march 2014 - fort bend focus magazine - people • places • happenings

Dr. Samuel E. Cress FABULOUSFrozen Food

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MARCH 2014

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fort bend magazine • March 2014 1

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THE ONLY PCAB-ACCREDITED COMPOUNDING PHARMACY IN FORT BEND COUNTYwww.compoundingcornerpharmacy.com

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For the discerning patient:• DISCOUNTS: We offer 20% off 90 units of capsules, mL’s of cream, troches, etc., 35% off of 180 units and 40% off ≥360 units.• SAME DAY PROCESSING: Most medications are finished the same day. Anything ready after 6:00pm will be ready at 9:00am the next business morning.• TESTING: We regularly test our products for potency, sterility and endotoxins.• EXPERIENCE: All of our compounding staff are highly trained, ACPE-certificate earned and state registered compounding experts, each with years of experience. We are not a teaching pharmacy and do not have students rotating through our pharmacy.• ACCREDITED: We are the only accredited compounding pharmacy in Fort Bend County.

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Celebrating our Year Anniversary!10

TO ADVERTISE: 281.690.4242 or www.fortbend .com • March 2014 2

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M-F: 9:00 - 6:00

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Hunter Douglas lets you control light. Beautifully.

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Red Mango Café offers a wide variety of delicious smoothies, salads, warm flatbreads, artisan wraps and of course, our award-winning all natural frozen yogurt, which is packed with active probiotics! We stock our toppings bar daily with fresh (never frozen) fruit, heart

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NOW OPEN IN FIRST COLONY MALL(next to Cheesecake Factory)


C O V E R S T O R Y

M A R C H 2 0 1 4

SUPER HERO, SUPER SMILEDr. Samuel E. CressChanges Lives with the Elite SmileSamuel E. Cress, D.D.S. of The Center for Craniofacial & Dental Sleep Medicine in Sugar Land believes in the power of a beautiful smile as he creates them regularly for his patients with the latest technology in porcelain restorations: e.max® Elite Porcelain Restorations®.

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F E AT U R E S

32 HISTORIC COURTHOUSE CELEBRATED Fort Bend County BuildingOfficially Re-Designated

37 HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS Find your home, and make it your own!These resources will help you turn yourhouse into your dream home.

38 CREATE A SHOW-STOPPINGMASTER BATHROOMThink outside the box to reachyour home design dreams.

48 LET YOUR CREATIVITY BLOOMA simple – and beautiful – home craft project.

57 SUMMER FUN GUIDEAs warm weather and freedom from school approaches, start planning with Fort Bend’s best in summer fun.

C O L U M N S

18 FOCUS ON FINANCENew Emerging Market – Growth Stocks

28 FOCUS ON HEALTHObama Health Care: Are You Ready?

30 BRINGING INTHE YEAR OF THE HORSE

56 HIGH SCHOOL HOT SHOTSamantha Guerrero: A Display of Honor, Courage and Commitment

80 LIVING THE SWEET LIFEHeartbroken and Hysterical

Samuel E. Cress, D.D.S.Photography by Nesossi Studios.


CONTRIBUTORS

M A R C H 2 0 1 4 | V O L U M E 1 0 | N U M B E R 5

N E W S W O RT H Y

34 FORT BENDHISTORICAL COMMISSIONHonors Vogelsang’swith 2014 Heritage Award

36 J.J. WATT CHARITY CLASSICComes to Constellation Field

50 STRIKE OUT AUTISM’STEAM VOLUNTEER DRAFTRound One

63 IT’S TIME FOR THE 11TH ANNUAL SCHLUMBERGER Education Expedition Bike Ride

66 SKEETERS TO HOST PROFESSIONAL TRYOUTSMarch 22nd and 23rd

M E D I C A L & B U S I N E S S

64 FORT BENDCHRISTIAN ACADEMYAppoints Dr. John Lindsell as Head of School

66 FORT BENDCHAMBER PRESIDENTAppointed to Board of Directors of Texas’ Leading Business Organization

69 MEDICAL FOCUS

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

68 8 SIMPLE STRESSBUSTERS

E N G A G E M E N T S

29 BURRIS-MANGAN

68

Henry S. MillerThe Serious Pursuit of Happiness: EverythingYou Need to Know to Flourish and ThrivePage 68

Zeenat Kassam MithaCultural CorrespondentPage 30

30

56

Lauren Dante BenoitContributor Page 56

72

Jennifer Elliottabsolutely! focus mediaPage 72

Patti Parish-Kaminskiabsolutely! focus media Page 14

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Dr. Peter OsborneTown Center Wellness Page 28

28

38

Keron WeatheredOut of the Box DesignPage 38

Will Hardee Hardee Investment GroupPage 18

18

abso lute ly ! DEL IC IOUS

72 FABULOUS FROZEN FOODMarch Marks NationalFrozen Food Month

74 LITTLE-KNOWNFOOD FACTS REVEALEDFun tips to boostyour culinary know-how

75 VINE SLEUTHRodeo and Wine? Absolutely!

ABSOLUTELY!DELICIOUS LISTING

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

76 2014 LINCOLN MKZ

I N E V E RY I S S U E

10 PUBLISHER’S PREVIEW

20 SEEN ON THE SCENE

52 OUT & ABOUT IN THEHEART OF THE BEND

77 AMATEUR PHOTO CONTEST

78 COMMUNITY CALENDAR

ON THE COVER:Samuel E. Cress, D.D.S.

Photography by Justin Grant.

75

Amy GrossVineSleuthUncorked.com Page 75

76

Steve KursarAuto Enthusiast Page 76

80

Alisa MurrayAlisa Murray Photography Page 80

Tim Cashion, DDS Teresa Cody, DDS

Call us now!281-206-4482

17003 SW Freeway, Suite 100, Sugar Land, TX 77479Formerly Cashion & Cody Family Dentistry and Orthodontics

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A $25.00 flat fee foran x-ray & consultation

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Specials

Dear Fort Bend Friends,

Spring is in full swing and so are the Fort Bend ga-las! We at absolutely! focus media are all over town cov-ering every event we can. You will see your neighbors, friends, colleagues and maybe even yourself in all of the Seen on the Scene pictures starting on page 20. We love covering Fort Bend people, places and happenings!

Now that spring is here, many are feeling the need to redecorate or revamp their homes. Our Home Is Where the Heart Is feature has some amazing ideas to help you make your house your home. Read all about some great ideas and services starting on page 37.

Though spring has just arrived, it’s not too soon to get the kids interested in fun things to do this summer. In our Summer Fun Guide, there is everything from museums, to cheer, to water parks, to swimming, to extra academic activities to keep them focused and their summer fun. I am sure that whatever you decide, your kiddos will have a great time.

Our cover story is about Samuel Cress, DDS, who is a super hero at changing people’s lives. He creates smiles that not only last a lifetime for his patients but completely changes their outlook on life. Read about Dr. Cress, one of only two dentists in the greater Houston area, who creates Elite Porcelain Smiles® just beautifully.

We look forward to seeing you around the bend in the coming months.

Stay focused,

Lisa [email protected]

4655 TECHNIPLEX DR. STE 700STAFFORD, TX 77477

281-690-4242

WWW.FORTBENDFOCUS.C0M

Fort Bend FocusTM Magazine is published by absolutely! focus media, 4655 Techniplex Dr., Ste. 700, Stafford, TX 77477. Copy-right © 2014 by absolutely! focus media. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited. Fort Bend FocusTM Magazine does not knowingly accept false or mis-leading advertising or editorial, nor do the publishers assume responsibility should such advertising or editorial appear. Fort Bend FocusTM Magazine welcomes editorial submissions from its readers.

Vol. 10 No. 5March 2014

EXCLAMATION POINTS!THE INSIDE SCOOP STRAIGHT FROM THE TOP

Subscription requests are free to all Fort Bend addresses. Annual paid subscription

of $25 required outside the Fort Bend area.

E X E C U T I V E P U B L I S H E R S Michael & Lisa Fredrickson

E DI TOR- I N - C H I E F Patti Parish-Kaminski

S E N I O RAC C O U N T E X E C U T I V E

Jessica Kij

AC C OU N T E X E C U T I V E SStephenie Cox

Susan DannhausJennifer Elliott

Kay GarrettAndrea Rigamonti

Suzanne StilesBonnie Bell Woodrow

A RT DI R E C TORGrace Belleza

G R A P H IC DE SIG N E RGinger Garza

C O M M U N I C AT I O N S C O O R D I NAT O R

Sarah Bearden

W E B DE SIG N E R Joey Belleza

P H O T O G R A P H E R SNesossi Studios

Justin Grant

C O N T R I BU T O R SLauren Dante Benoit

Jennifer ElliottAmy GrossWill Hardee Steve Kursar

Henry S. MillerZeenat Kassam Mitha

Alisa MurrayDr. Peter OsborneKeron Weathered

I N T E R NNatalia Valenkova

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]

Publishedby

www.FortBendFocus.comFacebook.com/FortBendFocus

Ticket giveaways to area attractions and events.

Lisa Fredrickson at the 2014 Girlfriends Giggle with Texas Direct Auto’s mascot “Auto.”

Oops! Tiffany Lara was incorrectly identified in the February issue.

Lisa and Patti,I want to thank you both for including our son’s wedding in

the January issue of Fort Bend Focus. It is very special to us and makes a lifetime memory. My kids are on cloud nine. Brad says this is the wedding that never ends!

Thanks,Lydia Ouellette

Publisher, LISA FREDRICKSON

READER FEEDBACK

Eric Humble, M.D.Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

281•313•055516926 Southwest Freeway

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JONATHAN KIM, M.D.

Dr. Kim completed his undergraduate degree from Cornell University in neurobiology; his medical degree from Uni-versity of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas; his ob-gyn residency training at Parkland Memorial Hospital; and his fellowship training in reproductive endocrinology and

infertility at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

Prior to joining Houston Fertility Institute, he performed extensive research in the role of obesity on the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. In addition, he has co-authored multiple descriptive surgical videos in minimally-invasive and reproductive microsurgical techniques. His work has been presented at national meetings and published in peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Kim is an active member of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology as well as the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and is committed to delivering compassionate and personalized care to his patients using the latest advancements in diagnosis and treatment of infertility.

THE TEAM RECENTLY WELCOMEDDR. JONATHAN KIM TO THEIR SUGAR LAND OFFICE.

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Super Hero, Super Smile

Dr. Samuel E. Cress Changes Lives with the Elite Smile

COVER STORYBy Patti Parish-Kaminski

“Elite Porcelain Restorations cre-ate much more than just a beautiful smile,” said Dr. Cress. “They are the highest expression of today’s dental technology in strength and vitality. The Elite Smile enhances an individ-ual’s own beauty, youthfulness and quality of life.”

The Elite PorcelainDifference

In the vast world of cosmetic den-tistry, just what makes the Elite Smile so unique? First and fore-most is the customization. Created by Arrowhead Dental Lab in Salt Lake City, Utah, leaders for over 35 years in the dental laboratory industry, each Elite Porcelain Smile is meticulously crafted by Arrowhead technicians to meet the specific aesthetic and functional needs of the patient.

Photography by:Nesossi Studiosand Justin Grant

I t has been said that a smile is worth a thousand words. A beautiful smile, one that exudes confidence and beauty, says even more. Samuel

E. Cress, D.D.S, of The Center for Craniofacial & Dental Sleep Medicine in Sugar Land, believes in the power of a beautiful smile as he creates them regularly for his patients with the latest technology in porcelain restorations: e.max® Elite Porcelain Restorations®.


But, before the lab technicians begin their work, a comprehensive consulta-tion with an experienced, certified Elite Porcelain dentist occurs.

One of only two dentists in the greater Houston area who creates the Elite Smile, Dr. Cress believes in the comprehensive approach to overall dental health. “In order to maintain a lifetime of a beautiful smile, it’s impor-tant to provide a comprehensive den-tal approach,” said Dr. Cress, who is a clinical instructor in the prestigious Dr. Dick Barnes Group and mentors in the area of dental sleep medicine, Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) and full mouth rehabilitation. “When I meet with a patient, I look at every-thing – from airways to jaw joints, wear patterns on teeth, vertical stability, ex-isting restorations and overall function – to prescribe a strategy of long term dental care. The patient must have room for porcelain, and the stability of the bite is a key component when con-sidering the Elite Smile.”

that includes everything from medical photography, inter and extra oral digi-tal photography, a CBCT (Cone Beam Computed Tomography) for volumet-ric airway analysis, a complete TMD workup, occlusal orthotic and a replica of the patient’s upper and lower teeth all required to create a custom smile design.”

A personalized, comprehensive di-agnostic workup is engineered by Ar-rowhead Dental Lab, which is a com-plete mock-up of the end result. The workup is a completely custom design to accommodate the patient’s new form and function. Once the workup arrives, Dr. Cress uses this blueprint to test the smile. “I personally review the workup to ensure that the customization of every tooth is accurate from the ver-tical dimension, function and esthetic value. I make certain that the workup is ‘spot on’ in order to receive the right amounts of porcelain for a flawless end result.”

Dr. Cress uses accurate final im-pressions to ensure that Arrowhead carefully creates the smile that will be pleasing to the patient. In the mean-time, utilizing the blueprint he has cre-ated, Dr. Cress makes custom Radica® temporaries for the patient in office while their Elite Smile is being created. Patients are sedated by an anesthesi-ologist for maximum comfort for this three-hour procedure. “The day after the procedure, I invite the patient back to the office to check and dial in their bite with computerized T-Scan technol-ogy. The patient bites into an electronic wafer, which tells me where to balance out the bite to create comfortable and even wear. Tooth enamel wears similar to tire tread; therefore, an even bite is important for the longevity and health of the teeth.”

Dr. Cress prepares a mold or bite jig to confirm the patient’s new bite.

The final impression to create the new Elite Smile.

Once a patient is identified as a good candidate for the Elite Smile, a meticulous diagnostic process begins, which is unique to Dr. Cress. “We es-sentially create a blueprint of the smile

Dr. Cress removing previous cosmetic veneers and preparing the teeth to receive the new Elite Smile.

The customized process of the Elite Smile contains three critical elements: full mouth work, Radica provisionary stint and tooth reduction stint.

