april 2016 - absolutely katy magazine

APRIL 2016

Shop With HEART

TEXASRoad Trips

MedicalFOCUS

CrosswordCRUISIN'

KatyCelebratesFotoFest2016

KatyCelebratesFotoFest2016

HHWC-ThyroidQuiz-Absolutely-March2016.indd 1 2/25/16 11:09 AM

Come onover.We’re right here in West Houston andready to partner with you in the healthcare of your child.

With a dedicated pediatric emergencyroom, pediatric intensive care unit andmore than 20 pediatric subspecialties conveniently located on site, we offer topcare for kids, close to home. From renal tohand and microvascular surgery to sportsmedicine, our specialty clinics are staffedby experts in their fields using the mostadvanced technology, in facilities designedspecifically for children.

Texas Children’s is ranked #4 in the nationby U.S.News & World Report and is thehighest ranked children’s hospital in thesouthwest. The next time your childneeds medical care, come to us. We’re allabout kids. For maps and information, visit westcampus.texaschildrens.org.

Texas Children’s Urgent Care is now in yourarea. Visit urgentcare.texaschildrens.org tofind hours, location and conditions we treat.

© 2016 Texas Children’s Hospital. All rights reserved. Texas Children’s Hospital is the only children’s hospital in Texas on U.S.News & World Report’s 2015-2016 Honor Roll. WC586_022616

Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus

18200 Katy FreewayHouston, TX 77094832-227-1000

WC586_ad_WC_ComeOnOver_AbsKatyMem_Layout 1 2/26/16 4:17 PM Page 1

At Houston Methodist West Hospital, our team of world-class specialists

uses a comprehensive approach to deliver an individualized treatment plan

to those suffering from neck or back pain. Whether it’s minimally invasive

surgery or a nonsurgical therapy, our doctors use leading-edge imaging

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APRIL 2016 l TO ADVERTISE: 281.690.4242 or www.absolutelykaty.com4

A P R I L 2 0 1 6 | V O L U M E 1 3 | N U M B E R 4

C O V E R S T O RY

10 KATY CELEBRATES LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHERS WITH FOTOFEST

Museum-quality photography is on display throughout the community as part of this year’s FotoFest.

F E AT U R E S

14 TREAT YOURSELF WHILE HELPING OTHERS With the Shop With Heart Card

16 13TH ANNUAL SUGAR LAND WINE & FOOD AFFAIR The five-day, fun-filled event is set for April 6th through 10th.

28 TEXAS ROAD TRIPS The Lone Star State has plenty of destinations suitable for the whole family.

30 SUMMER TRAVEL TIPS The countdown to summer is on! Start planning now.

33 MEDICAL FOCUS Health Care News You Can Use

C O L U M N S

18 absolutely! FABULOUS FINDS

24 ASK ALEXMonogramming

32 HIGH SCHOOL HOT SHOTMeet Lillianne Claire Usher

41 FAMILY LAW“Gray” Divorces

42 KIDS’ CORNER Children’s Online Safety

B R A I N T E A S E R

26CROSSWORD CRUISIN’

N E W S W O RT H Y

20KATY YOUTH FOOTBALL Cheer Program Gives Back

22WILD WEST BREW FEST Set to Impress While Giving Back

2612TH ANNUAL Impact a Hero 5K

31LOCAL SCOUT Awarded Highest Rank Advancement

39FILEDER ELEMENTARY Recognized as a Common Sense Digital Citizenship Certified School

43FIRETHORNE Launches First-Ever Little Free Library

a b s o l u t e l y !H E A LT H Y L I V I N G

44absolutely! Q & A Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus Answers Your Questions About Allergy/Immunology

a b s o l u t e l y !A U T O R E V I E W

452016 FIAT 500C ABARTH CABRIO

a b s o l u t e l y !D E L I C I O U S

47VINESLEUTHChampagne and Sparkling Wine

CONTRIBUTORS

C O M M U N I T Y E V E N T S

48WHAT’S KICKIN’ IN KATY

I N E V E RY I S S U E

6EXCLAMATION POINTS!

20SEEN ON THE SCENE

40OUT & ABOUTIN THE HEART OF KATY

32

Joan FrancesContributor Page 32

18

Robin Ebrechtabsolutely! Fabulous FindsPage 18

26

Myles MellorContributorPage 26

Nancy L. Rommelmann Family Law Attorney Page 41

41

Cyd WrightWhat’s Kickin’ in KatyPage 48

48

Morgan ZimmermannOut & About in the Heart of KatyPage 4040

42

Patrick BironBirons Youth Sports Center Page 42

Alex Belt Silly Silly GirlsPage 24

24

Amy Grosswine4.mePage 47

47

45

Steve KursarAuto EnthusiastPage 45


EXCLAMATIONPOINTS!THE INSIDE SCOOP STRAIGHT FROM THE TOP

absolutely! KatyTM Magazine is published by absolutely! focus media, 4655 Techniplex Dr., Ste. 700, Stafford, TX 77477. Copyright © 2016 by absolutely! focus media. All rights reserved. Reproduc-tion without permission is strictly prohibited. absolutely! KatyTM Magazine does not knowingly accept false or misleading adver-tising or editorial, nor do the publishers assume responsibility should such advertising or editorial appear. absolutely! KatyTM Magazine welcomes editorial submissions from its readers.

Subscription requests are free to Katy area addresses. Annual paid subscription

of $25 required outside Katy area.

Publishedby

Vol. 13 No. 4April 2016

4655 TECHNIPLEX DR. STE 700STAFFORD, TX 77477

281-690-4242

WWW.ABSOLUTELYKATY.COM

P U B L I S H E RPatti Parish-Kaminski

A S S O C IAT E P U B L I S H E RLara Bell

M A NAG I N G E D I T O RSarah Bearden

S E N I O R AC C O U N T E X E C U T I V EJessica Kij

AC C O U N T E X E C U T I V E SJennifer Elliott

Molly EllisKay Garrett

Andrea RigamontiSuzanne Stiles

A RT D I R E C T O RGrace Belleza

G R A P H I C D E S I G N E RMarinela Taylor

W E B D E S I G N E RJoey Belleza

C O N T R I BU T O R SAlex Belt

Patrick BironRobin EbrechtJoan FrancesAmy Gross

Steve KursarMyles Mellor

Nancy L. RommelmannCyd Wright

Morgan Zimmermann

O F F I C E A D M I N I S T R AT O RAlexa Goldstein

I N Q U I R I E S281-690-4242

E D I T O R IA L SU B M I S S I O N [email protected]

Associate Publisher, LARA BELL

ON THE COVER:I Pose for You on display at the

Katy Contemporary Arts Museum.Photography by

Kevin Douglas West.

READER FEEDBACKLara,

I was particularly sad to hear about your mom’s passing in January. She always had a smile on her face and a giving heart.

Kim Cobb

Lara,

I would love to see even more photos every month of Katy residents. That is my favorite section!

Tammy Smith

Now that Spring Break is over, the count-down is on for prom, summer vacations and sum-mer camps. It is also time for Katy to celebrate FotoFest, which is the longest running photo-graphic arts festival in the United States! The Katy community is celebrating with four exhibi-tions throughout the area through May 1st. The cover photograph, entitled I Pose for You by Kevin Douglas West, is on display at the Katy Contem-porary Art Museum. The pieces are amazing to see.

Also in this issue, we’re gearing up for some Texas road trips, and just down the road is the Sugar Land Food and Wine Festival April 6th – 10th.

Finally, please e-mail your high-resolution prom photos to me at [email protected] for a chance to be included in an upcoming issue!

Absolutely! yours,

LaraLara [email protected]

@larabell

Lara Bell.

Ne

soss

i Stu

dio

s

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K aty residents have the opportunity to enjoy museum-quality photography

on display throughout the community. Showing now through Sunday, May 1st, four

COVER STORY

exhibitions – all by local photographers – are a part of this year’s biennial FotoFest, a non-profit photographic arts and education organization based in Houston.

KatyContemporaryArt MuseumFort Bend Partners withFotoFest for an Array of Photography

Local PhotographersWith FotoFest

KatyCelebrates

Cuba Libre, a collaborative art piece by Kevin Douglas West, Srini Sundarrajan

and Ana Villaronga-Roman at Katy Contemporary Art Museum.

Local PhotographersWith FotoFest

KatyCelebrates

www.absolutelykaty.com l APRIL 2016 11

The exhibitions incorporate this year’s FotoFest theme, Changing Circumstances: Looking at the Future of the Planet, each featuring an array of breathtaking and intellectual work that offers important commentary on the world and its rapid evolution. Much of the artwork in the FotoFest exhibitions center on themes of sci-ence, philosophy, politics and environ-mental issues, along with other global topics.

Katy Contemporary Art Museum (KCAM) Fort Bend is a FotoFest participant. Ana Villaronga-Roman, curator and director of KCAM, initi-ated FotoFest in the Katy area in 2012 thanks to a grant from the City of Katy for the Katy Culture & Arts Alliance. This year marks the third FotoFest in the area. “The quality of our exhibitions and the art scene itself is improving and maturing with each year that passes,” said Villaronga-Roman.

FotoFest International, the international biennial of photography, started in 1986 in Houston and is now celebrated throughout Houston and surrounding communities.

The Katy area celebrates with four exhibitions.

