“Good evening, friends. I’m Dave Ward.” Local TV anchor celebrates 40 years of delivering the news

Thus begins another 6 o’clock news broadcast on Channel 13, and yet another record set. On Nov. 9, 2006, Ward will have been on KTRK for 40 years. “As best as anyone can determine, I’ve been doing the same news show on the same station longer than anyone in the history of American television,” says Ward. In an industry where some contracts are as short as six weeks, Ward has survived three changes in station ownership, countless general managers, co-anchors, two really bad accidents and, recently, a colon operation.

He has reported space shots, presidential elections and trail rides. He’s covered earthquakes, floods and hurricanes, reported from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Nicaragua and Columbia, and covered the Vietnam Peace Talks in Paris.

Ward has been delivering the nightly news ever since the days of one black-and-white camera operated by a lone cameraman, to several cameras each handled by one person to today’s four robot cameras worked by Brian Wood, who sits all alone behind a console, moving the cameras quietly around the studio floor like so many R2-D2s creeping in and out, up and down, even pre-programmed to catch the right shot.

In a chilly studio, Ward, 67, sits there behind a desk, as opposed to standing or walking around while delivering the news, which is a current fad, talking in a quiet, professional manner. This obviously suits Houstonians because Channel 13’s 6 and 10 p.m. news consistently are the top-rated news shows in town, although competition is creeping up. More about that right after this word.

The program begins with Ward reading the headlines, then his co-anchor, Gina Gaston, adds to the information. Next, they go to a field reporter. It is not noticeable when watching a TV news show at home, but the anchors actually speak very little, rather acting as introducers, segueing from a car wreck to the weather, from a commercial break to national news. “And here with that story is …”

During those short breaks from being on the air, Ward and Gaston are busily checking notes, talking to each other or the floor manager, or getting updates on last-minute changes — mild chaos. “I’ve got … page … where’s page …” Ward says, frowning as he busily sorts through copy. “He likes to have all his ducks in a row,” says Wood, the camera operator. “Tonight we’ve got a lot of late-breaking stuff.” Ward is back on the air so smoothly the viewer would have thought he’d just been taking a nap.

He does not write his own script, but he works on it. “We’ve got producers and associate producers, but I have to rewrite most of it,” Ward says. “You’d be surprised at some of the crap they put in. If it doesn’t make sense to me, it isn’t going to make sense to the viewer. When it leaves me, it’s gone.”

He tosses to Ed Brandon, who does the weather standing in front of a huge blank lime-green sheet, looking at TV monitors to his right. Brandon, who, moments before, was checking a battery of radar screens and computer ribbons of type, catches the toss and smoothly slides into his delivery. The mark of a pro is to make the difficult look easy.

Marvin Zindler comes on with his famous restaurant report. He introduces the spot, which is on tape and will be played again for the 10 o’clock show. When the magical “slime in the ice machine” line comes on, Zindler still laughs. The line is still funny. More stories from reporters in the field, then Tim Melton comes on with the sports. It is not evident on TV, but Melton is a very large, powerfully built man. He could suit up for the Texans. Melton is the only one on camera who doesn’t use a Teleprompter. “I started out in Pennsylvania where we didn’t have Teleprompters, so I worked without them,” Melton says. “The good point is, if they ever break, I never know it.”

Eyewitness News at 6 p.m., unlike the shows on KPRC and KHOU, lasts an hour. “The longest hour on television,” Ward says. Zindler adds, “It’s cheaper to do an hour of news than half an hour and pay for some other show like Channel 11.” KHOU shows “Wheel of Fortune,” KPRC has “Entertainment Tonight” and Fox Channel 26 shows “The Simpsons.”

How Ward got to Houston and to Channel 13 is circuitous. David Henry Ward was born in Dallas, although his family didn’t live there. “My mother wanted to give birth in a major hospital, so she went to Dallas.” His father was a Baptist minister who moved his family around East Texas, eventually becoming minister of the First Baptist Church in Huntsville.

Young Dave began his radio career with KGKB radio in Tyler while attending Tyler Junior College. Three years later, he joined the staff of WACO radio in Waco as a staff announcer. “WACO is the only radio station in America whose call letters are the city’s name,” Ward notes. A year later he became that station’s program director.

“At that station, I was a DJ spinning Vaughn Monroe and Elvis,” he says. “The station’s news director was Bob Vandiventer, who taught radio news writing at Baylor University. He would bring some of his students to the station to get hands-on training, and I would see these five or six people in the news department busy, all inspired, having a great time, while I was across the glass just spinning those records. And I thought, ‘That looks better,’ so I got into the news side, but I never finished college.”

In 1962 Ward came to Houston as the first full-time news reporter for KNUZ/KQUE. “Growing up in Huntsville, it was almost like coming home.” His Houston broadcasting debut was as a night news reporter for KNUZ/KQUE radio. Ward’s career at KTRK began in 1966 as an on-the-street reporter/photographer.