This meticulous process also al-lows for patient input on their smile. Dr. Cress often spends time at Arrow-head Lab reviewing and tweaking his patient’s smiles. “I personally travel to Utah to review as many smiles as possible at the lab to ensure that each smile is beautiful and meets my pa-tient’s expectations. As a result of this personalized custom process, Elite Por-celain Restorations from Arrowhead have enabled me to achieve remark-able outcomes that were not possible using other dental porcelain restora-tions,” said Dr. Cress.

Terri’s new Elite Smile.Maria’s new Elite Smile.

Maria’s smile before. Terri’s smile before.

The Smile of a Lifetime

While the ground-breaking tech-nology used to create the Elite Smile has been on the market for only a few years, the lifespan of the Elite Smile is life-long. “Patients maintain an Elite Smile as part of their normal hygiene routine,” said Dr. Cress, who provides each patient with a care kit consisting of a Sonicare toothbrush and a Water-pik. “As with all individuals, regular brushing, flossing and bi-annual visits to the dentist are key to maintaining a lifetime of oral health.”

The final step for patients to re-ceive their new, permanent smile in-volves just a few hours in Dr. Cress’ chair, again with an anesthesiologist to maintain patient comfort. Patients do

While Dr. Cress has given his pa-tients the smile of a lifetime, he knows first-hand about the benefits of having an Elite Porcelain Smile. A firm be-liever in “practice what you preach,” Dr. Cress has had his own smile trans-formed with e.max Elite Porcelain Res-torations. “The promise of the Elite Smile experience is simple: you will re-ceive the confident, youthful, natural-looking smile you’ve always wanted.”

Changing Lives

Dr. Cress isn’t the only firm believer in the power of an Elite Smile. His pa-tients rave about their new smile that is as unique and distinctive as they are due to the Elite custom process. “A smile really can change a person’s life,” shared Dr. Cress. “One of my patients told me that he had much more confi-dence in himself now that he has a new smile. I know that having a confident, natural looking smile can change a per-son’s life. I’ve seen it firsthand.”

After receiving her new Elite Smile, Claire told Dr. Cress, “You have the greatest job in the world because you make people feel better about them-selves. I could not be more pleased with the outcome of my smile.”

Take Dr. Cress – and his patient’s – advice: “Transform your smile today to Elite, and experience the difference. We did.”

For more information about Dr. Cress and Elite Porcelain Restorations, call 281-565-4100 or visit www.cfsdm.com.

Changing Smiles – and LivesOne Patient at a Time

“For the first time, I am not embarrassed to show

my teeth when I smile. The self-esteem I gained from

my beautiful smile was well worth the investment. Best money I have ever spent!”

– Melissa F.

What patients are saying about their new Elite Smile...

The beginning of creating the new Elite Smile with temporary teeth.

not experience numbness in the mouth post-procedure due to this method of pain control and comfort. At this time, Dr. Cress removes the patient’s tem-poraries, cleans each tooth with an anti-bacterial agent in preparation to bond in the patient’s new Elite Smile. “Patients wake up with their new Elite Smile and a new outlook on life.”

An Elite Porcelain Smile is a win-ning smile. “With the Elite Smile, the teeth are not a bright, luminous white. The Elite Smile has the depth and col-oration of natural teeth so the smile is beautiful, ideally suited to the indi-vidual, and looks more natural. Elite conveys warm, naturally magnificent smiles that enhance a person’s youth-ful appearance and improves overall health.”

A personalized diagnostic wax up of the customized Elite Smile.



Presented by the Hardee Investment Group and RBC Wealth Management

New Emerging Market – Growth Stocks

FOCU$ on FINANCE

T he past decade has been highlighted by fear and the search for yield. As money markets and CD rates have dropped toward zero, this has further exacer-

bated the rush into bonds and dividend-paying stocks, which are usually considered to be value stocks. Our portfolios have been major beneficiaries of this trend. They have served us well, even though Enron and the financial meltdown in 2008 rocked the boat. However, as Bob Dylan said, “For the times they are a-changin.’’ Over the past year, two of the top per-forming industries have been technology and biotechnology, which are growth stocks, while the “value” stocks, such as utilities and real estate investment trusts, were some of the worst performers for 2013. Last year, the S&P 500 was up 28.9%. It didn’t come from the traditional value stocks.

In the world of investing, when it becomes obvious, it’s obviously too late. The hardest part about investing is an-ticipating future events and what could change. Because it hasn’t happened yet, many times one can look like the “vil-lage idiot” as we wait for future events to unfold and current news dominates our thoughts.

So why should we want to underweight yield and invest in growth? Some potential reasons:

1) Rising Interest Rates - Rising rates could wreakhavoc on bond portfolios and dividend-yielding stocks.

2) Rising Earnings - Growth companies should benefitover “yield” companies because of rising earnings.

3) Improving Economy - An improving economy couldcause the fear or “bunker mentality” to fade and optimism to re-appear, which favors growth.

As we’ve written before, according to Standard & Poor’s, the last decade was the worst decade to invest in equities in the last 100 years. The good news is that decades usu-ally don’t repeat. However, we have been “brainwashed” to shoot first and ask questions second. If the last decade was about yield and safety, it stands to reason that this decade will be about growth. This sounds absurd today given what is happening with Europe, China and the world economy. Re-member, when investing, it’s never obvious at the beginning. Conventional wisdom among the majority of investors has never led to investment success.

In 2013, yield stocks, such as utilities and real estate investment trusts (REITs), have substantially underper-formed. Underweight this area and concentrate on chemi-cals, technology, biotechnology and other “growth” industries driven by cheap and plentiful energy. Of course, it won’t be obvious until later, and you can’t benefit unless you antici-pate change. We suspect “the times they are a-changin.’”

This article is provided by H. H. Will Hardee, AWM, a Financial Advisor at RBC Wealth Management. The information included in this article is not intended to be used as the pri-mary basis for making investment decisions. RBC Wealth Management does not endorse this organization or publication. Consult your investment professional for additional informa-tion and guidance.

© 2012 RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Member NYSE/FINRA/SIPC.

Hardee Investment Group(713) 853-0879 • (800) 838-0757www.hardeeinvestmentgroup.com

Hardee Investment Group

Peace of MindAre you experiencing mental numbness regarding your finances during these challenging times? We can help implement financial strategies for managing and building long-lasting wealth. Let us do the work. Since 1977, we have been providing families and businesses guidance that is always In The Client’s Best Interest.

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Did You Know?

We fully believe growth will outperform value over the next decade. Read to find out why.


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Sugar Land Cultural Arts Foundation Founders’ Ball Benefiting the Sugar Land Auditorium

Warren & Kim Diepraam

Kathy & John Heinemann

Kenneth & Cheryl Williams

Hansa & Narin Patel

Farah Gandhi & Keron Weathered Sonal & Subodh Bhuchar

Debbie & Mark Hudac

Seeju & Charles Dupre


Celebrate SpringWith a New LookCelebrate SpringWith a New Look

15510 Lexington Blvd., Ste. G • Sugar Land, TX 77478(Between Williams Trace & Hwy 6)

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As We Celebrate 25 Years in Sugar Land!

January 18, 2014 • Safari Texas Ballroom

Dave & Karen Johnson

Nancy & Steve Porter with Cheryl White

Vijay & Vinod Bhuchar

Ann Smith & Marlena BergerSara & Shannon Orsak

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Mike & Tracy Gleeson Tim Stubenrauch & Bridget Yeung

Jim & Mary Rice


Warren Diepraam for Judge 2014

Warren complies with the Judicial Campaign Fairness Act. Paid political ad by Warren Diepraam for Judge Campaign.

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By Dr. Peter OsborneFor the past several years, you have probably followed the news and health media on prescription med-

ication recalls and warnings and been somewhat alarmed and confused. Below are some examples of recent events:

1. A study published in Lancet found that oral contraceptive use doubles a woman’s risk of invasive cervical cancer. Medications containing conjugated estro-gens are labeled with a black box warning because they increase the risks of myo-cardial infarction, stroke, invasive breast cancer, pulmonary emboli and deep vein thrombosis.

2. The pain medicine Vioxx was pulled off of the market because it was found to double the risk for heart attacks and strokes.

3. Fosamax and similar medications used to treat osteoporosis (bisphospho-nates) have been found to cause esopha-geal damage and osteonecrosis of the jaw.

4. Popular acid reducing medications like Nexium and Protonix (PPI’s) were recently found to increase the risk of hip fracture.

5. The FDA’s Pharmacological Drug Advisory Committee decided to put a black box warning on common antidepres-sants (Cymbalta, Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro).

The Journal of the American Medical Association published a groundbreaking paper. The study was conducted on ad-verse drug reactions (ADR’s) occurring in U.S. hospitals. The conclusion of this study was very alarming. It was estimat-ed that in 1994, 106,000 people died from ADR’s. When put into perspective, the top killers in the U.S. are heart disease, cancer and stroke killing approximately

Obama Health Care Are You Ready?


950,000, 750,000 and 150,000 people per year respectively. Based on the study find-ings, that makes adverse drug reactions the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S.

The top three causes of death are heart disease, cancer and stroke. They are treat-ed medically with the use of prescription medication. Prescription medication could potentially be the fourth leading cause of death. Following this logic, how does it make sense that we continue following a paradigm that obviously has such a pro-found flaw? The U.S. spends more money per person on healthcare than any other country in the world. Yet, among indus-trialized nations, we rank 26th in infant mortality and 24th in life expectancy.

How does all of thisrelate to Obama Care?

Pharmaceutical companies have much to gain with this new plan. The new health care bill does not fund true preventative care. It funds sick care. It funds a medical system that has failed to adequately ad-dress the health care issues in this coun-try. The new bill will dump billions of your hard-earned dollars into providing treat-ments that have been identified as one of the leading causes of death.

Combine the above information with

the following: It has been hypothesized that as many as half of the doctors in the U.S. will retire or quit practicing once this new plan takes effect. Additionally, the government funded healthcare will flood the system with an additional 30 million patients. This combination creates long waits and poor quality care. As it is cur-rently, many doctors’ offices offer wait times of 30 minutes to an hour followed by a 5-minute visit with the doctor. Under the new plan, you can most likely expect longer delays and less personalized care from the doctor. Less personalized care leads to sicker patients and more drug prescriptions.

Does it make sense to invest billions, perhaps trillions of dollars into a health care system that…

1. Does not focus on the preventionof disease?

2. Focuses on treatments that havehistorically failed?

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4. Destroys a doctor’s ability to give adequate time and counseling topatients?

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A ccording to the Chinese Zodiac Calendar, 2014 is the year of the horse. Festivities for The

Lunar New Year began January 31st and carried on throughout the month of February in Fort Bend community centers, churches, grocery stores and within many familiar organizations. The Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce was one of the first to pay tribute at the Chairman’s Gala with the traditional Lion Dance on the first day of merri-ments.

Lunar New Year celebrations began more than 4,000 years ago. Each year, the date varies from January 21st to February 19th, depending on the Chi-nese Zodiac Calendar, which is based on a lunar year and five 12-year sub-cycles. Many scholars believe the Chinese Zo-diac originated well before Buddha’s historical birth in India around 500 BC. As per the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, in China, the earliest portrayals of the twelve Zodiac animals show up in China in tomb ceiling paint-ings dated to 533 BC. Buddhism was introduced in China the first and second centuries AD, and it is said the 12 Zo-diac animals became linked with Bud-dhism’s 12 Heavenly Generals as early

as the Sui Dynasty (581 to 618).It is also shared through history that

Buddha called all of the animals on earth and 12 came. As a reward, Bud-dha gave each animal a year in the cycle and declared that everyone born in the year would have qualities of the animal in some way. The Chinese used 12 dif-ferent animals to represent the first 12 years, and then, the cycle revolved. Each animal has its own characteris-tics. The order of the years in the Chi-nese Lunar Calendar is Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep/Ram, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.

“This year is the year of the horse, and the spirit of the horse has the character to constantly make unremit-ting efforts to improve,” said Jennifer Chang. “The horse is energetic, bright, warm-hearted, intelligent and able.”

People born in the year of the horse have been said to have ingenious com-municating techniques. Some of the qualities which people affiliate with the horse are cheerful, perceptive, talented, earthy but stubborn, clever and kind.

“The Chinese New Year celebrations generally last for 15 days, but in Fort Bend, it’s more like a month,” said Terri Wang.

Just before the Lunar New Year, many families acknowledge and pre-pare for it. One of the things done is cleaning one’s home from top to bottom. This is an opportunity for the dust and dirt to be swept out of the door taking with it any bad luck that has collected in the house. Good luck is supposed to arrive with the New Year, and people buy new clothes, shoes, have a haircut and repay their debts.

On the eve of the Lunar New Year, most houses are brightly lit and large family dinners are served. Children are usually allowed to stay up late to celebrate with adults, and around mid-night, firecrackers are lit to drive away evil spirits.

The first day of the celebration is of-ten spent visiting neighbors, family and friends. Oranges, tangerines and sweets are given as gifts. Oranges represent money and wealth, while tangerines are symbols of good luck. Adults give “red envelopes” to children and unmarried adults filled with money.

During the New Year gaieties, Chi-natown is filled with an audience of viewers for many things, including Kung Fu type contests and lion dancers. The lion dancers carry the large head of a lion made from paper and glue. The dancers move to the beat of a giant drum. There are also gongs and cym-bals being played, while the lion’s head swerves and bobs. Dancers will dance in front of businesses and homes. With the loud drums beating, the lion danc-ers scare away evil spirits and bring good luck to the shopkeepers. When the lion opens its mouth, people put money inside to be blessed with joy and good fortune.

The Asia Society Texas Center also celebrated The Tiger Ball on February 27th with many Fort Bend supporters and ended the festivities with a bang, noting there is much hope for the year of the horse!

To all my readers, I wish you a blessed Lunar New Year, filled with good luck, happiness, peace and pros-perity in 2014!

Bringing in The Year of The Horse

TO SHARE YOUR IDEASfor upcoming cultural stories and events, contact Cultural CorrespondentZeenat Kassam Mitha [email protected]

By Zeenat Kassam Mitha

Lion Dance team members Zachery Ng, Angus Ng, Yu Sing Chan, Esmond Lee, Kafai Tse, Eddie Kwok and Caleb and Jadon Chan. Photo by Dooreen Ng.


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The Lamar Consolidated Varsity Choir participated in the ceremony with patriot songs including Texas, Our Texas.

Lane and Vicki Ward with grandsons Charlie and Drew.

