< Previous2300 SHIP’S MECHANIC ROW, GALVESTON ISLAND, TX 409.763.0300 | TheTremontHouse.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Complimentary valet available for bar and restaurant patrons.“top 100 brunchrestaurant in america”2024 SEAWALL BLVD., GALVESTON ISLAND, TX409.765.7721 | HotelGalvez.comComplimentary valet and parking in north lot when dining.Experience the flavors of Galvez Bar & Grill’s award-winning Sunday Champagne Brunch, served weekly from 11am to 2pm. With an extraordinary selection of fare, including fresh, local seafood, it’s no wonder OpenTable designated us a “Top 100 Brunch Restaurant in America” five years in a row. Call us today to reserve your table.There’s something special about enjoying a cocktail outdoors as the balmy ocean breeze creates magic in the air. The Rooftop Bar at The Tremont House, Galveston’s only open-air rooftop venue, is a chic, stylish lounge perfect for enjoying the sunset over the harbor, or for simply relaxing after work or before dinner. Open daily, weather permitting.refreshinglysophisticatedjoin us | weekly fireworks viewing at the rooftop bar | sundays at 9 pmThe Dunes of West Beach 19323 Shores DriveCarolyn Gaido | 713.851.3377East End Historical District1315 Ball StreetAndrea Sunseri | 409.370.0088Playa San Luis4130 Courageous LaneMichael Gaido | 409.457.4900Sea Isle 4030 Jackson DriveBecky McClain | 832.455.9454In Town905 Post Office StreetDakota Garcia | 832.876.9505In Town4312 Avenue R ½Courtney Sapio | 409.599.7030The Reserve at Bay Harbor23510 Bayview Lane Cy Eilers | 409.789.2334East End Historical District1120 Winnie StreetPeter Van Borssum | 409.771.0946SPECIALIZING LOCALLY SINCE 1974sandnsea.com | 409.797.5500Alison Christensen409.539.1794Kimberly Gaido713.498.2020Pamela Gabriel409.789.4990Patti Zajack409.789.3199Jana Turner713.819.9233Carol & Wendell Odorizzi 713.882.3934Amanda Ross 832.385.0431Barbara Zimmerman 409.599.4344Pirates Beach West4214 Turks Point Pamela Gabriel I 409.789.4990SOLD!Contact me with all your Real Estate needs.Jim RosenfeldBROKER ASSOCIATECircle of Excellence Award WinnerHall of Fame MemberTexas Monthly Magazine Five Star Realtor 2012-2018Trulia and Zillow Five Star RatingCertified SIRVA Relocation Specialist713.854.1303Jim.Rosenfeld@Sothebyshomes.com“My exceptional Galveston team is marketing premier properties from the beaches to the bay — from historic treasures to high-rise condos!”WE ARE YOUR REALTOR®!PIRATES COVE | 13821 Cutlass Lane3-4 BEDROOMS | 2.5 BATH | ±2,342 SQ. FT. Last list price $668,800EVIA | 5 Porch Street 4 BEDROOMS | 3 BATH | ±2,685 SQ. FT. Offered at $624,800 NON-MLSEVIA | 16 Compass Circle3 BEDROOMS | 2.5 BATH | ±2,126 SQ. FT. Last list price $439,800 EVIA | 85 Island Passage 3-4 BEDROOMS | 2.5 BATH | ±2,303 SQ. FT. Offered at $357,800 MLS 83269759DENVER COURT | 4515 Avenue N 3 BEDROOMS | 2.5 BATH | ±2,256 SQ. FT. Offered at $359,800 MLS 58216337TIKI ISLAND | 503 Isles End4 BEDROOMS | 3 BATHS | ±2,790 SQ. FT. Last list price $648,800SOLD!REDUCED!EVIA | 6 Caravelle Court Superlative new construction. Captivating lake and West Bay vistas. Stellar amenities and upgrades. Epicurean island kitchen. Spa-style master bath. Media room.4+ BEDROOMS | 3.5 BATHS | ±2,540 SQ. FT.Last list price $548,800WEST BAY | 12000 Sportsman Road Magnificent Zen-inspired custom contemporary on colossal estate site. Majestic bay, lagoon and sunset vistas. Gourmet kitchen. 3 fireplaces. Elevator. 4 BEDROOMS | 3.5 BATHS | ±4,161 SQ. FT.Offered at $989,800 MLS 55628434HARBORWALK | 9 LargoBreathtaking waterfront villa. Glorious bay vistas. Dazzling oversized pool and spa. Double lot. Divine finishes and furnishings. Double boat house. Elevator. 3-4 BEDROOMS | 2.5 BATHS | ±2,640 SQ. FT.Offered at $685,000 MLS 49474477Proudly marketingfor over 10 years!SALE PENDING!REDUCED!SOLD!SOLD!REDUCED!103 AVE C & 1ST STREET, SAN LEON, TX 77539Weekend WithOysters!CelebratePIRATES BEACH4106 FIDDLER CRAB LN. | $429,000SUE JOHNSON | 409.682.9050PIRATES BEACH13826 MUTINY LN. | $555,000SUE JOHNSON | 409.682.9050DIAMOND BEACH CONDOS 10327 SAN LUIS PASS | $389K - $569KMARTIE TERRY | 713.504.4202EMERALD BY THE SEA CONDO 500 SEAWALL BLVD #602 | $289,000FRANK PETRONELLA | 409.771.2435PORT BOLIVAR1821 LAGUNA HARBOR COVE BLVD. | $589,900VALERIE GIL | 713.373.7800MIDTOWN 3906 URSULINE | $164,500CIELO SALAS | 409.370.8900EAST END1914 AVENUE M | $649,900HOLLY WADE | 409.996.9126ISLA DEL SOL3912 BRIDGE HARBOR | $575,000LINDA SIVY | 409.599.5847heritagetexas.comGALVESTON OFFICE13655 FM 3005 Galveston, Texas 77554 409.737.4000ENDLESS SUMMER | PIRATES BEACHHERITAGECVR.COM | 844.777.3529RESERVE NOW26 COASTMONTHLY.COM / July 2018SUE LENES‘We’re a pretty patriotic family’Sue Lenes of League City comes from a patriotic family. Her first husband was in the U.S. Air Force, as was her second husband. Her father was born on Independence Day.