Sunday Brunch

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December - my favorite month of the year - has gotten off to a great start. Yesterday, I enjoyed the annual festivities of Dickens on The Strand and, today, I celebrated my approaching birthday with my island girlfriends, “The Mermaids.” and by treating ourselves to Sunday Brunch at the historic Hotel Galvez on The Seawall.

Sunday Brunch at this beautiful Wyndham hotel is a longstanding island tradition. It is the place to go to celebrate special occasions. The unmatched beauty and ambiance of the hotel’s dining rooms combined with the offerings on its buffet, make this Sunday Brunch a must-do for just about everybody - including my friends and me!

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For starters, the buffet features an array of fresh fruit, cheeses, breads and pastries, as well as eggs Benedict, made-to-order omelets and a waffle station. (Always, I opt for the custom omelet.)

As you might expect at a luxury hotel in Galveston, there is always an extensive seafood station, offering smoked salmon, cocktail shrimp, crab claws and oysters. One of the hotel’s iconic ice sculptures always takes centerstage here.

For the pasta lovers, and I think that’s just about everybody, there is a pasta station too. It features a variety of red and Alfredo sauces and the popular add-ons: veggies, shrimp and chicken.

The hotel’s carving station offers prime rib every week but also offers either bourbon glazed ham, rack of lamb or turkey, depending on the season.

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Another popular item on the brunch menu is the hotel’s award-winning seafood gumbo. (Few come for Sunday Brunch without opting for at least a small cup of the gumbo. You might say, the gumbo here is must-have!)

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To complete the meal in the sweetest way,, there is a dessert buffet with an ice cream station and a wide selection of other favorites, including bread pudding, pecan pie, cheesecake, lemon bars, cobblers and cookies - and so much more!

And, if that were not enough, Sunday Brunch comes with bottomless glasses of champagne and mimosas throughout the dining experience. That made lifting our glasses to toast my birthday, our friendship and another great time in Galveston so very festive and fun!

About the Hotel Galvez
Hotel Galvez, built in 11911, is the only historic beachfront hotel on the Texas Gulf Coast. The hotel was named the Galvez, honoring Bernardo de Gálvez, 1st Viscount of Galveston, for whom the city was named. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 4, 1979. To learn more, visit www.HotelGalvez.com/.

Ball High School

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Earlier today, I had the privilege (and pleasure) of speaking to a group of career-minded female students at Ball High School. I was invited to speak about my education and career in journalism and my life as a publishing entrepreneur. The invitation came from Francis Dyess, a friend and fellow member of Texas Executive Women. The experience could not have been more fun.

First, I always enjoy being with young women who have an eye on their futures. And, secondly, I always enjoy sharing my story of knowing at an early age “what I wanted to be when I grew up” and, more importantly, how I knew!

The girls were especially attentive, and after my talk, they asked a lot of very good questions. Clearly, they were smart and ambitious young women and quite serious about realizing their own dreams — of going on to college and, afterwards, pursing meaningful lives of purpose. I was truly impressed!

At the same time, I was also impressed by this large and beautiful school.

Though The Bungalow is located only a few blocks away, I had never been inside Ball High School. And, though I knew a few tidbits about the history of the school, I did not have enough facts to chat knowingly about it. This evening, I aimed to change that. Thus, below are some of the interesting facts I’ve just learned about this historic public school.

Ball High School
The school opened to 200 students on October 1, 1884. It consisted of 12 classrooms, two offices and an auditorium. Its motto was “Best school south of St. Louis and west of the Mississippi.”

On March 4, 1886, the school was named for its benefactor, George Ball, a local dry goods businessman who, in 1883, contributed $50,000 for its construction. Sadly, he did not live to see its completion.

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In 1890, Mrs. George Ball spent $47,000 to remodel, enlarge and beautify the building. At this time, the Rotunda and Dome were added to the north front of the building.

In September 1900, the Great Storm struck, and Ball High School was not spared from the fury of its waves and wind. The west wall slipped; the roof blew off; plaster crumbled; windowpanes crashed; and the metal covering was stripped from the ball of the dome, showing its skeleton of steel ribs.

Afterwards, the citizens of Galveston raised the $45,000 needed to repair the high school and other Galveston schools and, also, to pay the teachers’ salaries.

In 1915, two wings of classrooms were added to the school. And, then, for 30 years, no additions or improvements were made. Today, the main building of the old Ball High School, still stands at the corner of 21st and Ball Avenue. It has been remodeled and expanded and houses the home offices of the American Indemnity Company.  

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In 1954, the Ball High School complex moved to its new location at 41st and Avenue O. This new building cost $3.2 million to build and covered a four-square-block area (from 41st to 43rd Streets and Avenue O to Avenue P). The new location has received many additions and renovations over the years - in 1964, 1974, 1981, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2004 and 2005.

During the 2018-2019 school year, Ball High School had a student enrollment of over 2,045. The total minority enrollment was 73 percent, with 57 percent of students identified as economically disadvantaged.

Over the years, Ball High School has produced many highly successful graduates - architects, artists, attorneys, businessmen and women, engineers, musicians, politicians, physicians, etc.

Additionally, 29 professional athletes claim Ball High School as their beloved aluma mater. And all, I’m sure, still remember well their days at Ball High School, playing for the Golden Tornadoes (Tors) and wearing proudly the team colors of purple and gold.