Judge Thomas R. Culver, III led ev-eryone in the invocation and County Attorney Roy Cordes led the crowd in the US and Texas pledges. The Lamar Consolidated Choir, directed by Sean Saunders, filled the historic halls with songs of patriotism, with a finale of Texas Our Texas. Judge Hebert noted most of the furniture and several items, such as a horse collar and stretcher and hand water pump located through-out the courthouse, were donated by the George Foundation.

Attendees were encouraged to tour the courthouse and visit the Janey Wessendorff Community Room and the Mamie George Community Room, both located on the first floor in the 1935 ad-dition. Historical Commission Docents were available on every floor to answer questions and provide historical infor-mation about each area.

The rehabilitation of the Fort Bend County Historic Courthouse began in May of 2011 with a planning grant of $296,362 from the Texas Historical Commission. Bailey Architects served as the architect and contract admin-istrator for the project, and Phoenix 1 Restoration and Construction, Ltd. be-

gan construction in January of 2013, with Don Brady and the County's Department of Facilities as the con-struction manager for the project. The George Foundation funded $2 mil-lion of the $5.8 million project and is honored with a plaque in the foyer of the courthouse, which is careful-ly placed beside the 1981 plaque also noting their generous con-tribution to the remodel over 30 years prior.

Historic Courthouse Celebrated

ort Bend County's Historic Court-house was officially re-designated as the County Courthouse on Sunday January 19th, the 105th anniversary of its dedication in 1909. County Judge Bob Hebert and County Commission-ers James Patterson, Grady Prestage and Andy Meyers were present to pass the resolution of court on this historic day. A short program followed in the rotunda where many Fort Bend Coun-ty citizens were present to celebrate

the rehabilitation of the building.

Judge Hebert welcomed everyone to their newly re-stored courthouse and stated that it is now the home of the County Judge's Of-fice, the County At-torney's Office and the Fort Bend His-torical Commission. He also announced that Commission-

er’s Court will be held on the second floor of the building every 1st, 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month.

County Judge Bob Hebert welcomed guests to the official re-designation of the Fort Bend County Courthouse.

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Fort Bend Historical Commission Honors

Vogelsang’s with2014 Heritage Award

When Bob and Marcia Vogelsang de-cided to leave Houston and relocate in Rosenberg, they renovated and moved into a vintage house on Second Street that was once occupied by Bob’s grand-parents. That occurred 35 years ago. The Vogelsangs have been bringing new life to old Rosenberg structures and memories ever since.

In recognition of those accomplish-ments, the Fort Bend County Historical Commission has selected the couple to receive its prestigious Heritage Award for 2014. The reception and presentation will take place Tuesday, March 4th at Sa-fari Texas Ranch in Richmond beginning at 6:30 pm.

In addition to the family home, Bob was able to rescue his grandfather’s commercial real estate at Second and Avenue G. Today, the Vogelsang Build-ings house a number of businesses in-cluding Vogelsang’s Antique Emporium.

Resuscitating the deteriorated build-ings and revitalizing Rosenberg’s old business core turned into a saga that

Bob and Marcia Vogelsang.


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has lasted decades. En route, the Vogel-sangs, along with owners of neighbor-ing properties, have worked hard and waxed creative in returning the com-munity’s attention to Historic Downtown Rosenberg.

Among the fruits of that long-term labor are the Rosenberg Railroad Mu-seum on Avenue F and the Cast Theat-rical Theater upstairs in the Vogelsang Antique Emporium. The first office of the fledgling Fort Bend Arts Council was also housed in the building.

In addition, the Vogelsangs were among the 20-plus representatives of downtown interests who trekked to Aus-tin last September and learned of the city’s designation as the 24th cultural arts district to be recognized in Texas.

The Vogelsangs’ interests and influ-ence have not been confined to their city. Bob served as president of the Fort Bend County Museum Association dur-ing an expansive era in the nonprofit’s history. During this time, the museum association contracted with the George Ranch Historical Park to provide appro-priate “living history” programming for the public – an arrangement that remains in place today.

Most recently, Bob and Marcia have provided active leadership for the rail-road museum, Bob as board president and Marcia as chair and committee member of the museum’s annual fund-raising gala.

This will be the sixth year for the Fort Bend County Historical Commission to present its annual award. Last year’s recipients were Vickie Tonn and Rene Lamb of the all-volunteer Old Foster Community Museum Association.

“The Heritage Award was conceived as a way to honor achievements in his-torical preservation,” said Historical Commission Chair Bert Bleil. “It was created to recognize the accomplish-ments of persons or organizations that resulted in the preservation or promotion of historical assets within the county. The Vogelsangs certainly exemplify the tenets associated with this award.”


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J.J. Watt CharityClassic Comes to Constellation Field

Tickets for the J.J. Watt Charity Clas-sic, presented by Your Local Ford Deal-ers, are on sale at the Constellation Field box office and online at www.sugarland-skeeters.com. The Constellation Field box office is open Monday through Fri-day from 9 am to 5 pm.

The event will be held on Friday, May 2nd at Constellation Field in Sugar Land, and events will kick off with a home run derby followed by the softball game with defensive and offensive players from the Houston Texans competing. In addition, the event will feature a silent auction with items such as autographed apparel, au-tographed game-day memorabilia and an “experience package” to sit in the dugout during an inning. J.J. Watt mer-chandise will also be available for sale.

In 2013, the event sold out and raised $330,000 for the Justin J. Watt Founda-tion, whose mission is to provide after-school opportunities for children in the community to become involved in ath-letics, so that they may learn the basic character traits of accountability, team-work, leadership, work ethic and perse-verance while in a safe and supervised environment with their peers.

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Let Your Creativity Bloom

The Trick To Lighting

Sure you can choose inset cans or tra-ditional opaque fixtures, but how about using lighting to state your overall theme? For example, sconces inset into mirrors and a softly lighted chandelier indicate el-egance. Or faux mother-of-pearl shells in-stead of shades hint at romance. Maybe your style calls for tasteful crystals, con-temporary metallics or natural stones?

Vanities and Sinks

The unique varieties available can easily turn these functional items into the room’s breathtaking focal point. Bowl-shaped sinks sunk into etched stone ves-sels or set above faux painted cabinetry resemble museum art pieces. Vanities

D oes your jaw drop when you tour the master bath in a showcase home? Do you catch yourself thinking: If this was your master bath, you’d spend hours in this epito-

me of luxury? Well, creating your own show-stopper is not some far-fetched dream; you just need to think outside the box. So let’s break this project down into the different design elements.

and sinks come in a variety of shapes, sizes, textures, materials and colors so individual flare is encouraged.

Plumbing Hardware

Touring a hardware showroom is daunting. Again, your faucet selection should complement your sink choice and overall bathroom theme. Add interest by positioning the hardware at an angle instead of in the middle of the vanity or bath. Or, how about inserting them into the wall for a cascading effect? Think be-yond function by choosing a tall faucet that arcs elegantly over a raised or inset sink.

Mosaics, Stones and Tiles

The sky’s the limit on decorating with these. For drama, slabs of slate in dif-ferent shapes, colors and sizes create a fascinating shower stall and floor. Or, envision a slab of natural limestone, fab-ricated to fit two matching sinks. An un-usual touch is inset river stones, tiles or colored pebbles on the shower floor or as decorative backsplashes. Mosaic tiles made of glass, ceramic or metal add in-terest anywhere. A few suggestions are: floor designs, sink countertops or deco-rative framing around your mirror.

Unique Faux Art

This feature adds drama and your own design statement. A faux artist should be able to show you samples of intrigu-

ing ideas and not just in the element of paint anymore. Stones, stencils, metallic-textured sheets or iridescent beads will transform your walls into artistic splendor. For an eye-popping effect, how about us-ing photographs as wallpaper? If you’re a minimalist, a simple design highlighting the chandelier above the bathtub or fram-ing the mirror above the vanity is enough.

The Magic of Mirrors

Everyone knows a mirrored wall gives the illusion of a larger bathroom. It also re-flects your gorgeous lighting and plumb-ing fixtures, faux art and mosaic tiles that surround you. But don’t discount the sim-plicity of a single mirror or a pair of unusu-al, geometrically-shaped mirrors. And, if the faux art is your focal point, here’s one suggestion is: You may not have to frame the mirrors.

Comb through design magazines, interior designer websites or visit bath showrooms for more ideas. The point of this article is to create your own jewel to luxuriate in for hours.

Create a Show-StoppingMaster BathroomBy Keron Weathered

Verde Giada wavy stones were installed on the front side of the tub and Coral Reef limestone between the tub and mirrors. The faucets were replaced, and Capiz shell lighting was installed above the tub.

Coral Reef limestone was installed on the shower walls, and the center decorative piece incorporates Verde Giada wavy stones and pencil liner on the top, middle and bottom of the stones.

Venetian plaster and glass bead damask walls were created by a faux artist. Decorative mirrors were installed on the wall above each sink. The slab on the vanity is Coral Reef limestone, and green colored sinks were installed under the slab. The cabinets were painted with a metallic color.


HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS Advertorial


Gorgeous Hill Country Home SiteWaterfront Lot in Comal CountyJust 20 minutes from San Antonio and minutes from the

Guadalupe River in Spring Branch, this 1.72 acre lot is your Hill Country dream come true!

Amazing views on the hillside lot that features a meadow with waterfront along Spring Creek, The Crossing at Spring Creek, an acreage home site community, is the perfect place to build your Hill Country getaway. The community offers all underground utilities, paved, county maintained roads, plus a beautiful 10+ acre owners-only park with scenic hiking trails, a swimming pool and pavilion and a playground. $89,000

For Sale By Owner: 281.728.1204

Luggage & Leather has been pro-viding top quality travel and acces-sory products to the Houston area since 1981. With four Houston area locations, this family-owned and op-erated specialty retailer has always focused on providing the largest and newest selection of luggage, business cases, travel accessories, small leather goods and gifts. This broad selection includes great wom-en’s brands such as Spartina 449, Cinda B, Vera Bradley and Jon Hart. Top name travel brands like Tumi, Briggs & Riley, Hartmann, Rimowa and Travelpro make up just a portion of the wide range of product lines carried.

Though there has been a store in the Sugar Land area since 2007, Luggage & Leather recently moved to a new location in Sugar Land Town Square at 16069 City Walk Drive across from The Marriott. Their FM 1960 location also recently moved to Champions Forest Plaza. Stores located at Richmond and 610 and Beltway 8 and I-10 have provid-ed the same superb selection and service for several years.

All four locations offer a fabu-lous boutique shopping experience, as well as the opportunity to of-fer a large selection of unique gifts and accessories. The friendly and knowledgeable staff makes it a goal to outfit each customer with the right products for their travel, business or gift giving needs.

Luggage & Leather truly is your source for all things travel. For more information, call their Sugar Land location at 281-491-1811 or visit www.LuggageandLeather.com.

Luggage & Leather: Your Source forAll Things Travel

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART ISAdvertorial


30% OFF Provenance Woven Woods orApplause Honeycomb Shades

Whether your look is cottage chic or high-riseelegance, we have Hunter Douglas window fashionsjust for you. We can help you choose from a widevariety of styles, textures and colors.

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FREE estimates on Hunter Douglaswindow fashions.Whether your look is cottage chic or high-riseelegance, we have Hunter Douglas window fashionsjust for you. We can help you choose from a widevariety of styles, textures and colors.

We also offer: Custom Draperies, Temporary Shades, Motorization

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The Frog Blinds, Shutters, Drapes offers the finest and widest selection of quality window coverings from sheers to shades, blinds to shutters, valances to draperies. As a Hunter Douglas Gallery, they carry top of the line window treat-ments, as well as other national brands like Graber, Texton, Lutron and Somfy.

The Frog Blinds, Shutters, Drapes has been serving the Greater Houston, Galveston and the Bay areas for eight years. Their associates know the special requirements that are part of living on the Gulf, and they strive to create a warm, comfortable and stylish surrounding for your home or business at reasonable prices. The Frog Blinds, Shutters, Drapes specializes in motorized products and can provide custom draperies, valances, pillows and bedding. Their knowledge-able team can transform your space with the latest designs to fit your lifestyle – be it coastal, casual, traditional or contemporary. Let the Frog enhance your personal space!

The Frog Blinds, Shutters, Drapes is a member of the Greater Houston Home Builders Association, as well as the Galveston Chamber of Commerce. They are proud to have earned the prestigious Angie’s List Super Service Award in 2012 and 2013.

With a complete Hunter Douglas Gallery in Houston at 2415 Westheimer, The Frog Blinds, Shutters, Drapes can send a mobile showroom right to your home. Call 713-840-0844 for a free in-home consultation. For more information, visit www.frogblinds.com.

The Frog Blinds, Shutters, Drapes

Are you ready for a fresh look for your yard this spring? Garden Guy is ready for spring, and they’re sure you are, too! Garden Guy believes that their clients want a garden they can love and then leave. Fresh, low-maintenance choices in plants with a well-thought out design make this happen. Todd Farber, owner of Gar-den Guy, plans gardens for families who just don’t have time to spend coddling finicky plants and constant-ly weeding beds.

Farber spends a great deal of time gazing into a computer, a cell phone and a laptop, because he has landscaping proposals to get out and text messages and e-mails to answer. Sound familiar? With all the screens screaming for his attention, he must make time to walk away and unplug. Farber and his wife, Sabrina, love to sit outside in their First Col-ony area backyard gardens and talk about their day. Farber is happy to hear from clients that they use their gardens to spend time with their families, too.

As spring of 2014 approaches, Farber is excited about the challeng-es that new clients and their home gardens bring. Will you consider Garden Guy to work at your home?

Personal landscape consultations are available by e-mailing [email protected]. For more informa-tion, call 281-208-4400 or visit www.Garden-Guy.com or www.facebook.com/gardenguyhouston.

Fresh, Local and Family-Owned



It’s Time For Spring Planting…



It seems that growing fruit trees is an increasingly popular trend that is boom-ing along the Gulf Coast. The rising interest in growing fruit, as with home veg-etable gardening, is often tied to health and safety concerns, but many people are also finding that growing fruit is easier and less expensive than a vegetable garden. A one-time purchase of a fruit tree offers years of harvesting enjoyment.

There are many choices of fruit suitable for growing during our hot, steamy summers and typically mild winters. Citrus trees, such as satsumas, lemons, limes and grapefruit, are some of the most popular with their bountiful fruit and aromatic blooms, plus they attract beautiful butterflies. Many tropical fruits, in-cluding papayas, avocados, Miracle Fruit, lychees and more, love our hot cli-mate if they are given protection from occasional frost and freezing temper-atures. Many low-chill varieties of stone fruit – peaches, plums, apricots and nectarines – along with figs, apples, pears, persimmons and others do very well here and are good producers. Blueberries, blackberries and strawberries are also fun and productive.

