Fall 2010 Issue

M A G A Z I N E

Celebrating the Twin Cities of the Gulf South & Surrounding Areas

Fall 2010Volume 3, Issue 2

Inside... OakBend Medical Center:Big City Hospital Care with a True Community Connection

Fall 2010 • www.RoseRichMagazine.com • To advertise, call (281) 769-8321 • 3

Call us today and let us helpWho is Eligible for Home Healthcare?

Skilled Nursing • Home Health Aides • Physical Therapy • Speech Therapy • Occupational Therapy

Skilled Nursing • Home Health Aides • Physical Therapy • Speech Therapy • Occupational Therapy

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edical Social Worker

Individuals who are homebound due to any physical/mental conditions or patients recently discharged from a hospital that need additional treatment such as therapy, wound care, diabetic care and other services. Patients or caregivers

that need to be taught about their medications, illness and treatment. Patients with limited physical/mental capacities needing assistance with their activities of daily living in addition to skilled services.

Rosenberg and Richmond Area

(281) 208-43442601 Suite G Cartwright Rd.

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Bay City Area

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Non Discrimination Policy. This Agency does not discriminate against any person on the basis of color, race, national origin, disability, or age in admission, treatment, or participation in programs, services and activities or in employment.

Servicing the following counties: Austin, Brazoria, Calhoun, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Jackson, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Victoria, Walker, Waller and Wharton.

“Hometown Nurses Helping Hometown People”

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Family to Family Adoptions

Maxine L. Seilerwww.fam2fam.org

281-342-4042

Rose Rich Media/Inside Rose-Rich Magazine

Leslie Ferdinandwww.InsideRoseRich.com

713-293-2980

RE/MAX on the Brazos

Donna Diegelwww.DonnaDiegel.com

281-239-9963

Pecan Place Special Events

VenueLauren L. Martin

www.pecanplacetx.com281-342-2599

Mary Kay Cosmetics

Dora Frances Moorewww.marykay.com/

dmoore34281-682-9040

Marcelino Vasquez Woodworks

Cherie A. Vasquezwww.VasquezWoodworks.com

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RE/MAX on the Brazos

Lenore Smith President Elect

www.lenoresmith.com713-824-9389

Indulgence Day Spa & Salon

Anne Phillips President

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832-595-6001

Ladies of Richmond Rosenberg Express Network

L O R R E N

www.abwalorren.org

www.abwalorren.orgMeeting at Pecan Grove Country Club,

3000 Plantation Drive, Richmond, TX 77469,2nd Wednesday of every month.

11:30 am-Noon NetworkingNoon-1:00 pm Speaker and Meeting

$20.00 with Reservation, $25.00 without24 Hour Cancellation Policy

To reserve a seat contact Debbie Elder at1-866-429-5951

Cornerstone Mortgage CompanyKaye Lynn White

www.kayelynnwhite.com281-634-0129

New American SchoolDebbie Elder

www.newamericanschool.com866-429-5951

Alicia Casias Agency Nationwide Insurance

Belinda [email protected]

281-341-5060

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OakBend Medical Center – A community hospital

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u Page 32

contents Volume 3, Issue 2 • Fall 2010

features

departments

Inside Books – A Q&A with Kelly Mortimer of Mortimer Literary Agency. u Page 50

editor’s note u Page 11

area news u Page 13

school break u Page 26

texas in history u Page 41

texana talks u Page 36

lineage & legacy u Page 22

Female Surgical Procedures – Dr. Brian Heaps of Sweetwater OB/GYN explains the surgical options for women. u Page 31

Ciara Roberts—Going for Gold – She’s a two time Australian Gold Medalist who has been invited to compete in Ireland in an elite gymnastics competition u Page 16


COVER PHOTO © Tennille Jones

editor’s note

Publisher/Founder/Editor-in-Chief: Leslie C. Ferdinand

A publication of Rose Rich Media, LLC. Printed in the USA ©2010. ISSN:

1942-4477. 24200 Southwest Freeway, Ste. 402, PMB 360, Rosenberg,

TX 77471. Tel: 281-769-8321. Online at: www.RoseRichMagazine.com.

Inside Rose Rich Magazine is published quarterly by Inside Rose Rich

Magazine. Inside Rose Rich Magazine is distributed free of charge.

Additional or back issues are available at the office for $4.00 per copy.

Annual subscriptions are $16.00. Reproduction in whole or part without

express permission is strictly prohibited.

Graphic Designer Katey Arnold

Photographers Aaron Nelson Tennille Jones

PrintingPublication Printers

AccountingThomas Crayton, CPA

Sales ExecutiveCyndia Rodriguez

Contributing WritersBrian Heaps

Bertha Connolly AbrahamJess Stuart

Cyndia RodriguezMark Vann, MDSusan Whitacre

Dear Reader,The holidays are a time for hearth and home, renewal and reunion. It is also a time for reflection.

It is only fitting that we, as a community, reflect upon the importance of OakBend Medical Center to us. From humble beginnings, the hospital has now grown into two campuses.

With much love, we wish you a happy, healthy, and Blessed holiday season.

Care l Support l Education

Open to anyone experiencing a mental health crisis.

24-hour Crisis Hotline1-800-633-5686

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Experience more success in your business in 2010! Make the choice to utilize the “Power of Referrals”! We offer a proven success system that uniquely helps you to meet other business owners face to face, as well as, in print and on the internet! Find out how you can create strategic alliances in 2010 to grow your business through Referrals!


Area News — Rosenberg, TX Richmond, TX

Fort Bend Symphony Celebrates Fall Season

FBSO returns to the Stafford Centre on Sunday, Dec. 5 at 2 p.m. for its popular holiday

concert, Deck the Halls. Share the magic of the season listening to your favorite tunes and enjoy a visit by a jolly old man. The Stafford Centre is located at 10505 Cash Road in Stafford.

Adult tickets for the Stafford Centre concerts start at $10. Children 12 and under are free but need a reserved ticket. To order tickets or for more information about FBSO’s 2010-2011 season, please visit fbso.org or call 281.276.9642.

Texas A & M Scholarship Winners 2010

The Fort Bend Aggie Moms’ Club 2010-2011 college scholarship applications are now available for Fort Bend County students currently attending Texas A&M University College Station, Galveston and Blinn TEAM. Completed applications including transcripts with Fall 2010 grades must be received by Feb. 14, 2011.

Scholarship amounts ranging from $500 to $1500 will be awarded in May 2011.

For more information contact [email protected] or Debbie Jacobson at 281-980-8008. Electronic applications can soon be found online at www.fortbendaggiemoms.com.

Scholarship Winners 2010:

Back Row, L to R: Mark Jessup, Chase Murphree, Albert Yen, Taylor Rammrath, Ariana Klein, Sara Butters, Kyle Papso, Alec Palmer

Front Row, L to R: Kristen Porter, Bryan Croft, Casey Edmiaston, Lindsey Waddell, Cristina Muko, Monica Lowry, Mary Hesse

The top award, received by Mary Hesse, is In Memory of Lauren Baker ‘11. Lauren, whose mother is a member of the Fort Bend Aggie Moms’ Club, was tragically killed in an auto mobile accident in November 2009.

Not Pictured: Stephen Conway, Laura Glasscock, Kyle Pencak, and Mary Kate Pharis

November Beautification Awards Presented

At its regular meeting on November 2, 2010,

City Council recognized Rosenberg residents for their efforts to enhance and beautify our community.

John and Alicia Casias (1236 Louise Street), Donald McDaniel (3301 Avenue R), New Hope Church (1130 7th Street), Frank and Peggy Sebesta (3416 Gleanmeadow Drive), and Paul and Dorothy Warren (1704 Frost Street) were presented awards for landscaping; and Lana Kulpa (1319 Carlisle Street) was presented a renovation award on behalf of the Rosenberg Image Committee by Mayor Joe Gurecky.

Properties are selected for the monthly beautification awards by the City’s Image Committee which works to develop community pride by promoting activities that improve Rosenberg’s image and positively influence public perception. The recognized residents, community groups and businesses have worked to beautify their properties through renovation and/or landscaping projects and improvements. Citizens are invited and encouraged to nominate fellow citizens or local businesses by contacting the Citizen Relations Coordinator at 832-595-3301.

(L to R): Mayor Joe Gurecky, Donald McDaniel and Bruce Gilbert (Pastor, New Hope Church)


Malaysian Royalty Comes to Houston Area:Tunku Dato Mu’tamir & Datin Paulene Tunku Mu’tamir Visits Relatives

T unku Dato’ Mu’tamir bin Tunku Tan Sri Mohamed and Datin Paulene Tunku Mu’Tamir recently en-joyed an unofficial, private visit to attend a family

function. Datin Paulene’s (nee Paulene Eleanor Roberts) brother, Kenneth, resides in the Greater Houston area with his wife and their three children.

“My brother and I share a special connection,” Datin Paulene explains in her lyrical Irish accent. She is elegant and outgoing with a luxurious mane of silvering dark hair. “We can be anywhere in the world, but I know when I need to call him. He knows when he needs to call me.”