On View at Babaloo Gallery Inside Babaloo International Cafe & Bar22756 Westheimer Parkway, No. 180Katy, TX 77450

Originally from Venezuela, William Guaregua is a published poet with five published books and more on the way. He resides in Katy and is an amateur photographer. His city scenes viewed through a wet window captured Villaronga-Roman’s attention. She saw his poetry in each of these images of city life and offered him an exhibition. The title After the Rain says it all.

Afterthe RainExhibit by

WilliamGuaregua

After the Rain, William Guaregua.

On View at No Label Brewing Company5351 First StreetKaty, TX 77493

“I love photographing people. When the subject makes eye contact with the photographer, magic happens, and the image comes to life.”

– Debi Beauregard

PeopleDrinking Beer

Exhibit byDebi

Beauregard

At the Bar, Debi Beauregard.


On View at Bumbera’s Performance Associates6103 Highway Boulevard 90Katy, TX 77494

“I love the challenge of making a print – working with the light, dodging and burning until I get it just right. It still amazes me every time I see the image come to life in the developer. There is just something about the way metal looks in black and white, how under the right light it has such incredible tonality. I just love a good burnout. It never gets old trying to capture someone shredding asphalt on film.”

– Ronnie Conlin

“Having an arts alliance and an art museum are huge steps in guar-anteeing the cultural future of this community,” continued Villaronga-Roman. “Collaborating with FotoFest International, a well established and internationally respected organization, working together with other museums and cultural venues allows us to grow our art scene at a faster pace, reach a larger public and attract more visitors to our area.”

Local artists are Villaronga-Ro-man’s main focus, and all four exhibi-tions are by Katy residents. Through cultural partnerships, KCAM was able to curate more exhibitions, giving the Katy community more to see, as well as providing a great opportunity for these up and coming artists, many of whom work in intriguing and ground-breaking ways in their medium. Each exhibition displays a view of vitality and talent through the medium of pho-tography.

For more information on the biennial FotoFest, visit 2016biennial.fotofest.org.

On View at KCAM805 Avenue BKaty, TX 77493

“I tend to seek out the stories most people don’t or can’t tell. Cuba has been on my bucket list for over 10 years, and when travel restrictions were eased in 2015, three weeks later I was on a flight to Havana. I love the place, the music, art, people and history. It’s a country frozen in 1959, and how lucky I was to see it.” – Kevin Douglas West

CubaBehind Open

DoorsExhibit by

Kevin Douglas West

Cuba Behind Open Doors, Kevin Douglas West.

SPEEDExhibit by

Ronnie Conlin

Nova Warming up Its Tires at Lone Star Motor Sports, Sealy, TX, Ronnie Conlin.

We’ve grown to meet our community’s growing need for exceptional care.

In January 2016, we’re offi cially opening the doors of our new east patient tower and second medical plaza. Here,

you’ll fi nd pre- and post-procedure units, intermediate care and intensive care units, NICU and OB Special Care suites.

Th e expansion also includes additional surgery suites in the west patient tower. In addition to increasing the size of our

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Treat Yourself While Helping Others with the

A year ago, Melissa Sands found herself in a dilemma. “Several young people in my life were

graduating from either high school or college,” confided Sands. “I knew I wanted to get them each something truly special, but to be honest, I didn’t want to spend a fortune.”

A longtime supporter of the Ameri-can Heart Association (AHA), Sands planned her grad gift shopping around the Shop With Heart Card event, a spring discount card fundraiser ben-efiting the AHA. With her card, Sands saved a bundle on gifts like The Uni-versity of Texas cufflinks, Jon Hart luggage and bags, monogrammed mementos and college apparel from Houston standbys like Kuhl-Linscomb, Robert’s China Crystal and Gifts and Mark’s Clothiers. “My son is graduat-ing this year, so you can bet I plan to use this year’s Shop With Heart Card to save on gifts for him and his closest friends,” said Sands happily.

Sands is one of many shoppers look-ing forward to this fun springtime shopping and dining event. The Shop With Heart Card works like most dis-count card fundraisers. People pur-chase the Shop With Heart Card for a minimum donation – in this case, a budget-friendly $50. Then, from April 22nd through May 1st, cardholders can use their card to save 20 percent off regularly priced merchandise at par-ticipating retailers and enjoy a compli-mentary dessert or appetizer with the purchase of an entrée at participating restaurants.

This year, over 500 retailers and restaurants from across Houston and surrounding areas, including Sugar Land, Katy, the Bay Area and The Woodlands have signed up to partici-pate to support this great cause. A full listing of participating retailers and restaurants is available on the Shop With Heart Card website and in their annual Merchant Card Directory.

Heart Guild of Houston President and ABC-13 reporter Jessica Willey noted that many people forget that the spring shopping season can be nearly as eventful as the holiday shopping season. “Most of us have a lot going on during the spring months,” said Wil-ley. “Between cleaning out the closets and updating the décor, buying gifts for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, gradu-ations and weddings and getting your wardrobe ready for summer vacations, prom and the new spring and summer fashions, that’s some serious shopping! Why not save some serious cash while helping to save lives?”

The Heart Guild of Houston, a fundraising branch of the AHA, coor-dinates the annual Shop With Heart Card event, which is currently cele-brating its third year. Event organiz-ers rely on a fleet of volunteers to coor-dinate the event, as well as donations

provided by underwriters and sponsors to cover the administrative cost of the event and provide marketing support. Thanks to this generous support, the Heart Guild is able to donate 100 per-cent of the proceeds from card sales di-rectly to the AHA.

The AHA is one of the most recog-nizable non-profit organizations in the United States. It is also one of the nation’s most trustworthy, with a full 80 cents of every donated dollar going to fulfill the organization’s mission of “building healthier lives, free of car-diovascular disease and stroke,” the nation’s No. 1 and No. 5 killers of both men and women. The AHA accomplish-es this mission by funding research, education and community outreach across the nation and here in Houston.

“Heart disease and stroke have touched many of our lives,” said Shop With Heart Card Chair Julie Haral-son. “This is a small way to give back to our community, honor our loved ones and have a great time shopping, dining out and saving money. It’s mutually beneficial for everyone involved.”

The 2016 Shop With Heart Card is available to purchase now at par-ticipating retailers for a minimum do-nation of $50. The 10 day Shop With Heart Card event takes place Friday, April 22nd through Sunday, May 1st.

For more information, visit www.ShopWithHeart.org. To stay up to date on their news, follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Wednesday, April 6th, 6:30 – 9:30 pmAll in the Family

NOAH’s of Sugar LandThis seated VIP dinner will be hosted

by Randy and Charlene Lange, proprietors of the LangeTwins Family Winery and Vineyards, located in the unique winegrowing region of Lodi. Immerse your palate with elegant wines through a five-course luxury dinner, prepared by Houston’s award-winning chefs.

Thursday, April 7th, 6:30 – 9 pmHendrick’s Gin On the Rocks

Bartenders Challenge Imperial Lofts Sugar Land

Delight in a number of specially crafted Hendrick’s Gin cocktails prepared by five of the region’s most skilled mixologists as they compete for a grand prize of $1,000! One recipe will be named the official cocktail of the 13th Annual Sugar Land Wine & Food Affair and will be served at the Grand Tasting, Sip & Stroll at Imperial and Bistro Brunch.

Friday, April 8th, 5:30 – 6:30 pmFor the Love of

Bourbon & CheeseSugar Land Marriott Town Square

Today’s hottest pairing combines bourbon with artisan cheeses for

an adventurous taste experience. The smokiness of America’s native spirit is a perfect complement to the variety of artisanal cheeses, from fresh and tangy to earthy and aged. Hannah Thompson, cheesemonger for ANCO Fine Cheeses, has paired a selection of Southern artisan cheeses with Beam Suntory’s Jim Beam Single Barrel, Maker’s 46, Knob Creek Rye, Basil Hayden, Bakers and Bookers.

Friday, April 8th, 5:30 – 6:30 pmTasting Mastery

Fred Parks Wine SeminarSugar Land Marriott Town SquareNationally renowned wine expert and

Master Sommelier Tim Gaiser will deliver tasting tips for guests to immediately use in everyday sipping. Attendees will sample wines for a fun comparison.

Friday, April 8th, 7 – 9:30 pmThe Grand Tasting

Sugar Land Marriott Town SquareHeld in the elegant ballroom of the

Sugar Land Marriott Town Square, this exquisite evening tasting features mouthwatering creations from top culinary

superstars, perfectly paired with the most delectable wines and spirits. Meanwhile, The Grand Auction benefiting the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management will offer guests the chance to bid on exclusive items as they indulge.

Saturday, April 9th, 1– 4 pmSip & Stroll at Imperial

Constellation FieldSip on the beverage of your choice,

sample savory selections from popular restaurants, peruse the offerings of fine artisans, and as you stroll, enjoy live musical entertainment from Salsa Cubana. Don’t miss the Big Green Egg Extravaganza and the expanded beer garden, featuring more than 100 beers from 25 different breweries. Cheers to that!

Sunday, April 10th, 11 am – 2 pmBistro Brunch

Sugar Land Town SquareBloody Marys, mimosas, wine, beer

and much more await guests at the Bistro Brunch. Indulge in delicious pairings from around the world while enjoying live music from The Mix featuring Yvonne Washington. Award-winning Chef James Foote from the Victoria Country Club will prepare an authentic Spanish paella on a 52 inch pan over a wood-fired grill. This is gourmet on a global scale!

