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Challenger baseball time
Challenger Baseball, a baseball program for boys and girls with physical and mental challenges, opened its ninth season, and a retirement celebration was held in honor of longtime administrator Charlie Fox. Under blue skies, there were bleachers full of family and fans, and the West U Rotary staffed the concessions stand. Fox was joined on the mound by West University Little League Board president Stephen Crain, WULL Auxiliary president Michelle Juden and District 16 ADA-Challenger Joni Hruska Fichter, who, with the assistance of former WULL All-Stars (now Strake Jesuit varsity players) Christopher Simon, Kyle Santry, and Will Johnston, presented Fox with a flag that was flown over the state capitol on WULL’s opening day 2013. Fox threw the first pitch, and the Challenger games began. Pictured (from left) are Crain, Simon, Santry, Fox, Johnston, Hruska Fichter and Juden.

Splattered
The family that smears paint on each other sticks together. Ellie, Steve, Ian and Leah Ragiel (pictured, from left) participated in The Color Run, a 5K race downtown at Minute Maid Park where the goal is not to run fast but to get as much paint on yourself as possible. Also participating for the first time in The Color Run were the Corbett family, who have now decided to make it an annual family tradition. The partner charity was Expedition Balance, a nonprofit organization that helps veterans cope with post-traumatic stress disorder. See thecolorrun.com/houston/.

Symphony celebrated
More than 650 symphony supporters, including (pictured) Christina and Mark Hanson, danced the night away at the 2013 Houston Symphony Ball Russian Rhapsody – A White Night Salute to Hans and Margarita Graf. The event, held on the campus of Rice University and chaired by Phoebe and Bobby Tudor, raised almost $1.3 million for the symphony’s education and community-engagement programs. Also there were auction chair Mary Fusillo and symphony after-party chairs Lindley and Jason Arnoldy. (Photo: Michelle Watson)

Desk duties
West University Elementary students recently participated in a service project benefitting school children in Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world, for Kids In Need of Desks. K.I.N.D. provides locally made desks and benches for students in Malawi schools. West U students learned that children in Malawi often sit on dirt floors for up to seven hours per day and sometimes have no bathrooms, no playgrounds and no school supplies. Typically one teacher instructs more than 100 kids of different ages. Despite these disadvantages, many children walk several miles to get to school to learn. Through various fundraising efforts, including brownie and lemonade stands, the students raised $15,992, which will provide 246 desks for children in five Malawi schools.

A flock of Blue Birds
More than 270 Blue Birds and supporters gathered at the Houston Country Club to celebrate the organization’s 90 years. The luncheon raised more than $49,000 for the Blue Bird Circle Clinic for Pediatric Neurology at Texas Children’s Hospital, one of the country’s largest pediatric-neurology programs. The luncheon included a style show produced by Helen Perry with designs by Elizabeth Anthony-Esther Wolf. Pictured modeling a 1920s Blue Bird uniform is Ellen Vestewig. Also seen in the mix were Mills Toomey, Pat Maass, Anna Mermis, Nancy Hall, Lillie Beth Wilson, Pat McCutcheon, Mary Gannon, Carole Thrower, Nancy Abraham, Ann Elmer, Carole Sharp, Maggie Austin, Billie Selke, Rhonda Jones, Pat Lucas, Gina Saour, Deanna Murphy, Frances Hite and Sharon Baker. (Photo: Kim Coffman)

Hats for Hermann
Hermann Park Conservancy’s annual springtime fundraiser, Hats in the Park, was held at the park’s historic clubhouse. The luncheon brought in nearly $240,000, funds that will go toward maintaining the park. Hermann Park will celebrate its centennial in 2014. All things French were enjoyed in the spirit of the theme “Chapeaux” – French for “Hats”– including a 14-foot Eiffel Tower, champagne, petit macarons, and fine fashion in the form of hats on Houston’s fabulous ladies. Co-chairs Ellie Francisco and Kim Tutcher encouraged guests to wear their spring finest, including hats. Pictured (from left) are Doreen Stoller, executive director of Hermann Park Conservancy, Ann Kennedy, Hermann Park Conservancy board chair, Francisco and Tutcher. Also in attendance were Phoebe Tudor, Franci Crane, Lynn Wyatt, Bobbie Nau, Mayor Annise Parker, Ann Short, Cynthia Petrello and Nidhika Mehta.

Peruvian adventure
A group of St. Agnes Academy students and family members spent nine days in Peru over Spring Break. Highlights included climbing through the early morning mist to the Machu Picchu Citadel (pictured here). After visiting Machu Picchu, the group flew to Puerto Maldonado and traveled by bus and motorized canoes to Posada Amazonas for an authentic jungle experience where their hotel rooms were open, allowing the company of howler monkeys, red and green macaws, tapirs and agoutis. Pictured from left are (front row) Kelsey Siegler, Sarah Montonchaikul, Rose Montonchaikul, Sylvette Bobb, Marie Moore, Shannon Lewis, (back row) Robin Burks, Andrew Bobb, Lisa Morrow, Sydney Morrow, Sara Bobb and Amanda Estrada. Not pictured: Oren Moore.

Hoop dreams
Each year the National Basketball Association hosts its annual All-Star game in a different U.S. city, and this year it was Houston. The NBA also hosted an All-Star Jam Session Invitational tournament for private schools at the George R. Brown. This tournament involved private middle schools from all over Houston. The final four boy’s teams were all from the southwest Houston area, including St. Thomas’ Episcopal, St. Vincent de Paul, Trafton Academy and Westbury Christian. Westbury Christian won first, and Trafton Academy won second place.