“I was hired in a pool hall,” Ward says. “I was working at KNUZ, and a friend at Channel 13 told me there was an opening there. Would I be interested? So I met with the top people at the station, General Manager Willard Walbridge, Program Manager Howard Finch and News Director Ray Conaway at Le Que, a pool hall, where they went for lunch several days a week and to shoot some pool. I was hired then and there. The station only had eight people in the newsroom back then. Today, we have about 120. I took a pay cut from about $650 a week at KNUZ to $575 at KTRK. My father was not that enthusiastic about my move. He asked me, ‘This television thing — are you sure it’s going to work?'”

After his stint as a street reporter, early in 1967 he began to anchor Channel 13’s weekday 7 a.m. newscast. Later that year, he became the first host of a game show, “Dialing for Dollars,” which later evolved into “Good Morning Houston.” In January of 1968, Ward was promoted to co-anchor of the weekday 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts with Dan Ammerman.

“At the time, Ron Stone was on Channel 11, and they had 50 percent of the audience,” recalls Ward. “We were hot, and we said, ‘We’re gonna kill them.’ No, we were a poor third, but we slowly climbed up in the ratings. Ammerman left, and I inherited the anchor slot solo. By ’72, we were getting there. When Jack Heard was elected sheriff in 1972, the first thing he did, on New Year’s Day, was to fire Marvin Zindler. We had the story at 6. Marvin had been in the Consumer Fraud Division of the sheriff’s department, and I told our assistant news director, ‘We ought to hire that guy as a consumer fraud reporter.’ No other station in town, and maybe in the nation, had someone assigned to only that. I asked Marvin if he’d like to come here and basically do the same thing. He said, ‘Dave, there’s nothing I’d rather do.’ When Marvin came aboard, we took off.”

By 1973, Channel 13 was No. 1 in this market. It held that spot through ’76, ’77 and ’78, and on through the years — a dynasty in the TV biz. “Last November, I think Channel 11 beat us, but I’m not sure,” Ward says. “We’ve lost a little of our identity.” Over the years, Ward has co-anchored with Shara Fryer, Jan Carson and now Gaston.

The current crew of co-workers is long-time current. Ward, as noted, has been with KTRK 40 years. Melton came to the station in 1981, 25 years ago. Brandon has been the station’s meteorologist for 34 years. Bob Allen in sports came to work at KTRK 32 years ago. Elma Barrera just left full-time after 34 years, but will stay on in community affairs. Gaston is the new kid on the block: she’s been with station since 1992, on the evening news for four years.

In 1974, Ward suffered a motorcycle accident at the Astrodome during a charity race. He broke his pelvis in four places, had a concussion and much, much more. “I was in the hospital for seven weeks and received between 40,000 and 60,000 notes. I didn’t have anything else to do, so I answered them all.” In 2003, he was in a car wreck — crashed into an out-of-control SUV on the West Loop and broke his right leg. Last June, Ward and his wife attended a wedding, got food poisoning and Ward was out for two weeks. Then in July, a long-simmering abdominal pain turned out to be diverticulitis. He underwent major surgery and was away for two weeks.

Not that anyone should feel sorry for the anchorman. Ward makes a good living. “I once thought that it would be good to make six figures, $100,000 or more, a year. Today, I pay more than that to Uncle Sam. Houston has always been a low-paying TV market. That’s because we don’t have unions. Thank God. But when we were owned by Cap Cities, which was based in Albany, NY, they used to refer to Houston as ‘the Plantation’ because we all worked for so little.”

He lives about 15 minutes from the station, near Woodway off Sage, with Laura, his third wife. “We just celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary.” Ward has four children from his previous marriages. Laura has three. He used to smoke cigarettes and cigars, beginning at the age of 14. “Then, I quit, until one day Marvin came in smoking the most wonderful smelling cigar, and I started all over again. But I quit again in February.”

Ward says his is basically a 3 to 11 p.m. job. He starts his day watching all the local TV news, gets to the station about 3 p.m. and starts working on the 6 o’clock show. “By the time Dave gets on the air,” says one staffer, “he’s practically memorized the script.” He tries to change the show for the 10 o’clock version, especially the lead story. “Often we have three or four new spots to run,” he says.

Home by 11, it’s hard to go from giving the news to going to sleep, the adrenaline is pumping. “I have a drink, one drink, usually vodka. I don’t drink wine. Then, I watch Turner Movie Classics or the History Channel, maybe the Military Channel.” By 1:30 or 2 a.m., he’s asleep. And, as Ward would say, “Thank you for being with us, and good night.”

Focus on Fertility

The path to parenthood often requires the helping hands of caring specialists

While blindness affects more than one million Americans age 40 and older, the number of visually impaired in this country totals more than 3.4 million. Furthermore, the number of Americans with age-related eye disease or consequential vision impairment is expected to double within the next three decades. With such a rapidly increasing figure, eye disease and vision loss is undoubtedly emerging as a major public health problem. Engaging in annual eye examinations can lead to the prevention and/or delay of eye diseases that can result in blindness, especially for those individuals with diabetes, age 65 and older, or African Americans older than 40.

What is ophthalmology?
Ophthalmology is a branch of medicine encompassing the anatomy, function and diseases of the eye. Often referred to as “Eye M.D.s,” ophthalmologists are trained physicians who specialize in diagnosing and treating eye and vision problems, including vision services and surgery. Not to be confused with an optometrist (a Doctor of Optometry), an ophthalmologist is a medical doctor, or M.D., who has completed four years of medical school, a year-long internship and a minimum of three years of residency training in ophthalmology. Optometrists complete a pre-professional undergraduate college education followed by four years of professional education in a college of optometry. Some optometrists also fulfill a residency program.