13TH ANNUAL

Sugar Land Wine & Food Affair

O ne of the most highly anticipated events of the year, the Sugar Land Wine & Food Affair is where

top chefs share secrets, sommeliers get uncorked and all manner of foodies – from bonafide gourmands to everyday eaters – come to indulge in fantastic fare, sensational spirits and some of the finest wines around. The 13th Annual Sugar Land Wine & Food Affair is set for April 6th through 10th.

With five days of notable events, all of which take place in bustling Sugar Land, the Sugar Land Wine & Food

2016 Event Schedule

Bistro Brunch guests enjoy an authentic Spanish dish prepared by award-winning Chef James Foote of the Victoria Country Club.

Affair has something for everyone. The festival is produced by the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. All proceeds support a permanent scholarship endowment at the University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management.

Tickets range from $40 to $150, and a three-day VIP pass guarantees access to all major events for $225. Visit sugarlandwineandfoodaffair.com.

Chefs, wineries and vendors who participated in the 2015 Bistro Brunch.


FabulousFinds

BY ROBIN EBRECHT

You may know me as a Katy mom of three amazing boys and wife to Daryn, but what

you may not know is that I love finding cool and unique products because, let’s face it, in a house full of boys, a girl needs her girl stuff! So, here are some things I absolutely love...and hope you will, too!

Handcrafted Rocking BenchRockerman of Texas creates Western red cedar rocking chairs, rocking benches, porch swings, tables, chairs, porch furniture, outdoor furniture and priceless gifts suitable for any occasion and all ages.I absolutely love my rocking bench! It is beautifully made. Now it’s time for some front porch sitting!www.rockermanoftexas.com

Lorac Self TantalizerTANtalizer Body Bronzing Gradual Self-Tanner is a unique two-in-one product. It’s a body makeup that creates an immediate bronze, transfer-resistant glow and a gradual self-tanner that gives long-lasting tanning results. This is my favorite product for spring and summer! www.ulta.com

Manuel ’s Son of a Gun SalsaThis is salsa with a kick! I’m usually pretty picky about my salsa, but I must say this is delicious. I received a basket containing a couple of jars, a bag of chips and some cute cookies, and I’m so happy I did, because it gave me a wonderful idea for gift or auction baskets. You will love this Texas-made salsa, which is distributed right here in Katy.www.manuelssonofagunsalsa.com

Hyde Me Handmade Crossbody BagThese beautiful, handmade crossbody bags are made from genuine leather and accented with gorgeous stones that are dipped in gold and silver. They are absolutely perfect for holding your phone, car key and even a lipstick! What else do you need? There are many colors to choose from, each with a coordinating tassel! www.debbieclemens.com



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Seen on the SceneMission of Love Honoring Reverend Drew Wood Benefiting Catholic Charities’ Fort Bend ServicesFebruary 4, 2016 • Sugar Land Marriott

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1 Anna Marie Raun & Linda Drummond2 Sharon & John Harry 3 Jack & Arlene Kluepfel4 Jessica Kij & Gladys Brumfield5 Jose & Adriana Vega6 Cheryl & Don Brady7 Marlene & Al Sander8 Rubin & Melissa Alvarez9 Nieves & Veronyka Gonzalez

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NEWSWORTHY

Katy Youth Football’s (KYF®) cheerleading program re-cently delivered over 500 new cheerleading uniforms to Cheer for a Cause, a non-profit organization that makes cheerleading a possibility for girls overcoming physical disabilities or whose families are experiencing economic hardship. KYF donated enough uniforms to outfit all of the organization’s cheerleaders for years to come.

When KYF updated their cheer uniform design last year, they chose to donate all of their surplus inventory of the previous style to Cheer for a Cause, because they provide the girls involved a chance to forget about their struggles and focus on something positive and fun. KYF felt a kinship with this organization, as a fellow 501(c)3 non-profit whose sole focus is enriching the lives of children. After the girls’ generous delivery, Cheer for a Cause Founder Julie Bolton said, “You are angels, and because of your generous do-nation, there will be so many girls who get the opportunity to cheer.”

The local KYF Cheer program teaches area girls more than just cheerleading skills. The cheer committee and coaches strive to serve as positive role models and teach the girls about giving back to the community. During the last year, KYF Cheer also donated time to local organiza-tions such as Lunches of Love, collected school supplies for children in need through Operation Backpack and shared their cheer spirit by bringing cookies and cheering for local police officers. KYF is run entirely by unpaid volun-teers – from the coaches to the executive board.

For more information, visit www.katyyouthfootball.com.

Katy Youth FootballCheer Program Gives Back

The KYF® Cheer Committee: Vandrea Grant, Susie Blake, Wendy Coker, Angie Civalero and Sarah Jones.

10 Bob & Carol McDonough11 Mark & Susan Ryan 12 Cathy & Mark Hotze13 Phil & Cheryl Sutter14 Tony & Peggy Oltremari15 Theresa & Rick Rawls16 Martin & Mary Thompson17 Janey & Doug Gosda18 Susie & Jim Murray19 Dave & Martha Kiger20 Drew Wood & Jim Kij

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Commemorative Book

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Seen on the SceneBoots & Badges GalaBenefiting Behind the Badge Charities February 13, 2016 • George Ranch Historical Park

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1 Janet Chobatar, Callie Teegardin & Darlin Johnston2 Laura & Rob Thompson 3 David Plant, Ashley Plant, Rhonda Kuykendall, Karen Van Holten, Kim Stacy & Danial Van Holten4 Cyndia Rodriguez & Elizabeth Duff-Drozd 5 Jaime & Maggie Jaramillo6 Bobby & Margaret Kunz with Brenda & Mark Mullinix7 Chris & Mandi Bronsell

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NEWSWORTHY

Wild West Brew FestSet to Impress While Giving Back

Entering its fifth year, the Wild West Brew Fest (WWBF) has expanded from 43,000 square feet in its first three years to 143,000 square feet in its fourth year. “Within this massive space, you will find over 150 brewers featuring over 550 craft brews,” said David Loesch, event chair-man. This year’s festival set for Friday, April 22nd and Sat-urday, April 23rd will feature various “zones,” including a game tent sponsored by Grace Care Centers of Katy with over 12 taps provided by 8th Wonder Brewery, a VIP tent provided by the Ballard House, food and a DJ providing great tunes all day long.

In addition, an authentic beer garden provided by No Label Brewery and Light it Right featuring a custom tap wall with over 15 taps and open-air seating will provide a unique gathering space for patrons. WWBF will also in-clude a brewing contest, best dressed volunteer contest and “best bites” contest in the VIP area.

The event itself is great for bringing tourism into the city of Katy. Over 17 states were represented at the 2015 event, which also had visitors from as far as the Nether-lands.

WWBF is put on by the Rotary Club of Katy and is 100 percent volunteer driven, with 100 percent of the net prof-its donated. In 2015, the event brought in $113,000, which was given to several charities in the local area bringing the total amount given away in its four-year existence to over $250,000. “Thanks goes to all of our sponsors, vol-unteers, team members, the Rotary Club of Katy and our patrons, for without them this event would not happen,” said Loesch.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.wildwestbrewfest.com.

Phot

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8 Evelyn Traylor, Margie Connolly, Mike Andrade & Tracy Walker9 Troy Nehls & Brett Beach10 Esmeralda & Celso Pecheco11 Maggy Horgan & John Healey12 Iris & Amy Mitchell with Gordon Berkstresser13 Sylvia & John Zerwas14 Vanessa & Chris Morales15 Kay & Jim Garrett 16 Anavell & Frank Yeverino17 Freddy & Amanda Lopez

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Ask Alex:Monogramming

Q What is the proper etiquette for monograms?

A Selecting the best monogram can be tricky. Here are a few general guidelines to make it

easier. For a married couple, the mono-gram will contain the bride’s first initial, the first letter of the couple’s surname and the groom’s first initial, in that or-der. For instance, Rebecca and Andrew White would be “RWA.” The monogram style should be chosen to complement the couple’s taste and the item being monogrammed – traditional, modern, whimsical and so on.

A monogrammed gift for a woman should include her first, middle and last initial or if she is married, her first, maiden name and married name ini-tials. Traditionally, a woman’s mono-gram is presented in first, last, middle initial order. So, a monogram for Jes-sica Cites Parker could be “JPC.”

Tradition dictates that a woman’s maiden initials are always appropri-ate to use even after she is married. However, it is more common to use a woman’s first, maiden and married surname initials once she is wed. For instance, if Jessica married Anthony Dalton, her new monogram would be “JDP.”

For men’s gifts, it is very important to consider the shape of the item to

A lex Belt is a mom, business owner and all around in the know kind of gal. Friends call on her relentlessly for advice on how to plan a party and

what trend is “in.” With so many options for monogramming, we’re doing what everyone else does – asking Alex!

blem of their high rank in society. Early monograms also consisted of only two initials. The three-initial monogram, which is more common today, did not gain popularity until the 18th century.

More recently, the monogram has become more of a trendy identifier on a person’s belongings than a sign of wealth or status. Monogramming is a great way to add personalization to gifts and has become very com-mon in wedding gifts. These days, it is very simple and inexpensive to add a monogram to a variety of items. Monogrammed gifts are widely favored by newlyweds as a sign of their new marriage status. A monogrammed gift says to the receiver that you made an effort with their gift choice.

Q Why do you love monograms?

A Growing up in Nacogdoches, I wore Ralph Lauren, big hair bows, Cole-Haan and of

course monograms. I feel that mono-grams are as Southern as sweet tea. Wearing a monogram makes me feel classy and elegant – from the back pocket of my blue jeans to Converse shoes to a monogram necklace.