Datin Pauline’s brother, Kenneth Roberts, lived in Malaysia for 16 yrs, but now resides in the Greater Houston area with his wife, Surjeet, and their three children. Mrs. Roberts is a CPA and Economist. They are also owners of Roberts and Partners Accountants, LLC, Caesar Capital LLC and Tudor

Investments LLC. Tunku Dato Mu’tamir, Datin Paulene and Mr. & Mrs. Roberts are working together to set up a business relationship in both the USA and Asia.

Datin Paulene is dedicated to her family and to the country she has adopted as her own. In English, Negri Sembilan is translated to Ninth State. On the west coast of Negri Sem-bilan, the Port Dickson beach curves along 11 miles of the shore. Amongst the beautiful geography in the east are lush, tropical rainforests and mountainous areas, including the Gunung Datuk. At 2900 feet, Gunung Datuk is a favorite amongst nature lovers.

When state duties and royal obligations allow, she is a celebrated cook and baker. “The Discovery Channel filmed a documentary about Malaysian royal cooking and the cook-ing of the indigenous people. We cooked a few dishes and a group of indigenous people cooked some dishes. At the


end, they had us all meet. It was really great that.” After a mo-ment’s pause, her keen sense of humor glimmers to the surface. “It was all about my husband, really,” she says with a laugh.

Datin Paulene’s husband, Tunku (pronounced Toon - koo) Mu’tamir, is the only son of Tunku Tan Sri Mohamed, a former King of Malaysia who organized the transfer of rule from British rule to Malaysian Independence. Tunku Mu’tamir is a gracious man who tirelessly serves in the capacity of his royal duties. He is a relative of Tuanku Mukris, who was recently appointed and is presently the Yang di-Pertuan Besar (King) of Negeri Sembilan. Tunku Mu’tamir is also a major shareholder of several international companies, including Chairman and major shareholder of Toyota Tsusho.

Part of the Pagarruyung Dynasty of NEGRI SEMBILAN, Tunku Mu’tamir and Datin Pau-lene have six children. Two sons and four daughters. One son will marry in December of this year and a daughter will wed late next year. The Pagarruyung Dynasty dates back to the 18th Century. Malaysian kings are more commonly known as the “Yang di-Pertuan Agong”. They are rotated every 5 years among 9 Rulers from the Malay states.


24-hour Crisis Hotline

1-800-633-5686Open to anyone experiencing a

mental health crisis.

Ciara Roberts

Ciara Roberts niece of Tunku (Prince) Dato Mu’tamir and Datin Paulene Tunku Mu’tamir who is an two time

Australian gymnast gold medalist in her class has been asked to train in Ireland for inclusion into the Irish elite gymnastics team.

Ciara currently trains in Cypress Academy of Gymnastics Houston Texas under the watch-ful eye of Terry and Tamara Walker who has trained a number of Olympic gymnasts in the past and says she has potential to go to the top in her chosen sport.

Following her visit to Ireland she has been asked to compete in an elite gymnastics competition in December this year in Ireland where they expect her to qualify to be in-cluded in the Ireland team to compete in Irish, Great Britain and European competitions.

Ciara’s uncle Tunku M’tamir and Datin Paulene are excited and proud of their niece and will be following her progress as Ciara fulfills her dream of an Olympic medal.

Clockwise from the top: Senior Coach Terry Walker (uneven bars, tumbling, floor and vault; Senior Coach Tamara Walker (beam); Ciara Roberts; and Coach Marina

(choreography, floor, beam).

ABOVE: (left to right) Terry Walker, Tamara Walker, Ciara Roberts, Datin Paulene Tunku Mu’Tamir, Ken Roberts, & Tunku Dato Mu’tamir.



Important Phone Numbers ROSENBERGCity of Rosenberg—832-595-3300Rosenberg Police Department Non-Emergency*—832-595-3700Rosenberg Fire Department Non-Emergency* —832-595-3600Rosenberg Animal Control 832-595-3490Rosenberg Civic Ctr—832-595-3520Rosenberg Municipal Court 832-595-3450Rosenberg Public Housing Authority—281-342-1456Rosenberg Garbage/Recycling Pickup—832-595-3500Rosenberg Deaf Community 832-595-3322Rosenberg Post Office 281-342-3388

RICHMONDCity of Richmond—281-342-5456Richmond Police Department Non-Emergency*—281-342-2849Richmond Fire Department Non-Emergency*—281-232-2828City of Richmond Municipal Court 281-342-0578Richmond Post Office 281-633-0386

NEEDVILLECity of Needville—979-793-4253Needville Area Chamber of Commerce—979-793-5700Needville Police Department Non-Emergency*—979-793-4255Needville Fire Department Non-Emergency*—979-793-4236

Needville Post Office—979-793-4427Needville Tax Office—979-793-4254

LIBRARIESGeorge Memorial Library, (Richmond)—281-342-4455Bob Lutts Library, (Fulshear-Simonton)—281-346-1432Alfred George, (Needville) 979-793-4270

FORT BEND COUNTYMain Line—281-342-3411Auto Registration—281-341-3709County Clerk Dianne Wilson 281-341-8685D.A. John Healey—281-341-4460Fairgrounds—281-762-8818Health Department: Clinical Health—281-342-6414,

Environmental Health 281-342-7469Senior Citizens-281-633-7049Social Services-281-342-7300Tax Assessor & Collector’s Office 281-341-3710Veteran Services—281-341-4550Voter Registration—281-341-8670

OTHER NUMBERSLamar Consolidated ISD 281-223-0000 Rose-Rich Chamber of Commerce 281-342-5464Small Business Development Ctr 281-341-5027TX Dept of Public Safety (Driver’s Licenses)—281-232-4334TW Davis YMCA—281-341-0791

*IMPORTANT: PLEASE DIAL 911 FOR EMERGENCIES

memorial hermann

HOLIDAY HELP: De-stress with chair massages, makeovers

and laughterMemorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital will host a special Girls’ Night Out on Tuesday, Nov. 30 to help the ladies of Fort Bend County de-stress before the craziness of the holiday season

begins. Chair massages, makeovers and inspirational speaker and author Linda Gayle Thompson will provide an evening of relaxation and laughter that begins at 6 p.m. with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and refreshments.

Beginning at 6:30 p.m., Thompson will share from her latest release entitled “Hookers, Midgets and Firetrucks – An Invitation to Our Party.” Accepting that her book title is politically incorrect, she said, “The words in this title, though possibly offensive to some, are exceptionally near and dear to my heart. They are written

with love, humor and a bizarre wackiness, which will unfold in the pages of my life.”

Thompson’s book chronicles her life growing up in east Texas as an insecure child and how she dealt with life’s hard knocks. Equating life to a party, she weaves together hilarious antidotes with tragedy, real-life experiences, and lessons learned to produce a magical blend of inspiration, tears, and laughter.

Following the presentation, Thompson will be available for book signings. As always, Girls’ Night Out is a free event, but registration is required and can be made by calling 713.222.CARE (2273).

MEMORIAL HERMANN, TEXAS ONCOLOGY, US ONCOLOGY

JOIN FORCESMemorial Hermann, Texas Oncology and US Oncology have entered into a joint business relationship that will expand the spectrum of cancer care available at Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital.

“This new venture enables Memorial Hermann and Texas Oncology to greatly expand our respective clinical and organizational strengths. Together, we will offer the very best in radiation therapy

services to our patients,” said Memorial Hermann CEO Dan Wolterman.

The joint business relationship includes Texas Oncology-Sugar Land’s radiation oncology services. Located at 1350 First Colony Boulevard near the intersection of Highway 6, the 16,000-square-foot center provides complete, integrated cancer care and incorporates the latest, most effective diagnostic and treatment technologies, including PET/CT imaging and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).

“Through this key partnership, patients will now have access to expanded services and can expect the highest standard of cancer care with the latest cancer therapies and most advanced treatments,” said Steve Paulson, M.D., president and chairman of the board, Texas Oncology.

“These services will provide greater availability to key resources that will help patients fight cancer.”

For more information, visit memorialhermann.org or call 713.222.CARE (2273). To learn more about Texas Oncology, visit www.TexasOncology.com or 1.888.864.ICAN (4426). To learn more about US Oncology, visit www.USOncology.com or 281-863-1000.

Proven Leader in Health Care

On October 6, 2010 as the sun was just begin-ning to peek over the horizon, Representa-tive Pete Olson, County Judge Bob Hebert,

Mayor Jimmy Thompson and over 100 business men and women gathered to witness the signing of a first-of-its kind partnership between The American Red Cross and the National Exchange Club. This event officially marked a desire to collaborate on projects to benefit lo-cal Seniors, youth and families in crisis as well as support our armed forces and their families, and assist in disaster relief efforts.

The National Exchange Club, celebrating its 100th year of service in 2011, is an all volunteer, national service organization for men and women who want to serve their community, develop leadership skill and enjoy new friendships. Fort Bend area Exchange Clubs include The Exchange Club of Sugar Land, The Fort Bend Exchange Club, The Quail Valley Exchange Club and the newly established Lone Star Exchange Club serving the Rosen-berg and Richmond areas.

“Exchange is a lot of fun. You get a chance to hang out with some real neat people while helping to improve

the community we live in.” said Tracey Shaw, President of the Lone Star Exchange Club. “You certainly get a lot more back than you can ever hope to give”.

