Houston Mayor Annise Parker has unveiled a $4.9 billion proposed total city budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2013. The General Fund, or tax supported portion of the budget, is $2.2 billion.

The budget does not require a tax increase and maintains focus on Parker’s five main priorities: jobs and sustainable development, public safety, infrastructure, quality of life and fiscal responsibility.

“This budget proposal builds upon the progress of the last 3.5 years,” said Mayor Parker. “We’ve cut waste, made city departments more efficient and balanced every budget without raising taxes. We have gone from necessary budget cutbacks and staff layoffs to sustainable economic growth. “This budget reflects sound and realistic fiscal policies necessary to fund the city services required for supporting that growth, while also allowing for investment in the future of our city. In making those decisions about the city’s future, we will utilize the same strong fiscal management that safely guided us through the economic downturn.”

The budget will complete the restoration of services cut two years ago during the economic downturn. It maintains full funding of the Rainy Day Fund, which was achieved in FY13, and includes funding for increased costs associated with employee pension and health benefits, as well as the pay increases mandated by the contracts with the city’s three employee unions.

Mayor Parker listed her priorities.

Jobs and Sustainable Development

• Hire Houston First will continue to play a role as the city strives to keep tax dollars in Houston and build the local economy. In the program’s first year of existence, more than $139 million of city business was awarded to certified firms, sustaining more than 6,000 jobs.
• With aggressive pro-growth policies, city government has helped attract more than $2.2 billion of economic development since Mayor Parker took office in 2010. Overall, the Houston region has generated 250,000 jobs, exported approximately $300 billion in locally-produced goods and services and issued permits for the construction of nearly 74,000 single-family homes in the last three years. Every economic indicator points to more of the same moving forward.

Public Safety

• Over two-thirds of the General Fund budget is devoted to public safety.
• More than $2.2 million is included in this budget proposal to fund operations of the city’s new public safety radio project, which is improving the city’s capability to communicate with Harris County and surrounding jurisdictions when fighting crime or responding to natural disaster.
• The budget also includes the creation of the Forensic Transition Special Fund to keep separate and account for costs related to the Houston Forensic Science LGC and its ongoing effort to establish an independent crime lab.
• Thanks to voter approval of last fall’s bond referendum, the city will continue to make progress on the removal of dangerous buildings from our neighborhoods.
• The elimination of the DNA backlog, an FY13 priority, will be completed this fiscal year.

Infrastructure

• For the first time ever, there is a General Fund line item of $2.5 million, representing approximately 2 percent of the average annual Capital Improvement Plan for Public Improvement Programs for infrastructure maintenance, renewal and replacement. These dollars will be used for upkeep to existing city facilities, such as libraries, community centers, and neighborhood fire stations, to help avoid the deferred maintenance issues identified in the recent facilities assessment.
• Through Rebuild Houston more than $180 million has already been invested in drainage and street improvements. This is just the beginning of this pay-as-you-go comprehensive infrastructure modernization program that will transform the city over time.
• FY2014 will also include additional progress on replacement of city information technology and fleet infrastructure, which has been underfunded for years.

Quality of Life

• The number of Houston households with single-stream recycling will double in FY14 from about 100,000 to more than 200,000. The first phase of the expansion will occur in July when approximately 35,000 households are added to the program. About another 70,000 homes will be added during phase two later in the year. The expansion will impact neighborhoods citywide rather than be limited to one specific area of town.
• To ensure continued progress on improvements made in recent years and to prepare for completion of the new adoption center, the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Control (BARC) will see an increase in funding by approximately $693,683.
• Major progress will be made on the Bayou Greenways initiative that will link parks and trails citywide.
• The budget also includes funding to continue the mayor’s initiative to solve chronic homelessness.

Fiscal Responsibility

• As part of an ongoing commitment to financial transparency, work continues to improve management and oversight of taxpayer funds. To this end, $676,000 has been included in the budget for enhanced financial controls and audit capabilities. Most of this funding will go to the city’s finance department, but some is also allocated to the Office of the City Controller.
• The budget also reports several funds that were previously categorized as non-budgeted funds.

The FY2014 – 2018 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), which will be proposed shortly, complements the mayor’s proposed budget in its support of growth and investment in the city’s future by focusing on infrastructure and public safety. In FY2012 the city conducted a facilities conditions assessment.

This assessment is driving many projects throughout the CIP that address poor facility conditions faced by both citizens and employees, including renovations of Sunnyside Multi-Service Center, fire stations, and many neighborhood libraries.