Medical mingling
Young professionals met up at Brooklyn Athletic Club for an afternoon of friendly chatter, games, beef sliders and bubbly cocktails at a spring kick-off event for the new young-professionals group called PULSE (Professionals United to Lead St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System) co-chaired by Lindley and Jason Arnoldy (pictured). The event buzzed with bocce ball, badminton, and hospital news. Enjoying the day were Stuart Rosenberg, Elizabeth Weiss, Dan and Lindsay Pearce, Mindy and Travis Bryan, Lee Willeford, Annie and Tyler McQueen, Daniel Arnoldy and Laura Avant. See stlukestexas.org/pulse. (Photo: Daniel Ortiz)

Be seen in Buzz About Town. Send your high-res photos and community news to (info@thebuzzmagazines.com) info (at) thebuzzmagazines (dot) com or 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, TX 77401. Items are published on a space-available basis.

Another pup on the way

Thanks to all of you for the wonderful article (Can-Do Canines, by Cheryl Ursin, March 2013) in The Buzz about SEGD (Southeastern Guide Dogs). The photos were fantastic, and we were happy and surprised to see our photo with Kevin (taken by Nikky LaWell) on the cover! March 6th we drove Kevin back to Florida. On the 9th, there was an SEGD walk-a-thon, which raised $500,000. The organization is a non-profit, no government money or grants, and provides guide dogs to the blind free of charge. After the walk-a-thon we attended a ceremony where 10 Houston puppies and 20 puppies from other locations were returned to SEGD for “college.” This is where the REAL training begins.

We were so inspired by the entire weekend, meeting lots of blind people with their dogs, that we have decided to raise another pup for them. It will probably be a couple of months until we get a pup, but we are looking forward to the next challenge.

Thanks again,
Dan and Barbara Shellist

Editor’s note: The Shellists were featured on the cover of The Tanglewood/River Oaks Buzz. The story about puppy raisers appeared in all four Buzz magazines.

Pet article prompts happy tears

We always enjoy the Neighborhood Tails section of The Buzz when we receive our issue. Six or eight months ago, I decided to send a picture of our dog, Scout, with her “story.” While everyone considers their pet unique, we dearly loved this dog. Rescued from the Angleton SPCA, she was my Mother’s Day surprise in May 1999.

Scout was one of the girls at our house for 14 years. An off-the-chart Alpha-Female, she loved just about everything, except other dogs and possums. Sadly, a tumor inside her thigh crippled her in less than two months. She never recovered from a surgical biopsy, and we had to have her put to sleep on December 7.

I wondered if we should include her passing in the article that would be coming out in the March issue. We chose to just leave it alone – her story was perfect, as is. We had forgotten to look for the arrival of The Buzz, and it sat on our kitchen table for a day or so before I picked it up and it fell open to Page 28. There was our beautiful Scout. Tears flowed as we read the article, remembering the joy she brought into our lives for so many years, and missing her at the same time.

Thank you, West U Buzz, for Neighborhood Tails. We enjoy seeing a new pet every  month.

We still have Dudi, our nearly 18-year-old cat. I may have to send Dudi’s picture and his story (which is unique, of course).

Best regards,
Sue Dailey

Editor’s note: Sweet Scout was featured in The West University Buzz. We run a different pet in each Buzz magazine every month and are on the lookout for neighborhood critters to feature. To see your pet in The Buzz, send 150 words and a high-resolution photo to (info@thebuzzmagazines.com) info (at) thebuzzmagazines (dot) com.

Send letters to (info@thebuzzmagazines.com) info (at) thebuzzmagazines (dot) com. Please include your name, address, phone number and email address for verification purposes. Letters are subject to editing for clarity and space. Views expressed in letters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Buzz Magazines, and The Buzz takes no responsibility for the content and opinions expressed in them.

Hi! I spend every day walking with my family and visiting my dog friends. I have 12 dog friends on my street alone, so walks are a busy time for me! Sniff, smell, play and move on. It’s a lot of work socializing so much, but I’m okay with that since that’s my job. My other job is keeping up with my sister, Rosy. Rosy just lives a few streets away with my grandmother. She and I get together every day to play in my big back yard and to run on my mom’s white sofas. It’s fun, especially with the washer and dryer going,  cleaning those sofa cushions while we take our naps. Yes, it’s a busy life. I chase squirrels, birds, you name it.  One time I even brought a bird in to show my mom.  That’s not the best idea I’ve ever had though. I know tricks like sit, shake and lay down, and the best trick of all, coming when my mom calls.

Got a cute critter? Email a picture of your pet with approximately 150 words to (info@thebuzzmagazines.com) info (at) thebuzzmagazines (dot) com or mail it to The Buzz Magazines, 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, TX 77401. Featured pets receive two passes to Rover Oaks Pet Resort. Each pass can be redeemed for one day of lodging in a Bunk House Suite, 25 percent off your next grooming appointment or 25 percent off one obedience training class.

“If I can get there, I can pretty much figure out how to get around,” said Frieden, a disabilities advocate who’s been called a chief architect of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Frieden, a quadriplegic who lost most of his mobility in a car crash in 1967, has received a tribal greeting from Maoris in the jungles of New Zealand, visited Kuwait right after the Iraq War, and explored the Great Wall 20 years ago, before a wheelchair lift was installed.

“Xie Xie. Thanks a lot!” says traveler Lex Frieden to the Chinese military recruits who volunteered to carry him (and his wheelchair) up hundreds of steps onto the Great Wall.

And Sage, who was injured in a skiing accident at the age of 22, has strapped himself – wheelchair and all – onto a zip line and gone sailing through the rainforest canopy. He’s kayaked in Provence, toured Topkapi Palace and the ruins of Ephesus and visited the favelas in Brazil – and he proposed to his wife, Tiffany, on the Greek island of Santorini.

“It’s natural to feel anxious, particularly for individuals who are trying to get accustomed to a disability they haven’t had,” says Frieden, a professor at The University of Texas at Houston and program director at TIRR Memorial Houston. But with the ADA in the United States, and now a United Nations resolution on the rights of disabled people, traveling is more accessible than ever.