Cornea and external disease
Ophthalmologists focusing on cornea and external disease diagnose and handle diseases of the cornea, sclera, conjunctiva and eyelids, including corneal dystrophies, microbial infections, conjunctival and corneal tumors, inflammatory processes and anterior ocular manifestations of systematic diseases. Ophthalmologists in this field often perform corneal transplant surgery or corneal surgery to correct refractive errors.

Glaucoma
One of the most common causes of preventable vision loss, glaucoma is a group of eye diseases resulting from intraocular pressure levels that damage the optic nerve and nerve fibers that form parts of the retina in the back of the eye. Individuals that suffer from glaucoma often experience no symptoms until they begin to lose part of their peripheral vision. Although visual loss is most often permanent and irreversible, many cases can be treated by prescription drugs, laser therapies and surgery. Increased intraocular pressure and the state of the optic nerve head are only detectable during an eye examination performed by an ophthalmologist.

LASIK
LASIK is a surgical procedure that is performed to correct nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism. Permanently removing corneal tissue to reshape the eye in order to improve refraction, LASIK is a fairly safe procedure for permanent vision correction — with only a 2 percent intra-operative and 3 to 5 percent post-operative complication rate. More than 90 percent of patients with low to moderate myopia achieve 20/40 vision, while more than half achieve 20/20 vision or better.

Neuro-ophthalmology
While more than half of the brain is used for vision-related activities, vision problems can often be caused by the optic nerve or the nervous system. Neuro-ophthalmologists evaluate patients from a neurologic, ophthalmologic and medical standpoint to diagnose and care for a wide range of problems, including optic nerve problems, visual field loss, visual disturbances, double vision, abnormal eye movements, thyroid eye disease, unequal pupil size and eyelid abnormalities.

Do your research
The American Board of Ophthalmology can provide an abundance of credible resources to utilize if you are seeking the services of an ophthalmologist. Prospective patients may find out if an ophthalmologist is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology by visiting www.abms.org or by contacting 1 (866) ASK-ABMS.

Please click on the following links to view each Top Fertility Doctor’s profile and/or visit their website.

Houston Eye Associates
www.houstoneye.com

Rosa A. Tang, M.D., MPH
www.neuroeye.com

Rocky Mountain High

Rest, relaxation and rejuvenation await you in the Colorado mountains

Just on the outskirts of Vail and Beaver Creek on Highway 70 outside of Denver is the sleepy area of Cordillera. Known for great golf in the summer and easy access to multiple ski resorts in the winter, The Lodge &Spa at Cordillera is a tranquil escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Spa
The Avanyu Spa has undergone amazing renovations in the last two years, but you’ll be happy to know it’s still conveniently located on the first level. (Read: Put your robe on, and head down.) Get up early to start your day off right — yoga’s morning salutations welcome you with breathtaking mountain views.

You simply can’t miss the Spirit of Cordillera signature treatment. It’s a wrap, but in the best sense of the word. (Typically, wraps start with a scrub and are interrupted by a shower — totally waking you up and risking negation of the soothing effect of the rub.) The purpose of this treatment is to re-moisturize the skin, so you begin with a bee nectar rub. Then, the blankets around you become a heated wrap as the technician begins a 25-minute scalp massage. What a great way to revitalize your entire body. Talk about paradise!

Eat
A unique take on meals, the Mirador offers the entire menu as a tasting menu. Whether you are interested in appetizers or an entrée, you can try anything — a little or a lot. Try it all — the portions are negotiable! I started with beef Carpaccio with a warm haystack goat cheese cake, arugula salad, spiced pecans and chipotle aioli — for an appetizer. For the main course, the herb-crusted sea bass with ravioli and the Colorado lamb T-bone with fennel-roasted spring vegetables, marscapone polenta and roasted garlic hit the spot.

Explore
The mountains here are fabulous and can be viewed one-on-one by taking a Jeep tour. You’ll experience 14,000-foot peaks; and you can use the dust from the Aspen Pine trees as sunscreen!

Essentials:

The Lodge &Spa at Cordillera
2205 Cordillera Way
Edwards, CO 81632
1 (866) 650-ROCK
www.cordillera.rockresorts.com

Mirador at The Lodge &Spa at Cordillera
(970) 926-2200

Nova Guides Inc.
1 (888) 949-NOVA
www.novaguides.com

Texas Wine Country

Wine tours with a bit of Texas charm

A little more than two hours from Houston, on the outskirts of Austin, is the charming little town of Marble Falls. This is a great home base for a couple days of imbibing at some of Texas’ most quaint wineries in the Texas Hill Country. The state’s wine industry is still in its infancy, so Houstonians may not realize that good wine is so close to home. Advocates of the Texas wine movement remind us to “dance with the one who brung ya.” Here in wine country, they interpret this to mean “Drink Texas Wines.”