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ExxonMobil Baytown Olefins Plant

There’s an economic boom coming to the Texas Gulf Coast, and Baytown is the epicenter.

Plant expansions, the retirement of long-time employees, growth in healthcare and the maritime industry are pushing Baytown to the forefront as one of the nation’s fastest growing and most prosperous regions.

According to B.J. Simon of the Baytown-West Chambers Economic Development Foundation, new construction and expansion projects in Baytown and Mont Belvieu represent $10 to $13 billion of capital investment that will create nearly 22,000 construction jobs and add 1,100 permanent jobs over the next decade. These numbers do not take into account the number of openings due to retiring baby boomers or the increased workforce required for plant maintenance and turnarounds.

The region is facing a similar situation in the healthcare industry. According to the Community College Times, the demand for healthcare support paraprofessionals will increase by 30 percent by 2020.  More than 40 percent of these jobs require a postsecondary vocational certificate or associate degree.  Reports say healthcare is poised to be the largest industry in the Greater Houston area.

Similar challenges exist in maritime and logistics.  With the completion of the expansion of the Panama Canal in 2014, the Port of Houston is projected to grow exponentially and continue to attract new business to the region.

Chevron Phillips Cedar Bayou Facility

Technology Driving the Petrochemical Industry

For Baytown, the dynamic is petrochemical plant expansions, caused by advances in fracking technology which allows companies to recover more oil and gas from fields where drilling was once not economically feasible.

New fracking processes have reduced the cost of feedstock, the raw materials a company has to buy to make its products. With the decrease, worldwide attention has moved to building new facilities in the United States, where it had previously been in the Middle East or China.

The result is almost a revolution in the energy market and the overall petrochemical industry in the United States.

Producers Get the Message

Baytown petrochemical facilities are adding capacity to take advantage of the opportunity afforded by new technology.

Already ExxonMobil and Bayer of Baytown, and Chevron Phillip Chemical Cedar Bayou have announced major additions, and more are soon to follow.

Chevron Phillips Cedar Bayou Facility

Van Long, plant manager of Chevron Phillips Chemical Company was first to announce plans to build an ethane cracker on the Texas Gulf Coast; its U.S. Gulf Coast Petrochemicals Project includes a new ethylene unit at the Cedar Bayou facility in Baytown, and two new polyethylene units near the Sweeny facility on Old Ocean, Texas.

The project is expected to create 400 long-term direct jobs and 10,000 temporary engineering and construction jobs, with about half at the Cedar Bayou plant. At the peak of construction, Cedar Bayou expects up to 4,000 contract workers at its site.

In addition, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company expects to open a new 1-Hexene unit at Cedar Bayou in 2014.

ExxonMobil’s proposed expansion would create 10,000 construction jobs and add around 350 permanent jobs to the company’s workforce of 6,500 full-time and contractors in the Baytown area. The company will await the results of the permitting and environmental impact studies before making a final decision whether to proceed.

According to Baytown Chemical Plant Manager Joe Blommaert, the effect could mean an additional 3,800 jobs in the local community, and an increase in regional economic activity by $870 million per year. The plan has filed permits for construction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in anticipation of a 2016 start-up.

Bayer has already completed various upgrades and expansions to many of its units in Baytown at a cost of about $140 million, says Plant Manager Rod Herrick. The result is more than 1,400 short-term assignments and support of the existing 1,000-employee workforce.

Lee College Advanced Technology Center

From Challenges Come Opportunities

The forecast has regional leaders working together to address the challenges of sudden and expansive growth. A Workforce Preparedness Partnership, composed of industry, city, college and public school leaders, has been meeting for more than eight months to develop plans to meet the challenge.

The influx of workers will require housing for their families, schools for their children, grocery stores, entertainment outlets, and more.

Improved roads, too. Imagine several thousand more cars traversing Baytown’s already packed Garth Rd. every day.

And new skills. Lee College is taking a multi-faceted approach to training the large number of workers needed for these expanding industries. Because there is a shortage of skilled workers for the petrochemical industry — and tremendous competition for workers across the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast — the college is “thinking locally” to inform and train a new generation of workers already living in the area.

Robert E. Lee High School

Many of Lee’s technical programs are now at capacity for evening classes, even turning away students because of limited classroom and lab space. Such programs are process technology, instrumentation, electrical technology, welding, pipefitting, drafting, engineering technology, and industrial systems technology (machining and millwright).

