.S. stocks, you were 35% worse off two years later.

SO -- THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME? Circumstances may change but financial behavior should be consistent and disciplined, not reactive. Most families benefit from the coaching of an experienced, 100% fiduciary wealth advisor. That is the model we follow at Linscomb & Williams. We have the credentialled and experienced team ready to sit down and formulate a plan for your success right now, right here.

For more information, or a copy of our Form ADV, Part II, with all of our disclosures, call Grant Williams at 713 840 1000 or visit www.linscomb-williams.com.

Linscomb & Williams is located at 1400 Post Oak Blvd., Ste. 1000 in Houston, TX For more information call 713 840 1000 or visit www.linscomb-williams.com.

Linscomb & Williams is not an accounting firm.

COVER STORY Catching Up with Houston Food Bank’s

BRIAN GREEN Feeding the Hungry During the Pandemic C

By Marene Gustin

OVID-19 has played havoc with the economy, but that has caused Houston Food Bank’s business to go up, but that’s rather a sad thing when you’re in the business of feeding the hungry.

“I was really nervous at the beginning of it,” says Houston Food Bank President and CEO Brian Greene, “because the energy crisis was already hitting Houston hard. But then Houstonians really stepped up.”

It’s been a challenging year for the 58-year-old native Californian, but he’s been helming food banks his entire career.

Greene received a BA in Economics from Humboldt State University and an MA in Economics from the University of Tennessee. He was working on his doctorate there when he decided to take a break to gain some real world experience. The newly opened Second Harvest Food Bank in Knoxville, Tennessee was looking for an executive director and he took the job, thinking it would be a temporary gig. But he had found his calling. Five years later he became the executive director of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana and stayed for 12 years. In 2005 he took the job as president and CEO of the Houston Food Bank, the largest food bank in America, in a city that is the second most food insecure city, behind Los Angeles, in the country.

Founded in 1982, the Houston Food Bank (HFB) is a certified member of Feeding America, the nation’s food bank network, with a four-star rating from Charity Navigator. They distribute fresh produce, meat and nonperishables and prepare nutritious hot meals for kids in the state-of-the-art Keegan Kitchen. Since taking over, Greene has over seen the organization’s unprecedented growth. In August 2011, the Food Bank moved into its current home, a 308,000 square-foot warehouse and office facility, purchased and renovated following completion of a $55.6 million capital campaign. The new building is four times larger than the previous space and allows for more food distribution and more space for volunteers.

In the fall of 2008, the End Hunger Network, a Houston-area food rescue organization, merged with Houston Food Bank.

Through Greene’s leadership, HFB programs have expanded to feed more children and tap into additional sources for food donations. In early 2016, a second capital campaign was approved 14 | HEIGHTS | January + February 2021

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for $2.6 million to build a new home for the Keegan Kitchen inside the Houston Food Bank headquarters.

In April of 2019, Greene received the John van Hengel Fellowship award at Feeding America’s 2019 Hunger’s Hope Awards. The award honors the ideals of the late John van Hengel, who developed the concept of food banking in the 1960s. He was recognized for his excellence in leadership, local impact and national influence, and entrepre-

16 | HEIGHTS | January + February 2021

neurial spirit in the area of hunger relief.

But nothing in his past could compare to the last year.

“At the peak in May,” Greene recalls, “we were serving 140,000 households a day. Back then the distributions ended when we ran out of food and that was one million pounds of food. By December it slowed some, 800,000 pounds a day and we managed to get to everyone in line.”

In November the Houston Food Bank

served 103,000 households per week, compared to 74,000 for the same month in 2019. And while the economy improved a little at the end of last year, Greene expects the need for food to remain higher than normal through most of 2021.

“Until the economy recovers there will be a significant food need through most of the year,” he says. “And my biggest concern is getting food in the new year.”

While monetary donations were up during the height of the pandemic, some food donations were lower. “At the beginning we wouldn’t get any donations from grocery stores, because they stopped having surplus,” he says.

“Due to panic buying their shelves were empty.”