Enchanted Nurseries carries varieties selected especially for the Gulf Coast climate and soils. Come early for the best selection. Enchanted Nurseries can often special order for you if your particular item isn’t in stock.

Visit Enchanted Forest at 10611 FM 2759 or Enchanted Gardens at 6420 FM 359 in Richmond. A calendar of events is available at www.myenchanted.com. For more information, call Enchanted Forest at 281-937-9449 or Enchanted Gardens at 281-341-1206.

Grow Your Own Fruit

Owner-operated for over 25 years, J & L Distributors prides themselves with a high level of personal service. J & L Distributors offers a complete line of soft and hard window cover-ings: draperies, roman and roller shades, valances and cornices. They also offer custom bedding: head-boards, bedding ensembles, decora-tive pillows, drapery hardware, indoor and outdoor lighting, re-upholstery and more.

Full-time designer Michael-james Russo has 25 years of experience in the home furnishings industry. Visit the design showroom to see J & LDistributors’ custom drapery and Hunter Douglas Gallery, as well as their own in-house blinds and shutter programs. Measuring and installation are done by certified and trained pro-fessionals.

Their diversified product line al-lows them to help you meet your budget. Each collection has dedicat-ed personnel who are knowledgeable and experienced in the aspects of that product. All the technical details are sought out and mastered.

J & L does this for their own egos, and their clients reap the benefits. Clients who are familiar with J & L Distributors know that they are able to let them worry about the minute details and minutia, allowing clients to relax and make decisions based solely on their tastes. From inception to completion, customer satisfaction is their goal.

J & L Distributors’ design cen-ter hours are from Monday through Friday, 9 am to 6 pm and on Satur-days from 10 am to 4 pm. Evening appointments are available. Inquire about their Shop at Home Service.

For more information, visit www.jlblinds.com or call 281-403-6733.

See ad on page 2.

Interior Design Made Easy by

J & L Distributors



V isit Fort Bend’s favorite gardencenters and find beauty, inspiration and happiness...for your home, garden and soul.

You may have dreamt about a retirement house in Colorado or just a vacation home. You may want to consider a master planned development that offers much

needed utilities. This beautiful waterfront lot with picturesque mountain views in Pagosa Springs is close to the family-owned Wolf Creek Ski Area and the mineral springs that made Pagosa Springs famous. This lot is approximately .24 acres in the Pagosa Lakes development that has all utilities as well as several fishing lakes, a golf course and other amenities. $89,000

Beautiful Views From Your Future Colorado Home Site

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4500 S. Highway 6 • Sugar Land, TX 77478Direct 713.589.5360 • Cell 281.686.2594

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DOUGLAS HOFFMAN



[email protected]

Arlene R. Rolsen, CRS“Selling Fort Bend’s Finest Homes Since 1985”

Recently Built Trendmaker Designed Home features Family Rm w/High Ceiling & Cast Stone Gas Log Fireplace; Private Study w/French Doors; Open Kitchen w/Granite Counters, SS Appliances, Breakfast Bar, Travertine Backsplash, Upgraded Cabinets & Tile Flrs; Rich Hardwood Flrs & Upgraded Neutral Carpet; Secluded Master Suite plus Master Bathrm w/His & Her Vanities & Custom Closets; 2nd Flr offers Game Rm, 3 Bedrms & 2 Baths; Oversized Garage w/Workbench & Peg Board. No Backyard Neighbors!

Riverstone

Arlene Rolsen, CRS, has been helping buyers and sellers realize their dreams for over 36 years and believes that this last year has by far been the most unpre-dictable in her career. “Home ownership is an investment in your future, and it is how many American families begin to accumulate wealth. Despite the recent downturn, home ownership still matters to many,” Rolsen said.

Rolsen loves introducing families from all over the world to Fort Bend County, where they can find great schools, places to worship, shopping, medical care, parks, recreation and diversity. All have helped make her role such an enjoyable one. “We have truly been blessed with a market far different from any other place in the world.” The future continues to look bright for the area as more people continue to discover Fort Bend as such a wonderful place to call home.

Rolsen always remembers one of her sellers’ remarks: “I have given a lot of thought about my house sale, and I have decided that the house is secondary in the process. The buyer is actually buying the hope of a bright, happy future. As for the sellers, we are actually selling a place where memories were made.” This explains why Rolsen has loved and enjoyed her years of helping buyers and sellers realize their hopes and memories.

For more information, contact 281-414-8400 or [email protected].

Let’s Make This an Unforgettable YearRiverstone will make waves lat-

er this year with the Memorial Day opening of The Club at Riverstone, the master-planned community’s newest amenity center.

The 17-acre facility includes eight tennis courts and a resort-style pool anchored by two twisting translu-cent slides. A zero-entry lagoon lets tots splash at the water’s edge and spray elements will keep older child-ren entertained. A splash pad adds to the water play.

The Club at Riverstone also will boast a nature-themed playground with play structures, a zip line and rope bridge suspended six feet above ground. Timber steps, rolling hills and a massive oak tree create natural ambiance. A nearby pavilion lets parents relax while watching their children play.

Residents also will enjoy the facil-ity’s 8,000-square-foot clubhouse, which will offer a fitness center, space for fitness classes, meeting rooms and a catering kitchen.

“This is an impressive recreation area that will complement our ex-isting array of amenities, including community pools, neighborhood parks, tennis, a bark park, catch-and-release fishing and trails,” said Trey Reichert, vice president and general manager of Riverstone.

As one of the nation’s top-sell-ing communities, Riverstone offers homes priced from the $280,000s to the millions by many of the Houston area’s most popular builders.

Riverstone is located along High-way 6 in Fort Bend County, minutes from both U.S. 59 and the Fort Bend Parkway. For more information, visit www.riverstone.com or follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RiverstoneCommunity.

See ad on Inside Front Cover.

The Club at Riverstoneto Debut Memorial Day



We Cover it All...

Hardwood Laminate Tile Carpetfrom $5.89 sq. ft.installed

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281-564-1345 • 10009 Hwy 6 South • Sugar Land, Texas 77498

281-398-2319 • 873 S. Mason Road • Katy, Texas 77450

832-813-0813 • 24627 I-45 North • The Woodlands, Texas 77380

www.lonestarf loors.com

Lone Star Floors is a family own-ed and operated company that has been serving the greater Houston area since 1988. Now with three lo-cations, Lone Star Floors is a one stop shop for all of your flooring needs. Lone Star Floors carries a large selection of carpet, tile, hard-wood flooring and laminate and granite counter tops and offers full kitchen and bath remodeling.

As a local, family owned busi-ness, complete customer satisfac-tion with products and services is the mission of Lone Star Floors. Our philosophy is very simple: If our customers are pleased with their shopping experience, we are con-fident they will share it with others and continue to use the Lone Star Floors’ Family for all of their floor covering needs.

The Lone Star Floors’ Family has many BBB Gold Star Awards and has the Certified Installer’s designa-tion, along with The Carpet and Rug Institute’s Seal of Approval. Addi-tionally, Lone Star Floors is a Shaw Design Center and Mohawk Color Center.

Lone Star Floors is ready to pro-vide expert assistance from their qualified personnel to take care of all of your flooring needs. They offer products from manufacturers who share their commitment to custom-er satisfaction, and they take their responsibility to provide quality in-stallation and exemplary customer service very seriously.

For more information and Lone Star Floors’ store locations, visit www.lonestarfloors.com.

Visit Lone Star Floorsfor All of Your

Flooring Needs



Your BIG ideasdeserve small rates!Apply for your Home Improvement loan today.Visit us at membersourcecu.org or call us at 713.627.4000, option 2.

If you are looking to spruce up your home with new carpet and paint, create a backyard oasis or renovate your kitchen, come to the Source. MemberSource Credit Union offers low rates and convenient repayment terms on Home Im-provement loans to fit your budget. Get your loan approved and funded, and you will be on your way to making those big home improvement ideas a reality.

If you live, work or worship in Fort Bend County, you are eligible to join Mem-berSource Credit Union, the official credit union of the Sugar Land Skeeters. Since 1958, members have enjoyed valuable financial products and services at great rates. Whether you want a low rate on a Platinum Visa®, a new or used auto loan, mortgage loan or a simple line of credit, MemberSource is your source to save money.

Are you looking for a checking account without all those fees? Member-Source has several from which to choose, including their exclusive Skeeters Checking Account featuring a Visa® debit card and checks with the Sugar Land Skeeters logo. Show your pride by carrying the Skeeters debit card wherever you go.

Don’t miss MemberSource Credit Union’s grand opening event filled with fun and prizes on March 8th from 10 am to 1 pm. For more information, visit www.membersourcecu.org, call 713-627-4000 or come visit our newest branch office in Lexington Square at 16535 Lexington Boulevard, Suite 145 at Austin Parkway.

Big Home Improvement Ideas Deserve Small Rates:Finance Your Project at MemberSource Credit Union

Payless Cooling and Heating has been specializing in air condition-ing and heating services for over 20 years. The company is a family-owned residential and commercial heating, ventilation and air condi-tioning (HVAC) contractor trained in HVAC service for all home or busi-ness needs. Their owner has been in HVAC industry since 1980 and has provided quality services to over more than 15,000 customers over the years in their service area.

Payless Cooling and Heating of-fers top-notch service with afford-able pricing. Their HVAC technicians are qualified and have many years of experience in the HVAC industry. Their technicians provide reliable service and offer quality work to all of their customers. Let Payless take the worries and stress off of your home or business HVAC needs.

For general maintenance and service or total system replacement, let Payless provide your home or business with worry-free, reliable and exceptional service. They take time to talk to their customers and explain the breakdown of service that has been provided and/or what will be required to get their systems up and running. Payless offers free estimates and second opinions on major equipment replacement.

Payless Cooling and Heating is an Independent Authorized Trane Dealer. They offer HVAC services to the Fort Bend, Harris, Brazoria and Galveston Counties. Rebates, tax credits, special financing and incen-tives are back for 2014. For more in-formation or to schedule an appoint-ment today, contact Payless Cooling and Heating at 281-227-3784 or visit www.paylesscooling.com.

Payless Cooling and Heating: Specializing

in Air Conditioning and Heating Services



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This beautiful Perry Home is a custom home without the custom price! Almost $200K in upgrades. This plan offers both formals, a study, a game room and a me-dia room. All rooms are spacious, and closet space is fabulous. Gourmet kitch-en has upgraded cabinetry with custom pull-outs, double ovens & built-in Kitch-enAid fridge. Master suite has a large sitting area. Backyard oasis has a beauti-ful salt water pool with hot tub. Cabana bath & oversized garage.

KristiBajjali

sienna Plantation

281-433-4462

www.kristibajjali.comEmail: [email protected]

4500 Highway 6, Sugar Land, TX 77478

In Full Bloom PillowCrafting Time: 3 to 5 hoursSkill Level: Some experiencenecessary

Supplies and Tools• Scissors• Denim • Iron & ironing surface• Pen • Sewing machine • Basic sewing supplies • White or blue thread • Fleece: turquoise blue, yellow, pink • Paintbrushes • Tulip Soft fabric paints: petal pink, turquoise blue, sunshine yellow • Aleene’s Fabric Fusion fabric adhesive • 16-inch by 16-inch pillow insert

W hether sewing to

relax or making

gifts for those

you love, there’s no better

reason to break out the

needle and thread than to

create charming updates for

the home. Nothing makes

an interior adornment more

unique than one created by

hand.

Sew Simple DécorExplore your sewing expertise with simple and delightful additions that add playful charm to any room. Pretty petals in vibrant shades of blue, pink and yel-low adorn a denim backdrop with this adorable In Full Bloom Pillow project from the crafting experts at Jo-Ann Fab-ric and Craft Stores. Throw it on a chair in the entryway for a bright welcome, or use it to give tired living room furniture a colorful, casual lift. It also makes the perfect gift for that special little girl in your life.

1. For 16-inch by 16-inch pillow, cut one 17-inch by 17-inch square of den-im fabric for front. For back of pillow, cut one 10-inch by 17-inch and one 13-inch by 17-inch rectangle to create pillow envelope. NOTE: Cut off frayed/selvage edge of fabric and save for center of fabric flower in step 9.

Let YourCreativity Bloomwith Home Décor Crafts

Let YourCreativity Bloomwith Home Décor Crafts


2. To give pillow envelope nice edge, fold both 10-inch by 17-inch and 13-inch by 17-inch pieces 1 inch at top against back of fabric and iron in place. Stitch in place.

3. Place 17-inch by 17-inch denim right side up and 10-inch by 17-inch on 13-inch by 17-inch pieces overlap-ping each other face down on 17-inch square piece. Pin in place and sew 1/2-inch seam around entire square. Clip all four corners and turn pillow right side out through envelope opening.

4. Visit http://www.joann.com/in-full-bloom-pillow/prod2050152/ for petal template. Cut out template and trace shape onto blue, yellow and pink fleece; trace 40 petals total.

5. Using paintbrush, paint top of each petal in coordinating paint colors be-fore cutting them out.

6. Once paint has dried, cut out all 40 pieces.

7. To help give petal volume, fold each petal in half and sew 1/2-inch dart at bottom of each one.

8. Carefully open dart, apply Fabric Fu-sion across bottom straight edge and press petal to pillow cover. Ap-ply petals to pillow cover one-by-one in circular motion. Start from inside and work out. Once first inner circle of petals is completed, lightly lift pet-als from top and place more petals behind for next layer. Continue with each layer until flower is desired size.

9. Create flower center using frayed edge from saved piece of denim fab-ric. Apply generous amount of Fab-ric Fusion to middle of flower; place denim strip down in upright position with frayed edge on top. Hold strip in place for a few seconds twirling in cir-cular motion to create flower center.

For more sewing inspiration and ideas, visit www.joann.com.

