xxx Houston Chronicle | HoustonChronicle.com and chron.com | Sunday, September 22, 2013 | G3 STAR TELEVISION Whichway will Emmys break? By Jeanne Jakle even more irreverentlyfunny than the first. Second choice: Will Neil PatrickHarris once “The Big Bang Theory,”which again deliverarazzle-dazzle neverfails to makemegiggle. Emmyshow? ThehostofSundaynight’s Outstandinglead actor award ceremonysayshe (comedy) has plenty of newtricks up Nominees: JimParsons his sleeve.Ontop of being (“TheBig Bang Theory”); charming,funnyand apolished Louis C.K.(“Louie”); Alec song-and-dance man, Harris Baldwin (“30 Rock”), Matt is an accomplished magician; LeBlanc (“Episodes”); Don he’s been interested in sleight- Cheadle (“House of Lies”); of-hand since childhood. One and Jason Bateman (“Arrested thing he isn’t into,however, Development”). is repeating himself,sodon’t Will win: Parsons, because expect him to pull out acatchy he continues to be both musical number insu!erable and lovable as the at the top of the geeky, overbearing Sheldon. show as he did for I’mrootingfor: Louis C.K., the 2009 Emmys. whohas neverwon and pulls He does o!one of the toughesttricks of promise plenty of comedy—hebringsushearty surprises and, yes, laughs while getting us to music.Astandout seriously empathize with his Harris should be Elton trials as adivorced dad. John’s tribute to Frank Ockenfels/AssociatedPress Liberace as part of the fanfare Bryan Cranston, left, is nominatedfor bestactor in adrama series and AaronPaul is nominated Outstandinglead actress surrounding nominated HBO forbestsupportingactor fortheir roles in “BreakingBad,” which is nominatedfor bestdrama. (comedy) movie “Behind the Candelabra.” Nominees: Tina Fey(“30 Yo ualso might want to keep a of Cards,” “Mad Men.” 65th Dockery (“Downton Abbey”); Rock”); Lena Dunham (“Girls”); boxoftissues nearby:The tradi- Will win: “Homeland” Primetime Emmy Vera Farmiga (“Bates Motel”); AmyPoehler (“Parks and tional in memoriam section will (Showtime). Thoughits second Elisabeth Moss (“Mad Men”); Recreation”), Laura Dern be beefed up this year.Emmy season wasabit uneven Awards Connie Britton (“Nashville”); (“Enlightened”); Edie Falco When: 7p.m. Sunday will honor fivewhom producers compared to the terrorism and KerryWashington (“Nurse Jackie”); Network: CBS believe warrantspecial recogni- drama’swondrous freshman (“Scandal”). and Julia Louis- tion. Edie Falco will remem- year,itstill delivered lots of Will win: Danes as Carrie, Dreyfus (“Veep”). ber “Sopranos” co-star James astonishing twists and turns. whofinally, after enduring Will win: Last Gandolfini; MichaelJ.Fox will I’mrootingfor: “Breaking Bonneville (“Downton Abbey”); so much humiliation, gother year’s Emmy paytribute to “FamilyTies” Bad” (AMC). This is itsswan JonHamm (“Mad Men”); and “gotcha” momentwithBrody— recipientLouis- producer Gary David Goldberg; song year,when the darkly Je!Daniels (“TheNewsroom”). and playeditperfectly. Dreyfus, who Jane Lynchwill celebrate her funny, amazingly written and Will win: Cranston, who’s I’mrootingfor: Farmiga, shone even more “Glee”co-star CoryMonteith; intriguingly photographed highlydeserving as always, whobrought captivating Poehler brightly in her RobReiner will honor “A ll in meth drama should at long last or Lewis, whomade us su!er dimension to what could have second term as the Family” castmember Jean be awarded the Emmy. OK, along with his character as he been justavillainess turn as stumbling and scheming VP Stapleton; and Robin Williams so the second half of itsfinal wastorn between the twoforces Norman Bates’ mom in the Selina Meyer. will look back at his dear friend season will mostassuredlyget pulling his strings, the CIA and “Psycho”-inspired A&Edrama. I’mrootingfor: Poehler.Is and mentor Jonathan Winters. anod next year,too.Still, fans al-Qaida baddie AbuNazir. Emmyevergoing to honor this Thebiggest reason to tune reallywanttosee it win now I’mrootingfor: Hamm, Outstandingcomedyseries comedytreasure,who’s been in, of course,istosee whowins. while “Bad” still is playing … whohas neverwon and who Nominees: “The Big Bang up year after year? Ieventhink My picks and predictions for and blazing hot. turned in amultifaceted Theory,”“Girls,” “Louie,” Louis-Dreyfus would applaud a who’ll takehome this year’s portrayalasDon Draper —at “Modern Family,”“Veep,” “30 win by Poehler,who delivered statuettes: Outstandinglead actor once likable and repellant. Rock.” yetanother strong season as (drama) Will win: “Modern