Lone Star Chapter meetings are held on the 2nd & 4th Tuesday of the month at Pecan Grove Country Club at 6:30 PM. The Exchange Club of Sugar Land meets each Wednesday at 7:00am at Sweetwater Country Club. For membership information call Tracey Shaw 281 239 1311 or Amy Mitchell at 281.341.1718.

By Cyndia Rodriguez

Historic Partnership = Red Cross and Exchange Club

Back Row (from left to right): John Healy, Pete Olson, Bob Hebert, Charlie Howard, Susy Smith, James Thompson, Brenda Robinson. Front Row (from left to right):

Mark Schwartz, Chip Smith, Amy Mitchell, Tracey Shaw, Sandra Startz.

Back Row (from left to right): Mark Schwartz, Pete Olson, Bob Hebert, James Thompson, Chip Smith, Brenda Thompson. Front Row (from left to right): Charlie

Howard, Amy Mitchell, Tracey Shaw, Sandra Startz, Susy Smith.

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All Businesses Need InsuranceThe dream of owning a business becomes a reality for thousands of people each year. For many of these would-be captains of industry, that means starting the operation on a small scale. However, your enterprise may be in jeopardy if you don’t have business insurance.

You need business insurance because most beginning entrepreneurs don’t have the financial resources to handle adversity if it should come. Adversity can happen in many ways: fire can destroy your inventory, a power outage could cause your goods to spoil or a customer could be injured accidentally while visiting your location.

Business insurance can protect you from these hazards and others by providing many or all of the coverage listed below:

• Accidental direct physical loss coverage for business personal property• Broader off-premises property coverage• Loss of income coverage • Extra expense coverage

This list above is just a sample of what’s available. You should contact your State Farm agent to see what coverages are right for your business.

Many entrepreneurs start their businesses on shoestring budgets and try to cut corners by keeping expenses at a minimum. But when you consider what you get, business insurance becomes a tool you can’t afford to work without it.

“kevin knows” by Kevin D. Patton, State Farm Agent

What is an Individual(k) plan?Do you have plans for retirement? Do they include a retirement plan? If you are a small business owner, you may feel you need to continue working during your golden years. Many business owners may not realize there are plans available to build a retirement account.

One such plan is the Individual(k) for business owners who have no employees other than a spouse. While the plan itself may not be very well known, it can be an appropriate way to provide income during retirement.

An Individual(k) is similar to the more popular 401(k), with contributions limits well above those of Individual Retirement Accounts. Contributions for the 2009 tax year are limited to $16,500 as long as they don’t exceed 100 percent of your compensation. There is even a $5,500 catch-up provision for persons age 50 and older.

The deadline for establishing an Individual(k) is the last day of your company’s tax year. If your company follows the calendar year, the deadline would be December 31 of the current year. If not, the deadline would be the last day of your current fiscal year.

Make an appointment with a qualified financial professional to discuss whether an Individual(k) is appropriate for your business. Your retirement plans should include retiring.


lineage & legacy

The Cinco Ranch community goes back to before Texas be-came a republic. In the 1820s, pioneer Moses Austin was grant-ed by the Spanish government the authority to settle 300 families in the valleys of the Brazos and Colorado rivers. He died before he was able to accomplish this, but his son Stephen F. Austin was able to complete his father’s wishes, even under the newly established Mexican government. One of the men who moved into these 300 slots of land (each one over 4000 acres) was Randolph Foster, whose land spread across Fort Bend and Waller counties and upon which wild horses, deer, Indians and buffalo lived.

Foster’s daughter married Thom-as Blakeley, cattleman and future sheriff of Fort Bend County. Their son, Bassett Blakeley, took after his father and grandfather and soon grew into a cowboy and cat-tleman. Bassett Blakeley owned 15,000 acres of land and 14,000 head of Brahman cattle, along with his grandfather’s land. The cowhands of his Blakeley Ranch annually drove 10,000 head of cattle to the railheads in Kansas.

In 1937, Blakeley sold the working ranch to William Wheless, who

convinced four of his friends, J.S. Abercrombie, W.B. Pryon, H.G. Nelms and L.M. Josey—all, like him, wealthy from oil—to become his partners at the ranch. In a nod to its Spanish roots perhaps, they called it Cinco Ranch (cinco means “five” in Spanish). Only the Wheless family lived on the ranch, but all of the families visited on many holidays and weekends, making use of a huge clubhouse complete with two bedroom wings. The ranch was not merely involved in cattle—it also had several acres of rice—for years, the main output of Katy, Texas—and peanut production.

In February 1984, the largest raw land transaction in the history of Houston took place when Cinco Ranch Ven-

ture, consisting of U. S. Home, the Mischer Corporation, and American General Corpora-tion, purchased Cinco Ranch for a 5,000 acre master plan de-velopment. American General eventually bought out the other partners. Its current developer is Newland, and it now surpasses 7,200 acres and growing. Today, the community continues to grow with many more houses and busi-ness’ being built by the day in the City we call Katy, Texas.

History of Cinco Ranch

By Jess Stuart, Member of theFort Bend Historical Commission

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Echo. Cearvest. Alegra. Sollie. If a name helps to mold a person, the name Sollie has certainly shaped Sollie M. Davis.The boy’s name Sol-lie is a variant of the Hebrew Saul or Solomon. It means ‘prayed for’ as well as ‘peace’. It is an unusual first name and doesn’t even rank amongst the top 1000 most popu-lar names.There have been a few famous Sollies in his-tory. Edward Walter Solly (May 7, 1882 - February 12,1966) was an Eng-lish cricketer who played eight first-class games for Worcestershire as a profes-sional between 1903 and 1907. [Wikipedia.com]

Arthur Frederick “Solly” Hofman (October 29, 1882- March 10, 1956 in St. Louis, Missouri) was a Major League Baseball player from 1903 to 1916. He played the majority of his 1,175 professional games in the outfield. His nickname was “Circus Sol-

ly”. Some attribute this name to a comic strip of the era, while others attribute it to spectacular catches while fielding. He was the uncle of Bobby Hofman

of the New York Giants. He is considered by some to be the first great utility man in baseball due to his versatility.[Wikipedia.com]

Closer to home, our Sollie was born in Hous-ton’s 5th Ward. After attending Texas Southern University for two years, and when things got too rough living in the 5th Ward, he decided to join the United States Marine Corps. Sollie received his Bachelor’s in Business Manage-ment at the University of Phoenix, and is cur-rently pursuing his MBA. Well-travelled and well-read, before joining First Victoria Nation-al Bank, he was a business banker at Chase. “First Victoria offers a savings account for children,” he says, ever vigilant to stress the importance of learning to save. “Learn-ing to save money should start early in a person’s life. That’s why we set up tables

wherever we can and offer mini-sessions on the importance of saving. The greatest incentive is there is no minimum to open a minor’s savings account and the account is absolutely free.”Our Sollie is deeply spiritual. Indeed, he sends out words of encouragement each morning to members of his staff. He is a born leader and, as banking manager of the Rosenberg branch, he guides his team at what they do best, which is banking and offering the ultimate customer service. One meaning of the name Sollie is peace. How true that is of our Sollie.

By Any Other Name


Be a Volunteerby Tom Wilson, Reading Road Self Storage

Tom is involved in several local groups as a volunteer or sponsor:Fort Bend Women’s Shelter; Convoy of Hope Medical Services Team; WCJC Advisory Committee on Continuing Education; Ambassador for the Central Fort Bend Chamber Alliance; YMCA Board of Directors.

It seemed to me, having some spare time, that a good thing to do would be to embark on a quest to promote the spirit of volunteerism. After thinking about it for awhile, I left the com-

fort of my rocking chair and went looking for something to do. Walking past the U. S. Marine recruiting office, I saw the post-ers of tanks, airplanes, and other such exciting stuff. Well, I was literally drawn into the office due to those advertising ploys. As I walked into the room, the Marine Sergeant asked what I wanted, so I said I was interested in being a part-time volunteer. In a deep, raspy voice he asked what I could do. I made it clear that I’m too old to fight and can’t shoot straight, but would look good in one of their uniforms. Without a smile (do Marine Ser-geants ever smile?), he explained that the fighting and shoot-ing straight were rather important considerations but looking good in their uniform had no real intrinsic value to them. What he suggested was that with the Christmas season approaching, I should join the Salvation Army since they wear uniforms and would let me ring a bell in front of Walmart. In addition, he added, they also march in seasonal parades. Well big deal, I don’t march either.

Seriously though, I ask that you consider becoming personally involved in community organizations as a volunteer. Put some serious meaning in your life by helping someone else. I also sug-gest that you do so in an unselfish manner without any expec-tations of accolades or pats on the back. Be grateful that you are fortunate enough to be able to do those things for someone. The feeling one receives from those actions serves as the “thank you.”

What is the price one must pay to make a difference? The act of giving generally implies sharing your money in the form of donations. During these troubled economic times, do not let the absence of excess money prevent giving. It has been said that when you have no money to give, give of your time, your effort, your assistance, your caring help. Consider that the assistance you give to someone may be in the form of teaching, counseling, mentoring, guiding, and leading. It may make the most signifi-cant impact on the recipient’s quality of life. One may then hope that the person will go out and improve themselves, their family, and ultimately the community. Hopefully, your acts of kindness to help someone will transcend them to become a better human being. That is a profound concept!