But with so many restaurants shut down, farmers and ranchers had food to spare. Because of the Trump administration’s trade wars, there was nowhere to sell the food. The U.S. Department of Agriculture launched a plan to aid farmers during the pandemic by buying their food and donating it to food banks.

“But they’ve cut that spending by 50 percent,” Greene says. “I don’t know what’s going to happen with that program this year.

Another challenge the Houston Food Bank, and many nonprofits as well, faced, was a lack of volunteers. Luckily, with monetary donations up, Greene’s organizations was able to hire many unemployed hospitality workers.

And Distribution changed drastically, The norm became massive drivethrough distributions like the one held at NRG Stadium before last Thanksgiving where a sea of cars lined up for hours to get groceries put in their cars’ trunks by masked workers. It’s an efficient way to get food to the hungry during a health care crisis, but it lacks one thing.

“It’s missing the personal interaction,” says Greene. “There’s not a real connection between people and workers.”

To donate or volunteer with the Houston Food Bank go to houstonfoodbank.org.

10 Magnolia Woods Dr/Kingwood $3,500,000 MLS# 91653116

1207 Sterrett St/Downtown $989,900 MLS# 83001999

1010-F Nantucket Dr/Westhaven Estates $1,125,000 MLS# 20563680

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38 Blooming Grove Ln/Parkway Villages 1716 Rosewood St #C/Rice-MuseumDist $679,000 MLS# 26183074 $589,000 MLS# 27087722

4010 Childress St/West University $419,500 MLS# 98589850

2100 Welch St #C305/River Oaks $299,888 MLS# 60013621

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David M Young Broker Associate

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Architect John S. Chase A New Book Celebrates His Work

J

Originally printed by Texas Observer

ohn S. Chase is the Texas architect you wish you knew about— or perhaps should have already heard of. Inspired by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright with his own postmodern twists, Chase’s work has left a mark in East Austin, on the Texas Southern University and University of Texas campuses, and in churches all over the state. Now, a new University of Texas Press book, John S. Chase—The Chase Residence, celebrates Chase’s remarkable 60-year career.

The book explores how Chase turned his own Houston home into the centerpiece of a larger body of work through a process that was in “equal measure archi18 | HEIGHTS | January + February 2021

tectural, social, personal, and political.”

This new story of the Chase Residence, still home to Chase’s widow, Drucie, demystifies how Chase fashioned a space to fit his family—and simultaneously fixed his place in architectural history.

John S. Chase was also a trailblazer for architects of color. He entered the University of Texas soon after its desegregation and soon became the first Black person to obtain a master’s degree in architecture. He was also the first state-licensed Black architect in Texas. At one point, Chase served as the first Black president of the Texas Exes, UT’s alumni association. And he was a founding

member of the National Organization of Minority Architects.

The Chase Residence was a collective effort. It was written by David Heymann, a professor of architecture at UT, and includes a lengthy essay from co-author Stephen Fox, an architectural historian as well as contributions from architecture students Heymann took on his visits to Chase’s own home in Riverside Terrace, considered a timeless masterpiece among the many houses, churches, and other edifices he built. That group, led by Heymann, tracked down Chase’s own architectural drawings, made new drawings of key details, and persuaded Chase’s fami-

ly and friends to contribute photos that bring the home’s long history to life. Best viewed at night, the Chase house, even after nearly 70 years, remains a “lantern, a beacon in the city.” It is a “landmark and a landmark accomplishment.”

Chase artfully created his house beneath loblolly pines with windows that fully embraced Houston’s humid greenhouse climate. Its vast interior courtyard offered views of leafy tropical plants and gave his boys, John Jr. and Tony, space to ride bikes around a koi pond. The den where Chase worked offered vistas of family life even as he continued to sketch out a fast-growing list of projects for his firm. Inside the original house, Chase tucked a bar behind a bookshelf so that visiting Baptists ministers, teetotalers who frequently commissioned him to build churches, would not spot liquor but could be quickly extracted from an alcove when politico friends arrived for cocktails.

