Houston Style Magazine Vol 24 Number 43

JESSE JACKSONTalks About GOP’s Hall of Shame

SPOTLIGHTSH FARM-INSPIRED AMERICAN TRUE FOOD & DRINK H

Complimentary H Houston Premiere Weekly Publication H Volume 24 H Number 43 OCTOBER 24 - OCTOBER 30, 2013

NEWS COMMENTARIES SPORTS HEALTH ENTERTAINMENT2013 PINNACLE AWARDS

12 YEARS A SLAVESlavery Depicted As Never Before

DEZMA BENITEZBe The Match For Her Memory

LOSING TO WIN Terri Reviews a Book By Michele Grant

WELLS FARGO $760K GRANTS SPOOKY HALLOWEEN

PG 2 OCTOBER 24 - OCTOBER 30, 2013 WWW.STYLEMAGAZINE.COM

WWW.STYLEMAGAZINE.COM OCTOBER 24 - OCTOBER 30, 2013 PG 3

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Local Briefs

040509 Dr. Laura Murillo

By Jo-Carolyn Goode

DEPARTMENTS2 Haute Shots 4 Commentary5 Local Briefs6 Health/Culinary8 Travel10 Political11 Feature14 Book/Entertainment

©2013 Houston Style Magazine, a Minority Print Media, L.L.C. Company. All Right Reserved. Reproduction in whole or within part without permission is prohibited. Houston Style Magazine has a 2007 audit by Circulation Verification Council (CVC). Houston Style Magazine is a member of the Texas Publishers Association (TPA), Texas Community Newspaper Association (TCNA), National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), Independent Free Paper of America (IFPA), Association of Free Community Papers (AFCP) and Members of Greater Houston Partnership(GHP). National Association of Hispanic Publications, Inc. (NAHP, Inc.), Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (HHCC), League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Latin Women’s Initiative (LWI), National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), Houston Association of Hispanic Media Profession-als (HAHMP), National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), and Members of Greater Houston Partnership(GHP).

Volume 24 • Number 43• october 24 - october 30, 2013

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Medicaid FightBy Jesse Jackson

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JESSE

JAC

kSON

COMMENTARY Medicaid Fight Has GOP Governors Standing in the Hospital Door

The tea party effort to torpe-do health care reform at the federal level has been re-

pelled, but only after the campaign shut down the government, threat-ened default on the U.S. debt and cost the country billions in damag-es. But that victory should not blind us to how destructive the rejection-ists have been at the state level. In the name of states rights, right-wing governors and legislators will leave some 8 million impoverished and low-wage Americans uninsured and ineligible for any assistance. The reason is that the Su-

preme Court’s conservative major-ity resuscitated the pernicious doc-trine of “states’ rights.” When they found Obamacare constitutional, the majority ruled that states had a “right” to refuse to expand Med-icaid. Medicaid expansion was de-signed to cover the poorest half of those now without health insurance. Under the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid would be expanded to cover those with incomes at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty level (now $19,530 for a family of three). The federal gov-ernment would pay the full cost until 2016, when states would be asked to pick up only 10 percent of the cost of expansion. Led by Republican gov-ernors and legislators, 26 states, including every state in the deep South outside of Arkansas, have thus far refused to support expan-sion of Medicaid, turning their backs on literally billions in fed-

eral subsidies to cover health care costs for the uninsured (although recently Republican governors in Ohio and Pennsylvania ended their opposition). This is the modern version of George Wallace standing in the schoolhouse door to reject integra-tion. The states rejecting Medicaid expansion have about one-half the nation’s population, but over two thirds of the uninsured poor who’d be eligible under the law. The lead-ing targets are people of color. Two thirds of otherwise eligible and un-insured poor African-Americans will be barred from getting afford-able health care. Once more, we see the harsh reality behind “states’ rights.” From the Civil War to the civil rights movement, from slavery to segregation, the argument of states’ rights has been unfurled as the ban-ner of those looking to punish black people. And once more right-wing leaders are acting against the best interests of their own people and their own states to keep people of color locked out. They would allow poor whites to suffer rather than al-low the black poor to benefit. These governors are not standing up for the Constitution. They’re playing the race bait politics of division once more. And, not surprisingly, this reversion to states’ rights is ac-companied by systematic state ef-forts to suppress the vote. Many of the same governors who’ve led the fight against health care reform are pushing measures that make it harder for poor and working people -- disproportionately people of col-or -- to vote. They’ve reduced early voting, ended voting on Sundays, added new ID requirements, closed down convenient polling booths, opposed same day registration and more. The only way to keep people down is to lock them out. Republican governors, of