Sage, formerly an engineer. eventually became a professional travel advisor, and now he organizes trips for people with disabilities of all kinds, mainly in Europe.

But what Frieden, Sage and others have learned applies to many travelers. Whether you are a person with disabilities, a senior with limited mobility or a family with small children, this advice can make all the difference.

On choosing a destination
Build up practice, confidence and strength at wheelchair-friendly destinations before venturing to the harder ones. “There’s no reason to start with Istanbul, for example, which is really tough,” said Sage. “There are plenty of great options like London, Berlin and Barcelona that you could start with.”

Most U.S. destinations are handicap-accessible thanks to the ADA – but there’s still a lot of variance. Many have webpages discussing services for special-needs travelers.

Look for cities that are flat, offer accessible buses and don’t have a lot of cobblestones.

On planning ahead
“Don’t start with the idea, ‘We’ll figure it out once we get there,’” said Sage. He learned this the hard way when he went to Munich for the first time and was foiled two days in a row in palace tours. The first day, he discovered that a reservation was needed for wheelchair assistance. The second palace offered reservations only on certain days.

Double-check everything you read with a phone call or an e-mail. One example is the frequently cited but now nonexistent stairlifts on five important bridges in Venice. Due to saltwater and high maintenance costs, they were taken out of service. Sage keeps a website with information for disabled travelers – sagetraveling.com – and a reader alerted him to the change.

One of John Sage’s favorite forays was kayaking under the Pont du Gard aqueduct in Provence, France. Sage has been to more than 70 countries since a snow-skiing accident in 2001 left him with limited mobility.

Booking hotels at least four months in advance is important for accessible rooms, which tend to go quickly in the mid-priced hotels.

Accessibility extends beyond the hotel’s lobby. Make sure it’s in a wheelchair-friendly neighborhood. One painful lesson for one of Sage’s clients came, again, in Venice, where the hotel was indeed accessible, but it was surrounded by inaccessible bridges. It ended up costing about 100 euros just to leave the hotel.

For prescriptions, bring a letter from your doctor specifying what you need it for. Frieden almost got left behind on a Caribbean cruise because the transit authorities refused to allow him to take a fluid for a bladder condition. He called the supervisor, who finally decided it didn’t pose a threat.

Pack a tool kit for repairs and bring spares – inner tubes, chargers, etc. Sage spent a week on his own in Normandy when he was 25. He learned two lessons: First, always bring a spare inner tube. And second, in France, pharmacists will come and change your wheelchair flat.

Learn key accessibility phrases. “It’s important to know the basic words for toilet, restaurant, hotel, public transit, in the language of whatever country you are going to,” says Frieden. “You can’t simply say, ‘Is your doorway wide enough for a wheelchair?’ You have to know the width of your chair, and you have to be able to say, ‘Is your doorway 39 centimeters wide?’”

But language conveys more than information. “The more language you try to learn, the more the native people will respect you. That builds relationships.”

Sagetraveling.com has accessibility phrases in French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Czech.

On cruising
Don’t assume a cruise will be accessible just because it’s on a cruise line you know. A lot depends on the ports. In Naples, Sage explains, you can get off the cruise ship and you’re in the middle of the city. But getting to Rome or Florence involves a complicated obstacle course of public transportation to make it from nearby port cities to the destination and back and not miss your ship.

On fellow travelers
For traveling companions, remember it’s their vacation too, said Frieden.  “We don’t need to be protected all the time. Maybe I don’t want to jump on the zip line, but I might enjoy watching and taking photos while they are.”

On favorite destinations
Sage: Santorini in the Greek islands, with its dramatic volcano and legends of Atlantis, is his all-time favorite, which is why he chose to propose to his wife there – but it wasn’t easy. Sage had to go around for the four days leading up to the trip with a diamond ring hidden in his wheelchair pouch. “I said, what’s going to happen if they make me take it out at security? I guess I’ll get engaged at the Houston airport!” Fortunately, they did not, and the spectacular sunset made for a storybook proposal.

For accessibility, he loves Berlin, with the Brandenburg Gate, the remnants of the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie; and Barcelona, with its gothic quarter, accessible beaches, Picasso museum, Barcelona cathedral and driving tour to Gaudi-architecture sites.

Frieden: Paris is tough, but it’s still one of his favorites. An easier option is Dresden, often compared to Paris. “It has wonderful history, beautiful monuments, and it’s off the beaten tourist track so it’s not as expensive.” Also, because of the terrible bombing during World War II, much of the city had to be rebuilt, so ramps and other accommodations were added.

His picks for the most accessible cities in the U.S.: Washington, D.C., New York and San Francisco, for their transit systems, museums and historic places; San Francisco is challenging because of the hills, but you can make an appointment through its paratransit system and get virtually anywhere. He also loves Honolulu, where you can navigate the bus system all over Oahu.

Australia’s integrated public transit system is like a dream for the disabled, who can easily navigate cities like Sydney and Brisbane but also head out into the countryside or choose from miles of accessible beaches.

On challenges – and kindness
Sage: He spent a week alone in Normandy about three years after his accident, when he was just learning French. “I knew it wouldn’t be comfortable, but I was 25 and ready to conquer the world,” he said. He got to the train station in Bayeux and discovered there was no ramp. Some high school students lifted him down and back up another flight of stairs. The language barrier was tough – he remembers taking the train to Rouen, where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. He waited for the name to come over the loudspeaker but all he kept hearing was a man making a sound as if he were clearing his throat. Finally he realized – that’s how Rouen is pronounced in France!