If you are a business owner, remember that the community provides you the customer base you need. Often, the value of our businesses and personal property is in direct proportion to the value of the community. Consider that the time spent in being involved is an investment. The environment of a commu-nity may have a direct impact on your business so get involved in its development. Be active in one or more charitable service organizations as they all need help. I suggest Helping Hands, who provides food and clothing to the needy. Business organiza-tions are also groups that have a significant role in community development. I highly recommend that your business joins the Central Fort Bend Chamber/Alliance. Another great group to align with is the T.W. Davis YMCA.

Being a sincere and active volunteer demonstrates what psy-chologists refer to as “spontaneous acts of caring.” Go for it with a commitment, dedication, and willingness to be active in action, not just in name. The mark of a serious volunteer is to perform the duty when you don’t really feel like it or it’s not con-venient. It’s always easy to do it when you feel like it, but those

in need of help need it regularly. There is a bible verse that I think applies… “So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good.”

Create your legacy by what you stand for and do for others. This personal connection with those who are in need creates an uplifting feeling of satisfaction. Have you helped anyone or any group lately? If not, then please go do it!

Peter T. SteinmannATTORNEY AND COUNSELOR AT LAW

4151 Southwest Freeway, Suite 435Houston, Texas 77027

(713) 520-5601 Fax: (713) 520-5628Cell: (713) 203-3073 Email: [email protected]

www.petersteinmannatty.com

Care l Support l Education

Open to anyone experiencing a mental health crisis.

24-hour Crisis Hotline

1-800-633-5686


Melissa Garcia-Martin is a shareholder with Garcia-Martin & Martin, P.C., a full service law firm in Sugar Land, Texas. She works with businesses and individuals in all types of business, employment, and family matters. She can be reached at 281-277-3066. You may also visit the website at www.mgmartinlaw.com for additional information and practice areas.

law by melissa garcia-martin

As the hurricane season has just ended, now is the time to assess your business in the event of a disaster. Although our area is far enough away from the coast, substantial roof leaks and flooding that may result can have a potentially devastating impact on your business.

Your plan should have two goals: 1) protect your staff and clients, and your vital business records; and 2) provide a plan to quickly have your business up and running and in a new location if necessary with mini-mal interruption. Think about what sort of potential disasters your business may face (not necessarily limited to hurricane damage) and then assess whether there is anything about the manner in which you operate your business that should a disaster occur, your business may not recover. Assign one person the overall responsibility of the development and implementation of the plan and allow them the time and resources necessary to successfully accomplish this task.

Evaluate the type of disasters that could impact your business depending on your physical setting, office equipment, clients, etc. Some examples include, natural disasters, technological disasters such as com-puter hard drive crashes, criminal activity, or personal issues such as long term illness or disability.

To ensure the safety of your staff and clients, have a plan in the event a disaster occurs unexpectedly during business hours. Train your staff and issue pe-riodic memos regarding any emergency procedures. Additionally, develop an emergency communication plan. For instance, create and keep a copy offsite of all employee’s home and cell phone numbers so you can contact them for instructions in the event it is not safe for them to return to the office. Determine who will inform your clients whether the office will continue business as usual or whether the current office loca-tion must be moved.

Next begin to protect your business assets and property. Make a complete office inventory, including computer hardware, software, office furnishings, and business equipment. Consider either making a video tape of your inventory or taking pictures to attach to your inventory list to help facilitate your insurance claims.

If your business relies on computer data and informa-tion, you should establish a regularly scheduled back-up procedure of all of your computer files, preferably daily or weekly at the least. This can be conducted by backing up your information onto your server, but it is wise to back up your files to an off-site storage. This can be outsourced to an IT company at a reasonable rate. Once you have established a back-up procedure it is a good idea to test your procedure by insuring the backed up data can be restored.

Routinely review your insurance policy. Many busi-nesses believe they are covered for certain issues on their insurance policy and realize after it is too late that they forgot to add the necessary policy. Thus, a routine review can prevent this type of situation. Many businesses fail to take out a business interrup-

tion insurance policy. If your business is the type that can substantially suffer by the loss of several days of business, this type of policy is a wise decision.

Many years ago, I observed what planning ahead can do for your business. At the law firm I worked prior to establishing my own, Hurricane Katrina threatened to significantly affect our firm. Our main office was located in New Orleans and all of the computer servers were located at the New Orleans office, not to mention a law firm’s revenue is generated solely by the lawyers who are actually working and producing work product, since lawyers are paid by the hour and the office with the most lawyers happened to be in New Orleans.

Without hesitation or waiting to see if New Orleans would be directly hit, the firm transported all of the servers, any large case files that were not already scanned in the computer system and all other impor-tant paper files to the Houston office. The lawyers and all staff were ordered by the office to evacuate immediately and head to the Houston office or one of the firm’s other offices. The Houston office began preparations of their own by installing additional net-work cables needed to house all of the extra lawyers and staff. In addition, the Houston office circulated a list which required us to state whether we could offer temporary housing for the employees and if so, how many rooms we could offer at our house.

And so, one by one the employees arrived knowing that many of their homes would no longer exist when they returned. My family was fortunate to take in a paralegal I had never met for a month until her insurance company could get back on her feet. We conducted a clothing drive to gather different sizes of professional clothing for those employees who could not bring all of their clothes.

But most importantly, we saw the main partners in a new light. They established a Hurricane Katrina fund and wrote a check for each New Orleans employee regard-less of their position with the firm to help them continue to buy necessary items. It was unexpected that they would be unable to return for such an extended period of time. Despite learning that the office was fortunate with the exception of losing

a few printers and laptop computers mistakenly left at the office by some employees, the city would not allow anyone to return to the firm until it was safe. Thus, the firm’s business interruption insurance came in handy.

Lastly, before the New Orleans employees arrived at the Houston office and the other offices, the partners held a meeting with the Houston lawyers and the lawyers at the other offices remotely to firmly request that we all help by working extra hours and weekends to compensate for the time our New Orleans col-leagues would be unable to attend to their work and to be prepared to not receive our annual bonus even though we had worked hard throughout the year. Everyone became a team that year and the firm’s rev-enues exceeded the previous year when no disasters occurred and everyone’s bonus arrived on time!

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS FOR YOUR BUSINESS


School Break

MASONARY ASSOCIATION DONATION TO LCISD

The Associated Masonry Contractors of Houston (AMCH) donated $2,500 to the Lamar Educational Awards Foundation (L.E.A.F.) as part of the group’s “Building Our Future” Scholarship Program.

Pictured from left to right: Ronnie Yeatts and Don Ver-non, both of AMCH, L.E.A.F Executive Director Janice Knight, Lamar CISD’s Executive Director of Secondary Education Walter Bevers and LCISD’s Administrator of Operations Kevin McKeever.

FOSTER HIGH SCHOOL WINS INAUGURAL WORLD AFFAIRS

COUNCIL ENERGY QUEST

Foster High School is the first ever city-wide champion in Energy Quest, a quiz game hosted by the World Affairs Council of Houston. The competition was held October 29 in the Sheraton Houston Brook-hollow Hotel.

In addition to the trophy and brag-ging rights, the school brought home a check for $1,000. Janie Head, Fos-ter’s Science Department Chair and coach, also receives an invitation to

attend a 2011 international trip with the World Affairs Council. Head said the money would go towards science equipment at Foster.

The Foster team of 11 students bested 30 other teams from across the Houston area. Foster won two of the four rounds in the competition in cruising to the overall title.

Round 1 featured questions on Ex-ploration, Geography and Geophys-ics; Round 2 focused on Production, Refining and Transportation; Round 3’s questions were on Markets, Geo-politics and the Environment; and Round 4 was New Technologies and Renewable Energies.

The team consisted of Jessi Clack, Casey Dinger, Robbi Dinger, Julia Gass, Alex Garcia, Samantha Garcia, Elizabeth Nguyen, Rachel Sanchez, Diem Tran, Stephanie Tsai and An-dres Vidaurre.

Front row - Rachel Sanchez, Samantha Garcia and Julia Gaas; Second row - Diem Tran, Stephanie Tsai, Casey Dinger, Andres Vidaurre and Janie Head; and Back row - Elizabeth Nguyen, Jessi Clack, Alex Garcia and Robbi Dinger.

LAMAR CONSOLIDATED’S PATTON HONORED AS TEXANS

COACH OF THE WEEK

This week’s Houston Texans 4A-under Coach of the Week award goes to Head Coach Ron-ald Patton

of Lamar Consolidated High School after defeating Angleton 41-40. The Mustangs pull off a big upset to re-main in playoff contention in District 23-4A.

Lamar Consolidated High School will each receive a $500 grant in their coach’s name for winning the Texans Coach of the Week award. Coach Patton will be recognized at the Tex-ans High School Coach of the Year Banquet after the 2010 season. Fox Sports Houston and the US Army are associate sponsors of the Texans Coach of the Week Program.

For more information, call the Hous-ton Texans Communications Depart-ment at (832) 667-2140.