course, don’t admit the racial poi-son at the root of their policies. They say their states can’t afford the expansion (even though the fed-eral government picks up the entire tab until 2016 and 90 percent there-after). They rail against health care reform as “socialism,” even though every industrial nation in the world except the U.S. provides affordable health care to its citizens. Gov. Rick Perry of Texas says the Affordable Care Act would reduce Texas to a mere “appendage of federal government.” (Perry ap-parently doesn’t understand that Texas is a part of the union.) Historically, there has only been one remedy against the use of states’ right to inflict racially poi-sonous policies, and that has been forceful federal intervention. It took a Civil War and constitutional amendments to end slavery. It took a civil rights movement and federal legislation to end apartheid in the South. And now poor and working people will need to rise up once more and insist that the federal gov-ernment step in to make certain that all American have access to afford-able health care, no matter what the color of their skin, the amount of their income or the state they live in. The Democratic governors who stood in the schoolhouse door against integration -- George Wal-lace, Orval Faubus, Ross Barnett -- are remembered in infamy. Now the Republican governors who stand in the hospital door --Rick Scott of Florida, Rick Perry of Texas, Bob-by Jindal of Louisiana -- will surely end up in the same hall of shame. You can write to the Rev. Jesse Jackson in care of this news-paper or by email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twit-ter @RevJJackson. Share this story online at www.stylemagazine.com.


LOCAL BRIEFSMan Steals $80,000 Audi From

Local Dealership

Auto dealers will start to exam-ine the way they let potential customers test drive vehicles

after an Audi coupe was stolen from a lo-cal dealership. A man in his 30s took a gray 2014 Audi RS5 for a spin on Oct. 17 at 11:30am. Appearing to be very inter-ested in purchasing the car, the man fol-lowed the salesman to the office to talk numbers. When the salesman turned his back to speak with upper management. The man swiped the keys to the $80,000 Audi and took off. The Audi West Hous-

J.J. Watt Announces Date for 2nd Annual J.J. Watt Charity Classic in texas to benefit the J.J. Watt

Foundation

ton dealership is offering a $5,000 reward for the return of the car or information leading to the suspect and the car.

J.J. Watt, defensive end for the Houston Texans and NFL Defen-sive Player of the Year, is pleased to

announce the date for the 2014 J.J. Watt Charity Classic. The event will be held the evening of Friday, May 2, 2014, at Constellation Field in Sugar Land, Texas, a suburb of Houston, Texas. Defensive

and offensive players from Watt’s NFL team, the Houston Texans, will compete on opposing teams under “Friday Night Lights” during a seven-inning softball game. A home run derby will precede the game. Tickets for the event will go on sale January 2014. An exact date will be announced later as to when tickets will be available at both the Constellation Field box office and online www.sugar-landskeeters.com

Rapper 50 Cent Sued for Copyright Infringement by Houstonian

A local woman is suing famed rapper 50 Cent aka Curtis Jack-son over copyright infringe-

ment over photograph that was published on his website Thisis50.com. Jennifer Stetson has said that notification was sent informing of the illegal use of the photo that she titled “Claudia” sometime in September. In the lawsuit, it is noted that Stetson has had the photo officially registered since July 2012. Since the law-suit was just filed late this month we will have to wait to see how this all turns out.

J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans

“Claudia” by Jennifer Stetson

Audi RS5


As I write this, it has been 7 months and one day since my niece, Dezma Benitez,

passed away after her battle with Leu-kemia. Impossibly, it seems as if it happened just yesterday and as if an eternity has passed at the same time. The grief is present and real. Yet, when I try to remember the long journey of her treatment the memories are fuzzy as if I had just woken from a terrible dream. The guilt of not being able to recall every moment is unbearable be-cause I want so desperately to remem-ber every detail of her so that I don’t forget who she was. But the sum of her time bat-tling this disease was not who she was. Dezma was 10 years into a full life. She was a softball player, like her mother. She was a fantastic artist. She was brilliant and deep and thoughtful. At the memorial service, I looked into the eyes of an ocean of faces that had the imprint of Dezma’s life; an intri-

Be the Match for Dezma’s LegacyHEALTH

cate web that bound family, friends and strangers. There I witnessed the sum of Demza’s life and the depths to which it reached. It was these same people who, once Dezma was diagnosed, were spurred to action. Blood drives and benefits were organized. Donations were made. Dezma’s story spread. Team Dezma was born. Seven months later, Team

By Adolfo Chavez Special to Style

Dezma thrives and continues to fight for cures and better treatments for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin‚ Äôs disease and myeloma. Through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program Dezma’s mother, Lynda Flores, is working furiously to raise $100,000 dollars in order to have a research program created in Dezma’s name. They have raised nearly $57,000 to date and can use your support to help them reach Team Dezma’s goal. To read more about Dez-ma’s journey and contribute to Team Dezma, use the following link: bit.ly/teamdezma. There is a myriad of other ways you can be a part of Team Dezma at https://www.facebook.com/lyndaiflores Dezma’s family was given the gift of more time because of an-other gift of bone marrow donation through Be the Match Donor Regis-

tery. For the thousands of people diag-nosed every year with life-threatening blood cancers like leukemia and lym-phoma, a cure exists. Over the past 25 years Be The Match®, operated by the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP), has managed the largest and most diverse marrow registry in the world. They work every day to save lives through transplant. Find out more information online at www. marrow.org.