Using existing resources as well as funding from grants, the college is expanding these in-demand credit programs. In addition, there are opportunities to expand non-credit training and services to business and industry. Services will include short-term, targeted training for incumbent workers, non-credit, industry recognized certificates/credentials, internships, assessments, pre-employment testing, and consulting.

In 2012, Lee College announced the opening of its new Center for Workforce and Community Development. The center brings together existing programs that have a rich history of service to business and industry. This streamlined, efficient approach to workforce training will help the college better attract potential workers and provide relevant skillsets for existing employees.

Barbers Hill School student learns welding skills

Updating facilities and expanding capacity for training was the primary reason regents placed a $40 million bond referendum before voters in May.

Likewise, Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District placed a $240 million referendum on the May ballot, primarily to add new schools and update existing facilities in anticipation of a huge influx of new families.

Bracing for Prosperity

When will the wave of new workers hit Baytown? Already the pressure is being felt as new construction jobs are posted and young graduates enroll in college workforce classes. But the region will look entirely different in another 12 to 18 months when thousands of construction workers will be hard at work changing the footprint of some of the largest and most productive petrochemical plants in the nation, located in Baytown.

It will be Baytown’s “day in the sun,” with opportunities for prosperity and growth that are sure to transform the region’s landscape for generations to come.

Bay Area Houston Magazine - #1 information source of the Bay Area Houston and Galveston County

By Marianne Dyson

Photo: NASA
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, center, is presented the National Space Trophy by Capt. Eugene Cernan at the Rotary Space Gala at the Downtown Houston Hyatt Regency Hotel as Lockheed Martin Space Systems Executive Vice President Joanne Maguire, who nominated her, looks on.

The Rotary National Awards for Space Achievement Foundation presented the National Space Trophy to former Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison before a black-tie crowd of 800 at the Downtown Houston Hyatt Regency Hotel on Friday, April 26.

She is the first senator to ever receive the award and only the second woman.

Former Apollo astronaut and a former National Space Trophy winner, Gene Cernan, presented her with the award.

NASA Jet Propulsion Lab’s News and Social Media Manager Veronica McGregor was the recipient of the Space Communicator Award, and Stellar Awards were presented to 23 individuals and seven teams at the gala.

After a reception featuring pianist Victoria Reva-Dorsch, the colors were presented by an all-female color guard from Clear Springs High School Army JROTC. The cadets were Eryn Behne, Amber Carter, Karina Rubio, and Deanna McFeron. Avery Pate Weigand sang the national anthem.

Houston Mayor Annise Parker welcomed the 800 guests to the event. She noted that “many who live and work in Houston contribute to our ongoing dream of space.” She said that “no one could have advocated better for the Houston region” than Senator Hutchison, and she thanked her for serving “with honor, distinction, courage, and tenacity.”

RNASA Chairman Rodolfo González recognized previous Trophy winners Lt. Gen. Tom Stafford, Tommy Holloway, Dr. Glynn Lunney, Col. Eileen Collins, Gene Kranz, Capt. Eugene Cernan, Dr. Mike Griffin, the Board of Advisors and other attendees including NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, Congressman Pete Olson, and Rotary District 5890 Governor and Governor Elect, Chris Schneider and Bob Gebhard. Dr. David Fannin, pastor of Nassau Bay Baptist Church, blessed the meal.

The program kicked off with a year-in-review film by Space City Films that Emcee Elliot Pulham, CEO of the Space Foundation, noted reminded us “of all the many wonderful, marvelous things that people in this industry are doing.” Some highlights included the first SpaceX cargo launches to the space station, the delivery of the space shuttles to museums, and Curiosity’s landing on Mars.

RNASA Advisor and PBS NewsHour Science Correspondent Miles O’Brien presented the Space Communicator Award to Veronica McGregor. Calling her “fearless,” he told of how she became a legend at CNN by continuing coverage of the LA riots despite an attack by thugs. She later joined the staff at JPL. Her decision to tweet the landing of Phoenix on Mars in first person in 2008 “started NASA down a whole new path of communicating with the public directly.” She is now the “voice” of the Curiosity rover.

McGregor told how seeing Saturn through a telescope during a camping trip made her “jump back and gasp.” She said that giving others a moment that makes them gasp, “has been my driving force ever since.” Her most popular “Curiosity” tweet was one telling people to go out and see Mars next to the crescent Moon. When a man tweeted back, “I see it! I see it!” she knew she’d done for him what the astronomer had done for her. She said social media allows NASA to connect with many more people that way.