Churches remained a mainstay of Chase’s practice in the 1950s and ’60s, Fox writes. Many churches designed by Chase still stand proudly in Austin, Dallas, and Houston, too. In Houston’s Fifth Ward, Chase built the First Shiloh Baptist Church in 1954 and ’55. The church features a towering brick sanctuary with dramatically rising roof planes and a bell tower, a landmark on Lyons Street fit for a congregation established for more than 100 years. A marker outside the church today marks its historic status and Chase’s contribution, too. Through those early works, Chase had become a “starchitect.”

Gradually, Chase’s other projects took form as other private homes, more churches, and landmark buildings that rose across Texas—and beyond, as Fox’s essay explains. One of his very first jobs in 1952 was a building for a group then known as the Colored Teacher’s Union in Austin. He later earned major commissions from clients like Texas Southern University and Tuskegee University in Alabama. Many of his masterworks still stand on TSU’s Houston campus, including its Humanities Building, with a stunning rounded entrance bay, its student center, and its law school.

Eventually, Chase designed buildings on the campus of his alma mater, too— including UT’s utilitarian San Antonio garage and the track and soccer stadium.

But UT wasn’t always good at remembering its famous alumnus. He doesn’t appear in the school yearbook, for example. The first on-campus show featuring his work didn’t occur until after his death in 2012. But recently, one of his early Austin works, the 1952 headquarters for the teacher’s union, was acquired

by UT. It’s now being remodeled and refitted as part of the university’s community engagement programs—in a way, taking Chase’s architectural journey full circle. There’s also a John S. Chase scholarship fund at UT for promising Black students, particularly those with an interest in architecture. And now, at long last, there’s a UT Press book honoring his legacy and his home.

As his clientele and family expanded into the 1960s, so did the Chase residence. The Chases welcomed their third child, Saundria, to the family. In 1968,

when she was six, he began a renovation and simultaneously enclosed the atrium to create a vast two-story gathering space for a who’s-who of famous friends and clients, including the late Congressman Mickey Leland, actor Gregory Peck who was in town for a Democratic fundraiser, and other luminaries like John Connally, then governor of Texas. One iconic photo shows Leland, a regular at the Chase home, lounging in that atrium with Saundria, by then a young adult. The Chase house, “always in a state of flux,” continued to evolve. This new book, as Fox writes, honors an architect who was part of a larger artistic movement that “powerfully imagined, and gave compelling form to, new ways for African Americans to live in the American South, with dignity, assurance and distinctive modern style,” too.

This article was originally published by the Texas Observer, a nonprofit investigative news outlet. Sign up for their weekly newsletter, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

January + February 2021

| HEIGHTS | 19

life

BEWARE!

MAN PUTTING ON HIS EXERCISE SHOES! by the Honorable Philip Berquist, Honorary Consul for the Republic of Croatia

T

he year 2020 brought a lot of surprises to all of us, and most were not good. I picked an opera that I have always wanted to learn during the time off - “Die Frau Ohne Schatten” - the Woman Without a Shadow - by Richard Strauss. I have also been fortunate to discover a remarkable Swedish composer from the first half of the twentieth century, the relatively unknown Ture Rangström. I am trying to make him less anonymous.

I also took training and certified in an area that will provide a future article.

But, seriously, why not attempt to avoid the dreaded COVID-19 and try to get in shape? Quite frankly, there has never been a period of my life when I was truly “in shape.” Oh, some 15-20 years ago, I was a member of the old Downtown YMCA. I would ride a stationary bike for 45 minutes, three or four times a week for several years. That was probably the closest I ever came to feeling somewhat fit. It even allowed me to complete a ride in the MS 150 with relative ease.

My wife, Lisa Powell, has been in a “Boot Camp” with some friends for some 15 years herself. She gets up at 5:00 am three times a week. Impressive and, one would hope, be inspiring to me. To no one’s surprise, I sleep in.

A few months ago, we entered the “Peloton Era” as Lisa purchased the latest computer exercise bike - one fitted with a screen so you can have a personal trainer at your fingertips encouraging 20 | HEIGHTS | January + February 2021

you to peddle faster and faster, further and further. This seems like the perfect way to stay safe and to exercise in the comfort of your home.