Q Can you have too many things monogrammed?

A My answer is always no! This quote by Reese Witherspoon is one of my favorite quotes

ever, and I truly believe in this: “My sheets are monogrammed. So is my silverware and pretty much everything else I own. My rule is, if it’s not moving, monogram it.”

be monogrammed when choosing the order of the initials. When mono-gramming something for a man, many people prefer to use the initials in the first, middle and last order. This letter format is often found on personal items such as briefcases, luggage, shirt pockets and cuffs. For these kind of items, Benjamin William Rogers would be “BWR.”

Q Is it safe to monogram an item for a child to wear?

A When giving a child a person-alized item, it is important to consider where and how they

will be using it. You may not want to put too much information on something a child will have in public when they are not in the company of a parent. For example, people will often choose to use a monogram versus a name on something like a backpack or a shirt.

Q What is the history of the monogram?

A Early Greek and Roman rul-ers used their monograms on coins and other currency

to identify the ruler of the region from which it came. As time passed, it became common to mark the valuable property of nobility with a monogram. Eventually, it became common to see an aristocrat’s monogram emblazoned on a variety of items from weaponry and armor to household items, royal banners and coats of arms.

In the Middle Ages, it became common for artisans to use their own monograms to sign their work. Mem-bers of the Victorian era aristocracy often used the monogram as an em-


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Across1 Chevy ____ Z065 One of the most popular convertibles of the 90s10 Medical TV show11 Lamborghini ____12 Top driver14 Trials16 Car dealer’s offering17 One of the least favored car colors in the US20 Over 8 hours work in a day, abbr.21 They get changed23 Bad rating25 What @ means26 Owned before28 Mark IV Toyota ____30 Street, for short34 Lures in39 Catch-all name for wood on steel vehicles42 Common soccer score43 1920 Belgian auto44 Former Ford SUV45 Mini, for one47 A defect in this caused a multi million vehicle recall for GM49 Alfa Romeo 2600 ____50 Genetic code51 Studebaker ___ Deluxe52 Vintage designation

Down1 Chevy ____ Carrier

2 VW passenger vans3 A shutout lowers it4 Blue-green hue6 90s Acura7 Musk’s model8 Expressive creation9 Describing a car that has been damaged by hard use (2 words)13 Executive, for short15 Methodologies18 Word on all US coins19 Nissan has one22 ____ 4: Toyota SUV24 Lexus __27 The Giants’ Manning29 Kia model31 Hyundai’s luxury model; the new version almost “drives itself ”32 Comes together33 Promotional offering35 Give a thumbs-down to36 What all cars need (care and attention, abbr.)37 1990 Lotus ____38 Leave the track at the Indy 500 perhaps (2 words)39 Gull____ door40 Spend too much on41 Approximate arrival time, for short45 Nation that made the Chery46 JD Power and associates function48 Scand. land49 Tin symbol50 A famous Pepper?

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12th AnnualImpact A Hero 5K

On Saturday, May 21st, Impact A Hero will hold its 12th Annual 5K Run/Walk/Wheel at Cinco Ranch High School in Katy. In addition to the timed 5K, the event includes a noncompetitive 5K, a two-mile walk and a 1K for children un-der 12.

Cash prizes are awarded to the top three men and women in Open and Mas-ters categories – $150, $100 and $50 re-spectively – in the timed 5K. Additionally, the top three finishers in each gender/age categories will receive age group award plaques. All 1K racers will receive medals.

Participants may also enjoy barbe-cue from the award-winning Deep Down cook-off team, breakfast items from Whataburger and donuts from Shipley’s Donuts. Sponsorship support comes from KBR, Marathon Oil, the Texans and Academy Sports and Outdoors.

The band Sound Advice will enter-tain participants, and Impact A Hero will have the famous Texas Iraq/Afghanistan Killed-In-Action Wall, created and dis-played by local Gold Star father George Carson. The Texans sponsored kids’ area will have a climbing wall, train rides, face painting and other activities.

Impact A Hero is a 501(c)3 organi-zation that provides emotional and fi-nancial support to post-9/11 severely wounded Heroes and their families. Over the past 11 years, the Impact A Hero 5K has raised more than $2 million. The or-ganization distributes financial grants to help support wounded veterans and their families and has helped thousands of families since 2004.

Online registration is open now through 4 pm on Friday, May 20th. Reg-istration and event details are available at www.ImpactAHero5k.com.

See answers on page 39.


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Texas

With more than 60 amazing rides, slides, shows and attrac-tions including nine exhilarating coasters, Fiesta Texas is the perfect day-cation getaway that is always close to home.

This Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8th, Six Flags Fiesta Tex-as invites moms and everyone who loves them to enjoy a day filled with laughs, good times and incredible family memories. Whether your mom is a daredevil or prefers to just relax, she will find non-stop fun on jaw-dropping, giant mega-coasters like Iron Rattler and classic family rides like Crow’s Nest. Mom’s little rug rats will love the kooky kids’ rides and all of the zany characters from their favorite cartoons.

The park will celebrate Memorial Day from Thursday, May 26th through Monday, May 30th. Look high in the sky at awe-inspiring roller coasters like the Superman Krypton Coaster to see what good, old-fashioned American ingenuity can achieve. Then, climb aboard as Fiesta Texas’ legendary collection of roller coasters deliver non-stop modern thrills. There is fun for the whole family on fan-favorite spinner classics like the Hustler. And, the littlest speed demons will be dazzled by the wildly cre-ative rides made just for tykes, the majority of which are located in the Kidzopolis area.

Upcoming Eventsat Six Flags Fiesta Texas

T he Lone Star State is home to a plethora of thrilling activities suitable for the whole

family. Here are just a few stretching from Galveston to San Antonio. Now, round up your friends and family, and hop in the car. Fun is just a short road trip away! From rich displays of armaments and uniforms to an excit-

ing retelling of the road to Texas freedom and beyond, the San Jacinto Museum of History in La Porte brings history to life in a way the whole family can enjoy. The museum’s collection spans more than four centuries of early Texas history, from the begin-nings of European activity in the New World through Texas as a state in the United States.

The Battle of San Jacinto was fought at this site on April 21, 1836, and each year, an exciting reenactment takes place on the grounds surrounding the San Jacinto Monument as the centerpiece of the admission-free San Jacinto Day Festival. This year’s San Jacinto Day Festival and Battle Reenactment is set for Saturday, April 23rd.

Presented by the San Jacinto Volunteers and other living history organizations from across the state, the reenactment dramatizes the decisive battle where General Sam Houston led his Texian soldiers to victory over the Mexican Army, eventually leading to almost 1,000,000 square miles of Mexican territory becoming a part of the United States.

Booming cannons, cracking musket fire, thundering hooves and desperate battle cries resound across the San Jacinto Battleground as hundreds of history reenactors dramatically interpret the Runaway Scrape, the cannon duel and the final battle between the two forces. Best of all, the reenactors are all very accessible and knowledgeable, happy to share their knowledge of the Texas War of Independence and frontier life. The festival is a full day of music, entertainment, food, games, craft demonstrations and fun set amidst living history.

The San JacintoMuseum of History


First it was the longest river ride, then the longest torrent riv-er ride, then the tallest waterslide. Now, Schlitterbahn is build-ing the world’s tallest water coaster and putting it in the award-winning Schlitterbahn Waterpark on Galveston Island.

Called MASSIV, the German word for massive, the water coaster will be in place in time for the waterpark’s 10th Anniver-sary celebration this summer. Schlitterbahn Galveston Island is home to more thrill rides than any other Schlit-terbahn Waterpark, making it the perfect home for this record-breaking ride.

Not only will MASSIV be the tallest water coaster in the world, but it will also have a num-ber of other innovations, including a translucent section that will make riders visible from the river below, four uphill sections with six blaster jets and a triple-drop ending into a landing pool – a never-done-before thrilling finale to the ride. The exact height of the water coaster will be an-nounced later this spring.

MASSIV utilizes Master Blaster technology, which was invented 22 years ago by Schlitter-bahn’s Wizard of Water Jeff Henry. This technol-ogy was licensed to WhiteWater West, which is the company constructing MASSIV.

“We are thrilled to be bringing this iconic

MASSIV: The Tallest Water Coaster in the World

ride to Galveston Island,” said Ron Sutula, general manager for Schlitterbahn Galveston Island. “It’s a massive anniversary pres-ent to all of our guests and is going to be a blast to ride!”

Schlitterbahn Waterpark Galveston Island has been named the world’s best indoor waterpark for eight years from theme and waterpark enthusiasts worldwide. MASSIV will be twice as long as any waterslide in the park and the tallest slide.

New atSeaWorld San Antonio

The world’s largest marine park, Sea-World San Antonio will treat guests this spring and summer to the return of their popular dolphins in an expansive new nat-uralistic habitat, a new way to experience Aquatica and a variety of special events.

“The 2016 season is going to be ex-hilarating and full of new adventures that every member of the family will enjoy,” said SeaWorld and Aquatica San Antonio Park President Dan Decker. “We’re especially excited about the debut this spring of Discovery Point, one of the largest capital investments in the park’s 27 year history.”

Discovery Point, the most highly an-ticipated of the 2016 additions, features a new realm within SeaWorld showcas-ing bottlenose dolphins. Standing on the habitat’s sandy shores, guests can ob-serve dolphins cruising the surface, or from an underwater viewing area, they can see the energetic animals playing beneath the waves. In addition, guests who wish

to come nose-to-nose with these amazing marine mammals will have the opportunity to reserve an unforgettable opportunity to swim with dolphins for a separate fee.