NASA Astronauts Capt. Michael J. Foreman, USN (Ret.), and Nicole P. Stott then announced the Stellar Award winners (see http://www.rnasa.org/stellar/stellarwinners2013.html) and presented them with trophies donated by ATK.

Space Station Expedition 35 crewmembers Tom Marshburn and Chris Cassidy bestowed Hutchison with the title of Honorary Rocket Scientist via downlink from space. “Through your many years of service on science committees and numerous visits to NASA facilities, you’ve mastered the jargon and solved legislative equations that baffle even the best of us: making you more than qualified.”

Capt. Cernan, USN (Ret.) in presenting the National Space Trophy to Hutchison, called the space program “what the future is all about,” praising Hutchison for her dedication to “education, science, and technology,” and for being “bold and visionary” in her promotion of the space program.

Hutchison said that during her work on the NASA budget, “we wanted to assure that we wouldn’t give up the future for the present. We wanted to assume full funding for NASA and … be ready to go beyond low Earth orbit.” She stressed that, “America was built on bigness and boldness and greatness. … We are going to achieve things we haven’t even thought of today because we will never take second place.”

Lt. Gen. Thomas Stafford, USAF (Ret.) presented Hutchison with a ladies OMEGA Seamaster watch donated by the company, with diamonds and mother-of pearl. Though it is water resistant to 100 feet, Stafford advised against using it for diving because “with all the sparklies on it, it does attract barracudas.” She joked that she’d been facing those in Washington for 19 years! She added that it was great to be retired because instead of being an unpopular member of Congress, she is now just a lawyer.

Eagle Applied Sciences donated the portrait of Hutchison by Pat Rawlings which was on display at the gala and used as the cover of the souvenir program. The painting will become part of the National Space Trophy display at Space Center Houston until after next year’s event.

RNASA Chairman Rodolfo González concluded the evening by thanking the Foundation’s 32 corporate sponsors whose support and achievements made the event possible: the Aerospace Corp., ARES Corp., ATK, Ball Aerospace & Tech. Corp., Barrios Technologies, Bastion Technologies, the Boeing Co., Booz Allen Hamilton, Cimarron, DB Consulting, Eagle Applied Sciences, ERC, Fisher Space Pen Co., GeoControl Systems, Honeywell Aerospace, Jacobs, Keystone Engineering Co., L-3 STRATIS, Lockheed Martin, ManTech Intl., MEI Technologies, Oceaneering Intl., OMEGA Watches, Orbital Sciences Corp., Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, SAIC, SpaceX, SGT, United Space Alliance, UH-CL, UTC Aerospace Systems, and Wyle. Any proceeds remaining after the event will be donated to an organization involved in aerospace education.

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Janet Slocum

Janet Slocum loves a challenge. Not only is she employed at MD Anderson, she’s co-owner of the Second Chance Saloon and La Porte Towing.

“I’m a girl that will do anything!” she acknowledged.

One role she would have easily said “no” to however, is breast cancer patient.

But even that obstacle turned into an opportunity as she now adds “survivor” and “philanthropist” to her ever growing list of “been there, done that.”

Before she was even 50 years old, she discovered she had the disease. Diagnosed in October of 2006, she now lives cancer-free and supports organizations like The Rose, a nonprofit breast health organization.

When she and her husband Bobby took over the Second Chance Saloon in Pasadena, Janet knew she had a ready-made fundraising venue.

“My goal was $5,000,” Janet said of the October 2012 event she sponsored at the bar which raised $15.000. “After doing that, I said, ‘Ok, I’m doing this every year!’”

The donation puts Janet and Bobby in a fundraising category created just for them – Leaders of the Pack. Joining them as other 2013 sponsors are San Jacinto Harley-Davidson, The Greensheet, Grandbridge Real Estate Capital, Grayco Communications, Pipefitters Local Union 211, IBEW LU 66, Buffalo Flange, Inc., La Porte Towing, Inc., MDN Enterprises, Novus Wood Group, and Waltech Co., Inc.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with San Jacinto Harley Davidson for The Rose’s 5th Annual Bikers Against Breast Cancer ride,” said D’Etta Casto DeLeon, an assistant vice president at Grandbridge Real Estate Capital and the founder and committee chair for BABC. “They have supported us from the beginning and with the selection of the BABC ride as a feature of their annual open house, we could see more than double the attendance we’ve had in years past.”