Library News

A BUFFALO SOLDIER’S STORY TO BE TOLD AT LIBRARIES FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH

In recognition of Black History Month in February, Fort Bend County Libraries will present a living-history performance of a Buffalo Soldier’s story on Saturday, February 12, begin-ning at 2:00 pm, in the Meet-ing Room at the First Colony Branch Library, 2121 Austin Parkway in Sugar Land. The performance will be repeated on Tuesday, February 15, beginning at 7:00 pm, in the Meeting Room at George Memorial Library, 1001 Golfview in Richmond.

James Faulkner, from the Buffalo Soldiers Na-tional Museum in Houston, will portray Trooper Tyrrell D. Biggs, a Buffalo Soldier with the 10th Cavalry Regiment after the Civil War. Trooper Biggs’s experiences as a slave boy growing up on a Louisiana plantation, as a “gentleman farmer” in Texas, and finally as a sharecropper all lead up to his decision to become a Buffalo Soldier. As Trooper Biggs, Faulkner will describe the life of a Buffalo Soldier, including the duties and responsibilities, and the adversity that the soldiers experienced as they battled Indians, outlaws, Mexican bandits and revolutionaries, while protecting the American western frontier.

Faulkner is a professional director/writer/actor and educator. This living-history re-enactment is part of his one-man theatrical play, “LEGACY: The Buffalo Soldiers Story.”

The program is free and open to the public. For more information, call the library’s Public Information Office at 281-341-2677.

GROUNDBREAKING FESTIVITIES MARK START OF UNIVERSITY BRANCH LIBRARY

Community leaders gathered on Wednesday, September 29, for the official groundbreak-ing ceremonies of Fort Bend County library system’s newest addition – the University Branch Library – which will be located at 14010 University Blvd in Sugar Land, on the campus of the University of Houston System at Sugar Land. The library is a county partnership with the University of Houston System at Sugar Land, and will be the second joint-use facility in the Fort Bend County library system.

Fort Bend County Judge Bob Hebert and Pre-cinct 4 Commissioner James Patterson officiated at the ceremonies. Officials from Fort Bend County Commissioners Court, the University of Houston, Wharton County Junior College, City Council members from Sugar Land, and members of the library board were also on hand

to celebrate the start of construction among nu-merous other community leaders and interested citizens.

Designed by Bailey Architects of Houston, the 2-story building will be approximately 40,193 square feet in size. The library is part of a $130-million bond referendum approved by voters in May 2006, which included $24.5 million for three county library projects: the Sienna Branch Library in partnership with Houston Com-munity College; the University Branch Library in partnership with the University of Houston campus in Sugar Land and Wharton County Junior College; and renovations at George Me-morial Library in Richmond.

PHOTO ID: Precinct 2 Commissioner Grady Prestage, Gene Reed, Dick Phillips, Betty McCrohan, Mayor James Thompson, UH Regent Jarvis Hollingsworth, UH Chancellor Dr. Renu Khator, County Judge Bob Hebert, Precinct 3 Com-missioner Andy Meyers, Ray Bailey, Library Director Clara Russell, and Precinct 4 Commissioner James Patterson.

George Memorial Library1001 Golfview Drive, Richmond, TX 77469

Albert George Library9230 Gene Street, Needville, TX 77461

Bob Lutts Fulshear/Simonton Branch 8100 FM 359 South, Fulshear, TX

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Which wealth management issues are you most concerned about today?

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F acing a hysterectomy or any other surgical procedure can cause concern for any woman. Not only does someone have to

prepare for the pain and recovery of surgery, but there are also other issues to consider such as work, family, and financial cost. Fortunately there are more options now than ever that reduce the negative impact of surgery and recovery when dealing with gynecologic disorders. These options allow physicians to pass on a great deal of flexibility to their patients with regard to treatment options.

In the past, nearly all gynecologic surgery had to be performed through a large skin incision that involved the underlying muscle. These procedures require the patient to remain in the hospital for an extended period of time for immediate recovery. Then there is a prolonged recovery at home once they are discharged. During this time there can be significant problems of pain and decreased productivity. In addition to the obvious problems, there were also other issues “below the surface”. Whenever a large incision is made the body produces scars. Scars are made on the skin as well as the muscle and inner surfaces of the abdomen. These internal scars binds tissue and organs together which can lead to chronic pain and difficulty with future procedures if surgery is needed again.

The movement of minimally invasive surgery is based on reducing hospital stay, limiting scar tissue, reducing pain and in many cases decreasing cost. There are a variety of procedure types that meet these goals: Laparoscopic surgery, vaginal surgery and a new set of Office procedures.

Laparoscopy is done in the hospital or outpatient surgery center. The typical recovery is a few hours for simple procedures like those used to treat endometriosis, ovarian cysts and for birth control. Other times when laparoscopy is used to perform a hysterectomy, the patient usually stays one night in the hospital and is home the next morning.

The recovery is so much easier with laparoscopy because there are typically only 2-3 incisions that measure just ¼ inch.

Vaginal surgery can be used to perform hysterectomies as well, but its main purpose is for treatment of urinary incontinence. After the surgery most patients are able to go home the next day with minimal pain. The main advantage of vaginal surgery is that there are no visible scars on the skin, and many common problems can be treated at the same time.

Finally there is a group of office procedures that are easily done without needing to go to a hospital or surgery center. The procedures are usually done with local anesthesia or light sedation by an anesthesiologist in the office. These procedures are used to treat heavy bleeding and to provide permanent birth control. Following the brief procedure the patient is able to return home and resume normal activity quickly.

Although not all surgery is able to be done by the techniques discussed above the vast majority of people will be successfully treated using minimally invasive techniques. If you are experiencing problems and need to know if any of the above procedures would be right for you it is very important that you have a discussion with your physician. You may find that the benefits of the newer surgical techniques available will allow you to find the resolution to your problems that you need.

—Brian Heaps, M.D.

Dr Brian Heaps recently joined Sweetwater OB/GYN. To make an appointment with him, please call 281- 242-1400.

A Woman’s Choice: Options for Female Surgical Procedures


OakBend...A Community Hospital

Dedicated to Provide Exceptional Quality Care

b y J e n n i f e r H e a t h

Growth, Growth, Growth, is what you will hear when you speak with Joe Freudenberger, CEO, Jody Jones Noirot, or Sue McCarty, Administrators of OakBend Medical Center’s two campus’, about their plans for OakBend’s future.

FOCUSING ON FORT BEND COUNTYOakBend Medical Center, with a staff of more than 250 physicians and over 600 employees, treats about 6,400 patients annually, and sees about 26,000 visits to their emergency rooms.

The Jackson Street Hospital is Fort Bend County’s only Level III (Advanced) Trauma Center. The hospital also has recently received accreditation with commendation from the American College of Surgeons for their Cancer Program and is only one of two hospitals in the entire Houston metropolitan area to receive the “Gold Plus” rating from the American Stroke Association.

The Williams Way Hospital, located on U.S. Highway 59 and Williams Way in west Fort Bend County opened in October of 2009, featuring an award winning patient and family focused, contemporary design. This location also provides emergency, medical, ICU and surgical services. The Williams Way location also offers award winning obstetrical care, and a Level II Nursery with 24-hour coverage by a neonatologist. This service allows premature infants as early as 28 weeks to be treated locally, preventing mothers and their babies from being separated after birth. “Our focus is to put customer

service first in all of our patient areas”, explains Sue McCarty, “and to provide high quality care in a beautiful environment”.

OakBend Medical Center provides a wide variety of care to the residents of West Fort Bend, including ambulatory surgery, emergency services, rehabilitation and even vascular, thoracic, and cardiovascular surgical services. As Jody Jones Noirot explains, “Our goal is to provide high quality, excellent service, to meet all of the needs of our community, and do it close to their home.”

Service excellence is the focus of the staff at OakBend Medical Center and when rated by the national patient satisfaction survey, Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, or HCAHPS, they receive high marks for Nurse and Physician communication, pain management, discharge planning, and cleanliness. In fact, overall OakBend Medical Center scores rank the highest in several categories, compared to national and state reviews as well as other Fort Bend County Hospitals. “Obtaining national recognition is one way we show our community that we are committed to providing them the best care possible,” said Joe Freudenberger, Chief Executive Officer.


STARTING SMALLOakBend Medical Center has come a long way since it first opened its doors in 1947 as Polly Ryon Memorial Hospital. Named after the Grandmother of Mrs. A.P. “Mamie” George, Mr. and Mrs. George donated a 25-acre section of land where the J.H.P. Davis home was located for the first hospital. That hospital had 51 beds and was dedicated to the people of Fort Bend County and the City of Richmond. Ten years later, the hospital expanded, adding new patient rooms and an emergency care area.

In 1962 and 1963, Polly Ryon Memorial Hospital underwent at $1.5 million dollar renovation, adding an obstetrical unit, administrative offices and a medical library. More than 20 years later, a replacement hospital was built, retaining one wing of the original facility and adding a new 185-bed, six-story, hospital with an adjacent professional office building. In 2004, after growth in emergency, outpatient surgery, women’s health, and cancer services, the hospital was renamed OakBend Medical Center, reflecting modern updates and enhanced technological capabilities.