One of the first questions you ask when visiting a city is “Where is a good place to eat?” Wash-

ington, D.C. is most known for its his-tory and political power players, but D.C. is also known for great cuisine. If you want a good chili dog in Washing-ton, D.C., you think historical landmark Ben’s Chili Bowl. However, if you want to experience fine dining that provides a fresh and unique spin on American cuisine like no other, I highly recom-mend Founding Farmers on 1924 Penn-sylvania Ave. NW. Founding Farmers has mastered providing customers with amazing comfort food in a four star envi-ronment that doesn’t have a pretentious feel. Thanks to Sarah Maciejewski with Destination DC, Houston Style Maga-zine received an amazing experience at one of the most talked about restaurants in Washington, D.C. After a long day of covering the Congressional Black Cau-cus, there was no better way for Houston Style Magazine to wind down than with great cocktails, great food and great ser-vice at Founding Farmers. The Found-ing Farmers management team and staff rolled out the red carpet and made the Houston Style Magazine family feel like D.C. royalty. Although the outside of Found-

CuLINARY A Washington, D.C. Restaurant Puts A Fresh Spin on American Cuisine

ing Farmers has a definite curb appeal, you really don’t get the full exceptional character and ambience of this establish-ment until you set foot through the glass doors. When we first walked in we re-ceived a warm greeting by the hostess and then we were escorted to our special reserved table by a Founding Farmers staff member. The Founding Farmers hospitality continued with our wait-ress Kaitlyn. She immediately greeted us with a genuinely warm smile. Her knowledge about the acclaimed menu was impressive. None of our questions were unanswered and her recommenda-tions did not disappoint. We started off our Found-ing Farmers experience with signature cocktails from the Farmers Favorite Cocktails & Bar Menu. After sipping on the Organic Cucumber Delight and The Constitution it was no wonder why Jon Arroyo is their award winning Chief Mixologist & Beverage Director. These were not your average cocktails and it was nothing but pure genius behind these quenching creations. Founding Farmers Executive Chef Joe Goetze is the master mind be-hind their palate pleasing culinary cre-ations and we could not have our cock-tails without their delectable appetizers.

Kaitlyn recommended the deviled eggs and fried green tomatoes and they defi-nitely went hand in hand and comple-mented our cocktails superbly. If you are a fan of deviled eggs, then you will love Founding Farmers’ deviled egg appetizer. These are not your mom’s deviled eggs. Founding Farmers takes this American classic and turns it up a notch with Maine Lobster and the freshest crab and salmon. Fried green tomatoes are a southern staple you don’t usually see on the East Coast, but Founding Farmers made me feel like I was back at home with this cornmeal battered delight accompanied with their amazing sauces. Our main attraction was the Founding Farmers grilled center cut 8 oz. filet that was cooked to perfection. The double-whipped red bliss potatoes and fresh green beans with candied lemon were welcome additions to the filet. The beignets were the grand fina-le. You better think twice if you think New Orleans is the only place you can get appetizing beignets. This French inspired dessert that came with a rasp-berry coulis, a semi-sweet chocolate sauce and caramel sauce was a con-summate ending to a delish meal. Washington, D.C. Founding

Farmers’ Keith, Riva and other staff made our experience memorable. Not only was the food stellar, but the service was as well. Next time you go to Washington D.C. after you visit the White House, take a trip down to Pennsylvania Ave. NW and enjoy a fresh spin on American cuisine at Founding Farmers. For more information about Founding Farmers visit www.wearefound-ingfarmers.com or visit them on Twitter at @Foundingfarmers. Visit Destination DC at www.washington.org or find them on Twitter at @Washingtondc

By Dawn PaulCulinary Writer



I couldn’t wait to “discover” Atlanta as my final travel destination from the Bayou City. As many of you

know, Atlanta is one of the most cultural cities in the South that relishes on its distinct Southern hospitality and charm. Most attribute the city to the great night-life and celebrity sightings, but this city has just as much to offer to historians, foodies, and above all tourists. A non-stop flight from Houston got me to the Peach City in less than two hours. This fall trip proved to be sunny skies, warm weather, and the serene atmosphere I so desperately needed. Riding the MARTA was heaven sent. A two- dollar ride got me from the airport to the Omni at CNN Center in less than fifteen minutes. It was unbe-lievable how easy it was to navigate, and how quickly you were routed to your fi-nal destination. Walking in the Omni at CNN Center was an experience. The hotel architecture and attention to detail was simply spectacular. This Four Diamond hotel nestled into the heart of downtown Atlanta was a marvel both inside and out. The highly attentive staff, valet, and concierge exceeded my expectations be-

TRAVEL Discover Atlanta Where Everyone Leaves with Georgia on Their Mind

fore I checked in. I would have to say that I felt presidential staying next to the CNN World headquarters; where real news happens 24 hours a day. As I en-tered my room from a long day of hustle and bustle, I relished in the beautiful view of the downtown skyline, Centen-nial Olympic Park, and the CNN Atrium. Once I settled in, I enjoyed the spoils of champagne and chocolate truffles by my bed, and a pillow top mattress that called my name before I reached my slumber. With the Omni at CNN Center being a short walk away from Phillips Arena, Georgia World Congress Center, The Georgia Dome, and tourist attrac-tions like the Georgia Aquarium and Centennial Park could anyone ask for more? Tourist Attractions CNN Studio Tour: If you want to know everything news, and what makes something newsworthy you have to take the CNN Studio Tour. This highly interactive fifty minute tour gives you the behind the scene action of the Con-trol Room Theater, Special Effects Stu-dio, and Interactive News Desk Section. World of Coca-Cola At the World of Coca-Cola, I saw original ar-