Due to the heavy demand of like-minded people, there was a one month waiting period for delivery of the bike and our special Peloton shoes.

Finally, Lisa got the call that the bike was to be delivered and installed by a professional. Another nice touch in that putting things together is another in a long line of my “non-specialties.”

With the bike finally assembled and ready for action, we tried on our special shoes. You guessed it, hers fit, and mine did not. They use the European sizing method, and we had ordered what we thought would be my standard size 12.

The ones that came for me were 11’s at best. An immediate set back to my noble aspirations. They fit our son, Jack, however, so all was not lost.

Naturally, I got on-line and ordered the largest size that Peloton offers for men, a whopping 13 1/2 sized clodhoppers! They were delivered quite soon, and I was ready to go.

Arriving at 1:00 pm on a Wednesday, I took them into our kitchen to immediately try them on. A perfect fit, how exciting. As you can see by the photographs, they have a hard plastic bottom, and one has to manually add the part

on the bottom that clicks into the bike’s pedal. Of course, the base is to add stability, so there is no problem of your foot slipping off the pedal when the instructor on the screen gets incredibly annoying and demands increased power.

The Peloton cobblers have devised a most exciting shoe. There are two Velcro straps, and last but not least, a belt for a slot on the shoe’s outer side. My problem with this critical final step was that I could not see exactly where the strap entered the ratcheting device. Most people would have carefully removed the shoe and figured out this puzzle. I did not. My reasoning had me consider putting the shoe on a higher level to see the issue and complete the task. Most people would have put the foot and shoe on, say, a modest footstool. I did not. Why not put my shoe on a high footstool, say, a tall kitchen chair? Can you see where this is going?

I placed my right foot and shoe on the kitchen chair with both boots on, some three feet above the hard tile floor.

Did I mention that the bottom of the shoes is hard plastic? As you might correctly imagine, they are very slippery on kitchen tiles. With my right foot and shoe in such an awkward position, I could now see how the ratcheting system worked. Success!

Then, my left foot and shoe slipped out from under me, and down I went.

Hard! I landed not so graciously on my back, and my head whiplashed to the tile floor. Hard!

I vaguely recall hearing the kitchen television being on as I lost consciousness. After what turned out to be at least a half-hour, I came to and somehow made it to a chair in the living room and sat down, exhausted and confused.

Checking my watch, I realized that about 45 minutes had taken place that

I could not account for.

I called Lisa, and she came immediately home from work. She took me to the Methodist remote emergency center on the Southwest Freeway just west of Kirby. I received a COVID-19 test that was negative. They performed a brain scan, and I had a subdural hematoma blood oozing from my brain. It was not life-threatening, but a somewhat dangerous situation and a concussion at my age is not something to ignore. I was there for over six hours before transferring via ambulance to Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center.

At this time, allow me to digress and mention that several doctor friends have mentioned the importance of going to a remote ER rather than to a hospital ER during this dreaded COVID-19 environment. Rather than being exposed to patients at a hospital ER, I remained at the small ER until a room was ready for me at Methodist. The ambulance at-

tendants took me directly to my room, bypassing the regular ER. During those hours at the remote ER, Lisa asked if it would be faster to take me to Methodist herself. As we later found out, if we had done that, the entire evaluation process would start all over. Please keep this advice in mind if an ER visit is needed.

The next morning I was given another scan. The scan indicated that the bleeding had stopped, and by noon I was released. I felt strange grogginess for over a week, as you might expect following a concussion. But at least I was home. A visit scheduled with a neurologist to evaluate my condition was no longer necessary, and I took it easy for a few days.

As to the Peloton, it and my 13 1/2’s remain in our bedroom, and I will start riding after the first of the new year. Although I cannot confirm this, I would bet that I am the only hospitalized simply putting on exercise shoes!