FUTURE GOALSIn June of 2010, the Williams Way Hospital expanded to include a professional office building, with new offices housing the OakBend Medical Group, and leasing space to the Veterans Administration.

During summer of 2010, an OakBend Medical Center medical office building was also opened on the Grand Parkway at West Bellfort to bring physician and emergency services to that growing area. The emergency services are expected to open

in January of 2011, as well as another office location for the expanding OakBend Medical Group.

OakBend Medical Group will expand further in the first quarter of 2011 with an office in Fulshear. As CEO, Joe Freudenberger reiterates, “Our goal is growth!”

OakBend

SuccessCancer accreditation with commendation for the past six years

“Gold Plus” rating for Stroke Services from the American Stroke Association

Level III, (Advanced) Trauma Services, designated by the State of Texas for the last ten years.



Article Written by 1st Global Capital Corp.



Medical TreatmentsColon Cancer ScreeningGastroesophagealReflux DiseaseUlcer DiseaseAbdominal PainGastrointestinal Bleeding

GallstonesHepatitisCrohn’s DiseasePancreatitisUlcerative ColitisConstipation

Gregory L. Shannon, MDSpecialty Board Certified in GastroenterologyBaylor College of Medicine, Clinical Instructor

Adult Gastroenterology, Hepatobiliary &

Pancreatic Disorders

Office: 281.201.1338 Fax: 281.201.1353 www.GregoryShannonMD.com17510WestGrandParkwaySouth,Suite220,SugarLand,Texas77479

(At the intersection of Southwest Freeway & Grand Parkway 99)

women’s apparel / home decor / baby clothes / doggie clothes

Tuesday — Saturday / 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

1100 3 rd St . , Rosenberg, Texas / 281-341-NINE (6463) / www.broken9boutique.com


dining Donna’s Place

Welcome to Donna’s Place, located 819 2nd street, and our newest restaurant to the City of Rosenberg. It features home cooked Southern cuisine. On any given Sunday, you will find Donna cooking up oxtails and fried chicken and one of my favorites, grilled okra. On Tuesday through Saturday, she’s at it again laying out a feast fit for Kings and Queens. Her meals are colorful and delicious. She puts her heart into the presentation of each of her mouth watering dishes.

Born in Denver, Colorado, the seventh of twelve children, Donna McNeal Alkiswani, dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur. Donna said that she has always enjoyed cooking. She loves to watch the expression on the faces of people as they dine at her res-taurant. “They seem really to love the food” she said. She left high school, and later attended one year of extended schooling at Victoria College.

She started out as a dishwasher, working for a friend of her mother’s who owned and operated a nursing home. He immediately noticed her talent and trained her to become a cook. She has been cooking now for twenty five years. She enjoys cooking and creating dishes, not using a cookbook. “It’s a gift” she said.

In the true spirit of a philanthropist, she gives back to her community. Since establish-ing her catering business, she has managed to feed on an average of sixty elderly citi-zens, four days a week in Fort Bend County on her income. “It’s a struggle,” she said. However, knowing that “charity begins at home, and spreads abroad,” it’s hard for me to turn my back on those that have a need.”

She started catering for private schools and day care centers and to that end Donna’s evolved. Her business started in May, 2010. When asked what she enjoys away from her busy work days, Donna said “I love riding motorcycles.” I love, she said, the way my mind freely releases all the burdens of the day.” It’s very relaxing. When asked why she decided to start her business now, she said “I decided to trust God and step out on faith.”

Donna’s PlaceBy Bertha Connally Abraham, author of If only for a Season

281.232.5358

8192ndStreetRosenbergTexas77471

Soup&

SandwichSpecials

Featuring “Menuof theDay”

Tue–Sun 11:30 to 5pm

Fri & Sat 11:30 to 9:30

We believe all children deserve the highest quality of care in a safe and happy environment. Your child is most precious and we are honored to be given the responsibility to care for his/her dental health. We are privileged to care for your family and strive to earn your trust through positive relationships.

5501 Ave. I (FM 1640), Rosenberg, TX 77471(281) 341-7733 ▪ www.tapedds.com

▪ Friendly, Safe, and Caring Environment▪ Infants to Adolescents

▪ New Office with the Latest Technology▪ Digital X-Rays (Less Radiation)

300 Morton Street, Richmond, TX 77469 • (281) 344-8955 • www.ItalianMaidCafe.com

Italian Maid Café is located in the historic First National Bank Building in Downtown Richmond at 300 Morton Street. Serving Fort Bend County since 1998.

Call Lanie today at 832-433-0032.

For reservations, call (281) 344-8955 For catering information, call (832) 433-0032

Holiday Catering from

Thanksgiving Dinner at your place or ours...Make your reservations with us for a sumptuous Thanksgiving meal with a gourmet touch, Italian Maid hospitality, and our great wines including commemorative wine glass! Or enjoy our fabulous cuisine in your own home!

Let’s Plan a Fabulous Christmas Party!Together we can plan a fabulous Christmas Cocktail Party, inviting Open House, mouth watering Dessert Reception or intimate family gathering. In your home, location of your choosing or one of our preferred holiday catering venues you and our creative experienced staff will orchestrate the event of the season. Budget constraints will be respected.


GEORGETOWN1848, George Washington Glasscock, a businessman, donates 172 acres of land for the new town of Georgetown. March 13, 1848, Williamson County - named after Robert McAlpin Williamson (aka Three-Legged Willie), a Texas statesman and judge at the time - is formed and makes Georgetown its county seat.

Pioneers are attracted by the abundance of timber and good clear water, as are the Tonkawa Indians, who have a village here. In addition, the land is inexpensive and extremely fertile.

Industry, prior to 1900, includes limestone quarries, grist, flour, and woodworking mills.

1873, the establishment of Southwestern University and construction of a railroad in 1878, contributes to the town’s growth and importance.

1976, a local historic ordinance is passed to recognize and protect the significance of the historic central business district. 1977, the Williamson County Courthouse Historic District - comprised of some 46 contributing structures - is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Georgetown is called the “Red Poppy” Capital of Texas, due to the many red poppy wildflowers planted throughout the city. Georgetown also holds a Red Poppy Festival each October, which is coincidentally, the approximate time of year to plant poppy seeds for the following year.

2008, Fortune Small Business Magazine names Georgetown the No. 2 best city in the nation to live and launch a new business.

texas in history by Anthony P. Megahey

Anthony Megahey is a native of Northern Ireland, but has resided in the US since 1994. Currently, he works as an electrician in Houston, and is a former U.S. Navy Reservist SeaBee. He is the father of one daughter.

Gail Parker Mia Monroe Alica DavisJeremy Heath Yazmin Garcia Brian Lee

Central Fort Bend Chamber Alliance Staff(281) 342-5464 — www.CFBCA.org

4120 Ave. H (Hwy. 90) — Rosenberg, TX

The Cullen Building on the campus of Southwest-ern University shortly after completion.


How long do you wait on the telephone or how many times must you call back because you were disconnected? How many different people do you get transferred to because no one knows how to answer your questions? I do not know about you but I am tired of the automated systems that push me through a series of many options only to hang up on me if none of these options make sense or do not apply to my situation. Are you treated with the respect you deserve? Do you get the answers you are seeking? It is very frustrating in today’s high tech world when we cannot even talk to another human being. This is not excellent customer service. I call it clubbing the customer.I apologize if my intro seems a bit negative. I am on a journey to change Service America because I am having a difficult time finding the excellent service attitude that we all deserve. Delivering an outstanding experience to customers is a powerful differentiator for any business. Yet in many companies, the money is never dedicated toward the development of the customer experience. Is the leader of your company skeptical about the benefits of such a soft differentiator such as improving the customer relationship? I work with many executives who do no initially see the collection of customer feedback as meaningful. They believe that their sales numbers look good and there is no need to worry about the customer experience. On the other hand, those who take the time to focus on their customer are the ones who make the changes that matter because they listened. The customers know they listened and what happens next is history—a history of loyalty between customer and supplier.Customer retention is not magical as it takes a lot of work by the entire team. Listening, communicating and changing the processes that are in place must be a continual effort in order to build a great customer-supplier relationship. Customer representatives need to be trained as experienced professionals, not just receptionists who answer a phone or try to squelch customer complaints. Learning to love the complainer is what

this continual improvement process is about. The company who takes the complaints seriously and takes actions to remove the root cause of such problems is a smart company. They seriously address the Excellent Service to America Challenge---and it shows in the data collected. When asked about their supplier’s performance, the customers speak highly of the response they get, the knowledge that is shared and the attitude expressed when dealing with their supplier. They often mention names of people and acknowledge that they have a great relationship with them. “I love John and his team.” “Tom always gets me what I need.” “Mary goes out of her way to help me.” “If they do not know an answer, they get back to me in a timely manner.” These types of responses show that a company pays attention to the customer relationship.It is interesting to witness what happens when a company responds to a customer complaint and makes a change. As we all know, when a supplier recovers from an error, we are able to forgive them, and we actually learn to become more loyal. Why? They listened to us and took us seriously. We know they went the extra mile to meet and even exceed our requirements because they value us as a customer. Like any personal relationship, we are happy with this attempt to do right and we become more trusting of the relationship over time. Calling all Executives and CEO’s

