Intown Jan/Feb 2011

january/february 2011 intown 1

2 intown january/february 2011


intownhoustonintown.com

[email protected]

Peter C. Marzio, The Game Changer These Boots are Made for WalkingHouston Renovator: A Better LifeLa Colombe d’Or MansionArts and EntertainmentInvestment WorldFood for ThoughtValentine’s 2011The Buzz


M.A. Haines PUBLISHER

Tess ReganEDITOR

Irene YangWEB & LAYOUT DESIGN

Elaine BrownLAYOUT DESIGN

Jay FordWEB DESIGN

CONTRIBUTORSBuddy BaileyGracie Cavnar

Brenda JacksonNancy KerschenMarene GustinKatheryn Houk

Carrie Kaufman

ADVERTISING 713.525.8607

[email protected]

Intown Magazine is published bi-monthly by SNS Media at 1113 Vine St., Suite 220, Houston, Tx 77002. Articles are welcomed and will be given careful consideration for possible publication. Intown Magazine does not assume any responsibility for unsolicited materials. Material submit-ted will be returned if accompanied by a stamped, self addressed envelope. You can also email [email protected]. Copyright 2011 by Intown Magazine. All rights reserved. Content may not be reprinted or otherwise reproduced with-out written permission from Intown Mag-azine. Space reservation deadline for all issues is 15 days prior to publication date. Final closing deadline for ads that are not camera-ready is the 5th of the preceding month.

contributors

Gracie CavnarWriter, philanthropist, founder and CEO of Recipe for Suc-cess, Gracie Cavnar is a fresh addition to the Intown writ-

ing team. Her columns, like her life, focus on “up living.” That is, eating, thinking and generally living well – and if

anyone knows how to do that, it’s Gracie.

Carrie KaufmanCarrie Kaufman is one of Intown’s newest writers. She has

contributed two stories so far with more on the way. A go-getter for sure, Kaufman juggles two jobs while pursu-

ing her writing career, one of which includes performing with the Houston Rockets Power Dancers.

Roseann RogersHouston’s “Buzz Lady” has been on the social scene since her days at KPRC Channel 2 in the mid-1990s. You’ve seen her on television and the social pages of pretty much any publication in the city. Suffice to say, if it’s a great party or charity function, Roseann is there.

Marene GustinFor more than 20 years Marene Gustin has written about Texas culture, food, fashion, arts and even Lone Star politics and crime for publications locally and nationwide, through the mediums of print, web and television. As Marene puts it, “if it’s Texas culture, I’ve got it covered.”

Katheryn Houk General Manager for John Moore Renovation, LLC is a

professional and accomplished interior designer. She holds several prestigious designations from the National Associa-tion of Homebuilders including Certified Graduate Remod-eler (CGP), Certified Green Professional (CGP) and Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS). Her previous experience

included leadership roles in energy management and mar-keting leadership roles across diverse industries.

Nancy KerschenHouston native Nancy Kerschen is a certified sommelier whose unconventional life in the winelane has allowed her to work in New Zealand, Napa Valley, and France. She’s the newest addition to the Intown con-tributing staff and brings with her a wealth of knowledge on the wine industry in Texas and around the globe.


It’s no secret that when the rest of the world thinks of Texas, they often envision the sterotypes- belt buck-les, beef, and a tasty bottle of...wine? Okay, not yet, but we’re getting there. Although winemaking in Texas has been around for over 350 years, modern wine making in the Lone Star State is relatively new. Its history dates back to 1970, when commercial viticultural practices were beginning to take root, so to speak. However, the last decade has really seen a growth spurt in the Texas wine industry and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

In 2001, our wine industry was given a significant boost when state legislators passed House Bill 892, “The Texas Wine Marketing Assistance Program,” which originally designated $500,000 for two years of wine marketing to the Texas Depart-ment of Agriculture. The program proved to be a successful endeavor, because in 2005, the stipend leaped to five million. Since the creation of Go Texan Wine, the catchy moniker for the TDA marketing program, the public as well as winery in-siders have direct access to information and education under one roof. Not to mention, part of the budget is allocated to yearly grape-growing grants to improve practices and increase viticultural acreage. The state stands at 5th in the nation as far as production goes, and has grown to a $1.35 billion industry, visible in the explosion in the Texas winery count: from 42 in 2003 to over 250 currently. Much has been accomplished in the last decade; however, it’s only the dawn of a new era.

Like the proud Texans we are, first on the agenda for our vini-cultural future is to take pride in our state. Our climates and soils differ immensely even intrastate, let alone from the rest of the country, so why try to imitate those regions? For the

Lone Star Wine

Shines Bright

by Nancy Kerschen


sake of producing premium wine, winemakers are mak-ing bold moves to honor the grapes that do well here by experimenting with multiple varietals. Grapes with French origins such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Viognier aren’t new to our state’s vineyards, and are in-creasingly joined by vines that hail from the warmer cli-mates of Italy and Spain such as Tempranillo, Vermentino and even Madeira. Instead of planting varietals that only flourish in cool climates, growing grapes that are symbi-otic with our state’s warm temperatures is a necessity for producing high-quality wine. Makes sense, doesn’t it?