tifacts, and witnessed the most recog-nized beverage in the world come to life. I thoroughly enjoyed the vault session, and the international tasting where my favorite was the South African bever-age that had the right amount of fizz and flavor for the pineapple/coconut concoc-tion. Restaurants Bone Lick BBQ: Dining on a budget is always great for the budding traveler. You can dine for two at Bone Lick BBQ for fewer than $25.00, which include: an entree, two sides, and a drink. The brisket was succulent, seasoned, and so tender. Who ever thought you could mix jalapeno with a signature staple to create jalapeño macaroni and cheese? The jalapeño macaroni and cheese was to die for, and their homemade BBQ sauces made me lick my fingers; liter-ally. STK I immediately thought I was in Vegas from ultra chic lounge and beautiful dishes. The feel of STK is sleek, sexy, and refined. As we dined, the restaurant transformed to theatrical lights illuminated with a haute deejay boosting a fun and energetic, night–out vibe. Is this a steak lover’s paradise or

what!! The food was opulent, and the dining experience was unlike I could ever imagine. Appetizers consisted of lump crab, jumbo shrimp, and other sea-food spoils that made my mouth water. Unlike my guest, I doted on the lobster instead of the steak. It was more than I could have ever imagined. When you want to “discover” Atlanta, let the Convention and Visi-tor’s Bureau be your official tour guide. Whatever floats your boat, I can reassure you that they will tailor an itinerary to fit your needs, and tantalize your taste buds. For more information: www.at-lanta.net @discoveratlanta

By Rebecca BriscoeNational Entertainment Writer


Houston Hispanic cHamber of commerce making a better Houston

Just a quick Google search will show the power player that the Houston Hispanic Chamber of

Commerce (HHCC) is at the bargain-ing table of business in Houston and abroad. At the helm of this organiza-tion for the past six years has been one woman, Dr. Laura Murillo. Although this savvy business lady solely holds the title of President and Chief Ex-ecutive Officer of the HHCC she will readily tell you that the success of the chamber is not by her single hand alone but is due to a dynamic group that composes the HHCC’s member-ship, staff, and board of directors. Since 1977, the HHCC is the largest chamber in the country that is of Hispanic membership with the purpose of serving as an advocate for the business community. Now boasting a membership of 4,000, the chamber has pride in the diver-sity of its membership and board of

directors. “Houston is a reality of changing demographics and fortu-nately we are in a region and a city that embraces diversity. Our chamber has really taken advantage of that op-portunity by integrating many ideas and cultures and really finding a way to work together,” said Dr. Murillo, who remarked that diversity is why Houston as a city is so successful. As the chamber stretches its reach to make a greater impact, its members are expanding their own portfolios by not just being players on a business team but serving as cap-tain of their own team in the form of CEO. Latina women are among the fastest growing group of new entre-preneurs. The chamber is supporting this growth with a program called the Latina Roundtable. “We try to target specifically female entrepreneurs or women who have been very success-ful, Latina or not, “ said Dr. Murillo.

And with the voices of these influen-tial women decisions are being made as it relates to women’s spending habits and what is going on within the family. Making it easier for corporate sponsors to communicate with this particular audience. “With everything we do is a conscience effort to make sure that women are represented in what has traditionally been a male dominate area but also that we are represented on different boards and commissions throughout the city not just the Hispanic Chamber of Com-merce Board. That we open doors and open opportunities for our com-munity to have a voice.” From giving women a voice to securing the success of the next generation, with what Dr. Murillo calls her most important work, the chamber’s Emerging Young Leaders Institute teaches young people under forty years of age with less than eight years of work experience or who are juniors or seniors in college the ways of the business world. “We have many dynamic leaders in the city of Houston but part our responsibility is making sure that we are fostering that next generation of Houston leaders and I am confident that our Mayor, our elected officials, our board mem-bers come from this group of our Emerging Young Leaders,” said Dr. Murillo. The chamber advocates for businesses, gives women a voice, molds future leaders, and they fight for the issues concerning the commu-nity. Number one on the chamber’s list is comprehensive immigration re-

form. “Comprehensive immigration reform is of the upmost importance.” Dr. Murillo continued, “And for the economy to continue to find ways to support entrepreneurs and their ex-periences is critically important and thirdly, healthcare reform, which would impact many small business-es and corporations.” Utilizing the chamber’s many resources, events are held to mobilize the membership and others to be active participants and not bystanders in resolving different issues. It is Dr. Murillo’s thought that if people can come together to have an educated discussion about these issues of importance that solutions could be formed. “The job of the chamber is to really be a convener, to help people understand the issues, to gather information and help people understand what can be a complex is-sue so that Houston and the country continues to thrive.” Talking out the issues is one way that the community can contin-ue to support the HHCC. A group of voices is always louder and more ef-fective than a single voice. Banning together for the greater good will al-low all to move towards the ultimate goal, a better Houston Mark your calendars for the upcoming HHCC Annual Awards Gala on Saturday, November 2, 2013 at the Hobby Center-Downtown start-ing at 6pm. The chamber will appre-ciate and celebrate the city’s top His-panic entrepreneurs and executives. Find out more information online at www.houstonhispanicchamber.com..