Other highlights include: an online opportunity for riders and “ghost riders” (registered participants who enjoy the festivities but do not ride) to raise funds as teams or individuals and additional live entertainment from The Slags and popular radio personalities Dean & Rog.

The 5th Annual Bikers Against Breast Cancer is scheduled for May 11 at (San Jacinto Harley Davidson 3636 E. Sam Houston Parkway South Pasadena) with registration open at 8:30 a.m. and Kickstands Up at 10:30 a.m. Participants can register online and create a fundraising page at www.TheRose.org. Cost to register is $30 Rider; $40 Rider + Passenger and $30 Ghost Rider. To find out more, call 281.464.5165, email events@TheRose.org.

Bay Area Houston Magazine - #1 information source of the Bay Area Houston and Galveston County

By Mary Alys Cherry

Both Harris County Commissioner Jack Morman and Houston City Councilman Dave Martin updated Space Center Rotary in recent days on current city and county projects.

Both brought good news for the area.

Martin briefed Rotarians on the large new Clear Lake City development Trendmaker Homes  and Fidelity Partners are planning  just east of Space Center Boulevard near the intersection of Clear Lake City and El Dorado Boulevards — 700 new homes  on 372 acres, plus some 300,000 square feet of high-end retail on 50 acres at the front entrance.

“The area will include swimming pools, parks, walking and jogging trails and a dog park,” Martin said, adding that the groundbreaking is scheduled for later this year.

Besides the expansion at Ellington Airport, other good news included:

A proposed new fire station for El Dorado Boulevard, north of Clear Lake City Boulevard, will have to go to City Council for approval and be included in the city’s five-year plan;

NASA has secured the 747 that flew the Shuttle Endeavor into Houston and plans to move it to Space Center Houston, where the mock shuttle will be mounted on top of it;

A $13.5 million update is planned for South Shaver, which connects to I-45 just north of Ellington Field.

Commissioner Morman provided an update on how his office has dealt with what he called “a dire budget situation” when he took office two years ago and “how we can do what we need to do with what we have.” Despite having to do more with less, “we always find novel ways to get things done,” he said.

“Infrastructure is the No. 1 job for a county commissioner, and that’s where our focus is,” he explained,  telling how his office is restoring Sylvan Beach Park and making lots of improvements to Clear Lake Park and Bay Area Park.

“We’re also working to build a brand new boardwalk at Armand Bayou Nature Center.

Also, he said his office is:

• Working with the state to make sure Highway 146 stays on tract;
• Hoping to resurface Kirby Drive;
• Working to keep the high tech people here;
• Planning a $400 million Beltway 8 bridge over the Ship Channel and resurfacing various streets and reconstructing concrete curb and gutters in Seabrook and Nassau Bay.

Bay Area Houston Magazine - #1 information source of the Bay Area Houston and Galveston County

$129,097 pledged at Barrios: For the fourth year Barrios Technology has presented a check to the non-profit organization that exceeded the $100,000 level. At the close of its 2013 workplace campaign, 43 percent of Barrios employees pledged $129,097 to show their commitment to building a stronger tomorrow. Pictured, from left, are this year’s United Way Chairman for Barrios Tracey Escamilla, Barrios President and CEO Sandy Johnson, United Way of Greater Houston President and CEO Anna Babin and Director of Donor Relations of United Way of Greater Houston Yvonne Thornburg

Baytown getting steel pipe plant

Turkish steel manufacturer Borusan Mannesmann Pipe plans to expand its manufacturing operations to the U.S. with a steel pipe plant in Baytown, creating 250 jobs and $148 million in capital investment.

In making the announcement, Gov. Rick Perry said the state is providing $1.6 million from the Texas Enterprise Fund to close the deal.

Borusan Mannesmann is a leader in steel pipe production for a variety of industries, including oil and gas drilling and transmission. The proposed Baytown plant plans to produce casings used to secure oil wells and tubing to extract gas and oil from the ground, adding 300,000 tons of manufacturing capacity.

“This investment will establish Borusan as a local manufacturer in the U.S. market,” Borusan Chairman A. Ahmet Kocabıyık said in a statement. “This investment is the beginning of a new era, not only for economic relations between the U.S. and Turkey, but also for our steel sectors.”

Nassau Bay wins National award

The City of Nassau Bay has been awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association.

The national award, based on policy document, financial plan, operations guide and several other categories, was presented to the Nassau Bay Finance Department.