From the Red River to the Rio Grande, Texas vino is also becoming more accessible to consumers. As entertaining as it may be, no longer are you required to take a trip to the winery to purchase bottles because many local super-markets have designated a separate Texas wine section on their shelves. If Whole Foods, Specs, Central Market and even Fiesta carry an expansive array of Texas wine, it’s because they recognize the bright future of the indus-try here. The Park Lane and Highland Park Whole Foods in Dallas even goes as far as carrying Texan wine on tap, a Vermentino and Montepulciano, both from award-win-ning Duchman Family Vineyards in Dripping Springs. At last summer’s San Francisco International Wine Compe-tition, Duchman came home with a double gold medal for their 2008 Dolcetto, and they’re not the only Texan winery with bragging rights. Becker, Bernhard, Haak, McPherson and Flat Creek, to name a few, have all been making waves at contests from coast to coast, bringing well-earned attention to the Lone Star State’s wine in-dustry.

Staying true to the Texas spirit, our state has taken the bull by the horns, and is aggressively constructing a solid wine industry here. We Texans eagerly embrace a good challenge and the progress that’s been made over the last decade is proof that we’re on our way to build-ing a noteworthy name for ourselves in the expansive world of wine. Equally graced by our deep vinicultural past as well as our optimistic can-do attitude, it won’t be long before our state is globally recognized as a veritable wine-making powerhouse. So, my fellow proud Texans, tip your hat and raise your glass to the prosperity and posterity of the Lone Star State of Wine.

If Whole Foods, Specs, Central Market and even Fiesta carry an expansive array of Texas wine, it’s because they recognize the bright

future of the industry here.


The Game

ChangerPeter C. Marzio

I worked closely with Peter Marzio at the MFAH for close to 18 years. One way to convey the enormous impact of his work is to compare the museum that I first saw in 1984, just one year after Peter had become director, with what was there when I moved away from Houston in 2003. From a small, regional museum, the MFAH had become one of the best art museums in the United States. The size and range of the collections, the museum campus, and the educational and public programs had grown phenomenally, creating a welcoming, beautiful, and artistically important center for Houston and visitors from around the world. This was due to Peter’s great vision for the institution and the city. Peter believed art had the power to change people’s lives and he commu-nicated this credo to board members and staff alike. He was much loved and will be much missed.

by Tess Regan


Those are the words of Janet Lan-day, executive director of the Associa-tion of Art Museum Directors and for-mer assistant to Dr. Peter Marzio, who lost his fight with cancer in December of 2010. Janet’s statement echoes those of all who knew Dr. Marzio. To put his accomplishments in the simplest of terms, Dr. Marzio was success personi-fied. During his nearly 30-year tenure as director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, it rose from 30th to the sixth largest in the nation. Marzio doubled the museum in size with the Audrey Jones Beck building, added a sculpture garden designed by Isamu Noguchi as well as a four-and-a-half-acre estate dedicated to European art, more than tripled the permanent collection from 20,000 objects to 62,000, and increased the endowment eighteenfold, via rela-tionships forged with wealthy art lov-ers like Caroline Wiess Law and Lily Jamail.

But perhaps more important than his ability to bring in the bucks was the direction in which he chose to point them. He believed that art was for the people—all of them, and supported ex-hibits of art from all over the globe, as a way to both educate and include. He knew art had a power, because he was himself changed by it, and wanted to give all people the chance to experi-ence it.

As a young student, Marzio was in-spired by Goya’s “The Forge” at the Frick Museum in New York. He claimed that the painting had a trans-forming effect on him, and that, in that moment, he was able to understand the formal elements of the painting. These beliefs are reflected in Marzio’s past, which was as varied as it was rich. He was born on Governor’s Island in New York City in 1943. The first member of his family to finish high school, he earned his bachelors degree at Juniata College in 1965 in Pennsylvania with the help of a football scholarship. Just a year later he got his master’s from the


Clockwise from top left:

Peter Marzio receiving check from Meredith Long of Houston Art Dealers Association, April 1984.

With Isamy Noguchi in the Cullen Sculpture Garden, Janu-ary 1986.

Informal portrait with mod-ern painting behind him, early 1990s.

President George Herbert Bush greeted by Peter and Frances Marzio, July 1990.

With Rafael Moneo outside the Law Building, 1990s.

Peter Marzio with Alfred Glassell, October 1995.

Receiving IMLS Award for Museum Service from Fisrt Lady Hilary Clinton at the White House, September 1997.

Caroline Wiess Law and Peter Marzio at Beck Building opening day, March 2000.

With Roy Cullen and Isabel Brown Wilson at sculpture garden anniversary event, April 2006.

Peter Marzio, Carlos Cruz-Diez, and Cornelia Long, May 2008.

Signing “Masterpieces from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston: Director’s Choice,” February 2010.

Peter and Frances Marzio at the “German Impressionist Landscape Painting: Liebermann-Corinth-Slevogt” dinner, September 2010.

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v

v


Houston is by contrast conservative, it is a city of individualists, and those individualists

are both thought-filled and tolerant. That type of community was the perfect breeding ground

for a world-class art museum.