FEATuREBy Jo-Carolyn GoodeEditor-At-Large

Dr. Laura Murillo


Early voting began with 5,025 voters voting the first day of early voting Monday, October

21 for the November 5 Houston Mayor, City Controller and City Council, Hous-ton School Board and College Board elections. That total this year was nearly twice the 2,557 people that voted the first day of early voting in 2011 and higher than any first day for a city race in the last 10 years.The busiest early voting site the first day of early voting was at the Metropolitan Multi-Service Station on West Gray in State Rep. Sarah Davis’ District 134 in the Montrose area where 540 early vot-ers were counted including Mayor Park-er who attracted a crowd to greet her in the morning when she showed to vote. Some predictors are Parker could win her third and final term al-lowed by law this November 5 with the more than the 50 percent required to avoid a December run-off election against her top challenger former City Attorney Ben Hall who cancelled his

POLITICAL Early Voting In High Gear for Houston City Elections

television advertising weeks ago as she continues to clobber him with ads attack-ing him for personal federal and local tax issues. The second top early voting site was the Fiesta Mart across from Reliant in Rep. Boris Miles’ District on Kirby Drive where 286 early voters were counted. The Multi-Service Center on West Gray and the Fiesta on Kirby are the top two early voting sites despite be-ing located in Ellen Cohen’s District C and Larry Green’s City Council District K where the second term district city council members are unopposed and not conducting campaigns to bring out their city voters. The Fiesta however is located across the street from the Astrodome area and the ballot does feature a county-wide initiative to issue $271 in bonds to re-build the iconic Astrodome facility as a convention, hotel and exposition center as opposed to spending tens of millions of dollars to tear it down. The third busiest early voting

site was Bayland Park where 263 early votes were counted. Bayland Park is located in Rep. Gene Wu’s District at 6400 Bissonnet at Hillcroft. Bayland Park is also located in City Mike Laster District J who is also unopposed but it is the early vote poll that is closest to the City of Bellaire where Mayor Phil Nauert is being challenged by freshmen City Council Member Corbett Parker. A crowded field is also running for Bel-laire City Council. Bayland Park is also con-venient for those voting for Houston Community College District 5 which is the seat Richard Schechter abruptly retired from early this year. Business-men Robert Glasser and Phil Kunetka and African American fire fighter union leader Roy Cormier are in the race to succeed Schechter to represent Bel-laire, West University, Meyerland, Ma-plewood and other areas in southwest Houston and areas north to north of Sharpstown on the HCC Board. Bayland Park is also conve-

nient for those voting for the Houston ISD Board Seat being vacated by HISD long-time leader Larry Marshall. Run-ning to succeed Marshall are term limit-ed Council Member Wanda Adams, for-mer Trustee Clyde Lemon and educator Coretta Mallet-Fontenot. Early Voting will continue 7 am to 7 pm Saturday, October 26, 1 pm to 6 pm Sunday, October 27 and from 7 am to 7 pm through Friday, November 1. For all information on Harris County voting the best source is wwwHarrisVotes.Com.

By Burt LevinePolitical Writer

FAShIONAffordable Fashion Tips for

Dressing Your Best

With each new season comes the familiar urge to shop and stock up on the latest fashion

trends. Whether you’re dreaming of the looks heading down the runway or shop-ping at your local thrift store for fabulous finds, it can be hard to get everything you want without breaking the bank. So, how do you keep up with the latest fashion trends on a budget? The fashion experts at Hanes offer some

affordable tips and tricks: Start with the basics - Select a few staple pieces that coordinate well together and can be mixed and matched with other items in your closet. A little legwear can go a long way – For an elegant finish to your look, add stylish legwear from Hanes. Pair them with chic, high-heeled boots or pumps to be ultra on-trend this season. Classics are always on-trend – Choose an inexpensive trend or two each season to add a little flair to your existing look and over time your wardrobe will build as the seasons change. This year, everyone is wearing bold, monochromat-ic colors, like cobalt blue and glamorous gold. Always accessorize – The ul-timate accessory worth a little splurge is always the handbag. Filled with your daily must-haves and part of your every-day routines, handbags are one area of your wardrobe that may just be the most splurge-worthy but make sure to invest in something that is designed to last.


Scream for Halloween

Ask people to name their favorite holiday and many will scream Halloween. It’s one of the best

times of year for crafting, cooking and scaring up some truly creative treats and decorations. Whether you love creating a little glitz and glamour or something frightening and fun, the experts at the Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores have come with ideas and inspirations for making

this Halloween your best one yet. Frightful Fun: Lead trick-or-treaters to their doom or, at least, your front door by lining the sidewalks with glowing rocks. Paint smooth river rocks with glow-in-the-dark spray paint. Once dry, use black paint and a brush to write scary words or draw silly designs on the rocks. Decorate Your Heart Out: Use black glass paint to turn a thrift store cake stand into a pedestal for your scari-est Halloween decorations. Pile plastic hearts or skulls in the middle and cover with a clear glass cloche. Decorated cup-cakes or a cakepop display would also work well under glass. Eat, Drink and be Scary: Scary food ideas abound, but few drinks scream Halloween more than an embel-lished decanter of swampy green brew or blood red punch. Before pouring the brew into fun glassware, drop plastic spi-der rings inside ice cube trays, fill with bottled water and freeze. Your guests will love a few frozen creepy crawlies in their drink.