Frieden: He got stuck in Amsterdam en route to Sweden at the time of an air controllers strike, which coincided, unfortunately, with the coronation of the new Dutch queen, and there was not a room to be had – much less an accessible one. He pulled out a Dutch phone book and started calling social-service agencies until he found one with an English-speaking social worker. He was lucky; she had parents who owned a bed and breakfast, and they were kind enough to vacate their own room on the ground floor.

Even so, there were six stairs to enter the house. He would park himself in front of the stairs and gaze wistfully upwards until some kind Dutch people would stop and carry him up.

Frieden’s long-term strategy is to help others every chance he gets.

“There’s something to be said for karma,” he says.

Resources

Sage Traveling: John Sage has put together a wealth of information particularly focused on European travel but useful for travel in general. Sign up for his free monthly newsletter and explore by city or topic: www.sagetraveling.com

Trip Advisor’s Traveling with Disabilities Forum: Travelers discus everything from mobility scooters to disabled toilets to specific destinations. Accessible hotel checklist is particularly useful. http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g1-i12336-Traveling_With_Disabilities.html

The Guardian’s Traveling with Disabilities page: News, views and comments on a variety of relevant topics. http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/travellingwithdisabilities

Independent Living Institute’s resource list: Based in Sweden but applicable worldwide. http://www.independentliving.org/links/links-travel-and-leisure.html

Access-Able Travel Source: The creation of Bill and Carol Randall; Carol has MS and uses a wheelchair. The site began with the couple’s travel experience and grew into a multifaceted resource with tons of information. http://access-able.com/

Rx: Freedom to Travel language series: A series of instructional CDs and phrasebooks in 10 languages designed to prepare travelers with health and/or mobility issues. http://freedom2t.com/

Able to Travel: A program of the United Spinal Association offering travel tips, travelogues and a wide range of services. www.abletotravel.org

ADA Technical Assistance Department: Primarily for service providers who need help becoming ADA Compliant: 1-800-949-4232.

For 40 days she sipped fresh guayaba juice, drank potassium-rich sugarcane water, and savored daily bowls of her Colombian grandmother’s chicken soup. “That soup was mandatory,” said Calderon, 37.

Like many societies, Colombians believe the best safeguard for a new baby is exquisite care for the mother. So for 40 days after giving birth, women are pampered by family. They’re shielded from stress. They abstain from sex, housework and cooking. Above all, they’re coddled with delicious, specialized foods.

Liliana Calderon, who is expecting her second child this summer, assembles ingredients for the Colombian-style chicken soup her grandmother taught her to prepare. A key ingredient is a fresh hen, ideally with fully formed eggs that also go into the soup for extra protein. (Photo: www.lawellphoto.com)

The tradition may sound like six weeks at a spa – a sweet idea, and totally unattainable for most new moms. In fact, women of all economic backgrounds in Latin America enjoy some version of a cuarentena, as it’s called in Spanish. The rural poor take it most seriously of all. With no access to doctors, they don’t see postpartum care as a luxury. It’s the best insurance that mother and baby will live.

In the United States, newcomers observe the ritual as best they can. Often they rely on friends, whom they’ll one day repay with similar help. And in a purely American twist, some husbands take on the housework, determined to give their wives something like the blissful six weeks they’d get at home.

According to medical anthropologist Laurence Kruckman, rituals like the cuarentena help explain why newborns of foreign-born women in the United States have higher life expectancy – and why traditional cultures report less postpartum depression.

“Absolutely,” agrees Dr. Ivonne Escudero Smith, an ob-gyn at The Woman’s Hospital of Texas whose family is from Mexico. “New mothers have support with this tradition. There’s going to be your aunt, your cousin or your friend to tell you: ‘I felt like that too. It’s normal.’”

It helps that all this emotional nourishment comes fortified with good food. That Colombian chicken soup, for example: “It’s wonderful,” Smith said. “It’s full of protein; it naturally gives hydration.”

Herbal tea, another staple, provides the hydration crucial for breastfeeding. Caribbean women are partial to infusions of bay leaf, an anti-inflammatory with calming effects, while Mexicans ply their daughters with atole, a comforting, milk shake-y drink made from toasted corn. Gently warmed and served all day long, it’s an easily absorbed form of iron and complex carbohydrates.

Guadalupe Harper, a Venezuelan-born mother of two, recalled her post-baby weeks in Caracas dreamily.

Every day, she sipped freshly juiced concoctions of raw spinach, orange and beets. She drank chicken soup made from hens, per her grandmother’s instructions – folklore insists hens are more nutritious than roosters – and nibbled platefuls of auyama, a vitamin-rich gourd similar to a pumpkin.

Even women who have spent most of their lives in the United States swear by the cuarentena. Geraldina Interiano Wise, the daughter of Salvadoran diplomats, spent her early childhood in Washington and New York and attended college at Rice University in the late 1970s.

Liliana Calderon’s grandmother, Carmen Irene Gonzalez, puts the finishing touches on her signature hen soup, a traditional meal for new mothers in Colombia.

But when Interiano Wise gave birth to her two children, she asked her mother to come to Houston and take care of her.

For 40 days, the older woman chopped and stirred. Her main dish was beef soup: “It was very important to get that iron,” Interiano Wise said. “Then she put the vegetables and leafy greens into the broth, including a Salvadoran spinach that’s like collard greens, for calcium and iron.”

And every day there was a bowl filled with translucent chunks of güisquil. Refreshing and easy to digest, this tropical squash keeps mothers hydrated and able to breast-feed. It’s also a superb source of folic acid.

Like many Latinas, Interiano Wise believes the cuarentena’s mix of care, company, and good food are the secret for making the first days of motherhood peaceful.

“Even though I question my mother in everything, because that is the kind of person I am, I did exactly what she said. It was such a treat, because I had been taking care of myself for so long.”