Family Features

ALLOW US TO SPOTLIGHT YOUTO YOUR COMMUNITY

As a Real Estate professional, you’ll want to be seen in our special Key Realtors’ section. Bring new clients to your office,

and distinguish yourself among the top Real Estate professionals in the area with this unique opportunity to showcase your skills.Our PROFILES are the ideal format to inform readers about your

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Strike Out Autism’s Team Volunteer Draft Round One

The Second Annual Strike Out Autism Family Fun Day Team Managers and Event Chairs are in place, and round one of the volunteer team draft is underway. More than 300 volunteers are needed to produce the largest autism awareness event in Fort Bend County. Strike Out Autism will take place at Constellation Field during the Sugar Land Skeeters’ Opening Weekend on April 27th. The event is hosted by Hope for Three, Au-tism Advocates, The Honorable Judge Bob Hebert, all City Mayors of Fort Bend County and the Skeeters organization.

Strike Out Autism is an opportunity to educate and bring awareness to the Fort Bend community and give 100 families living with autism an awe-inspiring day of smiles, laughter, acceptance and an exclusive baseball event amongst more than 7,500 fans and supporters.

“The ongoing success of Strike Out is due to the generosity of our sponsors and the hundreds of hours given by our volunteers,” said Angie Wierzbicki, Hope for Three Development Director. “This event sheds light on what is now an epi-demic in our nation and affecting thou-sands right here in our own community.” A recent report by the Center for Disease

Control reports that one in 50 school-aged children is living with autism.

Hitting a Grand Slam, once again, is Presenting Sponsor Rangeland Energy. On deck and quickly loading the bases are Fred and Mabel R. Parks Founda-tion, Memorial Hermann Sugar Land, Pasadena Albemarle Foundation, Sil-ver Eagle Distributors and many others who recognize the tremendous need of autism support and awareness in Fort Bend.

Stacking their teams with the most dedicated and compassionate volunteers are team managers/event chairs Jennifer Santiago, Betsy de Vega, Teresa Cortez, Mary Ann Gardner, Hope Montgomery, Pam Col-lins, Joan Soland, Lisa Matthews, Ashley Willis, Grace Shi, Angie Wierzbicki, Samantha Noronha, Sally Paz, Darla Farmer, Ricci Kelly, Mary Ann Hibbeler and Sharon Buckle. Photo Credit: Brenda Perry

The massive undertaking is the grand finale to Hope for Three’s month long celebration of April Autism Awareness Month. For more information on Strike Out Autism, visit www.hopeforthree.org/strike-out-autism or call 800-317-0787. For information regarding family resource opportunities, Circle of Hope and the many ways you can advocate, provide help and create hope, visit www.hopeforthree.org.


Integrative Cancer Treatment Center

R E D E F I N I N G C A N C E R T H E R A P Y

• Medical Oncology Consultations• Immunotherapy• Targeted Therapies• Dietary Intervention• FDA-approved Drug Re-positioning• Natural Phytochemical Cocktails• Hyperthermia Therapy• Alkali Therapy• Medical Acupuncture• Access to Personal Genomics• Access to Innovative Clinical Trials

Paul Zhang, M.D., Ph.D.Medical Director

Credentials & Training:

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Medical Oncology: Yale University

Medical Acupuncture: Stanford University

Seizing the Integrative Power of Combining Conventional and Complementary Therapies

7501 Fannin Street, Suite 705Houston, TX 77054

Call us to make an appointment and find your hope.

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Second Opinions Welcome


IN THEHEART

O F T H E B E N D

OUT&ABOUT

A big applause to Dulles High School students on a successfulproduction of the crowd-pleasing musical Godspell! Cast members were Christina Garcia, Atticus Finch, Ryan Reyes, David Belleza, Emily Wood, Lexie Holm, Waylon O’Day, Emily Baucum, Jolene Smock and Emil Jraissati.

The Tri-City Women’s Club hosted Sugar Land Mystery series author Stephanie Jaye Evans as guest speaker at their January luncheon at Riverbend Country Club.

Marcia Hollingshead welcomed Stephanie Jaye Evans.

Joan Fox and Eva Quearry.

The Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce conducted a ribboncutting for Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa in Sugar Land. Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa aims to help clients look and feel their best – affordably.

Teresa Reading, Rafael Marquez, Bridget Yeung and Himseh Gandhi.

Shelbie Fraquar, Morghann Milburn and Alicia Ezzell.

Preet Munday andRafael Marquez.


Fort Bend Cares recently hosted a Sponsor Reception at the home of Billy and Tammy Brown. Attendees visited with Fort Bend Cares’ grant recipients and expressed their gratitude for making an impact in children’s lives.

Westport not only builds dream homes but is also dedicated to making dreams come true for those less fortunate in the Fort Bend Community. In January, the Westport team gave their time and talents by building two homes for Habitat for Humanity families.

Helping make dreams come true were Hussain Momin, John Newman, Katelyn Debored, Thompson Stein, Kerry Kri-eschen, Paul Morrissette, Kenya Fuetes, Geramy Morrissette, Josh Holzworth, Laura Hernandez, Terry and Amy Saenz, Roxy Torres, Abel Kattan, Xiomara Villafranco, Mariela Estevez, Keiri Kattan, Barbara Anne Moore, Joel Kader, Ceci Solano, Jessica Kader and David Moore.

Gail McClenden, Patty Ward and Jill Curtis.

Nicole Rafferty and Dee Koch.

Tammy Brown and Sonya White.

Carrie and Shelby Bastin.

John Robson, Billy Brown, Scott Icenhower and Neal Vogan.

Jacquie Baly, Michael Bernstein and Mandi Bronsell.


IN THEHEART

O F T H E B E N D

OUT&ABOUT

Coaches Mike Wills and Critt Walton, Manager Darrin Stanton, Jeffrey Greer, John Paquette, Trace Walton, Grayson Wills, Logan Stanton, Sam Stavinoha, Eric Estrella, Colby Lock, Jake Capel, Trent Bielitz and Jason Duarte.

Congratulations to Dulles High School students inducted in the 2014 National Honor Society. Inducted were David Belleza, Brandon Tran, Benroy Chan, Glenn Bentulan and Linh Doan.

Participating in the upcoming event are Vickie Coates, EFBHNM; Roger Adamson, The George Foundation; Connie Esposito, EFBHNM; Jackie Martinez, Whole Foods of Sugar Land and Dee Koch, The George Foundation.

The 5th Annual Fort Bend Empty Bowls is set for Friday, March 28th from 6:30 to 9:30 pm at Safari Texas Ranch. Fort Bend Empty Bowls is the single largest fundraising event benefiting East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry (EFBHNM), where guests will be served a simple meal of soup and bread as a reminder of families in Fort Bend County who don’t have enough food to eat.

The 12U Fort Bend Hornets won the championship of the Nations Baseball January Showdown at Doss Park, beating Hunter Pence Baseball Academy 14-8 in the championship game. The Hornets are comprised of boys from Richmond and Sugar Land.


Sue and Jim Lockwood with ChildAdvocates of Fort Bend’s Executive Director Ruthanne Mefford.

Youth in Philanthropy presented Once Upon A Time at the Literacy Council of Fort Bend County, an afternoon of entertainment for children featuring storybook characters of well-known children’s books. Kids enjoyed various arts and crafts while parents attended a special How to Read to Your Child workshop. Kathy Duval, author of Take Me to Your BBQ, joined the fun.

Cydnee Haynes, Chaline Lobti, Kristina Ritter, Kathy Duval, Anne Marie Buckle, Alyssa Kuy Kendall, Kirsten Overgaard and Denisse Perez.

Christina Guerra, Kathy Duval, Cari Middaugh and Zeenat Mitha.

Allison Holding, Michael LoPiccolo, Marco Serrano, Jovany Medina, Nnamdi Madei, Allie Stewart, Jacob Khan andChristian Osagiede.

Kelli Metzenthin, Lauren Rankin and Debra Twigg.

Sue and Jim Lockwood were honored as Child Advocates of the Year for 2013 during the agency’s annual Volunteer Banquet for donatingtheir time and support across many different areas of volunteerism.

Fort Settlement Middle School students recently competed in a Spelling Bee. Win-ners were second place Josephine Yau, first place Ammn Meghani and third place Sid Muppalla. Congratulations!

Congratulations to Michael Wang who received the Exchange Club Youth of the Month for February. Michael is a senior at Clements High School and was a two-year letterman in Varsity Football as a wide receiver. Michael is an Eagle Scout and serves in the community on the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee, Shape Up Fort Bend and Grant-A-Starr Foundation.

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HOT SHOTHigh School

Samantha Guerrero: A Display of Honor, Courage and Commitment

By Lauren Dante Benoit

A senior at Travis High School, Samantha Guerrero has thrived during her last four

years in grade school. The past few years of her life have been quite life changing and have aptly prepared her for the future. Samantha has excelled in the classroom while also learning important values through the Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (JROTC) program at Travis.

In the classroom, Samantha is a bright student. She will gradu-ate in the top five percent of her class. While ROTC is definitely one of her favorite classes, Samantha also enjoys United States History. “The best thing that I learned in U.S. History class was how to learn while still having fun,” said Saman-tha. “Our teacher, Mr. Householder, told jokes that related to the content and gave us neat ways to remember things. I learned how to relax when approaching academics.”

Samantha is a serious student and her grades are very important to her. Due to her success in the classroom, Samantha is a member of the Spanish National Honor So-ciety and National Honor Society. Through Spanish National Honor Society, she has the opportunity to volunteer for cultural events in the area. In National Honor Society, Sa-mantha assists with service projects such as blood drives, food drives and Tiger Camp, the freshman orienta-tion program.

Samantha fondly remembers her freshman year of high school because it was the first year of Travis’ JROTC

program, as well as her first year to experience JROTC. Even though she had plenty of opportunities to become involved in other activities, Samantha chose ROTC because she wanted to be a part of something different and exciting.

In ROTC, Samantha is Commander of the female color guard, Co-Com-mander of the shooting team and aca-demic team and a member of the armed drill team and the physical training (PT) team. She was ranked nationally among other Marine Corps schools on the Youth Physical Fitness Test. At the State Drill Meet last year, she won first place for most push-ups and second place for the most crunches in the fe-male division. In color guard, her team won second overall at state.

Although physical training is a large component of being in ROTC, there is a great deal of classroom learning in-volved in being a member of ROTC. Ev-ery semester, Samantha is enrolled in a ROTC class that teaches basic drill, proper uniform wear, the history of the Marine Corps, the chain of command and other basic military information.

This year, Samantha was selected to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum on National Security, held in

Washington D.C., after submitting a winning essay. While there, she had the opportunity to visit Arlington Na-tional Cemetery and actually lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Samantha has truly excelled in all aspects of ROTC; therefore, she has been named a Cadet Commanding Officer, the highest-ranking officer in her unit of 120 people. “Through my role as a leader, I have learned how to exemplify the Marine Corps core val-ues of Honor, Courage and Commit-ment,” said Samantha. “I have been challenged beyond what I thought was my limit, but I have learned to be true to myself, loyal to others, disci-plined and confident in my abilities.”

For the last few years, the disci-pline and confidence that Samantha learned in ROTC has helped her flour-ish as a volunteer for the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Growing up, Samantha always enjoyed going to the museum because she was inter-ested in paleontology and dinosaurs. As a teenager, Samantha is able to ignite that same passion in the kids who visit the museum.

It is no surprise that after high school Samantha plans to pursue a degree in the sciences. She was re-cently awarded the Navy ROTC Ma-rine Option Scholarship and has cho-sen to attend Texas A&M University (TAMU). After completing her degree at TAMU, Samantha would like to be-come an officer in the Marine Corps.

Congratulations Samantha on your success in high school! Your pas-sion and dedication is quite admira-ble. We salute you!

Samantha

“I have learned to be true to myself, loyal to others,disciplined and confident in my abilities.” – Samantha Guerrero

Summer Fun Guide


W ith warm weather and kids’ freedom from school, there are extra opportunities for moms

and kids to spend more time together. Whether your children are toddlers or school age, it’s important to find fun ways to spend precious hours with one another.

Here are a few activities those of all ages can enjoy:

Put a twist on movie night: Summer blockbusters have families flooding the-aters in droves. Pack the whole family in the car, pop some corn and catch a drive-in movie. It’s an old-fashioned experience every kid should enjoy at least once.

Blow bubbles for a crowd: Create a bubble station on your front porch and wait for the neighborhood kids to congre-gate. After all, there is just something so simple and nostalgic about bubbles that everyone loves

Take a hike: Spend time exploring nearby parks, lakes and arboretums with

the kids. Pack plenty of water and healthy snacks, such as Dole Fruit Squish’ems, squeezable fruit pouches. Add an extra element of fun to your hike by going on a treasure hunt.

Watch the magic of fireflies: Enjoy cool evening breezes, while watching the special magic fireflies bring to a backyard. Catch a few in a Mason jar, and then re-lease them after the kids are tucked in for the night.

Pack a picnic: Take a picnic lunch on your next outdoor adventure. Keep it simple, portable and healthy with good old peanut butter and jelly with healthy, deli-cious side dishes like baby carrots, sliced bell peppers and Dole Fruit Squish’ems squeezable fruit pouches. From orchard to pouch, they are made with fresh apples from the USA, and are an easy on-the-go summer snack.

Play extreme tic-tac-toe: Make an easy craft project that can be enjoyed all summer long. Paint a tic-tac-toe board on an old beach towel, and then mark ten Frisbees with an X or O. Now, you’re ready to play Frisbee tic-tac-toe anywhere out-doors.

Keep them growing healthy: Pick a spot in the yard to create a small garden or plant a few vegetables in large pots. Those few moments caring for plants together each morning may just be the most pre-cious ones of the day.

Source: Family Features

Fun Activities for Moms, Kids to Enjoy Together

Summer Fun Guide


Fort Bend’s Finest Equestrian Center

Spend Summer Break atRiding Camp with Sienna Stables!

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• Summer Camps beginning June• 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Monday - Friday• Youths aged 6 - 16 years old• Students grouped according to ability & age• Horse Show exhibition and awards for all!• Now taking reservations

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June 9-13June 16-20June 23-27July 7-11July 14-18July 21-25August 4-8August 11-15

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Laser Soft Tissue Removal • Accepting New Patients

Specializing in Dentistryfor Children and those

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Summer Fun Guide


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For More InformationCall: 281-208-1403 www.ipspanthers.com

SUMMER 2014Currently Registering for the 2014-2015 School Year

Summer Fun Guide



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NEWSWORTHY

The Education Expedition is a cycling event benefit-ing the Fort Bend Education Foundation. On Saturday, March 22nd, the Fort Bend Education Foundation will host its 11th annual bike ride. Whether you are training for the all-important BP MS 150 or just wanting a great day with friends, the Education Expedition is a quality ride.