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3801 Kirby Drive, Suite 100 Houston, TX (713) 520-6090 | qctailors.com January + February 2021

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FINANCIAL

FOCUS

Age

Y

our financial life has many stages. In financial planning, the government directly impacts your progress as you reach certain ages. As we start a new year, the Linscomb & Williams Wealth Management Team offers a quick refresher.

AGE

50

by Troy Taylor, CFP®

Wealth Advisor, Linscomb & Williams

22 | HEIGHTS | January + February 2021

Catch-Up Contributions

One of the most straightforward boosts to your retirement savings becomes available in the year of your 50th birthday. Once you reach this threshold, you can potentially take a bigger tax deduction by increasing investments into your pre-tax retirement accounts, such as a Traditional IRA or 401(k), or a taxfree Roth IRA. Upon reaching age 50, you can add an extra $1,000 per year to these accounts. You can add an addition-

al $6,500 annually into your 401(k), 403(b), or other employer-sponsored plans annually. These catch-up contributions can make 50 feel like “the new 40”.

AGE

55

The Rule of (Age) 55

There are further financial benefits at your disposal in your 50s – Who says getting older doesn’t have its perks? You can also make withdrawals from your employer-sponsored plans with fewer

Is Just A Number tax penalties, if you retire early, or are laid-off from your job.

Normally, when making a withdrawal from a 401(k), 403(b), or other retirement plan, federal income taxes are due.

But, on top of income tax, a 10 percent tax penalty is due for early withdrawal (i.e., before age 59½). But individuals over 55 are exempt from the 10 percent penalty.

Remember that the Rule of 55 only applies to employer-sponsored plans like a 401(k) – not IRAs. You’ll have to wait until you turn 59½ to make withdrawals from an IRA without penalty. Be sure to consult with your financial advisor before making a withdrawal from your retirement accounts of any type.

AGE

62 & 67

Important for Social Security

In our 50 years of helping families plan their retirement income, we see repeatedly that Social Security is usually an important pillar of support during your retirement. The longer you wait to start your benefit, the more you will receive as a monthly payment.

62: When You First Become Eligible for Social Security You are eligible to begin receiving Social Security benefits once you turn 62.

Age 62, however, is considered an “early” start and your monthly check amount will be reduced from the full retirement benefit. Depending on how long you live, starting early can cost you tens of thousands of dollars in the long run. We don’t know how long we’ll live, so that part is guesswork. What is not guesswork is this: You can receive significantly more in monthly benefits if you wait until you’re near or have reached your full retirement age.

the prior year. Money withdrawn as an RMD is typically taxable. This may not be an issue if your tax bracket is considerably low. If not, or if this money will bump you into a higher tax bracket, talk to your financial advisor about donating your RMD to an eligible charity in the form of a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD), a special IRS exemption that can help you reduce your taxes. We find that many of our retired clients who no longer claim itemized deductions on their income tax return find this QCD strategy particularly advantageous as a way to save income taxes, and in certain cases, reduce their Medicare Premiums.

Putting It All Together Getting older isn’t all bad news. As the saying goes, “Age is just a number”.

Discuss your situation with an experienced fiduciary financial advisor so you AGE When Required don’t miss or mis-use the tools available Minimum Distributions for your financial planning. With proper (RMDs) Begin planning, like a fine wine, your wealth Recent legislation raised the age when will only get better with time. you must begin taking RMDs from a Traditional 401(k) or IRA from 70½ to 72. The government requires you to Linscomb & Williams is a Houstonbegin taking money out when you reach based wealth management firm established in 1971. this age, whether you need the funds or not.

RMDs are calculated on the first day of every calendar year, and are based on your account balance on the last day of

67: Full Retirement Age For most people not yet retired, your full retirement age is likely between 66 and 67, depending on your year of birth.

The five-year spread between when you first become eligible for Social Security benefits and your full retirement age can make a big difference and carry pros and cons.

Our team here in Houston is often asked about Social Security –how much will I receive, how do I start receiving benefits, will it be there for me, etc.

While it’s easy to find general rules of thumb online, we encourage you to talk to a fiduciary financial advisor (who has no conflict of interest in giving you advice) to see what age makes sense for you.

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January + February 2021

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