Sleep
The Marriott tower is a new addition to the Horseshoe Bay Resort. This spectacular destination is perfectly complemented with an amazing putting course that includes waterfalls, pyramids and temples. It’s called the Whitewater Putting Course and putting is definitely a privilege, as you are surrounded by parrots and flamingos. There are also two resort pools for the family to enjoy. In addition, the Marriott has a luxury motor coach to take you from winery to winery in first class, air-conditioned comfort. What more could you want from a weekend getaway?

Tour and Sip
Lost Creek Vineyard &Winery
Winemaker David Brinkman started making wine at home as a hobby. In 1999, his friends urged him to plant a few vines. What sprouted was a full-fledged business with cabernet sauvignon and Shiraz grapes. His 2002 Vintner’s Reserve Shiraz was a Texas Champion at the Houston Livestock Show &Rodeo, where a six-liter bottle of it was auctioned for charity and garnered $17,000.

Fall Creek Vineyards
Established in 1975 by Texas businessman and rancher, Ed Auler, and his wife, Susan, Fall Creek is located northwest of Austin. After traveling to France, the couple noticed similarities in the French soil and the soil on their own ranch. Additionally, they knew the warm days and cool breezes off of Lake Buchanan would provide an excellent climate for growing grapes. To date, the winery has planted chardonnay, chenin blanc, sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, zinfandel, semillon, Johannisberg Riesling, Shiraz, Tempranillo, Voignier and malbec. In the last decade, a focus on red wines has led to the production of Meritus, a super-premium red wine.

Flat Creek Estate
You can produce good wine in Texas, and the people at Flat Creek Estate are out to prove it. The Tuscan-style grounds recently welcomed a new event center that is perfect for weddings and corporate events. They are currently growing nearly 20 acres of Italian, Rhône and Portuguese port grape varietals.

Essentials:
Horseshoe Bay Resort Marriott
200 Hi Circle North
Horseshoe Bay, TX 70657
1 (830) 598-8600

Lost Creek Vineyard &Winery
1129 RR 2233
Sunrise Beach, TX 78643
(325) 388-3753
www.lostcreekvineyard.com

Fall Creek Vineyards
1820 County Road 222
Tow, TX 78672
(325) 379-5361
www.fcv.com

Flat Creek Estate
24912 Singleton Bend East Road
Marble Falls, TX 78654
(512) 267-6310
www.flatcreekestate.com

The Sweetest Notes

A generous spirit makes a happy home in Houston

The voice is so pure and the scene so memorable that it spawns three generations of opera lovers. Picture a young boy, about five years old, playing in the streets of New York City in 1920. It is evening. Suddenly, Metropolitan Opera star Enrico Caruso gives an impromptu performance from the back of a carriage. It is so spellbinding that the young boy is mesmerized and becomes a lifelong opera fan. That young boy, Tommy Coohill, is the father of Houston opera lover Eileen Hricik.

“My father loved opera, though he never got to see one.” Tommy just didn’t have time, with trying to earn a living and raise two young daughters. Then, at age 49, time ran out. Tommy died of a cerebral hemorrhage. Eileen reveals that it happened, “two months before my wedding — quite an awful shock for all of us.”

Besides her father’s love of singing, records and the retelling of how fabulous Caruso was that long-ago evening, there is another event that solidified Eileen’s love for opera. “Another vivid-beyond-belief memory is of sitting at one of my cousin’s houses on a Sunday night, watching ‘The Ed Sullivan Show,'” she says. “Ed introduced a singer who had just had a major triumph at The Met. As she sang, I had chills and remember thinking that the human voice couldn’t possibly make the beautiful sounds she was making. She was, of course, Joan Sutherland, singing the mad scene from ‘Lucia.'”

Benvenuto, Anthony!
Fast forward to the mid 1980s, and the story gets better. She is asked by the Houston Grand Opera to be Joan Sutherland’s host. “My husband followed me to the airport when I went to meet her plane, as he thought I might faint,” she says. “Joan and her husband, Ricky Bonynge, are now treasured friends.”

Eileen, a Houston Grand Opera board member since 1986, and her husband, George, will chair the Oct. 21 Opening Night Gala. The theme is “Benvenuto, Anthony!” It is designed as a welcome for HGO’s new executive director, Anthony Freud. Eileen is enthusiastic about the opera company’s future under Freud.

“He has a vision that is fascinating, a resume that is overwhelming, a connection with everyone in the world of opera and an excitement about being here in Houston that I find delightful and infectious,” she says.

Eileen is adding a new feature to the Opening Night Gala, a reduced ticket price for members of HGO’s Young Professional Group (age 40 and younger). Eileen knows that generation well, as her three opera-loving sons are all in their 30s.

A woman of distinction
Eileen understands Anthony Freud’s excitement about becoming a Houstonian. She and George moved here in 1966. Her love of Houston was, admittedly, not instant. “I was terribly lonely,” she remembers. “George worked incredibly long hours.”

But, Eileen was not foreign to being the new kid on the block. She attended seven different elementary schools, as her parents jostled back and forth, living in New York City, where her father worked, and in the ‘burbs of New Jersey, as her mother, Rita, wanted. Finally, the suburbs won.

Putting her degree in education from Montclair State College in Montclair, N.J., to work, she taught at Houston’s Sherman Elementary. The job was instrumental in helping her get over the “moving blues,” and her career changed from teacher to mom as Eileen and George welcomed three sons in fairly rapid succession.