Hen Soup, “Sancocho de Gallina valluno”

Ingredients:
1 hen (150 gr.) skin removed and in pieces
1 1/2 liters of water
2 green plantains cut in irregular pieces
1 yuca root small cut in irregular pieces
3 potatoes cut in irregular pieces
1 tomato cut in small pieces
1 onion, finely cut
1 garlic, finely cut
1/2 spoon of saffron coloring (Goya brand Azafran)
1/2 spoon of salt
1/4 spoon of pepper
1 spoon of cilantro, finely cut

Preparation:
Fill big pot with the water. Heat over stovetop until boiling. Add hen. Add tomato and onion. Cook for about 1 1/2 hours until meat of the hen becomes soft and easy to cut. Add vegetables, garlic and Azafran. Cook until vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes (add water if needed). Add salt, pepper and cilantro. It’s ready to enjoy. Hen soup can be eaten with white rice and green salad, avocado and banana.

Sugarcane Water, “Agua de Panela”

Ingredients:
1 liter of water
One chunk of panela, broken into pieces (also called piloncillo; can be found at Fiesta)
Lemon (optional)

Preparation:
Rinse panela pieces, and put then to simmer in water until it boils. That’s it! If desired, add a squeeze of lemon. Serve hot or cold.

Single-Serving Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of water
1 tablet of chocolate, either unsweetened or sweetened as preferred. Abuelita-brand chocolate is a traditional favorite.
Sugar if you are using unsweetened chocolate
Cloves and cinnamon (optional)

Preparation:
Combine the milk, water and chocolate in a mid-sized cooking pot. Add the cloves or the cinnamon to taste if desired.

Simmer at medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is hot. Do not allow to boil. The chocolate should be mostly dissolved. It’s fine if there are a few small bits intact. Remove from heat.

Beat mixture with a whisk or a molinillo (a traditional Mexican wooden whisk. These can be found at Mexican grocery stores, including many Fiestas). It’s ready when the chocolate is very frothy. If the chocolate is unsweetened, sweetened with one or two tablespoons of sugar, according to taste. Serve immediately.

Claudia Kolker is the author of The Immigrant Advantage: What We Can Learn From Newcomers to America About Health, Happiness, and Hope.

The Wildcats captured the TAPPS 4A state title with a 58-48 victory over Dallas Christian in the championship game.  “We were an extremely young team with only three seniors on the entire roster, so this title was somewhat unexpected,” said Wildcats head coach Russell Carr.

With its victory over Dallas Christian in the TAPPS state final, Westbury Christian captured its 17th state championship in boys basketball.

As for the seniors, guard Arte Turner was a major play maker for the Wildcats, coming back from a knee injury which kept him out of the lineup last season. “This was special, especially with what I went through last season,” said Turner. “I was also really proud of the way the younger guys on the team stepped up this season.”

One of those younger guys was sophomore Kirk Berger, who was a big contributor to the Wildcats’ success. “We started slow but worked our way up by practicing and playing really hard. We stuck it out, and it paid off with a state championship,” said Berger.

With its 17 state championships, Westbury Christian boasts one of the most successful private-school basketball programs in Texas history. “We have a really good school in southwest Houston,” said Carr. “The consistency from our administration all the way through our faculty and coaching staff has been great. That sort of stability and credibility is what’s spear-headed us over the years.”

For the second straight year, the Beren Academy Stars earned a berth to the TAPPS 2A state basketball tournament, where the team dropped a four-overtime heartbreaker to Boerne Geneva 68-67 in the state semifinals.

It was just last year that Beren Academy made international news when the school was forced to forfeit its state semifinal game after refusing to play on the Jewish Sabbath. Beren fought for the right to play the game at an alternate time and won that fight as the team ultimately advanced to the state-championship final.

This season’s battle was strictly on the basketball court, where Beren played one of the longest and more memorable games in the history of the TAPPS state tournament. “It really was an incredible game,” said Beren Academy head coach Chris Cole. “We had a chance to win at the buzzer of the first overtime, and they had the same opportunity in the second overtime.”

In the third overtime, Beren was down by three points in the final seconds when Yoni Schiff connected on a 30-foot running shot at the buzzer that forced a fourth overtime period. “Yoni kind of threw up a prayer, but it was an amazing bucket,” said Cole. In the fourth overtime, Boerne Geneva took the lead for good in the final seconds on a pair of free throws for the ultimate one-point victory.

For the fourth consecutive season, the Lamar Redskins girls soccer team captured the District 20-5A championship.

The game marked another spectacular effort from Beren Academy senior Zach Yoshor, who scored 30 points for the Stars. Yoshor, who poured in 40 points in Beren’s regional-final victory over Northeast Christian Academy, averaged a lofty 30 points a game for the entire season and was selected to the TAPPS 2A All-State Team.

“To get back to state this season was extremely satisfying,” said Cole. “We lost four starters off last year’s team, and so we had several guys who had never played a single minute of varsity ball. You could see the growth and development of this team from beginning to end.”

It was another outstanding season for the Lamar Redskins girls soccer team, which posted a 26-2-1 regular-season record. The Redskins also won the District 20-5A Championship for the fourth consecutive season.

“When this team is clicking, we’re extremely tough to beat,” said Redskins head coach Ryan Holley. “It’s one of the best high school teams I’ve seen and coached.”

Leading the Redskins’ attack again this season was senior forward Natalie Cohen, who scored a remarkable 60 goals. Cohen also added 29 assists for the season. The Redskins’ second leading scorer was junior forward Kelly Andrus, who knocked in 38 goals while accounting for 23 assists. In addition, junior Sarah Gifford scored 25 goals and led the team in assists.

Other top players included freshman goal keeper Meredith Rose, who allowed only seven goals in the regular season. Sophomore midfielder Christiana Sullivan also played a key role in the Redskins’ success this season.

