Dish-Houston

The US Men’s Clay Court Championship and the USTA are teaming up during next week’s tournament to support members of the United States military through an Adopt-A-Unit program for 402^nd Army Field Support Brigade (AFSB).
 
The Adopt-A-Unit effort coincides with the tournament’s first-ever Armed Forces Appreciation Night on Wednesday, April 11. That evening will include a wheelchair tennis demonstration featuring Wounded Warriors as well as a special tribute to all military personnel.
 
Patrons attending the US Men’s Clay Court Championship April 9-15 at River Oaks Country Club are encouraged support the Adopt-A-Unit program by bringing items to donate for a shipment to the 75-100 personnel in that unit based at Al Asad Air Base in Iraq.  
 
Letters of support are among the items suggested for donation to the troops. In addition, specific needs include money for postage, beef jerky, sunflower seeds, nuts, protein bars, granola bars, powdered drink mixes, tuna in foil bags, socks, personal or baby wipes, hand warmers, hot chocolate, hand sanitizer and lip balm.
 
Fans are asked to bring any of these items to the USTA booth at the US Men’s Clay Court Championship at River Oaks Country Club. In addition to these donations, the USTA will be providing portable tennis equipment to be sent to the troops as well.
 
On Monday, April 16, volunteers will gather at River Oaks to package all the donated items for shipment to the 402^nd AFSB.
 
The 402nd AFSB and its subordinate units provide acquisition, logistics and technology-related sustainment support to Army, joint, and multinational forces, as well other government agencies through a combination of direct support and general support as directed by the Army Sustainment Command (ASC) and senior Army sustainment combatant commands in its area of operations.
 
Once again in 2012 the US Men’s Clay Court Championship will also be working its charitable partner Texas Children’s Hospital. In addition to several ATP World Tour players taking time to visit patients during the tournament, the hospital will also once again be the beneficiary of the tournament’s ticket resale program.
 
Through the Texas Children’s Ticket Turnback program, fans holding tickets for a session that they cannot use are invited to return those tickets to the box office where they will be sold for face value and the entire resale price will be donated to Texas Children’s Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Institute.

 
“We are very happy to work with the USTA on this Adopt-A-Unit initiative and are pleased to introduce that program this year as we have our first Armed Forces Appreciation Night,” said tournament director Van Barry. “In the past few years we have seen the Texas Children’s Ticket Turnback program grow, so we feel the time is right to try to extend our support to another project. We continue to take pride in our ability to give back to the community through this tournament, and we are thankful to our patrons who help us support these causes.”

 
The 2012 tournament will begin April 9 and features four players in the Top 16 of the ATP rankings – No. 9 Mardy Fish,No. 10 John Isner, No. 15 Feliciano Lopez and No. 16 Juan Monaco. The eight seeded players in the 28-player field are all in the Top 50 of the rankings, and the draw includes four past champions of the event and three former finalists. (SEE PLAYER LIST HERE)
 
ONLY LIMITED TICKETS REMAIN for the 2012 US Men’s Clay Court Championship. The popular Champs Pass that includes all sessions from Friday-Sunday has sold out, and only standing room only tickets remain for Saturday’s singles semifinals and doubles final. Information on tickets can be found at www.mensclaycourt.com or by calling 713-874-629.

 

The Center for AIDS, a Houston organization that has provided life-saving treatment information to people living with HIV/AIDS, caregivers and medical providers for the past 17 years merged with Legacy Community Health Services as of April 1, 2012. The Center for AIDS’s information and advocacy programs and publications will be integrated into Legacy’s programs and services, allowing them to reach a greater number of people while minimizing costs.

“In the Spring of 2011, our board began a strategic planning process to develop long range goals for the agency,” said Paul Simmons, Executive Director of The Center for AIDS. “The big question was ‘how can we serve a larger number of people at less cost?’ and the answer was ‘partner with another agency.’”