Entry into SeaWorld’s highly acclaimed waterpark Aquatica previously required the purchase of a two-park ticket. But new this season, guests can purchase a sepa-rate ticket just for this park.

Providing even more reasons to visit,

SeaWorld is enriching its strong lineup of special events – all of which are included with SeaWorld park admission. The “Sev-en Seas Food Festival” sets sail weekends in April and May. Guests can sample and sip their way around the park, enjoying craft beers, wonderful wines and global fusion food. “Summer Nights” offers spe-cial evening entertainment and later clos-ing times.

Aquatica, SeaWorld’s Waterpark™, is a whimsical waterpark with up-close animal experiences,

high-speed thrills and sandy beaches. Image from www.seaworldparks.com.

An artist’s aerial rendering of MASSIV. Image from www.schlitterbahnnews.com.



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NEWSWORTHY

Local Scout AwardedHighest Rank Advancement

Kasey Dean Hodge, a senior at Katy High School, re-cently earned the Boy Scouts of America’s highest ad-vancement award, the Eagle Scout Award. Hodge was rec-ognized at The Club at Falcon Point and was honored to have several special guests join him at the Court of Honor Ceremony, including U.S. Congressman Pete Olson, Tex-as State Representative Dr. John Zerwas, Former Waller County Commissioner Stan Kitzman and several family members from out of state.

A member of Sam Houston Area Council, Texas Skies District and Troop #73, Hodge is one of only approxi-mately two percent of all Boy Scouts who attain the Eagle rank, according to Sam Houston Area Council Vice Chair Stan Stanley. Each candidate must earn at least 21 merit badges and successfully complete a community, church or synagogue-related service project to earn his Eagle. Hodge chose to enhance the City of Katy Dog Park. The project included building a shady spot for guests to enjoy watching their dogs play. The trees were reshaped for easy accessibility to the custom bench Hodge built for the park,

and a paved, four-foot wide path was installed. He also paved the entire area around the bench to add beauty to the area and provide easy access to the bench.

Brad Barnes, director of the City of Katy Parks and Rec-reation Department, expressed the City of Katy’s appre-ciation. “I am impressed with Kasey’s commitment to this project that benefited the community – the heart of Katy – his hometown.” Barnes added that Hodge went to great lengths to ensure everything went smoothly and thanked him for allowing Katy residents to be the beneficiary of his Eagle Project.

The son of Richard and Jessica Hodge and Jackie and Bill Bay of Katy, Hodge credits his experiences with the Boy Scouts of America as being an instrumental part of strengthening the love and bond he has with his dad.

Jackie Bay with Kasey and Richard Hodge.

Meet Lillianne Claire Usher

By Joan Frances

HOT SHOTHigh School

“I know that the power of a smile can brighten someone’s day,so I always make an effort to smile at friends and strangers.”

– Lillianne Usher

S aint John XXIII College Pre-paratory in Katy has been teaching and mentoring stu-

dents since 2004 when it became the first new Catholic high school in the area in 40 years. The school’s fac-ulty and staff provide a traditional Catholic education with a focus on the mind, body, spirit and imagina-tion for every student. One senior who has achieved undeniable suc-cess during her years at Saint John is Lillianne “Lilly” Usher.

Lilly has taken Advanced Place-ment classes most of her high school career and has been recognized with several awards for her endeavors: The Presidential Awards of Dis-tinguished Achievement in Social Studies, Excellence in Spanish, Dis-tinguished Achievement in English and Mathematics and the Award in Excellence and Distinguished Achievement Award in Science. She is a member of Mu Alpha Theta, Sci-ence National Honor Society, Span-ish National Honor Society and the National Honor Society. Lilly also represents her senior class this year as homecoming queen.

One value Lilly lives by is kind-ness. She said, “Walking through the hallways or through the gro-cery store, you will always catch me smiling. I know that the power of a smile can brighten someone’s day, so I always make an effort to smile at friends and strangers. Such a simple gift can create a positive ripple effect to others throughout the day.”

In addition to her strong aca-demic accomplishments, Lilly is a compelling leader. She is president of the student council and was sec-

retary last year. She is the grade level representative for Loreto Congress and president of the National Honor Soci-ety. Lilly is a leadership team member for the Archdiocesan Youth Council and president of the Big Sister, Little Sister mentoring program. She has been the pep rally coordinator and master of cer-emonies for the past two years. She is also captain of the volleyball team.

When asked why being a leader is so fulfilling, Lilly said, “Being a leader in all areas of my school, such as student body president, Lion Am-bassador, retreat leader, President of Big Sis, Lil Sis, Pep Rally Leader and National Honor Society President, has strengthened my leadership abilities and brought me endless joy. As a re-treat leader, I have been able to grow in my own faith life while also either introducing people to Christ for the first time or guiding them as they grow closer to God. As a student body lead-er, I have learned time management

skills, improved my public speaking abilities and mastered the ability to lead a large number of people. As a leader on the Varsity Volleyball team, I have learned the power of positivity.”

Lilly’s outside activities are ex-tensive as well. She is a member of the Lion Ambassador Program where selected students give tours of the school. She is a part of Link Crew, a mentoring program between seniors and freshman and a mem-ber of the American Sign Language Club. She is also the co-founder of the Mock Trial Club. This past June, she attended The Congress of Fu-ture Medical Leaders.

When asked what she treasures the most about her years at Saint John, Lilly said, “The friendships I made with my peers, my coaches and my teachers throughout my four years at St. John XXIII. They have helped mold me into the student, leader, scholar and athlete I am.”

Lilly hopes to attend Clemson University or The University of Tex-as at Austin and major in nursing. Congratulations on your amazing accomplishments and positive spirit Lilly, and good luck as you make the world a better place to live.

Lilliane



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A child’s yearly checkup is important. Even healthy children need regular preventa-tive services, such as vision and hearing screens. A yearly checkup is a good oppor-tunity to reassess a child’s growth, development and risk for various conditions. Well-child visits can help find and treat health problems before they become serious. They also allow parents and children to ask questions about the child’s health and establish a relationship with a primary care physician. A well-child visit will encourage children to stay healthy and make healthy choices.

Just for Kids Pediatrics is committed to putting children first, working together with patients and families to provide exceptional medical care for kids in the Katy area. They pride themselves on providing compassionate, comprehensive services to chil-dren from birth through adolescence. From routine checkups to immunizations, Just for Kids Pediatrics is equipped to handle all of a child’s health needs.

When parents choose Just for Kids Pediatrics for their child’s primary medical care, they can feel confident they are working with professionals who are qualified, experi-enced and caring. They do this by equipping parents with the support and resources needed to make the most educated decisions about their child’s health. Parents will feel confident in the Just for Kids Pediatrics team’s ability to meet and exceed all of their expectations.

Just for Kids Pediatrics is located at 418 Park Grove in Katy. For more information, call 281-492-0774 or visit www.justforkidspediatrics.com.

Why ScheduleWell-Child Checks?

Even though it is now officially spring, it is not too late to get beach ready for summer. Everyone wants a quick fix for those trouble areas. Muffin tops, love handles, saddle bags or whatever you call them can be gone without starving or resorting to surgery. There is a new procedure that can shrink the waistline, hips, thighs and even arms in just four short treatments. What is this amazing new technology? It’s called Vanquish ME!

Vanquish ME is FDA-cleared for cir-cumferential reduction of the waist and permanently destroys resistant fat cells to achieve a beautifully contoured abdo-men and trim waistline. A painless, non-invasive treatment that precisely targets heat into the fat layer, Vanquish ME creates a high-frequency energy field and employs a panel array to treat the entire core in one application. Fat cells will go through apoptosis – natural cell death – if kept above certain tempera-ture thresholds for extended periods of time. Vanquish ME heats fat cells to 43 to 45 degrees Celsius, which is the re-quired temperature to initiate apoptosis. The overlying skin and muscles below the subcutaneous fat remain unharmed.

Additionally, Vanquish ME provides subtle skin tightening due to the heat-ing of the tissue, and the series of four treatments are spaced a week apart. Recipients can expect to drop one to four pants sizes, and the fat cells in the treated area are gone permanently!

For more information, call Dr. Shel Wellness & Medical Spa at 281-313-7435 or visit www.drshel.com. Free con-sultations are available upon request.

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Many people suffer with heel pain daily, and it is one of the most common problems seen at Fulshear Foot and An-kle. If left untreated, it can continue to get worse and linger for years or possi-bly a lifetime.

The good news is most patients re-quire non-operative treatment. The most common cause of heel pain is plantar fasciitis, or inflammation of the band in the arch of the foot. Plantar fasciitis is typically seen in people with abnormally low or high arches. Plantar fasciitis is also caused by walking or standing on hard surfaces and wearing non-support-ive shoes or going barefoot.

Stretching every day and wearing shoes with support are important. For women, shoes with a heel or wedge are best – one to two inches only. It is best to avoid flats. Supportive running ten-nis shoes are recommended and will likely require an over the counter insert in them.

Some patients may also have a heel spur, or bony growth, at the fascia in-sertion into the heel bone. This is due to tension and pulling of the fascia and does not actually cause the pain. The inflammation of the fascia itself is what causes pain.

Other causes of heel pain are less likely but must be considered. They in-clude a stress fracture, tendonitis, arthri-tis, cyst or nerve irritation. In children, heel pain is likely caused by Sever’s dis-ease. Whatever the cause, it is important to be evaluated and start treatment as soon as possible to begin living pain free once again!