“I was always very involved volunteering in their schools — I chaired the St. John’s Book Fair when my oldest was in the fourth grade and have just gone on to organize lots of events since then,” she says.

So many, in fact, that in 1996 Eileen’s volunteering was honored when she was named “A Woman of Distinction” at the 1996 Winter Ball, a major fundraiser for the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America.

Baseball and history
Eileen has two more passions — baseball and historic preservation.

When she was 10 years old and living in Brooklyn, the Dodgers won the World Series — and she witnessed the celebration first-hand. “It was very exciting, very joyous,” Eileen says. “I so wish that my father could see Minute Maid Park and know that we are very involved with the Astros.”

Her love of historic preservation comes from her maternal grandfather. “My grandfather was a ‘pied piper,'” she says. During summers in the Berkshires, he would gather as many of his 27 grandchildren as were around and take them on a walk.

“We all followed at his heels because he was so much fun,” she recalls. “His stories about the history of New York were incredible — probably why I am so interested in historic preservation to this day.” Eileen currently serves as president of the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance.

Becoming a Houstonian
Eileen realized she wanted to make Houston her permanent home seven years after they had moved here. In 1973, she and George had to make the decision to stay or return to New York. Thankfully, they decided to stay.

“I thought then, and still do today, that Houston is probably the most welcoming city in the world,” she says. “If you care about Houston, if you want to become involved, you are welcomed with open arms. People who visit here seem to enjoy Houston — but only people who move here realize this extraordinary warmth.”

Red Hot

The Houston Fire Museum aims to put out fires before they start

Who doesn’t love firefighters? They are our heroes. Putting themselves in harm’s way, firefighters are dedicated to saving lives. Everyday supermen (and women), firefighters personify Americana.

The Houston Fire Museum strives to represent firefighters – locally and nationally, historically and currently – as well as educate the community about fire and life safety. Located in an old city fire station that was built in 1898, this Midtown museum not only exhibits permanent collections of fire apparatuses, but also portrays the connection between fire and culture. With a locker room that depicts a timeline of service, as well as The Hopkins Collection representing fire artifacts from the 18th-21st centuries, guests are invited to experience the changing face of firefighting. Additionally, the space is home to a structural piece of steel from the World Trade Center, urging patrons to remember the tragedy of 9/11 and the ultimate sacrifice that many emergency personnel made.

Staffed primarily by Houston firefighters, retired and active, groups of all ages are encouraged to visit the museum and learn about fire and life safety. Through age-appropriate demonstrations and lectures, these firefighters encourage students to stay in school, stressing the importance of math, science, chemistry and physics; explain how to fireproof a home and what to do in an emergency; and even teach preschoolers to stay away from fires and play well together.

A nonprofit 501(c)(3), the Houston Fire Museum looks to expand. The present location is simply too small to accommodate all of the student groups that seek its services. Plans include converting the current museum space back into a historically accurate fire station from the late 19th century and building a new structure to house educational programs, as well as exhibits, a public park and memorial.

Interested in getting involved? The museum is eager to accept donations, docents and special event volunteers. Aiming to make the community feel like a part of the museum, family memberships only cost $30 annually. – PF

Houston Fire Museum
2403 Milam
(713) 524-2526
www.houstonfiremuseum.org

The Gift of Roses

Rising charity brings new life to breast cancer survivors in the Houston area

“Changing lives one surgery at a time” is the motto in which the Rose Ribbon Foundation was created, and that’s exactly what the charity does.

After Cindi Harwood Rose watched her sister Holly suffer from and survive stage four breast cancer, she realized how devastatingly painful treatments and procedures can be for a patient — both inside and out. Most of all, she felt compelled to help patients that had undergone disfiguring procedures regain their self confidence, normalcy and hope for life through plastic and reconstructive surgery.

With the cost of these surgeries ranging from $7,000 to more than $75,000, Rose recognized that for the large number of uninsured patients, the procedures are ultimately unattainable. In an effort to shed light on these patients’ misfortune, she collaborated with her husband, Dr. Franklin Rose, a Houston plastic surgeon, to generate a plan for funding free reconstructive procedures for uninsured breast cancer survivors. Thus, the Rose Ribbon Foundation (RRF) was created. In November of 2005, the foundation officially reached 501(c)(3) status and has since continued to cultivate into an exce ptional philanthropy in this city.

Medical miracles
Since its inception in 2004, the RRF, in collaboration with Dr. Rose and Tony Rotondo, CEO of the First Street Surgical Center, has helped 11 breast cancer survivors (including men, women and children) throughout the Houston area receive free reconstructive surgery (from scar repair to double mastectomy reconstruction). Patients in need of reconstructive surgery are often referred to the RRF by The Rose (which provides free mammograms to the uninsured) or the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Potential candidates are thoroughly reviewed by a board that evaluates a patient’s urgency, financial need and whether or not he or she is healthy enough to undergo surgery. Once selected, the foundation often helps the patient pay for medicine, child care and loss of wages incurred throughout surgery and recovery time, in addition to providing psychological support and emotional encouragement. With Dr. Rose currently funding and performing the surgeries himself, First Street Surgical Center in Bellaire generously waves surgery costs once a month for the foundation, although some patients and all children must be taken to local hospitals for procedures.