Riders take off at 7:30 am from Ken Hall Stadium (lo-cated at Hightower High School in Missouri City) to wind through quiet streets and into the countryside before looping back home. There are three routes to choose from ranging from 20 to 79 miles.

Rest stops are themed and staffed by students and teacher volunteers from Fort Bend ISD high schools vying for the “Best Rest Stop” award. Riders will be entertained along this ride. SAG wagons are on the course to assist riders with any needs. Participants are invited to stay and enjoy a scrumptious lunch with friends after the ride.

The ride is a BP MS150 Recommended Ride and all proceeds benefit the Education Foundation. The Fort Bend Education Foundation provides opportunities to enrich and enhance the quality of education for all Fort Bend ISD students through its Grants to Teachers and Schools programs.

Registration is available at Active.com or fortbendisd.com/foundation.

It’s Time for the 11th Annual Schlumberger Education

Expedition Bike Ride

2014 Bike Ride Committee Members Stephanie Collins, Alex Alberty, Ron Bailey, John Wantuch, Geir Bentzen, Scott Maddox, Ignacio Marquez, Justice Ndimele, Matt Brown, Vickie McMillan, Janice Holley, Beverly Scott, Ron Williams, Cruz Coria, Peggie Yih, Asta Wu, Charles Borsos, Kelly Metzger, Allan Holley and Taylor McKeown.


BRAZOS • FORT BEND • KATY • MEMORIAL

exceptional peoplewe are hiringEmail resume: [email protected]

NOW

BUSINESSBRIEFS

Fort Bend Christian Academy Appoints Dr. John Lindsell Head of School

Fort Bend Christian Academy is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. John Lindsell as head of school, effective July 1st. Dr. Lindsell earned a Bachelor’s degree from Wheaton Col-lege, a Master’s degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Master’s and Doctor-ate degrees from the Harvard University Gradu-ate School of Education. His career in education began in 1979 as a high school English teacher, then progressed to Assistant Superintendent of Schools for Finance, and ultimately, the roles of Head of School for the Westminster Schools in Augusta, Georgia; the Saint James School in Montgomery, Alabama and Whitefield Academy in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dr. Lindsell is currently an Associate Professor of Educa-tional Leadership at Kennesaw State University in Georgia, directing a Master’s program for independent school educa-

tors. Additionally, he is a visiting faculty member at the Harvard University Summer School, where he has taught a graduate level course in nonprofit financial management for more than 25 years.

“I am excited to join the Fort Bend Christian Academy family,” said Dr. Lindsell. “I look forward to continuing its fine tradition of providing quality Christian education and preparing young people for college, for work, and for a life of service to our Lord.”

Fort Bend Christian Academy, one of the larg-est college preparatory, Christian schools in the

Houston/Sugar Land area, serves a diverse community of 900 students in grades PK through 12.

For more information, visit www.fortbendchristian.org, or connect with the school on Facebook/fortbendchristian and Twitter/FBEagles.

Dr. John Lindsell

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BRAZOS • FORT BEND • KATY • MEMORIAL


Kurt M. Andreason, Attorney-at-LawBoard Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specializationin Estate Planning, Probate Law andCommercial Real Estate.

27 years experience in Texas

4840 Sweetwater Blvd, Suite B (at rear), Sugar Land, TX 77479281-265-1561 www.andreasonlawfirm.com

The Andreason Law FirmNow you don’t have to drive to Houston for experienced Estate Planning.

NEWSWORTHY

The Sugar Land Skeeters will hold a two-day professional tryout on Saturday, March 22nd and Sunday, March 23rd each day beginning at 10 am at Con-stellation Field. The announcement was made by Skeeters Manager Gary Gaetti and Director of Operations Michael Kirk.

The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball is considered the highest level of minor league base-ball outside of the Ma-jor Leagues and has witnessed more than 600 players move on to achieve playing ca-reers with Major League organizations. This year, the Skeeters encourage cur-rent and former players alike to register for tryouts, which will be attended by Gaetti, Skeeters Pitching Coach Jeff Scott and Major League scouts.

Pitcher and catcher tryouts are scheduled for Saturday, March 22nd beginning at 10 am. Position players, including catchers, will report on March 23rd at 10 am. All registrations should be completed and returned to the Skeeters by March 20th, as the tryout camp will be capped at 100 participants.

Those interested in participating may visit www.sugarlandskeeters.com/team/tryoutinfo and complete the registration. Registration cost is $75 per player and includes a tryout camp T-shirt. Visit www.SugarLandSkeeters.com or e-mail [email protected] for more information.

“We’re excited to see who shows up for the tryout,” said Gaetti. “You never know when you may find a diamond in the rough. It will be a good two days of seeing some young guys and providing them the chance to show us what they have to offer.”

The Skeeters 2014 game schedule and a list of weekly promotions are avail-able on the website. Season tickets for the 2014 season at Constellation Field are also on sale now.

Skeeters to Host Professional Tryouts March 22nd and 23rd

resource, providing relevant, innovative and impactful programs, initiatives and services that enhance the business cli-mate, and thus, quality of life throughout Fort Bend County.

“My priority is to keep focused on our mission to serve as the advocate for business excellence in Fort Bend Coun-ty,” said Schmidt. “Serving on the TAB Board of Directors is a great honor, and I look forward to representing Fort Bend County in my new role.”

Founded in 1922, the Texas Associa-tion of Business is a broad-based, bi-partisan organization representing more than 3,000 small and large Texas em-ployers and 200 local chambers of com-merce.

Keri Schmidt, President and CEO of the Fort Bend Chamber, was recently appointed to serve on the Board of Directors of the Texas Association of Business (TAB), the state’s leading or-ganization for employers. Schmidt fills a two-year leadership position that began in January 2014.

“TAB is thrilled to have Keri Schmidt as part of our leadership team,” said Bill Hammond, TAB President and CEO. “The more involvement from our mem-bers, the more effective we will be in championing free enterprise, a healthy business environment and economic prosperity for all Texans.”

Schmidt leads the largest single county chamber in the Houston region. The Fort Bend Chamber is the foremost

Fort Bend Chamber Presidentto Serve on Board of Directors of

Texas’ Leading Business Organization

BU

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SB

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Keri Schmidt with Aaron Cox, Vice President - Chamber Relations, with The Texas Association of Business.


Real Weddings

Coming June 2014

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

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

Attention Newlyweds!

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

be featured in our Real Weddings, 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 Fort Bend.Photographers are also welcome to submit photos.

1. Breathe Slowly and DeeplyBefore you react to the next stressful event, first

take three deep breaths and consciously release each breath slowly. If you have more time, try a relaxation technique, such as meditation or guided imagery, before deciding how to handle the situation.

2. Speak More SlowlyIf you feel overwhelmed at any time, deliberately

slow down the pace of your speaking. You will ap-pear less anxious and more in control of the situation. Stressed people tend to speak fast and breathlessly. If you slow down, you’ll find you can think more clearly and react more reasonably to stressful situations.

3. Drink Plenty of Waterand Eat Small,Nutritious Snacks

Fight dehydration and hun-ger — they can provoke ag-gressiveness and exacerbate feelings of anxiety and stress. Drink plenty of water and al-

ways have small and nutritious snacks available on hand, such as

fruit, string cheese or a handful of nuts.

G ot stress? Stress is a part of a normal

life that you can’t really avoid. The good

news? You have more power than you realize

to control stress before it prevents you from

living the life you want to lead. Here are 8

simple stressbusters to help you:

8 SimpleStressbustersBy Henry S. Miller

absolutely!HEALTHY LIVING

4. Take aBreak Outdoors

Take advantage of the healing power of fresh air and sunshine. Just five minutes outside on a balcony or terrace can be rejuvenating. If you have more time, 30 minutes of sunshine has proven positive benefits.

5. Do One Thing TodayTake control of your time. Every day, do at least one

simple thing you’ve been putting off: return a phone call, make a doctor’s appointment or file the paper-work piling up on your desk. Taking care of one nag-ging responsibility will energize you and improve your attitude! You might even find that completing one task inspires you to move on to the next one. At the end of each day, try planning your schedule for tomorrow us-ing a calendar or day planner that works for you.

6. Check Your PostureHold your head and shoulders upright. Avoid slump-

ing or stooping: bad posture leads to muscle tension, pain and increased stress. If you are behind a desk during the day, avoid repetitive strain injuries and sore muscles by making sure your workspace is ergonomic, and take five minutes every hour to walk around or stretch.

7. Reward Yourself after a Stressful DayAt the end of the day, set aside any work concerns,

housekeeping issues or family concerns for at least a few minutes. Allow yourself a brief period of time to fully relax before bedtime each day — even if it’s only taking a relaxing bath or spending 30 minutes with a good book. Remember, you need time to recharge. Don’t spend this time planning tomorrow or doing chores you didn’t get around to during the day. You’ll be much bet-ter prepared to face another stressful day if you give yourself a brief reward of some free time.

8. Practice Letting GoWhen your next inevitably stressful situation comes

up, make a conscious choice not to become upset. Just let it go. Don’t waste your energy on situations where it is not deserved. Managing your anger is a proven stress reducer.

There’s no way to avoid stress, but you can be proactive in managing it. Here’s wishing you a happy life with less stress!



Doctors at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital recently saved the leg of a badly injured patient through a combi-nation of multidisciplinary collaboration and state-of-the-art wound care tech-nology.

Adam Vandemark, 22, of Sugar Land, was on a midday motorcycle ride back in April 2013 when he was hit broadside by a car. The force of the impact broke Vandemark’s leg in multiple places. Emergency medical crews took him to Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospi-tal, where Carl Hicks, M.D., performed immediate surgery to stabilize the leg.

Patients who experience high-impact trauma or crushing of the extremities often face an additional complication called acute compartment syndrome, where swelling in the injured area cuts off blood supply to nearby muscles and nerves, eventually resulting in loss of the limb. To save Vandemark’s leg, Dr. Hicks performed a surgery called a fasciotomy – a procedure that created a large open-ing down the length of Vandemark’s right calf, exposing bones and muscles and relieving pressure.

Following his release from the hos-pital, Vandemark’s care continued at the Houston Methodist Sugar Land Ad-vanced Wound Care Clinic, where he underwent a series of advanced tissue and skin grafts designed to rebuild his damaged muscles and close up the fas-ciotomy opening.

“Adam has had quite a journey,” says Azul Jaffer, M.D., inpatient medical di-rector of the Advanced Wound Care Clinic. “We were upfront with him from the beginning about the extensive dam-age his leg suffered, and the possibility that he could lose his leg. His treatment was extremely complex and required multiple modalities that in the past would have required his transfer to the Texas

MEDICALFOCUS

Comprehensive Care atHouston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital

Saves Man’s Injured Leg

Medical Center. Today, we can success-fully treat these complicated cases right here in Sugar Land.”

Vandemark was a patient at the Ad-vanced Wound Care Clinic for three-plus months as Dr. Jaffer and the team at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospi-tal worked to repair his tissue and heal his fasciotomy opening in preparation for additional surgery to stabilize his leg and ankle bones, which took place in November.

Some of the grafts used on Vande-mark included biological agents that stimulate healing and help regenerate tissue and skin. Vandemark also went through five weeks of intensive hyper-baric oxygen treatments, consisting of two-hour sessions five times weekly.

The Advanced Wound Care Clinic’s hyperbaric oxygen chamber reduces swelling and pushes oxygen to injured areas to aid in healing. “I could tell that every time I finished a treatment my leg looked better,” said Vandemark. “Some-times it was just a little change, but I knew it was working.”

Dr. Jaffer estimates that over the course of Vandemark’s treatment, ap-proximately 20 physicians were involved in hands-on care and consultations about his condition as the team searched for the best approach to saving the leg.

“We have a strong group of physi-cians here who work together well and recognize that some patients have unique situations that require us all to put our heads together and share ideas and experiences to produce the best outcomes,” he said. “The Advanced Wound Care Clinic opened in June 2012 and has consistently been achieving sig-nificant results for patients from across Fort Bend and surrounding counties like Adam. We can pull together a multi-dis-ciplinary team that includes family medi-cine, internal medicine, plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery, vascular surgeons – whatever it takes to ensure that we are providing the best possible care for our patients.”

Vandemark says he is grateful to the physicians, nurses and staff at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital and the Advanced Wound Care Clinic. “Everyone took really good care of me,” he says. “The day of the accident, when the am-bulance crew said they were taking me to Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hos-pital, I didn’t really know anything about it. But I’m glad they did.”

Potential patients do not need a doc-tor’s referral to come to the Advanced Wound Care Clinic. Indications for wound care include diabetic wounds, pressure ulcers, venous stasis ulcers, arterial ulcers, non-healing surgical wounds, complex soft tissue wounds, traumatic wounds, wounds caused by radiation therapy and infected wounds. Please call 281-275-0770 to schedule an appointment; for more information, visit houstonmethodist.org/sugarland.

Dr. Azul Jaffer and Adam Vandemark.


MEDICALFOCUS

Prosthodontist Dr. Nisa Dadjoo prac-tices in Sugar Land, Texas, specializing in dental implants, cosmetic and recon-structive dentistry. As a full time practi-tioner, she is committed to providing the highest quality of care for her patients in a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere. Her compassionate nature and thorough communication are valuable assets in daily practice. Dr. Dadjoo is skilled in a wide range of dental procedures with her focus being on implant restorations, crowns, bridges, veneers, partial and complete dentures, rehabilitation of oc-clusion, temporomandibular joint dis-orders (TMD), sleep apnea and snoring devices.

A native Houstonian, Dr. Dadjoo grad-uated high school at the age of 16 and then enrolled at The University of Hous-ton Central Campus. Her outstanding

Dr. Nisa Dadjoo Joins Sugar Land Dental Practice

academic achieve-ments caught the attention of one of her professors who offered her a posi-tion as a research assistant in an on-going study affiliat-ed with Baylor Col-lege of Medicine. Dr. Dadjoo was

granted scholarships and awards for her role in the research and was invited to present internationally. She graduated Magna Cum Laude, received a Bach-elor of Science and got accepted to The University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston where she received her Doc-tor of Dental Surgery Degree (DDS). She then completed three years of extensive training in the Prosthodontics Program

at The University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston while receiving a Masters of Science in Dentistry (MSD) for her research in Biomaterials.