The Center for AIDS was founded in 1995 by L. Joel Martinez, Michael Peranteau, and Chris Kerr as a resource for information about the latest HIV treatment options, clinical trials and opportunistic infections common among people living with AIDS. Within two years, The CFA opened a storefront in Montrose within close proximity to Houston’s AIDS Service organizations.

“In the late 80s and early 90s, finding information about treatment options for HIV/AIDs could be quite difficult,” said Katy Caldwell. “Today people get their information from the Internet, but back then you had to go to a clinic to get flyers and brochures or you had to visit a library to research academic and medical journals. The Center for AIDS filled a void and made it much easier to find the latest treatment information.”

Throughout the years, The CFA has hosted lectures and community forums, as well as provided one-on-one education to people living with HIV/AIDS, caregivers and medical providers. The CFA has also established several highly regarded publications including Research Initiative/Treatment Action! (RITA!) and HIV Treatment ALERTS! For the past 9 years, The CFA facilitated Project LEAP, the most comprehensive advocacy training program in the nation for HIV positive individuals.

While the board of directors and a large number of generous volunteers are essential to the success of The CFA, the business operations are managed by three employees who end up serving many roles including IT support, volunteer coordinator, bookkeeper, fundraiser, and maintenance as well as HIV/AIDS educators. In addition to Executive Director Paul Simmons, the 3-person staff includes Gayle Alstot, Manager of Operations and Danielle Houston, Director of Education. All three will be joining the staff of Legacy Community Health Services as of April 1, 2012.

“So much has changed since we started The CFA,” said Simmons. “The demographics of the epidemic have changed, the mechanisms of how we receive information have changed and treatment options have dramatically changed with access to more and more medications.”

Merging with Legacy is one more change in this ever-evolving epidemic.

Legacy Community Health Services is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and the largest Federally Qualified Health Center in Houston. From five clinics, Legacy provides comprehensive, primary healthcare services to all Houstonians in a culturally sensitive, judgment-free and confidential environment. Legacy specializes in HIV/AIDS testing and treatment. Generous financial support from individuals, businesses and charitable foundations allows Legacy to provide no-cost or low-cost healthcare services to nearly 45,000 men, women and children each year. Legacy is a United Way affiliate agency. www.legacycommunityhealth.org

BY DISH CONTRIBUTOR: MONIQUE WESTON

The world premiere of Akhnaten: Dweller in Truth is a stirring experience for those of us who usually experience classical music as a distinctly set genre, tied to the past. This brilliant modern concerto was composed by 26-year-old Mohammed Fairouz -- described by Opera Today as “one of the most sought-after composers of the young generation.” The full concert, presented by the Foundation for Modern Music (in collaboration with the Consulate General of Egypt and the Egyptian American Society), also featured an onstage interview between Fairouz and St. John Flynn (of Classical 91.7FM), offering unique insight on Fairouz’s background and inspiration.

Born and raised in New York City, Fairouz has traveled worldwide and passionately explored diverse musical traditions, learning to play the didgeridoo in Australia and the oud in Lebanon, as well as studying in Paris and London.  One of Fairouz’s earliest memories is of reading a children’s book in which a character sings a song: to Fairouz, the melody was as evident as if it had been notated in the text. Much of Fairouz’s work has been based on poetry; he comments that he has “learned so much from the poets.”

Fairouz’s love affair with text – and with voice – is reiterated in the concerto Akhnaten,: Dweller in Truth, based on the novel of the same name. The characters in the novel speak through the music, presenting a complex and often conflicting interaction among the instruments – setting an atmosphere in which the moments of accord are extraordinarily peaceful and, at times, epiphanic.

From childhood on, Fairouz developed a passion for improvisation, leading to a series of improvisatory concerts that he delivered across the Middle East during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. During this concert, the performers showed a remarkably conversational relationship, evidently fostered by the improvisational quality of the pieces. It was easy to see that they truly enjoyed the experience. The soloists were clearly inspired and passionate, especially cellist Adaiha MacAdam-Somer. During the onstage interview, Fairouz commented that Mozart, to his contemporaries, was known as an improviser, a pianist, and a composer – in that order. He added that Mozart’s renown now takes the reverse order, because now we have the luxury of recording performances, including this concert with all its unique characteristics.