Making your own embellished decanter and glassware is a simple proj-ect for crafters at every level. The best part is you can get the whole family in-volved. For more holiday décor inspira-tion and craft projects, visit www.JoAnn.com.

Embellished Decanter and GlasswareCrafting Time: 1-2 hours

Skill Level: No experience necessary

Supplies and Tools:Wine decanter Wine glasses

Martha Stewart Crafts gloss-finish glass paint

Martha Stewart Crafts adhesive stencils Jute

Self-adhesive rhinestones: black, orange Sponge pouncer

Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Wine Glass:1. Adhere stencils to wine glass in design of choice. 2. Using a sponge pouncer, paint in the stencil. Remove adhesive stencil

while still wet, and then allow glass to dry. 3. Wrap stem of wine glass in jute. Start by adding a small amount of glue at the top of the stem to secure the jute in place. Tuck the raw end of jute into wrap as the stem is circled. Wrap to the base of wine glass. Add a small amount of glue at the end to secure. 4. Embellish the base of the wine glass with self-adhesive rhinestones.

Decanter: 1. Using a hot glue gun, stabilize 4 pieces of jute to the bottom of the de-canter. Design a spider web pattern up the decanter using jute. Each horizontal piece of the spider web is individually cut and glued in place. 2. Horizontally wrap jute around the decanter to hide the raw edges of jute created by the spider web. Use glue at the start and finish to hold in place. 3. Embellish decanter with self-adhesive rhinestones.

HALLOWEEN

Embellished Decanter and Glassware


BREAST CANCERDazzle in Pink for Breast

Cancer Awareness

Kendra Scott Jewelry ‘s “Lol-ley” Necklace 20% of the profits from this limited edition Kendra Scott Jewelry necklace will support the Seton Breast Cancer Center in Austin, TX. Retails $50, kendrascott.com

Marco Bicego’s Breast Cancer Awareness Bracelet 10% of the profits from Marco Bicego’s Breast Cancer Awareness Bracelet will support Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Retails $395, Bloomingdale’s

Caroline Rocha Cuffs 120% of the proceeds from sales of Caroline Rocha cuffs will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foun-dation. Retails $159-$219 depending on cuff size, carolinerocha.com

Waxing Poetic Charm Bandlets 20% of the proceeds of sales from Waxing Po-etic by founder Patti Pagliei Simpson will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Retails $295-$330, waxingpoetic.com

Robindira Unsworth Slice Ring 20% of the proceeds of Robindira Unsworth Slice Ring will benefit breast cancer research. Retails $315,


THIS WEEk: Houston, TX

Wells Fargo $760,00 Grants for Houston’s HomelessP h o t o g r a p h y B y V i c k y P i n k

On Wednesday, October 16, 2013, Houston Style Magazine was on hand at Houston City Hall as Mayor Parker made a major announcement to help Houston’s home-less. Wells Fargo will make donations totaling $760,000 over three years for two

Houston-based nonprofits to help support Mayor Annise Parker’s goal of ending chronic homelessness. The local grant recipients were identified in close collaboration with the City of Houston and Mayor Parker to assist the city in the areas of transitional and permanent supported housing and shelter and support services for the homeless. The Corporation for Supportive Housing will receive a grant of $450,000 over three years in support of their efforts for the Houston homeless community, including a goal of developing 2,500 units of permanent supportive housing, along with more than 2,800 units of general-population affordable housing over three years; The Coalition for the Homeless Houston/Harris County will receive a grant of $310,000 over three years to create and implement pro-grams necessary for the successful response to the housing crisis by creating a system that rapidly returns homeless persons to housing stability.

THIS WEEk: Houston, TX

2013 Pinnacle Awards P h o t o g r a p h y B y V i c k y P i n k

On Friday, October 11, 2013, Houston Style Magazine was on hand at The Power Center for the 19th Annual African American Business Achievement Pin-nacle Awards hosted by the Greater Houston Black Chamber. The annual awards

show recognizes Houston’s top Black Businesses. Business mogul Cathy Hughes, Radio One, served as the keynote speaker. This year’s honorary co-chairs were Carla Lane, Lane Staffing, and Bob McKay, Radio One. Some in attendance were Rhonda Arnold, Kim Davis, Erica Lee, Carey and Judge Clarease Yates, Jerome Love, State Rep. Ron and Dr. Jonita Reynolds, Rev. Leslie Smith, Zoe Cadore, Kim Roxie, Jarvis Johnson, State Rep. Sylvester Turner, Len Cannon, Renee Logans, Dr. Reagan Flowers, Lalou Davies-Yemitan, and Houston City Councilmen Larry Green and Andrew Burks.


c.2013, Kensington Dafina$14.00 / $15.95 Canada

288 pages

It’s always in the last place you looked.You know how it is: you’ve

lost something. You look be-neath, above, in and out, cor-ners and cabinets. You turn the house upside down but no mat-ter where you look, it’s always in the last place you’d expect to find it. It almost makes you lose your mind.But there are worse things to misplace: love, for instance, and in the new novel, “Los-ing to Win” by Michele Grant, a loss might result in a bigger gain.