University of Chicago and his doctor-ate in history three years after that. He lived and studied in Rome on a senior Fulbright research fellowship in 1973. During this time he also taught at the University of Maryland and was re-search assistant to Daniel Boorstin on his book, The Americans: The Demo-cratic Experience, which won the Pu-litzer Prize that same year. After that he served as curator of prints and chair-man of the cultural history department at the Smithsonian Institution, where he was editor and an author for their book, A Nation of Nations, in 1976. In 1978, he was named director and CEO of the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Wash-ington, D.C. In 1982 Marzio moved to Houston to head the then fledgling fine arts museum.

Though it was inevitable that such an accomplished name as his would ap-pear on the short lists of candidates when vacancies popped up at top mu-seums in other cities, including MOMA in New York City, Marzio was dedicat-ed to what he had started in Houston.

He once said that while Houston is by contrast conservative, it is a city of in-dividualists, and that those individual-ists are both thought-filled and tolerant. That type of community was the per-fect breeding ground for a world-class art museum, which is what Marzio cre-ated. The next in line of the many high-profile international exhibitions that he arranged is the French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Masterpieces from the National Gallery of Art, which opens February 20th.


La Colombe d’Or Mansion

A Little Gem Dazzles in Montroseby Marene Gustin

Nestled among towering ancient oak trees, and often overlooked even by Houstonians, La Colombe d’ Or Mansion is an oasis in the midst of Montrose, one of the few remaining oil baron mansions in the area.

Built in 1923 by Texas architect Alfred C. Finn for W.W. Fondren, Sr., founder of Humble Oil and Refining Co. — now ExxonMobil, the man-sion almost didn’t survive.

After her husband died, Mrs. Fondren moved into a home in a new little subdivision called River Oaks in 1949 and gave the Red Cross a 25-year grant to the mansion. The Prairie School-style building housed the orga-nization’s home for mentally challenged children and then visiting nurses over the next two decades.By 1979, the Red Cross had moved out and the family sold the building


for the cost of the land to Steve Zimmerman, an attorney and law teacher at nearby St. Thomas who had been buy-ing up land along Montrose Boulevard at the advice of his friend Mrs. de Menil.

“The architecture of the mansions built near downtown around the turn of the century was amazing,” he recalls. “ And I was interested early on in someday buying one.”

But Zimmerman feared the one he bought would be a tear-down, until he began demolishing the interior — ripping out tacky vinyl and florescent lights — and the bones of the original building emerged. Antique hardwood floors, marble mantels and stun-ning, intricately paneled walls and ceilings were all still there, hid-den underneath the 70’s renova-tions.

To his credit, Z i m m e r m a n abandoned any ideas of razing the building for townhomes, and restored the man-sion to its for-mer elegance. La Colombe d’ Or Mansion opened to the public in 1980 as one of the world’s smallest luxury hotels. And the restaurant, with its French cui-sine, stellar ser-vice and delicate china, became wildly popular. And it made a national name for itself when the oil bust hit and Zimmerman starting selling lunch for the price of the day’s barrel of oil. Since then it’s been a favorite of energy CEOs, lawyers, Republicans and even ladies who lunch.

In 1996, Le Grand Salon was added, built with 300-year-old artifacts from the country chateau of Comte Henry Gref-fulhe and Princess Elisabeth de Caraman-Chimay, La Com-tesse Greffulhe. The addition of the ballroom made the tiny hotel a perfect spot for weddings and parties.

Over the years, everyone from royalty to Madonna to Bish-op Desmond Tutu has stayed at La Colombe d’ Or.

“In 1997 President Clinton stayed here,” remembers Zim-merman’ s 26-year-old son Dan, who along with his young-er brother Mark, is now working in the family business.

“I was 13 and we got to wear little suits to school instead of our uniforms. Police cars came to pick us up from school that day and bring us to the hotel to meet him. I’m not sure the other kids believed we were going to meet the presi-dent.”

That’s just one of the special memories he and many other Houstonians have of this historical mansion.

Today, the man-sion has under-gone an elegant facelift and the restaurant has been rebranded as Cinq, in honor of the five rooms in the hotel, the five dining areas in the restaurant and the five sens-es. New execu-tive chef Jeramie Robison has left some of the tra-ditional dishes such as the lob-ster bisque and rib eye, while adding some new menu items like his melt-in-your-mouth braised short ribs with wild mushrooms.

Three decades after opening, the dining room and downstairs bar are more popu-lar than ever, and

the five exquisite suites on the second floor offer luxury accommodations including a dining alcove on what were once sleeping porches, necessary since there was no air conditioning when the home was built. On the third floor, the 2,000-square-foot penthouse suite is now an art gallery available for special events.

If you’ve never been to this little gem, or haven’t been in a while, it’s certainly time to enjoy a fine meal and revel in some of Houston’s history.

La Colombe d’Or, 3410 Montrose, 713.524.7999For more information, visit: lacolombedorhouston.com.


13 Celsius is a wine bar and retail shop in Midtown that stores its wine in an actual cellar, at 13 degrees Celsius. The environ-ment is a 1920s Mediterranean-style building similar to wine bars and cafes in Europe. They offer a unique wine-centric ex-perience for the connoisseur and novice alike. You can choose wines from the ever changing and expanding list by the glass, half glass or bottle, as well as fine ports, sherries and beers. Ar-tisan meats and cheeses from the antique deli cooler enhance your wine experience as well as handmade paninis and tapas. If you’re not looking for wine, try the vintage Italian espresso ma-chine that dispenses frothy espresso and perfect cappuccino. If you’ve found your perfect wine and can’t leave without it, don’t sweat it… all wine is available for retail to-go at $5 off.