For more information, call 281-391-1212 or visit www.fulshearfootandankle.com.

Life is Too Shortto Live withHeel Pain

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Breast augmentations are becoming an increasingly popular cosmetic procedure that many women in Texas choose to undergo. Breast implants can improve size and shape, as well as increase volume, allowing the breasts to appear more youthful.

Dr. Ravi Somayazula at Body By Ravi Plastic Surgery and Aesthetics specializes in breast and body cosmetic procedures. After speaking with hundreds of his breast augmentation patients, Dr. Ravi noted that almost all of them have had a dramatic improvement in their self-esteem as they look and feel much better in their clothes, es-pecially swimsuits. Women tend to feel self-conscious after pregnancy, breastfeeding, or massive weight loss, which causes loss of their natural breast shape and volume.

As a double board certified plastic surgeon with expertise in breast augmentations, Dr. Ravi’s goal is to combine patient safety and satisfaction with a natural-looking, long-lasting outcome. Women considering a breast augmentation are urged to visit Dr. Ravi for a complimentary consultation.

At a consultation, Dr. Ravi will spend ample time getting to know a patient and dis-cuss their unique surgery goals. He outlines a realistic treatment plan based on their goals, detailed measurements of their breast and body and evaluation of their breasts’ characteristics. They will have the opportunity to try on implant sizers, and Dr. Ravi will assist in selecting the appropriate implants, as well as determine the incision site and position to achieve the desired result.

For more information and specials, visit BodyByRavi.com or call 281-242-1061. See ad on page 9.

Body By RaviPlastic Surgery and Aesthetics:

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dow to the soul, the mouth is a window to the rest of the body. Just by looking into a patient’s mouth, an oral surgeon can tell if the patient is drinking enough water, has significant reflux or has a his-tory of bulimia. A few years ago, one of the surgeons at Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of Houston (OMSH) saw a woman for a painful mouth ulcer and no-ticed that her tongue had a blue stripe down the middle. She was referred to an endocrinologist, who diagnosed her with Addison’s disease, which not only ex-plained the ulcers but many of her other health issues.

While most things that are painful or just don’t look right in a person’s mouth are as simple as a trauma from biting the cheek, there are lumps, bumps and color changes that can represent more serious disease processes. One good rule of thumb is that if any red, white, black or ulcerated area persists more than two to three weeks, it should be evaluated by a dental professional. Oral cancer is most successfully treated if caught in the early stages.

Oral and pharyngeal cancer will be diagnosed in 48,250 Americans this year. There are several historical risk factors including male gender, smoking and alcohol abuse. However, there has been more attention recently on its asso-ciation with the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Routine screenings by a trained dental professional are an important tool in the prevention of oral cancer.

For more information, call OMSH at 713-464-2833 or visit www.OMSH.us.

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Staying healthy and looking good is a common goal for most women. Sometimes, a hectic lifestyle and stressful jobs make it nearly impossible to maintain an ideal body. Also, many women often gain or maintain resistant fat in undesirable areas regardless of what they do. Over time, this unwanted fat can be very discouraging and severely impact a woman’s body image.

There are many options available to help address unwanted fat. By far, the most effective and reliable is liposuction. The procedure is safe, affordable and can target the difficult, stubborn areas that no amount of diet and exercise can. The Sugar Land Plastic Surgery team has seen first-hand time and time again how liposuction can make such a remarkable and immediate difference in the appearance of the body, especially in the stubborn areas. This extra help motivates patients and gives them confidence to achieve further fitness and live healthier lifestyles.

Consultations with Dr. John T. Nguyen at Sugar Land Plastic Surgery are always complimentary. With your commitment and their help and support, you can achieve the results you have been working so hard for.

Visit www.MyBodySurgeon.com for more information. See ad on page 5.

When Diet and ExerciseIs Not Enough

Katy residents now have convenient access to a powerful, proven system to help them lose weight while improving their overall health. Medi-Weightloss®, a fast-growing company with more than 80 locations nationwide, is now open at 22167 Westheimer Parkway, Suite 105.

Whether it is losing 10 pounds to get in shape for a wedding or losing 100 pounds to save your life, weight loss isn’t easy. Medi-Weightloss offers a phy-sician supervised, individually tailored weight loss program known as “The One That Works!®” for its comprehensive approach to weight management and established record of success. Medi-Weightloss patients have lost over 3 mil-lion pounds nationwide and experience one-on-one education and individual-ized coaching on nutrition, behavior modifications and exercise to help them lose weight and keep it off.

“At Medi-Weightloss, it’s not just about losing weight but embracing a healthy lifestyle, improving self-esteem and preventing chronic diseases. The nutrition plan is real food from the gro-cery store, and we even provide advice on what to order when dining out or at-tending a business luncheon. We coach and teach our patients how to control their weight, so they can feel and be at their best,” said Dana Coleman, Katy resident and Medi-Weightloss Katy own-er.

In addition to clinically proven weight loss programs, Medi-Weightloss offers specialized weight loss programs for ad-olescents and diabetics, as well as free Worksite Wellness Workshops for com-panies in the area.

For more information or to make an appointment at the Katy location, visit www.mediweightloss.com or call 281-305-0735.

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Almost everyone talks about achiev-ing work-life balance, but what about health-life balance? When a person’s health is off kilter, nothing else seems to work either. Symptoms like fatigue, migraines, brain fog or excessive stress make it difficult to get through the day, let alone thrive. Optimal health is critical to one’s quality of live and has several benefits beyond just feeling good. By improving one’s health, a person has the potential to actually transform his life.

Being healthy can lead to an in-creased sense of wellbeing, happiness, focus and productivity at work, a closer connection with family and friends and a sound mind and spirit. Conversely, poor health bleeds into all areas of life, including decision-making, quality of relationships and faith. By deciding to make health a priority and bringing it into balance, it is possible to achieve one’s dreams and goals.

Taking time to exercise regularly, de-stress with yoga or meditation and eat a diet full of whole foods can provide more energy and even improve mental clarity and focus. If these don’t do the trick, it might be time to look within. In addition to contributing to unexplained weight gain and moodiness, hormone imbalances and deficiencies can lead to numerous problems one might never suspect, including anxiety, depression and feeling tired all of the time. It is no wonder that relationships are taxed.

The good news is that you can get your life back naturally. Take the first step by calling 888-844-0053 to request a complimentary consultation today. For more information about Hotze Health & Wellness Center, visit hotzehwc.com.

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NEWSWORTHY

Katy ISD’s Fielder Elementary has been recognized as a Common Sense Digi-tal Citizenship Certified School by Common Sense, a national non-profit organi-zation dedicated to helping children and families thrive in a world of digital media and technology.

“Our students are digital native learners. They have grown up with technology, and it is the vehicle from which they most often connect, learn and share their knowledge,” said Dr. William H. Rhodes, Fielder Elementary principal. “The staff of Fielder Elementary understands the added value technology brings to the 21st century classroom.”

The campus was recognized for demonstrating its commitment to taking a whole-community approach to preparing students to use the power of digital media to explore, create, connect and learn, while limiting the perils that exist in the online realm, such as plagiarism, loss of privacy and cyberbullying. “It has been important for us to integrate digital citizenship through classroom and library instruction,” said Rhodes. “I am proud of our staff and students for ac-complishing this certification.”

Fielder Elementary has been using Common Sense Education’s resources to teach students, educators and parents tangible skills related to internet safety, protecting online reputations and personal privacy, managing online relation-ships and respecting creative copyright. The free resources are currently used in more than 90,000 classrooms nationwide.

For more information, visit www.commonsensemedia.org.

Fielder Elementary Recognized as a Common Sense Digital Citizenship Certified School


IN THEHEART

K AT Y

OUT&ABOUT

By Morgan Zimmermann

[email protected]

Krew of Katy’s 21st Anniversary Coronation Mardi Gras Ball held at the Safari Texas Ranch in Richmond was a great success!

Carol Huffman, Patty Jacob, Donna Johnson, Lynn Punch, Gina Cox and Elaine Fielding.

Cayla, Gina and Courtney Cox.

Henry Keith and Janie Spies were presented as King Gabriel XXI and Queen Evangeline XXI.

The Katy Cruisers Gold ’07 won both the Cruisers Spring Kick Off and the St. Patty’s Day National Invitational in Katy.

Magician Chad Chesmark performed at Odessa Kilpatrick Elementary School’s annual Bluebonnet Bash. In order to attend the Bluebonnet Bash, students must read eight books from the Texas Library Association’s current list of books nominated to receive the Texas Bluebonnet Award.

Assisting Chad Chesmark was student Luke DesJardins.

Celebrating the victory were Louis Vargas, Brandon Riley, Gary Smith, Jr., Jason Boyer, Gary Smith, Sr., Jimmy Baker, Madison Smith, Kinzie Riley, Riley Whitley, Laila Nobles, Ella Boyer, Angie Baker, Brooklyn Gidley, Allie Hakimzadeh, Hailey Hjelle, Victoria Vargas and Trinitey Spencer.


• Divorce Planning• Divorce (Contested or Uncontested)• Child Custody• Child Support• Complex Property Division• High Net Worth Divorce• Parental Relocations• Post Divorce Modifications• Paternity and Parental Rights• Visitation Rights• Grandparent’s Rights• Pre- and Post- Marital Agreements• Adoptions• Collaborative Law• Alternative Dispute Resolution (mediation and arbitration)

Nancy Rommelmann is regularly consulted by local media for her on-air analysis about family law.