“Losing to Win” by Michele GrantCarissa Melody Wayne was ambushed. There was no other way to consider it: on the last day of school, while cleaning her classroom, she was called to the auditorium. That was never a good sign but on that day, it was doubly bad. Carissa learned that she’d been tapped to appear on a reality weight-loss show, along with several people from her past - includ-ing her ex-fiancé, the man she never wanted to see again. Malachi Knight had been Carissa’s best friend. They’d been together since high school, but not long be-fore the ambush, Carissa left him standing in his Houston mansion when she realized his NFL career was more impor-tant to him than she was. Her dreams didn’t matter anymore, which broke her heart so she broke it off.

But, of course, big ratings are the reason for real-ity shows and nothing would achieve that faster than putting two old lovers together. Be-cause there were big bucks at stake, as well as help for her struggling Louisiana town, Carissa agreed to go along with the hot mess… but she didn’t have to like it. When Malachi’s foot-ball career tanked due to an in-jury, he knew he had a lot of re-assessing to do. He’d lost his future, in more ways than one: no football, no Super Bowl, and no Carissa. He vowed to fix all three losses, and this re-ality show was just the ticket. He’d lose fifty pounds, get in shape, reignite his career, and get back with the woman he’d always loved. It was easy for Carissa to slip back into a relationship with Mal. It was easy to slip

TERRI

SCHICH

ENME

YER back into his bed. But if Ca-rissa trusted Mal again, was it really a win-win situation?Looking for something fluffy-light for your fall reading? “Losing to Win” may be what you need: it’s a classic boy-gets-girl romance that doesn’t let you know which boy gets the girl until the end. That was a nice sur-prise, actually: author Mi-chele Grant gives her strong main character lots of choices, including that of remaining single. In a romance, that’s unusual. Here, it’s refreshing because readers know that Grant’s Carissa will be fine, no matter who she chooses (or doesn’t). Surely, you’ll have a preference for her, which is part of the appeal of a book like this. Readers who are look-ing for a marshmallow (with heat!) will enjoy this book,

and romance lovers will eat it up. If that’s you, then I defi-nitely think “Losing to Win” is what to look for.

Already one of 2013’s most crit-ically-acclaimed films -- and an early Oscar frontrunner,

for those that keep track of such things -- Steve McQueen’s 12 Years A Slave depicts the grim true story of Solomon Northrup, a free, educated black man who was kidnaped and sold into a life of slavery on a southern plantation -- a seemingly hopeless ordeal that he suf-fered with considerable resolve. The film opens in limited engagement this week, and we had the opportunity to speak with both McQueen and his star, Chiwetel Ejiofor, who portrays Northrup in a remarkable performance of dignity and despair. SS/JC: Steve, I wanted to be-gin by asking you how you came across Solomon’s book, and why you decided to make this story as your next film. Had you been interested for a while? Steve McQueen: …I thought, “This is a very interesting subject.” It’s sort of ridiculous to call it “interest-ing” -- of course, I have roots in slave history -- but I thought it could be very interesting to investigate. I was think-ing about it as a narrative -- about a free

ENTERTAINMENT Steve Mcqueen and Chiwetel Ejiofor Talk 12 Years a Slave

man who was kidnapped into slavery, and we go through the whole assault course, the whole maze of slavery with him. So I was writing with John Ridley, the screenwriter, and we were working together on the script, and we came into some kind of difficulties. I was talking to my wife and I told her what I was doing, and she said, “Why don’t you look into true tales of slavery?” And I thought, “Of course.” We did some research and found this book 12 Years A Slave, and it was amazing. SS/JC: There’s a very methodi-cal sense of despair and deterioration to this film. Was there ever a temptation -- or, say, pressure from the studio -- to include more beats of hope or emotional uplift? STEVE MCQUEEN: I had fi-nal cut on the film -- not that that always means a lot these days -- and I think the people involved helped me make the sort of film that I wanted to make. So that was my decision. It’s, you know, about a particular time in history -- and I wanted to tell the truth about that particular time in history. If we’d altered it I don’t think that would have been helpful.