 Editor’s Note: Todd Freed is the Emmy Award-winning co-host and producer of the KUBE SportsZone, which airs Saturday and Sunday at 6 p.m. on Channel 57-KUBE. To submit information for possible inclusion in SportzBuzz, please email (todd@thebuzzmagazines.com) todd (at) thebuzzmagazines (dot) com.

Gretchen Hall eats Fritos and pickles covered in mustard. Her son Aaron does not. (Photo: www.hartphoto.com)

Whenever we sat outside at his rickety wooden table he would order me to pick him an orange.  Then Uncle Charlie would quarter the orange, smear Dijon mustard on each slice and slurp away.

I’m sure this kind of childhood is what led me to write a book two years ago titled Are You Gonna Eat That?!  It’s about the infinite ways in which everyday foods can be combined into personal and often bizarre creations.

Some actual items that real people eat:

• Oreos dipped in pickle juice.

• Corn on the cob topped with smooth peanut butter.

• Grilled cheese and Chips Ahoy sandwiches.

• Chocolate mini donuts dipped in queso.

• Potato chip and baked-bean pizza.

• White bread between two slices of buttered toast.

• Slice of Spam topped with kimchi (Korean pickled vegetables).

• Pringles sandwich with whipped-cream filling.

• Tuna salad in a sugar ice cream cone.

• Hot dog topped with Cheez Whiz using a sliced Twinkie as the bun.

Irma Christoffel stirs cheese cubes into her coffee and milk. (Photo: www.hartphoto.com)

Recently, I expanded my research to The Buzz’s neighborhoods. This is what your friends and neighbors are calling “food,” probably behind closed doors.

Kathryn Mendoza, an otherwise sane-looking esthetician, mashes black-eyed peas and ketchup in a bowl and sprinkles it with salt and pepper. She says, “I grew up in Tyler with a babysitter unsure of what we kids ate, so she combined whatever she could get her hands on.”

Kathryn’s taste buds, not surprisingly, are a little off kilter. In addition to her black-eyed peas and ketchup, she admits to crushing barbecue potato chips in her peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches.

Toy importer Irma Christoffel, a Puerto Rico native, makes a sugary, high-powered  “Nuevo Café con Leche (y Queso).”

Her version of this classic coffee-with-evaporated milk drink inexplicably includes dropping a handful of cubed cheddar cheese into the steaming brew. She waits for the cheese to just about melt and then savors her creation one spoonful at a time.

Irma says her 83-year-old mother originated the special beverage. Her mom still likes to drink one before going out salsa dancing.

Gretchen Hall, an office manager and sixth-generation Houstonian, is the creator of Fritos and dill-pickle slices covered in French’s mustard. She says she piles the Fritos and pickle slices in a big bowl and dresses it all with mustard “to taste.”

This dish was born when Gretchen had to work nights at Lord & Taylor in 1986 and had no time to get dinner. So she improvised, as she did with her mashed potatoes, corn, peas and brown gravy on a roll. “Think of it as sort of a desperation po’boy,” she says.

Civil engineer Luke Williams and his personal-shopper wife Kesslie claim that salted peanuts mixed with candy corn taste just like a PayDay candy bar. Kesslie also loves cinnamon rolls for sopping up her chili and melted butter on her fries. “Some spicy chili mixed with that sweetness of a cinnamon roll makes my taste buds smile,” she says.

French-restaurant hostess Jacqueline Brown says, “I had a childhood friend whose mother taught me to sprinkle sugar on, well, everything. Peanut butter-and-sugar sandwiches, grilled cheese with sugar, sugar on some vegetables, sugar on already sweet desserts – you get the idea.” Anybody know a good dentist for Jackie?

The Buzz communities certainly did not disappoint with their colorful mix of foods and interesting back stories. If you’re feeling adventurous some morning, here is a sure-fire way to get your day started like never before:

Irma Christoffel’s Nuevo Café con Leche y Queso

Mix together and heat 2 ounces of evaporated milk and 1 ounce of water until almost boiling. Pour into cup. Add 6 ounces of brewed Puerto Rican coffee or espresso grind (Central Market) to hot milk and water. Stir in 1-2 teaspoons of sugar (to taste). Add 6-8 small sharp cheddar-cheese cubes while coffee is hot.

Wait until cheese is almost melted (but not completely). Scoop out semi-melted cheese cubes with spoon to eat and sip coffee. Enjoy.

Editor’s note: Writer Steve Wiley’s book is available at areyougonnaeatthat.com.

Food photos by Julianne Christoffel

Submitted by Carolyn T. Johnson

(Photo: www.lawellphoto.com)

Where and when was the photo taken?
Wednesday afternoon, April 3, 2013, at Parr Jeko’s home in Houston.

Who is pictured?
Parr Jeko, a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, and myself (Carolyn Johnson), her neighbor. I’m between the ages of Parr’s two grown daughters.

What is happening here?
We are sharing a special moment over a handmade, ornate, framed tapestry.

Why is the photo special to you?
At Parr’s 80th birthday celebration recently at the Houston Country Club, there was not a dry eye in the house as, one by one, her family took the podium to share tales of their love and affection for Parr.

This kind of genuine emotion is usually reserved for funerals before the dearly beloved are laid to rest. And here Parr was, sitting in the middle of the head table, beaming, full of life, a twinkle in her eye, a tissue in her hand, taking in every word.

Finally I worked up the courage to speak. My voice quivered. She looked at me, smiling that beatific smile of hers. I took a deep breath and began. “I stopped in one afternoon for coffee.”

No sooner had I said that than she said, “That’s my friend. She writes books.” Everyone laughed because that was just like her, to take the spotlight off herself and make the other person feel important.