Dr. Dadjoo entered into private prac-tice since graduating, and she continues to stay current in her field. She is a mem-ber of the American Dental Association, American College of Prosthodontics, Texas Dental Association and the Great-er Houston Dental Society. Dr. Dadjoo is fluent is English, Farsi and Turkish.

Dr. Dadjoo’s practice philosophy is to provide quality care and to share her experience and knowledge with her pa-tients to allow them to make educated decisions about their dental treatments.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Dadjoo, call 281-313-1565 or visit www.rimesdds.com.

Dr. Nisa Dadjoo

For the ninth year in a row, Houston Methodist has been ranked on FOR-TUNE magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list, remaining the only hos-pital system ranked in Texas.

Houston Methodist ranks Number 46 on the 2014 list, moving up 21 spots from last year. Houston Methodist is one of five Houston companies to receive the prestigious distinction, and one of 12 Texas companies on the list. Among the other U.S. companies listed, Methodist ranked Number 4 for the percentage of minorities employed.

“Our employees and physicians make it possible to be honored as one of the best companies to work for in

America for nine consecutive years,” said Marc Boom, M.D., president and CEO of Houston Methodist. “Houston Methodist is a great place to work be-cause of our employees’ complete and selfless dedication to our patients and to our values.”

Houston Methodist, which includes a flagship teaching hospital, four commu-nity hospitals and a top-ranked research institute, was awarded the ranking for providing an exemplary workplace for employees. Houston Methodist was se-lected based primarily on a confidential survey sent to randomly selected em-ployees, who were asked questions on the level of trust, pride and camaraderie within their workplace.

Houston Methodist also submitted documentation about its work environ-ment, from benefits to corporate policies to employee demographics. Houston Methodist offers competitive benefits, diversity in the workforce, recognition for employees and a unique environment focused on integrity, compassion, ac-countability, respect and excellence.

FORTUNE Ranks Houston MethodistAmong “100 Best Companies to Work For” for 2014

Houston Methodist Hospital is con-sistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of America’s best hospi-tals, ranking in 12 of 16 adult specialties for 2013, the most in the state. Houston Methodist Hospital also was ranked by the magazine as the Number 1 hospital in Houston and in Texas.

Houston Methodist employs more than 15,000 employees and is com-prised of Houston Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center, Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, Hous-ton Methodist Willowbrook Hospital, Houston Methodist West Hospital, Houston Methodist San Jacinto Hospi-tal in Baytown and Houston Methodist Hospital Research Institute. Houston Methodist is affiliated with Weill Cornell Medical College and New York Presby-terian Hospital. For more information about Houston Methodist, visit houston-methodist.org.

For more information on Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, visit houstonmethodist.org/sugarland or call 281-274-7500 for a physician referral.

The Bombay Palace

ELEGANTLY AMBIENT • CULINARY ARTISTRY • SPECIALITY DINING

I N D I A N G R I L L & B A RSugar Land’s most authentic and finest dining experience.

Lunch Buffet M-F: 11:00am - 2:30pmSaturday & Sunday Brunch: 11:30am - 3:00pm

Dinner: 5:30pm - 10pm

15295 Southwest Fwy, Sugar Land, TX 77478Located conveniently on the Southwest Freeway(between State Highway 6 and Williams Trace)

Est. 1992

Specializing in Small Business andIndividual Tax Services, Accounting and Planning.

Specializing in Small Business andIndividual Tax Services, Accounting and Planning.

Contact: Peggy W. Piletere, CPA10701 Corporate Dr., Suite 292 • Stafford, Texas 77477

Tel: 281-240-0009 www.markjhamlinpc.com

Mark J. HaMlin, PCCertified Public Accountants


The year 2013 was a period of tre-mendous growth and change at Sugar Land Plastic Surgery. In 2013, Dr. John Nguyen and his staff moved into their new, beautiful facility at Lake Pointe in Sugar Land.

This office and state-of-the-art sur-gical suite was truly a labor of love as evidenced by the level of attention to de-tail throughout the property. Dr. Nguyen and his staff are very proud of their new home, both for the comfort it provides for their patients, as well as the added services offered at the new location. In the coming year, Sugar Land Plastic Sur-gery will continue to announce exciting events and services.

On March 28th, Sugar Land Plastic Surgery celebrates with a Grand Open-ing and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony be-ginning at 4:30 pm. The community is invited to join Dr. Nguyen and his staff for refreshments, food, music and raffle prizes. For more information, call 281-980-8000 or visit www.MyBodySurgeon.com or on Facebook.

Sugar LandPlastic Surgery

Celebrates Grand Opening March 28th

Sugar Land Plastic Surgery’s new office and state-of-the-art surgical suite.

Submit newsworthy [email protected]

absolutely!DELICIOUS

By Jennifer Elliott

FabulousFrozen Food

I recall frozen food from my childhood as a compartmentalized tin plate

with chicken, a pea and carrot combo, mashed potatoes and a doughy cobbler-like substance in the center top section as the special dessert. Luckily, frozen options have improved and multiplied over the last couple decades.

March is National Frozen Food Month, so check out this list of our readers’ favorites from the freezer.

■ Petite Cuisine Spinach and Jalapeño Hand Made Appetizers – Costco

■ Chicken Chipotle Barquettes – Fresh Market

■ Safeway Select Caramelized Onion and Gorgonzola Pastry Puffs – Randall’s

■ Mushroom and Black Truffle Flatbread – Trader Joe’s

■ Tarte Alsace or Flat Bread with Ham, Caramelized Onions and Gruyere Cheese – Trader Joe’s

■ Pastry Bites with Feta Cheese and Caramelized Onions – Trader Joe’s

■ Parmesan Pastry Pups – Trader Joe’s

Appetizers

■ Chocolate Croissants – Trader Joe’s

■ Applegate Naturals Classic Pork Breakfast Sausage – Randall’s

■ Jones Dairy Farm Golden Brown All Natural Sausages – Randall’s

■ Quiche – Tres Market

■ Sister Schubert’s Sausage Rolls, Cinnamon Rolls and Blueberry Rolls – Most Grocery Stores

Main Dishes

■ Tortilla Crusted Tilapia – Costco

■ Yakisoba Japanese Stir-Fried Noodles with Crispy Vegetables – Costco

■ Coastal Range Organic Chicken Breasts – Costco

■ Mandarin Orange Chicken – Costco

■ Kirkland Italian Sausage and Beef Lasagna – Costco

■ Kirkland Cheese Pizza – Costco

■ Foster Farms Home Style Turkey Meatballs – Costco

■ Pasta Prima Spinach and Mozzarella Ravioli – Costco

■ Central Market Pumpkin Filled Ravioli (seasonal) – HEB

■ Amy’s Organic Light and Lean Pasta with Veggies – Kroger

■ Safeway Select Pot Stickers – Randall’s

■ Pot Roast – Schwan’s (Home Delivery)

■ Salmon – Schwan’s (Home Delivery)

■ Turkey Corn Dogs with Honey Cornbread – Trader Joe’s

■ La Boucherie Chicken Stuffed with Dirty Rice – Most Grocery Stores

Side Dishes

■ Kirkland Nature’s Three Berries (Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries) – Costco ■ Wawona Frozen Mixed Fruit Festival Blend (Mango, Papaya, Strawberries, Pineapple) – Costco

■ Select Artichoke Quarters – HEB

■ Country French Bread – HEB

■ HEB’s Mixed Fruit Bag – HEB

■ Forno de Minas Pão de Queijo or Cheese Rolls in Frozen Bread Section – HEB

■ Sweet Potato Souffle – Honey Baked Ham Company

■ Safeway Kitchens Shelled Edamame – Randall’s

■ Brown Rice – Trader Joe’s

■ Creamy Polenta with Spinach & Carrots – Trader Joe’s

■ Garlic Mashed Potatoes – Tres Market

■ Sister Schubert’s Rolls – Most Grocery Stores

■ Birdseye Steamfresh Mixed Vegetables and Rice – Most Grocery Stores

■ Ore Ida Steam-n-Mash Russet Potatoes – Most Grocery Stores

■ Mini Chocolate Croissants – Fresh Market

■ Authentic Organic French Crepes – Fresh Market

■ Central Market Cranberry Walnut Cookie Dough – HEB

■ Creamy Creations 1905 Vanilla Ice Cream – HEB

■ Apple Blossoms – Trader Joe’s

■ Mini Mint Ice Cream Mouthfuls – Trader Joe’s

■ Petit Fours – Tres Market

■ Galaxy Desserts Mini Butter Croissants – Williams-Sonoma

Desserts

Greater Houston area stores are stocked with all of these delicious choic-es. When you don’t have time to cook, just heat the oven, pop in one of these recommendations and enjoy!

Breakfast



www.SugarLandWineandFoodAffair.com

23rd-27th

2014April

The best cooks, hosts and shoppers have a well-round-ed approach to the culinary world, including a wealth of helpful tips at their foodie fingertips. To show oth-

ers how to best navigate their kitchens and grocery stores to create the most delicious and freshest dishes, food ad-venturer Marcy Smothers wrote her unique, fun-filled book SNACKS: Adventures in Food, Aisle by Aisle. While taking the reader on a journey through each grocery store aisle, culinary insights are served in fun, small bites.

Here are a few of Smothers’ quirky, fun facts you can use in your own food adventures:

What can a camel teach you aboutgrilled cheese?

Camels like the Sahara desert because it is dry. Grilled cheese sandwiches also like a hot and dry environment – the pan. Put the butter or oil on the outside of the bread, not in the pan.

Is your spinach a sunbather? Do you always grab the bag in the back to get the freshest

one? That's okay for salad greens, but not spinach. USDA research has shown that spinach packed in clear plastic containers and continuously exposed to supermarket lights maintains photosynthesis. The best bet for nutrition is the bag basking in the front.

Why should you listen to your knives?Not sure if it’s time to sharpen your knife? Listen to it.

Carefully ping the blade. If you hear a high-pitched tone, the blade is still sharp. If you hear a dull tone, it’s time to sharpen the knife.

Should you blow dry your chicken?The secret to a crispy chicken skin is starting with dry

skin. The skin of a chicken is fifty percent water. Use a blow dryer on the no heat setting to draw out the moisture then roast in the oven.

Little-Known

Food FactsRevealed

Fun tips to boost yourculinary know-how

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❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖Soupwiches

The book also includes original recipes, such as this one for Soupwiches, which combines the creaminess of tomato soup and grilled cheese in the same easy-to-enjoy sand-wich. For more information, visit www.snacksthebook.com.

Servings: 4 as main course or 12 as an hors d’oeuvres

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature• 1/4 cup Campbell’s Tomato Soup, condensed (right from the can)• 1 tablespoon onion or shallot, minced• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded• 8 slices bread (English muffin bread, if available)• Olive oil

Mix the butter, soup, onion and cheese. Spread equal amounts of tomato soup-cheese butter on four slices of bread. Top with the other bread slices. Press on the Soup-wiches to seal. Using a pastry brush, lightly paint the out-side of the Soupwiches on both sides with olive oil. Alter-nately, you can use soft or melted butter.

Heat heavy or nonstick skillet on medium-high. When it is hot, add Soupwich. Squish and flip a few times until browned on both sides. (You can cook two at a time if your pan is big enough, and you can manage twice the squishing and flipping.)

Cool the Soupwiches for a few minutes. Slice in half, plate them and serve.

If you are serving the Soupwiches as an hors d’oeuvre, remove the crusts and cut into fours on the diagonal.

Still want soup? Go ahead and make the rest of it. Be sure to fill the can 3/4 full with water, not all the way to the top.

Family Features



Download the Free TCRN App today and take advantage of numerous Preferred Customer Offers or visit www.TCRN-SugarLand.com/mobile on your smartphone so you can start SAVING at the best businesses around town!

Search for ‘TCRN’

Featured Preferred Customer Offer of the Month

when you use your TCRN Preferred Customer App or Card!

Want to be a Preferred Customer? It’s Free!

search for more savings online at:

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Receive 15% off Food Bill

CERTIFIED GREEN RESTAURANT

RUGGLES GREEN15903 City WalkSugar Land Town Square, 77479281-565-1175www.rugglesgreen.com

Ruggles Green, a lo-cally owned and op-erated restaurant, of-fers a healthier, better tasting menu done in a sustainable way. Ruggles Green serves local, all-natural and organic menu items. They specialize in gluten-free and vegetarian options all in a family-friendly atmosphere including a gorgeous landscaped patio and a private room for special events. Their extensive menu features salads, sandwiches, burg-ers, tacos, pizzas and pastas, as well as organic and biodynamic wine and beer. Relax and “un-wine” at the greenest res-taurant in Texas.

absolutely!DELICIOUS LISTING

G et your wine on this month at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo's Champion Wine

Garden, where you can enjoy a glass or bottle of award-winning wine, listen to live music and even take a wine class taught by some of Houston's best ex-perts on wine March 4th through 23rd at Reliant Park.

You can get all fancy and learn about Pinot Noir Perfection, Cabernets Around the World or take the class I bet my hus-band would enjoy most: Pizza and Wine.

By Amy Gross

Rodeo& Wine?

Absolutely!

The Carnival Food and Wine class al-ways intrigues me, and can you think of a better way to get ready for sum-mer than taking a class called Cool Pool Wines? I sure can't! Unless, of course, it's the Bubbles: Sparkling Wine class!

Don't worry, you don't have to take a seminar to enjoy the Champion Wine Garden. You can always just meet up with friends to visit and enjoy any of the more than 30 medal-winning wines served, including many Class and Re-serve Class Champion-winning wines.

I had the privilege of serving as a wine judge once again for this year's Ro-deo's International Wine Competition, and I can tell you, there are some deli-cious wines on the list. It was challenge to help select the winners from thou-sands of entries.

Just like all Rodeo Houston events, proceeds benefit student scholarships. Last year, the wine committee's efforts resulted in nearly $600,000 in sales. So, plan to swing by and enjoy a glass or share a bottle and help support Texas students while celebrating all things Ro-deo!

Admission:Free with a Reliant Parkadmission ticket or Rodeo ticket.

Cost: Wine Seminars cost between$30 - $60 per person andrequire an admission ticket.

Rodeo Wine Garden Hours:Monday - Thursday: 4 to 11 pmFriday: 4 pm to midnightSaturday: 11 am to midnightSunday: Noon to 10 pm

For more information,visit RodeoHouston.com.