13 Celsius3000 Caroline St.713-529-8466www.13celsius.com

Take advantage of Houston’s year-round mild climate and enjoy outdoor dining or walks in one of the city’s many parks. Take a stroll at Discovery Green Park, Hermann Park or Sam Houston Park. Be sure to check the events calendar for the Miller Outdoor Theatre as well. There are always free events and it’s fun to bring your own wine and have a picnic with your special someone or enjoy a picnic with friends. Don’t forget about Houston’s open patio restaurants. A few places to visit for a nice brunch or eve-ning dinner out on the patio are:

Backstreet Café1103 S Shepherd DrHouston, TX 77019www.backstreetcafe.net

The Grove1611 Lamar St713-337-7321 www.thegrovehouston.com

Ibiza Food and Wine Bar2450 Louisiana St. (McGowen St.) 713-524-0004

So, for those of you in love, you know Valentine’s Day is near, but for those of you who are out of love and single, then you’re aware that Cupid’s day is coming about. Here is how we suggest avoiding the reminders of being single or the pressures of being perfectly romantic.

Throw an Anti-Valentine’s Day Party. We know, it’s not the first time you’ve heard this… but hey, it works! Take the pressure off you and your friends by cooking up some tasty treats, delicious drinks, cranking up the music and getting your groove on.Get physical. Okay, not THAT kind of physical. Instead of packing on the pounds with chocolates, candies and fancy dinners, hit the gym for some physical activity. You can even create an Anti-Valentine’s Day play list on your iPod to burn those calories.Whatever your relationship status is for Valentine’s Day, be cre-ative and enjoy yourself. After all, February 14 is just another day on the calendar.

Valentine’s Day is around the corner and for some this could be exciting… for others, maybe not so much. Perhaps 2010 wasn’t your best year and you’ve had to eliminate some people in your life. That’s okay because this guide is dedicated to all those people who want to make February 14 special, and those who just want it to be over. Whether you are single and looking, in a relationship or married, Valentine’s Day can be spe-cial for you this year. All it takes are a few ideas and a bit of plan-ning to have a fun Valentine’s Day. Here are some ideas and tips to make this Valentine’s Day a win-win situation for all relation-ship statuses.

Leave the Houston city limits and the same old restaurants be-hind and take a two-hour cruise on a Star Fleet Yacht in Clear Lake or Galveston Bay. You can either take that special someone for a night they won’t forget or hang out with your friends and enjoy great food, complimentary wine and beer (cocktails too at the cash bar), magnificent views and live music. The yachts are made with high ceilings and beautifully decorated interiors to make dining an elegant experience. Dine and dance under the stars, stroll the deck and watch the sun go down across the wa-ter. The live band will make you want to dance with your loved one or cut a rug with your pals.

Star Fleet Marina280 Grove Road281-334-4692

Valentine’s 2011

Ibiza Food and Wine Bar

by Carrie Kaufman

www.thevinestreetstudios.com713.203.4600

Free Parking, Close to courthouse, Storage available

VINE STREET STUDIOSPrime Downtown Office Space



s rodeo time approaches, Houstonians’ thoughts turn from winter wear to Western wear. And bespoke boots — custom made footwear — are one of those wonderful things all Texans should buy at least once in their lives.

Pretty much every Texan has heard of San Antonio’s Lucchese Boot Company, makers of custom cowboy boots since the 1880’s, but there are some local bootmakers who are pretty famous, too, like Rocky Carroll at R J’ s Boots, who fashions footwear for thepower elite.R J’ s has been in business since 1938 and Carroll and his father have made boots for everyone from Dale Evans to Elizabeth Tay-lor (Taylor had her White Diamonds perfume logo on them in real diamonds at a cost of $40,000). President George H. W. Bush has 60 pairs of Carroll boots and his son President George W. Bush as 45 pairs. But in today’s digital world of instant gratification, hand-made boots are a dying art.“It’s hard getting young people to do this,” says Carroll, 72. “I love what I do, I made my first boots at six and I don’t ever plan to re-tire. But there’s no school for this. You have to get into a store and apprentice to learn the trade. The only way I get new bootmakers is to recruit them from El Paso.” El Paso, with its border proximity, is the home of custom cowboy boots with such well-known outfits as RocketBuster Boots, Tres Outlaws and The Stallion Boot and Belt Company.Getting a custom-made boot is a process. Once you’ve had your feet measured, chosen your design and skin, it can take months or more than a year to get them from a custom bootmaker. And they aren’t cheap. Prices range from $500 up to several thousands,mostly depending on how exotic the skins are and how intricate the design.The wait at Wheeler Boot Company, opened in Houston in 1960, is currently more than a year. The family operation, now run by Dave Wheeler, admits it is slow, painstaking work. But work he loves.Unfortunately, Houston lost one of its oldest custom boot compa-