Customer experience professionals should see their function as being the most powerful source of differentiation. The most effective way to generate growth is by way of the Excellent Service to America Attitude and Actions. Every CEO and Senior Manager must join this challenge—a challenge that is most deserving of management attention and corporate funding. The trouble is that other functional managers will believe the same about their own areas – engineering professionals may believe product design is key to growth; supply chain managers may see strengthening the procurement capability as critical for achieving cost competitiveness; and operations managers may argue that

investments in new machinery to reduce defects will please both customers and reduce re-work costs. The internal competition for time and money is tough, but we know that all of these functions are critical for success. Businesses can generally differentiate themselves in how they create value for customers in one of three ways – through offering the best products (product leader), offering the lowest prices (cost leader) or delivering the best overall solution (often described as being most customer friendly or intimate). In the case of the last one, customer experience is critical – it is the differentiator. Differentiating on excellent customer service and relationships is the most powerful of all three. But it is also the most difficult, requiring a greater perspective than the others to ensure that the excellent experience delivers value for customers. It also requires high capability levels to ensure that the excellent experience can be delivered consistently. The capability involves a close review of processes, systems, organizational design, performance measurements, competencies and culture. In other words, the entire team must be responsible for this effort. So if you are tired of being disappointed because you were not treated with the respect and excellent service that you deserve as a customer, then change it. Accept the challenge and demonstrate to both your internal and external customers that you are ready and willing to build a relationship, rather than just meet requirements that may not be valued. Answer your phone the next time it rings and start listening. Continual improvement is your best path toward success.

Is Your Business Stagnant? How About Your Systems?Diane M. Elko, President of Improve It! Consulting &

Training in Fulshear, Texas, assists organizations with team building, process improvement, quality, and

creative strategies. She is a licensed representative for Insights Personality Profiles and designs effective management systems that improve productivity and

performance. Diane may be reached at 281.799.0930, [email protected], or visit www.improveitsolutions.com.

by Diane Elko


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Cartilage is the hard slippery surface covering the ends of bones as they come together to form a joint. Normal cartilage is white in color, shiny and smooth. Damage to cartilage can be a life changing event, causing severe pain, swelling and disability. This is especially critical in the ankle as it is a relatively small joint, compared to the hip or knee, yet it must withstand greater amounts of force passing through it during daily use.

Although ankle cartilage damage may occur from a number of causes, a history of previous severe ankle trauma is often the culprit. Multiple ankle sprains, ankle fractures (broken bones) or crush injuries can all contribute to cartilage damage within the ankle. Despite the high rates of cartilage injury due to previous trauma, some cartilage damage may occur for unknown reasons.

Cartilage injury to the ankle joint most often involves the talus, one of three bones forming the ankle. Orthopaedic Surgeons with spe-cialized training, experience and familiarity with the uniqueness of these injuries call this an Osteochondral Lesion of the Talus (OLT). OLT is seen in all age groups. The damaged cartilage is often as-sociated with weakened supporting bone underneath it, causing collapse leading to the formation of areas of holes in the cartilage surface.

Symptoms of this type of cartilage injury to the ankle joint may include pain, instability, and feelings of “catching, locking or giving way”. The onset of these symptoms may begin after minor injuries, although often times they are of gradual onset after an old ankle in-

jury. Rest, anti-inflammatory medications and ice may provide some relief, however, symptoms typically return with activity.

The treatment of OLT is based on the individual’s age, symp-toms, activity level, size of the affected area (as seen on MRI or CT scan), and it’s location. Treatment options may include rest, activity restriction and other methods of non-surgical manage-ment of symptoms or surgical interventions performed in the operating room. Surgical procedures utilized in OLT include the stimulation of cells to produce a cartilage-like material (microfracture procedure), harvesting cartilage from a remote site, such as the knee, and placing it in the affected ankle (OATs procedure), or transplantation of one’s own cell’s which have

been harvested during an initial procedure, grown and replicated in a laboratory, then reimplanted in a second procedure performed weeks later (ACI procedure).

The treatment of this complex problem may be performed ar-throscopically (using a small camera to evaluate and treat the dis-ease) or with a traditional surgical incision. Numerous factors will determine each individuals options.

Cartilage death in the ankle is a serious problem, especially in ac-tive people. Ankle cartilage which has “died young” or premature-ly, producing symptoms of pain, instability and/or a limp should be treated aggressively once diagnosed.

Orthopaedic Surgeons are Medical Doctors with extensive training in whole body bone and joint disorders. Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Surgeons are fully trained Orthopaedic Surgeons with additional extensive experience in complex Ankle and Foot disorders, such as OLT.

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Dying Young by Mark Vann, MD


My name is Bertha Con-nally Abraham, and I wrote If Only for a Season. Like Elizabeth Catlett, “I want my life to be constructive and reflect the process of building up, rather than tearing down. I trust others will look at my work and see the possibilities in their own dreams. And when the light in my eyes grows dim, with any grace, someone will rec-

ognize my life’s worth. Hopefully, they will clearly see its merit, because of the One, who gave to me, that which I have given back.

Born in Colfax, Louisiana, I currently reside in Whar-ton, Texas. I am married to John, my high school sweetheart and have been married to him for thirty seven years. Michael, Jay and Brad make up the Abra-ham family circle along with my terrific and only grand-son, Zachary Ryan. He attends Episcopal High School in Bellaire. Brad no longer has a physical address; still I feel his presence every day. Although I have several pastimes, travel is one of my greatest passions.

The fictional story in my book recounts the experi-ences and stories shared by many different people. All who lived during the Sixties can recall something about how the times shaped their lives. Whether a good or bad experience, they certainly can lend a voice to anyone willing to listen. During those chaotic years, many people participated in non-violent march-es, and others chose to fight for what they valued. Regardless of their choice, they stood up for their rights, and substantive changes, although slow, even-tually transpired, because they challenged the world’s view of them. Often, I have wondered how different my life experience would have been if the Sixties had not existed for me. However, God had chosen this era for me.

My book unfolds the lives of two very young people, Adam Mirabeau and Beatrice Johanna Marten. They grow up in the South with limited opportunities and discover that education can lead them out of poverty. B.J. and Adam learn many lessons about forgiveness

and faith. What she shared will help all of us work through our own problems once we admit that they exist. The characters in my book learn and teach love’s lesson sometimes painfully and often times joyfully, while meeting new people in different places, forging strong relationships along the way.

Still, always the looming specter of segregation puts forth a constant challenge for the couple, just as it did for those of us who actually lived through the struggle. Segregation arose from the bellies of ungodly men who greedily swallowed the rights of decent people. However, so many dared to challenge the hypocriti-cal notion of “separate but equal” that a much better nation sprang forth as a result. We must learn from the determination of those who chose to succeed. Great and powerful leaders rose up, sometime to their own amazement, pushing and prodding us to stand up for present and future generations. Be grateful for the journey.

Check out my current book If Only for a Season at the following locations: Amazon.com, Amazon Kindle, cre-ativehouse-press.com, and several local stores in Whar-ton; Milam Street Café, Denise’s Altera-tion and Lorres-sia’s Nail salon. Look for my new book, In the Pew, in the spring 2011.

About the AuthorBy Bertha Connally Abraham


fitness by cyndia rodriguez[Zumba Instructor & Personal Trainer at the TW Davis YMCA]

Mary FlemingI wanted to feature Mary Fleming for this issue. She is a sixty- something retired teacher, a mother of 2 adult sons, and has a 3-year-old grandchild. Mary started working out right after graduat-ing from college. Pilate’s is her favorite format of exercise. She also enjoys

participating in the Zumba classes. Mary workouts Monday through Friday. Her schedule of working out revolves around her grandson. She has to man-age her time strategically, because she keeps him

5 days a week. Mary also keeps busy and fit by doing her own yard work. I am so inspired by Mary and her strong, fit, body and the fact that she has Spinal Stenosis and Fibroimyalgia/Polemical Rheumatic. “The exercising and eating healthy has really helped me with the pain and atrophy of muscles.” Mary explains to me why it is so important to always keep moving. I asked her what a typical meal for her would be? Here is an example: 1 grape-fruit, walnuts, fresh fruit or golden raisins, and skim milk. Mary eats six mini meals a day. She eats lots of whole grains, yogurt, fresh fruit, nuts and eggs. You know that expression “if you don’t use it, you will lose it” well its true, I think so anyway. It’s never too late to get fit and get healthier. You don’t have to wait for January 2011 to start your New Year’s resolutions. Why not start today, your “NEW LIFE’S” resolution!

Party in PinkOn October 23, I hosted a “Party in Pink” Zumbathon at our TW DAVIS YMCA.

This is something I have been wanting to do for a while. A little over a year ago

my childhood best friend’s fa-ther died from cancer. Less than 6 moths after his death, her mother died from brest

cancer. Cancer does not discriminate and it is one UGLY disease. Research in finding a cure is crutial to our childrens and ourselves future. Awareness is just as improtant! Getting a mamogram every year can keep you in check.