SS/JC: Chiwetel, so much of this performance is internalized; there’s a stillness and a resolve to Solomon’s character that resonates on screen. Did you find that difficult to convey? Chiwetel Ejiofor: Yeah. I think a lot of it was in the script and also in the book. I was able to get a very clear idea of how he would react to these circum-stances and, you know, in some cases literally what he was thinking. So that kind of internalization becomes easier as you become more and more aware of the character. I think it’s harder if the character’s somehow distant from you, and you’re trying to reach for something internal. But with Solomon, I suppose, the circumstances that he’s in are so re-latable. SS/JC: Many of the films scenes are harrowing to watch -- I’m thinking particularly of the moment you’re forced to whip Patsey, a fellow slave at gunpoint. What were those mo-ments like to shoot? Chiwetel Ejiofor: I traveled in with Lupita [Nyong’o, who plays Pat-sey] that day, I think, from the crew base where we were at to get ready, and it was

blistering hot -- over 100 degrees, usually -- and I think we just spoke very calmly about knowing what we were about to do in the days shooting. It happened, you know. It really happened to these people, and we’re right there in Louisiana, and you have that sense that you’re dancing with spirits, dancing with ghosts. Truth be told. The film is prob-ably the most intense exhilarating tear jerker, very passionately emotional and there are moments that will actually take your breathe away...the actors are all su-perb and Chiwetel Ejoifor is an amazing performer. Juicy Culture takes pride in bring you the best and most current Black Movie and TV news and interviews

By Susie StillwellEntertainment Writer


Rich and Nancy kinder Announce Donation $50 Million to Houston

Parks Board

Rich and Nancy Kinder, through their family foun-dation, have announced

plans to donate $50 million to the non-profit Houston Parks Board for the Bayou Greenways 2020 project, which would make it the largest do-nation in the history of Houston’s park system and one of the largest grants to a public greenspace in the United States. The Kinder Founda-tion was inspired by the visionary project to create new parkland and trails to connect greenspaces along Houston’s bayous. The creation of parkland, trails and natural areas along major bayous – while enhanc-ing protecting and preserving wa-ter quality, natural habitat, and na-tive wildlife – promotes the overall health and welfare of the city. Once Bayou Greenways 2020 is complete, Houston will have the largest off-street shared use path system in the nation. The seven-year Bayou Gre-enways 2020 project will be funded

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Now exclusive partners with

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Rich and Nancy Kinder

through a public-private partner-ship. The Houston Parks Board has committed to raising a matching $115 million. To date, $21 million has been committed with signifi-cant gifts by Houston Endowment Inc., The Wortham Foundation, Inc., The Fondren Foundation, the Brown Foundation, multiple federal agencies and individual donors. For more information, visit www.hous-tonparksboard.org.

Sofia Vergara collection Intro-duced At Rooms To Go

Furniture retailer Rooms To Go and Latin World Entertain-ment Licensing announced

the much anticipated launch of its furniture line with Modern Family star, Sofia Vergara. The Sofia Verg-ara Collection comprises beautifully crafted, contemporary designed fur-niture groupings for living, dining and bedrooms along with accesso-ries. Exclusively available at Rooms To Go, the Sofia Vergara Collec-tion will be merchandised and dis-played in complete room groupings designed to provide customers with inspiration, affordability and ease of shopping. The new line will be available in all Rooms To Go stores. Named as one of the world’s most powerful Latinas by Forbes Maga-zine, Sofia Vergara is both a success-ful businesswoman and the only His-panic actress to begin her career on a U.S. Hispanic network and success-fully cross over to the general mar-ket. For more information about the privately held company please visit www.roomstogo.com.

METRO Tops 80 Million Boardings in Fiscal Year ‘13

Spain Joins Bumpy European Recovery

Spain’s economy is begin-ning to emerge from years of gloom even as eurozone data

show how bumpy the region’s recov-ery is likely to be. Unemployment in the eurozone’s fourth-biggest econo-my fell in the third quarter, according to figures published Thursday. That followed a report from the Bank of Spain Wednesday predicting a return to economic growth in the quarter after a recession lasting two years. The government is due to publish its latest GDP numbers next week. Improvement in Spain’s jobs market is crucial to a broader recovery and Thursday’s figures show the coun-try’s unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in a year. But with just under 26% of the workforce -- and more than half of all young people -- still without a job, it remains pain-fully high. Spain was hit hard by the financial crisis after a housing bubble burst and many of its banks required hefty bailouts. Saddled with high debt and borrowing costs, it began a program of austerity to control its budget deficit and structural reforms aimed at improving productivity. Exports have recovered as a result, helping drive the return to growth, but economists say the country has some way to go. For more informa-tion, visit www.cnn.com Share these stories online at www.stylemagazine.com

The New METRO closed out fiscal year 2013 (Oct 2012-Sept 2013) with more than

80 million boardings recorded for the first time in four years. Rider-ship, system-wide, had lagged be-hind the 80 million mark since FY2009 when 84,408,919 trips were recorded. METRO Board Chairman Gilbert Garcia made the announce-ment at the Greater Houston Part-nership’s annual State of METRO luncheon while highlighting the Au-

thority’s achievements and focus on the future. Among the New MET-RO board’s priorities is building ridership and improving the cus-tomer experience. Rid-ers are thrilled with the return of the METRO Day Pass. Articulated buses are also back as

of September. And, the Authority will close out 2013 with the launch of the North (Red) Line extension, expand-ing the existing Main Street Line by 5.3 miles. The Southeast (Purple) and East End (Green) lines are expected to open in 2014. For more informa-tion, visit ridemetro.org.

Boardings registered on METRO fixed-route service in FY13, (includes local bus, Park & Ride and ME-TRORail) was 80,042,098 - a 4.3 percent increase,

or 3.27 million increase from last fiscal year.

Sofia Vergara


Documents

Houston Style Magazine Vol 24 Number 43