These Boots are Made for (more than) Walking

The Art of Custom Cowboy Bootsby Marene Gustin

A


nies last year when Maida’s Black Jack Boot Company, in busi-ness since 1902, closed its doors.But there’s still a little shop in town where you can get your boots. Tejas Custom Boots’ shoe box-sized store in Montrose is a real old school shop, where ancient sewing machines share tables piled with cowhides, ostrich and sharkskins. Here they make everything from Houston Police Department motorcycle boots to leather hu-midors for Snoop Dog.And, of course, custom cowboy boots, many made from alligators that store owner Mike Kuykendahl kills himself. Here, soles are fastened with lemon wood pegs — not nails — and customers can choose from a variety of toe boxes, scallop tops and heel designs.“You’ d think in a town like Houston there would be more than three or four bootmakers,” says Kuykendahl. “ But young people just aren’t interested in going into the business, it’s hard work.”But the beauty of having a custom-made boot is in the comfort. Designed to fit your every bunion, toe and heel measurement, these boots slide on like a fine glove and there’s practically no break-in time. Plus, as Kuykendahl says, anyone can get a boot off the rack but then there are 10-20 boots out there that look ex-actly like yours. “ With a custom boot you can have your initials or name on it, your college or corporate logo.” In other words, these are your boots. And nobody else will have a pair just like them.Even though Tejas is expanding this spring — more than doubling its size since the storefront next door became available — Kuyk-endahl admits the art form is fading. Which just means you better pony up the money now, and get your one-of-a-kind, perfect-fit boots. In time for this year’s rodeo.

Tejas Custom Boots208 Westheimer Rd.713-524-9860tejascustomboots.comCustomers: Pres. Bush (41), the presi-dents of Ethiopia and Honduras and Deke Mutombo

Wheeler Boot Company4115 Willowbend Blvd.713-665-0224wheelerboots.comCustomers: Dr. Red Duke, Dick Cheney and defense attorney Dick DeGuerin

Photos courtesy of Tejas Boots


ACash Balance Plan is an ERISA-qualified defined benefit pension plan. It takes maximum advantage of higher benefit levels available to such plans under federal law. If you and other highly-compensated employees are currently maximizing con-tributions to your 401(k) and profit-sharing plans, it can be a valuable new plan addi-tion to your retirement program.

Cash balance plans are subject to mini-mum funding standards, and must provide a specified accrued benefit at retirement. However, hypothetical “individual ac-counts”, such as in 401(k) plans, are used to communicate the current value of each participant’s accrued benefit. Participants receive periodic statements showing the ac-cumulation of “contribution credits” based on compensation, age and service, and “in-terest credits” based upon a market rate of return. Actual contributions are based upon actuarial projections, and actual earnings are credited to the funds based upon ac-tual investment performance. Distributions from cash balance plans are normally paid as an annuity from a defined benefit plan because their payouts are determined by formulas in pension plan documents. Lump sum benefits may also be available to vest-

Are Cash Balance Pension Plans Right for Your Business?

INVESTMENT world


s

ed participants (with consent from spouses) upon termination of employment or retire-ment Plan assets are protected from credi-tors by ERISA in the event of bankruptcy or lawsuit.

Defined contribution plan amounts are designed to help accelerate “catch-up” savings. For 2010, the maximum annual 401(k) deferral is either $16,500, or if the person is age 50 or older, $22,000. With a profit-sharing plan, these individuals can defer an additional $32,500 for a total of $49,000 ($54,500 for those over age 50). A Cash Balance Plan allows the business to make tax deductible contributions for eli-gible employees determined under a non-discriminatory formula which may exceed the dollar limits for defined contribution plans. Cash balance plan contributions are in addition to amounts contributed for an employee to a defined contribution plan.

Ideal candidates are companies with own-ers, partners or other highly compensated employees who may have neglected retire-ment savings to either grow their business or otherwise desire to catch up on savings. Businesses should have consistent cash flows and profits since contributions are required on an ongoing basis to meet the minimum funding standards of the internal revenue code. Since the rule changes in 2006, groups most likely to implement cash balance plans include medical and dental practices, law firms, family businesses and certain sole proprietorships. Cash balance plans require the services of an actuary to determine appropriate funding levels.

The Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA) created an opportunity for you and your highly compensated employees to enjoy additional tax benefits by adding a Cash Balance Plan to your retirement program. PPA introduced a faster minimum vesting requirement of 100% after three years of service beginning with the 2008 plan year. In addition, safeguards against age dis-crimination due to cessation or reduction of benefit accruals have been introduced. New conversion rules from traditional pen-sion plans to cash balance pension plans prevent loss of benefits.

Your current retirement program may not be taking advantage of the Pension Protec-tion Act of 2006 changes which favored Cash Balance Plans. Now is the time to re-

view your current plan design to make sure you are fully maximizing your tax savings and retirement contributions.

For More InformationIf you would like to explore if a Cash Balance Plan would be suitable for your business, or if you would like assistance reviewing your current plan, please call Brenda Jackson at 713-968-3092.

This article is published for general infor-

mational purposes only and is not an offer or solicitation to sell or buy any securities. Any particular investment should be ana-lyzed based on its terms and risks as they relate to your individual circumstances and objectives.

Investments and services offered through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, mem-ber SIPC. Submitted by: Patrick Lesley and Brenda Jackson. © 2010 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney.