Family” forevertaunted, but unfailingly Outstandingdrama series Nominees: Damian Lewis Outstandinglead actress (ABC)…because it always does. optimistic,public servant Leslie Nominees: “Breaking Bad,” (“Homeland”); BryanCranston (drama) I’mrootingfor: “Veep” Knope. “Downton Abbey,” “Game of (“Breaking Bad”); Kevin Spacey Nominees: Claire Danes (HBO).The second season of Thrones,” “Homeland,” “House (“House of Cards”); Hugh (“Homeland”); Michelle this WhiteHouse comedywas [email protected] Gray:Creek provides water treatmentand drainage Gray from page G1 the creek; the treatment area would be so attractive fitness center and awater thatiteventuallywould be slide. There are manicured outfitted with boardwalks, lawns, cul-de-sacs and to serve as apark. And the swimming pools. Thebig creek,outfitted with hike- brickhouses are distin- and-biketrails, would guishable chieflybytheir serve as anature parkthat stateofcompletion (many ran throughthe subdivi- still are under construc- sion’s heart. Theformer tion)and their size (large, drainage ditchwould be a XL and super-size). selling point. Butcrucially, Cross Thedevelopers agreed. Creek Ranchdoes one thing much better than its Naturally neighbors. And thatthing Almost10years later, is —bear with me here it’s possible to see how —water treatmentand well the firstphase of that drainage. Theback end of plan turned out. Cross itswater-treatmentsys- Creek Ranchwas bought tem is both e!ective and by Johnson Development parklike. And the suburb lastyear,but itsmarketing has actuallyimprovedthe strategyremains creek- creek thatruns throughit. centric.Asales packet “The big idea, early showsegrets, herons and on, wasthatthe creek ducks gathered at the Pol- would be the backbone ishing Pond, as the lush of the community,” Matt water-treatmentbasin is Baumgarten told me in nowbranded. “Living the the welcome center’s waynature intended,” SWAGroup photos parking lot. Baumgarten, says the slogan on afolder Before Cross CreekRanchwas developed, theland was an overgrazed pasture. And that stretch of Flewellen asoft-spoken landscape thatholds sales brochures. Creek, straightened and channelized, wasmoreadrainage ditch than acreek. architect, wasthe project’s “Naturally.” leaddesigner for the firm Baumgarten showedme SWA. around. Trees and plants In 2004, thatwas a lined the creek so thickly surprising idea —particu- thatinmanyplaces, it larly giventhe uninspir- washard to see the water. ing stateofFlewellen Ducks flewoverhead. Creek on the tract to be Near the subdivision’s developed. Where it ran entrance,nativegrasses throughthatovergrazed were planted gardenlike pasture,the waterway in neatbeds. Deeper in, hadbeen straightened less-manicured swaths out and channelized. The of knee-highwildflowers trees and brushthatmust and grasses wavedatthe have once lined itsbanks sides of streets. were long gone.Itwas less Near one of the little Even thedead trees have been planted. Scattered acreek than adrainage “wetland receptor”ponds, through thedevelopment, trunks of trees felled by ditch. frogschirped and birds Hurricane Ikehavebeen mountedupright. To the developer, rustled in branches Trendmaker Homes, overhead. Baumgarten the place wasmaster- from Hurricane Ikeand SWAproposed to make smiled. “Inlots of places planned, dreamed up mounted according to Flewellen look and work where asubdivision goes by landscape architects. plan —sothatbirds could more likethe natural in,” he said, “you go out Iknewthe enormous perchonthem. creek it once hadbeen: to the undeveloped site, amountofearth-moving Buthere’s the thing: To give it curves, to slow and youhear all these equipmentthathad been When Baumgarten and I itswater flow, to plant natural sounds. Then the involved, and thatalmost left the pavedpaths and itsbankslushlywith site is graded, and there’s all the thousands of trees walked down to the water, native trees and grasses. silence.Here,wedid the lining the creek bankshad Flewellen Creek felt natu- In a50-acre wastewater- massive grading,and been planted. It’s more a ral. Ifelt ahundred times treatmentarea, plants there wassilence for a garden than awilderness: happier there by the creek would do the final work while.But then the sounds Even the occasional dead than I’deverfelt in the of “polishing”the water returned —10times what trees in the landscape west suburbs before. before it wasused for they used to be.” hadbeen inserted there irrigation or flowedinto Ireminded myself that consciously —reused [email protected].