Helping hands
While the RRF continues to grow, more than 10 of the city’s leading plastic surgeons, including Dr. Michael Ciaravino, Dr. Fred Aguiliar and Dr. Lisa Santos, have come on board to help support the organization’s cause. Dr. Jack Jenson, an orthopedic surgeon (who has treated many patients with breast cancer that has spread to their bones), has also committed to heading an orthopedic division of the organization called the Rose Limbs, which will assist breast cancer survivors suffering from bone complications. In addition, the foundation has enlisted a grant writer who is currently working toward obtaining state and national funding for surgeries and expenses.

Backing the cause
So far, the RRF’s leading ladies, Cindi Rose and Denise Lepow, have hosted numerous events at sites such as Neiman Marcus, David Yurman and Tootsies in an effort to raise money and awareness for the organization and its purpose. To date, the money raised by the organization has covered the expensive costs of nurses, medicines, anesthesiologists, legal work, hospital fees and education.

Upcoming fundraisers in Austin, New York and Washington, D.C., are also in the works. Additionally, Rose, herself, performs silhouette cuttings in boutiques, such as Village Kids, Get With It and Tanglewood Pharmacy, as well as at private parties, throughout the year and donates 100 percent of the profits to the foundation. On Oct. 27, Rose will be honored by the Susan B. Komen Foundation at the Hilton of the Americas for her philanthropic work with breast cancer. For the future, Rose plans to bring the foundation to other cities in the state, and eventually, throughout the nation and worldwide.

Reaching out
In recent months, the organization launched a branch, entitled Rose Petals, for young professionals wanting to get involved with the RRF. The Rose Petals division is intended to be an exciting networking and philanthropic outlet for young professionals, age 35 and younger, wanting to make a difference in the lives of breast cancer survivors. Rose’s sister, Holly Harwood Skolkin, also manages a division of the RRF, called the Thorns, which offers support and group therapy for those that have suffered or are suffering from cancer.

Make a difference
Interested in helping the RRF reach out to breast cancer survivors in the Houston area? The foundation offers a variety of volunteer opportunities for people of all ages — from helping organize a fundraiser event to visiting recovering patients. Donations may also be sent to the organization to help cover the costs of medicine, loss of wages, hospital bills, surgery needs, medical professionals or child care.

Rose Ribbon Foundation
6624 Fannin, Ste. 2200
(713) 385-0736

Fabulous Homes Open Up for a Great Cause

The 2006 Bellaire Fall New Home Showcase

Ever wished you could have it all — a stately house, beautiful furnishings, a lovely neighborhood and still live close to town? Maybe you are planning to build your dream home or remodel. Or, maybe you just want to see the latest technology. Whatever it is, something about a new house gets everyone excited.

This month, the third annual Bellaire Fall New Home Showcase (www.bellaireshowcase.com) will be held during the weekends of Oct. 7-8 and 14-15. The showcase features homes priced from the $800s to $2.4 million. Built by All Good Homes, BAS Concepts, LLP, Bellaire Builders, Genson Homes, Hampton Windfall Ventures, Impact Construction, Lovett Homes, Partners In Building, L.P., Savannah Home Builders and Tommy Cashiola Construction Co. Inc., these homes will astound you. They include features, such as rotunda entries with spectacular staircases, wine cellars, barrel-vaulted ceilings, intricate tile work, wood-burning ovens, media rooms, home theaters, summer kitchens, state-of-the-art pools, as well as the talents of outstanding interior design firms. For the kids, one home includes a tree house complete with trapdoor and play space.

This year’s homes include:
4612 Cedar Oaks Lane — With inspired architecture and color from the south of France, this home features a gourmet kitchen with brick ceiling and wood burning oven for pizza.
4612 Verone Street — Tuscan elements with transitional enhancements set the tone for this home, complete with a cathedral domed ceiling, media room and home theater.
5322 Valerie Street — This Mediterranean villa includes polished Jerusalem limestone floors, a 9-foot-wide carved limestone fireplace and a summer kitchen overlooking the pool and marble fountain.
5601 Whitehaven Street — Located on an oversized lot filled with trees, this home features stunning groin vault ceilings, a carved stone fireplace and a floating circular staircase topped with a 30-foot rotunda.
5312 Maple Street — Built in a romantic Mediterranean style while wrapping around a center courtyard pool, this home features an oversized kitchen and an outdoor loggia summer kitchen area with a full pool bath.
4301 La Mont Circle — Country French flair featuring a master suite with his- and her- bathrooms, a Jacuzzi tub and a huge adjoining shower, this house also has a salt-water pool complete with fountains and an enormous covered back porch.
4403 Camellia Lane — Located on an estate-size lot, this home includes a game room, formals, 12-foot ceilings downstairs and 9-foot ceilings upstairs, an elegant wine room, Viking stainless steel appliances and a covered back porch.
548 Chelsea Street — Traditional in style with a bold exterior, this home features a stunning interior enveloped with limestone and tiger wood floors.
4515 Evergreen Street — A celebration of America’s Spanish architectural influence, this home includes a private front courtyard area equipped with a fireplace, power circular entrance tower and 16-foot ceiling in the study.
4602 Holt Street — Tuscan flair with ornamental iron staircase, limestone floors, and a cast-stone fireplace, this home features a game room and media theater, among other special touches.