All the proceeds from the tickets sales went to the Susan G. Komen foundation. The most elite Zumba instructors from the Houston and surrounding areas were invited to come and guest teach the class. The 2 hours were filled with the most energetic Zumba entusiasts. People came from as far as

Beaumont. There were a few cancer surviors in the class, which was incred-ibly inspiring. A couple of ladies came from Pearland to dance in honor of their friend who is battleing cancer right now. We were able to raise $500.00 that night!

All photos were taken by Abby Dorsey of Bella Brock Photography.


books Kelly Mortimer, The Extreme Agent of Mortimer Literary Agency

Dear Reader:

In my quest to write engaging articles, I diligently take in my surroundings, study an interviewee’s mannerisms, record the interview on my digital voice recorder, and take notes. Admittedly, the last two on the list is because I’m notorious for forgetting. It probably has something to do with all the right brain/left brain switching I have to do on any given day. Right brain vs. left brain is a story for another time, however.

Every now and then, for one reason or another, Inside Rose Rich Magazine goes with the Q&A format. Any number of reasons leads to that decision. In this instance, however, hundreds of miles separate Ms. Mortimer and me. That makes it kinda impossible to do an inter-view face-to-face. AND, (this is actually the biggest reason, especially with all the lovely fares Southwest Airlines has been offering), Ms. Mortimer’s answers, in all their original glory, is both enlighten-ing and funny. This is a risk I’m taking. But, hey, life is filled with risks. One would think, now that I’m looking for an agent to represent our manuscripts, I would toil day and night to knock Ms. Mortimer’s socks off with one helluva article. But, nope. Even if we (my writing partner who happens to be my mama. And, no, don’t ask her about the love scenes in our romances), do have a completed multicultural contemporary, a completed paranormal short story, and a nearly finished historical that is beg-ging for the brilliance of Ms. Mortimer’s representation. (Y’all think I’m giving enough hints here?)

All righty, then.

For all prepublished authors and writ-ers who’d like to be republished, and for everyone whose ever thought about representing we writers, this story is for you.

Happy Reading!

—Leslie

IRR: How did you get into the publish-ing industry?

KM: I negotiated my way in. [I shouldn’t have tried so hard.][Sorry.] I read a book from a NYT-bestselling author. Dudes, it was ridiculous. [The bad ridiculous.] Then the phrase we all know and love popped into my head … I can do bet-ter than that! So, I wrote. I finished my first manuscript, a medieval romance of 160,000 words, in 3 months--plus re-search time. [I then spent a year learning to correct all the mistakes I made.]

As to agenting, a friend/editing partner, Julie Lessman, kept pestering me, then God joined in. I wanted to write, but God gave me a clear message: “Kel, [I let Him and my closest friends and fam-ily call me that] your problem isn’t that you want to see your name on the cover of a book. Your problem is you have to see your name on the cover of a book. So, until further notice, you’ll help other writers get published. I’ll let you know when you can write again.” What’s a gal gonna say to that? NO! [I can be kinda stubborn.] Nine months later—kicking and screaming—I stopped writing and became an agent.

IRR: For personal reading, (if you have time) who is your favorite author?

KM: I tell everyone my spare time is between 9 PM and 2 AM.

Right now I’m readin’ Undead Much?, by Stacey Jay; Deeper Than the Dead, by Tami Hoag; plus a few nonfiction books.

IRR: What advice would you give to people who’d like to become a liter-ary agent?

KM: My psychiatrist’s phone number is 555-DON’T.

I’m actually in the process of bringing in an intern right now. The most important thing is devotion. If you’re a writer who thinks it’d be fun to be an agent—think again. I don’t find rejecting hoards of writers, receiving hoards of rejections for my clients, nor having 411 proposals in my inbox, FUN.

This is a tough business. Tougher still because of our economy. If you wanna

be an agent, you have to be ALL IN. You need to have a fire in your gut to help others, and be willing to fight for them. It’s a war-zone out there. No selfish sis-sies allowed!

IRR: Who had the most positive influ-ence on you?

KM: I wanted to help writers, specifical-ly, pre-published writers. [I hate the term: unpublished. It’s so negative!]

My agent, whom I ended up suing for Breech of Contract [I won. In two states. She never paid.], was supposed to train me. I noticed early on I needed to train her in areas such as diligence, organiza-tion, time-management, honesty [I could go on, but I don’t wanna waste any more time on her.] So, when I had questions, I asked super-agent Natasha Kern. She always helped me out, and I’ll be forever grateful.

IRR: Growing up, what were your hob-bies?

KM: Is getting’ in trouble a hobby? [I can answer my own question: with me, it was more of a profession. Oh, guess it still is….]

In the days before I became a drug-ad-dicted teen, I loved to sing and dance, play sports, and ride my horse. Also loved board games.

IRR: Describe your first great accom-plishment.

KM: Everyone has a different view of what an accomplishment is. Nothing I’ve ever done will go in the history books, but I’d say, I survived. I didn’t wanna live, but Jesus assured me He had plans for me, and that I wasn’t worthless. He helped me turn my life around. Now I wanna use every day I have left in ser-vice.

I have two daily goals: make someone laugh/smile, and help/do something nice for someone. If I can keep that up, I’ve accomplished something.

IRR: Who is the funniest person in your family? The most serious?

KM: Ha! We have more characters than Bellevue. [And I think some of the


people in Bellevue are in my family.]

My brother Carl and my sister Gina are both quick-witted and funny, so it’s a three-way tie. But I’m more outgoing, and I love to make fun of myself. [Don’t I get points or somethin’ for that?]

The most serious would be my mom. She answers the phone with, “Hello,” but says it as if she’s sure you’re gonna tell her someone just died.

IRR: What are the most important things you learned from your parents?

KM: Did my mom hire you?

My dad taught me to love God, and my mom taught me above all things, to be honest. I strayed from both, but now strive to do both.

IRR: What is the longest project you have ever worked on?

KM: Methuselah’s biography. [Sorry.]

I read a partial from a gal who won the Daphne in 2008. I didn’t realize the par-tial was ‘all she wrote!’ Took over a year to get the full, and it came in long. After readin’ 500 pages twice, we’re on the third-round edits now. I love the book, though, so it’s a labor of love: The Dev-ils’ Fields, formerly SEEDS, by Caroline Dunsheath.

IRR: What is the most boring thing you have ever done?

KM: I drove under 80 MPH once. [Sorry.] I’d like to say fishing, but it looked so boring, I never tried it.

My life is a lot of things, but boring ain’t in the phone book. I’m bored when I’m inactive. I’m even bored when my hubby [he’s such a sweet man] is inactive. I gotta have something to do. I also get bored when I haveta read something that doesn’t interest me. [Which never happens, as I love every page any writer has ever sent me….]

IRR: What is the profession you often mentioned when people asked what you wanted to be when you were growing up?

KM: I wanted to be an angel. You might think that sweet, but it’s code for I want-ed to be dead. I don’t remember anyone ever asking me that question. If anyone did, I don’t know what I would’ve said. I had no aspirations to do anything.

IRR: What responsibility, work, or chore did you dislike growing up, but proved very helpful to you as an adult?

KM: Now I know my mom hired you.

I remember scrubbing the kitchen floor on my hands and knees. [My mom was a clean-freak.] How does that help me to-day? My hubby [he’s such a sweet man] cleans the kitchen floor.

IRR: What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

KM: LISTEN! [No, that’s not a joke.]

I addressed this on my yahoo group/loop. Too many writers don’t take a mil-lion rejections as a sign their manuscript isn’t ready for publication. Instead, they search out every small press/e-book house/POD pub on the planet until someone says yes, so the writer can say they’re published. This rarely results in sales. [Some small presses—including mine—are perfectly respectable. I’m not talking about those.]

Never give up your dream—just do something that pushes you closer to it. Don’t cheat yourself by being quasi-published.

IRR: Add anything here that you’d like...

KM: My top-three for a ridiculous [the good ridiculous] manuscript:

Delete every word that isn’t vital.

Make every word left as strong as pos-sible.

Don’t force your characters to do some-thing they’d never do because you have to move your story forward.

• My personal blog is: www.welcome-tomyworlds.com

• Web site: www.mortimerliterary.com

• Writers’ site: www.perilsofpublishing.com

• Yahoo Group/Loop: www,groups.ya-hoo.com/group/Perils_of_Publishing

• Small Press: www.underdogpress.com

In closing, I wanna say ‘hi!’ to my 5 grandkids: Brinton, Robert, Serenity, Devin, and Dory. I love you all.


Find Inside Rose-Rich At...RosenbergCentral Fort Bend Chamber Alliance 4120 Avenue HRosenberg, TX 77471

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Capital One2810 First StreetRosenbeg, TX 77471

May W. Tape, D.D.S. Pediatric Dentistry5501 Avenue I (Fm 1640)Rosenberg, TX 77471

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Richmond Oak Bend Medical Center1705 Jackson StreetRichmond, TX 77471

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Morton Street Gallery310 Morton StreetRichmond, TX 77469

T. W. Davis YMCA911 Thompson HighwayRichmond, TX 77469

George Memorial Library1001 Golfview DriveRichmond, TX 77469

Ft. Bend County Museum500 Houston StreetRichmond, TX 77469

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Fall 2010 Issue

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