“It’s always been a special holiday for me,” Lenes said of Fourth of July.Her husband, John P. “Pete” Lenes, is the registrar of the Bernardo de Galvez Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. He began tracing Sue Lenes’ ancestry a few years ago.Sue Lenes had no idea how far back her family’s history in the United States went. When she was a child, people didn’t talk about things like that, she said.Sue Lenes always wanted to trace her family history. It was something she was always in-terested in, and her brother also tried to track down the family tree. Finally, on Dec. 18, 2012, Lenes was sworn into the George Washington Chapter as a Daughter of the American Revolu-tion. She is the first person in her family to join the organization, as far as she knows, she said.Sue Lenes’ daughters, Alice Watkins and Jennifer Juel, also are in the George Washington chapter. Her son, Russell Minor, is a member of the Galveston chapter of the Sons of the Amer-ican Revolution, as are her four grandsons. The family has even started the paperwork on one who is only a few months old, and they also are at work on her great-grandson.Her lineage makes Fourth of July more special. But because it also was her father’s birthday, the day has always been special to her, she said.Being an American is a privilege, and Americans are privileged to live in such a country, Lenes said.“We always celebrate Memorial Day and Fourth of July,” she said. “It was a big, meaningful holiday. My dad was too old for World War II, but he was in the Home Guard in the Baytown area. I guess you could say we’re a pretty patriotic family,” she said.– Story by Erin Graham Photo by Stuart Villanueva COASTMONTHLY.COM / July 2018 27“We always celebrate Memorial Day and Fourth of July. It was a big, meaningful holiday. I guess you could say we’re a pretty patriotic family.”– SUE LENESLORI ELZNER‘Every generation can reach higher goals’For bilingual education teacher Lori Elzner, being an American is about the opportunities peo-ple make for themselves.“Every generation can reach higher goals,” she said. “Now, being a minority is the norm. Our country is much more diverse than when my grandparents immigrated.”Born in Galveston, Elzner, 50, has taught bilingual education in Galveston Independent School District for 28 years, feeling a need to teach future generations, she said.“One of my greatest achievements has been having a student in my class who arrived from Mexico in the fourth grade speaking no English at all come back to me at his high school grad-uation to thank me for making a difference in his life.”And Elzner is no stranger to the story of immigration. Her grandparents moved to Texas legally in the early 1900s with a work permit. They met in Texas and were married in Bastrop in 1911.Her grandfather, Clemente Gongora, was from Santa Catarina, Nuevo Leòn, Mèxico and her grandmother, Severiana Romo, was from El Rincòn de Romos, Aguascalientes, Mexico.She has always valued her family lineage, she said.Elzner’s father, Dionicio Gongora, was born in Bastrop, Texas. Her mother, Guillerma Gongo-ra, was born in Galveston.Witnessing how hard both her parents worked to assimilate into America inspired her to become a teacher, Elzner said.“I love that America is a land of opportunity and advancement,” she said. “My dad had no access to education, but was able to secure jobs that enabled him to send all three of his daugh-ters to college.”Being American isn’t about your ethnicity and every generation deserves equal freedom and learning opportunities, Elzner said.“I want to make a difference for immigrant children and give them opportunities that my parents and grandparents did not have.”– Story by Connor Behrens Photo by Kim Christensen COASTMONTHLY.COM / July 2018 29Next >