I smiled back and continued, “You’ve all said how she always gets you talking about yourself. Well, she got me telling her about how my husband and I got engaged on a gondola in Venice. Then she jumped up from the table, dug in her buffet drawer and pulled out a beautiful handmade tapestry of a Venetian gondolier serenading a young couple. She said she’d bought that tapestry 40 years ago and had been saving it, just for me, an acquaintance of only eight years.”

The speeches and that birthday night are memories now, but the coffee visits continue. That precious tapestry of the gondolier strumming his love songs hangs in my home as a constant reminder of what a special treasure Parr is. I feel humbled to call her my friend.

Every picture tells a story. Buzz Pics highlights a resident’s special photo and tells the story behind it. To submit your own Buzz Pics, send a high-resolution photo and answers to the Q&A questions. Total word length, including the questions, should be 300-350 words. Send to (info@thebuzzmagazines.com) info (at) thebuzzmagazines (dot) com, or call 713-668-4157, ext. 22. With a print photo, bring it by or mail to The Buzz Magazines, 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, TX 77401. Please include your email, phone and home address. Stories may be edited for clarity or space.

The director of development at the Children’s Museum of Houston says Mother’s Day is like all their family holidays – everyone together at their farm in Chappell Hill, relaxing, “making memories.” With one caveat: On Mother’s Day, mom Betsy will be perched at the kitchen island, glass of wine in hand, chatting and enjoying a day off.

Several years ago, for one of her dozens of volunteer projects, Melissa was publishing chairman for The Junior League of Houston. She got to know the League cookbooks intimately (she remembers selling the newest book Peace Meals right through the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, when buyers would drive to the League to pick up pre-paid copies of the books, asking if they could also take ice home).

Melissa Garlington, her brother Scott Garlington, and father John Striegler will gather at the family’s farm in Chappell Hill to celebrate mom Betsy Striegler (sitting at right) this Mother’s Day.

That dedication generated an affinity for many recipes in the book, which are now family traditions.

This year, Melissa’s family will celebrate Betsy with a brunch  of best-loved recipes from Peace Meals. They’ll start with Champagne Pomegranate Punch spiked with peach schnapps and brandy and continue on to Elegant Egg Strata, addictive Brown Sugar Bacon Twists, and Cool Meyer Lemon Pudding, made with Meyer lemons from Melissa’s brother Scott’s backyard. The list also includes their favorite Blackberry Shortbread Bars, which they’ll make using blackberries fresh-picked from E&B Orchards in Hempstead.

Amy Holmes, an attorney and mom of two little girls, also will host a traditional Mother’s Day for her family, but hers will be in the heart of the city.

“We just finished building a new home, so we are enjoying hosting a year’s worth of holidays there,” she says. For Mother’s Day, she’ll entertain her mom and soon-to-be stepfather from Austin and her in-laws from Oklahoma City.

“We will definitely cook,” Amy says. “I’m fortunate to be married to a man (Kevin Holmes) who loves to cook, and I’m hopeful he’ll take the lead so I can relax a bit. It is Mother’s Day after all!”

Amy’s known for clever entertaining, and she won’t disappoint this Mother’s Day. She’s thinking of centering brunch around the theme of “growth.”

“No matter how young or old we are, our families – and mothers in particular – are key to our growth,” Amy says. “As children, they feed us, read to us, provide a loving and safe environment in which to grow. As we age, they listen to us, provide advice and set us free to grow on our own.”

Amy suggests marking place settings with live flowers, packets of seeds or small plants along with note cards reading, “Thank you for helping me grow.” Napkins might be tied with twine interlaced with fresh sprigs of rosemary. And menu cards might include growth charts running up the sides.

Amy likes offering a signature cocktail. This time, she’ll make a twist on mimosas – passion fruit juice and champagne with a cranberry plunked into each glass.

And while Amy’s day, like Melissa’s, will be conventional, Monica Pope’s will be anything but.

“My Mother’s Days aren’t the typical pancakes-in-bed thing,” says the award-winning chef, restaurateur and local-food advocate. “That morning, I’m usually buried in customers,” at her restaurant Sparrow Bar + Cookshop (3701 Travis in Midtown).

“Our day is non-traditional; it’s after the brunch. But [my daughter] Lili understands that my work is how we make a great life for her, so she participates by coming to the restaurant and cooking. She hangs out with her ‘food family’ there, and we make our own celebrations.”

Monica says that includes coming home, after a long Sunday serving other moms, to her 10-year-old daughter and simply connecting. Cooking dinner together, watching a movie, reading, talking.

Lili was adopted, and she has two moms, so Monica works hard to help Lili understand her story. “Kids who know their stories, good, bad or indifferent, fare better,” Monica says. “And stories are what hold us together. In many ways, food is how we know who we are. Food is the language of family.”

To that end, Monica and Lili have a few favorite recipes that write the Pope family story. Like the hand-cut egg noodles (a.k.a. spaetzle) and Bolognese that both kids and parents can get into making – and eating.

“You realize everything starts at home, with your relationships with your parents,” Monica says. “On Mother’s Day you honor that. That’s the special part of the day.”

Melissa Garlington’s Mother’s Day Menu

recipes from Peace Meals

Champagne Pomegranate Punch

3 liters ginger ale, divided
½ cup brandy
1 cup pomegranate juice
1 cup peach schnapps
3 bottles brut Champagne or sparkling wine

This recipe requires advance preparation. The night before or at least 6 hours prior to serving, make ice cubes or an ice ring by pouring 1 liter of ginger ale into the desired container and freezing. Pour the brandy, pomegranate juice and schnapps into a large punch bowl. Just prior to serving, gently add the Champagne and the remaining 2 liters of ginger ale. Float the prepared ice cubes or ring in the bowl.

Elegant Egg Strata

Melissa uses farm-fresh eggs.