Discounted tickets, $8 each, can be purchased at Noel Furniture (2727 U.S. 59 South) up until close of business Oct. 6. During the showcase, tickets can be purchased at any of the homes on the days of the event, and also at Noel Furniture for $10 each. Children under 10 years old get in free. Visit www.bellaireshowcase.com for a map and more information.

Scoring Points for Houston

Reliant Stadium and the Houston Texans join forces for the city

It’s hard not to be awe-struck by Reliant Stadium, even today. Building this monument to football and entertainment took skill, time, patience and teamwork; characteristics that are put to work daily at the Texans’ organization.

The success of the Texans’ start-up season is what professional sports teams dream about. Building and maintaining a first-class facility to handle the unique needs of the football team, as well as the rodeo, are just the beginning for President of Business Operations Jamey Rootes. The lessons from sports marketing carry over to the business world and the nonprofit world.

Living his passion every day, the focus is to maintain Reliant Stadium while constantly striving to improve the fan experience. From the tailgating to the cheerleaders, Budweiser Plaza to Toro, there is a master plan. “And then there’s the game,” says Rootes. “Watching a live sporting experience — there’s nothing like it.” The Texans work meticulously on planning and approach the game like a three-hour television program, where they orchestrate everything — like the Bull Pen Pub, which was introduced this year.

It’s more than a game
“We try to engage the fans 365 days a year and reward them for their loyalty,” says Rootes. From draft parties to Texans All Access parties, where season ticket holders meet the players, everything comes back to the owner, Bob McNair, and his high standards. When it comes to their connection with the Houston community, the Texans focus on six main objectives: football excellence, strong culture, great people, a world-class game experience, fiscal responsibility and being a good community citizen. To this end, the foundation has raised money that is donated to five (rotating) anchor charities. Future ideas include a mobile health care vehicle and a book truck to encourage kids to read.

“The things that we really have a passion for are youth, education, health care issues and character development,” states Rootes. As the Texans work to sharply define their goals; they make a difference in our community.

Rootes and his team also strive to bring new offerings to town. For instance, they were instrumental in bringing a new bowl, The Texas Bowl, to town. This bowl, featuring out-of-town teams, will benefit a local Houston charity. Being billed as a celebration of the culture, heritage and football tradition of the Lone Star State, “it’s rodeo collides with Texans, and I think that’s the type of celebration Houstonians will love,” he says.

Lessons from the home team

For the socially connected who work hard every day to raise money for good causes, Rootes has some advice. “Figure out, as sharply as you can define, the place that you can really make a difference,” he says. “Stay focused on that single point, and don’t deviate. It’s easy if you truly listen to your passion and what you are trying to accomplish.” Putting it on paper is usually the easy part. “What’s hard is maintaining consistency,” he says, “especially with the distractions of everyday life.”

This is what separates organizations that are really able to make a difference and ones that aren’t. Once you are fully committed, people will love your passion and energy. That’s when you’ll make an impact. “Once you do, people see you as a winner, and then all of the resources and support will come,” he concludes.

This season’s tagline is “I’m a Texan.” “We’re trying to re-instill that pride in being a Texan,” he says. And he waits anxiously for a winning season. “I can’t wait to see where this community is when our team does win big things … that’s going to be exciting.”

Above all else, this high-energy executive has a passion to create a memorable sports experience that has a dramatic impact on people’s lives. “People tell us this is the friendliest stadium they go to all year.” That’s worth a lot of points.

Cordillera

Rocky Mountain High Rest, relaxation and rejuvenation await you in the Colorado mountains.

Just on the outskirts of Vail and Beaver Creek on Highway 70 outside of Denver is the sleepy area of Cordillera. Known for great golf in the summer and easy access to multiple ski resorts in the winter, The Lodge &Spa at Cordillera is a tranquil escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Spa
The Avanyu Spa has undergone amazing renovations in the last two years, but you’ll be happy to know it’s still conveniently located on the first level. (Read: Put your robe on, and head down.) Get up early to start your day off right — yoga’s morning salutations welcome you with breathtaking mountain views.

You simply can’t miss the Spirit of Cordillera signature treatment. It’s a wrap, but in the best sense of the word. (Typically, wraps start with a scrub and are interrupted by a shower — totally waking you up and risking negation of the soothing effect of the rub.) The purpose of this treatment is to re-moisturize the skin, so you begin with a bee nectar rub. Then, the blankets around you become a heated wrap as the technician begins a 25-minute scalp massage. What a great way to revitalize your entire body. Talk about paradise!

Eat
A unique take on meals, the Mirador offers the entire menu as a tasting menu. Whether you are interested in appetizers or an entrée, you can try anything — a little or a lot. Try it all — the portions are negotiable! I started with beef Carpaccio with a warm haystack goat cheese cake, arugula salad, spiced pecans and chipotle aioli — for an appetizer. For the main course, the herb-crusted sea bass with ravioli and the Colorado lamb T-bone with fennel-roasted spring vegetables, marscapone polenta and roasted garlic hit the spot.