Fairouz reminisced that one of his poet-teachers had advised him that he would be “burdened to create things that are timely, but the challenge [would] be to create things that are timeless.” Fairouz cited the work of Benjamin Britten as an example, saying that it had been timely as to its historical setting, and we “still perform it because it’s so beautiful.”

The concert programme included Akhnaten, Dweller in Truth, a concerto for cello, piano and orchestra; the double concerto States of Fantasy, along with Chorale Fantasy (string quartet); For Victims (baritone and string quartet), and The Poet Declares His Renown (baritone and string quartet). Performers included Paul Boyd (piano), Adaiha MacAdam-Somer (cellist), Batya MacAdam-Somer (violin), Marcus DeLoach (baritone), and an orchestra with guest conductor Clifton Evans.    

For more information on Fairouz's music and shows CLICK HERE

The first wild cards for the 2012 US Men’s Clay Court Championship have been awarded to Spain’s Feliciano Lopez, the 15^th ranked player on the ATP World Tour, and Argentina’s Juan Monaco, who is No. 21.
 
Lopez and Monaco join a pair of Top 10 Americans, Mardy Fish and John Isner, in committing to the event that will be held April 9-15 at River Oaks Country Club.
 
Feliciano LopezLopez, who has been ranked in the Top 50 in eight of the past nine seasons, will be making his tournament debut in Houston. He has been a mainstay of Spain’s Davis Cup success in recent years, playing in 20 ties and contributing to four championship teams. The three-time Wimbledon quarterfinalist owns two ATP World Tour titles in seven career finals.
 
Monaco ranks ninth among active players for career clay court wins with a 157-91 record on the surface. He has claimed four titles in 11 finals on clay, including earlier this year in Vina del Mar. In 2011, he helped Argentina to the Davis Cup final against Spain. Monaco was the 2006 runner-up of the River Oaks International, and went 2-2 at the US Men’s Clay Court Championship at Westside, reaching the quarterfinals in 2007.
 
“We’re thrilled to have the chance to grant Feliciano and Juan wild cards,” tournament director Van Barry said. “To have these Top 25 international stars join our field that’s anchored by a couple of Top 10 Americans with Mardy and John is a very exciting way to gear up for the tournament which begins in just over two weeks.”
 
Fish, the 2006 US Men’s Clay Court Champion, is ranked No. 8, while Isner has reached a career high No. 10 on Monday after reaching the final this past week at Indian Wells by beating No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the semifinals.
 
Fish is one of four former champions in the field, including Ryan Sweeting (2011), Marcel Granollers (2008) and Ivo Karlovic (2007). Three former finalists are also in the field, and they are all Americans: Sam Querrey (2010), Wayne Odesnik (2009) and James Blake (2008).
 
The addition of Lopez and Monaco brings the tournament field to 23 players thus far (SEE CURRENT LIST HERE). One more wild card will be awarded and four other players will join the field through the qualifying tournament that begins April 7.
 
The doubles field will be announced just before the tournament, but four-time winners of the US Men’s Clay Court Championship Bob and Mike Bryan have committed to return and defend their title once again.
 
ONLY LIMITED TICKETS REMAIN for the 2012 US Men’s Clay Court Championship. The popular Champs Pass that includes all sessions from Friday-Sunday has sold out, and only standing room only tickets remain for Saturday’s singles semifinals and doubles final. Information on tickets can be found at www.mensclaycourt.com or by calling 713-874-629.
 
Once again, the US Men’s Clay Court Championship will provide the Texas Children’s Ticket Turnback program. Any fans holding tickets for a session that they cannot use are invited to return those tickets to the box office where they will be sold for face value and the entire resale price will be donated to Texas Children’s Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Institute.