Bayou Bend1/16 Family Day: Remember the Ladies – Women in America1/30 History Series: Living Spaces - Making a House a Home2/6 History Series: Living Spaces - Making a House a Home2/13 History Series: Living Spaces - Making a House a HomeBlaffer1/15 – 4/2 Johan Grimonprez: It’s a Poor Sort of Memory that Only Works Backwards1/15 – 4/2 First Take: Okay MountainContemporary Arts MuseumOngoing – 1/2 Perspectives 172: Kirsten PierothOngoing – 1/23 Benjamin Patterson: Born in the State of FLUX/usHolocaust Museum Houston1/10 – 2/28 Whoever Saves a Life… Rescuers of Jews During the HolocaustHouston Center for PhotographyOngoing – 1/9 Rose Marasco: ProjectionsOngoing – 1/9 Artist DialogueLawndale Art CenterOngoing – 1/15 The Adoration of the Mystic Dog by Maria SmitsOngoing – 1/15 Fugitive Emissions by David SullivanOngoing – 1/15 Where Pigeons Dare by Rachelle VasquezOngoing – 1/15 In and Out of Whack by Kimberly Hennessy & Deb Karpman1/28 – 3/12 When I saw you last… by Josephine Durkin1/28 – 3/12 Natural Resources by The Bridge Club1/28 – 3/12 Working Space by Hollis Cooper1/28 – 3/12 M4M by Mark AguharMenilOngoing - 1/30 Kurt Schwitters: Color and CollageOngoing – 2/20 Vija Celmins: Television and Disaster, 1964-66Ongoing – 2/20 Kissed by Angels: A Selection of Work from Southern CaliforniaOngoing – 4/3 Tony Smith: Drawings

Museum of Fine ArtsOngoing – 1/9 Dynasty and Divinity: Ife Art in Ancient NigeriaOngoing – 1/9 Teach Me to SeaOngoing – 1/17 Intimate Settings and Public Spaces: Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Drawings and PrintsOngoing – 1/23 For the Love of Books: Celebrating the New Kitty King Powell Library and Study Center at Bayou BendOngoing – 1/30 Form Follows Function: Celebrating 10 Years of the American Institute of Architects, Houston Design CollectionOngoing – 1/30 Richard Misrach: After KatrinaOngoing – 2/6 Cosmopolitan Routes: Houston Collects Latin American Art2/6 – 7/4 Carlos Cruz-Diez: Color in Space and Time2/13 – 5/18 Romancing the West: Alfred Jacob Miller in the Bank of America Collection2/20 – 5/23 Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Masterpieces from the National Gallery of ArtMuseum of Natural ScienceOngoing – 1/2 Secrets of the Silk RoadOngoing – 1/9 Big Bend PhotosOngoing – 2/6 Real Pirates!Ongoing – 2/20 Forgotten GatewayMuseum of Printing HistoryOngoing – 1/15 Literary Effigies: Woodcuts by Charles JonesOngoing – 1/29 Poems and Pictures: A Renaissance in the Art of the Book (1946 – 1981)Ongoing – 3/5 The Workshop of Ernest F. deSoto, Master Printer2/3 – 5/21 Paraphrase of the Bayeux Tapestry by Susanne TheaRienzi1/15 Sketching the Galleries2/17 Gallery Talk2/18 - 19 Houston Grand Opera Recital: “Fairest Isle, or Across the Pond”2/19 Sketching in the GalleriesHOU

STONEV

ENTSCALE

NDAR

.com

THE

Lawndale Art Center Hollis Cooper “Narcissus, 2010”

Museums


Arts & TheaterA. D. Players2/23 – 4/3 An Inspector CallsAlley Theatre1/7 - 1/30 God of Carnage2/1-27 A Weekend with Pablo Picasso2/18 – 3/13 August: Osage CountyBroadway Across America1/12-23 West Side Story2/23 – 3/13 Billy Elliot – The MusicalCompany OnStage1/14 – 2/19 Guilty ConscienceDa Camera1/22 Stefon Harris and Blackout1/29 Sarah Rothenberg’s The Blue Rider: Kandisky and Music2/5 Lionel Loueke Trio2/25-27 Music for RothkoDiverseWorks1/15 – 2/27 Parody of LightHouston Ballet2/24 – 3/6 MarieHobby Center1/8 Real and Imagined1/12-23 West Side Story2/5 Lewis Black: In God We Rust2/10-12 Mixed Winter Rep2/12-13 Madagascar Live!2/18-27 Sunday in the Park with George2/23 – 3/13 Billy ElliotHouston Grand Opera1/22 – 2/6 Heggie/McNally’s Dead Man Walking1/28 – 2/11 Donizetti’s Lucia Di LammermoorHouston Symphony1/7 –9 The Music of Frank Sinatra1/14-16 Tchaikovsky’s Winter Daydreams1/20-23 Verdi’s Requiem2/3-6 Gil Shaham Plus Beethoven2/11-13 Ravel’s Spain With Bolero2/18-20 Kenny Loggins2/19 Music from the Lion King2/24-27 Beethoven’s Piano Concerto 3Main Street Theater1/6-23 A Catered Affair1/27 – 2/13 The Year of Magical ThinkingOpera in the Heights1/27 – 2/5 Verdi’s Don CarloRadio Music TheatreOngoing – 1/15 A Fertle Holiday1/20 – 4/30 A Fertle FarewellTexas Repertory Theatre Company1/27 – 2/20 Bus StopTheatre Suburbia1/7 – 2/5 Sex Please, We’re Sixty