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“Right actions in the future are the best apologies for bad actions in the past.”

– Tryon Edwards

“Gray” Divorces

Some statistics show that since 1990, the divorce rate for Americans over 50 years old has doubled and more than doubled for those over 65 years old.

More than 50 percent of all “gray” divorces are between couples who are in their first marriage and who had been married for over 20 years.

The cause for dissolution in many of those marriages is due to the fact that the couple has grown apart, not due to

grounds of adultery or cruel treatment. However, sometimes after the couple’s remaining child has married or is out of college, people see their “job” as done and no longer want to live with an abusive spouse or a spouse who has addictions and is unwilling to acknowledge or seek treat-ment for the addiction. Times have changed, and with longer life expectancies and better overall health for individuals over 50, an opportunity for an emotionally healthy lifestyle can be attractive.

Issues arise in a “gray” divorce that are somewhat unique to this age category, such as a close review and assessment

of retirement and pension plans, annuities and other investments, social security benefits, life insurance, trusts and estate planning and gifting of property and how these issues affect your fu-ture if divorced. It is important to consider if there will be enough income to support yourself and options for health care coverage at a reasonable cost.

Couples considering divorce during this time in their lives should pursue marital counseling to work to reconcile, renew

and rebuild their marriage. Parties should ex-plore what changes can be made in their lives to provide for a more fulfilling and rewarding relationship, rescue their marriage and reclaim the vibrant love they once shared. It is never too late. If you have been with your spouse a long time and have raised children together, you need to consider the future you no doubt will share with your spouse or ex-spouse due to gradua-tions, weddings and baptisms.

It is prudent to contact a family law attorney to access or protect your as-sets and be knowledgeable about the

divorce process.

By Nancy L. Rommelmann, Family Law Attorney


Kids’ CornerBy Patrick Biron

For young children, especially teens, this plays directly into the identity-based insecurities and transient feelings of puberty. In under 15 seconds, children can use their phone to post a status and almost instantaneously get comments, likes or a response from hundreds of people. While this might make them feel “known,” it is important to make sure kids re-alize what constitutes a real friend from someone who simply friends them online. And while a real-life “like” from their par-ents is sometimes the last thing on earth they want, especially in front of their friends, parents should support their children in activities that provide them with real, face-to-face role models and friends. It’s one of the reasons that I believe sports, arts, camps and coaches are so vital.

The innocence and naivety of teens also puts them at risk on social media, where predators, bullies or other undesirables can mislead, groom or stalk them. Educating kids on the dan-gers is a must, but some children do not respond well to a parent “telling” them what to do. If your child has reached that stage of development and you feel they are ready, it might be more beneficial to simply show them the facts, the risks and the benefits and let them come to the safe conclusions them-selves.

What are those risks? Well, first off, create a fake person

If thousands of years in the future someone digs up an iPhone and gets it working, they

won’t have much trouble figuring out what we do each day. Indeed, with the meteoric rise of Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and the “selfie,” most people bookmark their lives on a nearly moment-to-moment basis.

Children’sOnline Safety: Social Identity, Privacy and Geotagging

with your child online to show them how easy it is and the dangers of online relationships. Show them how easy it is to lie and misrepresent who you are on social media. Many kids take a Facebook post almost as seriously as a sworn testimony be-fore the Supreme Court, and it is important for them to realize that their friends, celebrities and everyone in between usually only post the best side of themselves. They should always take what they see online with a big grain of salt.

Speaking of selfies, you may want to talk to your kids about privacy settings. Do they have their accounts set up so anyone can find them by simply searching their name? Would they feel uncomfortable if someone creepy was able to see their photos?

It also should be noted that most smart phones embed a “geotag” in an image, a digital fingerprint that tells the date and location the photo was taken. There are ways to disable this, but kids – and parents – might not even know about it. So that “se-cret” hideout that a child visits to relax might not be secret if the geotag is en-abled and they take a self-ie there and post it online.

There are both benefits and risks to this technol-ogy, but as an informed par-ent, you will be able to make the best decision for your kids, and that’s something that’s truly likable.

E-mail Patrick Biron at [email protected] if you have a topic or question you’d like covered or simply want more information.


THEIR SUMMERTO SHINESummer Programs at the Katy Family YMCA

Register today at ymcahouston.org.

Join and enjoy the member ratefor your summer programs.

Y summer programs offer the perfect opportunity to make playing and learning a family goal.

Summer Camp

Swim Lessons

Sports

Specialty Camps

YMCA Mission: To put Judeo-Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all. Everyone is welcome.

NEWSWORTHY

Firethorne resident Meg Glenn is a former English teacher whose lifelong passion for instilling the love of reading books into the minds of children has opened a new chapter in her life. Though she officially retired from the Katy ISD classroom in 2013, she now dedicates herself to placing books into the hands of avid young readers as the founder and steward of two Firethorne Little Free Libraries, outposts of an international movement to share literacy on a neighborhood basis.

Firethorne Launches First-Ever Little Free Library

Sandra Boynton, Eric Carle and Mar-garet Wise Brown’s Goodnight Moon in English and Span-ish. More advanced readers will enjoy novels like Chains by Laurie Halse An-derson, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo and The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson. Non-fiction books cover subjects ranging from art to reptiles. Children’s book donations are welcome as well. The Little Free Library took root in Hud-son, Wisconsin in the summer of 2010. Now, over five years later, there are more than 36,000 Little Free Libraries worldwide.

For more information, visit www.firethorne.info or call 281-693-1010.

Glenn explained, “When I learned about the Little Free Library, a free neighborhood ‘lend-a-book, give-a-book’ program, I thought this would be a good link to educa-tion and reading in our own community.” After extensive research, she presented a proposal to the Firethorne ho-meowner’s association board to fund a Free Little Library. “The board agreed to fund two of these libraries, and there is talk of opening a third library for adults.”

Firethorne is the first master-planned community in the Katy/Fulshear area to house a Little Free Library. Its two Little Free Libraries offer 50 titles – hard and softbound – for children from birth through middle school. Open on the honor system 24/7, the mini libraries are located by the main playground next to the Firethorne Community Cen-ter. As the registered steward, Glenn is responsible for the books being “safe, available, age appropriate and dry. The buck stops here,” said Glenn, a Firethorne homeowner since 2010.

The idea behind the Firethorne Little Free Library came to Glenn after she learned how her high school friend es-tablished a Little Free Library as a memorial tribute to her late mother in her Nashville, Tennessee suburb. Firetho-rne’s new libraries are officially registered and featured on the non-profit organization’s website map.

Titles include classics by Dr. Seuss, Maurice Sendak,

Meg Steward with the two Firethorne Little Free Libraries.

Some books available to borrow at the Firethorne Little Free Library.


Q: WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON TYPES OF ALLERGIES THAT AFFECT CHILDREN?

The two broadest categories of childhood allergies are en-vironmental and food allergies. Environmental allergies can include pollen, dust mites, mold and animal dander. Food al-lergies, which typically appear in young children, often include milk, eggs, soy, wheat, peanuts and fish or shellfish. The al-lergies that children develop heavily depend on what they are frequently exposed to in their natural surroundings.

Q: HOW DO I KNOW IF MY CHILD HAS A FOOD OR ENVIRONMENTAL ALLERGY?

A good allergy evaluation starts by taking a detailed history of your child’s symptoms and performing a physical examina-tion. Then, your allergist will discuss with you if allergy testing is recommended. For seasonal allergies, I typically encourage parents to wait until their child is at least three years old before testing, as it will be more accurate if the child has been exposed to a variety of potential allergens through the different pollen seasons. Testing for food allergies and potential indoor aller-gens can be done at a much younger age, as exposure begins much earlier in life.

The allergy test is fairly simple. We introduce a small amount of allergens to the child by slightly “pricking” the surface of their

EXPERT: Dr. Maria Buheis, pediatric allergy and immunology physician at Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus, answers some of the most common questions about childhood allergies.

Allergy/Immunologyab

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tely

!

Q A&skin. For babies and toddlers, the test is typically performed on their back, where there is more surface. For older children, it is often done on their forearm, because they tend to like to see what is going on and have fun guessing which allergen they will react to. After about 15 minutes, we begin to see swelling around the specific allergens that are causing the problems.

Q: WHY SHOULD I TAKE MY CHILD TO A PEDIATRIC ALLERGIST AS OPPOSED TO

A GENERAL ALLERGY CLINIC?It’s best to take your children to a pediatric-specific allergy

and immunology clinic like at Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus. In a pediatric setting, everything from the equipment and facility is designed specifically for children. For instance, at our clinic we only see children, so we are very familiar with what type of reactions to expect from the child, as well as the common allergy test indicators.

For younger children, distractions are sometimes needed to get their attention away from the slight pinch of the prick. For these patients, child life specialists are available who can pro-vide toys and interact with the child to help them through what can be a scary time. Since older children like to know what to expect during the allergy test, the child life specialists can help explain the entire process and can play guessing games with them to predict the allergens that will appear.

Q: WILL MY CHILD GROW OUT OFHIS ALLERGIES?

The short answer is sometimes. For some food allergies such as milk, eggs and soy, about 60 to 80 percent of children outgrow them by school age. But, only about 15 percent of chil-dren outgrow peanut allergy. It also, however, works in reverse. Your child can develop an allergy later on in life as a teenager or an adult.

Contact the Allergy and Immunology Clinic at Texas Chil-dren’s Hospital West Campus at 832-227-2280 with any ques-tions.