HoustonLivestock Showand Rodeo’s

ChampionWine Garden


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T he 2014 Lincoln MKZ is Ford Motor Company’s first real expression of their dedication to revitalize their luxury line. Now rebranded as the Lincoln Motor Car Company,

Ford has finally pulled out all the stops in their efforts to bring back their iconic luxury status symbol. And, it shows in the new MKZ, a car that harkens to the past while being thoroughly up-to-date in incorporating technology that matters.

Lincolns used to be one of two top luxury car brands, along with Cadillac, that ruled American highways. But two gas crises of the 1970s that hurt large car sales, and then, Ford’s inatten-tion to the brand eventually led to Lincoln’s drop in popularity with American buyers. Suddenly, German and Japanese lux-ury brands seemed cool and hip, and Lincoln was relegated to those that thought of Lincoln as a style setter. Ford realized that they needed to do something big to refocus luxury buyers back to the Lincoln brand.

That first of many big things is the Lincoln MKZ, which was initially introduced as a 2013 model. It shares its DNA with the new Ford Fusion, but unlike previous Lincolns that were barely disguised versions of a Ford, this new MKZ has its own dis-

tinct personality. Its outer shell is pure elegant Lincoln, with a grill that’s the latest version of the Lincoln split-wing that first appeared on the 1936 Zephyr. And the interior, with standard leather seats, boasts the latest in automotive technology incor-porated in MyLincoln Touch that allows you to do more than just communicate hands free. With SYNC, you can set cabin temperatures, radio stations and destinations with the sound of your voice.

For a base MSRP of $36,190, you have the option of choos-ing between two engines: a 240hp, 2.0 liter four cylinder Eco-Boost that gets 22 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway. Or, for the same price, you can get the most fuel efficient luxury hybrid in America with a 2.0 liter Atkinson engine mated to a battery that puts out 188 hp and gets an impressive 45 mpg city and 45 mpg highway. For a little more money, you can get the 300 hp, 3.7 liter V6 that growls when you turn it on.

If you’re in the market for an upscale mid-size sedan, do yourself a favor and check out the new face of Lincoln, the 2014 MKZ. It’s the latest advance in luxury.

Follow Steve Kursur at KursarOnCars.blogspot.com.

2014 LINCOLN MKZ


ENTER TO WINFort Bend Focus Magazine is looking for great amateur photos. Think you have a great shot? Any subject matter will be considered, black and white or color, special effects and/or edited are not necessary.

A WINNER EVERY MONTHEach month’s winner receives a $50 gift certificate to a restaurant and the winning photo will be published in our magazine. To claim your prize, call Sarah at 281-690-4242. Runner-up photos may be published in our “Readers’ Photo Album.”

NO LIMIT TO ENTRIESTo submit a digital photo, e-mail the jpeg file to [email protected]. Digital photos must be HIGH RESOLUTION at least 300 dpi at actual size of at least 4” x 6”.

Please make sure to send some basic information about every photo you submit such as: who, where, when, a title, your name and daytime phone number.

By submitting an entry, the photographer gives the Fort Bend Focus Magazine the right to use and publish their photograph. There is no contest deadline.

March 2014 Winner “The Great Escape”

By Taylor Chan

Judge’s Comment: Typically, we do not prefer special effects; however, this is very a creative and interesting special effect.

Congratulations Taylor, you’ve earned a $50 gift certificate to a restaurant!

A M A T E U R P H O T O C O N T E S T


March 1st – 15thAnnual Caladium Bulb SaleThe Garden Club of Richmond’s annual sale features No. 1 “fancy-leafed” caladium bulbs available in red (Red Flash), pink (Carolyn Wharton) and white (White Christmas). Prices are $25 for 25 bulbs, $50 for 50 bulbs and $90 for 100 bulbs. Orders must be paid for in advance and will be available to pick up the last week in March at Joseph’s Store, located at 202 Morton Street in Richmond. Call 281-342-8528 or 281-342-2684.

March 1st, 6 – 11:30 pmFort Bend EducationFoundation Gala 2014Enjoy a roaring evening of entertainment and fun at Sugar Land Marriot Town Square, located at 16090 City Walk in Sugar Land, as Fort Bend Education Foundation raises funds for the students, teachers and schools in Fort Bend ISD. Brush shoulders with gentlemen gangsters and glamorous flappers as you are transported back in time to the 1920s. Visit www.fortbendisd.com/foundation.

E V E N T S

Every Saturday, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, rain or shine

Presented By:

198 Kempner St. at Imperial Sugar Land

Water Treatment Specialists

ENVIRONMENTALPROTECH

March 3rd, 5:30 – 6:30 pmCelebrate Dr. Seuss’Birthday at the LibraryChildren of all ages are invited to First Colony Branch Library, located at 2121 Austin Parkway in Sugar Land, for a special Read Across America Day celebration of Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Families may listen to stories by Dr. Seuss, participate in crafts and munch on birthday snacks.Call 281-238-2800.

March 5th, 1 – 3 pmJob Search Help: Interview SkillsMissouri City Branch Library, located at 1530 Texas Parkway, will co-sponsor a Job Search Assistance program on Interview Skills presented by Bobi Cook, Regional Facilitator at Workforce Solutions. The program is free and open to the public. Call 281-238-2100.

March 8th, 11 amSaturday Morning CartoonsFamilies with children of all ages are invited to kick off Spring Break together with classic cartoons and refreshments at First Colony Branch Library, located at 2121 Austin Parkway in Sugar Land. Call 281-238-2800.

March 14th – 30thFort Bend Theatre Presents EmmaThe award-winning Fort Bend Theatre, located at 2815 N. Main in Stafford, will present Emma, based on the classic novel by Jane Austen and adapted by Jennifer Herger. For tickets and show times, visit www.fortbendtheatre.com or call 281-208-3333.

March 15th, 2 – 4 pmFAFSA Application AssistanceCollege-bound high-school students and their parents are encouraged to attend this informative presentation on completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) application, the first step toward receiving federal or state financial aid for college. The presentation will be held at Missouri City Branch Library, located at 1530 Texas Parkway. Call 281-238-2100.

March 18th, 7:30 pmCantabilé – A Fort Bend BoysChoir Program for Changed VoicesThe Fort Bend Boys Choir is offering an exciting new program for young tenors, baritones and basses from local area middle and high schools called Cantabilé. Tuition is $25, and weekly hour-long rehearsals will be on Tuesday evenings at 7:30 pm. Rehearsals will take place at First United Methodist Church-Missouri City, located at 3900 Lexington Boulevard in Missouri City. Call281-240-3800 or visit www.fbbctx.org.

March 22nd, 2 – 4 pmLearn About Black Cowboysof the Old West Travel back in time to the American western frontier days with “Black Cowboys in the Wild West” at Missouri City Branch Library, located at 1530 Texas Parkway. Dressed in authentic cowboy attire, Michael Searles will bring the Old West to life, helping the audience to better understand the western experience of the black cowboy.Call 281-238-2100.

Former Cantabilé members Paul Espinosa, James Riggins, Dylan Lischau and Michael Duty.


E V E N T S

SUGAR LAND TOWN SQUARE CALENDAR OF EVENTS

www.sugarlandtownsquare.comCall 281.313.SLTS

Fort Bend ISDWATCH Health FairSaturday, March 1st11 am – 2 pm

Memorial HermannHalf MarathonSunday, March 2nd6:30 – 10 am

Fitness in the PlazaFridays, March 7th, 14th,21st and 28th9 – 11 am

RPC School of RockConcert in Town SquareSaturday, March 8th7 – 9 pm

Vino & VogueSaturday, March 22nd5 – 8 pm

Sugar Land JuniorSuperstar AuditionsWednesday, March 26th5 – 7 pm

Submit calendarevents at

[email protected]

March 22nd, 8 pmPerformance by Three Mo’ TenorsExperience the lively performance of Three Mo’ Tenors, a group of highly acclaimed performers with extraordinary vocal versatility. The show starts with classical opera and goes on to feature seven more musical styles that span four hundred years of music – all in one entertaining evening.Visit www.staffordcentre.com or call281-208-6900.

March 23rd, 3 – 4 pmOrganist Dr. Robert Gant in RecitalDr. Robert Gant will present a performance featuring selections from Bach's Clavier-übung III, as well as works of Brahms, Dupré, Elgar, Gigout, Locklair, Reger, Schumann and Vierne. The concert is free to the public at New Hope Lutheran Church Sanctuary, located at 1424 FM 1092 in Missouri City. Visit www.drrobertgantnhlc.eventbrite.com or e-mail [email protected].

March 26th, 10 – 11 amLearn How to Create a WebsiteLearn how to design and publish your own website – for free – during an introductory class at Sienna Branch Library, located at 8411 Sienna Springs Boulevard in Missouri City. Those attending the class should already have an established Google e-mail account and a basic working knowledge of computers. To register, visit www.fortbend.lib.tx.us or call281-238-2952.

March 27th, 6:30 pmFree Seminar and Screening KitJoin Methodist Hospital for a free Colorectal Cancer Awareness Seminar presented by Dr. Ali Mahmood, Colorectal Surgeon; Dr. Jorge Darcourt, Hematologist/Oncologist and Dr. Nitesh Vachhani, Gastroenterologist. Attendees will receive a free colorectal screening kit to take home. The presentation will be held at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s Conference Center, located at 16655 Southwest Freeway in Sugar Land.To register, call 281-274-7500 or visitwww.houstonmethodist.org/events.

March 29th, 10 am – 4 pmFriends of Missouri City BranchLibrary Spring Book SaleFind the best book bargains at Missouri City Branch Library, located at 1530 Texas Parkway. The selection includes gently used hardback and paperback books for adults and children, bestsellers, newer-release movies and audio books on CD. Find books, magazines, DVDs, popular music CDs and much more at greatly discounted prices ranging from 50 cents each to $2 for a sack of items. Call 281-238-2100.

March 29th, 6 pmElkins High School ProjectGraduation Style ShowSupport the 2014 Elkins High School Project Graduation Night with an evening of dinner, silent and live auctions, along with a style show produced by the Class of 2014. The event will be held in the Elkins High School Commons, located at 7007 Knights Court in Missouri City. Tickets are $250 to $300 for whole tables, $125 to $150 for half tables or $25 to $30 for individual seats. For tickets, visit https://secure.jotformpro.com/form/33424679102957.

March 29th, 6:30 – 11:30 pmMASH Bash Boogie 2014Celebrate the best of the 50s, 60s and 70s with Fort Bend County Women's Center's largest annual fundraiser at Stafford Center, located at 10505 Cash Road. Attendees will be treated to an evening of dinner, dancing, auctions and more. All proceeds will be used to provide women and children with free and confidential emergency shelter, counseling, crisis intervention and other supportive services provided by the Women's Center. Call 832-435-1322 or e-mail [email protected].


I n 1994, I was shooting a wedding, and at the rehearsal dinner at Los Alamados, one of the dear children

tugged on my dress, pointed outside and shouted “kitty!” It was November and quite a cold evening. I went out into it and bent down toward that blonde bundle, and the sweetest little kitten pushed his two front paws off of the leaves to touch my hand with his very cold nose. I scooped him up, his size no more than a few weeks, if that, old. He was instantly mine.

When it came time to have and to try to have children, it was Christo-pher Thomas who lay in the bed com-forting me while I miscarried and held steadfast to me bedside as I recovered from anything that ailed me. Christo-pher Thomas would sit on my lap and knead one side of me while the babies nursed the other. Christopher Thomas was there as my Granny and Big Daddy died, then my father and my uncle and my Nana. You must know, he had al-ways been there.

I began to notice lately that he was getting feeble, but I guess I was in de-nial. I remember saying to Brian at Christmas that this was probably go-ing to be our last Christmas with him, but secretly, I wasn’t buying it. I should have been.

On the eve of the New Year, I began to realize something was very wrong. By midday New Year’s Day, I was sure of it. Christopher Thomas began the after-noon of the eve clambering at the back door, squeaking his declawed paws on the glass in an effort to escape the home that had cared for him for 19 years. With his persistence, I caved by mid-afternoon to his requests and allowed him the pleasure of walking around the pool, checking the flowerbeds and even

indulged him sitting in the Alyssum and closing his eyes while honey bees swarmed around him. He was making his last rounds to the spaces he had called home for so long. By the evening, he was drooling blood, and I knew deep down that the end had somehow crept near without me noticing. I wished more than anything at all that it hadn’t.

I saw Becky, Christopher Thomas’s doctor, at HEB, and in hindsight, I know this was not a coincidence. On January 2nd, I took him into the ICU. I left my wig, which he had sat near when the babies were in their cribs learning how to sleep through the night, and Becky said he stayed near to it the entire time in the hospital. We got him on a Tues-day, Father Mike came and did his final blessings, and by Wednesday evening, I knew what had to be done. I was then, and to be truthful, I still am, a mixture of heartbroken and hysterical.

His last night in between me carry-ing him to the potty and administering his IV’s, I secretly prayed to my Heaven-ly Father that as he walked through the grassy pathway to heaven, it would be my own mother who would bend down and offer her hand for him to push his cold nose. She so loved yellow Tabby’s!

On the second Thursday morning of the new year, after he had given me warning and a full week to get my head

Living the Sweet Life: By Alisa Murraywww.AlisaMurray.comNationally recognized

portrait artist and award-winning columnist.

Heartbrokenand Hysterical

Christopher Thomas and Alisa Murray. wrapped around this, he passed away

into God’s and my Mother’s waiting arms. His head was in my hands, and he was breathing my own breath as he went. It was awful; it was wonderful. He was 19.

When these things happen to us, I find myself reflecting to parallels in my life. I pull deep into myself and search for answers. When my Nana passed away at 102, I was there. It was awful mainly because she was my mother. I had now lost two. She got me through so much, held me up when no one else even knew I needing holding. She waited though, despite post-surgerical complications, and my stubbornness that she was not going to die. When I arrived in North Carolina, I had time to give her a manicure, place her favorite perfume on her and essentially prepare myself for the inevitable. Only then did she pass. She, like my Christopher Thomas, gave me time to get my head wrapped around her death.

Many never get that chance to pre-pare for a loved one’s passing. I have experienced both parents suddenly, just gone. Nana and Christopher Thomas gave me a gift. They each al-lowed me the opportunity to say goodbye. I can’t wait to see them some-day on the oth-er side!

Take care of what is important to YOU!

march 2014 - fort bend focus magazine - people • places • happenings

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