EventsArena Theater1/7 Styx1/29 Legacy Fighting Championship MMA

1/30 Julieta Venega2/19 Adal RamonesGeorge R. Brown Convention Center1/1-2 High Caliber Gun & Knife Show1/8-9 Bridal Extravaganza 20111/22-25 Halloween & Party Expo 20111/27 Just Desserts1/28-30 2011 Houston Marathon2/3-5 2011 Star of the South2/3-5 2011 Handy’s Spring Market2/5-6 2/11 High Caliber Gun & Knife Show2/12 Mardi Gras Ball2/19 HHF 25th Annual Career & Education Day2/25-27 HADA Spring Antique ShowReliant Park1/7-16 Houston International Boat, Sport & Travel Show1/21-23 TRISTAR Collectible Show1/26-30 Houston Auto Show2/2-3 Build Expo2/4 H-Town Blues Festival2/5 Monster Jam2/6 Quince & Bridal Expo2/24-26 World’s Championship Bar-B-Que ContestToyota Center1/2 Mickey’s Magic Show1/18 Ozzy Osbourne1/29 Harlem Globetrotters2/5 Linkin Park

SportsHouston Aeros1/1 vs. San Antonio Rampage1/7 vs. Lake Erie Monsters1/9 vs. San Antonio Rampage1/15-16 Grand Rapids Griffins1/21 vs. Texas Stars1/28 vs. Abbotsford Heat2/4 vs. Texas Stars2/17 vs. Chicago Wolves2/22 vs. Milwaukee Admirals2/25 vs. Texas Stars2/27 vs. Rockford IceHogsHouston Rockets1/5 vs. Portland Trail Blazers1/8 vs. Utah Jazz1/12 vs. Oklahoma City Thunder1/14 vs. New Orleans Hornets1/17 vs. Milwaukee Bucks1/19 vs. New York Knicks1/22 vs. Orlando Magic1/26 vs. Los Angeles Clippers2/5 vs. Memphis Grizzlies2/8 vs. Minnesota Timberwolves2/12 vs. Dallas Mavericks2/14 vs. Denver Nuggets2/16 vs. Philadelphia 76ers2/26 vs. New Jersey NetsHouston Texans1/2 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

For more information on Advertising

Please call 713-525-8607or email:

[email protected]

713-667-7198 www.fandgdesign.com

5110 Elm Street

Houston, TX 77081

F & G L a n d s c a p eDesign • Installation • Maintenance


1

6

5

4 3

2

10

thebuzzThe Frank Billingsley Golf Tourna-ment benefiting Legacy

1) L to R: Frank Billingsley, Chree Boyds-tun, Bruce Culpepper, Marvin Odum, Don Pastorini, Jesse Saldivar.

Magnums Make a Difference Fundraiser for Making It Better

2) Josette Edwards, Jerry Davis, Monica Pope3) Dimitri Fetokakis, Jerry Davis

Pure Body Grand Opening Celebration

4) Kirsten Vollrath and Lisa Pounds5) Amy Nong and Sanita Stafford

Una Notte in Italia

6) Debbie Festari and Millette Sherman7) Joella and Steve Mach

The Children’s Assessment Center’s Annual Holiday Coffee

8) L to R: Lucinda Loya, Lisa Holthouse and Erin Maggi.

Intown Magazine Christmas Party

9) Artist, Ron Burns, Mimi Sperber-Off the Wall Art Gallery and guest

Launch Party at Café Bello for local Author Linda Gayle Thompson’s new book Hookers, Midgets, and Fire Trucks

10) Aabha Brown and Kristin Rodriguez11) Mother-daughter-duo Tiffany Travis and Linda Gayle Thompson

Consular Forum Ladies Tea

12)Reny Khator and Izzy Anderson13)Kristin Robbins and Lauren Nolasco

Party at the Gallery at River Oaks ben-efiting The Leukemia Society14) Paintings for donation15) Olga Vernik and Billy Sue

5

6 7

8

9

1213

1415

9

11


Advancements for Age

With the arrival of the New Year comes the realization that we are all a little older, and some the worse for wear. So here are some medical procedures that doctors specialize in right here in Space City to turn back the clock—physically, at least.

Memorial Park Dental - Healthy teeth lead to heart health and appearance. Nothing ages you like a set of yellow choppers, so if yours are looking a little lemon, you might want to consider a whitening. Dr. Nishano Thomas and her associates at Memorial Park Dental offer free teeth whitening and massage for all patients. No going wrong there.

Foundation Surgical Hospital – Joint replacement is hardly a teeth whitening and a massage, but unfortunately, joint pain is a problem for many Americans, and one that does not improve over time. Luckily for Houstonians, there is a state-of-the-art orthopedic and neuro-spine facility right in Bellaire providing some of the best care available.

The Cooper Institute-- with the increasing numbers of late mar-riage and late start of the family, more and more women have been told that they are unable to bear children because they have reached premature menopause or they can only produce old or damaged eggs. They may receive donor eggs- so long as they are healthy, able to carry out a pregnancy and willing to take on the responsibility of parenthood.