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The 2016 Fiat 500C Abarth Cabrio is the affordable cure to a mid-life crisis. One of the most stylish compact cars on the road, it has no practical back seat, and the trunk space is laughable, but get behind the wheel, and you won’t want to let go. The car is built to go fast, be loud and make your neighbors jealous. This is not the car for a shy driver.

The original Fiat 500 – “Cincquecen-to” in Italian – began life in post-war Italy as a tiny, rear-engine car powered by a two-cylinder engine. It was inexpensive, easy to park on crowded city streets and became wildly popular with young Euro-pean drivers. Carlo Abarth, an Austrian racing car designer and tuner, joined Fiat in the early 1970s and became famous for turning stock vehicles into racers. In 2007, on the 50th anniversary of the

introduction of the Nueva 500, Fiat introduced the current gen-eration 500 as a front-engine car with a distinct retro look.

The base 2016 Fiat 500 is powered by a relatively tame 101 hp, 1.4 liter four-cylinder engine that can be mated to either five-speed manual trans-mission or an optional six-speed automatic. But, the Abarth mod-el is a whole different animal. It comes with a 160 hp, 1.4 liter MultiAir Turbo engine mated to an automatic transmission that delivers EPA fuel estimates of 24 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway and will get you from zero to 60 in just over seven seconds.

It’s not just the peppy powertrain that makes people want to drive this little car really fast. There is the concentric “dou-ble-tip” dual-exhaust system that deliv-ers a menacing Abarth-tuned roar that is loud and fun to hear. Switch it into Sport mode, and the car becomes track-ready with performance features such as fuel-cut upshifts, rev-matching downshifts and corner gear hold.

2016FIAT 500C ABARTH CABRIO

The Abarth 500 gets some exterior upgrades over the standard 500 to give it a more aggressive, athletic look. Fiat badging is replaced with Abarth shields that sport a stylized scorpion, and the Cabrio features a power-operated cloth-top that you can retract while driving.

MSRP pricing for the base Fiat 500 Abarth starts at $22,495, and the Cabrio version adds about another $4,000. You could try and cure that mid-life crisis with a Ferrari, but the Fiat Abarth is a whole lot cheaper and almost as much fun.

Follow Steve Kursar at KursarOnCars. blogspot.com.


BlushingBrides

Coming June 2016

Submit your info todayand have your wedding detailsand photos published in printand online in our magazine.

Contact: [email protected] visit www.absolutelykaty.com

Attention Newlyweds!

If you or your children have recently marriedand you would like to enter for a chance to

be featured in our Blushing Brides, all you need is atleast ten high-resolution photos of the ceremony

and/or reception. It doesn’t matter where thewedding took place, as long as it was in the last year

and you or your parent/s reside in Katy area.Photographers are also welcome to submit photos.

We made it to April, when Houston has the most

glorious weather of the year. I think it is time to enjoy a glass of Champagne to celebrate, don’t you? And while we are enjoying our bubbly, let’s talk a bit about all that glorious fizzy stuff.

First things first. Cham-pagne is a specific type of

sparkling wine that is grown and made in

Champagne, France. To be called Champagne, the wine must be from that region and be made us-ing a particular

method. Regional laws also dictate the grapes used.

For decades, people called many sparkling wines Champagne, but the French didn’t like that, so they mount-ed a campaign to protect the name. There are a few wineries in California who used the name “California Cham-pagne,” but that ended with any labels approved after 2006.

Yes, other sparkling wines are made by the same method, and yes, other sparkling wines may use the same grapes, but those are not of-ficially called Champagne, because Champagne is a place in France, and only wines made in Champagne can be called Champagne.

You might be wondering how Cham-pagne and sparkling wines get those bubbles in the bottle. There are several ways sparkling wines can be made. We’ll cover the Champagne method.

In Champagne, the winemakers use Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes. Those grow beautiful-ly there, as it is one of France’s coolest grape-growing regions, and so it makes sense they would use those to make

their wine. These grapes yield high-acid, moderate alcohol and non-tannic wine, which is regarded to be a perfect combination in sparkling wine.

The ProcessFirst, the grapes are picked and

pressed to make the base wine. In making the base wine, the winery han-dles the grapes very delicately, and the grapes go through several pressings, with each round of juice kept separate so they can be used in different quanti-ties in the final blend. This base wine settles for a bit and then goes through its first round of fermentation as any other white wine would.

After fermentation, the wine is blended with other base wines. These other base wines could be different pressings from the same fruit, juice from other grapes, juice from another vineyard or even base wine from a dif-ferent vintage. This is where the wine-maker really tunes the wine to get the intended flavor.

Next, the magic that is Champagne happens. The wine is bottled, and a mixture of yeast and sugar called li-queur de tirage is added to each to initiate the second fermentation and birth those glorious bubbles. The bot-tle is sealed with a crown cap and left to sit and ferment as the yeast works its wonders. When this happens, the bubbles cannot be seen, but they are there. The alcohol level increases and the carbon dioxide builds a crazy amount of pressure in the bottle – about six atmospheres of pressure! As this happens, the yeast leaves a sedi-ment in the bottle that gives its toasty, yeasty flavor.

Before you see the wine, though, that sediment has to be removed through a process called rid-dling and then disgorging. Disgorging is especially tricky, because the

bottle is opened and the sediment is removed, and remember, there are six atmospheres of pressure in there that have to be preserved! When this hap-pens, some volume escapes, so the win-ery adds a bit of wine to the bottle to top off what escaped during disgorge-ment. It also adds a bit of sweetness, typically in the form of cane sugar. This is where sparkling wine becomes brut, extra dry, dry, demi-sec or doux, depending on the amount of sugar added. Next, the wine is capped with a cork and a wire cage for safety, then bottle aged for a bit before releasing.

This method, like I mentioned, is used to make other sparkling wines, too, not just Champagne. You can tell a wine is made the way Champagne is made if the bottle says “Method Traditionelle,” “Classic Method,” or “Fermented in This Bottle.” French cremant, Spanish Cava and Italian Franciacorta and Talento, as well as most United States’ premium spar-kling wines, are made this way too.

We’ll talk about other ways to get bubbles into wine another day. For now, let’s just celebrate Champagne. So, while toasting this gorgeous weather, toast yourself for knowing the difference between Champagne and spar-kling wine. And enjoy those glorious bubbles!

Cheers, friends!

By Amy Gross

Champagne and

Sparkling Wine


What’s Kickin’ inKaty

By Cyd [email protected]

SUBMIT YOUR EVENTS E-mail [email protected]. Include the event date, time, location and a short description of the event.

S pring has sprung in Katy. Whether you prefer the indoors or the beautiful outdoors, take time to check out all that is

kickin’ in Katy in April!

April 1st April Fools’ Day

April 2ndColor for a Cause 5K8 – 11 amJames E. Taylor High School20700 Kingsland BoulevardLace up your tennis shoes and run for a cause! The Taylor High School National Honor Society is hosting this fun run with all pro-ceeds benefiting the Arc of Katy, a non-profit group dedicated to supporting those with learning or development disabilities. To reg-ister, visit www.colorforacause.weebly.com/registration. For donations and more infor-mation, contact [email protected].

April 2nd – 3rd Heart of Katy Craft ShowKaty High School6331 Highway BoulevardShop till you drop at the Heart of Katy Craft Show, a semi-annual event that helps sup-port the Katy Bengal Brigade and Cheerlead-ers. Admission and parking are free. For ven-dor information and event times, visit www.khskbbc.com.

April 16th – 17th Home for the Holidays Spring Gift MarketLeonard E. Merrell Center6301 South Stadium LaneThe Merrell Center is home once again to the annual Home for the Holidays Spring Gift Market. It may be spring but you can still make your list, check it twice and experience one of the largest gift markets in Texas fea-turing gifts, home goods and more from over 200 vendors. Visit www.merrellcenter.org for event times and ticket information.

April 22nd Earth DayCelebrate by practicing good stewardship! Plant a tree, organize a community cleanup or start buying local.

April 1st – 2nd The City of Katy’s Community CampoutFriday at 5 pm – Saturday at 10 amVFW Park6202 George Bush DriveThis campout is geared to families with young children. On Friday night, enjoy an outdoor movie and campfires complete with s’mores provided by the VFW Post 9182. Sat-urday morning, the Boy Scout pack 494 will cook up a pancake breakfast. Participants must bring their own tents and sleeping bags and are encouraged to register in advance. Call The City of Katy’s Parks and Rec Depart-ment at 281-391-4840 for more details.

April 23rd Katy ISD Certified Teacher Fair8:30 – 11:30 am for Elementary1 – 4 pm for Junior High and High SchoolLeonard E. Merrell Center6301 South Stadium LaneCertified teachers are invited to introduce themselves to one of Texas’ premier school districts! Every Katy ISD campus will be rep-resented at this teacher fair. No registration or fee is required; however, proof of certifi-cation and resume are required. Visit www.katyisd.org for more information or to com-plete an application in advance.

April 30th YMCA Healthy Kids Day10 am – 1 pmKaty Family YMCA22807 Westheimer ParkwayJoin YMCA Katy for Healthy Kids Day! This summer activity showcase for healthy kids and families includes face painting, games, fitness demonstrations and more. Stop by to find out about summer sports, day camps and swim lessons. There is no joining fee if you join April 18th through May 2nd! For more information, call 281-392-5055 or visit www.ymcahouston.org/katy.


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april 2016 - absolutely katy magazine

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