Sauce:
3 Tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, pressed
¼ cup chopped onion
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ cups chicken broth
¾ cup dry white wine
pinch of ground nutmeg
pinch of dry mustard
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup sour cream

Eggs:
3 cups cubed French bread
3 Tablespoons butter, melter
2 cups shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
8 eggs
snipped fresh chives, for garnish

This recipe requires advance overnight preparation. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and sauté the garlic and onion until soft. Add the flour and stir to combine; cook until light golden. Stir in the broth, wine, nutmeg and mustard; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Set aside.

Butter a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Place the bread cubes in the dish and pour the melted butter evenly over the bread; sprinkle with all the cheese. Mix the eggs and reserved sauce in a food processor. Pour the mixture over the bread and cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 1 hour before baking. Preheat the oven to 350. Uncover and bake for about 30 minutes or until set. Garnish with chives and serve immediately.

Brown Sugar Bacon Twists

1 pound bacon (16 slices)
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; place a wire rack on top of the sheet. Arrange the bacon in a single layer on the rack. Sprinkle the bacon evenly with the sugar and pepper. Tightly twist each slice to form a spiral. Bake until the bacon is crisp and browned, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Cool Meyer Lemon Pudding

Melissa makes this with Meyer lemons from her brother Scott’s backyard tree.

2¼ cups heavy whipping cream
¾ cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided
6 Tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons Meyer lemon zest

This recipe requires advance preparation. Bring the cream and ¾ cup of the sugar to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, adjusting the heat as needed to prevent the mixture from boiling over. Remove from heat. Stir in the lemon juice and vanilla, and cool for 10 minutes. Stir the mixture again and divide among six ½-cup ramekins, custard cups, demitasse cups or other small serving pieces. Cover and chill the puddings until set, at least 4 hours or overnight. Mix the remaining teaspoon of sugar with the lemon zest in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the puddings and serve.

Blackberry Shortbread Bars

Crust:
3 cups all-purpose flour

1¼ cups sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled

Filling:
2 eggs, whisked
½ cup sugar
½ cup sour cream
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
16 ounces frozen blackberries, thawed (Melissa uses fresh-picked)

Crust: Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with butter or cooking spray; set aside. Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor for about 45 seconds. Cut the butter into ½-inch cubes and process with the flour mixture for 30 seconds or until the butter is evenly distributed but the mixture is still crumbly. Reserve 1½ cups of the crust mixture to use as a topping. Press the remaining crust mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown; allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before adding the filling.

Filling: Combine the eggs, sugar, sour cream and flour in a large bowl. Fold in the blackberries. Spoon the fruit filling evenly over the crust and sprinkle the reserved crust mixture over the filling. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. Let cool for at least 1 hour before cutting into bars.

Monica Pope’s Bolognese with Hand-Cut Egg Noodles (a.k.a. Spaetzle)

Bolognese:
5 pounds ground venison, chili meat or ground pork
½ cup minced garlic
1 cup chopped celery root
1 cup chopped fennel, bulb only
1 cup finely diced carrot
1 cup finely diced onion
1 cup finely diced celery
½ large bottle red wine, approximately 3 cups
½ can tomatoes, drained
3 cups veal, chicken or vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste

Cook meat in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, and drain the fat. Remove the meat from the saucepan and set aside. In the same saucepan, sauté vegetables in a little olive oil until translucent. Add the meat back in, add the wine, and simmer until the liquid is cooked down by half. Add the tomatoes and stock, and simmer until the liquid is again cooked down by half. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spaetzle

3 Tablespoons butter
1½ cups flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 whole egg
4 egg yolks

Peck the butter into the flour and salt. Combine the egg and yolks, and then mix them into the flour mixture. Knead briefly. Wrap with plastic wrap, and chill the dough for 2 hours. To cook, roll out dough as thin as possible. Cut to look like spaetzle (a cross between noodles and dumplings) – it will look pretty scrappy. Boil for 3 – 5 minutes. Serve spaetzle with Bolognese over the top.

My name is Lizzy Tan. I am a junior at Lamar High School. In early January, one of my closest friends, Andrea Popova, who goes to The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, excitedly informed me about her soon-to-be-published memoir, Forgetting to Remember, which recounted her volunteer work with Alzheimer’s patients at Colonial Oaks Assisted Living.

Andrea Popova, at left, and Lizzy Tan combined quotes and choreography to create a dance performance that raised money for the Alzheimer’s Association.

I recently had seen a spoken-word dance piece, and was particularly moved by the poignancy of live oration combined with dance. This inspired me to suggest setting some choreography to quotes from her book. As an aspiring choreographer, I thought this project would be a great opportunity to cultivate my skills as well as contribute to the community in a positive way.

Because of our busy schedules, Andrea and I chose an April 7, 2013, performance date. Many of the venues we contacted were unavailable, too costly, or simply uninterested. After months of no luck, we were resigned to canceling the project. However, Andrea was finally able to establish contact with Alexis Eaton of the Alzheimer’s Association. Alexis Eaton truly helped salvage our project – she managed to secure a venue for the show and even found a way to get us an affordable rental fee. The show, which we named “Dance for Thought: The Alzheimer’s Awareness Project,” would become a reality.

I set seven pieces total for the show, which were all built around the theme of Andrea’s book. I worked with dancers from HSPVA and Lamar and had to work around several hectic schedules to plan rehearsals, which taught me many time-management and decision-making skills. We incorporated dynamic stage lighting, video, audio, media and spoken-word elements into the show to complement the dancing.

The show, held at the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center, was a huge success. More than 200 people came to watch, and everything ran smoothly. We have raised almost $2,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association, and are so grateful for all the support we have received throughout this process.

Want to be a Buzz Kid? Email approximately 350 words, a high-resolution photo and caption to (info@thebuzzmagazines.com) info (at) thebuzzmagazines (dot) com. Or mail it to The Buzz Magazines, 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, TX 77401.