Patient’s friends or relatives are occasionally brought in to donate eggs, but most patients prefer an anonymous donor. In addition to using the traditional paid donors, Cooper has developed an afford-able approach, the Egg Sharing Program. Some women are in need of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) to become pregnant. If they do not have ovulation problems, and are willing to donate half of their eggs from retrieval procedures, they can be matched with a re-cipient. The recipient will pay a portion of the IVF charges for the donor, and there will be no egg donor compensation fee of $5,000 as in the traditional paid donor program.

Cooper selects only those donors who are otherwise healthy, bright, and are free of genetic and communicable diseases, and deemed psychologically healthy. The egg donation process allows a child to be biologically related to the intended father and gestated by the intended mother.

MED CENTER JOURNAL


Ingredients:(Serves four as main course, eight as a side dish)1 tablespoon olive oil + extra for garnish1 medium white onion, chopped1 smoked ham hock16 ounces chicken broth1 pound fresh, hulled black-eyed peas, washed (or ½ pound dried peas)1 head of garlic, papery outer skin removed1 dried bay leaf3-4 sprigs fresh oregano1 bunch of fresh collard greens, washedsalt and pepper to taste½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

• Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed stockpot set over medium high.• Add chopped onions, stir and cook until translucent.• Add ham hock and brown on all sides.• Pour in half the chicken stock to deglaze the pan, scraping up all the stuck and browned bits.• Remove pan from heat and allow it to cool completely.• Add fresh peas, balance of chicken broth and enough water to cover everything by one inch.• Nestle garlic head in the middle of the peas and lay oregano on the top.• Cover pan, set over lowest heat and allow it to slowly come to a boil. • Continue to cook fresh peas for 30 minutes (dried peas take about an hour and a half—make sure to add more liquid to keep dried peas covered as they swell.) • While peas are cooking, remove tough ribs from collard greens and roughly chop.• When peas are almost done (al dente), stir in the fresh greens and cook until just tender—about 15 minutes more.• Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.• Spoon into serving bowls, sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan and drizzle with olive oil.

2011 chimes in, bubbly champagne effervesces, glasses clink, and we tuck into a midnight supper of edible fortune. Hedg-ing our bets for a New Year of good luck, we have devised our own menu featuring a worldwide potpourri of traditionally fortunate foods. After all, why count on just one ingredient to carry the luck load? Every culture has its own culinary enticements for prosper-ity, but most boil down to a list of legumes, pork, greens of any kind, fish and cakes. Our family’s centerpiece is the black-eyed pea. After all, we are sons of the South. Since the Civil War when withdrawing Northern troops stripped Vicksburg, Mississippi of everything edible but the lowly cowpea, southerners have con-sidered them very, very lucky. We aren’t the only ones. Beans, peas and lentils symbolize money around the world—coins that expand when cooked in hopes that fortunes will too. Germans, Brazilians, French and Japanese are among the many cultures that cook up legumes to ring in the New Year. Local urban farmer Lola Daniels offers three or four kinds of fresh cowpeas at the Farmers Markets in season, so New Year’s isn’t’ the only time we will be eat-ing this lucky dish. But, New Year’s tradition calls for a serving of one pea for every day of the year, so 365 protein rich trea-sures it is, each chockablock with antioxidants.Hoppin’ John is a wildly popular southern dish using black-eyed peas and the recipe conveniently incorporates pork, tick-ing two lucky foods off the list. Revered throughout Europe as harbinger of wealth and prosperity, pork is admired because pigs root around, always moving forward, not to mention be-ing rich in fat. Spanish, Hungarians, Austrians, Portuguese and Cubans consider pork an indication of good luck. I use a smoked ham hock from a Jolie Vue Farms Berkshire hog. But,

I will not be making Hoppin’ John, because we are not crazy about the rice the recipe calls for—makes the dish too much like a casserole. Preferring a soupier consistency, we opt to re-place the rice with more good-luck food: collard greens fresh from our own garden. Greens are considered extremely aus-picious from Denmark to China, because they look like folded money. Ours are a rich, deep green—bound to be helpful in the coming year.Fish has been considered lucky since the Middle Ages, particu-larly cod. We choose to go local, so nosh on Texas farm-raised catfish instead, simply broiled with a dusting of cumin and

served with a squeeze of lemon. Cake always signals good luck and many tra-ditions call for baking in a surprise gold coin to give one person an extra boost. Instead of dessert cake, we throw our charm into a sweet skillet cornbread, which you have to admit is heavenly with black-eyed peas. This year we are pitching in a new in-gredient for fine fortune: twelve fresh grapes each. Though there was some consternation to discover that drinking them doesn’t count. The idea is to eat one grape for each coming month to

predict how the year will unfold. This tradition was brought from Spain and spread throughout the colonies. It’s a little late in the season for local Muscadines or wild grapes, so we have to settle for store-bought. The grapes warn us to expect a bitter February, but signal that August will be particularly sweet. Thankfully we can sweeten February with Valentine’s chocolate and add in loving dishes to soften the blow.We decide to pop in a thirteenth grape now for good measure like they do in Peru. You can’t be too careful! Wishing you and your family an excellent year of luck and local eating.

by Gracie Cavnar

FOO

D FO

R TH

OU

GH

T

Cavnar’s Lucky New Year’s Soup


Cavnar’s Lucky New Year’s Soup

Intown Jan/Feb 2011

Documents

Transcript of Intown Jan/Feb 2011