Explore
The mountains here are fabulous and can be viewed one-on-one by taking a Jeep tour. You’ll experience 14,000-foot peaks; and you can use the dust from the Aspen Pine trees as sunscreen!

Essentials:

The Lodge &Spa at Cordillera
2205 Cordillera Way
Edwards, CO 81632
1 (866) 650-ROCK
www.cordillera.rockresorts.com

Mirador at The Lodge &Spa at Cordillera
(970) 926-2200

Nova Guides Inc.
1 (888) 949-NOVA
www.novaguides.com

Eileen Hricik

The Sweetest Notes

A generous spirit makes a happy home in Houston

The voice is so pure and the scene so memorable that it spawns three generations of opera lovers. Picture a young boy, about five years old, playing in the streets of New York City in 1920. It is evening. Suddenly, Metropolitan Opera star Enrico Caruso gives an impromptu performance from the back of a carriage. It is so spellbinding that the young boy is mesmerized and becomes a lifelong opera fan. That young boy, Tommy Coohill, is the father of Houston opera lover Eileen Hricik.

“My father loved opera, though he never got to see one.” Tommy just didn’t have time, with trying to earn a living and raise two young daughters. Then, at age 49, time ran out. Tommy died of a cerebral hemorrhage. Eileen reveals that it happened, “two months before my wedding — quite an awful shock for all of us.”

Besides her father’s love of singing, records and the retelling of how fabulous Caruso was that long-ago evening, there is another event that solidified Eileen’s love for opera. “Another vivid-beyond-belief memory is of sitting at one of my cousin’s houses on a Sunday night, watching ‘The Ed Sullivan Show,'” she says. “Ed introduced a singer who had just had a major triumph at The Met. As she sang, I had chills and remember thinking that the human voice couldn’t possibly make the beautiful sounds she was making. She was, of course, Joan Sutherland, singing the mad scene from ‘Lucia.'”

Benvenuto, Anthony!
Fast forward to the mid 1980s, and the story gets better. She is asked by the Houston Grand Opera to be Joan Sutherland’s host. “My husband followed me to the airport when I went to meet her plane, as he thought I might faint,” she says. “Joan and her husband, Ricky Bonynge, are now treasured friends.”

Eileen, a Houston Grand Opera board member since 1986, and her husband, George, will chair the Oct. 21 Opening Night Gala. The theme is “Benvenuto, Anthony!” It is designed as a welcome for HGO’s new executive director, Anthony Freud. Eileen is enthusiastic about the opera company’s future under Freud.

“He has a vision that is fascinating, a resume that is overwhelming, a connection with everyone in the world of opera and an excitement about being here in Houston that I find delightful and infectious,” she says.

Eileen is adding a new feature to the Opening Night Gala, a reduced ticket price for members of HGO’s Young Professional Group (age 40 and younger). Eileen knows that generation well, as her three opera-loving sons are all in their 30s.

A woman of distinction
Eileen understands Anthony Freud’s excitement about becoming a Houstonian. She and George moved here in 1966. Her love of Houston was, admittedly, not instant. “I was terribly lonely,” she remembers. “George worked incredibly long hours.”

But, Eileen was not foreign to being the new kid on the block. She attended seven different elementary schools, as her parents jostled back and forth, living in New York City, where her father worked, and in the ‘burbs of New Jersey, as her mother, Rita, wanted. Finally, the suburbs won.

Putting her degree in education from Montclair State College in Montclair, N.J., to work, she taught at Houston’s Sherman Elementary. The job was instrumental in helping her get over the “moving blues,” and her career changed from teacher to mom as Eileen and George welcomed three sons in fairly rapid succession.

“I was always very involved volunteering in their schools — I chaired the St. John’s Book Fair when my oldest was in the fourth grade and have just gone on to organize lots of events since then,” she says.

So many, in fact, that in 1996 Eileen’s volunteering was honored when she was named “A Woman of Distinction” at the 1996 Winter Ball, a major fundraiser for the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America.

Baseball and history
Eileen has two more passions — baseball and historic preservation.

When she was 10 years old and living in Brooklyn, the Dodgers won the World Series — and she witnessed the celebration first-hand. “It was very exciting, very joyous,” Eileen says. “I so wish that my father could see Minute Maid Park and know that we are very involved with the Astros.”

Her love of historic preservation comes from her maternal grandfather. “My grandfather was a ‘pied piper,'” she says. During summers in the Berkshires, he would gather as many of his 27 grandchildren as were around and take them on a walk.

“We all followed at his heels because he was so much fun,” she recalls. “His stories about the history of New York were incredible — probably why I am so interested in historic preservation to this day.” Eileen currently serves as president of the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance.

Becoming a Houstonian
Eileen realized she wanted to make Houston her permanent home seven years after they had moved here. In 1973, she and George had to make the decision to stay or return to New York. Thankfully, they decided to stay.

“I thought then, and still do today, that Houston is probably the most welcoming city in the world,” she says. “If you care about Houston, if you want to become involved, you are welcomed with open arms. People who visit here seem to enjoy Houston — but only people who move here realize this extraordinary warmth.”