“This is the city’s first ever award, and along with our second Transparency Award (presented earlier) shows that our elected officials and staff work very hard to produce a budget and financial records that are transparent and accountable to our taxpayers,” City Manager Chris Reed said.

LyondellBasell continued its support of the UH-Clear Lake Environmental Institute by presenting a $5,000 check for the WaterSmart Demonstration School Habitat Lab and the Texas Envirothon, an annual high school environmental competition. Participating in the presentation are Environmental Institute of Houston Habitat Curriculum Specialist Sheila Brown and Executive Director George Guillen; LyondellBasell Regional Public Relations Manager Gayden Cooper and Bayport Site Manager Walter Pinto; and Texas Envirothon Coordinator and Environmental Education Program Coordinator Wendy Reistle.

Boeing completes preliminary review

The Boeing Co. of Houston, a NASA Commercial Crew Program partner, has successfully completed a preliminary design review of the component that would connect the company’s new crew capsule to its rocket.

The review is one of six performance milestones Boeing has completed for NASA’s Commercial Crew Integrated Capability initiative, which is intended to make available commercial human spaceflight
services for government and commercial customers. The company is on track to complete all 19 of its milestones during CCiCap.

Work begins on UTMB expansion

The University of Texas Medical Branch has begun work on its $90 million building expansion project at Victory Lakes in League City that will include an emergency department and beds to accommodate patients requiring overnight stays.

The project will create 142,000 square feet of clinical space, allowing for the addition of 39 patient beds and inpatient stays of up to 72 hours in order to better serve its patients. In a related project, UTMB will build a central-plant facility to provide utilities to its 62-acre Victory Lakes campus.

The clinical space project on its 62-acre Victory Lakes campus is scheduled for completion in February 2015 and will provide 39 inpatient beds for up to 72-hour stays, 17 emergency/urgent care treatment rooms, four operating rooms, endoscopy rooms and 25,000 square feet of shell space for future development.

Bay Area Houston Magazine - #1 information source of the Bay Area Houston and Galveston County

By Michael Gos

“Jacob’s Dream” on the campus of Abilene Christian University.

Abilene, Texas

I was at Abilene Christian University to address a gathering of two organizations of English professors.  I attended the obligatory Thursday night cocktail party for just a few minutes, met a few dignitaries and a few old friends, and then snuck out to get dinner at Joe Allen’s Bar-b-que.  It was my first time in Abilene and the place came highly recommended.

I eat alone frequently when I’m traveling and don’t mind it at all because it gives me a good opportunity for thinking about things.  I occasionally see other men dining alone, but I was surprised when the hostess sat a lone woman at the table next to mine.  She sat on the side opposite me so we were almost facing each other.  It was awkward at first, but I suppose it was inevitable; before long we were talking.

She came to Abilene to see a motivational speaker that she had heard about. He was at the university for a few days and was giving a seminar.  She said she was always looking for someone who might have the answers to the big questions in life.

She told me she tried the religion route.  She had been in various Bible study groups and had even spent a week at a monastery in New Mexico just thinking and meditating—but never speaking.

She said she read and listened to CDs of several self-help gurus.  Some, like Depak Chopra and Tony Robbins, I had heard of.  Others were completely foreign to me.  She also tried a book circle that specialized in philosophy.  They had read all the biggies: Augustine, Spinoza, Rousseau, Nietzsche.  She tried a lot of modern writers as well.  She mentioned David Cook (Seven Days in Utopia) and Richard Bach (Illusions).  Now, she said, she was pushing 40 and was starting to suspect that some of us just weren’t meant to find the answers.

Our dinners arrived and the conversation pretty much ended there.  I don’t allow much to distract me from a slab of ribs, and she seemed to share that sentiment.  When I was finished with dinner, I said goodbye and told her I hoped she’d find the answers this time.  She thanked me and I left.  To be honest, I was virtually certain that in a few weeks, if not sooner, she’d be off looking for answers somewhere else.  I knew it because I’ve been there.

My thirties were a decade of searching.  As my twenties came to a close I started to recognize that I was a kid with an attitude problem and sorely in need of some learning.  We tend to judge ourselves against the rubric of the other people in our lives and my best friend, though eight years younger, was decades ahead of me in both maturity and understanding.  Watching him made it clear that I had a lot to learn.  It was under those circumstances that I began my quest.

From what I could tell, her journey paralleled mine.  I too had teachers; I studied philosophers, explored religions and read every New Age philosophy book I could get my hands on.  Sufi, Ayurveda, Native American, Japanese, Taoism—I devoured them all.  I learned something from each of them, I suppose and today I recognize that some of them proved really valuable in helping me along the road.  But still, as the decade drew to a close, I found I still didn’t have the answers I was searching for.  Don’t get me wrong—life improved tremendously, but to say I had even begun to figure it all out would be a lie.

Then came the night of the Great Weiner Wonderment.  I was sitting in front of an illegal fire I had built on Jamaica Beach, roasting a cheddarwurst I impaled on a stick I had sharpened with my Swiss Army knife.  I watched the flames and lamented the fact that I had found none of the answers I had sought.  Then, for no apparent reason, (well, maybe gravity had something to do with it) the sausage started to slide slowly down the stick toward the fire.  I lunged for it in an attempt at the save, but my movement only served to accelerate the sausage slippage.  Having failed at that, in hopes of reversing the direction of the slide I quickly jerked the stick upward in the manner of a fisherman trying to set a hook.  However, with more than half the wiener now off the stick and the rest going fast, the jerking motion provided a kick that sent the sausage flying into the air where it turned a beautiful 5.6 degree of difficulty double flip and stuck a perfect belly-flop landing onto the coals.  Of course I still hadn’t given up.  I tried to pick it up with my fingers.  Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!  But it was just too hot.  I tried stabbing it with my roasting stick, but the repeated jabs only served to turn it into loose pork and burning cheese.  The smell of sausage and cheese cooking reminded me of pizza.  I gave up and decided I would go to the Italian restaurant across the road.

As I got up to douse the fire, something clicked.  I saw two truths.  First, when your dinner destiny is pizza, the universe will not let you settle for a cheddarwurst.  Second, and probably more important, I realized I had been searching in all the wrong places. Years ago, I came to the conclusion that I don’t believe in a God who answers my prayers—I believe in one who gave me the means to answer my own.  Only now was I able to apply that understanding to this bigger question in life.  The answers weren’t “out there” to be searched for; they were “in here,” waiting to be seen.

In our quest for understanding what is important and meaningful in life, every man (and woman) stands alone and is an equally qualified seeker of truth.  It is our right—and our responsibility —as humans to strive to find this wisdom.  For a decade I found no answers because I looked to others for them.  But another’s answers couldn’t possibly satisfy my needs.  We all need to find the answers that fit our own personal natures.

As humans, our birthright is this ability to find our own answers.  Understanding is not a divine privilege reserved only for a few special, advanced souls.  It is a right created for the divine that lives inside each and every one of us.

I gave my lecture at the university the next morning, had a chance to meet some really nice people, and then packed up and headed for home.  As I drove along I-20, I thought about the woman in the restaurant again, and I had to smile because I had absolute confidence that she would figure it all out.

We all can—it’s just a matter of when.

Bay Area Houston Magazine - #1 information source of the Bay Area Houston and Galveston County

Whether it is biting our fingernails, losing track of house keys or procrastinating; we all have some bad financial habits that we’d like to break.

Often, we simply “accept” our bad habits without thinking about how they may actually be standing in the way of us living our lives as we want to. When it comes to making the most of your money, consider curbing some of these actions that may be taking a toll on your wallet.

Ignoring your bills: 

Just because you don’t look at them does not mean they don’t exist. Mail has this unfortunate way of piling up very quickly, so take a few minutes every day to sort through your papers to make sure you don’t miss bills or other important paperwork. Setting up automatic payments through your bank can make this process easier.

Maxing out your credit cards: 

When used correctly, credits cards are an effective and useful tool in helping you to make big purchases and build a good credit history. The key is paying off your balance every month. Be wary of spending up to your credit limit and just paying off the minimum amount each month. That is one way people fall easily into debt.

Not contributing to your 401k plan: 

It may feel like you have absolutely no money to spare, but investing in your company’s retirement plan is crucial to building a nest egg for the future. Start by talking to the HR person at your company and learning about your benefits. Then, try to contribute as much as your company matches since it is essentially free money towards your personal savings.

Spending blindly: 

It’s important not to be oblivious to how much money you spend on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. All of those receipts for gas, snacks, soft drinks and restaurants add up very quickly if you are not aware of how much you are spending every day. You can use this calculator to create a budget for your daily expenses.

Not having an emergency fund:

Whether your car breaks down, you chip a tooth eating, or you get laid off – unexpected events can wreak financial inconvenience and havoc. Save regularly for a rainy day (experts recommend having 3–6 months worth of living expenses saved) so you will be covered if the unexpected happens.

Living beyond your means:

With so many temptations from new electronic equipment, to new fashion every season, to “big” sales every other day at your favorite department store, it is easy to fall into the habit of constantly buying new things. Becoming a financially disciplined person is simply learning how to resist the urge to spend what you don’t have. You can use this Saving for a Goal calculator to set aside money for something special.

Stop playing money mind games:

What we say to ourselves and to others about our finances can have a big impact on how we interact with money. Watch out for statements like, “I’ve never had money, and I will never make any money,” “Shopping is my therapy,” and “But, I’ve always let my partner take care of our finances.” Be aware of excuses and negative talk that may keep you from feeling confident about being able to manage your finances.

This article is brought to you by a partnership between Visa and Texas First Bank and was authored by Jason Alderman, who directs Visa’s financial education programs.  For more information, follow Texas First Bank on Facebook, Twitter and You Tube or visit us at www.texasfirstbank.com.

Bay Area Houston Magazine - #1 information source of the Bay Area Houston and Galveston County

By Mary Alys Cherry

Webster has taken the first steps toward what it hopes will be shared bike and pedestrian paths linking NASA Parkway to Henderson Road along the east side of FM 270 – applying  for some $1 million in state transportation funds.

Webster Economic Development Director Dr. Betsy Giusto said the Texas Department of Transportation has recently authorized $70 million in funding for transportation enhancement projects with the state paying 80 percent of the costs of eligible projects by using federal funds.

Webster’s part of the cost will be $184,000, she said, adding that a portion of the project (20 percent) would be funded by the city’s Street Construction Fund.

Giusto said the project cost consists of all construction costs, including paving and drainage, to build the 10- to 12-foot wide shared use path from NASA Parkway to Henderson Road with TxDOT overseeing  construction, as well as fully funding all design work and any required right-of-way acquisition at no cost to the city.

“TxDOT engineers have committed to performing the design work, and an Advanced Funding Agreement between TxDOT and Webster would be executed at the time of project selection,” she explained.

FM 270 is a seven-lane major north-south roadway with an average daily traffic count of 27,900 vehicles and a speed limit of 45 mph.

Bay Area Houston Magazine - #1 information source of the Bay Area Houston and Galveston County

Mid-size car sales increased 1.2 percent last year, proving that it’s not always about SUV’s. With summer road trips becoming top-of-mind, it’s good to know that the sedan is more popular than ever. This month BAHM takes a look at a couple of all-new four-door rides you must check out.

2014 Mazda 6

Not only has that silly, smiling grille been toned down, but the Mazda 6 has a new swagger about it that pleases the styling palette of everyone we’ve talked to including us. Here is new sheet metal straight out of the wind tunnel with curves and creases all in the right place.

The 6’s interior mirrors that of the exterior; sleek, flowing and almost elegant in nature.

Just last month the Mazda 6 was named to Wards Auto Worlds 10 Best Interiors list.

Mazda advertising touts its SkyActive Technology. It is a melding of design, and technology in an energy efficient package. We’d say, “Give us more, please.”

The naturally aspirated 2.5-liter I-4 feels like a powerful V-6 but gets a remarkable 26 mpg-city and 38-highway, is smooth through the entire power band and unbelievably quiet.

Here is a car we’d love to take on a road trip. The ride is smooth on the highway, yet has a sport car-like feel around city corners.

Pricing begins at $20,880

2013 Toyota Avalon

The completely new 2013 Avalon is proof that Toyota does have a pulse and can still build an attractive four door sedan that is relative to today’s buyer. Let’s face it; the outgoing model was deceased the moment it left the factory.

What will appeal to those in the market for a full-size ride is that it smacks of all-things Toyota; tasteful styling, exceptional build quality, attention to detail and (we assume) years of low maintenance dependability.

The dash’s multi-tier design offers visual appeal and functionality and touches on Lexus-style and beauty. Seating is nicely bolstered and comfortable, ready to absorb what few bumps make there way into the cabin.

With the new design comes a stiffer chassis, which allows for better control and handling. This isn’t Grampa’s ride anymore.

The Avalon is powered by Toyota’s stalwart 3.5-liter V-6 that quietly produces 268-horsepower while getting a respectable 21 mpg-city and 31-highway.

Just as appealing is the starting price; $32.598.

The fight for full-size Bay Area buyers just got a new heavyweight contender, the 2013 Toyota Avalon.

Bay Area Houston Magazine - #1 information source of the Bay Area Houston and Galveston County